Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator Mike Kafka
September 4, 2024
Q: What do you say to a rookie (wide) receiver who is coming into his first NFL game and probably has a lot of expectations on him to be a big part of this team?
MIKE KAFKA: I'd say to a rookie, the same thing I'd say to a vet(eran), and really to the entire offense, is just, ‘Do your job, focus on your responsibilities, communicate, and then play the game as fast as you can and have fun out there.’
Q: We've asked you all off-season about how (quarterback) Daniel Jones has been progressing on the field. What have you seen for him, growth-wise, as a person and as a leader?
MIKE KAFKA: Every year that I've been with them, DJ (Daniel Jones) has got better and better at those things that you just mentioned. Being a leader in the locker room, he's a captain again and really taking great command of the offense and of that huddle. DJ (Daniel Jones) does a really nice job with that. Each year he's just kind of grown with that.
Q: Do you see him working with more of an edge this year than maybe past years?
MIKE KAFKA: He's always had a great work ethic. That's not something that's never going to change with him. From day one, being in the film room, in the weight room, those are things that just kind of are in his blood. The work-ethic part of it, it’s really never been an issue.
Q: Are you pro-beard or anti-beard?
MIKE KAFKA: I’m pro-beard, for sure.
Q: (Quarterback) Daniel (Jones)’s best season, when you were calling plays in 2022 when you guys went to the playoffs, he led the league in lowest turnover rate. If you guys are throwing the ball down the field more aggressively, which fits this wide receiving corps, can that continue or with aggression comes the sense that you are going to turn the ball over?
MIKE KAFKA: That's a good question. I think when you're making those decisions downfield, as an offense, you want to stay aggressive, number one. But when you're making those decisions downfield, you have ultimate trust in the receivers or in the tight ends or running backs, whoever's down there, to make a play. If it's a contested catch or it's a one on one ball, you got to have the confidence for those guys to go make the play and if it doesn't happen, as a receiver downfield, you can't let the DB (defensive back) make a play on it. If it is overthrown or underthrown or something like that, you kind of have to become a defender. But I don't think you want to have that in your mind as you're trying to make plays downfield.
Q: With the playmakers you have added to be able to go downfield aggressively, how different will it look compared to 2022?
MIKE KAFKA: Every year you want to continue to grow and change and develop things. So, certainly it'll be different from last year, just like it was the previous year. Every year, you’re trying to figure out things to put your players in the best position to be successful. Each year, each week, it'll be different based on the defenses we play. But I'm excited; this week's been a fun week.
Q: How much do you think from the novice side it’ll look very different or completely different?
MIKE KAFKA: Again, per that week's game plan, some things may be better. Maybe some weeks we run a lot of shifts, some weeks we don't. Whether you're playing at home, when you can use cadence or when you're away and using the silent cadence. There's a bunch of different variables that show up into it. Each week will just be per that game plan.
Q: Around here, it's been a lot of offensive line boots and reboots and shuffles and reshuffles. Something unusual you guys did this year is your right side of the (offensive) line was just imported from the (Las Vegas) Raiders. What is your trust in those two guys and maybe how they work together?
MIKE KAFKA: It's been good to get those guys together, especially this week. Now (that) we're in kind of that game planning mode. In training camp, you're trying some new stuff, you're trying to figure out and work on your identity and who you want to be as a running team and as a passing team. Defining roles and all those things. So, when you get all five of those guys together and working together and communicating, I think that's a benefit. There's a constant stream of communication. And it certainly works with DJ (Daniel Jones) in the mix as well. They all can kind of see it through the same lens. I think it's been a good camp in that aspect. Then this week, as we're working through our game plan, (we’re) working all those kinks out.
Q: What about specifically those two guys on the right side? Because they didn't need any introduction to each other.
MIKE KAFKA: They had some familiarity with the offense in (Las) Vegas. So, (they’ve) getting in and really getting caught up on our terminology. But those guys have been a great addition and they're veteran guys who’ve played a lot of football and we'll certainly lean on those guys as a unit to play well on Sunday.
Q: As you sit down to make a gameplan for a high pressure defense that's going to bring the house a lot. Are there any cardinal rules like, ‘We got to play fast.’ Is there something that you have to do?
MIKE KAFKA: (Minnesota Vikings Defensive Coordinator) Coach (Brian) Flores does a great job. I have a lot of respect for him. Not only did they lead the league in Cover 0, they led the league in Cover 2. They led the league in drop eight, prevent coverage, P coverage, we call it. They led the league in pressure. All by a large margin. They use a bunch of multiple looks, multiple fronts and personnel groupings. We got to be prepared for all that. So, we work through that throughout the week, put together the best plan we can and then go out and execute.
Q: So recognition might be the biggest thing?
MIKE KAFKA: I think the biggest thing would be communication. When you have a team that does a lot of things, you want to make sure that we're all on the same page and seeing it through the same lens.
Q: When you talk about the communication, does it give you some comfort, even though this offensive line hasn't really been together, that this is really a veteran group in terms of being able to handle all those different looks?
MIKE KAFKA: Absolutely, it does. It does. When you have guys that have played even against (Minnesota Vikings Defensive Coordinator) Coach (Brian) Flores in the past. I know (Las) Vegas, they played him last year or a couple of years back, even when he was in Miami. Having that familiarity, having those older vets that have seen it a few times, for (center) JMS (John Michael Schmitz Jr.) to be up there and kind of set the table for us. It's good to kind of lean on those guys and their experiences.
Q: (Running back Devin) Singletary, throughout his career, has always been part of or maybe even the lead in a rotation like him and (running back) Zack Moss or the other guy in Houston. What is your confidence level that he could be like an 85% snap running back?
MIKE KAFKA: I don't know if I would put a number on that, but I think…
Q: What we're used to seeing here where you have an obvious bell cow…
MIKE KAFKA: I think as the game kind of declares itself and I think it can go any way, whether it's (the) run or whether it's pass game. I don't think you want to have one set thing that you want to do. I think you got to be multiple and attack a defense in a bunch of different ways, whether it's the run game or pass game.
Q: Yesterday, (running back) Devin (Singletary) was sitting with (running back) Tyrone (Tracy) and they were comparing notes when I came over to talk to them. How helpful can that relationship be? The running back who is established versus the one just getting his feet wet.
MIKE KAFKA: It's a great running back room. (Running Backs) Coach Joel Thomas does a great job in there as well. When you have veteran guys that want to give back to the room and share their experiences, it does nothing but help. (Running back) Motor (Devin Singletary) has done a good job of understanding that and then helping those young guys because, again, the speed of the game is different than it is in college. So, getting those guys caught up and giving them as much experience is great.
