HC Jonathan Gannon Press Conference – 10.30.25 | AZ Cardinals

HC Jonathan Gannon Press Conference – 10.30.25 | AZ Cardinals

Happy Thursday. Um BJ will be out there today. Uh and so will everybody else. What you guys got? What does Garrett’s ramp up this week look like? Uh you know, get him back. Uh what do you mean as far as just what he’s doing? Yeah. How much are you putting on his plate? I guess this weekend. Sorry, Tyler. As much as we can. Um but it’s going to be health related. to see how the day goes and take it day by day, see how he’s doing this week, but he’s doing well. What are what are the kind of mile markers for Kyler this week to get him on the field? Get him fully healthy play. Nick was talking about yesterday that you holistically were talking about how to close out games better. Is there any insight you could share with us about what maybe the secret ingredient that might have been missing is? No secret ingredient. uh work, you know, uh coach better and play better details, you know, there’s no magic sauce. It’s just you just got to play better. Just in the portion that we were out there on uh on Tuesday, it seemed like Kyler was able to do a little bit more. How beneficial was that extra week of rest for him? I think for everybody, you know, um just, you know, it, you know, with your health bucket, you start playing games and that the the trains rolling, I think, for everybody. I I actually thought, well, you guys leave at that point, but the the offense versus defense was the the pace was really good. Um, and you know, I laugh, but it’s like, oh, they’re juiced up to play. They are, but they’re rested, you know, and it looks a little bit different. So, um, it was very beneficial. Are you preparing him to start? Yeah. What’s the advantage to not naming officially a starter until I don’t know some Sunday or even Monday this week? Is there one in terms of what they can do, how they can prepare for you guys? No. where you start when you’ve got such kind of a three-headed monster in the passing game that you’re going up against. You’ve got Pickkins, Sidi, Ferguson at the tight end position. Where do you even begin to kind of start the game? Just made me nervous with that question, Bo. You just made me nervous with that question. Yeah, that’s uh I mean, that’s why their stats are what their stats are. You know, this is a very explosive offense. Um they got a bunch of playmakers and I would add on a couple other guys, too, that you didn’t talk about. The back’s really good. Um, their third wide receiver is really good in my opinion, too. And and Dak’s a premium player, you know. So, whatever structures you’re in, however you’re playing, you you got to play well. and and you also know that um you got to really do a really good job of knowing um where the strength and the stress of the call is because how you play, they’re going to get their touches and make their catches and yards. Um but you got to pick and choose your spots and make sure that when we’re calling a call that takes away something um that that doesn’t beat you. So, but you know, obviously I got a high opinion of Dak. He’s been a good player for a long time and he’s got some more daddies out there with him, which is why they put up, you know, what they put up. So, it’s big- time offense, big time challenge. Players often talk about Sunday, Monday night, kind of the the extra juice of getting to play on that stage. As a coach, is there extra juice getting play coach on that stage? No. Good question. We were just talking about it. No, the whole uhun dun, you know, but um no, it’s it’s we got to play well to win a game. It’s, you know, our eighth game to me. When you come back from the buy, I know you’re talking about resetting and kind of bringing everybody back into the thing, into the swing of things. Do you set the scene for what the rest of the year looks like in terms of trying to crave that path uh that could get you guys towards the postseason? I know it starts one game at a time and the focus is on Dallas, but how do you set the scene for what the rest of the season’s supposed to look like? Yeah, I mean, we we don’t talk too much about the future. We’re more process on the day and the week. Um, I did give them a little bit of history um with myself. Um, not to say that that they even care about it, but uh, you know, there everybody in that locker room has been in some different spots, you know what I mean? And and that’s not to, you know, deflect or give them hope or anything like that. They know they’re pro football players. Like they they want to play well and win a game. Um and you know, and like I said, like we’re in a little bit of a hole, but that’s in the past. You can’t control that now. Uh what you can control today, you know, and that’s what our main focus is. Is there any extra challenge preparing offensive defensively against a guy who’s so familiar with with your team like Clayton Adams? A little bit. Yeah. I mean, you know, obviously, you know, he’s he was in our building for two years and um I would think more for us defensively going against their offense when you put together a plan. Um what does he like to do? What did he what were some of his adjustments when we go when we practice versus each other? and obviously talking with him and knowing him a long time, um what he believes in, what his adjustments, all that stuff. But at the end of the day, you know, they they have different players, they have different schemes, we have different players, different schemes. So, um it’s going to come down to blocking and defeating blocks and tackling and covering and for them throwing, catching, and running. You know, it’s fundamentals. After watching Walton Pads, what have you learned about him? [Music] I don’t know. Nothing really. I mean, what do you mean in pads? You watch practice just kind of Yeah, he’s explosive. He’s violent. Um, plays with good pad level. He’s he’s doing well. Clayton’s done a really good job with that Cowboys rushing attack. You’ve always had a very high opinion of Clayton. Can you talk about why maybe if there was a moment where you were coaching with him and you were like, “Okay, like this guy has what it takes to be a coordinator and then so on and so forth.” He’s a good coach and he works at it, you know, and and he does a really good job. You know, they got good players on that O line, you know, they’re they’re highly invested, highly drafted, they got a good back, they got good scheme, you know what I mean? So, they they do a good job. There’s no doubt. But, um, he’s on the details and and he’s got a a brain that can see the big picture, but also boil it down to, um, the main thing, too, with what you were talking about with with Zach’s question, when you have been in buildings where there’s been a difficult start in its turnout. What has been the key to to making that possible rather than having it spiral in the wrong direction? Stick with what you’re doing. You know, if you think that’s right, you know, that’s I I did tell that’s a good question, Teao, and to you, Zach. Like I, you know, I’ve been on both sides throughout my career of digging a hole and getting out of it. Um, being way out of the hole and getting in it, you know what I mean? So, you’re five and two and lose seven in a row. That doesn’t feel so good. You’ve been one and five and won a playoff game. Like, so there’s different experiences and every team’s a little bit different. And, um, I think the main thing for us is is you you can’t look into the future. You can’t look back now. we are where we are. Um, we got to do everything that we need to do to try to win a game, you know what I mean? And and that that uh that’s our sole focus. Walter’s progression just from draft time summer to now. Has there been what has been the benefit for him kind of sitting back and being able to watch and now getting out on the field? [Music] Yeah, I mean, you got to spin a positive with that one. um because he’s missed a lot of time, you know. So, uh the the benefit when he does get out there, get to play his learning experience from game reps, you know, but um he’s he’s got to see and watch and we’ve kept him up to speed, you know what I mean? It it’s it’s not fun for a player to not be healthy to go out and play. like you know all of our guys BJ being back today like he’ll be excited to be out there because the when you’re not it’s it’s it’s hard to mentally stay positive because you’re not you can’t do what you love to do. So honestly it sucks. Um so but you have to try to you know still learn and maximize yourself as a player just without playing which is which is a challenge you know what I mean? So, um, the most fun that he’s had in our building since we drafted him have been these last couple weeks because he’s on the grass, you know. So, um, that’s good for him to that’s good to see him smile and and, uh, be out there. It’s been a while since BJ was on the field and he was playing well before he got hurt. So, when he’s healthy enough to play in a game, what do you know about him as a player that he’s going to bring to that room? Yeah, I mean he’s he’s he plays extremely hard and and he can rush and he can set violent edges and he knows what to do. So, um we’ll see where he’s at. You know, he hasn’t played football in a long time, you know. Um so, I’ll have my eye on him and we’ll progress him the right way. And like I said, I think yesterday or two days ago, it probably won’t be linear, you know, but we’ll take it one day at a time and and hopefully he’s out there soon. Besides the conditioning aspect of not playing for that long, is rust a real thing in football? Like will it take a little while to kind of get back into the actual like mechanics of playing? Yeah, you know, when you just asked that, I think about when when we first got here with the quarterback, you know, uh mentally and physically healthy enough to play um the rust part that you’re talking about. I think um when you don’t play football for a while, it you’re going to, you know, it takes you a little bit of time to get back in and feel the flow of football. You know, that’s that’s natural, I think. And everybody’s a little bit different by age, by position, by, you know, we’re what we’re asking him to do. So, yeah, there’ll be a there’ll be a, you know, I don’t want to say a learning curve, but um the first time he’s got to bend the corner off of a surgically repaired knee, I’m sure that’s in his brain. You know what I mean? But why he’s out there now, why we’re, you know, why he’s practicing is we feel good and he feels good enough to go do that without hopefully thinking about it too much. But I’d be lying to say he’s not going to be thinking about it. You know, that’s that’s natural. you mentioned earlier in the week um talking to guys from from the data and the analytics teams I think we’re talking about screen passing do was I right on it or no you you were right on it but regardless of the the thank god specific area thank god I was curious generally it was it go ahead sorry no you go ahead no go ahead you’re curious why like obviously you watch so much film in a week and you’re using that to analyze your team how how much do you use the data in terms of you know the the data team might say hey we’re we’re struggling at this play how much does that uh kind of go into your Yeah I mean we look at everything I you know you guys know I’m not a big stats guy wins and losses that’s number one right the ball to me is number two uh number three would be explosive plays from there um I do look at everything and so do all the coaches you know and and you see you know where we’re at in certain things why Why are we there? You know, because there’s there can be um a lot of, you know, factors of, you know, where you sit through seven games, I guess, of of why that is. Um, but, you know, I go back to coach Sirriani, like you never want to be in the bottom third of anything, you know what I mean? And there can be reasons why, but you you don’t want to do that. So, if we’re, you know, in the bottom third of something, um, we need to to look into and and fix that, you know, or at least try, you know what I mean? And, um, as you get going on through a season, you got what you got. So, like you, you know, you’re get the players and the scheme and and but good coaching is trying to make sure that we’re doing the right things for the players and setting them up for success. So, um, I look at all that. Um, but you you can’t just take numbers as well that’s the end all beall, you know what I mean? So, you try to balance that, you know, but I I’ve been in a lot of um I don’t know how to say this, but like highly analytical buildings, you know, that and we our guys do a really good job with it. They know I ask for certain things every week, you know what I mean? And then as I’m watching different things, I’ll I’ll ask them for to do a couple projects, you know what I mean? Hey, like let me see the last 10 years of all, you know, whatever it is. Um because you it’s just a it’s a it’s a piece of information. It’s a tool that you can use to solve a problem hopefully. You know what I mean? And so um that and sometimes it’s a bigger piece than other things. Sometimes it’s a smaller piece than other things. So um that was a big big long answer. I don’t even know if I answered what you’re asking, Teao, but uh I use data. I use data. Could have just said that, huh? Jeez Louise, what a day. At this point in the season when you’ve got something where the numbers aren’t lying, matches the eye test. Do is it have to be tweaks because you can’t just make wholesale changes or kind of burn? Yeah. Or like I say like if if you’re in um the bottom third of something, right? that let’s let’s just say this to be true. Okay, say that’s a okay that’s a weakness. Okay, try to improve the weakness or hide it. So, okay. So, say um you know uh defensively we give up 90% completions when we pressure. Don’t pressure. You know what I mean? That’s just a I’m not saying that to be true us. Right. Right. Donnie, but I’m literally saying like if we’re not good at something, don’t do it. You know what I mean? So now, if you say we’re not good at something, but we need to be able to do it, um, then then you look at what variables you have to try to get better at it. You know what I mean? And to me, it always starts with coaching the details of those things. um you know or finding those details or finding those margins then teaching those margins then the players executing those margins. That’s where we’re all in it together. You know that’s the whole coach and playing that it it is true. Um but there’s a lot of ways you can go if if you don’t you know run inside zone very well. Don’t call inside zone. You know what I mean? Let’s call the things that we’re really good at. you know, and and so that would be a way to hide the weakness, improve the weakness. Well, you know, you can do this or this or you can format it differently or you can have the back a little bit different path or you can put another back in or another guard in or you know, you can do it out of a different personnel group, a different formation. Only when we get this front, let’s do it then. Like there’s all different kind of ways you can try to solve the the weakness which I would say improve the weakness but there’s also times where it’s like let’s not do it and that’s how you go you know knowing that that number is going to get worse and worse and worse but so be it you know that’s not helping us right now. So boy that’s another long- winded answer. Do you meet weekly with your analytics team or do you how does that work like what’s that process every day? I meet every day with everybody. Yeah, I bounce around pretty good, Josh. Yeah. How much more do the personnel conversations are are with uh Monty with the trade deadline closing in? We talk That’s a good question, Tyler. We talk every day about it. You know what I mean? So, um you know, that’s kind of him, but we talk about our team um and all of our players every day. Coach, you talk so often about how a lot of the games come down to one possession. Uh the line between good and great in the NFL seems to be very very thin. Everybody’s fast. Athletic can jump. Everybody game plan studies the film. Like what in your opinion separates the good from the great team? Just collectively doing better than the other team for 60 minutes truthfully. You know, that’s what it comes down to. It’s like it’s like I said, it’s not magic. It’s you know, you there’s so much parody in the NFL. Um, and you know, the week of prep that you put in to give yourself the best chance to win, then it comes down to 60 minutes. Do you do it better than any other team? You know, and um that’s why it’s the greatest game there is, you know, cuz every 60 minutes is different. It is.

HC Jonathan Gannon addresses the media ahead of week 9 vs the Dallas Cowboys.

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