Los Angeles Rams Transcripts - Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris, Offensive Coordinator Kevin O'Connell, DL Aaron Donald, CB Jalen Ramsey - October 21, 2021

Los Angeles Rams Transcripts - Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris, Offensive Coordinator Kevin O'Connell, DL Aaron Donald, CB Jalen Ramsey - October 21, 2021




Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris, Offensive Coordinator Kevin O'Connell, DL Aaron Donald, CB Jalen Ramsey
Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris
(On what he liked about the week of practice without CB Darious Williams before the game against the Giants and how he came up with the vision for the rotation)
“It’s kind of cool around here that practice is always really similar. These guys come out with the right mindset, the right attitude, for the most part just about almost every day since I've been here. It's been a few days here where, (Head Coach) Sean (McVay) the little blonde headed guy gets upset (laughs), but these guys do a great job of responding and bouncing back. And last week it was no different. We come off the long break, the long haul, and we had the chance to get a couple injuries that we have to put some different people up there and you felt good energy from the people that would getting elevated. You felt the roles that people were able to have, where we give you a couple of whispers of the (S Terrell) Burgess, the (CB Dont’e Deayon) Double D’s, snuck him in there and got him a little bunch of reps. But, you felt great energy from the guys and you felt that you knew you would get it because of how this unit is and how these people are around here and how the leaders are the – (DL Aaron Donald) AD’s of the world, the (C Jalen Ramsey's of the world, the (DL Sebastian Joseph-Day) Bash’s, the (S Jordan) Fuller’s. They bring these guys along and these guys stay right onto the game plan every single week. And you get great energy out of them from practice and it just turned up and went into the game and then was able to show up in a big way.”

(On how he tests the defenses after six games)
“It's never a sense of six games. It's a daily continuing to get better every single day - for us, for me, for all of us. And we’ve got to continue to constantly to get better each week. I think in this league, humble pie is only seven days away, so you better come and find out how to get better all the time. When we go to practice it's for that particular week. You never really worry about six weeks. You go back, and of course, you study yourself, you evaluate what you can do better, you evaluate what looks good, what doesn't look good, some of the things you want to do better. It's a constant evaluation for me throughout the season, so I'm not sure if I can actually do a ‘six weeks’ deal. You know how I feel about stats, they’re for losers. I really think that these guys are getting better every single week. I'm seeing different people grow. I'm seeing people step up. I think that's what a good quality football team does every single week.”

(On DL A’Shawn Robinson being down and why)
“I wouldn't even know about his snap count. We have roles in our defense. We have certain things that we do. I think (DL) A’Shawn (Robinson) has been really been playing really good football for us. So, it wouldn't be a result of a coach saying to get them less snaps. But, if we're in a pass rush situation, I’d probably want to see a little bit more (DL Michael) Hoecht than I want to see A’Shawn. We're in a run situation, definitely want to see more A’Shawn and not to say that they can't do both, but just how it probably works out. (I) didn't really think about the snap count in that.”

(On how it would look if the Rams are in the lead)
“That game last week got out of control fast and it became a nickel game. You got a chance to see more four-down rush. That’s a good chance for A’Shawn to rest.”

(On his sense of the effect of the departure of former Ram and current Lions DE Michael Brockers)
“I was here for a short time with (Lions DE) Michael (Brockers) and I just love the energy. I love who he was when I was here for sort of the small amount of time that I was with him. Just his energy every day, this type of stuff that you hear outside the hallway is probably where Michael Brockers would be. I heard he was a great character, a great leader in our locker room, kind of the energy, the life force for us and he's legendary for his stretch routines.”

(On what he had to replace on the field due to Brockers’ departure)
“It was the power, the strength. You have to do it with multiple people, like everybody else that left and departed and people that get hurt, but we went through it with multiple people. A’Shawn is one of those people that you do it with, (DL) Jonah Williams, Mike Hoecht. All those guys that you mentioned, you had to fill those guys to fill those roles and get them out there. Brockers was a special player for the Rams for a long time and all these guys, they got a lot of love for him.”

(On how he would describe OLB Leonard Floyd)
“The silent assassin that is quietly warming up to me and coming to me more, being more vocal, a guy easily challenged. If you give him a challenge, he responds like no other. The first play of the game was a great result of it. The night before the game you try to give him the keys to the game and you talk about how you're going to move forward and how you’re going to do things. And I told him flat out, ‘Hey, I'm going to call this pressure and you're going to be the guy. You're going to come off the edge. You're going to get past 19 (Giants WR Kenny Golladay) really solidly and grab a tackle or whatever the case may be. Or you get the tackle and you'll beat him. You'll go around him and get a sack fumble.’ And he absolutely did that. He responds that way. He responds to the great challenges as far as setting edges. I think the more and more you can point out some of his flaws, the better player you'll get the following week or the next day. The more and more you’re able to talk to him, he just wants to respond for his coaches, for his unit, for his guys. He's so protective of his guys. It's unbelievable. When you talk about that room, that outside linebacker, you're directly talking to him and he takes it that way. And it is fun to watch him lead that way in that quiet style demeanor that people really don't know about, until you get a chance to sit down and look at him, observe, and then finally comes to you and talks.”

(On what it’s like to coach a player like Floyd who is silent, but has an imposing presence)
“Well, we had a term for guys like that. We just call him a ‘barnyard bully.’ He's kind of one of those guys who comes to work and you know exactly what's going to do. He's going to go hard. He's going to take the field like it's his last plate every single time. He's going to come off of that edge. He's going to roll. He's going to do everything he can to win that football game and whatever it takes to win that snap. He’s just that kind of guy. So, to have that guy on your football team is a lot of fun. Some of the things I didn't know coming in about him (is) that he's going to go to exhaustion. You talk about D-line and rushing until their heart collapses. But this guy, he goes hard all the time, every time. Sometimes he looks like he's tired and he just gathering himself and he comes back and he's ready to go. But he's a (inaudible). He's just fun to be around. I don't know how to describe it.”

(On how CB Dont'e Deayon went from a practice squad guy to playing the second most defensive snaps)
“I think you guys think we're joking. When we talk about forming this team and talking about everybody from the practice squad, from the back end of the roster, to everybody on this team being a part of it. And if you get a chance to get in that 48, how do you keep your guys? And how do you formulate getting the amount of people those reps? We meant it when we kept these guys. All these guys that we got on our roster, we think can play for us. All these guys that we have got on our roster may at one point get an opportunity because of either injury or advancement from practice and how hard they go. So, when Dont’e Deayon came back off that small injury he had from training camp, to go to the practice squad, to go over there and give Sean as much work as he can give him on offense, to come with us to get some small roles on defense, to finally be elevated to a guy we knew were going to flex, and he falls into that role of dime. He's going out there playing. He’s playing absolutely lights out and doing a great job for us. People get opportunities and sometimes you get opportunities taken away and you’ve got to capitalize when you get those small roles that become bigger and bigger every single time. That's exactly what he did.”

(On if his goal to eventually become an NFL head coach again or if he’s open to taking over a major college program)
“You are unbelievable. That’s a great compliment you're giving me right here with a question form. You're absolutely right, I am focused on the Rams and like winning football games in the next week. I think the best coaches in our profession, they do that, but you can't deny those opportunities that will arise and you got to be ready for those opportunities to come up, to be able to present yourself in front of people. I certainly will welcome those when they come, and if they come and if you're fortunate enough for them to come. I think sometimes people get kind of blown away by that the thought that you should be in that position or you should get an opportunity as opposed to going out there and earn the opportunity and taking advantage and when they do come. I'm a moment guy. Right now, I'm focused completely on the Detroit Lions and going out there and trying to get a win. Being in the moment of when that time comes, I'll hopefully be there and have to make that decision when it comes. But right now, I just want to be my best self at the job that I'm doing right now. And I appreciate that compliment for me. You can't say no to any of those great opportunities. Some of those jobs are phenomenal. If you're fortunate to be in those positions, you obviously got to entertain them. You got to be prepared and you got to be able to go talk to whoever you need to talk to in the necessary moments to do those things. But again, they only come if you do your job. They only come if you have the ability to lead men. They only come if you have the ability to go out there and win football games and do what you got to do and focus on the task at hand.”

(On what he likes about what OLB Terrell Lewis has been doing)
“I'm still looking for that third sack. I don't know how they gave him that one, but it does count (laughs). He went out man and he's absolutely been phenomenal. He's another guy that’s kind of taken advantage of the snap count. We've seen it go up increasingly more and more every single weekend. It's a credit to him, for health, it’s a credit for him to taking care of himself, it’s a credit to him putting his position to take advantage of the moment. And he certainly is doing that. Going out, getting three sacks in the last three games or whatever it's been, they have been sweet. As you guys can see, like we talked about from the very beginning, if we get the ball back and we can affect their quarterback and we can find a way to dominate rundowns, we're a pretty good defense.”

(On if he’s getting a lot of advice on how to plan against QB Jared Goff)
“If you're talking about (Head Coach) Sean (McVay) being nosey in the defensive room – I'll say this about Coach McVay, he is one of the most intuitive people that you can be around when it comes to the offense, defense and special teams. He's always going to be able to give you small nuggets or be able to communicate in that way what he (is) talking about with anybody we’re playing. Now you're talking about it, he had the ability to coach for a while and to get to be able to give you a couple of small nuggets on those people. Of course, he's going to chime in, he's the head coach, he's always going to do those things, but the same amount that he's giving, is the amount that he wants to receive from his defensive coaches. We got to a great cross-the-hallway mentality here. I can go into (Offensive Coordinator) Kevin O'Connell's office, (Assistant Quarterbacks Coach) Zac Robinson's office, Sean McVay’s, whoever, and talk offensive football the same way they can come in the office and talk defensive football. I think that's a part of us playing complimentary ball and knowing what we want to do as we go attack our opponents.

(On what he has to do to prepare against Goff)
“The Lions have been doing a great job of staying in a bunch of tight games. Everybody looks at the record and don't realize that these guys have played a bunch of tight games because of their run game. His ability to control the keeper game, his ability to get the ball in his hands and get it to some of his playmakers. We got to control that. It’s always going to go back to being about us. We talked about forgetting. Effecting the quarterback when he becomes a passer, we’re talking about controlling rundowns and we're also talking about being able to get turnovers.”

(On if he learned anything or grew a new appreciation for QB Matthew Stafford when he got to L.A. during the offseason)
“I was fortunate to come from Atlanta where we had (Falcons Q Matt Ryan, who is the definition of preparation. He’s the definition of professionalism, he’s the definition of going out execution, getting the ball where it needs to go, and doing all the things that you want to do. He got here and I was shocked that Matt (QB Matthew Stafford) – I shouldn't have been because they're friends – I was shocked that Matt was very similar in the same way, in the same light. He had a little extra pop to that arm. He can do some throws that a lot of us hadn't seen before and it's really unique – you've seen it as an opponent. But, his preparation and the way he goes about his businesses, it's just phenomenal. To watch Kevin (O’Connell) and to watch Sean (McVay) and all those guys work with them, (WR) Cooper Kupp, all of his guys, it's been fascinating to watch. It's been fun.”

(On what kind of problems pre-snap motion can cause for defensive coordinators)
“Just all depends. If we're talking about the jet motions that change your defense or change calls. If you're talking about the pre-snap shifts and the motions that occur in order to get you in different alignments or the hide their, prop their favorite plays, it just all depends. When you're talking about the pre-snap motions and the things, you're trying to figure out why they're doing them, what the design of them is for, or do you want to let them make you make an adjustment for us. Hope that was the answer.”

Offensive Coordinator Kevin O'Connell
(On if there is anything about QB Matthew Stafford that has surprised him)
“I think I've talked about this before, but it's just being around him on a daily basis and kind of what he brings to our whole organization. He's just so consistent. He's the same guy every day. He's got an incredible way about him, where he communicates in a way, almost in a disarming way with his teammates and coaches and just the people in the building where he can be stern, he can be a leader, he can get things situated the way he wants from a standpoint of how he sees a play, a route, a protection, whatever it is. But he does it in a way where it's always bringing people together, bringing people along with him. It's one of the most unique aspects of leadership where it's so authentic and real, and it can be done every day consistently and nobody ever gets tired of it. He's our leader on offense. He's a leader of our football team. And I knew he would bring a level of leadership and experience, but it's how he does it that I think is the most unique thing and the most special thing about him.”

(On how he has seen Stafford handle pressure)
“Either through his experiences throughout his career or just in our short time here, there's been a couple moments. I think of when we lost the lead at Indianapolis. I think of the second half against Arizona where there's just no flinch. He's always onto the next play in a way where it's positive yet in complete ownership of what just happened, good or bad. And his way to communicate, like I said in a disarming way, that I think his teammates feel provides clarity, but also a level of calm for our offense that I think comes with the experience he's had. But I've talked to a lot of people, former teammates of his before we got him, leading into getting him that led me to believe that that would be exactly what we got every day and it's held true.”

(On if he can explain how his nature is disarming and what his sense of humor is)
“Sometimes self-deprecating whenever he can. There's never a coaching point that doesn't normally have, ‘I could have done it better,’ or ‘Man, I was terrible on that but when we get this right in the game this is how it will be.’ Just ways of communicating in a way that you can't really talk about, you can't really teach, but if he's talking to you about something that you did wrong and you know you did it wrong and you're like, ‘Man, he said that in a way that I know what I did wrong, but I also know I have confidence to go do it right the next time.’ And it's what we strive for as coaches in a lot of ways and our Head Coach (Sean McVay) sets the bar so high from a communication standpoint, accountability, all those things. So, to bring Matthew in and kind of pair those two guys together as the leaders of our team, I know I felt it personally.”

(On if he has noticed how Stafford never talks down to younger players when correcting them, and what does that behavior bring to the room)
“I think he sees people's potential. I think he sees (that WR) Van (Jefferson) specifically is a guy that from day one Matthew was like, ‘This guy has got a sky-high ceiling that we can really, really take him to the next level.’ And it's a daily process. It's each period of practice, each day of the practice week leading up to Sundays, and then you re-rack it, ‘What could we have done better? What did you do great that we got to figure out ways to keep replicating?’ That's what we're doing as coaches. But like I said, he's an extension of us. And I think that's a good way of putting it. Van put it well, it's a positive reinforcement when possible and positive kind of corrections when possible. And we try to do the same thing with Matthew, but as he is, he likes to be coached and coach hard. So it sets the bar high for everybody on our offense and really our team.”

(On what pre-snap motion can do for an offense)
“I know there's all different kinds of motions, but depending on what that motion is there are ways of unlocking maybe some disguise in the defense. There are ways of figuring out what type of defense pressure or not, man or zone, different things that you can use in your toolbox to kind of give the QB and our play-caller answers to the test before the play. Then other times it's about helping guys maybe with leverage and running a route, angles on blocks. Really every phase of your offense can be impacted by it versus some teams. I've been a part of teams where we shift everybody in the offensive formation and the defense kind of stands there and looks at you and says, ‘Okay now we're ready.’ My point is, sometimes there's reasons to do it. And other times you figure out quickly that you're not getting a lot out of it. And maybe you apply another tool like tempo, changing personnel groupings, cadence, whatever it is. But there's a time and a place for it when you know it can unlock some tells for the defense and give you an advantage when possible.”

(On how complicated pre-snap motion is to install into an offense)
“It's really how you go about building your entire offensive system. So, if it's nothing more than adding a word or a tag to a play that's been installed months ago, that's a heck of a lot easier than starting out the install with, ‘Hey, these are all the motions this week.’ If it's just part of a play or part of a tag that we can add that our guys have done many, many times. We also do it enough that we kind of know what things in our offense can elicit certain responses. So, you know when you want to apply those and when you don't.”

(On how Lions QB Jared Goff and Rams QB Matthew Stafford are similar and how are they different)
“They're both incredibly talented throwers of the football, just in its purest form. Different, but the way the ball leaves their hands it doesn't take long being on the practice field as their quarterback coach (to see) that both guys throw the football at a pretty elite level. I'm strictly speaking about a point A to point B and the variation of throws that NFL quarterbacks have to make. Both those guys are two of the best that I've been around doing that specifically. And then as far as some of the differences, I think the experience factor of Matthew over a lot of years, playing with a lot of different teammates allows him to do a lot of different things from a standpoint of versatility in the offense. I think you see (Q Jared (Goff) even this year, doing some things like that and things we did at times with him. It's just a matter of experience and he's still, people forget that he's still a young player by the measure of, I mean we've got one quarterback in our league that is saying he's going to play till he's 50 (years old) plus it sounds like. So a lot of football ahead, a lot of good football ahead for both those guys. It's just a matter of what makes the quarterbacks in this league unique is the ability to grow every single day. And we're seeing that with a lot of guys around the league playing at a really high level. And I think those two guys fall right into that category.”

(On if he has any thoughts about his own work with Lions QB Jared Goff and if there is any disappointment or second thoughts about what he could have done that maybe would’ve made things turn out better)
“Absolutely. That's what you do every year as a coach. Obviously with (Lions Q Jared (Goff), (I) spent a lot of time with him. Coming in here, new to the staff and getting a chance to work with him, we developed a great relationship on and off the field. It was a daily process of trying to continue to grow together. He made me a better coach. I'd like to think he took some things from me to help him and continue to progress and improve. But there's always some things. Specifically - it's hard to really kind of pinpoint without going on a long tangent here or there - from a communication standpoint, from a fundamental standpoint, from a just the way you absorb game plans week in and week out, there's always things that, as a teacher and a communicator, that I know I could do better every single day. That's what I strive for personally. Jared was always so good about his communication back to me that I was able to grow I think from that. I'm very thankful for our time together.”

(On if he will talk to Goff on Sunday)
“Oh yeah! Absolutely.”

(On what it’s like psychologically, from a quarterback’s perspective, when you’re facing a pass rusher with a looming frame such as OLB Leonard Floyd’s)
“It may be silent, but I can tell you, you feel length like that, explosiveness off the edge. We try to do some things to help and combat that sometimes, but we experienced it all through training camp when Flo’s (OLB Leonard Floyd) going. Really, all of our outside guys have traits that helped get to the passer and affect the passer. I've heard some really good defensive coaches talk about sacks as kind of an overrated step. How many times can you affect the passer and change a play, help those guys on the back end? Flo definitely does that just by his sheer presence on the edge rushing. When you combined him with all the other skillsets on that defensive line and the interior with AD (DL Aaron Donald) and Bash (DL Sebastian Jospeh-Day) and those guys and then the other guys on the edge and then couple that with the guys on the back end doing a pretty darn good job, it makes it tough for an offense and you definitely feel it.”

DL Aaron Donald
(On what he remembers from his draft night)
“Just being with my family. Just sweating and waiting for a call, so that was about it. But just enjoying the moment and that was pretty much it. Just being with my family and just waiting for call.”

(On if he was shocked the Lions passed on him that night)
“Well you hear a lot of talk, but you never know what is going to happen. So, I'm happy where I'm at.”

(On if he holds it against them at all)
“No, I'm happy. I'm happy I am a Ram.”

(On if him having more sacks against the Lions than against any other non-division team is a coincidence)
“I am just playing football. A lot of them sacks were against (QB Matthew) Matt (Stafford) and he's with us now. I am just playing a game, just playing football.”

(On when he thinks about OLB Leonard Floyd, what's the first word that comes to mind)
“Playmaker. He is like a silent assassin. He flies around and makes a ton of plays. It's fun to see him out there working. Having two years to be with him, to grow, us learning off each other, playing with each other well. He's having a lot of success.”

(On how OLB Leonard Floyd’s looming presence at the D-line affects the QB and defenders)
“Well, he's a playmaker. I know he's a big guy, but he's a playmaker. Anytime you got guys that make plays, make big plays for you, you're going to be excited them guys (are) out there with you on your side of the ball. He is just playing good football.”

(On how long it took him to get Leonard Floyd to open up personality wise)
“He was quiet. He has been a little bit more open this year. He has been cracking a lot more jokes and saying a lot more. We started seeing more of his personality this year. So, he opened up a lot more this year than last year.”

(On what it is going to be like getting a chance to play against and hit QB Jared Goff after being teammates)
“It's going to be fun. There is competition, opportunity to just make a play. I been texting him this week, just cracking jokes here and there. We are going to do our job and get after him and try to have some successes.”

(On if it is going to be weird going after Goff as a former teammates)
“Nah, it ain't gonna be weird at all. I told him, get ready. I told him I'm gonna come after him. So, he knows what it is. But I'm going to go out there, fly around, trying to make my plays when they present themselves. Hopefully, I get to him a couple of times.”

(On what Goff texted in response)
“He said something funny back, but that's between us.”

(On what he remembers from the Nov. 19, 2018, Monday night shootout between the Kansas City Chiefs and Rams)
“That's it was exciting game. A lot of back and forth. A big play here, you sit down and then they score a touchdown, and you are right back on the field. So, it was definitely a fun game. A lot of big time plays from defense to offense going on that game.”

(On if he thinks the NFL will ever see another game that high scoring)
“I don't know. Probably now with all these different offenses and playmakers we got on the offense. So maybe.”

(On if he has talked with DE Michael Brockers since the trade)
“Yeah, we talk every week. We got a group FaceTime. We talk every week. We were just talking yesterday, it was me, (Panthers DE Morgan) Fox and (DE Sebastian Joesph-Day) Bash. We all talk every week. We got like a real brotherhood, so we always communicate. We've been talking to (Lions DE Michael Brockers) Brock, ‘cause he was talking trash.”

(On if it is going to be bittersweet playing him)
“Seeing him, yeah, because he's on the other side of the ball. But, he knows what our mindset is. He knows we gonna get after him, but it's going to be love after the game.”

(On how Brocker’s absence has effected the defense)
“Just the presence he brought in the run game. He was a solid run player for us. He did a lot in the run game for us. Guys like (DL) A’Shawn (Robinson) have stepped up there, trying to fill some big shoes we Brock being gone, but doing a great job. He's definitely missed.”

(On what Brocker’s has meant to him in his career)
“He has been with me since day one, so you build a bond with somebody that is a real brotherhood. Somebody that you're close with outside of football, you hang with a lot. We just got a close relationship. I wish he was still here, but he's not.”

(On if he is chasing down QB Jared Goff and he lands down right on top of him…)
“…Maybe not, I will get fined (laughter). Land and roll to the side”

(On what would be said in a moment like that)
“I'm an in the moment type of guy, so it could be anything. I might bark at him. I might say something. I don't know. It depends how the game’s going, how the crowd got me pumped up. But, I'm more of an in the moment type of person. So, hopefully I get to him. Ask me that after the game.”

CB Jalen Ramsey
(On the game against the Giants, the secondary rotation, CB Dont’e Deayon and the screen slip he made)
“I thought it was a good game from the defense for the most part. I came up here last week and I said that it was going to be a whole group effort and it was. We saw guys step up and we saw guys doing well in their roles last week. Obviously (C Dont’e (Deayon) did a great job stepping in in his role, bringing the juice, bringing the energy, had some good plays out there. (S Terrell) Burgess came in there. He did a good job in his limited reps that he had, but on his roll. (S Taylor) Rapp did a good job, put him on his plate and he did a great job. Then obviously (S) Jordan (Fuller) also played a great game. Scoota (DB Robert Rochell) came up with his first NFL interception. Then at the end of the game, (S) JuJu (Hughes) got to get in there and play a little bit too so that was cool. All the DBs who were active last week got to play a little bit so that was super cool for us and our secondary room. Something I think everybody was proud of kind of each other for that. I was having fun out there. The size difference between the o-linemen and me is a little bit different so I found my way to beat that block and make a tackle. So, it was fun.”

(On what he thinks it’ll be like playing against Lions QB Jared Goff)
“It’ll be cool.”

(On if he’s looking forward to playing Goff and if he feels like the team knows everything Goff can do, good, bad and otherwise)
“I approach every game the same, personally. I think I kind of say that every week when I come over here, that I approach every game the same because I truly do. I take it for what it is, a new opportunity. An NFL game is super important to me so I'm going to go out there and play the best of my abilities. I think that's kind of everybody else's mindset as well, regardless of if we know (Lions Q Jared (Goff) or not.”

(On WR Robert Woods’ strengths and what makes him a unique receiver)
“I feel like he could do everything that you look for in a receiver. (He) definitely has the hands to catch any throw that the quarterback makes. (He) has some speed to him. (He) is aggressive attacking the ball and then yards after catch, he's super good at that. Just practicing against him in the limited times that we do go 1s-on-1s, he seems like just a complete receiver who can play multiple different positions and do everything. I'm sure he turns it up on Sunday kind of like the rest of us do. I'm glad he (is) on the team.”

(On if he got the chance to meet Woods when he was being recruited by USC)
“I don't know. I met a lot of people during that time. I don't know, maybe, maybe not. I don't know. I don't want to misspeak. Yeah, it was a great time. I met a lot of people.”

(On former Rams defensive leaders such as Lions DE Michael Brockers and Browns S John Johnson III leaving and if replacing them has been achieved or if it’s a process)
“It's always a process. We always got to grow, but I would say so. I think right now, if you look at how we've been playing, look at the team success, I think that you can say we've been doing a pretty good job so far. But obviously, we hope to continue growing.”

(On if he thinks there’s a misconception about his role)
“I'm not sure. I don't know what people think, nor do I really care just because, honestly, as long as I'm doing what I got to do for the team, my teammates and then the coaches obviously as well, but mostly my teammates, then I'm cool with it. I go out there and I give it my all and I try to glorify God. It is what it is. They'll either figure it out or they won't. And I'm going to say they won’t.”

(On the non-verbal communication on Sunday when Goff looks over and sees him lining up against him)
“I'm sure a lot will be going through his head. He got to focus on AD (DL Aaron Donald) too. You know what I mean? Not just me and the secondary. You got AD and Flo (OLD Leonard Floyd) and some other guys on this defense too.”

(On DL Aaron Donald and OLB Leonard Floyd being in the same spot and he can be anywhere, so Goff needs to keep his eyes on him)
“(It’s) part of the game. I don't know what’ll be going on in his mind. I don't know. I'm cool with it though. He'll figure it out or maybe he won't. I don't know.”

--RAMS--