Chad O’Shea – November 19, 2019
Download PDF version
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea
(In terms of trying to get the running game going, I know FB Chandler Cox played four snaps, had a good block obviously by the goal line. How much thought have you guys given to playing him more, to using a fullback more? What’s sort of been the thought process?) – “I think having a fullback as part of your game plan is very important. Obviously the game goes a certain way, and there are some circumstances that lead you down a different path as far as what personnel group that you would select to use; but I think it’s a very important part of the offense. We’ll continue to look at that for opportunities to have more consistency in the run game with the use of the fullback. Chandler (Cox) – in the limited snaps that he’s been in on – has done a good job and has performed well on those snaps. It’s just a matter of maybe getting an increased opportunity for him to be out there. It’s something that we always look for in game-planning whether it’s that grouping or other groupings that might help us in the run game, which we definitely need to make improvements on.”
(How are FB Chandler Cox’s hands? Because he hasn’t been thrown a pass this season so far.) – “I think the primary role of that position obviously is as a blocker; but certainly, there should be opportunities in the pass if you’re using that position and trying to have balance with him. Chandler hasn’t had an opportunity to catch the ball in a game, but he certainly has showed the ability to catch the ball at practice, and when we’ve done things with him in the pass game, he’s done a decent job. It’s just a matter of having an opportunity to do it in the game and show he can do it.”
(We know that RB Kalen Ballage’s 1.9 yards per carry average is a team stat, which also reflects on the offensive line and the tight ends and the receivers. With that said, do you think Kalen can do some things better?) – “I do, and I do truly believe it’s a team stat. I believe we’re involved in that as a coaching staff also. We can do a better job of putting Kalen in a position to be more successful. As I’ve said all along, we have confidence in Kalen; but we also know that this is a team effort, and it takes all of the other guys to do their job for him to do his. We can all be better in this area, including the coaching staff – myself first and foremost – of putting him in a position to be successful in the run game. We’re going to work very hard at that, and I think that he’ll have opportunities. My hopes are that he’ll make the best out of those opportunities, and my hopes are that everybody will perform at a level that they need to around him so he can do his job really well.”
(The two times that you used a Wildcat formation against the Bills on Sunday were very successful. Two-part question: what led to the success of those two plays and might you be inclined to use them a little bit more often?) – “I think that it was – it’s nice to have those type of plays in your game plan that are a little bit different. We’ll always look to do something a little bit different. One of the reasons why we were able to do that is because Kalen (Ballage) is good at that. I think he’s done a good job in that position, and there are some decisions you need to make at that position whether to hand the ball or to take and stick your foot in the ground and get vertical like he did on the first play. I think that the first thing is he does that well. I think it’s also important – maybe not only the Wildcat, but to have other things in your offense that might be a little bit different, outside-the-box, to help you when you’re not having as much consistency in the run game as you would like.”
(We see the numbers with WR DeVante Parker. At the start of the season, has anything changed by how you’ve used him or how you planned on using him to how you’re using him now?) – “No, I think that DeVante kind of established early that he was going to be a player that was going to contribute a lot to us, for us, in the pass game, and I think he’s kind of continued to progress. I think (Wide Receivers Coach) Karl Dorrell has done a really good job with him. I’ve spent a lot of time with him individually on working at the finer details of playing the wide receiver position, which I think he’s really been detailed for us and very dependable. I know that the quarterback has a tremendous amount of confidence in him right now, and so do we as an offense. We’ve stressed the importance of other players contributing to the pass game as much as DeVante’s contributed. I know that’s been a real positive for us this year, and we’ll continue to use him; but I think it’s important for these other players to have opportunities as well.”
(In the past, some of the criticism about WR DeVante Parker have been about professionalism and even things as far as taking care of his body, not getting enough sleep, diet. How has all that been with him, and has that contributed to what we’re seeing…?) – “I think he’s been outstanding as far as his overall preparation – what he’s done in the classroom, how he’s developed, how he’s really improved in that area. I think it contributes greatly to his success. I know his preparation right now, I would describe as he’s doing a good job. He’s really been a great example to the other guys in that room of the importance of preparation and how that can really lead to success on the field. I know that DeVante has been somebody that throughout the offseason and up to this point, has really been consistent for us in all areas.”
(WR Jakeem Grant – is it a matter of him just being healthy and how is he evolving in this offense now that he is healthy?) – “I think that the health is really important for him. Obviously if he’s out there, he’s going to have a chance to contribute. I think this last game was a good example of some of the contributions he can make in different ways whether it’s running the football – I know that there were some opportunities that he had in the pass game that really didn’t show up because maybe we had some protection issues, but there definitely some times that he was open and sometimes he was able to be productive for us. I think it’s a matter of increased opportunities for him. His health is something that’s been important, so if you’re out there and you’re available to us as a team, then you’re going to have opportunities to make plays. He’s definitely taken advantage of that here in the last couple weeks.”
(There’s never been a greater disparity than there was Sunday in the number of snaps between TE Mike Gesicki and the tight end who played second-most. In your mind, has he morphed from a guy who’s a specialist as a receiving tight end to a guy whose blocking is competent enough to be a full-time – not every-down tight end – but most-down tight end?) – “Definitely there was an increase in snaps. Some of that was the way the game went for us as far as when it became more pass-oriented there at the end, but he’s definitely developed his game. I don’t see him just as a pass-receiving tight end. I think that he’s really made improvements in that area. We’ve used him on run downs, and it’s good to have the balance to just not only have him out there on pass downs. I think that there’s growing confidence in him on the run downs, and certainly he’ll have opportunities in that area, as he will in the pass game.”
(Philosophically as you build an offense, are you a guy that thinks, “get the quarterback first” or are you a guy who believes, “build the trenches first” or you do it any way you can? How do you view that?) – “I think it happens really almost simultaneously. It’s important – those two positions are so critical to the success of your offense. I think that obviously the offensive line position is very important. The quarterback position – they depend on each other so heavily. That’s the thing about that, is that you really rely so heavily on each other in those areas position-wise. I know that our offensive line situation this year, we’ve had a lot of moving parts and we’re trying to get some continuity, but the quarterback position – just like the running back position in Kalen Ballage – relies so heavily on the 10 other guys out there, including the offensive line.”
(But which would you think is more important if you’re building – or which way would you tend to go or is there a different…?) – “I don’t know if I would say one over the other. I think that all positions are important. Obviously the quarterback position is the most talked about position and is very important to your offense and your organization, but certainly I wouldn’t slight the offensive line and the importance of that position also because without good offensive line play, you’re not going to have good quarterback play for the most part; so I think they really depend on each other.”
(With T Julién Davenport decision, I know this is about getting an evaluation for everybody on the team, but you just mentioned it. Continuity has been such an issue with that unit. Had he out-performed T J’Marcus Webb or is Webb with the shin? What went into the thought process there?) – “I think it’s a combination of factors involved in the choice of Davenport this week. One of which is he was a player that had some real positive signs prior to his injury so we were really looking forward to seeing him again. Just like all positions, injuries definitely factor into that, just the health of a certain player at a certain position; so I think it’s a combination of factors involved in that. Davenport had an opportunity to play and then Webb came in, in place of him because of an injury late in the game. I think it’s something – we always try to get the best guys out there, and it’s an ongoing process for us on the evaluation. We definitely wanted to see Davenport again because we had seen him earlier and there were some real positive signs to what he did earlier, so I think it’s kind of a combination of factors that (are) involved in the choice of him playing this past week.”
(Why did you guys decide to get RB Patrick Laird involved a whole bunch, especially later in the last game?) – “I think that he’s definitely proven over time since he’s been here that he’s very reliable, especially in some of the pass situations. That’s an area that is a strength for him, so as the game became more pass for us late in the game, we have confidence in him in that area that he would go in there and not only produce as a pass-receiving running back, but could also do a good job in protection and handle the multiples of that – just like I think our other backs can. I have confidence in Kalen (Ballage) and (Myles) Gaskin that they could go in there and function both in the pass game and the run game, and I don’t have to alter what I’m calling as the play-caller because one guy’s in there, relative to the next guy.”
(Very quickly – RB Myles Gaskin’s performance? I think seven snaps – I know he had the dropped pass, but what did you think?) – “I thought again, this is the second week in which he’s had limited snaps, but the snaps that he’s had, he’s done (a) good (job) on. He’s been dependable as far as his assignment. I know he had the tough ball that would have been a tough catch on the 1(-yard line), but he really has been dependable for us in preparation. He kind of continues to be dependable for us on the limited snaps he has and if he continues to do that, he’ll have increased opportunities for us offensively.”
