Re: Jason Pierre-PaulA: He's a long way away from where he can get to. He's done such a good job of coming in and just learning the system. He hasn't played much football. I'm amazed every day by JPP. Every game it's just like something he learns new and he continues to improve. I think he's improved mostly on the practice field. I think his focus on the practice field is where he's improved the most and it's showing up on Sundays. He's a very unique talent. He's got unique ability. He's got such good quickness. Once he begins to play full speed, it's scary. It's not that he's loafing. It's just the game is still moving fast for him. It continues to slow down more and more as we go. He's got to be accounted for every snap.
Q: You're talking more about being a student of the game?A: Yeah. He just has not played that high a number of snaps in his lifetime. You're talking about going back to high school, junior college, college. He's learning as we go, but he's focusing much more in practice than last year. I think that's when you ask about the most improved area, I think that's probably it. His physical ability, he's a very unique talent.
Q: What kind of ceiling does this guy have?A: I'm not sure. I really don't believe that we're close to it. I really don't. He's a very talented guy. He's got tremendous strength, a very powerful young man. The game is still moving pretty quick for him. He's had to play a lot more reps at times than we wanted him to because of the injury situation. We've had him out there when he was dog-tired. He is not playing as fast as you want him to. It looks like he's loafing, but he's moving faster than most people out there. He's a very unique talent.
Q: How many snaps does he get a game?A: Last week he was in the mid-40s, but a couple games prior to that he was in the mid-60s. The game out here was hot, against Seattle, very hot. He played 64, 65 snaps. I think in Arizona he played 68, 69 snaps. That's more snaps than we want him playing.
Q: Once Osi got here, did you say anything different to him?A: Osi has never done anything for me but come to work and do a great job. His numbers, he has three games this year, so 16, that's 19 games [I've coached him for]. I don't know if there are very many defensive ends that have better numbers than he does – the number of caused fumbles, the number of sacks, the number of quarterback hits and pressures. He does nothing for me but come to work and do an outstanding job and be a great football player. I have no reason to believe that he's going to do anything but continue [to be great]. He's been outstanding in the classroom as a leader and been outstanding on the field on Sundays. I honestly don't focus on any of that, don't listen to it, don't read about it. I try to get him not to too
Q: Is that easy to do with him?A: It's been easy for me. I don't ever go there with him. We work on what we work on and try to improve and put him in the best situation that we can put him in to make football plays. He's done that at a very high level since I've been with him.
Q: So to you it's not Osi Umenyiora the disgruntled player, it's just Osi Umenyiora the defensive end?A:Exactly. He's done a great job and he's off to an outstanding start this year.
Q: Is Osi as good as anyone in the league?A: I'll say it again. In 19 games that I've been with him, I'm not sure that there's very many defensive ends that have the numbers. He's gone out there and done it on Sundays. He continues to do that and again, he's off to an outstanding start this year. He's done a very good job in practice. We have to limit him some. Ronnie [Barnes] gives us the heads up on when we should limit and stuff in practice, but he's done an outstanding job and we have a very healthy situation now.
Q: How is he against the run?A: He's done a very good job against the run. It's something we do with all of the other defensive ends, it's something we continue to tweak with his technique and a great pass rusher like that, he's got to continue to work because they're going to attack him differently than they do Justin. They're going to attack Justin differently than they do Kiwi and Dave. They all have different styles and different techniques. He's certainly got room to improve in both areas – run and pass. He continues to work and be very coachable and very receptive to ideas and what we're trying to ask him to do.
Q: Do you know week to week whether Kiwi is going to be in your room or the linebackers room?A: With the situation with Justin it's been a little bit hard to predict. He did get more reps at practice last week and it showed in the game. I thought he had his best game. As far as his defensive end play, I thought he did an outstanding job this week. Kiwi's a good football player and a very tough competitor. I would say we have a healthy situation.
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