S Jevon Holland
(I know you’re a guy that generally likes to keep things light but it seems like even at the short portion of practice that I saw today, you were kind of dancing and having fun. Do you see that as a whole from this group, just knowing that you guys have turned this whole season around and that there’s important games to be played? What’s the atmosphere of this team right now?) – “The mood of the team, everybody is excited to play the Titans. It’s a big game. They’re a really tough opponent. They’ve got great offense, defense, special teams. They’re really well-coached. This is what we do. We play football and enjoy the time that we have. Just having a good time while doing it.”
(I know that the message from Head Coach Brian Flores, the message from the top down is just to focus on what’s in front of you, take things one day at a time but you personally, do you hear the situation that you’re in knowing that you have to win these final two games to get to the playoffs or do you just try to block that out?) – “No, I have no idea what you’re talking about actually. We are focused on the Titans and that’s it.”
(Speaking of the Titans, we saw WR A.J. Brown come back last week and have a big impact. I know you won’t really matchup as far as lining up across from him but you’ll have a big impact in that defensive secondary. I was just curious, it seemed like the 49ers knew where it was going, the Titans wanted to go back to A.J. Brown in that game. What makes him so difficult to stop even when maybe you know the ball is going that way?) – “He’s a large, athletic, consistent receiver. He’s one of the best in the league and you see that week in and week out. We just go to game plan for it and go out there and execute. He’s a hell of a player. He’s been a hell of a player in the league, has a great career, so I’m excited to play him. I was growing up watching him so it’s going to be a good time, I’m going to enjoy myself.”
(I just wanted to ask you about some of the challenges as a safety on the COVID list. You had it last week, S Brandon Jones this week. I know you’re in Zoom meetings but what more can happen to prepare you last week, Brandon this week? Does Defensive Backs Gerald Alexander get on the phone with you guys, safeties on the COVID list who can’t actually be at practice? Does he talk to you guys at night just to give you more information? What is that like?) – “We’re just meeting on Zoom, like you said. We’re not in the meeting rooms. We’re actually still on the Zoom meeting calls while on the COVID list listening and understanding the game plan just in case that we do test back in. There’s really no drop off and we did that specifically for that reason so that everybody can stay on top of everything. There really isn’t a lack of communication or need for extra communication.”
(Just having a player like S Eric Rowe, I know he’s been helpful to you this year being able to step in and he’d play a lot anyway but if S Brandon Jones is not there, what has Eric meant to your development and learning the NFL this year?) – “He’s meant a lot. Him and ‘J-Mac; (Jason McCourty) both, they basically played the same role for me as two northern stars that I can follow in two different ways. ‘J-Mac’ has been in the league for a super long time. ‘E-Rowe’ (Eric Rowe) has been in the league for a long time but he’s taken a different path. Both of them, but Eric for real has meant a lot to me in my development and confidence back there.”
(A lot of times it looks like offenses are very confused by the looks you guys give them and send pressure. From your standpoint, how hard was it to learn what you guys are doing upfront so you’re not confused at what your responsibility is? When you’re sending blitzes and sending different books…) – “My understanding of the defensive front or the offensive front?”
(Defensive. The defense. Like what your assignment is when you’re disguising and when you’re doing different looks to confuse the offense.) – “No, that’s just kind of built into the defense. As a safety, I consider myself one of the quarterbacks of the defense. I want to understand everybody’s role so that I can best fit myself to confuse the offense. It’s not necessarily a difficulty, it’s kind of just as a professional knowing the defense, really.”
(Obviously you guys do more than a traditional defense. I guess my question was, was it more difficult than maybe your time at Oregon at all to pick up some of the different disguises, different types of packages that you guys want to run here?) – “Yeah. Oregon, I was in college and I played nickel in Oregon. This is the NFL. I don’t mean to sound like that but this is the NFL. It’s hard. It’s hard, so yeah. It’s a lot more difficult now than it was before.”
WR Isaiah Ford
(How has this expanded role in recent games gone for you? Obviously somewhat due to whether it be injury or some COVID, but just handling the expanded role and your role here?) – “My approach is the same. I think I’ve kind of said that over. That’s the way you have to be. Prepare as if you are going to play. Prepare as if you are the starter even if you’re not getting all the reps because realistically, you’re only one play away. When that opportunity comes, you want to be able to make the most of it and preparation helps you build that confidence in being ready, so I think that’s all I’ve tried to do.”
(You guys all play multiple positions in that receiver room and there’s all kinds of stacks and bunches and motions. It just seems like a lot. I was curious what the coaching point or if there is a common theme among all the receivers to be able to compartmentalize all those roles and play the versatility you guys have in that room. Is there a common theme or is there a coaching point you guys go back to for all that?) – “I think the biggest thing is just learning conceptionally. I think a lot of times, or at times, younger guys will sit there and say, ‘Hey, well I’m an X,’ or, ‘I’m a Z,’ or, ‘I play in the slot,’ and they stick to that position. I think in our room, we can all move around. We have Devante (Parker) in the slot and we can put Jaylen (Waddle) out wide. I think him being able to pick that up and everybody else in the room being able to do that as well helps us to be able to help each other to where if somebody didn’t hear the call correctly, we can help Tua (Tagovailoa) get lined up. We can mix and match and so it’s hard to just know where someone is so a team can game plan for that person if they’re move all around, so it helps us be a better offense.”
(A couple of things, we’ve seen a lot of motion in this offense, we’ve seen Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey have some real creative play calls the last month. What has stood out to you about George Godsey as a play caller?) – “Just giving the defenses a bunch of different things to look at and then building plays off of plays. I think that in this league, everyone has pretty much seen everything so being able to come up with different ways to run similar plays, similar concepts and even simplifying them enough to where we can go out there and execute them has been the biggest thing. We’ve just made enough plays to win these games, bottom line.”
(I was going to ask you about WR Jaylen Waddle. Obviously, what a great rookie season. What surprised you about him? We all knew about the speed obviously but has anything surprised you about him?) – “Not really. We had a similar receiver coach, or we had the same receiver coach from college my last year and then his coach his past two years (at Alabama). I pretty much heard the same things that he was hearing. Jaylen is extremely talented. The sky is the limit for him and you can just see his confidence growing more and more with each catch, each rep he’s getting. He’s an awesome player.”
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(As you guys are at 8-7 and kind of find yourself in the position where you just need to win these final two games to make the playoffs, I guess what can you kind of draw back from your time at Alabama playing these kind of high stakes playoff-type games whether it was in SEC Championship games or college playoff games?) – “All those games are electric. They’re fun. I would say it’s just a different stage where all these games mean a lot getting towards the ending of the season. I would say all of these games are big-time games and we’ve got to do all that we can to prepare the right way so that we can hopefully go ahead and get a win this week.”
(You guys did something that no NFL team has done in history. You had a seven-game losing streak and a seven-game winning streak in the same season and I’m just curious as one of the leaders on the team, how is it that you think the guys in the locker room were able to keep belief when you were 1-7 to put you in this position now where you’re 8-7 with an opportunity to go to the playoffs?) – “I think the belief has always been in the locker room. It’s really just the execution from all of us – being able to play together. There would be times where the defense plays really well and we’ve got to pick it up on offense – we don’t play as well as we should and vice versa. Or maybe something happens where penalties take a toll on the game for us as a team. So we just weren’t playing complementary football – like we’ve been saying – the way that we’re kind of doing now. That’s that.”
(I always enjoy asking about the opposing team’s safeties and kind of how they make your job more difficult. Tennessee has an All-Pro in Titans S Kevin Byard. What have you seen from him and how he kind of makes that defense clicks as far as disguising coverages and everything they do?) – “Like you said, he’s a Pro Bowler so he’s really good at what he does. In the back end, he’s their communicator. He gets guys aligned in the back end. He communicates out where everyone needs to be, who’s pressuring, who needs to replace him, all of that. So he’s the captain for them in the back end and I think he’s done a really good job so we’ve definitely got to be aware of where he’s at and who he’s covering at all times and look pretty much elsewhere for our matchups.”
(Titans QB Ryan Tannehill will be on the other side. For Dolphins fans that brings a lot of extra meaning to this game as if it needs anything extra. For you, do you just forget about the opposing QB and focus on who you’re going against, which is the actual Titans defense?) – “Yeah. I mean Ryan (Tannehill) is not playing corner or he’s not going to be pressuring me, so I’m not going to be watching film on Ryan. But I have a lot of respect for the things that he’s done throughout his career, his football career being here and also what he’s doing there at Tennessee. But yeah, we’re focused on what their defense can do to stop us. Not looking at Ryan playing defense.”
(I’m wondering whether any of your coaches, whether it be Head Coach Brian Flores, Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey, Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville, Quarterbacks Coach Charlie Frye, have had discussions with you since the game on Monday night about making sure you get in your head to slide when you’re scrambling as opposed to going up against a guy like CB P.J. Williams for example on Monday night?) – “I mean, yeah, literally everyone. It’s not just the coaches. Everyone. (The senior director of football communications) comes up to me and asks me why I’m not sliding. (laughter) It’s weird. I don’t know if (she) has ever played football and she’s telling me to slide. It is what it is. Just being out there, it’s different. For me, in that scenario, I wanted to get a first down so PJ Williams fell off the guy that he was covering and that’s what happened. At the end of the day, it’s football.”
(They’ve got a really good player up front with DT Jeffery Simmons on the other side. I’m curious as a quarterback, what does interior pressure do you for you versus maybe traditional edge pressure as far as how you are in the pocket and trying to do what you guys want to do offensively?) – “Interior pressure wreaks havoc really on the game both in the run and the passing game. In the run game because the holes aren’t going to be there, the runner’s got to bounce it out forcing their edge players – which really, their contain players are more than likely going to be out there. And for the pass game, stepping up, it’s hard to step up into the pocket with interior pressure. But I’m pretty good friends with Jeffery. We played against each other while he was at Mississippi State and I was at Alabama. Great player, good person, but we do understand that it’s going to be a tough task for us offensively to know where he’s at at all times and get him blocked.”
(You mentioned you’re good friends with him. Do you tell him to take it easy on you this week?) – “Yeah, no matter what you tell your friends, it’s competition.”
(I wanted to ask you about WR Mack Hollins’ impact on the offense. You guys talk about guys making the most of their opportunities and Mack has had limited opportunities, but it seems like he’s made an awful lot of big plays. I wonder if you could describe that impact he has for you guys?) – “Mack (Hollins) has made a great impact for us. As you can see, every time he’s downed the ball on the 1-yard line, that Gritty is amazing. So those are some big plays. I don’t know if those are the big plays you’re talking about, but he’s done a great job with the Gritty. I thought that was amazing. But yeah no, Mack has done a great job for us with a lot of the deep balls that he’s been given. He takes advantage of his opportunities when he gets in, so I think he’s done a great job with that.”
TE Mike Gesicki
(TE Durham Smythe wore your shirt today. What do you think?) – “I think it’s a good look. I think he should wear that shirt more often honestly. (laughter) I do appreciate his support. I’m not entirely sure what the occasion is, but I do appreciate it.”
(I think it’s the career high receiving yards. He did say it’s the first time he’s worn it.) – “It definitely is the first time he’s worn it. Rumor has it he’s also wearing it on the trip this weekend, so I’m looking for that as well. (laughter)”
(QB Ryan Tannehill is going to be on the other side. There was some crossover between you and him earlier in your career in Miami. What did that time mean to you and what will it be like seeing him on the other side?) – “I like Ryan a lot. I’m happy for his success. He’s a good guy, a good player. Like I said, I’m happy for his success and I’m looking forward to us competing against his team this week.”
(We’ve seen a lot of motion from this offense. We’ve seen creative play calls from Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey the last few weeks. What has stood out to you about George Godsey as a play caller? Obviously you know him well as your position coach for four years.) – “George has done a very good job as well as Eric (Studesville) of implementing different things into our offense and being creative, and at the end of the day, doing whatever it takes to get a win.”
TE Durham Smythe
(Fun to see the continued evolution of you as a dangerous receiving threat in this offense. I know you’re always happy to do whatever is asked of you of course, but has there been some satisfaction in the expanded role in the receiving game? Do you feel like you’ve needed to prove yourself in that way over three years to convince the coaches to give you more of that role, Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey, etc.?) – “I think you hit it on the head with the opening of the question. I try to do what’s asked. That’s kind of been my mindset really dating back to college because offenses are always changing. Some years you’re going to run the ball more. Some years you’re going to have to throw the ball, so I just try to do what’s asked of me. It is always nice every now and then to have something kind of show up from a statistical standpoint, but I’ve always just tried to do what’s asked whether that’s in the run game, pass protection, being a receiver – whatever it is – special teams. So that’s my mindset and that’s kind of what it’s always been.”
(Was there ever a conversation the last year or two with Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey where it was conveyed that you would be looked for more in the passing game because clearly these are career numbers for you and you are being targeted more than ever before?) – “Not directly. I think like I said, each year the offense evolves in a different way so you have to be ready to adapt and play the role that you’re needed to play. I think that’s just the evolution of our offense this year and that’s kind of how it’s been. Everyone has to roll with the punches. You have to be able to adapt in this league and be able to do what’s needed. So I think that’s just kind of how it’s been.”
(I have two different things on two totally different topics. The first one I’ve got to ask you about the t-shirt. Did you have that specifically made or how’d that…?) – “I was hoping someone would ask. Let’s give another view of it. (laughter) I just wanted to obviously pay the respects back. Mike (Gesicki) hit his career high for a season in receiving yards this past week so thought it was worth a shoutout there. I didn’t have it personally made. This I think is for sale somewhere, but this was given to me from Mike last year so I’ve held onto it. Unfortunately this is the first time I’ve worn it. He’d probably be pretty angry to hear, but maybe I’ll break it out more starting now.”
(Totally different topic. You were a rookie in 2018 when Titans QB Ryan Tannehill played here his last year. I wanted to ask your recollections of playing with him as your quarterback.) – “Yeah, he was actually in the locker right next to me in 2018. Great guy. Great football mind. He’s one of those guys that can look at a defense and tell you a lot of things just by really subtle things the defense does. So it was nice having him honestly around my rookie year as a guy who could teach us a little bit coming right out of college. He’s a great player obviously. Has been for a long time and like I said, it was nice having him around for our rookie year.”
LB Elandon Roberts
(I wanted to ask you about this Titans play-action passing attack. It seems like that’s where a lot of their big yards come from. What’s been a key for you guys in that linebacker crew to be able to recognize when they are running the ball and when they are going to go play-action?) – “I think with preparation. We’ve just got to prepare for it and hone in on it. They do a lot of things good in the run game, play-action, drop-back. They are a complete offense and we’re going to have a big task on us this week. They have a lot of great players on that offense as well. It’s going to be a 60-minute ball game.”
(For years you went up against QB Ryan Tannehill on the flip side when you were with the Patriots and he was with the Dolphins. What do you remember from preparing for him those days?) – “To be honest, I don’t think I played against Tannehill. As a matter of fact, I want to say I played against him in Tennessee and not Miami. I think he was hurt those games. Obviously he’s a talented quarterback. He leads their offense good. He controls it all. He’s doing great things for his team. He looks to be a great teammate. Like I said, we’re going to have a big task on our hands this week.”
(How have you seen him evolve since that point in time, to now?) – “Like I said, he’s a complete offense. He does great things for that offense, that team. He’s been having a good career and like I said, it’s going to be a big task.”
(As a veteran on this team, what are you telling the younger guys as far as their approach to this game knowing what the stakes are, as high as they’ve been all year for you guys. What sort of advice are you giving the younger guys?) – “We just as a whole team continue to take it one week at a time. That’s really all you can do, just take it one week at a time. It’s not just the younger guys, it’s the veterans like myself too. Hone in what we have in front of us, and what we have in front of us is the Tennessee Titans. We’re just all zoned in on that.”
(Have you guys talked about the playoffs at all?) – “Nope.”
(What was it like for you – QB Ryan Tannehill is going against his old team, a place that was – he played in Miami for so long. What was it like for you going against your old team?) – “Man, I’m so focused on Tennessee, I really don’t feel like talking about that.”
C/G Michael Deiter
(I wanted to get your reaction on reviewing the film from Monday Night’s game on the offensive line. How do you feel you guys played and what your focus is now going into this week?)– “Didn’t play well enough, obviously. A lot of stuff that we need to correct and get tighter with. That started yesterday with watching it and then making sure that everyone is detailed today and tomorrow and the next day and making sure we are getting things right. There was some good but not enough good and we can be a lot better.”
(It seemed like on Monday Night the Saints had a lot of success running those four-man rushes with the stunts, I know that’s obviously really tough post-snap but as an offensive line group, is there any way to communicate that better to make sure that the looping guy comes and isn’t free?) – “Yeah, definitely communicating would help with awareness. That way you can react faster and snap things off faster. Once the ball is snapped, it just falls back on technique. The same technique you always use to pick it up in practice, we needed to get to that in the game consistently. When we’re getting teams that run games really well, we knew they did and we just need to trust our fundamentals, technique and pick things up.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores mentioned Titans DT Jeffery Simmons being one of the best players in the NFL. They’ve got plenty of weapons up front with him, DL Denico Autry and several other guys. Just wanted to get the players perspective on what the Titans bring on that interior front against you guys this Sunday.) – “They’re really good. Obviously, Jeffery is the star of it all but they have a really good, sound defense, especially their front. They’re big, they’re fast, they’re powerful, they play smart and they play with a lot of effort. They present a lot of good challenges for us, which is exciting. It gives us a chance to go against the best and expect a lot of good stuff. Like I said, they’re big, physical, they fly around, they play smart and they play with tremendous effort.”
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I’m sure you heard the news yesterday that legendary coach John Madden passed away. I wanted to start off getting your thoughts on his career, his legacy and how many football generations he touched.) – “It’s a sad day for a lot of people, for the game of football. As far as legacy and impact and the amount of people and lives that he touched not only as a coach, but as a person, as a husband, as a father. I think he’s up there on the Mount Everest of coaching and obviously he had a great career as a coach and as a color commentator. From all the things that I’ve heard – I never met him – he’s a better human being. It’s a huge loss for the sport and really for everyone, so a sad day.”
(So you began the day with 14 players on the COVID list. Are any coming off in time for practice today?) – “Yeah – Cethan Carter, Justin Coleman, Robert Jones, Greg Mancz, Duke Riley will all be back.”
(I know Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman really didn’t want to go into this a lot yesterday, but with WR Jaylen Waddle obviously you have a great returner, someone who did very well at that at Alabama. You opted not to use him in that role Monday when you had WR Tommylee Lewis available. Is the thinking that you want to protect him, conserve his energy because of his vital role on offense at this point in the season?) – “There’s a lot that goes into all decisions. We always want to do what’s best for the team. Rosters – as you know, because you’re on top of this – have been very fluid and moving these last few weeks. With Jaylen (Waddle) coming off of COVID and a litany of moves that have been made really across the league, that factored in. We’ll always do what we feel is best and these obviously last couple of weeks – one because of COVID or really both because of COVID – we opted to go with Tommylee and we’ll see how it goes this week.”
(Now that we’re into the last two games of the regular season, what does experience tell you about the best way to approach a playoff stretch run? Is your coaching style and approach with the players absolutely the same as any other week and for that matter, the sense you get from the players in terms of things like intensity and focus and all of that, does any of that change or is this as normal a week as possible?) – “I’d like to think it’s as normal a week as possible. Preparation is always at a high level – our effort, our communication, always trying to be at the top of our game from that standpoint. I think this week we’ve got a great challenge in the Titans – a well-coached team, a tough, a physical team really on all three sides of the ball. So our preparation has got to be at a high level. They’ve got a lot of good players really on both sides of the ball and in the kicking game so it’ll be a big test for us.”
(I think you mentioned yesterday Titans DT Jeffery Simmons up front. I’m curious what your thoughts are on his pressure in the interior and why he’s been so good at that this year.) – “This is one of the most impressive guys I’ve seen this year. One of the top – I would say one of the top defensive players in the league. Big, strong, physical, high motor, tough to block, tough to double. But they’ve got a lot of good players on their front really across the board – (Bud) Dupree, Rashaan Evans, Zach Cunningham they claimed from the Texans. They’ve got a lot of good players in the back end as well, offensively as well. It’s a good team, a well-coached team. But (Jeffery) Simmons is definitely at the forefront.”
(If I could briefly follow up, I know a lot of times in this league we talk about the edge rushers. What sort of difference does it make when you have an interior guy who maybe is putting pressure on your guards and centers play to play?) – “Yeah, I mean there’s no pocket to step up in. That’s hard, which he does a good job of creating push up the middle and then if you can’t step up, then you go out and they have good edge rushers as well. We have our hands full with this front. We’ve got to do a good job across the board and obviously he’s a big part of that.”
(Could you assess QB Tua Tagovailoa’s play on Monday night? What you saw from reviewing the film and what it’ll take from him against this Titans defense and the challenges they present?) – “He’s going to have to do a good job from a preparation standpoint – a great job from a preparation standpoint – of getting to know their defensive players, their front, their second-level players. Obviously their DBs. We have to make good decisions with the football. Obviously it’s going to be a loud and tough environment so we’ve got to deal with that as well, but it’s not just Tua. It’s our entire offense. It’s everyone – o-line, running backs, tight ends, receivers. We need to have everyone to prepare the right way. That starts today in meetings. Have a good walkthrough, have good practices and give ourselves an opportunity to have success in the game.”
(I know you guys obviously have played in cold before, but I looked at the temperature on Sunday. It’s supposed to be in the 20s, maybe a little snow. What do you do maybe to get your guys prepped for that inclement December playoff football?) – “Put some thermals on, put a hoodie on and get out there. I don’t think we can cool up the indoor facility to those temperatures so we’ll get out there, put a sweatshirt on and get some hand warmers if that’s what you need. Look, when you’re out there on the field, your energy levels are up. Obviously we expect an intense, physical 60-minute ballgame so when you’re out there, I think guys will be fine and there’s heated benches or I’m sure we’ll have something like that, too.”
