Q. So on that last play on Sunday where Geno takes off right.
RYAN GRUBB: Yeah.
Q. At what point did you know he had that?
RYAN GRUBB: When he left. I knew the cut they were running with the guys, so once he took off I felt pretty good he was going to get it.
Q. Did you give him that play call?
RYAN GRUBB: Well, again, I didn't tell him to run, but Geno has a really good sense for that. Has great pocket awareness. Yeah, was not surprising at all. He's done a good job of that this year.
Q. What does that mean for the process that you guys have been working through and working on this year?
RYAN GRUBB: Yeah, it meant a ton. I just think obviously any time you put that much into a game plan, and we put a lot into the season in general, but all of the things that I think the guys were up against for how many losses in a row we had in San Francisco and the narrative that went with that, I thought just the guys buying into the process.
They could have really hung their heads and stayed behind with some of the things that had happened, losing some tough games.
I thought it started with the bye week though, that they had the right attitude. They came back. They were ready to get into the work and find the things we had to improve on and they attacked it, and I think that game was a response to that.
Q. What kind of step forward did your offensive line take?
RYAN GRUBB: I thought they played really well collectively. I thought Olu did a really nice job being able to step into that role and communicate effectively. Kept him on the same page. I thought that was the biggest starting point. Olu certainly did a good job of that.
Q. Did Olu meet your expectations or exceed your expectations?
RYAN GRUBB: He met them. He met them. I think we've all seen enough of Olu that we weren't surprised that he went out there and played well, and kind of know the things that Olu has excelled at since we've been here.
I think I told you guys a few weeks ago, he's improved a lot. I think he took a lot of ownership when Connor came in and got the job. There was honestly a reflective time for Olu where he dug in and looked in like, okay, what are the things I got to get better at as a player to be a starting center in the NFL?
And I think you saw the fruits of that labor over the last couple months.
Q. What were those things he had to get better at?
RYAN GRUBB: Well, for Olu, just the sense of urgency and physicality. Just the attack mentality. The intelligence piece has always been there. He's a really smart player. I think he worked on his base and his second step, and those are -- hand placement, all the little things that can get you beat on the inside.
Everything that was showing up in camp that we addressed with Olu, I think he attacked every one of those things.
Q. Ryan, going into physicality, was your offense more physical last game? I talked to Jaxon and he said for him, playing physical, it just gets him. Was there a step forward from the bye week in intensity?
RYAN GRUBB: Yeah, I think that the style of the football game was certainly physical and I thought the guys matched that.
But I think that that's something that we were growing in, the consistency of that. I think you could look at every game and find some moments where offense played really, really physical. I don't think we played a complete game in that sense yet, but we're getting really close.
I think the guys are putting that together. Some guys that do, they play every single snap, super physical, and so we're just trying to get that to where that's the standard and we hold it every play, every game.
Q. Does that help in the finishing then, when you're physical you're more able to finish; is that the correlation?
RYAN GRUBB: Yeah, there is a part there, and then you keep tension on the body and the spirit and then your mind will follow, right?
So if the guys are physical and they know how strenuous that situation is going to be, there is an alertness to you in those moments that you're going go all the way through the whistle and finish the play and things like that.
That creates a level of focus that you need to have that you're very intense with the moment.
Q. Jaxon to have four of the receptions on that last drive, what does that tell you about him as a young player, him coming through in moments like that?
RYAN GRUBB: Yeah, I don't think there has ever been a game where I would've been worried about throwing the ball to Jax in a really big moment. I think that's exactly who he is. I think we are really blessed to have couple veteran guys that obviously have made a lot of those plays.
And then Jax is a guy that's certainly capable of making that kind of play at any moment. Just really excited for him. You know, he's really starting to show what we know he is.
Q. (No microphone.)
RYAN GRUBB: You know, I wish I could say it was a one-week process, but it really has been. I know you would love to say we just cleaned it all up in the bye week or in one week, but the emphasis has certainly been there. I think some of the accountability, both on the coaching staff and the players, has risen a little bit.
Just I credit the guys for buying into the work that they had to do to get the level of focus, and also the coaching staff for putting a plan together and when you step on the field knowing you're confident that guys are going to have the ability to execute and not pause and have those moments.
So I thought we did a good job of just not pushing it onto the players like it's just their fault. Everybody owns their territory and does their job and get better at it.
Q. Think back to week one. How would you change learning Geno Smith and how has that changed maybe playcalling?
RYAN GRUBB: I don't think I've changed. I think any playcaller has to be ready to be adaptive to how well your offense is playing or executing in certain portions, both with personnel or lack of personnel.
At moments just being able to be somewhat adaptive and find that identity. I think the thing we've done is try to find a little bit more consistency in the big things, which is the penalties and turnovers.
Honestly, it always goes back to that. I don't think from my standpoint I've ever changed it. You have to earn the ability to be explosive, meaning you have to be able to stay on the field. Can't have penalties and not execute on third down.
You just have to have more opportunities. When you're punting all the time or getting behind the sticks with penalties and turnovers, and I don't have the guys in the right mindset to execute at a high enough level, then you have to punt the ball. You're not going to have those big opportunities.
So I think that these last couple weeks even the Rams game, have shown some opportunities to do that. Obviously just got to keep taking care of the football and making really good decisions.
Q. How do you evaluate the way Abe played?
RYAN GRUBB: Really good. He's super physical. You know, he's got the right demeanor. On the sideline it was noticeable, his intent and mindset. He's a very intense guy; loves playing.
It was great to have him back. I was actually really impressed with his ability to sustain on that last drive. I know that was hard, and just when you get into longer drives like that, you just -- if you're not in game shape yet, it's certainly tough.
So I think it speaks a little bit to his demeanor and the type of mindset that he does have. But he played great. He didn't play perfect, but, yeah, we were all really, really impressed.
I think moving forward he's going to be a big time difference maker for us.
Q. Do you think he's ready to handle a full snap load?
RYAN GRUBB: Yeah, I think he is. I think we're going to let him go out there and eat and see what he can do.
Q. You got a background in offensive line and you talked about how important the run game is coming into the season. What's it going to take for the run game to take its next step forward?
RYAN GRUBB: Yeah, I think, again, the consistency and the execution of the scheme as far as like can we run off the ball when the play calls for it? Can we execute double teams and sustain those blocks to get Ken and Zach free?
I think we're doing that on a more consistent level. Even at practice over the last three weeks I really think we've taken some big steps in gaining that consistency.
Because that's where run games falter very quickly, when your lineups are shifting, people are moving around, things like that, and guys are not consistent in their execution. You don't have time for that. You lose gaps on the inside. TFLs happen quickly. All of a sudden you're leaning on the pass and bad things are happening.
Q. Talk about the paradox a little bit of needing to decide when to call a run play when the running plays aren't working that well but you need to run in order to get better at it?
RYAN GRUBB: I think there is certainly -- that can be a tough proposition at times. You're playing the whole game into account, meaning where is the clock at? How is the score? How is the defense playing? How much time do we have to use?
And then there is a point in time where certainly some games earlier in the year where we got behind and we had to let the pass game take over a little bit.
Those are the times that you get excited thinking about what the offense can do and you can create some of that balance and teams don't know what's about to happen.
So it's just a management every series. You're really evaluating exactly where you at, what's going on with time of possession, things like that.
At the same time knowing calls you've made and things that you want to try and change in narrative of the game. So there is certainly a spirit of a chess match that you love that's really fun and sometimes really frustrating.
Q. (No microphone.)
RYAN GRUBB: I mean, we've been under center for a lot of our short yardage this year, so that hasn't been completely the issue. I was actually disappointed. That was probably the one thing I was disappointed in. We had two opportunities there. I thought Geno got it on the sneak. He was a little bit short.
And then we came back with a heavy package that we weren't able to knock them back off the ball in that opportunity. We certainly kind of could have given the guys a better option maybe on a wider gap or something like that.
We had plenty of plays in that we could have executed in this moment. Unfortunately we came up short. I think you always go back to the drawing board and you're super critical what you could have done to put your players in better position to get that.
I know the guys have the same onus, that they felt like we should have been able to execute and get the play. So for us, I think that certainly under center has a lot of advantages in those moments that the defense has to honor.
Q. Has there been any consideration to using Byron Murphy in short yardage?
RYAN GRUBB: Yeah, him, let's see, I talked to him, J. Reed, Leonard Williams. Those guys all, I said they were going to have to meet with upper management before I would talk to them.
I don't think anybody will be too excited if they were in the backfield. I would love to.
Q. Was that them coming...
RYAN GRUBB: Oh, it's the old coordinator from junior high football in the NFL. Every defensive lineman, everyone that's ever caught a football is going to have some type of conversation with the OCs.
No, actually Leonard would love to. No, he wants to waggle pass off the two.
Q. Murphy did do a little bit...
RYAN GRUBB: He did. He's pretty effective, too. Never know.
Q. Is Kenny Macintosh pushing Zach Charbonnet at all for snaps?
RYAN GRUBB: Not at this moment. I do think that K-Mack has improved a lot. I think Zach is a really, really good running back. We're actually lucky with the two guys we have in the one and two spot. Either one of those two guys could be a one in the league.
Not yet, but he's working hard.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports