Michael Clay
Q. What did you see from WR Ainias Smith on special teams, getting a chance finally? (Martin Frank)
MICHAEL CLAY: Yeah, it was nice to have [WR] Ainias [Smith] come back from the IR stint. Had his practice window open, being able to be out there. I know he was super excited, just as anybody else would be for their first real NFL game.
It’s just getting him back into the groove, whether it’s returning or helping out in different areas that he can. We know he had a prolific career at Texas A&M as a returner, so it’s just him getting back settled into the whole week of game planning. Getting him ready for if we have to call his number.
Q. When it comes to coverage teams, LB Oren Burks, having that veteran who has done it for a long time, what does that mean to the group as a whole? (John McMullen)
MICHAEL CLAY: Yeah, it means a lot. A guy that has seen a lot of football, seen a lot of different returns. Just being able to see things, whether it’s a different type of return and how to play it in terms of being double teamed, or being single blocked, or trap blocked. Just that wisdom that he does have.
Even for him, he’s still learning all the nuances of this new kickoff coverage. You saw at the end of the half, they were probably bringing it out, seeing if they could get anything. He came across from right to left, and he actually knocked the ball out off a dangerous returner. So it was really good to see that.
Just the perseverance for him to come from the backside, then go make a huge play. So all the wisdom he has helps myself out, helps the younger guys out in terms of coverage.
Q. Getting back to WR Ainias Smith, do you see him as a guy that can give DB Cooper DeJean a break returning punts until maybe WR Britain Covey comes back? (Martin Frank)
MICHAEL CLAY: Yeah, everything is on the table of returning and everything. Just like I had said when [DB Cooper DeJean] Coop was out there against Tampa Bay, that NFL speed is just a little bit different than that college speed.
But again, I want to make him as comfortable as possible when it comes to fielding punts, just like everybody else. Again, we’ll just keep repping him as we go forward into this week.
[Jaguars P] Logan Cooke is a darn good punter out of Jacksonville, so just getting these guys ready for all the different kicks he does have.
Q. I believe this is just your second game without a special teams penalty. What do you feel like accounted for the improvement? (Olivia Reiner)
MICHAEL CLAY: Yeah, I think a lot of these penalties could be eliminated by your mental toughness more than anything else. Sometimes the kickoff may be a little mental lapse with [LB] Oren [Burks].
For [OLB] Jalyx [Hunt], he’s so aggressive. And I love the aggressiveness that he has, but at times, we have certain rules. Like if I see a guy’s name plate, just go next level. We’ve got good enough returners to make somebody miss.
But it’s a credit to the guys of taking on that role of, okay, we’ve got to play a penalty-free game. One, to help our team with field position. And it’s just a standard we’ve always had here, special teams-wise, that we’re going to play a clean game at least.
You can always do it one time, but we’ve got to be able to back it up for multiple weeks.
Q. How much do you enjoy watching LB Ben VanSumeren play fullback? (Bob Brookover)
MICHAEL CLAY: You know what? I really don’t look into the offense on first and second down. I’m more getting ready for what’s going to happen after that. So when he does get out there, and I see him running out there with that energy, it’s actually pretty cool to see. Just like anybody else. You saw the sideline after [WR] DeVonta [Smith] made that catch on the right sideline and put his shoulder down on [Bengals CB DJ Turner II] 20. You just see those guys get that energy.
[LB] Ben [VanSumeren] brings that same thing when he does play that fullback role right there. It’s pretty cool to see what you can do in the NFL to help out the team any way they can.
Q. It sounds like the Jaguars are going to be down a couple of their top offensive playmakers. When there is a situation like that, are you on higher alert, whether it’s for aggressiveness or trick plays from a special teams standpoint? (Tim McManus)
MICHAEL CLAY: You know, I’m always on high alert for that, regardless of if they had injuries or not. It goes back to how much history [Jaguars Special Teams Coordinator] Heath [Farwell] has as a special teams coordinator with fakes. I know Logan Cooke has thrown a couple fakes when he was with [former Jaguars Special Teams Coordinator Joe DeCamillis] Joe D. Then I think last year or a couple years ago against New Orleans, he threw a comeback route. So we’ve always got to be hyper aware for those different situations. Maybe some tidbits.
I know [Jaguars S Andrew] Wingard may be coming back, their PP from last year, so a veteran guy. For us, we’ve just got to make sure we’re staying locked in in any of the situations. Whether it’s fourth and short and they got a punt out there, maybe they want to run a fake or things of that nature. Or someone that we haven’t seen out there is out at the gunner, a little bit of an alert for maybe they’re throwing something.
We’ve got to be locked in on each and every play.
Q. What makes CB Kelee Ringo valuable on special teams? (Brooks Kubena)
MICHAEL CLAY: Hard to find guys that are 6’2″, 215 pounds that can run a 4.3 40 and play with the discipline and aggressiveness that he has. I think he’s just learning, and he’s getting the confidence that he is an added factor, an added weapon out as, a gunner or a vice player, or kickoff coverage player.
He’s taken the role on head-on, being that kind of rotational cornerback, having a heavy workload on special teams. So the more he plays, the better he gets and the more confidence he gets. You can see from his first game ever to now, the confidence has really been tenfold. Always excited to have [CB] Kelee [Ringo] on our side.
Q. You were talking about tendencies with Jaguars Special Teams Coordinator Heath Farwell. How much do you factor in the coordinators? How much do you research what they’ve done, their history? (John McMullen)
MICHAEL CLAY: Yeah, you always try to keep a catalog of what they’ve done, whether it’s going back to when he was a coordinator at Buffalo or the assistant at Seattle.
You just always try to keep that catalog. ‘All right, he ran this so often in this position.’ I keep a library, so I can look at it last night or this morning, just to see. I can write a note and give these guys, hey, this is something that they did back in the day. We’ve got to be on high alert.
It’s always cool from a coaching standpoint. You just keep a catalog of what happens. It may spark something that can help out the team in a different situation. Just a catalog throughout the league just helps everybody else out.