Frank Smith – December 1, 2022
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Thursday, December 1, 2022
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(I’m wondering how you look at last week, the second half, just in the grand scheme of things – if you do the micro and the macro, with the micro being you didn’t score in the second half, but the macro being you had a 30-0 halftime lead. You’ve scored more than 30 in the last four games and you’re on a five-game winning streak. So how do you look at the second half?) – “I kind of look at it in moments where you’re coming off the bye, you had a good run, the first quarter and first half you come out playing really the football you want to play. Then now it’s the challenge of when you got those leads of really putting your opponent away. It’s really a different situation for us to face as the season goes. We had adversity in other games. You had games where it just really went your way. It goes your way really quickly and then now, you get to really coach and learn from that process of OK, you got a 30-0 lead, let’s make sure that we don’t allow – I don’t know if it’s necessarily complacency, but it’s more of just keeping the gas going. When you’re a competitor, if you feel like the opponent’s catching up, continue to set the tone. So I think that was a good learning lesson for us just overall to know that when you have those moments, keep the pedal to the metal and keep scoring and going all the way to the end.”
(The injuries on the offensive line in the second half, was that maybe a contributing factor to not being able to lean on the run game towards the end of that game?) – “Yeah, I mean, I think there’s contributing factors of just execution. I mean, it’s always, to go to the line naturally and then as we’re really working through some stuff. But like we talked about through the season, it takes 11 guys on offense to block for the run. Even the quarterback as he’s maintaining his fakes. So some stuff was obviously the line can clean up combination blocks. Other stuff is just making sure that we’re blocking the right people on the perimeter or the running backs hitting the right lane. I think it’s a combination of things as we’re working through it, and just making sure that when you are up 30-0, we keep attacking as the way we want to.”
(Between OL Brandon Shell and OL Greg little, what do you see as each of their comfort level on being able to switch between right and left. Is one maybe more comfortable sticking at one side as opposed to be flexible?) – “I think both have shown flexibility, especially this season. Both have played obviously on either side. With Brandon having to come in and jump in on the left in the course of that game, obviously when you’re going from the right side for several weeks and going back to left, it’s never as easy as everyone thinks it is. But we felt pretty good with the two of them basically being able to show flexibility. Obviously with Brandon doing several games on the right side, I’m sure the comfortability for him is probably more over there. Greg naturally was more of a left tackle. But both of them have shown the flexibility to do both, which has made it invaluable for us because beyond the starting five, you really have to look at being flexible to do whatever the needs of the day are. That can be right side or left side. I think overall, a lot of the linemen have been showing resiliency in being able to do that.”
(In the three games that T Terron Armstead has missed significant time because of injuries, the pass protection has been, to be very polite, leaky. What’s going into it beyond losing the best pass protecting offensive lineman on the roster?) – “I think with him being out and then different guys being in, obviously there’s communication and working on that stuff in the heat of a game of you’re adjusting to what happens. Overall, I just think when you’re talking about protection, it’s never as easy and as simple as just one guy. Normally there’s parts of communication. One guy sets this thing one way and then now you get another guy and then you’re just making sure you’re working together. Pass protection is always the more challenging thing because five guys work together. So in the middle of a game, when you’re in walkthroughs or practices or whatever you’re doing, you’re getting the work but it’s just making sure the two of you are in that component together. The good thing is that Terron Armstead, I mean, obviously we know what we get when he’s in there. The challenge when he’s not is just making sure that we work on those communication aspects, we work on the techniques of the two of them working together. And that’s something we’ve been trying to emphasize this week and making sure that the different components of guys are working together through techniques appropriately.”
(Obviously, on the left side, T Terron Armstead was working with OL Liam Eichenberg, and then when Liam went out, it was OL Robert Jones. Is there anything Armstead does, as a left tackle, in terms of communication that you don’t see from other tackles?) – “The one thing he has is just playing the position for so long, he has instincts and experience, so he can really see areas and he can assess things probably – I mean, sometimes you just see a situation before it occurs. I think he has that football instinct where he’s able to see and recognize, ‘OK, this guy’s about to move.’ And he can see it before it happens. He can make the call, so they’re playing with great anticipation. And then when you play with another guy, you can get to that, he’s making a call and you’re executing very quickly. So then now as we’re working through different variables, it’s just getting on that same communication page, showing those situations where it’s like, right here, you’re teaching a little bit where like a guy like Terron just has that natural instinct from years of experience.”
(Right or wrong, the perception is that if T Terron Armstead is not in the lineup, the offensive line can’t function at the same level, the offense can’t function at the same level. What would you say to fans to give them some confidence?) – “For us, it’s just like everything. For us, it’s the needs of the opponent and then also just making sure that as we’re moving parts, we’re helping ourselves in different areas that we can help the protection. So I think it’s just us being able to adjust to our needs. And as we move through the season, we have these variables coming up of next man up, and just making sure we’re helping the guys who are in there through our protection schemes or help systems. So I think that’s going to be the challenge of this week is just making sure that one, we’re communicating appropriately; two, we’re executing; and three, we’re just making sure we get help systems when the guys need it. Because overall, the challenge is set and we’re heading to the month of December and the only excuses are the ones we give ourselves. So there’s no excuses and we got to rise up to the challenge. So we have hope and we feel very good about the plan on how we’re going to help our guys.”
(What’s your sense about RB Jeff Wilson’s approach and mindset. I know he’s only been here a few weeks, but what were you sensing?) – “Yeah, just a true pro. I mean, he’s got an attacking mentality. I mean, just completely locked in, dialed in on everything he’s doing, whether it’s a meeting or practice. I mean, he’s just got that – as you go through your career, you just feel those guys with that intensity of every moment. Like it’s not. ‘It’s a meeting today on a Wednesday or Thursday.’ It’s ‘alright, what can I get to help me execute at a high level, to the level of my standard?’ And then that’s just really, just a positive mentality, just a really great teammate. I mean, that’s just overall. You can just sense it, guys like that whose attitudes are contagious. And then just what a blessing he’s been to have here and how physically he plays. I just think that the physicality and intensity, which you see on the field, is how he approaches every day of his life.”
(What challenges does 49ers Defensive Coordinator DeMeco Ryans’ scheme provide for your offense?) – “Yeah, I think that his scheme is obviously challenging. They’re in a system of guys who’ve played together for several years. They obviously know what they’re doing. They communicate well. They know where they’re vulnerable. They have an attacking front. They play extremely aggressive. So the challenge is, when you go on the road, is making sure that one, we are all moving together on the snap count; two, we’re communicating together inside of the noise; and three, making sure that we’re attacking the game plan and the matchups and the areas we want to go, and making sure that we adjust as the game presents itself. But yeah, they do a great job with their system. You can see he’s done a hell of a job taking over the last two years. And overall, the coaching staff, you can tell it’s a well-coached team. It will be a good challenge for us, especially in December.”
(Why is San Francisco so effective at run defense?) – “Yeah, I think it’s the combination of their front. They all kind of know where they’re supposed to be and when they’re supposed to be there. You’d say that they’re a well-built team. They know obviously their system. They built and acquired players for it. They do a really good job. I mean, all across the board, they’re very, very good fundamentally. They’re very, very good at attacking the football. And they play with high effort and energy. I mean, we practiced with them last year in L.A. when I was with the Chargers, and you could just feel that attacking mentality in practice and they really love to compete. So again, it will be a great challenge for us. I mean, jumping on the road, going to the other side of the country and having this environment, San Francisco, will probably be a great atmosphere. And for us, it’s going to be better execution and we look forward to the opportunity.”
