WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM HEAD COACH RON RIVERA
POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE
August 12, 2021
RR: [In progress] unfortunately we didn't convert one situation, and then I was really pleased with it though. I really was. I thought there was some really good things. First offensive line. Looks like Logan is picking up where he left off. The running game seemed to click pretty well. There were a lot of good things we're going to be feeling good about, and then there is a lot of things that we are going to look at and say we got to get better at.
Q: Regarding Taylor Heinicke… Just overall what is your assessment of his play?
RR: I thought Taylor picked up right where he left off. Did a lot of good things. Made some good decisions. You know, and, again, I just like who he is as a football player for us right now.
Q: You gave Jalen Davis some extended time out there. What were you hoping he would pick up tonight?
RR: Well, just the feel and the experience of getting out there on the football field more than anything else. We put him in a couple leadership roles when we were in our base defense early on and rotated him out early and had him with the second subgroup. You know, we tried to stress him. We had him play a few extra plays, especially in the second quarter, and thought he handled it very well.
Q: Was that the same thinking with Sam Cosmi, and what did you see from him today as well?
RR: Really like what we got from Sam. Sam needs to play, and that's the truth of the matter, and so does Jamin Davis, and Ben Juste. That's why those guys played a little extended into the second quarter. Very pleased with what we saw from those buys. Thought when John Bates got his opportunity I thought he did a nice job. And did some really good things, as did Sam Reyes. There was a lot of positives, a lot things that we're going to grow on and get better with.
Q: Couple missed field goals. Did you get any sense of what happened there?
RR: Yeah, we'll take a look at it, define it even more, and really just kind of get that thing worked out. More so than anything else for the most part.
Q: Is there a concern?
RR: No, there is not a concern. I think it's disappointing, but at the end of the day we have a new operation that's got to continue to get it worked out, and we've got two more pre-season games to get it corrected.
Q: They were kneeling to end; you called timeout, extended the game. What was the plan there?
RR: I would've loved to have got Steven Montez an opportunity to do something again. Yeah, kind of surprised me that they were going to kneel. I thought they would run it, and then they did run it, and unfortunately we didn't get out and turn the ball back in. When you don't do your job, that's what happens.
Q: Jaret Patterson, did he surprise you in this game?
RR: No, he didn't surprise us. I mean, that's what we saw in the young man. He had a terrific college career and he's had a good camp so far. I think we expected him to do some positive things, so it was good to watch.
Q: What was it like to catch up with Cam Newton there?
RR: It was good. It was good to see him again. He and I are kind of connected for the most part. My first chance in the league as a head coach and he was our first pick, the first pick of the draft actually. So it was good to see him. I'm always cheering for him. He's a heck of a young man.
Q: If I'm not mistaken, you guys had the three-safety combination out there that you talked about earlier. Any first impressions on how that went?
RR: No. I'm going to watch that on tape. That'll probably be more important than giving an assessment from what I saw on the ground level. There are certain things that you watch in a game, and sometimes you're not always watching the area that you're going to talk about, so that would be very unfair.
Q: [Indiscernible]… but obviously had an impact out there. Does he look any different?
RR: I thought he was explosive, came off the ball well, and was very active. I think he's a guy that the more he plays, as we watch him, the more he plays the better he's going to get.
Q: Offense as a whole, just seeing how the skill position guys work with the quarterbacks and the backs, get their time, what was your overall assessment?
RR: I think without having watched the tape, there was a lot of good things that we can work with. There really were. We saw some guys really that really did flash well. Excited about our speed out there with Dyami [Brown]. I thought the overthrow was a little bit him not quite understanding that you've got to get off that line, like you're the guy. And he'll get better at that, and with his speed he'll make those plays. We hit him on a couple nice throws underneath and his speed showed. That was one of the huge pluses. Using the tight ends was another plus for us. In this the fourth quarter you saw Steven throwing the ball to the backs. Those are things we got to be aware of, because we do have some pretty good backs out in the backfield.
Q: How closely will you scrutinize this one game just in terms of the overall evaluation of players making the roster?
RR: Well, you know, it's one of those things that the more time you spend watching the tape the next two days I think better assessment would be fair for everybody.There were a lot of pluses. A lot of guys that we were looking for to see how they would handle the situation, a lot of our young guys. And again, starting with the offensive line, with the defensive secondary, we're going to really break those areas down and kind of just say, Hey, these are the guys that we think can help us.
Q: Just a quick update. Kyle Allen. Do you expect him back next week?
RR: Hopefully. He worked out. See how he reacts to everything tomorrow. They're coming in tomorrow for meetings. They have a stretch and a lift and conditioning, and then they'll be off and we'll get an opportunity to see where he is on Sunday.
QUARTERBACK TAYLOR HEINICKE
POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE
August 12, 2021
Q: Taylor, first live action, first game, how did you feel?
TH: Lots of jitters. I think a lot of the guys did. So go back and look at film. Couple plays I wish I didn't make. Overall I think the offense moved the ball pretty well, and go look at tape and see what we can improve on.
Q: I know you out a lot of work in in the off season. Did you notice a difference out there?
TH: No, not really. I try not to think about it. You know, I did work hard this off-season. Tried to put on 15, 20 pounds of muscle so I can kind of withstand more than one game. Yeah, I'm not really thinking about that out there.
Q: You got to say hi to your mom and step dad before the game. What was that like, having them here?
TH: It's awesome. They try and come to every game they can, so it's always nice seeing family. And for them to come all the way up to Boston from Atlanta, it means a lot. It's always nice having family at games. Hopefully they can make it to Washington a couple times.
Q: We've seen so much from Dyami Brown in practice. As a rookie, what does he bring to the table?
TH: Dyami is a special talent, and you can just see it every day in practice. He's getting better, he's understanding the offense better, and he's got world-class speed on the football field. I know a lot of the offensive guys are very excited about him and I know Fitz [Ryan Fitzpatrick] is really excited about him as well. So, again, we're really looking forward to seeing what he can do this year.
Q: Jaret Patterson is kind of popular; what have you seen from him?
TH: Yeah, he's a small dude but he's got a lot of toughness and he's really quick. If you go back and watch a lot of the tape from Darren Sproles back in the day with the Chargers, he reminds me a lot of him. Really quick. He can make people miss. So get the balls in his hands, it's really exciting to watch.
Q: You talked early in camp about wanting to improve throwing left. I wonder how you feel you're making progress in that area?
TH: Yeah, just every day work on it. Some days are better than others. Same thing throwing with the right. Again, Fitzy does a great job kind of pulling me over, weather it's throwing left or any other things I'm having trouble with that day of kind of showing me what he did in the past when he had problems like that. Again, every day is a learning experience with Fitz, and I feel like I'm getting better every day.
Q: You have some rough days of practice and then you come out here and it's a solid outing in the game, does that encourage you that you're moving in the right direction?
TH: Yeah, yeah. The biggest thing for quarterbacks is just don't turn the ball over. Get some first downs, and if you get enough first downs it leads to points. I try and keep it simple, black and white like that, and it's kind of worked throughout the years through college and now. If we can keep the ball in the offense's hands, that's the best thing we can do.
Q: What do you personally hope to get out of [indiscernible]?
TH: Just to keep getting better. Seeing improvement every week. The biggest jump is from pre-season one to pre-season two. A lot people have jitters, so you go out there and do some uncharacteristic things. When you go back and watch them on film, you've got hit a couple times from a different team, I think a lot of people get a lot more comfortable.
Q: Steven Montez there leading that late drive. That must've felt good to see him do that.
TH: It was awesome. Montez hasn't played a game since college with COVID last year and not being able to have any preseason. A lot of people were excited to he see him play. Got to see him in practice, not live contact, so for him to get on that field and run round and make some plays, we were all excited to watch that.
Q: Taylor, different situation for you coming in this year with fans just screaming your name everywhere you go. How did that feel coming off the field at the end of the game seeing jerseys and everything get thrown your way?
TH: It's cool. I've never been a guy that really want that. I'm a more reserved type of guy. Kind of taking a step back and looking at why they're saying my name, it kind of makes me -- I'm proud of myself for that. Had a great game last year against Tampa, and now the biggest thing is just to keep that ball rolling.
T SAM COSMI
POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE
August 12, 2021
Q: Where have you made the biggest strides so far in camp, and now in the first preseason game?
SC: Definitely just being more quick, more aggressive in the run game. Those two things I feel like I have improved on – my quickness off the ball and being able to finish guys.
Q: What have been the keys to having that quickness getting off the ball and finishing those guys?
SC: Just having the older guys help me through this and Coach Matsko as well. The drills and also the level of competition too. I have to move quick, I have to make a lot of quick decisions in a matter of split seconds. I've been growing as I have been practicing. Practicing has definitely been improving.
Q: How long do you think it took to get those jitters out?
SC: In the game? Oh, the first drive. After that I was rolling. I felt like I was doing good on the first drive too. Just had one of those moments, I was like "oh, I'm actually playing an NFL game," so it was really cool.
Q: There's obviously not a lot of offensive linemen that start their first game in their first year in the NFL. What would it mean to you to be able to earn that opportunity?
SC: It would mean a lot. I'm not the type of person that likes to be on the bench. I want to be able to perform and perform at a high level so being able to have the opportunity is huge. I know that's not given that's earned.
Q: Was the speed of the game what you expected coming into the game?
SC: I knew it was definitely going to be a higher pace. A couple of the guys who have been in the league that I got to talk to throughout the training process prior to being drafted were telling me, "you have to go every single play as fast as you can" and they're not lying. That has been an adjustment, but I think I have been doing pretty good with that.
Q: Obviously you are an athletic guy and you want to get more consistent with your technique. How did you feel with your technique throughout the first half?
A: I felt good, I felt I was able to move really well and put myself in good position to make blocks. Overall, like I said, I think my performance was really good, especially for just the half of the game I had. There's always things to improve on. It was a good start, for sure.
RUNNING BACK JARET PATTERSON
POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE
August 12, 2021
Q: What were the emotions of getting out there and being able to play?
JP: It was unreal. I was trying to hold my emotions back because I grew up a fan, watching guys like DeAngelo Hall and Chris Cooley. My family are Washington fans as well and it was just a blessing to be here. My mindset was when I get my opportunity, to take full advantage of it and show these coaches that I belong. I belong in the National Football League. I just wanted to show a good outbringing.
Q: Were there any nerves, given that you are a fan of the team and this is the next level?
JP: Not at all. It just feels right to me. I have one of my best friends on the team, Chase Young, he is rooting for me and that gives me more confidence. At the end of the day, it's just football and I've been playing this game for a long time and it's just more motivation. I want to be an inspiration for my area. I'm playing for my home team, if they see me doing it, they can do it. Really no nerves, I'm just anxious and excited to get out there and make plays and like I said, just take full advantage of the opportunity given to me.
Q: Was it important to you to impact both the passing game and the run game?
JP: Absolutely. I want to be a versatile all-around back. They really didn't send any pressure, I wanted to show my blocking as well because in Buffalo they didn't really use me like that. But I can always do those things so it was very important for me to show that.
Q: What was the speed like on those first few snaps, was it as fast as some guys maybe say it is?
JP: I mean guys were saying it was fast, but as I was in there, it kind of just slowed down for me. I feel like the more reps I can get, I will get adjusted to it. Like I said, at the end of the day its football, guys across the ball from us bleed just like me, so that's my mindset and I didn't really notice a difference.
Q: At this point, how comfortable are you with the offense?
JP: I'm really comfortable. My mindset is I feel like you can always learn. That's just me personally. Once you feel like you've got it figured out, stuff hits the fan. I just want to keep learning, the offense, different positions so I can be versatile and bring value to the team and myself. Whatever the team needs me to do, I'm going to do.
Q: Did something stand out today that maybe you learned was a little bit different than how things are in practice?
JP: Not really. I feel like going against our defense – our defense is one of the top units in the league and that kind of helped prepare us as an offense because we are going against the best-of-the-best every day. That helps us and me as well, and there wasn't really anything surprising.
Q: Do you have a sense that you're a fan favorite? It seems like everybody is pulling for you.
JP: I don't really pay attention to that. I'm a guy from Maryland that went to the University of Buffalo. Blue collar guy that just ready to put on for the team I grew up watching and just trying to help this team get to where it wants to be.
Q: Have you heard from your brother yet and if so, what was his reaction?
JP: All my family members and my brother actually texted me before the game and he was just saying, "go show the world tonight." Just seeing that motivated me even more to show that I belong in this league, whether I was drafted or not and that got me fired up. I'll probably call him right when I am done with this interview.
Q: I know it may be a little different at FedEx Field, but was it surreal to just to have that first game putting on a uniform?
JP: Oh yeah, it was surreal. Just running out of the tunnel, it was definitely a surreal moment for me playing my first NFL game against the Patriots. They have a great, legendary coach, Coach Bill Belichick. You know that's just an experience I will never forget.
DE CHASE YOUNG
POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE
August 12, 2021
Q: What did you think of Jaret Patterson's performance tonight?
CY: You all are just finding out stuff that I already knew. He's a workhorse, he's a dog. If you saw him on kickoffs, he stuck a dude. He's going to do whatever it takes and I think he's going to be a real good player.
Q: Take us through that play where you recorded a sack.
CY: Yeah going around the edge. I tell people that I want to work on my hands more this year. On that play all that work paid off. It was a long-arm cut, and I turned my hips, got around the edge and tried to make a play. I'm glad I could definitely impact the game early.
Q: How did you feel that the work you put in this offseason led to that play?
CY: It felt good. It kind of felt like slow motion going around it, and him being right there. It feels good.
Q: What is it like trying to sack Cam Newton?
CY: He's very big! When I hit him, I felt like he was a big dude. But we're both about the same size so a guy like me could take Cam down. You know, you got to take him down.
Q: What did you think of the play of the defensive line tonight?
CY: I think honestly when I'm playing, I can't see what the other guys are doing. I don't believe we let a lot of runs bust through. We can go back and look at it on film, but for right now I feel like we played really well.
Q: Jamin Davis is going to have a big role on this year's team. Is there anything you tell him about taking on a leadership role?
CY: I screamed out to him on the field today – I think that when older guys were done. I just told him, "you've got to lead them, and don't worry about making mistakes. Just play fast and do your job."
Q: What's the ramp up process feel like doing the preseason?
CY: I'm not going to lie, today I prepared and I warmed up like I was going to be playing the whole game. Because if you go in not warmed up, something could happen that eighth play just because you didn't warm up like you were supposed to. My mentality is to go in every game like I'm playing the whole game.
Q: How did it feel to have that interaction with the fans again after last year?
CY: It felt good. In college you couldn't sign stuff and things like that in the tunnel. But I can sign a few things, it was cool, it was definitely cool. I was definitely blessed to have the opportunity. It was just more motivation to keep things going.
