OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR DECLAN DOYLE
I know the past few weeks you haven't had your starting quarterback, but in the second half there have been no points in the past couple of weeks. What have you seen from that, and is there something as far as halftime adjustments that could be made? (Jamison Hensley) "First of all, having the backup quarterback is not an excuse for that. I would say this, when that happens, when you look at a pattern starting to emerge, you start to figure out like, 'OK, how do we solve this pretty quickly? How do we go back to the drawing board and figure this out?' And really, it starts with the process. You start to try to, like, 'Hey, leave no stone unturned,' so it's watching all those drives, trying to figure out [if there] is something consistent that's showing up that we can control as a coaching staff, whether that's operationally what we're asking them to do. I'm looking at my role as a play-caller, like, 'Can I call different plays?' And obviously, if you're not executing, the answer's not in the plays you're calling, so you have to figure something out there. But I would say this, I can do a better job of putting them in better positions and making sure that they're able to go out and execute. When I watch the tape, the pattern that I would say that I see is that we don't execute what's being called at times. And so, obviously, that starts with myself. I have to do a good job of going back through that. I have to go through the process of how those calls kind of come out during the week. I spend as much time on the opening script as I do on the second-half script, and obviously, they're very different results right now. And so, we have to figure out how to reshape that. We have to figure out how that information's being conveyed to the players so that they come out and they're ready to go and ready to execute what we're asking them to do, and then kind of how we're meeting at halftime and all those things. That's really a concerted effort from myself and the staff, going back to the drawing board and the process – how do we get the results we want? I've asked the players, and they brought up the suggestion that maybe we should just stay in the end zone for the end of the first half, and it'll always be the first half for us; we'll never go in the locker room." (laughter) "So, certainly, obviously, I am open to a little bit of feedback, but it's something that we have to get corrected moving forward if we want to go where we say we want to go."
Do you have a second-half script that you prepare going into a game? (Garrett Downing) "Yes, I would say that, in general, I script a lot of the game. There are times where I would say I probably haven't stuck to that second-half script enough, and I probably have to stick with my guns a little more at times, and that would be kind of my own self-evaluation of that. But I go in with an opening script. I go in with a second-half script, and then I go in with kind of, 'Here are my next calls.' And then in each section situationally, I kind of have what I'm going to call – the first one, two, three [plays]. I have them ranked, and I go through those with the quarterbacks, so they have a pretty good idea of what may come up. For example, we're third-and-4 to 6. We've talked through that as a staff. I've kind of ranked them. Lamar [Jackson] or 'Snoop' [Tyler Huntley] has ranked them. We've talked through what we like in those sections and who the ball needs to go to. And that way, when those things come up, we have a play call ready to go. They can kind of anticipate what I'm thinking and why I like it, and it gives us a better chance to go execute. So, obviously, there's a lot of preparation there, and I'm still working through that myself, only seven games in. I think that that always can improve the more we look at it."
Like you said, getting adjusted to being a play-caller, it's still early in your first season. Do you feel like that's one of the tougher parts, the adjusting on the fly? I know you come in with a game plan, but going off game flow and dictating what the best solutions are from that point? (Cordell Woodland) "Yes, I think there are a lot of different challenges. Obviously, that's one of them that presents itself on gameday. But at the end of the day, more than anything, it's about how we play. So, like, whatever I put on that script, it's about us being able to come out of the locker room and put on tape what we're putting on tape in the first half, which is a team that plays with high detail, executes and finishes. We talked about leading the league in assists. Like, when I'm playing away from the football, I want guys that lead the league in assists on tape, being able to play hard outside of the framework of when I have it. So, that's really the main thing, is how can we get our guys to translate that and be able for that to show up at the beginning of the second half? Certainly, as the game goes on, you need to be able to adjust to the schematics, what's happening and how they're playing you. I think that every defense is different. Sometimes you find that to be very simple, and sometimes that can create a lot more challenges, especially when it's not going as well as it has the last couple weeks. So, yes, it's definitely something that comes up, and it's something that I'm working through as well, but it can be a lot better than it is right now."
Can you just kind of clarify for us? My understanding is that a first-half script would be just kind of like a bunch of conditional things, and if the defensive front is this, then you might like this, if it's a third-and-long, like you said. It's not like you have 15 plays scripted out one by one, right? (Jonas Shaffer) "I would say this, everybody's different. There are probably different coordinators that do it different ways. For me, the way I think and the way I learned it was really from Sean [Payton]. That was, like, the first place that I was that they scripted the openers. You go through, and I script out basically, 'Here are my normal down-and-distance,' which would be first-and-10 or second-and-6 or less, and then, 'Here are my G-BOT [Get Back on Track] plays that I want to show first,' which are basically second-and-7 to 10, second-and-11-plus, [with] those things that are a little bit further distance. So, you try to make sure that in each of those areas, you're studying the defense and what shows up accordingly, and that's kind of what you want to just make sure your players understand: 'When we get in this game, when we're in these different situations, here's what I'm thinking, [and] here's why I'm calling it,' and that allows them to play at a high level and be able to make good football decisions. So, that planning is throughout the week, and I always tell the players that the calls call themselves. Like, as we practice them, how they look – that determines what gets called. So, through that process, whether it's Friday [or] Saturday, we're kind of tweaking that script all the way up until game time, and then generally, that's what you're rolling with, and then you have to be able to adjust as things change."
What is G-BOT? (Jonas Shaffer) "G-BOT is 'Get Back on Track.' So that's generally, you're behind the sticks from an analytical perspective. It's really second down and 7-plus is really G-BOT."
Even when you guys had it going in the first half, it didn't really have the efficiency in the run game that you probably wanted. When you drilled down on that aspect of things, what was going on? (Childs Walker) "I would say there's a number of different things, and one, it starts with the communication up front. Not from – I think Cam [Jurgens] did an awesome job in the game, especially his first game being a center for us, but that communication has to get relayed to a number of different spots, whether it's the guards relaying it to the tackles, tackles to the tight ends. There are too many times where we have unblocked players that are unaccounted for that should be accounted for in the scheme. So, we have to clean that up as a staff, as players, to be able to go out and execute really what looks good on paper, but we don't play the game on paper. So, as things change, pressures show up and things like that, we have to be able to echo the calls that handle those problems. Then, I think that we all kind of have a hand in every part of it, whether that's the offensive line; the tight ends have to be better in the run game; the wideouts have to keep blocking on the outside; the backs have to be consistent with their tracks and their eyes, and then the quarterbacks have to be able to fake and hold the backside player. So, I think that you go back to it, and it's not one thing. It's a lot of different details that we all have to kind of clean up in our own area. It's not like anybody has to be superhuman, but we have to go back to work as far as our process of how we believe we're going to run the ball effectively."
There's obviously been a lot of talk about the need for leadership as things snowball. With you in the booth, how do you manage the attitude and the energy on the sideline? (Giana Han) "Yes, I think, obviously, I don't have a direct contact point to anybody except for the quarterback and the coaching staff. So, really, they have to serve as a conduit to my energy and the message that I want to portray. That's why at times, if we score, immediately I'm on the headset, and I'm on the staff about, 'Hey, this is what I want us to be saying to the players.' Or if things go bad, [it's the] same thing. I'm trying to give them a message, give the quarterback a message and say, 'Hey, go talk to the O-line and X.' So, it's hard because you don't get that face-to-face interaction. I do think that if you're calling it from the field, you're going through a thought process that makes it challenging for you to interact with the players anyway. So, you have to rely on the staff in a lot of ways, whether you're calling it from up or down. But it really is the staff and the quarterback have to kind of – the message has to flow through them to their teammates and the players."
Back to what you were saying about the run game, when you're having the yards before contact shrinking and, to your point, like you just discussed, about missed blocks, how does that impact your scheme, your play-calling, sort of in real time, to try to kind of counteract that? Obviously, you've got some injuries along the offensive line. (Brian Wacker) "Yes, I think that, obviously, when things start to go a little haywire as far as targeting goes, you start to look at how can we make it simpler or create less moving pictures for our guys? That's something that we pride ourselves in, trying to create moving pictures for the defense. It's a huge piece of what we are, and yet at the same point in time, we'll simplify it before we fail, if that makes sense. Like, we always have variables that we can take away. So, you're really trying to look at, what variables exist that we're messing up, and it's the same thing when you watch the tape. And then how do we eliminate those, or how do we shrink those to be able to produce a better result? In real time, in most cases, that's communication with the offensive line coach [/run game coordinator Dwayne Ledford] and with 'Flats' [assistant offensive line coach Shawn Flaherty] trying to figure out, 'OK, that run scheme may not work,' whether it be whatever run scheme it is. It's a wide zone, it's a gap, it's whatever. We think they're playing differently than how we game-planned them. Let's start to lean into some of these other things. The one thing that I would say that we really never can do is get away from the run game, because it is a huge piece of the building block of everything else that comes out of our offense."
I know that you're not necessarily gearing up to face Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen, but just as somebody who appreciates the offense, what do you think about him as a player? (Samantha Croston) "I think Josh Allen's an outstanding player. He creates unbelievable arm talent. I actually was a student assistant at Iowa when we played him when he was at Wyoming, and so I had appreciation for him then. Obviously, he's grown a lot since then, and he's gone on to have a lot of accolades, but he's somebody that anytime we have crossover tape, and you get to watch him, what they've been able to do there. Obviously, I have carryover with Pete Carmichael, who's the offensive coordinator there now. I really appreciate their offense and the way they play, and obviously, they're playing at a high level. But I'm excited about our defense's ability to go and to play against them."
How much do you feel like you guys as an offense are missing that second and third play that QB Lamar Jackson brings when he's out there? (Cordell Woodland) "It's hard to say. I would say that, in a lot of cases, [Lamar Jackson]'s able to create, but 'Snoop' [Tyler Huntley] has been able to create a little bit as well on his own. He's a very special player. He's very unique. Lamar is as good as they come at that second act. So, we have played half of our games with Lamar, and we've played half of them without him. I'm certainly excited if he's back this week and we're rolling with him. I'm excited for that to show itself again."
With QB Lamar Jackson being out there, not playing for a few weeks, is there any kind of a rust factor, or have you not sensed that out of Lamar watching him practice? (Jamison Hensley) "I think that you have to be very aware of any – you take a guy out of that flow that [Lamar Jackson] was in, you have to be very aware of that. He hasn't played football in a little bit. So, we're trying to make the practice as close to game-like reps as we possibly can, just as we're trying to make the walkthrough as close to game-like operation as we possibly can, because he was playing at a really high level. Obviously, the goal is that you don't skip a beat when he steps back out there, and that he's able to continue to operate at the level he was in. And it really all comes back to the preparation of throughout the week, we have to be able to put in the work in order for him to go out there and play with confidence."
SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR ANTHONY LEVINE SR.
We're nearing the halfway point of the season. Are you getting enough out of the return game on either punt or kickoff? (Jamison Hensley) "So, [I've been] talking with the guys, and what we've been doing is, we have to make sure our blocking is better. We have to strain, and not saying that they're not, it just has to be better. We have to make sure that we're attached to our guys to give these guys room. To give LaJohntay [Wester] room, to give [Rasheen] Ali room, Justice [Hill] or whoever's back there. We have to make sure that those guys are making a way for those guys so they're able to go out there and make plays. We just have to make sure that our fundamentals and our blocking and our strain is better in the return game, so we've been focusing on that a lot this week."
Do you feel like RB Adam Randall could offer something as maybe a kickoff returner? (Ryan Mink) "Yes, sir. Watching [Adam Randall] even during training camp, he came back yesterday, [and I was] watching him out there running. He's a playmaker, especially when he gets the ball in his hands. He's big, he's strong [and] he fast. So, yes, if we're able to get him back there, I'm sure that he can go out there and make some plays for us."
With P Ryan Eckley, other than him being more consistent, what would you like to see out of him in terms of his punts, or what does he need to kind of do more of to find that consistency? (Brian Wacker) "I want [Ryan Eckley], and this is going to sound really cliché, but I want him to go out there and be him and go out there and have fun. When those guys go out there — and since we are specifically talking about [Ryan] Eckley — when he goes out there, and he has his mind set on exactly what he want to do and where we going, he's one of the best punters in the league, even though he's a rookie. So, I want him to go out there and just be comfortable, catch the ball, foot-to-ball, and put it left [or] put it right so these guys can go out there, [and] we can cover. So, I want him to go out there and just go have fun and put the ball exactly where it needs to be. That's all I want him to do."
As opposed to the past where you had a young punter coming into a lot of vets, you have very young specialists and then veteran LS Nick Moore. How much have you leaned on him to help them with that mentality? (Giana Han) "A lot. Nick [Moore] is the most vocal person in the room. It's crazy because we brought that up again last week. It's crazy how we come out here, and you all ask me questions, and we talk about the exact same things. It's kind of like, when you bring something up, it's like [déjà vu]. I brought it up last week. I [asked what is] the reason why we're so good on this phase? Why? They said communication. I said, 'Yes, communication.' Well, who does the communication? Nick Moore. When we get up there, and I'm coaching them up, and I'm saying certain things, Nick will come in and be like, 'OK, I see it like this, and we should do this, this, that, and the third.' So having him in the room, having a vet the way he is, that's so vocal, and he leads by example. So, leaning on him is a must, and he goes in, and he's not only a vocal leader, but he also leads by example. So, he does a great job of doing that in those meetings. I appreciate him for doing that."
When things aren't going well with the team, how much do you guys, if at all, talk about, 'Hey, we need to make a play, we can make a play to help turn the whole team around'? (Cliff Brown) "That's our motto. We have to be better at that. So, when we go out there, it's like, 'Listen, we have to go out there, and we have to make plays. We have to go out there, and we have to set the tone.' The game starts with special teams. So, either it's going to start with a kickoff, or it's going to start with KOR. But we have to go out there and we have to make a play. But what we don't want to do is, we don't want to go out there and press for plays. You have to go out there, and you have to do the little things so we can go out, and we can make a play so we can get our team going, whether it's we on kickoff, if we make a big hit on kickoff, and then we have the energy, and then here comes our defense. Or we get a big return, and now here comes our offense. So, that right there, that's how it starts. And who does that start with? That starts with us, and that starts with me [and] with our special teams unit."
INSIDE LINEBACKERS COACH TYLER SANTUCCI
What you've seen out of ILB Roquan Smith this year? Is there anything that's changed maybe over the past couple years that we're seeing out of Roquan right now? (Jamison Hensley) "All I can evaluate Roquan [Smith] on is [from] how long I've been here. What I see from Roquan is the process to prepare for a game, the ability to lead a team, lead a defense [and] doing that day in and day out. It's just not Sundays. We don't just look at Sundays, and that's where he's at. I think his processes are good. I think that he prepares a certain way; he still is playing the exact way that I want him to play. The game of football is marginal, so there's certain plays that — and the first thing I look at is me — did I put him in position to be able to play this maybe a certain way? So, we work together on that, and that's not just Roquan, that is me also and making sure that my processes are right to make sure that he can have the success that he wants on Sundays."
When you talk about his leadership, during this second half and the second half in the game before, what is he doing on the field and on the sidelines? (Giana Han) "Yes, [Roquan Smith] is talking. We're talking through issues. What are the issues? What's happening? Let's come to an agreement. This is what we're trying to do. 'Oh, I saw it this way,' or, 'I saw it this way.' That's the game of football. We do that in practice every day; we do it on Sundays every [week]. Leadership isn't just 'rah-rah.' Leadership is going through the process, talking through the process, making sure there's a clear understanding for the linebackers, No. 1, to then the people that are involved in whatever we may be talking about. I think that's a common misconception because he's not screaming and yelling up and down the sideline that there's a lack thereof, and that's just not the case. So, we talk about it a bunch and [try to] give attention to what matters, and what matters is how we talk through our problems, how we get better and learn from our problems so that we could take the next step towards what's next for us."
What do you think's been the biggest difference for ILB Trenton Simpson making the jump that I think has been very evident that he's made this year? (Luke Jones) "Time on task. Just like all of us, we get better as we do more. Again, our processes — and everyone's different — so Roquan [Smith]'s process into his eighth or ninth year of the game compared to Trenton [Simpson]'s are much different. We just have to paint a picture of why we have to do [it] a certain way to get prepared for a season. I think we tried to — and I addressed this in the summer — to just adjust some things for him, paint the picture of like, 'OK, these are the things we have to work on, we'll go work on those.' Then, practice habits, routines [and] all of those things are just small wins over a period of time. Then, all of a sudden, you start to see some results on Sunday, but it is a long process that has built into that for Trenton, and he's stayed the course, which is the most important [thing]. Being consistent, being steady and just trusting [that] there's a plan in place, [so] just trust it. That's really what he's done up to this point."
Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver has mentioned a few times now that he feels like the team is carrying the sins and scars of the past. Having been here in the past, do you feel like you see that, and how do you feel like this new coaching staff is attacking that? (Giana Han) "It's such an interesting comment, because the more that we talk about it, the more attention it brings to it. I'm not saying that it should be ignored because it's a real thing. I'm just saying there's so many other things that we can focus on, that we can talk about [and] that we can get better at before we start talking about some make-believe thing. It is, it's make believe. So, that's how I feel. It doesn't affect anybody. Half the people weren't even here. The whole coaching staff wasn't even here. I just think it's a storyline, in my opinion. So, in my mind, let's narrow the focus, and let's focus on the things that actually matter, [like] how we practice, how we play, how we meet, how we communicate [and] how are we all on the same page for a 60-minute football game? Then, I think we start getting the results that everybody wants."
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR ANTHONY WEAVER
What's the game plan against QB Josh Allen? (Jamison Hensley) "The same as it always is. [It] takes all 11. We've got to stop the run, first and foremost, [and] try not to give them [any] 50/50 run [or] pass situations. We know any time it is a pass that can turn into a run too with Josh [Allen]. [It's a] tremendous challenge [with a] tremendous quarterback. We know he's an elite [player], so it's going to take all of us."
Looking at some of the stats, you guys have not really allowed a lot of scramble yards this season. Do you think that is something that is an asset in a game like this? (Jonas Shaffer) "So, you're trying to jinx us now?" (laughter)? "Is that what we're doing? It's like saying a guy hasn't missed a kick all year and then he misses a kick. We are obviously cognizant of it. All the quarterbacks nowadays have some type of scramble ability; it's just the nature of college football and what it is. When [Josh Allen] pulls it down to run, it's a little bit like our guy. It's a big play waiting to happen. We're certainly cognizant in our rush lanes and our rush plan, and we just have to make sure we execute when we are rushing and coordinate it all day."
When you have a second half like that against the Cincinnati Bengals, what's your approach? What did you see? What is your approach moving forward to learn from it and also hope you have the other sample sizes that 'that's not us' the majority of the time? (Morgan Adsit) "That half happened, which was two quarters of horrendous football. I think we would all agree there. We've hung our hats all year on these six talons. You talk about communication, connection, effort and angles, tackling, attacking the football, block destruction [and] finishing. Of those six talons, I felt like the effort was there, but the other five we kind of fell short of. When that happens, that's what happens. We can sit here and talk about a scheme and all these things, but what happened was we just didn't play to our standard, ultimately. And like I said from the first day, when one of those talons is dull, we don't hunt the same. We didn't hunt the same in that second half. In terms of response, it's like everything in life. You take a hit, you get knocked down, you get up off the mat and you try to be solution-oriented. It's like having that 'Mamba Mentality,' like Kobe [Bryant]. Kobe, in his rookie year, he shoots four airballs in the playoffs [and] it could have went either way. [It] could have become Nick Anderson, who misses the shots in the finals and is never the same player, or you become the 'Mamba.' It's up to us to decide, [and] we try to become the Mamba."
There was a lot of discourse about leadership this week and finding that voice to sort of cut through and stop the bleeding. Do you feel like you guys are searching for that? What's your perspective on that? (Childs Walker) "It's weird. I think every team has its own personality. This one, you can feel like there's some scars, from situations and things that have happened in the past. And collectively we have got to find a way to just stop the bleeding. I think in real time when you're in the fire, yes, we're looking for leaders to step up and say, 'Hey, wipe this look off your face. We gave up a point, it's the National Football League, it's going to happen.' And just find a way to stop it. I know our guys will step up. I know they'll do that. I know our response will be better, [but] sometimes you just [have] got to go through these situations in order to grow. I hope this will be us failing forward from here on out."
Since head coach Jesse Minter mentioned that on Monday, how do you guys as a coaching staff approach that with the team; the idea that you guys are searching for either a leader or a different type of leader? (Giana Han) "[It's] simply [by] discussion [and] communication. It's one of those things [that] sometimes guys don't realize it until you point it out. Maybe guys are waiting and they're unsure and uncertain about whether they should step up, [and] if they're the guy. Hey, we're all the guy. I believe leadership needs to move around based on the situation. You can say it should just be one guy here or there, but anybody at any particular moment can step up and say, 'Hey, this is not who we are. This is not what we need to be.' As coaches, we're always trying to cultivate that in our own way. I think of the place I came from and it was with Jordyn Brooks. Jordyn Brooks was one of our best players on defense but he just didn't talk a lot. It took kind of a year for him to grow into that role and understand who he is, and when he spoke, his words carried weight. I think it's important for our guys to know that we have a bunch of those guys whose words would carry weight and they need to speak up."
On Sunday, what did you see from just the energy on the sideline from your guys? What should that look like? (Sam Cohn) "[It was] not just the sideline, [but also] the stadium. You guys were there. There was a time there in the third where it felt like I was at a funeral, and it was a one-point game. I think the collective energy of not just our sideline, but our fans, need to understand, 'Hey, sometimes we need you to pump life into us too.' I'm doing my best on the sidelines, I was 'm-f'ing guys' [and] trying to pump life in them, just to get us to play. We'll get there. Now ultimately, we know we control the volume. We can help the fans by going out there and playing, but we think of this like, we have our 11, but we need the 12th man too. All of us, we can all do better I think."
You talked about not carrying the luggage or the bags of teams past and talked about the scars that you feel this team still has. It seems like you're being really intentional about trying to get over that. Ultimately, what do you think it will take? What does that look like? How do they get over that? (Ryan Mink) "I think it all comes back to the connection and trust piece. I think what's happening right now with us a little bit is when it gets tight, you have guys kind of searching for plays instead of just trusting guys to do their job at an elite level and let the play come to them. I equate it to, now again I'm a happily married man of 13 years, but remember back when you were dating and you're dating a girl and she's constantly talking about an ex? That's how I feel here sometimes, like, 'I don't want to talk about that guy [anymore]. Why do you keep bringing him up? Let's get past that. Let's move forward so this relationship can blossom.'"
I'm curious about S Kyle Hamilton. He's played a ton obviously up near the line and so forth. Do you guys have to be mindful of how you're using him in those situations and maybe deploying him more at the back just to keep him upright, because obviously you risk more injury given his size and so forth playing that close to the line? (Brian Wacker) "Yeah, it's certainly something that's discussed. I believe [head coach] Jesse [Minter]'s very calculated in the times that he does pressure him. Most of the time we try to bring him on the edge just for that very reason. Occasionally, again in high-leverage situations, he may blitz him up the middle, but it's certainly something that we're cognizant of. If you asked Kyle, he's probably like, 'Stop, just keep sending me and putting me around the ball.' But it's certainly something we're aware of as coaches."
Every player has different weaknesses and strengths. You guys went against two receivers Sunday that do a lot of damage every week. We saw a couple times where guys are up in press coverage but it doesn't look like they're actually pressing guys. Do you want to see guys get more physical at the line of scrimmage with receivers? (Cordell Woodland) "Some of that is call dependent. I think sometimes that's tough to judge and equate. I think there's times where we're showing up and then we're getting off. There's certainly times where we want guys to put hands on, but I think that's all again on the call. As far as those two guys, those two receivers, right, they're studs. I think for two quarters we showed what we were capable of. And I say two quarters and to me it was really 14 quarters going back to the Tennessee [Titans] game. It's 14 quarters of solid defense. I think about Tennessee, we gave up, what was it, 18 [points]? Versus [the] Atlanta [Falcons], we gave up 16, 13 to [the] Cleveland [Browns]. Then through two quarters of 'Cincy' [Cincinnati Bengals] they had 0 [points]. I told the guys, 'All right, we had a bad day, had a bad half. That doesn't mean that's who you are.' Let's get back to work. Let's keep moving forward [and] keep pressing forward. In terms of that, yes of course, if you have an opportunity to be physical, yes, put your hands on their chests and let's disrupt the timing of the route. But yes, I think a lot of that is dependent on the calls."
Head coach Jesse Minter mentioned that as a coaching staff you guys are constantly evaluating your processes. As he talks about looking for a guy to step up on the sideline, are you guys also looking at yourselves as a staff? Do you need to see more from you guys other than you 'm-f'ing' out there, trying to be the guys when things are going south to kind of spark fire? (Giana Han) "For sure. I think until you see that show up from your players, it's definitely the coach's job to help spark that a little bit. But for us in terms of our systems and processes, we're always trying to refine and adapt and find ways to get better. I don't know if that answers your question, but yes, we are constantly trying to get better. If we don't know, we can just call 'Wink' [Don Martindale] and ask him." (laughter)
S KYLE HAMILTON
There's been a lot of talk about how the team's going to bounce back from what happened Sunday. How would you assess the mood up to this point this week? "I think it's a determined focus. I wouldn't say confrontational, but we've confronted a lot of things and hope to go out there this weekend and put it on tape."
Obviously, you've gone up against QB Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills before. Basically, what do you think some of the keys are for you guys to try and contain that offense the way you feel you can? "I think it's communication first and foremost, throughout the whole game, before the game, addressing things on the sideline as a group, as a unit and keeping the energy up. I think sometimes out there, especially last game, we came out and obviously we're going to come out with energy, and there's really no reason for us to lose it. I think that we didn't do a great job — leaders included, like myself — keeping that energy up on the field, on the sideline, so I think that's something we can improve on."
All wins are big, but what could a win do Sunday for you guys, do you think? "[It will] get us to 5-3."
You said you've confronted multiple things. What are some things you have confronted as you prepare for the Buffalo Bills? "I think guys [are] just asking good questions, whether it has to do with the game plan or how you're thinking as an individual, communication on the field, trust. Very real, grown-man conversations were had. I think it was a point last week where that needed to be had. This season can go one of two different directions, and there's obviously the direction that we want to go in, so I think everybody took steps this week to give us our best chance to do that."
Is it tough to really figure out where you guys are as a defense when you do have such a mixed bag of high highs and low lows? "I think so, and I think everybody's trying to figure out where we are as a defense. It's something that you learn as you go through a season, and hopefully these will be seen as growing pains rather than just pains at the end of the year and something that we have stacked and become better people, players, teammates and a collective team as a whole by the end of the season."
Do you have any motivational 'swing' to go up against an offense like the Buffalo Bills and be the team that you want to be against them, especially coming off the second half of the season? "I don't really see it like that. I mean, it's a great challenge. They're a great team. But this league has so much parity, and every team and offense is good. We've lost to teams that we weren't supposed to lose to, and no matter who's out there, we have to do our best to put our best foot forward as a defense and represent our logo and our teammates and everybody who supports us in the proper way."
How is the knee? How challenging was Sunday, and then obviously getting ready for this week as well? "[It's] getting better. I mean, [I'll] let the coaches [and] training staff touch more on that than myself, but [it's] not an excuse. I mean, I was out there, so if I'm out there, I need to be putting good stuff out there on tape. Me, myself personally, I don't think I did that. [It] doesn't matter the situation I'm in. If I'm out there, I need to be doing my best to get the job done."
The word leadership has been talked about a lot between players and head coach Jesse Minter on Monday. What does that mean to you? Does it mean being vocal at halftime or after the game or before the game, or just leading by example? "I think it's a culmination of everything you just said. I think it's lead by example [and] leading vocally. Different guys lead in different ways. If you're a 'by example' guy, [it] doesn't mean you can't talk. If you're a vocal guy, [it] doesn't mean you can't lead by example, and it's a collective effort. I think anybody can lead. Obviously, we have guys who are captains, are leaders [and] are established in this league. Those guys are looked to from the younger guys, but if you're a young guy out there making plays, why can't you lead? I think it's from top to bottom, head coach to the practice squad guys, everybody can make a difference throughout a week. I think that's something that we've realized this week, and everybody's made the steps to become more of a leader."
Head coach Jesse Minter talked on Monday about this team maybe being vulnerable to momentum, both in a good way and in a bad way. Could you just kind of explain how it affects you when there's like six seconds of activity on the field, then a long, long break between plays? How does it actually affect you or not affect you? "I'm not going to speak for everybody, but me personally, I don't think it affects me. I try to relay this message to the DBs, like, it's a game at the end of the day. I feel like sometimes we're thinking like the whole world's going to end if something bad happens, and that's not the approach that you need to have in this sport and life in general. None of our tombstones are going to say, 'Kyle Hamilton: Football Player.' It's a game that we play, and we need to have fun doing it. We need to be out there playing the game like we're playing a game and not like we're doing a chore. There's emotion involved in that, but it's also just practical. A very blunt way of looking at it [is] just get the job done however you need to do it, whether that's communicating more or just doing your job. It's simple, but I think we get caught up in outside noise and all that different stuff when it's really like, it's just football at the end of the day. Go play football."
To that point, I don't know if you saw, but Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs had some things to say about the defensive performance on Sunday. Does that stuff matter to you all, especially considering those guys and where they stand in Ravens history? "I actually didn't see what they said, so I don't want to comment on anything they said when I didn't see it. But I mean, yes, obviously those guys have done it and been a part of great Ravens' defenses, but they're not about to walk through the door and play for us. So, we have to figure this out ourselves. [We] respect the past for sure [and] everything that they've built here, but [it] doesn't have anything to do with us as the 2026 Ravens defense. We have to have that mindset that just because the logo says something, our tape needs to say the same thing. That's something as a defense, as a team we can uphold better, and look forward to doing that the rest of the season."
G VEGA IOANE
Was it encouraging for you to be out there today? "Definitely. It felt good to get back out. There's no other way to get yourself ready and prepared and things like that and get your mind right than being out there on the field."
How much of a relief – head coach Jesse Minter was saying that this isn't a long-term thing. Were you worried when it happened? "Not really. I know my body. I know how things go down. It's just like a mentality thing. It's not only me, but everyone in this locker room has it. [When] things go bad, you want to fight and get back as fast as you can. No matter how long it takes, you try to get back as fast as possible."
How tough was it for you to have to watch what went down in the second half and not participate? "Oh, man. I still have yet to really watch what happened and things like that, but I'm sure the guys did everything they could. In the NFL, it's hard to win games, but I know what we have in this locker room, this whole building, everything like that. We have everything we need, so we just have to keep building on it."
What about going into Buffalo obviously this week and possibly having QB Lamar Jackson back? "Yes, like I said, everything we have [is in front of us]. It's great to have 'L' [Lamar Jackson] back too. We just have to go in there and do our thing. We still have tomorrow and Saturday to keep preparing – and the rest of the day. We just have to keep building on it and get back to work and get to it on Sunday."
Are you of the mindset that you hope to play on Sunday, or is it too early to say that right now? "I don't really know what's going on, but I know my body. If I'm ready to go, I'm ready to go."
What it that helmet to the knee that you took on the pass to RB Justice Hill? "We have a big role in the offensive line room, finishing down the field – 20-30 yards – however long it takes, just finish to the ball. That's the mentality we go into it [with] as an offensive line. That's what I tried to do, but it's football, that's the game of it, and that's how things go."
How big would it be if you could get back to health, and we had the offensive line healthy for a stretch, what could that do for the offense? "We could do really good things. The guys that are going to be playing, whether it's Emery [Jones Jr.] or Drew [Andrew Vorhees], they're in the NFL for a reason. They're out there to play their [tails] off. They just have to keep building on it. Whether it's me or them out there, we won't miss a beat. We just have to keep going."
Were you surprised to be able to get back on the field this quickly? "Not really. Like I said, it's a mentality thing. If I feel good to go and ready to go, I'm going to be out there as much as possible."