Patriots LB Robert Spillane joins!

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"For us to be able to get a chance at Josh Allen, we got to have to put them at third and long" -"For us to be able to get a chance at Josh Allen, we got to have to put them at third and long" -Patriots LB Robert Spillane joins! Does Spillane think Buffalo is the toughest stadium to play in?

Transcript

00:00Robert, good morning.

00:02Good morning. How's it going?

00:04We're doing great. We're in Rhode Island.

00:05Have you had the opportunity to visit?

00:07A round of applause, please, for Robert Splain.

00:12Have you had the opportunity to visit this state, Robert?

00:18We have not yet.

00:19I can't wait to bring my two little younger daughters down there in the offseason.

00:24Spend some time down there when we get a chance.

00:27It's beautiful down here.

00:29Nice win last week.

00:31I'm sure we sit and fans look at these things and say,

00:35well, it's the Panthers.

00:36I'm sure you can tell us that any week you get a win,

00:40it's great to get that win.

00:43It's never too easy to come by wins in this league,

00:46so any chance we get to take a victory home is a huge week for us.

00:52Robert, you guys obviously got a tough one, Buffalo Sunday night.

00:56When you look at Josh Allen, his ability to make off-scripted plays outside the pocket is,

01:04I think, where he really shines.

01:06So how important is it that you almost keep him in the pocket and turn him into a pocket passer

01:13rather than him get out and have to be able to make some of those off-script plays?

01:17Yeah, well, first and foremost, they are the number one rushing team in the NFL.

01:24For us to be able to get a chance at Josh Allen, we're going to have to put them at third and long

01:29to give us a chance to get home to him.

01:32If not, he is very dangerous with his legs and extending plays and keeping his eyes downfield.

01:38Robert, so far throughout the first four weeks, you guys have had 39 flags thrown against you,

01:44a penalty issue throughout those four weeks.

01:47Moving forward, how can you guys fix that to make sure it's not a problem,

01:51especially against an important game against the Bills?

01:54Yeah, during these practices during the week, we have to really focus on our techniques and our fundamentals.

02:00Good techniques and fundamentals lead to clean play, limiting those penalties,

02:05and helping us get off the field, essentially.

02:09Robert, what has your experience been with the Bills Mafia in your NFL career?

02:17Yeah, as a player, I try to stay out of affairs with opposing teams' fans.

02:23I know they love their team and they cheer hard for their team,

02:27but for me, that's an every week situation, so I stay away from dealing with them personally.

02:35Just be careful, they like to throw strange things on the field sometimes, Robert, up there.

02:41Yeah, but they have hundreds of cameras in that arena, and when they do, they kick those guys out.

02:48Don't invite them back.

02:49From your perspective, what are the toughest stadiums to play in in the NFL?

02:58You've got to start with Buffalo.

02:59I mean, they've been so good.

03:01I think they've won their last 14 games at home, so they've just been very dominant in their home environment.

03:10It'll be a great challenge for us on primetime football.

03:14Robert, you talked about Buffalo's ability to run the football.

03:17I mean, you guys look at what you do defensively.

03:20You guys are one of the better teams in the National Football League when it comes to stopping the run.

03:25So, what do you think you're going to have to do specifically when it comes to stopping the Buffalo Bills rushing attack?

03:35Where do you have to stay on point?

03:38Yeah, you've got to build an edge wall swarm is how we talk to defend the run game.

03:44So, put a heavy edge on it, build the wall at the line of scrimmage, and then swarm to the ball carrier.

03:51This guy, James Cook, is an elite running back who has contact balance, speed, and vision.

03:56So, making sure all 11 are at the point of attack on any run play.

04:02Robert, you specifically against Pittsburgh had 15 total tackles, then 10 last week against the Panthers.

04:07What's been working for you?

04:09How have you been able to see the field better?

04:10Yeah, I've continued to trust in my positioning on the field and my teammates and just been able to make a few more plays these past few weeks.

04:25And sometimes that's a product of the game plan.

04:29Sometimes it's a product of production.

04:32And I'm excited to continue to build off the last two weeks.

04:36You got Christian Gonzalez back last week.

04:40What does that do for this defense?

04:43It does everything.

04:44Having an elite shutdown corner provides you a luxury to call different defensive calls, to play a different style of football.

04:53And I just loved watching him come out there.

04:56One of his first plays makes a clean tackle in the box like he hadn't missed a play.

05:01So, it's great to have him back.

05:03The last two weeks, you ranked fifth, according to PFF, as a linebacker grade.

05:09You got tackles, you got interceptions.

05:11What has clicked for you in this defense recently?

05:16Yeah, I think it comes down to trust.

05:19Knowing where you fit in within the bigger scheme of the pitcher.

05:22It has been quite a big change for me in terms of how I look at the field.

05:31And just getting that comfortability with where I fit in the defense and how I need to be there to be a good teammate.

05:39You a guy who likes playing that late game on Sunday night?

05:43Or is that screw with you?

05:45There is no doubt.

05:46No doubt?

05:47There is no doubt.

05:48We live for these primetime football games.

05:50When the whole country is watching, when all your peers around the league are watching,

05:56they just finish their games for the day and they're racing home to watch you play Sunday night football.

06:02I know it means more.

06:06And these games are huge.

06:07And we want to go out there and perform.

06:10Robert, I'm reading a column today by Doug Kite in the Boston Herald.

06:13And I think my colleague Courtney and her husband will be very happy to know that your favorite movie is Harry Potter.

06:19I do enjoy the Harry Potter series.

06:26Do you have a favorite?

06:26All of them, they're all good.

06:30I just watched the, what is it, the Half-Blood Prince on our last away trip.

06:36So I'm excited to kind of finish out the series with the Deathly Hallows here shortly.

06:41I'm a Goblet of Fire girl myself, but are you excited for the HBO series that's going to be hitting the TV screen soon?

06:49Yeah, I haven't seen too much on it, but I'm sure that'll be fun.

06:54Do you dress up like a wizard?

06:58Pardon?

06:59Do you dress up like a wizard?

07:00Because I feel like all Harry Potter fans dress up like wizards and warlocks and all those things.

07:07You know, the only thing I ever dressed up as is a football player for my whole Halloween career as a kid.

07:15So I've always been a football player.

07:17Never dressed up as a wizard before.

07:20Well, we're happy about that.

07:22So is everybody here in Newport, Rhode Island.

07:24So, Robert, go get them.

07:27Go get them on Sunday night.

07:29And let's do it.

07:31All right.

07:31Thanks for taking the time this morning.

07:32Really appreciate you guys.

07:34Have a great rest of your day.

07:35All right.

07:35Robert's playing 820 start on Sunday.

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