BB: We're pushing along here. Third
down. Two-minute stuff. Situational stuff. Second-and-long. So we're just
pushing along during the week. Like I said, I'm glad we have the extra day.
These guys have a lot of things to get ready for. They're pretty good at
everything. If we weren't playing them, they'd be fun to watch.
Q: You talked about [Antoine] Winfield being really good against the run. What are the skills that make a
cornerback solid against the run?
BB: Well, first of all they also play him inside in the slot in some of
their sub defenses, so he's probably more involved in some of those plays.
First of all, it's getting a good read on the play and taking a good angle
and attacking the blockers. He's an excellent tackler. He's a good wrap-up
tackler. He's strong and he's quick, so he just doesn't miss very many. He
does a pretty good job of playing with leverage and knocking them back. I'd
say the number one thing is tackling, but he's also quick and he's strong
and he reads those plays very quickly. Once he gets to them, usually that's
pretty much the end of the play. There are not many times where there's a lot
of yardage gained after he shows up. So you have to get him blocked and
that's hard too. He's good.
Q: How much of the two-minute have you used this year?
BB: Well, we've had several times where we hadn't got a first down and
never really got a chance to get into it at the half. We been ahead at the
end of some games where we've been able to run out the clock and hang onto
the ball at the end of some drives. At the half, we've had a couple of
situations where we've kind of tried to get into it, but we just haven't
gotten anywhere. We were in two-minute almost the whole fourth quarter
against Denver, more than we wanted to be. A lot more than we wanted to be
in that game.
Q: That's been a strength in the past. Has that been a point of emphasis,
just to try to get it back on track?
BB: Yes, it always is. Some years it's been a little more productive than
others. It's always an important element of your game. If it ever comes down
to that at the end of the game where everything is riding on it and it could
be a big play at the half where you could go in with some extra points and
have a little momentum coming in for the third quarter. We need to keep
working on it and, again, I hope we don't get too many opportunities to use
it at end of the game, but it could be a weapon for us at the half if we
could get it executed a little better.
Q: What kind of mental preparation does Matt Cassel do during the week?
BB: He pretty much goes through all of the things that [Tom] Brady does,
other than of course Tom gets more reps in practice and Matt gets his reps
when he's running the scout team. In the end, they both get about the same
number of plays, it's just one guy is running mostly our plays and the other
guy is running mostly the other team's plays. In terms of preparations,
meetings and game plans, all of those things, adjustments and so forth, all
of the things that we go through, he's just as responsible for them as
whoever the starter is. I think Matt has done a good job with that, because
we do put him in in practice situations and he never really knows when those
are coming, just like he doesn't know when it's coming in the game. It could
be a third down play. It could be a red area play. It could be a first down
play. It could be pretty much anything. I think that's what kind of keeps
him sharp, is that they have to be ready to run whatever play it is they're
called on, pretty much on a moment's notice, because that's really kind of
the game situation. We did that in one of the preseason games, I forget
which one it was, maybe the Washington game, we just kind of put him in in
the middle of the second quarter, middle of the first quarter or whatever,
because that's the way it can happen. You're right. He could come in in the
fourth quarter or he could in on the second play of the game. That's the
thing about a backup quarterback – you just
don't know when you're going to play. It's kind of like a relief pitcher in
baseball. You don't know whether you're going to pitch at all today or
whether you're going to come in with the bases loaded or come in at the top
of the inning with nobody on base. You know what I mean? You just don't
know. It's that similar mental preparation that you have to be flexible. You
have to be ready to go and then you have to be able to handle a lot of
different things when they come up and you don't really know what they are.
Mentally it's a very challenging position. Like I said, it's similar to, not
that I know anything about baseball, but talking to people who do, it's sort
of that same description.
Q: We talked about [Champ] Bailey and how you had to be careful against Denver. Is [Fred] Smoot the same type of corner in maybe he plays the ball
really well and can break quickly?
BB: Yes, well he is a crafty player. He is. He'll try to bait you into
some things and make it look like this is open and then take that away.
Something that he really probably isn't covering kind of look he's going to
cover it, but then change his technique and he'll jump some routes
occasionally. I think he's a smart football player. He has really good ball
skills. When the ball is in the air, he does a good job of high pointing it
and getting it away from the receivers getting his hand in there where the
ball is.
Q: When you face a corner like that, does a quarterback have to look more
closely and get hints on what the defender is trying to do?
BB: I think the quarterback has to be careful with guys that are sharp
and savvy like that, Smoot is like that. [Darren] Sharper is even more so as
a safety like that. You have to know where he is. You just have to be
careful. Sometimes in the same coverage, one time they'll take away the out.
The next time they'll take away the curl, even though it's the same call and
the same coverage, they just get a feel or why ever they do it, they do it,
but as a quarterback you just have to be aware of that and you can't just
say, 'In this coverage he's going to be outside,' and then you know what,
he's not and then you throw one to him. He does a good job of mixing it up.
I think Sharper is very instinctive as well. He does a great job of reading
the quarterback and anticipating route combinations and formations and that
kind of thing. He's probably as good as any free safety we've played against
in terms of anticipating and recognizing route combinations and kind of
jumping the play.
Q: Are there ways to tell if he's really beat or if he's baiting you?
BB: Well, that's the thing, sometimes you look at it on film and you say,
'Well he's beat on that play,' well it's because he jumped a crosser because
he knew it was going to be a cross. Whereas, if you're saying, 'Well, we're
going to kind of run up the seam instead of running across,' well against
you, he may not be jumping that cross. Maybe that was a key that he had on
that particular team or on that particular receiver based on his split or
his alignment or the quarterback action. It's sort of hard to tell what's
triggering him to do it. Is this something that that guy did or is it just a
game plan thing that film study he anticipated that play and took it. I just
think as a quarterback you have a pattern and then you have those things
built into it. So if they play it a certain way, then they take this away
then you go to somebody else. But you just can't kind of go back there and
not really pay attention to what you're seeing and just say, 'Okay, I'm
going to go back and here it is. It's cover-two. I'm going to throw the
in-cut.' You have to look at it a little more closely than that.
Q: This week starts a stretch where you see first time head coaches
several times. Are there any changes or challenges there game plan wise?
BB: There are challenges every week. Every single week
there are challenges.
Players. Coaches. Schemes. Whatever the conditions are that involve the
game. So you just take them all and do the best you can to deal with them,
whatever those challenges are. They're there every week and they change
every week. Some guys you know better than others. Some players you know
better than others. Others not as well – rookies, young players. Schemes
that you're familiar with. Schemes that you're not. New schemes. Whatever it
is, you just have to take a look at the total broad stroke of it and figure
out, look, prioritize it in some way. 'Here's what we need to do. Here's
what we don't want to do. Here's what we do want to do,' and try to
formulate it that way. I don't think there's necessarily any one overriding
thing that you could say…there is an overriding thing on a weekly basis, but
I don't think you know what that is until you kind of get all the
information and put it together and try to figure it out.
Q: When you think back to Bethel Johnson's time here, what stands out as
his best contributions to the Patriots?
BB: I think we all know he's a talented player. He had a lot of
production on the kickoff returns. He led the league in returns one year.
He's a fast and explosive athlete.
Q: How much do you think Corey Dillon is enjoying playing with Laurence
Maroney?
BB: I think that the backs work together well. I think it's a good unit.
I think it's a good chemistry. I think they work well together and help each
other out. They pull for each other. You can see when guys make a play how
quickly they are to congratulate them or if they see something that they
think is a tip that they picked up, they will share it with their teammates.
I think that group works very well together. Kevin [Faulk]. Laurence. Corey. Heath [Evans]. Patrick [Pass] is in that room too. I think those guys…I
think it's a very good camaraderie. It's a good group and they're fun to
coach. They're all good guys to coach.
Q: Does [Nick] Kaczur give you any flexibility other than the tackle
spots? Could he maybe play a little guard for you?
BB: Maybe he could. That's a good idea.
Q: Is he getting any work there?
BB: I don't know. I'm not going to get into what everybody does on a
weekly game plan situation. Obviously, anytime you have seven offensive
linemen that play five positions, somebody has to double up somewhere.
Somewhere along the line, somebody has to double up somewhere. Either one
guy has to play all of them or three people have to play two. You have to do
something. There has to be some flexibility in there with whoever those
seven linemen are.
Q: How has the Vikings' offensive line been playing?
BB: Good. Good. This is the best offensive line we've seen this year.
[Bryant] McKinnie is outstanding. He can do it all. He has some amazing
plays. He's kind of like a freak playing out there, as big as he is and as
powerful as he is, he's very athletic. There are a number of plays where he's
10, 15 yards down the field blocking linebackers, blocking safeties, just
staying with them. He's a very athletic player for his size. The same thing
with [Steve] Hutchinson. Another real athletic player. They play
side-by-side and handle gains and stuff like that. [Matt] Birk is very
experienced guy, probably the smallest of the group, but real savvy. He does
a good job of helping out in there, again, passing gains and their
combination blocks and so forth. The two guys on the right side, [Artis
Hicks] and [Marcus] Johnson are both big and physical. They are powerful
guys that maybe aren't quite as athletic as Hutchinson and McKinnie, which
very few guys I would say are, but they're powerful and they do a good job.
[Jim] Kleinsasser does a good job as well. He's in there on protection and
blocking in the running game quite a bit. He's a very good blocker too, one
of the better blocking tight ends that we've seen.
Q: Have you ever had a 6'7, 6'8 guy up there on the line?
BB: [Wesley] Britt is probably pretty close to that, 6-whatever he is,
6'7, 6'8, I don't know. He's pretty tall.
Q: Do their run tendencies swing to that left side?
BB: They run both ways. I think they kind of like to run to the right a
little bit and let Hutchinson pull. They run both ways. I don't think they
really care. They seem pretty comfortable with it. I don't think it's as big
a tendency…put it this way, I don't think it's as big a tendency as some
other teams that we've played, in terms of running left and running right. I
don't think you mind running behind any of those guys.
Q: What are your thoughts on the work that's going on in the stadium now?
BB: I'm all for it. I hope it improves the field.
Q: Is it just going to be that middle strip?
BB: It's whatever they think will improve the field. I don't even know.
Whatever it is, it's whatever they think will help it be a better playing
field, that's what they're doing and I'm all for it.
Q: What are your thoughts on Troy Brown's accomplishments as he
approaches the receiving record?
BB: Well we are not big on a lot of individual records and recognition
around here, but that being said, it's still pretty impressive the number of
passes that he's caught and the career that he's had and the production that
he's had. I respect it and do think it's a pretty substantial
accomplishment. On the other hand, it doesn't really have much to do with
the game this week. We're not really focused too much on it.
Q: How is Patrick Pass doing?
BB: Patrick is doing fine. He's doing fine.
Q: Is he a little closer?
BB: He's definitely closer. He's moving closer. I think that's a decision
that we have a little bit of time on. We'll do what we feel like is the best
interest of Patrick and the team and the whole situation based on a lot of
things. It's not just any player in that situation. It's the whole total
team composition and situation that we're in.
Q: Just to clarify, how much more time do you have?
BB: It's six weeks from whenever it started, so it was like to weeks ago.
Q: How did Richard Seymour react to having the brace on his elbow in
practice yesterday?
BB: Good. He's day-to-day. Were you looking for more than that?
Q: Well, if you want to give it to me.
BB: No, we'll just leave it at that.
Q: On Eugene Wilson getting back out there, I know the hamstring has been
a nagging injury for him. Is it a good sign that he got back out there?
BB: He's day-to-day too.
Q: You too, right?
BB: Yes.
Q: On Jermaine Wiggins when he was here, did you ever talk to him about
the fact that he needed to block better? Did you ever have any thoughts at
all about retaining him before he left?
BB: Well sure, just part of our normal process at the end of every
season, prior to the start of the offseason program, and prior to the start
of training camp. We talk to each player. I talk to them. The coordinators
talk to them. Their position coaches talk to them or sometimes a combination
about what their strengths and weaknesses are, what we feel like they need
to work on, what areas we want them to specifically focus on, whether it be
the offseason program, the spring camps, training camp, to improve their
game. Whenever that happens to be. Whether it's work in the weight room.
Whether it's rehabbing a particular injury. Whether it's film study of a
certain technique or a player or whatever. Whether it's a position change or
a position we want to add to them. Whether it's certain types of specific
techniques to that particular player that maybe are different from another
player because of their specific skills. We absolutely do that with every
player on a regular basis. Then during the course of the year, whether it be
in the bye week or sometimes it could be at another point in the season
depending on how the season breaks on that particular year. Again, we talk
to the players on an individual basis about how they're doing, things that
we feel like they're doing well, things that they can improve on, areas that
they could work harder at or work at that we think would improve their
individual performance, which collectively improves our team performance.
That's always a part of our system, is getting better and improving. Every
player gets talked about in those areas as it specifically pertains to him a
couple of times at least during the course of the year. That's not anything
unusual. That's just trying to get better as a football team.
Q: Was his blocking…
BB: There are things that every player can do better.
Q: Was his blocking the major reason why you weren't eager to re-sign
him?
BB: No, I didn't say that.
Q: I know you didn't. That's what I'm asking.
BB: Every decision that we make is what we feel like is in the best
interest of the football team and there are a lot of things that go into that.
That's the best way I can answer it. It's usually never about one thing.
It's a combination of things and whatever your options are, whatever the
choices are that you have to make, in the end you make the ones that you
think are the best for your football team. We understand it. There are a lot
of players and we see them every week that are good players that aren't on
our team that are good football players. That's no commentary on anybody.
It's just at whatever point in time we had to make a decision, we made it
based on what we feel like is best for our team. There are a lot of things
that go into consideration when we make those decisions. It's not any one
thing. As much as everybody would like to make it into one play or one
incident or one specific skill, that's just usually not the way it is. It's
a combination of a lot of things. |
