Linebackers coach Jason Tarver (10.20.23)
JOK (Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah), talking to him yesterday he said, yeah, he made some splash plays, but still has to clean up a lot in the details. To me, it looked like he played well. What was your assessment of how you played specifically against the 49ers, but just overall this year?
“Well, I think what Jeremiah is referring to is what we talk about, and you hear from me all the time, he’s such a great field player that when he’s aligned correctly and has his eyes correctly, and that offense does a good job of taking your eyes. So there are some things early and the pace that they play with even early, it’s really hard to mimic in practice. So there were some plays early where his eyes were taken a little bit and then he moved to it. As the game went on, you saw what you said, which is the production, because he got going. And the emphasis with Jeremiah is just put yourself in the right spot and look at the right things, and then what do you get? You get him being himself, explosive. He used his hands well in that game. So as the game went, he kept getting better and better. So the challenge for us and for Jeremiah himself, both us as linebackers and Jeremiah and as a defense, is starting the right way. And that comes with the focus, the preparation, and every player is working on how to get themselves ready for a game. Every coach is, too, right? I got to go ride the bike a lot because I’m hyper, right? You got to know who you are. I mean, one thing I found out calling plays is if I was too hyper, I wasn’t as good of a play caller as I was if I made myself. So every person has to find that process, and he’s getting better and better at that process.”
I think Kevin (Stefanski) mentioned it, that he (Owusu-Koramoah) feels like he’s playing stronger this year, Jeremiah. And I know you talked about that a bunch in the offseason. Is it shown to you?
“Yes, and he’s staying in his progress. The first thing was get strong, right? And then it was just like, we said, becoming consistent. He’s getting better on both of those things. He’s continuing his eating progressions, his nutrition, his workouts, and that’s going to be the key because, as we know, this is a 17-plus game season, and we’d like to be on the plus side of that. And Jeremiah can be a really big piece for us. And it’s exactly what we’re asking, (in) the offseason talking about him. And right now, he’s in that process and he’s getting better.”
How is this defense so well suited to him?
“When you ask your defensive line to attack everything right and hit spots, it’s the linebacker’s job, as you hear from Coach (Jim) Schwartz and all of us to clean stuff up. And Jeremiah, when he has his eyes in the right spot and not just him, all the backers, when they’re in the right spot and aligned right and bumping correctly and talking to each other, they see things happen. He’s got that great skill set to close distance and wrap things up, and he’s doing that. And like I said, our goal is to continue to do that better and better, and we got to get better at doing that on the road. And this is our opportunity to do that. Like, all our rooms and some of the even the linebackers you haven’t seen yet or seen a little bit on special teams, our group is suited to do this – is see space and close it as fast as we can and then wrap up whatever’s there. And we got to punch the bod a little more but…”
On the road, I mean, is that just because…?
“Well, no, we got a road game. We haven’t had road game for a while, so we got to be able to start the way we start. We got to bring just the fire as a group. And as backers, it’s our job to help line everybody up, like Coach Schwartz says, the nerve center, and take that on the road no matter where we play. We got to make this travel and take it with us. And so that’s a challenge because we’re playing a team that has the ability to push piles and two good backs, and they’re big, and we got to be ready to go from the jump. We gave them a touchdown on the first drive last week. Well, let’s see if we can do better than that. That’s what I mean, is taking it with us. So, you’re getting excited.”
How do those two backs complement each other and what they do style wise, those sorts of things?
“Well, they both keep their legs going. They both push piles and get positive – they get positive yards. And it’s our job to not give them those extra yards on contact. It’s our job to get as many of our defensive players to the ball as quick as we can against these guys because they’re built low to the ground and their lower bodies are really strong, and that’s what they want. They want positive yards in their system. So, it’s our job to get as many people to that point of attack as we can.”
I know Jeremiah has talked about the balance and instinct and game plan. How have you seen him be able to navigate that and grow in that capacity and has that translated to his other roles, even on special teams?
“Yeah, like, that first kickoff was outstanding. Setting the tone, setting the pace. Jeremiah set the pace on that kickoff. He just went and was absolutely physical and destroyed the whole thing and that’s what we need. Here’s what he’s doing better, specifically. He’s doing a better job of play in and play out, taking a note to himself and just continuing to go back and look at it because like we say in our room, next play is your best play. But if you don’t remember what happened to you. So he’s much improved at just watching each play he’s in and going, ‘Okay, here’s what I was thinking’, and writing himself a note so that he can grasp that great feel that he has. Because if you’re not present and you can’t remember the play, I mean, we all have plays, coaches and players that we don’t – well, most coaches remember every play, but there are plays where something happens, you’re like, ‘Oh, man’. And then you’re like when you see it on video, you go, ‘Okay, I got that now. Let me make sure I get that.’ He’s way better at that process than he was. He’s just learning his own process. Every person has their own learning process and that’s what our job is, working together, coaches and players is figure out how everybody learns. Some of the guys are way more – just they can hear it and redo it or they can see it. Jeremiah, as he’s in his process and looks back at his notes, that’s how he remembers. So now he knows.”
Jeremiah’s obviously gotten a lot of attention because he’s played well. What do you like about the depth of your group?
“Well, I think with Anthony (Walker Jr.) and Sione (Takitaki) you’re really seeing those are the lead three right now, but we’re going to need everybody. That’s how these seasons work. But what’s great is they don’t care. Like they’re all preparing to play any of the three positions. Not all of them play the MIKE so-called that’s the play caller yet, but they’re all preparing to do that and that’s how we set the offseason. And we said we need to be – it doesn’t matter, we’re just linebackers and we need to go. So, I like that depth and Sione and Anthony are working well off of each other because they’re on the punt team, too, so they got to cover punts. So we’ll rotate who’s in there of those three and then you’ll see the other guys put in different situations and that’ll come as the season goes. But like the depth, like where we’re going and it’s because they all want to know every position. They’re all unselfish and they’re doing it for the linebackers, but most importantly for our defense and our team.”
Jim Schwartz is big on personality and swagger and you guys have a lot of that in your room. Do you think a great defense needs to have that?
“I think that to maximize each individual person and to become great as a team, you got to let yourself show within what you’re trying to do in any business. But in football, it is that, it’s swag. When you make a play, you should have a blast together and you see us do that and that is contagious. And so, yes, when I’m around that and I’m excited about it with Coach Schwartz coming in and where we’re going right now because it is contagious and we’re all about that in our room. I mean, we watch every little thing that they do at the end of each play and say, ‘Hey, listen, that’s a celebration loaf.’ You got to get with your teammates and go over here. So we coach it, we expect it, and we love it.”
Do you think Sione is to being back to where he was coming off that knee?
“I think he’s gotten better and better. I thought Sione was key in the second half this week, playing a lot of snaps, really getting the calls. He was another one – we talked a little bit about Jeremiah early in the game and then later in the game. Some of his first little drives he might have been off a little bit of alignment by the time that game went on, Sione was outstanding. So, I think he’s close, and I’m excited about where he’s going. He works his, whatever you want to fill in the blank with, off.”
Are you expecting to see the healthy version of Jonathan Taylor?
“I think it’s just like anything, you get better at playing football as you keep playing football. So, yes.”
AWalk’s (Anthony Walker) been dealing with that concussion, but just what has his presence meant to the room?
“Well, he’s the same every day and I say this a lot about AWalk, son of a coach, all of that. He really gets football. He gets people, and he understands that it takes everybody being their best and working together to win. And he’s absolutely amazing how he interacts with people, everybody. And you always see the big smiles just like you guys see when he’s up here. And you can’t say enough about him, but you can use I mean, there’s a lot of the cliche terms, glue, however you want to describe it. He’s it, and he’s really good at it, and we love him.”
Their coordinator said they might use Taylor and (Zack) Moss together on the field at the same time. From your guys position, defense overall, how would that kind of challenge you guys or stress you as opposed to being able to focus on the one guy?
“Well, they did it two times last week, so we’re aware that is and they’re both good players. So, if I’m in there, I’d be thinking about having those guys on the field at the same time. Traditionally, that scheme has used two running backs at the same time, and so we’re preparing for it, and I’ll leave it at that.”
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