Head Coach Brian Daboll

BRIAN DABOLL: First and foremost, prayers, thoughts go out to anyone that was affected in that tragedy that happened 23 years ago. Spoke to the team a little bit about that today. Thank you to the military, police, firefighters, first responders. Very vivid in my mind where I was at that time, and I'm sure it is for a lot of you. Always a tough day. Again, very thankful for the people that helped along the way, and prayers to the people that were affected by it.

In terms of where we're at, getting ready for Washington. Four players won't practice. (Wide receiver) Gunner (Olszewski), (wide receiver Darius) Slayton's in concussion protocol, (inside linebacker) Darius Muasau has a knee, and (cornerback Nick) McCloud has a knee. Day-to-day we'll see where those two are at. Everybody else will be good to go.

Q: Do you expect (inside linebacker) Micah (McFadden) to be able to do more this week going in with Muasau not practicing?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, I expect him to take the reps today at practice that he needs to take.

Q: Gunner did not go on IR. Is that an option for him?

BRIAN DABOLL: We'll see here. It's going to be weeks here for him. Again, how many weeks, not sure quite yet, but you won't see him for at least a few weeks.

Q: Obviously (quarterback) Daniel (Jones), it's only human nature to lose confidence after things didn't go his way last week, so how have you as a head coach who calls plays, coordinating all that stuff, kind of build up his confidence heading into Sunday? Or try to build him back up? It's only human nature you're going to lose some confidence, right? So how do you try to build him back up going into Sunday's game?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, that goes for everybody. Again, there's 16 teams that are not very happy this past week on a Monday or Tuesday. Again, you have relationships with players. I've had plenty of conversations with multiple players. He's someone that I talk to every day. We talk about the discipline to do things right on and off the field like he always does, having a positive attitude regardless of situation. It's never easy when you lose a game, or you don't play well, or you don't coach well. That's the National Football League. This is 24 years into it. There's not much of that I haven't experienced. So, keeping a positive attitude, doing the things that you need to do each and every week to prepare for a game, which he'll do. And then handling things with the right mindset. Be able to persevere through things, let your passion show, have competitive stamina. Mental toughness is a real thing. Focus on the things that's important, which is what his coaches are teaching him to do, how he goes out and practices with the right mindset. That's what you do with every player, with every coach.

Q: I totally get that. As we all know, QB is the most important position, maybe in professional sports. That's why I'm asking.

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, that's okay. And I understand the question.

Q: Is he where you want him at? That's all I'm asking.

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, and I appreciate the question, but that's what you do. You have relationships with players, you correct them, you show them, you're there for them, you have good conversations. Because sometimes players or coaches, you need to have those conversations.

Q: Do you see a quarterback who's playing with confidence?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, we've played one game, so no one did good enough that first game. So again, team sport and we'll work on fixing it.

Q: What have you seen from him since that game?

BRIAN DABOLL: Well, we haven't practiced yet.

Q: In regards to how he's carrying himself, how he's handled the disappointment of that game in particular?

BRIAN DABOLL: Well again, we're moving on to this week. Nobody was happy with the results of last week, so locked in, loaded, ready to go, go through the scouting report, game plan, go out and have a good practice. That's what you have to do each and every week in this league. Whether you win or whether you lose, that's where your focus has to be is in the moment.

Q: In Hard Knocks when you were asked about (Commanders Quarterback) Jayden Daniels about possibly trading up, you said 'yeah, okay, let's do it'. What did you like about him so much that you would have said that?

BRIAN DABOLL: I think he's a good football player. He's athletic. He's dynamic with the ball in his hands, whether it's a passer or a runner. But again, this is more about the Washington offense in general. They played a good Tampa Bay team. Tampa Bay played well. He's a rookie quarterback that definitely did some good things that you saw from college on tape. He had 88 yards, 70 yards on scrambles, throws the ball well, but it's more about getting ready to play their entire offense.

Q: Did he look like a rookie in the first game? You talked about his legs. Obviously physically he can do a lot of really good things, but a lot of the rookies you've seen in the league look like rookies.

BRIAN DABOLL: Looks like a good football player to me. Again, I'm sure there's plays he would like to have back just like all of us, but I think he's a good football player. I think he's a good quarterback. I think they've got a lot of good pieces around him. (Commanders Wide Receiver Terry) McLaurin is an exceptional receiver. Speed. (Commanders Running Back Brian) Robinson is a tough runner. They brought (Commanders Running Back) Austin (Ekeler) over there from LA. Again, it's the biggest team sport there is, and that's where we'll focus.

Q: How much more challenging is it to prepare for a team that has a rookie quarterback, new head coach, kind of doing an overhaul?

BRIAN DABOLL: In the early part of the season, it's like that, but now you add (Commanders Head Coach) Dan (Quinn), even though he was at Dallas, but he has different players on Washington than he had at Dallas. The quarterback is in his second start, so there's not a lot of tape other than you go back and there's plenty of tape that we watched at LSU. Again, it's still early in the season, so some of the preparation and the things that you go through, there's a lot of tape to sift through. You make sure you hit the big details.

Q: Does the work that you did on Jayden going to the draft help you at all here?

BRIAN DABOLL: I've spent a lot of time looking at some of those guys. If I didn't look at them, I'd spend a lot of time looking at them this week. There's cutups that I've made that I can refer to or go back and talk with the defensive staff about. There's a little bit more time on some other things, but I put a lot of work into that. Again, he's played in one game in a regular season, so we'll use that. It's really more about us and how we do things.

Q: How tricky is it that you are on camera saying that was a situation that unfolded? You have to deal with that. You said this is a guy I do like enough that I would want to draft him and now to have to play him. You have a different quarterback here. What's that like for you to navigate?

BRIAN DABOLL: I'd say I've had that conversation weeks ago or whenever that happened. Our focus right now is on what we're doing in the moment, which is getting ready to play a game.

Q: You're saying with us you've had that conversation or with Daniel?

BRIAN DABOLL: No, not with you. With my player.

Q: How do you get (wide receiver) Malik (Nabers) more involved?

BRIAN DABOLL: Throw him the ball.

Q: Were there times that you thought the ball was going there and Daniel directed it otherwise?

BRIAN DABOLL: I thought Daniel- again, I don't want to live too much in last week. We're moving on. Move him around like we do. If he's the first read, he's the first read. If he's the second read, he's the second read. Continue to work with him. When he's open, give it to him.

Q: Now that you've had a chance to dig into the tape, what did you identify as the things that are a big priority to focus on this week?

BRIAN DABOLL: Really us doing everything better. That's what we'll try to do.

Q: How does Slayton actually feel?

BRIAN DABOLL: No, I think concussions are different for every player. I think every guy is different. There's been progress, but again, I don't think you mess around with those type of things. He won't do anything today. Each day they come in, they get tested, they go through things. I'm sure if he passes protocol and all that stuff, then he'll be ready to go, but those head injuries are tricky injuries. I don't want to take those lightly.

Q: Is he at the physical activity?

BRIAN DABOLL: No, he's not doing anything today.

Q: Is it as simple as (wide receiver) Jalin (Hyatt) stepping into that spot and moving on?

BRIAN DABOLL: It is.

Q: How comfortable are you with him? Obviously, you mentioned the other day about the depth chart and where he was in his snaps. If he has to move up in the depth chart, what's your thoughts on Jalin?

BRIAN DABOLL: I feel good about him.

Q: Did the Commanders struggle on defense last weekend with 37 points?

BRIAN DABOLL: I thought they made a lot of good plays too. They had eight, seven negative plays. Six of them were in the run game. I thought (Buccaneers quarterback) Baker (Mayfield) made some really good throws and decisions. (Wide receiver Mike) Evans made some good plays. They (Tampa Bay) played well offensively. There was a lot of good things. They're playing a different style than they've played the last few years. They're aggressive up front. The two guys inside have been the two guys inside for a while. (Commanders Defensive Linemen Jonathan) Allen and Daron (Payne) are Alabama guys that I've had familiarity with. They're playing good. Again, first game, they did some good things. Tampa, I thought, played well. Had some big plays in the screen game, the run game, down the field, and some match ups. I think they're a good team.

Q: Is Baker Mayfield an example of a guy, specifically a quarterback, that maybe lost his confidence and was able to bounce back and play some really good ball?

BRIAN DABOLL: I don't want to speak for Baker. I've never been around him other than evaluating him. I haven't been with him in the meeting rooms or things that he's went through. I think that'd be unfair of me to do.

Q: What is your preferred offensive identity? What do you want to hang your hat on as an offense?

BRIAN DABOLL: Scoring points.

Q: Do you have an overarching concern that you haven't thrown a touchdown pass in the preseason or the regular season?

BRIAN DABOLL: Our focus is on trying to score points.

Quarterback Daniel Jones

Q: When you went back and looked at the film from Sunday, what were your takeaways in your performance?

DANIEL JONES: Definitely some things to clean up and do better. Some missed opportunities. I think overall just playing quicker, being cleaner with my feet. Definitely some things to clean up and I'll look to do that.

Q: Other than being cleaner with your feet, what else stood out to you that you wanted to clean up?

DANIEL JONES: I think just seeing it and trusting it, being decisive and going. I think certain decisions here and there could have done a better job. Each play you try to take something from and learn something and then apply that to this week of practice and improve it.

Q: When you say being decisive, where do you think that stems from? Is it just getting back with the ACL?

DANIEL JONES: I think just playing and playing fast, trusting it. I think those are things you try to practice through the week and getting out there, getting to a rhythm, getting to a flow and getting going.

Q: (Head Coach) Brian (Daboll) was talking about how mental toughness and mindset are an important part of overcoming a disappointment in a game like that. How do you work on that mental toughness?

DANIEL JONES: I feel like I've been doubted plenty for a long time and dealt with that time and time again and done a good job with it. I think my mental toughness is in a good spot and I'm not concerned about that.

Q: You've taken a lot of hits in your career. At any point does that take a mental toll on you when you're in the pocket?

DANIEL JONES: I think in the NFL, there's good pass rushers and defense is schemed up to affect the quarterback. Part of my job is being able to deal with that, move, find the space. When there's pressure in my face, stand in and deliver it. I feel like I've done that throughout my career and continuing to work on that and improve that.

Q: When you look back at the film from the game, did you feel like you were well protected by the offensive line?

DANIEL JONES: I think they did a good job overall. Like every position on the field, there are things we need to clean up for sure, and I know they'll work to do that. But I thought overall they played pretty well.

Q: It's one thing when you face criticism from people like us, media reporters, but how do you combat when you hear other players around the league taking shots, professional, unprofessional, at your game?

DANIEL JONES: I've said a number of times I'm concerned about the people in this building, and I think I've got plenty of help, plenty of good coaching, plenty of good teammates to work with here. That's what I'm focused on. I've got people I trust, who I have relationships with, who can help me out. But in terms of other people and what they have to say or what they think from their perspective and what their observations are, it's really not very important to me.

Q: What kind of feedback have you gotten from Daboll since that game?

DANIEL JONES: We obviously broke down the game, and it's play by play. It's specific to what happened and where the correction needs to be. I think footwork wise, finding opportunities when they're there and delivering the ball accurately. But a lot of things I talked about improving were points of emphasis after watching the film.

Q: Do you think some of the criticism has almost crossed the line? There was a video of fans waiting at the players exit to heckle you. Has some of the criticism has crossed the line at this point?

DANIEL JONES: Fans – they're upset and frustrated, and we're frustrated too. I understand that. I'm not easily offended. I understand how it works and know I've got to play better, we've all got to play better.

Q: You've said all along that confidence is not a problem that you have, and you feel as though you're confident in your ability. Do you think what went wrong on Sunday is not necessarily your confidence? It's more technically, like you said, footwork… Do you think you see things that maybe you should have done differently from a fundamental perspective that didn't go right?

DANIEL JONES: Yeah, certainly, I think fundamentally (there are) some things to clean up and just seeing it, trusting it, decision making. I think all those things. In each play there are certain things that come up that need to be corrected. I'll look to do that. I'm confident in my ability, confident in my ability to go out and execute and look forward to doing that on Sunday.

Q: There's a new regime in Washington. From just the one game of tape that you've seen, are there any significant differences that you notice on the defense?

DANIEL JONES: It's a different system. I think you can tell it's a different system, do some different things. I guess there are some similarities in the personnel and the carryover there. Different system for sure, so we'll prepare for it accordingly.

Q: You talked about fundamentals and footwork a couple times. This is your sixth year in the league. Is that something that's a constant battle or something that was kind of a new issue for you?

DANIEL JONES: I think it's something you're always working on. I think you're always trying to zero in on your fundamentals and make sure those are clean. Getting back in a game situation and playing for the first week, there are going to be things like that you need to address. And certainly working to do that. When I say footwork, it's not always a purely fundamental, 'can I take a three-step drop' – I think it's specific to certain plays. It's specific to the rush. It's specific to where the throw needs to be. There's a fundamental aspect to it, but there's also a specific aspect to the play.

Q: Do you get the sense at all that you're playing right now to keep your starting job, is that something you're going to focus on?

DANIEL JONES: I'm playing to win games. I'm playing to lead the team to score points and win games. And that's always been my focus. I know I can do that. I've just got to do it well.

Q: You don't consider the stakes that if you don't do that on Sunday, that there could be a change?

DANIEL JONES: Like I said, I'm focused on doing my job and playing well. I'm confident I can do that.

Outside Linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux

Q: Where were you most disappointed with the defense on Sunday?

KAYVON THIBODEAUX: I would definitely say, just the mindset. I say that because we started off hot, and then as things started to unravel, it got to us. Obviously, just being human, it's easy to get down on yourself when things aren't going well. But just continuing to battle, and regardless of the score, just keep putting our identity on tape.

Q: What was (Head Coach) Dabs (Brian Daboll) message to you guys on Monday?

KAYVON THIBODEAUX: It's the first game. You talk about playing a long season and being a team. It always comes down to about eight losses, at the end of the day. At the end of it all, if you've got eight losses, you can still get in the game. Obviously, we're not thinking like that as far as the losses, but understanding that things happen as a team, and you've just got to kind of continue to take what you need from the last game and move forward and get better.

Q: Was the defense itself an issue on Sunday?

KAYVON THIBODEAUX: I think we all were an issue, to be honest. I don't think there's one person or one play that dictated the game. I think we've got to play cohesive football, where offense helps to complement defense, defense complements the offense, and we just didn't execute on it.

Q: Was there any getting used to a new defensive coordinator for the first time, for real?

KAYVON THIBODEAUX: I really can't speak to that, but I think one thing I can speak to is playing defense just across the league. If you watch any NFL team, pretty much every defense wasn't where they want to be, and that's just based off of the habits that we create and just continuing to build momentum and really play football. Tackle quarterbacks, tackle running backs, make the plays you're supposed to, run to the ball and just different habits that you've got to continue to build. It's real now since we're in the season. So, definitely want to see more turnover from myself and the team on just the simple fundamentals of the game.

Q: When you looked at yourself, what did you look at and say, 'What can I do to be more involved'?

KAYVON THIBODEAUX: Fundamentally sound. Obviously, you start to get down, things start to get on you, but the last play can't help or hurt you, so continuing to play fundamentally sound and just continue rushing. They had a lot of chippers and a lot of different things last game that slowed the rush down, but not letting it get into your head and just continuing to stick within the game plan.

Q: Are you looking forward to Washington? I mean, you've had a lot of success against them in your first two years. What makes this team, you see their colors, elevate your game?

KAYVON THIBODEAUX: I would say Washington, in particular, they're not really a rival, but they're in our division, so it's always a great game. We see them twice a year, so I'm excited. (Washington Commanders quarterback) Jayden Daniels is a great quarterback. He's from Cali(fornia). Grew up knowing him, grew up with him, so I understand he's a great player and I'm excited to go against him.

Q: Can you use (wide receiver) Malik (Nabers) as a resource at all? Obviously, that's his really close friend. Ask him, maybe, what he likes to do with his tendencies are?

KAYVON THIBODEAUX: We haven't got there yet, but you watch the tape. It's all on tape. At the end of the day, that's all it's about. You can ask – word of mouth is everything – and then when you ask me about how our team did versus what we are on tape, the tape never lies. The eye in the sky gets everything. Obviously, he likes to run it. We've seen it. He's great at it. We've got to stay within the rush plan, but continue to understand what his abilities are.

Q: How much does that impact you as a pass rusher, where you have a guy who, if he gets outside, it's going to be trouble?

KAYVON THIBODEAUX: I think it's a difference between a (Baltimore Ravens quarterback) Lamar Jackson and a Jayden Daniels, just on the simple fact of the experience. Lamar (Jackson) or (Kansas City Chiefs quarterback) Patrick Mahomes, these guys are continuously trying to extend plays, which is good, to be honest, for me. I personally like it because in their head, they can make the big play. As a rusher, if you just keep going, it'll eventually get there. For younger dudes, you see more of a one-read, run. It'll be similar to where it may be hard to sack him or maybe because he's going to be moving around the pocket, and if it's first read isn't there, he's taking off running. Like I said, just continuing to stay disciplined in your rush, disciplined in your game plan.

Q: Is it harder to prepare for a guy who's a first-read and run guy versus a guy like… When you played Lamar (Jackson), you knew if he broke contain, he's still looking to throw the ball down the field…

KAYVON THIBODEAUX: Exactly. I think it's not harder, but you definitely have to rotate more and be ready because it's a lot of cardio. For an edge guy, you're already trying to rush the tackle and then chase the quarterback. Now you've got a 4.3 (speed) quarterback, now you're rushing the tackle, and you've got to assume or hope that he holds the ball. It's a lot of variables, but you just try to keep going and rush as much as you can.