“You make your presence known before they do,” tackle Fred Robbins said.
The linemen plan their plays in a meeting room that all of them describe as more lively than any they have ever known as (professionals) or (collegians). The line coach Mike Waufle and the defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo encourage input. They receive plenty.
Mathias Kiwanuka, the right end, said their classroom was “open and outspoken.” The coaches, Kiwanuka said, “are not always going to agree with you, but at least they’re going to take into (consideration) what you’re seeing and what you’re hearing.”
Those (conversations), as well as events on the field, sometimes lead to fresh (approaches). Justin Tuck, the left end who leads the team in sacks with eight and a half, said some plays evolved from mistakes or ad-lib moves that Spagnuolo (incorporated) into the playbook.
“Coach Spags would be like: ‘Hmmm. It looked good on film. Let’s put that in,’ ” Tuck said. “Coach Spags asks so much from his D-line. That’s why he gives us a voice.”