Here's what Joe Lombardi and Renaldo Hill had to say ahead of the Bolts' Week 9 game vs. Philadelphia.
Defensive Coordinator Renaldo Hill on containing PHI QB Jalen Hurts
"Our biggest thing is continuing to be physical and play fast. If you're a little bit hesitant on this guy, he'll hurt you as well. We know we're going to get some runs, he's an elusive guy — a talented guy. We just have to make sure we minimize that as much as possible and not let the big explosions happen. We know it's a challenge not only for the guys up front but making sure we do a good job with the back guys recognizing when he is out of the pocket."
Hill on Hurts' passing ability
"When he's in the pocket or out of the pocket, it's a clean throw. He's fluid with his arm, his deep balls are really good. He can put it on the line, and he gets there fast. But they tie in all of it; they tie in him moving in and out of the pocket. They tie in him staying in the pocket. He has some weapons on the outside, and he can get the ball to any of those guys, whether he's in the pocket or outside. It's going to be a tough game plan for this guy. He is talented, he's doing a good job, and it's just showing he's on an incline since that last week performance."
Hill on the Eagles' run game and preparing for it
"They made a point to run the football. Could that be their attack moving forward? I'm not sure. We just have to be prepared. We're going to prepare for those runs we saw from the Lions game. We have to be prepared for what they've done in the past. They've showed that they can be explosive; they've got some big guys up front, some experienced guys up front. When you have both the quarterback element as well as the back included in that, it makes it tough. We have to cover all those bases in order for us to be solid against the run this week."
Offensive Coordinator Joe Lombardi on playing in Philadelphia and the Eagles defense
"It's a tough place to play. They have rabid fans. That's been well documented. They have a really good front four that can get pressure on you real quick. That's a big concern. They're a well-coached team that plays fast. There are some similarities between our defense and their defense. I think it starts with their front four and their pass rush.
"What they have shown on tape is different than what you anticipated from New England. The coverages they run, the percentages — everyone runs man, everyone runs Cover 3, everyone runs Cover 2 and quarters coverage. There are different nuances within those and different percentages as far as how they deploy them. That's what I mean by distribution. This team has a lot more shell, maybe, than New England generally does. They have it all. We'll see how they decide to play us."
Lombardi on CB Darius Slay
"I have some history with him. He was in Detroit. A really good athlete, guy that can catch the ball really well. He's someone that we always felt very highly of in Detroit. I think that he is still playing at a high level."
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