Josh Grizzard looks to Saints vs. Buccaneers | Press Conference Live Stream

seven, we saw um Bucky Irving back this week and Chris Godwin as well. I mean, having those guys back, how beneficial is that for the offense? It’s huge when you’re able to get two starters and two starters of their caliber. You can see what these guys do when the the ball’s in their hands in terms of the explosive playability even when it’s not blocked up perfectly or they’re one-on-one in space with a defender. You see that a little bit on Buckyy’s run and then you also see it on on Chris’s play on the third down where the guy’s draped all over him and he turns it into an explosive play. So, what they bring from a practice element too in a competitive standpoint and their energy and how they talk to the not only the position group but the rest of the unit is really good. And then that being able to translate to uh more production on the field is also great to see too. Josh, along those lines, what has Mike been able to do? You know, his was a a fracture of a collar bone, not with his legs or anything like that. So would when he if and when he does play will be kind of like with Godwin at the Rams where you kind of have a pinch count or how would you ease him back into it? Yeah, I think so. I think the same plan we had with with Chris like you were talking about and really the same thought with Buck as well where when these guys are back to be able to expect them to play a full game like they normally would wouldn’t be fair to him, but be able to bring him along and to allow his play strength to build up. Not that Mike needs confidence. I think we talk about that sometimes. So, he doesn’t need any of that, but it’s more of the uh the stamina and his strength. John, what do you need to see from Mike or even uh Jaylen that you can give them the green light to play? I’d say it’s more days of just the the consistency of seeing it. It’s really the first time I’m able to see those guys move around. So, being able to see that for a couple days in a row, seeing in a competitive nature of going against the defense in practice, and then really just looking at their movement skills and being able to compare it to what it was when they’re in top shape to be able to feel like those guys are out there and they’re able to compete at the level they need to compete at. What type of challenge does it present going against a team for the second time in a season? It does because I know with coach Staley there, it’s a it’s a new scheme in terms of from last season, but with a lot of the same players that they’ve had, even though they’re bringing along some of these rookies where you know them, they know us and so we know their strengths and weaknesses and is is vice versa. So, being able to play them the second time, a lot of the things that you wanted to run the first time or second time, you need to be able to dress it up. you need to be able to keep them off balance and then also be able to adjust to some of the things they’ve done personnel-wise with some of the guys that have been banged up. So, it’s really that cat and mouse game, especially in the game once is their plan similar to the first goound or do we need to be able to adjust that to uh to change in game? Josh, the fact that you guys are playing Thursday night, it’s a short turnaround. Does that factor in the decision on whether or not Mike or maybe Jaylen would play this Sunday? At this point in the season, we really look at it like it’s all a one game season. So, if there’s someone that’s healthy enough to be able to help us win versus New Orleans and then we think about Atlanta after that, then we cross that bridge when we get to it. But, if they’re ready to rock and these guys are going to help us out, then we’re looking at it one game at a time. And if they’re ready, then we’ll let them rock. Josh, I know you would like to had more consistency in the red zone. You’re around 50% or something like that. Last year, obviously much higher. You lose a Mike Evans. pretty simplistic, right? Chris is out lucky to some extent, but what is going to be um you know that that ability to to punch the ball in there? And you’re playing a Saints team that you guys were like, you know what, one of eight, you know, down on the goal line there. Yeah, definitely the last Saints game did not go how we we playing in the in the low red for sure. But I think you saw a little bit of it last week on where Bucky was able to score from the what was it 13 14 yardd line. We get down there again and we just weren’t able to convert on that third down which was unfortunate. And then with Tristan’s touchdown, I think the last one we kneel down in the in the red area, so you you get that knock. Yeah. So, at the end of the day, we want to get those closer, too, because that’s a that’s a tough down on the one that we threw to Chris where it’s third and eight from the eight. It’s one of the toughest downs in football because of there’s no depth to the field. or they going to blitz it, not blitz it, but really some of the early down production to be able to get that thing to third and two or third and one where some of the plays like Tristan’s or some of the low red either runs or passes could show up and not have that far to go. Durham got his first reception of the season against the Cardinals last week and last time you guys played the Saints, it was one of your heavier personnel sort of games. Um, how does Pay Durham being out there kind of complement Kate skill set and can we see that a little bit more going forward this season? Yeah, I think they play off of each other well. We play, as you guys know, essentially in all of our 12 personnel groupings is both of those guys. So, the amount of motion we use with those guys and trying to keep the defense off balance and that play could have gone to Kade or it could have gone to to Payne uh based on what the coverage was. So, for him to be able to get that and be able to uh make a really good play up the sideline, too. I think it was 11 or 12 yard gain is something that can definitely utilize. And then uh there was something that we had him on in the red area where the ball just kind of went somewhere else, but there was a couple of those 12 personnel passes this past game where uh where he didn’t get it, but we’ve definitely seen that production down there and it’s something that definitely could happen. What’s your excitement level for calling a touchdown play for Tristan Warfs and the way it was executed and just your overall thoughts on the play? It was pretty cool because we scored and that was the the main highlight of just getting it in the in the box, but it was cool to see the we talk about all the time like the practice execution side of it becoming a game reality. And it was a play that we had had up for a couple weeks and it didn’t necessarily happen in those games. So, we had a couple reps and it it looked good in practice and with any play that we designed, it looks good in practice. We’re ready to call it in the game. So to have it at that point and him to execute it and it really took all 11 on the substitution side of it that can be very detailed when it comes to who’s in the game, who’s out of the game. So they executed at a high level and bake threw him a little bit of a a BB there. He kind of lofted it in practice, but he put it on him. It was Buddha was pretty close. It was great execution. Josh, you haven’t had a chance to utilize Jaylen McMillan in like a regular season game, but based on what you saw from him in training camp and preseason, what do you like most about his skill set when he does return? He is he could he could do it of course in college and he could do it when he got here in terms of beating man coverage, but where he got to at the end of his rookie season and how he was able to carry that over into training camp was really good to see because when you say it’s monoymano and that guy’s trying to guard him and he can go beat him, that’s a great skill set to have in this league. And so his ability to go beat the defender across from him as well as his yak and big play ability on making people miss as well. So those two things and I think he had a he had a great camp and he looked good out there today and I know he’s heading in the right direction. Has Baker Baker even said that he didn’t take any shots on the sore shoulder so he came out of it pretty good. Are you noticing that he seems to be able to do a little bit more get healthier? I think so. I think you could see it to some extent towards the end of last weekend practice and then for him to be able to get out of a game and not take any of those shots. And before I go on about him, it was really a testament to the offensive line, to Rashad, to Buck, to him on the protection plan, what they’re able to execute in a really tough defense from coach Rollis. They do a lot of different things and those guys were able to communicate and keep him healthy for the most part. So, by able being able to come out of the game healthy, have a couple days off, try to build that strength back up, I think he’s in a really good spot when it comes to uh moving forward. Why does Baker deserve to be the Bucks? Walter man of the year nominee. You can just tell the things that he does off the field is the same way that he conducts himself on the field and in the meeting rooms and being the leader that he is and being selfless and just knowing that he can help out other people and pay it forward on people that helped him in the past. So everything he does off the field and you guys see it’s again it’s the same way that he operates in here and he’s just the ultimate competitor and leader and it shows up I think in in all walks of his life. Josh, on that note, you mentioned, I think it was in the summer or the spring, that your quarterback plays like a UFC fighter. When you’re calling the game, when he’s playing through an injury, how does that factor in? Is it harder? Is it the same? Yeah, there’s definitely some things where you try to take that element out of it with some of the designs of the plays where it could put them at a little bit more risk in terms of first and second down play calls. But when it comes to third down and you’re dropping back and they’re blitzing and you’re trying to get guys open and get it out on time at that portion of it, it kind of is what it is. And it’s about being able to fix the protections and get the ball out. And on my end of it, getting guys open so he doesn’t have to scramble and take those shots because as we know, he plays it. He does he continues to play like a UFC fighter and he’s as tough as they come. So if you remove the injury from it, he plays like a guy who wants contact. Is it difficult at times to tell him to like chill out and not do that? I think you’ve been around him enough to be able to tell him one thing and he’s still going to do it his own way. We do try to mitigate that risk as much as possible, but once the ball is snapped and the bullets are alive, he uh he’s going to go compete. So, we do talk to him about it. Whether he listens to that, that’s up to him. Josh, with Godwin, the first time he played early this year, two games, and then he was out with a different fibular injury, really never got on track, right? Didn’t look like himself. What do you see in terms of the difference? And and you guys are here, you see the work he had to to get back, you know, after that injury a year ago. Just what do you make of his his mental toughness and it’s a violent sport. He’s out there, you know, put it all on the line again a year later. Yeah, he he’s as tough as they come and his ability to be resilient and fight through that and then be back and not really be at full strength, but go out there and compete and play. I mean, the last two to three plays of that Seattle game, he couldn’t hardly walk. And so he’s out there blocking in a four-minute drill when we’re just trying to ice the game and a guy can’t even move. So when other people see that, it’s they know they’re not going to take the play off. But then for him to be at that spot and he’s hurt and then he had the time off, it’s really hats off to him for getting him back. It’s hats off to BMAC because when the scout team’s up, these guys are in the end zone doing footwork drills, conditioning drills to be able to get him back to it. And you hit the nail on the head in terms of he does look a lot better than he did for that Seattle game. And you can just see it really at the top of his routes, his explosion, his ability to separate, his ability to fight through tacklers. The epitome of that was the play like I talked about on third down. Guys draped on him, he shrugs him off, gets up the sideline, fights the sideline. Is a great play. Josh, we got Baker’s thoughts on it yesterday, but twothirds of the way through this season. How would you assess how the offense has played through the ups and the downs? It’s been, no matter who’s been in there, I think that the group as a whole has been very tough and resilient on being able to adjust some of the game plans and things to be able to tailor to the guys that are in there on those weeks where we needed potential chip help on one of the sides for the for the tackles and for a guy like I think Cade sticks out as someone like that that’s been you’re in his role if you’re trying to chip and help and then his numbers called and he has a few good weeks there in a row where he’s now back to the receiver spot. And then the coaching side of it as well where these guys are getting rookie receivers or young running backs ready, getting Bucky back, right? So, it’s really been one thing or another, but nobody blinks. And I know they’re all in a good spot in terms of the uh the players and getting guys back healthy. So, at the end of the day, that’s what they’re tasked to do. That’s what we’re tasked to do. But we don’t take it for granted because it’s not something that’s easy to do, but I think they’ve done a good job of it for the most part. Two more, please. Baker makes no try to shield his hatred of the Saints. He’ll just tell you how I hate the Saints. You do have a certain style of play though, right? Everybody in this league is physical. You’re going to face that every week, but is there something as a as a play caller or as as a coach that you have to be aware of that, hey, there may be a little bit extra here, not only controlling your guys, but just protecting your guys? Yeah, we try to give them examples on tape each week, whether it’s the Saints or or anyone else on if we see that they’re doing something after the whistle that could elicit a personal foul or not going back and forth with these guys. So, I know it’s a division rival and there there’s hatred between both teams, but we do it on a week- to-eek basis on how does that team play and we uh just want to conduct business as business being conducted. So, I know that’s how it goes with uh any kind of rivalry. Okay. Thank you. Thank you guys. Appreciate it.

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