Pass game coordinator/wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea (12.8.23)

How is Amari (Cooper) doing?

“Yeah, we’re going to find out more as we move forward. And I know that the guys that have practiced this week have really done a nice job playing in different roles and as we always ask them to do every week, so we’ll know more about that later.”

 

When you don’t have an Amari in your lineup, what does that mean for your offense and for you guys? 

“Yeah, whenever there’s a player that has played and he’s not in the lineup, you have to adjust some things and roles change slightly and some roles change the same or stay the same. So, I think that the guys, again, the room that we have has a great ability to adjust, and they’re very strong mentally, and they’re always prepared to play in multiple spots. So that’s been very encouraging to watch, not only if Amari is or is not in the lineup, it’s nice to see those guys have the ability to adjust and us to be able to function, and that has to do with their preparation and how well they can adjust, and that’s why it’s a good group that way.”

 

We talked about that specifically, I think Joe Flacco mentioned it and maybe somebody else about Elijah (Moore) kind of bumping into Amari’s role against the Rams after Amari got hurt. So what kind of adjustment is that for Elijah? 

“Yeah, it’s something that we talk with to our guys weekly of, hey, we have contingency plans, and there’s going to be some period in the game, whether a guy gets tired or a guy gets the equipment issue that you’re going to have to be able to adjust, and we truly prepare that way. So during the week, we’ll have guys play different spots. It may be the spot that they’re not going to line up in the game, but we move them around. So when that situation comes up, which it did, versus the Rams, where now all of a sudden, Elijah is our split end, and he’s playing quite a bit in that role, that they’re able to handle that. So we really do put a lot of time and investment and I would say hard work into, all right, if this were to happen, this is how we’re going to adjust. And you need to be prepared mentally to handle that.”

 

Is it mostly where he lines up or are the routes different, too?

“I think it’s both. So not only from an assignment and a mental standpoint, but there are some things that are different that he would do in that position that he’s going to do as the receiver. He usually lines up at the tag that he usually does. So I think it’s a combination of both and we try to work hard at both of those things. Like during practice, we will always make sure we practice the players at different positions and when they have their routes on air, which is really important for us to work with the quarterbacks, we’ll make sure they get enough at all spots to where if it does come up, and sometimes it comes up for a play or two, and sometimes it comes up for the whole game like it did with Amari being injured early.”

 

What has that connection between Elijah and Joe been? As he’s gotten acclimated to the team and then Elijah being in a bigger role with Amari being out last week? 

“He has obviously had some familiarity with – Elijah’s had familiarity with Joe in the past, but I think what’s most important is what he’s doing now with Joe on the field and in the meeting room. That’s really the priority and the most important. Elijah’s such a hard worker both on the field and the meeting room that regardless of who’s playing quarterback, he works so hard to get on the same page. And that’s really what I’m most proud about with Elijah is how hard he works to be there for the quarterback, regardless of who’s playing.”

 

David Bell the last couple of weeks seems to have gotten a lot more reps during the game. The patience, he’s sort of shown kind of biding his time. Can you talk about that and how he’s kind of quietly approved over the course of this season? 

“I can’t say enough about David Bell and what he means to this team. He has played for us more here recently. He’s always prepared to play, that’s number one. And he can play in a multiple-position role, which we talked about earlier, how important that is. So, I think David could function at every spot we ask him to do because he’s very smart and when the ball is thrown to David, he’s caught the ball. And David is a true team player for us. Obviously, hasn’t played maybe as much as some of the other guys in our starting lineup, but he means as much to our team as those starters. He really does, because he can function in those roles when you need a guy and I thought he did a great job this past week versus the Rams of being able to, at times, help some other guys get lined up and to do their job in different roles once Amari was injured.”

 

How are you seeing Cedric (Tillman) improve? I know he had a couple more targets against the Rams, but how has he improved this season? 

“Yeah, Cedric has really made a lot of progress and he really has improved and we’ve seen that daily from Cedric as we’ve gone along throughout the year. And he’s improved because he’s taken the coaching and he’s worked extremely hard. But it’s nice to see him have some confidence now that he’s played and I think just exposure experience helps him in his development, which he’s gotten more reps out there in the last couple of weeks and that’s been really good. But Cedric has really done a nice job both run and pass. He’s done a really nice job for us in the run game of being physical and he’s very unselfish that way and helps the team in both the run and the pass. But his improvement has really been based on him just constantly working, taking the coaching, not only from me, but he’s really taken to some of the leaders that we have on offense that have kind of guided him along the way. Not necessarily X’s and O’s, but just how to be a professional and how to go about his business on a daily basis as a rookie player.”

 

What did you think of the way that Joe Flacco stepped in there, spread the ball around to nine different pass catchers and just managed the game? 

“Yeah. Very impressed with Joe last week and I was so impressed with the way he worked throughout the week. You know, really did a nice job of trying to be on the same page with our receivers and had a really good lot of communication between the two, so that was nice to see. I just think he did a really nice job and worked really hard last week.”

 

With Marquise (Goodwin), I don’t know if he’s completely cleared yet or not, but if he is and is able to play, could he have a role after missing so much time and do you feel like you guys kind of missed that speed? 

“Yeah, if Marquise is available to us, he definitely brings the element of speed, which is awesome. And Marquise is a player that has really stayed engaged when he has not been with us out there physically. So, I know when the time comes when he’s going to be available to us and he has the opportunity, I think he’s going to make the most of it just because of what he’s done outside of – he really has controlled the things he can control and that is, stay attentive in the meetings, stay locked into our game plan. He was obviously with us all week in Los Angeles last week and did a great job of being just right there with us and trying to learn everything we were doing in the game plan despite not playing. So, I know that he’ll make the most of his opportunity as a veteran player that brings speed, and I look forward to getting him back in the lineup whenever that is.”

 

When you look at some of the drops that have happened, and I know some of them didn’t come from your routes, but when you look at some of the drops, do you attribute it to four different quarterbacks or just they have to focus more? 

“From my perspective, it’s about us. It really is. And there have been some changes at the quarterback position, which we’re all aware of, but at the end of the day, regardless of who’s throwing the ball, it’s our job to catch it. So, we go back and really work hard at the fundamentals in that area, just like we will in certain fundamentals that were lacking in previous weeks. We really go back and work harder on those and make that a point of emphasis. I know Coach (Kevin) Stefanski always talks about, you get what you emphasize, and that’s something we definitely put as an emphasis of just fundamentally, let’s catch the ball and be really clean there and despite the quarterback changes. It’s all about us and our ability just to be fundamentally sound and catch the ball.”

 

Austin Watkins, if he’s up, is he ready for some targets and ready to go? 

“Yeah. Austin Watkins is another player that’s in the room. We have players that obviously are on the active roster or players on the practice squad, and we talk to all those guys about just being prepared at all times. Austin was called up a few weeks ago, and I really felt like he was ready to go in the game if he’s called upon. He’s really worked hard in his practice squad role. You know, that’s all we ask guys to do is be prepared when your time comes. We’re all in this together. There’s going to be a time where you’ll have your opportunity, but you have to put the preparation in and be mentally ready to go, which I believe Austin’s another one of our receivers who has embraced the challenge of kind of playing different roles, and I know he would be ready for the opportunity if he was called upon.”

 

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