Q. How has Jalen done when the first read has been taken away from him?
BRIAN JOHNSON: Yeah, there has been -- you know, in the first game thought he did a really good job of defense, playing deep, checking the ball down. We started out with a couple early completions to Kenny with defenses kind of flying out of there, so I think Jalen is continuing to progress, starting to see some different things definitely, and just finding way to adjust.
Q. The quarterback running game has been a huge stress here. Over the past few seasons, hasn't been what we're used to. Is it those different looks? What do you think is going on in that aspect?
BRIAN JOHNSON: Yeah, we just haven't hit very many explosives with our running plays. You can go back and watch the tape. It's really, really close. We just got to continue to strive to be better in all areas, and continue to try to put our guys in the perfect situation.
Q. As a play caller, what's going through your mind, if you will, about going to a running play over and over again?
BRIAN JOHNSON: Yeah, I think ultimately job number one is to do what you have to do to win the football game. I think one of the luxuries we have is we have a bunch of great players. The reality of that is when you do have great players, it allows us to really attack what the defense is not focusing on.
So for us in this past game on Thursday, you know, we decided that we were able to adjust really quickly to how they were playing, and they gave us a couple favorable matchups in the run game and the guys did a great job executing that.
Q. When you're calling the same play over and over again, we used to talk to Shane about like not getting bored with that. How hard is it to just stick with what's working?
BRIAN JOHNSON: I think that's just a true test of your patience. Particularly what the defense is expecting you to do in those scenarios is we'll try to make the offense drive it 12, 14, 15 plays and count on them to make a mistake.
And so I think it was just a credit to everybody's patience to continue to do what was working.
Q. Two-part question: How much does the success of the quarterback sneak affect your playcalling on second and third down? And secondly, we've seen teams around the league trying to replicate what you guys are doing and haven't been successful. What makes you guys so successful?
BRIAN JOHNSON: Well, we obviously have great players. They spend a lot of time working our quarterback sneak with Coach Stout and Jason and Landon and Cam.
He got his first action in trying to get that quarterback sneak done, so it's been a very effective play for us the last couple years here. Just a total testament to just the type of players that we have that it requires to make that play good.
Q. How does it affect your playcalling?
BRIAN JOHNSON: Sure, we feel really comfortable in short yardage situations, and we have here for the past three years. So for us, any time that we can get to those favorable down and distances where the quarterback sneak is an option for us and having other plays off it to try to create explosive is a positive for us.
Q. What are the dynamics like between AJ and DeVonta from your perspective, the ways in which they sort of bounce off each other and make each other better?
BRIAN JOHNSON: I think those guys complement each other really well in terms of their games, but there is a reason those guys were voted captain as well. They're great leaders. They're passionate about their craft in trying to be the best they can possibly be.
So any time you have players that kind of set that stage in terms of their leadership, in terms of their work ethic and how they prepare themselves to get ready to go play each week and play at high level each week is a testament to them.
Q. What about the defining characteristics of a Todd Bowles defense that keep you up at night?
BRIAN JOHNSON: He's obviously done this for a long time, and he has just enough wrinkles to keep you honest.
We didn't play them in '22, but in '21, you know, had a lot of the same players that were there. But they're always fast, they're physical, they tackle really, really well. It's an excellent scheme in terms of presenting different problems for you offensively.
Just like any game for us, especially particularly in the first two, is you got to go out there and be ready to adjust to any curve balls they throw at you.
Q. Assuming your going back to the '21 tape ans using that as a resource. How much of Jalen's growth stands out looking at that tape?
BRIAN JOHNSON: Oh, for sure. He has just seen so much more defense than he did at that point in 2021. Just like he's always done, he's continued to progress, get better. That's who he is as a person, as a player.
So he's definitely a different player than two years ago for sure.
Q. After Thursday's game Jason Kelce referred to what are doing is chaos, creating chaos with some of the looks and maybe things you doesn't expect to see. Is that fair? Anything kind of surprised you with how Belichick and Flores came out and played?
BRIAN JOHNSON: Yeah, for sure. I think those guys have done a great job presenting looks that haven't been on tape, unscouted, and trying to find ways to challenge us as an offense. That's one of the things we talked about, is defenses were going to try to adjust to what we're doing, and you just kind of see the evolution from '21 to '22 to '23 of just how defences, what their focal point is to try to take away from us offensively.
And I was just really proud of the guys for being able to adjust on the fly really, really quickly and find way to manipulate that and attack and use it to our advantage.
Q. How much better will that make the offense in the long run being challenged like this early on?
BRIAN JOHNSON: Absolutely. Any time that you're challenged as an offense, any time you have to figure out a way to problem solve, it can only be a positive. For us, we're all in this thing together in terms of how do we put the best product out there on a consistent basis each and every week.
We all know that can look different based on each game plan, based on how it unfolds in the game for us, but any time that you can be able to adjust and get yourself an opportunity to score some points and find ways to win the game when things don't necessarily go your way or not exactly what you expect, I think that's always a huge positive.
Q. As a playcaller, coaches often say it's a good problem to have. When you have a lot of playmakers you can take advantage of what you said they're not focusing on. Do you feel any pressure? Do you have to put that out of your mind, like I have to get AJ involved, DeVonta involved, Dallas involved? How do you handle that?
BRIAN JOHNSON: Yeah, well, you want to get all of our great players involved, whether it's the skill players or it's Lane and Jordan Mailata. So we want all of our players to contribute in a meaningful way to our offensive structure and within the flow of the game.
For us, that's something we always look to accomplish, and each game plays itself out individually. Certainly going into the game that is something we always take into account.
Q. Seems like the screen pass is often an answer for Jalen when you guys are getting blitzed. Is that fair to say? If so, why is that is that affective for him?
BRIAN JOHNSON: Well, screen passes have been. We have faced quite bit of a blitz zero this year. Jalen has particularly done a good job of sitting there and getting the ball out of your hands, right? There are really two schools of thought to when teams pressure you, and you can try to block it up or get it out quick.
We have the mechanism to do both. We have them both throughout the course of not only this year, but in years previous. It was a pressure look for -- DeVonta's long touchdown is an example where we got a chance to take the ball down the field versus pressure.
There was a couple early in the game. We Dallas on a quick little option route versus a blitz zero. Just having different ways to manipulate that and different answers based on how teams are playing you and always really important.
Q. What stood out most about D'Andre Swift's performance?
BRIAN JOHNSON: He's an explosive player and explosive playmaker. He had really, really good vision. He did a great job staying square. All the guys in that room are excellent football players, and it was great to see DeAndre come out and have such a huge performance in the home opener back in Philly for him.
So I was really excited for his performance.
Q. Can you usually tell the game based on a matchup of the defense how the coverage distribution will be, or are you surprised sometimes coming out?
BRIAN JOHNSON: Yeah, I think it depends. It happens both ways, to be honest with you. There have been times when you call a game and you expect the guy to have 12 or 15 catches and they come out with four, and then there have been times you didn't think a guy would double and not get the ball very much and ends up with 12 catches.
That's the natural ebbs and flows of the game. That's why you have the law of averages. It'll even out once you get the proper sample size.
Q. You mentioned Todd's defense earlier. They been really effective stopping the run over a long period of time. Is it just as simple as a Vita Vea is tough to move?
BRIAN JOHNSON: Well, they have great players interior, like you talked about. Vita Vea is one of the best players at his position in the NFL. Lavonte David and Devin White, all those guys can run and hit.
Again, Coach Bowles does a great job of putting those guys in position to make plays and create big plays and create tackles for losses.
So definitely be a battle. I think we have a fantastic offensive line. Just like any other week in the NFL, it's going to be quite the battle.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports