Special Teams Coordinator Tom Quinn
November 27, 2015
Q: Hakeem [Nicks] on special teams.
A: He didn’t do a whole lot of that when he first was here, he had a couple kickoff returns and we’re trying to find roles for him right now as we go along. We’re trying to get him integrated in the offense and see what he can do. Obviously he can be a kick returner but [we’ll] see what else he can add to it.
Q: Sounds like you would prefer not to use him if possible?
A: No, we’d love to use him but it’s just kind of getting him integrated into the whole offense, and special teams at this point, seeing where he can fit in if he’s going to be out there, so trying to figure that out.
Q: Would working him into special teams determine if he’s active or not?
A: I don’t think so.
Q: Obviously they got a kickoff return for a touchdown on you guys, is that kind of an easy motivational thing for you?
A: I hope so. It should upset you if you’re a competitor and they did a good job blocking it, we didn’t do a good job covering it, and so I hope the guys are motivated by seeing that during the week.
Q: And they had a second guy run one back against the…
A: Yeah, [Andre] Roberts did, yeah. They’re talented and they have very good returners, and the coach does a good job with the blocking scheme. A lot of it is what Mike Westhoff did with the Jets for a number of years. He [Ben Kotwica] was his assistant so they’re well versed in what they’re doing.
Q: With a game like this, it might be a little moist and rain, do special teams have to embrace the fact that you can steal the crucial points, especially as you’re beginning this playoff push?
A: I think this time of the year, you’re always expecting some type of weather when you play in the northeast, probably lucky it’s raining and not snow. You have to be prepared for anything and we’re always aware of the field conditions down there, have to make sure of your footing.
