MIKE DEVLIN: How is everybody doing? Everybody all safe with all this stuff going on? Yeah? All right, good.
Q. You guys are averaging 49 yards fewer rushing than you were at seven games the last year. What role does the line play in that regression?
MIKE DEVLIN: Well, as an O-line coach, I'm going to tell you it's our job to try to get that 49 yards. That's what we're going to be studying this week, how to get better in that area, to improve in all facets of the run game.
I think a lot of times when you go through this, a great Texan an once told me, Hayden Fry, God rest his soul, I was able to go to his celebration of life in January, he said, Sometimes you just got to scratch where it itches, too.
That's kind of the approach sometimes in some of these games, and how they've been developing.
Q. Last year Scharping started 14 games, you guys finished ninth in rushing. Then you benched him for Senio Kelemete. What happened to Scharping? Do you expect him to play any more this year?
MIKE DEVLIN: Yeah, so, I think as we look at this crazy year, one of the things that occurred I think with a lot of second-year players, and first-year players, because you know how important it is from your first to your second year, that development, I think that time missed in the spring and training camp and everything else that we did, basically when he came back, I did not see the jump or the leap that you would expect from a guy that played 14 games.
To be quite honest with you, Kelemete was being more productive in all facets to date, okay? So now as far as the question, I think we're going to need all of our linemen in this type of year. He's working towards it. We talked about the goals to get back. He's steadily been working towards that.
I do anticipate him getting in. I do anticipate guys having to play this year. I'm hoping that he takes those goals and runs with it and shows that improvement from last year.
Q. You talked about young players developing one year to the next. How do you look at how Tytus is doing?
MIKE DEVLIN: Tytus is a great example. He had the same issues as far as the spring, but also had to deal with coming back from an injury. I do believe right now you're seeing more like the Tytus of last year. I do think it took him that four games with coming off of the injury and getting all the mechanics back, the technique, the footwork. Through the first four he's been working through that. I think the last couple games, you're seeing more of what we saw from last year.
Q. Laremy Tunsil, if there is a guy that has a little bit of expectations, it would be him. What have you seen from Laremy, the way he's played, and the level after coming off of an injury last year, being thrown in after the trade?
MIKE DEVLIN: Yeah, I see a much more, obviously coming in from last year, just learning the system, so much more focused on the details, Laremy. I personally have never coached anybody like Laremy. He's almost an artist to what he does as far as pass protection and the way he works at it and studies himself and the opponent.
I've learned a ton relative to the tackle play. I always ask this question: How do we get that type of skill set or that technique and all that to younger guys that maybe don't have his ability? He's like a power forward out there. That's what I'm always trying to figure out, how to take the technique that he does and the mastery of the set and equate that to someone that may not have quite the same skill set.
I've been really pleased with how he's worked with the younger tackles post practice and watching the opponents. He's everything I thought he was and more.
Q. Zach Fulton, he's a guy you all restructured before the season. He remains your starting right guard, started all the games. Sometimes we'll see him give up some penetration. Overall what is your take on where Zach is, what he's done so far?
MIKE DEVLIN: Zach has been the same guy I think since he's gotten here. He's a guy that is going to fight you. He's going to compete. He knows the things he needs to work on and the things to get better. But he's a steady guy that will always try to improve on those things you just mentioned about. You're not seeing it wrong. We just got to continue to work over the next nine weeks of still trying to get better in those areas.
Q. Last year seemed like Nick Martin had his best season, played really well. This season doesn't seem like he's playing as well. Is that observation wrong? Can you tell us how he's doing as a run blocker and pass protector?
MIKE DEVLIN: I think just overall, obviously, just the way the season goes, we all got to do better. Interior-wise, to be honest with you, there were some mismatches that not really, we could have done better against that I thought we would have done better against.
That's what you're seeing. I think there were some mismatches there from a skill set-wise that I got to try to continue to put them in better spots to kind of get a better advantage there.
Q. What has been different for you, the O-line, the offense, in the three weeks that Bill has been gone?
MIKE DEVLIN: So my job is to come in and to do what the coordinator says to do. So really Timmy has been the coordinator the whole time. For us, we have the same issues every week. That issue is there's going to be somebody six inches from your face trying to rip your face off. Whatever is going on, we better go out there, better perform because there it is, right in front of you. That's our job.
My main focus from now till the end of the season is to try to improve from week to week to week, okay? That's been the goal. To me you're starting to see that. Last week, in my opinion, we should get -- there were some mismatches that we should have done, I would hope we would have done better against, especially inside, so...
Q. When you look at development, a guy we haven't seen play, Charlie Heck...
MIKE DEVLIN: You broke up a little bit.
Q. With Charlie Heck, he's a guy we haven't got to see. Just wondering, is he getting better in practice? What is kind of the thinking big picture on Charlie, a young lineman, developmental?
MIKE DEVLIN: Yeah, Charlie works hard every day. He goes against a lot in practice, so he's learning the hard way. But I've been really pleased with how he's approached the week, trying to get better every week on the technique. He's a great kid that pays attention. He's a coach's kid, right? He has all those intangibles.
I think again, like we talked about with this crazy year, that first-year player is behind the eight ball, that first- and second-year player development, a huge void there for a lot of guys. Hopefully we have an off-season and I see him possibly being that swing role in the future. He reminds me a lot of Tim Kelly's brother, over at the tight. That type of mold or career possibly.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks for the time, Mike.
MIKE DEVLIN: Thank you.
DraftScripts by ASAP Sports
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports