SHANE STEICHEN: (In progress.) Performance up front by our offensive line. You know, Jordan, Landon, Kelce, Isaac, Lane, and then Jordan when he stepped in there, or Andre Dillard when he stepped in there. To go for 363 on the ground, I've never been a part of something like that. That's a credit to those guys and the preparation they put in every week, and Stout doing what he does with those guys, and obviously the tight ends with Grant, Jack, Tyree stepping up, and Jason doing a hell of a job with those guys.
But it was unbelievable. It was fun to watch, fun to be a part of.
Q. What are the instructions for Jalen about protecting himself and why he is good at it?
SHANE STEICHEN: I think he has a natural feel for it, to be honest. He's been a runner for a while, obviously in high school and college. Just having a feel for when to get down and when to get out of bounds and protect himself. I think that's a natural thing.
Obviously you got to coach some of those things up, but he has a nature knack for that.
Q. Nick mentioned that he (Jalen) would come to the sideline and offer up some suggestions. How much more is that happening this year? What have some of those been?
SHANE STEICHEN: Yeah, no, it's been great. Any time you're playing at a high level like he's doing right now and he's seeing things really well on the field. All those guys, the receivers, Jalen. I mean, when they see something that we can take advantage of because they're the ones out there doing it, obviously we want to take those into consideration every time and then we go from there.
Q. How many teams have spotted Jalen versus not through this part of the season? What are the benefits from your vantage point?
SHANE STEICHEN: Without getting into too much detail form a competitive advantage standpoint, obviously some teams do spot him, some don't. I'm leave it at that. (Laughter.)
Q. You mentioned Andre Dillard playing guard. How did that come about? What made you guys put him in?
SHANE STEICHEN: Andre is a really athletic guy, and obviously Stout does a great job cross-training those guys, guard-tackle, and he's able to do both. It was really good to see him go in and play the way he did when Landon was out.
Q. What's impressed you the most this year about the way Miles is running?
SHANE STEICHEN: The consistency. The consistency week in and week out and taking care of the football and the way he's running with the physicality that he's doing and taking care of the football. He's seeing it good. I know I keep saying that every week, but it continues to be the same message. It's consistency and the way he's doing it and taking care of the football.
Q. When it comes to Quez, he had a lesser role early in the season with AJ coming in, but now with Dallas, sort of those dominoes. Just talk about his ability to step up.
SHANE STEICHEN: It's been tremendous to see that. You know what? I think a guy like that, he is a big time playmaker, and just the patience he had. I talked to him after the game and I said, I really appreciate your patience, because I know guys want the football and it's his time to step up, and he's been doing that.
That play at the end of the half to leave 13 seconds on the play clock to get at that touchdown was huge. We trust Quez in those situations to go up and get it, and Jalen made a heck of a throw and it was a one-on-one matchup and he's continue to go make plays. We got to keep doing that.
Q. Nick said the things about Quez, about how he accepted this role. How much like conversation did that take with him, for him to accept that lesser role? How much management?
SHANE STEICHEN: Yeah, I think early in the season, obviously you sign AJ so you got AJ, Smitty, and Dallas. You got three guys, and we always talk about there is one football to go around and your time will come around.
He's been patient doing it, and obviously with Dallas down it was his time to step up. He's accepted his role and making the most of it right now.
Q. ...scheme against Derrick Henry, how much does his ability affect effect what you guys have to plan and game plan on offense?
SHANE STEICHEN: Yeah, I think we control what we control on offense. We take care of the little things, and the big things will take care of themselves. I think that's the message for our offense, is we got to control what we can control and go score points.
Q. Stout's role as run game coordinator, what does that mean and how does that manifest during the week?
SHANE STEICHEN: Yeah, it's great. Stout obviously looks at all the runs and how we go about operating the run plan, and he comes up with his ideas and we get together at nighttime and we go through the plan, and then we marry everything up with the run and pass game.
He does a heck of a job putting those guys in positions. There are so many different techniques from a defensive line standpoint and how are we going to put our guys in the best position to make plays, whether they're in this front or that front or whatever it is and what's the technique of the defensive line. Are they up the field? Are they readers? There are so many different things go into it.
He does a heck of a job putting his guys in position to make plays.
Q. What's the process during the game adjusting to the way things are going? So you see the run working, going off script...
SHANE STEICHEN: Yeah, 100%. So what are they doing defensively? How can we adjust quickly to what they're doing? We go in with the plan of what we see on tape, and if they stick to their plan defensively, we'll stick to ours offensively. You got to be ready to adjust quickly if they're switching things up, and that's what he can do on the sidelines and that's the process we go through.
Q. How often as a play caller does it go as planned compared to adjusting?
SHANE STEICHEN: That's a good question. I can't give you an exact number, to be honest, but there are some games where we got to adjust and some we don't. Last week was pretty good.
Q. When you're putting a game plan together, how often do you put something in for the purpose of making future teams have to worry about something that you put on tape?
SHANE STEICHEN: Yeah, there is always that thought process. Everything we do, you know, Nick has a long checklist we go through of everything, or marrying ideas and putting stuff on tape and does it fit that week versus the defense we're playing.
There is always that thought process we go through.
Q. With AJ and ball security, anything standing out?
SHANE STEICHEN: Yeah, I think the biggest thing with him, and he knows this, too, we obviously got to take care of the football. We got to keep drilling it in practice. It's wrist of above the elbow, elbow locked. When you get in traffic, you got to have the (indiscernible) on it when you're going through and when you get in those voids.
But I thought he did a heck of a job. Obviously have the fumble, but he bounced back and had the touchdown on that first drive of the third quarter, which was good to see.
Q. The usage of cam a reflection of your comfort in how far he's come along? Cam Jurgens.
SHANE STEICHEN: Yeah, Cam has done a nice job obviously. Put him in there on the short yardage play and then down in there, and then got the big one with the scramble with Jalen.
Cam has done a nice job. Stout has done a nice with him, and then learning from Kelce. He's a smart football player. He's tough. He's going to have a hell of a future here.
Q. Getting back to AJ, I think after you had the drop Jalen went right back to him on the next play. I know it's a little thing, but how much do you think that matters to a guy like AJ?
SHANE STEICHEN: Drops are going to happen and AJ is an elite football player and we have total confidence in him every time he steps on the field, so no issues there.
Q. Kenny Gainwell got nine touchdowns now in less than two seasons. How do you think he's handling his role?
SHANE STEICHEN: He's done a heck of a job. Got three backs in the backfield we feel really comfortable with and he has done a nice job and he is continuing to get better.
Q. Tennessee, that defense, where do you start? What do you see?
SHANE STEICHEN: Defensive line-wise, Simmons is a load up front. This is a physical group. I know I say this every week being a heck of a challenge, but this is a darn good defense that we got to be ready for. They do a nice job.
Vrabel puts them in good positions, along with their defensive coordinator. They're good on the back end. They got Byard back there. The two corners are solid. They're sound in what they do and they're a very physical football team we got to be ready for.
Q. How has Miles done at breaking tackles?
SHANE STEICHEN: Yeah, I think the biggest thing. Jemal does a heck of a job with those guys going through, and obviously you guys see us out there in individual period working the ball security stuff, running through those things.
But just the consistency and the physicalness of running through the tackles. That touchdown we got off the turnovers, heck of a job by our defense getting the turnover there. Lane got the kick-out on the trap and then he ran through the arm tackle of the nose guard there and then broke another one.
I think that's just the relentless effort and pursuit to go score. That's what he's been doing week in and week out, and we need that.
Q. He talked about taking better care of himself coming into this year. Does he seem different physically?
SHANE STEICHEN: Yeah, I think he's doing a nice job. I think all these guys have their routine going into every week on how they take care of their bodies getting ready to play, whether it's the stretching, the weight room, the yoga, whatever, massages, like all those different things. Everyone has their routine.
I think as you get older, as a veteran player, you find your routine. He's found that obviously through the years and been good to see.
Q. You spoke about the information that Jalen brings. What was that sequence like for you as the play caller?
SHANE STEICHEN: Yeah, now, it's awesome. So obviously after sequence of plays, I'll go look at the surface real quick and then I'll get my thoughts together on the next drive of what we're thinking. Then I'll go to Jalen and he'll be talking with Brian during those situations, and then boom, we'll go over and he's like, hey, this looks good here. We can get to this, this would be awesome.
Obviously if I see it on the surface as well I'm like heck yeah, let's do it. So he's doing a nice job with that.
Q. Tyree was gone for a long time, obviously rehabbing from the ACL. Got back, got his feet wet. What have you seen from him as a developmental player? That's a big transition.
SHANE STEICHEN: Yeah, he's a big, long guy that can run and catch. Obviously been two weeks, but just continuing to give him the reps in practice, getting him comfortable back in this thing. I think he had five reps in the last game, but continuing to work him in there week in and week out. He's showing good strides.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports