Frank Smith – December 28, 2023
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Thursday, December 28, 2023
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(Has QB Tua Tagovailoa, to you, looked limited at all by either injury he has, including the thumb injury?) – “This time of year is December, and everyone’s working through stuff. So ultimately, as we’re going through each day this week, we’re making sure that we’re getting ourselves ready to play on Sunday. The big thing today is focusing on today and getting better today, and ultimately, as Tua and all the guys work through it, we’re just making sure we’re focused one day at a time as we get ourselves ready for Baltimore.”
(Is it possible on any of the throws that there any limitations on throws QB Tua Tagovailoa can make with the thumb?) – “Ultimately guys, we’re going to focus on today and what we can get better on day. I mean, as far as right now with Tua or just any of the guys, they’re working through today. We’re focusing on what we’re going to do today, not necessarily all the variables to stuff. We’re just making sure that we are working on our gameplan and everything we’re going to do to execute for Baltimore.”
(Do you need to get your backup quarterback extra repetitions this week?) – “I mean, when it comes to any injuries or anything that we’re working through, ultimately, we’re making sure that we have all the contingencies that we need to, just in case any variable occurs. So whether it’s the offensive line, wide receiver, quarterback, running back, defensive back, like all positions, we just try and make sure that we cover our bases in case any scenario potentially occurs.”
(How did the thumb injury happen? Did QB Tua Tagovailoa hit on someone’s helmet throwing the ball?) – “Yeah, I think it was something on one of the throws or something like that in the game. I’m not 100 percent sure. I can’t remember exactly what it was. But like everything, I think the big thing is as you go through it, it’s the last week of December. I mean, I’ve got a paper cut in my hand too that I’m working through. (laughter) I’m trying to push through. But ultimately, it’s just for us, it’s worrying about today, making sure that we’re getting ourselves ready for Baltimore this Sunday.”
(Are you going to be available for Sunday with that paper cut?) – “I’m questionable. (laughter)”
(Is QB Tua Tagovailoa going to be available Sunday?) – “(laughter) We’re working through stuff. Today’s the most important thing, and we’re going to make sure we get better today.”
(Here’s one that I think you can answer. A thumb injury to a quarterback on the throwing hand, how complicated does it get in terms of either gripping the ball, throwing the ball, or simply taking a snap? What’s the biggest concerns?) – “It’s just, there are multiple factors into everyone’s different things. You can’t say there’s one thing specific. I mean, ultimately, we’ll make sure that we’re in the best situation possible to put ourselves in position to be at our best. So as far as Tua (Tagovailoa) and all the guys, they’re working through things. They’re extreme pros and they’ll make sure that they’re getting better every day to get themselves ready for each game that it presents.”
(How have you seen the Ravens defense evolve since the Week 2 matchup last season?) – “I mean a new coordinator. We were new last year as well. I think as they’ve grown in their system, as we have, you can see guys that are really playing well together, communicating, intent. They have a very good understanding of what schematically they’re trying to do and they play very well together and they’re an opportunistic defense. Obviously, they’ve had some success in recent weeks, so for us, it’s a great challenge. I mean, you couldn’t ask for this time of year for these great games, because as a competitor, you always want to face the best and be at your best. We’re really looking forward to it and it’ll be a great challenge because they have a good defense.”
(What’s been the biggest thing that you’ve seen from QB Tua Tagovailoa from the offseason now entering Week 17? Or what has impressed you the most about how he’s been able to grow throughout the season?) – “I think it’s like stuff we’ve kind of talked about all season, or even from the offseason. It’s just understanding the intent and understanding familiarity with your guys and really just being on the same page as far as expectations. When you start as a new program, there’s a lot of stuff you’re working through. Now you hopefully have seen a couple looks a couple times so you can have anticipation and be able to play together. The greatest thing about Tua and all the guys is just how they go about their daily process. I mean, it’s not a surprise when you see how everyone goes about Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, or really the entire offseason since April. Just guys who were deliberately present, focusing on getting better today. When you have an environment like that, you love coming to work and you really can just focus on trying to improve on all the little things you want to get better at in all phases your game or anything that’s bothering you. It’s great to hear their conversations about football and it’s no surprise how they’re all getting connected and getting stronger each week.”
(How do you adapt the offense if WR Jaylen Waddle can’t go, at the expense of possibly having you just recycle an answer about WR Tyreek Hill?) – “It’s not necessarily recycling answers. It’s more for us, it’s stuff like as we go through the season, we ask all these things, but it goes back to our offseason and how we go about everything. We try to make sure that we always are moving guys around and getting guys work with things so we all can be connected for the time that we’re going to have to show up and do what’s required for Sunday. So again, we have contingencies to work through so we can make sure that we’re putting our guys in the best position possible.”
(With WR Robbie Chosen potentially being out as well, if WR Jaylen Waddle and WR Robbie Chosen can’t go, you kind of lose two speed elements. Is there somebody on the practice squad that’d be kind of like a natural backup to those guys?) – “I mean, we still got Thursday, so we’ll see how the week goes before we determine what we’re going to do for the roster. But again, we make sure that all the variables and stuff that we’re considering everything to make sure that we can have our guys in the best position for Sunday. We’ll worry about today and we’ll make sure that we get the guys that are capable to play and help us be at our best on Sunday, and they’ll be ready to go.”
(What did OL Liam Eichenberg do pretty well on Sunday?) – “The one thing that I think that’s an intangible that’s really hard to measure is just – what was it that Rocky Balboa said? I remember that one movie. It’s like, ‘toughness isn’t how much you can dish out, it’s how much you can take and keep moving.’ Man, is he a tough guy. His resiliency really through the year and to – I mean, think about it. For playing all across the offensive line, working through stuff, it’s a real testament to who he is as a person. I think having to be up there, communicate, working through different things, it’s been awesome. I think his versatility and dependability have been really a valuable feature, especially for the different things we’ve had to work through on the line.”
(Speaking of that, I’m doing something on your backups and the jobs that they’ve done this season. Can you tell me what you think about the jobs that they’ve done overall offensively, but then especially on the offensive line and especially when you have to come in mid-game as opposed to having days to prepare?) – “I thought you were listing my backups. I was like, ‘Tell me who they are.’ (laughter) I think for us, it’s just we’re always trying to make sure that as we go through things, we accurately know where our guys are at and what they’re capable of and making sure that we’re every day working on our ongoing skill development. That’s why after practice, our guys are really working with the assistants and their position coaches trying to maximize things they’re trying to work on. It’s always that, because it’s a long season and you never know when your time is going to get called up. You could be inactive for a month or two and all of a sudden, bang, you’re in a starting role due to the nature of the situation. If you train in the intent that it could be tomorrow and every day is that’s how your preparation goes. It’s part of the mental process to getting yourself ready. I think that’s the fortunate thing about a lot of the guys here is just they take that approach to everything they do. Everything is about helping each other. You’re serving your teammates, you’re serving everyone. So if I choose to not take today as the most important time, ‘It’s just Thursday,’ then it’s a Thursday and the Thursdays start adding up as opposed to, ‘No, it’s Thursday.’ That focus I think is the biggest thing that the locker room really carries every day. I think that’s a great part of the program.”
(What did you like about what RB Jeff Wilson Jr. did on those two carries on the last drive?) – “Finding the running lane and hitting it with purpose. I mean at that point in the game, time isn’t on your side so it’s yards, getting north. He was very decisive with his runs of physical on contact. The greatest thing is when you see him run the ball, is you guys get to see the passion he has for what he does. He’s one of the guys you love going to work with every day because just his energy towards everything he does. Good, strong carries at the end and really helped set us in position to be where we wanted to be at the end of the game.”
(It’s tough to highlight any element of the Ravens defense, it’s so good across the board, but I think I’ll start in the back end. What does S Kyle Hamilton do on tape to really expand their ability to be flexible in that secondary?) – “Range. Understanding of the system. You can tell he’s on his details. You can see him and the guys on the back end communicate well together. Really the whole defense overall, you can tell they have a very good understanding. They all know where their role is and inside of it. It’s a credit to their coaching staff and their program. They’re a well-coached team with very good players who know where they need to be and when they need to be there. I think it’s just a challenge when you play a program like the Ravens, because they’ve been able to do it for a long time. Now they have another guy whose stepping into a role and playing well, so it will be a good challenge for us on Sunday for us to execute what we want to do.”
(Do you think there’s value to having that tape of them playing the 49ers just six days ago, an offense that’s somewhat similar to your guys’ with all the motions and the middle of the field passing game? Is there benefit to seeing that on tape six days before playing them?) – “It gives you sometimes, maybe if you had a, ‘I wonder what they would do if we did this,’ so you can see maybe some similar motions and stuff like that. But ultimately, each game will be different. But sometimes it does help you because some teams don’t motion. Other teams do. So when you play a team that gives you some motion stuff, sometimes it helps you in your preparation for, ‘OK, that’s what you think would happen if you move him here,’ or something like that.”
(I was just going to ask how OL Robert Jones and OL Lester Cotton had played in the last couple of weeks?) – “Two guys that – again, you have a locker room full of guys that you just love going to work with because of the energy they bring every day. It’s just physical guys who enjoy playing the game. The greatest thing about both of them is they’ve been asked to do so many different things for us over their time here, and the way they step up and rise to the challenge, you just couldn’t ask for better guys and their physicality, especially when they play the game. They just love playing football. You just want a locker room full of guys who love coming to work every day, and those guys kind of epitomize it.”
