GREEN BAY – The Packers' coordinators and offensive assistant coaches met with the media over the past couple of days. Here's a sampling of their key comments.
Special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia
On what happened with K Brandon McManus last week:
He said he aggravated or had a little bit of tightness. Not that we made him, but we kicked two days in a row. We hadn't done that for a while. The last time he got banged up was when he came off the bye week, if you remember. We kicked two days in a row and he had some tightness on Saturday. At the point, we just figured better safe than sorry. We didn't want to go through that again. Hopefully the rest has been good for him. He had a really good day yesterday. Probably the best day he's had in a while. We're excited for what tomorrow brings and hopefully should be ready for the game.
On Minnesota's special teams:
First of all, I think you have to look at Matt Daniels. People like to put special teams coaches in a box and put limits on us. I don't know why this guy's not looked at as a possible head coach candidate in the National Football League. He's done a tremendous job there. He's got a good unit but he's built it over the time he's been there. What he's done, I think really should be looked at in other facets of what we do in the National Football League. The return unit with the rookie is impressive. I think he's had three called back. He's had a 99-yarder called back, a 60-yarder called back. He's had one fumble on the kickoff return but he's also had a 43-yard punt return last week and two 18-yard punt returns. He's a dangerous player. He's got great speed. He's an aggressive guy to the ball. He wants to make plays. He's somebody we're gonna have to try to manage somehow during the course of the game.
Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley
On the run defense vs. the Giants:
I don't think it was the run defense. I think it was the missed opportunities to get off the field. We have to get off the field on third down. They started off the game and they went down the field and scored. They hit two explosive passes on that drive, which is kind of uncharacteristic of us. We've been playing pretty good the first drives of the games. Then we held them to three-and-out and then we held them to three-and-out and then we were on the verge to holding them to three-and-out again for three straight drives and we had a missed opportunity on third down and we gave them more chances to run the ball. I think they almost ran the ball 40 times. To me, the run defense was fine. It was more those missed opportunities where we could've ended drives or changed the game. We have to finish those.
On the status of the pass rush:
I totally respect all the questions, but in defense of these guys right now, there's limited opportunities to truly pass rush. Because even on third down, the runs are going way up. The screens are going way up. People are just trying to get the ball to fourth-and-2, right? And we have to do a better job of getting the ball back to the offense, playing complementary football, scoring, going up on people so we then can let these guys go. And we just haven't been able to do that. We're not playing fourth-quarter NFL football where it's pass, pass, pass, pass, pass. When teams have to start throwing the ball on us, then I'm really looking forward to seeing those pressures and those sacks come.
On the missed INTs:
If we catch the ones they throw to us, we're sitting in here right now and we're right back in the middle of things in interceptions and takeaways. If we catch those balls we had the opportunity to in that game, the pass rush is going to start to come because in all respect to the New York Giants, who I think played a very good game, if we catch those ones they throw to us, that's not a close football game. It's just not. We take the ball away, we give it to our offense, we go up, then it turns into a pass-rush game where our ears are pinned back and they have to throw the ball 20-30 times more. But we have to make those plays to change the game to go up on people and put people away quicker.
On facing the Vikings and WR Justin Jefferson:
It's not just Justin Jefferson, who I think is the premier wide receiver in the league, after seeing him twice last year. They've got a really good offensive line. I think both backs are really good. The tight end's been playing for a long time. And then they have (Jordan) Addison and some other good receivers, so they've got two first-round picks at wideout who are really talented. They can run the ball. But you definitely have to try to affect Justin, and that's going to be affecting the quarterback. It's going to be changing the picture for him. It's going to be changing the coverages. It's going to be at times getting your hands on Justin. It's going to be at times putting two on Justin. It's going to be at times having Justin one-on-one because you're doing something else, but that certainly is a challenge.
Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich
On Sean Rhyan's first start at center:
Sean did a good job for the most part. There's a couple snap issues that we had. Obviously when you're the center there has to be zero snap issues every game. But he did a really good job competing. There were a couple pass protection things where he got out of position, but I think for the most part I was pleased with how he did. How he made calls. How he got everyone on the same page. Played with physicality. I thought he did a good job there.
On backup QB Malik Willis staying so calm:
He prepares. He's always a chill guy, but he just sits there in meetings and prepares and asks his questions, and just goes with the flow and that's just his personality. It's kind of odd sometimes to see that from a football player but he's cool. Cool Hand Luke. Nothing rattles him. 'Hey, you're going in.' 'All right. Here we go.' And he just goes and does it and does a really good job. Again, all the guys rally around him, they respect that, they respect his work ethic and all that stuff, so it's been really cool to see.
Passing game coordinator Jason Vrable
On WR Jayden Reed's pending return:
I think once they clear him, he's going to be ready to roll. He's as hungry as they come right now. It's been difficult for him, but the foot's great and the shoulder's working back, and he's a dawg, so I just can't wait to get him back out on the field. But he's been a great leader. He's traveled to most of the games once he was cleared, and you should see him on the sideline, just talking to guys, keeping everybody locked in, and just the energy. He's one of those guys I think makes our team better, makes everyone in the building better.
On WR Savion Williams' big play vs. the Giants:
He's battled through that foot injury. I know he's been on the injury report. The kickoff return to start the game, when he had that, he broke tackles. I feel like every time on the kickoff return he runs over a guy to finish, because he's big and strong. Yeah, he's another guy I think his opps will just continue to grow. When he missed the spring and in summer he was hurt, that set him back a little bit, but he's gradually built confidence to the point where I think Jordan's also built the trust and chemistry with him too. He's come down with a lot of those. He's a big guy, and he has good hand-eye coordination and he's tough. That was an awesome moment for him. The juice and the excitement, and to make that play with the game kind of on the line right there, that was awesome. So yeah, when he's healthy, he's gotten better every single week.
Quarterbacks coach Sean Mannion
On QB Malik Willis stepping in vs. Giants:
The thing I was most proud of with Malik was just the clean operation. Picked up right where we left off. There weren't any procedure penalties. We're getting the plays in and out of the huddle quickly. And then made two nice throws. Really great job by Malik there. That's a challenging circumstance to step in, especially when it's not a fresh series. You kind of pick it up right in the middle of the series. You haven't had a chance to generate a rhythm yet. But that's kind of who he is, man. He's super poised, really, really even-keeled, very calm demeanor at all times. So it shows in his play, too.
On QB Jordan Love's risk-taking:
The biggest thing we want with Jordan is just to be decisive. Just be reacting quickly. And I think that's what we saw in that Giants game, is he was decisive. If it's a one-on-one opportunity, and you have a reason to go, go for it, or you're trying to back shoulder, or have a one-on-one opp with somebody, we're good with those opportunity balls. As long as you have valid reasons for it. We don't want him to be reckless by any stretch. We just want him to kind of be calculated with, 'Hey, when am I going to take a shot? Do I have a good reason for it?' And, is he diagnosing the coverage properly where, 'Hey, that's a ball we're throwing.' We don't want him to be indiscriminate with just taking chances.
Wide receivers coach Ryan Mahaffey
On Williams' big play for a young player:
For lots of players in the league, maybe there's a play or a game where you can see kind of an inflection point in terms of just being able to build their confidence, to be given an opportunity to make a play, to see that their practice, their preparation is leading to opportunities to be able to go out there and help their team win when touching the ball. But you could certainly see his excitement after the play. You could see the excitement on the sideline from his teammates.
On what WR Christian Watson's doing:
It's been really impressive just knowing where he was at, at the end of the last season, to see where he's at right now. That's really a testament to his character, the time he's put into taking care of his body, and certainly the growth he's had, how he's able to process and learn from all his opportunities out there. Obviously, you see the size, you see the speed, but he's one of the smartest players we have on our football team at the same time, and you can just see right now he's able to process information quickly. He has a lot of confidence in his movements out there.
Offensive line coach Luke Butkus
On Rhyan's performance at center:
He's the quarterback of the offensive line. He's got to step in there and he's got to make the calls and get us in the right position. It's a lot of work. We've been very fortunate to have some great centers here. It's kind of like a security blanket for all of us. Elgton (Jenkins), get us right. Josh (Myers), get us right. Corey (Linsley), get us right. Now, it's Sean's turn. I'm excited for him and he battled his butt off last week. I think he can continue to grow. Never satisfied – that's who Sean Rhyan is.
On LG Aaron Banks coming around:
You're seeing the Aaron Banks that we saw – some of the physicality he's bringing. He's not where he wants to be yet and we're not where he wants to be yet, but it's showing and it's flashing. We just need more consistency out of everybody, but there's some flash plays. Love his aggressiveness, his physicality, his power. Really like where he's going, the direction he's headed.
Tight ends coach John Dunn
On TE Tucker Kraft still being around the team:
Obviously he's occupied but he's never far away from the team, he's never far away from the game. I think his presence is contagious. I know just whenever he's around, whenever you see him, it puts a smile on your face, right? And he loves the game. It's constant, talking or texting, or here's what he saw. He definitely stays into it and has a positive mindset.
On the season he was having:
It's not just catching the ball and breaking the tackle and run after the catch. He's just as proud of a block we talked about that he got better at and he made it, which no one else in the world sees. Or pass protection or just all those little things that make you a complete player. That's the cool part to see, and that's where, (he's) just so obsessed with football, and how good can he get? It's just really cool to see, and it'll be cool to watch again.
Running backs coach Ben Sirmans
On whether RB Emanuel Wilson is ready for a full workload:
He's got no other choice if it happens that way and that's kind of how we go about it in that room, whether it's him or (Chris) Brooks or even if Pierre (Strong) has to get in there. I mean if Josh isn't available, whoever's in there they got no other choice but to uphold the standard that we have. That's what it's gonna take for us to win.
On Wilson's growth and progress, coming in from D-II and undrafted:
It's a lot of learning it on the fly. He didn't understand what it was like to be a true professional, but the biggest thing for him is he wanted to learn what it took to be a true professional. When I say professional, I'm not just talking about as a runner. I'm talking about in terms of how you prepare, how you study, how you take care of your body and being around guys like Aaron (Jones) and Josh (Jacobs) have really helped him. There's been a major maturation point to what he was and to what he is now. I didn't trust him at all his rookie year to go in the game, but now I do. I feel firmly confident. Shoot, last year he went the entire year and only had one M.A. (missed assignment), and that was against Philly in the very first game and he played a lot of football last year and didn't have like any mistakes. So even that right there tells you what his growth has been like.
