December 18, 2020 Opening Statement: “Just to give you a heads up, really just to update (on) two guys – if you have any other questions, we’ll hit those – but Matthew Stafford will not practice today. Like I’ve told you, we’re taking it through the end of the week. He’s feeling better, but we’re just going to see where that goes. Then Frank Ragnow, if you remember, we talked about (how) he’s seeing this specialist today, so he won’t be at practice. However that goes today after practice with the specialist, we’ll have more information probably tomorrow on that.” On if there’s a challenge to replace OL Frank Ragnow at center considering the roster doesn’t have experience at the position: “Well we have a couple of guys that have practiced at that position. We do a great job of moving those guys around during the week, obviously back in training camp (too), so we have a good feel for who we like to go in there. I think the biggest thing is more of the communication than just playing the position. There’s a lot of communication that goes on from the center as well as the quarterback position. If there’s a new quarterback in there, that’s two guys that are communicating that really have to be in lockstep. That’s really been the focus this week.” On if the decision on QB Matthew Stafford’s status could lead up to pre-game warmups: “This may or may not be a workout situation. Obviously, the conversation of what he’s doing kind of on the side before we even get that far. But if we need to have a workout Sunday morning, then we’ll end up doing that as well.” On if he’s looked at the scheme Titans Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith runs: “Probably, to be honest with you, probably have not been able to look at it as much as I would have liked. I’m talking about in the offseason. The first thing you spoke about was just the commitment to the run. I’ve seen also they’ve done a really good job with just some of the personnel and the packages that they use. They’ll go in there with all three of their tight ends, they move them around. They can give you basically a one-back type of set in that type of look. They can give you the tight, condensed thing with running it. So, they’re doing a nice job of kind of keeping you off balance with personnel and play selection.” On the schematic roots of Titans Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith: “I don’t know if I can trace it back to anything, to be honest with you. Nothing jumps to my mind right now.” On WR Mohamed Sanu’s development: “Glad you asked that. Really impressed with Mohamed. I mean he’s – obviously, one, he’s a veteran player. So, he’s been in a lot of game situations. He’s done a lot of things, particularly in Atlanta (and) Cincinnati throwing the ball – I mean he’s got all kinds of stuff in his game. The thing I think you probably wouldn’t notice as well is just his savviness in terms of playing the game. He has a great understanding of the game; he has a great feel. There (are) different kinds of guys that we talk about when we put a picture up there of what the play will look like. There’s guys that are line runners, then there’s guys that have the ability to interpret that line, and he’s one of those that just has a really good feel, very friendly for the quarterback with the communication with the body language and that kind of thing. You kind of know exactly what he’s going to do because he does the right thing. It’s really a good thing to have when you have a guy that comes in as late as he did just to be able to jump in in kind of a seamless transition with his experience and then with his feel.” On what the specialists need to tell him for OL Frank Ragnow to play: “Obviously he has to tell us that he’s OK to play. I mean, he’s the specialist, he knows what he’s looking at. The communication from him will be able to tell us, is it safe for him to play, is it totally clear, all those types of things is what we’re looking for.” On if QB Matthew Stafford will travel this weekend: “He is going on the trip.” On quantifying how much better QB Matthew Stafford is feeling: “Well he’s breathing really well. He’s better. He’s moving better, he’s feeling better. How far that’s going to be – we’ll have to see in terms of – like I said, you really can’t judge this because the guy is as tough as nails and he may come on Sunday – I’ve had it before. (Brett) Favre was out 10-straight weeks, he was going to be out again, and he walks in the day of the game and says, ‘I’m going.’ Guys like that, you give it to them, and they go. I feel like he’s in that same category. He could walk in Sunday and say, ‘I don’t care what anyone (is) saying. I’m going.’ So, I’m going to let him go.” On the similarity between QB Matthew Stafford and Hall of Fame QB Brett Favre in their desire to play the game despite injury: “Absolutely. They love this game. Both of those guys, they love the game. They love being out there with their teammates. They miss it when they’re not able to be out there. They feel like – it’s one of those things where you literally feel like you’re letting people down if you don’t go out there. So I have to give it to the guy now, just to be clear, we’re not going to let the guy go out there if he’s in a state where he can’t protect himself and is going to be a detriment to him. But a lot of these things are like, ‘How can you manage the pain? Can you play and function with it?’ I’ve seen it like, from Favre’s broken thumb to his MCL, you know, all those kinds of things, and you know, here goes Matthew. You guys have seen it. You guys have covered this team way longer than I have been here, and you know what he’s done and what he’s played through. So I’m not putting him past it.” On if he’s talked to WR Kenny Golladay about sitting him out the remainder of the season: “I think that’s a conversation that’s coming. We’re really trying to get him back. He really wants to play, he wants to be in there. But that’s a conversation that’s – where we’re at in the season that it might come to that.” On his response to the fan sentiment that WR Kenny Golladay not playing is a business decision: “I can be clear that he’s not. The guy is competing, he’s working hard. The good thing for me is that I’m in here every day, I get to see what he’s doing. I get to see what he’s putting his body through to try to get back for us and for his teammates. He’s doing that. That’s really what I could say. I love his competitiveness, love what he’s trying to do, it’s just he’s working with an injury that he’s trying to work through.” |
