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Press Pass | Doug Pederson: "It show's they're buying in..." · Press Pass

0:00
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean it was. I mean, you're going back
0:33
Speaker 1: to the Houston game, you know, being able to get
0:35
Speaker 1: some guys out of that football game to give him
0:37
Speaker 1: a little bit of rest, you know, going into that
0:40
Speaker 1: uh Tennessee week. Um, but everything everything went well. You know,
0:46
Speaker 1: we had a good week of preparation. Guys. Guys handled it.
0:49
Speaker 1: You know, Um, even though it was a little bit
0:50
Speaker 1: of a shorter um, you know, time frame for us,
0:53
Speaker 1: but the guys handled it well. Good week prep and um,
0:56
Speaker 1: you know, did did a nice jobs. They're they're comfortable
0:58
Speaker 1: with that schedule. Can no, No, just more Michael was
1:04
Speaker 1: in the game plan. Um no, Well we'll do it.
1:12
Speaker 1: We'll do it off the record obviously, this Saturday night
1:18
Speaker 1: prime time matchup of these quarterbacks, Justin and Trevor. When
1:22
Speaker 1: you look at the whole a FC, everybody who's in
1:25
Speaker 1: the playoffs, it seems like the top quarterbacks from one
1:29
Speaker 1: through seven, providing Lamar and two are healthy enough to play,
1:33
Speaker 1: are in this. So could you just talk a little
1:35
Speaker 1: bit about just having a conference just loaded Well, Young,
1:41
Speaker 1: I mean, it's exciting, it's exciting for the game, you know,
1:45
Speaker 1: it's exciting for fans, the league, the whole thing to
1:47
Speaker 1: have these young young quarterbacks who are you know, year
1:50
Speaker 1: in year out, um, you know, vying for these postseason spots,
1:55
Speaker 1: and now Trevor gets his opportunity, right and and um,
1:59
Speaker 1: it just it just goes to show you that, you
2:01
Speaker 1: know that how how important that position is as we know,
2:05
Speaker 1: and um, we're just fortunate and blessed to have have
2:09
Speaker 1: Trevor as our guy, you know, and how much he's
2:12
Speaker 1: improved over the course of the season and uh, you know,
2:15
Speaker 1: leading this football team and and really really looking forward
2:19
Speaker 1: to to watching him now on this this type of stage.
2:22
Speaker 1: You know, last week was was was a step for
2:24
Speaker 1: him obviously. Now this is another another step in that direction.
2:28
Speaker 1: And um, but yeah, the list you mentioned, you know,
2:31
Speaker 1: particularly in the a f C. It's it's a good
2:33
Speaker 1: group right now ages basically twenty three to twenty seven.
2:38
Speaker 1: When you look back when when you were growing up
2:40
Speaker 1: and you look at at the eighties, particularly with Alway,
2:43
Speaker 1: with Marino, with Kelly, with Boomer, uh, Steve Young, Joe Montange,
2:48
Speaker 1: I mean yeah, I mean, I mean it was right there.
2:50
Speaker 1: It's kind of the same kind of the same thing.
2:53
Speaker 1: You know, all those guys back then, Um, a lot
2:55
Speaker 1: of them were in the league when I was when
2:57
Speaker 1: I was playing, you know, as a rookie or first
2:58
Speaker 1: year player and got a chance to watch these guys firsthand.
3:01
Speaker 1: But you know, we're we're we're kind of fast forward
3:04
Speaker 1: now into the you know, to where we are today,
3:06
Speaker 1: and it's kind of very similar. You know, these guys
3:08
Speaker 1: are these are all very capable, capable men to to
3:11
Speaker 1: to win these typic of football games. And that's why
3:14
Speaker 1: that's why it's it's exciting this time of year. These
3:16
Speaker 1: guys prepared a little bit more because of you know,
3:18
Speaker 1: all the seven on seven camps, just getting ready earlier
3:22
Speaker 1: to be you know, you know, there there's a lot
3:25
Speaker 1: more exposure obviously with the with these younger guys today,
3:29
Speaker 1: whether they're you know, prepared um or not, just it
3:34
Speaker 1: just depends on when you get them and how how
3:36
Speaker 1: you coach them up. I do think that their exposure
3:39
Speaker 1: to you know, the social media and media in general, um,
3:44
Speaker 1: you know, uh kinda prepares them a little bit for
3:47
Speaker 1: for what's at stake and kind of magnifies and amplifies
3:52
Speaker 1: the games just a little bit. But you know, these
3:55
Speaker 1: guys are as prepared as the older veteran guys. You
4:00
Speaker 1: know years ago we're and uh, you know it's still
4:03
Speaker 1: the same excitement and the offense has been a little
4:06
Speaker 1: flat for a few weeks in a row. Now, I'm
4:09
Speaker 1: not not concerned, but we've got to do a job,
4:12
Speaker 1: you know, this week in preparation. We've gotta get our
4:14
Speaker 1: guys prepared and they gotta you know, we gotta get
4:16
Speaker 1: them focused in a little bit, you know, um, for
4:20
Speaker 1: whatever reason. But you know, I'm not I'm not concerned
4:24
Speaker 1: from the standpoint. We've kind of been through it, you know,
4:27
Speaker 1: this season. Obviously, now it's not the time to take
4:29
Speaker 1: a step back and um, but but really looking forward
4:34
Speaker 1: to this week in preparation and um, you know for
4:37
Speaker 1: this game Saturday night, And you've already seen the Chargers
4:39
Speaker 1: once this year that was Week three though how much
4:41
Speaker 1: of they changed since then? Yeah, I mean that's a
4:43
Speaker 1: long time ago. I mean, you know, there's some new
4:45
Speaker 1: faces on their side, there's some new faces on our side.
4:48
Speaker 1: And you know, schematically probably both the same, you know,
4:51
Speaker 1: with us and with them, and and and really again
4:54
Speaker 1: we've talked about it a lot. I mean, you're not
4:55
Speaker 1: gonna You're not gonna trick anybody. It just comes down
4:57
Speaker 1: to execution, you know, both sides of them, them them
5:00
Speaker 1: and us, and um, I'm looking forward to it watching
5:04
Speaker 1: our guys again on this type of stage. You know,
5:06
Speaker 1: we haven't been there, you know, this team and obviously
5:09
Speaker 1: uh how to be a great atmosphere of home game
5:12
Speaker 1: for us and and really looking looking forward to watching
5:15
Speaker 1: our guys performing for them. Do you align more on
5:18
Speaker 1: that Week three taper? They are more recent footage when
5:20
Speaker 1: you're trying to figure out exactly what to expect, you know,
5:23
Speaker 1: I think you go back and you watch it and
5:26
Speaker 1: you see, um, you know, from a just from an
5:30
Speaker 1: X and O standpoint, you know, and and personnel standpoint
5:33
Speaker 1: kind of how how we attack them, how they attacked us,
5:36
Speaker 1: you know, both sides of all and special teams. And
5:38
Speaker 1: then you kind of look at the whole body of
5:41
Speaker 1: work since you know, and if there's anything that's changed
5:43
Speaker 1: and why it changed and um, you know, and then
5:47
Speaker 1: you put your game plan together you know that way
5:49
Speaker 1: and according to that and um, you know this is
5:51
Speaker 1: a good football team. Um. You know they got a
5:54
Speaker 1: great young quarterback as well, and and uh you know, um,
5:59
Speaker 1: just I know that be they'll be ready to go.
6:01
Speaker 1: They're looking forward to this opportunity just like we are.
6:03
Speaker 1: You talk a lot about area players trust. What were
6:07
Speaker 1: the meanings of that, Like, what was the first thing
6:09
Speaker 1: he did do that specific or a couple of instances
6:12
Speaker 1: where you did well. I think it started back in
6:14
Speaker 1: the off season when when we got together for the
6:16
Speaker 1: first couple of days, you know, in April. Um, I
6:20
Speaker 1: just wanted them kind of the biggest thing was get
6:23
Speaker 1: to know me, you know, um, really not as the
6:26
Speaker 1: head coach, but just as a as a guy, you know,
6:29
Speaker 1: and and obviously in the head coaching role, but just
6:34
Speaker 1: to see that, you know, um, how they could gain
6:37
Speaker 1: my trust, and and that was to be open and
6:41
Speaker 1: honest and transparent with them, and and just show them
6:45
Speaker 1: exactly how the off season program was going to go.
6:48
Speaker 1: Gave him a calendar, you know from day one that says, hey,
6:51
Speaker 1: these are the these are the days we're gonna work easier,
6:54
Speaker 1: you know, days you're going to be off. And you
6:56
Speaker 1: just slowly start gaining their trust. And and as we
7:00
Speaker 1: got into it, um, you know, I think I think
7:06
Speaker 1: that's when they're tension maybe eased a little bit and
7:10
Speaker 1: they got more comfortable with who I am and who
7:13
Speaker 1: I was at the time, and um, you know, and
7:18
Speaker 1: then it just just built just builds from there. And
7:21
Speaker 1: the more the more you know, honest I can be,
7:25
Speaker 1: and I'll be and I'll be honest with him in
7:27
Speaker 1: a in a in a way that you know, from
7:30
Speaker 1: a correction standpoint right on the field. UM, I'll be
7:33
Speaker 1: honest with them if they if they act up off
7:35
Speaker 1: the field, I'll just I'll just keep presenting the same
7:39
Speaker 1: you know, the same message the whole time. And and
7:43
Speaker 1: I think that just slowly gains their trust, you know,
7:46
Speaker 1: as we um, you headed into training camp and obviously
7:49
Speaker 1: through the season, the Veterans Mini camp on a major
7:54
Speaker 1: brownie point as well. I mean you look back at
7:58
Speaker 1: it now and you go, did those days matter? You know, honestly,
8:02
Speaker 1: um and and quite frankly, you know, sometimes your team
8:05
Speaker 1: is a little bit different in the spring than they
8:07
Speaker 1: are sitting here in mid January, and um, you know,
8:11
Speaker 1: but but yeah, I mean you know, stuff like that
8:13
Speaker 1: can go a long way, uh to to to building
8:16
Speaker 1: you know, team unity, team camaraderie, um and and the
8:20
Speaker 1: kind of catapulty into camp when my trust you know,
8:27
Speaker 1: I I really felt it coming coming into training camp,
8:32
Speaker 1: you know with this group, UM, still work in progress obviously,
8:36
Speaker 1: But I think again, the more we got to know
8:38
Speaker 1: each other, they got to know me, I got to
8:40
Speaker 1: know them, And the more more time we spent together
8:43
Speaker 1: is when, you know, when things really began to kind
8:46
Speaker 1: of click and felt like he had a good cohesive
8:48
Speaker 1: group and and we were kind of had moved on
8:50
Speaker 1: from from the past and we were focused on on
8:54
Speaker 1: the upcoming year. I know it's still going, but does
8:56
Speaker 1: it make it a little bit more rewarding to you
8:58
Speaker 1: knowing the obstacles of building trust with the team that
9:01
Speaker 1: had been broken that you have to kind of go
9:03
Speaker 1: through to get to this point. I really think that's
9:06
Speaker 1: why we're here, you know, um being able to work
9:09
Speaker 1: through some of those issues and challenges you know, back then,
9:12
Speaker 1: and you know, that's that's part of this this game,
9:16
Speaker 1: you know. And and I've gotta be able to trust
9:18
Speaker 1: the players just like they be able to trust me, Um,
9:21
Speaker 1: not only on the field, but off the field as well.
9:23
Speaker 1: And then and then the players have to trust each
9:24
Speaker 1: other on the football field and off the football field
9:27
Speaker 1: as well. So there's been you know, all those things
9:31
Speaker 1: that we went through. Maybe what they went through has
9:34
Speaker 1: kind of prepared us, you know, for for moments like this.
9:38
Speaker 1: You talked earlier in the season about the team need
9:41
Speaker 1: to learn how to win. You guys are able to
9:43
Speaker 1: do that. You've wont shootouts, you've won blowouts, you've want,
9:46
Speaker 1: you know, coming back from behind. But you know, it
9:48
Speaker 1: seemed like Saturday was the first win where it was
9:51
Speaker 1: almost like a like a slug fest. What does that
9:55
Speaker 1: sort of say about your team to be able to
9:57
Speaker 1: win all these different kinds of ways, specific pointings Saturday,
10:00
Speaker 1: how wins and wins win. Um, it's hard to win
10:03
Speaker 1: in this league. And I don't care how you do it. Um,
10:06
Speaker 1: you know, bottom line is you've gotta try to figure
10:08
Speaker 1: out a way. And sometimes you're gonna score forty. Sometimes
10:11
Speaker 1: you're gonna score you know, or ten. And you know,
10:16
Speaker 1: sometimes the offense is hot and sometimes they're not. You know,
10:19
Speaker 1: defense is is smoking or special teams, whoever it might be.
10:22
Speaker 1: And and that was the type of game it was,
10:24
Speaker 1: you know, this past Saturday. I mean, that's a that's
10:27
Speaker 1: a good football team. You know that that we played
10:29
Speaker 1: And look, they were playing for the same things we
10:32
Speaker 1: were playing for. And and that was a win. And
10:34
Speaker 1: in scenario, wasn't our best offensively? We know that. Um,
10:39
Speaker 1: but it was one of our best games defensively and
10:41
Speaker 1: on special teams. So, um, that's just how football seasons go,
10:46
Speaker 1: That's how that's how teams go. And and um, you
10:49
Speaker 1: know this time of year, it really it really doesn't
10:53
Speaker 1: matter as long as you figure out a way, you know,
10:55
Speaker 1: to win that game. Defense. The last month or so,
10:58
Speaker 1: it's made big plays and big moments. Yeah, they might
11:01
Speaker 1: have given them some scoring here and there, but then
11:03
Speaker 1: they make the pick six gives down. Is that is
11:06
Speaker 1: an execution of it's better than the stretch? What is?
11:09
Speaker 1: I think again, it just comes down to the trust
11:11
Speaker 1: factor with within the within the unit, you know, and
11:14
Speaker 1: and uh, you know, trusting the coordinator who making you know,
11:17
Speaker 1: or the play caller to make the make the call
11:19
Speaker 1: and then it may not be the best call at
11:22
Speaker 1: the time, but the players seem to make it work right.
11:24
Speaker 1: And that's that's when you know, you gotta you've got
11:27
Speaker 1: a team that that believes in what what you're doing.
11:29
Speaker 1: And and they're growing together as a unit, and you're
11:33
Speaker 1: seeing it with the defense, you know, you're seeing it
11:35
Speaker 1: with the offense. Special teams is kind of they kind
11:38
Speaker 1: of they kind of maybe started a little bit sooner,
11:41
Speaker 1: you know, than than the other two units. But now
11:45
Speaker 1: you're seeing it as a team and and that's that's
11:47
Speaker 1: the important thing. Again. You talk about peeking at the
11:51
Speaker 1: right time. Well, you know that that started for us,
11:55
Speaker 1: you know, December and now here in early January where
11:59
Speaker 1: where you're you're starting to come together and figure some
12:01
Speaker 1: things out. You mentioned you going back to that preparation.
12:04
Speaker 1: I think one of the things you mentioned last week
12:06
Speaker 1: was a concern about the long day on Saturday before
12:09
Speaker 1: the night game, because they haven't had a whole lot
12:11
Speaker 1: of night games. What did you advise them to do
12:13
Speaker 1: that day anything? In pul I just told him to
12:16
Speaker 1: get off their feet, you know, to rest, take a nap,
12:19
Speaker 1: you know, maybe watch some more tape. Whatever they could
12:21
Speaker 1: do just to you know, I didn't want them running
12:24
Speaker 1: around town or you know, spend a lot of time
12:27
Speaker 1: at home with family and friends, because sometimes I can
12:29
Speaker 1: pull you away and drain you a little bit mentally
12:32
Speaker 1: as well. But just if they could just get away
12:35
Speaker 1: and take you know, take some time for themselves and
12:38
Speaker 1: and then and then get over here and get ready
12:40
Speaker 1: to play. But you know it's a long day. Um,
12:43
Speaker 1: we got together, We did some meetings and and things
12:45
Speaker 1: like that, you know, on that on game day. But
12:48
Speaker 1: you know, for the most part, um, guys did a
12:50
Speaker 1: nice job of just handling you know, their their particular business.
12:53
Speaker 1: Did you have come to say any earlier than now? Now?
12:58
Speaker 1: Kept the schedule the same, didn't change up. You know,
13:02
Speaker 1: UM not a big believer in changing just because we've
13:05
Speaker 1: got a big game or you know, now a postseason game.
13:08
Speaker 1: But just keep everything the same. But just advise them that, hey,
13:12
Speaker 1: in these moments, you know, you don't want you you
13:15
Speaker 1: don't want your emotions to control you. You know, you've
13:17
Speaker 1: got to control the emotion. And and uh, that's you know,
13:20
Speaker 1: that's what they did introverse front and seven specifically what
13:24
Speaker 1: was the same. And so many guys even like they're
13:26
Speaker 1: playing their best football the season. It feels I can
13:28
Speaker 1: go kind of up and down the list. I mean again,
13:32
Speaker 1: it just shows that they're they're buying in, you know,
13:35
Speaker 1: to to you know, to what um, you know, the
13:40
Speaker 1: defense and what Mike has you know, been talking about
13:43
Speaker 1: in the scheme and and look, it takes time, you know,
13:46
Speaker 1: it takes a little time to gel as a unit.
13:49
Speaker 1: Sometimes it's faster, sometimes it's slower. And you know it,
13:53
Speaker 1: but it but it takes time. And and you're now
13:55
Speaker 1: seeing that and kind of sticking with it. And you know, um,
14:00
Speaker 1: you're not reinventing the wheel, you know on offense or defense.
14:03
Speaker 1: You're sticking to your basically your game plan for the
14:05
Speaker 1: season and what you're trying to get accomplished that week.
14:07
Speaker 1: And um, you know the players again, the players are
14:13
Speaker 1: just bought into that. And and that's uh, that's that
14:15
Speaker 1: the trust factor that you talked about it. What have
14:20
Speaker 1: you What have you seen in his brief time here
14:23
Speaker 1: from Corey Peters? I mean a little bit of a
14:25
Speaker 1: later rival to the locker room party, right, But what
14:28
Speaker 1: kind of influence impact have you seen so far? Yeah? No,
14:31
Speaker 1: you know, um, veteran guys, played a lot of football. Um,
14:37
Speaker 1: really somebody that's really kind of anchored the center of
14:39
Speaker 1: that that d line. You know when you're you're starting
14:42
Speaker 1: to see you know, his impact. He had a great
14:45
Speaker 1: game you know the other night, and uh it was
14:48
Speaker 1: good to see good to see him, good to see Roy,
14:50
Speaker 1: good to see you know d Ham. Those guys you
14:53
Speaker 1: know play well and play play well together, and you
14:56
Speaker 1: know he's just a humble guy that that takes his
14:58
Speaker 1: you know, takes his snaps when he and get him,
15:00
Speaker 1: and he makes the most of his opportunity. And you know,
15:03
Speaker 1: he's been he's been really good leader for that group.
15:05
Speaker 1: What did you you recall, I mean, just did like
15:08
Speaker 1: trying to come up to you say, hey, I think
15:10
Speaker 1: we should go after Core? I mean, how did that? Yeah? No,
15:13
Speaker 1: we had we had conversation about it, and obviously, you know,
15:16
Speaker 1: Brentton Buckler's got some familiarity with him and coaching before
15:19
Speaker 1: and and so we had those meetings and those conversations,
15:22
Speaker 1: and we felt like he would be a good addition
15:24
Speaker 1: to the room. Big stage playoffs, A lot of guys
15:27
Speaker 1: on the roster haven't been there before. You talked about
15:29
Speaker 1: wanting to get them experience in these moments. Do you
15:32
Speaker 1: rely on some of the guys that have been there,
15:34
Speaker 1: done that kind of deal? Do you have maybe a
15:36
Speaker 1: Darius Williams who was on the biggest stage last year,
15:39
Speaker 1: talked to the team or anything like that this week.
15:41
Speaker 1: It's always a possibility. I haven't you know, thought about
15:44
Speaker 1: that yet, you know, but it is nice to have
15:46
Speaker 1: guys that have had some postgame or you know, uh,
15:49
Speaker 1: postseason experience. Um guys you can lean on and maybe
15:53
Speaker 1: just kind of voice, you know, voice their feelings on
15:56
Speaker 1: on how to handle you know, situations. I did it
15:58
Speaker 1: back in in seven team eighteen and had had some
16:01
Speaker 1: of those guys talk to the team, and it's sometimes
16:04
Speaker 1: now you get to this late in the year, they're
16:05
Speaker 1: they're tired of listening to me, you know, listening to
16:07
Speaker 1: their teammates a little bit and and just just just
16:10
Speaker 1: really to how, you know, how those guys prepared during
16:14
Speaker 1: the week and how they handle their week. Um, because
16:18
Speaker 1: now you know so you know, for us, the postseason
16:22
Speaker 1: started last week. You know, um, everything everything from last
16:26
Speaker 1: week on is a you know, win and continue a scenario.
16:29
Speaker 1: So guys like that can can bring a lot of
16:32
Speaker 1: information to to the rest of the team.