[wysifield-embeddedaudio|eid="480661"|type="embeddedaudio"|view_mode="full"]Q: How well was the route-running by all of your pass catchers yesterday?
BB: Well, I thought we had our moments. We had some good route-running at times so we had some open receivers on play-action, which is partially a function of the action that got them open. But you know, we had some good routes on man coverage and there were some tight plays there in zone like the one that Rob [Gronkowski] had on the third-and-10, or whatever it was on the first drive of the second half. It's something that's important to any passing game, being able to get off the line of scrimmage, be able to get into the route and get to the depth with the proper spacing between receivers and then winning at the top of the route against man coverage, being able to create separation and give the quarterback a place to throw the ball. But that really is the passing game for those receivers to be able to get open in man coverage and to have the spacing and distribution so that we can stretch the zone and be able to get into the areas that the defense - so they can't match each receiver up and take the pattern away from us.
Q: How did you feel Julian Edelman performed in his blocking duties yesterday?
BB: Yeah, our receivers - Julian did a good job - but our receivers have blocked well for us all year. They really compete in the running game and after the catch in the passing game, whether it be stock blocks or crack blocks or just second effort type plays. They've done a great job for us, all of them. You can't say enough about them whether it be [Malcolm] Mitchell on [Jacoby] Brissett's touchdown run against Houston, or Chris [Hogan], Julian, Danny [Amendola] does a great job, [Matthew] Slater's given us some snaps in there too doing those kinds of things, so that group really competes hard in the running game. They give good effort and they're tough. They do it consistently.
Q: How dependable has Cameron Fleming been for you here and how have you seen him grow in the time he has been here with you?
BB: Cam has done a good job for us and he's one of our most dependable players. He's very smart and he works extremely hard. For his size he works very hard on his conditioning and he really doesn't get tired, or at least it doesn't seem like he does. He's right at the top of his group in sprints and works hard in the weight room, both on strength and flexibility and does a lot of extra things to try to continue to improve. I think he's quiet, but he's probably one of the most respected players on the team because of his work ethic and his toughness and his dependability. We've asked him to do a lot of different things, play multiple positions, guard, both tackles, the jumbo tight end spot and he works very hard to do all of those, and as I said his intelligence is excellent. He has the capacity to handle a lot of things but he's a flexible guy and nothing really seems to rattle him. He's got a very even temperament so whether it's to start, or come in, or change his role, or go from one side to the other, whatever it happens to be he's been very dependable for us. He's again, yesterday was another solid, really solid job for Marcus [Cannon] at right tackle and he's helped us out a lot.
Q: On the rare occasion that Stephen Gostkowski goes through some struggles in the kicking game, how do you deal with that from a coaching perspective?
BB: Well, we do the same thing really at every position. Every week we try to work on our techniques, our timing, our consistency and it's the same with every part of our game; offense, defense, special teams. Just continually trying to work to get better, not taking anything for granted. Stephen's one of our hardest working players and I'd say one of the most respected players on the team because of the way he does work and how team-oriented he is. Whatever we've asked him to do, whether it be the training things or kickoffs or situations, the amount of field goals where we've multiple holders and snappers over the course of his career. He does a great job of working with those guys and just working to make the operation better and more consistent. We'll keep doing that just like we do with everything else in our program.
Q: How did you feel the interior defensive line performed against the running game yesterday with the rotation amongst Woodrow Hamilton, Alan Branch and Malcom Brown?
BB: Right. Well, we did - we played some of our calls with our three big defensive linemen in there. Usually, most of the time we have two and that also led to Rob Ninkovich playing more as an outside linebacker in certain situations, certain calls, so we really had both ends in there as well as three big guys instead of two ends and two big tackles. I thought that those guys did a good job. We played the run with good consistency all day. We defeated blocks. This is a very good double-team, downhill running game with a great back and those guys did a good job on the double-team blocks. We did a good job of staying on blocks and not creating space in gaps for the backs to attack. We tackled well but the linebackers played well, too. Again, run defense is team defense. No one guy can stop the running game. Everybody's got to have control of their area of the line of scrimmage or a good back like [Isaiah] Crowell is going to find it. It was good team effort from the running game.
Q: Some of your players took photos in front of the Jim Brown statue after yesterday's win. What are some of the things that today's players can connect to Jim brown and his legacy and career?
BB: Well, I think honestly any person, football player or otherwise, can learn a lot from Jim Brown and what he represents and what he stands for. But particularly as it relates to our football team, Jim Brown's in my opinion the greatest player that ever played. I've had an opportunity to have known him Jim for over 20 years now. I met him when I was the coach at the Browns and just had so much more respect and appreciation for him knowing him well as a person and as a friend, even just as an observer from a distance, but I think he's meant so much to this game. He's paved the way for all of us; players and coaches. [He's] part of many people who have made professional football, the game of football, the great game that it is. I just felt like it was an opportunity for us as a team after the game to recognize and pay a tribute to Jim and all that he stands for, both in and out of football. But in particular, what he has meant to the game of football and how much he has done for us, for the game, which means for all of us. That statue was recently put there. It's kind of remarkable that it hadn't happened sooner, but regardless, I'm not sure how many of our players really understand or appreciate what he meant to the game and what he has meant to the game through his continued involvement not only with football, but with young football players, be they Browns players or just other youth that he interacts with primarily on the West coast but as we know he's been involved in projects through his Amer-I-Can program throughout the country, which I've been very fortunate to witness and be a small part of. That's why we did it and I'm glad they appreciated it and hopefully that's something that's part of their football career [and] will be one small memory [as] just the recognition of a great player and a great person and somebody who has really made the game better for all of us. Honestly, I wish Paul Brown's statue would've been right there with it because then we could have knocked out two birds with one stone. Paul Brown's name is up there. Obviously, that's who the franchise is named for and his name is up there on the stadium as part of the players that are recognized on that ring of honor there in the stadium. It's a little special quirk for me when you think of Paul Brown, and you think of Jim Brown, and the Cleveland Browns who were named for Paul Brown and being in that stadium, not because I was the coach there, but because of what Paul Brown and Jim Brown did for professional football in that city. It's a special place in my heart.
