Cornerbacks Coach Brandon Lynch (12.19.25)
So how tough was it to be without Denzel (Ward) last week?
“It’s always tough when you don’t have one of your best players out there. But we always tell him, like, even when he’s not out there, he is out there. Just as far as, like, his presence, some of the details, some of the habits that he’s really, like, imparted on our group. So, we like to say that, ‘hey, even when he’s not, he is.'”
What did you make of Myles Harden kind of playing – he had to play a little more outside with Denzel out. And, you know, I think he got caught on that crosser and on the touchdown. Just what do you make of the overall performance? Maybe some things that you can work on, especially because he was moving from nickel to really playing a lot outside last week.
“Yeah, you know, details win games and with Myles going out there, you know, really glad that he’s getting the chance to get some more outside reps. You know, obviously our defense values versatility. So, to have that young guy play predominantly inside, but then go outside with our main focus of stopping the run. I’m glad to see him developing there. The things that, like, we’ve really been working on with him specifically is like, really just the outside details. So, when we’re in cut, split, play, us really, like, just detailing out what our eye progression is, you know, where we’re trying to get to as far as, like, with our final leverages. And then he’s a studious young guy, right. Like, he’s a trusted teammate. So, you know, unfortunately, and fortunately, you know, we’ve all given up some plays, so he’s very much in a growth mindset.”
When Tyson (Campbell) comes back to the sideline after the D.J. Moore play, the one touchdown, what’s the conversation? I mean, it’s not the first time he’s been beat for a touchdown, but, you know, it looks like he’s in decent position and, you know, he just sort of, you know, Moore just makes a better play. I mean, what’s the coaching point there on a play like that?
“First, next play mentality, right? Like, he expects, we expect, all of us expect him to make that play. So with him being in good position, we talk about, like, let’s be in our best position. You know, we want to be the first aggressor on the ball. There are some details as far as, like, with our footwork, we can scooch a little bit further. We can stay high, shoulder to attack back on that. But bottom line, it was one of those things, a next play mentality – the next play is ours and obviously whenever the ball is in the air, we want to track and attack it.”
Tyson strikes me as a really physical player. Like he’s never afraid to stick his nose in the run game, all that stuff. How nice is it to have a guy like that in that room?
“It’s everything, you know, whenever you have like a guy like that. That’s one of our top pillars, right? Like, we want to be known for physical violence, and he’s naturally like a physically violent kid. Like, we talk about, like being the first aggressor, like he seeks contact. So, you know, myself being like a former safety, like being a defensive back, like, I think that he’s an old school corner, right. He’s a guy that, like, all of the guys that have come before myself, guys that have come after, like when you have like guys that are physically gifted but want to be like physical in the run game, first – that talks about what Kevin (Stefanski) thinks is important, that we all know – tough and competitive. When you have tough guys that are competitive, they actively want to get in the run fence.”
Did you have like any prior relationship or knowledge of Sam Webb prior to the team signing him? Because he went from being on Tennessee’s practice squad to now starting games and playing a lot of significant time?
“I did, man. And it was one of those things like when we get to the combine, you know, obviously we like speed, length, athleticism. So, every year when we get to the combine, everybody who is 32 inches or every corner who’s going to be about evaluated or not evaluated, we immediately circle guys that are 32 inches. So had a great deal of knowledge of this young guy, especially coming from a small school, right. Like, you want to pride yourself as an evaluator, like finding a diamond in the rough. And when you find a guy like that you know is coming from a small school, you think he’s arrow up. We talk about really having a, you know, low floor, high ceiling, right. He’s a guy that has an extremely high ceiling because he’s bright, he’s tough, he’s competitive, and he has the traits that we’re looking for. So, you know, prior to the combine, like, seeing that and then being able to sit down with that young man was really great. So, to see him in our building, you know, fortunately, I told him like, man, the Lord has blessed us with every young guy that we wanted – man, like they have come in the building. We have a system that really like helps young guys like that, like really be their best. So glad he’s here.”
With Josh Allen, what challenges does he present your guys in the back end, both in the run game and the passing game?
“Yes. Great player. He makes a lot off platform plays; he extends coverages on guys and then he’s a run threat. You know, I know that, talking to Coach (Jim) Schwartz, he’s really built just like Derrick Henry. So, you know, the physical traits of him with him running the ball, not just extending plays, but him in the run game, you know, we got to make sure that we arrive violently, and we have an opportunity to capture that guy so the other 10 players can get there. And then like we said about the off-schedule things like he is not afraid to throw the ball down the field. He has great touch; he has like a great command of the system. So, we have to do a really good job communicating first.”
Brandon, it just seems like this year the defense as a whole has stayed so motivated and for the most part, production has been the same. No matter what the record is, no matter what’s going on with the offense or special teams. Like, what is it about Jim as a coordinator that it just seems like he’s able to motivate this whole group so well.
“Yeah, Ashley (Bastock), you have to inspire and motivate like your group. You know, he talked about like really having a premium on that and really simplifying, And with us simplifying and Jim’s scheme, like, he wants us to attack. He wants us to attack as teachers; he wants the students to attack and he’s very unwavering with that. And I think that when you have like proven competitors that want to compete at the highest level, like they want that type of feedback, they want that type of expectations and to be held accountable. So, from a teacher top down, you know, we’re all held to the same standard, and our standard is the best. And you know, as a teacher myself, it’s been really cool to be around him from somebody who has played for Jim and somebody who’s getting a chance to like really be tutored underneath him at this point. It’s really cool to see how he holds everybody accountable. He’s unwavering on it and he’s extremely consistent.”
I don’t know how much you guys have been matched up with them, but it feels like Allen, especially last week, threw to his tight ends a bunch. How big a part of their game is that and how aware do you have to be?
“Sure. You know, we have to do a really good job, like defending 53 and the third with this group. He is very nondiscriminatory as far as like where he distributes the ball. So that makes you really have to defend everybody with fundamentals and techniques and we know that details win games. So, we have to do a really good job and stopping the run first. And once we stop the run, we have to do a really good job on all threats, including the tight ends.”
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