Press Pass: Doug Pederson

has some tendonitis in his left knee. He's gonna be fine. Uh. Leo came out of the game actually exceptionally well. He's a little short today, but he's he's gonna be okay. And then Jason Peters right biceps strain. Nothing structure or structurally anything, no muscle tears anything like that, so he's just a strain. He'll be fine, he'll be good for for this week. So those are those are the injuries plan for replacing Ron Brooks at cornerback. Yeah, right now,

we're we're taking a look at that obviously. Uh we have c J. Smith there, Um that we've that we've activated, so um, we'll continue to to to look there. But uh, that's the that's the plan going forward. For Malcolm Jenkins who played in the slot when when Ron was down during the game, is that going to be his role

going forward? Yeah, Um, you know, I would think that it would be very similar to what we've seen, you know with uh, um, you know Jaylen on the outside and then and then and then Malcolm coming down inside and playing the nickel spot, and you know, Jaylen Watkins being back there a little bit, and um and with with the with with Leo being healthy now, um gives

you a little more depth. But um, we got to continue to look at getting getting c J some more reps, probably during the week, to have a full compliment of secondary secondary help, exploring trade options. That would be something for howie Aaron Grimes someone you're talking to Aaron Grimes. Um, yeah, you know right now, until until I hear anymore, I mean he's he was, you know, we had him in camp and uh and uh um you know he hasn't played ball, so you know it's you gotta see where

he's at. Jalen Watkins to serve guys and played the third same team, Jalen. Jalen came in and played played good, played well. Um, you know he he was in on a few plays, um around the quarterback a few times and you know, a couple of blitzes and and um, you know he's a guy that can that. Obviously, now he's going to have to increase his workload. But I think he uh, I think he stepped up and did it, did a nice job. You know, watching the tape this morning.

As much as you guys struggled the week before, when at the line of screwments on both sides of the ball, yesterday seemed like you guys won both of those battles or at least helped your own war. How do you account for one week did the next. You know, it's just, um, that's why this business works. You know. It's it's uh, the National Football League, it's it's it's sometimes it's a it's a struggle each week. It's the competition, the way

the game goes, how you're feeling that particular day. But both units really took it upon themselves to play better, and um, we saw that right away in the game and Um, it just carried over for four quarters and um, both units really um again, our our defensive line getting after the offensive line of Minnesota and putting pressure on Sam and being disruptive there. And then UM our offensive line, UM pass protecting and run blocking against in my opinion,

a great, great defensive front. So yeah, it's just, uh, every man, each unit did a nice job. What's your level of concern with Ryan Matthews fucking little? Well, it's definitely a concern, and we don't want to we don't want to see especially in those situations, four minute situations.

You know they're at the end of the game, and um, you know, we got to continue to either either um, you know, find out if he's if he's tired, if he's you know, where he's at at the end of the game, if we need to put Wyndell in there or put Darren in there. We'll find out more about that.

But by no means a mind down on on on Ryan at all, um, And we just have to make sure that he uh, he understands that he can't obviously do that and put put ourselves in a situation where you know, we're giving the ball back to the opponent. On the offensive line. Did you make scenario? Did not? Did not know. We actually went into this game, UM, very similar to the week before, you know, and um also under the mindset of potentially helping if we needed

to help with protection. But actually, um, as game went, we didn't. Um, we didn't do probably you know, as much as the week before the Grand Matthis fumbles, it looked like he's fighting for yardage. That in that situation that you could argue, you guys don't really need it. You need him to get down, you need him the same bound. Can you coach that or is that just inherent him the guy that it's an instinctive thing for a runner obviously to get to get as many yards

as you can. But in that situation, UM, you know, he was also fighting to get down. It was a four minute trying to protect the sideline, staying bounds all that, and then the secondary you know defender came in and punched the ball out and UM, you know, just got to be cognizant or that's what defenses are are instructed to do, and we have to hang out of the ball to be able to finish the game that way. Also, UM, you know Carson didn't take a lot of seven step drops. Um,

there weren't any deep throws. Um, there are a lot of screens, play action and make a boot set and stuff. I mean, are you curtailing the offense a little bit though, because perhaps you re aligne. You know, there is certainly a personnel change to some extent, I would agree, UM, but also utilize in our team strength and Carson's ability to to throw out of the pocket. And UM, he usually makes those throws. We had a couple to the left that we're a little a little, UM, a little

off the mark. But for the most part, I feel like moving Carson around and as much as much moving parts as we have in the offensive line, you know, with a lot of the zone stuff and backblocks and things like that. We just take advantage of UM an overactive defense sometimes. But you know, I don't I don't necessarily curtail it to to one particular player or you know, if a position or something like that. It's UM, it's just something that each week we take a look at

and see how we can best defeat our opponent. It's two games his numbers have dropped down I think around and fifty four percent completion rate and a touchdown. The three terms. There's what what are you saying out of the quarterback? What's what's he going through right now? Well, they's still winning football games, you know, and that's um,

that's obviously the ultimate stat Um. He missed some throws yesterday, and this is something that you know now as we get deeper into the season, he is he is a first time starter, he's a rookie, UM, and and just the longevity now of the season, and we got to make sure that I got to make sure that you know, we're we're keeping things UM very familiar for him where

he can just execute and play. UM. You know, there were again a couple opportunities to make catches and we didn't had a couple of drobs, so it would have helped in those situations. But you know, he continues to manage the game extremely well and puts our puts our team in good situations in the run game, uh, specifically, and UM, you know, in the passing game, we had some sense, you know, dialed up some quick game early

which are usually completion throws. Had a nice slant to Jordan early and Nelson made a nice, nice catch on a on a hitch route. So you know, we continue to do that. And and the other thing too is, you know, wanted to take advantage a little bit of um you know, Minnesota has an extensive third down blitz package and so we we were very cognizant of that going into this football game as well. Yeah, because he banged up a little bit, Carson's taking some hits. Uh no, no, yeah,

he's fine. You calibrate a little bit when the six or five quarterbacks handing off to a five six running back to not give him the ball up here on the pads and give him lower Yeah, it's all about, yeah, you gotta you gotta lower your eyes. You gotta lower

your target, you know. And and it it appeared the ball was actually slipping out of his hand on the fumble to Darren prior to the to the exchange, and something that Carson has to um, you know with with again with a one handed handoff like that, which which we all do as quarterbacks. I just got to make sure that we seed it properly and just know who the back is. And in Darren's case, he got to lower your target and your eyes and and I make

sure you get a clean, clean pocket what was the problem. Yeah, you know there were um, you know, a little bit, a little bit center, a little bit quarterback actually, Um, you know it's something as a quarterback again, he just took his eyes off the ball. I was looking at his read whether it was a defensive line or a linebacker and just didn't just didn't secure the football. Uh,

Kelsey wasn't perfect. The balls were off to the right just to touch and um, you know, so it was a little bit of a little bit of the center, a little bit more of the quarterback just taking his eyes off the ball of struggling a little Is Carson in a Is he trying to do too much? You think? Trying to No? And um, no, he's not, he's not. I mean he's some home games a lot. Uh the kill kill kill comes across when you're watching the TV and say, obviously you can't hear it when he's away.

Does he Is he able to do that yet at his level kill a play as easily as he can do it home because they can hear him, because he can use it. Yeah, And it's also there's a signal attached to it usually, you know, mechanical signal that the outside guys really don't need to hear the actual kill. The signal itself takes care of it. It's more for the inside, you know, the interior linement tight ends and running backs to hear that and see that. Like so

in the road you had more penalties at seeing in that. Well, they weren't due to that though. They weren't due to that, No, not at all. Frank Wright had said last week that those early hits, the pressure that he took Carson, that is against the Redskins, it would have been hard for any quarterback not to have that effect him. And he said maybe mechanically there were some issues. Did we see

that again yesterday? I know he can get his his much earlier, but someone no, you know, yeah, no, it's a matter of him just setting his target line a little bit better. Uh, just something he's got to work through. Practice each again, each That's why we practice and we work on these things because it's you think it would just be second nature, um for any player in the

National Football League. But if we're not continuing to work on the little things, the detail things and things that payoff in games, which setting the target line, especially throws to your left as a right handed quarterback setting your feet. Um, you know, we just got to keep working that stuff. And it's just where you set your lower your lower body, your feet on your on the on the your direct

line to the to the to the receiver. You know, it's it's putting your lower body in position to make the throw, being able to drive off your back hip, especially when it's a clean pocket. And sometimes when your feet are not on the target line. Um, you tend to throw high. You can tend to throw inside of a receiver, which which we saw a little bit yesterday. So we got to just continue to drill it and drill it down to where um, you get in the game and it's just, um, it does become second nature.

I'm not even a lost burning But yeah, Brandon, he's a He's a tremendous player, a great team leader. Um just uh, he kind of he vowed yesterday not to be not to be blocked, and he um, he wanted to sort of redeem himself from the week before. He felt like himself personally didn't have a good game against Washington and wanted to make sure that he came out yesterday and helped our team win it. An outstanding job obviously played like your best games. It's in times like Pittsburnon,

so that not so well, that's Washington and Detroit. Is that just part of like the inconsistencies with the yellow team. I think some of it has to do with that. Um, you know, I just think, uh, for whatever reason, you know, we we we obviously didn't have our best performance. Uh you know against Washington, execution was not there. Detroit, you know, we had the lead late in the game two minutes

to go and didn't finish the game offense to Lee. Um, So you know, we just have to It's it takes a full sixty minute game concentration, focus on your job, do your assignments, and and I come away with these winners. Learn how to finish at the end. Um. It's something that uh, you know, our guys we've got to learned

to do. As the season goes on. Do you think yeah, I mean, I know you're going to try to get out of that, but do you think right at this point of the season, being on the road affects your team in a non positive manner. I'd rather be on the road earlier in this season, honestly, um, and have more home games towards the end of the year, I think, and especially here with the weather starting to come in and all that, I think it just I think it just helps us, you know a little bit down down

the stretch. But we just gotta learn how to handle the road. I mean, it's, uh, it's a business trip. There can be there can be some distractions with family and friends that come to games and all for whatever reason. And you know, just coaches and players have to learn to, you know, say hey, this is we're here for a reason and um, you know, we're trying to trying to win a football game. I had a much cleaner game his second time around. What do you think led to that?

I just think learning from the week before, quite honestly, Um, he really again detailed his work during the week. He practiced extremely well, he used his hands better, he was able to calm kind of calm the storm, so to speak, and played a um you know, played a play, played a fine football game. Really really, uh was he played the type of game that we saw him and he's very capable of doing. And and now it's something that he can he can continue to build on. Need more

from your wide receivers. I don't know. I mean, I think we need more from everybody, quite honestly. Um, tight ends, running backs, wide receivers, quarterback, old line. I mean, we need, we need, we need everybody. And uh, um, you know, we had opportunities yesterday. There were there were some uh you know again kind of kept ourselves in some third and long situations. You know, even though there's eleven attempts we had, there were some you know, or half of

them were long yard situations there. And you know, we got to eliminate that with some penalties and early in the game the turnovers. But we all just need to we all need to step up. The one thing, the one thing I will say is this that it's a very unselfish group. This group is very unselfish. They don't they don't fight for the ball, they don't ask for the ball. You know, whenever the ball comes their way, they do the best they can to make the play.

And um, that's what we need, that's what we need to in order to win tough games like we did yesterday. You've been aggressive these first six games in terms of fourth down a two book conversion. Um. Yesterday, before you were a head coaching the NFL, did you find yourself during games thinking how you would approach those situations and thinking, oh, you know, I think I actually would have would have

tried yeah, I went. You know, you definitely put yourself in those situations when you you know, as a coordinator, a position coach, Um, you know, putting yourself in those spots. It's a lot easier when you're not making the decision obviously to go, oh yeah, I would have gone for it there or not gone for it there, and and now being in this position, it's you know, it's it's it's my tail on the line if we don't if

we don't cont you know, convert. But um, yeah, I've done that over over my career, put myself in those situations. Did you think you'd end up being when it actually came time to be the head coach? Did you think you would end up being as aggressive as you have been specistrictly on the numbers you're getting from upstairs. I think it's a both. I think it's both. I you know, my my my personality is probably not is a little more conservative by nature. I think, um, you'd probably agree

with that. But you know, I trust our guys, I trust uh, I trust the offensive line. I think it sends a great message, um, to the rest of the team, to our defense, to special teams that hey, you know, if we convert this and stay on the field, Um,

it sends a good message. And and then and then on the other side of that, if you do convert, the message you send to the other team and and the fact that you're going to stay aggressive and and um, um you know it's it's it's kind of a crazy deal when you're you know, not great on third down, but you can be five or five on fourth down and convert. It mean, it's it's a it's a weird deal. But um, it's credit to the guys, you know, for for the execution. Obviously, Uh you know, we dropped the

ball or bobbled the snap yesterday and still converted. So um, I'm gonna you know, I'm gonna continue to look at it. And I don't ever want to be in a position though I don't want to jeopardize the team at that time. But I didn't feel like, uh uh, looking at the five fourth down decisions this year put us in any any harm at that time with the running team. I think Ryan against the rounds and Windel against Pittsburgh, the only games a back has had more than twelve carries

in a game. Would you like to kind of establish do you feel like you're running the ball enough when you've gotta self scout? And do you think there's a benefit in getting a back an X number of carries to kind of get into a rhythm and or is that overrated? Yeah, you know, I probably lean more towards I don't want Carson to throw the ball thirty five times in a game or forty times in a game, So I probably manage that one a little bit more

than I do the run. I would lean more towards running the ball probably, you know, with the with the runners that we have, and I don't, um, I don't. I don't necessarily get into you know, Ryan's got to have X amount of touches or Darien's got to get X amount of touches. I think we just got by a by a committee and collectively they do they do a good job. And we've been around that you know, hundred yard mark each week, um, you know, so far,

and that's it's been. It's been efficient. You know, we weren't as efficient necessarily maybe running the ball yards per attempting all that yesterday, but it was still um against a good defense. Though we were still able to do some good things in the run game. So we're going to continue to do it. Um. There are certain runs for certain running backs that we that we put in the game, but overall it's going to be a sort of a running back by committee. Um design. Graham had

a you mentioned Graham's game. Barwin on the other side, also had a step up game and he said he really needed one. You know, he's at the point of his career where people started, you know, as he still got so that was a big, big game for him to Can you talk about just what you saw from

Connor Barwins? Yeah again, Um, great explosion off the explosion off the ball, Um, his ability to to to push the pocket and collapse the pocket back to the quarterback and Connor just like like Brandon, I mean, these are these are hustle effort guys all the way to the whis and that's what we saw yesterday. And I think you know, to the man, if you talk to him, they'd also they'd all agree that they needed to play better.

And Um, you know, Connor prides himself and being a leader of this football teams, as does Brandon and um as does Fletcher and all those guys up there. But um, yeah, I thought he played. He played extremely well and he's definitely an inspirational leader to that, you know, to that defensive line group. You were through receiver, sel What was the reason for one more time? It was more because you were Greg reser self. The reason, um felt like,

you know, was Celik. In the game we had we had a little more run pass kills based on some of the things that Minnesota had shown, you know, in the previous weeks, and so we wanted Selik in there if it was a protection deal, but we were also okay obviously with him being able to run routes things of that nature. So um plus it was it was

another thing too where he felt like keeping them. We played a little bit more on our three tight ends and heavier packages a little bit more in some certain situations too, um, because we were we were really coming off the ball as an offensive unit and getting some positive yards in the run game. But some of that design was based on some of the run kill pass checks that we had in the game. Four times the game is that because he's a rookie or is that

just draw offensive philosophy. It's a little both, it's a little both. And I also feel like at this at this um um, at this level, and can first of all, can he do that? Yeah, he could do that, And if we're gonna have to probably do that at some point this season and throw the ball, you know, to to win the game. And and I just feel like if we're not if we're not being real efficient on first and second down and uh meaning running the ball,

play action pass, moving the quarterback, moving his launch launch points. Um, you know, if we're not good at that and we're not being efficient there, then then you can expose your quarterback to two more hits than you need. And and right now, I'm trying to build and get, you know,

trying to build his confidence each and every week. And I thought our guys yesterday didn't outstanding job of no sacks against a team that had nineteen coming in, protected him, kept him clean, and it just gives him confidence now and gives our whole unit confidence moving forward and then coming away even with the four turnovers in the negative plays that we had, still having the ability to win that football game. Thanks guys,