Head coach
“Really pleased with the way our guys responded this week and played. Just building off of what we thought was a good game last week. Particularly in the second half, I just challenged those guys to show up and keep that momentum going, and so they did. They absolutely did. I thought defensively, really shutting down the run game, not giving them anything in the run game early on outside of that one touchdown early in the game — I thought they played really good. Got a lot of pressure on Jacoby (Brissett), four sacks, a bunch of TFLs, really harassed him throughout the night — that was awesome to see. (Holding them to) three-for-13 on third down was critical for us, and then offensively, just scoring points on six of those first seven drives there to really establish control of the game and be able to finish it the right way. Kicking was great too, (we had a) great punt return, good job with the punts at the end of the game. Evan (McPherson) had a big one, I think 57 yards, at a key point there to extend the lead to nine in the second quarter — that was a key kick for us. Overall, (I was) pleased with the way everyone finished the game.”
How long was the Cody Ford play in the playbook?
“One week. With Noah (Fant) going into the week not knowing how were going to have Noah, we had a lot of heavier 12-personnel groupings where he (Cody Ford) was going to be out there. Just to keep the guys in the O-line room, keep that energy sky-high — not that I need to create anything to do that — but we practice it, he caught it during the week, and I felt like (it was) the right moment to get it called.”
Were you aware that it was Cody Ford’s birthday today? Did that factor into it?
“No. I’m not aware of people’s birthdays in general, just to be crystal clear. Always assume that I don’t know that information until after the game.”
What did you make of the crowd’s reaction? They were unhappy that Cody Ford was taken off the field. Did you catch wind of that in real time?
“No. You’re in play-call mode at that point, so you don’t have great awareness of what’s happening.”
Was there a thought of giving it to Cody Ford again?
“No. No chance. Zero percent chance.”
Was that where the throw was designed to go?
“I mean, yes. That was the one play where we’d like to get him the ball. The corner played pretty tight to start and then Joe (Burrow) kind of gave him some shoulders to loosen him up and then came back to him. Usually it goes out there a little quicker but they were taking it away, so Joe softened them up a little bit, then made a good throw and catch.”
Were there any yards after catch in the practice rep?
“No. There’s no contact really in practice. I was right there. I wanted him to go down, get the four (yards), go down, put us into second-and-six, and he just kept breaking tackles. That was pretty impressive.”
In non-Cody Ford news, Ja’Marr Chase broke his touchdown drought. How nice was it to see him get one early in this game?
“I really wasn’t aware of it until Tee (Higgins) pointed it out in the last game, during the game. We’re just going to go out there and call it the way we see it. The play he scored on is a play we’ve run 100 times. He did a great job making people miss and getting in the end zone, and then the other one before the half was a really good play design by (Justin) Rascati and Pitch (Dan Pitcher), so that one worked out well.”
What does this performance do for Joe Burrow coming back from injury this season? Playing in these games even though you’re out of the playoffs, to have this kind of good play, to see it look like this when he’s healthy …
“Yeah, we’ve seen this from Joe. He’s got a ton of confidence, he’s playing with great rhythm, extending plays, hitting big plays down the field. He did a great job with the protection checks today, because that can be really difficult and stressful against these guys. They do a good job of attacking your protections, so Joe was on it. Again, just playing like I know Joe to play, and it’s fun to watch.”
Chase Brown had another huge game today. What has made him so consistent over the last eight weeks?
“Well, he’s very versatile with how you can utilize him. At the same time, I think our linemen are doing a great job in the run game, too, giving him great opportunity in the run game to get those yards beyond the line of scrimmage. He’s doing a great job making people miss in space, playing through contact at the second level. He had — I don’t know how many explosives today — but they were significant runs that put us in really good position.”
Chase Brown has five touchdowns in the third quarter over the last two weeks, with three last week and two this week. Is there any rhyme or reason to that?
“No. When we’re at halftime, we’ve got to come out with a mentality, and the defense has really set the tone the last two weeks and the offense has countered off of that. I was really pleased to see us to get the two quick stops from the defense, then counter with two touchdowns from the offense. You get a chance as the fourth quarter hits to get some other guys in there playing football, but I was really proud of how the guys came out and attacked post-halftime and established the game for us and let us gain control.”
How would you describe Myles Murphy’s improvement this season?
“He has ascended all season. He’s put in great work and he has a lot of confidence right now. I think Jerry (Montgomery) is doing a great job with him, he’s taking those things to heart and really just stepping up his game and that’s been fun to watch.”
Is that an example of how players can make the most of these final games?
“Sure. He’s going to finish it up the right way next week and have a lot of confidence going into the offseason and seeing what it can look like. I think our defense as a whole — that’s just what’s been really fun for me to see and it should be for everybody — their confidence continues to increase and they understand exactly what we’re asking them to do. They’re starting to do it at a high level and we’re just really proud of those guys for sticking together through everything that’s happened this season — coaches, players just keep pushing forward and persevering, and they’re having a lot of fun right now.”
It was very loud in the locker room after the game, especially with those “Cody” chants that we could hear. What was the message in there?
“We have to finish this off the right way. It’s all we can control right now, what we’ve got in front of us is one game left, three practices. We’ve got to go finish this thing the right way like these guys have been doing for us. It’s important for us to play well in front of our fans and finish this out well.”
Amarius Mims went out then came back in. How did that go in terms of did he say he wanted to get back in or how did that end up?
“Yeah, he had a great mindset. He had a shin (injury) that we needed to let rest for at least a series, then he was able to go back out there. I’m proud of him. And then at the end of the game, we wanted to get some other guys in there.”
Trey McBride had some catches later on in the game, but you guys did a really good job containing the receptions leader in the league. What was the focus going into this game?
“I thought Al (Golden) had a great plan to try to minimize all of that, not make anything easy for them offensively. I know his production — he got a bunch of catches there at the end. I know he’s a heck of a player that I’m really impressed with. Our defense did a really good job keying in and making things really difficult for Arizona.”
Shemar Stewart got to Jacoby Brissett and brought him down today. Kind of like Myles Murphy, do you feel like that’s a player who’s wrapping this up the right way?
“He hasn’t gotten a chance to just be healthy for a long stretch. It’s always a stop-start this year, no fault of his own with the injuries. So, to see him out there accumulating a bunch of snaps over these last couple weeks, first career sack, can get that off your back a little bit before you’re going to the offseason. He’s got a lot of potential for us.”
Do you plan to have Joe Burrow play next week?
What do you think it meant for Shemar Stewart to get that first sack, considering that he’s been up and down, been out multiple times. What do you think it meant to him?
“I think it’s meaningful, for a guy who’s working through injuries (in his) rookie year, all the challenges that comes with it, just to check that box. That’s done — now let’s go get a lot more.”
How gratifying is it for you personally to put together some high-scoring performances at the end of this season?
“The gratifying part for me is that this team has maintained their energy through some really difficult times and really stuck together when people question what they’re going to see from us. There should be no questioning that. This team is made of the right stuff, and that’s just the part that I focus on. We have a great group of coaches that really stuck together and kept coaching, and these players have bought into it and provided tremendous energy for us, and the proof is in the pudding these last two weeks on the field. That’s all we can control right now is every game that’s in front of us and how we’re going to react to it, so we’ve got to do that for one more week.”