The buy-in on offense has become apparent, interim offensive coordinator/running backs coach Eddie Faulkner emphasized today, and it’s in evidence on numerous plays on which the compelling characteristic is effort.
One such example from last Sunday’s 30-23 win in Seattle was wide receiver George Pickens picking up where the offensive linemen and tight ends had left off by getting a block on cornerback Michael Jackson at the conclusion of what became an 18-yard, untouched gallop into the end zone by running back Jaylen Warren.
“Heck, yeah,” Faulkner confirmed. “I thought it was awesome.”
It wasn’t a stand-alone portrayal of the way the offense has been playing of late.
“I’ll give you an even better one than that,” Faulkner continued. “On the play that got called back on (wide receiver) Diontae (Johnson’s), whatever you call it, turnover that they ended up overturning, ‘G.P.’ form-tackles the safety right there in the middle of the field and makes a play. And Diontae’s running out from out of bounds to the sideline, he would have made the tackle (if Pickens hadn’t).
“When you want to talk about the stuff those guys have kind of taken throughout all of this, if you want to pull up a clip and look at how that’s changed, that’s the clip to look at.”
The “stuff” Faulkner referenced presumably included fallout from two heavily-scrutinized plays this season.
One was Johnson neglecting to chase down a Warren fumble on Nov. 26 in Cincinnati.
The other was Pickens passing on an opportunity to block on a goal-to-go run by Warren on Dec. 16 in Indianapolis.
Times have changed since then.
Pickens caught seven passes for 131 yards and Johnson four for 76 in Seattle, but both ended up drawing praise from Faulkner for their hustle.
And the offense has produced back-to-back efforts of 30-or-more points in the wake of failing to score more than 26 in a game previously (a 26-22 win on Sept. 18 over the Browns that included two defensive touchdowns).
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