LB Bradley Chubb
(Opening Statement) – “Before the first question, today marks a year, my first time back with the Miami Dolphins team. This time last year, I had a lot of emotions going, a lot of everything going, and I just want to, right now, I just once again, thank Mr. Ross and his family, Mr. Garfinkel and his family, Mr. Grier, Coach Mike (McDaniel). Changed my life, man, and I’m glad to be here. I’m glad to be here with this team, and I’m thankful to be here in Germany with you guys. Wouldn’t have got this opportunity if this time last year wasn’t around. Still a little emotional part of my journey, but at the end of the day, man, I’m right where I need to be. God has a plan for me and my family, and it’s right here in Germany right now. I’m taking the fullest advantage of it, and I appreciate y’all out here. Any questions?”
(If I recall, that same time last year, you were just coming back from London playing a game overseas. What’s it like now, a year later, sort of the flip, now with the Dolphins, you’re going overseas to Germany and the team not making a trade deadline move so no other player has to sort of do that kind of travel schedule at the same time?) – “Any time you get a chance to expand the game that I’ve been playing since I was six years old, a game that I love, a game that I put my heart into, any time you’ve got the chance to share that with a different group of people, different culture, no matter where it is, it’s a blessing. It’s a huge opportunity. Last year in London was fun, I had a good time. But this year in Germany, I’m with a special group of guys, and we’ve got an opportunity to do something real special. So it makes the experience that much better, that much sweeter. God has been working. Last year we had a week in L.A. (Los Angeles) and I saw a lot of guys – I’m not going to say like we weren’t prepared, but a lot of guys kind of took that as a vacation opportunity and we weren’t the best us that Sunday. Full circle, a year later from now, we’ve just taken full advantage of the opportunity, whether it’s recovering as much as we can, whether it’s hitting the practice field as hard as we can, everybody is bought in, everybody is locked in and it’s a beautiful thing to see. Like I said, on the international part of it, it’s just fun being able to expand the game, like I said, and be out here in a great country.”
(You lead the team in sacks. Can you just share some of your experiences of playing against some of the top quarterbacks and I guess some of the running backs in the league this year so far?) – “Any time you step foot on that field healthy, it’s a blessing. It’s been a blessing, and it’s been one of those things, man, I just try to be the best me each and every week. I feel like in the start of the season, I was kind of not really living in the moment, trying to do this and that and be the superhero because I’m the guy they paid or whatever it may be. Over these past couple of weeks, I’ve just been locking in on my teammates and on what I’ve got to do personally to be the best me, because at the end of day I’m just a small piece in this big puzzle. Each day I approach, I’m going to make sure I do my job the best, make sure I do this the best, make sure I bring guys along with me with energy, with anything it may be. It’s been working out the past couple of weeks. Being able to go against some of the top, like you said, (running) backs and quarterbacks in the league, it’s been a fun experience, especially when you see yourself starting to have success, because it just lets you know you’re here for a reason. We’ve been playing, like you said, a lot of great quarterbacks, and we’ve got a great quarterback and a great offense coming up this week as well. So just trying to continue the process of it, continue the mindset and all that and just try not to think of it as, ‘Oh, we’re playing these guys,’ you know what I mean? Just taking it week by week, day by day and letting the play do its talking.”
(How do you think a trip like this does for the team as a unit, the camaraderie and things like that?) – “It brings us together a lot man. Like I said, last year in L.A. (Los Angeles) when we were out there for a week, I felt like we kind of missed some of that. The guys hung out with each other, but it wasn’t that team, that close. So being able to do it again this year and seeing the transformation of us as a team from then to now and just to see how guys are bought in, bought into each other, bought into just everything Coach (Mike McDaniel) is preaching, it’s been fun to see. I feel like we’re going to be a better team leaving Germany, for sure.”
(You heard WR Tyreek Hill talk about he didn’t want to touch the Swiftie thing. You’ve got guys like CB Jalen Ramsey back there and S Jevon Holland that are going to have to be dealing with Chiefs TE Travis Kelce. Do you feel for them and the wrath they might take from some of these Swifties if they do their job the way they’re supposed to?) – “I mean, yeah, man. But at the end of the day, we’re going to be happy that they’re doing their job. I don’t want to say nothing about the Swifties, but we could care less about what they think. Just got to make sure – I know those boys are going to do their job and we’ve got to do our job to help them out.”
(I was going to say, to do your job is getting after Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, obviously. That’s the key to stopping this offense, is that the way you feel?) – “For sure. Like Tyreek (Hill) said, 87 (Travis Kelce) is a huge part of that. But when you’ve got a guy like Patrick Mahomes, he’s all-world for a reason. He has the perfect feel for the game. He knows when the rush is coming. He knows when the DB is lacking off or anything like that. So it’s not going to be an easy task at all, in no way shape or form, but we’ve got a lot of guys on this defense that play hard, that play together, and I feel like if we continue to do that, we should have success. But that’s just me talking – we’ve got to out there Sunday and actually do it, actually prove it, actually set our standard on that field out here in Germany. It’s going to be a great challenge. I’m excited about it. Like I said, just to see where this team is at a whole year from now, I feel like we’re in a way better position to play these types of games, to play – Alec (Ingold) alluded to it – those mentally tough games, because everybody has to come out here and redo your whole routine and stuff like that. Just guys being bought in, and I feel like it’s going to take us exactly where we need to be.”
(The Frankfurt Stadium is supposed to be the loudest stadium in Germany. What kind of atmosphere do you expect on Sunday?) – “A huge one. I know those fans are going to kind of be cheering for both sides. I hope that’s the plan, that’s how it kind of was in London last year. It was loud the whole game. The energy was there the whole game, and I know these fans out here are going to bring the same energy, the same love for the game. It’s going to be a great atmosphere, I’m excited for it.”
(I’ve been asking a lot of your teammates and coaches about playing against Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes. Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio earlier today said it kind of starts with not allowing him to run, not allowing him to escape the pocket. Is that something that’s easier said than done, though?) – “Way easier said than done. Because like I said, he has such a great feel for the game that you could keep them in the pocket, but he’s going to find a little sliver or whatever it may be. It’s not going to be an easy task, but that’s the goal. We might not do it every play. We might not do it half the plays. But at the end of the day, that’s the goal to keep him in that pocket. And even if we don’t, I know the guys on the back end are going to do their jobs to hold up, to reroute, to plaster and all that type of stuff. It’s more about team defense and not so much getting caught up in, ‘Oh, if he escapes the pocket, it’s going to hurt us,’ because he’s going to do that. He’s one of the best for a reason, so he’s going to do that. He’s going to be in those positions to make plays, we’ve just got to be in better position.”
(What’s the challenge of keeping QB Patrick Mahomes contained and not over-pursuing and not trying to chase after a sack and rather just staying in your zone?) – “The challenge, especially up front, is you always want to win on your first move. Like, ‘Ooh, I beat that dude clean. I got a sack.’ You always want that to happen, but the challenge is not getting frustrated in not winning in your first move. Yeah, your first move might come clean, but he’s going to step up and boom, the tackle is going to be right there. You’ve got to work it again to get past him that time and (Patrick) Mahomes might be right there, the quarterback might be on the other side, you never know. So that’s the challenge of just not knowing exactly where he’s going to be, but like I said, we’ve got guys that play hard that get after not only the quarterback, but the running backs, the receivers. If we play that team defense like I know we can and I know we will, it’s going to be good for us.”
(You seem to be very reflective, speaking and feeling very blessed. You’re going to be a part of history this weekend playing the first ever game in Frankfurt. How do you feel about that and how far do you think NFL international can go?) – “The sky is the limit, man. Hopefully in the future, we see something crazy like a division over here or something and teams have got to travel over here every year to be able to play in front of these great fans. But yeah, like I said, the sky is the limit. And what was the first question you asked? I’m sorry.”
(How do you feel about being a part of history?) – “Being a part of history – like I said, I wouldn’t be in this position now if it wasn’t for this time last year. So when you look at the grand scheme of things, it’s just God putting me in this position, God putting me in the right position, the one he wants me to be in. If that entails making history, then that’s what it is. I’m not thinking, ‘Oh, this is history.’ I’ll just go out there and do my thing and look back on it like, ‘Man, we really did something special.’ So that’s the goal and going to keep fighting each and every day this week to make sure that we’re on the right side of history. But yeah, like I said, it’s a blessing to be here.”
DT Christian Wilkins
(You seem like a guy that could immerse yourself into different cultures. How have you done so so far?) – “Absolutely, it’s been so far, so good. I love being here, it’s been a lot of fun, just time spent with my teammates, enjoying their company, getting closer with those guys, but also it’s special to be in another country. Growing up in Springfield, Massachusetts, one thing I always wanted to do was be able to travel. I didn’t think football would take me out of the country to play a game, so this is a special time for me, just kind of thinking how far I’ve come and just being here, having an opportunity to play a game.”
(What do you think is the potential of the defense once you do have CB Xavien Howard finally opposite CB Jalen Ramsey?) – “It’ll definitely be great when all the pieces to the puzzle are together. We all have a role, we’re all a piece of the puzzle. So when we’re at full strength, I think we have a chance to be pretty good. Looking forward to seeing what we continue to do this year.”
(I know you’ve had some creative sack celebrations. Do you have something special for the German crowd?) – “We’ll see what I come up with. I’m always, like you said, creative. So we’ll see if I come up with something good.”
(On a football note, you just tied a career-high in sacks against the Patriots, and obviously you’re on pace to smash your current career-high. What do you think has kind of clicked for you? Is it something maybe you did in the offseason? Has it been the scheme? I don’t know, sometimes with sacks, it’s kind of fickle, you know?) – “Just I’m always looking to work on improvement. There’s a lot of things to credit to, could be the scheme, good teammates, just finding opportunities and things. So there’s a lot of things that you can credit that to, so I don’t – just taking advantage of my opportunities, really.”
(When you think about the magnitude of this game, are you all treating it as just another game? Or are you looking at it in terms of the records as far as potential first seed and things like that?) – “I really wasn’t – personally, I wasn’t really paying attention to all that or knowing that or anything really. Really I’ve just been kind of focused on us getting better as a team, and I think that’s kind of the focus of the team. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing, as long as we’re getting better each and every week. Every game in this league is important, because you lose too many of those non-important games, then you’ll see how important those games were. It’s tough to win in this league. It’s hard to win in this league, so we just try to focus on ourselves and improvement.”
(Following up, have you tried any German authentic food yet?) – “I have. I tried one of their döner sandwich – that was actually really good. I tore that thing up. The guy was being a little – portions are smaller here, so no offense, and I was a little upset with the dude, because he tried to throw a little bit of meat on there. I was like, ‘I’m American,’ but he did hook me up and threw in a little extra meat in there for me. So I was very happy with that. I did the garlic sauce or whatever that was, and it was really good. That was probably one of my favorite things I’ve eaten here so far on the street, so I’m a big fan of the street food and all that good stuff.”
(Where did you go for that?) – “I was just in the downtown area just walking around, they had a bunch of different places for it. I forget the name. I’ve got a picture of it, but I forget the name. It was good.”
(FB Alec Ingold and WR Tyreek Hill earlier both said that they’re still trying to get their sleep back to normal. They both commented that they’re tired. Just wanted to know how your body is adjusting so far?) – “Definitely an adjustment. I’m glad that we kind of got here early, just to be able to get acclimated to the time and everything. The first two days were kind of like, ‘Oof.’ The first full day here, it was a little rough, but I think now guys are starting to adjust more and with a few more days until game time, I think we’ll be in a good spot.”
(Some of you guys explored the city already, you had said that. How much time is there in your schedule to actually explore the city, explore the country?) – “Not a lot, but we kind of had our off-day here when we first got here, so that was like the day where most guys kind of got around, explored a little bit. For the most part, we all had a good time just immersing ourselves in a different culture and things like that. It’s always fun. A lot of guys haven’t been to Europe or out of the country too. I’ve been fortunate to be well-traveled, so I’m kind of helping those guys navigate or just kind of figure things out a little bit. So yeah, we had pretty much a full day, and whenever we have enough time, I’m sure guys will look to explore more.”
RB Raheem Mostert
(First, wanted to ask how the experience in Germany has been for you? Have you played in any international games? Have you been to Europe?) – “First off, I love it. It’s been welcoming. And yes I have played in London my rookie year when I was in my first stint as a Dolphin. It’s a lot of fun. Truthfully, my family is from here. My mom was born here about an hour and a half away in Bad Hersfeld I believe that’s right. So yeah, it feels good to be here.”
(Missed practice on Wednesday, we’re back on Thursday with the ankle again. Is it similar to last week where just get to ramping up?) – “Yeah, it’s same as last week. We’re going to treat it the same. Feeling a lot better. It was just a little hiccup, but now we’re doing good. Ready to go.”
(You said your mother was born here in Bad Hersfeld. Did you have the chance to go explore Germany some days before or have you been here before with your family?) – “This is my first time. I want to go. I think it’s about an hour and a half away. I had tried to plan that out on my off day which was Tuesday. But I just hung around and when out with some teammates and explored downtown Frankfurt. It was a lot of fun.”
(As somebody with German heritage, how important is it to you being part of the growth of the NFL internationally?) – “Yeah, it’s fairly important. I would love to tap into my roots a little bit more, just being who I am as a person, as an individual. I love learning about my ancestry and history behind the reason why I am who I am and also what my family was like back in the day. It’s fairly important. I love the fact that the NFL is definitely taking that initiative to go abroad and have these opportunities for players to get outside the norm, being outside the U.S. I think that’s very important to see different cultures and pick up a few things. I know when we first arrived here, Jaylen Waddle was talking about all these different things. Talking about currency and he went to exchange right before we departed and he was fully invested in learning the culture and history behind Germany and stuff like that, which I thought was fairly neat.”
(A quick follow up to that. How far do you think the NFL can go internationally from here?) – “The sky’s the limit. I know it initially started out being in London and back in the day, I believe there were some games played in Japan. There’s a lot of different ways. The NFL is doing a great job making sure guys have opportunities to play abroad and to have fun and see the different cultures, like I mentioned.”
(What did you learn from that London trip a couple years ago and have you took anything from that and applied it to this trip?) – “Yeah. What I learned in London is that their portion sizes of food are a little bit smaller than the U.S., which is pretty good honestly. (laughter) But yeah honestly, just seeing around downtown London, seeing all the different historic pieces as well as here. I think that’s something that I’d like to take out of. I’m always trying to learn about things and trying to get every detail and try to figure out what I got going on around. Just picking up these little pieces and nuggets because I’d like to share those pieces of information with my kids. And fortunately, my kids will be able to come to Germany. They’re flying out tonight and will be here tomorrow morning. My family is going to be here and like I said, I just want to take every advantage that I possibly can to broaden myself and my family as well.”
(How has it been preparing for this game? Just trying to stay at your physical peak and can you touch on that just as far as playing in Germany and I guess the new environment and new location?) – “I think the biggest thing for players is time as well as rest. With an eight-hour flight coming in, that’s kind of tricky. Your schedule is a little bit thrown off. Every player has a routine. We’re all routine-based individuals. If a guy feels like he is off his routine, he has to make up for it sometime from when we land to game day. I think that’s been one of the biggest challenges this far because we’re sitting in media rooms and we’re a little lackadaisical, a little dozed off, but you have to fight that urge of resting and trying to close your eyes for a split second because that split second can turn into hours. You just try to get acclimated to the time. I think that’s the biggest challenge. Being here thus far, I know a lot of guys are in that wave of going up, and that’s what you want to see.”
(Do you think the music with the speakers, has that helped a lot trying to make you feel a little closer to home?) – “Oh, yeah. You can never have too much music on the practice field, on the pitch, as they would say, which is something that we try to do normally. Try to make it feel like we’re at home in Miami in practice and stuff like that.”
WR Tyreek Hill
(We just learned you have been named AFC Offensive Player of the Month. What is your reaction to that?) – “I actually learned that this morning too. It’s always an honor to receive something like that, to be voted anything in this league. It’s special. For me to be able to be putting up performances like I have, I just have to give a credit to my teammates. They’ve been unbelievable also. Tua (Tagovailoa), the offensive line, (Jaylen) Waddle, really just the whole entire offense. That really helps me out a lot. I know I’ve said it a million times. Yes, I make a lot of plays, but without my teammates, none of this would be possible. To God be the glory. Always.”
(Obviously you have to be going through a lot of emotions going against your former team this week, the Chiefs. A lot of players have said you’re actually going through it the same as any normal week. What are you feeling leading up to this game?) – “I’m feeling tired. (laughter) I’m still trying to adjust to this sleeping schedule. But yeah, just another opportunity for me to play the game that I love. Obviously, it will be against the Kansas City Chiefs, but I’m going to treat this week like it’s any other week.”
(I figured you’re going to get a lot of Chiefs questions, so I’ll be the next to ask. How do you reflect and look back on the time there? I know you’ve said it last year that you didn’t want to leave the Chiefs, but the business aspect came in. But when you look on your six or so years there, what comes to mind and how do you reflect on that time?) – “When I look back at that time in Kansas City, I just look back at that time and say, man, just a young guy trying to find himself in the league. I was able to learn from so many guys. I was able to mature so fast because I was able to step into a receiver role and it was a lot. I kind of took that on and I didn’t look back. The coaching staff trusted me there. I absolutely loved every minute of it. I wouldn’t take none of it back. So yeah, it was fun times definitely just thinking back whenever I was in KC.”
(I know your first year you made the Pro Bowl as a return specialist. But I think early on the narrative was you’re just a gadget guy, a return specialist, a speed guy. Is there a moment or time it clicked for you? Like I could not only be one of the fastest players in the league but also one of the best receivers in the league?) – “I mean you could say that. I feel like back then – I come from a small city, come from a small town. My grandparents always told me never listen to the outside noise. So I’m that kind of person. So when people were telling me I was this and that, I already knew what I was. I knew what I was. I knew I could be a top-tier receiver in this league. I already knew that. All it just took was mindset. Once I got my mindset fixed and everything, I became what I am today. I never listened to the outside noise.”
(I’ve been asking your teammates and coaches on the other side of the ball about how defend Chief QB Patrick Mahomes, but from your perspective, when he starts scrambling and running and twisting like that, how did that play change for you as a receiver?) – “Just find open space, always. What I’ve been telling the guys to do is just find (Travis) Kelce. (laughter) If you allow Kelce to get open, he’s like the energy of that team. Although Pat is all-world, but if he finds Kelce and Kelce just catches a two-yard pass, he somehow finds energy in that and gets that team going. They do a great job of it. And they do a great job of coaching it also whenever I was there. They got a whole PowerPoint on it and everything. It’s crazy, it’s ridiculous. ‘When Pat goes this way, you guys need to be doing this, that, that, that.’ Obviously, you can’t run lines, so just find Kelce, that’s it.”
(So there’s a science behind it? It’s not just school yard run around and find space?) – “I mean, like I said, they do a whole PowerPoint on it and it’s just one of those things that you can’t run lines. When you’re out there with live bullets, it’s just going to happen naturally.”
(How do Cheetah’s like Germany?) – “I haven’t really been nowhere. Just been hanging out and taking care of my body. Trying to hydrate a lot. Just relaxing, watching some German TV. And yeah, that’s it.”
(Do you like the international stage?) – “As far as the schedule of leaving Monday, I don’t like it. But any chance I get to play the game of football anywhere, I enjoy it. I love it. I’ll never take it for granted. I look at it like this. We get a chance to become global stars. This is a chance to grow our own personal brands too. The schedule may suck, but at the end of the day, we have to look at the pros of it.”
(I’m sure when you got traded a year and a half ago, there’s a lot of emotions that probably go through you. Now that you’re further removed from it, are you at peace with how it ended? How do you look back at the trade itself and moving destinations?) – “I’m kind of glad it happened now. I don’t even think about it now. Obviously, the situation that I’m in is great. I’ve got great teammates. My family is from Miami. Also, I accomplished one of my goals of being one of the highest paid (players) in the league. Everything is great, life is great. Never can take anything for granted. You can’t look back, always have to look forward. That’s my mindset.”
(I know you’re trying to treat it like another game, but do you anticipate you have to be ready emotionally for something a little different when the game comes? Just because of all the relationships.) – “Nah. I don’t think so. I want to beat them. We want to beat them just as bad as they want to beat us. No emotions.”
(This game was supposed to be played in Kansas City. Would you have rather this happened at Arrowhead, meeting the Chiefs again?) – “It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t really matter where we play at. Obviously it would’ve been great to play in KC, but it really doesn’t matter where we play at. They are going to get this work wherever though. Y’all can use that. Bulletin board material. (laughter)”
(When the trade went down, what was the first thing that went through your mind? Did it sink in then or did it take some time to sink in that you were leaving KC?) – “It took some time once I noticed that Andy (Reid) and Pat (Mahomes) weren’t going to call me back about a deal. (laughter) But besides that, yeah it took some time. Yeah, it definitely took some time.”
(WR Jaylen Waddle said yesterday that he is a Swiftie. Are you? And what do you think of that relationship for your boy Travis Kelce?) – “Nah, I’m not getting into that bro. That’s a dangerous crew. I’m not getting into that. No comment. It’s a dangerous crew. (laughter)”
(Your stats this season are incredible. Do you think you have a chance to win the MVP award?) – “No. Because we have a player on our team who is better than me and means more to the team. So, no. And his name is Alec Ingold. (laughter)”
(Congrats on one million on YouTube, but first I wanted to ask how do you stay focused on your gameplan and avoid distractions, especially when facing former teammates and dealing with the pressure of this 2,000-yard pace?) – “Well, how do we avoid distractions? Well, I feel like as a ball player, that’s a choice. Everything is your choice. Having the proper mindset each and every week and I’ve been having that this whole entire year trying to avoid everything I can. Whether that’s partying, doing things when I’m not supposed to be doing, not trying to help my career. So I’ve been avoiding a lot of things. Whenever it’s time to party, I recover now. Drinking, I’m drinking water now. Doing things like that. And with the teammates, I’ve been talking to my teammates. My boy ‘Meco’ (Mecole Hardman) called me the other day. I’m really excited to see him. Excited to see Pat (Mahomes), (Travis) Kelce, things like that. There’s going to be trash talk but it’s going to be fun though. It’s going to be like I want to see you do good but we’re going to bust your ass at the same time. It’s going to be one of those things, like backyard football with your brothers. (laughter)”
(I’m going to give you the opportunity to be the international spokesperson and salesperson for the Dolphins 305. Why should independent fans who don’t have a team yet in Germany or anywhere internationally support the Dolphins?) – “Why should international fans support the Miami Dolphins? I don’t know. (laughter) See if you would’ve told me this, I would’ve had an answer at practice. I don’t know. Because we are in Miami. (laughter) I don’t know, I’ve got to walk off on that one. (laughter)”
TE Durham Smythe
(I just wanted to check up on how you’re doing. Obviously, you missed practice on Wednesday, back today. How’s the ankle feeling and do you plan on being out there on Sunday?) – “It’s progressing. I’ve kind of prided myself on being a guy in my career who misses minimal games and things like that. I don’t handle missing practices and games very well. So, I’ll give it my all. It’s starting to progress, starting to feel better.”
(Do you know how to say ankle in German?) – “I sure don’t. I sure don’t.”
(Are you of German descent, by chance?) – “I don’t think a lot. I have done a 23andMe, and I’m pretty sure it showed up minimal in that regard. But there’s always the percentage where it says just European, so maybe there’s some in there.”
(WR Tyreek Hill, it’s a special week for him. What have you heard or seen from him this week?) – “Tyreek (Hill), he’s all business. He approaches every week the same. Obviously, there’s a connection there, everyone knows that. But the way he just approaches every game, there’s not going to be much of a change there and that’s kind of what we’ve seen from him. Obviously, he wants to win this game, but he wants to win every game. So he’s just going to be the professional that he is.”
(As far as the importance of blocking in your role as a tight end in this offense, how have you adapted to that, just being versatile?) – “I think it’s a really important role for a tight end in this offense in particular. I think a lot of the time, we’re at the point of attack, so that’s kind of pivotal to the run game in general. We all appreciate that role. We all enjoy it. Whether it’s the tight ends, fullbacks, it makes this offense fun, because we kind of do it in a variety of ways. It’s definitely a fun offense for a tight end and fullback to be in.”
(With this week, just knowing the high stakes and the importance of this game, what is your experience been here in Frankfurt, just for the experience and knowing that you all are playing for a potential first seed?) – “This is an awesome experience being over here, being able to play overseas in Germany. I think that’s awesome. But yeah, when you break it down and come to why we’re here, it’s a big game, it’s to win a big game. I think everyone is kind of approaching it in that way. There’s definitely a way where you can appreciate what we’re doing over here and enjoying the experience, but then also realizing that this is one of the biggest games of the year, a big game for us. It’s the next game for us, so it’s obviously the biggest. I think everyone’s kind of approaching in that regard.”
(Where do you think the role of the tight end is in this offense, not just from a blocking standpoint, but maybe getting more targets going your way?) – “One cool thing about this offense and how it’s structured is things change on a weekly basis depending on personnel on the other side of the ball, personnel on our side of the ball. So I think we’re always ready for games where we have more targets, and then when there’s games where we’re staying on third downs or being at the point of attack in the run game, we’re ready for that as well. Even though it might not be as consistent in terms of what our role is every week, that’s kind of what keeps it fun for us and we’re prepared for all those situations.”
(We asked you back when WR Chase Claypool first came to the Dolphins, because you’re familiar with him from Notre Dame. How have you seen him progress in this offense?) – “He’s really coming along. I said it from the beginning, he’s a smart guy, always has been. Obviously, he’s, from a physical standpoint, he’s huge and really fast so that helps. But he’s coming along well. I think he’s learning everything pretty quickly. As you can see, last week, he’s doing some really good things for us in the run game and with the reception that he had. So he’s a quick learner. It’s coming along and I think he’s doing really well so far.”
FB Alec Ingold
(What have your experiences been like in Germany? I saw in the team video you got some sightseeing in, sat at a nice restaurant that had some blankets to throw over your lap? What was that like?) – “We went to downtown Frankfurt, a handful of guys. I felt right at home, ordered some beer and some brats and had a great time. It was really cool to get around town, sightsee with the guys on that Tuesday. Coach (McDaniel) obviously got us down here early, just to experience Germany, right? And just getting in new uncomfortable situations with your teammates; I think that kind of brings everyone a little closer together. You get to learn together and I think that this is going to week that I think all of us are going to remember for a long time so doing our best to make it special.”
(WR Tyreek Hill says you’re the team MVP.) – “I don’t know, the MVP of what… (laughter)”
(Tyreek Hill: “At speeches”) – “At speeches? At morale? All right. That’s all I got, though. I don’t know about the catches or results or anything. (laughter)”
(So we know that Tyreek is fast and we know that he practices really hard.) – “Yes.”
(What about that element of his vibe, his self-confidence – can you fill me in some on how you have seen that affect the group?) – “I would say personally, I think Tyreek impacts me as a human being and as a football player because when I mess up on the field, I take that extremely personal. I am really upset. I can’t wait to watch it in film. I want a coach to yell at me and tell me to get better and I can’t wait to go out and do it again. And Tyreek is one of those guys where he is always so present that you kind of understand whatever happens, the result of the play; he’s going to let that roll off because he’s going to step up the next time and he’s going to be at the best version of himself that next time. So the way that you say his confidence, his vibes, his charisma; I think it’s just that ability to be mentally tough. I think that’s a skill in itself, too, and that’s something that I take from Tyreek now and I’m trying to learn and implement in my game because the speed and everything like that, he’s got that. I can’t add that to the game.”
(How do you handle the pressures and expectations that come with being a part of the top offenses in football?) – “When you talk about pressure or expectations, I think that’s all external. And internally, I feel like we’ve been working so hard before the spotlight was on us to create this positive momentum, to train ourselves to be ready and prepared for all of those high-pressure moments. But at the end of the day, pressure is that privilege and if you put yourself in that preparation phase for so long, for months from OTAs to camp till now; when you are getting the results, you’re so trained and you’re so disciplined that whatever the circumstance is – across the country, across the world – the circumstances really don’t impact you as much as you’d think. I think the momentum and the intentionality of everything we’re doing really has paid off and now it’s like, all right, how can we trust this process? How can we trust each other regardless of outcome? How can we continue to grow within our formula and continue to be the best versions of yourselves? So those internal expectations are so much different than external expectations and pressure really disperses amongst a lot of guys when you’re all kind of collective like that.”
(One question about the jet lag. I think you have a five-hour time difference to Miami. Do you think it’s better for you that the Kansas City Chiefs arrive tomorrow so you have better time of preparation here? How did you feel with it?) – “I’m still tired, man. So we’ve got the meetings over here. You got practice. I know personally I need my sleep so I’m taking as much time and effort into being the best sleeper I can be right now. So I’m sure those guys have their plan whatever that is and really don’t want to take too much energy or brainpower worrying about what other people are doing. I think it’s really diving into this time zone and being where my feet are at and giving myself the best version to my teammates so we’ve got the best chance we have of finding success this weekend.”
(I know that you guys often talk about how you’re process-oriented over results-oriented. Every game, it means the same, but is there any acknowledgement of the magnitude of this game against the Chiefs and what it means for your future ambitions? The fact that you guys are tied for the best record in the AFC, tiebreakers often play a big role. Is there an acknowledgement and understanding of what the ramifications can be of this game?) – “I think there’s some sort of understanding. We’re human beings, right? You can’t be robots that just only focus on the task at hand, but at the same time, the reason why. The goals and the mission are so big for this team and that’s so long-term. This is another really good measuring stick to prove to each other how bought in we are to the process and so I think whenever you talk about results or that it’s such a big game, I think it’s just an amazing opportunity to go against the best in the league. And I think that’s what we’re all here for. We’re all chasing to be in those games and to play meaningful snaps and make an impact. So to see guys succeed this Sunday, to have the plays that you go out and you practice, you go across the world and you travel together, I think it just brings everybody closer to really understand those circumstances and buy in for one another so that you’re sacrificing a little piece of yourself for the greater good of the team so that down the road we can continue to improve and be in these meaningful games week after week after week, December, January, February.”
Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio
(First your thoughts on finally potentially having CB Jalen Ramsey and CB Xavien Howard opposite each other?) – “If we can get that done that would be good. That’s what we’ve been shooting for. We knew it was going to take a while with Jalen’s injury, but through Jalen’s fast recovery and beating the odds, it’s happening earlier.”
(You’ve had your share of matchups against the Chiefs, being in the division with them with the Broncos. How do you stop a tight end like Travis Kelce and could CB Jalen Ramsey potentially factor into that matchup?) – “He lines up all over the place so occasionally that could happen with him and Jalen. He’s tough, he’s a great tight end. He runs really good routes. Him and the quarterback have great karma together, especially as plays extend. He’s tough to stop totally there. He’s caught over 100 balls, how many years in a row? So really nobody’s figured that out.”
(I know you practice against the No. 1 offense on a day in and day out basis, but what does it mean facing the number four offense this week, especially in this historic game here in Germany?) – “Yeah, and we had the No. 2 in Philly a couple of weeks ago. Two vastly different offenses comparing ours to Kansas City so there’s not a lot of carryover in there. They’re obviously a very tough assignment. They’ve been great on offense the last five, six years, whenever (Patrick) Mahomes took over. It’s a tough assignment, but we’ve got some good players and hopefully we’ll be able to slow them down some.”
(How have you been able to keep the unit focused? I know this is an international game so I guess it’s a lot different from a normal game in the States, but how have you been able to keep the unit focused?) – “It really hasn’t been a problem. There’s not a whole lot to do over here otherwise so the guys are here focused to play a game and really nothing else.”
(I wanted to ask about defending Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes. He’s one of those guys that kind of similar to like Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, you said doesn’t have a weakness. So what is the key to limiting Patrick Mahomes?) – “Just trying to keep him from having an unbelievable game. He’s always played well. And try and hopefully limit the improvised plays, where he starts scrambling around, making great throws on the run, guys getting open. Him pulling the ball down and running it himself for critical first downs. He’s really tough. You’ve got to defend the play they call in the huddle, which is hard enough, and then you have to defend the play that he creates after the first one breaks down a little bit.”
(What were your impressions of CB Jalen Ramsey’s debut? I mean, he said that he played more than what was the expectation, but could you even imagine the impact that he made in game one?) – “I thought he played good, obviously. He’s not back to where he wants to be or where he will be. But for that, for him to play in the game and luckily the game worked out in that there was a bunch of short series, three plays, four plays, five plays, which allowed him to play most of the game. He never totally got taxed with a long drive or having to cover a bunch of deep routes so that’s why we were able to leave him in there as long as we did.”
(I want to go back to defending Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes. Especially when those plays start to break down, how much control does a defense have in that situation? It almost feels like the longer he runs, the more likely it is he finds somebody.) – “True. We’ve got to try and keep him from running and hopefully we have a good pass rush and keep him hemmed in and not let him get out. That’s where he hurts you. Their line does a good job of pass protecting. He does a good job of finding seams in the rush to step up through or step up around, or to retreat and get around. He has the total package when it comes to scrambling and it’s tough.”
(Obviously Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes didn’t have the best game of his career last week against the Broncos. Watching that film back, did they do anything in particular to help contain him or is it just the rare occasion where he doesn’t play well?) – “It was a little bit of everything. They turned the ball over four times, a fifth time by fumbling a punt. So you’re never going to win many games turning it over five times. They had a couple dropped passes, he missed a throw. Denver ran the ball 40 times, before you know it, you’re in to the fourth quarter, you haven’t had it much.”
(To follow up on CB Jalen Ramsey, could you envision yourself moving him around or just having him stay on his side and whoever lines up in front of him is who he’s covering?) – “Yeah, I think at some point, possibly this game, but at some point we’ll start moving him around. I think it’s important that he gets his legs underneath him and feels comfortable out there.”
(And sticking in the secondary, what’s the impact of having S Jevon Holland back?) – “Big. Jevon is the quarterback of the secondary, besides being a great player himself, so it’s big to have him back.”
(What do you think about playing in Germany and think about playing in Frankfurt?) – “It’s just another game for us. We flew in here, got on a bus, went to the hotel and I’ve been at the hotel or here practicing. So it’s just a normal week for us.”
(You mentioned that it’s hard to sack Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes. The Dolphins are among the league leaders in hurries, pressures, hits, sacks. So what are some things that you would like LB Jaelan Phillips and LB Bradley Chubb and the other pressure guys to keep in mind, specifically on Sunday?) – “It’s important when you play a quarterback like this that you rush as a unit and not as individuals. Whether you’re rushing four or rushing five or rushing three, you all have to fit together and not create big seams.”
(Last week you mentioned that LB David Long Jr. has been playing a lot better on the defense, inside linebacker. What are some of the specific things he’s doing?) – “I think he’s just doing a better job of being where he’s supposed to be more consistently, and that’s allowing him, as you’ve noticed, to make more plays. He’s done a good job of improving incrementally week by week and hopefully that will continue.”
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(I know a couple weeks ago we spoke about your German ancestry and whatnot. What’s your experience been like being in Frankfurt this week?) – “It’s been great. Unfortunately we haven’t had much time outside of the hotel, but my great grandma was born here. She moved to America from Stuttgart so my first trip internationally with my dad was to Germany to Düsseldorf. So it’s awesome. Can’t wait until Friday afternoon and actually get out of the hotel area, but the whole week here has been awesome. Really looking forward to the game.”
(Not a lot of schnitzel or anything like that for you yet?) – “Not until Friday. Friday is business as usual.”
(I wanted to ask about the Chiefs defense. It seems like under Chiefs Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, they’ve always been a pretty good defense. Maybe they’ve turned it up this year. What has stuck out to you about that unit?) – “It seems they’re playing very well together. Ultimately, the last couple years there they’ve had a lot of success. The players they got, they seem to have a very good understanding of the system, communicating together, working together well. It will be a tough challenge for us this Sunday and we’re really looking forward to it.”
(Obviously this is WR Tyreek Hill’s first game against the Chiefs since he was traded. He’s done a lot over the course of his career, but just the stuff that he’s done since he’s been in Miami has been even more impressive. What has stood out to you most about Tyreek and his time here?) – “Just his work ethic and how competitive he is. Every day his commitment towards maximizing his time and just being the best player, the best he can be. Seeing him all those years in the division and just hoping he wasn’t going to have a day, it’s just awesome to be on the same side of the ball for the last two years.”
(I know you are the offensive coordinator for the No. 1 offense in the league, but how do you approach player development and getting the best out of your offensive players?) – “I think the process begins at the beginning of the offseason. Just as far as how we implement things, how we train the team, how we go about just our day-to-day. So when you lay the foundation back in April when it starts, it allows for this time of year, guys really understand the expectations, understand what is necessary. It really always begins with like everything, whenever you’re teaching a class, teaching anything, you’re trying to build something. It’s all about a foundation. If you have a weak foundation to a structure, it will crumble. Same thing if you have a weak foundation to your education, you’re not really mastering the subject matter. So I think the one thing we pride ourselves on here is our process and how we began and how we teach and its growth all the way through as we’re going along.”
(Between this year and last year, at what point do you think the game slowed down for QB Tua Tagovailoa so he can excel at this high rate that he’s been doing so far?) – “The way he sees the game is really one of his gifts. So ultimately, he’s grown within the system and within what we’re trying to do here with everyone. You just see him really taking things and his understanding, his communication, and everything and it just keeps growing and growing and growing. Ultimately, the challenge is each week is trying to improve on what you did last week. Between whether it’s Tua or the whole composite of the whole offense, it’s just the approach everyone has. It’s great when you’re quarterback has the mindset of everyday to attack and make the best of it.”
(What do you expect from the atmosphere on Sunday here in Frankfurt?) – “I don’t know. Doing two London games, the atmosphere was fantastic. So here with it being the first game in Frankfurt, I imagine it will be very much similar to a playoff game in America. Looking forward to the energy and seeing what it’s going to be like. Playing these games have really been an awesome experience for all of us being able to be apart of it. So we’re really looking forward to it and enjoying it.”
(Given your family history, how important is it for you to be a part of history here this weekend? First game in Frankfurt. Also the importance to you the league is expanding in the way that is has?) – “I think it’s fantastic. I think when the schedule got announced, I think my dad bought tickets – or I shouldn’t say he bought tickets, he requested me to get him tickets to the game probably immediately. I just think it’s great. I’ve been traveling to Germany since I was 11 or 12, and my dad has done business over here for the last 20 years or probably more than that, but I think it’s great. It’s a fantastic country. Everyone loves sports. American football has obviously been a sport that everyone’s enjoyed. To be apart of the first game, for me, I couldn’t be happier for us to play here.”
(On the o-line, a lot of moving parts. How are you managing all that this week? Whether to activate T Terron Armstead? You have OL Robert Hunt in question, his status and OL Connor Williams too?) – “A lot of variables, but I think it ultimately goes back to when we talk about in the offseason how we train the group and try to have versatility and have guys who will flex between positions. As we bring guys back or work between variables, those are all contingency things that we work on through the whole offseason. We’ll see how the week plays out and we’ll play the guys that can best help us win.”
(I wanted to ask about the running backs real quick. Does RB Raheem Mostert look comparable at this point to where he was last weekend? Do you envision yourself continuing to get RB Jeff Wilson Jr. a few more touches?) – “Yeah, just like all the guys this week with the travel, it’s just a little different week for us. Ultimately, as we get ready for the game, our processes will get going. The guys who are ready to play and ready to contribute are the ones who you’ll see on the field.”
(Are you getting used to the time change?) – “Forcibly, yes.”
(WR Chase Claypool’s snap count continues to rise since he’s been active on game day. How much have you noticed him grasping not just the playbooks, but the blocking. I don’t want to be subtle. We heard WR Jaylen Waddle say yesterday in order to play for this team you’re going to have to bock. It was a popular criticism against Chase coming into this trade. How have you noticed him embarrassing the nuances of playing offense for the Dolphins?) – “Chase is just like many guys that I’ve been fortunate enough to coach throughout the years. We’ve really enjoyed his want to know why. Why are we doing this? How can he help be the teammate he wants to be here. How can he contribute to the offense? And like Jaylen said, we block. That’s the one thing at the wide receiver position, your willingness to block and help your teammates get the ball on the perimeter, and I think ultimately with Chase since he’s gotten here, he’s finding his growth within the offense and understanding it. That piece of understanding how our system works and where he can fit is one thing he’s really taken a strong control of. Just how he approaches himself everyday at practice, questions he asks are very specific and you can tell he’s dialed in on everything. So far, it’s been awesome and we’re looking forward to continue the growth the rest of the year.”
(The thing you said at the beginning, the wanting to know why. When a player wants to know the why and not just the what, what does that tell you when a player wants to understand the why and just the assignment itself?) – “When you’re reading a book and you just read it, it’s like anything. When you do a task and you just do it to accomplish it, maybe you can execute it or not, but the more comprehensive knowledge you have on the subject, it makes you know all the variables that could occur. So you’re really investing into that one moment and all the things that can occur. So you’re knowing the why. Why am I doing this? And then when you can paint the picture so they get, okay you’re this piece of an 11-person puzzle that’s going against another 11 people, that allows you to be able to say okay, if this, this, and this – you’re going through your checklist of things that can occur. It just shows a guy who has a real understanding of the complexity of every offensive play and he wants to know so he can help and contribute to help us win.”
(I know before you got to Miami, you coached several seasons with other AFC West teams. Even though you didn’t coach against him, what are your impressions, what do you think of Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes?) – “He’s one of the best at his position. You’re flashing me back to a lot of bad moments. But also, at the same time, when you’re a competitor, you always want to face the best. That’s one thing that he’s been able to do. He plays at a high level and they’ve done a great job with their program and we’re really looking forward to the opportunity to do it here in Frankfurt against them.”
(I wanted to ask about the left guard position. I think last game, OL Lester Cotton started and then you started rotating OL Rob Jones before Rob Hunt went down. I was curious, what was the thought process behind that? If Rob Hunt is able to play, is that still something that is on the table for this weekend?) – “As we evaluate each game and all the options that are going to help us win, there’s maybe different variables, different things that would occur that we’re working through for various reasons. When we put guys out, when we don’t, the consistency of positions, we kind of have thought about that during the week and what’s best for each guy. When it comes to all positions, whether it’s the o-line, wide receiver, running back, we’re always trying to make sure that we’re putting ourselves in the best position to get the result we want. We weigh all things during the week to make sure we have the right options on Sunday.”
Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(You spent some time in your career in London. How does Frankfurt compare with what you’ve seen?) – “Well, it’s funny. The very first game in World League history was the London Monarchs at the Frankfurt Galaxy. It’s been many, many moons, but yeah, I have played a game here in Frankfurt.
(Small sample, but CB Nik Needham did get a couple of plays in. What were your thoughts on his performance in the punt coverage and punt return units?) – “Yeah, punt return specifically. Happy with Nik. He’s been a very good player for us for a long time and happy to have him back and looking forward to his participation growing I’m sure both defensively and in the kicking game.”
(When we visited in London, you spoke to me about how the people in Europe, many of them seem to appreciate the kicking game. Can you tell us, when I say that, what comes to my mind?) – “I think that foot meeting ball, as we get ready to practice here at the Frankfurt soccer stadium, something they’re familiar with. I think that’s the common ground that they share. But as you’ve seen this game grow over the last 30 years here in Europe, obviously they’re very knowledgeable, very passionate about what the National Football League and what football is and I’m sure they’re excited for this weekend.”
(WR Braxton Berrios seems to have been making much more of an impact as a returner over the past few weeks. What are your thoughts on his performance and are you comfortable with how he’s grown in your unit?) – “Yeah, very happy with Braxton. We were excited when we were able to add him to our roster last spring. He’s been a very good player, very good returner in his career. So we were happy to add that. It was something that we felt that we were lacking, and I think the more opportunities he gets, I think the more you’ll see the highly productive player that we believe he is and was before and will be again. Very happy with where he is and anxious to watch him continue to grow.”
(I know you guys do a lot of research about the stadiums you’re about to play in. Which way does the wind go, and all those sorts of things. How much research can you obtain or have you obtained for this stadium?) – “We’ve done as much as we can from afar. There’s limited things that we can look at to correlate to how it’s going to pertain to us. We’ll go look at the stadium Saturday morning and get a better feel from it, but we can’t control it. It’s going to be what it’s going to be, and we’ll have to adapt as the game progresses when we realize what it does if there are any certain patterns that we have to work around or play to.”
(What do you remember about that first game in Frankfurt? The atmosphere?) – “It was very different from what I was accustomed to. It wasn’t college football, the pageantry of college football. It wasn’t the National Football League. It was a party. There were fireworks and all kinds of stuff going into pregame. Then once the game started, I remember the first two points in World League history, we gave up a safety. We ran a trap from the 2-yard line. So first points in World League history were a safety. Hopefully we don’t have one of those tomorrow. My whole time in Europe playing, especially in the European stadiums, it was fabulous. The fans are just so passionate. The passion you see in Rugby and football and everything else, they brought it to American football and it was very fun.”
(Can I ask you more about the World League and your first impressions during your first game and then moving on from that a couple of decades later and how your impressions of how the NFL has grown internationally here in Germany and London?) – “I think it’s fabulous. It’s well-earned by these other countries that the NFL is reaching out to and traveling to and hopefully there’s more to come. From what we understand, there will be more to come. I think it’s just going to be a continually vomming process of spreading this game throughout the world. Fans when they see it in person, and that’s what you see, there’s going to be some guys and girls at the game this weekend that are going to find a player that they think is the greatest thing and follow them for who knows, the next five, 10 years and hopefully the Dolphins become somebody’s favorite team after this weekend.”
S Jevon Holland
(First, how are you feeling coming back from concussion protocol? You’re a guy that’s been durable, been on the field. Did it kind of itch at you to not be able to be on the field last Sunday?) – “Yeah, I feel good. It was irritating to not be on the field. There were a lot of plays out there, guys were flying around, and I was that missing the fun. I definitely was having a little FOMO on the sideline.”
(With this defense getting the reinforcements back week by week, where do you see this team going as far as the season progresses?) – “That’s a great question and I’d love to give you a detailed answer. But really, we’re a week-by-week, day-by-day team, and we’re real process oriented. It’s hard to look past today, because we really want to focus on the details. That is a good question, and I’m sure with the talent on our team on paper, you can say that we’ve got a hell of a team, which we do, but we’re not really focused on that. We’re focused on how to improve ourselves, day-in and day-out, focused on technique, fundamentals, things like that.”
(What do you think of the potential of the secondary as a whole now that you have CB Jalen Ramsey in the fold, CB Xavien Howard looks like he’s coming back, and now you’re back too?) – “We can do a lot more. ‘Rams’ (Jalen Ramsey) adds a huge veteran aspect to the defense for me, myself, for other younger guys that want to learn. ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) as well, having him back. Having two veterans back playing with us is huge. It really helps us out, and it just makes the game a lot more fun, definitely.”
(What stands out about the Chiefs offense?) – “They just make it happen. They really do. (Travis) Kelce, Pat Mahomes, Skyy Moore, Mecole (Hardman), (Marquez Valdez-) Scantling, they’ve got a whole bunch of weapons. (Isiah) Pacheco, like they’ve got weapons left and right. They just get the ball to their primary guys when they need to, and they make it happen. I mean, that’s basically the bottom line. Then of course, Pat Mahomes is special. He can scramble, extend plays, use his feet, use his mind, eyes downfield. It definitely adds a unique dynamic to their offense, and we’re not even talking about the pre-snap stuff that they do, like the ‘Ring Around The Rosie,’ things like that. It’s exciting game planning for them, because it’s something that you kind of don’t see a lot. It’s a unique challenge, so we’re definitely real focused on them.”
(What was the experience like on the off day? I know the defensive backs went out, but from your perspective, what was it like being out in Frankfurt?) – “It was cool. Yeah, it was cool, man, trying different foods and whatnot, seeing the people, how they interact. I tried to just like be a ghost amongst the people and just try to see how the culture is. I don’t really like much attention or anything like that. But it’s cool. It’s cool. I see a lot of the same vegetation as I do in California, like North in Portland and Seattle, I’m from Vancouver so like in Vancouver and stuff, but it’s cool. I’ve enjoyed it, I really have. I want to go to like an antique shop though and get an old watch. That’s kind of my souvenir that I’ve been doing.”
(Any food in particular that was hitting for you?) – “Yeah, I head to get a frank, man. (laughter) I had to get a – what’s it called? Bratwurst? So that was cool. That was good. I enjoyed that.”
(Glizzys?) – “Yeah, glizzys, for sure. I had to. But it was good, man. It was cool. I enjoyed it for sure.”
(What do you think about playing in Germany?) – “I think we should do more. I think it’s dope. I mean, the flight wasn’t that long. It was just a hop, skip and a jump over the water. I was enjoying it, honestly, the whole process being in a new country. It’s like a free vacation and we get to play. So I’m always down for that, especially if we leave on Monday.”
(We’ve been told that you players shouldn’t go through the city alone but always with a buddy. Is that true? And how do you handle going out to the city looking out for Frankfurt?) – “I mean, I just keep my head on a swivel, man. I’m not trying to get blindsided by nothing crazy. (laughter) We usually go out in groups anyway. So I just keep a homie with me. I’m not really going to be out and about by myself, that’s kind of just low street IQ. So yeah, I’m just not going to catch myself at the train station, I think they said, by myself. That was the dangerous part? I’m not sure.”
(What do you think about the atmosphere here in the stadium?) – “I think it’s cool. Like I said, I love being out here. It’s a foreign country, it’s new, it’s different. So little nuances that you kind of pick up on that’s different from back home, but I’m definitely enjoying myself for sure.”
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(I know you’ve faced the Chiefs defense but it’s QB Patrick Mahomes on the other side. What’s it like when you know he’s manning the opposing offense and that means you probably have to put up a lot of points?) – “Yeah, it’s never easy going against Pat. But I would say and Pat would say the same: It’s not me playing against Pat, Pat playing against me. It’s our offense having to go against their defense, their offense having to go against our defense. We prepare for their defense just like any other defense, just trying to see how many times we can score, get the ball into the endzone. At the end of the day what we’re trying to do is try to score one more point than the other team and try to get a win.”
(The last time you faced QB Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, you were a rookie. Is there a way to quantify how much you’ve grown in your four years in the NFL?) – “Yeah, I think there’s a lot of things that are different, one being the offensive system that I’m playing in now compared to the offensive system that I had then. Then the supporting cast that I have and really there’s just a lot of things that are different. We’ll see what goes down this Sunday.”
(Have you been able to catch up on sleep?) – “No.”
(How’s the experience been in Frankfurt so far for you?) – “It’s been pretty cool. We’ve been able to go check the city out, been able to go to maybe two places to get some drinks and then also try some food. But for the most part it’s been pretty cool. I got to go golf with a couple guys as well.”
(How would you describe the opportunity that comes with playing a team like the Chiefs that, like the Dolphins, is 6-2?) – “Any opportunity for us to play a team that has been to the Super Bowl within the last couple years or the last year and has won it, I think that’s always a great challenge. For our team to have this opportunity to go against a Pat Mahomes team, it’ll be fun and it’ll give us a chance to see where we’re at going to this bye week as a team.”
(Hosting NFL games is a big deal for the city of Frankfurt. Do you remember the moment when you first heard you were going to play in Frankfurt and did you know anything before about the city?) – “While I can’t really remember when I found out we were coming to play in Germany, it was definitely in training camp when I figured out what our schedule was going to be. Prior to that, I didn’t know much. I had a massage lady, I was asking her for a couple of words and so she gave me, ‘how are you doing.’ So I think I can say that pretty good, but I don’t think so.”
(You want to try?) – “Yeah. ‘Hallo, Wie geht es dir‘. I think that’s how you say it. (laughter) That was good? Does it sound good? Perfect, thanks.”
(I believe two years ago when you guys when to the UK, was that your first time in Europe?) – “Yeah, that was my first time in Europe.”
(Got it. So obviously, you’re back in the area. Head Coach Mike McDaniel spoke a lot about being a history a major and the appreciation he has for the sport of football taking him overseas and all the things it’s done for him. Can you kind of speak to that as well, just the opportunity to be on this international stage and the experiences that have come along with being a football player?) – “I would say for me, football has opened up a lot of avenues for me. Obviously in America, the status that it gives you and that it allows you to do things that others aren’t fortunate to do. The money that we make, it puts into perspective a lot of things that maybe normal, hardworking people don’t necessarily make. For us to be able to come out here and travel as a team, it gives you that opportunity as well, not just in the States of traveling, but coming outside the States, going to other countries and really expressing what Americans love with American football and trying to share that with the world and things like that. Football has done a really great job in helping not just me, but a lot of our guys have an experience like this.”
(I know a couple weeks ago the Baltimore Ravens were in the UK, QB Lamar Jackson said he was surprised that he was noticed by people out. By any chance did anybody notice you and maybe say ‘Tua’?) – “No, no, no. I’m going to say no to that every time. I think we’re able to go out and – yeah, no.”
(So you weren’t noticed? Or were you noticed?) – “No. We’re just going to leave it at that. (laughter)”
(WR Tyreek Hill obviously playing his former team. What has he been like over these past 15 months or so compared to what you were expecting? What you knew about him during his first six, seven years in the league?) – “I would say I didn’t know what to expect. I think as we all look at Tyreek’s film, we know one thing is for sure, is that he might be the fastest man alive as far as stepping foot on a football field and playing in pads. Outside of that, I think what really surprised me was who he was as a leader, his work ethic, and then how he takes ownership of what is asked of him. Whether it’s in the run game, in the pass game, or things like that. Then it’s almost like a trickle down effect for a lot of the guys in his room. They respect him as a player, as a person, to take advice from him and follow his lead.”
(What do you think about traveling to Frankfurt and playing in Frankfurt?) – “I think this is cool. It was a long flight. It was a really long flight and I think we just need one more day to get adjusted to the sleep schedule and after that I think it’ll be fun. Coming here and playing on Sunday, I think one of the things that I’m excited for is the fans. I don’t know how many people from Germany watch American football, or doesn’t, so that’s what I would say I’m excited about, for the fans. I’d like to know what they would be cheering for; if it’s a field goal they cheer for, things like that and if they have chants, we’d love to hear them.”
(How is it for you to play with super fast guys like WR Tyreek Hill, WR Jaylen Waddle, RB Raheem Mostert?) – “It feels good. I think any quarterback around the league would marvel at being in the position that I’m in now, having those guys in the backfield with me. They definitely help one another in getting each other open. If one guy gets doubled, the other guys are open. If two guys get doubled, then you still have three guys running routes that could possibly get the ball. So I mean, it’s fun. Those guys make this offense fun.”
(You already talked about adjusting to the time over here, but you have to adjust twice because the kickoff is very early, especially for the U.S. How do you do that?) – “I think that adds to the reason why we came so early to Germany. I don’t know too much on the science. It’s one of those things where we trust our head coach and conversations that he’s had with our PR department and people like that to be able to know that we’ve got to come here to get adjusted so that hopefully by the end of the week we’re adjusted and regardless of the time that we are playing it won’t change how we’re feeling. I think none of that should play a factor towards the end of the week.”
(Just to follow up on the question about Tyreek, what’s he been like this week has he prepares to face his former team?) – “I think Tyreek has been the same. I haven’t seen him try to do anything more or anything less. He’s just been the same Tyreek. Just wants to go out there and play football. He loves ball. He’s a competitor and he just wants to do good. He has competitive greatness.”
(One last Tyreek question for you. He’s obviously been very vocal in support of you from the very jump since he was traded to this team. I was curious if you could speak on what that has meant to you over the past year? You kind of remember the first time you met him and spoke to him and the nature it seemed like from the jump, he said ‘this is your team and I want you to assert that leadership role’?) – “Yeah, I’ve heard people say it and the guys have been joking about it the last week, but the ‘Cheetah effect,’ that’s what I would say. Just because ‘Reek’ (Tyreek Hill) exerts so much confidence in everything he does that it’s almost ideal for you to do the same for yourself. The Cheetah effect could mean many things with Tyreek. But I will say that’s all it is. Like I said, he’s been a great teammate. Not just to me, but to everyone on the team with his leadership the way he carries himself. I think he’s excited, and this team is excited to play the Chiefs on Sunday.”
(I’ve talked to some colleagues in the morning, and we learned how to pronounce “Tagovailoa” over the last years in the NFL, but we struggled with the long version of your first name. Can you tell us how you pronounce that?) – “Can I hear you say it?”
(I have no idea, it’s way too long to remember.) – “Does anyone know how to say it? We can get Mike White up here and say it. Mike White knows how to say it. ‘Tuanigamanuolepola’ and then Tagovailoa.”
LB Jaelan Phillips
(I see you already have some German in you. Did you do some preparation ahead of this trip? How much have you been able to interact with people around here.) – “Yeah, I actually came out to Germany. My aunt was stationed out here. She is in the military. So my sister and I flew out here when I was probably 12 years old or something like that for two weeks. We were up in Heidelberg and Cologne, just drove around the country. We looked for castles when we were driving through the countryside. That’s kind of what I remember. And I learned how to count to about 20. That’s basically the extent of my knowledge, and good morning, good afternoon.”
(But you know your way a little bit. Did you impart any of that knowledge off on your teammates? I saw you had the adaptor ready to go.) – “Yeah, I love traveling. I love adventuring. When we went out and about yesterday, I guess you could say I was the tour guide. I don’t know this city of Frankfurt too well myself, but I just like to roam around and see as much as I can.”
(Big week this week for you all. This game has a lot of implications. How are you able to stay focused and not let the outside noise trickle in?) – “That’s something that you have to practice is staying present. That’s something that Mike (McDaniel) preaches to us every day. That’s one of the first things he always puts up in his presentations, is a little picture of a present and he says your presence is a present. I think just treating this like any other game, obviously there’s extenuating circumstances – we’re out here in Germany. Like you said, it’s a big game, a 6-2 matchup, obviously big implications, but we just prepare for it like we do any other week. Take it day by day. We had a good practice out there today and we’re going to get in the film room, correct what we need to correct and just keep moving and going forward.”
(I thought it was interesting that the Dolphins are first in the NFL in quarterback hits, and also first in fewest quarterback hits allowed. So QB Tua Tagovailoa doesn’t get hit and you hit the other guy. What do you think is the correlation, what’s the team aspect that would allow that, or foster that, to happen?) – “I guess it would just be all the preparation we did during camp especially. Iron sharpening iron every day in camp. Our best against their best. I think you could see throughout camp there were times when we were dominant and there were times when the offensive line was dominant. I think that we just made each other better throughout that whole process. Really, it’s not just camp. It’s through OTA’s. It’s really been a whole year preparing for this. It’s just a testament to obviously the offensive line and Tua obviously for being able to get the ball out quick, have great pocket presence and move around. Defensively, we just try to be tenacious in our rush and get after it, and really team rush, and rush together, have a rush plan. I think it’s just all the work that we’ve put in so far.”
(Rushing Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, I’ve never done it, but it seems like something that could be frustrating with his ability to make plays off script. What kind of challenge does he present for you guys with his ability to just kind of make throws out of nowhere and escape tackles?) – “Yeah, obviously sometimes he looks like a magician with some of the things he does. But at the end of the day, you just have to be disciplined in your rush. I think that’s the biggest thing when it comes to edges at least, is keeping him contained, not letting him roll out of the pocket. On the inside, not getting too wide so he can step up through the middle. Then obviously when he does start to get off schedule and scramble around and look to throw, you just have to keep going after him. So like you said, it can definitely be very frustrating because you can rush, win, do everything perfectly and he gets the ball off. Or you could be running around, he’s running around for five, six seconds and he makes some crazy throw to Travis Kelce down the field. I think we have to expect that to happen and know that’s going to happen a few times during the game, but not let it discourage us. We just have to keep rushing no matter what happens.”
(You guys do play two games a year against another guy who does that in Bills QB Josh Allen. You played Eagles QB Jalen Hurts earlier this year. Does that experience help you guys come Sunday?) – “Yeah, I’d say so. It’s not just them either. Pretty much all quarterbacks in this league can move around a little bit, even if they don’t seem like the most athletic guys. They have presence and are able to make things happen off schedule. Really its something that we’re constantly working on during practice, during games. But going up against a guy like Josh Allen twice a year for three years now for me, it definitely puts you in that mindset where you know you have to be disciplined in your rush. So yeah, we’ll try to take those principles and apply them to this game.”
(I know it’s only been one day, but you obviously were a rookie when you guys made the trip to the UK two years ago. Does your body feel any different having an extra day? Obviously you’re spending the entire week, but do you feel a little more energetic compared to getting here Friday?) – “Yeah, we’ll have to see obviously how we all feel on Sunday before the game and after the game, but I think so far I definitely enjoyed being out here this whole week. One, just because like Jevon (Holland) said, it’s almost like a free vacation. I love traveling and I haven’t been to Frankfurt before, so I was super excited to come out regardless. I would’ve been disappointed if we came out on Friday morning and only had a day to go see the city and then we’re playing a game and leaving. And then preparation-wise, I think if you handle everything correctly, then you are more energized and adapt quicker. But that’s also on us to actually prepare accordingly. So it’s when you’re going to bed, types of things you’re doing, the way you’re fueling, different things like that, so it’s important to stay on top of it.”
(You said that your aunt was stationed over here in the military and you came over. The NFL’s relationship with the military goes back over 50 years. How important is that to you as an NFL player who has a family member who served in the military? How important is that connection between the NFL and the armed forces?) – “Oh, I think it’s super important. Obviously, giving credit to where credit is due, the people who risk their lives protecting our countries, I think it’s important to give them the respect they deserve. I think there’s actually about 35 active military personnel coming to the game that my aunt’s friends with. To be able to see them after the game and just acknowledge them, like I said, is going to be really important.”
(You said your aunt stayed here in Germany. Do you know any German words, or what is it about the language?) – “Eins, zwei, drei, vier, fünf, sechs, sieben, acht, neun, zehn, elf, zwölf, dreizehn, vierzehn, fünfzehn, sechzehn, siebzehn, achtzehn, neunzehn, zwanzig is 20 right? I mean, I don’t know a ton. My sister actually learned more German then me because she did a Full Bright Scholarship up in the Netherlands and so obviously she spoke Dutch up there, but she also learned German. She was super fascinated with the language and super fascinated with the country. She’s a little better than I am for sure.”
(When you were here as a child, what did you like most about Germany?) – “The castles. I think just the history to me is the coolest thing. In the United States, the oldest buildings we have are from maybe the late 1700’s, early 1800’s. But here in Europe in general, you have buildings from the 1500’s. The history is just something that’s really cool to me. I think the food is great. Yesterday we were wandering around the city and got some sausage, had some beer. Obviously there’s more to it then sausage and beer. I had some schnitzel too, that was really good. I just think the culture and everything is amazing. The people have been super friendly and welcoming. We actually had a tour guide yesterday, just a lady we met on the street, a German lady, and she just showed us around. Obviously you saw we were foreigners because we stick out like a sore thumb, but yeah it’s been an incredible experience so far.”
WR Jaylen Waddle
(What has the early part of the Germany trip been like for you? Did you catch up on sleep or enjoy the city a little bit?) – “Hit the city a little bit, that was about it. Got some sleep – tried to get some sleep at least. Schedule is getting kind of normal coming into today.”
(You seem to shine your brightest on the international stage. Coming back from your experience back in the London game, what are some things that you took from that game leading up to preparation that you bring with you here to Germany as well?) – “Honestly, about nothing. It’s two different games, two different years against two different opponents, so really didn’t bring anything. These international games are a little different as far as schedule wise and the way we got to go about the game. I feel like it’s going to help that we played in it two years ago, but ultimately, it’s going to be about going out there and handling business.”
(What did you get WR River Cracraft for his birthday? Did you get him anything for his birthday today?) – “Huh?” (laughter)
(It’s WR River Cracraft’s birthday.) – “I know it’s ‘Riv’s’ (River Cracraft) birthday. Happy Birthday ‘Riv’. (laughter) He was with us a little bit in the town, got to spend some time together – nothing like time. (laughter)”
(I don’t know if Taylor Swift is coming. Are there any reports on Taylor? According to Twitter, Taylor Swift is coming. Your thoughts?) – “It’s going to be fun, I guess. I’m a Swiftie. (laughter)”
(When you’re QB Tua Tagovailoa, it probably feels like the whole world is watching you. On Sunday, literally the world will be watching. We’re in a different part of the world. How do you think he’s built for this moment?) – “I think he’s built for it. He’s played on big stages before, been playing on big stages his entire career. I feel like the highlights and spotlight’s always been on him going back to college and going into the NFL so I think he’s built for it.”
(How did the team prepare you for the Frankfurt experience? Did they tell you something in advance something Frankfurt-specific or things to know?) – “Yeah, they gave us a little history and background of Frankfurt, how historic it is, and they kind of gave us a rundown of where we’re going to be staying, where to go, how things are, what to do out here, the historic museums and stuff like that. They gave us a little rundown of that. That’s about it.”
(I wanted to ask about WR Tyreek Hill again. It seems like in the year-plus since he’s been here, you two specifically, really created a strong friendship, relationship. I was curious what WR Tyreek Hill has kind of meant to you as an older receiver in the room and just being his teammate over the last year?) – “Tyreek (Hill) really just made me really up my game. You think you’re a baller and a good player, then you meet someone like Tyreek who comes in. He’s legendary, historic – y’all see that throughout the week. He just brings the team along, got high energy, brings it each and every week, and that’s what we expect from him. He just makes everybody up their game.”
(I know everyone talks about how competitive he is, but is there like a story or kind of a memory that comes to mind of him just being crazy competitive?) – “It’s a lot. It’s really weekly. He goes out there, he’s got a dog mentality. I just go into the way he practiced in the offseason back to OTAs and you think a guy of that caliber wouldn’t go out there and give it all he’s got on a weekly (basis), he comes in weekly and just be a dog.”
(You have some uber fast guys in the offense obviously being very productive this year, is that the secret? Adding speed and dominating the NFL?) – “No, it’s not. I think every team has a lot of fast guys and throughout the league, it’s a lot of speed. I think we get a lot of praise for our speed, but we do a lot more than just run fast. The splash and highlights are always going to be someone running 22 or 23 miles per hour, but we do a lot more than just run fast.”
(What do you do more? What’s the secret of the offense this year?) – “Well, I can tell you one thing. If you’re going to be in this offense, you’re going to block. Mike (McDaniel) praised that and how you get a lot of your passes by going in and digging out safeties, occasionally linebackers sometimes (defensive) ends, we’re an extension of the run game.”
(One more question about Head Coach Mike McDaniel. He has a special history as a coach, also in his personal life. He talked very openly about his former alcohol addiction. Does he talk to you guys about that specific topic?) – “Yeah, he kind of, when he first came in, gave us the history of how he came up in the coaching ranks and what he had to overcome when he first came in. But going into it, it’s not something that we really ask about or comes out and just openly say, but he definitely gave us a history of everything he’s been through.”
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Can you please update us on the three offensive linemen, T Terron Armstead, OL Connor Williams, and OL Robert Hunt, and also S Jevon Holland?) – “So who do we start with?”
(Left tackle, center, right guard.) – “Okay, left tackle. You feel the breeze? The window’s open. (laughter) He’ll be out there, it’ll be fun. We’ll see how he responds to that effort and we’ll assess that the next day and do the same the following day. You said center? Yeah, he’s excited. We have a good trusting relationship so holding him back I think in the moment wasn’t necessarily his cup of tea. But in hindsight he appreciates it. Dapped me up with a smile and is excited to go to work this week. Then Rob Hunt will be day-to-day. He’s a little fresher. But again, he’ll be working towards trying to be able to just getting to practice. I don’t foresee him getting really anything today, but we’ll just try the day after, whatever day that is and then the day after that.”
(Is S Jevon Holland out of concussion protocol?) – “Yes, he is. He is out of concussion protocol.”
(Can you detail your experiences coming over to Germany?) – “Yeah, I slept and then I woke up and then I watched film and that’s been my experience. I made it down to the first floor of the hotel twice, both for meetings. But I know really from all the feedback I’ve gotten, that it’s been a fantastic experience for a lot of our locker room. Those to credit for that experience is our Miami Dolphins support staff. They are carrying the majority of the weight. You talk about moving servers, equipment, and just jumping in a five-hour time difference and just going to work. It’s times like those that you can see why you feel so great about your organization because there’s some tired support staff people that have no regrets but are drinking a lot of caffeine.”
(The trade deadline came and went yesterday. Two things, were you guys involved in any discussions and then what was it like trying to navigate that while, like you said, five hours ahead in a different country?) – “Well, fortunately, my office is directly adjacent to Chris Grier’s here, too. No knocks. We actually have several – the best trades that exist in the works. You’re talking about getting players with no assets given from injury. So we’re in a great spot. I think Chris is always and will always enter into whatever conversations that are sought out to him. That’s a part of his job. He doesn’t labor my mind with NFL gossip like ‘hey, I talked to this guy and this guy said this.’ He brings it to my attention when we need to discuss it to a serious platform and he didn’t discuss anything. That speaks to where we’re at with our football team. We’ve been playing some good football and then we have some players that are very good players that are returning. That means there’s a lot of people executing on all three phases at every position. Feel pretty good about that.”
(One last injury question, S Brandon Jones, if he’s in the concussion protocol right now?) – “Yes, he’s back at home going through the process, which doesn’t mean he won’t be here. But from a health perspective, the best way to treat him was to leave him in Miami so he can work through that and if you guys know Brandon, he’s working diligently.”
(How does it feel to be a part of this historic game in Frankfurt, and what significance does this hold to you personally?) – “It’s pretty surreal in that the game of football has really shaped my life. Really when you look at, everything that is good in my life has come through the game of football. It’s really changed at every juncture. I even met my wife in a place coaching football and to be a part of the National Football League, being able to play in front of fans that are newer to the game that are really, really big fans of the NFL, but don’t get to see any live; I know exactly what that is like as a fan. So it’s a privilege. The game of football is so unique in that there’s parallels as long as you can think about to life. And that’s the one great thing about our game and very, very fortunate to have a different platform and an expanded platform. I’ve never been across the Atlantic. The furthest I’ve been is Pacific, Tahiti once and I’ve been in the Caribbean. And I’m a history major. I’ll be excited if I’m ever able – if Chris Grier ever lets me out of my dungeon. (laughter) But yeah, it’s a privilege and I know our guys are elated with the opportunity as well. It feels like something that you’re definitely not entitled to, that you’re honored, and that you’re going to do right by it by putting forth your best effort of work and diligence throughout the week so that whatever it is, it is our best version of ourselves on Sunday.”
(What would your message to QB Tua Tagovailoa be relative to the magnitude of the international stage, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes being on the other sideline, sort of the world watching?) – “It’s only going to get bigger if you’re doing your job the way that you want to. So you have to get used to – it’s not noise because noise has a negative connotation, but there’s things. There’s attention. There’s storylines. There’s questions. The fact of the matter is that people that are successful at a high level in professional sports, that doesn’t seem to bother them. It’s a rep that doesn’t mean every single person will be their very best at it today or tomorrow or whatever, but it’s something that you shouldn’t shy away from. You should embrace because the only people – if you don’t experience that as a starting quarterback in the National Football League, it truly stands for ‘Not For Long’. We’re all that way. It’s a very competitive business. There’s a lot of people that are qualified and would love the opportunity that we have, so you don’t take that lightly. You really embrace that. You don’t make more of it then it is. I can tell it’s one of the major growths that Tua’s had this year where you’re hard pressed to mess up his process. He has a routine with which he digests and owns the gameplan, and then has a certain standard in which he brings energy to the practice field that his teammates can count on. What does that do? As a quarterback, that makes everyone better because when someone’s standard is high, you’re not going to let them down or you’re not going to drag your feet through the day. These are things that I think he’s prepared for. It’s something that you really shouldn’t make a big deal of if you’re trying to be a starting quarterback in the National Football League, which he is. It’s kind of part of the game.”
(This is WR Tyreek Hill’s first game against the Chiefs since he was traded. He obviously has done a lot in his year and a half in Miami. From your perspective, what has he brought to this team?) – “It’s always good when you have one of the best football players in the entire National Football League on your team. That’s what he does. Remarkable stuff last year, but he’s taking everything to another level this year with regard to the details and the fundamentals to his position to the daily approach to being a captain and to leading. I think that’s manifesting itself on the field. I think he’s a Miami Dolphin. He is on the journey. Wears the logo, takes pride in the organization, and sees it, just like all of us, as part of our jobs to do right by the organization and take care of some business that hasn’t been taken care of for a while. It’s an exciting time. Nothing’s better than going out to a practice field when Tyreek’s out there. Not because – what people miss is yeah, he’s fast – I want to see somebody move faster in practice during the week then him. With Tua and Tyreek as one example of multiple, I promise you that on any game day, whatever they do is not the first time we’ve seen it. That’s what that does. You push all the other competitors on the team to better prepare so that on Sunday, they can be themselves. Really do right by all their hard work and talent and just go out and play football, which is what they’ve had an ordinate ability to do. Be their best selves, he’s a classic example. And he’s got a new haircut.”
(How close does CB Xavien Howard appear to be returning and what are you getting once he is playing opposite CB Jalen Ramsey?) – “Well, you could say he would be a factor, an X-factor. (laughter). Yeah, you see I still got it, even across the seas. We’ll see how he does today. It was hard enough to hold him out. That was another different disposition, but very similar message as Connor Williams. Very much so had to look at the big picture and what a setback or nagging issue would do to this team and what we’re trying to do. I wouldn’t say he enjoyed watching the last game, but he enjoyed doing what was right for the team. And I know he enjoys playing much more than watching.”
CB Xavien Howard
(What’s the process been like of missing the last couple games with the groin injury and where do you feel you are right now?) – “I feel great right now, ready to play this weekend. Dealt with a little issue with the groin but the team took care of me so I’m ready to play now.”
(What’s the experience been like traveling over here and having a day in Germany before practicing today?) – “It’s been great to spend time with the team, but trying to get on a sleeping schedule right now.”
(The last time you all faced the Kansas City Chiefs, WR Tyreek Hill was an opponent, but now he’s a teammate and you’re practicing with him. Can you touch on just the preparation going into this game with him as a teammate?) – “I’m just happy he’s on my team now. He was on the other side last time, so I’m just happy he’s on my team. We’re ready to get to it.”
(I just wanted to ask more about WR Tyreek Hill. Was there anything that you didn’t know about him that you maybe got to know about him in the past year plus since he’s joined this team that stood out to you?) – “I’ve been playing against Tyreek (Hill) a long time, since college. So we ended up touching bases and ended up in the same draft and everything, and now he’s a teammate. Get to know him, his kids, his family, his mom. I went to the camp in Houston he had, so he’s a great guy.”
(Is there anything in particular you did on the off day? Did you get to sightsee, explore, see anything in Germany?) – “Yeah, I did a little bit. I was trying to get my sleeping schedule right. We tried to do a little bit of shopping, some of the DBs, but the mall closed at 7:00. So I got up, made it over there by 6:30. Did my little 30 minutes shopping.”
(Yeah, I found out a lot of stuff closes early in Frankfurt.) – “Right.”
(My phone doesn’t work either. Does your phone work in Europe?) – “Yeah, you’ve got to pay when you get back. (laughter)”
(Have you and CB Jalen Ramsey spoken about what it will be like when you’re able to play together?) – “Man, we always speak about it, man. Since he got here, before he was here and he wanted to come here, we reached out, we were talking and stuff like that. Now he’s here, now we’re able to play together this week. So I’m excited about everything. Also, Nik (Needham) coming back. With Nik back, we’re all ready to play together and get this defense rolling.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel, what kind of a person, what kind of a coach is he?) – “Man, he’s a funny guy, man. He always makes the meetings – he always makes everything fun. He’s a real player’s coach. He vibes with the guys and everything, man. He’s a great coach.”
(Did you have some experiences in Frankfurt already and do you know some German words?) – “Not yet. Not yet. I haven’t learned it yet. I haven’t been outside that much. Like I said, yesterday, I did a little 30 minutes of shopping and also had some cinnamon rolls with the guys, so that was about it. We had to come in before bed check.”
(How much of an advantage do you think it is or do you think it’s an advantage to come here early instead of Thursday like the Chiefs?) – “Like I’ve been saying all day, the schedule, getting the sleeping pattern down and everything because I think we’re five hours ahead right now. Just got to get well rested and get used to the Germany time.”
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(It’s cool weather so a good time in Germany to have the windows open. So will T Terron Armstead travel and have his window open to practice? And also OL Robert Hunt, if you guys have ruled out anything serious with his hamstring?) – “Wow. (laughter) Well, I can say this, we’ll probably be evaluating Terron Armstead’s performance in another country other than the United States this week. So that’s pending yes, and all signs point to evaluating that, which will require some moving and shaking as we are used to. Robert Hunt is kind of a day-to-day evaluation. We’ll see how it progresses but evaluating the severity of it, kind of letting it cool down for a second to see too.”
(So T Terron Armstead will travel?) – “Oh, he’s traveling.”
(And then if T Terron Armstead looks good, the window you think would open this week or is it not 100 percent sure that he’ll practice?) – “You just never know what the latches are in another state let alone – I’ve never been to Europe. I don’t know what the windows (are), so you don’t want to get ahead of yourself. But I would think I would figure out how to open a window. Yeah? We’re good? We’re good there? (laughter)”
(With you not ever traveling to Europe, how excited are you about this trip and obviously taking on the Kansas City Chiefs?) – “I’m excited for a lot of things currently in life. All of the above. I think the opportunity to play NFL football is a privilege. I talk about it a lot, you prepare to play against the best and there’s not a better opponent to play than the Kansas City Chiefs. They are the current Super Bowl winners in terms of the last ones to win it. That will be a really cool opportunity for our team. They know how to win and do it at a high level. Then I’m excited for the team to go to Germany. Outside of maybe an hour that I may be able to get on Friday, I’ll be hanging out in the hotel. But the team has the opportunity to experience a different country and culture together. I think that’s a really cool opportunity. Teams win and lose so anytime you have an opportunity to do a bonding experience like that – I know many people are like myself that have never been there – so that’s just exciting in itself. You feel it’s an opportunity, a privilege, to take this game that we devote our lives to and perform in front of an audience on the other side of the world. I told the team today that if you make a play in a game, there’s some kid that speaks German that is wearing your jersey for the rest of his adolescence. You have lifelong fans, that is kind of what happens in those type of environments. Their first exposure is you making this play, and that’s a really, really cool opportunity. A lot of fun stuff for our team and it’s maturation journey for the season for sure.”
(I wanted to get an update on three players who had injuries of varying degrees yesterday, T Kendall Lamm, LB David Long Jr., DT Zach Sieler? I saw Long and Sieler went into the tent briefly.) – “All three I would expect to be getting treated and be some sort of participation during the week. We’ll evaluate closer on Wednesday for Wednesday but they’re all in the day-to-day process and expecting good things. I feel like the plane we have chartered, has healing elements to it.”
(Any must-have essentials that you pack for this trip besides your work stuff?) – “People kind of cut me out of the equation of essential things to bring. It’s an unintended consequence of being present all the time that you’re just like locked in and I forget stuff all the time. All the important stuff will be delegated to people that are more pack-responsible. So I’m just going to take myself, have a notebook and a backpack and then there’s going to be all the video and computer stuff that we need to gameplan which is why we’re going to Germany, is to play game.”
(Speaking of adolescents wearing jerseys, one of the hot costumes of Halloween is you. I’ve seen it posted on social media of kids dressing up as Mike McDaniel.) – “That does not compute. That doesn’t make any sense. (laughter)”
(One kid did your run on Sunday Night Football.) – “Was I faster than the kid? (laughter)
(I’m just curious, what, as you see it, goes into dressing up like Mike McDaniel?) – “I have no idea. I refuse to accept that as reality. I don’t even know what that means. I guess that there’s a compliment in there to the Miami Dolphins organization and locker room because there’s got to be some really, really, really good players for someone to dress up like me.”
(But I guess the knapsack would be essential? Or the glasses?) – “I don’t know.”
(He had the watch too, the hoodie, he had everything. The capris.) – “Probably the essential would be the broad chest, right? (laughter)”
(You’re speechless for the first time ever) – “Yeah. (laughter) No words.”
(You guys completed 15 passes yesterday to guys not named WR Tyreek Hill or WR Jaylen Waddle. How does that open up the offense so you can get all those guys involved?) – “So much of what’s lost in execution of offense or defense really, in general, is that even when Tyreek and Waddle are doing damage in the pass game, it’s such a concerted effort by the entire group. The route distribution has to be exact. The protection has to be on. The quarterback has to be right with his progression. But I think in terms of the way defenses play, you can definitely influence them by distributing the ball and making them pay for over attention. That’s something that to beat a defense that’s adept at minimizing the top player or most productive player of teams, you go into the game knowing that it’s going to take the commitment and execution from everyone and all skill (players) have to make plays across the board, because there’s going to be times where it just doesn’t make any sense to throw to a certain eligible. We knew we were kind of going to have to do that to win the game. And I think the whole team was confident that we could execute that.”
(A check on S Jevon Holland and if he’s out of the concussion protocol. And also we saw TE Durham Smythe is in a boot. Is that something that is in the FB Alec Ingold category or something we should be concerned about?) – “Jevon is doing well. He’s still in the protocol but is doing well. It’s been progressing as we’d want. Durham is like half Alec Ingold, half Durham just doing Durham. Just wearing boots, that’s kind of his swag. Medical boots. (laughter) He’s a guy that’s as tough as they come. It’s hard during a game to assess the severity of anything because he’s so tough and is willing to play through whatever that he probably says less, and you kind of just have to – between Kyle (Johnston) and (Assistant Head Coach/Tight Ends) Jon Embree, they kind of manage when he tells them he shouldn’t be managed, which is the way you want people to be. But he’ll battle through that and yeah, I definitely wouldn’t bet against Durham Smythe playing in any game.”
(I wanted to ask about your conversations with the players. You obviously want them to enjoy Germany when they can. Kind of a fraught time internationally right now. What kind of talks have you had with them about being safe, being smart and all that?) – “I mean that’s prerequisite. Part of being an NFL player and part of being a teammate is understanding that you carry all the obligations that are required of people. You carry the logo and how you act and what you do affects everyone. And then I haven’t really gone into dark and desolate scenarios. I’ve more been emphasizing the opportunity for us to do things as groups and experience and be together and not be off as individuals, but to take advantage of the time as a collective. Strength in numbers.”
(WR Tyreek Hill seems to be super excited about playing his former team. I’m sure that’s common when you’re playing the other team that you played for. Do you worry about the emotional end of those battles?) – “No, I think for this particular team, that’s something that so many of his teammates take – since they’re so invested in Tyreek and we have the locker room structure that we have – I think his teammates are going to take it more personal for him then ultimately he will take it. One of the reasons he is able to have the production that he has, which is at a historic rate through eight games, is because of how fiercely competitive he approaches each week and understands how important each game is, so he comes to play every game. I know he’s going to come to play to this game. I think it will be a bigger deal for his teammates in support of him. In actuality, I mean he’s as Miami as it comes now. He’s on a new chapter and worried about being a captain for this team.”
(Yesterday the snap count was about the same for RB Jeff Wilson Jr. and RB Salvon Ahmed. That’s a little different obviously from how it was last year. It’s a new year. Is that a by-product of Salvon doing things that impress you guys and want to carve out a role for him? Is it partially because Jeff is coming off missing six games this year?) – “Absolutely. I would attribute that to ‘SA’ (Salvon Ahmed) and his development. It’s more about deserving opportunities and doing whatever you can control with those opportunities. What ‘SA’ has carved out since last year is he necessitates the opportunity to make plays. He’s proven and did it all preseason, and has proven in games this year that he’s a playmaker. We’re fortunate to have multiple and we try to disperse it and give guys an opportunity to be their best selves, and when they get hot, we keep feeding the hot hand.”
(Shot in the dark here, did you look at Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes before he was drafted as well?) – “I refused to look at him. No eye contact. Don’t look at me. (laughter) Yeah, no that was in 2017 when he came out. It was pretty cool because he had the arm talent that’s out of this world that you see. You kind of knew he had a chance to be the exception to the rule which, is he wasn’t playing in any sort of rhythm or timing offense, it didn’t feel like, or it just felt very different then the NFL game. But he could make every throw. You could tell that there was a special human being. So yeah, it’s been cool to watch him develop into what might be the best player in the NFL. And that wasn’t promised to him. Henceforth, he was picked at least 10th I think, not first. He’s earned every bit of it and he’s an unbelievable player.”
(From an outsider’s point of view, it appears you guys have taken a more measured approach to bringing guys back from injuries this year with a bigger eye towards December and January. Is that accurate?) – “I think I can only speak on since I’ve been here. I’ve been here for I think between the time I’ve been here and the time the training staff has been here before, you learn more about people. So, the more knowledge you have, the more you invest into them, the more you can kind of properly assess, ‘Hey, well, this didn’t work out in this way for this individual for this reason. Okay let’s adjust it either way.’ So there’s been times that we’ve been a little on the aggressive end and there’s been a lot of times that we’ve been on the conservative end. All just adjusting to the facts as the facts change and as we get more of them.”
