Tuesday, December 24, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(The decision on LB Bradley Chubb is what? Will Bradley be activated by the deadline?) – “With the deadline being tomorrow, we won’t activate him and it came down to this: trying to take away reps from guys that are playing well, Bradley (Chubb) takes that serious and he’s gone after the whole process so that he can be Bradley Chubb for this football team and he knows what that looks like. He’s been very patient in the process, very open-minded, had growth as the process went, but ultimately, we all decided that we didn’t think he would be able to be the player that he expects, that we all expect and just needed a little bit more time that unfortunately the season couldn’t offer us. He’s still all in it, and he was disappointed but also understands the big picture at stake and is going to make sure that when he’s on the field for the Dolphins, that everyone feels the player that he knows he is.”
(What about CB Kendall Fuller? Yesterday you said you needed to see how today went.) – “It’s kind of a week-to-week thing. It doesn’t look like he’ll be able to play this game, but keep an open mind for the following.”
(As the regular season winds down, how do you keep the team focused or as you face a team that’s looking to play the Grinch role and with the youngest NFL player who has 100 sacks in NFL history?) – “This team, what they’ve really gone through and fought for, it’s not a difficult task seeing how we have, to us, a one-game season and our chances at the playoffs are at stake. That has been a driving force – really is for our locker room and our coaching staff, really wants to play the type of football that we felt like we fell short of at portions of the season. I thought that formula, just looking at what today offers, what we’re preparing for and immersing yourself in the Browns, I think that’s what we did last week with the 49ers and as a result, guys were ultimately very prepared to play the type of football that they expect to play. Those results were earned, not given, and I think that’s the biggest thing is we have a standard with which we want to play football together. There’s a lot of guys that really care about each other. Everybody in the NFL knows that in the current orchestration of the salary cap, that teams are always different from year to year. And a lot of guys get to experience continuity, but then things change. So the relationships, the months of work; nobody on this team wants to leave the whole process unfinished. So for us to make right by some of the lessons of the season, we have no choice but to put our best foot forward and that starts with today’s preparation and practice and moves on to the rest of the week. So my expectation is that we have nothing short of preparation and tonality that was similar to last game, if not more, as we continue to build upon some of the successes that we’ve had in our phases and put together a complete team win.”
(What role did the uncertainty about the postseason play in the decision to not activate LB Bradley Chubb? Like if you guys had already clinched a spot, would you be more open to it?) – “No, it was very cut-and-dry. I don’t feel comfortable ever throwing a towel in; these are people’s football dreams and I just know the finality that is everybody’s career and how important each and every game needs to be and should be. So I wouldn’t have really felt right about trying to hedge any sort of bet because I think our mindset is to control the controllables and we aren’t eliminated, so we’re trying to make sure that we take advantage of that opportunity. It wasn’t really a factor in play. It was, ‘Bradley Chubb wants to play football; can he to his standard? Let’s see.’ He’s not ready to coach yet and he doesn’t want to be on the sideline, so I think took that very serious and the course of the season didn’t really play into it.”
(Was there any sort of like setback after he was designated to return because I’m assuming the team thought that he could make it back in that 21-day window? Did something happen that…?) – “No, it wasn’t that. You don’t have a crystal ball, and the only way that you can within the orchestration of the rules of even see to evaluate if you can play football, the only way you can play football is he has to have that window. I was very careful not to assess expectations to it because like we’ve talked about before, it was a big-time injury that took an absolute calendar year of strain and work to just get into that position. And I don’t think the process – although we’re not seeing him this year, it was very beneficial to be able to work through that. Now you’re not waiting an offseason with like, ‘what’s it going to be like,’ or ‘do I still…’ – he knows where he’s at right now and knows that he just has a little longer to build to get to his standard of play and standard of execution. So I think that it was a little unknown to be quite honest when he started just because you don’t know unless you try and it wasn’t a failure or setback; it was just the nature of the injury and how his body has responded. It was every day getting better. We just hoped it would go a little further than it did.”
(Upon reviewing the film, what was your evaluation of OL Isaiah Wynn’s snaps and could he be ready for a fulltime role back at right guard?) – “I was very proud, happy for Isaiah (Wynn). That’s another guy that’s – he’s worked relentlessly for that opportunity. I thought both he and Liam (Eichenberg) did a phenomenal job in the rotation process. I thought that helped him execute at a level I think he was proud of and we were very proud of, and I also think it helped Liam’s game. I think they are both very important contributors to our offense, and I think their ability to execute against the matchups this week will kind of dictate how we go about it. But overall, I was fired up that I thought the rotation served the offense and them individually very well.”
(You mentioned that it seemed to help them each. Was it like an iron sharpens iron type of situation? How specifically does it help them?) – “First of all, Liam (Eichenberg) has been battling things all season, so to be able to be a little bit fresher at the point of attack was beneficial. I think it’s been a minute since Isaiah (Wynn) has played football, so being able to go out on two consecutive drives and then kind of absorb what’s going on in the game and have a little extra time to focus on the technique and fundamentals. Especially given the opponent where their defensive techniques, they’re one of the most subbed defensive lines because of their launch technique and how they’re pass rushing every play, that’s a difficult thing to keep up with these fresh line changes, so I think that kind of gave them a competitive advantage, as well the natural inherent competitors that they are. It keeps your competitive urge going on top of all the other reasons, because you’re trying to make right of your opportunities knowing that you have another starting lineman that’s going to come in and have similar opportunities. I think all the things played a part that I though overall we got very good play from our right guard spot from the whole game, and that has to do with how they attacked all of that.”
(Will that rotation be in play on Sunday?) – “We have a practice in front of us and we’ll see how that goes. We’ll progress with the week and who knows? We might play Isaiah Wynn as X receiver, you just never know. (laughter)”
(I know this is not an indictment of RB Jaylen Wright, but can you take us inside the decision to work in RB Raheem Mostert more and to use RB Jeff Wilson Jr. in short yardage? Is it just trusting guys who have been productive for you for years? What went into each decision, Raheem and Jeff Wilson?) – “You’re trying to stay connected with your locker room and beyond that the individuals and just the way they are practicing, the natural competitive spirit that’s brought out by playing a team that you know with a lot of guys that were former teammates of yours. Definitely Jaylen (Wright) is ready to contribute, and we have a lot of really high caliber running backs on this team. For that game, it made the most sense with the ammunition that we had to facilitate it that way. Kind of going into the game, we had him active for a reason but I did know that I wanted to give those guys an opportunity and see what they did with it and they seized the moment. I thought Raheem (Mostert) played very well, was hard to tackle, and I thought Jeff (Wilson Jr.) did a phenomenal job when given the opportunity. On top of that De’Von (Achane) had one of his best games since he’s been here, so it’s a matter of circumstance. He’s well aware it’s not if but when, and any given week it could be his opportunity so he has to be prepared.”
(One quick follow up just on that. With RB Jeff Wilson Jr., we know how tough he is. Had you been tempted before Sunday this year to use him in short yardage? I know the roster decisions with special teams, but was that something that was tempting you before Sunday to use him – keep him active – use him in short yardage?) – “Yeah and there’s also things that my history with Jeff (Wilson Jr.), there’s certain types of concepts that I know he has a really, really good feel for, specifically in short yardage situations. We’ve done that in the past; we’ve done that last year. This game, based upon his practice, what he had done in the game the week previous – he got two carries – so had a ton of confidence to put him in in those moments. You’re always weighing the momentum of the game. In short yardage, you are handing the ball to somebody and you have to have reasons to hand a player that is out of routine – you have to be very compelled to put him in there and say, ‘Hey, I know you haven’t been in but the whole drive and points hinge on you getting this yard. Here you go.’ I think Jeff is built for that. I think he executed in a phenomenal fashion and gave us more reason to incorporate him in different ways this week – the only week that exists.”
(You spent one year in Cleveland, but I feel like it may have been a formative one for you in your coaching career. What did you learn there and if you have any stories of being on the same staff as Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver for the first time?) – “You always learn a ton as a coach when you’re a part of the Year 1 with a staff – a head coach’s first year – just because nothing can be assumed and you have to have reasons of why you do everything from scheduling to how you do practice and all that. So with regard to that, bare minimum, that’s very beneficial. For me, personally, it was my – I’d been a receiver coach for one year in a place that I kind of grew into that position in Washington, so going there as a receiver coach, that was a big deal. I got some added run game game planning responsibilities that year, so that was a big deal for me too. And then I had no idea about Cleveland, just the city in general. Although I was only there for one year, I loved the city. The people there are phenomenal, and you want to talk about people that appreciate a 65-degree day – in the springtime in April, 65 hits and everyone’s treating it like it’s 95. I learned a lot about their fan base – very, very committed, cool fan base. It’s a cool stadium to play at, and ‘Weave’ (Defensive Coordinator) Anthony Weaver) was awesome. Under Coach ‘Pett’ (Head Coach Mike Pettine), they were running a facilitation of that Rex Ryan defense, so practice was absolutely miserable. I think the first run play we had, we ran it into a corner blitz and it was wild. You’re always trying to gain stuff from each and every year. That year in particular, I learned an absolute ton, was around really good people, had a cool receiver room to work with. We had some successes, and that was cool to be a part of.”
(Going back to LB Bradley Chubb – not about Bradley – when talking about him, you said you didn’t want to take reps away from guys who were playing well. One of them I assume is LB Chop Robinson. Did you expect him to be able to make this kind of impact when you guys drafted him back in April?) – “Led by Chris (Grier), Chris had a ton of conviction – I felt the same. You don’t know what the first year is going to look like, we just felt very confident that he was going to be the type of player that could be an impact player at a position, specifically rushing the passer when everybody knows what rush you have and you’re trying to go for the quarterback. So to be able to execute in the big moments, pass rushers have to not be ready necessarily on second-and-7 in the second quarter; all eyes are on you on the last drive or the second to last drive when everybody knows it’s a pass. So you’re hopeful that he has the capability from a skill set and as a person, but rookie years are always unique just because it’s unchartered territory playing football for that long for these guys. So what’s been memorable about his year is that you talk about the ‘anti-rookie wall,’ he really started impacting the game the more and more he learned. I think that speaks to his daily diligence and his love for football because even some of the best competitors can fizzle out during the month of December just because they’ve played for eight more weeks than they’ve ever played football before. I think he’s been what we’ve expected, however there’s parts of his game-readiness and his ability to compete against vested veterans left and right that we were hopeful for, but he’s matched or maybe exceeded some of those expectations in that way.”
(Did his level of play have much impact on any decision with LB Bradley Chubb? Like if LB Chop Robinson maybe wasn’t playing as well as he is, would there be maybe more urgency to get –) – “That’s fair and it’s fair to ask – just like the season, no decision was made based upon anything but Bradley (Chubb). Again, bringing it back to – remember this is his career and don’t take that lightly. He’s worked very, very hard; we made that decision independent of where we’re at in the season or where we’re at with the roster.”
Tuesday, December 24, 2024
LB Jordyn Brooks
(How are you doing after you came away with those knee and quad ailments last game?) – “I’m doing good. I’m doing well. Nothing serious, so I’m good.”
(What has this first season as a whole been like for you in Miami? The numbers you’re putting up and the being able to play in this Anthony Weaver defense?) – “It’s been good. Going through some adversity early in the season as a team, that can always be difficult. I feel like during the course of the season, it’s been a great first year getting to play with some of the guys I get to play with and then play in the system and scheme under Coach Weaver. He’s been great for us all year. I’ve been blessed all year to be here.”
(On the playoff possibilities. Do you follow the playoff possibilities? Do you know what you guys have to do, or do you just show up every day and work?) – “For me, it’s a mixture of both. I’ve got to see where we’re at to keep the belief alive and keep the belief going. I told the guys before the game last week, if the say there is 0.01% chance, then we fight for that chance because nobody knows what can happen. Everybody else outside could be like, ‘Oh, they’ve got no chance,’ but you don’t know who’s going to win that game or who’s going to lose that game and how it’s going to shape up. I think as a football player, you’ve got to think that way. I think as a man in general, you’ve got to think that way in life – having faith in anything that you do. For me, that’s how I approach it. The rest of my teammates know that’s how we got to approach each week. We’re still alive. Come to work each day preparing and expecting to make the playoffs and see how it all falls out.”
(I’m a fan of the LB Chop Robinson celebration. Where does that rank for you? Do you have some other favorite all time celebrations with teammates or just as an NFL fan?) – “I think earlier in the year, we were at a team dinner and Chop (Robinson) was kind of getting frustrated he wasn’t getting any sacks yet. I remember talking to him, I said, ‘Hey man, you just got to get your celebration ready.’ He was telling me, ‘I got one. I got one up my sleeve,’ and then the very next week, he ended up getting his first sack. He’s held on to it and it’s become a thing. I love his celebration. I don’t know where he got it from, but it fits him. It fits the name, it’s been great. Another one that I like that’s an all-time is Ray Lewis coming out the tunnel. That celebration is iconic, but Chop’s is definitely up there for sure.”
(To follow up on LB Chop Robinson, just talk to me about his development and his growth from the early days of preseason to now?) _ “I think just getting more comfortable with just being in this system, being around the vets, the coaches, everything. Being a rookie is hard to just go out there and start balling right away. Some do it, some don’t. For him, I don’t think it took him too long at all. It’s right on time for him to get going for us and for himself. I think the sky is the limit for him to keep going and playing at a high level.”
(Now that you’ve basically had almost a full season under Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver, I’ve enjoyed watching his defense, but I’m curious to hear from one of the leaders in the middle. How would you describe Coach Weaver’s first year here coordinating this defense?) – “I think it’s been outstanding. You guys get a chance to talk to him when you ask him questions, and you kind of can get a feel for his demeanor and his personality. I think that’s the way you got to be to coach men in this league. I think he’s a good mix of laugh and play with you and being dead serious at the same time. I think he’s got the respect of all the guys in the locker room. It makes you want to play hard for him, and I think that’s why as a defense we’ve had and the success that we’ve had, and we can be even better. I feel that he’s done a great job coming in here his first year, brining in a great system and coaching it up the right way with his assistant coaches and all that. And really just earning the respect from everybody, holding every man accountable, that’s the type of things that I love about a coach. I’ve got nothing but good things to say about Coach Weave.”
(What do you think the offensive line gets out of OL Isaiah Wynn when he’s in the lineup? If you’ve gone up against the first team line in practice or just watched him, what do you think he provides as a blocker?) – “I think he’s great. We get a chance to go against him at practice as he’s been ramping up getting back from injury. I think he gives us a boost, just his experience in the game and obviously his God-given ability. I’m excited for him to keep going and help us improve as an offense and an offensive line. The sky is the limit for him as well.”
(What defensive teammate that you didn’t know a lot about coming into this season your first year here that you’ve gained an extra appreciation for about how good they are, about how they work, something about them? I’m sure a lot of guys would fall into this category, but first couple of names that come to mind, I’d be curious?) – “The obvious one would probably be Zach (Sieler). I didn’t now much about Zach at all. Even when I first met him, I didn’t know who he was. But just being around him, our lockers being right by each other, really getting to know him outside of football, it’s no accident to why the success that he’s having right now. He was definitely a guy I wasn’t thinking about coming in, but definitely I gained a lot of respect for just by the way he played and works, his approach to the game. Yeah, it would definitely be Zach, no doubt.”
Tuesday, December 24, 2024
LB Chop Robinson
(Even beyond all the good work you’re doing in the pass rush, obviously your deflection which prevented a touchdown was a huge play in the game Sunday. Is that something that you’ve always been good at? I know LB Emmanuel Ogbah has been at that over his career. Have you gotten tips from anyone on the team? Has it been emphasized to you by coaches or is that something you’ve always been cognizant of and good at?) – “Having guys like Calais (Campbell) and ‘E’ (Emmanuel Ogbah) and Zach (Sieler) on the d-line with those long arms and everything, every time somebody throws the ball in the air, we’re putting our hands up and most of the time, they get it down. Especially in the red zone or on the goal line, I knew we had to put our hands up because the ball was coming out quick. So I just did a move and then put my hand up and I tipped the ball and I didn’t realize it until I got on the sideline.”
(You need 3.0 sacks in the final two games to surpass LB Jaelan Phillips’ record for rookie sacks. Have you warned him that you are coming for his record?) – “No, I didn’t even know about the record. I don’t really focus on that. For me, it’s just taking it one day at a time, one game at a time.”
(I looked up a cool statistic. It says that you’re tied with Micah Parsons for pass rush win rate. Do you feel like you are meeting your expectations in terms of pass rush win rate?) – “Again, like I said, I don’t really pay attention to it. I just go out there and do my job, do what I can do to help the team out for a win.”
(No. 11 [LB Tyrel Dodson], No. 53 [LB Cam Goode] and No. 56 [LB Quinton Bell] all did the ‘Chop’ [celebration] with you, they were on the sideline, and some guys who I couldn’t identify, they were in sweatshirts. What was that like to have those guys participating, even though they were on the sideline?) – “I mean, it felt good. I made the play right by the sideline, so instead of going to the end zone or anything like that, I was like we might as well just do it all together, so I ran towards the sideline a little bit, and then we all hit it, and it felt good.”
(Going back to a previous question about getting your hands on a football, it seems like both times when we asked Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver or your teammates or different defensive coaches where Chop has come along the most, they talk about your hand usage. I’m curious if you could describe the progression of the way you use your hands as a rusher from the start of your rookie year to now and maybe if there’s a coach that has kind of helped you come along in that way, too.) – “Yeah, I mean just coming in here – especially what I was doing in college, beating guys with speed and then coming in here my rookie season and guys setting me different. I’m getting different pass sets, guys are grabbing me more, punching different, so I just had to learn from that from the first game when I started coming in. And then once I picked up on it, I was able to basically learn from it and use it against them, instead of just trying to use what I had to use. I had to use what they had against them, basically. And I would say Coach (Ryan) Crow. Just watching film with him all the time, all the vets in my room and just working after practice and just trusting the process.”
(I’m going something on cool moments that you’ve had in your rookie season, and correct me if I’m wrong, I think you told me that Tristan Wirfs in training camp, like you had a cool moment with him or it was cool going against him. And I think you said Aaron Rodgers might have said something to you. Can you tell me about those moments and have there been other moments, other guys who have said stuff to you or acknowledged you?) – “I mean those are two guys that are good at their position. You’ve got a guy who’s been in the league for a very long time and a quarterback that I’ve been watching since I was a kid, so just talking to those guys that I’ve been watching since I was a kid is a blessing, and I would say my next coolest moment was the Chop celebration that I hit on the sideline last game.”
(When things like that happen, on the drive home do you go, “Man, it’s great to be in the NFL?” Do those things stick with you? I guess they have to, right? It’s hard to just kind of dismiss stuff like that.) – “I mean yeah, they stick with me. I just thank God that I’m blessed to be in this position.”
Tuesday, December 24, 2024
WR Malik Washington
(QB Tua Tagovailoa spoke a little bit about all the routes on air and the time you guys put in together as quarterback and receiver as far as getting the timing of this offense down. I’m curious from your perspective if you could describe how that’s been for you, going way back to when you got drafted up until Week 17 here?) – “Yeah, I mean I think that’s huge. It’s really important for, one, especially us guys, our development with Tua (Tagovailoa) and getting on the same page. Just talking through some of the things, like whether the timing is off or maybe he needs us to turn our head a little bit faster or get through – run through this or something like that. So I think it’s been huge for us, especially with the guys that just got here.”
(If it’s a play that he doesn’t like or isn’t satisfied with, does he usually pull you aside and be like, “I need this, this and this from you,” or how do those conversations start?) – “Yeah, I mean just about every time if something happens where he feels like maybe we were a little off or he was a little off, something happened, he’ll do a good job of communicating with us and letting us know, ‘hey, maybe I need you to come a little bit flatter here,’ or something like that. He’ll give us a little encouragement and we’ll get it fixed.”
(I’m writing something on you as a tough guy, because I think you’re a tough guy and I’ve seen you take these big hits. I saw you blocking in goal line against Green Bay. Correct me if I’m wrong, didn’t I see you get a pancake block on Haason Reddick from the slot, didn’t you knock him down?) – “I got to think back. I’ve done a couple, put some guys on the ground and stuff like that. I’ve tried my best to show up in the run game.”
(Exactly, exactly. So tell me, do you consider yourself a tough player and if so, why? Give me evidence like that of why you consider yourself a tough player.) – “I think toughness for me is more of a mindset than anything. That’s just my style of play since I was a young player – just kind of playing through anything, being able to go out there and not see size, not see speed, not see any of those things, just play the game of football as physical as you can. And so I think for me, when you’re in moments where maybe I’m matched up against a linebacker and I got to go make that block, or maybe I’m on the edge and I need spring something for one of my guys, I think that shows true toughness when you’re able to do the things that maybe you don’t have the advantage there, and you’re still willing to go do it.”
(Do you consider yourself a good run blocker? Because I do see you making plays in the run game.) – “I think that was, especially coming out of college, that was one of my weaknesses, just in the blocking game and that’s just something I’ve really honed on this offseason. That’s something I’ve put at the forefront because I knew that’s how you make an NFL roster, especially when you’re coming in – especially as a late draft pick, that’s how you make an NFL roster. So trying to get better and better as those things, and I think there’s been some growth and I’m proud of the growth that’s taking place.”
(One thing I meant to ask you when a few of us spoke to you at your locker on Friday was as the ACC’s best receiver last year, a guy with 110 catches, to go sixth-round, 184th overall, is there something in the draft process that you heard was a concern about you from NFL teams? Be it size, be it blocking as you said – was there one thing that has driven you this year to show people, “I can do this well, I should not have been a late third day pick with my resume?”) – “I think a lot of guys ended up unhappy on draft day, whether their name was called late or not called at all. I tried not to think of it that way, I tried to understand that whenever I was picked is when I was picked and what I do from there is my response and that’s how I’m going to carry myself. Obviously, would have loved to be picked earlier. That would have been great, but I wasn’t and so I’ve just tried to take in that and use that as kind of fuel to keep pushing and show others it doesn’t matter when you’re picked, it matters when you get there and what you do when you get there.”
(Just was curious about your maturity. Everybody says how mature you are, and even that answer that you just gave – like I asked Draymond Green a question about his draft stock, and he gave the same exact answer when he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year. I say that because you obviously have a very mature approach, and so I’m just curious, have you always been that way from a kid? Or is this just something that you’ve just developed over time?) – “I think early on, especially when I was first starting out way back in high school, I was too busy dwelling on things that didn’t go my way and different things like that and I’ve kind of shifted my mindset. I had gotten hurt in high school and through that I had shifted my mindset a little bit with the process, my outlook on football, my outlook on everything that was going on. From there, I feel like I’ve kind of understood like, man like, it might not always be your moment, things might not always go your way, but the response that you have, who you are when things don’t go your way and how you take care of business afterwards shows your true character.”
(Just a quick follow up, you said you got hurt in high school. What was the injury?) – “I tore my ACL.”
(Oh wow. And how long were you out for?) – “I missed the remainder of the season, but I played my senior season.”
Tuesday, December 24, 2024
OL Isaiah Wynn
(So I saw you got about half the reps at right guard – 51/49 split I saw with OL Liam Eichenberg – how did they go for you?) – “It went good. It definitely felt good being back out there with the team, being able to help contribute in any way, shape or form I can.”
(How did the idea of rotating come about? Have you ever been part of something like that and how comfortable would you feel now seeing maybe a full game’s worth of reps if called upon?) – “It was discussed earlier in the week so that was kind of the game plan that was discussed, so we just went out there and executed it. As far as how I feel coming back and all that, I feel great. So either way it goes, I’ll be ready whenever my name is called.”
(I just wanted to ask you, I believe you had a key block on that 50-yard run from RB De’Von Achane. I guess what did you see and just how good as an offensive lineman does it feel when you get a key block and one of your guys just breaks off for a 50-piece?) – “Any time we execute our blocks the way it’s supposed to be, that’s a great feeling. So being able to give our backs or whoever has the ball space and opportunity, that’s all they need. It’s not like they need a lot because of how talented they are, but definitely, it was a good feeling to seal that off on my side or wherever it was. But as a cohesive unit, everybody executed their block perfectly on that play for sure.”
(I’m doing something on Pro Bowl voting and Top 100 voting. You guys just recently voted for Pro Bowl I don’t know if you voted for Top 100, but I’m wondering the process – do you think players are comfortable making these decisions? Like are players aware enough of what’s going on around the league because I know you’re kind of tunnel vision. Are you comfortable in the voting process? Do you need help? How do you do it?) – “You see all the guys who perform well. Whether that’s it being broadcasted on the sports stations or whether it’s game film that you’re watching because when you break down film, you want two teams, two different teams. So that person you may be voting on may not be included in the team that you’re game planning for, but you do get to see that person. So that’s kind of how I go about it – what I’ve seen and what I think.”
(And here’s another weird question. Do players know everybody’s name because I know y’all know guys by number right? No. 95, No. 92 – do you know enough names do you think to make the Pro Bowl and Top 100 votes?) – “That goes back to my first answer. Once you see that guy on film, you may be like, ‘oh, that’s No. 95’ but then as you watch the film, you see No. 95, No. 95 some more; you’re like, ‘oh, I’ve got to know who he is.’ And then you find out his name through there, so I guess you kind of find out the name along with the number for sure.”
(I wanted to ask you from an offensive line perspective, what have you seen from the youngster LB Chop Robinson?) – “His progression has been crazy. Just to see where he started from when he came in, just to see him refining and honing on his skills. It’s scary. It’s scary to see how high his ceiling is so definitely looking forward to how he progresses throughout the rest of the season as well as following his career.”
(Two games left. Do you view this as an opportunity to kind of show the club that you should be resigned next year and kind of be in the mix for Dolphins starter?) – “I kind of don’t think too far ahead. We’ve got two games so really just one game and that’s this week. So that’s all I’m focused on and as I mentioned before, just trying to take advantage of any opportunity that I get to step out there on the field. Not too concerned about what the future holds.”
(I actually have a two-parter for you. The first one is I know you played pretty much every position across the offensive line since you got to the league, but this is the first time we saw you play at right guard in this system. I was curious how that transition was for you going from left side to right side?) – “It was a little bit of a transition, but only thing that changes is just the side of the line you’re on. So once I kind of got back in the swing of things, it was an easier transition once I got back in the swing of things.”
(And my follow-up is, initial impressions of playing alongside OL Aaron Brewer? He is some kind of athlete. I’m curious how that helps you do your job?) – “Oh man, ‘AB’ (Aaron Brewer) is a freak athlete. He gets the job done. He’s one of the guys who you can just ask him to do anything. I wouldn’t be surprised if they asked him to go catch a ball or run a route, but that’s ‘AB’ and then outside of that, he’s very intellectual. Very smart, very knowledgeable on offensive line play and defense-wise, so it’s a joy playing next to him. He’s one of the guys who you want to play next to and who you want to play for.”
Monday, December 23, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(With CB Kendall Fuller, did he hopefully not suffer a torn ACL or anything that’ll end his season?) – “Yeah, hopeful enough to hopefully have some better information tomorrow. Still sifting through that but to really be clear, I’d have to follow back up tomorrow. I’m anticipating having some more information for you on him in particular.”
(Is there concern it could be very serious though?) – “No. Not to that degree, no.”
(LB Jordyn Brooks, he actually came in back late yesterday, would that portend well for how he’s doing with the quad and the knee and his ability to potentially play Sunday?) – “I think what plays in his favor is he’s a tough warrior anyway, but on top of that, I think he’s playing some of the best football of his career and so it’s going to be pretty difficult to keep him off the field. I know he’ll do any and everything and so I feel optimistic just based on that. Our experience with him is that he’s found a way to make himself available and particularly right now where he’s playing some really good ball.”
(I did some charting on first down runs. I think I had 18 for 130 [yards] for you guys. I’m curious, what type of impact does that have on your offense when you can run that successfully on first down?) – “I think having that as a weapon opens up not only what you can do on second down, but the types of coverages and fronts and just kind of dictates the terms and just kind of brings some equilibrium to how people defend us. We learned early in the season that people would play as conservative as possible until we made them pay. When teams are generally doing that, they’re light in their fit and when you can have success on first down in particular, it opens your playbook up for further first downs, or second-and-4, you can just kind of attack a little bit more and who you’re trying to get the ball to. So it’s a big part of what we’re trying to do, just in terms of how you can play on schedule football, how you can minimize really good pass rushers because pass rushers are neutralized the most when they’re not pass rushing, when they’re having to transition from a run fit to work into a pass rush that’s generally enough time for you to do thing things that the quarterback and the eligible position that you can really affect the game. So I think for what we’re trying to do, you’re trying to move the ball, have time of possession – which I think we had over 30 (minutes) – and not turn the ball over. A key element is that execution and success of the running game on first down.”
(I saw you get the game ball from Mr. Ross, how cool was that moment and just curious what are those conversations like after games with Mr. Ross whether it’s win or lose?) – “For me, it was so much about the team and knowing what collectively we’ve gone through to be able to put a game together like that in that moment. As a human being, it’s still the game was about the team, but it was nice to – I feel so fortunate to have an owner like Mr. Ross who’s so supportive, and then on top of that, he’s taken the time to consider your journey, regardless of if it’s on my mind or not. Just that thoughtfulness and that gesture, I mean who doesn’t want to work for someone like that. It was a really cool moment that I wasn’t anticipating, and I just appreciated his thoughtfulness in that regard, but the day was about what we’ve been working endlessly to have a three-phase game like that. A lot of the time, forecasting and having to rely on our own beliefs and putting those into motion and actually executing and getting the return on the investment; it was a big deal, and it was a fun day at the office for all of us.”
(A couple of questions about WR Tyreek Hill. Last night, he’s saying that he thinks he needs more practice time with QB Tua Tagovailoa. Does Tyreek’s wrist ailment make that a tough decision? Does that factor into the equation to you?) – “Absolutely. I think that’s part of what he was voicing his frustration on – battling through injuries and things is a part of the NFL process that makes practice participation, particularly for veteran players, a little more tricky. I think the biggest thing is identifying and being able to, individually, I can only go off of the information provided in terms of – it’s why you depend on the trust factor within this business, because I can’t feel for him. So then you try to do right by him as best you can and he wants to do the right thing as well. Sometimes game situations provide the clarity to you that, ‘Hey, I need more of this to be able to execute that.’ So then you find different ways. Sometimes that’s challenging based upon the recovery from a previous game, but what isn’t challenging in the National Football League that’s worth anything? Those are things that as teammates, players are trying to find the solution, obviously trying to – I think you guys have heard how much I value practice – so I think all of that, we’re all working together to try to get the right formula for execution on game day.”
(WR Tyreek Hill talked about his frustration. He said “guys in here know what I’ve been going through” – have you talked to him about that frustration? Have you felt the need to talk to him about that frustration?) – “The frustration is that Tyreek (Hill) is a competitor and he wants to be – his greatest self, competing on the football field. He really has a different level of competitor in him that he can’t help himself but go 100 miles an hour on the football field and loves to train. He’s always been known as a very deliberate, aggressive full-out practice player, so being able to utilize what he knows is his platform on this team as a captain and utilize his greatest strength which is his disposition as a competitor; that’s something that when he feels in certain weeks that he can’t do that, it takes something away from him. It’s a frustrating process and guys know that he doesn’t want to watch, he wants to play. So all of that is just an example of how the list of things that players go through in an NFL season; it’s not just showing up on Sunday and sometimes you have to take mental reps based upon the work week. Is it a short week? Was it an overtime game the week before? Did you have 11 targets and nine completions? Did we throw it to you over the middle 18 times? Whatever those things are, you have to find solutions and there’s always variables that make it complicated. The key is that guys know exactly what their motivation is, what they’re trying to do and when you fall short of exactly what you envisioned your execution to be like, you turn the page and you address the problem and sometimes you have to be creative. But I think ultimately Tyreek just has super high expectations for himself and I think he is unwavering in that because the responsibility he feels as one of the best players in the league at any position and certainly one of the best players on this team. I think there’s a lot that goes with that responsibility and that burden that he puts on himself and when you don’t get the results that you work for, you get frustrated and the great thing about Tyreek is that he’s a competitor and will not skirt around solutions and will work as best he can and you do what you can with the situation at hand. He’s playing through a ton of discomfort and guys recognize that and he’s one of the reasons why our team is able to compete through all the ups and downs of the season at this stage of the season because he’s a tone setter that a lot of guys match.”
(Will WR Jaylen Waddle practice this week?) – “I’m expecting to get absolutely everything from Jaylen Waddle that he can do. I’ve learned over time to not forecast with him, just his pain tolerance, his competitiveness. I’ve been talking to our head athletic trainer at length about making sure that we protect him from himself because he’s one of those guys that will try to will himself to performance. So we’ll see how the week progresses. I don’t really know exactly what it’ll look like at a couple positions, but at this point in the season, that’s old hat. You have a lot of people that are ready to contribute and you have to be able to adjust and we’ll take it day by day and see how it goes.”
(Have you and General Manager Chris Grier decided whether LB Bradley Chubb will be activated by Wednesday’s deadline?) – “What’s today?”
(Monday.) – “That’s a lifetime in the National Football League. Those conversations will be had in the immediate future. We haven’t tied the bow on that yet, but Bradley (Chubb) is working downstairs today and we will get to that point shortly.”
(It seems like CB Kader Kohou might be playing some of the best ball of his career at this point right now. Just curious what you can say about him, what he brings to the table every single day and how it translates to on-field performance?) – “He’s a prime example of a guy that had the intangibles to do what very few guys do and that’s contribute as an undrafted rookie, and with that, he kind of settled in on some expectations and with changes in the system and some injury stuff, he hasn’t always been satisfied with where he was at and he kept fighting. And I think just as of late, you can tell his teammates are rallying around his play because they know how important it is to him and they know how important he is to our defense and our team. When he’s playing well, he’s a coverage player that stops the ball in space like a linebacker. He has instincts and the toughness and just really the football awareness to do things in the run and pass game and nickel defense that is of primary importance. He’s at the point of attack a lot, so when his game is going, he not only makes plays but he affects his teammates both in as the corners and safeties as well as the linebackers. I couldn’t be happier for him because he’s battled through, like I said, some injuries and stuff and you can really feel the momentum of his game increasing and case in point, that interception was a clinic curl responsibility in Cover 2 that he read the quarterback’s eyes and played off the pass rush and the timing of the play, knew where the eligibles were but played fundamentals and technique the way that we would go clinic it in Phase 2. And when guys get production off of technique and fundamental work and are able to utilize it appropriately, it’s a big deal and it’s how you play sound and effective football. We know takeaways lead – plus/minus lead is the greatest indicator of wins and losses, so it was a big deal for our team and couldn’t have come at a bigger moment.”
(K Jason Sanders hitting the field goals that he’s hit, eight straight from 50-plus – how does that affect strategy as a head coach? How do you view the 50-yard field goal? Is it almost a sure thing and could you see yourself allowing Jason to attempt something from 60, 61, 62?) – “It’s a great point that you brought up because specifically the last field goal, the thought process and the play calling from my perspective was a direct result of my confidence in both Jason (Sanders) and our defense. Just having the ability to run time off the clock and make sure it was a running clock either forcing to use a timeout or leaking the time when you feel super confident that you are going to make it a touchdown game and then you feel super confident that the opposing offense is going to have a tough time going the length of the field and putting it in the end zone, you can play appropriate complementary ball and that’s what we’ve been striving for, but the play calling decision was a direct result of that conviction and confidence which allows teams to really have to do above and beyond to beat you. And that’s the way you want to be playing December football, is hedging your bet, taking calculated risks, but being able to lean on all three phases to get the W.”
Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024
Postgame – San Francisco 49ers
Dolphins DT Calais Campbell
(Just talk about the grit of your team to kind of pull this out here in the fourth quarter when you needed it.) – “This team, we know when we do it well, we can do it very well. We know that our chances are slim, but there’s a lot of fight left. And if we have a chance, we’re going to fight for it. There was a lot of good messaging this whole week. I think also a lot of guys know and understand Coach (Mike) McDaniel coming from there, and you can kind of tell it was a little personal to him. Guys went out there and played as hard as they could play. It was fun, it was a good game. They’re a very similar team to us, a lot of the same situations and stuff. We knew coming in that they were a great team and they were going to make it hard on us. But I was proud of my guys. We fought. We just kept believing and kept fighting and at the end of the day, as long as we’re alive we’re going to act like we’re alive.”
(Can you talk about the fourth quarter? Kind of got pretty much finished then got the turnover…?) – “I feel like we just kept believing, we kept playing good ball. Obviously when you’re playing a team like that, it’s a four quarter ball game. It’s never going to be you put them to bed early and they just disappear. They’re as talented as can be everywhere. Their YAC, their guys are crazy – (George) Kittle, Deebo (Samuel), (Jauan) Jennings. They have so many guys that can break so many tackles. Another good running back, I don’t know where he came from, he was a tough tackle. I was shocked how hard he was to tackle. And they’ve got a great play caller. Moved the ball with the screens and the boot game, mixing up the run and the timing and everything. They made it hard on us, but we kept believing, kept fighting and took it one play at a time and found a way to get it done.”
(How much did knowing you needed a win to have a chance at making the playoffs just kind of fire you guys up today?) – “Extremely, maximum amount. At the end of the day, we’re going to play football if we had no more chance. Guys are going to play because we respect the game. But when you have something to fight for, when you have just a little bit of life, it’s something you hold on to. You’ve got to hold on to it and protect it and go as hard as you can go. Obviously, we would like to be in a better situation, but we still got life. So we’re going to act like we do and we’re going to continue to prepare and fight with everything we have. It’s football so crazier things have happened. I’ve seen it happen before. So we’re not out of the fight just yet, but at the end of the day, all we can do is control what we can control and we can’t really worry about all the other stuff that needs to happen and just do our part. At the end of the day, we can live with that.”
(Any holiday plans?) – “Hang out with the family. Take care of the loved ones and the kids. Not really, I didn’t realize we have Christmas off until now, so I might try to find some charity stuff to do, but we’ll see. But hang with the kids and hang with the family.”
Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024
Postgame – San Francisco 49ers
Miami Dolphins K Jason Sanders
(Back in 2019 – 2020 season, that’s the first time you set the record. 23 consecutive kicks, does that add a little bit of pressure or does that add a little bit of needing to hit that kick on the next one?) – “No, because I knew it was up there somewhere but I didn’t know which one it was at. Every kick is going to be the same, whether it’s a 50-yarder or a 20-yarder, I’m still going to treat it like it is the same kick.”
(There’s going to be a small contingency of Dolphins fans that going into this year were questioning whether you can be consistent from 50, pretty much shattered that expectation. Can you talk a little bit about that?” – “I think we’ve hit a lot of 50s this year; probably more than half of it probably would have been good for one season, but whatever kick I can do to help this team win. That’s all it is, I’m trying to do my best out here. That’s it.”
(I know it’s your job here to make all these kicks but to be able to have a game like this, essentially keep your teams playoff hopes alive, describe that feeling, just being an integral part of that?) – “Just being able to put your team in a position to win football games is probably up there with one of the best things you can do for this team.”
Sunday, December 22, 2024
Postgame – San Francisco 49ers
Dolphins RB De’Von Achane
(You guys still have slim chances but guys are still playing hard. How do you take this game and go into Cleveland and New York, these two games and change that narrative about the cold weather and you guys could win in the cold weather?) – “No matter the chances, but it’s football. We signed up to play this game, and chances or not, I feel like you should go out there every game and still give your all. If you have chances, then you have chances. I feel like that’s the mentality I have – to go out there and play this game that I love. And dealing with the cold, everybody’s going to say what they want to say it so we’ve got to go out there to Clevland and handle business.”
(On that touchdown run, how surprised were you that that hole was there?) – “It was a few runs that I wish I could have back to make a run like that, so I feel like the offense, we did a great job running the ball and the offensive line did a great job as well. We allowed no sacks, so we had a pretty good game today.”
(What did it feel like to end the game like that?) – “It feels good. Like you said, we feel like the offense when the ball is in our hands and we’ve got a chance to end the game, I feel like we did a good job with that. We know who we can be when we’re clicking on all cylinders. I feel like it ain’t just us. I think we played a good game in all three phases. Jason Sanders was five-for-five in field goals and the defense made a few plays for us as well. I feel like when we all play great, I feel like we are a hard team to beat.”
Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024
Postgame – San Francisco 49ers
Dolphins T Terron Armstead
(As a leader on this team to have a little bit of life here with two games. Just describe that feeling knowing there is still something to play for.) – “I told this to the guys before the game, which we know. I love our approach to how we go about our business. Regardless of the situation or circumstances you’ve got to go out and win. This game has to be played unconditional. You can’t just play depending on what the circumstance is, playoff scenarios; because the film doesn’t come with descriptions. You’re watching the film years later, it doesn’t have the record or none of that on there. So you’ve got to go out and perform, do your job.”
(How did you feel out there?) – “Great. Great. Playing football, having fun, got a win. Feel great.”
(What does it say about this team because of the situation you guys are in, to play a type of game like that, against a team like that?) – “It’s the only way. It’s the only way. The same thing next week. Be locked in tomorrow, film study, workouts. Go attack the week and go out and get a win.”
(How satisfying was it for the offense to get the touchdown at the end?) – “It feels good when you know you put some work in and you reap the benefits of it. You get the rewards of it. Big touchdown. We love to see it.”
(What did you think of RB De’Von Achane’s performance tonight? 190 yards from scrimmage.) – “He’s a special player. A special talent. Catching the ball, running the ball, making people miss in space. He’s so dangerous when he just has the smallest amount of space. He gets through crevices that many people can’t and then he’s a homerun threat at the same time. Teams have to stay on top of him. If he gets the edge, he’s gone.”
Sunday, December 22, 2024
Postgame – San Francisco 49ers
Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel
Mike, what did this team prove to itself tonight, and what did this team, if anything, prove to you tonight?
MIKE McDANIEL: I think it was important to a lot of guys to collectively have an effort when we knew – shoot, if you’re hanging on to a team because you believe in it as players, this is the time that you find success is in an adverse situation where most may quit. It’s been a long season, but it was probably the validation of why we’ve really been putting so much into this team and why we’ve been fighting for the season to stay alive because I think there’s been a lot of learning lessons, tough ones at that, and we’ve been waiting for a three-phase game that I think we had today. That’s why you get into sports is for a validation of that, and the season’s not over to our team. So we live to fight another day and look forward to building upon that against Cleveland.
This is your franchise’s fifth straight winning record at home. Obviously you guys have had more struggles on the road. Is the next step to figure out how to replicate what you’re doing here and travel with it?
MIKE McDANIEL: Part of the reason why the team put itself in position to win today is because there’s a lot in football that may be correlation, not causation. So all the things that you haven’t done, if you really look at it with a fine tooth comb, yes, naturally you have to win in all atmospheres and against all different opponents. But the bigger thing is, when you’re trying to play football so that in the inevitable situation that you face every season, an elimination game, whether it’s to get in the playoffs or it’s in the playoffs, you want to be tooled with a team that can succeed or execute in those types of situations. I think the list is long when you’re talking about all the things that this team has to do that it has yet to do, but the formula is the same. You’re in a stadium, there’s two football teams, and you have to be the best one with the most points that day. I think that mindset, for all the stuff to go on during the course of the year, for the naysayers to be aplenty, I was just proud of this effort and proud of the guys’ effort in general. And that gives you a chance to win December football. Regardless, unless you’re playing in February, you also have to get adept at experiencing that, going through that, having some momentum and then going back and applying it to the next opponent because no one cares about one win in December or January realistically. It’s about accumulating those. I was happy. It kind of met what I had hoped for. The biggest thing was we played some complementary football, and when we did have an offensive penalty that resulted in a field goal attempt as opposed to a touchdown, we executed on that. When we needed to get a stop at the end of the game, we got a pick. When they got down in the tight red (area), more often than not, we kept them to field goals. All of those things are a winning formula.
WR Tyreek Hill earlier said, when asked about those mental lapses on the drops, the Wednesday reps are starting to show, the rest days are starting to show. From your perspective, what are those pros and cons of giving a guy like that those rest days?
MIKE McDANIEL: I think you’re trying to do an imperfect formula all the time. The good news is that you operate – like the key to all of it is communication between our coaching prep and the player, and you’re trying to yield the best performance on game day, and the great news is when a player on Sunday can feel the rest in a negative way, then you adjust. Whenever it hits a player and they feel that it has accumulated, then you adjust your plans because the idea is, above all else, executing and feeling as convicted and confident on game day. There’s always pros and cons with any sort of rest. Shoot, I want every player to play 100 percent of the practice snaps at full tilt every week. You have an imperfect formula of trying to figure out how to rest guys and what does best for their body. I think the adjustment to getting more reps with Tua (Tagovailoa), that’s an easy one. You know what I’ll do? I’ll say, hey, get more reps, and then they’ll do it. But it’s the communication aspect, and you hate for guys to feel like they’re not properly tooled in any sort of situation. So you just adjust off that and make sure we get better from it, not worse.
How are CB Kendall Fuller and LB Jordyn Brooks doing? Are they serious?
MIKE McDANIEL: I’ll definitely need more (information). It will be until tomorrow. We’ll see on that. I really didn’t have a feeling either way. Sometimes you get a feeling that it might. I really didn’t have any structural feel to it as they went into the blue tent. Then JB (Jordyn Brooks) – he got hit pretty hard in the lower half, but it wasn’t like a joint or a knee or an ankle. So we’ll see how long that takes. It was a pretty good shot, though.
Going against your good friend and coaching mentor in 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan for the second time, and winning this one, what was it like playing that chess game against someone you know so well and to beat him this time?
MIKE McDANIEL: I was proud of the fact that I literally thought about it zero percent of the time. The reason why I say proud is because it’s not about me, and the second that I’m thinking about any sort of relationship relative to a coach, I’m not thinking about how to best position players for success. I was really happy for our team to go – it wasn’t like ‘the 49ers are going through injuries.’ That is a good team that does not quit. So to earn something in that way, I thought our guys deserved it and played the way you have to play and committed the way you have to commit to do that. But beyond that, there’s a lot of relationships that – I love that organization and the players and coaches that I have experience with, but I honestly didn’t even think about it because I would be lashing myself if I was.
You rotated OL Liam Eichenberg and OL Isaiah Wynn tonight. What was the decision behind that, and could you evaluate each player’s performance?
MIKE McDANIEL: I’d have to see the tape first, but I thought overall it was really good to get Isaiah in. The way he’s worked to get on the field, every teammate has watched and witnessed it, and you’re just kind of careful to not overload someone. So we went into the game planning for Isaiah and Liam to go every two series, which I thought had an effective result. The defensive line we were going against majors in line changes. They were subbing left and right all over the place, so I thought we’d render better results in the run and pass game. I think both of their executions were partially revealed with zero sacks. We had some good rushing numbers and controlled the line of scrimmage the way we wanted to. I thought they both did a good job, and I will see how it kind of grades out play by play tomorrow on the day before the day before Christmas.
With TE Jonnu Smith breaking the team tight end records, how were you and the coaching staff able to unlock this kind of season out of him, and how happy are you with all the hard work he’s put in that he’s been able to become the most productive Dolphin tight end in history?
MIKE McDANIEL: I think that it’s really cool to watch him. It’s not like Jonnu started off with a ton of numbers like Week 1. I can’t remember the first game – I know his first touchdown was (in Week 7 at) Indy, I believe. But like just getting used to his skill set – I know he said I gave him one of the game balls after the game. He brought (Assistant Head Coach/Tight Ends) Jon Embree up and said he was the best coach that he’s ever had and just watch those guys gel, figuring out different things, the ways that we can involve him because he impacts the game in a unique way and complements the rest of our players so well because guys are trying to cover a bunch of space and/or eligibles and when they are a little half yard out of position, Jonnu generally makes them pay. I think he never blinked at the beginning of the season, and was worried about the right stuff, worried about getting better and being his best. As a result, he’s been a key contributor week in and week out, and I know opposing defenses don’t want us to get him the ball. They’d prefer that. It’s cool to see a lot of guys have success that it wasn’t just handed to them, but they’ve earned through the course of a season in not always ideal circumstances.
Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024
Postgame – San Francisco 49ers
Dolphins DT Zach Sieler
(You always seem to find the quarterback this season, what’s just been different where you’ve been able to get to him?) – “I wouldn’t say it’s anything different. I think it’s more so playing as a unit up front. With this defense, obviously we’re in a new defense this year and just learning how to play off each other and how to I guess take advantage of each call that ‘Weave’ (Anthony Weaver) does to the best of our abilities. It allows us to play free and off one another and that’s what’s so great about it so it’s been good”
(Fourth quarter you guys finally turned it alive, just describe the feeling of finally seeing it click there.) – “Yeah, it was great. I mean, obviously seeing Chop (Robinson) and Calais (Campbell) get back there a couple times and seeing everyone just kind of work and just kind of click like that to finish the game was awesome. You talk about being closers and having that energy, and have that juice at the end of the game and being able to make those adjustments throughout the game. So to be able to do that is great, so we’ve just got to continue that battle and take to Cleveland next week.”
(I know you want to be a professional no matter what, but how much better does it feel knowing you have something to play for in terms of the playoffs?) – “I mean, like you said, you answered, you gave me my answer, right? (laughter) I mean, I don’t care if it’s one percent or no percent, like, we’re going to play the hardest no matter what. That’s how I was raised, the name on my back, and the name on the front. I mean, representing this organization every day. But I think it is great to be able to have that opportunity still there, to still be in the reach, in the hunt to make the playoffs. I think we have a great shot and we will do our job and see what happens.”
Sunday, December 22, 2024
Postgame – San Francisco 49ers
Dolphins CB Kader Kohou
When was the last time you had a game-saving, sealing interception?
KADER KOHOU: In the league?
Anywhere.
KADER KOHOU: Anywhere? College, my sophomore year. That was a long time ago. I had to get this one.
What did you see on the play?
KADER KOHOU: I know when they go three by one they like to run like a dagger to (Jauan Jennings). So we were in Cover 2. I just made it look like it was man and then last second I got back and he threw it straight to me.
What did it do for this team to get this win and keep hopes alive?
KADER KOHOU: It’s huge for us, man. I feel like we have a playoff team. A lot of games didn’t go our way this year, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that we do have a good team and a lot of great players. We’ve just got to keep winning games. I know it’s not all in our hands right now, but we’ve just got to do what we can do.
There were some teams with the result last week, they pack it in. They’re thinking about Cancun. You guys obviously did not. Why was it important to put the performance out there that you did today?
KADER KOHOU: Like I said the whole year, even when things weren’t going our way, we always thought we were a playoff team. There’s not any thoughts in our mind about Cancun or anything like that. We’re still thinking about the playoffs and we’re just trying to win every game.
Do you think that should have been a good pick for Big Benito Jones?
KADER KOHOU: Yeah, I thought the rule was, if you had possession of it then it hits the ground, that’s your ball. I don’t know, the refs made a call and you just have to live with it.
What did you think of his effort today, dive for it, loses his helmet, tried to get up?
KADER KOHOU: And run the ball. He’s crazy, man. That’s Benito, he just showed he’s a great athlete right there. He can run the ball. He’s probably going to ask to get put on offense next week. (laughter)
Are you returning an interception if your helmet is off or are you going down?
KADER KOHOU: No, you know I’m going down. (laughter) A helmet is hard. I don’t want to get nothing crazy to the head.
Do you have any fun holiday plans?
KADER KOHOU: My little brother just got here yesterday so just spend time with him. My mom and my dad didn’t get to make it, but I’m just going to spend time with my little brothers.
Sunday, December 22, 2024
Postgame – San Francisco 49ers
Dolphins TE Jonnu Smith
It seems like you and Tua have really been able to create a bond as the season has progressed. Can you take us through what you guys have been able to build off the field that has kind of translated into what we see?
JONNU SMITH: Absolutely. Getting in here, I think I signed in March or something. I actually signed before free agency officially opened up, and I just knew the kind of player that I was going to be having the pleasure to play with, and that was awesome and everything but didn’t know the man. When I got to meet him and just be around him, it’s a lot more easier to go out there and establish the connection that we have when we build a relationship like that we have off the field. Whether it be talking about family or just situations that we go through in life, man, like just to dive beneath surface level and just grow and build that camaraderie with one another. He’s a great man. I’ve got nothing but great things to say about Tua, just the type of leader he is, the type of father he is, husband. He’s an ace of a man, and I’m honored to come in here and help him achieve success for himself as well. He alluded to that earlier with me coming in here and obviously getting a record, but he’s got just as much to do with that as I do. Again, just extremely appreciative for him. That’s my guy.
First year on the team, FIU Panther, but when you think about it, when you saw your name on the jumbotron and the ovation from fans when you got the record for receptions and receiving yards for a tight end, what was going through your mind?
JONNU SMITH: God it good all the time. All praise is due to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It’s been an eventful year for me, man. You know what I mean? From the standpoint of individually obviously, but just from the standpoint of coming in here and kind of going through OTAs and training camp and knowing the plan, but just over exceeding the expectations. And I put the work in. I do, man, but I hang my hat on the word of God. As man can plant and man can water, but it’s God that gives the increase. So I can put all the work in, stay after practice like I do. I work my butt off, man, because I understand I’ve been given a gift, and it’s up to me to continue to cultivate that. But at the end of the day, God is either going to continue to progress it if he chooses to. And he’s been doing that in my life. I’ve just got a heart of gratitude right now, a heart of thankfulness for this entire organization for believing in me, for my teammates, the entire offense, and just trusting in my ability to say, ‘listen, man, this is a guy that we’ve got to implement on a consistent basis in this offense.’ This is the first time that I’ve been able to really come into my own in my career and it’s Year 8. And God’s timing is perfect, not complaining about anything, anything in my past. I’ve been around a lot of great coaches. Speaking of coaches, man, I talk a lot about – I give a lot of guys credit up here, Tua and Mike (McDaniel), but let me talk about Jon Embree for a minute. ‘Embo’ (Jon Embree) has been such a huge part of this thing right here, man. I had a lot of great coaches. You talk about Arthur Smith, he’s doing his thing over there in Pittsburgh. ‘Embo’ has just taken my game to another level, you know what I mean? Just the standard that he holds me to every day. Obviously you look at the list of guys that he had, it’s no secret, the type of coach he is. You go from (George) Kittle to Tony Gonzalez, and the list goes on, just Pro Bowlers that he had. Just his belief in me has allowed me to take my game to another level. ‘Embo’ like the OG, like the ‘unc’ (uncle) that you don’t want to let down. I had a play, it wasn’t a bad play, but Embo knows the ability I have. He want me to get everything to help me be better as a player. I run out of bounds on one play, and he’s going crazy over there, man, because he knows, like ‘listen man, you get the ball in your hands, you can do damage.’ So just him holding me to certain standards like that and having that in the back of my mind, I never really had that push in my career and I had a lot of great coaches and been able to build a lot of great relationships, but Jon Embree has been a huge part of all my success. I’ve got a lot of love and appreciation for ‘Embo.’
What was going through your mind as the 50-yard De’Von Achane touchdown run was developing?
JONNU SMITH: Made a hell of a play. It was a hell of a play. We understand the game of football. Listen, man, when you’re out there in the heat of the moment and you’re in between the white lines and you see opportunities to make a big play, it’s kind of natural instinct to make a big play. That’s what we’re trying to do. That’s what we train all year round for. That’s what we grind and make a lot of sacrifices for. Great, the O-line went out there and executed a great scheme and great play call by Mike (McDaniel) and ‘Von’ (De’Von Achane) saw a lane. And ‘Von’ did what he does and he got loose, and it just happened. We’ll get to the other stuff later. We got the win. Let’s celebrate, hell of a game by ‘Von.’ Happy for him as well.
Sunday, December 22, 2024
Postgame – San Francisco 49ers
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa
Your thoughts on the win?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: That was awesome. That was super cool. I think that was something that we needed to see as a team together. You could see in all three phases that we were able to play the complementary football that we said we wanted to play. The defense giving the offense opportunities to go put points on the board. Then when there were times where we didn’t do what we wanted to do offensively, the defense held. Jason (Sanders) was 5-for-5. He was able to help with putting points on the board for us as well.
When you guys get those scoring opportunities, how important is scoring those touchdowns? You had two passes to WR Tyreek Hill – one was deflected, but then the other was dropped. How big could those be in these big games?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: In all these games, now that we’re coming to the end of the year, they’re all big. We’re looking for all our big time playmakers to make the plays that we know that they can make, me included. Every time we have that opportunity to go and score, that’s what we want to do. You know it’s tough. Those guys prepare the same way that we do. They get paid as well. They’re going to do their best to stop that from happening, but as long as we’re locked in on our details and saying and doing the things that we’re saying we’re going to do, I think for the most part we should be fine.
WR Tyreek Hill made multiple references to not getting enough valuable reps in weeks of practice. What do you think there from your perspective as far as connectivity throughout the week into game day?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: If he told you that, then that’s what we need more of. We need reps. Me and him need more reps. That’s what we’ve got to do. That’s the secret sauce to me being able to connect with all these guys. You guys see Jonnu (Smith) here, that’s the secret sauce. If we miss a throw, if we’re off on a throw in the team practice or in a routes on-air rep, we’ll get together in whatever time we have, whether it’s after or during, while the defense is on, and we’ll get those reps made up. Telling him what I see and then him also telling me how he feels with running it. That has a lot to do with reps for sure.
You’re responsible for putting a lot of your teammates in the record books. With TE Jonnu Smith specifically, how special was it to get him that record today?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I wouldn’t say that’s something that I do. Jonnu is a man of faith, and I would say that’s something only God can do. For Jonnu to have come here and believed that I could be the quarterback for him to be able to help him achieve his goals and things that he’s wanted to do playing in the NFL – I can say he’s open. He’s open. If you give him the ball, you see what he does with the ball. Yeah, I’ve heard the reference safety blanket, so it’s my safety blanket, if you will. (laughter) I think the cooler thing though, and even while Jonnu is in here – and he knows this too – the coolest thing about all of that is all the accolades and whatnot is cool for him, but how he is as a teammate, how he goes out there and approaches his business, like trust me, he’s a dawg, he wants the ball, but that’s not his mentality. Like his mentality is it’ll come. I’m like, Jonnu, we’ve got to get you the ball. ‘It will come. Just let it play out. If we’ve got to run the ball, we’ll keep running the ball.’ I think that should tell you a lot about the mindset he has coming into these games and whatnot, and when he does get these opportunities, he cherishes them.
Did you know you guys are still alive for the playoffs?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: We’re just focused on one game at a time right now. We got the Niners out of the way, and we’ll focus on the Browns and Christmas.
The run game was more effective overall today than it’s been in a lot of games. Can you speak specifically to how that helps you?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I think that helps our offense. It doesn’t just help me, it helps our offense when we can play at will and run the ball the way we want to, the way we say we want to, and exactly how we said we want to attack their defense; I think the opportunities for us offensively are endless. With the (play) action game, then you can go on the ball, quick, no huddle, it throws them off, forces them to communicate a lot. So a lot of those things have definitely helped in this game when it came to the run game.
Being in the NFL, there’s the criticism that comes with it. Head Coach Mike McDaniel has had more criticism this year than he’s had in years past. How do you react to that, and what do you think of the job he’s done this year?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I think he’s done a great job. I think criticism comes with the job, whether you’re a head coach, whether you’re a player, and it comes at different types of levels of it, right? Some are more severe than others, but that’s what it comes with. We understand, when we signed up to play football, that that’s what it was. It is what it is at the end of the day. It is what it is. We just love football. We love to do this. We don’t take this for granted, that’s for sure, and I think that’s been the message to a lot of the guys in the locker room is like you can remember a time when you were a kid, when you were in high school, when you were in college, you wanted to be an NFL football player, and now you got that opportunity. Regardless of the circumstances that you’re in, you get to play for an NFL football team, and that’s something special.
You have 100 career passing touchdowns, first one here at Hard Rock Stadium, your 100th one here at Hard Rock Stadium, can you just give us the emotions?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I just found that out today. That’s cool. That’s awesome that we got to do that in a win. But as far as the accolades and whatnot, that’s probably least on my mind. I’m just trying to find ways that we can end the season the way we want to and control what we can control. We go from there.
Sunday, December 22, 2024
Postgame – San Francisco 49ers
Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill
Q. How big was this win just to keep you guys relevant for what remains?
TYREEK HILL: It was huge, man. The guys came together, played for one another. We just executed when we needed it, man. Moving forward, this was a big motivator for a lot of guys on this team. It gave everybody on this team the juice that we need moving forward.
Q. On the opening drive when you and Tua weren’t able to connect, it looked like you pointed to your visor or your eyes something. Can you take us through what happened there?
TYREEK HILL: As a leader, in those moments, I feel like at the end of the day, I need those valuable reps with Tua. Those vet rest days are starting to show. I completely blame myself for not getting my head around and not seeing the ball because, if I see a ball, we’re talking cross-court, 70-yard touchdown. But those Wednesday reps are definitely showing. As a leader, I’ve just got to be able to bite the bullet sometime and practice and get those valuable reps with QB1 because, if we’re able to stay on the field on third down, who knows what could happen. Like De’Von Achane can break 60 yards. Jonnu can catch a screen and go to the house. Just got to be able to get those valuable reps with the quarterback.
Q.Q.You had the touchdown, but two other throws in the end zone. Do you feel you should have come up with those? I know one of them was tipped a little bit.
TYREEK HILL: Yeah, on the deep ball, it was tipped by the defensive back, and on the other one, it’s just, again, missing those valuable reps with the quarterback. One thing I learned from Coach Reid whenever I was in Kansas City, I was blessed to be able to play under such a great head coach, is you can’t just show up on Sunday. You’ve got to be able to prepare yourself Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, even Saturday. Then when it’s Sunday, it’s easy. Once again, us missing those valuable reps because when it’s live speed, everything’s moving so fast. We need those valuable reps whenever it’s Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Q. This hasn’t been the year you’ve obviously wanted personally. Do you think this is just a speed bump, or are you worried this might carry over to next year?
TYREEK HILL: I’m not too worried about it. I do what I have to do regarding like whatever I got to do to get better. A lot of guys understand what I’m dealing with this year, and I’m going to continue to be a leader, continue to be the best guy I can be for this team no matter what, you know what I’m saying? Obviously there are a lot of things that I wish I can get back and do better, but at the end of the day, I’m going to continue to fight. I’m going to continue to be out there for my team. That’s all I can be, man. Just be myself, and I’m grateful I’m in this situation because I’m learning a lot about myself. I’m learning how to be patient. I’m learning how to be more mature about situations whenever they don’t go my way. I’m actually learning a lot from it. It’s the NFL. It’s not easy. I know in the past I’ve made it look easy, but this year it’s kind of tough, but it is what it is, man. I’m human. I’ll bounce back.
