MIAMI DOLPHINS QUOTES
Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024
Postgame – Washington
Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel
Q. Before we get to the game just curious what you found out about what happened with Tyreek this
morning and the process before the game when that happened for you?
MIKE McDANIEL: For me I was preparing to call the game in my normal pregame routine. I had some
teammates come talk to me about what was going on with loose information. It was very gray at the time. Then there was probably 20 minutes between that and their arrival from when I heard about it. Maybe 30, I don’t know. And realistically, I think it would be improper — I don’t really know all of the details of it, outside of the upsetting portions of worried about teammates and their well-being. And then I was really just happy with the way that our team came together when teammates were in need. I think I was proud of other guys jumping in to try to help a teammate. Then all the support. Especially for some of the guys involved who – I don’t think Calais Campbell has ever had … and Jonnu, they were all pretty rattled. Beyond that, that’s what I know of the situation. That’s probably all I can really shed light on and speak on until there’s more information really.
Q. Is there something you tell your team about maybe the emotions element as they prepare to play a
game of how to handle something like that?
MIKE McDANIEL: I think you try to prepare a team to handle the unknown. You definitely aren’t forecasting exact situations. A lot of things fall under the veil of adversity. And I think one common denominator is there is light at the end of the tunnel in any sort of life adversity. You’re not necessarily prepared for that, but neither were our teammates that were in need. We just do our best.
Q. We’re getting spotty details of what Tua said to the team at halftime. Were you witness to that?
MIKE McDANIEL: Oh, yeah. I was writing down plays on the whiteboard at the time. It was a cool moment
because it was genuine and it was not anything but constructive. There was details that lead to execution in terms of how we are organized and communicate with who’s in the huddle, how those players go from the huddle to the line of scrimmage and just executing the nuances of our job that – I guess at the time he definitely felt that there were several guys that were loose there. I couldn’t deny that at all and was really pumped to hear him constructively lead. It wasn’t, ‘let’s win’ or ‘let’s make plays.’ It was, ‘let’s adhere to our standard,’ which is what a captain and a franchise quarterback have to be that voice to echo. So it was cool to have him beat me to the punch of something if he wouldn’t have said it, I probably would have very closely, holding all of us accountable. And I think it was a cool opportunity for him in his growth and what this team definitely needs and he knew it.
Q. What did you think of the long touchdown play from Tua to Tyreek?
MIKE McDANIEL: Awesome. I thought it was great. What’s interesting is, like everything in sports, there’s a
backstory to it. Both of biggest gains of the game were on something that this offseason we’ve really
emphasized. That was not number one in progression, that was number two in both situations. It was something that we’ve put a bunch of work into to try to improve our offense. For those big plays to come on something that was absolutely on the front end of how we were going to get better, you couldn’t write the story better for the success that we did find within a lot of frustration and missed opportunities that we’ll see on tape. Always giving the opponent credit for a good job. We really felt like we had more out there. And for the team to come through, and for those guys to come through on substantial points of emphasis, that’s awesome.
Q. In addition to the big plays, you made some smaller plays later in the game, short-yardage plays. Jeff
Wilson picking some things up, Alec Ingold picking up short-yardage situations. How did you feel about
how the team executed to keep those drives alive that way?
MIKE McDANIEL: I think I speak for all of us in short yardage. It’s not that exciting cause we already converted because we’re the best in the league in short yardage. (laughter) No, it’s the same thing, when you find success in places that you put emphasis on, that’s rewarding. I thought the guys are very aware, as well as the coaching staff, the whole team’s very aware of the places that we’ve fallen short at because we don’t run from it, we try to focus on it in the offseason. For out the gate, game one, to find some success; it’s always awesome to see guys be able to feel that because it’s been that important to them, important enough to get some better results.
Q. Regarding special teams, obviously Jason Sanders had the game-winning kick, Jake Bailey flipped the
field numerous times, Elijah Campbell had a fumble caused. What role did special teams play today?
MIKE McDANIEL: We don’t win that game without them. And on top of that, I thought our special teams had a great game. The one thing that would frustrate all of them, they got to find resiliency and make right on the last play of the game. To me, those are the most important factors because I think between special teams, defense and offense – and nothing against our two previous teams – but that game we don’t win the last two years. And that’s because of the growth of the people that have been here for those two years, as well as the added influence from the new guys on our team. But I thought that we came into the season thinking that special teams could be a point of strength for us. For that to happen game one, you love those games where all three phases are absolutely gigantic contributors to the ultimate outcome.
Q. How much of a game changer did it feel like for the sideline when Jevon Holland punched that ball out?
MIKE McDANIEL: That was probably – I’m not the greatest right after the game because of the juggling of a lot of times bad or good stuff I’m trying to move past to be present in the next play. But from my rough memory, I feel like that had to be the play of the game. You’re talking about a gigantic flip in points and momentum. It was really cool to see a guy, when the opportunity came, he made his play and the team desperately needed it.
Q. What was your mindset on the last drive? Obviously Jason missed the earlier kick. You seemed content
50-plus for that attempt. Why?
MIKE McDANIEL: Because Jason’s given me reason to. This being my third year, kickers are the same as players. You’re executing techniques and fundamentals in crunch time and Jason’s given me reason at the end of games to be extremely confident. There’s been several games that he’s made multiple kicks. I go back to the ’22 Jets game where he had all of our points. I go back to the Dallas Cowboys game last year. There’s many beyond that. Things happen. Bottom line is, can you count on people to own their fundamentals and technique in the moment of truth? And the previous kick gave me no reason to hesitate in that moment. I knew he had the game locked as long as we stayed, we kept the ball once we got that final first down.
Q. Going back to the first drive, fourth-and-8, the failed fourth down attempt. What went behind that
decision? Was it more so analytics or trusting the offense or trusting the defense to get it?
MIKE McDANIEL: It was more from an analytics standpoint, being able to flip the field or pin an opponent that far in with a fourth-and-8 or fourth-and-7, it’s something I’ve done before. I think it was the same spot on the field as the Patriots, the first game I ever called, before the half. It was something at the time that we felt good about the call. So you try to attack and obviously we were wrong in that assessment, but fortunately, our team responded in multiple ways.
Q. I wanted to ask you about the defense in that final stand to finish with David Long getting a stop for no gain and then two sacks. How clutch is that kind of performance from this defense?
MIKE McDANIEL: It’s everything. How about the whole second half? To keep an opponent, especially a talented one like we were playing, to keep an opponent off the scoreboard for the second half, then finish it the way they did; that was their vision for the whole game. Pretty much all three phases came in really confident but very respectful and regarded the Jacksonville Jaguars. But felt very good about their ability to execute. And it didn’t happen in the vein of the vision early. What do you do about that? Much like in the NFL season, what do you do when you get punched in the gut? These are things that are bigger points of emphasis for our team that we’re able to really capture in game one and get a win. So for that, it’s one week, it’s one game, but it’s also something that we talk about as a team, being able to win games like that where everything doesn’t go your way, starting from before the game to the end of it. Can there be galvanizers to bring a group together? Can you find moments of momentum to lean on? And can you play off each other making plays? I think not only was the defense shutting the opposition out for a half, but it’s very motivating for the other two phases when one phase is capturing or finding their momentum and finding their niche together. I think that affected everything, as well as the 10-point swing that we needed.
Q. On the topic of defense, what did you think about defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver and how he
guided the troops as the game went on?
MIKE McDANIEL: He is who I thought he was. He stayed consistent. We talked last night and again this morning because Coach Weaver and I, we share the same philosophy on what your job is as a coach and really who ultimately makes the plays. The players do. But then you go about your business and you try to hold yourself as a coach to a standard and then you want to do right by the players so much that you have to remind yourself that there’s no such thing as the perfect play. You didn’t think that on the front end. It’s a player-driven result. Just put guys in their best positions. Don’t overthink it. Be aggressive when you want to. But you’re not playing out there; they are. So call the game with ease. I thought he captured that. It’s a hard thing to do. People get nervous in NFL games. But he stayed himself, and that’s what I was looking for.
Q. You’re here in four days against maybe your biggest rival. How do you flush this in four days, that
quickly?
MIKE McDANIEL: It’s probably the easiest flush that our team could have, you know? Everybody’s very prepared about what they’re going to hear and expects to hear it, as they should. When you’re, I think 1-10 against somebody in your last 11. So they’ll enjoy it, but they’ll be rested and division games are always awesome and a lot of fun. I’m sure this one will be, as well.
-DOLPHINS-
MIAMI DOLPHINS QUOTES
Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024
Postgame – Jacksonville
Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa
Q. Can you talk about the resiliency of your team after being down 14 and being able to pull this
out?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I think it tells you early on a lot about our team and a lot of what we’ve tried to
ingrain in each other with the relationships we’ve been building off the field, on the field. It’s
collectively I got your back, you got our back. We’re not shying away from what we know is true. We’re
down 14. That’s what it is. What are we going to do? Nobody can change that but us. We went through
a lot of adversity, but good teams find ways to win, even if it looks not as good. So there’s a lot of
things we need to clean up, but happy we came out with the win.
Q. You mentioned adversity. Part of it was what happened pregame. When did you become aware
that WR Tyreek Hill had been involved in an issue pregame and how did you handle that
conversation or handle that?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I found out from a couple guys. I didn’t know that it happened. I went up to ask
Tyreek. Tyreek told me his story. Now I’m always going to support my teammate. I’m always going to
support my teammate. From what he told me, I only know that side of the story, I don’t know the other
side. But I’m always going to support him. I’m going to have his back. It was just an unfortunate deal
that happened today.
Q. The touchdown to WR Tyreek Hill, was WR Jaylen Waddle the first read? It looked like you
looked his direction.
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, Waddle was the first read.
Q. Can you go through the progression on that?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: (Jaylen) Waddle was the first read. I saw space. There was nobody over there and
I knew Tyreek was coming into my vision. I skipped my first read basically – probably. I may get in
trouble for that. (laughter)
Q. Was there a sense that the team was rallying around WR Tyreek Hill after what happened?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I would say they were rallying off the fans, if you will. Jaylen Waddle had a deep
one and the fans kind of ignited, then we got stopped. Then when Tyreek did his deal, as you guys all
know, we could hear how loud the crowd was for the opposing offensive team’s possession. But I think
from then on, we found something. Collectively, we’re going to go watch this film tomorrow. We’re
going to learn from it and see how we can not be as sluggish. We should start fast. We’ve got some
other good teams we’re about to play. We can’t be doing things like that.
Q. Sometimes the halftime adjustments … it seemed like you were doing different things in the
second half. What did you learn from the first half that you were able to fix in the second?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: There’s a lot of minutiae for a lot of us because there’s a lot of personnels that
guys have to hear, who’s who, who’s what, who’s where. It’s just calling it fast and then they got to go
out and line up, and we only have about 10 seconds to do all those motions. It’s a lot of that that we
kind of collectively came to. I kind of addressed it to the entire offense with the coaches included.
They were all included with that, with the personnel, getting the guys out, who’s who, who’s what.
We’re all calling it the same way; we’re all hearing it the same way.
Q. The turnaround with the fumble in the end zone, is that a perfect opportunity to strike, when
you have a team a little down because they should have had seven?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Anytime we get the ball, that’s always the perfect opportunity for our team. Every
time we’re out there, that’s what we’re looking to do. We’re looking to put points on the board,
whether it’s six points, whether it’s three points. Any way we can end a series with points.
Q. How would you describe the importance of the S Jevón Holland play?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: That was very important. That was very important. I would say that was a huge
momentum swing. Whether we got points off of that or not, it was just the feel of it with the fans, with
our guys on the sideline, it was a big swing.
Q. What did you like from RB De’Von Achane? He tied WR Tyreek Hill for leader in receptions.
TUA TAGOVAILOA: He did?
Q. Yes.
TUA TAGOVAILOA: It tells you a lot right there. He tied Tyreek in receptions today. Very versatile. We
put him out there at receiver, we bring him in as a back. We move him around a lot. He does a really
good job. That tells you a lot about his IQ as well, knowing the personnels and plays at different
positions. It’s all deserving. It’s not a surprise to me.
Q. Last year you guys had some games where when you got down, you weren’t able to get back
into it. You got punched in the mouth early today. What can you say about the resilience of this
team that you were able to take a hit and come back?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, I mean the game is never over until it is. That was the first two quarters. It
sort of trickled into the third quarter a little bit. We regrouped. We found something. We found a way
to win it, although it didn’t look as pretty.
Q. It is just one win and they all count the same in the end, but is there a mental significance to
starting 1-0 as opposed to the alternative?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, I think it’s a morale booster for the team because it’s a new team. There’s
a lot of new guys, a lot of new fits with what we’ve got guys doing on the defense. We’re in our third
year in this offense. We’re trying to see what else or what better we can do with this offense and
whatnot. I would definitely say it’s a big morale booster.
Q. You used the term ‘sluggish’ earlier.
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah.
Q. Was it timing? Can you pinpoint what that was?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I think collectively as a group offensively, it was just one of those deals where we
just needed to get our head out of our ass. That was it. It was, ‘okay, yeah, we’re going to come out
here, it’s hot, these dudes are probably going to give up a little bit.’ No, we got punched in the mouth.
That’s what you get. How are you going to respond?
Q. Can you touch on the fourth-and-8 on the first drive as well the fourth down on the fourth drive,
trying to clean that up and trying to establish those long drives?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Well, that’s what we got film for, to clean all of that up. But I think that tells you a
lot about the confidence that Mike (McDaniel) has with us going out there. ‘Ok, it’s fourth down and
we’re basically at the 50. Like, I trust you guys, but I also trust the defense, that the defense is going
to be able to hold them, as well.’ That’s what we did in the second half. They scored zero points in the
second half. That was an unbelievable job by the defense.
Q. What were your thoughts on the offensive line as the game progressed leading up to that final
drive?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I think they did a great job. Yeah, some things are going to happen where, ‘Okay,
I slipped, I do this, I do that.’ I move into a pressure. That all happens. So you just got to continue to
play. The game’s never over until it is. That’s sort of the mentality for everyone. Like, yeah, you’re
going to have a bad play at least once. Those guys are good as well. We’ll just continue to keep going
until it’s done. When it’s done, we can all talk about it and move forward from there.
-DOLPHINS-
MIAMI DOLPHINS QUOTES
Sunday, September 8, 2024
Postgame – Jacksonville
Dolphins RB De’Von Achane
(On the team’s performance) – “I feel like as a team we came off sluggish, but the second half – and
you see we picked up, but as long as we came out with the win, I feel like we’re always correcting
mistakes.”
(Was it just rust or just lack of practice…?) – “Like you said, it’s Week 1 so I would say I’d rather we
come out and be rusty Week 1 than Week 17.”
(How do you like being used in the passing game as well as in the running game?) – “I feel good.
I feel like I’m as comfortable as I’m doing a lot of various things as I am going to running back so it’s
nothing new to me so if I go to receiver, I feel ready.”
-DOLPHINS-
MIAMI DOLPHINS QUOTES
Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024
Postgame – Washington
Dolphins DT Calais Campbell
Q. The Tyreek situation outside. You were also detained this morning. Can you take us through your
experience and just what was going on there?
CALAIS CAMPBELL: I feel like I don’t want to dwell on it, but I think it was a bit extreme and definitely
unnecessary, but I think that a true testament to our preparation for us to be able to overcome that because that definitely was a terrible way to start a ballgame, adversity we faced there. I was driving to the game, the lane I’m in is blocked. I see Tyreek in handcuffs, I’d seen, I feel like excessive force so I get out of the car to kind of just try to deescalate the situation and I think the officer just – I don’t know why he felt the need to put me in handcuffs, but I mean it is what it is. The good thing is we were both able to play the ballgame and go out here and find a way to win the ballgame.
Q. How startling is that when you turn around and you see and it’s a teammate in handcuffs going into a
game?
CALAIS CAMPBELL: That’s definitely a first. It is definitely startling especially probably our best player. That’s not what you want to see. Obviously things happen. Life happens and nobody’s going to feel sorry for you. You just deal with it and keep moving.
Q. What reason did police give you for putting you in handcuffs on the scene?
CALAIS CAMPBELL: Disobeying a direct order. I guess I wasn’t – he said I was too close to the scene and then I think he said something about me not moving my car in time. I don’t know. He told me later I could stand 25 feet away, that’s fine. I was definitely further than 25 feet away when that happened.
Q. Did they cite you?
CALAIS CAMPBELL: He told me that I wasn’t arrested, but he cited me for being detained and then released, so…
Q. Did you hear that the officer has been placed on administrative leave?
CALAIS CAMPBELL: I was just told that.
Q. Your reaction to that?
CALAIS CAMPBELL: Makes sense based on the situation. I think it was very much the way it should go.
Q. Did you come out here with an extra fire? You start off right off the bat with a sack your first play as a
Dolphin and then a tackle for loss following the play.
CALAIS CAMPBELL: It had nothing to do with that situation. (laughter) I told the guys yesterday that my goal was to set the tone, set the tone for the whole season. Being 38 years old, I don’t know how much I got in the tank. I was just going out there giving everything I had. But I knew early in the game I could make a difference. I had a good read. I was able to make a play, follow up with another play. It’s a good feeling. Definitely the questions you have when you go into a season – Year 17, it’s like, can I still dominate? Can I still take a full ball game? And it felt pretty good to be able to make some big plays to get the game going. Still wasn’t my best ball. It was Week 1. Definitely felt like Week 1, something we can build off of and I’ll tell you, this team is
resilient. For us to be able to go out there and win this ballgame the way everything happened, the way it went, just says a lot about our preparation. I think this one was definitely the way we prepared, the way we practiced all camp, and all lead up to this game.
Q. Can you just touch on the second half shutout by the defense? What was discussed at halftime to get
you locked in?
CALAIS CAMPBELL: Yeah, Coach Weaver just was like, ‘hey, let’s play ball.’ All the plays they made, we know what it was. Like, nobody is just getting beat. We had a couple mistakes. Settle down and let’s just play ball. And that’s what we did. We settled down. So much talent, so many guys that can make plays. Just play our game, don’t try to chase plays, make the ones that come to you and let others take care of itself and he made some big-time adjustments. And guys made plays. I mean, Jevón Holland, forced that fumble. That’s one of the biggest plays. You never know which play it’s going to be. Whatever one it is, though, that was huge. I think that one really was the biggest difference in this game, but a lot of big plays by a lot of different guys. The last drive with back-to-back sacks, huge, but this is a 60-minute ballgame for a reason. We played a really good 60 minutes.
Q. How happy are you for Jaelan Phillips? You mentioned those back-to-back sacks. He had a hand in both of them.
CALAIS CAMPBELL: Yeah, he’s special. He’s special. For him to come back off a big injury like that, a lot of it is getting your confidence back, realizing that you’re still that guy. I think he got out there the first couple drives, it was like, okay, feel it out, feel it out. In the second half, he was on fire to close out the game. That’s the guy we’re going to need this whole season.
-DOLPHINS-
MIAMI DOLPHINS QUOTES
Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024
Postgame – Jacksonville
Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill
Q. Before we talk about the game, can we go through what you experienced? What happened?
TYREEK HILL: Right now, I been trying to figure that out, too. I’ve been trying to figure that out too,
man. Right now I’m still trying to put it all together. So I’m not going to give you a version that I still
don’t know what happened. But I do want to be able to use this platform to say ‘What if I wasn’t Tyreek
Hill?’ Like worst case scenario because it is crazy. I want to be a cop one day. I’ve got a state trooper
hat and all of that, so I have a lot of respect for cops, man. Everybody has bad apples in every situation.
I want to be able to use this platform to figure out a way to flip this and make it a positive on both
ends, on my end and also Miami-Dade. So that way we continue together and do something positive
for the community. That’s what it’s all about. You guys are here to protect us as individuals. I have a
platform, and I want to be able to team up with you guys. That’s all I got to say.
Q. Why do you believe the police put you in handcuffs?
TYREEK HILL: I have no idea, for real. No idea. No idea, man. It’s crazy. No idea. I wasn’t disrespectful
because my mom didn’t raise me that way. Didn’t cuss. Didn’t do none of that. So like I said, I’m still
trying to figure it out, man.
Q. I guess the police officer was put on administrative leave. Were you aware of that?
TYREEK HILL: No, I wasn’t. I wasn’t. That should tell you everything you need to know then. That
should tell you everything you need to know. That’s all I’m going to say about that situation. I’m just
glad that my teammates were there to support me in that situation because I felt alone. When they
showed up, it made me realize that we got a (expletive) good team this year, dawg, for them to put
their life on the line. It was amazing to see.
Q. Was it on your mind when the game started? Or were you able to completely block it?
TYREEK HILL: The thing about me is I have a great support system at home, from my wife, from my
mom. Then even when I come inside the locker room, my teammates. So I was able to pray with my
family, able to talk to my wife and calm down a little bit, and I was straight. I know at the end of the
day, I still got a job to do. Nobody worried about if ‘Reek comes in, if he drops three passes because
he’s still thinking about the little scenario, nobody is thinking about that. I still got a job to do. I’ve got
a family to feed. I’ve got to be a leader of this team. I’ve got to find ways to bounce through adversity,
no matter, whenever it hits.
Q. How do you answer that question, what if you weren’t Tyreek Hill?
TYREEK HILL: It’s hard. I’m still trying to figure that out. It’s all across the world. You see it. I don’t want
to bring race into it, but sometimes it gets kind of iffy when you do. What if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill? Lord
knows what that guy or guys would have done. I was just making sure that I was doing what my uncle
always told me to do whenever you’re in a situation like that: just listen, put your hands on the steering
wheel and just listen. You’ve got to be careful.
Q. Did an officer put hands on you when you were in handcuffs?
TYREEK HILL: Yeah.
Q. What was going through your head during that moment?
TYREEK HILL: I don’t know. I was thinking about something else. What was I thinking about? I was
thinking about going for, like, 150 today, for real. (laughter) I was like I’m going to go crazy today,
man. (laughter) Then all that happened and I’m like, ‘Hold on, is this happening?’ It happened. It
happened so fast that it caught me off guard. I’m like, ‘Dang, they’re really doing this.’
Q. Why did they even pull you over?
TYREEK HILL: They said I was speeding. I don’t know. They said I was speeding – reckless driving,
whatever.
Q. Did the officer know who you were?
TYREEK HILL: I have no idea. No idea.
Q. Were you able to say, I’m about to play a game?
TYREEK HILL: I wasn’t raised like that to name drop or flash. If you say I did something, write me a
ticket. I’m a normal person, too. If you say I did something, write me a ticket, do whatever you got to
do. But I’m saying don’t be disrespectful. I don’t know.
Q. How much planning went into that touchdown celebration?
TYREEK HILL: Hey, I knew immediately. Like, J.W. (Jaylen Waddle) was like, ‘Reek, if you get in that
end zone today, show your tail, show your tail and I’ll do the rest.’ It was a planned celebration.
Obviously we had something else. Then this all happened this morning. Like they say, man, free my
dawg ‘Reek.
Q. How does it feel you and WR Jaylen Waddle combining for the domination that you had today
after a slow start?
TYREEK HILL: It felt good. Like you said, we had a very slow start. First quarter, second quarter was
not running good routes, not doing what we normally do. Just to see Waddle ball, make plays for us
and get us going in that second half, that really got me going right there because we know that the
offense, we need big plays. We’re a big-play offense. It was good to see Waddle do his thing. Yeah,
it was great for us to come back and win the game in the second half.
Q. Building off this, I know you have a short week, how quick do you turn the dial to the Bills?
TYREEK HILL: You forget quick. We enjoy with the family tonight, enjoy with the teammates tonight
and then move on to the Bills tomorrow. It’s just that fast. It’s how this business works.
Q. What do you think of QB Tua Tagovailoa’s performance today? Over 300 yards and get the
win in the end.
TYREEK HILL: Tua, he stepped up in the second half. He did his thing. Second half he played lights
out. Like I said, the first half, the offense, we all were like kind of timid a little bit, shaking all the dust
off our knees and stuff like that. We were getting out of the huddle kind of slow. The thing that really
motivated me the most was when we come in, during halftime, and this is like the first time I heard
Tua’s Hawaiian accent. It’s crazy. Like, he was turned up and animated in the locker room. I’m like,
‘Ok, I’m liking this.’ He was going and I’m like, ‘Yeah, let’s go, man.’ He called me out. J.W. (Jaylen
Waddle), T-Stead (Terron Armstead). I’m like, I’m loving this, bro. Me, I love accountability at its finest,
because that’s what I grew up on. I grew up on my dad telling me, ‘Reek, I need you to be better. Not
patting me on my back, not doing this. For my quarterback to call me out in front of the whole offense
like that, I had to step up, I had to do my thing. I like that in a leader.
Q. You and RB De’Von Achane tied for the leader and receptions today. What’s your reaction to
that?
TYREEK HILL: He’s moving to receiver, bro. (laughter) Achane is a dawg. He’s one of those guys that
can do it all. Play running back, come out the backfield, catch passes like a wideout. He’s a very special
talent, man. He’s going to continue to get better and help this offense. You never can have too much
speed on the field at once. Having him and his availability is going to be special for this offense.
Q. I remember in the frozen Chiefs locker room after the playoff game, you said something like,
we got to stop learning to be frontrunners. Did you learn today?
TYREEK HILL: You guys got to come up with a new narrative, I guess. You have to talk about something
else. Y’all can’t say that we are frontrunners now. It’s amazing to see. It’s amazing to see like our team
not feel sorry for ourselves early on in the game. Our defense had our back the whole entire game.
We just came together as an offense, man. We decided like, ‘Hey, first of all, we got to call the plays,
get out of the huddle fast and do what we normally do, baby.’ We’re fast. People don’t like to run fast
with us in Miami. It’s too hot. We did that in the second half. We ran fast, ran some deep routes and
we executed.
Q. I know it’s one game, but starting a season understanding where your goals are, what does a
comeback win like this do versus being on the other side?
TYREEK HILL: It’s great. It’s great for the confidence. It’s great for the confidence in the locker room,
for all the guys to see that, ‘Hey, we are not going to be easy to beat. Whether it’s home, whether it’s
on the road, moving late into the season, not every game is going to be perfect. We know that. We
are going to have games like this. Granted, we don’t want to put ourselves behind the eight ball. But
if we have to, we still have to be mindful we can come back at any moment because we got the team
to do it. We got some dawgs on this team, we got some alphas on this team. I’m just blessed to be a
part of this team. Blessed to be here with you guys today.
Q. Was there added emotion playing this game today after what you experienced this morning?
TYREEK HILL: For sure. Like I said, I was in my, like, hubby phase, driving to work, feeling good. Then,
when all this happened, I got turned up. I was pissed off, bro. Like on the sideline, I was (expletive)
teed up. Today is the first day I really blocked somebody. Like I pancaked somebody today. No. 91,
6’8” – I pancaked him. I did that today. I was fired up today. Like I needed that. Sometimes I can get
lazy, I can get this and that and get bored because I’m like I’m fast and I can run by you. I need that.
So it is what it is.
-DOLPHINS-
Jevon Holland – September 8, 2024 (Postgame)
Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024
Postgame – Jacksonville Jaguars
Miami Dolphins S Jevon Holland
(Peanut punch. Tell us a little about the strip on Jaguars RB Travis Etienne Jr. that felt
like it changed the momentum of the game?) – “Just how the game goes. Somebody’s got
to start it off, we needed a turnover at that point. It was down in the red zone. Couldn’t let
them score so had to get the ball out.”
(How was the satisfaction of immediately seeing the next play, or two plays later,
Tyreek with the big touchdown?) – “Oh yeah, definitely, 100 percent. It changed the
momentum of the game. I’m happy to be the guy that my name was called and I was able to
make that play, but it could be any of us. That’s the sweet part about being on a team, you
just have to wait for your opportunity. Play your alignment, assignment, technique and then
when that thing happens you just take advantage of it, so I was happy it was me.”
(They had some success with the passing plays in the first half. You guys kind of got
that under wraps in the second. Were there any adjustments y’all made?) – “Just a little
adversity. There’s always going to be adversity in the game and you’ve got to kind of get
back on the drawing board, rely on your technique and what you practiced and that kind of
settles everything out. But yeah, nothing crazy, we’ve just got to play our game.”
MIAMI DOLPHINS QUOTES
Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024
Postgame – Jacksonville Jaguars
Miami Dolphins LB Jaelan Phillips
(On his return) – “I’m grateful for this opportunity. It’s been a long road coming back from this injury,
but I feel amazing. I’m ready just to keep moving forward.”
(How does it feel?) – “I feel great. I feel amazing. Let’s go.”
(You were close on a few. You could tell you were getting a little frustrated with it.) – “That’s how
it is, but you just have to keep rushing, that’s what it’s all about. Obviously, when the time came, I had
to close it out. I’m very grateful.”
(What about the play where S Jevon Holland and CB Kader Kohou combined to stop them when
it looked like they were going in?) – “Huge. That’s Jevon (Holland). That’s just what he does. We’ve
seen this time and time again. Guys just stepping up when we need them the most. Really big plays.”
(What was DT Calais Campbell like in the huddle? The way you guys were warming up, the
communication, what was he like?) – “Calais (Campbell) is just a savvy vet out there and he’s a force
to be reckoned with. We all respect the hell out of him. He’s a leader on this team. So he was just
getting us going and doing what he has to do.”
-DOLPHINS-
