DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR MIKE CALDWELL
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
TUESDAY, AUGUST 1, 2023
(On why S Andre Cisco didn’t practice during the team period yesterday) “No, it’ll be the same way.
We’ll leave that up to Fergy [Vice President of Player Health and Performance Jeff Ferguson] and as soon
as he’s back, he’ll be back. I saw him this morning and he looks good.”
(On what DL Roy Robertson-Harris brings to the defense) “I think he just continues from last year.
Watching him towards the end of the season, he was physical against the run, had some pass rushes
that put pressure on the quarterback. He’s a guy that can play the game the way we want it to be
played, and we just look for him to continue to lead the young guys and continue to do it.”
(On if there’s still an upside for DL Roy Robertson-Harris as a pass rusher) “Oh, without a doubt. Anytime
you’re out there, they work on their craft so much that you’re going to get better. He’s a guy that tries
different things and it’ll pay off for him.”
(On how the dynamic of practice changes with pads on) “It does a little bit, but again, we have a veteran
group. We just got to make sure the young guys understand and watch how the vets practice. When you
put the pads on, it does become more physical, but we’re teammates. So, we have to practice and
protect each other. That’s a big message. Doug [Head Coach Doug Pederson] does a great job of
showing examples of how to practice and telling young guys to pay attention to that. They’ll do that and
start to follow in step.”
(On CB Gregory Junior’s performance last practice) “The main thing is stay away from 16. He did a good
job of running the pressure, and he actually tried to veer away, but then Trevor [QB Trevor Lawrence]
tried to veer the same way. He cut a little close, but everything is good. We just have to understand to
take care of 16.”
(On CB Gregory Junior’s potential as a corner and talent of other cornerbacks on the team) “Really,
when you look at the whole group, we’re still about competing. Everybody is getting opportunities, Greg
had his yesterday, did a great job. Then, there’s other guys that are doing the same thing. They just have
to take advantage of the opportunity when it presents itself.”
(On excitement of competition among young players) “Well, it’s just a good job that Deshea [Passing
Game Coordinator and Cornerbacks Coach Deshea Townsend] and Cody [Safeties Coach Cody Grimm]
are doing. They’re getting the young guys in and teaching them the NFL game and they’re studying,
they’re paying attention in meetings, and they’re getting better every day. That’s what we look for.
Come out here and work and improve yourself every day, and then at the end of the day, the best guys
will be out there playing.”
(On growth seen from LB Devin Lloyd this season) “I guess he’s still a young guy and those reps are
important. No matter if it’s his second year or his first year, those training camp reps are a good
teaching tool for us. There’s nothing better than watching yourself on film and having a coach tell you
how we want it done and how you’re not doing it that way so you can correct it and get better. Devin is
a guy that understands that and the more reps he gets, the better he’ll be.”
(On what number disappointed him on defense last year, and where can the defense make a jump this
year) “Probably the worst thing that I thought we did was tackling. We emphasized it last year and we’ll
continue to do it this year, but we talk to the guys about how it’s not just one guy making the tackle. It’s
all eleven getting to the ball. We just have to do a better job of rallying to the ball and getting guys on
the ground.”
(On how many missed tackles there were last year) “Too many.”
(On what he wants to see this season to improve tackling numbers) “Really, the way we look at it, in the
NFL, you hardly ever get a chance to tackle your teammates. When we’re not in pads and when we are
in pads, you have to go through the dynamics of making a tackle. You have to run to the ball,
machinegun your feet, lower your target, and put yourself in a position to make the tackle, not just run
by a guy. That will translate when it’s time to really make a tackle.”
(On if last year’s tackling flaw was due to new players working together or a technique issue) “Really, it’s
that tackling is funny. There’s no perfect tackle. The perfect tackle is getting a guy on the ground.
There’s no way to do it. We teach our ways and we understand that they have a good grasp of how to
do it. But at the end of the day, the more guys you get to the ball, the better tackling team you’ll be.”
(On expectations of how many missed tackles are acceptable per game) “Really, it’s zero. We got eleven
guys on the field and we got one ball. It’s our job to get to the ball. It should be zero, you go out there,
you fly around, it’s all about trust and being accountable. If I’m a guy on edge and my job is to turn the
ball back around to a guy that’s running an alley, it’s my job to turn the ball back. I’m just as more
responsible for that tackle as he is. I do my job, everybody does their job and we get the guy on the
ground.”
(On ability to communicate and understand one another clearer in year two of the defensive system) “I
think the biggest part is when we show them the missed tackles, and what we didn’t do well last year,
then you harp on it and as a player, that should be a chip on your shoulder. So, you should go out there
everyday and whether it’s practice in pads or practice in shells, let’s go out there and that’s one of the
focuses we have to get better on. We have to get better at tackling. Everyday out there, tackling drills or
running to the ball in seven-on-seven or team drills. In different situations, put yourself in the situation
where you’re trying to improve our tackling.”
(On what changes he plans to make this season) “Really, that’ll show up day one because right now
we’re just trying to form and see like we always talk about, putting guys in positions. We’re trying to see
what our guys are good at doing, and once they continue to show us what they’re good at doing, then
we’ll find out how we’ll go out and attack offenses this year.”
(On what he was able to take away from last year being his first year as defensive coordinator)
“Probably, the biggest thing is just allowing the players to play. Early on, I was trying to make the perfect
call, and now it goes back and forth. They trust us and we trust them. I have to trust them in whatever
call I make, they’ll go out there and execute it and get the job done. It’s just more so of me
understanding, I’m going to go out there and let them play, I’ll at times try to help them out, but the
majority of the time, just go out there and let them play.”
(On what OLB Josh Allen has been able to do in camp so far) “The thing about it, we talk about how he
wasn’t here in the offseason, but he came back and he’s in great shape, he’s in great spirits, I think he’s
in a good spot right now. He knows that he’s a leader of this team and he’s a playmaker on this team
and he has the ability to make plays. You’ve seen a couple of examples of that during camp and he’ll just
continue. Josh is a guy that we expect a lot of and he expects a lot of himself and he’s working to get it
done.”
(On what having a second year in a system can do for DL Folorunso Fatukasi) “I think just his comfort
level and the techniques. You see him out there he’s in great shape, running to the ball, and we’re not
in pads yet but you can see the explosiveness and how he’s handling the middle of the defense. That’s
what we want from him and he’ll continue to do that.”
(On evaluating the nickel position with so many players with potential to secure that spot) “It’s really
that we’ll find out what the guys can do well and what we want to do with them, and then whichever
guy rises and is able to do that, we’ll stick him out there and let him go. All guys have different abilities,
but whichever ones show up the most, we’ll use those.”
(On how the defense can be positionless with flexibility amongst players positions) “Really, we want to
attack and when you attack, you come from anywhere. We want to be able to be versatile enough to be
able to do that. Offenses have their tendencies, we want to study those, but at the end of the day, we
can’t sit back and wait on them. We have to dictate, we have to play our game, and that’s the way we
look at it. If we have to play with three inside linebackers, we’ll play with three inside linebackers. If we
have to play with four, we can play with four. The guys that we have on the team, they’re versatile,
we’re able to use them in multiple ways and we’ll put the best eleven out there to go get it.”
(On drafting players that are versatile in different positions) “When you look at it, talking about the
draft, you just find out what your team is lacking and then you go try to address that need. You might
not be able to address the need, but the more good players you have, the easier it is on the team to
become a team. When you have a good guy, you can get him on. If we need to play with three safeties
like we did last year, we can do that. Four safeties if possible, because the good players, if they’re on the
on the field, good things happen.”
(On what he’s seen from OLB Yasir Abdullah ) “Again, a young guy that once the pads come on, we’ll see
how it translates. Right now, he’s out there running around. You can see the explosiveness off the edge.
That’s what we’re looking for. He’s a guy that can hold up in the run game and pass game he should be
able to create some problems for offenses.”
(On how OLB Yasir Abdullah has handled different defensive challenges mentally) “I think when you look
at it, Coach Shuey [Outside Linebackers Coach Bill Shuey] does a good job of teaching him exactly what
he needs to know. Then, they’re rookies, so we have a bunch of time with them in the offseason. He’s
done a good job of studying, came back and has had minimal mistakes as a rookie, and it’s just a credit
to him that he’s been able to take the jump. We’ll see if it continues.”
(On expectations of OLB Travon Walker in year two) “Sacks come in bunches, and it’s just not really him
getting the sack, it’s the sack package really. He’ll have a good rush on one edge and there might not be
edge set on the other side so the quarterback can escape. They rush together, but just talking about
Travon, he’ll increase because of his knowledge of how to rush. Again, the sack total last year wasn’t
what he wanted it to be. This year, he’s worked so hard that it’ll increase by his knowledge of the game
and him understanding how to get his sacks.”
OUTSIDE LINEBACKER JOSH ALLEN
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
TUESDAY, AUGUST 1, 2023
(On how today’s first day of pads practice went) “It feels great to put the pads back on first and foremost. I love this team, I think offensively we did a heck of a job today. Defensively, started off a little slow but we kind of picked it up. To be the defense that we want to be, we can’t come out like that again. Tomorrow’s point is to start faster and finish faster. That’s probably the only thing I can take away from today’s practice.”
(On how things are gelling so far defensively) “I mean, we good. I think once you get the call now, you know your responsibility, see the formation, go line up and play fast. I think we’re at that point now. There’s a couple nuances in the defense, but other than that, it’s line up and play fast.”
(On comfortability of understanding Defensive Coordinator Mike Caldwell) “It’s huge. Obviously, a big point of emphasis was the pass rush. I think this year, we’re putting a bigger emphasis on putting us in a position to pass rush, earlier in the downs. I think we’d be able to capitalize off those plays early, especially in camp. Once the season comes, we can start feeling comfortable calling them and that’s what we want. There’s a lot of new calls that I really like, I want to see them every week because I think they’ll really work for us. But, in order to do that, we have to be successful out here learning them. The new calls, the new plays that benefits us, let’s take it up another notch.”
(On how this year’s training camp feels compared to other years) “You have fans, we’re in this beautiful field, it’s a luxury to be out here and to be out here in front of screaming fans is great.”
(On what’s he’s seen out of OLB K’Lavon Chaisson) “I’m seeing K’Lavon be a leader on this defense. I’m seeing him take a lot of the young guys in since I wasn’t really here during OTA’s. He’s a guy that the young guys, the rookies, go to if they need questions. From him, they get all that knowledge to give back, because K’Lavon is a really smart player. He knows the defense in and out. He tries to cheat himself and put himself in a better position to be successful. He is a guy that you could talk to about formations and, ‘How would you align right here? I seen it a little bit different, so tell me what you see’. He’s really smart and I just think playing a little bit faster, being comfortable, working on his moves, going throughout the whole process of get off, steps, knowing who you’re going against and the one you’re rushing. In one-on-ones, he had a good rush on Cam [OL Cam Robinson] today. That was a thought-out plan, and he executed it really well. If he continues to grow on that, he’ll have a lot of good opportunities.”
(On what he expects out of OLB Travon Walker this season) “My expectations for Travon is to dominate. It’s not up to me, it’s not how I expect him to be, it’s what he expects of himself. The conversations that we do have is he expects himself to be Travon Walker. Whatever he tells me, that’s my expectation of him and I hold him to that, just like the same way he does with me. I expect him to dominate, and to really show up and show out from the beginning to the end.”
(On conversations with OLB Travon Walker now that he’s in his second year) “We were really formal last year, we were always kicking it. I think this year, now it’s that we don’t have to have that, ‘I’m Josh. I’m Travon’ phase, now we’re just full-go and now we can really sit down to talk film and when we sit down to watch film, we’re right next to each other so we can talk about things, see things differently. Like I said with K’Lavon [OLB K’Lavon Chaisson], Travon is more talkative in meetings now. That’s also a sign that he’s getting it, he’s starting to see things a little bit different on the field and he can really talk about it. He’s really taking those steps and that’s how I can see that we’re getting better.”
(On what he saw from TE Gerrit Prince last year that led him have confidence in him) “What you’re seeing right now, he’s been making plays like this all throughout camp. Now he has a great opportunity to do it with the ones and show is real talent. I’m excited for him, I told him that I better not see him anymore because I’m going to hurt him. But, I love Gerrit and I wish him nothing but the best.”
(On what it’s like seeing TE Josh Pederson on the field) “My first time meeting him was when he signed. I mean, I had a good conversation with him in the cafeteria, we chopped it up. He’s one of the guys, if I look at him as the coach’s son, then it’s a little weird. To me, he’s just another teammate, he’s somebody that you can really sit down and have a conversation with, shoot the crap with him. I won’t talk about his father, obviously. No, it doesn’t come up, and it will probably never come up to anybody else. I love Coach.”
(On if he watches WR Calvin Ridley from the offensive side) “When I’m watching, of course. I obviously see what the play call is, but when the ball is snapped, the dude is a dog. Especially when I’m out there on the field with him, it’s one of those guys who’s like, ‘Okay. It’s about an
80% chance he might get the ball. So let me find out where he is.’ It’s almost like you have to be mindful of him. I’m not saying Kirk [WR Christian Kirk] wasn’t or Zay [WR Zay Jones] isn’t. But having all those guys, it’s like, ‘Let’s where he’s at.’ Like Travis Kelce [Chiefs TE Travis Kelce], you always have to know where he is. If you’re dropping in coverage, it’s like, ‘Okay. I’m to his side and I have a possibility of going against him.’ Just being aware and he’s a great guy. He makes a lot of great catches for us. I pray that he stays healthy and keep his mind straight.”
(On how having talent on offense improves the defense) “I mean, we compete. At the end of the day, if they’re not here, if they are here, we compete. Obviously, they’re going to push us a little more because they are those guys. The action to go against them in the secondary has to speed it up for our front seven. Frontend and backend works together, they lock them up, we get the sacks, we must flush them out, DBs cover, we might not get pressure but then the
secondary gets pressure and we have to hurry up. It all works hand-in-hand. We make a big emphasis on that as well and we’re going to continue to work.”
(On if he believes he can record more sacks this year) “Yeah.”
(On what gives him the belief that he can record more sacks) “Me.”
(On how hot it was at practice today) “It was pretty chilly, real chilly. Wasn’t too bad.”
(On if he thinks they are going to get another end of the year storm) “No, I think it’s going to be good though. If it comes out like this, it is what it is. Like we said, game two is going to be hot. It’s going to be against a great team so we have to be ready to play, ready to come out here and get ready to go.”
