Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(This week especially, when guys can kind of prove their worth in the special teams room and how that can kind of help them earn their roles elsewhere on the field – how much does that kind of emphasize throughout the course the whole offseason but really this week in general?) – “I think the emphasis on this week is it’s the last opportunity. So the guys that have been here and kind of been through week one and been through week two, the advantage of those two weeks were obviously practice against the same opponent you played during the week so you got a lot more looks. So this week, without having those looks during the week, it really will strictly come down to the game.”
(This week when we were talking to WR Mack Hollins, he was asked “What do you tell other guys that are trying to earn their role about Coach Crossman?” And he said you have to be prepared because there’s nothing that makes you more mad than guys coming out on the field and being unprepared. What does that mean in your eyes to be prepared?) – “I think it goes in with the whole philosophy that ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) established – the things that really take no talent. If you don’t know what your alignment is, what your assignment is, what technique you’re going to use based on who your opponent is; and then knowing who your opponent is – what kind of player is he? Is he a big player? Is he an athletic player? If you don’t know that stuff before the play ever starts, you’re not going to be successful. So that’s the stuff we try and emphasize; but that’s the whole organization, not just myself.”
(And then just having the opportunity to see the punt returners throughout the course of the preseason – what are your impressions? I guess really we know what WR Jakeem Grant is, but really WR Jaylen Waddle and his ability to contribute in that aspect, too?) – “We saw some of the traits that we saw on film when we were evaluating him coming out of Alabama and I think some of those same traits he’s shown both on the practice field and in his limited opportunities in Chicago; but we feel we have a fairly good number of guys that have the ability to go back there if we need them, which is critical. You never have enough guys who you like to return the football.”
(Is there a part of this time – this last week of preseason – it kind of feels like football is just happening that you most look forward to? Is there something about this week or something that excites you that is different than other weeks?) – “No. Any time you get to compete, I’m excited. It’s another week to compete. We’ve got another opponent coming. Obviously we’re going there, but another jersey across the way so I’m excited.”
Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer
(About LB Sam Eguavoen’s game on Saturday, what were your impressions of him? Obviously he missed the joint practices on the COVID list and then comes back and has four sacks. What were your impressions of the game he had?) – “I think any time you talk about Sam, you’ve got to talk about a guy who is a very diligent worker. He takes his craft very seriously, so any time he has success, for the amount of effort and time and energy he puts in, you’re obviously happy for him. I think he did a lot of good things out there for us, there are some things we can work on and correct. As far as being physically and mentally tough and working hard, Sam exemplifies all of those things. It’s always good to see him out there having success.”
(LB Sam Eguavoen has a little bit of versatility too. He can play outside a little bit, he can rush the passer. I know one of his sacks he came in on a stunt it looked like. What’s the key to that, working with the linebackers to get the rush?) – “Sam has worked very hard to be able to do multiple things for us. He’s a strong, explosive guy. We try to utilize his abilities the best we can. A lot of times you see one guy getting the sack, but it’s usually someone else that set it up. You usually have good coverage in the back end. For us, we always talk about it’s 11 guys doing one thing and when 11 guys do one thing correctly, somebody is going to have success. The great thing about Sam is he’s an unselfish guy, and he might do something good where somebody else makes a play. It was just nice to see him have some plays.”
(With DE Emmanuel Ogbah, obviously he led you guys in sacks last year. What can you say in terms of what he brings to your defense? Obviously he’s a pass rusher, but what can he do for your defense as a whole?) – “Emmanuel is a guy that’s been pretty multiple and versatile for us as well. He’s played all across the line for us. Obviously he’s done some good things in the rush. I’m excited and glad we have him. Again, he’s another hard worker, unselfish guy. Very coachable. Little details that we hit him with, we see that on film week in and week out. He’s always striving to improve his craft and he’s a very unselfish individual. He will do things for the betterment of the group. Again, I’m glad we have him.”
(With LB Sam Eguavoen, his journey and what he’s had to do to get to this point, the way he’s constantly had to prove himself, does he come in here everyday with a little bit more – not saying anyone else doesn’t, but does he bring a little bit extra with everything he’s had to prove?) – “I think he has a great work ethic. I think he’s a humble individual. He’s a hard worker. He puts in a tremendous effort at practice, off the field, in the film room. I can’t say enough good things about him.”
(What was it like to see that come together for four sacks in a game for LB Sam Eguavoen?) – “Again, a lot of times – when you talk about sacks, there are a lot of guys doing the right thing for those things to work. Sam is a big part of that. We talk about team-rush mentality. We talk about how we have to have good coverage for those sacks to occur. We don’t celebrate the individual; we celebrate the group.”
(LB Sam Eguavoen a guy you’ve moved around, inside outside, just his versatility?) – “He’s been able to do multiple things for us. He’s grown in some of those roles. That’s what we’re asking all of our guys to do is strive for constant improvement and keep trending in a upward trajectory. I think Sam is doing all of those things.”
(I wanted to ask you about LB Jaelan Phillips. He made his debut playing in this preseason game. He played well into the second hall. What did you see from him and how do you think he’s going to be able to impact this team?) – “I think like all guys that come into the league, there is a learning process that has to occur. I think that Jaelan, when he’s had opportunities to get work on the field, he’s made the most of those. I think he’s doing some good things out there and then there are some things that we have a ways to go. The more he does it, the better he’ll be at it. We’re excited to have Jaelan. He’s a hard worker and he’s doing some good things for us. We’ll just hope that continues on an upward trajectory.”
(For any outside edge rusher guy, what’s the hardest part transferring what you do in college to the NFL? Is it setting the edge, finding counters to good offensive tackles? What do you see?) – “I think it starts with everybody needs to be a complete football player. You’ve got to be able to handle the run, you’ve got to be able to handle the pass element. If we ask you to drop, you’ve got to be able to handle those. There are a lot of things that go into it for him to be able to handle, and then obviously everything in the NFL is new to him. The transition from college to the NFL is not an easy smooth transition. It’s a different game, it’s a different speed. The rules are different. I think there are a lot of things that go into it, but obviously it’s football, and those guys have done it their whole life and they adapt and they adjust well to it. I think as time goes and they get more experienced, the better we’ll be at things.”
(With S Jevon Holland, I know last year you guys played a lot of single-high looks. At free safety, Jevon is a guy that you would expect to be back patrolling the deep third. How important is it to have that kind of versatility with your safeties where both guys can drop back or play around the box?) – “We try to set up our defense where guys can do multiple things, so we don’t just sit in the same looks over and over again and make it easy on the offense. I think the more guys can do multiple things, it gives you an opportunity to disguise coverages and it gives you an opportunity to play different coverages. Jevon is a guy we’re excited to have. He’s another hard worker. I know I say that about all of these guys, but they really are. They put in a good day’s work and our goals haven’t changed. Our goal is to be better tomorrow than we were today. That’s kind of how we approach it.”
(You led the league in takeaways last year. Obviously that’s not something you can go into a game accounting for. But how do you drive that, instill that, into your players on the practice field, in film study or whatever it may be?) – “We spend a good amount of time on drill work when it comes to turnovers and recovery. We spend a good amount of time studying opportunities and situations when those come up, to make sure that our players are aware and alert and looking for them, and how to handle those situations. Then we also talk about how we have to take advantage when we get tipped balls, we get overthrows, there is a miscommunication between a quarterback and a receiver. We’ve got to take advantage of those plays. We spend a good amount of time on it. We believe in it. At the end of the day, there is no stat in football that doesn’t really equate to having the football. Any time we can get our hands on the football or get the football, it’s a good thing for us.”
(LB Sam Eguavoen, a lot of us knowing far less than you guys, we looked at Sam and were like “ok, here’s a guy trying to make the team.” Do you all look at him as someone that has carved out a role as an effective pass rusher as someone who ideally you’d like to get on the field in regular season games, even knowing you’re deep at linebacker?) – “I think for us – each player, and it’s not unique to Sam, but what you’re trying to do is you’re trying to make them the best version of themselves on and off the field. I think with that intent in mind, there are a lot of things that go into the classroom, the film study. Obviously (Anthony) Campanile has done a great job with Sam. We ask a lot from Sam. He does a lot of multiple things for us. As a group, we don’t really celebrate individual sacks because we always preach team-rush mentality. It takes the coverage to help the rush. It takes the rush to help the coverage. We’re excited when guys have individual success. We’re happy for them, especially a guy that is a diligent worker like Sam. At the end of the day, our focus is getting 11 guys to do one thing. Once those 11 guys do the one thing we’re asking them to do, in turn it usually turns out somebody is going to have success. That’s kind of how we look at it.”
(LB Jaelan Phillips, even though he’s missed some time, has he shown you enough in terms of knowledge of being able to play, hand on the ground, standing up, physical skills that you think he’s going to be a big help to you early in the season despite the missed time?) – “I think the thing for Jaelan is he’s going to keep working. Yesterday or whatever day we played, it was the first experience he had in the NFL on the field. We were excited for that for him. There are some good things out there and there are some things he’ll get better. He can’t buy experience. One of the ways to get better is to play. When you can expose him to multiple things and he can see multiple looks and get the experience of it, some of the things we’ve seen in practice and some of the things he’s done, obviously we expect it to trend in an upward pattern about where he’s getting better.”
(Jason Taylor expressed surprise on your first series that LB Jaelan Phillips came out of the game on third-and-8. Obviously you’re not going to show all of the line ups you plan to use this year to New England, Las Vegas and Buffalo. But is it safe to assume that we will see LB Jaelan Phillips, LB Andrew Van Ginkel and DE Emmanuel Ogbah together at times this year in pass rushing downs?) – “I wouldn’t assume anything. You know what they say about assumptions. (laughter) I won’t talk about scheme; I won’t talk about strategy. I just think it puts you at a competitive disadvantage. There are different ways to approach different things. I don’t think you’re seeing a lot of – some teams are running a lot of stuff in the preseason. Other teams not so much. I think for us from a strategic standpoint or a scheme standpoint, those are things where we’ll kind of do what we do and people can assume or look at however they want to take it.”
Co-Offensive coordinator/Running Backs Coach Eric Studesville
(When you come into a position where you are taking over co-offensive coordinator roles and obviously your focus is going to be on getting the most out of QB Tua Tagovailoa, did you go back and look at all of Tua’s film to get a starting point for what you can build on? What was that like) – “Film from last year?”
(Yes.) – “Well, we always go back and look at what we did last year. It’s part of the self-scouting. We try to evaluate what we did well, what we feel like we could do better, what we can improve on and the way to do all that, as well as add new things as the staff comes together and use a collaborative effort to bring ideas from different places. So we always bring, we always go back and look at what things will give us a chance to be successful.”
(Over this months-long process, is there anything in particular that you really want to hone in with QB Tua Tagovailoa? Whether it is pre-snap, footwork or whatever it may be?) – “It’s like all the players, it’s everything. We are always trying to improve on everything to get better from where they are and accentuate what he does well, the things that he does well. He throws the ball really well. He’s a smart guy. He can handle it and everything that goes into that position, which is an all-encompassing position. He’s doing a great job. He’s working at it. He comes in every day and he’s working hard at it every day.”
(He’s talked so much about Year 1 to Year 2. Is it really just a matter of getting more familiar with everything whether that’s the playbook, the process, seeing more, getting more reps. Is that really all it comes down to in terms of that Year 1 to Year 2 jump?) – “Is that all it comes down to? I think that’s probably a generalization. There’s a lot that goes into it but I think the more experience guys have, the more they understand what needs to get done and when.”
(I wanted to ask you about the running backs. RB Myles Gaskin had a great preseason game this past weekend and after you guys started RB Malcolm Brown the first time, do you feel that this second game was more of what we will see in the regular season or is it still a matchup-based every game will determine it?) – “I think we want to give each guy exposure in doing different things. They’ve gotten different reps in the different games but we want to see what we have in doing different things and experimenting with different combinations and situations and just give guys a chance to get in and play. They need game reps. That’s really what we are trying to get out of it at this point.”
(How are decisions like that made – who’s going to work more, get more starts and things like that?) – “We talk about it as a staff before we go into a game. Flo’s (Head Coach Brian Flores) got an idea of what he wants to see and he tell us, ‘hey, were thinking about this many plays,’ or whatever it is and that’s how we go with it. It doesn’t always go that way but it’s outlined like that.”
(What are the benefits of when one starts before the other? When RB Malcolm Brown goes in first, does he wear teams down so the other guys can do what they do?) – “I don’t know that there’s a benefit to it. They’re different backs and they do different things. We just want to see them operate within the offense. That’s really what we are trying to evaluate at this point in time.”
(What did you see out of QB Tua Tagovailoa? Obviously he had a great game this past weekend and what have you seen as he has progressed through training camp and these first preseason games?) – “I think he’s showing that the work and time and effort that he’s putting in to improving and getting better, it’s starting to show now. We just want to keep that going and keep pushing and trying to get better. We feel like did some good things the other night but we still have a lot of areas to work in. That’s not just him, that’s everybody. We just keep working and grinding and going forward.”
(When it comes to the elements of the run-pass-option, how involved are you in that? There’s a lot of voices on the offensive coaching staff and I’m trying to get an idea of what you key in on versus maybe Co-Offensive Coordinator George Godsey or Quarterbacks Coach Charlie Frye.) – “We are all looking at everything. We are all involved in it and everyone’s hands are involved in it. If it’s a pass play, the backs are involved in a pass play. If it’s a run play, the quarterbacks are involved in a run play. All of us are involved in it. We have to all be on the same page as far as how we design it and how we want it executed.”
(It has been fun seeing RB Salvon Ahmed and RB Myles Gaskin as receivers. We saw a lot from Myles in that area last year. Does this give you a weapon that not every team has? Obviously some teams have backs that can be really effective in the passing game but with Salvon’s speed that we have seen on a sideline run, does this give the offense a dynamic that not every team has?) – “I hope so (laughter). We are going to try to use their skillsets, whatever they do best and do things. He can obviously run and he can catch.”
(Is RB Myles Gaskin your starter? Is that an open competition among the three of them?) – “We haven’t made any of those decisions yet. We are giving them all reps, we want to see them all play, they need game-time reps right now and that’s really what we have been rotating them doing. We’ll figure it out. Whatever gives us the best chance when we need to make those decisions.”
(What has RB Gerrid Doaks shown you so far?) – “I think he continues to develop and work hard. He’s done a nice job. I think there was a lot at the beginning but he’s very conscientious, he’s very smart, he’s very competitive and he wants to be good. He just keeps working every day and I think he will continue to improve.”
(As far as how RB Gerrid Doaks runs the ball, what’s the strength there? Is it power, instinct? What is it?) – “I think it’s some of each. I’d like to see a little more power and I’d like to see him react a little different some times but I think that’s going to happen the more he plays.”
(Your offensive line, you have been moving guys around. When would you, as a co-offensive coordinator, want to see that settled? I would assume that settles a lot with the quarterback knowing who’s where and the running backs knowing who does what.) – “We’ll settle on that. It’s a process. We move people around and we are looking at combinations. We will know when the time is right to do it. I don’t think there is a specific timeframe set for that.”
(What do you think of the offensive line’s performance this last game?) – “I think they continue to work and develop, all those guys. Even though they’ve been in different spots doing things and we’ve had some guys in and out, but they continue to work and it’s a cohesive group. I think they work good with each other and they work good with the backs and the quarterbacks. We want the whole offense, much like they are, to continue to develop and grow and work together as a unit so we can be effective.”
(Did it feel like you had that flow is going? It seemed like the offense was kind of natural, everybody is doing their thing.) – “I think at times. There’s some things we did really well and there are some things that we need to improve on still going forward. It’s not a finished product. Our guys are working hard and they are committed to what we are doing. We will just keep working and going forward.”
(Obviously, QB Tua Tagovailoa is going to develop. It’s his second year. Do you see more of his relationship with his offensive line taking more time with that and taking more pride in that type of stuff? In the end, it is going to help him the most.) – “I saw him do that last year too. It’s a continuation. Relationships grow and develop. They’ll evolve as time goes and the more time you spend with each other.”
(There’s a lot made about the top three running backs. Did you see any separation on Saturday night?) – “I though the whole group played well. I though they played hard. I thought we did good things at times and I think there are still things that we can improve. I hope that’s every game, that we still have room for improvement everywhere.”
(You guys give so many multiple looks with the running backs that you do have. How much of an advantage is that? As a guy who is involved in that some people might not be thinking of a certain thing and you guys can throw wrinkles on almost every play with those guys.) – “I hope that’s what opponents think and that’s what they’re worried about. That’s a good problem to have then. (laughter) I like the group. There are different skillsets within the room but the common skillsets are their competitiveness, their work ethic and the fact that they all want to be really good and they work at it.”
(It’s funny because they’re all running backs and want the ball. These guys are all like best friends. For a coach to know that you don’t have selfish guys, that’s got to be great for a coach.) – I think it speaks volume for who they are as young people. The fact that they’re each confident in their own individual skillsets but yet they want what’s best for the team and what gives everybody a chance to be successful. They cheer each other on. They help each other. They work with each other. They correct each other. It is a good environment to be in.”
(Just to see the offensive line clicking and creating lanes for RB Myles Gaskin and RB Salvon Ahmed, your observations and did it feel good to see things come to fruition in the game?) – “Well hopefully it’s not a finished product and it’s a work in progress. That’s what we are hoping. We did some good things the other night but there are still a lot of areas that we can work to improve on things. Not just up front, but in our room in doing things too. It was good to have a productive performance like that from the group as an offense – the line, the tight ends, the wide outs, the backs, the quarterbacks and everybody. We like that performance but we need to keep building on that.”
(When RB Myles Gaskin scored his first touchdown, I noticed that there was no one more excited on the field than QB Tua Tagovailoa. I thought that was an interesting relationship to see, to see the whole drive kind of come together for both of them. What can you say about their relationship as teammates and how it has evolved?) – “I don’t know, you’d have to ask them. I just know what I see. I think they like each other. I think our team likes each other. They cheer for each other, which I think is a positive for the entire team.”
(Everything smooth, everybody making a big deal about the play-calling and how everything works? Was it smooth this game again?) – “I think so, yeah (laughter).
(It looked pretty good) – “Then I would say yes.”
(I asked Head Coach Brian Flores about this the other day but I wanted to get your thoughts on how you balance what you put on tape for your regular-season opponents in the preseason compared to getting stuff to work on. How do you balance that? Is that a tough balancing act or is that something you just do?) – “I don’t know that it’s tough. We go in and we want to see certain things so we put things in that we want to see. We are evaluating, really, what everybody can do. The things that we need to evaluate can be evaluated on lots of different plays. One play doesn’t evaluate just this skillset. We can see a lot of different things.”
Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey
(Good to see the growth of the tight ends under your old job which is still part of your new job and how effective they’ve all been. Is it possible do you think to play four tight ends in an NFL regular season game because the question is going to be with TE Hunter Long obviously, can playing time be created for him or will that be a challenge no matter where Hunter is in his progress…?) – “It’s a position where there’s got to be a lot of flexibility and so whether there are injuries, a guy gets dinged up, like to use another guy at a certain position; they’ve all got to be ready to go. And my experiences coaching that position, it’s hard to keep all of them healthy through a normal season, including preseason, which it’s been a physical preseason. We’re going to get to that point in the regular season and if we can use them as many times as we can, we will – including goal-line, short-yardage. So the more they can absorb, then the more opportunity they give themselves to get on the field.”
(It’s been reinforced less in this camp – the value of the skill of RB Salvon Ahmed and RB Myles Gaskin as receivers out of the backfield. Is that something as co-coordinator you hope to exploit this year?) – “Those guys have a good skillset receiving the football and when you throw it to them, we don’t always just want to throw a checkdown and if they can get out there and do some things that maybe a receiver can do but go against a linebacker or go against a player that we feel is a matchup advantage, then we want to utilize that. It takes a lot of time though because a lot of those routes when the plays get first put in are in the backfield so they’ve got to spend some extra time with the quarterbacks getting those routes outside – what we call extended routes – getting the chemistry with the quarterback.”
(There have been so many areas we’ve seen improvement in QB Tua Tagovailoa from last year to this. What’s the first thing that comes to your mind if I ask you where is the most improvement?) – “He’s been in communication with each of the position groups. You can’t play the position without communicating to each one of those players on how they either run a certain route or what he’s expecting them to run or where to be and that takes a lot of conversation. And we’re here a lot so he’s been able to jump out and ask those questions which are going to help his anticipation when the ball is snapped.”
(I wanted to ask you your thoughts on how the transition has gone for C/G Michael Deiter. Obviously second year at center, but the first time really playing and G/T Robert Hunt to right guard. Have those gone smooth? Seamlessly? Are you guys pleased with those two?) – “Both those guys are smart players and it’s another position where there’s only really eight of them active on game day so they’ve got to have some flexibility and it’s nice for Michael (Deiter) to have played guard for a year now knowing what it takes from a center with that communication. Same thing with Rob (Hunt) with the guard and tackle. So all of that works together. I wouldn’t say it’s an easy transition for anybody at any level or at this level for any position, but those guys have done a good job of trying to stay ahead of all the install.”
(And T Austin Jackson – how would you assess how he’s done in the two preseason games and camp?) – “That position – left tackle – at this level is one of the hardest in sports and it’s one of the hardest on the line. You’re going against a premier pass rusher on every snap and he knows it’s one play at a time. We’ve got to make sure we help both sides out with chips and tight end presence, but Austin (Jackson) has been nothing but a pleasantry out there at tackle because he knows the offense, he run blocks well, he’s aggressive. He enjoys being out here every day. He’s doing a good job, too, of communicating with the guards, who’s playing left guard and we know that there’s been some movement there so that’s part of his leadership on the line.”
(What does G Solomon Kindley give you on the line now that obviously he had the chance to start Saturday night? His presence gives you what?) – “He’s got some experience as a rookie playing there a lot of snaps and then he also is a run blocker – north, south, downhill, inside run blocker. He can pull, he can double-team a zone block and he’s got, like I said, familiarity with going against some pretty top-level players last year. So again, all experience helps at that position.”
(Two last things for me. With T Liam Eichenberg, when you and Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre and Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville and Head Coach Brian Flores are in a room – I know obviously you think Liam can play guard and tackle – do you have a sense of where he might be better as an NFL player?) – “It’s the same thing with the amount of guys on a roster on game day. He’s going to have to play multiple and learn multiple spots and based on the dynamics in that room, whoever is active come the first week of the season, which we’ve got some time, there needs to be some flexibility to be able to play inside and outside. We know that that’s a hard role and as each week goes on – going against another opponent this past week playing another spot – it’s going to help him grow and we want that to be fast as possible.”
(All of your NFL experience coaching in Houston and Detroit and here – can you remember being around a position group that’s going to require tougher decisions than receiver with this team?) – “It’s a good group. The thing that jumped out to my mind right away is just how many guys have caught an NFL touchdown or caught an NFL pass. A lot of times there are guys who have never played an NFL game that are battling for a spot and how there’s a lot of experience at that position. We’ve had some guys that have missed some practices, but we’ve also had some guys that we know can contribute at that spot. It’s going to be hard and those guys have done a good job making it hard. That’s what their job is, but they’ve all created value for themselves and it’s going to be a tough decision.”
(I wanted to ask you about QB Tua Tagovailoa – the progress he’s made – obviously he had a great game this past Saturday. So just the progress you’ve seen from him from the start of camp through these two preseason games.) – “I’d say the biggest thing that we’ve noticed is the communication from quarterback to each position group. We think that there’s got to be very fluid conversations within our unit, offensive line, quarterback, quarterback-tight end, quarterback-receiver and backs. We utilize the backs a bunch of different ways along with the tight ends. He’s made strides from that perspective and it’s not easy to do all the time and point out when you’re right or when you’re wrong and that’s what we asked him to do at the start of camp and he’s done a good job at it and that’s what has enhanced his play-to-play efficiency.”
(With the tight ends we saw TE Mike Gesicki do Gesicki things that big catch over the middle. Are you also seeing progress in his blocking for example? I know that’s always kind of what people say about him – he needs to improve in that area?) – “There’s a lot of things that Mike (Gesicki) does well and there’s some things that he knows he can improve on and just like every other tight end in the league, too. So we’re working on that day-to-day, but when he’s in there on third down and we need a catch, he needs to get open and catch the ball. He knows that’s our standard in that room and he’s working his tail off. He missed some days with the COVID situation, which to his credit he came back, worked hard to get back in shape and we’re seeing things back where we know them as.”
(What do you think of just the overall depth of that group – the tight ends?) – “We have depth at that position just because through the course of a normal regular season, it’s hard to get through multiple games back-to-back with all the contact, the reps that those guys play, without injuries taking place and so the more we can have at that position that really can be flexible, play run and pass, then we feel comfortable going into each game. Hunter (Long) is catching up as far as his learning. Obviously it’s his first camp and had a little bit of setback there, but he’s back out there playing. We saw some good reps from him in the game, so the more he can do, the more we keep challenging each player in that room to improve their skillset.”
(What do you think about the structure of the offense and how – you talked tight end depth – but as far as the whole offense goes, how do you think you guys are equipped to be able to make that week-to-week adjustment to gameplan for instance like opponent as opposed to “this is what we do so we’re going to do and nothing else is going to change that?”) – “We don’t really think the latter. We don’t really think that way. We do have some core plays that we believe in, but we want to utilize all of our talent that we have on offense. So running backs, there’s a different type of skillset with inside, outside, versatile, being able to do both, protection. Then from the tight end perspective, there’s a bunch of different players there and then in the receiver room, there are some guys who have got to get healthy that we’ve got to catch up from a chemistry standpoint, but that’s what the NFL is. Played a lot of games where maybe the best receiver didn’t practice all week because he was nursing an injury and then goes out there and performs. That’s kind of what we expect from those guys. They’re professionals. And then we expect to put those guys in the best position from a coaching standpoint to succeed on game day.”
(How do you think QB Tua Tagovailoa’s skillset really accentuates that approach?) – “It’s got to be versatile from being able to check the ball down when it’s not there and get the ball in the hands of the backs or notice a matchup in a man-to-man coverage, whether it’s a tight end or a running back, and being able to know the skillset of each receiver. They’re all different. Some are tall, some are short, some are pretty fast and quick and others are good contested ball receivers. We’ve got to know when to put the ball up in the air for the contested ball receiver and we’ve got to know when the receiver’s going to separate from a route runner if you will.”
(We saw the other night QB Tua Tagovailoa had RB Salvon Ahmed motion out and the linebacker takes a shot at him. It didn’t go complete but it was a good throw. How much does he have kind of autonomy at the line to make that throw, make that check to say “I’m going to go to that guy” or just make changes at the line?) – “The quarterback’s got the ball in his hands every play so we give him the ability to make the best decision for us and for the team on that situation so if he felt that matchup was what he wanted, which we were able to hit that practice – we don’t fault him for making that decision. We’d like to see it caught, but we’re going to keep working at that to make sure that the next opportunity we get at that we hit it home.”
(TE Mike Gesicki and the rest of those of the guys in the room try to fleece you for more targets yet?) – “I think there’s a lot of guys that are trying to get as many targets as possible. We’ve got one ball so unfortunately it’s only one at a time there.”
(I’m curious the last – I guess the last couple months of last year, you did a little bit more with QB Tua Tagovailoa after Robby Brown went down. What did those maybe two months do for you and Tua’s relationship I guess building until now?) – “It was just more communication, figuring out maybe how he was seeing things and what his key was before the snap and what it was post-snap and what he’s looking at during the play. Sometimes the more you can get on the same page of what he’s seeing – he can correct it or work off of it. So that was big. Then the situational work just for a rookie, that’s hard. We’re trying to get that early as far as making sure that the situation that he’s watching – maybe he’s not playing them, but he’s learning from the other quarterbacks, especially the veterans.”
(You mentioned situations. I think if I remember at this last game, there was a two-minute drive and at the end of a series that was something that I felt like last year maybe he might not have been as advanced on that. But this year, at least on that drive, QB Tua Tagovailoa had the comfort to lead the team and know what he’s doing.) – “It was well-executed. We were able to get a chunk to get us close to field-goal range and then get a ball out of bounds and then get potential points before the half; but you’re right, that’s not easy to do. There’s some things defensively that they know what’s about to happen so it makes it that much harder. But we thought it was well-executed from an offensive standpoint putting us in a position to get points before half.”
(I guess looking on the outside, we only see what we see; but where have you maybe seen QB Tua Tagovailoa’ biggest jump? Is it situational stuff? Is it something else that you’ve seen?) – “We were talking earlier about just the communication from room to room. You have to drop the shield as a quarterback and you have to admit to when you’re wrong and basically you’ll get the praise when you’re right; but the players respect that. The other thing is that those players need to understand what he’s looking at, too. So whether it’s tight ends or receivers, if he expects those players to run a route at a certain depth and be in a certain spot versus a certain coverage, then the tight ends, receivers, the backs – they all need to hear that. So he’s been able to do that, go into each room, have a lot more of a face-to-face communication, not necessarily a coach coming in there and saying, ‘Hey, this is what the quarterback wants.’ So that part of his game has taken a huge step.”
(Sounds like QB Tua Tagovailoa is taking ownership of the team and the offense.) – “It is. You’re judged on how you perform and in order to perform at your highest level, everybody’s got to be on the same page. He understands that and I think he expects the players that are executing that play to see it through his eyes.”
(I know that the team got some wide receivers back and also added some in free agency and the draft, but as a person who’s still a tight ends coach and along with co-offensive coordinator, what can you say about the value of having multiple tight ends and being able to put multiple tight ends on the field to kind of keep a defense honest in terms of where they have to defend the run?) – “Usually a receiver is in the game to catch a ball and run a route and the running backs are usually in there to run the ball; so when you’re talking about the skill makeup of the five skill guys, those guys pretty much define what they’re doing. The tight end has a role that’s both run blocking and receiving that can merge both of those aspects of run and pass, play-action and create a lot of more difficulty for a defense to prepare for that. You don’t want to have all tight ends out there. You don’t want to have none out there from our perspective and having a good depth in that room provides us the ability to stay fresh, be healthy – if one guy is down, another guy can take that role. But also give a lot of run-pass conflict to the defense so that it’s not just all their run defense players in the game or it’s all their pass defense players in the game. We want to make them play that game a little bit.”
