(On whether DE Mario Williams is out of the concussion protocol) – “No, he’s not. He’s on whatever the next step is right now. Being able to get out there and do some stuff was the next step. We haven’t officially been told, ‘He has completed every step, as far as being able to play in this game.’ I’ll find out more once I get back in the building (following the press conference).”

(On RB Jay Ajayi) – “I think he has been really good. He has been really engaged in meetings. I know he has done a great job. I know (Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Darren) Rizzi brought it up to me that he has done a great job in special teams meetings. He has done a very good job at practice. We’re heading in the right direction in that area.”

(On whether RB Jay Ajayi will be available on Sunday) – “We haven’t made any final decisions yet, right now. We’ll have a better idea as far as exactly what we’re going to do Saturday night.”

(On having to address questions publicly about his coaching decisions as a first time head coach) – “I think it’s more times than not when (the media) ask me a question, I answer it for the most part. Some of the stuff that has come out as far as what happened with Jay (Ajayi), … When you go on the road, you have to declare guys out and say why they’re not there or why they didn’t make the trip. It is what it is. You’re not going to hide anything. I just don’t see the point of beating around the bush.”

 

(On if he tries to treat everybody the same or differently) – “I think our coaching staff tries to treat everybody the same. We have a certain way we want to go about our business. (There is) a pretty high percentage (of) guys (that) try to do that right thing. That’s our biggest thing. We don’t have a lot of rules. Our biggest thing is (to) make sure that you give us full effort during practice and on game day. Basically, just make sure you’re where you’re supposed to be at the right time. That’s all we’re really concerned about, and when we’re in this building give us the full attention. That’s all we’re asking for. We’re not here for a long time. There are not a lot of hours spent in the building, so I don’t think what we’re asking for is too much.”

(On RB Arian Foster getting most of the carries last week and if he looks for that continue) – “There were a couple of times where we were trying to get Damien (Williams) in there. We were supposed to do it on the series that we actually got the turnover and (Foster) ran onto the field. I think he felt like he could kind of feel the flow of the game. When you get an experienced guy that understands the flow of the game and he kind of saw that we were struggling a little bit and we weren’t getting first downs, I think he felt like, ‘Maybe I can contribute to getting that first, first down, and then we can get rolling.’ I think on one of the series – that last one where we got going – he basically kind of got himself out of there at the end and that’s how Damien ended up on that screen. We got rolling and I think he felt like, ‘Okay, we’re in good shape here so Damien can get a couple of snaps in there,’ and then (Foster) would be able to come back in. So I think he kind of felt the tempo of the game and felt responsible as far as, ‘I need to be in there to make sure if that number is called, that I can do something positive to try to get this thing going for us.’”

(On if he is encouraged about Sunday with WR DeVante Parker) – “It’s going to be … like, after practice today, we have to see where he’s at; and then tomorrow we’ll see where he is at in the morning, and then we’ll go through our walkthrough and we’ll see where he is at. When he gets off the plane, we have to see where he is at. It just changes so much when you have any kind of soft-tissue deal to where you almost have to wait until game day to make that decision.”

(On if he has any relationship with Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick and if he has ever met him) – “I met him one time. I saw him and Mike Lombardi at the Combine. That was the only time I’ve ever met him.”

(On if that meeting with Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick was recent) – “I think it was a couple of years ago.”