DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR MIKE CALDWELL
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2023
(On his emotions when a play like OLB Josh Allen’s fumble return touchdown happen when you still
have to go back and play defense again) “That was my main message. The guys were looking at me
crazy. I was like, ‘Go sit down, catch your breath, we’ve got to go back and pass rush again.’ There’s no
time to celebrate, really.”
(On what got OLB Josh Allen out of his lull) “I think it’s Josh. He’s made his mind up that it’s the time of
the season for him to turn it on, and he’s turned it on, he’s picked his game up, and he’s doing a good
job for us.”
(On facing QB Justin Herbert after the defense came off of a pretty good performance) “We miss Smoot
(DL Dawaune Smoot). The guys have stepped up, and we have multiple guys contributing. Corey (DL
Corey Peters), he played a big part in that also, stopping the run and pushing the pocket. Up front, I
think the guys understand what we need to do as a team, and they’re doing it.”
(On RB Austin Ekeler being the team’s top receiver) “When you look at it, when you have a running back
that has over 100 catches, that says something about him. He’s a guy that they trust, and they get the
ball to a bunch. I think it works well with him because outside you have to pay so much attention, and
that opens it up for him and the tight ends underneath. As a coordinator, you just go out there and you
just try to understand where the matchups are and how they try to attack you and try to hone in on that
and give the guys a good plan.”
(On if the linebackers have to be patient in their approach with Austin Ekeler) “Really, we have to get
downhill and get the double teams off. They’re a team that likes to double. He’s a patient runner. He’s a
guy that can find the hole. He takes his time, and we just have to make sure we’re staying in our gaps
and control the line of scrimmage.”
(On LB Foye Oluokun leading the NFL in tackles for two years in a row) “It’s really just his work ethic.
He’s a guy that, you watch him, he’s all over the field, and it’s mainly effort. He’s out there, he does it in
practice, and it carries over to the game. He’s a guy that he works really, really hard, and he goes out
there, and it pays off for him.”
(On how happy he is now after deciding to sign LB Foye Oluokun last offseason) “Extremely happy
because he’s the quarterback of the defense. When he’s out there, everything runs comfortable, guys
trust him, and they understand that if he says it, we’re going to do it because he understands what I’m
thinking, and he just relays it to the players.”
(On DL Corey Peters’ leadership) “When you look at that D-line room, you have a mixture of young guys
and old guys. Corey coming in, stepping in, just showing how to be a true professional at that position, understanding how to attack linemen, how to hone your techniques weekly, he does a great job. It helps
DaVon (DT DaVon Hamilton) because he’s seeing someone that’s done it for a long time and done it at a
really high level, and it’s helped him increase his play.”
(On if he felt like he had to have a good game out of DL Corey Peters on Saturday) “We knew as a
defense up front in our division playing against the Titans that you have to play strong up front. Corey
came out, D-Ham (DT DaVon Hamilton) played a great game, Roy (DL Roy Robertson-Harris), just
different guys up front stepped up and controlled the line of scrimmage, and that enabled us to be
pretty successful in the run game. It was 3.7 I think, something like that.”
(On if games like Saturday and the playoffs are big reasons they drafted OLB Travon Walker) “Oh yeah.
Anytime you’re playing in a big game, we call them five-star games, you need your five-start players to
step up. This is one of the times where, last week he showed up, played real well again in the run game,
pressure on the quarterback. We just need that performance again.”
(On if OLB Travon Walker’s impact goes beyond the stats) “Always. The things we see from him in the
run game, being able to control tight ends, knock back, being able to squeeze off gaps. You don’t see it
on the stat sheet, but we understand the value he brings to us.”
(On how helpful it can be that there are a lot of coaches on staff with playoff experience) “We talk to
them, and we try to explain to them, it’s been going on for like, I think since like the middle of the
season, on the night before the game I stand up and say, ‘Yeah, it’s a big game because it’s the next
one.’ You take that attitude. It’s a big game, only reason is because it’s the next one, and they go out
there and they play. It’s the same game that they’ve been playing their whole lives. Stakes are a little bit
higher, but prepare, understand what you’re doing, understand your opponent, go out there and do
what you do.”
(On if he pays much attention to the Week 3 game against the Chargers in his preparation for this week)
“Yeah, you go back and look at it, but the quarterback was dinged up a little bit, they were missing a
receiver, so they’ll be a little bit different. We’re different now, so they have to account for us being
different; we have to account for them. Try to understand what’s happened in the last few weeks and
see what they’re leaning on, and they’ll see what we’re leaning on and go at it.”
(On what kind of player QB Justin Herbert is) “He is a guy that can make all the throws. Athletic, mobile.
He’s a quarterback that you love on your team, but you don’t want to go up against him. That’s how the
quarterbacks in the league are. Guys that have big arms, can move in the pocket and create problems
for you in the pass game.”
(On if QB Justin Herbert is anything like QB Trevor Lawrence) “I don’t know skillset-wise, but I was
watching a clip, and I pointed out to the coaches, it was a back angle, and I was like, if you take the
number off, and you look, they have the same mannerisms. You take the number off, you couldn’t tell
one, the way they carry the ball when they drop back. Two big guys with strong arms and very good
quarterbacks.”
(On how much of a lift it is for the defense that this game is in Jacksonville) “It’s a big lift because
anytime you play in an atmosphere like Saturday night, it was amazing. The fans did a great job of
getting there early, being loud. The energy in the building was tremendous. As a defensive player or the
defensive coach, you always want to feed off the crowd, and they fed us all night.”
(On what kind of impact a silent snap count can have on the pass rush) “Really, we’re ball key, hopefully
that’ll be to our advantage. We’ll be able to anticipate and see the ball move and get off before they can
get in their rhythm, but at the end of the day, we have to get to the quarterback, they have to stop us
from getting to the quarterback. Hopefully our fans play a big part in making it hard for them to function
as an offense.”
(On the respect for OLB Travon Walker when the Titans doubled up on him) “I think in most situations
when you have guys that rush the passer from the outside, that running backs are in the game,
depending on the yardage that they have to go, they’ll need to chip in and help out the offensive
tackles. You have Josh (OLB Josh Allen), you have Travon, you have Arden (DL Arden Key). Those guys
account for attention, and when you bring a back up and chip someone or thump someone, that just
enables us to come at a different angle and hopefully pressure the quarterback.”
(On how confident he is in his secondary going up against a very good wide receiver group) “It’s a
challenge. They have a bunch of weapons, but we look at it as, we got 11 guys out there, pass rush, plays
just as much of an important part in covering a deep pass as the DBs do. It all goes hand in hand. We’ll
throw 11 out there and see what happens.”
SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR HEATH FARWELL
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2023
(On status of K Riley Patterson and LS Ross Matiscik) “They’re both great. Obviously, Riley [K Riley
Patterson] missed yesterday. That was more just him feeling a little sore, we kind of held him out. He’s
going to be full go today. Not a concern at all, not a concern, but he’s great and doing fine. Ross, [LS Ross
Matiscik] this is part of the program. It’s obviously been a few weeks, but he’s going to play. Excited to
have him back out here; he’s fantastic.”
(On if K Riley Patterson got hurt or if it’s just soreness) “Just general soreness, yeah. General soreness
and it was kind of a decision we made yesterday. We weren’t concerned, we even thought about him
practicing. Like I said, it was more of a group decision, as if it was best to give him a rest. He’ll go today,
he’ll be full go today.”
(On performance of the special teams unit in the last game) “It was a cool game for us. The magnitude
of that game, the importance of that game, and even situationally it was huge. We were down 10-0,
they go down and scored, and we needed a play to kind of ignite us a little bit. Obviously, Ags [WR Jamal
Agnew] had a big return and we had great blocking for him. Just getting the group started, a big return,
offense goes down and scores right after that, just a big play in that game to kind of get us rolling. Logan
[P Logan Cooke] had some fantastic punts, downing the ball inside the ten. There were a bunch of cool
plays of just flipping the field and being a huge impact. It’s something we work at every week. We want
to be really consistent and be really clean all the time, but if we can make an impact on the game like we
did in the kicking game, it’s huge. It’s a huge part of what we did. We played great defense, and we
played great special teams, so that was a huge part of the game.”
(On having few special teams penalties this season) “The guys are unbelievable. The attention to detail
every week and the importance of it all season has been really good. We had one game that kind of got
out of whack a little bit. Other than that one game, we’ve been really, really good. It’s attention to
detail, it’s the fundamentals, the little techniques were teaching them, and they take it from the practice
field to the game. They care, they know the importance of that hidden yardage. In the kicking game, it’s
such a big deal. You lose those 20, 30, 40, sometimes 100, those are big game-changing yardages. It’s so
important. It’s a big stress in the program, it’s something we stress so much, and they take such an
interest in it.”
(On how deep WR Jamal Agnew is wanted to return kicks) “It’s not exact every week. It’ll change and it
depends on the hang time of the opposing kicker. That’s part of it. How do they cover? How are we
blocking? Do we like our scheme better this week versus maybe another week? That’s part of it. How is
he feeling? He was feeling great, and he was really feeling the energy, so he was bringing them out a
little deeper than normal. We loved it. It was a game-changing play, a big time play for us. He’s so good,
I love him to give him the green light when we can and when the opportunity is right. We have to make good decisions sometimes because these kickers are so talented, they can really hang up those hang
times and make it tough to get the return started.”
(On feeling worried about WR Jamal Agnew in certain deep returns in the last game) “No, honestly, I
didn’t. Part of the reason is because we trust Ags [WR Jamal Agnew]. He’s going to make great decisions
back there. The guys have improved every week, not only blocking for him in the kick return game or the
punt return game, but you’re starting to see some finishing blocks. We had a 22-yard return that kind of
flipped the field in the punt return game. We’re putting all of those things and I feel like each week
we’ve gotten better. Not only in penalties, but just cleaner blocks. Just more technique and it’s all part
of the process of getting better each week. we’re playing as good a ball as we have all season right now
at the right time.”
(On desire to have WR Jamal Agnew return a kick for a touchdown) “We get such excitement out of that
50-yard return and 22-yard return, but to be able to put one in the endzone and really take over a game,
it would be unreal. The guys are waiting for it. They feel like we’re one block away and you sense that
we’re so close. You’re just hoping that this is the game; hopefully this is the one, if it’s not, we will keep
working. I really believe we’re this close with the opportunities. It’s hard because most coordinators try
to keep the ball out of his hands, so we’re getting a ton of touchbacks, a ton of fair catches. When we
get opportunities, we’re getting better every week and he’s starting to feel it. The guys are really
starting to block and improve tremendously. We’re really in a good situation right now.”
(On if there’s a number he puts on hidden yardage) “No, I don’t. To me, the biggest thing for me is on a
game-to-game basis, how do we do against their punt team and their punt return? Can we flip the field?
What does their net look like compared to ours? That’s the biggest thing; can we flip the field?”
(On if he looks at plus or minus) “Yes. We’re at 43 I believe. No, I’m sorry. Our net was 50 to their 43.
That’s a huge difference, each punt we’re flipping the field in the punt return game. Just individual, I
know kickoff was 30, 27 for them. We’ve got some hidden yardage there of winning that over the kickoff
return and then the punt and punt return.”
(On impact of CB Chris Claybrooks and S Daniel Thomas as gunners) “Huge. You see all those great net
punts. It starts with a fantastic snap. Logan [P Logan Cooke] obviously with fantastic punts, I mean, he’s
as good of a punter as there is in this league. We have really good gunners that get down the field. That
was a prime example and it’s happened all year, when DT [S Daniel Thomas] takes his shot, barely slides
off of him. Then, Chris [CB Chris Claybrooks] is right there to make the play. Again, those guys are
controlling it outside with great hang times, good distance, even being out wide. It was outside the
numbers. Those are huge kicks for us, and then great coverage. Those guys have been as good as there
is. They’ve controlled it completely.”
(On working with K Riley Patterson after missing a few field goals earlier this season) “No, I think he just
got back to what he does. He is a very consistent kicker. The ball comes off his foot every single time
exactly the same. I think he got kind of out of whack in that game. Since then and before that, he’s been
so consistent. He’s done a fantastic job for us all this season.”
(On comfortability with K Riley Patterson in different weather conditions) “Individual basis. Until we get
out on this field too, until we see warmups and get a better feel for what the temperature feels like.
When it’s as cold as it potentially can be, the ball doesn’t fly as good. That’s part of it, is there an eight
mile an hour wind I’ve been told? Is that going to make a difference? Which way is it blowing in? All that is pregame, never looking at it until you can get a feel. We don’t make those decisions until after we see
warm up, how’s hitting them, how he’s feeling, having those conversations with Doug [Head Coach Doug
Pederson] and communicating with Press [Offensive Coordinator Press Taylor] and the guys.”
(On preparing the team for the playoffs by going to the playoffs with previous teams) “I think the biggest
thing for us, and we talked about it last week a ton, too, is that these are nationally televised games.
These are huge games and they’re a lot of fun, night games and primetime. Don’t make it bigger than it
is. Just do exactly what we’ve done every single week, every Wednesday looks the same, every
Thursday. It leads you into one play at a time, and you saw that. Our guys didn’t do anything different in
that game. They just did exactly what they did all year. Great punts, great coverage down the field, all
that stuff that we’ve been doing all season, just happened to be on a national stage. If you get out of
whack, if you try to, ‘I’m going to make this extra play, dive inside’ and all the sudden the ball gets
outside, and you lose the leverage. Don’t try to make it bigger than it is. Don’t make stuff up, I tell them
that all the time. Don’t make stuff up. Do exactly what you do every day and we’ll be happy with the
results. That was the message, it showed up a ton. Even on Sunday when we met back, it’s saying that
you did exactly what we talked about and exactly what we’ve done all year. Keep doing that, that’s why
we’ve been successful.”
(On his relationship with Bills S Damar Hamlin) “Damar is a great guy. I’m sure you guys are well aware,
but he was a fantastic player. Even better guy. I love Damar. It was tough; that was a tough week, not
only for everybody but those guys who know him. I was devastated and to see my friends all in that
group and in that building. It was tough seeing them out there on the field and even throughout that
week. I’ve had a lot of those conversations and phone calls and texts checking in with him, and they’ve
been checking in with me. It was a tough week for me as well. The moment we started to sense that he’s
coming back, he’s doing great, that was a huge relief. Of course, now we’re going to keep getting better
news. It puts it back in perspective of dealing with real life stuff, but it also allows us to get back to what
we do, of playing ball and loving this game. We want to continue to be around it, keep thinking about
him every day and hoping for him to be on the sideline potentially this weekend. I don’t know if that’s
possible, but again, I think about those guys all the time and we’ve had those good conversations and
checked on each other because I have a bunch of friends in that building.”
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR PRESS TAYLOR
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2023
(On having any offensive concerns this week) “No, no concerns. We certainly think we need to play
better. We know that, we own that. I don’t know if it’s a trend or anything like that, I think we’ve had
different situations. We played a very good defense last week, we understand that. They’re the number
one run defense in the league. Tennessee did a good job and made things hard; kind of made us one
dimensional. There were still opportunities we felt like we left out on the field. Things that we control
that we didn’t execute, whether that was a ball handling exchange, a missed assignment and protection,
missing throws, things like that; or not being in our splits or our details at the routes. We could clean up
and that’s definitely something we definitely have to do as we continue on with the season.”
(On if preparing for the Chargers game is like preparing for a divisional opponent) “Certainly. Now, that
feels like three years ago, so a lot has changed since then. Really, these games don’t carry over. You see
that from playing the Titans twice in a month. The game gets played very differently. Obviously, you
make adjustments based on what happened when you did see each other. I think the biggest thing is
maybe you have a feel for personnel and we know they had a bunch of injuries going into that game.
There are even different people out there. I think, like anything, you take some lessons from it anytime
you get matched up with a group like this, but it’s a completely different game now.”
(On comfortability with OL Walker Little) “Yeah, and that’s what we expected. I’ve mentioned it before,
there was a very real competition for the tackle spot. From the spring into training camp, those guys did
a great job battling. Unfortunately for Walker [OL Walker Little], he didn’t win the job initially, but we
knew he was prepared if the situation came up to be able to step in and execute his job at a high level.
That’s something that he’s done, and now he’s got a great challenge this week, so like everybody, we
expect continued improvement with Walker.”
(On threat of Chargers S Derwin James) “He is. They do a great job utilizing his versatility. He could line
up anywhere from on the line of scrimmage and rushing the passer to covering your tight end out wide
to covering a receiver in the slot to deep in the post. They utilize him really well, he’s somebody you
have to be aware of. The quarterback has to be aware of at all times, but then our offensive line just
because of the versatility they use with him in the box, even rushing the passer. He’s certainly a
dangerous player.”
(On continuing to utilize RB Travis Etienne Jr.) “Yeah, last week was certainly tough. We feel like we had
a run in there early that we had a possibility to get us going, and I think he actually tripped on Evan’s [TE
Evan Engram] foot that got us down there. Then, it was just tough sledding. That’s a great run defense,
they do a really good job. They have really good personnel for it. We knew it was going to be tough, we
really just couldn’t get going in that aspect of the game. We felt like trying to move the ball through the
air was the best thing for us and that got tough as the game kept going on. We weren’t as sharp as we
needed to be in that area. Again, with Travis [RB Travis Etienne Jr.], it’s just continuing to make sure he’s detailed and disciplined in what he does, and us continuing to find the best possible ways to get him
going. Whether that’s run, pass, interior, exterior movements, whatever that may be.”
(On the importance of establishing the run game against Chargers) “I mean, certainly going into the
game we think it’s important that we have the run game to balance out the pass game. Now, how the
game plays itself out, whether we need to throw the ball, run the ball, whatever has been successful, is
what we will try to do to win the game as that goes. You certainly want to be able to when you need to
run the ball, know you can run the ball. We’re confident that we can do that if that situation arises.”
(On coaching techniques from Offensive Line Coach Phil Rauscher) “Yeah, I think who those guys are is a
big part of it. Phil has done a great job of making sure everybody is ready. Obviously, we started the year
with Bartch [OL Ben Bartch], and then Tyler [OL Tyler Shatley] came in and has played great so far. You
lose Cam [OL Cam Robinson], now Walker [OL Walker Little] has got to step up. There’s certainly a
dynamic in that room that allows all those guys to be prepared for the next man up mentality. Especially
as you get down into the backups and terms, those guys are ready to play any spot given the situation.
You could play right guard, left guard, right tackle, left tackle, bump into center, whatever that means.
Those guys continue to work together throughout their process. If you ever got to see all of our
practices, there’s bodies changing. We sub those guys like we sub receivers in practice, just to get them
mixed and matched.”
(On if OL Brandon Scherff is the leader of the offensive line room) “I think that’s probably fair to say.
He’s probably the most established in this league in terms of accomplishments he’s had, the way he
plays, the way he prepares. Really, it comes down to work ethic. Guys value the guys that work really
hard and produce on the field, and he’s certainly one of those guys for us. He has a great presence about
him and that room itself has its own dynamics that are unlike any other room I think in the building.
They do a great job.”
(On putting a target number of points to score against a team) “I think you go into every game with the
general plan of what we think it takes to win. Whether that’s across the board, offense, defense, special
teams. Maybe we need to be more aggressive in these situations because they average X amount of
points. Ideally, it’s a shutout and we kick a field goal to win the game. We’re great with that. Whatever it
takes for us to play next week, we’re happy with at the end of the day. There are certainly times where
it sets your game plan strategy through the week. We have those conversations Monday and Tuesday,
and they’re ongoing through the week of what we think it’s going to take to win and how we need to
play the game; whether that’s decision making within it. At the same time, we’re ready to adjust at any
moment in a game depending on how it’s going.”
(On if the Chargers defense is playing the best it has this year) “Yeah, and I think part of it is the
personnel they’re getting back. You get Bosa (OLB Joey Bosa) back from injury, you get a couple of these
guys back in there. As you go, you get film on opponents, you get more time on task as your own
defensive scheme, and I think it’s just showing with them. It was kind of similar last year, they hit their
stride late and made their push at the end of last year. It feels like they are definitely gelling and playing
good ball at the right time for them.”
(On QB Trevor Lawrence’s long throw to WR Christian Kirk in the last game) “I have seen it, it’s not
something you want to see often. It’s not something we were super excited about that it happened,
fortunately we completed it. It’s one of those, ‘No, no, no. Let’s not do that again.’ Fortunately, it didn’t
hurt us, but he’s trying to make a play at whatever time, so we just always want to protect the ball.”
(On if it’s an advantage for the Chargers coming from the west coast to the east coast) “I mean, I’d like
to say so, but back in Week 3, I don’t know that it really affected us. I understand your body clock and
your circadian rhythm, all that type of stuff. At the end of the day, the goes don’t care. Half of the time
we get on a plane, we all fall asleep, and we show up in the city. You couldn’t tell us if we flew to
Chicago, we flew to Miami, whatever that may be because by the end of the week, usually you’re just
exhausted. You want to sleep, as far as coaches at least, I know that. I couldn’t tell you where we land,
how long it was. It’s just nice to close your eyes and sleep, then you wake up and play. Personally, I
never felt like it was a big issue, but I understand there is a lot more than I know going on to it.”
(On importance of quarterback stability in this league and if luck goes into quarterbacks avoiding injury)
“What it is, I don’t know because everybody and every injury is case by case. Whether it’s a broken
bone, there isn’t much you can do. Soft tissue injuries, maybe you can prevent those. It’s certainly key,
just because everybody continues to gel. You get the chemistry together. The receivers know if I run this
route on this step, the ball is going to be thrown to this point just because we’ve done it a million times
with those two guys. Everybody is going to be a little different. C.J.’s [QB C.J. Beathard] ball comes out
differently than Trevor’s [QB Trevor Lawrence] ball does. C.J.’s cadence sounds different from Trevor’s.
Just continuing to have that consistency and continuity, just builds chemistry as things go. Obviously,
that’s something we want to continue, and I think it makes everybody just a little more comfortable and
plays a little bit better. It’s the same thing with the offensive line though. They get used to hearing
whoever is next to them, typically, the person next to you communicates differently. You can
understand how that throws guys off in times when that chemistry is important, and you just continue
to develop that. So, if you do need the next man up, everybody is confident that guy is going to get it
done and help you play to the best of your ability as well.”
(On his experience of switching between Eagles QB Carson Wentz and Eagles QB Nick Foles in the 2017
season with Philadelphia) “Yeah, I think it did. Even going back to that year, there were a lot of injuries
across the board. We lost a lot of starters in certain positions and backups that were playing key roles at
the time. That’s kind of what makes it special at the end of it, and that’s why you celebrate the way you
do when you get into the locker room after a win. You look back on whatever the week was, whatever
the season was, whatever led to that point. I think that’s what makes this game so much fun and you’re
chasing the feeling you get in the locker room; the adrenaline rush in the locker room when you get
back in there with your guys. The guys you fought, sweat, and prepared with. You get a chance to enjoy
the fruits of your labor at that point in time.”
(On handling the night schedule last week) “Yeah, I think that’s a big thing. We had those games in the
preseason that kind of set you up for that, because you get your rhythm of when you get your
walkthrough, your pregame meal, all that type of stuff. That is key for guys getting on the field and not
expending too much of that energy because you’ve been amped up all day long, you’re sitting in a hotel
room, sitting in your house, whatever you may be doing. As far as last week, we had a walkthrough at
eleven o’clock; it was probably the sharpest walkthrough we’ve had all season. We were able in a 20-
minute walkthrough, probably rip through 50 plays. There was great communication, everybody was
pretty locked in on the details. From that standpoint, it was exciting. At the same time, that’s what we
expect from our group. We have a lot of professional and mature type of players that can handle
situations well. That’s what we expected of them and that’s what we got out of them. We’re excited
about any opportunity we get to do that.”
