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Thursday Transcript: Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo

Eric from BBI : Admin : 11/16/2017 5:36 pm
Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo

November 16, 2017

Q: What did you think of cornerback Janoris Jenkins’ effort last week against San Francisco?

A: Okay, Janoris and I talked, he obviously agreed he didn’t have his best game and he realizes that. We had a good talk, really good. He wants to do that, he’s ready to go, I love that guy. He’s all in, he gives everything he’s got. He missed a few tackles, it was more technique than anything, we thought when looking at it and I’m sure he’ll be better this week.

Q: Do you think Jenkins gave the effort last week?

A: Yeah. When you’re talking about a missed tackle, I mean, I think he was trying to make the tackle there. A guy stiff armed him, he didn’t do a good job knocking down the stiff arm. We always talk about, if you get your feet in front of your hips, you’ve got no balance, you can’t make that play. And the one that he missed on the edge, I thought that was part of it. I don’t know what other plays you might be talking about, but I’ve got no problem with – I’ve got a problem with missing tackles, but I don’t have a problem with his effort.

Q: Why sit down and talk with Jenkins if you didn’t have a problem with his effort?

A: You’re talking about the tackles and the plays and I’m talking about the overall, I think he can play better. And he believes he can play better, he knows he’s got to play better. We need him to play better. It’s the overall play when you look at it. He knows he needs to play better.

Q: After the past two games, do you still think that your defense is all in?

A: Yeah, I do. The three things I listed was I think we’ve got to be better at technique and we’ve got to have better eye discipline and then we’ve just got to get after it. That’s when you play good defensive football. To me, it’s that simple.

Q: Are you concerned about your linebackers with all of the injuries?

A: It’s been hard and it seems like every time we get one back, we lose one, and especially when it’s the person in the middle. We haven’t really had the continuity of having the one person in front of the huddle talking to the guys every down, or most of the downs. Really, when you think about it, it’s been B.J. [Goodson], it’s been Keenan [Robinson], it’s been Kelvin [Sheppard], it’s been Curtis [Grant], it’s been Calvin [Munson], all the K’s and C’s. But, that’s hard and it’s hard for our guys because it’s easier to have one voice that they listen to all the time. But, we’ve got to grind through it, there’s nothing we can do about injuries.

Q: Is it possible that the constant injuries at linebacker are why there have been miscommunication issues?

A: Little bit, yeah, little bit. It’s like anything else, when things are rolling and it’s the same people and you hear it the same way and guys are used to hearing that same voice, everything works. It all begins with communication. That does have something to do with it.

Q: How do you think Kelvin Sheppard played in his first game of the season last week and will he be healthy enough to play this week against Kansas City?

A: Really good. I don’t know yet on the Kansas City thing, [Head Athletic Trainer] Ronnie [Barnes] will let us know. But, our guys feel really comfortable with Kelvin. I mean, he’s a very smart football player, he steps right in. For not having played a lot of football, you run the risk that when you’re out there, pushing on people that haven’t done that in a while, of injury. Hopefully he’s going to be okay, but when he’s in front of the huddle, I bet you all the other guys will tell you, everybody feels real comfortable. He knows what he’s doing, he does it fast. He’s a confident football player, that’s what you need in the middle.

Q: What concerns you about the Kansas City offense?

A: [Laughs] Everything. They’re as multiple as multiple gets from an offensive standpoint. And they’ve got really good players doing it and they’ve had the same players doing it, which is an advantage for them. And the guy in the middle that gets the ball in his hands every down is really good. This is a challenge, a great challenge, great opportunity for us to come out. It’d be a great thing for us to do good against this offensive football team. I’ve always respected [Kansas City Head Coach] Andy [Reid] and what he’s done. It’s not the Philadelphia offense, there’s more wrinkles to it, there’s a lot more to it and they obviously do a really good job and [quarterback] Alex Smith is having a heck of a year.

Q: Do you have to make sure you help lift the defensive players’ confidence as much as you can?

A: I think that’s a part of any coach’s job. Confidence by working with them during the week, getting them in the right calls. I always try to have the perfect call, it doesn’t always work out that way. I always think when a play doesn’t work, it’s my fault, I didn’t call the right thing, I know that’s not always the case because the guys have to play. But, confidence will come when we get in a little bit of a groove, have things go real well and we can’t let one play deflate us. We talked about that this week and sometimes that happens and that’s where we as coaches have to get in there and say, ‘Look, forget about it, move on to the next play.’ I worked with a guy down in Philadelphia, a longtime D-line coach, Pete Jenkins, who always used to say, ‘Don’t let a good play or a bad play affect the next play.’ And when you do that and you’re thinking about the last play, it’s not good football. So, I agree with what you’re saying.

Q: Can you talk about the number of explosive plays given up the last two games?

A: Yeah, there’s been a couple of things there. The one long one was a number of people, there was coverage and pressure, we should’ve been to him way before he had time to launch the ball up. That’s what you do when you bring pressure, you want the quarterback to get it out quick. With the one at the end of the half, it was probably my fault, I probably should’ve put another substituted group in, taken it easy on ‘JC’ [linebacker Jonathan Casillas], those are the two that stick out the most. Run plays are all 11 guys and it’s make a tackle, set an edge, all those things. The very first play of the game, six plays later was played perfectly and was tackled for a loss, so it was really technique more than anything on that, we talked about that this week.

Q: After saying the loss to Los Angeles two weeks ago was embarrassing, how would you describe last week’s loss to San Francisco?

A: Yeah, they kind of add up. We’ve got a lot of pride. You can use the word, your pride is hurt, you can use embarrassed, you can use whatever you want. But I do know this and I say this every Wednesday: when we go in that meeting room and it’s time to get ready for another game, all that’s done. There’s nothing we can do about that. All we can do is about what we’ve got going forward and all we’ve got is one game in front of us and that’s what we’re going to focus on right now.

Q: Have you seen pride on the defense?

A: I have. I know that we have prideful guys. Do we get discouraged in the course of the game? A little bit, yeah. Do we get a little bit frustrated? Yeah, and that’s what we’ve got to filter out, I think, in the course of the game. And like I said, don’t let a bad play or a good play affect the next play. If we do that, I think we’ll play much better.
Good interview...  
Dan in the Springs : 11/16/2017 6:12 pm : link
really like how Spags handles the media.

A few things I thought were interesting.

Quote:
Q: Why sit down and talk with Jenkins if you didn’t have a problem with his effort?

A: You’re talking about the tackles and the plays and I’m talking about the overall, I think he can play better. And he believes he can play better, he knows he’s got to play better. We need him to play better. It’s the overall play when you look at it. He knows he needs to play better.


I like how he helps Jenkins shed the accusation of poor effort, while maintaining that the play needs to improve. I think Jackrabbit did a good job of explaining why it wasn't an effort problem, and this quote helps confirm that viewpoint.

Quote:
I always think when a play doesn’t work, it’s my fault, I didn’t call the right thing, I know that’s not always the case because the guys have to play.


I like how here he allows himself the right to be a little critical of the players while acknowledging his focus should first be on making the right plays.
RE: Good interview...  
RetroJint : 11/16/2017 10:06 pm : link
In comment 13694344 Dan in the Springs said:
Quote:
really like how Spags handles the media.

A few things I thought were interesting.



Quote:


Q: Why sit down and talk with Jenkins if you didn’t have a problem with his effort?

A: You’re talking about the tackles and the plays and I’m talking about the overall, I think he can play better. And he believes he can play better, he knows he’s got to play better. We need him to play better. It’s the overall play when you look at it. He knows he needs to play better.



I like how he helps Jenkins shed the accusation of poor effort, while maintaining that the play needs to improve. I think Jackrabbit did a good job of explaining why it wasn't an effort problem, and this quote helps confirm that viewpoint.



Quote:


I always think when a play doesn’t work, it’s my fault, I didn’t call the right thing, I know that’s not always the case because the guys have to play.



I like how here he allows himself the right to be a little critical of the players while acknowledging his focus should first be on making the right plays.


And leave it to the HC to play Bad Cop, so he can get a chance at an interim tag . Then maybe convince Mara that he should get the job full-time next season.

Reading a preview of the game: Giants have 13 sacks & 4 interceptions . They have allowed 20 TD passes . Their yards per passing attempt allowed is 7.93. Those are obscene numbers for a secondary that has been healthy the entire season. So somebody soft tosses him a lifeline about the injuries at LB and the corresponding impact on communications . To which we say, "Did you prepare for any of this ?" Who gets the green dot next ? This guy remains one of the all-time frauds in team history.
What the hell,  
Doomster : 11/16/2017 10:20 pm : link
if the coach can't see, how do you improve?

Spags has not called out anyone, because he is trying to stay under the radar and let Mac take the brunt of the criticism....

Instead of asking Spags about his players, how about asking him how are we getting beat deep down the middle the last two weeks with no safety to be found?

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