(On Myles Jack going on IR) “Obviously, we would like to have him on the grass, but I thought Donald [Payne] went out last week and played well. We knew this was a possibility, and we are very excited about how Donald played last week and hopefully he can add on to it this week.”
(On how the defense communicated without Myles Jack) “I thought Donald did a nice job. He has been taking reps with the second unit and communicating. It was the first time he has ever done it in a game, but he got us in the right checks and in that kind of stuff. The more and more he plays, the more and more we can put on his plate. It is a challenge for Donald because he has not done it, but we are very encouraged for what we saw last week out of Donald.”
(On if Donald Payne’s performance was above what he expected) “We had a lot of younger guys play for us last week, and I think we came out a little rocky. They really settled down and started to play well. Donald was one of those [guys]. I think it is encouraging that those younger guys played well in the second half and hopefully we can add on to it here against the Chargers.”
(On how Josh Allen compares to star pass rushers he’s been around) “We have been blessed. In Seattle, we had a couple. In Tampa, we had several good pass rushers and since I have been here, we have had good pass rushers. Josh, as a rookie, I think he is making an impact. I thought it would be tough coming from college to the NFL to be an impact rusher as a rookie and you see him doing that. A lot of that is credit to the young man. Obviously, [Defensive Line] Coach [Jason] Rebrovich has done a really nice job with him of getting him to understand how to study the tape, break down his opponents and attack an offensive lineman. Josh is doing that at an early age just like Yannick [Ngakoue] did when he came in as a rookie.”
(On how good Josh Allen can be) “I think he can be an exceptional football player because he can play the run and he can rush the passer. He is a big, strong, physical guy. We can play him at the big end. Last week you saw him [at a position], which you usually don’t do with a rusher. With his skillset, he has a lot of different things that he can do. Obviously, we don’t want to do too much for him. We just want to see him concentrate on a couple of things, but I think he has a bright, bright future.”
(On if he saw Josh Allen potentially breaking Yannick Ngakoue’s record) “Honestly, I did not even think about it. I found out that he did it. I’m sure those two are battling back and forth a little bit. I think it is a heck of an honor for him. Obviously, he was drafted extremely high, and he is playing to that draft [position]. It is a credit to Josh.”
(On if D.J. Hayden is underrated and if he is giving the team more than they expected) “I think we are getting more out of him – not so much of what we expected – he is playing extremely well. The things we ask him to do in the run game, he can cover the slot man to man, he has great zone instincts. I think he is overlooked by a lot of people, to be honest with you, like what you are saying. For us, he is a big, big part of what we do, especially with what we are seeing in the run game. He goes out there, he gets nicked up and he still battles and competes. He is very tough, and he is a really good leader in that room. It would be tough obviously not to have D.J. for a long period of time.”
(On D.J. Hayden’s toughness and if it leads to injuries) “I do not know if you can really coach toughness. I think you either have it or you don’t. D.J. definitely has it. He fits in the box at times – the same things we ask our linebackers to do on the bubble side. He will definitely throw his body around, that is some of the reason he is getting nicked up. He is not a big guy, but he tries to play big. That is a credit to his mental makeup and what kind of kid he is.”
(On the challenge of Ronnie Harrison potentially not playing) “We will see where Ronnie is at as we go throughout the week. I know we have a plan if he does not play and we will see how the rest of this week goes. I was really encouraged with how Andrew [Wingard] responded from two weeks ago to last week and how he played. He got in there, he competed, he battled. He made some plays. Obviously, he would like to have a couple back, as we all would. I thought Andrew played extremely well. The addition of Marcus [Gilchrist], I think that really helped us out also. He was playing more on third downs and in two-minute situations. I think he has some really big play ability, so we felt comfortable with those two. Obviously, we would like to get Ronnie back as quick as we can, but we have to check with the doctors on that.”
(On how he would summarize the season Myles Jack was having) “I think if you talk to Myles and obviously we have, I think his performance, he feels he is a little up and down. He wants to get more consistency from his play. I know he has it in him. I think he is going to be an exceptional linebacker regardless of where he is at, but I think if you talk to him, he would say he would like to have a little more consistency. I like where he is going and the direction he is heading. He is only going to get better.”
(On if Leon Jacobs has exceeded expectations) “Yes. Leon has done a really nice job for us. People say this and say that about a SAM linebacker, but Leon has done a nice job of everything we asked him to do. He rushes the passer. He had not had a lot of production. He had a sack last week, which was really nice, but he is a good, solid football player. We are very excited that he is our SAM linebacker, and he is another guy that I think the future is really bright for.”
(On if he asks Special Teams Coordinator Joe DeCamillis to reduce a player’s special team snaps if they need to be fresh for defense) “No. I try to stay in my lane. I think [Head Coach] Doug [Marrone] does a really nice job [of managing that]. If Joe D needs a player … We have guys on defense that are starting on three-core and two-core [special teams units]. If Joe needs them and that is going to help us win football games, I am all in. I do not care if it is all four [special teams units]. We will give them a blow if it is going to help us win football games. Joe D and I talk about more of the lower end guys – who is up and who is not up? How many reps he would get on special teams, compared to how many he would get on defense and then Doug gets to make that decision.”
(On what challenges Phillip Rivers can pose) “Everybody is saying he is throwing a lot of interceptions and stuff this year – obviously his interception [numbers] are up, but he is also throwing for a lot of yards. I think they are fourth or fifth in the league. Their drives are ending up in the red zone. He is moving the ball extremely well – over 350 yards per game of total offense. He is still playing at an elite level. Yes, he might be turning the ball over a little bit more, but any given Sunday, he can beat anyone in this league. I think it is going to be a great challenge for us. I know it is going to be important for our defensive line to get pressure on him and hopefully we can cover those guys up on the back end.”
(On how the edge rushing duo of Yannick Ngakoue and Josh Allen stacks up to other duos he has coached) “They are one of the best ones we have had over the years. Obviously, we have had some really good ones in Seattle and we have had some good ones here when [Dante Fowler Jr.] was here, but I think those two [Josh and Yannick] really match each other. You can easily [play them together] with their style of play and both of them on the field at the same time – first, second and third down. I think obviously we will see what the future holds for all those, Yannick [Ngakoue] and everyone else, but I think those two are going to be impactful players for a long time.”
(On if Philip Rivers is the most combative quarterback in the league) “I have never heard him swear in his life, but boy, he can talk a lot of crap. I think that adds fuel to our guys and that kind of stuff. I know he is a competitive, competitive person. It is a great challenge for us on defense because of how competitive he is. Can we rattle him? I do not know. He is tough. But that is going to be one of our goals.”
