Head Coach Mike McDaniel (Postgame) (transcribed by ASAP Sports)
Q: QB Tua Tagovailoa was able to make his preseason debut. Two series. Just overall how would you evaluate his performance and just working with the offense in those two series?
MIKE MCDANIEL: I was really happy with Tua because he has been having such a good camp, just in his development and ownership of the offense. I was very hopeful that he would be the same guy on game day. It was my first opportunity with him, and he executed really everything that we asked him to do. His ownership of the offense, his command of the players was real good. He distributed the ball well. There were a couple of times that he got to three in his progression, and he adjusted with the defense. They kind of came out and weren’t matching personnel, and that wasn’t something that in the preseason you necessarily expect nor prepare for. Didn’t bother him in the slightest, so I was happy with his performance, and it was something to build upon moving forward that the team really was pumped to see.
Q: While Tua did play, some of the key offensive starters – Terron Armstead, Jaylen Waddle, Tyreek Hill. Obviously, Terron and Jaylen had been kind of sidelined for a bit. I guess at this point of the preseason, do you expect them to play at all in the finale and I guess just what is your level of concern with not having all those guys kind of in the preseason setting?
MIKE MCDANIEL: It’s the same thing. It’s the imperfect situation that is the preseason for the game of football. You’re trying to balance getting guys prepared and not putting them at risk in an exhibition. With each player, it’s kind of case-by-case. I hadn’t planned on — I didn’t really know what I was going to do with Tua, and I hadn’t planned on making a decision until the last second, and he kind of helped me with that, but you have to assess each and every player for where they’re at in the offense and really in the defense. You really have to just assess everyone where they’re at and how much they need that preseason so that they can feel 100 percent full go against the Patriots, and I think I’ll continue to do that through the Philly week and for the Philly game.
Q: What are you seeing from QB Skylar Thompson now compared to when he first got here?
MIKE MCDANIEL: He just gets better every day. This game the operation was better. There was one time that he kind of lost the play clock a little bit, and we had to burn a timeout, but more than anything, he really had command over everything. And he is starting to make plays that when one or two aren’t there, feeling the concept. And like that touchdown they threw to ‘Z. White’ on the left-hand side, that’s something that Skylar doesn’t make at the beginning of preseason. So, I’ve seen continued improvement, but he is very diligent about the process. He has got the makeup of what it takes to be an NFL quarterback, so I think all of his teammates can feel that too.
Q: There was cool video that they showed on CBS where Tua was on the field by himself at 2:30 in the afternoon kind of visualizing things. He had a play sheet. He was going through what he was going to do before the snap, during the snap. What do you think that says about where he is relative to his knowledge of the offense and his desire to gain full command?
MIKE MCDANIEL: Man, that says everything. That’s why his teammates are confident in him. That’s why I’m confident in him, and that’s why his coaching staff is because that is something that he has done on his own with guidance from his quarterback coach, Coach Bevell. You can feel that every day that he is — Coach Bevell has explained to him all sorts of stories of the players he has worked with. Coming in here this year that wasn’t something that I had heard Tua — that wasn’t really his MO, just to go ahead and go outside the framework of whatever the schedule is and really invest all-in on your craft. He is doing that every single day, and it really shows in his play. That doesn’t surprise me. I hadn’t heard that, but he has really been doing that every single day at the beginning of the day before he gets the script, and that’s why he is owning the offense and leading us well so that we’ll be in a good position to be what his teammates really need him to be Week 1.
Q: What do you think of the four yards rushing, if anything?
MIKE MCDANIEL: That’s not very much. It’s a fine line. I’m not overreacting to it. I’m not really one that is just black and white. All right, so you have a bunch of yards, and you can run the ball, and you don’t have any you can’t. Really rushing yards, if you have one explosive; it can be super misleading. What I do know is that the last two opponents, this one a little bit more so than the other one, our players were caught off guard with something they hadn’t seen on tape really. In the NFL you have to be able to do that. So, I’m happy that there’s no false sense of comfort level really. It does raise the urgency for the offensive line, tight ends, and receivers blocking, but at the same time I’m not panicked because I would be more panicked if they were entering into something that we had totally prepared them for and we still weren’t able to displace people on the line of scrimmage and do things of that nature. So it’s cause for your attention, but at the same time there’s no panic button. It’s really, okay, can we learn from this? Now if the same thing happens next week, that will be more concerning for me, but I think the guys have a lot of pride, and we emphasize the run game a lot. Obviously, we want more production, and that’s what we expect from ourselves moving forward.
Q: Injury-wise, what happened during the first half with CB Nik Needham, DB Keion Crossen, and I think CB Alexander Mackensie left for the medical tent at some point as well.
MIKE MCDANIEL: There were some dings. We had some hand injuries. There was nothing fatal in terms of long-term issues. There was one occasion we had someone go back into the game. We had someone leave and stay out. I’ll have more information tomorrow with all that, but they’re in constant communication. There’s nothing that we’re overly concerned for in the long haul, which is a good thing for the Miami Dolphins.
Q: What does TE Mike Gesicki need to do to make sure that he can have as positive of an impact on the team, the offense, during the entire season?
MIKE MCDANIEL: He was in a position to have a pretty good game. You can ask him. He was frustrated because he had a couple of options. We rely on him, and we went to him, and he had a couple pretty good ops that he wasn’t able to come up with the play. So, he needs to continue what he is doing, which is completely committing in the run and pass game to the offense. He is a couple plays on the ball away from having a really good game that he feels really good about. He knows that. I know that. That’s one of the reasons why he stayed in the game, because he was frustrated. As a competitor, he knew he could make the plays that he didn’t. It’s nothing out of the ordinary or nothing far from exactly what he has been doing. He just needs to continue to be diligent and not get frustrated when the ball doesn’t bounce his way or they get paid, too; they hit him, he doesn’t make a play on the ball. We all appreciate the fact that he is a competitor, and he is not satisfied with touching the ball and not coming down with it. As long as he approaches it like the player that he is where he is very accountable, we’ll be fine, he will be fine, and we’ll all be better for it.
Q. How do you evaluate the offensive line’s performance? What did you like or not like about it?
MIKE MCDANIEL: I thought that it was pretty solid in terms of they went out and they were trying to attack the defense as best they could. Again, there was just some stuff that really we didn’t adjust to as well as I would have liked. At the same time, it’s not all on them really. There were some things that I did expect them to get, some things that I’m not surprised that they didn’t get. I’m not terribly — the game was kind of taken out of their hands a little bit at the beginning with some of the stuff they were doing. We kind of had to transfer and do some drop-back stuff, and I thought they protected the quarterback well enough where it was never a situation where they had to get rid of the ball too early. The tight ends got beat on horrendous play call with Teddy (Bridgewater) in, but outside of that, I think it was a pretty safe, well-protected game from them. We just need to go look at the tape and understand, okay, well, when teams are pressuring us in the run game and their feet are like this, we need to adjust like this. That’s why it’s just a process really for all the run game stuff and protection that I was pretty happy with. We’ll just keep working next week and see how good we can get for game one.
Head Coach Mike McDaniel on WFOR broadcast with Kim Bokamper
(What did you see in the first half that you liked? And what would you like to see a little bit better this second half?) – “I saw some good third down operation, guys made plays. I thought the quarterbacks are playing pretty well. Obviously, there were some MAs (missed assignments) that really cost us, negative plays, some run downs and guys really – there were some players that honestly were frustrated for the most part that really (inaudible). It’s good to see that, but we just need to be a lot cleaner in our operation and execution and score touchdowns, not field goals.”
(A lot of fans have been looking forward to seeing QB Tua Tagovailoa. You got an opportunity to see a little bit of him. How do you evaluate that?) – “I thought he did a great job controlling what he can control. He made some plays where one or two weren’t open. I thought he was responsible with the ball, and I like how he commanded the huddle. It was – for the most part, they were playing pretty conservative on the back end, so he took what was there and didn’t put us in harm’s way.”
(You had a couple guys, WR Tyreek Hill, RB Raheem Mostert and your third guy who were expected to play and you chose not to play them after watching workouts. What happened there?) – “No, it was really just evaluating them. All three of those guys are veterans. It was not injury related. It was something I had in the back of my mind. I wanted to see if they were ready to play and compete, and all that does is I’ve other people opportunities to kind of go out there and prove their worth. So it was a gametime decision that I really made, no other reason but I think they didn’t need tonight as much as other guys and that’s the way we operate.”
T Terron Armstead on WFOR broadcast with Kim Bokamper
(On the first preseason game at home) – “It feels great. It feels great getting a chance to show the fans what we’ve been working on all training camp, all offseason really. Brand new system, brand new scheme, a lot of explosive opportunities that we’ve got built into this offense so it’s exciting.”
(You come over as a veteran, you’ve played a lot of games and you’ve got a lot of young guys in this group. How do you affect them and how do you help those guys with your experience?) – “I just try to bring my knowledge, my wisdom, experience, my wins, my losses, my success, failures, all those good things. These guys ask a lot of questions. Real professionals, they go about their business the right way. So any way I can try to be an asset, that’s what I like to do.”
(You look at this offense with Head Coach Mike McDaniel. You want to be a wide-open offense, but he wants to lean on the running game. Do you like that?) – “The running game is basis, it’s the foundation of everything we’re trying to do. We can’t create those explosive and big plays without the run game, so we have to be able to instill that and instill our will early in games.”
(I’ve been watching this training camp the week throughout, and it seems like there’s a focus on fundamentals and technique, especially when it comes to the offensive line.) – “That’s the game. That’s the game of football. It always comes back to the fundamentals. The team that has the best fundamentals that sticks to what they do well, their bread and butter – it comes down to the fundamentals, their bread and butter and execution.”
WR Jaylen Waddle on WFOR broadcast with Kim Bokamper
(You have an opportunity, let me ask you this. Where are you now compared to where you were last year at this time?) – “I think I’m just more confident, especially in this system that we’re running. I’ve got another year with Tua (Tagovailoa) and the offense. Some of the guys came back and we’ve got some new weapons. So, I’m more confident. I’ve got a year under my belt, so I already kind of know what to expect this year. It’s been good.”
(Let’s talk about you and WR Tyreek Hill. How do you guys go about complementing each other in this offense?) – “I think we complement each other pretty well, just what we bring to the table. I think it opened up for him and it opened up for me. So, I think us and our short but long time together, it’s been great.”
(You guys have worked a lot together. Are you very competitive with each other?) – “Oh yes, definitely. We definitely compete on who can make a big play during practice each day. It’s good competition, definitely.”
(What do you expect out of yourself this season, your second?) – “I just expect me to come in, be more of a leader. We have some younger guys that I feel I can help, and just continuing to learn from the veterans in our room, just try to keep building and stay consistent.”
(How do you like this Head Coach Mike McDaniel offense?) – “I love it. Mike is definitely a genius with the plays. He definitely knows how to put his players in position and try to get them the ball in some space.”
(Are we going to see a little bit more waddles this year?) – “Yes, hopefully. Hopefully.”
QB Tua Tagovailoa (transcribed by ASAP Sports)
Q: I know we spoke to you a couple days ago. You said that you wanted to get out there. Now that you get a couple series in, how did it feel and how did you feel about the way the offense operated those two times?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: It felt good. I enjoyed being out there with the guys. I enjoyed the atmosphere that was out there tonight with the fans. I know as an offense you always want to go down and accomplish every drive ending in a score. Obviously, that wasn’t the case within the two drives that we had. We had a field goal, but our job as an offense is to go down and try to put points up on the board. I felt there were some things that we needed clean up on – pre-snap operations and then also just everyone playing together, us all knowing our assignments and knowing what to do. I think for the most part, extremely proud of the way the second-string guys came in, the third-string guys came in stepped up. A lot of the younger guys played extremely well in this game, and that’s not to take away the fact that they did really good for us in this preseason game. We didn’t accomplish what we wanted to, but that doesn’t outshine what a lot of the younger guys were able to do towards the ending for us.
Q: Was it important to you to get these preseason snaps in?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, I’m hoping I get to play in the Eagles game as well. As a competitor, I think anyone in the locker room wants to do that. I know Tyreek (Hill) wanted to go out there. X (Xavien Howard) wanted to go out there. I also know Melvin Ingram wanted to go out there, but Coach (McDaniel) had to shut those guys down. That’s kind of the locker room that we have, guys wanting to be out there, but Coach is protecting them from themselves. I wanted play more snaps in this game, but Mike (McDaniel) said that was it.
Q: How did it feel playing back in front of your home crowd for the first time in a while?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: It was good. For a preseason game, it got pretty loud. You know, when there were situational deals going on, when it was third down or when we needed to convert on a third down, we could really hear them. For the most part I think it was pretty cool. These guys are just excited to see the nuances to the team, a lot of new faces. They want to see what Mike (McDaniel) has done to our team. There’s a lot of hype going around our team because of what Mike has done for this organization with how he is as a person and then, obviously, all the comments with our other players. It was really cool.
Q: Tua, they showed on CBS many hours before the game you were kind of out there by yourself going through some things. Can you kind of help us understand what you were trying to accomplish and what that exercise was like for you?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Well, for me I’m just trying to picture the operation of how I want the offense to operate, so I’m looking at the play call, saying the play call out, getting the motions. If a certain person is not where they’re supposed to be defensively, then that’s an opportunity to exert all the adjectives as far as getting us into the right play. So, for me that’s what my practice is every time that I go out there is, okay, if we run this play, what could stop that play? If we run this play, what could stop that play? And then going through my entire progression; if it’s a pass play, if it’s a play action play, if it’s a run play, understanding I have to carry out my fakes. Just all the little details, I would say, that’s what I try to do.
Q: How impressed are you with QB Skylar Thompson and his development over camp and these past two games?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I’ve been extremely impressed with Skylar. Skylar handled the Tampa game extremely well, and then now he comes in a little later into the third quarter, gets his group going, has — I don’t even know how many plays he had. He probably had a 10-play drive leading up to the score that we had our first score that we had here at Hard Rock for this 2022 season. But I think he has handled it extremely well. He gave us an opportunity to kick a field goal to win the game. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, but I think he has done an extremely great job for us.
Q: We had a chance to talk with TE Mike Gesicki in the locker room. He acknowledged that it’s kind of a tough transition from last year’s offense to this year. As a leader on this team, do you get in his ear a little bit to help him keep his head up?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, and I think for Mike (Gesicki), you know, Mike knows his abilities and Mike isn’t one to kind of just ponder on it and just think on it. Obviously, Mike is a competitor. Mike came to me into the locker room and was kind of telling me what I’d seen. Obviously, the pass that happened, he was kind of telling me what he was going through with their press man. They kind of had man lurk with the backside safety dropping in to pretty much rob whoever the third guy is, but I think for the most part Mike did a great job. We’re going to be able to put it all together, and I know Mike knows that.
Q: QB Skylar Thompson said that on the last two-minute drive he was talking to Head Coach Mike McDaniel on the sideline. He throw a joke at him. Is that his understanding of like lightening the moments? Is that his style?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: For Skylar?
Q: Yes.
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Well, I mean, I don’t know. That’s pretty cool. I never thought — wow, I guess Skylar is getting comfortable, huh? (laughter) I never knew Skylar to be –
Q: I said Mike threw the joke to him.
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Oh, Mike threw the joke to him. Oh, okay, then yes, yes, yes. That is much more believable than Skylar telling Mike a joke. Much more believable. Skylar is more like ask a question, you know, like I’m going to ask you a question, like please, what is information that I can use when I go out there? Like, hey did they do this, did they do that? He just wants to learn, so with you saying he was joking – I thought you said he was joking.
Q: How do you think is that for a head coach to understand that moment for that guy to lighten the mood up, is that Mike?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: That is Mike, yeah. I would say that’s Mike. And we’re talking about McDaniel, right? Yeah, that’s definitely Mike.
Q: Was tonight’s two series sort of a benchmark in the progression until Week 1, like something you have to check the box, get out there on the field?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Not necessarily. Obviously, we want to be able to simulate game-like practices, but nothing simulates the actual thing. Just me being able to go out there with the first string o-line, you know, we all need that. As you can see, we’re a little rusty when we went out there, but it’s nothing that a little film can’t help, but I think it’s going to be good. I hope we get another opportunity to go out and play a couple of series next week, too.
Q: What’s your thoughts on the run game tonight? Not a lot of yards rushed…
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I would say for us offensively and I’m sure this is how it is around the league, but we don’t have — we have basic run calls being called out there, basic play pass calls, basic passing game calls. It’s not necessarily game plan for us out there. I don’t look at our run game tonight as something to be discouraged about. It is what it is. We only had what calls we had, and that’s what that was.
TE Mike Gesicki (transcribed by Joseph Squillace)
(How much of an adjustment has learning this offense been?) – “Oh yeah, it’s definitely a whole different offense and a whole different scheme. I’m learning a new position basically, so it’s been good. It’s been exciting, and I think there has been a lot of progress, but obviously a lot more to go, so it’s been something that I look forward to continuing to attack.”
(Out of the starters, the guys with the ones, you’ve had by far the most preseason work. Is that a reflection on where you think you are in learning this offense?) – “I need it. I need all the reps I can get. I mean, I played receiver last year, I’ve played receiver the past three or four years. I’m playing tight end now and any reps I can get live, out there blocking, putting my hands on another guy and going out there, working hard and blocking; honestly just working on my footwork and my hand placement, all that kind of stuff. Any reps I can get at that, I can use it.”
(The first quarter when QB Tua Tagovailoa hit you between the numbers, and you saw the defenders coming. Was that something that freaked you out?) – “Yeah, I just didn’t get my head around. Tua (Tagovailoa) is a damn trained SEAL, so he got back there, his back foot hit, and he put it right in-between my numbers. I just got to get my head around quicker.”
WR Erik Ezukanma (transcribed by ASAP Sports)
Q: What is it like to suit up for the Dolphins and play your first game in Hard Rock Stadium?
ERIK EZUKANMA: Everything I ever dreamed of. You work your whole life for this moment. I feel like I went out there and put my best foot forward, for sure.
Q: You and QB Skylar Thompson were able to connect a couple of times throughout the game. You had a couple catches where you kind of adjusted and reacted to the throw. How much of it did it feel like you were back at practice getting these reps in…
ERIK EZUKANMA: Ever since rookie minicamp, I would come in and just felt like it’s a connection there. I don’t know if it’s a Big 12 connection or anything like that, but just me and Skylar (Thompson), it’s just natural I feel like when I’m out there. We’re able to communicate and talk through things, and when the ball is in the air, I just go up there and make plays.
Q: What was the key to the 34-yard completion I think that was on the right side? What happened on that play? What was kind of key to making the play work?
ERIK EZUKANMA: On the contested catch?
Q: Yeah. What was the 34 — was it a 34-yarder? Contested?
ERIK EZUKANMA: Called the play and made a release on the guy. Skylar (Thompson) told me the ball was a little – I mean, he got hit on the play, and the ball was a little short, and I was able to adjust accordingly while the guy was face-guarding me and made a play on the ball.
Q: You said it was like a dream come true to be out there for the Dolphins. When you’re making those big plays like that contested catch and another almost catch in the end zone, it’s got to feel good. What’s that like mentally for you?
ERIK EZUKANMA: You go every day at practice, and you practice hard so that the game is easy. I feel like going out there in Hard Rock (Stadium) in front of the fans for the first time, I just wanted to make a statement that you didn’t make a bad draft choice picking me. Hopefully I’m able to keep proving that every game, every day.
Q: WR Braylon Sanders was able to get some catches too. What has it been like kind of working with another rookie in that receiver room? Obviously, there’s a lot of big names, a lot of talent. Working with WR Braylon Sanders, kind of coming in in the same draft class, what has that been like?
ERIK EZUKANMA: Me and Braylon (Sanders), we’re the young guys of the group. We take a lot of the criticism and the coaching, the hard coaching. We take it with a grain of salt, and we just go out there and work. Braylon got to go out there early on. I watched him and he was making plays, and I knew I had to go in there and make plays too. Every time he came off, it was to uplift each other and keep pushing each other so we can keep going and making plays.
Q: What’s something Wide Receivers Coach Wes Welker has told you since you have reported to South Florida here that has really resonated with you and kind of really helped you?
ERIK EZUKANMA: (Wide Receivers) Coach (Wes Welker) preaches that you have never arrived. You always have to go to work every day. In the middle of the game actually, I was kind of messing up a little bit early on, and he told us, ‘You’re here to take a grown man’s job.’ That really resonated with me. I went back out there and just did everything I could to make plays when the ball came my way.
Q: I didn’t realize it until I looked on the Bleacher Report – I don’t work for Bleacher Report, it’s a handy app. You had 100 yards. Do you remember the last time you had 100 yards in a game?
ERIK EZUKANMA: College ball, I think it was against Oklahoma. But no, I didn’t know I had 100 yards in the game. I was just out there playing, for sure.
Q: Before that I think QB Skylar Thompson threw to you on third-and-12 or third-and-13 there I think, the last series. Did he tell you in the huddle specifically like, “Just go get open, I’m going to you?” Is there that trust between the two of you already?
ERIK EZUKANMA: Something like that. Coach (Mike McDaniel) schemes up plays for guys to get open. I feel like Skylar (Thompson) knew who he wanted to go to. And he kind of told me, like, “Hey, look, do this and do that,” and I just listened. The ball was in the air coming towards me, and I just wanted to go up and make a play.
Q: What’s it like getting introduced by your quarterback, QB Tua Tagovailoa before you went up on the podium?
ERIK EZUKANMA: Tua (Tagovailoa) is always like that every day. We’re actually locker buddies, basically. (We’re) three lockers away from each other. So, every day we see each other and say what’s up. He’s always smiling, happy and saying what’s up? I love the guy.
QB Teddy Bridgewater (transcribed by Alfredo Benavides)
(How did it feel like to get out there in your first action in the preseason and put that uniform on for the first time?) – “Man, it was a great feeling. First time that I was able to suit up at home since high school. I played one game here in my rookie year when I was with the Vikings, but to actually play a game in the city that you’re from is a great feeling.”
(With everything you’ve been through, what does this opportunity mean to you? [inaudible]) – “Man, it’s just every day I wake up it’s an opportunity. To do something in life. When it’s football time it’s an opportunity to make an impact in the locker room, on the field, however I can, and that’s just my mindset. Every day is just a new opportunity that I’m blessed with.”
(How did it feel out there with the new offense? Right now it’s like going pretty well for a couple drives…) – “It felt good, but still learning every day in this offense and that’s the beauty of it. It’s going challenge you and I just love that challenge.”
DT Zach Sieler (transcribed by Anthony Mozzott)
(Overall how did the first-team defense played today out there?) – “I think the defense as a whole did good. We have some things to clean up and learn from tomorrow, but we did good. We’ve just have to finished strong.”
(There was some injuries, little dings here and there in the secondary. X is out and Needham goes out. Does that put more pressure on you guys to make sure you are helping them out on the front end?) – “No, I think we always, no matter what, put as much as we can on us. Rush and coverage work together as some would always say. How we play up front is going to affect them and how they play is going to affect us. We have to help each other and be the best we can no matter what the situation.”
(How did it feel to get back in the backfield and get a sack tonight) – “It always feels good. Just finding the little things and working as a team rushing together up front and getting back to that is important.”
RB ZaQuandre White (transcribed by Joseph Squillace)
(Let’s start with that dance. Was that the “AB” Antonio Brown dance?) – “Yeah, that was the ‘AB’ (Antonio Brown) dance for sure.”
(Was that something the whole team has been working on together, or just something you busted out?) – “I just busted it out. I’ve been planning that for when I first score.”
(Could you walk us through that touchdown?) – “It was just a simple play-action pass play. I kind of figured Skylar (Thompson) was going to throw it to me. So when my opportunity came, I just had to do what I had to do.”
(Is catching balls out of the backfield something you feel is just one of your strengths?) – “I feel like that’s a strength for me. I feel like all (running) backs have got to have it nowadays because the quarterbacks throw a lot to the running backs.”
(To have that moment, knowing that a lot of guys are fighting for roster spots, the running back room is really crowded – to have that kind of moment where you stand out, how does that feel in this moment?) – “It just feels normal. Like I said, there’s a lot of (running) backs, so we’re all competing. So whenever my opportunity comes, I just go with it.”
Josh McDaniels
Raiders Postgame Presser
Las Vegas – 15, Miami – 13
JOSH MCDANIELS: That was a good effort. A lot of guys played a lot of football tonight. I thought they did a good job of trying to get off to a fast start and then played the entire 60 minutes of the game, which is what it took for us to win.
We came here to do one thing, try to improve and also win a football game. So appreciate the effort by the guys. They did a good job of playing for the entire four quarters.
Q. I know you’re trying to build winning habits and winning games and doing things the right way. A
bunch of guys stayed home in Las Vegas, but these guys came in and competed. Is there something to be
said about that?
JOSH MCDANIELS: Absolutely. We get a lot of guys that are nicked up, bumps and bruises. That’s this time of the year. Every team’s dealing with it. We’re not unique. It’s not really our concern who they played or didn’t play. The guys that weren’t here, there’s nothing we can do about that either. I thought our guys gave a great effort. It certainly wasn’t perfect. We have a lot of things we can do better and a lot of things we can learn from this film, but I appreciate the effort for sure.
Q. How satisfied were you with the run defense?
JOSH MCDANIELS: I thought we made some strides. Again, it seems like each week so far we’ve seen kind of a little bit of a different scheme. So it’s a good thing for us. We’re seeing different styles of running games. We worked really hard on that in two days of practice this week to try to see some improvement. I thought there was. I thought we tackled well early. I thought we missed a few tackles as the game wore on. We got tired. Definitely trying to be more physical, playing downhill, trying to win the line of scrimmage. That’s going to be important every week for sure.
Q. Even though it’s preseason, how beneficial is it to be in a tight game in the fourth quarter like this?
JOSH MCDANIELS: These situational plays, whatever unit’s out there, we’re talking about it on the sideline with the guys that aren’t in there. We’re on the headset talking to the guys that are in the huddle, trying to be as aware as we can of what the situation is, what the opponent might do, and then what we want to try to do to win them. Again, everything counts for something. So there was a lot of situational plays. We had the kickoff after the safety. Those things come up once, twice a season maybe. End of the game in the four-minute offense, they’re in two-minute offense at the end. So a lot of different situations that came up. We tried to play them the best we could. We’ll certainly try to improve and play better. But definitely something to gain from all of them.
Q. Tashawn Bower is someone that continues to take advantage of his opportunities. Had another good
game tonight. Just your thoughts on Tashawn?
JOSH MCDANIELS: Physical guy. It’s not my first year being around Tashawn. He loves to play football. He’s doing his job the right way. He’s setting a good example for the way we want to try to play on the edge with his opportunities. He’s rushed the quarterback. He used some power tonight.
So I’m pleased with a lot of those guys did some good things tonight, played with some physicality up there, and he’s certainly one of them.
Q. Even though you weren’t concerned with maybe who Miami was playing, the fact that they played a lot
of their ones early on, does that help you in evaluating the guys you did have out there going up against ones on another team?
JOSH MCDANIELS: We know who they are. So we played against some good players last week and played
against good players this week and play against good players next week. Every guy that’s suited up in a National Football League game, whether it’s regular season game or preseason game, is there for a reason. They’re fighting hard for roster spots. They’re fighting hard for the things they’re trying to
improve on. I thought our guys really just battled and competed. Like I said, there will be a lot for us to improve on when we watch the film.
Q. I know you’ve got to look at the film, but any first glimpses of the offensive line especially on the bright side?
JOSH MCDANIELS: We had a couple things we felt we could do better. Some of that was coordinating with the tight end and the tackles. We got beat inside a little bit. There was a few things we didn’t do necessarily right with the routes and the reads and the quarterback. I’ve said it before, pass protection is, in many ways, a result of everybody doing their job the right way. I know a lot of times one person gets singled out here or there and we say this guy did this, this guy did that. There’s a lot of guys that are supposed to do a lot of things the right way. When we do it right, we do it well. When we don’t, there’s
a chance for some plays that happened tonight. So we’re going to work hard at trying to shore that up. That’s all we can do. These guys are really coachable, and they’ll work hard at it.
Q. Coach, even though you haven’t named starters or anything like that, but how pleasing is it to see guys
fighting to be a rotational piece on the team playing well against the Dolphins in the first quarter against
guys that are slated to be starters?
JOSH MCDANIELS: Like I said, we weren’t really concerned about them in terms of who they had out there
and what have you. Our guys competed. We came here for one purpose. That was to try to improve and compete against a good football team, which is what they are. They’re well coached. They make it hard on you. It’s not easy. They do a lot of good things, challenge it with their scheme, challenge it with their players. Our concern was really just trying to do our job the best we could, and I thought our guys tried to do that.
Q. When you assess who to bring and all that, does the length of the trip going out to Miami for one day and going back kind of play into that a little bit?
JOSH MCDANIELS: I think each situation is really unique to its own whoever the player is. Like I said, there’s many guys here that are rehabbing things and trying to shore up some things that aren’t necessarily feeling perfect. Again, everybody in the league’s doing that.
We have to manage the team the best way we can. We played Minnesota on a Sunday, and this is kind of a short week with a travel day in between. So there’s a lot of things that go into trying to do the right thing for the team, and that’s all we were trying to do. The focus really should be on the guys that came here really. We were really pleased with the effort for sure, no doubt about it, and the attitude. Their approach to tonight was really where we wanted it to be.
Q. Along those lines, Sam Webb, Masterson, and Darien Butler, just from what we were watching —
JOSH MCDANIELS: Played a lot of football for us so far. Each time they go out there is an opportunity for them to improve on something that we’ve coached or corrected the week before. There will be more tonight. I was rattling off in my head, there’s a handful of them already. No, those guys are — look, the best you can do is take advantage of all the opportunities you get. Some guys are getting maybe a few more than others based on the health at their positions. That’s how many guys have made it in this league. They get an opportunity, whatever the opportunity is, and then they do well with it and they earn more. So those guys are definitely, they’re out there every day, which is a great thing. We’ve oftentimes said durability is more important than ability, and those guys really, I’ll tell you, they’re out there at every practice. They’re out there at every drill. They’re out there in every preseason game. So there’s something to be said about that.
FastScripts by ASAP Sports
Raiders LB Darien Butler (transcribed by Anthony Mozzott)
(I know it’s preseason but you guys are trying to build a winning culture, winning habits. To go 3-
0, to win a close game like you guys did today, is there something exciting about that?) – “Just
because it is preseason doesn’t mean anything. We are going to go out there and compete regardless,
coaches, players, everybody.”
(This was your first NFL training camp. What kind of plan of attack did you have coming into this
camp?) – “Just to give everything I got basically. I got coaches who in and out of the building, believe
in their players and they coach really hard. I try to listen to their techniques and fundamentals that they
teach and try to be my best.”
(You have taken advantage of your opportunities obviously another good game tonight. You have
been stacking those together, days together, how do you feel about how your first training camp
has gone?) – “Good right now. I am just trying to improve every day. I just go out with the mindset of
not taking days off and not letting up but that’s all. Everything right now is I’m just trying to get better.”
Raiders DE Tashawn Bower (transcribed by Anthony Mozzott)
(I know it’s preseason but you guys are trying to win, or build good, winning habits. Even in the
preseason, going 3-0 and winning a game like this, is it important?) – “Absolutely, I mean we preach
fight 60 minutes every single day, every single game and I think it paid off. We have a group of guys
who don’t stop, who will strain through the finish and will give it their all. This is a team that everyone
wants to make, so guys are going to push their limits.”
(You’re obviously flashing, again today. You’ve been stacking days and games together. How do
you feel about how you’ve played so far in camp and the preseason?) – “I think I’ve done well but
I mean there are 10 other guys out there helping me out you know. You know there are times where
we can’t get to the quarterback unless there is good coverage and vice versa. There are 10 other guys
doing their job to help us all out. I mean, I just try to take the coaching just like everyone else does
and take it day by day.”
(As somebody who has been through so many training camps, in terms of building blocks and in
terms of building your game and showcasing it to the coaches, is that coming along the way you
want it to, especially after tonight?) – “I think after the film, we’ll see. I think I did solid, but only the
film will tell. I know there was some mistakes I had out there and things I got to clean up. I will do
those every day, but overall, I think I’m content. I still have a lot of ways to go and (I’m) nowhere near
satisfied.”
