Q: What do you see when you look at the Kansas City defense?
A: I see a lot of first rounders and second rounders, particularly up front, that look like they fly around real well for the football. So I guess they are able to generate some heat. So we are going to have our hands full.
Q: Is Jacob's tip-toeing? Is he running differently than he used to in the past?
A: Not really. Every year is a different year and what have you. Someone just told me about it. I wasn't – to be honest with you – sure what the story was until about 15 minutes ago. If anything, I see a guy that is still energetic, is physical, is passionate about doing whatever he can to help us win. If there is an error that is slowing him down, it is because he wants to be perfect. He is trying to make the perfect read, if that is it. If there is anything, that would be it, he is just trying so hard to do everything perfectly. Sometimes you just have to trust your instincts and go out and play. But I certainly don't see anybody that is tip-toeing. That has not been -- I haven't been aware of that at all.
Q: Initially, when Jacobs first arrived, you tried to get him to be a little more patient?
* *A: Yeah. They say – sometimes knowledge can be a little – knowledge can be dangerous. I think as he is growing, he is trying to read and understand not only what we do, but he has grown so much now that he understands what defenses will do, sometimes if you are not careful, you get overloaded. And you don't trust just your instincts. Those decisions are made within fractions of seconds – "Hey, my key does this and I have to react to it." And I think, if anything, he just wants to do right so badly that if anything slows him down, that would be it. But again, I don't see anybody that has lessened his enthusiasm, or his toughness or his passion or his desire for us to do well and for him to contribute to us doing well.
Q: Would you have to bring that to his attention?
A: Yeah, it is like anything. It is any position, like quarterback. You make your read, you see it, trust it, and let it go. If you wait and hesitate just a little bit, all of a sudden that lane that - what you were correct in determining was open – the passing lane is not there. And the same thing applies to a running game. You just have to believe yourself. And it is just like anything else – if a hitter in baseball, if things are going well, it is easy. The ball looks bigger and it is no problem. You go through that slump maybe where you are not going quite as well, you begin to question yourself. And as soon as that happens, that doesn't help – that hinders.
Re: Jacobs and Bradshaw, and what is asked of Jacobs
A: Different styles, they are completely different guys. You don't ask one to do it like the other. So what he does best, he makes a read, and he turns downhill – north, south and hits it as hard and as aggressively as he can. Even if it is not a perfect read, it usually moves the pile and keeps us in a good down and distance rhythm. And that is all we really ever ask from him. Now when he gets out in the open, some of those misdirection things and once he gets a head of steam, now it is frightening if you are a defensive back and you have to tackle him.
Q: So much of what you do, you set up Jacobs with the power stuff and then Bradshaw has his quicks. Bradshaw is in that boot all week. He says he is going to play but he could be limited – who knows, maybe he doesn't play – who knows. How does that change your offensive blocking in terms of how you like to set up the one-two punch?
A: Yeah, obviously you are not looking to – if that was the case. But let me preface by saying that I will be shocked if Ahmad doesn't play. I would be shocked. Just knowing him, knowing how tough he is and how anxious he is to play and how well things are going for him. I would be shocked if he didn't play. So let me get that out there. If he didn't, it is like anything else, you lose certain things and you don't try to set that thing up any more. If a wide receiver is down, what do you do? You avoid trying to set up a guy that you don't think can do the things the starter was doing. So you wouldn't look to build upon something to set it up so that when he comes he could take advantage of it.
Q: You look at the success the tight ends have had against the Chiefs' defense. Do you look at that and say, "Yeah, we have a pretty good pass catcher, too. We can be successful as well?"
A: Yeah, I think you always do. You are looking at everything thing they do – both matchups physically and scheme-wise. And we certainly hope that Kevin will be a big part of our game plan. He always is and sometimes the reads will take us to a different spot but when we throw him the ball he usually catches it and does some things with it. The amazing thing to me is always – he can run after the catch. Looking at him you would not label him or categorize him as a good after the catch runner. He is. He almost makes positive yardage every time. So we certainly try to get the ball in his hands.
Q: RE: Travis Beckum
A: Yeah, we have included him. We only got a couple of plays with him, but we thought actually the ball would wind up with what we anticipated coverage wise, would give him some more opportunities but it just didn't happen that way. So the ball went elsewhere. But we really thought the ball would go to him more often than it did.
Q: Two guys have 40 catches…distribution of ball between Steve Smith, Mario Manningham and other receivers…
A: Enough of it has been one on one. So when you go one on one, I think you give Steve a chance to win one on one. If you are a quarterback, you are going to look to get him the ball, because he is hard to be defended, and the same thing with Mario. I think what happens eventually is they start saying, "We are not going to create those, or allow those opportunities to be just one on one. You are going to have to beat this coverage." And that is when you go to the other people – you go to the tight end or you go to back or like Sunday, we run the ball a little bit more.
Q: Have you seen any of that yet?
A: Yeah.
Q: So they are getting that respect?
A: Oh yeah. Sunday was the first real indicator. But even in the game against Dallas, they tried to double Steve a few times. So he was able to do what he had to do to win.
Q: Ramses Barden - do you see any improvement at all?
A: Oh yeah, definitely. He has been running scout team. But that is basically what he has been running. So he hasn't done a lot of our plays. But what we have asked him to do, he has been fine. He is getting better, a young receiver and he is still progressing.
Q: As the season goes on would you like to get him more involved?
A: We play that as it comes. I would suggest if somebody else got hurt or somebody else wasn't playing well, I would certainly love to give him the ball, but not at the consequence of somebody else being hurt or their play falling off.
