WR Marcus Easley
Wednesday November 7, 2012
Q: As you go into this week now, I don't know what your reps are going to be but what are you anticipating as you go forward…
A: I'm not really too sure as far as the game plan is concerned where I fit in at. I'm just going to do what they ask of me. If that's possibly going out and playing special teams or on offense, I am willing to do it.
Q; How has it been biding your time here, I mean eight weeks waiting?
A: It has definitely been a struggle but on the practice squad I tried to carry the mentality of 'you know I am here to still get better.' I'm still being evaluated and I just try to take advantage of that every day.
Q: I know you don't get the game plan reps during the week being on the practice squad, but how in tune do you feel with the game plans that you have been looking at every week.
A: I am still around, so I still need to know my assignments and know what's going on because there might be an opportunity for me which just so happened this week. So staying around and still being involved definitely helped me keep me get up to speed with things.
Q: How did you find out and what was your feeling. And I'm guessing you feel that it has been a long journey but one step closer.
A: A sigh of relief definitely. It has been a long road for me and I am just grateful for this opportunity and I'm ready to get going.
DT Kyle Williams
Wednesday November 7, 2012
Q: Do you think sometimes that when guys get the money right away that they have a hard time setting that standard for themselves?
A: Well I don't know. You know you look at the history of the drafts and everything like that and those guys are kind of put out in the forefront. This guy's got a lot of money… he didn't produce… he didn't play that type of deal but the draft is what it is. It has always been a crapshoot. Is this guy going to be a good player? Or not we don't know? He has the tools. Like I said, I think that question falls back on what I just said. It's all a standard for yourself and what do you want to be viewed as. If you are out here playing for money or so that everybody knows your name, you're probably not going to make it long. I was talking to Coach Wannstedt about it the other day and you guys will probably remember it, Russ Grimm's Hall of Fame speech. He said the greatest joy was talking a man from point A to point B against his will and if that is not what you are getting your kicks out of in playing this game, then you are not going to last long and you're probably not going to enjoy it.
Q: Taken what you just said in the last game it was better defensively, but yet at the end there was still a 100 rusher, there was still a 100 yard receiver and there still was 377 odd yards. How do you view that game? Do you just look that it was better or it is not good enough yet?
A: It's not good enough. I mean I don't know how you justify something is better when you lose. It is obviously not good enough when you lose. No matter how many yards you give up, no matter how you play as an individual, or as a defense or as an offense, it's never good enough when you lose. So that being said, yea fewer yards maybe whatever. But there are still plays here and there that are complete like this job should have been taken care of, we should have played that better and you're talking about wiping out a good bit of yardage. So those are things continue to harp on about doing your job and playing fast. Big test this week. Guys have to obviously have to be ready for this team and what they do offensively. And if you're not on your P's and Q's and if you're not playing fast they will take advantage of you.
Q: Knowing the caliber of their receiving weapons is there an easy answer to stopping their run game against your nickel personal?
A: No, you know I think we talked about it last time is what has made (Tom) Brady so good over the years is he is not a guy who forces anything. He'll just take what you give him. If you are in dime or nickel he will look to run the ball more. If you get in your base personnel he will try to get the receivers involved. I think it's everybody knowing their job, playing fast and saying, "Hey, you know what. They are going to make a play, but not letting one play turn into two and not letting two turn into three." It is easy to talk about that one play at a time but it really has to be a focus with these guys.
Q: You see Tom Brady twice a year, where does he rank in terms of the guys you have played against?
A: He is the best that I have played. I think that it is just on the command that he has on their offense. He knows what the defense you are in and what it might give up, what it might not give up and he puts them in a good position.
Q: How much was tackling, just sure tackling a part of that last game?
A: A lot we talked about it earlier. We gave up over 100 yards after contact last game on missed tackles and balancing off the tackles, whether it was run or pass. We obviously have to tackle better. That is how you get these guys out on third down. They are very efficient on getting it in third-and-four or less and that's how they are such a high ranked on third down. We have to better on first down and we have to tackle well.
LB Kelvin Sheppard
Wednesday November 7, 2012
Q: You guys coming in 3-5, how big of a game is this knowing you are playing New England and trying not falling to 3-6?
A: It is definitely huge from a divisional standpoint, and all around for us to get back on track and to get a level of confidence going against and just building off the good things we did last week.
Q: Knowing what happened defensively mostly in the second half against the Patriots the first time, does that add a little chip to your guys shoulder to know that you really have to shut these guys down now?
A: Definitely. If you look back at the first game, which we played these guys and that is really all we are focused on is the Patriots right now, last game that we played them we had a 14 point lead and that is obviously not enough going against a guy like Tom Brady. We spoke on that in a defensive meetings to keep the foot on the gas pedal, although no matter if we are up by 21 or 35 to keep the mindset that the game is still close.
Q: The way they ran against you guys how do you fix that?
A: That is definitely one of the main points that the Patriots picked up this season with one of my good friends, (New England RB) Stevan Ridley. They are very balanced now. It is not just the Tom Brady show, it's not just that they are going to line up five wide and throw the ball around. Now they do have the run dimension and they are averaging about 150 yards a game and that is definitely something that we are definitely going to have to handle.
Q: In terms of the momentum you mention keeping the foot on the gas pedal and you know there are peaks and valleys to every NFL game. Let's just say they are on a roll, how do you stop that momentum? You saw the second half in that last game I mean you couldn't slow their roll so to speak.
A: Just trying to get a hold of the tempo. Trying to control it, slow it down and don't get into panic mode out there. Say they get a big play against us and they rush to the line like they do on just about everyone, they go against and the next play is normally a big play. So trying to stop that and controlling the atmosphere of the game pretty much.
CB Leodis McKelvin
Wednesday November 7, 2012
Q: The situation with the injuries, you have to be the next man up. Tell me what your thought process is going into it.
A: I would say the process is like every other game: just go in there and do my job. Do what I have to do and what they ask me to do. Play ball and have fun.
Q: Do you feel after what happened earlier in the season, they pulled you out off defense and left you on special teams. Do you feel like you got something to go out there and prove?
A: Most definitely. Every time you go out on the field you have something to prove. You have something to prove to the guys that you are playing against. You have something to prove to the guys you are playing with and you have something to prove to the guys that give me the trust to go out there and perform. I just sit back and relax, and just go out there and have fun.
Q: You have never lacked confidence in yourself and you never got down on yourself it seems.
A: I mean, if you are not confident in yourself why should you play this game? You know I am very confident in myself and my ability to play. And no matter what it is, either special teams or defense, I would be able to play both for us. So that's what I hold up to myself. I am going to go out there and play ball.
Q: What would it take for you to lose confidence in yourself? Things haven't always gone well for you.
A: Lose confidence that is something a cornerback is supposed to have. Everybody is human. We are all human and things happen. People get passes caught on them and things like that but you can't let it bother you. You have to win the majority of your battles out there on the field then you lose.
