Thursday, December 5, 2019
(Opening Statement) “It’s great to see everybody, I hope everyone’s having a great day. Obviously not the outcome that we wanted on Sunday. We need to start faster. We need to coach better. We need to play better, and we had the opportunity to do that again this Sunday against a really good defense. Their record is what it is, just like ours, but they are playing very, very well on defense right now. So, we have our hands full. They have two great edge rushers and a very good secondary and good linebackers, so another challenge for us this week, and we’re looking forward to the opportunity.”
(On the challenge of changing quarterbacks at halftime) “Unfortunately we had to make the change first off, but fortunately, if you had to make the change, at least you had almost eight games with the guy that was coming in. So, you know what he’s good at and you know kind of how he handles himself in the huddle, and with the team and on the sidelines and those things. So, you never want to make that change, especially mid-game. But if you have to, and you’re in that situation, at least you know what you’re getting more so with the second team quarterback.”
(On if he saw improvements in QB Gardner Minshew II while he was the backup) “[Head] Coach [Doug] Marrone did a great job, and it’s something I’d never done before which I’m going to always put back in my memory bank. He had a great idea. We gave Gardner extra reps with practice squad guys and took him through the red zone script, and the third down script and those things so we could keep him going. I thought that was a great idea by Coach Marrone. I know it only sounds like, that was eight reps a day, but that’s a decent amount of reps in an NFL practice, so I think he still homed in on his skills while he was number two.”
(On if Minshew II will learn going forward from his red zone interception in the Week 13 game vs. Tampa Bay) “You never like to use the word ‘rookie mistakes,’ but that was one. And I think Gardner would tell you the same thing. I don’t like to talk too much about play design in here, but the play design was we were anticipating they were going to banjo those two guys, where they were going to try to banjo [and] pass them off, OK. Where the inside man takes the in-breaking route, the outside man tries to take the out-breaking route. So, we made an adjustment to that route to make it hard on them to banjo that, and the play came to fruition how we anticipated it, we just didn’t see it. And so I didn’t do a good enough job teaching it obviously to Keelan [Cole] first and then Dede [Westbrook] second. So, I need to do a better job of teaching the progression on that play, but we kind of got what we wanted on that play and the footwork of Dede kind of helped that out and they did exactly what we thought they were going to do. We just read it inside out instead of outside in.”
(On if he sees cornerbacks gamble the way Tampa Bay CB Sean Murphy-Bunting did on that play) “It was kind of by play design. I know what they were trying to do. They were trying to pass it off, and because of the way Dede ran his route, he was late passing it off and was working vertical, so he couldn’t pass it off. Where if he went right now, that inside corner could easily react to the play, and then now the outside corner knows that, hey, if he’s going in somebody’s coming out, now I can sit and we got both routes taken away. So, I don’t want to speak for [Tampa Bay Defensive Coordinator] Coach [Todd] Bowles or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but it was just a play that I need to teach better and I think Gardner will learn form that going forward.”
(On if plays like that are part of Minshew II’s development) “Absolutely.”
(On what he liked from the offense in the second half in last week’s game) “I though we executed better. Obviously, we had the one turnover. Four turnovers is obviously – One turnover is too many. When we talk about turnovers, you never want the unforced turnover. There’s a ball that’s going to be tipped every once in a while that’s going to land in somebody’s hands. There’s going to be a bang-bang play on the sidelines that’s going to be maybe tipped and picked. There’s going to be a great play by a defender coming over the top and stripped the ball out of the quarterback’s hands. So, I thought we did a better job at that. I thought that, and getting back to Nick [Foles] – I’m not trying to dodge your question at all I’m trying to progress for you a little bit here – Whenever you make a decision like that, it’s not all on one guy. It’s not. I needed to coach better, we needed to play better. We needed to protect him better. We win and lose as a team. I say that a lot, and we all needed to be better for Nick. I feel bad, we all feel bad for him. And no one’s given up on Nick Foles at quarterback. Every year is different, every game’s different. It’s a tough situation on everybody. On Coach Marrone, on the staff, on players, the locker room. It’s tough on everybody and you don’t want to make those decisions. But it’s not all on one person. But to get back to your question, in the second half I just though we got a little momentum going for whatever reason and we moved the ball a little bit better. But again, we just can’t turn it over in the red zone.”
(On the importance of getting a tempo going for an offense) “It’s huge, it’s huge. Part of tempo is getting first downs, and having offense, and being able to convert on third down and those things and getting a lot of plays. And for whatever reason in the first half, like I said, it’s not all on one guy, we just didn’t do that. And we came out in the second half and executed better and did a better job.
(On how hard offensive struggles have been for him as a play caller) “That’s part of the job. And that’s part of the responsibility you accept when you take this job. You take the blame for when things go wrong, and you get credit for when things go well. And probably both are a little bit unwarranted, to be quite honest with you. Because at the end of the day, it’s all about putting our players in the best chance and spots to have success. That’s what this position, this is the offensive coordinator, my definition of it. Doesn’t mean that’s everyone’s definition. It’s your job to put players in positions to make plays. And some weeks it goes as planned, and some weeks it doesn’t. It’s been a unique year in terms of the flip-flopping quarterbacks. It’s been unique. It’s something that I’ve had experience in. Nick [Foles] coming in in Philly. Losing Josh McCown in Cleveland and having to go to Johnny Manziel, then having to go to Austin Davis, then having to go to another guy that, honestly, I forget his name. So, I have experience in doing this [and] it’s not ideal. I’m just going to be flat out honest with you, it’s not ideal. But that’s the nature of the job and that’s why you show up and you work every day. And you grind, and you stay together and you go into this thing together. It’s a team thing, because we’re all feeling it. And you take it one day at a time.”
(On if Minshew II is a high risk, high reward quarterback) “I’d say that’s fair. He’s going to try to fit the ball into tight windows. He is. He’s going to take a chance every now and then. When you talk about taking chances, the thing I am pleased about, a lot of things he’s grown in is he’s protecting himself better when he runs. I think he’s getting down, those things that we stressed early. I thought he was taking way too many shots early that were unneeded. You only have so many chinks in your armor and so you have to protect yourself. But I think Gardner’s confidence in himself allows him to have trust in himself and his teammates, and Gardner has tremendous trust in the people around him. He has tremendous trust in his coaches, and so does Nick and [the] players. He just loves playing football.”
(On if the next four games are about getting Minshew II to minimize turnovers) “I think these next four games are all about winning. But the things you just said have a huge component in winning, OK, in not turning the ball over and not fumbling the ball. The biggest thing with Gardner this year in my opinion has been his pocket ball security. That’s been the biggest thing to me and harping on that. So, all the points you brought up play a major, major part in winning and losing football games. And so I think he’s one of 11 guys on the field that obviously has the ball in his hand on every play. But the proponents you brought up are huge to winning and losing football games. But that’s what these next four games are about, is just going out and winning.”
(On if it’s tough having QB’s with different personalities) “Not really, just because both are quality people number one. I think it makes them easy to deal with. Obviously, Nick has more pelts on the wall in terms of experience. So, he’ll be like, ‘Hey Flip [John DeFilippo], in this coverage do you mind if I do this, this or this?’ In terms of an audible, or an adjustment to a route. And a lot of times it makes the play better. Where Gardner is, we just try to – I don’t want to say keep it simple, because that’s not really not the case either. You just try to make sure his eyes are in the right spot. You try to make sure he recognizes the coverage and things that all rookie quarterbacks don’t do right now. So, I don’t think it has as much to do with the personality traits as it does more process during the week in trying to get these guys ready to play.”
(On if it was an easier transition in Philadelphia when Foles replaced Carson Wentz due to him being a veteran) “Yeah, and the other thing too where it goes I think understated a little bit, was Nick came from Kansas City and he played for – Coach [Andy] Reid drafted him in his first year in Philadelphia, so he had been in the system for a few years, so he kind of knew the system as well. So, where you have a situation here where you have a rookie that is in the system for the first time. And so, I think all the things you talked about, that played a huge part in Nick’s successes, on top of him just playing well and doing great things. I think him being in the system for a few years, and knowing the people involved I think helped as well.”
(On where he would like to see OT Jawaan Taylor progress over the next four games) “That’s a good question. I’m proud of Jawaan [Taylor], I really am. He’s drawn some tough assignments this year now. We’ve played some darn good fronts, and obviously I’d love to see him – he needs to cut down on the penalties, and I think he would tell you that. I’ve heard Coach Marrone speak of that. There’s two things I’d like Jawaan to work on, it’s just his consistency. Where his hands are at times, his punch, where he strikes a defender at the point of attack. And then obviously finishing people, and I think when we do that it’ll naturally cut down on those penalties.”
