| December 10, 2021 Opening Statement: “I would just start with this, we’re going to go out and practice today. We’ve got a lot of our guys back. We’ve got them out of the infirmary and we’ll get a good practice, get ready for Denver here.” On if there are concerns for the conditioning of the players who were held out of practice yesterday going into a game in the altitude: “A little bit, it could be knowing those couple of factors. But, there again, we’re just big on – they’ve got to be able to hydrate, they’ve got to rest. We’ll get them out here, but it won’t be grueling. We’ll rotate the reps with some of these guys so that they’re getting the work, but it’s not too much, it’s not overbearing. And then, they get some live reps, just a couple here. It’s the altitude, but it’s – there again, we’ve got oxygen over there. We’ll be fine.” On how not practicing in pads on Wednesday may impact the team: “I’ll be the first to say that’s not – I didn’t foresee that being how our Wednesday was going to go after this game, getting ready for Denver. But, it’s the hand you’re dealt, and so we make the most of it. I just bring this up, it’s like just because we’re young doesn’t mean that we’re immature. I want to hope and feel like we’ve grown, and we are growing up and we can handle this, and you know what? We have to. We’ve just preached to our guys, ‘There are no excuses. It’s just results. Nobody cares, so we’ve got to go make it happen.” On how many players will remain out of practice today: “Shoot, man. I would say probably three or four. So, we’ve got a lot back.” On who helped lead the efforts to contain the virus going around the team this week: “I would say – look, certainly (Head Athletic Trainer) Kevin Bastin, it started with him. I respect his input greatly. He’s been around in this League for a long time and he’s got a real good feel of what’s best for the players, but also what’s best for trying to get ready to play a football game. There was a lot of input that was taken from him in regards to that and it just – I felt like we needed to do this. It was a little extraordinary if you will.” On if the measures taken this week to contain the virus have worked: “I would say you do feel like a number of those guys – like, we are, we are on the tail end of it and guys are coming back and they’ll be out there practicing. You would like to feel like that it was a step in the right direction. We’ll find out.” On if there will be additional steps taken while traveling this weekend to contain the virus: “The beauty of the way we travel anyway because of the COVID restrictions and everything, we’re pretty good about just the way we do it. I mean, everyone has to wear a mask, we all get tested as normal. I think if anything, what we may do is huddle a few of these guys up that are already feeling like crummy or coming back from it and just make sure they are kind of isolated if you will. But we’ll travel properly and be good.” On how he is feeling: “I feel good. I feel good. No worries right now until you asked me that. You probably jinxed me, but as of right now, I feel good.” On Broncos TE Noah Fant: “I like Noah. I liked him coming out, he and (T.J. Hockenson) Hock both. He’s got length, he’s got speed, he’s explosive. It was funny because I remember when he was coming out, he was more raw than Hock was. But I think he’s a factor and he’s gotten so much better at blocking, too. And so, for him to be able to mix it up in the pass game, but then – he’s got the speed to hurt you down the seam. So, they’re using him well. (Broncos Offensive Coordinator) Pat Shurmur has always done a good job with that. We’ve got to know where he’s at for sure.” On if he thinks the younger players have matured more off of the field as the season has progressed: “Well yeah, I do because you see some of these guys talking football now more than just messing around or always joking, which there’s nothing wrong with that, but I feel like there’s more ball talk. But I think a lot of that has to do with some of our vets, too. Those young guys, they gravitate towards (Michael) Brockers in the D-line room and it pays off, you can see it. They’re more about business. They understand what to look for. They don’t even know what they’re looking at and just how you handle it. Same thing with (Alex) Anzalone and (Jalen) Reeves-Maybin with (Derrick) Barnes. It’s just kind of, ‘This is the way you do it. This is what you’re looking at. This is how you prepare.’ So yeah, I do. I think these guys are – I think they’re growing because we’ve got some good guys around them that are helping them grow.” On the passing of former Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas: “Just first of all, I couldn’t believe that. I mean, 33 years old and I think it’s – look, it’s always hard when somebody passes, particularly when it’s somebody that is – that you are very close with, a teammate or certainly a parent, all of those things. But man, when you’re outside looking in at Demaryius, it’s another one of those – when Superman becomes mortal, it’s kind of hard. You just think somebody like him would live forever. He had some great years, unbelievable guy. I don’t know him personally, but everybody just talks about the impact he had on so many lives. It’s too young, 33 is way too young, and so thoughts and prayers for everybody that’s – his family. But, it’s tough. I know that whole Denver Broncos community will be thinking about him and it’s tough, but unfortunately that’s life and you make the most of it, push forward.” On if he has talked to WR Kalif Raymond about his relationship with former Broncos teammate WR Demaryius Thomas: “No, I have not. I have not, but I’m sure we’ll be talking about that here in a little bit. And, I’m sure he’s got some real good stories about him.” On the origin of the play design for TE Brock Wright’s touchdown reception: “I think it starts with – like, that play for example would be look, you’re in the high-fringe, you’re in the fringe, you’re in the low-red or high-red, 20-yard line, and you’ve got heavy 22-personnel and a run game in your package. And so now, ‘Where’s a good place to get a good matchup on one of these seams?’ It may start – usually, you’re thinking it starts with (T.J.) Hockenson, ‘Who’s he going to draw? We get the safety, comes down, three weak on that. You’ve got the post safety, can (Jared) Goff hold him?’ That’s kind of where it started was I just wanted four verts out of heavy and maybe it’s two-back and then it goes from – then it’s (Tight Ends Coach) Ben (Johnson) talking about, ‘Well, maybe we ought to motion (Jason) Cabinda here and then have him flare. Why don’t we pull the backside guard? We’ll get more sell.’ And then, it just kind of evolves from there and everybody just kind of – one thought goes and then you get creative with it and then you see what happened on Sunday, they’re playing run because we’ve done enough run game out of 22-personnel where they’re all – they’re packed up in there and you pull a guard and they’re just – I’ll be honest with you, it’s like when you draw those cards and you practice, you give as good of a look as you can, but yet it still be competitive and look like, ‘Hey, this is –’ so it’s not just a – you know what I mean, a total throwaway. But that was even better than just a throwaway. That was better a card than we could have drawn, just how it popped. And, we thought it was going to be Cabinda that might actually pop first. Brock just, wow, hit the seam. So, we couldn’t throw that ball fast enough. It’s just – it evolves. It starts and you just start tinkering with it and you come up with the best look. And certainly, they played what we thought they would play, so that helps.” On where he thinks of his ideas for offensive play-calls: “Yeah, I mean I just think – no, most of them are just watching tape and you just watch and you’re like, ‘Oh man, this looks pretty good.’ And so, you scribble an idea down and most of the time, for me, I’ll have thoughts down, ‘Hey, I want to do this.’ But then, there will be a ton of stuff where I just have a general idea like, ‘Man, look at this. Look at what the corner does on this or the nickel.’ And, then I’ll bring it in and then you let – you kind of throw it out there and see what – does (Tight Ends Coach) Ben (Johnson) have something off of it? Does (Quarterbacks Coach Mark Brunell) Bru or (Wide Receivers Coach Antwaan Randle El) El? And then, you just kind of – the staff, you let them work or (Offensive Coordinator Anthony Lynn) A-Lynn and you just – and pretty soon, either something comes out of it or doesn’t and you ditch it and you go to the next thought. Those are things and that’s how – (New Orleans Saints Head Coach) Sean (Payton) was that way a little bit. He would have real good thoughts, but sometimes you just had to have some direction to it. You needed somebody else’s input to kind of make it the way you wanted it to be or what you thought would really work or that was sound.” On if RB D’Andre Swift has a chance to play Sunday: “I would say it’s unlikely. I would say right now it’s unlikely.” |
