December 8, 2025 • 11 mins
Dave Canales spoke to the media on Monday, December 8th, 2025.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ho pun for the review.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Great to be back on the grass. The work brings
us back. It was a really excited group to be
back out there with the great opponent coming up this week,
and knowing especially how tough the Saints played us last time.
You know, the guys are really excited about the opportunity
we have to get back to football, and you know,
I hope that the group understands, you know, at this
point in the season, you know, every week is a
(00:28):
championship opportunity. It truly is, and and we have everything
in front of us right now, so we're excited to
get back to work.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Okay, what did you see from watching the tape in
the first between the meeting with the first I'm sorry
watching the tape in the first meeting between you guys,
what were some of the things that stood out to
you that you feel like the team has improved upon
in the week since then.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Yeah, we missed some opportunities in the past game, and
the Saints did a great job challenging us and our
run game, and the focus in that week was to
try to have that balance attack and they didn't give
us a lot, you know, and they played us really well.
They had a great game plan, So we looked at
that part to see, you know, we're gonna be looking
at that early in the game to see if they
have the same type of plan to counteract that part
(01:08):
of it, you know. And then and then on the
flip side of it, you know, the Saints made some
huge plays in that game. I think it was two
touchdowns on third downs, and you know, we're in position
to make plays. They came up with the plays we
did in that game that was a difference and played
good enough football to have a chance for it. But
this time around, you know, we have to make sure
as we as we play this team, you know, you
watch the style of football that that they're playing, finding
(01:31):
a way to play their football, and we have. We've
found an identity and who we want to be. We
know when we're at our best, we're balanced. We make
sure we're running the ball, same thing on the defensive side,
stop in the run. So going into this matchup a
great opportunity, a great challenge for us to show up
with our best. JC and Clauden cleared concussion protocol. We'll
(01:51):
do all the injuries on Wednesday, But they're both trending
in the right direction. They are in the protocol, so
they have to make sure they keep clearing the different
things that that they have to make sure we're doing
the right thing for the guys.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Layton's hand related to the previous hand.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Injury, not related. No, Yeah, this was a this was
a different injury. I'm not sure if it's the same hand,
but this is this is a different one.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Not be able to answer. As we saw Rob working
on the side. Is he gonna be elevated with your
plan with Rob?
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Right, he's getting closer. We're not going to open up
his window this week, but he's getting closer. He's getting stronger,
and would love to see him back at some point,
you know over this next th threads.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Coach dj Wanta recovered the clinching fumble instagrams. Yeah, but
he remains at zero sacks.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Yeah, the final year of his contract.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
What do you need out of him the final four weeks.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
He's doing a great job playing consistent football for us.
And while while I know he would be up here
telling you he would love to come away with some sacks,
he's doing an excellent job in terms of just being
a part of that leadership of the group of doing
right setting edges, affecting affecting the quarterback with our different
pass combos and rushes and all that. And he's a
guy that I just love. I love that he's here.
(02:55):
I love that he shows up every day with professionalism
and and he's been a great example for Nick Score
and then for Princely. You know, to see what it
looks like to do the to play this position at
a high level.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Yep, it should, you know, opportunities.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
It's kind of your message to this team every game
now that it really really is one on paper.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Like do you tailor that message at all? That you
notice anything different from this print? It is why we
talk that way. We try to heighten every opportunity because
whether you're gonna have to win games on the road,
you're gonna have to win at home, You're gonna have
to win in the elements, You're gonna have to win
with crowd noise. There's there's all of there's all these
elements in every game that really does present championship moments.
(03:33):
And we're gonna go down to New Orleans and that
place can be really loud, you know, and uh, a
team that played really good football against a really good
team in the Bucks just yesterday, and so it's easy
for me to sell it, you know, in these types
of situations, especially knowing what's in front of us and so,
but the way we do it is we take one
opponent at a time. The goal is want to know
with a chance to win the division. It's right here
(03:54):
in front of us for Saints game. There are guys
who are talking about the intention of detail was there
throughout the week leading to that result. Did you see
the kind of focus you want to see coming out
of by it that it was an excellent practice. It
was a group of guys that were excited to be
back together, knowing what we're playing for and having this opportunity,
you know, to get outside in the cold, be on
(04:14):
the grass, you know, but a lot of good energy
out there and the guys are fired up.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
Kind Of on that point, when you look at the
results of the season, it feels like to the casual
observer that some of the maybe worst losses come after some.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
Of the biggest wins.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
Is there anything to handling when these guys learn how
to continue to maintain that high level of play.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Absolutely there is, and that's the greatest challenge for all
of us. Across the league. It's the ability to refocus,
the ability to take it one week at a time
and one day at a time, because that process leads
to good results and making sure you capture those days.
No day is less important than the other. We have
to make sure we go through a great process, everyone's
focus locked in and you know, finishing up with the
(04:58):
weight room session after just like, hey, the day's not over.
There's great work in there too. And how you do anything,
so how you do everything, And that's got to be
the mentality. And that's the sign of maturity that I'm
looking for from this group is to continue to just
build off of wins, to build off of Okay, now
we have to go back to work. Let's correct the
things we need to correct, Let's look at the things
that work for us. Well, let's try to continue to
(05:19):
lean into those things, but also just making sure that
we have the right focus for the task at hand.
Speaker 5 (05:24):
And to take you back on that the bye we
give you a chance obviously to get healthy physically, but
do you think that it would be to you, guys's
advantage coming off of a big win against the Rams
to kind of recent or refocus and you know, maybe
not have that dopamine high so much.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
So it's always nice to have a win going into
the bye week. It leaves you with the great feeling
and at the same time, the discipline part of it
is not to relax. The discipline part of it is
to make sure that we look at that game and
we take the lessons learned from that game as well.
And you know, we had some great moments and there
was some balance, but there were also things that needed
to be corrected. We have to make sure that we
(06:02):
take those so we can keep moving our football forward
because the goal is to find our best football and
right now we have this game another opportunity to improve
in some of the areas that we've been wanted to improve.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
Close.
Speaker 5 (06:14):
So you, I mean, how closely did you monitor the
game yesterday? Were you glued to the Saints upset?
Speaker 2 (06:20):
I was watching the game. Yeah, I wanted to make
sure that I was connected to the story of it.
I got to be honest, I got a little emotionally
involved in the game, you know at times. And you know,
something I try to, you know, remind our players is like, hey,
watch these games. Let's try not to get to you know,
emostally connected. But how can you not you know, it
impacts all of us in this division, and certainly it
(06:41):
impacts us going into this week with another division opponent
emotionally involved?
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Did you were you cheering for the Saints?
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Then?
Speaker 2 (06:47):
I mean anything that helps, right, It's we're all competing
out here, and and honestly, like knowing that they're playing
good football, knowing that it's going to require the best
of us allows us to make sure that the focus
is right. It heightens that awareness, you know, to so
that we understand like every single week this this league
is full of teams, especially the ones that are finding
(07:08):
their best ball late in the season. You know, it's
it's a really important opportunity for us.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
By that day with the way that you say you
were watching it getting emotionally invested. Is it tougher to
watch as a fan as a coach? Are you trying
to watch game planning and do work? I guess as
opposed to you know, just watching the game for the
outcome and all that stuff.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
First of all, it's hardest to watch as a parent,
and then as a coach when you don't when you
don't necessarily have the ability to affect what's happening. We
got background is really really emotional moment, right, but yeah,
you know it's it's hard not to shut it off,
especially you know when I'm watching their defense playing and
(07:50):
how they're you know, attacking the bucks and different schemes
that they're using. So you can't turn that part off.
When I'm watching college football, you know, there's trying to
remind myself, hey, just watch the ball bounce, Just watch
the ball, and you can kind of like you know,
turn the u turn the wheels from you know, shut
them down for a little bit. But you know, it
was a great opportunity to watch a bunch of football,
you know. And my favorite part of it is, whether
(08:12):
it's college ball, whether it's high school ball, or watching
NFL games during a bye week, is there's so much
to learn from every game and you look at these
critical situations. We will find ourselves in those critical situations
at different times. And so just watching the coaches, all
the coaches who I respect, you know, and see how
they handle different situations, fourth down calls, you know, possible
(08:33):
go for its scenarios, clock management at the end a half,
end of games. So there's a toime to learn from.
This is why I love this time of year.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
David, Joe and Field.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
You mentioned, Okay, you messed a couple of things in
the past game and the first Saints game, and Bryce
has had some up and down strepisite just as the
team has had. So what do you want to see
out of Bryce these last four games?
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Just continue to lead, keep pushing our concepts forward, finding
ways to protect some of our core concepts in the
run game in the past game, and just lead the
charge that way in terms of just getting us to
the right play and for the whole group, just the execution,
you know, and to watch a group on the offensive
side really start to find some chemistry and some rhythm
to be able to just continue to build off of
(09:16):
that this week. Yeah, that's the part of the whole thing.
It's just it's all the leadership. It's you know, making
sure that we are growing our systems, that we are
protecting our runs and our passes and and and just
distributing the ball and uh, you know, knowing what we
expect out of the position, and he does and to
continue to go on the road. And the part that
(09:38):
kind of doesn't get mentioned, which Bryce has done a
phenomenal job of is just being on the road, being
in different environments and getting us to the line, getting
us to the right protections and runs. And he's been
doing a great job of that part as well. You
understanding he only had too specific, but it looked like
he came back from this vibe pretty help.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
And then not an injury thing.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
But Travon, how important is to kind of have these
pieces all back together as you take this stretch round.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
It's huge right now. And we would have loved to
have you know, JC and Claude and Trey out there
on Sunday, and I got to give a lot of
love to the guys who had opportunities to come and
help us and show us what they can do. And
but we're excited to get all those guys back on
the field and to really just have about as strong
as a group as we've had, you know, Christian Roseboom obviously,
(10:26):
and uh, you know, with a couple of guys, you
know Rob. We'll see where we're at with the Rob,
you know, as we go forward, David Moore is getting
closer to his window as well, So there's guys that
can help us here. But right now the focus is
on this week who can we get out there on
the field this week, and so we'll have more information
for you on Wednesday.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
With that from Yeah, you mentioned that you feel like
y'all have found your identity on offense. When do you
think that happened? What would you kind of attribute.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
The switch to.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
I would just say it's it's generally throughout the season.
If you look at the games that we've had success,
we've been a balanced attack, We've we've had our run
game to count on, we've been efficient with our past game,
and we found some explosives. And that's my dream for
this group is to have a really balanced attack and
where everything starts off the same ends up different. And
we're making sure that the guys who can help our
(11:12):
team touch the ball in one way, shape or form,
and that certainly starts with me and Brad making sure
that the plan reflects that. All right, thank you,
Ho pun for the review.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Great to be back on the grass. The work brings
us back. It was a really excited group to be
back out there with the great opponent coming up this week,
and knowing especially how tough the Saints played us last time.
You know, the guys are really excited about the opportunity
we have to get back to football, and you know,
I hope that the group understands, you know, at this
point in the season, you know, every week is a
(00:28):
championship opportunity. It truly is, and and we have everything
in front of us right now, so we're excited to
get back to work.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Okay, what did you see from watching the tape in
the first between the meeting with the first I'm sorry
watching the tape in the first meeting between you guys,
what were some of the things that stood out to
you that you feel like the team has improved upon
in the week since then.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Yeah, we missed some opportunities in the past game, and
the Saints did a great job challenging us and our
run game, and the focus in that week was to
try to have that balance attack and they didn't give
us a lot, you know, and they played us really well.
They had a great game plan, So we looked at
that part to see, you know, we're gonna be looking
at that early in the game to see if they
have the same type of plan to counteract that part
(01:08):
of it, you know. And then and then on the
flip side of it, you know, the Saints made some
huge plays in that game. I think it was two
touchdowns on third downs, and you know, we're in position
to make plays. They came up with the plays we
did in that game that was a difference and played
good enough football to have a chance for it. But
this time around, you know, we have to make sure
as we as we play this team, you know, you
watch the style of football that that they're playing, finding
(01:31):
a way to play their football, and we have. We've
found an identity and who we want to be. We
know when we're at our best, we're balanced. We make
sure we're running the ball, same thing on the defensive side,
stop in the run. So going into this matchup a
great opportunity, a great challenge for us to show up
with our best. JC and Clauden cleared concussion protocol. We'll
(01:51):
do all the injuries on Wednesday, But they're both trending
in the right direction. They are in the protocol, so
they have to make sure they keep clearing the different
things that that they have to make sure we're doing
the right thing for the guys.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Layton's hand related to the previous hand.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Injury, not related. No, Yeah, this was a this was
a different injury. I'm not sure if it's the same hand,
but this is this is a different one.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Not be able to answer. As we saw Rob working
on the side. Is he gonna be elevated with your
plan with Rob?
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Right, he's getting closer. We're not going to open up
his window this week, but he's getting closer. He's getting stronger,
and would love to see him back at some point,
you know over this next th threads.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Coach dj Wanta recovered the clinching fumble instagrams. Yeah, but
he remains at zero sacks.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Yeah, the final year of his contract.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
What do you need out of him the final four weeks.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
He's doing a great job playing consistent football for us.
And while while I know he would be up here
telling you he would love to come away with some sacks,
he's doing an excellent job in terms of just being
a part of that leadership of the group of doing
right setting edges, affecting affecting the quarterback with our different
pass combos and rushes and all that. And he's a
guy that I just love. I love that he's here.
(02:55):
I love that he shows up every day with professionalism
and and he's been a great example for Nick Score
and then for Princely. You know, to see what it
looks like to do the to play this position at
a high level.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Yep, it should, you know, opportunities.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
It's kind of your message to this team every game
now that it really really is one on paper.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Like do you tailor that message at all? That you
notice anything different from this print? It is why we
talk that way. We try to heighten every opportunity because
whether you're gonna have to win games on the road,
you're gonna have to win at home, You're gonna have
to win in the elements, You're gonna have to win
with crowd noise. There's there's all of there's all these
elements in every game that really does present championship moments.
(03:33):
And we're gonna go down to New Orleans and that
place can be really loud, you know, and uh, a
team that played really good football against a really good
team in the Bucks just yesterday, and so it's easy
for me to sell it, you know, in these types
of situations, especially knowing what's in front of us and so,
but the way we do it is we take one
opponent at a time. The goal is want to know
with a chance to win the division. It's right here
(03:54):
in front of us for Saints game. There are guys
who are talking about the intention of detail was there
throughout the week leading to that result. Did you see
the kind of focus you want to see coming out
of by it that it was an excellent practice. It
was a group of guys that were excited to be
back together, knowing what we're playing for and having this opportunity,
you know, to get outside in the cold, be on
(04:14):
the grass, you know, but a lot of good energy
out there and the guys are fired up.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
Kind Of on that point, when you look at the
results of the season, it feels like to the casual
observer that some of the maybe worst losses come after some.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
Of the biggest wins.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
Is there anything to handling when these guys learn how
to continue to maintain that high level of play.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Absolutely there is, and that's the greatest challenge for all
of us. Across the league. It's the ability to refocus,
the ability to take it one week at a time
and one day at a time, because that process leads
to good results and making sure you capture those days.
No day is less important than the other. We have
to make sure we go through a great process, everyone's
focus locked in and you know, finishing up with the
(04:58):
weight room session after just like, hey, the day's not over.
There's great work in there too. And how you do anything,
so how you do everything, And that's got to be
the mentality. And that's the sign of maturity that I'm
looking for from this group is to continue to just
build off of wins, to build off of Okay, now
we have to go back to work. Let's correct the
things we need to correct, Let's look at the things
that work for us. Well, let's try to continue to
(05:19):
lean into those things, but also just making sure that
we have the right focus for the task at hand.
Speaker 5 (05:24):
And to take you back on that the bye we
give you a chance obviously to get healthy physically, but
do you think that it would be to you, guys's
advantage coming off of a big win against the Rams
to kind of recent or refocus and you know, maybe
not have that dopamine high so much.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
So it's always nice to have a win going into
the bye week. It leaves you with the great feeling
and at the same time, the discipline part of it
is not to relax. The discipline part of it is
to make sure that we look at that game and
we take the lessons learned from that game as well.
And you know, we had some great moments and there
was some balance, but there were also things that needed
to be corrected. We have to make sure that we
(06:02):
take those so we can keep moving our football forward
because the goal is to find our best football and
right now we have this game another opportunity to improve
in some of the areas that we've been wanted to improve.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
Close.
Speaker 5 (06:14):
So you, I mean, how closely did you monitor the
game yesterday? Were you glued to the Saints upset?
Speaker 2 (06:20):
I was watching the game. Yeah, I wanted to make
sure that I was connected to the story of it.
I got to be honest, I got a little emotionally
involved in the game, you know at times. And you know,
something I try to, you know, remind our players is like, hey,
watch these games. Let's try not to get to you know,
emostally connected. But how can you not you know, it
impacts all of us in this division, and certainly it
(06:41):
impacts us going into this week with another division opponent
emotionally involved?
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Did you were you cheering for the Saints?
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Then?
Speaker 2 (06:47):
I mean anything that helps, right, It's we're all competing
out here, and and honestly, like knowing that they're playing
good football, knowing that it's going to require the best
of us allows us to make sure that the focus
is right. It heightens that awareness, you know, to so
that we understand like every single week this this league
is full of teams, especially the ones that are finding
(07:08):
their best ball late in the season. You know, it's
it's a really important opportunity for us.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
By that day with the way that you say you
were watching it getting emotionally invested. Is it tougher to
watch as a fan as a coach? Are you trying
to watch game planning and do work? I guess as
opposed to you know, just watching the game for the
outcome and all that stuff.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
First of all, it's hardest to watch as a parent,
and then as a coach when you don't when you
don't necessarily have the ability to affect what's happening. We
got background is really really emotional moment, right, but yeah,
you know it's it's hard not to shut it off,
especially you know when I'm watching their defense playing and
(07:50):
how they're you know, attacking the bucks and different schemes
that they're using. So you can't turn that part off.
When I'm watching college football, you know, there's trying to
remind myself, hey, just watch the ball bounce, Just watch
the ball, and you can kind of like you know,
turn the u turn the wheels from you know, shut
them down for a little bit. But you know, it
was a great opportunity to watch a bunch of football,
you know. And my favorite part of it is, whether
(08:12):
it's college ball, whether it's high school ball, or watching
NFL games during a bye week, is there's so much
to learn from every game and you look at these
critical situations. We will find ourselves in those critical situations
at different times. And so just watching the coaches, all
the coaches who I respect, you know, and see how
they handle different situations, fourth down calls, you know, possible
(08:33):
go for its scenarios, clock management at the end a half,
end of games. So there's a toime to learn from.
This is why I love this time of year.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
David, Joe and Field.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
You mentioned, Okay, you messed a couple of things in
the past game and the first Saints game, and Bryce
has had some up and down strepisite just as the
team has had. So what do you want to see
out of Bryce these last four games?
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Just continue to lead, keep pushing our concepts forward, finding
ways to protect some of our core concepts in the
run game in the past game, and just lead the
charge that way in terms of just getting us to
the right play and for the whole group, just the execution,
you know, and to watch a group on the offensive
side really start to find some chemistry and some rhythm
to be able to just continue to build off of
(09:16):
that this week. Yeah, that's the part of the whole thing.
It's just it's all the leadership. It's you know, making
sure that we are growing our systems, that we are
protecting our runs and our passes and and and just
distributing the ball and uh, you know, knowing what we
expect out of the position, and he does and to
continue to go on the road. And the part that
(09:38):
kind of doesn't get mentioned, which Bryce has done a
phenomenal job of is just being on the road, being
in different environments and getting us to the line, getting
us to the right protections and runs. And he's been
doing a great job of that part as well. You
understanding he only had too specific, but it looked like
he came back from this vibe pretty help.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
And then not an injury thing.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
But Travon, how important is to kind of have these
pieces all back together as you take this stretch round.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
It's huge right now. And we would have loved to
have you know, JC and Claude and Trey out there
on Sunday, and I got to give a lot of
love to the guys who had opportunities to come and
help us and show us what they can do. And
but we're excited to get all those guys back on
the field and to really just have about as strong
as a group as we've had, you know, Christian Roseboom obviously,
(10:26):
and uh, you know, with a couple of guys, you
know Rob. We'll see where we're at with the Rob,
you know, as we go forward, David Moore is getting
closer to his window as well, So there's guys that
can help us here. But right now the focus is
on this week who can we get out there on
the field this week, and so we'll have more information
for you on Wednesday.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
With that from Yeah, you mentioned that you feel like
y'all have found your identity on offense. When do you
think that happened? What would you kind of attribute.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
The switch to.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
I would just say it's it's generally throughout the season.
If you look at the games that we've had success,
we've been a balanced attack, We've we've had our run
game to count on, we've been efficient with our past game,
and we found some explosives. And that's my dream for
this group is to have a really balanced attack and
where everything starts off the same ends up different. And
we're making sure that the guys who can help our
(11:12):
team touch the ball in one way, shape or form,
and that certainly starts with me and Brad making sure
that the plan reflects that. All right, thank you,
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