00:00And before he practices, before he heads off to Germany, here is Robert Splain.
00:06Morning, Robert.
00:07Good morning, guys.
00:08How are we doing?
00:09We're doing great.
00:10How are you?
00:10You ready for the trip?
00:12I'm doing fantastic.
00:13We're all packed up, ready to go here.
00:16We start meetings here shortly and then practice, and then we're flying out to Germany, so we're
00:20fired up.
00:21A couple days removed from Sunday.
00:24From your perspective, was it, if you had to pick either, was it more of an execution
00:30issue, or was there a lack of effort at times?
00:35Yeah, no, it's about details, technique, fundamentals, flying to the ball, being connected as a group
00:42as 11, and that's last week and every week going forward, we want to be on the same page,
00:4811 people connected as a defense, and I think we've had a great start to our week, and we're
00:53going to go out there and practice today to get back right.
00:57Robert, there have been some guys that have said stuff like in the news, whether it was
01:00Matt Collins or Pop Douglas, whether it was about energy or guys, you know, we want guys
01:05that are going to buy in, that want to be here, dogs, that type of thing.
01:08When you start to look at the culture in that locker room, being a leader, being a captain,
01:14is everything cool in that locker room, or are you feeling like there are some guys that
01:17you have to kind of pull along a little bit because maybe they could be wavering?
01:23Of course, no.
01:24This is professional football.
01:25Every man takes pride in what they're doing.
01:29I'm really proud of how our team has come together and really hashed out some of those
01:34maybe disagreements that people have, but at the end of the day, we are human.
01:38We make mistakes on the football field, but we move on.
01:42We know Christian Gonzalez is a lockdown corner and will always be, so I don't bat an eye at
01:48somebody catching a ball on him.
01:50This is the NFL.
01:51Things happen, and we're going to stay together.
01:53We're going to stay connected and continue to move forward.
01:56So when, and I don't know if you talked to him about it or not, when Mac Collins says
02:02something like that, is that just kind of, you know, immediacy after a tough loss?
02:10Is that?
02:10That's something you would have to ask him personally.
02:12I obviously didn't say that, so I don't know why you're asking me about what Mac Collins thinks.
02:17Oh, yeah.
02:17That's a good point.
02:18You got, that is really, that's, and I think that's kind of the mantra over there is don't
02:23ask guys what other guys might think.
02:26So my, my, well, I mean, I can only speak from how I feel and how I feel about things
02:32and I don't feel like that at all.
02:34So I wouldn't want that to be construed to put in my mouth in any certain, I would never
02:39listen, I am not a misconstruer, so I would, I would never want to do that.
02:44Well, I appreciate that.
02:45Robert, but how did that make you feel like hearing your teammates say that, what did
02:49that, did that resonate with you?
02:51What did it elicit in you when you heard what he's hearing what hearing what, well, what
02:55that when Mac Collins was talking about his teammates, when Mike Vrabel told us that he
03:00wanted to have players that wanted to be here and that he wanted to know by trade deadline
03:03on Tuesday, if you didn't want to be here so that you could move forward, it seemed like
03:07there was a rallying cry within the organization to fix what went wrong.
03:11You're going to have to ask Mike Vrabel and Mac Collins about the comments they decided to
03:15make.
03:16Those are words that came from them.
03:18I, I don't agree with those words.
03:20I don't, I don't know who they were talking about.
03:23But if they want, if you want specifics, you're going to have to figure it out from them because
03:26I don't see what, what that is about.
03:29Okay.
03:29Well, Robert, you specifically as a leader on this defense going into Germany, I know
03:34that you've already talked about a few things that went wrong on Sunday, but what was the
03:38first thing that you guys need to fix as you head into this next week?
03:44Nothing's broken here.
03:45It gets back to playing complimentary football on offense, defense, special teams, getting the
03:51drive, stopped, getting the ball back to our offense and given either Marcus Jones, a chance
03:56to return the ball or Drake, uh, the ball with good field position.
03:59Um, turnovers are going to help us drastically going forward throughout the season.
04:04If we get a few turnovers on defense, it just changes the complexion of these games.
04:08So we're going to keep hunting them and, uh, we haven't been great getting the ball out,
04:13but we're going to, um, continue to work at it.
04:16Speaking of turnovers, Jared Goff's only given up two interceptions so far this season.
04:19How do you, how do you put pressure on him?
04:22You put pressure on him by stopping the run early, by making fourth and third and long
04:28passing situations, by being up on the scoreboard, by starting fast as a team, as a unit.
04:34Um, and that's all three phases.
04:36So I think it's, it's really a collection of how we play as a team to get that done.
04:41You, you talk about, uh, Robbie, talk about stopping the run and how important that is,
04:46especially against a team with, with Detroit Lions, where Jared Goff loves to come off a
04:51play action.
04:52Uh, Jameer Gibbs is such a talented receiver.
04:55How important, excuse me, is it to make sure that your gap discipline, especially in your
04:59run defense?
05:02Yeah.
05:02With a guy like Jameer Gibbs, uh, we all know how talented and, uh, really athletic he is.
05:08He can make people miss, break tackles, do it all.
05:11It's really 11 people at the point of attack on every play, whenever he's on the field.
05:15Um, he's able to start on one side of the field, get it to the other side of the field
05:20and can do it in a hurry too.
05:22So, um, I know we're all going to have to be on our P's and Q's this week.
05:26When you start to look at this game, I think, you know, every game is critical, but you
05:30guys come off a tough loss against Green Bay and NFC North team.
05:33You're playing now another NFC North team in the Detroit Lions.
05:38Um, mentally, where are you guys at when it comes to, you know, being able to say, all
05:44right, we know how important this game is and not look ahead, but the importance of this
05:48game, where, where do you feel like you are collectively as a team?
05:52Yeah, I feel like mentally we, we understand that this is the most important game in our
05:56lives.
05:56This is the only game that we're going to be able to play.
05:59And, um, the only game that we have for sure, um, none of these other games are guaranteed
06:03with injuries and things of that nature.
06:06So going out there to me, this is my Superbowl.
06:09I try to treat every week like it's my Superbowl.
06:11So, um, just go out there and give everything I can to this team and organization.
06:16Anything you've seen yourself, Robert, in your game that has shown you why the starts have
06:21been rough for the organization the last three weeks.
06:24How do you, how do you fix that?
06:28I'm sorry.
06:29I'm sorry.
06:30I don't understand.
06:31So the Patriots, the first quarter, the first half, first quarter, the last three games
06:35have been bumpy to say the least.
06:37Um, so I was curious if anything you guys have watched on film, if it's been a point
06:41of emphasis this week to make sure that you don't start behind like you have the last
06:45three weeks.
06:46Yeah, I mean, that's, that's kind of a schematic question that I'm going to keep, uh, in house
06:53because we do have obviously discussions about each and every play that happens throughout
06:57these games.
06:57And we go back and we watch them individually, collectively, and as together as a team.
07:02And we talk about things that we need to do and whether it be schematically, um, mentality
07:08wise or communication, it's all when a play goes wrong, it could be one of 10 different
07:15things.
07:16So, um, we're, we're trying to figure these things out.
07:19And like I said, I'll be on the same page, 11 connected.
07:23Well, here's one that may not be controversial, uh, heading to Germany.
07:28Would you be more of a schnitzel guy or a, uh, sauerkraut guy?
07:36You're going to have to tell me what those things are when we, uh, have lunch one day.
07:42Schnitzel is a sausage.
07:44Is that what that is?
07:46Schnitzel is actually chicken.
07:48Yeah.
07:49Oh, but there's a sausage.
07:50It's actually a cutlet.
07:52It could be chicken or deal.
07:53It's very like, it's very thin.
07:55Yeah.
07:55Oh, okay.
07:56Yes.
07:56Uh, I would love to have lunch.
07:59Uh, and you know what?
08:00I'll tell you what, uh, I will buy since I, uh, got us off to a rough start this morning.
08:05How about that?
08:06I love it.
08:06Well, we'll be on a bye week next week.
08:08So give me a call and let me know when's a good day for you.
08:10Where do you want to go?
08:12Any, any place in Boston that you like?
08:15I usually stay close to home just because my wife's so pregnant right now.
08:20Due in 10 days.
08:21So I can come out there.
08:23Is that maybe you can come out to Dedham?
08:24Oh, okay.
08:25Uh, the place in Dedham town square that we go to often.
08:30Okay.
08:31All right.
08:31I will make my way out there and I will, uh, obviously on me, uh, if you don't mind getting
08:37the tip.
08:38Um, yeah, of course.
08:39Can I, can I ask a question as a postpartum woman?
08:42Because for your wife, you're going to Germany.
08:45Is there like a bat signal?
08:46If something, if she were to go into labor?
08:50Uh, yes.
08:52Uh, thankfully her mother is in route out to Boston now.
08:57So she will, um, be with my wife throughout the weekend.
09:02And if something happens, they will obviously give me a call right away.
09:06Awesome.
09:06Oh, good luck.
09:07Good luck with everything.
09:08I told that little baby boy to stay in there until you hear my voice again.
09:13So that's what we're praying for.
09:16Well, we are delighted that you took the time this morning and, uh, go out and have a great
09:21practice.
09:22And, uh, as you said, this is a, this is an important one.
09:26So wish you luck on Sunday.
09:29Enjoy Germany.
09:30And we'll, we'll talk to you again soon.
09:32Appreciate you all.
09:33Have a great day.
09:34Okay.
09:34There he is.
09:35Robert Splane.
