Q. Are there any significant he changes that you made after the first two drives on Sunday?
CLINT HURTT: Once we got a feel for the routes and things they were trying to attack us with and then know what the answers needed to be coverage-wise.
But really at the end of the day the penalties is what extended those first two drives. I give them credit. There is no excuses for that. But fourth and 3 we jump offsides; can't do that. The second drive we jump offsides again and they get an explosive play. Generally when you get an explosive play within a drive that leads to point for the offense.
So obviously they took advantage of what we gave them. The first series on a fourth and three, I believe that was going to be a freeze play, so it worked to our kind of if we don't flinch in the neutral zone. They take the penalty back up five, punt the ball, and then we're going.
So we did some self-harm in those first two drives, but we got settled down and made the corrections, made the adjustments pass coverage-wise what we needed to get into, and did well. We just got to do better job of, one, not hurting ourselves with penalties, and, two, creating more takeaways and give the ball back to the offense.
Q. Looked like maybe Quandre was playing real closer to the line of scrimmage, being used a little bit differently. Why was that good, a good way to use him?
CLINT HURTT: Just find ways. It's always a delicate balance because obviously with him, I think he's the best post safety in football. He is in the middle of the field. There is a safety with that as a coach when he's back there defending the deep part of the field for us.
The other side is he's really special in his ability to feel routes when he's dropping into the hooks. So he was able to do a lot for us and help us out. As always, you want to try to get your best players and put them in a position to be successful.
He does a lot of things well, so worked out great for us.
Q. What did you see from Jamal his first full game back?
CLINT HURTT: Just the immediate energy, passion, all the things. It's infectious to his teammates and they're excited to go out there and play with him. Obviously the playmaking ability showed early and often with him. The plays on the flat, his attention that he draws as a threat as a blitzer, he redirects a lot of protections and things like that so another guys can capitalize off whether you're a D-linemen or the guy playing next to him in the box.
Q. The old thinking used to be you play nickel for the pass and load up for the run. You guys have been almost all nickel or dime this year the run numbers are really good. What's the key?
CLINT HURTT: Always starts with the big guys up front. They have to control the line of scrimmage, and the guys that play behind them can play off them accordingly. So it starts with Jarran and Mario and Dre'Mont and obviously Mafe and all the guys that's playing on the edge, because if they can play vertical and get in the backfield and create disruption, the guys behind them can clean up a lot of things and makes life easy.
Obviously having Wags back to control and navigate the traffic also helps. And JB -- it's an entire defensive effort, so I don't want to name every single guy. It collective takes everyone to get that done.
Q. I'm guessing you can't do that without a nickel back that's...
CLINT HURTT: Absolutely. He brings a lot to the table of where we can pout him. Play him inside and outside. Very good blitzer. Whether Jamal is at nickel or not 'Spoon brings a lot to the table when he is at that position as well. He's been obviously a great addition for us.
Q. Look at Arizona's offense, the run game stands out. What about their wide receivers becomes a threat?
CLINT HURTT: Yeah, they have excellent speed. You have to make sure you take care of the run game defending this team. They have really good scheme, good talent, running back position, the quarterback is a talented runner as well.
They got guys that can take the top off the defense, so you got to be smart about how you play your stuff and not want to give them opportunities to get explosives on you as well. They create a great challenge. Their record may not be where they want it to be, but they got a lot of good things going and been in a lot of the football games, so we have a lot of respect for this opponent.
Q. How much more comfortable has Dre'Mont got from week one to now?
CLINT HURTT: Yeah, I think he's totally comfortable in the communication and all the things that we're trying to get done. He's been playing really, really good ball. Had a couple splash plays, but I know more will come as the season progresses.
Q. How unique is it with a guy like Devon to be as adept as it seems going forward, coming as a blitzer, getting involved in the run game as it is in the coverage stuff and doing it as well as he has?
CLINT HURTT: Yeah, it's rare to be able to find that, so excited where he is at. He does so many things well. Usually guys have one particular trait. You can do so much with him. The balance making sure you don't try to do too much and slow him down.
He's been doing outstanding.
Q. What are you most pleased with since the Rams game?
CLINT HURTT: I'm proud of everybody. Obviously that was a rough game. We needed to be better. We have done that. We've continued to improve, and that's taken everybody to get that done. I wouldn't put my finger on one guy. It's taken everybody collectively.
We want to be consistent and unselfish. There are going to be times within a defense that you're going to have to have a hard down, you're have a hard job to be able to allow somebody else to be successful, and the roles will be reversed at other times.
It's collectively taken everybody to get us going in the right direction. I just want to keep building on that. It's not about one guy.
Q. What is a hard down?
CLINT HURTT: A hard down is a guy that's playing man to man and you got no safety help over the top. That's a hard down. Could be a D-tackle. We say, listen, we're play with a light box in the run game and you got to own this gap, taking on two blockers, and you got half the gap next to you.
That's a hard down. There are certain guys that can have that all over the defense. It's going to be hard on the offense knowing that's coming up, but there are situations that apply like that, and guys understand you take it for the team and you know there will be other situations guys are going to sacrifice for you, too.
Q. Cam Young and Derick Hall and the way they've grown?
CLINT HURTT: You know what? I mean, they been playing hard. They've been steady. They haven't done anything to hurt us. The playmaking for those guys will come, you guys hear me say this all the time, as the game slows down. Things are going a million miles an hour for them, learning a new playbook, the terminology and things like that, and the difference between the pro game and the college game.
But they're good, they're solid. The playmaking is going to come soon enough.
Q. The play Tre Brown made on the interception, how tough that was back shoulder throws that...
CLINT HURTT: It's really hard. It's a difficult play. You have to have an awareness for it. We talk about staying on top, and we worked all week. Did a great job prepping the corners for that, understanding Burrow and Chase because they do a great job working the back shoulder throws when guys are staying on top.
He was in a lead position and had a great anticipation to throw. It was a heck of a play.
Q. Is that reading eyes and seeing...
CLINT HURTT: Just having anticipates on the route. Like I said, if you're on top of the route, smart receiver, good quarterback, they know, okay, I just take the back shoulder, receiver try to come back, and trade play for what he knew was coming.
You can do that when you trust your safeties being over the top of you, so it was a really good play.
Q. How have you seen Julian and (indiscernible) respond to having an increased role?
CLINT HURTT: Like I said, unselfishness. Everybody understands there is a lot of talented guys obviously on the defense and there is going to be roles guy have to play. Some games guys may not play as much as others and things of that nature.
Again, if you keep it about winning football games, everything is going to be okay. Everyone will have their opportunities. Also, my job is to make sure when they're out there getting their shots be able to make plays, too.
Q. (Indiscernible.)
CLINT HURTT: No. We got -- guys are pros so they get it. We make sure we keep open lines of communication so nobody is surprised by anything.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports