Wednesday, August 7, 2019 Vikings

Okay, good morning. We’ve got a little lighter practice today and then walk-thru tomorrow and then we will head to New Orleans for the game. It should be a good contest for us. They are a very good football team, excellent on defense. Obviously, we know some of the guys on their offense so it will be fun to play them. Should be a fun atmosphere.

Q: A lot of the guys on defense said they responded to your call last week about showing more grit and they joked around saying you were smiling; did you see them flip the switch a little bit this week on that? A: I’ve been with those guys now for basically six years, so they kind of know when I need to push the needle a little bit. They have an idea of what I am looking for. Like one of the players said, “The coach is usually right, so we better pick it up a little bit.” They have done good this week. It’s been much better, much more edge to them and that’s how we have to play.

Q: Is that normal in preseason to stoke the fire a little for the guys? A: Sometimes in training camp because it gets loggy a little bit. They have been beating each other up for a while now and going in pads every day, so it’s just a reminder that if we are not getting better, we are getting worse.

Q: With the new offense going in, do you want first team guys to have the most playing time in preseason than usual? A: We have kind of set the playing time. It won’t be a whole lot, but what I want them to do is be efficient. Just go out there and do the things we have been doing and practicing. They may get some different looks defensively. That’s just how it goes. It’s all about executing the techniques that we have been working on and then being able to adjust during the course of the game because that’s what regular season games are.

Q: How important are the preseason games going to be for ’s dynamic with being up in the booth and trying to figure out how that will work during game days this season? A: I really don’t think it’s going to be a big issue. They have been working at it for a while now anyway, but it will be a process as we start going forward. I think the communications on the head sets is a little different than it is out here, so that will be one part.

Q: Do you see any difference from your four guys from the AAF trying to make the transition to the NFL? A: I think they just become a part of this team and not so much “We came from this area or this league or whatever”. They are all trying to figure out what we try to do and do it to the best of their ability and show what they can do. Games like this will be good for them.

Q: What are you trying to get out of Alexander Mattison during the preseason game? A: Hopefully he can play and then if he can, then we will give him a good dose.

Q: Is Alexander Mattison hurt? A: We will have to see if he can play or not.

Q: Are you going to hold anybody out? A: Possibly, one or two. Not very many.

Q: In year’s past you’ve talked about special teams being really important for those three-five receiver spots, what are you focusing on that going into this preseason game and beyond that too? A: That is part of it. I feel good about our linebacker depth. I think those guys could be a big factor in special teams. If a guy, if a running back, (Alexander) Mattison or (Mike) Boone, the receivers, if they can help on special teams, that is a big plus. Obviously, we are looking at them first as receivers but if they can separate themselves by playing special teams, that would be a big plus for them.

Q: Is there a good sense of stability among the first unit? A: Yeah, for the most part I think there is. I think the biggest thing is every one of them are trying to get better. Collectively, they have a lot of pride in what they are trying to do as a group, and so I think that is the part where the complacency doesn’t set in because I have to get better today. We have to get better today and go from there.

Q: How important is it for players and coaches to get on the road during preseason? A: Yeah, it is a learning process. For most of our guys, it is pretty much normal now. We are going to have to play well on the road throughout the course of the season. We have three primetime games on the road, which we are going to have to play well in. So I think all of these times we are playing night games in the preseason are going to be important for us.

Q: Do you handle anything differently in the preseason games now compared to when you first became head coach? A: I am sure there are a few things. Our schedule is a little bit different this time than it was last year at this time. I am trying to think of what else. As far as the playing time and things like that, it hasn’t been that much different. Today, we are going out in shells and shorts, which typically is a Friday practice for us on a normal game week. That is a little bit different. As far as the game part, it is pretty much the same, yeah.

Q: If they ever took away the two preseason games, how would that impact on being able to evaluate the back ups? A: That is above my pay grade. I have said this before, I have seen guys that were on the bubble in the fourth preseason game, they’ve made clubs because of either how they have done on special teams or how they played in that game. So I think it would limit the opportunities for some of these young free agent guys to make teams or even young drafted players to make teams because sometimes it takes a little bit longer to catch on. When you are out there at practice and the coach is telling you what to do and when he is standing behind you and telling you the call, it is completely different than when you are out there by yourself and you have to make all the checks and adjustments and audibles and things like that.

Q: I know we talked about it before and in other years, but is such a different guy, and for the situation and relationship that you two had, to see him still going now with the Saints, it must be good to see him and you must be proud of him. A: Yeah, I am proud of him. For him to be able to come back from the type of injury that he had and still be playing in the NFL. Our statistics, you know when the injury happened, it was a pretty bleak outlook for him but that’s the kind of kid he is. I actually talked to today. Sean said he’s the same guy, no restrictions, doing well and Teddy is a competitor. He’ll try and stick it to us just like we’re going stick it to him.

Q: For preseason games, do opposing coaches talk to each other about the things you want to see from each other? A: No, not really. I mean in the past I have asked him for a couple formations that we haven’t been seeing and go ahead and run whatever you want out of it but, you know, “Hey, could you give us this formation?” But we didn’t really talk about it this time. We’ve never fixed a game or anything like that.

Q: How often are you able to do that? Where you can have a discussion with a coach ahead of time? Is that limited to coaches you have a personal relationship with? A: Yeah. Yeah, I mean, you know Sean (Payton) and I worked together. My kids babysat his kids. We actually talked a lot about our kids and our families. I asked him about Latavius (Murray) and Teddy (Bridgewater) and Nick Easton, Marcus (Sherels). You know, we’ve talked different things. Sean likes to talk anyways so we talked about what they’ve been doing in training camp, what I’ve been doing in training camp. He probably likes the media more than me or doing the media. Not that I don’t like you guys, I just don’t like doing it. It’s part of my shtick.