| On OLB Trey Flowers’ injury status and if he will play in Sunday’s game: “We were hopeful. He is better than he was last week, that’s for sure, but I would say he’s tilting towards probably being out right now.” On if holding out OLB Trey Flowers due to injury is because of the depth at defensive line: “I think, to be honest with you, we’re in a pretty good place just depth-wise and it’s more – I just feel like if we are – this is the right thing for Trey, too, which in turn is also the right thing for us long-term. I think if we can get him back to where he’s feeling really good, I think in the long run, that’s going to be a good thing for him and for us.” On his theory as to why it takes young quarterbacks longer to adjust to the NFL than other rookie players: “I just think it’s – you’ve got all the different looks, the speed of the game, being on the same page with everybody. There are so many factors that play into it, even more so than any other position group. If you had a way to – if you knew Drew Brees was going to be Drew Brees before the fact, it’s like, ‘How do you find those things out?’ Look, I know this, it’s part of the growth. The difference is when you play quarterback, the ball is in your hand every snap and you’re making all the, ‘Hey, I’ve got to make all of the calls here for the most part. I’m always touching the football, whether it’s a handoff, it’s a pass. I may have some checks.’ And so it gets magnified because all of these things are on you. Look, he’ll be better for it. The kid will be better for it, he just will. He’ll be a better player and I thought as the game went on last week, he actually started to play better and kind of got in a little bit more of a groove. I would expect – there again, if he’s playing, he’ll be better than he was last week.” On if there are any wide receivers he expects to have a breakout game Sunday: “Yeah, I do. I think (Quintez) Cephus can come out and make some plays for us. I think he’s – you see things last week, though he didn’t get targeted as much, I thought he did some good things on tape. He’s getting there. I think (Amon-Ra) St. Brown is close. I think he’s due to have a game for us. He does a ton of dirty work for us. I think his opportunities are going to come. And so, there again, it’s got to happen. I think once one to two of those things happen, then there will be confidence in those players and then, in turn, in all of us. It helps the quarterback, helps us game plan, all of those things.” On Bears RB David Montgomery: “He’s tough, he is. He’s tough, he runs tough, he’s shifty, he can get under you, he can hit the holes, one-cut guy. And so he can be dangerous, he can be dangerous and if we don’t have population around the football when he carries it, he can tear you up. So yeah, he’s kind of one of those steady players is what he is.” On if he has heard from the NFL regarding a potential delay of game penalty at the end of last Sunday’s game: “I didn’t turn it into the League, but I called and it’s really a subjective call is really what it came down to. So, I think they’re kind of split on it. You guys have heard the procedure of it and I’ll be honest with you, I’m so over it now.” On if he feels that someone should stick up for the team in regards to alleged wrong calls in the past: “I get some of that. That’s not my place and look, I came from a place where we didn’t have some great calls go our way either and we won a lot of games. So, I don’t use that as an excuse. You make your own luck and we’ll find our luck because we’ll earn it and make it happen.” On the linebacker rotation between LBs Derrick Barnes and Jalen Reeves-Maybin: “I think we see it very similar to the way it was last week. We see both of them playing. It’ll be shifted by package depending on what Chicago gives us. One could play more than the other, but they’re both going to play. Yes, that’s the plan because they both, we feel like, can help us.” On the process of turning a play into the NFL for review: “You ask for clarification, that’s all. And then they’ll give you an assessment or a description of what they thought took place or whether they – ‘Yes it should’ve been,’ or, ‘No, it shouldn’t have been,’ and that’s kind of how it goes. This week, I didn’t even turn those in. I called and asked personally, but I didn’t turn them into the League per se.” On which plays he tends to send in to the NFL for review: “The one’s where it’s like, ‘Should’ve this been holding?’ I know that I’m going to get the, ‘Yes, that should have been holding,’ but that goes both ways. Each team will turn those in and it’s like, ‘That’s not worth it.’ It’s those ones where, ‘Why would you pump the play clock here? Why would that have been done?’ Like, I don’t understand that. And then when you get clarification one way or another, then at least that helps you moving down the road. I want to use it as not so much like, ‘I told you you were wrong.’ I want it like, ‘Moving forward, is there something that I missed or something that can help us down the road,’ more than anything.” On NT Alim McNeill’s performance in last Sunday’s game: “Look, I thought he was better last week, I did. I thought he played better, but there again, he’s a young guy that we have high standards for. We expect a lot. So, I want to see more. I think we need to see more. Now, he was, he was improved last week. But yeah, moving forward, let’s see if he can take another step up is really what we’re looking for.” On if he expects the Bears to change their offensive scheme for Sunday’s game: “I don’t think so. I really don’t think so. I think they’ve shifted so much with what they’re doing, particularly when (Bears QB Justin) Fields is in there. Even when (Bears QB Nick) Foles was last year that I think it’s very similar with (Bears Head Coach Matt) Nagy and (Bears Offensive Coordinator Bill) Lazor both calling the plays. I think (Bears QB Andy) Dalton is the one who there’s a little bit more variety in what he can do under center, in the gun and those things. But I don’t think it’ll be a huge change per se and I think we’ve got a pretty good feel of what they’re going to do, overall.” On working with Bears Offensive Coordinator Bill Lazor at the Miami Dolphins and if knowing him helps to game plan better: “Look, first of all, I’ve got a ton of respect for Bill. I think he’s a hell of a coordinator, I really do. He’s smart. He got put in a tough position and, we all did, but he handled it like a pro. Look, he’s very smart, he’s very methodical, he’s very organized and he’ll have a good plan to try to get it – whoever’s in there, get the quarterback into rhythm, find ways to see if he can find some matchups that will behoove them offensively, but also help his quarterback play fast. He’ll do a good job with it. But, I don’t think there will be anything that we haven’t seen, really, per se.” On the defensive communication during practice this week: “I think it’s been really good. Everything that we talk about emphasizing has really shown up and you can hear it. You can hear the communication, you can see them talking, you can see the hand signals. We do pre-practice walkthroughs, we do walkthroughs before practice. So, we have a pre-practice, pre-practice, then a pre-practice. It has, it’s really shown up. Now, do we still make mistakes? We do, but the point is, the emphasis, and it is, it was better. I thought yesterday was one of the best practices that we’ve had all year. I was encouraged. It was good.” On his confidence in who he thinks will start at quarterback for the Bears Sunday: “At quarterback? Honestly, I have zero confidence knowing who they’re going to start. There again, I think we’re prepared for whoever they want to roll out.” On if he changed practice conditions with reported rain during Sunday’s game: “We did that yesterday. We had wet footballs. We talked about footing today and then I know they’re tarping the field. They re-sodded it and they’re tarping the field Saturday. I think they will be alright. The big thing will be just our guys making sure that they test their shoes when we get out there. But, we’ve talked about it. We’ll be ready for that.” On how they practice with wet balls: “Just five-gallon buckets full of water and you just drown them and then when it’s time to use the snap, you pull them out and they’re just dripping with water and there you go. That’s the best way to do it.” |
