Eric Studesville – November 10, 2022
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Thursday, November 10, 2022
Associate Head Coach/Running Backs Coach Eric Studesville
(We haven’t got to talk to you since the RB Jeff Wilson Jr. pick up. What’s the skill that you think is his best NFL on-field quality?) – “Effort and competitiveness. He’s intensely competitive. He came in and worked right away to get up to speed on everything. I think he’s a smart guy that runs the ball hard and can catch the ball out of the backfield. He’s got a good overall running back skill set. But the competitiveness and his desire to be prepared is probably at the forefront.”
(What did you see from the run game last week? I think you rushed for 77 yards. You seemed to have some timely runs. But what did you see from the run game?) – “Overall, I think we’re a work in progress. We continue to work on it. We’re emphasizing it. We continue to see flashes where we’re close to things. The ground that we have to make up now is to finish executing some of these runs and to make some of these runs bigger plays. We’ve left some yards out there. I think every position group that we have on here, at one point in time, including the running backs, has contributed to missing yards. We just got to get on the same page and keep pushing this thing forward because we are close in some ways. But it comes down to all of us being accountable to executing at a higher level in a run game. We feel like we’re making progress and getting there, but the urgency now is on us to continue and to finish these close looks.”
(Do you feel like opportunities might open up more in the second half of the season, just given the way the passing game is really clicking, it seems like teams defenses are trying to adjust their game plan to stop the pass game. Do you anticipate some more maybe light boxes and just opportunities overall opening up?) – “That’s always hard to say. Each defense is going to try to have a game plan to stop us whatever way that is, and what our position is, let’s carry enough things that give us a chance to maximize and take advantage of whatever they’re doing. If we got to run the ball 35, 40 times a game, I would love that and we’d be in a position to do that. If we’ve got to run it less than that and we’re efficient as can be throwing the ball down the field, which we are right now, we’re explosive making plays there. But at the bottom line of this game is we got to find a way to win. And we’re going to contribute whatever way that is. If that’s in my room – Jeff has a great block right out of halftime that gives us a 22-yard throw to Tyreek (Hill) on the sidelines. We’re going to do whatever we have to do to contribute to the win. How and what defenses do are different things all the time and we just got to be ready to adjust to whatever they give us.”
(You mentioned that block that kind of sprung that pass. Why is it difficult for some running backs to be like quality blockers? I know last year we were asking RB Myles Gaskin about being a smaller guy and having to overcompensate. But why is it tough for some running backs to maybe not be as good for the blockers?) – “A lot of it probably comes down to desire and competitiveness. I mean, there’s big backs that are good protectors and there’s small backs that are good protectors. I think it comes down to desire and the fact that you want to make a contribution to the offense being successful. If you’re going to run it, then you got to be willing to protect.”
(Not a lot of teams have fullbacks that they use often, much less a fullback that has as much varied usage as FB Alec Ingold. What has he meant to the running back room?) – “Well, first of all, I think what he means to the running back room is you see a guy that’s focused, that’s intensely prepared and really accountable for the entire running back game, room, everything that we’re doing with that. I think that’s a great message that all those guys take into account with each other. That room is really good that way. I think he’s brought a physical component to not only our room but our team too, that guys like seeing. I mean whether it’s blocking a linebacker or a defensive end, out in space on guys, we see him really giving great effort and being physical and that’s what that position is.”
(What was that like, kind of reincorporating coaching a fullback after it had been some years, right? I mean, when was the last time you’ve coached a fullback before this year?) – “We had Andy Janovich in Denver was probably the last one that I had. I’m trying to think. I’ve had fullbacks in the past in different offenses. Is it different and unique? There are things that those guys have to do that you talked to him about. And there’s certain things where they fit into plays and how they do it. But it’s no different than any other position. It’s no different than a tight end who has to play like a wide receiver at times, or sometimes a wide receiver coming and doing some running back type things or whatever. They’re football players. That’s why you want to have good football players on your team where you do have flexibility to do things, and we’ve got a lot of players on this team like that. I think Alec is one of them.”
(How will you use RB Jeff Wilson Jr. differently than you use RB Chase Edmonds? Jeff’s physical presence, does that make a difference?) – “I see it as apples and oranges really. I mean, we had Chase here, so we game-planned and used him the way that we thought was the best for us at that time. I think we are going to apply that same formula and that same equation to Jeff, in that we’re going to do what we think he does best and gives us the best chance to win and execute. It’s not a comparison of those two. It’s not an interchangeable thing where they’re doing the exact same things. We’re going to put our players in the best position to give us a chance to win.”
(You don’t have to game plan for him, but your thoughts on RB Nick Chubb?) – “Incredibly impressive with the numbers that he puts up, how he runs the ball, how physical he is, how incredibly strong he is. It’s going to be a great challenge, but I think he’s a really, really talented running back.”
