CB Eli Apple
October 4, 2017
Q: What does the defense need to do to play better?
A: Just come together and get on the same page and communicate better.
Q: What has been missing with the defense?
A: Just the communication could be a lot better. The execution [could be better]. And understanding how offenses are going to attack us because they saw the way we played defense last year and I think they’re trying to scheme us and we’ve just got to adjust better.
Q: What has been your reaction to the criticism the defense has taken the last couple of weeks?
A: I mean, that comes with the territory. That’s why I love this game because that’s how it is, the outside world, they go crazy. But we know ourselves and we know how we’ve got to fix things, it’s just about executing it.
Q: How important is it for the team to stay together right now and has that been a message?
A: Yeah, it’s been a message. But we just know how good we are and that’s why so many people are so mad. We’re just underachieving kind of. So, we know that and we just want to get it fixed.
Q: Do you see tentativeness on the defense?
A: A little bit. I think we’re kind of thinking too much a little bit out there on the field, instead of just going out and playing like we did last year. And we’ve just got to try to just get the communication down, that’s the main thing. If we don’t get that down, we’re not able to move fast out there.
Q: Is it surprising that communication has been such an issue?
A: Yeah, it’s very surprising. It is, it’s very surprising. But we’ve really been going hard in practice and we’ve been trying our best to fix it. But it’s going to come together hopefully.
Q: Have you noticed that teams are going after you early in games?
A: It’s not a matter of teams just coming at me early. And if that is the case, I welcome it, to be honest. But, it happens, you know? Anytime you’re lined up against great receivers, like [Tampa Bay wide receiver] Mike Evans, he’s going to get the best of you sometimes and it happens. I just wish I was able to stay on him more in the game, they kind of took me off of him and put me on [Tampa Bay wide receiver] DeSean Jackson. But, this is a learning curve, it’s a learning lesson and that’s how I take everything.
Q: Would you rather follow one receiver in a game?
A: Not follow him, but after that touchdown, they kind of just took me off of [Evans], you know what I mean? I just wish I had another crack at him because I feel like I’m a good enough corner to cover anybody, to be honest.
Q: Did you have a discussion with the coaches about wanting to stay with Evans?
A: No, it’s just flow of the game, you know?
Q: How do you look back at Evans’ touchdown against you last week?
A: You’ve just got to know the situation. Being left out on an island, you’ve just got to understand that you’ve got to know the tendencies of somebody like Mike Evans. The likelihood of him running a slant in that situation is slim, so you should expect him to do a fade. That’s on me, awareness-wise. And then at the point of attack, you should know that he likes to push off, so I was thinking about just trying to stay off and split the difference between where the ball was and the goal line, but I just decided to press and I should’ve just sat back and gone on top and then look back. But with him, anytime you’re on his hip, he’s going to push off. So, it’s just a learning thing. Just take it one game at a time and learn from each game, try to get better.
Q: Are you still confident, even after you give up a big play?
A: Yeah, because I know anytime something does happen, I take the approach that I didn’t really give it up, kind of. It was just something that I did, that I made a mistake. It wasn’t, the dude was just better than me. I never think that on the football field. I always think like, ‘Dang, if I would’ve done this differently, I would’ve made the play.’ So, anytime I line up on the football field, I have 100 percent confidence, no matter what.
Q: How do you eliminate those mistakes?
A: Once again, learn a lesson. So, you watch the film and you correct it and you just try not to make the same mistake twice. And if it does happen again, you just continue to learn from it, continue to rep it in practice. It’s going to take time sometimes, but you’ve just got to continue to stay at it and keep grinding.
Q: What do you see as the biggest challenge with going up against Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers?
A: Just his receivers, Keenan Allen is really good, possession-wise, underneath on the slant routes. He probably has the best slant route out there, the way he sets up corners. And you have Travis Benjamin, who also is very fast in the slot. He can take the top off any defense. And then they have a couple other guys as well who you can’t sleep on. So, they have receivers all across and their tight end is really good. So, it’s another challenge and we’re definitely looking forward to it.
Q: Did you play in the slot more than usual last weekend against Tampa Bay?
A: I don’t believe so. No.
Q: Is it helpful to be able to assume that teams will try to attack your side more because you have a shutdown corner like Janoris Jenkins on the other side?
A: No, I never think about that at all. I just go out there, play my game, try to make the plays that come my way.
Q: Do you think that teams are attacking you early in games?
A: I mean, their approach is their approach. I know I’m playing my game anytime I’m out on the field.
