Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Bubba Ventrone (9.5.24)
I don’t think you got the reps you wanted on the new kickoff. What’s left? Is it just now like, let’s see where it goes with all this experimenting stuff you’ve done all preseason?
“Yeah, I think we have a good understanding for the play and being able to evaluate the other teams and things that they’ve done and some of the techniques, I feel we’re in a good spot. So excited about the new play and the opportunity to impact the game.”
Who will be starting that kickoff? I mean, we saw a bunch of different combinations.
“We’ve worked a number of different guys. We feel confident in the guys we’ve repped back there. So, you could see a combination of a number of different players back there.”
What makes (KaVontae) Turpin so good?
“Explosive, fast, very good vision, aggressive runner, even though he’s not that big of a body. He’s aggressive to get downhill, but I think ultimately his, his vision and speed.”
Will we expect to see more than two different combinations in the same game?
“Yeah, yeah, you could. We’ve worked with a number of different guys back there and we feel pretty confident in the group that we have.”
It seemed like in the preseason, that kickoff was no big deal. Nothing, like, dramatic happened in the games I saw. Is that just because it was preseason, do you think?
“Yeah, I think a lot of teams probably held back some of the schematics of the play relative to the play. I think you saw more generic type returns, which you typically see in preseason anyway, even with the old style. So, I think, you know, you’re going to see more creativity, more, you know, variety. I think you’ll see a lot of those things.”
I know you don’t want to talk strategy wise, but in general, do you think most teams are just going to split their two returners back there or are a whole bunch of different possibilities for hiding things?
“Yeah, I think you’re going to — it’s a lot of area for one guy to have to cover. So, especially with the result of the play, if the ball hits inside the 20 and gets into the endzone, it’s a touchback to the 20. So, I think that you’ll see a number of different alignments and things like that.”
What did you change? Say you got a three-point lead and you’re kicking off with two minutes to go. What is your strategy in what you do with that kick-off?
“I think everyone’s strategies will vary just like in any other type of game setting.”
Do you think that moving the touchback to the 30 is a big enough incentive for the kicking team not to kick in a touchback?
“For sure. I think that it is. I mean, I would say there’s things that factor into that, you know, personnel, how’s your personnel look going against, you know, who’s the opponent you’re going against. I think all those things, you know, play a factor in your decision to either, you know, try to generate a touchback or force a return.”
After seeing the play in practice and in preseason games, do you still feel like it’ll be as explosive as it was, as we thought it would be when it was introduced?
“Yeah, I think that there’s elements of that. I think that it can be an explosive play. Yeah, and I think that — here’s the thing. It ultimately comes down to you can have all these ideas for schemes and all these things you want to run, but at the end of the day, it’s how well can you execute the blocking. Because, like, that’s still the biggest part in having a productive return, is if you don’t block well, you’re probably not going to have good production. So I think that’s been the hardest thing. I think with every team in the league is being able to be consistent with the blocking techniques because it is still hard to make a one-on-one block in space like that even though it’s more of a confined space, it’s still hard to be able to sustain a block like that.”
Is there anything, I know it’s still a small sample size and a lot of vanilla type schemes in preseason, but is there anything that surprised you, kind of watching, looking at the analytic, the data and watching it over the course of the preseason that maybe you didn’t expect to come out of the new kickoff rule?
“No, no. It’s really what I thought it was going to be.”
Is it your preference generally to defend the kickoff play? Defend it rather than just kick it out of the end zone?
“Is it my preference? I think, I feel like every play in the game is relative to the situation in the game. I think that everything factors, whether it’s field goal block, punt, punt return, kickoff, kick return. Every play is different. It’s all in the how do you want to handle that situation? So, I mean I couldn’t say yes or no to that. There’s times where I’m going to want to force, there’s times where we would potentially bang. Yeah, it’s going to be kick to kick.”
I think in the Seattle game, they had people covering the kick. A guy left early a couple of times. Is that a difficult discipline to make sure that that doesn’t happen?
“Yeah, and I think the officials did a nice job as the preseason went along of being more consistent on how they officiated that with the — It’s really an illegal formation because everything is considered like in play. Once the ball is kicked, it’s considered the play has already started. It’s not considered a false start. But yes, so I mean we’re coaching our guys and educating our guys to not leave until the ball is touched or hits the ground. I think you saw better results of that as the preseason went along. Minnesota started early three times versus us and it got better. Yeah, and it went and it got better as you know, as the preseason went along.”
With Dustin (Hopkins) and Charley (Hughlett), is there any concern that they didn’t get a ton of camp and preseason reps?
“No concerns with the specialists. It’s a good group, good continuity with those guys. They’ve actually had a lot of reps on the side, so I feel confident. Feel confident in our veteran group.”
The depth chart you guys sent out; Elijah Moore was the punt returner. Is that actually the plan on Sunday is to have him be your guy?
“Yeah, I mean, we have options. We do. We have options. We have active roster options; we have practice squad options. I mean, the roster is fluid. So, I feel like there’s a chance that you could see him or other players throughout the entire season. You know, and like I said, we’re confident with the guys that we’re going to put out there.”
You guys were able to get Mike Ford Jr. back on the practice squad. Just number one, what does it mean to get him back on the team and how confident are you that if you guys call him up, he can kind of step right in and fill whatever role you need?
“Yeah, Mike’s a great player. He had a lot of production for us last year. Lost him to Houston and free agency. Glad to have him back. Brings great energy, a leader of the group, you know, a veteran that’s been in a bunch of games. Like I said, made a bunch of plays for us last year, so definitely excited to have him back. You know, and we always say, like, the practice squad is an extension of the roster. At any point those guys can be elevated. You know, guys like Justin Hardee, Tony Brown, all those guys will factor at some point for us. So excited to have, you know, really all those guys and to have Mike back.”
We asked you about coach (Mike) Vrabel a few weeks ago. What’s it like for you to have him as a resource and then how much does it help you when he’s out there doing special team reps just to reinforce your voice to the guys?
“Yeah, that’s my guy, man. When I was a rookie in New England (Patriots), he was like my big brother. I lived like a mile and a half from him in Easton, Massachusetts and looked up to him my entire life and it’s great to have him around. Obviously, we were educated similarly in the kicking game and playing together in New England. That’s where I really got my foundation; from Bill (Belichick) and Brad Seely. So, you know, having Mike here echoing things that I’ve installed and the things I believe in are very consistent with on things he sees in the kicking game as well. So, it’s been great to have him around. He’s really helped out me and (Stephen) Bravo (Brown) quite a bit, in addition to, obviously his role on offense. So, it’s been really good to have him around.”
You talk about the blocking aspect. How have you seen just the guys adjust over when this rule was put in place, and just over the off season, getting reps in game and just adjusting to the technique that’s necessary?
“I think the guys have done a good job and they’ve understood, and we’ve communicated to them like this play, these techniques are a work in progress. We needed to drill them in the spring. We’ve done as best we could to get more reps of them in the preseason, in preseason practice, training camp practice, the joint practices. We’ve gotten a lot of reps at that stuff, and I think the guys have definitely gotten much more comfortable with the overall play in general. So, I think that we have a good understanding of how we need to execute and what it’s going to take to be able to have good production.”
How have you seen the guys gravitate towards the creativity angle and being asked to do different things and knowing that it could change multiple times in a game?
“Yeah, I mean, credit to our players for just the preparation and putting in the work and getting extra work and extra meeting time. I think that those guys have had an open mind and I think it’s shown.”
What is your goal, in terms of kickoff coverage of your opening drive spot? Like, inside the 30 or 25, what’s a realistic goal?
“I mean, I would say every time we kick off we’d like to tackle it inside the 25. That’s my goal, to me, that would be a good drive start, would be inside the 25. I think that’s what you shoot for. Inside the 20, like we used to would be pretty tough to be consistent to do that, but I think inside the 25 is realistic.”
Is Brad Seely still around? Do you still keep in touch with him?
“I still keep in touch with Brad. Yeah, he coached me here for two years and coached me in New England for four and San Fran for two. So, I’ve learned quite a bit from Brad.”