Opening Statement: Starting off, Joe (Flacco) will start this week, Sam will be out. We went through our process, our doctors, second opinions, just making sure we do the right thing not only by (Darnold) in the immediate future (and) long term. So, he is really going to be week to week right now. That was really kind of what we were told by the doctors of let’s just kind of see how well he feels after this week of rest. So, that’s kind of where we’re at right now with him.
Q:With Sam, in hindsight should he not have gone back in the game against Denver considering now he’s week to week?
Adam Gase: No, at that time guys thought that that was the right thing to do. He wanted to go back in, they knew what it was. Obviously after the game, the next day, he was a lot more sore than he was in real time. They weren’t worried about further damage, really it’s just it would be hard for him to really go practice this week. We want to just be smart with him, we want to try to get him to feel better.
Q: How much of a setback is this for Sam considering this is now the third year of his career and it’s going to be the third year now that he’s had to miss time due to injury?
Gase: I’m looking at it right now as hopefully he gets better quickly and he doesn’t miss too much time. I think it’s a different situation than last year for sure where he was out of the building, he couldn’t be around anybody for I think it was like 10 days or something like that. Here, he’s in the meetings today, he’s going to be able to go and practice and be around, be locked in in that way.
Q: How much does your offense change with Joe at quarterback?
Gase: It doesn’t. Those guys, they have similar arm strength and all those types of things. Those guys can make all the same throws.
Q: With regard to Joe, is there a possibility that maybe just a little change of pace so to speak, maybe there’s a spark to the offense?
Gase: I thought he did a good job going in there considering he hadn’t worked a whole week, (just) a couple days a walkthrough. That’s always fun when it’s the first time you actually are in the game and get a play call from me. So that was a first. But that’s what it was, and I thought he did a good job. Joe is as calm as you can get and he’s had a lot of experience and we’ll just kind of see how everything goes.
Q: With the neck injury and stuff, what does Flacco has left compared to the guy that we all saw go to the playoffs and the Super Bowl and whatnot?
Gase: When I watch him throw, the stuff I’ve seen him do on scout team, I don’t see any – the arm strength is still there, I know that. Joe seems like he’s going to be fine. It’s just more about just kind of working with the guys that he’s got to work with that he’s going to play with on Sunday and just kind of getting into some kind of rhythm.
Q: What degree sprain does Darnold have? Is that just a first degree or what does he have?
Gase: I don’t know if I want to go into details on this. I know he’s in a lot of pain. That’s what it is, he can raise his arm a certain degree, but to go out and practice, it’d be very difficult for him right now.
