LG Joel Bitonio (12.21.23)
Have you been able to practice without pain?
“I’ve not practiced this week yet, so we’re still working through that. I did just get done doing a little run out there and we’re progressing really well, so we’ll see how it goes tomorrow. But from where I was Sunday, Monday, to where I am now, it’s been a positive and we’ll kind of take it one day at a time.”
Joel, scale one to ten compared to how you’re feeling Sunday to where you feel now. Like, how would you compare it?
“Yeah, the scale things are hard for me, but a lot better. It’s always weird when you go to the doctor, like, what level of pain are you in? And I’m like, is it ten, like getting cut in half or is it ten, how I feel right now? But I do feel a lot better. I mean, Monday morning was very difficult for me to get out of bed and make it… just those backs, you never know. But I’m feeling a lot better now and hopefully that continues to progress.”
Did you see an acupuncturist?
“I have not seen an acupuncturist. There are some other things that we do, but I’ve not seen an acupuncturist.”
Is this something you’ve been playing with and through or is it just something that popped up on you?
“It popped up. It hasn’t bothered me this year. I have in the past. You play football for a decade, you have some back issues, but not this year. I haven’t dealt with it. It kind of just popped up Sunday, honestly. So that’s one of those ones that you try and play through an ankle or a shoulder or knee, but when you can’t really get in your stance, it’s hard to go out there and go out there and play.”
It seems like it was more of like a muscle spasm type of thing than any kind of a structural disc issue. Is that correct?
“Yeah, we won’t get into a bit of the nitty gritty, but yeah, we’re feeling a lot better. And to me personally, I think it’s more muscle spasm issues and hopefully you can correct those as we go on.”
How do you balance how you guys are close to clinching a playoff berth this year and understanding like what’s ahead? Understanding that you want to be there for your teammates but also understanding that you don’t want to do damage that could maybe be worse or prolong the injury as you try and make the playoffs?
“It is something you think about, but for us really every game is a playoff game for us.
We’re trying to win as many as we can. So for me, if I can play, I’m going to be out there trying to help the team, but that’s something that the training staff and the coaching staff can think about. But for us, I think if you’re healthy and you can help the team and you’re not going to truly damage yourself, I think most guys want to be out there.”
When you first got up from the injury, I thought you kind of shaking out your knee. Was it also involved?
“I don’t think so. I think what I was doing was, at least for me, when my back locked up, like lifting my legs, moving my legs helped try and loosen it up. So I was trying to get some movement back in there and just trying to feel where I was at. So from that perspective, there wasn’t any correlation or anything.”
I remember Joe Thomas telling me it was the toughest thing you’ve ever ever played through, I think he finished the season with back spasms. I don’t know how he did. Have you tried to pick his brain about how he was able to that?
“I haven’t talked to him yet, but I do remember him talking about that early in my career. He texted me the other day about my beard, said it was looking good. So maybe I can correlate that into, like, a question about his back, you know what I mean? But no, I do remember him talking about that. And like we said backs, it’s one of those ones that you never truly know how it’s going to be.”
I guess for you, because it takes so much pride of being out there every time. At what point, how hard was it for you to actually take a knee down and say you need someone to come look at it?
“Yeah, when I realized they called the play and I was like, I’m going to have to pull on this play outside. And I was like, I don’t even think I get in my stance right now. And so at that point, I was like, I’m going to hurt the team by being out here, and I might not even get out of my stance. So that was kind of the moment. I was like, all right, I have a lot of faith in (Michael) Dunn. He does a lot of work for us, and he’s going to go out there and compete and be ready to go. We’ll see what I can do on the sideline if he’s going to loosen up at all. But I knew Dunn, I had told Dunn because it kind of happened in pregame a little bit. I told Dunn to be ready, and he was ready like always to come in and battle.”
Were you frozen? Did you have to tell Geron (Christian) to, ‘Hey, let’s stop this play’?
“Well, Geron was kind of the one. He’s like, ‘Joel, if you can’t go, take a knee.’ And then I was just like, all right, I’m going to do that. But, yeah, I mean, if you have back stuff, when it locks up, it locks up pretty good.”
Is it hard to believe that Wyatt (Teller) was the only original starting offensive lineman that still stands at the end of that game?
“Yeah, it’s something you don’t want to happen. Wyatt’s been strong for us this year. He’s been the guy that’s been out there for us. We’ve had far too many injuries. It’s one of those unlucky stats for us. But looking back at the game, when you have one starter left, it’s usually not good. But those guys fought, the guys that come in for us who have been starting, James (Hudson), Geron, Dunny, Nick Harris, like, those guys are ready to battle, too, and they’ve done such a good job. But Wyatt’s really, you know, he was the last one out there, so he’s kind of last man standing.”
Looking to the Texans game, what challenges does this defense present?
“Yeah, they’re playing really well. I think their front four is kind of the strength their team and they rotate against. They’re kind of similar to us. They let the front four go. They’re athletic, they’re powerful guys. They rush the passer well and it kind of lets their back end play a little bit more aggressively and stuff, but they do a good job. It’s kind of the same cut as, like the San Fran defense. Four down, get up the field. But I think it starts, I think all four of their starting guys have at least five sacks, a bunch of pressures, and they make things happen. And they’re not just passers. They’ve done a pretty good job in this run as well.”
When you look at the run game, I know you weren’t in there, but just how much can you attribute struggles to four guys and haven’t played much?
“It’s part of it, for sure. You want to have your five guys out there. You want to have Nick Chubb out there. But it’s the details. Like, coaches stress the details this week and you watch the film and it’s like one guy here, one guy there, where it’s like, man, that could have been a big hit. That could have been a big hit. We had just a little miscommunication, and I think that does come with playing with each other and understanding and communication. But we see the opportunities. The opportunities are still there. And if teams want to try and stop the run, then I think we have Joe Flacco and those guys ready to pass when we need to.”
How weird is it with this little stretch here? You got Christmas Eve game, three days later you got the Christmas holiday between. Are you kind of just hoping to just focus on this and then after that you can kind of take a breather?
“Yeah, it’s kind of one of those. I mean, Thursday, late in the season is tough to turn around anyway, and then it’s Christmas week, so it’s a little bit different. We’re really focused on Houston right now and then we know we got to come into work then Christmas in the next few days. But it’s kind of like that whenever this week started, that ten day stretch and get through that and see where we’re at and kind of refocus from there.”
In your years, do you find it easier to be on the road on Christmas? More of a business trip atmosphere?
“It is more a business trip. We played at Green Bay on Christmas, I think Christmas Eve this year. Obviously, the hardest part is the kids. Like my kids, I want to be there with them on Christmas Eve. But hopefully, I get home and you know, see them Christmas morning. But I think the team will be focused on the game and we understand it’s our job. We’re blessed to play football. So, we’re not complaining about it. But there’s gives and know if you’re home, you’re kind of with your family a little more.”
I think of New Orleans coming in last year and winning. Going there, we might as well win, right?
“Yeah. I think there’s something to it. Guys are focused on the trip and there are possibly less distractions when you travel. It’s part of the game, though. But yeah, it’s something. Hopefully, we can be a team that gets a win this week and head home Christmas Eve.”
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