Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz (10.3.24)
As the quarterback run, the quarterback option has become more prevalent in the last decade or so, how has the defensive adjustments advanced and evolved in that same time period?
“Yeah, I mean, that’s obviously been going on for a while. I think we were talking about it this week; I think it was maybe 2006 that I think we started seeing it in the NFL with some of the stuff. It had been in college a little bit earlier than that, but we started seeing some bleedover. And what it does is just an extra guy to account for. A lot of times in eight-man front, you got eight, they got seven and you should be in pretty good position against the run. When you have to factor in the quarterback, then it’s a different story. But that being said, you always had to account for some quarterbacks going back to Fran Tarkenton and Eddie LeBaron and those guys way back in the day. You had to account for them on scrambles, so that was an extra layer. And really using the quarterback as a run, it was under center, but the Mike Shanahan, Alex Gibbs stretch-run game with those dudes running those boots at full speed. I mean, whether it was Jake Plummer or Michael Vick, put a lot of pressure on the defense, and that was a scheme that broke a lot of your rules. Used to be defensive ends would climb to the depth of the quarterback, but then they’d kill you on the cutback run if you did that, so you started closing. Well, then it made you more susceptible to the boot. So, just like anything, there’s a lot of things that sort of come in trend and out of trend. But I would say this, it forces you, not just a quarterback run, but the RPO, I mean, it’s a run, but it’s also a pass. So it just forces defenses to have to defend 53-and-a-third yards, the width of the field, in addition to all the run gaps, also.”
Alex Wright posted that he’s going to have tricep surgery and is out for the year. So just how unfortunate to lose him this early and how have you seen him grow these last couple of years?
“Yeah, I’ll sort of defer to Kevin (Stefanski) on talking about injuries and things like that. So I don’t want to comment on that. I will comment on the guys that we do have. It’s just opportunity for other guys to step up. Particularly a guy like Isaiah McGuire, who has played some really good snaps in a limited role and be able to get to see that role possibly expanded and give some more opportunities for some guys, some veteran players like Za’Darius (Smith) Ogbo (Okoronkwo). They got to give us good pressure and they got to be able to help make up for those things; be a physical presence, be a guy that rushes the passer well. We expect that from all our guys and the guys that will be out there. It gives them great opportunity. Isaiah, Sam Kamara, in their roles, they played really well when it comes to grading out. I think one was like 17 of 18, the other one was 11 of 12 or 12 of 13. It was something like that. So it gives them a chance to expand those roles and get more production with more playing time.”
What did you think the issues with the run defense were against the (Las Vegas) Raiders? Myles (Garrett) mentioned maybe they were attacking the edges and going after the back end a little bit.
Yeah, I mean, everybody wants to attack our edges. I thought probably the biggest things in the game, we got a thing that I try to guard against, we got way too antsy when we had them backed up at the end of the first half and instead of doing our job, we were trying to make a safety. And when we did that, we jumped out of a gap and we got gashed in the run game and we let them off the hook. So there was that. There was a couple times interior gaps either got blocked or got vacated. I think when it was all said and done, that was probably a little bit more. And then the third down run, third-and-10 run, which put them in position to score a touchdown. You look back on that game, I think there were like three really critical plays. We had a third down, had a really good rush and coverage and hit the quarterback, and we’re off the field probably forcing a punt, and we hit the quarterback in the head, which is the second time in the last couple of weeks we do, and it gives them 15 yards, keeps the drive alive, and they get a field goal off of that. So we’re talking three points there. And then we have a third and 10 where they’re already in field goal range, but it’s a fairly long field goal, whatever, it’s in the 40s, whatever it is, and they run the ball just to sort of solidify the field goal and we miss three tackles, give up a first down and they get a touchdown. So that’s basically a four-point play there. So there’s seven points in the game. And then you combine that with getting squirrelly on the backed up where we couldn’t resist the urge to try to do too much and we tried to get a safety instead of playing good team defense, forcing a punt, and now maybe the offense has, whatever it would have been, 20 seconds left or whatever, ball around midfield to try to kick a long field goal. So when it was all said and done, I really think the game came down to those three and there were critical mistakes by us and it cost us the game.”
There seems to be like two quarters of sloppy tackling. I mean, you corrected it, but those two quarters were very destructive to that game.
“Yeah, I’d say, Tony (Grossi), it’s probably more than just sloppy tackling. We have generally been a couple series of sloppy play and we shouldn’t have to get kicked in the teeth to start playing because when we do start playing, you know, whatever, the last two and a half quarters against Dallas, ridiculously. I mean, but you can’t erase those series before that. (New York) Giants, fumble, punt, punt, punt, missed field goal, like really good stuff. And same thing with this, like getting the ball back for our offense, scoring on defense, but that gets erased by the sloppy play. And until we get that consistency, we’re going to play like a 1-3 football team and we’re playing like a 1-3 defense right now.”
I know that every year is different, kind of starting from square one. But what’s maybe one thing that you really liked about last year that hasn’t necessarily transferred or carried over to this season?
“Yeah, I mean, I don’t know. I probably just try to concentrate more on this year and what we are. And I think, Tony (Grossi) probably — sound like you guys were in the meeting this week when it came to run defense and consistency of play. I mean, you guys are seeing the same thing that we’re seeing. Our guys need to respond to that. A good football team is defined by how well they tackle and we’ve been inconsistent in that area. We’ve had opportunities to either create some third and longs, get off the field on some third downs, and we’ve failed in those situations and those are things that we have to address as we go. And not just address, but we have to correct, and we have to respond the right way and play better.”
It looks like Isaiah McGuire is starting to establish himself as maybe a big hitter. The forced fumble was a nice play by him.
“During the game I thought that was Jeremiah (Owusu-Koramoah) because Jeremiah came in and made the hit and my eyes went to see that and saw the ball out and it wasn’t until I saw the replay, after as we were getting ready for the next series, but it was like, ‘I don’t know if Jeremiah made that.’ But Jeremiah made a great play, Isaiah made a really good play, Rodney McLeod made a really good play. You see Rodney picked the ball up, but his ability to set the edge on that, it was a blitz off the edge and he was the blitzer and he got the offensive tackle. And he was able to stymie that, which allowed those other guys to make it. Sorry, I preempted your question.”
No, it just looks like Isaiah seems poised to kind of step up into maybe this bigger opportunity he’s probably going to get.
“Yeah, check. We need him to. We need all hands on deck. We need everybody to play well and the greatest reward is the opportunity to do more and I think he’s earned that. He’s played physical football for us, he’s been slippery in his pass rush and he’ll get more opportunities.”
To follow up what you were saying about the tackling, like what do you think has led to maybe some of that inconsistency so far?
“Yeah, I mean, all of them are a little bit different. I think in general we need to take one extra step and not go off the diving board, so to speak. You know, like a little too much ankle grabbing and stuff like that. Generally, your correction is one more step. You tackle with your feet as much as anything. A lot of people talk about tackling them, wrapping up and shoulders and things like that. You tackle with your feet, you put your feet on the ball carrier, and we need to take one more step. There’s been a couple where it’s just been leverage problem and balls cut back on us. But those have probably been the biggest things. And I think this came up last year too, when you play good team defense and you run to the ball and you play with great effort, a lot of those missed tackles disappear. You still have them, but the second guy goes and cleans it up and that’s what we really need to put the emphasis on. It’s a little bit of technique, it’s a little bit of leverage. But we want to also see better team response to it, I guess. I don’t know the best way to put it, but there’s a couple different ways we can address it. And if you’re flying around and the next guy’s coming in, nobody notices that a guy missed a tackle because the next guy’s there cleaning up for one yard. I think we gave up; I want to say like 67, I can’t remember, but like 67 yards after first contact in this last game, and that’s not playing physical football.”
When you look at the (Washington) Commanders’ offense with Jayden Daniels and their threats in the run and pass game, what stands out to you as areas you guys are focusing on?
“I missed that last part.”
Like what areas in the run and pass game with Jayden Daniels, as well, that you guys are focusing on as a defense?
“Yeah, I mean, he just has really good command. I mean, what, they punted four times in four games, two games haven’t punted? I mean, that’ll get your attention really quickly. He’s been very efficient with the ball. He really understands the RPO zone read world. It’s something he’s done. Played a lot of college football in a very similar situation. So you see that comes up in his legs makes a difference. We’re going to do third down today and he’s converted somewhere in the neighborhood of like 40% of the third downs on scrambles, so it just adds a little bit more and he hasn’t made mistakes with the football. He’s playing really well for a rookie. We got to play tight coverage, we got to be in our gaps and we have to tackle well on the perimeter and they’ll challenge all of those things.”
How much value do you place on forcing takeaways or is your priority just sound defense, getting off the field and maybe that coming as a result of that?
Yeah, we’ve talked about that ad nauseam in the past. I think that anytime you start pressing to try to make plays, you can end up hurting yourself and I’ll reference that backed up play. I mean, we got a safety against Jacksonville, and it was good defense. This was like, ‘let me go make a play here and then try to cause a turnover.’ I mean, a safety is a turnover, and you can get yourself in trouble. If you play physical, relentless, sound football, your turnovers will come and you don’t make every opportunity, but over the course of time, they will. If you don’t play consistent, responsibility football and you don’t play physical and you don’t play tenacious, you won’t get those plays. I was proud of the guys getting that fumble. It got us back in the game. We were able to get the ball back a couple of times. It really felt like were going to win that game on that last drive. But sometimes you do have to guard against more and guys trying to do too much. Let’s play better within our scheme. Let’s not try to go outside the scheme just to sometimes get some fool’s gold when it comes to those plays.”
Earlier you said that it shouldn’t take a kick in the teeth for you guys to focus. Why do you think it has taken these wake-up calls to get going?
“Yeah, I don’t know.”
Daniels has gone to Cincinnati and Arizona, outplayed (Joe) Burrow and (Kyler) Murray. It’s not like their defense and special teams won those games. So how impressive is it that a rookie could go on the road and be two number one quarterbacks at their own game?
“Yeah, he’s in a scheme that fits him really well. He understands, uses all 53 and a third, he can make plays with his leg, he’s been a very accurate passer, he puts pressure on you on third down with the passing, but also the running and the scrambling. So all those things equal good play and it gets our guys attention. Twice a year we play Lamar Jackson, who has some very similar capabilities, so we know what it takes to stop that thing. We know how bad you can look if you let your guard down for one minute with guys like that and it won’t be any surprise for us when number five is out there.”