Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury addressed the media before practice on Jan. 9. Here is a full transcript of the press conference.
On Tampa Bay Buccaneers DT Calijah Kancey:
"Yeah, incredibly disruptive. You mentioned, we didn't face him last time, but you watched him the previous year, really came on and has done the same throughout this season. Continues to get better, impacts the game in a bunch of ways. Run game, pass game and high motor, one of the more disruptive interior players we've played against."
On teams requesting an interview with him for head coaching vacancies:
"Yeah, I haven't had any discussions. Coaches, we pay representation to handle all that and so they've handled all that. It's just been all Tampa Bay."
*On if he's done anything beyond regular football activities to help get QB Jayden Daniels ready for his first playoff game: *"No, he's done a great job of week in, week out, just saying, 'What did we do good last game? What do we need to work on?' And really attacking those areas. And so, we've kept that same plan. He's a guy who likes competition, likes big moments, and so nothing has changed as far as preparation goes."
On the biggest growth in Daniels' game since Week 1:
"Everything, really. I think just understanding the system. The first game we didn't know what we were or who we were, what he was. And so, even me calling plays and understanding how to put him in better situations to be successful and all the skill guys. How do we use this guy, this guy? So, we've evolved a bunch, but I think you just watch his game and the way he played that first game. I mean, the very first pass he threw for like minus 20, like a backwards pass. And he's just come a long way. So, it's a lot of hard work, a lot of mental reps. And so, I'm anxious to see the second time around how far we've come as a entire unit."
On one of Daniels' moments from throughout the season that stands out:
"Yeah, I think the biggest one was the Cincy [Cincinnati] game for me. It's crunch time. it's that last, I don't know, third or fourth down maybe. And I screwed up the play call. And so, he just waves me off like, 'I got it.' And he throws a touchdown to [WR] Terry [McLaurin]. It's like, 'All right, you got it, dog.' So, I think it was more like that's where it's like okay, he's very comfortable in the system, understanding what we're trying to accomplish and in those moments he wants the ball on his hands. And as a play caller, that's what you hope for that position."
On Daniels' ability to compartmentalize:
"Yeah, I think that's probably one of his strongest traits is that he can process it really quickly and be on to the next play. He's not leery on himself. He wants to be perfect, he wants to play great, he wants to win every rep, but once the play is over, he's onto the next one really quickly. And that's not easy to do as a young player or an established player even in this league. Because you're going to have your ups and downs, you're going to have plays you wish you had back, but he can process it, move on. He can take hard coaching and nobody's harder on themselves than him immediately after. And he's one of those guys that will give you the proper feedback as soon as you get to him, 'Hey, I should have done this, should have done that.' And so, it really makes my job a lot easier when he's already kind of self-diagnosed what's gone on, on the play."
On if Daniels' performance in minicamp surprised him:
"It did, yeah. The guy that when he hit that Hail Mary and they did that video where he is like, 'We got us one.' I felt like that guy after the first seven on sevens session, because it was, it was just next level kind of operation, finding the check downs and not forcing things. For a young player to come in and you could tell he studied it like crazy over the little break we had. So, that was the first, we all kind of looked at each other like, wow, that was really good. And so, I think we knew then that we had a chance to have a special player and just getting to see the humility, the hard work, all the things he's put into it, it's just has evolved since then."
*On the percentage of times Daniels makes the right football play: *"That's a great question, a high percentage I would say, the one thing that's shown up, I would say probably the last month when we've had to put the ball in his hands more because the run game hasn't been there. We played good teams that are good against the run, but I'd say just the negative plays, the first, second down sacks, the sack number in general has gone up and some of that's, he's trying to take over and make the play. But I think for the most part, if you put those out, he's going to the right place for the ball the majority of the time."
On the biggest lesson coming out of Week 1:
"Yeah, we needed to play with more tempo, more rhythm. We were doing a bunch of substituting and really slowing the game down thinking that would help him. And I think it hurt us as a unit, we played better with more rhythm and pace and him getting on the ball and being able to have more time on the play clock to analyze and see what the defense is doing. And we really subbed a bunch, we played in some sets that were not as probably dynamic or having our best four or five skill players on the field at the same time. And felt the coaching staff did a nice job of recognizing that and adjusting that moving forward."
On the reasoning behind McLaurin's lack of production in Week 1:
"Yeah, I think we definitely did not have a good enough plan to get him the ball. And then [Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach] Todd Bowles is a good defensive coach, so I don't, having watched the game, it's hard to watch. It's so different than what we are now. But he recognizes that's one of the best players in the league. And so, he's going to do everything to take away and then I do a better job calling plays. And I think Jayden has evolved to a point now where, when we have an opportunity to get Terry the ball, he's going to take advantage of it."
On if the team is able to watch older game film to prepare for this week:
"Yeah, more recent. He's done a great job evolving his defense. I think that's what I've been most impressed by with Coach Bowles, it's cyclical in this league and they'll catch up to you as you go if you just do the same stuff. And he's done a great job evolving year in, year out, adapting to his personnel and continue to stay kind of on the cutting edge of the pressures and being able to disrupt offenses throughout his career."
On how to counter Tampa Bay's aggressive defensive style:
"Yeah, I think he's great at the pressures, knowing when to dial him up and call him. It's not just third down, he has a great feel for your tendencies, what you've done throughout the season and when to bring those pressures. And so, I have to be great on my sequencing and play calling and then just give Jayden answers for those pressures. We got to be able to get the ball out of our hand. We can't take those first and second down sacks. And that's the biggest deal to me, is making sure he has an outlet on every play, that they're going to be in the pressure, 'Hey, let's get a completion, try to make a guy missing space and we'll play the next play.' But if you don't have answers, he'll make it a long day for you."
On being back in the playoffs and on how excited he is for the opportunity:
"It is, it's very exciting. It's hard to get here. I think that's what these young players need to understand, is that there's a lot of veterans that have played 10-12 years. It's like the third time, second time they've even got in. And we got in the one year in Arizona and it was not a great game, but it was a lot of work to get there. And so, I think just being in the moment, understanding how fortunate we are to be in this position and we won the last four games on the last play and it can go like that in this league. So, we got to make sure we appreciate and take advantage of the opportunity."
On if he plans to take interviews for head coaching positions:
"I'm not going to touch on that. Yeah, just focusing on Tampa."
