Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. talks about preparations for the Bucs and weighs in on Alvin Kamara returning.
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00:00 >> [LAUGH] >> Good timing.
00:02 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:10 >> So how does your preparation change at all with quarterbacks?
00:16 >> Yeah, I think right now it's a day to day process.
00:19 We'll see where we're at in a couple days.
00:20 But as far as getting the preparation going,
00:23 it's still the same thing we do every week in the game plan ready.
00:28 Anticipate who we think will be out there and
00:30 put the guys in a position to have success.
00:32 So I think as far as the overall preparation, it's still ongoing.
00:39 >> I mean, you have two game plans, one for each quarterback or is it that?
00:42 >> I would say that as you get through the final week and
00:45 then a decision is made, you kind of, whatever you have in your game plan,
00:49 you get to say, hey, what are you comfortable with?
00:51 And then I think you make your final decision when that decision is made.
00:55 >> What are some of the, I'm sorry,
00:56 what are some of the things that can be done or you can do to kind of help out
00:59 the offense as well?
01:01 >> Yeah, I think this, I think that, if you just look,
01:05 I would start off with saying, hey, I gotta do a better job and
01:09 they gotta play better and I think they will.
01:11 I think that we've done some things to try to get some help on the edges and
01:17 stuff like that.
01:17 But I think we just gotta continue to find ways to how maybe we're sliding the line
01:22 or things like that that give them some help inside.
01:26 >> If it is, James, what are some things that you think you would have done?
01:30 >> Yeah, I think, yeah, we'll be confident with what Humber ends up playing out.
01:34 But I think that he pushes the ball downfield very well.
01:38 I think that from the preparation and all that, he's gonna be spot on and
01:42 everybody in that room is prepared as if they're playing.
01:47 >> Pete, with Derek, is it a matter of communicating with the medical staff
01:51 a lot this week?
01:52 Is it Derek communicating pain tolerance?
01:54 How do you guys kinda find out when he's gonna be ready?
01:56 >> Yeah, I think that really all happens between the head coach,
01:59 the training staff, Mickey, and those guys.
02:01 Just they keep us up to date, day to day, but this is how they feel maybe.
02:07 But it really doesn't get decided.
02:09 It's not gonna be shared out as far as the communication with the training room,
02:14 but that comes from the head coach.
02:16 >> Pete, another one of those basic level, just understanding questions.
02:20 I think I've heard Cam Jordan complain a hundred times over the years about
02:24 quarterbacks who just throw the ball too quick for the pass rush to get there.
02:28 What is the downside of running offense like that?
02:30 >> I don't think there's any downside to this.
02:32 I mean, obviously, you wanna get the ball out.
02:34 Which is what I thought.
02:36 When you go back to the first half of that game against Bay,
02:40 the first series, we end up in third and ten, third and nine.
02:45 And then the second is the sack.
02:47 Second series, we go down the score, we stay manageable.
02:49 Third series, we end up third and nine or ten.
02:53 I think it was third and ten in the first, third and nine, and third and sack.
02:58 So I think in the fourth series, when it's a two-in drive, we go down,
03:00 kick the field open.
03:01 So you look at it, and you're saying, well, what are we doing on first and
03:04 second down?
03:05 That's not helping us get into manageable third down situations.
03:08 And so maybe that's the opportunity for you.
03:11 You're having a chance to get balls out, get them out quick.
03:13 Put yourself in managable positions when you're third and long.
03:16 Sometimes you're out in the corner, bro, and you're not slowing.
03:19 You don't miss.
03:21 That's what we're trying to do here.
03:22 >> And then, yeah, the success on first down runs and
03:25 the right game in general, is that- >> Yeah, that needs to be better.
03:28 And I'm just waiting to start.
03:33 But I feel confident in those guys.
03:34 They've done it before.
03:35 So again, we got a challenge again this weekend with the Tampa Bay defense.
03:39 So we'll be spot on.
03:42 >> Keith, you know that- >> I'm frustrated.
03:43 >> You shouldn't have frustrated.
03:47 >> Yeah, well, obviously, it starts with me, so we gotta get that going.
03:52 I'll put that on my shoulders.
03:54 >> Yeah, that last drive, it's after the first down run,
03:56 they let the clock run, they didn't take the timeout.
03:59 Did that affect the decisions to throw there?
04:02 Cuz they were basically planning to keep the timeout in their pocket either way.
04:06 >> You're asking about the end of the- >> The final three plays,
04:09 leading to the kick, where you threw on second down, threw on third down.
04:12 And they let the clock run after first down, which I thought was a little unusual.
04:15 >> Yeah, I think that at that point, we would have liked to have gotten closer.
04:21 And we did.
04:23 I think that we would have liked to have gotten closer, really have one more first
04:27 down to make them have to use all their timeouts.
04:29 And then maybe when it was time down, so we have a closer kick at that.
04:34 But I think that for us, we got the first down, and
04:37 we felt that that timeout made us run it.
04:40 And see what happens, and of course, we didn't take any yardage on that first
04:44 ball on Tasty there.
04:45 And so that kind of made a decision as to what we would do.
04:48 >> And the decision for them to go for two on that first touchdown,
04:51 obviously that's a more popular thing.
04:53 >> Yes, it is. >> What is kind of your take on that
04:54 strategy?
04:55 >> Well, I think any time the head coach tells us to be ready for
04:59 that situation to come up, we'll be ready for it.
05:01 And I think like you said, I think we're a more team here doing it, and
05:04 I think we're a team that's having success with it.
05:07 >> I could answer this last week, but what's it feel like having Allen back?
05:12 >> I'm happy, it's a good thing.
05:14 And obviously he's been a big part of what we've done here over the years, and
05:17 we'll probably go on continuing that.
05:20 But I'm just excited to have him back.
05:23 >> Question. >> Yeah.
05:24 >> Has it been an organizational principle for
05:27 you all to have a capable number two you can trust,
05:30 just considering what you kind of had to deal with this last time?
05:33 >> Yeah, I think that we've always felt good about the guys that were in
05:36 the building, and obviously someone like James has experience.
05:39 And he's played and won a lot of games in this league, and so
05:43 I think that there's a comfortable level there.
05:46 >> I think Todd Bolden said when asked about preparing this week, that he's just
05:51 gonna prepare for the Saints offense because there's not enough of a difference
05:54 between the way Carr and Winston play in this offense to worry about that.
05:59 Do you agree?
05:59 >> Well, I think that overall probably he's talking about very similar concepts.
06:04 And then I think that as you reduce the game plan at the end of the week,
06:08 you kind of pick what their favorites are.
06:10 And then there might be a majority of those plays that they won't like.
06:14 And so I think there's a little wrinkles maybe,
06:18 a couple adjustments that you make.
06:19 But I think that as we put this plan together, whoever goes out and
06:23 has to execute it will be positive.
06:26 >> How would you characterize Tampa Bay's defense and
06:30 the history they've had?
06:31 They've got a lot of veterans that have been in the system a while, and Todd.
06:35 What's unique about them?
06:36 >> Well, I think their pressure package,
06:40 as far as guys that are dogging and blitzing, it's a high pressure percentage team.
06:47 I think that's one of the most unique things about them is the unique
06:51 pressures that they bring.
06:52 You see a lot of different looks from their defense.
06:55 I think it's always been a great tackling defense,
06:57 a defense that gets up and challenging, takes the ball away.
07:00 But I think from their pressure package and with their doggers,
07:03 blitzers, they've got a lot of safeties.
07:05 I think that's been unique to this defense.
07:08 >> When you look at, is it possible, when you look at,
07:13 I know you've worked with a lot of quarterbacks and stuff.
07:15 So I was just curious about your thinking on this.
07:17 Mayfield and Winston, if he plays, they have some similarities with their,
07:20 both Heisman winners, number one overalls.
07:23 Neither one are with their first team.
07:25 They're still trying to, I guess,
07:30 fill their potential after several years in the NFL.
07:35 But is it hard to necessarily say that they have plateaued?
07:42 Or what can you say about it?
07:44 >> I would talk just about Jameis from my personal experience.
07:48 And I think that he's had success in this league.
07:51 We gotta find the ways to put him in those positions to do the things that he's had
07:55 success with.
07:56 So I think I'm very comfortable with him if that ends up being the situation that
07:59 we have to go with.
08:00 But I don't want to comment on him, really.
08:04 >> I mean, just generally from all your experience in 20 years,
08:07 have you seen instances where quarterbacks took half a decade or
08:11 so to really figure it out?
08:13 >> Well, I think that there's probably a lot of situations where it's unique to
08:16 every guy.
08:17 Every guy's different.
08:18 I think that even if you go back through,
08:21 I think that growing in his career in San Diego,
08:26 he'll tell you he was benched a few times, but then all of a sudden it just clicked.
08:29 And I think that can be unique to every guy.
08:32 >> Is it kinda