Discussions with the Steelers' offensive assistant coaches during the bye week this week ranged from the technical to the philosophical.
Following is a sampling, from theory to practical application:
BELIEVING IN QB MAGIC: Whether it has been Russell Wilson, Justin Fields or Kyle Allen lining up under center, the challenge for the trigger man has been the same in quarterbacks coach Tom Arth's estimation.
It's the same one quarterbacks have been confronting for ages, how to push the ball down the field and at the same time protect the ball.
"That's part of the conflict that I think quarterbacks always have," Arth observed. "The art, the magic of playing the position is knowing when to take those calculated risks.
"Tom Moore used to say all the time, 'play smart, not scared.'"
Moore, a longtime assistant coach under Chuck Noll, tutored Steelers wide receivers from 1977-82 and was the Steelers' offensive coordinator from 1983-89.
Moore, who will turn 86 on Nov. 7, still works as an assistant coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and has also had NFL coaching stints in Minnesota, Detroit, New Orleans, Indianapolis, New York (Jets), Tennessee and Arizona.
So he might have a pretty good grasp on what matters most at the position.
"That really encapsulates what playing quarterback is, being able to be aggressive but never put your team at risk," Arth continued. "And to understand the pace of the game, to understand, 'Hey what type of game is this? What is the situation? Is this a moment where I need to be aggressive and I need to take a chance and I need to make a calculated risk?' Or, is this one where, 'Hey I gotta be smart here. I gotta check it down and let's let that defense go back out there and let them get a stop.'
"I think that's that challenge that every quarterback has and I think it's what separates the good from the great, their ability to recognize those moments and to execute in the right way when they're presented."
INSTRUCTION AND INSTINCT: Theory is one thing but putting it into practice is another.
Warren understands according to running backs coach Eddie Faulkner.
"I heard Coach (Nick) Saban, it must have been at the beginning of this year, he was talking about the difference between somebody who has instinct, and coaching somebody to do something right," Faulkner explained. "You can coach them how to block. You can do all the technique things, and that's important.
"But to get them to know when to do it is the difference. I would say that about Jaylen, knowing when to strike, knowing when to get your hands inside, knowing when to explode from your hips to stop a guy's feet, that's just something natural, that's the instinct part that's hard to coach.
"I've said it before and I'll say it now, he's the best pass protector in the world in my opinion. He's gotta continue to build on that."
COLLECTIVELY COMMITTED: Offensive line coach Pat Meyer knows the challenge and how to prepare his players to meet it, individually and collectively.
It's the manner in which the offensive linemen have gone about their work in response that has earned Meyer's appreciation.
"Whether it's (running back) Najee back there or (running back) Jaylen (Warren), whoever's back there our job is, not to say it's easy, it's simple," Meyer said. "Our job with opponents in the run game is to find the hole for the back and in protection it's to keep the quarterback upright when you simplify it. They've been a good group, they're all into it. They really do love being here, love football, and that's half the battle.
"Obviously, you want to be a talented group and all that and we have some talented guys. But
just their passion for it and their want to do things the right way and jell and get better, it's been, not a surprise at all but it's been fun to work with."
MULTI-TASKING TIGHT ENDS: One of the objectives of coordinator Arthur Smith's offense is to be able to run multiple plays from the same personnel group.
Smith is a big fan of deploying multiple tight ends toward that end.
Tight ends coach Alfredo Roberts maintained his guys have been holding up their end.
"The growth has been phenomenal," Roberts insisted. "I'm just excited to see how we continue to grow."
Roberts credited MyCole Pruitt, who played for Smith in Tennessee and Atlanta, for being "kind of like our cheat sheet on some of the things Arthur's trying to get done."
The growth has included pass-catching tight end Pat Freiermuth developing as an effective blocker.
"We're always talking about his meter, the give-a-crap meter goes up, and he's really wanted to answer all of those questions," Roberts assessed. "You'll see him flexing a lot in practice and the game because he's been challenged a lot. Personally and through the positional group you just want to be able to make sure he's here for all things, not just the passing situations.
"I've seen him do it. He's put it on tape before, so you just go do it. You just don't get one-dimensional in your game. You grow your game, sharpen yourself to do all things. If you want to be an elite guy, do elite (stuff), and that's what he wants to do."
Darnell Washington, meanwhile, has become a reliable receiving target, which complements his obvious blocking potential.
Washington is listed at 6-foot-7 and 264 pounds.
"It's hard to turn down his physicality (as a blocker)," Roberts said. "And then it gives you that added dimension (in receiving) because he is athletic. He's a big man and he's shown it in practices, he showed it in training camp that he can be consistent in the passing game. So it makes it easier for the play-caller to get it off the call sheet.
"He's done it early in games and he's rewarded us with some big plays."
ELIMINATING DISTRACTION: If there's a subject that's been debated locally and nationally more often than who should be starting at quarterback for the Steelers, it's whether they need to trade for additional help at wide receiver.
But wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni and his guys haven't been a part of any trade speculation or conversation.
"It's funny, we do not talk about it in our room," Azzanni said. "We never mention it, it's never even brought up, I don't need to. Social media and those things, I'm sure those guys get berated with that so we don't talk about it. Those guys come to work every day and I don't think I need to say anything.
"I think they all just want to win, they all just want to prove who they are. I think they're wired correctly, so they have that little chip on their shoulder. I don't want to speak for them but they come to work the same all the time, which is cool, which I really appreciate. Whatever happens, happens, but those guys work their tail off and I don't think it matters what the outside chatter is."
