Frank waiting to say about Ryan Matthews when he was last play a wourth a moment's herniated disc and did you guys have any idea, no, no idea that happened? You know, I mean we all know Ryan's that physical downhill runner, and um, you know, you put yourself in a little bit of danger, you know, But he was running hard as he always does, and you never know, I mean, something like that's just a freak accident and he's had a few of those. So h that was
a tough break for for Ryan and for us. What does Carson's early in the year, he wasn't he didn't see if everybody runs, it just seems like he's seeing seeing the field better. His his pocket awareness is better. But is that part of his his evolution and manifesting himself in the runs and using his legs. Yeah, I think it's definitely part of his development and evolution. I remember it was about I can't remember the game, it's about a month ago or something like that, and he
rolled out. It was a home game here and he rolls out to his left and he's being chased by a big defensive lineman who a nose guard who's no way going to be able to catch him. He gets over to the sideline and he feels him coming and he throws it out and bounds. And when we were watching the film the next day, I said, you couldn't have swung back around and just bought a little bit more time. And I was kind of kidding around with him, and he said, am I allowed to do? Is that
free game? I said, yeah, it's free game if you can make the play and he said, okay, now I know. And so we've seen him. I'm not saying that's what triggered it. It was more of a fun moment. But he has that kind of ability, and we know he has that kind of ability. It's a fine line how much you want to use it. But he has a good sense and showed that showed up pretty well in
the field compare as possible. But there's been a bit made this year Carson setting the team record for most of passing attempts in year two years in San Diego. Philibergers in the wall, I think more than any time in his career have been the eleven years. Can you kind of take the mentality of the year and look how it compared to what happened in San Diego it was two years is just how you know, do there
any similarities and how that came to be. And I think one of the differences this year is, I mean we're in the top ten in rushing and so you know, he's throwing all these past attempts and has a chance of setting the rookie completion record and those aren't records you set out necessarily to get. But when you balance that with the fact that we're still a top ten team rushing, um, that's not all that bad and there
have been some good developmental things from it. But over the long haul, you need to be able to you need to be able to run it consistently to win. When I play a getting back to Carson when he did spen around and ended up at interception, So does he have free rank or do you want to do that? At times? You know, I mean at times you know, I mean those are you know, those are gonna be uh those plays of the standard deviation on those plays that they were good and the bad that can happen
for those plays really goes extreme on both ends. But you gotta trust the guy to do it. We gotta trust our receivers. You know, the angle of the receiver that was taking coming back probably wasn't the best angle. So um, maybe not the best decision, but the receiver could have helped him out by coming back more towards the ball. Do you think touchdown at Nelson cod you know, forty yard it's going to help him going forward. I mean, is that kind of like the breakthrough that he's kind
of been looking for all year? You know, I mean, obviously it was. It was a it was a nice play, you know, shows his speed. He did a good job. I think the only way to get breakthroughs is to do something over and over again consistently. You know, this isn't this league's too tough just to be a flash here there. And I think we all know that Nelson knows that every player knows that you have to do it week in and week out, you know, play in and play out. Um, but you take every every positive
step that comes along as a good step. And that was that was certainly a going It's you to give a working with cards and from the springs and now what are some of the things that's you want to see from him as a young quarterback? And have you seen all of those things as he maybe even exceed at your expectations and some of those yeah, I mean he's exceeded expectations in some ways. But I think when I think what you want to see is you want to see accuracy. You want to see good decision making.
You want to see the ability to sustain success when things are going well, to maintain focus and concentration the next week in preparation. You want to see to be able to bounce back after a poor performance. You want to see to be able to when things are going bad in the course of a game, for him to not waver. And I think on most of those fronts, I think he's passed the test within both the game
and then during the week. You know, after leaving him the next game, how do you dug kind of work together in terms of play calling and game and kind of leave you in things? How does that go? Des I don't want to be act as a check on the other in some way kind of Hey, I would have done this, Maybe you should consider this. That's what've you know? I mean during the week, Uh, you know we're game planning together. We kind of you know, we have our system in which we're you know, in which
the inventory of offensive plays is available. You know, the way that we there is a process in which we go about start you know, the plays that we start with UM, and then how we narrow that down each week. You know, we work together on that UM as well as with the staff. UM. And then as far as play calling goes, you know, coach calls the game and UM, he takes input. You know, I'll suggest a few plays
here and there. UM we'll talk in between series, but he's he's in charge, and you know, and has has really good control during the game. UM doesn't flinch. UM just seems in complete control. But what I really like about the dynamic is, hey, we're talking in between series, I might say, hey, this next series, do you like this? How do you feel about this? Was just talking to Carson, He likes this. Was just talking to Stout. These runs look good. He feels these runs look good. So there's
a really good dynamic on game day. Nelson, you mentioned that a breakthrough happens when you're able to do something consistently like that. Is it frustrating that it hasn't happened for him this year that we haven't seen that growth that you probably wanted to see. Yeah, I mean, I think you're going into the year, every each one of us you have high expectations. You know you have high expectations. And I'm sure you know for all of us, and I'm sure for Nelson included, you know, we would have
liked to won more games. We would have liked to done better as an offense in a lot of areas. I'm sure each of an individual player has goals that they want to me. I would guess that Nelson was saying, Hey, in these areas I've done well, would have liked to have had a few more big plays, a lot more catches. Some of that he has some say over some it doesn't. The ball just didn't go his way a ton. So those are things that you just you control what you control.
You play hard, and one thing I can say about Nelson is he practices hard. He plays hard, and I'll still maintain that I think good things are going to come his way. Process like the one that you guys started with during the year, is it Is it exactly the same now or have you tweaked it a little bit? Have you added to it? Have you guys kind of talked about it and did it or um. Yeah, I think it's just you developed a trust in a relationship
as it goes. Um. You know, early on, I think you know, coach was you know, as he begins to kind of trust us on the side and trust myself with assisting a few areas here and there, you know, in the game, especially situationally. Sometimes you know, we can be out, we can be out two or three plays in front thinking through scenarios while he's calling a player. We can already be thinking to a red zone scenario
or a third down scenario. I think we're gonna end up in a third medium here, you know, so we're kind of thinking ahead maybe with a suggestion here and there. So I just think it's just been an organic, natural development and trusting relationship that's built. He's gonna be the first time here since two does and eight that if we're back started all six three games and from your career, you know how Fred left positions. The fact that that
Carson's lasted the season is that something? Is that something you considerable or something you'd take it all? Yeah, I mean I think that's you know, that was another test. There was questions about his you know, would he be durable, you know, could he could he do that? Could he start sixteen games? Just because of a couple of the injuries that he's had. And I think he's done a great job of knowing how to get down, you know, and it was been a learning process. Um, it's been
a learning process. Early on. We all know when he ran a couple he probably was a little bit too aggressive, took to you know, took the coaching, learned from it, and gradually has gotten to the point where he looks like a seasoned pro out there running now, knows when to slide, has a good sense for getting down. And there's no guarantees about staying healthy in this league, but we're certainly glad he's done a good job with that this year and stayed healthy. He's only been about twelve
rookie quarterback started sixteen games. I mean, what does that say about him? Just his toughness and he's got this. I mean, he's going to end up playing whatever, twelve hundred snaps. I mean, he's seen everything and going into year two, how much will that benefit him? Just this vast kind of catalog of I think it says a lot about several things. I think it says a lot about his toughness. I think it says a lot about his preparation and protection area. I think it says a
lot about how well the offensive line has played. And I think it says a lot about that he has a good internal clock that he wants to you know that he's not just a guy an a big, strong, athletic guy who's going to get back there and make plays with his legs all the time. He knows that to be great in this league, to be great and to take us where you want to go, you got to learn how to play quarterback from the pocket and then let your natural athletic ability take over when something
breaks down. And you know, I think we've worked very hard at trying to develop and that into him and not let him just get back there and let his athleticism take over. Be systematic, be disciplined, you know, have a progression in mind, know what you're doing, have a plan on every play, and then when things break down, then react and let your instincts take over. So I think those speak to all those things about him this
year and to the offseason. What's your philosophy on how you want your players to attack it you want them to take it? And how did it go for you? I mean, do you do you want them to just take a long break and not think about things, especially like Carson as you wanted to kind of reboot, or do you would you want these guys to have football? Yeah? I mean, you know, all the rules with the CBM A little bit old school, you know. I came into the league with Jerry Rice, and you know that's legendary.
You know, after they win the super Bowl the next day he's running hills and routes, and you know, I'm probably a little bit old school like that. I do think quarterbacks need to give their arm rest. I do think it's good for players to take a break, especially a mental break for about a month. But physically, I don't think you can take off too long. I mean, you know, this is a very demanding job. It's it's physically you have to be at your peak. It's a
very competitive job. So take a month off and relax mentally and physically, but you better get after a pretty hard, pretty quick state in weeks or so. Zach Ers as a birds is a legitimate threat in this passing game. But what would you say would be behind that outside of chemistry, And speaking of the chemistry going into next year, how much will that having Carson wentz back next year
it will be a factor. Yeah. I think Zach and Carson have developed very good chemistry, and you know, Carson just has a lot of trust, you know in Zach, just a great feel for space, a great feel of how to create leverage, big catch radius. Um. You know, they've just developed a really good chemistry in relationship and zacally made a lot of plays so um. You just certainly that's one of the highlights of something to build on for next year.