WR Sterling Shepard
August 30, 2016
Q: Are you hoping to play on Thursday?
A: Yeah, I will be taking a few snaps from what I heard so far.
Q: Given that you are still getting acclimated, do you want as many reps as you can before the regular season?
A: Yeah, for sure. I mean I would like to, but ultimately that is the coaches’ call. so I can't do anything about it. I want to play as much as I can.
Q: How frustrating was last week? You guys looked like you were not getting the ball because Eli didn’t have a lot of time to throw.
A: It is preseason, so you don't want to show everything that you have. It is kind of hard to get frustrated about not getting any balls this early, so I don't think anyone was really frustrated about it.
Q: Despite the offensive struggles in the preseason, what are your reasons for why you are optimistic that this offense will work better during the regular season?
A: We have the personnel to do it. We have guys that are ready and hungry to play. I don't feel like what has happened in the preseason is going to affect us in the regular season at all.
Q: Is there something you would like to see from this offense against the Patriots on Thursday that you haven’t seen in the first three preseason games?
A: I feel like winning one-on-one coverage more often, I feel like that is what we need to do this week. They are a big man team, so beating one-on-one coverage is going to be a big thing for us this week and going on to the rest of the season as well. We are going to have to beat one-on-one and man coverage.
Q: You like that?
A: Yeah
Q: Has there been anything particularly eye-opening for you making the transition to the NFL? You played in a big time program, but what is different here?
A: The playbook. It is a lot more detailed then college, I would say. There is just a lot more material. That is pretty much the big thing.
Q: What did you learn from going up against Darrelle Revis? What was that like for you? What did you see when you looked at the tape?
A: He is just really smart. I mean, he knows the game, he knows little things that most corners probably wouldn’t know. He jumped one of my routes and he was like, ‘I am all over that’ but he just plays the game smart and strong, too. I tried to give him a stiff arm and it didn’t really work out, so I am going to try something else next time.
Q: Is it sort of like a lesson or like you know that this is kind of what to expect on a pretty regular basis now?
A: He is one of the best to do it, so I kind of put him in a different category, but you play this game and you learn from things and I am definitely learning from some of the things that have happened in that game.
Q: Did he literally tell you he was all over it when he jumped that route?
A: He said something; I don't really know what it was.
Q: How much do you learn from guys like Cruz and Beckham? How much have they helped the learning process for you?
A: They have helped me tremendously since I have walked in the building. They have just been helping me off the field with looking over film, different releases to use, everything. Those guys have had a lot of success in the league, so it is great having those guys on my side and helping me out.
Q: What about feedback from Eli?
A: Oh yeah, for sure. He is a great QB, he has been around for a while, so I definitely take it in and soak in everything that he tells me as well.
Q: So you are wrapping up your first summer, your first preseason here. When do you start thinking about Dallas? Do you feel like you are ready to make that transition?
A: Yeah, man, I am trying to take things one thing at a time. I am focused on the Patriots this week, but it is kind of hard not to think about Dallas and I have a lot of people coming to that game, my family. Other than that, on the field stuff as well, I have been sneaking in a little bit of film, been going over some stuff. It is exciting and I can't wait to get this thing going.
Q: Do you feel like you got everything you could out of this summer and are ready now to jump into the regular season?
A: Yeah, I feel like I have gotten comfortable with the playbook and that was the main thing that I wanted to do when I came in, coming back from rookie mini-camp. I wanted to be comfortable so I could play fast and I feel like I have accomplished that and now it is just fine-tuning some little things, but ultimately I feel like I am ready to go.
