Chris Tabor Talks Win Over Falcons
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00:00 Coach David Newton here, congratulations.
00:02 - Thank you.
00:03 - Wanted to say, what did Donner David Tepper
00:08 say to you after the win?
00:10 Y'all have a conversation about it?
00:11 What was that like?
00:13 - No, it was business as usual.
00:15 He was excited about the win.
00:17 He was excited for the guys.
00:18 I think everybody that was in our locker room
00:22 was happy with the outcome and that's just what it was.
00:25 - Have you been given any insurances
00:28 or are you gonna send any insurances
00:30 that you'll be a part of the process moving forward
00:32 for the full-time job?
00:34 - Never even thought about that.
00:36 My next process after this
00:38 will be getting right into Green Bay.
00:39 So that's where all my attention will be.
00:41 - Appreciate it.
00:43 I like your dance moves, by the way.
00:45 - Thank you.
00:46 - Let's go to Alex Zetlow followed by Mike K.
00:50 - Hi, Chris, thanks for taking the time.
00:56 What did this win mean for you personally?
00:59 This was obviously your third game
01:02 as the interim with the Panthers in your fourth overall.
01:04 Just what did it mean for you
01:06 to get in the winning column as a head coach?
01:08 - Well, I didn't really think,
01:12 I don't think of it as a personal moment.
01:14 Like I say, I'm happy for the guys.
01:18 I thought that they played really well.
01:20 I thought we played complimentary football.
01:23 I thought the coaching staff did a really nice job
01:25 putting guys in position to make plays.
01:28 And that's all I've really been focused on.
01:33 I think maybe at the end of the year,
01:36 you can always look back
01:37 and you self-reflect and those types of things,
01:39 but I haven't given any of that any thought.
01:42 - Hey, Chris.
01:48 It seems like special teams really bounce back in a big way,
01:52 especially from an op,
01:54 just I guess from a situational standpoint.
01:58 How do you think your entire unit performed
02:01 outside of not just the specialists?
02:03 - I thought we did a nice job there.
02:06 I thought we were handling field position as best we could.
02:09 I was pleased with the fact that we bounced back
02:13 from a disappointing week before.
02:16 And that was really our challenge.
02:19 Obviously, we still have things to rectify
02:22 and those type of deals,
02:23 but I've been pleased in our area for the most part,
02:28 most of the year.
02:29 And yesterday is a day that your special teams,
02:33 you need to play well and handle that field position
02:35 and create short fields and then those type of things.
02:39 And the kids did that.
02:40 - In a completely unrelated note,
02:45 both sides of the trenches really performed well
02:47 when needed.
02:49 I was just curious,
02:49 what stood out to you about both those groups?
02:52 - Well, I'll tell you what,
02:53 when you, obviously running the football offensively
02:58 and with the O-line
02:59 and then the receivers getting in there and blocking,
03:01 I thought they did a really, really nice job
03:03 along with the backs.
03:04 I thought our defensive line really played
03:06 on the other side of the line of scrimmage.
03:08 I thought those guys,
03:09 I thought the movement and the physicality
03:11 with which they played was outstanding.
03:14 I think, what did we give up?
03:16 1.7 yards per carry on a lot of carries.
03:20 It wasn't just like there was three or four carries.
03:22 So our defensive line,
03:24 I thought played really, really well.
03:27 - Thanks.
03:28 - All right, let's go to Joe Person
03:30 followed by Darren Gant.
03:31 - Hey, Chris, good to see you.
03:37 Wondered kind of what went into the decision
03:42 to give Gabe Jackson some reps
03:45 and if you wouldn't mind assessing his play, please.
03:49 - Yeah, we came in there,
03:51 we ripped off a couple of good runs there right away,
03:54 right when he came in.
03:54 He's a strong player, been around the block,
03:58 has a lot of experience.
03:59 And it was just something that we felt like
04:01 we just need to do at that time.
04:03 And thought that he did some really nice things
04:08 and there's, as I always say, I mean, it's any player,
04:10 he's gonna want some plays back.
04:12 And we'll work hard this week to get those things rectified
04:16 and build off the things that he did well.
04:19 But really pleased with his performance.
04:21 For a guy that just got here.
04:23 - Given how, as you said, the run game
04:26 sort of worked with him in there,
04:28 are you anticipating him continuing to roll at right guard?
04:32 - We'll have to see.
04:33 It's probably a little early
04:34 for making any of those announcements this time.
04:37 - Chris, you mentioned that defensive line
04:45 and the run defense.
04:46 Other than Derek Brown, a lot of guys who aren't
04:50 highly decorated type players,
04:52 and a couple guys like Wormley, Ray Thurman,
04:54 who were brought in during the season.
04:56 What is it about those rotational guys
04:59 that kind of allow you to play that way?
05:01 - Well, they just all play hard.
05:04 Coach Walsh does a great job with those guys.
05:06 And when you watch the tape
05:08 and you just see the line movements
05:10 and how well they're moving and playing
05:12 on the other side of the line of scrimmage,
05:14 I mean, that's big for us.
05:16 Anytime you can obviously knock people back
05:19 and get some penetration there
05:20 and begin to wreck things, so to speak,
05:23 you have good run defense.
05:25 So those guys did a really nice job
05:27 and they're important pieces.
05:29 I know, obviously, we have a great player in Derek,
05:33 but those other guys, they work real well also.
05:37 It's a nice unit.
05:38 - The other thing I was curious about,
05:41 you had a number of guys last week
05:43 on the injury report with illness.
05:46 And Sharp was out yesterday
05:48 after being a late ad.
05:49 What do you do with guys when they turn up sick?
05:52 - Well, it's going around.
05:56 There's no doubt about that.
05:58 I think even Atlanta, I know their kicker, Ku,
06:02 he was ill at the end of the week.
06:04 He actually, I believe that he drove up.
06:07 They drove him up to the game
06:08 as opposed to coming on the airplane.
06:10 But you just try to do it as simple as it is.
06:14 Wash your hands, cover your mouth, stay away,
06:17 some spacing, those type of things.
06:20 That's kind of what we're into right now.
06:22 And hopefully we'll get over this flu bug,
06:24 but that's always tough to beat.
06:27 - Have you just been getting guys out of the meeting rooms
06:29 and stuff like that when somebody turns up sick?
06:33 - Yeah, or you maybe put them in the back,
06:35 go ahead, put a mask on.
06:36 I mean, there's lots of things that you can do.
06:39 And obviously our training staff does a good job
06:42 of assessing where they're at with regards to the illness
06:45 and whether or not they maybe either,
06:47 they need to go home or mask them
06:49 and just kind of move them and get them away from people.
06:52 - We got time for a few more.
06:55 Let's go to Jeff Hawkins followed by Mike Kay.
06:58 - Greetings, coach.
07:03 Just wanted to follow up on Emar Smith-Marcep's spark
07:08 that he gave the team yesterday.
07:11 What role do you envision for him going forward
07:13 in the slap or on sweeps?
07:15 What do you think he'll provide on offense?
07:18 - I think he's a player that's kind of keeps growing.
07:20 His roles is beginning to expand on offense,
07:24 which I'm excited to see.
07:26 And I just think whatever opportunity he gets,
07:31 he'll take advantage of.
07:32 And that's kind of where he's at right now.
07:34 He's doing a nice job with regards to making good decisions
07:37 in the punt return game.
07:38 We got him on some jet sweeps and kind of turn,
07:41 and then the motion and then throwing it out to him
07:44 out there kind of turned into a little bit
07:46 of a punt return play for him.
07:48 And I thought the offense did a good job
07:50 of utilizing his skillset.
07:52 - Chris, there are a couple of guys like Smith-Marcep
08:00 who really made their living on special teams
08:04 who are seeing bigger roles,
08:05 Barnault, Tremble, Camus, guys like that.
08:09 Is there a guy who you felt was like a best kept secret
08:14 on special teams who you've seen kind of really
08:15 elevate themselves on the other side of the ball
08:18 with that overarching view?
08:19 - I don't know if I have a guy in particular,
08:23 real proud of the guys that are getting their opportunities
08:26 to play more offense and defense.
08:28 I think we talked about it earlier in the year,
08:30 like with Sam, you know?
08:32 And that's kind of what our area is.
08:35 I mean, we need him to play well in our area.
08:37 And then when they get opportunities on offense and defense,
08:40 then take advantage of those opportunities.
08:42 Whatever's going to give us a chance to win,
08:45 that's what we need.
08:46 - Thanks.
08:48 - All right, we got time for two quick ones.
08:51 Let's go to Skylar Callahan and wrap up with Joe Person.
08:54 - Hey, Chris, you gave the guys of the day off,
08:57 so to speak, last week,
08:58 and you talked about how that might be something
09:00 that they needed.
09:01 Looking back on it,
09:02 obviously it looks like the right decision,
09:05 but what did you see throughout the practice week
09:07 that gave you confidence that you guys
09:09 were going to put the performance that you did on Sunday?
09:12 - I just, I liked the idea of the plan
09:15 that we described how we wanted to win the game.
09:18 You knew that what was coming in,
09:20 how you needed to execute it,
09:22 and what needed to be done in all three phases collectively,
09:26 and how we were all going to help each other
09:27 and make this thing work.
09:28 And I saw, you know, Wednesday afternoon,
09:32 I thought Thursday was a good practice.
09:36 And then Friday was solid.
09:38 So we did everything that we were supposed to do
09:41 in order to give ourselves a chance to win,
09:43 and that's really how the game played out.
09:45 You know, and the offense obviously doing a great job
09:49 with that 17-play drive,
09:50 going down to give us a chance to win it,
09:52 and that was great.
09:53 - Hey, Chris, you guys have had to roll
09:58 some people through here with Scott
10:02 and his folks making some additions.
10:05 Just wondered kind of how, you know,
10:07 your, how that give and take has worked
10:11 since you took over with Scott.
10:13 - Oh, it's been great.
10:16 I mean, his offices are right across from each other,
10:20 and as the special teams coach,
10:21 you're always in the know, I guess,
10:24 with the general manager of possible moves,
10:27 because it is going to affect my area.
10:30 So to me, it's just been business as normal.
10:36 All right, thanks, Coach.