Head Coach Brian Daboll

Q: The TV clip showed (Assistant General Manager) Brandon Brown on the sideline talking to your quarterbacks yesterday. But I was curious how common is that for you to have the front office, (Senior Vice President and General Manager) Joe (Schoen), Brandon (Brown), especially, on the sideline. Is it them being there part of strategy or why do you have the front office talking to your quarterbacks during games?

BRIAN DABOLL: It's not because of strategy. If we're on the road game and the front office doesn't have a box, then they come down on the sideline, which has happened, I'd say, a number of times.

Q: My research this morning tells me it's rare, but not unheard of. So, is that something you welcome because of the collaborative process here?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, they go down and watch the game from the sideline instead of up in the box. That's what they're doing, watching the game.

Q: I'm wondering how you divide up after games, after a loss or something. A lot of times you say 'It's on me", "blame me", "that was a bad call" things like that and dividing that up, which is pointing out mistakes in players. Obviously, there are mistakes that happen and sometimes you point them out, most often you don't. How do you kind of figure out what's the right strategy there?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, well, we have team meetings after games and go through the tape. Big picture stuff. We talk about things that we can correct in those meetings, improvements that we need to make, specific plays, whatever it may be, situational stuff. But after a game, you like to go back and watch it and then you talk to the players about it, talk to the coaches and do the things you need to do to try to correct it.

Q: Coaches have publicly criticized players to point out things. You don't do that very often. Is that just a philosophical thing that you take it to the player and not put it out?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, I think that's important. It's important for me to talk to, whether it's the players or the coaches, to go ahead and make the corrections. Everybody's going to make a mistake and you try to fix it. But I'll do that in team meetings. These guys put a lot of a lot of effort into things, everybody does. Good or bad, when we go through it, that's the setting that I choose to do it. But again, I'm the head coach, I'll accept responsibility.

Q: Do you feel that that gives you some equity with players? You've got to tell it to them straight, but you tell it to them straight in the building and not out in public?

BRIAN DABOLL: I just try to do what I think is best for the football team, for the players, for the coaches, and that's the way I approach it.

Q: I think there's a natural inclination to sort of say at this point, the season can't end fast enough. How do you keep focused on the two games and not the obvious changes that are going to happen in everybody's lives one way or another after these two games?

BRIAN DABOLL: You focus on the next game. So, you have a game here in a week. You put everything you got into it, just like you do each and every week. And you focus on the task at hand.

Q: I have the question about (Guard Greg Van Roten) GVR. Just kind of what you've seen and what you've gotten from him. I know you brought him in as a player, but also as a leader and how he's filled out those roles for you.

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, (Offensive Line Coach Carmen Bricillo) Carm had him at Vegas and this guy's a true pro. Does everything the right way, how he is in the meeting rooms, how he is on the practice field, how he is with the players when they have extra meetings, how he is as a communicator on the offensive line. He's been he's been a good veteran presence for our football team.

Q: Have you made a decision on how you are going to proceed this week at quarterback?

BRIAN DABOLL: We watched the tape. (Quarterback) Drew (Lock) is actually getting an MRI today. So, waiting on where that's at. He is getting that, I think, at 11:30 a.m. or 12:00 p.m. today. So, I'll have more information relative to what that's about and if it's anything or if it's not anything. Usually guys are sore the next day. So, we'll see where he's at after today.

Q: And the MRI is on what?

BRIAN DABOLL: It's on his shoulder.

Q: We all saw (Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael) Penix (Jr.) yesterday and he looked like he played pretty well. Is it, this seems like an obvious question, but how important is it to have a young guy who looks like he can control the situation and be a team's quarterback of the future?

BRIAN DABOLL: I'd say it's very important.

Q: Looking at (running back) Tyrone Tracy (Jr.), he had that touchdown in the back of the end zone. At this point in the season, we always talk about (wide receiver) Malik (Nabers) and what he's done this year, but how impressed have you been with (Tyrone) Tracy's growth as he is getting more comfortable this first season?

BRIAN DABOLL: He has more carries this year than he had his last couple years (combined) in college. He's continuing to get better. We're asking him to do different things, obviously, being a former receiver then a running back and now a running back here. I think he's got a good mentor in (running back) Motor (Devin Singletary). (Running Backs Coach) Joel Thomas does a good job with him. He's been productive when he's touched the ball, both in the run and the pass game. He's a good young player to continue to work with and develop. I think he's got a bright future.

Q: We saw (inside linebacker) Micah (McFadden) went down. Is there any update yet on how he's looking?

BRIAN DABOLL: No update. He's getting looked at here a little bit later. But he had a burner. So, we'll see where that's at.

Q: Just to clarify, is Drew (Lock) getting the MRI on his throwing shoulder?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah. It's his right shoulder. Again, it could be nothing. They just gave it to me before I came down here. We'll see where it's at.

Q: Any other injury updates that you've got?

BRIAN DABOLL: I just had that Micah (McFadden) is going to get looked at. (Tyrone) Tracy re-aggravated his ankle a little bit and so did (center) John Michael (Schmitz Jr.). That's all I got so far.