You can Feel the Confidence | Press Conference

You can Feel the Confidence | Press Conference

Um, I mean, it’s gonna be a good challenge for us. Um, it’s gonna be a good game to see where we stack up, but you know, we’re looking forward to it. Ready to go out there and, you know, see where we’re at. Um, it’s not much difference. I would just say it’s a lot more confidence, you know, in in every position group, you know, all around as a whole. You know, you can kind of feel the confidence when you’re on the field. Is that just year two for some of you guys in the system or is there something more to it than that? Um, a little bit of year two, a little bit just getting comfortable, you know, getting comfortable with the system, with the plays, you know, not out there trying to figure things out. You kind of got a feel for how coach like to call plays and what we like to run. I know it’s important every week, but, you know, given the fact rookie quarterback and loud loud environment, how important is the running game going to be this week? Oh, it’s going to be pressure. It’s going to be crucial. um you know with the loud crowd just being able to run the ball, being able to control the line of scrimmage and um you know control the the possession control possession time of the game. You know that’s that’s going to be big for us. Along those lines with you know with the environment you’ll be in. How important is it going to be to cut out the pre- snap penalties and not kind of beat yourself in that? Um it’s it’s major. That’s something that you know we’ve emphasized throughout this whole offseason. You know um self-inflicted negative. That’s what we call the sins and um you know that’s what we’ve been big on the whole offseason trying to minimize those and you know just just practicing out there with the loud music in the background just trying to get ourselves ready. Are you guys going into this game and this season kind of with a chip on your shoulder because you know now a lot of people are talking about the Tennessee I mean we love it you know we love to be the underdog. We love that you know everybody’s counting us out so it’s pretty much it’s nothing to lose. We just go out there and play ball. Um, I mean, just go out there and play with confidence, play the way we know we can, and um, you know, play to win, expect to win. Um, I do, but I haven’t done it yet, but that’s definitely something that I do. Good. Everybody’s excited. You know, getting to go on the road first game. It’s a huge test for us, a huge challenge. So, we’re all excited. We’re ready for the challenge. What do you see out of Denver defense? Obviously pretty good over there. Oh yeah, they got a really good defense. A lot of great players. You know, Bonito just got paid today, so he’s going to be on one. They got Tan, defensive player of the year. They got a lot of uh a lot of good a young young good rookie corner. They got a great interior with Graham and then Cooper and Bonito on the edges. They’re they’re they’re really good pass rushers. So for us on the tight end room, our a lot of our thing is going to be just ne negating the pass rush slowing them down. how much versatility that you guys have now with yourself and Gunner in there and the different things that you guys can add to to the offensive side. Yeah, I think me and Gunner have a great, you know, play style that that compensates each other. You know, he has a huge, you know, catch radius down the field and I’m a guy you can get the ball in my hands and I can go get it, you know, myself on feet. So, we have a good uh chemistry going in that room for us. Hostile environment, obviously, loud crowd, tough place to play. How important is it going to be to, you know, cut down on the pre- snap penalties, the self-inflicted stuff? That’s actually the biggest thing because going in there and just going in there and not being behind on the sticks is a huge thing. A lot of the teams that struggled against them a lot of times like they went in there and they were affected by that home crowd and they end up in a second and 15, first and 15 and it just kind of throws off the entire offense. So that’s that’s a huge emphasis for us. Jake, in terms of Cam, what do you think is most important for a rookie making his first and aar? I think just uh just going out there and not trying to force anything, you know, not trying to, you know, just try to think, oh, first game I got to show them, you know, exactly like, you know, why I’m the number one pick. Just go out there and just play the game that he knows how to play. You know, when the throws come that he needs to make, you know, just make them and just, you know, feel the offense. Are you guys going into this game and maybe this season with a chip on your shoulder just based on all the preseason talk or really non- talk about you guys? I mean, for sure. I mean, regardless of all that, anybody who’s been here like me, uh, who’s on the team from last year, I mean, we were literally the worst team in the league by statistics and rankings. So, we definitely have a chip on our shoulder, you know, that we got something to prove, you know, to the rest of the league. Are you doing anything specific to get ready for the altitude? No, just extra conditioning. That’s all that’s all you can really do, I feel like. Your coach, you know, towards the end of the season seem to really be wearing the losses. How’s his demeanor been heading into this week and and this season? anything different that you’ve noticed from from coach? Uh, no. I think just just positive just I think he’s he’s really fired up. Uh, he really, you know, believes in, you know, what we’ve done this off seasonason and he really believes in, you know, the plan and the guys on our team. So, he’s just really fired up and we’re kind of echoing his emotions, too. 100%. They those guys are smart, you know, they watch TV copies of the the film and they listen to um different calls that we make. They listen to the cadence, all different types of stuff. So, I mean, it’s a game with with inside the game, you know what I mean? Um, they’re professionals just like we are. So, we got to be on our details and bring our game. What about the altitude? You got you with the Steelers, you I think it was week three or week four, something like that. But, how did you handle that and what did you learn from then that you can spin forward now? Getting on that oxygen after every drive. Um, you know, it’s it’s really nothing that can compare prepare you for it. Um, it’s just going in trying to be as hydrated as possible, making sure you get some carbs, some salts in your body. Um, I think that we’re doing all the right things here to try to be proactive. Um, and the rest is like I said, just getting on that oxygen after every drive on the sideline. I know Dan, part of your oxygen is kind of getting used to different techniques, getting close to coach. How did all that go? How do you feel maybe heading into year one here? Yeah. Um, I think Coach Callie’s helped me a lot. I’m excited to get out there on Sunday and, you know, see what I look like game one against some some real competition. Um, but you know, I I think he’s helped me in my game and that’s what we talked about before me coming here. So, just want to see it coming to fruition. What kind of challenges does their defense present with all the pressure that they can bring from various angles? Yeah, I mean obviously up front they got a talented defensive line. So, um, those guys are good freshman. Um, and then obviously handling the extra pieces, the nickels, the the safety pressure. Um, I think they got some good linebacker pressure as well. So, we’re going to have a lot on our plate, but you know, it’s it’s up to us to figure it all out. Yeah. I mean, I don’t know if it means that much. Um, or even having like the label on the depth chart, does that means really anything? Um, I seen this interview with uh the Dolphins head coach talking about Ollie Gordon. Um, and he was like, he might play zero plays, he might play all the plays or somewhere in between. So, I’m taking that same type of mentality. Just get the opportunity that I have and take advantage of it. Callahan said one of the things that led to this was you being a more consistent player. What was it about you that made you more consistent? I know initially that was a little bit of something you were working on being more consistent. I I think I’m just a like I think my personality is very consistent and so if you’re consistent with your personality, I think a lot of times your performance can follow. Um and so I try to structure a routine for myself and follow it. Um and I think that helps with consistency. Was there something that clicked like maybe that Wednesday in Atlanta or anything like that to kind of spin you forward? Uh, I don’t think so. I don’t know if there’s can be like one thing to push like like coach Callahan said allegedly like you have to do stuff for a long period of time over and over again. I think that’s uh what the NFL is all about. Yeah. What what can you and Red and the tight ends and all the pass catchers do to kind of make life easier for Cam on Sunday? Catch the ball. That always works. Sounds like a sound strategy. What What have you learned about Denver’s defense? Obviously, Certain’s a stud and, you know, he may get rid a lot of uh attention, may open up more opportunities for you possibly. Yeah. I mean, at the end of the day, every defense you go against is good players, right? like they’re in the NFL. So like you’re not going to go out there and be going against shrimps like you go against good players every time. And so I’m treating it as such. Whoever I end up going against is going to end up being a good player. Um so I have to make be a good player too and make plays. Hostile environment, loud crowd. How important is it going to be to cut out the pre- snap penalties, you know, the self-inflicted stuff? Well, yeah. I mean, that’s important in any environment. Um those are the things that end up losing you games at the end of the day. And so you never want to have those. It seems like you and really all the other rookies have this very like calm, confident, composed demeanor. How has that worked as a strength or or maybe unifying factor for all of you? Uh I don’t know. I think maybe it’s the the scouting department did a good job of scouting like our character as well. um you know maybe they did their background check and then I think being a like I think that leads into consistency being a calm person always having the same type of attitude about you is a consistent trait.

Titans RB Tony Pollard, TE Chig Okonkwo, LT Dan Moore, and WR Elic Ayomanor address reporters on Thursday at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park.

00:00 – 02:01 – RB Tony Pollard
02:02 – 04:39 – TE Chig Okonkwo
04:40 – 06:13 – LT Dan Moore
06:15 – 09:02 – WR Elic Ayomanor

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