Buffalo Bills Head Coach Rex Ryan
Thursday, November 05, 2015

Opening Comments / Injury Report:
You brag about Miami’s weather? How about Buffalo’s weather? What was it 70 degrees out there today. Cloud in the sky, no wind, no nothing. Beautiful day. A typical Buffalo day. So there you have it.

Injury wise: Kyle Williams did not practice with a knee. Percy Harvin, knee, did not practice. Guys that were limited today in practice: Corey Graham, groin. Sammy Watkins, ankle. (AJ) Tarpley, concussion. Mario Williams, knee. Then these guys were full today: Karlos Williams, concussion. (Seantrel) Henderson, concussion and Tyrod Taylor, knee.

Q: Is it safe to say Percy Harvin won’t be playing on Sunday?
A: Probably pretty safe to say that.

Q: Any concern with Mario Williams?
A: Concerned a little bit yesterday, but not today.

Q: Is Mario Williams full go for Sunday you think?
A: Yeah, he looks fine.

Q: It seemed like Sammy Watkins was getting a lot of work with the first team today and is getting closer and closer. Do you think he is going to be able to give it a go on Sunday?
A: Yeah, we hope so. He was limited today, but we hope he plays.

Q: Are you okay with Sammy Watkins being out there if he’s not 100 percent?
A: As long as the guy can’t, you know, hurt himself more or something like that. If he’s ready to play, then that’s great. It’d be good to have him out there. But if he’s at more risk or whatever, then I would say no. But hopeful that he should be ready to roll.
Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman
Thursday, November 05, 2015

Q: What do you think about the combination between Ndamukong Suh and Earl Mitchell?
A: No question and they’ve moved Suh around a little bit. But the two of those guys are a force in there and losing 91’s (Cam Wake) a big loss. That guy’s one of the best in the game. But 79 (Derrick Shelby), I mean he’s a rolling ball of butcher knives. That guy’s a heck of a football player, he’s got great length and knows how to use it. So I think a lot of their success starts up front but I think their secondary has played very well as well. You know tight coverage and not afraid to get up and play press and what not.

Q: Is there any worry with players who have missed some time, like Tyrod Taylor, having to rebuild that chemistry on the field?
A: Yeah I think you are definitely aware of it through practice and through that period of practice and you’re discussing it. You’re talking about it and then you just gotta go with it. You’re never quite sure how these games are gonna unfold. But I think the player himself, Tyrod in this case, is very aware of trying to develop that chemistry before the game and I think he’s doing a good job of it.

Q: When you say they’re similar, you mean schematically even though they had a coaching change?
A: Yeah I mean they’re very similar. It’s not like you turn on the film and hey, we got a new team. They played hard before. They play hard now. If anything they’ve probably cut back a little bit on what they were doing and just kind of let the dogs loose a little bit. But they’re good players then, they are good players now. But it’s not like you’re turning it on and you’re going oh my gosh, you know they’ve completely changed. It’s the same scheme minus a few things, maybe. But credit to them for how they’ve been executing those schemes.

Q: How would you assess what Jerome Felton has given you and brought to the offense?
A: Well we love Jerome. He’s a true fullback that I love and the way some of these games have gone has kind of limited his play time a little bit quite frankly. We’ve had some games where it just, you know we had to get into a different kind of mode of operation. But I think he’s done a great job and look forward to him contributing more in the future.

Q: LeSean McCoy, when he came over from Philadelphia, didn’t have much experience running with a fullback. Then this year due to the injury he hasn’t had much time to work with Jerome Felton. How can you asses their chemistry and do you still think it’s a work in progress?
A: I think everything with us is a bit of work in progress. Guys in and out of the lineup. This guys in, this guys out. He missed training camp, etc. It’s been…I think we’re behind and to characterize it any other way would be me sitting up here and blowing smoke. We’ve got to every day and understand how important each day is that we have these guys together at practice and maximize those days to make up really for lost time. And I like where it’s going though. I really like where it’s going. I can see some things on the practice field where things are looking like they should look. Quite frankly throughout the first four, five, six weeks and a period of training camp where we started getting guys back a little bit. You know it didn’t quite look like it was supposed to look yet. So it’s getting there.
Defensive Coordinator Dennis Thurman
Thursday, November 05, 2015

Q: Where do you see this defense at seven games into the season as opposed to where it was maybe in September?
A: We made progress. I mean it may not appear that way at times but we’ve made progress. I mean guys are understanding their assignments, they’re understanding the scheme, they’re understanding the system. If you really look back, and you can’t take plays away, but it’s really probably a handful of plays that have really hurt us and put us in the situation we’re in. Quite honestly.

Q: How do you limit those plays? Is it a communication thing or not knowing the assignment?
A: No it’s not. I mean we’ve been good with far as missed assignments are concerned. Guys are understanding what they’re supposed to do. Just been some breakdowns as far as…just how to go do it. The little finite things that you need to know in order to play the defense the way it should be played. But you know it’s still a work in progress. We’re learning them, they’re learning us and we’ll continue to work together.

Q: How much have you trimmed back these last couple of weeks?
A: We’ve trimmed back. I mean, but you know it’s not about any calls that are made. It’s never about a call. It’s really about how you execute the call and we have to go out and we have to execute, and we have to get our job down.

Q: Is executing the call solely on the player’s responsibility or does that fall on the coaches as well?
A: It’s on…Our responsibility is put the player in the best position to succeed. That’s our job and then it’s up to the player to go out and execute it and get it down.

Q: Is there anything about how this personnel has meshed with the scheme that has maybe surprised you at all?
A: No. It’s always been a learning process. You know there is talent here. A tremendous amount of talent here on defense. It’s just a matter of learning. Them learning us, what we’re asking of them and your ability to go out in a hostile environment, if you will, and be able to execute exactly what you need to execute in order to be successful. So it’s always gonna be that early on. But as you get…as we get more familiar with them, they get more familiar with us, it’ll make things simpler. Yeah.

 

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