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BB: Good morning. What are you
working on?
Q: How's the season going?
BB: We've had our ups and downs. It's a one-game season right now though.
Q: When you go back to your first year as a coach, with you going up
against a first year head coach this week, how different of a coach are you
now? Did you make mistakes then that you absolutely would not make now?
BB: I don't know. I make a lot of them. I don't know, maybe not. Are you
talking about during the game? Preparation? I make a lot of mistakes.
Thinking back to Cleveland, Nick [Saban] was the defensive coordinator. We
had a good staff. Like here, still the assistant coaches do most of the
coaching; the head coach doesn't do as much coaching as the assistants do.
They're the ones who are more hands-on in the meetings, hands-on in practice,
and even in the games. I'm not saying I'm not involved in the decisions, but
they're really the hands of the team. There are things that I look back on and
wish I could've done them differently, but that's the way it is after every
game, too. There are calls that you'd like to have back and plays that you wish
you'd had them in a different situation or matched them up differently or
something like that. That still definitely exists. I don't think I've ever
coached a game that I haven't felt like that, either as a coordinator or
a head coach, or even as a position coach.
Q: Do the numbers go down though in
terms of those young mistakes over the years?
BB: I don't know. Probably not. It's
probably about the same. There are
always a handful of plays in every game that, when the game is over, those
are the ones that you think about. 'I wish we had been in something else. I
wish we had repped that play more in practice. We should have set it up a
little bit differently,' or whatever. However the thing turned out. I think
back to the Giants, when you're the coordinator and you're calling the plays
there, there are plays after every game you feel like that about.
Q: Is that kind of painful? Those are the ones that stick to you, the
misses as opposed to the makes?
BB: Yeah, well, I think in general in this business, the lows are lower
than the highs.
Q: Can you talk about Lamar Hunt and what he meant to the game in your
eyes?
BB: I think he was certainly one of the founding fathers of the AFL and
the AFL-NFL merger and how all of that came about. He was a huge, staunch
supporter of the AFL and then, as it is now, the AFC. I think that franchise
has had a good impact on the entire league. I think the Kansas City fans and
their whole football environment on game day and Arrow Head and all that
they've created there has been something that certainly has been an
invigorating part of the game. It's hard to play there, but I'm just saying
the whole environment that they've created. Lamar has been there through it
all and I said yesterday, I had the opportunity to be in Kansas City for
that 101 Dinner, which is one of the top postseason award dinners for
football. It honors, not just pro football, it's a first-class thing. He's
been a big part of that and it's comparable to the Maxwell Club and The
Touchdown Club of Washington, and stuff like that. They've done a lot of
things right out there, a lot of things to promote the game of football, and
I think a lot of things done in the spirit of the game that I respect.
Certainly, he was a big part of that. I've had minimal direct contact with
him, owners' meetings and stuff like that, that 101 Club Dinner, the Super
Bowl and that type of deal, but truly a gentleman, a smart guy and very
respectful. I think he respected the game a lot, too. When he spoke in league
meetings you always had the sense that he was speaking from the heart, Wellington Mara-ish, what was best for the game. It wasn't about what was
best for the Chiefs. It was about what was best for the game and I think
that came across in a genuine, sincere manner, so I believed it. It's a
tough loss.
Q: What did you think of the AFL when it first started?
BB: It was kind of exciting. It was kind of exciting. You had some guys
there like [Hank] Stram, and the two-point play and [Joe] Namath and there
seemed to be something that was a little bit different than the NFL. I'm not
saying better, but just kind of a little bit of a merger between the college
game and the pro game, a little more wide open. It seemed like there was
less defense. A lot of high-scoring games. There were a lot of exciting
players in that league, maybe it was because there wasn't much defense. I
don't know. It seemed like there was a lot of 41-38, some of those kinds of
games. It was entertaining. It really was. I grew up in Annapolis so we had
the Colts and we had the Redskins. That was a lot of football. Of course the
Colts were really good when [Don] Shula was there and with [Weeb] Ewbank and
then Shula. They were one of the best teams in the league every year, and
then the Redskins, especially when [Vince] Lombardi came and then George
Allen came. Vince was only there one year. When George Allen was there, they
were really good, too. There was a lot of enthusiasm for both teams and both
of those cities, because we were in the middle, it kind of spilled into
having the opportunity to see both organizations and then the AFL kind of
burst on to the scene and obviously there was no AFL team that close to the Baltimore-Washington area, so you kind of got a smorgasbord of the whole
league. But it was interesting and it was entertaining. Ultimately it was
good for football because it included a lot of cities and a lot of people
and it expanded the game to a point where it gave the NFL a lot more
exposure and I think that was good.
Q: What did you think when the Colts lost to the Jets in Super Bowl III?
BB: A tough loss for sure. I've always loved Shula. I definitely looked
up to him as a kid. And he was a young coach there. I think when he came to Baltimore he was in his mid-30s or something like that. Look at his record.
You saw it last week, he had 347 wins. Are you kidding me? That's about
three or four careers from most coaches combined wouldn't even get to that.
He was tremendously successful and I thought very professional and such a
staunch guy, so solid that I just really admired the way he ran his teams
and the way his teams performed and the guys that were on his teams. He and
my dad were friends. They both had roots in Ohio and so I kind of got to
know him a little bit through the years and as I came into this league. There
is not any contemporary...I don't know if he's really a contemporary, but
he is – I've coached against him. Not very well.
But there's nobody that I
respect more than Don Shula. I don't know how we got on Don Shula here.
[Laughter]
Q: Can you talk a little about O.J. Santiago and what he
brings to your team?
BB: I think O.J. has a good background. Coach [Pete] Mangurian had him in Atlanta his rookie year. He's a big kid, can block, has good hands, pretty
athletic guy. It will give us a little more depth at that position, between
the running back and tight end positions, and fullback, those are all kind
of interrelated, offensively, in one way or another. A combination of
getting us some depth there and both as a blocker and as a receiver. He has
a little experience in the league. We'll see what he can do. I'm not sure
exactly. We're late in the season and he hasn't played since training camp,
so we'll see where he is. He may be able to give us some depth at that
position.
Q: Is special teams a factor there?
BB: I'd say at this point that would probably be secondary.
Q: Is it fair to say that it's a little bit of insurance for [Benjamin] Watson's health right now to add depth to the roster?
BB: As I said, I think that all of
those positions are interrelated – the tight end, fullback and running back. Somewhere you need somebody.
Q: What is your evaluation of David Carr overall, specifically this
season?
BB: We've seen him in...I'd say I've seen every game. Fast. Very athletic
guy. Makes a lot of plays on his own with his feet either running or buying
time in the pocket or scrambling to get out of the pocket. He has a couple
of big receivers and he'll throw the ball up to them and give them a chance
to make some plays on it, which I think is good. [André] Johnson and [Eric] Moulds make a bunch of them. He uses his outlet receivers very well. The
tight ends and the backs all handle the ball well. He seems to have a good
sense of when he's in trouble how to get the ball to them. I would say for
the most part, what I've seen in the times that he's been sacked, he hasn't
had much of a chance. Either he didn't see the guy coming or the thing just
kind of collapsed around him. But usually if he has pressure he's quick
enough and athletic enough to be able to get out and either escape it or get
rid of the ball to one of his check down receivers. He's done a really good
job of utilizing all of those guys, the tight ends – [Owen] Daniels and
[Jeb] Putzier and all the backs. [Wali] Lundy has a bunch of catches. A lot
of times his outlets are receivers on the shallow crossing pattern. So I
think he has good field sense of knowing where his outlet receivers are.
He's made some good throws down the field, too. It's not like he hasn't hit
some deep balls. He has. He has a good arm. He's a good athlete. He's the
most athletic quarterback that we've faced to this point this year. Fastest.
Quickness. Most athletic. As I said the other day, when you see a team
design running plays for a quarterback, like the toss-crack-sweep they ran
against Jacksonville, and quarterback draws and stuff like that, you know the
guy can run. You don't put those plays in and work on them for a guy that
can't run.
Q: Do they boot him out quite a bit?
BB: Absolutely. They boot him in, really, all situations. They do one
back boots, two backs boots, they boot him on the goal line. They boot him
to throw. They boot him to run. But he is very fast to get outside. A lot of
teams that boot their quarterbacks, even Denver I would say is an example of
a team that boots a lot, but the quarterback doesn't run very much. He
usually boots to throw and to buy time to throw, whereas Carr is much more
of a threat to run. He throws most of the time too, but he gets outside the
defense to where he's a threat to run, and again, a lot of those boot teams,
really, it's more of just getting the pocket away from the rush than really
trying to get out there and run with the ball.
Q: With that outside zone stretch play that they run and Denver runs, it
kind of stretches the defense the other way.
BB: Exactly. That's exactly right. That's why those teams for the most
part are the best running teams in the league, is because they're not
affected by the eighth guy in the box because the quarterback controls him
and you have to put whoever that eighth guy is, if you're playing a gap
front, that eighth guy, whether it's an end or a safety or an outside
linebacker, whoever that guy is, he has to take the quarterback on the boot.
You never really have an eighth guy in the box against Denver, whereas you
do with most teams, because when they run the ball, the quarterback, you
don't have to account for him, and so you only have to defend...you have eight
gaps to defend, you have eight players to do it. With the boots, you lose
that eighth player and you're really playing seven-on-seven now.
Q: Can you just focus on what the Texans have done or will you have to
look at [Gary] Kubiak's offensive tactics from the past?
BB: We're definitely aware of how Denver has attacked us. I'm sure that
there will be some elements of that, and I think that you can see Houston's
kind of plan of attack varies a little bit from 4-3 teams to 3-4 teams. I'm
not sure exactly what they consider us, but I think we need to be aware of
the elements of both. But, yes, I think that watching Denver, knowing what
Denver did against us, and how they attacked us, is certainly relevant. I
don't think it's the same, but I'm sure there will be some carryover at some
points in the game.
Q: At this time of the year when you bring players in as you mentioned as
insurance, in your career have you ever brought a player in at this time of
the year that's really had an impact?
BB: I'm sure that we have. I'm trying to think of who it was right off
the top of my head. I'm sure we have. I really haven't thought about that.
But let me think about it and I'm sure I could give you a couple of names.
I'm sure I could. I mean impact...that might be...
Q: Surprising, just really played a role, an important role that you
didn't expect that player to have.
BB: Right, to at least be able to come in and play a role, yes that's
right. Let me think about it, but I'm sure that I could give you a couple of
examples.
Q: Can I put O.J. Santiago on my fantasy league team? [Laughter]
BB: [Laughter] See if he's active first before you put him on there.
Q: How did the Patrick Pass IR decision come down?
BB: It just looks like he's going to be out for a while and we're at that
point in the season where there are only so many games left. It's not like
when you're in October where you have time to recover from an injury and
then still be out there and still know there are a number of games behind
it. I think we're getting to the point now where we're just low on the
number of games.
Q: Given the size difference between Mike Wright and Vince Wilfork, what
does Mike have to do differently to succeed in there at nose tackle?
BB: I know Vince weighs a little more, but I don't think there's that big
of a size difference. They're both big, strong, physical guys. Mike has his
style of play, but I think that there are elements of Mike's style of play
that are similar to Vince's. They're both tough. They're both aggressive.
They both use their hands well. They both have real good playing strength.
They both have a good motor. They go hard on every play. Vince has a little
more experience playing on the nose. Mike has played in there. Mike has
played on the guard. Mike, when he has had a chance to play this year, and
even last year, he's done a good job. We have a lot of confidence in Mike
and Mike has been playing in there and practicing in there anyway, whether
it be 4-3 or 3-4. We have confidence in Mike and I'm sure that Mike will
play well.
Q: You always say that playing strength with linemen is kind of the thing
when they come out of college is the toughest thing for them to build up and
be ready to play. Does that make nose tackle a particularly tough position
to develop in your system because you do ask in a lot of cases them take on
double teams?
BB: Well, yes, there's no question. Certainly athletic ability is a part
of it and you have to have a minimum standard of athletic ability, but
playing strength is a major factor for really any defensive linemen that's
playing in this type of a system where you're trying to take on blockers as
opposed to just running into a gap. Playing strength and really, probably
more important than strength, leverage. Being able to play with leverage and
hand quickness. I know it's going back a ways, but even guys that weren't
the prototype size guys, Tim Goad here, and Jim Burt in New York, and guys
like who weren't the same sizes, guys like [Michael] Carter that played out
in San Francisco in those days. He must have been 295 or 300, from SMU. They
played with great leverage and great quickness and playing strength. [Fred] Smerlas is another one that had great leverage. It's not all about size.
It's about leverage. It's about playing strength. It's about hand quickness
and to a degree technique, but some combination of those. But without much
strength, I could be the best technique player in the world but I wouldn't
hold up in there. Again, there has to be a minimum level of playing
strength.
Q: I've heard it over and over and I understand that's probably part of
having good leverage there, is being short almost on advantage in some
situations in there if nothing else?
BB: It could be an advantage on some things and a disadvantage on other
things. But it could be a big advantage in playing double-team blocks. It
could be an advantage in holding your ground there, holding that particular
point. I think overall length is obviously a drawback in terms of range and
making tackles and being able to pass rush and to gauge the offensive
linemen and being able to extend your arms to get into their pads and hit
their hands and move them laterally so that you can clear them. Some of the
guys that play it ,that are real tall, that were in there, there are certain
things that they have a little trouble with. Like [Richard] Seymour played
in there his rookie year. His length and his range caused those guys some
problems because, again, a lot of times the offensive linemen fell into that
category, too. On the other hand, there were times where it was harder for
him to play in there on the nose because of his length and his range. He was
probably a little bit better further away from that position, more on the
guard or on the tackle where he is. It can go both ways, depending on the
play and the particular thing that the guy has to do. A good player uses
whatever his strengths are, uses them as an advantage against his opponents
and tries to minimize the things that can be exploited.
Q: It's no secret too that most college teams run a one-gap, upfield
scheme. You pretty much had to project Vince. Is nose even harder to project
than the ends when you look at college kids?
BB: That's a good question. I think there's certainly a degree of
projection in both of them. I think what it comes down to is, even though Vince played one-gap technique at Miami, and that's all he played, there
were times when because of the blocking schemes or because of the play, he
ended up in a two-gap position, if that makes any sense. So even though he
is shooting the gap, the way the offense blocked him, by the time he got
into that gap and got engaged with the player, he was really in a two-gap
position. That's what we were able to see a lot of from Vince in Miami is,
in those situations where he was actually head on with the blocker, how he
was able to handle himself and what kind of playing strength and what kind
of quickness he had and whether he could move laterally. In other words,
when you're playing head up on a guy, you have to have enough lateral
quickness so that when he moves you can stay even with him. If you don't,
then the guy just jumps around you and he has you pinned and you're dead.
Being strong and playing straight ahead is fine as long as they're coming
straight ahead. When they move laterally, lateral quickness is an issue. In
evaluating Vince at Miami, that was something that even though they didn't
play that technique, you saw it. It's kind of like those outside
linebackers/defensive ends. Sometimes because of what the team does, you can
see enough examples where you can say, 'Okay. Here he is doing what we
[do].' That's not really what they want him to do, but the way the play
works out, you can kind of see him doing it and say, 'Yeah, he does a pretty
good job of that. I think he'll be okay.' Sometimes you're working in that
direction.
Q: When you're moving laterally, is it even more important against a team
like Houston or Denver or Atlanta because that will stretch you out?
BB: Because that's what they do, right. They run laterally a lot.
Exactly. So that's why that position, it's such a hard position to play
because you have to be able to go forward and hold your ground against
double-team blocks by guards, you don't even know which one is going to
double-team you, but by one guard and the center or the other, and you get
whammed by the fullback and all of that stuff, then flatten down the line of
scrimmage and play laterally and chase those guys down the line and still
maintain a good position on them so that the whole defense doesn't get cut
off. If the offense can cut off the nose, then essentially they always have
two running lanes. One in that off-tackle lane, or wherever the play is
designed to go, and then another cut back lane where the nose gets sealed.
They're running here to here and defensively you get killed when they can
create those kinds of running lanes. It's a tough spot to play. It is. It's
definitely a tough spot to play. It's a combination of strength, lateral
quickness and technique and then if you can find a guy to rush the passer on
top of that, that makes it even more challenging. Guys like Vince and
[Casey] Hampton in Pittsburgh, guys like that who have some quickness, I
think with all the rest of that stuff actually are productive pass rushers.
Q: Yesterday Tom [Brady] had some harsh words for his teammates
suggesting that they're not listening and they're freelancing too much. What
is your reaction to that?
BB: I have all the respect in the world for Tom and I think he has a real
good sense of what this game is about and what our team is about. So
whatever he said, I would stand by.
Q: Is there a chief reason Tom avoids getting into a rut like some
quarterbacks get in when they have a three-week stretch of bad games or poor
performances, where he doesn't have those? After a game like last week, which
was what we call a poor performance, it's very unlikely for him to be in a
rut.
BB: I think Tom is one of the most consistent players that I've ever
coached. He works hard every week. There are no ups and downs with him. He
really goes through his preparations to the letter. He never leaves a stone
unturned. He has questions everyday and questions at the end of the week
trying to clear up or get a little bit more insider information on whatever
issues come up during the week. When we get together at different points in
the week, which we do, but we always get together at the end of the week
[and] there are a lot of things that we talk about at that point that have come up
earlier in the week, and it's just kind of a follow-up or further
clarification, just taking those preparations right up to the very end and
just trying to do more. Again, I think he approaches...I've been with him in
preseason games, I've been with him in playoff games and championship games
and it's the same for every game. One game is no different than the next. So
I think that anytime a player prepares like that and has skill like Tom has,
then there are probably going to be a lot more good plays and good games than
there are bad, and that's the way it's been with him.
Q: You guys are beyond discussing general philosophy and stuff because
you've been around each other so long, but you can be much more specific in
those discussions. Does it save time in a sense?
BB: And we've talked about all of that. Believe me, we've talked about
that all day. You know what? It's interesting that you say that. I'm sure if
you ask Tom, he would tell you the same thing. We talk about those things
every single week. We talk about the quarterback-center exchange, maybe not
every week, but we don't go more than two weeks without talking about it, and
that's the most basic play in football. I think it's always good to, and
just what you're saying, you get involved in so many, 'In this coverage...when
you can read this guy doing this...and it's third-and-six, but if it's
third-and-nine...' And then sometimes you get so engrossed into all of that,
which, a lot of those little things can make a big difference. I'm not saying
they're not important, but I think it's good to never lose sight of the big
picture of what's the most important thing. What are the most important
things that any player has to do, but particularly a quarterback. 'Let's go
through one, two, three, four, five, and don't worry about number 171. When
we're running a curl pattern, it's cover-four and the safety is a little
higher than he normally would be. Let's just get through the base and make
sure we never lose sight of what the most important basic things are in the
game.' We do that on a regular basis. I think another thing that makes Tom a
really good quarterback is that for all the little things that he does well,
in the end, it's still the big things that, one [mess] up on a big thing can
override 10 little things. And those little things can make a difference.
I'm not saying they're not important. Then there are things that we all know
are critical of the success of a play and you have to do those right. You
never want to put those second; they'll always need to be first. |
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