Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024
Postgame – Kansas City Chiefs
Miami Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert
THOUGHTS ON THE GAME
MOSTERT: “A loss is always disappointing, especially during a time like this where it’s a playoff run, Wild Card Game, it’s aways tough. It’s all about being resilient, coming back the following year. I know a lot of guys who have, if you lose, the dude who I’m talking about, going to Cancun. I am not planning on a damn Cancun trip. I’m more trying to get back right-side and be ready and available for next year.”
Q: Is it frustrating playing in a playoff game that is this cold?
MOSTERT: “At the end of the day, we all bleed the same color. We all have to go through the same conditions. You have to line up and be ready to play ball. That’s as far as I can go with that. You can’t give any excuses as to how cold it was because the other team, they had to deal with the same cold, the same temperatures. All in all, you have to go out here and play ball and be the best, and unfortunately, that wasn’t it for us.”
Q: Do you know why this team struggled to get past 20 points per game over the last game?
MOSTERT: “I don’t necessarily know. It’s just us not making enough plays or play calling or cumulative things. Turnovers can help that. It is nice when you start out hot and all of the sudden it is a bit frigid in that aspect, but you just have to go back to the basics. That is how I see it and try to figure out what the best game plan was, and unfortunately, we didn’t have that today.”
Q: Did some of the injuries catch up to this team?
MOSTERT: “That definitely caught up, especially going on a run late in the season, which is mind boggling and kind of sucks. We lost a lot of key guys on the opposite side of the ball, but that gives a lot of guys an opportunity to step up and make plays.”
Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024
Postgame – Kansas City Chiefs
Miami Dolphins FB Alec Ingold
COMMENTS ON THE GAME
INGOLD: “We set records together. We are going down in the history books together, statistically. At the end of the day, we didn’t win. At the end of the season, it’s tough, you have to learn your lessons. I feel for all of the guys. You put so much time in and the league, it turns over real fast. There is going to be a third of this room that’s not going to be here next year, and reality hits fast and it hits hard. I’m soaking in the last moments I have with these guys.”
Q: Is it frustrating that the game had to be played in conditions like this?
INGOLD: “This is the circumstance we put ourselves in, wins and losses and results. It felt like everything was leading up to being able to go into an adverse situation and being able to prove how much football matters to us and how much we care about one another. Obviously, the ball didn’t bounce our way today, but it’s football weather, man, it’s the beauty of this game. It’s imperfect. You just wish you could have done a little bit more. It’s just hurts not to execute the way we didn’t execute out there.”
Q: How frustrating might it be for you knowing how many talented players were unable to play tonight?
INGOLD: “The injury rate in the NFL is 100%. We lost some key guys, but I think it is a collection of the team, right. Champions are able to overcome the circumstances of the season and that was our challenge this year. That was our piece of adversity, and we couldn’t overcome it. It just hurts, as a leader of the team and as somebody that wants to contribute in these biggest games and the biggest moments. You don’t really think about injuries as much as wishing you could have been there for the guys that were suited up and the guys who couldn’t go and be able to put your best stuff out there. It was a tough one today.”
Q: What can you take with you into the offseason?
INGOLD: “You have to lean into this feeling. It has to motivate you. To become the best version of yourself, you can’t be afraid to get better. You can’t be afraid to fail and fall short and use that as the eventual success story. I think that is going to be motivation in the weight room, make sure our bodies are healthy, durable and be ready to withstand a new season and we have to come together closer as a team to overcome whatever adversity comes around the corner next year.”
Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024
Postgame – Kansas City Chiefs
Miami Dolphins DT Christian Wilkins
Q: Can you describe what it’s like trying to tackle in these kinds of conditions?
WILKINS: “It is what it is. Obviously, the weather is different weather than you’ve ever played in before, but I feel like our guys fought hard and we fought until the very end. That’s the most important thing, and that’s what I saw. I just want to say I have a lot of respect for the Chiefs because they’re a good football team. They deserve all of the respect that they’ve earned, not just tonight, but from the past few years. I’ve got a lot of respect for what they’ve been able to do.”
Q: This is the second year of losing in the first round of the playoffs, but do you think this team is still making strides?
WILKINS: “Yeah, I definitely think so. I told the guys in the locker room that this is the most fun I’ve had since I’ve been in the league, since I’ve been a Miami Dolphin. It’s because what the guys do every day, what they bring, how much it means to them. I think we’ve definitely made big strides. There’s still room to improve as a team, as an organization. I think the formula is there, and that is what will happen in the years to come.”
Q: How hard was it to not have guys like Bradley [Chubb] and Jaelen [Phillps] out there for you guys?
WILKINS: “It was tough, but it is what it is. Injuries are part of the game, and we’re not going to make excuses for that. As much as we’d love to have those guys, it’s just part of the game. You don’t make excuses for that. You still fight and play hard no matter what. We still went into every game as confident as ever and didn’t make any excuses and we just kept it running.”
Q: What happened on that roughing the passer call?
WILKINS: “I thought I was just doing my job. I thought I was good, but I guess not. It’s a judgment call, but it is what it is. I don’t really know what happened. I didn’t talk to the refs after to get an explanation, but it is what it is.”
Q: After you guys lost JP [Jaelen Phillips] and Bradley [Chubb], it seemed like things kind of changed. Do you feel that way?
WILKINS: “Again, I’m not going to make any excuses. Every guy prepared all year like they were a starter. We’re all professional, and we all have a job to do, whether you’re the third guy or the first. No excuses being made there, it is what it is. It’d be great to have those guys, but I feel like everyone was still in a good position.”
Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024
Postgame – Kansas City Chiefs
Miami Dolphins LB David Long Jr.
Q: On the season as a whole.
LONG: “We put in so much work to get to a point to hopefully get to the next level. Nothing is guaranteed. It just hurts when you put so much work into something and everything doesn’t come into fruition. It just hurts. I’m a passionate player. I wanted more for these guys, especially for this team. You don’t get to be part of this kind of team that many times. I wish we could have taken advantage of it, to be honest. It is what it is. I hate to say it. I hate that. I hate that phrase, ‘It is what it is’. I wish we could have done more.”
Q: How much did the recent rash of defensive injuries catch up with you?
LONG: “Yes, we lost some great players. I hate to put that out there like that was the reason. This is the NFL. We have guys that can come in and do the job. Even out there we had [Justin] Houston and [Bruce] Irvin. They made plays for us. I’m not saying we didn’t get to where we wanted to be because of injuries. We had enough here to get it done, we just didn’t make it happen.”
Q: What was your favorite part of the season?
LONG: “I don’t know. That’s a hard question. I don’t know. I do know that this is going to hurt, and it’s going to make everybody better in a way. Especially during the offseason. Like I said, this was a great team, and I’m glad I was a part of it.”
Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024
Postgame – Kansas City Chiefs
Miami Dolphins CB Jalen Ramsey
Q: How would you characterize this season as you came back from injury?
RAMSEY: “Came back from injury and fought hard. I did the best job that I could do with the role they were asking me to play.”
Q: How difficult was it to have almost everyone on the defense get hurt late in the season?
RAMSEY: “It was what it was. As a professional, I have to focus on my role this week. That’s what I tried to do.”
Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024
Postgame – Kansas City Chiefs
Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill
Q: What did it feel like being back at GEHA Field at Arrowhead stadium?
HILL: “It felt amazing. It’s where it all started for me. So obviously, being back on this field brought back so many types of memories. It was definitely fun to be a part of this game. The cold wasn’t fun, but stepping back on this field and being on the other side of the ball and seeing how things are was definitely fun.”
Q: Can you take us through the touchdown?
HILL: “That’s just one of those plays that we’ve been running all year. That’s like Tua’s favorite play. He just threw it down the field, and I was able to make a play.”
Q: How tough was the locker room after tonight’s loss?
HILL: “It’s tough. Especially with the type of team that we got. Obviously, there are high expectations of everyone. We hold ourselves to a standard. We were definitely expecting us to be a really good team this year. We definitely weren’t expecting a first-round exit. Also, the message in the locker room was simple. Whenever you’re working out, take this loss with you. Remember this feeling. Because it’s not fun being on the other side of a loss, especially when you know the season is over for you. No more football checks.”
Q: What limited your effectiveness tonight?
HILL: “They did a good job of getting hands on us at the line of scrimmage. Spags (Coach Spagnuolo), he does a good job of telling his corners to not worry about anything over the top because they have safety help over the top, and DBs get hands on those fast guys. They do a great job of that. They got physical corners who do a good job of playing to their technique and playing sound. (L’Jarius) Sneed, (Trent) McDuffie, all of those guys do a great job over there. So shoutout to those guys.”
Q: How much was the weather a factor tonight?
HILL: “It wasn’t a factor at all. Guys weren’t even paying attention to it. It was just one of those things that when you’re in Miami experiencing great weather all the time, it’s like and we’re in cold weather, we’re all just out here having fun. I don’t think the weather played a part in anything today.”
Q: On the difference between the offense in the first half of the season and the second half of the season.
HILL: “Well, we have to do a good job of being able to beat two-man and cover-two and things like that … small attention to details. When guys are dropping back that far, it’s all about being in the right spots. You can see that we had a couple of off-target throws and a lot of it was on the receivers. We weren’t in position to make plays for our quarterback when he needed us the most. That just takes spending time together after practice watching film together. We still got a young team. We’re going to come back and we’re going to learn from it. Guys are going to take this on the chin for sure.”
Q: How would you assess the season as a whole?
HILL: “I thought we had a great season. I think a lot of people doubted us. We kind of exceeded expectations. The season didn’t end the way we wanted it to end, but as far as the season, I think guys really laid it on the line. For granted, all the injuries that we had and guys fighting through injuries. I believe that we had a great season.”
Q: Why do you feel that this is the right group of people to win it all?
HILL: “Unfortunately, every locker room is going to be different every year, salary cap and guys wanting to get paid and going other places. I feel in my heart that if this team were to come back together this is the right group of people to win. We got everything what it takes. You can see that the defense came along, and as an offense, we have to be able to put drives together and help those guys out. We just can’t be a bunch of front-runners. Next year I feel like we’ll learn from it.”
Q: Tua said there were communication issues during the game, did you see that issue from your vantage point?
HILL: “No. I was totally fine. I don’t believe he was talking about the receivers. Probably o-line or something, running backs or something. But as a group of receivers we were pretty much on point with calls and being on top of everything.”
Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024
Postgame – Kansas City Chiefs
Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa
Q: What are the feelings about this loss right now after having so much hope for the playoffs?
TAGOVAILOA: “It sucks, brother. Losing sucks in general. It doesn’t feel good, I’ll tell you that.”
Q: The offense has struggled the last couple of games. What do you attribute that to?
TAGOVAILOA: “It’s a team sport. We didn’t come together the way we wanted to offensively. It showed tonight. As the leader of that offense, it really started with practices. That’s how we should’ve got things going, was in practice, with the communication, knowing where we should be going in this loud environment. Those miscues lead to delay of games. We can’t change the protection because we don’t have enough time, things like that. It was communication errors.”
Q: How did the cold feel today?
TAGOVAILOA: “Yeah, it was a little difficult in the beginning. We sort of figured out a plan with how we went about that later on in the game. It was different.”
Q: Did you guys come out wanting to run the ball a little more than you usually have done this season?
TAGOVAILOA: “I think anyone can play the what-if game, but tonight’s ordeal was what we decided to put out there and that’s what happened. We can’t change that, can’t go back, can only learn from it and move forward from that.”
Q: How would you describe this season?
TAGOVAILOA: “I would say there’s been a lot of ups and downs. There were a lot of guys that started out the season with us and weren’t able to finish the season with us. A lot of ups and downs with injuries. For our team, we never want to use any of those things as an excuse. We’re not going to use that as an excuse. That’s what I would say for how the year went, ups and downs.”
Q: With how this season ended, do you feel any pressure for next season?
TAGOVAILOA: “I don’t feel any pressure at all. I have full trust in myself. I have full trust in what I’m capable of doing for our organization, but outside of that, we’re focusing on tonight and what happened. We’re going to simmer on this and see what we can do to get better from it for next year.”
Q: Is your expectation to get something done with your contract this offseason?
TAGOVAILOA: “I’m not worried about that right now. Right now, this is a moment for the guys in that locker room and our team to be with one another, to sulk in this and learn from it.”
Q: What was the overall mood in the locker room after the game?
TAGOVAILOA: “It wasn’t good, brother. Like I said, losing is never fun. When stakes are higher, when it’s playoff time, you feel that maybe ten times more I would say, whether it’s a win or a loss. We’ve got to live with that loss.”
Q: What went wrong late in this season on third down?
TAGOVAILOA: “I would say just being efficient on first and second down. That’s what I would say to that. Like I said, there has been some communication errors and things like that. We can’t do that.”
Q: Did you get a feeling during the week that practices maybe weren’t as sharp as you’d like?
TAGOVAILOA: “Some of it gets tough because as we have the practices, we start with walk throughs and guys nail those. When we came out to practice the next day, on Thursday, it looked crisp. There were maybe some things that we all could have gotten better at. This is what we showed today, and it wasn’t up to our standard.”
Q: The Chiefs seemed to have a lot of success on their blitzes. Was that something that you guys just haven’t seen before or just missed execution?
TAGOVAILOA: “I would attest that to the communication errors that we’ve had. Am I hearing the right formation? Okay, we’re getting out but we have two motions that we have to use. Then there’s maybe nine seconds left on the clock, and we’re motioning. Now it’s about five seconds and we don’t have time to change so now we’ve got to play and we’ve got to through where our hots would be but they pressured. Spags [Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo] had a good plan. They executed well against us.”
Q: What is the biggest thing that you think you need to change in order for the team to go further next season?
TAGOVAILOA: “I would say right now, we have the greatest opportunity to be with one another. We’re going to look back on this season and figure that out.”
Q: How much do you think the injuries you guys had affected you this season?
TAGOVAILOA: “Like I said, I’m not going to use injuries as something that only we dealt with. We’re not the only team that dealt with that. I would say it did hurt not having the guys that we started with, being able to work with a lot of them throughout OTAs. Maybe there are some things that you don’t need to tell them, that they already would know and things like that. You go out there, everyone in this league is a professional. You’ve got to go out there and play and give it your best shot.”
Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024
Postgame – Kansas City Chiefs
Miami Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel
Q: How would you describe the season as a whole?
MCDANIEL: “I am not in the appropriate place to reflect on the entire season. I think the entire thing about this team and a team sport is that we had goals that we didn’t accomplish tonight. I think one of the reasons it hurts so bad is that nobody on this team harbored all the excesses or all the different variables that people talk about, injuries or weather. We came here to win, and it didn’t happen. We fell short of our goals. We had very strong expectations of ourselves. One of the reasons a lot of people don’t put themselves out there and hold those expectations is because when you fall short from them, it’s emotional and gut-wrenching. In terms of categorizing the season or other macro things about stuff moving forward, I don’t think it does justice to the team in the appropriate way. We lost a game. We were 100 percent all in, fearlessly playing as though we would win, but hats off to the Kansas City Chiefs. They beat us, outplayed us, outcoached us, all those things. That is where my mind is at. I will be better answering that during the week when you next see me, but tonight is about tonight. It hurts.”
Q: Do you think there is a fundamental flaw in the offense tonight or will you be able to make minor tweaks?
MCDANIEL: “I think the season is a journey. I think you’re either getting better or getting worse. I think there are some good things and bad things as there always will be. I don’t really look at it as this offense is. That is an ever-evolving thing. What I do know is we will be in a situation where we will be trying to get better. I think we were a better team and a better specially talking about offense then last year. That is the point. There are a lot of things we are going to look at and have concrete actual, solid information on what we can do to get better. That is the objective of the offseason. You are trying to identify exactly what those things are and then improve upon that. We would always like to be the best at and win all of our games. That is what we are intending to do. There is a lot to learn from that we will get to, fast and furious, as the offseason begins.”
Q: How tough was it to address the players that might not be coming back next year for the final time?
MCDANIEL: “It is as tough as it gets just because everyone poured their heart and soul into it. That is the nature of the business is there are salary caps and a lot of different moving parts. That is one thing that this team didn’t run from. I kind of alluded to the idea that the season before, I feel like that team understood the gravity of which you approach which team you are going to have. On average, there are like 30 new players every season including practice squad. That is the tough part that guys were fighting for. No one used anything as an excuse. One thing I didn’t see in that locker room was finger pointing or excuse making. There was just a lot of emotion with regard to hurt, which is what happens when you make yourself vulnerable to having high expectations that we didn’t hide from. I am proud of that. I am proud of a lot of things with regard to this team, which is one of the reasons we were trying to do everything we could to make sure this wasn’t the last game. It was. You have to learn from it, but that will come in the near future. Tonight, I am just trying to aid some of those hurt souls and we will take a hard look at those things moving forward.”
Q: What does Tua Tagovailoa need to improve on moving forward?
MCDANIEL: “I think everyone has to get better because if you are not getting better, you are staying the same and that is as bad as getting worse. It would be a far cry from putting blame on one player. He made some good plays tonight. I know there are some plays that we would want to have back. I know there were some calls he liked and some I would want back. I think that goes across the board. There were a lot of really good things, and we have all learned to have high expectations for that unit. Seven points isn’t good enough. We will have to live with that and learn from that and try to take another step. That is what you are always trying to do. For me, it is hard to take those big pictures. I am just processing this loss. I was expecting to have a schedule next week, depending on whether it was a Saturday or Sunday game. I was more thinking about that, not exit interviews. I don’t mean to disregard it. It is a tough time to give real feedback towards big picture questions when we were thinking about one game at a time and deliver what we wanted to deliver to the fan base was the victory we fell short of.”
Q: We know you won’t use injuries as an excuse but how much were injuries an explanation for tonight?
MCDANIEL: “You can look at it as what we didn’t have or you can look at it as who stepped up. Injuries are part of the game. It’s hard for me as a coach who is invested in these players, to sit here and say that this isn’t good enough. We had a very good roster that had depth. Injuries are part of the game. The bottom line is that every year you expect to have to count on your depth down the stretch of the season. I think every year, to a point, you’re not going to have every single one of your starters that you started the season with. You have to find a way to evolve and adjust to the skillsets of your players. Whether it’s the case or not, it’s going to be tough for me to ever say that it’s okay because we had injuries. Lots of people have injuries, so that’s kind of where I’m coming from.”
Q: How did you feel about the physicality of the Chiefs defensive backs?
MCDANIEL: “I thought they did a good job. We knew that was going to be the plan. They showed us elements when we played them in Germany. I think we struggled to find a rhythm that we wanted. We had a good plan. I thought the guys were very prepared for what we were trying to get done. It’s the little things. You have something set up because you think this run is going to give you a chance to move the ball or be a little explosive. If a guy is a hair off or if I call it at the wrong time, it kind of pins you back and you’re behind the sticks. That’s what we couldn’t do. We knew they were going to be aggressive in that way. They did a good job in the front seven. We knew they were going to put a lot of attention towards our receivers, but we also knew they were going to challenge us. We thought we had the right plan, but obviously it wasn’t. Hats off to them for executing their plan at the most important time.”
Q: Was the weather any worse than you thought? Did the temperature affect the game in any way?
MCDANIEL: “I’ve experienced games of this nature. Very specifically, playoff games as well. It’s going to be a factor for both teams. It takes a certain mentality to compete in games like this. I think the team was very competitive for a majority of the game. I thought they had the prerequisite physicality, they didn’t turn it down. Guys were excited. You kind of have to go to a different place to be in that weather in a contact sport. I thought our guys were in a good spot. It affects the game, but it affects both teams. They were just a little better at executing what they wanted to do than we were.”
Q: Would RB Raheem Mostert and WR Jaylen Waddle have played today if it was not a playoff game?
MCDANIEL: “That’s hard to say. It didn’t even enter my mind. That’s a hard question for me to answer because it was so hard to keep them out of the game before. It was like a non-negotiable from both of them. It wasn’t if they can, it was what they had to do to (play). That’s a tough question. I know they were warriors and not all players with their positions and skillsets would be able to strap it up. But that’s who they are, that’s who we learned to count on. It’s kind of a gray answer, I haven’t really assessed it from that point. They were so gung-ho. We were measuring and hoping they wouldn’t have a setback during the week because that would cloud the whole decision.”
Q: Where did you feel your team’s level of communication was tonight?
MCDANIEL: “I thought it was, at times, good and, at times, a little lacking. I would say I wish it were a little better in both phases. It’s hard to explain exactly why that is. But at the same time, our job is to communicate with each other. There were a couple times in the game that the communication could have been a little bit better. That’s one of the reasons why we fell a little bit short.”
Q: Could you find any consistencies on the offense’s struggles on third-down tonight?
MCDANIEL: “We knew we had our hands full on some of the longer third-down situations. I thought we did a fairly good job on the shorter ones. We knew they presented those types of problems and are pretty highly ranked – on the longer ones – so we were trying to avoid those situations. Were in too many third-and-seven-to-eight-pluses for us to have the day we wanted to have on third down. I think there’s some residuals from that from first and second down. We didn’t execute the way we would have liked to. We were just a hair off here or there. There are multiple reasons that that could be the case. The bottom line is they out-executed us. They didn’t really throw anything at us that we weren’t expecting, it was just old-school execution that we fell short on.”
