Q. What did you see from Ainias Smith on special teams?
MICHAEL CLAY: Yeah, I mean, it was nice to have Ainias come back from the IR. Had his practice window open. I know I was super excited just as anybody else would be for their first real NFL game.
Is just getting a him back into the groove, whether returning or different areas that he can. He had a prolific career at Texas A&M as a returner, so just getting back settled into the whole week of game planning get him ready for if we have to call his number.
Q. When it comes to just coverage teams, Oren Burks, having that veteran who has done it for a long time, what does that mean to the group as a whole?
MICHAEL CLAY: Yeah, means a lot. A guy that has seen a lot of football, a lot of different returns. Just being able to see things, whether it's different type of returns and how to play it in terms of being double teamed or being single blocked or trap blocked that. Just wisdom he does have.
Even for him, he's still learning all the nuances of the new kickoff coverage. You saw the end of the half. They were probably brining it put, seeing if they could get anything he came across from right to left, and actually knocked the ball out off a dangerous returner, so it was really good to see that.
Just the perseverance for him to come from the backside and go make a huge play, so all the wisdom he has helps myself out and the younger guys out in terms of coverage.
Q. Getting back to Ainias do you see him as a guy that can give Cooper a break returning until maybe Britain comes back?
MICHAEL CLAY: Yeah, everything is on the table of returning and everything. Just like I said, when Coop was out there against Tampa Bay. That NFL speed is just a little bit different than that college speed.
Again, I want to make him as comfortable as possible when it comes to fielding punts just like everybody else. Again, just keep repping him as we go forward into this week.
Logan Cooke is a darn good punter, so getting these guys ready for all the different kicks he does have?
Q. I believe this is just your second game without a special teams ten penalty. What do you feel like accounted for the improvement from last week to this week?
MICHAEL CLAY: Yeah, I think a lot of these penalties you could eliminate by your mental toughness more than anything else. Sometimes the kickoff maybe a little mental lapse with Oren.
For Jalyx, he's so aggressive and I love the aggressiveness that he has, but at times we have certain rules. Like if I see a guy's name plate, just go next level. We got good enough returners to make somebody miss.
But it's a credit to the guys of taking on that role of, okay, we got to play a penalty-free game, one, to help our team with field position and it's just a standard we've always had here special teams-wise that we're going to play a clean game at least.
You can always do it one time, but we got to be able to back it up for multiple weeks.
Q. How much do you enjoy watching Ben play fullback?
MICHAEL CLAY: You know what? I really don't look into the offense. First and second down I'm more getting ready for what's going to happen after that. When he does get out there and I see him running out there with that energy, it's pretty cool to see. Just like anybody else, like you see the sideline after DeVonta made that catch on the right sideline and put his shoulder down on 20. You see those guys get that energy.
Ben brings that same energy when he does play that fullback role. It's pretty cool to see what you can do in the NFL to help out the team any way they can.
Q. Sounds like the Jaguars are going to be down a couple top offensive playmakers. When there is a situation like that, are you on higher alert, whether for aggressiveness or trick plays?
MICHAEL CLAY: You know, I'm always on high alert for that regardless if they had injuries or not. It goes back to how much history Heath has as a special teams coordinator with fakes. I know Logan Cooke has thrown a couple fakes when he was with Joe D. I think last year or a couple years ago against New Orleans he threw a comeback route. We always got to be hyper aware for those different situations, maybe some tidbits.
I know Winger may be coming back, their PP from last year, so a veteran guy. For us we got to make sure we're staying locked in in any of the situations, whether it's forth and short and they got a punt out there. Maybe they want to run a fake or things of that nature or someone that we haven't seen out there is out at the gunner, kind of a little bit of an alert for maybe they're throwing something.
We got to be locked in on each and every play.
Q. What makes Ringo valuable on special teams?
MICHAEL CLAY: Hard to find guys that are 6'2" 215 pounds that can run a 4.3 40 and play with the discipline and aggressiveness that he has. I think he's just learning and getting the confidence that he is an added factor and added weapon out there's a gunner or vice player or kickoff coverage player.
It's taken the role on head on being that kind of rotational cornerback, having a heavy workload on special teams. So the more he plays the better he gets and the more confidence he gets. You can see from his first game ever to now the confidence has really been tenfold. Always excited to have Kelee on our side.
Q. You were talking about tendencies with Farwell. How much do you factor in the coordinators? How much do you research what they've done, their history?
MICHAEL CLAY: Yeah, you always try to keep a catalog of what they've done, whether it's going back to when he was a coordinator at Buffalo or assistant at Seattle.
You just always try to keep that catalog, all right, he ran this so often in this position. I keep a library, so I can look at it last night or this morning just to see. I can write a note and give these guys, hey, this is something that they did back in the day. We got to be an high alert.
Always cool for a coaching standpoint. You just keep a catalog of what happens. It may spark something that can help out the team in a different situation. Just a catalog throughout the league just helps everybody else out.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports