Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(What does it do for the special teams unit if S Clayton Fejedelem can start reincorporating himself?) – “It’ll be big. He’s been a good player for us. He’s been a good player in this league, so any time you get a good veteran player, not only for his performance, but leadership. We’re happy to have him back practicing and we’ll see where that where that goes here this week and over the next couple of weeks.”
(Did you guys make a change to the up-man in the punt game?) – “In the last game? Yeah, we’ve played a couple of different guys throughout the season. But yes, in the last game particularly, yeah, there was a switch and that involved a lot of things offensively.”
(I know injuries seem to affect special teams and so without making excuses, how tough is that? Because you’re running plays out there and guys have to be used to each other, right?) – “It’s part of it and there’s years where you don’t have many and it’s fun. And you know, when you’re doing depth charts and you’re working, you’re going to run the same guys out there every time and it’s fun and it’s easy. I shouldn’t say easy, but you’re don’t have a million contingency plans that are actually put into effect. So it makes it tough, but that’s part of the game.”
(The missed extra point, what happened there?) – “Yeah, just caught it inside a little bit and then as you guys know, there was a little bit of wind and it was gusting and a little bit of inside with a gust of wind and the unfriendly upright got us again.”
(And then the blocked 52-yard field goal attempt?) – “Yeah, technique and communication. We had a look that we didn’t get communicated properly and we got some penetration and the guy did a good job, played hard and got his hand on the football.”
(Going back as long as I can remember, the Meadowlands have always been known for their swirling winds. Speaking of wind in Cincinnati, is that something you kind of prepare for, is the elements?) – “Well, you never really know and it’s interesting. You try not to track weather too early, but you do. You get the information and a week before it’s 94 degrees and it’s sunny and all of a sudden you go up there and it’s 60 degrees with the temperature dropping with wind. But that’s all part of it. You try to have history and you track different winds in certain stadiums and every coach has files based on sun, weather, wind, rain, whatever it may be in each particular stadium. You try and play – you got to play through it – you try and time some things up so you’re maybe not catching the gusts. The gusts are always more important. If it’s the steady winds, you can handle it. It’s the gusts that always get you.”
(So where does Hard Rock Stadium rank in terms of most tolerable for kickers and punters?) – “Well, since they’ve changed the design it’s pretty convenient for kickers. You don’t get a lot of different wind angles and wind directions and changes and swirls. So it’s a very kicker-friendly arena.”
(But they took out the dirt infield.) – “Which always made it really interesting. (laughter)”
(Without giving away strategy obviously, can you give us any insight as to when WR Tyreek Hill would be deep on punts?) – “There’s a lot of things that go into it. As we’ve said, we have a lot of guys we like and we feel comfortable with. The situation of games and there’s so many different variables of how the game’s going. What’s the situation, score, time? There’s so many different things, but we feel like we have a good nucleus of guys and when those situations and opportunities come up, hopefully every one of them is available so we have some of those chances.”
(What do you think of Jets WR Braxton Berrios in the return game?) – “Very, very good player. It’s really impressive when you watch his progression over the years from when he was drafted out of to Miami to New England and then his formative years here with the Jets and how he’s improved every single year, which is a credit to him and the coaches there.”
Outside Linebackers Coach Ty McKenzie
(I know that you have obviously very good options among edge players with LB Jaelan Phillips, LB Melvin Ingram and LB Andrew Van Ginkel. Since LB Andrew Van Ginkel has been back from the appendix, the snap count defensively has still been pretty lopsided. How tough a call has that been for you and Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer on how much to play LB Andrew Van Ginkel? Do you want the snap count numbers between him, LB Jaelan Phillips and LB Melvin Ingram to be closer at some point?) – “Andrew Van Ginkel has done a great job. He’s gotten so much better, and then all of a sudden, the appendix hit, and you’re like, ‘Ah, we were heading in the right direction.’ So he’s feeling better, and we’re taking that day by day, trusting the medical staff. We want him to be on the field more often, the same way we want Jaelan (Phillips) and ‘Mel’ (Melvin Ingram). So I mean, if we could get 200-plus snaps a game, then that’d be great for everybody. (laughter) So we’ll just keep working it.”
(It’s kind of a good problem to have though, this depth and how many guys you can roll out there?) – “Yeah, it’s a great thing to happen, and that kind of goes to a tribute to those guys, working their tail off. This offseason, during OTAs and during training camp, working their tail off to get themselves ready to give us an option and give us many options. We tell the guys that we don’t set the depth charts – the players do. They’ve performed at a high level, so it’s a good option to have where you got some guys that have improved from Jaelan (Phillips) to ‘Mel’ (Melvin Ingram) to ‘Gink’ (Andrew Van Ginkel).”
(LB Melvin Ingram gets AFC Defensive Player of the Month and I’m wondering if any aspect of his game has, I guess, surprised you? You know everything LB Melvin Ingram can do, but did anything catch you off guard?) – “No, I mean, he just – ‘Mel’ (Melvin Ingram) came in and he just kept working. He keeps working and keeps getting better each day, and that’s a tribute to him. He’s buying into what we’re doing, he’s working hard, and he’s seeing the fruits from his labor. So (I have) a lot of respect for him and the rest of the guys on defense, but when one person wins an award like that, it really is a tribute to everybody because everybody has to do their job so he can do his job. So it’s kind of nice for the entire defense.”
(One thing that LB Jaelan Phillips told us during the offseason was he wanted to make improving against the run a priority for him. How’s he done against the run through four games?) – “I mean, you guys watched the tape. It’s been pretty impressive. He’s been setting the edge, he’s been using his length, knock-back on those guys. We want to set the edge in the backfield, not on the side of the defensive line of scrimmage. He’s doing a great job and he’s improving. He’s accountable and we can use him in many different ways for our defense, depending on what we got that week for our scheme.”
Defensive Line Coach Austin Clark
(What are you seeing out of the pass rush so far, compared to last year? And what are you not seeing out of the pass rush?) – “I think, if you look at the season as a whole, it’s week-to-week. I think there’s weeks where we’ve affected the quarterback the way we’d like to. And then there are some areas where you’d like to see us finish. Like early in Cincinnati game, we got a chance – I think it was (Trey) Flowers and (Jaelan) Phillips missing a sack and the finish. And you want to knock down balls. Our goal is to affect the quarterback with the pass rush. I like the pieces we got. The effort is there. We’ve just got to finish a little bit better overall. We look to get them in situations, advantageous situations, where they have to throw the ball. When you know they’re throwing, that’s when the rush can really hit home. I’m pleased with the way the guys are working and looking forward to this week.”
(When you look at the pass rush success and sacks, how much of that is attributable to winning one on ones? And how much does CB Byron Jones’ absence affect that?) – “The way I look at things as the defensive line coach is it’s about those guys I work with. I think there is an element, I’m sure (Defensive Coordinator) Josh (Boyer) can tell you rush and coverage work hand-in-hand, and we preach that to our guys. But really, part of it is one-on-ones, part of it is the scheme and what we’re trying to do to attack certain guys with blitzes and games. And a lot of it is fundamentally. It’s your get-off. It’s attacking a set you’re getting. It’s the quarterback. That’s kind of the piece when Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Zach Wilson – you’ve got to rush these guys a certain way versus a quarterback that maybe doesn’t move quite as much. So there’s a lot of different factors that go into it. Like I said, I think we’ve got a lot of great pieces and the guys are working hard. Hopefully we can clean some things up.”
(You mentioned winning one-on-ones. The Jets have some tackles out. Is that viewed as an opportunity to attack and win some one-on-ones?) – “It depends who’s out there. Every week we prepare like Duane Brown is out there – Alijah Vera-Tucker. You look at the way they use their offensive line, they’ve got a bunch of different guys. That’s a small piece to the puzzle in terms of knowing your personnel and how you’re rushing a certain type of guy. It’s definitely a part of it.”
(Are there some instances where you mentioned – you’re rushing athletic guys like QB Lamar Jackson or QB Josh Allen – where maybe the defensive lineman’s job isn’t necessarily to collapse the pocket or – I don’t want to say not get to the quarterback, but maybe keep them … We talked about gap integrity. Are there some cases where that is their job on that play?) – “Yeah, rush lanes. I mean, as you look at rushing the passer, how many are we bringing? Where does a guy look to escape? Does he get rid of it quick? Is alerting three step and batting down balls, is that a big part of it? All of those things are factors to it, for sure. Absolutely.”
(Through four games, how you would assess how DE Emmanuel Ogbah is doing? I know pass rushers obviously are always going to be judged by numbers, but there’s more to it. His play overall, is it up to your standards?) – “Yeah. I don’t want you guys take this wrong way but when I look at Ogbah, it’s three downs, it’s four downs. It’s being a complete player down in and down out. I think he’s done a heck of a job so far. There are certainly some things, some more plays out there to be made for him. But I think week to week, he’s done exactly what we asked him to do and he’s flashed. He’s shown a lot of those flashes we’ve seen early in the season, especially in Buffalo. Late in the game last week in the second half, I thought he really turned it up. He’s got a lot of fundamental things we’re looking to clean up and he’s had a great week of practice so far.”
(I think LB Jaelan Phillips’ sack was from the four technique if I’m not mistaken. Did you guys know that he could play that far inside coming out of college? Or is that something he kind of grew into?) – “Yeah, to be honest with you, off of the stuff he did at Miami, he didn’t really do a lot of that. But him, like every player we got, you don’t know where that guy is going to line up. Every down or every week, it’s going to be different. And I think what Jaelen does a good job of is buying in and really feeding on the role that’s given to him each week. In that game, that was his job. He finished a play and was able to get him a sack, so we’re definitely excited for him for that.”
(How do you assess this team’s run defense at this point? I know probably some numbers have been skewed by some long rushes, maybe some quarterback scrambles or just on design runs.) – “Yeah, I would say in terms of our run defense and what we’re asking guys to play, to be honest with you, we’re focused on the New York Jets and how we’re going to stop their run. But last week, I thought we did a pretty good job. The guys inside are buying into attacking the man they are aligned on based on the methods of play per front we’re playing. and we do a lot of different things. We’ve got to continue to work on pad level, leg drive and all those things on all downs, whether it’s the early down run defense, short-yardage, goal line. There is a lot that goes into it. But again, our guys inside and the linebackers – Elandon Roberts – they’ve bought into all that so it’s been good so far. It’s got to be good every week.”
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(I asked you on the Zoom last week about the running game – 3.5 yards per carry, which is probably not exactly where you want it. With both RB Raheem Mostert and RB Chase Edmonds well below their career averages, someone might look at that and deduce, “Well, it’s the offensive line’s fault or blocking at multiple positions.” Have there been runs where you’ve seen the running backs with the ability to make more out of what they’ve had? Or do you think it’s primarily a blocking issue that accounts for the running game not being as successful as you want?) – “I think it’s a combination of things. I mean, we also had an explosive run that got called back for a penalty in the game. So I think overall when you look at it, we’re seeing – it’s the end of Quarter 1 of the season. It’s a new staff and a new team coming together, so you hate to say it, but there’s just lots of learning opportunities inside of this first quarter. I think that there were two runs where we were able to learn a lot for how we need to implement our overall blocking scheme and running the football. I wouldn’t really say – again, I know it was kind of the same answer last time I was talking about (how) it’s really a combination of things, because I ultimately think it is always a combination of things. If it was so black and white and clear, I think that you’d have a solution to that and you’d be clear to what you need to do. But when you’re looking at kind of 11 guys working together, it’s always going to be close, and every week we get closer. I mean, you saw, really, two explosive runs, one called back from a penalty, which is a tough look. But I think ultimately, we’re getting closer, and I would think that the runners with the repetition of what we’re doing, allowing them to really understand where they need to fit, the blockers need to fit, perimeter to fit, the quarterback, how your actions and your setups fit. So I think it’s ultimately a combination of things that every week through our as we move into Quarter 2, we’re hoping to see that growth.”
(You guys have placed WR Tyreek Hill everywhere on the field. One thing I noticed last week was that you had him closer to the offensive line, kind of like an H-back tight end, and then you put him in motion. Just how is that different, him motioning from a close alignment as opposed to maybe motioning from the slot or out wide?) – “I think that with a player of Tyreek’s skillset, the real challenge is getting him involved all over the field because when teams are playing a variety of coverages, you’re using his placement inside of the formation to draw matchups, to move them inside of timing to locations that you can either attack those zones, or you’re hoping to get an advantageous matchup in man-to-man. So I think the challenge for us, essentially, I know (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) and (49ers Head Coach) Kyle (Shanahan) in their past in San Francisco, or really whenever you have a player with a broad skill set, is not just letting him line up at the same spot over and over again and the defense can anticipate where he’s going to be. The challenge is for us to keep moving him throughout the formation, different motions, different adjustments, so that the defense is always not sitting on one thing; they’re having to adjust and react to where we’re trying to locate him within the play.”
(It seems like the offense doesn’t have to change too much with QB Teddy Bridgewater in opposed to QB Tua Tagovailoa. What’s your take on that? How much remains consistent with the offense?) – “In training camp, I think you guys were able to witness, it’s not like we had two different offenses functioning. I think Teddy (Bridgewater) has shown a great understanding of the offense and what we’re trying to accomplish. I think his veteran leadership and his understanding of the role has been extremely helpful. We’re really excited to continue on the growth of what he was able to do at the end of the game, and ultimately with what he does well. So I think, again, like we’ve talked about for numerous weeks, the challenge for us as coaches is to tailor your offense to what players do well. And the good thing for Teddy is that we’ve had multiple months of him working inside the system, along with Tua (Tagovailoa) and Skylar (Thompson), that we have a really good feel to how we think he’s going to execute and do what we’re trying to do this week.”
(Regarding QB Skylar Thompson, I’m wondering how much things have changed for him, practice and game? For example, I guess in practice as the No. 3 quarterback, you’re the scout team quarterback? Maybe emulating the other quarterbacks? Or during the game, now he’s on the sideline with the earpiece. Can you kind of go over some things and how it’s different and how he’s handled it?) – “I think one thing that I noticed about Skylar (Thompson) early on is how mature and professional his approach has been from really Day 1. And even though he was the third quarterback, you saw an approach that was really, in many ways, very veteran. I mean, taking the mental reps, putting himself in the play every moment, and then now, it’s just an extension of that preparation. So I think when you’re not ‘playing,’ how do you handle those opportunities? You could see just he was mentally locked in from the beginning. You could just see that intensity to his, honestly, our word around here is deliberate practice to what he was doing. It was really great to see a rookie with that intensity. So as he was doing scout-team work and now elevating up, I think that it’s just an extension of his preparation. Now you’re seeing him take that into actual practice reps. So overall, like in preseason, we’ve been very pleased with what Skylar has been able to do, and we know that he’ll be ready and his teammates will be ready, because he’ll show up, because of the way he’s prepared through everything.”
(What do you see on film from the Jets two first-round picks on defense, CB Sauce Gardner and DE Jermaine Johnson?) – “You see guys with talent, guys with a skillset ability to run, challenge the ball, good fits to their defense, really. You can see what they’re trying to build there. I mean, I know that (Head Coach) Robert (Saleh) and (General Manager) Joe Douglas have a vision for what they’re trying to build, and you can see inside of their defense, they’re slowly accumulating those players that they’re looking to rely on for the next several years. So I mean, ultimately, you see a team that plays extremely hard with effort (and) is trying to play very aggressive to the ball. You understand that with their coverage system, how they’re trying to implement it, what a good job they’ve done coaching. As they’re working through the first quarter of their season, I’m sure that they’re very pleased with some things they’ve been able to get through so far, and I think that a lot of it is their young players, their development that they’ve been able to have through Quarter 1 or the last couple of years, that I think that they’re looking to build on it this week. That’ll be the challenge for us is to handle the matchups with their guys and make sure that we execute and properly do what we’re trying to do.”
(Going back to the run game, on the plays where you have had explosive run plays and stuff like that, what commonalities have you seen in terms of execution that have allowed you guys to be able to improve in those areas over the last couple of weeks?) – “I think it all starts with accurate communication. We’re all moving in the same direction. I think that on those plays, obviously the advantageous scheme fits for what we’re trying to do. So we’re getting good looks with good communication and then our execution fundamentally has been what we’re looking for. So I think the challenge is that just as you go through Quarter 1 of a season, it’s easy to sit there and go, ‘Here’s the numbers concrete. What do you think?’ Where, ultimately, we’re sitting on a 17-game season after four games and the tail of the tape is going to be different even after four more games. I think it’s ultimately a race to improve for us, because as you look at Game 1 to Game 4, there has been some improvement. I think it starts with just the simple things: stance, alignment, technique assignment. I mean, those are the hallmarks of football that always hold true, and I would say that those are the things that we’ve been really able to do well when we execute well. I think those are the things that we’re looking to improve on. It’s always a challenge when you go into away environments to make sure that you have the proper communication and execution when you’re working inside a crowd noise.”
(What are the factors going into the playing time splits that we’re seeing at the tight end position?) – “I think that, ultimately, it’s (that) we’re trying to just put guys in position to do what they do well. I think it’s a real credit to what Durham (Smythe) has been able to do. I think, ultimately, production on the ball at that position obviously gets highlighted a lot, but the difference between many tight ends is those guys that have that ability to block – they’re really invaluable. Especially in college football, there’s more spread tight ends than there are in-line tight ends. I think that you can’t lose vision or sight of what Durham has really done to his play from the day he got here and what him and (Associate Head Coach/Tight Ends) Jon (Embree) have been really trying to work on. So I think that ultimately – I don’t think necessarily you’re looking at it like, ‘OK, here. What do they do well?’ I think Durham has really grown in the last several months and that’s a credit to how hard he’s worked with ‘Embo’ (Associate Head Coach/Tight Ends Jon Embree). It’s fantastic.”
Assistant Head Coach/Tight Ends Jon Embree
(The thoughts on I guess, TE Durham Smythe and TE Mike Gesicki, how they’ve done in your eyes through four games?) – “I’m pleased at the progress we’ve made. I feel like we’ve gotten better every game, which is obviously the goal at every spot. Durham has given us an opportunity to get the ball on the perimeter. I think he’s doing a good job with the run game and he’s showing up in the pass game as well, when he’s getting his opps. And Mike’s continued to improve as a run blocker and then the opps as far as the passing game have come, as coverage dictates, and I think he’s done a good job of taking advantage of his opportunities that he’s had so far.”
(What’s gone into some of the playing time splits and decisions?) – “Nothing. It’s just more of trying to get guys to fit their skill sets. I don’t think – we’re not going to ask Mike (Gesicki) to block power. So when we’re doing some of the heavy running stuff, that’s obviously going to be Durham. But it’s just more of a flow of what the guys are, what we’re trying to get accomplished or what’s going on as far as scheme for that week. I think like the Buffalo game, someone had mentioned to me, I guess he played 18 snaps – Mike (Gesicki). And I was like, ‘wow,’ but then we only had 39 plays. And I think the other thing, too, is we’re doing more 21 (personnel). I think we’re a little more diversified in our personnel than what they had been around here in the past. In the past, they’d been primarily 12-personnel, so Mike was playing more because of that. But right now, Durham gives us a little more in the run game and we want to be a run-first team.”
(Going back to TE Mike Gesicki for a second. I know the main concern has to be winning games, and you’ve won three of four. But at the same time, he has, what, 71 yards receiving? Are you getting as much out of him as you should? And do you sense any frustration on his part?) – “He’d have to answer that about the frustration. Yeah, I feel like we’re getting what we need out of him or what has been capable. Some of it’s coverage-dictated. But like you said at the beginning of your question, it’s about winning. And you know, it’s ironic, I got a text from George Kittle Tuesday morning at 3 a.m. And it was a video of him, in the game against the Rams, knocking a DB down on his behind. That’s what we want, that mentality here. It’s not about how many passes did I catch. At the end of the day you’re judged – to me, this is a team sport; you’re judged on what did you do as a team? And I posed the question to the guys in my room, when were 3-0, ‘how many of you in here have been 3-0, as a professional?’ You know how many raised their hand? None. So we’re trying to do something around here or accomplish something for the Dolphins organization, so it’s never going to be about one player. Whether you’re talking about Mike Gesicki, Tyreek (Hill), Tua (Tagovailoa); it doesn’t matter. We’re trying to win a Super Bowl. We’re not trying to win the fantasy league title and we’re not trying to lift one guy up over another person. We’re going to take what the defense gives us and we’re going to do within the concept of our scheme.”
(You guys had an interception last week – QB Teddy Bridgewater throwing to TE Mike Gesicki, and in the past was behind him. And I’m wondering, was that due to familiarity between those two? Or I don’t know how much…?) – “No, not necessarily. Teddy (Bridgewater) just missed. It was just a little high and behind and he was trying to fit it in a tight window. What happened on that play, we got a lot of pressure and he was hot. And that was one of the options as far as one of his answers for the hot throw and he just missed. But it’s not necessarily a timing thing. I think Teddy and Mike (Gesicki) have done some work in the past. I know Teddy likes to stay out after (practice), and he’s learned when he’s in a backup role, he’s done a good job staying out after and throwing with all the guys. So I don’t think timing is necessarily the issue on that. It was just, you know, bad luck.”
(As someone experienced in this type of running scheme, you’ve seen what it looks like when it’s working at its best. How far off do you guys think you are from that? And what will the guys in your room have to do to be able to make that come to realization?) – “Well, football is a funny game. Football, every play is just that close to why it did work or didn’t work. Right now in the run game, when we do get explosive plays, we’re getting penalties. So that makes it a little worse than it probably actually is. We’ve had a lot of different combinations up front on our offensive line, which plays a factor into it. But I think really, at the end of the day, it’s just about us continuing to be consistent with our run attempts and continue to work what we do every day. We’ve got to get better at our combination blocks, all the way across the board, get our running backs tied in with the line. There’s a lot that goes into running the ball besides just handing it to a guy and saying ‘go get it.’ So at different times, we’ve had different breakdowns at different positions or different spots on the field. And then when we do have explosive plays, we we’ve had a penalty here or there, but I do feel like we’re close. And it’s just a matter of us just keep chopping wood, so to speak, and we’ll see what happens when it’s all said and done at the end of the year.”
(I know in the past, players have sometimes alluded to the fact that when they’re down and can’t play that they get a little more mental work and mental reps. With TE Hunter Long being out over the last few weeks, what have you seen from him in that aspect?) – “Well, as far as the mental reps are concerned, it’s just being attentive in the meetings and being there and all that. What I’ve done with Hunter (Long), in some of the meetings, I’ve had him just go get rehab so he can speed up the process of him getting back. He’s a smart kid and player, and he understands what we’re trying to do. I think he’s done a good job of keeping up. Yesterday was his first day practicing and he was a little rusty as you would expect after being off for a week or so. But I’m not worried about him from the mental aspect of picking up things.”
(We’ve seen TE Tanner Conner get, like sparse snaps as kind of like the No. 3 guy. I guess how are you bringing him along? And are there like, certain situations where you’re in games, you’re looking like, “alright, let’s maybe get a rep here or there?”) – “ Yeah, there’s certain things that I think we can get Tanner (Conner) involved in and we’ve tried to. Like you said, he’s got a couple of reps here and there. But really, it’s not, again, about necessarily getting one guy going and getting one guy involved. Really at the end of the day, especially in my room, if you can’t do both, you’re going to limit how much you can play. That’s just how it is. But Tanner’s coming along as a run blocker. He’s really improved, I’m really pleased at where he’s at having coached kids similar to him – Cameron Brate when he first came out, and then Ross Dwelley. He’s farther along than both of them were at this stage of their careers and he’s just beginning. So I’m excited about what’s on the horizon for him and he’s got to make sure he’s a contributor and being a difference maker on special teams because as I joke around in that room, I’m not really your coach. (Special Teams Coordinator) Danny Crossman’s your coach. And if you can’t play for him, I can’t help you. We’re going to have at least one up on game day, we know that – a tight end. But as far as who else is up and who’s going to get a chance to contribute, if you’re not able to do anything for us on special teams, then I can’t help you. So he’s done a good job of showing up on special teams. He needs to be an impact (player) on that as well and the opps will just keep coming for him as he improves.”
(Obviously injuries are part of the game. Nobody wants to make excuses, but with TE Tanner Conner starting off slowly, TE Cethan Carter, TE Hunter Long – how much have injuries altered what you wanted to do? I mean, greatly, about average?) – “You learn to deal with it. It doesn’t – I don’t want this to sound wrong but I don’t really think about it. I anticipate those things are going to happen. I’ve been in places where we’ve only had two tight ends to begin with in Kansas City when I first started – Tony Gonzalez and Jason Dunn. So you had to find a way to make it work. So the injuries – the only thing that it’s affected is just the development of some of the guys. It really hasn’t affected us from a scheme standpoint. Mike (McDaniel) has seen a lot of football in his time and so there’s ways you can go about doing things to make up for what you may be missing in certain rooms with other positions. That’s the unique thing I think about what we’re trying to do when we were composing this roster, is you have a lot of guys that can do a lot of different things. You know Trent Sherfield does some blocking like a tight end sometimes in certain situations. Tight ends sometimes do some fullback stuff. Sometimes we have a tight end out as a wide receiver. When you look at like where we came from in San Francisco with (George) Kittle and Deebo (Samuel) and all those guys, all these different moving pieces; that’s what you want in this scheme is to have guys that can play multiple positions and do multiple things, so that when you do have injuries or that you’re in a situation where you might be down on something, someone else can step up and keep the machine moving forward.”
Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer
(Health of the cornerbacks is a primary topic right now. Can you give us any update on how optimistic you are about CB Xavien Howard?) – “I’d say we have a couple of guys in probably the same category of they’re kind of day-to-day. You make plans with them and you make plans without them. You kind of approach the week that way. I know all of our guys are trying hard to get out there on the field and be in the best physical condition possible, which at this point in the season usually somebody is dealing with something. Not everybody – I would say very few guys that we put out there are at 100 percent.”
(I know that you guys have a philosophy and you have core tenets that you want to stick to and a style that you want to play. With injuries that you need to monitor in the secondary – CB Xavien Howard, DB Keion Crossen and obviously CB Byron Jones is not still up. At any point, during the week, do you have to consider contingency plans given some of the guys you might be putting out there may not be as experienced as some of the guys that you have right now?) – “I think ultimately it comes down to putting the guys in the best position to succeed. I think regardless of if it’s a guy that’s been a veteran guy or a guy that’s had little playing time, you really want to put them in spots that they can succeed knowing full well that where you put all 11 guys, it affects everybody. So if you move the focus to maybe compensate for something else, it’s going to take away from something else. I think ultimately, there are so many variables that go into it. One is the particular players that you’re using. And two, the offense that you’re facing. I think all of those things go into it. Over the NFL and the course of the season, you’re very accustomed and used to guys being in and out. You kind of understand that even when you’re in OTAs. I doubt that there’s a team that goes wire to wire that all 11 starters, whether it’s on offense or defense, goes (the entire way). I think we’re very accustomed to guys being in and out and that’s why even the guys that aren’t playing, they need to prepare mentally. And you give them as many reps as you possibly can. They need to prepare mentally like they’re going to play in the game anyway.”
(How bothered are you by the fact the team only has one pick in four games?) – “Well, we’ve had some opportunities. Obviously turnovers is a thing that we stress and we’ll continue to stress it. Those are usually game-changing or momentum-type plays for a defense. Yeah, we’d obviously like to have more than we have. There’s no question about that. I think any time that you present problems, whatever they may be, it presents an opportunity for progress. We’re sitting at a pretty good spot here at 3-1 and there’s a lot of things that we can improve and get better on that we’re looking forward to doing, that we need to do, to get better.”
(On the pass rush) – “A lot of that goes back to game plan. Sometimes it can be a scheme thing, sometimes it can be an individual thing or a matchup-based thing. Or another thing is when you pressure at a high rate, the ball comes out a little bit faster and you’re seeing quicker routes and a lot more check-downs. I don’t really get caught up in a sack number. I don’t really get caught up in stats in general. Basically what you’re trying to do is you’re trying to get the ball back to the offense. Going back to (Josh) Allen, one thing we would look at is turnovers because that correlates probably more to winning than most stats. There are stats out there for everything. But I do – and our players believe this and we preach this – is the problems or the issues that we’re having, we have a great opportunity to make progress on those. That’s what we’re working to do in a lot of facets, not just rush.”
(Last year it got rolling at one point and then it got rolling in a big way. Is there such a thing as momentum when it comes to that, forcing turnovers and creating pressure?) – “I think there are a number of factors that go into it. If you’re playing with a lead and a team is forced to be one-dimensional or get into a drop-back game, there may present some more opportunities for that to happen. That’s one scenario that could happen. Another could be taking advantage of protections. Another could just be physically winning one-on-one matchups or doing things from a coverage structure that make them hold the ball a little bit quicker. I think there’s a lot of variables that go into that.”
(Considering the amount of time you guys were on the field in the Buffalo game and the heat, then the short week, was last week different as far as taking precautions and monitoring snaps and things like that because of the short week?) – “I think we were very aware of the snap counts going into the game. I think you’re always pretty aware of each individual player, the things that they’re dealing with that they’re out there playing with and then snap counts. Then you’re also very conscious of the fact that it’s going to be a long season. But at the end of the day, on a short week, the opposing team (is also) on a short week and it really comes down to execution. It really does. There’s no shortcut. There’s no excuses for traveling early due to a hurricane, playing on a short week. Once the ball is kicked off, none of that stuff really matters at all. It really comes down to execution and trying to put the players in the best spots to succeed. I think we always take into consideration health and rep counts. We do that on a daily basis even in practice so the games are really no different.”
(What do you need to see from CB Noah Igbinoghene for him to get playing time on defense?) – “We’re just going to ask him to continue to do what he’s been doing. He’s had a real positive attitude. He’s worked really hard at practice. Then when he gets his opportunity, hopefully he’ll make the most of his opportunities. I’m really excited to see that when that happens. I think all of the guys we have in the back end, they’re working. We’re seeing progress out at practice. I know you guys don’t get to see all of that. Then when we get into game situations, hopefully practice execution becomes game reality. I’m excited for the opportunity for him when he gets it. He’s worked hard and when he gets an opportunity, he’ll have earned that for sure.”
(In last week’s fourth quarter, Cincinnati was able to complete a lot of long passes. Granted CB Xavien Howard and CB Byron Jones were not in there but what happened? Why was Cincinnati able to have that success?) – “Well one long pass was on a third down and the double pass, we didn’t execute the coverage we were in well enough. Obviously I have to coach it better and we need to play it better. Then the one at the very end of the game – one was a second-and-6 play. We were in man coverage. We were cheating coverage over one way and just kind of got beat on call it a double move down the field. Then the one at the end of the game when we were just being pretty aggressive, we’re really in a four-minute situation where we need to get the ball back. That’s where that occurred. Obviously that’s another category for us defensively, if we can eliminate some of those big plays. Chunk plays are going to happen. Like 17 yards or 16 yards here, 22 yards here, those will happen. But the 40-yarders and stuff like that, we really need to eliminate those and make people drive the field. Then when you get down to end of game situations, there’s obviously a risk of the offense throwing the ball because that can stop the clock. We’re probably going to play that pretty aggressively. We can definitely coach it better and play it better. I’m not saying that. But those are really kind of the situations that came up in that game in that situation.”
(We’ve seen you do different things with CB Xavien Howard in the secondary but I noticed against the Bengals, you had him on WR Tee Higgins for the most part until he went out. Then you shaded a lot of the coverage towards WR Ja’Marr Chase. What went into that particular decision there because obviously Xavien travels with the number one but in this case you kind of put him on the number two and shaded to the number one.) – “Again, a lot of it varies from team to team. I think when you can manipulate balls or throws to go ‘X’s (Xavien Howard) way, I think everybody in our building feels very comfortable with that. Now 100 percent of the time is that going to work? No. Even Champ Bailey, Deion Sanders and Darrelle Revis, all of them have been beat at some point in time. But I think everybody has the utmost confidence in ‘X’ and his playmaking ability, especially if you can get a ball thrown down the field, which we feel very comfortable about that. If we feel like we can manipulate a coverage to get more balls his way, we will try to do that. Then sometimes it’s really just matchup and coverage based, and what coverages you’re playing. There are a lot of variables that go into that. Then what are you trying to take away? How do you feel that you can manipulate the offense to play into your hand? It doesn’t always work out in your favor but that’s something that I would say for the last three years, we’ve tried to do at certain points in time to make sure that balls get forced his way. He’s had a lot of production on the ball over the course of his career and sometimes I’m sure people go into the game plan saying, ‘Nah, we don’t really want to go this way.’ And if you can force it that way, more often than not, that’s going to be good for the Miami Dolphins.”
(The Jets have a couple of tackles out. Is that viewed as an opportunity or do you look at their line any differently?) – “I think from a protection standpoint, kind of how they’re structured, they’ll be very similar. Obviously it’s different guys in there. Again, I think whether it’s us putting new guys in or them putting new guys in, it just presents opportunities for the guys that they’re putting in. Ultimately, it comes down to execution. But it’s no different from anything week to week. Obviously it’s easier for someone who is watching the game to see what you’re doing with guys that are spread out of the formation. But we try to do the same thing with guys on the interior, if we feel like those are matchups – again, it ultimately goes down to putting guys in position to succeed. So moving guys around and trying to – what we feel like would be the best advantage to us to help our guys succeed is usually what we try to take advantage of on a week-to-week basis.”
(QB Zach Wilson made his first start of the season last week. What have you kind of seen in that one game, the growth he’s made from Year 1 to Year 2 already?) – “He’s very athletic. He has a very strong arm. It looks like he’s making his progression reads quicker. He’s definitely doing a good job with that. He came in and in the fourth quarter, they were able to mount a comeback. He was very efficient and very accurate with his throws with a lot of big-time throws and in big situations. The fourth-and-7 comes in mind last week against Pittsburgh. That was a good throw that was right on target and it was a great read. He has the ability to get the ball downfield. He has an incredibly strong arm. I would say he’s very athletic and he’s really slippery in the pocket, for sure.”
