(On what he believes the offense needs to do better) “Just execution. Execution just means it’s little details here and there. Me placing the ball in certain areas, going through the reads, guys making plays. Everyone had their hand in it. If there’s a way for a team to lose a game, we did it as a team. Everyone had a hand in it and that’s something that we understand, and we take ownership of, and that’s why we’re right back here analyzing film, looking to where we can improve and coming out there today and working towards that.”
(On his chemistry with WR DJ Chark Jr. and if he believes Chark will go to the Pro Bowl) “He had a great OTAs when I arrived here. Obviously, I was getting to know him then and he’s a guy that really stood out during OTAs, and I guess is taking a huge step according to a lot of people, because I was just getting acquainted with everyone. He’s progressed and continued to take those steps throughout the season. I think the thing that most impresses me about him is he’s kept a steady head. His personality has continued to be who he is. He’s not changing based on what he’s doing on the field, which is really important in this league, just be who you are. If you start listening to the outside noise, and how good everyone thinks you are, you start acting a certain way. You get a little complacent and you’re not being who you are. And that’s the thing that’s most impressive about him as an individual. You have to think, you know, his statistics and how he’s played, he’s among the best in the league right now. We obviously have to, as a team, finish this year strong, but he’s heading towards being deserving of that nod.”
(On if there is a fine line between not pressing and addressing the next game with a sense of urgency) “You always do everything with a sense of urgency. Not pressing means don’t freak out. I’ll let everyone else freak out, I’m not going to freak out. I’m going to continue to come to work. I’m going to continue to believe in my teammates. I don’t come in here and say, ’It’s just going to happen.’ We put in a lot of work, and the coaches are working hard towards the game plan. We go out there and practice to fine-tune it. It’s just one of those things where it’s just got to be engrained in who you are. It’s not something where you just have to, ‘Oh, I’m going to turn it on [and] have this sense of urgency.’ If you all of a sudden have to turn it on, did you ever have it is the question. I think the big thing is I’m going to continue to be who I am as a person and I’m going to continue to prepare, get these guys ready and ultimately we have to get on the field and we have to win a game as a team.”
(On how much input he has in the offensive game plan) “We’re still developing those relationships. Unfortunately, I was out for nine, 10 weeks, so we’re getting reacquainted with that. And obviously I have a history with Flip [Offensive Coordinator John DeFilippo]. A big chunk of the season I wasn’t there, so we’re trying to reestablish what we’re comfortable with, what we’re good at as a team, different things. Because a lot of it is your personnel as a team, so working around what we have, putting guys in position to be successful. Ultimately, we have guys here that we can make plays and we can do those things, we just have to go out there and execute the game plan in the third down and red zone situations, be really good in those situations.”
(On if he is still in the process of getting back into a rhythm offensively with the receivers) “Each game is a new entity. Yeah, I’m definitely getting more comfortable with being out there, that’s the big thing. But we’re trying to figure out how to win as a team. To win in football, the teams that I’ve been on, you have to win as a team. We have the guys in the locker room, we have coaches here to do that. We’re going through our journey right now. Everyone wants you just to arrive at the end goal, but that’s not how this thing works. We’re in that tough time, this is really where you get tested and this is where you can either go this way or that way, which one do you want to choose? It’s really just positivity or negativity, and that’s where we’re at right now. This is where your culture’s built. This is where you establish so many things in these trials, because it’s not easy. Because everyone’s wanting to know, ‘Why can’t you do this? Why not this? Why aren’t you there? Why aren’t you in rhythm?’ Well, if you’ve ever done anything, if you ever were learning how to write, you weren’t very good at the beginning and there were times where you struggled. But then you got into a rhythm because you just kept going, and you kept figuring out and you kept grinding at it. And that’s where we’re at right now. We’re figuring out who we are as a culture, and this is one of those things. Hopefully when we’re at the end of the journey we look back and we’re like, ‘Alright, it was all worth it to go through those trials, those tough times. But man, when we’re in them, they suck.’ But that’s where we’re at right now. We have to keep grinding; we have to keep believing in each other. We have to keep honing in on this game plan and we have to go out there ultimately and execute and play with each other. That’s it. We have to play for one another. We have to play well on all sides of the ball and that’s really how you win games in this league. It’s hard to – One side of the ball plays well and the other two don’t, it’s hard to win in this league. You have to win as a team, so we have to get there.”
(On if he’s ever played against Tennessee in his career) “Not in a regular season game.”
(On if anything sticks out to him about Tennessee) “They have some really talented players. Obviously, I’m focusing in on their defense. They have some really talented players there. They do a great job in the secondary and disguising different blitzes. They’re doing a nice job in man coverage. Obviously, they have two dynamic safeties that really are Pro Bowl caliber players, been in the Pro Bowl, led the NFL in picks, so they have great ball skills. They’ve been playing very well. It’s going to be a tough task for us.”
(On if Tennessee’s secondary is good at defending the fifty-fifty balls) “Yeah, they are. They have good ball skills for sure.”
