New Orleans Saints Cornerback Delvin Breaux
Conference Call with New Orleans Media
Thursday, November 24, 2016
What do you see in the Rams offense?
"Jared Goff is real good. He's going to be a great, young leader in this league when it's his time. He's very precise. I think he's going to be great. We just have to continue to disguise our coverages and make his throws a little more difficult (for him to make)."
How are you feeling after missing the Carolina game?
"I feel great physically and mentally. That's something we talked about as far as with the coaches and the quick week. It gave me time to prepare for this game and get my body rested and be ready to roll."
What do you think is one of the major reasons the defense seems to be playing better over the last month?
"We're buying into the system. We're getting guys to buy into the system of DA, of certain schemes he wants to run. Guys are looking at the film and understanding the defense and I think we're coming along pretty well."
Outside of the injuries at the start of the year and the way things started, how fair is it to say that it was a matter of acclimating to Dennis Allen's teachings from this summer?
"Injuries are a part of the game and they happen. Me being in his meeting room and listening to him since Week One, he really hasn't changed that much. We just have to believe in the sytsme and believe in the plays he calls. But the guys who filled in with the injureis played pretty well. Like Coach said, it's buying in to the system. If you buy in, great things will happen."
There has been a lot of coverage regarding the injuries suffered by Michael Doherty of St. Paul's High School. Are you aware of that?
"Yes, I reached out to his family."
Have you met with him yet or do you plan on meeting with him?
"No, I haven't met with him yet, because things have been time-consuming with me as far as getting the playbook studied. But I will get over there to visit with him and holler at him whenever I can get some time. I've been praying for him and hoping everything can get right with him and the family. It's tragic. I know what his family is going through because my family went thorugh the same thing. I just send out prayers and hopes for them. I hope he bounces back."
How quickly did you talk to them?
"They played athat Friday, I reached out that Saturday. Posting on twitter and trying to get ahold of him and I didn't get a response. I had a couple of guys that saw my tweets that I knew from LSU and they gave me his number. I called immediately. They didn't answer on the first time because it was a random number and a lot of people were calling. They ended up reaching out. I talked to him. He could barely talk. I just wanted to send some good spirits that way and like I told them, I understood everything that's going on, I'm praying for him and I hope he bounces back."
Did you just need a little more time to recover and missing the Carolina game?
"It was nothing to do with injureis. It was just a short week and we decided as a group, me and the coaches, it's best to rest and get ready for the next week. That's what happened there."
New Orleans Saints Defensive Tackle Nick Fairley
Conference Call with New Orleans Media
Thursday, November 24, 2016
How do you feel about playing a team in the Rams that you are somewhat familiar with, having been there one year?
"Excited. I spent a year in the locker room with them so you know the bond that was built is there. So when I see those guys on Sunday, it's going to be kind of fun. Going out after that first play and saying what's up, and then the rest of the day we'll be out there battling and trying to make plays against them. It's going to be a fun time."
How important was last year to your career? It seems like you had a lot of good reviews for the year that you had.
"It was really important. It was one of those ones where I was coming into year five of my career trying to see really what kind of player I am. Being there and having played the role that I played, I think I did well at it. It just showed what type of teammate and player I was, and that I am here for the team and for whatever you need me to do, I am here to do it."
I assume you're not buying the fact that Todd Gurley's anything less than a major threat? He has had a less productive season this year.
"Oh yea, he's a beast. We can't take any of that for granted. I watched him as a rookie last year running around, running through defenses and all of that. I am sure all he needs is a block here and a block there. As a defense, we're trying to stop this run and try to make them one dimensional. Breaking up gaps, everybody getting their proper fit, just staying knocking them back on the line, and just letting our linebackers flow and make plays."
What is the mindset for you as a veteran when you're looking across the line of scrimmage and here we are in week 12 and you got a rookie quarterback making just his second start on the season?
"As a defensive linemen, I am not really harping on that. Like I said, we've got to stop this run so we can put this game in this quarterback's hand. Making him drop back and pass the ball, which is something that we are going to try to stop (by) disrupting him and knocking him off to make him reset, and then get a couple of hits and sack him a couple of times. Just put the game in his hands and try to make him beat us."
Does it put a little bit more juice in your step though knowing that you are facing a rookie?
"I don't care who it is, whether it be from a rookie, Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers. It doesn't matter. You have to face a quarterback and no matter who it is, you want to disrupt him with the type of scheme that you are throwing at him, how you hit him and really just how you knock him off his reads."
How much contact do you have with those Rams teammates you used to have?
"A little bit. We text in the offseason a lot. They hollered at me when they found out I was coming here. They sent me their congrats, the defensive linemen. They shot me a text here and there. Some of the guys actually still text me to see how I am doing. I text them to see how they're doing. Like I said, you spend a whole year in the locker room with a couple of guys, you develop a bond."
Anybody specifically that you got real close to?
"Well he is not there anymore but my old ex-teammate Daren Bates. Then, Mark Barron's from Mobile so (we're from) the same town and area so we kind of built a closer bond. We didn't know each other too much growing up but once we got on the same team, we got to know each other a lot better."
