Offensive Lineman Justin Pugh
October 19, 2017
Q: How badly do you want to win a home game before the bye week?
A: Yeah, obviously we want to win a game at home, give the fans something to cheer about, do some of the things that we did on the road back at Metlife. Give them a victory before we head into the bye week.
Q: How important is it for you to head into the bye week with some momentum?
A: It would be huge for us. Winning the last two games going into the bye, everyone starts getting their bodies feeling right and we come back and try to make a run. Try to do something. We want to take it one game at a time, but it really allows us to focus on this Seattle game because we know it’s just Seattle and then we have the bye so we can really lock in and make sure all of our focus and attention is on that.
Q: Does it help knowing you’re most likely going to have the same offensive line group for the second consecutive week?
A: Yeah, I mean you just keep building off of the things you did well and keep working with the guys and working on communication and making sure we’re all on the same page and just keep building off of that. I think that’s something we’ll be able to do this week and I’m looking forward to us getting the opportunity to go out there and compete against a really good defense in Seattle.
Q: At what point do you think defenses have to start respecting your run game?
A: Obviously, it probably makes them game plan and draw up some extra practice cards against some of the runs we’ve executed at a high level. But at the same time, every week the defense comes in trying to stop the run. That’s the first thing on their mind. Then, obviously, getting after the quarterback once you’re able to build a lead for their offense. So we have to keep playing to our identity and going out there and playing tough and just battling people. It’s not always going to be the prettiest, but it’s going to get the job done and that’s what we have to do.
Q: Has your identity changed?
A: You lose some players and some big players on offense, receivers. You have to find some new things that are going to be able to work for you. So it’s not just that we’re not going to be able to pass the ball. Obviously we’re still going to pass the ball. It’s finding different ways to go about getting our playmakers the ball that we have right now and when you lose one of the best players in the NFL and Brandon Marshall has been around for so long and Dwayne Harris has made huge plays for us, you have to find other guys to step up and it’s going to be exciting to see guys step up and excel in their roles.
Q: Did the win last week bring things back to normal and stabilize the team?
A: They were normal for us, they just weren’t normal for you guys. So there was nothing that we were worried about.
Q: What has Brett (Jones) done to ensure there wouldn’t be a drop off since Weston Richburg left?
A: Brett’s been huge for us. Brett Jones, ever since he got in here, has been a guy that we can count on to go play guard, center, guard and every time he has done that, he’s stepped up and played huge for us. Last year when I went down, he came in and played in the game. Unfortunately, he had an injury of his own that he sustained and kind of set him back. But we’ve always known Brett can go out there and play and he’s showing it.
Q: How do you duplicate the run performance you had last week?
A: Just keep being physical upfront, keep being physical and don’t give up on the run and just keep coming back to it because eventually those two-three yards in the first quarter, those four-yard runs, those pop into five, six, seven, then you break a run and then it really starts building. So that’s something that we’re looking forward to. It’s another challenge. They’re a great front. Like I said before, they’ve got a lot of good guys and they’ve been in the system for a while. So we got our work cut out for us.
