DOUG PEDERSON:
Q. The screen game has been such effective tool for you in years past. What has been the difficulty with getting that working so far?
DOUG PEDERSON: Screen game, like with anything, any play, really it comes down to timing. The timing of the quarterback whether it's play action screen or just a straight drop back screen. There are some intricacies with the offensive line. We could do a whole seminar on screens. But it's something that we know that we have to get better at and we got to work and they can be a useful tool for us.
Q. In recent years you've been able to motivate your team when they're kind of backs are against the wall. A little earlier this year, obviously, but how much thought do you put into that messaging and do you kind of rely on certain things in these times?
DOUG PEDERSON: Yeah, you know, obviously you don't ever want to start motivating your players this early in the season. They should be, obviously, we know they motivate themselves. Don't get me wrong. I understand what you're asking. But I think a lot about how I message and my message to the team and what that message looks like to them and how it's going to be perceived by them. I think for me as a head coach, I think you got to show the good, the bad, the ugly, but at the same time, I think you got to keep your goals right in front of the team. You got to keep the reality of, okay, this is where we are and who we are, but at the same time we're close and we're not far away.
So all that messaging, for me, is something that I spend quite a bit of time thinking about as I approach team meetings with the guys.
Q. What's the reason Jalen Reagor went on IR today and would you guys have been better off starting his clock last week or using that roster spot last week?
DOUG PEDERSON: Well, listen, with the rules the way they are now, there's so much flexibility each week, so it doesn't, you know, there was no suddenness to make the decision right away, right? Because we had, we have bodies, we had players that we could activate and elevate and it's just the way the rules are this year. So there was no need to really, you know, press the issue last week.
Obviously we know he's going to miss some time, but yeah, there was really no reason to really push anything other than having the flexibility, I guess, with the other guys.
Q. This is going to be the first cross country trip for you guys in the middle of the pandemic. I'm curious what logistics change for you guys as you now take that flight to San Francisco. And also with the Titans having tests come back positive, if you're continuing to reiterate the message of keeping each other safe during this time.
DOUG PEDERSON: Yeah, for me, obviously, we know we're in these, this pandemic. We're in a, we're in this world of testing and kind of our own little bubble here, so for me I've got to continue to sort of over-communicate the protocols that have been in place. I can't let anything slip or slide from the standpoint of the messaging when it comes that way to the team. We are taking this long trip. We're basically bottling up our bubble and putting it on an airplane and taking it across the country. Obviously, the Rams have done it and teams have done it already this season and they have done it successfully. It's just about ownership. It's about each man or woman that travels with us to do the right thing. There's protocols in place to protect players and coaches. We know going to San Francisco too that this is a game that masks are going to be required by everybody, right, On the sidelines. So these are things that we're already communicating to go our players about. Our guys have done a great job with the protocols that the league and the Players Association have negotiated and we just got to do our due diligence as we travel across the country this weekend.
Q. What's your plan at right guard? Are you going to stick with Matt Pryor? Is Jamon Brown maybe going to get some work with the one's this week? How are you approaching -- and will Nate stay at left guard?
DOUG PEDERSON: Yeah, the guys actually really settled in this past weekend, did a nice job of, in the game and so there's no need to really shift too many guys around. Herbig has done an outstanding job for us starting out at right and then playing left, and Pryor figure in last week. So we don't feel the need at this point. We will get Jamon Brown more reps just to get him caught up with the offense, but other than that we don't feel the need right now to make any changes there.
Q. The last, if you look at some of the film of Carson, there have been times where he's missed guys when you screened him open down, you schemed him open down the field. I'm wondering if that's, he's not seeing it or is he reluctant to make those throws? Which one is it?
DOUG PEDERSON: I think there's a couple of things. One, sometimes the passing game is a lot of timing, right? A lot of timing, decision-making, and accuracy. Things we talk about with the quarterbacks, we also talk about with the receivers. When things are open down the field and all eyes are on that receiver and we think he's open, you got to put your eyes in the pocket. Did Carson have to move, did the protection break down, you know, something of that nature could take him off of that particular play and he has to either go somewhere or you end up getting sacked or it's an incomplete pass. So there's things like that that have come up with some of those plays. And then, honestly, I mean, and Carson would agree that there's times when he needs to make the play. He just needs to complete the ball, throw the ball and we need to make those plays. So it's a little of both, but that's why we practice and get ready for games.
Q. For fans who have watched these first three games and are thinking, now this team has to go play at San Francisco, a Super Bowl-quality team, who don't see a lot of hope here, what would you say? Why should people believe that this team can win this week?
DOUG PEDERSON: Thanks for the positivity. I appreciate that. Thanks for being upbeat and energetic today. That's always great.
Listen, short season. We have played three games. Hasn't been our best. We're excited about this opportunity. It's another week to get better as a team. You know, look, we love our fans and I know -- we're, nobody's satisfied. The fans aren't. I'm not. Players aren't. Nobody's satisfied with where we are. I mean, even if we were 3-0, you guys wouldn't be satisfied. So we're still working every single day to get better. We have some new faces that are going to be playing, particularly at the skill positions now. And, look, my concern is about the guys in the locker room, getting them prepared to play, taking our bubble across country, and protecting our guys, and competing.
Q. Wanted to ask you: Where is your confidence level at with Carson that he is going to be able to correct it. We have seen him do it in the past. We have seen him do it almost every season in difficult situations even last year. Where is your confidence level at with that? Also, what do you say to people that maybe have lose confidence in Carson Wentz?
DOUG PEDERSON: My confidence level is extremely high and it hasn't changed. I just know who Carson is. I know the type of worker he is. I know how he approaches the game, prepares each week. And so listen, he and I are in this thing together, and so my confidence level is, hey, I want to put the ball in his hands. It's a great opportunity for us when the ball is in Carson Wentz's hands because anything and everything can happen. And listen, I can't speak for the outside world. I can see the, I guess I can sort of visualize, okay, your quarterback doesn't play well, so let's speculate that the confidence has got to be low. I mean, that's fine. That's a visual thing and it might be right, probably is right. But I just know who Carson is. I just know the guys around him. I know this team. They're excited about this week to get back out on the practice field and prepare for San Francisco.
Q. An update on DeSean and Alshon if you could and then I'm also curious how much time this off-season did you spend looking at Shanahan's offense and kind of what were your takeaways, what did you want to take from that system?
DOUG PEDERSON: Well, Alshon will get some work in a little bit this week again. We're trying to increase his workload to get him back to playing here soon. DeSean is a little more, he won't practice today, but he's more day-to-day with his injury. Looking at Kyle's offense and what they have done, it's unique because they, a lot like us, they give their quarterback a lot of flexibility and a lot of run kills, right? As far as, I want to run left, but something might take me to the right. So there's a lot of things that the quarterback gets them in and out of, just like Carson gets us in and out of. The play action pass. Obviously the way they use their tight ends and Kittle are things that, I think every team kind of looks at the top offenses in the league and they try to come away with a couple things that they can apply to their own system. But at the end of the day, we have just got to continue to work our system and get better at what we do.
Q. Looking around the league, and I know it's hard in the NFL to get receivers wide open, but looking around the league, I do see more receivers more wide open on certain plays. How much is that scheming these guys open versus their own natural ability, their speed, their route running, to get open on their own?
DOUG PEDERSON: Yeah, it's kind of an obvious answer. I think some of it is scheme. I mean, some of it is basically if you got a world class track athlete at wide receiver and it commands a defense to play a little softer, I think the physical trait of that have athlete, that receiver can obviously help become more wide open. Maybe the size of the receiver. So there's some physical traits there. The scheme obviously can, whether you're double moves or coming off the play action pass or whatever it might be, I think, I think all that can help guys get open. But at the end of the day, more so than not, I think these receivers have to learn to, contested catches, balls in traffic, accuracy by the quarterbacks, the protection. There's a lot of things that also play into those schemes.
Q. We talked to you a lot about 12 personnel and the two tight end looks. With Goedert out, how much confidence do you have in Richard Rodgers? He's been around for awhile and how did he perform when he had to step in last week?
DOUG PEDERSON: Yeah, I've got a lot of confidence in Rich. This guy's a veteran player. He's smart. He's played a lot of football, whether it was in Green Bay or with us and places he's been. I think he's a good fit. He was a great number three for us with what we wanted to do and get done. But now being elevated, I think -- he gives you a little more thump at the line of scrimmage in blocking situations. He's a good short to intermediate route runner. He's smart. He understands the defense. He's got really strong hands to catch the football. So I'm excited for this opportunity for him to get in there and to for him and Zach to work together.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports