‘On the field you must flip that switch'

Here are some highlights from head coach Sean McDermott’s recent press conferences.

Q: There might be a perception that when you get to this level there’s no more teaching, but you still do a lot of teaching out here. How much of that still has to happen at this time?

SM: Yeah, health and safety of the players is A, No. 1. So we talk a lot about that. We try and make sure our techniques and drills are up to the latest techniques that are out there so we do stay safe. That’s our No. 1 goal, always. My dad always told me coaches at the end of the day are teachers. And I’ve found that to be true over the years, the more experience I got. We’ve got to be able to teach in order to get our point across and communicate clearly, so that’s what we want to do here, making sure we’re using the proper techniques and whatnot.

Q: How has your rookie group kept up as a whole? This is a unique tempo that you guys have out here in the practice setting and it has to be an adjustment for any rookie.

SM: That’s where you count on the player-driven leadership, the senior leaders on our team to come through. So those guys set a great example and the young guys follow. And that helps. And then clear communication. ... The guys know what to expect and how the drill’s going to be run, what the tempo is. Sometimes injuries happen when people are working at two different tempos. Yeah, we pride ourselves in practicing fast. That’s one of the things I learned being around Andy in Philadelphia, the environment around, ‘Hey, you cross over that line, it’s time to move and it’s time to hustle and all those things that we do.’ You can be a quieter guy off the field, but on the field you’ve got to flip the switch.