Xavien Howard – September 15, 2021
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Wednesday, September 15, 2021
CB Xavien Howard
(When teams don’t throw at you, is there ever a time in the game where you would actually like some action in the passing game? Or are you just accustomed to that some weeks – teams aren’t going to attack you because of how good you are?) – “I feel like teams are going to try me. I feel like some teams probably (try to) lull me to sleep. Some teams probably give me less opportunities to try to intercept the ball. The mindset of the defense is getting to the ball. That’s our main thing and that’s what everybody on the field wants to do is get to the ball.”
(Does last year change perspective for quarterbacks and offenses and how they approach you?) – “No, I feel like – the crazy part is I still see the stuff that they attacked me with last year that certain teams are doing. It’s only the first week. There’s a lot of football left. People are going to have different game plans to attack me. I’m just ready for it.”
(What’s the challenge of lining up against WR Stefon Diggs? Or what do you enjoy about lining up against him?) – “You’ve got to line up against five guys. They’ve got Emmanuel Sanders, Cole Beasley, Gabriel Davis, Isaiah McKenzie. You’ve got the quarterback also. There’s a lot that they have. It’s going to be a tough battle. You just have to be prepared for it. He can extend plays, run the ball, everything. There’s a lot of stuff that they do well.”
(QB Josh Allen, how have you seen him evolve as a quarterback?) – “Each year, just seeing him from his rookie year, he’s taken a big jump each year. I feel like he was a top five quarterback last year.”
(I know you have a lot of respect for other AFC cornerbacks like Patriots CB Stephon Gilmore and Bills CB Tre’Davious White. What do you like about White’s game?) – “He’s a baller. He tackles well. He plays the ball. He does a lot of great things well. He’s also quick. Just watching his game – I try to watch a lot of guys’ game, especially when I’m playing against them. Each corner, I try to learn from and try to see what they do well.”
(Have you ever swapped jerseys with either of those guys?) – “No, I haven’t.”
(I know you don’t play directly against Bills CB Tre’Davious White but when you play an elite corner, does that give you motivation that you’ve got to make sure you have a better day?) – “For sure. I want to be the best corner on the field when I’m playing, no matter who the opposite corner is. I try to be the best corner each game.”
(You guys had a lot of success punching the ball out last game and the Bills fumbled four times in their opener. Is that something you guys talk about, that there are more opportunities there?) – “Yeah, I feel like there will be a couple of opportunities out there and how they play ball. Punching the ball, interceptions, everything – forced fumbles, everything that we’re going for. That’s what we do on defense is try to get the ball.”
(The season finale last year didn’t go the way this team wanted it to go at all. Is there any type of revenge maybe when you see the Bills this time around? I know you guys don’t want to look back but the way they beat you.) – “I’m definitely not looking back but it’s in my head, though – what they did last year. But it’s a new year. It’s a new team. New personnel. There are a lot of things that are going on and we’ve just got to be prepared with what they bring this year.”
(There’s a team that throws out four or five wide receivers that you’ve got to cover. How valuable or how important is it to make sure the communication is right with the rest of the cornerbacks and the rest of the DBs, because you could see some bunch formations and rub routes and stuff like that. How valuable is that communication?) – “Last week, it felt like we saw a lot of bunch routes, pick routes and a lot of stuff they do well. I feel like we’re going to see the same thing. Depending on what coverage we’re playing, they try to attack us in this way or that way. We’ve just got prepared for whatever they bring.”
(Going back to the way quarterbacks approach the way you play defense and all – you mentioned lulling you to sleep and that sort of thing. If you’re a quarterback – put yourself in a quarterback’s head for a minute – how would you attack you?) – “I played quarterback. (laughter) I played quarterback in high school. I feel like I’d just try to take advantage of the opportunities they’ve given me or whatever the quarterback is doing. I won’t give people the up on me on how to attack me. They’ll see. (laughter)”
(Is this an opportunity for you guys to set the tone in the division? You get a good win on the road in the first week. The second week, you’re playing one of the top teams in the division. Is this that opportunity for you guys?) – “We’re just taking it one week at a time. It’s still early football. We’re only going into Week 2. There’s a lot of football left. We’re just taking it one week at a time.”
(Does your quarterback experience from way back when, does that in any way help you in what you do now?) – “Yeah, I feel like it does help me. I played everything so playing receiver also helped me, just looking back and finding the ball. I feel like a lot of cornerbacks panic when the ball is in the air and that’s probably what I do well is just look back. No matter if I’m beat or not, I try to make a play on the ball.”
(What were your QB stats?) – “I ran a lot. I wasn’t passing that much. I really was like a zone read quarterback. It was decent. I’ve got to look it up. I forgot. But I did my thing. (laughter)”
(QB Lamar Jackson style?) – “For sure. RG3. (laughter) That’s who I thought I was. (laughter)”
(Defending WR Will Fuller in the past, do you remember your reaction in March when you heard the Dolphins had signed him?) – “Yeah that game we played them in Houston, that was crazy. I was happy about the signing. I said there’s a lot of speed on offense. They’re going to open up a lot for a lot of guys on the ball.”
(WR Will Fuller was saying something about tracking those deep balls, that Randy Moss taught him to look up and not back at the quarterback. Is it a similar concept when you’re running side-by-side with him?) – “Right. Like he said, Randy Moss – wow, that’s crazy. I didn’t know that. Randy Moss taught him to look up? Yeah, that’s crazy; but that’s the mindset I have. I try to look up because the ball is in the air. Especially being in the NFL, a lot of guys like Russell Wilson are throwing moon balls, so you’ve got to be prepared for stuff like that.”
(Is there a moment where you have to train yourself or fight the urge to turn and jump for it?) – “I try to read the receiver also and sometimes if I’m on my sideline, everybody is yelling ‘Ball!’ and that gives me the leeway to look back also.”
