DT Christian Wilkins
(I know pressure can bust pipes but they also make diamonds. This loss, the last loss you had, closes out 2022. You’ll get a chance to move on on the first of January. How do you look to bounce back?) – “Well, it’s definitely going to start with each individual looking at themselves in the mirror and checking to see the things they can do better and the things they can do well. That’s really where it starts is just that accountability. Then it’s going to be the leaders on the team making sure that everyone is doing what they need to be doing and handling their business so that we can shake this. It’s not like – there’s little things here and there throughout the game that we can improve upon that we need to do better. And we need to do that collectively as a team and as individuals. It’s not one person’s fault. It’s not this, that or the other. I see things and hear things. We win as a team and we lose as a team. It’s not one specific person doing this or doing that, and I’m not going to allow that to be the thought process of a guy on the team. Everyone has to look in the mirror and see what they can do better.”
(How do you hold everyone accountable? You’ve been on this team for about four years and it seems like every time the season comes to a close, it’s kind of like a letdown. How do you hold everyone in the locker room accountable?) – “Like I said, it’s just going to start with belief first of all, that we can do all of the things we set out to do at the beginning of the year. And then the leaders on the team are going to have to bring guys along and make that decision. The only way I know to get out of something is to work. That’s all I know. That’s how I was raised. That’s how I operate. You just got to go back to work and improve for New England.”
(The last couple of years, there have been big games that didn’t go your guys’ way in a must-have situation. You kind of run into one of those on Sunday and then against the Jets in Week 18 as well. Can you draw from those experiences the last couple of years?) – “Yeah. You’re not necessarily thinking of it as a must-win. You just try to approach it as ‘Alright, this is the game at hand.’ You’re not thinking of – you can’t win two until you win this one. So we’re going to put our all into New England this week. That’s what it is. Yeah, there’s a few guys who have been on the team the last couple of years who can definitely learn from it and just use that. But really it’s a new year, a new team, a new season and things like that. So you’re just going to have to bring it and do your best all week so you can win on Sunday.”
(You had two pass deflections in the game. Did DE Emmanuel Ogbah pass something down to you? What was the key to that?) – “Definitely just staying consistent. Just doing my best to rush, push the pocket, win and then if not, read my indicator. If he’s looking like he’s going to try to make a throw and I can get my hand up, I’m going to do that. I had an opportunity for a few more. I always try to find ways to affect the game as best I can.”
(Of all the things that Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer puts as priorities for you all as a group, where do you think you all have fallen short? Takeaways? Third downs? What would be on top of your list?) – “I think we can definitely do a better job of takeaways and things like that. The things you said. Just really, we’ve got to – when we have to be our best, just be our best. I’m not saying that we haven’t done that, but that’s a point of emphasis that I always can go to. When it’s third down, when it’s red area, it doesn’t matter what happens in the game. Wherever the ball is spotted, we’ve got to be our best. And in those high-pressure situations or those more meaningful situations, like the red area, two-minute, third down, things like that, you’ve got to be at your best.”
(Did you get to see Dabo Swinney after the game?) – “Yeah, I did. That was cool. I got to see him today actually, too. They were here. It feels good to see some familiar faces. It was good to see that paw in South Florida.”
(Did you watch any of Clemson’s practice or did it overlap with your meetings?) – “I wasn’t able to get over there.”
(Is there anything Dabo Swinney told you that stood out?) – “No. He was just proud of me. Just continue to do the things that I’m doing. He just said I hadn’t changed since college. Just work hard, play hard and keep that going.”
(Are you going to be able to go to the Orange Bowl?) – “We’ll see. I’m a pretty process and routine oriented person so if that messes up my schedule and my routine, I don’t know if I’ll be able to shake it. But we’ll see what happens.”
(Going back to the 2015 Orange Bowl game, do you ever recap on that 31-yard fake punt reception?) – “I do remember that. I do recall. (laughter) Since Clemson has been announced to the Orange Bowl, I’ve seen a lot of the social media people talking about it like the last time Clemson was in the Orange Bowl, Big Man Wilk (had that catch) down the sideline. (laughter) It was a big play and whatnot. It was cool to see the videos. You reminisce for a second.”
(Do you ever reminisce about playing in Hard Rock Stadium in your college senior year and now you’re in the NFL?) – “Definitely. It’s definitely just cool. I even thought and said in college that this was one of my favorite stadiums to play in. I played at least two or three times at Hard Rock (Stadium) in college and now I get to play there every home game on Sundays. It’s definitely cool, and the perspective to think about where I was and where I am now. It’s cool to keep it all in perspective.”
(You’re about to play in Gillette Stadium. You must have some mystique in your mind growing up?) – “Absolutely. I say it every year, every time we play in New England, it’s no secret I was the biggest diehard fan of those guys. But now I’m the biggest Dolphins fan. (laughter) I’ll have a lot of family and friends there. It’s back home. It’s a home game for me. I always get a little nostalgic and a little more emotional driving in on Sunday to the stadium because it feels like home. It is home. It means a little bit more for me.”
(I tweeted yesterday that I would take DT Zach Sieler in a short-yardage situation against anybody in the NFL. Would you agree with that?) – “He’s been doing that for years. That’s kind of how he got his start in this league. In those short-yardage situations, even when he wasn’t playing much, he knew how to get a stop on short yardage. His game has developed so much and it’s been so fun to watch and fun to see. We constantly joke now about how bad Zach used to be and how awful you have to be to be a Division II walk-on. (laughter) The distance traveled is great and I owe a lot to Zach too, because my career wouldn’t be where it is if it wasn’t for my guy.”
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Will LB Bradley Chubb and FB Alec Ingold be able to play through their hand injuries, the hand and the thumb and then also the thinking in sticking with OL Robert Jones yesterday instead of activating OL Liam Eichenberg?) – “With regard to injuries from the game, those two warriors – Alec (Ingold) and (Bradley) Chubb – will be casted and we’ll see how they respond to that. That is kind of up in the air, but they played as long as they could and what they’re capable of. And then we also placed Tua (Tagovailoa) in the concussion protocol. So then on top of that, Robert Jones as far as he is concerned, he’s done a great job. And because of that, there’s a lot of things that go into activation of IR and one of those is roster spots and we have a good amount of good players on the team, so it didn’t make sense for us to go ahead and move on that early.”
(Someone posted a video suggesting that QB Tua Tagovailoa might have suffered a concussion late in the first half. Was he evaluated at all during the game for a concussion? Do you know when he sustained it?) – “I’m not totally sure. This is something that just came across my plate a couple hours ago. As far as the game was concerned, no one recognized anything with regard to any sort of hit. I can’t really tell you exactly what it was. I’m not totally positive on that, but it was something that he met with the doctors today and discussed some symptoms and then from that, as you guys know, from there on, that’s between Tua and the doctors and we’ll move forward as information is projected towards us.”
(So will QB Teddy Bridgewater get the majority of reps in practice on Wednesday and Thursday?) – “Yes, I believe so. That and he had a great week of practice the week before.”
(Getting back to playing complementary football, how important is it for you all to start the year off with a fresh, fresh, clean slate and just closing out 2022 just trying to get back on track?) – “It’s extremely important. It’s tough when you find different ways to lose football games when guys are really trying their hardest and put forth their best effort. I think any time that you’re minus three in the turnover ratio and I think our defense really had a good job of play and improved upon their effort before because basically the defensive staff and the players kept coming together. So I thought they did enough to win. We can’t really go to games and expect to win if you’re minus three in the turnover ratio and turn the ball over four times.”
(Were doctors sure that QB Tua Tagovailoa did in fact have a concussion over the past day or two? Were doctors sure that Tua has had a concussion because obviously you can go in protocol even without certainty of that? Are they sure that he did have a concussion?) – “As much as I know, he’s displayed symptoms and they enacted the protocol, which is all that needs to happen before you have to, by the player’s health, go through that whole process as they should, so it’s a little early. Like I said, I only found out a couple hours ago.”
(Obviously you have a very important game coming up on Sunday. How do you expect the team to respond? How do you expect QB Teddy Bridgewater to respond to the challenge that lies ahead without Tua?) – “I mean, that’s one of the reasons you go and aggressively pursue a player like Teddy Bridgewater. And the team is, I expect them to do what is pretty difficult for a lot of people but no one really cares. This is something that we have all of our fortunes ahead of us, so it’s up to us to choose what we do with all the past experiences, move on to the next game, which in this case is the New England Patriots – a division rival that they’ve gone through their set of circumstances as well. So I think they’re going to respond the way I’d hope, which is fully embracing the challenge and going after it, really, really trying to rectify these past couple experiences that we’ve had on the field.”
(So will QB Teddy Bridgewater start on Sunday or is that not yet clear?) – “It’s too soon to really tell. You just know that someone goes into the protocol and you have to be ready to really do whatever with that. I know Teddy (Bridgewater) will prepare as though he’s starting and we’ll see as the week goes.”
(All these changes with QB Tua Tagovailoa in protocol, but a lot of the analysis of his last game, saying that he’s not reading defenses, just trying to manipulate them and predetermine where he’s going. Do you agree with that assessment that led to some of those interceptions?) – “I think I’d be careful (with) the absolute anything. I think the bottom line is in the National Football League, players and coaches shouldn’t be surprised when outcomes aren’t what we’re going for in the first place. So you turn the ball over, you throw three interceptions and you have a fumble; a lot of conclusions can be drawn. It’s fair to draw them, but in my experience, absolutes in those regard or making it that simple; it’s a team game and you have to assess each and every decision, how did it happen? I know there’d be couple throws in particular that he’d love to have back. I know there’s at least one decision that appears to be pretty poor that other guys on the offense would take 100 percent accountability for, so a lot goes into it and I don’t think it’s always that simple.”
(How would you describe the mood of the team today?) – “I was proud of how they came in. They got their workout in, and that’s not easy. They’ve had – their expectations haven’t been met for going on a month now, so you learn a lot about people. I think that’s been made clear to them that what they’re being asked to do is not easy, but neither is being a professional athlete or having the opportunity to do what we do for a living. So I was happy with their disposition, how they approached really watching kind of a painful game tape to watch. You expect them to learn from it and move forward, expect them to seize the opportunity that’s right in front of them, then you sit back and coach as best you can and see what happens.”
(Do you need to reassess your replay review challenging system protocol that the team has in place? Or is that something that can’t really be done midseason and has to be kind of looked at after?) – “You’re always accountable for it. The bottom line was collectively, guys that we’ve really relied upon all season had a – it’s a fast-paced decision that you get one shot at, and they collectively didn’t think that there was information enough to overturn it. Now you go and look back at it, I know there’s some assessment by people outside the league that have formerly been in the league. I’m aware of that. I’ll be interested to see what the league has to say. But I think you do it like everything else with regard to head-coaching responsibilities – you don’t just ever blow anything off, regardless of if it works in your favor or not. We’re always talking through, trying to get better at stuff so that the one thing you can control is not have something happen twice that maybe didn’t work out in your favor. So I’m happy with the guys that we work with and I expect that process to continually get better, regardless of what happens in the immediate.”
(I know how much you care about your players. How worried are you about QB Tua Tagovailoa, if in fact he had a concussion? Whether it was his second or his third this year, I guess we’ll never know that with certainty. How worried are you about him personally?) – “I just want guys to really be done right by the information we have, the science and all the medical expertise that we rely on. I care very deeply about each and every player. I take that seriously, so I just want him to get healthy and have peace of mind in that regard. That’s first and foremost, and then whatever the circumstances are after, you deal with after. It’s about the human being and making sure he’s squared away.”
(As far as adversity, this is another layer of adversity. You’ve been facing adversity all year. How do you try to push through making pressure turn into diamonds instead of bust pipes?) – “Well, in this circumstance, it’s a lot easier in terms of it’s pretty clear. You have – it’s just the way that football has worked out around the league. You have an opportunity to control your own destiny. You have a division opponent, so you really focus all your mind and body towards that, and you try to acknowledge that, ‘Hey, this is tough.’ Well maybe not for everyone, but football is not for everyone. If you want to succeed in football, you have to go through adversity and when that happens, by nature, people – if you handle it well and you win, it’s very satisfying. If you go after it, regardless of the outcome, you just do not want to leave in hindsight saying, ‘Well, I could have done X, Y or Z.’ If you want to really have integrity with that, I think that’s important in the game of football. We definitely have seen our share of adversity, I think everybody has, but this is a tremendous opportunity to try to topple that, because that’s the nature of this game and that’s the nature of life, really.”
(Any reasons that you have identified in why special teams has given up a lot in both kick and punt returns and then not gotten a lot in the return game on your side?) – “There was a portion of the season that I feel like the lineups were changing every week. I thought that special teams – really, we had a good week against Buffalo, against one of the better units in the league. I thought we definitely cost the team this week. In a couple of occasions, there were some plays made, for sure, but with regard to field position on two instances and a missed opportunity to get points. It sure didn’t transfer to two games, so you have to really comb the whys on that – why we didn’t build on the momentum and try to get back to what I thought was a positive contribution about the Buffalo Bills.”
OL Robert Hunt
(I would imagine it’s easy collectively for a group maybe to get down after four losses in a row. How was the mood today? Was there anyone down that you sensed?) – “It’s tough to lose four games, man, especially with the team we have. We think we’re a really good team. We know we’re a really good team. So yeah, it’s tough to lose four. But we all know the goal. We all got the goal in front of us still. We’re excited to get back to work this week and try to make things right.”
(Why do you think this team has been on so many streaks? Not a single game that’s just a one game win or loss this whole season.) – “I don’t know. We’ve got a little streakiness to us. But hopefully we can get that streakiness going in the right direction and carry out with that. That would be fantastic.”
(How was QB Tua Tagovailoa today? I know he gathers the offensive players on Monday usually to go over things.) – “He’s good, man. He’s in good spirits. Everything’s good. Tua is Tua. That’s our guy, that’s our leader. He’s psyched to get to work just like the rest of us.”
(I know pressure has the opportunity to bust pipes but they also can make diamonds. This is something that you all been facing with the entire season as far as adversity. How do you use that as motivation to press forward for this week?) – “We know what’s at stake and we know what we want to do. We know we’ve got the team to do it. Right now, the time is to try to do it. We get a chance to play two more games against divisional opponents and we’re going to try to do what we got to do to make this thing right and go to where we’re trying to go to.”
(With the game being on New Year’s Day, do you feel like it’s a good opportunity for a fresh start to start new?) – “I think so. We don’t have any more games in December. We failed all of our exams in December. But we get an opportunity to come in January and make them right. So hopefully that’s what we do.”
(The first game against New England was so long ago. How much can you take from a game that was that many weeks ago?) – “We’ve still got the same players. We’ll watch film, we’ll check them out and see what they do. We know what they like. They like the run game. They like to switch up the defense and give you different looks. They’re going to do their base things. It’s nothing too much that you can go into and switch up. But we’ll see what they got since we played them so long ago. We’ll see what’s what.”
(What were some of the main takeaways from watching film from yesterday?) – “I thought we did a lot of good things as an offense. Speaking on the offense, I thought we did some good things. I thought we could be better on little details more. There were some things we can fix, but I thought we did fairly decent. I thought we were physical. I thought we were on assignments. I thought we did a lot of things good. It just didn’t go our away.”
RB Jeff Wilson Jr.
(We get two of the really upbeat guys on the team with you and OL Rob Hunt. I would imagine, as I mentioned to Rob, it might be human nature after four straight losses to be down. Did you sense any of that today at all?) – “I wouldn’t say down. I would just say like – I wouldn’t even say disappointed, but something along those lines, because obviously we know the type of time we’re in in the season, especially on the last leg of it, fourth quarter of it. Everybody is fighting for a spot, and everybody is playing their hardest. Regardless of what people may say, if a team is in it or not, it brings joy to a team to know that they can knock out a (team) that has a potential to go to the playoffs. So especially when you get in games like that, people play even harder. So there’s no such thing as an easy game towards the end of the year. So it’s just disappointment. Not really that, but it’s like we know what we can do. We know what we’re supposed to be. We know where we’re headed, and the way we’ve played the last couple of weeks haven’t been that way, so that’s pretty much it.”
(How did you personally physically come out of the game after working to get back?) – “Oh, shoot. It’s what – Week 16? Week 17? Shoot, I feel like I’m feeling straight considering what time of year we’re in. Obviously, if everybody just tells you they’re 100 percent this time of the year, I don’t know how (true) that is. But nothing crazy or alarming or flagging that’s worrisome – it’s just things that everybody deals with in Week 16, Week 17 of the NFL season.”
(So you’re feeling great?) – “I’m all straight, boss. All straight.”
(A minute ago, you mentioned “We know what we’re supposed to be as a team.” How would you describe it? What is this team supposed to be?) – “Oh, we’re a contender. We’re a top dog, not only in this division or conference, but in the league. And obviously, when your record and the wins and losses don’t reflect that, it’s frustrating because it’s more so not only that we’re not good enough, it’s things that are almost self-inflicted – like we do it to ourselves, almost. So when you have it like that, it makes it even more painful, because you’re just a detail or two away. Especially coming towards this team of the year, details matter.”
(A winless December, how do you all try to move forward closing that book, knowing that the next game is in January, the first day of the year?) – “I would say dwelling on stuff never did anything good for nobody, and that’s not only (now) – that’s been since you were a little kid. It’s kind of like you’ve got to put the things behind to you move forward – that’s the type of game and league we’re in, because the next game is just as important if not more important than the last one. So you go in, that’s what Mondays are for and after the game, kind of hold all that stuff in, beat yourself up about it, be down, have your sleepless nights and then after that Monday, after we watch the film with your position (group), now it’s time to get on to the next week. Because like I said, everything we want is still at hand, and I don’t even want to talk about that, because I’m not focused on that. I’m focused on one thing and one thing only, and that’s coming to practice on Wednesday and getting ready to get prepared to play New England on Sunday.”
(How do you like where the run game is at? Obviously, you and RB Raheem Mostert both averaged over four yards a carry yesterday and did a very good job in Buffalo the week before. Are you happy with where the run game is at?) – “The o-line is doing a magnificent job, and I feel like it can be even better and that’s not on their end. I can say that in our room alone. If you probably watch film or watch every play, there are probably a couple plays where we’re like a shoestring or a stumble away from 50 or 60 extra yards on the run play. So I would say they’re doing a tremendous job, and I feel like we can even highlight them even better if we step our game up in our room as well. I think they’re doing great.”
(How do you see – QB Tua Tagovailoa and RB Raheem Mostert, they were a little upset with their turnovers yesterday. How do you see them kind of coming back?) – “That’s not even a worry. If it was, shoot, we’d be trying to figure out to get somebody else in there or try to sit somebody down, and that’s not the case because those guys are veterans. They’re professionals. And the character that they have and they stand on, that’s what makes them special and that’s what separates them from a lot of people in this world. So with that being said and how they carry themselves, they know what they need to do, they know what they need to think about and they know what they need to change. They’re grown men, they’ll be fine and they’ll be ready to go.”
(This is your first time back in Miami since that Super Bowl when you came down here with the 49ers. How has it been now that you live down here in the city? What do you enjoy the most?) – “So I guess it’s just being back in the southern atmosphere. I grew up in the South, all my life – never went anywhere, traveled anywhere. The South is all I pretty much know, so to kind of be back reunited with that, southern hospitality and everything like that, man, it’s home. It’s great to be here. I love it here. It’s a great place.”
(How has Head Coach Mike McDaniel been? Obviously, you and RB Raheem Mostert know him as well as anybody. Has he been positive through the losing streak? Some positive? Some critical? What’s he been like?) – “I would say both, but I wouldn’t say critical like he’s bashing people. He’s a head coach that has a lot on his plate. Things aren’t going the way, obviously, that he wanted – not only him, us as well. So that being said, that would be stressful on anybody, especially knowing the type of person Mike is. He doesn’t want to be anything else than the greatest. So if he’s not that or if he’s anything short of that, he’s going to – I don’t know. (laughter) He’s going to be in his own little ways until he figures out a way or comes to a comfortable enough point that he feels good to move on from it. But that’s what makes him great, and that’s what makes him him. That’s what got him into the position he’s in today. He’s probably still going to be thinking about it a little bit, but I know he’ll be fine and he’ll be ready to go come Wednesday.”
LB Jaelan Phillips
(Your unit played well as a group and kept you in the game. What would you say is the biggest frustration now from a defensive standpoint against things that maybe you’re close but not exactly where you want?) – “I just think that in general, we’re not playing as well as we should be with the talent that we have, with the coaching staff that we have, with the bond that we have. You can attribute that to a lot of things but I think at the end of the day, we just really have to lock back in and execute the small details. That’s really what it always comes down to is just executing small details. We shouldn’t sit here and be like, ‘Oh, the defense played well so we don’t have any accountability.’ It’s on us as well. If we allow less points then we win the game. I think that all of us on the whole entire team need to look at ourselves in the mirror and take accountability and do what we’ve got to do to move forward.”
(What are some of those small details that you or others at your position want to focus on?) – “I think it dives a little bit more into schematics than I’m comfortable talking about, just in terms of plays and things like that, and execution. But at the end of the day, it is just execution and technique, fundamentals and things like that. It’s not some crazy thing that we can’t overcome. It’s just executing.”
(This team has gone back and forth all year winning a few, losing a few, winning a few, losing a few. How do you describe that? Why do you think that’s happening?) – “I wish I could tell you. I know I sound like a broken record but it comes back to executing and it’s playing complementary football and taking advantage of momentum. Football is such a crazy game because there are so many things within each game that could swing the momentum of the game and change the outcome. I think at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what’s happened this year. Obviously it’s been a rollercoaster of emotions but I think for this next stretch, we really just got to even ourselves out, remember who we are and just focus on what we can control.”
(You’re the team’s Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee. Getting nominated for that award, what does it mean to you?) – “It means the world to me. I try to do a lot to help out the community and encourage other people to do the same. So I think that getting that recognition just pushes that platform forward. It’s not about personal accolades and recognition like that. It’s about using my platform to inspire change and to encourage other people to come along with me and do the same thing.”
(With the team closing out the month of December winless, you have a fresh start on Jan. 1 facing the Patriots. How much are you looking forward to that matchup to have another chance to win?) – “I’m definitely looking forward to it. We just take it week by week. I’m excited to play a divisional opponent and obviously the Dolphins and Patriots’ tradition is rich. We’re excited to go up there in Foxboro and play some great football.”
(What do you think of these two most pivotal games now coming against divisional opponents and a lot of familiarity between them?) – “Each game is huge and these two games, we’ve got to win them. We’re going to go up there and give our best effort, give it our best shot.”
(Your thoughts on how your group has done blitzing? It hasn’t been quite as successful as a group as last year. I know losing S Brandon Jones is a factor. Just thoughts on how blitzing is done in general for you guys?) – “I think we’ve made the most of some opportunities when we get them. I think that obviously having a depleted defense doesn’t help in terms of original schemes, so I think we’ve kind of had to pivot on certain things. I think we’ve done a really good job of adjusting and being resilient. No matter what happens, we’re always fighting, we’re always giving our best effort. Kudos to the coaches and to my teammates for being able to do that. It’s hard. Not a lot of people can.”
(What were your takeaways from the first game against New England? Obviously a very long time ago. How much does that distance between games affect things one way or another?) – “It was a long time ago so I’m going to have to get back in the film and look at what we were doing. The funny thing is football changes so much throughout the year. So the Patriots we’re playing this week is not the same team we were playing the first week of the season. They’re not going to run a lot of the same things. They’re going to look at things we’ve done well and things we haven’t done well. It’s kind of like a completely fresh game. We’ll just prepare like we do any other week and go in there.”
(So you’ll watch more of their tape against the Bengals on Saturday than the opener?) – “Yeah, just throughout the whole season in general, teams that kind of run similar defenses to us and certain looks that we might anticipate. I think we’re going to do a great job in preparation like we always do. The coaches will put us in the position that we have to be in so it all comes down to executing on Sunday.”
