OL Connor Williams
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel said you had an outstanding week of practice, no setbacks. Is it safe to say you plan on being active and starting on Sunday?) – “I think at the end of the day, that’s going to be up to them. But it’s been a good week and I feel healthy so we’ll see how it rolls.”
(But you think you’re ready to get back in the lineup?) – “I’ll always say I’m ready.”
(Can you describe some of what you’re feeling right now, a progression sort of from the games that you have had to miss?) – “It’s definitely tough sitting out. The team starts moving, and you’re not in there, but you’re able to support from the sidelines and stay in meetings and everything. So it’s been a challenge on its own, but just to be able to come back and just get in the rhythm with the team again and be around the guys again full throttle, it feels nice.”
(Can you describe the challenge of going against a guy like Chiefs DT Chris Jones?) – “Yeah, I mean, obviously, tremendous respect for his game. I think he’s a great player. He’s one of the top d-tackles in the league. He’s long, he’s lanky, he’s got power. I think he presents a challenge to any offensive line. But I have full faith in our o-line as well.”
(Bringing things back to the past few weeks, Head Coach Mike McDaniel has kind of repeatedly said, you’ve given him death stares, that you’ve been desperate to get back out, that he’s kind of scared to tell you that you’re not going to play. Obviously, you want to be on the field, you want to fight through injuries, but what has had to be your focus then while you’re out and while you battle the frustration of kind of being held back?) – “I think to play on this level, you have to have that space you can access, that high space you can execute on a high level at. Just being out and having to withhold that and then just being around the guys and serving a different role and a different purpose these last couple of weeks, that might be where the death stares come from because I’m just trying to stay as locked in as possible. I mean, you only have so much time in this profession and so many years. So just to be able to be here and be present every day, it’s been a blessing.”
(Are you able to see just from the sidelines and maybe tell OL Liam Eichenberg, tell OL Robert Hunt and OL Isaiah Wynn when he was in or OL Lester Cotton, like hey, this guy is doing this? Or, watch this? How much input are you able to give from the sidelines?) – “Most definitely I turned coach for a second there. But we’re a unit, we’re a whole, we’re one living organism. Just to be able to help and support where you can, it acts – I know Liam (Eichenberg) does the same when I’m in there and I do the same when he’s in there and vice versa and with every player in all positions.”
(Someone mentioned Chiefs DT Chris Jones and the challenge of facing him earlier on. But I just wanted to – Chiefs DT Derek Nnadi and DE Mike Danna and DE Charles Omenihu and those guys that they’ve got on their defensive line, reducing inside and out. Nobody stays in the same position throughout the game and I wondered what sort of challenges that presents for somebody like you went on snap one you might be facing Chris Jones, then it’s Nnadi, then it’s Omenihu who’s a different player, much longer? Does that make it more difficult given what Chiefs Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo does with his defensive line for a guy like you to prepare snap by snap?) – “They definitely do a good job of presenting different looks on third down. I think that’s their specialty, definitely with the mix of talent and players they have. You see that throughout many teams and at the end of day, I mean, we’re a unit, we’re an o-line, we’re going to create a wall and we’re going to protect No. 1.”
Friday, November 3, 2023
LB Jerome Baker
(The last time you faced the Chiefs, I believe you had a very memorable play with a sack for loss of 30 yards against Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes. What is the key to sacking QB Patrick Mahomes on 30-yard loss?) – “What is the key? I would give all the credit to the DBs. They were covering pretty well that play. (Emmanuel) Ogbah kind of made the first move, made him get out of the pocket. I just kind of did the rest.”
(Is that the favorite play of your regular season career?) – “Nah. Actually my favorite play I wasn’t even in – the Miami Miracle, that was pretty cool to me. But that was definitely a cool play.”
(What are your thoughts overall on defending QB Patrick Mahomes and of course TE Travis Kelce?) – “We just have to play together, it’s as simple as that. We have the guys to do that. We have the scheme to do that. We play together and play as one on defense, we’ll be alright. That’s just the main key.”
(We’ve been talking a lot about the scramble drill with QB Patrick Mahomes. A lot of athletic quarterbacks have that, but it seems more so for him it’s a staple of his play. WR Tyreek Hill was saying there’s a PowerPoint the Chiefs have. What are kind of the teaching points for you guys as rushers specifically for QB Patrick Mahomes when he leaves the pocket?) – “When you’re a rusher, rush him. When you’re in coverage and somebody is around, you plaster. Just plaster. Just grab the guy that’s in your zone. That’s the main thing, don’t try to do too much. What gets people in trouble is if you’re a coverage guy and you’re trying to rush him, now you’re leaving someone wide open. Just real simple, just do your job and you’ll be alright.”
(How do you like it as a player to play outside of the U.S., to play here in Europe? Is that cool or is there a lot of downside of traveling?) – “I was actually just thinking about that on the field – it’s super cool. Just growing up, a lot of us played when we were five, six, seven years old. Just to see that years later we’re in a different country doing what we love, there’s nothing better than that. Just being here is truly an amazing experience and I’m having fun.”
(If you could play in any other country after Germany, which country would it be?) – “Dubai. (laughter)”
(When you enter this stadium, you guys are kind of used to big stadiums with a lot of glitter and glamour. What did this stadium feel like? This practice one.) – “This one over here? It just felt like a regular stadium. We played in a lot of different stadiums growing up, so we’re all kind of used to different types of stadiums. But I think the main thing is we’re just in a different country. It’s just a different feeling. It’s definitely exciting for us.”
Friday, November 3, 2023
OL Austin Jackson
(How have you enjoyed Germany so far?) – “It’s great. I loved getting down here early to acclimate to everything. Love the weather, especially it’s different from Miami. I’m really thankful for the opportunity to play the Chiefs here. It’ll be a lot of fun.”
(Wanted to ask you about the offensive line. Well first, how does T Terron Armstead look to you his first week of practice back?) – “He’s great. He’s back in damn near midseason form. He looks good.”
(At one point last game, you were the last starting offensive lineman standing. Especially after last year, the troubles you had to deal with with injuries, I’m curious what did you do specifically this offseason to prepare your body to kind of I guess not get hurt, to simply put it?) – “It’s a mix between luck and for me, I just made sure I was in a position to be able to move out of any situation if I was put there. But like I also said earlier, it’s luck too. I had bad luck last year, really bad luck. I’m just thankful to go out there every play and I try to be as out the way as I can in terms of like pileups and stuff like that.”
(When injuries happen like that, is there just like a balance between acknowledging like, wow, I just got unlucky, versus oh, there’s actually something I can do different?) – “It’s a lot to process in the moment. But yeah, you’ll get there over time. For me last year, there wasn’t much for me to do in my situations. Roll ups are an unfortunate part of the game, hard to control. That’s something that’s really up to luck. Everyone’s taking care of their bodies the same for the most part.”
(I thought there was an interesting set of statistics from the Dolphins. It said that the Dolphins defensive front is number one in the NFL in quarterback hits and the Dolphins offensive front is best at preventing quarterback hits. So number one on offense, number one on defense, according to the Dolphins. What do you think is the correlation there? What’s going on with this team that sort of allows that to happen on both sides of the ball?) – “Well, on both sides of the ball, I know we both, offensive and defensive line, we preach elite technique of everything. We built up a lot of reps over the summer, over OTAs, just getting better, trying new things. If you weren’t successful in something, not curling up and not doing it again, but keep hustling and working until you get the result you want. I think that offensive and defensive line, both of us attacked it the same way this year and we will for the rest of the season. That’s the plan.”
(Have you seen or eaten anything that you thought was cool here in Germany?) – “I had these chopped up beef and pork schnitzels. No, not schnitzels. It’s like hot dogs with a bunch of random stuff on it. I don’t even know what was on it, but it was good.”
(We also know that OL Robert Hunt won’t play in this game. I wanted to know what you think of how OL Robert Jones has played when he’s been in and also OL Lester Cotton moving back and forth at the guard positions?) – “Yeah, we’re going to miss big Bobby (Robert Hunt) in there, but we have confidence in our other guards, Lester and Rob Jones as well. They’ve both started in this league, both very detail-oriented guys. We’re confident to get them in there. I’m confident to see them do their job and get the opportunity to play.”
(I was just looking at the numbers before you came in and Chiefs DT Chris Jones has played 202 snaps at defensive end over the last two seasons. I wondered what the challenges were for you when you’re normally facing a Haason Reddick or a Josh Uche at maybe 250, 260 pounds, facing a guy that’s 6’6”, 310, and what challenges that presents you for somebody as big as him but also with the outstanding balance and hands and the two-hand swat that he has that’s so effective? How do you prepare for somebody like Chris Jones?) – “Wow, you just named like three of his rushes that’s pretty good. Really it just comes down to your plan. Obviously, you can’t have the same plan for a guy like Chris Jones, who like you said is 6’5”, 310, versus Uche who’s 6’1”, probably 250. A different skill set. So you just have to have a different plan for both guys. I don’t think you should look at it as a challenge. Well, you could look at it as a challenge. But it’s just having a different plan.”
(You talked about being out here, how you’ve enjoyed it and all that. But is there almost more anticipation? Are you almost ready to get to the game already? Is it a little different than when you’re preparing at home?) – “In terms of like the feelings I feel on the inside, leading up to a game, I think like that Saturday night, I’m like the most ready to get to Sunday. I know I need every single day leading up to Sunday to be the best version of myself. It would be nice to see my family. That’s about it. But I’m taking it one day at a time and enjoying the moment. I’m in Germany for the first time, so I’m just taking it one day at a time.”
(You spoke about family. Your grandfather played in the NFL. Have you had a chance to speak with him about your experience being the first one from your family to play in a international game?) – “No, I haven’t. To be honest, he wouldn’t care. (laughter) Not like he wouldn’t care about an international game, but he’s just very old school. Very, who cares, just get the job done.”
Friday, November 3, 2023
CB Jalen Ramsey
(Just wanted to ask how are you feeling? Second week of practice, first week of practice since the debut. Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio talked about possibility of you lining up against Chiefs TE Travis Kelce. Is that something that you anticipate doing this weekend?) – “We’ll see. I just play whatever Vic calls. It’s only my second week, so I’m still getting adjusted to how Vic does things.”
(Would you like that matchup with Chiefs TE Travis Kelce?) – “I like playing football with whoever.”
(I know you and CB Xavien Howard have talked a lot about finally playing together. If he indeed is back from his groin injury, what would that be like to line up opposite him?) – “It’d be nice. It would be real nice. I think it will give the defense a lot of confidence and a little bit of a new dynamic. But we got to put it together. We’ll see.”
(What do you think Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes does best?) – “I don’t know if you can just point to one thing. You can’t just point to one thing. I’m not even going to stand here and try to. He does a lot of things really good.”
(When plays break down against the Chiefs, wherein lies the challenge from the secondary standpoint in defending in the scramble drill? The play after the play.) – “It just seems like they have scramble plays, kind of like the play after the play already designated. It’s just more covering. And it’s already tough playing defensive back, so it just makes it a little tougher. But that’s part of it.”
(I’m a football player over here in Europe. I tore my ACL last year unfortunately last season, and I wanted to know what were the keys to your fast recovery and what is your best advice to recover fast?) – “God. Just God. Believing in God. His plan for you. Working extremely hard and having good people around you. Just trusting it. Fall in love with the process and then you’ll just forget about how long it will take. Once you get back out there, you’ll feel good. You’ll feel great and confident.”
Friday, November 3, 2023
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Anything else happening for you in Germany so far? When you last spoke to us it kind of seemed like you were having a normal work week while just in another country.) – “Nothing’s changed, however, my wife and daughter I think have just arrived. Haven’t seen them yet. We’ll probably see a sight. There’s a zoo with a baby elephant that I’ve heard about, but no updates since then.”
(How has T Terron Armstead’s practice week been and is activating him in consideration or is it more appealing to give him the two weeks with the bye to follow?) – “It’s been so far so good. We still have a day to assess that and we’re not going to get ahead of ourselves. But it’s been very encouraging and feel optimistic, but have to just see how today plays out to make sure that there’s no setbacks because we feel very good about all the offensive linemen we play. There’s a long season so there’s no reason for him to be pressing through something that might hurt him in the long run. We’ll assess it today.”
(I’ll just wrap up the key injuries if we could with center, right guard and WR Braxton Berrios) – “So center, Connor Williams has had an outstanding week of practice. It ended up being very fortuitous that Liam Eichenberg played really well last week and afforded him another week of get right. He hasn’t had any setbacks so feel good about that. I think we’re going to do a one for one, Rob for Rob. Rob Hunt will be out and so we should see Rob Jones in there at left guard. Braxton Berrios, proud of that guy because inherently, in his nature, he’s got that aggressive walk-on mentality. We’ve been working together, really since he got here, about communicating appropriately and not fighting through things that might make him worse. It was proactive. He felt a little something. It wasn’t a full injury so we’re going to test it out today and see how it goes. Optimistic with him.”
(At risk of getting a one-word answer, what words would you use to describe your team. And if it is a one-word answer, please expand.) – “Hmm, well you did say ‘words.’ (laughter) That’s plural. I think ‘deliberately joyful’ and maybe ‘accountable’ and ‘hungry.’ So there’s several words.”
(Could you expand on deliberately joyful? They enjoy all the process, the games? What do you mean by that?) – “Maybe it’s ‘joyfully deliberate,’ would be more appropriate because they enjoy the process of really being critical of technique, having a high standard with which they try to practice their craft and enjoying hard work. I think one step that we’ve made as a team this season as opposed to last is understanding the value of the work week and how you can get game reps in practice. It really is the same for all sports. You hear about great players and their unique practice intensity and you hear about great teams that have that mindset of controlling what they can control and really getting everything out of the day. This 2023 version of the Miami Dolphins really enjoys working on things that will prepare them for Sunday. As a result, I think they feel prepared. We are playing a game. It is our job and it’s a high-stakes job, but it’s still playing. They’re able to find that happy balance of enjoying what they’re doing but taking it very serious at the same time.”
(Your introduction on the first press conference went viral. Have you adjusted to German humor yet, you mentioned you arrived earlier to Germany? And on a more serious note, both the Dolphins and Chiefs are huge teams with big aspirations this season with some dominant displays. But after this weekend, the losing team will be just one game away from some teams like, let’s say the Steelers and maybe the Browns that probably not maybe people would have seen coming at the start of the season. Does that say more of how competitive the NFL is or is this season even more crazier than usually how it gets?) – “Okay, so twofold. The former question, my intent is never to go viral and honestly, if I say something in jest that nobody laughs at, sometimes that’s the funniest outcome for me. So I pay it no mind. I’m not trying to be anything but myself. I’m very aware that sometimes myself doesn’t come off hilarious to everybody and it is what it is. Then as far as NFL parity, you’re hitting on one of the things that is at the crux of – every team’s battled during the course of the season. Unique to football, you have a limited schedule. You have now 17, what was once 16, games with a lot of buildup. You have a whole offseason of buildup and there’s a week between each game so there are a bunch of narratives that occur, whether you win or you lose. I’ll tell you what’s going to happen with the Miami Dolphins; they lose, we can’t beat good teams. We win, we’re going to win the Super Bowl. None of it matters. You have to be your best when your best is required and that’s when there’s elimination games. So you’re trying to build towards that and take advantage of every opportunity to best service yourself for the situation at the end of the season. There’s a lot made up of each and every game. Quite literally this is 1/17th of the season, that’s how important it is. If it was Major League Baseball, it would be 10 games. That would be five games in the NBA. But at the same time, let’s say for instance, we were able to beat the Chiefs and had the best game of our year this week. What does that mean? It means we’re 7-2. That’s all. Does seven wins get you into the playoffs? Probably not. Does it matter if you climax right now and go, yeah, cool regular season win. It’s very important, but at the same time, the biggest thing is you’re progressing during the season. So when push comes to shove and it’s win or go home, which inevitably, you’re either trying to make the playoffs, at some point it’s an elimination game, or you’re in the playoffs and it’s an elimination game, you better be your best then.”
(I am from France, so pardon my accent. You are practicing here in Frankfurt in the Frankfurt Galaxy facility, which is an ELF team or European League Football Team. Are you familiar with the ELF? Have you ever watched a game? Are you familiar with European American Football or not at all?) – “Well, first of all, you don’t have to apologize when you’re speaking a second or third language. Hats off to you. I know one and I’m not very proud of that. Secondly, not really very familiar with the game and I follow international stuff but I struggle to keep up with the weather. I can’t keep up with worldly sports. I’m sure it’s a high-quality sport and really, I regard all professional sports because you have to be pretty good for people to pay to watch you.”
(First I wanted to ask what were your thoughts on WR Tyreek Hill being named player of the month following Tua? First time in team history having back-to-back players of the month. And secondly, the origin of the Friday song, I know today’s Friday so I should expect to hear it out there.) – “There’s nothing better in really all walks of life than watching people get rewarded for hard work. Everybody knows that Tyreek is fast and he’s a freak athlete in that way. But the only way you’re a player of the month is it takes an inordinate amount of focus, of dependability. There’s just so many hours of work to be able to perform at that level when every team you play knows you’re trying to get the ball to him. He sees creative coverages all the time. It speaks to him, it speaks to really the whole offense. I see it as kind of a team award in that way because I know it doesn’t matter how cool of a route he runs or how awesome he is with the ball in his hands. For one, the quarterback has to get it to him and two, the quarterback has to have enough time to do so. I think it speaks to a lot of work from a lot of different people. It speaks to the health of the – really the work ethic of the entire side of the ball. And I think all the players look at it that way too where that recognition, they feel a piece of and I know Tyreek feels that same way. It’s a cool honor to have and you enjoy when people’s hard work gets recognized. And then two, being an outside the box thinker, having a song that says ‘Friday’ on Friday, boom. It’s just a thing. We’re kind of creatures of habit. You have a routine that you have to really – you almost have to religiously abide by a routine to be able to be effective in a team sport with 11 people on the field at the same time trying to work in one direction. Little elements of routine go a long way. Friday is Friday for everyone. It’s a heavy work week for players, coaches, support staff. I’m not even sure if people like the song, they just like the routine of the song, so we keep it going.”
(The game is global. We’re here playing the game we love. Now flag football is in the Olympics, it’s an Olympic sport. Would you like at some point of your life to become the head coach of the U.S.A. team of flag football? I’m not in charge but I’m just asking.) – “I would like a lot of things. I’m just trying not to get fired at my current job. But I’m really excited about the fact that there’s an element of football in general, whether it’s tackle or flag, that really speaks to the core principles of life, about controlling what you can control and being able to handle adverse situations and working really hard and then experiencing failure. I think a lot of people can relate to that. I think there’s a lot of life lessons in the game of football and really expresses how no one does anything in the world by themselves quite honestly. I think the game of football really speaks to that. There’s always, regardless of how ambitious you are or talented you are, there’s always some sort of avenue. There’s certain things that you’ve learned from people that you’ve taken. Regardless, people can really learn from team sports because it’s exactly applicable to I think lift life. And the more people that are exposed to, in my opinion, one of the greatest team sports that have ever existed, I’m happy that the world is embracing the game that way. Because once you’ve made it to the Olympics, you’ve been embraced.”
(WR Tyreek Hill said he was a bit pissed that he wouldn’t face the Chiefs at Arrowhead. He seems like a passionate guy. From a coach’s point of view, are you a bit relieved that you’re facing the Chiefs here? Tyreek is facing the Chiefs here with less distractions?) – “I wouldn’t say any of that factors in to any thought that I have. The idea is as a team you accept whatever the situation is. As a team, you embrace and you challenge. Arrowhead is a tough place to play. Ultimately, you want to be a team that it doesn’t matter where you play. So my mindset, I really haven’t thought about it like that. I’m more looking at it like what an opportunity – how cool is it, I can’t remember the stats, I believe it didn’t take long for this game to sell out, right? That’s all you really think about. Okay, there’s a demand or there’s an interest. I can speak on behalf of the whole team, we’re pretty honored to have people pay money, their hard-earned money, to come watch us do what we commit our professional lives to. I’m pretty sure the Kansas City Chiefs fanbase travels well. I’m sure there will be a slight element of Arrowhead, but I think this is a cool opportunity for us to compete in a place no one that has participated in this game – a place that no one has participated or we’ve never played a game here. That’s good news for our industry, the NFL in general, and it’s an exciting opportunity. I’ve never been to Europe. I’m a history major, this is awesome. Maybe I’ll get to see a sight here soon. So great opportunity for everybody, and we feel very fortunate and it speaks to the health of the National Football League, I think.”
(I wanted to ask you about the evolution of your scheme in terms of you started stuff last year running, I suppose kamikaze RPOs with QB Tua Tagovailoa making first-level reads but pushing the ball vertically down the field with post wheel and rail wheel. And into year two, the evolution has been so quick, and now you’re much more condensed between the numbers. The routes look a bit different.) – “No, how awesome is this? Clearly you have an accent and you know exactly what you’re talking about. I’m honored that you’re watching our tape.”
(There are even some Mike Shannahan elements in terms of Tua turning his back to the defense on play action.) – “Now you’re just flexing (laughter).”
(But I just wanted to know in terms of the speed, obviously there’s a reason for the evolution, but in terms of the speed of the revolution whether that was down to Tua’s comfort level, whether it was down to your evolution as a play-designer or play-caller? Without wanting to do a Barry Jackson 2-for-1, whether or not you are working on the next iteration of the scheme to stay one step ahead of people like Chiefs Defensive Coordinator Steven Spagnuolo?) – “In principle, I don’t really look at it as my scheme at all. It’s the furthest thing from it. What it is, is we’re taking elements of what people do well and trying to really lean into that. The evolution is really centered around finding out what your players are good at and evolving in that direction. So quite literally, the scheme is a result of the players. In terms of that forecasting of being a schematic guru or something, I see it far from that. I think the product looks good because people know what they’re doing, are fully invested in it. And yeah, there’s some movement and things of that nature, but the orchestration only works because do you know how much deliberate practice it takes to time up motions with concepts and have footwork from the quarterback timed up with the footwork of the receiver and the aiming points of each combination block tied to the runner? All those things, from our offensive staff standpoint, were just opening our eyes watching our players and kind of adapting to them. So I think that’s always kind of how I looked at it. Last year was tricky because you only know this much about your guys, and you’re learning on the fly. You learn fast. Oh yeah, he doesn’t like that or he’s uncomfortable with that. Receiver, running back, right guard, you’re doing the same thing, which is trying to utilize players’ talents in a cohesive manner to be able as 11 people move as one. I think that the evolution of the offense, it really comes down to the coaches getting a better idea of what guys are good at and guys really truly going after the opportunity. Not being satisfied with results, but really chasing that unattainable level of perfection. When you have a group of guys that are never satisfied and always want to have, ‘okay, what can I do better?’ You have a chance to be your best selves for sure. That’s what I think we’re all seeing and we’re all along for the ride watching our players play.”
