Q. Jalen since the bye week hasn't had a turnover. Four games without an interception. What's clicked for him? It was obviously a concern there for a while.
KELLEN MOORE: Jalen has just done an excellent job with the football. Certainly in the last few weeks I think he's doing a really good job making great decisions while still being aggressive. He's playing a really good level.
Q. You guys used (indiscernible) backside early on. Guys had a lot of success doing that. Why do you feel -- what did you see in the Bengal's offense? Is it something we can see more in the future?
KELLEN MOORE: Just a game plan thing. Certain formations we felt like we had a few indicators that allowed us to get to plays that were ideal versus certain looks.
Every week is going to have different flavors. Certainly we utilized that and emphasized it early in the game to get some clean plays off.
Q. What are you getting out of under center snaps right now?
KELLEN MOORE: By game plan and situation, obviously certainly some really good value to it, you know, the run game and the potential of action game as we go.
So there has been some good stuff in the run game that has allowed us to get downhill the last couple weeks. We'll see where it takes us.
Q. You guys have added some wrinkles to the run game the last few weeks. I guess how much of that is Stoutland's influence, and what's that process been like working with him, I guess evolving?
KELLEN MOORE: Certainly we have an awesome process will really collaborating with the whole entire staff. Stout certainly does a tremendous amount of as work as far as initially during the week.
We're constantly talking through this thing, finding different ways to navigate this, while still hanging our hat on certain concepts and presenting different flavors week in, week out.
Q. Jalen said he was pushing for under center snaps. Why do you think players respond well to that increase?
KELLEN MOORE: I think it's just something we've certainly talked about as a collective group. There will be different opportunities throughout games, and so it's come up the last few weeks and been some positives with it, so we'll see where it takes us.
Q. Said he also pushed for more of the offense coming out and imposing its will on a defense. What have those conversations been like with him?
KELLEN MOORE: It's a balancing act each and every week of you have a lot of respect for your opponent and all the things they can do. You got to account for all the possibilities and prepare the right way, while also still doing what you do and what you invested a lot of time in.
So you're balancing those two elements week in and week out. Constantly in that tug-of-war. I think that's how most teams game plan. You have stuff you feel really comfortable with that you can blindly walk out there and just run, while still understanding that they have a presentation that's going to challenge you in different ways and you're trying to find what balance is best when you create a game plan.
Q. When you have a long drive in the fourth quarter, what's it like from a playcaller's perspective? What that's feel like?
KELLEN MOORE: That was a big time drive for our guys. It was awesome. It was really cool because that was four-minute ball, but it wasn't just run, run, run, run, run. It was we would sneak in some passes here and there when we got in certain situations.
I thought our guys did an excellent job. Really crisp. Ate a lot of time off the lock. Finished the right way with a touchdown.
I thought there was really big time football in there. There was third down conversions. It was just a really clean big time opportunity for our guys.
Q. The DeVonta touchdown. Walk us through that play and why that was the right situation to call that play right there?
KELLEN MOORE: Just an action play that obviously sits on your call sheet a little too long and so we were trying to find a place for it. Ran it once earlier this year, and so those guys did an excellent job.
At the end of the day the protection aspect was incredible. You know, Jack Stoll was blocking the edge rusher for felt about ten seconds, and the action was great. They got movement up front. The routes obviously did a really nice job and then Jalen and Smitty making the play. It was a big time play.
Q. Did you get what you wanted with the safety? Is that what you're trying to do with the action specifically, kind of like a fake RPO?
KELLEN MOORE: A little boot action. Obviously trying to get your receivers on safeties and get downfield. There is a little bit of a matchup thing there. Those guys have done a tremendous -- they've thrown it so many times the last few weeks in practice.
For those guys to have the confidence to go for it, awesome play by those guys.
Q. Grant Calcaterra, half his catches this year have been 19 yards or more. What makes him so proficient in those plays?
KELLEN MOORE: Grant has got a great feel for space, great understanding of the pass game. He's been a really -- hats off to him hopping in here since Dallas went down. For him to take the workload, the volume he's taken in the run game, he's done a tremendous job and then still being viable in the pass game. He seems to make big plays in critical moments and very reliable, and we feel very fortunate to have the tight ends we do.
Q. How important is it to have a tight end involved in the offense? Last year when Dallas went down they really lacked that contribution. How important is it to still have that guy to be able to make catches?
KELLEN MOORE: Tight ends are really valuable just because they play in all aspects of the game. You want to have them be viable in each situation. So Grant and Jack and those guys, they've certainly done that.
Q. In the run game what makes the O-line so good on the combo blocks?
KELLEN MOORE: Time invested. He invested a lot of the time in it. They're on the same page. They work a lot at it. Those are certain things when you put the time and effort into it, you want to invest and give ourselves as many opportunities at the bat, and then have your little change-ups here and there where you need to just to protect it.
Q. Did you see difference here with those blocks than at other stops?
KELLEN MOORE: Every place is different. You're going to emphasize different things. Certainly it's something that we do a tremendous job and we embrace and we certainly love it. Our guys have just been playing really, really high level in those combination blocks.
Again, as you build game plans, just got to protect it with different looks, whether it's action game or different run concepts just to protect it. We will continue to emphasize it.
Q. Are you finding that AJ and DeVonta are getting more one on one opportunities because of Saquon's presence, and possibly Jalen also threat in the run game? Do you think teams are focusing on that and giving them more one on one opportunities.
KELLEN MOORE: There is potential there certainly as you look at it. When you're in mixed downs which allow you to say, hey, we can run or throw it in these situations, obviously we can play at times what the defense gives us. Certainly when they give us one on one opportunities outside we feel great about those guys.
So certainly the run game is doing a really good job in the first and second down game, so we like the mix we have.
Q. I assume Trey Hendrickson was on the forefront of your mind coming into this game. To have somebody like Fred be able to step up and perform like that, what did that mean to the offense on this day?
KELLEN MOORE: Certainly going into the game we were very aware we couldn't let him get going. At the end of the day there are moments and opportunities where Fred is one on one and he does a tremendous job. Big time, big time football, so play-action plays where he is truly one on one with him. Just can't say enough good things about what Fred did on Sunday.
Q. What was your biggest takeaway from the bye week analysis that helps explain what we've seen since?
KELLEN MOORE: Just finding our rhythm. Just finding -- you're able to evaluate four weeks of the season. Old days would be a quarter of your regular season. It's great. You reemphasis the things you're doing well, identify the things that maybe we can evolve or correct.
So everyone goes through those processes. I feel like we have been heading in the right direction.
Q. Do you remember the first time it was suggested that Ben play some fullback?
KELLEN MOORE: I don't recall the first time. It was before the regular season.
Q. And how well has he adapted? Why do you think he has adapted so well?
KELLEN MOORE: He's done a nice job. He's playing both sides of the field on offense and defense, and so there is a workload capacity associated with that.
I think he's done an excellent job having a role and embracing that role and he's been ready and been fired up.
Q. Nick said the ball didn't touch the ground in Thursday's practice. Jalen said the way he practices instills confidence in the coaches about the game plan. What do you look from Jalen in those practices in particular, and what did you recall from that session?
KELLEN MOORE: Thursday was our third down day, and I thought we did an excellent job, and it showed. We were on the same page, we got completions. I think the real big aspect was we also put ourself in more favorable third downs, which allowed us to play in the situations we'd prepared for.
I thought I guys did an awesome job. Jalen did an awesome job. Really the week was a really positive week on the practice field, and it showed up on Sunday.
Q. Are you modifying the call sheet based on what you see in that session?
KELLEN MOORE: Every week you go through an initial game plan, and then as the week plays out with practice, more conversations, you narrow your focus going into each game as far as specifics. Obviously have more plays in situations than you need, but you narrow your focus on what you really are going to focus on.
Q. Scoring on the last possession of the first and second half, what went into the preparation that led to that? What did you glean from that?
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, I think obviously the starting point of games has obviously been something we're just trying to find our groove there. The two weeks before we got a first down and kind of stalled out. This one our guys executed.
I think the big thing is when you look at opening drives a lot of times it's first down, second down, first down, second down, a couple third downs in there. I thought our guys did a really good job on first and second down to put ourself in those positions.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports