Defensive Coordinator Dennard Wilson
Q: What was the process like on the sideline early? They're running the ball well, and then on the fly you've got to make adjustments to stop them?
DENNARD WILSON: Yeah, so they came out with some unscouted runs that we didn't see or predict that they were going to do. So, they hurt us on a few of them. A couple of plays was leveraging, getting down closer to the line of scrimmage, boxing a ball back, and then we made some adjustments on the sideline to kind of surround their formations after that second series, and guys came out there and executed. We stopped the run, forced them to pass, and we were able to get after them when they were passing.
Q: The numbers say you blitzed a lot more than you did the first couple games or even more than you did in Tennessee. Is that just an adjustment you made? Is that something game plan specific? Is that like, 'Hey, we're not getting home enough so we can't do it this way.'
DENNARD WILSON: Yeah, it was a little bit of feel of the game. You know, the guys on the back end were very comfortable covering their receivers. And we played a little bit man-to-man early in the game, and there wasn't a lot of separation. So, I just kept trying to feed it. And we hit the quarterback a few times, got him off the spot. And then the guys told me, it was like, 'Coach, keep calling it.' And (cornerback) Greg Newsome and Tae (cornerback Deonte Banks) were like, 'We can cover them man-to-man,' and I just kept calling it for them. But every week's different. Like every game plan is different. Every quarterback, every offense is different. You know, we'll see how it goes this week.
Q: Big picture, though, how much do you think that's something you might have to lean on more because you don't have (outside linebacker) Brian (Burns), right? He's a guy who had 16.5 sacks last year. Obviously, he was a big part of your pass rush.
DENNARD WILSON: Yeah, it'll be a mixture of both. I think that we've always had pressures in our system. You know, like I say, the first two games this season, we played quarterbacks that feast off of pressure, knowing where to go. I think it's always matchup dependent. It's how the guys are playing. It's rhythm of the game. It's feel of the game. It's the ability to adjust during the game. We always have pressures up. So, we'll use them when we have to and be smart and educated about it.
Q: Through four games, you guys have really – the numbers have said you guys did a great job stopping the run outside of the Rams game. What do you see that's been working where you guys are limiting maybe the big plays and stopping some more of these runs from getting first downs?
DENNARD WILSON: Well, I think our defensive ends have done an excellent job of just playing with great force, keeping the ball inside. And (defensive lineman) DJ Reader and (defensive lineman) Shelby (Harris) and all those guys that are playing in the A and B gaps, they're building a wall. We're squeezing and constricting the formations, and then we have outstanding linebackers and safeties that come downhill and tackle the ball. There's not a lot of room to run, and they have great recognition on the second and third level with (inside linebacker) Tremaine (Edmunds) and (inside linebacker) Arvell (Reese). And if we can keep teams in a phone booth, it's pretty hard for them to run against us.
Q: How much is (outside linebacker) Kayvon (Thibodeaux) a part of that? I mean, obviously, as a pass rusher maybe we haven't seen some of that, but as far as an edge setter.
DENNARD WILSON: Yeah. I mean, look, you have to earn the right to rush the passer. You heard that multiple times. We were able to rush the passer this past game because we got them in second-and-long situations. So, everybody, especially on first down, we are run stoppers first. You stop the run and then you can unleash those guys to be able to pass rush or get them into known third down or third-and-long situations. So, Kayvon is a huge part of that. All the guys that play are a huge part of what we're trying to do. If you're not a starter in one package and you're playing, you're a starter to me. So, it should be no letup if you're in and you're playing or your responsibilities become more as the season goes.
Q: What have you seen from Kayvon in his pass rushing?
DENNARD WILSON: Kayvon has done an excellent job pass rushing. More so when he's on the edge, he's forcing the ball back, he's using his long arm. He's been around the quarterback, but at times we have to convert a little bit better, and he will. It's coming. It's coming for him. His speed is still there. I love his power. I think early on we had him playing inside a little bit too much. I think he's just better off the edge right now. I can't wait to see him go out there and perform this week. The numbers are still – they're going to come, just like I said last week. He's ready to turn it on. He's excited about the pass rush plan this week, and I can't wait to see him go out there and execute.
Q: Talking to (outside linebacker) Abdul (Carter) yesterday, he said that going in he was pretty analytical. He saw what (Cardinals quarterback Jacoby) Brissett likes to do, and it was the idea of get him off his spot, but also make him feel you. There was a stretch there where Abdul had two or three shots on Brissett, that it looked like he was hurting really for the next series or so. Did you notice that, and how much of an impact does that make?
DENNARD WILSON: Yeah, I mean, for us, it's great. As pass rushers, we talk about the edge all the time. It's really, with pass rushers, how do you dominate the A and B gaps? And we did some things that had Abdul as an A and B gap rusher with some games and stuff. If you can get the quarterback off the spot and he has no step-up lanes, it affects that offense or any offense tremendously. So, it was just good to get interior pressure. We did it off a few games, some straight rushes. And then, that's when you talk about the edge rush. When you can dominate the A and B gaps and get the quarterback to flush or he can't step up, that's when guys like Thibs (outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux) and the edge rushers become alive. So, it was good just moving him around. Abdul, he was throwing his fastball all game. He was into it, high energy. We always talk about the ball finds energy. And the guys that play with great energy, it just seems so happens the ball just found them or they made plays in the game. So, I'm excited where he's at. I'm excited where all the rushers are at. And the biggest thing that we did last week, and we made it a real emphasis, is everybody's a pass rusher. Just because you are (defensive lineman) C.J. (Okoye) and you're a big guy that's playing on first and second down, when it's time to pass and we get bird-rabbit tips, you have to dominate your matchup. You have to dominate the A and B gaps. So, the mindset changed a little bit last week on some of the things we did and what we emphasized in practice. And people do this and players do this, they do what you emphasize. We emphasize it and it came to life.
Q: How much has Greg Newsome meant on the back end, not just in terms of his play, but strikes me as a very confident guy that seems to have breeded throughout the secondary?
DENNARD WILSON: He's been a great impact. I love him. Man, I believe so wholeheartedly in him and his ability. He has cultivated the room with his energy, with his effort, his attention to detail, his willingness to learn, his willingness to go the extra mile to bring guys in with – him and (safety) Jevón (Holland) bring the DBs in the group, watch extra film together. They spend a lot of time together. If you see them, like I say, their energy is infectious. I mean, they dance and do all their little corny moves every day. The DBs were able to pick the music this week and, man, it's terrible (laughs). But they love it. They love it. So, as long as they love it and they are in a good place, I'm happy. But we're happy to have him. He's been an outstanding addition to this defense and to this organization.
Q: I know you guys have kind of downplayed the coaching impact on bringing confidence back to Deonte Banks and what he's done, but one of the first questions and one of the first things he said the other night was, what's changed? The coaches and what you guys have instilled in him. I mean, to see that happen and him play the way he's playing right now, how far does it go back?
DENNARD WILSON: Well, it goes back from when I took the job. And it goes back to me knowing the kid. Like, I believe in the kid. And I've always believed in the kid. And this goes with teaching and coaching. You can't ask for the hand until you touch the heart. And that was the objective, to touch the heart, to understand that he has people that care about him, that won't throw him away. If he has a bad moment, if he has a good moment, we're going to stay consistent. We're going to have tough love with him. And that's what he needed. We do too much of throwing guys away when they're not having success right now. Sometimes it takes them time to fight through it. Sometimes they need that teacher, that motivator, that person that inspires them to go out and be the best version of themselves. And that was the thing that we wanted to do with him. And that's all the players. It's every guy that we have, man, we treat them with love and respect, but we have tough love. And we coach them hard. We preach discipline and detail. But it's not about just telling them what to do from an X's and O's standpoint. It's also getting to know them as a person, to know how they operate, to know how they tick, to be able to push them without telling them all the time. So, that's the impact. That's what this coaching staff has done with the players. We've fused positivity. We've learned our players on and off the field. We support our players on and off the field. And we show love when love is needed.
Q: With Arvell, was there ever any doubt in your mind throughout the process – because a lot of the league thought he was an edge guy. Was there any doubt to you that he was an inside guy?
DENNARD WILSON: No.
Q: Why not?
DENNARD WILSON: It was easy. When you evaluate talent, and I think that (Head) Coach (John) Harbaugh did an outstanding job of this, (Inside Linebackers Coach) Frank Bush did an outstanding job of this. When you watched him play at Ohio State, when he was off the ball, he made a huge impact. He can read. He can dissect. He's just a natural linebacker. We always thought that the subset was him to go forward as a defense lineman. I thought, and we thought, that it would have been harder to teach him to go forward than him playing off the ball first because it was a new world for him. So, when we saw him, there was no question from day one that he was a linebacker, and that's how we always viewed him. And you're starting to see it. Game four of his rookie year, you see the maturation already. You see the impact that he's had on his defense. He's a guy that just loves football. He's tenacious about it. He doesn't want to be wrong. He's had some plays that he wished he had back, but he doesn't make those mistakes again. And when you see him, he is a force of nature when he's on the football field, and we expect him to keep getting better and better.
Q: From your point of view, what is the key or the secret to winning close games? Your team has been in a bunch of close games and won them.
DENNARD WILSON: It's technique, fundamentals, slowing your heartbeat down in critical situations and relying on what you've been taught. Your composure. And you've seen that in the last couple games. I mean, you go through that string of plays in the fourth quarter. Guys come out. We get a stop. We get them in a third-down situation. They call a flag on Tae, which I don't agree with, but you watch those DBs and you watch the linebackers and the D-linemen, how detailed and how dialed in they were. (Cornerback) Dru (Phillips) on that play on the out cut. It was no doubt in his mind that that guy wasn't going to catch the ball on him. When they ran that out cut on Tae, it was a play that we practiced over and over again when the tight end was there. Guess what? He executed it in practice and he executed it in the game. And then the next play, they came back and they gave a wide split with recognition of the route concept, and Tae had the confidence to step in front of it and make the play. And that's what we're trying to build. We're trying to build a bunch of guys that believe what they see. They execute their assignment, and they have no fear when pressure situations come on.
Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy
Q: It wasn't perfect with (quarterback) Jameis (Winston), but it seemed like it was a lot better than the first couple times he was out there. So, what did you see from him a couple days ago?
MATT NAGY: For him, I thought that the biggest thing as we got into this was there was a rhythm to his operation. We started out slow. We had the two field goals and then the two three-and-outs. And for us, we've been pretty good this year on making sure we don't have the three-and-outs, but they occurred early. But then as we had that touchdown followed by another touchdown kind of back-to-back, I thought that his in-and-out of the huddle, the way he handled the guys on the sideline, and then making throws when he had to make throws. I mean, there were some special throws that he made that were a little bit of a confidence booster for everybody, in that moment when you have four drives that don't score. So, I was happy with that part, and I just believe that he's somebody that in that moment we all feed off of him. And I really believe that he did a good job with that.
Q: What have you learned about him as a person? After the game, he passed a comment like something to the effect of, 'Last week I didn't even think I could throw.' I was basically questioning if I could throw the ball. What have you learned about him as a person, and how much of that side have you seen from him?
MATT NAGY: The first thing that I've learned about him is that he's very, very serious, but in moments you can get him to where you see when he's maybe in front of people, on or off the field, you can see the lighter side of him. But really, you get to a point to where you see how serious he is. And so, when you ask a question like that, or you see how he can maybe talk about himself in that manner, we know he doesn't believe that. We know what he truly feels, and it was just one of those games a couple weeks ago where it went that way. But he was able to pull back, and I think we got to see what we can be, minus the two interceptions, minus the fumble, minus the three three-and-outs that we had. And so, he's Jameis. When I first got to meet him, I didn't think he was as serious as he was. I didn't know that.
But he's a very serious person at times. He knows how to be, when I say serious, very professional. But at the same point in time, I think we know who Jameis is too, and he likes to be lighthearted as well.
Q: With (wide receiver) Malik (Nabers), I'm sure you've had to deal with give-me-the-ball receivers in your career. Where do you fall on him kind of demonstratively to the sideline asking for the ball more in a game where he got seven targets?
MATT NAGY: I do really like it as long as it's done the right way, and Malik is without a doubt one of the most talented players, not just wideouts, one of the most talented players that I've ever been around. And then on top of that, he's competitive too. He's probably one of the most competitive. So, you morph those two together, and you have somebody that sometimes that may happen. And I think the biggest thing that is important for us to understand and for me and what we discussed, Malik and I, is making sure that, don't ever take that away from a player. You're crazy if you take that away from somebody. Don't ever try to not get him the football. We want to get you and him the football. So, he knows that. But you've got to make sure that probably the best way to think of it is that it's constructive and not destructive in how that happens. That's important. And he's still young. We're still going through that process. We're four games into it together. So, you take all that, but you never want to lose that from him. I've got thick skin. I can handle it. But we just want to make sure that it's for us and it doesn't cross the line. And we had a great conversation on Tuesday. He's in a great spot, and we definitely want to get him the ball a lot.
Q: Matt, is that a different dynamic for you when you're upstairs? So, he's not necessarily gesturing to you on the sideline, or does that come through on the headset anyway?
MATT NAGY: No, I mean, it's an emotional game. And when you're in the moment, as a coach, you've got to understand that these guys are emotional. And so, when I'm up in the box, it's not as emotional. It's really not. So, you have to take that and understand that. I was around a very similar player, talent-wise and the person-wise, in (Kansas City Chiefs tight end) Travis Kelce. He was a guy who wanted the ball a lot, and he had great ways on how to let you know how to do it. So, I was always on the field. So, between that, it is different. But these guys, you're crazy to take that away from them. We know that. But there is a temperature to how far it goes. So, as long as you have open, clear communication with these guys and they understand, which they all do and we do, we want to work together because Malik is as talented as they get. So, it needs to happen.
Q: Matt, it seemed like there was also a concerted effort to get him the ball when you did down the field, as opposed to the weeks before, was sometimes the manufactured touches, the screens when this was a little bit more vertical. Is that the development of your relationship with Malik, figuring out him and you and what you want to do or game plan specific?
MATT NAGY: Probably both. There's both of that. So, we wanted to be able to take a more aggressive mindset into that game. He's a big part of that, along with the other guys we have. But he's obviously at the top of that with Zay (tight end Isaiah Likely). So, you take both of those, you balance it. It just happened for us. We did have some explosives, which was good. We've got to continue to have those. It makes it a lot easier to get down there. And then we just want to continue to be better in the red zone, too, and get more points, like I said, last week.
Q: You talked a lot last week about how much (quarterback) J.J. (McCarthy) had to learn and the process. How do you go about putting a package in for him? I'm just curious how that works.
MATT NAGY: Well, you work towards what you think his strengths are. We believe and we know what that is. Even in a short week, we were really starting to get a good feel for that. And so, you understand where he's at, and is that something you want to do? You start there. So, you start with minimal plays. And then at the same point in time, both him and (quarterback) Jake (Haener), they've got to know the entire game plan at all times. So, that's the more challenging part, is making sure they do that. So, for us, it's create some packages and what that is, whatever that is, and then we just decide when and if we want to use it.
Q: When a player like Malik asks for more say in what you're calling, do you have conversations and give them a voice in that? How does that work? Or as a coach, do you say, trust me, I know what I'm doing?
MATT NAGY: No, I give them the ability to voice where they're coming from. At halftime, it goes quick at the half, but you're able to get an idea of how that goes. A lot of it, though, goes to it's during the week. So, you talk through, okay, what are we doing too much of? What are we not doing enough of? But then they also, too, need to balance and trust what we're doing. I'll give you an example. Like the third and 20, they played shell over top of Malik. And you can see it on tape. It was two go's on the outside, and they played cover two over the top. They took him away, which is probably smart at that moment. But what happened is we had a scramble, and he hits (wide receiver) Malachi (Fields) for a big gain. They played shell over top of Malik. That's a big part of this process that you understand. You're helping somebody else get open. So, as we go through this offense and we start putting things in, we want these guys to understand the whole process. But at the same point in time, we still want to get you the ball, and we still want to use what you're great at. And so, there's that balance of them understanding when they get the ball and when they don't get the ball how valuable they can be.
Q: Matt, you've had several different roles in your career. Head coach, play caller. Your team has played a bunch of close games. Is there a secret or a key to winning close games? It looks like you might be in a bunch of them.
MATT NAGY: It starts with the players making plays like we have, especially on defense at the end of the game with those stops. But we've talked as an offense, that belief in each other. The way you get that is by ending games on our side. So, we've had two chances the last two weeks to not put the ball back in the defense's hands, and we haven't done it. We take a lot of pride in ending games, and we did that against Dallas. We did not do it the last two weeks, and our defense stepped up, played complementary football, and saved us essentially. So, what happens with that is there's a belief in one another and a trust in one another, and that is so powerful. When you're on these winning teams, you'll do whatever to play for the man next to you, and it's not just a cliche. That's real. You'll do that. And then you've got to get a little luck too, and when you put all that together, before you know it, you look up and you win a lot of games.
Q: We know how (offensive lineman) good Andrew Thomas is. The numbers say that (offensive lineman) Jermaine Eluemunor has actually been on an island more than any offensive tackle in the NFL. So that combination, you haven't been here, but offensive tackle has long been a problem for the Giants. What does having those two guys on the outside allow you to do?
MATT NAGY: Well, you talk about trust. That's the ultimate trust of those two guys on the edges there. So much trust in who they are going into it. They've continued to really protect us there. A lot of times you do have to, a lot of teams use chips and help with the tight ends and backs, and we feel at times we don't have to do that because of who they are. So, that's a credit to them. It's a credit to (Offensive Line Coach) Mike Bloomgren and (Assistant Offensive Line Coach) Grant Newsome, who really do a great job, honestly, with making sure technique-wise they're good, scheme-wise they're good, all those guys. So, I love it. I know as a play caller, when you know you have those tackles that can help protect in the pass game, it's so valuable and important.
Q: It's been nine days. How's J.J. doing with digesting everything and how much are you able to give him at this point?
MATT NAGY: I would say it's an A-plus. He's doing really well. That's as best as I can put it. You look back seven days ago when we were up here having the same conversation, he's much further along, which is, again, a credit to our position coaches and (Quarterbacks Coach) Brian Callahan, (Offensive Quality Control Coach) Mike Snyder. These guys are spending a lot of time putting time in with J.J. and with Jake just in case. At the same point in time, J.J. is spending a lot of time trying to learn everything. So, that part has been great. Proud of him, but this is just the beginning. But I'd say A-plus right now.
Q: What do you like most about (offensive lineman) Bryan Hudson? How did he do?
MATT NAGY: Just came in and just did really, really well in the run game and in the pass game. It's something that we knew and saw going back to training camp. He's always done a great job with us, so we were not surprised the way he played. We just got to keep that going. We needed that, and there were some really good clips in there that he did in both run and pass.
Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator
CHRIS HORTON: Good to see everyone. Hope all you guys are doing well. Just a quick little recap, like always. Our guys are continuing to play good football. They're playing at a high level. We started the game with not our kind of start. I didn't think we started fast with that opening kickoff return. Got to the 40-yard line, but after that, I thought we settled in, we dialed in, and we started to play our kind of football. Weekly, we're just looking to finish the game, being the best team out there from a special teams standpoint. That's our number one goal as we get ready for this week. We've got a big challenge ahead of us. This Commanders team, they play football the right way. (Washington Commanders Special Teams Coach) Larry (Izzo) does a good job, and so we're excited to get ourselves going and come out to practice today and get ready for this game on Sunday. Questions?
Q: How big of an adjustment is going from (wide receiver Braxton) Berrios to (wide receiver) Charlie Jones?
CHRIS HORTON: Different skill sets. Obviously, losing Berrios, it's huge. You talk about a guy that works so hard to get himself back to a position of playing just really good football, and he was doing that, so obviously he'll be missed. But with Charlie, another veteran guy, it's not like going from a vet to a rookie. This is going back to another veteran guy. When you've got two guys like that, you feel pretty good about what you've got going back there. We've got all the confidence in Charlie, and he'll do well.
Q: What do you like about Charlie? What about his skill set does he bring to the table?
CHRIS HORTON: Just, one, confidence. He's a confident guy. Two, his ability to just catch the ball. One of the things we talk about the most is just really just being able to field the ball and make great decisions. So, in those situations, and then speed. This guy is fast. He can run, and he'll do a good job for us.
Q: What did you like most about Tracy's (running back Tyrone Tracy) long return in the game?
CHRIS HORTON: First, there's a lot of things you like about that play, and Tracy's return starts with the men up front blocking. That play, I mean, it was just blocked. It was a thing of beauty when you watch it, and those things we're chasing. So, when you give Tracy the ball, and that ball is running downhill, and he goes untouched, man, those are the things that we're working on. We come out here every day, every Wednesday, we work kickoff return. That's what we're chasing every week, and it's not going to happen like that all the time, but we are chasing those little details to get those returns. But you love what he did. You love that he didn't have to stop, and again, it started with the blocking.
Q: He gives you some juice. Not all guys can do that. Do you see him as a guy who gives you some juice back there and can do those kinds of things?
CHRIS HORTON: Absolutely. It's the guy that's why he's back there, right? It's the guy we can put back there. We trust him. We trust him to do the things right. He can find the hole, and he can take it to the house when he gets those opportunities.
Q: I'm not sure (tight end) Theo Johnson has had as big of a role on special teams, especially in coverage and blocking, that he's had so far this year. What have you seen from Theo? How much work has gone into him kind of being a weapon of sorts in the middle of the field, a guy that size?
CHRIS HORTON: Big, fast, physical, right? Those are the kind of players we want to play this game with. You get him out there, I mean, he's got a good skill set. This is a big tight end that can run. He's tough. He's physical. And so, you just, again, you find ways to get those players on the field, and you find things that they do well, and you put them in position, and they start to have success. I don't think it's anything that me as a coach did for him. I think it's just, one, you've got to believe in certain guys. You've got to give them those opportunities. But I love what I'm seeing from him so far.
Q: But you say it's not anything that you did necessarily, but from a coaching perspective, you get to this league. I mean, Theo, having talked to him, he believes he can be a number one tight end in this league, and now here you guys are having him out there on special teams. There's some sort of embracing that needs to be taking place, no?
CHRIS HORTON: I think it's easier to embrace playing. Theo wants to be a number one tight end, but Theo also understands that he gets an opportunity to go play a football play. And I think when guys think about special teams from that standpoint, it doesn't matter. When you've got a skill set, you go out there and you play the game the right way, the game will take care of you, and those situations will put you in better situations too. It'll give you more opportunities as well. So, love what he's doing, love where he's at, and he's doing a hell of a job.
Q: What were the conversations like on the headset on that last drive. You're on the edge of Dominic's field goal range and I'm sure you're talking with (Head Coach) John (Harbaugh) and that affects play calling?
CHRIS HORTON: I mean, the conversations are going to be the conversations, kind of what they are. We had a line. We feel pretty good about putting him out there and making the kick, so I don't think there was too much of a conversation going on. It was like, hey, you know what I'm saying? Hey, when they call us, we put him out there, and he's ready to go. He's ready to go perform.
Q: Weather, again, could be a thing this week. What if anything, I mean, do you know plenty about that field and the grass field different. Is there anything you have to look into there that you take into account with the weather potentially there?
CHRIS HORTON: Not at all. I think for us, the process will be the same. Rain, wind, how (punter) Jordan (Stout) punts the ball, obviously those things will change. We can utilize a couple different tools in our toolbox, but as far as snap, punting the ball and things like that, I don't think anything will change.
Q: A big picture question, is there a secret or a key to winning close games?
CHRIS HORTON: Is there a secret or a key to winning close games? I just think it comes down to really just being in position, having all three phases playing at a high level, and any chance, just speaking specifically from my phase of the game, just having momentum at the right time, creating plays. I think back to that punt with six minutes left in the game. We need to pin this team down in their own end zone, and we had a great punt, but then we had those gunners. (Cornerback) Nic (Jones) and (safety) Elijah (Campbell) did a great job of really distracting the returner, getting in his way, and we got the bounce, and that drive starts on the three-yard line. So, sometimes you need plays to go your way, but it just comes down to taking advantage of your plays and creating momentum in your phase of the game. That's what changes for you.
Q: Does that speak to the confidence you have in this punt team, the punt coverage team, the idea that two weeks ago was, man, I can't believe you had a 74-yard punt, and we're talking about distance, and then a week later you need to pin, and Jordan essentially, like you said, takes another club out of the bag, and you guys were able to pin them inside the five. What does that say for the entire unit moving forward?
CHRIS HORTON: It just says we come out there, we do our job. When we're called upon, we all got a job to do, and Jordan's job is to punt that ball, and again, when you got tools in your tool bag, it allows you to do things like that, but that doesn't happen if you don't get your gunners getting off the spot and running their tails off to get down the field to either catch the ball or tackle the returner. That doesn't happen if your interior punt team doesn't protect the punt. So, it's all a part of us just doing our job individually and collectively. When those things happen, great things happen for us out on that field.
Q: When you were scouting (kicker Dominic) Zavada, what was it about his mental makeup that impressed you to where if he was called upon in these roles that you knew he could do that?
CHRIS HORTON: That's a good question because it started with we go to the combine, we get an opportunity to talk to these guys, and one, you got to find out does this guy have the right makeup. Is he going to fit? Has he been in tough situations? You kind of find all those things out, so you do a lot of deep diving, a lot of help from the scouting department. They're in the schools. We do a little small part of working there, but just talking to them, having that time to talk to them, getting to know him a little bit really just gave me the confidence because the talent is in the body, right? And then big kicks have been made, and it's just a matter of just getting him out there, just getting him in our system and letting him go play. You got to believe in guys. You got to let guys know that you believe in them, and I think when players know that the coaches believe in them, they'll go out there and they'll do good things.
