Defensive Coordinator Wink Martindale

I was really proud of how we played against the Rams. I told you guys what a challenge it was going to be for us defensively with the way the quarterback was playing and that play caller, it's a tough challenge every time you go against them. The two stops there at the end of the game to give us a chance really is a testament to the leadership and the locker room. Those guys, they go out and fight and like I said, it just makes you proud, it makes you happy for them when you see them play with that effort.

Q: When you look at (defensive lineman) Dex's (Dexter Lawrence II) season and getting into the Pro Bowl yesterday, what's your assessment?

A: I think it's great, I think it's great that he made the Pro Bowl. There is some others that were in it early, with the voting and all that. I don't know how that works but I always tell the players this, it's hard as heck to get in your first Pro Bowl and then after that it becomes easier. And you look at it, where we want to be is, look at the top seed in the NFC and the top seed in the AFC – the top two seeds actually, they have a lot of Pro Bowlers and that's because they're winning and that's the hardest thing to do is make the Pro Bowl your first time when you don't have a winning record.

Q: A lot of times guys get the big contract and maybe the production isn't the same or whatever, what does it say that he's kind of kept that going?

A: I think Dex has stayed Dex since I've been here. He was a really good player before we got here and then he had a great year last year. He hasn't changed his work ethic; he hasn't changed anything about him. I think sometimes he might put too much pressure on himself, but that's what all the great ones do. Like I said, I'm really happy for Dex.

Q: At that position, it does not lend itself to big stats that often. How do you judge and measure a guy like that and at that position?

A: I think when you say that any good defense, especially this system, where you can be most effective is when you have a center piece of the defense and he's definitely been the center piece of the defense for us. And we just got to keep building this thing around him and we'll see. The sacks are a bonus, out of the nose, you know what I mean? The sacks are a bonus, and he has a way of getting to the quarterback too and I think that's what makes him so unique. I think when he wants to be he can be an unblockable player. And let's enjoy watching him play this last time here against Philly.

Q: Obviously, this the last time we are going to speak to this season. A lot was made earlier in the year about your relationship with (Head Coach) Brian (Daboll). How do you look at your future?

A: I mean I think the future is bright if you're asking me how I look at my future. I think that these are things that you talk about after the season is over with because he wants to beat Philly and I want to beat Philly, and I just think that those answers will come later on in the week as far as which way we go. I know we've got the greatest fans in this league and we've got the greatest ownership in this league, and you want to have a winner, you deserve to have a winner, and so whenever you are not winning, how this league works, inevitably, you are going to have conversations, tough conversations. How that works out is how that is going to work out.

Q: If you are back, does anything need to change with you and Dabs relationship?

A: No, no, I think that it's all football related. I think that – like I said, we'll have those conversations.

Q: Do you believe you guys can still have a healthy, working relationship moving forward?

A: Yeah, sure. Sure. Always can.

Q: Do you expect to be back?

A: Do I expect to be back? I don't know why I wouldn't, but like I said you have those conversations after this last game and you sit back and you can reflect and you take the emotion out of it, the emotion, the grind, the stress of preparing every week and you sit back, and you talk things out. Say here's where we are at, so I think that's natural on every team.

Q: You said you wanted to be a head coach, is that still in the cards?

A: Oh, of course. Of course, I want to be a head coach.

Q: Has anybody asked about you?

A: I'd have no idea about that. Like I said, right now in the season – especially this year they've moved it back when they can do interviews. It's way early in the process.

Q: How would you describe the performance of your defense this season? Like how happy were you with it, defensively at least?

A: The things to be happy about for me was the effort that we gave every week. There is a lot of things to fix, obviously. But the takeaways, the different situations that we were put in and how they handled it and the response to that. We'll just take a good long look. We've got to get better against the run. When we were at Baltimore, we were number one against the run. So, you have to go back and have some hard conversations that way and like I said, it alludes to, or whatever the right word is to use there, that's an after the season, postseason conversation you've got to have.

Q: How much do you think this unit could benefit, at least especially the core, from another year together? There is obviously a benefit for each group to be together, right? Because of familiarity and stuff as we've gone along. So, how much do you think that would benefit this group to have another year to sort of build on what you had the first two?

A: Yeah, I think there is big benefits to that and you're always looking to get better as far as where you want to go with players and whatever else you need to get better at.

Q: So, are you going to be looking for any clarity in these conversations next week?

A: I think that's just the natural process of it. I think that's the natural process of it.

Q: You were pretty honest about you what you expected from (cornerback) Tae (Deonte) Banks this year and it seems like he was as advertised with what you expected. When you see in totality his rookie year, how do you assess?

A: I think he did a lot of good things. I think that you still have to fight through – I'm saying Tae, myself, Rome, (Defensive backs Coach Jerome Henderson), who's done a great job with him, just the new things that he sees that's different in this league compared to college and he's been growing through those. The biggest jump is always from the first year to the second year so I'm expecting big things from Tae.

Q: On (cornerback) Tre (Hawkins III), since we're talking about rookies, what have you seen from him? Obviously, he played a lot at the beginning of the year.

A: I think that Tre is working hard every day and there is just guys in front of him that were playing better. I think this season has worn on him, like it has a lot of rookies, but we're expecting big things from him

Offensive Coordinator Mike Kafka

Q: Where have you seen, I guess, the biggest strengths and weaknesses of the offense this year?

A: I think over the course of the season, and again, we'll probably revaluate holistically after the season, not really there yet. Our main focus is on Philly this week, but you know, we've been through a bunch of ups and downs. We've seen some good production in the run game and some good production in the pass game. Every group has stood out in weeks so there's a lot to build off of both schematically and personnel-wise.

Q: How challenging has this year been for you? Just quarterback changes, the offensive line, injuries, just trying to build around that.

A: Every season presents its own challenges. Just like – whether the record at the end of the season shows or not, but every week is going to be a little bit different, there's always a problem that presents itself, so you do your best to problem solve it. That's what you rely on your players and your coaching staff to do and continue to work through those issues. Every team is going through it, ours was no different so that's life in the NFL.

Q: Do you expect to be back here next season?

A: Really, my only focus is on today and this week and preparing our guys the best we can for Philadelphia.

Q: Have you guys talked about that at all? You and the head coach or anybody like that?

A: Our sole focus has just been on Philadelphia.

Q: What do you make of your future? Like obviously, last year you were in the running for head coaching jobs. Do you still view that as a possibility this year? Obviously, the year didn't go how you expected it here.

A: I've got a lot of confidence in myself as a coach, but my focus has only really been on Philadelphia, today and this week.

Q: What's it been like, in a season with three different starting quarterbacks, what's it been like as an offensive coordinator and adjusting to it?

A: That's a great question. I think when you go through the preseason, you go through the training camp and OTAs and stuff, you really try to dive deep into not only the position strengths and weaknesses, the player strengths and weaknesses, but then what schematically we do as a group when they're in there as well. There's been – and every group has injuries and got next man standing up but one thing that I'm proud of with our group is (that) they had the next man up mentality. Guys stepped up, young players, veteran guys had to step up ,and that's something that I'm really proud of our guys (for). They never flinched, they battled all the way through it, and I think our guys have come closer because of that.

Q: What have you learned about yourself as a coordinator or a coach with having a season with all those changes?

A: You've got to continue to remain flexible, continue to stay positive and be a problem solver. Things come up. Whether it's injury-wise or whether it's scheme and they're happening so fast. You've got to be able to communicate clearly, you've got to be able to have a plan and prep for potential scenarios like that, so you do a lot of studying, you do a lot of prep, in the offseason, during the week, late nights, early mornings and you try to take and cover all those bases.

Q: At the end of the Rams game, (Head Coach Brian) Daboll said that he'd wish he'd had that run call back when you guys got close to field goal range there. What was the thought process on the play calling when (quarterback) Tyrod (Taylor) slid down there?

A: There's a lot of plays in a game and some that you really like and some that you want back at any point in the game. You do a lot of prep and study work that goes into those critical situations and that one didn't work out for us. Probably one that I'd like to have back and give us another chance at a closer field goal.

Special Teams Coordinator Thomas McGaughey

Q: What's this season been like for you?

A: Tough.

Q: Why?

A: The obvious, right? I mean, anytime you don't have a winning record and you're not playing for a playoff run, it's frustrating. Especially after the season we had last year, it was really fun and towards the back end of the year just to be in the talks for it. Just not having an opportunity this year, as far as getting ready for playoffs, it's always difficult.

Q: You've been here for tough years before, but you mentioned last year. Does that almost set you up and almost tease you a little bit to have that taste? Then you come into this year kind of expecting – I don't want to say a continuation, but the expectations were higher.

A: Well, yeah, and that's this league. Every year is a new year, and you have to approach it as such. As we move from one year to the next, that part of it has to be understood. There's nothing given. You look at our schedule, early in the year, it was a tough schedule. We had some injuries early that kind of set us back a little bit, but that's just part of the NFL. That's life in the NFL. You've got to be able to work through those ebbs and flows of the league from week to week. That's just life in NFL.

Q: It's a broad question, I know, but how do you evaluate just the special teams play overall this season?

A: I think we were up and down. We didn't start fast like we wanted to. Last year, we had some pretty big splash plays early in the year, and obviously, this year was the opposite. I think we got better as the year went on, but the continuity was there a little bit more towards the end. Punt team, I think was better. Obviously, (punter) Jamie (Gillan) had a really good year. I think our coverage, other than one return versus Philly, I thought it's been pretty solid all year. So, there's some bright spots there. Some things that you can build upon. Obviously getting on the kicker train, you didn't want to get on that thing. I told you guys about the kicker train. That part of it is frustrating. But I will say this, having those guys in the room has been really good for me as a coach, just to be able to have that amount of knowledge and experience you can learn from, and each guy's different. That part of it has been pretty good, but obviously we would have liked to have a lot more success, more consistency in our return game, but that's just part of it.

Q: What do you make of what (wide receiver) Gunner (Olszewski) has brought to the table?

A: Oh, man. I mean, Gunner's Gunner. The guy works at it. He's very diligent in how he goes about his day. He's a pro. He works like a pro. I think you all saw all of those things come into play when he made that play. Super proud of him and the way he's bounced back. Playing against him and then him coming

over here from Pittsburgh after the troubles that he had and just really refocused on what he needed to do. Obviously, he made a big play the other day.

Q: Have you had any conversations with them about your future here? Do you expect to be back?

A: I mean, I always expect to be back. I've got a year on my contract. I'll cross that road when I get there. Whatever happens happens. That's the NFL. I don't worry about it. Never have, never will. But that's just part of the process being in the NFL.

Q: So, you're still under contract you're saying at least for one more year?

A: Yeah.

Q: How much did the changing of the kickers affect kind of the whole group, maybe even team-wide at times?

A: Yeah, I don't know—I think our group is resilient. I think our guys are. I don't think it really moved them one way or the other. It's kind of hard to put your finger on it. (Kicker) Graham (Gano) was struggling early, he had the injury, and he was struggling, and then the wheels just fell off. You know what I mean? Stuff just got crazy. I think that in the process of that, guys just didn't blink. They didn't. They just kept going, who's the next guy, get him in here and get him ready. I don't think the guys blink. So, it was a rollercoaster ride, and it was definitely a very, very unique experience that I've never experienced before.

Q: Do you expect changes this year in regard to coaching staff in general? Obviously, it wasn't the season you guys as whole wanted.

A: I mean, that doesn't have anything to do with me. Coaching changes, the people who make the changes will make the changes without what I think about it, or what I think might happen is irrelevant. My job is just to focus on trying to beat Philly this week and get our guys playing as hard as they can possibly play for 60 minutes on Sunday. And then at 7:28, or whenever the game is over with, worry about all that stuff then. But until then, I'm not worried about it.

Q: Are you amazed at how fast some of these seasons go? It's like you turn around and it's over.

A: I'll tell you what, man… It is amazing how fast these things go by. I mean, it's like you look up, and it's Week 10, and then you look up now, and that's it. It's Week 18. It's crazy. The older you get, the faster they go. Man, I remember being a young coach, my first job at Kansas City, it was like, good gracious, this thing took forever. But then this year, I'm 50 years old in my 25th year coaching and it just shoots by. Shoots by really fast. It's been good, but yeah, you're right, they come by really fast.

Q: We've seen your son here. What's it been like to have him be a part of this this year?

A: I couldn't explain to you how good it's been just to have him up here. He's not playing anymore. He never had this opportunity like his older brother who's at Florida now. He's never had this opportunity to come to games and be on the sideline, because he was always playing. He always had a football game himself, or high school football, he's always playing, college football. So, this is his first experience, even with all the COVID stuff. This is his first experience ever being able to do it. It's really been cool to have him up here and just have him kind of move around and be with the guys because the guys know who he is. They just didn't see him a whole lot because he was always doing what they were doing. He was playing football. So, it's been really, really good. Appreciate you asking.

Q: Do you think coaching is in his future?

A: No, I don't think he's going to be a coach. I don't think either of my boys will be coaches. My oldest son Tre is at Florida. He's a recruiting analyst at Florida. Obviously, he wants to go into the scouting/personnel side. Trent has his own podcast right now. He started it in September, and he loves it. If you guys just go check him out, he's very, very passionate in his pursuit of the debate. Him and his brother have been doing it in the back of my Suburban ever since they were, I think Trent was maybe seven or eight, and Trey was, like, 16. They've always been just debaters of sports and lovers of sports, so I don't see either one of them doing the crazy stuff that I'm doing

Defensive Lineman Dexter Lawrence

Q: What does this mean to you?

A: It's a special time. I'm excited to get this award again. It just shows the hard work and the respect that I'm earning around the league.

Q: I don't know how the breakdown went in terms of where the numbers came out, but we're led to believe it was the players and coaches specifically that helped put you over the top. How much more does it mean to you when you hear that?

A: Like I was saying before, it's more just the respect I'm earning around the league from the coaches to the players. That just goes from my play on the field and what people see on tape.

Q: How would you compare this year for you to last year? Not team-wise but personally.

A: I think I got better in some areas. Still got room to improve, still got to continue learning my position and crafting it up. There are things that now I get all this attention, it's different things that I've got to learn how to play through and different schemes I've got to learn how to play through, stuff like that. All I can do is just keep going out there and giving everything I've got every time I step on the field and that's what I'm going to do.

Q: What are some of those different things that you have to play through?

A: Just different – getting more attention. Team scheming, players scheming. Different things like that. Just knowing that, just playing through the schemes pretty much and the different types of ways they're blocking. They're not always true to their tape, sometimes.

Q: Is that something you've noticed compared to last year, compared to this year, that attention more on you?

A: Yeah – yeah, a lot more.

Q: How do you handle that?

A: I don't get frustrated, I embrace it. It is what it is. I'm not mad at it, I know that's just a sign of respect in a sense. I'm just embracing it and like I said, I'm going to go hard no matter what.

Q: Is there pressure to live up to last year's ranking and now this year's, now next year you'll be expected to do so?

A: I'd say like a little bit, like before, probably before camp. Things like that. But when I get back, I'm still confident in who I am as a player and a person and that just continues to show and that's going to continue to show as long as I can do it.

Q: How much has (Defensive Line Coach) Andre Patterson helped you?

A: A lot. He's brought out—he's helped me craft things that I didn't know I had or knew how to use. He helped me get into positions that usually when I get in, I get stuck or something. He's been a big help. That's my guy. He's just a coach of coaches, honestly. A ton of respect to him and how he just gets me to play and the whole d-line to play. He just knows how to relate to his players and gets us to go.

Q: You're aware of some of the players he's coached over the years?

A: Yeah.

Q: Do you want to be in that group?

A: For sure. That's the goal.

Q: What has (Defensive Coordinator) Wink (Martindale) done and meant to you the last two years?

A: He puts plays together to put me into some positions to win, and that's kind of what his job is. Coach Dre's job is to help me fight through those positions, to beat guys and things like that. Wink, he's helped me a lot and he's been scheming up things pretty well.

Q: There's always this time of year, especially when the team is losing, speculation about who's going to come back, who doesn't come back. He's part of that speculation, whether he's back or not. How important is it do you think to keep things intact with him and the defense? What's your feeling on that?

A: It sucks learning a new scheme, if that is what happens. So that probably would be the most heartbreaking thing, honestly, and him being just a good leader of men. Things like that would probably be the hardest thing to go about.

Q: With the big contract going into this season, did you feel extra pressure on yourself to perform? Because it seems like nothing bothered you.

A: Like I said, before camp, before I got back, obviously, it's a little—you get to thinking, like, okay, I've got to outperform. But honestly, I've just got to continue to be myself. Whatever happens with me doing that is the end result, and I'm happy with that. I know how hard I work. I'm confident in my work. I know who I am as a player, so I'm confident in that. All that goes a long way.

Q: Have you ever asked (safety) Xavier (McKinney) why he joins the d-line drills?

A: He likes hanging with the big dogs (laughs). That's all. He likes hanging with the big dogs.

Q: Would he tell me that, too?

A: Yeah, probably.