What were some of the contributing factors to the loss this week?
Execution. We had a couple of miscues on special teams that let a high-powered offense get into scoring range. Also, allowing such a high-powered offense with too many offensive red zone appearances is counterproductive to our goal of controlling the ball and the tempo of the game. The Jaguars have the 3rd best pass defense in the league right now. And allowing them to keep pace with us and getting us into a shootout against their defense in the league was probably the biggest factor in the loss.
Did you scout Henry To'oto'o before the draft? If so, what stood out about him?
We did. Linebacker was a priority for us in the draft. Henry is a true middle linebacker and can play the game sideline to sideline. When you watch the tape you see him involved in the tackle in almost every play. He's athletic and good in coverage as well. The way the draft fell allowed us to get some players at places we thought were a great value for us and what we had to address. We also felt good about some other guys that we were able to get later in the draft. Drew Sanders offers a lot of the same skill set as Henry and you are starting to see him progress and get more comfortable in our defense.
Can you describe kind of the energy or the mood and the vibe in the building now coming in the home stretch?
We're starting to play tough teams closer. This is a young team with a ton of potential and is destined to improve — it's just a matter of time. We just went into the defending super bowl champion's stadium and they got away with a 1 point win. These players are getting better at protecting the ball and it's keeping us in games. Progress is happening and this young team is getting excited about it.
