Daniel Joseph: "We've Got To Stick To What We Do Best"

Graduate end Daniel Joseph and the Wolfpack’s defensive line got off to a good start to the season in a win over Wake Forest, but it suffered a setback against Virginia Tech last weekend. 

Joseph and his teammates will look to get back on track this week against Pitt. Joseph spoke to the media via Zoom; here’s a full breakdown of everything he had to say. 

What was so different between week one week two getting to the quarterback?

I think just their ability to run the ball. I think up front and collectively as a defense, we have to do a better job of stopping the run initially, which we didn’t do. If you don’t stop the run, it’s hard to generate any type of effective pressure on the quarterback. So I guess the main difference was Va. Tech came with a whole different scheme that we’re preparing for but have to execute better.

Do you guys feel like you have a little bit more of an advantage being able to see tape on Pittsburgh?

For sure. I think that obviously contributed to our inability to stop Va. Tech to a degree, because we didn’t know a lot of things. And with COVID now, it’s just a lot of uncertainty with regard to areas that we had a lot of certainty about initially. So with Pitt already having three games under their belt, we obviously have the film of guys that are currently there on their roster and active that are going to be potentially playing. So having that information, having some sort of certainty of who we’re going to be playing to a degree, rather than not knowing because we don’t have any film, has been a lot more helpful. 

What does Pitt QB Kenny Pickett do that makes him so difficult to defend?

He’s decisive. I think he has experience within that offensive scheme. I’ve already played him before. He’s a guy that loves to run and extend plays, which I feel like, as a receiver, you probably love that. So I think his ability to use his feet, to extend plays, makes him a lot more challenging to play as a defender. You’ve got a guy who’s running around now after you’ve effectively stopped his initial reads and what not, and you know now it’s time to let your instincts take over and play ball. He likes to scramble, he likes to get out of the pocket, so what’s going to be difficult is making sure we contain him, no matter what, within that pocket. 

What does it take to win on the road?

Sticking to who you guys are. Don’t get out of sorts or become someone you’re not. You practice all week to prepare for your opponent; you shouldn’t change anything when you hit the road. I think on the road, it’s a matter of having the mentality of ‘You know what? This game’s just like any other game.’ You’ve got to treat it the same way you would treat it if it was a home game. So I think you have to take the same type of preparation and mentality despite the fact that it’s an away game, is what makes it an effective away game player. 

You guys have lost six straight road games; what can you do to turn that around?

I wasn’t here for all of them, but what I do know is that what we have now and the preparation that we’ve put forth in week one and going to week two, despite the loss, is definitely a solid one and a good plan, in my opinion. When it comes to playing on the road, we’ve got to stick to what we do best and what we do throughout the week, and stick to what our identity is as a defense from day one for this week. 

What, if anything, can you do to help scout Pitt since you’ve played them?

I leave it to the coaches. That’s the coaches’ job. My job is to execute that game plan. To the best of my knowledge, I try my best to refer back to any old notes I do still have about Pitt from when I have played them in the past, trying to refresh my memory about different schemes they’ve ran and different offensive schemes they’ve hit us with with different looks, and just kind of understanding how that has changed, if at all, from back then.

Do you get a little extra juice from playing in an NFL stadium?

Not for me. I like to treat them all the same. I don’t want to add anything extra in the bag that I don’t need to go play. I don’t like to treat any away game, stadium, or the environment at all as having any effect on how I play. For me, it’s put that ball down and let’s play.

Last week after a win is probably a lot more energy throughout practice. Is it a different vibe after a loss or is it consistent?

I think this week, guys have been more motivated to come back and attack this week a lot more aggressively, which has been a great thing, honestly. People have played at a much higher level of intensity and competition throughout practice this week. I think that’s the greatest thing possible that they could do for any team, is just constantly trying to raise that bar higher and higher for yourself each and every week. I think with that going on currently this past week after a loss or even after a win, for that matter, I guess there’s that constant level of increasing preparation and intensity has been a big difference this week.

What did you guys learn about yourselves after that Virginia Tech game?

We learned we’re not going to back down to anybody, no matter what. With this COVID era, once again, that has to be better than ever, being able to go into each game with that mentality and constantly fighting. 2020 in itself has been a fight, for both athletes and just individuals as a whole. Once again, that was definitely something that I personally learned is that guys on this team are not going to back down and roll over for anybody, despite the situation.

How have you guys performed as a defense, and what’s the number one thing that has to change against Pitt?

I think what the defense has done really well in the past two weeks has been a level of execution. We haven’t had many missed assignments, which has been good. I think it’s just a matter of playing faster and more aggressively. That’s definitely something we can improve on for this upcoming week. I think to a degree, even myself, I catch myself playing a little, not laid back, but I guess the best term to use would be on your heels. Not as attack-oriented 24/7, 365 because of the circumstances. So I think we just have to make sure we continuously attack despite the circumstances.