PHILLIP LINDSAY: Beautiful day out here, huh? Nice and hot. All right. You guys ready.
Q. What would you make of the offensive performance in the run game the last couple games? What do you like? What do you feel like you want to improve?
PHILLIP LINDSAY: You've got to understand preseason is hard sometimes to get a groove and stuff with the whole running game, so you've got to really, really take practice into consideration.
We've had great -- I would say a great camp when it comes to the running game and everything else. You've seen flashes with our game in the preseason, and as we get going and the runs aren't as vanilla anymore, we can get more creative, I think we're going to have a great running game. I think we have great running backs that understand the system, and we've got a great offensive line that is older and mature and physical.
Honestly, this is the most physical offensive line that I have been around in the three years I've been in the NFL.
Q. Yesterday when we talked to Tyrod Taylor, he said that the identity of the offense is going to be up front and in the backfield. How do you feel when you hear him say something like that?
PHILLIP LINDSAY: That's a running back's dream, but we also know that. We watch these games year in and year out, and the team that can control the ball is going to be the team that wins because it comes down to four minute. It comes down to being able to control the game, and there's nothing worse than a team that can just run up and down on you. It defeats you. It takes your heart out.
It's one of those things where it's sad to look when you're on the defensive side seeing them drag people along, but also on the offense, it gives you that momentum and that confidence, and that's what you need. If we can get five or six yards on the ground every time, then we're moving down the field, and that opens up lanes for our receivers and our tight ends.
So that's the goal, man. The goal is to be as physical as we can. Be mean and gritty down there and take what they give us at the time and go with it.
Q. Drawing from your experiences, like what did you notice between what Culley and Kelly want to do, kind of philosophically, with you as a running back and the group as a whole?
PHILLIP LINDSAY: The group as a whole, I think they want us to, one, be fresh, and, two, try to use us with our strengths and to the advantage of we have a lot of running backs that have done great things. We're trying to get everybody put in places so that we can make big plays. I think that's what they're trying to do, and they're trying to get a feel for all of us at different situations, different points.
Yeah, just as a whole, I think that Coach Culley wants to be physical and be a running team, which that's what you want. You want that because it's going to only be better for Tyrod, going to be better for Cooks, because they're going to be so worried about us up front. That's what we're trying to do is build the identity of being physical and running.
Q. So how do you balance -- it seems like a lot of spread and being physical. How do you bring both of those things?
PHILLIP LINDSAY: That's up for the coaches to do. For us, we do what we do best, and that's run the ball and catch when we're supposed to. The coaches are the ones that come up with the ways to get us open, the ways to get Tyrod in space for us and Cooks to get the ball to him. We're just supposed to do our job, and we trust that they're going to do their job.
That's the team collectively. We have the coaching staff and your teammates and your team together, that's a team right there. So they're doing their part, and we need to do ours.
Q. What's the approach like when you play Tampa Bay in the preseason game? Do you look at it as a barometer just to see --
PHILLIP LINDSAY: I look at it more as it's a way for us to go out there and execute versus a very talented team that has great defensive players up and down the roster. So the thing is I think it's great momentum for ourselves getting ready to go into the season to go out there and get some drives going and just get the feel of it.
It's definitely going to be one of those games where you're going to come out and you're going to have to be physical. So I think this is one of those games we can show that, for our offensive line and for the running backs, that we're a physical group.
Q. How do you feel about how you're reading holes and cutting?
PHILLIP LINDSAY: I think for me I've got to just continue to get used to it, get used to each other, and I think that over time we've done a great job, and I think that we're still not finished yet. We're going to get into these games, and we're going to have longer periods of time, and we'll be able to set things up. It's going to end up being really good for us.
I think as a whole unit, running back unit and offensive line, we're doing great things, and we're doing great things, and we did great things in camp. I think you guys are going to see it this year.
Q. I assume you're going to have a running back population issue. Is that somewhat of an advantage to keep you guys healthy throughout the season?
PHILLIP LINDSAY: Definitely. You have to understand, in this day and age, you need more than one running back. That's just how it goes. On top of that, a majority of us are big on teams that has running back group by committee. It keeps you fresh. It's a long season. 17 games. You guys don't understand the littlest hits are the ones that mess you up the most, getting landed on and all this.
When we can go in and out and have so many different players, it keeps you fresh and also keeps the defense on their toes where they can't just get comfortable and think one person's going to be in the whole game.
So it works to our advantage. Like I said, at the end of the day, it's up to our coaching staff to put us all in the great situations to help this football team out.
Q. How would you say the blocking concepts here are different from the ones you've had in the past? Without giving too many trade secrets.
PHILLIP LINDSAY: It's more physical. I think it's going to be more physical, man. That's all I'll really say about the schemes of that. You guys will be able to see here in less than a week when we start taking stuff out of the bag and stuff, man.
Definitely, we want to be a physical run team that's going to be able to stay on the field. We've got to stay on the field.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports