Q&A with MIKE PRIEFER - 8/10

Aug 10, 2008, 12:02:53 PM

SPECIAL TEAMS COACH

Q: A week into the pre-season, are you surprised that your kicking battle is as close as it is? Or is it as close as that?

MIKE PRIEFER: “Oh, it’s very close. I think it’s still a 50/50 shot for both guys. I’m not surprised, to be honest with you. I think they’re both doing exactly what I expected them to do. They started out a little bit slow in training camp but they’re getting better and better every day working with the snapper and holder again.

“On kickoffs they’ve done better in practice than they did in the game the other night. I think both were a little bit tentative it being the first pre-season game. They need to kick like (Chicago’s) Gould did against us. Robbie did a good job kicking off against us.

“That’s my challenge to them this week: continue to improve on the field goals and PAT’s and really improve on the kickoffs.”

Q: Barth hasn’t missed for a while in practice has he?

PRIEFER: “Actually in the team period neither one of them have missed for a while. Yesterday I had them both kick 60 yarders and Novak made his and Barth missed his. That is the only miss that Barth has had in probably three or four practices.”

Q: Any closer to deciding kick and punt return guy?

PRIEFER: “I think kickoff return-wise I like Jamaal (Charles) and I like Dantrell (Savage). I think BJ (Sams) can still do that and we’ve got to bring him along slowly because of the knee and make sure he’s a 100%. Punt return I think he missed one opportunity the other night. I think he should have taken it and he knows that. I think he’s a little tentative his first game back. He needs to be more aggressive.”

Q: As far as the kickers go, if you don’t have a clear choice by the end of the pre-season do you almost have to go with the experienced guy because of what happened here last year?

PRIEFER: “People have asked me that all the time because of the rookie thing we went through last year. It’s a completely different situation. Connor Barth is a completely different person than Justin Medlock. That’s not a slam on Justin, that’s just a fact. The way he approaches the game, the way he approaches practices and who he is as a young man is completely different (than Medlock).

“I understand why you’re asking that, but to me they are two different situations.”

Q: How is he different than Medlock?

PRIEFER: “I think he’s mentally tougher. I think they’re both very good kickers and very talented kickers, but when Connor makes a mistake he moves on, he doesn’t worry about it. He doesn’t dwell on it or worry about it. He just moves on to the next kick. That’s what I really like about him.”