Offensive tackle Andrew Thomas
Q: For so many years that you've been here, there's been a lot of criticism of not you, but the offensive line as a reason holding the team back. There's really none of that this year, really. How do you kind of rectify that in your mind? Do you think you and the rest of your guys up front are playing some of the best football you've played since you've been here as a unit, and that you're not getting the results as a result of that?
THOMAS: I would say I think we're playing well, but obviously not well enough to get the results that we want at the end of the day. It's a team sport. It takes everyone. If we have to do more, we have to find a way to do more to get the wins.
Q: How has the continuity helped? I mean, since you didn't start the first two games, you've been on the field. The guards haven't missed anything. (Center) John Michael (Schmitz Jr.) missed a couple, (offensive lineman Jermaine) Eluemunor just missed one. For the most part, you have five guys who are playing every snap together. How important has that been?
THOMAS: It helps a ton. We have a veteran group, and getting more snaps together, just watching film, getting more practice reps, I think it helps us. We communicate a lot better, our combinations and passing off games and stuff like that. I think it's important.
Q: You can really tell that in games that you kind of, on the other side of the line, there's not incredible physical superiority maybe with some of your teammates, but that you guys know what to do. You know how to figure it out, and in the game, if this is giving you a problem, does this just seem like a smart group right now in your mind?
THOMAS: I wouldn't say just smart – I think we're physical up front. I think we use good technique, and I would say we're pretty athletic too.
Q: Speaking of the continuity of these last two games, how pleasing is it for you just to be able to get back to playing the way you want to play? Just being healthy and being able to just be in this groove now, how does that feel for you just given how last year ended?
THOMAS: I would say right now it's a double-edged sword. I'm grateful to be out there. Obviously, I missed a lot of ball, so it's fun being out there with my teammates, but the other part of that is obviously I hate losing, and then I would say just personally I'm not at the level that I want to be at, so I'm striving every day while I do film, trying to figure out what I can do more on the practice field just to get to the elite level.
Q: I know (quarterback) Jaxson (Dart) hasn't played in the last couple weeks, but how excited are you to sort of see what he can do in this offense? It looked like just as a unit you guys were reinvigorated the last couple of weeks. How excited are you to see Jaxson play in this offense and get back on the field?
THOMAS: Yeah, I'm excited for him. Obviously, he's a talented kid. We've been playing well as an offense, as a group, regardless of who's at the quarterback position. So, I'm excited for him to come back. We're going to do our job to make sure we protect him up front and open up the run lanes for the running backs. We're going to hit the play action and stuff like that. So, we're just going to do as much as we can.
Q: I know you guys don't want to make excuses or don't make the schedule, but how much of a grind has it been having this late of a bye week? And how do you guys as players kind of handle that? I know you get an extra day this time, but how do you sort of handle that grind?
THOMAS: Yeah, it's the NFL. You don't choose your schedule. I think every week is a tough week regardless of when the bye week is. So, you just try to take care of your body as much as you can. Then we get the bye week next week and try to take some time off to finish the last four strong.
Q: You mentioned your personal standard and holding yourself to that high standard. Has it always been in that process for you, knowing you for a while, I mean, you've always kept that standard. But how has that standard changed through the years for you? You know, it's funny, the other day, there were a lot of people saying how well you played in Detroit and your reaction after the game was just not good enough for yourself. Have you always been that way? What of that out of your personality allows you to keep that standard as high as it is?
THOMAS: I would say it's just the nature of the position. It's not just one play where you make a splash play and you're a top player. You have to play, you know, 60, 70 snaps, being consistent each and every down. To be one of the best to play, you have to do that over a long period of time. Each game I go through the film. With Detroit, I knew before watching the film that there are some things that I need to clean up, be better at. I expect to play better, and I'm going to play better.
Q: Interested from your perspective, obviously, you see the outside linebackers a lot in practice and everything. What are your impressions on (defensive coordinator) Charlie Bullen and what does he maybe do unique that's kind of made him stand out, I guess?
THOMAS: We don't spend much time with the defensive coaches, but I would say just since he's been here, he's done a good job of talking to us about ball, just like how we approach different guys, our sets, our hands, timing, things like that. We ask him questions as well about rushers that we might be facing, what his opinion may be. I think he's done a good job with the outside linebacker group. Obviously, they're talented, but I've seen growth in those guys from the two years that he's been here. Excited for him to get the opportunity.
Q: You guys played a (Patriots head coach) Mike Vrabel defense to start the 2022 season. What are some of the characteristics of a Vrabel defense, and what are the things you have to be prepared for on Monday night?
THOMAS: I haven't watched a ton of film yet, but obviously, they're a great team, they have a great record. Up front, I know they're going to have a physical mentality, so we're just going to have to do our best to have that same mentality. I think the technique and the run game, fitting some things differently, our identification with the front. I think all that's going to matter.
Outside linebacker Brian Burns
Q: Obviously it's the first time we've talked to you since the game and since Shane (Bowen) was let go. How did you hear that news? What are your thoughts about that news?
BURNS: I heard about it, I was at the crib, I think (safety Jevón) Holland called me. Holland called me and told me.
Q: You told me about how you found out. What was your reaction? You mentioned it was a bummer, why was it a bummer and were you surprised by this at all?
BURNS: It was just a bummer because I like Shane and I worked with him this whole year being a leader, well and last year. But being a leader of the defense, we had to develop a certain relationship, so that's why it's a bummer. But like I just said, it's the nature of the business. Once you have that first fire, things start to kind of happen from there. I've seen it before, so it's not like a crazy shocker, but it's just tough sometimes having that relationship with somebody for so long and then they just leave, you know?
Q: You know Charlie Bullen pretty well. You're in his room, right? He's never called plays in the NFL before. What makes you think he can do it?
BURNS: Charlie's a smart coach. I feel like he's been around a lot, he has a lot of experience, he was under a great tree, and just talking ball with him every day, watching extensive film with him every day, I picked up on his football knowledge. So, I think it's a good – but I feel like on our defensive staff, we could have really went either way. All our coaches are experienced and are very smart, so I feel like we could have went either way, but they chose Charlie and I'm grateful for that because me and him have a very, very tight relationship.
Q: They could have gone a different way. There were guys on the staff who have been defensive coordinators before. Were you surprised one of them was not picked?
BURNS: No, I wasn't really surprised. Like I said, we could have went either way. I wouldn't have been mad with any of the choices, but I'm just a little bit more grateful because Charlie's been in my room for two years.
Q: If you could, you and Charlie have that very tight relationship, what is he like as a coach working with him and just kind of what has he brought out of you and that whole linebacker room?
BURNS: Really, I feel like he really brought out the best in all of us, so to speak. I feel like (outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux) Thibs is playing his best ball he's played since he's been here. I've been playing the best ball of my career from a rushing standpoint, from a dropping standpoint, really just understanding the entire defense. So, I really feel like he's getting the best out of us. But other than that, Charlie is a guy that he's going to shoot it straight to you. You're not really going to sugar coat much, and yeah, he's going to demand your best because he's going to give you his.
Q: You guys have looked at the tape now and again, obviously, the fourth quarter again just was another disappointment for you guys. How do you process what happens in these fourth quarters? Why do you think it just seems to be that you guys play well to the fourth and then just are not able to get that closing stop you guys want?
BURNS: Just the critical moments. It was one play here, one play there, and with a guy like (Lions running back Jahmyr) Gibbs, you can't give him much room because he has that home run speed that can really hurt you, which he showed us. So, you've got to be tight on all cylinders playing a guy that dynamic. That's where we failed in that aspect and those critical downs and that's what we have to be better at.
Q: I know you guys just started preparing for the Patriots, but what have you seen out of (Patriots quarterback) Drake Maye and what makes him such a tough quarterback to play against?
BURNS: He's talented, talented arm. I'm not really too sure yet about how quick he is to process everything, but I do feel like he makes the right plays at the right time. He does seem a bit poised, maybe a little bit too poised in the pocket, but just overall he's been showing his talent for sure.
Q: What do you mean about too poised? I think folks have said that about (quarterback) Jaxson Dart a little bit too. How do you sort of exploit that as a defender?
BURNS: Really just getting to him, getting in his blind spots, like his backside. I feel like at times he's so caught up in making the right play or getting so caught up in his routes downfield, he just forgets about somewhat of who's rushing him, if that makes sense. What I mean about poised, it could be a bad thing, could be a good thing. But what I mean by poised is that he takes his time and he makes the right reads, he tries to make the right play. It can also bite you in the butt at a certain amount of times if you've got edge rushers coming and you're not really too cognizant of where they are.
Q: You had talked earlier this year about the need for the players to kind of take ownership of the defense, what you guys are trying to do, being heard. Is this another opportunity now where - (interim head coach Mike) Kafka kind of talked about having a clean slate for Charlie to kind of get in there with the coaches and the players - do you feel like you guys can kind of take even more ownership of the defense right here down the stretch of the season?
BURNS: Yeah, I mean, man, look, we've got five left. Kind of like, I guess if you want to look at it as a clean slate, you can, but we've got five left, five guaranteed and that's all we're going to get. So, I mean, why not? This is the end of the season, all the goals that you wanted to hit that you had penciled out before the season, why not go out there and give it all you've got to get to it. If you want to look at it as a clean slate, you can. I mean, I've kind of been looking at the back half of the season as, I'm going to go all out regardless of our record or regardless of whatever we're eliminated, whatever. It doesn't really matter to me. What only matters when I'm between the white lines is the film that I put out there. So, that's kind of what I'm focused on and what I'm trying to reiterate to the guys.
Q: I guess I meant even more so than that, just schematically, are there things that you guys see in the film and say, you know what, why don't we try this? Why don't we change this? Not necessarily wiping out the season, but looking at the defense, maybe it's an opportunity for you guys to kind of change some things up that maybe previously, maybe somebody wouldn't speak up, or the coaches were kind of, look, it's the defensive coordinator who's been here all year. He might not change things, but now things are changing in front of you.
BURNS: I don't think the plays or the calls are going to change too dramatically, too drastically. I mean, honestly because we're in Week 13 now, but we're still early in the week, we haven't really gotten to the schematics of how we're going to attack the Patriots yet. I do see maybe some small things changing just because it's a new guy calling the plays and he has his own things that he's convicted by. So, I mean, you'll just have to wait to see.
Q: You mentioned this being the best season of your career to this point. I'm interested to know if there's anything about Charlie's process or anything he said that's really clicked for you that has contributed to that or maybe gotten you to that point.
BURNS: We've had many talks. The only thing I can think of off the top of my head right now is, he said, 'To do something you haven't done, you have to do something you haven't done.' So, I mean, that's essentially talking about my process. I really feel like he helped my process out a lot just from watching film to what I do with my body and just the intentionality that I put in everything that I'm trying to get towards, you know what I mean. We've had multiple talks about my play and where he sees it and he shoots it straight, so that's all I can ask from him and that's what I appreciate.
