Running Backs Coach Duce Staley (11.14.25)
Do you feel like with Tommy (Rees) calling the plays, maybe the biggest change has been with the run game for, I know it’s only a very small sample size, but where have you noticed a difference in how he’s calling the run game compared to Kevin (Stefanski)?
“Like you said, it’s a small sample size, but just going back and just looking at it – of course, you got to always look at the situation, look at the time on the clock – you got to put that in play. But I thought that last week, of course, he leaned on it a little bit more, maybe.”
What are the challenges of you guys trying to stick with the run and keep going with Quinshon (Judkins) when you are facing so many stacked boxes?
“That’s the challenge, and that’s a lot of respect to the line, of course, start there first. And then, of course, then the running backs. But no excuses, we still got to turn cracks in the holes.”
I know you guys did some different things with Malachi (Corley) and the jet sweeps and stuff like that, but do you have to keep getting creative like that to loosen up those boxes a little bit?
“Yeah, we look to be creative each and every week. And of course, like you just said earlier, just knowing what type of box you want to face – eight, nine guys sometimes, you got to make sure that you’re on point on how you’re going to attack. Not only that many people are in the box, but they’re all coming downhill to create one wall. So, it’s kind of hard sometimes, but you just got to take advantage of what they give us.”
I know the (Baltimore) Ravens run defense has really improved over their last handful of games, and they’ve moved Kyle Hamilton more into the box. What are the challenges with that compared to week two, when you guys saw them last?
“Yeah, but historically, when you think about the Ravens, as long as (John) Harbaugh’s been there, they’ve been a good run defense – they take pride in stopping the run. So, for them to make that adjustment, that was coming if they were struggling in the run game like they were. But this has always been a good team versus the run, we got our work cut out for us. But when they put another guy like Kyle in box, who I got a lot of respect for, because he’s a guy that can play nickel, backer, dime backer –f he plays safety, he’s aggressive, so you got to account for him. And it creates some mismatches sometimes, especially when they’re receivers that’s going in and try to block him, and that’s what they want to do.”
It feels like, Duce, one of Quinshon’s strengths is patience, letting the play develop. Do you think that’s just an instinctual thing, or do you work with him on it?
“We work on it, and it’s instinctual, too. And certain concepts bring that where you got to be patient, in certain concepts, you can’t be patient. And he does a great job with that, along with his vision. If you’re patient, you got to have good vision, you got to have an idea on how the block’s going to be surfaced and who’s going to who. So, he does a great job with that.”
Is that connected? He’s had some success bouncing plays to the outside that don’t look like they’re designed to go out there. Is that connected to the patience, and the vision and being able to wait?
“Yeah, it’s connected to the patience, of course, the vision, and also creating that one wall that I just spoke of – when everybody comes downhill and they have a gap. And if Q was patient, he’s able to see some of that and make a decision.”
So, you’ve been really happy with his vision and his choices when he’s running the football?
“Yeah, I’ve been happy. Of course, there’s a lot of things that he can work on, he’d be the first to tell you. But being out here now, doing what he’s doing, missing training camp, not really having those days – those are valuable days that he didn’t get a chance to get. Being able to come in and just go from the board, film to the field has been good for him.”
Duce, you obviously played the position, you know it so well. When you see a guy like Derrick Henry, who’s been so good for so long, especially with his style, such a physical runner. What do you think of that?
“Man, I want to know what he’s eating, drinking, whatever it is. I mean, I got a lot of respect for Derrick. Just sitting back, watching him. Of course, when he was with Tennessee (Titans) or whatever, now coming to the Ravens, being able to pick up where he left off at. Because a lot of times when you have running backs, you have running backs that go to other teams, he’s like, ‘Okay, this year, he’s going to fall off,’ still waiting. ‘This year he’s going to fall off,’ still waiting. Then you see the videos of him running up a hill, pulling weight behind him. I mean, this guy hit the fountain of youth somewhere.”
How about Dylan Sampson? Do you feel like in these final eight games this season, that’s one area that you guys can mine a little bit for more production?
“Yeah, without a doubt. And we have conversations about him, of course, just putting them in certain situations where we can just concentrate on his skill set, because he has one. No matter if it’s in the passing game, he’s a great runner, we saw that at Tennessee, and we saw that thos couple snaps versus Cincinnati (Bengals), of course. But, just being able to get him in some situations and kind of get that one-two punch going with him, Q – Actually, one- three, him, Q and Jerome (Ford).
How do you keep Jerome ready to step in? Because he has gotten in at certain snaps and everything. How does he handle that sort of, just waiting for those opportunities?
“Yeah. Jerome is a savvy vet, I’m glad to have him in my room. Works hard, helps the others, and he knows when that time is called, he’s there. So, no matter if it’s third down, no matter if it’s second down, somebody needs a blow, no matter what it is, he’s right there to step in and do his job. And I’m really, really happy to see just his production on third down. You go back and watch some of the things he’s been doing from picking up blitzes, being able to know who he has, put people in the right situation, being able to chip, help the line – he’s been outstanding.”
It seems like teams are really stacking the box against you guys and trying to sell out to stop the run. How do you go about teaching your guys or working with your guys to attack that situation, when you know there’s going to be higher numbers of guys in that box trying to stop them and work with them?
“Yeah, every yard matters, and that’s what I tell the running backs. You know, you get a chance to turn the film on, and you see just what you said – a lot of teams stacking a box, coming down, creating one wall. But once again, our motto is turn cracks into holes. So, if we see a crack, we definitely want to hit it. Sometimes you can break arm tackles and continue to keep your legs trained to kind of run through it. But as a running back, you’re like, ‘Okay, I’m being patient, I want the big one.’ Sometimes you just got to keep trying to keep churning, keep chopping and it’ll come.”
Baltimore uses that 300-pound fullback and he’s healthy again. I was just curious, when you played, did you like having that big dude in front of you?
“Yeah, I did, and God bless him, his name, it was Kevin Turner – I don’t know if you remember that name. What an outstanding fullback. I’m sitting up here talking fullback and see wide eyes like, ‘Wow, you played a long time ago,’ – yes I did, I played a long time ago. But you see a lot of teams, and to this day, of course, like you said, Baltimore, Detroit (Lions), when they get a chance to take a tight end, or a true fullback with (Jason) Cabinda, a couple years ago when they had him. When you have a guy, a true fullback that can get his pass down and run through contact and run through these backers. This day and time, defenses sometimes struggle to fit against a true fullback because it’s not worked on like it was in my years, but just being able to be on the other sideline and see a fullback, I kind of chuckle sometimes and be like, ‘Those are my days.’”
There’s so many ebbs and flows to the NFL, like it evolves over time. As you talk about like fullbacks, do you think there’s a world where that position comes back to be more prominent? Especially with nowadays guys are drafting these quick linebackers that can go cover, and they’re not as big and bruising. Do you think there’s a world where that happens?
“Yeah, I really do. When you talk about the linebackers being drafted, that linebacker today that you spoke of, he has to be able to match number three in the pass game sometimes, and that number three receiver’s fast. So, of course, you think about it, look at Kansas City (Chiefs), they played with a fullback, talked about Detroit, putting the Y back there and having a fullback a year or two ago, of course Baltimore. It’s a couple t
eams that have fullbacks, and I guess just having one is one thing, but going back to the old school way of using them is another.”
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