Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio
(Do you go back and watch anything of QB Tim Boyle beyond the 14 throws from last Sunday? Do you look at the Detroit days to see how he responds to blitzes and other looks? Is there time for that?) – “Yeah. You have to make time. He played in the preseason for the Jets this year. He played in Chicago some, which was the same system that he’s in now. He was in Green Bay with Coach (Nathaniel) Hackett, the offensive coordinator, in Chicago, and was in Green Bay when he was there. He was with Chicago now he’s back with Coach Hackett. So he knows the system and there is some video out there.”
(A lot of teammates of CB Jalen Ramsey have spoken about how involved and engaged he was while he was coming back from his injury. From your perspective, what role has that played in him coming in and hitting the ground running?) – “His rehab process was pretty amazing. He said right from the start that he was going to make it back way ahead of what that injury usually requires. It wasn’t just the first day or two talk. He backed it up all the way through. He did a tremendous job rehabbing that injury, and getting well, and getting ready to play. He deserves 90 percent of that credit. I think (Head Athletic Trainer) Kyle (Johnston) in the training room and his people that helped him, (Assistant Athletic Trainer) Jasmin (Grimes), (Associate Head Athletic Trainer) Troy (Maurer), they did a tremendous job with him. (Cornerbacks/Pass Game Specialist) Sam Madison went above and beyond and worked with him on the field while he was rehabbing. He just did a great job and it was one of the better things I’ve seen.”
(In the film room and meetings, is it usual to see an injured guy as engaged as some of the players recounted?) – “Yeah, at times. And at times, no.”
(Aside from the rehab, what has amazed you the most about CB Jalen Ramsey as a player?) – “He’s a student of the game. which is something that you don’t know until you get around a guy. He’s a smart player. He’s a team player. He likes to help people and he’s been a great addition.”
(What stood out to about CB Jalen Ramsey’s two interceptions last week?) – “Both of them were great plays. A lot of interceptions are tips, as overthrow, a really bad throw by the quarterback or something along those lines. These were just two really, really great plays.”
(You mentioned observing past tape of Jets QB Tim Boyle. What if anything changes as far as how you approach him as opposed to Zach Wilson?) – “That’s the unknown. Always when you have a new quarterback in there or a lot of times when you have a new quarterback, the plan of attack and the way the game is called may change. And I think it’s different in this case because he is very well-versed in the offense they’re running because of where he’s been the last few years. So I think they’ll run their offense, which he’s very capable of doing.”
(We saw, I think, LB David Long Jr. had his fewest snaps this past Sunday since Week 1. Was that matchup or…?) – “It was just kind of the way the game, the personality that the game took on there. We had a good bit of short series there and then when we had two-minute drives at the end of the game, we were either going to be in dime or place ‘Gink’ (Andrew Van Ginkel) in there some.”
(When you have an inexperienced quarterback like Jets QB Tim Boyle, is there a general rule or is it case-by-case like do you want to pressure him early and get to him or do you want to kind of read and react and then do what you…?) – “Yeah, I think it’s case-by-case. In Boyle’s case, he knows this offense. He’s comfortable in it. I don’t think it’s your normal young backup coming into a game.”
(You’ve had obviously a lot of success in your career against quarterbacks without a lot of experience. Some coordinators would blitz a ton. Obviously you’ve always been measured with that. We saw a blitz got a sack on third down last week, then you rushed four on the last drive. Is it ever self-control not to blitz or are you so used to being measured with blitzes that you’re not tempted to blitz an inexperienced guy more?) – “Again, it’s just the situation and the flow of the game and you call what you think needs to be called at any given moment that is best for your team versus the opponent. It’s not that we’re adverse to calling pressure. Sometimes the way the teams are playing dictates that it may not be as advantageous because of the way they’re playing, whether they’re keeping a lot of guys in to block or throwing it real quick. So you just have to get a feel for it.”
(Have there been any moments along the way that stood out to you of your defense, your guys, picking up your defense better? Or has it just kind of been a steady progression?) – “I just think it’s been steady improvement along the line, which you would expect and being able to game plan opponents and meet specifically on certain teams helps and I just think it’s the natural maturation as you go along.”
(Is there a stunning effect on quarterbacks when they see CB Jalen Ramsey and CB Xavien Howard out there? I mean in general. I know it hasn’t been that many games for you guys.) – “I don’t know. They’re two good players and the more good players you have, the better off you are. I feel fortunate that we have those two guys outside.”
(Was there a point early in the year where you thought the defenders should learn the system more quickly or you were frustrated at all about your defensive players were doing in that regard?) – “Maybe on a play-by-play basis. I wouldn’t say on an overall basis.”
(Have they absorbed it though? I know it’s a big playbook. Have they absorbed it as well as you’d like by the end here?) – “Yeah, we’ve done a good job here of late and I think they’re gaining confidence in it.”
(The quandary of DE Emmanuel Ogbah this year. Obviously he’s a guy who’s done a lot in this league, but obviously you’re deep at edge and outside linebacker. How tough a call is that then with you to not play a lot a guy who’s used to playing a lot?) – “It’s not easy or not enjoyable. He’s a hell of a guy. He’s been a very productive player in this league. It’s just hard sometimes to get four guys reps at the edge position when it’s mainly been (Bradley) Chubb, (Jaelan) Phillips and ‘Ginkel’ (Andrew Van Ginkel).”
(Would you ever go to QB Mike White or WR Braxton Berrios, former Jets, and kind of pick their brain or would you welcome them coming to you with tips?) – “Yeah, but it’s a new offensive system than when Mike (White) was there, so a little less validity to it.”
(You were with LB Bradley Chubb in Denver and it seems like he’s really come into his own and in being teed up with LB Jaelan Phillips on the other side. Has he just grown as a player defensively throughout his career or is it now that he’s less injured? It just seems like he’s really grown. Have you seen that growth in him?) – “Yeah, I think it’s everything you said. He really struggled the three years I was in Denver with him, except the second year he had a good stretch from about Game 5 through 14, and I think he actually made the Pro Bowl that year. But his first year obviously he was injured, I think in Game 4, and missed the rest of the year. And the third year, he had two different ankle injuries that really affected him the whole year. When you look it up, it says he played seven or eight games, but he wasn’t himself because of the injuries. I’m really happy for him on a personal level and it’s really nice to see and I think he’s going to continue to grow.”
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(RB De’Von Achane, were you able to talk to him on the sideline and what is his mindset as far as being a young player who experiences a setback after such a good game?) – “Yeah, I’m in the press box during the game, so I did not. But afterwards, I talked to him in the locker room and saw him around. The only thing you can control is your attitude. You can’t control the events that occur. It’s just your response. That’s the nature of being a professional athlete. There’s going to be highs and lows and your choice and how you handle that is going to be most times the outcome.”
(Were you in the press box last year?) – “No, I was on the field.”
(From your perspective, how do you see the game up there?) – “It’s great. I started my career in New Orleans in the press box. I was up there for five years. When you first come down, it’s like, ‘Oh there’s a game going on down here.’ You’re so far removed you feel like you get a different vantage point and you’re behind a giant piece of glass watching everything going on. So you get less of the – especially in the Superdome it was way worse because you were in the rafters. Here at least you can still feel like you’re part of the game. The Superdome, I just felt like I had some popcorn and watched everything going on. (laughter) But yeah, I think it’s a great perspective. I enjoy it. I enjoy anything I need to do to help this program.”
(How did TE Julian Hill play aside from the turnover?) – “Being a rookie is always a process. Tight end, it’s a hard process with all the different variables that come into play. He’s doing a great job with it. The one thing with Julian, there’s a guy that every minute of the day he is using to make himself better. I know him and Jon (Embree) are always trying to maximize their time. We’ve been really pleased with what he’s been doing. To come from Campbell and be contributing is really pretty cool.”
(How was your reaction to losing RB Salvon Ahmed? Another running back injury now.) – “It’s unfortunate. But again, you can’t control a lot of things that happen. He was doing very well for us, especially the early part of the year. It’ll be on collectively the guys in the room and guys in the offense, when we lose guys, to step up and rise to the challenge.”
(How would you describe the Jets defense?) – “Very well coached. They have a very good identity to what they’re doing. They know how to play together. They communicate well. They play aggressive. They’re going to be a great challenge for us on Friday. I was about to say Sunday (laughter). Facing another division opponent, it’s obviously an important game for us. We’re really looking forward to Friday.”
(How much mystery is there associated with how to play QB Tua Tagovailoa considering he didn’t play against them last year?) – “I don’t know. I mean the mystery is more what are we going to get on (Friday). I mean, we get so many things that necessarily another opponent might not get. The New York Giants played nickel the whole game or play guys who play a different amount of snaps. I think ultimately it’s about our understanding of the concepts and our understanding of our communication with each other and the intent and purpose of all things. Whatever they decide, if it’s to deviate from what they do, then it’s our job to adjust and make sure they’re on the same page together. The variables and what ifs, it’s more about how can we get better each day at what we do.”
(I wanted to ask you a couple questions about the short-yardage offense. From your vantage point, what’s gone wrong or right with the short-yardage offense?) – “It’s not just one thing. It’s one thing here, one thing there. You hope over the course of a year, at the end, things even itself out. Ultimately, when you have something that you can improve, I mean we’re very aware of it and we’re working on it. It’s just when you have a situation where it’s either yes or no, it’s one yard or not, it gets magnified sometimes. We’re all very aware around here. It’s just making sure we’re on the same page connected because one yard is important. Ultimately when you’re halfway through the season, things can turn around with the emphasis and focus by the group.”
(You’re not a team that goes under center a ton and we understand why you wouldn’t throw QB Tua Tagovailoa or a franchise quarterback in that situation and all that. A couple years ago they used Jacoby Brissett in short yardage. Have you thought to use a non-quarterback or Mike White maybe to get you that yard if you don’t want to put Tua at risk like that?) – “I mean, we’ve weighed a lot of different things. If you’re putting someone under center who is not there all the time, it’s another chance for you to put the ball on the ground. There are variables for all things that you can weigh, and we try to make sure everything that we do is for a purpose and for a reason. This last game, we know what our issues were and we’re working on improving it. Friday will be our opportunity to try and improve in that area.”
(QB Tua Tagovailoa was harping on cutting down on turnovers. What are some of the key teaching points?) – “I mean the hard thing is when it comes to turnovers, you look at the root of them. When you deal with accountable men, you know you’ll improve in it. His commitment, the whole groups commitment to it, will be the reason why we improve. It’s a start to your basic fundamentals and intent of how you go about your day. If you have that deliberate nature toward the importance of ball security and you approach your day that whole way, that normally creates that habit you’re looking for. Sometimes the minute you take the ball for granted, you might not have it. It’s just that sense of urgency with everything we do. That’s the fortunate thing is we have guys that really take that approach.”
(The team has generally been a bit more productive at home than on the road. What are some things that you know the team needs to do especially on the road?) – “I think also it’s a different year. When you play at home and you have a successful game like we did versus Denver, you’re not sneaking up on anyone anymore and everyone is going to looking at you going, ‘you ain’t doing that to me.’ So you get everyone’s attention in the league, so now when you roll up in town, they know who you are and they’re not going to let it happen. So it’s great for us to now have to rise to the occasion as we go on the road and grow as a group, and a lot of the times that we’ve been on the road, we’re facing really good opponents and the result might not come, but it’s about the process. Ultimately if you look at each game, the result went one way, but what did you learn and grow? And that’s ultimately how we build this program here. Yes, we’re a results-based business. If you talk process for too long and the next thing you know, I’ll be holding a seminar on the street. (laughter) But ultimately these environments are really good for us and growth and again, this Friday afternoon will be another big-time game being the first Friday game. All these things are happening for a reason for us and we’re growing through it together.”
(Two offensive coordinators have lost their jobs recently – Pittsburgh and Buffalo. I used to cover an offensive coordinator who said it’s the most high-profile assistant coach’s job in sports because everybody thinks they know how to call plays. Would you agree with that? Is your job the most high-profile assistant coach’s job in sports?) – “I don’t know. You guys can tell me. I have the dream job you could ever have. I coach football professionally in the National Football League. Whatever role I have, to be part of an organization, to help players be their best; that’s the most important thing for me, is helping these guys fulfill their lifelong dreams. And when you do that, all this other stuff that you get – I remember when I started out in coaching. My head coach made $120,000 at Miami of Ohio, and I was like, ‘man, if I make that, I’m going to be rich someday.’ (laughter) It just comes with the nature of this business. The higher you get, the more scrutiny you get. I don’t know who’s the most important job around here. I know that it’s definitely the head coach and the general manager. They deal with the most scrutiny. The starting quarterback after that? I don’t know. But pressure comes with the nature of this business and I look forward to it every day.”
(Can you speak to what TE Durham Smythe brings and the importance that he brings to the lineup when he is in?) – “Absolutely. Just a true pro, toughness, grit. Just everything you want in guys that are part of your roster. His approach, his detail to everything has been fantastic. He’s just a really valued member of our football team. We’re really fortunate to have him.”
(Not to talk about specific names, but how concerned are you with the offensive line going into a short week, a very strong opponent defensively, obviously no OL Robert Hunt at the moment – limited today according to the injury report – and then OL Lester Cotton and OL Austin Jackson? No OL Robert Jones. OL Isaiah Wynn on IR. How concerned are you?) – “The nature of a short week is there’s a lot of variables that are different. You don’t practice as much. We’re traveling again. So there’s a lot of concerns that we have just as far as our preparation and making sure we’re on things. When it comes to the roster, there’s just certain things that are going to be what they are and day-to-day we address it and we’ll work through it. So when it comes to the offensive line, each day we’re working with the guys that are going to be available and we’re doing the best we can schematically to make sure we put guys in their best position.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel had alluded to how difficult it is for a guy to come off the bench mid-game to play on the offensive line compared to having a whole week’s worth of reps to get ready for the game. Why is that? Why is it so challenging to do one and not the other?) – “When you play in a group with four other guys and you’re working together and having to communicate together to do or accomplish a job, it’s not like you’re an individual. Like wide receivers can work in tandem or groups as their pattern, their running. Running backs can work with the o-line. The offensive line – if one of them is not in phase with the others, it kind of sticks out. So to come in the middle of the game and get into the swing of things and make sure that you’re communicating, they’ve already seen things going on in the game so they may be a step ahead of you as far as the first thing that comes out of their mouth is like ‘Yo!’ I remember playing in college, starting three years, by the end I was the center and – I didn’t even, I was like, ‘hey!’ And they were like, ‘yep.’ You didn’t even have to really say it. You just kind of sensed because you already talked during the week so you know exactly what you should do and what the other guy is thinking. The closer you are, the better that occurs, so coming off the bench at that position, it is challenging, especially when you may have prepped here, there and everywhere and then now all of a sudden, ‘oh by the way, you’re going out here.’ So I think that’s a real challenge and that’s why we train the way we do to hopefully help them to be ready for those situations.”
(OL Chasen Hines, the kid that was elevated, can he play guard and center?) – “Yes, we try and cross-train as many guys as we can. It’s the nature of everything we do. That’s been the one challenge, like lessons you learn over the years, the versatility of the training of the offseason, or just having guys that are flexible just. You never know what poses in the middle of the year so that always is a benefit.”
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(It was good to see K Jason Sanders come back after the 50-yard miss with the 51-yarder. Do you talk to him typically after missed long field goals ever?) – “I don’t talk to him really on any missed kick as long as it’s a good hit. It was a good strike. The thing leaked a little bit left, misses it by six inches, but it was a good strike from 50 at the top of the stick. He hit a good ball. If he hits a good ball, I don’t say anything to him whether it’s good or no good.”
(Without WR Braxton Berrios, we saw some WR Cedrick Wilson Jr. I think WR Jaylen Waddle was a returner. What do you think you got out of Cedrick there?) – “I thought Cedrick did a good job. He was our primary guy a year ago. He hasn’t gotten a lot of work this year. Obviously he gets it in practice and is out there pregame every week, but for him to go out there, he had a good return on the first one – we lost the yardage with a penalty – and then I thought we had an opportunity later on and we ended up with a fair catch. But I thought he did a good job and made good decisions, which is the most important thing in that position.”
(What’s the process, without giving away strategy, RB De’Von Achane this week – maybe he plays, maybe he doesn’t – but when it gets to okay, if he’s playing, do we use him on kick returns? Do you tell Head Coach Mike McDaniel he’s okay or does Mike ask you? Or how does that work?) – “Those conversations are ongoing throughout the week. But generally speaking, if a guy is playing, a guy is playing.”
(With losing RB Salvon Ahmed and the running back unit is kind of being thinned out, how does that impact special teams primarily? You also have other guys like WR Chase Claypool who was on special teams and was down.) – “It’s been one of those years where we’ve gotten some work from a lot of different guys and a lot of it because of injuries and then it trickled down when we were losing some guys on offense or defense that are primary guys; then we’re losing a guy from the kicking game, has to go to offense or defense. Chris (Grier) and Mike (McDaniel) have done a good job with the roster and guys are doing a good job and work, so when they are called – we’ve talked about this several times this year – we look at it not as a 53-man roster, but a 69. Earlier in the year, we had a boatload of flexes. Basically we were flexing somebody every week and that guy was going out and playing on three or four phases, so we’ve sort of gotten away from that. We’ve not had a lot of flexes lately, but the guys that are up and playing, that has been transitioning. And as we all know, it’s a little bit tricky, but the guys have done a great job.”
(How interchangeable are players on special teams? You certainly have roles for everyone, but how hard is it when you lose someone?) – “It’s hard. They’re all pieces and the pieces really have a spot where you’d like to play them, but when you start losing guys with injuries, it can’t always be that guy plugging in to what is his primary and probably best position. You’ve got to have guys that have to have some flexibility. You’ve got guys playing out of position sometimes, but you find a way and like I said, the players do a great job. They come in early if they have to, especially when we let them know it’s a possibility of some position changes and some shifts. They do a great job of staying on top of it, but like anything it’s difficult.”
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(Speaking of being thankful, since it is Thanksgiving Week, what are you most thankful for in the last 12 months?) – “I am thankful for everyone in my life. I’m thankful for the life that I have, the life that I’m able to live. I’m grateful that I get to live this life. Very fortunate to be living the dream that I’ve had ever since I was little.”
(You’re going up against two very capable cornerbacks here in D.J. Reed and Sauce Gardner. How aware are you of the cornerbacks during the game? Are you just paying attention to your assignment? Or are you aware, yeah, that’s Sauce Gardner over there?) – “I’m aware where everyone is on the field. But when it comes to matchups, for me I’m always going to take our guys regardless of who’s covering them. I will get off of those guys if they have help on top, but if it’s just a one-on-one, I’m going to give the benefit of the doubt to our guys winning that battle. But they’ve got a talented defense. They’ve got really good guys up front within their front seven and their guys in the back are really good as well. Some guys are banged up, but they haven’t missed a beat defensively. We know this is going to be a really tough challenge and we’re looking forward to it. First Black Friday game.”
(On a short week with obviously less practice time, less reps on the practice field, how does that increase the challenge of getting ready for an NFL defense when you have less reps in practice?) – “It is more challenging. Only because you play a game, there’s the science behind the 48-hour time window of practicing or not practicing. So it’s a lot of mental reps for all of us. I think we’ll probably have one day of field practice to just run around and make sure everything is on point and on time. But outside of that, what makes these short weeks tough is a lot of these things are mental, more mental than physical.”
(Does it benefit you that you actually play a division rival, so you know the personnel and you know their approach?) – “Yeah, it does. But for myself, it also doesn’t because I wasn’t able to play against this team last year for the two times that our team played them. Will they play us the way they did last year, I’m not too sure. As we’ve watched the film, we can only assume what they’re going to be running. But if they come out with something different and want to put an umbrella over those two guys with Jaylen (Waddle) and Tyreek (Hill), so be it. We will have to adjust. And if not, then we’ll play the game the way we see it.”
(Did you have a chance to talk to RB De’Von Achane Sunday on the sideline? If so, did you share anything with him about injury recovery or being patient or anything along those lines?) – “Well, I think he’s smart enough to understand for himself that it isn’t worth it in the long run to have came out if he wasn’t feeling right. He made that decision himself with the trainers. He talked to those guys and they got that all situated. It’s a long season. We’ve still got a couple other games before we can make a run at what we want to do this year. I thought it was the right thing for himself and what he discussed with the trainers to stay out of that game. But hopefully he gets to feeling better and we can get him going with us.”
(What have you noticed about DL Quinnen Williams and the Jets pass rush strategy?) – “They’re really good. I’ve played against Quinnen. I played against him and I played with him. Very strong. It’s tough, the things that he likes to do is he likes to get one-on-one matchups. That’s really his game. It’s not just him, it’s their guys outside as well that make that defense go. All those guys, they’ll have to be accounted for.”
(Do you find that your former Alabama teammates take it easier or harder against you when they play you?) – “I don’t think they take it easy. That’s not the way we grew up practicing with each other when we were all in college during the same time, and I don’t expect that as we play each other because I’m not giving that to them.”
(I want to ask about another injury. QB Joe Burrow, again done for the year. I don’t know how much you’ve kept in touch with him over the last couple of years?) – “Yeah, I reached out to Joe after the incident happened, sent him a text. It’s a part of the game, but well wishes to Joe on a speedy recovery and hopefully he comes back better next year for it.”
(You spoke about cutting down turnovers, what are some of the things you can do on this short week to try to eliminate those?) – “Completions. Get drives extended. Continue to get our playmakers the ball and keep it moving that way.”
(With WR Tyreek Hill, the connection is so special with the numbers you guys are putting up. How different is it with timing just getting him the ball versus anybody else?) – “Well, it’s different with Tyreek with the timing because of how fast he is. He runs his routes different than everyone else. Jaylen runs his routes a little different than the other guys as well. So it’s just getting the timing down with the other guys the way that me and Tyreek have kind of been working through that.”
(Another road game for you guys. Do you practice silent count more? Can you maybe take me into the silent count element of that as you prep for another road game?) – “Yeah. We try to work silent count the entire practice. Really the mindset of it is we try to go as much cadence as we can. It’s really until we can’t. Then when we can’t, then we revert to the silent cadence. But on days or on weeks where it is away games, that’s what we’re working on mostly in practice.”
(Do you feel a big difference in the operation home and away?) – “Yeah, there’s a lot of differences. The biggest one being how I time up the cadence with my – or how I type up the snap points with my cadence, versus Connor’s (Williams) head nod snap deal. That’s really all it is.”
(A strange question. It seems like we hear music or sound during home game practices for you guys. Do you guys do that? Do you pipe in sound during practice during the week of a home game? And if so, why?) – “Over here?”
(Yeah.) – “That’s for the defense. When the defense is on the field, the defense has to get their communication going when the crowd is loud.”
(Hard Knocks is debuting tonight. Will you watch it live?) – “No. I’m not watching any of that.”
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
FB Alec Ingold
(On the NY Jets defense) – “It’s got to be one of the best units in the league. I think we’ve had a couple of challenges coming up these past few weeks on really good defenses and this is going to be another one. I’m really excited to go against their front. Four down, they’ve got so much talent. My guy ‘Soli’ (Solomon) Thomas is over there, he’s rotating in. Across the line, they are pass rush, run stopping. Those two linebackers in the middle are playing lights out this year. The Williams brothers (Quincy and Quinnen). C.J. Mosley is obviously a huge guy and presence there, and then you’ve got the talented back end. There are not a whole lot of chinks in the armor on that defense. It’s going to be a good challenge for this offense.”
(What does Quincy and Quinnen Williams have in common?) – “Quincy Williams is balling. I think it’s just the relentless pursuit to the football. You can see sideline to sideline football. Playing fast downhill football. That’s the brand of that defense right now. It’s cool to see brothers playing together like that, but it’s also a challenge to go up against it. I’m really excited for the challenge.”
(What are you most thankful for?) – “I’m thankful for you guys. I do think that it’s important that every once in a while for you guys to get your flowers too. It’s a hard job and you have to ask hard questions during tough times for athletes, and have the courage to be your best and do your job to the best of your abilities, and having smiles on your faces, to be able to bring up the locker room, that all matters. All of those little things add up. I am thankful for the media continuing to do your job to the best of your abilities.”
(Are you looking forward to the Hark Knocks debut tonight?) – “Oh, yeah. I will be asleep by then because a short week means extra sleep as much as possible. I made that mistake as a rookie. I would stay up and watch it. I’d want to see what the story lines were. We can put that to bed and we’ll watch it maybe on the plane ride home after a fun game. But no, I won’t be watching it tonight with everyone else.”
(A big point of emphasis is going to be short yardage, third-and-1, fourth-and-1 and all of that. What needs to get better?) – “It’s execution. I think it’s details. Situational football, especially late in the season – December, January, it’s like that one yard turns into three or four it seems like. That’s the importance of those inches in the matter of games. When there is a certain menu of plays, the guys have to be able to execute that at a very high level. I think those situational football – offense, defense, special teams playing together. The offense’s job on short yardage is to continue to extend drives, extend first downs, to gain field position. It is all going to come into play late in the season. It’s something we are very aware of as players and we’ve got to get better at that, for sure.”
(How much leeway do you have in those situations to where you’re like, ‘Hey, Mike, I see something. Can we try this?’) – “I think that is a cool part about our offense. The amount of creativity and flexibility, if you have an idea, or if you’re watching tape from around the league you see one of your old teammates do something fun, or just talking about football sparks really cool ideas. Offenses copy each other all over the place. They add their own little wrinkles to it depending on personnel. It is definitely creative.”
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
WR Braxton Berrios
(What’s unique about Jets CB Sauce Gardner other than his nickname?) – “He’s long. He’s very rangy. A lot similar to No. 5 (Jalen Ramsey) we have in here. He’s a smart football player. He makes the plays when he’s there and he doesn’t mess up too often. He’s extremely sound and it should be fun.”
(The other guy Jets CB D.J. Reed isn’t as well-known, but he has really good metrics. What does he do well?) – “Absolutely. I think last year he had one of the best years statistically, or however they measure it, in the league. It’s the same thing. He’s a guy who’s going to go 100 percent 24/7. Again, same thing, physical corner, fast. And again, they’re very, very sound in what they do. You’re not going to catch him off guard too many times.”
(You obviously know Jets QB Zach Wilson pretty well. Your thoughts on what he’s going through at this point?) – “Obviously I know him personally and I’ve been keeping up with him through the year and it’s tough. It’s the game of football, the ebbs and flows of it, and all that is obviously is handled in-house there, but I still talk to him and stuff. We still have a personal relationship.”
(What’s it going to feel like pulling up to the stadium as a visitor?) – “It’s going to be very familiar. Obviously the sideline won’t be, but very familiar just being in MetLife (Stadium) again.”
(Anyone you’re looking forward to seeing on the other side?) – “Honestly, all the guys that are still there. I was there for four years. You keep a relationship with a lot of those guys so I’m still close with a lot of them. Seeing them all pregame is going to be fun.”
(How much texting is there this week or is it radio silence until kickoff?) – “It’s been radio silence so far and I expect it to stay that way. (laughter)”
(As we talked about, the team has been very cautious with the soft tissue injuries. This year Head Coach Mike McDaniel has talked about that. Did you push to play last Sunday? Or do you feel like – and clearly the team wants to protect all those injuries, or did you feel like it’s best to give it more time?) – “Of course I pushed to play. I wanted to play. And again, those decisions are a culmination of everybody involved and so that’s something we decided as a whole. But of course I pushed to play and wanted to.”
(Anything you can say about Friday?) – “I think head coach answered that.”
(Are you looking forward to the Hard Knocks debut?) – “Yeah, when is it? Is it this week?”
(It’s tonight.) – “It’s tonight? Wow. I don’t know if I’m going to watch it live each week. Again, this is our life, our career, and it’s definitely going to be cool to look back on, that the season is documented and everybody in this locker room, and hopefully it ends up being a very special year. So I think the documentary side of it, looking back is going to be cool. I don’t know if I’ll watch it week to week.”
(Have they sat down with you yet?) – “No, we have not. We’ve talked, but we haven’t sat down.”
(How open do you feel you would be to sort of sharing personal stuff with us and HBO?) – “I share – I think a good amount of personal stuff is already out there so there’s no real problem with that at all. And personal stuff, I don’t mind. I think it’s more so the team-related stuff, the game planning stuff. That’s always tricky and you always feel a little weird sharing status and stuff. That’s a little more in-house, but personally, we’ll see when we sit down what they want to talk about. But yeah, I have no reservations about that from a personal side.”
(Have the cameras been around for any moments that made you say, “okay, that’s definitely going to make their cut?”) – “Well, they’re in our meeting rooms, so we see them move and throughout the meeting. They capture everything. Now what makes it (to air), we have no idea, which is kind of the cool part of the documentary. But yeah, it’s going to be interesting. I’m sure it’ll be very entertaining, but I don’t know when I’m personally going to get around to watching it.”
(Of all the players on the entire offense, who is sneaky funny, like we would not know that this dude is actually like secret funny?) – “I mean when you say funny, like Jaylen Waddle comes to mind, but I think everybody knows that.”
(We don’t see it that much.) – “Really? (Jaylen Waddle) is one I would put up there with probably the funniest on the team. So we’ll see if that gets highlighted.”
(Who’s maybe acted up the most for the cameras? Has that happened?) – “No, I don’t think so. I think we hold each other accountable in this locker room to not show out for the cameras.”
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
OL Robert Hunt
(What did you think of OL Liam Eichenberg playing your spot last game?) – “I thought he did well. I thought he held his own. For a guy that’s never played the position – it was his first time – he battled, man. He was a warrior out there. He didn’t look bad at all. He looked good. He knocked off all five positions on the field in his NFL career, so that’s great.”
(I think you guys have had five different starting guards this year. Is that right?) – “It’s somewhere around that (expletive). It’s been a lot. It’s been a tough time for the trenches this year, the middle three. It is what it is, and the guys that have been stepping up and playing have been doing a really good job, so it’s going well.”
(What does it say about this offense is still producing with all that change?) – “Yeah, we’ve got a bunch of ballers, man. You’ve got a bunch of ballers and we’ve got a pretty good offense.”
(We saw your frustration on the day you suffered the injury. It’s so unusual, as we were saying, for you to miss time. Was there any relief that it wasn’t torn, that is was just a pulled or strained or whatever word is being used?) – “Yeah, 100 percent. If something would hold me out longer than what it’s been, that would have been devastating. But it was something that I knew right away that I’d be fine whenever it gets back right.”
(Are you ready for the debut of Hard Knocks tonight?) – “Damn, I did not know that was tonight. I will watch, though. I definitely will watch. I want to see what’s actually going on around this place, because I’ve been busy in the training room, so I’ve been missing a lot. I’ll be excited to see what’s going on this week.”
(Were you at the o-line dinner that they filmed?) – “I definitely was at the o-line dinner.”
(Who might be the surprise star among the o-line?) – “I don’t know. We’ve got a couple guys. We’ve got a couple characters out there. We’ll see. We’ll see what they filmed. They cut out a lot of stuff and they take a lot of stuff, so we’ll see what they got.”
(Did HBO pick up the check?) – “Not this time. But HBO, you will be picking it up next time. (laughter)”
(You’ve got one of the bigger personalities on the team. Do you think you’ve been part of any moments that might have been caught on camera that might go viral?) – “I don’t know about viral, man. I’m just myself and if it does, it does. I enjoy being myself, so if that’s what they want, that’s what they got, then that’s what they got.”
(Do you expect to practice today?) – “Today? I’m going to try to get some reps in after the walkthroughs to see how I feel.”
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
CB Kader Kohou
(What has been working so well on defense?) – “I feel like everybody is kind of understanding what Vic (Fangio) wants from us and he’s kind of understanding what we do good. Everybody is just meshing well together right now. It’s a good thing.”
(We talk about the offense a lot, but how much is this becoming a defensive team?) – “I wouldn’t call it a defensive team. I just feel like offense and defense, we just help each other out 50/50. That’s part of what being a great team is. Even special teams. We’re all just hitting all cylinders right now.”
(What’s it like having CB Jalen Ramsey on one side of you and CB Xavien Howard on the other with you right in the middle, realizing you have two Hall-of-Famers on either side of you?) – “Man, it’s great. Both of those guys, they’re always giving me tips on how to be a better player and any tips I can take from them. It’s great being out there and seeing them make those kind of plays that I used to be watching on TV. It’s crazy.”
(From the standpoint of just being able to stick to that nickel with those two guys, how has that been for you?) – “It’s been good. Like I was saying, just having those two on the outside, even Jevon (Holland) and 21 (DeShon Elliott) back there, I feel like we’re a great secondary.”
(You guys are getting ready to face a Jets team that is really struggling on offense. Do y’all plan to have a big defensive day come Friday?) – “We plan on having a big defensive day when we step in against anybody. They’re still an NFL team, so we’re going to put our best foot forward.”
(Hard Knocks debuts tonight. What’s the plan? Are you going to watch live?) – “Probably not live, but I’ll watch at some point for sure. I used to love Hard Knocks when I was growing up.”
(How does it feel now to be a part of it?) – “I ain’t going to lie, I thought there were going to be more cameras around. It feels like normal. They have the cameras set up in the meeting rooms, but you can’t really tell. It’s not like there are cameras in your face 24/7. So it’s cool.”
(Are you apart of any moments that made you say, ‘Ok, that’s definitely going to make the cut?’) – “Nah, not really. I don’t really talk that much so not really.”
(It’s Thanksgiving week. What are you most thankful for in the last year?) – “Really just my family. My real family and my football family. Being a part of the team, playing in the NFL, dreams, everything is cool.”
(Do you like turkey or ham?) – “I do not like ham at all, but I’m not a big turkey fan. I don’t know. Thanksgiving food, I really don’t get excited for it. The cranberry juice, stuffing? Nah, I don’t really like it.”
(Got to keep the body clean.) – “Nah, I eat bad now. But Thanksgiving food isn’t my favorite, nah. (laughter)”
Monday, November 20, 2023
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Over the last four weeks, obviously the offense has been good but not at the level it had been over the first six weeks of the season. Do you think you guys just need to do what you do better and eliminate turnovers? Or do you and your creative mind and creative staff need to come up with more wrinkles, additional things that maybe you haven’t shown teams yet?) – “That’s kind of our starting point is that we don’t totally display – I think there’s some concept consistency for sure in what we do. But generally, for the most part, we’re giving different presentations – outside of a couple concepts that we don’t really care about, we’re giving different presentations. That’s something that I think is part of our job is to give players something that they can be decisive with, but that gives them a competitive advantage, which is why you do different presentations. In coaching, in my opinion, you have to fight the same thing that naturally, every observer would fight is that something is as simple as this. There are a long list of reasons for falling short of execution on every single play. There are different reasons, different players that we’ve had going in and out of the lineup in different situations. I would be worried if I didn’t think guys were in positions to make plays, or if they were incapable, or we’re asking them to do something they weren’t able to do. But just collectively, it’s a group effort. I think you live and learn each and every week with success or failure, and you try to evolve to your players, and coach your players so that they can get mistakes corrected. I think they’re kind of independent games, to be honest. I think that we have had positives in certain games and negatives. I think that the stat lines were healthier probably at the beginning of the season. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that we need to go ahead and retool the toolbox. I think our guys are playing confident. What does the game look like if you don’t turn over the ball three times? That’s kind of how I look at it. If we weren’t able to move the ball, I’d probably feel differently in that particular game. But each individual game is independent of itself and as long as you don’t have overly consistent themes with regard to the plays you’re running or the issues that you’re having, you’re alright and you need to just keep moving forward in the season like we are this week.”
(With everything you just said about the offense, do you generally apply that to the short yardage issues as well? Because last year, the team was almost 32nd in third-and-short and this year you guys are 27th. Do you generally ascribe that previous line of thinking for that as well?) – We do to everything. Honestly. I already know before a call a short-yardage play that there’s a heightened awareness of that situation. I also keep very close to reality, in terms of, we expected to have more gains in those scenarios. There’s been some defensive presentations that have been problematic. There’s been some execution and there’s been some – when they don’t work, another play could work. So you have all of that. That being said, I think there were a couple weeks where we had more of the execution that we’d like. For instance, there were, I think, the last New England game, there was a fourth-and-one in the tight red that we threw to Tyreek (Hill). I think the last play of the game was short-yardage as well. So I take those into account too. But yeah, that is ever-present right now on our minds, because it’s hard to get the nine yards. I wish it was as simple as just get the one. But we’ll continue to work the same way and hold ourselves accountable, and that’s the area of football that we’re still the worst at, relatively, to all the stuff we do. That definitely takes a focus and you don’t run from results. We want every play to work and when it fails, it’s our job to fix it.”
(How is RB De’Von Achane?) – “He was feeling better this morning. We found out that it was the same knee. It’s not going to require surgery or anything. We’re just getting extra feedback and opinions on that and we’ll be taking that day-by-day this week.”
(Is there any chance RB De’Von Achane might play Friday or is that too soon?) – “There’s a chance that he will and he won’t. It’s pretty much day-to-day. I would definitely not rule it out but I would definitely not rule it in either. We’re just fresh off of a game and we have a short week, so it just kind of compounds the variables. But we’ll take it a day at a time and see how it progresses.”
(You had the luxury earlier in the season of time. There’s still obviously – the season’s not over yet, but it’s closer to the end. Would that perhaps change your thinking of – because you said RB De’Von Achane could have braced it up before and could have played. Now that the end of the year is closer, might he play something he wouldn’t otherwise play through earlier in the year?) – “There’s an element too of this is the first kind of injury he’s really gone through, first time with us. Like I’ve explained before, it’s such an important piece of the whole puzzle is the interpersonal relationship between the training staff, the coaching staff and the player, and kind of making sure that we keep people out of harm’s way. All that means is I think in a situation where – there’s an added variable that this is a new process with this player. So we’re kind of trying to feel it out. And that goes for him as well. We’re working together to try to do what’s right and not keep someone from an opportunity but also not put them behind the eight-ball and make matters worse. We were proactively patient this first time and football is football, and you have a guy land on the same knee and in a similar fashion and it’s not abnormal for that to occur. But we’re just going to do what’s right by him. I wouldn’t say we’re adjusting as much for the schedule as we’re adjusting for the player and the situation. You don’t want to put a guy in a situation where his best isn’t up to his own standard as well. You’ve just got to factor in all those, which is why it’s a little complicated.”
(You do have a couple of your guys that didn’t play in yesterday’s game.) – “They’ll all be questionable.”
(All of them?) – “Basically, yeah.”
(Are there any of them that are on the unlikely side to play with the short turnaround?) – “I couldn’t say that either. Everybody that didn’t play had their eyes on this game. So it was kind of a concession for the most part of like, alright, well, we have a short week. So with their eyes on it, they’ll do their best. But it does make it tricky because it’s a couple of days before you usually play, so we’ll see how it plays out. It’s just going to be a lot of moving parts this week for sure. But that that is very norm for – I’ve never played on a Friday but in my brain it’s a Thursday night game. Just the timeline, and in those situations, it’s generally a lot of ‘up in the airs’ for both teams.”
(I wanted to ask you about how OL Connor Williams helps expand your playbook with his skill set. Like the touchdown to RB Salvon Ahmed, I’m not sure I’ve seen a Texas route that had a center climb and peel back on that block like that. What does his skill set do that affords you maybe more pages of your playbook that maybe other centers across the league wouldn’t allow you to get to?) – “A lot of times a center’s weapon is his ability to get the guys around him with conviction to spots and to cover you in the A-gaps. Connor, the one thing that’s different with him is that you can use him as a weapon with his athletic skill set and the power and strength that he has. So you can do some stuff with him in space. You can have him pull a little bit. You can have him kind of displace defenders in the typical fashion that you do with guards and tackles. He does open up our playbook to a degree just because it’s not every day that you have that athletic skill set at that position, which is one of the reasons it makes him a strong fit for us. We depend on him to do a lot of things. There’s a lot of times that we depend on him to do stuff that we wouldn’t ask every center to do. It’s crazy that he just started playing center last year, because you wouldn’t know that and he’s had a tremendous offseason. He’s really taken a step forward from last year to this year.”
(With RB Chris Brooks, I know it’s a weird practice week, but he’s technically eligible to return to practice this week. Is he at the point where he’s healthy enough to return to practice? Is that something that will be under consideration given that you guys only have two player designation returns left?) – “It’s coming up for sure, whether this week, next week or the following. He’s a player that was contributing in a multitude of ways before he got hurt. So we look forward to when it makes the most sense for him and the football team to be able to have him come back, but I look forward to seeing him. I know he’s been hungry and locked in. Yeah, there will probably be some juggling that has to do with the other guys that are injured as well. The good news is I don’t forecast being bored this week. That’s the good news.”
(We saw some special things from WR Tyreek Hill and CB Jalen Ramsey yesterday. How does having both of those guys change the game for you guys mentally and physically? The mentality, plays you call, everything like that.”) – “I think some of the biggest influence that those two players have in particular are there’s a calming nature that they bring to big moments because it’s hard enough to make plays in this league when you’re at that level. The reason they are at that level is because they have made the biggest plays in the biggest moments in the biggest games. And that’s something that they both in particular share a common trait of the desire to do that. And the moment is when you’ll probably get their most competitive greatness shine through. I think that has a substantial effect on your entire phase but also all the players that are playing with them alongside. When you see a guy like Jalen Ramsey make a couple of those plays with the mindset that he had with the ball in the air, to aggressively go get it, I think that has an impact on other players. When you see how both of those guys compete in practice, that sets the standard. I attribute one of the reasons we have such a strong practicing group is because of those two individuals. The list goes on and on. The obvious things are the plays that they make that other people can’t. The two picks were a great example or Tyreek’s touchdown, his catch and run is an example. It’s littered all over. But I think the not spoken about as much factor that really makes them invaluable to the team is how they really uplift their teammates in games and practice.”
(I wanted to ask about RB Jeff Wilson Jr. Of course, he was inactive. From the human side, is it more difficult or is it tough at all for you to make an active player that you’ve had a long history with, who is not used to it? And then from an on-field standpoint, is he still the same guy as last year physically because of the injuries? Can he still give you the same physical productive running he did last year?) – “I’m pretty cold and calculated when it comes to matters of the team, for as far as emotional and how interwoven I am with the players and their individual stories. When it comes down to decision for the team, I definitely flip and it becomes very easy to make those decisions. Jeff was a tough one yesterday. It wasn’t because I didn’t want him up. I definitely did. There was kind of a numbers crunch and we’re dealing with certain things at different positions. And honestly, in this particular situation, historically a fifth receiver has played more than a third running back for us since we’ve been here. That doesn’t mean you carry five – there’s a bunch of variables. So that this particular week, S.A. (Salvon Ahmed) offered some added value on special teams. Jeff Wilson still adds value, but for our plan, it was a little more of a feature, so that’s why Jeff was inactive. He understands that. It’s not something that he plans on getting used to and that’s why you love him. It’s not something that I hope to do. Really it just depends on how things play out with the rest of your football team. There’s multiple things that go into it. I see the same spirit, the same athlete and he’s a guy that I know will contribute for us this season and has been patient as he’s waited for that opportunity.”
(I wanted to ask you. WR Jaylen Waddle said one thing you could improve on is when they play two-deep, the explosives. As a coach, are you seeing more two-deeps then you have in the past? How do you scheme around that when they’re determined not to get beat deep?) – “Yeah, I think we see a ton. We saw the second-most two shell defenses in the National Football League at like 51 percent of the snaps last year and I don’t think that’s subsided. I think that’s something that I’m always looking at. A lot of our offense’s success has come against two-deep because we get a lot of it. There’s a lot of different variables. It’s not as black and white as that. But in this particular game, they adjusted their two-deep in a smart fashion. And that, on top of the way the defense was playing, we didn’t really take that many shots down the field. Then once you start to get behind the eight-ball with turnovers and know that you’re moving the ball, it just kind changes the game and how you call it. But I think that’s something that we always have to be prepared for. Really, the default against our offense has really been all the various forms of two-shell. I think that’s more the norm for us. That’s the challenge presented to us each and every game. From a generic standpoint, I think teams try to make us earn everything we get because they see on tape we have some explosive capabilities. The idea is that whatever they’re taking away, make them pay for it. You always have to be explosive and move the ball and score points regardless of what defense they present. So that’s something that each and every week we’re challenged with. Some weeks I guess we do a better job than others, but that won’t change what we’re trying to do and how we have to try to find the solutions.”
Monday, November 20, 2023
S Jevon Holland
(We were asking DT Christian Wilkins about having CB Jalen Ramsey back there. What are the two or three things that Jalen Ramsey brings to this defense?) – “Extreme playmaking, and a veteran presence. Very calm. Always going to do his job. You can rely on him 100 percent of the time.”
(Talk to me about having WR Tyreek Hill on offense, the two or three things that he brings. I’m doing something on having CB Jalen Ramsey on one side of the ball, and Tyreek on the other side.) – “He is the fastest player in the league. He can make a play at any point. Just changes the game. I think that covers everything. And he’s hilarious. That’s cool, too.”
(On the shirt, I see CB Nik Needham in there. I know he’s mainly a cornerback but he’s played some safety, so you guys kind of take him in as well? You said the shirt is mainly safeties right?) – “Nik plays all positions. Nickel, dime, corner, safety – he plays all of them. We can put Nik wherever. So yeah, we put him on the shirt too. He’s on the corners one too, I’m pretty sure.”
(Now that you guys are healthy, the way you played last month makes you look like one of the best defenses in the league. I’m wondering if that is something you guys collectively talk about, wanting to be one of the best defenses in the league?) – “Yeah. If you are not really striving to be the best, then you’re kind of just out there for no reason. Obviously the goal is to be the best and with our execution and how we’re playing, we’re continuing to try and build on each performance week in and week out, and hopefully we put together a complete game in the near future. That’s our goal is to play a complete game of football.”
(What’s the single biggest area of improvement as the season has gone for this defense?) – “I honestly could not tell you because that’s not my job to know. That’s the coaches’ job to know and for them to deliberate. I know what I want to focus on and how I want to improve, and how my unit has improved. But it’s just about getting comfortable. This is our first year in the defense as a collective. A lot of the time, when the offense is new, people give them time to adjust and expect defenses in new processes to just get it right away. But you’ve got to have live bullets. You’ve got to be in the defense for quite a long time – not necessarily a long time, but you have to see it in live speed against actual opponents. It takes time for people to adjust to things. I just think that’s kind of where we are now. Things are filling out.”
(I know Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio didn’t want to make big adjustments or excuses, but was that always in the back of your mind that we are going through injuries and we do have to get comfortable, and after a while we might hit our groove?) – “Naldi’ (Renaldo Hill), and (Joe) Kasper and Vic (Fangio) have all been in this defense and coached in this defense and they kind of said the same thing. ‘You guys are making great strides, just stay at it.’ We don’t really need to make any crazy adjustments because eventually you start trusting your teammates and them being in positions, and them starting to trust you. Then everybody flows in one motion.”
(In a game where very little went wrong for the defense, what happened on the WR Devante Adams touchdown over the top? What was the breakdown there?) – “Just small vision errors. It’s about having your eyes right. When it comes down to it, you got to make the plays that come to you. Being in positions that the gameplan designs for you to be in, that’s the only thing.”
(You guys had stops on nine consecutive possessions in which it was a one-score game yesterday. I’m wondering what the chatter was as you guys kind of kept being put in spots where you guys had to hold the lead at the point. What was the conversation like in the huddle between you and your teammates?) – “My message to the defense is that our one job is to give the ball back to the offense. We don’t have any control of whether or not they score or what they do with the ball, because our job is to stop the other team and get the ball back to us. Regardless of where we fall, or however we get the ball, whether it’s a turnover or a fumble or a sack or whatever it is, if we’re on our one-yard line, we’ve got to stop them and hold them to a field goal. That’s just the case that it is. If it’s a sudden change, then you got to go out there and execute.”
(Did QB Tua Tagovailoa use the durag you got for him?) – “I had to go to this little Korean BBQ spot, and there was a little beauty supply store there, so I went in there to get myself some durags. They had the silk ones, which are like really high luxury. I was like, ‘you know what, Tua might need one.’ So I hit him up, and he was like, ‘yeah, let me get one.’ I knew he had one for the game, but after the game, I was like, ‘yeah, that’s going to be sweaty.’ Got him a black one. Got to take care of my man.”
(I was casually talking to one of your cornerbacks a couple of weeks ago about toughest people to cover. WR Stefon Diggs, WR AJ Brown etc., etc. He said WR Garrett Wilson. What are your thoughts on Garrett Wilson and what makes him tough? Where does he rank against guys that you guys have seen this year?) – “He’s up there. He’s a hell of a talent, honestly. I haven’t looked at anything too deep. It’s Monday after a game. But he’s a hell of a talent. He’s very special. You see him with a lot of crazy catches, especially early on this year. He’s as good as any elite receiver we’re going to face. It’s going to be fun playing him.”
(You’ve played a lot of snaps with three good safeties the last three years with S Brandon Jones, S Eric Rowe and now S DeShon Elliott. How much of an adjustment is it for you to change safety partners, and what does DeShon do especially well?) – “That is a great question and it’s a difficult question to answer because I honestly forget. Like playing with Rowe was completely different from playing with Brandon. And playing with Brandon is completely different from playing with DeShon. So I kind of forget how it feels to play with Rowe and Brandon – not so much Brandon because he’s gotten in a couple of games (this year). But it takes time to get in a rhythm with people. Playing with DeShon is cool because I enjoy his level of intensity. He and David Long are kind of the same. They are high level, high energy (guys). You see them flash a lot on tape. Very physical players. So I enjoy that. I enjoy being able to switch positions and manipulate our looks. I think playing with DeShon has been fun this year and he’s got some special abilities to him. I’m excited seeing him going out there and doing his thing.”
(You mentioned LB David Long, and S DeShon Elliott as high intensity guys. Those guys are both new this year. Do you think that was intentional in terms of how this defense is constructed with guys that have that mentality under Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio?) – “I think the way that the offseason played out, we needed to bring in guys like that. I don’t think that we didn’t have that last year. I think this defense is built around edge rushers and safeties, and the linebackers have to be able to do a lot of different things. They are put in really difficult situations, and ‘Bake’ (Jerome Baker) and David (Long) and ‘Gink’ (Andrew Van Ginkel) and Duke (Riley) all do a great job at executing those. I think that all four of those individuals are both like-minded and indifferent at the same time. I am definitely confident that bringing David in was a huge sparkplug for us because he brings a lot of fire during the game.”
Monday, November 20, 2023
DT Christian Wilkins
(What goes through your mind when you think of the first Black Friday game, Friday afternoon game? Just how weird is that going to be?) – “I think it’ll be interesting. It’ll be cool. Obviously it’s never been a thing before and I haven’t played in a Friday game since I don’t know when, but it’ll cool. It’ll be fun and I kind of like short weeks because I just like playing the games. That’s why I like to hurry up and get to the next one as fast as possible, but obviously that means more prep and different things and you’ve got to speed up your process. But I’m looking forward to it.”
(I’m curious if you guys have had your defensive meeting today or not. I don’t know, but have you had a chance to look back at the play where you chased down Raiders WR Hunter Renfrow from the back?) – “Yeah, we watched it with some of the guys not too long ago. Just the standard I hold myself to and I take pride in being able to try to make plays like that down the field and all the guys thought it was a good play.”
(A little bit extra juice because it was also a former Clemson Tiger you were chasing down?) – “Definitely a little bit. Hunter (Renfrow) is one of my good friends, one of my best friends so definitely a little more juice there and glad we got the win so a little more bragging rights, talk a little more trash and whatnot. So when I see him in the offseason, it’ll be more fun then.”
(How is the Jets rivalry different than certainly the Bills and the Patriots, who you guys see just as much?) – “Well, they’re still a division opponent and every time we play them it’s always a tough game regardless of the outcome. That’s the tough thing about this league and the tough thing about playing division opponents; they know you, you know them. There typically isn’t much surprise. It’s going to be tough because both teams are usually up. It’s like I said, it’s a division game. It’s pride and whatnot so it’s always a little extra challenge and it’s always going to be a dogfight.”
(Quick follow-up, not to use a cliché, but in division games, records aren’t as relevant, I guess, and the quality of the team, they know you that you know them. Is the sense that no matter what the Jets have shown on tape, you’re going to get their best shot?) – “Yeah, like I said, it’s a division opponent and they’ve got good players over there. This is the NFL so regardless of records or whatever – I don’t even know their record. I don’t look at it as that. I just – nameless, faceless opponents. I just try to prepare the best way I can prepare and make sure everybody is ready.”
(I don’t know if you saw, but the Jets benched Jets QB Zach Wilson during last night’s game. They haven’t really announced what they’re going to do at quarterback. Are you kind of preparing for any option at quarterback right now?) – “Again, I’ll leave that up to the coaches and how we prepare and everything, and how we go about that. Either way, we’ve got to get ready.”
(I’m curious your opinion on some of the quarterback injuries that we’re seeing pile up across the league. Obviously there’s a lot of different factors that go into that, but I’m wondering what you think is the reason for some of that. Obviously defensive rushers are quicker, leaner, faster in today’s game.) – “I really don’t know what the reason is for that. Obviously the biggest thing is I just hate to see guys go down, especially season-ending or anything like that. I’m a big fan of football. I like watching games and we’re all brothers in arms at the end of the day so you’re always kind of rooting for guys in a weird way like wanting to see guys do well and do all they can for themselves and their families. So it’s obviously tough when a guy goes down and especially when it’s in season-ending fashion. But I don’t know what the cause of that could be or anything like that. It’s just obviously tough when you see that.”
(What do you think when you see CB Jalen Ramsey make the athletic acrobatic interceptions he’s capable of making?) – “That guy’s pretty good and I’m glad he’s on our team. Just really ever since Jalen (Ramsey) has been here, he’s just been great to be around as a teammate, guy in the locker room, leader. He brings it every day. He’s a different type of player and I see why he’s had the success he’s had in this league and like I said, I’m glad he’s on our side and hopefully he can continue to make big plays for us going forward.”
(Are there two or three biggest things that CB Jalen Ramsey brings to this team?) – “I just think overall he just definitely loves playing the game and you definitely see that, just the way he practices, the way he approaches each and every game. He just brings kind of like a calming presence to other guys when he’s out there. He’s just kind of like ‘all right, it’s all good.’ He’s never rattled, just really always cool, collected like ‘hey, we’re playing ball, we’re chilling.’ So that’s kind of nice to have that around. It’s definitely nice for me when I look back and I’m like, ‘oh okay, you’ve got some guys who can really do their thing back there.’ We’ve got a lot of guys who can do that on this defense.”
(Can you take us through the play where you had Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell wrapped up, about to get a sack but then he gets the ball off, then you find out LB Jaelan Phillips has the interception?) – “I’m just glad we were able to make a play regardless of how it shaped out. I’m a team guy so I’m just glad we were able to make a play and get out of that one. I was excited for Jaelan (Phillips) to get his first career pick. I know he was happy about that. I’m sorry I kind of tackled him. I didn’t realize I did it on the field, but I kind of messed him up pretty good. But yeah, whoops. (laughter) But yeah, I was just excited for him, happy for him. It was a big play in the game and we were able to string together another series to finish the game and close it out and get the win.”
Monday, November 20, 2023
WR Jaylen Waddle
(We saw WR Tyreek Hill and CB Jalen Ramsey making incredible plays yesterday. What does it do for the team when you have one of those guys on each side of the ball?) – “Man, it’s special. We get to see it every day in practice and how hard they work going at it throughout the week. So really seeing it come to life on Sunday is a joy and it brings a lot of excitement to our team.”
(How have you guys had to adjust as an offense to maybe teams playing a little bit more two-deep and trying to keep everything in front of them?) – “It’s definitely something that we have to get better at going into the games. We know a lot of times we’re going to see a two-high shell. So we try to adjust throughout the week with game plans. I think Mike (McDaniel) does a good job of putting us in position to make plays but sometimes we go out there and see a different look than we probably game-planned for. So going into it, you’ve just got to adjust on the fly.”
(Wide receivers usually rotate in and out. I think you played a season-high in snaps yesterday. Did you feel like you were out there more and was that just feeling fresh coming off the bye week?) – “Yeah, I tried to really make it a key for myself just to stay in more, and try to get all the snaps I can while I’m out there. It really didn’t feel like I was out there a lot, but I didn’t know that.”
(We also saw as soon as WR Tyreek Hill went out, that drive where you guys went down and scored, Head Coach Mike McDaniel got you the ball like three times in a row. Was that something where he or Wide Receivers Coach Wes Welker said something to you or you said something to them, like, I’m ready to kind of get more and more plays? Or was it just kind of natural?) – “I just try to – when they call my number, I just try to make a play whenever they call a play for me. It really wasn’t nothing.”
(So it wasn’t like you said to yourself, hey, he’s going to be looking my way with WR Tyreek Hill out on this series?) – “I kind of figured that’s kind of how it kind of goes. So just knowing that ‘Reek’ (Tyreek Hill) was out, I’d probably get looked at a lot more. Yeah, pretty much.”
(It’s kind of a strange week. I don’t know if there’s ever been a Friday game before, certainly not in a long time.) – “Yeah, I haven’t played on Friday since high school.”
(What’s the schedule for you guys this week? How do you ramp up? How do you get your body right and all that?) – “Yeah, it’s a quick turnaround. It kind of converts to like a Thursday game. It’s kind of like we’re playing earlier so everything’s moved up. We’ll kind of mesh some stuff together. But recovery is going to be key. It was a hard game yesterday. But everything’s moved up. You’ve got to adjust real quick and move on to the next. We’ve got a real tough opponent in the Jets this week. Move quick. Everything’s moving quick this week.”
(What can you do for Thanksgiving, because you guys are probably going to be traveling?) – “Me personally, my people are coming down the day after. We’re probably going to get good grub in then, definitely.”
Did you feel a sense of urgency to step your game up on that drive when WR Tyreek Hill went down and you were kind of the go-to guy that possession?) – “Not really a sense of urgency. Like I said, whenever they call my number, I just try to make a play.”
(OL Terron Armstead and FB Alec Ingold and a couple other guys were talking about how physical it was out there yesterday. Armstead was saying how well-coached he thought the Raiders defense was playing from front to back. The linebackers ran. What did you think of the physicality of that game? You guys responded pretty well. What did you think of the physical side that your offense showed also?) – “Yeah man, it was a physical game. They were a disciplined group. They’re always tied together. It seemed like they were all on a string from the front seven to the DBs. They had a good gameplan, came in, executed it. They played well and did a good job of containing us and they were real physical. But I think we showed how physical we can be. We can move people, get them off the spot. So we did definitely show the characteristic of our offense that’s really not in the spotlight when you look at that amount of speed that we have on the team. But we can get down and get physical too.”
(When have you shown that physical side? Training camp or other games this year? The Chargers game? When have you guys shown that?) – “We show it a lot, to be honest. But like I said, it’s really not spotlighted because everybody just sees the 22, 21 miles per hour running by our players.”
(I’m just curious, have you guys already got the game plan in because it’s a couple days earlier?) – “GQ classified. (laughter)”
(Have you already received it?) – “GQ classified. GQ classified. (laughter) I can’t give you the sauce.”
(The Jets’ defense is pretty well-known. The matchup of your offense versus their defense should be a fun show.) – “Definitely. Yeah, man. The last couple years, they’ve been a good group. Especially since I’ve been in the league, they’ve always been a good group. Well coached. They’ve got players. The front seven is real good, the DBs are real good. So it’s going to be a challenge for us just like every week. But like I said, they are one of the more talented groups in the league, so it’s going to be a challenge.”
(I’m wondering if you talked to RB De’Von Achane on the sideline or after the game? We made so much of his return and we know what he did, 12.1 yards per carry. Then you get out there and two touches – what was his mentality? Was he disappointed? Is he taking it in stride? What would you say is his mentality if you talked to him?) – “De’Von is one of them guys, like he’s a young player, but he’s real mature. So he really doesn’t let it bother him too much. He knows and he’s confident in his abilities. When he gets out there 100 percent healthy, he’s confident that he can go out there and be the player that we need him to be. He just took it on the chin. That’s what comes with playing this game and he’s going to be back and better than ever.”
Monday, November 20, 2023
OL Austin Jackson
(As you guys look at the tape with regard to run blocking as a group, you all were averaging record yards per carry for the first six weeks, well over six yards per carry, and it has gone way down over the last four. As you guys watch tape, you and Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith and Offensive Line Coach Butch Barry, have you pinpointed anything for why that might be happening?) – “It all starts with our standard, I think. Just being really intentional about what concepts we are running as a group. Are you speaking in terms of this last game?”
(Over the past four games, it’s been under four yards per carry as a team.) – “It’s a combination of our intentionality on understanding what different concepts we run versus the defenses that we play.”
(We talk to you a lot about how well you’ve been playing and kind of the groove that you’re in. I was curious, a lot of guys have talked a lot about how the game isn’t so much physical as it is mental. Is there a point whether it was back in training camp or some point this season where you felt things really clicking for you and you were like, “Alright, I got it now. I’m in the groove?”) – “Yeah, I feel like going into my second year in this system, I definitely feel a lot more comfortable, just mentally being sharper on concepts that I had already learned in the NFL and had those blocks before, so I could have an extra intent on being better at them versus taking in a whole new playbook and being younger already.”
(LB Jaelan Phillips had some injuries and stuff earlier this season and he said he had a little bit of a confidence dip, but going up again Eagles T Lane Johnson and getting a sack against him really boosted his confidence. Did you have a moment like that during the season so far where you’re like, “I can do this, for sure?”) – “Yeah, I had some pretty good rushers the first week of the season. I go against pretty – I think everyone in the NFL is capable of being good and being great if you let them. So my focus is making sure my technique and my stuff is on point, and maybe I could have a little style of play myself.”
(How did you think OL Liam Eichenberg did playing right next to you in his first game at a new position?) – “Yeah, he’s a beast. It’s like his fifth or sixth position, I think, and he’s been productive at all of them.”
(What is the sixth? Hold on.) – “Exactly – tight end. (laughter) But I think he (Liam Eichenberg) did a great job. He’s very professional. It’s easy to play next to him. He’s been around, pays attention, gets better, and he went in there and he did his job well.”
(It seems like you just got off the field, but I’ve got to ask you anyway with the short turnaround, have you had a chance to look at the Jets defense and what stands out?) – “Yeah, what stands out the most is their style of play. They’re very much a read-and-react defense. They’re very fast on their keys, meaning they want to play with speed as well at the second level, and then their defensive line is pretty good. All of them across the board are pretty good rushers. So we’ll definitely have to get into our routine of studying sooner than later, because they’re definitely a good team.”
(I just looked this up, they’re bringing pressure on, I guess, 27 percent of dropbacks. So as an offensive lineman – I think that is second in the league – what does that say to you?) – “It means we have to study tendencies as best we can to see if we can maybe get some tells on some of those blitzes as best we can. I’m sure our coaches will do that to the best of their ability.”
(What was your first thought when you saw that you guys were playing on Black Friday? I guess now that it’s here, the day after Thanksgiving, it kind of messes up the normal schedule. What’s your thoughts about that?) – “It’s interesting. It’s kind of cool to think about it though, because of Friday night football in high school. It’s Friday night, and that’s instantly what I think about. It’ll be my first high school football kind of Friday night game in a minute. Under the big lights, I think it’ll be fun, honestly. I think it’ll be cool. I like fun environments.”
(How aware have you been, if aware at all, of Hard Knocks cameras being in the building over the last week?) – “Very aware. There’s a lot more cameras in the building than usual, so that’s easy. They don’t interrupt stuff. They came to our o-line dinner, which was different. It was kind of weird, but it was cool. It was a cool experience. It’s not often you get to be on television, HBO, so it’s cool.”
(Do you have to change what you’re saying or how you guys interact at all because the cameras are there? Do you keep it consistent?) – “Oh, definitely keep it consistent. Definitely just keep it consistent.”
(And that offensive line dinner was where in town?) – “We were in Fort Lauderdale, somewhere in the Fort Lauderdale. It was by the water though, it was nice.”
(That was last week?) – “Yeah.”
(Is it like a weekly thing you guys do? Or just kind of whenever it pops up?) – “It’s a weekly thing. We definitely try to get together whether it’s at someone’s house or a restaurant. Terron (Armstead) really organized it when he got here last year, and we just kind of stuck to it as a line.”
(Did you talk to RB De’Von Achane on the sideline after he got injured? And if so, what was his mentality? Or did you talk to him after the game at all?) – “I didn’t get to talk to him. I wasn’t really aware of his situation until later in the game. Otherwise, I probably would have said something, but it’s tough. I’ve battled injuries. I had a big battle with injuries last year. His mentality will put him in place to be great.”
(What happens, because I was going to ask you about that, when you return, like you and RB De’Von Achane, and then you’re out again? What does that do to you mentally?) – “Shoot, makes you a monster. (laughter) No, it makes you have to refocus and get your body back into shape. But that’s what being a professional is. Terron Armstead has done it a bunch. If you look at all the vets throughout the league, injuries happen to everybody. It’s just part of the game.”
(On another note, when you have CB Jalen Ramsey on one side of the ball and WR Tyreek Hill on the other, what is that like? I mean, are you amazed?) – “You’ve got Jalen (Ramsey) and Xavien Howard on the same side, and then you’ve got Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Yeah, it’s crazy. I agree. All across the board it’s crazy. I think it’s definitely exciting to be a part of, and our team feeds into it. We love the style of play we get to have.”
(I’m curious, as you kind of enjoy what I think most of us would consider a breakout year here, as you think back to what you came into the league to now, what do you think is one physical trait that you have really honed-in on and just improved from then to now?) – “I think, kind of back to the question earlier, I think my mentals have been the biggest thing to improve since I’ve been in the league. Physically, I would say – I don’t know. I can’t really say any big physical thing has taken my play to a different level. Just understanding concepts has really helped my level of play a lot. Understanding situations in football has been huge for me. I definitely had to get in a different shape, I think, for durability in the NFL. Just a lot of training, a lot of people getting rolled up, a lot of situations that occur, so I would say I lost a little bit of weight. But not too much.”
Sunday, November 19, 2023
Postgame – Las Vegas
Miami Dolphins T Terron Armstead
(What can you about how the offensive line performed today?) – “Got some stuff to clean up, communication, execution. But we played well, played fast, physical, a lot of effort and energy. Hats off to the Raiders, they did a great job. All three levels of that defense have been playing very well together, technically sound, fundamentally sound, gap sound. The back end is tied into the pass rush. Those guys doing some great things over there. “
(How cool was it to see your defense have such a big day like you did today?) – “Yeah, we needed it. We needed it. Our defense – they were amazing. Mr. Gold Jacket, Jalen Ramsey, he controlled the game, gave us all the opportunities we needed to get this win. But the defense as a whole, it’s great to see. It’s great to see them coming into life, fully reaching their potential, what we expected from them. Now we can tie it all together – offense, defense, special teams – we’ll be a very scary team to beat, so that’s the goal.”
(Obviously the offense is playing really well, but the one thing is short yardage stuff, the percentage has not been great. How do you guys improve in that area?) – “Yeah, we have to. That’s definitely a big point of emphasis at this point. It keeps showing its face, and we haven’t answered it yet. So that will be one of the main focal points moving forward to create that and be more efficient in the short yardage. We’re definitely going to need that when we start to play football in the winter.
Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023
Postgame – Las Vegas Raiders
Miami Dolphins DT Zach Sieler
(How much better connected is this defense now compared to five or six weeks ago?) – “Yeah, I kind of hit that earlier. It was bye week reflecting on what we did, what worked and what we needed to adjust on to keep growing as a unit. Got everyone healthy and back it’s been great.”
(You said teams are figuring out what they want to do and who they are. What are you figuring out about your defense right now?) – “I think for us after the bye, once we sat and reflected, we really want to work as a unit. Whether it’s defense, offense, special teams all together, and be the most dominant defense on the field every game.”
(And how close did you come to realizing your potential today do you think?) – “I think it’s every week. Just keep going and converting as a defense and how to play off each other, and the adjustments we make in-game. Just be confident with each other and uplift the guy next to you.”
Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023
Postgame – Las Vegas Raiders
Miami Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert
(What was it like seeing the defensive guys ball out there and secure the win?) – “They did a hell of a job. Kudos to the defense, especially (Jalen) Ramsey. I think that he’s getting his stride. He’s doing an unbelievable job, and he has three (interceptions) on the year now. I know there’s a teacher out there that’s counting down to five, so it’s exciting to see that she’s going to be at school on Monday teaching the kids about those picks, and it’s going to be awesome.”
(No matter how you guys are doing, you can’t seem to lose at Hard Rock. This place is …) – “Kudos to the fans. They’re out here. At one point, Alec (Ingold) was sitting right next to me, I could barely hear him. It was just loud and impactful. Being at home, you just always want to take that home-field advantage and fingers crossed when we get to the playoff talk that we do have that home-field advantage because that will be very, very instrumental for us.”
(We’ve seen so many big-time plays on offense this year. To just be able to see those big playmakers do their thing on defense and specifically big defensive plays, how do you like to see that?) – “It’s fun. We’re just trying to play complementary football – both sides of the ball and even special teams. We have to step our game up… so if we’re able to go out there and just perform at a high level which we’re doing on offense and defense and special teams, then it’s a good formula for success so we’ve just got to keep that stride going so we’ll see what happens.”
Sunday, November 19, 2023
Postgame – Las Vegas
Miami Dolphins LB Bradley Chubb
(You guys weren’t in the best position all the time when you went out there on defense, yet you got the job done. What does that do for your guys’ confidence going forward?) – “Through the roof, man, through the roof. It’s one of those things that we, each and every week, talk about how we want to be the best defense on the field. Because they’ve got great guys on the other sideline, man, and we had to match that intensity, you know what I mean? Each week, we try to do the same thing and be the best us. I feel like today we’re the better version of ourselves. We still got a lot more to go, but it was dope to see that us take that step.”
(What can you say about the guys on the back end?) – “Man, they do such an amazing job. They make our job so much easier. There’s even times when I’m like, ‘Oh, the first move didn’t work, he’s about to get the ball off,’ and he pumps it and he has the ball again, ‘OK.’ That’s when that rushing coverage starts working together. On Ram’s (Jalen Ramsey) first pick now, I was so happy for him, because I felt like I got in the quarterback’s face a little bit and then boom, I see the team defense start to work together, man. It’s dope to see, man. Just got to keep carrying that on and make sure we make more plays.”
(Do you guys feel like the last few weeks you’ve come together to be the kind of defense you would expect to be?) – “No, for sure. For sure. It’s one of those things where there was kind of some soul-searching to be done. Nothing like bad at all, we just didn’t think we were playing to our standard. As we’ve been gelling, as we’ve been learning the defense and as we’ve been learning each other, it’s been coming together for us a lot better. It’s one of those things we’re playing for each other now, too, and with each other. So it’s just been beautiful to see.”
Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023
Postgame – Las Vegas Raiders
Miami Dolphins LB Jaelan Phillips
(Two turnovers in the second half. What got into you guys there?) – “Just continuing to play as we’ve been playing. Good things happen to those who wait. We just kept our head down, kept playing disciplined football, kept playing hard, kept playing for each other and, obviously, good things happened.”
(Your first interception. Is that the way you pictured it?) – “It’s funny because it’s exactly how it happened in college so I’ll take it. I got one in college and one now so far and it happened the same exact way. The quarterback getting sacked and he just threw the ball up and happened to be at the right place at the right time, so clearly my karma is all right. I’ve been living right, so I’m going to keep doing good.”
(You mentioned CB Jalen Ramsey. Only his third game back and doesn’t seem like he’s missed a step and missed training camp or anything.) – “That’s what happens when you’ve got elite talent and elite preparation and just the mentality really. Throughout that whole process I can’t imagine how tough it was for him just to see us out here playing. Obviously all the hype during the offseason and he doesn’t get a chance to come out during the regular season, so for him to come out and perform that way, it’s a huge credit to him because I know how tough that can be and he really had that fortitude and showed up.”
(Does it feel like you’re going to have to win a game in December or January like today?) – “Oh, 100 percent. I mean we might have to win the rest of the season like that. You never know how it goes and on any given Sunday in this league teams can bring their best stuff and we might not have our best stuff. I think the key is to just keep our head down and have that confidence in each other – defense, offense, special teams – and no matter what the situation is we’re going to pull it out.“
Sunday, November 19, 2023
Postgame – Las Vegas
Miami Dolphins CB Jalen Ramsey
Q. Where does the clutch gene come from?
JALEN RAMSEY: God. Everything I’ve got comes from God, all my gifts, everything. All my gifts, all my blessings, they all come from God, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Q. Were you okay after the pick, you got the wind knocked out of you or?
JALEN RAMSEY: I’m good.
Q. Did you – I’ve seen you do it a couple times before – but did you more or less bait O’Connell into making that throw?
JALEN RAMSEY: I’m just playing football. Sometimes it’s part of the game. I guess you can call it that, make him look open a little bit and then go burst a little bit, but just playing the game the way I know how to play it.
Q. How special was it for you given everything you’ve gone through to not just make plays today but make plays at the biggest moments to seal the game?
JALEN RAMSEY: I mean, it means a lot. The game, it’s all to God, Jesus Christ honestly. I wouldn’t be here without all the grace and mercy that I’ve received in my life, without my friends and family praying over me and praying for me. And then my teammates and coaches pushing me extremely hard, training staff, as well, weight room staff, as well, pushing me extremely hard to be the best version of myself, so I just get out there on the field and I just try to prove all of them right, and all the hard work that they’ve invested in me, just try to make it come to life in the game in whatever moment that it may be. It just so happened that it was that moment but it could have been any moment where I tried to just express who I am.
Q. The Dolphins have been on the negative side of turnover margin for most of this season. Based on your experience, what kind of role do turnovers, key turnovers, lots of turnovers generally play in the results of games?
JALEN RAMSEY: I’m personally not like an analytics guy, but I think like the analytics are like if you’re plus 2 you’ve got an 80 percent chance of winning, but in the same token, if you hold a team to under 17 points then you’ve got an 80 percent chance of winning. I guess it’s kind of like pick your poison. Would you rather have a lot of turnovers or like locked-down defense. Obviously you would want both, and that’s what we’ll strive to do for our defense and then our offense, to correct some of their mistakes. They’ll be explosive and do what they are. They are who they are. We’ve got all the confidence and faith in them. But yeah, it’s all good.
Q. Do you feel this is a defensive team now?
JALEN RAMSEY: No, no, I don’t never like to say nothing like that. It’s just a team. We’re all together. At times they’re going to have our back, at times we’ve got to have their back. We’ve got special teams, as well, and them guys can go out there and make some plays. Yeah, it’s just a complete team. We do have to play a little bit better complementary football at times, and we’ll continue striving to do that and be that team that we feel like we can be. But no, I would never say anything like that.
Q. Is the knee better now than it was three weeks ago, and do you think it still has room to grow?
JALEN RAMSEY: Definitely still has room to grow. I get fatigued a little bit, in the second half a little bit. Just my body overall. I do feel great. I feel extremely great. Put in a lot of hard work. But at the same time the only way to get ready for football and be really in football shape and feel like the guy I am is to play more football, and this is only my third game. Technically I’m just now ending my training camp preseason really, and then I’ve got to continue to grow.
Q. How were you feeling that last snap because you looked pretty good.
JALEN RAMSEY: I felt good.
Q. From a fatigue standpoint I was wondering –
JALEN RAMSEY: When I say fatigue, I don’t mean necessarily like my wind. I did get my wind knocked out, but I don’t necessarily mean my wind. I mean my muscles, my body, I feel them getting fatigued a little bit, legs getting a little shaky, not as crisp, so that’s something I’m still working my body into that shape, premier shape that I want it to be in. I’ll get there because I ain’t going to mind working my ass off, and my teammates are helping me a lot with that. So we’ll get there.
Q. That first interception I think a lot of DBs probably see it as pass breakup as best. Do you see that ball and you have to dive for it as that’s a pick?
JALEN RAMSEY: Again, I feel like I’ve been extremely blessed by God, with my body, my long arms, my abilities. I just tried to go make a play, and yeah, I always – PBU is cool. I always want to get a pick no matter what. It’s just different techniques at the time, if I feel like I’m in phase or out of phase, but in that particular instance I felt like I was in good enough shape where I could dive and try to go get that, and yeah, that’s just what happened.
Sunday, November 19, 2023
Postgame – Las Vegas
Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa
Q. Who gets most of the credit for maintaining the run game – RB Raheem Mostert, offensive line? Who gets the credit there?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: The entire offense gets the credit. Needless to say, our defense was able to will us through that game and help us win that game. We need to be better in the second half offensively, and it starts with me. As we came out, can’t turn the ball over the way I did, and that’s what it was. State of the union was that, and we can be a better team. We can be a better offense for our team when I stop turning the ball over and doing things like that.
Q. All the metrics offensively have been great this year except short yardage. How do you clean that up and execute that stuff on the third and fourth-and-shorts?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, it takes a lot. It takes all of us. With the play, with me understanding what we’re trying to do with that play, if we have a read key, if we’re trying to hand it off, if we’re trying to pass it. We all have a job, and we just haven’t been in sync, and we’ve just got to do a better job at that.
Q. Next week you guys have a Friday game. You probably haven’t played Friday football in a while since high school. What would you tell your high school self to get to the point where you’re at today?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I would tell my high school self to be right where he is. The things that have came up in my life throughout my journey, I couldn’t have foreseen them, and they’ve made me who I am as a person. My character has been built through all of those with what I’ve learned in high school, through college. So I would tell him just be where you are and just continue doing your thing. There’s nothing that I could tell my high school self that would potentially get him to the NFL where I’m at. God has a way for everyone, and that was just my way.
Q. You said that when you stop turning the ball over that the offense can click there, but is there a common theme? I know one was an interception and one was a fumble, but what’s the common theme right now in the fact that there were a couple turnovers today and you want to clean that up?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, that’s all it is. The common theme is miscommunication, and that’s starts with me. Maybe I have to talk to the guys and express certain routes to them differently, and so it all starts with me. That’s what I’m going to say. I’ve got to be better with that, and we’ll be better for it.
Q. On top of that, did you see anything specific that defenses are doing to this offense the past couple weeks, or do you see it as more self-inflicted stuff like the turnover situation?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I see it as more self-inflicted things that we do, turning the ball over, not being able to convert on downs that we should be converting on. But then again, these are good teams. All these teams are in the NFL. The NFL is a tough place to play football, and we’ll take this win and we’ll learn from this.
Q. What’s it like having CB Jalen Ramsey on the other side for your team?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: It’s amazing. He got the entire crowd going. But he’ll be the first to tell you that all these interceptions, all the things that he’s been able to do has been because of the pass rush and because of the pass lanes that they’ve been practicing throughout practice. Our team is a better team having him in the back there, and like I said, those guys on that side of the ball, they willed us to win today.
Q. It’s been a long time since this team was 7-3. Just the significance of being atop the AFC East at 7-3?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Well, the job is not done. There’s nothing accomplished to being 7-3. But as far as our focus today, we won the game, and we’re going to take that and we’re going to learn from that film.
Q. Head Coach Mike McDaniel had mentioned that after you played the Chiefs game, the bye week, you were hard on yourself. It sounds like you’re hard on yourself again today. How do you balance your own gratification versus giving yourself grace?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, I have a standard for myself just like everyone in here has a standard for themselves with how they go about doing their job, and I take pride in doing my job. And for me, if I’m not doing my job to the best of my abilities and to be the best in the league doing it, I shouldn’t be out there doing it. I’m sure each and every one of you here would feel the same within your profession. It’s not me being super hard or me not extending grace to myself. It’s just understanding, like you know you can do better. It’s to a place where I’m not beating myself up as much as I probably would have my rookie year or my second year just because of the people that I’ve had to help me through that. So that’s what I would say. I understand the state of the union, and I’m not blind to the mistakes that I’ve made, but it’s not more so that I’m hard on myself, it’s more so I know my expectation and the standard of what I can do, and it can be better, and I want it to be better. That’s really what it is, it’s being real with yourself.
Q. How do you feel physically today? You took a couple hits.
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, I feel good. As good as I can be with whatever week we’re in, being 7-3.
Sunday, November 19, 2023
Postgame – Las Vegas
Miami Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel
Q. I think you guys put up the yardage that we’re kind of accustomed to seeing but 20 points. What would you say was the biggest thing hurting the offense or the offensive performance today?
MIKE McDANIEL: Two fumbles, and then we didn’t take advantage of the one time we got down there, and it was fourth-and-1, so we turned it over on downs. Then there were just some things – we’d usually get the drive started – I think we had only one or maybe two three-and-outs, but there would be something, whether it was a holding call or something we’d shoot ourselves in the foot. Those are things that you expect in an NFL game. You don’t expect to score 30 every time. I think our crew will feel as though they had the ability to for this game, but hats off to the Raiders team in general. That’s a five-win team that played as hard as anybody here at Hard Rock, and they get paid, too, so we’ll learn from the stuff that we can and get better from it, but ultimately it’s a team game, and when you do come up short offensively, you need somebody to pick up the slack. To have two fumbles on the 30-ish yard line in your own territory and have that equal six points, I believe, and then to have a couple very timely interceptions, that’s what you have to do to win in the National Football League. You’re not always going to supremely execute on one side of the ball or the other.
Q. Did you feel there was some rust in the operation a little bit coming off the bye?
MIKE McDANIEL: No, I didn’t feel that during the game. There weren’t that many – I was happy with the overall operation. There were times that we were changing the play based on unanticipated defensive personnel changes. They were trying to pretty much keep us off balance and not have a pattern. So there was a couple times that we were late in the play clock, but I thought overall the operation was solid.
Q. Three of the last four weeks now haven’t been up to I’d imagine the standard you would want. Has it been something common or just three bad games?
MIKE McDANIEL: No, I mean, I look at a game like this: It’s not necessarily a bad game, it’s a game that we came up a little short. I wouldn’t see any consistency with that in terms of like a pattern. How many yards did we have? I mean, that’s hard to do. Again, we’ll always be super critical. To call it a bad game I think would be – I guess hats off to us for raising your standard. But I was really happy with the way the guys approached coming off the bye. I think you learn a lot about people, how they handle – you probably learn more how they handle failures than successes, and I thought guys were intentional and deliberate to another level this week. I think that our team in general has kind of captured the idea of worrying about ourselves and each opponent is very threatening, and you have to bring your best. I think there is some stuff that we’ll really see in the film in the run game that we could have had more in. They were just kind of playing soft and really, really wide. Their alignments were different. There was some space there and I thought we could have had more, but overall I’d just like to see us hang on to the ball and not have some of the mistakes that really kind of cost us. But it was the first game that I can remember not playing with Durham Smythe and we lost (De’Von) Achane early and Braxton (Berrios) wasn’t up, so I thought overall guys in different roles stepped up, and we’ll continue to progress.
Q. Speaking of RB De’Von Achane, what happened to him? He only played three snaps and he was never ruled out but obviously didn’t come back in the game?
MIKE McDANIEL: Yeah, I think it was when he came off the field mid-series and ‘SA’ (Salvon Ahmed) ran on, we had two backs in the game, I think it might have been the second series, he kind of got landed on, and it was a little painful and we weren’t – he was politicking to try to come back in the game, but I was a little worried off the rust to go and do that. We kind of held him back, and we’ll see what it looks like tomorrow.
Q. Is it the same knee that he had just come back…?
MIKE McDANIEL: Someone landed on the same knee. So that’s kind of – we just didn’t want to mess with him. We had some positive feedback from the training staff at the end of the second quarter and after halftime, but I didn’t feel like at that point that would have been fair to him.
Q. Just so focus on your defense, this is the second game in a row with a second half shutout. With DT Christian Wilkins on the drive before the CB Jalen Ramsey interception, he had a touchdown-saving tackle. Can you just touch on that?
MIKE McDANIEL: That’s Christian (Wilkins). If you ever watch him at practice and you watch him in games, he does that literally every snap that the ball is down the field. And I think on that play in particular when we go and review the film, there will be a couple guys that are salty at themselves because Christian probably wouldn’t have had to make that tackle had they had the same kind of mindset. But that’s what happens when you have players like that that have standards with which they go about their game, that you raise the level of everyone. Sometimes players don’t like to see that. They’re all competitive. When you get somebody pursuing pass to you, that sticks out to them, so hopefully we’ll get back from it, but he has continued to progress in his game all season, something that he’s done his whole career, so I’ve been very happy with him and what he brings to us is very important.
Q. With CB Jalen Ramsey, can you talk about the level of clutch he has, especially at the end of a game like this? How much confidence do you have in him individually that he can step up and make a play?
MIKE McDANIEL: I’m really hoping they throw at him, honestly. I mean, both interceptions were out of control in difficulty level. You could see him on the first one, see the ball, and he was the aggressor. I think he was behind the receiver on an in-break, and he bypasses him to get that thumbs-together catch that he’s diving for that a lot of receivers don’t make that reception. Then to track the ball down the field and to get contacted in the moment of truth and hang on to the ball, I mean, it’s huge. I think the whole team has gotten a little bit better to a degree since he’s been on our team or since he’s been back and that’s the type of effect that players of that caliber can have on people.
Q. When you look at the some of the short yardages, you mentioned the fourth-and-1 and later on the pitch to FB Alec Ingold. What would you say were some of the issues? Do you wish you had some play calls back or was it more of an execution…?
MIKE McDANIEL: Ultimately we have to – I think all the players will look at the second one. I think the first one – the fourth-and-1 I’d rather that have play call back for sure based on the defense that they did run. Every play I call, the intent is to work. I’ll always look at myself for each and every one. I think the one later in the game, I think the players will learn from that one. We had some open eligibles, and I think several guys were a little too amped up and didn’t let the play play out because we had some open eligibles and didn’t come up with anything. Yeah, those situations, it is what it is. Every single time something doesn’t work, inherently it’s like, yeah, I wish I would have called a different play that worked.
Q. Sanders made the 51-yarder for a seven-point lead. Obviously it was not an obvious decision. What went into your choice to go with the field goal attempt?
MIKE McDANIEL: Yeah, that’s definitely not to my pattern or stereotype, but that was me adjusting to the particular game, and I was really super confident in the defense. I felt like a touchdown lead, they would really, really have to – I thought it was pretty safe. I thought those were big points, which is why I didn’t go for it, which kind of my knee-jerk. But I was adjusting to the situation.
Q. I wanted to ask you about the fourth-and-1 play where WR Tyreek Hill got hurt and then there was a play before the half where QB Tua Tagovailoa took a hit in back on the last play of the drive. You wanted the plays to work when you called them in and you had no way of knowing that Tyreek would get hurt or Tua would take a hit on those plays. How do you balance your aggression on those plays as a play caller and just trying to get more in the moment where an alternative decision could have worked, as well?
MIKE McDANIEL: I think the fourth-and-1, to me I think we would have gotten it – the reason I want that one back is because I think the execution of it could have been better, but for the execution to be better, I would prefer to put them in that exact scenario and be crystal clear. It was the difference between having a ball fake and not having the ball fake is what cost that one. The end of half, I didn’t question my decision Week 1 when I did the same exact thing. We did two of those plays starting with nine seconds and threw it down the field and got a DPI. I think you can’t have your cake and eat it, too. Again, if I had a crystal ball it would be easier to call plays, but there’s an inherent risk in every play you try to execute. I knew the risks in that one, but I also knew the reward. If the defense played out the way I thought, it would be a down the field opportunity that we could have had the same situation as the Los Angeles Chargers Week 1, which those three points were pretty important.
Q. It was quite an emphatic challenge flag throw?
MIKE McDANIEL: Yeah, I apologized to those guys. I’m not a ‘look at me’ flag thrower. What was happening is I was engaged in a conversation. I told people to speed me up on the replays that they got, and then I lost track that I told people that, and I was deep into the conversation, and then people were yelling at me, and I wasn’t next to an official, so I just wanted to get it in view. It wasn’t like, ‘yeah, take that, officiating.’ (laughter) Their job is hard and I was just trying to make sure that my – I literally instructed someone to tell me and then went and got in a conversation and blacked out, so the second they got back in my ear, because I saw live that it was going to be close, so there’s people in the box that have multiple replays that can – that’s how we kind of do that whole procedure. It was just me being out of position.
Q. How would you assess Tua’s game today?
MIKE McDANIEL: I was very, very happy with Tua because I’m always wary of Tua because he is so hard on himself. I knew he was going to be frustrated with the last game, and we had so much time in between. But all of my anxiety was kind of alleviated in the practice week. I think he might have had his best Thursday practice that he’s had since we’ve been here overall as a quarterback. Then the one pick he threw was – like the timing of the play, and (Jaylen) Waddle was running to the middle, he was running the deep post, and at the time he threw it, Waddle, it was single safety, so Waddle has to make a decision to go over the top or underneath it. And at the very moment that he threw it, Waddle hadn’t made that decision yet. Waddle went underneath, Tua threw it over the top, and immediately when they came to the sideline, it was like, neither one of them was frustrated and understood it was probably one of those things that will help us moving forward in terms of how I coach stuff because that scenario had never come up. I thought he was playing very well, and he had command, and he had a very even keel disposition, which is so imperative for that position.
Q. You’ve been praised all season for the offensive effort, but the defense especially in the last couple games has been equally impressive, guys like LB Jaelan Phillips, DT Christian Wilkins. Just how impressed have you been with that side of the ball?
MIKE McDANIEL: Yeah, I told the team probably a couple weeks ago that – my personal opinion, it wasn’t if but when that would occur. I think that there’s a lot of very prideful, very high-quality players on that side of the ball, and you figure it’s just a matter of time with the way that our defense is orchestrated from a coaching perspective, starting with Vic (Fangio), but really down to all the assistant coaches, and then you see guys strain each and every week. I talk about practice a ton, which gives you a little clue that I think that’s the difference maker in professional football, and all I’ve seen are guys continuing to get better at how they prepare for games, and it’s exciting because you tell the team that it’s a matter of time before you’re able to go punch for punch in any phase, and we’re starting to see that now, so I think that just generates more excitement within the locker room and more investment into each other because it’s a lot more obvious now at the beginning of the season. There was a couple games, our first two wins, in particular that the defense, that our defense really, that we ended up winning the game in the last possession, and so the whole season it’s been kind of a team oriented game, even though there’s been a lot of conversation about the offense. But now that we’re starting to see this team ball, I think guys are that much more motivated to do the very best they can with this season because this team has a tremendous opportunity every week and hasn’t shown anything but complete devotion to each other. They like playing football together, and that’s just an example when people don’t get down, they just continue to hone in on their details and work together. It’s a cool process to be a part of.
Sunday, November 19, 2023
Postgame – Las Vegas
Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill
Q. I know you’re getting closer to your 2,000 goal, but when you hear the third grade class when they’re marking your stats, did you want to just improve the numbers from last game to this game?
TYREEK HILL: Man, I’m just trying to help this team win. That’s my mindset. Two thousand yards is just something just to get the fans and Twitter going crazy, but obviously the main goal for me is to win games, help this team win games. That’s my mindset.
Q. What happened with your hand?
TYREEK HILL: I got my ass popped. Unfortunately – I was able to make a play – but got my ass popped, and my hand, it was just in the middle of me catching a ball when dude helmet hit my hand. But it’s nothing serious, thought. It was just a little pain.
Q. I know obviously as an offense you want to put up more points, but in a game like this where maybe you don’t put as many as you want and the defense comes through, what’s that like to see them step up and seal the win?
TYREEK HILL: It’s good. I’ve been saying this all year. We always want to end the game with the ball. That’s our mindset because we feel like we’ve got the playmakers to do it. We’ve got obviously the head coach to dial up the plays. We’re more than capable to be able to hold on to the ball at the very end of the game to keep our defense out of those situations. But it’s a team game. That’s the beauty of the sport. You can always rely on another phase, which is defense or special teams, to make plays, and that’s what defense did today. They made plays for us.
Q. You guys obviously put up a lot of yards on the field but maybe not as many points as we’re used to seeing. Was it some bye week rust or anything the Raiders were doing?
TYREEK HILL: No, I wouldn’t say that. The Raiders, they also get paid over there, too. They’ve got a lot of playmakers, Maxx Crosby, Marcus Peters, (Robert) Spillane, those guys. They do a great job of leading that defense, and they did a great job of stripping the ball out, forcing us to check the ball down and stuff like that. Yeah, they did a good job. Their head coach has changed the mentality of that team, and you can definitely see it, and you can feel it when you’re on the football field, the way those guys fly to the ball, the way those guys are having fun. I love what they’re doing over there.
Q. Can you explain that touchdown celebration?
TYREEK HILL: I really can’t. I really can’t explain it, man. I was just fired up. Just fired up. Any time I’m able to get in the end zone, it’s a blessing. Very grateful for that today.
Q. On that touchdown, picture basically four defenders that you ran. How much did you see them?
TYREEK HILL: I definitely seen them, but it’s one of those things that our receiver coach, he tells us, man, like you guys are fast enough to split guys, and sometimes me and Waddle look at him like, bro, you don’t know what it’s like to be fast. (laughter) But that’s one of those situations that he wasn’t wrong. So I know we’re going to go back into the film room, we’re going to watch it. He’s going to be like, I told you, you guys could have been doing this since last year, and ‘Reek, if you would have listened to me, you probably would have had 2,000 last year.’ It’s just one of those things. I’ve just got to trust my speed, and that’s what I did right there. I was like, (expletive) it, if I get tackled, I get tackled.
Q. To clarify, we’re talking about Wes, right?
TYREEK HILL: Yeah, Wes Welker, the slot guy. He’s a slot receiver.
Q. Next week you guys play on Friday night. Probably the last time you played on Friday night was in high school. What would you tell your high school self?
TYREEK HILL: Man, just have fun. Just do what you’ve been doing your whole entire life when you play football, and that’s just be you, be the ‘Cheetah,’ and just play fast. That’s something I’ve always been, the fast guy, the high-energy guy that’s on the sideline to get the crowd hyped. That’s me. I’m a character. That’s just me. That’s what I would tell my high school self.
Q. What do you think of being part of a first of its kind game on Friday?
TYREEK HILL: Definitely excited about it, but obviously we’re going to miss Thanksgiving with our family, so that kind of sucks, but like I say, any chance we get a chance to play this beautiful game of football, I’m honored, blessed, grateful, all that.
Q. What do you think of Jalen Ramsey?
TYREEK HILL: Oh, he’s a dawg. He’s the best corner in the league. For him to be able to go against two of the best receivers in the league, that also helps, too, me and Waddle. We can go tick for tat with that, but the way he laid out for that last pass goes to show how much he cares about this team because a lot of guys, they’ll knock it down, they’ll say, I could land weird. But the way he just laid out for his team really shows about how he cares about his brothers. I said that on the sideline. I’m like, bro, this dude is next level. For him to be All-Pro each and every year, for him to have made all this money, he’s still out there going 110 miles an hour, and he’s the same way at practice, too, though. I love it. I love it. I’m glad we’re on the same side.
Q. With the hand, did you get an x-ray or you just came back and got it taped up?
TYREEK HILL: No, I just came back and — actually I did do an X-ray. But it was quick. One of those quick things. Then I got it taped up and I was like, I can’t catch like this.
Q. Is it something you’re going to have to manage going up to the game on Friday?
TYREEK HILL: No, I think I’ll be fine, man. The only thing I’m really bummed about, I won’t be able to play Fortnite. That’s the kind of thing I’m bummed about. I won’t be able to play video games. Which is good for my wife, though. She’s got this new show she likes. She wants me to watch it.
Q. What show is that?
TYREEK HILL: It’s called – the Tyler Perry movie, the Family Business on Netflix.
Q. Did you wear the ring on your gloves?
TYREEK HILL: Yeah, I did. I actually got to get a rubber one because playing with this one, I didn’t too much enjoy it.
