Q. (In progress - mic muted.)
BRIAN JOHNSON: ...continuing to make plays at the second level of the defense. Obviously really good defensive front we went against. I think we showed a couple things we hadn't showed to this point in the season, which is typical at times when you have such a long season of being able to get certain things as you grow and as you continue to develop as an offense.
But I thought they did a good job of finding ways to get some hard yards.
Q. I know you're ten games in the season at this point. When you first stepped up into the offensive coordinator role, how do you approach that change with you and your relationship with Jalen?
BRIAN JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean, it's been a very unique transition of going from being with the quarterback and with the quarterback only for two years in every meeting, and then just manage your time to make sure that you're doing what you need to get done in your new role which pertains to the entire offense.
So just managing that I think has been obviously for me the biggest change, but I think Alex has done a really good job so far of handling those meetings and building the tapes that he needs to see to get him ready to play.
Q. Looked like in Kansas City city they made a concerted effort to do whatever they could to slow AJ down. Obviously easier said than done. You have another option in DeVonta. Is that something you think about in the week, or is it something you recognize in-game and just change it?
BRIAN JOHNSON: Yeah, that was something that they have shown on film. We had a huge third and six conversion where DeVonta -- he motioned to a bunch and got a little option route open in the middle where they actually had a double on AJ and a double on Smitty, and we found way to get those guys freed up and they made a fantastic play between Jalen and DeVonta.
It definitely is a huge positive when teams do try to double the player or try to put their attention on the players that we have the ability to create some other matchups as well.
Q. When you use packages that you haven't used this season, are these things you rep during the summer or are they kind of put in now as a reaction to obviously Dallas?
BRIAN JOHNSON: Yeah, there is always a ton of carryover in terms of teaching and how we put things in and sequence things together. Now, there just may be different bodies doing that job, but some of the stuff we've done is obviously stuff that we've carried in our system for the last three years.
Felt like it was a good opportunity for us to pull it out based on the circumstance.
Q. The play after that third down conversion to DeVonta, I guess Nick said had that Jalen checked and saw that DeVonta was on single coverage, you know the 41-yard pass.
BRIAN JOHNSON: Uh-huh.
Q. First of all, how good of a recognition is that by Jalen and also by DeVonta to see what was going on and then...
BRIAN JOHNSON: Yeah, it was a great play by those guys, and that was something that we had talked about a lot earlier in the week and then throughout the course of the game.
So we had a very similar play on, and there was a specific look that they got, and we talked about if we got this look then we could take this ball vertically with No. 2.
So it was great execution by them. I don't know if you guys remember, very similar to we had a fourth and seven in the Giants game last year. Very, very similar play versus a similar defensive look.
We always try to have answers, and those guys have great instincts as players. Jalen made a fantastic throw. Smitty made a fantastic catch. When stuff like that occurs in the game, that's generally for the most part stuff that has been talked about and we're waiting for the opportunity for it to happen and come to life.
The players did a great job bringing that play to life.
Q. ...most of the season, Spags and McDermott from the same kind of defensive mentality. Do you expect to see a lot of the same things from these guys this week?
BRIAN JOHNSON: Well, yeah, I think they have a tremendous front and, you know, obviously they kind of grew up under the same defensive tree, so to speak.
I think that's a pretty general response, is if you see a team having trouble with something or something that caused some issues offensively is to diagnose why and see if you can replicate that.
We have to be ready for whatever they throw at it. Whether they've shown it before or it's something unscouted, I got full confidence our guys will be ready.
Q. What do you think the biggest issue was last week?
BRIAN JOHNSON: In the first half with sacks?
Q. Yeah.
BRIAN JOHNSON: Yeah, it wasn't one particular thing. I think ultimately it comes down to communication and making sure that we're all on the same page, putting the guys in the best situation possible to go out there and execute and do what they do well.
So I think, you know, credit to this group. It was a really resilient effort in the second half, and you try to mix some things up and do some different things to kind of help a team that's rushing the passer really good.
We hit a couple big screens for some big plays, and got the ball out of our hands quicker.
Q. Without Dallas, personnel groupings were a little bit different, a little bit new. Is that sort of something that is game planned or is that something feel for the game in-game?
BRIAN JOHNSON: No, it's definitely game planned, and then how much of that you use, you know, is kind of dictated by the flow of the game and the success you're having and matchups you're creating.
So that was something that we wanted to do obviously going into the game, and I think the guys did a good job executing it.
Q. How good are the safeties at pre-snap disguise?
BRIAN JOHNSON: Buffalo?
Q. Yeah, those two safeties.
BRIAN JOHNSON: They're really good. They are tied together on a string. You can tell they played together for a long time and they have a great feel for how to marry coverage.
You know, I think when you play two guys that have as much experience as they do in the back end, they feed well off each other and make their disguised marry.
Q. In terms of finding answers and maximizing your opportunities from the offensive side, you were mentioning going from quarterback to full coordinator, do you find that you see things more through the perspective of the quarterbacks, through Jalen, and what helped you to maybe see perspective through outside positions that might be able to help you?
BRIAN JOHNSON: Yeah, I think everybody views the game through kind of their own unique lens. Having played quarterback, I mean, that's really the lens that I kind of view the game through.
If quarterback is playing well you're going to have a chance to win every game that you play. But I've been fortunate enough to be around some fantastic coaches that have taught me throughout my career in regard to other positions, including the staff that we have here.
So I've learned so much from these guys here in the last three years and guys I've been with over the course of my career of how we watch practice and structure our off-season to make sure that we are really well versed in what everybody has to do.
Q. Brian, Nick had mentioned that if he wants a play called in-game, he'll let it be known, call this play. How has that been finding a rhythm with him in-game as two offensive-minded play callers and keeping the flow, I guess?
BRIAN JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean, that's how it's been here the last three years, so obviously Nick is the head coach, and if he wants us to run something our job is to play to his vision and how we attack defenses.
But for the most part, like we're all in this together. There is nothing that is on that play sheet that's not thoroughly discussed and talked about before it gets to the point that it gets called throughout the week.
So I think we have really, really good flow, really good understanding of how we want to play as an offense and what we need to do in order to win that game.
We talk so much about like all of these games are so independent and there is a way to win them all, but you got to figure that out sometimes in the middle of it.
Or it might change course through the middle of it. So just being able to manage that and have that feel I think Nick does a great job managing the game in that way.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports