LB Joe Schobert (11.14.19)
LB Joe Schobert:
On how to react after winning a game but having to deal with the altercation:
“You know tat is unacceptable. You do not want to see that in any aspect of life, let alone a football game or sport. (G) Joel Bitonio said it after the game, ‘You have to make sure that this stuff brings you closer together as a team. You can not let it splinter.’ I think everybody got the message and everybody is believing the same stuff. Obviously, it sucks that stuff like that happened tonight, but I think we have to come out of it with a better mentality because of it. You have to learn from it.”
On what was he thinking when seeing DE Myles Garrett in the scrum:
“My back was turned to it initially, and I was kind of 40 yards down field so I did not see too much besides a huge scrum. Obviously, there were kicks and punches thrown and stuff. It was obviously surprising, but I did not see the start and I did not see most of it. It was kind of a big ol’ scrum. I did not know how bad it was initially at that point.”
On if he felt tension rising throughout the game:
“No, I do not think. I did not feel anything like that. First of all, (S) Damarious (Randall) was no trying to go hurt anybody. He was trying to make plays on the ball. I think even the Steelers guys, they know that. The refs were talking about it like around the ball. Obviously, this safety-first league, they know he was going for the ball, but when stuff like that happens, they have to call it. I did not feel anything before that moment happened.”
On if it surprised him at all that it was Garrett at the end of the game, knowing Garrett’s personality:
“Yeah, very surprising. Myles off the field and in the locker room, even on the field for the majority of time that I have known him, is a calm, centered guy. Obviously, this is an emotional game and people make mistakes, but yeah, it surprised me from Myles.”
On what is he most proud of from tonight:
“Just proud of how the guys came together. We had a good gameplan this week. Obviously, things happen in the game. We lost a bunch of people unfortunately in the secondary, but communication remained at the top. Everybody was communicating and getting everybody in the right spots, and I just happened to be in some good spots for most of the game. It was obviously good to play well. It felt good.”
On if the way the game ended makes it feel like a loss:
“I would not say that it feels like we lost, but obviously, it feels like there are some things that are bigger than football that need to be addressed or needed to be addressed in the locker room after the game. It kind of tones down the enthusiasm of getting a win, a big time win over a divisional opponent.”
On being prepared for the criticism the entire team will face:
“Yeah, and I am sure everybody is going to get questions about it for a long time, especially because we play them in two weeks, so it will be the topic of conversation over the next couple weeks. Like I said earlier, Joel said after the game, after (Head Coach) Freddie (Kitchens) talked, had a good message and I think everybody has bought into that, heard it and agrees with what he said. That is the kind of attitude we have to have going forward.”
On his two interceptions:
“Yeah, we were actually in the same coverage both times. The first one, I think, when (WR) JuJu (Smith-Schuster) got hurt earlier in the game, they ran the same route and I was right there and I was on his back. This time, I was in a pretty similar position but he threw the ball a little bit behind the receiver and I was able to make a play on the ball. In the second one, they had a crossing route coming under. I started to carry it because it was coming through my zone, but eventually, I let it drop right to (LB) Mack (Wilson) and I just dropped straight back and he tried to throw the dig in right behind me so I do not think he saw me or I think he assumed I would keep going with the crossing route.”
On what the win means for the team and if it loses its lust after the incident at the end:
“Oh yeah, its 2-0 in the division. It is two wins in a row since Freddie instilled the 1-0 playoff mentality that we have because of the way we started the season off. You just keep stacking blocks. We have taken steps in the right direction, winning the takeaway battle a couple of weeks in a row, which is huge leading to those wins. We just have to keep building on it.”
On Garrett most likely having to miss time:
“If you are missing a guy like Myles in a game, it is obviously huge. He is huge on our defense. He is a talented player, but we have guys who are going to step up and play well. As long as everybody does their job, communicates and knows what we are going to do. (DE) Chad Thomas out there who has a couple sacks, two weeks in a row now, (DE) Chris Smith, proven player in this league. We have the guys who can step up and do it, so we have to make sure we are on the same page.”
On if he has spoken to Garrett:
“I spoke to him briefly after the game just to let him know that it is inexcusable to do stuff like that, but I know the kind of guy he is. I have his back in life. People make mistakes, but you just have to move on from it, but you have to learn from it.”
On if Garrett had any response to him:
“He just said, ‘I appreciate you, we have to go forward,’ stuff like that, I think. That is about all he said.”
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