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Thursday Media Transcript: Offensive Coordinator Mike Shula

Eric from BBI : Admin : 11/29/2018 4:05 pm
Offensive Coordinator Mike Shula -- November 29, 2018

Q: Khalil Mack. How do you stop this guy?
A; He’s really good. One of the top players in the NFL, and the reason he is not just because he’s such a great pass rusher and he’s got all the moves a pass rusher has, and he can bull rush too with power, but he plays the run so well, he’s very instinctive. You just have to know where he is on every play and get as much help to him as you can, but obviously they’re coached very well and they understand that too, and they do a good job scheme-wise where they try to prevent you from getting to him with more than one guy. It’s going to have to be a team effort on offense, and it starts on the early downs up front with our offensive line, staying out of the longer yardage situations, keeping ourselves in the downs where are we running it, are we throwing it, and going from there. Each and every week, obviously you’ve got to know who you’re playing personnel-wise, but it’s still about us and we feel like if we’re on top of our game for four quarters, then we can keep teams off-balance, defenses off-balance, and move the ball and just got to get it in the end zone more.

Q: Do you see a lot of situations where maybe Mack’s not making the play but he’s drawing two or three guys and it’s freeing up other guys to do damage?
A: Every play. You see it on every play.

Q: Given your record, there’s been a lot of talk about what to do at the quarterback position over the final five games. You’re in practice every day with Kyle Lauletta, what do you see out of him and do you think he’d be ready to step in?
A: We’re locked in on beating the Bears and helping Eli and our offense get ourselves ready and go win a football game. We felt like we had a chance last week and did a lot of really good things, and Eli did a lot of really good things to help us, and we just fell short. That was unfortunate because we feel like we’re getting better across the board on offense.

Q: What do you think happened in the second half with Eli that’s so different than the success he had early on?
A: We’ve all been around games like that where you’re controlling the ball, you’re doing a lot of good things in the first half, and unfortunately we didn’t get touchdowns on a couple drives down there and that usually ends up a lot of times hurting you. That’s kind of what happened, the third quarter we didn’t have the ball very much because we didn’t make first downs, whether or not it was on an end-of-play, or penalty, or what have you. That’s collectively as a team, and then when we got going, we had a really good drive in the fourth quarter and unfortunately we were close on the third down at the end and just missed it. You even take a look at the first drive of the game, and this is what we try to impress upon our players, the third play of the game – I think it’s third-and-10, if not it’s at least third-and-eight – and we throw the ball during a soft zone, we throw the ball underneath to Rhett (Ellison) and he fights, catches it and fights, and it’s a good read obviously because they’re real soft, and he gets the first down but that much (motions small with fingers). If we don’t get the first down, it’s three and out, they got the ball. We get the first down, we go down and score. Those are the things we continue to build on, work on, and impress upon our players.

Q: You’re part of designing the game plan. What do you think when Odell says afterwards, I’m paraphrasing, ‘If it was me, I would’ve attacked more downfield, it just wasn’t part of our game plan’?
A: I don’t really ever worry about that. We talk here with our players and our coaches and we move on. If there’s ever any issues, we handle them one on one, whether or not it’s coaches and players, players and players, or coordinators or head coaches, and then we move on, make sure we’re on the same page. Everybody wants to win, for sure with receivers. We’d all be disappointed if guys didn’t want the ball more. Unfortunately, there’s only one football, and the bottom line for us is we want to all be on the same page and do whatever we can each and every guy, player and coach, to go win a football game. That’s what our focus is this week.

Q: It came up in the Eagles game but I’m speaking more generally. What makes taking Saquon out for a full series right versus spelling him for one play here or there on different series?
A: I don’t know if there’s any right answer. I think it’s important, you can wear guys out easily, especially at that position where you have a tendency to try to give them the ball, and then all the sudden at the end of the game, maybe he’s got too many carries or he’s too tired or whatever, plus he’s a young guy. I think Coach (Craig) Johnson does a really good job of spelling those guys and I think Wayne (Gallman) is a lot like the rest of our offense. He’s gotten a lot better as the year’s gone on and really played well the last two weeks and in the game last week. It’s good to have a guy like that to give Saquon a break, and just when you do it, it’s just kind of a feel thing.

Q: You’ve been an offensive coordinator for a while. They’re going into the game not knowing who’s starting. In that situation, you have the same game plan? Would you put A if this guy starts, or B if that guy starts? Would you have more plays for a certain guy, knowing those are his favorite plays as opposed to one game plan (at quarterback)?
A: We’re worried about beating the Bears, and whoever is in there is expected to execute the plays. Eli is our quarterback and trying like crazy just like every week, coaches – I’m not the only one, but I am, the quarterbacks are, the other positions are, and when they’re number’s called, go make a play.

Q: On the quarterback situation: You say that you’re concentrating on the current team, but obviously you have to put together a lineup. When you put together your list of the guys that are going to contribute to beating that team, do you look at the preparation of the younger guys? What goes into deciding who’s going to be part of the game plan to beat that team?
A: All of our guys are expected to execute what’s on the game plan.

Q: But there’s no evaluation done as far as, ok, this guy’s maybe further along in the classroom as opposed to this guy?
A: Sure there is, but if we have our game plan, then anything that’s in our game plan, anybody that’s in the game is expected to execute that.

Q: Against these guys, how important is ball security – both fumbles and interceptions? (Khalil) Mack in particular is going to make his plays, but you try to not to make them game wreckers.
A: Yeah, obviously we all know how important it is and these guys feed off of that. They’re as good as probably anybody is of getting turnovers, and that’s not just interceptions but stripping the ball. If it’s not the first guy, the second guy is trying to strip the ball while the first guy’s trying to tackle. Obviously it’s our number-one thing each and every week to take care of the football, secure it, and play keep away. There’s drills to do that, anybody’s who’s in there is expected to make sure they’re doing everything they can in there to protect the ball whether or not you’re throwing it or running with it or catching it or whatever. Like I said, they’re really good at it, and that’s one of the reasons they have the record they have, so we’ve just got to make sure we do the things that we can do in that regard to help ourselves stay on the field and get points.

Kyle...  
Mdgiantsfan : 11/29/2018 6:55 pm : link
"You’re in practice every day with Kyle Lauletta, what do you see out of him and do you think he’d be ready to step in?
A: We’re locked in on beating the Bears and helping Eli and our offense get ourselves ready and go win a football game. We felt like we had a chance last week and did a lot of really good things, and Eli did a lot of really good things to help us, and we just fell short. That was unfortunate because we feel like we’re getting better across the board on offense."

He answered that question as if Kyle isn't even on the team! Wish the reporters asked a follow up question about Kyle.
mdgiantsfan  
Diver_Down : 11/29/2018 7:44 pm : link
The beat writers are going to continue to ask the questions re: Kyle. But recently, Jordan was called out by Shurmur for continuing to ask the same set of questions week in and week out. Pat asked Jordan if has anything new to ask because he is tired of answering the same ones. Now, you will see the reporters ask the coordinators in an effort to get a sound byte as they realize they won't be getting it from Pat.

The coordinators shouldn't be tasked with answering questions on specific personnel reviews. That is the role of the HC and GM. The coordinators should be focused on the game plan, opponents, and how best to use the talents of the players to execute the plan.
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