Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz took to the podium and answered questions for 16 minutes on Thursday morning.
Before that, after Monday night's game, players have twice had to answer questions about the 27-13 loss to the Packers, and head coach Doug Pederson has had three press conferences.
So why doesn't Schwartz talk after games?
"I just do what the league requires us to do," he said.
That's true. By speaking on Thursday, Schwartz fulfills his NFL media requirements. But after games, offensive coordinator Frank Reich has been available. And Schwartz is the first defensive coordinator in recent Eagles history who doesn't speak after games. Jim Johnson, Sean McDermott, Juan Castillo and Billy Davis all did.
The obvious difference between Schwartz and those other defensive coordinators is that Schwartz has significant NFL head coaching experience. Since his arrival to town, Schwartz has treaded lightly, trying not to ever upstage head coach Doug Pederson. It's why when a question starts with, "When you were a head coach ...," he quickly sidesteps.
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"I don't want to take away from Coach Pederson on game day," Schwartz said. "I've been a head coach before; I understand the way that goes. There needs to be one voice. That's important."
While Schwartz doesn't want to upstage Pederson, his players have to answer questions about their subpar performances after games and Pederson, as the head coach, has to answer for both sides of the ball. While Pederson sometimes helps the defense throughout the week to give them an offensive perspective, on game days everything is left to Schwartz.
"I'm certainly not ... you don't know me well enough to think that I'm getting away from accountability," Schwartz said. "There is absolutely no question that we're all accountable. And I take incredible pride in what we do defensively and I take ultimate responsibility for what we do on defense. But I'm the defensive coordinator."
