Eric Studesville – November 23, 2021
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Tuesday, November 23, 2021
Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville
(I wanted to ask about the play-calling in recent weeks. It seems like you guys have been reaching into the bag and using a lot of what we call trick plays or gadget plays. I’m just curious if there have been maybe more conversations about trying to stress defenses with things they haven’t seen. And as a coaching staff, in a 17-game schedule, when do you feel really comfortable bringing out something you haven’t shown in the first half of the season?) – “I don’t know that we necessarily bring out things. We’re always trying to find what gives us the best chance and when we are looking at the tape and we are studying and we are game-planning things, lots of conversations come up. We have lots of ideas in the room. That’s one of the benefits of doing this as a collaborative effort with the entire staff is that everybody is involved in it and can throw out ideas. Some of them don’t ever make it anywhere but some of them do and if they’re good ideas and we can (draw) them up and we think they give us a chance to execute and make good plays, then we will do that.”
(In the game on Sunday, you hit 15-of=17 passes for over 200 yards off of play-action and obviously had some success in the ground game too. I’ve heard from so many different outlets that you don’t have to run to set up the play-action pass. But I wanted to get an expert’s opinion, how do you think the running game helps the play-action passing game?) – “I think they go hand and hand together. When you’re running the ball effectively, that changes the defense’s mentality a little bit and makes them have to obviously honor that and maybe bring another defender down into the box. Again, everything that we do, we try to make sure there is a complement for it – run, pass, play-action, RPO potentially. We’re trying to always match things up to put someone in conflict somewhere on the defense as much as possible.”
(Having a sack-less game, what were your takeaways from that and the whole operation of pass-blocking and the quarterback getting the ball out?) – “Obviously no sacks in the game is something that we can build on and we want to build on going forward. I think that’s a credit to ‘Lem’ (Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre) and the offensive line group, in that they are working continually to offset some of the things that have given us some problems earlier in the year. This is one week. We’ve got to keep building on it though. It’s not a finished product by any stretch of the imagination. The backs can play a part in that, the tight ends are a part in that and the quarterback as well, making quick decisions and throwing the ball, getting the ball out of his hands. We’re all involved in that but I think up front, the line, they really took the challenge that they’re working as hard as they can to make sure that we are going to protect these quarterbacks.”
(Over the years, what have you liked about RB Duke Johnson’s skillset just watching him as an NFL player? Did he show you those skills in his debut on Sunday for you guys?) – “I think the one thing you see, Duke has played a lot so he came in here and in the meetings you could tell that he had a background with experience with dogs, blitzes and different kind of run schemes. The biggest thing always in the transition for someone that comes in in the middle of the season is terminology. That’s the biggest hurdle that guys have to come in. It’s still x’s and o’s and people are lined up in the same places, but what we call things is different and that transition takes a little bit of time. But I think he’s worked at it, he’s gotten into it, he’s a smart guy, he’s into it and I think you saw him on the field. He’s got a physical presence. He hits the ball downhill aggressively, attacks the line of scrimmage. He did a nice job on one of the pass protections that we had scanning across. I was very pleased with him and happy for him because he has put in a lot of work and I think he maximized the opportunity that he had.”
(I wanted to ask you about QB Tua Tagovailoa’s long passing touchdown to WR Mack Hollins. What was your perspective on that play and on that throw?) – “My perspective was right down the sideline where it was caught and Myles (Gaskin) and I were leaning almost onto the field hoping that Mack scored on that. It was a great play by Tua being able to locate Mack down the field and throw the ball and complete it. Again, we’re always looking for those explosive plays when we can get them. We were able to locate that one and make the most of it.”
(How effectively do you think QB Tua Tagovailoa can drive the ball, especially as we all know playing through the discomfort of ribs and throwing hand? Maybe we haven’t talked about that enough.) – “You’d have to talk to him about that. I’d be speaking probably out of place as the how all that works. I just know this, Tua is a competitive person. He comes in here, he’s working his tail off to try to do everything that he needs to do to get ready for games and he’s out there when we need him and he’s playing as hard as he can and he’s doing all he can to support this team and this team is supporting him.”
(TE Durham Smythe already has a career high in receiving yards. If you could touch on his ability to affect the game in multiple ways when he’s in.) – “I think Durham has a nice role. The one thing Durham has done is he kind of quietly goes about his business. He’s there, he’s constant and he’s consistent. That’s what we’re looking for, dependable players that can go in there. He’s got one of those dirty, kind of job descriptions. You’re not going to see a lot of what he does. You may not notice it unless you really go back and study what he does. He’s being physical on the end of the line of scrimmage, we use him in second tight end roles too and he’s catching passes and getting what he can out of the pass routes when he does catch them. I’m happy for Durham in what he’s doing and I’m happy for us that we have him because I think he’s a valuable part of what we’re trying to do.”
(There has been a noticeable theme in terms of what coaches and players have been saying during this three-game winning streak is that you guys have been practicing better. I wanted to get your thoughts on what basically quantifies better practices? How do you know you’re practicing better other than the results have changed? What, in your eyes, have you guys seen that says, ‘Hey, these practices are better?’) – “I think that’s perspective. Whoever’s saying that, I think you’d have to ask them how they’re quantifying that. I think our guys come to work everyday and they’re preparing in the meetings, they’re attentive in the meetings, they’re on top of the information that we are giving them. We’re going out, we’re practicing, we’re working through different issues, adjustments, concerns or whatever we need to do – looks, different looks that we think we are going to get and then they’re going out and they’re executing. It’s the whole process that’s important. How to quantify a good practice from a bad practice, I just think it’s about the work and these guys are putting in the work and that’s the beginning of it. When you’re in that part of the process and you’re putting in the work and you’re prepared and you go out and you work and you’re trying to get them the physical repetitions that we need, then it becomes execution on game day. I think it’s the whole process that goes into it and our guys have been working the whole time. This is a hardworking group. They come to work, they’re disciplined, they’re focused on things and right now we’re executing probably better. That’s a good thing. But that’s a result of the whole process. It’s not one particular part of it. I think that’s meetings, practice, away from the field and everything.”
(Particularly in the run game, I know there are very limited padded practices now. I know you were probably part of old-school football where you could wear pads every single day during practice and had two-a-days too. I actually participated in two-a-days. But how can you replicate the physicality of the run game in practice without getting somebody hurt in today’s NFL?) – “That’s learning how to practice as a team and with each other. Certainly, we’re not full speed and we’re not tackling people and taking them to the ground but there is an increased level of intensity when we have on full pads and things, particularly in our run periods that we want to get and we need to get some of those fits with the offensive line, tight ends and the backs where they’re hitting things. Then backs need to get thumped a little bit too, going through the line of scrimmage with how linebackers are going to react to runs or safeties or whatever that is in team periods. That’s learning how to practice with each other and being able to do that at an increased intensity level but not where we’re risking hurting anybody.”
(I wanted to ask about WR Mack Hollins. Entering the season, you guys had a lot of different pass catchers who were above him on the depth chart but obviously because of injury, he’s been moving into a more prominent role on offense. For him to do what he does on special teams and then come and be able to make the plays that he’s making on offense, what does that say about him, his preparation and the worker he is throughout the week?) – “I think you just said it right there. It’s who he is and how he works and how he prepares and gives himself a chance for an opportunity that comes in. You never know when that opportunity is going to be and he’s taking advantage of the opportunities that he’s had, made some plays and done some things for us this year. Again, I think that goes right back to the beginning of your statement, that’s a credit to who he is, how he prepares, how he works, how committed he is to his craft and coming in here and wanting to be a part of this team and contributing in whatever way it is – special teams or offense. Not counting plays but just trying to contribute.”
(I know when the captains were announced, for WR Mack Hollins to be voted an offensive captain and again, not a guy who many expected to have a prominent role, what type of leader is he? How do you see him take on that leadership role?) – “He brings great energy every day. That’s the one thing about Mack, he’s got energy every day in the meetings, in the building, on the practice field and who he is. That’s his personality. That energy I think is also channeled in the right direction in his preparation and his effort on the practice field and what he’s doing. Again, that’s preparing him for opportunities that have presented themselves to him.”
