Head Coach Mike McDaniel (Transcribed by ASAP Sports)
Q. What was the key for the season-high rushing output that you guys had out there today?
MIKE McDANIEL: There’s no shortcut around it. It’s something that you are very proud of as a coach because this entire group really dedicated themselves to the craft. It’s tough. You come here. There was a lot of talk about our run game and just because of the past successes that I’ve been fortunate enough to have myself, and guys were excited about the system. When you don’t have immediate results, you get to learn a lot about people. And in this particular circumstance we have a bunch of guys really working at the craft at a level that you need to really attack something when you are playing an opponent at the National Football League. So it was awesome to see that collective effort really bear fruit. That’s a team accomplishment. It doesn’t just involve the offensive players. You’re talking about a lot of effort that goes in on the defensive side of the ball to give us the type of looks so that we can really hone in on the specifics to the defense. I was just happy with how everyone kept their head down and was grinding to, you know, earn that result because that’s something that you can be proud of for the right way. You don’t fall into that. That’s months and months of strain and deliberate practice that you can be fortunate enough to have a day like that.
Q. The first half of the season we have seen Tua really having heavily target Jaylen and Tyreek. This was a game where Tua had eight different pass catchers. He threw touchdown passes to Alec Ingold and Trent Sherfield. What did you like about the way he kind of was able to distribute the ball to all of your offensive personnel?
MIKE McDANIEL: No, we’ve been waiting for a game like that. I think, first of all, Tua is playing very, very high-level football. It’s phenomenal to watch him commit to the process. It’s the third game in a row where I didn’t feel a high or a low from him. He was just trying to execute each and every play. But it was rewarding and exciting because you can ask Tyreek and Waddle themselves. It’s about a team and all of their production has to do with a team working in concert so that they can get those numbers. You play a defense that’s bound and determined to make sure that those two individuals don’t get as many targets; that leaves opportunities for everybody else. I was very happy that really the – it seems like the only in-house people really understand we have a good team, a good offense, a good defense, a good special teams. It’s not just names. Hopefully you got to experience a little bit of what we’ve been witnessing inside of practice and out that we have a lot of players that can make plays. And when they’re asked to step up and make a play, you saw a ton of examples of guys doing that, which we knew they were very capable of.
Q. Justin Bethel, he came in late in the game. What was your thoughts on his production on the back-to-back plays that he had?
MIKE McDANIEL: I can’t say enough about that kid. Here’s a guy that has been known in the National Football League as a special teams player, a very good one. All he has done since he has been here is do his thing on special teams and then make plays every time he is asked. We’ve had some injuries, given some opportunities, and he has stepped up to the plate and been around the ball. He competes, and he does a great job for us, so very, very glad that he is on our team.
Q. The defensive front, you all limited Nick Chubb and forced him to have his first fumble of the year. What’s your thoughts on that frontline?
MIKE McDANIEL: That’s something that we’re pretty confident in, is our run defense regardless of what the stats say. There’s been some games where we’ve had some quarterback runs really, really hurt us, but when you cut on the tape and when we’re really looking at ourselves in a critical fashion, I feel like that’s one of our strengths. It was a tremendous challenge. They do an unbelievable job in Cleveland to really dominate the time of possession and utilize one of if not the best runner in the league. So it was cool to watch our team rally behind that. They knew the challenge that was in front of them. They knew the thing about a good running team is you either have to stop them or you’re going to have to deal with the consequences and it’s a slow, slow death. There’s no way around it. You can’t hide. For them to have that effort and get after it, I was very proud of that.
Q. When you look at Tua’s body of work over the last three games with nine touchdowns and no interceptions, 30 points scored for the team in each game, what is something that he is doing that maybe isn’t so obvious to us or fans? What is he doing now?
MIKE McDANIEL: He is really seeing the field well. I think sometimes how fast he is playing and how fast he is processing, you cut the tape on it, it looks like he might be throwing to No. 1 or 2, but he is progressing through eligibles 1 through 5 in his progression with lightning speed. That’s really making it frustrating for a defensive front. You’re in pass rush mode and you can’t get to them; that can wear on you. So he is doing a lot of things visually, manipulating defenders, making really good throws and getting the ball out. And when he is throwing into contested situations from time to time, he is putting outstanding ball placement, so I don’t think we’ve had — it’s probably, like, what, 90 pass attempts roughly in three games, and I don’t think there’s been a close interception or turnover. So you are talking about being able to have an aggressive style of football play where you can feel comfortable as an offense and as a coach to call a pass play and know you’re not going to give the defense it back. Those are just some of the things. Then the biggest thing for me with Tua specifically is it would be impossible to see on game tape, but the whole team in the last month has taken an unbelievable jump in accountability, how they prepare and how they just go about doing their jobs. He is one of the main reasons that that is occurring. He has really come into his own skin in regards to being a leader at the quarterback position. Guys are rallying around him. He is demanding a standard and holding himself at a tremendous high standard himself. So those are just a couple of things. We could have a Tua press conference if you wanted. Very happy with him.
Q. Going back to August, probably the most questioned area of the team might have been the offensive line. Clearly that’s come together, and they’ve played well, culminated by a great performance today. Can you talk about how the offensive line as a whole has come together this season and really played quite well?
MIKE McDANIEL: We felt pretty good in training camp. You’re going against one defensive style when you are making your assessments. Really OTAs and training camp we felt good about the progression. Then I felt that once we started playing the season, the adaptation to the different nuances of defensive front play and structures and adjusting week by week with your concepts and such, I thought we showed our youth. What’s been tremendous, led by the coaching staff, specifically Frank Smith and (Matt) Applebaum and (Mike) Person and ‘Lem’ (Lemuel Jeanpierre) really is you’ve gotten into a groove of how to properly prepare for the specifics of what a defense can present, but then most importantly above all else – that’s all good and fun, but you’ve seen an offensive line group that has made the decision to be all in and really own the techniques and fundamentals that are necessary to win. It’s a beautiful process when you talk about players getting better during the course of the season because it’s so hard. And so when you see players and groups of players coming together and getting better during the course of the season, to me that’s what the name of the game is. It’s the hardest thing, but it’s the most important thing when you are talking about an entire season.
Q. Tua was asked about you and how you have helped this team become successful. He says you’re the man of the people. What does that mean to you that this team has bought in week by week to what you have brought to the table?
MIKE McDANIEL: Everything, you know? It’s them that are choosing to buy in. I think you can do a ton of really cool things in the National Football League if you can somehow get an entire building, an entire roster, to move in one direction. And that is way, way easier said than done. It doesn’t matter what my messaging would be or what my beliefs were. It doesn’t matter if they were really awesome or really terrible. It doesn’t matter if a bunch of individuals decide to be all in on it. They have to choose that they want to hear it and then they have to choose that they want to listen to it. So it goes back to the fact that you have incredible, young, hungry individuals that collectively are getting the taste of the fruits that bear when you sacrifice together and are able to accomplish a common goal. So I think that it means everything to me because I know that’s the formula for any sort of success that you’re chasing, but it also makes me feel unbelievably indebted to those players because I know that that is not something that any one person can force people to do. They have to choose that they want to go a certain direction. Once they make that choice, if there’s enough people involved, can you do some pretty cool things because it’s hard to win in this league and you can have some games where you can win and against a very good team that had a good game plan on both sides of the ball. You can be able to win comfortably earned in the fourth quarter. But I’m just very, very happy with the captains, the leadership council and just really all the players for committing to a cause that they’re starting to see how worth it it is.
Q. The previous two weeks you had to win in shoot-outs. You had earlier games where the defense had to pick up the offense. How gratifying was it to have this type of complete performance?
MIKE McDANIEL: It was nice. This being our seventh win, I think it was hard to get comfortable in the previous six. There’s a reason for that. It’s the parity of the National Football League and how good teams are and how you can’t sleep on any opponent. It just takes an incredible amount of detailed work to be able to as a team be able to beat a team at home like this that was coming off a bye. They were not sleeping on us whatsoever, and they really wanted to get after our team and build on that last one they had against Cincinnati. So it’s what it’s about. You want to bottle that because have you that type of commitment and effort throughout the week. You’ll have a chance versus anybody regardless who you play if you have an entire locker room, coaching staff, and organization committed in the way that they were this past week.
QB Tua Tagovailoa (Transcribed by ASAP Sports)
Q: You had a touchdown pass to Trent Sherfield. It looked like one of those money throws. I guess just describe the connection that you have been building with your receivers, especially Trent this year so far.
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, I think on that particular play it looked like a palms look where if Tyreek broke out, they could play cover 2, and if not, they would play cover 4. So it really helped so that Tyreek was also in the slot on that side, so we didn’t know if they were going to double or cloud it or play 4. So I did my footwork, looked at Tyreek, and was trying to feel through Tyreek with the corner. I felt like he was squatting, so I gave Trent an opportunity, and Trent made a big play for us in that instance. So I’m really happy that he finally got a touchdown as a Dolphin.
Q: I’m gathering you heard the “MVP” chants from the crowd. Did you hear that? What do you think when you hear that the fans are chanting “MVP?”
TUA TAGOVAILOA: There’s no doubt I heard that. I could hear that when it was a TV timeout, when we were walking back into the tunnel. You know, it’s flattering. But what we came to do and what we came to accomplish, it’s not accomplished yet. So it would be cool, but we have bigger goals and aspirations on what we want to do as a team.
Q: You guys had a season high performance on the ground game. I know all the talking has been about the passing game, but how do you think maybe that success through the air kind of opened things up today for the running game?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I think with the speed that we can have outside, it definitely helps. But, then again, you can’t discredit our guys up front. Our guys are protecting their ass off. Had zero sacks. I had a clean pocket. When I took my shoulder pads off, Anne made a comment. She said, ‘Wow, your jersey is so clean.’ Well, it’s because of our guys up front. Our running backs with Raheem (Mostert) and Jeff (Wilson), I mean, I’ve never seen a duo like this, and I’ve never been a part of a back field like that before, so this is cool. Outside of the college realm of backs in the NFL.
Q: Three consecutive games with three touchdowns, no interceptions, very efficient. Do you feel yourself playing your most consistent ball of your pro career right now?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, I do, and I think it’s a testament to the work that we all put in day in and day out. From after a game like this, you know, coming in tomorrow. On a day like Monday getting together as an offensive group, talking about the things that we need to improve on, and then carrying that over to Wednesday and then all the way leading to Sunday. So it’s really an effort for everyone as to why we’re all having success.
Q: What do you do during an off week?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I’ll be training, but I don’t know. I haven’t really thought. For me all the years are different, so I don’t know what I’ll do yet.
Q: Having four players with four players with four or five catches, what’s the benefit when you were able to kind of spread it around on a game like today?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, I think the benefit is those guys on the opposing team have to cover everyone on the field. It’s not just Tyreek (Hill) or Jaylen (Waddle) or Mike (Gesicki) or our backs. You’ve got to cover everyone and if someone is not accounted for, then hopefully we can find them and get them the ball and force their team to tackle them. I think that’s also something that’s frustrating for defenses. It’s within the progression of my read, so regardless of who it is, if he is open, I’ll try to find a way to get him the ball.
Q: You said you’re not done obviously with what you want to do, but did you ever envision this kind of environment surrounding you with the crowd chanting “MVP” for you and on the streak you’re on right now? Did you ever envision all of this coming together like this?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: No, I didn’t. I would say I didn’t because a lot of the hard work that we’ve put in, like, we’re just so focused on how we can win games and what that entails. For our backs to have long touchdowns, explosive touchdowns, one each, and then being able to throw to three different guys, touchdowns; you’re just in the moment and you’re just enjoying that and you don’t necessarily think outside of any of that. I’m really proud of our team. Our defense gave us a lot of opportunities to go out there and try to put those guys away, but a lot of respect to their team as well. They came out. They fought. And shoutout to my boy Jacoby Brissett. He fought hard as well.
Q: How would you describe the — seems kind of obvious, but you’re the best person to ask. How would you describe the role that Head Coach Mike McDaniel has played in the team’s 7-3 record and success through 10 games?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I think just his personality. Just him being himself. Not changing up the schedule. Or if it is being changed, he gets the captains together or he gets the leadership meeting together and kind of gets the feel of what the players in the locker room are saying about certain things, if they like the schedule, if they don’t like the schedule, what do we need to change. I would say he is a man of the people. He has no ego, no ego towards what he believes is right or wrong. But then again, it’s ‘our team’ is what he will tell you. I think just him being himself is really what helps us be able to be ourselves as well. We don’t have to be anyone we’re not.
Q: It’s kind of unprecedented, the leap you’ve made this year from your first two years. Can you address where you are at confident-wise compared to maybe the end of last year?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, I think you look at those, and they’re two different seasons, two different offensive-minded OCs, play callers, whatever you want to say about that. So schematically it’s totally different than what I’ve been used to at Alabama and my first two years in the NFL. Really just the guys that I’m surrounded with. I’m not able to make the plays that I’m able to do if we don’t have the guys up front blocking and the running backs with the run game, Jaylen and Tyreek and all these other guys. It’s really just everyone making me look good… one more question? You guys don’t have anymore questions?
Q: What would you ask?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I don’t know what I would ask. I’m just really proud of our guys. They fought hard today and played really good complementary football. I’m just so happy that we won, too. One more question? No more questions?
Q: It was the most distributed tickets today since Hard Rock was refurbished. What does that tell you about the fan support?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Wow. I didn’t know that. That’s a cool stat. It just shows you the belief that our fans have in our team and kind of the resurrection of the organization for us. We’re going to try to keep this going after this bye week, and we’ll see you guys in about two weeks.
LB Bradley Chubb
(How did it feel to get the sack?) – “It felt good. It’s only a half, so I can’t feel too good about it, but I just have to keep working. The numbers are going to come and I’m just excited to be here.”
(Was it less thinking and more doing today than last week?) – “For sure. Last week was a whirlwind trying to figure out my living situation, kind of having the emotions of getting traded, all that type of stuff and now I’m comfortable, I’m good. My guys help me out every time I need them. I’m a lot more comfortable and feeling like myself.”
(It seems like everyone has been pretty welcoming here. Can you talk about how you have kind of just become a part of a team) – “Yeah, like you said, it wasn’t really an awkwardness or anything like that. Last week, I was figuring myself out, wasn’t really talking to anybody. Now guys are starting to see my personality a bit more and I’m starting to see theirs. I’m starting to hang out with guys on the days we don’t have stuff too late. It’s cool to so quickly be a part of this team and continue to build. Like I said it’s only kind of a sample of what this defense and what this team is capable of, so I’m excited to see what we do after the bye week.”
WR Tyreek Hill
(What does it feel like heading into the Bye Week 7-3? Obviously, you guys didn’t overlook the Browns today.) – “It feels good. I feel like we’re in a great position. Obviously with football, things don’t go as planned. So we’re in a good spot and we’re very confident with where we’re at.”
(You guys have been waiting for WR Trent Sherfield to get into the end zone. How happy were you to see that happen today?) – “I was very happy. He had one stolen from in Detroit, so for him to get in the end zone with everything he’s had to deal with throughout the course of his career, definitely happy for him.”
(The way you guys ran the ball today, when this offense is doing that, it’s going to be pretty hard to stop, no?) – “Yeah, for sure. For sure. The offensive line, they did a great job. Coach (Mike) McDaniel and the whole coaching staff did a great job of scheming. Even Mike Gesicki, he did a great job coming in, putting his helmet on someone today. It felt good. It felt good, guys just flying around, making plays for each other. And that’s what football is about. You have to have spirit.”
CB Xavien Howard
(You guys defensively holding them into the teens [points], what clicked for you guys today?) – “I think our DC (Josh Boyer) did a good job. He put us in position to make plays and get back to the quarterback. After we got to the quarterback he started forcing throws. We were just in great position.”
(The Bills just lost, so now you guys are first place in the division going into the bye week. Are you guys surprised that you guys are at where you’re at?) – “We’re taking it one day at a time. Their loss doesn’t mean anything. We have to keep going. We’ve got to keep winning.”
(I know you play on the other side of the ball obviously, but when you hear the crowd yelling “MVP” for your quarterback, how does that make you feel?) “Tua is playing at a high level right now. Just keep it up and keep getting better, that’s all I wish for him. It’s crazy. It’s crazy. He’s just got to keep playing at a high level.”
RB Raheem Mostert
(What has the bond been like in the running back room over the last few since RB Jeff Wilson Jr. has gotten in there? Obviously, you said you guys aren’t worried about where the ball goes, but just the bond you guys have?) – “We’ve worked together for a number of years. For him to come in and play the role that he’s doing, I can’t be much prouder. I said it last week and I’ll say it again this week; he’s definitely a guy that we can count on in the run game. I’m just happy for him, because like I said, I saw him when he was just crawling in the league, and now he’s blossoming. He’s doing unbelievable things. We feast off each other. We’re a good 1-2 punch.”
(This is the first time since 2003 that the Dolphins haven’t punted in a game. What does that say about this offense?) – “It’s just high flying. We did take a chance on fourth down a couple times and I think we were 1-for-2 or 2-for-3 or something like that. But it’s all about how we can operate on this offense. We are doing a great job, especially like I mentioned earlier we have got (No.) 1 (Tua Tagovailoa) directing everything and putting the ball in a great position, and then you have (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) calling plays, doing what he has to do. It’s up to us players to get the job done, so we’ve been able to do that.”
(The Dolphins put up 39 points – how much better can this offense be?) – “We’ve got to check the tape. That tells a lot. We’ll see what it entails. We’ll watch film tomorrow before we head out for the Bye Week. But it’s real simple – we’ll watch the tape and go back to what we know and do what we do best.”
WR Trent Sherfield
(You finally got in the end zone. How did that one feel? You went up and got that one.) – “Well, this is my second time getting in the end zone. (laughter) It was great. It was honestly really a blessing. I just really give credit and glory all to God. Being able to be in this position is really humbling, and I’m really excited to be a part of this team. Just like I said, taking it day by day, week by week and just continuing to build and continue to be a great player for this team.”
(How much fun is this offense when it seems like everybody has a hand in it?) – “I think it’s a lot of fun, because you have some offenses where the ball is not coming to you and you know that. But with a guy like Tua (Tagovailoa) and the offense and how he understands the offense and the way that he’s able to spread the ball around, you always have to be prepared. He’s going to get you the ball. It’s just a matter of if you’re prepared. If you’re not prepared for your opportunity, then that’s on you. It’s a lot of fun, because any given moment when you’re out there, this could be the play. It could be anybody. As a receiver, we take a lot of pride in that day-in and day-out. We know that we all have to be alert, because know Tua can have one read and he’ll see something, and he’ll throw it and we’ll have to be ready. It’s a lot of fun.”
(It was quite a throw by QB Tua Tagovailoa and then quite the catch by you in the end zone. Just walk us through what you saw.) – “Like I said, just being alert – you always have to be alert when Tua (Tagovailoa) is in the game. That ball wasn’t even supposed to come to me. I just knew reading the corner, seeing that he kind of came down on Tyreek (Hill), I knew that the ball was going to be in the air. So I just looked straight up in the air, and I just knew it was there. Tua trusted in me to go make a play. It was a great ball – beautiful ball. I had no choice but to catch it. Major props to Tua for that ball.”
DT Christian Wilkins (Transcribed by ASAP Sports)
Q: You guys are going into the bye week with a four-game winning streak. As a team, it seems like you are playing your best ball. As a team captain, can you speak to how confident this team is feeling right now?
CHRISTIAN WILKINS: Yeah, well, we’re just trying to do our job each and every week. The objective of the season is to do this all year. Whether you win, whether you lose, you always want to get better. You can win games in this league, but it doesn’t mean you’re getting better, you know what I mean? That’s kind of our goal. That’s what we wish to accomplish each and every week. We feel like we’re doing that. We probably played our most complete game today in all three phases. Yeah, there were things we can clean up on and things we can get better on, but this is probably our most complete, I would say. But yeah, an objective of ours is definitely just to sprint into the bye week. We didn’t think about it or want to sit on a loss or sit on a bad game. We all wanted to come out here and sprint into the bye week. That was kind of the mindset, and we did just that.
Q: Limiting Nick Chubb to under 100 yards this game and the front four with you, Bradley Chubb, Melvin Ingram, and Jaelan Phillips. What’s the thoughts of that four and the domination that you guys…?
CHRISTIAN WILKINS: First of all, I got a lot of respect for (Nick) Chubb. I think he is probably the most pure, the best pure running back in the league. For us to do what we did against him, I mean, he obviously popped a few of them. You know, I got a lot of respect for him. We did a decent job up front. Still a lot we can clean up. We have a lot of guys that can go on that d-line. It makes it a lot better when you look to your left, look to your right and you are like, ‘alright I got a dawg over there, a dawg over there. All I have to do is do my job.’ It makes it a lot more fun. We’re all gelling together. We have good energy. We have a good camaraderie. We’re hoping that that allows us to play better and play for each other.
Q: Do you feel the pass rush now coming in greater waves? There were three instances where those guys split sacks.
CHRISTIAN WILKINS: No, definitely. I just think it’s just everybody is hungry. Everybody is trying to go eat, but we’re doing it for each other and doing it together.
Q: As someone who has seen Tua from year one to year three. The numbers he is putting up… as a teammate, how gratifying is that?
CHRISTIAN WILKINS: It’s great to see. He is someone that we have always believed in inside the building and as teammates and regardless of what people think of him on the outside, naysayers, whoever. We’ve always had his back since day one, and we knew he could do things like this. A lot of respect for him for blocking out the noise, just locking in on his process and doing his job, and he has been able to be a great pro. He is doing some really good things this year. So hopefully he can just keep it going and keep leading us the way he is because he is doing a phenomenal job this year.
Q: I do have to ask. I am sure you probably heard some of those “MVP” chants. What were your thoughts on those?
CHRISTIAN WILKINS: Hey, man, that’s cool. I’m glad our fans are coming out and showing a lot of love and giving him the respect he deserves. Again, if they feel that way, man, chant for that man. I think he is doing a pretty good job this year.
Q: What can you say about your newest teammates Bradley Chubb and Jeffery Wilson Jr.?
CHRISTIAN WILKINS: They’re alright… They’re okay. They’re decent additions to the team. (laughter) No, I really like those guys a lot. Starting with Bradley (Chubb), I think he is a heck of a player. Person? Eh, he went to NC State, so we’re still trying to settle our differences there. But, yeah, he is going to be able to help us a lot especially down the stretch and as he learns the defense and gets more comfortable. He has come right in and been someone that was a good fit right away to the scheme and just to the type of guy he is. And Jeff, it’s fun to watch him rush. I don’t know who pisses him off before every game, but damn. He is a lot of fun to watch, and I’m glad he is on our team. He is a great teammate as well.
Q: Angry Run contender this week maybe?
CHRISTIAN WILKINS: Yeah. Like I said, he is just fun to watch. It doesn’t matter if he is getting no yards or 20 yards, he is going to make you feel him. It’s fun to watch.
RB Jeff Wilson Jr.
(How good does it feel to just have this type of impact so early on especially going into the bye week 7-3, part of a team that feels like it is doing something special?) – “It is kudos to all those other guys. I’m just a running back. There are a million running backs in this league and like I said, we have three good ones that were up today and was active. So it could have been any one of those guys because the way our o-line attacked, and the way our receivers attacked down field helping us get to the open field.”
(Is this the most special group you have been a part of?) – “Oh man. Special. Like I said, I think it is early to tell. We’ve got a long journey, a long ride, but the way the guys brought me in, the love, the facility, everybody around that showed me. Man, I can’t wait to see how it unfolds.”
(Is there a healthy competition going on with you and RB Raheem Mostert?) – “There’s no competition. All that stuff’s up to the coaches – whoever’s in, we’re going to roll and that’s just how it is.”
