(On an update of the injuries) “I think from the game yesterday, I think Daniel Thomas, Josh Allen, and let’s see who else I have, D.J. Hayden. I think those guys will be out for quite a bit of time. So, I think as we make the decisions on IR and everything, that’ll come out later in the week. So, those three are out. Everyone else, we’re still waiting on stuff to come back on. I think [Andrew] Norwell will be out, I don’t know how long, but he’ll be out this week. And then I think we’re waiting on [Chris] Claybrooks, see where he is. If there’s anybody else specifically, you guys can go ahead and ask.”
(On DE Josh Allen’s injury) “Yeah, it’s not any ligament damage, but it’s still enough to be out for some time. That’s about all I’ll give out. I might give you more later when I get more specific.”
(On the quarterback position update) “I think myself, [Offensive Coordinator] Jay [Gruden] and [Quarterbacks Coach] Ben [McAdoo] have talked about it. But again, it’s tough on today, we’ve got to get through everything we have to get through. So, you know, we discussed it, we’re going to talk about it more later this evening, or late this afternoon, before we start game planning. Then, we’ll have to see where Gardner [Minshew II] is, see where Mike [Glennon] is, see where Jake [Luton] is at. And then, obviously, make a decision, and go forward. So, we really haven’t had a lot of time to really sit down and hash it all out.”
(On the secondaries injuries and the opportunities for CB Luq Barcoo and CB Josiah Scott) “Yeah, I mean, they’ve got some last week. Yesterday, I think [Luq] Barcoo had about sixteen snaps, Josiah [Scott] had about four or five. Obviously, if we have anyone going out there [it will be them], we have no one else. So, those guys will have to be able to get in there and step up.”
(On expectations from QB Jake Luton during practice this week in response to yesterday’s performance) “I don’t know. I mean, it’s a tough deal. It was good defense and good pass rush. [He] threw a couple of nice balls, would like to have some back, a couple got tipped. Just to see where he’s at. I mean, I think practice is so different. I think anyone who is out there, you’re going to see a lot of things that you like. But when you go out there on Sunday, it’s a whole different ball game. And I think it was a good experience for him. And those will be some of the discussions that we’ll have later this afternoon, questions like that.”
(On WR Keelan Cole’s onside kick) “Yeah, we were working on it quite a bit for like a week or two. And it’s one of those things that really look good in practice. And I think we had a good opportunity. The plan was, from the beginning, was to take the football. We didn’t have that option because obviously, one of them was declined. And hey listen, if we could just go ahead and score, we were going to do it after a score, especially get a lead. So, that was kind of what the game plan was going into it. And then I think 27 for them [Marcus Allen] made a really good play. I mean, I’d like to get a little bit more height on it. But they made a play. [We were] just trying to gain another possession.”
(On how the onside kick came about) “I think when [Special Teams Coordinator] Joe [DeCamillis] comes later in the week. I just kind of went out there and was watching it and saw it. I didn’t really ask how it came about, but I think Joe obviously will have all those [answers] for you.”
(On familiarity with Illinois State Head Coach Brock Spack) “Not at all.”
(On whether he can tell that guys like RB James Robinson and TE James O’Shaughnessy are coming from college programs with tough reputations) “Yeah, I mean, most of the—I would say the majority of people who come in are going to be … They’re going to do what they’re supposed to do and listen when they’re trying to make a team. I think then when it shows up, is when they get on the field. Or how they—are they coachable? Are they available? James has had some injuries, but he’s worked hard to come back from them—talking about O’Shaughnessy. And then obviously, James Robinson has shown that he’s all of that. So, there’s traits; some are innate, some people have them in them, [for] some people it’s developed at some point in time. I know that there were certain teams when I was in college that would come around and really try to find players in certain programs because they knew that the players were accountable and they were tough and they practiced and they were available. So, I think that goes on, I’m not going to deny that.”
(On the process for evaluation after a losing streak) “What do you mean evaluate everything? I mean, we do anything. We’ll try and do anything. It’s just, it’s tough because a lot of times, guys are going in that haven’t even played, you haven’t even seen them play before. So, those are the things that are going into it. So, any move you can make, any person you can put in, anything you can do, we’ll do. I don’t have a problem with that. You guys know. But the problem is you’re constricted from a time standpoint, from a practice standpoint, from a rep standpoint, from a lot of things. So, as much as you want to make wholesale changes, or maybe make wholesale changes, that’s challenging in itself. So, you’re trying to change things up—I think we’ve changed quite a bit, especially on the defensive side, we’ve seen some of that stuff help us. But at the end of the day, you’ve just got to go out there. We’ve probably gone through a couple of players. I don’t know what the exact numbers are with the injuries and people that are playing. We’ve flexed a bunch of guys up this year to see what they can do. So, we’re trying to get as many—to do as much as we can to try to get out. So, I agree with you. I’m willing to do anything.”
(On what it would mean to him personally to get a win) “Yeah, I mean, that’s what we try to do every week. It’s just, like I said before, I think I said it the other week, people can say what they want. But you play to win, you play to win, you put all this work in, you do all this stuff, and you try to win. I think for me personally, I’d much rather do it for the players and the coaches, to be able to win. I mean, that to me is more important than anything for myself. You see them actually putting the work in, you see them, they’re sore, or they’re beat up and they’re going out there and they’re practicing and they’re studying. And the coaches are here late putting together a plan. You know, I’d like to see all this stuff come together for them. Personally, that’s how I look at it.”
(On expectations for OL Tyler Shatley to take place of OL Andrew Norwell on Sunday) “Yeah I think that’s probably the first instinct that we’ve talked about. But we’ll work Ben in there too, Ben Bartch in there as well. And then, [KC] McDermott will be up as probably the backup center.”
(On the impact of the injuries on this season) “I don’t know. I think that’s something you might look at in the end. To make sure it’s not something that you’re thinking about at the course of it. What impact is this? Because, kind of like with John’s question; you’re constantly looking to win, you’re constantly looking to go ahead and trying to figure it out. That’s like today, I would’ve been a lot of—probably would’ve been further ahead. But we’re talking about who’s going to be available, first, who we’re actually going to have up and what moves we have to make to be able to get out there and field a team. So, that’s kind of how—my thought process of looking at it. Again, I think it’s something that’s goes about afterwards. It’s like I—you get a lot of questions, or people ask you questions and a lot of it is, ‘Well, what about this?’ And a lot of it is the past, a lot of it is what happened two weeks ago. And I try to explain to people, I don’t have that time to look at it because I’ve got to constantly be moving forward in order to help this team win. And that’s what I’m trying to do. Looking back right now, is not going to help, at the moment of what we need to do to try and get a win. So, that’s how I try to go about it. But maybe some of the coordinators or the coaches or some of the players might have a little bit more insight into that, but that’s not—that’s just not the way my thought process is.”
(On whether QB Gardner Minshew II’s thumb is good to go) “I’ve got to see him throw. I’ve seen him throw a little bit, I want to see him throw a whole thing. I’ll have a better feel for it. The trainers and everyone, and Gardner said he feels good, he feels 100 percent. But I just want to make sure that myself, Ben [McAdoo] and Jay [Gruden] are able to see it and watch it before. A trainer’s evaluation of someone throwing is a little bit different than a coach’s evaluation.”
(On concern about QB Jake Luton’s mindset after yesterday) “Yeah, I mean, I think he’s a resilient kid. I trust him for that. He knows he has no choice but to be able to bounce back. But I don’t think that’s an issue either. He’s a tough kid.”
