Quarterback Kirk Cousins on what makes Minkah Fitzpatrick so special:
“Well, I think he’s an intelligent football player. I think he has a very good view of the game. I think he’s a very versatile player. He could do a lot of things and I think he’s a team leader for them. He’s kind of like I talked about Justin (Simmons) and Jessie (Bates III). I would think he’s in the same mold as a player.”
Simmons on how his familiarity with Wilson can benefit the Falcons’ secondary:
“I can share my insights on what I’ve seen over the last few years and how I played against him when he was in Seattle. There are a lot of guys here who played against him, so they know it too. There’s obviously some benefits to that. For them too. Russ can maybe share some insights on what it was like playing against that defense. It’s similar to what he’s seen over the past few years.
“There are pros and cons to both. I know what kind of competitor he is, and I know he’s going to be ready. That’s basically the message to the guys. I’ve seen it firsthand. He’s going to be ready, so we have to be prepared. We have to be ready. We have to do our best.”
Cousins on the Steelers defense:
“It’s a great group. Again, full of professionals and productive players who have been very consistent. They’re not players who are up and down. They’re players who pressure you from the first snap to the last, and that’s an intensity and an excellence that we have to achieve by following through and playing off of them. It’s a big challenge for us.”
Morris on the Steelers defense:
“The history of the group is phenomenal. That’s just the nature of it when you talk about the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Steel Curtain. But we don’t have to play ghosts. We just have to let the guys that are on their team play now, and they certainly have a lot of good guys to worry about. When we talk about the re-signing of Cam (Heyward). Or when we talk about those two edge rushers or that safety, who is just phenomenal.
“I know their names, I know Mike Tomlin and I like to say they’re nameless gray faces, but you know the names of these guys. You know a lot of these guys on this team. You’ve got a couple of new additions to this team that you know are going to do really well. You’ve got to go out there and prepare for these guys, prepare to play against these guys in a system that’s been very well documented for a long time.”
Special teams coordinator Marquice Williams explains how to keep Steelers running back Cordarrelle Patterson in check in the return game:
“Contain? That’s a great question. A guy like CP is dynamic when he has the ball in his hands. He’s an explosive returner and he’s always one play away from scoring a touchdown. There’s a reason he’s number one in NFL history when it comes to that play, the kickoff return. With a guy like him, you have to limit his opportunities. I coached against him a lot — when I was with the Chargers, he was with the Raiders. I was like, ‘Oh man, we’re playing outside and it’s windy.’ You have to kick the ball to him. If you don’t kick it out of the end zone, the ball’s going to fly out.
“As a coach and as a team, you have to expect that every ball you kick is going to be returned because he’s a fearless returner who does a great job of vertically getting the ball. You could say part of the reason he’s one of the best – and he’s the best to ever do that kickoff return game – is because the other player is blocking for him. They want to block for him. He’s a great teammate. It’s not just about stopping CP, it’s about stopping the other 10 players that are trying to block for him.
“We have to have a great game plan as far as kicking and coverage and making sure the two work well together because you can have a great kick and bad coverage. It’s 50-50. Maybe you’ll get that reputation, maybe you won’t. You could have bad coverage or you could have a bad kick and great coverage, 50-50. But I know if you have bad coverage and bad kicking, that’s a recipe for disaster. You’re giving them an opportunity to capitalize on your mistakes. So our kicking and our coverage have to work well together so we’re able to not only contain them, but shut them down.
“We have to make him a non-factor. That speaks to him and his career and what he’s done. He’s the first play on offense. He could be a big explosive player. We don’t want to give those guys opportunities where the Steelers go out there and it’s 1st and 10 from the 50-yard line or have their PAT team out there on the next play. So I was there when he had big returns against us when I was with the Chargers and he was with the Raiders and when I was with the Chargers, he’s with the Patriots. I go to Detroit and think, ‘Oh no, he’s in the division. He’s with the Bears.’ So I was a part of that. I respect the hell out of him and I’m happy for him on Sunday.”
Receiver Casey Washington on whether it’s more about the Steelers’ defense or him executing what he’s been told:
“I think there’s a balance to be struck. The most important thing is to make sure I have everything I need to do to make this week as good as possible for the team. At the same time, I have to look at the players and look at who’s there. I definitely have a lot of respect for Pittsburgh and what they do. I just take it day by day and try to be as goal-oriented as possible.
Morris on how to stop a player like TJ Watt without changing your plan:
“TJ Watt is a spoiler and I’m not going to let him go out there and spoil the game. That’s going to be part of our plan. He can still do that. That’s what these guys do.”
Cousins on linebacker Patrick Queen:
“He played in an elite defense last year and knows what that looks like. Big respect for Patrick, for what he’s done as a player in his career, for the defense he’s playing in now, for the coaches they have. It’s going to be one of the best groups we play against all year and a big challenge for us.”
