Press Pass: Doug Pederson

big V is is more significant. He's more week to week. UM, but obviously he won't he won't practice, Say everybody else, Terrence Brooks, UM, Zach and Malcolm, those guys that were injured in the game will Um, we'll play in Terrence obviously. Uh, we'll be out there for the first time. It's hard to say it is. Obviously it is week to week. UM. He's feeling better uh with uh with this um H

MCL sprain. But I'm not sure exactly. You know, I can't tell you exactly how long it's going to be, but I know it's it's it's definitely a week to week injury. He can't play on Sunday Monday, Are you okay with just having two running backs up? It'd be it'd be hard, it'd be hard. We'd have to see where obviously, where Ryan is at health wise at that time. Um and and hopefully if if if, if that's worst

case scenario. Um and, if Ryan could play, then he'd have to he'd have to be probably more of a backup, backup role there. Did you talk to Aga Laura about his comments post game and and what's your playing with him short term here? Yeah, Nelson and I have, we've talked. We've talked privately. I won't get into all the details there and then and then listen, he's got to get himself ready to play. You know, we got a game Monday night, and he's still a big part of the team.

So uh, you know, business as usual and and uh, we need to get ourselves ready to go. Williams got to play on. I mean, I haven't made I have not made a decision yet on I mean, we brought Paul Turner up that I just gotta wait and see by the end of the week how our numbers fall out. So if I can carry five, I carry five, If it's four. It's four. So we'll see, we'll see when we get to the game if hypothetically again, I can't answer that today. I gotta see how the week plays

out before I make that decision. Well, I just gotta see, No, I just gotta see from his standpoint, like, you know, how he handles now this week, this would be a big week for him, How how he handles it mentally, um, how he reacts with his teammate, how he reacts on on a practice field with the things that have sort of you know, uh fallen in his lap. So it's just it's just, um, just how well he responds, you know. And and h Kenny Kenny handle a little adversity uh

in his career. And I know exactly where he sits because I sat there a few years ago, you know, as a quarterback, So I know about ninety nine. That's a few years ago. Um, so I know what he I know what he's going through, and I know he's thinking. So I can relate to him. But you know, you're an undrafted guy. He's a first round pick. I mean, is the additional pressure being being picked that high? You know? I think a lot of the pressure is outside more

than internal. Quite honestly, Um, I think that's where the pressure stems. People put expectations on players, and I think some of it might be warranted, some of it's not. I think it's just a matter of you know, he's in a new scheme change, he's he's uh you know, he's learning some new techniques, learning some new plays, and and I think sometimes that's that's where a lot of the pressure is added. Is is external. Um, I still have confidence in him, and and uh, you know obviously, um,

you know, we'll see it. We'll see as the week goes, you find to talk reassuring in any way, be talking with him, Oh for sure, for sure. I mean he understands, he knows where he's at, and um, he knows where I stand. And uh, um again, just looking forward to to getting out there on the field this week and seeing where he's at. Um. Well, dgb's played obviously the most and and Tragus is getting a little more work each week, and uh, well, we'll continue to increase his

his workload. I think I think he's in a in a position to uh contribute more. Um, you know, his next his next you know, six games. I think Carson was a little late on a few post in the Seattle's willing to say, you think that's fair to say, b if so watch it was little Hey, it's fair. Um, you know there were there were some times where he was a little bit late or kept his eyes in a spot too long, and you know, could have gone other places with the Paul. I think too. It's just

the speed of the defense that he was. He was facing on turf, crowd noise, all that is is huge. It does affect you, um and and then and then just uh knowing game situation, understanding you know, down distance, uh play call designed everything and what you're seeing on defense uh um, and things that he continues to process. There, you see Turner more as announced side receiver or a slot receiver, Like how do you see I see him more as inside. Yeah. And then you know, obviously you

play Jordan a lot on the inside deside. Jordan's been inside. Jordan is also uh um, equipped to play outside as well, and and you know can move him around in some different spots there. Um, So both of them, you know, I do see, but I do see Paul more more of an inside receiver. Jordan can play both inside now running backs. You said, if Matthews and Sproles can't go, you have too. Would there be a chance, maybe a promoter saint Byron Marshall from the practice squad to make

a roster move in that regard. Yeah, I mean there's always that possibility, you know, like we did with Aaron Grimes, um, and now we've done it with Paul Turner. There's always there's always that possibility. That's why you know, these guys don't practice squad. They can never um, they can never arrest, you know, like they've made it because they're they're one injury, one play away from being activated and possibly playing games. So clarify, it sounds like Ryan has a better chance

to be ready to go Sunday than Darren. Is that No, No, Darren has a better chance of playing being being healthier than Ryan. Right now as we stand today at eleven h seven, it's Darren okay, just I mean, if he's okay just to do punts, maybe Darren's fine. I mean we're just holding him from practice today just just to keep the rib from you know, um getting sore on him and all that. And listen, he he doesn't need to practice. He's one of those guys. I mean, he can,

he'll be fine with a couple of days. Rest guys got banged up in this game more than more than any other game. Um, it was just a physicality that the Seahawks brought. Yeah, it's a little bit of that. It's also a little bit of where we are in the season. You know, tenth game and a lot of a lot of ball. These guys have played a lot of ball. And this is everybody. You're seeing it around the National Football League, I think with injury and you

know every team is faced with it each week. And uh, you know the challenge now is to um, from my standpoint, to be smart in practice, you know, rest guys like we're doing and uh, making sure that they're they're ready to go for obviously this Monday, but now you've got four of your last six at home at least to down the stretch, they'll have a chance to play off. Where's your message? But it was a good team. That's the message. That's the message. We we we we do

have the home games coming up. We've played extremely well. Three of them are division games. UM, teams that we you know, even in our division take out with the Washington game, we've played these teams well, uh, just didn't close the games out and then and then uh, you know, two on the road. So yeah, we're sitting. You know, when you look at it, we're like the eighth ninth team in the NFC. NFC right now that that has it has a shot. Um, it's still a one game mentality.

You know, we got to go win this game and this week and then we move on to the next one. But by no means are we out of anything. Still a good football team. Still gotta believe, still got to put in the hard work, um, and and I still believe good things are going to happen to this team. Point from not allowing him to get it out until

get well, a couple of things. One, keep working with our guys, the four or five guys, you know, the four guys that we've had up each week, five guys now with with Bryce coming into the into the picture, keep working with them. And uh now just um, you know, it's that time of year where and you know, teams are other teams are looking at your rosters because it

goes back to the injury question. Everybody's hurt, everybody's needing somebody and so you look at the practice squad around the National Football League and so is it a way to maybe protect a player that you like. Yeah, sure, bring him up, put him on your active roster. But it also gives us as coach, is a chance to um evaluate that person and evaluate that player in practice and see if he's ready to take the next step, which is to play in a regular season game as

opposed to wait a position. Well, Um, good question. Um, I think too. Everybody has seen and I get questions every day about the receivers and uh, whether it's lack of production or whatever. I'm answering questions every single day. And this is another opportunity to bring a guy up and see see if he can help us in that position. So it's a give and take relationship with the roster, and uh, we feel like it's still uh in our best interest to make to make this move and do

the things we've done. As I think DGB just needs to go play. He just needs to go play, you know. I mean again, don't listen to the outside noise. Just focus on your job. Do your job. Um, you get with Carson after practice and work on routes, detail some things. He's still a young player still learning our system. He's still learning how to run routes. We're teaching him every day. Um, And those are the things that any any young player, whether it's a second year or first year, third year player.

That's what these guys need to do in order to one to help the team win, but obviously to increase the longevity of their careers slightly. Batt where the band is a part of the problem that you mentioned before. What's happening with them in Green Bay. Yeah, it's hard to speculate obviously internally what's going on there, but injury does play a factor. Um, you know with teams that are struggling, especially at this time of the year. But listen,

Green Bay is still an explosive team. You know, Aaron Rodgers is still completing over sixty percent of his throws. He's having a he's having a good year. So you know they're they're doing some things right there too. Alan Barbur's gonna I've assuming he's moving out to right tackle. What's to say about to have a guy like that that can go from guard to tackle, left side to right side, that versatility to well when he's played tackle

before in his past, so he understands that position. And and we experimented with this in training camp for a couple of weeks, which was you know, in in in So it's great to have guys like that even when you're putting your roster together, um, you know, through training camp or OTAs all the way back to OTAs, you want to find those versatile offensive lineman guards and centers that can play those positions and guards that can play tackles or tackles that can play both sides of the ball.

And Alan's definitely one of those valuable players for us that can do both. Nelson's gonna play this this weekend. Um, we think about lessening his load and then maybe taking a little bit off his plate. I think that's a

that's a that's a real possibility. Um. You know my concern you know with Nelson too is and I mentioned to this the other day, is him as a person and where is he mentally as a person, And um, I don't want to expose him to anything that will hurt him there, you know, as an individual, as a as a as a human being, because I know, you know, I just know that that this is this is is also about life, and it's about him as a person

and it's not so much about football anymore. And I want to make sure that Nelson is right, um as as a as a as a person, as a human being, and so if it means lessening the load, then then all lessen the load and and try to take a little bit off of off of his plate. Nowadays for athletes to see a sports psychologist, do you guys have one? We have, Yeah, we have. We have a couple of guys that we uh that we use doctor Cristo and

and um, you know it's been around. I mean there's there's guys that we use and and um every team has them and and uh, I think I think it's good too, whether whether they're going through stuff or not, to to keep talking to and talking through some some issues. Um he has he has, Yeah, last couple of weeks. Sure, thanks, thank you,