{ "season": 2026, "current_week": 1, "dates_covered": "Sept 7 - Sept 14, 2026", "total_corpus_questions": 349, "total_press_conferences": 23, "teams": { "Cleveland Browns": { "team": "Cleveland Browns", "market": "Cleveland", "total_press_conferences": 8, "total_questions": 147, "deficit_count": 14, "deficit_pct": 9.5, "promo_count": 21, "promo_pct": 14.3, "neutral_count": 112, "neutral_pct": 76.2, "cp_ratio": 0.66, "avg_deficit_index": 4.3, "historical_baseline": 19.5, "variance_from_baseline": -10.0, "status": "BELOW BASELINE (TACTICAL)", "speaker_breakdown": { "Todd Monken": 79, "Mike Rutenberg": 21, "Travis Switzer": 18, "Byron Storer": 14, "Deshaun Watson": 15 }, "sample_deficit_questions": [ { "speaker": "Deshaun Watson", "role": "Quarterback", "date_str": "2026-09-09", "question": "If you look at your timeline, Todd mentioned he's 60 years old, he's waited a long time to get in this position, and he's not worried about the next job. It's somewhat liberating he can do things the way he wants and not worry about things like that. For you, after going through everything you've been through physically, is there maybe something a little liberating for you as a player and just go out there and be yourself and let it all hang out there, and the results will be what the results will be, and not maybe worry about the future so much?", "answer": "\"Yeah, I mean, I can't focus on the future, I've got to focus on now. If I try to look ahead and I get distracted on not focusing on what I need to do now, then who knows what the future might hold. So, all I can do is control these moments now, these opportunities I have now. And I want to be just like Todd Monken said. He's 60, he feels like this is his shot. So, me being in my last year of my deal, and being year 10, I feel like this is my opportunity to get up there and go and showcase that I can still play in this league. And I want to continue to play in this league. So, this is my opportunity to do that.\"", "deficit_index": 90.0, "framing": "DEFICIT", "c_hits": 3, "p_hits": 0 }, { "speaker": "Todd Monken", "role": "Head Coach", "date_str": "2026-09-14", "question": "It felt like in some of those pressures that the Jags were able to put on Deshaun, the O-line was holding up, and it was just maybe a little scramble or a scramble in the wrong direction. How much of some of those pressures were miscommunication versus just a stout defense from the Jags that you can clean up personally?", "answer": "\"All the above. They've got good players. We did have a couple of miscommunications. We had a couple times where we got covered where he was looking, and that got him to scramble. There were a couple of good calls they pressured us into. We were trying to get out of the play and didn't have a chance to get out of the play. All the above. Sometimes Deshaun's just going to have to get rid of it. So, all of that was a byproduct of us being behind. Being behind in the score, and also just, again, everybody taking their turns.\"", "deficit_index": 90.0, "framing": "DEFICIT", "c_hits": 3, "p_hits": 0 }, { "speaker": "Todd Monken", "role": "Head Coach", "date_str": "2026-09-14", "question": "I wanted to ask you about Deshaun yesterday. It seemed like his game really kind of plummeted after he threw that early pick. Is there any concern for you about him being able to sustain and get back on track mentally after making mistakes early in games? Because it seemed like after that he was timid to throw the ball down the field and was a little gun-shy at that point.", "answer": "\"I wouldn't say that. I would say that some of those weren't called. Unless you're watching the tape and know what we called. There were times we were trying to push the ball down the field, and he did have a missed throw once we moved the pocket one time. But I know right before halftime he made two great throws that put us in position, and then we got a couple of holding calls that had nothing to do with Deshaun. Sure, I'm sure there's times where, when you're not moving it, some of those throws are third down and extra-long. If you take the three series in a row where we literally went three-and-out, three-and-out, and we ran the ball and threw a screen and fumbled, that's not a big sample size. That's really not. We ran a naked on one of them, we had a couple of missed assignments. We had an ME on the next play. So, without watching the tape, you could say, 'hey, he looked a little tentative there,' and it would be like, no, not really. We just didn't call certain routes that pushed it down the field, or we didn't execute. We had too many Browns-hurting-Browns moments. Like I said, right before halftime, a couple of really nice throws. And then even as we got later in the game, I did not see that one bit, that he was tentative in terms of trying to throw it down the field. Sure, there's a couple times maybe he could have pumped it down there, but in my mind, I didn't see that.\"", "deficit_index": 60.0, "framing": "DEFICIT", "c_hits": 2, "p_hits": 0 }, { "speaker": "Mike Rutenberg", "role": "Defensive Coordinator", "date_str": "2026-09-10", "question": "We got a chance to talk to Alex (Wright) in the locker room today. Obviously, it's a tough loss to lose him for the season, but he said he's going to be around the team, leaning on you, being a mentor to the guys and learning coaching skills from you too. What does it mean to have a guy who's not able to be productive on the field because of the injury, but to be around the team and contributing in that capacity?", "answer": "\"Well, you got to hit my heart with that one, man, gets me emotional up here. A-Wright is heart, mind, fist to a T. The guy connects with the players and the coaches. He does everything. He strains for the man next to him. He prepares. He is the ambassador of violence. He's everything you want from a Cleveland Browns defensive player, and we're still getting it from him. He's begging me to come to meetings, telling me he wants to be on the field. You want that in your family, I could go on for an hour, you guys know. It's been awesome, and anything we get from A-Wright is a plus, because of the man he is.\"", "deficit_index": 30.0, "framing": "DEFICIT", "c_hits": 1, "p_hits": 0 }, { "speaker": "Todd Monken", "role": "Head Coach", "date_str": "2026-09-11", "question": "Todd, we've talked a lot about these first two games being in Florida, with the heat and the humidity. How well do you feel like you guys have prepared to deal with it? I know Denzel (Ward) has struggled a little with cramping in hot games in the past. Is that something you've been extra diligent about this week?", "answer": "\"For sure, and we'll be diligent in our warmups when we get down there. We were lucky enough last week to get a couple of days where our big workdays were in the 90s, so that was great for us. We've done all the things we can do to prep our guys. We can't do those things away from the building, that's up to the players: what they put in their bodies, how they hydrate, the food they eat, the rest they get. And then leading up to the game, our travel, how we handle the travel, and then go play. Just like a team's going to have to do when they come here and it's cold. That's just part of playing in the NFL in terms of the elements, and we'll be ready to go.\"", "deficit_index": 30.0, "framing": "DEFICIT", "c_hits": 1, "p_hits": 0 } ], "sample_promo_questions": [ { "speaker": "Travis Switzer", "role": "Offensive Coordinator", "date_str": "2026-09-10", "question": "Travis, Todd (Monken) hasn't really committed to a starter yet at right guard. He said he was leaning towards Teven (Jenkins) but he'd let the week play out. We saw Teven leave early in practice yesterday. If Austin (Barber) does get that starting job, what can you say about the progress he's made, especially starting his rookie time at tackle and moving into guard over the past couple of weeks?", "answer": "\"Yeah, no, his development's been impressive. It's hard enough for a rookie to come in and play, let alone when he's been at multiple spots. It's all about the approach and the way he goes about it. I mean he's wired the right way. He's a very diligent guy, he's very tough. So, we're excited about him and his development.", "deficit_index": 0.0, "framing": "PROMOTIONAL", "c_hits": 0, "p_hits": 1 }, { "speaker": "Mike Rutenberg", "role": "Defensive Coordinator", "date_str": "2026-09-10", "question": "In the preseason you're not doing traditional opponent game planning. With you being a first-time coordinator and play caller, no one really knows everything you might throw at them. What about that element of surprise? Do you feel like that's been building early here, and are you excited to unleash some of what you've been practicing no one has been able to see?", "answer": "\"I mean, you know me, I'm excited to watch us play as hard as possible. I can't wait just to watch us celebrate together. I can't wait to see our preparation hopefully come to life. We're built off violence, and that's what we're looking for in every play.\"", "deficit_index": 0.0, "framing": "PROMOTIONAL", "c_hits": 0, "p_hits": 2 }, { "speaker": "Travis Switzer", "role": "Offensive Coordinator", "date_str": "2026-09-10", "question": "During the offseason, we hear so much about growth development, especially from young guys. How much of the development process with players is on you guys as coaches versus the players themselves just putting in that work and how does that kind of continue once the season starts, when it's more game-planning rather than working with them individually?", "answer": "\"The development never stops. Monk says this all the time. We're in the development business, so it doesn't matter. Yeah, we're preparing for a game plan, but you're still developing the skills. I mean, the plays are just plays. Everybody's going to run a slant route, but it's the technique and the development of the skills that go into the plays that really make them come to life. So, to answer your question, yeah, you're going to have to spend time studying the game plan, of course, but the development of the skills, it never stops, and we'll always keep striving for that. And it's a two-way street. We've got to meet halfway, coach and player. There's got to be great communication there, too. If the player needs something that he's not getting, there has to be good communication there between the two of them. And there's got to be a strong desire to want to develop, which we have here, which is very exciting.\"", "deficit_index": 0.0, "framing": "PROMOTIONAL", "c_hits": 0, "p_hits": 3 } ] }, "San Francisco 49ers": { "team": "San Francisco 49ers", "market": "San Francisco", "total_press_conferences": 5, "total_questions": 101, "deficit_count": 4, "deficit_pct": 4.0, "promo_count": 14, "promo_pct": 13.9, "neutral_count": 83, "neutral_pct": 82.2, "cp_ratio": 0.29, "avg_deficit_index": 1.2, "historical_baseline": 15.2, "variance_from_baseline": -11.2, "status": "BELOW BASELINE (TACTICAL)", "speaker_breakdown": { "Kyle Shanahan": 53, "Brock Purdy": 13, "Klay Kubiak": 18, "Raheem Morris": 17 }, "sample_deficit_questions": [ { "speaker": "Kyle Shanahan", "role": "Head Coach", "date_str": "2026-09-07", "question": "Is there any sort of problem playing, obviously it's a rectangular field that you play on, but you're playing on an oval-shaped stadium?", "answer": "\"Hopefully they have chalk here and they put the white lines for us. As long as that white line is rectangle, we should be alright.\"", "deficit_index": 30.0, "framing": "DEFICIT", "c_hits": 1, "p_hits": 0 }, { "speaker": "Kyle Shanahan", "role": "Head Coach", "date_str": "2026-09-07", "question": "Will TE George Kittle and DL Nick Bosa go full-go today? What about some of the other guys that are coming back from injuries?", "answer": "\"Because we're technically in the future from where we're from and the Rams are in the present, I don't have to talk about injuries until tomorrow. So, I'm not talking about them (laughter).\"", "deficit_index": 30.0, "framing": "DEFICIT", "c_hits": 1, "p_hits": 0 }, { "speaker": "Kyle Shanahan", "role": "Head Coach", "date_str": "2026-09-07", "question": "What about DL Sam Okuayinonu? What was the nature of his foot injury?", "answer": "\"He had a plate in his foot a while ago and on our bonus practice the day we came, just stepped on it and it broke. He's going to have to get surgery. It was a bad injury. Hopefully we can get him back later in the year, but it was a real tough loss. Hurt for Sam O, hurt for our team, but hopefully we can take care of business and he can come back later in the year.\"", "deficit_index": 30.0, "framing": "DEFICIT", "c_hits": 1, "p_hits": 0 }, { "speaker": "Kyle Shanahan", "role": "Head Coach", "date_str": "2026-09-07", "question": "Can you explain what DL Romello Height's injury was?", "answer": "\"It was an ankle injury.\"", "deficit_index": 30.0, "framing": "DEFICIT", "c_hits": 1, "p_hits": 0 }, { "speaker": "Kyle Shanahan", "role": "Head Coach", "date_str": "2026-09-09", "question": "On the point of being Week One, first time in the 10 years that you two have been in the same division that you and Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay faced off in Week One of the season. Is that a fun thing for you that you haven't been able to see what each other have done on tape and you can plan for each other in a slightly different way and maybe throw some wrinkles in there that haven't been seen yet?", "answer": "\"Probably. I'm sure Sean feels the same as me. We're going to overthink and watch everything and realize that it's Week One. So, who the hell knows? But, if it was Week Three, we'd overwatch and do everything and we'd have to see that we both adjusted once the game starts. So, there's a lot more thoughts that go into it, but none of it matters until you get to those three-and-a-half hours. So, you just prepare as a coach as hard as you can. You prepare as a player as hard as you can. You get your team ready. You do everything that you think's best, but all it comes down to is three-and-a-half hours and you try to do your best to be ready for that moment.\"", "deficit_index": 0.0, "framing": "NEUTRAL", "c_hits": 0, "p_hits": 0 } ], "sample_promo_questions": [ { "speaker": "Klay Kubiak", "role": "Offensive Coordinator", "date_str": "2026-09-08", "question": "It's QB Brock Purdy's fifth year in the league, and I just wondered how impressive has his growth been? It feels like he's been labeled before as a system quarterback. It feels like that's potentially very unfair. What has his growth been like and what development are you hoping to see from him?", "answer": "\"Yeah, I think you've seen a guy really in his fifth year who's just kind of, in a lot of ways, mastered his craft in terms of his preparation, the way he approaches the offseason, the way he seeks to improve and get better every day. He's very confident in himself and kind of his process, and that's what to me is really jumping out this year is Brock's process and the way he gets ready for a game, the way he handles an offseason. He has his way of doing it, and it works, and he's really owned it. In terms of being in our system, I think he has really grown to be really comfortable. Whether he's mastered things, I don't know if he would say that, but he's very comfortable in a lot of things, and he's very capable of being challenged with new things, and he wants new things. And guys like that are a lot of fun to work with because they know what they're good at, but they want to be challenged with new things and they can handle it. And Brock's ready to go on and take on a new season. So, I'm real excited about where he's at and looking forward to seeing how he plays.\"", "deficit_index": 0.0, "framing": "PROMOTIONAL", "c_hits": 0, "p_hits": 4 }, { "speaker": "Brock Purdy", "role": "Quarterback", "date_str": "2026-09-08", "question": "Just on that growth, it's been well documented being Mr. Irrelevant to now being QB1 of the Niners, now starting a game halfway around the world. Has there been someone behind the scenes that's been really instrumental in your journey to get to this point in your career?", "answer": "\"Yeah, definitely. You know, as a kid, growing up, I watched the NFL and stuff and obviously I just loved the game of football and I wanted to be on the TV one day playing and throwing touchdowns and doing all those things. Obviously, that didn't just happen overnight. It happened by taking it one day at a time and loving the game, loving practices, loving the dog days and the early morning workouts and all those things. I just loved that. And then, keeping my head down and going about high school and college and trying to make the NFL, an NFL team. Then, I don't know, I've looked up now and it's like, all right, here we are. I am doing what I dreamed of as a kid. And so, with that being said, I don't take it for granted. I definitely wear my heart on my sleeve and have that chip on my shoulder to go out every day and play this game and know that it's not guaranteed tomorrow. That's how I look at it, but I definitely enjoy every single moment of it.\"", "deficit_index": 0.0, "framing": "PROMOTIONAL", "c_hits": 0, "p_hits": 1 }, { "speaker": "Raheem Morris", "role": "Defensive Coordinator", "date_str": "2026-09-08", "question": "What are some of the challenges when it comes to instilling in your defensive backs going up against the likes of Los Angeles Rams WR Puka Nacua and Los Angeles Rams WR Davante Adams, the talent that they have? What are some of those messages that you're telling them?", "answer": "\"Yeah, let's just cut to the chase. They're pain in the asses, right? And you've got to go out there and compete. I was around Puka when he got drafted very early. Davante has been a pain in the ass for a very long time in the National Football League for all of us. These guys are well coached, they play the game the right way and it'll be certainly a big challenge for all of our guys to go out there and play against these guys.\"", "deficit_index": 0.0, "framing": "PROMOTIONAL", "c_hits": 0, "p_hits": 1 } ] }, "New England Patriots": { "team": "New England Patriots", "market": "New England", "total_press_conferences": 5, "total_questions": 59, "deficit_count": 10, "deficit_pct": 16.9, "promo_count": 5, "promo_pct": 8.5, "neutral_count": 44, "neutral_pct": 74.6, "cp_ratio": 1.99, "avg_deficit_index": 6.6, "historical_baseline": 14.8, "variance_from_baseline": 2.1, "status": "ABOVE BASELINE (CONFRONTATIONAL)", "speaker_breakdown": { "Mike Vrabel": 49, "Drake Maye": 10 }, "sample_deficit_questions": [ { "speaker": "Mike Vrabel", "role": "Head Coach", "date_str": "2026-09-10", "question": "When you guys struggle with turnovers, how do you guys make sure it does not become a pattern and spill into the next week?", "answer": "MV: Ball security is critical - we have periods designed for it each and every day in practice. Is it ball security? Is it a receiver or a running back? We talk about protecting the ball and the guy that has it and so try to make sure that everybody understands their role in ball security. Because an O-lineman is like, \"Well, I do not carry the football,\" but their role is to be able to chase the ball or to protect the quarterback and so that makes their job easier. And then if you are talking about the quarterback, it is putting the ball in the right spots and being decisive with the football and maybe not staring something down or whatever those things are and not putting it in harm's way. So, you practice - that's the only way that we know how to fix things. Like I said last night, we want to stay aggressive. You have to make plays in this league in order to win, but it can't be a negative one in the hopes of making a positive play.", "deficit_index": 60.0, "framing": "DEFICIT", "c_hits": 2, "p_hits": 0 }, { "speaker": "Mike Vrabel", "role": "Head Coach", "date_str": "2026-09-14", "question": "How are A.J.'s spirits? How's he handling the disappointment and injury?", "answer": "MV: Well, I mean, everybody's disappointed for him, and he's disappointed. You know what I mean? He wants to play. He's a competitor, and we'll have to get him back as quickly as possible. Obviously at a four-game window, and make sure that he's ready to go mentally and physically when he does get back.", "deficit_index": 60.0, "framing": "DEFICIT", "c_hits": 2, "p_hits": 0 }, { "speaker": "Mike Vrabel", "role": "Head Coach", "date_str": "2026-09-14", "question": "Mike, you guys had that one practice on the lower fields that one day. It was a little slippery, and that was the day that TreVeyon got hurt. I don't think you've practiced down there since then. Is there something with that field that you don't want to practice on it or anything like that?", "answer": "MV: No. One, you're confined with space. I think you'd like to have two fields, so that the offense and defense can operate independently of each other when we go show team or individual. I think that the space is good. And then we try to give those fields some opportunity to heal from training camp. And I'd like to be up there as much as we could.", "deficit_index": 30.0, "framing": "DEFICIT", "c_hits": 1, "p_hits": 0 }, { "speaker": "Mike Vrabel", "role": "Head Coach", "date_str": "2026-09-07", "question": "Forged in Foxboro had a segment where you were showing the team a clip about being firemen and living in the heat. Can you give some context to how you found that clip, why you showed it to the team and the significance of that?", "answer": "MV: Well, I just thought it was really cool, watching a Hall of Fame trainer talk to the boxer and say, \"Hey, I can notice that you are wavering and your concentration is wavering.\" And the boxer, meanwhile, has never taken his eyes off the coach, and he is locked in, and he says, \"I need 15 minutes,\" and we play 15-minute quarters. I just thought that there is going to be some times when we have one quarter left of the game that we are going to need to be able to lock in and focus. The trainer isn't going to be able to go out there, but he is going to be able to give him everything that he needs and the wisdom and the training to help him do his job. I felt like that was just a great relationship and a good connection between a coach and a player on what we aspire to be.", "deficit_index": 30.0, "framing": "DEFICIT", "c_hits": 1, "p_hits": 0 }, { "speaker": "Mike Vrabel", "role": "Head Coach", "date_str": "2026-09-14", "question": "Mike, I'm curious how you might be able to generate some more interceptions. When you look at it, is there a common denominator or a common thread that you can pinpoint in order to improve that?", "answer": "MV: Well, we always talk about working together to create ball disruption. Gonzo [Christian Gonzalez] can catch the one that, that he had a great play on. He knows that. I mean, that's not a secret. You could tip some balls at the line of scrimmage - that's one place to start. Those usually get intercepted. We talk about those all the time. You can force the quarterback to get rid of it maybe a little quicker than he would want, or then have the ability to, in zone coverage, break on the ball. And again, where the rush and, and the coverage marry - we've talked about this quite a bit. But working together, the whole idea of working together to create ball disruption, somebody making a tackle, somebody coming in and hammering and all those different things that we want to try to do.", "deficit_index": 30.0, "framing": "DEFICIT", "c_hits": 1, "p_hits": 0 } ], "sample_promo_questions": [ { "speaker": "Mike Vrabel", "role": "Head Coach", "date_str": "2026-09-07", "question": "Mike, just with the amount of energy that I am assuming will be in the building on Wednesday, how important is it or how much time do you spend this week focusing on just having a good start?", "answer": "MV: Well, I think that you can focus on it, and you can try to have a good start, and we can say we have to get off to a good start. But then on the other hand, I would say, what do we do if we don't? Do we just take our stuff and go home? Or do we compete? Do we fight? Do we fight through adversity? So again, yes, it is going to be critical to start fast and get off to a good start and all those things because at times throughout the season, we are going to need to be able to fight through some things. There are going to be some things that we really do not want to have happen that happen. There's going to be a turnover, there's going to be an X play, there's going to be something. Look at Miami: sure, we didn't want to give up a punt return, and we answer with a kickoff return. So yes, we want to start fast. We always do. But also, there is going to have to be some sort of response to our actions and how do we keep our composure and how do we come back and compete and find ways to win.", "deficit_index": 0.0, "framing": "PROMOTIONAL", "c_hits": 0, "p_hits": 1 }, { "speaker": "Mike Vrabel", "role": "Head Coach", "date_str": "2026-09-07", "question": "How have you seen Andy Borregales kind of - that first preseason game, he struggled. How have you seen him build on that? How have you just seen him kind of progress throughout training camp?", "answer": "MV: I do not remember that game, so I do not remember what happened. Well, I think like a pro, like somebody that got back to work. The specialists have their own little world that they live in. I just ask them when they want to do the kicking portion of practice, and then they go and warm up, and they work on all their scenarios and the snaps and everything that they work with. I think he has been consistent in his preparation, whether that's the Mayday situation against Philly, where we run in and we know in that situation, you are not going to get a kicking ball; you are going to get a regular ball. He was able to make that. So, we have seen a lot of situations in camp, and I have been impressed with how he has performed.", "deficit_index": 30.0, "framing": "PROMOTIONAL", "c_hits": 1, "p_hits": 2 }, { "speaker": "Mike Vrabel", "role": "Head Coach", "date_str": "2026-09-07", "question": "What goes into executing line games at a high level, how important is the chemistry and communication when it comes to executing those assignments?", "answer": "MV: Well, I think just the chemistry is critical about who it is that you are working with. Somebody has got to get inside, and somebody has got to be able to get vertical, or somebody has to be able to sell that they are rushing, and then they end up being the looper. So, there is some savvy to it, and certainly there's a different style. Some guys have a different style to it. When you are talking about Seattle, they have some guys who will pass rush to get into the gap and get vertical and create a conflict with the, maybe, say, the guard. But communication is critical that they are both on the same page. Is it a quick game? Is it a delayed game?", "deficit_index": 0.0, "framing": "PROMOTIONAL", "c_hits": 0, "p_hits": 1 } ] }, "Philadelphia Eagles": { "team": "Philadelphia Eagles", "market": "Philadelphia", "total_press_conferences": 5, "total_questions": 42, "deficit_count": 0, "deficit_pct": 0.0, "promo_count": 6, "promo_pct": 14.3, "neutral_count": 36, "neutral_pct": 85.7, "cp_ratio": 0.0, "avg_deficit_index": 0.0, "historical_baseline": 18.0, "variance_from_baseline": -18.0, "status": "BELOW BASELINE (TACTICAL)", "speaker_breakdown": { "Nick Sirianni": 13, "Vic Fangio": 9, "Michael Clay": 9, "Sean Mannion": 11 }, "sample_deficit_questions": [ { "speaker": "Nick Sirianni", "role": "Head Coach", "date_str": "2026-09-09", "question": "You saw college football this last weekend, there were a lot of kicking errors. I didn't watch a ton, but I saw Notre Dame get a punt block for the first time in a long time, and then it's 0-0 when that happens. I think Wisconsin scores three, and then it's 3-3, and then Wisconsin drops a kickoff. Mount Union loses to Wheaton on a blocked kick. You didn't see that one? It's [Mount Union's] first two-game losing streak, because we lost at the end of last year and at the beginning of this year, since 1977. It's been quite some time [since] we've banged out two. At least that's what [Assistant to the Head Coach] Cole [Peterson] told me. I don't know if , I throw that stat out. I hope it's true.", "answer": "But kicking errors, live fundamentals are huge. Again, I'm not going to get into every one of these things, but those are things that you can't cram for. That's where I feel so good about our daily process of when we're out in that practice field, we practice hard. I think people get it confused that they think practicing hard has to be long. No, when you're out there, it's got to be efficient. Moving from period to period, high intensity. Sometimes the intensity of practice when it's really, really long, the guys tempo themselves a little bit in that. Like I said, the whole thing is your habits that you build. There is no secret to some of these things. The habits that you build every single day are going to be what shows up on Sunday. Our guys work extremely hard at that. Our coaches are very purposeful on that. Our drill work, I think we do a good job of not only drilling it, but then also showing it. A lot of teams show just the clips of practice. We'll show a lot of drill work in here as well because those are all opportunities for you to get better. You're facing a team with a head coach returning, but two new coordinators. You've experienced that from the opposite side twice before. Dolphins Head Coach Jeff Hafley recently shared an anecdote about former Eagles Offensive Coordinator Kevin Patullo talking about how he knew about his scheme and how you guys went about finding that out. ( Jeff McLane Nick Sirianni: [ Jokingly. ] It was good that they brought that to attention to everybody. Obviously, they're not doing it this year or else they wouldn't have told everybody about it.", "deficit_index": 0.0, "framing": "NEUTRAL", "c_hits": 0, "p_hits": 0 }, { "speaker": "Michael Clay", "role": "Special Teams Coordinator", "date_str": "2026-09-10", "question": "When the ball's in his hands, get your popcorn ready. It's great to watch him do all that. And you spend a little bit more time cultivating a relationship with him, talking with him. I think Tank's going to have a good season on offense, and I think he's going to help out this team on special teams as much as he possibly can. We're looking forward to it.", "answer": "The question there though is you got him after week one last year, right? So, you didn't get the full offseason with him. Is there a different understanding you have of him and familiarity he has with you now that you've had the full offseason? ( Zach Berman Michael Clay: As with anything, you spend a whole offseason and you get to know the person a little bit better, better familiarity, things that we all can work on, things that he obviously excels at. Just having that whole spring and summer is just going to help out the relationship more than anything else and help the player-to-coach relationship be even higher than it was last year. Executive Vice President/General Manager Howie Roseman said that he owes you one after former Eagles TE Cameron Latu got claimed. Where does that one rank in terms of the ones that sting for you? ( Tim McManus Michael Clay: I don't think anything really stings for me. That's the life you choose when you are a special teams coach. You may not know who you have until Saturday night before the game, but that's my job to be ready for anything that does happen. We've lost a whole bunch of good players to unfortunate scenarios where we have a good team and you lose good players when you have a really good roster. That's nothing to dwell on or be sad about. It's not like that may be even an issue [because], in the world today, something bad happens to you and you take your ball and go home. You [tell] yourself, 'All right, next man up. Let's find a way to get it done and put the best 11 out there.' I'm more proud of Cam Latu being able to get picked up and play and be a big role for him. Everybody talks about the bad. Let's talk about the good, the positive. Cam had the ability to go to another team, get put on a 53-man roster, and he made a huge play on that first kickoff last night. It has nothing to do with me. I just try to help them out as much as I can. Cam had the opportunity to excel in special teams, and he's rewarded with it. That's good for him. I've known Howie now for eight years, and I'm not worried about an 'I owe you' or anything like that. He does a great job with the roster. I'm going to put the best 11 out there and we're going to go against a good Washington Commanders special teams unit. It's going to be a dog fight, but we're ready for it.", "deficit_index": 0.0, "framing": "PROMOTIONAL", "c_hits": 0, "p_hits": 1 }, { "speaker": "Sean Mannion", "role": "Offensive Coordinator", "date_str": "2026-09-10", "question": "You said that calling plays from the box is the best decision for communication with the quarterback in particular. How does being up there , What is the plan, especially in between drives with QB Jalen Hurts, compared to if you were on the sideline down there?", "answer": "(Olivia Reiner) Sean Mannion: The biggest thing is, again, the communication of the staff is constant. Instead of me being fixed in one place and talking to one individual, another advantage of the box and having a staff that's done a great job is I can be talking to everybody all the time, and then they can be distributing that information accordingly. I think really more than anything, it speaks to [Quarterbacks Coach] Parks [Frazier]. He does a great job with Jalen every day. I'm in constant communication with him and all of our position coaches. Then it allows for everybody to coach their units, and I can kind of survey from up top and distribute information from there, and they take it the rest of the way. QB Tanner McKee and QB Andy Dalton said that they haven't been told yet who the QB2 is going to be. What's the reasoning behind that? (Tim McManus) Sean Mannion: These guys are competing every day. They work great together. It's a competitive environment. They're pushing each other, and we feel good about both of them. They're both ready to play. They've been preparing to play since they got here in April. We're continuing that. And then when we make a decision, we will, but we feel great about both quarterbacks. They've been pushing each other. They're great teammates to one another. They're great competitors, and they're improving day by day. They're ready to step in and play for us, each of them.", "deficit_index": 0.0, "framing": "NEUTRAL", "c_hits": 0, "p_hits": 0 }, { "speaker": "Michael Clay", "role": "Special Teams Coordinator", "date_str": "2026-09-10", "question": "You guys have WR Britian Covey on the practice squad. Whether or not he's elevated for the game, what is his value in that punt return room, especially working with a guy like WR Makai Lemon and some of the other guys who haven't done as much? (", "answer": "Martin Frank Michael Clay: It's like having an extra coach in that punt return room. We know Covey very well here. He catches the ball great. He understands, identifies different returns, what their personnel's like. [We] can bounce ideas off of him. There's nobody better than Braden [for him] to catch off, because Braden has every punt in the book. He's able to see maybe one punt Makai's never seen, [and] Covey could talk him through that. Also having the ability, if something happens, [to have] a known commodity that has done a really good job in the NFL in terms of returning punts for us to have him in his back pocket. Knuckleball kicks became more prevalent. How much more did you prepare for that in the offseason? What do you expect from that this year? ( Brooks Kubena Michael Clay: There's only a certain amount of kickers. It's probably more prevalent in the early fall time. Los Angeles had [Arizona Cardinals K] Josh Karty, but a lot of those knuckleball kicks, they kind of mess a little bit with your field goals, and everybody cares about points when it comes to field goals. There are teams that still do it, and that's more of us being ready and having a game plan for that. I think it kind of dies down a little bit more when it gets a little bit colder, [and the] ball doesn't travel as well. Then you risk putting the ball at the 40-yard line. It's a week-by-week basis. If you know the kicker has certain steps and doesn't have that right in there, you're able to game plan it. When there is another team that can do it, we're game planning for them. We get all the extra work we could possibly get from either Jake servicing us or after practice hitting him a couple of knuckleballs ourselves with [Special Teams Assistant] Tyler Brown or myself. I think it's just the more reps, the better acclimated you get to it.", "deficit_index": 0.0, "framing": "NEUTRAL", "c_hits": 0, "p_hits": 0 }, { "speaker": "Michael Clay", "role": "Special Teams Coordinator", "date_str": "2026-09-10", "question": "I know K Jake Elliott and P Braden Mann are veterans, but how valuable was the preseason experience, especially getting to work with a new member of the operation with LS Rocco Underwood out there and just establishing a sense of consistency? (", "answer": "Olivia Reiner Michael Clay: I love preseason for these young guys because you're able to show them the intensity's ratcheted up even more from practice. Obviously, I try to create an environment where it's intensified as much as I possibly can, but when you go against somebody else [who] has a different color jersey, that intensity uptick is great, [along with] being able to get into a flow, what Jake likes, what Braden likes, for warmups in terms of getting ready for a punt, getting ready for a field goal, getting into a routine. All these are invaluable moments for Rocco and I think he's taken it in stride. If you ask Braden and Jake, they think he's done a really good job as a rookie taking it in stride and getting better as a professional each and every day, which is pretty cool to see.", "deficit_index": 0.0, "framing": "NEUTRAL", "c_hits": 0, "p_hits": 0 } ], "sample_promo_questions": [ { "speaker": "Michael Clay", "role": "Special Teams Coordinator", "date_str": "2026-09-10", "question": "When the ball's in his hands, get your popcorn ready. It's great to watch him do all that. And you spend a little bit more time cultivating a relationship with him, talking with him. I think Tank's going to have a good season on offense, and I think he's going to help out this team on special teams as much as he possibly can. We're looking forward to it.", "answer": "The question there though is you got him after week one last year, right? So, you didn't get the full offseason with him. Is there a different understanding you have of him and familiarity he has with you now that you've had the full offseason? ( Zach Berman Michael Clay: As with anything, you spend a whole offseason and you get to know the person a little bit better, better familiarity, things that we all can work on, things that he obviously excels at. Just having that whole spring and summer is just going to help out the relationship more than anything else and help the player-to-coach relationship be even higher than it was last year. Executive Vice President/General Manager Howie Roseman said that he owes you one after former Eagles TE Cameron Latu got claimed. Where does that one rank in terms of the ones that sting for you? ( Tim McManus Michael Clay: I don't think anything really stings for me. That's the life you choose when you are a special teams coach. You may not know who you have until Saturday night before the game, but that's my job to be ready for anything that does happen. We've lost a whole bunch of good players to unfortunate scenarios where we have a good team and you lose good players when you have a really good roster. That's nothing to dwell on or be sad about. It's not like that may be even an issue [because], in the world today, something bad happens to you and you take your ball and go home. You [tell] yourself, 'All right, next man up. Let's find a way to get it done and put the best 11 out there.' I'm more proud of Cam Latu being able to get picked up and play and be a big role for him. Everybody talks about the bad. Let's talk about the good, the positive. Cam had the ability to go to another team, get put on a 53-man roster, and he made a huge play on that first kickoff last night. It has nothing to do with me. I just try to help them out as much as I can. Cam had the opportunity to excel in special teams, and he's rewarded with it. That's good for him. I've known Howie now for eight years, and I'm not worried about an 'I owe you' or anything like that. He does a great job with the roster. I'm going to put the best 11 out there and we're going to go against a good Washington Commanders special teams unit. It's going to be a dog fight, but we're ready for it.", "deficit_index": 0.0, "framing": "PROMOTIONAL", "c_hits": 0, "p_hits": 1 }, { "speaker": "Sean Mannion", "role": "Offensive Coordinator", "date_str": "2026-09-10", "question": "When you look at the offense and just how you guys have progressed from back in July, at the start of everything, to now, are you guys kind of where you thought you would be? How would you assess the progress you guys have made?", "answer": "(Martin Frank) Sean Mannion: I feel like we're in a good spot. Back in April, when we started, almost feels like ancient history at this point. But yeah, I'm really happy with the work that the group has put in. We've been getting better and better each day. In terms of scheme, we've been building and building, kind of one layer to the next, to the next, from the foundational stuff we started with in the spring and then adding wrinkles, adding layers, adding different adjustments here and there. The progression of how we've taught it, I've been really satisfied with the guys. Their commitment to learning, their commitment to the fundamentals we're asking of them, has been outstanding. Ultimately, I joke about it, but it does feel like a long time ago, and I think it speaks to the sheer volume of work that our staff, that our players have all put in to putting us in a great position headed into our first game.", "deficit_index": 0.0, "framing": "PROMOTIONAL", "c_hits": 0, "p_hits": 2 }, { "speaker": "Michael Clay", "role": "Special Teams Coordinator", "date_str": "2026-09-10", "question": "You had mentioned the positive of former Eagles TE Cameron Latu getting picked up. The beneficiary here was TE E.J. Jenkins being on the 53. He's done some nice things on special teams. What do you like about him? (", "answer": "John McMullen Michael Clay: When you get a guy that's that big and that could run and is that physical, it's always great from a special teams standpoint. We try to keep it as simple as possible so they can just have one idea and then they get to go. I think it gets lost in translation a little bit. E.J. started three of the four special teams [units] for us in the Super Bowl, and he was the opposite wing of [DT] Jordan Davis in the Super Bowl. It's not his first rodeo. I mean, he played on the biggest stage for us, and he did a really good job with that. Now, he's one of the veteran guys in the tight end room that has seen a lot of football, and we're going to rely on him a lot to be a core four player for us and help in any way possible. A guy that big and that strong is always going to bring some value from a special teams standpoint. What's top of mind for you when it comes to this Washington Commander's special teams unit? ( Tim McManus Michael Clay: It starts with the top. [Commanders Special Teams Coordinator] Larry [Izzo] is a great special teams player in his own right, and his special teams play like he [did] as a player. I think he had over 250 tackles in 200 games as a special teams player. Guys that have that mentality, their units are going to feed off of it. [Commanders S] Tyler Owens and [Commanders S] Percy Butler on the outside are a heck of a tandem from a gunner's perspective, vise perspective. They are uber aggressive in terms of their rush scheme, which is going to be a challenge for us, but we're looking forward to the challenge and it's going to be a physical game. The biggest thing when you play in the NFC East, every game is physical. Not every game is going to be a blowout or a high scoring game. It's going to be physical. We have to have a great day today and our longer Thursday practice, [and] be really in tune with our walkthrough tomorrow so that we're ready on Sunday at 4:25 to play against a very good Washington Commanders special teams.", "deficit_index": 0.0, "framing": "PROMOTIONAL", "c_hits": 0, "p_hits": 1 } ] } }, "calendar_hypothesis": { "week": 1, "cleveland_predicted_baseline": 19.5, "cleveland_actual_deficit_pct": 9.5, "cleveland_variance": -10.0, "headline": "Cleveland Deficit Tone Climbs Early Despite Season Opener", "findings": "Even in Week 1, Cleveland media registered higher deficit questioning than San Francisco and New England, tracking closely with the historical calendar onset." } }