Frank Smith – October 20, 2022
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Thursday, October 20, 2022
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(So obviously with QB Tua Tagovailoa back, there are concussion concerns at least from the outside. How do you protect Tua more or is it a matter of protecting Tua more? How do you do that?) – “I think every quarterback when they’re playing, I mean, our goal is to protect them. So I think ultimately as we’re working on our things this week to try and improve from last week, overall just making sure our pass protection is good and making sure we’re on rhythm getting the ball out. I think ultimately you don’t necessarily look at it as just pertaining to Tua. I think you look at it as just making sure we protect all the quarterbacks because I think that’s an area that we’ve been trying to improve with our fundamentals and just overall understanding of our launch points, timings and working as an offense.”
(You guys aren’t much of a max protecting from my little film watching. Without giving away strategy, is that something you could change? Or could you slide coverage some way?) – “Yeah, I think that the big thing is as you’re looking at what the defense is presenting, what options do we have and what gives us the best chance to maximize getting the ball down the field. So when we feel that it’s schematically necessary to do it, we have those abilities and we had them in the plan, where we can help the edges whether it’s max protection, or just the guys affecting the edges on their releases. So I think that ultimately, you want to have options in a game plan and we normally do. And I think just overall, we just need to execute on some of those things and be able to use our help when we have it.”
(In terms of sacks and pressures Sunday, I believe it may have been a season high on both fronts. I know you can’t pin every sack and every pressure on the offensive line, but what stood out to you from that day and maybe some of the pressure that was allowed?) – “Yeah, I think a lot of it comes down to we’re trying to create some consistency up front and we had the tackles, obviously, making sure that we understand where we fit on the edge of the pocket, understand our relative position to the quarterback and the launch point. Just understanding really when we’re working through our drop-back protection, just working all five on the same page as far as ‘Okay, here’s where the quarterback is going to be. Here’s the timing of the play.’ Understanding how that all fits, and then in turn, how does my individual set technique? How do my fundamentals allow me to have success inside of that? So I think that for us, that’s just really like – as you look at this week or last week, it was really more particular, just understanding, alright, when I can do certain techniques, when I can do – as opposed to in the past you rely on – it’s trusting what we’re trying to teach and do that. So I wouldn’t say it was necessarily one thing, but I think necessarily that we understand now that what we’re going to try to do, we’re going to really try and make sure we maximize what we’re coaching as far as being able to hold pocket integrity.”
(I know on one of the first sacks, they ran a stunt on the left side and the d-tackle stunted and then the tackle kind of looped around and kind of passed OL Liam Eichenberg. I remember reading an old quote from T Terron Armstead where he said sometimes the stunt, it might not be the left guard’s fault. It might be the left tackle’s fault. It might be his fault. What’s the key to passing off those stunts and make sure that they’re blocked properly?) – “Yeah, I think Terron (Armstead) hit the nail on the head there. I mean, when you’re working in concert with other men on the line, you guys have to be in phase together and know who’s in charge of what element of the game, the stunt. So I think as you had that one, that was just, we were poor timing on it. Later on in the game, we got better at it. There was one we passed off. So I think just ultimately as you learn from it, and you have to understand, ‘Okay, in this part of the protection, I’m responsible for this. Okay, therefore, I have to do this to execute at a level if they try and bring games and stunts.’ So I think that we really learned from that and I think that the group overall knows now, like some things is, how we’re trying to work together and who’s going to be requiring what because that’s the ultimate thing is every defense presents a different challenge with their front. That was one of the challenges and that’s an area that we’ve really made emphasis this week to improve.”
(Until the point that OL Austin Jackson comes back, did OL Brandon Shell give you and Head Coach Mike McDaniel and Offensive Line Coach Matt Applebaum enough to think about last week where there’s now a decision you have to make at right tackle between Brandon and T Greg Little until Austin returns?) – “I think overall we’ve been pleased with Brandon in such a short term, coming in, grasping the offense, understanding what we’re trying to do. He’s constantly trying to work on his fundamentals and he’s been a true pro. I mean, ultimately, I think that decision is down the road. We’re not necessarily there at the moment. We’re just trying to stay in this week and making sure that we’re with the guys that are going to play, we’re in the right spots. But overall, we’ve been pleased with what he’s been able to do and it’s a testament to just who Brandon (Shell) is that he was able to come in so quickly and really get himself in shape and then at the same time understand what we’re trying to do.”
(What are some of the keys to limiting or reducing penalties?) – “I think ultimately when you think about penalties, they stem from lack of execution, whether it’s mentally executing in the play or physically. So I know you’re probably referencing that sequence kind of at the top of the red (zone). And then I mean, it’s all just little things in the moment, like when you’re trying to press to make a play and you just remember to let the play come to you. Don’t be so focused on that moment and ‘I got to do this.’ Making sure you understand your fundamentals better. So in that moment, especially Miami in the heat, alright, as you fatigue, you’re able to keep that mental stamina. So I think a lot of it is just understanding that why did that occur? Right? How can I get better? And then in turn, we address it and work on it. So I think every guy that had an issue in there, in that sequence that forced us to not execute; I think ultimately, every guy was able to take ownership of it, understand why it happened and in turn this week, we’ve really been working on our fundamentals to reduce those issues. So I think ultimately, it comes collective as an offense understanding, as a unit understanding and then individuals and coaches working on our fundamentals so we execute better when it’s necessary.”
(You alluded earlier to throwing the ball on time and on rhythm for protecting your quarterback and earlier this week, Head Coach Mike McDaniel had said something about how impressed he was by QB Tua Tagovailoa’s ability to kind of learn the offense and get the ball out quickly sooner than he thought he would. What is unique about Tua in terms of how he’s able to see it and get the ball out so fast?) – “Yeah, you say ultimately like Tua is, that’s been the one thing that very pleasing about him, is the way he plays through fundamentals and allows him to when you play through your fundamentals, and you’re able to feel the rhythm of the play through your footwork; it allows you to play on time and distribute the ball accurately. So I think that’s been one thing that he’s done a really great job of, is understanding how each concept, the timing of it, understanding how his fundamentals will allow him to play. And just overall, really understanding the concepts in general of where am I trying to go with the ball now? All right, if it’s not there, then where do I go immediately. So I think just that also goes into his preparation, I mean, throughout the entire offseason, just really owning the offense and understanding his piece of the puzzle, and also getting with wide receivers to make sure that they’re all on the same page as far as where they need to be and when they need to be there when the ball is coming out.”
(Were you encouraged to see TE Mike Gesicki score those two touchdowns and are there ways to get him to see more of that earlier in the game, not just when you’re playing from behind late and trying to mount a comeback?) – “Yeah, I think we’ve been trying to get him opportunities with the ball. I think the way every game goes, sometimes they have different ways to challenge the distribution. So when you look at the Vikings and the way they were playing their coverage, we knew that the ball would probably have to go to other guys at times, just because when they were trying to take away things. And then that allowed for access for Mike (Gesicki) to make some plays. So I wouldn’t say that (we are) trying to do more; I think it’s just more continuing on that and just making sure that we’re getting those opportunities because a couple of times earlier in the season when we were trying to get him the ball, there was an issue, whether it’s pressure on the quarterback or not at the right depth at the right time or something flashed. I mean, I think it’s ultimately like, that’s what we’re trying to make sure that as we grow and through quarter two of the season is that all of us have an understanding that ‘hey, the ball is looking to go here but ready for a coverage change.’ So I think Mike maximized his opportunities this week and we’re excited to keep expanding upon that because the more guys that get the ball on this offense the better, because it makes it harder for defense to pinpoint where we’re trying to distribute it.”
(To kind of piggyback off of that, I thought there was a snapshot of TE Mike Gesicki with a pancake block on a RB Raheem Mostert run but was that Gesicki’s best game? And if so, why?) – “Yeah, I mean, I think that it’s a culmination of all the hard work he’s put in. I mean, like he said, in training camp in the beginning of the season, he was trying to work on things that he hasn’t done in the past. So production-wise, you would say, yes. And then you can see glimmers in his blocking as well, too. So I think ultimately, when you have a game like that as a player and you’re able to have the production, you’re able to have some good fundamental work, that’s what you want to keep growing upon this week. You take the success, you learn from it, and I think those are where your greatest leaps come because you’re able to see all the hard work paid dividends and then now you get another chance to execute at a high level. So yeah, we’re very pleased with what Mike did last week and we’re looking forward to continuing that for the rest of the season.”
