Head Coach Mike McDaniel (transcribed by the Detroit Lions)
(On the growth of the team and the success they had throughout the game) – “I think when you get into games where the opponent kind of has a rush of success, a lot of times you can feel it on the other side of the ball, and you start pressing. And I think that’s what was happening in the first half of the Baltimore game and (I) never felt that this game. We’re starting to learn as a team that momentum swings happen and to have faith in each other and play complementary football when we can, so I was happy about that. I was happy about – they were triggering up front. Their front seven played very hard, and I thought we blocked pretty well. I was happy about that growth. I was very happy with the way the quarterback played and the decisions that he made, just playing within himself and making plays when they were there.”
(On what he said to WR Braylon Sanders after the fumble) – “I would say – sometimes the best things that you can say are to say nothing. He’s trying to hold on to the ball. You know that he is, it’s his first – it might’ve been one of his first snaps. So you know that hits a guy hard. Sometimes what you choose not to say can let him know that we’re not wavering and we have belief in him, which we do. So, I didn’t say anything, strategically because I knew he was trying his best. He tucked it and was trying to make a play, and sometimes the ball comes out. (It’s) something I think he’ll learn from moving forward.”
(On the adjustments he made throughout the game after trailing 21-7) – “Yeah, there’s a – there’s subtle adjustments and there’s also guys making plays. The pass rush got involved a little bit more in the second half. We got some stops, but really, it’s one of those things where if you get guys to keep playing you can survive a barrage of jabs to the chin. Keep your head down and just keep chopping wood and eventually our style of play will come out. There were some adjustments, yes, but more than anything we have a lot of prideful guys on that side of the ball, players and coaches included, and they projected their frustration in the appropriate manner.”
(On how dangerous WR Jaylen Waddle and WR Tyreek Hill can be and how the offense works together for their success) – “A lot goes into their production – they work their tail off. They know how much they mean to this team, but it’s also a collection of individuals working with them to – every person on our team knows they can score on every touch. So the stuff that we have to do upfront, some of the stuff that the other eligibles have to do, it is a full commitment for their success because they are so dangerous with the ball in their hands. It’s something that we try to play to, but it’s a full commitment by all players on the offense. They get excited when their stats are high, because they know how much they contributed to that. We had a bunch of key plays from Mike Gesicki, Trent Sherfield, (Raheem) Mostert and then the play that Tua (Tagovailoa) had today. That’s a – if we can get that every week, that’s a winning formula. That is tough to stop.”
(On OL Liam Eichenberg’s injury) – “I don’t. We’ll be – that’s our process that we’re getting pretty used to, aren’t we? Where we’ll figure it out on Monday? But he was playing really well, so that was disappointing, for sure. (My) heart goes out to him, but we’ll be getting some information back tomorrow as to the severity of that.”
(On the number of penalties they received throughout the game and what the team has to do to fix that) – “Yeah, I think there was eight declined in the first half. Well, there’s certain controllables, and the ones that really irritate me, we knew coming into the game that we have to be mindful of our pre-snap alignment. Just knowing that we’ve been – people are looking to throw penalties on that, I think, around the league in general. So we went in making that a point and it didn’t get done. Those type of things are controllable. Then, you look at – where and what type of penalties are happening? Same thing that we did – what was it? The Minnesota game we had a ton, and we were able to tighten it up against Pittsburgh. You just have to make a point of emphasis, take each penalty individually and coach off of it, so that we can improve and not put ourselves in such tough spots on both sides of the ball unnecessarily.”
(On if there were any issues getting the play call into QB Tua Tagovailoa throughout the game) – “This particular game? Yeah, there was – we’ve been doing a better job at that, just me personally. I’ve done a better job of getting the play calls in sooner, so that if there’s any hiccups, that isn’t the case. This game, I think there were a couple of instances where I didn’t get it in fast enough, so there’s not time to repeat it. But I thought Tua (Tagovailoa) did a really good job of knowing the gameplan and piecing the stuff together because we didn’t have – I can’t remember a situation where we had an issue with running the correct play. But there were a couple of stressful situations that were happening at the beginning of the year, so that’s on me to make sure that’s completely minimized so the players have time to absorb the play call.”
(On how much he credits the victory to fighting through adversity) – “That, my friends, is a good question. That’s exactly what it is. I don’t think you win this game if you don’t go through stuff. That’s why I believe and I think our team believes at this point that there’s no such thing as adversity, more that it’s opportunity to learn from a situation so that you can progress moving forward. I don’t think the goal of any game is really perfection – it’s more growth. I think this game, we were able to come out with a victory because of certain things that we’ve gone through in the past weeks. So, absolutely right. That’s exactly the way I see it. And somebody give that guy a gold star – that’s a great question.”
(On what plays from QB Tua Tagovailoa stood out to him) – “There was the touchdown to Mike Gesicki because that was the first time we’ve ever hit that route on that concept. You rarely ever see it, and it’s something that was No. 4 in the progression that he progressed through very quickly. There was the first long throw on third down to Tyreek (Hill) where he knows that we’re going to be hot, they’re in (Cover 0), he buys as much time as he can in the pocket and then throws a ball that’s not easy to throw to a really fast guy. That one stood out. He had a lot of plays that I was very, very happy with. That was a game that we all know he’s capable of. But it was his – he was relentless during the game with worrying about the right stuff. I didn’t see him press and make forced decisions. He took what was there and protected the ball while being aggressive.”
(On the preparation of the offense going into the game) – “That’s a big collection of individuals. You talk about protection and being locked into – the Detroit Lions have a very good third-down rush package that can get your quarterbacks hit, so we had a good plan there. (It) started with the coaching staff and then lead into the players. The receivers and quarterback coaches, (Quarterbacks/Passing Game Coordinator Darrell) Coach Bevell, (Wide Receivers Coach) Wes Welker, (Assistant Quarterbacks Coach) Chandler Henley, they all did a great job at preparing the guys, and then the players took it upon themselves to make sure to meet extra for the third down, because they hadn’t been happy with the results. So, instead of complaining about it, they did something about it. So you’re talking about a lot of people committing to a very important phase of the game. So it was cool to see some positive results from that hard work.”
QB Tua Tagovailoa (transcribed by the Detroit Lions)
(On the offensive gameplan today) – “I think (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) did a good job calling plays today. He put us in a really good position to get yards after catch on plays, trying to move the spot for the defenders (and) D-linemen getting it back there. I think for as much as we passed with, what, maybe two sacks that we had? That’s a really good job upfront. I think a lot of things married with routes, action passes within the run game, so I think we felt really comfortable. After moving the ball the first series, second series, started feeling really comfortable just going with the gameplan.”
(On if he feels the offense is unstoppable) – “We feel like the only guys that can stop us are ourselves. We did have some miscues on guys misaligned at some points and guys kind of moving their feet when we have motions going on. Those are all things that are correctable, so we’ll look at the tape and we’ll move on from there.”
(On if the offense is how they envisioned it would be) – “Yeah, this is sort of what I envisioned. The greatest thing about this game is that you can never get content. You have to continue to keep growing. We’ll go and watch the film and look at things that we could’ve done better. So, that’s the best part about it.”
(On if the offense is where they want it to be) – “I wouldn’t say so. Not yet. Not yet. Too early still.”
(On both teams moving the ball up and down the field in the first half) – “Well, it can be fun if you are moving the ball down the field and you’re the opposing team, first off. But I would say I have a lot of trust in the guys that we have on our side of the ball, that in any scenario, in any situation, we’ll be able to do what’s enough to help us win games.”
(On FB Alec Ingold’s block that set up a big run for him) – “Yeah, that was big. As you can tell, I’m not a runner. But with that block, if anyone else was running behind Alec (Ingold), it could’ve been a lot bigger. It could have been a score. Who knows? But, knowing me, Alec blocks the guy and almost pancakes him, and I run right into the guy for the tackle. (laughter) If it was any other person, it probably would have been a lot bigger.”
(On his decision to slide today) – “Oh yeah, I slid today. I know my coaches, my teammates – my teammates were definitely proud of me. I came to the sideline, (and) everyone was happy that I slid. I was kind of happy that I slid, too.”
(On if the Ravens game influenced their approach towards the Lions) – “I would say none of that played a factor in us playing this game. These guys, they’re not the Ravens. They’re the Detroit Lions. We’ve got to take these guys on the same way we take everyone on, just have to focus on whatever that play entails for us and execute one play at a time. So, we’re not trying to force anything or do anything that is without the boundaries of the play.”
(On if he’s concerned about the amount of penalties they were called for today) – “Yeah, I would say there is some level of concern, but there is also a lot of things going on with that as well – communication with the play call, communication with the personnel. Sometimes it gets to a point in the game where the full play call isn’t called, so I have to kind of adlib at times. So I kind of put our guys in a bad situation, knowing where to line up on plays and whatnot, and not really giving them time to think before they’re going out because of how fast I am getting the play-call out. So that’s why we have practice, and it will be good for us to work on that throughout this week.”
(On the process of hearing the play call from the sideline) – “Yeah, so you hear the play and then once that 15 (-second mark) hits, you have to start adlibbing. “
(On the offense’s ability to flip the field today) – “Yeah, I think the key to that is, like I said, we continue to play within the boundaries of what that play entails. So with whatever coverage we’re getting, this is the side I am working. If they play this certain coverage, I’m going opposite. Things like that, and if they take it away then, hey you have to chuck it down, live to play another down and hopefully flip field position, get some yards back.”
(On what play stood out to him today) – “Yeah, the one I really liked I would say was Trent Sherfield’s – I think they took away his touchdown. I think they took that one away. (laughter) Do we agree? So, Trent there’s about like six people and 12 people raised their hands to say yes.”
(On why the completion to WR Trent Sherfield stood out to him) – “Well for one, that play when I ranked it, I did not like that play. I did not want to run that play. I told (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel), ‘Don’t run that play.’ But Mike being Mike, we ran the play, and I just had to read it out. I thought it would have been something really special for Trent (Sherfield), too. Every time you see Trent in there, the guy’s pretty much blocking, running across the field, running back on motions, and he never necessarily gets opportunities, so I really wanted that opportunity for him.”
(On the direction the play-call went on WR Trent Sherfield’s completion at the goal line) “No it was dealer’s choice – I could have worked either side. But it looked like they were doubling No. 2 (Chase Edmonds) inside, and Trent (Sherfield) was open. I just really wanted that touchdown for him.”
WR Tyreek Hill
(Is this more like the offense you all envisioned for this season?) – “Yeah, but I feel like we can be lightyears better, and that starts with me being the leader of this young receiver group, preaching to the guys that we’ve got to get in and out of the huddle faster. We’ve got to do the small things right. We all want to make plays, we all want to be in the spotlight, but we’ve got to make sure that we do the small things by getting out of the huddle (and) making sure that we’re set, so Tua (Tagovailoa) can go through all of his reads. So once we get that clear, we start working on those small things, I feel like we’ll be exactly where we want to be.”
(On what he saw in the coverage from the Lions) – “I can say that. The Detroit Lions, they’re a great team, great defensive team, great young team, who fly around the football field with some great premier guys on the outside. And for us, it’s all about scheme and timing. So (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) and the offensive coaches, they did a great job of putting this scheme together, allowing us, to get off coverage. It was great job by the coaches this week.”
(On his sunglasses) – “Oh, yeah, man. And also, I’m just trying to promote my brand a little bit – shout out to Soul Runner for life. Appreciate it.”
(Do you guys feel unstoppable?) – “Always. Always, that’s all – I mean, that’s all of our mindsets. As a competitor in this league, as one of those teams who has a chance to go the distance, you’ve got to have that mindset, because if not your opponent, they will dominate you.”
(You now have six games with over 160 yards receiving. Does this surpass maybe what you expected?) – “No. No, man. I expect that from myself every time, so do my parents, so do my kids know, so does everybody that knows me. Everybody knows me as a workaholic – all I do is just think about ball. I live, sleep and I die on this hill of playing football, man. The way that I approach every week is I’m going to work my tail off regardless, so I’m not surprised at all. I can see if I was not putting in the work, not doing everything that I wasn’t supposed to do, but my mindset is different. My grandparents, they raised a different breed. So I feel like I’ve got to use these God given talents, or I wouldn’t be doing God due diligence for giving me what he’s gifted me with. So every chance I get to step on the field, even if it’s practice, walkthrough, whatever the case, I’m going 110 miles per hour.”
(On the coverage he saw on the third-and-long on the first drive of the game) – “Oh yeah, that’s just Tua (Tagovailoa) just picking a guy and just trusting him down the field. Like I said, being in practice gaining that trust with him, in a big moment of the game, he just put it in there and then I was able to make a play.”
(Was the tempo of the first half with both teams just going up and down the field, was that kind of what you look for? Is that what you drive on?) – “I mean, that’s what this league wants, man. It’s offensive game. That’s why people want to view the game, because scoring, long drives, scoring points, fast players, touchdown celebrations and all that, man. As offense, we love being on the field. We love moving the ball up and down the field. It was just fun.”
WR Jaylen Waddle
(On what it was like in the first half to have both teams driving up and down the field) – “It was a great atmosphere out there. I think the fans came out and showed support. It was electric. We knew it was going to be a battle. Detroit (is) a great team and great organization, so we knew it was going to be a battle coming into the game.”
(On what contributed to the offense’s success) – “I think us playing together, all on one page. We had a good week of preparation, so that always translates good to Sundays. You have to keep stacking them up. It’s all about being consistent, not just being electric one week and then falling off.”
(On the offensive play calling) – “We’re seeing what we like. I think (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) did a good job of calling the plays, getting us into position to make plays. It goes hand in hand. The O-line stood up, and Tua (Tagovailoa) delivered. It’s not just us out there making plays, it’s a team effort, for sure.”
(On if they feel unstoppable) – “I mean, we kind of go in confident. I wouldn’t say unstoppable, but we felt good. Like I said, we had a good week of preparation. That kind of always translates.”
(On what he saw from WR Tyreek Hill today) – “Come on, he’s a baller. Nothing new – we’ve been seeing that all season.”
(On what play stood out to him) – “Probably Tua’s (Tagovailoa) scramble – I’m surprised he slid. I was just proud of him, he slid.”
(On the confidence in this offense) – “I feel like we’re confident enough to know nothing is out of reach with the type of offense that we have and the offensive weapons that we have. We’re confident that we can come back, and it’s finally going to click.”
(On if they felt like they had to score every time they were on the field) – “We try to score every time we’re out there, believe it or not.”
(QB Tua Tagovailoa: “What were your thoughts on that one play where you scored, I think it was your second touchdown? (laughter) What were your thoughts on that play?”) – “You know, it was a decent pass. It was OK. You know, it was OK. (laughter)”
