Frank Smith – January 2, 2025
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Thursday, January 2, 2025
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(If God forbid T Terron Armstead cannot play on Sunday knowing obviously that T Kendall Lamm is now on IR, obviously you have T Patrick Paul at left potentially, then you have options at right with T Jackson Carman; I was going to ask you, would it be unreasonable to expect a veteran who has played right tackle before but not this year like OL Isaiah Wynn or OL Liam Eichenberg to play right tackle in a Week 18 game?) – “I think it’s expected that we have to go through all variables making sure that we cover potential situations. So those are the things that as we go through the week and the process, that we’re in conversation with Butch (Barry), Mike (McDaniel), Chris (Grier) and I are just talking about making sure that we’re in the right position and have the right guys so if we had any down the line issues, we’re ready to go.”
(What was your assessment of T Jackson Carman’s first game?) – “I think that for him there was some good that we liked and there were obviously some things that he can improve upon. Especially when you play for a long time you’re used to certain techniques and you actually get game performance to do it, that’s when you make your greatest learning because now you can actually see it live and now you can make the improvements. So the one thing about Jackson (Carman) is heavy pro, works his tail off and I know he’ll be ready to go and he’s excited to improve every day he goes out there.”
(Had you worked out or observed OL Braeden Daniels in the past? I don’t know if he was part of the draft assessment back last year, right?) – “He was a guy that we liked and then he’s shown versatility in the NFL, and that’s just something that we always value, is the guys that have flexibility throughout the line, show range, movement skills that can play inside and outside. And when guys become available and we have spots available, those are the types of guys that we really value.”
(When you look at pass protection, you could have a quarterback who has not played a lot in QB Tyler Huntley with this team, left tackle who has not played a lot in T Patrick Paul, right tackle. That communication – quarterback, left tackle, right tackle – is that a huge thing in pass protection or is it just kind of “You’re a pro, you can do it?”) – “It’s more of collectively the group of the offensive line starting with the communication through ‘Brew’ (Aaron Brewer), through the inside out and then quarterback knowing the intention through our protection system of how we’re going to block things, anticipation. But I think that kind of goes into each week we always try and make sure that we’re connected with our route distribution, protection plan, launch points, timing because the hardest thing in pass protection in the NFL is how are you going to throw the football, what’s your launch point, how are you going to protect it? Six-man, five-man, seven-man? So I mean, those are all things that we weigh each week and we make sure that we’re all connected throughout the entire offense.”
(Are there any things that you found in the run game against San Francisco that maybe reverted back in this past game against Cleveland?) – “It’s just one of those where you just see we’re one guy off, and when you’re one guy off and the ball is cutting and that’s the guy that’s forcing the ball or making the play; the differences between a positive gain, minimal gain or a big gain is this margin of error. So that’s kind of where we’re off is that we were just one guy short from having some runs that could’ve been pretty cool.”
(And T Patrick Paul, how would you assess how he’s played when he’s had a chance?) – “I think each week he gets better and he really is improving and you can see the – the part of coaching is you can see, like the practice, that’s where you make a lot of growth and you get into the game. And then each week, he’s been able to keep building, getting better in pass protection and with his run fundamentals. So it’s a guy who is really using his time to grow and we’re excited about him really short-term and long-term for how he’s been able to grow.”
(QB Tyler Huntley was 22-of-26 passing last week. Why was he so effective? Why is that number so high?) – “I think it goes into like we were talking about in pass protection and how it builds out to the entire passing game. So if we’re all on the same page of our intent and we understand how route distribution, timing connects to pass protection, that allows us to distribute the ball. And also at quarterback, knowing that as I go through my progression, where is everyone going to be and what’s the launch point I’m protecting. So I think it’s just that connectivity is vital and that’s why we make sure that from Wednesday through all the way to the game, we’re talking about the different components of the game plan, how we’re trying to attack the defense, distribute in the passing game so that way we can be effective. And ‘Snoop’ (Tyler Huntley) is awesome with his approach and preparation.”
(Yesterday Head Coach Mike McDaniel said, “I think ‘Snoop’ [Tyler Huntley] is starting today.” In other words, as of yesterday he was planning on “Snoop” to start. Nothing has changed, right?) – “I think that this time of year, we’re really working through each day just making sure we’re getting guys ready for a process and we’re just evaluating where we’re at each day. So like right now it’s Thursday, making sure we’re at right now, Friday, Saturday, all the way to the game. So that way we’ll know who we can go to the game with and put them in the best position possible.”
(Has QB Tua Tagovailoa told you guys if his hip has improved at all in terms of how he feels or how he’s able to move? What’s been conveyed?) – “Always a player they want to be able this time of year to go out and execute and play with their teammates. He’s being aggressive with his rehab and his approach to get ready to play, but ultimately, we’re just making sure that we put everyone in the best position possible so we can execute and have a great day versus the Jets.”
(Where does RB Jaylen Wright stand right now as his opportunities have kind of diminished recently?) – “I think it’s not really as much the other guys as just the versatility and what De’Von (Achane) brings, just in the passing game along with the running game. When you look at like – the first Jets game, we had a 30-yarder called back on a holding call, and then versus the Niners that hits off almost the same spot for the touchdown at the end of the game. So it’s not as much how the other guys are doing, it’s just opportunities as we’re getting into it. If we’re not running the ball the way we feel about it, then we’re making sure that we’re moving the ball effectively through other areas of the offense. So ultimately, we always look at our goal is to manufacture yards, drive the field to score points in whichever way the defense is vulnerable to the attack, and so that’s one emphasis for us in the run game, is to give us more opportunities and make sure we’re getting guys, but we have the most confidence in any of our backs and their approach has been great.”
(When you’re measuring if QB Tua Tagovailoa is healthy enough to be able to play, Head Coach Mike McDaniel said that it’s an issue of how well he can protect himself on the field without making the injury worse. Is that independent of issues along the offensive line or injuries on the offensive line and how that pass protection like you were mentioning earlier can hold up? Or do you just measure, OK, if he’s good enough to go, we’re going to send him out there regardless?) – “I think it’s easy to sit back and go, ‘OK, these are the things that could happen and then how do they impact things?’ Ultimately it goes into a player’s ability to execute his job and also be healthy enough to handle the things that could occur. So I think that we try to make sure that our guys are good to go through our medical process and our communication so that way we can have guys play effectively and they’re not putting themselves in a position where it’s just, ‘Hey, I can do this, but I can’t do that.’ It’s like we want guys to be able to go and perform and do what we need to do to win.”
(And on that same question that was just raised, I guess phrased a slightly different way just to confirm what you’re thinking: does whether you have backup offensive linemen in the game affect even one iota a decision on whether QB Tua Tagovailoa plays or are they totally unrelated, it wouldn’t matter if you had five backup offensive linemen, if Tua is cleared and able to play, he would play?) – “I think that when it comes into these situations, I know that you guys have to weigh and think the involvement of our process. The biggest thing for us is that when we have different guys stepping up to different spots, we’re making sure our entire plan of what we’re doing is putting our guys in the best position and making sure they have the ability to do their job. If we were sitting in five-wide and just dropping back and throwing seven-step, then yeah, that would be like the doomsday you go through of like, ‘Oh, what’s going to happen?’ But ultimately it’s for us to put our guys – can they play and play at a high level and play what we need to do, and that’s how we evaluate to make sure we’re ready to go.”
(For him is there like a mental component of you don’t want him thinking of how to protect himself like as a play is going on? You want him to be able to kind of focus fully on play in the game rather than, “OK, I need to protect this hip”?) – “I think that goes into the psychology of just playing in general. It’s like, when you’re playing if your mind wanders from the moment from now and you’re worrying about maybe a variable here, a variable there, a variable of what it is; you’re not in the moment of ‘what am I trying to execute right now, what is the defense presenting, how do I attack it?’ I think it goes into the compartmentalization of a player of like your focus has to be on the present to how you can perform and all the other things are just part of the process that you have to minimize to make sure that you can maximize performance. And I think that goes into whether it’s working through injuries, maybe performance cues or something that you’re trying to improve; I think all that goes into the mental training that you have to have to really have high level performance.”
(I’ll just throw this out because this could be the last time we talk this season. Head Coach Mike McDaniel said that QB Tua Tagovailoa kind of aggravated the hip on a hit that he took against San Francisco. Was it the pass to WR Tyreek Hill in the end zone that was tipped?) – “There was one element from that, but I think it was just ultimately as you go through a game of just movement and stuff, so I think that when you try and push through stuff and then you have a setback, it’s like now that’s part of where we’re at now, is making sure that when we get to the game we’re maximizing where we’re at. We’re not regressing or just trying to hold water with that. But yeah, it’s this time of year. Everyone is working through something trying to make sure we’re ready for Sunday.”
(I don’t think Pro Bowl is very important, but it is also true that the team has zero Pro Bowlers after having five on offense last year and none this year. I know there’s a lot of factors – fan vote and that sort of thing – does that tell you anything about the kind of season it’s been?) – “I don’t know if it’s the kind of season it’s been. I think there’s things that go into that, but I think our focus right now is team goals. Let’s focus right now on getting what we need to do to keep playing and extend our season.”
