Q. What did you like about third down? What did you see?
SHANE WALDRON: Third down, you know, starts with the protection up front. I think the guys did a great job communicating, setting the protection plan mand then bringing it to life physically.
And then we had some really good individual winners, whether it was Bobo on the first third down conversion there or the way Geno was working in rhythm with his feet, and then was able to, a couple times, convert two third downs on the move right there.
Overall better day. More along the lines of what we're hoping for on third down and what we are expecting on third down. Now we got to work to keep that consistency up game in and game out.
Q. This is not an easy defense to do that. No. 1 in the league. What do they do so well on third down?
SHANE WALDRON: I think for them it starts with the rush. Really their first, second, third down plan starts with the rush. Coach Schwartz does such a good job, everywhere he is been that defensive line is rolling off the ball. They're creating havoc, chaos.
Then starting with Garrett with great players added into that. So it starts up front, and then they do a good job on the second and third level playing sticky coverage throughout and mixing and matching like everyone does throughout the league.
For us, having great communication, being in great time and rhythm in the passing game on those third down scenarios, starts there, and then see where it goes from there.
Q. They make it pretty hard to know sometimes where Garrett is. Don't they move him around?
SHANE WALDRON: Yeah, they do a nice job. Mix it up a little bit. He lines up on the left side, but he will also line up walking around as that floater. He'll line up on the right side several times throughout the course of each game.
They do a good job moving him around, and he does a good job of not really being better at one side or the other. He can rush where he needs to rush and created havoc the past game, and that's really his strong suit.
Q. The chess match that happens in the red zone, we talked about this a couple times. What's the balance that you're trying to get when the defense knows exactly what you're trying to do? What's the chess match in creating those play calls down there?
SHANE WALDRON: Yeah, I think for us in the red zone, we had a scenario in Carolina that was similar to this past week that worked out one way this week. We didn't get into the end zone there in the low red zone running the ball. We know it's always going to start with the run game though in the red zone, being able to have those positive runs, being able to set the front, and have those O-linemen and tight ends setting their pads in the goal line situations, and then playing with good complementary plays from there where, like I said, I'll continue to do a better job getting our guys in good positions when these scenarios come up.
Just overall execution like we talked about the week before. Not having to go outside the framework and make something new up from a technique standpoint or the way we feel about our complementary plays in the red zone.
But also executing at a high level like we do on first and second down leading those drives into the scoring zone, and then finishing and obviously eliminating turnovers every time we get down there.
Q. What was the affect of not having Zach available in the run game last week?
SHANE WALDRON: Yeah, I think Ken did a great job of taking the bulk of the carries there in the game and was playing hard, physical throughout the course of all four quarters.
So we would love to have Zach back. Any time we're missing any of our guys it's going to be a help to have him out there. I thought the guys did a good job picking up the slack, especially with the way Ken's running style was. Like I said, even going back to the next run after we don't get in there in the red zone, the way he's able to finish on the second level with his pads down and really setting a tone, and then as we were able to run the ball in that fourth quarter to eat some clock and carry out the game the way it needed to finish.
Q. How did your calls change or what different considerations were there without Metcalf there?
SHANE WALDRON: Yeah, without DK there the other guys did a great job stepping up with Jake Bobo and Jackson there stepping up and making some big plays.
Let's not forget about Tyler being Mr. Consistency out there and getting open. In terms of the calls, maybe not the calls changing too much there, but knowing, just being able to move guys around and put guys like we would do every week, whether DK is up or not. Trying to put them in the best position for success in roles they can accelerate in.
Q. What did you think of Geno's overall game?
SHANE WALDRON: I think overall he's doing a good job. He knows taking care of the ball is always going to be paramount in our program here. Week in and week out we're going to keep harping on it and keep doing a great job of talking about the different scenarios where we can do a better job.
It's the ifs and buts. If you take the couple turnovers away from the game he's playing at a high level. So just continue to keep focusing on the positives, learning from any the negatives that happen in the game, and keep doing what he's doing.
Q. What should he and Jake have done differently on the interception?
SHANE WALDRON: When it comes down to those split-second decisions in the red zone where we roll out to the left there and the initial part of the play is not open and they're working off schedule, if you feel that void and a good open window there like he thought he had, making it good, safe throw, and then if it gets blurry there, every now and then it's all right to end in a kick over an interception any day of the week.
So trusting every now and then to throw it away, and I think that will make those kind of blurry plays end in a positive, not negative there.
Q. Geno shouted out Kerry after the Jackson touchdown. How common is it for one of your assistants to diagram stuff?
SHANE WALDRON: Yeah, we're all in this together. Kerry did a great job on that play as far as from a play design. Then you got him and Coach McPherson, and we run that rep out here on the practice field. These guys are just tweaking a little element to it, you know, gaining the player's trust in the play and how it's going to come to life.
Then we get out to a game rep and it plays out just the way you practice it. Those are always great moments from a coaching staff, but it's like that with every play we look at. It's a group effort. Everyone has their input. Everyone has their ideas.
I have the benefit of being able to call it, but everyone is in this together. So week in and week out the whole staff is coming up with different great ideas and plays that are leading to touchdowns, so I'm thankful for them.
This week with Kerry, Joseph, and that play design there for Jackson, it was a cool thing to see come to light.
Q. We've talked about the benefit of veterans on defense, what Jarran Reed has done, Bobby Wagner, now Frank Clark. What do though guys do for the offense, when you have to practice against them or maybe they're just helping guys?
SHANE WALDRON: Yeah, I think our defense does such a great job of raising the level of competition every single day. We come out and do our competitive periods, whether it's the ones on ones or even when it's the look team stuff.
And the guys are going -- like our D-line is relentless, starting with Jarran and with Bobby's leadership there. So those guys make us have to come to work every single day, and like our guys do, they match the competitive level of the defensive line, linebackers, defensive backs.
And so our goal is to make every one of these practices harder than the games, and I think the players on defense really uphold that standard and makes us work hard day in and day out. I appreciate every single time that they're -- they might be running down 40 yards down the field after the play is technically blown dead from a whistle, but they're running and punching at the ball and making the ball carries work at the ball security. All that stuff helps us as a team to be better.
Q. How can Jason Peters help you if this is the week that he plays?
SHANE WALDRON: Again, Jason, from a physical standpoint, looking great. He's ready to roll there whenever that time comes. But I think just he has got a great calming presence, leadership ability. Still a short period of time he's been around the program, but just has a natural way about him of leading the offensive line. Guys want to gravitate towards him, ask him for tips, and, hey, what did you see here? How could I be better on this set or on this run block here?
I think you translate that into game action and it provides another calming veteran leadership role up front in the huddle and then on the field.
Q. You hear any pushback in your receiver room when you call 23 personnel in the game? (?)
SHANE WALDRON: I think the tight ends want it to be 0-5 personnel every snap. The running backs want it to be 5-0. The receivers want it to be 0-1 or whatever they can get out there.
No, those guys have fun with it too, because we do mix and match in personnels. The cool part is we got a lot of good players, guys that have earned the right to be out there and have plays for them. I do appreciate the selflessness of a lot of our guys knowing that sometimes they're out there doing the dirty work so that their teammate can succeed, and they do it with a great attitude and great support of each other.
Q. Unless I'm mistaken, you had a couple plays where you had DJ and Ken on the field at the same time.
SHANE WALDRON: Uh-huh.
Q. What did you like about that?
SHANE WALDRON: Again, I just think being able to mix and match different personnel groups throughout the course of the game to try to put our players in the best positions of things they might do well.
I think any time you get the two backs out on the field at the same time, especially with our guys where they have the ability to run with the ball or run routes as receivers, it just provides one more level of depth to our offense, just like our 13 personnel, our 11 personnel, 12 personnel packages.
Like I said, providing depth and opportunities for a lot of deserving guys to be out there and earn playing time out on the field.
Q. (Regarding Olu.)
SHANE WALDRON: O did a great job. You know, again, for him and Anthony Bradford, two rookies starting up front. At this point in the year, there is no longer rookies. They're well into the end of the college season if they counted their pre-season reps.
So Olu did a great job communicating, setting the fronts, working his butt off, and playing with great effort. It was a good seamless transition, and any time our starters are out, can't wait to get those guys back.
We're lucky enough to have some backups getting some good quality reps and playing at a high level.
Q. What do you consider where you call from? Is it a season by season thing?
SHANE WALDRON: Yeah, it's been season by season. I think different seasons might put guys upstairs or downstairs. For me personally and our offenses and offensive staff, we've talked about this. There is different levels, and for us just strictly from an offensive standpoint, the ability communicate with the quarterback in between every series or in between timeouts, you know, we weigh the good and the bad of being upstairs, downstairs, and that was a positive for us, as well as for myself to be able to get around to the different positions on the field.
But every style has worked and every guy has different things, and we looked at that each year and said, what are the pros and cons and go into each season thinking, okay, this is the best way for us to do it as an offensive staff this year.
Q. What did you get out of the face to face between drives as opposed to if you were upstairs?
SHANE WALDRON: I think the face to face, just the instant feedback there rather than the level of communication through a phone call there with the quarterback. I think there is a positive for me in that regard.
Like I mentioned, too, from the quarterback's standpoint the ability to be able to communicate on the field between timeouts or in between quarters has been a beneficial thing.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports