New Orleans Saints center Erik McCoy talks offensive line improvements and why frustration is not taking over.
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00:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:03 >> Eric, how do you feel?
00:05 This is sort of the assessment of the offensive line this past week and
00:09 how you all performed with missing some stars.
00:11 >> Yeah, I thought we played decent.
00:14 New pieces in, I thought they stepped up, thought they played well.
00:18 They're guys at different positions they haven't played in years.
00:21 Being that there's still a room to improve, a lot of room to improve.
00:27 Some of our fits and our finishes in the run game weren't there.
00:30 There's a couple of our finishes and
00:32 protections weren't there in those areas that we need to be better and clean up.
00:35 >> What was the focus for the offense as a whole during this kind of mini bye week?
00:41 >> Kind of regroup.
00:43 I think a lot of people got out of town, so that's a time away.
00:46 So we can come in this week with a new sense of focus, a new sense of urgency,
00:50 a new sense of juice, so to call it.
00:55 Yeah, and have that carry over into practice and into the game.
00:59 >> And your how hard is it to do with what Pete did,
01:02 from guard to tackle, is that?
01:06 >> That's not an easy task.
01:08 So he has, I commend him for that 100%,
01:11 especially going against one of the premier pass rushing DNs in Jot Jowel.
01:17 The guy can play.
01:18 When Pete held up time after time after time, I mean,
01:21 he passed the ball 55 times.
01:23 I think that was right, 55.
01:24 And he had a few pressures he did, but he held it down.
01:30 >> What would you say is maybe one thing that you can identify
01:35 when it comes to the run game so far this season?
01:39 >> As far as?
01:40 >> Just in terms of production maybe not being exactly where you would have expected.
01:44 >> I think it all just comes down to where it fits.
01:48 Whether that be on the backside and frontside double teams, backside cutoffs.
01:53 Like that just haven't been perfect.
01:55 Whether that's backside tackles, landmark, frontside guards, first step,
02:01 first or second step getting on the ground.
02:02 I would say fitting into the blocks and finishing them has been
02:07 why we haven't gotten things going 100%.
02:12 >> I think we've seen maybe a little more emotion or frustration spill out into
02:16 on the field, social media interviews.
02:20 What's the message about trying to keep that from spilling out of control,
02:26 especially with the offensive's presence?
02:30 >> I mean, first off, I think you get a bigger sense of everything's happening
02:34 because of social media, because it's such a large platform.
02:37 But I feel like if there are mistakes being made,
02:42 then they need to be called out in a more private setting.
02:47 Or like one on one or whatever, but the frustrations are there,
02:51 because they're gonna execute them like we've wanted to.
02:54 >> Do you feel that those frustrations could potentially,
02:59 are they getting to the point to where it's causing concern?
03:02 Or does it feel like the locker room, the players, the coaching,
03:05 that everybody's still together with- >> We're absolutely together.
03:09 I mean, sometimes you gotta show a little tough love.
03:11 That's just how it is.
03:12 And I think everybody on the offense wants to get the problem fixed.
03:15 They wanna be a part of the solution.
03:17 So, I mean, there's not a reason for concern.
03:21 We're all together.
03:21 We all love each other's backs.
03:22 We all love each other.
03:23 It's, I'm not stressing.
03:25 >> I know your unit specifically has gotten a lot of scrutiny.
03:30 How have you kept the offensive line together through the first half of the
03:33 season, more or less?
03:34 >> Yeah, I mean, we have each other's backs through and through.
03:36 Through the good, through the bad, through the mistakes, and
03:40 through the pretty, essentially.
03:41 And I feel like that's been a big part of it,
03:44 is that we are such a tight unit off the field that on the field, we never,
03:48 I don't know, snap off at each other or whatever.
03:53 >> And with how communication and assignments seem to have been the issue,
03:57 you as the center, how are you maybe changing communications to make sure
04:01 everybody knows their assignments and fits?
04:03 >> I mean, everybody knows their assignments.
04:04 That's just through and through.
04:06 I think it's the execution of the assignments that we have to be better at.
04:08 Yeah, and I think that's all across the board.
04:12 >> Eric, you practice these few days off when needed for the same?
04:17 >> Yeah, I think it gives everybody an opportunity to kind of reset,
04:20 take a deep breath, and then come back in today with a new focus and
04:25 the ability to just look forward.
04:29 >> Eric, is there an urgency, though, just to see what's on the shot board?
04:35 Or is there an urgency, like, okay, all this stuff that we were trying to figure
04:39 out needs to be set now or- >> Yeah, I mean,
04:42 I think the time of figuring things out is over.
04:45 We need to be finding the solutions.
04:47 >> Eric, in regards to the frustrations, your idea,
04:52 social media does compound things.
04:54 But how do the frustrations and how the team has handled this year compared to
04:58 maybe previous years from your experience?
05:00 You've gone through rough patches before, like 2021,
05:02 the five game losing streak, and tough times in 2022.
05:06 So is it about the same in your eyes?
05:09 >> Yeah, I mean, nobody likes to lose.
05:12 Nobody likes to lose and nobody likes to deflect.
05:14 Their side of the ball is a bigger contributor in the losing.
05:17 So I'd say that the frustration levels are similar.
05:21 Like I said, I'm not concerned about it.
05:25 >> Eric, it's kind of a basic question, but
05:28 you also get things going on when you went up tempo.
05:32 Why do you think that maybe presents a clearer picture or
05:35 is this something that you guys are really used to your advantage?
05:39 >> I think essentially it makes the defense get lined up faster.
05:41 Quarterback can work the coverages faster.
05:43 They can pressures faster, etc, etc.
05:46 So I can see that being something that we use more consistently now.
05:51 >> So are there concepts within that where,
05:55 obviously you can't run the tempo the whole game.
05:57 >> Yeah.
05:58 >> So are there concepts within that you can kinda use your advantage
06:02 throughout the game without it being a two minute drill or whatever the case is?
06:08 >> Yeah, I mean, whether that's calling two plays in the huddle,
06:10 getting on the line, running them back to back.
06:13 Whether it's after a big play or a first down,
06:15 having a play in our back pocket that's ready to go.
06:18 I think that those are concepts and things that we could utilize.
06:22 Because it was beneficial for our offense.
06:24 I feel like in that middle of the third quarter, it was like, okay,
06:27 we have to go up to them now.
06:28 We were moving the ball.
06:30 Like we were getting completions.
06:32 We had a couple of good runs in there.
06:34 Like it was beneficial to us.
06:35 I don't see why we wouldn't use that going forward.
06:40 >> Cool.
06:40 >> Thank you.
06:41 >> Appreciate it.