Chad O’Shea – December 3, 2019
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Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea
(Some of us would say the last game was probably the best game overall for the team this season and Head Coach Brian Flores credited you with calling a good game. What were the challenges that you had, obviously, with the running back position, losing RB Kalen Ballage, down a couple receivers? There were some challenges, but you guys were able to overcome it in that last game.) – “It’s a tribute to the players that they were able to adjust and do some things maybe that they haven’t done in different roles. I’ve said all along this season that our team has done a really good job in preparation of trying to learn the game plan from a conceptual perspective for each of them so they can maybe play in a different role that they haven’t played in previous weeks. And I thought that the team did a good job of embracing some of the things that they maybe had to do differently. It’s a tribute to them and it’s really because of their work ethic and their preparation.”
(Just to get a group of men to buy in and do all those things, that’s difficult in itself and for you guys to get that progress since you guys got here and the guys are buying in, what can you say about everything kind of coming together for you guys?) – “I think it starts with (Head) Coach ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) and his leadership and his consistency he’s had as a leader. Through good times, bad times, he’s been consistent and I think that’s very important. I think our players have really embraced what we’ve tried to do here. Again, their work ethic has always been the same which has been very good. Their preparation has been good. It’s nice to see them have some success and be rewarded by their work ethic and a lot of the preparation they’ve put in.”
(So the first three drives against the Eagles I think gained 6 yards. Then after that you guys scored five-straight touchdown drives. What changed for you in the game planning and the game calling?) – “I think that there’s always different variables as the game goes on and certainly there were some things differently or some things that we had to adjust and do after those three series. A lot of it has to do with an overall execution of fundamentals, execution of the technique, execution, maybe better scheme, better assignment. There’s a lot of things that go into that, but our team definitely responded well after we had some adversity early – which we’d like to start a lot better than we did, but it shows the mental toughness of this team as much as anything more so than any adjustments or any play calls. I think it shows the mental toughness that this team has to bounce back from some adversity early.”
(Even down 28-14 you’re thinking “Okay, this is where teams usually decide they’re going to call it quits or they’re going to keep going.” And you guys seem in the last couple weeks that every time a deficit comes up, you’re fighting harder.) – “It’s a confidence that we have I think in the team – I know they have it in each other right now – that if we go down that we have the capability to come back. I think it all starts with a mentality that you have – not only the confidence, but the mental toughness – to push through some adversity and have some success. Certainly, I think ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) is big part of that because he’s the leader on offense. I think that Danny Kilgore does a great job of leading the offensive line. Between those two guys, I think that their leadership that they demonstrate through those times that things aren’t going as well, I think that has a lot to do with our success after that.”
(“Mountaineer Shot,” you guys have this – every time that replay comes up you’re going to have a reputation now of now teams are kind of afraid if you’re going to score in that red zone area. Is that the kind of goal there? You want to become feared in the red zone area instead of trying to fearing it being there and making mistakes?) – “The ‘Mountaineer Shot,’ all the credit goes to (Special Teams Coordinator) Danny (Crossman) and the special teams. They did such a great job. I would say that’s something that was practiced a lot and they did a great job executing it. But I think in the red zone overall offensively, it’s been an area that we’ve really prided ourselves in and we’ve had success this year statistically in the red zone and we’ve made improvements. I think in our bye week, I think we were dead last or near the bottom of the league in red zone and now we’ve gone up statistically quite a bit in that area. I think, again, that’s because of the players’ preparation and embracing what we’re trying to do from a scheme standpoint. I think it’s a mentality when we get the ball in the red zone, we want to be aggressive. And ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) has a lot to do with our success in the red zone as well.”
(That was very modest of you. I think you guys are first in the league since the bye week in the red zone.) – “That’s a good thing.”
(What’s changed? I think in the preseason, training camp you saw that there was not enough push in the offensive line, maybe some things weren’t happening where the defense was getting the best of you in that area. What are some things? Was it creativity in play calling? Is it fundamentals?) – “I think that it takes all 11. I know a lot of the time the offensive line, the spotlight is on them in the run game, in the pass protection; but there’s certainly other people that are involved in both of those areas. I think it’s important that our skill players and our quarterback know we need to play on time in the pass game and that has a lot to do with them running the correct routes or having the correct route detail. ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) certainly has to be very decisive with his reads and go to the right guy on time. I think that in the pass game, a lot of those things have to be right to be successful. In the run game, there’s all 11 it takes in that too. It takes the correct communication from ‘Fitz’ to the offensive line, the correct combination of blocks, the correct technique. There’s been improvement in a lot of those areas that I think have really allowed us to have more consistency here in this last game.”
(You guys have praised WR DeVante Parker for what he’s done off the field to put himself in position to put the numbers he has put him. Can you point to one single thing that’s stood out about what he’s done?) – “I think that his – I’ll say this, first of all his durability at practice is the most important thing. He has been – I don’t remember him ever missing at practice from when we started here in the spring. When you are available and you’re at practice, you’re going to improve, and I think that’s the one thing that he’s really embraced. And he’s done a lot to put himself in position to be at practice every day from his overall conditioning, his work in the strength program. Those guys do such a great job led by (Head Strength and Conditioning Coach) Dave (Puloka) and our strength program. He’s done a lot of, I would say, different type things on his own that he can speak about to try to get himself to where he’s healthy on a consistent basis. I know that’s been a big part of his success is his ability to be on the practice field daily.”
(I’m sure you’re aware of WR DeVante Parker’s history here before this year with injury issues. Was there a conversation at some point either where he mentioned or you guys mentioned to him the importance of being available and staying healthy and doing whatever he can?) – “That was a message, really a team message for us, from the very beginning of the importance of all those things. I know he’s embraced those things, he really has. I can’t say enough about his preparation and what he’s done. (Wide Receivers Coach) Karl (Dorrell) has done a great job with him as far as the football end of it. I think that he’s allowed himself to really use the great support staff that we have here in all those areas to really benefit from that and get him to a point where he’s the best version of himself. I think right now, that’s what you’re seeing. Certainly, there are some things that he would like and will improve on, but he’s really playing at a level right now that is really good and I think a lot of it is attributed to a lot of those things that he’s done in preparation.”
(That game WR DeVante Parker had Sunday was just crazy. I personally don’t remember a game with somebody catching that many like high-pointing passes or jump balls. Do you recall anything like that?) – “We were very fortunate to have him out there on Sunday, because it’s like every time I looked up he was coming down with the ball, which has a play-caller makes it easy to keep throwing it up to him. It was great to see.”
(That’s just pure athletic ability. That’s not something you can coach right?) – “Yeah. (Parker) has got great ability. We always tell the player, ‘You’re ability to with the 50/50 ball really separates you as a player,’ and I certainly thought he separated himself by winning those 50/50 balls. That’s a tribute to him and his ability. I will say that there’s some preparation that goes into that as far as being in the right spot on the route to be able to be in a 50/50 situation and be able to make that play. There are some things that go into that prior to that and then he’s got to make the play.”
(Also wanted to ask you about “The Intern” RB Patrick Laird. Do you call him Patrick or you call him “The Intern?”) – “I call him by both.”
(About how many of his coaches would you say call RB Patrick Laird “The Intern”?) – “I would say ‘The Intern’ name has been used. It’s been used. (laughter)”
(That just took off when you guys heard that story?) – “Yeah.”
(That’s pretty funny. RB Patrick Laird kind of looks like it a little bit.) – “I’m not going to get into that. (laughter) I’ll let somebody else speak about that. I’ll say this about Patrick: I’m impressed by his detail, his dependability. I’ve been impressed prior to him playing in his overall preparation and in the classroom. He’s a great teammate. He works his butt off on the practice field. He works very hard in all the areas that we’ve just mentioned that DeVante (Parker) works very hard in to try to put himself into the best position to be successful on the field. I’m glad he’s here. He’s unselfish. He’s a good teammate. I look forward to his opportunities here moving forward.”
(Very polished in the passing game isn’t RB Patrick Laird?) – “Yeah, he’s done a lot of that in college where he had the ability to catch the ball or had the opportunity to catch the ball in college. It’s something that I think that he does well, but I also think that he’s done well carrying the football. I was really impressed at the end of the game, although we were in a four-minute offense at the end of the game, and his goal was obviously to protect the ball and get the ball vertical and I thought he handled that situation very well.”
(TE Mike Gesicki every week keeps making more plays, more plays, more plays. Are you seeing the stuff you’re seeing at practice translating to the field?) – “I think it has. I think the practice has really transferred to the field with Mike and this has been a work in progress, but it’s been a story we’ve seen prior to you guys seeing it as far as his success. The success has been happening here on the practice field and he’s been really making a lot of progress. (Tight Ends Coach) George Godsey has done a great job with him, working with him, on the details of playing the position. It’s very rewarding for all of us to see him have success, because he’s worked to earn that success on the field.”
(Was there a point during practice where you I don’t want to say felt it clicking but you noticed a difference with TE Mike Gesicki?) – “I think it’s been a cumulative thing with him. I think it’s been something since Day 1 he’s really tried to improve daily. I know that’s cliché to just take it day-by-day, but he really has. He’s been able to make some plays and is certainly a guy that we like out there and he’s done a good job for us.”
