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Here's everything Houston Texans defensive back Jalen Pitre said following the second day of OTA practices, including how to build upon the defense going into Year 4 under coordinator Matt Burke, plus the growth of quarterback C.J. Stroud.
Question: What’s it like bringing back so many players on defense and being able to have that familiarity with each other and thoughts on the addition of S Reed Blankenship
Jalen Pitre: “I think it's huge. Whenever you have continuity with anything, it allows you to just continue to get better and continue to also evolve. I'm very thankful to still be on this team with the same teammates, most of the same teammates. Adding Reed is going to be a huge piece for us. He's a great player who has been doing it in the league for a long time, got drafted when I was drafted, and also obviously has Super Bowl experience. So, he's definitely going to help us out, has already been very vocal in his approach. So, yeah, looking forward to the future.”
Q: On when he looks at this defense how easy it is to adjust to a new year
Pitre: “Yeah, I think the biggest thing is understanding that we kind of got to start over, not really starting over like 100%, but having a mindset that you can't carry anything over into the next season, you got to show up every day with the mindset that I got to learn this even better than I did last year, I got to learn it like I haven't learned it before. I think if everybody approaches it that way, then we're going to show up and we're going to be even sharper. So that's been the approach so far and we all just looking to be perfect. I think that's the next step for this defense. Everybody is trying to be the best they can be all the time. I know it is hard and some would say it is impossible, but that is what we are attaining for.”
Q: Is there anything specific that this defense can do to take that next step and get even better
Pitre: “Pure execution, like I said, it's been plenty of games, a play here, a play there, where we haven't been our best. So, it's about getting everything out of it, squeezing a towel dry, doing everything we can to be 100% correct at all times. That's our next step, and it's going to be hard, but that's what we want. We want the hard stuff because everybody can’t do that.”
Q: On if he feels like they are the best secondary and why
Pitre: “I definitely feel like we're the best secondary just because it's us. I think anybody would say that about themselves, but I think more so it's the work that we put in on a daily. Then it's also the work that we put in on Sundays. Our group is top to bottom, left to right, is going to go out there and make plays on Sundays. You for sure going to see ‘Sting’ catching a pick, Kamari [Lassiter] catching a pick, Calen [Bullock] catching, everybody is doing something. Reed [Blankenship] catching a pick, knocking somebody out, ‘J’ [Jaylen] Reed, ‘Huzz’. I could go down the line for everybody, no matter who's in, what week it is, preseason, postseason, practice, everybody wants to be the best in that room. I think that just pushes everybody forward. Nobody is satisfied in that room, and that's why I believe that we're the best.”
Q: On the increased emphasis in the tight end position and if he has noticed that same emphasis watching other offenses
Pitre: “It's new faces, a little bit, Foster [Moreau], Marlin [Klein], returning face, Dalton [Schultz], Cade [Stover]. We got a good tight end group. I love our tight end group, very versatile group. A lot of guys that do a lot of different things, but I think that they complete each other well, like with all of their different talents. So, I love going against those guys. Like you said, there has been an uptick in 12, 13 personnel, however you say it, but because those guys can do everything. They can block in the run game. They can make it hard for a nickel to be in the game versus that many tight ends. So, it's hard because then when you go big personnel, these tight ends are faster than the linebackers. It's a whole chess match there, but I like our group. I really do, so I'm looking forward to going against them right now and training camp.”
Q: On what he has seen that's been different from QB C.J. Stroud
Pitre: “That's a good question. I think his maturity. As time goes, people continue to learn a lot about the game and more about themselves. So, I think I would say that his leadership is going to continue to be the best of the best, he's going to continue to motivate and challenge others. In these last two days, I think they've done a good job with the process in terms of handling, coming out of the huddle, making sure that everybody's where they need to be, handling motions the right way, and then seeing stuff post-snap and making the right passes.”
Q: On if there was anything they did this offseason as a defense to have fun as a unit
Pitre: “As a unit, we always take a defensive backs trip, always go to a different location and work out a little bit. So we definitely going to do that. We haven't done that yet. But other than that, we really just spend time with each other outside of the building. Wherever that is, different food spots, different lounges. A lot of people have been playing pickleball. We've been hooping a little bit here and there. We've just been trying to bond a little bit outside of football. I think that that's what's going to propel us forward in the future.”
Q: On the competitiveness during practice even without pads
Pitre: “For sure, nobody trying to lose a rep. I know for sure none of the defensive backs are trying to lose a rep. I know for sure none of the linebackers, nobody out there trying to lose a rep. I know it's the same thing for the offense. So when somebody makes a play, we are looking like, ‘What just happened?’ We got to figure it out. But that don't happen much. I know I say if they make a play, it's usually us making a play (laughs). But, we are competitive, though. We are trying to win every rep and the offense is doing a good job of challenging us with that. We're trying to challenge them as well.”
Q: On if he gets a sense that DE Will Anderson Jr. is wreaking havoc during practice
Pitre: “Yeah, Will is Will. He going to wreck practices, wreck games, wreck meetings. He is going to wreck everything. That's why he's the best because he shows up every day ready to work, ready to push others, and inspire others. He's a great leader for this team, a great player for this team. He’s definitely already, like you said, wreaking havoc out there in a t-shirt and shorts. ‘Coach’ is always on a tipping point of like, do I slow him down? It's like, that's just Will, you can't really slow him down.”
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Everything Texans DB Jalen Pitre said at the start of OTA practices
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Question: What’s it like bringing back so many players on defense and being able to have that familiarity with each other and thoughts on the addition of S Reed Blankenship
Jalen Pitre: “I think it's huge. Whenever you have continuity with anything, it allows you to just continue to get better and continue to also evolve. I'm very thankful to still be on this team with the same teammates, most of the same teammates. Adding Reed is going to be a huge piece for us. He's a great player who has been doing it in the league for a long time, got drafted when I was drafted, and also obviously has Super Bowl experience. So, he's definitely going to help us out, has already been very vocal in his approach. So, yeah, looking forward to the future.”
Q: On when he looks at this defense how easy it is to adjust to a new year
Pitre: “Yeah, I think the biggest thing is understanding that we kind of got to start over, not really starting over like 100%, but having a mindset that you can't carry anything over into the next season, you got to show up every day with the mindset that I got to learn this even better than I did last year, I got to learn it like I haven't learned it before. I think if everybody approaches it that way, then we're going to show up and we're going to be even sharper. So that's been the approach so far and we all just looking to be perfect. I think that's the next step for this defense. Everybody is trying to be the best they can be all the time. I know it is hard and some would say it is impossible, but that is what we are attaining for.”
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Q: Is there anything specific that this defense can do to take that next step and get even better
Pitre: “Pure execution, like I said, it's been plenty of games, a play here, a play there, where we haven't been our best. So, it's about getting everything out of it, squeezing a towel dry, doing everything we can to be 100% correct at all times. That's our next step, and it's going to be hard, but that's what we want. We want the hard stuff because everybody can’t do that.”
Q: On if he feels like they are the best secondary and why
Pitre: “I definitely feel like we're the best secondary just because it's us. I think anybody would say that about themselves, but I think more so it's the work that we put in on a daily. Then it's also the work that we put in on Sundays. Our group is top to bottom, left to right, is going to go out there and make plays on Sundays. You for sure going to see ‘Sting’ catching a pick, Kamari [Lassiter] catching a pick, Calen [Bullock] catching, everybody is doing something.
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Q: On the increased emphasis in the tight end position and if he has noticed that same emphasis watching other offenses
Pitre: “It's new faces, a little bit, Foster [Moreau], Marlin [Klein], returning face, Dalton [Schultz], Cade [Stover]. We got a good tight end group. I love our tight end group, very versatile group. A lot of guys that do a lot of different things, but I think that they complete each other well, like with all of their different talents. So, I love going against those guys. Like you said, there has been an uptick in 12, 13 personnel, however you say it, but because those guys can do everything. They can block in the run game. They can make it hard for a nickel to be in the game versus that many tight ends. So, it's hard because then when you go big personnel, these tight ends are faster than the linebackers. It's a whole chess match there, but I like our group. I really do, so I'm looking forward to going against them right now and training camp.”
Q: On what he has seen that's been different from QB C.J. Stroud
Pitre: “That's a good question. I think his maturity. As time goes, people continue to learn a lot about the game and more about themselves. So, I think I would say that his leadership is going to continue to be the best of the best, he's going to continue to motivate and challenge others. In these last two days, I think they've done a good job with the process in terms of handling, coming out of the huddle, making sure that everybody's where they need to be, handling motions the right way, and then seeing stuff post-snap and making the right passes.”
Q: On if there was anything they did this offseason as a defense to have fun as a unit
Pitre: “As a unit, we always take a defensive backs trip, always go to a different location and work out a little bit. So we definitely going to do that. We haven't done that yet. But other than that, we really just spend time with each other outside of the building. Wherever that is, different food spots, different lounges. A lot of people have been playing pickleball. We've been hooping a little bit here and there. We've just been trying to bond a little bit outside of football. I think that that's what's going to propel us forward in the future.”
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Q: On the competitiveness during practice even without pads
Pitre: “For sure, nobody trying to lose a rep. I know for sure none of the defensive backs are trying to lose a rep. I know for sure none of the linebackers, nobody out there trying to lose a rep. I know it's the same thing for the offense. So when somebody makes a play, we are looking like, ‘What just happened?’ We got to figure it out. But that don't happen much. I know I say if they make a play, it's usually us making a play (laughs). But, we are competitive, though. We are trying to win every rep and the offense is doing a good job of challenging us with that. We're trying to challenge them as well.”
Q: On if he gets a sense that DE Will Anderson Jr. is wreaking havoc during practice
Pitre: “Yeah, Will is Will. He going to wreck practices, wreck games, wreck meetings. He is going to wreck everything. That's why he's the best because he shows up every day ready to work, ready to push others, and inspire others. He's a great leader for this team, a great player for this team. He’s definitely already, like you said, wreaking havoc out there in a t-shirt and shorts. ‘Coach’ is always on a tipping point of like, do I slow him down? It's like, that's just Will, you can't really slow him down.”
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Everything Texans DB Jalen Pitre said at the start of OTA practices
Continue reading...
