QB Tua Tagovailoa
(So how does it feel to be back?) – “How does it feel? It feels great. I’m excited to be back.”
(Can you take us through just what it’s been like going through the concussion protocol to get to this point?) – “Yeah, it’s been a process, that’s for sure. Having to deal with the interviews with the NFL and the NFLPA and then having to go and see doctors outside with second opinions. So a lot of it has been, I would say, pretty stressful, but all of it is done for player safety. I’m glad that I got to go through those things to kind of understand more of the deals of concussions and the effects long term, short term, and things like that. So I thought it was great that I was able to go through those and go through that process and get cleared.”
(What was it like in the immediate aftermath of the injury and the last few weeks, what was it like?) – “I would say it was pretty cool with the support that was shown – a lot of love and support. I would say shout out to my neighbors that live in the community that I live in. They were very, very respectful, very kind, to have made some things. They brought over notes from their kids. Their kids would bring over candies, things that they would bake, things that they would color. So I thought that was that was super cool. I could feel the support, and my family could feel that. And then just guys from across the league reaching out.”
(The night it happened, obviously it was scary for all of us to see. Was it scary for you at the time?) – “I wouldn’t say it was scary for me at the time because there was a point where I was unconscious, so I couldn’t really tell what was going on. When I did come to and kind of realize what was going on and what was happening, I didn’t think of anything long term or short term. I was just wondering what happened.”
(Do you remember much about that night?) – “Yeah, I remember the entire night up to the point where I got tackled. After I got tackled, I don’t remember much from there – getting carted off, I don’t remember that. But I do remember things that were going on when I was in the ambulance and then when I arrived at the hospital.”
(What’s been the hardest part of this journey over the last three weeks?) – “Just watching my team go out to battle and I can’t do anything to help them on the field. There’s things you can do in the locker room to keep the guys encouraged, to keep the guys going (and) motivated, but it sucks. As a competitor, I want to be out there with the guys. I want to be able to go out there and help our guys win games. That’s a terrible feeling that I could only watch from the sidelines.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel said that recently he’s kind of spoken to you about doing everything you can to protect yourself when you’re on the field and make sure that you’re not in a position to be in harm’s way. What was your takeaway from that message?) – “I mean, for me, I’ve always been a person to try to make something happen. Like that’s always been my mindset, if you will. Throwing the ball away hasn’t been something that I’ve done in the past really well because I’m trying to make plays. So just learning from that – if it’s not there, it’s okay to throw it away. It’s the longevity of me just being able to be the quarterback for this team and not try to make something out of nothing. Plays will come to us and that’s kind of what our mantra for our offense is.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel mentioned earlier today that he noticed how much you missed the game, you love the game and you love your teammates. Can you describe maybe what it was like when you got back on the practice field last week and then going into this week prepping to play?) – “Yeah, I went into last week prepping as if I were going to play, still – just being able to get back into football, getting to do team activities, throwing routes to the guys. But I would say no different than this week. I’m just really excited that I can prepare and play this Sunday. And I think everyone’s excited to go out there and compete against a really good Steelers team.”
(The Bengals game, including your hip injury at Alabama, was the second time you’ve had to be hospitalized for an injury sustained on the field. Do things like that weigh on you as you try to return or as you are just kind of in the moment?) – “I would say no. I would say those kinds of things weigh more on my parents than they do for me, just with me being their son. But I mean, I just want to go out there and do good – do good for our team, do right for this organization, do right for the guys inside the building that I see every day that work really hard. That’s all. I mean, I enjoy being here. I enjoy all the guys in the building. So when I’m not able to do something about it and help our team and our organization, then that just really sucks.”
(I’m sure you’ve learned more about concussion in the last two weeks than most of us will ever learn.) – “Probably.”
(What did they tell you about long-term risks? And how do you weigh them going forward?) – “Yeah, well there’s not necessarily as much long-term risk as say – let’s say guys get about six concussions. Well, those guys that only have six concussions that are playing the position that I’m playing, where we don’t hit as much, are less susceptible to getting CTE later on in their years than someone who’s playing a position where they’re constantly taking hits or blows to the head, which would be o-line, d-line, linebackers. That’s kind of some of the information that I’ve been given from a lot of these doctors that are the best of the best in their field.”
(How many concussions do you believe you’ve had in your life?) – “I don’t know.”
(What do you think of Brian Flores being on the other side this week?) – “Yeah, I think it’ll be cool being able to go up against the guys that he’s coaching on that side. I know he knows personnel really well from being here with us. But I think we’re all excited to go up against their defense. You hear a Pittsburgh Steelers defense and you just think of hard-nosed. You think of a really tough defense. They’re going to give us some good challenges in this game.”
(Is there some familiarity with you and Brian Flores, having been here two years with his level of knowledge on your play?) – “Yeah, of course. I’ve been with him for the past two years. So he definitely knows what I like and what I don’t like. But then again, schematically, this is Mike (McDaniel)’s offense and this isn’t the same offense that I’ve been running while he’s been here the past two years.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel mentioned that you’ve evolved and grown in various ways since the end of last season. What are some ways that you feel most proud of in those areas of evolving and growth?) – “I would say one of the biggest things is that the game’s not over when we’re playing offensively. That you’re going to have to continue to score points on the other side because we’re not giving up. We’re going to continue to march the ball down the field, continue to do what we execute best as an offense and do whatever it takes to win games.”
(What excites you about playing on Sunday Night Football?) – “I mean, it’s prime time. So that’s what excites me. We’ll be the only game on Sunday night. That’s exciting. You dream of being in these kind of games as a kid and we get this opportunity, so it’d be fun.”
(The Dolphins haven’t played very much – this is their fourth time ever playing on NBC’s Sunday Night Football. What does that kind of say about the excitement nationally around this team and you guys kind of getting the opportunity to show what you do well?) – “Well, it’s awesome that we get this opportunity. I didn’t know that statistic that this is only our fourth Sunday night prime time game. Ever?”
(Since 2006.) – “Well, I think for us, it’s another game. But with it being prime time and everybody being able to watch, we want to do really, really well.”
(Last year, similar circumstance. You come back from an injury with your team on a losing streak. Did that experience teach you anything? Or I guess, what did that experience teach you about returning when your team might be in a slider on a slide or not trying to press or do too much?) – “Yeah, that’s exactly it. I just got to be myself. I’m not the savior of this team. I don’t just come in and we start winning games. It’s a team deal. The defense gets us stops, the offense goes and puts points on the board, and the defense can help put points on the board as well as special teams. So for me, I just look at it as coming into this this week, just be myself. Don’t try to force anything. Don’t try to make plays that aren’t there be there. Just give our playmakers the ball and let them go to work.”
(I guess kind of piggybacking off that, you guys were playing really good ball and you personally were before the injury. I’m curious what you think your rhythm and flow will be like coming back this week?) – “Yeah. I think that’s what we’ll have to kind of go through this week with our guys in practice. I would say that’s just something that we got to just go through in practice.”
CB Justin Bethel
(The last time you played boundary in the game was when?) – “The last time – I played a little bit when I was in New England. I had a couple of snaps out there when – same kind of situation, guys go down, you start getting low at the position and you just need some help. I just did whatever they needed me to do.”
(What do you think of the development of CB Kader Kohou so far as a rookie coming in and doing what he’s been able to do?) – “Oh, he’s been great. It’s always nice to see young guys come in and be able to make plays early. Because for me, I always want to see young guys be successful, hope they have long careers. It’s unfortunate that he got hurt, but I’m sure he’s going to keep working and do what he’s got to do to get back. I think he’ll be a good player in this league for a long time.”
(It seems like injuries are hitting certain groups on this team, obviously, quarterback and the secondary now. How concerned are you with what’s going on in your secondary?) – “I’m not really concerned. I think we have guys who know how to come in and step up and do it. Noah (Igbinoghene) did a great job of coming in and making some plays. I think that’s just kind of the name of the game – injuries, that’s how this league is. Guys are going to get hurt, and when your name is called on, you’ve got to be ready to step up.”
(Doesn’t that put that much more pressure on you guys in terms of communication when new guys are coming in or guys, say safeties, are playing corner or vice versa?) – “I wouldn’t say pressure. I think it’s – you practice these kinds of things; you try to prepare for these kinds of situations. You’re working in practice, so that you’re kind of ready for it. Obviously, you can’t be ready for everything when multiple people get injured, but I think we do a good job of making sure we’re ready for whatever kind of scenario comes up.”
I want to change gears a little bit and ask a little bit about special teams. I know you play a big role in that. First, let’s start with the good part. You guys seemed to work an awful lot on downing punts inside the 20, and I know you’ve had a role in that. Tell me about the satisfaction you get when you pull off a play like that.) – “It’s nice. I’ve just been doing this for a long time out there. Thomas (Morstead) has been kicking great, giving us great ball placement and making it very easy for us gunners to go out and make those kinds of plays.”.
(Is it that much harder? I mean, your momentum is taking you one way and you have to knock the ball in the opposite direction.) – “I think it’s a little bit of both. I’ve seen it so many times, I can’t even name how many I’ve downed. So for me, I think it comes a little second-nature. I think it’s a feel thing – you just kind of get a feel for it.”
(On the other side, though, you’ve had a lot of plays go against you on special teams. What are you focusing on to correct that right now?) – “I think for us, just the little things. Little things here and there, because all it takes is one person to break down and one little technique to be off. This is a team sport where your job kind of can affect the next person. So I think for us, we’re just going to keep working on the little things, knowing what we’re supposed to do and knowing where we’re supposed to be and just keep working at it and it’ll get better.”
(You mentioned getting action on both sides. When you finish a special teams play and then you’re back in the huddle, what’s the adjustment there?) –“It is what it is. This isn’t my first time. I had to – back in the day when I was in Arizona, I had the same kind of situation where some guys got hurt, and I had to start and then play special teams. Like I always say, I just got to do what I got to do and do what I can do to help the team win.”
(Do you feel more into the game though because of that? Like when you get the juices flowing?) – “Yeah, the juices definitely be flowing, but you just kind of compartmentalize it. When I’m on special teams, I’m thinking about what I’ve got to do in this play, and when I’m on defense, I kind of just think of what I’ve got to do during each snap.”
CB Xavien Howard
(What growth have you seen in CB Noah Igbinoghene? He seemed to play well Sunday when called upon.) – “Yeah, he’s playing well. He got the opportunity and took advantage of it. I got on him about picking the ball off – he was in position to make some plays on the ball. But a ‘PBU’ (pass breakup) was there, but I definitely want him to go to the next level by picking the ball off now.”
(How frustrating is it knowing that ideally, it would be you and CB Byron Jones on the other side and you guys would be all set and you haven’t been able to have that all year? How disappointing or frustrating is that for you?) – “It’s not disappointing or frustrating. It’s the next man up – it’s the NFL. People go down, and there are other guys that have to get in that role and step up. And that’s what I feel about that and that situation, the next guy just got to step up.”
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(We failed to ask you about WR Jaylen Waddle on Monday. Is he going to practice today. Is he healthy to play Sunday? Do you expect to have him Sunday and do you expect to have him today at practice?) – “He’s a tough competitor. A tough, very tough kid. I’m very confident that if he is able to, he will (play). I’m optimistic. I don’t expect to see much from him today, but technically, I’ve already seen him a couple times today. He’s going to be working diligently. It’s important to him to play with his teammates. He’s a hard – as you guys have noticed at the end of training camp, he’s a hard guy to really, you really have to be in front of everything with him and be his own voice of reason, because he likes to push stuff. We like guys like that, because our medical staff can do their jobs and keep them out of harm’s way.”
(You’ve had several plays lately where you’ve had good success, downing the ball inside the 20, for example, but you’ve also had a lot of negative plays on special teams. When you put it all together, how do you assess the special teams of late?) – “I don’t look at everything entirely as one thing. I kind of go through the progression of each game because one thing specifically with our crew, meaning our team, we’ve had a good amount of lineup changes. So you’re assessing the way – the way I like to do it is what are we identifying the unit we’re playing against as? How are we preparing for them? How are the players executing what we prepared for them? Are we articulating things appropriately? Were things told correctly or not? I think that the results haven’t been where we want them – there’s no doubt about that. What I do see and what is important to me, I know is the fabric of teams that are able to have success in any phase is you don’t see loafing, you don’t see lack of strain. These are things that the miscues have to do with things that need to be coached up, and I don’t continually see the same exact thing. So my confidence has not been affected. It’s more that are we continuing to get better and do those same things that happen last week or the week before happen this week relative to our opponent?”
(Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin mentioned yesterday, as you have, that staff familiarity with players, talent and skillset can be overblown, but he did think that Senior Defensive Assistant/Linebackers Coach Brian Flores’ presence on the staff would be a useful resource in that area. Specific to QB Tua Tagovailoa and Coach Flores’ knowledge of his strengths and weaknesses, how might that affect the way you want him to approach things? How do you think it could affect the game?) – “Yeah, I don’t really – from my vantage point, I don’t really make a correlation necessarily with that. It is good to have familiarity with players in a sense of you know some of their strengths and weaknesses. But at the same time, I think that’s an evolving process for Tua (Tagovailoa). And also, every defense is trying to defend the offense. Defenses have tried various things against our offense with Tua at the helm, and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I don’t see a consistent theme. I think this game is about the players on the field playing against each other more than anything.”
(As someone who loves football a lot, what’s kind of your perception of Sunday Night Football? Playing on Sunday night, especially against kind of a historic team like Pittsburgh, who’s played on Sunday night a lot.) – “I typically don’t like abstract questions, except I do. (laughter) Sunday Night Football – Kyle Shanahan said this probably like 10 years ago and I jumped on it because it made a lot of sense to me, and it was that what’s really cool about Sunday Night Football is that more than anything, it’s not the TV, it’s not the viewership, it’s that you’re the only game on. And so on Sunday night in particular, the entire league is home from their games, and it’s an opportunity for players to perform in front of their peers. So that’s unique, because there’s all the stuff that’s going on. I mean, you catch box scores and highlights, but I think that’s a that’s a very cool thing in that respect. Then, once you get past that reality, I think it’s more of a challenge to understand it for what it is – anytime you are thinking about (how) this is a big game or national television, or things like that, that’s an opportunity cost from thinking about what you need to do in your given gameplan for your team to accomplish the goal. So it is cool for the players. I do tell them that. I told them in the offseason, I think I said to them after the past game, but beyond that, it’s more of a battle of which team can play football and ignore the noise, or the clicking of cameras, or things of that nature.”
(The fact that you guys didn’t IR QB Skylar Thompson, is that a sign that his tests came back pretty good?) – “That is a sign that his tests did come back. (laughter) Yes, that would be a good sign. It was more positive than negative overall. It was definitely not the worst case. And he’s going to be – I think he’s probably doing jumping jacks today with (Head Strength and Conditioning Coach) Dave Puloka. It’s probably not serious. (laughter) But he’ll get back into action sooner than later.”
(What do you want to see from QB Tua Tagovailoa over the next few days of practice to show you that he can be the quarterback he was before he went down against the Bengals?) – “It’s pretty easy considering there’s an extensive amount of time spent on the relationship between the starting quarterback and the head coach and the play-caller. So those are hours and hours of field, meeting room time and you get to know each other pretty well. So what I want to see is the same locked-in guy that I know when he’s on it, he’s laser focused, he’s in his normal mood, but he doesn’t lose attention span at the task at hand. That’s what I’ve grown to love about the guy. That’s why he’s been able to have some success in a completely new language and system. And that will be my expectation for this week because it is not the Tua Dolphins.”
(What have you seen from QB Tua Tagovailoa over the past couple of weeks as he’s been around the building?) – “Well I’ve seen his love for the game, honestly. In a simple but not simple form, I’ve seen how much he loves his teammates and how he loves the game of football. I can see that he understands his responsibility as a leader, which he is fully embraced and resonates with all the guys. So he knows that he has to be in the moment for the players that are playing and contribute the way he can. And so he’s been very positive. But I can also tell that he thirsts for the brotherhood, for the camaraderie, for the competition. There’s a saying that you never know what you had until (it’s gone). And I think it wasn’t that he didn’t exude that, it was just blatantly obvious to everyone around him that he was missing out on something that he truly loves. It’s a cool thing to find out in an adverse situation about a player that you coach.”
(If I could follow up on that really quick, you’re saying like embracing his role as a leader for the guys who are actually playing? I guess, how did he do that at practice last week when he’s returning from concussion protocol, but obviously knows that he’s not playing Sunday? How did you see him balance wanting to get back to work versus sitting back and letting QB Skylar Thompson and QB Teddy Bridgewater take over?) – “That’s not a lip service thing that you’re just like, I’m going to be a leader. And that’s what’s cool about it. What you saw was every single play of practice, saying the play – like after I say it, like he’d say it in the huddle. Then watching the timing of the concept, watching the footwork of Skylar, getting excited when perfect technique is executed, because he knows exactly what it looks like. And then you go through an entire practice – you’re used to being the starting quarterback, which in the NFL season, means you are taking every snap when the offense is up. So you get in a routine, where it kind of goes by fast because you have all this stuff going on. Well, to see that focus last for the entire practice also speaks to the point that it’s not just about him, his selflessness, which is why he has he has a unique aura of leadership that people gravitate to because it’s genuine, authentic and real.”
(So after the game, you mentioned turnover margin is one of the numbers that you look at, that you deem very important. My question is, are you a guy who subscribes to you are what your record says you are? And then the second part, aside from record and turnover margin, what are the other numbers either individual or team wise, that you value?) – “I guess it’s not really my personal belief in turnovers. That’s just straight up facts. And, as far as you are what your record says you are, I think there’s truth in that because to spend time saying, ‘well, but, this, that or the other,’ is a fool’s errand. However, I think teams are whatever they define themselves that day. I think the Miami Dolphins are as good as their Wednesday. It’s kind of, I think, the approach that when you watch great competitors across all sports and just people that are doing anything at a high level, there’s a common denominator there. And it has nothing to do with forecasting we are this or that or whatever. It is present in the moment and it is completely convicted (and) committed to what you’re doing, knowing that that will affect future outcomes. So for me, I’ve been on a team that was – last year I was on a team that won two games and then lost four in a row, then was in the NFC Championship game. In 2015, we were 5-0 in Atlanta and finished 8-8. I think people clinging to what their record says they are might be not quite focused on the job at hand, which is continuing to get better so you play your best football at the end of the season, which is what teams, good teams, end up doing. I think it’s very hard to do that. I think there’s a lot of noise about records and trends,. You’re 3-0 and you’re awesome, you lose three in a row and – that will always be the case. But it’s always going to be distraction techniques that if you’re truly committed to being your best and having your team be your best, you have to and feel very comfortable ignoring,
(I know you mentioned Sunday Night Football earlier. Another element of that will be the 1972 Dolphins honored. I know that you’re a man of history. What stands out to you when you think about that team?) – “There’s not a team that can be that iconic that still doesn’t quite get the credit deserves. The amount of adversity that was going on with that team, surviving the injuries, some of the close games, some of the little details – as you know, in this offseason, I was fortunate enough to speak with Larry Czonka about. Like the little details that maybe the non-starter third tight end on special teams noticed that ended up winning the game. You’re talking about a record that in a team sport, that is the strongest compliment or feat that a team has ever really done, in my opinion, in sports, because football is a funny shaped ball and it bounces weird ways and you have to have you have 11 people on the field representing one team at a time. So many things can happen. And the perseverance – when the streak got longer, the ability to not let the pressure crumble them, then changing quarterbacks in the playoffs. All of these things are, ‘Whoa!’ I feel very, very fortunate to be a part of an organization that manifests that because we talk about it every year. I know since I was five probably, Chris Berman and the champagne (on ESPN), like every single year. That’s wild because a lot of people are trying and unable to match that feat.”
(A popular topic, especially with the fan base, is the throwback jerseys. I’m curious if you have a preference on your current jerseys versus the throwback jerseys, if it was your choice.) – “I like winning jerseys. I like everyone to have the same jersey. (laughter) I find value in both. I really do. And that speaks to the history of the ‘72 Dolphins because there is a feeling that those jerseys and that uniform elicits. And not just ‘72 but all of the things that have gone on since that are really great things. So it is nice. I like wearing them as a change of pace. I also really do like our uniforms, especially when it’s hot out and we’re in all white
(With CB Nik Needham going down and CB Byron Jones not being able to return on this week, are you comfortable with the depth at cornerback? Do you anticipate the team might need to make a move to add to that spot?) – “You know, it would be weird if I’m a head coach for the Miami Dolphins and I’m not question about my comfortability with the defensive back group, because this is this is like one of the things that was fortunate in the preseason, when we were finding out a lot about these younger guys. I’m always confident in the group we have, just because they prove it to me every day. It is challenging. People get more reps that have already been seeing reps. But I think it’s to the credit of the personnel department, the players themselves and really our coaches, that guys are able to step in and play to the technique and consistency. If we didn’t have the competitors and loyal teammates in that room that were NFL talents, it would worry me. But just like it’s been going on since August, we’ve had guys get dinged and guys step up. That’s what that room does. That’s the only way those guys know how to do it.
(Do you have CB Keion Crossen and CB Kader Kohou updates?) – “They’re both – they both really want to play. They both definitely have a chance to only because they are trying to will themselves and it’s important to them. That’s one of the reasons we have so many good guys on the team that will fight through as much as possible. It makes my Wednesday, Thursday and Friday pretty questionable. But we’re all comfortable adjusting. There’s a lot of people working on the ship going in one direction.”
