Los Angeles Rams Transcripts - Offensive Coordinator Kevin O'Connell, Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris, CB Jalen Ramsey, DL Aaron Donald - October 14, 2021
|
|
Los Angeles Rams Transcripts - Offensive Coordinator Kevin O'Connell, Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris, CB Jalen Ramsey, DL Aaron Donald - October 14, 2021
Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris, Offensive Coordinator Kevin O'Connell, CB Jalen Ramsey, DL Aaron Donald,
Offensive Coordinator Kevin O'Connell
(On how QB Matthew Stafford’s ability to manipulate arm angles and what he does with his eyes expands what may be simple concepts and gives depth when they are in the screen game)
It's a great question because the screen game - whether you're throwing a perimeter screen, something to the halfbacks like we've done, or even something to the tight ends - every blade of grass matters sometimes, and defenses are so good at kind of feeling the timing and rhythm of when the line is getting out to get on their blocks. Even last week, I think of one we had into kind of a pressure with one of the better safeties in football and (Q
Matthew's (Stafford) ability to kind of hold his eyes through the throw, what that does as far as buying us that extra click off of the catch to then get rolling forward, find our blocks, and just kind of the sequencing of those plays to make them all the way through the release of the ball and the catch by the back, or whoever it is, to keep the defense feeling drop back pass or whatever the intent is of the sell. You can't understate it and it's something that's really hard to it - if you're going to coach it, good luck. It's more of the feel of a guy and the experience over the years of understanding where the landmarks are, where those throws are going to go and maybe not necessarily he's done it multiple times. Now, I'll have to look at where he's throwing. It's not something you can coach. It's not something you go out there on the field and say, ‘Hey guys, we're going to “no-look” these.” But, when a guy shows the ownership of it to do that, it can take that stuff to the next level.”
(On Stafford describing his style of play)
“Complete ownership of what we're trying to do. And then not only that, the intent per the look, cause then not every look will be the same. They're not always going to stand exactly in the same spot. They're really hard plays to practice. Because of that, get the looks full speed, the targeting, things like that. So, when you can, like I said, when you can kind of have that feel for that particular look and how you're going to apply - maybe your eyes are an extra step on your drop or maybe what you're looking at before you even get to the no-look throw of how it sets the defense. It's huge.”
(On if they’ve gotten used to the no-look passes)
“No. We highlighted one this morning. (Head) Coach (Sean) McVay did with the team and any chance I get just that. It's always great, when we're in those team settings, to even hear the defenses reactions that maybe weren't able to see it on game day. You’ll maybe hear an (DL Aaron Donald) “AD” or (DL Sebastian Joseph-Day) “Bash” up front and say, “Whoa!” Like, they didn't even notice he did it in the game, but it's that next level of kind of ownership that Matthew shown that's really helped us in the screen game, for sure.”
(On who is responsible for Stafford being the least sacked and pressured QB in the league)
“We talk about all 11 a lot. I know I've mentioned it to you guys in the run game, but I think that's a stat. Sacks in general and pressures and things like that are an all 11 stat with how we handle our protections from the standpoint. I just think of some of the pickups that (R Sony (Michel) and (R Darrell (Henderson) have had on some critical downs, maybe not even third downs. When you go fast, sometimes you maybe don't get the most ideal protection calls if time is of the essence of getting that ball snapped. So, those guys playing with great eyes, picking up any external pressures that show up, and then the receiver separate and winning versus men coverage - maybe it's a match fire zone. Maybe we're just finding the open grass. But those guys all contributing to getting the ball out of the quarterback's hands and then Matthew’s ownership to understand where his quick elements are, where his throws are, maybe those snaps where I'm going to hold an extra click and maybe take a hit, but it's worth it with the ability to get down field versus some defenses. But, another really good question because it feeds back to our all 11 philosophy. But, you can't talk about the lack of pressures and sacks without highlighting those big guys up front first. They've done a great job, really. (Offensive Line) Coach (Kevin) Carberry has come in and his philosophy of how we want to set the pocket, how we want to have that be the first line of defense is our starting point, to set in the dish in that pocket. Those guys, no matter the look - jam, five down, a drop bait, whatever it is - those guys are doing a great job, providing Matthew with that initial pocket. And then from there it's all 11 taking over so that we have a successful play.
(On what has turned out different about the line considering they didn’t add anyone to the line)
“I think it's a combination. I think it's a combination of a couple of things - the consistency of the guys on the outside, and guards that we've had last year, and to get those guys on the outside, and the guards back in those same spots, working together, another full off season working together. I know we talked about him a lot, but you can't say enough about (OL) Brian Allen and just what he's done solidifying everything from inside out. His relationship at the line of scrimmage with Matthew - that is next level stuff where I know folks at home probably hear it - we're hoping our opponents don't hear it all that often - but the TV copies catch a lot as far as the dialogue of Matthew and all those guys up front. It's unbelievable to hear when we go back and look at some of that stuff. You pair that with what's going on with the play clock going down, and then Matthew's ability and Brian's ability to get on the same page no matter the look, maybe it's not even something we've prepared for those guys using their base rules as a starting point, and then playing ball from there. But, it's a combination of Brian's emergence and then the consistency of those guards and tackles being so steady and rock solid for us.”
(On how having two running backs who have the skillset to do a little bit of everything well positively affects an offense)
“Obviously you want to get the ball in their hands in the run game. But then – I can just think off the top of my head – we've thrown the running back screens out on the perimeter. We've thrown quick game to them. We try to get the ball to them down the field, depending on what the look may be. Their versatility in the pass game, for sure. But then when they are in the backfield, we're going fast and it's time to pick up, whether it was (Seahawks L Bobby Wagner, (Buccaneers L Lavonte David, (Buccaneers L Devin White, some of the best linebackers in football that we have so much respect for. It’s one thing to talk about it and for me to stand up in front of the room and talk about protections with the clicker in my hand, but they have to go out and actually block those guys, extend those plays that extra half a click for us to activate things that may look good from a route concept on the chalkboard, but then you got to go out and block those five guys coming, six guys coming, no matter what the pressure is. And (Q Matthew (Stafford) has trust in that. To know that those guys are going to make those pickups is what's allowing us to continually execute versus some of those pressures we're seeing.”
(On his perspective of why WR Robert Woods got so many targets against Seattle)
“I think a lot of times, like we've talked about, it's some of those plays where (WR) Robert (Woods) did get touches and targets in that game. It might've been our second and third progression and it's just manipulating coverage. Whatever they want to play on that particular snap, we pride ourselves on having answers. So the ball may go backside to (WR) Van (Jefferson) or (WR) DeSean (Jackson), it may go to Higgs (TE Tyler Higbee), it may go to (WR) Cooper (Kupp), we may check it down to the backs, or if we can manipulate coverage and attack a void, or a man match up, it's all kind of the same, we're going to find the winner. What’s fun right now as a coach is you can really sit back and think about attacking coverage – understanding that the quarterback is going to see things through the lens of how we intended him to see it and then he activates in the rhythm and timing the snap to the open guy. It really is sometimes random how it all plays out based upon the coverage. But if it's a look that we expect to see, it just comes down to attacking those looks with concepts that our guys feel good about and the quarterback can attack. I see it as all five eligibles, I'm telling you, can come alive at any time. We really preach that to our guys and to stay consistent in how they separate and understanding that they do it in the rhythm of the timing of the snap because the quarterbacks can find you.”
(On the conversations he has with guys such as QB Matthew Stafford, WR Cooper Kupp and Woods at the end of practice when they are all huddled up on the field)
“I think it pairs with the question that I just answered about targets and who's getting what, as far as all five eligibles coming alive. Sometimes it's that conversation of, we might've thrown a ball in practice to Van on the front side of something, but Cooper or Robert will say, ‘Hey, on the backside, I ran it like this. I felt like I showed up. What'd you think?’ And a lot of times Matthew does such a good job in practice of seeing the whole field, seeing all 11, that in real time, just like we do on the sideline with the Surface tablets, or maybe not even needing to see those sometimes, we can kind of have dialogue that will make a good play better and give us a chance to have an even better rep when it counts on Sunday. Sometimes it's that, sometimes it's just verifying things we saw in practice, maybe the look, how it might be different from what the scout team gave us in the game and how that might adjust what we're doing. A lot of coach speak to say really high football IQ out of all those guys that makes it fun to have those conversations. Sometimes you just step back and let them go and I'm more observing than anything, but other times it's clarifying something for those guys or maybe circling back on something we need to hit the next morning or that afternoon that that was something that needed to be cleared up. But it's about making sure by one o'clock on Sunday, we're ready to go with the best possible version of what we want to put on the field that week.”
Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris
(On his reaction to the Jon Gruden news)
“A lot of coaches expressed their feelings about that, about being sad about the situation because of their close relationships with Jon (Gruden), and rightfully so. That would obviously extend to me as well. You're talking about a guy who gave me my first opportunity in the National Football League, a guy that you have been around and got a lot of quality information from, the quality tools to be successful in this business. But obviously, and I hate to say obviously, but the things that were said and the things that were hurtful to people are obviously not acceptable in any setting, let alone the NFL setting or our setting. So you got to look at those things and you got to move past those things. And at some point, I think we all got to find a way to bring him back, the people that do know him and the people that know him well. And obviously for us, it would have to be him searching out someone to the help or to some of the people that he has to talk to in order to search for that type of forgiveness. It's always a two-way street, no different than any other problem in the National Football League or how you want to handle it in life when it comes to those things. But you do feel saddened for all the people involved. When you're talking about everybody on those emails, different people that you know. You're talking about the families of those people and the things that have put you through. And the knock on the league and where we're trying to go and how we're trying to do things differently and what things have progressed.”
(On if reading the comments surprised him, specifically the comments regarding Executive Director of the National Football League Players Association DeMaurice Smith)
“I will go on and say – not that things surprise you, but people are always taken out of context and I don't know if he was or not. But you do know you can’t say those things and those things are frowned upon in almost every environment. I'm sure looking back at it, there's a bunch of things you'd like to take back. There's a bunch of things that he would take back. There's a bunch of things that he'd do differently. I'm sure looking about it, you've got to find out and you got to really dig deep and find out whether you're sorry that you got caught or if you are sorry that you said those things truly and endearingly that way. In this profession, nothing really shocks you. I'm not a person that gets shocked by just about anything. People will tend to disappoint you in life at times, and how you move forward and how you deal with those things as you go. And that's kind of how I look at it.”
(On if it was hurtful for him to see)
“You're talking about a mentor. You're talking about a guy who's done a lot for me and my career, and a lot of people in this building. You're talking about guy that’s done a bunch of different things, for buildings all over. I know about some of the things he's done as a younger coach. He's one of the first quality control coaches to ever be a part of this National Football League. Of course it was hurtful for me personally, because you wanted to grind, you wanted to get to those moments and do some of those things but still, it doesn't excuse the behavior. It doesn't excuse the lack of poor judgment, however you want to put it. It just doesn't excuse those things.”
(On if he feels the NFL is doing enough to send a welcoming message to the groups that were disparaged)
“When you talk about the league, first of all I will commend the league, (Commissioner) Roger Goodell, (Chief Administrator of Football Operations) Dawn Aponte, (Executive Vice President of Football Operations) Troy Vincent, and you're talking about (Vice President of Game Operations) Stephanie (Durante), you’re talking about (Vice President of Corporate Communications) Megan (Grant), some of those people that all work in the league office that are apart of those groups and apart of fixing change and bringing about change in the National Football League. They are trying. But this message and these things, that they come up, that just lets you know that there is way more work to be done. When you are talking about inclusion, people being sensitive to other people's feelings and all those types of things. I think they do a great job of trying to make those things happen. And just the names I called out, talking about an African-American in Troy Vincent, he was talking about women across the board, the Stephanie's that Dawn Aponte’s, all those type of people. I think those guys are showing you where the league is going and where our game is going and what we're trying to do and being inclusive and all those type of things. But when things like this happen, it just lets you know there is still so much work to be done in our country, not just in NFL football. The league definitely sets precedents. It definitely does a nice job of trying to get those things out. We're not perfect by any means and they certainly won't be either. If we're expected to think that, I think that's our fault. We all got to help in that journey moving that way. It's just more of the uncomfortable conversation that people are not comfortable having. It just so happens that there are people that walk in my shoes that are comfortable having them. I live in that life and I lived in this life for a while and I'm very comfortable having these conversations with just about anybody.”
(On CB Darious Williams being out and what that means for CB David Long Jr. and the versatility of CB Jalen Ramsey)
“You got to have versatility with (C Jalen (Ramsey). (C Darious (Williams) was a big part of us having that ability to do those things. Now you can't replace those types of guys with one guy. It’s got to be by committee. You got to be able to do those things. It’d be some (C David Long (Jr.), will be some more (D Robert Rochell. A potential of somebody like a (S Terrell) Burgess emerging. All those guys in this roster that you can use and can use their skillsets. You’ll hear the cliche by coaches saying, ‘The next man up.’ It's more like the next men up. The next people up to fill those roles to be able to do those things. I think it's our job as coaches to identify the problem. It's the player's jobs to go out and fix them, but it's our job to put those guys in the position to best be successful and to coach what they can do and not to find out what they can’t.”
(On what it takes for someone like OLB Terrell Lewis with his versatility to see more time)
“You’re certainly looking at a big opportunity for him right here. When people get injured, unfortunate, but it certainly is an opportunity for somebody else and you got a chance to get out there and show yourself and fill that small role or that bigger role or whatever that role is. And you certainly can increase it by your play. Whether that's playing well in special teams, whether it's playing well on defense in your role, whatever those roles are, you got to go out and accept those things and you get better and better and better as you go. D Long (CB David Long) is another opportunity. He had an opportunity where he kind of took a step back and now there’s an opportunity to come back and show what you can do. Those guys got to find their roles and play better. Those guys got to find that roles and play to the standard of their teammates, play to the standard of this team, play to the standard of (Head Coach) Sean McVay, play to the standard of us and what we want to do. And there's been no secret. We got championship aspirations, and these guys got to play that way when we go out there and play every single day.”
(On how difficult it is to replace a guy like Williams when his versatility plays a big role in what Ramsey is able to do)
“Not to steal a (Patriots Head Coach Bill) Belichick, but he's a wonderful football player and he's a dream to coach. He's one of those guys that you can put all over the field. He's one of those guys that provides that versatility for not just AD (DL Aaron Donald) but everybody around him, some of the safety’s, some of the guys that he's able to communicate with and how he moves about his business, how he goes about his process during the week. He really enables some of the other guys to get better and better as they go. And it's very difficult, but it's something that we're all built for, and it's something that this team is built for. Again, got to give out credit to our front office, what (General Manager) Les Snead has been able to do along with Sean McVay and the coaches all being a part of that with his staff, the (Senior Personnel Executive) Ray Farmers of the world and everybody in our scouting department along with our people that are in analytics and going through the stuff and all the things that we do here that I think is very special and unique to other places. We got people in place ready to step up, and I think they will.”
CB Jalen Ramsey
(Opening Statement)
“What’s up, y’all? I appreciate y’all letting me go on Thursday, you feel me? Accommodating and @#$%&. Yall like Thursday too? That’s what I’ve been trying to tell them. You know what I’m saying? What’s up though?”
(On how well equipped he thinks the secondary is despite CB Darious Williams’ absence)
“I think we're cool. We’re solid, you know. We'll see how things shake out on Sunday, how well guys play, and how well the group in total steps up and fills that void of (CB Darious Williams) “D-Will” being out for a few weeks. But…confident. I’m super confident in what we can do. So, we'll see how things shake out on Sunday.
(On what makes him confident)
I mean, I've been around the guys, you know what I mean? I've been around the guys. I done worked with them. (I) Grind with them, seeing them put the work in, challenged them myself, had them challenge me, and that's it. So, I'm confident going into the game.”
(On if he’s compelled to step up even more with Williams out)
“No, not really to be honest. Just cause it's a group effort, you know what I mean? “D-Will” going out, I can't do everything that he was doing plus what I had to do. So, it's going to be a group effort for sure. And we got some guys going to step into some roles that they hadn't been in yet. So, I guess in that aspect of trying to help them and have the chemistry, right? In that aspect, yeah, I got to step it up a little bit I feel like. But as far as owning our roles, as each individual we got to be accountable to ourselves and just do what we got to do.”
(On the difficulty of replacing a guy like Williams)
“Like I said, everybody got specific roles this week. So, as a group - collective guys coming in, filling certain roles will hopefully be able to help me still be able to play at certain times and in different areas of the scheme. But you know, we'll figure it out on Sunday. I mean, we figured it out right now, but we'll see on Sunday how it shakes out.”
(On the possibility of S Terrell Burgess being asked to step up and take on a bigger role)
“We'll see on Sunday. We'll see on Sunday how everybody performs. I'm sorry I keep saying that, but that's true. We'll see on Sunday how everybody performs them and their specific roles that they're given. But, it's truly going to take like a group effort in the secondary. We’re all going to have to help each other out, hold each other accountable, and challenge each other to be our best selves out there.”
(On how important it is to see guys seize the opportunity to step up)
“Yeah, that's what it's about, honestly. That's really why I keep saying we going to see how it shakes out on Sunday because we do. We’ve got to see our guys take advantage of the opportunity that they're given and this week is definitely a week that guys are going to be thrown in a game, thrown in the fire, and given those opportunities to show what they can do and who they are on the on the team. So, that's an important week I would say for a lot of guys. We always feel like every week is important because this is an NFL game, NFL season. But, for certain guys who are just getting their roles in the season right now, it's probably a little bit more important for them because it's kind of their first time. And honestly like D-Will is our brother So, we feel like we’ve got to go put on for him and make sure it's no super decline in our game out there. We’re going to take it personal. We’ve been challenging each other in practice. We’re just going to keep it rolling and see how it shakes out on Sunday. You know what I mean?”
(On if he made it to both of the Dodgers playoff games)
“I did, it was fun. One night I went with the DBs, the next night I went with one of the DBs and his wife and my shorty, so it was cool. It was packed. It was live in there. It was cool. Cool little atmosphere, cool vibe.”
(On if he is going to watch any hockey later this week)
“Yeah. We're going to be at the game tonight. Y'all might see me and the DBs at the game tonight showing our face for a quick second. Watching a little hockey. You never know, stay tuned.”
(On if he knew Dodgers Right Fielder Mookie Betts before)
“Yeah, I did. Our people are close. Our people know each other really well. Me and Mookie, obviously we grew up in the same city. We played in the same youth leagues and stuff like that. We both played with the Una Bears growing up, little football. Mookie (is an) athlete. That's what people don't know. Mookie can do a lot of different things. But yeah, we played with the same youth programs. He’s a couple of years older than me, but obviously I always knew Mookie was always super talented. He’s somebody that the city back home admires and feels like he's like one of the greatest of all time to ever come out of Nashville. So, it's a lot of respect for him and our families know each other a little bit.”
(On if there are any neighborhood tall tales about Mookie’s athletic feats)
“Yeah, a little bit. Honestly, most people back home I feel like obviously talk about Mookie and baseball, but I feel like a lot of people talk about his bowling. I feel like everybody knows about bowling, Mookie and bowling. He’s a perfect bowler, honestly. Like he'll bowl 300 just fresh off of practice or fresh off of whatever. He's super talented.”
(On if it’s becoming a tradition for the DBs to go to sports events together)
“Kind of. It's something that honestly I've always wanted to do, and when I was in Jacksonville, we tried to find certain things to do. We were the only like professional team there in Jacksonville, so it was tough to find things to do. And then when I got traded out here in LA, I was just trying to get acclimated for that year. And then the next year was COVID, so with this year, I'm like, let's live a little bit. You know, be careful. Mask up but live a little bit. Have a little fun and then build a little team chemistry and whatnot.”
DL Aaron Donald
(On what he sees in the Giants)
“They (have) a lot of injuries, but they still got a lot of good pieces. I think (the Giants) quarterback (Daniel Jones) – if he's back healthy – he's definitely a problem. We just got to stick to a game plan, do our jobs.”
(On if he has any recollection of last year’s game)
“You break down that film and see certain things they gave us and what we got.”
(On who got him the t-shirt)
“A friend of mine.”
(On what the inspiration behind the shirt was)
“AD’s Boom Boom Room.”
(On if Giants QB Daniel Jones plays, what makes him different)
“He (does) a lot of things. He's actually a fast guy. He (doesn’t) look like he's fast, but he can do a lot of things with his feet. He’s a tough player. Anytime you're playing against quarterbacks that’s real mobile and they can make things happen and make you miss for a pass rusher, it's a problem. We just got to do our job containing him, getting to him and trying to find ways to pressure.”
(On CB Darious Williams being on IR and what do DB Robert Rochell, CB David Long Jr. and S Terrell Burgess bring to the table)
“I think they could do a lot. We got Double D (CB Dont’e Deayon) that's going to be up, that’s going to help us a lot too. You’re going to be waiting for them to come back, but next man up and we trust in the guys that's going to be out there playing. It's (still) going to be productive and they're going to go out there and let their name be known.”
(On if it’s difficult to not look past the fact that the Giants have struggled to win more than one game and that their roster is riddled with injuries)
“No, this is (the) National Football League. Anything can happen. Every week, anything can happen. You can't look at the record because they are going to come to play, we (are) going to come to play and it's going to be a game. We still got to go out there and do our job, have that mindset that we're trying to dominate and play at a high level. You can't go in there saying, ‘We got a better record,’ or this and that. That's how you tend not to play good games and up losing to teams. Our mindset is going to be a dog fight. That's the mindset we’re going in there with and we (are) going in there trying to get a win.”
(On being tested the past few weeks by playing winning teams and if this is a different kind of test going against a team that is trying to tack on more wins to their record)
“I don't see it like that. I just see it's like every other week. You're going to every week with a game plan. Trying to play a team, no matter what the record is, to dominating and trying to find ways to be successful.”
(On if any family will be in attendance)
“I don't want my family going to away games. Fans (are) crazy.”
--RAMS--
Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris, Offensive Coordinator Kevin O'Connell, CB Jalen Ramsey, DL Aaron Donald,
Offensive Coordinator Kevin O'Connell
(On how QB Matthew Stafford’s ability to manipulate arm angles and what he does with his eyes expands what may be simple concepts and gives depth when they are in the screen game)
It's a great question because the screen game - whether you're throwing a perimeter screen, something to the halfbacks like we've done, or even something to the tight ends - every blade of grass matters sometimes, and defenses are so good at kind of feeling the timing and rhythm of when the line is getting out to get on their blocks. Even last week, I think of one we had into kind of a pressure with one of the better safeties in football and (Q
Matthew's (Stafford) ability to kind of hold his eyes through the throw, what that does as far as buying us that extra click off of the catch to then get rolling forward, find our blocks, and just kind of the sequencing of those plays to make them all the way through the release of the ball and the catch by the back, or whoever it is, to keep the defense feeling drop back pass or whatever the intent is of the sell. You can't understate it and it's something that's really hard to it - if you're going to coach it, good luck. It's more of the feel of a guy and the experience over the years of understanding where the landmarks are, where those throws are going to go and maybe not necessarily he's done it multiple times. Now, I'll have to look at where he's throwing. It's not something you can coach. It's not something you go out there on the field and say, ‘Hey guys, we're going to “no-look” these.” But, when a guy shows the ownership of it to do that, it can take that stuff to the next level.”(On Stafford describing his style of play)
“Complete ownership of what we're trying to do. And then not only that, the intent per the look, cause then not every look will be the same. They're not always going to stand exactly in the same spot. They're really hard plays to practice. Because of that, get the looks full speed, the targeting, things like that. So, when you can, like I said, when you can kind of have that feel for that particular look and how you're going to apply - maybe your eyes are an extra step on your drop or maybe what you're looking at before you even get to the no-look throw of how it sets the defense. It's huge.”
(On if they’ve gotten used to the no-look passes)
“No. We highlighted one this morning. (Head) Coach (Sean) McVay did with the team and any chance I get just that. It's always great, when we're in those team settings, to even hear the defenses reactions that maybe weren't able to see it on game day. You’ll maybe hear an (DL Aaron Donald) “AD” or (DL Sebastian Joseph-Day) “Bash” up front and say, “Whoa!” Like, they didn't even notice he did it in the game, but it's that next level of kind of ownership that Matthew shown that's really helped us in the screen game, for sure.”
(On who is responsible for Stafford being the least sacked and pressured QB in the league)
“We talk about all 11 a lot. I know I've mentioned it to you guys in the run game, but I think that's a stat. Sacks in general and pressures and things like that are an all 11 stat with how we handle our protections from the standpoint. I just think of some of the pickups that (R
Sony (Michel) and (R Darrell (Henderson) have had on some critical downs, maybe not even third downs. When you go fast, sometimes you maybe don't get the most ideal protection calls if time is of the essence of getting that ball snapped. So, those guys playing with great eyes, picking up any external pressures that show up, and then the receiver separate and winning versus men coverage - maybe it's a match fire zone. Maybe we're just finding the open grass. But those guys all contributing to getting the ball out of the quarterback's hands and then Matthew’s ownership to understand where his quick elements are, where his throws are, maybe those snaps where I'm going to hold an extra click and maybe take a hit, but it's worth it with the ability to get down field versus some defenses. But, another really good question because it feeds back to our all 11 philosophy. But, you can't talk about the lack of pressures and sacks without highlighting those big guys up front first. They've done a great job, really. (Offensive Line) Coach (Kevin) Carberry has come in and his philosophy of how we want to set the pocket, how we want to have that be the first line of defense is our starting point, to set in the dish in that pocket. Those guys, no matter the look - jam, five down, a drop bait, whatever it is - those guys are doing a great job, providing Matthew with that initial pocket. And then from there it's all 11 taking over so that we have a successful play.(On what has turned out different about the line considering they didn’t add anyone to the line)
“I think it's a combination. I think it's a combination of a couple of things - the consistency of the guys on the outside, and guards that we've had last year, and to get those guys on the outside, and the guards back in those same spots, working together, another full off season working together. I know we talked about him a lot, but you can't say enough about (OL) Brian Allen and just what he's done solidifying everything from inside out. His relationship at the line of scrimmage with Matthew - that is next level stuff where I know folks at home probably hear it - we're hoping our opponents don't hear it all that often - but the TV copies catch a lot as far as the dialogue of Matthew and all those guys up front. It's unbelievable to hear when we go back and look at some of that stuff. You pair that with what's going on with the play clock going down, and then Matthew's ability and Brian's ability to get on the same page no matter the look, maybe it's not even something we've prepared for those guys using their base rules as a starting point, and then playing ball from there. But, it's a combination of Brian's emergence and then the consistency of those guards and tackles being so steady and rock solid for us.”
(On how having two running backs who have the skillset to do a little bit of everything well positively affects an offense)
“Obviously you want to get the ball in their hands in the run game. But then – I can just think off the top of my head – we've thrown the running back screens out on the perimeter. We've thrown quick game to them. We try to get the ball to them down the field, depending on what the look may be. Their versatility in the pass game, for sure. But then when they are in the backfield, we're going fast and it's time to pick up, whether it was (Seahawks L
Bobby Wagner, (Buccaneers L Lavonte David, (Buccaneers L Devin White, some of the best linebackers in football that we have so much respect for. It’s one thing to talk about it and for me to stand up in front of the room and talk about protections with the clicker in my hand, but they have to go out and actually block those guys, extend those plays that extra half a click for us to activate things that may look good from a route concept on the chalkboard, but then you got to go out and block those five guys coming, six guys coming, no matter what the pressure is. And (Q Matthew (Stafford) has trust in that. To know that those guys are going to make those pickups is what's allowing us to continually execute versus some of those pressures we're seeing.”(On his perspective of why WR Robert Woods got so many targets against Seattle)
“I think a lot of times, like we've talked about, it's some of those plays where (WR) Robert (Woods) did get touches and targets in that game. It might've been our second and third progression and it's just manipulating coverage. Whatever they want to play on that particular snap, we pride ourselves on having answers. So the ball may go backside to (WR) Van (Jefferson) or (WR) DeSean (Jackson), it may go to Higgs (TE Tyler Higbee), it may go to (WR) Cooper (Kupp), we may check it down to the backs, or if we can manipulate coverage and attack a void, or a man match up, it's all kind of the same, we're going to find the winner. What’s fun right now as a coach is you can really sit back and think about attacking coverage – understanding that the quarterback is going to see things through the lens of how we intended him to see it and then he activates in the rhythm and timing the snap to the open guy. It really is sometimes random how it all plays out based upon the coverage. But if it's a look that we expect to see, it just comes down to attacking those looks with concepts that our guys feel good about and the quarterback can attack. I see it as all five eligibles, I'm telling you, can come alive at any time. We really preach that to our guys and to stay consistent in how they separate and understanding that they do it in the rhythm of the timing of the snap because the quarterbacks can find you.”
(On the conversations he has with guys such as QB Matthew Stafford, WR Cooper Kupp and Woods at the end of practice when they are all huddled up on the field)
“I think it pairs with the question that I just answered about targets and who's getting what, as far as all five eligibles coming alive. Sometimes it's that conversation of, we might've thrown a ball in practice to Van on the front side of something, but Cooper or Robert will say, ‘Hey, on the backside, I ran it like this. I felt like I showed up. What'd you think?’ And a lot of times Matthew does such a good job in practice of seeing the whole field, seeing all 11, that in real time, just like we do on the sideline with the Surface tablets, or maybe not even needing to see those sometimes, we can kind of have dialogue that will make a good play better and give us a chance to have an even better rep when it counts on Sunday. Sometimes it's that, sometimes it's just verifying things we saw in practice, maybe the look, how it might be different from what the scout team gave us in the game and how that might adjust what we're doing. A lot of coach speak to say really high football IQ out of all those guys that makes it fun to have those conversations. Sometimes you just step back and let them go and I'm more observing than anything, but other times it's clarifying something for those guys or maybe circling back on something we need to hit the next morning or that afternoon that that was something that needed to be cleared up. But it's about making sure by one o'clock on Sunday, we're ready to go with the best possible version of what we want to put on the field that week.”
Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris
(On his reaction to the Jon Gruden news)
“A lot of coaches expressed their feelings about that, about being sad about the situation because of their close relationships with Jon (Gruden), and rightfully so. That would obviously extend to me as well. You're talking about a guy who gave me my first opportunity in the National Football League, a guy that you have been around and got a lot of quality information from, the quality tools to be successful in this business. But obviously, and I hate to say obviously, but the things that were said and the things that were hurtful to people are obviously not acceptable in any setting, let alone the NFL setting or our setting. So you got to look at those things and you got to move past those things. And at some point, I think we all got to find a way to bring him back, the people that do know him and the people that know him well. And obviously for us, it would have to be him searching out someone to the help or to some of the people that he has to talk to in order to search for that type of forgiveness. It's always a two-way street, no different than any other problem in the National Football League or how you want to handle it in life when it comes to those things. But you do feel saddened for all the people involved. When you're talking about everybody on those emails, different people that you know. You're talking about the families of those people and the things that have put you through. And the knock on the league and where we're trying to go and how we're trying to do things differently and what things have progressed.”
(On if reading the comments surprised him, specifically the comments regarding Executive Director of the National Football League Players Association DeMaurice Smith)
“I will go on and say – not that things surprise you, but people are always taken out of context and I don't know if he was or not. But you do know you can’t say those things and those things are frowned upon in almost every environment. I'm sure looking back at it, there's a bunch of things you'd like to take back. There's a bunch of things that he would take back. There's a bunch of things that he'd do differently. I'm sure looking about it, you've got to find out and you got to really dig deep and find out whether you're sorry that you got caught or if you are sorry that you said those things truly and endearingly that way. In this profession, nothing really shocks you. I'm not a person that gets shocked by just about anything. People will tend to disappoint you in life at times, and how you move forward and how you deal with those things as you go. And that's kind of how I look at it.”
(On if it was hurtful for him to see)
“You're talking about a mentor. You're talking about a guy who's done a lot for me and my career, and a lot of people in this building. You're talking about guy that’s done a bunch of different things, for buildings all over. I know about some of the things he's done as a younger coach. He's one of the first quality control coaches to ever be a part of this National Football League. Of course it was hurtful for me personally, because you wanted to grind, you wanted to get to those moments and do some of those things but still, it doesn't excuse the behavior. It doesn't excuse the lack of poor judgment, however you want to put it. It just doesn't excuse those things.”
(On if he feels the NFL is doing enough to send a welcoming message to the groups that were disparaged)
“When you talk about the league, first of all I will commend the league, (Commissioner) Roger Goodell, (Chief Administrator of Football Operations) Dawn Aponte, (Executive Vice President of Football Operations) Troy Vincent, and you're talking about (Vice President of Game Operations) Stephanie (Durante), you’re talking about (Vice President of Corporate Communications) Megan (Grant), some of those people that all work in the league office that are apart of those groups and apart of fixing change and bringing about change in the National Football League. They are trying. But this message and these things, that they come up, that just lets you know that there is way more work to be done. When you are talking about inclusion, people being sensitive to other people's feelings and all those types of things. I think they do a great job of trying to make those things happen. And just the names I called out, talking about an African-American in Troy Vincent, he was talking about women across the board, the Stephanie's that Dawn Aponte’s, all those type of people. I think those guys are showing you where the league is going and where our game is going and what we're trying to do and being inclusive and all those type of things. But when things like this happen, it just lets you know there is still so much work to be done in our country, not just in NFL football. The league definitely sets precedents. It definitely does a nice job of trying to get those things out. We're not perfect by any means and they certainly won't be either. If we're expected to think that, I think that's our fault. We all got to help in that journey moving that way. It's just more of the uncomfortable conversation that people are not comfortable having. It just so happens that there are people that walk in my shoes that are comfortable having them. I live in that life and I lived in this life for a while and I'm very comfortable having these conversations with just about anybody.”
(On CB Darious Williams being out and what that means for CB David Long Jr. and the versatility of CB Jalen Ramsey)
“You got to have versatility with (C
Jalen (Ramsey). (C Darious (Williams) was a big part of us having that ability to do those things. Now you can't replace those types of guys with one guy. It’s got to be by committee. You got to be able to do those things. It’d be some (C David Long (Jr.), will be some more (D Robert Rochell. A potential of somebody like a (S Terrell) Burgess emerging. All those guys in this roster that you can use and can use their skillsets. You’ll hear the cliche by coaches saying, ‘The next man up.’ It's more like the next men up. The next people up to fill those roles to be able to do those things. I think it's our job as coaches to identify the problem. It's the player's jobs to go out and fix them, but it's our job to put those guys in the position to best be successful and to coach what they can do and not to find out what they can’t.”(On what it takes for someone like OLB Terrell Lewis with his versatility to see more time)
“You’re certainly looking at a big opportunity for him right here. When people get injured, unfortunate, but it certainly is an opportunity for somebody else and you got a chance to get out there and show yourself and fill that small role or that bigger role or whatever that role is. And you certainly can increase it by your play. Whether that's playing well in special teams, whether it's playing well on defense in your role, whatever those roles are, you got to go out and accept those things and you get better and better and better as you go. D Long (CB David Long) is another opportunity. He had an opportunity where he kind of took a step back and now there’s an opportunity to come back and show what you can do. Those guys got to find their roles and play better. Those guys got to find that roles and play to the standard of their teammates, play to the standard of this team, play to the standard of (Head Coach) Sean McVay, play to the standard of us and what we want to do. And there's been no secret. We got championship aspirations, and these guys got to play that way when we go out there and play every single day.”
(On how difficult it is to replace a guy like Williams when his versatility plays a big role in what Ramsey is able to do)
“Not to steal a (Patriots Head Coach Bill) Belichick, but he's a wonderful football player and he's a dream to coach. He's one of those guys that you can put all over the field. He's one of those guys that provides that versatility for not just AD (DL Aaron Donald) but everybody around him, some of the safety’s, some of the guys that he's able to communicate with and how he moves about his business, how he goes about his process during the week. He really enables some of the other guys to get better and better as they go. And it's very difficult, but it's something that we're all built for, and it's something that this team is built for. Again, got to give out credit to our front office, what (General Manager) Les Snead has been able to do along with Sean McVay and the coaches all being a part of that with his staff, the (Senior Personnel Executive) Ray Farmers of the world and everybody in our scouting department along with our people that are in analytics and going through the stuff and all the things that we do here that I think is very special and unique to other places. We got people in place ready to step up, and I think they will.”
CB Jalen Ramsey
(Opening Statement)
“What’s up, y’all? I appreciate y’all letting me go on Thursday, you feel me? Accommodating and @#$%&. Yall like Thursday too? That’s what I’ve been trying to tell them. You know what I’m saying? What’s up though?”
(On how well equipped he thinks the secondary is despite CB Darious Williams’ absence)
“I think we're cool. We’re solid, you know. We'll see how things shake out on Sunday, how well guys play, and how well the group in total steps up and fills that void of (CB Darious Williams) “D-Will” being out for a few weeks. But…confident. I’m super confident in what we can do. So, we'll see how things shake out on Sunday.
(On what makes him confident)
I mean, I've been around the guys, you know what I mean? I've been around the guys. I done worked with them. (I) Grind with them, seeing them put the work in, challenged them myself, had them challenge me, and that's it. So, I'm confident going into the game.”
(On if he’s compelled to step up even more with Williams out)
“No, not really to be honest. Just cause it's a group effort, you know what I mean? “D-Will” going out, I can't do everything that he was doing plus what I had to do. So, it's going to be a group effort for sure. And we got some guys going to step into some roles that they hadn't been in yet. So, I guess in that aspect of trying to help them and have the chemistry, right? In that aspect, yeah, I got to step it up a little bit I feel like. But as far as owning our roles, as each individual we got to be accountable to ourselves and just do what we got to do.”
(On the difficulty of replacing a guy like Williams)
“Like I said, everybody got specific roles this week. So, as a group - collective guys coming in, filling certain roles will hopefully be able to help me still be able to play at certain times and in different areas of the scheme. But you know, we'll figure it out on Sunday. I mean, we figured it out right now, but we'll see on Sunday how it shakes out.”
(On the possibility of S Terrell Burgess being asked to step up and take on a bigger role)
“We'll see on Sunday. We'll see on Sunday how everybody performs. I'm sorry I keep saying that, but that's true. We'll see on Sunday how everybody performs them and their specific roles that they're given. But, it's truly going to take like a group effort in the secondary. We’re all going to have to help each other out, hold each other accountable, and challenge each other to be our best selves out there.”
(On how important it is to see guys seize the opportunity to step up)
“Yeah, that's what it's about, honestly. That's really why I keep saying we going to see how it shakes out on Sunday because we do. We’ve got to see our guys take advantage of the opportunity that they're given and this week is definitely a week that guys are going to be thrown in a game, thrown in the fire, and given those opportunities to show what they can do and who they are on the on the team. So, that's an important week I would say for a lot of guys. We always feel like every week is important because this is an NFL game, NFL season. But, for certain guys who are just getting their roles in the season right now, it's probably a little bit more important for them because it's kind of their first time. And honestly like D-Will is our brother So, we feel like we’ve got to go put on for him and make sure it's no super decline in our game out there. We’re going to take it personal. We’ve been challenging each other in practice. We’re just going to keep it rolling and see how it shakes out on Sunday. You know what I mean?”
(On if he made it to both of the Dodgers playoff games)
“I did, it was fun. One night I went with the DBs, the next night I went with one of the DBs and his wife and my shorty, so it was cool. It was packed. It was live in there. It was cool. Cool little atmosphere, cool vibe.”
(On if he is going to watch any hockey later this week)
“Yeah. We're going to be at the game tonight. Y'all might see me and the DBs at the game tonight showing our face for a quick second. Watching a little hockey. You never know, stay tuned.”
(On if he knew Dodgers Right Fielder Mookie Betts before)
“Yeah, I did. Our people are close. Our people know each other really well. Me and Mookie, obviously we grew up in the same city. We played in the same youth leagues and stuff like that. We both played with the Una Bears growing up, little football. Mookie (is an) athlete. That's what people don't know. Mookie can do a lot of different things. But yeah, we played with the same youth programs. He’s a couple of years older than me, but obviously I always knew Mookie was always super talented. He’s somebody that the city back home admires and feels like he's like one of the greatest of all time to ever come out of Nashville. So, it's a lot of respect for him and our families know each other a little bit.”
(On if there are any neighborhood tall tales about Mookie’s athletic feats)
“Yeah, a little bit. Honestly, most people back home I feel like obviously talk about Mookie and baseball, but I feel like a lot of people talk about his bowling. I feel like everybody knows about bowling, Mookie and bowling. He’s a perfect bowler, honestly. Like he'll bowl 300 just fresh off of practice or fresh off of whatever. He's super talented.”
(On if it’s becoming a tradition for the DBs to go to sports events together)
“Kind of. It's something that honestly I've always wanted to do, and when I was in Jacksonville, we tried to find certain things to do. We were the only like professional team there in Jacksonville, so it was tough to find things to do. And then when I got traded out here in LA, I was just trying to get acclimated for that year. And then the next year was COVID, so with this year, I'm like, let's live a little bit. You know, be careful. Mask up but live a little bit. Have a little fun and then build a little team chemistry and whatnot.”
DL Aaron Donald
(On what he sees in the Giants)
“They (have) a lot of injuries, but they still got a lot of good pieces. I think (the Giants) quarterback (Daniel Jones) – if he's back healthy – he's definitely a problem. We just got to stick to a game plan, do our jobs.”
(On if he has any recollection of last year’s game)
“You break down that film and see certain things they gave us and what we got.”
(On who got him the t-shirt)
“A friend of mine.”
(On what the inspiration behind the shirt was)
“AD’s Boom Boom Room.”
(On if Giants QB Daniel Jones plays, what makes him different)
“He (does) a lot of things. He's actually a fast guy. He (doesn’t) look like he's fast, but he can do a lot of things with his feet. He’s a tough player. Anytime you're playing against quarterbacks that’s real mobile and they can make things happen and make you miss for a pass rusher, it's a problem. We just got to do our job containing him, getting to him and trying to find ways to pressure.”
(On CB Darious Williams being on IR and what do DB Robert Rochell, CB David Long Jr. and S Terrell Burgess bring to the table)
“I think they could do a lot. We got Double D (CB Dont’e Deayon) that's going to be up, that’s going to help us a lot too. You’re going to be waiting for them to come back, but next man up and we trust in the guys that's going to be out there playing. It's (still) going to be productive and they're going to go out there and let their name be known.”
(On if it’s difficult to not look past the fact that the Giants have struggled to win more than one game and that their roster is riddled with injuries)
“No, this is (the) National Football League. Anything can happen. Every week, anything can happen. You can't look at the record because they are going to come to play, we (are) going to come to play and it's going to be a game. We still got to go out there and do our job, have that mindset that we're trying to dominate and play at a high level. You can't go in there saying, ‘We got a better record,’ or this and that. That's how you tend not to play good games and up losing to teams. Our mindset is going to be a dog fight. That's the mindset we’re going in there with and we (are) going in there trying to get a win.”
(On being tested the past few weeks by playing winning teams and if this is a different kind of test going against a team that is trying to tack on more wins to their record)
“I don't see it like that. I just see it's like every other week. You're going to every week with a game plan. Trying to play a team, no matter what the record is, to dominating and trying to find ways to be successful.”
(On if any family will be in attendance)
“I don't want my family going to away games. Fans (are) crazy.”
--RAMS--
