Eric Studesville – January 4, 2022
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Tuesday, January 4, 2022
Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville
(As you look back at this year, it had been about 3.4 yards per carry for most of the season. I wonder if you think you could be a successful NFL offense if you produce yards per carry at that clip under 3.5?) – “At that rate – what is that magic number? I don’t know what that magic number is. We’ve got to run the ball better. We’re working at it, we’ve talked about it – running the ball better. I think we’ve had some games recently where we have run it better. That’s a continued emphasis. I don’t want to limit what that number is to say that’s a good number. We’ve got to run it better and that starts with the whole group. The offensive line, that starts with the backs making good decisions with the ball, tight ends, wide receivers blocking for us. We’re all involved in that. To have a consistent run game helps with so many other things. We’ve got to be better at that and I don’t know if there is a set number that says you’ve arrived.”
(I know you’ve mentioned this – you did today and you have consistently – that everyone bears responsibility with a low rushing average – the backs, the offensive line and I know you’ve taken responsibility as well. But if you had to overall evaluate for me please how the offensive line has done as a run blocking group, could you please do that?) – “Again, I don’t necessarily think it’s one unit that’s responsible for it. There are different runs. There are runs hit in different places. There are different schemes. So if we’re running a toss play outside, that might be a different emphasis on who is the point of attack blocking than if you’re running a dive play inside. To put the responsibility on five guys and say they are the only ones that affect what happens in the run game, that’s not what we do. That’s not the beauty of this game. The beauty of this game is that it take 11 people to be coordinated to have success on one play at a time. That’s why you play this game. That’s why you get involved in it. It’s because it’s the team concept that’s important to you. It’s all of us that are involved in that, coaches from the diagram and creation of the plays and the teaching of what we’re doing all the way down to the players and the execution. It doesn’t rely strictly on one person for the execution, the success or the production. It’s a group effort.”
(I know you don’t coach the tight ends, but I wasn’t able to get this into George Godsey. I noticed a wrinkle in the Titans game where instead of having a running back next to QB Tua Tagovailoa in some of the shotgun formations, you had TE Durham Smythe either chip or release. I was curious as to what went into that instead of a more traditional back next to him? Was it maybe just not feeling comfortable with protection there or was it?) – “No. As a matter of fact, those groupings are interchangeable for us. There were times where Duke (Johnson) was back there in the exact same protections and the exact same calls. It just gives us the flexibility to use a different person. What does that change in personnel do to the defense, the fact that there is not a running back on the field? Does that change their calls, their coverages, what they have to do based on that? We’re trying to make them think and do things too. We’re not just lining up in traditional stagnant groups where they can say, ‘ok, this is what our check is.’ Maybe it’s two tight ends in there, and it starts in an empty formation and shifts back to the backfield or it stays in empty. We’re trying to make the defense work a little bit mentally too with their gymnastics and what they have to do. But scheme-wise. we have the potential to get to very similar concepts with a back in there or a tight end.”
(Coming off the game in Tennessee, was there any regret in not utilizing the run game more given the conditions and everything else? I know game situations and playing from behind also have something to do with it.) – “As a running backs coach, I always want to run the ball. I’m all for more runs. But at the end of the day, in our group, and I think in every group on this offense, we’re going to try to contribute every way we can to give us the best chance to win. Whatever play is called, that’s what we’ve got to execute. If we execute each play at a high level – it’s the execution of it. It’s doing it better, it’s doing it exactly right on every play that gives us the best chance, whether that’s run, pass, play-action, drop-back. We can do any of those things if we execute them well.”
(With RB Duke Johnson, was there anything that surprised you in the weeks since he came up from the practice squad to the roster? Or was this what you’ve been seeing from him since he joined the team in October?) – “Since Duke has been here, he’s done everything that I and we have asked of him, which is come in, learn the system, get prepared to contribute in games, which he’s done. He’s gone in, I think he’s played well, he’s made some runs. He had some really good runs the other day in Tennessee. He’s done some good things in protection. He’s been effective in protection. He was the other day in Tennessee again. He had a big block on the long pass to Jaylen (Waddle) down the field that gives that ball a chance to get off. I’m very happy with what he’s contributed and what he’s brought to the room – his energy, his positivity, his work effort, everything that we’re looking for. I think he’s done everything we’ve asked.”
(Every training camp, this is probably the case with every team, you see something that excites you. One thing we saw being out there every day in July and August was RB Salvon Ahmed out of the backfield catching passes. Is that something that you and George Godsey have tried to use more in games he’s been active and been on the field and it just hasn’t materialized? Is that at all a regret of this year, that that couldn’t be exploited during games as it was in early August practices and preseason?) – “I think when we’re evaluating the talent on the team, we’re trying to find roles for everybody. The reality is there are only so many spots and only so many plays and things that we can do. We have some real playmakers on this team, so sometimes that ball gets spread around to other places. Salvon has done a great job. He’s got tremendous work ethic, he’s really smart, he’s passionate about this, he’s committed to this. Did it go exactly how he wanted it, how he wanted it? You never know how that is. We have to play it out and you have to take it how it comes. He’s a young professional and he’s doing everything he can do to get himself ready every week. And he’s ready to go every week and has been in the times we’ve asked him to go up and play.”
(Your assessment of RB Gerrid Doaks after being around him for a year. What kept him from being elevated this year at all? What’s the skill he has to develop to be an NFL running back?) – “We’ll look at all of those things. Gerrid has come in and he’s worked hard and he’s learned the system. It’s an adjustment coming to the NFL and I think he’s made that adjustment. We all determine our different roles as to what we’re doing and he’ll continue to get develop and he’ll get better going forward. It’s just that he’s got to keep working like all of us do and keep working to get better, and he will.”
