On people anticipating a game with 1,000 yards of offense but games not always going as expected: "Exactly, exactly. Part of our job as a coordinator is to play the chess game, so if you're anticipating that and you think they're going to plan that way, we want to be able to counterattack and do certain things that might be different than what they're expecting. But the way the numbers matchup I can see why people are speculating that way."
On if they go into the game feeling like they need to score on every possession: "As a coordinator, I don't worry about okay, what's the other side of the ball or what's special teams going to have to do. What can we do to move the ball, control the ball, how can we score points? More of my emphasis is, okay, what do they do on defense? What can we do offensively to attack that on defense? They've played recently with a lot of energy. They've made a lot of takeaways in the last five games. They've blitzed more so we have to account for that as we game plan going into this week."
On the defense: "It's quite a bit different with Steve Spagnuolo in his first year, you can see, as you watch chronologically the games this season, there's a learning process with their guys, much like what we're going through in our first year system. The schemes are quite different and their guys are still getting accustomed to some of the looks they're getting on offense to adjust their schemes to."
On how being behind in games changes the game plan: "Then the game dictates how you think; it does. As the game progresses, that will dictate and help how to get to the win. What's the best way to do it?"
On what Marcel Reece has meant to the offense: "Versatility comes to mind. He's done a tremendous job. Outside of just coming in and playing halfback this last week, and he'll do it again this week, his ability to pass protect, to run routes, it's a great chess piece for a coordinator to have. So we've been able to displace him and put him in one-on-one matchups with linebackers and safeties along with being able to put him in the backfield and protect and feel comfortable in doing so. His versatility has made a very great addition for our offense."
On how Reece did as a runner: "He did fine. He doesn't have, obviously, the explosion that Mike Goodson and Darren McFadden have, but as far as running the courses and tracks we ask for him, he did a fine job of that."
On conversation with Taiwan Jones: "We told him going into the game the two things we have to see improvement on is ball security as well as assignments. Assignments, not so much in the run game, but in pass protection and the route running. That's still a part of his game that he's still improving on and we have to keep in mind, he's still a young player. He's a second year guy and he's missed some reps because of injury. For that reason, we had to limit some of the reps he got in the game."
On what Jones has to do: "I have to see it in practice first consistently and I haven't seen it consistently in practice. That's what we look for is perfection in practice."
On if Jones is having problems holding onto the ball when he runs with it: "Sometimes it's the handoffs and sometimes it's been on contact."
On why they haven't brought in another running back: "That's not my area so much. What we have is what we're going to work with and I'm confident with the guys we have that we can still be very efficient in the run game."
On Jeremy Stewart: "I thought he did a fine job. There is a guy that we picked up late and in his assignments in practice he's done a fine job of knowing who to block in protection and running the right courses in the run game. He's a very decisive runner. He does make a decision and go with it and so he did a fine job for a first game out, a rookie."
On having Khalif Barnes back: "He's done good in practice, but I agree with you, for any player to be out that many weeks, you're going to have a little bit of rust. So it'll fall upon us, as we call the game, to make sure we give him some help at times. But we're excited to have him back because he does bring that experience, that calmness on the right-hand side, as far as pass protection goes and he does deliver a pretty good punch in the run game. It's a good situation for us to have him back."
On Mike Brisiel's game against Baltimore: "That one was too much for one game. One of the holding calls actually wasn't on him as much as it was the right tackle who missed his assignment and he was trying to help out. But the mistake in the red zone is inexcusable and the holding call we can't have; he knows it."
On Reece not having a lot of experience at halfback: "I think because he has in his career – high school and college he's carried the ball enough whether it's from the backfield or the open field -- he has shown us the ability to make somebody miss or make a cut when needed that I feel very comfortable with the ball in his hands whether he gets in the backfield or as we displace him in the passing game. So to answer your question, I think it's not as big an issue because he has touched the ball quite a bit in his career."
On if Justin Griffith has been able to help with Reece at halfback: "Not so much, it's been Kelly Skipper doing most of the work there. Justin talked to those guys in training camp quite a bit when we were starting in the zone scheme from his background when he was a fullback in the same scheme. But more recently, Justin has been helping with the O-line with Coach Pollack."
