TRANSCRIPTS: Redskins HC Gruden, QB Cousins – September 13, 2017
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TRANSCRIPTS: Redskins HC Gruden, QB Cousins – September 13, 2017
Redskins Head Coach Jay Gruden – Conference Call – September 13, 2017
(On what it’s like coaching against a guy that he gave an opportunity to and helped raise in the NFL)
“Obviously, I was excited for (Rams Head Coach) Sean (McVay) to get the job. He earned it and deserved it. He did a lot of good things with the Redskins and got a head coaching job. Now, the only way to approach it’s another game. We have a very important game to play and we’re 0-1 and we’ve got to try and get our first win and that’s the only focus that we have. We just have to go from there, but after the game I’m sure I’ll talk to Sean, right now it’s about trying to get our first win.”
(On if he always assumed that Coach McVay would get a head coaching job)
“Well, honestly I didn’t think he’d get one this quick (laughs). He’s pretty young, but we had some success on offense and he did great things with (Redskins Q
Kirk Cousins obviously and he’s very organized. The whole trick is to get in front of a room and I had a feeling that once he got in front of a room, some general managers and some owners that he would be able to get in there because he’s very presentable, he’s very knowledgeable, very smart, he’s a very loyal guy and very passionate about the game. So, there’s a lot to like about Sean once you get to know him. I just didn’t know that people would give him that opportunity at such a young age, but once they started giving him interviews, I figured that he would get one of them because like I said, he has all of those traits to be a good head coach.”
(On the status of Redskins S Su’a Cravens)
“There’s no update. He’s on left quad (exempt/left squad) right now and he’s dealing with personal issues. But we drafted him and he had some great moments last year for us as a young player, as a 21-year-old kid. Playing, we put him at DIME linebacker to start, we tried to move him to safety this year in the offseason, he was making good progress and then the personal issues hit him. We hope he gets well and hope that he figures out what he wants to do in life and we support him either way.”
(On the difficulty of facing a colleague that knows him so well and vice versa)
“Not really. I just know that knowing what we do offensively, it’s going to be hard for our defense. They’re going to give us a lot of different formations, a lot of change-of-tempos offensively, quick counts, speed breaks, no huddle, a lot of different formations, a lot of stacks and they’ve got a good running game with (Rams R Todd Gurley and he changes it up with good play-action passes. I can tell them what he likes, but stopping it is another issue because you stop certain things but then they hit you with the running game or they hit you with the play-pass or hit you with the bunch-stack deal and the quick game and it’s a great changeup. He’s got a great changeup to his offense right now and when you’re in a groove offensively and you have your whole playbook open, it’s very hard to stop. The best way to stop them is to get them in third and long and make them one dimensional or get a big lead and make them one dimensional. It’s easier said than done, but that’s obviously the goal.”
(On what stood out on tape about the offense that shows him Coach McVay has made his imprint already)
“I just said, yeah, he just has a great ability to change it up. You don’t know what’s coming. You think, first and 10, stop Todd Gurley and then they do a play-pass and launch it over your head or they do a boot leg and hit somebody in the flat for a gain of nine and then they come back – he’s just got a great way of changing up the tempos and keeping you off balance. That’s what this offense is built around with the quick passes, boot legs that are friendly for the quarterback and then obviously staying out of third and longs is the key. But, if you can keep the offense friendly for the quarterback, you can have a lot of success because there’s a lot of ways that you can attack the defense and not make it too difficult on the ‘Q’ (quarterback).
(On what his initial idea was to hand over play calling duties to McVay at such a young age)
“I think when I first got the job here, I didn’t want to just totally change the entire system. Some of the terminology in place here in the running game and some of the play-action passes and keepers and all that stuff. So, the drop-back game we tried to implement from what I’ve known from over the past with my brother (Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Jon Gruden) and in Cincinnati and Sean has a great idea of that also because he was with us in Tampa Bay for a year and he was also with me in the UFL (United Football League) for one year. So, I felt like just from talking to the quarterbacks, instead of me having to tell him what the call to the quarterback and so forth, it was quicker to let him do it. We came up with the game plans together and situational – type football we came up together and then I still had a little bit of input, but I let him handle it because he was good and did a fine job.”
(On if there’s something about his personality that makes him a good play caller)
“He’s detailed. He’s very detailed in what he’s teaching. He’s got a system that he believes in – he knows he has a good combination from what he learned from the Shanahans and obviously what he learned from my brother and hopefully here from me a little bit, so, it’s a combination. And it’s important to protect the quarterback, which is I think the most important thing you can do as far as a play caller. You can have all the big plays in the world, but you have to protect the quarterback, so he’s got a good foundation for protections and getting the quarterback out of the pocket and getting him off the same spot and letting him move around and be comfortable. That’s all key.”
(On what he saw from Rams QB Jared Goff in the first game and if he can already see McVay’s imprint on him)
“Yeah, obviously they scored a lot of points and they were in great situations. The defense got two touchdowns for them and they had a big lead, so it’s a lot easier for a play caller, without a doubt. You’re comfortable and your whole playbook is open. It’s a little bit more difficult when you’re trailing by seven or 10 or something like that and you have third and longs that you’ve got to deal with. But you can see his imprint without a doubt. The play-passes, the nakeds (boot legs), to the running game and obviously the drop-back passing game with all the stacks and all the different formations that you’re going to get. He’s done a good job of implementing it, making it easy for Jared and Jared did a great job of executing and that’s what you’ve got to have. You’ve got to have a guy that can handle calling all those plays and formations, but then you have to execute it and Jared did a good job.”
(On if there was anything that McVay struggled with when he first started as the play caller in Washington)
“Not really. We worked on the game plan together. We had O-line coaches help in the running game, I helped with third downs, we had a coach help with the red zone, so it wasn’t like Sean was the only one putting the game plan together. We had a lot of people, a lot of input in the game plan. I’m sure he has that there with (Rams Offensive Line) Coach (Aaron) Kromer and (Rams Tight Ends Coach) Shane (Waldron) and the other coaches he has there, (Rams Offensive Coordinator Matt) LaFleur, they’re helping with the game plan. Once you have a game plan in, you have your situations and you have your first 15 (plays of the game) and then it’s just a steady flow of how to call the plays. It’s a matter of how you use the people around you and I’m sure he’s got the resources to have good people around and help him.”
(On how often he has stayed in touch with McVay since he got the Rams job)
“We stay in touch all the time. I haven’t talked to him today, but we stay in touch quite a bit. I’ve known him for a long time. His family and my family go way back. My dad worked for his grandfather with the 49ers as a scout. Obviously we worked together. My dad coached his dad at Indiana, so we go way back as far as our families are concerned. We’ll be friends for the long haul I would think.”
(On if there are a couple things that stick out in his mind about Kirk Cousins development with McVay as the offensive coordinator)
“I just think the total package, not just Sean. I think (then Redskins Quarterbacks Coach Matt) Cavanaugh had a little bit of input in that also, he did good things with him as a quarterback coach. It was a team effort with Kirk and ultimately, a quarterback has to do it and Kirk has done a good job of establishing himself as a starter. It’s a matter of getting to know your quarterback, trying to make him comfortable, trying to protect the quarterback and not making every play really, really hard. There are certain plays that you try to make easy for the quarterback, whether it’s quick game or getting a bootleg and getting down flat or maybe a crosser that’s open – sometimes it’s easier than others, but I think for the most part, we came up with a system that Kirk was comfortable with and we were able to implement it and Kirk was able to execute it.”
(On the instinct of improvisation element when play calling)
“Well you have your scripts for every situation. You have 120-150 plays sometimes on your game plan call sheet, but you have your scripts as far as third and two-to-five, third and six-to-nine, third and 10-plus – whatever it is, you have short yardage, goal line, you have redzone, redzone third downs, so you go by the script of what you practiced. You’re not going to deviate off of that. Now, what you’re going to call as far as when you’re going to call your play-actions and your running game and all that stuff, that’s the important thing, to mix it in there. But, once you get down you become one dimensional and then your script becomes very, very tight and small and that’s where it becomes difficult. Fortunately for Sean, he didn’t have to deal with that last week, hopefully he will this week (laughs). But, that’s the whole goal of this offense and anybody’s offense, quite frankly. You look around the league and there was a lot of offenses that struggled, the majority of those were down and got in a lot of third downs and couldn’t get any rhythm going. You have to convert on third downs. I don’t know what the Rams were last week, but we were three-for-10 and that just makes it hard for the play caller because the next drive you’ve got to get something going instead of maintaining the ball and field position and all that stuff where you can keep the defense off balance. Each game is different, different challenges, but it’s very important for the playmaker to adjust and Sean’s always done a pretty good job of that.”
(On what he saw from the Rams defense on film)
“It’s a (Rams Defensive Coordinator) Wade Phillips blueprint without a doubt. He’s an excellent football coach, we know that and he’s got great personnel. He had great personnel in Denver. I don’t know how many Pro Bowlers he had over there, I don’t know how many he’s got this year. He’s got five first-round picks on the defensive line, he’s got (Rams LB Alec) Ogletree, he’s got a heck of a corner (Rams CB Trumaine Johnson) who is a Pro Bowl type corner. (Rams S Lamarcus) Joyner is playing excellent. (Rams LB Mark) Barron, I don’t know if he’s a Pro Bowler, but he damn near looks like one. So, they’ve got a very talented defense over there and when you have talented cover guys and you can play man-to-man and rush five or four and get home with your four-man pressures, you can be very successful no matter what you call. But his system is very solid and very sound – people know what they’re doing, they don’t have any coverage mess-ups, the quarterback is always, always getting hurried, at least (Indianapolis QB Scott) Tolzien was. I mean, every play he was getting hit or had somebody in his face. When you disrupt the timing of routes and you have four-man rushes and five-man rushes that get to the quarterback, you’re going to have a ton of success on defense and that’s the look of a Wade Phillips defense right there.”
(On how difficult it is to project what the Rams will do with DT Aaron Donald)
“We know where he’s going to be – he’s going to be a three-tech and he’s going to rush and he’s going to rush hard. He’s a heck of a pass rusher, the best three-technique pass rusher and we just played a great one in (Philadelphia DT) Fletcher Cox. Now, okay, we’re done with Fletcher Cox and now we’ve got Aaron Donald, so two great challenges, two of the best three-techniques in the game back-to-back weeks. Our guards have got to ready. They have to strap it up and protect because he’s got every move you want – he can power rush you, he can spin you, he can rip you, he gets off the snap with great tempo and he’s fast, so it will be a great challenge. Then you’ve got (Rams OLB Robert) Quinn over there and (Rams DT Michael) Brockers, they’ve got a nonstop arsenal of pass rushers. (Rams OL Connor Barwin still looks good. They’re a good football team.”
Redskins QB Kirk Cousins – Conference Call – September 13, 2017
(On what ways he feels like Rams Head Coach Sean McVay aided his development in Washington)
“Well, being our play caller and our offensive coordinator, he had as big a role in my development as anybody. This is the first year in the NFL that I’ve not been able to work with him because he’s been on the staff every year of my career with the Redskins. I have a lot of respect for him and am grateful for the role that he played, which is a very large role in my development.”
(On how McVay makes life easy on the quarterback)
“Well, I think he does a good job all week long, working really hard, putting in long hours and really having an intent for every play that he calls. He’s not just spinning a rolodex and picking a play out at random. He really has a reason and intention for every play he calls and he’s designed those plays during the week for a specific reason. He’s not just drawing them up in the dirt and hoping they work. There’s an intention there and a mastery of football that enables him to design those plays. Ultimately, players have to execute them, but he does a really good job with the design, the scheme and then he has to communicate it to the players. You know, those plays are no good if you don’t have the ability to transfer it to the players and he does a good job all week installing, teaching and communicating in such a way that the players understand their job and they do it.”
(On what exactly makes McVay an exceptional play caller)
“I think he’s a quick thinker, he’s got a sharp mind. He’s highly organized. He’s a good communicator. All those things play a role in being a strong play caller. As to what sets him apart the most, hard to say. I think when you can have all those abilities in one, not many people have that in one package. He also has a lot of presence up front, so when he communicates to the team or to the offense, people are listening. And, they follow what he’s saying and they get behind him because of the presence he carries himself with.”
(On if he noticed a difference from when McVay first started play calling to the end of their time together in Washington)
“I think he improved. I think he was very sharp and on top of it from the start. But, in 2014, I think there was a lot that was new, with a new head coach and I think we were all trying to understand how it was going to work. I think 2014 was a bit of a trial by fire and a learning experience for all of us. Then, where Sean really took off was in that offseason of 2015 getting ready for the 2015 season. He just did a really good job of going back to the basics. Having a plan and a reason for everything we did. Organizing the gameplan and the installs and just communicating really well. That carried over through the ‘15 season into the ‘16 season and we were really getting better each year. Thrilled for him that through those positive seasons he was able to transform that into a head coaching opportunity. You always want to see guys that you play with and work with have a chance to move up in this league and certainly that was the case with Sean.”
(On how QB Jared Goff, as a young quarterback, will benefit the most from working with McVay)
“Well, I think Sean has experience working with another young quarterback in myself. He knows what it’s like to try to teach his system to somebody who’s new to the league and new to starting, so this is not the first time around for Sean along those lines and Jared has all the talent in the world, you know with the arm talent and that certainly gives them a great chance then, because that doesn’t limit what Sean can do from a play calling standpoint when Jared has that ability to throw it all over the field. I think with some of the additions they were able to get this offseason and then trade for (WR) Sammy Watkins, it gives them the resources they need to make those plays work. I think when Sean has those tools at his disposal, that’s when he’s really able to be at his best.”
(On if he’s concerned that he’s playing against a staff that knows him and if that presents any challenges for him)
“Sure. We have to be smart and aware that they’re very familiar with our scheme and with our personnel. It is a unique situation, so we have to be aware of that and plan accordingly. In this league that tends to happen week-to-week or year-to-year as people change and move. There’s always people in other buildings that have information or experience that they can share to try to help each end. You just have to try to be a step ahead and have a plan to handle that.”
(On DT Aaron Donald not being present in film from the Rams-Colts game and how that will affect their game planning)
“Well, it’s just going to come down to match-ups where Aaron is such a great player and we have to understand that he can really take over a game and we have to account for him and have a plan to block him in both the run game and the pass game. He’s a great player and we’ll certainly be aware of his presence on the field come Sunday.”
(On his first impression of McVay)
“I remember more or less meeting him when I was drafted. He was the tight ends coach. It was 2012 in the spring, we just start by doing drills on the field. I remember just throwing routes to the wide receivers and tight ends and there was this really, really young guy coaching the tight ends and I thought that’s interesting. I don’t know how old he is, but he can’t be more than 27 years old. I thought that was just unique, because where I had come from at Michigan State – which is all I had known at the time – we didn’t have coaches that were that young, position coaches. We had (Rams offensive coordinator) Matt LaFleur, we had (49ers Head Coach) Kyle Shanahan – all those coaches were young at that time, but they were all sharp. You could see right away, Sean, as he coached the tight ends – not only was he sharp, but he knew his material inside and out. There was a conviction when he taught it that what this guy is saying, not only is correct, but it’s going to help me become a better player. Regardless of his age I think guys listen to him right away and people who were older than him were willing to be coached by him because they respected his knowledge for the game and his desire for them to succeed.”
Redskins Head Coach Jay Gruden – Conference Call – September 13, 2017
(On what it’s like coaching against a guy that he gave an opportunity to and helped raise in the NFL)
“Obviously, I was excited for (Rams Head Coach) Sean (McVay) to get the job. He earned it and deserved it. He did a lot of good things with the Redskins and got a head coaching job. Now, the only way to approach it’s another game. We have a very important game to play and we’re 0-1 and we’ve got to try and get our first win and that’s the only focus that we have. We just have to go from there, but after the game I’m sure I’ll talk to Sean, right now it’s about trying to get our first win.”
(On if he always assumed that Coach McVay would get a head coaching job)
“Well, honestly I didn’t think he’d get one this quick (laughs). He’s pretty young, but we had some success on offense and he did great things with (Redskins Q
Kirk Cousins obviously and he’s very organized. The whole trick is to get in front of a room and I had a feeling that once he got in front of a room, some general managers and some owners that he would be able to get in there because he’s very presentable, he’s very knowledgeable, very smart, he’s a very loyal guy and very passionate about the game. So, there’s a lot to like about Sean once you get to know him. I just didn’t know that people would give him that opportunity at such a young age, but once they started giving him interviews, I figured that he would get one of them because like I said, he has all of those traits to be a good head coach.”(On the status of Redskins S Su’a Cravens)
“There’s no update. He’s on left quad (exempt/left squad) right now and he’s dealing with personal issues. But we drafted him and he had some great moments last year for us as a young player, as a 21-year-old kid. Playing, we put him at DIME linebacker to start, we tried to move him to safety this year in the offseason, he was making good progress and then the personal issues hit him. We hope he gets well and hope that he figures out what he wants to do in life and we support him either way.”
(On the difficulty of facing a colleague that knows him so well and vice versa)
“Not really. I just know that knowing what we do offensively, it’s going to be hard for our defense. They’re going to give us a lot of different formations, a lot of change-of-tempos offensively, quick counts, speed breaks, no huddle, a lot of different formations, a lot of stacks and they’ve got a good running game with (Rams R
Todd Gurley and he changes it up with good play-action passes. I can tell them what he likes, but stopping it is another issue because you stop certain things but then they hit you with the running game or they hit you with the play-pass or hit you with the bunch-stack deal and the quick game and it’s a great changeup. He’s got a great changeup to his offense right now and when you’re in a groove offensively and you have your whole playbook open, it’s very hard to stop. The best way to stop them is to get them in third and long and make them one dimensional or get a big lead and make them one dimensional. It’s easier said than done, but that’s obviously the goal.”(On what stood out on tape about the offense that shows him Coach McVay has made his imprint already)
“I just said, yeah, he just has a great ability to change it up. You don’t know what’s coming. You think, first and 10, stop Todd Gurley and then they do a play-pass and launch it over your head or they do a boot leg and hit somebody in the flat for a gain of nine and then they come back – he’s just got a great way of changing up the tempos and keeping you off balance. That’s what this offense is built around with the quick passes, boot legs that are friendly for the quarterback and then obviously staying out of third and longs is the key. But, if you can keep the offense friendly for the quarterback, you can have a lot of success because there’s a lot of ways that you can attack the defense and not make it too difficult on the ‘Q’ (quarterback).
(On what his initial idea was to hand over play calling duties to McVay at such a young age)
“I think when I first got the job here, I didn’t want to just totally change the entire system. Some of the terminology in place here in the running game and some of the play-action passes and keepers and all that stuff. So, the drop-back game we tried to implement from what I’ve known from over the past with my brother (Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Jon Gruden) and in Cincinnati and Sean has a great idea of that also because he was with us in Tampa Bay for a year and he was also with me in the UFL (United Football League) for one year. So, I felt like just from talking to the quarterbacks, instead of me having to tell him what the call to the quarterback and so forth, it was quicker to let him do it. We came up with the game plans together and situational – type football we came up together and then I still had a little bit of input, but I let him handle it because he was good and did a fine job.”
(On if there’s something about his personality that makes him a good play caller)
“He’s detailed. He’s very detailed in what he’s teaching. He’s got a system that he believes in – he knows he has a good combination from what he learned from the Shanahans and obviously what he learned from my brother and hopefully here from me a little bit, so, it’s a combination. And it’s important to protect the quarterback, which is I think the most important thing you can do as far as a play caller. You can have all the big plays in the world, but you have to protect the quarterback, so he’s got a good foundation for protections and getting the quarterback out of the pocket and getting him off the same spot and letting him move around and be comfortable. That’s all key.”
(On what he saw from Rams QB Jared Goff in the first game and if he can already see McVay’s imprint on him)
“Yeah, obviously they scored a lot of points and they were in great situations. The defense got two touchdowns for them and they had a big lead, so it’s a lot easier for a play caller, without a doubt. You’re comfortable and your whole playbook is open. It’s a little bit more difficult when you’re trailing by seven or 10 or something like that and you have third and longs that you’ve got to deal with. But you can see his imprint without a doubt. The play-passes, the nakeds (boot legs), to the running game and obviously the drop-back passing game with all the stacks and all the different formations that you’re going to get. He’s done a good job of implementing it, making it easy for Jared and Jared did a great job of executing and that’s what you’ve got to have. You’ve got to have a guy that can handle calling all those plays and formations, but then you have to execute it and Jared did a good job.”
(On if there was anything that McVay struggled with when he first started as the play caller in Washington)
“Not really. We worked on the game plan together. We had O-line coaches help in the running game, I helped with third downs, we had a coach help with the red zone, so it wasn’t like Sean was the only one putting the game plan together. We had a lot of people, a lot of input in the game plan. I’m sure he has that there with (Rams Offensive Line) Coach (Aaron) Kromer and (Rams Tight Ends Coach) Shane (Waldron) and the other coaches he has there, (Rams Offensive Coordinator Matt) LaFleur, they’re helping with the game plan. Once you have a game plan in, you have your situations and you have your first 15 (plays of the game) and then it’s just a steady flow of how to call the plays. It’s a matter of how you use the people around you and I’m sure he’s got the resources to have good people around and help him.”
(On how often he has stayed in touch with McVay since he got the Rams job)
“We stay in touch all the time. I haven’t talked to him today, but we stay in touch quite a bit. I’ve known him for a long time. His family and my family go way back. My dad worked for his grandfather with the 49ers as a scout. Obviously we worked together. My dad coached his dad at Indiana, so we go way back as far as our families are concerned. We’ll be friends for the long haul I would think.”
(On if there are a couple things that stick out in his mind about Kirk Cousins development with McVay as the offensive coordinator)
“I just think the total package, not just Sean. I think (then Redskins Quarterbacks Coach Matt) Cavanaugh had a little bit of input in that also, he did good things with him as a quarterback coach. It was a team effort with Kirk and ultimately, a quarterback has to do it and Kirk has done a good job of establishing himself as a starter. It’s a matter of getting to know your quarterback, trying to make him comfortable, trying to protect the quarterback and not making every play really, really hard. There are certain plays that you try to make easy for the quarterback, whether it’s quick game or getting a bootleg and getting down flat or maybe a crosser that’s open – sometimes it’s easier than others, but I think for the most part, we came up with a system that Kirk was comfortable with and we were able to implement it and Kirk was able to execute it.”
(On the instinct of improvisation element when play calling)
“Well you have your scripts for every situation. You have 120-150 plays sometimes on your game plan call sheet, but you have your scripts as far as third and two-to-five, third and six-to-nine, third and 10-plus – whatever it is, you have short yardage, goal line, you have redzone, redzone third downs, so you go by the script of what you practiced. You’re not going to deviate off of that. Now, what you’re going to call as far as when you’re going to call your play-actions and your running game and all that stuff, that’s the important thing, to mix it in there. But, once you get down you become one dimensional and then your script becomes very, very tight and small and that’s where it becomes difficult. Fortunately for Sean, he didn’t have to deal with that last week, hopefully he will this week (laughs). But, that’s the whole goal of this offense and anybody’s offense, quite frankly. You look around the league and there was a lot of offenses that struggled, the majority of those were down and got in a lot of third downs and couldn’t get any rhythm going. You have to convert on third downs. I don’t know what the Rams were last week, but we were three-for-10 and that just makes it hard for the play caller because the next drive you’ve got to get something going instead of maintaining the ball and field position and all that stuff where you can keep the defense off balance. Each game is different, different challenges, but it’s very important for the playmaker to adjust and Sean’s always done a pretty good job of that.”
(On what he saw from the Rams defense on film)
“It’s a (Rams Defensive Coordinator) Wade Phillips blueprint without a doubt. He’s an excellent football coach, we know that and he’s got great personnel. He had great personnel in Denver. I don’t know how many Pro Bowlers he had over there, I don’t know how many he’s got this year. He’s got five first-round picks on the defensive line, he’s got (Rams LB Alec) Ogletree, he’s got a heck of a corner (Rams CB Trumaine Johnson) who is a Pro Bowl type corner. (Rams S Lamarcus) Joyner is playing excellent. (Rams LB Mark) Barron, I don’t know if he’s a Pro Bowler, but he damn near looks like one. So, they’ve got a very talented defense over there and when you have talented cover guys and you can play man-to-man and rush five or four and get home with your four-man pressures, you can be very successful no matter what you call. But his system is very solid and very sound – people know what they’re doing, they don’t have any coverage mess-ups, the quarterback is always, always getting hurried, at least (Indianapolis QB Scott) Tolzien was. I mean, every play he was getting hit or had somebody in his face. When you disrupt the timing of routes and you have four-man rushes and five-man rushes that get to the quarterback, you’re going to have a ton of success on defense and that’s the look of a Wade Phillips defense right there.”
(On how difficult it is to project what the Rams will do with DT Aaron Donald)
“We know where he’s going to be – he’s going to be a three-tech and he’s going to rush and he’s going to rush hard. He’s a heck of a pass rusher, the best three-technique pass rusher and we just played a great one in (Philadelphia DT) Fletcher Cox. Now, okay, we’re done with Fletcher Cox and now we’ve got Aaron Donald, so two great challenges, two of the best three-techniques in the game back-to-back weeks. Our guards have got to ready. They have to strap it up and protect because he’s got every move you want – he can power rush you, he can spin you, he can rip you, he gets off the snap with great tempo and he’s fast, so it will be a great challenge. Then you’ve got (Rams OLB Robert) Quinn over there and (Rams DT Michael) Brockers, they’ve got a nonstop arsenal of pass rushers. (Rams OL
Connor Barwin still looks good. They’re a good football team.”Redskins QB Kirk Cousins – Conference Call – September 13, 2017
(On what ways he feels like Rams Head Coach Sean McVay aided his development in Washington)
“Well, being our play caller and our offensive coordinator, he had as big a role in my development as anybody. This is the first year in the NFL that I’ve not been able to work with him because he’s been on the staff every year of my career with the Redskins. I have a lot of respect for him and am grateful for the role that he played, which is a very large role in my development.”
(On how McVay makes life easy on the quarterback)
“Well, I think he does a good job all week long, working really hard, putting in long hours and really having an intent for every play that he calls. He’s not just spinning a rolodex and picking a play out at random. He really has a reason and intention for every play he calls and he’s designed those plays during the week for a specific reason. He’s not just drawing them up in the dirt and hoping they work. There’s an intention there and a mastery of football that enables him to design those plays. Ultimately, players have to execute them, but he does a really good job with the design, the scheme and then he has to communicate it to the players. You know, those plays are no good if you don’t have the ability to transfer it to the players and he does a good job all week installing, teaching and communicating in such a way that the players understand their job and they do it.”
(On what exactly makes McVay an exceptional play caller)
“I think he’s a quick thinker, he’s got a sharp mind. He’s highly organized. He’s a good communicator. All those things play a role in being a strong play caller. As to what sets him apart the most, hard to say. I think when you can have all those abilities in one, not many people have that in one package. He also has a lot of presence up front, so when he communicates to the team or to the offense, people are listening. And, they follow what he’s saying and they get behind him because of the presence he carries himself with.”
(On if he noticed a difference from when McVay first started play calling to the end of their time together in Washington)
“I think he improved. I think he was very sharp and on top of it from the start. But, in 2014, I think there was a lot that was new, with a new head coach and I think we were all trying to understand how it was going to work. I think 2014 was a bit of a trial by fire and a learning experience for all of us. Then, where Sean really took off was in that offseason of 2015 getting ready for the 2015 season. He just did a really good job of going back to the basics. Having a plan and a reason for everything we did. Organizing the gameplan and the installs and just communicating really well. That carried over through the ‘15 season into the ‘16 season and we were really getting better each year. Thrilled for him that through those positive seasons he was able to transform that into a head coaching opportunity. You always want to see guys that you play with and work with have a chance to move up in this league and certainly that was the case with Sean.”
(On how QB Jared Goff, as a young quarterback, will benefit the most from working with McVay)
“Well, I think Sean has experience working with another young quarterback in myself. He knows what it’s like to try to teach his system to somebody who’s new to the league and new to starting, so this is not the first time around for Sean along those lines and Jared has all the talent in the world, you know with the arm talent and that certainly gives them a great chance then, because that doesn’t limit what Sean can do from a play calling standpoint when Jared has that ability to throw it all over the field. I think with some of the additions they were able to get this offseason and then trade for (WR) Sammy Watkins, it gives them the resources they need to make those plays work. I think when Sean has those tools at his disposal, that’s when he’s really able to be at his best.”
(On if he’s concerned that he’s playing against a staff that knows him and if that presents any challenges for him)
“Sure. We have to be smart and aware that they’re very familiar with our scheme and with our personnel. It is a unique situation, so we have to be aware of that and plan accordingly. In this league that tends to happen week-to-week or year-to-year as people change and move. There’s always people in other buildings that have information or experience that they can share to try to help each end. You just have to try to be a step ahead and have a plan to handle that.”
(On DT Aaron Donald not being present in film from the Rams-Colts game and how that will affect their game planning)
“Well, it’s just going to come down to match-ups where Aaron is such a great player and we have to understand that he can really take over a game and we have to account for him and have a plan to block him in both the run game and the pass game. He’s a great player and we’ll certainly be aware of his presence on the field come Sunday.”
(On his first impression of McVay)
“I remember more or less meeting him when I was drafted. He was the tight ends coach. It was 2012 in the spring, we just start by doing drills on the field. I remember just throwing routes to the wide receivers and tight ends and there was this really, really young guy coaching the tight ends and I thought that’s interesting. I don’t know how old he is, but he can’t be more than 27 years old. I thought that was just unique, because where I had come from at Michigan State – which is all I had known at the time – we didn’t have coaches that were that young, position coaches. We had (Rams offensive coordinator) Matt LaFleur, we had (49ers Head Coach) Kyle Shanahan – all those coaches were young at that time, but they were all sharp. You could see right away, Sean, as he coached the tight ends – not only was he sharp, but he knew his material inside and out. There was a conviction when he taught it that what this guy is saying, not only is correct, but it’s going to help me become a better player. Regardless of his age I think guys listen to him right away and people who were older than him were willing to be coached by him because they respected his knowledge for the game and his desire for them to succeed.”
| Subject | Author | Views | Posted |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Shaky | 270 | September 13, 2017 02:22PM |
