2024-10-28 15:35:03
MIKE MACDONALD: That’s a result of good football team that outplayed us in three phases, and then it gets out of hand when you’re doing the things we did today where we didn’t help ourselves as well. It’s a laundry list of things. We can go line item by line item if you want. The long and short of it is we got outplayed, outcoached, and we got to go make it right. Feel like it’s too often we have had this conversation with you guys of going back to work on Tuesday and hitting this thing head on and seeing if we can get this thing turned around against a good Rams team coming in here.
How different does that game feel if you capitalize in the red zone on those two second quarter trips?
MIKE MACDONALD: Hard to tell if it flips, but you feel like you’re right in it. Again, it’s a story of red zone, us not getting stops in the red zone that we need, and then not being able to run the ball inside the five-yard line. We need to be better there for sure.
The one I guess where Geno fell back, what happened on that?
MIKE MACDONALD: I think he just got stepped on. You guys might have seen it. I didn’t see it. He either got tripped or got stepped on.
Just big picture looking at the miscues made today, how do you feel the guys were trying to handle that in the moment. Seemed like obviously Derick Hall and Jarran Reed got into it…
MIKE MACDONALD: Well there is some frustration there. Look, our guys are connected, and they have each other’s backs. They are emotional. There are going to be flare-ups and stuff. Seems like it calmed down. Wasn’t a smart penalty. Just that’s not how we train our guys to attack quarterbacks, so wasn’t a smart move.
Where is your concern level with where the run game is at now? Second time in three, four games you’ve gone out there with under 2.2 yards per carry.
MIKE MACDONALD: Yeah, I would say it’s a major concern. We’ve got to make it right. If I knew the one answer, I would give that to you right now. Seems like it’s a litany of things. We’ve got to go to work on it. Right now, we can’t control the tempo of games. We’ve got to go to work.
Any update on Dre’Mont Jones?
MIKE MACDONALD: We’ll see. I think he finished the game, so we’ll take it from there.
Was DK Metcalf close to playing at all?
MIKE MACDONALD: I mean, he’s only missed, what, two games in his career? I think that speaks for itself on his work ethic. I know he was trying to do everything humanly possible to play. It became clear later in the week he wasn’t going to be able to go.
How much of an impact do you think not having him had on the offense?
MIKE MACDONALD: No, DK Metcalf is one of one, but we’ve got a lot of really good players that can play. We expect them to go in and execute at a high level. We need to be able to move the ball on the ground and in the air. We’ve got to be able to score in the red zone. DK wouldn’t have been out there on the goal line on the one- or two-yard line.
What did you make of Ernest Jones IV’s first game with you guys?
MIKE MACDONALD: Tough to tell right now. Felt like he made some plays out in space. Got to look at the run game on some of those runs that were getting out and figure out what’s going on there.
Some of these games, just how tough is the situations Geno has been in, whether it’s the score or the run game?
MIKE MACDONALD: It’s too often we’re in throw-mode at the end. Again, it starts with dictating terms to the other team, controlling the game, the pace of the game, taking care of the football. So yeah, we’ve put him in tough situations late in game for sure.
Picking off Josh Allen for the first time in like 300 pass attempts for him, what did that mean I guess just as far as that moment?
MIKE MACDONALD: It was a lone kind of bright spot in the game. Felt like we had a chance to really turn the momentum there and Josh had a great technique on that play, and then when he had the opportunity, he took advantage of it. So that was great at the time. Felt like we had a chance to get the thing rolling.
How indicative is or is this not of where you are in this program right now?
MIKE MACDONALD: I think that’s a good question. We talk about stacking wins around here, and when you’re going on and off, back and forth, it’s frustrating. You want to be able to build on the good things that we’re doing so we can get our program to where we want it to go. When you take steps back like today, it’s very sobering, frustrating. But this is the NFL. If you don’t bring it and have your best against good teams, you’re not going to win those games. Our guys know that. As coaches we’ve got to prepare our guys the best we can. We’ve got to call great games. This whole thing has to keep coming together. Time is ticking as we say. We are about halfway through the season now. But you take a step back, I mean, right in the thick of it in the division, and this game coming up is going to be a big one.
Seemed to really emphasize heavy personnel packages today. Extra offensive lineman and stuff. Was that something you guys were geared up for and what was giving you guys issues?
MIKE MACDONALD: Well it was more than they’ve shown on tape in those situations, but you still have to be ready for it. I thought we had a solid plan. Probably could have had some more front flexibility on that front to have some more answers, maybe some more movements. Those are things we talked about. You’re trying to adjust throughout seeing where the ball is hitting to see if we can get some anchor points or play blocks better. So (a) combination of not trying to scrap what you have but also maybe just calm it down.
It wasn’t good enough when they went to their big 12 personnel.
As up and down as it’s been, do you even have a good read on whether your best would be as good as Buffalo or not know that yet?
MIKE MACDONALD: No, I think everybody on this field knows our best can compete with them. And look, Buffalo is a great team. Been doing this thing for a long time. The record speaks for themselves. They’ve got great players. That’s a vote of confidence in our guys, our people.
