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October 29, 2014
Redskins Park
Head Coach Jay Gruden
On the injury report:
“Limited was Ryan Clark, ankle/shoulder; Trent Williams, knee. Full participation was [Robert] Griffin, [Tracy] Porter, Perry Riley, [Ryan] Kerrigan, [Trent] Murphy and [Keenan] Robinson. All were full.”
On quarterback Robert Griffin III’s status:
“Yeah, it’s the same thing for him. Basically, he will get cleared when they see him participate in all the drills and moving forward and [is] able to make all the movements. Last week was more of introducing him. This week is more about getting him reps with the ones a little bit more and then seeing how he handles it. And then he will go to treatment right now and tomorrow morning we will see how he is feeling. Doctors will continue to monitor him through each drill, through each movement – see how he is doing and then I will have to decide whether or not he is ready from a mental, quarterback standpoint.”
On what he thinks will be best for the team:
“What do I think? Well, we will see. It is all going to depend on how he does in practice today – tomorrow and Friday – and moving forward how I feel like he is coming back. From a physical standpoint, he looks good. Now it’s a matter of mental and getting back into the football part of it, and if he looks good in that regard then there is a chance he could play and if not, if he needs another week, he will take another week.”
On what Griffin III can do to show that he is ready:
“It’s the whole process of playing quarterback. You know, it’s getting to the line of scrimmage, calling the plays, calling the runs the right way, dropping back, going through his progressions the right way. You know, he has taken five weeks off from having to do that in any live situation and now he has got to go through it in practice and let’s see where he is from a mental standpoint. If he remembers, if he has retained the information, if I feel like he has, then there is a chance. If I feel like he needs another week just to get his feet wet, might be the way to go too.”
On how he splits the reps:
“You know, just split them up.”
On if both Griffin III and Colt McCoy received first-team reps:
“Yeah.”
On if the change in quarterback changes the offensive players in the huddle:
“I hope not. Those guys are going to block and do what they’ve got to do and run routes the way they run routes no matter if I was playing quarterback. They wouldn’t run them as deep but they will play hard. That’s the big thing, I think the guys are going to play hard – they’ve already shown that they will play hard for Kirk [Cousins], they’ll play hard for Colt, they’ll play hard for Robert – so it shouldn’t have any impact whatsoever.”
On if he has to add first team reps to accommodate both quarterbacks:
“We added a couple, not too many just because the linemen have got to be in there, have got to take care of everybody else. Today was a unique day; we didn’t get as many reps because we just played on Monday night – such a quick turnaround. So, today was more of a – just we were in shorts and no shoulder pads, a glorified walkthrough so to speak. So the tempo wasn’t great upfront but the receivers were running full speed but we will have to get more reps tomorrow. We will have to split them up and make do with what we have.”
On if he would like the decision at quarterback made by Thursday:
“Yeah, I would like to have one soon, but this one is a little unique circumstance because I am not going to know for sure until I see Robert actually go through the process with our guys. So I want to make sure I really evaluate where he is and, like I said, I think from a physical standpoint, he might have been able to play last week, I don’t know. But we are really trying to make sure that A) he goes through these drills on these turf fields and there is no injury afterwards, make sure it is stable which we feel good about that. And then B) just make sure from a quarterback standpoint that he feels good about his reads, his progressions, his pickups, responsibilities, his run responsibilities. You know, it is a lot of information. You take five or six weeks off and you hope that he is in the meetings paying attention but we just want to make sure that he has retained everything and so far it looks pretty good.”
On linebacker Trent Murphy and tackle Tom Compton making their first career starts last week:
“Murphy did good. You know, he did really good against the run. We were a little concerned about that but he really stood up against the run and made his presence felt. Pass rush wise, he wasn’t as effective. He was going against a pretty darn good left tackle over there at Dallas but he still was a nuisance, but we expect more from him in the pass rush standpoint but we were impressed with him in the run and for his first game on Monday Night Football we thought he held his own and did a good job. Compton, same thing, there were some plays I know he wish he had back. He went the wrong way on a run and got beat one other time, but for the most part, for his first full game at right tackle, I thought he played pretty darn good. But like everybody else, we expect more from him but I was impressed with both of them.”
On how he is keeping his players motivated:
“That is not an issue, I hope. We are 3-5, they are 3-5. There is not just an NFL team that we have to even think about. It was a great win for us no question about it. But the true quality of a good team is how you respond after wins and losses and we are hoping that we can respond and continue to build off our success the last two weeks. We don’t have time to take any steps back. We have to continue moving forward. I think our players understand the situation that we are in. As good as you feel after a big win like that, you still look at the division race, we are still in last. So we still have a long way to go.”
On the performance of the inside linebackers against Dallas and if they had any impact plays:
“They did. You know, Keenan [Robinson] is still steady; he’s steady… We let [Cowboys running back] DeMarco [Murray] out there a couple times, but for the most part they played steady, consistent. And actually, Perry [Riley, Jr.] was the main reason the last drive of the game was stalled. They had second down and two and he broke up two passes back-to-back, got them to fourth-and-two and made [Cowboys quarterback] Tony [Romo] come off his first progression and scramble and that’s when [cornerback Bashaud] Breeland got the knockdown. So Perry was very, very instrumental in that victory also. Those guys are athletic as we all know and just the more reps they get and the more they play, the better they’re going to get.”
On Keenan Robinson’s progression and if he looks more fluid diagnosing plays:
“Yeah, he sure looks that way to me. I think you feel him when you’re on the field. You feel his speed. He’s starting to really bring the thump with them on the tackles also. His pass coverage, everything, he’s feeling a lot more confident. You can tell. Last week against Tennessee he had 14 tackles –Defensive Player of the Week. This week against a very good Dallas team, he held his own and did a good job. A guy like that with the athletic ability that he has, the more he sees, the more confident he gets with what he’s going to do, he’s going to be a dominant force because he’s got the great athletic tools. Now it’s just a matter of making him comfortable in the defense. Coach [Jim] Haslett and K.O. [Inside Linebackers Coach Kirk Olivadotti], they’re doing a great job with him teaching him what to do and how to do it.”
On promoting safety Akeem Davis from the practice squad instead of Phillip Thomas:
“Well, Davis makes an impact on special teams right away. He makes our special teams a lot better. He’s a gunner, he’s a flyer and he had a big play in the game again. He’s also in all the special teams – kick cover – and he’s one of our best performers. That’s the reason and the only reason. We’re going to try to get Phillip up here sooner than later. He’s making strides. You know, after he hurt his foot, he just wasn’t playing like the Phillip we know he can play like, so it’s important to get him in practice and he’s done a good job in practice and hopefully we’ll get him up, but Akeem’s played because of the special teams.”
On preparing for the game knowing Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer’s strengths from their time together in Cincinnati and what it’s like to compete against a friend:
“We competed every day in practice. It was not friendly, usually. Both of us are pretty good competitors and we all wanted to win the drill, definitely – in Cincinnati – so we had our share of arguments and tension but ultimately I have a ton of respect for him. As far as knowing what he’s going to do, what makes his defense so good is not many people know what he’s going to do because that’s why he’s successful. They’ve got a lot of different packages they can get to from a front-wise, from a blitz standpoint, from a coverage standpoint that really makes them very, very effective – very aggressive style. The corners or linebackers are very disruptive – knocking people off routes and they have a great pressure package. You watch the tape and he’s taking that defense who struggled a little bit last year into one of the top five or six defenses this year and a lot of it is because of his scheme.”
On if safety Brandon Meriweather’s performance against Dallas was his best with the team and if something 'just clicked’ for him:
“I don’t know. He just played his butt off, I know that. He was excellent. He was all over the place, so whatever clicked in, we’ve got to make sure it stays clicked in. He’s a good safety, man. He’s got good coverage skills, he can play man-to-man and he’s obviously a good tackler and he proved that in the game against Dallas. He’s just got to – from a consistency standpoint – put another game together back-to-back-to-back-to-back and continue to get better, but we’re very impressed with him and I haven’t had any doubts in Brandon personally. I’ve seen what he does out on the field. I’ve seen him communicate. He’s a leader of that defense – one of the leaders of the defense. He gets criticized a little bit here and there like all of us, but I think he’s a darn good safety.”
On if the Vikings are where Zimmer wants to be defensively as far as his preferences and tendencies:
“Yeah, I think they’re close. You know, he’s going to get what he wants. He’s that type of guy. He’s very demanding of his players. He demands greatness from his defense and, like I said, he’s close. They’re sixth in the league in defense I think – seventh maybe, I don’t even know – but they’re playing fast, they’re playing physical and they’re buying into his system. When you have guys that are flying around to the football and they have a good scheme – a good blitz scheme – that really keeps offenses questioning what they’re doing… You know, you want to send five guys out in the pattern? Well, if they bring all these guys, you’ve got no chance. Do you want to keep tight end in? If they play Cover 2, you’re losing an eligible guy. So they do a great job of keeping you off-balance and confusing offenses and quarterbacks –great quarterbacks. When I was in Cincinnati, I’ve seen some of the best quarterbacks come in there and walk out of there scratching their head, so he does a good job.”
On if Minnesota’s defense would be a tough one for a quarterback to face in his first game back:
“Yeah, it’s a hard defense for guys that have played for 10 years to face. I promise you that. It’s not just young quarterbacks that have had trouble against them. It’s veteran quarterbacks, too… Yeah, nice try [laughter].”
On if he is watching this team grow up before his eyes:
“Yeah, we hope so. Part of the growing process is, like I said, how you handle success along with adversity, and how we handle success will be very important. Playing a Monday night game and how we come off of a great high like that, playing at Minnesota is a great challenge for the young guys and hopefully they’ll be up to it. Very impressed with a lot of guys on this football team – coaches included – and we’ve just got to keep building on it and keep playing hard and the players have got to buy into what we’re doing at practice and carry it over into the games.”
On cornerback Bashaud Breeland and how quickly the coaches recognized the mental aspect of his game:
“Yeah, it took a little bit – a couple days here and there. He’s a smart kid – loves football. You know, that’s the one thing. You have a pretty good sense if a guy is going to get it or not by how much they really study the game and he’s here later than just about anybody watching tape. He really studies the game, wants to be great and it’s carrying over. You know, he’s going to get challenged more and more and I’m sure he’s going to have his share of ups and downs, but he’s a great competitor and he’s going to continue to flourish in the system if he works as hard as he’s done.”
On running back Alfred Morris’ production so far this season:
“Well, I think from an expectation level, I think we all expected him to have probably more yards, more touchdowns and that’s a combination of things – not getting as many looks, me not calling enough runs, maybe. Like I said, in the running game, there’s a lot of things that can go wrong. But he is where he is. He’s still a force. He had 73 yards against the Cowboys, did some good things in that game, had a touchdown and we’re going to stick with him, man. We like Alfred. From a statistical standpoint, we’re all a little surprised he’s probably down a little bit from where he’s been, but we still have eight games left and I still anticipate him having a very solid year.”
Minnesota Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer
On what it will be like to face Redskins Head Coach Jay Gruden as an opponent:
“You know, I like Jay an awful lot. We are friends; we worked together for two years. You know, really I don’t like playing against my friends.”
On what he doesn’t like about facing his friends:
“It’s nothing, it’s just the personal aspect. You know, you get a relationship with somebody and you know one of us is going to feel bad after the game and so you hate for the other guy to do that. I have a lot of respect for what Jay did in Cincinnati and what he is doing there in Washington.”
On how much the difference in personnel in Gruden’s offense in Washington will change what he was used to facing in practice in Cincinnati:
“He has got terrific personnel there in Washington. I think the tight ends are all good and obviously the receivers and running back. I’m sure that he would tell you that his personnel is very good as well. But he has gone up against me just as much as I went against him.”
On if his learning curve about being a head coach was similar to the one expressed by Gruden:
“Yeah, it really [is] the same as what happened to him, especially in the preseason. You start going back and talking to the defense, then all of a sudden you remember 'Oh man, I’ve got to listen to the offense and talk to them and be able to talk about points and field goals and all those other aspects of the game.’ So I know exactly what he was going through and honestly it still happens now with different situations because you really are trying to do a lot of different jobs and sometimes you feel like you’re thin. I know I do.”
On if he felt the need to shake things up after a slow start to the season:
“Well, I haven’t looked at it that way at all. Each week we are always trying to prepare to do the very best we can to win. And I have changed things up, but just because I want to change things up, not because of our record or anything else. We just want to win now and we don’t want to look toward the future, if that is the question you are asking.”
On the key to maintaining confidence while learning to be an NFL head coach:
“Well, I feel like I have always done a pretty good job at the job that I have had and so you are going to make mistakes, I think. I know I still make mistakes in different scenarios but I think the biggest thing is that just like when you are a coordinator, you learn from the mistakes that you have made and try to not do the same ones that you’ve had in the past. So it’s a learning process and I think every new head coach would tell you the same thing.”
On if he identifies himself as having come from a specific coaching tree:
“Well, I have been very fortunate to work for a lot of very good head coaches in the NFL with two Hall of Fame guys – Barry Switzer, who is in the Hall of Fame in college and Bill Parcells, Hall of Fame – and I would say that Parcells taught me the most about being a head coach. Marvin Lewis, I really like the way that he treated the players and how to take care of them and the way we went about working. So I would say those three guys the biggest.”
On what about Bill Parcells’ approach stays with him today:
“Well, he taught me so much. He came in every day – it seemed like every day – into my office and said 'When you are a head coach, remember this.’ And different things about talking to the team about getting them ready to begin the season, about when to push buttons, when not to push buttons, all of those different things. I think his personality or mine – we’ve said this before and I’m not sure it’s a good thing for either of us but our personalities seem to be fairly similar.”
On game planning for both Robert Griffin III and Colt McCoy:
“I think the running game will stay the same and obviously the passing game will get a few more of the – they’re similar but we will prepare for both of them. You know, we will probably get a few more zone reads out of Robert Griffin but they ran some with Colt McCoy last week. So we will just keep preparing and we try to do a lot of things that give us flexibility in our calls and our system so that we can adapt in those situations as well.”
On why the team has been blitzing more lately:
“I am getting to know the players a little bit better. I think we are getting better at doing what we are doing. I think our players have confidence in understanding the scheme much more than when we started out. I don’t go into a game saying that we want to blitz a certain amount, it is really a week-to-week kind of a thing and where we feel like we are at and based upon what our offense is doing as well.”
On the challenges Gruden presents:
“Well, Jay knows pretty knows everything that we do, he has seen this for two years. But you know we used to go against him every day. He does a tremendous job offensively and they have got very, very good talent. Their team is very well-coached, playing great on defense. Jay obviously does a great job. He has always done a great job with the quarterbacks, he has done a great job with the offense, I think the receivers love playing for him and has got a good running game.”
On the development of quarterback Teddy Bridgewater:
“Well, I think Teddy has been improving each and every week. A lot of teams are giving him a bunch a different looks, as I am sure the Redskins will as well. But he has got great composure, he has been great in the two-minute drill – end of the game, end of the half situations. I think we are getting better at down situations for him. And we have had a lot of adjustments throughout this course of the season with losing our tight end, losing our running back, losing our guard and the quarterback, so it has been a work in progress the entire time. But I feel like we are starting to move in the correct direction now.”
On what he has done to put his stamp on the Vikings’ program:
“When I first got here after hiring the staff, we changed the weight room, the way that we lift weights. We’ve changed – we’ve got a new meeting room where they didn’t have a team meeting room when I got here before so I got that because I wanted it to be more of an educational situation. We’ve changed all the food and the diet that we have had. Really we have changed just about everything – the practice schedule, the way we do it, different ways in the walkthroughs. We’ve changed a lot and it wasn’t based on anything that they had done in the past, it was just things that I wanted to do.”
On where he picked up the ideas for those changes:
“It was pretty much things – guys that I have worked with before – a lot of Parcells and the way that we did it and so we are doing it the way I used when I [unintelligible]… basically because of our strength coach and trainer felt like we need to eat better and the meeting room was my idea.”
On defending wide receiver DeSean Jackson:
“Well, DeSean is an extremely explosive receiver. He runs great, he runs great routes, he catches the ball good, he is big play waiting to happen every time he touches the ball. So we will have to pay special attention to him. He always has been – every time we’ve played him he has always been a guy that you have had to account for. So we will make sure that we kind of know where he is for the most part and then we will go from there.”
On if any story about Gruden that sticks out in his mind:
“No, you know, I think one of the things I told him when he first got there – I had been there probably four years and when he first got there I went into his office and said, 'Hey, just do this the way you want to do it. It’s your baby and the players will do what you want them to do.’ And I think he did that there and obviously he is doing that in Washington as well.”
Minnesota Vikings Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater
On his biggest challenge since entering the NFL:
“The most challenging thing I would say is thinking less. Especially being a young guy, you tend to overthink things. You always want to be right. I just have to continue to trust my preparation, trust what I’ve been taught and trust my teammates.”
On working with first-year head coach Mike Zimmer:
“He’s a great coach. For it to be his first year, it doesn’t feel like it. He’s a very tough coach. He’s on both sides of the ball; well, even in special teams, the kicking game he’s very involved in. He wants us to just continue to play smart football, be a tough team and just win football games.”
On if he felt he grew up on the game-tying drive against Tampa Bay last week:
“Throughout the course of the drive, I just found myself just playing fast and not thinking so much – getting communication across the board, getting the ball snapped and just handling the pressure well. We have a good group of guys who respond to pressure very well as you saw on that last drive.”
On the importance of a young quarterback showing his teammates he can deliver in that situation:
“It was very important. The guys will look at you to see how you perform under pressure and everything. So, for a young guy I think it’s very important to perform well over the course of the game and when those situations present themselves. I’m pretty sure the guys do the same.”
On the Redskins’ defense:
“Like you said, we saw Monday night that they have a good defense. They do some different things up front, and I know it’s going to be a challenge for us. We don’t really face many 3-4 defenses. I’m pretty sure other guys on the team have some experience playing against teams with those fronts. Those guys played Dallas very tough, and we know it’s going to be a challenge for us.”
On playing against Redskins Head Coach Jay Gruden, a former Louisville quarterback:
“Oh, Coach Gruden. It’s going to be pretty cool. I haven’t met him yet, so it’s going to be cool to talk some ball with him. I’m pretty sure we’ll discuss the results of this Florida State-Louisville game Thursday night.”
Redskins Park
Head Coach Jay Gruden
On the injury report:
“Limited was Ryan Clark, ankle/shoulder; Trent Williams, knee. Full participation was [Robert] Griffin, [Tracy] Porter, Perry Riley, [Ryan] Kerrigan, [Trent] Murphy and [Keenan] Robinson. All were full.”
On quarterback Robert Griffin III’s status:
“Yeah, it’s the same thing for him. Basically, he will get cleared when they see him participate in all the drills and moving forward and [is] able to make all the movements. Last week was more of introducing him. This week is more about getting him reps with the ones a little bit more and then seeing how he handles it. And then he will go to treatment right now and tomorrow morning we will see how he is feeling. Doctors will continue to monitor him through each drill, through each movement – see how he is doing and then I will have to decide whether or not he is ready from a mental, quarterback standpoint.”
On what he thinks will be best for the team:
“What do I think? Well, we will see. It is all going to depend on how he does in practice today – tomorrow and Friday – and moving forward how I feel like he is coming back. From a physical standpoint, he looks good. Now it’s a matter of mental and getting back into the football part of it, and if he looks good in that regard then there is a chance he could play and if not, if he needs another week, he will take another week.”
On what Griffin III can do to show that he is ready:
“It’s the whole process of playing quarterback. You know, it’s getting to the line of scrimmage, calling the plays, calling the runs the right way, dropping back, going through his progressions the right way. You know, he has taken five weeks off from having to do that in any live situation and now he has got to go through it in practice and let’s see where he is from a mental standpoint. If he remembers, if he has retained the information, if I feel like he has, then there is a chance. If I feel like he needs another week just to get his feet wet, might be the way to go too.”
On how he splits the reps:
“You know, just split them up.”
On if both Griffin III and Colt McCoy received first-team reps:
“Yeah.”
On if the change in quarterback changes the offensive players in the huddle:
“I hope not. Those guys are going to block and do what they’ve got to do and run routes the way they run routes no matter if I was playing quarterback. They wouldn’t run them as deep but they will play hard. That’s the big thing, I think the guys are going to play hard – they’ve already shown that they will play hard for Kirk [Cousins], they’ll play hard for Colt, they’ll play hard for Robert – so it shouldn’t have any impact whatsoever.”
On if he has to add first team reps to accommodate both quarterbacks:
“We added a couple, not too many just because the linemen have got to be in there, have got to take care of everybody else. Today was a unique day; we didn’t get as many reps because we just played on Monday night – such a quick turnaround. So, today was more of a – just we were in shorts and no shoulder pads, a glorified walkthrough so to speak. So the tempo wasn’t great upfront but the receivers were running full speed but we will have to get more reps tomorrow. We will have to split them up and make do with what we have.”
On if he would like the decision at quarterback made by Thursday:
“Yeah, I would like to have one soon, but this one is a little unique circumstance because I am not going to know for sure until I see Robert actually go through the process with our guys. So I want to make sure I really evaluate where he is and, like I said, I think from a physical standpoint, he might have been able to play last week, I don’t know. But we are really trying to make sure that A) he goes through these drills on these turf fields and there is no injury afterwards, make sure it is stable which we feel good about that. And then B) just make sure from a quarterback standpoint that he feels good about his reads, his progressions, his pickups, responsibilities, his run responsibilities. You know, it is a lot of information. You take five or six weeks off and you hope that he is in the meetings paying attention but we just want to make sure that he has retained everything and so far it looks pretty good.”
On linebacker Trent Murphy and tackle Tom Compton making their first career starts last week:
“Murphy did good. You know, he did really good against the run. We were a little concerned about that but he really stood up against the run and made his presence felt. Pass rush wise, he wasn’t as effective. He was going against a pretty darn good left tackle over there at Dallas but he still was a nuisance, but we expect more from him in the pass rush standpoint but we were impressed with him in the run and for his first game on Monday Night Football we thought he held his own and did a good job. Compton, same thing, there were some plays I know he wish he had back. He went the wrong way on a run and got beat one other time, but for the most part, for his first full game at right tackle, I thought he played pretty darn good. But like everybody else, we expect more from him but I was impressed with both of them.”
On how he is keeping his players motivated:
“That is not an issue, I hope. We are 3-5, they are 3-5. There is not just an NFL team that we have to even think about. It was a great win for us no question about it. But the true quality of a good team is how you respond after wins and losses and we are hoping that we can respond and continue to build off our success the last two weeks. We don’t have time to take any steps back. We have to continue moving forward. I think our players understand the situation that we are in. As good as you feel after a big win like that, you still look at the division race, we are still in last. So we still have a long way to go.”
On the performance of the inside linebackers against Dallas and if they had any impact plays:
“They did. You know, Keenan [Robinson] is still steady; he’s steady… We let [Cowboys running back] DeMarco [Murray] out there a couple times, but for the most part they played steady, consistent. And actually, Perry [Riley, Jr.] was the main reason the last drive of the game was stalled. They had second down and two and he broke up two passes back-to-back, got them to fourth-and-two and made [Cowboys quarterback] Tony [Romo] come off his first progression and scramble and that’s when [cornerback Bashaud] Breeland got the knockdown. So Perry was very, very instrumental in that victory also. Those guys are athletic as we all know and just the more reps they get and the more they play, the better they’re going to get.”
On Keenan Robinson’s progression and if he looks more fluid diagnosing plays:
“Yeah, he sure looks that way to me. I think you feel him when you’re on the field. You feel his speed. He’s starting to really bring the thump with them on the tackles also. His pass coverage, everything, he’s feeling a lot more confident. You can tell. Last week against Tennessee he had 14 tackles –Defensive Player of the Week. This week against a very good Dallas team, he held his own and did a good job. A guy like that with the athletic ability that he has, the more he sees, the more confident he gets with what he’s going to do, he’s going to be a dominant force because he’s got the great athletic tools. Now it’s just a matter of making him comfortable in the defense. Coach [Jim] Haslett and K.O. [Inside Linebackers Coach Kirk Olivadotti], they’re doing a great job with him teaching him what to do and how to do it.”
On promoting safety Akeem Davis from the practice squad instead of Phillip Thomas:
“Well, Davis makes an impact on special teams right away. He makes our special teams a lot better. He’s a gunner, he’s a flyer and he had a big play in the game again. He’s also in all the special teams – kick cover – and he’s one of our best performers. That’s the reason and the only reason. We’re going to try to get Phillip up here sooner than later. He’s making strides. You know, after he hurt his foot, he just wasn’t playing like the Phillip we know he can play like, so it’s important to get him in practice and he’s done a good job in practice and hopefully we’ll get him up, but Akeem’s played because of the special teams.”
On preparing for the game knowing Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer’s strengths from their time together in Cincinnati and what it’s like to compete against a friend:
“We competed every day in practice. It was not friendly, usually. Both of us are pretty good competitors and we all wanted to win the drill, definitely – in Cincinnati – so we had our share of arguments and tension but ultimately I have a ton of respect for him. As far as knowing what he’s going to do, what makes his defense so good is not many people know what he’s going to do because that’s why he’s successful. They’ve got a lot of different packages they can get to from a front-wise, from a blitz standpoint, from a coverage standpoint that really makes them very, very effective – very aggressive style. The corners or linebackers are very disruptive – knocking people off routes and they have a great pressure package. You watch the tape and he’s taking that defense who struggled a little bit last year into one of the top five or six defenses this year and a lot of it is because of his scheme.”
On if safety Brandon Meriweather’s performance against Dallas was his best with the team and if something 'just clicked’ for him:
“I don’t know. He just played his butt off, I know that. He was excellent. He was all over the place, so whatever clicked in, we’ve got to make sure it stays clicked in. He’s a good safety, man. He’s got good coverage skills, he can play man-to-man and he’s obviously a good tackler and he proved that in the game against Dallas. He’s just got to – from a consistency standpoint – put another game together back-to-back-to-back-to-back and continue to get better, but we’re very impressed with him and I haven’t had any doubts in Brandon personally. I’ve seen what he does out on the field. I’ve seen him communicate. He’s a leader of that defense – one of the leaders of the defense. He gets criticized a little bit here and there like all of us, but I think he’s a darn good safety.”
On if the Vikings are where Zimmer wants to be defensively as far as his preferences and tendencies:
“Yeah, I think they’re close. You know, he’s going to get what he wants. He’s that type of guy. He’s very demanding of his players. He demands greatness from his defense and, like I said, he’s close. They’re sixth in the league in defense I think – seventh maybe, I don’t even know – but they’re playing fast, they’re playing physical and they’re buying into his system. When you have guys that are flying around to the football and they have a good scheme – a good blitz scheme – that really keeps offenses questioning what they’re doing… You know, you want to send five guys out in the pattern? Well, if they bring all these guys, you’ve got no chance. Do you want to keep tight end in? If they play Cover 2, you’re losing an eligible guy. So they do a great job of keeping you off-balance and confusing offenses and quarterbacks –great quarterbacks. When I was in Cincinnati, I’ve seen some of the best quarterbacks come in there and walk out of there scratching their head, so he does a good job.”
On if Minnesota’s defense would be a tough one for a quarterback to face in his first game back:
“Yeah, it’s a hard defense for guys that have played for 10 years to face. I promise you that. It’s not just young quarterbacks that have had trouble against them. It’s veteran quarterbacks, too… Yeah, nice try [laughter].”
On if he is watching this team grow up before his eyes:
“Yeah, we hope so. Part of the growing process is, like I said, how you handle success along with adversity, and how we handle success will be very important. Playing a Monday night game and how we come off of a great high like that, playing at Minnesota is a great challenge for the young guys and hopefully they’ll be up to it. Very impressed with a lot of guys on this football team – coaches included – and we’ve just got to keep building on it and keep playing hard and the players have got to buy into what we’re doing at practice and carry it over into the games.”
On cornerback Bashaud Breeland and how quickly the coaches recognized the mental aspect of his game:
“Yeah, it took a little bit – a couple days here and there. He’s a smart kid – loves football. You know, that’s the one thing. You have a pretty good sense if a guy is going to get it or not by how much they really study the game and he’s here later than just about anybody watching tape. He really studies the game, wants to be great and it’s carrying over. You know, he’s going to get challenged more and more and I’m sure he’s going to have his share of ups and downs, but he’s a great competitor and he’s going to continue to flourish in the system if he works as hard as he’s done.”
On running back Alfred Morris’ production so far this season:
“Well, I think from an expectation level, I think we all expected him to have probably more yards, more touchdowns and that’s a combination of things – not getting as many looks, me not calling enough runs, maybe. Like I said, in the running game, there’s a lot of things that can go wrong. But he is where he is. He’s still a force. He had 73 yards against the Cowboys, did some good things in that game, had a touchdown and we’re going to stick with him, man. We like Alfred. From a statistical standpoint, we’re all a little surprised he’s probably down a little bit from where he’s been, but we still have eight games left and I still anticipate him having a very solid year.”
Minnesota Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer
On what it will be like to face Redskins Head Coach Jay Gruden as an opponent:
“You know, I like Jay an awful lot. We are friends; we worked together for two years. You know, really I don’t like playing against my friends.”
On what he doesn’t like about facing his friends:
“It’s nothing, it’s just the personal aspect. You know, you get a relationship with somebody and you know one of us is going to feel bad after the game and so you hate for the other guy to do that. I have a lot of respect for what Jay did in Cincinnati and what he is doing there in Washington.”
On how much the difference in personnel in Gruden’s offense in Washington will change what he was used to facing in practice in Cincinnati:
“He has got terrific personnel there in Washington. I think the tight ends are all good and obviously the receivers and running back. I’m sure that he would tell you that his personnel is very good as well. But he has gone up against me just as much as I went against him.”
On if his learning curve about being a head coach was similar to the one expressed by Gruden:
“Yeah, it really [is] the same as what happened to him, especially in the preseason. You start going back and talking to the defense, then all of a sudden you remember 'Oh man, I’ve got to listen to the offense and talk to them and be able to talk about points and field goals and all those other aspects of the game.’ So I know exactly what he was going through and honestly it still happens now with different situations because you really are trying to do a lot of different jobs and sometimes you feel like you’re thin. I know I do.”
On if he felt the need to shake things up after a slow start to the season:
“Well, I haven’t looked at it that way at all. Each week we are always trying to prepare to do the very best we can to win. And I have changed things up, but just because I want to change things up, not because of our record or anything else. We just want to win now and we don’t want to look toward the future, if that is the question you are asking.”
On the key to maintaining confidence while learning to be an NFL head coach:
“Well, I feel like I have always done a pretty good job at the job that I have had and so you are going to make mistakes, I think. I know I still make mistakes in different scenarios but I think the biggest thing is that just like when you are a coordinator, you learn from the mistakes that you have made and try to not do the same ones that you’ve had in the past. So it’s a learning process and I think every new head coach would tell you the same thing.”
On if he identifies himself as having come from a specific coaching tree:
“Well, I have been very fortunate to work for a lot of very good head coaches in the NFL with two Hall of Fame guys – Barry Switzer, who is in the Hall of Fame in college and Bill Parcells, Hall of Fame – and I would say that Parcells taught me the most about being a head coach. Marvin Lewis, I really like the way that he treated the players and how to take care of them and the way we went about working. So I would say those three guys the biggest.”
On what about Bill Parcells’ approach stays with him today:
“Well, he taught me so much. He came in every day – it seemed like every day – into my office and said 'When you are a head coach, remember this.’ And different things about talking to the team about getting them ready to begin the season, about when to push buttons, when not to push buttons, all of those different things. I think his personality or mine – we’ve said this before and I’m not sure it’s a good thing for either of us but our personalities seem to be fairly similar.”
On game planning for both Robert Griffin III and Colt McCoy:
“I think the running game will stay the same and obviously the passing game will get a few more of the – they’re similar but we will prepare for both of them. You know, we will probably get a few more zone reads out of Robert Griffin but they ran some with Colt McCoy last week. So we will just keep preparing and we try to do a lot of things that give us flexibility in our calls and our system so that we can adapt in those situations as well.”
On why the team has been blitzing more lately:
“I am getting to know the players a little bit better. I think we are getting better at doing what we are doing. I think our players have confidence in understanding the scheme much more than when we started out. I don’t go into a game saying that we want to blitz a certain amount, it is really a week-to-week kind of a thing and where we feel like we are at and based upon what our offense is doing as well.”
On the challenges Gruden presents:
“Well, Jay knows pretty knows everything that we do, he has seen this for two years. But you know we used to go against him every day. He does a tremendous job offensively and they have got very, very good talent. Their team is very well-coached, playing great on defense. Jay obviously does a great job. He has always done a great job with the quarterbacks, he has done a great job with the offense, I think the receivers love playing for him and has got a good running game.”
On the development of quarterback Teddy Bridgewater:
“Well, I think Teddy has been improving each and every week. A lot of teams are giving him a bunch a different looks, as I am sure the Redskins will as well. But he has got great composure, he has been great in the two-minute drill – end of the game, end of the half situations. I think we are getting better at down situations for him. And we have had a lot of adjustments throughout this course of the season with losing our tight end, losing our running back, losing our guard and the quarterback, so it has been a work in progress the entire time. But I feel like we are starting to move in the correct direction now.”
On what he has done to put his stamp on the Vikings’ program:
“When I first got here after hiring the staff, we changed the weight room, the way that we lift weights. We’ve changed – we’ve got a new meeting room where they didn’t have a team meeting room when I got here before so I got that because I wanted it to be more of an educational situation. We’ve changed all the food and the diet that we have had. Really we have changed just about everything – the practice schedule, the way we do it, different ways in the walkthroughs. We’ve changed a lot and it wasn’t based on anything that they had done in the past, it was just things that I wanted to do.”
On where he picked up the ideas for those changes:
“It was pretty much things – guys that I have worked with before – a lot of Parcells and the way that we did it and so we are doing it the way I used when I [unintelligible]… basically because of our strength coach and trainer felt like we need to eat better and the meeting room was my idea.”
On defending wide receiver DeSean Jackson:
“Well, DeSean is an extremely explosive receiver. He runs great, he runs great routes, he catches the ball good, he is big play waiting to happen every time he touches the ball. So we will have to pay special attention to him. He always has been – every time we’ve played him he has always been a guy that you have had to account for. So we will make sure that we kind of know where he is for the most part and then we will go from there.”
On if any story about Gruden that sticks out in his mind:
“No, you know, I think one of the things I told him when he first got there – I had been there probably four years and when he first got there I went into his office and said, 'Hey, just do this the way you want to do it. It’s your baby and the players will do what you want them to do.’ And I think he did that there and obviously he is doing that in Washington as well.”
Minnesota Vikings Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater
On his biggest challenge since entering the NFL:
“The most challenging thing I would say is thinking less. Especially being a young guy, you tend to overthink things. You always want to be right. I just have to continue to trust my preparation, trust what I’ve been taught and trust my teammates.”
On working with first-year head coach Mike Zimmer:
“He’s a great coach. For it to be his first year, it doesn’t feel like it. He’s a very tough coach. He’s on both sides of the ball; well, even in special teams, the kicking game he’s very involved in. He wants us to just continue to play smart football, be a tough team and just win football games.”
On if he felt he grew up on the game-tying drive against Tampa Bay last week:
“Throughout the course of the drive, I just found myself just playing fast and not thinking so much – getting communication across the board, getting the ball snapped and just handling the pressure well. We have a good group of guys who respond to pressure very well as you saw on that last drive.”
On the importance of a young quarterback showing his teammates he can deliver in that situation:
“It was very important. The guys will look at you to see how you perform under pressure and everything. So, for a young guy I think it’s very important to perform well over the course of the game and when those situations present themselves. I’m pretty sure the guys do the same.”
On the Redskins’ defense:
“Like you said, we saw Monday night that they have a good defense. They do some different things up front, and I know it’s going to be a challenge for us. We don’t really face many 3-4 defenses. I’m pretty sure other guys on the team have some experience playing against teams with those fronts. Those guys played Dallas very tough, and we know it’s going to be a challenge for us.”
On playing against Redskins Head Coach Jay Gruden, a former Louisville quarterback:
“Oh, Coach Gruden. It’s going to be pretty cool. I haven’t met him yet, so it’s going to be cool to talk some ball with him. I’m pretty sure we’ll discuss the results of this Florida State-Louisville game Thursday night.”