Coach Meyer
On his overall assessment of the team.
The most impressive group was the o-line. Five of our top six didn’t play. There was a point yesterday, even late yesterday, where “should we play Trevor or not?” That was, my gosh, you take the first overall pick. And then Will Richardson, who had been really, arguably one of our most improved players, we moved him to right guard and all he did was have walkthrough. We took two guys who were recently cut, Dare and Jermaine, the first time I’m shaking their hand is the pregame meal. That’s a new one. They’re good guys, they played. Walker Little played really well. Shatley’s a stud. He hangs in there. Jawaan Taylor…but everyone else was out. That was the most impressive thing I saw, the offensive line protecting our guys. We had the QB play.
On how important it was to get the rhythm he was looking for.
The obvious is true but the reality is I don’t want to take away from the W and if they played well. Dallas didn’t play a lot of their guys. They played very vanilla on defense as we did. Confidence, that’s the most unique position in all of sport. Getting a little bit of a rhythm, we made that trade, and we’re going with them. And they did not disappoint.
On maneuvering, more in shotgun, more bubble screens, more rollouts. Was that designed to get Trevor more comfortable?
Yeah, it’s just something that, obviously that’s what he did in college. I like the fact on third down and four we took a shot. I like to be more aggressive than we’ve been the first few weeks. We’re going to do what that player does well.
On the play of DaVon Hamilton.
It’s all about foot quickness and he’s a powerful, powerful man. I’d like to compliment the whole defensive front. It’s been three weeks in a row that we’ve won the line of scrimmage. DaVon, he’s a big part of this defense. Joe, calling the style of defense we’ve played – big, thick cats that can control the line of scrimmage and he’s a big part of that. So is Malcolm.
On how beneficial it will be for Trevor Lawrence to have this kind of performance going into week one.
I’d be a half-empty guy but I was kind of fearful that he might, “what if we go again?” One thing about Trevor is that he’s played decent all three games. Preseason’s fairly new to me and I’ve learned along the way, so I would judge our preseason as a success right now. A lot of energy in the locker room. We’ve got two weeks to get the strongest version of ourselves. They’re going to have four days off this week. That’s also new, so we’ve got to be great. If you do those four days right, and I’m not talking laying on your butt but get strong, and we can come back stronger than we were before training camp. My expectations are that.
On if coming out of August meets his expectations.
Today solved a lot of problems. Last week we felt awful walking off the field, especially in the first half, but you feel good now. We’re going to enjoy a win and go home and get ready to play for one that counts in the win loss column.
On the specialists today.
Much better day, today. Lambo, he’s been working. One thing about Josh Lambo, I’ve been around kickers, and that’s as serious a kicker as I’ve been around. He wants to be great. He’s had some great years. I’m pulling for him hard and when he thumps it, I told him the last three, I didn’t even watch. I just listened to the ball. When he follows through and hits that thing, he’s outstanding. Cooke was much better. He didn’t play as well last week. He’s much better. I expect him to be one of the best in the league.
On how quickly the Gardner Minshew trade came together and his thoughts.
That was tough, man. I was a little choked up when I saw him in that office. I walk in and, you know, I didn’t know him at all. It didn’t start off on the best of terms because I’m not sure how much he wanted to be here. I get it. First overall pick. He’s a competitive maniac, that guy. And I get it. I told him for the rest of his life, count me as a big fan because he’s what you want. He’s a warrior. He’s competitive.
On if he got enough from the preseason. Was three games the right number. Would he rather have another?
I just don’t have much, you know, I’ve never done this before. The five of six linemen checks scare me. Also, our top two receivers didn’t play, Marvin and Chark. Chark’s got to get some playing time, practice here coming up. And the defense, we’ve stayed relatively healthy. Josh Allen, I think he played week one. The biggest thing is health and I think we get out of this thing healthy.
On if he was happier with the perimeter blocking today versus the last game and Trevor seemingly having easier throws.
It was a tough week for the wideouts. We were very transparent in our organization. It was not good in New Orleans. I could tell when I went and talked to them after the game, they were bowed up on me a little bit so they feel much better.
On how hard the next couple of days will be, how hard of a cut it will be and if he has a plan who will make it.
Yeah, every off day we have probably longer meetings than most. I have some new coaches. I have a guy named Chris Ash. Charlie Strong. We have some guys that are college guys that are learning (inaudible). All those guys are playing well. That defensive line, there’s a group of players in there that are playing very well, and then the receivers day. It’s going to be tough. If you’re an insubordinate guy or just kind of a pain in the rear end, I never mind moving those guys out but we don’t have that in that locker room, so it’s going to be tough.
On the smoothness of the offense. Was it Trevor having all of the first team reps?
Offensive football is all about manageable situations. Second-and-ten is often you make the call. The headsets are quiet. You get second-and-two, a lot of those little, short passes, you have to tell everybody, quiet down on the headset because everybody has got ideas. To me, the first down of every drive is so essential. Usually, I just think it’s a 20% success rate when it’s second-and-long to get a first down. Second-and-five or less it’s about 80%, so that first down is so important. And we look at New Orleans. We were at second-and-long the entire day, and field position, we were in bad field position.
On the quarterbacks.
Boy, Jake did good. He got us out of some bad situations. I thought he did really well. C.J. Beathard has played really well. I think he got dinged a little bit. He’s fine. If three will be on the roster if that’s what you’re asking [Question: can you get Jake on the roster/has he played well enough?] He’s certainly in the mix.
QB Trevor Lawrence
On the importance of getting in a rhythm:
“Yeah, it always is. It felt great out there. Obviously, I think we just executed out there a lot better than we did the past two games, so, it’s just great to see. A good feeling. A lot better feeling coming into the locker room today as opposed to this time last week. So, just one step in the right direction. Gotta keep getting better. Now they are going to count for real. So, just putting everything we have, getting ready for Houston. It builds a lot of confidence going into the season. It’s nice to finish the preseason with a game like that.”
On Coach Meyer talking about getting into a tempo and how he mentioned doing a lot today that Trevor did in college, and how much difference that made:
“It felt good. I thought we had a good game plan. I mean, honestly, it’s all about execution, like I said. I think we had a good game plan last week too, we just didn’t execute it. It’s easy as someone from the outside to see a game, you know, we don’t play that great or we didn’t execute it, it’s going to make it look like we aren’t running the right scheme or whatever. But it’s all about execution. It doesn’t matter what you run. If everybody is on the same page and everybody knows it, you are going to play well. We felt that today. We were all on the same page. We communicated well. We kept it simple. And then for me, just being accurate, making quick decisions, getting the ball out of my hand, and letting guys make plays, that was the difference. Run game was great too. It was awesome.”
On whether the coaches communicated how much he would be playing with so many offensive linemen out:
“We talked about it. At the end of the day, we felt good with the five that we were running out there. Obviously, it wasn’t our starting five, but those guys have been busting their tail and they were ready. In practice they were ready and had a good week. I felt good with it. And we had a good plan to where we did take some shots, but also getting the ball out of my hands, staying on the move, that helped a lot. Run game was great. Like I said, I thought we came out and executed well. It always feels good.”
On how it was to feel it work before the real games start:
“It feels great. Like I said, just building confidence for the whole team. Just to show what we can do when we execute. Obviously, it will change a little bit as the season gets started. Game one in Houston will be a little bit different. It is still real football. They are keeping score, everybody is out there trying to win that game. It felt good just to be clean, execute, stay ahead of the chains, really had I think three drives. The guys that came in after played great too. But we were two for three with touchdowns on those drives, and even the second drive, where we punted, we drove the ball pretty well. Third down I probably could have made a better decision and got the first down, but we pinned them inside the 5. It was all about field position too.”
On what it is like to just run the play when it comes in, versus having to make a lot of adjustments:
“Obviously, that’s ideal. The call comes in, you just want to keep it on and be able to ride with it, feel good about it. But there are some situations where you have to check. You gotta change your protection, you gotta check into something else. That happens. It didn’t happen a ton this game while I was in there. Some of the guys that came in later in the game did a great job with check and flip things around and did an awesome job. It’s always a good feeling when it’s clicking and we are making the plays. When the first progression is coming open a lot and we are getting through the progressions fast.”
On his expectations are for how much more challenging it will be in the regular season when teams are game planning against him:
“Definitely more challenging. In preseason it is hard, you got the big roster and everyone is trying to play different guys and see who you want and you are evaluating talent. You aren’t necessarily always doing everything you can to win that game because you want to see guys play and how they do. Obviously that changes in the regular season, so you’ll see a lot of changes week to week. People game planning for what you do well, what you don’t do well, and scheming you up. Just gotta be ready for that. And then every week, too, their #1’s are going to be out there. At the end of the day, it is the same game. You gotta execute. Like I said, I feel confident that if we are prepared and we execute, we can play with anybody.”
On adding guys and losing guys during the week and how it is different than college:
“It’s different. Not used to it. You build relationships with guys and it just sucks seeing guys go. It is just the nature of the business. You can’t keep everybody and guys, certain situations are better for them, and you just never know. That is just part of it. You have to keep going. The team you do have, gotta make the most of it. So, we had a guy, a receiver come in, Devin Smith, today. I think he got here yesterday, and dove and make that 60-yard catch in the first half. Just stuff like that is crazy. He just got here. Goes out there, runs a go, catches a 60-yard pass. Stuff like that is just so weird. You don’t get used to it. I really like the group we have. It sucks that we have to cut the team down. Obviously, I don’t make those decisions. I am glad I don’t, because we have a lot of guys that deserve to be on this team, and it’s just tough. We will see how it goes.”
On his relationship with QB Gardner Minshew:
“Me and Gardner had a really good relationship. He’s always treated me really well since I’ve gotten here. Helped me as much as he could. We just had a really transparent relationship. We would talk about things and I will always be rooting for him. He’s a great player, super smart. I’ve learned a ton from him. I don’t really know about the details of the situation in Philly so I can’t really know if that is a good spot or not. But, I know wherever he goes, he is going to make the most of his opportunities. I am excited to watch him. I am going to miss him. He is a really great teammate. I am excited for him, excited for him to get an opportunity.”
On Darrell Bevell and Brian Schottenheimer having coached a lot of really good quarterbacks, but none who have fit Trevor’s physical dimensions, and how much of the offense is what they came with, versus what they created for him:
“I think it is a good mix. Obviously, both had really great coaching careers, had a lot of success with different quarterbacks. You take things from that. They have their systems, Coach Bev and then Coach Schotty has his thoughts. They are kind of intertwined in the system as well. And then for me, playing the spread, you mix in some spread game, just so I can feel more comfortable, get the ball in space, all those things that really haven’t been that big in the NFL besides the past few years — you see the Cardinals doing it a lot and some other teams. It’s been awesome. I think they do a good job of gelling everything together and trying to put us in the best situation. I know I sound like I say the same thing over again, it is all about executing. Like, I thought we had a good plan last week but just didn’t execute it. Every week that is a challenge.”
TE James O’Shaughnessy
On what clicked with the offense in this game:
“I think we have been heading in the right direction. It hasn’t always been seen in the preseason, but I think most people understand preseason is an odd time for offenses, when you are only showing so much. You are protecting people from injury, you have people getting injured in camp, it can just be a difficult time for continuity in an offense. I’ve been a part of some playoff teams that have gone 0-4 in the preseason; I’ve been part of teams that were losing teams that went 4-0 in the preseason. To me it is a tough thing to judge. As long as you trust that we have the right system in place and the right mechanisms to make sure it is heading in the right direction, I think everybody believed that. So I think we just kept our head down, kept focused, and kept getting better. And that was the key.”
On where Trevor is and if the rookie QB is ready for the season:
“Of course. I am not going to speak for Trevor. I’m not going to speak about what I think his capabilities are. I don’t think that is my position to judge. But everything I have seen of him as a person and a player, I have no doubt that he is prepared and ready to lead our team.”
On what Trevor brings to the huddle and if he can elaborate on what he represents when they are on the field:
“One thing that is unique about Trevor, being the first overall pick, he is extremely humble. He is confident but not cocky. He is a person who understand he ups and downs of players who aren’t necessarily starters or role players. To me, he is extremely down to earth for a person who is for a lot of people bigger than life. For our franchise, he is the face of our franchise. I think that is a unique trait about him that I didn’t expect that blew me away when I first got to know him. He is a good person. And he cares, just like anybody else. And, obviously, is extremely talented. It is our job as an offense to come around, use his personality for the better, for us.”
On how far Urban has turned around the team from 1-15:
“Since the first time we got together as an offense in OTAs, it was very quickly that I saw things were headed in the right direction. Culture wise, the buy in with a year of uncertainty because of COVID, a lot of teams not having a lot of numbers at OTAs – we were full. We were people not just there to be there. We wanted to be there. 100% that was him. It was all Coach Meyer. And as time goes on, he is a winner. He knows how to push the right buttons. How to shape us in the right direction. I think everybody who has been part of this new face of the franchise has seen it since day one. Now, it’s a process. The NFL is different than college. It is a lot longer, there’s ups and downs to it. I’ve been part of good teams and bad teams. To say we are going to win every game is just not a realistic expectation. That’s our plan. We are going to go into every game thinking that. But there’s ups and downs to the season and it is our job as players to weather that better than we have before. I think now with the leadership we have with Coach Meyer and Trevor, I think we are headed in that right direction.”
On how he feels he is doing going into the season:
“I feel like I am in the best position, best shape, I’ve ever been in my life. As a player, I thought I was starting to get my stride for the first time in my pro career in 2019; obviously it got cut down. Last year was a grind to fight back to getting healthy. This year I feel like I am the healthiest I have been. I appreciate Coach Meyer in some sense, because he went back – he didn’t just look at last year’s film – he went back and saw my film in 2019 and saw, I think, where I was trending and what I was capable of doing. He didn’t try to change me and make me a 265 pound blocking tight end, or make me something I’m not. He saw the skill sets I had and said, we can use you, if you just be the best you. I haven’t told him enough, but I think him a lot for that, for just appreciating me for what type of player I am and what I can do. For me, all I see myself, is someone who can be a constant help not just for our offense, but for Trevor. Third downs, red zone, what a true tight end needs to be for an efficient offense. Just being reliable at all times.
SS Jarrod Wilson
On how the defense is feeling coming out of preseason:
“Feeling pretty good. The energy is there. We are definitely running to the football. The only thing we would like to emphasize is really taking the ball away. We got our hands on the ball a bit this preseason. Though we weren’t able to come away with any takeaways, so takeaways are a big thing. But overall we’ve been doing really good.”
On why he thinks they have been effective against the run and about the missed tackles:
“Just really effort and detail in practice. I know as far as the front seven, it is a little bit different as opposed to years past in running that defense with that [inaudible] is pretty good against the run. It is going to be pretty tough to run the ball on us. Definitely just reps in practice. They are not live reps, just good reps of tackling. It is an emphasis every single day. Just going through those drills day in and day out has helped us be good this preseason.”
On the secondary being almost completely overhauled and how the communication is going with so many new faces:
“It’s good. I mean, it’s a lot of different faces, but the communication is definitely there starting in OTAs and we have just been on the details of everything. Paying attention in the meetings has helped as well, kinda coming together a lot more. Just going through communication on our own has helped us as well.”
On whether a leader has stepped up among the defensive group:
“I would say the veterans. So just me, Shaq, Rayshawn, Sidney’s not a rookie, you know he is going into year five. Tre Herndon, he’s going into year four. We got a good mixture of youth, but also some veterans who have had quite a few snaps. Not to say we have been around the block before, but we have. That just helps with bringing younger guys along and communication is there from the start.”
On going into the regular season with a win:
“It’s big. You never take any win for granted. It is so hard to win a game in this league. Preseason or not. So definitely just to get a W on the board feels good. The vibe is different. The energy is different. The mindset is different. It was definitely a good win.”
COACH McCARTHY
On his general impressions of the game
“I think you first have to judge the performance. I was hopeful we would perform better, particularly in the second, half, but that was not the case. Just a lot of basic errors and penalties and things like that. So, that’s obviously an opportunity for these young players to learn from. The best thing about our preseason was really to be consistent on what we’ve talked about. We’ve been able to generate and enormous number of reps for our young players. So, as we walk into the meetings tomorrow, I think we’ll have clear information to make some hard decisions.”
On if the game made him question the team’s depth
“I don’t think so. I think it’s like anything this time of year – it’s not who you play, it’s how you play your guys, regardless of the match-ups and how it sorts out on the other side of it, because I had no idea what their plan was going in, how long their stars would play and all that. I’ve always felt that’s irrelevant. It’s just to get the combinations of sets for your players, and then create and looking for a young guy to step-up and do some things. There were moments when we had it. But most of our issues were self-inflicted in the second half. I thought we were ebb and flow in the first half and were starting to get some momentum, particularly in the end of the second quarter. So, we would like to have seen a cleaner game from our guys in the second half. Didn’t happen. But, like I said, the best thing is the amount of football this particular draft class was able to participate in.”
On how he assesses how much work needs to be done for the open
“I mean, not to be Captain Obvious, but we’re full steam ahead to Tampa. We’ve lost some opportunities to practice with Dak, so now that he’s back our focus really, part of Kellen’s focus and Dak’s focus, has been this past week – we need to get as much in between no and the Tampa Bay game, so our focus is on Tampa.”
On if he held of 30 players to keep them healthy for week 1
“Definitely. In a normal setting of camp we may have been able to do a little more on the first game in this last week, but this is a new schedule with three preseason games. I know we played a fourth with that that one early, but having a bye week before the first game on top of the bye week, there’s certain mandates, whether it’s three or four days off during that bye week, there’s things you’ve got to work through. So, I would like to have maybe spent more time on Tampa this past week, just didn’t work out there.”
On Cooper and Gilbert
“I thought they were solid. So much of playing quarterback in the preseason, especially the second half of preseason, or close to that way for decades, is things are going to go wrong. And Ben DiNucci had a number of situations where the route wasn’t right or different situations. You’ve got to play through that. That’s part of the adversity of playing preseason football. You don’t like it, it’s not OK that it goes on, but every quarterback that’s played in this league, particularly in those younger years, plays in the second half of these games. Stuff like that happens. And you know, that’s part of adversity. We just weren’t very clean in the passing game. In the second half we were able to respond. there was a little silver lining there with the last drive, went down, scored a touchdown.”
On how they will get Dak fully ready for week 1
“It’s really what I just said, was the players are off until Thursday, so we won’t be back together, our first team meeting will be Thursday. We’ve got Thursday, Friday, then they’re off again on Saturday. This is the new schedule. So we’ll go Thursday, Friday, they’re off Saturday and then Sunday, Wednesday we’ll get on the plane and go get it. We’ll do everything we can in the timeframe.”
On how Doug Nuss Meier handles his platy calling responsibilites
“I thought Doug called a good game. He was quick with his calls, was assertive. Adjustments were clean. I though Doug did a really good job with communication and just the process, the personnel, doing those things. But, it’s like anything, I wish the results were different. But I thought both guys did a really nice job.”
On if he’s had any word on Kelvin Joseph’s groin injury
“I have not.”
On the defense in preseason
“I think that just the depth that we have on defense is totally outstanding, you could see that very early in camp. The defense frankly was ahead of the offense almost the whole way. The offense had some good practices there against those guys. Defensively, I’m very happy with the different combinations of players, different personnel group flexibility that gives us. I think our defense has had a good training camp.”
On making cuts over the next 24 hours
”These are the worst days…the next 24 hours is clearly the worst part of the job.”
On how he will evaluate Cooper versus Garrett
“That’s really what these next 24 hours will be. We’ll watch with the staff tomorrow. With Jerry and Stephen tomorrow afternoon. We’ll start the process.”
On what he thought about the interception from Ron’Dell
“I thought we were able to get some momentum there, for the half that’s a big play. That’s something, particular for the young guys that we’re emphasizing to get hits on the ball, to get more hits on the ball. I think we’ve done a good job of that in practice. But the application to the game is not quite what it needs to be, so that’ll be a big focus for us moving in to Tampa.”
On whether the next 11 days will go by fast or slow
“It’ll go by fast once it hits, the next two will go by slow.”
On playing the world champions to open the season
“I look forward to it. We talked a little bit last night, we started this quest April 19 th , there are 300 days that are available to reach a Superbowl. Everything in between there, you have to keep your eye on the target, one day at a time. First games the most important game because it’s the next game. There’s some Coaching 101 for you. I’ve played that game on both sides of it. On the field in opening game, it’s a kind of energy. So, it’s a great game to compete in. Our guys, trust me, they’re looking forward to it we can’t wait to do it.”
On how active he thinks they may be in the waiver period
“Really, that’s a great question. How’s it going to go this year? It’s no different than those questions about the draft – it’s been a while since we’ve been in a normal year. So I’m curious to see if this one’s going to be very active or if it’s going to be slow. So this is clearly a wait to see opportunity. I don’t know what to expect.”
On La’el Collins stingers
“We held him out of practice yesterday then was inactive today. I would think he’s be available next week. I have nothing to think different at this point.”
On Malik Hooker
“I’m anxious to watch the video on him. His done a really nice job of routes lately. We just want to be very sure before we put him out there. So, I wish we had a little more opportunity for him, but he’s been an excellent fit for us and he’s hit every target to this point. So, I’m anxious to watch the tape.”
On regarding the Saint practicing in Dallas and NFL teams helping each other out
“Call the Jones family, nobody does it better than they do. Having an opportunity to coach in New Orleans, and go through this, the hurricane challenge, it puts a tremendous amount of stress on the families of the Saints, of the whole region, the Golf Coast region. So, my heart goes out to those guys. From the Jones family, I’m sure it’s just great to be in a position to help.”
On his Covid List players
“My understanding is if we stay clean from this point forward, then come Thursday we’ll have everybody good to go.”
On this year preseason versus last year
“I mean, there’s no comparison, This time last year, we were trying to figure out, with the Covid protocol, really how the games were set up. So, it was really just a different product. I think just the way our football operations has handled the challenges this past week is a great example of just how different it is. There is a sense of regularity and normalcy to a season, and it’s my job to try and keep it that way as much as possible for the players, and I think with the resources and the experiences from last year, we’ll be better served to anticipate these challenges.”
On Greg Zuerlein’s health
“I was excited to get that shot right before half time. I just wanted to see the ball of his foot. Frankly, from my angle I thought it was there. So, just to get a couple of kickoffs, that’s exactly what we needed.”
QB Cooper Rush
On how you think your game went today and how do you think it impacted your chances of making the
fifty-three…
You know, hard to judge. Not much action. A couple, three third downs, that you know you want to have back;
we didn’t convert. Even those drives early, it obviously sucks, but overall not too bad.
On how you were able to show your chances of making the team throughout these last few months
including the Spring…
Yeah. Throughout camp you’re trying to get better and better. You know, just getting those reps over and over
again and then getting a few more pre-season games compared to like last year with just camp makes it real
helpful to get that on tape in a game environment. You’re out there commanding things and controlling things
on your own. So, it felt good to have all those pre-season games again. Camp went well. So, we’ll see.
On how you feel you can do running this offense and your familiarity with it after several years…
Yeah, I think being familiar with it helps a lot. Knowing Kellen this whole time, the same offense I feel like I can
go in there and we cannot miss a beat schematically and run our stuff. That’s the job as a back-up and that’s
what you try to do.
On spending these next few days (before roster cuts)…
Yeah, probably staying by the phone, that’s usually how it works. End of camp and then just hanging out at
home enjoying some time off.
On going through the process of waiting that is ahead now….
Yeah, you know for a lot of guys it’s a stressful time for a lot of guys. You get a great opportunity to be in a NFL
camp, play pre-season ball and now its kind of a waiting game. So, that’s kind of how it goes in this league,
everyone goes through it. All the guys that played hard tonight, all the young guys in there., So it’ll be fun to
see them get some action.
On your observations of Dak in practice last week…
Yeah, he works his butt off. He’s getting back from the injury. I think he’s been throwing for a few weeks now
and he looked real good this week I thought. Yesterday especially. During the red zone period I don’t think he
missed.
On Doug running the offense instead of Kellen…
It was a lot of fun having Ness call it. You know, (we) game planned all week with him. Obviously, he’s got tons
of experience being an offensive coordinator and things like that. So, it was a lot of fun. You know, same plays,
you know it’s not a whole new offense or anything, so (it was) obviously an execution mindset. You know, I
think it was a lot of fun.
On: Is the raspy voice hard to understand?
No, it was all good today.
LB Luke Gifford
On if going in, you knew you’d get a lot of reps:
“We knew coming into it, we’d be out there for a lot of the offense. It was exciting to be out there for a full game
and get those opportunities.”
On your reaction to Stephen Jones saying, ‘Good job Luke.’
“I appreciate it, but I know how this is. It’s a battle. There are a lot of good players here. We have a good team,
and I know how it goes.”
On if you look at roster numbers:
“No. The only thing you can do is control what you can control. If you think about that stuff too much, you just
drive yourself crazy. You go out there and play hard, do what you do, and it will take care of itself.”
On how important it is for you to play special teams:
“It’s critical. I know my place on this team is to make plays on special teams. When I get my opportunities on
defense, I have to show that I can play and do it at a high level. That’s what I was focusing on this whole
preseason. I though today, I did some good things. I have some things to clean up, but I thought it went pretty
well today.”
On how important this game is for someone in your position:
“I really hadn’t played defense in a game for a couple of years, until this preseason. This whole preseason has
been about the opportunities, getting back out there, running around, tackling. It’s a lot different than special
teams is, and it was good to get those opportunities.”
K Greg Zuerlein
On if you got enough work in today:
“Yes, and that’s all you can ask for in preseason game four. I was happy to get the work in. It’s part of the
process. To get into a game like this is a big step. I’m very happy that everything worked out the way it did.”
On maybe getting back out there again in the fourth quarter:
“I was very happy. I wanted to get one more to end on a positive note. Luckily, we have quite a few practices
before we have to do it for real. I still have more time to hone in on my form.”
On what does the hone-in process mean:
“When you first start off, you’re kicking just to make sure your body feels ok, everything is pain free. Once you
get past that, then you get to the point where you’re tweaking little things here and there to get the ball to fly as
straight as possible. Today was a good step in that direction. I still have more time and still have some more
work to do.”
WR Simi Fehoko
On the opportunity and amount of reps you got today:
“For me, I try to make the best out of every opportunity I get. Today was one of those days where I could give
everything I have.”
On how you look at this game with all the starters not playing:
“This is an opportunity to put something on tape. I’m excited I had the opportunity to do that, and I felt that I
did.”
On how you assess yourself after camp/preseason:
“It’s something that I felt I gave 100% every time I was out there. The opportunities I did get, I felt like I made
the most of them.”
On what stood out for you from this game:
“I had a couple of more targets than I normally get, and that’s huge for a receiver. I also got to play a little more
on special teams, and that was awesome. Again, just make the most of it.
WR Malik Turner
On if you were excited knowing the amount of reps you’d get coming into the game:
“Of course. When you talk about the whole week, it’s just about the opportunity for all the guys who aren’t
starters. I was looking forward to the challenge and to just have fun out there with the guys.”
On if you’ve done enough as a “football player” to stick around:
“If you ask any “football player” they’re going to tell you, ‘No,’ because there’s always more to be done. All I
can say is that I did the best that I can do today, this entire training camp. Hopefully, in the eyes of the staff, it
was enough for them. I have plenty more in me though.”
On if you had to prove yourself as a receiver:
“Definitely. I came in, in college, you don’t expect to play special teams. I learned that if you’re on the bubble,
that’s what you have to do. One hundred percent, I’m a receiver first, but definitely a team player, and I can
make plays just like anybody else out there.”
On what you do now, leading up to the final cuts:
“I can only control what I can control. I did what I had to do. I did what I could. That’s done. Now, I’ll get a little
relaxing times, and whatever happens…I’ll start looking to Tampa. You never know what could happen. I’ve
been in this situation a couple of times, so I don’t get too high or too low.”
G Isaac Alarcon
On how you thought the day went for you:
“Thank God I had the opportunity to play a little more. It’s been a blessing, and I’m truly honored.”
On how different the opportunity to play in a game is than practice:
“The hype is different. We have a real crowd, and in practice, we usually have a speaker. It’s different.”
On if your parents were here today:
“My mom and my two brothers. They’ve been supporting me here.”
On your mom praying:
“She loves football, and she’s a really good Christian. She’s like that.”
On what it was like to see your mom’s reaction on Hard Knocks:
“I know that she’s like that because she was like that when I was in college in Mexico. In Mexico, stadiums are
a little smaller. I was able to hear, oh that’s my mom.”
On how different the game is from Mexico:
“It is different. Not just the speed, but the approach. In the States, we have to study football, all the time we
spend watching film to get ready for a Sunday. It is way different.”
On if you’ve kept in touch with the international players:
“We keep in touch. We keep close. If someone is struggling with something, we support him. We’re really
close. We’re really tight.
On what this is setting you up for:
“Right now, I’m just thinking, hopefully just to stay with the Cowboys. I love this team. My goal wasn’t ever to
be in the NFL. This is a blessing for me. I am thanking God every day for the opportunity I have.”
On how this longer camp compares to last year’s and how much more prepared are you because of it:
“My coaches and teammates told me I improved a lot since last season. Right now that I’m able to play
preseason games, I thank God I didn’t play last season. I didn’t have the mental, to be quite honest. I think I’m
improving my knowledge. It’s been really good.”
On what you’ve improved on:
“Since last season, the thing I most had to do was my pass settings more than run block. I was able to train
with some coaches and keep tight with my teammates. They have film a lot, my coaches. I think I improved in
that aspect.”
On what’s your relationship with Dak:
“I love that guy. He’s the GOAT. We both love Mexican food so we used to have lunch together, some
quesadillas. He doesn’t always call me Great Isaac. He calls me different names. Sometimes I call him
different names too.”
S Malik Hooker
On getting back on the field:
“I think it was definitely important to get out there today, just to keep the repetitions under the belt. Obviously, I haven’t played football in a year, so for me it’s just about keeping the repetitions under the belt and catching up to speed as far as everybody else. Everybody else has been here since OTAs plus more some guys. It’s just getting up to speed and tempo as far as everybody else.”
On his week under protocols:
“Last Saturday, I played. Sunday, we had off and then they called me later that day saying I was close contact. I didn’t test positive or anything like that. I’ve been keeping my mask on and I am vaccinated as well…They said test negative — I was tested all throughout the week. Pretty much did some conditioning on my own since I couldn’t go to the building. That’s pretty much it. I was out until Friday.”
On missing less time since he was vaccinated:
“It definitely was the case…It’s everybody’s choice whether they want to or want to not. It depends on how you go about it. It depends on what you believe about it. For me, personally, it was the best case for me to get vaccinated. So, I went and did it. I felt fine. I haven’t had COVID since it started actually. For me, it’s just mask up and be careful of everybody else, you know protecting as many people as I can washing hands and basic stuff…I had my second shot already. I think my 14 days from the second shot would have been I think the day before they said I was close contact. Unfortunately, the protocol for the NFL is 14-day period after close contact or 5 days whatever the case may be. So, I went through the 5 days and came back, now we’re here.”
On playing kickoff coverage:
“I was doing what I was asked. It was a sideline adjustment doing what I was asked. I kind of figured probably for the first half I would have to do things that I normally don’t, just for the fact we held a lot of guys out and some of the young guys were going to be wearing out. So, I was trying my best to help those guys get a breather whenever I can, or when the coaches say I’m able to. So, that was about being able to help the guys when I can and doing what’s asked from me.”
On making the team:
“Just from the beginning of this process, for me, it was just different because I came in (late) a couple days into camp and then the five-day protocols made me miss the whole first week. Slowly getting worked that second week, by the time the third week came, which was last week, they gave me the third one quarter reps. It was kind of fast for me. Personally, for myself and the standard I hold myself to, I expected to make it because I know the type of player I’m capable of. I know what I’ve done before. I know how I rehab my body whenever stuff like this happens as far as these injuries. I know how I attack it and I know how I will come out the other end. It wasn’t nothing new to me. I figured I would go out and make plays, whether it’s practice or games. Last week I guess I had a decent game for my little quarter. I kind of was expecting it. It’s like it’s something on my check list. You start all over. The first-round pick and all that stuff is out the window. That was 4 or 5 years ago. For me, make the roster. Alright, I made the roster. Now for me, it’s taking it a day at a time, getting better and better and taking these reps on and being able to make the most out of them.”
On today’s goals:
“For me, today was about filling the reps board. You know, I said it’s been a year. I haven’t had speed or recovering speed and stuff like that. For me, it was about getting out there, seeing how I felt in coverage here and there. I’m still working on speed getting out of breaks and stuff like that to make sure I’m still progressing. I’m healthy, but there’s little stuff I can tell that I can get better at. It’s not a setback. I know I’m a gifted player, a lot more athletic than a lot of guys. I’ve got a lot more specialties than a lot of guys. I just feel like there’s a little more in the tank that I can get out of myself.”
On what areas can be improved:
“It’s hard to say. It’s not even parts of my game if that makes sense. It’s certain movements like I know whether it’s a break on a post ball or a fade ball on the outside, these guys have seen my range. I can make it to the red line. But now for me, it’s getting a little past the red line. It’s just stuff like that I can get back from when I was in college that I know I still have in the tank.”
QB Garrett Gilbert
On coming off the bench:
“It’s a part of camp, guys getting opportunities at different times. Today was my opportunity to come in second. I thought we did a nice job with the offense, got it moving a little bit in the second quarter. It all comes down to when your opportunity comes, you’ve got to be ready for it.”
On planning when to play:
“We had a pretty good idea about general play time. Certainly, things change sometimes. Every game is different. For example, if Jacksonville had dominated the ball most of the first quarter, you could have seen something happen a little different. We have a general idea, but you’ve got to be ready to roll with the punches.”
On the differences between the last two opponents:
“I’m not sure. All I know is that we got in a nice rhythm moving the ball a little bit in the second quarter. We certainly would have loved to convert those two drives into points. But I thought our guys did a good job up front and had some guys make some plays for me. So, that was nice to see.”
On the Malik Turner catch on the 4th down conversion:
“Great catch by him. Obviously, they did a nice job covering up my first read. Malik kind of stuck with me and made a great play on the sidelines. It was a really good job by him…It’s essentially a roll out, smash concept. So, my number one read is the quick out there. They basically covered it up with two guys so that’s why Malik was able to come free and he did a good job staying alive and making that play on the sideline.”
On if he thinks he will be here on Tuesday:
“That’s not for me to decide. I’ve given you guys the run of the mill answer all camp. Truly though, I’m proud of what I put on tape. I’m going to continue to work every single day. The preseason games are over now, but in practice just continue to work and improve on being the best quarterback I can be and staying ready for my opportunity. Those decisions are out of my hands and so I’m just going to worry about what I can control.”
On how we will handle the next 48 hours:
“I don’t know, man. It’s not fun no matter what. Maybe I’ll try to get out and play a little golf or something. This is a tough time of year for a lot of guys. I’m fortunate enough to have been through it a number of times – fortunate or unfortunate, I guess. The team is about to get cut in half essentially. So, there’s no easy way to go about it regardless of what side you’re sitting on. Maybe I’ll go play some golf, that sounds pretty good…Each and every situation is different. Again, it’s never easy. But I guess you have a better feel in some years. But no, just spend some time with my family and either way, it’s nice to get a break for a couple days to spend some time with the family.”
On the difference of Doug Nussmeyer calling plays:
“The rasp in Nuss’s voice…I’ve spent so much time with Nuss on a daily basis, I felt like he had a great feel for me and what type of passes I like, and I thought we got most of those called. I felt like I was on the same page as Nuss all day. I was happy for him to get that opportunity.”
S Isreal Mukuamu & CB Nashon Wright
On how he played today:
Wright: “Not the best. I wish I had done better than I did. I can only learn from it. So, I just have to take this, run with it and move on.”
On the first touchdown:
Wright: “Just bad odds. I thought I was getting the out. We got the out but he just stuck it in there. I should have finished the play though.”
On the value of preseason:
Wright: “It’s very important. That was the first time being scored on, so now I know what it feels like. It’s definitely important to go out there and make the mistakes early. Now we have to learn from it and erase it from my name.”
On if they are nervous for Tuesday:
Mukuamu: “I mean, I believe in God. So, I did all I could and I’ll leave it up to God. God don’t make no mistakes. So, I put my best foot out there and whatever happens, happens. But I’m going to leave it all up to God.”
Wright: “At this point, we’ll just see where it takes us on Tuesday. If I’m in the building on Thursday, then I made the team. If I didn’t, I’ll just have to move on.”
On the biggest adjustments coming to the NFL:
Mukuamu: “The biggest adjustment is just the speed of the game. A lot of presnap reads and postsnap reads, a lot of communication because in college it’s fast-paced, you have the same lineup and get on the ball, but in the NFL you’ve got smart quarterbacks out there that know what you’re in making checks and stuff. Then you’ve just got to communicate on defense. The better defense is when everybody’s talking and what everybody’s doing.”
On his interception:
Mukuamu: “It felt pretty good getting my first one. We were just in two man. Thank the D-Line for getting back there for us to tip the ball and I was able to get my hands on it…I just saw the ball tipped and I just caught it…It’s crazy. But leaving it all up to God, I thank God for that one.”
On being able to show the coaches their abilities:
Mukuamu: “My coaches always say that you’ve got to be ready when your number is called all the time. No matter what the situation, it’s next man up. You’ve just got to be ready for the opportunity and then make the most of it.”
On going into COVID protocols:
Mukuamu: “I was a little nervous, but Jim (Mauer) was able to get me back out and I thank him for that.”
On learning the defensive scheme:
Wright: “I would say that the coaches did a pretty good job of just bringing us in and making sure we learned the playbook with extra hours and extra rookie meetings. At first, it was just picking it up and now it’s about putting it all together with communication and executing the defense.”
Mukuamu: “In my situation, it’s kind of the same defense I had in college because Coach Quinn worked under Muschamp. So, it’s kind of the same concepts, but it’s different words and terminology so now I just have to put it all together to understand it. I would say that communication and the extra meetings have been very helpful.”
