On QB Jared Goff’s game status for Sunday: “I’d say it’s probable. He got back in a rhythm Wednesday. I thought yesterday he looked even better and we expect him to continue to improve today. So, I think we’ll see Goff this weekend.” On if he is expecting the Packers’ starters to play on Sunday: “We’re prepared to see them the whole game. Look, I know what that’s like just – we would go through that where I just came from. There were a couple of different scenarios, ‘How much do you play your guys? Do you not? Is there a rust factor? Is there a rhythm factor? Is there –’ all of those things. So, I think it’s – they’ll play that by ear, but as far as we’re concerned, I mean we’ve got to be ready to play their very best and that’s how we’ve been preparing.” On his message to the players that will return next year about how the adversity they faced this season will benefit them in the future: “I think it’s just that really. It’s about ending the season on a high note. ‘Look, let’s play our best football right now with one left. And that way, it catapults you into the offseason. It catapults you into the following seasons.’ So, when you talk about the foundation, I think a huge part of it is exactly what we’ve been going through, which is when things don’t go your way, you’ve got to go back to work and you’ve got to keep trying to improve. And, you’ve got to look at each day, it’s a new day and learn from the old and push forward and our guys have done that. And, I think that’s a huge part of it, I really do. And, when you collectively think that way, players, coaches, organization, you get better and you do become more resilient so that when you get things where you want them and you have that spirit about you, I think it makes you tough to beat.” On the foundation the team has built this season: “Look, I’m not happy with the wins, I know that. I would like to have more of those certainly. We all would. But, as far as where we’re at now and I think about where we started, I am encouraged. I do see a foundation that is being built and is built to an extent. So, I have to go by the way that I feel and look at the players that we have here, particularly the young foundation that we have and I see improvement. Even though there are these times – we get frustrated and there’s frustration every week, but that’s part of learning and growing, too. But, when you go back and think about some of these guys, where they were in the spring and where they were in training camp and you’re like, ‘My gosh.’ That’s where you get really encouraged because you do see the steps and sometimes you lose sight of that along the way because you’re not winning and a guy makes a mistake that you wish he wouldn’t make. But, when you just step back from it all and look at where you’ve come from and a number of these players, I am encouraged.” On the jump rookies experience from year one to year two: “Look, having done it as a player, there is nothing like – when you’re a rookie, you’re swimming. You come in, you’re just trying to find your place, much less be the player that you are. I think – I don’t want to say guys like (Amon-Ra St. Brown) Saint are rare, but they’re damn near rare for the fact that you can come in and get your feet under you and be able to get your confidence and your skillset to a certain level to be very competitive by the end of your first year. That doesn’t always happen. It takes a minute and I think that’s the norm. But, once you come back and everything that you’ve learned and processed and now you understand, ‘Man, I know what we’re doing when we come in the spring. I know what time the team meeting is. I know how these O and D meetings are going. I know how the special teams are going to go. I know how the practice is going to be laid out. I know what (Defensive Line) Coach (Todd) Wash expects of me or (Defensive Backs/Pass Game Coordinator Aubrey Pleasant) AP. I know the drills. I know what he’s looking for.’ You take a huge jump and that doesn’t mean – look, I’ve seen players make their biggest jumps year two to year three. But, most of it is it’s just the fact that you finally get things figured out a little bit and you know what’s expected somewhat. But yeah, look, it’s been hard at times, but it’s also been fortunate. Not every team has been able to do what we’ve been able to do, which is play as many young guys as we have, our draft picks, our rookie free agents, our second-year players. And so, it’s kind of worked out that way, just the nature of how the roster was built, but also the injuries, it’s some of the COVID stuff. And so, that’s actually been a silver lining. We’ve banked some valuable reps for these guys.” On if the players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list will be able to play on Sunday: “This will all be – the guys that we have on COVID right now, the three, it will be about the symptoms. How are they? We’ve been checking on them every day and they all have symptoms. And so, we’ll just have to see how they feel tomorrow. That will be their fifth day, and so they can come in and we can check them out, see where they’re at, see if it’s affected them physically at all and where their mind’s at. If they feel like they can go and they don’t have the symptoms, then we’re good to go. But otherwise, we won’t really know until tomorrow to be honest with you.” On if QB Jared Goff’s playing status hinges on if T Taylor Decker and T Penei Sewell are able to come off of Reserve/COVID-19: “No, it doesn’t. His status is all about his ability to play, not the other guys around him.” On the importance of the players buying into the team this season: “It’s everything because if they don’t buy in, they don’t believe in what you’re doing. Then, you’re pretty much a lame duck. I mean, there’s not much you can do. So, the buy-in is huge. I do feel like we have the buy-in. I feel like – there again, I bring up the veterans that we’ve had and the pups that are learning from them, the young players, they know what we’re trying to do around here and we’re preaching. And, it is important and I do feel the buy-in.” On how rare it is for four rookies on a team to play in 16 games throughout the season: “It doesn’t always happen, I know that. At one point, I think in New Orleans, we had one where we only had one or two draft picks that were playing. But, that was also the state of our roster. We had a lot of depth, we had a lot of veteran players and that was after a number of years building it up. But yeah, that doesn’t always happen. But, there again, at this point with where we’re at, to get those guys that you want to get a look at and see where they can go and giving them opportunity, it’s invaluable because you never know. Down the road, they may be your starters if they’re not already. Or, they become valuable depth for you, special teams, quality backup players. And, all of those reps matter. Every bit of it does.” On if there is a sense of relief to have the offseason coming up to evaluate the team moving forward: “Look, I think that’s what all of this has been about this first year is of course we wanted to get the wins, but the most important thing was to develop our talent, develop our players, develop our culture, knowing where we’re going. I kind of said this before, I see it like this, I told (Principal Owner and Chair) Sheila (Ford Hamp) this the other day and really the team, but we’ve kind of been – we’re in the Arctic Ocean, but we’re headed to the Caribbean. You can see it, I can see it, it’s not always easy to see. There’s a long way to go, but we’re heading there, I do know that. That’s what this year has been about and we’re going to – everything had to happen that’s happened this year to an extent, it really has. You had to go through some of these growing pains and it’s not been easy, but yet anything worth having or anything worth having success at, it takes a lot of work, hard work. It’s not going to just happen. And, it’s also what makes it that much sweeter that’s for sure.” |
