Q: Switching to this week’s matchup, the first Commanders game was so long ago. Can you take anything from that, given all that has changed on both sides?

Kafka: Absolutely. There’s plenty of things and a lot of learning lessons you can take from those games. I go back and look at old games from a couple years back. You see when (Commanders head coach) Dan Quinn was in Dallas (as defensive coordinator), is there anything that came up that could possibly be an issue for us? So, yeah, you look at all that stuff. He’s always done a good job. You can absolutely learn from those weeks.

Q: Does Week 1 feel like a lifetime ago?

Kafka: It’s a long season. It’s the nature of the season. Yeah, it was a while ago. You look back, you see how our team has grown offensively. You see how our entire team has grown – offense, defense, special teams. You can always pull from the good and the things you can make corrections from.

Q: You’ve had a lot of run-ins with Quinn in a variety of roles. What do you get from one of his teams?

Kafka: I’ve got a lot of respect for DQ and how he operates. Getting to know him over the course of the last few years of going against him in the division, I’ve got a lot of respect for him as a coach, as a person. I think he does a hell of a job. His teams are always ready to go. They’re going to fight to the end. They play tough. I wouldn’t expect anything different this week.

Q: Over the bye week, you look at everything. What do you hope comes from that? Jaxson Dart said he looked at every single play.

Kafka: I did a full self-scout of offense, defense, special teams. I looked at everything and tried to find some solutions to the issues that are coming up and build on all the things we did well. There’s a lot of stuff out there, so continue to build, build complements and build on some of our strengths.

Q: Cam Skattebo posted a video of himself walking around without the boot or scooter. How good is it to see him around the facility?

Kafka: Our training staff is doing a hell of a job getting him up to speed. I know he’s attacking the rehab like an animal, as I’m sure you all would anticipate. So, it’s no surprise.

Q: With Jayden Daniels out, Marcus Mariota gets the start again. You were teammates for a little while in Tennessee.

Kafka: We were there (together) for about a week and a half. He was great. He was great to work with.

Q: Now as an opposing coach, what do you see from him all these years later?

Kafka: He’s the ultimate pro. We played against him in Kansas City in a playoff game and he took over the game. He has that type of ability as a passer, as a runner, as a game manager. He can make plays inside the pocket, outside the pocket, so we’ll have our hands full on defense.

Q: Washington lost Zach Ertz, but the receivers are getting healthy with Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown. What challenges do they present when complemented by Deebo Samuel?

Kafka: A lot of challenges, run-after-the-catch guys, explosive receivers. They attack all three parts of the field – short, intermediate, deep. They have pretty unique skillsets. Deebo is a returner as well, so he adds another element. If he’s not getting 20 touches on offense, he’s going to get another 10 or 12 on special teams. He’s going to be around the football, same thing with McLaurin. We fully expect to have our eyes on those guys.

Q: The Commanders are unique in that they are fourth in the league in rushing, but their leading rusher (Jacory Croskey-Merritt) has only 550 yards. How do they make that happen?

Kafka: It’s just being unique and diverse with their scheme. It’s different guys touching the football, jet sweeps, QB runs, obviously the running backs. The running backs are kind of by committee, a group of three guys that are doing really well. So, they mix and match it, and they get creative with how they run it.

Q: With Ertz out, do you expect to see more from Ben Sinnott? He was a second-round draft choice last year.

Kafka: Ben will have an opportunity, and we saw that on tape when he was coming out of college at Kansas State. I know he’s got a unique skillset to get out on the perimeter and run around and some athleticism. I’m sure they will use him in that way.

Q: Bobby Wagner doesn’t go away. You prepared for him as a player and now as a play-caller. What does he present?

Kafka: He’s seen so much football. He’s so instinctual and aggressive and still has that great feel for the football. He’s a playmaker. You’ve got to know where he is every single snap. The same thing with Frankie Luvu, you’ve got to know where he is every single snap. Those guys are the heartbeat of the defense. They get everything lined up. When the biggest plays need to be made, those guys are around the football. Again, a lot of respect for those guys and how they play.

Q: Bobby Okereke is the Giants’ club winner for Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. What can you say about him as a player and person?

Kafka: Man, it has been such a pleasure to work with Bobby on a daily basis and now being around him a little more in this role (as interim head coach). Watching him lead that group of guys, watching him communicate, watching him prep, just the attitude he brings to the meetings – he’s just positive and energetic every single day. I’ve never seen him have a bad day. Even when things aren’t perfect, he still finds a way to bring guys along with him. It’s just really cool for him to be nominated for that and I’m proud of him.