WEBVTT - Hamilton, Likely & Coordinators: Ravens Press Conferences 1/8/25 0:00:03.040 --> 0:00:05.880 You're listening to the Ravens Press Pass podcast. It is Wednesday, 0:00:06.000 --> 0:00:09.440 January eighth. The Ravens are gearing up for a wildcard 0:00:09.480 --> 0:00:12.159 matchup at M ANDT Banks Stadium on Saturday against the 0:00:12.160 --> 0:00:16.000 Pittsburgh Steelers with an eight pm kickoff. As a gear 0:00:16.120 --> 0:00:18.040 up for that game, today we had a chance to 0:00:18.079 --> 0:00:20.200 hear from the coordinators. Let's kick it off with OC 0:00:20.520 --> 0:00:21.760 Todd Munket. 0:00:24.720 --> 0:00:27.560 With say, dealing with the injury. 0:00:27.640 --> 0:00:29.920 If you know he is unavailable, how much. 0:00:29.800 --> 0:00:32.879 Does that change the guys how you go about. 0:00:32.640 --> 0:00:35.920 Your game planning and how you go out just offensively operating. 0:00:37.200 --> 0:00:38.639 Well, he's been a big part of what we do. 0:00:38.960 --> 0:00:41.519 You know, he's a tremendous player. But we've got a 0:00:41.560 --> 0:00:44.200 lot of really good players, so it'll be divided up, 0:00:44.440 --> 0:00:45.919 you know, if he's not able to go. Hopefully he's 0:00:45.920 --> 0:00:50.720 able to go, but I look forward to, you know, 0:00:50.840 --> 0:00:53.000 seeing the other guys play if that's not the case. 0:00:55.560 --> 0:00:59.080 Todd, Jacksonville officially announced that they've put in request to 0:00:59.120 --> 0:01:03.360 interview you for or their head coaching job. How how 0:01:03.400 --> 0:01:08.120 does how does any of that play into your you know, 0:01:08.200 --> 0:01:09.399 your frame of mind right now? 0:01:09.560 --> 0:01:12.160 None. I mean, everything's about the Steelers. 0:01:12.400 --> 0:01:15.919 I mean, first of all, when anybody puts in a request, 0:01:16.280 --> 0:01:18.920 it's really a compliment to the organization, our staff, and 0:01:18.920 --> 0:01:19.400 our players. 0:01:19.440 --> 0:01:20.440 And that's really what it is. 0:01:20.840 --> 0:01:23.560 You can't do it, you know, without really good players, 0:01:23.600 --> 0:01:26.920 really good staff, and a great organization and unbelievable head coach. 0:01:27.360 --> 0:01:31.280 So but there's nothing about that that factors in right 0:01:31.319 --> 0:01:35.400 now other than being the Steelers. 0:01:36.480 --> 0:01:38.000 That's not How much are you looking forward to get 0:01:38.120 --> 0:01:39.480 Justice Hill back in terms. 0:01:39.280 --> 0:01:39.920 Of what to pick up? 0:01:39.920 --> 0:01:41.440 And also you know some of what he can give 0:01:41.440 --> 0:01:43.200 you on the perimitter that you may or may not 0:01:43.360 --> 0:01:44.560 have goold say. 0:01:44.680 --> 0:01:45.559 You know, you would be great. 0:01:45.560 --> 0:01:47.200 We thought we were going to get him last week 0:01:47.480 --> 0:01:50.559 and you know, he got sick and then that kind 0:01:50.560 --> 0:01:53.560 of you know, stop disability to make it through concussion protocols. 0:01:53.640 --> 0:01:55.400 So it'd be great to m back. 0:01:58.120 --> 0:02:01.880 You see a game ball after the team about harb 0:02:01.920 --> 0:02:03.200 on theory plays? 0:02:04.640 --> 0:02:06.320 How many of those have you received in your career 0:02:06.320 --> 0:02:07.240 with the first. 0:02:07.000 --> 0:02:08.560 And don't kind of stand out for you? 0:02:09.040 --> 0:02:14.120 Oh, I don't know, game ball wise, I mean, I 0:02:14.800 --> 0:02:18.480 I don't know. It's I don't know when it's ever 0:02:18.520 --> 0:02:21.160 been about the individual person. 0:02:21.200 --> 0:02:24.200 I really don't know. I really don't. 0:02:24.320 --> 0:02:27.520 It's always about the staff, the coaches and the players. 0:02:27.560 --> 0:02:31.160 That's really what it's about. It doesn't matter. I shouldn't 0:02:31.160 --> 0:02:34.360 say that doesn't matter. I mean, you know, I appreciate 0:02:34.400 --> 0:02:36.840 that that that's not what I mean. I just mean 0:02:36.880 --> 0:02:40.639 that I don't really even think about it. I really 0:02:40.639 --> 0:02:43.440 couldn't even tell you some of the times where the 0:02:43.480 --> 0:02:45.200 game balls are in my eyes, I really don't know. 0:02:45.320 --> 0:02:49.520 It's really about the players, the people, the relationships that 0:02:49.600 --> 0:02:51.239 you have, and it's on to the next one. 0:02:51.440 --> 0:02:54.600 Really, you know, what do we do this week? That's 0:02:54.639 --> 0:02:55.280 really what matters. 0:02:55.360 --> 0:02:58.560 Can't carry over carry can't carry over points or yards, 0:02:58.560 --> 0:02:59.480 So we got to do it this week. 0:02:59.560 --> 0:03:00.560 I mean, that's fact. 0:03:02.840 --> 0:03:05.160 Lamar said yesterday when he was asked about what he's 0:03:05.240 --> 0:03:07.880 learned about the playoffs, that he has got to look 0:03:07.919 --> 0:03:11.760 antsy in the past, a little excitable. Is that something 0:03:11.800 --> 0:03:14.279 as a play caller that you have to be cognizant 0:03:14.280 --> 0:03:18.000 of how amped up he is, especially early in the game. 0:03:21.080 --> 0:03:21.520 I don't know. 0:03:21.600 --> 0:03:23.640 I haven't seen that, so it's very difficult for me 0:03:23.840 --> 0:03:30.200 to to comment on that. I haven't seen that, you know, 0:03:30.240 --> 0:03:32.240 in the playoff games last year, I thought he started 0:03:32.240 --> 0:03:34.240 off fine. You know, I thought we started off fine 0:03:34.280 --> 0:03:39.360 in some ways. So we're gonna do everything we can 0:03:39.480 --> 0:03:41.680 for all of us to get comfortable and start fast. 0:03:41.720 --> 0:03:42.960 I mean, that's the key to any game. 0:03:43.080 --> 0:03:46.720 So whatever we can do from a from a player's standpoint, 0:03:46.720 --> 0:03:49.560 from a coaching standpoint to get us start fast as 0:03:49.600 --> 0:03:50.280 the ultimate goal. 0:03:51.520 --> 0:03:53.920 I much had been said about in the before the 0:03:54.000 --> 0:03:58.520 last Steelers came about Lamar Jackson's previous struggles against the Steelers, 0:03:58.520 --> 0:04:01.480 and then that was by far his best performance against 0:04:01.520 --> 0:04:04.040 the Steelers specifically, what what did you see from him 0:04:04.040 --> 0:04:05.360 that he did well in that game? 0:04:05.760 --> 0:04:08.320 Well, first off, I think it's unfair to pin it 0:04:08.360 --> 0:04:11.200 all on him. I think that's and I'm not saying you, 0:04:11.280 --> 0:04:14.600 I'm just saying in general, I've been here two years 0:04:14.600 --> 0:04:18.000 and he's played three of them. And there were things 0:04:18.040 --> 0:04:19.520 I didn't do well in the first game a year 0:04:19.520 --> 0:04:22.560 ago and we had a bunch of drops, and then 0:04:22.560 --> 0:04:24.640 the first game we had this year, we had turnovers 0:04:24.640 --> 0:04:27.120 in a bunch of penalties. And that's a team issue. 0:04:27.279 --> 0:04:30.000 That's not a Lamar issue, that's a team issue. And 0:04:30.839 --> 0:04:33.440 so and he played really well this last time we 0:04:33.480 --> 0:04:35.080 played him, and we played well as a team, and 0:04:35.120 --> 0:04:36.440 that's what it's going to take Saturday. 0:04:37.200 --> 0:04:39.440 Do you keep a playoff week just like a normal week? 0:04:39.600 --> 0:04:41.320 That is that how you look at it? Or do 0:04:41.360 --> 0:04:45.520 you He sort of addressed the magnitude of things at all. 0:04:45.560 --> 0:04:46.719 I mean, how do you really? 0:04:46.800 --> 0:04:49.599 I mean, we've been ascending. I mean this isn't a 0:04:49.640 --> 0:04:51.960 new season, this isn't starting over. 0:04:52.880 --> 0:04:53.640 This is building. 0:04:54.200 --> 0:04:56.320 I mean where we've come and where we start and 0:04:56.320 --> 0:04:58.479 where we've come. I mean, we're ascending. That's what you 0:04:58.560 --> 0:05:01.160 talk about, is we're gonna point. We're playing our best 0:05:01.160 --> 0:05:02.720 football and both sides of the ball, and that's where 0:05:02.720 --> 0:05:04.840 you want to be. That's where're at right now. Now 0:05:04.839 --> 0:05:06.200 we got to carry that over to Saturday. 0:05:07.320 --> 0:05:09.480 How important is it to get the run game going? 0:05:09.880 --> 0:05:11.360 Kind of right at the start of the last time 0:05:11.360 --> 0:05:14.680 you guys played Pittsburgh, the run game obviously a big day. 0:05:14.720 --> 0:05:15.280 On the ground. 0:05:15.640 --> 0:05:17.840 How important is it to hit the ground running from 0:05:17.880 --> 0:05:18.960 the start for sure? 0:05:19.160 --> 0:05:21.960 I mean it's I think we talked about it last time. 0:05:22.080 --> 0:05:24.919 Is there's nothing like being able to turn around comfortably 0:05:24.960 --> 0:05:27.720 hand the ball off. I mean, that's that's the start 0:05:27.760 --> 0:05:29.800 of everything you do. It's hard to control the game 0:05:29.839 --> 0:05:31.880 if you can't run the football. Let's just say that 0:05:32.760 --> 0:05:35.400 you control the game with physicality. You control the game 0:05:35.760 --> 0:05:38.920 with being able to run the football, especially in weather conditions. 0:05:39.320 --> 0:05:41.200 I mean it sets everything else up that you do. 0:05:41.680 --> 0:05:45.200 So I mean that's critical. That's not just us, that's everybody. 0:05:45.360 --> 0:05:48.400 But so looking forward to Saturday. 0:05:48.800 --> 0:05:50.560 You talk about ascending. 0:05:50.839 --> 0:05:52.640 Do you feel like this year compared to last year, 0:05:52.680 --> 0:05:54.800 that you're more able if an opponent comes in and 0:05:54.800 --> 0:05:57.040 says I want to take away X part of their 0:05:57.080 --> 0:05:58.760 game plan, that you're in a better position to be 0:05:58.800 --> 0:05:59.960 able to pivot off of that. 0:06:01.839 --> 0:06:04.320 I think we're in a better place as a team 0:06:04.320 --> 0:06:07.080 and a staff in your second year, more than last year. 0:06:07.120 --> 0:06:09.159 We ran the ball well, and we threw the ball well. 0:06:10.960 --> 0:06:14.120 I wouldn't say we were as efficient as a staff, 0:06:14.920 --> 0:06:17.960 as a team, comfort level with each other, how we 0:06:18.000 --> 0:06:20.599 do things, how we prepare. I would say we're better 0:06:20.600 --> 0:06:23.960 there than we were last year and more consistent. We 0:06:23.960 --> 0:06:27.880 were certainly able to do that last year, maybe not 0:06:27.920 --> 0:06:30.000 as proficient and maybe not as efficient. 0:06:30.839 --> 0:06:32.720 I know your focus is you know, one of the 0:06:32.760 --> 0:06:35.440 fields obviously this week, but you have big visualais for 0:06:35.839 --> 0:06:36.320 your career. 0:06:36.560 --> 0:06:38.839 I mean, how interested would you be? I know you 0:06:38.880 --> 0:06:40.880 had that little sting with the Bucks at that point. 0:06:40.920 --> 0:06:43.120 But to have another chance to be, you know, a 0:06:43.160 --> 0:06:44.360 head coach in the NFL. 0:06:44.160 --> 0:06:46.680 Now, well it's flattering, but again, like I said, it's 0:06:46.720 --> 0:06:50.640 a it's a compliment to the other coaches that are 0:06:50.680 --> 0:06:52.560 a big part of how we gained plan as a 0:06:52.600 --> 0:06:55.320 collaboration to the Organization's why I wanted to be a 0:06:55.400 --> 0:06:58.679 Baltimore Raven. I mean, from top to bottom, first class, 0:06:59.240 --> 0:07:02.800 you know, head coaching in the NFL. You know, we 0:07:02.920 --> 0:07:05.520 got tremendous players and tremendous haff that. That's that's what 0:07:05.560 --> 0:07:07.200 it says. It doesn't say anything about me. It says 0:07:07.240 --> 0:07:09.560 about who we have, who we haven't signed, the building, 0:07:09.600 --> 0:07:11.520 and what matters most is Saturday. 0:07:11.640 --> 0:07:12.360 I promise you that. 0:07:16.160 --> 0:07:18.600 Next is defensive coordinator Zach K. 0:07:21.480 --> 0:07:21.680 Todd. 0:07:21.760 --> 0:07:24.600 Mulkin just mentioned that he feels like the team is ascending. 0:07:24.800 --> 0:07:26.880 Obviously on the defensive side. You guys are playing your 0:07:26.920 --> 0:07:29.840 best side of the football, best football of the season. 0:07:31.240 --> 0:07:33.560 Clinch always goes the team that gets the hottest of 0:07:33.560 --> 0:07:35.760 the playoffs usually is the one that wins. 0:07:35.800 --> 0:07:38.160 How how how does that boost your confidence going in? 0:07:38.600 --> 0:07:40.560 I think it's I think it boosts the confidence a lot, 0:07:40.600 --> 0:07:43.040 but it all goes into the preparation and I think that, 0:07:43.320 --> 0:07:45.000 like we said, coming from the bye week after we 0:07:45.000 --> 0:07:47.760 lost to Philly, the players, man, they came in, locked in, 0:07:47.840 --> 0:07:50.320 ready to roll, and they took their preparation to the 0:07:50.120 --> 0:07:52.160 to the next level. And I think we just got 0:07:52.200 --> 0:07:54.280 to continue that and that's what that's what we'll continue 0:07:54.960 --> 0:07:57.800 the success that we've been having. So you know, I'm 0:07:57.840 --> 0:08:00.360 confident it because I know how our guys prepared, great 0:08:00.360 --> 0:08:03.360 weeks of practice, great meetings so far this week, and 0:08:03.400 --> 0:08:04.840 we got to continue with these next couple of days 0:08:04.920 --> 0:08:06.480 leading in a Saturday. 0:08:06.520 --> 0:08:08.880 I mean, when you think back over the season, is 0:08:09.240 --> 0:08:12.080 can you pinpoint when you felt like the worm kind 0:08:12.080 --> 0:08:14.360 of turned and you started to see real progress reached 0:08:14.360 --> 0:08:16.600 after with the defense. I mean, we talked about the 0:08:16.600 --> 0:08:19.160 meeting after Cincinnati, but there is there something that you 0:08:19.200 --> 0:08:19.480 think of. 0:08:20.040 --> 0:08:22.960 Yeah, I could really just think of just the week 0:08:23.080 --> 0:08:25.200 leading into the leading to the Pittsburgh game that was 0:08:25.240 --> 0:08:28.160 our next game, and just the level of focus, intensity 0:08:28.200 --> 0:08:30.440 and then seeing that carry over to the game. Even 0:08:30.480 --> 0:08:32.720 though we lost, it was the best we felt like 0:08:32.760 --> 0:08:34.560 we've played and it was the style of play that 0:08:34.600 --> 0:08:37.800 we wanted to play. Man, physical, max effort to gather 0:08:38.000 --> 0:08:42.040 this guys, you know, not looking to point the finger 0:08:42.080 --> 0:08:42.760 or anything like that. 0:08:42.840 --> 0:08:45.760 So you know, I think that's when it really started to. 0:08:45.679 --> 0:08:47.679 Turn and we realized that we can build on that 0:08:47.720 --> 0:08:49.600 and continue to keep it going if we stay locked 0:08:49.640 --> 0:08:51.840 in with the preparation and stay focused. 0:08:52.480 --> 0:08:55.120 Are expecting to see both quarterbacks in this game. 0:08:55.360 --> 0:08:58.439 I'm definitely expecting it, just because you know, I think 0:08:58.480 --> 0:09:01.280 they got two starting quarterbacks to two starting caliber quarterbacks 0:09:01.280 --> 0:09:03.680 on their squad. They both they won games with both 0:09:03.720 --> 0:09:06.920 of them, and you know, Justin fields is weapons, so 0:09:06.960 --> 0:09:08.240 you got to be prepared for You see it in 0:09:08.320 --> 0:09:10.200 the first game, even though he didn't start against us, 0:09:10.440 --> 0:09:13.760 he came in and made some critical plays that ultimate 0:09:13.760 --> 0:09:15.480 in our eyes, cost us the game. So we have 0:09:15.520 --> 0:09:17.440 to be prepared to see both of them, not just 0:09:17.920 --> 0:09:19.600 not even just Justin as a runner, but him as 0:09:19.600 --> 0:09:21.960 a thrower as well, because he is a quarterback. So 0:09:22.400 --> 0:09:24.800 you know, we prepare for both, and the game plan 0:09:24.920 --> 0:09:27.120 really doesn't change much from either one. We gotta do 0:09:27.160 --> 0:09:30.080 what we gotta do, play sound discipline football, and we 0:09:30.200 --> 0:09:30.880 like our chances. 0:09:32.160 --> 0:09:34.040 Back from your perspective, what are some of the pros 0:09:34.080 --> 0:09:36.680 and cons of playing the same team three times. 0:09:41.080 --> 0:09:43.840 Honestly, it was funny we were talking about this. We 0:09:43.880 --> 0:09:45.920 had a chance, you know, I had a chance to 0:09:46.720 --> 0:09:48.880 play in this type of situation, and a couple of 0:09:48.920 --> 0:09:51.400 years ago coaching this type of situation when we played 0:09:51.440 --> 0:09:54.920 Cincinnati three times. And I think every game it's it's 0:09:54.920 --> 0:09:57.960 its own story. So you can't get get too much, 0:09:58.240 --> 0:09:59.880 can't get caught up too much and what happened in 0:09:59.880 --> 0:10:02.720 the previous games, because each game is different, and I 0:10:02.720 --> 0:10:05.200 think just the pros, you just kind of understand how 0:10:05.520 --> 0:10:09.000 how certain guys play. But I don't think it's it's 0:10:09.000 --> 0:10:10.880 that big of a deal. Honestly, I think every game 0:10:10.960 --> 0:10:12.240 is his own game. 0:10:12.960 --> 0:10:15.440 Zach Good, Brandon Stevens, this guy, he's obviously taking some 0:10:15.440 --> 0:10:17.560 blumps when you guys worked do as well early in 0:10:17.559 --> 0:10:20.079 the year, and in that first game against Pittsburgh, they 0:10:20.240 --> 0:10:22.840 used the pick ends and probably moved to kind of 0:10:22.840 --> 0:10:25.880 match up with size against him. When it comes to 0:10:25.920 --> 0:10:29.720 Brandon and how he's performed as the defense has gotten 0:10:29.760 --> 0:10:31.400 better in these last few leaks, where do you kind 0:10:31.440 --> 0:10:35.000 of see his mentality and how prepared is he can 0:10:35.040 --> 0:10:35.319 kind of. 0:10:35.240 --> 0:10:35.920 Go against them? 0:10:35.960 --> 0:10:38.760 Yeah, be Steve prepared, man. He prepares hard just as 0:10:38.800 --> 0:10:40.920 just as anybody on our team. And the thing I 0:10:40.960 --> 0:10:43.520 love about be Steve is he has mentality that you 0:10:43.559 --> 0:10:46.760 want to have as just a professional athlete, and especially. 0:10:46.320 --> 0:10:48.600 As a dB in this league. I mean, he's a he's. 0:10:48.400 --> 0:10:50.880 A one play, next play. Whatever happened is a good 0:10:50.880 --> 0:10:54.040 play or bad play, moving on. So we were happy 0:10:54.040 --> 0:10:56.160 with be Steve. We love that, you know, teams are 0:10:56.160 --> 0:10:58.000 trying to challenge him, and we know he's up for 0:10:58.040 --> 0:10:59.800 the challenge and he's been prepared, he's been locked in. 0:11:00.000 --> 0:11:01.600 It was funny me and Ko Tarbar was just talking 0:11:01.640 --> 0:11:04.760 earlier during practice about how locked in and how good 0:11:04.760 --> 0:11:07.640 he's looked. So we confident, we excited. I'm ready to 0:11:07.640 --> 0:11:08.720 go see him all out Saturday. 0:11:08.960 --> 0:11:10.160 You say how good he's looked, do you mean you 0:11:10.240 --> 0:11:10.920 practice this week? 0:11:11.000 --> 0:11:13.080 Yeah? And practice this week yeah. And he's been looking 0:11:13.080 --> 0:11:15.120 good for us honestly the whole year in my opinion. 0:11:15.600 --> 0:11:19.120 Similarly, about Brandon Stevens, do you anticipate in him having 0:11:19.600 --> 0:11:22.319 the same amount of role and involvement in the defense 0:11:22.440 --> 0:11:25.280 or is that position more fluid with the Davius White, 0:11:25.400 --> 0:11:27.320 Nate Wiggins and rotating those players in. 0:11:27.360 --> 0:11:28.200 On that site as well. 0:11:28.280 --> 0:11:31.400 Yeah, I think all those guys are are very key. 0:11:31.480 --> 0:11:34.160 You see, we play them all together at times. You see, 0:11:34.160 --> 0:11:36.880 we can interchange those guys depending on matchups. So I 0:11:36.880 --> 0:11:40.280 think everything's up in the air. We feel like Marlin, Nate, 0:11:41.000 --> 0:11:43.200 b Steve and Trey, we feel like those guys are 0:11:43.240 --> 0:11:46.400 all starters in the secondary man, So you know, we'll 0:11:46.520 --> 0:11:49.240 use those guys depending on the game, depending on the 0:11:49.280 --> 0:11:49.760 game plan. 0:11:50.040 --> 0:11:53.960 Accordingly, zach Cue, you alluded to the fact that you 0:11:53.960 --> 0:11:55.800 you played in that game when you guys beat the 0:11:55.800 --> 0:11:59.520 Steelers in the playoffs back in twenty fourteen. We know 0:11:59.559 --> 0:12:01.320 every player gave his life and death, but I mean, 0:12:01.559 --> 0:12:04.320 is it was there an extra layer of satisfaction in 0:12:04.640 --> 0:12:07.760 beating your rival to take that next step? 0:12:07.920 --> 0:12:09.400 Yeah, I think I think it was. 0:12:09.600 --> 0:12:11.440 You know, when you look back at it, like after 0:12:11.480 --> 0:12:13.960 the season, at the at the time, you know, just 0:12:14.120 --> 0:12:16.760 you know, my personal mentality and I think the mentality 0:12:17.000 --> 0:12:19.959 organization has, which why I love it so much, is it. 0:12:19.880 --> 0:12:22.319 Doesn't really matter who the opponent is. 0:12:22.720 --> 0:12:24.800 It's like, we gotta line up, we got a game 0:12:24.840 --> 0:12:26.520 to win on Saturday, and we gotta go do what 0:12:26.600 --> 0:12:29.240 we gotta do to win that game. So yeah, when 0:12:29.280 --> 0:12:31.280 you when you're in the off season and you look 0:12:31.360 --> 0:12:33.320 back at it, Yeah, it makes it a little bit sweeter. 0:12:33.400 --> 0:12:34.679 But at the end of the day, we're gonna be 0:12:34.720 --> 0:12:37.240 happy to get a win because we get to advance 0:12:37.280 --> 0:12:39.520 of the decks round, regardless of what was playing. 0:12:39.559 --> 0:12:42.959 Whoever, Zach, how happy were you to see oh Way 0:12:43.000 --> 0:12:45.400 hit double digit sacks in the finale? 0:12:45.520 --> 0:12:48.040 And where have you seen him grow the most over 0:12:48.080 --> 0:12:48.679 the last year? 0:12:48.800 --> 0:12:48.880 Now? 0:12:48.920 --> 0:12:49.640 I was happy, man. 0:12:49.720 --> 0:12:53.439 Just anytime anybody reaches a milestone, we're gonna celebrate, just 0:12:53.480 --> 0:12:55.280 because you understand the work that you have to put in, 0:12:56.200 --> 0:12:58.840 you know, silencing the doubters and all that stuff. So 0:12:59.120 --> 0:13:01.079 I can't imagine, you know, the pressure that he has 0:13:01.120 --> 0:13:02.160 on him as a first round pick. 0:13:02.200 --> 0:13:02.640 I don't you know. 0:13:02.800 --> 0:13:04.240 I would know a lot of people don't know that. 0:13:04.920 --> 0:13:07.280 But I've seen him really just grow and just his 0:13:07.520 --> 0:13:08.640 his preparation. 0:13:08.800 --> 0:13:08.959 Man. 0:13:09.040 --> 0:13:12.800 From a standpoint, he always worked hard physically, studied mentally, 0:13:12.880 --> 0:13:15.120 But I think the game is slowing down for him 0:13:15.240 --> 0:13:18.520 and he's really taking the next step in his film study. 0:13:18.640 --> 0:13:21.000 And I see that how he's attacking offensive lineman, how 0:13:21.040 --> 0:13:24.079 he's understanding protection schemes, and how that fits in with 0:13:24.520 --> 0:13:26.360 his God given abilities and how it fits in with 0:13:26.400 --> 0:13:28.760 our scheme. And I think him just messing that together. 0:13:29.679 --> 0:13:31.760 You know, Matt, Chuck and Dennis do a great job 0:13:31.800 --> 0:13:33.760 with him. I think just a combination all that is 0:13:33.800 --> 0:13:36.439 really where you see in his game rise. 0:13:37.360 --> 0:13:41.840 NFLPA released their choices for Helpro and Kyle and Rocom 0:13:42.040 --> 0:13:46.160 made it from your defense? Do you kinda how do 0:13:46.200 --> 0:13:48.560 you view sort of how the players vote on that 0:13:48.640 --> 0:13:50.240 stuff and what does that mean. 0:13:50.160 --> 0:13:52.120 To you and the guys on the defense. 0:13:52.320 --> 0:13:53.199 Yeah, I mean it means a lot. 0:13:53.240 --> 0:13:53.360 Man. 0:13:53.400 --> 0:13:56.280 Like I said, anybody, anytime anybody gets to accolade, we 0:13:56.360 --> 0:13:59.880 celebrated or milestone because we understand, yes, it's an individual war, 0:14:00.160 --> 0:14:02.240 but we are all the guys will tell you that 0:14:02.280 --> 0:14:05.720 they couldn't do without their teammates, and so we celebrated. 0:14:05.760 --> 0:14:06.160 Means a lot. 0:14:06.200 --> 0:14:07.440 It means a lot to me, means a lot to 0:14:07.480 --> 0:14:09.960 the players, uh, a lot to everybody in the organization. 0:14:10.160 --> 0:14:12.360 And then I think the I think it's great that. 0:14:12.320 --> 0:14:15.480 The players do all Pro team just because shoot, just 0:14:15.720 --> 0:14:18.520 be real, it's different. The guys they know because they're guys. 0:14:18.559 --> 0:14:20.440 They're the guys that's lining up across from you out 0:14:20.440 --> 0:14:22.760 there on their field. So I think that holds a 0:14:22.760 --> 0:14:25.720 lot of weight and making the Pro and making the 0:14:25.760 --> 0:14:27.640 All Pro team, that's voted on by your peers. 0:14:28.280 --> 0:14:31.960 Who gets credit for designing a play to Michael Pierce 0:14:32.040 --> 0:14:33.080 dropped the coverage. 0:14:33.960 --> 0:14:36.360 I don't know, man, that play been around a long time. 0:14:36.480 --> 0:14:40.320 I just I just carried it over. But man, Mike, 0:14:40.480 --> 0:14:42.520 Mike p that was That's That's one. 0:14:42.600 --> 0:14:44.680 I'm still shocked by that play. That was crazy. 0:14:44.680 --> 0:14:44.880 Man. 0:14:44.960 --> 0:14:48.440 That's one of the best plays that I think I'll 0:14:48.480 --> 0:14:50.040 probably ever witness. I don't think it's gonna get too 0:14:50.080 --> 0:14:52.240 much better than that. And then just the whole deal 0:14:52.280 --> 0:14:54.880 of him sliding and going down like that. I was like, man, 0:14:55.320 --> 0:14:57.800 but uh, it was athletic, man, it was a great uh. 0:14:58.240 --> 0:14:59.680 And it's a play that we it's a play that 0:14:59.720 --> 0:15:02.320 we've run him before. I mean, you know, my friend 0:15:02.360 --> 0:15:03.040 was joking with me. 0:15:03.080 --> 0:15:03.520 He saw it. 0:15:04.120 --> 0:15:05.600 We did it against the Chiefs, and you know, it 0:15:05.640 --> 0:15:07.400 didn't work out too well, and he was like, what 0:15:07.440 --> 0:15:09.000 are you doing dropping his big gun courage. 0:15:08.800 --> 0:15:10.240 Like, bro, it's just the play, don't worry about it. 0:15:10.280 --> 0:15:10.760 And then. 0:15:12.280 --> 0:15:14.320 And then you know, he ended up getting an interception 0:15:14.880 --> 0:15:16.720 this time, and he texted me back and I was like Okay, 0:15:16.760 --> 0:15:18.600 I see, I see the play work this time. So 0:15:19.080 --> 0:15:21.040 that's a heck of a play by Mike p We 0:15:21.120 --> 0:15:22.520 tell those guys all the time. 0:15:22.320 --> 0:15:24.040 You just keep doing your job. 0:15:24.120 --> 0:15:26.640 You do your job, and you never know when the 0:15:26.680 --> 0:15:28.080 ball might come your way and you gotta make the 0:15:28.080 --> 0:15:29.960 most of it. And it just happened that he did 0:15:30.040 --> 0:15:32.560 to close it out, and uh, that's that's great for him, 0:15:32.600 --> 0:15:33.120 great for us. 0:15:33.240 --> 0:15:34.440 Were you happy he went down? 0:15:34.680 --> 0:15:34.800 Oh? 0:15:34.880 --> 0:15:36.440 Yes, I was happy he was getting down. Happy. 0:15:36.440 --> 0:15:38.480 I was like, please, let's get down, Let's get out 0:15:38.480 --> 0:15:40.840 of here, nice, safe and sound. So I think it 0:15:40.880 --> 0:15:43.160 was a real good, smart decision and we're gonna need 0:15:43.200 --> 0:15:46.560 him fully rested like he is now for for Pittsburgh 0:15:46.560 --> 0:15:47.080 on Saturday. 0:15:47.800 --> 0:15:50.600 Technique that was Puri instice. 0:15:50.680 --> 0:15:52.400 We gotta work on the technique though that technique was 0:15:52.560 --> 0:15:53.600 it was a little shaky right there. 0:15:53.640 --> 0:15:54.800 I gotta be honest. 0:15:57.080 --> 0:15:59.440 In the middle of the season when things weren't going well, 0:15:59.560 --> 0:16:01.880 And how did make you feel when so many guys 0:16:01.920 --> 0:16:05.080 were saying, it's not it's not exact thing, it's it's 0:16:05.160 --> 0:16:06.800 fars if we need to fix it, and then they 0:16:06.840 --> 0:16:07.960 basically had your back. 0:16:08.120 --> 0:16:10.840 Yeah, man, I appreciate that. Man Like honestly, you know, 0:16:10.880 --> 0:16:13.040 they didn't have to, they didn't have to do that publicly. 0:16:13.160 --> 0:16:15.880 Just for guys doing that, it just made me want 0:16:15.920 --> 0:16:16.800 to go harder for them. 0:16:17.000 --> 0:16:19.080 And I think that just kind of shows. 0:16:19.040 --> 0:16:22.640 The unity and the bond and the family type atmosphere 0:16:22.640 --> 0:16:24.240 that we have here because we say it's a family, 0:16:24.280 --> 0:16:27.120 but a lot of times when things start going bad, 0:16:27.160 --> 0:16:29.480 you get tested, guys start turning their back on each other, 0:16:29.520 --> 0:16:31.840 and we never did that. So that's what honestly gave 0:16:31.880 --> 0:16:33.520 me the confidence that we will be able to get 0:16:33.520 --> 0:16:35.880 this thing going in the right direction, is because we 0:16:35.880 --> 0:16:38.000 we did stick together and we did have each other's back. 0:16:38.040 --> 0:16:40.600 But those guys doing that, I can't thank them enough, man, 0:16:40.640 --> 0:16:44.960 because you know, I'm human too, so you know hearing 0:16:45.000 --> 0:16:47.080