OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR PRESS TAYLOR
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2023
(On if he has any regrets calling the play QB Trevor Lawrence got hurt on) “No, it was a four-minute
situation. We had a call on third down where we felt like we could potentially get the quarterback to the
edge. We never envisioned the quarterback getting tackled in that situation. Hindsight is 20/20, I wish it
would’ve come down to a situation where we did not get tackled. That’s a call we have and carry in the
four-minutes right there so we can extend the drive and get the first down, get the quarterback on the
edge if it’s clean. If it’s not clean, we go down and lose five-six yards and we continue to milk the clock.”
(On if there’s hesitance to play QB Trevor Lawrence on a turf field) “That’s where you just kind of trust
your training staff. As long as Trevor is in a position where he can’t injure himself or as long as he gives us
the best chance to win the game, without risking himself or whatever that may be, then that’s what we’ll
continue to do. That’s just a conversation with everybody involved in the process.”
(On confidence level in QB C.J. Beathard) “The confidence is very high, that we can go out and run our
offense and he can function at a high level. He’s got experience in this league, he’s got experience now in
our system, the guys around him trust him, we know he can go out and function in a solid way with the
possibility to win the game if that’s what we needed to do.”
(On if there’s significant changes in the gameplan depending on what quarterback plays) “They can run a
lot of the same stuff we feel like. It’s like any game, you tailor your approach to what defense you’re
seeing and how they play and what puts everybody, not just the quarterback in the best possible
position to have success.”
(On if there’s two different game sheets depending on what quarterback plays) “No, not really. There
may be some things that you feature more so if it’s one quarterback versus the other, but no, we don’t
feel like it really affects our offense much.”
(On how to prepare for the opposing team environment and noise on Thursday night) “Yeah, that’s
definitely a real thing. We always work on our silent cadence when we’re going on the road. We’ve made
it a point to our guys that this is a very hostile place, playing on a primetime nighttime game there. On
the road, fired up, we know it’ll be loud. The way you play the game, trying to take the crowd out of it,
but not being affected by the noise. We got to be great with our nonverbal communication as well as our
verbal communication. There are times we have to talk to one another in the huddle, getting out of the
huddle, at the line of scrimmage. There is communication that you just got to do a great job of being
dialed in on.”
(On if the coaches take into consideration the surface of the field) “To reemphasize it, everybody comes
together on the process to determine what it looks like for everybody.”
(On if RB Travis Etienne Jr. can sustain this level of carries per game through the rest of the season)
“Yeah, he hasn’t shown us he can’t at this point in time. Obviously, we like to spread the wealth and we
like to continue with the hot hand, whatever that may be; pass game, run game. He’s been a guy that is
obviously a gamebreaker for us. He’s been able to come through in those situations when we continue to
give him the football. He has opportunities and he finds opportunities, he creates his own opportunities
at times. We want to continue to give the ball to our best players at all times.”
(On how the offensive line looks due to multiple injuries) “Yeah, I think it is hard. You want to know the
guy you’re playing next to, you want to work next to that guy. Like I’ve always said, we do a good job of
exposing them to that through spring. I think their meeting room is a huge part of that. They’re all in
communication, constant communication. It’s an interesting place to be in the offensive line room, but
those guys do a great job of creating that environment to where I think they build a trust factor. There’s
some chemistry involved with those guys and they trust the guy next to them that they’ll do their job at
the highest level.”
(On value of OL Blake Hance on the offensive line) “I feel like coming in here and talking to you guys,
there’s always been some guy of, ‘How do you trust this guy to do this?’ and all of that. Whether it be
[OL] Walker Little, [OL] Blake Hance, [OL] Tyler Shatley, these guys are invaluable for us. They’re guys that
their teammates trust. We as coaches trust them, but more importantly, the guys on the field trust the
guy next to them to do their job.”
(On the running game not being able to get into a rhythm last game) “Yeah, I felt like we got a little
stagnant at times through that game. Now, we did a good job and scored three of the first five
possessions that we had the ball, it really started with the first play of the drive. If we couldn’t get the
first play of the drive going, we were sledding uphill and that was tough. There were a couple of different
things, we tried some different things with perimeter runs that we maybe didn’t block the right way on a
couple of them or they just had a better call than us at times. It’s a matter of what that looks like, but
each run is kind of it’s own case-by-case basis that we continue to study. What are we really good at?
What are we really good at against the schemes that they play? Where are we winning matchups?
Where are we losing matchups? We continue to evaluate all of that.”
(On how playing on Thursday night makes prep more difficult) “It’s fast. We have a whole gameplan in
and less than 48 hours from when we just finished the last game. Things happen very quickly, you fall
back on having a unit that’s been together for awhile for the most part, you got some plays in your
inventory that you’ve got banked reps on and you can lean into a little bit. Just trying to identify things
that we do really well that we have a lot of confidence in without getting a physical rep these two days of
practice essentially right here.”
(On what New Orleans defense does well) “They’re kind of like Buffalo in that they’ve all been together
for a long time. Coach Allen [Saints Head Coach Dennis Allen] has been there for nine years it feels like.
[Saints LB] Demario Davis, [Saints DE] Cam Jordan and [Saints CB] Marshon Lattimore have all been there
the whole time. That’s one guy at each level. You watch Demario Davis, I think it was the eighth play
against Houston, Houston has a check, it’s clear and obvious the quarterback makes a check, he talks to
the safeties and flips the whole coverage. Those guys just have the play book at their fingertips, and they
can get it communicated really quickly. They can always keep themselves in the right look or they can
change the look they presented to you because he’s basically calling plays out there on the fly. Cam
Jordan has been a game wrecker for a long time. I feel like those three guys don’t get the credit they
deserve across the league. Cam Jordan has been a major problem for a long time, Demario Davis is as
good as any interior linebacker in the league and Marshon Lattimore is as tough of a cover as anybody
out there. They have really good players, experience in the system, playing at their place in a hostile
environment, it’s a tough place to go in there and play. I think they’ve done a good job of keeping people
out of the endzone there.”
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR MIKE CALDWELL
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2023
(On difficulty of finding the right fit at cornerback if CB Tyson Campbell can’t play) “We have a bunch of
guys that have gotten a bunch of reps that have been working hard. We’re ready to plug them in and see
what they do.”
(On who will be the next cornerback available if CB Tyson Campbell can’t play) “Yeah, Buster [CB
Montaric Brown] will be the next guy up.”
(On confidence in CB Montaric Brown) “Just what he’s done in training camp and out there at practice
every day. He’s a guy that works hard and we’re confident with him going out there. He’ll be ready to
go.”
(On ease of being able to use CB Montaric Brown instead of shifting around players) “Really, if you move
too many people around, you’re moving too many people around. Just put one guy in and that’s what
they’re here for. We saw what he did in the offseason and what he did in training camp. He deserves to
be here and gets the opportunity to go out there and play.”
(On confidence of practice squad cornerbacks to step up if needed) “Well, that’s the reason those guys
are here. They showed an ability, and the numbers didn’t work out for them to be on the 53, but now we
can call guys up. They’ll be able to go out there and be able to help us out.”
(On how OLB Dawuane Smoot played in his first game back) “I thought he did good. He tackled well, he
was in coverage and communication is something that’s not just him, it’s everybody that we have to get
better at. It’s just an area where we’ll get the calls to him and let him understand the technique he’s
playing. He did a decent job.”
(On challenges of building chemistry on the defense in a short week) “It’s really not, I said it a couple
weeks ago. We were in London for 10 days and we got to gel together and we’re talking all the time and
when you’re out on the field, it should be the same way. You’re a safety or linebacker, you should be out
there talking just like you talk in the locker room or riding the bus somewhere.”
(On leading the NFL takeaways being because of high communication) “I think it really just comes down
to taking advantage of your opportunity. We’ve been able to touch the ball and guys have been coming
down with it. [OLB] Josh [Allen] had a strip sack, we were able to get a couple of fumbles. It’s just being
able to take advantage of opportunities. We always talk about the numbers favor us, so if we get more
guys around the ball, we have the opportunity to take the ball away. That’s what we try to do and we’re
doing a decent job right now.”
(On challenge of defending Saints RB Alvin Kamara) “He’s a guy that can run it and he’s really good out of
the backfield. He’s a guy that they feed the ball to. That’s really the challenge, he’s going to get many
opportunities, we just have to be around him, get a bunch of guys around him to try and slow him
down.”
(On talent and energy S Rayshawn Jenkins brings to the team) “That’s the thing. The energy that he plays
with, he’s a guy that’s passionate about his play and you can see it on the field. He’s a guy that if you’re
walking down the street at night, you want him with you and he’s going to fight with you. He goes out
there every week and he’s a tone setter for us, he’s a guy that brings a bunch of energy. I saw the flag, so
I knew it wasn’t going to count, but I was trying to get him back so we could get the next call in. It’s great
to see his hard work pay off, to get the opportunity to have one and get another one later on, it was
good to see.”
(On impressiveness seen by OLB Dawuane Smoot) “I think that was big. Just to get back coming off the
injury and it was great to see him go back out there and play. It was just continuing to get better, first day
out there and you’re going as hard as you can, then you start to feel, ‘Now I’m back.’ He’ll go out there
and he did some good things in the pass rush, he’ll continue to do it.”
(On threat of the Saints passing game) “They have speed and they have size. That’s always a challenge,
then they have multiple guys that can stretch the field and multiple guys that contest for balls. That’s a
big challenge, and you have a quarterback that’s throwing the ball anywhere he wants to. That passing
game is going to be a tough task for us.”
(On difficulty of playing in Caesar’s Superdome) “It’s tough to play down there, but the other thing about
it that I told the guys is that it’s exciting. The atmosphere is unbelievable, so when you go down there,
you’re going to be up for the game because they’re going to make you get up for the game. The fans and
all the costumes they have on. It’s a great atmosphere to be in, it’s Thursday night, we’re the only show
on, so they should be excited and ready to go.”
(On talent of CB Darious Wiliams) “I think just the hard work. He came in last year and had the shoulder
a little bit, he was playing inside and we moved him outside. I think he’s comfortable in the system,
comfortable with what we’re asking him to do and he’s showing that he has good hands. Former
basketball player, good eye coordination. So he’s a guy that if the ball is around him, he’s going to be able
to make a play on it.”
(On if having a short week makes getting the defensive gameplan together difficult) “It does because
coaches and players are always on a schedule and a routine, routine is jacked up. I came over right after
the game on Sunday, trying to get as much information as I could. We understand that it’s a Thursday
night and it’s a great opportunity for our team to go down there and play. We’ll be ready, we’re just
going to have to speed everything up, get the details to the players, let them understand what they’re
supposed to do and what we want to do. We’ll go down there and let it go.”
(On getting LB Devin Lloyd back last week) “I thought he gave us a jolt. He was out there, he was flying
around and Devin is a guy who’s long, instinctive and he makes plays on the ball. He had the cast on his
hand so he was unable to catch two of them, but it was good to see him back and I thought he brought a
lot of energy, it’s good to see him flying around.”
(On if he cuts LB Devin Lloyd slack for not catching balls due to a hand cast) “Well since the other guys
caught them, we have this competition between inside linebackers, cornerbacks, safeties and outside
linebackers. Typically, inside guys are catching the ball the best, but with that cast on, it’s going to be
tough.”
(On S Antonio Johnson getting more snaps as the season goes on) “Really, I think AJ has a chance to play
last week and the week before, it’s just his skillset is something that we can use. We’re just finding ways
to get him out there. You saw him going in a few times on third downs. His package is just increased by
whatever opportunity we want to give him. He’s a player that is ready for it, he has a great skillset to do
what we need him to do and it’ll continue to evolve.”
QUARTERBACK TREVOR LAWRENCE
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2023
(On if he’s playing on Thursday) “I’m going to do everything I can to be out there. I feel a lot better today
than I would’ve thought, I like how I’m progressing and I’m going to do everything I can to be out there
on Thursday.”
(On his limitations this week by playing Thursday and being injured) “It’s a short week anyways, so
physically, we’re not doing much. You’re trying to get your bodies back and ready for Sunday. Regardless
of if there’s an injury or not, it hasn’t affected me a ton because we haven’t done too much. I’m trying to
be smart about it and trying to protect it as long as I can, trying to take care of it and put me in the best
position to be able to play on Thursday. Like I said, I’ve been working out and trying to strengthen
everything else to keep my body in good shape and all of that, so I’m doing everything I can to be in
position to play. We’ll just see how it progresses over the next couple of days in a short week.”
(On challenge of wearing knee brace and going through an injury this week) “It’s different. It’s something
I haven’t had any experience with, so that adds a challenge to it just because you’re not used to it. It’s
not like an injury that I’ve had in the past and I’m kind of used to dealing with it. Whether it was
something last year or before that, it’s something that’s different. I think with any injury, it’s a fine line of
how much you push. I think a little bit is good, so that line is always kind of moving though. It depends
on trying to do everything you can to play, but then you don’t want to hurt yourself worse, all those
things. I feel good with where I’m at right now, so I’m just taking it day-by-day and seeing how it gets
better.”
(On if it helps that his injured knee is not on his plant leg) “That’s a good question, I don’t really know. I
think either way throwing, you either push off your right leg or you post up left leg. Either way, there’s
definitely challenges with either knee. I wouldn’t say it necessarily helps, but maybe better. I don’t really
know, honestly.”
(On how it would feel from a competitive standpoint to not be able to play Thursday) “Yeah, it’s
definitely a position I don’t want to be in. I haven’t missed a game in my career. I’m only in my third year,
but I take a lot of pride in that and being available, being there and being able to play and compete every
week. I think that’s something I take a lot of pride in. We’re not at that point yet, we’ve got a couple
more days and we’re going to see how the rest of the week plays out. It’s definitely something that
means a lot to me, is just being out there, one, but also knowing I can put a good performance out there
for my team because that doesn’t help anyone if I can’t. You got to ask that question as well.”
(On if he feels not up for playing to voice QB C.J. Beathard should play) “I can’t answer that question
right now, I think when Thursday comes, that’s a question I’m going to have to answer. All of us are going
to have to make the best decision not only for myself, but for the team. I really like how I’ve progressed
every day and it’s been really good. I’m optimistic, but of course we’re going to have to make that
decision Thursday. We’ll go from there, but right now is not the day to do that.”
(On if there’s a badge of honor with quarterbacks showing toughness) “Of course. This game is about
toughness and it’s about at times playing through injuries. I think it’s also about being smart and you
know the position we’re in. There are guys every week that have injuries and might sit or might not play.
They’re looking for the long haul, not just for themselves but also for the team because you want your
guys to be healthy in crunch time of the season down the stretch. There’s a lot of questions that you
have to answer, there’s not a right answer to any of them. Some guys are more conservative when it
comes to injuries and some guys aren’t. Some guys play more and some guys don’t. It depends on who
you are and what you’re comfortable with. The biggest thing is you have got to feel confident going on
the field, whether you decide to play or not. You got to feel comfortable with what you’re doing and
confident you got to go play. You can’t play this game hesitating at all. That’s a question that everyone
asks themselves when they’re dealing with anything.”
(On if he feels like he’s not a cautious player in terms of injuries) “I’ve been fortunate, I haven’t had any
serious injuries which also helps. There’s a lot of guys that have been dealt a bad hand injury wise. That’s
something that I’m thankful that I’ve been blessed to not have serious injuries up to this point. That
helps, too, but I pride myself on being a guy that plays and will play through pain or injury or whatever it
is. Every injury is a little bit different but that’s definitely something that I try to do every week. You’re
going to have some injuries, you’re going to have some things that are bothering you whether that’s
before the game, after the game, during the week, the list goes on.”
(On confidence in QB C.J. Beathard’s ability to run the offense if needed) “Really confident. He prepares
every week like he’s the starter. He’s always ready for that opportunity, we talk a lot during the week and
we watch tape together, all the quarterbacks do. He’s going to be prepared either way like he’s a starter,
whether I was questionable going into the game or not, he still prepares the same way. I got a lot of
confidence in him; I know our staff does. Our players do, I think that’s a big thing, too. The guys up front,
the guys in the perimeter, backfield, all that. They all have a lot of faith in him. He’s a guy that’s ready to
step in if that’s needed, he’s going to do great.”
(On how the brace on his knee felt playing at practice today) “It felt alright. It’s obviously not as
comfortable as not having one on. Just trying to do what’s best and put myself in position to be safe and
feel comfortable and all those things. It’s not comfortable in general just because you got a big thing on
your leg, but it felt pretty good moving around. It was good, but I haven’t worn one before so it was a
little bit different.”
(On if he felt fearful of his injury going to get testing) “I don’t think you ever really know. That’s a tough
question. I would say no, I didn’t think it was super serious, but you also just never know. Especially
when stuff with knees or whatever it is, I’ve never had any knee issues before so I don’t have anything to
go back on and be like, ‘Oh, I’ve done this before, this is nothing.’ Whatever. I’ve been talking with our
training staff and with our doctors, I had a pretty good idea of what I thought it was. The MRI, after
having that I feel good about it; it’s nothing major or long-term or anything like that. I’m comfortable
with where we’re at but I didn’t really know. It’s progressed really well the past 24-48 hours. I really like
where it’s at now.”
(On if he would wear a knee brace if he plays on Thursday night) “That’s a good question. Today was my
first day having it on, so tomorrow I’ll wear it again and see how it feels. I would probably think so, yes,
but I don’t know the answer right now to that yet.”
(On how much he’s reviewed the play of his injury and looked at it as a learning lesson) “I think hindsight
is 20/20, it always is. I’ve had a lot of plays like that where I’ve gotten the edge and made a play. I’ve had
plays like that where I haven’t, and I got sacked and didn’t get hurt. I had a play Sunday where he twisted
me up a weird way and messed my knee up a little bit. I think it’s just hindsight is 20/20, I will look at it
and say the simple answer is probably to get down sooner and protect myself. It’s a 14-point game,
there’s really no need for that risk. I think that’s a conclusion that you can draw in, that’s fair and I would
agree with that. I think that’s something to learn from and to continue to build off of, but you play the
game, and you play off instincts. When you’re out there, you don’t always necessarily think about that.
Maybe that’s something you just need to work on thinking situationally, don’t put yourself in harms way,
especially as the season goes on and these games become more and more important. I think that’s
something to look at for sure.”
