| December 3, 2021 On if the reason why there has not been a punt return touchdown in the NFL this year is because punters have gotten better: “I would say the punters in this League are getting a lot better and they have, particularly over the last five to eight years there. I think it’s so much more – I think ball location has a lot to do with it. That certainly helps, but I think it’s just – man, I don’t know. This is an odd year. Normally, you would have quite a few by now.” On the statistic that there has not been an NFL season without a punt return touchdown going into December since 1960: “It’s unbelievable. I do think there is something to that, though, with the punters in this League. But, I will say this too, (Kalif Raymond) Lif’s up to the point where he got that 48-yarder. We’ve been this close and we have said it every week it’s like, ‘My gosh, we are one block away from him taking it.’ Because he’s got the ability to do that and I’m sure there are others on tape you see that are close, too. It’s just they haven’t popped yet. And, probably what will happen, there will be about six this week.” On how the team will honor the victims of the Oxford High School shooting on Sunday: “Look, I know us as the players, the organization, everybody just as a starting point, we’re going to have t-shirts, we’ve got hats made, we’re going to have decals on the back of the helmets. We’ll have a moment of silence before the game certainly, but those guys are on our minds. We want to represent them on Sunday. I know there will be a group of those students and kids and people that have been affected that will be watching this game. Right now, that’s the best way to help them.” On if he reached out to former New Orleans Saints FB and Oxford High School Head Coach Zach Line after the shooting at his school: “I did. Well, it was basically phone tag is what we did. I shared with him the same thoughts that was just that I was thinking about all of the families, we all were, and prayers and thinking about him. It’s tough. There’s no other way to put it. He said it, ‘This is a tough ordeal. This is a tough thing we’re going through right now.’ Rightly so.” On how the coaching staff keeps the team’s energy high after a loss: “Look, I think that it starts with the staff. I think the staff has done a good job of keeping the energy alive and keeping hope there and just continuing to coach up the details of the game. All of these players, they want to know that you care about them and that you’ve got some tools for them that are going to help them be better. And, that’s what our guys do. So, I would credit the staff, but I credit our guys, too. Look, we’ve got – the vets we’ve got on this team, they’re good vets. They understand it’s about – at some point, when you don’t get the wins, it’s still about pride and it’s about the way you want your play to look on tape and ultimately what we want to look like as a team. And then, we’ve got a lot of young, hungry players that want an opportunity to play. And, a lot of them are getting that opportunity, so that helps, too.” On if K Austin Seibert will be able to return this year: “No, he won’t be. He’ll be done for this year.” On if WR Quintez Cephus will be able to return this year: “I think it will be highly unlikely, but both of those players we feel very good about in 2022 being healed up and ready to go.” On Vikings RB Alexander Mattison: “We faced him the first time and I think he’s a good back. He’s steady, he’s solid, he’s one of those guys you can’t sleep on. They’ve been running that scheme for a while. He understands that he’s a good back in that system. As he proved game one, it only takes one to kick out of there and change a game and he’s got that ability. And look, we can’t sleep on (Kene Nwangwu) 26 either because I know they’re going to sprinkle him in and play him. He’s got the speed to – he breaks it on the perimeter and look out because he can take it to the house just like he’s done on punt return. But 25, I think he’s a good back. He’s a workhorse.” On RB D’Andre Swift’s injury status: “Right now, I feel like he may be a week away. I’m hoping that, as a matter of fact. He’s still pretty sore, but he’s getting better. He’s improving. But, we’ll see where it goes here. I’ll know a lot more tomorrow. You see how he feels day in and day out. But as of right now, he’s pretty tender.” On if the team is considering shutting down RB D’Andre Swift for the rest of the season: “No, we don’t feel that way. We don’t feel that way. We still have hope in Swift.” On how he game plans around injuries to the team: “You do the best you can to try to help those guys and try to – there again, I guess somewhat allow them to be able to succeed in what you do game plan-wise as much as you can. You can’t always work around things like that, but try to allow them to have a little success and do things they do well and not try to overburden them. Now, when you do get a lot of injuries, it’s hard to start trying to do that with different spots. But, there is some of that to it, but there again, everybody deals with injuries and it’s been that way for years. As a player and as a coach, I’ve seen it over and over and you’ve got to be able to adjust. That’s the biggest thing is – I know you said that – but you’re just preaching, ‘Look, it’s your opportunity now and you’ve got to be the guy. You can’t be the weak link. You’re the next one up. You’re starting for us and you’ve got to be able to produce for us.’” On the challenge of creating a game plan with RB D’Andre Swift’s injury: “Look, it’s not easy to replace a guy like him, as dynamic as he’s been. You’re making a good point, and so I think it really becomes that production is by committee now. Where does Swift’s production go now to get it back? And, I would say we’re trying to find ways to spread it throughout this roster of skill players that we do have. Swift is going to take – I mean, Jamaal (Williams) is going to take a lot of that. So are the other two backs, (Jermar) Jefferson, Godwin (Igwebuike), and then some of the other just pass production is going to have to come from our receivers and tight ends.” |
