LB Andrew Van Ginkel
(I think among edge players, you’re second in the league in quarterback hits. Do you take pride in that, or do you say ‘darn it, I wish a few more had been converted into sacks?’) – “Obviously you’d like to get the sacks. I’m just trying to figure out how I can get better and different ways I can attack the quarterback and just be a step quicker so I can get those sacks. Obviously I’d rather have those sacks, but all I can do is keep trying to get better and improving.”
(One COVID-19 question for you. Have you personally made any changes this week to your approach to life knowing how contagious this variant is? Are you staying in more? Have you made any conscious changes?) – “No. I’m just kind of going about my life and doing the protocols that they give us and just trying to be smart with how I abide by things.”
(Today the team went into increased protocols within the facility. What has that been like to deal with?) – “It’s just another thing that we have to deal with. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter because we’re obviously preparing for the Jets and we’re trying not to let it become a distraction. As long as we focus on the Jets and try to get better each and every day, I think that’s the main goal.”
S Brandon Jones
(I know when we last talked to you a couple weeks ago, you said you were planning to play but weren’t certain if the elbow would be healthy enough. Are the elbow and the ankle both healed, even though you were limited yesterday, where you’re pretty sure you will be able to play on Sunday?) – “I’m still taking the same approach I did last week. Obviously with the bye week and stuff, I feel really good. The ankle and elbow feels really good. It’s kind of taking the same approach, same routine as I’ve always done and just see how I feel on Sunday.”
(I was going to ask you also if you have texted or talked to S Jevon Holland? Can you share with us whether he is sick at all or if he has symptoms?) – “I’ve texted him a little but just to check in. I didn’t get too far in detail about symptoms so I’m not too sure on what exactly he does have. I miss my dog, man.”
(On that note, if S Jevon Holland can’t go on Sunday, what kind of challenge will that be for the secondary and the safeties to play without him? And after a couple of weeks where the defense had to play without you. Kind of switching roles there.) – “It will always be tough especially with a guy like Jevon, just how vocal he is and just how much of a great player he is on the field. Even though he’s young, just being able to communicate and get people lined up, he’s done a tremendous job of that this year so that’ll be pretty hard. But our DBs coach, ‘GA’ (Gerald Alexander), really teaches all the DBs throughout the season because you never know what will happen. Throughout training camp, throughout practice, we’ve all kind of been able to multi-task and do a lot of different things for certain circumstances, whether it’s COVID or people getting injured. We all have a lot of experience in being able to do a lot of things and staying a step ahead of situations like this.”
(When there is a COVID positive at your position, do you feel a greater responsibility to stay safe? Not to stay in a glass bubble but to even be more cautious than you would if your position group wasn’t impacted.) – “I’ve been pretty responsible and smart about everything as it is. With tests coming up and people popping for COVID, obviously I’ve gotten tested a lot more frequently just to make sure with my fiancé and stuff my outside life from football, making sure that stays intact and don’t have any outbursts or outbreaks with that. That’s really just the biggest difference, just getting tested a little bit more frequently.”
(It’s a big topic in sports with cases mushrooming this week whether players who are COVID positive but asymptomatic should be allowed to play. Do you have an opinion on that?) – “I don’t know man, that’s above my pay grade. (laughter) I don’t even have an answer for you.”
(It’d be good to get your thoughts on facing QB Zach Wilson. You saw QB Joe Flacco the first time you played the Jets so now getting your first look at the rookie.) – “Being a rookie, he has a very talented arm, makes really good decisions, does a really good job of throwing with anticipation which is kind of rare – not rare but you don’t see it a lot in a younger quarterback. It’s something that they usually have to develop over time. He does a really good job of putting the ball where it needs to be and just kind of having an overall control of the offense even when he makes certain checks, if he sees a look and doesn’t like it, you see him on film being able to kill certain calls, make different changes to the formations and stuff like that. I think, from what I’ve seen, he’s done a really good job.”
DT Raekwon Davis
(Everyone in society talks about COVID-19 fatigue. Are you guys just sick of it and how it’s impacting pro sports this week with more than 100 NFL players testing positive and a bunch of NBA stars out as well?) – “Right now it’s just – right now we’re just taking it one day at a time. Just trying to separate guys. We had a couple guys go on COVID-IR. We’re just trying to keep from getting more guys going back on COVID-IR. That’s it.”
(The times you are being doubled this year compared to last, obviously there was quite a bit both years. Has it increased a little? A lot this year?) – “It’s about the same to me. I really don’t know. I think it’s about the same though, to be honest with you.”
(Which is more than half the time you think?) – “I don’t know. Hey, I get double-teamed. That’s all I can tell you. I don’t know how many times in the game I get double-teamed, I just get double-teamed.”
(What are your thoughts on going against QB Zach Wilson this week? A guy that you did not face the first time you faced the Jets.) – “It’s going to be new. He’s a quick quarterback. He likes to run out of the pocket. You’ve got to just be mindful of the things he likes doing. He’s a scrambling quarterback so you got to keep contain on him.”
T Liam Eichenberg
(From a COVID-19 perspective, what’s the thinking of the offensive line group? Have you all collectively decided to stay in all of the time? Is this something that you guys have talked about amongst yourselves?) – “It’s a situation where we listen to Kyle Johnston, our head (athletic) trainer. Obviously it’s a weird year once again dealing with COVID and everything. We just try to space out, try not to be all together at times, try to take precautions, put on masks when we’re told to. Stuff like that. It’s obviously in the background with everything that is happening.”
(Since you were in college last year, you didn’t experience the NFL season of meeting conducted virtually. Was today your first virtual meeting if they have happened yet? What was that experience like?) – “In college we actually had in-person meetings. The only time I’ve really done the virtual meeting was over the summer during OTAs when it was Zoom. That was about it.”
(Is it strange at all or perfectly normal and easy to absorb information over the computer as opposed to in person?) – “I’d say there are pros and cons. I think on the computer, there is a chance that guys might not be paying as much of attention. In person, I think you can actually show people how to do things better. That’s probably the pro there.”
(I know oftentimes he’s behind you and you’re blocking for him in front of him, but what has been your impression of RB Duke Johnson in practice as he’s the one running back on the active roster right now?) – “Duke is a great player. He’s a guy that’s played for a long time. He’s been around. He understands ball very well. He sees the holes very well. A downhill guy. At the end of the day, he’s a guy that goes hard. That’s all I can ask for is a guy who works hard and is committed. I‘m excited for him to be behind me. He’s done a good job so far this year.”
(Do you as players know the health of the five guys that are on the COVID list? Is there any update provided to you by coaches, or Head Athletic Trainer Kyle Johnston or anyone, or is it only the close friends of those five who check-in with them know how they are actually doing and if they are sick?) – “For me, because some of them are younger guys, you kind of reach out on your own. That’s about it.”
(Of the ones you’ve reached out to, are any sick or experiencing symptoms?) – “I’m not sure. They really didn’t get into too much depth about it. It’s kind of, ‘we’re in the hotel,’ and dealing with that life.”
WR Isaiah Ford
(I have to ask you the obvious question; your reaction when you heard the news about WR Jaylen Waddle? And I would ask it in consideration with the other running backs who are out as well. When you put all that together, what do you see?) – “First of all, we are praying for Jaylen and hope that he has a speedy recovery. I’m not sure how he’s feeling just with the virus and everything like that. It’s a really big opportunity for a lot of the other guys. We pride ourselves on having that next-man-up approach and it’s going to take all of us to cover Jaylen’s role as well as the running backs, whoever’s in there. It’s going to take a full team approach.”
(I know you’ve done meetings virtually before, obviously last year. What’s that experience like compared to being in person? Does it feel at all weird or not at all because of last year’s experience?) – “I think it’s been the new norm so to speak with us doing it all of last year. I don’t think it’ll be anything different. We know the job that we have to do. It’s lock in for those however many hours that we are doing it and then after that, you can kind of unwind. We’re still on the clock, we still have work to do and we’re preparing to try to beat the Jets.”
(I know Head Coach Brian Flores has not gone as far as to tell guys you can’t go out. I don’t think any NFL coach can or would do that. But is it at the point to where players need to discuss that among themselves and agree collectively basically to stay in their house and at the facility for four more weeks?) – “I think we all know what’s at stake. I don’t think that really has to be overly emphasized or anything like that. We all know that we love this game and we all know that we love each other so we want to keep each other as safe as possible. Not only us, but each other’s families. I think that kind of goes without saying.”
C/G Michael Deiter
(A few of us saw you last Wednesday in something that looked like a boot, so we worried whether you had any sort of setback. Was there a setback? Or were you wearing that merely for protection as a precaution and you’re fine?) – “No setback. Just a precaution. I’m fine.”
(How do you feel like you played in your first game back and do you feel more in a groove? I know it’s hard to re-establish after nine weeks.) – “There was some good, some bad. I think I did ok. I definitely need to improve but that’s how it was before I was out. I just need to make sure I’m still communicating good and making sure everyone is on the same page, and obviously getting back into a groove is already happening. Getting back into the Wednesday, Thursday, Friday – all of those days – and what Wednesday means, what Thursday means, what Friday means. That groove is coming back.”
(How would you describe what it’s like trying to prepare for a game when it seems like every day there’s a new player who is going on the COVID-19 list.) – “It’s the same old, same old. It’s the guys who are next up, they need to understand that their number might be called and they need to be ready to help this team win. It’s the same with coaches. It could be the next man up with the coaches too. Everyone involved needs to be ready to be the next guy up, whether you’re p-squad, third on the depth chart – it doesn’t matter because obviously it’s real. COVID is real. Everyone can have an opportunity out of nowhere so people need to prepare that way and be ready to help this team if need be.”
(You’re mostly blocking in front of him but what have been your impressions of RB Duke Johnson this week? What have you seen from him, the way he’s practicing and the way he’s going about things?) – “Duke looks really good. He’s a smart player. He’s obviously had some success. He’s a downhill runner, which you love as an o-lineman. I think he’s got a lot of potential and I think he’s going to run really well. We have a ton of confidence in him. I hope he has a bunch of confidence in us. I’m excited to see him get more work.”
