Michael Clay

Q. What’s a teaching point for DB Cooper DeJean on the play where he fumbled? (Reuben Frank)

MICHAEL CLAY: Yeah, it was more our fundamentals in terms of ball security. It was a little loose as you probably could see on TV copy. It was kind of below him there. We want to get our wrist above our elbow there.

Then when we get to the contact point, putting a clasped hand on it, just to make sure. It was a good hit by [Steelers LB Mark Robinson] 93, but if we have two hands on the ball, we have an opportunity to at least secure it.

He did a good job getting the 11 yards. At some point, let’s just protect the ball and not put our defense in a tough situation.

Q. What did it say about him that the very next return he comes back and returns 22 yards? (Bob Brookover)

MICHAEL CLAY: Yeah, it shows a lot on who that person is to be able to put that play away. The mental strength he has to come back and have an opportunity to help the team in any way he can.

He does a great job on defense obviously. But going back out there and on that fourth down, getting 23 yards, putting ball at the plus-45 – and I think we got a touchdown out of it – really helps.

Just shows his mental strength to come back, kind of flush that bad play away, and come back and help the team out.

Q. Did P Braden Mann get as much as he could out of it on that 29-yard punt? (Brooks Kubena)

MICHAEL CLAY: Yeah, he mishit that ball. It got outside of him, and he tried to save it, and it just went straight up in the air. So it wasn’t going to travel very well. We can’t put our defense in that two-minute situation in a bad spot.

We’ve got to have a better contact point with that punt. It was just one of those mishits, it got outside of his frame. He tried to save it, but he couldn’t.

Again, we can’t put our defense or offense, regardless of if we’re returning or not, in a bad spot. Especially in a two-minute situation where the defense is balling out right there.

It gave up three points. Even if it’s 11 yards with a 40-yard punt, those 11 yards, by the end of it, probably get them out of that field goal range. So we’ve got to do better in those situations.

Q. Head Coach Nick Sirianni was talking about RB Kenneth Gainwell. Obviously had a big game on offense. Also on special teams did some things. What has he done for your group? (John McMullen)

MICHAEL CLAY: I know [Head] Coach [Nick Sirianni] says that [RB Kenneth Gainwell] Kenny Gainwell is one of his favorite players, and Kenny Gainwell is one of my favorite people I’ve been around since being a coach.

It really started with that first kickoff. If you look at him – he’s on the right side – he pushed the guy on the ground on a really good, aggressive button press. Then he comes back with two good returns on kickoff return and helped us out at the end of the half.

We may have been trying to get some extra points right there. 35-yard return, and then goes out there in the two-minute drill. I can’t say enough good things about Kenny Gainwell. Fortunate enough to be around him for four years. I know he was part of the first draft class here with Nick.

He just wants to help the team any way he can, whether it’s filling in for [RB] Saquon [Barkley] or to go out there on kickoff coverage, kickoff return. When I need him on punt return, he’s always ready and willing to go.

Kudos to him for being ready whenever his number is called, whether it’s special teams or offense. I can’t say enough good things about Kenny Gainwell.

Q. Successful night for K Jake Elliott. What have you seen behind the scenes as he looked to get on track? (Tim McManus)

MICHAEL CLAY: Same old [K] Jake [Elliott]. Each and every day he comes in, and he is so locked in on his process to get better. Him not changing anything and having that belief in himself is always refreshing going through the whole week. And just having fun with football. I know I alluded to it last time in this presser. Just don’t lose the joy of football.

I think for all of us that sit in this room, as long as we enjoy the process and have fun doing it, we’re going to take the outcomes as they come out.

So, again, good for Jake. Good for the whole team getting those points on the board when we needed to. That 48 yarder was really good. He struck the ball clean, and we got that penalty with them hitting [LS] Rick [Lovato]. Then to go back out there in a sequence of plays to hit a 41 yarder, again, just going to help out the team any way we can.

Q. Think back last year, OLB Nolan Smith was a core player for you. What impressions did you have of him as a first-round pick on special teams? (Zach Berman)

MICHAEL CLAY: Like I always say, it’s always nice to see when [a player] goes from a special teams core four to being a starter. It’s awesome to see [OLB] Nolan [Smith]. What he does on defense you saw a lot on special teams. That energy, that relentlessness out there.

It’s a good precedent to set for [OLB] Jalyx [Hunt], for example, a young guy. To set that precedent, how you can make your mark, maybe not your first year as a defensive player, but as a special teams player. And then you can take that jump right there.

Very proud of Nolan and what he’s doing. But it also sets a benchmark for the young guys that that first year you’re in, all right, I might not be playing a lot of offense and defense, but I can make my mark on special teams.

Q. How much does the way the defense has been playing this year increase the margin of error this team has in all facets? Picking up special teams whenever punts happen, like the 29 yarder and such. (Brooks Kubena)

MICHAEL CLAY: Obviously you don’t want to have a 29-yard punt in any situation. But from a special teams standpoint, I really don’t look at it from a margin of error, whether it’s an efficient offense or the heck of a defense that [Defensive Coordinator] Vic [Fangio] has right now. We’re just trying to make it where we give that added momentum for offense and defense.

You saw in the Baltimore and Carolina games where we helped out with those long fields. It snowballs. You go back two weeks against Baltimore where we downed them inside the five; defense got a three and out; we got the ball in the plus territory off a punt return.

That’s what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to win that field position battle on these hidden yardage situations. Again, we don’t want to put our offense and defense in that bad situation. We want to help them, and propel them, and get them going. Whether that’s on a kickoff, a big hit or something like that. That extra juice, that extra energy. Or they’ve got to go now from the 25 instead of the 30.

From our standpoint, we’re trying to be the best we possibly can be on special teams and help out the offense and defense with that field position battle.

Q. You talked about OLB Nolan Smith going from special teams to a defensive starter. The reverse would be a guy like CB Kelee Ringo, who played a lot more on defense last year than this year. Some guys might not handle that so well. What have you seen from him as far as his attitude towards special teams when he’s not playing on defense like this year? (Reuben Frank)

MICHAEL CLAY: I think back to when we lost [former Eagles and current Seahawks CB] Josh Jobe. [CB Kelee Ringo] became the primary gunner in this gunner room, obviously with [S] Sydney [Brown] being down for the first six weeks and everything. Kelee does a great job. He’s always asking in game, ‘Hey, what can I do here? Where are they going with the ball? How can I do better in that?’

[Special Teams Assistant] Tyler Brown does a great job with them throughout the week in the gunner room and the vice room. I think Kelee has done an unbelievable job taking the reins, and playing at a high level, and understanding how he can affect the game.

You’ve seen him on the outside as a gunner. He’s affected the game, whether that’s going down and making a tackle for a one-yard return, or causing a strip fumble, or something of that nature. And on kickoff coverage, making some plays.

Where he really shines, in my opinion, is at the vice spot. We put a lot of trust in Kelee that we’re going to leave him on an island. He’s got to take care of their best gunner one-on-one. He’s stepped up to the plate every time, and he’s really delivered for us. That allows you to get a vice somewhere else or play 8 in the box, knowing how good he is on the outside.

Just being able to prep him, ‘Hey, you’re going to be a key guy to get us going’ has been awesome. Kelee answered the bell, and we’re looking forward to the remaining games for him doing the same thing.

Q. You mention Special Teams Assistant Tyler Brown and Assistant Special Teams Coordinator Joe Pannunzio often. What value do they each provide to you and your staff? (Zach Berman)

MICHAEL CLAY: Shoot, I could go just as long as the Kenny Gainwell with [Assistant Special Teams Coordinator Joe Pannunzio] Joe P and Tyler. I’ve known Joe P for a decade now. Then Tyler being, I guess, my first ever hire.

They keep me sane during the week. They keep it light on game day. And they allow me to have a clear mind throughout the process because we know we put in all the work from Monday all the way up to Sunday.

Tyler does a great job with the specialists and on the outside guys, just being able to talk with the specialists in the same language they hear. Then he switches his brain getting to that vice. Wherever they can get little tidbits in.

Joe P bridges everything. Joe P has been around football a long time and goes under the radar. He bridges everything. He’s able to help me get to some of the guys, connect with some of the guys.

I bounce ideas off of them or get their opinion. I know they’re going to shoot it to me straight. After every meeting I ask them, ‘What did I miss here?’ or ‘What can you do better here?’

Those two guys, I owe a lot to them. They’re doing a heck of a job. Especially Tyler coming from the college ranks to now. He’s just improved every day, and he is always a joy to be around.

We share an office together. It is always nice. When you do share an office with a guy for 12 hours a day it could be monotonous, but he keeps it lively in there with some sort of joke or watching a Premier League game. I have nothing but respect and admiration for Joe P and Tyler.

Q. What was the Ravens game like for Special Teams Assistant Tyler Brown? (Bo Wulf)

MICHAEL CLAY: Shoot, I really didn’t ask him too much, [with] him and [Ravens Senior Special Teams Coach] Randy [Brown]. But I think it was a little bittersweet, I guess. Being around those specialists so much with Randy, but being with us, wanting to get that win.

Luckily [we were] on the right side of winning track. I’m sure Randy likes him a little bit more this week since we helped him out with beating the Steelers.