HEAD COACH JEROD MAYO

Press Conference
Wednesday, November 6, 2024

JM: Good afternoon. So as always, win, lose or draw, on Wednesdays, it's all about changing the page. My message to the team today is really just about a sense of urgency, a sense of urgency in everything that we do. We have a huge test coming up, another road game going out to Chicago. It's always exciting, at least for me personally, to go to a stadium and play against a team like Chicago because of the history and the great players that have come way before me or before the guys in the locker room. Offensively for these guys, let's start with the quarterback. He's a very good player. This guy is able to extend plays. He's very athletic. I watched him a little bit coming out and then really just diving into the tape. This guy is very athletic. He's elusive. He has great vision in the pocket, and I would say he scrambles more to make throws. Not as much – on the other side, you go against some quarterbacks in there, they'll take off and get down the field. Not saying that he doesn't do that, but he definitely does a good job keeping his eyes down the field and making those throws. Talking about just some of their skill positions, they have receivers that are very good players. It's a mix, a combination of young and old, I would say, on the team. You've got a guy like [Rome] Odunze, who's a rookie. A lot of us liked him coming out. Then, you also have Marcedes Lewis, who's still going. This is like year 19 for a guy like that. So, when you talk about a mix of old and young players, there are definitely two extremes. Even talking about Marcedes, he's still doing a good job in his role. His role right now is to go out there and move bodies, and he does a good job there. As far as the backs are concerned, explosive, all have to be at the point of attack. It starts up front with us as far as the run game is concerned. Defensively, obviously they put [Andrew] Billings on IR, which is a loss for them. In saying that, they definitely still have a lot of players on the field that have played a lot of football and have played at a high level for an extended period of time. Special teams, good in all the phases. It's going to be a challenge for us. Our special teams unit, I should say it's an opportunity for them to go out there and really string some games together as far as special teams play is concerned. We look forward to those guys preparing today. Today, full-padded practice. We're going to go out there and we're going to – we talked about the sense of urgency this morning and really going out there and competing, and hopefully that carries over to the game.

Q: Jerod, you guys were obviously very involved in the quarterback draft market this past spring. I'm curious how much actual one-on-one contact you had with Caleb Williams during that process?

JM: For me personally, not much. For me, I think it was pretty clear-cut that he was going to be the first pick overall. Now, not speaking for the scouting department; I know they've done all their research, and they had multiple interactions with Caleb.

Q: On your team, any chance we see [Christian] Barmore today at practice, [Cole] Strange, Caedan Wallace, those guys?

JM: The three of those, they won't be at practice today.

Q: Jerod, would you consider making changes on your coaching staff, or is this a situation where you'd like to see this group stick together through the rest of the season?

JM: No, I would say, look, we all have to get better. It starts with me, and it then starts with the coaches, and that's part of coming together as a staff. So, we all have to get better. We all want to win games, and we need to win games now. I think the sense of urgency message wasn't just for the players; it's also for the coaches. Nothing in this world, no matter who you are, myself included, is guaranteed.

Q: Specific to Barmore and Strange, the fact that they haven't been on the field all season really – since spring, summer – is there value in them coming back maybe toward the end of the year given the fact that this is Week 10, or would you welcome them back pretty much any time this season?

JM: Yeah, we would always welcome them back. Again, whether we're talking about free agency, a trade deadline or anything, we're always trying to improve as a team, and sometimes they are under your own roof.

Q: Trade deadline comes and goes, nothing happens. Did you feel like you guys were close to adding a good player, as you just mentioned, or was there anything cooking?

JM: Yeah, you know, the one thing about the trade deadline, I talked about this on Monday. At least in the NFL, everyone wants to build it up like it's baseball, basketball or something like that. It's not. Look, we do our research on everything that's available. I would say Eliot [Wolf] and his staff have contacted multiple teams, and multiple teams have contacted us, just like every other team in the league.

Q: Why do you think a deal didn't get done?

JM: I'm not sure. I mean, look, for us, it's about value. It's about thinking about the present and also trying to get better in the future.

Q: Jerod, did you or do you feel compelled to talk to the team about the election, and how do you sort of navigate that?

JM: Look, for us, it was all about Chicago. What I told them this morning is that I respect democracy, and we have to respect the office. People went out there and voted, and there's a reason that we have secret ballots. You don't have to talk about it. I said the three things that, in a locker room, you have to be careful about is talking about politics, talking about religion and back in my day, it was talking about Michael Jordan versus anybody else. Now, with these guys, it's LeBron [James] versus anyone else, but those are the three things that always turn into hot topics.

Q: Jerod, with no movement at the deadline, you seem to have a log jam at wide receiver, like seven players on the roster. Do you expect other moves, and how are you going to try and incorporate those guys getting playing time, particularly the rookies?

JM: I think you hit it on the head. They're on the roster right now, and they're going to go out there and practice today. At the same time, they'll have their opportunities, and it's not about the amount of opportunities they have. It's about going out there and taking full advantage of those opportunities.

Q: Speaking of the wide receivers, I asked you on Monday about K.J. Osborn and his celebration on the sidelines. What more do you have to see from him, possibly during practices or during the week that could give him increased opportunities on the weekends?

JM: Look, he's been in this league for a long time, and he's a professional. He understands the active/inactive part of it. I would say he just needs to continue to do what he's doing, and that's to go out there, practice hard and be a good teammate.

Q: So, you expect to continue to carry seven wide receivers on the active roster?

JM: Look, these guys are on the roster right now. We're always, again, looking to get better, and that may be addition through subtraction. It may be – I don't know what group it is, but we're always looking to get better.

Q: Jerod, what do you find yourself doing better now, midway through the season, as a head coach, than you were doing in Weeks 1, 2 and 3?

JM: I would say just, for myself personally, it's just the communication and going through situational football during the games. Those are things that you have to continue to experience. Look, and once again, everyone may not like the decision, but at the same time, someone has to make it, and that's me.

Q: Coach, you mentioned the importance of making progress throughout the season for your young players. I'm curious, in the rookie class, obviously different cases for each, but how do you feel that they've progressed so far this season?

JM: Look, these guys are doing what they need to do, and they all, as individuals, will progress at different speeds. I would also say, I think our quarterback – I know everyone's excited about our quarterback, and he's a good player for us. He will continue to develop going forward, but he understands there are a lot of things to work on for himself personally as well. You see some of the other guys, and they're at different points in their rookie year. Your rookie year, no matter what position you play, it's always tough. Again, those guys, it's about getting better every single day, and you're going to deal with different situations every single day, whether you're talking on the field or off the field.

Q: In the case of Ja'Lynn Polk and Layden Robinson, both those guys have seen their snaps reduced since the beginning of the season. So, how do you balance trying to do what's best and developing players week by week while also trying to put the best product on the field?

JM: Yeah, one thing I would say is, I go back to my own rookie experience when, I think it was San Francisco, where – and I ended up being defensive rookie of the year – but I was benched on third down back against San Francisco. Sometimes those – I don't want to call them breathers, but those types of situations help you propel forward, and hopefully those guys look at it that way.

Q: Jerod, you mentioned a mental hump for Ja'Lynn. Do you feel like he's over that?

JM: Yeah, I think he's over it. Look, he has to go out there today, practice hard and perform, and he'll get opportunities based on what he does in the week of practice.

Q: This may be more of an Eliot question, but you guys picked up an offensive lineman yesterday, Tyrese Robinson. What do you know about him, and how does he project?

JM: Yeah, to me, look, another guy, he's an interior guy, and we're just trying to find good players to bring in here, and we think he's one of those.

Q: When you had the draft, you had a lot of time to spend. You mentioned Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels. There was a lot of talk around those three guys in particular. Has what you thought of Drake going through that whole process, has he evolved into what you were hoping he would be? Is he any different than you thought he would be through that whole process?

JM: This is what we saw as we went through the process. We spent a lot of time with Drake. The scouts spent a lot of time with him. I spent a lot of time with him. We had good one-on-one conversations, and this is what we expected. In saying that, he's a very coachable guy, and talking to his coach in college, he said the exact same thing. He's a competitor. You talk to his dad, he says the exact same thing. So, I think this, from a mentality standpoint, this is who he is, and we appreciate that mindset.

Q: Caleb Williams, he's had a lot of plays where he just doesn't give up on the play.

JM: That's right.

Q: So, what's the coaching point this week?

JM: Keep playing. Keep playing.

Q: When you went back and watched Drake's 12-second runaround to get that game-tying touchdown, what did you see from him, just in terms of maybe what he did really well on that and maybe what he could do better going forward?

JM: Yeah, I just saw a guy that just doesn't give up, and that's a great quality for a quarterback.

Q: Speaking of the Bears defense, what do you see from their defense? I know the last time they came here a couple years ago, they were an excellent second-half defense in particular. Same thing this year, a lot of takeaways. What stands out for you in terms of adjustments they make or what they do schematically?

JM: I would say schematically, just the swap concepts that they use. They drop their defensive ends out, they play a lot of Cover-2, they play a lot of fire zones, and it's kind of a spin-the-wheel type of defense. So, we have to be on point as far as recognizing what they're trying to do.

QUARTERBACK DRAKE MAYE

Press Conference
Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Q: Drake, this week, Caleb Williams' name has come up a lot. How much time did you spend when you look back on it with Caleb and Jayden [Daniels], just the whole process of the spring? How do you look back on that? Was it a whirlwind? What was it like for you?

DM: Yeah, I think both as rookies, coming out as quarterbacks, you spend a lot of time with those guys. You see them, some on visits, some at the combine. Really, with Caleb, I've seen him since high school. We'd go to the same camps. We were at the Elite 11 [camp] with each other. We got some college visits together. So, the whole thing, going through the process again. We kept up with each other in college. We were friends, and I enjoyed watching him do his thing. Now I get a chance to compete. So, anytime you're going against a rookie quarterback in the same class, or any quarterback in your class in general, it's a little extra. I'm looking forward to going out there and getting a chance to play the Bears.

Q: How much do you monitor how well those guys are doing, or how well have you monitored how those guys are doing throughout their rookie seasons?

DM: Yeah, I think the biggest thing is you see them on film. I'm just watching Jayden play the Bears defense and watching these teams. I think that's pretty cool. I think you see some of the highlight plays. I think the biggest thing is you see how the overall team is doing. That's the main goal for really all us rookies in this class, to put wins in the win column. If we get another chance to do that, we've got to get some more in that column.

Q: What's the most impressive thing that Caleb does on the field, knowing his game as well as you do, seeing and knowing him for so long?

DM: Yeah, I think the play is never over with Caleb. That's the biggest thing. I think it's his talent of throwing, making difficult throws. The normal, the regular eye of your quarterback, you kind of see, 'man, that's a good throw.' I think watching them play the Jags earlier this year, he hit Keenan Allen on a little seam, back shoulder. You see throws like that, and you take that for granted. He's just so talented. I think, like I said, getting to know him and seeing him compete. We've never played each other, so it's the first time, so it'll be pretty cool.

Q: Drake, now that it's been a few days, have you gotten a chance to really look at the film and reflect on that last play in regulation in the game on Sunday? If so, what did you see different from what you were actually feeling at the time trying to avoid?

DM: Yeah, they popped cover two, and I had Hunter [Henry] within the first couple seconds of the play. That could have made it a lot easier in the back end zone. Other than that, just making the play, keeping the play alive, but really probably just more mad at myself for not making the play, having the play be a lot less stressful.

Q: Hunter said he looked at you because he went out of bounds, and he gave you a look like, 'don't throw me the ball because I stepped out of bounds.' What did that look like, and what's that communication like?

DM: Yeah, I think it's a veteran move. He's waving in the back. I saw him before. I saw Mondre [Rhamondre Stevenson] peel back at the end, but we were just laughing after the game about it. Those are the things that you remember looking back in 20 years, remember a play like that. It was a veteran move, and also just I think somebody told him to take a knee. Maybe Coach Bicknell said take a knee instead of waving like he's open.

Q: Did you understand it when he was-

DM: Yeah, I figured nobody was guarding him, so I figured he probably had stepped out of bounds. Just lucky we ended up scoring to force overtime.

Q: Through four starts now, what are you looking to improve on, and what do you think you can do better?

DM: Yeah, I've got to protect the football. That's the biggest thing. I think there's times where my decision-making, whether it's ball security in the pocket, and knowing when that timer goes off in my head, little things like that. Other than that, just taking the right play is the biggest thing. Taking an incompletion, that last first down knowing the situation, or that third down around midfield, the first interception I threw. Sometimes the punt is not the worst thing there. Maybe you go try to make a play, check down, and get a broken tackle and pick up the first. Knowing the situation, what's the best play for this football team, instead of being as aggressive in certain situations. I think you're growing that and storing these situations in my memory bank for times when, 'hey, I did this last time, maybe try a different thing,' or maybe try to be more conservative, knowing when to attack these football teams because I'm going to be aggressive. I'm that kind of quarterback.

Q: What was it like playing against Mason [Rudolph]?

DM: Yeah. No, it was cool. I grew up with him. My older brother, Luke [Maye], and Mason were best friends. It was pretty cool having an older friend that went through the quarterback process. He's from South Charlotte. He was in the South Carolina, Rock Hill area. Going off to college, going into the combine, and going to the draft, I had a guy I looked up to, to ask questions, and ask about the quarterback world that I knew on a personal level. It was awesome having a guy like Mason. That shifted into Sam [Howell] once I got to North Carolina. That was definitely a pretty cool moment playing Mason and having him growing up. I remember being five and six years old, and he was a teenager playing quarterback in the backyard. He was throwing me the football, so it was pretty cool.

Q: Was your brother a little torn there?

DM: No, he's not torn.

Q: Drake, your impression of the Bears' defense?

DM: Yeah, I think the Bears' defense, they're always going to be a physical defense. They're good up front. They have some good edge guys. I feel like every D-line has got some good guys on the edge. They're going to go after the football, we're preaching ball security. They play a lot of zone, so I think we're going to have to find times and zone covers, where we've got to find guys open and make guys make yardage after the catch. Then they're going to sprinkle in some man, so win the one-on-ones. I think they're good up front. I think [Tremaine] Edmunds in the middle is a good player. On the edge, like I said, they've got Montez [Sweat]. They got a lock down corner in this league that you've got to be mindful of. They can do a lot of different things. I think they've played some good defense this year. We've got a tough challenge.

Q: Drake, what would you say have been the biggest areas of growth for these first five starts, where you've liked what you've put on tape and where you said, 'okay, I've done better in this area incrementally' through your first handful of starts?

DM: I think my first and second down decision-making has been big. I think whether it's run checks or one high, two high stuff, different things that we're getting in and out of plays, I've been proud of the way that I feel like I've done well. That's props to T.C. [McCartney] and the quarterback room of what he does, and preparing us in the quarterback room of being ready. Other than that, I think making some plays. I think that's part of my game. I'm proud of sometimes extending some plays and making plays with my feet, and picking up a first down or third down with my feet. It can go a long way with an offense. I look forward to hopefully helping do some more of that and do a better job of finding these guys open and let them do their thing.

Q: I know you've seen a bunch of long yardage situations. I was wondering, in those long yardage situations, is it more instinctive when you run, or are you saying, 'you know what, they're just going to drop all the way back and I see an opening, I'm just going to take it?'

DM: Yeah, I think it's more instinctive. It's a thing to feel back there. Obviously, I'm a passer first. I want to be a passer in this league. You've got to be a passer in this league to be successful. I'm trying to find these guys. When they're dropping seven and rushing four, and there's some rush lanes, and the Titans had a defensive mentality to sit back in zone and everybody's looking at me, I'm like, 'yeah, I'm going to go make a play.' So I think there's different times. Times in man, we've got guys running away that you can make some scramble plays. But, yeah, I'm trying to be a passer first and help these guys pick up the first downs.