Buffalo Bills Tuesday Media Transcript

Buffalo Bills Head Coach Rex Ryan

Tuesday, September 01, 2015

Opening Statement

I have nothing to say except today you know when you are going out there you are putting in a lot of new things and all that. It is amazing how once you get into your game plan specific and all that type of stuff, you start to tighten those things up and then you will go against a competitive situation offense vs. defense or whatever, and they will forget some of the basic things, like snap count or whatever. So relying back on your fundamentals, linemen assignment technique, all those types of things, the new game plan is fresh all that. You still got to focus and do your jobs. So we got to get a little better, at doing those types of things. And that is what I told the guys about today. But other than that don’t have a whole lot for you.

Q: How many if any of your first teamers will play Thursday?

A: No. I am trying to think off hand, but there will be plenty of guys that are playing that will be on our roster fighting for roster spots. So I think it’s… you know it is a very important game. With that being said the starters as we know it, the starters will probably sit this one out.

Q: The roster is almost picked by this time is that how you are seeing it, is that much decided at this point?

A: Quite a bit of it is decided. But I still think this game is important and there is generally three or four guys that will come into this game and have a chance to win a job or quite honestly lose a job. So you never say, ‘Hey this is the roster that is made’ because there always are some guys that will step up and will earn a roster spot in this last game.

Q: Encouraging news with Leodis McKelvin’s boot off?

A: I don’t know how encouraging yet. I haven’t really talked to Bud about time tables or anything. I would think is a move…a step in the right direction so to speak. You know you say is it going to be this week, well he still has a boot on, you know. At least we are definitely heading in the right direction.

Q: So no time table to when he might be able to get on the field?

A: I haven’t heard anything specific yet.

Q: So even with guys like Percy Harvin and Boobie Dixon who haven’t gotten a lot of action you are going to air on the side of caution?

A: Yeah. Boobie [Dixon] may play some. I know Percy [Harvin] has really been pushing to play. I am not so sure about that. You know as much as I would love to see us get some work in and things like that, I also want to make sure we are a 100-percet when we play against Indy.

Q: Would Matt Simms take all the snaps then?

A: That’s what I am anticipating. If not, we will go from there.

Q: Talk about his experience here as the fourth guy?

A: Obviously, I have had two years with Matt [Simms] so I know what he can do. But coming in here and learning a new offense and things like that. I knew that wouldn’t a problem for him. He is a sharp guy. But this young man can play and I think he is going to prove it. When he gets out there, he gets a shot at this game I think a lot of people are going to see it. This guy is not just another dude, this guy can play and that’s why he was our number one back up the year Sanchez had the shoulder, my mistake their obviously. But he ended up being our back-up for the whole season and then the next year he went in, he was really our three, but I think Matt can play.

Q:  What do you like about him even though he is not a guy who factored into the competition?

A: I think obviously he has a big arm and he is a smart kid and things like that. But the opportunity it was too tough. I mean to balance three guys is hard enough but to throw a fourth guy into the fire, I don’t know if that would have been fair to anybody. Obviously it would have been better for Matt, but I don’t think it would have helped our team.

Q: Does he have a chance of making this 53 man roster?

A: Odds are probably stacked against him. But I am never going to say he doesn’t.

Q: How big of a concern do you have with Dan Carpenter missing a few kicks?

A: I am concerned. I mean missed a couple field goals and an extra point that is concerning because he missed a lot of camp. We have to see him kick better. Quite honestly he needs to, we are the only team in the league that keeps a kick off specialist with that being said you do that to make sure you’re giving your kicker a chance to focus on one thing and that is field goals. To his thing he hasn’t been out there the whole time. Hopefully it is just a matter of time. We all know he has been a big money kicker. Not everybody can kick in our conditions so the fact that he has made them in those times gives you some comfort, but I don’t like seeing him miss kicks ever.

Q: Where do you see Duke Williams spot on the roster right now?

A: I think he has got a….99-percent chance of making this team. The guy is a tremendous special teams player and he is a good player on defense. But will he play (versus Detroit), yeah he will play.

Q: Has it disappointed you that he hasn’t pushed Corey for that spot?

A: No, not at all. I think we have a good group of safeties. I think Corey Graham is an exceptional player.

Q: Have you looked out there veteran wise at CB?

A: Trust me we have a lot more depth than I have ever been around before. We have guys that can play. [Mario] Butler, I told you guys that from mini-camp how impressed I was with him. I am continued to be impressed by him. I think [Ron] Brooks has had his moments, I feel good about him. I feel great about [Nickell] Robey. So I think we have some depth at corner. Obviously once we get Leodis back then we are going to be just fine.

Q: The Jets put tight end Jace Amaro on IR today. There were comments this spring.

A: You know what I feel bad for the kid. Jace is a good kid, you know he (made) just stupid comments, but he is a good kid. I feel bad that he can’t do it. He is a talented guy. But I wasn’t exactly afraid of him.

Q: Jessie Pegula joked that you have wanted to play her in ping pong?

A: I would crush her.

Q: What about tennis?

A: I am going to stay away from my comment on tennis. There is no chance. I one time made the mistake, thought I was good. I played, I was like a senior big stud football player, alright not very good football player. But I played one of the girls in tennis and beat her in one set. I was talking noise and they had this little freshman girl that had a little ponytails and I don’t think I ever scored a point on her. Her name was Andrea Jaeger. So I made that mistake once. One other time I don’t think I will make it again.

Q: Are you happy the way the offense line turned out with Henderson at RT?

A: Love the way the starting five has played. No doubt. Seantrel [Henderson] is a good as… when he put his mind to it, that he wanted to be a great player. That is how he came back. That is how he entered camp. [Cyrus] Kouandjio was pushing him and things like that but at the end of the day. Seantrel has had a tremendous training camp.

Q: So he will be the starter then?

A: Yeah

K Dan Carpenter
Tuesday, September 01, 2015

Q: Coming off the injury, any concerns with the misses?
A: Yeah, I don’t want to miss. Obviously I got to work to get back at practice, I get one more chance here on Thursday and go from there.

Q: Are you working through pain right now or is it time and technique?
A: I had limited days obviously in the offseason and everything with Garrison [Sanborn] and Colton [Schmidt]. Just trying to get back to that mid-season form I guess if that is what you want to call it. Just as far as timing and getting used to them all over again.

Q: Are you worried at all about your situation?
A: Yeah, I am worried every day. It doesn’t matter you are getting compared to guys whether they are in your camp, out of your camp, in someone else camp, on the street, it doesn’t matter. There is always someone out there wanting your job and you got to do your job to keep it.

T Seantrel Henderson
Tuesday, September 01, 2015

Q: Rex has said you are the starter how does the feel?
A: It feels good man. Putting in a lot of work. Down in training camp, before training camp, and now we are getting ready for that first game man. It just feels good coming into the season knowing that you got a starting job.

Q: Rex said when you decided you wanted the starting job it was clear to him.
A: I was just pretty much staying on myself about coming back in shape, coming back at my goal weight, and staying in the weight room every day. I just had a schedule that I stuck to every day until it was time to come back. Once training camp came back only thing I was really worried about was passing the conditioning test and I passed the conditioning test and then it was just day by day after that. You know once we put the pads on, I was ready and it just went like that.

Q: Did you prove something to yourself winning that starting job back?
A: Yeah, I just proved I can do this every day. This is my job now. You know just coming out of college last year I didn’t really know what to expect. Now I am one year in, I know exactly what I got to do now. Now I am just ready to go.

G Richie Incognito
Tuesday, September 01, 2015

Q: Everything is new here. Do you feel any different being part of the new with all the newness this team has?
A: Yeah, there is a lot of excitement surrounding the season right now. We are building off what they did last year. They had a winning football season which is very tough to do in this league. We are building on what they did last year and we have an influx of new people from the head down. From ownership on down. There is an excitement that is building, we are feeling it. We are just motivated to work hard every single day.

Q: The offense has a lot of new parts there and you haven’t had a lot of time together. Any concern there?
A: Not really a concern for us. I think we have all been into it. The guys that have been out they have gotten some reps. So, I think we are definitely a work in progress and we are definitely making strides each and every day. But I am excited to see what this offense can do.

Q: Feel good about where the offensive line is as a whole right now?
A: Yeah, feeling good about the offense line. We are building, we are getting better every day. It helps competing against our defensive line every day and competing against our defense as a whole. We get a bunch of different looks, we compete against some of the best guys in the NFL up front. So it is a good challenge for us every single day.

QB Matt Simms
Tuesday, September 01, 2015

Q: Talk about you situation this summer.
A: You know, I kind of knew coming into this organization kind of what the situation was leading up to it. I am just happy Rex [Ryan] brought me a part of this organization, allowed me to be a good teammate with everybody else and just go from there. He said he would get me more reps and here I am going to play a lot this last preseason game and that is all I can ask for.

Q: Do you feel you are maybe auditioning Thursday for somebody else?
A: In this league every time you play you are always auditioning for someone. Whether it is your own teammates, your own coaches, whoever else is watching. But of course anytime that you play football people are always watching. No matter who it is, you just got to go out there play, play hard, execute the play and just have fun.

Q: You have only thrown eight passes in this preseason, you have to be excited to get out there.
A: You know I am excited about it, I really am. You know, yeah I have had eight passes, they have been a good eight passes though. You know, hey you just got to go from there man. It is a tough situation but at the same time in this league nobody really cares. So just got to go out, execute, run the play as well as I can that [Greg Roman] calls and go from there.

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