Take a look at top quotes from Chargers Head Coach Brandon Staley, quarterback Justin Herbert and more from their Week 12 media availability:
Head Coach Brandon Staley
On 'replacing' OLB Joey Bosa:
"You have to do it as a group. We've had to play a lot of games here without Joey [Bosa]. We're going to miss him. It's tough for me with Joey because he's had such a good offseason. He's been totally committed. I thought he was having an outstanding season. He's enduring the tough side of the NFL, but we're going to be there for him. He has to make his way back. What we have to do is hold the rope for him until he gets back, like we did last year. This group held it down, and then Joey got a chance to come back and impact our team. We're going to have to do it as a unit. I thought [OLB] Justin [Hollins] came in and gave us some really good snaps. [OLB] Andrew [Farmer II] is a guy that's been working and that we think has potential. [OLB] Tuli [Tuipulotu] and K-Mack [OLB Khalil Mack] are going to have to continue to do what they do. But, you have to do it as a group. No one is going to take away Joey's production, he is one of the top players in the league."
On Tuipulotu's growth:
"Every day, his growth has been consistent. There have not been any peaks and valleys. He keeps going this way. I just think that he learns more and more every time he goes out there. But, you've seen him consistently impact the game in all of our games. We're going to continue to need him to do that for us. The tough part about being a rookie is that it's at this point right now where the college season is ending, and then you still have seven or more games after that. He just has to stay consistent with his routine. He's been productive for us and he is going to have to continue to be that for us."
On the Ravens' front seven defensively:
"They have a lot of people who can rush the passer. They have interior pass rush. They have outside pass rush. They have DBs and linebackers who can blitz. When you take just the front, they have an outstanding front, but then their two linebackers are as good as anybody in pro football right now. You have [Ravens ILB] Roquan [Smith] and [Ravens ILB] Patrick Queen, and then they have some DBs that can rush, too. You factor all that in and then you have a group that is dangerous. They've had the lead a lot in games, which gives you a chance to rush a lot, and they're capitalizing on those opportunities."
Offensive Coordinator Kellen Moore
On the Ravens' pass rush:
"They do a phenomenal job of really being connected. I think, their whole pass rush scheme, you can tell they're all connected. It's not all guys on their own projects. It's all married together. Guys are creating picks and rubs for the other guys. It's really well-orchestrated. You have to have an awareness to it. They're obviously one of the best in the league, if not the best. You have to be aware of it. They have a lot of success. We have to be smart in some situations. We'll see how it plays out."
On the 2-minute offense:
"A frustrating element of ours just because we've had some opportunities over the course of this year to take advantage of an opportunity in the two-minute-type of setting. Protection is a huge aspect of it. It's pretty dominant that you're going to throw the football. You're not going to run it. Games are going to show up, twists and all of those different things. You have to be ready to handle those. From a schematic standpoint, I'm always looking at it, 'How can I help those guys?' Whether it be a protection adjustment, the distance of a route based on the game clock. Sometimes, you have to take calculated risks in those situations because you need to get some yards. We have to continue to find ways to improve there because, obviously, it's gotten us a couple of times."
On WR Quentin Johnston:
"I think the best thing is just continuous work, just get back into this thing working. Giving ourselves more opportunities. Those are the things that we can control. Guys have things that come up that, obviously, no one wants to experience. We all go through those things. It's about how you respond. He's hopped out here and done a phenomenal job in practice. We just have to keep building on this thing and take advantage of the next opportunity."
Defensive Coordinator Derrick Ansley
On the defense's performance over the last few games:
"What stands out to me is that they guys are competing, guys are preparing the right way. What is going wrong is too many big plays and not executing in critical moments."
On Ravens QB Lamar Jackson:
"He's the best scrambling quarterback in the world. He's Houdini back there. He has really good skill players around him. Their run game is a force, so that complements the pass game. They've added some tempo this year, which plays to his strengths, so he can either distribute the ball or get out of there if there are some cracks in your rush. He's a dynamic player. He is a guy that I defended when I was at Kentucky and he was at Louisville, and he's been the same player — very elusive, fast, stronger than you think. We have to do a good job of filling up those rush lanes and keeping a roof over the coverage."
On OLB Khalil Mack:
"He's the same guy every day, his approach. He's rarely heard, but always seen. He does a really good job. in his own space, of taking the young guys under his wing — [OLB] Tuli [Tuipulotu], [OLB] Chris [Rumph II], and now [OLB] Andrew Farmer [II] is getting an opportunity. He has that leadership quality that way. I think his approach every day has been solid. He's not a rah, rah guy, but when he says some stuff, people listen, and we appreciate that about him."
Quarterback Justin Herbert
On scrambling and 'utilizing his legs' last week:
"It was just kind of one of those things that you take what you can get. You go through your reads and you realize that the defense did a good job of covering them. Whether it's pressure or whether it's just an open lane, you take off and go get a couple of yards, and hope for the best and maybe go get a first down. I thought the offensive line did a great job of protecting me and keeping those lanes open so that if things were covered downfield, I could be able to take off and get some yards."
On areas to improve in two-minute offense:
"To be honest, I think the offensive line has done a great job of protecting me. That's on me to get the ball out quicker. It's on me to flip the protection. It's on me to figure that out. I haven't done that. I can do a better job, as a quarterback, of getting the ball out, finding our quicks, finding our hots [routes] — especially if they are bringing pressure, having those quick answers that we've been able to do before. I know that we have the right guys out there, we have the right scheme. It's about executing. That's on us, as an offense, to correct those problems."
On the Ravens' defense:
"They're very good. They're really well-coached. They have some really great guys on that side of the ball. They're flying around, they're doing a good job of forcing turnovers and getting after the passer."
Outside Linebacker Khalil Mack
On the Ravens offense:
"Probably No. 8. He does a great job putting them in a great position all throughout the game. It's going to be a big task for us this week. Great challenge and I'm looking forward to it."
On his success this season so far:
"I had a healthy offseason, man. I was able to get in the gym and do what I normally do. That's a reflection of it, along with playing with my guys. You're either getting better or getting worse … I want to trend toward getting better."
Safety Derwin James, Jr.
On Ravens QB Lamar Jackson:
"Definitely a guy like that presents a challenge. He's an MVP-caliber player. We get a challenge in front of the world. We're going to see what we can do."
On changes in the secondary:
"We realize that we have to compete and we have a job to do. Everyone is taking a chip on their shoulder and everyone is working hard to get it right. We want to get it right as a team and as a secondary, especially. We're going to get the best guys out there that are going to get it right, for sure."
On replacing OLB Joey Bosa:
"It's hard to replace a guy like that, that caliber of player. I know we have great guys like [OLB] Tuli [Tuipulotu] and a lot of great, young rushers that are going to step in and do great, too."
Outside linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu
On stepping in as a starter earlier in the season:
"I think those game I had to gain confidence in myself because that was my first time starting in the league. For those games, I made sure I played hard and did my job so I could gain that confidence and be comfortable for times like this. Hopefully get to get everything and be prepared Sunday."
On the key to contain Ravens QB Lamar Jackson:
"We've all got to rush together on the D-Line. We can't have one person rushing high, someone not covering this gap or something like that. We always say this, like four rushes one. That's how we're going to get to the quarterback, collapse the pocket and contain him."
Guard Jamaree Salyer
On the Ravens leading the NFL in sacks:
"They're a really well-coached team. They run a lot of stunts and twists, bring a lot of good pressures that are tough to pick up. We got to be on our A-game to be able to track stuff when it happens and keep [Herbert] clean."
On the offensive line's growth:
"I think it's been up and down. We had our bumps in the road, but I think we're taking steps in the right direction. Obviously we plugged Will [Clapp] in there, it's kind of given us a chance to take a step and redirect. Ups and downs, but you try to stay as consistent as possible."
Outside linebacker Justin Hollins
On the OLB group stepping up:
"From what I've seen, it's just next man up because we got a pretty good room. From Joey, Khalil, Tuli, seems like everybody trusts everybody off the work they put in. I'm kind of like the new guy, so they're seeing what I can do, but they trust me as well. They encourage me, we encourage each other and we're just trying to get the job done as best as we can because we got to be dominant on the edge."
On Ravens QB Lamar Jackson:
"He's a great player. You kind of have to game plan against him. That's an MVP guy, so you just have to get after him honestly. You've got to try to limit what he can do because he's going to try to make his plays and you've got to be there to capitalize and make your own plays."
Outside linebacker Andrew Farmer II
On his growth since joining the Chargers in May:
"I've grown a lot. Because coming from a small school, we didn't have all the coaches, training camp, nutrition, none of that. I've really grown in every aspect, strength, speed, technique from Joey [Bosa], Khalil [Mack] and Chris [Rumph]. I've improved in every aspect."
On what has he learned:
"Just how to be a pro. Moves, how to conduct yourself, how to get extra work, when to get extra work. You've got to be able to pick their brain on when to play a little loose, when to try and make plays and also how to be a better person. They've taught me in every way. They're awesome."
Bolt Up!
Secure your Chargers Mini Plan today! Click here to learn more.
