Q. What's the plan for Thursday night with the starters and then with Jalen Hurts, are you going to get him out there?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, we're still talking through that. We're still talking through that every day. We don't have exactly -- again, this is guys -- everybody is in a little different scenario.
For me to say, Hey, the starters are playing this many, we've discussed everybody and everybody has their own little scenario that we're doing.
Expect everybody to play for the most part. Yeah, that's in constant discussion.
Q. Talk about the quarterback rotation. How do you see that playing out?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, yeah, same way that's been playing out in practice. Jalen will go with the starters and then Joe will go in after him and Nick will go after him.
Q. (Regarding runningback Thursday night.)
NICK SIRIANNI: We're still looking at that. We still got another practice to evaluate and see who we want to go in there. But, again, yeah, we got another practice to see who it is. Yeah, not going to name that right yet.
Q. (Regarding starters not playing pre-season.) Because there is so much time in between and the third game was usually a big game, is your approach different this year?
NICK SIRIANNI: Again, yes, we talked through all these things. We have a plan in place. I don't want to tell you this is what they're playing because that could change; things change every day.
What I do know is we have the joint practices too, to me count like pre-season games as well, you know, against the Patriots and Jets. So we have a lot of time to still think about that. I have a plan in place, but I just don't want to disappoint you if I don't follow through with what I'm saying.
Q. Talk about the management stuff. Your first time handling management in-game. How much thought has gone into this and how much do you view this pre-season as a trial run?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, it's definitely a trial run. You know, as far as game management goes, let's talk about the two-minute drill. We've been together, Kevin and I and Jason have been together for a while, so we know what we want to call with time on the clock, when our timeout scenarios are, when we are clocking it as opposed to getting up and running on the ball.
So there are things that -- there are a ton of situations that go into that, right, so feels like every time we sit up there and watch plays -- like for instance, we watch about 500 plays, end-of-game plays the other day, and just like the scenarios inside of it. Something always pops up.
So we're really prepared, really, really prepared, but there will be things that pop up, and I look forward to the trial run on Thursday.
Q. Specifically with Jalen Hurts, how fluid will you be from your plan based on what he does and how the different drives go?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, you know, with Jalen, I think I'm going to answer your question, so if not I'll come back, but with Jalen, there are things, too. One of the things we have to our advantage is that nobody really knows what we're running. To say we're going to show everything on Thursday or the following pre-season games or the following pre-season game, it's just not going to be the case.
That's an advantage that we have that other staffs don't because we don't have any tape out there of there us. Am I answering your question?
Q. What I mean is just as far as just his playing time on Thursday night. Like if he comes out and you have an touchdown drive to open the game, that kind of thing.
NICK SIRIANNI: That would be great.
Q. Or a couple three-and-outs. How much will you adjust his playing time?
NICK SIRIANNI: Again, that's why I don't want to tell you guys this is how many series, because exactly what you're saying. If we go out and have a seven-play drive, then we reevaluate, just like in a game. If we go three and out we reevaluate.
Yes, everything is on -- I don't want to say sliding scale -- yeah.
Q. (No microphone.)
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, just be consistent with moving the football and be consistent -- you know, kind of eliminate anything that -- we always talk about eliminating things that -- eliminate the mistakes that require no talent, right?
So not lining up right or false start or something like that. That requires no talent to lineup right and to not jump offsides. Let's let our talent take over and eliminate those things.
So, you know, because I thought the practice over at the stadium went well, offensively speaking went well for them, but there were some sloppy things with pre-snap penalties, Quez's big play came back because we weren't lined up right.
So just eliminating those things, honing in on, Hey, here is what we're running, here is what we are going to do, and go out there and not have to think a lot because we're doing that and let their talent take over.
Q. The philosophy of the pre-season, guys are in uniform, there is live reps, lights are on, so to speak. Do things get different? Is it easier to evaluate?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, I think particularly at different positions. Again, we want practice to be like the game as much as possible. We're trying to put ourselves, and you can see out there how the guys are practicing, they're practicing hard. But we aren't taking people to the ground, right?
It's always interesting for an runningback to get out there, because out here you're like, Did he slip that tackle, did he not slip that tackle. Some of the defensive coaches saying we tackled him right there. The offensive coaches are saying, Nah, we slipped that one. You get to find out when the lights come on and it's live to the ground.
Q. When you're able to see a lot of the young guys play, like last year, no pre-season games. So like how valuable is that?
NICK SIRIANNI: Again, I mean, we just treat every practice so much like the game that we feel like we're going to no exactly what's happening coming out here. We got ideas what's going to happen.
But there are always some people that surprise you when the lights are on. I know, I can think of one guy that's just in my mind that I'm thinking of is Austin Ekeler at the Chargers. He was kind of buried on depth chart, and the lights came on and it was that runningback scenario we just talked about and was making all sorts of plays, and then we couldn't keep him off the 53-man roster.
So that is what you're excited about. Yes, everything with do in practice is preparation for the game, and we like it think that we're going hard, hard in practice, and we are.
But you always -- there is always something that pops up when the lights come on and when it's tackle to the ground. That's the defense, too, because now they got to secure those tackles as well.
Q. Where do you stand in terms of how far you are in getting to where you need to be offensively versus your first year with Frank in the Colts?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, good question. Yeah, that's a really good question. You know, just you don't have that first off-season with all those plays, so it's not that you're behind. You just have less reps. We have less reps of when we started there with the Colts.
But as far as -- like I think I've talked about the talent on this team that Howie and his staff have put together. I'm just really pleased with them. I don't want to, yeah, say one thing or another about the Colts or the players on another team.
I'm really pleased with where we are right now, especially with 11 on 11 drills. So fundamentals, I see fundamentals that are continued to be and improved, because we spent all those time where we would have had 11 on 11 with our fundamentals, and that's helping with our plays right now.
Q. Are you going to be the exclusive play caller on offense, and how is the system going to work?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, good question. So I am. I will be the play caller, and then Shane will be the one talking to the quarterback. So I'll say a number to Shane and Shane will say the number to Jalen if it's a wristband play, or I'll say the number to Shane and he'll read it to Jalen.
We've been in this situation before. That's just so I can talk to other people too and make some notes here. I just think that's the communication he hears every day in practice and that's why we'll do it like that in the game.
Q. (Regarding Landon Dickerson getting back on the field.)
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, you know, not going to put a timetable on Landon. I know that he's working hard with the training staff to get himself ready to go. I see him every day working full speed in meetings and in walk-throughs, watching reps as well.
So I'm pleased with where he is mentally. That's all we can really judge on him right now, and where he is on his rehab schedule.
Q. Jalen's style of play, is it easier to evaluate him in a game when people are tackling him than this practice with a red jersey?
NICK SIRIANNI: I think so. I mean, I do. I got on Tyler, my assistant, who is the one who blowing the whistle on sacks. I said he was a little premature on a couple whistles the other night and the other day. I think especially because when the -- I really think this team knows how to practice. They know, Hey, we're going to have to practice without pads. We got to stay away from the quarterback. So they're doing a good job of that.
There are things, again, like tackling. There are things like, Hey, you got the sack there? I don't know. You just got to -- the defense would say yes and the offense would say no. Now definitely see that, and now you'll see that in the game because no two-hand touch on Thursday.
Q. Is this your first time calling a game, or did Frank ever give you a pre-season game?
NICK SIRIANNI: He gave me pre-season games. I was just telling Bob in 2011 also Todd Haley had got let go and I called all the passes again Green Bay in that game as well.
But there was pre-season games that Frank let me call and Mike McCoy let me call, so not the very first time.
Q. Challenges of calling plays?
NICK SIRIANNI: Again, when we were calling the plays all the places I've been, it's always Hey, here's -- I think the only difference is I'm not the one pulling the trigger on every one. There was constant communication in between every series. Hey, Frank, what do you think about this, this, this, and this? Then it was Frank pulling the trigger.
We would talk through it. Just a different guy. We are still going to talk through it as a staff, here is what we want to run, we're calling this at this time.
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