Michael Clay

Q. As far as the opening kickoff, what made you land on going with the tee and a holder in that case? (Zach Berman)

Michael Clay: We’re always going to try to evolve what we see that helps out. These guys work on so many different kicks throughout the week. Going into Chicago, we worked everything from on the ground to using the tee and [P] Braden [Mann] and [K] Jake [Elliott] came to the conclusion, they get a little more dip on the ball. The first kickoff, it hit the ground like we intended to. We’ve just got to do a better job of covering. We’re always just going to try to evolve regardless of stipulations, anything to help the team out any way we can.

Q. What kind of resolution did you guys come to when you had that call with the special teams coordinators? (Tim McManus)

Michael Clay: There wasn’t really much to go about in terms of a firm resolution and everything. We just had different talking points, different thoughts on it. At the end of the day, we’ll do everything in our power that’s going to be legal within the NFL rules to help out this team any way we can.

Q. Are you going to use the tee or are you still like — (Tim McManus)

Michael Clay: Whatever it’s going to help out the team. If they want to say something that we want to use the tee, not use the tee, it’s always a week-by-week basis. We’re just going to do what we can. Sometimes we won’t even have a holder out there if we think we can get the ball wide or things of that nature, whatever Jake and Braden feel comfortable going into that week, who’s our opponent. Everything’s just so fluid and everything wants to be black and white in this sport, but a lot of it is gray. We’re just trying to do anything in our possible power to get better and we have to get better at kickoff coverage. We leaked a couple yards in there; I think about six yards where we thought we could have had him at the 28. The best opportunity we can in terms of our coverage, we’re going to lean towards.

Q. It looks like there’s a chance LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is going to have to start this week. You don’t have LB Chance Campbell either. Who are some candidates to have an expanded role? (Dave Zangaro)

Michael Clay: Unfortunate for Chance, I thought he did a good job, but excited to see Trot [Jeremiah Trotter Jr.] play some defense out there. In terms of, we always rely on everybody throughout. I think I reiterate a lot that anybody that steps into this room on a special teams day, I’m going to ask them to help us out in any way we can. Obviously, last week, Chance came in and played for us. We’re going to rely on some guys that have been mainstays for us, [RB] Will Shipley, [LB] Smael Mondon, and [WR] Darius Cooper have done a really good job elevating their roles. We’re going to lean on the guys that have been here that have proven that they can make some plays in the NFL. Then, there’s going to be some younger guys we’ll lean into and get their confidence up as much as they possibly can because you’re not in the NFL for just being a regular guy out there, they’ve got enough acumen and athleticism to help us win. It’s going to be a whole team effort to help propel this team and help us in the field position battle on special teams.

Q. What do the Rams do well on special teams? (Andrew DiCecco)

Michael Clay: I’ve always had great respect for one their coordinator in [Los Angeles Rams Special Teams Coordinator] Bubba Ventrone. When you get a guy that’s played in the league as a special teams guy and he’s now heading a special teams unit, they usually take the mold of their coach, and he was a hard-nosed guy, and a Villanova Cat. They play extremely physical. [Los Angeles Rams ILB] Grant Stuard does an unbelievable job kind of manning — kind of being the heart of their special teams unit. [Los Angeles Rams WR] Xavier Smith doesn’t get talked about enough in terms of his return ability. He’s quick. He’s got really good straight-line speed. Then [Los Angeles Rams WR Jordan] Whittington, I know he’s been kind of banged up here and there, but out of Texas, he’s a big gunner. He’s a physical one cut runner on kickoff return. They do a lot of good things in [Los Angeles Rams ILB] Omar Speights. I know he plays defense, but he’s out there on kickoff and punt. They do a good job of kind of limiting and being physical, getting off block. Again, every week we have our work cut out regardless of the opponent.

Q. As you watched last year’s game back, is there anything you appreciate one year later that maybe in the moment didn’t jump out? (Zach Berman)

Michael Clay: I think I appreciate anything, whether it’s a good or bad or indifferent feeling. You just learn from all those things. I know about halfway through that fourth quarter, I wasn’t feeling too good because we had some struggles in some areas, but then it could change in two field goal block kicks. It changes your momentum going to the whole thing. But I think everything in life, good, bad, you’re going to learn from it for the greater good of yourself. I always look back at what did we do well in that game? How can we build off that? What do we do poorly in that game? How do we build off that? Everything’s just a life lesson when it comes to each game, and each game takes its own life of its own.

Q. I’ve asked you obviously in the past year about DT Jordan Davis and DT Jalen Carter in those roles, but behind the scenes, do you use that game as a reference point in talking to players in terms of what they did that day? (Zach Berman)

Michael Clay: I don’t know if I use that game specifically. Some specific moments throughout the season, things that help turn the tide in some case. Obviously, those two plays turn the tide for the game. You go to Week 1, the blocked extra point kind of turns the tide when it gets down to the fourth quarter, changes the other team’s mindset like, ‘OK, we can’t hit an extra point, we got to go for two.’ It’s just a good coaching point to harp on that special teams, any play can change the dynamic of the game. I mean, you could go back to ’24, the opening kickoff against Green Bay in the playoffs. I’m sure that changed a little bit of the dynamic of everything. Right, wrong, indifferent, bad, good, you always go back and harp on how it could swing the game in both ways.

Q. I’m guessing that Jordan Davis’ field goal block came up at some point during film review this week. What was the reaction to that and how did you — (Tim McManus)

Michael Clay: I’ll have those guys in tomorrow, and I’ll probably have that up. Again, just like how [reporter] Zach [Berman] mentioned, it’s more just to reiterate how you can change the game in some plays. Obviously you don’t get as many plays on special teams throughout compared to offense and defense, but it could take one to two that could swing the whole momentum of the game. You never know when it’s going to pop up, so we’ve got to play every play when we’re out there on special teams. It can change the momentum or change the game in a positive way.

Q. They have a new kicker. When you look at him, is that something you look at when you say, ‘Hey, maybe we can block this,’ or is it just the way they’re blocking up the protection? (Ed Kracz)

Michael Clay: I think [Los Angeles Rams K Harrison] Mevis has done a really good job ever since he came in halfway through the season for the Rams. Obviously, a different kicker than [Former Los Angeles Rams K Joshua] Karty. He does a really good job with the elevation. Bubba, they’ve done a really good job of sure-ing up their field goal pro, but there’s always things we’re going to try and look at in terms of where can we possibly dent and get around it. A lot of it is you may not be able to block the kick at some points, but you are able to affect it when there’s a flyby around the kicker or people around his feet, maybe that’s in his back of his head the next time. We’re always going to harp on trying to be physical and affect the kicker more than maybe physically, but sometimes mentally. All these kickers in this league, they’ve got great mental blocks to do what their job is and Mevis has done a really good job. I think he’s only missed one kick this year and he’s done some really good things for them.

Q. When it comes to evaluating punts inside the 20, is a metric that the public uses. How do you guys break that down or are there things that you really look at other than that? (Dave Zangaro)

Michael Clay: I think a lot of it — If I’m looking at it from a punt return aspect, what’s our opponent’s net? Usually, if you could keep their net under 40, you’re probably doing pretty well in the field position game. If you get a net of 38 in the open field, you’re going to be probably pretty close to the 40-yard line, 35-yard line, pretty close in there. From a plus-50 standpoint, we have our standard where we want it to be at. If you could keep it in the plus-50 inside the 10, they get a first down, they’re still probably not past the 20-yard line. They’ve got to go that extra one to two drives to get into that scoring range. I kind of break it out in where you’re at in the field and what can you do from a punt return standpoint against the opponent’s net?

Then, how can we flip the field from our net? There’s certain scenarios where you’re backed up. Can we get it past the 50-yard line and give our defense a chance? Then there’s the gray area. Then there’s the open field. There’s just so many, I guess, special teams terms you want to use, but we want to break it into segments, and that’s what we talk about with Braden like, ‘Hey, this is that area. Let’s try to get this going forward.’

Q. Last week you referred to WR Britain Covey’s decision making as underappreciated. What goes into that? Is that inherent or is that a testament to the work that you put in behind the scenes? (Andrew DiCecco)

Michael Clay: A little bit of both. I think Britain’s a very smart football player, and smart individual in general. He studies film from around the league, different scenarios. I think you saw in the Chicago game, great punt from [Chicago Bears P] Tory Taylor, [Chicago Bears DB] Josh Blackwell does a good job. Then the guy comes down, [Chicago Bears TE] Sam Roush, I believe, and he gets on the ground. But you see Covey kind of circle back around and point at the guy’s foot that hits the white. That’s probably inherent of knowing ‘I could go back knowing the first touch rule, then help out the officials. Hey, I can influence a call.’ Maybe you’ll see some guys when the ball goes out of bounds, they’ll run up the field and put their hands up to try to influence things, and that’s more inherent, but a lot of it goes to his behind-the-scenes work talking with the vice, talking with the blockers in front of him, what he sees, how he sees it. Him and [DB] Michael Carter have really good dialogues in terms of punt return. That’s kind of helped spring Covey a little bit. I wish we [re]played our one punt return rep where we got that 21-yard return. Obviously, you can’t have any holding penalties, or a guy goes to the ground, but that’s stuff that happens behind the scenes that they talk about what he thinks and how to get that opened up right there.

Q. In the past nine years, DB Kenny Moore II has had special teams roles in some variety. How can he help you guys and what perspective do you have on his career? (Zach Berman)

Michael Clay: Any guy from Valdosta State and you’re playing nine years in the NFL, that’s a lot of respect and kudos to you to find a mold, find a niche in the NFL and be able to prolong that. Obviously, he played as a stellar Nickel in Indianapolis, but the last two weeks that he’s been here, he’s been intent. He’s been asking questions. He seems excited to play football again, which I think is cool to see. A guy that’s not on the team for a while, then he gets onto a team, his excitement comes back. I’m looking forward to using Kenny in any way I can, whether that’s playing special teams or just picking his brain on different scenarios because a guy that’s played nine years has a lot of information for me to use.

Q. You’ve used [DT] Ty Robinson on the kickoff team. Why do you want him out there in that position? And then two, how have you seen him do in that role? (Cayden Steele)

Michael Clay: I think Ty’s done a really good job. You find a guy of his stature that is athletic enough, why would you not use him? Obviously, it’s a big man’s game, so if you have a big man against a small person, more often than not, you’re going to end up being ahead in that battle. He’s done a really good job, especially on punt return. We’ve seen him in there in different roles getting around. I know in the Tennessee game, their big punt right there, he’s around the punter. He pushes the wing in there and that’s when the punter thinks ‘Oh, he’s pretty close right there.’ Same in Chicago. Him and Will Shipley came close on that one right in there. Again, talking to Ty at the end of the preseason to use his athletic ability, he’s all in on it and we’re going to continue to grow and I think he’s doing a really good job in terms of using his power and his force and using that speed of power from a big guy is always going to help out.