New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan

Video call with New Orleans media | Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021

Demario Davis discussed a trend where maybe at one point the identity of the defense would get a few stops and take advantage of an explosive offense, but now can you discuss what it is like now where this defense feels like they can take over games and wants to be the identity?
"Absolutely, I think I've said it early on. What we want to do is be that defense you have to worry about. You saw week one, if every game comes out like that we'll be in a great place."

Talk about despite some players leaving the team, that it looked like the defensive line was pretty deep still?
"Yes, you talk about the next man up mentality, we've had it forever and continue to try it to play a perfect game. It doesn't matter, who's in, it's the next man up mentality. We're trying to be the best we can be on each and every one of them (plays). The other day, I have to push all my defensive linemen to be the best they can be and they are doing the same with me. Hopefully there won't be a dropoff."

Anyone underrated in the interior who deserves mention?
"You're talking about Malcolm Roach and Christian Ringo what they were able to do? We shut that (run) down early. Those linebackers were coming out playing the run. The interior play was nothing short of great for that first half until they stopped running the ball and then you talk about what Tanoh Kpassagnon and Marcus Davenport were able to do, keep that coming."

You guys like to look inward at your team but how does Christian McCaffrey affect games?
"He's shifty, he's quick, agile, all those attributes you think about being fast. What he's able to do. He's a workhorse. We have to take him out of that game, try to make him uncomfortable. I think we will have a gameplan where we can take care of that. I don't think we've played him the last three or four times we've played Carolina. We know them well and he knows us well."

What are some of the things you have seen from Tanoh Kpassagnon, his versatility and how he fits in on the defensive line?
"He's able to go inside and out, his versatility and skill set is unique. I compare it to Calais Campbell or I tell him that, the way he comes off the edge."

What are some advantages when he's in the nose on a three man line or when David Onyemata was last year?
"Any time you have three defensive ends on the field, it's just a faster front. We're going to hold it down and create mismatches anyway we can. I wish we could have six d-linemen on there."

Most of the positive tests are on the offensive side of the ball, but how does that affect the team in general?
"We can control what we can control. I'm not sure who and where we have the positive what, but we have a core of guys, we had some injuries ourselves, that can transpire to coaches as well (and we have to deal with it)."

How does it change how you eat meals and conduct football meetings?
"It's a hassle. This Covid era has definitely brought in new challenges. We focus on how we can get better in practice, we're spread out in meetings and taking meals to go, we have to be able to not let them be a distraction and focus on what we can control."

Playing off of that a little bit and dragging out where you guys haven't been able to go home, how do you deal with that?
"What do you want me to do, mope, gripe complain where it's been 85 in Dallas and sunny, versus back home I have to worry about patching up my roof and my fence blowing away? Some people have to worry about providing food with the scarcity after Ida, gas shortages. We're blessed as a team to be able to come together in Dallas and get a win last week. Now we're focused on this week. We can gripe all we want, but we're in a better position than some people. My family went back to New Orleans, but that's not important. What's important is that they're safe, they're healthy and at the end of the day, I know they're OK. I'm just getting ready for a game."

New Orleans Saints cornerback Bradley Roby

What was it like being traded from Houston to New Orleans, given the different expectations this year between the two franchises?
"First off, I was happy, man. As soon as I heard it was the Saints, I immediately thought about all the guys I know here. I'm close with some of these guys and train with them in the offseason. Guys like Michael Thomas, Marshon Lattimore, Alvin Kamara, I'm with those guys a lot in the offseason. As soon as I heard it was the Saints, I was like "man, what a blessing" because we're playing for something here. It's not that Houston isn't playing for anything, but it's just a different level right now, in my opinion. For me to be at this point in my career, going into my eighth year, I won a Super Bowl before (Denver, 2015 season) and I'm trying to get another one really bad. As soon as I heard it was New Orleans, I was like "hell yeah, let's go"."

What do you think about the Ohio State to New Orleans Saints connection? Secondly, what has your acclimation been like to get ready for the Carolina Panthers on Sunday?
"As far as the Ohio State connection goes, it's dope to me. It makes it an easier transition. I could've gone to a team where I didn't know anyone, and it would have been a little weird but coming to this team and knowing a lot of guys already seems like a seamless transition. I feel like I already fit in. We have high standards at Ohio State, and nothing changes. We're pushing to be great. As far as the gameplan, I have a lot of guys helping me get ready and picking up the defense. Every day I'm going to keep getting better, keep studying, and stay in the playbook."

What was last week like not being able to practice? What could you really do?
"I could not really do much at all. It felt good for me to be back in the building and around the guys and to see how they interact with the coaches. I was like a fly on the wall. I couldn't go out to practice, but I tried to soak up as much as I could and get to know guys as much as I could when I was around to make it easier this week now that I get to play with those guys."

How do you feel your game fits into the style of defense the Saints run?
"I feel like it fits perfectly. We play a lot of man coverage here and match coverage here. That's what I do. I can play zone also and we also play zone, but I love to press and get into guys at the line of scrimmage playing bump and run coverage. That's what I like to do and it's a strength of mine. I think it fits well here and I'm excited, for sure."

What was the process like to be traded for the first time?
"It was weird, man. When they first told me, the whole day just felt weird. I kept asking myself if it was for real. It just felt weird since it was my first time, but I know that it's a part of the game. I think (the trade) helped both teams. I think it helped Houston and what they're doing, and I think it helped us here by being able to add on to the guys already here on defense, bringing more experience and all those other things. It was weird at first, but life is all about change. Every year I try to get better and do different things, kind of like Bruce Lee "Floating like Water". That's how I'm taking it."

How weird was it to be traded to a team living out of a hotel right now? Have you thought about how it will be to live in New Orleans?
"I have been working on those things right now. I have been to New Orleans a few times actually. In college, we went to the Sugar Bowl, I think maybe twice. When Ohio State played Alabama in the college football playoff, so I was there for a little while. My brother also lives in New Orleans, so it will be good to be close to him. I'm excited, man. Houston was a cool city, a fun city with cool food and culture. I see New Orleans the same way with the cool food and culture. I'm from the South (Atlanta), so I love all the southern cities. It's exciting for me, something new, being in a new city."

New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston

Yesterday Sean Payton was talking about pre-snap communication and the difference from Brees, what is it you like to hear from him when he's talking to you through the headset?
"Anything, really. That's something we go through every day. Every time he says something, I'm listening. Sometimes when he's communicating to me and joking around, I am telling him not to joke around because everything he says I am taking it to heart. We're just creating a balance of how we communicate. Obviously, the biggest thing we talk about is the tempo of the offense and trying to get that going. He is speaking to me in a certain way for me to communicate things to certain guys in the huddle, whether it's a motivational thing or a cue he wants to give me to alert me that something may be coming."

Is there ever a point where it becomes too much information, he's (Sean Payton) giving you?
"I'm receiving every piece of information Sean Payton tells me and I'm taking it to heart. I don't take it for granted at all."

What was your read on the 55-yard touchdown pass? When you're able to connect on a play like that, what does it open up for the rest of the offense?
"I think the first thing was that I told the guys, "yes" when Sean called it. He was about to change the play but when he called it again, I made sure to say yes. Deonte (Harris) knew I was going to throw it to him, and we hit on it. When you're having a good game and everyone is playing complementary football, defense is holding one of the best offenses in the league, offensive line is dominating the line of scrimmage, and you're having young guys step up in adverse situations, having one of those days makes everything fall into place when you connect on a deep ball like that."

What jumps out to you about Carolina's defense on tape?
"I think the edge rushers. They have some good guys on the edge. The good thing's we have two All-Pro tackles. That's a blessing for us. Another thing's their simplicity. Any time you see that, you know they are going to execute well. They also have great length and two really good corners. They have a complete defense that plays a very simple bend, but don't break scheme, so you know they are going to be in the right place. It's going to be an execution game."

Did you get to enjoy messages from encouragement after the Green Bay game?
"Absolutely. I was very grateful for all the messages I received, but I've been here before. My rookie year I had five touchdowns, and that was a beautiful thing. I do not think I have ever been a part of a complete football dominating game like that since college. That was a beautifully executed game on offense, defense, and special teams. My biggest thing is having a guy like Calvin Throckmorton stepping up in the first series and (Paulson) Adebo stepping up for a corner we just gave $100 million to (Marshon Lattimore), one of the best corners in the league and he didn't blink. He stepped up facing Davante Adams. It was good how guys like Desmond Trufant have been here for like a day and a half and stepped up and executed when we threw him in there. A lot of good things happened. Obviously, the main thing was getting the win. Any time you get a win against a quality opponent, you're always going to be in a good mood."

What goes into throwing a deep ball?
"First thing is the play call. Second thing is the coverage. Third thing is the protection. The receivers in this league go and get balls. Our job is for us to put the ball out there so they can go out and get it. That's what 11 (Deonte Harris) did. He's been doing that all training camp. You have seen it all training camp and I told you guys that we were eventually going to connect. We got a chance to do it for a big one."

With the Covid-19 outbreak on the offensive staff, what was practice and the meetings like today?
"I think it fell right into how we've been adjusting here in Dallas and having to face more adversity since we got here. With us moving here to Dallas because of Ida, one thing I admire about our head coach is that he doesn't blink an eye. He embraces these situations and voices to us how we should embrace them as well. We team up with him and roll with him. We do a great job in the training room of keeping guys masked up and keeping everyone protected. We have to continue to execute. Our coaches can continue to do a good job of working from a far. The coaches' job is to coach, and the players job is to play, so we have to continue to bring that same energy regardless of if coaches are there or not."

What was the offensive meeting like today?
"We got a chance to experience one of the best offensive minds in the game, one on one, in a staff meeting running the tape. We got a chance to hear how he wants it done. That's something I always wanted. Drew (Brees) had 15 years here where he knew Sean like the back of his hand. I've never been in the room watching tape with Sean and going through him voicing how he likes something done. It is a blessing in disguise. I promise you can ask anyone else, everybody in that room really enjoys that. You have so many voices and different agendas coming from different coaches throughout the day, so when you get the main guy running the show and voicing to you what he wants, how he wants it, and why he wants it; man, that's what you live football for. I've dreamed for that moment to happen, and for it to happen in front of the entire team, I think we all gained something from that. It's a blessing in disguise. I wish he could do that (every day). I do care about the health of our coaches, and I want them back, but if they just want to let him run the meetings, I would really enjoy that."

You have been complimented a lot for your throwaway in the first half last week in the first half. What did you see on that play, and would you have made that throw in years' past?
"Hopefully I would have, but you never know. I'm happy I had the opportunity to display some of that decision making. I had that same play in practice before and I threw it to the sideline. I ended up throwing an interception. As soon as I saw that look in the game, I threw it out of bounds and moved on to the next play. Sean called a great one (on the next play).

How much time have you worked with Cesar Ruiz at center before Sunday, and what did you think about his performance Sunday?
"During training camp, I probably had about only three live snaps with Cesar. Last year, me and Cesar worked together so much. Erik McCoy and Will Clapp took the ones and twos reps, so it was just me and Cesar working together during that time when he did play center. That really helped, so we have a good rapport. I know how he likes to communicate, and he knows how I like to communicate, so we had a lot in our favor by getting a lot of reps last year. We were able to pick up from that. We are going to miss Erik, though. The way he communicated and commanded things up front was phenomenal. The way he loves football, he's going to be in Cesar's ear and Cesar will do an excellent job for us at that (center) position (if that's what he plays)."