Wile_E_Coyote
11-05-2004, 08:52 AM
Q&A with Dick Vermeil
Nov 05, 2004, 8:41:26 AM
Q: During last week’s practice there was a surge of confidence with the team. Did you see another one this week?
DICK VERMEIL: “I don’t know if I saw a surge of confidence, but I did see a couple surges of intensity. Our session on Thursday got hotter than you’d like it to be. The coaches didn’t call for it. It just materialized.”
Q: In talking to some of the coaches, they said it was the defense that stood up?
VERMEIL: “That’s good. We have a ways to go, but defense starts with intensity and they made a statement. The last time they did that was prior to our Ravens game.”
Q: Offense is playing right now with such a great deal of confidence. They can almost dial up anything run or pass and make it work.
VERMEIL: “I think that’s true. It’s been that way the last two weeks, but it won’t be that way Sunday. I think we’ll be a good offensive football team but this is a different style of defense and they don’t give you much, they really don’t. They can run so fast and since defense is a game of speed they can catch you and get to where the ball is.”
Q: Does that require your offense to be real patient and take the shorter gain and not rely on the big play?
VERMEIL: “Yes, you have to do that. You have to be careful especially if they’re in zones. I don’t think we’ll see as many double-zone defenses as some might think because we run the ball so well. I’d like to believe they’ll have to put an eighth guy in position to get involved in the run and not be in two deep safeties.”
Q: What is the motivation for your team to get to 4-4?
VERMEIL: “I just think if we can get to even now with eight games to go and five division games to play in the last six it would better define what we have left to do and give us more time to get it done.”
Q: Where’s Priest injury-wise right now?
VERMEIL: “He practiced some. I think he’ll be ready.”
Q: He said he doesn’t really feel as good until Saturday. Is that typical of an NFL running back who gets a lot of carries?
VERMEIL: “I don’t know. I’ve been around a number of them and most of them are that way. I think each back is a little bit different. I remember Priest’s first year here it didn’t affect him as much. Second year it affected him more. Third year a little bit more. Right now, slightly more. It’s bound to affect him some.”
Q: Are you concerned that he’s getting too many touches?
VERMEIL: “No. Guys, when you’re trying to do what we’re trying to do, no. We don’t have two Priest Holmes’ and nobody else does. There are guys in the league who have more touches than he does, some of them in different ways – combinations of running and receiving. He gets better the more he touches it, too.”
Q: Would it be different if you were 7-0 and not 3-4?
VERMEIL: “He’s 14 or 15 touches more than he had last year at the same time. In the National Football League you play your best football players if you want to score on offense. I never really have believed in taking guys out. I’d like to when you get a big lead. We’ve only done that once and it looked like we might be able to last week, but it didn’t work that way.”
Q: Are you optimistic that Dexter McCleon might come back?
VERMEIL: “I don’t know how Dexter went through his workout today. I know he says he feels better, but I don’t know where he is. He was about 70% (Wednesday).”
Q: How will you evaluate Kawika Mitchell and Monty Beisel at that middle linebacker spot? Will it be based on how Kawika plays or Monty’s health?
VERMEIL: “Just see how they play. (Kawika) made a big jump in performance as a middle linebacker last week. I expect him to keep ascending. But Monty Beisel was doing the same thing, so it’s a good problem.”
Q: You’ve never had a hard and fast rule about injured guys losing their jobs, have you?
VERMEIL: “Normally you don’t lose your job if you get hurt. But Monty Beisel took over Kawika’s job and then he got hurt. Then Kawika got back but he had never really established himself as an outstanding starter yet. Monty Beisel was on his way to do that, I think, and Kawika may be on his way to do that. But they’re both young, ascending players.”
Q: It all started with Maslowski missing the season with injury, right?
VERMEIL: “That’s right. Normally when a guy gets injured when he’s healthy he comes back. Last year it didn’t happen with William Bartee because he had never really totally established himself as a real quality starter yet, an ascending young player with problems and potential to get better. Dexter (McCleon) came in when he got hurt and played better right away. It was glaringly better. You do what’s best for the football team at that time.”
Q: What might be the biggest surprise for this team the first half of the season?
VERMEIL: “I’d say Jared Allen is a very pleasant surprise. I’m not I-told-you-so guy but I’ve always had a real strong feeling about this guy. Right now he’s a pleasant surprise, an ascending player as a rookie.”
Q: Would Lional Dalton fit in there anywhere?
VERMEIL: “Lional Dalton would have to be a guy who fit right in there, too. He was in Denver one season, Redskins one season and on the streets and we sign him. Boy, I’ll tell you, he’s playing very well overall.
Q: Has he made an appreciable change in your front four defensive pressure?
VERMEIL: “I think his number one asset is run defense, explosion in the running plays and disrupting the continuity and design of a running play. Yes, he’s a factor in pass rush but in the true nickels we take him out. He really pressures the running game.”
Q: How much does he help whoever is at middle linebacker?
VERMEIL: “Helps him a lot. He can dent the helmet of an offensive guard. He’s done it and taken him right back to the quarterback and disrupted the running plays that they’re trying to take across his face. He’s played well. He’s just a more explosive defensive tackle and as long as you don’t ask him to sit back and read and let him attack, that’s when he plays well.”
Nov 05, 2004, 8:41:26 AM
Q: During last week’s practice there was a surge of confidence with the team. Did you see another one this week?
DICK VERMEIL: “I don’t know if I saw a surge of confidence, but I did see a couple surges of intensity. Our session on Thursday got hotter than you’d like it to be. The coaches didn’t call for it. It just materialized.”
Q: In talking to some of the coaches, they said it was the defense that stood up?
VERMEIL: “That’s good. We have a ways to go, but defense starts with intensity and they made a statement. The last time they did that was prior to our Ravens game.”
Q: Offense is playing right now with such a great deal of confidence. They can almost dial up anything run or pass and make it work.
VERMEIL: “I think that’s true. It’s been that way the last two weeks, but it won’t be that way Sunday. I think we’ll be a good offensive football team but this is a different style of defense and they don’t give you much, they really don’t. They can run so fast and since defense is a game of speed they can catch you and get to where the ball is.”
Q: Does that require your offense to be real patient and take the shorter gain and not rely on the big play?
VERMEIL: “Yes, you have to do that. You have to be careful especially if they’re in zones. I don’t think we’ll see as many double-zone defenses as some might think because we run the ball so well. I’d like to believe they’ll have to put an eighth guy in position to get involved in the run and not be in two deep safeties.”
Q: What is the motivation for your team to get to 4-4?
VERMEIL: “I just think if we can get to even now with eight games to go and five division games to play in the last six it would better define what we have left to do and give us more time to get it done.”
Q: Where’s Priest injury-wise right now?
VERMEIL: “He practiced some. I think he’ll be ready.”
Q: He said he doesn’t really feel as good until Saturday. Is that typical of an NFL running back who gets a lot of carries?
VERMEIL: “I don’t know. I’ve been around a number of them and most of them are that way. I think each back is a little bit different. I remember Priest’s first year here it didn’t affect him as much. Second year it affected him more. Third year a little bit more. Right now, slightly more. It’s bound to affect him some.”
Q: Are you concerned that he’s getting too many touches?
VERMEIL: “No. Guys, when you’re trying to do what we’re trying to do, no. We don’t have two Priest Holmes’ and nobody else does. There are guys in the league who have more touches than he does, some of them in different ways – combinations of running and receiving. He gets better the more he touches it, too.”
Q: Would it be different if you were 7-0 and not 3-4?
VERMEIL: “He’s 14 or 15 touches more than he had last year at the same time. In the National Football League you play your best football players if you want to score on offense. I never really have believed in taking guys out. I’d like to when you get a big lead. We’ve only done that once and it looked like we might be able to last week, but it didn’t work that way.”
Q: Are you optimistic that Dexter McCleon might come back?
VERMEIL: “I don’t know how Dexter went through his workout today. I know he says he feels better, but I don’t know where he is. He was about 70% (Wednesday).”
Q: How will you evaluate Kawika Mitchell and Monty Beisel at that middle linebacker spot? Will it be based on how Kawika plays or Monty’s health?
VERMEIL: “Just see how they play. (Kawika) made a big jump in performance as a middle linebacker last week. I expect him to keep ascending. But Monty Beisel was doing the same thing, so it’s a good problem.”
Q: You’ve never had a hard and fast rule about injured guys losing their jobs, have you?
VERMEIL: “Normally you don’t lose your job if you get hurt. But Monty Beisel took over Kawika’s job and then he got hurt. Then Kawika got back but he had never really established himself as an outstanding starter yet. Monty Beisel was on his way to do that, I think, and Kawika may be on his way to do that. But they’re both young, ascending players.”
Q: It all started with Maslowski missing the season with injury, right?
VERMEIL: “That’s right. Normally when a guy gets injured when he’s healthy he comes back. Last year it didn’t happen with William Bartee because he had never really totally established himself as a real quality starter yet, an ascending young player with problems and potential to get better. Dexter (McCleon) came in when he got hurt and played better right away. It was glaringly better. You do what’s best for the football team at that time.”
Q: What might be the biggest surprise for this team the first half of the season?
VERMEIL: “I’d say Jared Allen is a very pleasant surprise. I’m not I-told-you-so guy but I’ve always had a real strong feeling about this guy. Right now he’s a pleasant surprise, an ascending player as a rookie.”
Q: Would Lional Dalton fit in there anywhere?
VERMEIL: “Lional Dalton would have to be a guy who fit right in there, too. He was in Denver one season, Redskins one season and on the streets and we sign him. Boy, I’ll tell you, he’s playing very well overall.
Q: Has he made an appreciable change in your front four defensive pressure?
VERMEIL: “I think his number one asset is run defense, explosion in the running plays and disrupting the continuity and design of a running play. Yes, he’s a factor in pass rush but in the true nickels we take him out. He really pressures the running game.”
Q: How much does he help whoever is at middle linebacker?
VERMEIL: “Helps him a lot. He can dent the helmet of an offensive guard. He’s done it and taken him right back to the quarterback and disrupted the running plays that they’re trying to take across his face. He’s played well. He’s just a more explosive defensive tackle and as long as you don’t ask him to sit back and read and let him attack, that’s when he plays well.”