Defensive Line Coach Gary Emmanuel
October 20, 2018
Q: What have you seen from (DL) RJ McIntosh since he’s started practicing again?
A: RJ is coming out. Just getting back in the swing of football. He’s been away for a little bit. He’s progressing, working on the fundamentals of the game. Working on the run game, working on the pass rush.
Q: How much was he able to do in the meeting rooms before he got on the field?
A: He’s always able to participate in the meetings. He just couldn’t do anything out there on the field. He’s been in full participation in meetings.
Q: What have you seen from (LB) Olivier Vernon in terms of the spark he gave you last game? Do you expect for him to play despite dealing with some basic soreness?
A: That’s something you have to ask him about whether he’s 100% or not, but we expect for him to continue to develop and continue to play where he left off at.
Q: How much of a difference did he make for you guys playing that game versus when you didn’t have him?
A: Anytime that you have a guy that has the career he’s had, the attitude, the defense, it always makes a big difference.
Q: What are you getting out of (DL) Kerry Wynn?
A: Kerry is a guy who plays with a high-motor. He loves football. He gives you everything he has. He adds some athleticism to the group, and to the unit. He has some quickness, he has some pass rush ability. He just plays extremely hard.
Q: Do you like the way he works inside on the line?
A: Kerry does a good job inside in the pass rush. He does a good job outside in the pass rush. He’s a good football player. He adds something to the defense.
Q: What has (DL) Josh Mauro brought since he’s been back?
A: Josh has a great understanding of the defense. Obviously, he’s been in the program for four or five years out there in Arizona. He brings some great knowledge to it. Again, Josh is a guy that has a lot of passion. He plays very hard. He’s knowledgeable, he can play anywhere on the line of scrimmage, and on the outside. So, he adds a lot to the defense.
Q: Is (DT) B.J. Hill a better player than what you expected since he’s gotten drafted?
A: That’s a tough question to answer. We anticipated B.J. to be a very good football player. That’s why we drafted him, but B.J. brings a lot to the table. He’s a very mature guy. He came in understanding football. He works hard, he’s tough, and he loves the game. He prepares, he studies, he takes care of his body.
Q: Are you careful to not overwork him? (Hill)
A: I wouldn’t say it’s a matter of overworking anybody. Everybody is eligible to play. We’re not limiting his snaps. We’re just basing it off of rotation and where the game is played out.
Q: What do you need to do to get a little more pass rush up front?
A: We just got to keep working. Keep working our technique. A lot of time the numbers say one thing, but the plan that we’re trying to do, when you’re playing against a mobile quarterback, you’re trying to keep them in the pocket. So, there might be different kind of rushes you give them. We just have to keep working on everything that we’re doing in the pass rushing game.
Q: (DT Damon Harrison Sr.) Snacks only plays about half of the defensive snaps. Is that because that’s all his body can handle at his size? Or is it because you need more of a pass rush?
A: Snacks plays, he does his role very well. He’s a good leader. He’s doing everything we ask him to do. He’s playing as much as we’re playing him, and doing a great job doing that. He’s in there to stop the run, and give us whatever pass rush he can. The numbers are not very important. We haven’t been playing a whole bunch of snaps per game. Nobody plays the way that I have coached in my history at defensive line. We always rotate guys and try to keep them fresh. So, it’s just a part of the rotation.
Q: How do you go about managing his snaps? Are you charting the numbers? Or, are you going by the feel of the game?
A: You always go by the feel, and based on what your eyes see. The guys will tell me if they need a blow. They’ll let me know I need a blow, just give me a play or two here or there. So, it’s more of a feel thing and where we are in the rotation.
Q: Do you have an idea of how much you want a guy playing?
A: You always have an idea. You want your best players to be as fresh as they can later in the game. That’s why you rotate them early, because once you get tired, you’re pretty much tired. So, you just kind of rotate the guys and keep them fresh.
