TE Evan Engram
October 18, 2018
Q: Missed question.
A: It’s a great opportunity. It’s a great opportunity for myself. I’m looking to come back, looking to play this week and great opportunity for our team, Monday night primetime. Going back home against a good Atlanta Falcons team, it’s exciting. Gives us a lot of motivation to work this week and it’s just a great opportunity for this whole locker room.
Q: Were you frustrated in watching and not being able to help and you saw a lot of things go wrong with this team?
A: Definitely. It was just frustrating not to be out there to begin with, but seeing some of the struggles and seeing some of the things I know we could be better at, it was tough and it was tough not to be apart of it and just try to be just a helping hand or that piece to fix some of those mistakes or to make catches in the end zone or just make big plays in general, so it was definitely frustrating, but the whole team has grown from it. I’ve grown in my time off and I’m looking forward to getting back out there and try my best to help.
Q: Anything you can’t do in your mind this week or you feel like you’re 100 percent?
A: I feel good, I feel really good. There’s no limitations. They’re letting me loose at practice. I’m pushing through and I’m getting my confidence back in it and everything’s good right now, so definitely.
Q: Is this offense, in your mind, capable of competing with this Atlanta offense and playing in a shootout game?
A: Definitely. We showed flashes of it this year. We just got to put it all together and we know that their offense is really explosive. They’re a little injured on defense, so we can find some holes in there, but we’re just worried about us. We’re worried about executing on ourselves and scoring ourselves and whatever the scoreboard says at the end of the game, we’ll live with it.
Q: What would a win do, especially 1-5, a road win. What would that do for this team right now?
A: It would do a lot for us. That’s the goal going in it, to win each game. We’re 1-5, that’s what we are, but a win will be a testament of what this team could be and what we’re supposed to be and definitely just keep allowing us to give us some energy and keep pushing forward for the rest of the year.
Q: How far is your hometown away from Atlanta?
A: Probably like 25-30 minutes without traffic. It’s not far at all so I got a lot of people coming in. It’s a great opportunity, I’m really excited, it’s going to be fun.
Q: Does that add more pressure because it’s going home and playing in front of –
A: No, I don’t really look at it like that. I’m really excited to play in front of all my friends and family. A lot of people are going to be there that have been with me growing up and my whole process in getting to this point, so just coming home and playing in the new beautiful stadium is crazy. I’m really excited. It’s going to be fun.
Q: Is the attitude of the team any different when the owner comes out and says he’s disappointed with the 1-5 record?
A: That is what it is. That’s the owner, he’s pushing us. He’s going to be real with us and real with you guys, so it’s something that we got to be better at at the end of the day and that’s what he expects most out of us and we got to deliver.
Q: Is that the message that is taken that he obviously cares. Is there any danger in creating too much pressure?
A: No. We’re really chill here. We’re transparent from the top down, so we just take it as it is, we’re working each and every day and we’re trying to get better and we got to deliver on Sunday.
Q: Possible that kind of intensity on his part helps?
A: Definitely. We push each other each and every day. When it comes from the owner like that, it’s definitely – that’s a big one, so just got to look at the mirror and get to work and make everything happen when it counts.
Q: Why hasn’t the offense worked? Especially in the passing game, why haven’t the big play opportunities been there and scoring plays?
A: It’s an execution thing. We have the talent. We have everything else. We just got to execute at the end of the day.
Except for the occasional dump-off to Barkley (sorry Sterling Shepard).
It will be good to see Engram out there. Ideally , I'd like to see the best receivers (OBJ & Engram), best tight end (Ellison) and running back (Barkley) on the field most of the game.
Has that even happened one time this year. I don't know.