LT Nate Solder -- November 19, 2018
Q: Do you watch football during Thanksgiving?
A: Oh yeah, of course. My wife is a huge football fan. We watch a lot of football at my house.
Q: Coach Shurmur said the last two games have been the best two games the offensive line has played all season. Can you point your finger to something that has come together to make things click?
A: With an offensive line, there’s so many details involved. We continued to grind at that and improve at that. It always helps when we have a lead, and we work from ahead, and we get the run game established. It’s always hard when you’re in drop back pass protection the entire time. That’s the goal, and that’s always the goal. Hopefully, we can continue to do that, but we got to keep improving. We got a great opponent coming up with the Eagles. We know how hard they are and how tough it was last time we played them. We can’t think that we’ve achieved anything yet. We got to keep working hard and keep improving.
Q: What sticks out about something that has got to change from the last meeting with Philadelphia in Week 6?
A: We got to get the run game going, like I said. Establishing the run game, establishing it early, and then being able to protect. You can’t just always run the ball when you got to throw the ball. You got to protect your quarterback, and keep him clean so he can make the plays he needs to make.
Q: Three straight runs to start the game, does that instill trust into an offensive line?
A: They’re going to call the runs as long as they’re working. That falls on our shoulders to make those things work. You can call three straight runs, and if they don’t work, then you abandon it. We’re going to make them work. We got to make them efficient. We got to keep it consistent too so he feels confident to call those things.
Q: For an offensive lineman, coach can call 20 straight runs, and you’ll be ok with that?
A: Absolutely, yeah. The more he calls, the better. It keeps us in an aggressive posture where we’re dictating to the defense rather than having them dictate to us. Yeah, that’s what we want.
Q: Do you feel as if this combination on the offensive line fits best for this team, as compared to earlier in the year?
A: This line combination is the one we have now. We make the most of everything that we have. I can’t make that comment without saying something bad about someone else, and everyone else that’s been in there has done an excellent job and worked very hard. Everyone I work with and played with has done the best that they can.
Q: Do you feel this line combination can be the right one for this team moving forward?
A: It’s been the right combination for the last two games. I think this line combination has to do work, and get better and improve. We can’t take a step back. I think that if we played like we did in Tampa Bay next week, it won’t be good enough. So, we’re going to have to play better, and I think that’s the same moving forward throughout the season.
Q: How much does getting two straight victories help the confidence and the mentality looking forward?
A: It’s so crazy how much of a difference, because we’ve played in so many close games where the win and loss were so close, but when you actually get that win, it’s the confidence, it’s the encouragement that you can do it again, and that you’re going to work hard that week to prepare. The more we can keep doing that, it kind of keeps us on the right track.
Q: How has it been going through being 1-7, until now?
A: I keep my mentality the exact same as it was when I was there. It’s a one game season. You play the best you can with what you got. You have to improve. You can’t be patting yourself on the back too soon, and it’s the same no matter what the circumstances are. I just keep my head down and do what I’m told with all that stuff.
Q: Is it almost brain-washing to go 7-1 to 1-7?
A: Yeah, I guess I’ve always kind of grown up in that, and that’s what I believe. It doesn’t matter what the circumstances are around you. You do the best you can with what you got.
Q: Do you allow yourself to look back at old film to critique your performance?
A: We did plenty of that after each game. Our focus right now is the Eagles.
Q: Does this game mean any extra to you, having played them in the Super Bowl?
A: This game means a lot. It’s a conference game. It’s a rival game. We got to keep winning just to keep things going. It means a lot, for a lot of reasons.
Q: What’s it like being a hurdle for (RB) Saquon Barkley?
A: He’s tremendous, it’s awesome to block for him. I guess you’d rather be a hurdle than a wall. The more he’s jumping over me, the more we’re making good yards.
Q: Did you know or did you sense that?
A: I saw it afterwards, but you kind of have a feeling when someone scores.