Q:As you've started the process of preparing for the Bills, what sticks out for you about their offense?
MP:I mean, obviously we're talking about a very explosive offense again here. Another week of extremely good skill players that do a great job in the offensive system, but I think it starts with the running game. The running backs, [C.J.] Spiller and [Fred] Jackson, are two extremely dangerous players, guys that can create a lot of yardage out of minimal space and guys that, when they get the ball out in space, can gain an extremely large amount of yards. So, it's got to start with those two players. Obviously the supporting cast in the run game: the full back does a great job - [Frank] Summers does a great job of opening up holes. They'll play all three tight ends, both at the point of attack to try to create and get the edge to get these running backs outside and then the offensive line, I would say, anchored by Eric Wood in the middle, do a phenomenal job of creating those seams and those spaces in the defense. They do a good job of creating both horizontal and vertical seams for the backs to get through. I think that's where you've got to start. It's extremely strong and explosive, dangerous run game. I think Kyle Orton has come in an obviously played a great game here against Detroit of doing a good job of taking over the offense and managing the system and really controlling the game and getting the ball to all the different skill players that he has available. Obviously they've got some really good wide receivers too. The rookie Sammy Watkins has been a very productive player for them. Once he gets the ball in his hands he can make and create a lot of things. He's obviously a very fast player, can stretch the defense vertically. But their other guys - Robert Woods is very productive. Mike Williams is a big receiver, big catch radius, does a great job of going up and getting the ball. So they've got some players that they can distribute the ball to and really attack you in many different areas.
Q:Bill Belichick mentioned only having one game tape of Kyle Orton. What would be some of the challenges that would come with that, or do you guys go back and maybe look at his past with different teams for a guy like that?
MP: Sure, I mean, I think you're going to try to do as much extensive research as you can about the particular player and just about him as a quarterback and his physical abilities. But I think again, the system itself is what we're really trying to take a look at. Obviously Buffalo has played a number of games here so far this season, so it's a full body of work that you have to take a look at and realize that the offensive system is in place. Obviously Coach [Doug] Marrone does a great job of preparing those guys and putting them in the right position, so the system itself is going to carry through and obviously you know the quarterback will do a great job of managing the game plan that they have put together against us. So I think Coach Marrone, Coach [Nathaniel] Hackett does a great job of game planning each week for their opponent, so there's a little bit of the unknown that's going to go along with that. Obviously Kyle Orton, being his second week here at the helm, there will be a little more unknown with that. But you try to do the best you can to find out about the individual player, how he fits the system, what would be his strengths within that system based on what they've shown and done in the previous games.
Q:I'm curious on your take on Fred Jackson - I know he's a player you guys have seen a lot of over the years and I think now he's one of the oldest running backs in the NFL, if not the oldest. I'm wondering how you've seen his game evolve and where he's at right now?
MP:Fred Jackson is a phenomenal football player. I think age has nothing to do with his ability right now. He is running the ball extremely hard, very powerful. He's still very explosive through the line of scrimmage. He's also a big threat and a great target for their offense in the passing game. They do a good job of getting the ball out to the running backs and on the screen game Fred Jackson does an excellent job of creating those yards after the catch and just creating a lot of offense from both the backfield alignments and then when he gets out in space in the passing game. He is a very, very good football player. He's a very difficult player to defend and then the combination of Fred Jackson and Spiller together, it's quite a tandem of players.
Q:You talked about their receiving corps with Watkins and Woods and so forth and how they're distributing the ball. What variables go into the decision on whether you lock [Darrelle] Revis down on a specific guy or apply him in some other way, whether he's in the zone or something else?
MP:I mean, I think in general when we look at an opponent's offense and we look at the problems that they create and the mismatches that they can create on their side of the ball, we try to put all of our players in the best position possible as a full defense to try to eliminate those dangers as much as we can. And sometimes that involves certain players lining up on certain other offensive weapons, but in a lot of respects, it changes play-by-play and it can change week-by-week. There're so many variables that go into what we're trying to do and how we're trying to defend against what they do, and what they do may change by the down and distance or the position of the personnel. So we're going to try to keep that to the best of our advantage as possible and keep it moving to whatever we think fits our game plan for that week in the best case scenario and whether that's a defensive back, a linebacker, a matchup in the front, we're just trying to put our guys in the best position we can to help us win.
Q:What are the problems that Sammy Watkins presents? Do you play physical against him?
MP:Obviously you are talking about a guy that's got very good size. He's a tall guy, longer guy. He's a bigger guy with tremendous speed, so size and speed combinations are always difficult to be able to match up against. Guys that do a good job of going up and getting the ball and competing fort the ball, good ball skills, body control when they're in the air, very athletic-type players, obviously are very difficult to defend against, so he would fall in that category.
Q:How does the fact that he's a rookie figure into the equation, if at all?
MP:Well, I mean I think at this point in the season - we're five games in plus four games of preseason - I think you're looking at everybody that's out on the field and has been out of the field producing at a high level as NFL football players. So I mean, that's the way we have to approach the game. He's a real good wide receiver, real good productive player in their offense and we're going to have our work cut out for us to try to stop him.
