When do you rely on analytics, and when do you rely on all the information that you have for the game but your gut?

Well, I think it's like, I get the But, you know, however you want to cut it, fourth and one, probability.

You know, it's a hell of a lot easier to get a fourth and one than it is a fourth and eight.

Let me start there.

So whether that's analytics or that's whatever you want to call it.

So I felt good about the play.

I know where we're at on the field.

Can you give us an idea? Like, how do they get away with blitzing like this? Nobody does it like them.

What were some of the struggles you faced, or why wasn't the run game more successful with Jameer Gibbs?

Yeah, I thought we would be more productive in the run game than we were.

I thought we would be able to run it better.

Look, and that's a good front over there.

We knew that going into it.

you know, uh, Brown is a good player among others, you know, but, but we did not sustain and we, we did not, uh, we did not finish our blocks very well.

And when we did, we got a penalty.

Yes.

Do you expect that to be the plan moving forward?

I think that could trend that way.

I mean, look, D-wide is still here, and there's things that Devin does that not everybody can do, and we know that.

But right now, if you're just looking at the totality of defense plus special teams, the six we brought to the game, those are the ones that we can use the most right now.

And so I thought roller on special teams did a nice job for somebody who's never played in the NFL in a real game to go out there and cut it loose.

That was impressive.

Now it's got to stay that way.

What are some concerns you have about this Panthers team?

I know that there were some there, there were some drops in week one, but is that more execution and you need to see more explosive plays just executed by your team or is it you want to see your offense call more explosive plays, take more shots down the field?

No, I think some of it is, you know, of course there's some missed execution that those pop in there or you know, protection breaks down one area or another that would have been or we have a drop or, you know, so there is some of those.

But I think so much of it is getting the run game going.

Like that was going to be a – we actually had more explosives the other day offensively, you know, which was good.

I mean, we got some explosives, but, you know, we had to – our guys had to make some things happen cause we couldn't get the run game going.

And to me, that's where it all starts.

You want, you want the explosives and you want a lot of them.

You obviously face him twice a year being in division, but is there an advantage disadvantage? How much do you have to change things up? Because he is a little bit familiar with how you guys operate offensively.

What did you like about the performance and what needs to be better as you guys approach Buffalo?

Man, I liked us running off the ball up front.

I thought our old line ran off the ball.

I think we made a conscious effort to try to finish blocks or get on them a little longer and then let Gibbs do what he does, you know.

And I thought Gibbs, man, just played really a complete game, especially for game one, just the – You know, the vision has been there, but, man, the burst.

I thought he had some nice, dirty, hard runs, and then he had the electricity that we know he's got.

And, you know, Gibbs is in great shape right now.

I think we can all laugh about that, but Is it a part of the conversation? Is there a concern for a 17-game season that you need to manage his workload?

How would you compare this team to the other teams that you've had here in Detroit?

Well, I mean, that's hard to say until we get through some of these games here, but I just, I like the makeup of where we're at because really we're not old.

We are, we are mature and veteran and, and our really our leadership role, our core, our playmakers, you know, and then our, our, Young players are – we're hungry, man.

We're hungry in positions that we need to be that can take a beating, deliver a beating.

Tate Ratledge, Blake Miller, for example.

You know, I just think we got the right mix, the right balance of the playmakers.

We got the right balance of role players.

Is there added pressure, and how tough is the NFC North this year?

How would you compare this team to the other teams that you've had here in Detroit?

Well, I mean, that's hard to say until we get through some of these games here, but I just, I like the makeup of where we're at because really we're not old.

We are, we are mature and veteran and, and our really our leadership role, our core, our playmakers, you know, and then our, our, Young players are – we're hungry, man.

We're hungry in positions that we need to be that can take a beating, deliver a beating.

Tate Ratledge, Blake Miller, for example.

You know, I just think we got the right mix, the right balance of the playmakers.

We got the right balance of role players.

Is there added pressure, and how tough is the NFC North this year?

How much has that helped you relate and connect to the players?

A, a ton, a ton, you know, to be able to get all, all the different sides and perspectives on it, um, and, and really just to know what, to be around success, know what success looks like, and, and I'll s- I'll be the first to say that.

I say it all the time.

Man, I was fortunate.

I was fortunate to be drafted by the New York Giants, you know, just as where my, my kind of my career went because, you know, Jim Fassel was an outstanding coach.

God rest his soul.

Um, but Sean Payton, man, you know, Sean Payton's the offensive coordinator, John Fox defensive coordinator, but, but Sean Payton, you know, I was with him, uh, as a player for seven years and then another five as a coach.

Uh, what did you see in him? And once he got here, what did you do to kinda rebuild his confidence?

So, you know, as we're talking about the offseason and how you're doing and decompressing and all that, I imagine that it's a – do you wake up any day before you drink your coffee and not have the team on your mind? Can you disassociate for even a day or a half a day?

It's hard.

That's hard.

I would say there – Man, it's hard.

It's a little easier like right now where we're at only because then I can wake up, hey, like I said, I'm with my wife, with my family.

We may do this for a little bit.

But it's coming.

One, how proud are you that they – were under your tutelage and worked alongside you and now are doing great things on their own? And how difficult was that to try and replace those guys?

Do, do you wake up any day before you drink your coffee and not have the team on your mind? Can you, can you disassociate for even a day or a half a day?

Uh, it's hard.

That's hard.

I, I, I would say, um, there...

Man, it's hard.

It, it's a little easier, like right now where we're at, only because...

And I can wake up, hey, what, what...

One, how proud are you that they were under your tutelage and worked alongside you and now are doing great things on their own? And how difficult was that to try and replace those guys?

Yeah.

When I, when I see, when I see these things unfolding, right? Like, w- when we watch what happens when ICE rolls into a city, when you see, um, you know, these families in Gaza having their lives torn apart, and you watch these people mourning their relatives, and you're...

It's like, I know a lot of people talk about, like, when you're in high school and you're reading about, like, a horrifying historical event, um, or, you know, of one of the various genocides that have happened in the world, and you go, "Well, if I was alive then, I would have done X, Y, and Z." And it's like, well, you're alive now, right?

Mm-hmm

... deliver a message succinct enough that they can carry that with them.

And, um, and hopefully when it comes to things like we're, when we're playing festivals and when we're playing, uh, support shows, that we've said something impactful and succinct enough that it makes those people go, "Hey, that band I like was talking about this thing, and maybe I don't know a whole lot about it, but I'm gonna go home and look at it." Because like I can't stand up there and give you like a history of like any of these things in, in an amount of time and hold your attention and keep you engaged, right? But I can hopefully spark an interest and like my favorite stories are like we had a friend that, um, text me after Riot Fest, and he said, "My mom was-"

fan growing up.

There you go.

Yeah, you know.

And then just gave him more responsibility.

He was with the D-line for a significant amount of time with the backers.

Our rush plans, third down, things of that nature.

Understands coverage.

Man,

there, right? That's

your position.

I don't know about that.

I mean, at every position it is, but those, you do.

You're on an island a little bit.

It feels that way.

But Goff handles things in such a way.

What do you