Below are three takeaways from Wednesday's press conferences with Brandon Staley, Corey Linsley and Derwin James Jr.:
Linsley nominated for Walter Payton Man of the Year
On Tuesday, center Corey Linsley was named the Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee for the Chargers. Going back to his time playing for the Green Bay Packers, Linsley and his wife Anna have been involved in CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), an organization that appoints certified volunteers to advocate in the best interests of children.
Linsley, who recalled giving back to the community since his days in high school and while at the Ohio St. as well, talked about what it meant for him to be nominated and how it sheds light on the work CASA does.
"It's obviously an honor," Linsley said. "The biggest thing is the publicity that goes to CASA and the awareness [that's generated]. Maybe people that haven't heard of CASA before or maybe don't know about it are now interested — whether it's because they want to become advocates or they want to donate and make a financial impact. That's the most important thing about it. My wife and I have been involved with CASA for a number of years now and my wife does a great job with it."
Staley talked about the big impact Linsley has had not only as a leader on the Chargers, but the Southern California community in less than a season on the Bolts' roster.
"For him to come to Southern California and to immerse himself not only within our team, but within our community in such a short time, I think that just says so much about him and Anna and their family," Staley said. "What it means to them to be a part of something, and to really make an impact on something that's really important for them. Then, spreading that to their new community. I think he's just such a good example for how we're trying to build this team and who we're trying to build this team with. So proud of the player that he is, the leader that he is and the person that he is. I think he's the perfect embodiment of a Walter Payton Man of the Year."
Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. talked about what it's meant to have a player like Linsley on the Bolts this season and the type of work he does on the field that makes him arguably one of the best centers in the NFL.
"He's a great leader," James said. "Just how he takes the field. If you just watch our offense take the field every time, they are charging out there like they are ready to go hunt. You know every day in practice he's working, he's working after practice. Nobody sees him, but he's pushing the sled, he's doing everything, all the little things that makes him great. It's great having a guy like that."
QB Situation for New York
As the Chargers prepare to host the New York Giants, who set up their training facilities on the University of Arizona campus for the week, the Week 14 starting quarterback for New York is a question that has yet to be answered.
Starting quarterback Daniel Jones missed last week's game against the Miami Dolphins and his status for Sunday's game is still up in the air. Backup quarterback Mike Glennon, whose last win as a starter was in 2017 while on the Chicago Bears with Staley, is currently in concussion protocol after filling in last week for Jones against the Dolphins.
If Jones and Glennon are unable to go, Jake Fromm who was signed by the Giants on Dec. 1 from the Buffalo Bills practice squad, will take the field for his first NFL start according to head coach Joe Judge.
With questions at quarterback looming, Staley talked about the Bolts' approach to game planning for a trio of QBs in Week 14.
"We have an inventory of those players," Staley said. "An inventory of [Giants QB] Daniel Jones. He's been in the league now for a while and he's been playing within that offense for two years now. Then, [Giants QB] Mike [Glennon] was able to play not only in preseason, but then in a pro game last week. We're familiar with Mike. I was with him in Chicago. I'm very familiar with his career, what style of player he is…It's all hands-on deck, but I think, from a preparation standpoint, all you can do is assess the styles of the quarterbacks, assess the change since the play-caller change, and then go from there."
James talked about the importance of not getting caught up on who's starting at quarterback in a situation like this, instead focusing on the things the defense can control.
"I feel like a game like this, you have to make it more about you and make it more about how you're going to come out and play," James said. "Because I feel like they still have good skill players around that can still make plays, they still have a great back in Saquon [Barkley]. So, we've got to play. We can't just think, 'He's going to be quarterback, it's going to be easy,' because there aren't any easy days in the NFL."
Odds and Ends
Staley on Mike Williams and Chris Harris Jr. who went on the COVID-19/Res. List on Wednesday: "They are not out for Sunday. Mike [Williams] and Chris [Harris] were close contacts of [WR] Keenan [Allen]. They are day-to-day." Staley confirmed that Allen did test positive for COVID-19 and Williams and Harris Jr. were close contacts.
Staley on OLB Kyler Fackrell's knee procedure: "He'll be out this week, for sure, and then after that, kind of go from there. It was just a procedure to clean up his knee. We do not anticipate it being a season-ender, but we don't know that timeline to return, for sure."
James on finding a way to string together wins: "We definitely want to win consistently, we definitely talked about it. We feel like we got everything we need to make that happen. We just need to focus on one week at a time and focus on the Giants this week and it will take care of itself."
Staley on Linval Joseph's conditioning: "[It's] good. I think that he would tell you even better than I can, but I know that he feels good. I actually got a text from him during the game that I received after the game, and he was into the game and said, 'Coach, I'm ready.' That made me feel good. Like I said, we were just making sure that we took the precautions to make sure that he was truly ready to go. It's looking good so far this week."
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