LB Alec Ogletree Conference Call -- September 9, 2018
Q: What stood out to you after watching the film of yesterday’s game?
A: We just had a lot of little mistakes that turned into big plays. When you play a good team like that, they are able to do that to you. Like I said, it’s disappointing the way we lost. We know we are a better team than that. It’s a long season, and that’s only one game. You can’t win them all, but we definitely hate the fact that we didn’t do better than what we did and what we were hoping for. We have another opportunity this week to go out there and get that bad taste out of our mouth.
Q: You expressed confidence at the beginning of the year that this is a top 10 defense. Does yesterday’s result change that in any way?
A: No, it doesn’t. Like I said, it’s a long season and this is one game. We have the right people, we have the right scheme and everything. It’s just a matter of going out there and doing it. You can’t talk about it, you have to go out and do it, and we definitely are going to do that. My confidence hasn’t been shaken in our defense. I know we have a great defense here, and it’s just a matter of us doing it, and doing it on Sunday.
Q: Over the summer the defense didn’t get a chance to really play a lot of preseason snaps together for different reasons. How much of that do you think carried over in terms of some of the rough spots you guys experienced regarding communication?
A: I think we communicated pretty well yesterday, it’s more so being in the wrong position on certain things. Like I said, we had a lot of really great practices this summer, in summer camp, and OTAs. It’s different when you get in an actual game—it’s a little bit different. I think it’s just a matter of us detailing everything out and being very detailed in our work. When we get to the game on Sunday, relying on our training and doing the little things. Being in the right position and being able to make plays when it’s your time. That’s the main thing that I took from the game yesterday—just keep growing, keep communicating, but also make sure we cross all our t’s and dot all of our i’s.
Q: It certainly wasn’t only the young guys on the defense that made some mistakes yesterday, but it seemed like a bunch of them were and had trouble in their first NFL game. What do you say to them, and how do you correct that and also keep their confidence high?
A: You tell them that they have 15 more games to go. It’s a long season. Welcome to the NFL. We’ve kind of all had those experiences. But those guys are confident in themselves. They’ve played a lot of ball. They study the game and they know how to play. It’s just a matter of all of us buying in. Well not buying in, we’ve all bought in, but all of us just doing the right things at the right moment and being very detailed in our work. Like I said, we have an opportunity this week to go out there and get that bad taste out of our mouths from last week.
Q: I’m curious what you saw on the Blake Jarwin TD? Really just that and some of the big plays and what you attributed that to?
A: A little bit of missed details. Everybody was in the right call and everything, but if you’re not looking at the right thing, you won’t see it. It goes right by you. It kind of took turns doing stuff like that. Like I said, we just weren’t in the right position to make those plays. When you play a good offense like that, they’re able to pick up on those mistakes that you have and get you big for it. It’s one game. Our confidence isn’t shaken, for sure. It was disappointing to lose in that fashion, but like I said, we have another opportunity this week to change that narrative and go out there and be the defense that we want to be.
Q: Ryan Connelly, the rookie, got some snaps alongside you yesterday. What was that like? How do you think he held up in his first game?
A: I thought he did well. He was able to get in on a few tackles. I thought he was able to play pretty fast with it being his first game. Him and Tae (Davis), they kind of rotated in and out. I thought they both came in and did well. Ryan played really well. He got in on a few tackles. We’ll see how it goes from here.
Yeah you can and it should be the goal. It sure as shit isn't going to happen with the way the defense failed to execute.
"Little mistakes"
They aren't little mistakes when receivers are running around without a defender within ten friggin yards of them. Those are big mistakes.
So do you think this team would’ve drafted a better LB than Ogletree? No doubt he’s got warts but others have more that have been drafted or signed as FA.
Quote:
to pay Ogletree what he makes is depressing.
So do you think this team would’ve drafted a better LB than Ogletree? No doubt he’s got warts but others have more that have been drafted or signed as FA.
The real question you should be asking is why we did not draft competent linebacker(s), plural instead of this question. or minimally a mix. What does that say about our team and organization? Maybe, let's let other teams "do our job?".
To quote AI, we're talking about practice. We're talking about practice. We ain't talking about the game.
I stopped reading after he said that.
He is serious? The fuck??
But always felt there is a tone/tenure you can feel when a player speaks genuinely.
And I don't feel it with the above. Too many references to "little things" when it sure looked like some big mistakes to me took place.
Quote:
to pay Ogletree what he makes is depressing.
So do you think this team would’ve drafted a better LB than Ogletree? No doubt he’s got warts but others have more that have been drafted or signed as FA.
Flip it around - do you think they would have done much worse? He's been average at best - they gave up a 4th rounder and are paying him $12M this year.
That's $12M pissed right out the window, by a team that is in desperate need of a pass rusher. And just for shits and giggles, they paid a 4th rounder for the privilege.