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Press Pass | Coen Reflects on Performance in Week 1 Win, Fast Start & High-Level Play · Press Pass

• 0:02
  Speaker 1: You had a little bit of time to kind of
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: reflect on. You got one game under your belt. How
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: do you feel kind of moving forward with that kind
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: of performance you were looking for to start the year? Yeah,
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: I think that the guys came out and tried to
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: do what we asked them to do in terms of
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: starting fast, play some complimentary football, which I also was
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: harping on, taking advantage of, obviously, the opportunities that we
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: had with some of the turnovers. Was it perfect? No,
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: by any means, but A lot to clean up and
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: coach off of, some technique and a couple of things
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: that we need to continue to work on and coach on.
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: But I was pleased with their energy, the way that
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: they executed some situations and jumped out to a fast start,
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: which is something that we've really been harping on. You
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: got a couple of some game action right now. I
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: think they played great. You know, a ton to work on,
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: but like Bork, you really look at that. I think
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: Bork played the most of any rookie tight end, I think,
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: in the NFL and played a ton of snaps, did
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: a lot of really good things in the run game.
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: You know, it was good to get kind of foyer
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: out of there in the fourth quarter and got Branson
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: a ton of reps at linebacker. So Caleb Ransaw played
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: his first real NFL experience game in a regular season
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: and did some nice things. So it was definitely good
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: to get a bunch of those guys reps. I think
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: they handled the moment the right way. I don't think
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: it was too big for them. Now, obviously, we're going
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: into a different atmosphere here this week, which will be
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: a huge test for us. Did some really good things
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: in pass pro specifically, like when he was one on
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: one in pass protection, he did a phenomenal job of
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: sitting down, anchoring and pass pro. I moved some people
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: at the point of attack, had a couple of things
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: At the second level and a few pulls, that got
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: a little bit jacked up. But I thought he played
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: really well for his first career start. I thought it
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: was a good mix. You know, we wanted to– yeah, yeah.
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: I mean, I guess– The way the game kind of
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: went in ways we probably were in some more heavier stuff,
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: specifically in the second half, than maybe it would have
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: normally been in ways. But I wanted to get those
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: guys reps. I wanted to kind of get those guys
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: some more experience, knowing that, especially early on, the receivers
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: all kind of got involved and did some things, which
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: where we were in the second half, I kind of
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: wanted to get those other guys some more reps. Yeah,
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: I think it can continue to be a weapon for
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: us to be able to be balanced in some of
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: those settings and do a little bit more out of
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: those groups to continue to help out, especially when you
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: get injuries. And as you know, things down the line
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: will come. The more experience and opportunities that we can
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: get those guys reps only helps us out. That part
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: of why Nate was drafted was the idea of now
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: Brent can be used in a way that he likes
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: him to be used because of 42 active tight ends
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: on game day. Do you feel like you're already putting
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: him in those positions or is that going to be
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: a slow? Yeah, I think it's probably an as-we-go thing.
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: I think it's great to get Nate going and especially
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: taking some of those hard downs away from Strange in
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: some ways and being able to be at the point
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: of attack not every single time thought it was cool to–
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: all right, Strange hadn't really gotten involved yet, and on
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: the drive I said it to the staff on the headset.
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: It's like, hey, we want to get– I want to
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: get Strange going here. And on that drive we targeted
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: him on the in-break. He was a little bit behind.
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: It got broken up, and then we ended up throwing
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: the touchdown to him a few plays later. So I
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: do think that will come. You know, it's hard in
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: week one to truly– get every single thing that you
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: wanted to get done within, especially with the way the
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: game went in so many ways. But I do think
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: that'll come. Yeah, just like targeting-wise, specifically if you're going
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: to be in second and long and potentially running the football,
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: it can mess with some targets. It's the evolution and
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: development of Caleb and getting that next third safety on
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: the grass because we know moving Antonio around is a
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: good thing for our defense and being able to play
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: some different structures out of those groupings. It's something that
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: we've been working on that we want to continue to develop.
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: You're always trying to get the fastest 11 on the grass, right?
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: You're continuously trying to look at your personnel versus what
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: they do and how you can continue to get faster.
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: As we know, this game, you saw a lot of
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: points being scored around the NFL yesterday, and so. that's
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: something that you want to always try to combat because,
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: you know, look, yes, the heavier groupings are occurring, but
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: it's still a lot of passes being, you know, thrown
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: around the league, a lot of passes going down the field,
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: a lot of explosives. So you're always trying to combat
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: that with faster skill players on defense. when you're coming up?
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: I guess normally you say a short week when the
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: team plays on Monday night, but week one, does that
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: make it kind of a short week? Yeah, it does.
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: I mean, we obviously have a lot of work to
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: get done from now until the game is actually played tonight,
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: so the coaches are extremely busy looking at obviously Denver
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: post when we played them and sort of how they looked.
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: We can look at the preseason a little bit because
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: we obviously they have a new coordinator calling plays and
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: what his flow looked like and some of the rhythm
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: and ways that he called the game we can look
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: at those but yeah we got to wait a little
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: bit to see what they truly look like tonight so
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: it'll be a late night for us as coaches and
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: an early morning to get started so it does leave
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: you a little bit behind from that standpoint but We
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: did play them late in the year, which does give
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: us at least an idea of who they are, what
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: they were like in a lot of ways. Be able
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: to get a lot of the scouting report information and
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: some of the minutiae stuff that we get to a
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: little bit earlier in this day. But yeah, we got
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: to wait a little bit to get to see them
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: really perform tonight. What do you think about Ventrell? Yeah,
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: he played well on defense for sure. I thought he
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: was active, played physical with his hands. He's done a
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: phenomenal job, I think, even dating back to last year
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: when he got in there of ball disruption. He had
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: another punch out yesterday. A couple of times, man, they
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: had receivers maybe trying to crack him and he physical
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: just bullied him, did some good things. You know, we
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: need to continue to get more out of him on
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: kickoff and him be an asset to us in that phase.
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: as Devin was really for us as well last year.
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: But I thought he did a nice job on defense
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: and really in his first true outing starting for us
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: in that setting. I thought he did a nice job. Yeah. Yeah, that's,
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: it is impressive, you know, to be off schedule and
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: play creatively when it, It is very challenging in the
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: preseason in training camp because you just don't get so
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: many reps at that. The whistle blows quicker in training camp,
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: as you know, and he's sitting there in a red
• 7:41
  Speaker 1: jersey every day. And so it was great to see
• 7:45
  Speaker 1: him be able to play off schedule, extend plays. All right,
• 7:49
  Speaker 1: the play's not over just because maybe in timing and
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: rhythm it wasn't there or he had to move off
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: his spot. That is great for us to have this
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: early on in the season, as we know is such
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: a weapon for us towards the back half of last year.
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: And so it was great to see. I know the
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: wideouts love it because it continues to allow them opportunities
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: to make plays down the field. The offensive line really
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: appreciates it because now he's moving off his spot, not
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: just standing there like a statue and allowing them to
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: tee off on him. So I was very pleased to
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: see that early on in the season as something that
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: we looked at last year as a huge positive for
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: our team. Since the beginning of last year, Lawrence has
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: been called three times for the pass. Yeah. How frustrating
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: is that? Yeah, I mean, you know, I think sometimes
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: when you're playing fast, right, like things are going fast,
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: you're on the run, something I've talked to him about
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: and trying to work through is like, You are fast
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: as it is. You can run. You cover ground as
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: being as large as you are so that when you
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: get on the move, whether it's on a bootleg, on
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: a play-action boot, or you're scrambling, you don't need to
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: be necessarily sprinting. You don't need to be going fast.
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: 100 miles an hour when you do that. Like you
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: can be at 85% and still be running away from
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: people because you can. And so to try to slow
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: them down a little bit is something we've tried to talk,
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: you know, we've talked about it. It's challenging to kind
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: of always put into practice at times. And so that's
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: just something that unfortunately has happened to them a few
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: times throughout the course of the last year, especially. And
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: Something I know he doesn't want to continue to put
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: on tape. Much more impressed for you with the touchdown
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: throw to Cameron after you saw it on tape. Yeah,
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: that was a dot. I mean, that was an absolute
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: dot through four defenders to trust Josh in that moment.
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: He had Josh and Jacoby were kind of the either-or there.
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: We scored on that exact play in the joint practice
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: against Carolina, and he threw it to Jacoby. And the
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: safety happened to be kind of lean in that way.
• 10:07
  Speaker 1: Jacoby didn't have great leverage on the play, and I
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: thought he did a really nice job coming off the
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: action with his eyes and then just making the decision
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: right now, no hesitation, put that ball in only one
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: spot that we can make the play. And then Josh
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: obviously being strong hands, protecting himself away from the safety
• 10:28
  Speaker 1: on the throw. That was high level football. I mean,
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: that's an NFL, you know, open touchdown, right? Like it's
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: not always going to be wide open. People aren't always
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: going to be screaming wide open in this league. And
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: to see that in week one was extremely encouraging, especially
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: for Josh's first career catch. You know, I don't know.
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: I think that with the way our defense was playing,
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: they had just stuffed us, I think, on third down.
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: And I wanted to get Cam in there. You know,
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: I like wanted, it's not like, you know, you want
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: to get everybody involved in the game, right? And so
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: at that point, I felt like points were necessary. You
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: want to just continue to score points and, Would a
• 11:19
  Speaker 1: part of me want to go for it? Absolutely. But
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: I felt confident making the decision. I know the offense
• 11:25
  Speaker 1: wanted to stay on the grass, which I appreciate. But
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: I think early in the year, just, man, let's go
• 11:31
  Speaker 1: get some points. We're up 14-0. Let's get Cam involved.
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: Let's get him going a little bit. And the way
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: the defense was playing, I felt confident we'd get some
• 11:40
  Speaker 1: more ops to be able to score some more touchdowns.
• 11:43
  Speaker 1: evaluation of facial tootin' and the rest of the running
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: game after getting to rewatch the whole thing? Yeah, I think. Tootin'
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: ran his tail off, man. He ran hard. I think maybe,
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: you know, the first run of the day, the first
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: play of the day, I think we maybe had a
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: chance to keep that thing inside, but there was a
• 11:59
  Speaker 1: little color that he did see that allowed him to
• 12:03
  Speaker 1: bounce it. So I don't think he missed many reads, personally.
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: I thought he ran through arm tackles a ton. something
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: we got to keep working on him with though is
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: like when we get in the open field and you
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: have a one-on-one defender is just going to close the
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: space a little bit before you make a move but
• 12:22
  Speaker 1: I thought he did some nice things he ran his
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: tail off like I said and if we can continue
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: to get him to run like that and then okay
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: you break one more of those tackles in the open
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: field and we know he can go when he does
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: get some of those creases so I was pleased with it.
• 12:39
  Speaker 1: I think more at the end of the game, some
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: of that probably took us down from an average standpoint
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: when we were just running it out at the end
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: of the game. But when it was still really a
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: ball game and we were running and passing, I thought
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: we were efficient in being able to keep us on schedule.
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: I thought our tight ends blocked their asses off. Quentin
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: Morris did some really good things at the point of attack.
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: I mentioned Bork. Strange was involved in there as well,
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: and I think the receivers did a really nice job
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: out on the perimeter doing their job, kind of keeping
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: feisty and feisty, making last significant contact and touch at
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: the end there, which typically pisses off the DBs a
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: little bit and be a little bit of the agitator,
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: if you will, out there at receiver. So, you know,
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: it truly takes all 11 in this offense to run
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: the football, and I think our guys did a nice job. Yeah,
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: he did good. He did well. He was confident, held
• 13:41
  Speaker 1: his own, got the work that we wanted him to get,
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: knowing that he hasn't played a ton. The plan really
• 13:50
  Speaker 1: was if he was going to be able to go,
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: that we would try to just limit it to a
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: half and get him that work. And now we've got
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: all this week of him being able to take those
• 13:59
  Speaker 1: reps and get more conditioning so that he's ready to go. Obviously,
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: going into Denver, that's something we have to be aware
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: of as a team, but especially Cole not having played
• 14:09
  Speaker 1: a ton. But he was pumped. I mean, he was excited.
• 14:12
  Speaker 1: He was happy about the way he performed. that he
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: went out there and just let it rip and cut
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: it loose. I was pleased with him. He did some
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: really good things for us. Yeah, I mean, figure out
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: when the injury report comes out, you know. But I
• 14:29
  Speaker 1: fully imagine him being able to play this game, no issues,
• 14:33
  Speaker 1: just might not be able to get hit throughout the
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: week or something. Thanks, Coach. Yeah, go ahead. Yeah, it's probably–
• 14:43
  Speaker 1: Going to be a little bit. We'll figure it out.
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: But fully expect, you know, Brian Thomas Jr. to be
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: active this week probably.