Clyde Christensen – December 28, 2017
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Thursday, December 28, 2017
Offensive Coordinator Clyde Christensen
(I want to ask you something I asked Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke, just about if you could talk about things that most pleased you and things that most disappointed you. If you could try to avoid words like consistency and work ethic. I’m looking for specific things like ‘the way we ran the ball the last six weeks.’ Things like that. What most pleased you and what most disappointed you?) – “Are you talking about the season?”
(Right. Just looking back at the whole body of work since we’re not going to talk to you again until July 29th.) – “Well, I’ll be here. So you certainly can … I’d rather really not sum up it because the season is not over. I don’t think of it as the season’s over. I won’t use any of those words. I probably won’t answer your question but I won’t use any of those words. How’s that? (laughter) Here’s the point of the thing – and I wouldn’t wrap it up to (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase) or (Executive VP of Football Operations Mike (Tannenbaum) either until we go back and watch it, because sometimes your impression … Like right now, we lost two games on the road that were really huge games. It was bitterly disappointing. Until you go back and you watch it all, I’m really, really careful. I think it’s a mistake coaches make that they say ‘So and so really had a great year’ and then you go back and you watch and you go, ‘Well, he really wasn’t as good as I really thought but maybe just played well the last two games,’ or something. That might be a little bit of a cop out but I really do think of it that way. Next week, I’ll go through, we’ll cut up that stuff. We’ll get started right on all of that stuff. I’ll get an evaluation written. Then it will hit me and it will be fair. I don’t think it would be fair right now to say that.”
(How much does that happen, where you really change your opinion when you go back?) – “A lot of times. A lot of times because it’s such a long … Who remembers the Chargers game? That feels like three years ago. Guys playing different positions, how many snaps did they really play? How many did (Jermon) Bushrod play? I don’t know. Was it 300? Was it 900? I don’t know. I think it changes a lot. Overall, you kind of have an impression; but also, until you go through it and you say ‘We threw too many interceptions’ – until you go back and watch the interception tape and say … There have been some years where you have 19 interceptions but really there were seven that were the quarterback’s poor judgment. A lot of those, you kind of come out and go ‘Oh gosh, we threw this many interceptions’ and then you go (back) … That happens way, way more than you think. That’s always just become a habit and I’ll jump on it early because you kind of want to know. I’m kind of curious too. How did we run the ball? We had a lot of circumstances happen this year on running the ball, so just go look at the thing. Was the plan bad? Did we put the players in a bad position? Did we call good stuff? Did it just take some maturation process? Was it losing (former Offensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator Chris) Foerster in the middle of it? There’s a lot of stuff that goes into a lot of these questions. If you want to ask again in light of that, I’ll give a shot at it.”
(Sure. If you wouldn’t mind, in light of the fact that you haven’t done tape viewing and there’s still one week left to go, just things that quickly come to mind about things that pleased you and things you wished you had done better.) – “You said don’t use the word consistency but inconsistent, I just think that we’ve just done stuff in short stretches. We haven’t done it day in and day out. These last two weeks have been bitterly disappointing because they were huge games. We talked a lot about December football. We talked a lot about in the AFC, you better be able to go on the road to a cold-weather spot and win big games, and we didn’t do it. We didn’t do it. We got the formula put on us. It’s always the same formula. Do we protect the ball, do you run the ball well, do you not have dumb penalties? The first week of December, we did those things at the New England game here at home. The two road games – where it’s harder to do; it gets magnified and it’s harder to do – against two playoff-contention teams, two good teams, and with us having a lot at stake and them having a lot at stake – and we failed miserably. We really didn’t give it a run. We didn’t take the games in the fourth quarter. Both teams had zero turnovers against us and we turn the ball over and didn’t give ourselves a chance. That’s really, really disappointing and again, that may not be fair because it’s the last two and they’re the most fresh on my mind; but I do know that. I do know that December is December and if you can’t play your best football in December then you’re not going anywhere. You’re destined to be dead average or below. That’s not what we aspire to be. That’s not satisfactory.”
(Was there any truth in the example that you gave a minute ago about how the interceptions may not necessarily be the quarterback’s fault this year? Do you feel like that’s fair?) – “I don’t know because I haven’t watched it.”
(But you look at each week. Are there some that are not QB Jay Cutler’s fault?) – “Yes but it doesn’t … It doesn’t hit me that way. I’m too old. My mind … I can’t retain it all. I’ll leave that to the young guns, (Head Coach Adam) Gase and those guys with the sharp young minds; but I really honestly don’t remember them all. I don’t remember ‘Hey, that’s right, his arm was getting hit.’ Just remind me that we had three interceptions in this game. I know it cost us a game but I don’t know that they were Jay’s fault, not Jay’s fault, we didn’t protect, we set people free up in the middle, we let people come around the corner – I don’t know – a receiver slipped and fell. I don’t know. I honestly would tell you. I’ve always been honest with you. I wouldn’t remember them enough.”
(The right side of your offensive line has been solid with two backup guys. Two guys [G/T Jesse Davis and T Sam Young] that weren’t your starters at the beginning of the year. Why do you think that they’ve played as well as they have and are those guys, have they played into possible long-term type of…) – “Here’s my thought on it. My thought is A) we haven’t played well enough up front. We haven’t protected or run the ball in December like we’ve got to do it. Overall, not satisfactory, not good enough. I do think we’ve improved up there and at least stabilized ourselves a little bit and I think it’s because they stayed together for a little bit of time. I think Kenyan (Drake) helps out a little bit, making some big plays. That kind of juices everybody up. I do think there has been a stability to thing. The last part of your thing is I do think there’s some … I’ve said it for two years so I hope maybe we reap the benefit here soon but the moving people around has some benefit because guys get such great experience playing some different positions. I’d love for them to now, let’s get our offensive line set. Let’s keep them together, let’s stay healthy for 16 games. Let’s stay in the same run package. Let’s get good at something. We haven’t done that. The first thing, to think that it’s the level it’s got to be, it’s not. We haven’t rushed the ball and protected as well as we need to do it, which would be probably true of almost everything offensively so far.”
(Have you kept in touch with former Offensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator Chris Foerster and if so, how is he doing?) – “Yes, I have stayed in touch with him. He’s a good friend and I think things are going well for him. That probably would be all I want to say is that he’s doing well. He’s working hard. He’s a good man and he’ll work on his life, just like the rest of us.”
(On a different note, Head Coach Adam Gase was talking about the idea of possibly playing some younger guys this week, some guys that you haven’t had a chance to see. Is there anyone that you’re particularly interested in or curious about getting on the field?) – “No. I’m more interested in just seeing our guys play winning football. It’s the same thing that it’s two weeks that we haven’t won. Him and the front office will make those determinations but I see it as our last December game, so it’s a playoff feel for me and I’m trying to sell it as such. We do have a lot at stake. We’re playing a division opponent. We’re playing at home. The theme is let’s take up where we left off last time we were home. There’s a big difference between ending on a winning note and a losing note, whether it’s right or wrong. It just feels different to everybody. I think we have a lot at stake. We have some young guys who we’re getting a look at that I want to see finish. Kenyan Drake, finish a nice start for December. Jakeem Grant, let’s see him finish December well. He’s stacked a couple of weeks in a row together. DeVante (Parker), a spark here or there, let’s finish on a good note going into the offseason. Let’s have a nice outing. The guys up front – Jesse (Davis) – let’s play our best football in the last game, which is what you ought to do, because you’ve been practicing. You’ve been doing it now for nine months, so let’s stack that on top of it. (Laremy) Tunsil, let’s play our most consistent game, and some of those things. The young guys I want to see are the young guys who you’ve been seeing. We, the offensive staff, would love to see those guys play their best football in the last game and their most consistent (game). Let’s have some momentum going into the offseason and go, and let’s win a division game and take care of the Buffalo Bills, which would be fun to do.”
(As far as your run blocking this season, statistically it’s not as good as it was last season but you did have a change of running backs and a change of personnel up front. How have those guys been doing run blocking do you think?) – “You guys restricted my vocabulary because I can’t (say words like consistency and work ethic) … (laughter) Can I use inconsistent again for 137th time this year? But (we’ve been) inconsistent. There are some times where you just go, ‘Man, we’re getting it.’ And then there are times where you go, ‘How does that happen? How did we set him free?’ I really don’t think it’s been … This league is about doing it week in and week out. These guys are good players. Every team has good players. Every team has got a couple hundred million dollars worth of professional athletes on it, so everyone can do it once in a while when all of the conditions are right. This league is about being able to do it at Buffalo, at Kansas City, under pressure, in a playoff game – those kinds of things; and that’s what we haven’t done. We’ve done it at times. You guys have all seen that. That’s stating the obvious but it’s true. It really is true. We haven’t proven we can do it week in and week out and we certainly haven’t proven we can do it in December. We haven’t proven we can do it on the road in a big AFC game on the road in December. Those are disappointing. That’s disappointing.”
(Well if you’re a player that does it every once in a while and is not consistent, then you’re not a good player.) – “Yes, then you’re watching the playoff games from home. That’s right. You’re sitting there, like I’ll be doing, watching the good teams – the teams that did it – do it next week and for the next five weeks. That’s right. That’s what those guys are.”
(I guess what I’m asking is, isn’t a good player defined by consistency?) – “Yes. The answer is yes. And the good teams are defined by it, yes. Some of it is a learned behavior. Some of it is learned, so you develop. That would be development; but some people never get it and they disappear out of the league. Tons of people disappear from the league. Tons of coaches disappear from the league. He couldn’t do it week in and week out. This thing got too hard for him. That’s why you see a lot of turnover on the rosters. I do think that. I always halfway tease but the inconsistent NFL players, they have a name, right? Graduate student. They’re back in school somewhere. (laughter) That’s their name. Which is the truth. Let’s cut the crap. That’s the truth and it’s the same thing (with) inconsistent coaches. Do you know what they are? They’re State Farm agents. (laughter)”
(How close is T Laremy Tunsil from being where you want him to be and where he can be?) – “(He’s) more than four days away. Let’s just take another step. It’s coming. I’ve said it to you, I look at it as his rookie year. It’s his second rookie year. It’s really important to see it as that. When we watch the tape and we evaluate him next week or whenever that happens, you do have to take into account that it’s another rookie stretch for him. At times, I think he would tell you that he’s felt like a rookie and he’s played like a rookie. At times you see glimpses and the same thing that (you guys) mentioned, it is just the consistency. I believe with all of my heart that it’s going to hit for him. Just (with) some experience, he’s going to end up being a really, really fine player; but you do have to go do it. I’ve thought that about a lot of people and it didn’t happen. You just never know. Sometimes with these guys, it just clicks and they just come back and … Kenyan Drake. (He) morphed into one of our most consistent, responsible players in the last month. A year ago, if you said Jakeem Grant and Kenyan Drake were going to be two of our most consistent players in December of next year, you could have got some great odds that that wasn’t going to be the case. You could have made a lot of money betting that. That’s how this game works. It’s kind of funny how that happens but it’s really true. Those are two great examples. Now, let’s finish December for those guys. Let’s go have a great offseason and let’s go become solid NFL players that do it year after year after year after year, week after week after week, day in and day out, in December, on the road. Now you’ve got something. The more of those you’ve got, the further you go, and all of a sudden you get a chance at winning the big one, which is the objective.”
(Do you look back at WR DeVante Parker’s – I don’t want to say season – the first 16 games he’s played?) – “It’s kind of insulting, you know? (laughter) No, I’m just kidding. You said I can’t say inconsistently. (laughter) Just for the first question? Oh okay, good. You should have let me know because I’ve been kind of frustrated. I’ve had a knot in my stomach trying to think of how I was going to say things. (laughter) Yes, inconsistent. He’s been inconsistent. He’s been unhealthy. That’s the more fair statement to him. He hasn’t been healthy for long stretches since I’ve been here, and that includes the offseason. I feel bad for the kid. It’s not fun playing receiver when you can’t run.”
(Yes, but everybody gets hurt.) – “Sure. That’s right. And the ones who keep getting hurt, the same thing. They disappear. It’s hard to play good football if you’re always hurt. Are you unlucky? Is it just a bad stretch? It’s the same thing. That’s why every year different teams are in and teams fall apart. That’s right. Do you determine he’s always hurt and move on? Do you say he just got unlucky for a couple of years or a couple of weeks and its coming and he’s going to go to the Pro Bowl next year? It could be anywhere in between. I look at (Colts QB) Andrew Luck. He missed this whole year but I know what kind of player he is and I know how tough a man he is. It’s not fair to just say … It’s hard to judge a guy that way. It’s hard to judge him. I don’t judge … Anyone who plays this thing and walks on the field is a tough man. I don’t call anyone soft or anything because this is a tough game; but we also know that with the money they’re making and the pressure that’s on, you have to be able to play week in and week out, and part of that is injuries. Part of that is durability. That is part of why your offseasons have to be well. That’s why you have to take care of your body. That’s why you have to be able to control your nights off and your offseasons and stuff, so that you do stay healthy. They’re all tied together. But the good teams, those guys play. Other freak things that come up? Sure. There’s freak things that come up.”
(I guess the issue is you know what kind of player Colts QB Andrew Luck is because he’s shown it. WR DeVante Parker now three years in, we don’t know what player he is.) – “Yes. Although I look and I say I saw training camp and I said this guy has a chance to be really, really good. He’s got another 500-yard year where I see him as a 10-touchdown and 1,000-yard guy. I told you that at the beginning of the season. My words were if he stays healthy, I really see this guy as a 10-touchdown and 1,000-yard guy. I’ll still stay with that. If he had stayed healthy, it probably would have been that. Now we just have to … Here’s what I think about DeVante. He’s learning. He’s 200 percent better today than he was the day that I got here at understanding what he’s got to do, taking care of himself and his habits, his workout regime and all of the things that go into taking care of your legs and those things. Did he get hurt again? Yes; but I’m telling you, he’s way further ahead on those things. In my heart of hearts, which tries to take the positive side of everything, I would say that’s going to pay off. That’s what I would look him into the eye – I have looked him in the eye – and say ‘Just keep doing the right things. Learn to do them even better and I trust that something good will happen for you.’ It doesn’t always, right? Some guys have freak things that happen and it doesn’t happen for them; but he’s 200 percent further ahead than a year and a half ago when we first got here – whenever it was –as far as just the habits of running, lifting, sleeping, eating and all of those things, getting into the building early and staying a little bit earlier. He’s way ahead. Maybe it didn’t show on the field this year. So far he got unlucky and tweaked an ankle. Last year it was a hamstring; but I really believe with all of my heart that if he keeps doing the right things and stacking those things on top of each other, he sure increases his percentage chance of that hitting someday soon and it also makes you look in the mirror and you know you did the right things. That’s all you can do and then you go play as hard as you can. If you come down on someone’s foot and your ankle rolls, that’s hard to blame on somebody. That would be my positive take on that. Does that answer your question? Good, it turned out to be another 500 … There’s nothing we can do about it. It happened. I don’t look and go ‘You screwed it up here.’ You got unlucky and it’s one of those games that that happens; but I would tell you that I’m encouraged with the young man as a young man, and how he trains his body and how he takes care of himself. He’s made a big step that way. I think he really has realized it. I think he’s taken a step. He’s not there yet in this area and he’s not there yet (in that area), but I think he wants to be good. That’s half of it, that you really do want to be good, because that’s the beginning of ‘Okay, if I want to be good, now I’ve got to take these steps to be good.’ I think DeVante is starting to do that. He’s way ahead of a year and a half ago. If he does the same thing this offseason again and takes it another notch, I think he’ll increase his percentage chance and I’ll make the same statement probably preseason again that I think if he stays healthy, he’s a 1,000-yard, 10-touchdown guy and South Florida is really proud of (him). I really hope it happens. He’s really a nice kid and I think the world of him. I want to see it happen for him.”
