Transcript: Head Coach Brian Daboll

Head Coach Brian Daboll

December 7, 2022

Q: Talk about (Eagles quarterback) Jalen Hurts and his development this year.

A: I’ve got a lot of respect for Jalen. Tremendous person first and foremost. Highly competitive, extremely smart, great leader, (it’s) the reason why he’s probably at the top of the list for MVP right now. Playing with a great team, you can go on and on about Jalen. He means a lot to me.

Q: In terms of his development as a player, how in particular have you seen him grow in terms of maybe where he’s at compared to where he was before.

A: He’s always been really good. He's won a lot wherever he’s been. He’s a winner, (and) he’s a leader at that position. I think he can galvanize a locker room, which obviously he’s done. He’s made every throw he’s had to make, he’s tough to bring down when he runs, whether it’s design runs or scrambles. He's just gotten better and better like a lot of young guys do that have a lot of talent. He’s just gotten better and better.

Q: Statistically when you look at a team, they usually have good offense and so-so defense. When you look at this team statistically and they’re good on both ends.

A: Yeah, I think the biggest statistic is 11-1 and usually that correlates for the most part. So, I think (Eagles General Manager) Howie’s (Roseman) done a great job of putting together a really good team and I think (Eagles Head Coach) Nick’s (Sirianni) a fantastic coach, known him for a while. He gets the most out of his guys, and they’re playing at a really high level. That’s why they’re the best team in the league.

Q: What catches you attention when you watch film then?

A: Everything. Their defensive line, their receivers, their quarterback, their offensive line, and their offensive line is as good as it gets. It starts with (center Jason) Kelce. Gets everything set, has been a fantastic player for a really long time. I think Jalen is operating an extremely high level and (wide receiver) A.J. (Brown), (wide receiver) DeVonta (Smith), I know (wide receiver) Quez (Watkins) got injured there we’ll see where he’s at. The running game is really good. Their defense, their corners, they can rush the passer and stop the run, There’s a reason why they’re 11-1. They’re a well-rounded team.

Q: When you present this to the team this week, they know the challenge, they know they’re playing an 11-1 team. How do you present it without gushing?

A: The same way I present every team. Here’s things that we’ve got to make sure we handle on our end. It’s always about us first, and then he’s tendencies or here’s key players, or key situations that we’ve got to be dialed into. Consistency, I would say whether you’re playing Philadelphia or last week Washington or earlier in the year. You’re pretty consistent with your approach, really the whole week.

Q: With every game you are giving them a plan for how you win. Is it important with a team like this that’s only lost once to give them a plan and make sure you believe that this plan can work.

A: Well, I think you believe that every plan can work that’s why you spend all the hours here, try to do the best you can and put something together. That’s why they come out here and prepare the way they prepare and practice. Then you go out there and play the game.

Q: What stands out to you about A.J. Brown?

A: Strong, excellent hands, can make contested catches, run after catch, a complete receiver. He was that way in Tennessee and he’s certainly that way now. Him and Jalen have a pretty special relationship. I’d say that they knew each other in college and there’s a lot of familiarity there with Jalen, Brown and DeVonta and you can tell. It’s paid off.

Q: You mentioned their corners. What have you seen from (cornerback) James Bradberry on film. Is it tough at all to know that he could be here?

A: No, I mean that’s the NFL. People are one place, then they’re the next place. Both those guys Bradberry and (cornerback Darius) Slay are really good corners. They can play zone, they can play man, they’re experienced. I think they read routes well. They’re two hard guys outside to throw the ball against.

Q: When you’re watching Eagles film how much more attention are you paying to that one loss, versus the most recent stuff.

A: You watch every tape. So, I go through the whole season. Later in the season, the longer it is you’re here. Really the way I watch it is, I watch kind of straight through. Before as a coordinator, you’re just watching the defensive side of the ball as an offensive coordinator. There’s an average of 180 plays a game, somewhere around there, and you just go through it and kind of see how the games being played, a little 1,000-foot view. Complimentary football, what’s happening, what are they making the offense do, are they getting them into a bunch of passing situations, are you able to control the collision, a bunch of things. So, you certainly watch the one that they lost, but you watch all the ones that they win too.

Q: When you’re watching the Eagles and you don’t see many weaknesses if any, how much more difficult does it make for you to gameplan because there’s no weaknesses for you to go after.

A: I’d say it’s pretty similar each week. Every team has strengths in this league and then you try to look at things that could maybe give you an advantage. The players, the personnel they have are really good. I think as a coaching staff, again, I’ve said this before, Nick, I was with Nick about 10 years ago is when I met him. He was a QC and then we interviewed him, and he got his first job as a receiver coach. I think he sees the game the right way. Came from a football family just outside of Buffalo. Just a really good football coach with really good players. They’ve got a good organization.

Q: Going back to Alabama, what is it about Hurts that enabled him to respond so well with being taken out of that big game?

A: I would just say this, not to go back then but just knowing the player, knowing the person, he’s as competitive and mentally tough as I’ve ever been around. He’s a great teammate. Unfortunately, we have to play them twice a year, very happy for the success that he’s had. Again, he’s a special young man to me, and he’s just a mentally tough guy. Nothing rattles him, he doesn’t get rattled. So, he had this happen, this happens, he doesn’t worry about all that stuff. He just focuses on what he needs to focus on, the short time I was around him. I haven’t been around him for five years or whatever it is. But just as a young college person, you have a great appreciation for his mental toughness, his competitive stamina, and his leadership.

Q: I want to circle back to something we think you alluded to after the game. You said how you have these analytics meanings and go through all the situations. At this stage of the season did those meetings how the result impacts the playoff race? Is that part of it now too?

A: Yeah, that’s part of the discussion absolutely. There’s a lot of things, those meetings last just as long as watching those plays, even more so. So, there’s a lot of things, particularly at this time of year right now that you’re talking about. There is every game, but then as it goes later and later into the season, certainly things like that pop up.

Q: From a coaching perspective, you mentioned this strike though weakness of your opponent, now you’re looking at it. I know you’re Mr. Consistency and keeping the same but when it’s a challenge like this does it get you going even more so than a regular game knowing that there are a lot of things against you on paper?

A: I think I understand your question. Not just because I’ve been coaching in so many games. It’s just the most important game for that week. I think I’ve been 30 playoff games, a National Championship, five Super Bowls, nine AFC Championship games, been in some big games throughout my career as a position coach and as a coordinator. I don’t think you can let one game be bigger than any other game or one mean less than any other game. It’s the most important game because it’s the next one. On top of that it’s the leader in our division and pretty much the leader in the NFL. So, certainly as a competitor you want to play and compete against the best and they’re the best.

Q: Do you find it difficult to impart that same mentality on your players because they’re the ones that are going to be doing it on Sunday?

A: About just the next game?

Q: Yeah, the next game.

A: No, I think that’s how I’ve coached. I think every individual is different you’d have to ask the players but what we’ve tried to do is the next game is the most important game. There are things to learn from every game whether you win or lose. Can’t get too high or too low. Again, I’ve said it many times, it’s a humbling league. You do everything you can do, you put everything you can in to win a game. Then when that games over your tank is empty so to speak, you’ve got to start filling it back up. I think these guys have done a good job of that and that’s how we’re going to approach it.

Q: Towards your guys’ injuries, might you have (safety) Xavier McKinney this week?

A: I would say I doubt it.

Q: Who won’t practice?

A: So (guard) Shane (Lemieux) won’t practice, (offensive lineman Joshua) Ezeudu, (cornerback) Adoree’ (Jackson), (defensive lineman Leonard Williams) Leo, and then the three guys I talked to you about Monday. Those will be the three guys. The vet guys.

Q: (Wide receiver) Kenny (Golladay) and (cornerback) Darnay (Holmes) are back. Limited or full?

A: Darnay will practice, assume it will be limited but we’ll see. Most of the other guys, are whether they’re limited a little bit or not. Anticipate them practicing.

Q: And Josh? Is that neck injury serious?

A: He’s fighting through it. We’ll see, I think he’s getting better. But he’s fighting through it.

Q: What about Leo’s neck injury.

A: I’m not going to put him in Ezeudu’s category, but it’s the same thing. Resting today, we’ll see where he’s at tomorrow.

Q: (Guard) Ben Bredeson, do you think he’ll be back this week? Could he play?

A: We’ll see. We’ll do the same thing we did last week. I think he’s better than he was last week. Last week leading into the week, I was kind of uncertain then we watched him practice. Figured give him another week, maybe another week after that but we’ll see where he’s at today.

Q: Real quick on McKinney, after the game I asked him about the club stuff and he said, ‘yeah I’ll put a club on.’ Then on Monday you said no.

A: Well, not when he has the pins in his hand.

Q: So, when he does come back, he could?

A: Yeah, we’ll see.