Head Coach Brian Daboll
Q: Good little reset?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, it was good. Got a lot of work done. In terms of practice today, (wide receiver) Malik (Nabers) is still in protocol, so he won't practice. That's the update I have for him. (Running back) Motor (Devin Singletary) won't practice, he has a groin (injury). And then (cornerback Dru) Phillips and (cornerback) Adoree' (Jackson), they won't practice. They'll be out here doing work on the side, as will Motor (Devin Singletary).
Q: (Malik) Nabers won't?
BRIAN DABOLL: No, he's still in the protocol. So, talked about that before with (wide receiver) Darius (Slayton). Take that however it comes.
Q: Has he progressed to the point where he's been able to do some running or any of that? Is he at that point in the protocol?
BRIAN DABOLL: He's in the early stages of it right now. So, again, we'll just take it day by day with him. Really, other than that, I have no update other than he's in the protocol and just hope he continues to get better.
Q: Do you prepare for this game as if he's not going to be available?
BRIAN DABOLL: Well, you do that anytime you have guys that aren't practicing. You make sure that you have contingency plans. But (we are) hopeful. And if not, we'll have a plan.
Q: He's such a big part of your team and your offense. Where would you go? What would you look like, you think, without him?
BRIAN DABOLL: Again, let's wait to see where he's at. The guys that are out here practicing will go ahead and take the reps. That will give (wide receiver) Jalin (Hyatt) more reps today than he's had in practice. Everybody's got to be ready to go.
Q: (Devin) Singletary, is that a long-term issue?
BRIAN DABOLL: I don't think so. He's going to do some stuff on the side. We'll see where he's at. He ran on Monday. I'm hopeful for him. But, again, a couple more days to see where he's at.
Q: He came out of the game with that?
BRIAN DABOLL: He did, yeah.
Q: You have two guys who can return from IR, (linebacker Matthew) Adams and (inside linebacker Dyontae) Johnson. Are you planning to start their clocks?
BRIAN DABOLL: Matt Adams, we will today.
Q: (Dyontae) Johnson?
BRIAN DABOLL: No, not today. Adams will start his 21-day window.
Q: With the cornerbacks, Adoree' (Jackson) and Dru (Phillips), where do you see them right now?
BRIAN DABOLL: I think today will be a good day for them. They've made progress. Hopefully, these next couple days we can see more progress out of them, so they'll be ready to go. But I can't say they will be. We've got to make sure we see it.
Q: How valuable is it when you have a guy like (cornerback Nick) McCloud who, when you're in this spot, you can play him inside, you can play him outside, you can move him around?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, it's important, position flexibility, particularly for the guys that maybe aren't starting right away. And (Nick) McCloud has done a lot of different things for us, I would say, not just on defense but in the kicking game. So, there's flexibility there. Like you said, he's played outside and he's played inside. It's like a fourth receiver, if you will, that can play multiple positions because they're going to have to if they're not the starters. So, that's important.
Q: What have you thought of (Seattle Seahawks quarterback) Geno (Smith) as a quarterback in this league?
BRIAN DABOLL: He's playing at a high level. He's a veteran now. He's done a really good job when you study the tape. Last year and this year, here to start out, obviously, he threw for a bunch of yards in a back and forth game there for a while. He's got command. I know it's a new offense with (Seattle Seahawks Offensive Coordinator) Ryan (Grubb) there. It looks like he has command of what he's doing. He has, I would say, very, very good skill players around and he gives those guys chances. When (Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK) Metcalf is one-on-one, you saw it the other night, it's an inside fade. He's a hard man to cover, how big and strong and fast he is. (Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon) Smith-Njigba has really come along. He's doing a great job in the slot. (Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler) Lockett is Lockett. He's been a consistent pro throughout his career. Then you add this (Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth) Walker (III), who I think is one of the better backs in the league. He was obviously excellent at Michigan State. He is tough. He's elusive. He breaks tackles. (Seattle Seahawks running back Zach) Charbonnet is a good player too. I think Geno (Smith) is a guy that leads it all. (He) Does a good job of getting the ball to those playmakers. (Seattle Seahawks tight end Noah) Fant at tight end as well. They all have good roles, good players, and Geno (Smith) has, I think, for the last couple of years, been playing at a high level.
Q: You deal with quarterbacks so often. When a guy does not make it with his first team that drafts him, bounces around a little bit and now settles in and looks like a really good player, do you look at a guy like that a little different? Like there's a little bit of a toughness or something with a guy like that?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, I think you have to. Sometimes you go through some tough times. It seems like the past few years a lot of quarterbacks have been going through a fair amount of that. He's played football at a lot of different places and he's a veteran that's really settled in and is making really good decisions and throwing the ball well. You can see how he bounces back in games too. The first game against Denver, sack on the first play and interception on the next play. He just keeps on chugging along. I've got a lot of respect for him and his career and journey in this league and how he's playing and looks like leading their team right now.
Q: The fact that this will be the third year in a row you've seen them, it's kind of a weird scenario. But, because of all the changes that they've had with the new coach and all the schemes, is there anything you can take from the last two years?
BRIAN DABOLL: Well, you look at some matchups. But it's a new year this year. They've played four games and an overtime against New England and it was back and forth. The Denver game, it was kind of nip and tuck and then they took off. Then they really played a good solid game against Miami. Then even the Monday night game against the Lions, it was back and forth. It was a lot of yards and a lot of points in that game. I know (Seattle Seahawks Head Coach) Mike Macdonald and got a tremendous amount of respect for him. They've started out fast. They got three good wins under their belt. It's a tough place to play at Seattle.
Q: The defense obviously has the Baltimore roots. Is it anything similar to what you were used to going up against here with (former Giants Defensive Coordinator) Wink (Martindale) the last couple of years?
BRIAN DABOLL: I'd say Mike (Macdonald) runs his own style. Obviously, there's roots. That's where he came up. He was at Michigan, did his own thing at Michigan. He was at Baltimore when we played him. You can go back and watch that game, but that was years within the system, so the system starts out and I think Mike (Macdonald) has evolved the system the way that he likes to call it. He's a good coach. I got a chance to meet him at the owner's meetings really for the first time. I had a good conversation with him. Smart guy.
Q: What did you think of (Seattle Seahawks tackle) Charles Cross in the draft process and how have you seen him develop?
BRIAN DABOLL: We liked him. Athletic. Good feet. I think he's improved since he started. I think he's a good tackle in this league. He was very, very athletic at Mississippi State and you can see that athleticism show up in the league where he can transition and keep his balance. He does a good job in pass pro(taction).
Q: What is your evaluation of your pass rush at this point, what have you guys been trying to shore up there in this mini bye week?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, I'd say there's some good things. We have quite a bit more sacks at this time of the year than we did last year, but there's still a lot of room for improvement. Those four guys are starting to gel in terms of pass rush games and communication, and that's a work in progress. There's been some good and there's been some, obviously, things we can keep on working.
Q: Anyone who saw that game the other day, I mean, Geno (Smith) threw it almost 60 times. How do you think your secondary matches up? You mentioned all their weapons.
BRIAN DABOLL: It'll be a challenge. It'll definitely be a challenge. They have good playmakers really at all three positions. But those receivers, again, Jaxon (Smith-Njigba) was a good player coming out of Ohio State, very instinctive. Really liked him in the evaluation process. He's got very good feel in the slot. (Tyler) Lockett, I worked him out a long, long time ago at Kansas State. What a great career he's had and it doesn't look like he's slowed down too much. And then DK (Metcalf), he's DK (Metcalf). Big, fast, explosive, strong, tough, plays the right way. Then you add the element of those two backs. I just can't say enough good things about (Kenneth) Walker (III). He's a very impressive player to watch on tape.
Q: DK (Metcalf) is so physically unique. How do you prepare for that? I mean, obviously, you've gone against him a couple times.
BRIAN DABOLL: It's hard. You can't simulate the strength, the size, and the speed. But you do the best job you can out here. He's a talented, talented guy who has all those qualities: big, fast, strong, explosive, competitive, plays the right style. He's a good player.
Q: (Former Giants cornerback) Julian (Love) made the Pro Bowl last year and is a top 100 player. Has he taken his game to another level out there?
BRIAN DABOLL: Again, another guy that he's a very smart player. We knew that, obviously, here. Instinctive. He's made a couple really good plays for them at the start of this year. I know he's out, has a quad. We'll see where he's at. But, that type of guy, with the right mindset, that works the right way, you really wouldn't expect anything else.
Q: What are your experiences and takeaways of playing in Seattle? The atmosphere there.
BRIAN DABOLL: It's electric. It's a hard place to play. We're going to have to try to simulate it the best we can. But it's loud. Communication can be an issue. We have to do a good job of… Again, the way you practice it is you blare it as loud as you can blare it and make it hard for those guys to communicate during practice because it's usually pretty loud there. So, it's a cool place to play just with the atmosphere and their fan base. It makes it challenging on an offense communication-wise at times.
