Saturday, December 26, 2020
Postgame – Las Vegas
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Could you explain the decision there in the fourth quarter to go to QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and just his will to be able to lead your team to victory, including that long pass to WR Mack Hollins there at the end of the game?) – “We felt like we needed a spark, trying to win the game. If we’ve got to go to our relief pitcher in the ninth, that’s what we’ll do. ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick), he’s always ready to go. He went in and moved the ball for us, but we had contributions from a lot of guys. Myles Gaskin played well. Mack Hollins, good catch at the end. We were able to make enough plays to win the game.”
(What was the feeling like in the locker room there obviously after a big win? What was the mood of your team like after such a big swing like that?) – “Obviously, everyone was really excited playing a game like that. A meaningful game for us and them. Look, there’s ups and downs and ebbs and flows within the game. It was a lot of excitement in the locker room. Guys are fired up. It’s a good group. They want to perform for one another and we were able to pull this one out and make enough plays to win.”
(With the way the game ended, give you any reconsideration about who will start for you guys next week?) – “No.”
(I’m sorry, I wasn’t quite clear on that. Who’s your starting quarterback against Buffalo?) – “Tua’s (Tagovailoa) the starter.”
(Can you maybe take me through your emotions on that heave that QB Ryan Fitzpatrick threw to WR Mack Hollins? What was going on through your mind when you saw it before and after?) – “We were just trying to make a throw far enough down the field that we can get into field goal range. You see the face mask, you see Mack (Hollins) with the catch and getting out of bounds. We just start looking at field position and seeing where a potential kick might be. There was 12 seconds there, so we were able to work our air ball to knock some more time off the clock. Kicked it with six seconds and we were able to execute the first-level bunt on the kickoff to expire it at the last second. We needed a big play, we got it. Again, we made a few more plays than they did. I thought the Raiders played well. They were short-handed with some guys out defensively. I think (Derek) Carr really played well and moved the ball. (Darren) Waller made some plays. They’ve got some talented players over there. It was a tough game, but that’s the National Football League, especially in December when teams have a lot at stake.”
(Regarding QB Tua Tagovailoa, how would you describe how he played?) – “I think it was up and down. I have a lot of confidence in Tua. He has made a lot of plays for us. He made plays today. But we just felt like we needed a spark the way the game was going, and ‘Fitzy’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) gave us that, but we have a lot of confidence in Tua. He’s a young player, he’s developing, he’s improving on a daily basis. He’s learning from these experiences and he’ll be better next week.”
(I think I understand the thinking behind the going back and forth with the quarterbacks – win-at-all-costs mentality, but do you think going back and forth is – Is there long-term sustainability to doing that whether you guys make the playoffs or not?) – “There’s a lot of people in that locker room who are trying to win. That’s at the forefront of the decisions that I’m going to make here today and moving forward as long as I am here. That’s just kind of how I see the situation. Tua is a resilient kid. He’s a tough-minded kid. He’s happy that ‘Fitzy’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) went in there and we won the game because he is a selfless, team-first guy. That’s why he is here. We’re always going to do what’s best for the team and try to help the team win.”
(Outside of the obvious that QB Ryan Fitzpatrick was making plays, what did “Fitz” have tonight that Tua did not? Was it just that veteran poise and leadership? What was it that “Fitz” was able to do that sparked the team the way he did?) – “I mean, I’ve got to watch the tape. It looks like he stepped up in the pocket and made some good throws, but I got to watch the film before I can really make a true assessment there. We made enough plays to help us win the game, and that’s good enough for me.”
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
(When Head Coach Brian Flores approached you – first, what did you do when you ran into the tunnel? What was your reaction to his message, and could you explain the will of the entire team for you guys to come back and win this game?) – “The tunnel thing was weird because this was the first time in my 16-year career I’ve had to go to the bathroom so bad that I had to go during the game. So, I ran in there to take a pee and then I came back out. And when I came back out, ‘Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) said ‘Get ready, you’re going in.’ So, I took the obligatory, seven warm-up throws and went out there and tried to make something happen.”
(You’ve thrown over 5,000 passes. Were any as big as what just happened tonight?) – “Nah, I don’t think so. I think the odds were pretty low there of us to be able to complete something with the proper yardage and not have to throw a Hail Mary but actually kick a field goal. I didn’t know that it was complete. As you guys saw, my facemask was getting pulled and my head was getting ripped off. I turned around to say ‘Hey, facemask,’ just to make sure they saw it. I think Jesse Davis, or maybe Myles (Gaskin) had to tell me that it was complete, but I didn’t know that we completed it.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores compared you to a 9th-inning reliever. How do you feel about that role and is it understood that if the offense is struggling late in games, that you might get called into these situations?) – “Yeah. Again, every which way in my career, I’ve done it. I still play the game because I love playing the game. I love being part of the team. I love being out there on the field. So, I get excited every time – whether it’s a start or whether it’s at some point at the end of the game – he calls my number and puts me in.”
(Can you take us through that play, like what’s going on in your mind, from the snap, to the face pull, to when you figured out WR Mack Hollins actually caught it?) – “They were going to be in two-high safeties, playing pretty soft. We had Mike (Gesicki) going right down the pipe and a 20-yard in-cut coming behind him. I just wanted to see what that safety on the left was going to do. I tried to make him believe that I was throwing it to Mike. It was a desperation throw, but I was going to put it on the sideline to Mack and just hope for good things. In that case, really you’re throwing up a prayer a little bit and along with the facemask, it ended up being awesome for us.”
(This is your first opportunity to actually make it into the playoffs. What’s that like and what’s it like to know that you’ve contributed to that, if you get in?) – “I want to go. I want to feel what it’s like. I think we have a special team. I think this team all year long has fought. And for me, it’s not just this year, it’s the last two years and trying to build this foundation and build this vision of what Coach Flores thinks that we are. I’m proud of the fact that I’ve really been able to contribute to that and have a strong contribution. That, today, was a great play at the end; but just on the sideline, the excitement, being able to hug your teammates and your coaches, I mean that’s why we play the game. I am well aware that I’ve never been to the playoffs, I promise you; and we would love nothing more than to get there.”
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(What was it like when you were on the sidelines watching QB Ryan Fitzpatrick do this thing with the “Fitzmagic” and rally the team from behind for that victory?) – “It’s always good to win. (laughter) It always feels good to win, first off. I know outsiders are probably going to say, ‘well, it wasn’t you in there that brought the win.’ Of course, it was ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) and I think it was a great effort by not just him, but the entire offense. Just him understanding how to get in a groove and where to go quickly with the ball and whatnot; I think that’s what makes ‘Fitz’ who he is and in a way, it really wasn’t as shocking tonight to see what had happened. They call him ‘Fitzmagic’ for a reason.”
(Could you elaborate a little bit on after the Denver game, you had spoken about some observations that you made on the sideline like guys being open, not necessarily when they’re open. Did you notice anything tonight when you were able to observe from the sideline that you might be able to take moving forward?) – “Sometimes you’ve got to just take the shots. You’ve got to give guys an opportunity and you got to just get the ball down the field because time is running out and we don’t have all day to just think here, think there and try to move the ball that way.”
(That was kind of my question. Do you think you need to push the ball down the field more seeing the success that QB Ryan Fitzpatrick had doing it?) – “I would say so, but I would also say with what’s given, I’m going to continue to take what the defense gives me. If I feel like that’s not open, I’m not going to throw it. And so it’s I got to get better at that. That’s it.”
(I’m just curious. Does getting pulled do anything for you, I guess your psyche? Does that impact you at all? What do you take out of this, I guess experience?) – “I think – this is the second time it’s happened, but I would say it’s just something you’ve got to learn from. While ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) is in there, I’m going to support him. I’m going to support the entire offense in there and as a team, really all you’re looking forward to is a win, and that’s what we got tonight so that’s what we’re happy with.”
(After the game Head Coach Brian Flores announced that you will start next week against Buffalo. What is your reaction to that decision and how do you feel about starting such a big game?) – “I think all these games in the NFL are big games. You’re not going against a team that doesn’t have guys. Everyone has guys on their team, and I would say it’s just another opportunity to move forward and learn and get back to the drawing board and see what we can do to help us be successful next week.”
RB Myles Gaskin
(On that long touchdown, the run down the sideline, it looked like you could’ve been stopped there, but you cut back the other way and WR Mack Hollins and TE Mike Gesicki had two big blocks. Just what was going on in your mind there, because it looked like you could’ve got stopped there, but you cut back, they get two big blocks and then it’s a race to the end zone?) – “This time I got spun around after the catch, and I saw my dogs out there, Mack (Hollins) and Mike (Gesicki). I saw Mike’s block, I didn’t really see Mack’s block. He told me about it though. It was great. We’re just always grinding, always trying to make plays. You don’t always have to have the ball in your hands to make plays. It doesn’t happen without them two.”
(I’m sure for part of the game it was a little frustrating for the offense that you weren’t able to get going. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick comes in, what was going on in the huddle when “Fitz” came in that got you guys going the way that you did?) – “I just think a different energy. Everybody knows ‘Fitz.’ He’s just a different type of guy. I think it was a changeup, but it was coach’s call, so I think everybody just kept on grinding and finally things started to hit. You never know in a game, that’s why you have to take it one play at a time. You never know. Once you start hitting, you start hitting, hitting, hitting and hitting. But you got to grind through that. Sometimes it’s slow.”
(How would you describe the emotional rollercoaster those last five minutes with all of those ups and downs?) – “That’s what football is all about. That’s what you love about football, especially in the NFL. Ain’t anybody weak, ain’t anybody an easy win, especially in football in December. You play that all the way out. I love this atmosphere. I love this game. Hats off to the Raiders, they played a great game. Probably the most fun game I ever played in my life. I think that’s what sports and competing, all that stuff is really about. It’s coming down to the wire, who is going to make the play.”
(The success you guys had on the ground early in the second half seemed to really get the ball rolling for you. What was the difference from early on when it was kind of tough sledding for you?) – “I think just sticking to it like I said, in any aspect of football or life; whatever it might be, you got to stick to it. Whenever you get your opportunity, just start popping like I said, and just keep hitting it, keep on hitting and it came through. The o-line was doing their job like always. We were talking, communicating and got what we needed to get done.”
WR Mack Hollins
(What were you thinking when you dropped that pass on the goal line, and how well do you think you overcame that with your two big plays at the end? I’m talking about your catch, as well as your block on RB Myles Gaskin’s TD.) – “I think as a player you always have to forget about the last play, good or bad. We’ve got players on this team and coaches on this team that put faith in us. Remembering old stuff is never going to do you any good whether you made a great play or a drop like I had. Over my career I’ve learned how to just put those type of things in the past and move on to the next thing.”
(I’m sure you’re going to get a bunch of question about the catch, but I wanted to ask you on RB Myles Gaskin’s touchdown, you and TE Mike Gesicki had two really big blocks that let him go down the field. How important that was in the moment, and could you just explain your whole thought process in such a quick play happening?) – “Coach (Flores) will talk about it all the time in practice, is ‘hey, that might be the touchdown block.’ You might be the guy on the backside where you never think the ball is going to cut back to you, and you might be the guy who ends up springing something for a touchdown, and it just so happened that me and Mike (Gesicki) both got the opportunity to do that. Where if either one of us miss those blocks, it’s a nice play – 15 yards or whatever it may be, but it’s not going to the endzone. Those little things are what really help, especially this time of year.”
(Where does this game rank in level of excitement of games you’ve played in as it comes down to the final seconds, and how does it feel to have the play that people are going to remember forever?) – “This is pretty good. I had one in college really similar to this against Florida State where we ended up catching two balls and then kicking a field goal to win. And then when I was in Philly, we won the Super Bowl and we were on the other side of it where Tom (Brady) was throwing a last-second, last-ditch effort throw and it’s incomplete and you’re on the field. This is something… To think back a year ago to where we were at this point winning three or four games, whatever we were at; and now really having a chance to make the playoffs, it’s kind of cool to look back and see the bigger picture. This is pretty high up there with the excitement and fun, and just being with the guys that are on this team that really make it special.”
(Obviously just the excitement of it, what were those 20 seconds like when you guys were down? What was that feeling like coming onto the field before QB Ryan Fitzpatrick made that throw?) – “For me, I live for that. I wouldn’t say I’d choose it, but I really – I don’t know if there are any camera angles, but I’m smiling ear-to-ear when we start that huddle right before that play because that’s why I play the game. I don’t play the game to get easy wins and get stuff that doesn’t get my blood going. For lack of better term, I live for that (expletive). Plain and simple.”
(I don’t think anyone has actually asked you about the mechanics of the catch. Were you surprised that, I don’t know, was it a coverage bust? They were playing a soft Cover 2 I guess. What happened?) – “I’m not sure from their end what happened. I’m sure ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) did something – usually when safeties or corners go somewhere they are not supposed to be, they’re following quarterback eyes. I didn’t get to see back there, all I saw was the picture so far – ‘Fitz,’ his face facing the opposite endzone while he’s throwing the ball. So that’s the only picture that I’ve seen, so I’m not sure how he even got the ball off. If I had to guess, I’d say one of the safeties was following quarterback eyes and ended up losing me on the backside.”
