11-13 Taron Johnson

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Buffalo Bills nickel cornerback Taron Johnson addresses the media on Wednesday after being named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in Week 10 against the Indianapolis Colts. (Courtesy of the Buffalo Bills)

Transcript

00:00I'm the AFC Defensive Player of the Week.

00:02How did you find out?

00:04I found out in the team meeting.

00:06But yeah, yeah, it's a blessing.

00:09I'm just thankful for the opportunity

00:11to continue to play with these boys

00:12and just want to keep progressing.

00:15Considering some of your other accolades,

00:17I was surprised it was your first one of the week.

00:19What does it mean just to finally,

00:21you've had other honors, but what does this one mean?

00:24I mean, it means a lot, I guess.

00:28I'm happy that I got it.

00:29But at the same time, I know it's just a word for the week.

00:33And we got a game this week that I'm focused on,

00:38that we're focused on.

00:39So just making sure that that's the main focus.

00:42Penny Moore is a really good shot.

00:46You made a great play.

00:47He made a good play.

00:48Are you friends with him at all?

00:49Do you chat with him after the game?

00:50Yeah, we talked after the game, and we

00:51talk on social media a bit.

00:53I mean, he's been playing at a high level for a while.

00:56I think he's been in the league for eight years,

00:58but he's been playing at a high level for a while,

00:59and I've been watching him my entire career.

01:01So it's just exciting to have another player like that

01:04on the other side of the field.

01:06Kelsey is at the top of the two or three

01:09in the league in receptions now.

01:10Just kind of, you're very familiar with it,

01:13but how do you view the challenge

01:15of trying to hold him down?

01:18I mean, he's a very, very good player.

01:21He's been playing with Patrick Mahomes for a while,

01:23and their chemistry is undeniable.

01:25Just making sure that we can affect that chemistry,

01:29you know what I'm saying, with either the rush

01:31or how we're playing Kelsey, just making sure

01:32that we can disrupt that.

01:35The narrative a lot about Kelsey is he's always open.

01:38The perception is he's always open,

01:40and people watch, and they can't quite put into words

01:43how he does it.

01:44Do you, I don't want to say look at it that way,

01:48but how do you look at it when you see the way he does,

01:51with all the attention he gets, seem to find places

01:53to get the ball?

01:55His brain, I would definitely say that.

01:56I mean, he's such a smart player,

01:58and he knows angles, and really good with leverage,

02:01so if you're playing a certain leverage on him,

02:03he's gonna get off of that, go the opposite way,

02:05and I feel like Patrick Mahomes is just

02:08on the right, same page with him.

02:09Obviously, they spend so much time together, you know,

02:13so I just feel like that's probably the biggest thing,

02:15is how smart of a player he is, how smart Patrick is,

02:17and them being on the same page.

02:19Asking you to rate the two, Josh and Patrick,

02:22but having played against one,

02:24and practiced against the other,

02:26how do they stack up, or like don't compare?

02:30Honestly, they're very similar, you know what I'm saying?

02:32Obviously, they can make, both quarterbacks

02:34can make any throw, but also, they can extend plays,

02:38and that's, as you can see, it's very hard on defenses,

02:42and they're both hard to get down,

02:44both have running ability, can get out the pocket,

02:47and make plays with their feet, so, I mean,

02:49it's a lot of similarities there, you know what I'm saying?

02:51And I think that's what makes him so effective.

02:54You heard me ask Josh about how he's adapted

02:57to things this year, from what you've seen in practice,

03:00and from what you've seen, from your perspective,

03:03how have you seen him adapt this year,

03:04more so than maybe others?

03:06I feel like with who's ever been around him,

03:09like we've dealt with a lot of injuries,

03:11and he's just adapting to who's on the field,

03:13and what weapons he has this week, or that week,

03:16and he just makes the right plays,

03:18and as you can see, he does a good job

03:19of taking care of the ball as well, you know?

03:22Just being smart with the football,

03:23and when he sees his opportunities, he takes them.

03:27De'Andre Hopkins changed

03:29what the Chiefs tried to do on offense.

03:31He looks like he's a lot more involved

03:32the last couple of weeks.

03:34I mean, obviously, his catching ability is tremendous.

03:38I mean, he's been a great player in the league

03:39for a very long time.

03:41Just making sure we have an awareness for him,

03:43and being disruptive, whether that be on the line

03:46of scrimmage, or the catching point.

03:49Josh, just now, and to Sean earlier today

03:51about the mindset for this week,

03:53how it's just treating it like another week.

03:55What does that look like for you in the defense of,

03:57you know, are you guys reminding each other of that?

04:00Like, how do you make sure that mindset

04:01kind of permeates everyone?

04:03At least for me, I'd say that every week,

04:06I try to prepare the best way I possibly can,

04:09so I'm gonna do that this week as well.

04:11You know what I'm saying?

04:12It's no difference.

04:14Each week, I'm trying to do whatever I can,

04:18do whatever we can to win the game,

04:19whether that's Kansas City, or whoever it is.

04:21You know what I'm saying?

04:22So this week, it's just that same mentality,

04:25not doing nothing different,

04:26just having that same mindset

04:27of wanting to be the best prepared.

04:30Do you remind younger guys of that,

04:32if maybe this is their first of these Bills-KC meetings?

04:35Like, do they need a reminder of,

04:37hey, just treat this like a normal game,

04:38or how does that happen?

04:40Maybe a little bit, but like Josh was saying,

04:43I feel like we kind of have that demeanor about ourselves.

04:46You see that from the older guys,

04:47knowing that it's just another game on the schedule.

04:50So I feel like they see our demeanor,

04:52they know that we have a process,

04:54and we're sticking to that process every day.

04:56What makes Kansas City's offense so good on third downs?

05:01Man, I would say, starting with the quarterback,

05:04is just how, one, he can extend plays.

05:08That's huge, so you gotta win two times.

05:11One, the first read, and then after he scrambles out there,

05:14then you gotta win again,

05:16whether that be stopping him from getting the first down

05:17or breaking up a pass.

05:19So he does that extremely well.

05:22Josh does it extremely well, too.

05:24So I feel like that's a huge thing

05:25that makes him really good.

05:27And that playoff game in January

05:28gave you guys a lot of problems

05:30running the ball out of 12 personnel and 13 personnel.

05:34What do you think about that?

05:36I just feel like we gotta do a better job stopping a run,

05:40and we're gonna do that.

05:42I know you said you prepared the same

05:43and keep everything like the same game.

05:46When you go out there on the field,

05:48does a game like this, especially here,

05:50does it feel any different when you take the field?

05:53And do you allow yourself to embrace that a little bit?

05:56These are big moments while you still prepare the same way.

05:59Yeah, I mean, the way Bills Mafia is,

06:01every time I'm out there, I always feel the energy,

06:04you know what I'm saying, regardless of who it is.

06:05So that being said,

06:07I don't think it's gonna feel any different.

06:10I've played Kansas City so much at this point,

06:12you know what I'm saying?

06:13So it's just like another game,

06:15and Bills Mafia is gonna be loud like they always are.

06:19In the playoffs, you're without TB.

06:21What does it mean that he'll be here for this game?

06:23It's huge.

06:24I mean, he's a great player.

06:25He's a leader of our defense, and he's a playmaker.

06:27So it's huge.

06:28I'm excited that he gets to play with us this week.

06:31What was it like for you seeing,

06:32I know Matt Milano still has a ways to go,

06:34won't play this week, but just having him at practice today?

06:36Oh, so encouraging, you know what I'm saying?

06:38I'm just happy he's back out there,

06:40getting ready to practice.

06:41And yeah, it's gonna be a huge game when we get him back.

06:45How much having him back around,

06:47just the last couple of weeks,

06:49while he wasn't even practicing,

06:50what it's meant to you all?

06:52Can you kind of put that into words,

06:54what it means to a guy that's been here from the beginning

06:56with all of you guys to have him now

06:58close to this personal moment?

07:00Yeah, I mean, he's one of my closest friends on the team.

07:02So just having him around is huge for us.

07:04Like he's helping Dorian, he's helping TB,

07:06the linebackers just get stuff done,

07:09and like being a coach out there.

07:11So it's just huge to have a guy like that.

07:13And I'm so excited to watch him play again.

07:17Excited yet?

07:18Like he's always kind of the same demeanor around us,

07:21very quiet, but like today,

07:22was there any excitement from him

07:23getting back in the field?

07:24Honestly, I see the excitement.

07:26Like when he's walking around, he's talking about ball,

07:28like being out there, like he is excited.

07:31So I'm excited for him.

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