Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury addressed the media before practice on Jan. 15. Here is a full transcript of the press conference.
On if he's talked with other teams about their head coaching vacancies:
"Same answer as last week."
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On what he has learned about QB Jayden Daniels in the late game moments:*
"I mean, every week I think something new comes up that's specific to the game, but the poise, the work ethic throughout the week, the mentality doesn't waver. I mean, he showed up same time this week, every morning early and put in the same work he did the week before, in the previous 16 weeks. So, I think there's specific instances that continue to help him grow and evolve as a player, but he's very consistent in his approach and has been since he got here."
On WR Dyami Brown and on multiple receivers stepping up in big spots:
"Yeah, they've all stepped up when their number's been called and Dyami is the guy who, when we got here, I had known about him from North Carolina. We obviously looked at him when I was at Arizona. And just, I guess the attitude and the approach really has gotten more business-like and more professional throughout this season and it's paying off. I mean, he's showing up over and over and over, always been able to run, always been able to be really good with the ball in his hands, but his route technique and fundamentals, things like that are really improving and it's a credit to him and the way he is approached this season. And so, to have a game like that, in that type of environment was really cool to see that hard work paying off."
On staying discipline with the run game when it's not working:
"Yeah, it's helped me having a defensive head coach, I can tell you that much because he lets it be known we need to run the football at times that I would maybe in my previous life be airing it out. But we're going to do whatever it takes to win and we have good backs and we've had a great scheme throughout the year. We've faced some good fronts. I mean, those two guys inside there are as good as anybody, we played against all year at Tampa, and the linebackers are tremendous players. So, it was a challenge. [Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach] Todd Bowles is one of the best defensive minds in the league and has been for a long time. So, overall it was a challenge and we just kept plugging away at it and Jayden made some plays with his feet that helped us out. But really, having DQ [Head Coach Dan Quinn] and just him mentoring me in a way, if you will, just about sticking to the run game, how it affects the defense, seeing it from that perspective has been good for me."
On Detroit's defensive front:
"Yeah, they've done a tremendous job. I've been really impressed. I know some of the numbers don't look as good as they may want, but when you consider the injuries and the things that have happened to them, it's pretty amazing what they've done. And I thought their best performance was the last time they were out against Minnesota, they were dominant. Whoever they put in plays hard, they're disciplined and they make you earn every inch. And so, that's a credit to [Detroit Lions Defensive Coordinator] Aaron [Glenn] and [Detroit Lions Head Coach] Dan [Campbell] and the culture they have going there."
On preparing the offense for winning time moments:
"Dan's [Quinn] done a tremendous job of just, we talk about, on offense, being situational masters and repping those things and those type of four-minute drills or two-minute drills or centering right, centering left. So, we get them a bunch, multiple times each week and when they show up, the guys are, they've been through it, there's a calm because they've been through it and they've just executed it at a high level when that number's been called."
On how he feels during end of game situations:
"I've been getting a tighter fade to hide the gray hairs, I'll tell you that much [laughs]. I do not love it. I do not love it, but it's been a fun group. They're resilient as hell. They keep fighting no matter what. And on the sideline, you always feel like you have a chance and that's been fun to be a part of."
On if there's a strategic or emotional advantage to hitting a big play on offense early in a game similar to the long play to WR Terry McLaurin against Tampa Bay:
"More so, I think getting [WR] Terry [McLaurin] the ball, he's a guy you see the sideline erupts, he gets going. I just got to continue to find ways to get him his touches early, but that was a tremendous throw and catch and definitely gave us some confidence. But when he's involved early, we've been a lot better on offense."
On the challenges and opportunities going against Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn:
"Yeah, I mean, he's going to get you, you got to just stay within yourself. I think sometimes you can become an emotional play caller if you will, and 'Oh God, we got to make this up.' And you just know with his scheme, there's going to be times that they win and they get you and you're going to have some negative plays, but you're going to have a chance because they'll take risks to hit some big ones as well. And I think just staying in your pocket and not trying to force stuff, not getting out of your comfort zone and your rhythm because they've hit you on a few things. But he's done a tremendous job with that group, like I said, to have the injuries they've had and still play [at] the level they're playing at right now has been really impressive."
On Daniels' development and on hitting third and fourth window passes:
"That was something that I thought jumped dramatically from his junior to senior year at LSU and that was the thing that blew me away the most, was his progression in the pocket. I thought junior year it was okay, but he'd get out and use his legs a lot more. And that second year he was progressing through getting to the third, fourth, finding his check down and that's something that's just, uses the virtual reality stuff constantly. And I think that really has helped him just hanging in that pocket and nail those reads and go through it like he does. But that's, for a young guy to stand in there and do what he does and get to those reads has been as good as I've ever seen from a young player."
On some people saying the close games are a sign the team is very beatable:
"I like how you phrase that some people [laughs]. Not me bringing up the question. Yeah, I don't have a counter. Just that's the NFL and if you find a way to win six in a row, you're playing at an extremely high level."
On how much he's freed up as a play caller when he knows the offense is going for it on fourth down:
"DQ [Quinn] does a great job of letting me know really prior to the drive, 'Hey, from this point on you'll have it.' Fourth-and-three and less or fourth-and-five and less. So, it definitely helps, the fact that he's so on top of it prior to the drive, how I call the play, the play sequencing, third down can really become a second down at times. So, that's been a great kind of marriage with us. I'm always saying let's go forward on fourth down. So, he's got to just not listen to me half the time, but he does try to gimme the heads up which allows me to call that drive differently."
On Daniels' relationship with McLaurin and on if it changes the way he calls the game:
"Yeah, they have built that through the year, there's no doubt. I think the first couple of games, the ball wasn't coming to him as much as we would've liked. And we've had our ups and downs, but teams are also doing stuff to take him away. I mean, he's had a Pro Bowl year, he is Second Team All-Pro. I think those two guys are just going to get better and better as they go. I mean, they're two very conscientious players that are team first guys and work really hard at it."
On how he's evolved as a coach and play caller since coming to Washington:
"I think every year you take something. This year just being able to move some of the pieces around and do some different things offensively. I don't think we knew what we'd have with some of the wideouts or what [TE] Zach [Ertz] had left or maybe [RB Austin] Ekeler. And so, just to be able to try to maximize each guy and then get with the new offensive staff. [Assistant Head Coach/Passing Game Coordinator] Brian Johnson's phenomenal, [Offensive Line Coach] Bobby Johnson, [Run Game Coordinator/Running Backs Coach] Anthony Lynn, [Wide Receivers Coach] Bobby Engram, [Quarterbacks Coach] Tavita [Pritchard], [Assistant Quarterback Coach] David Blough, all those guys. You take a little bit of new stuff from them, and they have a huge part of this offense each and every week and what we install and what we gameplan with. So, that has probably been as big as anything, just the relationships with those guys and learning from them."
On how he creates fourth down plays and on if there's a difference between fourth-and-short versus third-and-short:
"Yeah, first, you try not to let that be a different mindset. You try to call the best play that's going to gain the line to gain and if you can really separate that, I think it helps you as a play caller. And then I always think about players, not plays. I think like the other night on the fourth-and-five, it was like, that ball is going to go to Zach Ertz no matter what. It was the most first, day one base install play we had. And I knew that he would present and give us a chance. So, that's really what it comes down to. You'll have your list, but when you go for it five times you got to get to some other things and it's always about players first."
On if he accounts for teams attempting to spy Daniels:
"Yeah, if we've seen some stuff on film previously and you can figure that out about the first time they run it, they're usually short of guys somewhere because of that. And so, Jayden, like we mentioned earlier, he is so good at progressing through stuff that that really helps the passing game. And if they're not spying, he does a good job of feeling it out when it's time to take off and go. So, to me, if they want to burn one just spying him, then somebody's going to be open on the back end."
