Deshaun Watson on Wyatt Teller, the offense and more: Transcript

Deshaun, with all the injuries you’ve had and now Wyatt (Teller) going on IR for four games, what gives you hope and excitement about where this offense can go on Sunday in Las Vegas?

“It’s a new week. I’m excited about the opportunity for Zak (Zinter) and all the guys that are going to be in that rotation. Whoever is out there is going to give it their all and it’s another opportunity for us to be able to go out there and perform and try to execute at our highest ability and try to get a W. I’m excited about everything. My hope is always with these guys and I know how hard everyone in this building works, so everyone wants this opportunity. So this is the time for everyone to come forward and perform.”

Deshaun, how important is it to work together with the offensive line because guys come in and out like that to create that communication that you have with them?

“Yes. I mean, the most important thing is to make sure we’re on the same page. So if we’re all on the same page, then we stick to our rules and fundamentals. And then after that, you just have to win the match. And just being able to know exactly where certain guys are on the defense and how we want to protect him and then go from there. So communication is always key, regardless of who is there or not.”

Deshaun, how much do you think he’s off to a slow start for the offense trying to learn the new offense you’re running?

“I’m not sure about that. We just have to keep starting fast and when we do, we have to keep picking up speed. We can’t slow down. So that’s the only thing I can say about it.”

Do you think that has anything to do with it?

“I don’t know. I don’t know.”

Deshaun, you talked about communication with the offensive line, how much do you think is responsible or important when you talk about picking up those blitzes that maybe you don’t expect going into a game and the team throws you. just like the (New York) Giants. How much is on the same page as that line?

“I mean, yes, we all have to see it through the same eyes and the same scope. And there you come to the edge, adjust, look, look at the tablet seeing what I’m doing and try to pick it up. You know, the Giants did a good job of mixing up the pressures when they brought it, and we just didn’t capitalize on it. So we just need to get set up and be able to make those adjustments. Each week, there will always be a new wrinkle in a blitz that a team has shown. But until we get it, we may see this. So we have to continue to keep our eyes and our heads up and communicate throughout the whole process and try to make sure we’re seeing everything through the same eyes.”

Deshaun, I think you said last week that you’re always going to trust your instincts and we know you’re going to extend some plays and more, but with the injuries on the offensive line and the fact that teams are blitzing you a lot. Also, do you think you need to make a point of getting the ball out of your hands a little faster?

“Well, we all have to be on the same page. It also depends on the flash. You know, it could be a man coverage blitz, it could be a zone pressure blitz. It just depends on the flash. So just because the ball is coming out of my hands quickly doesn’t mean we’re going to be explosive or not. So sometimes we might have protection and guys pick it up, we just have to block it. The routes might be a little different. Might not be a quick game in blitzes. It could be deep shots that I took last week and the week before and just didn’t pick up on those flashes. So it just depends on the concept of the route.”

Deshaun, are you used to taking all the heat when things don’t go well on offense? Have you ever gone through a period like this in your career where it seems like, and I know you’re probably blocking out the noise, but it seems like you’re taking all the blame for the offense’s struggles?

“I mean, I probably did, but, you know, ‘too much is too much, too much is asked’ and I’ve always lived by that on and off the court. So when everything goes well then you get praise and when everything goes wrong you get the blame. So it’s part of the NFL, it’s part of this position. So, I don’t mind. We just have to find ways to keep getting better every week.”

In the preseason, you kind of chuckled when you said you’d try to avoid getting hit if you could. You’ve gained a lot in three weeks. I’m just wondering, physically, how you’re holding up.

“I am very well. So, I’m doing really well, I’m feeling good, every week I just have to recover, regroup, take my team and all the treatment and regeneration that we have in this building and make sure I’m ready to I go on Sunday, but right now I feel good.”

It seemed like you didn’t hesitate at all and hid it and left when you needed to. Were you confident that it would come back naturally, that despite some time off, you’d be able to do those things again?

“Of course. I think I mentioned that. I think somebody asked me that during training camp or earlier. And just, when I’m on the field, I don’t think about anything but trying to do something positive. So until I have to be dragged off the field or something, I’ll go 110%. That’s always been my MO. So I’ll never hesitate to shoot or run, things like that. I’ll be smart and not try to run or to come across any defensive guy. That’s not my specialty. But if I can make something happen and try to get something positive, then I’ll definitely do it.”

Deshaun, after watching the tape, what was one thing you took away that you could do better yourself from an offensive perspective?

“In terms of individual crime or just general?”

Offend.

“If I had to pick something, I’d probably say … Keep getting on the same page with the receivers. To the casual eye of a fan, it might look like a pass was stopped, or you know, things like that. I’m the type of player and quarterback that I can adjust to and make every throw, whether we’re not on the same page. But I think you keep getting on the same page in certain situations. I think that’s the biggest thing. So if it’s a little bit of extra film work with the receivers, extra exposures, just communicating on the sideline a little bit better, all of those things.”

On fourth and that play, where it looked like Jordan (Akins) was open and you ran the ball, to make the case that you don’t see the field well this season. So my question to you is, do you see the field well and maybe what other people don’t in that game?

“Because other people aren’t in the movie theater, so not everyone knows exactly what the read was. It was bait, so that’s the difference. Everybody can pause a tape and say, “Hey, they should have thrown it here, they should have thrown it here.” Every quarterback deals with that. So if you pick one play and that’s the play in the whole game that everyone is calling, then so be it. It is what it is. No one is in those movie theaters, no one makes those decisions. So I go with, “What do Ken Dorsey and Kevin Stefanski say?” And, on that decision, they made a good play. They got stuck on the slope. That’s how I did it. The previous time I scored a touchdown, I did the same read as that and hit Jerry (Jeudy). So, I mean, did I see wrong then? So for me, it’s just, like I said before, it’s just based on what Kevin and Ken make those decisions and how they evaluate me on that.”

Want to see more races designed in the game plan?

“For me?”

Yes.

“No (laughing). I’m not going in there to ask them for more designed races.”

Is there any way to avoid this knowing that you will be running with the ball from time to time?

“I’m not trying. If I don’t have to run, I won’t run. So I’m not trying to take any shots.”

Why not more races designed?

“Because I’m not a running back, in a way. I can make things happen, but I’m not trying to run away. I’m not a runner. It’s not my specialty. They signed me to throw the ball, make decisions and be a quarterback, not a runner.”

By that, Deshaun, I mean the running game hasn’t started with Nick Chubb out, how much does that affect the growth of this offense?

“We always have to be on the same page. I mean, we can’t rely on one player, injuries happen. Some people can play this week, some people can’t. So at this point, we don’t have Nick Chubb right now. So we’ve got to make everything happen with the guys we have in that locker room.”

You preach the “next man up” mentality, but what has Wyatt Teller meant to the offensive line? Obviously, they just announced that he’s on IR.

“Yes, it is a huge loss for us. Wyatt is a professional. He gives his all every day. He comes, works every week. He’ll go all out whether he hits or not. And he knows exactly how to play that point guard position. He helps with all the guys up front, he helps with me, he goes to the final whistle. I mean, it’s a beast. So I think, you know, we’re definitely going to miss Wyatt and we’re going to make sure he gets healthy as soon as possible, and when we get him back, we’re definitely going to be excited.”

How hard is it to succeed when you’re fired as much as you are fired, right? When you’re sacked eight times and hit 17 times on Sunday, how hard is it for a quarterback to do that?

“I mean, I think that’s a common sense question, I think, honestly. Not being rude, I think so.”

Deshaun, do you have to keep trying to block all the criticism you’re getting right now? And you also lock in where you are in QBR with your rating, the numbers that – all that stuff is flying around there? So how do you deal with all of this?

“I can’t see, so I don’t focus on her.”

It’s frustrating for you, like the fans try to put you in this box and say, “hey, when is the right time to make a track versus when is the right time to put it in?” It seems they want you to be more frugal in this regard. It’s frustrating for you because you know you were brought here to turn this into a Super Bowl contender. So is it getting a little frustrating to answer these questions?

“No, because I know the reality. I see the game differently than the fans do. So it doesn’t frustrate me because someone else’s opinion from a view from the stands or from the tape break thinks this is the right decision. So if you’re not a coach or playing quarterback, I might hear that depending on who you are. But at the end of the day, no one is in the meeting rooms but me, Ken, Kevin, DTR (Dorian Thompson-Robinson) and Jameis (Winston). So we know the reads, we know exactly where the ball should go, and like I said before, whatever grade we get every Monday after the game, that’s what we’re going for.”

You said you’re not looking for more designed runs, just your threat as an athletic quarterback, how does that help you guys in the run game, making them account for all 11 guys?

“I mean, it’s possible. It can, so I won’t say just the running game won’t help the offense. But I mean, coming back from an injury, I don’t think it’s a priority for Kevin to put me in that situation, because you go there, and in the draft and something happens, then you’re like mad at Kevin. So I feel like it’s a lose-lose situation.”

What do you think is the mentality of the team; 1-2, and with all the injuries you’re dealing with?

“Be 1-0 this week trying to beat Vegas. That’s our whole way of thinking.”

Do you think guys are still positive and optimistic?

“We’ve got 14 more opportunities, so anything can happen in the NFL.”