New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis
Video call with New Orleans media
Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020

If you had to pick one player on the team who was on the naughty list, and one person who's on the nice list, who would they be?
"That's a good question. I'll start with the nice list, probably Tay (Taysom) Hill on the nice list, for sure. Naughty list, I don't know, everybody's good on our team. Everybody's good, we ain't got no naughty people."

Sean Payton talked this morning about (Patrick) Mahomes' ability to sort of find the holes in the protection and to step up in the pocket in a way that maybe some other guys can't and find guys. When you're studying him, what kind of issues does that create? And is he sort of special that way in sort of buying time within the pocket?
"Yeah, he's got a lot of pocket awareness and knows how to extend plays. Very similar to Aaron Rodgers, who knows how to extend plays and has been doing that for a long time in his career. He has the ability to roll out, left and right, outside the pocket, he does a good job of stepping up and through the pocket and then extending outside. It presents a lot of challenges for the defense for sure."

With that offense with Kansas City, you know, obviously you have (Patrick) Mahomes, but what about the other guys that he's working with? And how do they make that offense unique also?
"Oh, he has a lot of weapons around him, a lot of speed at the receiver position, two very good backs, a host of tight ends, including probably the tight end in the business. And so, he's already a phenomenal player without that cast. And then, he has a lot of great players around him. A really solid offensive line as well. We're going to have our hands full for sure."

I wanted to ask you specifically about one of those running backs, the rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Just what have you seen from him on film and what makes him kind of challenging?
"He's a do-it-all back. Runs hard, great vision, great shiftiness as a back, can catch the ball out of the backfield, good in the pass protection. He's a do-it-all back, for sure. They've got two of them."

More on that offense, I mean, they've got play-makers everywhere. So, what type of challenge does that put on all of you whether it's Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Patrick Mahomes, you know, insert player here?
"Yeah, I mean, at the end of the day, it's still all about doing your job, knowing where you are, know where you're supposed to be, know what your assignment is, and then execute the game plan. You know, I feel like as a defense, going against our offense, we've had to always go up against a great quarterback with a lot of weapons over there. You know, and so it's very similar in that regard. This team presents its own challenges. But at the end of the day, it all comes down to alignment, assignment, technique."

I'm just curious since you were kind of the same age, did you watch Tyrann Matheiu, like when you were in college? I know like a lot of guys said he was kind of like, they try to model their game after him and stuff like that?
"He was a phenomenal player in college, for sure. I mean, his nickname matched his play. He's a high-energy player, makes a lot of plays in the run game and the pass game. A ball hog in safety, knows how to find the ball, knows how to create turnovers. He's just been a special player for a long time. And I feel like high-energy great defensive players watch high-energy other great defensive players and watch their game and see what their strengths are and what their weaknesses are."

A lot of teams try to defend K.C. in different ways, sit back and don't allow the explosive plays or be aggressive to try to disrupt the explosive plays. Is there a consistent formula you use? Or do you have to mix it up throughout the game, try to keep off balance?
"I think they do a good job of adjusting depending on what look they're getting. Teams have tried to pressure them the whole game, teams have tried to play soft against them or play more of a shell defense. And I think teams have tried a lot of different things. But you can look at their record and see that a lot of it hasn't been successful. So, I think they do a good job of adjusting. You have to be able to be multiple and you have to take away what they do best, just like any other team."

I just had to know what you thought of Trey Hendrickson's and Marcus Davenport's new bleached haircuts that they're sporting this week?
"I think that's the whole D-line. You know, that's the mark of the D-line. All of them have blonde streaks, even Cam (Jordan) has the blonde sideburns. So, that's something that they're doing in their room. More power to them. I mean, I think they're as close of a group that you're going to find. And so, you can see it with the hair."

With Tyreek Hill's speed, especially, how difficult is it, how much does that open up things to their offense? And then, you know, with you having a guy who's pretty fast as well in Marshon (Lattimore)? How much does that help with that?
"Definitely when, you know, teams have a speed threat, it definitely presents challenges where you have to take away that speed in certain ways. You have to shift the defense a certain way. But, I think the thing about Tyreek, he's not just a speed threat. You have certain teams that have guys that (are only) kind of a speed receiver, that just, they use to go over the top. But Tyreek Hill is as complete of a receiver that you're going to see. He can go over the top, can catch screens and go, he can run all the routes on the route tree and he has great hands. So, I think he just presents a whole host of issues alone."

You and Malcolm (Jenkins) co-wrote another guest column this week about social justice reform in New Orleans. What, I guess, wanted you to do that right now at this juncture in time?
"I think, as people, citizens, we have a responsibility to hold those who are, you know, making the laws and managing society around us accountable. That doesn't just end because, you don't see people out marching in the streets. It doesn't end just because, the elections are over. The work actually begins after they take those positions and it is important for us to hold them accountable. We just had an important DA election, where a lot of promises were made. And we know we need to see reform in the criminal justice system around our nation, especially here in New Orleans and Louisiana. So, I think it's just important for us to be able to hold those people accountable as people that care about what's going on around us."

This is obviously a relatively unusual matchup, every week fans don't necessarily get this with two double digit win teams, both maybe number one seeds. As a player what makes this a highly compelling matchup to you?
"It's a great matchup, two really good teams that are proven they can be successful within a period of time. The most exciting thing is it's the next game on the schedule. We have a mission of where we want to be at the end of the season, and to get there, each week we have a different challenge. And it's exciting that this is a different challenge that we've faced this season. And so, it's in front of us, and to get where we want to go, we've got to go through it. So, it's an exciting week to prepare for."

I just want to know if it's legit that you cry every time you see Lion King?
"Pretty much, pretty much, that's my favorite movie of all time. And I feel like I got a lion spirit. And so, I can relate to Mufasa and Simba. And so, watching Mufasa go, that's pretty tough on anybody, I would think."