Chad O’Shea – December 24, 2019
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Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea
(Would you mind spending a few minutes, if you could, just talking about some of the individual player developments that really pleased you this year? I know you’re proud of all your players, but there are probably a few that stand out if you could indulge us on that.) – “I’d have to say collectively I am proud of how the group has worked and has embraced what we asked them to do from Day 1, and certainly their improvement has been based off their efforts. There’s been some guys that have been very productive for us this year and played well in their roles. Obviously DeVante (Parker) statistically comes to mind, and I think a lot of his production on the field is a result of what he’s done behind the scenes; and what that is, is he’s been outstanding in preparation. He’s done everything possible he can do to put himself in the best position to be successful on the field, so he definitely comes to mind. Mike Gesicki comes to mind. Obviously statistically he has done well for us and been a productive player, and for the same reasons I believe DeVante has. He just really has embraced the coaching. (Tight Ends Coach) George Godsey’s done a really nice job with him as it relates to the details of pass receiving and ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) certainly has been a big part of his development. I think that in all the players that I mentioned that I’m proud of and their development, ‘Fitz’ is at the center of a lot of this because he’s done such a good job of I think instilling confidence in some of these guys. I think Mike and DeVante wouldn’t be in the position they’re in and have the success that they’ve had if it wasn’t for the quarterback having confidence in him – in both of them. I think there’s a lot of factors that go into the development of those players. Certainly there’s a lot of players on our offense that could be in this category that have improved. The statistics maybe don’t show that in certain positions because they’re just not measured by that at certain positions, but there has been a lot of development and improvement at different positions along the way and kind of for the same reasons, that they’ve embraced what we’ve done, they’ve worked hard and they’ve been available at practice and stayed healthy.”
(How has this year been for you as play-caller? Obviously this is your first year. Do you think about where you were when you first started to where you are now and how comfortable…) – “Yeah, I think the first thing is it’s a humbling experience and I’m very fortunate to be in this position. That hasn’t changed throughout the year. There hasn’t been a day I’ve walked in the building and haven’t been very fortunate and appreciative of the opportunity that I have to be in this position. Certainly I think that I’ve been blessed to have a very strong staff to help me along the way. It’s been a learning experience. There hasn’t been a day I haven’t walked off the field or left a meeting that I haven’t learned from and been better because of; and then in the end, I think what’s most important is the players have been coachable here. They’ve tried to do what we’ve asked them to do despite maybe good and bad. They’ve really embraced that part of it. They’ve been very coachable. They’ve been a pleasure to work with. Certainly ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) has a lot to do with this. For me to have somebody in his role – a veteran player that brings such strong traits – was very valuable to me in the first year and was very helpful. It’s been a learning experience when I look back, and I look forward to the future. I look forward to learning from the past, but even more excited about the future and just excited of how our players have responded to this year.”
(You kept the same five offensive linemen in the game against the Bengals after rotating for a few weeks. What was it that led to that decision?) – “I think that again, that’s a position it seems like we’ve spoken about every week I’ve stood up here, and I understand there’s been a lot of moving parts. There’s been a lot of factors that have kind of led to those moving parts. When we were afforded the opportunity to leave a group in there, it always helps. Continuity at any position is helpful. So that was the case with the offensive line. It was good to have that group out there playing. I thought there were some plays in which there was consistency within the play and within the series, and it really helped us generate some production and score some points. It’s a position that we’ve had a lot of changes, and certainly I think that the players that have been involved in those changes have done a good job of just trying to adjust and do the best job they can within the roles we’ve asked them to do.”
(How would you evaluate the DT Christian Wilkins touchdown and how long have you been holding onto that play?) – “He’s certainly somebody that we were aware of in college who was able to catch the ball. It’s amazing how good of athletes a lot of these guys are that are at the non-skill positions. Some of the linemen, whether it’s defensive and offensive linemen, football players just enjoy throwing and catching the football. Before practice, it’s very common that these guys throw the ball around to each other just like they would growing up, so it was evident that he could catch the football and obviously we used him in there for his strength as a blocker also. I thought he did a good job of jumping in there and catching the ball. I wish he would have held onto it just a little bit longer, but (it was) long enough to score.”
(We’re finally seeing the skillset of WR Albert Wilson that we saw last year before you guys arrived. Do you finally feel like he has everything back from the hip and everything else he’s dealt with where he can maximize his skills?) – “Albert in the last couple weeks, I think we’ve really seen where Albert is when he’s fully healthy. I’ve been very excited about his opportunities he’s had on the field, and he’s made the most of them. I think he’s brought energy to the team. I think he’s made some plays with the ball in his hands which is what our expectation is of him. It’s been a year in which Albert has really worked very hard to get back to his health, and you can see how important that is in a player based off of where he his now and where he was at the beginning of this. I’m just excited that he has the opportunity to go out there and play the way he wants to and obviously his health has a lot to do with that.”
(WR Albert Wilson talked a little bit about wanting to come back next year. I know some of that’s out of your hands, but when you look at his do you take some of the recency of what he’s been able to do? Is that more of a weighted period rather than maybe before he was at the beginning of the season?) – “I think that with all the players it’s ‘what have you done for us lately?’ And what is your last outing and what that’s been, and a lot of that has to do with ‘have you improved over time and where are you currently?’ And I think where Albert is currently is what my expectation was of Albert. Some things you can’t control as a player, and one thing you can’t control is sometimes the health that you have. Albert has worked very hard. I think the strength and conditioning staff, I think our training staff – who I think is really good here – have done a great job of getting Albert back to being the player that he really wants to be, and I think confidence has a lot to do with this. A player goes out there and has full confidence in not only his health, but if the quarterback and the coaching staff have a confidence in you and know that, you play to that. And I think Albert has kind of showed that the last couple weeks, and I look forward to increased opportunities with him here in the future.”
(I wanted to ask you about Head Coach Brian Flores’ philosophy on making players inactive and using players to the best of their abilities for certain weeks? You kind of said something, too: “what have you done to me lately?” The team has made some players inactive – o-line and defensive line. What is the background in all of that? Because if I’m a player and I’m saying, “you don’t give me a chance to play to be good this week, to help you guys win,” I may find that discouraging and maybe ideally you want players who could play every single week. Maybe I’m rambling here…) – “No, you’re not and I understand your question, and to answer your question, it’s that we truly look at each week unique to itself, and it’s a week very different than maybe the one that we had prior or the one that’s coming up. So that being said, we really put a lot of time and efforts and discuss thoroughly what players are best suited to try to help us win that game, and sometimes that changes. It truly is a decision that’s always based on what’s going to be in the best interest of our team with those players available to win the game; and I think that’s where our motivation lies. ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) has done a great job of working hard in this area of giving us, offensively, the best players available for us to succeed. I truly believe that and that’s what we’ve tried to do with the inactives and actives. It’s a decision that’s based on that week and that week only, not necessarily looking to the future or looking in the past, but just living in the present of what’s best for our team on that week.”
(So ideally you would want a player who could help you be active and help you win every week, correct?) – “I think the goal again is to put players in position to win and then those players – and who they are – has a lot to do with our decisions on how we want to move forward in that game. There’s a lot of factors that are involved. It’s obviously the opponent. It’s our game plan, which – like yesterday and today are our game-planning days which we put a lot of thought into what players fit best within that scheme we’re going to play versus the team we’re playing. I just think there’s a lot of decisions based on that, and certainly we would love for all players to be active, but that’s not the case and we’re always going to do what’s best for the team.”
(When a certain player is inactive for maybe several games, should that be the notion that maybe that player can’t help you win or maybe that player needs to be coached more? What is…?) – “I think that a great example of all this is Isaiah Ford. Isaiah Ford wasn’t even on the roster for several weeks, so he could have taken the approach that he wasn’t part of this, but he didn’t. He embraced his role at the time. He tried to improve. He tried to learn what we were doing – the game plan – even though he wasn’t going to be active on game day, and what a great example it was to watch him in the game come through in the most critical time of the game. And I think a lot of that has to do with when he was in the role of being not on the roster and inactive, how he approached that; and I think it’s something that the NFL, we have. We have inactive players and we have active players, and I think that the approach of all those players that are involved is so important, and Isaiah was a good example of understanding that the role you’re in and really trying to improve and knowing that you’re going to have the opportunity at some time.”
(Has G Michael Deiter played better these last two games after the one game that he didn’t start?) – “There was definitely some improvement and again, what we’ve been searching for not only with Deiter but all positions here offensively, is consistency. I think that there’s certainly areas that he’s done well in. There’s been positives. There is improvement, but as is the case with all our offense, there’s got to be a consistency if we’re going to have success.”
(The most important part of your job is probably coaching up players and calling good ball plays, but I’m wondering if you like another part of your job which is probably to offer your input and opinion by studying film and watching players in practice and workouts and things like that for free agency and the draft. Do you like that part?) – “I think that it’s important obviously because evaluation of the players and the players you have out there are so critical to your success, so it’s something that we’re involved in as coaches and the evaluation of our own team is important. We talk about the inactives and actives and it’s an ongoing evaluation of where we are as a team, and what’s most important is the guys we’re coaching right now. I think that that’s something that’s an ongoing evaluation daily for us, is where do those players stand, have they improved and can we put them in position to win and are they in position to help us win?”
(Just one follow up: you guys have had 83 players play in a game this season. The Bills for example have had 57. That’s jarring to me, that it just is such a big discrepancy. I’m curious, you’ve added so many new guys to kind of just see what they can do. How often does the film line up with what you see right away in practice or in the game? I’m just curious how long does it take to maybe find out what you have or don’t have?) – “I think that it’s an ongoing process. I really do. I don’t think it happens overnight. Obviously there are players that we bring onto the roster and we bring them on for certain reasons because we think they have a chance to help us win, and they certainly have strengths which we’re going to try to utilize. Usually those are the strengths that you see early with the players – the ones you evaluate as being strengths that can help you. But there’s an acclimation period involved with learning the offense and doing those things, so there are some challenges along the way. I think that the players that have come onto our program here in recent weeks have done a really nice job of trying to jump in and work as hard as they can and be in position to help us.”
(We talk a lot about the quarterback position here. What have you learned about what you want from the quarterback position in your scheme this season and maybe what you look for going forward?) – “Ryan (Fitzpatrick) certainly has been somebody that we have a tremendous amount of respect for and the job that he’s done this year. When I think of Ryan, I think of his strong intangibles and traits that he has, and I can’t say enough about what he’s done and I think that what he’s done is he’s earned the respect of this football team and this coaching staff based off of those strong intangibles whether it’s his work ethic, the leadership he provides, his consistency and his energy as the leader. I think it’s important that obviously ‘Fitz’ has done a good job of this – he’s the flag bearer of our offense. He carries the flag, and I think that’s important that we’ve had a player in ‘Fitz’ that has provided great leadership for us this year.”
(Is it fair to say I guess the intangibles that QB Ryan Fitzpatrick has is what you – the ideal for what you want in a quarterback?) – “I think intangibles are really important for all positions really. I do. I think that all of those things are obviously very important to the quarterback position because he’s the leader of your offense, but I really believe that the traits of a player are very important. The love of the game, the passion he has to play, the respect that you earn from your teammates based on those traits, I think are all really important.”
(Does QB Josh Rosen have some of those intangibles?) – “Josh has worked really hard. He’s got certainly a lot of strengths as a player and as a person. He really does. What I’ve been most impressed with with Josh is he’s been a player that has been in a backup role like some other players at other positions are, and he’s really embraced that and he’s worked very hard. I think it’s been great for him to be around a veteran quarterback in ‘Fitz’ that has exceptional traits in a lot areas that not only Josh, but some of our young players can look to and learn from ‘Fitz’ in those areas.”
(On RB De’Lance Turner’s performance on Sunday.) – “I thought he did a good job. He went in there and had a few snaps, got his hands on the football, and I thought he ran the ball hard and knew what he was doing in the game, so that’s the key of a guy just being able to go in there, know what to do and try to do it at a decent level of execution.”
(You mentioned being impressed about how QB Josh Rosen has been developing. What do you think the offseason and the future holds for him and what would you tell him to work on while he’s away?) – “I don’t want to get into the specifics of that. I will say that if Josh continues to do what he’s done and improve and work hard, I think that’s all we can ask of all players. That’s how he’s been. He’s been in the present. Josh has done a good job of not looking too far in the future and not looking back. He’s really stayed in the moment and tried to improve daily and learn the offense and work hard and try to be a really good teammate. I think those are the things he’s done and that’s encouraging for the future for him.”
