Michael Clay

Q. You’re still using P Braden Mann to kick off. What’s the thought behind that? Not all the time, obviously. (Ed Kracz)

MICHAEL CLAY: Yeah, [P] Braden [Mann] is in a groove right now. It allows him to kind of get loosened up before the game, just like any football player. For myself, even when I was in college, I needed to get that first hit in to feel loose. And I think Braden does a great job for us of, one, doing what we’re asked to do. He has a strong leg. He’s been doing it since he got into the league.

It’s always nice to have both those guys ready. And you never know, maybe one time [K] Jake [Elliott] goes out there, now they have to change up their game plan. But Braden is doing an excellent job, both from a kickoff perspective and a punting perspective.

Q. Can he kick a field goal if he needs to? If something were to happen? (Ed Kracz)

MICHAEL CLAY: Braden is that super athlete. We need him. And I know you guys saw during training camp, we always have a contingency plan just in case anything goes awry. Braden is awesome. I can’t speak more highly of Braden and what he’s been doing the last year and a half I’ve been with him.

Q. How did OLB Jalyx Hunt perform in his first outing, and what does he give you on [special] teams? (Dave Zangaro)

MICHAEL CLAY: Yeah, [OLB] Jalyx [Hunt] performed, I thought, really well on short notice. He did a great job. He’s a ball of energy. He’s got physicality to him. He caused that illegal block in the back on the kickoff that really helped us from the 24 to the 14, where Trot [LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr.] made a play.

I think that’s the cool thing about it; you see all these young cats out there, they don’t blink, they don’t flinch. They’re out there trying to give the best ability they can, and they’re really doing a good job. But we expect them to get better, and we’re going to push them to get better, and I think they’re accepting of the challenge.

Q. When it comes to K Jake Elliott, and you never want to lose the lead late, but do you guys have that conversation in the moment? Do you know before the game where you’re going to feel comfortable with his range for that particular day? (John McMullen)

MICHAEL CLAY: Yeah, we always talk about it, especially after the warmup. They’re always out there before, and what they really do feel comfortable with, whether it’s end-of-half, end-of-game situation. But I think I said before, when it does come to that time, I couldn’t have a better three guys out there with [LS] Rick [Lovato], Braden, and Jake to go out there and trot out there, whatever the distance is. Obviously, if you ask every special teams coach in the NFL, they’re going to say the closer the better. But, when our number is called, we’re out there. And I just remember telling them before that final drive, ‘Hey, let’s go, this is what we’re made for, and if give us an opportunity, let’s go out there and end on a walk-off.’

Q. Are return margins in terms of field position where you want them to be right now? (Brooks Kubena)

MICHAEL CLAY: You’re going to have to dumb down that question, margins. What do you really mean by that?

Q. In terms of average field position after kickoff returns, are they where you want them right now? (Brooks Kubena)

MICHAEL CLAY: For us, yeah, I think we’ve had three of them. Obviously one we’d like to have back in Brazil. One was a squib where you just have to play the play.

I thought the first one, they tried us, trying to keep it at the 6-yard line, and I think our blocking is getting better and better the more times we do it. And [RB] Will [Shipley] hit the running lane north and south and got the ball to the minus 33, which just helps out the offense. We’re going to continue to drill kickoff return and continue to get better. Because come November and December, that ball is not going to travel, and we’re going to have to be able to respond and help our field position.

Q. Did you expect to be returning more through two games than just three? (Brooks Kubena)

MICHAEL CLAY: We just play what the play is called. If they kick it eight deep, we aren’t going to return it. If they kick it in play, we’ve got to return it. We just play whatever is given in front of us.

Q. There was a lot of talk this week about a lot of different situations, being aggressive, not being aggressive. On the last kickoff, was there any talk about — you guys had a good day backing them up inside the 30. Was there any talk about trying to do it there or was it just, ‘Hey, let’s not have anything happen?’ (Bob Brookover)

MICHAEL CLAY: Yeah, it’s more just the flow of the game. We have supreme confidence in our defense. [Defensive Coordinator] Vic [Fangio] has got the track record to stop anybody at any given time, so we were just going to do what we had planned going into the game. Braden put it deep. And it was up to them, also. You saw in Brazil where a guy was eight deep and he brought it out. Maybe Atlanta was going to do the same thing. And the guys were in the huddle, they were ready to go just in case he was to bring it out. But they decided to take the knee, so we played what we could play and vice versa. When they kicked it deep to Kenny [RB Kenneth Gainwell], hey, we’ve got a pretty good offense, let’s not waste any time right here and see what we can do.

Q. Falcons WR Drake London gets the penalty. Was there an option to actually back the kickoff from the 35 to the 20? (Jeff Kerr)

MICHAEL CLAY: There was an option. But then again, with these new rules, it’s not like the old where the kickoff team is now at the 20 and there’s that giant margin where you can get it. It’s a tight game, our field goal rush team is pretty physical and we had an opportunity outdoors, 48 yards. The probabilities aren’t the best for the kicker, but I thought [Falcons K Younghoe] Koo did what he had to do. He’s a good kicker for a reason.

I thought we rushed hard on field goal block. And you never know, if we would tip it, we’d get an opportunity, or a tip, a block, and we recover it. And shoot, you win it on field goal block, you’re almost like, man, that’s pretty awesome. Again, we were going to take the probabilities on a 48-yarder outside, a little windy, maybe we get a hand on one or things of that nature.

Q. You’re at the mercy of the game day roster, obviously. But when you lose a player like former Eagles and current Giants LB Patrick Johnson, who’s been a big part of your teams for a number of years, same thing happened with former Eagles and current Patriots LB Christian Elliss a little bit last year, how difficult is that in the week? Do you know that going in? How early? (John McMullen)

MICHAEL CLAY: You know, that’s life in the NFL. Things move so quick, and there’s a lot of tough decisions that have to be made from the top down. But that’s also my job as a special teams coordinator to make sure everybody that’s on the active roster, the practice squad, in our meetings, everyone has the same thought process of, ‘Hey, if I am called up, I can do my job at this.’ And Jalyx was behind him, and how it all shifted out, he did an unbelievable job of going out there and playing at a high level, graded out very well.

But it is what it is, in terms of that’s life in the NFL. I’m now going on my 11th year. Just some things happen that you have to be able to roll with the punches.

From a human aspect, I love Pat [former Eagles and current Giants LB Patrick Johnson]. He was here as a rookie when I first got here as a coordinator. Being able to talk to him after, I’m very happy for him. I’m not happy that we have to go after him twice a year. But I’m happy for him, his family, and I just know how good of a person he is, so just much love for Patrick.

Q. After two weeks with these kickoff rules, do you like them, or is the jury still out for you? (Ed Kracz)

MICHAEL CLAY: Yeah, I don’t have a complete answer, I love it or hate it or anything. I think across the board, it gives us, from a special teams community, the opportunity to work different returns, put pen to paper, ‘Hey, do we like this,’ talk to the players. But I think it gives people an opportunity who want to cover. It gives people an opportunity who want to return. But also, you’ve got to play within the game and what your game plan is going into the game. If you’re going to bang it out the back of the end zone, cool, let your defense play. If they want to try and test you, it gives you the opportunity to at least try to answer that call and see if they want to kick to you or a touchback.

It is, again, a chess match between the special teams coordinators. But I think it’s great for everyone because you’re coaching football. That’s what we get in the profession to do, is to coach football and try and get these guys as best they possibly can.

Q. Following up, I know there’s been talk about potentially going for the touchback from the 30 to the 35. Has there been any consideration of that this early in the season? Have you heard anything? (Jeff Kerr)

MICHAEL CLAY: I haven’t heard anything. Like anything else, I roll with the punches. They send us a memo and touchbacks go to the 35, we’ve got to adjust, and if everything is status quo, we’ll keep doing what we’ve got to do.