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Bill O'Brien Conference Call Transcript - 10/4/2011

Read what Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien had to say as he addressed the New England media on Tuesday, October 4, 2011.

Q: One thing that Tom Brady talked about and it was pretty obvious on Sunday - is how important it is to be balanced and what the run game can allow you guys to do? I was wondering if you can talk about what does it allow you to do when you guys are as successful as you were at running the ball?  

BO: We always try to stay balanced. Whatever our game plan personnel groupings are for that game, we will always try to have a good mix of run and pass and when you're able to run the ball, you're able to set up a number of different things off of that - play-action being obviously one of them. You're just able to balance up your offense and keep the defense guessing as to what you're going to do.  

Q: Was that the first game that you guys really did that successfully would you say? This season, obviously.  

BO: It was a really balanced game for us. It was our most balanced game.  

Q: Bill Belichick said yesterday that in terms of Tom Brady's overall play this past Sunday, he said that is was probably his best game of the year - not basing that off numbers, but basing that off of reads, decision making process. I was wondering you can expand on that a little bit and maybe give us an example or two of where that really came through?  

BO: When you play quarterback in this league - number one, it's about the wins and losses. Number one, it's your team wins. Number two, it's really good decision making and throwing the ball accurately and not turning the ball over. Then there are other things that come into play, especially like as it related to last week - a road game, the crowd noise early, getting us in the right protection or into the right running play or whatever it may be. He did a very good job of managing the game and sticking with the game plan and he played a very solid game.  

Q: This is back-to-back weeks that we've seen Wes Welker put up pretty big numbers. How much do you need to see the other receivers be involved? Does Tom Brady need to look at these guys more? Is it just a matter of being what's presented there that Wes is getting that catches that he is?  

BO: Again, it's a game plan offense. The philosophy is to take what the defense gives us and to this point in the season, Wes has had a very productive season and there have been times where Deion [Branch] has been productive. There have been obviously times, like in the two-minute drive before the end of the half on Sunday, where Chad [Ochocinco] has been productive. So it's based on what the defense is making available to us and then Tom Brady making the proper read, which on Sunday led to a lot of catches for Wes. This week it could be somebody else or some other people.  

Q: Wes Welker is averaging like eight catches a game for his career with the Patriots. How is that? It seems like it's not just what the defense gives you, it's more like you guys making sure he is involved no matter what happens.  

BO: Again, all those guys are involved. As it relates to Wes, the skill set that he has allows him to get open quite a bit. His quickness, his intelligence, his hands - those are some things that really allow him to get open quite a bit. Again, all of those guys are a part of the game plan every week.  

Q: You mentioned Chad [Ochocinco], I thought this was the first time he's been in the two minute offense. Is that true?  

BO: No.  

Q: He was in the two minute offense on Sunday, right?   BB: At the end of the half, right.  

Q: I'm wondering when you put him in a package like that or the situation like that - is that something where during the week at practice you say, 'Alright, we are going to focus just on this part of the offense this week so you can make sure to get this part down.' How does it come to manifest itself to become one kind of look or one package like that?  

BO: We require those guys to learn all the wide receiver positions so that they are interchangeable. It's easier said than done and that's what we ask those guys to do.  

Q: Taylor Price was activated this past week. How much closer is he to finally able to get into a situation to get in there and actually take snaps? What have you seen in him, practice wise, since he has been able to get out there?  

BO: He's been out there. We'll see tomorrow how he's doing. It seemed like last week he was ready to go. It is probably more of a question for Bill [Belichick] as far as Bill's interaction with our trainer and things. But as far as last week is concerned, he was ready to go for the game so he was active.   

Q: It seems every week you guys will come out in the first drive or sometimes two drives and throw a lot of things at a defense just to see basically what they will do, I assume, and to see how they will respond. With the Jets this week, they always keep everyone guessing. How much figuring out will you guys do in the first drive or two drives do as far as who is Darrelle Revis on and what kind of looks they are giving you? Kind of take me through that process a little bit.   

BO: We are putting that all together right now. We will always be a multiple personnel grouping team. We will go into the game with numerous personnel groupings and a lot of different ways to attack a defense. Once you get into the game, it's a matter of adjusting to what the defense is doing and making sure that you are either sticking with the game plan or doing something that, maybe they've done something different and you've got to adjust to it. We do the same thing every week as far as our concept of multiple personnel groupings and things like that.  

Q: I know you guys are not adverse to moving guys around a little bit and putting them at some different or unique positions. We've seen Dane Fletcher at fullback and Thomas Welch on Sunday we saw him at tight end. How have those two guys done with the transition and what sticks out to you about the way they've played there?  

BO: On game day, you know you have 46 guys on a roster. Like Bill [Belichick] always says 'You're trying to make use of everybody and each guy on the team has a different role.' Some roles are bigger, some roles are not quite as big, but each is hugely important. As far as those two guys are concerned, they've both done a decent job with their role and just like everyone else on the team, they're going to try to keep getting better every week and keep embracing their different roles, whatever they may be week-to-week.  

Q: Just going back to Wes Welker for a minute. His yards-per-catch average is 15 yards right now which is 33 percent higher than his career average. It seems he's not so much getting those yards after the catch this year, although he is, but it seems like you're using him more down field. Is that the case? And if so, what did you see that made you think you can go in that direction?  

BO: Wes, because of his skill set, can run a lot of different parts of the route tree. I would say the same would be true for all of those guys - Deion [Branch], Chad [Ochocinco], Wes, Taylor Price. Whether it's underneath routes, deep routes, all those guys can run the route tree and so that's what we try to do is make sure that they're doing a lot of different parts of whatever our passing route tree is for that game.   

Q: What is your view of the kind of player that Darrelle Revis is and how much focus will be figuring out what's he going to do on Sunday?  

BO: He is a really good player. They have a lot of good players on their defense and on their team. He's a guy that's playing at a very high level and has been at a high level. Like I said earlier, we are putting the game plan together right now and we'll put it out on the field on Wednesday, first and second-down tomorrow and see how it goes and just keep building it as the week goes on.

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