Game Thread: Week 10: Vikings @ Redskins

[Krusheasy]

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[Krusheasy]

going to be wearing special uniforms for the alumni homecoming game

 

[bt08]

Vikes suck right now so there is probably not going to be a better time to face them then now

 

[skinsdad62]

Vikes suck right now so there is probably not going to be a better time to face them then now

we dont have the team anywhere near being able to overlook anyone . the vikes can kick our ass and will if we play like we have it in the bag or come out flat

your defense can shut us down while our defense really cant

 

[Krusheasy]

wednesday presser

gruden

November 9, 2016


Head Coach Jay Gruden



On the injury report:

“Did not participate: DeSean Jackson, shoulder. Limited: [Will] Blackmon, thumb; Morgan Moses, ankle. Full were [Brandon] Scherff, shoulder; and Duke [Ihenacho], concussion.”



On T Morgan Moses’ progression and if he will play Sunday:

“We’ll see. He did individual today, drills only. But he’s getting stronger, getting his strength back and feeling better and better. But we’ll have to wait and see. Hopefully tomorrow he gets better and can do some practice. Friday he’ll do more and then be ready to go Sunday. That’s the hope.”



On the ways in which he has seen T Ty Nsekhe improve:

“In what ways? Wow. A lot of ways, really. He was very raw when we got him and Coach [Bill] Callahan has done a great job with him. And Ty has done an excellent job of working and taking the information and learning with Trent [Williams] and Morgan [Moses] and just studying the game and being patient but always working on his craft, whether it’s scout team, in the games he’s got some opportunities. But he’s a physical specimen and he’s always made up for his inefficiencies technique-wise with his size, but in the NFL that’s not always easy to do. But now he’s got the technique, he’s working on his technique, very sound. Plus he’s a huge man and I think he’s a great tackle.”



On if the length of time it took for Nsekhe to earn an opportunity was “surprising”:

“He was raw, that’s for sure. You love his size, but the NFL – he played in the Arena League for some time, some indoor football leagues and then trying to pick up the NFL system in a short amount of time… A lot of times, he was in-and-out and didn’t get an opportunity to stick somewhere where he could develop. And luckily we had the opportunity to keep him here and let him develop in a system and learn the system, the calls, and just watch him progressively get better and better. And he’s been a joy to watch, quite frankly.”



On the Vikings’ defense:

“Well, they’re good in a lot of places. They really don’t have weak area. Their linebacking crew is excellent, their defensive line, as you well know, is very, very good. The pass rush obviously is good, their safeties are excellent. Obviously [Xavier] Rhodes is playing great at corner and Terence Newman, a veteran guy who is year-in and year-out just a savvy guy. Very smart and very good technique, all that. So they don’t really have a lot of weaknesses. They stop the run, they’re very good on first down, they’re good on third down, they’ve got a great blitz package when you get third-and-medium-to-long that can drive you crazy. So they’re just good all over the place.”



On if this is an important point of the season:

“Yeah, I think it is important. I mentioned that just a minute ago and you hate to make one game more important than the other but these next two games in general are going to be important. They’re two home games that are very, very big for us. We’re 4-3-1. We’re right now currently I guess the No. 7 or 8 seed, whatever it is and we’re in a position that we’re in a good position but we’re in a position where we don’t have a lot of room for error. We really have to take advantage of our home games and the advantage that the home field gives us. We have to take advantage of those, so they are important.”


On if they will call the game differently because of the absence of T Trent Williams:

“They’re might be some subtle changes but not really. I think we have a lot of faith in Ty. Like I said, I think he’s come a long, long way. Like I said, he’s a big, big man and I don’t feel like there’s going be – I hate to say it [that] there’s not going be a significant drop off… Trent is in a class by himself at tackle, he really is, but when you’re talking about tackle in the NFL, Ty belongs and I think he’ll do fine.”


On if there are concerns about the depth at the offensive tackle position:

“Yeah, right now [Vinston] Painter is our third tackle, so, yes, I think that is the one thing that you’re concerned most about is the depth. You know, we got Painter late in the season. He has limited work with the first-string offense, very limited. [We] picked up Blaine [Clausell] yesterday, so he’s very, he’s not very close to being ready but we’re going to have to give him a crash course to get him ready. You know, once your depth gets threatened then you have to get guys down the line ready and that’s hard to do this time of year. So, that’ll be a challenge for Coach [Bill] Callahan and Kevin Carberry and hopefully we’ll get it done.”


On areas in which QB Kirk Cousins has progressed in recent weeks:

“You know, he’s made steady… I think he’s made steady strides of getting better, really. I think he’s progressing in a lot of different areas. Ball security has been good. You know, we still… Obviously the red zone stuff we have to address but I think he’s getting better across the board and I think the more he plays, the better he is going to get quite frankly. We still have to remember he’s a year and a half in as far as being a true starter – his team. He’s not going to be perfect but I think he is getting better. I’ve seen him progress – first down, play action, his shots. His deep ball accuracy is getting better. He’s dispersing the ball to the right people, throwing it accurately, moving around in the pocket a little bit better. There’s areas to improve without a doubt and he’ll tell you the same thing and that’s what is great about Kirk. He understands that. He can throw for 450 yards and find the five or six plays in the game that he wishes he had back and he wants to improve upon. That’s the good thing about him. He’ll continue to improve.”



On facing Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer in practice with the Cincinnati Bengals:

“We would get pretty competitive, we really would. It was pretty entertaining, I’ll tell you. It was a challenge, and really his style of coaching and his defensive play-calling made me a better coach actually. You had to have a plan every day when you went to practice for your offense, otherwise they would embarrass you non-stop and he didn’t care. He would keep blitzing you and you’d better have an answer. We had some great competition. He made me better as a coordinator and made our offense better, quite frankly. Hopefully we did the same for his defense. But it was great competition and I have a lot of respect for him.”



On what has gone well for the offense so far this season:

“Well, I think there’s a lot of things to like, really. I think we’ve had the least amount of three-and-outs in the league. Quite frankly, I think that’s a great stat. That means a lot. That means we’re working field position, we’re getting good plays on first and second down. Our third down conversions are getting better and better – I think we’re middle or top of the league in third down conversions. There’s a lot to like, really. There’s a lot of things that we have left on the table, though. We have to convert on some of our shot plays that we’ve missed on, and some of the red zone plays that we’ve missed on. Our third down in the red zone is not very good, so there’s some things there that we can correct. But I do like a lot of our drives. We’ve been able to maintain some drives, converting some key third downs, moving the ball. I think we’ve had the most attempts in the red zone also, which is good. We’re moving the ball, we’re keeping the defense fresh. So there’s a lot to like as far as offensively with Kirk.”



On if they used the bye week to scout their own tendencies and make adjustments:

“Yeah, a little bit. We always look at tendencies. I think the good thing is we don’t have a lot offensively. I think there’s certain areas personnel-wise that we have to look at. But I think for the most part Sean [McVay] and Joe Barry, they do an excellent job of understanding what they’re doing, what the defense sees and how to counter off of what we’re doing. I don’t think we’re too vanilla, so to speak, where teams can line up and say, ‘Oh, they’re in a three-by-one, they’re running this.’ I think we have a good variety of plays that we run, a lot of different formations, a lot of ways to run similar plays – make them look different. A lot of different concepts we throw at them, a lot of different run concepts that we throw at them. I feel good about where we are as far as being diverse with what we do both offensively and defensively. Now it's just to continue to get better and finishing plays.”



On the addition of DL Jordan Hill:

“He had a couple good years in Seattle. Scot [McCloughan] obviously knew him and wanted to add him to the room [and] see what happens. Just add to the depth there. This is like a couple days where we’ve got a really good look at him and go from there. See if we can get him ready to play.”



On the addition of CB Josh Norman and if he would change anything about him:

“I’ve been very impressed with Josh from the day that he got here. He works extremely hard. He’s got a great energy every single time that he walks out onto the field, and he’s the last one off the field. He’s attentive at meetings – he’s excellent. As far as his off-the-field ‘antics’ or on-the-field penalties that he’s gotten, he’s a physical football player. He’s in your face and he’s very competitive. You don’t want to change that about him at all; that’s what makes him, him. Obviously we might have to work on his hand placement in bump-and-run so he doesn’t hit the receiver in the head, but his aggression, his competitive style, that’s what drew us to him in the first place. We would never change that.”

 

[Krusheasy]

cousins

QB Kirk Cousins



On his assessment of the first half of the season:

“Yeah, the bye week gives us a great opportunity to evaluate and look at how we’ve performed as an offense and make some corrections, and I think last year that was a benefit for us to be able to go into the second half of the season with a better understanding of what was working and what wasn’t. Hopefully we can have a similar improvement as a result of this year’s bye week, but we do feel like we’ve been productive as far as moving the football. Ultimately it’s about points, and I’ve stood up here and said that and we feel like we need to score more points. Whether that means just converting more third downs, converting more short yardage, being better in the red zone, those are the ways I think we can be better in the points category.”



On if he looks back at last year’s success in the second half of the season:

“I don’t know that you ever look at last year and hope for something to be repeated in the sense that every year is different; it’s its own year. But we certainly did some good things last year in the second half of the season and would love to go on a run like we did last year. But, boy, every game and every season is its own entity and you never want to rest on past success or expect that just because it happened in the past. So we’ve got to work really hard and treat every game as its own entity and we’ve got a big challenge this week with the Vikings’ defense and what they’ll present.”



On the Vikings’ defense:

“I think they’re well-coached and have a really good scheme. And it starts there with Coach [Mike] Zimmer and his scheme. And in addition they’ve got really good players. And in addition to having really good players, they’ve played together now for a few years so they have continuity and they’re very smart football players. They’re not just good athletes but they’re smart, aware players. When you combine all that, it makes for a really tough unit. And we’ll have our hands full across the board – the defensive line, the linebackers and the secondary. So it’s a great challenge for us though. That’s what we’re excited about, to see how we measure up against a very good unit.”



On if he saw any patterns when looking at the red zone offense:

“Sure, I think… I’m always looking at what I can control, so turnovers are going to be important. Obviously I’ve thrown two interceptions in the red zone this year. One was a tipped pass, where you’ll say, ‘You know, there’s not a whole lot I can do. The ball got tipped. I don’t know that when I release the football.’ The other one was certainly on me. So you say, that was one where you can’t have that. Prior that to that, I had been very good in the red zone, hadn’t had a turnover there for a long time. So we’ve got to get another streak going like that since the Dallas game. In addition to that, I think there are times where in the rhythm of the play guys aren’t going to always be open. You know, if teams play max coverages and cover people, maybe everyone’s not open and that’s where I look and say, ‘Can I scramble? Can I make a play off-schedule?’ So those would be the two things that come to mind personally for me that I can try to improve down in the red zone.”



On what changes he has seen in RB Robert Kelley’s game:

“Well, I think as a running back, he’s always going to be, as far as a runner, he’s going to run the same as he did his senior year at Tulane. He’s athletic, he’s going to be a great running back and do what he did in college and in the preseason. Where the growth happens is mentally – being able to see, ‘OK, what is my blitz protection pickups on this play-action pass? Or in this Double-A pressure, where do my eyes need to be and who do I need to be picking up?’ And even just technique, you know, blocking a blitzer in college is different than blocking a Pro Bowl blitzer at the NFL level. So just having the fundamentals to know how to pick those guys up in protection and consistently do it, you see how Chris Thompson has gotten much, much better from his rookie year to now in terms of being a complete player. So that’s where Rob’s going to continue to grow and get better. But as far as running the football, very talented runner, and we knew that coming in.”



On opposing teams’ red zone defenses:

“I think it’s been a mixture of coverages. I think we’ve haven’t gotten one consistent coverage. At times when we do get zone coverage, we just have got to be able to hit the throws, or as I said if everyone’s covered, just be able to – if you can – make a play off-schedule. We’ve been able to do that against Cleveland and if we can do that again, that would certainly be a positive and would help us be more productive down there.”



On his level of confidence in T Ty Nsekhe in the absence of T Trent William:

“We’ve been fortunate how healthy Trent has been the last few years. [He’s] been able to play so many games for us. But you go into the season understanding that injuries are a big part of the game and that you never know who it’s going to be. But you do know that, at some point, some of your best players may be out there. The next four weeks, that will be the case. But as a result of knowing that will happen at some point, you are prepared and the guys who are the backups – or the swing tackle like Ty – he knows he has got to be ready at any moment. As a result, I believe he is ready and he’ll be up for the challenge. We’ll go on forward just as we would with Trent and try to do everything we can to be a great offense.”



On what he has seen in WR Jamison Crowder’s second NFL season:

“Just more of what I saw in year one. [He’s] very talented, a smart player, a great teammate. Jamison has long arms for his height, so sometimes his catch radius is bigger than it may look. I think we’ve seen that on a couple of the catches that he’s made through the last couple of years that he can be an easier target than he may look at his size. He’s a friendly target. I feel like sometimes he makes me a more accurate quarterback with the way that he chases down the football and brings it in. He’s a great player for us and makes a lot of plays [and] we have got to find ways to continue to get him the football.”



On LB Will Compton:

“Something that’s unique about Will is that he can relate to everybody in the locker room. He really has a relationship and connects with just about everybody. No matter what their background is, the demographic they’re from, Will connects with them. I think that’s a great sign of a leader. You want a few of those guys in your locker room to bring the team together and create chemistry and I think Will’s done that. He’s a natural leader. It just comes out naturally, it’s not something you have to coach or teach. He just kind of showed up and it just comes out of him – which is pretty cool and rare. He’s the quarterback of the defense. I think at middle linebacker for Will as much as when you watch him play, he plays with his hair on fire and make plays all over the field. He elevates the play of the guys around him and that’s a great credit to him and what you need a middle linebacker to do. I believe when he’s been out on the field, he’s caused the other 10 guys to play better because he’s out there.”



On ways to get WR DeSean Jackson more involved:

“Yeah, you know, we’ll continue to just go where my reads take me and there have been times where I think you look and you say, ‘I did throw to him but I overthrew him but we just missed,’ or there was a pass interference. So it doesn’t show up in the stats sheet, but he’s very much doing his job and getting open and giving us a chance. And it was tough in the second half of the Bengals game because we were throwing the ball so much and he was out with an injury. So there were many times where Ryan Grant or someone else was getting the football, and had DeSean been healthy, he’d be out there making those plays. So we’ve got to find ways to continue to get him touches, because as we’ve said, when he does catch the football, really good things happen and he makes our offense go.”


On Nskehe’s journey to the NFL and Cousins’ initial impressions of Nsekhe:

“Yeah, he’s improved just because of the number of times he’s [been] coming out early, staying after practice with Coach Callahan, all the film they’ve watched, all the one-on-one’s. Just so many days they’ve stacked on top of one another to get better and better at his craft and obviously now being in the scheme for two years, mentally he really understands it and knows where to be and who to get on each protection and each play in the run game. He’s got a big frame and it really helps to have that size and he’s worked really hard. So it hasn’t been an easy path, but so many of these guys in an NFL locker room, they wouldn’t be here if they had given up at the first sign of adversity. So Ty’s a great example of someone who just kept pushing and kept going and now he’s in a great position to be successful.”

this weeks crew

 

[Krusheasy]

Thursday presser

Gruden

November 10, 2016


Head Coach Jay Gruden



On the injury report:

“Did not participate: DeSean Jackson, shoulder. Limited were [Will] Blackmon, thumb; [Morgan] Moses, ankle; Full were [Chris] Baker, toe; and [Brandon] Scherff, shoulder; and Duke Ihenacho, concussion.”



On WR DeSean Jackson’s shoulder and if he was getting it evaluated today:

“Yeah, he was getting checked out today, got some extra treatment. Got the MRI, we got the results and he’s just dealing with a little bit of pain right now.”



On if there is hope Jackson will practice tomorrow and play Sunday:

“Yeah, we’ll see. We’ll see how he’s doing. I think that will be on him.”



On T Morgan Moses:

“He had some team reps today, he did a good job. You know, he did a good job so the arrow is looking up on Morgan and I think his toughness will prevail in this matter. But still we have a day tomorrow and then Saturday, but it’s looking good for him.”



On what he’s learned the most about LB Will Compton:

“Wow, I think number one as far as a football player goes, I’ve learned that he plays with great effort and it’s consistent. A lot of guys can play with great effort every now and then, but his effort is every single snap. And he studies the game, he knows what to do. He can help his teammate, he makes his teammates better. That’s the biggest thing we learned is how much he makes his teammates better around him with the communication aspect of it. And it’s so important at middle linebacker, so the communication, the effort, makes him a great player and a great asset for us.”



On Compton’s attitude off-the-field:

“You know, off the field he’s a good guy [laughter]. I don’t go to dinner with him or anything like that. Although it would be kind of fun. But, no, he’s a good guy. He’s just an accountable guy. You can always count on him to be here on time and get the work in and study and be prepared, and that’s all you can ask for.”



On the run game:

“Yeah, you know, right now Robert Kelley is our first-string running back. When we start the game it’ll be Robert and then we’ll go from there and we’ll decide the rest of the group later on. And then Chris Thompson obviously is penciled in as the third-down guy and No. 2. So after that we’ll make a decision.”



On if RB Matt Jones role will be similar to RB Robert Kelley’s previous role:

“Yeah, it could, and we still have Mack Brown to talk about too. Mack Brown has been very impressive every day that he does scout team. You watch him and you’re like, ‘There’s another good run by Mack.’ He’s been excellent. So we have four backs to choose from. We’ll take three on game day and go from there.”



On if there’s any concern with LB Preston Smith’s production compared to last season:

“No. He’ll keep working and I think he’ll make a second-half run. That’s what he did last year. He took a little while to get going and then in the second half he made a big run and that’s what we’re hoping this year. So he’s just going to keep grinding, keep working, and he’ll get his rushes and he’ll get his sacks. They’ll come in bunches, hopefully, like they did last year.”



On Jackson’s MRI and if he will have to be monitored the rest of the season:

“Yeah, that’s something we’ll have to decide – whether or not to give him some rest and get fully recovered, fully healthy, or see if he can fight through it or not. What the better option is, we’ll make that determination Saturday. The MRI just showed some issues there in his shoulder with the rotator cuff. He does have some things going on there, but we’ll make a determination Saturday whether or not it’s best to keep him out this week and try to get it stronger for the last seven.”



On if he was skeptical about WR Jamison Crowder’s size when drafting him:

“Yeah, I think when we first got him we saw him as an inside slot receiver and a punt returner, quite frankly. But really when he got here and the more you get around him and the more you see he’s versatile – he can play outside without a doubt. I think he’s got that ability and he’s shown that he plays a lot bigger than he is. He runs great routes. He’s very quarterback friendly. He understands concepts – how to get there, when to get there, how to set up the defender, man, zone, all that stuff. That’s so crucial as far as a receiver is concerned. You can’t really coach all the nuances of the coverages, but he just naturally sees it, feels it and reacts. He’s very quick out of cuts. He’s got strong hands and he’s great after the catch. Really not a lot of negative things if there’s anything to say about him as a wideout or as a player or as a person.”



On if the running back spot will be determined on a week-by-week basis:

“I think so. I think a lot has to do with… A lot of times that third running back, not a lot, some of the times that third running back would be a help if they help on special teams, too – kickoff return, kickoff, punt return, punt. So we’ll have to see how much Mack [Brown] or Matt [Jones] can fill some of those voids. Losing Niles Paul hurt a lot, especially on special teams. He was a special teams captain. So somebody has got to fill that void.”



On if the starting running back role will be evaluated every week:

“Yeah, I think so. I think in this league people get promoted and demoted all the time. It’s up to the person that’s starting to keep the starting role and it’s up to the person behind them to keep pushing and getting better, and when your time comes take advantage of the reps. That’s just the way it is. There’s only one ball and there’s only one starter, so to speak. But we expect everybody to be involved and everybody to have an impact on this football team whether you get the ball five times or 25 times. That will be our determination, not theirs.”



On who will fill the fullback role in Niles Paul’s absence:

“If we can get Derek [Carrier] ready, he could be a possibility. Jordan Reed’s done some of that before and Vernon [Davis] can pop back there and do some of it also. If we choose to do that, we have a lot of different ways to attack people with one-back plays and things of that nature – offset gun plays. So it’s not totally necessary for us to have a fullback, but if we do need one, we have options with those three guys.”



On if the package with Ty Nsekhe at tight end will have to be shelved while he is starting at tackle:

“That’s a little bit harder to run, especially with Ty coming in there as the extra tight end. So that probably could be. But we have [Vinston] Painter will probably be up and he could possibly fill that void if we choose to do that.”



On limiting penalties:

“Well, we have to adjust the penalties, without a doubt. We show the official videos and we talk about the penalties and then hope for the best on game day, quite frankly. Some of them we agree with, some of them we disagree with, but we always have to coach up penalties. It’s a major part of the game. You’re coaching against the opposing coach and the opposing team, but you also have to guard against the referees and the penalties, you really do. It’s a very impactful part of the game that sometimes goes unnoticed, but they’re such big plays – the PIs [pass interferences], the illegal hands to the face. Third down and eight and we get a stop, but no, it’s illegal hands to the face, automatic first down. Those plays change games – roughing the passers, offensive interference that we had the other day – they change the course of the outcome of the games. We have to really do our best to play within the rules for us to have a chance. It’s hard enough to beat the opposing team, but when you’re shooting yourself in the foot with false starts and penalties, you have got no chance.”

 

[Krusheasy]

barry

Defensive Coordinator Joe Barry



On the bye week:

“Well, I think the bye… I mean, I’ve never been a part of a bye that isn’t at the perfect time, but I think right at the halfway mark, this truly was perfect. Especially after the London trip, coming home from that, it was much needed. Well needed for the players especially, just to let them get away and rest. The grind of the season obviously has taken its toll, so it was good for them, it really was. And it was good for us as coaches just to be able to go back and refocus on ourselves, refocus on our future opponents coming up. So it was outstanding. It was a perfect time for a bye.”



On the Vikings’ offense:

“No question – I like how you use the jersey numbers, I’m rubbing off on you. Good. I don’t know about the hat, but [laughter]… You know, guys, this is the National Football League and there’s going to be ups and downs, but every single team has players on their roster and this week is no different. Obviously you mentioned No. 8 [Sam Bradford], he’s been doing it for a long time. Obviously was the No. 1 player taken in the draft. He’s a very good quarterback in this league. There’s no doubt about it, and he has weapons around him. I think they have a stable of backs. They do a great job using all of them whether it be [No.] 44 [Matt Asiata], 21 [Jerick McKinnon] or 33 [Ronnie Hillman], they all kind of have different roles. And then as far as guys him throwing the ball to, [No.] 82 [Kyle Rudolph] is a Pro Bowl tight end, very good player. And then the wideouts, has a number of them. I think the guy he really likes is [No.] 14 [Stefon Diggs]. That kind of is his comfort. And then there’s a big play guy anytime he gets his hands on the ball in [No.] 84 [Cordarelle Patterson]. But again, this is the National Football League. There’s weapons on every single team. There’s going to be issues and weapons every single week, and obviously the Minnesota Vikings are no different.”



On Su’a Cravens’ performance so far this season despite missing a few games with a concussion:

“You know, that concussion was a little bit of a setback for him. You’ve heard me stand up here before – with any player, but especially with young players, especially guys that are as young as 21 years old like he is, he needs to play. He needs to practice. He needs every single rep. So it was a little bit of a setback for him when he missed – what did he miss – two or three weeks. But Su’a is a gym rat. He loves football. He loves working at it. He loves practicing. So my stance on Su’a has not changed. I’m very excited about him. I think he’s got an incredibly bright future just because he’s a really good football player, but he’s a football player that likes football, he likes to work at it. He wants to get better. He’s going to force himself to get better. And, as a young player, the only way to get better, you’ve got to be available. So that was a little bit of a setback for him, but he’s rolling right now and hungry and eager and excited and mainly healthy.”



On how he can get Cravens on the field:

“We have different packages, we have different ways to do that. I think we were on our way to creating that. The injury kind of stunted that a little bit. Absolutely, it’s always a good thing when you’ve got a number of productive players that you can get on the field at the same time. So, yes, absolutely we’ll do that.”



On LB Preston Smith:

“Well, obviously I would think Preston would be the first guy to say it – up here if he was here – obviously you want production. The thing, John, sometimes with pass rushers that is a little misleading is that you can affect the quarterback without having the sexy numbers. I think Preston has done that. Now, in addition to affecting the quarterback with hurries and hits and harassments, we obviously want the numbers as well. We want the sacks, as does Preston. He kind of had a similar start last year where he really came on the second half of the season. I think all those guys are doing a good job. But absolutely, we want pure numbers out of them – as do they.”



On if Smith has improved in the pass rush:

“Yeah, he has definitely made [improvements]. Now, is he ultimately where he needs to be? No. I talk about Su’a being a young 21 year-old; Preston is a year older. Preston’s a young player, he’s a developing player. But he’s getting better every single day. He is developing. Now, obviously ultimately you want that development to show into pure numbers, and that obviously has to come this half of the season. Preston is doing a great job as far as working [and] getting better, and I expect big things out of him obviously in the next half of the season.”



On what the team liked about DL Jordan Hill:

“You know, that’s the one thing with the way our profession works is that you get to know guys during the draft and even if you don’t draft a guy, even if you don’t have that guy on your team, you remember him. I remember Jordan coming out of Penn State a few years ago when he was a third rounder for Seattle and obviously liked his ability coming out. [He is] what I kind of refer to as a ‘juice guy’ as far as coming off the ball. Not the biggest, most dominant defensive lineman but that’s not his game. His game is getting off the ball, causing havoc, pass rusher. Obviously Scot [McCloughan] had a great feel for him being in Seattle with him. We brought him in a few weeks ago and worked him out and then Scot and his crew pulled the trigger on him and brought him in. I’m excited to have him just because, again, you kind of refer back to ultimately what you thought of him coming out and I thought very highly of the kid when he came out as a prospect out of Penn State a few years ago. So, as you said, yesterday was our first day around him up close and personal, so I’m glad he’s here. We’ll keep looking at him and see what he brings to the table.”


On what he has learned about LB Will Compton:

“You know, Will is I’d guess you’d really classify him as a self-made guy. Anytime you see stories like that. I think it’s great just because it goes to show you, you don’t need to be a first or second round draft pick to make it in this league. You can do it the hard way. You can come up the hard way, undrafted, make the team, be on the practice squad, grind, show up every day, work and become a starter in this league. That’s the great thing about this league. But just a football player, a student of the game, obviously plays the game above the neck, which when you play that position, you’ve got to do it. It’s not only relying on physical, God-gifted ability, it’s mental. Part of the game, especially playing that – I refer to the Mike linebacker on defense as the quarterback – no different than the quarterback on offense. You’ve got to play the mental aspect of it. You’ve got to play the chess match and Will is outstanding with that – getting everybody lined up, communicating both to the D-line in front of him, the backers next to him, the DBs behind him. He does a wonderful job with that.”


On the biggest difference since Compton became the starter:

“Well, I think communication is so key in this league on any side of the ball, getting all 11 guys on the same page all the time and it’s a constant battle. That’s obviously on either side of the ball. When there’s success, it usually is the failure of communication or a breakdown on the other side of the ball. So, I think he’s… not to say we haven’t had ultimate success on every play, but when you have a guy that gets everybody lined up, all 11, all 11 people in sync, it gives you a chance to be successful. And when you have a quarterback on either side of the ball that does that, it gives you that chance. And Will’s excellent at that. He’s our glue that keeps everyone together.”



On if the changing of the Vikings’ offensive coordinator affects the defensive game plan:

“I’d be lying to you if… For example, last week, we spent Monday and Tuesday on the Vikings and then Wednesday morning, the news hit. At least for us, a little bit, it gave us one game with Pat [Shurmur] actually calling the game. But, no, I really didn’t see wholesale, dramatic changes. At this stage of the game it would be hard to do that – to completely change your run game, to completely change your protections. And also, you have got to remember, No. 8 [Bradford] just got there eight weeks ago. There’s going to be subtle changes, obviously, when you change play callers, but for the most part it’s not going to be completely drastic.”



On being prepared for gimmick plays:

“Oh, yeah, I think we preach that all the time. This is the National Football League, you have got to be ready for anything and everything all the time. Whether it be gimmicks, whether it be new wrinkles that they want to throw in, you have got to play the call, you have got to read your keys, and you have got to react. I think that’s not just with them, that’s every week that you have to be ready for that stuff.”



On the availability of safeties Duke Ihenacho and Will Blackmon for Sunday:

“Well, you know, I think the bye, getting back to that last week, I think it came at a perfect time for them because it would have been highly questionable if they would have been able to go if we would’ve had a game after the Cincinnati game. So I think the bye helped them. Duke, I think, is fine. We practiced on Monday and Duke was full-tilt. Obviously he had a great day yesterday. Will was a little… he practiced yesterday, he was fine. I think today, tomorrow will be telling a little bit. But they both practiced, they both are ready to go, and I don’t foresee them having any issues on Sunday playing.”



On if Cravens could get reps in the secondary on Sunday:

“You know, we always could throw Su’a in multiple places. So I think that’s a potential, absolutely.”

 

[Krusheasy]

thursday presser

mcvay

Offensive Coordinator Sean McVay



On if the absence of T Trent Williams changes play calling:

“Oh, certainly. You know, Trent being as athletic and as special as he is as a player, it does alter a couple of things, but we have a lot of confidence in Ty [Nsekhe] that he’s going to step up. When he’s played, whether it be on the right or the left side, he’s done a great job for us and we’re very confident. We know this is a great rush we’re playing against but we expect good things from Ty.”



On the Vikings’ front seven:

“Yeah, they’re excellent. They’re excellent all around. I think both from a personnel and a schematic stand point, they present a lot of issues. They’ve got great players all across the board, really on all three levels and then I think Coach [Mike] Zimmer does an excellent job mixing it up – some of their different blitz packages when they get you in some of those obvious passing situations – so you can see why they’re one of the top defenses.”



On how he would describe a Mike Zimmer defense:

“Well, I think he does a great job situationally. He’s mixing up some of his coverages where they’re playing some split-safety looks, they’re playing some single-high coverages and then when they get you in those obvious passing situations, obviously he’s very infamous for the Double-A package and they do a variety of things out of that, but he’s also got some other things where they’re bringing out of some odd spacing and they present a lot of issues. I think he does a great job using his personnel and those guys are playing really hard for him as well.”



On the biggest strides T Ty Nsekhe has made in his game:

“I think in everything. I think Coach [Bill] Callahan is one of the most detailed coaches I’ve ever been around. And you talk about fundamentals and technique, both in the run and in the pass game, understanding angles on the run game, second-level departures, you know, just hand sets as far as pass protection goes, different types of angles based upon the timing and rhythm of the drop, so he’s done a great job just kind of absorbing all of the material and nuances, whether it be the run or the pass game from what Coach Callahan has coached him with over the last year.”



On in what areas he’s seen growth from RB Robert Kelley:

“Well, I think you’re still continuing to see that. Last week or a couple weeks ago against Cincinnati was really his first time that he got a bunch of carries and I think you can see he’s a strong, downhill runner, does a great job when he puts his foot in the ground leveling runs off and finishing falling forward. He’s really tough. So, he’s a mature young back too. You can see he’s just kind of got a nice way about himself where nothing is too big for him and we expect to see him just improve as the season goes along.”



On preparing without WR DeSean Jackson:

“Well, he’s a special player. You know, you always want you guys out there for practice if you can have them, but obviously throughout the course of the year guys are inevitably going to be banged up and it’s most important to get them as fresh as they can be for Sunday. So, with a guy like him, he’s a veteran that knows how to take care of his body and he’s able to transition if he’s able to go on Sundays, but certainly you always want your guys out there if that’s possible.”



On what he saw from WR Jamison Crowder last year that led to an expanded role this year:

“I think when you look at it, Scot McCloughan and their staff did a great job really evaluating him coming out of Duke. He was a really productive receiver there, where you could see they moved him around [and] used him in a variety of ways. He’s one of those guys, he’s just a great all-around football player. He’s got great awareness, great instincts, good natural hands. You can see when he gets the ball in his hands, good things happen. I think he’s continuing to get more comfortable in our system, using him majority in that slot role, where he’s got a great way about working edges on people, understanding leverages based on man coverages, where are the soft spots in zone. He’s one of those guys when you talk about those slot receivers – I think he’s playing as well as anybody around the league at that position, but that doesn’t mean that that’s all he can do. He’s a guy that also has the ability to be able to play outside and do some different things for us. I think you’ll just see him continue to grow because of the way that he approaches the game. I think that’s why he’s improved so much in year two.”

 

[Krusheasy]

friday presser

November 11, 2016


Head Coach Jay Gruden



On the injury report:

“Doubtful: DeSean Jackson, shoulder. Questionable: [Morgan] Moses ankle; [Will] Blackmon, thumb; and Duke Ihenacho, concussion.”



On if S Duke Ihenacho is out of the concussion protocol:

“He’s been cleared to do practice and then we just have to monitor him, very similar to the rest of the guys.”



On if Ihenacho has another step in the concussion protocol:

“No, he’s been cleared for practice but we still have to monitor him every day, just make sure he’s OK.”



On if WRs Ryan Grant, Rashad Ross and Maurice Harris could play in place of WR DeSean Jackon:

“Yeah, and then you’ve got [Jamison] Crowder who can also play in base downs. So we’ll make do. [Rashad] Ross can be the fifth receiver if he can’t go.”



On if Jamison Crowder could play in Jackson’s place:

“In base he can, yeah. Base, we can mix it up with him and Ryan Grant, and obviously Maurice [Harris] and [Rashad] Ross. We have five good ones if he can’t go.”



On what is left to determine about Jackson’s status:

“Tomorrow – see how he’s feeling tomorrow.”



On what they need to see for Jackson to play:

“Well, he knows the offense and he know what to do and all that stuff. Now it’s just a matter of how he’s feeling with his strength. We’ll see. He hasn’t had any practice this week, which is not good, but when you’re a veteran like he is, you can make an exception for missing a practice from time to time.”



On if S Will Blackmon can return kicks with his thumb injury:

“No, he won’t be a kick returner for us. Not with a cast on his thumb.”



On if Rashad Ross could fill in in the absence of Blackmon at kick returner:

“Rashad could be back there, yes. And then backup punt returner – Pierre [Garçon] could be the backup punt returner.”



On if OL Vinston Painter took first-team reps:

“Oh, yeah, he got a lot of reps, especially on Wednesday when Morgan couldn’t go. He got a lot of reps. It’s been good. He had a lot of good work this week.”



On if he is optimistic about RT Morgan Moses playing Sunday:

“I’m very optimistic, yes. He had a good day today, so I’m optimistic.”

 

[Krusheasy]

 

[Krusheasy]

redskins HoF getting new rings tonight

 

[Krusheasy]

 

[Krusheasy]

pregame show

ESPN 980 Washington D.C. LIVE - ESPN

 

[Krusheasy]

matt jones officially in the dog house

mack brown is active

 

[deanpet21]

I cant believe that Brown is active over Jones. You are right doghouse.

 

[skinsdad62]

well lets see what he has got

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Not that excited about Grant leading the back up role for DJax, rather see Ross. Hope they pull Grant for Ross quickly if he drops a ball or slips.

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Hoping Moses has extra thick tape on that ankle.

 

[Krusheasy]

national anthem

LIVE STREAM


http://firstsrowsports.tv/football