Quotes (12/5): Asst. HC/OC Mike Kafka, DC Shane Bowen, STC Michael Ghobrial

Defensive Coordinator Shane Bowen

Q: What’s the challenge for you, no (defensive lineman) Dex (Dexter Lawrence II) and dealing with all these injuries?

SHANE BOWEN: Obviously, it’s tough to replace a guy like Dex (Dexter Lawrence II). Everybody faces injuries. We got to hopefully have guys step up and take advantage of their opportunities. Again, it’s kind of a revolving door a little bit right now. Different spots, different pieces. Defensive line will sort out through the week where we’re at. But, again, great opportunity for these younger guys who’ve been here at practice, who’ve worked on the show team at times throughout the year. So, you’re going to have to go out there and play.

Q: Who, among those defensive linemen, are you looking to really step up?

SHANE BOWEN: I think all of them are in play right now, to be honest with you. So, we’ll kind of see where this thing goes as the week goes with (defensive lineman) D.J. (Davidson), with (defensive lineman) Nacho (Rakeem Nuñez-Roches). Obviously, (defensive tackle) Chat (Elijah Chatman) has been up, (defensive tackle) Jordon (Riley) has been up. You got (defensive tackle) Casey Rogers. You got (defensive lineman Elijah) Garcia. Then we just signed (defensive tackle) Cory (Durden) from the Rams. I think all those guys are in play right now. We’ll kind of see where we’re at these next few days.

Q: With those injuries, especially with Dexter (Lawrence II), that’s a lot of leadership that you guys don’t have. Is that an opportunity for some of the younger guys, like (safety Tyler) Nubin, (cornerback Dru) Phillips, to kind of have their voice be heard?

SHANE BOWEN: Yeah, absolutely. I think we’re always trying to evolve that leadership, especially in the young guys, and develop that. Part of being a coach is to foster that a little bit, especially with the guys that can handle it. I think you got to be careful. There’s certain guys that can take on a little bit more in that role and there’s other guys who probably aren’t ready for that just yet. But yeah absolutely. I think within the position group, especially. Like who rises in the defensive line group with Dex (Dexter Lawrence II) out. Where’s that voice go? Nacho (Rakeem Nuñez-Roches) has been a good leader for us. But, again, we’re going to have to have guys step up in a variety of ways. Their play style and obviously the leadership, the communication, everything else that comes into play.

Q: Who do you think is ready to step up for that?

SHANE BOWEN: Hopefully all of them. That’s the plan. They’ve all been working hard. So, I’m excited. Whoever gets out there, I’m excited to see them go play.

Q: With (Elijah) Chatman, what do you see from him so far as he’s kind of adjusted his rookie season?

SHANE BOWEN: I thought he’s done some good things. He’s been in there primarily for us on passing situations, third down. He’s been able to be coordinated and run some games, do some different things with (outside linebacker Brian) Burns and been able to get some push in the pocket for us. He’s a powerful, explosive kid. So, when he’s able to get out of his stance and get going, he’s got some length to him despite being a little bit shorter. He went in there last week. We lost all those… We were down three defensive linemen, not even halfway through the third quarter. Him and Jordon (Riley) really had to finish the game for us. So, they went in there and battled. Hopefully continue to take the next step with him. He’s going to have opportunities this week a little bit more on first and second down just because where we’re at.

Q: I think you have one sack in the last four games. Why do you think that’s dropped off?

SHANE BOWEN: I felt like last week we got some pressure on them when we had some passing situations. We were close. I think (Brian) Burns tipped one as he was throwing it. (Outside linebacker) KT (Kayvon Thibodeaux) was right there, close one time where he potentially could have reached and got it off of him. So, there’s been some opportunities. I think just making sure we take advantage of the opportunities when it is truly drop-back pass and we can pin our ears back and go. We got to continue to evolve and progress our ability to transition and affect the quarterback in the play-action game. We are getting a lot of play-action passes, run, pat, boot, early down type of passing game and continuing to find ways to get to the quarterback there where he can’t hold it. But, again, just continue to work together, be coordinated, understand overlaps, understand when we can take our two-way go’s and win. Find ways to free up (Brian) Burns and KT (Kayvon Thibodeaux). They’re usually trying to get a chip, something on them out of the gate. When they don’t, hopefully they can go ahead, take advantage and win.

Q: What do you think of the season (inside linebacker) Bobby (Okereke) has had? What does being without him mean?

SHANE BOWEN: I think he’s been good. He’s been solid for us. Leader. Runs the show for us. Gets guys lined up. Makes plays when they’re there for us. He’s done a good job lately here attacking the football. I think he’s got three forced fumbles recently and the one last week was inches away, on the goal line, from being a forced fumble. So, he’s taking advantage of opportunities to get his hands on the football and use his length. We’ll see where he’s at here these next couple days.

Q: His tackling numbers are actually a little bit lower down this year from last year. What do you think that attributes to?

SHANE BOWEN: Honestly, I don’t really know. How dramatic is it? Is it like dramatic, dramatic?

Q: Solo tackles is pretty dramatic.

SHANE BOWEN: Solo tackles is pretty dramatic?

Q: More combined tackles…

SHANE BOWEN: I think he’s flying around and being productive when he’s out there. He’s doing everything we ask of him.

Q: What do you think about, if he’s not able to play, is (inside linebacker) Darius (Muasau) someone who’s ready to do the green dot? Or would you rather lean on someone like (inside linebacker) Micah (McFadden) who has more experience in this league?

SHANE BOWEN: If Bobby (Okereke) can’t go, I feel comfortable with both of them. They both have had to be able to do it. They both battled injuries throughout the year. So, they’ve always been kind of the next guy, whether it was Darius (Muasau) out and Micah (McFadden) was the next guy that would have to take that role. Or Darius (Muasau) has been out throughout the season and Micah (McFadden) would have to take that role. So, I feel comfortable with both those guys.

Q: Obviously, the lack of interceptions has been a story. But (safety) Tyler Nubin had a ball-hawking reputation in college. Is there something you see why it hasn’t translated yet to this level?

SHANE BOWEN: I don’t know. He’s been down a lot for us. He’s been down in the box. He’s been down around the ball a little bit more than truly just back in the post where he can track and do some of that. I think that might contribute a little bit to it. I think anytime you got these young guys, it’s the fine line between being able to go out there and execute and do your job and there’s a lot going on. They’re not rookies anymore. They’ve played a lot of ball. But it’s almost like we got to continue to develop them and get them to the point where it’s execution and do my job but let’s not lose our playmaking ability. There’s a fine line. I think as guys get more comfortable playing and you get a little bit more mature and have more experience, the instincts grow. The finding the ball grows a little bit more because the game starts to slow down a little bit. So, I think, with those young guys, it’s just continuing to develop those guys to where they’re not hindering their playmaking ability by being so locked in on doing their job and executing the defense and being in that role but also being able to go make plays and go be a football player.

Q: As a defensive coordinator, can you take away something from a team if you want to? Such as, they have (New Orleans Saints running back Alvin) Kamara and (New Orleans Saints running back Kendre) Miller up the middle. You’re kind of weak in the middle. Can you set up your defense to take that away and say, ‘Beat me with the pass?’

SHANE BOWEN: You have different things. It’s really what you want to live with. I think each week as you game plan, that’s a big part of it. Personnel is a huge part of it, who they have. Whether it’s a big time receiver, whether it’s a good running back, potential receiving running back out of the backfield, I think that’s a big part of what you do. I think for us as we go into a game plan, particularly in a week when you’re dealing with some moving parts, there’s a fine line of, ‘Let’s make sure these guys can get out there and get lined up and go play and not try to do too much to put the guys who really haven’t been out there as much as some of these other guys in a vulnerable position. Because we’re asking them to do a lot of things that they haven’t done.’ So, I think there’s a fine line as coaches. We got to kind of determine and feel that throughout the week of our comfort level, based on their comfort level as the week goes. But ultimately, we’re trying as a defensive unit to hopefully minimize their strengths and find ways to take away their strengths.

Q: How can you stop the run better? Do you have to start selling out more into the box kind of or…?

SHANE BOWEN: I wouldn’t say that. I think if you go back and look there’s a lot of post-safety defense. I don’t know if a lot of these runs have been split safety where we’re down a body. So, I think just continue to work our fits, work our technique, work our fundamentals. We got to tackle. Again, the X play runs, especially the past two weeks. Like you look into Tampa and I want to say they had 32 (carries) for 150 (yards) with a 56-yarder. So, you take the 56-yarder away and it’s a dramatically different average yards per carry. So, there’s a lot of good in there. There is a lot of good. Those four to five snaps a game, whether it be a missed tackle, a mis-fit, being able to crack, replace and show up on the edge. Those are costing us and those things are turning into a little bit longer than we would like.

Q: What do you take away from the tackling in the first half when you went and watched it last week?

SHANE BOWEN: I think staying on our feet. Making sure we’re staying on our feet, casting the net, not letting our feet die on contact. These runners are strong. If your feet die on contact, you end up falling off. So, trying to stay on our feet, get as many cleats in the ground as we can and keep these guys up. Whenever you’re trying to go to the ground to make a tackle, it’s probably not going to end well. Just basic technique and fundamentals in the open field, being able to close the space, come to balance, not have your base too wide where you can step to contact. You get wide with your base, all of a sudden he goes to move one way and that foot comes back in, so you’re wasting two steps. Then you’re forced to lunge to try to make it and it turns into an arm tackle. So, I think eyes, leverage and base are vital in tackling. I think they’re trying to get there. The angles haven’t been brutal. There’s been a few that have been tough angles, especially when you get in the open field. But I think at the point of contact, being able to stay on our feet and run our feet on contact where we’re not falling off and letting these guys get through some of these arm tackles. Because they turn into arm tackles as soon as your feet go dead.

Q: What happened on that 2nd-and-21 run?

SHANE BOWEN: We were split safety on that one, back to your previous point. We got to show up. We got to be able to play with technique and fundamentals and constrict the space a little bit more. But we got to show up. We got two inside pieces. In a perfect world, we got to get that thing spilled and get over the edge, get over to safety, not let it crease us in split safety defense.