Q. A couple of weeks ago, we talked about how field goals get blocked in the NFL, and you pointed out that there has to be some negligence on the part of the kicking team for that to happen. What happened on the 42-yard field goal the Bengals blocked last Sunday?
A. Without naming specific names – Broderick Jones and Spencer Anderson – there was some negligence on the play.
Q. So can you just explain that in a little more detail?
A. Certainly. We block an area, not a man, and over the course of time, sometimes, particularly if those men have special traits, or they’re big men or strong men, sometimes people get distracted by individuals. But the base rule for us is we block an area, not a man. And to make a long story short, those two guys probably got preoccupied by men, as opposed to spaces, and it led to some space that created an opportunity for the block.
Q. After the game in Cincinnati and then again during your news conference a couple of days later, you made it clear that you wanted your defensive backs to be physical with physical wide receivers. In your words, “When we play Shaq we’re gonna use our fouls.” Who was that message for?
A. It’s for everyone. It’s just a component of football that I believe. There might not be any more size difference in the game than those big body wideouts vs. corners in play, in terms of people who compete against each other down in and down out. You got some of these guys walking around like D.K. Metcalf, Mike Evans, Tee Higgins. They’re 6-4 or 6-5, 220-225 pounds. They’re significantly bigger than corners. And so, how do you combat that? I’m not asking officials to do anything other than allow our guys to fight fire with fire in terms of style of play. I would imagine NBA guys had the same attitude when they were defending guys the likes of Shaq. They’re not looking for anything other than an opportunity to match physicality with someone whose game, at times, is defined by physicality.
Q. CBS’…
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