Transcript: Defensive Coordinator James Bettcher

Defensive Coordinator James Bettcher -- September 26, 2019

Opening Statement: Had really two outstanding days of practice, I think this group is working intentionally and working with a purpose and I know that there’s repetition in that, but how you get better is repetition, that’s how you improve. There’s a process to getting better at anything you do, and that process is identifying the problem, working the solution, and working with a purpose at practice. When I say that to you, understand what we are saying to our players is: to have better pad level, you go work underneath the shoots, then you take working underneath the shoots to individual run period or team run period. Same thing with any technique a corner has to improve at, any technique a linebacker has to improve at and that’s how young players get better and that’s how vets sharpen tools and vets get better, too, is intentful purpose. We have a good challenge this week. Regardless of the quarterback that plays, we’ll have a plan for however that unfolds. I think our guys are anxious to play a division game at home.

Q: When you look back at the last two second halves of the last two games, is this an adjustment you and your staff are making, or are your players just playing better?
A: If there was a magic pill for that answer, I would 100 percent already give it to you. The truth to the matter is this, we have to call things better, we have to coach things better in the position meeting rooms and we have to execute better. That’s both scheme, that’s technique, that’s eyes, those things have to occur for us to play more consistent. You might ask me about Jack (Jackrabbit) and his performance, it falls on not one person. When Jack’s in coverage, someone has to rush better, someone has to win a one on one. I maybe have to make a better call so he’s in a better position. Then, ultimately, him or anyone else in coverage has to play with better technique. That’s the true solution, that’s how you get better.

Q: What did you see from DeAndre Baker? He held Godwin in check.
A: Last week, I know I mentioned when we were talking about having a prescription for our players and really identifying two to three things that our guys are going to work on to get better at. We came in our defensive group meeting yesterday and I started asking guys around the room, this week what are your three things. Dex, Bake what’s your three things. I think he’s done a good job at identifying three things, working with his position coach, individual, watching tape and trying to identify things he can improve in his game and that’s the process to getting better, that’s the process to getting better at anything you do.

Q: Is your scheme predicated on Jackrabbit, or whoever that elite corner is, not needing help?
A: I wouldn’t say that fully. I think there’s certainly times when you look at what you want to do from a scheme standpoint on defense, you might say this is a guy that has a tough down, or this is where more help will go on this particular call. Then you have some other calls that are more balanced in what you do. Certainly, in that game, I tried to call some of those balanced things at times and there’s other times we’re calling some things either to try to rush the quarterback, create some one on ones, which in other places that creates other one on ones. Solely no, but there’s certainly times where whatever the call may deem that to be the case.

Q: If it kept hurting you in the second half, would you have had to go to something?
A: I think some of the stuff we did in the second half, I think, balanced the coverages. I think some other stuff didn’t and we just played better. I think if you went call by call, play by play, in the second half, you maybe see some snaps where it was Jack or whoever it was, there was still some one on ones and there was still some one on ones in our rushes. I think it’s having a good balance and mix, and I think the process to improvement starts with me, to our position coaches, to our players taking ownership of those fundamentals and techniques we have to get better at.

Q: What is your concern level with Janoris?
A: Honestly, I don’t have concern, I don’t have concern about any of our players, as long as they are working the process. I think Jack is doing that, I think he is coming to practice, I saw it today, he’s diving to knock balls away, he’s competing, he’s working on fundamentals and techniques in individual, he’s all in on fixing what he needs to fix. The truth is, he’s not the only one. On some of those snaps, his technique might not have been as good as he would want it to be, but there’s maybe a rusher or two that their technique wasn’t as good, either. We’re coaching all of those guys, not just one.

Q: Are you any closer to getting some snaps for Corey Ballentine?
A: I think play time will always reveal itself on Sunday.

Q: Were you encouraged by the play of some of your younger players?
A: Absolutely, I think that goes back to the question that was asked about Bake earlier, how his progress is. I think it’s again, one, our players taking ownership of the things they have to get better at, us trying to identify it as coaches and having purposeful work to try to get better at those things. It’s a continued process and that’s how young players get better, they have to practice, they have to work those techniques that they have to improve at, whatever they might be. We have to make sure as coaches that we are identifying them and being part of the solution.

Q: How much does the league ranking irk you? Do you use it as a source of motivation, especially the pass defense?
A: At the end of the day, I look at things, I want to be part of the solution and that’s all I care about. The numbers are the numbers, they reveal some things and other things that they don’t tell maybe the full story. I’ve been where we have been at the top of all those numbers as a coordinator and again I’ll tell you, these guys are working hard and working with a lot of intent on getting the things corrected. Whether it’s scheming a call or whether it’s fundamentals and techniques.

Q: Why haven’t we seen Jabrill Peppers make the impact plays that I’m sure you and the team envisioned when you acquired him?
A: I think Jabrill has played extremely hard. When I go back and look at it, I don’t see the ball going his way a ton. I think there were a couple completions, if I remember last week. I also remember a throw in the endzone where he’s in great tight coverage on a really talented tight end, big long guy. I see a guy that’s competing is butt off and he’s working just as hard as anyone else to get better with his game.