Press Pass: Pat Shurmur

You know, everybody's getting hits as sort of an occupational hazard of playing football, and we just got to do a good job of making sure we protect ourselves, you know, in that situation there, you know, when the edge rusher over commits to the quarterback, as long as there's a single safety in the middle, then there's running room and probably the backside see or d gap depending on whether it's two or three surface and that specific play, Darren found the cutback and we got a five yard game.

So we move on. So we run plays and they get officiated. That's it. Or do you think it is for him to be here with stand a hit and how much that helped his confidence you think after everything he's been Yeah, well, the unintended consequence of being hit is that you get to see that you can handle him,

you know. And I think he had a couple of times in the game where he took some shots and he was able to bounce up and that'll help him check off some more boxes to be ready to play and will be ahead of the wrestled that Gardner's done a good job. You know, I think it's too early to tell who that guy is going to be, but we feel good about his progress. You know. Well, we've still got a couple of games, you know, and I think we get we get a lot of reps out here.

The guys that are potentially going to play in that spot get a chance to practice. Got a great deal and so get them. Yeah, other guys getting prest the first week. Sure, we're just we got a little good little rotation there. So we got you know, a few guys there that could potentially play there. We're going to buy language. Are you working with quarterbacks post post hand off?

They're not so yeah. Well, you know, typically when you hand the ball off, you either set up and show pass or in most runs, whether you're under center or in the shotgun, you typically will fake the naked to try to help control that edge defender. And so, um, the good news. We're in the shotgun so you can see it all. You know. I think it's probably a little bit tougher for the guys under center with their backs turned on it, but just got to protect yourself.

I mean is it troubling to you personally that that the NFL could come out and say that that particular head even bad in the east of Legal You know, I don't know, I haven't really seen or I don't worry about what's been said. You know, we just we just know that when you're out on the field, you got you got to do your job and you gotta

protect yourself. Why don't you worry about what being said about the issue anything, because we just coach plays and then they beat, then they're officiated, and then um, as times change, things come up. There was a time when when you lined up in victory, everybody just stayed high. Well two years ago somebody went low. So now part of that coaching process says, hey, when we're in victory, for tect yourself, they could go low. So we just as coaches, we sort of just respond to it and

then coach our guys to protect themselves. Getting hit his side with Sam, how did he look, you know, with mechanically with his friend accuracy that kind of thing. You know, he missed a couple of throws and it was just more of just them getting a little bit more work here and training. But his terms of his mechanics and the way he threw and the way he handled himself. We felt like he did a good job enough Bond did the guy there for quietly, he's done a really

really good job. And you know a little bit broader view of things is he's really helping that left side be really solid. We feel good about where he's at and we feel good about the work he's doing with with Kelsey and Peters there. So he's done a really

really good job. Were running backspaces, we maybe going through this one spot what beyond pople she just on the field goes too well thout it such go to helpful pick all of the decision that going to be well, we just keep watching them play, you know, and we're gonna try to pick the best fifty three guys. And you know, two years, you know we've had different combinations of skill players. You know, we can have four running backs,

three tight ends, four tight ends, three running backs. So um, that's the decision that that we'll have to make as we get near the end. In the meantime, we just get them all reps and get them all as good as they can be and then we'll figure it out. Then that just playing right guard. He taking snaps at all the seas that position. Versatility. Yeah, he's pretty much

playing at right guard right now. Still you're still here. Um, yeah, we thought maybe that, like t you said before, just because of the size of John Block and maybe do something that you know he said, we think, sorrylistically, whether he's get into the offense, we still hear again, Um, what does he do? Um effectively? Two QB A guy that I guess the next Well, Dennis has played guard and he's played tackle of lad he's probably played more tackle than guard, and he's done a really good job.

He's had quietly had a very good, very good training camp. So um, he's just continuing to develop himself as a player. And if he can develop, you know, the ability to play multiple positions, that's something you have to do if you're going to be that sixth or seventh guy on game day. And I think he's he's closer to being that guy if he's not the starter. Since we're talking about like offensive liney and everything, have you noticed anything

different than out Jason Peters. I mean he's shop waiting everything for this like affect to the way he's playing it on I mean do you think he's Well, he's three years you know, into into our system, so he's really really tied into what he has to do mentally, you know, he knows the whys and the what for is other than just do that, you know, and so and that comes with experience within the system. Uh. You

mentioned that he's come back a little bit lighter. He's a huge man anyway, so being a little bit lighter is a good thing. And his preparation has been terrific, and I think he feels good about Alan being next to him. You know, there's a lot of communication that goes on. You know, you have individual guys certainly, and then you have the line as a unit, but then then it kind of goes down the sides and so on that left side. Those two guys working together has

been terrific. What sort of work is zach Ertz been able to do? And what do you think is Atlanta still possibility? I don't know, I'm assuming. So you know, he's behind the scenes, he's taking care of all his treatment obligations, he's in all the meetings, and he's doing everything he can physically. So he's right there mentally, and again, he's a guy that's been around here a while. He knows what we're doing, so he'll be It'll just be a matter of him getting out there and practice him.

What do you need to see out of Sam ingreen Man? Know that this guy is ready. The injury thing is way behind him and he's ready to go for the old ros. Well, he's he's out there playing, so we just need him to, you know, to just play as well as he can. Hey, and when we go on the field, all we're trying to do is score touchdowns and get get in the end zone. So he led us to a touchdown scoring drive when he was in the game the other night, So we just want him

to do that. Jordan was able to take care of size mismatches in the side last year. Pat, do you expect teams to adjust this year to him? And how really if they don't have to size him hatch up with him? Well, the advantage to being big is that's what you want, you know, and he is. He's a big receiver and so if he gets matched up on a little guy, that's obviously a physical advantage that we

want to exploit. So I don't know, it'd be a question for the defensive coordinators how they're gonna want to handle it. But he's also worked outside. We could move him around, and he's done a good job in the run game. So we're just looking forward to seeing what he can do. He had great production a year ago. Just seeing what he can do in your tools have been relative to what you had seen on film and bringing steps, well, he's had He's had a really fine camp.

You know, he's missed a couple of days here, but very veteran player who's out here yesterday again and running routes and he knows how to get open and I think that's one thing you can say for Miles And really, you know, he had that kind of one year in Dallas, but last year in Cleveland, I think he had one of his better years, and we're trying to get the same thing from him this year. That um, you guys, you know that people und his playbook six two run

Concerts six. You know, but do you open it up a little more in game three? Do you even watch any film with the Green Bay defense in that game? Well, we're aware of what they what they do because we played him a year ago. You know, we went through an extensive game plan, but typically, you know, we're going to run the plays we run. You know, we we have a very large playbook, and then we'll just keep picking and poking and try to find the things that work in each game. And if you don't have to

go beyond a few then and they're working. You know, we really like plays that work well. So if we stumble on a couple early in the game that are working well, then we'll just stick with them. We're running back. What's the adjustina If you're going from playing an offense with quarterbacks, most of the understanding playing a shot then and were getting the ball out of the shot, well, you have to get used to certainly the ball handling

part of it. Typically, you know, when you're behind the quarterback, you know, it's more of a downhill, you know, and he'll come to meet you. You know. It's just it's just the feel of kind of receiving the ball from the side. And most running backs have experience with it. They just got to do it over and over and over. Unfortunately, the way we train, they get a lot of reps. It surprised at all and anything you've seen from Nelson now, I think he's really he's really made great strides in

this training camp. He's proven he can make a play, and that's really critical for a receiver. You know. We teach them to run these very specific routes and then we teach him that this is the way it should look like ideally. Um. But at the end of the day, you get downfield somehow, when the ball comes your way, you gotta catch it. And he's displayed in ability to do that, and that's I think what you'll help him kind of help start him on his way. He hasn't

he too involved, you know in the first two games. Yeah, he's gotten a great deal of work in practice or in training here. So um, same thing. We feel like he can make a play. And you know, he's probably in the same boat with Nelson. You know, if you throw them, the boy'll catch it. I don't think so. I don't think so. Matt Barkley and to the Kebo.

Would you see from many they battled, you know, I think they each had more good plays than bad, you know, And I think, you know, again, they just continue to get better and better, you know, And each situation is different. When you're playing in the back half of the game sometimes, um, every once in a while you see a player you don't recognize, and so they got to improvise a little bit, and so that kind of accounts for what's going on. Okay, good, all right,