Press Pass: Frank Reich

shown you so far? And what's the plan for him on Saturday night? You know it looks good. Um, you know, just continue to build, build, continue to build. Got him in for a few plays last week. Um, you know, he's just he's an impressive physical specimen. Obviously. It's funny you stand out there as a coach when they're running routes on air, and sometimes as a coach you stand across from the receivers out of running at you, and when he runs at you his sides and speed, it

just kind of grabs you. So really excited about having him here. And uh, just like anybody else, it's a process. You know, it's a process, and we'll keep getting him a little chunks at a time to allow him to play fast and just and use his ability for you week one to week two, just total back to the offense. I thought the past protection was really good in week two, UM, I thought the offensive line did a really good job. That backs did a good job. UM. You know, we

just have to eliminate the penalties. I know it's been talked about a lot. They just killed drives. You're getting second along third and long. Um. We can overcome some of those. We have to overcome some of those. But um, as an offense, you just you can't put yourself in those positions. So we've got to minimize those things. There's no excuses for it. Um, And we just have to execute evaluation. What kind of evaluation that he did a week? Want small with him? If I didn't missed so much.

You have to be able really to see it. It's a little bit harder, you know, with all the time that he's missed too, you know, to evaluate with the back you know and a runner. You just want to see him get to get the ball in his hands and see what he can do, you know, in traffic inside see us patients's vision. Um. So you know, but there's nothing you can do about it. As a coach, you know, you don't get too frustrated by you know, injuries are part of the game. Those guys take a

lot of hits, so on and so forth. So we still have to be smart with him, you know, and just continue that evaluation process and let him grow. You need to see some things from certain guys who have kind of been like smart time starters. Josh HAPs being won. How I portant? Is this game going to be for him and for maybe some other receivers. Yeah, third preseason game. Obviously the starter is getting a lot of you know,

a lot of reps. So, um, it's important to show progress at all our positions, not just a wide receiver position. And I feel like the receivers have been showing that as a group, you know, and individually. So um, you know, even this week, game plan even a little bit more. I mean it's still you know, this is kind of like an in season week for US. Coach set it up so that we kind of prepare a little bit

more like it's in season. Um, So a little bit more game planning, not full board, but um so get a chance to get some guys in position to make plays and then we have to execute and uh, and then they got to make the plays when they come to them. Offensive unit didn't try to run the ball very much Thursday, but but it did. It wasn't real effective. Were you concerned about that at all? And what did you make of that? You know, Pittsburgh traditionally is one

of the best run defenses in the NFL. I mean that have been for years. Um, we still felt pretty good about our run game plan going in. Sometimes the flow of the game, you know, it's kind of an one game. Our defense did a good job, got the interception, you know, return for a touchdown, so they have the ball the whole first quarter. You know, we were executing a little bit in the pass game. Felt like we had an efficient pass game. Sam did a good job,

you know, executing there. We spread the ball around, you know, had some of the penalties that stopped a few drives. But um, you know, I feel very strong about the outlook of our run game. UM, and so I don't want to get too caught up with just one performance where we didn't quite get enough touches in the run game as we could. I think he's done pretty well. Um. I think he's done pretty well. You know, obviously you

get that big body coming at you. That's that's a different thing for a linebacker seeing that guy coming coming at him. And I think he's shown, uh he shows the athleticism, you know, that's that's a positive thing. And and really the vision that it takes to kind of fit up in the hole it gets your linebacker. I think I think he's been very solid go by from

last year. Has Kenyan border exceeded your expectations? Yeah, I think Kenyon has had a really good uh OTAs in the offseason and a good training camp um and obviously he's shined in special teams as well. So Kenyon as I think he's a good runner. I think he has an elusiveness to him. You know that obviously shows as a punt returner, and so when you get him in the backfield out in space, you know, whether it's catching a pass out of the backfield or get him on

the edge running the football. But he's made a couple nice inside runs as well, and and so that's important. And and then the other element that he's continued to impress is the protection element. You know, he knows what

he's doing in protection. I can't emphasize that enough. I've said it before over the last couple of weeks, but it's just so important in any offense that the backs fully understand all the protection calls what's going on, because it all starts in the passing game with protecting the passer, and the backs are a big part of that. Sam established some pretty good chemistry last season, particularly down the stretch.

How much of that has been affected by him missing so much time this summer, you know, I mean, I think obviously with all of our players who miss time, you don't like it because every rep is so important. You can only get so many reps out there. So but these guys have been around the block a little bit. They've continued to talk, and you know, in Jordan's that kind of guy that you know you never like not being out there. But he's so into it. You know,

he's so into practice. You know, even when he's not out you know, when he's not getting the reps, he's so into it in the meetings, you know, engaged, asking questions, talking to Sam all the time. So, um, you make the best of of a tough situation if you look at what has he done to earn the first team snaps or you know, I think, uh, you know, one of the things just that he's an explosive athlete, you

know for his position. Um. And you know, I think one of those positive steps Isaac made was from week one to week two. You know, he showed that athletic ability, you know, and while you're drafting where we did. Um, but I thought he was more consistent in week two. Um. You know, in the first game there were two or three kind of bad mistakes. You know, this game there was fewer. I think that there's probably one bad mistake. UM. So showing that improved consistency was a good step, and

that's been showing up in practice running. It was among your leaders and receptions looking at the personelities we have beer, do you see the guys as you can use in the Danny Woodhead type of world? Yeah, I mean, well Sprowles is the original, right, I mean, he's the original guy. He's the prototype. And so we have you know, coach Peterson, you know, right from the start, you know, I remember

coming in the first one he hired. You know that some of the immediate talk was the excitement about how we get to use a guy like Darren Sprowles and but all the backs have shown a good a good aptitude to pick things up in the pass game and and be good route runners. So we think we can mix it up. But certainly Darren is that's where that's he's the starting point. And uh and there's a lot

of ways to utilize that. And you know, Kansas in Doug's offense, you know they've done that in the past, will continue to mix in some other things that you know that we've all done that our staff has done to kind of isolate backs and get good matchups. Um, but you get a guy like forty three out there, I mean really, I mean it's like every weekend game planning, it's like, how can we get this guy to football? He's just he's that kind of a player. What does

Sam need to show you before week going? You know Sam? I just think Sam just he's showing us everything I expected him to show us. He's being who he is. UM credibly accurate pass or he has comple you know, I really feel like he has command of the offense. Um. You know, he's come in and this new offense, he's doing a great job. He's he's totally under control employees. I just loved his demeanor on the sideline for the first you know, getting to see him on the sideline.

You know, it's one thing out of practice, but just getting a feel from him on the sideline during the game, you know, the right temperament, the right react. You know, it just feels feels right. And so um, you know, this week it's week he gets to play longer. So we've got a number of snaps with him last week. But uh, and you want to continue to show which I think Sam has you know, overcome in the bad series because it happens. This is the NFL, so there's

gonna be a series. He's great at protecting the football, but I'm sure somewhere along the year he's gonna throw an interception. You know, how do we bounce back? Stay positive and let's go. And he's showing that out in practice, So I continue, I think we'll continue to see that. You mentioned the importance of running backs to being able to pass protect. Is that one of the main things that we're looking for from Smallwood when he finally does

get in the game. Absolutely, I mean, you know, because you know, all backs, you don't want to be a you know, just a first second down back if you want to be on the field, and you know, and I think we saw that on tape from him. You know, even though he had a you know, it was a great runner in college, you could see you could see glimpses of it in the past game. You could see it in protection that he was a willing blocker and

that he had the aptitude. When you talk to him kind of in the interviews and watch film with him, you can see that he sees it, you know, and he processes it, and that's a very important part of it. So you know, his continued progress, you know, to get on the field is you know, it's going to have to come in the passing game as well. Frank James just talked about how Steven Tulk has been in the league ten years, and you know what respect he has

for a guy that's done ten years. You have one on offense and Brent Sellick, Can you talk a little bit about from someone that's played it for as long as you did and now coached it, what it's like to get ten years in this league? Yeah, I think like a guy like Brent Sellick is just he's truly one of the Hallmark, one of the foundational leaders on this team. He just brings a steady presence, you know,

on and off the field. But the thing that I've been most pressed about with Brent is he's still playing at a high level. I mean, for a guy who's had to play that position as as tough as that position is. All the running, all the blocking against big defensive you know, he's he's outmatched on most of the on fifty percent of the block, he's blocking linebacker some of the time, but half the time he's blocking defensive ends. And he's doing it. He's still doing a good job.

And so for ten years in the league and he's and I see no signs of his game diminishing at all. And then I've said this from the start, and I continue to see it. In the passing game, he's he's more than adequate. You know, he still runs pretty good for a guy who's been in the league ten years. And then he's just got he's a pro, and he's got that football toughness attitude. So I just love the presence in the leadership he brings to the offense. I was Alan handled to move out to right tackle. I

think he's handled it well. I mean he's in a position where he gets to use his his pass blocking strength. You know, he he's got good feet. Uh, he has a good, really good technique. So if you have good feet and you have good technique and then you have some toughness about you, you're going to be a good pass blocker. And you can see that. You mean, he's been well trained and well coached, but he has natural he has natural timing and instincts as a pass blocker.

It's a little bit different out at the tackle position, as you guys know, you talk about a little bit more space between you and the defender. But he's a natural out there pass blocking, you know, but it just is a little bit different from the tackle on some of the combination blocks in the run game. You just gotta you know, get used to that. Again, he's done it some, but I've been mostly in a guard So you can see that coming back more and more from

your tin. Ryan Radney's with the charters to now progress what's the best way to use I think Ryan, you know, I've always thought that Ryan has that unique blend of speed and size and then a physicality about him. So, um, that's how we that's his strength, you know, that's how we have to use him. And um, you know, and I think as he has grown in this league and further than his career, he's gotten better in the passing

game as well. You know, I think early on in his career he was you know where, Now you're not. We're not afraid to have him on it, you know, out there on a pass down. So in the run game, we know what we're gonna get. He's got speed, he's got explosiveness, and he's got a physicality. And I think the offensive line really liked that. You know, when you get it back, who's not a who runs hard? Is

a physical runner. I think that kind of energizes your whole offense, the offense, and we're gonna see the offense a more this game than any preseason game. What for fans did We're gonna get to see them for the first time in an extended period. What do you want to see? What should they expect to see from this who? I'm sorry to hear your first team offense? Yeah, Um, consistency, you know two things. Consistency and you know we gotta score, you know, you know, well, it's great if the special

teams and defense keep scoring for us. Well, we'll take that all year long, and uh and won't apologize for that. We'll ride that. We'll ride that horse all the way if we have to. And that's been a good start for us as a team. Um and our offense at times has taken advantage of some of the turnovers. But you know, you need to you need to be consistent, you need to be able to sustain drives, you need

to be great at situational football. Last week we had a good, good outing on third down, converted over fifty percent on third down. That's winning football against a you know, against a good defensive scheme. I know they didn't play their starters all the time, but we got to be good on third down, we got to be good in the red zone, and then we got to make something happen in two minutes. We were able to do that

last week a little bit. So those are the those are the signs I think we're looking for, you know, this week against the Colts, and because I think that's what it ultimately takes to win consistently weekend and week out. Thank you