Thursday, September 21, 2023
RB Raheem Mostert
(On playing the running back position at age 31) – “I’m truly blessed about it just because I didn’t get that tread on me early on. So it actually saved me and I feel like it just helped prolong my career a little bit longer and I’m truly happy about that.”
(You weren’t happy back then though, were you?) – “At that point though, I was just an undrafted guy just trying to make a roster and pretty much a special teams guy, so I did get my opportunity. And one thing that I did learn when I was young was when you do get that opportunity, don’t look back. That’s something that Darren Sproles taught me when I was a rookie for the Eagles. He was like, ‘Hey look, a lot of people are going to say a lot of different things about you that you can’t play, you’re too small, you don’t have a big enough heart, you don’t have a lion’s instinct; but you’ve got to be true to yourself.’ And that was the case for me even when I was on several different teams my first two years.”
(Talking about making the most of the opportunity when it comes, how much pride do you take in your average yards per carry? You’re one of the NFL leaders in that.) – “I don’t necessarily look at it like that. I just go out there and play. The pride that I get is from winning, from my teammates being happy that I had a good game. The yards per carry, they’ll take care of itself. I know that I am up there in the league in NFL history, but I try not to look at those things. I just try to solely focus on the game itself.”
(When the 49ers first started giving you a chance to run the ball a lot in the 2018 range, initially were you fueled by the chip on your shoulder of four or five teams not knowing how good a runner you were and does that still fuel you now or is that old news?) – “That still fuels me to this day. I still have that list of the teams that cut me, that didn’t give me an opportunity, including the Dolphins at the time; but all is forgiven. (laughter) But you just have to look at it as a positive. I did get my opportunity when I was with the Niners and like I said, I can’t look back. I try to just pride myself just on maintaining, making sure that I’m doing all the little things, not listening to the outside world because if you let the outside world get ahead of you or get you distracted, then you’re not really focused on your own personal goals. So I know my goals. I know where I want to get in life. I know where I want to get with my football career and it’s still attainable in my eyes.”
(Is that list written down? Is it in a bookshelf? On a wall?) – “It’s right up here. I think of it every day and that’s to be a gold jacket candidate. I know that it looks like a longshot, but that still doesn’t stop me from my mentality.”
(Are you ready for a pop quiz? I was going to ask you, name the teams in order that have cut you.) – “Yeah, I can do that. Philly, Dolphins, Baltimore, Cleveland, following year Cleveland, Jets, Chicago, Niners and now I’m here.”
(So Cleveland got two shots at you?) – “Well, Cleveland had me at the end of the year and then I started the roster with them, made the 53-man roster. Actually, that was the same day my wife had her bridal shower, as I got cut. So if you can only imagine that phone call that I had with her dad, because he was the one that was hosting, helping her event. I’ll never forget, I was sitting at the couch in our apartment and gave him that call. I said ‘hey man look, I don’t know how to tell you this, I don’t even want to tell the ladies, but I just got cut by the Browns.’ The first thing he said was don’t worry about it, we’re going to talk about this when the girls get done with the bridal shower because that would have just ruined their day. But yeah, we had that conversation and that’s actually the pivotal moment in my career, when I asked my wife on our couch, ‘what should I do?’ Because I had just got cut by several different teams prior too. She asked me, ‘how much do I truly love football?’ I told her, ‘I mean, I’ve played this sport since I was seven.’ She was like, ‘well, I don’t see what’s stopping you now.’ That was a pivotal moment for me.”
(What would you do if you didn’t do that?) – “Who knows? I mean, only time will tell on that case. But I’m thankful that we did have that conversation.”
(Over the last five years, what head coach, running backs coach or general manager who was involved in cutting you has come up to you and said something like ‘we made a mistake?’) – “I’m not going to name any specifics because that’s just not what I do.”
(It’s petty?) – “Yeah, that’s little petty. (laughter) But I’ve had several people in personnel departments and other teams come up to me if I was playing them that week, truly apologize. They really felt like they made a mistake. All is forgiven, truthfully. But you still have to have that dog mentality. Like, hey, you thought I wasn’t good enough? Well, I’ve got to run for 200 on you today. That’s just something that you have to do. But like I said, all is forgiven. I’m not really holding no grudges or anything like that. But you still have to keep that in the back of your mind that that was that possibility.”
(Was there ever a time when you thought, well, maybe I’m done with the NFL? Maybe it’s not for me anymore?) – “When I had that question with my wife, at the time, she told me how much do you truly love the sport? I told her I’ve been playing ever since I was seven. She basically gave me like, well you need to keep playing. At that moment, any thought of me quitting or giving up just null and void it. It was just more so, hey I need to go out here and I need to do what I need to do. If I want to be great, I have to go out there and chase my dreams.”
(How good did it feel to get to 100 yards and win the game the other night with a long touchdown?) – “It felt great. Especially the fact that it was a team win, we’re 2-0 and we’re looking forward to Denver now. We’re trying to get to 3-0.”
(21.62 miles per hour.) – “Yeah, I could have went faster. Tyreek (Hill) would have been upset. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. (laughter)”
(Did you get touched on that?) – No, I didn’t get touched either. I tell them all the time, it’s easy to be the receiver and running 20-something miles an hour. Anybody can do that in their sleep if they’re fast. Especially on a go-ball. But come down in them trenches where you have to make cuts and then hit it. It’s a little bit different. (laughter)”
(WR Tyreek Hill probably see things a little differently.) – “Yeah, no, he definitely does. (laughter)”
WR Tyreek Hill
(I saw in an interview where you were complimenting the offensive line, talking about how they have a good approach this year. What are you noticing on that?) – “It’s just a confidence, man. I feel like going into year two, everybody’s together, everybody’s playing under one accord and it’s a beautiful sight to see man. I know for Tua (Tagovailoa), whenever he drops back, he has no defenders in his face. He’s able to get the ball out quick and efficient to the speedsters. As a receiver, I love that. I love when I’m able to like run a route two yards deeper and get open and Tua is still able to get the ball out, so shout out to the offensive line. Without those guys, there would be no ‘Cheetah;’ there would be no ‘Penguin.’ We’d just be like another receiver in this league. So offensive line, they’re doing a great job.”
(If WR Jaylen Waddle can’t play, how does that affect the passing game?) – “Well, obviously we’d love Jaylen to play. I love him like a brother, man. But obviously, health is everything. In the NFL, the mindset is next man up. That’s how we’re going to approach it going into the game. So if we got Jaylen, that’d be perfect. We want Jaylen out there because obviously he makes our offense more explosive, more dangerous. But the mentality is always next man up.”
(How does WR Jaylen Waddle make your job easier?) – “Oh, guys can’t double then. Teams aren’t able to just put me as the key focal point. You have two guys on the same team who can do literally the same thing. It’s more dangerous when we’re both on the field.“
(How much of this is an opportunity for guys like WR Braxton Berrios and WR River Cracraft to show what they can do?) – “Oh, it’s huge. I feel like all of the moments that we had in training camp, OTAs – this is what it’s for. I know when those guys had opportunities to go against ‘X’ (Xavien Howard), Jalen (Ramsey) and stuff like that, I feel like those guys are ready and prepared. A lot of people are going to be shocked to see Braxton and River show out on Sunday if Jaylen doesn’t play.”
(I wanted to ask you about WR Erik Ezukanma, as well. What about his skills make you think he could become a really good NFL receiver?) – “I mean, just look at him. He’s 6-2, he’s 210 (pounds). He’s built almost like ‘T.O.’ (Terrell Owens) a little bit. He’s very freakish, very athletic. He loves the game of football. I think having myself in the room with him, helping him develop into that next level receiver – even though we got two different playing styles – I still stay on him about working hard and stuff like that. I’m teaching him the small nuances that I know in the offense.”
(Who taught you football when you were young?) – “My dad. I got to give all the credit to my granddad man. Herman Hill, I have to give all the credit to him. Throughout my whole entire life, I played football and I feel like he always told me having a strong IQ goes a long way. You can be as talented as you want to be, but knowing about football, understanding positions and understanding where to be at on the field will help you make it in the league or wherever you want to go. So I got to give a shout out to my dad. He’s done a fantastic job.”
(You’ve gone from one of the best offenses in the league, if not the best with you and QB Patrick Mahomes, to one that’s running on all cylinders and is really good. Have any of your formal Chiefs’ teammates or friends text you either this season or last?) – “I can’t even tell you that. (laughter)”
(About QB Tua Tagovailoa and how the offense runs? Because it runs smoothly and quickly here. Do your friends in the league and former Chiefs text you about that?) – “I don’t know. I don’t want to get into that. Shoutout to my boy Pat (Mahomes) though. He just had a birthday. Obviously we still communicate and guys are fascinated by our offense, the way that coach got me motioning around. They are like, ‘bro, where does that come from?’ I’m like, ‘you know what, I have no idea.’ Obviously guys around the league are fascinated about what we are doing down here in Miami. It’s a copycat league, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t see it here soon across the league.”
(How important is it to you to have the No. 1 offense in the NFL?) – “It is. I feel like being the highest paid receiver in this league, I really take pride in that. Everything I do, I want to be the best at everything that I do – not only in individual stats, but also as a team. If I’m able to bring the same mindset each and every day at practice, I feel like it’s going to translate over in the game. That’s what’s been happening. Our pre-snap penalties are down, guys are moving fast out of the huddle in practice and it’s translating over to games. Guys are knowing where to line up and stuff like that. It’s all translating over to the game. I feel like having the best offense, I feel like who wouldn’t want to be a part of that as a competitor?”
(In this age of analytics and tracking everything to hydration. Do they track how much you run on game day, like how far you run in a game with all of the motions?) – “Oh yeah, they do. That’s why sometimes on Wednesday’s, I be having a day off or whatever. I don’t really be injured. I don’t get hurt. The ‘Cheetah’ don’t get hurt.”
(What’s the furthest you’ve run?) – “As far as distance, they don’t tell me. They just be like you had a long day, so we’re going to ease it off of you a little bit.”
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(Last year, the always candid Wide Receivers Coach Wes Welker told us with WR Erik Ezukanma, it was a challenge sometimes getting him lined up in the right spot last year. Not an issue this year. I bring that up because with RB De’Von Achane, obviously a different position, have there been any rookie issues in terms of him just lining up correctly or stuff like that to this point?) – “I mean nothing that’s really glaring. I think that all rookies when they come into an NFL offense, there’s things they have to learn and obviously techniques, differences from college to pro. There’s obviously a natural growth that occurs. But no, I mean there’s nothing glaring with De’Von. We’re so excited for his growth and really look forward to his future here as a Dolphin.”
(You guys have made up game plans without QB Tua Tagovailoa, without T Terron Armstead, without RB Raheem Mostert. If WR Jaylen Waddle cannot play, what would be the difference in making up a game plan without him than someone else?) – “Like always, when you’re fortunate to have such high-caliber players like we do, whenever anyone misses time, it’s hard and we have to adjust. But I think ultimately, that’s the way we cross-train guys. Like last year, especially when we had the o-line questions, that back to training camp. We try to have versatility in what we ask our guys to do. So when you have guys who do specific things, and only one thing, those guys are obviously harder sometimes to fill in for when they’re down. So I think the biggest thing as we move forward through the season is just making sure whenever we have any issues, we remain versatile within our system. And the one thing is that all guys who are up on the roster, we’re going to use in some form, and we’ll use them to their strengths.”
(It felt like during training camp you guys may have staggered WR Jaylen Waddle and WR Tyreek Hill’s reps when they were on the field at the same time. Would it be fair to say that that’s also happened in the first two games of the year? And maybe what are the benefits? Or what’s the aim was that?) – “Well, sometimes it’s due the fact that we practice in 100-degree weather and it’s hotter than hell – or more humid, not hot. Hot would be Vegas. Humid here. (laughter) So some of it is just naturally in training camp, you do work through certain things. I think ultimately, however we deploy our guys, ultimately it’s our ability to work together and all be connected in what we’re trying to accomplish. So I think that’s the great thing about year two in your system is you continue the growth. There’s more of an understanding and we look forward to the opportunity this weekend.”
(Offensive Line Coach Butch Barry seems be off to a good start with the o-line. Is there anything that he does teaching, motivation, film, practice, on the field, that stands out to you as unique or different or particularly impressive?) – “I would think his energy and passion for football, o-line play. His work ethic, he has an unbelievable work ethic, energy towards what he does, a passion towards what he does. And like we talked about, when you can surround yourself with guys like, good things tend to happen because they have that resolve to always make sure that we’re trying to get the best out of each other. I mean that’s all you can ask for in a teammate and another coach.”
(With Butch Barry, I’ve heard a couple of offensive linemen use the term ‘our standard’ and ‘We have a high standard.’ Is that a term that Butch has hammered into them or emphasized? Because T Kendall Lamm and T Terron Armstead, I’ve heard a couple offensive linemen say that.) – “Yeah, I think it’s just more of an emphasis. I think ultimately as a team, we have a standard of performance we’re looking for. I think that you probably hear that term used, but I think that the emphasis of it is the key thing that they’re really hitting on.”
(What impresses you the most about what RB Raheem Mostert has done this year? Particularly that he’s 31 years old and what he did against New England the other night.) – “Yeah, again, it’s no surprise to us that are here because we get to watch how he operates every day and the way he goes about his business, his preparation, (how he) manages himself. I mean, he’s awesome. I’ve always loved watching his play from afar when he was with the Niners. So we’re fortunate to have him here and I think it’s just as players get later in their career, how they handle themselves and how they go about all their maintenance stuff is vital, and he’s a consummate pro at everything he does. We’re very fortunate that he’s here.”
(I wanted to ask you about your receivers. Obviously you guys have staggered them throughout training camp to the point where QB Tua Tagovailoa was working with WR Daewood Davis and WR Chris Coleman at times. How much does that help the quarterback in terms of chemistry, and also from a play-caller standpoint or an offensive coordinator standpoint, do you have a WR River Cracraft package or a WR Braxton Berrios package? Obviously you have a Erik Ezukanma package. Do you build packages for each guy?) – “I think each week poses different situations, different ways we’re going to do things. I think anytime you need to get the right amount of guys to play on the field, you group their plays together that way we make sure we got the right guys out there. Ultimately, we’re always looking to make sure we take our guys and put them in the best situations possible for what they do well. When it comes to the wide receiver group, Wes (Welker) does a great job with them and making sure they understand the intent of what we’re trying to do, the details of what we’re trying to accomplish, and many times the thing we get here with the weather in training camp is we have to make sure that we deploy our guys where not everyone just fatigues out in period one. That does allow for some versatility of who gets to work with the quarterbacks. I think all of those things do play an advantage for us as far as the way we train. But again, it may help us sometimes but it’s ultimately going to be about our execution and how we do it.”
(When a baseball player makes a couple of errors in the field, they always say, ‘it’s important that he doesn’t take that to the plate.’ What do you think I’m gong to ask you about? OL Connor Williams has a few bad snaps, but I see him sealing off a block on a run through the middle. I see him blocking down field and kicking butt on a screen. What are your thoughts on how Connor has been able to do all the other stuff well while trying to work through the snapping deal?) – “I think everybody has stuff they are working on, and the quarterback exchange thing obviously gets magnified. But at the same time, it’s just something that he’s working through, It’s the second game of the season. I would imagine by Week 17 hopefully we’re not talking about that. But it obviously gives us something to work on because there are so many other things that he’s doing and obviously Tua (Tagovailoa) is doing. They are very professional about it, so they are making sure they’re working through just anything that maybe was off at the time.”
(You were talking about the fatigue factor in camp and bringing receivers in and out. Head Coach Sean Peyton was talking earlier this week and said that one of WR Tyreek Hill’s big attributes is his stamina, and WR Jaylen Waddle is probably the same way. I’m curious how much of that is an effective asset for you guys on offense knowing that those guys can run, run, run?) – “Yeah. I think overall in general, when you have guys who have that high performance, high stamina, it allows for you to push the envelope in what you’re able to do. For me, my personal experience with (Darren) Waller was the same way. High stamina. His on-field play percentage was in the 90s. When you have guys like Jaylen and Tyreek, who have that stamina, it does help. Especially in our climate where as you fatigue out, it does pose situations. I think it’s also the way we practice and the way we go about everything. Rolling backs through, rolling wide receivers through, making sure we cross-train offensive linemen, making sure we move things around just because you never know what the season is going to present. The minute you just say, ‘hey this one thing,’ and now you have to be able to adjust, it doesn’t allow for the versatility, and I think that’s just a core belief in how we practice and go about things and making sure we’re versatile with the athletes.”
(One more thing on the snapping issues. Has it reached a point where you or Head Coach Mike McDaniel – and I know QB Tua Tagovailoa, and OL Connor Williams obviously have accountability and are self-starters – but has it reached a point where you’ve told them, ‘this has to be fixed?’ And is there too much blame being placed on Connor with some of those?) – “No. We haven’t told them that.”
(Is QB Tua Tagovailoa partly responsible or has it all been a part of the function of snaps not were not done correctly?) – “Well, in any relationship where it’s such a close personal situation, I don’t think it’s necessarily one guy. I think ultimately, the great thing about the two of them is that they are so committed to doing things right that I know these are things we’re going to work through and we’re going to be looking back in a couple weeks looking back like ‘that problem, hopefully is just a distant memory.’”
(We see QB Tua Tagovailoa make these crazy anticipation throws each week where the ball is out before guys are at the top of their stem. Is that something you can coach into a player or is that entirely inherent of his skillset?) – “I think it’s just the way that he goes about his business, his anticipation and understanding. All plays you can’t say it’s necessarily just one guy doing it on his own. It’s a collection of the way you teach things, the way you execute, the way you run the route, the way that you do things. I think ultimately it’s a collection, and that’s the way they’ve trained all offseason. They’re working together to make sure that they can play with anticipation and intent together.”
(I know a lot of teams have the traditional X, Z, Slot. You guys have a different style of receivers with the motion. If you don’t have WR Jaylen Waddle, does that change how you have the functions of your receivers and who goes in motion?) – “Anytime you one of your guys out, you have to adjust. I think that’s just the nature of the NFL. It’s a long season and the only absolute is there is subject to change. I think for us, again our versatility and how we train, and how we ask guys to learn, and what we do is what allows us to be versatile when we deal with these situations throughout the season.”
Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio
(There have obviously been four cornerbacks you’ve been using a lot in games. Did the issues with CB Eli Apple last week – obviously he was targeted and gave up several catches – has that made you re-think whether to insert CB Kelvin Joseph, CB Parry Nickerson or CB Cam Smith in Eli’s spot in the rotation? Is that something you’re considering, or do you remain fully committed to Eli Apple being one of your top four corners at this time?) – “That’s a long question for a simple question. (laughter)”
(He doesn’t do simple questions.) – “He does simple questions. He just has a hard time spitting them out. (laughter) It’s always something we’re looking at, obviously. Yeah, Eli (Apple) had a tough game for him. He did contribute some good plays. Right now, this early in the season, we’re going to consider all options.”
(We talked about players having ‘revenge games.’ I’m curious if you have any special feelings regards to Broncos week?) – “No, I really don’t. Every game we play in this league, one of 16, 17 now, is equally important. I’m sure when I see some of the people there that are still there that I know, you say hello and you think back a little bit. I enjoyed my time there. There are still about 15 or 16 players that are on the team from when I was there. I wish them nothing but success, except this week. I really don’t look at it much different. If the game maybe had been in Denver, maybe.”
(Is LB Andrew Van Ginkel going back inside or do you want to use him in both going forward?) – “Both.”
(Denver Head Coach Sean Payton talked this week and mentioned that he talked to S Justin Simmons and S Kareem Jackson and trying to get some ideas of your tendencies. How much does that change what you do knowing that they have some guys that know you a little bit?) –“Not at all. If you get too worked up in that stuff, you’ll just get twisted. You just treat it like any other game, do the things you think you have to do to win schematically, and you go at it. Those storylines, they’re juicy, but they’re not as effective as you think they are.”
(What do you feel like you’ve gotten out of LB Bradley Chubb through these first couple of games this season?) – “I think Bradley had a really good game this past week. Obviously made the big play on the strip fumble. (He made) a big play in the two-minute drive to get the sack. Then on the last play, had pressure. So it was really nice to see him have a good productive game and hopefully that kickstarts him to a great season.”
(Did you use that play that LB Bradley Chubb forced a fumble on as kind of teaching tape in the defensive meetings?) – “Absolutely.”
(Is it a coincidence that he’s played better since you’ve gotten here then?) – “I don’t know that. I wasn’t here last year, and I didn’t watch him play hardly last year.”
(Is there a reason for that? When a new coordinator comes in, usually they might look at and try to get a feel for their players.) – “Not really. I kind of go the other way because I want to draw my own conclusions and not be clouded by anything that happened in the past. Now if it’s a guy that’s a free agent that we have to make a decision on whether we want back or not, and management wants my opinion, obviously I’ll go do that. But guys that are on the team and we knew were going to be on the team in camp, I want to start fresh with them.”
(I read or heard somewhere that you made a call to LB Andrew Van Ginkel – I don’t know if this is like a wives’ tale or a lie – when he was a free agent, saying that you would like him back. Is that accurate and what do you think that Van Ginkel does bring to this defense?) – “That is accurate. I did call him. I just liked what I saw. That’s the example there. He was a free agent, so I did watch him and I liked what I saw. I saw some versatility. I saw a good football player, a tough guy who’s smart and instinctive and wanted him back.”
(CB Xavien Howard is a Pro Bowl player and veteran, but I believe he’s got three penalties, two pass interference and an illegal contact. Were they all legitimate calls and is that a point of concern? Or is that just football?) – “I think there were four of them in the first two games. Yeah, it’s a concern. You’ve got to be able to cover without fouling, to use a basketball term.”
(A quarterback like Russell Wilson, who doesn’t just extend on scrambles, but also designed runs, how does that challenge a defense?) – “It’s challenging. Anytime you’re playing a mobile quarterback, you have to defend two plays when they call a pass; the one they call in the huddle and the one he might create. It’s challenging. It is.”
(With LB Jaelan Phillips out, you went LB Andrew Van Ginkel over DE Emmanuel Ogbah for the majority of snaps. It worked out well, obviously, Van Ginkel played out of his mind. What can Ogbah do to improve his chance to get more reps?) – “Just keep improving in every facet of the game, which I think he is, and he’s committed to doing. Then he’ll get more snaps.”
(You all have been – as you have been a lot your career – I guess the word would be selective with blitzes. Do you think the more selective a coordinator is with blitzes, the better chance it generally has worked?) – “In certain games, yes. In other games, maybe not. Yeah, you want to pressure when you want to and not feel like you have to as a last resort.”
(Around this time last week, we were talking about the run defense coming off the Chargers game. You guys responded pretty well, 88 rush yards. What changed in your view?) – “We played better, number one. I think we had the mindset to stop the run. We took on blocks a little better and just had that little more edge that you need to have to play the run better. We played the run good. It was, by my count, 20 carries for 63 yards. They got some quarterback scramble runs, which I know statistically are rushing yards, but they’re not in my mind.”
(What was the difference between LB David Long Jr. in Week 2 and David Long Jr. in Week 1?) – “He played more because of the injury to (Jaelan) Phillips, and he responded and did a nice job for us.”
(Did LB David Long Jr. do anything better, spotting the ball or getting to the ball?) – “He just played more solid. The mental errors and technique errors were limited and hopefully that’s something that will continue to improve.”
(I think there was a pressure package where you had DT Raekwon Davis as like a defensive end and LB Bradley Chubb over the right guard. I was curious with Raekwon, we really know him as the interior run-stuffer guy. What have you seen that made you confident in moving him out in that situation?) – “Well, it’s just the front we use sometimes that one of the tackles will kick out to be an end position and he happened to be in the game at that time. It could have been (Zach) Sieler too. Occasionally, we like to put a big guy out on the end.”
(It looked like S DeShon Elliott played well last week. In your mind, because you know that S Brandon Jones has an established NFL body of work, would you like to weave him in at some point? Or is it your thinking that if DeShon continues to play well, there’s no need to take him out of the game?) – “Both. Yeah, we’d like to get Brandon going. The big thing with Brandon is, he missed the entire offseason. He missed not all of training camp, but most of training camp. Did not play in any preseason games and he just needs to catch up. When you’re back there, if you’re not honed up, they’re not just six-yard gains. They’re big ones. We’re giving him more and more practice reps every week and I’m confident he’ll be ready to play soon here.”
(Along those lines, how valuable is it to have a guy like S DeShon Elliott you can play free and kind of open up S Jevon Holland to do a lot of different things all across the field?) – “Yeah, you need two good safeties. Right now, I think DeShon played the best game he had for us last week. Now, you’d say we’ve only had two games, but he played in the preseason a pretty good amount. Hopefully he’ll be able to build on that.”
(It looked like CB Kader Kohou played pretty well again, whether it’s blowing up that screen or in the slot or outside. You’ve got WR Jerry Jeudy, this week, obviously. What did you see from Kader this year as he’s continuing to evolve his game?) – “He’s playing good for us. He plays both corner and nickel. He’s played less corner these first two games because we were playing a lot of nickel. But he’s starting at the corner position in our base package. I have very good confidence in him at either position. He’s played well these first two weeks, no doubt about it.”
(How is CB Cam Smith progressing as far as playing from scrimmage?) – “He’s progressing. He’s progressing. He got more practice reps yesterday. We’ll continue to try and get him practice reps and hopefully when he’s called upon, he’ll be ready to play.”
(What’s a staple or something to know about Denver Head Coach Sean Payton’s approach to offense?) – “He’s always run a very balanced offense, balanced meaning run, pass. He’s not a guy that runs the ball just because he knows he has to. Sometimes he enjoys running the ball. He’s always had a good mix. I think he’s one of the better play callers in the league in the last 20, 30 years. He does a good job calling the game and I think they’re vastly improved offensively.”
(What stands out to you about CB Kader Kohou’s tackling ability and in all your years of coaching, where does he rank among tackling cornerbacks?) – “He’s a good tackling cornerback. Where he ranks? I don’t know. You’ve got to let me sit down and think about that for a while. There’s a lot of corners in 37 years. (laughter) But he’s done a good job tackling. I think the big thing with tackling is mindset and technique. You’ve got to want to tackle, and he likes to tackle.”
Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(I guess we’ll start with the blocked field goal. Did they time that up by P Jake Bailey or the cadence? Or how did they do that?) – “They (New England) did a great job. I mean that’s good stuff. Whether it’s – obviously, we were on the wrong side of that one. But when you see stuff like that, that’s a great play. It’s perfectly timed, perfectly executed, a big play by them. But then again, they did it again later. It was a great play by them. Give them all the credit in the world. Give the coaches, give the player (credit). It’s super stuff and exciting even though we were on the wrong side of it, but that’s good stuff.”
(Why didn’t it work the second time?) – “Again, it’s a complete timing play. And if it’s not 100 percent right, it’s not going to work. You could be blocked, you could be offsides. There’s such a large spectrum. And when it works, it’s a fabulous thing.”
(The solution seems to be changing something, anything, so that it’s not exactly the same, and it makes it less predictable. But the problem might be that don’t kickers and snappers and holders like everything exactly the same every time?) – “No. We’re constantly varying things. So that’s just part of the game.”
(So you don’t think that that had any impact on the miss?) – “No.”
(Do you see teams trying to copy that?) – “I think that you’ll see teams look at it. But again, it’s the risk/reward. I think if you’re willing to go for it, I think you may see it on more long down situations so that if you are offsides, you’re not giving away a first down. You’re just giving away five yards of field position. Then you’re looking at what’s the history of the kicker and based on the yards. So there’s a lot of things that go into it. So again, they did a great job. (It was a) good play. Do I think you’ll see (it again)? I think you’ll see some version of that. But again, that’s just going to be part of the game.”
(Is their history with P Jake Bailey a factor in this?) – “Obviously, I think that has something to do with it. They know a lot of things about him. That particular play at that particular time was great, but we play guys that we’ve played against – specialists, players. Guys are the same guys. There’s subtle differences and you work on things and some things change. But it’s like anything else, guys are the same guys, regardless of the jerseys they are wearing. So some of those things you work to change. Some of them, you enhance. Again, that’s just part of it.”
(I know every field goal attempt is unique in its own. I know we’ve asked you about this, but in over the past few years, Jason is 4-of-13 on 50-yard plus field goals. I know you have all the confidence in the world with him, but at what point does it maybe become an issue? Or is there anything addressed during the week?) – “I’m not even close to that. So, I don’t know what that spot is. I try not to think about that because I don’t want to envision that. That’s not even part of what I’m thinking and where I’m at.”
(Is there anything that sticks out to you with the kicks?) – “Again, we’ve gone through this and we’ve gone over this, and I understand the question. If it was a week in and week out in practice – if there were just constant issues, then yeah, we would already come to your first question. But it’s not. So again, we have great confidence in Jason. That’s a situation at the end of the game, a 55-yarder, the percentages of that, versus the percentage of a fourth-and-3 conversion, you look at the numbers and you say do we go for the win with one of these? Or do you punt and pin and try to play defense? So there’s a lot of things that go into it. We played that percentage and we felt good about it. It didn’t work out. Fortunately the defense made the stand. All we care about is winning the game.”
(You mentioned the percentages of that. I guess there’s maybe some analytics involved. What were the percentages? Because I was actually shocked that you guys didn’t punt. Were the numbers actually in favor of kicking over punting in that situation?) – “We’re in this to win the game. And we were trying to win the game. Whether it’s offensively – Mike (McDaniel) said it. If we convert on fourth down or we kick the field goal, the percentages of winning the game are very, very, very good. So we were playing to win.”
(Are there ever times where Head Coach Mike McDaniel says, can he make it? I don’t mean just on Jason but I mean, throughout your career. Because in the movies, the coach always says, ‘Can he make it?’ And the guy never says no. So do you ever say, ‘You know what? Taking into consideration the wind, the field position, the spot on the field, we might want to pass on this one.’) – “Absolutely.”
(What percentage of time, like one percent over your career?) – “Maybe once or twice a year does that come up. It’s Jason (Sanders), it’s me, it’s the situation. There’s a lot of things that go into it. But again, if we can find a way to win the game and that’s what it comes down to is how the game is going offensively, defensively and the kicking game, then you get to the weather, the field surface. So there’s a lot of things. But yeah, there’s a couple times a year that we’ll be like, ‘there is a better option,’ even if the numbers slightly favor A and you may go with B or C.”
(I’m sorry to belabor the K Jason Sanders thing but in your mind as a long-time, established special teams coach, what is the reasonable expectation for the percentage that an NFL kicker should be able to make from 50-plus yards over the course of the season? Is it 50 percent, 60 percent?) – “Well, you talk about those numbers and each yard it changes drastically. You’re talking about 78 to 60 percent when you when you move the ball four yards. So if you go 51 (yards) to 55 (yards), you’re talking about a pretty big swing. So there are a lot of things that go into it. But again, any time we send Jason out on the field, we feel very strongly about him making the kick.”
(Is that because in practice he continues the vast majority of long ones?) – “Correct. Not just long ones. All of them.”
(I’m not looking for a strategy here, just kind of a theory. You guys don’t have any kickoff returns. RB De’Von Achane is eligible to be back there. What does he do well? Why would he be back there if he is? Speed? Hands?) – “I mean, number one, he’s got a history of it, so he’s done it. You’re not teaching him something new. And then you couple that with he’s a very talented individual. He’s got explosion, he’s got power, he runs hard for not a big stature player. And then he’s got home run speed. So he’s got history and then he’s got great talent, which is why he’s here and why we’re so excited to have him both in the kicking game and offensively.”
(It’s back-to-back weeks now you’ve had big punt returns lead to splash plays on the following play. Last week it looked like you had a return on to get WR Braxton Berrios 18 yards. I think at the Chargers game, more pressure forced a high punt. How do you decide whether or not you want to go return or pressure in those backed up punt situations?) – “Again, a lot that is tied into who we’re playing, what the history is of the punter, the coach, the elements. So there’s a lot of things that go into that. Again, if we can get great field position one way or the other and the offense is able to respond – we get two good field position plays in back-to-back weeks and we’re able to convert it immediately into points – that’s great complementary football. The defense gets the stop to pin them back, we’re able to convert, get good field position and the offense is able to score. When you’re able to do that, your chances of winning are pretty good.”
