Patriots Linebacker Jahlani Tavai joins!
What is the "focus" for Tavai and this defense when preparing for Shanahan and the weapons on offense?
What is the "focus" for Tavai and this defense when preparing for Shanahan and the weapons on offense?
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SportsTranscript
00:00Morning Johnny. Good morning. How are you guys doing? How was the meeting?
00:05So far so good. I got to take a little break before I gotta head back in
00:12Did they have snacks?
00:15Yeah, they did so I'm glad we needed that for the morning
00:19If you're having a meeting and you're not providing snacks, I'm out on agreed like I mean, yeah
00:25Like give bagels some smears, yeah
00:28We definitely got bagels
00:31Everything big was a fire. All right, make sure you check the expiration date on the cream cheese
00:36Yeah
00:38Are you are you a cream cheese or a butter guy when it comes to a bagel
00:43Cream cheese definitely or or like a egg sandwich
00:48Jelani
00:49How do you like when you're looking at this game against San Francisco?
00:53We all believe and you know, I think nationally everybody talks about San Francisco their offensive firepower
00:59I know they're gonna be down a couple guys, but Kyle Shanahan and how he runs things
01:05What what's it like going into a game knowing that a team?
01:10Offensively has a num has so many weapons that can beat you in so many different ways. What's the focus like?
01:17Game plan wise for you guys as a defense on what you need to do to put yourself in a position to win
01:24Well, the main focus was getting back to how we play football or how we play defense really, you know, we
01:32Are last week against the Jets we we weren't playing how we usually do and that just goes back to us being
01:38Fundamentally sound whether it was tackling when I was communication
01:42So that's the first thing and then I think when when it comes to the game time, it just comes down to execution, you know
01:49We pride ourselves here on on great defense and and
01:54we want to
01:56Definitely a great opportunity to showcase that in front of the world. So
02:00Yeah, definitely biggest thing is tackling a communication for us I
02:05Don't want to get you in trouble. So I'll ask this in a specific way, but the unnecessary roughness call in in general
02:12In in general
02:14Do you find it difficult to navigate what you can and can't do when it comes to tackling guys in the in the NFL currently?
02:22Yeah, I mean, yeah, it's tough, you know, you got some great guys who like or carrying the ball
02:30and you gotta find ways to just get them down because
02:32You know, I might be strong but they're just as you know strong or even stronger than me
02:38Like I'm not I'm not paying up or any opportunity to you know, miss tackle or I'd rather be
02:46Over-aggressive than under-aggressive. Yeah, if you know what I mean
02:50Do they want you to like lift the dude up and then put pillows down before before placing it before placing him back on the ground?
02:58I mean, I guess but it's just a lot of strain on defensive guys because there's so many roles against us to
03:04you know protect the offensive players, so
03:08you know, we just have to abide by the rules and
03:11I mean now I know I can't pick somebody up and you know, tackle them. I just gotta find another way to
03:19Get the job done
03:26You brought up the you brought up tackling 14 missed tackles in that game
03:31But the Jets I mean that's horrific and I'm sure that's bothersome to you guys as a defense
03:38No 100% you know and that's what that's what's so great about this upcoming week
03:44It's just another like chance an opportunity for us to to you know, wipe that out, you know
03:50To prove to prove to ourselves that that wasn't us, you know, get back to who we are and and play Patriot football
03:58Jelani Wiggy and I have been going back and forth about Brock Purdy so far this morning and I'd be interested to know your thoughts
04:04Watching film and getting prepared for him. What are his strengths? How much of a threat is he?
04:10I mean Brock can make every throw, you know, and plus he's mobile. So
04:15our the biggest job too is to make sure that we keep you in the pocket don't let him extend plays and
04:21We got guys up front that can get to him. So I'm not too worried about
04:26Putting pressure on him. It's just the big thing is just keeping them in the pocket
04:31Because I'm sure you've seen on film like a lot of it a lot a lot of times if he gets out of the pocket
04:36He can scramble for a person or he can make that deep deep throw down the field. So
04:44Definitely a really good player and really excited to get to play against them
04:48Jelani is
04:49We had a conversation with Ty law and you know
04:52Obviously we played in a different era as some of the issues with mislead missing tackles
04:58Part of the way the new rules are
05:01especially in practice when it comes to how much you can and can't hit is do sometimes feel like you guys are not getting
05:08enough practice on
05:11tackling techniques
05:14I mean, yes and no
05:17It's on us as professionals to get it like get get the work in, you know, whether it's getting after practice or or
05:24Each and every rep you you're trying to keep it. It's all like trying to keep that low pad level
05:29Which is that's the main part of the game, which is the lowest man always wins. So I'm sure a lot of us
05:35who are whether it's high entry or taking the wrong angle or
05:39Tackling too high or too low like it all starts with practice, you know
05:45Even if we we aren't having like those tackling drills, it's on us to you know, execute the form and and technique
05:54Each and each and every play so that when when the time comes what we got to make a tackle it's on us
05:59you know, it's
06:01Yeah, it's a professional game so nobody else is to blame but but the players so it's on us to execute
06:09Jelani it's a professional game. Do you think Drake may is ready to be a professional in this league as a starter? I
06:16Mean, I'm sure he's ready
06:19Again, you gotta ask him but as a as a team, I'm sure
06:24Actually, I'm not sure. I know that he's been preparing as if you know each and every week. He's gonna be the starter
06:29So I got nothing but confidence in him and and I know that when his time comes
06:35I know that he'll get the job done. So and
06:39You know regardless on what that what happens there us on the defensive side. We'll have
06:45Whoever whoever the QB is we'll have his back. So he referred to Aaron Rodgers
06:50Jelani he referred Drake may referred to Aaron Rodgers Thursday night is the goat is he on something?
07:06It's like administered by a dude in a hut in the Azores
07:12But the question is Drake may how can you play for the New England Patriots and then refer to Aaron Rodgers as the goat?
07:21Oh, yeah, the younger generation, you know, they didn't get to play against Brady, I guess but not I think I think he probably just saying that because
07:32Rogers is definitely one of the one of the great quarterbacks, you know, and he proved it this past Thursday
07:38So yeah, I don't know. I guess he didn't get to watch 12th play much so
07:44I was just gonna say having this week be an extra long week for you guys coming off a loss like you did
07:50Does that put a take a blow to your confidence like in the locker room right now all we've heard about going
07:56No, not at all. Not at all. We've to be honest a lot of us especially on the defense side
08:01We're texting each other and calling each other because we were just I think it was Friday Saturday
08:06We were just like we're just anxious and amped up to already practice
08:10You know, we I think it just motivated us even more to you know, prove prove to be without, you know, we are still the Patriots and you know, we're gonna
08:20You know do our best to prove that come Sunday. All right
08:24Well, you got a chance to shock the world on Sunday and we appreciate you taking the time and I
08:30Appreciate you guys. We'll look forward to talking to you next week
08:33All right
08:35That is Jelani