Frank Smith – October 27, 2022
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Thursday, October 27, 2022
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(It seems like every week, RB Raheem Mostert seems to kind of get more of a workload in the offense. Coming off kind of significant knee injury last year, I think maybe that’s a little bit of surprise this early on. What have you seen from him? And why is he just such a good fit for this running offense?) – “Sure. I think his history, obviously in the system, helps him really understand what we’re trying to do. And I think it’s also a testament to how he is as a worker and as a man. I mean, he really attacked his rehabilitation. He attacked, trying to get better on his things that he was trying to improve on in his overall playing as a complete back. So I would say that, with Mike’s (McDaniel) history with him, and I know Wes (Welker) and Jon (Embree) as well come from San Francisco, I wouldn’t say we’re really surprised with anything he’s doing. We’re more – this was the expectation that we kind of were expecting him when we brought him here.”
(We’ve heard a lot about the various teaching methods for like wide receivers getting off the route and whatnot. Are there any like specific teaching methods that you kind of instill with running backs when it comes to kind of reading and working with the offensive line, and when to cut on the wide zone?) – “Yeah, totally. I think that when you’re building a system, like we have in the running game, and you’re really starting from scratch compared to what they were doing last year, there’s going to be a constant evolution as you go, because you’re just learning all the variables that occur because no one defense is the same from one play to the next. So they’re really, the runners, are learning how they fit with the line; the line is learning how they fit with the runner, and how the running back blocks for the o-line with his track and his intent and his read. So I think that Raheem (Mostert) coming from this system, understood some of those things, but it’s a new line. And then the linemen are understanding what we’re trying to do with the fundamentals and techniques. I think we previewed a couple weeks ago, or maybe a month ago, when we were talking about the running game and how it’s got to progress. The only time you get real time work on these things is in-season, because in the preseason, all they got are zone elements. So sometimes it doesn’t start off looking naturally how you want it to look, and right around quarter two, is really kind of where you start learning where you’re at, and you start seeing the progression, the evolution, to where you want to go.”
(I’ve got a T Terron Armstead question. It seemed to me that pass protection and run blocking were better last week. Is that true? And how much credit should Terron get for that, if that is true?) – “He takes all the credit. I mean – for who he is as a person, as a pro, we weren’t surprised. I’m just fortunate enough to have the familiarity with him from when we drafted him in New Orleans. And he was about as easy as a free agent signing as you could get, because we knew the quality of the man was going to be just as high as the player. So as he’s working through things that, when you don’t necessarily in pro football feel your best every week, he’s just a consummate pro. He’s going to make sure on Sundays that he’s ready to perform. As he was working through his injuries, I think that you felt last week was more of where he wants to play because he was able to have a week to really kind of get his body right.”
(It seems we didn’t hear LB Alex Highsmith’s name hardly at all, and he lined up across from T Terron Armstead a lot. What can one man do for an offense? I mean, does he make OL Liam Eichenberg’s job easier? OL Connor William’s job easier? Like what does Terron do for an offense?) – “Well, I think it really is not just Terron. I think it’s the whole offense. I mean, Tua (Tagovailoa) is back as well. We were operating closer to where we were earlier in the season with the people that were out there. I think team protection is more than just one man. It’s also the timing of the play, the quarterback understanding when the ball has to come out, the running backs knowing where they fit into it. I think everyone’s at the right spot at the right time on the routes. I think ultimately, it’s not necessarily one guy. One man who plays at such a high level like he does helps. But there’s more that goes into it because you could block the hell out of the guy but if the quarterback is not getting the ball out at the right time, the receivers aren’t at the right depth, I think that impacts everything. And then when we’re playing as a team, as a unit, that’s where you just see the execution. So one man doing his job helps. But it requires all 11 to work on the same page and execution of the play.”
(When you referenced second quarter earlier in our conversation, you meant the second quarter of this schedule, right? Not a game?) – “Yes.”
(So in terms of the progress of a developing offense and a newly installed scheme, what are some of the precise areas in which there should be more refinement that will allow there to be not just the good numbers in the yards per play, yards per game, but points per game? To take that next step, the next level for the offense to be operating on the cylinders it should be, what are a few key points?) – “Sure. I think that ultimately you see, players playing with better fundamentals. Hopefully you’re seeing hopefully penalties decrease. You’re seeing more consistency in our play production. You ultimately want to see us moving the ball, efficiency to your point, scoring points. Quarter two has always been the measure, however, that’s when things are always going, they’re operating with consistency with the unit. You’re not dealing with massive injuries or stuff that we’ve had to overcome. So does it change your timeline? Maybe a little bit. It just makes you a little bit more knowing that it’s going to be maybe when you get the whole group together, you’re probably looking more towards the end of this month. It’s always kind of been the reference, because that was something like always that I understood from New Orleans with Sean Payton. I mean, we always talk about quarter one, knowing that we need to win that four-game block, and to come out of quarter one in a good position in the division. And then really, in quarter two, you kind of really know who you are as a team, because as you acquire all the talent there and sometimes new coaches, new everything, it isn’t until you get a quarter of the season done where you kind of really understand those things. But then that’s what you’d like to see. You’d like to see more consistent production, more smooth operation. And I think that’s what we’ll hopefully start seeing here in the next couple of weeks.”
(We heard from Head Coach Mike McDaniel that maybe some of the timing on some of the routes wasn’t exactly where it needs to be after QB Tua Tagovailoa spent so much time away. I guess, how are you feeling about that timing and that chemistry now that he’s had a week-and-a-half and a game of practice back under his belt?) – “Yeah, better. I think we felt it yesterday with some of the stuff we’re doing. The communication that they’re having between each play, and making sure that he understands where they need to be, they understand where he’s looking in the timing of the play versus the coverages. I think that when you come back from several games off, and you’re the quarterback, I mean, it’s the hardest position to play because you can sense if something’s off. But it comes down to the measure of the man to get it corrected, and the greatest thing about Tua is that he is so well prepared. He attacks each day like it’s probably zero issue to us in our head, because like yesterday, we saw how he’s communicating with the wide receivers and the runners to where they need to be, and then the tight ends as well with what he’s expecting on the timing of the play. I think that hopefully we’re going to see this week an improvement on that.”
(When you say you can sense that something is off, like the coaches can sense something is off? Or like the quarterback can sense when something is off?) – “The players know always before we do. So they’re the ones that normally talk to each other before it even gets to us, when you’re operating at a high level. And then in turn, they’re working through certain stuff because every week, coverages are different, defenses try and stop you different ways. I think the greatest gift is that we have players that own what we’re doing and they’re the ones that take the lead on getting everything on the same page.”
(RB Chase Edmonds has gone through a rough patch catching the ball. Do you see him like fighting the ball a little bit, pressing a little bit? And regardless of the reason, how do you get him back on track?) – “Yeah, I think ultimately is when you’re a guy like Chase, who has had production in this league, you’re wanting to make that play. And sometimes, you’re straining a little bit more to be perfect as opposed to just playing your game, and your preparation in practice leads you to that production in the game. I would say that we’re not concerned. We’re trying to help him work through all that stuff because we’ve seen it with him and we just want to get him – because all it’s going to take is that one play and a guy like him, he’ll get back on rhythm. I think that’s ultimately the challenge for all of us, when you don’t do something to the level which you expect, the reality is to go back to the process, it gets you on track, and then when you get the process right, the results will come. So I think that’s kind of the core foundational piece to our program here is that we’re always making sure that we’re process based over result. I mean still we have so much left in the season. We’re counting on him and we know that he’s going to step up when it most matters as we build for hopefully the playoffs in a couple months.”
