Offensive coordinator Tim Kelly

Q: Coach, how tough is it to have confidence in a guy like (wide receiver) Jalin Hyatt? Where he plays kind of like limited snaps, and in his snaps that he plays, he seems to have some communication issues with Jaxson. So as you as a coordinator, how hard is it to keep confidence in that young man?

KELLY: First of all, that role is a tough role for everybody in the league, that fourth, fifth wide receiver. Because a lot of times when you're going in, it's not, hey, you're the X, you're the Z, you're the F, you've got to be the guy who kind of knows everything, right? You have to be able to step in and execute whatever position we may need you in at that point in time. So, with that, the preparation in the meetings, the preparation throughout practice is really what helps build the trust and the confidence that we have. And obviously, it's been unfortunate that there's been some communication issues and he's kind of been right there in the center of them. But Jalin's coming in every day and he's out here working early with (quarterback) Russ (Wilson). He's doing a good job in the meetings trying to make sure that we're alleviating those issues and really trying to gain that trust.

Q: Coach, I'm not putting you on the spot, but as far as practice was, he must be doing what you want for him to get snaps on Sunday afternoon. Why does it seem like he's not bringing that over to Sunday afternoons?

KELLY: Yeah, I wish I had that answer. If I had that answer for you, I don't think we'd be having this conversation.

Q: You've been able to see how the tight ends have really kind of stepped up since (wide receiver) Malik (Nabers) got hurt. So I'm just curious, as you've seen this offense grow with (quarterback) Jaxson (Dart), how have the tight ends and really everyone just kind of picked up the slack with Malik out and been able to do it so well, you think?

KELLY: Yeah, it's really been a group effort. Obviously, (wide receiver) Wan'Dale (Robinson), (wide receiver Darius Slayton) Slay, (tight end) Theo (Johnson), (tight end Daniel Bellinger) Belly, the backs, everybody's had a piece of it. The quarterbacks have done a great job. Sometimes you take for granted when you've got a guy like Malik out there and you're just like, he's one-on-one, we can just go ahead and hammer the ball to him. So those guys have done a really good job of being able to go and buy into the scheme, understand the details of the scheme and the plays and what we're trying to get done, and really being able to go and work with one another. It's not necessarily just one guy going out there and winning. At times it is that, but at other times they're doing a good job of letting the scheme work for them. And really buying in, not only to what we're telling them, but to what the quarterbacks are telling them, and going and working for one another. For example, when you're playing a team that plays a bunch of zone coverage, right, it's not just a one on one route. I've got to hit my spots, I've got to run my route a certain way, knowing I may not get it. But understanding that because I'm running it a certain way, that's going to allow somebody else to come open in a different zone. So I think that's just a testament to the guys that we have, their unselfishness and their willingness to do whatever we ask them to do.

Q: What is it like preparing a rookie quarterback to face this defense?

KELLY: Yeah, I mean, it's like that when you have a veteran quarterback too. (Minnesota Vikings Defensive Coordinator) Coach (Brian) Flores does a great job, keeps it multiple, understands protections, stresses protections, stresses you on every single down and distance. It's not just, hey, we're okay on first and second down, and third down, here it comes. You have to be ready from jump. So just really, really continuing to teach the looks and teach what certain things look like, where your answers are and really stress to him, don't try and be perfect. If you do that against a defense like this, there's going to be some paralysis by analysis. So, understanding, yeah, we want you to get to certain answers. But there's going to be times where either there's something that we haven't seen, some game plan pressure, some game plan look. And you really got to do a good job of letting your rules eat, and trust your training, and understand where your issues are, because you're not going to be perfect. So when there's a situation that comes up that he may get you, what are you going to do to make sure that you're able to go ahead and survive the play?

Q: We ask so many questions about at this time of year for a team in your position, are guys going to give a full effort, etc., like that? What did (running back) Tyrone Tracy show you on his touchdown run, where he basically looked like he was stopped at the three-yard line and somehow still got in? And then on the touchdown catch, too, turning his body like that in terms of effort?

KELLY: I think those are two really good microcosms into the kind of the DNA of the guys in our room. Obviously, there was a great individual effort there with Trace on the touchdown run. The thing that I pointed out in the film study when we went back with it and looked over it was I think we had nine other guys on the frame of going and finishing and making sure that they were there to push him in the end zone if need be, it wasn't just a one-man show. Now, he made a great run, don't get me wrong, that's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is that I think that's just an example of the unit's want to get this thing flipped and want to get this thing turned around. You watch us practice, and you watch us in meetings, and you watch us do things, and the sense of urgency is still there, the attention to detail is still there. It's just a matter of us being able to go out there and do it for 60 full minutes and not waiting until halftime to go ahead and get this thing started. So, I think those two examples with Trace are a great kind of look into the DNA of the people in our room. And now what we have to do is we have to do it for 60 minutes consecutively on Sunday.

Q: You mentioned not waiting until the second half, what was so disjointed in the first half? It seemed the pass game was just kind of not in rhythm.

KELLY: It looked like we were starting to get in rhythm there at the end of the half, and then the interception happened. It was just, whether it was breakdowns, it wasn't just one particular thing, but yeah, we came in at halftime, made sure everybody understood that, again, this is how you've been trained, this is how you've been training. Let's do a good job of just, you don't have to do anything great, right? Play within the system, let the system work for you, and good stuff is going to happen, and we were able to go out there and produce at a higher clip in the second half. So just really going and reemphasizing that for us.

Q: You've coached for a long time. Did you see the Hard Knocks clip of (Washington Commanders head coach) Dan Quinn saying like, treat Jaxson like a running back or whatever?

KELLY: As surprising as it may be, I don't have a ton of time to watch TV right now, but I did hear about it, I did hear about it, yes.

Q: Does that surprise you? You've been in coaching rooms for years, does that surprise you? I think for the audience, it was surprising to hear the coach say like, yeah, we're going to go knock down the quarterback or whatever because quarterbacks are treated so carefully in a coaching room. Did that surprise you at all, or that's what you would expect?

KELLY: No, that's exactly what I expected. I'm sure (New England Patriots head coach Mike) coach Vrabel said the same thing in New England a couple weeks ago. When you're playing a player that has a playing style and ability that Jaxson has, that's going to be a pretty consistent theme. And he knows that, and I heard what he had said yesterday. I'm sure he's been hearing coaches talk about that for a long time. And yeah, it was not surprising, no, no.

Q: Flores is the number one blitzing coordinator in the league. Can you talk about the challenges Jaxson will see Sunday facing his defense?

KELLY: Yeah, there's going to be a multitude of looks coming from every possible front, every possible coverage, every possible situation. So again, when you play different coordinators and you play different defenses that may have a high-pressure clip, typically, you're not seeing a ton of max out pressure on first and ten or second and six. That's not necessarily the case. So, you have to be on high alert for it the entire game. And again, understand where are my issues? How am I able to fix this? And each and every play in the game plan. So that's where the challenge comes into play is making sure that we're good and we're sound. We have a sound plan heading into it to make sure that he has those issues from snap one, to whatever, snap 78, however many plays we have in the game because it's going to come on every single play.

Q: You use the word chaos when kind of describing Flores' scheme? How have you seen Jaxson handle chaos?

KELLY: He's a very unique individual. He doesn't get rattled, which is a good thing. And so the big thing is when that happens, when the picture changes, when it becomes crazy, when they start bringing everyone from everywhere, is really just not panicking. Because that's when bad things happen is when you start to panic, you start to hold on to the football, you take sacks, you take hits, you throw picks. So being able to prepare throughout the week and make sure that you understand where the issues are and what your answers are. And then being able to go out there and not only, yeah, coach told me this, but being able to go out there and see it is the sign of a good player. And I think we have that with Jaxson.

Defensive coordinator Charlie Bullen

Q: What did you think of (linebacker) Abdul's (Carter) performance on Sunday?

BULLEN: I thought it was a great performance. Those are the types of games and plays that I think he's capable of making. So, it was great to see, it kind of came together for him and he helped the team win in a big way and made some impactful plays and I was happy for him.

Q: Have you seen the work he was putting in last week, I guess the same kind of effort and timing coming in early, is he continuing that this week?

BULLEN: Yeah, yes, for sure. I think the production on the field was validation for the improvements and commitment he made to the process. So yeah, I mean, he's been foot on the gas. He's even brought a couple teammates with him this week too. So really proud of the way he's been working.

Q: Coming in earlier?

BULLEN: He has.

Q: Who's he brought in?

BULLEN: I'll keep that private.

Q: How much of the process improving, especially for a rookie like that, is you don't know what you don't know, right?

BULLEN: Yeah, that's definitely a big part of it. And like I said before, I mean, again, as coaches, we obviously think we have all the answers and we have the formula. But there's an element of it that the players have to experience it and feel that for themselves. And so as young players are navigating their careers and their rookie seasons, there is a lot of you don't know what you don't know. As time goes on, experiencing that and seeing those things come to life and those moments where, okay, maybe I do need to do this or that, I think that's a huge part of it. I think it's been apparent to him as he's moved forward. And again, I credit him to when he's had those learning moments, he's made the right choices and commitment to going more so into the process and leaning more into the process. So, I'm proud of him for that.

Q: (Safety Tyler) Nubin was a guy who played every snap last year and every snap when healthy the first couple games. Last couple games, he's played 64% and 68%. Is that wanting to see somebody else in those positions? Is he dealing with something? What would you say about drastically limiting Nubin's snaps?

BULLEN: I think there's been some tweaks injury wise in there that have prevented him from being available. And in those moments, other guys have played well. I think (safety) Dane (Belton) is playing well right now. So, I look at it like it's just more of how can we get our best 11 on the field? And I lived it in my room and still do when (outside linebacker) Kayvon (Thibodeaux) was healthy. I mean, how do you get three guys in advantageous positions on the field consistently? So, it can be a challenge at times. It's a good problem to have if you have a lot of good players and the pressure is on you as a coach to find ways to get them all on the field. That's a good problem to have. But I've liked what Nubin has done the last couple weeks as well as some of the other guys in the back end. And I'd say at this point, it's just striking a balance of how we can get all those guys on the field and impact the game.

Q: What happened with the (Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry) McLaurin play?

BULLEN: Day one fundamental breakdown.

Q: Dane?

BULLEN: The back end, the back end. Yeah, just they got us. Our technique wasn't where it needed to be and they got behind us.

Q: What do you see from (Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J.) McCarthy?

BULLEN: A very confident player and a very talented player.

Q: And then Justin Jefferson, obviously…

BULLEN: Man, no flaws. God dang. Just a tremendous player. And overall, their offense, the first words out of my mouth this week in the first unit meeting was we got some firepower coming to town. At every skill position, they've got elite players. And so it's going to be a tremendous challenge. Their record does not indicate the talent that they have on that offense at all.

Q: How much is this a different version of McCarthy than maybe earlier in the season?

BULLEN: I think he's just a young player who's progressing each week. There's some similarities in there, but then there's also some improvements and advancements. And they scored 30 points in their last two games, so I think they're finding a little balance there. I think he's getting better. And when you look at the quarterback position overall, they've had three guys in there. So, continuity, I think, has been part of them finding a rhythm, has been something that's held them back at times. But if you look at the last two games with him playing, they've done well. And I really believe that they're finding their balance and identifying what that is, as shown by the success on the field.

Q: As far as you, is the process slowing down for you a little bit. You were thrown into the fire, man. Now you're putting game plans together. How's it been for you personally?

BULLEN: It is slowing down. It is slowing down. The biggest thing is feeling the rhythm that happens on game day and how the game gets compartmentalized and having two opportunities to feel that I can kind of piece calls and situations together more efficiently in my mind. And then that can impact how we game plan. So, I'm more efficient working through it. I know what to look for earlier in the week and how that'll affect me on game day. So that's helped a lot, having two shots on goal, allowing it to fuel the game planning process, it's been a lot better.

Q: To follow up on that, I guess, how has that changed for you? What are you looking for earlier in the week in the process?

BULLEN: Knowing what concrete elements of the game plan I can commit to and get firmed up earlier in the week, not having to let it swirl and then finalize it late in the week when the sleep is definitely not being banked. There's a lot of variables at that time. So just earlier in the week, knowing what can be firmly in place and last all the way until game day.

Q: With the two turnovers you guys got in the fourth quarter, kind of how well the defense played outside of that big play you guys gave up to McLaurin. Can you guys build on that going forward for this week's game, just how well the defense played in the second half?

BULLEN: For sure, there's two things that I've been focused on with the players and challenged them on, that's run game and finishing. And that's two games in a row that we've finished well in the second half and had moments of finishing well. We had a stop at the end of the first half and really kind of two stops at the end of the second half. The one, on Dane's sack, we're down 15 points, still scrapping and fighting. That's what defenses should do. You fight and play defense no matter the situation. The nine point swing at the end of the half was tough. No one batted an eye. Came out and got them to punt on the first possession of the second half. So, we for sure can build off of that finishing momentum and have to.

Q: Who do you need to step up in the interior of the defensive line? You are kind of shuffling guys there, like (defensive lineman) Dex (Lawrence). Who else can you trust at this point?

BULLEN: Well, we got who we got and everybody's here for a reason. So, we have full faith in everybody that is here. It's just a matter of executing with technique. And going into looking at our run game defense the last two weeks, there has been improvement there. And I've leaned into that with the players and as a staff, our collective challenge to them in the last two weeks was starting with, anytime you need to solve a problem, it's going back to the basics, day one fundamentals. On the touchdown pass, it was a breakdown of something that's a day one concept. So, day one commitment to the technique. But the other element is just guys getting to the ball. And I think you saw Dex overlap and get to the ball the other day in the game. And it paid off and we had some production in the run game. So, we believe in all those guys inside. It's just those two things. And clearly where the numbers were and have been this season, the whole 11 hasn't been good enough. So, everybody has to get better. But on the interior specifically, like if you look at (defensive tackle) Roy (Robertson-Harris) last week, I talked about Dex. If you look at Roy, he was slugging it out in there. (Defensive lineman Darius Alexander) DA made improvement. DA had a tackle early in the game, struck the block, got extension, had his eyes in his gap, shed, and made the play. That's improvement. So, we have faith in all those guys. Just got to continue to shore up the areas that lead to increased production.

Special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial

GHOBRIAL: Address what happened last week. Obviously not up to standard from a special teams standpoint. I've got to coach better, we've got to play better, we've got to execute better. Taking advantage of every scoring opportunity we have from a field goal standpoint is critical. Obviously, you guys know the score differential in this league is very tight. So, whether it be a PAT or whether it be a field goal, it's critical that we go out there with the expectation to make it. Kicking in the Northeast isn't easy, alright, but playing in the National Football League isn't easy either. So, taking the opportunity and thriving in those situations is something we've got to do. Then in terms of coverage, we've got to be able to tackle better, and it's all 11. It's all 11 from the location to tackling on punt, that's a big thing for us, point of emphasis, I know our guys are young and hungry to be able to correct the things needed and I know our guys are excited for an opportunity against a really good opponent. With that, I'll take some questions.

Q: How much conversation was there between the coaching staff and (kicker Younghoe) Koo? Because it seemed like Koo was struggling in warmups in that direction and at the end of the third quarter, you could have managed the clock maybe a little differently and got him kicking in the other direction. So how much was there like, we don't want to kick in that direction versus hey, you kick whatever direction you're going?

GHOBRIAL: I mean, to be honest here, we have lots of discussions from a coaching standpoint. At the end of the day, you're not always given the opportunity to certainly kick one way based off of prior calls and time on the clock and all that. You do have a certain line going a certain direction when the weather is what it is. But ultimately, a veteran kicker, Koo, we had a lot of confidence in his ability to execute those kicks and that's something that I know he'd want back and we'd want back. But just got to be better there.

Q: (Kicker Ben) Sauls, what have you seen from him since he's been here?

GHOBRIAL: For a rookie and a guy that hasn't necessarily had a regular season game yet, he's wise beyond his years, so he approaches the game like a true pro. I think from his days back at Pitt, Coach (Pat) Narduzzi has done one great job with him. Then part of that is also being, you guys know, in Pitt sharing the same stadium. Being able to kick in an NFL stadium I think has also allowed him to grow up quicker. When he has obviously showed up here, he's worked his tail off. He's gotten operations with the specialists, so this won't be new to him. He's excited for the opportunity and we have ultimate confidence in him.

Q: He's a lefty?

GHOBRIAL: Yeah.

Q: So how does being a lefty change at least the hold process?

GHOBRIAL: Yeah, well, the holder's on the other side, for one. The rotation of the ball may look different. So sometimes when you're just looking at a righty, it's unique to just see the rotation look different. When Ben got here, I think one of the biggest things is, from a holding standpoint, we made certain that he got enough operation time just in terms of his transformation and him growing as a younger player, not knowing when his opportunity was going to be. So, just getting comfortable with the operation of the other side. Obviously to him, it looks normal. Just the fact of the matter is there's not as many lefty kickers in this league. So, getting the whole specialist crew comfortable with those situations has been there and I know the guys are ready to perform.

Q: You had the two punt returns the last two games. What was the biggest issue you saw and how does that get corrected?

GHOBRIAL: Yeah, part of it, again, it takes all 11, alright? From the snap to the kick location, those things got to tie into what we're doing from a formational standpoint. The second thing is we've got to be able to get off blocks out of the stack in terms of the interior. And then ultimately, when you get off blocks, it allows you to tackle more freely. When you're engaged with the person, being able to tackle a dangerous returner and be able to fight off a block late, sometimes you're getting pushed just right by towards the point of attack. So, certainly improvements needed in that facet and then in terms of gunner play, just getting in front of the returner primarily. Whether the kick location is outside the numbers, in the alley, in the middle of the field, the understanding that you have to stop the vertical of the returner and stay in front, I think is critical. So, like I said, it's all 11, including myself. I'm not exempt from that. Certainly something we brought a point of emphasis to the past couple weeks. We've got to continue to improve those things and again, our guys are hungry. They'll be ready to attack.

Q: When you have a line, how much is that based on what they do that day? How much do warmups factor in, or is it hey, he's made 50 yarders for years?

GHOBRIAL: A lot, a lot. The day of the game is critical. Although you're anticipating what type of weather you're facing, until you go out there and certainly feel what that is, that's going to affect the line. Whether the wind is at your back, whether the wind is at your face, whether you have a crosswind, that's certainly something that you've got to feel pregame. And sometimes 90 minutes before the game is going to be different right before the game, and that could change at halftime. So, it's fluid and then you start to deal with score differentials, so all those things start to factor. You do go into the game with a line and that's just more so off of ability in opportune conditions. But at the same time, you've got to be ready to adapt and obviously ongoing discussions throughout the game and feel is certainly something we mold throughout the game.

Q: How much does it feel like you haven't been able to get off this carousel of kickers for, I mean, if I went back, was it (kicker) Greg Joseph who was here last year?

GHOBRIAL: Yes.

Q: If I go back to that, (punter Jamie) Gillan, I think you've had five or six different people kick for you guys the last two years. Before you were here, they had more guys the year before. How much does that just need to stop and get some consistency?

GHOBRIAL: Well, at the end of the day, whoever we put out there, we're going to work our tail off with and have confidence in. From a special teams standpoint, whether it's that position or another position, injuries happen throughout football and that's something that's our job is to get the next person ready.

At the end of the day, we have had multiple kickers kick for us this year and it's an important position, a critical position to winning football games and something we certainly hold of utmost importance. So, like I said, next man up, we've got to get that guy ready and be ready to execute.

Q: Are you making a case for (wide receiver Xavier) Gipson or (wide receiver) Ihmir (Smith-Marsette) to get called up? Because when I see it - I'm talking about last week, obviously, and I guess if (wide receiver) Gunner (Olszewski) couldn't go this week - because when I see it, it's like the other team has returned two punt returns for touchdowns against you guys and according to (interim head coach Mike) Kafka, you're just telling (safety) Jevón Holland to fair catch it. That seems like a big difference. One team's trying to score touchdowns and one team's just trying to catch the ball.

GHOBRIAL: This is what I would say to that. When you're dealing with a roster on gameday and understanding that you don't have endless amount of players to be able to elevate, that also has something to do with it. Whether there be injuries at certain positions, ultimately you have to make decisions based off of what's best for the football team. Jevón Holland is a guy that goes back there every day in practice and catches it really well. Number one responsibility of a returner is to safely secure all possessions, and Jevón Holland has that. Jevón also has run skill. He's a special athlete, so he's going to be convicted when he gets opportunities to make the right decisions, number one, not force them. But obviously when the ball's in his hands, he's not afraid to be able to execute in that regard as well. When Jevón's out there, we still have confidence in him to be able to execute at a high level and be able to change a game. At the end of the day, like I said, whatever helps this football team, everybody on that active roster in terms of winning that football game, that's what we're here for. It's a team game. It takes everybody on the football field, takes everybody in the locker room, everybody.