Offensive Coordinator Ken Dorsey (10.31.24)
So how did it feel to be calling plays again and how do you feel like it went?
“You know, it’s last week, this week, it’s just the NFL season is such a whirlwind, and things happen so fast, and sometimes you don’t have a chance to really kind of think and reflect about till the end of the year. But I thought was a good start to that process. I thought the communication between myself and the staff… Being upstairs, that’s critical, that communication piece of it. So that was very smooth. Kevin (Stefanski) was awesome on game day with his communication and his input, what he was seeing. So, I that’s critical to any time, as a play caller, if you’re on the field, you really got to rely on the box and if you’re in the box, you really got to rely on the guys on the field. So felt good to be back kind of doing that, in that process, in that routine and now it’s just kind of… like we talked about last week, it’s a very different process and routine. So, it’s good to kind of maintain that as the weeks go here.”
Do you feel like you should have been calling plays from the beginning?
“No, I think – look, Kevin has called plays at a high level in this league for a long time. He’s been a multiple Coach of the Year for a reason, as a head coach and as a play caller. I’ve got a lot of trust in Kevin, and I think if Kevin were calling it last week, I’d like to think we’d have very similar results because it wasn’t about the plays. It was about us going out and executing at a high level. Our preparation that week led to us having good things happen. So, I think that he’s obviously done a great job for a lot of years and we were good last week. The key is though, consistency in this league. We got to do the same thing this week.”
What does that vantage point up in the box provide you that you can’t get — I mean, obviously you can sort of see more, but for you specifically, what do you gain out of that than from them being down on the field?
“It’s a great question because it is a very different viewpoint and you see the game very differently. It’s almost like playing a video game up there. You kind of see the big picture more so than just that isolated on field view. So, the viewpoint is very different, you kind of see things unfold as it’s happening, but you rely on the coaches down on the field for kind of what’s going on down there, the feel and the vibe of the sideline. And then their input on maybe sometimes if a DB is doing one thing versus kind of how you’re seeing it. So up there you’re really looking big picture, more so than anything. So that vantage point is definitely very different than being on the field.”
Ken, if (Kyle) Hamilton holds on to that interception, everything is different. So, my question is, how do you coach (Jameis) Winston to be more careful with where he’s throwing the football?
“Yeah, I think that’s a constant thing you’re harping on the quarterbacks about. You’re constantly talking about one, decision making and making sure we’re doing the right things with the football, and then two, ball placement. Ball placement is huge for us to obviously guarantee completions and then maximize rack opportunities for our receivers. Whether it’s them sitting down in space, offset throw, get knife and get North, whether it’s front pad throws on runaways. And that example, I think is a good example of little things that we can work on, whether it’s technique or ball placement to make sure we’re not in those situations.”
What do you think the difference was for the offensive line and the significant improvement in their performance?
“I think they’re getting more and more comfortable as games get on because we’re getting guys in spots where they’re kind of having more starts together and they’ve worked together. We’ve had a little bit of a rotation in there, guys have had to shuffle in and out and that type of thing. So, you haven’t had that continuity as much and hopefully now these guys… they’ve moved to some different spots, yes, but it’s a group that’s a veteran group that has had a lot of starts together. And I think them kind of gelling together has helped. Hopefully we can continue to mix the run game, the drop back game, the quick game, the play action game, and have a good mix to make sure that we’re not one dimensional for them, especially because that’s big in protection and as much as we can stay multidimensional that’s only going to, I think, help those guys out up front.”
Ken, you mentioned the communication part on game day between you and just the coaching staff, but for Kevin specifically, that’s the first time he hasn’t had the play sheet where he’s more of like a supporting role. So just, I guess, can you give more details and what that’s kind of like on game days. Is it like if you have a play in mind, how often is he, like, ‘Well, I have this play in mind’? You guys are kind of bouncing stuff off of each other?
“And a lot of it happens between series. A lot of it is kind of what we’re anticipating coming up on the next series and what we’re looking at and any thoughts there and adjustments there. There were some plays that weren’t in the game plan, even that Kev (Kevin Stefanski) brought up that were critical plays for us and we were able to install on the sideline. And that was a lot of just kind of his experience and a lot of things that we’ve run here a lot in the past that maybe I haven’t run as much in my past. And they were great plays for us. So, things like that were huge because it helps you kind of limit your tendencies as a play caller a little bit when you have that type of communication. And I think trust between myself and him, and him and myself, that type of trust to where it’s like, ‘Hey, that’s a good shoot, let’s do that’ and go that direction. Because there’s going to be points in the game where not everything is flowing, not everything’s perfect, and you’ve got to adjust and you got to give the defense different looks or give your guys things that they’re comfortable with. So, I think those were things that really popped up in the game because not everything was perfect in the game. There was some things that were good, and obviously our red zone execution, we got to be better there. But I think the communication, to your point, mid series is where a lot of that stuff happens and then you kind of plan in your head, ‘Okay, here’s what I’m getting to this series,’ and that way you’re staying ahead of the game a little bit, anticipating what your calls will be, and then you’re also kind of giving the defense different looks.”
What have you seen out of Ced (Cedric Tillman) the last two weeks when he’s really come on with the opportunities and especially on that winning touchdown, what did you see that made you call it?
“Yeah, I think obviously Ced just in general, his physical tool set and his mindset, he comes in and works hard every day. And so, the way he plays and the speed in which he plays is the speed in which he practices. He is flying around all the time at practice, too. So, I think that pops for me. For a guy his size to be able to run like he can and get in on cuts like he can. And then we ask him to do a lot for us. He’s in different spots and he handles it well. But those things are obviously big for him.”
And then on the winning touchdown. What did you see that made you think that that was going to….
“Yeah, and again, that was a little bit of Kevin as much as me right there, just in terms of some of the pressures they were bringing right there. And it gave us an opportunity to protect and yet still have a good answer on a high-low combination if they are in a zone or they’re not pressuring or anything like that. So that was kind of the thought process there and Ced is a part of multiple options on that route. And I thought that’s where you’re at your best as an offense if, ‘Hey, the quarterback goes and he’s trusting what he’s seeing, and the ball is going to the guy where that read dictates’ and I think that was a great case of it. Ced is on that inside route right there, the read dictated it going to him, so he took it. He’s not trying to force it in that situation to JJ (Jerry Jeudy) or force it to anybody else. He’s just trusting what he’s seeing based off of what the coverage is doing.”
When you’re working on the game plan, maybe it’s more choice run with Winston at quarterback instead of (Deshaun) Watson. How does your preparation change?
“Yeah, I mean, obviously just different styles of play. Jameis not as much as the zone read stuff and the pulling it and all that stuff. So, I think obviously you get into some of those types of things, but the pass game wise I don’t know if there’s a major kind of like, ‘Hey, let’s run more of this,’ just because he is in. I think you’re looking for concepts that you feel like are effective based off the defense you’re seeing that your guys are comfortable in running. And I think that’s just a weekly thing no matter who is the quarterback in the game.”
Do you think he sees the field a little better than Watson?
“I wouldn’t say better. I think they see the field differently. They see the game differently because they’re different people. Everybody kind of has their own way of playing in a way and own way of. They might have the exact same play, but they might see it a little bit differently. And not saying that’s good, bad or indifferent, it’s just human nature.”
In two games have you made the conclusion that Nick Chubb is better with the quarterback under center than at shotgun back?
“That’s a great question. I think you want to be able to be versatile. I think obviously we’ve gotten to a little bit more under center type stuff as the weeks have gone right here. So, I think Nick’s the type of back that he’s been effective in a lot of different areas over the years and I think we just want to continue to utilize him and maximize his touches as much as possible. And that has been, yes, a little bit more under center as the weeks have gone on. Has it been effective for us? I do think it has been in terms of not only the run, but some of the actions and stuff off of that. But we can’t just live in an under-center world. We got to be able to do both and I think we’ll continue to do that whether it’s Nick or anybody else in there.”
When you look at this offense and where it is now and moving forward, you see Nick’s getting back better, Wyatt Teller is back now, Jack (Conklin) is getting stronger, David Njoku is finally healthy. So, does it seem to you when you look at the big picture of what’s going on this season, that there were a whole lot of things that just were not going right in the beginning that seem to be going so much better now?
“Yeah, I think there’s definitely… when guys are healthy, it helps you, but I think we’ve had a lot of guys be able to step up and play some major roles for us and help us out and that’s been encouraging. And then those guys have been able to get that experience and that’s helped us when Dave (David Njoku) does have to come out now we got, ‘Hey, Jordan (Akins) can step in or (Geoff) Swaim can step in’ and you have those types of scenarios where they can’t play the entire game, you got to have faith in those guys to go in and execute also. But I do think the more guys are out there together, the more that kind of feel and the flow of the offense, it helps that. But in this league, there’s going to be injuries, there’s going to be situations where you’ve got to be able to overcome that and there can’t be any excuses like, ‘Hey these guys are out’. It’s just like this week, if something happens, a guy breaks a shoelace in a game, we got to be able to execute that next play and still operate at an extremely high level.”
When you guys game plan on Tuesday, your game plan and against their defense. But how much does (Jim) Harbaugh’s smash mouth offense come into play, into what you want to do offensively?
“I think that’s a great question. I always relate it to whenever you’re game playing offensively you want to – Think of it this way, you want to attack a defense how you see fit to score points. And I think were you get in trouble sometimes is ‘All right, we’re playing this offense, so we’ve got to now change to this and we’ve got to kind of change and do different things that we’re not necessarily comfortable with.’ I think at the end of the day you got to give your guys what they feel comfortable with executing and you feel like you can go out and score points, and that’s the biggest factor. What’s going to help you operate on a consistent basis with execution and go out and score points? And it can’t be completely changing your mindset from ‘Now it’s ball control,’ or now it’s ‘Hey, we got to take a bunch of shots’. You got to do what your identity is.”
He’s been able to draw teams into his game, the (Kansas City) Chiefs game for one, by holding the ball. I mean, so does that create a greater sense of urgency to get a lead so he can’t control a game like that?
“I think any time we step on the field, our objective is to go and drive the football and score points. And I don’t think that’s going to change whether we’re playing Coach Harbaugh or any other team in the league.”