Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator Mike Kafka
Q: With the uncertainty of (wide receiver) Malik's (Nabers) injury, how have you game planned this week?
MIKE KAFKA: I'll let (Head Coach) Dabs (Brian Daboll) talk about the injury stuff. But, generally, as an offense, it's just really taking a next man up approach on offense. Our coaching staff does a great job of getting everyone prepared. So, making sure we're all dialed in.
Q: Next man up is what you would say for everybody, obviously, at all eleven positions. But when somebody has accounted for 40% of your offense, the next man up is not going to be able to do that. So, how do you spread that around? How do you get more people involved? Do you have to ask for more out of everybody rather than just the guy who's taking Malik (Nabers)' spot?
MIKE KAFKA: Really the philosophy is next man up, next man in. He's going to carry the load. Then we just got to figure out, as a coaching staff knowing our players' strengths and weaknesses, how to put them in a really good position to be successful.
Q: So many times players get 10-15 snaps a game because they're just not practicing well during the week. Are you comfortable with (wide receiver) Jalin (Hyatt), say Malik (Nabers) doesn't play, getting 40-50 snaps a game? Is he at that point?
MIKE KAFKA: Yeah, I'm very confident in Jalin (Hyatt). He's been a pro since he's been here. He's been studying his tail off. You're right, he hasn't had a ton this year but he's practiced every single day like he's a starter. He prepares like he's the starter. So, again, talking about that next man up approach, he's one of those guys, if he has to go in, he'll be ready and prepared and we'll be expecting him to do his job and make plays for us.
Q: You're playing against a defense that just allowed literally a perfect game, 18-for-18. Is there stuff you can see from what (Detroit Lions quarterback) Jared Goff and the Lions did that you guys can apply? I'm sure you're not going to tell me what that is, but is there stuff or schemes that you can carry from their game plan or do you just have to do your stuff?
MIKE KAFKA: When you're game planning, you're looking at all the different schemes and all the different coverages they've got. They played on a Monday night so they had some extra time and stuff like that. You're looking at what they set up and what they've done in the past. (Seattle Seahawks Head) Coach (Mike) Macdonald has four games under his belt right now. There's a bunch of tape from Baltimore, so you can look at that. Our coaches, we've been spending a lot of time studying all the schemes with our players and trying to put them in good spots.
Q: If you look at the game against Dallas, was there a common factor in settling for field goals as opposed to scoring TDs?
MIKE KAFKA: No. I think last week, obviously, we want to score touchdowns in those situations, but there's been examples over the course of the season where we have. We've finished in the red zone, so really proud of that. In Washington. Did it in Cleveland. Those are things that we can build on.
Q: What specifically went wrong last week?
MIKE KAFKA: When it comes down to it, whether it's just execution or whether it's just communication, all those little tiny things. Whether it's a fundamental breakdown at the point of attack or whether it's just getting the right play in the right time, things like that. So, we just got to keep on working and getting better at it and I think we will and we have.
Q: Talking about next man up, the running back room might need that too. Obviously, (running back) Devin (Singletary) is dealing with an injury too. What is your confidence level in (running back Tyrone) Tracy and (running back Eric) Gray just going forward?
MIKE KAFKA: We have a lot of confidence in that running back room. (Running backs) Coach Joel Thomas does a great job getting those guys prepared and getting them mentally in tune to the pressures we're going to see, the run game and how they're going to fit off of our blocks. I'm excited about that group. It's a young group, so we'll have an opportunity. Obviously, will that injury stuff, but those young guys have been prepping for it.
Q: There's been a lot of focus on (quarterback) Daniel (Jones)' deep balls and leaving them short. He talked yesterday about trusting it and throwing in it. Is that something you're going to practice with him? Do you see him trusting in it? What does that look like?
MIKE KAFKA: There were several really good examples yesterday, even in practice, just putting it to a spot and letting a guy kind of go run underneath it to go get it. Again, we'll keep on repping it. We practice it for a reason. That way you can feel confident to do it in the game. DJ (Daniel Jones) has been doing that. We're going to give him those opportunities in practice.
Q: In the game situation, has the confidence been lacking in him to throw it deep?
MIKE KAFKA: No, I wouldn't say it's a lack of confidence or anything like that. I would just say sometimes the defense doesn't give you exactly the look you might see, so you have to reset and check it down, get the ball out of your hands and that's part of being a quarterback.
Q: The offensive line in the run game, it seems like they have taken ownership of, 'We have to do a better job.' They're doing well as a pass blocking unit. How do they perform better as a run blocking unit?
MIKE KAFKA: Last week, those guys… Compared to the weeks before where they were having a lot of good production, I think this week these guys are up for a really good challenge. I think they're in the right frame of mind and they're having a really good week of practice and today's one of those days. I'm excited to see how those guys respond.
Q: Is (quarterback) Drew Lock an asset for you this week? In terms of he's practiced against them for years?
MIKE KAFKA: Him being in that building and him understanding the players, it's a different scheme, both offensively and defensively, but he's had some insight into some of their guys and who they are and what they are. So, yeah, of course we've had those conversations.
Defensive Coordinator Shane Bowen
Q: You rely so much on the four-man rush, big part of your defense. Are you happy with the results of your four-man rush? (Outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux) Thibs, (outside linebacker) Brian (Burns), (defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence) Dex…
SHANE BOWEN: Yeah, I think always you're trying to improve. Again, we've been productive for the most part trying to affect the quarterback. We've had some sacks from some other places. I think that's a product of those four as well. Being able to understand how guys are blocking us, just continuing to find ways to create one-on-one for those guys, give them some opportunities. Teams are doing a good job getting the ball out, too. I mean it takes all 11 to affect the quarterback. It's not just the front four, so we've got to understand that as a defense as well, with just what we're asking these guys to do coverage-wise, what we're playing, to be able to buy a little bit more time potentially for those guys to get home. But I'm pleased with where they're at. Again, I don't think the production ultimately shows the effectiveness of them up to this point. I'm sure they'd all love to have multiple sacks. Hopefully they come, but at the same time, I think they're doing a good job for us.
Q: There was such a question coming into the season on how your young secondary would perform. At the quarter post, how do you think they performed? And you just said it's a little bit on them to maybe buy extra time for the pass rushers, but pass rushers is where all the money is and where all the veterans are, so shouldn't they be speeding it up for those guys?
SHANE BOWEN: Yeah, I mean, it goes hand-in-hand. I think they both complement each other. Like I said, it takes all 11. When we do buy some more time, we've got to be able to get home, and hopefully we can speed up the clock at times, too, and take away some easy throws, quick-release throws as well. I've been pleased with them. I think they're battling. We've had a lot of moving parts there up to this point, just with injuries. Pleased with the versatility. Pleased with the guys that have stepped in. There's some roles that they were kind of forced into throughout these first four weeks, so we'll see where we're at as this week keeps going, but just continuing to improve. That's the biggest thing with them, continuing to improve technique-wise, fundamental-wise, continuing to improve our situational awareness, which I think is a big part of it. In the back end, studying opponents, all those little things that go into being a pro, you've got to keep taking steps.
Q: What have you seen from (safety Tyler) Nubin?
SHANE BOWEN: Yeah, he's been good for us. I think the communication shows up, all the things that we kind of expected out of him, being a leader on the field, taking control, communicating with guys, helping the guy next to him. Again, I would go back to just some of the situational awareness in the league. These young guys, they're kind of learning by fire right now with some of that stuff, but I've been pleased with how he's played, showing up, tackling. He's played physical for us. Really just continue to learn from mistakes with all those guys, and when you play with young guys, it's going to happen at times. So just continuing to build, make new mistakes, learn from it, keep growing, keep understanding what the game is at this level.
Q: If I could just follow up quickly, how does (safety Jason) Pinnock fit in as sort of maybe a leader in that group and someone who helps the younger guys along?
SHANE BOWEN: Yeah, I think he's been great for the entire room, safety wise and corner wise. The way he works, day in and day out, the way he prepares, I think he's a pro in that regard. I think those guys look to him, all those guys look to him, especially on game day. Just the energy, the enthusiasm, the fire he plays with, those guys feed off that.
Q: Dex has been double-teamed I think at the highest rate since 2018. How do you see him handle that and what can you do to get Kayvon more involved?
SHANE BOWEN: Yeah, I mean we've got to expect it, but we've got to do a good job finding ways to get hands off of him. That's our job as coaches. I think that falls on the players as well. We've all got to do a little bit more to hopefully force them to put hands on somebody else. So, we've got to look at that as a coaching staff, see what we can do. He's a pro bowl player. He's one of the better D-Linemen in the league. I think he's right up there first or second in quarterback pressure rate so far this season. So, it's expected. Again, we've just got to find ways to hopefully, if they are and they're bound and determined to do it, we can find ways to counterpunch it a little bit.
Q: (Cornerback Deonte) Banks has faced kind of a murderer's row of number one receivers so far. How do you think he's handled that challenge? It seems like teams have maybe found something in the five-yard range towards the goal line where they just run this quick slant on him. (Vikings wide receiver Justin) Jefferson and (Browns wide receiver Amari) Cooper I think did it. Is that your responsibility to adjust, or does he have to play that differently?
SHANE BOWEN: Yeah, I think this league is murderer's row every week. Every team has got number one receivers that are good players. So, every week you're going to find that. This week they got three really talented receivers. I think he's done a good job. He's challenged. We've got to work on the finish piece. He's been in good positions down the field for the most part. Again, those 50-50 balls, some of them are really good throws, really good catches, and other times we've got to do a better job finding the ball, locating it, being able to play through the hands, understanding what situation you're in as that ball is in the air down the field. The low red, slant stuff, we've got to force the hard throw. We've got to eliminate those in-breakers, force the hard throw. They're going to have their phase. They're going to have their back shoulders. A big part of what they do this week is going to show up. But understand the leverage. Take away the easy throws. Make them throw the hard ones. The lesser of the two evils in terms of completion percentage and how those things play out.
Q: Talking to some of the guys yesterday about that along those lines. Some of the corners, they were talking about 'you can play a play about as well as you can play it. You don't make the play on the ball. They catch a touchdown on you, and you kind of go back to the sideline'. You're like, man, how do I get to that last step of doing it? How much work is that mentally, and how much is it physically? Is it both, do you think?
SHANE BOWEN: Yeah, I think it's repetition, finding yourself in that situation. It's hard to emulate, especially out here in practice, trying to stay off the ground, trying to not twist anybody up on both sides. We've got to find ways to work it, but I think the first phase of it is being in phase, making sure you're in a good body position. You might be slightly behind. You might be on the front hip slightly, but being able to feel them, be in position, and then when he's locating the ball, we've got to find ways to locate the ball. Or potentially, if we're not in phase, to play through his hands and trust that hopefully we can play through his hands, get our head back late, and don't get some of those P.I. calls where those balls are underthrown and they're coming back in. It's a hard job. Like being a D-lineman taking on 600 pounds or being an outside corner going one-on-one with some of these receivers, they're tough asks. And that's the expectation, though. For that position, that's the expectation. So, we've got to do a good job, continue to work that, just finding that comfort level to play the ball down the field without fouling, playing through hands, and creating some of these PBUs.
Q: First question was about the four-man rush. That Cleveland game was a big departure. Just curious, like, obviously I'm sure that was game plan specific, but did you see something there that makes you may be more inclined that you can go to that if you need to?
SHANE BOWEN: Yeah, I think we got it all. We do. It's just a matter of volume, I guess, in terms of call-wise and how the game was going, where they were at a little bit with their offensive line came into play as that kind of game went on and the effectiveness we had early on with it. We were pretty effective, so being able to stay true to it. Again, it's what you're willing to live with, what we're able to hold up with a little bit at times on the back end, that comes into play, too. But they did a good job. I thought they were all attacking, and we've got some good second-level blitzers. So, we've got to keep that in mind as we game plan just where we're at, how we're utilizing guys because we do have some ability to affect the quarterback with some other pieces other than the front four.
Q: Last year, it seemed that every game, (Inside Linebacker) Bobby Okereke had like 10 tackles. Have you changed his role?
SHANE BOWEN: Where is he at now tackle-wise?
Q: About seven or eight, yeah.
SHANE BOWEN: Okay, so a couple? Yeah. No, not really. I mean, obviously, scheme-wise, it's probably changed a little bit. I think he's being productive for us. I think he's doing a good job making plays that he's supposed to make for the most part. Just continue to work on fitting, having trust, and being able to trigger, being able to get downhill and keep working. And the thing with him, too, is he's had a ton of ball production in the league and trying to find ways to take advantage of that where he can get his hands on footballs, he can punch some balls out. That's been a big part of his game throughout the years.
Q: How much does the defense remain a work in progress?
SHANE BOWEN: Always. Never ending. Always technique, fundamentals at the forefront of that, making sure we're really good there. And then by game plan, what we're trying to do, I think that's the beauty of kind of what we've installed up to this point is there can be minor adjustments, minor things here and there and it's not wholesale new week to week. We have things in place that might be changing a piece here, changing a piece there. We've got some coverage variation options we can use. So, we're always going to try to evolve, figure out the best way to get these guys in positions to be successful week in and week out. But work in progress is always. For me, for (Defensive Passing Game Coordinator/Defensive Backs Coach Jerome Henderson) Rome, for (Defense Line Coach Andre Patterson) Dre, for all our players, always looking to up the standard, do a little bit more, demand more of ourselves, demand more of these players, and hopefully they do the same.
Special Teams Coordinator Michael Ghobrial
Q: If you have to use one of the running backs, who is one of the return guys now, and they have more of a prominent role on offense, do you bring somebody else in as a returner?
MICHAEL GHOBRIAL: I think my job is to prepare anybody that's on a roster, whether it be on the practice squad or active roster, to be ready to show up on Sunday. I'm still going to train the guys that have been back there and then we're still going to train a couple guys that are getting opportunities like (wide receiver) Ihmir Smith-Marsette, (wide receiver) K. (Kearis) Jackson who also came on a roster and then (running back) E. (Eric) Gray and (running back Tyrone) Tracy will continue to work at it.
Q: What's your concern of the ball security on kickoff returns?
MICHAEL GHOBRIAL: I've stood up here before and I say the number one thing that is a premium to us is ball security, is taking care of the football and owning the football. That's something that our players understand, too. We've got to make sure that we're putting them in situations where they're in traffic, where guys are going to be deliberate to punch the ball out and them understanding that the ball has to be high and tight. All the same fundamentals that happen on offense, too. But, that is not something that's short-sighted to anybody in our building. We've got to make sure we're taking care of that football like it's a bag of money. Our players understand that and they wholeheartedly want to make sure that they do that.
Q: You had to be happy with (kicker) Greg (Joseph) last week. Was it something you saw from the week before when he had that miss? Any kind of adjustment?
MICHAEL GHOBRIAL: I don't think one kick necessarily defines a kicker, especially a veteran kicker like Greg Joseph. He did miss that one in Cleveland, but his ability to self-correct and bounce back is huge. That's why he's been able to kick in this league so long. I was super fired up for him to go 5-for-5. I know he's confident in himself. I think the big thing is whenever you acquire somebody else from the roster, especially from the specialist position, you're trying to gain comfort with the long snapper and punter holding and all that. And understanding that is a little bit of a different system. So, they want to make sure that they're all working together. I think Greg (Joseph) obviously trusts (punter) Jamie (Gillan), Greg trusts (long snapper) Casey (Kreiter) and then, ultimately, they have trust in him and they've just been working at it.
Q: What's it like for you to gain that trust with a guy who you obviously didn't coach all offseason or coached before? How do you determine his range or where you can trust him from? How do you go about doing that?
MICHAEL GHOBRIAL: The first week, there's a lot of things that you're reliant upon, his experience in the league and seeing the certain situations. What stadiums he's been at, where has he hit his long balls, what directions. So, those are things that I pay attention to early. As I start to get more and more around him, I can gauge a little bit more of how he is in this atmosphere. Then, obviously, in our stadium and seeing him pre-game, that's giving me more and more info on where he is.
Q: I saw after warm-ups, you were talking to him and writing something down. Are you literally getting his range right then?
MICHAEL GHOBRIAL: There's some game plan stuff that we talk about in terms of direction and range and all those things. A lot of times it's not necessarily something he said, I'm an avid note-taker. He might say something that resonates, that might not be something that we're talking about, but I just might jot it down to make certain that I bring attention to it, maybe with another player.
Q: (Inside linebacker) Matt(hew) Adams came here with a reputation to be great on special teams. Obviously, he's been out for a while, but when that guy hits the practice field, and I know the roster stuff is out of your hands, but when he's ready to come out, his kind of personality, the way he plays, can he kind of rejuvenate a little bit or bring energy to coverage teams when he's out there?
MICHAEL GHOBRIAL: A true veteran special teamer in this league. You guys see him on the practice field, he has energy, he has juice and he practices the right way. That personality is infectious to the rest of our team. I know he's been very eager to get back on the field, so it's awesome that his window has started because just him being on the field has been great for the guys. There's a calming presence with a guy that's done it at a high level like Matt(hew Adams). I know Matt(hew Adams) is going to be ready whenever his opportunity comes. He's done it at this league at a high level and I know he's really excited to get going.
Q: With Seattle, they added Jay Harbaugh this year as the Special Teams Coordinator. Do you have to go back and see what he did in Michigan or do you have to rely on your previous encounters with the Seahawks?
MICHAEL GHOBRIAL: Whenever I'm preparing against an opponent, I think you've always got to see where their roots come from. Obviously where they've been most recently gives you a little bit of a tell of some things that they've done. But also, (Seattle Seahawks Special Teams Coordinator) Jay (Harbaugh) has been in Baltimore and he does one heck of a job. Tremendous respect for Jay (Harbaugh). He gets his players to play hard. You see that when he was at Michigan. You see that now with the Seahawks. He does a heck of a job and it's going to be a great challenge for us to go against them.
Q: Has it been discouraging to see, around the league, not just you guys, how many of these dynamic kickoffs are still resulting in kicking it through the end zone and touchbacks after Special Teams Coordinators around the league came up with this rule?
MICHAEL GHOBRIAL: I don't know if it's discouraging. We're four games in. There's, from my perspective, always going to be information that you can gather and I still think it's very early in the season. We're in the first quarter. I'll sit back every week and study the trends around the league. So, of the returns, I think from my perspective, I could speak on I just want to gather as much information as possible to make sure we're putting our players in the best possible situation. So, whether the touchback percentage is still high or whether the return rate becomes higher, I think from our perspective we're trying to gain information but we'll be ready to cover kicks and return kicks in both.
Q: The NFL commissioner said this week that moving it to 35 would be a game changer. Do you agree with five yards making that much of a difference?
MICHAEL GHOBRIAL: I think if the rule does change from that perspective, it changes the trajectory of how you teach things, certainly. Because now you're succeeding another five yards if you do try and kick a touchback. But, ultimately, I think the analytics have to be able to tell you a little bit more if they do move that yard line and when that does happen. As of right now, we're preparing as it is the 30 yard line and then we'll follow suit with that.
Q: I was just saying from your studies, your analytics, 25 (yard line) to 30 (yard line) didn't seem to matter, but 30 (yard line) to 35 (yard line), do you think it would matter?
MICHAEL GHOBRIAL: Yeah, it just keeps inching closer to the end zone (laughs). So, you want to make sure at what point does that actually matter. There'll be more and more studies with that if the line does change.
Q: When (Tyrone) Tracy fumbled, you replaced him after that. Just curious what went into that decision…
MICHAEL GHOBRIAL: Not necessarily a lack of confidence in (Tyrone) Tracy. He is a young and eager player that has tremendous upside in this league and has already done a lot of good things. It wasn't necessarily a knock on (Tyrone) Tracy, because he understands the importance of holding onto the ball. I wanted to give an opportunity to Ihmir (Smith-Marsette). You guys saw Ihmir (Smith-Marsette) on punt return where he had a 22-yard punt return to the logo. So, I wanted to give him an opportunity to return. I thought that was a situation where he wasn't playing a lot of offense at that point, so I'm like, 'Okay, let's get him an opportunity to touch the ball.'
Q: What is it you guys see in (Eric) Gray as a returner that makes him viable there? Because he had trouble catching the ball as a punt returner last year before you were here. I'm sure you know that. He hasn't handled the ball great as a kicker turner either. What do you see on the positive side that makes you guys keep running him out there as a returner?
MICHAEL GHOBRIAL: From the kickoff return standpoint, he has tracked it well. I thought he has the ability to understand kicker intentions. He does a good job of catching it forward and even fielding those liners that are a little bit harder for some returners. I think he studies his butt off and he has tracked the ball well and he has caught it well. The running back experience, from his perspective, is always going to be a strong suit because he has the natural run skill that a lot of running backs have. He does run hard and you can tell the players want a block for him. He has one of those personalities that is… There's a very business-like approach to every opportunity he gets. I think the players respect how important it is for him to be able to have success on that unit resonates with the whole unit. So, I think E. (Eric) Gray has the ability to do it.
Q: You mentioned (wide receiver Kearis) Jackson coming in here. Coming in here as a kick returner in the summer, you obviously returned kicks under the new rules. Maybe different than a guy who's had experience in the league but you haven't been able to see him with the dynamic kickoff. Does that help with your evaluation of him to come in and when he has his workout here to know what you're going to get from him right off the bat rather than having to play around and see, 'Can he do this with this dynamic kickoff?'
MICHAEL GHOBRIAL: Yeah, so he is a younger player in general and I do think he has tremendous upside. He does have some return stuff two years ago and, obviously, in the preseason seeing what he did with this new kickoff return rule. I'm excited to work with him because I think he does have a skill set to do it. The one thing I do see off of the tape, he does have hole conviction, meaning once he sees it he's going to hit it and he's going to hit it a million miles per hour and he had an explosive return in the preseason. So, I want to obviously keep working with him and see what he can do.
Inside Linebacker Bobby Okereke
Q: On what he's seen from Seattle…
BOBBY OKEREKE: …they're a complete offense. They can run the ball really well. They can pass the ball well. They have a lot of strengths. So, it'll be a great challenge for us.
Q: Have they changed your role much this year? It seems last year you were having like ten tackles a game. Are you doing other things and somebody else is getting more of the responsibility on the tackles?
BOBBY OKEREKE: I mean, obviously it's a different scheme, so I'm in different positions. I'm still playing middle linebacker, still playing MIKE linebacker. Still have communication in my headset from that standpoint, similar. The same way I found a niche and a position to make plays last year is the same way that I'm looking to make plays this year.
Q: I was just going to ask you about the job that (inside linebacker) Micah (McFadden) is doing. He didn't play in the first game, he still leads the team in tackles. No offense (laughs). But just the way he's stepped up this year…
BOBBY OKEREKE: I think Micah (McFadden) is phenomenal. As a third-year player in this league, he's playing at a really high level. Definition of a fast, physical linebacker.
Q: When you look at Seattle, what do you see?
BOBBY OKEREKE: Explosive offense. Like I said, a little bit of a dual headed monster. They can run the ball really well and they can throw the ball really well as well. Great quarterback, playing at a very high level, and they have three elite receivers, so a good challenge.
Q: What's interesting is you're having a ten day break between games. They had Monday night, Sunday, and then they've got Thursday the following week. How difficult is that?
BOBBY OKEREKE: Very difficult. I know for us, coming off the Sunday game and then playing on Thursday, it's tough. Obviously, you don't practice that week, but you try to get the same amount of preparation and same amount of sleep, all pushed into four days. It's a challenge but it's what we get paid to do and we're excited for the opportunity.
Q: Talk about (Seahawks running back) Kenneth Walker. What type of (running) back he is…
BOBBY OKEREKE: He's a very physical runner. He's got really good vision. He's fast. He's quick. He's got elite contact balance. He forces a lot of missed tackles, so he'll be a great challenge.
Wide Receiver Jalin Hyatt
Q: You knew at some point somebody was going to get hurt and they'd have to call on you. I mean, how hard is it to go through what you have to do to stay ready?
JALIN HYATT: Yeah, you just got to be ready whenever it is. This is a long, long season. And like you said, injuries happen and it's all about taking advantage of the opportunities. We're going to go out and play Seattle, and we're going to be ready. And for us, we just got to stay focused, got to stay on rhythm on offense, and we do that, and we have a good chance.
Q: Given (wide receiver) Malik's (Nabers) target share, have the meetings or kind of game planning been any different this week?
JALIN HYATT: It's whatever Seattle gives us on defense. They have a good secondary, and we got to do what we have to do on offense, and as receivers in that room, we got to get open and make plays. So, as far as target share or anything, we're going to keep playing how we play, and we'll be ready.
Q: What have you seen from their secondary on film?
JALIN HYATT: Yeah, they got speed, they can run. They're long corners, good secondary, good safeties that they have. But for us, we just got to execute, we got to execute our plays, and we got to be ready when our number is called.
Q: I imagine on both sides it's been pretty vague because you guys are dealing with the (wide receiver) Malik (Nabers) injury, and they are dealing with a ton of injuries on defense too, at least in the last game. Has that kind of changed the dynamic of what, or is there multiple facets of what you've had to prepare for this week?
JALIN HYATT: I mean it's definitely a different team that we're facing. With Seattle, they're good at running to the football. Secondary, like I said, they're fast, they got speed, they can run. So, for us, we got to get them off their line, we got to make sure we're running, catching the ball how we're supposed to catch the ball, and like I said getting open, knowing that we're going to be at Seattle. So, it'll be a little tough environment for us, but we got to stay on track. And hopefully, no false starts, stay on track and keep doing what we do.
Q: How excited are you? It could very well be a big possibility to play a lot more snaps this week with maybe (wide receiver) Malik (Nabers) not playing.
JALIN HYATT: Yeah, it's going to be fine. Like I said, I'm a competitor, I want to be out there and be able to play and obviously, I didn't have a lot of chances this season. But like I said, it's a long season, things happen, injuries happen, and I got to be ready, I got to be ready whenever my number's called. And if it is called this week, I'll be ready.
Q: Has (quarterback Daniel Jones) Danny guaranteed you 13 targets a game?
JALIN HYATT: (Laughs) Yeah, I've been in his ear. I know he's right here, he's my locker mate. So, every time I see him, I'll say something to him. But like I said, we're going to be prepared, we got to be ready, we have a good game plan that I like. And I just can't wait to go out there with DJ and the offensive line and obviously our receivers, and make plays, and we can do that at Seattle.
Q: It's better to be in his pocket.
JALIN HYATT: (Laughs) Exactly, that's why I'm right here by him, right beside him.
