G Michael Deiter
(When did you find out that you weren’t going to be starting?) – “Last week. I don’t remember what day. Last week sometime.”
(What was your reaction when you found out?) – “Get better. Keep getting better and find a way to get back on the field and helping Keaton (Sutherland), making sure he was getting ready and making sure he was going to play good because whoever’s going to be in there has got to play good football if we’re going to win. My first thought was, ‘what do I got to do to get back there? and whoever is going to play, what I can I do to help them play well, too?’”
(Can you remember the last time you were a healthy scratch from the starting lineup?) – “My redshirt year? 2014.”
(What do you know you can do better?) – “All of it. Communicate, run game technique, pass game technique, finishing. There’s nothing that is perfect by any means. All of it, I need to get better with. That’s been my focus, and that’s just all I need to keep worrying about.”
(What reason was given to you by the coaching staff as to why they made the move?) – “I just need to play better.”
(When you came into the game in the fourth quarter – that was your first appearance in the last game, right – what was the challenge in that?) – “I think the toughest thing was just kind of, you usually take your first few series, you get a flow for the game, you get a feel for it, you get into that game kind of warmup. I was trying to get that on the sideline. You’re trying to get as warm and loose as possible. You’re trying some fits just to not go out there and kind of be super stiff, anything like that. I think that was the toughest thing, was just getting loose, getting the mind right. I was trying to. It helps when you start, but no matter how you’re going to end up out there, you’ve got to find a way to get loose and get ready to play.”
(Would you describe it as a weird experience considering how long it had been since you hadn’t started a game you played?) – “Yeah, it was really weird. Like you said, it’s been a while, so it was a little goofy just to go out there for field goal and stuff like that; but that’s the way it went. It’s just something you have to deal with.”
(Any sense if you’re going to start this week?) – “No idea.”
(What’s the challenge for – maybe fans don’t know about being a rookie. You’ve played a lot of football, maybe more games in a row than you’ve ever done. How much is a challenge of that and how much do you think that affects where you’re at right now?) – “The challenge is just focus on getting better all of the time instead of just kind of getting into a lull of, ‘this is the way I play, I guess this is just how I am.’ You just need to keep working, making sure that you’re not getting mundane with things, making sure you’re always focusing on getting better. I think it sometimes can get lost, especially I guess as a rookie. It just seems like there’s so much going on, all this stuff, when all there really is to think about is how you’re playing and what you need to get better with and what’s okay and just how you can improve on a day-to-day basis, which is just what I need to get back to.”
(The television broadcasters seemed to indicate that they had been told that you weren’t starting but were expected to play. Was that your understanding going into the game?) – “No, I guess it was just if they needed me. I didn’t really know, but it was just kind of a, ‘if we need you’ type thing. Just always be ready.”
(How would you describe your confidence level right now?) – “It’s good. I know I can play good football. I’m confident that I can go out there and help us win, but I need to do it more consistently and I need to make sure that they’re confident I can do it, and that’s the biggest thing. Like I said, the biggest thing is just get back on track and keep playing the way I know I can play and cut it loose and get better every day.”
DE Taco Charlton
(On being inactive last week.) – “(The coaches) felt like it put them in the best position to win, so you’ve got to respect that. I go about my business the same. I come in here and work every day and I’m going to work my tail off to be the best player I can be.”
(Was there any reason given to you by coaches?) – “The same reason that you all got. They felt like this put them in the best position to win that game. Like I said, you have to respect that from your coach and come back Wednesday and keep working.”
(Do you sense that your role will be what it has been for December?) – “(laughter) I don’t coach. I just play. I come in here every day and I work. I work my tail off and any responsibility they give me, any job they give me, I feel like I’ll put myself in position to do that job real effectively. I just make sure I’m ready for anything they call me for.”
(Sunday was obviously a tight game. It came down to one point. How tough was it for you to be a spectator?) – “It’s tough. I hate watching football games. Just the competitor in me, just watching things on the field, you want to be out there, especially to help the team out and to be able to make some plays to put them over the top. You just want to do that as a player on this team. As a playmaker, you want to be able to make those plays. Just being on the sideline and not being able to do that, it is tough for me. But like I said, I was able to cheer on my teammates. I have faith in all of these guys in the room. Like I said, it’s the next man up. I wasn’t able to go so now it’s the next man up and I hope they’ll do their job real effectively and do it well.”
(Have you gotten a feel if you’re in the game plan this week?) – “Like I said, playing and my mindset and the way I prepare is to play every week. That’s just how I process. The way I watch film is as if I’m playing out there every snap. Then when it comes down to the coaches, it’s ultimately the coaches’ decision and what (they) feel is best for this team. I’ve got to respect that.”
(Overall, you came in and you had sacks in your first couple of games here. It seemed like you were really getting an opportunity to prove yourself here at this level. What did last week kind of mean to your whole portfolio of being here? Are you encouraged? Are you kind of discouraged?) – “It made me hungry. It made me hungrier. No discouragement at all. It just made me hungrier. It made me hungry to the point of, like I said, I want to be a player that no matter what, the game plan is you can’t sit me. That’s my motivation that I take from it. Like I said, I’ve been through this before. It pushes me to go even harder.”
Head Coach Brian Flores Conference Call
(I wanted to ask you a big-picture question. As you guys started the season and the results weren’t matching what you were trying to build, how do you think you got the team to stay kind of involved and confident and believing to the point now where you’re rattling off wins down the stretch?) – “There’s a few different layers to that. I would say our coaching staff has done a really good job. Pat Graham – our defensive coordinator, Chad O’Shea – offensive coordinator, Danny Crossman – our special teams coordinator; those guys have really done a good job of keeping these guys invested and motivated. I think we’ve got some pretty good leadership on this team. We don’t have a veteran team. We’ve got a lot of young guys, but the guys who have played a significant amount in this league – (Ryan) Fitzpatrick, (Daniel) Kilgore – defensively our younger guys have taken on a little bit of a leadership role – Raekwon McMillan, Davon Godchaux – those guys took ownership of this team and they continue to practice hard. They continue to stay with the process. We preach consistency and competitiveness. These guys compete, so we compete every day in practice and meetings. It’s showing up a little bit on the field. We could always be a lot better, but as far as continuing to stay invested, I think that’s how – it’s been the leadership on the team and leadership from the coaches on this team.”
(Did you approach the job – do you approach the team differently in Year 1 knowing you’re building something that you want to sustain long-term rather than a season when maybe you’re coaching a team that you’re at a different point?) – “Yeah, I don’t know, that’s a tough question. This being my first year, I didn’t really know what to expect. Every year, you’re building. Every team is trying to build and got their eye on the future and the present at the same time. I didn’t really know exactly what to expect. Right when we started the season, there was a lot of turnover on the roster. I knew I was going to have to get new players up to speed quickly. Our coaching staff I thought did a good job of that. It’s been a fun year. I’ve said that before. We’ve got a good group. These guys compete. They work hard. We try to have fun. They play hard. They spend a lot of time with their preparation. We’ve had a couple instances where we’ve played well and had some success and won a couple games and lost some close ones. There’s some we feel like we could’ve had, but there’s been a lot of growth on the team over the course of the season.”
(You used the word “fun” just then. What makes this year fun?) – “It’s the people. It’s the coaching staff, it’s the players. There’s a lot of great people within this organization, and I love coaching. I’m passionate about coaching. It’s always going to be fun for me. It’s what I’m called to do. It’s a joy to be out there every day with these guys and helping them improve and get better; so yeah, it’s a lot of fun for me. Maybe – I don’t know. I can’t speak for anyone else.”
(I know so much of this is a lot of big-picture stuff, but coming from New England and obviously where you had a lot of success but also the organization had a lot of success, how did you get guys to buy into Brian Flores rather than “we’re the Patriots?” Like you’re the Dolphins and you know a way that works, but you’re trying to build trust in you at the same time.) – “I think you said it. There’s no ‘way.’ I think for me, it was about personally how have I gotten people to buy into the things that I believe in, and that’s just truth, transparency and honesty. I try to be upfront with our guys. I tell them how I feel about a myriad of situations, their individual play, our team play. I can’t tell you it works or it doesn’t work, but that’s how I’ve always approached things. I think if you’re honest and you’re upfront with people, then that’s how you build trust. When you’re dishonest, that’s how you don’t have trust, and I think you need trust in this game. I say it all the time: it’s hard to get two people to trust each other and in football you’re trying to get 11 guys to trust each other. That’s a hard thing to do. I think it starts with myself and leadership here, our coordinators. We just try to tell them, ‘hey look, you’re playing well, you’re not playing well, this could be better, that was good enough but could be better.’ I think when the players genuinely feel like you want to help them improve and get better then the trust is built. I don’t have all the answers. I don’t have any secret sauce. That’s just kind of my personal take on it.”
(How do you prepare – you’re probably not sure which quarterback you’re going to face. What’s the difference between an Eli Manning Giants team and a Daniel Jones Giants offense?) – “I prepare for the entire group, and this is a very, very skilled group from whichever quarterback can play – they both are adept at throwing the deep ball, intermediate and short – but it’s the guys they’re throwing it to. Whether it’s (Saquon) Barkley, whether it’s (Darius) Slayton, whether it’s Golden Tate, whether it’s (Sterling) Shepard, whether it’s (Evan) Engram, there’s a lot of weapons out there on the field. Some good players on the offensive line as well. Defensively, the front is – the addition of Leonard Williams – it was a tough front before. Now it’s going to be a hard one to run against. They’ve got ball hawks in the secondary – obviously with (Janoris) Jenkins and (Sam) Beal. They’ve got some young players in there. To go back to your question, Eli to Jones, they’re both good players. We’ve got a lot of film on both guys. Eli likes to get the ball out quickly, really has great command of the offense, can get them in and out of plays – good to bad, run, pass. Jones is a good young talent. I think he’s really had some really bright moments. I know he’s learning and getting better on a day-to-day basis. Whichever one we see, it’ll be a challenge.”
(You’re coming right back to the stadium where a game was – I think some would say – taken from you. First of all, do you have to coach any differently with your players about those key moments that you can’t expect those calls to go a certain way? And then is there anything about trying to come back here and get one after it slipped through your fingers?) – “It was a tough one last week; but in this league you have to deal with adversity, move on and move onto the next challenge, which we’ve got a big one this week. I don’t necessarily think about going back to MetLife as – whatever stadium it is – to me, it’s the idea and the goal is always to try and get a win. We’ve got to play well against this team if we want to even have a chance to do that, and that’s really where my focus is. It’s not on last week or MetLife. We could play anywhere and the Giants would still pose a lot of challenges. We’d still have to play well. We’ll still have to play with great fundamentals and technique and communication. That’ll never change. I don’t put too much focus on where we’re playing or last week or anything like that.”
(LB Jake Carlock on the practice squad – how’s he doing? He was here for a bit. He’s a local guy.) – “Jake’s doing great. He’s really a hard-working kid, plays multiple positions. I think he’s doing a really good job. We were excited to get him, excited to have him and I think he’s got a future. I think he’s got the talent and the toughness and grit to work on any and everything to make himself the best player he can be. I think he’s done a really good job, and he’s got a lot of room for development.”
WR Isaiah Ford
(Your coaches are highly complimentary of you and what you did in the last game. Was this something you knew you had inside of you?) – “Absolutely, I don’t think you make it to this level if you don’t feel that way, or if you’re not confident. I pride myself in the preparation that I put in whether that’s when I was playing or when I was on the practice squad. I just kept preparing mentally and physically as if my time was coming because I wanted to be able to take full advantage of when it did come.”
(What kept you going from being waived to practice squad, waived to practice squad? What mentally kept you going?) – “I think I leaned on my faith, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, my family and even my teammates. I kind of leaned on them and having a support system as a whole to keep you on the right path and keep you straight and focused on your goals, because we all have goals and aspirations that we want to hit. We just have to focus on each day, trying to get better that day and so on and so forth.”
(Did QB Ryan Fitzpatrick keep you going too? Because he seems – he said something along the lines that even on the sidelines, he’d talk to you about what you see.) –“‘Fitz’ is my guy. ‘Fitz’ is extremely smart, so we all come to him and he’s very open, so if I do see something or if any of the other receivers see something, he allows us to come to him and say, ‘what do you think about this?’ He doesn’t always shoot it down. He’ll try it out there.”
(But on the sidelines for a guy who really hasn’t played a lot, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick singled you out. He said that he would talk to you. Were you surprised and what were you saying to him?) – “I think we kind of built that relationship throughout OTAs and everything. Just kind of learning the system together and getting on the same page versus different coverages and looks and things like that. It was just a matter of us taking it from the practice field out to the game, seeing a look that we’ve seen before and kind of communicating.”
(QB Ryan Fitzpatrick said that he can depend on you. Are you excited to see what the two of you can do together these final games along the stretch?) – “Yeah. Any time your quarterback says that he can depend on you, that’s a good thing. That’s a good feeling to have. Now it’s just about continuing to get better each day and try to help this team win games.”
(Do you think you’ve did enough to warrant to the coaches that you belong here?) – “Honestly I’m just trying to focus on each day getting a little bit better, honing in on the details and the nuances of my game to try to take my game to the next level.”
(What do you think fans don’t know about the kind of player position you’re in? On the practice squad, on a game day, maybe you don’t play in a game for a month or two. What do fans not know about how challenging that role is?) – “I think the mental aspect of how hard it could be on a person, especially at this level – everyone is an competitive person, everyone wants to play. You’re going out there and practicing and working your tail off ultimately to want to play on Sunday. So if you don’t get that chance or opportunity, it could haunt you and it could hurt you if you let it. But you have to be mentally tough and mentally strong enough to persevere through everything and prepare as if your time is coming.”
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
(Who was your favorite running back growing up?) – “My favorite running back growing up?”
(Just wondering who you pattern your game after.) – “Oh. (laughter) (I was a) big Larry Centers guy. (laughter)”
(Was that the inner option quarterback in you coming out on the pitch?) – “Yeah, that was like the old college option quarterback. I don’t know. Every now and again I’ve got to keep them honest, I guess.”
(Do you surprise yourself at all with some of these flashy moves?) – “No, because I know it looks awkward and it certainly feels awkward. (laughter) It’s not necessarily always my first choice of what I want to do to get yards. I know sometimes it’s necessary and sometimes that’s the best thing for the team, for me to do is to take off. Some games I’ll have zero carries. Some I’ll have five, six, seven. It just all kind of depends on the team and how the game is going; but yeah, last week was a little bit more than normal.”
(Another high-level bearded athlete – James Harden – sometimes gets upset when he sees he’s short of a career high in a game in points. You’re only nine yards shy of your career high rushing. Were you aware of that?) – “No. I was not aware and don’t really care about that one.”
(When was the last time if ever you led your team in rushing at the end of the season?) – “I have no idea. Probably never.”
(Did you run a lot at Harvard?) – “Yeah. I definitely wasn’t a dual-threat, but we ran a little bit of option. But yeah, not because I was an athlete. (It was) just because of the scheme of it.”
(To stay with the theme, are there rules when you run and I’m being serious, do you want to deliver the blow, do you want to stay low? Do you have any rules at all when you run the ball?) – “No. I mean one of my rules is try not to look awkward, but I just look awkward. (laughter) I go down awkward. I have moves that a 37-year-old white guy would have. (laughter) I look the same way on the field as I do on the dance floor, and that’s why I don’t dance at weddings.”
(You do seem to get a rush out of it when you succeed, when you score touchdowns. Is it a unique rush that you get when you pull something off?) – “I think getting in the end zone in general, whether it’s a pass or somebody else or me running is an exciting part of it for everybody; but yeah, when you’re the one with the ball in your hand and everybody is coming at you, it’s pretty exciting.”
(What would it say about the season if you do wind up leading the team in rushing?) – “We’ve had a lot of guys in and out at that position from the start of the year to now, and when we started the season, we had five on the active (roster) and they’ve had some opportunities a little bit, but I think if we continue to try to do what’s best for the team and putting guys out there and putting them in positions to succeed whether that’s catching the ball out of the backfield or handing it off to them. We’ll see how these last few games go.”
(So if RB Patrick Laird gets a couple 100-yard games and overtakes you…) – “I would love it. I would absolutely love it. (laughter)”
(Do you and Ravens QB Lamar Jackson compare notes after a big win?) – “(laughter) I don’t think he’s watching any of my film.”
(How did RB Patrick Laird do in your eyes in his first start?) – “Patrick does a nice job because he’s very consistent. He’s reliable and as a quarterback, those are qualities – we talked about Isaiah Ford as being one of those guys that he just kind of shows up and is always in the right place at the right time and doing the right thing, and Patrick fits in that category, too. I don’t think you can have enough of those guys on your team. Especially as a quarterback, when you have new guys shuffling in and out, you find out who those guys are that you can rely on to do the right thing, and usually they get he ball a little bit more.”
(When you talked about the shuffling in and out after the game last week and you praised those players for doing that, how do you kind of make it less difficult this week? Is it just trying to get in and out of groups during practice?) – “We’ll see how the week goes. Hopefully everything is great and we don’t have to get to that. If we do, we’ll maybe be a little bit more prepared going into a game kind of not knowing if guys are going to play or not. We’ve got some new guys that are on the team from the last few weeks that you just try to get them up to speed as fast as possible. Mack (Hollins) was in the game and got a big pass interference penalty, so everybody in that huddle – whoever it is – is a professional athlete. They’re in the NFL for a reason. For me again, that’s drawing on past experience of trying to relate to these guys and different guys I’ve played with and getting on the same page in a hurry if it comes to that.”
(How has your relationship with QB Josh Rosen evolved throughout the season as you guys got to know each other a little better?) – “It’s been good. We spend a lot of time together in that quarterback room with (Assistant Quarterbacks Coach) Jerry (Schuplinski) and with Josh and with Jake (Rudock). We’re in there whether it’s meetings or before or after practice or before or after meetings, we spend a lot of time together. It’s been good and it just continues to get better as time goes on.”
(I know a lot of the early part of you guys was the competition and now you’ve settled into the role. How have you seen QB Josh Rosen maybe watch you or soak in maybe you as the lead guy?) – “I always try to be that way. Whether I am or not, I try to present myself in that way and try to lead by example. You’ll have to ask him what he takes from me or what he doesn’t, but I always try to put the best version of me out there and if guys want to follow they can.”
(You guys have had a lot of personnel changes for different reasons. Does that affect any one aspect of the offense more than the other whether it’s red zone or third down or short yardage or anything like that?) – “Continuity is a huge thing. I think maybe when you get in those specific game plan-type (situations), like third down is a game plan thing. Red zone is a game plan thing. Those are different themes where continuity does help a little bit, but in general everybody deals with injuries this time of year. Everybody is shuffling guys in and out of the lineup, so sometimes it’s just everybody being on the same page and able to do it consistently. The talk going into last week was how banged up their secondary was. Everybody is dealing with it, so you’ve just got to do as best you can and get guys up to speed as best you can.”
(From your standpoint, is the toughest thing communication with players and letting them know what you want to do?) – “Yeah, I think communication is always something you’re trying to stress and maybe overcommunicate and then as a quarterback, I think trust is a huge thing, too. Is this guy going to run the conversion? Is he going to cross this guy’s face? Is he going to be in the right spot when I need him to be? There are so many things as a quarterback where you’re relying on different guys to be in the right spot at the right time doing the right thing. The more you see them do that in practice, the more you see them you see them do it in the game; the more trust you build in certain receivers and certain guys. I think that’s a big thing in terms of continuity and shuffling guys in and out.”
(Does that change for you, like in the middle of the game when WR DeVante Parker goes out and you have another guy in – maybe this is a route you might throw to DeVante where you may be hesitant with another guy just because he’s not familiar with…?) – “I think when you have one-on-one matchups as a quarterback, you’ve got to figure out who’s going to win and what the coverage dictates a lot of the time. You definitely – for me – there’s routes I like certain guys better on than others. That’s again, a process throughout OTAs, throughout training camp, preseason and throughout the season. Those kind of grow and you kind of gain trust in guys, and that goes both ways. They’ve got to know what I expect and where I expect them to be, so there’s always a lot of communication. That’s definitely something as a quarterback that comes up throughout a game, though.”
(Can you remember a season that you’ve had so many different weapons cycle through? There’s probably been five running backs, six or seven wide receivers at this point. Have you had a season like this?) – “Again, some seasons are just crazier than others, but there is always – depending on the health of the team – there’s always cycling around. I think in seasons where you’re not necessarily making a playoff run, maybe that happens a little bit more, as well. I’ve definitely seen it and been through it. You just try to do the best you can with it and every week is different. Every week presents a different challenge whether it’s bringing new guys in or just getting everybody on the same page and getting up to speed and improving communication.”
(One of those guys – WR Preston Williams – how has he been? Have you seen him lately? How is he doing, his spirits and all that?) – “Yeah, he’s around, but there’s so much that I’ve got to figure out and focus on throughout the week that doesn’t involve him and his rehab. I’ve got too much other stuff I’ve got to do right now.”
TE Mike Gesicki
(Are you looking forward to seeing your former college teammate, RB Saquon Barkley?) – “Yeah, absolutely. It will be cool. I’m sure we’ll catch up after the game. He’s had a ton of success there, and I’m happy for him. Ultimately we’re going up there to try to get a win and then we’ll catch up afterwards.”
(How much fun was playing in that offense when you were catching touchdown passes and RB Saquon Barkley was rushing for 100 yards a game?) – “Yeah. It was fun. We had a lot of success together as a team throughout those couple of years. We won some big games, did some fun stuff, but that’s all behind us now.”
(Do you keep tabs on what RB Saquon Barkley does?) – “Yeah. It’s hard not to. Every time you turn on a TV, you see him on commercials and all of that stuff. I know he’s doing well. I’m happy for him.”
(This is your first time playing against the Giants right?) – “Yeah.”
(Do you remember watching Eli Manning in the Super Bowl, and watching the football stuck to the head?) – ‘Yeah (that was) 2007. I was a big Giants fan growing up. That was my team. I remember that one, and then I remember the one a couple of years after that. It will be cool to go up and play against them, kind of relive some of those memories. Yeah, I’m excited about it. It will be cool.”
(You said you grew up a Giants fan. Is it special to go up and play there against the Giants this weekend?) – “Yeah, absolutely. It will be a cool experience. I grew up a big Giants fan. I watched every single game. Me and my dad on Sundays, we’d sit there on the couch and watch all of the games. It was cool. It was fun, and now to kind of have that opportunity to go against them, it will be fun.”
(When the Jets played at Giants stadium it was kind of lame because it was called Giants Stadium. I don’t know if you noticed but all of the lights that were green last week will be changed to blue.) – “Yeah, they will change it up. It will be cool. It will be fun.”
(Is it sort of cool too that – it hasn’t been announced if QB Eli Manning is going to be the starter or not but you grew up watching him, and here you are on the other side of the field. Just to watch him.) – “Yeah. He obviously has a ton of respect around the league for all of the accomplishments that he’s had throughout his career. Like I said, I grew up watching him. It will be cool to kind of be on the other side and to watch it first-hand. But ultimately like I said earlier, we have one goal: it’s to go up there and get a win.”
K Jason Sanders
(I know you lost the game but on the other hand, you did something that no one has ever done for this team, making seven field goals on Sunday.) – “Yeah, you have to look at the positives. I did a lot of good things; but at the end of the day, you’re trying to win a game. That eighth field goal we could have had would have been, to me, the deciding factor. But you have to look at a lot of the positives too. I kicked a lot of good balls in some cold weather.”
(Did you think there would be a game like this – I don’t know if you could envision it – where you were responsible for all of the points?) – “No. To me, I’m just going to get what I’m going to get. Ultimately, I want touchdowns. That’s what a team player is going to say. If we have to kick eight times, I’m going to kick eight times; but we want to punch it in the end zone. That’s the ultimate goal.”
(I know you can’t speak for all kickers but maybe just you, do you mentally prepare for that? That could happen some day?) – “You’ve got to take each kick the same, whether it’s one with one minute left or it’s in the first quarter. Each kick to me is going to be the same amount of points. It’s going to be three points at the end of the day. So I’m going to take my same routine, my same process, to approach the field.”
(Is there any extra pressure knowing the game you just came off of that this team could depend on you again for situations like this? Maybe not as dramatic as this.) – “Yeah, like I said: whatever kick I get, I’m going to take my same routine and my same mindset that I’m going onto the field that I’m going to make this kick.”
(Were you asked about the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week snub?) – “I was not but to me, I don’t think I was snubbed. If I would have gone 8-for-8, maybe it would have been a different story; but I understand that the losing team usually doesn’t get it. To me, I don’t really care. I’ve got three games left and that’s all I’m really worried about.”
(How do you feel your season as a whole has been this year?) – “I think my overall percentage can’t be great. I’m not sure what it is. But I know that I’ve done a lot of good things and that’s what’s going to carry me through the next three games, looking back at all of the good things that I’ve done.”
(Do you feel like you’ve kicked well this year?) – “I do. I feel like I’ve kicked a lot of pressure kicks, a lot of big kicks that we’ve needed.”
(I assume you’ve never had seven field goals before on any level?) – “No. The most was four last year against the Packers.”
(Are you looking at it like you made seven or you missed one?) – “I mean I left one kick out there. It could have been the difference at the end of the day. But I have to look at the positives. I did a lot of good things after I missed that kick. (Making) 7-of-8 is still a good day for me.”
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I think after the moves yesterday with CB Ryan Lewis and CB Ken Webster, I think you’re down to four corners who have played in NFL games with CB Nik Needham, CB Eric Rowe, CB Jomal Wiltz and CB Marcus Sherels. Do you think you have enough at that position this week and might we see Rowe switch back to corner this week?) – “Yeah, we’ll have enough. We brought in Linden Stephens and Nate Brooks, and obviously we have Eric who has played corner in the past. We’ll have 11 out there, that’s for sure.”
(You’ve had a lot of lineup changes, whether it’s guys being inactive or demoted. When you tell these guys that, do they take it and understand or is there some back and forth and guys say ‘Why is this happening?’) – “I think it’s case by case. Every situation is a little different. We’ve got a team of competitive guys in there so when we tell a guy he’s going to be down, yeah there’s some disappointment, which I expect that. That’s a good thing. It’s never an easy thing to hear that when you practice hard and you prepare and you’re ready to go; but look, we’ve got to put seven guys down each week and that’s just part of playing in the National Football League. Those are tough decisions for us as a staff – myself, (General Manager) Chris (Grier), our coaching staff. We talk about it really on a daily basis: what’s the best group of players we can put out there offensively, defensively and in the kicking game? It all counts. If you don’t have a role in the kicking game and you don’t have a big enough role offensively or defensively, then it’s hard to have guys at the game – or that particular player at the game – I would say. If you’re a major contributor and you make plays every week, you’re going to be out there. It’s case by case and week by week. We spend a lot of time on it but every week we’re trying to put the best group out there to help us win the game.”
(Measuring the best group out there to help you win the game versus continuity, how tough of a distinction is that?) – “I mean all of those things play into it. That’s a great question. Continuity, that obviously helps as far as putting the best group out there. So they go kind of – I don’t want to say hand in hand but again, each week is a little bit different. It’s really dependent on your opponent, the different groups from week to week that we’re going to put out there, injuries play a part in this, the amount of communication we may have in the game plan may play a part in it. The definition of continuity – your definition and my definition, our coaches’ definition, people’s definition, players – of continuity, they could be very different. Continuity from a communication standpoint, continuity from just an overall speed and athleticism standpoint – let’s say for instance it’s a third down situation and we need to get speed on the field. Your definition of continuity from that standpoint and my definition of continuity from that standpoint may be a little bit different. It’s speed, communication, tackling – we could go on and on for hours talking about different groupings, different sets of people, different sets of communicators offensively, defensively and in the kicking game. So continuity, it’s a term a lot of people use in this game but the different groupings – nickel to dime to 11 personnel to 12 personnel to goal line groupings to kickoff return to hands team to injuries and then you have to get a backup in there – you have to be able to adjust in this league, I would say.”
(Have you found that this system or this process is keeping players motivated in a positive way or does it maybe put them on edge in a negative way?) – “I think competition is always – I think it is very positive. I think we’ve got a group of guys in there who understand that every day counts – every practice, every meeting, every walkthrough. There’s competition in every area of the building, specifically with the players but coaches, personnel, which lunch is better Tuesday or Wednesday. It’s kind of how we want the building. It’s a good thing. I think we’re trying to build a group of competitive guys who understand that they’ve got to work and there’s a process and if they continue with that and they work hard and they prepare the right way, then good things will happen for them.”
(It seems like there is more specialization where you may have a player that only plays 30 or 40 percent of the snaps and you want that because that’s his role. Have you seen the way you coach differ based on maybe a speedy running back you have to match him up with a linebacker that specializes in that skillset?) – “I think every team is dealing with that. There’s different strengths and weaknesses to every team, players that cause specific issues where if you leave a certain group or a certain player out there, you’re basically asking for trouble, and you want to kind of keep yourself out of those situations – let’s call it defensively or in the kicking game. Offensively, you want to try to create those situations. Again, we go back to continuity and we could keep the same guys out there on every snap but then you may not have the best matchup. Yeah, there is some specialization obviously in this league. In some instances, you can just leave a group out there and the flip side of that is the players should and in a lot of cases, really know, where the weaknesses are and they defend them. They understand them and they defend them. I think the smart, good players in this league understand that. Not every situation is going to be perfect. We can’t get the best matchup every time. They go no huddle, they get a guy in there and you have a bad matchup and you’ve got to hold on for a play, for a snap. That’s where you get your help because there’s 10 other guys on the field to help you. If I’m matched up on a speedy running back and hopefully my post-safety sees it and just leans over there a little bit. That’s just one instance but it shows up really on a play-to-play basis.”
(Do you find yourself drafting or bringing in players that may have a specific role in mind, like that’s the only thing you want them to do?) – “We’re going to bring in good players and we’ll figure it out. I would say we find the strengths and weaknesses in each player; but if it’s speed, if it’s strength, if it’s run-stuffing ability, if it’s pass-rush ability, if it’s blocking – if we get an opportunity to get a good player, then that’s my vision and I know it’s the same vision (General Manager) Chris (Grier) has, is getting as many good players as possible.”
(I wanted to ask you about CB Aqib Talib. Any conversations – I know you probably want to keep private – but I was just curious if you’ve gotten any sense about if he wants to and thinks he can continue to play next year and if this might be a possible place for him?) – “Again, like you said it: those conversations are between myself and Aqib. There have been some conversations, but I’m going to keep them between us. I think that’s just common courtesy of a conversation I have with somebody that’s a private conversation. I’m not going to talk about it with anyone.”
(Is CB Aqib Talib a player that you might want to have around here for a few years?) – “Aqib has been a great player in this league for a long time. He’s played a lot of good football, so he’s definitely a guy who would be in the conversation; but again, those are between myself, (Vice President of Football Administration) Brandon (Shore), (General Manager) Chris (Grier), our coaching staff. Those will always stay internal.”
(I know obviously your main focus has to be wins and losses over individual achievements, but K Jason Sanders was not named Special Teams Player of the Week for the AFC. What do you think about that? Do you find that odd?) – “I didn’t know that. It’s not – again, my focus is on the Giants right now. They’ve got plenty of guys to worry about offensively, defensively and in the kicking game. I think Jason had a great week last week, and sometimes – I don’t know who won it, but I’m sure that player had a great week and was deserving as well. I don’t know exactly who that was or what that player did, but he must’ve done something because Jason had a good week, as well. But whoever it was, I’m sure is very deserving. Jason’s done a good job. I’m sure he’s not up in arms over it. He’s locked in on our next opponent, which again, the Giants are a good opponent. This is a talented bunch. They play hard, and they’ve got from (Saquon) Barkley to (Darius) Slayton to Golden Tate, they’ve got Eli (Manning) in there. He played well the other day. (Dexter) Lawrence – they’ve got guys everywhere. They do a good job and we’ve got a tough test ahead of us. I think the individual awards, when they’re deserving, it’s great. It’s a great accomplishment. I know Jason’s gotten a couple of those this year, but I think we’re focused on the Giants.”
(Have you had any contact with the league this week about the DPI and were you satisfied with the answer you got?) – “No, I have not had any contact with the league. I have not had any contact with the league. I’ve moved on. We can sit and talk about last week; but that’s again, I just spent two seconds talking about that, five seconds now, 10 seconds now and less time on the Giants.”
(Do you enter this week knowing who your starting guards will be? Do you want to see how they practice this week?) – “Yeah, we know who they’re going to be; but we’ll see how it goes in practice. If they play well, they’ll be out there. If they don’t, we’ll re-assess and make the best decision for the team.”
(Can you say if it’s the same as Sunday with C/G Evan Boehm and C/G Keaton Sutherland or do you not want to say yet?) – “I could say it, but I’m not going to. (laughter)”
(How is defending Giants QB Eli Manning different than defending Giants QB Daniel Jones?) – “Eli has had a lot of success in this league. He gets the ball out quickly. He still throws a very good ball. He is still very accurate. I would say he’s got very good command of their offense. He can get them in and out of good plays. He knows where to go with the football, he knows where his playmakers are. He knows – he’s got a few of them: (Darius) Slayton, (Saquan) Barkley, I think Evan Engram is going to be back this week, so that’s another problem. He’ll find a way to get them the football, and (Daniel) Jones did the same thing. That’s another good young quarterback who’s made some progress over the course of the year. I know he’s dealing with an ankle (injury). We may get him, we may not. I don’t know, we’ll see. We’ll be prepared for both of them.”
(You made a comment on Monday that I thought was interesting and I wanted to ask if you could expand upon it. It was when you said, ‘I’m all about serving those players.’ I thought that was an interesting comment. Can you tell me more about that?) – “I think that’s what coaching is: it’s about service. I want to help those guys become better football players, better citizens to the world. I feel like I have to try to be an example of that, and our coaching staff has to try to do the same thing. That’s what this is. That’s what coaching is, in my opinion. We’re teachers, educators and we’re here to serve the players. Now, that doesn’t mean it’s all rosy. We’ve got to be demanding, and it’s good for them I think. I think that hopefully helps them become better versions of themselves off the field. Maybe I’m on a soapbox, but that’s just my thought process.”
(I saw you met with a lot of fans before the game in New York. I don’t know if it was the New York City Dolfan Club, but why was that important to you? Why did you do that?) – “We think we’ve got a lot of Dolphin fans, and to say hello, to shake hands, to sign a hat or shoe. I think that’s a nice gesture. To go up to that environment and support our team, that’s incredible. I just wanted to show my appreciation.”
(Was that your idea or were you guided?) – “Yeah. It was a pretty genuine gesture. I’m not being told to do that.”
