LB Jerome Baker
(Who would you say is the best source of positive energy in this locker room?) – “Consistently I’d say it’s (Vince) Biegel. He brings it every day, just that positive. Sometimes it seems annoying, but he brings it every day. So definitely Biegel.”
(How important is that right now for you guys?) – “It’s definitely important. It’s a team. Some days it can’t just be him. Some days it has to be other guys. For the most part, Biegel definitely brings that positive outlook on everything.”
(How does he do it?) – “I still don’t know. It’s just a part of his personality. No matter – whatever it is, he brings the positive light out of it. It’s definitely Biegel.”
(Is a mental break needed at all in light of all the adversity, and all of the losses you all have gone through? Is it more needed than perhaps it would typically be?) – “Yeah. Every team needs a little break. For us – Pretty much at the beginning of the season we got a new team, essentially. These first four games, we had our bumps and our bruises so just to have a little break and come back the following week, it’s definitely going to help us in the long run.”
(You mentioned a break, do you do anything different during this break for yourself personally?) – “I kind of just – For the first few days, I just step away from the game a little bit. My daughter is down here, so I spend a lot of time with her. This weekend, I get back rolling and get my body prepared for the rest of the season. For me, it’s just kind of take a mental day off and physically get healthy.”
(You mentioned taking a couple of days to step back and a mental break. Is there something that you’d say – I know you can’t speak for everyone – but that this team needs at this point?) – “Oh, yeah. It’s with anything, you always need a mental break. Whatever it is, whatever you do in life, you need a mental break. For me it’s kind of hard because I love Madden, so a little aspect of me will still be in football mode. But just relax and take that stress of preparing for game week. Just kind of relax a little bit.”
(I take it you weren’t straight up preparing for the Redskins today. What do you do, what’s a bye week practice consist of if you’re in a tough start like you guys have had?) – “Fundamentals, that’s pretty much what we worked on. Fundamentals. Just the little things – hand placement, footwork. It’s those little things that you take for granted. We just wanted to focus on those, so that was pretty much today’s practice.”
(What were your feelings seeing WR Allen Hurns back with the team or at least at practice?) – “It was good. Obviously you want to see guys healthy. Just to see him back, just moving around and doing things, it’s always good to see guys back working, just to get better every day.”
(Is there a massage from Head Coach Brian Flores or other coaches as you guys take this break?) – “Today’s message is fundamentals, just working on fundamentals. He preaches it. Just take a break away from football, but get your body ready for the rest of the season. Make sure you hydrate, just don’t sit on the couch all day. Just little things like that. Obviously get ready for the rest of the season.”
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
G Michael Deiter
(Is the bye week something the team can use right now, just a little bit of a break?) – “It’s something that we can use, but it’s not something that we needed. There are definitely benefits to the bye week. One, the biggest thing is just getting guys healthy and getting guys rested, but another thing is you can take a step back and just kind of see through the first four games, what did we do well, what did we do not-so-well? It’s kind of a week to – you can look ahead to Washington – but you can also do a lot of self-scouting and just see, what do we need to clean up? What do we need to keep getting better with? What do we need to stay good with and just kind of pick those things up and just stay in-tune with the week but also get away from it a little bit and rest.”
(To follow up on that, the past three games in the first half, you guys have been competitive. Is that a positive as you guys go into the bye – face the Redskins – that you’ve done some good things at least in the first half.) – “Yeah, it’s a positive that we’ve had good halves; but it’s not positive that we haven’t had good games which is what you need. It’s cool that we have good film of good halves and we know how it should be and how it needs to go, but that’s all it is, is a half. We need to make sure we can do it for four quarters, and that can’t keep being the theme this year, is ‘we did it for two. That’s cool, right? We did it for two.’ It’s got to be four quarters or else you’re not going to win games.”
(Is there a rhythm now that QB Josh Rosen is set in there? Is it a little bit different?) – “I don’t think it’s different. I think there is a rhythm. The more that a guy’s in there, the more comfortable we all get together. It’s the same with the same five o-linemen. I would say there’s a rhythm coming and there’s a comfort level there, but it’s not any different. It’s not a huge difference, no.”
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
S Reshad Jones
(On the first four games of the season.) – “The first four games, there are some things we did well, some things we didn’t do well. We’ll take this time to get a lot of guys healthy or whatever and come back and play the next quarter of football.”
(What are the positives that you can see preparing for your next game against the Redskins?) – “We’ll get a lot of guys back. We had a couple of guys injured that can help this team win some football games. If we get those guys healthy and get those guys back – we’ll be able to reflect on some things we did well, some things we didn’t do well and self-scout ourselves and be able to put it all together and try to make a run in this next stretch of football.”
(Do you think this team right now, the bye week comes at a good time, maybe a mental break at this point considering how it’s gone so far?) – “Like I said, I definitely think it comes at a great time. I think we need it right now. Like I said, we’ve got guys banged up. We’re 0-4 right now. We get a chance to, like I said, make some corrections that we did in the first half of football, self-scout ourselves and get those things right.”
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
DT Christian Wilkins
(Head Coach Brian Flores said he was pretty upset with you about that play – the penalty play – and Defensive Line Coach Mario Hobby said you were trying to assert yourself but maybe not in the right way. What’s something that you learned from that play?) – “Well definitely the first thing is that I can’t do that. The bigger picture – the bigger deal – that doesn’t just cost me; it costs my teammates. (It was) just another learning experience, a rookie mistake. Just learn from everything. I didn’t know you couldn’t really do that. I didn’t know there would be a flag or anything like that but now I do know that, so it won’t happen again. (It was) definitely just another learning experience for me.”
(Do you remember the content of the conversation you had with your head coach?) – “I don’t. It was loud, though. (laughter) He definitely wasn’t happy with me, nor was I happy with myself because again, it cost myself and my teammates.”
(What were you trying to do?) – “Just make a play. Things happen fast so you just try to make a play and try to play hard. Stuff happens. That’s football.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores also talked about how you’re going to be a core member of the organization for years to come and that’s part of why he wants to make sure that you do everything right.) – “I definitely understand that. He’s got high expectations for me, and I’ve got to have high expectations and standards for myself and he’s going to hold me to a high standard. I’ve got to match that, too. So I definitely understand that and he’s got to nip it in the bud right away. I definitely respect him for that and it was necessary.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores said, “Christian is going to be the face of what we want to be about.” What does that mean to you?) – “That means a lot. That definitely means a lot that he thinks that highly of me. It just speaks into what he thinks of me as a player and as a person, too, and I kind of want that because I feel like I like that expectation. That’s what I want, and that’s what the expectations and the standards I hold myself to as well, to essentially be a guy that my teammates respect, the coaches respect and everyone on the outside respects as well, too. That’s what I want ultimately.”
(How would you assess how you’ve played the first four weeks?) – “I feel like throughout the four weeks, I’ve definitely climbed. I’ve made some strides and gotten better each week, I feel. It’s just a work in progress each day, each game. I just try to put my head down, work, grind and get better.”
(How has it been for you – so much success in college – has it been a little bit frustrating the first four games, just the way it has started?) – “The biggest thing is I’ve just got to focus on being the best that I can be, so that way I can help this team as much as possible and then everything else will take care of itself. Definitely, I just try to work each and every day to get better, and everyone else on the team should to ultimately get to what we can be.”
(Does the bye week come at a good time considering the situation?) – “(It is) definitely just a time to reflect and look back on those four games but don’t dwell on them. Just look back to get improvement, to make more strides and then once we get back, once we get going, just lock in on the next team, the next opponent each week and try to win each day and win the week.”
(As a defensive tackle, it’s kind of a strange position because you’re not always asked to make plays, but I’m sure you want to. Are you kind of itching to get that first sack and all that?) – “I’m learning fast that the big plays are hard to come by, so you’ve really got to work and stress, and that’s why I’m trying to stress myself in practice and really lock in on my technique and just really working on my craft so that why I can make those big plays and help this team as much as possible.”
(I noticed in the last two games, there were a few plays where you took a guard or a center and you moved him – maybe on a bull rush – five or six yards back. I’ve never done that in my life. I’m wondering what that’s like when you are moving another man six yards at the line of scrimmage?) – “Would you like me to show you? (laughter) No? Okay. (laughter) It’s definitely a good feeling because the guy across from you is a pro, too. There’s like an extra sense of – I don’t know. That’s a lot of what football is. Can you win your one-on-one matchup? Can you move a man against his will? No matter what he tries, can you move him? Can you get him out of the way? Can you dominate him? Can you defeat him? It’s always nice when you can do that, but you want to be productive with it as well, make plays and whatever you’re being asked of, hopefully you can do it to the best of your abilities.”
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(What can you tell us about the plan for today’s practice in terms of how intense or light it might be?) – “We’ll be out in pads, working on our fundamentals and technique. We did a lot of self-scout the last couple of days. Some things we just need to work on offensively, defensively and in the kicking game – specifically the run game, both offensively and defensively. Just areas we need to improve and get better, and be more consistent. It’s something we’ve really talked about all year but this morning was a good time to really highlight them over four games, going through it, and showing them game after game after game of things we could have done better (and) ways we can improve. We’re going to try to implement that in practice today. It’s the same thing defensively. In the kicking game, on return units, there’s just some opportunities we feel like we could have taken advantage of. If one guy makes a block or we don’t get a penalty here – there’s basically one (mistake) on every play. Just highlighting those things in all three phases. You don’t want to overload them with information either. This, this and this – we’ll focus on those and try to improve them in practice today.”
(I think you guys are last in the league in passer rating. Is that a reflection on how the quarterbacks have played or how the offense has played?) – “I think it’s everything. To put it just on the quarterbacks or to put it on the offensive line – there’s a lot of things. It’s dropped passes, it’s poor reads by the quarterback, it’s inconsistent play on the offensive line. It’s basically something on every play. I wouldn’t put it on the quarterback. Our quarterbacks have made some good throws, made some good decisions, and then there’s a drop. Or a guy is open and we have a breakdown in protection. There’s a myriad of things that go into it. We’re trying to get them all fixed. But at the end of the day, it’s about each of us individually or each player individually, taking care of their responsibility and winning more consistently on each and every play so we don’t have one breakdown. Inevitably the rating goes down based off of – it could be 10 different people or 11 different people on 11 different plays. It’s just the breakdown. We just need to play more consistently as a unit.”
(With QB Josh Rosen specifically, what can he get better at in these two weeks before the next game?) – “Look, he’s a young player. He’s developing. He can get better in every area – command of the huddle, accuracy, deep, long, intermediate, going through his reads and progressions, checking the ball down, specifically throwing the ball away or running or getting out of bounds or sliding just to kind of protect himself. Look, there’s 100 things; but we really try to pinpoint one or two things for him and prioritize those things. We really do that for every player, every position group, every unit. Again, it’s football. There’s 100 things but we need to prioritize and pinpoint one or two, and we’ll try to focus on those things today.”
(The bye week is a time for evaluation and maybe some self-reflection. How would you evaluate the job that you and your coaching staff have done so far?) – “Not good enough. That’s the first thing I would say. We’ve got to do a better job – and it starts with me – of getting this team ready to play and specifically in the second halves, just talking the last two games. And putting our guys in position to make plays. This is what we have and we haven’t made the plays on the field. But at the end of the day, we can always do a better job as a coaching staff. Each person in the building takes responsibility. This isn’t a finger-pointing team or a making-excuses team. We all kind of look at ourselves individually – players, coaches, personnel. Everybody kind of takes a look at themselves and tries to get better. I think that’s the best way for a team to grow. I think the one thing about this place is that there is no finger pointing. There is no placing the blame. We’re all kind of rallying around each other knowing that each guy, each coach and each player is working their butts off to help this team win. I think if we keep up with that, then we’ll be just fine.”
(Have you learned anything about yourself since the start of the season and if so, what?) – “About myself? Yeah, I mean I think I’m always on a quest to get better and improve. I’ve always kind of – I see myself as a resilient person, who someone who goes through and can deal with adversity, and has dealt with adversity. I try to impress that upon the team and I think we have a team full of guys who can deal with tough times. I would say we’re going through that right now; but at the same time, I think tough times make you better. I think they make you stronger. I think that’s happening for myself personally, and this team and this organization. But at the same time, we’re going to come out here, improve, get better and try to put a good performance out on the field in practice today and then in practice next week. That will hopefully lead up to a good game.”
(Has it been easier or harder than you thought it would be?) – “It’s been about what I thought. Coaching in this league is not an easy thing. Dealing with different personalities, especially in this role – players, coaches – and just dealing with different individuals; but it’s something I enjoy. I love what I do. I love coaching. It’s a passion of mine. I’m fortunate I get to be in this position. You’re not going to ever see me feeling bad for myself. I really enjoy it. I love working with this group of players and everyone in this organization. I think if we keep doing the things we’ve been doing – these guys have been practicing hard – I see improvement. I see a lot of good things. You’re not seeing the results we want; but I think hopefully in time, if we just keep doing the things we’ve been doing and continue to believe in what we’re doing, things will turn out the way we want them to be.”
(To go back to the Dallas game very briefly and the onside kick, the offsides penalty – it didn’t look like CB Ken Webster was beyond the line of scrimmage when the ball was kicked. What is the rule and what was the violation?) – “The rule is – I think he picked up his foot before it crossed the line which is an offside penalty. It happened. It’s one of those things, it’s a learning experience for really everyone on the team. It was a big play in the game. Again, (it was) another one of those opportunities we could’ve taken advantage of and we didn’t. (It was a) big play in the game. We just scored. We had an opportunity to kind of steal a possession and it didn’t work out for us, but I think we’ll be ready if that situation presents itself the next time. Who knows? It could be two years from now, but it’s a great learning experience for everyone on this team, Ken specifically. It was a good kick by Jason (Sanders), a great kick actually. If that opportunity presents itself, hopefully we’ll make the play next time. That’s football though.”
(Is there any element of this head job here over your last eight months here that you would say has surprised you the most or been different than when you were an assistant to head coach?) – “The amount of media. (laughter) No. Nothing has really surprised me. I came in understanding that I’d be working with IT to equipment to getting up and talking to you guys every day, security – I work with really everyone within the building. We’ve got a lot of great people in this building, really in all departments. I enjoy coming in to work every day and spending time with the people within this organization. Surprising? Not really. I had a lot of thoughts going in. I think when you’re actually doing it, I’m surprised that – I knew I was going to enjoy it – but how fulfilling this is for me and what a great opportunity and how fortunate I am. I would say that’s one of the things that’s not surprising, but I love what I do. I really do. Wins, losses, I get to – I try to – make an impact on 53 players on the active and 10 practice squad players, really 11. The way I message, the way I try to lead by example, I think it’s rubbing off on some of the guys and that’s why I got into coaching.”
(If you look at the start of your season, you’ve had a lot of stuff at all levels with DT Kendrick Norton, Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks Jim Caldwell, former Offensive Line Coach Pat Flarhety, WR Kenny Stills with Stephen Ross, and President Trump, and Stills with Jay-Z. You couldn’t have counted on all of that, right?) – “That’s life. I’d say with the Kendrick situation, I think it taught me and everyone else on the team that no one is exempt from tragedy. No football player, no NBA player, no political – no one is exempt from tragedy. With all of the other – Look, we deal with situations on a day-to-day basis. I’m sure you guys do, and so do our players, and so do I. As the leader of this team, I had my hands really in every area of this team, and every person on this team. I think that’s part of the job. It’s not something that – I’m never going to run away from it. I try to meet things head on, and be honest and transparent about every situation. I think I’ve done that. There is always going to be something. That’s life. I think that’s kind of my approach to coaching and how I handle myself on a day-to-day basis. Through all of those situations – and I think there has been a lot of them – I think we’ve handled them as well as we could. Some tougher than others. At the end of the day, as a leader, I feel the most important thing we can do is never get too high, never get too low, try to stay even, because there is people watching. There is a team of guys watching, and if I lose my cool, the rest of the group loses their cool as well. That’s not to say I’m perfect, because I do lose my cool at times. I’m sure Christian (Wilkins) is going to let you guys know about that, and you guys know that. (laughter) Overall, I think those are situations that come with the territory, and we just try to handle them the best we can.”
(How is WR Allen Hurns doing?) – “Allen is doing much better. I’m happy to see him doing a lot better. He’s as tough as they come. (He’s) dependable, smart and I think he embodies a lot of the things that we want out of our receiver group and out of the players we want on this team. I’m happy to have him back. He’s still in the (concussion) protocol; but when I say have him back, just in the building and meetings, and working his way back onto the field.”
