Kellen Moore
Q. You were kind of in the same situation last year, new team. When you’re in that situation, how do you know without a lot of live reps and not a lot of preseason reps that things are moving in the direction you want? What are some benchmarks you look for? (Jeff Neiburg)
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, I think certainly training camp is a process, especially when you’re kind of going through a process that may be new in some forms.
The early part of it is really an installation process where we’re trying to expose ourselves to as much scheme as we can that will come up throughout the course of a season, whether it’s zone running game, gap running game, all the varieties.
You just want to expose yourself to some of those things for the first couple weeks, and then we start narrowing our focus as we get into the preseason games, and the vets can narrow their focus on identity and some of the things that we’ll focus on moving forward.
Q. How much of a plus-one factor do you want QB Jalen Hurts to be in the run game? (Jeff McLane)
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, certainly it’s been an excellent factor that Jalen has been able to utilize just being an extra guy in the run game. Certainly, something we want to continue to build off of.
I think there is an element of just finding the games, finding the situations that are right to best suit when we utilize that.
But it’s a great strength of Jalen. He does an excellent job and he’s a really smart runner. I think that’s a critical factor to that, that he’s smart with the ball, he’s smart with when to make those decisions, and I think he protects himself pretty well.
Q. What has stood out about how QB Jalen Hurts has run the offense from what you’ve seen so far? (Tim McManus)
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, Jalen’s been really smooth the first couple days. He’s been excellent, just his operation. You can just tell he’s in command, he’s in control; he’s doing an excellent job at the line of scrimmage with the little nuances, little adjustments that he has at his disposal, and so it’s been really good.
Q. From your experience, when it comes to handling pass protection at the line of scrimmage, is it better for the quarterback to take the lead than the center, or vice versa? C/G Cam Jurgens and QB Jalen Hurts have both kind of expressed that. (John McMullen)
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, there is different ways of approaching it. Obviously really when you’ve been around both aspects of it, I think at the end of the day those two guys have to team up together.
Ultimately sometimes the QB can see a little bit of a wider lens. His perspective may be a little bit different. He does have a trump card ability to make those adjustments when necessary.
But Cam certainly gives us the ability to speed the process up, make a decision. Jalen can work with him and team up together. Those guys are doing an excellent job the first couple days. Just continue to build on that.
Q. Are those responsibilities shared across the offensive line in some ways too? Can you explain a little bit in a way that you can about how that works? (Brooks Kubena)
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, I think when the offensive line, they all have different vantage points, and so whether it be your tackles, guards, or your center, it’s critical that those guys are communicating, making the communication. A tackle may identify a particular look that may present something we need to make an adjustment to.
So those guys teaming up together and making the call and Jalen [Hurts] having the ability to make any adjustments necessary, because he knows where his route combinations may allow him to throw it, whatever it be a hot or an adjustment, whatever it may be.
He knows where his answers may be and where he needs to protect himself.
Q. What was the process like to tailor this offense a little bit to QB Jalen Hurts, and how much back and forth was there? (Dave Zangaro)
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, been a lot of fun. I think that’s the great joy in this process, is teaming up with Jalen and really this whole group. It’s all of us together teaming up on this thing, building on everyone’s strength and their experiences, making the adjustments that we need, and continuing to find our ways of how are we going to evolve in 2024.
It’s not necessarily just what Jalen has done in the past, just maybe what I’ve been exposed to. It is what we are trying to continue to build on across all league trends.
Q. In terms of what you’ve seen from QB Jalen Hurts from when you first met him to where’s he at now, what’s been the biggest difference you’ve seen in QB Jalen Hurts’ game? (Chris Franklin)
KELLEN MOORE: That’s a great question. I think just his comfort level, utilizing his toolbox, and I think he’s doing an excellent job leading this offense.
Taking command of the huddle, the operation. I think when they feel the confidence that Jalen comes to the huddle with and at the line of scrimmage, I think it’s critical. I just can’t say enough good things about the operation that he’s been creating.
Q. How do you assess the third wide receiver position and how guys want to separate or what you need to see for guys to separate themselves? (Rob Kuestner)
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, it’s a really fun process. We have some excellent guys here. It’s a really deep receiving group. It’s so much fun to watch all the guys compete.
They’ll all get their opportunities, all chances. Obviously, [WR] DeVonta [Smith] and [WR] A.J. [Brown] will certainly have a lot of the opportunities, but those other guys, I mean, there are critical moments where we have to put those guys in a position to succeed.
They have to be able to adjust based off where those guys are aligned. We have to have smart guys that understand where they are and can be reliable. We have an excellent group to compete with.
Q. RT Lane Johnson has talked about blocking protections – wide versus vertical. In your history you use a lot of wide. Can you explain the idea behind those? (Brooks Kubena)
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, yeah, I think just, again, there is just a variety of different things that we can present, and we’re trying to expose ourselves to as many different ways in which we can utilize, whether it be protections, whether it be the pocket movement. All those different things.
So we want to give ourselves as much exposure and then tighten it up as we go into the season. There are a lot of different tools based off the defenses that we play. We just want to give them as much exposure to these different tools that we may use throughout the season, and so we’re continuing to build on those different toolboxes at each and every position.
Q. Where did you get your terminology from? (Jeff McLane)
KELLEN MOORE: That’s a great question. I think we’re continuing to evolve. You start with just naturally my exposure. I think it started obviously in Dallas with [former Dallas Cowboys head coach] Jason [Garrett], and then [current Dallas Cowboys head coach] Mike [McCarthy] came in and we made some adjustments from there.
And so there is a little bit of a blending of those two worlds together. And so, I think that’s the fun process about this thing, is words just keep evolving and changing and adjusting throughout each and every place, and we try and build it based on the comfort level of all the players.
Q. How much input does QB Jalen Hurts have in helping you construct the offense? (Ed Kracz)
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, Jalen is a huge part of this process. I think his experience over the course of the last few years, all the things he’s been able to accomplish, we want to build on those things. When there’s a comfort level with a certain concept or scheme, we want to make sure we emphasize that, continue to build off it.
Okay, now if this is a core play that we feel really great about, how can we compliment that play? How can we protect it with a different presentation, a different look? Those are the fun conversations we get to have because we’re continuing to build this thing each and every day.
Q. Do you get a feel of the presence that RB Saquon Barkley brings to the offense as far as it might help others and have that kind of impact? (John McMullen)
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, Saquon is obviously a special player. You can see it out here without even pads, just his bursts, quickness, ability to hit the hole. Obviously, he’ll be a guy that you can utilize at all aspects of the field. He can be a space player, which we’re excited about in the passing game.
He’s going to be able to attack people in a lot of different ways. That’s the exciting part. It won’t be just a downhill run game. He’ll be able to emphasize and do some other things.
Q. WR A.J. Brown and WR DeVonta Smith have said that this offense gives them maybe a little more freedom than they had previously to move around or alter routes based upon the coverage. Can you give a little more about how that may differ from what has been here before? (Jeff McLane)
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, that’s a great question. I don’t know all the context going backwards, but I know focusing on this year, I think a really big aspect is just continuing to put these guys in various positions.
It’s not a traditional ‘A.J. always lines up at, let’s say X,’ and you can anticipate him always being in this position each and every play. And so, we’re continuing to move those guys, put them in position based off our scheme, where things may go, or where we want to put them in high likelihood of touching the football. But also, what’s the defense presenting us so we can put those guys in advantageous situations?
Q. So you don’t have a slot wide receiver, per se? (Jeff McLane)
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah. I think by rule you have to have a starting point, and so we do have a starting point. But I think it’s not going to be a very strong starting point. Those guys are going to move throughout the game and throughout each and every week.
That’s [their strength]. The ability to handle all that and that goes into that third receiver having the ability to line up in a few different spots based off where those guys line up.
Q. As a play caller, is throwing the ball to a back a function of the scheme or is it more of a safety valve for the quarterback? (Zach Berman)
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, I think it’s got to be both. It does have to be an outlet at times for the quarterback, but I think it’s critical that we utilize those guys in the pass game to create horizontal space and every once in a while, get them vertical.
We have been fortunate to be around some really good ones in the past. [RB] Saquon [Barkley] is going to be phenomenal. [RB] Kenny [Gainwell] has done it here before. [RB] Will [Shipley] has shown tons of evidence that he’ll be able to utilize that skill.
So we have three backs that can play a lot of different places on the field, and that will be a huge advantage for us.
Q. Looking at the second tight end spot, what are your early impressions of TE Grant Calcaterra and the group as a whole behind TE Dallas Goedert? (Andrew DiCecco)
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, excellent group first and foremost. Tons of depth. Really good. We’re excited about having the ability to play with a lot of those guys. Grant [Calcaterra] has really done an excellent job to be the second tight end currently. His consistency throughout OTAs, early in training camp. He has a great awareness and understanding of the game.
He teams up with Dallas [Goedert] really, really well, and so we’re excited about that and hopefully continues to build.
Q. Head Coach Nick Sirianni said he has taken a step back from the offense. What are the times when you do receive input from him? (Brooks Kubena)
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, I think that’s the fun part of this process. We’re all teaming up together. When Nick [Sirianni] is available, he’s hopping in there and is part of the process. It’s a ton of fun.
I think what’s cool about us is we all have different exposures and we’re able to team up and bring all those different ideas and concepts together and really continue to build and evolve this thing.
Q. In previous seasons QB Jalen Hurts has mostly had a static picture pre-snap, so you’re introducing a lot more motion. What’s the process been like of getting him comfortable with that? (Tim McManus)
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, I think, again, like you said, it’s just a visual thing. The more you rep things at times. If you choose to use motion for a particular reasons or situations, it’s just exposure, see the defense change and how those changes are presented.
Again, it’s reps, experience, and then understanding kind of what we’re trying to create because of it.
Q. You’ve had some great offensive lines in Dallas. As a playcaller, what’s it like to have that luxury that you don’t have to help the tackles all that much? (John McMullen)
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, obviously [T] Jordan [Mailata] and [T] Lane [Johnson] are two of the best in this entire league. They are phenomenal vets. They understand the game. They play the game at a really high level from a physical standpoint but also from an intellectual standpoint. It’s fun to just see those guys play each and every day.
It’s a huge advantage for this place.
Q. In talking to us in the spring, Quarterbacks Coach Doug Nussmeier mentioned the 2.3 second rule, I’ve seen you quoted with that before, what’s the origin and background of that rule? (Zach Berman)
KELLEN MOORE: Yeah, that’s a great question. I don’t know if 2.3 is the exact number, but we’ve utilized that number in the past at different places. Part of the thing is just emphasizing that every play, you know, we spend all our time trying to draw up some beautiful play that will work perfectly and we all hope and have those dreams.
It doesn’t always happen that way in the NFL, and so there is a second component to every play where you can get into the off-schedule part of this thing and continue to emphasize that. That’s a huge strength for Jalen [Hurts], his ability to run after that, and also still remain a passer. The O-line has to strain longer, they have to keep protecting. The skill guys have to find the open space.
So, we’re continuing to try and build on those emphasis moving forward.
Q. What are your impressions of QB Kenny Pickett? (Tim McManus)
KELLEN MOORE: [QB] Kenny [Pickett] has done a really nice job. I think you can tell he’s played a lot of ball. He is smooth, he knows how to operate, he finds completions. He has a sneaky athletic ability where he can get out in space in some of those scramble situations or QB-designed runs.
He’s done a couple of those. We feel really fortunate to have Kenny here.