Q. Kellen, you've been around Doug Nussmeier at a few places; known him for a long time. What specifically has he I guess had an affect, positive affect on Jalen over this past six months?
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, been fortunate to be around Doug for a long time now going back to Dallas and LA and now here. Obviously worked with him in the quarterback room for a long time.
What makes Nuss is obviously his experience. He has been a long time coordinator in college football at a lot of big time schools and had a ton of experience there.
I think he does an excellent job with just the details and fundamentals of the position just hammering that in each and every day, each and every week. Tying the QB's as footwork to the pass concepts and making sure we all have the right timing and anticipation and all that stuff.
He does an excellent job preparing those guys.
Q. What was clicking for you guys in the pass game? I mean, you started going with it early and then just kind of kept going. What was working for you guys? What did you see?
KELLEN MOORE: Just thought our guys did a really good job playing with great fundamentals. You know, I thought our receivers did a great job with route discipline, you know, coming off the ball.
Jalen did an excellent job working through his progressions, getting the ball out of his hands. Protection was excellent. Did a really good job early in that game finding that rhythm and playing at a high level.
Q. Zone read being a big part of what you guys do, how are you managing with Jalen's finger? He said it was influencing his play on Sunday, and the other aspects of offense for him.
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, obviously Jalen's ability to run is obviously a crucial aspect for him. He showed that on Sunday, that he still played at a really high level with it. Obviously circumstances, situations we got to be aware of as we go through this. Each and every week there is different things that come up.
You know, maybe his hand or whatever was this past week, but I thought he did an excellent job. He handled it well. He's under center for sneaks. Didn't limit us too much.
Q. (Regarding empty) Why were they effective, and what do you like about them?
KELLEN MOORE: Empty does a really good job of defining the defense. Certainly there are pros and cons to every formation. There is not as high of a likelihood of you running the football.
Jalen has the ability to run it, which helps us in the empty package. Our guys did a good job spacing them out. Obviously we kind of made the decision as the week went on. Just felt like it was a good thing for them, a particular opponent based off how they were playing empty.
It worked out well.
Q. Was that about rhythm as well, using a little bit more empty? Jalen talked about getting in that kind of rhythm after the game. You just mentioned it. Is that a part of that set, using that a little bit more?
KELLEN MOORE: Certainly empty is -- you get one more guy immediately out on the pass concepts. You're in five wide, and so obviously there is an element of the picture being a little bit more defined.
Again, there is pros and cons to it. Some teams may stress you in empty and don't want to use it as much. We felt like there were some positives going into that game, and obviously our guys did an excellent job.
Q. How much of a luxury is it with the empty sets to have Lane Johnson out there to handle one-on-one matchups in protection?
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, going back to the protection aspect, the key aspect of this thing, the way we started. Lane and Jordan on the edges and the interior guys, our protection was phenomenal. Had a couple goofy -- two minute drill stretch right before the half we kind of had a little lull there. Outside of that, those guys did a big time job there.
Q. In terms of the pass game, DeVonta Smith said after it was a matter of time, a game where you needed to do that. Jalen talked about watering certain parts of the grass. In between games where you're more bent toward the run and the pass game is not there, how do you work that out in between time to make sure certain parts of your offense don't atrophy?
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, that's a great question. Each and every week takes its own path. Fortunate for us we found a formula that's been fairly successful for a number of games over the course of time, and obviously we are running the football, playing in the play-action world and playing third downs when we had to.
So naturally we know every game is going to take a different course, and felt like this game from the start the passing game caught rhythm. They did an excellent job from a run game standpoint of having that extra guy in the box. They're obviously really stout. They've got premier players all over that front, and so it was going to be a challenge for us you up front.
I thought our guys did an excellent job of anticipating that, being prepared, and just executing at a really high level. We know every game throughout the season there is different courses you got to take and different paths, and empty may be a big emphasis one week and maybe the next week more challenges that are worth it. Each week we have to take a different path and lean into also what we do really well.
So there is a fun balancing act between those two.
Q. In the middle of a week of practice where you may not be using a certain part of your passing game that you want to practice it?
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, certainly. Every week we follow similar formula as far as how we prepare, the reps we have associated with the run game and the pass game. It's all very similar, we understand that games sometimes lean one way or the other based off circumstances. We want to prepare the right way each and every week.
Q. DeVonta and AJ talked about sometimes you have to have uncomfortable conversations to get things correct. From your perspective, what are those conversations like and what is this team and how do they deal with it?
KELLEN MOORE: We just got a bunch of really competitive guys who play at a really high level. We want to improve and get things right. It's a group that's willing to have conversations about it and not isolate ourself.
So it's a really fun group, awesome group. I thought we had a really fun week this past week, just working together. Working together, having as many conversations as we can, getting everyone connected.
So it was a really good one. Really successful.
Q. ... benefit as a playcaller and offensive designer, having AJ Brown as part of the group?
KELLEN MOORE: AJ is one of the premier receivers in this league, one the top ones. Obviously we all know that. His ability to win one-on-ones is rare. Obviously does a phenomenal job. I think he has a great feel for the defense and how they're attacking him and how he can counteract that.
I enjoy those conversations through the week and on game day with him and Smitty and Jalen and all these guys as we all team up on this thing.
So obviously had an excellent game. Smitty had an excellent game. Those guys did a really good job.
Q. Inside your own ten or inside your own five, how important is it to stay aggressive in those situations?
KELLEN MOORE: Backed up is a situation we spend a lot of time on because it's very challenging. You got to put yourself in a situation first and foremost to protect the special teams aspect of it. Because when you're backed up it compromises the punt unit.
And again, it's a big opportunity if you get that first down. Then you can get yourself rolling. I think we spend a lot time going through those in situational football. Nick does an excellent job throwing those situations out on us on Wednesdays and Thursday and having us prepare.
I thought our guys did an excellent job with. The first down we were a little bit aggressive; second down we got the run to put ourself at least in a manageable third down; and then to hit the slant to AJ was a big time play and obviously progressed into a really long drive.
Q. Nick spoke very highly of Kenny Gainwell. Obviously doesn't get a ton of opportunities usually; two big third down conversions. What has he meant to your group as a whole?
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah Kenny is the best. Just to have a guy behind Saquon like Kenny who has played very valuable roles in this league for a number of years now, a guy who in a lot of the other circumstances probably getting a lot more touches, a lot more opportunities. The way he handles himself and prepares is second to none. The way him and Saquon team up on this thing and rally together -- and Will is in that equation as well -- it's a really special group.
There is no egos. They're all in it for each other. I think Kenny has done an excellent job when he's called upon, and given that opportunity he takes advantage of it. Obviously his ability to play in space, again, he made some big time plays.
Q. ... did you think it was possible to take the whole thing off the clock?
KELLEN MOORE: We're not projecting out that far. Obviously you kind of take it circumstance by circumstance. Started with the backed up scenario; got a few first downs; played some third down football.
As we approached that mid-field line, that's where four minute football kind of started to present itself. Obviously we had to make those adjustments. You know, now we're playing the clock in all those situations.
So I thought it was a really good job by our guys of understanding there was a lot of circumstances that kind of played out through that whole drive, a lot of situational football that kind of happens on the fly.
To have it all in one 21 play drive is very rare.
Q. As a playcaller, is it segmented in terms of situations on a drive that long?
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, a lot of the communication that has to go on as far as you're in a situation where you're looking at it from a backed up perspective, obviously now we get going. We played some third downs where you're on that script.
Then obviously as we progressed and kind of got to that mid-field range the clock is approaching five, four minutes now. Now we're in the four minute football and really trying to play that situation.
Thought our guys did an excellent job. We are trying to run the football and use the clock, but still throwing it. We had some critical third down conversions in there, some big time catches. To have a second and really long and AJ makes a completion, him and Jalen, that's big time.
So big time football out there for those guys.
Q. With Saquon obviously the yards weren't easy to come by on Sunday. What kind of impressed you with the way he ran the ball despite obviously having - for him - 65 yards?
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, he's right there each and every play. You know, obviously sometimes the production isn't what you want, but I think he hangs in there. He does it the right way. Understands there is a process associated with this.
More often than not, we've been able to get eventually those explosive plays. He was still contributing in the protection game and the pass game. He does a number of good things. And obviously Kenny hopping in there for a few more snaps probably than normal is a huge opportunity for him as well.
Q. Now having taken off that much time on a drive, can you project that far in future game plans?
KELLEN MOORE: Just with the long drive? Obviously it's a huge benefit if we can have the ball for the last ten minutes of the game. You know, obviously all these situations come up and you got to adjust on the fly. That's the biggest thing. You project things out and then you have to make you adjustments as we go.
Q. What makes you prefer the sideline to the booth?
KELLEN MOORE: Just the interaction and the communication. I think that's the biggest thing. You're able to interacted with the players, coaches, have a great feel for the game. Obviously the view point from the box is second to non, but we have great people up there who communicate really, really well.
Fastscripts by ASAP Sports...
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports