Liam Eichenberg – October 21, 2021
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Thursday, October 21, 2021
T Liam Eichenberg
(As an offensive lineman, how do you approach and what needs to happen better to make a short-yardage play successful?) – “I think on that final play, I should have taken into consideration where Josh Allen was. I’ll put that on me. I should have told the guard a man-3 tech and then I should have helped the tight end. Just kind of understanding where those players are that can affect games, especially in crucial moments like that. I should have maybe made a certain call to kind of help the tight end out which, in turn, would have helped the running back out. It’s definitely something I can learn from moving forward.”
(What about in general? Not just on that play but in general, what needs to happen to make short-yardage situations successful?) – “I think it just comes down to communication. Just kind of like what I was talking about. It just goes back to everybody being on the same page. If Austin (Jackson) says something to me, I need to communicate it out. Especially in those moments when it’s loud and you can’t really hear well, you need to put an emphasis on communication. That’s kind of what we’ve been talking about this week and that’s something we’re going to continue to work on as the season goes on.”
(What signs of progress have you seen that gives you confidence that the offensive line is going to keep getting better?) – “I think we’re improving every week. Obviously it’s not enough though. It’s a group of guys that come in here every single week working hard. It’s not a lack of hard work. It’s just kind of those fine details that we need to continue to perfect. That’s kind of the emphasis that I’m focusing on and a lot of guys in our room. We’re getting to the point where it’s not acceptable to make that small mistake. I think when you strive for perfection, you’ll eventually keep getting better and better.”
(How much pride did you guys take in not allowing a sack?) – “Yeah, I mean there are still pressures. It’s definitely – I think it’s the first time this season so it’s somewhere to start. But obviously we can continue to get better and better. This week, we’re just kind of focused on this week. One week at a time. It’s about winning this game.”
(Were you impressed with QB Tua Tagovailoa’s ability to avoid pressure with those pressures?) – “Yeah, I thought he did a good job of stepping up. I think he reads the field very – I mean, I have no idea about the quarterback position. Let’s be honest. (laughter) I could get up here and tell you he made all the reads correctly but – I think he did a good job. Especially coming back, his first game back. I think he did a good job in the pocket. (laughter)”
(You might not be a quarterback expert in terms of technique and all of that stuff, but you do have a sense of QB Tua Tagovailoa’s presence, his personality, his demeanor and how he seems to be feeling. What is your sense about all of that stuff this week?) – “I think he’s got a good amount of energy to him and I think that’s needed. He’s a great leader. He’s a guy who demands respect and he pushes me and pushes a lot of guys. It’s definitely great having him back. But that whole quarterback room – Jacoby (Brissett) does the same thing. It’s kind of how that room is. But definitely having him back, his second week now, it’s great to see him out there and have him behind me.”
(Did you get a sense this week in the huddle that maybe QB Tua Tagovailoa wants to do more since he’s back and he played with some pain last week in London?) – “Yeah, I think regardless of how you feel, you obviously want to play as well as you can and keep moving in that direction. Whoever is behind me, I’m going to support. I’m going to do the best I can. At the end of the day, I need to play better. I need to strive for that perfection that we kind of talk about. Every single day I’m out there, I’m working to get better.”
(On the fourth-and-1 call, you talked about some corrections you made. Is that something you can make within the game and adjust to it then? Or is that something that you see on tape on Monday?) – “It’s kind of just based on personnel. It kind of depends on – it’s tough because you have your assignments and you have specific things you need to do based on alignments and stuff like that. Kind of like what I was saying with a guy like him, maybe I should have taken different footwork and maybe made a different call. That is kind of something that you talk about after the game.”
(Obviously there’s a lot of QB Deshaun Watson talk out there. QB Tua Tagovailoa is a mature man who understands the business of the league. Do you see any of that impacting him or impacting the team’s focus?) – “No, I don’t think so. I really don’t go on Twitter, to be honest with you. You just brought it up. Some of us have probably heard about it but as of right now – it’s just a distraction at the end of the day. The most important thing this week is we’re playing the Falcons and we need a win. I think that’s everybody’s thought right now is to focus on the Falcons.”
