After watching the film, what was the biggest difference you noticed with the offensive line?
CHIP KELLY: Again, I said it yesterday, we just blocked better in the run game. And obviously if we can get our run game going, then our pass game with our quick game and our play-action passes off of that, I think we kept [QB] Sam [Bradford] clean, gave him an opportunity to throw the football. But, it starts with us being able to run the football, and we did a good job with that.
Is there anything to be said for the chemistry of the guys playing together a little more with each week that showed you improvement?
CHIP KELLY: Yes.
It sure looked like there was more straight-ahead, man-to-man blocking, not as much outside zone.
CHIP KELLY: I don't know if you watched the same game we watched, we ran sweep more than any play we ran there [Sports reporter] Les [Bowen]. We had the ball outside more than I think we have had any game we've played this year. We ran the ball outside more than in any game we played this year.
You pitched backwards a little bit, using the pass to open up the run on some occasions. Is that something you thought you needed to do just to switch up your patterns?
CHIP KELLY: No. I mean, and I don't think we did switch up any patterns in terms of going backwards or something. I just think when the pass was there, Sam took advantage of it, and when the run was there, Sam took advantage of it.
When you guys had first-and-goal, I think it was negative two; you went with RB Ryan Mathews. Why Mathews instead of RB DeMarco Murray?
CHIP KELLY: Again, I don't rotate the backs, so [LB coach] Duce [Staley] is just rolling those guys through there. So, it wasn't a set formation where he was in or whatever; it was just what was up at the time.
Do you know what Staley was thinking in that rotation?
CHIP KELLY: I don't know. I mean, the next time we had the ball down on the goal line, DeMarco ran it in for a touchdown, so I don't really look into it. We think of both of those guys as the same player, so it doesn't affect what we're doing from a play call standpoint.
Q. I know that you're more of an actions-speak-louder-than-words guy, but what did you make of Bradford taking the offense and talking to them before the game and delivering a message?
CHIP KELLY: I think that happens a lot on this team in a lot of different ways, so I didn't think anything of it, to be honest with you.
Why do you think Bradford has been better in the second half of each game than the first half?
CHIP KELLY: Maybe he just needs to see the looks a little bit more; he settles down a little bit. I know he has been statistically-- when you look at it, and he really has been better, but I think maybe he just gets settled a little bit more. That's probably a good question for him.
How do you jump start him earlier?
CHIP KELLY: We could play a game earlier.
Play two games?
CHIP KELLY: See if we get a scrimmage going before it, a double header. He'd be great at a double header. That would be awesome. That's a good suggestion. [Laughter] I don't know, we'll talk to him a little bit about it, but I think he needs to see some things, and it kind of seems like he gets settled. He's one of those guys where if he gets hit, he feels a little bit better, but you also don't want to have him get hit. So, I don't have an answer for that. But, I think, offensively as a group, we moved the ball well in the first half; we just didn't capitalize those two red-zone turnovers, really hurt us.
Of 33 running back carries, 17 came under center. What's the reason for that? Why did you go--
CHIP KELLY: Just what New Orleans was doing in terms of where the back was offset.
With the offensive line, were there any kind of blocking schemes that were kind of simplified or was it just a matter of these guys grasping--
CHIP KELLY: No. I mean, if you look at the tape, we ran the same plays we always run, we just executed them.
I know you said that a lot of guys are vocal about being leaders, but is it more important when it comes from the quarterback?
CHIP KELLY: No, I don't think -- I mean, I don't weigh where -- is it more important than another person speaking. I just think it's -- obviously the guys that speak also have to be able to back it up, so you can be -- sometimes they say 'the empty barrel makes the most noise.' You're not going to get anything out of -- there's a lot of guys who talk all the time and they don't perform. It's a matter of kind of matching it up. But I know our players listen to Sam and have a good feel for Sam.
With Bradford, was it a matter of he had to be here for a few weeks to be able to perform before he could speak?
CHIP KELLY: No, I think he's performed since he's been here. It's not like he hasn't spoken before, so I wouldn't make a real big deal out of that.
When you look at DE Fletcher Cox's performance yesterday with three sacks and two forced fumbles, was there anything that stood out beyond that, like just the way he plays overall?
CHIP KELLY: No, I really think for us, it's what Fletch has done here since we've been here. I mean, he's been a very disruptive force on the defensive line since we've been here. I think he's just starting to get noticed what he probably should have gotten before. I think you even -- you go back to last year, and an opponent is talking about going in, getting ready to play us, and they're talking about Fletcher's name.
So, he was close in a couple of our earlier games, really close a couple times in the Washington game to getting some sacks. And I know Billy [Defensive coordinator Bill Davis] says that says it happens, sometimes they just come in bunches, but I think he's played at a really high level for a while here. It's just yesterday it kind of all came together for him, but I still remember him picking up and scoring one against Jacksonville. I mean, he's made some really big plays; this wasn't his first big game for us. But, it's something that we've become kind of accustomed to because of the type of player Fletch is.
It seemed like there were more X-plays, but also you kept them out of the end zone. What did you think of the way the defense played overall?
CHIP KELLY: Yeah, again, we talked about it, we probably gave up too many X-plays. There was a couple of them: the long one down the sideline, I think to [Saints WR Willie] Snead hurt us; we had one where we thought Walt [DE Walter Thurmond] was in position but it got thrown over his head to [Saints WR Brandin] Cooks. We've got to really kind of clean that up, but I think our guys did a really good job in red-zone defense. You know, they scored the one where we were just misaligned. [LB] Jordan [Hicks] started going out on the tight end, he wasn't supposed to be out that way, but we called it down the other way, so he's got to play the call even though the call was the wrong way and they got that one. And then they just got the one at the end with no time left on the clock, those were the two touchdowns that they scored in the red zone. But, I thought overall our defense did a really good job in the red zone of preventing them from really scoring.
What did LB Jordan Hicks do to develop technique-wise on that one pass where he dropped into coverage and he got two hands on it?
CHIP KELLY: Yeah, it was just vision and break on the football. I think he did a really good job, he was actually bluffing a blitz to start the play and then got back into a good spot where he could read the quarterback's eyes, and then he just made a real good break on the ball. I don't think [Saints QB] Drew [Brees] expected him to be there because literally when he started the play he was actually up in the B-gap showing blitz and then all of a sudden he's 15 yards deep underneath a dig-route. It's just really getting a feel of how we can present different looks to the offense and still be able to execute his assignment.
You've talked a lot about his mind. Did you know that he was as athletic as he has shown?
CHIP KELLY: Yeah, that's what we thought coming out. I know some people looked at us [and said] why are we drafting him in the third round; we thought we got a steal in the third round. He was our highest rated guy for a reason, we talked about him. He's a three-down linebacker. We thought he could come in here early and contribute on special teams, which he was doing, but he's playing a lot now on defense because of [LB Mychal] Kendricks and [LB] Kiko [Alonso] being out. But, he's kind of what he thought he was going to be coming in here, and we were excited about him.
What does it say about a player like Fletcher Cox--you don't see many times where a guy gets the sack and gets the fumble recovery. What does that say about a player that just does not stop?
CHIP KELLY: Just the motor that Fletch plays with. I think it's always running with him, and you know, he's been close in a couple games, like I said, but to make a play like that, not only does he force the play; he gets a sack; he causes the fumble; and then recovers the fumble. It was a really big play for us, especially at that point in time in the game, too, but I think that's the type of player he is. And I think -- we keep seeing him getting a little bit better every week, so that's a good thing for us as we're moving forward here.
What did New Orleans do when you had the offset running back? And how did that differ from--
CHIP KELLY: Everybody does different things; sometimes they shade; sometimes they slant; sometimes when you put them back on the dot, they can't shade or slant.
When you do get your two inside backers back fully healthy, are you going to have to try to find time now for all four of these guys -- like maybe Hicks wasn't part of the plan but now you have to put him in there?
CHIP KELLY: I hope we get to that point. I mean, you could say the same thing, but [LB] DeMeco [Ryans] and Hicks could get hurt next week. That's why we never worry about -- just tell us who's available and we'll go from there. But, having too many good players is a good problem to have.
How did you evaluate K Caleb Sturgis's performance overall?
CHIP KELLY: Caleb did a nice job. I think he kind of got into a groove there, especially in the kickoffs. A couple of them were short early, but the last couple he hit, I think he really hit really well. We had a slightly high snap and a snap-hold operation on the missed extra point, but besides that I thought he hit the ball well. He started to get a little more comfortable. Him, Fipp [Special teams coordinator Dave Fipp], [P] Donnie [Jones] and [LS] Jon [Dorenbos] are getting on the same page. And to come in, in terms of where he's been, [he] had a short week the week we brought him in here, in terms of getting ready for the first game, and now he's starting to get into a little bit of a rhythm, so we'll see how that goes. But, I thought he had a good game.
Are you going to work out kickers this week, or are you going to roll with Sturgis?
CHIP KELLY: No, we're not going to work out kickers this week. We're going to roll with Caleb.
Rolling Bradford out, was that just a function of what the Saints were doing, or was there something that really helped him see --
CHIP KELLY: I think it was a function of what the Saints were doing. That was part of our game plan going in, to see if we could move the pocket a little bit.
It sure seemed incredibly effective.
CHIP KELLY: [Knocking on podium] [Laughter]
Would that be something you want to incorporate?
CHIP KELLY: If teams are trying to defense us the same way, then yeah.
Did you talk to wide receivers coach Bob Bicknell about WR Nelson Agholor's availability?
CHIP KELLY: Yeah, our trainer said he was out in the second half, so he wasn't in the rotation with Bob.
You've chosen to have Josh Huff as part of your team at both the college and pro level. Is there a specific trait about him that you kind of gravitate towards?
CHIP KELLY: No, Josh, in general as a player, is an extremely dynamic player. I think he's got the ability to change directions, stop and start. He's really good with the football in his hands, that's why he's doing a great job of turning for us. We've used him as a running back when he was back in college. He could make people miss. But the other thing with Josh is he's extremely tough. He's one of the better blockers in this league. I mean, he's a tough, physical person at the point of attack. That's what makes him such a good special teams player, such a good gunner because sometimes there are guys that are good receivers, but they're not good on teams because of the physical nature of teams. I think Josh can do it all. The thing with Josh is just he missed an extended period of time at the beginning of last season, just kind of getting the reps and getting him more comfortable in terms of what we're doing. He was playing well, I think he played 36 or 37 snaps, and then got hurt and missed the Jets game.
So then coming back off of the injury, he didn't practice full in the Washington week, but had a really good week of training this week going into the Saints game, so just trying to get him back out there. He played, I think, right around between 30 and 40 snaps, just getting him acclimated in terms of what we're doing, but there's some versatility with Josh in terms of what you can do with him. And he obviously can do some things with the ball in his hands after the catch, which is beneficial to us.
Were you able to see the tape as far as how LB Marcus Smith did? You said yesterday that you had to look at the tape.
CHIP KELLY: Yeah, Marcus played 22 snaps, and overall, I think he's shown improvement. On the interception, Walter's interception, as you asked me yesterday, he did do a good job of one-arm bull rushing the offensive tackle; kind of bringing him back into Drew's face, and Drew couldn't really follow through on the throw. So, we were pleased first time getting him out there, we thought he did a good job.
How do you spend the extra day that you get from Monday night? Does the team come in on Tuesday --
CHIP KELLY: Team comes in on Wednesday.
What will the coaches do?
CHIP KELLY: Team comes in on Wednesday. We've been in all day today; we'll be in all day tomorrow. We just push it one day in terms of our Wednesday will be our normal Tuesday and then --
For you, it is just an extra day of preparation?
CHIP KELLY: Just an extra day to watch tape, yeah.
How much do the officials pay attention to what you say so you don't get angry?
CHIP KELLY: How much do they pay attention?
Yeah, obviously --
CHIP KELLY: That's probably a good question for them.
Well, but your perception?
CHIP KELLY: My perception?
Yeah, do they listen -- obviously you got angry.
CHIP KELLY: Yeah.
You got angry over things that --
CHIP KELLY: Yeah, and I was 100 percent wrong, that's on me, that has got nothing to do with them. That's my fault, and it shouldn't have happened.
You used one formation where you had two backs in the backfield, along with Bradford, and I believe it turned into a flat pass to RB Darren Sproles on the left side. Is that a different look or just something you--
CHIP KELLY: Just a different look from a protection standpoint of how we can do some things.
What does it do for you? Does it just aide your protection?
CHIP KELLY: Yeah, you know which back is free releasing; one back can be in protection; another back can be free releasing; you can run out of that formation. But, we wanted to see what we could get. We ended up – it was third down, we got a completion with Darren for a first down on third-and-10. But just kind of giving -- presenting a different look.
Did you like it?
CHIP KELLY: It helped on that play, yeah. We'll see where we can go with that.
What does 12 personnel show?
CHIP KELLY: Every time we do anything personnel-wise it's because of what the defense has shown, that they dictate it in terms of how they try to play it. You try to predict what you're going to get. When we put 'this' in the game and line up in 'this' formation, this is what we anticipate seeing. When we do that in a game, do they do that? And if they do, now [you say], 'Hey, we can run this, this and this.' If they don't, that's kind of that chess match that goes on within the game.
Brings more base onto the field, is that right?
CHIP KELLY: In certain teams, yeah, in certain teams, no, and then with the Saints they varied it. Sometimes we played in base, sometimes we played against nickel. You've got to be prepared for both, but you just -- no matter what you're doing formation-wise or personnel-wise, you're trying to elicit a response from the defense, and that's what the tape watching and the film is based on the last five games you've broken down whenever 12 personnel was in the game, how did they defend 12 personnel? But again, people can change during the week, too, so you have to see is what you saw on film confirmed, and are they continuing to do that? If that's the case, then at least you know what you're going to get, and then it's not over, it's going out and executing.
Was it confirmed yesterday?
CHIP KELLY: No, it wasn't, because I said, they played both base and nickel versus our 12 personnel.
What did you think of C Jason Kelce's performance compared to the first four games? Do you think it was his best of the season?
CHIP KELLY: We thought Jason graded out really well and played really well, but I thought he played well versus Washington, also. He has gotten better as the season has gone along, but he's played -- in the last two games, he's played at a really high level.
Tough drops are going to happen, but this was the fifth straight game where there were multiple drops. How do you address that?
CHIP KELLY: You know, it's --
In terms of playing or in practice.
CHIP KELLY: Yeah, we've got guys on the Jugs machine. [WR] Jordan [Matthews] and Nelly [Nelson Agholor] come in here every morning at 7:00 and are on the jugs machines and are really working on the mechanics to fundamentally catching the football. But, it's something that has hurt us in every game we've played. We've had drops at -- we call those SIWs, those are self-inflicted wounds. That's us dropping the ball, that's not a defense making a good play. If it's a tip or it's out of our reach, then yeah, we understand that. But we've got to clean up the drops, and when we do, I think we can be an even more explosive offense. But they have hurt us, and we need to continue to address it. It's a focus issue; it's a concentration issue in terms of just going back to the fundamentals. Sometimes it's trying to run before you catch it, but you have to have the eyes through the tuck, and then finish with the football before you ever start to think about turning up or running.
Eyes through the tuck is --
CHIP KELLY: The eyes have to see the football all the way through the tucks. You can't catch the ball and turn away like that. You have to eyes through the tuck, secure the football and then start running.
What happened on the Saints' first touchdown? Was that a miscommunication?
CHIP KELLY: Yeah, it was a miscommunication. We called a defense. We should have been down to the right, we were down to the left. If we make that call, then Jordan [Matthews] has to compensate for it. If we don't make that call-- it was the wrong call, so instead of the discussion about it being the wrong call, play the call because it's not a wrong call if we all line up the right way, and it was really just a miscommunication issue.
Did the injuries affect tackles Lane Johnson or Jason Peters at all?
CHIP KELLY: No. I thought both those guys played really well, especially considering what we thought they were going to be during the game. But both those guys graded out pretty well for us up front.
Did you have an opportunity to watch the Giants' game last night?
CHIP KELLY: I watched it on tape; I didn't watch the game on television.
You've already got to watch the tape?
CHIP KELLY: The Giants' defense I've watched so far. I haven't watched the full game-game.
Was there anything different on the defensive side of the ball versus what you've seen out of them last year?
CHIP KELLY: Yeah, they have a new defensive coordinator, so it's a totally new scheme with Spags [Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo] in there, and it's very similar to the schemes that he ran when Pat [Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur] was with them in St. Louis and what he was doing when he was in Philadelphia.
