Shane Steichen

Q. What can you guys get out of this thing for the players, doing it twice this summer? (Reuben Frank)

SHANE STEICHEN: I think it’s great, the joint practices, it’s great for the players and great for us as coaches. It breaks up camp a little bit and just to see them compete against another opponent, I think it’s great work for both sides.

Q. How is it good work for the coaches? (Reuben Frank)

SHANE STEICHEN: Certain situations that come up, like call-it situations, you treat it like a game, ‘Hey, what personnel are you in? What are we in? What are you guys running on defense?’ And just making game-time adjustments like we would in a game during practice.

Q. When you’re evaluating one-on-one sessions, what are you looking for specifically from wide receivers and tight ends? (Mike Kaye)

SHANE STEICHEN: Just like we would against our guys, whether it’s practicing against someone else or practicing with our guys, it’s like, ‘Hey are we going to win the one-on-one matchup?’ Let’s use great technique and great fundamentals to win one-on-ones.

Q. It’s the first time seeing you since the game. Head Coach Nick Sirianni was pretty pleased with what he saw in QB Jalen Hurts. What were your observations? (Josh Tolentino)

SHANE STEICHEN: Same. I thought he played really good. What I know about him is he’s never satisfied, which is what makes him good. He wants to be great. So we corrected a few things but he’s ascending in the right direction and we’re excited about his progress.

Q. Nick Sirianni spoke about the delicate balance between having him play in rhythm with the plays designed but also him being able to utilize his athleticism if plays broke down, etc. How have you approached that? What’s the process been like? (Jeff McLane)

SHANE STEICHEN: I think Coach [Head Coach Nick Sirianni] hit it the other day, I think it’s play-by-play. Obviously when he has a chance to run and make a big play, he has to do that, and I think when he has a chance to stay in the pocket and throw it, he’s got to do that as well. So I think we are just coaching that play-by-play and then we go from there.

Q. What have you sort of seen from WR Quez Watkins as a second-year player, obviously your first year with him but generally there’s that leap from first to second year. How much have you seen from him as far as improvement? (John McMullen)

SHANE STEICHEN: Obviously he’s got really good speed and he’s continuing to grow. That’s the biggest thing. The fundamentals and the details of the routes and the certain spots we’re putting him at and learning the offense, he’s continuing to grow, and the progress is there, so we have to keep doing that

Q. Nick Sirianni had said Jalen Hurts had checked the play on the TE Dallas Goedert throw and same with QB Joe Flacco’s touchdown to Quez Watkins. Is that the case where there are multiple plays called heading into the huddle and he picks one or is it –? (Bo Wulf)

SHANE STEICHEN: I think we go into a game plan with certain stuff like that where they give us certain looks that we can get to certain things, without diving into too much detail and giving everyone what we’re doing.

Q. Was it an either or, or was it he picked it out of – (Bo Wulf)

SHANE STEICHEN: We talked about it during the week.

Q. Nick Sirianni said the other day it’s no secret you would use the running backs in the passing game. Give me an overall look at this group as far as their pass catching ability. (Paul Domowitch)

SHANE STEICHEN: It’s a good group. Obviously, Kenny [RB Kenneth Gainwell] has been really good for us out of the backfield, so has [RB] Miles [Sanders], so has [RB] Boston [Scott], [RB] Kerryon [Johnson]. All of those guys have catching ability, but obviously we want them to be runners as well. There’s that balance, who does what well and put them in position to make plays that way.

Q. The offensive line, you’re getting a little bit closer, G Isaac Seumalo was out there for a little bit. How comforting is it to you to see those guys at least getting closer to being together? (John McMullen)

SHANE STEICHEN: Absolutely. When you get guys like [G] Isaac [Seumalo] and Brooks [G Brandon Brooks] back, that’s big, those are two really good players, along with Kelce [C Jason Kelce] and [T] Lane [Johnson], and then you’ve got [T] Jordan [Mailata] and Dillard [T Andre Dillard] over there. So, overall it’s a really good group, and to get those five guys going, six guys actually going and getting them to gel together it’s going to be good.

Q. What is behind the thinking of having G Nate Herbig back at center? (Jeff McLane)

SHANE STEICHEN: Right now, we are just trying everything out right now and trying to rotate everyone around and see who fits best. That’s pretty much it.

Q. How did the play calling process go on Thursday night in terms of the mechanics and what is the upside of Nick Sirianni giving you the call and you sending it to the quarterbacks? (Zach Berman)

SHANE STEICHEN: I think he hit it the other day. Obviously, he’s got a lot to think about during certain situations, so he gives me the call number, so either we have a wristband, or gives me the play, he reads it out, and then I just send it into the QB. Simple as that.

Q. Are you one to speak to the quarterback until the signal goes off? (Zach Berman)

SHANE STEICHEN: You can. There’s definitely that capability if we need to do that, yes.

Q. On the topic of running backs catching the football, RB Jordan Howard is a guy, that I guess it doesn’t come naturally, he hasn’t done a lot of it, but we see him working on it a lot out here, how is that coming along and with an older guy like that, or a veteran guy, who has not done it, what’s the process as far as getting better? (Reuben Frank)

SHANE STEICHEN: I think it’s just repetitions more than anything. He’s done a nice job out of the backfield for us. He’s got some balls so we’re continuing to work on that.

Q. Quarterbacks Coach Brian Johnson never coached Jalen Hurts before, but obviously they have a relationship going way back; is that an asset? (Paul Domowitch)

SHANE STEICHEN: I definitely think it’s an asset. Any time you have a relationship with someone or know somebody, that instant connection happens right now, so you have that trust there with him and it’s a pleasure to have Brian here to coach him.

Q. What have you learned about the running game working with run game coordinator/offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland? (Bo Wulf)

SHANE STEICHEN: He loves ball and he’s very detailed and he’s a fiery guy and I love that about him and he gets these guys to play hard.

Q. Having Mike McCoy here on Saturday, what did he bring to practice or what’s the evaluation standpoint, what extra knowledge does he bring? (Mike Kaye)

SHANE STEICHEN: Obviously we haven’t been together in a while, but he gave some little wisdom here and there, stuff he did in Denver and Arizona and just little things like that, little tidbits.

Q. As a former play-caller, what’s been your experience with analytics, and particularly in-game when it comes to fourth down, two-point conversions; do you find yourself being more on the aggressive side or the conservative side? (Jeff McLane)

SHANE STEICHEN: I think that’s a game-by-game situation. You obviously take them into account but at the end of the day you have to go with your gut feeling sometimes, too.

Q. You have some veteran tight ends here that have accomplished a lot, TE Tyree Jackson is very early in that development phase. What have you seen from him going from quarterback to tight end? (John McMullen)

SHANE STEICHEN: You know what for him, from quarterback to tight end, it’s been pretty good to see what he’s done. Obviously, he’s still got a lot to learn but he’s done a nice job so far.

Q. When you talk about running backs as receivers, one of the things Miles Sanders told us is he struggled with that last year. What have you seen from him in training camp so far? (Martin Frank)

SHANE STEICHEN: I think the thing is Coach [Head Coach Nick Sirianni] always talks about is catch circuit, over and over and over again. That’s the biggest thing, between periods these guys are catching footballs and we want these guys to catch as many footballs as they can to help their hands out and that’s for all positions, not just running backs, that’s everybody.