Offensive Line Coach Andy Dickerson (11.1.24)

So, are you gonna have an eighth line combination this week?

“Wouldn’t that be fun? Is that what it is, eight?”

 

It was seven last week.

“What time is kickoff this week?”

 

1:00.

“Probably know about 1:02ish depending on the coin flip.”

 

You’ve been listening to Kevin (Stefanski) haven’t you? 

“The head coach? Oh yeah, should listen to him. That’s a good coaching point.”

 

Was it nice to have a pretty healthy line last week and then for them to block the way they did and all of that? 

“Yeah, it’s always great when you have a healthy line or healthy any position and when you win, everything’s better, obviously. So, to see the success, to see the two-minute drive at the end and just the totality of the game, I think it just shows the continued growth of this offense and it’s an ultimate team game however you want to slice it. So wide receivers, running backs, tight ends and protection doing a great job. So anytime you win, because it’s hard to win this league regardless, right? So, it was good to have a win.”

 

Have you ever gone through this much? Especially early in the season, have that much continuity churn? 

“There was some previously that I’ve had. You have to roll guys all the time. It happens, it’s part of the game, injuries are an unfortunate part of the game and the ‘next man up’ cliche is true. You prepare those guys; you try to get them as many reps you can through scout team and through different things. But whatever is presented you have to go at it. Sometimes you got to map and sometimes you just got to deal with the terrain that you’re given, and you just got to approach it and get the communication. And that’s a good thing about trying to develop the younger players and get them on board and have them ask questions. And so, through that process, guys have to flip around left to right, different jumbo, muscle guys. So, it’s just part of the game. Everybody’s got to deal with it and so you just do the best you can and hope you’re preparing the guys throughout the course of the offseason and training camp and during the season as well.”

 

Joel (Bitonio) was talking yesterday, and he said he expects that maybe the team will rely more on kind of the under center plays as opposed to maybe some of the spread stuff that you guys were doing before. For an offensive line materially, what kind of changes in terms of like responsibilities and points of emphasis when you’re maybe doing more under center plays as opposed to shotgun?

“Yeah, so every week as a staff and as a team, you put together the best plan for that week. Every opponent’s different. So, if it’s more under center one week and if it’s more gun the other, like, we kind of find the best ways where we think the best plan is. So, sometimes you’re in different stances, but the runs are still the runs to me, so maybe there’s some landmarks that are a little different in the run game. If you’re offset gun versus under center for inside zone under center. Well, it’s the inside leg of the tackle, where if you’re under center, then it’s a play-side leg of the center. So, there’s some nuances, but every week there’s usually a mix of all those things and during the course of the game, you see what’s working, what may not be working, and then you adjust as you go. So, I mean, there’s different things you can do, but as long as there’s sameness and likeness that builds in, I think it’s not that big of a deal. But there are nuances, of course.”

 

Andy, how do you think Wyatt (Teller) did in his first game back?

“I think Wyatt did well, but there’s plenty of things to work on when you’re knocking off the rust. Some pad level, stuff we talked about, just working with the hands. But as you play and if you haven’t played for a while, the only way to do it is to continue to get back in that rhythm and flow and you do the best you can through practice. But he brings a physicality, different mentality and helps the O-line. And so, it was good to have him back because you always like to see guys come back and work through those injuries and what he was doing to get himself ready to come back to contribute, which he wanted to desperately. So, it was great to have him back out there.”

 

What about Dawand (Jones) in the first start at left tackle? First of all, how’d he do and then just how big of an adjustment is that going from spending a couple years at right to left?

“Yeah, I thought he did a pretty good job for his first start. There’s always going to be things to get better at and it was good to see him work through the process during the course of the week and then get out there. And he had his share of mistakes like everybody does but, the key coaching points and different things that you go through and just the reminders of trying to stay square, using his hands. Just good reminders, but you would you do the same thing if he was on the right. But for him, as you continue to go to be able to play both sides, it’s muscle memory. You’re bouncing around so something you may have done in high school, but you haven’t done it for a while. So, there is something to get used to doing, but that’s why you try to, as much as possible, get those guys just even in drills, if you’re flipping your hips and moving around just to get that feel. So, it’s something that everybody has to work through. We have Zak Zinter bouncing around at different side guards. Probably happens a little more often than tackles, but backup tackles, and you only get to dress eight. So that eighth guy, whoever that is, whoever that tackle backup is, has to be able to play both sides. So, you’re continually working with those guys to work their skills and really work on maybe their weaknesses more than their strengths at times.”

 

What did you see from him during those two weeks when he wasn’t in the starting lineup? He talked about trying to stay ready and all those kinds of things. But how do you think he handled that? 

“I think he did a great job of it. He’s asking questions, being attentive in meetings, and he’s always asking, ‘Hey, run that back. What was that? What coverage is that?’ So, he asked really good questions during the meeting. And just like with anything, sometimes you get to take a step back and you still prepare, and we talk about that the whole time. Just like however many of our lineups we’ve had, you have to tell those guys, ‘Hey, stay ready.’ That time we had Zak…Zak wasn’t playing, (Michael) Dunn was and then three plays in, Nick Harris goes down, ‘Hey, Dunn, slide on over to center.’ And I thought he did a good job in that game. ‘Hey, Zak. You’re not playing. ‘Hey, Zak, you got to go in three plays later.’ So that just is part of the whole deal of just football in general. But those guys being able to prepare, and we talk about it. We talked about at the game, ‘Hey, you didn’t think you were going to play? Hopefully you don’t play because nobody gets injured and then you have to be ready.’ So, it just shows the professionalism of the guys and to be ready to be called upon because they’re still going to be on field goal, they’re still in the game, but you just never know when you’re going to be needed. And those guys take a lot of pride in being ready when their number is called, if it has to be called.”

 

How much did it help to have Jameis (Winston) getting rid of the ball quickly, sliding the protections, just that veteran experience that he brings to the table back there?

“Yeah, Jameis brings a great energy. He’s authentically himself, which you love, and you love to be around him. Just his whole presence. But with all football, it’s all 11. So, what are the wide receivers doing, what are the tight ends helping in protection, the running back? So, it’s all 11 regardless of the game, who’s in there. And that’s why everybody has to do their job in every single play because you’re relying on the man next to you to get that job done. So, you give the trust them and they have to trust you to get their job done. So, I thought it was being — you never want to have an injury happen. So, it’s very unfortunate what happened to Deshaun (Watson), but another next man up mentality. You step in, he prepared like he was the starter always. That’s cliche, but that’s what those guys have to do to be successful in the NFL. You have to be ready when your number is called and I thought he did a great job through the week of preparation, the communication. So, like I said, you hate to have the injuries, but he came in, was prepared and we got the dub.”

 

With guys like Dawand and Zak earlier this season having to step in, just how valuable do you think having the leadership of guys like Joel and Wyatt was for them in those roles?

“It’s awesome. Ever since the rookies got here and those guys have been got indoctrinated, have been around them. During meetings, you’ll be up there coaching, ‘Hey, Joel, anything to add on that?’ when talking about Zak or, ‘Hey, Jack Conklin.’ Jack worked his way back from the injuries. But the whole time in the meetings he’s like, ‘Hey, Dawand, another reminder.’ So those guys have always done a great job. Wyatt as well. So Ethan (Pocic), one of the better ones I’ve been around, just how knowledgeable he is, how smart he is, how detailed he is and it’s a great example to show how those guys work and prepare throughout the week. But those guys do a great job, like the O-line in general, of welcoming in everybody, knowing you’re going to need everybody at some point. Germain Ifedi, having a veteran like him to be around and just the different presence that he brings and experiences that he’s had. So, these guys all do a great job of helping one another. And I’ve said it before, I can learn from the, ‘Hey, Joel, what do you think on this? Hey, Jack, how do you want to handle — Hey, Po (Ethan Pocic), have you guys done this before? I see it like this. Hey, let’s talk about this.’ So just having those football conversations with those guys allows everybody to learn and get a little bit better.

 

Can Ifedi slide inside?

“We’ve worked him at guard. He’s started a couple games at guard. I forget the exact number. But he’s played all across the board, I think, except center.”

 

Is Jack, do you feel like he’s back to where he always has been, given he’s not been in the lineup, whatever, three or four weeks? 

“He’s definitely been improving every week. To see him how — I’ve never worked with him and just watching on tape, but each week you see the improvements and you can see, I think, just getting back into the flow that it takes a while after injuries to get your sea legs back under you, if you will.”

 

How about Nick (Chubb)? It looked like Nick running behind your guys last week just seemed a lot more comfortable, a lot stronger. Did you notice that in him? 

“I mean, ever since I’ve met the guy, I’ve heard about him before I got here, obviously. And actually, some people that I’ve worked with before they’re big fans of Nick Chubb. So just seeing him work every day, continue to get back from those injuries, and then there’s post practice stuff that those guys do in their process to get back. And so, part of that, I think we had Zinter snapping and just seeing him work through and I think it was maybe only like, whatever it was, but just him working back through and just seeing that. So, I think with any injury, I think every day you get a little better. Not being my expertise, but it’s always fun to get the running backs to get going a little bit.”