SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR CHRIS HORTON
Opening Statement: "Good to see everyone today. Just a little, quick recap of last week: I think the one thing I am pretty pleased about is that when you turn on the tape, and we watch our guys play, our guys are playing physical, our guys are playing hard, and we are having some success out on the field. The thing that we're continuing to strive for, and the things that we are continuing to chase, is really perfect execution, because when the execution is not right in our phase of the game, it – somewhat – is noticeable. So, our thing [is to] come out here every day – every Wednesday, every Thursday [and] every Friday – and then when we get to Sunday, we want to go out there and really play our best football, and that starts with our physicality and our effort giving us an opportunity to have a successful play and then maximizing our execution when we're out on the field."
With the onside kick with WR Zay Flowers last week, is it just a matter of him catching the ball, or is there something else to it, from an execution standpoint, that could have helped him? (Jamison Hensley) "When you look at that play, we did a great job of getting ourselves lined up, understanding the type of kick that we were going to see, and then it's really just ... I explained with Zay [Flowers], and I talked to him about this: [He needed] maybe a little bit more width, understanding how that ball is going to come in. [With] a little bit more width, you would have probably put yourself in front of the ball. Other than that, that's it. I mean, we've got to get ourselves out there, and then we've just got to field that ball. It wasn't anything that [Dallas] did [that] I thought affected us on the play. It's just, we've got to field that ball."
What did you think of P Jordan Stout's performance this past week, after the week prior when he struggled in the fourth quarter against the Raiders? (Kyle Phoenix) "I thought [Jordan Stout's performance] was a lot better. Obviously, ball location is something that we preach on a lot – of where the ball is and things like that. But for us to go out there and limit KaVontae Turpin to zero yards returned, that is a great day for our punt coverage unit, because we know how dangerous of a returner he is. And again, it starts with us, one, protecting the punt, because Dallas [is] a great rush team – us protecting the punt – and then everybody just selling out on the coverage and not allowing them to get any return yards. So, from that standpoint, I thought Jordan did a great job. Even [with] the ball that got hit in the middle of the field, he put enough hangtime on it. It's a 5.13-ball; that gives our gunners an opportunity to get down the field, and that allows the neck to get down there in coverage and force [a] fair catch. So, all in all, I think he's getting better, but we're still chasing – again – perfect execution every time we're out there and proper ball placement."
K Justin Tucker made it clear that the missed kicks are solely on him, and he's just missing them, with everything else around him being executed well. Is that accurate? Do you agree with that? (Pete Gilbert) "I 100% do, and no one knows better than Justin [Tucker], right? So, what Justin says and what Justin believes, that's probably 100% accurate, and it's our job just to keep encouraging him. Again, we trust him, [and] we believe in him, because we know he's going to get this thing figured out, and then that ball will be going right where we want it to go. So, we'll just keep sending him out there, and that thing – it will get itself fixed."
When you have a guy like K Justin Tucker, who's been so good, and he's having the struggles that he's having right now, do you know when to jump in and say something, or do you just trust that he'll figure it out on his own? (Cordell Woodland) "It's not that [Justin Tucker] has got to – so much – figure it out on his own, because he has [senior special teams coach] Randy [Brown], and he has [assistant special teams coach] Sam [Koch] here with him. So, when there is something that they might see, he has another set of eyes on the kicks and things like that, so they kind of give him advice on some things that they're seeing. But ultimately, because he has been so successful, and people aren't accustomed to this, we think that these things shouldn't happen. But he is human, and these things do happen. So, just like he said, he's got to find himself, [and] he's got to get himself back in his rhythm, and we all believe and have faith and know that that will get done."
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR TODD MONKEN
You obviously ran the ball really well in Dallas. What did you see in the execution from the offensive line this week than maybe the previous couple of weeks? (Jamison Hensley) "I thought we were just cleaner. Overall, as an offense, we were just cleaner. [We] weren't perfect by any means, but we were cleaner. I thought we raised the floor on our perimeter blocking. I thought that made a big difference in terms of guys on the perimeter. [It] didn't matter what it was. It didn't matter if it was QB-driven, or if it was Derrick [Henry] breaking through the line of scrimmage and Nelson [Agholor] downfield. I just thought we took a real step in terms of where our guys were and where they got to this past week."
The buy in from those guys, from the wide receivers and tight ends to block in the way that they do, especially in a game where you only threw the ball 15 times. You must take a lot f pride in that knowing everyone is going to buy in and say it's fine, 'Maybe I'm not going to catch a bunch of balls, but we're going to block'... (Pete Gilbert) "I've been coaching skill guys my whole life. That's a hard deal. That's a hard sell when a lot of their pride and what they get paid to do is to showcase their skillset. I don't care what position you play; you want to touch the football. But it said a lot about those guys, but in that moment, however long the game is, for three hours, it's about team. It's about what I can do right now to help the Ravens win, and that's been a staple of this organization for years. Then we can figure out afterwards how we can get other guys involved, but at that moment, that's what I control as an individual player what's [been] called to execute at the highest level. That says a lot about those guys."
Do you feel that this offense challenges the Bills in ways that the three previous teams they have faced have not? The three previous teams threw the ball outside the numbers more, they have a higher depth per target, more air yards, distance. Your offense is different in those regards. (Kyle Phoenix) "Again, our sample size is three games, and their sample size is one game each, so I'm not saying who we are now and who they are then [is who we will be]. Each game presents different challenges in how we're going to attack them. There are certain aspects of [the] Arizona [game] that you take from. There [are] certain aspects of [their] Miami [game] that you like, and there are certain things that went of what went on last week [against Jacksonville] and then last year. So, there [are] a number of things we'll take from that, but we certainly have to continue to build on what we've done so far and continue to play clean football. When you turn on the tape, you want it to look like what you want it to look like. That's an easy statement, but when you're going against the best in the world, it's a little harder than it seems. But for our guys, we've had a great week of practice last week, and we've already started up this week with two great days, so I look forward to playing [on] Sunday night."
Why did TE Mark Andrews play fewer snaps on Sunday? (Brian Wacker) "I didn't even know he did. Gameplan-wise, some of that comes into play. We were in a little bit more 'U' personnel, 22 personnel, and when Charlie [Kolar] is in, and 'Pat' [Patrick Ricard] is in, that's only one of the other tight ends, so that's going to shrink that. In the other games, we were in a lot of two-minute [situations]; we were in a lot of no-huddle. There were a lot more throws, and we didn't have as many snaps. All that is part of it. We think a lot of Mark [Andrews]. We anticipate Mark having opportunities. Like all of our guys, they didn't get the opportunities they were hoping for, other than maybe Charlie."
Head coach John Harbaugh has talked about penalties and the need to cut those down. You guys have had seven or eight offensive holding calls, some of those probably questionable, but as a coach, what do you do to try to eliminate those things whether they're questionable or not? How do you try to cut those things out? (Brian Wacker) "The first thing you do, obviously they're not intentional, but you show them the tape. Show them what [the referees] are calling, where their hands are, where their body placement is, because that's a part of it – that we get out of position. Was it a call that put them out of position? All of those things are part of it, and then just making sure that those things, like anything that we do technique-wise or schematically, is you try to get it corrected. That's when you show them the film; what is it? Body position, hand placement, what is it schematically, and how can we get it fixed? Because playing clean football [and] eliminating the penalties will allow us to not waste yards, if that makes sense. We have a lot of yards, OK now, how do we turn that into functional directed yards and turn them into points? Because that's really what it's about. It's about scoring points."
QB Lamar Jackson talked after the game Sunday and when we spoke to him yesterday about continuing to score points, even when you guys have the lead that you had on Sunday. When you're calling game, especially this past Sunday late in that game, do you feel like you're calling just to keep the clock going? Or do you feel like you were aggressive with the play calls in the back end of the game? (Cordell Woodland) "The only one that I would say wasn't nearly as aggressive as I wanted, would have been the third-down call before the field goal attempt. That one there was really, 'Ok, if we get it, [and] if not, it gets us to a four-score game,' really is what we were thinking. Sure, there [are] a number of calls I always wish, 'OK. I would've done that differently. I would've done that different.' That's just human. That's never going to change. That's not the first or last time. The next drive that we got it, we just didn't convert on third down. The next drive that we got it on third down, we did throw it. To me, the other thing is trusting the players. Like I told the guys, the last play of the game that sealed it, to me that's not conservative, in that call, because you're going to trust your players for ball handling and security. You're not just handing the ball off, you're reading it, you're putting it [in play], and you have to trust the players, because you can't put the ball on the ground. So, to me, those are plays that do take that, and sure, I don't disagree with Lamar [Jackson]. We want to keep the pedal down, because you don't want to leave even the door open. I'm not disagreeing there, and there are certain calls that I wish we could've been a little bit more aggressive."
With QB Lamar Jackson's ball handling, how much do you think that is an advantage, because other teams don't see it that often? (Jamison Hensley) "Well I think it's an advantage, and he embraces that. He does a great job with it. Last year, early in the season, we weren't as clean. I remember [against] Detroit, we were up 28-to-nothing, going in to make it 35-to-nothing, [and] we had an exchange issue. I haven't forgotten that one, even at that moment. You have to trust the guys, and Lamar is a big part of that, our [running] backs are a big part of that, Zay [Flowers] is a big part of that. So, those guys embracing ball security is a big weapon for us to be able utilize, and Lamar embraces that."
For your tight ends to block the way they did against Dallas, how much of a difference does that make with what you're able to call? (Ryan Mink) "Well, it makes a huge difference. It shrinks the number of plays you have to call. I mean, the reality is, space down here creates space at the line of scrimmage; all you have to do is look at the very first drive. [On] the very first drive, Nelson Agholor gets pressed, [and] he runs the corner off 25 yards, [and] he's off the screen. That's selfless, [and] that's a credit to him. You can only say it so much, but that shows it. And then we got on the perimeter, and Zay [Flowers] made a block, and then the touchdown was Mark [Andrews] and Zay. So, all of that is a big part of it. [On] Derrick [Henry's] run to start the second half, Nelson gets a block downfield, because you don't ever know. I mean, you don't want to waste opportunities to have to call more plays, right? It happened to [Dallas]. You never know. You never know. You might end up kicking a field goal, [or] you might get a turnover. So, all of that plays into team football, in terms of gaining the optimal amount of yards that they're willing to give you, and when you don't do that, you're not getting the optimal amount of yards that you're looking for. And again, that's a credit to those guys, and it made a huge difference – not a big difference – a huge difference."
I think just one downfield completion for QB Lamar Jackson so far this season. Do you think defenses are playing you guys differently because you haven't shown yet that big-play ability? (Jonas Shaffer) "Sometimes it's situationally, sometimes it's defense, sometimes it's [that] we didn't complete it – all the above. Are we looking to throw the ball down the field like every team? Yes, of course so, but efficiency is big, too. And again, the first two games, we had 33 snaps of two-minute [offense]. That's not going to come up, even though it did debate. We did have a play in Kansas City that way, but we're certainly looking to do that and push it down the field, and when the opportunity arises, we'll do that."
What have you seen out of the Buffalo front seven? It seems like they're a team that plays those two safeties back and kind of trust those guys up front? (*Jamison Hensley)* "They do a great job mixing up the front with it, and subtle, little things that make it difficult. You think you're going to get a big run, and then a vacuum sucks it in. All of a sudden, it's a four-yard gain, it's a five-yard gain. You thought, 'They do a good job of triggering their nickel. They do a good job of triggering their safeties. They do a good job with the run fits.' So, it feels like, 'Oh wow.' All of a sudden, you look up, and it's second-and-5, and it wasn't second-and-2. I think they do a great job of playing off of each other. They have been doing that ever since Coach [Sean McDermott] has been there. I was in Cleveland in 2019, and they did that then. They do a great job. They do a great job playing off each other. They play hard. They're hard to attack."
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR ZACH ORR
Bills WR Khalil Shakir catches pretty much everything Bills QB Josh Allen throws at him. What makes their connection so good? (Jonas Shaffer) "I think [Khalil Shakir]'s just where he's supposed to be at in the route concepts, and he makes plays for them. I remember a couple years ago, he made a big – I want to say it might've been a third-down conversion against us here at home – and that's when we first found out about him. It's crazy to see how much his game has grown, but I think you can say that about their whole receiver corps. They [are] tough guys; they are where they're supposed to be at in the route concepts; they make the plays when Josh [Allen] gives them the opportunity, and then they're good 'RAC' [run after catch] guys, so we respect those guys. Obviously, we know Shakir is the leading receiver, and you know they're going to try to find ways to get him the football, so we have to make sure that we're ready for that."
QB Josh Allen completed passes to 10 different guys last week. He's always been a heck of a quarterback, but do you see a difference with him this year and maybe a different approach, and if so, in what way? (Cliff Brown) "[Josh Allen]'s a heck of a player. I just think that he's spreading the ball out more. You really don't know where the ball is going to go. All of his receivers are liable to get the ball at any situation at any point in time – including the running backs [and] including the tight ends. That's what makes them a tough offense to defend, besides what he does with his arm and his legs. I think that in years past, he obviously had a Pro Bowl, All-Pro receiver [in Stefon Diggs] who you could kind of, sometimes, in certain situations, lock in and key in on. Now [with] these guys, he's spreading the ball around even more."
Obviously, the defense played very well for three quarters in Dallas. What did you make of the fourth quarter*? Why was it such a stark contrast? You guys played so well and then had such difficulty late.* (Luke Jones) "I think it just comes down to execution. We just have to get better. I think I have to help those guys out even more, just have a clear understanding of the situation and what we're trying to get accomplished in those situations. It's not a lack of guys wanting to or trying to. We just come up short in that area, and it's something that we're looking at hard, something that we're focusing on with the communication, with the tackling, with the calls [from] me as well. We're all in this together. We [are] grinding to try to make it right. We know what we're capable of doing, but we have to do it for four quarters, and we haven't done that the last two games. That's where we're at right now, and that what we're so motivated to get better at and to show that we can put a complete game together."
Particularly in the middle of the field – 15-20 yards there where Dallas was consistently attacking – what do you strive to get better at defending specifically in that area? (Pete Gilbert) "Some of it I would say is [about a] good call on the offense versus what we're in as a defense. Sometimes that happens; you make a call, and they're in a good play for that coverage or that pressure, and then sometimes we just have to play some techniques better, and we have to coach some techniques better. Obviously, we talk about the middle of the field is the easiest part for the quarterback to complete a pass, so we want to pack the paint, and we haven't done a good enough job of doing that this year. It goes into the same deal as finishing games. I think that goes hand in hand. We have to protect the middle of the field, make the quarterbacks throw the ball outside and take our chances with that."
Are your linebackers sitting deep enough – is that the problem? (Mike Preston) "I think it's a combination. It's like right now, we're lighting a match, and it's [not] staying lit. We're just getting a spark, but then it's blowing out. So, sometimes the backers, we're getting deep enough, and we're too deep in the back end, or we're not getting deep enough as backers. Like I said, it's a collective effort. It's not just the linebackers; it's not just the DBs. A lot of times, it's the call as well, so we're all trying to collaborate and work together to make this thing right."
Is it a challenge to not overcorrect, because so many things are going well for three quarters? (Luke Jones) "Definitely. You don't want to overcorrect, because most teams – they make little, small adjustments here and there throughout the game – and you notice that. We knew the adjustments that they were making. Obviously, we could have done some things better, but as soon as you start overreacting, that's what teams kind of want you to do. You start to overreact to that, and now you leave yourself vulnerable in another situation, and you give up an explosive [play]. So, it's trying to find a happy medium of, 'What's the problem, what's the issue, how [are] they trying to attack and how we're going to counteract to it?'"
You can look at the PFF stuff for certain guys, and one of the interesting findings is S Marcus Williams is playing more in the box than he ever has. Is that just you guys trying to figure out where he's best? How would you kind of assess how he's done in a different spot? (Jonas Shaffer) "I think that the one thing you don't want to do as a defense is [be] where the offense can peg where guys are at. If they know where guys are going to be at every single time, now they can scheme you up a whole bunch of different ways. Marcus [Williams] is a talented guy. He's been doing a heck of a job for us this year, and all our guys in the back end can play in the box, [and] they can play deep, so we let those guys do that."
You played a lot of dime against the Cowboys. Was that more of a reaction to what you anticipated from them? Was it more that you wanted to get a guy like S Ar'Darius Washington on the field? He obviously played well. What was the impetus for that? (*Childs Walker)* "It's a combination of both. We had a dime package ready, because the Cowboys – they've shown a lot of four wide [receiver packages] on film. They spread the ball out and throw the ball. It's a combination of what they do and what we want to do on defense and getting different guys out there on the field like 'AD' [Ar'Darius Washington and] Eddie Jackson. These guys are really good football players. It would be kind of criminal to keep those guys on the sidelines the whole time, but it was a mixture of both."
On the second-to-last touchdown, I think ILB Roquan Smith was maybe expecting CB Marlon Humphrey to trail the guy over the middle, and he was wide open. Do you think communication is an issue? Or do you think the couple of times where communication wasn't perfect that other quarterbacks capitalize? (Jamison Hensley) "Communication is something that we're striving for all the time. It's one of the main things that we talk about – great communication. Because that's half the battle [is] to make sure everyone is on the same page, and if you're not on the same page, you're not going to really have a chance. When you have a misstep, any quarterback in the league, specifically the really good ones, they're going to capitalize on that. On that play right there, I'll take [the fault on] that one. I wouldn't put that one on 'Ro' [Roquan Smith] or Marlon [Humphrey]."
Defenses have been trying to disguise more and more over the last few seasons. Do you think there's a challenge in having too much of a disguise or trying to get off of the thought of showing too many different defenses. Can it be punishing for you? (Kyle Phoenix) "Yes, sometimes if you're doing way too much of it. We always talk about, 'Never let your disguise take you away from your responsibility.' I think we do a heck of a job here marrying our looks up so offenses don't know what we're in. The challenge of that is, these offenses and these quarterbacks, if they know what you're in, they're going to check the play and check to the beater of it. You can't just give them the answer all the time pre-snap, but there is some merit to getting where you have to get to and just playing ball and outexecuting the person across from you."
RB James Cook has really elevated their run game. Before it was just QB Josh Allen and then they would throw. How is that dynamic affecting your gameplan? (Pete Gilbert) "[The Bills have] a lot more runs with the running backs. I think James Cook has elevated himself to one of the top [running] backs in the league. He's an explosive player. We knew about him a couple of years ago coming out of Georgia, and I think he's just matured in his play with his experience, his confidence is through the roof, and the talent has always been there. He's definitely put it all together, and he's somebody that we're going to have to make sure that we have a handle on, not only in the run game, but in the pass game as well, because I've seen a lot of explosive plays with him coming out of the backfield running 40 yards down the field tracking the ball, which is very impressive. We have a lot of respect for what he's done so far this year, so it's something that we're going to have to be ready for."
The Bills offense is one of the best in the NFL. How challenging is it to account for Bills QB Josh Allen spreading it out, and then he's also someone you have to account for running the ball. What are the challenges of trying to solve that problem? (Kyle Phoenix) "It's really challenging because whenever you have a quarterback that can throw the ball like [Josh Allen] can, but also they have designed QB runs, that's an extra hat, so you have to account for that. Most times, if you just call a regular defense, you don't have an extra hat for the quarterback on designed runs. We're not just talking about regular zone-read runs, we're talking about QB-counter, QB-power, like real-deal downhill runs, so that's what makes it challenging. As soon as you put everybody in there to stop the run, well, he's still a quarterback; he can still throw the ball. I think it comes down to us executing, us understanding where we have to be at, and what plays they're trying to do in certain situations to make sure that we have everybody accounted for, as well as him [being] accounted for in the run game. They definitely stretch you as a defense, but we have guys that are up for the challenge, and they can handle it."
TE MARK ANDREWS
On if he thinks the Bills defense will line up and make them run the ball a lot: "That's a different challenge, a different beast. They're a really good team. They've won a lot of games in years past, and we're going to have our hands full. It's going to be a good game – a good, tough game – and we respect them a lot. We're excited to go play against them and fight this one out."
On going into Year Two of offensive coordinator Todd Monken and if it's easier to handle and understand his role in the offense: "I think you just grow, and you kind of accept it. Especially in Year Two of this offense, I understand kind of what to expect and what we have going forward, and even more so this year with all the guys that we have. So, again, it's just about execution, doing our job, playing hard, and my time will come – I believe that. I feel really good. I feel healthy, and yes, good things will come."
On the balance they need to find in moving the ball around with many different weapons on offense: "You look at the first game. I was out there 70-something snaps, or whatever it was, but it got a lot of attention. Last game, we had a gameplan, and obviously Pat [Ricard] and Charlie [Kolar] and Isaiah [Likely] have been in bigger packages. I wasn't in on that, and they did a great job [of] blocking things up and doing their job. I think each game will be different. I think every game will be different. We trust in our coaches to scheme things up, and that's all we can do."
On if that's a testament to the talent in the tight ends room: "Yes. We have a great group. I don't think there's [another] group in this league that has the talent. [When] you look at Isaiah [Likely] and Charlie [Kolar] – those guys are both going to have long, great careers. Sometimes Isaiah gets a ton of credit, and rightfully so, but Charlie is a really, really good player, and he's going to continue to get really good. Pat, obviously, is a bruiser. No one wants to see him on the opposite side of the ball, so we're all doing our thing, we're all doing our job, and there is no greed. We're just helping each other out and rooting for everyone's success."
On if feeling healthy is reflected in his ability as a route runner: "Yes. I think I'm working. That's a tough thing to really comment on, but I feel good. I feel like I'm running fast. [I'm] the same old Mark doing the same old things. My time will come, but again, I'm just worried about execution [and] helping this team win. However I can do that, I will."
CB NATE WIGGINS
On the accident he was in a few weeks ago: "I was driving, and an 18-wheeler cut me off the road. It made my car flip."
On how scary the situation was: "It was scary. I was obviously scared to get in a car accident."
On where the accident happened: "I really don't remember. I was close to my apartment, like two minutes away from my apartment."
On if it was good to put that behind him and get back on the field: "Yes. Once I knew I could get back on the field [and] I knew I was 100 percent, everybody was happy, and I was happy about it."
On the biggest takeaways from the Dallas game and his forced fumble: "I just have to keep working. That was my first real professional game, [where I was] playing [defensive] plays. I just have to keep working. It was a learning experience, so I'll just get better from it [moving] forward."
On the challenges of facing Bills QB Josh Allen: "[Josh Allen] is a great quarterback – a great quarterback. He loves to run, and he's going to throw it deep, so we have to cover, and we've just got to pursue him. We know he loves to get out of the pocket, and he loves to run, so we just have to pursue him."
On what went through his head lining up against Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb: "My mindset going into the game every week [is] I just have to shut the receiver down no matter who it is. I think I can guard anybody in this league. I don't think anybody can run past than me, so that's what I take my confidence [from], and that's what I go into the game [thinking]."
On if he learned a lesson about being physical at the line of scrimmage: "Yes. That was the lesson from that game – just being physical at the line of scrimmage."
On what he's been most pleased with so far, in terms of his progression, so early into his NFL career: "Just being able to go out there and compete, like I always do. I think my comfort level just being so high, that's made me the player I am today."
