Buffalo Bills RB LeSean McCoy
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Q: Your emotions in going back to Philly?
A: Yeah I think any player going back to his old home, you know, wants to have a good game. The main thing is just getting a win. So it going to be a tense environment for sure. I know how Philly fans can get. And it is a game they must win also, they want to keep their playoff hopes alive and same with us. I think it blows the game up even more.
Q: What do you feel about the challenge of keeping your own emotions in check?
A: I am a team player first. Sure I have my own personal issues that I think come out in this game and try to prove it. At the end of the day, man we got to win as a team, that is the main concern. So I have to do a good job of controlling that.
Q: You guys have ran on pretty much everyone these last few week. Can you say the level on confidence you have on saying we are going to run the ball?
A: And that is what we want to do, we want to run the ball. You see how the offense is built. The guys that we brought here, the linemen we have, we want to run the ball. And it is going to be critical this week I think just with the guys they have that type of offense. You want to kind of control the clock, control the ball man, score at will that is just the main concern.
Q: Chip called you the one of the most premiere running backs in the NFL, does it makes you wonder why?
A: I mean Chip [Kelly] don’t owe me nothing, I don’t owe him anything simple as that. So for him to say that, that is cool, that’s nice but I mean I am not really worried about that. I know who I was before he got there, and I know who I am now. I think, there is a lot of guys I do want to see, on the coaching staff, the ownership, and definitely the Eagles fans, a lot of old Eagles fans that have been good to me through my years. A lot different players on that team, some guys I am anxious to see. But his comments don’t affect me at all, in a good way or a negative way.
Q: Some people think this is personal with how it went down, is it?
A: I mean…I am not sure just to be honest. I would get up here and tell you its not personal this and that. I am not sure. I guess I will see once the game gets going. Because I don’t want to make it a LeSean McCoy type of thing because we got to win this game. Knowing that I could go for 200 yards and lose like how do you feel then. You know what I mean? I don’t want to make it that type of game.
Q: Why didn’t you take Chip’s phone calls?
A: Man listen, I am not talking to Chip [Kelly]. You know we got nothing to talk about. He can’t call me, he can’t shake my hand. There is nothing he can do with me. You know he can’t say (expletive) to me. So I mean that is simple as that. I don’t dislike him, I don’t have nothing against him, but there is nothing for us to talk about. He knows that, he know me, he know how I am, he know how I act. There is nothing he can tell me, there is nothing we can talk about it.
Q: Why can’t Chip shake your hand? He said today that he wanted to.
A: Listen man, Chip [Kelly] can’t shake (expletive), at all, nothing. He knows this, that’s why he said, I know him–he is very intelligent. I can read between the lines. Like I said, I have nothing against him, not hatred, we are not enemies. I won’t say anything wrong to him, there is nothing for us to talk about, at all, simple as that. Like I said before there is some people I do want to speak to. The ownership and a lot of different fans out there and a lot of players. There are guys I still talk to know. You know so that is the biggest thing.
Q: What is it going to be like walking back into the Linc?
A: That is definitely weird. Just getting there at 20 years old, you know, then having my whole career there. So that is for sure going to be weird going the visitors locker room, traveling to the game. A lot of different things because you grow to have a routine. The way you come into the parking lot, so many different things. But you can’t get wrapped up in that.
Q: A lot of your teammates say they want to get a win for you, how does that make you feel?
A: I mean that feels good. But just I watch…what helps in this situation I watched a lot of other people like Rex [Ryan] he had to go back to the Jets. I see the way handled it. [Charles] Clay and Richie [Incognito] they kind of handled it. So that has really helped me out. Knowing how I am I would have been going crazy. Kind of seeing them go through it and me being the last person. I got to be a professional. Knowing how that team is even though a lot of guys over there I am friends with them. I can see them provoking the type of argument on the field or getting flags, that is something I don’t do. But in a situation like this I am sure they will be looking for me to retaliate and do different things. So I don’t want to hurt the team as much as I want to go out there and play well. At the end of the day I want to go out there and play well against any team. You know so that wouldn’t hurt to have six or seven touchdowns in this game.
Q: When you say Chip can’t shake…what you said.
A: You can say it.
Q: When you say that, but you say you don’t hate or dislike him it seems to contradict each other?
A: I don’t think so at all. How do you figure that? I am sure there are people that you don’t hate or have an issue with that you don’t speak to. I don’t see what is the big thing of talking to somebody. I don’t, we have nothing to talk about. I am with the Bills. He is with the Eagles. We never had a great relationship, best friends, so there is nothing to really talk about. Like I said, I am not going to go over there to have say this and say that to him. No, for what? There is no need for that. But on the other end there is no need for us to converse about nothing. I see Coach [Andy] Reid I gave him a big slap on the butt, you know hug and all. Because we had that type of relationship. We don’t really know each other that well.
Q: So more than any other week this is a week where you want your production to speak more for you?
A: Man like I told you before I don’t want to make it a me show. Because with that type of attitude, if I have a huge game and we lose how do you walk off the field. You know, so I don’t want that. Main thing is going in there and winning. I think that’s the biggest stack you can have.
Q: Boobie said you were turnt up this week what do you think he means by that?
A: I mean his definition of turnt up, I am not sure what means. I am just excited for sure. By the way this is like Philly media right here.
Q: How do you protect against doing to much?
A: See what I am saying. I don’t want to press. Like I…I just don’t want to press. Get too hyped, want to make too many plays, want to get a kill block and miss, fumble the ball. I don’t want to make those type of errors. I don’t want to play that game. You know I want to go out there and have fun, make plays. But I don’t want to press and try and do to much. When you leave the guys you practice with the whole year out there. I don’t do that.
Q: When you look back at the trade was this the best thing to happen for your career?
A: I think so. I think coming to place that really wanted me, appreciated me. That always counts. Just how the coaches and the atmosphere here it feels good. It feels like the NFL again.
LB Preston Brown
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Q: Rex said last week, we haven’t had our best game as a team. Do you feel the defense still hasn’t put that game out there yet?
A: Oh no, we’re not even close to what we can be. I mean it’s those little mistakes that we keep putting on film that keep leading to these big plays. I mean, I’m sure Philadelphia saw that play where we weren’t even lined up and they (Houston Texans) scored a touchdown, so they’re probably going to be the most up-tempo they’ve ever been before so we know we got to be ready for it. That’s just how it’s going to be.
Q: As you watch this offense, how much of a throwback is it to college, the way these guys play with tempo and spread the field?
A: Definitely. I played in the Big East, so I’m used to West Virginia and all those guys doing that fast-paced type of stuff so it definitely is going back to college so it’s fun for me. I’m not that far removed from college so I still got a little bit of it in me so I mean it’s going to be tough for some of the older guys to get used to the tempo but we should be alright.
Q: Did you ever expect that type of offense to work in the NFL?
A: I mean when you have the right players, you can make any system work. It’s fun to see how he’s using the running backs and rotating guys around and take all receivers out and put three new receivers in so they do a good job at it. It’s starting to work now.
S Corey Graham
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Q: The Eagles offense is such a different pace. What do you do to keep up with that pace or combat that pace?
A: We just got to be prepared. We got to be ready to go. We obviously know how tough it is, especially with those guys, those guys move very fast, they get plays going very fast, so we got to get the call in fast and be ready to play.
Q: Do you have to limit the sub-packages and personnel stuff?
A: Yeah, it definitely affects us. Especially in the last game, we were caught not ready to play and stuff like that, so we know how important it is for us to get the calls in quick. We know how important it is for us to basically go out there and just play ball.
Q: Do you even have to compress the language and make it shorter?
A: We got to do everything. Try to make it as fast as possible. You want to make it easier for guys so you know what you’re doing out there, guys aren’t running all around trying to figure out where they’re in and stuff like that. You got to adjust to it. It’s definitely something we think about, it’s something that we have to factor in, and we got to be prepared to play.
WR Chris Hogan
Wednesday, December 09, 2015
Q: What are your thoughts on the end of the season and kind of being back up against the wall?
A: Every single game from now on we’re treating kind of like playoff games. So we gotta…obviously have to win out to give ourselves the best chance at the end of the season. You know who knows what’s gonna happen. But what we can focus on is control the outcome of games and we long as we keep winning we’re gonna help ourselves down the road.
Q: What challenges or concerns from the Eagles defense do you see?
A: It’s gonna be a challenge. They got an athletic front. You know they got some guys that are playing well in the secondary. So they don’t really mix it up too much. So we’ll be able to see the coverages and expect what we’re gonna get. So it’s really on us to stay on the play book this week and make sure that we’re dialed in on the game plan and everything. So stuff like we did last week and I think it showed. You know we were able to step up and make some big plays.
Q: How excited has LeSean McCoy been for this game?
A: He’s gonna be excited. Any time that you get to go back and play a former team, you know there’s a little bit more of a…you know you’re definitely more exited throughout the week and everybody knows how much this game is gonna mean to him. So I think that the whole team is gonna be out there supporting him, and we’re excited for him, and for us to go over there and get the chance to play them.
LB Manny Lawson
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Q: Rex was very complimentary of you and really talked about your intelligence and your Wonderlic scores and all that stuff. How much does that help to be able to move around as much as you’ve had to in a pinch year?
A: I think it helps me. This game changes, and it can change very fast within a game, so you have to make sideline adjustments and I like to be one of those guys you can depend on when something needs to be adjusted, something needs to be fixed, to get it fixed and get it done.
Q: In a year with difficulties on defense and injuries, have you felt a real responsibility?
A: Definitely. I can’t just say myself, I think everybody that’s currently playing and not injured feels the same way. We have a lot of injuries and a lot of guys who’re out and I think we all feel the need to step up, to try to fulfill those roles, and to get the job done that we need to get done.
Q: You guys have been susceptible to the screen a lot this year. Darren Sproles is a guy that can make some big plays. Have you guys talked about him?
A: A lot, a lot. He’s one of the key guys, especially on special teams and on offense as that third-down, any down type of running back. Like you said, we’ve been exposed in the screen game and we know that they like to run screens and he’s one of their go-to guys so we really have to know where No. 43 is at and make sure that we have somebody tracking him, if not two people.
CB Nickell Robey
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Q: It’s hard to replicate their offense in practice?
A: Yeah it is because we don’t really know exactly how they do it, we just know that they’re fast-paced and they run the same stuff. They don’t run a lot of plays offensively because their tempo is so fast. They have like three or four running plays and about three or four passing plays and they just play bingo with them, basically.
Q: With the pace, does it limit what you can do substitution-wise?
A: Yes it does, it does. So we’re keeping a couple packages. We’re not coming in with a lot of packages we normally come in with, we just got a couple of packages for them. We’re keeping it simple. They keep it simple, we’re going to keep it simple, and we’re just going to try to make plays according to how they pick their plays out.
Q: They also don’t have a true bell-cow receiver necessarily like you saw last week or with Brandon Marshall. Kind of break down what you have there because you have (Nelson) Agholor is a guy, (Jordan) Matthews is a guy, they like to throw to the tight ends, kind of everybody you have to watch for, right?
A: Yeah, they have some great average receivers. I wouldn’t say they’re great. You got Matthews, he’s a young kid, you got Agholor, he’s a young kid. The only person you have after that is (Riley) Cooper, and he’s pretty savvy, but I wouldn’t call him great.
QB Tyrod Taylor
Wednesday December 9, 2015
Q: In your mind, do you believe last week’s game was as good as it could be for you?
A: My goal each and every week is to get better. Learn from the previous game and I think I’m taking steps forward doing that. Definitely wasn’t a perfect game from me or from the team by any means. But definitely did some good things. But that’s behind us now. All we can do is learn from that game, the things that we did well, correct the things that we didn’t do so well and move forward and try to get better as a team.
Q: What did you notice from yourself during that game and the things you want to get better at?
A: Definitely decision making. Getting the ball into the hands of our playmakers. Recognizing coverages and finding the mismatches…not necessarily mismatches but the match ups that we like, that we practiced on and going out there and getting the ball into those guys’ hands.
Q: It seemed to be a blue print though of how this offense should be working. Is that fair to say?
A: Definitely something that we focus on as far as preparation. Finding ways that we can create big plays. But also getting Shady (LeSean McCoy) going, getting our running backs going, getting the running game going and the offensive line does a big part in that.
Q: What does it mean to you that all six wins come with you attempting under 30 passes?
A: I don’t really get into the attempts. You gotta do whatever you gotta do to win. Some games calls for more than 20 attempts, some games call for less than 20 attempts. So as far as the number of attempts, I don’t really put too much thought into that. It’s more so just doing whatever it takes to go out there and get a win.
Q: It just seems to tell an efficiency story a little bit? When this offense is really working you don’t have to carry as heavy as a role?
A: Definitely we play a complete game when we are able to get the running game going. But even in games that I’ve attempted more than 20 passes, I mean we’ve been right in the game. We haven’t really been blow out to say this year. So all the games that we’ve lost, I mean we just didn’t play well enough to win those games. We had the chance right at the end. So to put a number on attempts, I wouldn’t say that. I mean it’s definitely good to have a balanced game going and like I said, each and every week is going to be different. So whatever it takes to win, we have to be prepared to do that. I have to be prepared to do that from a quarterback perspective and the offense has to be prepared to do that as well.
Q: That being said can you agree the offense has a lot of confidence in that run game?
A: Definitely. As an offense we take those challenges personal. Excuse me, can you say that one more time?
Q: Just the level of confidence the team has that they can dictate on offense, the run game.
A: Yes. We definitely want to get our running game going. From an offensive perspective we know that helps us, it creates big plays in the passing game for us and that is something we focus on.
Q: When the trade went down with LeSean McCoy, how surprised were you?
A: I was still in free agency.
Q: It was big national news…
A: I mean I knew Shady (LeSean McCoy). But I really didn’t know what was going on with the Eagles organization. I was more so focused on myself at the time. I mean you hear a caliber player like Shady getting traded, so you don’t really know what happened. Whether it’s something personal or the business side. You just wondering what’s happening. But I’m glad he’s on my team. Great teammate and I love playing with him. But I really didn’t put too much thought behind it when the trade happened.
Q: Did LeSean McCoy being here have any impact on you coming to Buffalo?
A: Of course you want to surround yourself with playmakers. My thought process as far as coming here was more so the opportunity to compete and show the things that I can do. But of course having a guy like Shady (LeSean McCoy) in the backfield and us having…like I said I knew him. Met him a couple years ago in Michael Vick’s baseball game and football camps. I had the chance to meet him. But having a guy like that here definitely interests you as far as being around playmakers.
Q: What have been your impressions now that’s he’s been healthy and having these big games?
A: He’s everything that I thought he was and more. Knew he could run the ball. I think what impressed me a lot was his ability to catch out of the back field. I knew he had good hands but as far as his route running, his ability to run routes, he’s just like a wide receivers and that’s something that stood out. Just a guy that you got to give the ball to. He’s definitely a playmaker once the ball is in his hands and moving forward we definitely got to get him going.
Q: I mean a guy that good don’t you think teams should want him?
A: Yeah, for sure. Like I said that’s why you don’t know what the real situation was with him in Philly. Like I said I’m just glad that he’s on my team and glad to be playing alongside of him.
Q: This is longest stretch of both you and Sammy Watkins on the field together. Can you speak to where you feel that on field rapport is right now?
A: Definitely. I think we’re gradually building more and more chemistry together. Actually going out there and getting reps is definitely beneficial to both of us. Able to practice with him on a consistent basis with me battling injury like you said, and him battling injury. It’s definitely good to have us back out there and whether we’re getting extra reps in the practice or just talking through things – we are definitely on the same page. Just have to go out there and continue getting the ball to him.
Q: Can you speak on not throwing an interception in two months?
A: Just protect the football. We know this team definitely needs the quarterback to protect the football. Moving forward every drive counts, as I’ve said before, and have to be smart with the football. Not saying play scared but just play smart and take advantage of the matchups that you get. But definitely stress from the quarterback position. You want to be able to take care of the football.
Q: LeSean McCoy seems to be up for this game?
A: Yeah, he’s definitely excited. I mean anytime you get a chance to play against a team that you’ve been with for basically your whole career, you definitely get excited, get pumped for these games. Definitely important to him. Just as every game is important. But just probably a different taste in his mouth when it comes to going back and playing against a team that you played with.
Q: Is his attitude in the locker room different this week?
A: Nah, he’s always the same guy. Always excited, funny to be around. You can just tell that he’s excited for this game, as he should be, and I’m pretty sure he had this one marked on the calendar once this trade happened and he found out what team he was going to. That he was gonna get a chance to play against his older team.
Q: With that said it’s another huge game for you guys.
A: Definitely.
Q: What’s the mindset for you guys with you back against the wall?
A: Definitely. Take it one day at a time in preparation and let our preparation, take it over to the field and go out there and play a sound football game. We knew it was gonna be challenges. There’s always challenges once you go on the road. But we’re working hard each and every day. Getting ourselves ready for this game. We can’t really worry about the things we can’t control. Just go out there and play our style football and let everything else take care of itself.
WR Sammy Watkins
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Q: This is a big game for Shady obviously. What has he told you guys so far this week?
A: Same thing he tells us every week, to be ready. This is his coming home party and we’re definitely confident and ready to play those guys.
Q: In terms of his return, does he seem a little more fired up this week? Is he saying anything special?
A: No, he’s ready. Right now, nobody can control him. Nobody knows what he’s going to go out there and do but I definitely can tell you he wants the ball and he’s ready to go out there and play against those guys.
Q: For you yourself, you’re playing potentially against Jaylen (Watkins) if he gets out there. What would that be like for you?
A: That would be the best matchup ever, to be competing against my little brother. He kind of knows what I do, I know what he does, so it would be a nice matchup.
Q: We saw you after the game exchanging jerseys with DeAndre (Hopkins). How did that come about and where is that jersey now?
A: It’s definitely going to be in a case, probably hanging up on a wall in my man cave one day. It’s just an honor to play against the guy that taught me everything from Clemson and a brother and a close guy that we still have that brotherhood and that connection and to exchange jerseys and be on the same field in the NFL with the same dreams and aspirations, it’s great.
Filed under: Buffalo Bills
Tagged with: Buffalo Bills, Chip Kelly, Eagles, LeSean McCoy
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