Linebackers Coach Bill McGovern
September 14, 2018
Q: How impressed have you been with Lorenzo Carter’s development?
A: He’s working at it, he really is. He’s taken everything that we’ve asked him to do and he’s trying to execute it. He’s getting better. There’s things obviously he has to improve on, he’s young, he’s still growing, he’s still learning, but he’s working at it and we’re excited about his approach to the game.
Q: What did you think of your group in the opener?
A: Like all the groups there are things we did well, there are things that need improvement on and we need to get better at. That’s what we’ve been trying to do this week. As a whole the guys played with excitement, the guys were trying to execute what we did. There are things that we did wrong, but we’re trying to get them right now.
Q: What do you think Ray-Ray Armstrong does better than B.J. Goodson?
A: They all have their certain talents and strengths and weaknesses, but in particular the strengths, obviously Ray’s movement in coverage is really good. He’s been solid in that sense. He’s been a guy that has been able to help us in coverage a little bit, so we’re trying to use him and take advantage of his skillset.
Q: How did it go with Alec Ogletree sort of being the quarterback of the defense with the headset and everything?
A: No issues. I think his leadership ability has come through. You have seen it even with him being elected team captain, I think you get to see what the guys think about him and how he kind of leads by example out on the field.
Q: It seems like Connor Barwin played a little bit of outside, a little bit of hand on the ground against Jacksonville. Was that something because of his skillset you used him that way, or do you prefer all your outside linebackers be able to do that?
A: I think that has to go a little bit more to with (DC James Bettcher) scheme and how he wants it, but we’ve always said this - the more you can do, the more valuable you become. It was one of those things that Connor moved around, all those things – Kareem (Martin) moved around, Lorenzo moved around, a bunch of the guys we moved around, just trying to put them in different positions and let them execute.
Q: One of the packages, I think you had maybe five or six LBS on the field, no down linemen. Is that just something that to confuse the offense a little bit?
A: We’re trying to take advantage of all the guys’ strengths and trying to get them on the field in certain situations when it’s advantageous. If we can get them in there, it’s one of those situations where I’m guessing it’s probably more of a passing situation that you’re seeing those guys on the field, but we’re just trying to take advantage of their skillsets.
Q: When (Landon Collins) moves up where he’s actually in the box a little bit, is he almost playing a linebacker there and how much do the other linebackers have to be aware of him?
A: Everybody’s got an assignment and everybody’s got a responsibility, and Landon being up there is just the call that goes along with the defense. It’s one of those that he’s not doing it on his own or anything like that, it may part of the disguise may be a part of the defense, but as you see all of our guys are moving pieces and move around a bunch.
Q: The Jaguars a couple times ran receivers out of the backfield past your ends, past the outside linebackers. When an offense does that to you are they forcing your outside linebackers to make a decision there? Are they forcing them to drop?
A: They’re not forcing them to do anything, it’s got to be based on our call. If our guy’s supposed to drop, he’s supposed to drop. If he’s supposed to rush, he should rush. It’s one of those things where I have to see the play to tell you what they were trying to get done based on our call, that’s what their responsibly is.
Q: Just seemed like they hit a couple of those - one to a tight end, a touchdown to TJ Yeldon passed Landon, but (Ogletree) was there.
A: Again, that’s a defensive call. We had those plays in the game and we’re trying to correct and get right, and we’re moving on now with the Cowboys.
Q: How comfortable are you with your linebackers in coverage against a running back because obviously they faced Saquon all training camp and they’re going to face Ezekiel Elliott on Sunday?
A: As you know, this is the NFL. There’s good players on every team, there’s good running backs. So, every week, were going to be working our tail off trying to make sure we can cover any assignment Bettcher puts us in.
Q: How much did you have to adjust without having Olivier Vernon?
A: Right now, Bettcher is trying to take advantage of the guys we have available to us. The guys out there we thought tried to execute what we wanted they tried to play with energy and excitement, so we’ve got to, like I mentioned, try to correct some things because we didn’t win the game and we’ve got to get back at it again today.
