Outside Linebackers Coach Ty McKenzie
(A question about LB Bradley Chubb and I guess the finger ailment or whatever you want to call it. How tough is it, once an offensive lineman gets his hands on you, to use your hands to get those hands off? Does it work like that? How tough is it?) – “It’s tough. I have a lot of respect for Bradley to be out there and give us all he can as a warrior. You’re trying to get engaged, trying to set an edge or being able to use your fingers to shed. He’s out there giving us all he can. We’re appreciative for the reps that he can give us?”
(How do you compensate for that?) – “It’s going to be tough. You really got to get knock-back and be able to grab something with the one or two fingers, however many you may have. But it’s a difficult task. And that’s one thing on setting the edge is we have to make sure we’re setting the edge on defense and we’ve got to be able to rush the passer. He’s giving us what he can and we’re appreciative of it.”
(We’ve seen LB Jaelan Phillips rush the passer from inside. When he does that as opposed to be kind of outside all of the time, what are the teaching points and kind of the things for him to be successful against some bigger guys inside?) – “So working inside – Jaelan has done a great job for us working inside and outside, and being able to get some straight rushes where he can go work a pass rush move and work his hands. You can see this year he’s working his hands really well. So it’s really a body lean. It’s about working an edge, knowing your opponent, what they have success in, what they don’t have success in and being able to take advantage of that.”
(Are there things that edge guys have to be more aware of when you have a quarterback as mobile as QB Josh Allen?) – “Yeah, Josh is such an elite player. I have a lot of respect for him because when he gets outside of the pocket, he throws a beautiful ball down the field with velocity and accuracy. When he’s in the pocket, he can throw with velocity and accuracy as well. He’s a big-statured (guy) back there moving around. You got to make sure that all 11 are on the same page and the rush and coverage come together, because if not, you guys have seen his highlight tape.”
(Is there a difference in the approach of the pass rush for a guy coming in off the edge that you have to take with a guy like QB Josh Allen?) – “I think it goes back to making sure all 11 (are in sync). Is this an opportunity where we can get really aggressive? Is this an opportunity where everybody has to do their job? Or is it 11 vs. 1 with Josh Allen out there? He’s dynamic and he can make some big plays. The biggest thing is just knowing what the call, what the situation is. And then making sure that we’re trying to keep him in the pocket and not let him get out. But at the same time in the pocket, we still want to get as close as we can or get him to the ground because he’s dynamic in and out of the pocket.”
(How much do you think is going to carry over from the first two games with how you guys played against Buffalo and how Buffalo plays against you guys?) – “It’s a new matchup. Right now, anything that we did during the season versus them in the first two rounds, it’s over. Now we’re going to the third round or third date or however you want to look at it, so it’s going to be a new slate. We’ve got to see what they’re going to do and we’ve got to have a good gameplan for our defense to give ourselves a chance to win the game. It’s going to be a new game and I’m excited to see what they do. I’m excited to see our players go out there and perform at a high level.”
(It was a little bit of a pitch count for LB Bradley Chubb. How did he get through the game and how much do you think he can give you with another week?) – “It’s really just how much can he give us during the week. So we try to build it up and then we get to the game and it’s kind of him out there playing and giving us everything he can. If that’s one snap or if that’s 15 snaps or 30 snaps or 100 snaps, nobody is counting. We’re just out there trying to make sure we do right by the player and whatever he can give us, he’s giving us the best that he can.”
(It looked like LB Andrew Van Ginkel played with some good energy last week. Do you feel like he’s kind of regained his form after having an appendix issue? How do you think he’s come back from that later in the season?) – “I feel like he’s playing well. He’s playing really well. His eyes are right. He’s striking tight ends and knocking guys back. He’s doing a lot of things that we coach him to do. So him getting an opportunity to step up with (Bradley) Chubb going through his injuries gives us a chance to win. I was excited to see him out there perform and we’ll see how it goes this week with whoever we have out there – whether it’s Chubb, (Van) Ginkel, ‘Mel’ (Melvin Ingram), (Brennan) Scarlett dressed for us a couple weeks ago, or Jaelan Phillips.”
(Even beyond health obviously, which has been a factor in how much LB Andrew Van Ginkel has played with LB Bradley Chubb’s injury, do you guys – you and Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer – base snaps at all for LB Melvin Ingram and LB Andrew Van Ginkel on how they play early in the game? Or do you have a pretty good idea of how much each of those two backup outside linebackers will play before the game?) – “I think before the game, we go into it like the guys prepare their tail off and that’s the decision. We go off of who is going to start, who’s performing at a high level in practice and who feels good with the gameplan and that’s every week. That’s every position. You don’t play a guy that took zero snaps in practice. You play the guys that practiced, the guys that gave us what they can and you try to win with those guys. There’s no count that we put together. We just kind of go with the guys we have out there. The guys, they do a great job. Talking about just being selfless – (Melvin) Ingram, (Andrew) Van Ginkel, Jaelan (Phillips) when we have to put him inside or he’s outside, whatever it may be. Or ‘Mel’ getting however many snaps. Those guys are selfless and just want whatever they can do to help the team win. So a lot of respect for those guys to whenever their number is called, with that being 100 snaps or maybe zero snaps in the game, those guys are always ready to go.”
(Elevating LB Brennan Scarlett and then having him inactive, was that just precautionary in case LB Bradley Chubb couldn’t go? I know he contributed on special teams a little bit the week before.) – “Elevations and all that, I kind of leave that to (General Manager) Chris (Grier) and (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) for them to answer those questions. I don’t want to say anything and the NFL want to fine me or anything like that. So I stay away from those. (laughter) But I think it’s always an asset to have guys in the building that know the system, that you can trust, that have practiced during the year, training camp, during the season that you can trust and that you can count on to go out there and perform at a high level. Because at the end of the day, it’s 11 guys going on the field that they have to feel good with, and I know we feel good with the guys on this roster.”
(Obviously one of the big questions with LB Jaelan Phillips coming into the year was how would he do against the run? Do you think he’s become a good NFL run defender?) – “In my eyes with Jaelen Phillips, I feel like Jaelen Phillips has become a complete outside linebacker. And that’s something that we kind of talked about there in offseason. I mean Jaelen Phillips, he’s setting the edge and he’s earning the right to rush the passer. That’s something we talked about is on early down, you’ve got to set the edge, you’ve got to have clean eyes, you’ve got to do your job, and if you do your job, then we can get the offense to a second-and-long, to a third-and-long and we can actually rush. So he’s doing a great job on early downs with his drops, with his breaking drive, with his vision. He had a couple ‘PBUs’ (pass breakups), and then at the same time, when it’s time to rush, he’s doing a great job rushing. For him, I don’t know the numbers, but we were kind of talking about it a couple days ago – he’s like top five in QB hurries and all this other stuff. He’s getting after the quarterback and that shows a tribute to the team that he’s on, what the guys around him, with Christian (Wilkins), with Zach Sieler, with (Bradley) Chubb, with Jaelan (Phillips), with Mel Ingram, with Cameron Goode, with Brennan Scarlett, all those guys – Raekwon (Davis). I can just keep going down this long list. But it’s a tribute to all those guys that he’s out there with and at the same time with the work that he’s put in. Actually, he’s getting to the quarterback and he’s affecting the quarterback. That’s one thing that we talk about a lot is affecting the quarterback. Sometimes it’s a ton of sacks in a game. Sometimes it’s quarterback pressures, it’s quarterback hits and those things add up where the quarterback has to get the ball out quick. They can’t just sit there and just hold it; they have to get on a rhythm and get the ball out of their hands.”
(How would you assess LB Jaelan Phillips’ in-game pass rush plan in terms of seeing what a tackle is doing to him and then coming back and saying, “Here’s how I can beat that?”) – “Yeah, I think that’s the in-game adjustments. You’re sitting there actually having a plan, and then sometimes you go out there and it may not work on the first one. Now you have to adjust on the sideline and know what you’re going to get with those tackles or a guard or a center that’s inside. So that’s something that we’ve been doing a great job with Jaelan (Phillips), and the rest of the guys as well, down on the line with the guys that would rush the passer, is ‘Here’s what we’re getting. Let’s change it up. Let’s do this instead.’ That’s just – it’s huge for success for players. At the same time, it’s stuff that we talk about through the week, so when it happens in the game, it’s like, ‘Alright, yeah. This is great.’ They have confidence in it.”
(It says you were born in Queens?) – “I was born in Queens. That’s a long story – if you want to know, I’ll tell you.”
(I’m from Glendale and Ozone Park.) – “Oh really?”
(How long were you there?) – “I was there until I was about two-and-a-half, and then I moved to Tampa, but I still have a couple family members up there. My aunt, she’s up there with a couple of my cousins. So we’ll go up there once in a blue moon. It’s been about, I want to say, four years since I’ve been up there. But it’s good.”
(What are your sports teams outside of obviously the Dolphins and football?) – “You know what? During the offseason – I don’t watch a lot of sports during the season, I’m always watching tape or game-planning opponents and all that. So during the offseason, I watch some baseball. I like the Dodgers, always good. Got a lot of respect for (Los Angeles Dodgers Manager) Dave Roberts over there. Got a lot of respect for (University of Georgia Football Head Coach) Kirby Smart. There’s a couple of coaches out there – so now, I’m watching these sports teams and I’m really looking at the coaches, because the stuff they’re doing, in-game adjustments, how they’re handling their roster. So that’s really how I pick my sports teams off of the best coached teams.”
(You started to say, I think, that there’s some kind of story behind you and Queens and going way back?) – “Queens was great. So I ended up spending some time there for two and a half years or so and then moved to Florida. For me, Florida has just always been homebase, because the time that I spent there, I don’t remember. It’s all photos and so on, so Florida has always been home to me. It was great to come back to work for the Miami Dolphins. (I have) a lot of respect for what they’ve done here and we’re getting closer to accomplishing another goal and that’s every day. Right now, the biggest thing today is it’s Thursday and we’ll figure out Friday when it comes, so it’s exciting.”
Defensive Line Coach Austin Clark
(We had Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer here earlier talking about hemming QB Josh Allen in the pocket and not letting him escape. What’s kind of the key to rushing a quarterback like Josh Allen, not letting him get out of the pocket?) – “Yeah, I think it’s being coordinated. How many guys are we bringing, your rush lanes, your eyes, gap integrity, level rush, middle push. All those things kind of factor into it depending on how many guys we’re bringing and what we’re doing.”
(Run defense very effective last week, what was the role of the of the d-line and what were you guys doing there?) – “I think we did a really good job playing square to the line of scrimmage with good pad leverage, getting extension on blockers, playing primary to secondary and the linebackers I thought did a phenomenal job filling secondary on crack replace. In the run game it takes all 11. But it’s a new season Sunday.”
(Just to sum up the year that DT Zach Sieler had, if you could just share your thoughts?) – “I think Zach Sieler is versatile, dependable, accountable, works his ass off, runs to the football. Can’t say enough great things about him. Student of the game. I think he’s come a long way in his game using his length. I love him, love what he’s doing.”
(Have there have been things you’ve been able to do with DE Emmanuel Ogbah since he went down, whether it’s involvement in team meetings, anything else?) – “No. I’ll tell you this, though. I think it says a lot about the guy. We had a big game Sunday for us and he’s there. He’s in the locker room. He’s around. I know the players and myself, I really value that. I value him as a person as well and the leadership he brings, and so that was that was awesome for us having him at the game and being around.”
(Ninety-plus tackles for a defensive lineman. Obviously it’s a big number. Does that number, does it even make you go, “Wow, that’s impressive”?) – “I’ll be honest, (Christian Wilkins) had 89 last year. So I did tell him like – we don’t look at it long term goals until the season’s over, but as the regular season ended, that was a big step for him. And I think it speaks to his effort and how far he’s come with his technique. And for him, how important it is to be as close to that football as possible at the end of every play.”
(First NFL playoff game for you. What do you think about that? How do you feel about going into the postseason?) – “We got to win. That’s what it is. To be honest, that’s the only thing on my mind, on our players’ minds, is going up there and getting a W.”
(What do you expect the playoff atmosphere to be in that building? It’s usually always a great atmosphere?) – “Yeah, the last time we were up there was a great atmosphere. So I would expect it to be some of the same. Hopefully no snowballs this time. (laughter) I don’t think it’s snowing so we should be all right.”
(Thoughts on how DT Raekwon Davis’ season went?) – “Yeah, I think he’s ascending. I think over the last couple of weeks really, I would say, to pinpoint one thing if you’re looking for – probably that that fake punt against Green Bay. Stopping that has kind of catapulted him and I know when you guys look at run defense, you may look at yards or tackles for loss, but there’s a guy over there in the middle lining up over the center that’s taking two a lot and he’s done a nice job.”
LB Jaelan Phillips
(The last time you were there, there were snowballs coming from the fans. The atmosphere this time may be a bit different if S Damar Hamlin is there as well. Do you have to deal with handling the Bills on the field and the atmosphere in the stands?) – “I mean, honestly, I really don’t pay too much attention to the stands and what’s going on. Obviously the whole environment, the whole ambiance and stuff, you can feel the energy. But I don’t think that’ll play too much of a difference, honestly. We’re locked in between the lines. It’s just man on man.”
(Do you even hear it when you’re on the field?) – “Yeah. Sometimes. Especially when we’re at Hard Rock (Stadium). But yeah, I mean, you can hear it. I don’t really think about it too much.”
(Do you get a sense that it will be different if S Damar Hamlin is there? Some are saying just the whole atmosphere with him being there fires up the team and the fans.) – “Yeah, I would assume so. I definitely would be super excited to see him on the field.”
(How excited are you to have your first NFL playoff experience?) – “I’m super excited. I think that’s exactly what we needed. What better opportunity than playing the Bills again in the first round. This is what we all live for. This is what we play the game for. So we’re all excited.”
(I don’t know if you remember this, but in the last press conference after you guys played, QB Josh Allen said I think we will end up seeing this team again later this season. When that game happened, did you want another crack at them?) – “Oh, for sure. For sure. For as long as I’m a Dolphin, we’re going to be excited to play the Bills because it’s always going to be a dogfight. It is always going to be a really fun competitive game.”
(Does it really come down to stopping QB Josh Allen not only with his arm, but with his legs as well?) – “100 percent. You got to contain him. Obviously he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the league, one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the league. Their offense kind of revolves around him and obviously they got other pieces that can hit you with the home run as well, but being able to contain Josh is going to be a huge part of our gameplan, for sure.”
(Is the way the edge guys rush QB Josh Allen at all different from other quarterbacks, in terms of having him take off? Is there any difference with him?) – “Yeah, you just got to be aware of that and just have good rush lane integrity. That’s all it really comes down to. And that’s really kind of reoccurring no matter who the quarterback is, but especially with somebody who can run like him and create plays off of scrambles and things like that. You definitely got to do the best you can to keep him in the pocket.”
RB Jeff Wilson Jr.
(On if the team has to run more if there’s a rookie quarterback making his first playoff start) – “No, I don’t necessarily feel that way, because the way Skylar (Thompson) is developing and learning the plays and getting more comfortable playing the quarterback position in our offense, I feel like we don’t have to alter all of those things. We just have to play good complementary football, and that’s not offense and defense – that’s on offense. The run got to help the pass, the pass got to help the run and that’s how we win the game.”
(Do you anticipate the atmosphere being different than the previous time you were up there? Not only because of the rowdy fans, but if Damar Hamlin comes, it’s just going ratchet up a little bit.) – “Yeah, it is, but that’s all for them. That has nothing to do with us. Like I said, all we have to do is come out and play football. Like I was telling somebody earlier, if you put Muhammed Ali and Mike Tyson in the ring, they’re going to be rocking each other the whole fight until somebody eventually falls. That’s what it is. No matter who is there. Like I said, about their situation, my heart and prayers still go their way even though (Hamlin) is out and released (from the hospital), I still pray for him. I still ask God to keep him covered and his family. But at the end of the day, it’s football and that’s what we’re coming and doing and that’s what we’re coming to play.”
(If RB Raheem Mostert can’t go this week, how ready are you to take on possibly a bigger role at the running back position?) – “I’m always ready. You have to prepare for everything in this league. Regardless of if he’s there or not, we’re going to prepare as if he was and if he wasn’t. We’re just going to stay ready and be ready to play a good game of football.”
Wide Receivers Coach Wes Welker
(We’ve seen fewer touches for WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle in the games QB Tua Tagovailoa hasn’t played for obvious and understandable reasons. Do you tell Head Coach Mike McDaniel and Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith, and you obviously have the credibility with them to do it, let’s find other ways to get them the ball? We saw obviously a jet sweep for Waddle last week. Is that something that you can tell them this week? Or do you assume they know it?) – “I think we all work together and try to obviously get our best players the ball any way we can. But also not sitting there doing it against double coverage over and over, or trying to put ourselves in not ideal situations because when they’re getting doubled or anything like that, it just becomes very frustrating for those guys. When we get our opportunities to get single coverage, or whatever it is, (we have to) try to get our best players to the ball. But yeah, we’re always trying to get our best players the ball if the opportunity presents itself.”
(It’s good to get to ask you about WR Erik Ezukanma after a game in which he actually played. What was the thought process in keeping him active in the regular season finale?) – “’Ced’ (Cedrick Wilson Jr.) had a deal in his hip or whatever, so Erik got the nod to come up and he did really well. He did some really nice things, especially in the run game, and all those things. I was happy with Erik and he’s progressing very, very well. We’ll see where that kind of continues and he’s got a long offseason ahead of him and all of those different things. We’ll see if we need him here in the playoffs or not and kind of go from there. But I’m very happy with Erik, very happy with the way that he performed in the game and we’ll just keep on working with him and he’ll continue to develop and continue to get better.”
(As a player, you had a few concussions. What did you learn about taking care of yourself and best navigating that with the assistance of the doctors as a player?) – “I think the main thing was rest, obviously, and all those different things, and listening to the doctors. There’s different techniques and different things that people do. It’s hard to say what works, what doesn’t and all these different things. To me, it’s more about keeping your mind active, staying into things that you love and have a passion for and all those different things to keep your mind working and moving and doing whatever you need to do to not go into a funk, and just keep yourself kind of busy. Rest obviously, especially initially afterwards. But when you have a passion for something and it’s taken away, where do you go from there? I think that’s something that every athlete or football player that’s had those type of deals kind of deals with.”
(Did you wear a special helmet at some point? Is that something someone convinced you was a good idea?) – “Yeah, I think the helmets and everything are getting better and better as we go on. I think I was the first one – like everybody was calling me Spaceballs there for a while with my big old helmet that I had and stuff. Helmets are helmets and concussions are still going to happen. You just you try to prevent them the best you can and at the same time, it’s part of the game.”
(Did you ever have two in the same season?) – “I did. Yeah.”
(Have you talked about that experience with QB Tua Tagovailoa at all? Is that perhaps a source of hope for him, if you’ve shared that with him?) – “No, we haven’t really talked about it. I think every individual is different. I think every athlete just about is, especially if you play football, you’ve experienced some sort of concussion from playing. To each his own. I think everybody responds differently to them. It’s all a doctor’s recommendation, from that standpoint, of whether you’re good to play or not and being able to provide for your family or not.”
(You’ve been in that stadium many times and you know,= how it charges up to Bills. When you add in the fact that it’s a playoff game and the one variable we don’t know right now is whether S Damar Hamlin will be there or not. What sort of impact do you think that’s going to have? Not just on you guys, but how it might charge up the Bills?) – “Obviously they have all the motivation in the world to go out and win this game. I think when you’re talking about playoff football, I don’t think there’s more of a heightened type of urgency than playoff football. Whatever the motivation is, and all those different things, these are things that all these guys and every player in the playoffs have been dreaming about since they were little kids. Getting to the playoffs is hard and winning in the playoffs becomes even harder because of this sense of urgency and the way that guys practice going into that week and understanding that it’s everything that week of whether we’re going to keep our season alive or not. And that’s kind of exhilarating and fun. So you just kind of have to bring that energy and know what’s at stake. These opportunities don’t come around very often, so try to make the most of it.”
(As the guy with maybe the most playoff experience on the staff or the roster, have you kind of conveyed your message about what to expect in these types of games?) – “Yeah, I think it’s going to be fun. I think the last Buffalo game that we had up there with the energy and the way the weather was and the snow, that’s about as close to playoff football as you’re going to get. I thought our team and our receivers, or whoever, I think we played very, very well and had a chance to win that game. You see an environment like that and you know what we’re capable of, and hopefully we can go up there and finish that type of performance that we had and finish it this time.”
(You had 13 career playoff games. Do you remember what happened in your first?) – “In my first playoff game? I want to say it was in 2007 against Jacksonville. I think I had a couple touchdowns or something?”
(Were you nervous going into that game at all?) – “No, I was excited. That’s something I’ve been dreaming of since I was a little kid and then I played down here for three years and didn’t make the playoffs. So getting that opportunity and especially the team we had that year was stupid (good). When you have a bunch of guys that are that good on your team, it makes you pretty confident.”
Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(I know it’s a sensitive topic with regards to WR Tyreek Hill and returns, but if you are able to just give us any insight at all as to why he was used on the last one in the game on Sunday, but not the previous ones?) – “All that stuff, those decisions, those discussions when we have them, and when they’re had, as a staff and with players, those stay in house.”
(In any way, do you think that WR Tyreek Hill’s presence may have impacted a punt or anything like that?) – “I don’t think so.”
(What do you think of special teams last week? Because from an outsider’s point of view, it seems to be a very strong performance by you guys. What’s your assessment?) – “You guys are sick of me. I’m never happy with anything, but the guys played hard. We didn’t give up any plays against a good group and a very good returner. We’ve been on a run now of playing a bunch of good groups and good returners and we’re going to see another one this weekend. So we’re going to have our hands full. It’s an outstanding team we’re playing on Sunday in all three phases and for me obviously, especially in the kicking game.”
(How gratifying was it for you to see K Jason Sanders hit, specifically a 50-yarder to win it after we’ve seen the misses from 50?) – “You’re happy for Jason, you’re happy for the team, you’re happy for the fans. It’s a big kick in a big spot and I’m super excited for him.”
(After watching Buffalo return two kickoffs for touchdowns just last week, what are your thoughts on stopping that?) – “We talked about it when we played them a month ago. For them to go out and get (Nyheim Hines) at the trade deadline and keep building on an outstanding club and any perceived, what they may have thought were weaknesses, to be able to go out and keep adding. He was a very good returner and a great player in Indianapolis and it’s just carried over in Buffalo. He’s very dangerous with the ball in his hands and we’ll have to do a good job and in every area.”
(You’ve seen that atmosphere in Buffalo from the home sideline. You’ve coached on the visitor sideline. But never a playoff game What’s your expectation for the atmosphere in a playoff game?) – “I can say this and I mean this with all the respect in the world. Those people – it’s not going to change. It is a fabulous atmosphere there from Week 1 to the end of the year. It doesn’t change. It’s a very collegiate atmosphere. They’re going to get there early, they’re going to stay there late, they’re going to have a good time and they love their Bills. So it’s going to be a raucous crowd. But it was a ruckus on Saturday night when we were there a month ago.”
(Does LS Blake Ferguson get extra amped to long snap against his brother?) – “You’d have to ask him that. (laughter)”
(Did WR Erik Ezukanma participate on any of the special teams?) – “No.”
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(I’ve got a question about QB Teddy Bridgewater. What is the role that the little finger plays in throwing the football? I understand that if you’re a right-handed quarterback, that’s the top hand taking the snap if I’m not mistaken, but throwing the football, what is the role that the little finger plays there?) – “I think in reality just being able to grip the ball, being able to control it. I think that ultimately just having that comfort level and being able to one, take a snap and two, to be able to control the football as far as you’re either delivering it through a pass or even be able to hand it off. Teddy (Bridgewater) has done a great job rehabilitating and working through all the injuries and stuff like that, just like all our guys have this year with any injury adversities. So I think that ultimately his ability to handle the football is obviously the most paramount thing that we’re looking at when it comes to whoever is taking the snap. Got to hand it to him though; he’s working his butt off to try and make sure that he’s ready to go in all capacities that we need him.”
(I’m going to ask you an offensive line question that would not compromise you competitively because it doesn’t involve any names. I’ve given this a lot of thought. [laughter] So how many – again, no names – how many permutations have you, Offensive Line Coach Matt Applebaum and Head Coach Mike McDaniel settled on in terms of all the possible lineups for Sunday on the offensive line? And how much does that affect game-planning these last couple days for you and Mike as far as which of the permutations ultimately gets used?) – “Really it come down to kind of like we said it all year, we always have to plan for contingencies in all forms for all positions. I think preparation really starts in training camp. It really starts in the preseason. So for us, the variables that play out in-season, we’re never trying to really work something at the last second. We’re always trying to make sure that we have as much crossover and sometimes where’s the crossover coming? It’s sometimes more in individual drills and stuff like that where we can get the work at it. But ultimately, you’re trying to build consistency. How do you build consistency? Being able to play similar spots, similar sides. That’s how you build consistency for guys. So I think overall when we look at the line this year, we’ve had a lot of really cool challenges with some of the situations that have come up, and I think the guys have handled it tremendously. Their work, their intensity towards the opportunity to maximize their play. We couldn’t be happier from that effort that we’re really putting in. The result is obviously something that you’re always working through to obviously continue your process, but I think the good thing is a lot of these variables and lineup changes we’ve already considered. So we are just really implementing things that we’ve had conversations about or even drilled in some of our individual things.”
(And then as far as how it affects game planning – for example, do you and Head Coach Mike McDaniel have a conversation Tuesday saying if T Terron Armstead is available, we’re going to use this particular play more than if he’s not available? Does that type of thing happen?) – “Kind of. Ultimately you try and put in plays and schemes that maximize your players’ skillsets. Whether that’s a lineman or wide receiver, quarterback, running back, all positions. I think the players make it come to life every play we do so when you can have opportunities for guys and what they do well, yes, we want to put it in. And obviously there’s an element schematically of what we need to attack to challenge the defense. So yeah, you weigh it in and then ultimately, that’s why we have the volume of plays we have. One, to be able to attack the different nuances that the defense presents, and two, to make sure we’re getting to plays that are obviously what our players do well because you can game plan blocks, you can game plan combinations as you can routes. So I think those variables come into play, but we’re always trying to consider multiple contingency opportunities to make sure that we have guys in the right spots.”
(If QB Skylar Thompson indeed starts again, would you like to see him manage the game similar to how he did against the Jets – minimizing risk? Or in this scenario where you probably need some more points, just let it rip, you got nothing to lose, go ahead, go after it?) – “I think when you look at it from philosophically for an offense, our job is to score points and however we score points is trying to obviously win the game. So for us last week, we felt there was an opportunity with the Jets to attack them in a way that maybe we hadn’t attacked certain opponents the same way. I think ultimately like this week, we have a plan for how we want to attack the Bills and ultimately, regardless how that plays out, that’s the plan that we communicate. The guys understand it, I don’t think necessarily that we’re looking at some type of way to really do it. We’re just looking at what’s the best way for us to make sure we score points and win the game and if we maximize those opportunities, we feel confident that we can accomplish that.”
(From your perspective with the various quarterback carousel that you’ve had all season, what’s been kind of the impact of Quarterbacks Coach/Passing Game Coordinator Darrell Bevell in getting QB Skylar Thompson ready this this week, QB Teddy Bridgewater in some weeks and obviously QB Tua Tagovailoa and his development? What’s kind of been your perspective?) – “I think if you look at any of the injury adversities that we’ve had all year at all positions, I think you’ve seen a great job of coaches working with their players, trying to make sure that everyone’s connected with how the game plan is going, everyone’s connected on the important parts of what we’re trying to attack inside of the defense. So the quarterback room, ‘Bev’ (Darrell Bevell) and Chandler (Henley) have done a fantastic job with the quarterbacks making sure that we’re working through all the variables that could potentially happen, all the guys – because again, you just never know when your number is going to get called. So I think that also plays into all rooms with the injury issues that we’ve had to deal with, like all teams do. And just making sure that every player that’s going to have a jersey for the game is ready to go and make sure they understand the game plan. I think it’s been a great opportunity for us as coaches to actualize these contingencies that we’ve been talking about since September and it only makes us stronger for the future.”
(The Buffalo defense almost never leaves their nickel package and I think a lot of that’s built around CB Taron Johnson. What are some challenges unique to a player like that, that can insert in the running game but also pull back and give them more coverage weapons as it were?) – “Yeah, I think that you see a defense that has obviously been together, they understand the philosophy, they understand what they’re trying to do. Sean (McDermott) and Leslie (Frazier) have done a fantastic job and then fortunately from my experience, I know Mike (Shula) going back all the way to Carolina with Sean (McDermott) when he was the coordinator. They run a very, very good scheme, aggressive, they know who they are, they have a very good understanding whether they’re in nickel or their base defense. I think that all their players communicate well. I think they have a great understanding of where they’re trying to be inside of their defense. So I think that the flexibility that they do within their defensive system is probably a strength of theirs and that’s through their players. I think it’s ultimately, you can see it’s a well-coached team that plays hard and ultimately, we got to make sure we’re on our stuff to make sure we bring our best on Sunday.”
(Because of three reasons – A, you’re playing a very good team, B, they’re familiar with you, obviously, you’re familiar with them and C, because you all are beat up offensively without QB Tua Tagovailoa – do you and Head Coach Mike McDaniel in game planning think “we need to do even more unusual unexpected things that we haven’t shown this year, be it trick plays, be it something we haven’t used a lot, to increase our chances to win in this very difficult spot that we’re in?”) – “I wouldn’t say that’s kind of how we look at it. I think our starting point has always been, who is the defense? How do they operate? How do they play defense? Where are the stress points of their defense? How can we challenge them and make them have to defend every yard of the field? So I think we start from that capacity, and then you look at who are the potentials of being up and how do we maximize what they do well and then what do we do well? So you don’t really ever get to that variable until maybe later in the week when you have more clarity towards what’s going on because we still have really three more days of prep before we get to Sunday. There’s a lot of variables that could even play out before then. I think ultimately we’re starting from where we always do and trying to make sure we have options with their scheme to attack different parts of the defense, to attack the matchups that we feel advantageous and then making sure we communicate that with the guys and making sure that we’re operating what we need to do to win the game.”
(If RB Raheem Mostert can’t go Sunday, has anything changed with the running game? He’s basically been the guy you’ve counted on all year.) – “No, I think that we feel very confident with the way the group has responded overall. I think that with what we do, trying to build consistency within our system with running our core concepts and allowing everyone to really get an understanding of what the play’s intent is, what are the stress points of the play or what are the critical factors of the play. So ultimately, the running backs room overall has a good understanding of what we’re trying to do. I don’t think that we necessarily are having to tailor; I think more of it’s just it’s a great opportunity for the next guys in the room to show what they can do in the situation when their number is called.”
(Psychologically, how is the staff approaching the reality that the team is a significant underdog going into this particular ballgame? Is it ignored? Is it discussed? I don’t know.) – “Honestly, you don’t even really know all that stuff until outside people tell you. Your only goal as a coach and a player is to focus on the mission at hand and you go forward with your preparation. So how the outside world views things, it’s kind of irrelevant from that standpoint because as far as your preparation goes, you’re focused on the details of your assignment. You’re focused on the intent of the play. The last thing I think that really focuses in everyone’s mind is what some people are saying that should happen or could happen. I think that everyone’s just focused on being the best they can at each individual moment, which is today. If we maximize today, make sure we stay in the moment and do what we need to do at that time, that’s part of your preparation getting ready for Sunday. And if you do that all year in everything you do, that’s why games aren’t bigger than what they are. They’re just another opportunity to go play the game in front of an audience as opposed to in practice, and then in practice, if you take that intensity with that mental stamina, you’re always banking reps to get yourself ready for that environment, so I don’t think necessarily, anyone’s really focusing on that until really someone tells you and you’re just like, ‘Oh, really? Okay.’ I think it just comes forward that our job is to be present.”
(Last time in Buffalo, you had success on the ground. It was RB Raheem Mostert going that time. RB Jeff Wilson was out. Now you’ll have RB Jeff Wilson and maybe Raheem won’t be able to go. But what other constants do you feel you have in that rushing attack that lead you to believe you could have similar success this time?) – “I think it starts with the preparation on Wednesday and just making sure everyone’s connected in what we’re trying to do in the attack and schematically, fundamentally. I think that all guys with all the variables we’ve had this year, our goal is just to create consistency and a general overall understanding of communication so we can operate. So again, I don’t think that our goal is really worrying about all the variables that could be; you got to worry about your individual variables that you can control. So there’s so much uncontrollable things, especially in the playoffs. The regular season is over. Now it’s a one-game elimination tournament. So the only thing you can do in that is really just stay in the present and focus on what we need to do today and then stack those plays, stack those moments until it’s time for Sunday to extract them when you need them.”
(What’s the first thing that goes through your mind when you kind of project and look at what the atmosphere there and crowd noise is going to be for a playoff game in Buffalo?) – “I assume it’ll probably be very similar to last game. Just hopefully no snowballs. (laughter) I think a couple of us got pelted by those. But yeah, the fortunate thing at the end of the season with us and getting flexed to primetime, having a lot of those opportunities, all they are is they’re preparing you for these moments. So it’ll be an electric atmosphere and we’re looking forward to the opportunity.”
(And you got obviously a great carry from RB Salvon Ahmed late in the game Sunday. He played well in Buffalo. What do you like about his skill set as a runner?) – “Yeah, I think he’s a great fit to our system. I like his vision, his toughness, his ability to redirect, his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. As we talked about in earlier months, we’re trying to find guys who are complete players, but then guys who do things well and just trying to maximize that and we’ve been really pleased with what he’s done so far. We feel real confident that if his number is called, that he can execute with what we need him to do.”
Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer
(Against a team that you’ve seen so many times and come up with so many different gameplans for, I’m curious when you do go back to game-planning and you have all of those tapes of your guys against them, do you ever have to fight this internal conflict of ‘Do I want to go this way? Do I want to go that way?’ How conflicting is putting together a gameplan against a team that you’ve done it against so many times?) – “I think you look at a lot of things. You look at some of the things that you’ve done well. You look at personnel. Some of that has changed over the years, when you go back and look at all of them. And then ways that they’ve kind of combated some of the things that we’ve done and scheme that they’ve had that’s hurt us, to make sure we’re prepared for that. I think it’s a constant. Then you look at things that they’ve done to other teams as well that may be similar to some of the things that we do. I think there’s a lot of familiarity but at the same time, they’re very familiar with us too so you kind of have to combat, ‘Ok, if we do this, they’ll do that. If they do this, we’ll do that.’ So there’s a lot of back and forth when it comes to preparing for a team that you have faced multiple times.”
(Defending QB Josh Allen and specifically his scrambling abilities, what have you found has and hasn’t been successful?) – “Well, I think you have to give him different looks. If you sit in the same thing – they do a very good job. They’ve got good offensive linemen, they’ve got good skill players, they’ve got good tight ends, they’ve got good backs and their quarterback is able to see things very well and run the offense very efficiently. It will be a big challenge for us this week that we’re looking forward to.”
(On that point with QB Josh Allen, I know we’ve asked you a lot about sacks and getting pressure on the quarterback and whatnot. Is this the type of matchup and the type of quarterback where given his ability to kind of evade pressure and still make plays in the face of pressure, do you kind of really emphasize that you have to bring them down? It’s not one of those things where just the pressure is going to get to him?) – “I think when you have the opportunities to tackle him – and I think the more people you can get around him, the better off you’re going to be. You try to cage him up and not give him open space. I think he’s proven time and time again if you give him open space, he can make plays. We know he’s going to make some plays. He has in every game that he’s played in. We’re just going to have to try to limit those the best we can and then when we have opportunities to make plays, we need to do that.”
(Regarding QB Josh Allen, can you briefly give us the pros and cons of putting a spy on him? And what situations maybe is it more effective? Like third-and-5 as opposed to first-and-10?) – “Any time that you devote a spy or somebody that’s going to be on the quarterback, then obviously you’re pulling them from somewhere else. So either you’re pulling them from the rush or you’re pulling them from the coverage. Like we mentioned, they have a good offensive line. They have a good (group of) skill (players). You just have to weigh your odds on what you’re trying to do and what you’re trying to get accomplished within the calls. I think anytime you do the same thing repetitively with them, they usually have an answer somewhere along the way.”
(Was LB Bradley Chubb on a pitch count last week, so to speak? And will he again this week?) – “I think Chubb is working very hard to get back to full strength. It was very impressive that he got out there last week dealing with what he’s dealing with. Hopefully that will continue. I know he’s working very hard to get back out there as much as he possibly can. I think you always take into consideration – not just with Chubb but other players we have that at this point in the season, there’s probably not anybody who is 100 percent. Guys that are dealing with things, you try to say ‘Ok, this is the best situation to put them in. We can probably get him for this amount of reps.’ And then how you spread that out with everybody else that is available to you. I think you always go into it week-to-week planning that way, especially with the guys that are dealing with things.”
(On LB Jaelan Phillips, what area has he shown the most growth over the last 12 months or so?) – “I would say just his overall awareness defensively and his ability to play multiple spots I think has been pretty impressive. He’s always been a high motor, high effort guy. I think the techniques that he’s using in the run game has improved. I think our ability to move him around has improved. He’s a selfless player. There’s a lot of things that don’t necessarily show up in the stat sheet but he definitely causes some disruption for the offense for sure.”
(The decision last week to get DB Elijah Campbell his first start, what led to that?) – “Again, I think there are a number of things. One, there are certain things that we feel like Elijah gives us and there are other players that are involved in that equation, that we knew we kind of wanted to limit the amount of reps that they were getting. I think any time that you see us putting a player on the field, we’re going to be pretty confident that that guy is going to get the job done. It’s not one of those where – especially when you start the game, if you’re going, ‘Ah, man. We’ve got to put this guy in.’ That’s not the case. Obviously we feel very comfortable and very good. I think Elijah has made a lot of progress. We’ve talked about Elijah earlier in the year. He was not a guy that we were able to pinpoint what he can do because he had to be very multiple for us based on players that we had available to us. I think we’ve kind of narrowed his role down a little bit and I think he’s made the most of the opportunities that he’s had. We’re very excited that he was able to get out there last week and help us out, and also was able to limit some reps of some other guys that we were trying to limit reps.”
(DB Elijah Campbell’s best skill as a defender is what, you would say?) – “He’s fast and physical. I think he has a wide variety of skillsets and within the scheme, trying to pinpoint, ‘Ok, we think we can get this out of him.’ He’s worked very hard. He’s a very diligent worker. He’s had to learn multiple positions over the course of the season, that I would say has evolved, especially when you’re game-planning week-to-week. It’s different week-to-week. He’s a very explosive player. He’s able to start very quickly. He can go from zero to 60 in a hurry. He’s a physical player. He’s not afraid of contact. I’m very pleased with where he’s at and where he’s going, and we’re working very hard to build on that and to help him along in his progression as a defensive football player.”
(There’s 17 games in your career that you’ve coached up in Buffalo but the first time in the playoffs. What do you expect the atmosphere to be like compared to a regular-season game up there?) – “When you play at Buffalo, it’s always a great football environment. This is going to be stereotypical, but it’s a very blue-collar, hardworking town. The fans are very passionate. Obviously I’ve spent my entire career in the AFC East and if you are wearing a different colored jersey, you’re not welcome there. But they love football. It will be a great environment. We’ll probably have a few less snowballs thrown at us this week if it doesn’t snow. (laughter) But I think it’s awesome. I think it’s a great football environment. I think it’s a good football town. They’ve got a great football team. They’re well-coached. They play hard. I don’t think you can ask for anything more going up there and playing.”
(Upon reviewing the Jets tape, what did you come away most pleased with in keeping them out of the end zone?) – “You always go back and look at things that you could have done better. You always start with that first. Obviously when we had opportunities to get off the field on third down like we talked about a week ago, those four-point plays that we talked about, we were able to get them off the field. So obviously that was good. Anytime that you can limit a team or eliminate a team from scoring a touchdown, you’re going to put yourself in a pretty good opportunity.”
(The first game, obviously you guys had two late stops to clinch that game. In Week 15, they were 4-of-5 in the red zone. What sticks out to you from both games and kind of the execution in the red area?) – “I think it comes down to just that – execution. We probably needed to do a little bit better job of mirroring the rush with the coverage. Sometimes we had good rush and not good coverage. Other times we had good coverage and not a good rush. Sometimes you have to marry that all together. Really, that’s what this Sunday will come down to will be execution. It’s a new season. We’re very excited about it. The 18 weeks we had before us, none of that really matters. What’s going to matter this week is the execution that we have on Sunday. We’re really looking forward to it. It’s going to be a great environment. We couldn’t ask for anything better. We’re looking forward to it.”
(Last week, you guys ran the ball a lot and had 35 minutes time of possession. What does that do for the defense?) – “That’s probably a better question for … I don’t really pay attention to what we’re doing offensively, scheme and time of possession. The reality of it is when you go out there on the field, your job is to get off the field and get the ball back to the offense. If that happens where it’s a long drive, that happens. If that happens where it’s a short drive, that happens. But the reality of it is your goal and your mentality is always the same. It’s what can we correct that happened on the field? What can we get better? Are there things that we need to change? But the end goal is ultimately to get the ball back to the offense as soon as we possibly can to help with the field position, because obviously the longer the drives on, usually you lose field position as you go. I don’t think what they’re doing one way or the other kind of affects the end goal for us defensively.”
(Watching the games back over this year and even a couple of years prior to that, it seems like there are a lot of opportunities for you guys to take the football away but it doesn’t always seem to happen for your defense against this offense. I think they had six fumbles in two games against you this year but you only recovered two of them. How do you emphasize taking the ball away and capitalizing on those opportunities?) – “I think you probably hit it right there in your question. One, we have to attack the football. And then when it’s out, the more people that we can get to the ball increase our odds greatly of recovering the ball. We put an emphasis on that every week so that won’t really change. We’ll try to attack the ball as much as possible and then try to get everybody to the ball the best we can to recover those.”
