Friday, Aug. 9, 2024
Postgame – Atlanta Falcons
Miami Dolphins QB Mike White
(There seemed like some young talent out there. When we talk about some of those guys undrafted and some of those guys that we drafted for this year as well, seeing WR Malik Washington and handing the ball of as well. Just kind of tell me who was it that really stood out today?) – “Malik (Washington) had a great week. If you were at the joint practice you would know, you guys saw it. But Malik is actually my locker mate so I got to know him really well. He is such a good kid. He cares so much. Every time we get out of meetings, he’s already in his locker looking at the script, writing things down, having questions for me like, ‘hey, what do I have on this?’ and ‘if I have to go in on this, what does this have or what are we trying to get accomplished here?’ So he’s been awesome. Whenever you’ve got a guy like that, that cares and puts in the work and then it shows on the field, you can’t help but root for him.”
(What did you feel like the left tackle Patrick [Paul] did for you guys today?) – “’Pat’ (Paul) was awesome. I think what I liked about ‘Pat’ too was his demeanor on the field, he was very calm, the moment didn’t seem too big for him. He’s a humongous human, so that’s one thing that benefits him, but his mentality today is what stood out to me. It felt like the moment never got too big for him. I’m sure he was gassed because he played damn near the whole game, and we practice and it’s hot and all that, but nothing compares to the game. I thought he did well. Now granted, I wasn’t really watching him the whole game, but the fact that I did notice him probably was a good thing. He did his job and I’m sure we’ll hear about it tomorrow or when the o-line gurus break it down and all that good stuff, but that’s not my forte. But I do know that I didn’t have to tell him what we were running, he broke the huddle and got to the line, good communication at the line of scrimmage. So I thought he did well.”
(Was there anything that surprised you after playing with this group today?) – “For the most part, the guys up front, the young guys, and new guys; they did a really good job. Protection calls were loud and normally when you get younger guys, they’re kind of iffy about it and they’re at the line of scrimmage for a long time and you’re trying to get a call out of them. But they got to the line and made their calls. And honestly that’s what I told them, whether they were right or wrong, we’ll just live with the call. As long as you’re up there, demonstrative, everybody knows the call, for the most part you can just play convicted like that so I thought they did a good job in that point ad same with the receivers. They were shuffling around doing things they’d never done before. Shoot, between (Je’Quan) Burton, Mike (Harley Jr.) who just got here, Kyric (McGowan). They haven’t played a ton of ball on this league so for them to go in there and to be able to execute the plays, whether they were successful or not, it’s Preseason 1, and we have much more to improve on, but their mentality is what I was proud of.”
Friday, Aug. 9, 2024
Postgame – Atlanta Falcons
Miami Dolphins T Patrick Paul
(First game under the lights, how did it feel?) – “It felt good. Definitely a dream come true to put on that aqua and orange. I have dreamed of this moment and it’s finally here. It was great.”
(Obviously you have been absorbing and learning a lot, but to put that into practice is another thing in a game setting, what did that feel like?) – “It felt good. You definitely go out there and I haven’t played in an actual game since college. It’s a welcome to the NFL moment. You just got to go out there and have fun with it.”
(Talking to Offensive Line Coach Butch Barry, I asked him what quantifies a successful training camp for you. He said growing comfortable in our sets, our scheme. Do you feel just two weeks in that you are comfortable at this level?) – “I do feel like that. There are moments in it where you just go out there and you just realize ‘yeah I can do this, this is what I’m made for.’ I’ve had those moments. You just got to keep building, trusting in his coaching and trusting in what their plan is for me.”
Friday, August 9, 2024
Postgame – Atlanta
RB Jaylen Wright
Q. If I saw this right, you scored a touchdown, then you threw the football away.
JAYLEN WRIGHT: Yeah, it was excitement, man. That’s something I always wanted to do. So I just threw it. But I regret it now.
Q. If you score a touchdown in the first game of the regular season, what are you going to do?
JAYLEN WRIGHT: I’m keeping the ball, for sure.
Q. They couldn’t even retrieve it for you?
JAYLEN WRIGHT: They tried to. I think I threw it kind of, like, high. I think they tried to find it, but it was probably over with.
Q. Can you take us through the play in the third quarter when QB Mike White threw you the ball and you got bobbling a little bit and went backwards?
JAYLEN WRIGHT: Yeah, he threw the ball. I’m not wearing a visor no more. That was my first time wearing a visor. I didn’t wear a visor in practice. He threw the ball, I bobbled it, caught it. I’m just like, ‘Man, I got to make a play.’ I saw the field was open, so I just went and took it and just ran as fast as I could, got the first down.
Q. How would you describe your running style?
JAYLEN WRIGHT: I feel like I’m explosive. I’m not somebody that’s going to dance around in a hole. If I see a cut, I’m going to hit it with full speed. If I get in the open field, I mean it’s over with. I don’t feel like nobody’s catching me. I mean I could also lower my shoulder. I have power with me. Elusive. I feel like I got a mix of a lot of running styles.
Q. There was a chance to get three carries in a row. What happens for a running back like you when that opportunity arises where you’re able to get multiple consecutive carries?
JAYLEN WRIGHT: I mean, it’s great. You just got to push through. I mean, of course you’re going to be a little winded, like I was. But at the end of the day, you got to push through and get what you can on those runs. One of them could pop off and be a big run.
Q. I know you probably haven’t thought about this, but the rookie draftees all had good nights that played tonight – T Patrick Paul, yourself, WR Malik Washington and S Patrick McMorris. Is there anything that stands out to you about your draft class?
JAYLEN WRIGHT: We’re all motivated. We all have the same objective: to get our respect in this league. We’re all working. We’re close. They’re all great guys to be around and everything. I just feel like we’re all hard workers and really dedicated to our craft and want to be really good at what we do.
Q. RB De’Von Achane said he’s been working with you to go over the playbook just because he knew how much his head was swimming when he was here. He said you’re pretty much further along than where he was. What do you think helped you get to that point?
JAYLEN WRIGHT: Those guys in the room. They really helped me a lot, like Raheem (Mostert), even Jeff Wilson, De’Von. De’Von was in the same position last year, so he gives me a lot of tips on how to go about the business. He’s been through it. I mean, he just looks out for me. Also my coach (Eric Studesville). He’s on me, but it’s out of love. He wants the best for me. I appreciate that.
Q. Did you have any friends or family, or is that kind of waiting for the regular season?
JAYLEN WRIGHT: Yeah, I did have family here. I had my mom and dad out here. My dad tries to make every game. I’m really blessed to have them both in my life, just to have them supporting me.
Q. Where did they come from?
JAYLEN WRIGHT: North Carolina. That’s where I’m from originally.
Q. Can you talk about your mindset coming into the night? What you were trying to achieve in this game.
JAYLEN WRIGHT: Just be detailed. Be detailed and take advantage of every opportunity that I get. Just be myself. Same thing. Even in college, just run the ball hard. Keep my fundamentals, being patient. Be a patient runner. When I see a seam, just hit it. Of course there were a little butterflies, first NFL game and whatever. I’m just blessed to have a great night.
Q. What were your thoughts on the new locker room, seeing it for the first time?
JAYLEN WRIGHT: It was nice. I remember last time we played here in the Orange Bowl, Tennessee, but we were the visiting team so we were in the visitor’s locker room. I walked in, I’m like, ‘Dang, this wasn’t the locker room I was in.’ It’s a nice locker room. Real nice.
Friday, Aug. 9, 2024
Postgame – Atlanta Falcons
Miami Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel
Q. How does it feel to get back into the stadium and ending the night with a victory?
MIKE McDANIEL: — It was a good feeling because every game you play, you want to see your team finish. That’s the hardest thing in football and there was a lot of obstacles this game with a plethora of injuries. So to see our team find a way, some really strong efforts. Had some defensive players playing out of position because of some depth issues so it was good to see our guys get a win in front of the home fans.
Q. What did you say from Jaylen Wright today?
MIKE McDANIEL: It was what I’d hoped to see, which was there was both – it was his first outing – but what I wanted to do was see a confident runner that found confidence after something that he didn’t like, okay? That’s the big thing in this league, is everything doesn’t go well all the time. He had a couple things he didn’t necessarily love in terms of a cut, a slip. I mean, even mid-play, I think he dribbled a screen pass, then still found some resilience. It was a good first outing for him because he got a little bit of everything and he finished strong.
Q. What were your thoughts on the two quarterbacks?
MIKE McDANIEL: Yeah, I think each quarterback has a different set of circumstances. That’s why you try to replicate in a competition, you try to replicate that as close as possible. Inverse situation at some point in the preseason. I thought both quarterbacks in their own scenarios had some issues during the game and then they were able to bounce back and do some things, specifically in the second half. I wanted to get Mike (White) in a rhythm and there was some stuff outside of his control that I wanted to see how he would respond to that and I thought he did a good job responding, even though we had a rough, rough set of circumstances. We were down in the second half to one tight end and one running back and we had a receiver that we just got on board two days ago, so it was a tough situation for him to be in, and I thought he maintained his composure, but we still have a ton of work to do.
Q. Was it the plan to have Patrick Paul play that deep into the fourth quarter?
MIKE McDANIEL: We kind of wanted to see really how he was doing during the game. We were comfortable with it and Butch (Barry) wanted to keep him in a couple extra drives. Our plan was at the beginning of the third quarter to get him a series and get him out and we left him in a little bit. I thought he had some real good opportunities to learn, and I thought he played fast and physical. There was some good stuff there.
Q. You mentioned the circumstances like with the injuries. How much of the evaluation for especially like a backup quarterback do you use these games as opposed to what you see in 11-11s and what you see on the practice field?
MIKE McDANIEL: There’s a balance. Every day on the practice field is monumental for quarterbacks, specifically when they’re in a competition behind the starter because you get a lot of information. You’re always dispersing the reps and sometimes guys get more than others, and you have to see how they perform in both situations. It’s a balance. I think that’s important because you need to see how guys perform with the starters, the guys that are veterans that have been here for a little bit, and then some of the new guys, too. It’s all important evaluation tools that we kind of combine, but there’s a lot of days ahead before our last preseason game. We have a lot of evaluation opportunities coming fast and furious.
Q. Was Chop Robinson a coach’s decision, not injury related?
MIKE McDANIEL: It was a situation where he probably could have gone. At the same time for a guy to get his first NFL outing under – he was battling through some stuff, it was a coach’s decision that was minor injury related, but he should be back soon.
Q. Is there concern that Aaron Brewer might be longer term as opposed to short term?
MIKE McDANIEL: It would be week to week I’d say, so yeah, we feel good about where he’s going.
Q. What are your initial thoughts on the new kickoff format seeing it now in person?
MIKE McDANIEL: It’s cool. I think you better be on your p’s and q’s as a kickoff unit because live, in action, you can see about how often you’re about one block away. It will be a cool experience. I’ll be excited to watch the tape because it’s an explosive opportunity for both sides. It was an exciting taste of it. It’s really weird to see people stand, like, over on the side where the ball’s going. I didn’t think about that before. But, like, I guess I’ve seen a lot of football and that’s never been the case, so it was something to get used to, but it was good.
Q. On Aaron Brewer’s situation, if he’s sidelined for a week-to-week situation, how does that change the quarterback-to-center exchange dynamic and the rest of the offensive line?
MIKE McDANIEL: It puts some pressure on said exchange. That’s something that – I look at it like this – most of the time you’re not fortunate enough to have no health-related issues on the offensive line for a whole season. So it’s better to have this scenario now than for the first time in Week 10. You’d prefer not to have it at all, but that’s not always reality. I think it will take some extra commitment for some guys to make sure that everyone’s coordinated. But it’s something we’ve been familiar with here. We’ve had this scenario before, so we’ll be banking on those reps and there will be some guys having to do some work.
Q. Is there an update on Isaiah Wynn in terms of when he’ll be able to work?
MIKE McDANIEL: Quite honestly, as I’ve been staying out of the timelines, right now there’s not really an update. I know he’s working hard and diligent. Again, that has been kind of up in the air and gray. I’ll be notifying you guys when it’s close to field action. We’ll see. I’ll be visiting that on Monday.
Q. A number of guys got hurt in this game. How is Kion Smith doing?
MIKE McDANIEL: I don’t have an update on him. I think Kion has been really developing in his craft so we’re hopeful, but I’ll get an update tomorrow.
Q. Isaiah Mack had a huge fumble recovery in the second quarter. Could you touch on his mental fortitude at that point in the game?
MIKE McDANIEL: I think there was some good, aggressive play and getting those turnovers was gigantic in the ultimate outcome for the team. It was cool that he was opportunistic and really gravitated towards the ball. Then it was cool how he continued to play. Got a lot of snaps and I thought he did a good job. Excited to see the tape on him, too.
Q. Initial impression on Ethan Bonner? It seemed as though he was targeted quite often…
MIKE McDANIEL: I thought it was a really good game for him because he got the trials and tribulations. That one ball – immediately when something like that happens in the preseason to a young player, I am locked in and laser focused on how they respond because that’s how you learn how they are. It’s all fun and games when you’re in practice, but you’re in a stadium and you get beat and I thought he really responded well. He played with his technique and fundamentals after that, which is what you have your eye on so I thought it was a day of growth for him.
Q. When you look at film sessions after games, what excites you the most as far as getting new film as opposed to just reviewing old film?
MIKE McDANIEL: The thing that really fires me up specifically in preseason games where your major focus is on the players, you’re not as driven by the score, is seeing specific things that have been coached. You end up knowing the story and going through the journey of all these players. There’s a lot of things that we’re coaching them on. Then when guys specifically in game situations really harness stuff that we’ve focused on from a technical standpoint, it’s really cool to see. You want to see that because that’s what you’re practicing for. You’re practicing for these moments. And you’re hopeful that in these moments that practice can pay dividends. So when you see that, it gets you pretty fired up.
Friday, August 9, 2024
Postgame – Atlanta
QB Skylar Thompson
Q. Take us through how you feel your half went, the orchestration of the offense and everything.
SKYLAR THOMPSON: — I felt like it was a solid first half. You always wish it could be better or plays that you could have back. I was very proud of our group. It was just a weird, weird first half. It felt like it was kind of just some guys getting injured. The pace, finding a rhythm. That’s what I kept preaching to the guys is we just got to find a rhythm and get going. I had the pick but bounced back and put it in the end zone. That’s a real-life situation. Being able to flush the last play and move on to the next one is big-time. We were able to put it together and get in the end zone, which is very good for us.
Q. You don’t get many opportunities in game situations outside of the exhibition season. Do you feel like in Year 3 the game is slowing down for you a little bit?
SKYLAR THOMPSON: Yeah, absolutely. I think being able to anticipate windows and kind of trust my feet. I felt like I did a good job today of just getting the ball out on time. There were a couple plays where I had to extend and scramble a little bit. But for the most part I just felt like getting the ball out and seeing it well has been a big point of emphasis for me just to improve on. I’m interested to go back and watch the film and kind of see how it looks on film. Things I did well and things I can get better at. That’s the whole point of these exhibition games is to evaluate them and get better for everybody.
Q. The series that ended with the touchdown pass, I think you completed four passes in that series. They were good passes and a touchdown pass. Is that the one series you look at more than anything to kind of take away when you’re looking at the good?
SKYLAR THOMPSON: Absolutely, absolutely. I think that’s the biggest challenge for the quarterback position is being able to respond after you have some adversity. Throwing a pick, nobody wants to throw a pick. But being able to put it behind myself and move on to the next play, I was very proud of myself of how I handled that and got back on track and found a rhythm there and got in the end zone for the team. All the guys, we did a really good job of hanging in there together and sticking together and taking it one play at a time and having that approach. I feel like we kind of found a rhythm there in the second quarter a little bit.
Q. When did you realize you were going to start tonight?
SKYLAR THOMPSON: I found out yesterday. Yeah, yesterday.
Q. You’re in Year 3 I guess now. How do you think you’ve developed over the course of those years?
SKYLAR THOMPSON: Back to what I was saying, we talk about so much of just playing on time here, playing in rhythm, trusting our feet and getting through our progressions. Our system, the more that I’ve been in it, it’s a very fun, quarterback-friendly system. As long as you know the progression, the read, the footwork, the offense works for itself. I think for a quarterback, it allows you to just kind of not feel like you have to force anything, trust what you see, trust the windows, trust the timing, trust the receivers. Everything is articulated to a science honestly. It’s really cool when you really look at it. The third year going into it, the verbiage was a challenge to me at first. I feel like that’s simplified and gotten a lot better for me. Just being able to process things quickly, that’s the biggest benefit I’ve reaped from this third year.
Q. What was the demeanor of the rookie left tackle Patrick Paul?
SKYLAR THOMPSON: I thought it was great. I think that’s a big thing. I benefited a ton my rookie year getting out there for the first time. It’s different obviously than a practice setting. You’re out there, there’s no coaches. You’re truly trusting your training. I thought Pat did a really good job tonight. He’s a really cool guy. He really has some confidence. He’s a great teammate. He’s a large human being. (laughter) It was cool to get that first experience with him, his first experience out in the field, being in there and getting to play with him.
Q. How are you approaching getting back into another competition with QB Mike White this preseason?
SKYLAR THOMPSON: I’m approaching it like I have since the day I walked in the door here. I’m just really focused on my process and improving each and every day. I firmly believe if I do that, take care of my business and improve – it’s not about anybody else. It’s about me improving and getting better. That’s ultimately what I’m focused on every day. On top of that, just being a good teammate, being a good leader and being good for the quarterback room. I think any time you provide some competition, it makes everybody better. I’m not speaking for Mike, but I believe he would say the same thing. It’s a great competition. We have a great quarterback room. The competition has made me better, so I’m thankful for that.
Q. How was it having the fans here at the stadium after this long layoff?
SKYLAR THOMPSON: Yeah, it’s tremendous. Football is back. You kind of get that smell in the air, that feel. It’s special. You can’t take it for granted. Every time we get a chance to come out here and strap it up and play football, it’s a great day. It was cool to see everybody out in the stands having some fun and getting a taste of the season coming up. I’m excited for it.
Friday, August 9, 2024
DT Calais Campbell (Third Quarter on CBS Miami)
(First of all, welcome back to South Florida. How does it feel to be playing in the town you played your college ball?) – “It feels good. I made a lot of plays in this city and I expect to pick up few more, so I’m happy to be here and play a little more ball.”
(Now if my research serves me right, I think you’re the only active NFL player that’s a Hurricane that actually played in the Orange Bowl, so it’s really cool that the old guard is here. But let’s talk about this defense that you’re a part of this year and Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver. What’s it been like? Has it compared to other defenses in your career?) – “Yeah, it has the chance to be really special. I think we are going to be really good against the run, I think we’re going to be physical. I think we’ll get a lot of quarterback pressures and hopefully give us turnovers. But it’s football, you got to go play to earn it. We have the talent, the scheme is great, I think ‘Weav’ (Anthony Weaver) is a great coordinator. Just trusting him to build it, it’s kind of new though so it has some of those growing pains, but we have the chance to be pretty good.”
(Speaking of talent, you get to play alongside a guy in DT Zach Sieler who’s coming off a career year, what’s it been like lining up with him?) – “It’s great. I tell him all the time, ‘It’s your time.’ He’s paid his dues, came up kind of through the mud when you have to earn your way. Undrafted free agent, got cut, had to fight his way, and now he’s a star. He’s earned the right, last year getting ten sacks, all over the field, creating turnovers, scored a touchdown with the pick-six. You just see his potential and you see his confidence rise, so now I’m trying to get that leadership out of him because he’s a natural born leader.”
(Has he invited you hunting yet?) – “No, I’ve never been hunting yet.”
