Frank Smith – October 17, 2024
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Thursday, October 17, 2024
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(It’s been pretty consistent with TE Julian Hill getting the most snaps for tight ends pretty much most every game. What’s led to that this year, that shift in playing time toward him?) – “I think a lot of it was in training camp, a lot of things he was doing really well and he’s a young player still, as we see it, ascending. I know with him right now, he’s very conscious of certain areas he needs to improve on and those are things last week that we really worked on and we saw improvement. The big thing that we love about Julian (Hill) is his focus, how important this is to him and being an in-line blocker isn’t easy in the NFL. So just with us, it’s goes as a culmination of things and we’re looking to build upon what we did well last week and continue it this week versus Indy.”
(What was the difference that you saw in the run game efficiency against the Patriots? Was it opponent-based or was it more execution?) – “It was a little bit of both. We saw with the attack that we were able to do some things that would allow us collectively to really focus on a couple areas of our fundamentals and really attack that part of the game plan. A credit to the guys, they really worked on it during the week with their fundamentals and how they were going to do it. Especially a division opponent on the road and where we were at, it was an area that we thought, ‘Hey, if we do this, we can really shift the attack into all things with the run game.’ You always want as an offense to be balanced in your attack and then the way the game goes, you might run a little bit more or throw a little more the way it goes back and forth, so really everything went into what we kind of thought they were going to play, how we were going to focus between the core blockers, the backs, the receivers, how it was all going to be connected and I think it was really a credit to the guys of their execution (which) allowed us to be really effective in the run game versus New England.”
(How big was it to get TE Jonnu Smith more involved?) – “It was great because once he gets the ball in his hands, he’s very, very much effective down the field. So I think this is something as we were looking at ourselves, and especially over the bye week, areas that we can really improve and help ourselves and it’s just making sure that overall, utilizing all of our guys to be involved in the passing game and utilizing all of our guys in different areas of the run game as well in different capacities.”
(A question about WR Odell Beckham Jr. We hear different players, quarterbacks and receivers talk about how intricate this offense is – the shifts, the motions, the timing. Is it realistic that a veteran such as OBJ can be an immediate impact guy or do you kind of phase him in a little bit?) – “It’s kind of what are you looking to do and then when you’re looking at the defense, what areas can your personnel lead you to advantages in matchups and advantages in run games. I don’t think you necessarily go, OK, you assume he’s going to be able to take it all in at once. That’s not fair to anyone. So I think ultimately, we look at it of, all right, who’s the defense? How are we going to attack them? All right, with our deployment of the people, what’s the best way to work matchups? And I think that’s kind of overall, what we always try to go with so like, each week is different; but the more you’re here, the more you get involved, the more things you can pick up on, all the things that guys who have been here for three years know. But I think each week we look at ways to attack the defense and we use our people so we’re excited to continue his growth in this next week.”
(We saw what an improvement it could be for QB Tyler Huntley going from start No. 1 to start No. 2 with a week. How much did this bye week and two weeks now before the next start help all you guys get him prepared?) – “I think it was really good for everyone, not alone him. Yeah, it does – the familiarity with certain things, with how guys play live and the communication he’s having as he’s working with the guys – but I think when the season doesn’t start out the way you were anticipating, what do you do? You can either go into panic or disarray, or you really focus on OK, what have we done well and how do we really build upon that and then work and utilize our guys to get better? So I think that was really what last week allowed us to do, is to really focus on ourselves, ‘Snoop’ (Tyler Huntley) included. But I think really for us, it was getting back to some basic principles and making sure we execute them better. And then that’s the challenge now this week – what did we learn from last week? Areas we’ve grown and now being able to do it again on the road up in Indianapolis.”
(Provided that RB De’Von Achane can play on Sunday, I believe it would be the first time you have him, RB Raheem Mostert and RB Jaylen Wright active since the opener when Raheem got hurt and exited that game. What would the impact be on the offense playing all three of those backs for you guys?) – “It’d be great. Guys are going their process to return to the game so we follow medical for all of that, but ultimately when we get back to full health Sunday with our guys, it would be a fun opportunity to really use our personnel to attack the defense in different ways.”
(A question about Indy. Colts G Quenton Nelson, impactful player. What can a guard do for a team and what does he do for that offense?) – “Guards in general, they help you control the front edge of the pocket obviously in the passing game, obviously they’re point-of-attack blockers in the run game. Whatever scheme you utilize, obviously there’s a different emphasis to the way they impact the blocking. Like my time in New Orleans we had Carl Nicks and Jahri Evans who at the time were about as good as it gets, and we were heavy inside zone in gaps schemes because of the way they could splice the line of scrimmage and the way they could set the front edge of the pocket for Drew (Brees), kind of we built from there. So I think it’s ultimately who do you have, what do they do well and how are you going to utilize your people, so with what they do, obviously he’s a very good player for their system – ultimately, I think when you’re building a line, you’re always looking at the matchups and how you can do different schemes. For us, we do a bunch variations to different things that allow our guys to be in positions to be successful.”
(Colts own the second-worst run defense in the league. Without giving up too much of the game plan, how important will that running back room be for Sunday?) – “I think when you look at all defenses whether statistically they’re doing something – like statistically it says they’re poor or they’re doing something well – I think it ultimately comes down to the backs being connected to the linemen and understanding how we’re trying to attack the defense through different schemes, being connected to the blocking allows them to be able to know where they can anticipate through their aiming points, where the reads will be. So I think just whenever you’re facing any defense in the league, because every week is challenging in its own right, even if someone statistically isn’t doing well, it’s the challenge of the execution to make sure we’re all connected. Because ultimately you don’t want the running backs to have to do it all on their own where it’s like guys are unblocked, they’re just making people miss. It’s like you want to make sure that everyone’s in phase so that way we’re able to connect and hit the pockets of the defense that we’re anticipating.”
(To that point, has the thought of incorporating QB Tyler Huntley into designed runs been brought up at all over the bye week, having an extra week for this game?) – “We’ve weighed it each week and it’s just going – for us, it’s more of what is the defense, how are they trying to defend the run, what are the areas you can create advantages for yourself. So it’s like normally each week it’s all right, what are the areas that we think we can get a matchup or we can get an angle or something to that extent. Each week we evaluate it and it basically always comes down to what does the defense present and how can we challenge them when we’re deciding which stuff to do.”
(With QB Skylar Thompson, how comfortable are you guys with him now throwing the football and moving around in the pocket based on what you’ve seen from practice recently?) – “He’s still working himself all the way back to feeling comfortable, so ultimately with Skylar (Thompson) being here for so long, once he’s returned and everything and feeling completely ready to go, obviously we know what he brings. I think ultimately for us it’s just making sure that when guys go through their process to return to play, it’s making sure that we’re all clear, everything’s good and then we can get him back to doing what we do. Because ultimately for us offensively, it’s you want to do what guys do best and you play to their play strengths and then ultimately we have our way – our offensive system when we go – so each quarterback really provides a… like ‘Snoop’ (Tyler Huntley) has a different skill set that he provides than Skylar, but I think ultimately his ability to throw the football and play in the pocket and also move his feet, we feel very confident that when we need him to play, he’ll be ready to go.”
(So is QB Tim Boyle – he’ll be the backup this week?) – “Today we’re still with the process for the rest of the week. We just make sure we’re figuring that out before we set everything in stone for Sunday.”
(Well QB Tua Tagovailoa still has to become eligible to return to practice and go through the final stages of the protocol. How quickly do you feel that could happen for him just to get back into the offense and back into the swing of things to be able to start again if he were to be cleared quickly once he’s eligible?) – “I think whenever he’s cleared to return to play, we’ll just see how that process plays out. But the way he is, I’m sure it’ll be nose to the grindstone, here we go, and making sure that he can be ready to go for whatever the timeline is. He’s been great in the process and is trying to play, just his energy so whenever that happens we’ll make sure that we do the right things and his return to play is all handled appropriately.”
(I know you guys don’t want to make excuses, I’m not asking you to, but from a coaching challenge standpoint you’ve gone from QB Tua Tagovailoa to QB Skylar Thompson to QB Tyler Huntley, QB Tim Boyle in there; how difficult has that been on this coaching staff, like this staff, has this been the biggest offensive challenge that you’ve faced?) – “I don’t know. For me, no, I mean, I remember back in 2016 Chicago when Jay Cutler, Brian Hoyer, Matt Barkley; I mean, we went through a whole – that was a very much challenge in itself, and that was a very tough year. This one, when you’re dealing with the variance of guys at the quarterback position, it’s just making sure that we have a plan built that they understand and can execute and communicate. So it’s weird, like as a coach, you embrace the challenges and you love the challenges because it’s all problem solving. So sometimes you enjoy the challenge of each week and the variables that it plays out, and other weeks you wish that they didn’t occur. So it’s kind of that, you’re like, ‘Yes, here comes the challenge,’ then like ‘Oh gosh, I wish it wasn’t as hard this week.’ But I think it all comes down to the guys we’ve had and the way they go about their process, and that’s what makes it easier for us because we know how diligent they are and how ready to go they are.”
