| Opening Statement: “It’s been a good week. I feel like the guys have been locked in, came back to work. As we know, we’ve just got to clean up all of the little things against a good opponent. So, one more good work day today and we go play.” On the injury status of TE T.J. Hockenson: “He’s gotten better every day and we’ll see what he looks like today. I’d say the same thing about (Penei) Sewell, both of those guys. We’ll see where they’re at today for practice, post-practice, and go from there.” On if TE T.J. Hockenson and T Penei Sewell have a chance to play Sunday: “Yes.” On CB Amani Oruwariye: “He’s done a good job. He’s been a steady for us over there. Look, he’s come up with a couple of turnovers. I’ll tell you what, I feel like he’s had a really good week of practice, made quite a few plays. And it does mean a lot because he is, he’s really our veteran, if you will, over there that’s been pretty steady. I think he’s in a good place. I’m glad we’ve got him.” On the morale of the team going into Sunday: “Morale’s been good. I mean, these guys did exactly what they needed to do was, ‘Let’s go back to work.’ And that’s a credit to the guys on this team, but I think even more importantly our veteran leadership. I think it’s all about – here’s what we know, you’ll never correct a problem if we don’t go back to work and those guys did that. That’s the first step and at least gives you a shot, so they have. It was up, the energy was up. We’ve had quite a few competitive periods. We try to mix them in every week, but I think we’ve had really more of them than we’ve done in a while just to – un-scouted looks, O versus D, critical fourth-and-2, third-and-2, red zone – we’ll have another red zone today and just dial it up and see who wins. And so, it’s been good. The energy’s been good and there again, it’s not about the energy, it’s about those little details that make you or break you in a game.” On how important it is to get a win for the players to be rewarded: “Look, winning solves a lot of issues, solves a lot of problems in this profession and most professions. It certainly – it helps. It helps you get going. It helps you jump out of bed maybe a little bit better. And so, yeah, it does. That’s what this is about is getting that first win for us and getting a win. But at the end of the day, no matter what happens, you’ve got to put your best foot forward and we’ve got to go back to work no matter what. You’ve got to go back to work and find a way to improve. And you guys get tired of hearing me say this, but we are in a race to improve and it’s got to be that way every day, every week, every game.” On the philosophy of practicing indoors versus outdoors: “Look, I like practicing outdoors and I know for the big guys it does – they like being outside. It’s better for their joints, makes them feel better. But I also know we’re playing on turf this week and so Wednesday we were outside, outdoors, and that gave them a reprieve from the turf. But then these last two days, we’ve gone in just because if that’s what you’re playing, you probably need to do it at least a couple of days. So, I try to be mindful of all of that. Look, when you’re outdoors, it puts more of a toll on your muscles. When you’re indoors, it puts more of a toll on your joints, so it’s kind of a – there’s a balance there.” On learning from the short-yardage situations in last Sunday’s game: “Look, I think that it’s – well, what you learn is you learn a lot about how these guys handle pressure, not only in the game. You have an idea, but the more pressure you can put them under in practice – and there again, to see who steps up and maybe who doesn’t do well. Who are the guys that are pretty inconsistent when you’re in these ‘Got to have it,’ downs? I think some of that stuff shows up, but I think it also – I think it breeds confidence. The only way to gain confidence is demonstrated ability and so, to be able to go out there and demonstrate offensively that, ‘Yes, we can convert on these,’ – now, I’ll be honest with you, it’s been really 50-50. Defense has won half of them, offense has won half of them. However, it’s good because there is a competitive spirit to it and I just think the more we can put our guys in that, the better it is for all of us as young as we are.” On deciding which of the young players need more or less game reps: “Look, we’re looking at everybody. Look, we’d love to find a way to get (Jermar) Jefferson into the game. We think he’s a kid that, man, you’d love to get him some real game-time experience. The hard thing right now is getting into the game because special teams is where he’s got to be able to help us first and he’s not quite there. But look, certainly – the corners are all getting work right now, every one of them. Bobby (Price), Jerry (Jacobs) is going to get some reps here. We’ve got (Corey) Ballentine, we may see something out of him at some point here. You’ve got (Derrick) Barnes who’s doing well. I feel like defensively these guys are getting reps. Offensively, Jefferson would be the first one that comes to mind. It’s a great question. I feel like we’ve got a ton of young guys that are getting a lot of work, valuable experience. Jefferson was the first one I thought of when you said that.” On if ranking second in the League in third-down defense helps game plan for Sunday: “It does because look, there are some things our defense does, a lot of things our defense does on third down that are pretty good and they’re difficult, it’s difficult. They put you in a bind with what they do. They’re going to load up the middle of the field on early downs, and then once you get to a certain down and distance, then the pressure comes, exotic looks, and so it can be hard. And so, when you’re in a mindset of – like for the offense, you’re preparing for Minnesota, but now here you go, it’s third-and-6, and now you’ve got to prepare for (Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn) AG’s flavor of the week and you’re like, ‘Oh.’ You’ve got to apply your rules and find a way to – you go back to camp and say, ‘We’ve got to apply our rules and be able to play ball,’ because you never know. Minnesota’s going to throw something out there that they hadn’t thrown out in these first four games and you’ve got to be able to adapt and as long as we’re all on the same page, even if it’s the right call or the wrong call, it is the right call if we’re all on the same page. That’s kind of the important part of it.” On game planning for the defense to face Vikings RB Dalvin Cook, WR Adam Thielen and WR Justin Jefferson: “Everything is about Cook, and look, (Vikings RB Alexander Mattison) 25’s no slouch either, now. That kid can run the ball. But, the run game is – I really do believe that this team lives and dies by it. It all starts that way for them. If they can get in a rhythm and they can – because once they’re able to run it out of a certain formation, set, look, then they’ve got two plays off of that and one of them is going to involve a shot play. And so, I really do believe the onus is on stopping him first and I think that will help us on the backend with these receivers and (Vikings QB) Kirk Cousins throwing it.” On if he looked at the ‘Minneapolis Miracle’ when he was going over game film: “Yeah, we actually played – the following year we went out there and won. That was – actually, I was actually looking at some plays the other day, just some of our – some things that we did when we were up there because we played them, I guess, four times in the last four years, or five years, whatever that’s been. And so, you’re just looking at the goods and bads and what they were doing. Look, there are a lot of things defensively they’re doing different than they were back then. But anyway, that came up and I was about this close to showing the team the whole sequence of that in the end of that game, but it was – we’re not quite there yet. That was rough.” |
