Press Pass: Doug Pederson

those guys are all all good and uh practice this week. Yeah, it's a little bit, it's a little bit longer obviously, UM, and we just gotta continue. It's it's it is day to day, but it's it's more of that week. We gotta we gotta kind of get him through the week, uh to see where where they're at game time, uh coming up Monday. No, a displacement is not a broken bone at all. It just means that the rib is has displaced itself underneath the collar bone and UM, but

it's not it's not a fracture or a broken bone. Yeah, it's something we're gonna address today. Um, you know, with Howie and and and make it make a decision there. You know, we got C. J. Smith as well right now in the practice squad that that could obviously come up. But we'll see where we're at. We'll talk to Jim and and and look at it further. We got a couple of days this week, so um, you know it's good that we got a little time. Yeah, you know

it was just a decision, game time. Decision yesterday with Trey and and felt in his best interest and where we were as a team. Uh that just rest him yesterday and and then again he's got a couple of good days here now to to get ready. But I feel comfortable and uh confident that Tray will be ready to go. He had he had several Um. Obviously that first touchdown pass what was tremendous, you know, uh making

that making that throw. Um, it was great to see him throw the ball down the field a couple of times to Jordan and also to uh to Nelson. You know that that play really really sparked us there. But uh two throws that kind of stick out one too, uh, Um Jordan Matthews was a quick slamt pattern to his left um just made a tight window throw and then of course the fourth and fourth played his zac was was a big time, big time throw with with them, you know, rushing six guys with five to block, so

it was it was it was a big time throw yesterday. No, I think every every quarterback in the national football you can make those throws. Um, it's just the recognition and how fast you can recognize number one to protection and then then the leverage of the defender on our receiver on Zach at the time. And um, you know, it's something that we've worked quite a bit actually with those guys,

even against our defense through through training camp. So um, you know, it's just a great play, great play at the right time. And credit those two guys for for making it. Did you want to go in that way because you know, the guy in the boxe to do something. Yeah, you know, we we felt going in. I felt going in that that we would have h the ability to run the football and and and I didn't want to overload. Uh. You know, car we had thirty seven attempts and that's

that's that's quite a few. You know, you try to you try to keep it thirty ish, you know, if you can. Obviously you're not monitoring that during the game. But um, I think I think it's a credit to our guys. I mean, the balance was there. We had to throw it when we needed to throw it, made some great plays down the field. The running game. The running game was really I mean one hundred and thirty three yards. But at the same time it's very close

to be even even being better than that. Uh, some things we got to clean up there and detail that and then and then just get better this week again we got the extra day and and uh chance the guys that come in and watch this film make the corrections and get ready for Chicago. Look like that was a successful day for yesterday. And how much is that? It just it helps the back end so much when you can you can you know, affect the quarterbacks eyes with four guys and make him, make him get off

of his launch point in the pocket. And and and I thought that as the day kind of went on, as the game more on, I think we got better and better in a pass rush area. Um. And and then our our guys on the back end, you know, uh, it forced RG three to make a couple of behind the you know, the receiver type throws. Of course, the interception that Rodney gott was was that Jordan Hicks got a hand on the ball. So you know, it's just

it's great. It allows your defense to uh to really make more plays that way, and um, uh you know, a credit to credit to. And then the rotation too, I mean that you're seeing a d line that's rotating uh every few plays. It keeps those guys fresh. Well. Again, I think sometimes you have to, Um, you never go into a football game, hey we gotta we gotta have the ball thirty minutes. I don't think you ever you ever do that. Sometimes it's just the way way it works.

We had some we had some pretty long drives out there, which we we we get we stayed on the field a little bit by penalty. Um, you know, defensive penalties kept us on the field. Making some third downs kept us on the field. Uh. And then your run game. I'm telling you, the run game really helps in keeping your offense on the football field by keeping yourself in third and more manageable shorter situations that we had in

the game. And um, you know when you look away and come away and look at thirty minutes, they're almost thirty one minutes of of ball control. You know that. That's great. I mean you should and hopefully you win the football game. It'd be sad to be here today and say you had thirty minutes of football and you lost. You know, that'd be that'd be the negative to that with cars obviously took some shots. And while you're like, you know that he's tall, he stands, it's trying to

make him play. He's that going to be a god a conversation with him about you know, well, yeah, I mean obviously, um, you know the one on the fourth down play took took a shot there again they rushed an extra guy and and uh with five protectors. There's a couple other situations where it's just going to come down to just the more he plays and the more he recognizes defense to be able to shift the protection

to pick up some of the other play. And then again they listen, you know, the offensive line did a heck of the job and and every now and then they're gonna get beat. I mean, that's just the nature of the game. And you're going to take a shot, which happened uh once yesterday as well. Um, but the more he plays and The more he gets comfortable and what he's seeing, the better he's going to become and recognizing, uh,

you know, the pressures. And the other thing too, is is you know, you set up plays with personnel and formations during the game so you can get a good idea how they're going to defend a certain formation and then it just comes down to reckon mission and recall for him. But again, the more he plays, the better he'll get there. Forty four yesterday, are you going based on staff probabilities? Were already trusting your puition? It's both and then I got to trust the guys too, you know.

I mean that's where we were at the forty yard line, you know, fourth and four. I mean, it was to me, it was it was it was a you know, five point game at the time. I felt like we were we were we were moving the ball and it right right there. I mean, if if you punt the but you're outside of field goal range so you can't kick the field goal. Um, if you punt the ball, the chances of it going in the end zone and having a touchback comes back out, You're only you know, what

are you gaining about fifteen yards? And if you don't make it. Okay, the defense is playing well, Um, they get the ball at the forty yard line and and let's go play. So I just felt felt comfortable with the with the guys and the way we were moving the ball and um, just just a great trust and the guys to make that make that decision. But you're

still getting out of pretty quick pat of time. Oh it's tremendous, you know, for for us to get to play into him quickly, get to the line of cameras because we do a lot of kill kill package plays and and uh, it just gives him time at the line to to see what he's seeing defensively and then put us in the right the right play. So you know, it's on me to get the play in. It's obviously, uh, something that I pride myself in to get because I know being in that position having more time at the

line is very beneficial. So it's just it's my job to get to play into him. Appreciate. Yeah, no, it uh, it felt it felt good. You know, I felt felt like we were in a pretty good rhythm and uh. Um, you know, obviously to score on the opening possession was was was huge and then you know, again the run

game helps that. But yeah, I felt good. I felt felt comfortable with with with what we were the information that I was receiving from the coaches upstairs, and what we were seeing on the on the sidelines, and just just the communication was was good. And and believe me, it's not all about just me calling the plays. I'm getting a lot of information and uh, you know from coach Stout, you know, in the running game and the

runs he liked. So we're just piecing that all together and and uh, you know, trying to make this thing work. Getting but how do you think he will go to get it out? Yeah? I thought he I thought he played. I thought he played well, you know, um coming in there and and and and filling in for for for Leo. Um. You know, there's a good chance that he gets more work obviously this week. And very comfortable with with with what he has has done, you know so far through

training camp. Um, and and again he's another another one of those young players that we have that that will just get better with more reps. When quarterback just staying there, I'll tell you, you you know, when you when you obviously watching the tape this morning and going back and and watching the guys, you know, for him to have that kind of poise in the pocket for his first start and really only having about four series you know throughout

the entire training camp. Um, you just you just can't, you just can't teach that, you know, And the patience that he had to let receivers come open. Um. I remember at one third down play, hit Jordan on a backside dagger out. I mean, just hung in there, hung in there, and it was a nice tight window throw. And those are the things you see from from a more veteran type quarterback, where young guys tend to kind

of want to scramble in those situations. But the poise was was tremendous and um uh, that's just that's just who he is. And and look forward to another opportunity to work with him again this week. Happened in the

first quarter on their sideline, he caught a pass. It wasn't the one hand to catch, but he caught a he caught a ball kind of kind of left to right, and he turned up the sideline right on the right, on the boundary and went to protect himself and you know, right on the sideline, lowered the shoulder and took it, took a drag blow on his left shoulder. For that, we knew when he came off he got you know right away, Um, when he came off after that series, but doos he came and said, hey, you know he's

he's got a left shoulder strain. Um, we could tell that at the time, but as he as the game wore on, UM, I didn't know obviously anything anything was more serious than that, probably gonna have to be cleared him. It's a dangerous situation with a displaced buon. There's a lot of you know, you know, you're talking up around the neck and head area, so so any type of

blow again could do for their damage to that. That's why that's why it's a week to week deal to see how it see how it heals and recovers after Burton's injury or did you have used him before? Um, you know, the only time we've used him in a tight end situation is is a short yarder's goal line situations as as a third tight end. You know, so he got um uh on on Friday last week. Um, he was able to to get some reps at that spot.

And again a credit to him and you know how he got himself ready to play h in in that in that position because it's a little bit different for him. I mean, he did a great job for us, and uh, that's something that we'll we'll continue to look at from a from a package standpoint down the road. You know, it was, it was, it was great. It was great. I uh, you know, stand on their whole in the flag and just kind of looking around the stadium and

just kind of soaking everything in. Was was was a great feeling for me, you know, to stand here and see the people, what a great crowd we had, and and um, you know it was I was calm. You know, yeah, I had the internal butterflies like like probably every coaching player in the National Football League has on any game. But you know, it was it was calm. I was excited. I was ready to watch our guys perform. Um, you know, I was excited for Carson and uh to see him

play and and it's the game unfolded. Um, you know, obviously as he made it nice to go down and get seven points on the first on the first drive, but you know then you kind of settled into the game and then you know, for me, after that, you start showing a little more emotion because you're like, yeah, you just you're so close on a few plays and he just you know, you want so so badly for the guys to do well. But but overall felt felt

really good and pleased with their performance. But from my standpoint, I was I was pretty calm. Ryan Matthews didn't have a super high average, but a philosophy, if it's not getting well again, it just it aids and everything you do offensively. And uh, he's such a powerful back. You know a lot of times those runs are are up inside the tackle box area. And had a couple of chances just off tackle to make some some big gains. You know, Kenyon made a couple of nice runs. Darren

made a couple of nice runs. But you know, to keep feeding the guy like Ryan. At some point it's he's so powerful and punishing that it's going to take a toll defensively, and uh, you just got to hang with it. The I think the hard thing for any play caller is to stay patient with the run game. Sometimes you abandoned it too soon even when things maybe

aren't going so well. And uh that if if you don't keep throwing as they say, you know, mud against the wall, eventually something's gonna stick and and you know you just got to keep hammering away and chiseling away and eventually, uh uh, something's going to give and it just opens up the rest of your game plan. Defensive players said they thought that tackling the cleaned up a little as you guys moved forward. There's two yards at

least I did. I did. And you know it's usually uh, you know, the first first game of the regular season, these guys again are playing sixty minutes and angles are a little bit different. The speed is obviously different than training camp, um and preseason games. So you know, other other than that, yeah, there's I mean, definitely have to clean up some of the some of the tackling, but it all comes down to angles and and and uh uh the type of lanes that they that they take

in order to make those tackles. If you so. Isaac again with his with his injury, um, you know, we we're day to day with him. He's real close to coming back and so we felt good with Whiz and Tobin. He had fun out there. Uh he he came off the after we scored and he was like he didn't realize that the defense was going to cut him. I said, well, dude, you're you know, you're a big guy running through there, and I guess, a little dB, where do you expect

him to go? You know? But he he had fun out there, and you know he's obviously he saw his athleticism, how well he comes off the ball, and you know he's obviously a former fullback. So gave him an opportunity. My message to Carson obviously, enjoy it. Um. You know, this business is short lived. You get a chance to watch the film and make the corrections and we're right onto the next opponent. And and it's a it's a

different set of circumstances, you know. It's uh, um, it's like it's like every one of our golf games in here. One day you shoot seventy five, the next day you shoot eighty five, and and you just have to take each game and stride and you know, another set of circumstances. And Monday night game coming up, uh National Spotlight. You know, Um, it's a road game. You know, noise, the whole thing. So uh, enjoy this one. But we got to come

to work ready to play again. What are you guys that worked down version after What were your thoughts from people found out? Well, it just shows the toughness, you know, the tough and physical toughness that that he has once once we found out the extent of the injury for him to play through it and uh um, you know again, it's just it's a credit to him to be able to fight through and battle through and keep himself available

for the games to numbers. Ye had numbers and the Wendell you know, uh kick returns um his availability there and then of course he got a couple of couple of carries and a couple of snaps. Actually offensively too, yeah, quite, I mean quite a bit. You know, I'm always listening to the players, whether the offensive line is is telling me, hey,

we need to keep running the football. We got these guys, or you know, the quarterback in this case, Carson is seeing something, you know, defensively, and and uh it's great to uh uh kind of take all that information in and as I mentioned after the game, you know, I'm sitting there constantly with those cards, you know, coming up with with another set of plays, you know, putting another drive together and taking all that information in and just

absorbing and just you know, exhausting the game plan, you know, uh, whether we go back and execute plays we've already called or find something new that's on the plan that they haven't seen. So, um, it's great to get all that information. Uh, you know. And one thing about Carson too, is he he sees the field um well. And and for him to have that kind of dialogue in his first game, I think just shows the type of kid that he is and the way he prepares himself each week. Obviously

the field. But is that yes, yeah, I mean that's exactly how how right now that that he's going to be used? Yeah, you used four running backs receivers obviously, what's the importance of having quick Well, that's important, you know, you know it just uh, these if these guys, if we have nineteen or twenty guys up offensively every week, I mean you want to use them all, whether it

be on offense or special teams. So you know, um, having four backs obviously can take a little heat off of maybe like Darren Sproles taking a lot of a lot of carries. Uh, you still want him to get his tough That's just the same thing with with Ryan, you know, too young, and Kenyon came in there I had some explosive runs. So you know, it's it's just, Um, it's something that when you look at the entire the entire UH roster on game day, you know, everybody's got

to contribute. And again that's that's kind of what I told the team after the game, that that that this was a team effort team win, and everybody contributed, and that's what it takes to win. You know, in the national football leg usually by personnel and how we rotate and how we want to get certain guys in certain positions. Uh. You know, sometimes in our eleven personnel it was Jordan in the slot and sometimes it was Josh Huff in

the slot. So it just depends on the play that's called at the time and who we want in the game. Michael Kendricks limited role. Well, you know again when teams, when teams are playing a lot of that eleven called zebra personnel, Um, you know, we keep we keep Jordan and Nigel on the field, you know, and and as good an athlete as Michael is, um, it's just unfortunate that that you know, we have to take one guy off and and uh, right now, he's the guy that you know, he's the odd man out and he ends

up coming off the field. But sorry, but but I'm done. I guess I'm done. Yes, mister rudeness, there was a stretching of series. It obviously weren't successful. You got right. Was it was that Carson were playing job. You know, we um, we came out. We obviously after the touchdown, we we kind of we kind of spit and sputtered there a little bit and uh false start, you know,

um didn't execute quite the way we should have. Uh. Then the second quarter, boom we hit Jordan and we're down inside the ten yard line, you know, on a great great throw and catch uh there and then and then the next play. Um, it's really it was really the play was there, The play was there. Um. It's something that the guy when they see it, they're gonna go, oh my goodness. It's one of those It's one of

those deals. We had a hat for a hat, um, and Ryan actually turned it up inside he followed Kelsey. You know. So it's just those things now that when you get into these games, things are a little bit faster, and and they just got to see it. And the next time they're in that position, they'll make that play. Carson on the on the incomplete to uh to uh to Jordan, you know, in the right part, right side

of the end zone there. It's just one of those things where you know, the progression took him left, but then when he got his he his eyes weren't back to Jordan fast enough and he didn't really see the leverage and it was just one of those who just just sailed it high. So again, those are all teachable, very correctable moments. And um, that's what these guys will see and move on. Weaponist Donnie Jones at this point,

the ability, it's tremendous to have a guy like Donnie Jones. Um, he saw it yesterday, I think, I think early in the in the season and really all season long anytime you can you can trade field position, you know, and and make a team drive you know, ninety yards plus makes it makes it real hard on them. And and um, did he did a good job for us yesterday. Yeah, thanks guys,