Here's what head coach Brandon Staley and wide receiver Mike Williams had to say during Monday's press conference as the Bolts returned from the bye week to prepare for the New England Patriots.
Brandon Staley on what Andre Roberts brings to the team
"I think he's got a lot of experience. Andre got here last week, and I feel like he's exactly what we need. We need someone with experience that has a high level of production at the position. As recently as last year and really the last three years, he's been extremely productive, and I know that our coaching staff has a lot of respect for his game.
"I know that I've been in places facing him being on the other side of it and I think he's going to be a real asset moving forward for us and we'll see where it goes. Glad to have him and I just think that him kind of being an anchor with experience and production is going to be a real positive for both return units."
Brandon Staley on decision behind signing Roberts
"I think that we were looking for a new direction. For someone of his caliber to come available, it was good timing for both sides. I know that he is energized by the opportunity, and so are we. Also, you can't minimize having a returner that does both phases. That's a very big asset if you can have it. I think that he can improve both phases of return, and we need it."
Brandon Staley on the Chargers becoming a 'team'
"I think we have a team, number one. We have a team that believes in each other. I think we've become a team, which is really important in the NFL that you have that. Otherwise, you're just a collection of pieces. I know that our guys really believe in what we're doing here. I think we're battle-tested. Looking back and watching those six games that we've played, those are six real NFL environments that we were playing in. I think that's an advantage because you have a true assessment of where you're at in all three phases. You know where you need to go — you know where you've been, and you know where you need to go, how we need to evolve as we go.
"It's important. Our guys are really committed to how we do things on a day-to-day basis here. That's really important because, as you saw over the weekend, it's a week-to-week league, and you have to be up for that. Every single week is a new week. I think that our guys have really taken to how we approach things with each week having a life of its own. I'm really proud to be around those guys. It gives you a chance."
Brandon Staley on evaluating kicker Tristian Vizcaino during the bye week
"I think we've had a good chance to do that, to evaluate him and where we're at in the kicking situation both in field goals and in kickoff. I think that we've learned a lot about his game, and we are going to make sure that we keep all of our options open at that position, but we still have a lot of confidence in Tristian, and I think that's something that I still believe in my heart is that this guy has real talent and we're just going to see where it goes. I think we've identified some factors that can help his game. At the same time, we're going to make sure we keep all of our options open at that position."
Brandon Staley on improvements the Chargers made during the bye week
"Our front mechanics and technique at the first level need to improve. It needs to improve is with me — I need to do a better job coaching. Our players will play better if we define things better. I think at that first level, that will help a lot. Behind it, we had some replacement issues into the boundary from a run-support standpoint that hurt us...you can look at me for why it didn't go well enough. We have made some good corrections over the last week or so. I'm excited to get going with our guys because I know we have what it takes, and we're excited to compete against a really good running team. New England has always been able to run the football."
Brandon Staley on Patriots head coach Bill Belichick
"He's an outstanding offensive coach. I think that's something he doesn't get enough credit for. He's an outstanding offensive coach, defensive coach, and special teams coach. That's why they've played the way they've played up there for so long; because he's a complete coach. That's something I'm trying to be. If I had to say the biggest takeaway from him, for me, is that he's a complete coach."
Brandon Staley on what he's seen from Patriots quarterback Mac Jones
"I see a guy that's an outstanding decision-maker. I think his processor is at a premium for a young quarterback; you can really see that he can see the game. I know the way they play on offense, they ask a lot of that position. You can tell that he can process at a high level because of the type of plays they're running. They're running a lot of premium-type offensive plays that you would think a more experienced quarterback would have.
"He has that kind of command over their system, and I think he has really good anticipation as a thrower. I think that's a big asset of him just as a pure passer — he has great anticipation and his ball placement is outstanding. He's got real toughness for the position. You can see when he's in tight pockets that he's willing to hang tough and play the way you're supposed to play."
Mike Williams on how Staley's defensive mind has contributed to his game this season
"When he first got here, he told me his plan for how he wanted me to be as a player; how he played me in the past when going against me, and what he thought that I would be good at based on the coverages that I see and the style of play that I was using in the past. He helped me out with that."
Mike Williams on where the Bolts offense can improve
"We didn't convert early on third downs. We got off the field pretty early in the game. We just have to convert on third down and keep the drives going. Everything else will kind of play out on its own to keep the drives going."
Mike Williams on seeing former Chargers tight end Hunter Henry this week
"That's going to be lit. Obviously, he was a big part of our team in the past. It's going to be good to see him. We are going to try to make some plays against him, so we'll see how that goes."
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