Transcript: Head Coach Brian Daboll

Head Coach Brian Daboll

October 13, 2023

Q: (Quarterback) Daniel’s (Jones) status?

A: He won’t make the game. He’ll be out.

Q: How’s he feeling?

A: I think he’s getting better but not good enough to play for this game.

Q: Anybody else you can say is out right now?

A: Yeah, (tackle) Andrew (Thomas) won’t make the game, (tackle Matt) Peart won’t make the game, (center) John Michael (Schmitz Jr.) won’t make the game and (outside linebacker) Azeez (Ojulari) won’t make the game.

Q: We haven’t seen Andrew out here on the practice field. Anything going on there?

A: Just getting rehab.

Q: Do you think it’s going to be long-term in the sense that you’re going to have to shut him down? You kind of have, I guess.

A: I’d just say he’s getting rehab each week and each week gets a little bit better but not ready to go.

Q: Obviously, not ideal circumstances, it never is for a backup quarterback, but do you get a sense of what this means for (quarterback) Tyrod (Taylor)? He hasn’t started in a long time.

A: Tyrod’s a pro. He comes out every day and approaches it the right way in the backup situation, but he always approaches it as if he’s the starter, so he’s had a good week, he’s prepared well but he does that every week.

Q: How do you get your offense – it’s seems like in a very difficult spot. Your backup quarterback, backup left tackle, maybe (running back) Saquon (Barkley), maybe not Saquon. How do you get your offense going with so many backups?

A: Just got to go out there and execute our assignments, do a good job and put them in good positions and play and coach well.

Q: What about Saquon?

A: We’ll see after today’s practice. Yep.

Q: Do you feel like right now he’s closer than he was a week ago to being ready to play a game?

A: Yeah, he’s closer. Yep.

Q: What about the offensive line as a whole? Do you expect to run it back, you obviously have a lot of injuries.

A: We’re kind of working through that. We’ve been working through it during the week so again, we’ll work through it today and come up with the five we’re going to put out there.

Q: How different is the offense with Tyrod? Obviously, you like to play to your players’ strengths. From a coaching perspective, like calling plays and putting together a gameplan.

A: You do that every week. We have some pieces that are out so you have to do a good job of trying to adjust the best you can and put the plan together the best way you see fit.

Q: (Tackle) Evan (Neal) got added to the report yesterday. Is that a new injury?

A: I mean, he’s got an ankle. We’ll see how he does today.

Q: Is that concern that he’s going to be out?

A: Yeah, I’d say all those guys that are going to practice, we’ll evaluate them and see how they’re at today.

Q: What does Tyrod do well that you feel like you can use in this game?

A: He’s played a long time – this position. Again, it takes all 11 people to do their job and to play well. Again, Tyrod prepares himself, holds himself to a high standard and I know he’ll do everything he can to go out there and put a good product on the field.

Q: You are going to obviously need to bring up a couple of guys from the practice squad, I’d assume. Is anyone headed to IR?

A: Yeah, I’d say (Senior Vice President and General Manager) Joe (Schoen) will talk about that after practice.

Q: Do you have anybody – sometimes when things aren’t going well for a team, there’s guys that are playing well for a team. Do you have anybody on this team right now that’s playing well and going unnoticed?

A: I’d say we’re focused on the Bills and going out there and having a good practice and doing the best we can when we’re out on the field. That’s what we’re all charged with.

Q: Why do you think you haven’t been able to get the ball to (wide receiver) Jalin Hyatt more? Even targets, five targets –

A: It takes all 11 people, so we’ll see how it goes this week.

Q: I asked you a couple of day ago about lessons that you’ve learned throughout the years. Are there things that you take from coaches that you saw as mistakes in situations like this and kind of process them and say, ‘I’m going to avoid that?’

A: Everything’s a learning (experience). Doing it for 23 years, there’s not much I haven’t seen, so again, you’re always learning as a coach. Learned from some really good people, been in a variety of different situations. In 23 years, you’re going to pretty much be in every situation, so be consistent. Go out there, work hard, do everything you can do to put yourself in a good position.

Q: You spent a lot of time on sports science and how to practice, analytics, all that stuff. Are you surprised to have 17 guys on the injured list with how much time you spend dedicated to that?

A: It’s the National Football League, so whatever it is, we try to adjust and do the right thing on the practice field, do the right thing for the games. Every week’s different so that’s what we try to do.

Q: So, no Peart and no Andrew, at least. Who else can play tackle? I know guys have maybe done it in the past. Anybody who jumps out?

A: We’re working through it. Yep, we’re working through it.

Q: How did (free agent offensive lineman) La’el Collins’ workout go the other day?

A: He did a good job.

Q: Does he look healthy enough to play football relatively soon, do you think?

A: I mean, he’s out there running in shorts. He did a good job. A good workout.

Q: Apologies if this was already asked. Is anybody else out today that we haven’t talked about?

A: No, those – the five that I gave you aren’t practicing. Everybody else is doing something today.

Q: Do you have anything more definitive on (guard Justin) Pugh? Whether he’ll be able to be up.

A: He’s out practicing so there’s definitely a possibility.

Q: He started as a tackle. Could he be one of those guys in the mix there?

A: He’s been here a short amount of time, he’s smart. Again, we’re working through some combinations right now.

Q: Saquon has practiced on a limited basis the last three weeks. What is the final checkmark or hurdle he has to clear?

A: Each week he gets a little bit better so again, what we do with all the players is we talk to the player, talk to the medical staff, make sure everybody’s aligned with that, then we’ll see how he does today. But to the question asked earlier, he’s making progress from where he was last week or the week before.

Q: You guys are really big underdogs in this game. Obviously, I don’t think you look at the spread and that kind of stuff, but do you talk about that with the team? That the outside perception is the Bills are expected to win this game. Do you use that to your favor? How do you approach that?

A: Try to do everything that we can do to see what we need to do for the particular week. In this case, it’s Buffalo, their offense, their defense, their kicking game, what we need to do in those three phases. That’s where our focus is.

Q: Is Daniel doing work inside today?

A: Yeah, he’s here. He’s here.

Q: Does he need to go get any second opinions or anything like that?

A: I’d just say that he’s getting better so we’ll see. We’ll take it day-by-day.

Q: Is he going to be outside practicing or is he inside the building today?

A: He’s going to do most of his stuff inside.

Q: Is he able to run around or is it just straight rehab?

A: Yeah, he’s rehabbing.