Monday, September 16, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(I was going ask, is QB Tua Tagovailoa exhibiting any symptoms? How is he feeling? Does he have symptoms?) – “He was downstairs today smiling with his teammates. He’s working with the trainers and medical staff diligently and as far as I’m concerned, you’re in the protocol and I think he’s doing well today and we take it day by day. He was feeling good, but what does that mean in terms of a medical diagnosis? I don’t base my judgments on my interactions with him necessarily as much as it is hearing the end result of the medical examination and where he’s at. It was good to see him and I know his teammates were pumped to see him.”
(You implored people not to worry too much or discuss too much about his future, what’s next, to take it day by day; but there was a report yesterday by NFL Network that QB Tua Tagovailoa is focused on playing football again and coming back. Has he given you any indication? Is that what seems to be the plan for him as he moves forward?) – “I think as far as Tua’s career is concerned, I think it’s of utmost priority of mind for Tua to speak on Tua’s career. So I think reports are reports. As far as I’m concerned, I’m just worried about the human being and where that’s at day to day, and I think I’ll let Tua be the champion of his own career and speak on that.”
(Is he going on injured reserve?) – “Not enough information quite yet. That’s going to be driven by medical experts and then when we get the appropriate information and discuss with Tua, then Chris (Grier) and I can discuss that. Not quite ready to make a distinction on that, so that could or couldn’t. We’ll see in the next coming days.”
(Unfortunately this is something that he has history with now as far as evaluation and seeing doctors and specialists and all that. Last time he sought independent specialists. Are you encouraging him to go that route again this time?) – “Absolutely. That will be part of the process, for sure.”
(What made QB Tyler Huntley the choice as a quarterback being brought in?) – “In lieu of the fact that if you’re not going to adhere to timelines based upon what the science tells us and how we want to approach individual situations and player injuries; with that unknown, that was something that – ever since he’s – it’s been apparent from afar and then having some coaches that have been around him, shoot, he was replacing the league MVP and you could tell from far away that he was a guy that the team absolutely believed could lead them to victory. I think that’s a very huge tangible thing for a non-QB1 necessarily, and so for us without knowing exact timelines, we got to learn firsthand a nice reminder of how it only takes one play and what you think your depth is changes abruptly. So that’s a move for moving forward to secure some depth in case of the unforeseen which is timelines for us as it relates to Tua.”
(To kind of drill down on QB Tyler Huntley and why he’s here, is he being brought in to serve as the No. 2 behind QB Skylar Thompson or the No. 3 behind QB Tim Boyle or compete with Skylar eventually?) – “This was not a move to in any way, shape or form out of anything not that has to do with Skylar (Thompson). Our team going all the way back to his first rep in rookie minicamp as a rookie to down the stretch of the 2022 season to what he was able to do to win the No. 2 job, this is not in any direct reflection to Skylar as Tua’s backup. This is more for the depth. I do think that it helps the dynamics of the room to give another guy with starting history to this team and gives another added addition of a guy that’s a signal-caller that a team can get behind. I was happy adding – what we were able to do in the quarterback room – in adding (Tim) Boyle, but I think this is more directly to back up Skylar and then you always let competition play out when it’s out on the field, but this was a depth move, for sure.”
(This decision, obviously QB Skylar Thompson did well in training camp, has done well in the exhibition season throughout the years and he does have the most familiarity with your offense. But what makes you so convicted that he can lead this team to victories?) – “And I totally understand that question and this is deep-seated. This is observation from the second that he got on site. I think you learn so much about people when they’re put into new situations and from his first rep in rookie minicamp, his first day on site to his first rep against I think it was the New York Jets or his first start against the Minnesota Vikings or his next start which was win-or-go-home situation – the final game of the regular season – or his start in the Buffalo game in the playoffs on the road where all these situations, you are grading the player and how he is executing what he is seeing live-speed. And time and time again, he’s done things that are very, very difficult your first time around. And then I know last season we didn’t really get the opportunity to see him play. It was a neck-and-neck competition in training camp and last year I thought Mike (White) did a great job giving us what the team needed and with an extra year under his belt, I thought in a tight race that he (Skylar Thompson) really separated himself. So I think his game has developed since he’s had a starting opportunity in the National Football League. I think all his teammates can feel his command and his growth, and I think he put together some winning football as a rookie. Rookies have a hard enough time digesting anything, let alone being a quarterback in this offense, so there’s a lot of reasons that his teammates have to fully believe in him and his ability which is why he was the No. 2 named from the end of preseason.”
(I guess the idea was this offense needs a certain kind of quarterback to operate it. You’ve said that QB Tua Tagovailoa is the ideal quarterback for this system. QB Tyler Huntley, he and Tua have different games. Is it a signal that you’re willing with QB Skylar Thompson, with Tyler if he ever plays to broaden the playbook? To go a different route? Maybe do some concepts that haven’t been really the bread and butter of what we’ve seen?) – “Absolutely and I think there’s also the history of our offense does not start Year 1 with the Dolphins. I think with the different assets that we have and this complexion of the offense, for sure, there’s a reason why I feel that with the utmost conviction with Tua, but going all the way back to some of the concepts and some of the beliefs that we’ve kind of developed, it wasn’t too long ago where we were adapting within the offense, we were adapting in Washington to uncharted zone read territory. So that was something that we learned that we’ve kept in place in various situations. We’ve actually run a couple concepts here before when Skylar (Thompson) and Teddy (Bridgewater) were playing in ’22. And then that’s something that we carried all the way through 2021 in San Fran when we had Trey Lance on board as well. So there’s ways within the offense to adapt to your skill position players and I think you’re never – I know from a defensive perspective what that adds to how you have to defend so there is an advantage to, quite frankly, a different angle or a different competitive advantage when your quarterback has a lot of success with his feet. So I think that is something that from our offensive standpoint is not as outside-the-box as one may think. Tua’s No. 1 RPO that he runs all the time is an extension of a zone read principle that he just throws instead of running the ball. So there’s good caveats to it and a lot of different ways to skin a cat.”
(The last week dating back to even a week ago, it’s been pretty emotional for this team and obviously the latest with QB Tua Tagovailoa. How much of the focus as you begin a new week and prep for the next game is it a focus to kind of re-center things? That things aren’t getting away from you after all the kind of emotion of the last week or so?) – “Absolutely. That’s a huge thing as we grow as a team. Listen, you call a spade a spade – as a team you have to address the fact that why did we feel the way we felt, why were we so caught off guard and why was the ultimate result something that we’ve been working diligently at preventing for a long time? And the biggest thing is when you are going above and beyond and then absolutely get the opposite results desired, you make sure that the team is individually focused on the growth of their game and not looking over their shoulder being like, ‘OK, well shoot…’ I was really enthused by today just in general because you want starting from – let’s take as an example Anthony Weaver as the defensive coordinator and the trickle-down effect of how the defensive coordinator looks at the result. Well, it could be very easy for a lot of people to be like, ‘There was three turnovers and two turnovers on down or whatever and 24 points came off those.’ That is the easiest thing. The hard thing is to say, ‘Whatever, let’s tune up our game, I don’t care about what other phases are doing, I don’t care about what other positions are doing. How do I relate to our ultimate job? As ‘Weave’ (Anthony Weaver) said, our job is to get the ball back. I think teams are 18-3 in 2024 when the turnover differential is in the plus. But that doesn’t help anyone get better if you just focus on ‘Hey, I’m good.’ So to me, worrying about our standard and focusing on winning the next game is absolutely the most important thing that this team can learn, especially after you – nobody on the team saw the end result coming, but now I feel like our team understands why it did and then what our objectives are to clean up our game as fast as possible to render results that we’re more satisfied with, plain and simple.”
(Do you expect to have T Terron Armstead available on Sunday?) – “Yeah, I think he’s day to day. So what that looks like – I feel it’s definitely more of a day-to-day situation, so I’m optimistic.”
(RB De’Von Achane right now through two games has 46 touches, the next five players have combined for 44. Was this always the plan for him to be such a heavy vocal point of this offense? Or is there a plan to diversify a little bit?) – “Well, I think there’s compounding variables. I wouldn’t say – I knew he was going to have an uptick in involvement. I think with Raheem (Mostert), his situation, that’s kind of added to it, the defenses structures and what they’ve committed themselves to has given him more opportunities. I think specifically it’s hard not to give guys opportunities that really are thirsting for the ball that are doing something with it – so it’s to his credit. You want to talk about a guy that literally did everything imaginable to have that Thursday night opportunity in terms of his time in the training room and making sure he was a full-go. All he’s done has given more reasons to get him the ball. I wouldn’t say that – it was probably quite the opposite going into the season. I wasn’t thinking – we really have a situation where there’s a lot of people to give the ball, more so than I’ve ever been used to here, so to say that I was forecasting such a heavy dose, that wouldn’t be honest. But at the same time, he’s definitely earned all of the opportunities and he could make a case for even more. So I think I wouldn’t expect – there’s so many playmakers that we had to diversify. I think his production with the ball right now is definitely a positive for us, because to get the ball away from him, you got to do some good stuff with it. So I think it puts pressure on all eligibles and what you do with the ball, because he’s made it very clear that on the routine, he’s probably making the first guy miss.”
(Upon review of the film, why was it so hard to get WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle the ball consistently against the Bills?) – “Well, I think there’s – football is definitely a team sport. Offensive football, when a team is committing – when a defensive team or an opponent is committing to take somebody away, you have to make them pay appropriately. I think the ops are still there, they just might not be as multiple when you’re having a two-man player, you have two people guarding one on run downs. So I think those, what’s cool about ‘Reek’ (Tyreek Hill) and (Jaylen) Waddle and their understanding of football and really our offense is there’s certain situations where, it doesn’t happen that often, but they’ll come to the sidelines and tell me, ‘Hey, you know what? We need to run the ball.’ What they’re saying is they know there’s not a run fit player. They know that the safety and the corner aren’t even looking at the ball during our play action, so you have to execute and make people pay when they’re overplaying something. I think that teams have a lot of reason to focus on those guys and I think collectively it’s a group effort to get them more involved because they’re the – case in point, the rest of the offense is in an advantageous situation if they’re going to fully commit the way that some teams have been, that you always have to keep them involved, but there’s a balance where teammates have to really make opposing teams pay if they’re going to overcommit that way. And until we do, I think they understand as much as everybody else that teams will do something until you make them pay for it.”
Monday, September 16, 2024
LB Jordyn Brooks
(Can you tell us the mood of the team right now considering QB Tua Tagovailoa’s situation? Is everybody confident? Is everybody low key? How would you describe it?) – “I think everybody is good. I didn’t see anything crazy. Obviously, the energy won’t be as high as it usually is coming off a loss, but I think it’s good energy just moving on and getting ready for this week.”
(What’s the hardest part of moving on when you played well that second half particularly defensively against Jacksonville and then the struggles that last game to not be able to win that game? What is the key to bounce back and refocus?) – “Just knowing that it’s a long season. You have 17 games, so you don’t have all day to keep harping on what happened. Learn from it and then move on, because we’ve got another team this week. That’s the motivation is that we’ve got another game, so we’ve got to get ready for that.”
(When a team loses its quarterback – we don’t know how long he’ll be out obviously, but he’s going to miss some time. Does it feel like everybody else has to up their game a little bit, defense has to play better, running game has to play better all of that?) – “I think we always have to play better whether the quarterback is playing or not. That’s everybody’s individual goal to be the best that you can be so that we can be better together. It’s unfortunate what happened with our quarterback, but had that not happened, the goal will still be the same as far as us getting better and getting to the place that we know we can be.”
(Is this going to be emotional for you on Sunday going back? And heading into March, had you thought you might re-sign with the Seahawks?) – “Yeah, I spent my first four years there. It was a good thing for me, but it’ll be good to go back and get to play against those guys. I think it will be a great opportunity for me.”
(Who are you still close with over there that you are looking forward to seeing?) – “A lot of the guys on defense that I played with, a lot of the younger guys. It will be good to see them and then compete against them.”
(How important is veteran leadership when it comes to bouncing back after a loss on Thursday?) – “It’s important. It’s important, but I think it’s more so important that guys be the example rather than always having to huddle everybody up and (say), ‘Hey, this is what we need to do.’ Just show them, and that’s by moving on, attacking each day like a professional, going to practice and doing everything with intent and making sure that we improve this week.”
(How do you describe the atmosphere in that stadium from both what it gives the Seahawks and what it might present as a challenge to visiting teams?) – “It can get loud in there if we allow it. The fans out there, they’re crazy about the team, so whenever the Seahawks are making plays or whatever, they get really loud. But I think we can control that if we play our game.”
(What stood out about QB Geno Smith as a quarterback to you when you were there?) – “Just his preparation. He was there my first two years. When he was sitting behind ‘Rus,’ (Russell Wilson) he prepared the same way as if he was going to play. When he got his opportunity, it wasn’t a shock. So I’ve always respected him for that, just how he approached the game.”
(Hypothetically speaking, if QB Skylar Thompson has to make a road start this week at Seattle, as somebody who has played in that stadium famously loud, what is a piece of advice you would tell him to, I guess, keep his head on straight throughout that entire game?) – “Just know that we’re on the field with him. He’s not out there by himself – literally, there’s 10 other guys out there with him. Just know that; trust in the preparation that we go through this week and just play your game. You don’t have to do nothing special.”
(Is it as loud as everybody says? I’ve never covered a game there. How loud does it get?) – “Like I said, it gets as loud as the team can make it. So if we’re stopping them, it won’t be that loud. If we don’t, it will be pretty loud. I think the way the stadium is designed to keep the sound in or whatever, so that helps too.”
Monday, September 16, 2024
DT Zach Sieler
(As a player who’s been with QB Tua Tagovailoa now for so many years, what were your immediate thoughts when you saw what transpired on Thursday?) – “I mean it doesn’t matter if it’s Tua or anybody, but what happened is horrible. You hate seeing that stuff. You immediately pray and wish the best for him and his family. I hope he’s doing good. He seems happy; I’m not going to speculate anything. I’m really excited to see where we go forward with this.”
(Emotionally there’s a lot going on concerning QB Tua Tagovailoa, but then you also lost a football game, you’ve got a tough game to go west. How do you kind of balance all of those emotions as you’ve got to prep right away for a new game?) – “Honestly, I think that’s the good thing about the NFL, where you’re on to the next thing. So it’s like you make the corrections quick and you move onto the next game. It gives you an opportunity to move on from what just happened, not that you want to forget it because you need to learn from it and you know it’s a copycat league and you can get a lot of those same plays over again next week and the following weeks after. But I think that’s kind of the bird of the beast where we’re able to move on and prove yourself the next week, ‘Hey, look – last week wasn’t good enough. This week is,’ and we can make those corrections and make it right.”
(Question about the run defense and where you think it is; both opponents rushed for over 100, but Buffalo with 108 with a 49-yard-run. Is the run defense in a good place? Did you guys make corrections and one got away from you last week? How do you view it?) – “I mean it’s still a run, they still went (49) yards. We can’t let that happen. Yeah, they went for 108 – you can do the math, take out the (49), whatever. It doesn’t matter, that was one of the runs and that was a big one. You can’t let that happen up front. That’s a direct impact of how we’re playing, and it’s let’s make the adjustments, let’s figure this out and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
(What role does veteran leadership play in after a loss like that?) – “Yeah, it’s huge. I think it’s – (Head Coach Mike) McDaniel preaches, it’s a player’s team. It’s the players’ locker room and when you have the veteran leadership there, some guys have been through situations like this, and some have been through worse. And you lean on that leadership and that experience to either guide young guys or steer the team in the right direction where you can make the corrections and not take it on the chin and not be soft if someone’s trying to make you corrections or call you out for something you didn’t do good enough, but ‘Hey, no. I need to make that better. I need to play better. We need to play better,’ whatever that is. When you have leadership and veterans like that, I think you can really kind of grow and build to something great.”
(You’ve been one of those young players who stepped up when opportunity presented itself; what advice do you give QB Skylar Thompson?) – “Man, I think Skylar (Thompson) has already done it. man. What was it? Three years ago in Buffalo, two years ago in Buffalo? I have no doubts in my mind that Skylar is going to go out there and do the best he can in Seattle. I’m super excited to see him play and work on this opportunity. Obviously, again we’re praying for and sad about Tua, but I have no hesitation with Skylar going out there as QB1 this week.”
Monday, September 16, 2024
WR Jaylen Waddle
(Describe the tone of the team to us. I mean we’ve seen you guys upbeat through a five-game losing streak, through QB Tua Tagovailoa being out before – what is the tone of the team right now?) – “Yeah, man, it’s pretty mellow coming in, had three days off. So coming in and getting back to work, and just ready to get it going.”
(Is there kind of a feeling of loss or sadness hanging over the team at all?) – “No, not really. We’ve got confidence in all of our players here. We go out and compete with everybody that we go against so yeah man, regular day back at work.”
(With QB Skylar Thompson, you’ve been here with him his whole duration. What kind of player are we getting? What kind of player are we getting? What kind of player are we going to see?) – “I mean y’all have seen Skylar (Thompson) play before. He’s real confident. We’re confident in his ability. He plays with a lot of swag out there, so it’s going to be fun. I’m excited.”
(How much responsibility do you put on your shoulders to make sure you’re doing everything you guys are to help QB Skylar Thompson in these next few days?) – “Oh yeah, it’s going to be key. Everybody has got to step up from the run game to protections, especially the receivers, just to make his job a little easier. It’s going to be kind of flying bullets, but Skylar’s got a lot of ball, man. I think he’s going into his third year; he played in the playoffs and got some games underneath his belt, so I think he’s prepared for the moment.”
(He’s got that improvisation ability to scramble out of the pocket; how does that change things for you as a wide receiver?) – “Yeah, it’s something that the defense has got to be accountable for. He’s an athletic guy, a mobile guy that can move around and extend plays with his legs. So when you got a guy like that, the defense can’t just sit back and play all of these exotic coverages.”
(How much work did you get with QB Skylar Thompson during OTAs and minicamp and training camp?) – “We got a lot of bank reps throughout the training camp. You get in, ones, twos – he got reps with me, ‘Reek,’ (Tyreek Hill), ones, and through contract negotiations with Tua, he stepped in and filled that void.”
(You’ve been friends with QB Tua Tagovailoa for a long time – just your reaction to what he’s going through right now?) – “Yeah, man. That’s always sad when you see your guy go down like that. But we play a dangerous game, man. And I think that the whole world gets to see how dangerous this game is and how everybody puts their body on the line week-in and week-out.”
(How’s he doing from what you’ve seen?) – “He’s doing good, man. Talked to him, he’s in good spirits. (He’s) got the team in good spirits and everybody praying for him and hoping (for his) health.”
Monday, September 16, 2024
RB De’Von Achane
(How do you view the role of the offense with QB Tua Tagovailoa out? Do you think QB Skylar Thompson has to come in here and do what Tua did? Does everybody else have to pick up and do a little more? How do you view this?) – “I think Skylar (Thompson) can come in and play like Skylar. I don’t think he’s got to be nobody else. Like you said, this is not his first rodeo, he’s been here three years, he’s played in big games before so he can come in and be himself and we’ll just keep doing the same thing if Tua (Tagovailoa) was in the offense. I don’t think we got to come in and ease him into it because like you said he’s been here and he’s ready.”
(For being a gametime decision, you had a lot of work on that ankle; how’d you come away from it?) – “I felt pretty good. Like you said, when you play those type of games, it’s exciting to me, playing division games. So in my mind, I had it to where, ‘I’m going to play regardless,’ it’s just a little ankle. But like you said, Raheem (Mostert) was down so I felt like it was up to me to step up because to have two of us out, I feel like that’s a big loss for the team, so me coming in and having a gametime decision, I had it in my head that I’m playing.”
(I remember watching during pregame and you barely moved during pregame; was that just resting?) – “I feel like that’s just something I do. I don’t like going out there and getting extra sweaty, because we already got to come out and do a pregame with the team. So I just feel like it’s just me, I go out there and just feeling the grass, just out there just seeing certain type of stuff I could be doing and not trying to be too hard on it. I’d rather me start off like not going out there and hurting it even more.”
(When you are nursing an injury, once you get the adrenaline going, do you almost just not feel it anymore?) – “Yeah, once the game is going, you couldn’t even tell that it’s still there. You only notice it after the game when you’re a little sore – that’s when you notice everything. During the game it’s regular, you feel like you’re 100 percent.”
(How sore were you after 29 touches?) – “I actually didn’t feel that bad. I feel like I was more mad that we lost, so I wasn’t that tired and sore because I was kind of mad that we lost the game. But I wasn’t that bad; it didn’t feel that bad.”
(The identity of this team since Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s been here, and obviously you’ve been in the league, is this has been a passing offense. Do you think that more and more now this is going to evolve to be a running offense?) – “It can be both. Like you said, we got two great receivers – we got a lot of great receivers, we got a lot of great running backs. So I feel like we can do both. We can run the ball, pass the ball – whatever he’s calling, I feel like we can go out there and execute it.”
(You’ve taken a bigger role in the offense last week and this season. Is that by design or is that just taking what the defense gives you that particular game?) – “It’s just taking what the defense is giving us. Like you said, we’re playing the scheme of these defenses, and against the Bills, we knew they play a lot of drop coverages and me – they had it on that there’s going to be a lot of check down routes that’s going to be open. So it’s not like we’re coming to the game plan like, ‘OK, he’s going to get this many touches.’ It’s just something that just happens.”
(Did you watch the Seahawks game yesterday or do you wait until film this week?) – “I didn’t watch the Seahawks game. I feel like, actually they’re a new team – well new to us. I waited until this week to watch them. I didn’t watch their game yesterday, because I was too busy watching other games. But I don’t think too much about it, I feel like now is the time when we come back Wednesday, we hone in on the Seahawks and see what they do.”
(How are you feeling physically today?) – “I’m good, man. It was great to coming in, seeing all the guys. We had a long weekend, so we got to put the Week 2 game behind us and we’re on to the next.”
(What was the feeling, like you said, a long weekend – it was like chaos the first two weeks, the Sunday, Thursday game and now three days off. Does it almost feel like you’re starting again? Do you feel pretty fresh?) – “Yeah, I’m most definitely pretty fresh, like you said. We had a short week, but Mike (McDaniel) and the team, he makes sure we kept our bodies right so that three-day weekend definitely did it, so we should most definitely be fresh coming in this week.”
