Asst. Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator Mike Kafka

Q: You've been around this league a long time and how quickly this league things can go from up to down and down to up. The last time you saw these (Indianapolis) Colts, two years ago, was a party over there in that stadium. Now two years later you guys are going through a really difficult stretch. Just in terms of bigger picture for you and what you've seen in this league, how do you ride that idea of how things can change week to week but also year to year? When it gets away from you or when it's rolling, you can see both sides of this league really on a weekly basis.

MIKE KAFKA: I think you try to do the best you can of just staying in the present. Whether you're high, whether you're up, whether you're down, just staying in the present. I think that's probably the most important thing for our players. Continue to improve and continue to find things that we can always get better at. When things get tough, you really find out a lot about yourself. So, you continue to study, continue to work through and build those relationships, because that pays off for you in the end, down the road.

Q: Last week, your offensive line had (guard) Jake (Kubas) playing guard. This week, it's who knows what, because it looks like (center) John Michael (Schmitz Jr.) is.. He was walking in a boot the other day. How much change are you going to see this week?

MIKE KAFKA: I'm not going to speak on the injury status of it. (Head Coach) Dabs (Brian Daboll) can hit that for you. But, whoever's in there will be ready, will be ready to rock and roll. (Offensive Line Coach) Carm (Carmen Bricillo) does a great job with that group and (Assistant Offensive Line Coach) James (Ferentz), getting those guys prepared, whether it's guys that have been here for a while or guys who are just stepping in. Young guys, old guys. Older guys, I should say. But they do a really good job with that, getting those guys prepared.

Q: How did Jake (Kubas) play?

MIKE KAFKA: Jake (Kubas) was a bright spot for me. I think seeing a young guy step in, he played physical. Sure, there was things he can get better at, plays that maybe he missed here or there. But, overall, I thought it was a big step forward for him.

Q: What's impressed you about (wide receiver) Malik (Nabers) the most?

MIKE KAFKA: Malik (Nabers) does a lot of really good things. Obviously, he's been really productive on the field. But, off the field, in the meetings and studying, we'll put him in a lot of different positions. He's absorbed all that information from (Wide Receivers) Coach (Mike) Groh and the coaching staff and put his little stamp on it, which is always pretty cool. We ask him to do a lot, play inside, outside, multiple positions, motions and shifts. We have certain things where he was the wildcat throwing a pass and just making good decisions on that, too, early in the season. We've asked him to do a lot. So, for a young player, that's impressive.

Q: Why do you think the yards-per-reception, the ability to get the ball down the field to him hasn't come as consistently as probably he would like or you would like either?

MIKE KAFKA: I would say it's a combination. It's just a combination of either catching those balls dow field, which he's had a pretty good production downfield. But it's also the catch and runs. Hitting him in stride and putting him in the right spot where he can make plays after the catch, breaking tackles. It's a lot of things. Whether it's protection, whether it's throw, whether it's the route depth, all those things affect that portion of it. So, it's hard to pinpoint one thing because football is so flexible. On a given play, all those things could be a little bit different.

Q: Do you look at 1,000 yards as an accomplishment or 100 catches as an accomplishment?

MIKE KAFKA: We're not really looking at like those stats per se, for like a benchmark. We're just trying to get wins. Whatever we've got to do to find a way to win, whether it's rushing the ball for a bunch of yards or throwing the ball, whatever that combination is… Find a way to win.

Q: With (running back) Tyrone (Tracy Jr.), how helpful is it to have someone who's been a receiver, has played running back and obviously had that touchdown catch… How helpful has it been in this offense where you can use him in so many ways and he's been able to produce like he has so far?

MIKE KAFKA: Tyrone (Tracy Jr.) has done a really good job. In that room with (running back) Devin Singletary as kind of the leader of that room and a longtime vet, been in this offense for a while. Tracy has done a really nice job just kind of following along, learning his footsteps, learning his routine. He's starting to figure it out as a pro and he's had a lot of carries. I think to date he's had more carries this year than he had in his two previous years combined in college. So, that's also a part of it that you've got to take into account as a coach and evaluate. But, again, he's done a really nice job handling all of it.

Q: And when he can play out on the backfield like that, that toe tap catch, that just like, 'Hey, not only can he catch out of the backfield but he can toe tap like a receiver.'

MIKE KAFKA: That's right. He had that skill set coming out of college, which is why we loved him coming out. You can continue to develop that. There's still portions of his game that we can develop.

Defensive Coordinator Shane Bowen

Q: Another easy running back (Colts running back Jonathan Taylor) to handle this week?

SHANE BOWEN: Yeah, another really good back. Obviously, coming off a really big game last week. Got some experience with him, obviously, being in division with him for a few years there. Patient, if you give him a crease and he finds it. Really good vision. Burst through the hole, gets on second and third level really quickly and obviously able to hit the home run at any moment. So, we got to do a good job, hopefully setting edges and building a wall and not giving him creases inside that he can find and exploit.

Q: It seems in recent weeks you guys have gotten better against the run without some of your better starters. I mean, why is that happening?

SHANE BOWEN: Yeah, I mean, I think the guys are playing hard. I think they're battling up front; they're fighting. I think the backers are doing a good job to get downhill. They're effective, I think tackling has been improved in some areas, especially from the back end moving forward here. Just really haven't seen the really, really big ones. So, we've been able to do a good job of eliminating the really big ones. Where those, there might be a 10-to-12-yard gain here and there. But it's not turning to 40, so it's been a big part of it. And the guys are playing hard, they're flying around. And they're accepting the challenge and they're taking advantage of their opportunities and they're making the most of it.

Q: What do you think of (outside linebacker) Kayvon's (Thibodeaux) year?

SHANE BOWEN: Yeah, I thought he had a really good game last week. I do, I thought he played physical. Obviously, he missed a lot of time there in the middle of the year, which is a big part of- I mean, we talked to all these guys about improving as the season goes and then you get unfortunately injured and you're on the shelf for however long. But I've been pleased with the way he's progressed and what he's put on tape here these last few weeks. And really last week, I thought it was probably one of his better games, like flying around, playing physical. And he's done some really good things for us.

Q: Is there one thing specific that stood out to you the last few weeks?

SHANE BOWEN: Yeah, I think the physicality, the attack, playing on the other side of the line scrimmage in the run game has shown up. Made some really good effort plays. The one on third down last week was a heck of a play, being able to get him down, chasing from behind. So, pleased with where he's at. Hopefully, he continues to improve and get better and show up on Sundays for us.

Q: How much do you think the expectations sort of play into that with him? Obviously, he was a really high pick, people want him to be a star. They say, 'you're the fifth pick in the draft, you need to be a star'. 'You need to be a pro bowler'. 'You need to be an all-pro'. 'You need to be a 10 sacks a year kind of guy'.

SHANE BOWEN: Yeah, I mean, I think that comes with the territory, obviously. I mean, with anybody. I think all these guys have those expectations of themselves. All of them do. Again, I revert back to whenever you go through a spell where you're injured and out of it, that obviously affects your production and your numbers and everything that comes with that. And then just being able to get back in the flow. Like, you're not playing for five weeks, not practicing for four or five weeks. And then all of a sudden, you're back out there and the reps, the rep count, the body, getting everything right back in order, it's a process. So, I've been pleased with him, I really have. I think he's playing the game the right way and doing the things we ask of him. And sometimes the numbers come, sometimes they don't. It's a matter of make sure you make them when the opportunities are there. And sometimes you get more opportunities then you don't get as many opportunities as you should at times, just based on what it is. And how teams are playing us I think comes into play. Like how these games are going a little bit and just the opportunities. We just got to make sure we take advantage of them with those guys when they are there.

Q: (Inside Linebacker) Darius (Muasau), you talked about speed, running, playing down and up. When you watch him, that seems to be what he's doing every week.

SHANE BOWEN: Yeah, he's doing a really good job for us. I think he's playing fast, him and (inside linebacker) Micah (McFadden) both playing fast in there, flying around, been disruptive. I think the front's been disruptive up front, allowing those guys to run around a little bit, to be a little bit clean, to go make plays. And he's physical, he's got some instincts. So, he's done a good job with the opportunities he's had, and hopefully that continues here in these last couple weeks.

Q: I mean he's a guy that you want to talk all the rookies in this rookie class, but back in September, Darius wasn't necessarily a guy that you'd penciled in and said, 'okay, we know we're going to get this amount of playing time on defense'. So, when you see a guy develop like that, how do you assess his season? I mean, do you look at the time that he's gotten or he's doing things that maybe you weren't anticipating him being able to do this quickly?

SHANE BOWEN: Yeah, I mean coming in, you never really know with any of these guys, how it's going to go. I mean, we have an idea of our expectations of them, and you never really know the timeline of it with the young guys. I mean, he stepped in there Week 1 when Micah was down and played. I thought he played really well for the first game. Getting thrown in the fire Week 1 against a good offense. I thought he played pretty well. Unfortunately, very similar to Kayvon, he suffered the injury, a little setback, and even harder when you're young. Missing that time and having to kind of reboot there Week 5, Week 6, whenever he was able to get back. I've been pleased with him. He comes to work every day, works hard, he's smart. Don't see him make the same mistakes twice, which I think is a pretty good indicator as a coach when you have young guys that are able to learn from their mistakes, where we can progress and move on, and they can move forward. Let's learn something else now and focus on something else. We kind of got that handled, whether it's learned by fire or not, which a lot of times when you play young guys, it is that way. I've been really pleased with him, and I think he's taken advantage of his opportunity, and hopefully that continues.

Q: Did it surprise you that he had such a great day when Micah went out on Sunday? Or did you expect that from him?

SHANE BOWEN: I mean, he didn't really, he's played that position. So that was his position to play, whether Micah was in there or not. So, I'm glad he stepped up and was ready to go and made some plays for us. Obviously, the communication aspect was a probably bigger piece of it, just being able to take that rollover and communicate the headset, the green dot, all that. Again, it's something we give all these guys, because at any moment, it could come up. So, all these guys have experience with that throughout training camp, throughout the season. So, I was pleased with him in that regard. And again, just continue to develop. Develop in all aspects of playing linebacker and what that is. And I thought (linebacker) Ty (Summers) did a good job going in there last week when Micah went down and was able to do some things and make some plays for us.

Q: Why do you think the edges have been such a problem for you guys? It seems like the teams want to attack you. They want to run at your edges. Maybe you just get quick passes out to the edges. What is the reason for that?

SHANE BOWEN: I mean, I think there's a lot of guys in the run game that determine the edge. It starts with the OLBs. At times, it's the linebackers, if we got stuff going on. Other times, it's the nickel, it's the corners. So, I think there's a wide variety of guys that come into play. Obviously, on traditional run downs, whether we're able to set it, whether we're playing a six, whether we're playing a nine, all these teams are going to force your corners into the run game. They're going to put these receivers up on safeties, up on linebackers, create cracks where these guys have to get downhill, and they got to show up in the run game. So, I think it's been multiple things throughout the year. If you go all the way back from Week 1 forward, I think if you look, it would be a myriad of things there at all positions. But I think there's also been some good, especially here recently. Like last week, I felt like there were some really good examples of edges where we were able to play vertical, whether it was Kayvon, whether it was (outside linebacker) Boogie (Basham), where they weren't just fighting to stay outside. They were able to create an edge playing vertically. And then with these corners, I think the corners have shown up much improved here over these past four or five weeks than what it was probably a little bit earlier in the year.

Special Teams Coordinator Michael Ghobrial

Q: Obviously it's part of the year, part of what you do, week-to-week how much does it change your plan from playing outdoors here in the weather you did and then last week you were indoors and now this week? Does it change any schematics for what you're trying to do or is it just a matter of this is what you guys do and you deal with the weather every week?

MICHAEL GHOBRIAL: I think there's certain situations that arise more than others when you're presented in a stadium that's outdoors versus one that's indoors. So, we have our checklist of things that we make sure we go through, whether it's an outdoor game or whether sometimes it's an indoor game. What are the potential sun issues, where is the wind coming from predominantly, those are all studies that we do and we try and simulate as best as we can in practice to be made aware of it during the game to where we can have success. So, it does change from week to week based off of where we're playing and there's certain things that come to light that have a little bit more emphasis, knowing that there's certain things that can arise with a windy game.

Q: I know there's always this idea that, through the years, they always used to say about offense and defense here with the outdoor stadiums to take an advantage, you want to be a team that can play. When you go against a team that plays primarily their home games indoors, are there things you guys can take advantage of from your perspective on special teams?

MICHAEL GHOBRIAL: I think there may be just a little bit more experience we gain from having it be our home stadium. Obviously us practicing in it and being in that stadium outdoors more frequently, you'd like to say that there is an advantage. But, at the end of the day, both teams go out there with intent to execute and it's the team that does the best job in execution in those situations that ultimately has the success.

Q: What have you gotten from (punter) Jamie (Gillan) this year?

MICHAEL GHOBRIAL: I thought Jamie (Gillan) has done a nice job. We've had a lot of plus area punts where he's done a great job in terms of pinning the opponent deep. I think that is a huge credit to him because I know he made that a point of emphasis for him going into the season. It's also a credit to all our guys because it takes all 11. It's not only him putting his foot on the ball, but all 11 making sure the punt gets off and obviously trying to pin them inside the 15(-yard line). To see a lot of his punts go inside the five(-yard line) and be able to get downed, that's a huge advantage for us. We're always talking about complementary football, and he is the most integral part of that in terms of getting his foot on the ball and it starts with the snap from (Long Snapper) Casey (Krieter). But I think he's done a nice job in terms of that. I know he's going to want a couple of punts back. But predominantly to play in those conditions and to be able to have his stronghold be on controlling returners and being good location-wise, I think he's done a really nice job this year.

Q: I know you, obviously, weren't with him but how much did you know of him earlier? Because the reputation he had was, 'Big leg, big boomer,' and didn't have that element to his game. How much have you, from what you know of him before to what you see now, has he grown?

MICHAEL GHOBRIAL: I've seen a ton of growth from him from when he first stepped into the league. I obviously studied him when he was coming out. I think the way he's wired, he's a pleaser. He wants to do everything you're asking him to do, he's a great teammate and he wants to be at his absolute best every opportunity he gets. So, he's put in the work and is ready to showcase those talents. You see all his hard work from the offseason and during the week of practice show up obviously on game day. So, it's cool to see that maturation of him and (there are) more consistent punts happening.

Q: With the season winding up, the new kickoff rule, did anything surprise you when you went through the course of the season from around the league and even you, obviously? How would you assess the new kickoff rule?

MICHAEL GHOBRIAL: Every week we learn something on both kickoff and kickoff return. It's funny to see, as the season progresses, how a new rule starts to carry over some past fundamentals that you didn't necessarily think may be going into it were going to be very prevalent. You're starting to see more old school fundamentals come back in terms of what people can do from a kickoff side of things and also from a kickoff return side of things. You're seeing some of the same fundamentals, some of the same returns that you saw predominantly happen in years past show up a little bit more. Obviously, with this being a new rule and having such extreme changes to formations and what you're technically allowed to line up in, you would think that it would almost hold you to a certain point that you could only do certain things. But I think people have gotten really creative with how to move the pieces around and still be in legal formations to be able to get things that they've wanted to get in past years. So, we've learned a ton this year in terms of this new rule. It's exciting to see the return rate go up and bring back a play that somewhat seemed like it was dissolving. Guys are excited to play this play and it's been exciting to be part of.

Q: I know you don't have a say in this, obviously, but do you feel that it's going to be back next year?

MICHAEL GHOBRIAL: We'll play it one year at a time. But, yeah, I would think so. I think the players and the coaches have done a nice job in terms of making this play relevant again. I can't speak to what the injury rates are or what the true return rate is. But it certainly feels like it's more populated. So, I'd like to see it back.

Q: How has (running back) Eric (Gray) grown? I know earlier this year he had some turnovers and fumbles but had a good return last game.

MICHAEL GHOBRIAL: The most important thing for any returner is ball security. Those struggles early on in the season, he was so focused on making sure that stuff didn't happen after he lost the ball a couple times. You see that growth happen every week in terms of his ball security, his catch mechanics. A genuine understanding of how blocks play out is something that he learned from the running back room, and he's definitely grown as a returner. You've seen the success happen in the past few games show up more and more. The one thing that I'm proud of him for is having the resiliency to show up every day and continue to be the best version of himself because sometimes a fumble does hurt a player's confidence. But he is wired the right way. He shows up with intent, knowing that if that is his role, he is going to make certain that that is the best thing that he does for this team. The players enjoy blocking for him because they know he's convicted to hit the return hole, and he understands the fundamentals it takes to have success on that.

Q: (Indianapolis Colts kicker) Matt Gay isn't a guy who gets a lot of publicity, but I don't think he's missed under 50 yards this year. What do you see from him?

MICHAEL GHOBRIAL: There was a reason why he was a priority free agent. He is a guy that has tremendous leg strength, that is weather tested in his days back to college. When he gets his foot on the ball, he's one of the most elite ball-strikers in the game right now. So, he's definitely done a nice job. He deserves all the notoriety that he's getting, all the accolades because he is a kicker in this league that you can count on. You see that in his ability to execute. So, he's done a nice job. We have our hands full this week to make certain that he doesn't have that same success versus us.

Wide Receiver Malik Nabers

Q: How are you feeling?

MALIK NABERS: I'm feeling all right.

Q: Do you expect to play Sunday?

MALIK NABERS: Gameday decision right now.

Q: Do you think you'll be able to get on the practice field tomorrow in some way?

MALIK NABERS: I'm hoping so, it all depends on how it feels tomorrow, that's really it.

Q: I know we talked last week about you needing to get 1,000 scrimmage yards, but with (running back) Tyrone (Tracy Jr.) being so close, how happy are you for him getting close to that mark as well?

MALIK NABERS: Continue to cheer him on, keep asking him questions about how (many) yards he (inaudible). I'm not sure if he's aware, last time he told me 40-something. He's still got some ways to go, so I thought he was lying last week. Still going to continue to root him on so he can accomplish what he needs to accomplish.

Q: I think he's got 16 left to get to 1,000?

MALIK NABERS: 16 left, all right so he might've not been lying.

Q: In what's been a tough year, how encouraging is the rookie class for you? You're obviously a big part of that, but Tyrone and some other guys…

MALIK NABERS: We're happy where we're at. Continue to grow every day. A lot of things to fix, a lot of things we can look back on in our rookie year and continue to try to get better for next year. I'm happy with the group that decided to come here, that they picked. We've been doing a lot of great things. I'm hoping that we continue to do those things throughout the year.

Q: Do you at all ever talk to, whether it's Tyrone or some of the other guys, about how you're probably going to be the future here?

MALIK NABERS: We talked about it before we started playing, but I think it's already up in the air. We already know that it's not something you've got to discuss with each other. You just already know that.

Q: Speaking of that, do you take note of how (inside linebacker) Darius (Muasau) has done pretty well defensively as rookie? He's just another guy coming in, being able to step up.

MALIK NABERS: Yeah, he showed a lot of great plays. When he was practicing in the spring and stuff like that. It was no surprise that he was going to get out there, that he was going to do the things that he does. He practiced at a 100 miles per hour. He does the right things in the building, does the right things on the field. It's not surprising that he's doing all of the right things when he's out there.

Q: What's your favorite quality about the group of rookies that you guys have?

MALIK NABERS: I feel like we're all dogs. (Tight end) Theo (Johnson)… you go through everybody. (Safety Tyler) Nubin, he had a lot of broken stuff in his foot. He continued to play. Theo, he got his foot broken in the first quarter of the game, he continued to play. We've got that mentality that we want to win. Nothing's going to stop us from getting done what we want to get done. To have that as a group and all in one, the sky's the limit for us, I'm happy for that.

Q: You talked about those guys playing through. How badly do you want to play these last two games? To be able to taste one more win and get out there again...

MALIK NABERS: Any opportunity I have to go out there on the football field and play with my brothers, whether I'm nicked up or not. I know a lot of guys are battling a lot of injuries in the facility, and in the building right now. They still continue to go out there and ball. I'm going to be right there with those guys if I can and continue to go out there with those guys and ball out.

Q: For you personally, how tough has it been dealing with the losing?

MALIK NABERS: It's tough on everybody. It's not just tough on me. It's tough on everybody. I'm continuing to keep my mental strong, continue to move forward, continue to try to better the team, better myself. Lead by example. I feel like that's really all we can do in this state of mind that we're going through.

Q: Is there one thing you've learned through the losing?

MALIK NABERS: No, not really. It's just fight stronger to win. Hold everybody accountable. Rally the guys up. That's really all we can do right now is rally everybody up and continue to go out there and fight.

Q: For you personally, when you look at it from a big-picture type perspective, where do you think it went wrong this season?

MALIK NABERS: I don't think there was anything that 'went wrong' in the season, we've just got to be better with the details of what we've got to accomplish as an offense, as a defense, as a whole team. If 11 guys are not on the same page on the football field, then anything can go wrong. I just feel like we've got to know our responsibilities, know what our job is and continue to try to elevate in that role. Find a role in the team and just try to elevate that.

Q: You had talked from the beginning of the season about how excited you were to play in front of the home crowd and everything else. Obviously, you guys have struggled at home. Would it be tough for you to have the season end that way? Does that kind of have that hunger going into next year, knowing that you didn't have the experience at home that you thought you were going to have?

MALIK NABERS: I feel like that's just burning inside me to try to make things shake as many through these last two games, with this last home game that we've got. I want to thank all of the fans for coming out and supporting us through the season. It's been a tough one. But we're building up a lot of fire to push into next year. Thanks to those fans that come out and support us this year. But we've got to be better. We've got to go out there and put on a show. We've been trying to, but things haven't been the thing that we've been expecting. But yes, next year, the fire is burning up inside me to give those fans a show anytime I'm out there on the field. That's why I continue to go out there and try to be the life of the fans, try to be the life of the team. That's why I continue to go out there and show my skills and try to lead by example and be that guy.