WR River Cracraft
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel was talking about just how resilient you are. In light of that, in light of just keep going, keep pushing, what is it inside of you that, let’s be frank, you didn’t want to give up.) – “Like I was just saying before, I think just knowing what you’re worth and never giving up. I’ve had a dream to play in the NFL my whole life and I’m not going to let somebody that’s telling me no, stop me. I’m not going to let that be the last straw. I have been cut a lot and I’ve always felt like it shouldn’t have happened. I like that to be my mindset because I know that I belong out there. When you get chances to prove it, you want to take advantage and prove people wrong and prove people right that believe in you.”
(Was that what kept the fire going? That I know I still have this and this team may not see this, or that team may not see it, but maybe somebody else will see it, like the Dolphins?) – “Yeah, and I think that’s just believing in yourself. Lucky for me, I was with Mike (McDaniel) in San Francisco. Although I didn’t play a lot over there on offense, he got to see me every single day in practice. I think that’s one of the reasons he wanted me over here, because he was able to see my work ethic and how on top of it I was without even getting reps in the game. It’s definitely something I pride myself on and continue to do.”
(I know you kept the faith up, but was there ever a time when that faith was wavering? Or, was there ever a time that you took an outside job just to keep going?) – “No, I never took an outside job, thanks to my parents forcing me to stick to my dreams and whatnot. But yeah, of course, in 2019, I got cut Week 2 and I was basically out of the league the whole year. Didn’t have any tryouts and that was a really frustrating time. Coming off of an active roster for over 10 straight weeks the year prior and the first two weeks of that season, to not get a tryout is frustrating. But I knew I belonged in the league, and I just stuck it out and luckily found my way back in thanks to my agent and my work. We’re right where we want to be.”
(Were you a stubborn kid growing up?) – “(laughter) Maybe in a good way, I’d like to think.”
(To be part of an offensive performance like we saw, the buzz of Week 1 really, Head Coach Mike McDaniel said obviously you can’t take the 35 points and bring it to the next week, but how much confidence does that give you guys as an offense, that even better things might be to come?) – “Well, New England’s a different defense, and they got us last year at the end of the year. We’ve got to come in with a new mindset that we’re going to attack them and we’re going to bring the fight to them. I think that’s what’s important starting in our room with the guys that we have. The leadership with Tyreek (Hill) and Jaylen (Waddle), those guys are hard to stop and when you have good compliments off that, it’s good ball.”
(Not that you’d want to go this route if you had your choice, but do you appreciate what you’re going through now, that much more because of the road you’ve taken?) – “Of course. You always like to look ahead and I always looked at things as milestones rather than, like, this is my goal. This is a milestone. The goal is larger than where we’re at right now. So, I’m keeping my goals to myself, long term. We’ve crossed a milestone as far as making the roster and whatnot. Now, being able to produce on the field is obviously another milestone that you just keep improving each week.”
(How much fun was it to see the ball flinging around the way it was on Sunday? You guys putting up the kind of points who were, it’s like a circus, Madden almost.) – “Yeah, it was awesome to see No. 10 and No. 1 dialed in the way they are. Like I said, those guys are elite. It’s like watching a video game between those two. It’s pretty special.”
(Turf versus grass. Do you have a preference? Is there a difference? And if you prefer grass, would you like the NFL to have all grass fields?) – Absolutely. I blew my knee out on turf on a non-contact injury in college, so I’m definitely team grass. I hate seeing guys get hurt. Obviously, with (Aaron) Rodgers getting hurt the other day, you don’t want any guys around the league to get hurt. It sucks. When people say that it could be preventable, you just wish that people would look more into it, I guess. I’m not an expert on turf and grass, but I do know that grass is more forgiving on your joints from personal experience.”
TE Durham Smythe
(Are you trying to outdo Patriots TE Mike Gesicki on Sunday?) – “That’s the enemy. They’re all the same. Enemies are faceless as they say. He’s definitely faceless for me. (laughter)”
(Do you think you have a chance to have more catches and touchdowns than TE Mike Gesicki this year?) – “Well, that’s always up in the air. I mean different offenses call for different things, different personnel and things of that nature. So it’ll be a fun little thing for us, probably towards the end of the year.”
(Have you heard how TE Mike Gesicki is enjoying the New England area?) – “I think he likes it. I obviously stay in pretty close contact with him and he’s enjoying it. He enjoys what they’re doing up there. He enjoys the area. It’s closer to home for him. So all those things together make it an enjoyable experience for him.”
(If what we saw Sunday with seven targets is a harbinger of things to come from you in terms on involvement in the passing game, not only to block but more as a fourth receiver, is that something you think is fun for you? How excited are you by that?) – “Like I’ve said over the last couple years, I just like to contribute in any way. And obviously, there’s different roles every year. A lot of these last few years, I’ve been more involved in the run game than anything else. And I’m happy to do that. But in a week-by-week basis, if things call for me to have to make a play in the passing game, that’s always fun. Obviously, when you have receivers like we do on the edges, they’ll draw a lot of attention. So that gives opportunities for guys on the inside. So it’s always a week-by-week basis.”
(Any weirdness with TE Mike Gesicki this week, considering how close you are but for the first time on opposite sides in a regular season game? What dynamic does that create in your texts to each other this week?) – “Yeah, it’s funny. I mean, we obviously stay in very close contact. But this week, ever since really the day after the game last week, it’s been kind of radio silence. And I was just telling these guys, it’s another faceless opponent. That’s all it is. So we’ll talk after the game for sure.”
(When TE Julian Hill is finally able to play, what do you think he can contribute?) – “Yeah, I said this a couple of weeks into training camp, this guy came in physically ready to play the game, which a lot of rookies aren’t really to that level. He’s physically ready to play. Obviously, he had a very good preseason. I think he can do a lot of good things for this offense, just like really a lot of the guys in the can. So we’re excited to get him back.”
(What are you talking about, you were physically ready to play?) – “Yeah, well actually I thought I was. Now you look at these guys. Six years later, these guys are much more prepared than I was. Physically, for sure.”
(I thought WR Erik Ezukanma did some interesting things – lined up at running back, did the end around, threw the ball up just before half. How have you seen him develop and progress? What’s his value?) – “When you have an athlete like that, who is really dynamic, like a lot of guys on this offense are, but he can do a lot of things because of his size and his athleticism. He’s had to come along like any rookie in terms of understanding what to do on specific plays at specific positions. I think this year, obviously, he’s been able to play a lot of different positions, which is kind of opening some more opportunities for him. Obviously when the ball is in his hands, he’s a real threat. So I think the more chances we can him the ball in space, the better for this offense.”
(What was it like Sunday to see QB Tua Tagovailoa’s offseason come to fruition?) – “I mean, we see it every day. What he does in the offseason, how hard he works, it doesn’t surprise any of us. I think that was just more validation than anything. Obviously, we all expect big things from him the rest of season in this building, and I think some people outside are starting to see that as well.”
(Do you get excited going into a game when there’s like kind of a cool set of wrinkles in the game plan? It was pretty clear that coach had a long time to figure out a lot of different ideas for the Chargers game. Do you go into a game thinking, “Wow, this is going to be interesting or fun?”) – “Yeah, I mean that’s kind of why this offense is fun, because there are a lot of different things every week. The minds are putting stuff together up there and come up with things that aren’t done often in this league and are kind of new to a lot of us on a week-by-week basis, and that’s what keeps us offense fun. As long as we can continue to execute those fun things, I’m sure it’ll keep coming. We’re just going to keep rolling with all the opportunities.”
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(You told us last week leading up to the game that you felt healthy and felt strong. Everything you did in the offseason with jiu-jitsu, whatever else you did, how satisfied were you Sunday with everything you put in?) – “It was a good team win. That’s how I look at it. That’s how I always look at it. Without the guys up front blocking, without the guys outside catching, without our run game, none of that for me was possible. And without the defense getting that stop against a good offense, I don’t think we’d all be here talking about the win that we had and the accomplishments that everyone on our side of the ball had.”
(We saw a video that you had worked on the exact throw from that third-and-10 where you ran up and threw the deep ball to WR Tyreek Hill. What’s the thought process in working on some of those plays that to some appear very rare that they would come up in a game, but when they do come up, it helps that you practiced it?) – “It always helps when you’re practicing something and you’ve practiced it to a point where it becomes second nature. That’s a point of emphasis that I’ve had this offseason. And it’s also things that we’ve been able to work with our guys this offseason as well – with our receivers, with our backs – is when plays are broken, when the first read’s not there, second, third reads not there or there’s pressure, where guys need to be, where guys are going to be in certain times when the pocket breaks down.”
(We’ve seen you have some of your best plays after a mistake where after a turnover or something like that. You have some ridiculous passer rating in the play right after. What has that process been for you in terms of forgetting what just happened, being resilient, and just going out to the next play?) – “Yeah, I think that’s been a big growth for me this offseason is being able to sort of erase the last play and really hone-in on what the next play requires of me. And the saying of each play stands on its own merit is sort of the approach that I take when I’m given a play to go and throw out there. Sometimes that play could be an interception or I could have got sacked on that play, and we call it again, you can’t think ‘Okay, since you threw this interception, you’re not going to read it this way anymore. You’re going to change how you read it.’ For me, it’s alright, each play stands on its own merit. How would you read this if you were in your flow? You’d read it this way. This OTAs, this training camp, that’s how I try to put my frame of mind in as far as each play and you just got to go out there and make the correction and continue playing.”
(We heard WR Tyreek Hill talk about meetings that receivers and quarterbacks had after practice or started doing after practice. Is there anything more that you can share about those meetings?) – “Yeah, I wouldn’t say started doing. I would say that’s something we’ve been doing since last year with our guys. We’ve been getting the guys together since last year to talk about where we want them to be, how we’re expecting them to run a certain route. If it’s a seam route versus this team, if it’s an out route versus this team, things to be aware of. And then there’s a lot of other things as far as communication that we talk about. On a Thursday, I get the guys together and we talk about third downs. We don’t have any meetings after that. The coaches aren’t in our meeting. So that’s been something that we’ve been doing since last year.”
(So nothing new, no new meetings?) – “No there’s no new meetings. Nothing. That’s how we’ve been doing it.”
(You said you don’t watch cable and don’t really watch TV. But after your performance, there’s a lot of talk about you and attention on you. Your MVP odds are I think the leader on a lot of sites. I was curious after a performance like you had, does your phone buzz a little bit more and if so, how do you compartmentalize and focus on maybe letting every game stay on its own merit?) – “Yeah, I would say it like when you start the season, it’s Week 1. Everyone overreacts on everything. (That’s) my personal opinion. Take that for what it’s worth. You’re either going to win the Super Bowl after you win your first game or you’re the worst team ever and everything that comes with that. So I would say for myself, that’s one of the reasons I don’t pay too much attention to the outside noise. But yeah, to me, that’s all it is. Like we still got to go on the road and we got 16 more games to play against 16 really, really good teams. And it starts with New England this week. And that’s our main focus.”
(Familiar opponent this week against the Patriots. That’s a defense known for really changing the post-snap picture compared with what they show pre-snap. How challenging do they make it on you with how they body things up post-snap?) – “Yeah, they do a lot of good things and it starts with their front, their front seven. How they’re able to maneuver where guys are, they’re exchanging personnels, making things look the same in that sense. Coach (Bill) Belichick has been coaching in this league for way longer than I think I’ve been alive. So he knows exactly what he’s looking at when he coaches his guys. Nothing new under the sun for that guy. So we got to come out, we got to be prepared. We understand that that’s a physical team and they’re going to make us earn everything that we can.”
(How has going against that schemed defensively in practice the first couple years of your career, how has that helped you have success against them?) – “It’s helped me have success because it’s tough with the way they set their fronts. Like for me, within the early years, protection was a big thing. And that’s something that if it’s not schemed up well, it could give you problems. Regardless if you have the fastest guys outside or if you have the perfect play called, it really doesn’t matter. So we’re going to have to really hone-in on our technique and our fundamentals as well going against this team.”
(What does Head Coach Mike McDaniel do so well from an external standpoint to get guys open?) – “We have a lot of moving parts in our offense. And that gives a lot of communication off to the defense. If they’re going to pass this, if they’re going to run with that, what they want to do if we go from a spread out three set to a condensed three-man side. If they want to triangle, if they want to box, like whatever they want to do, you’re forcing the communication. And then all the things with if we’re running right, we got guys sliding right, sliding left, you don’t know if it’s a run, if it’s a pass, if it’s a keeper. So there’s a lot of things that I think Mike does really well, given what the rules are for the defense to put our guys on the offensive side of the ball in good position.”
(Is it more complex this year than last?) – “No, it’s not more complex. I think it’s just the guys feeling more comfortable, hearing the plays in huddle, understanding what we want to do on this certain play, and then going out there and knowing what to do.”
(I wanted to go back to the third-and-10 play. It traveled like 50 yards in the air, and you’ve been taking deep shots. This past week anyway, you took more deep shots, than just about anybody in the NFL. What do you attribute that success to? How much better do you feel about your ability to strike deep? How did it all come together?) – “I think when you look at deep shots, it entails everyone. For those watching, it’s like, you can’t just take a drop in the NFL and just decide, ‘Hey, because everyone says I can’t throw the ball deep, let me just chuck this ball deep as far as I can.’ It entails everyone on the offensive side to work together, to be in symphony and guys to be at the right places at the right time. Timing has to be right, and if timing’s not right, like when the pocket breaks down and it allows for you to do that, then it does. But like being able to do that, that’s because of all the guys that I’m surrounded with.”
(Do you think that anyone is still saying you can’t throw deep?) – “I don’t care. (laughter) I mean, I don’t care. 466 is – that’s what 466 is if I can’t throw deep, thanks.”
(I say you’re 4-0 against the Patriots, you say what?) – “Every year is the new year. 4-0, 0-4, doesn’t matter. I don’t care, I don’t think those guys care. I don’t think my teammates care. They care about this year and what problems that team has to offer us, both offense, defense and special teams. We’re looking for a tough game. It’s always tough to go on the road against a team like that. It’s against a Bill Belichick coached team, so you never know what to expect.”
(We talked a little bit about that third-and-10 play, but what did you see from your eyes? We saw the play, it looked like a receiver fell down, but can you maybe take us through that play from your eyes?) – “Yeah, really I think they defensively they tried to play double robber with running Durham (Smythe) through the middle, which is what they did with their linebacker last year, No. 49. But with that play, we had a spin route, and then because of the timing of it, ‘Reek’ (Tyreek Hill) had to kind of miss the count before he ran like a man-go basically. My read was to read it inside out, down to the back, and that’s basically what I did. I read the spin, it was unfortunate that Jaylen (Waddle) fell, but very fortunate that he fell, because we were able to step up in the pocket and find Tyreek down the sideline.”
(How nice was it to see T Terron Armstead back at practice today?) – “It was really good. It was really good. It was really good to see someone like Terron (Armstead). I don’t know if anyone was driving here early in the morning, but Terron had his car broken down, and I think I’m a bad teammate because I passed him and I didn’t come back. (laughter)”
(You didn’t come back?) – “Yeah, I didn’t. I wasn’t going to pull off to the shoulder and just reverse, you know what I mean? Like, ‘Yo, Terron! I’m coming to get you.’ (laughter) But yeah, I saw him, but it was one of those things where I saw him, but I wasn’t sure if it was him. I didn’t know what he drove too, so it was one of those things where I was just like, ‘Hey Drew, I think that was Terron on the side.’ He was like, ‘Yeah, that was him.’ I was like, ‘Well, I’m here already. I can’t go back.’ (laughter) But it’s good to have him back, his leadership, just his presence in the huddle, guys love him. But that doesn’t take away from the work that Kendall Lamm has put in as well as Austin Jackson and basically all those guys, Connor Williams, Rob Hunt and then we’ve got Isaiah Wynn. Those guys have done a tremendous job against (Joey) Bosa and Khalil Mack. So props to them, and I hope that’s something that we can continue offensively.”
(I want to ask you about TE Durham Smythe. Obviously, he put up a pretty productive game last week. Is there more potential for what he can do now that he’s kind of the featured tight end?) – “Yeah, I would say yes. There’s a lot that entails Durham (Smythe) in this offense. It’s a lot. He probably has maybe the second or the third most responsibilities, and that’s between Connor (Williams) – I got to take myself out of that – that’s between Connor and maybe Alec Ingold. But he definitely has a lot on his plate, and he makes it work. He’s one of those sneaky athletic guys that you wouldn’t think could do much with the ball, but I think he’s put more than enough on tape that guys need to be cautious about him.”
(Do you see parallels early in your career between you and QB Mac Jones because of the way he’s been judged through his first two seasons and now maybe has a chance to get things right with a better system around, now finally having an offensive coordinator, things like that?) – “I don’t think I’ve paid attention to the noise of anything for any of the other guys or basically myself. But I know that Mac (Jones) is a competitor. I know that he’s going to want to make things right, so it’s a no-brainer for me that regardless of the outside talk, he’s going to be himself, that he’s going to go out there and do all he can to help his team win. But yeah, ‘Bama (Alabama) on ‘Bama, that’s what happened last week with Jalen (Hurts) and Mac. Mac has got to go again, ‘Bama on ‘Bama. So we’ll see, it’ll be fun.”
LB Jaelan Phillips
(The difference between turf and grass, can you feel the difference on your body?) – “Yeah, absolutely. Especially like practicing on turf for a long time, you can just feel it in your joints. Then playing on turf, it’s just not as forgiving as grass. So obviously that results in a lot of people’s cleats getting stuck in turf and, unfortunately, non-contact injuries. So yeah, left up to me in a perfect world, every field would be grass, for sure.”
(It’s a division game in Week 2. What’s at stake this early in the season with the Patriots?) – “It’s a big game obviously. We’re just going to prepare for it like we always do. Obviously they have a talented team and it will be a hard-nosed game. It always is when we play the Patriots.”
(What we saw towards the end of that game, what the defense did, is that the M.O. of this defense?) – “Yeah, obviously you don’t want to be in that situation every time. We want to be able to hold them to a lot less points and a lot less yards given up. But yeah, I guess that is the M.O. because no matter what happens, when push comes to shove, you’re always going to see high effort and high intensity from us.”
(You guys got the sack late but early on, it seemed like you had some trouble getting pressure with four. What was going on there?) – “Well, they weren’t really drop-back passing too often. They were either doing play-action or the few drop-back passes they did have, it’s kind of hard to get into a rhythm when they’re just running the ball on you. Like I said in an interview after the game, we didn’t earn the right to rush the passer. You have to stop the run before you can actually get to those third-and-long situations and second-and-long situations. They were really just having their way in the run game so we really didn’t have the chance to get much going in the pass game.”
(How do you fix that?) – “I think it is just about discipline and technique, and things like that. These are our first live bullets of a full game with this new defense, so there’s going to be growing pains. I think just getting back to the drawing board and being disciplined with our run fits and things like that. It will be, not to say easy adjustments, but I don’t think it’s going to be the end of the world trying to figure it out. I think just getting in that meeting room, getting out on the practice field, we’ll be able to work it out.”
(When you put stuff like that on film, do you think the Patriots will try to prove that you guys can stop the run again?) – “Absolutely. It’s a copycat league so any time you are assessing somebody on film and you see a certain play or a certain formation or something has success, you’re most likely going to try to repeat that success. So we have to go out there and set the tone and prove that we can stop the run.”
T Terron Armstead
(How are you feeling? How optimistic are you about Sunday’s game?) – “I feel great being back out there with the guys, running around and playing a game that I love. Just working. We’re working to try to get ready, get healthy and get closer to being back out there full time.”
(How will you know if you’re ready?) – “It’s a feel. I missed a lot of time in training camp so I don’t have many reps under my belt for this campaign, so I definitely have to get those in and get into playing shape, get my hands right, my timing right, my communication right with the guys. You never know without doing it so I have to get in there and get active.”
(I know you’re a guy that always wants to be out there no matter what. Just to give us some perspective, how did you do it last year?) – “I was able to get some camp work in and then getting banged up Week 1, it just goes to my preparation. I’m doing a lot more film study, understanding my limitations physically, and then my off-the-field preparation as well with the strength staff and the training staff to make sure that I’m ready to roll.”
(A back, ankle and leg were all listed on the injury report, which is nothing new in terms of multiple things, unfortunately. Of those three, which one kept you out last Sunday? One, in particular? The leg?) – “It was probably a combination if I had to say, because I wasn’t able to go out and do my work to get prepared and be able to play and help the team win. I want to be an asset when I’m out there and not a liability ever. So if I am not functionally able to do my job, it hurts the team. I would never do that.”
(What was last week like for you? Did it go up to Friday or did you kind of know on Wednesday?) – “We worked early in the week to see but I wasn’t going to be able to make it happen Sunday. But we kept pushing. We got off the field and did more stuff inside but I didn’t want to take away from the preparation from Kendall (Lamm) and Austin (Jackson) with those guys getting ready. This week I was able to get back on the field, get some reps and get moving, so we’re working.”
(How much do you think you’ll practice this season? Once a week? Every Friday?) – “Every chance I get. I love being out there. I love flying around, talking smack to my guys. So any chance I get, I will be out there.”
(How proud were you of the guys watching that game?) – “It was a great game as a fan of the sport. The back and forth, the energy, the momentum going back and forth. It was a great game, just as a football fan. But us winning just meant I was going crazy.”
(You heard the crowd right? It was crazy.) – “Yeah, Tua (Tagovailoa), ‘Reek’ (Tyreek Hill) and all of the guys were talking about it was like a home game towards the end of the game. I saw them standing on the bench pumping up the crowd and I was like ‘We’re not at home.’ But I could hear it through the TV. I was like Dolphins fans showed up. That’s so important, especially on the road if you get that type of crowd noise and they’ve got to go silent now. That messes up their communication. That plays a part.”
(So you actually stayed behind and rehabbed right?) – “Yeah.”
(Is that unusual? Do you almost always travel even if you are banged up?) – “It was more so Mike (McDaniel’s) decision with the six-hour flight. We just stayed back and hit the ground running and stayed after it to be able to get out there today.”
(I remember talking to Zach Thomas once about how bizarre it was to be on the grill while his team was playing at his house. Were you at your house?) – “Yeah, I was at home alone. No distractions. I was locked in.”
(Was it weird?) – “It was weird. It is tough. Especially like right before kickoff. The adrenaline. I don’t even get nervous. I just like had some nerves for some reason. Then we kicked off and settled in. The first drive was going good and we fumbled. But those guys responded back to that. It was a tough challenge, handling adversity early in the first game of the season and I couldn’t be more impressed with the guys.”
(Will this just be seeing how your body responds every day and then Friday, you, Head Coach Mike McDaniel and the medical staff, if needed, will make a decision on Sunday?) – “I’ll be back out there tomorrow, hitting full speed and just trying to get game ready.”
(A lot of people are talking about the whole turf situation this week. Do you have an opinion on that?) – “I’m a grass fan. I’ve always been a fan of grass. I don’t know the analytics about spikes on turf or grass. But I’m a fan of grass. I’ve played this game forever since I was 5-years-old on grass, so I’ve always been a fan of it.”
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(I was going to ask you if you thought T Terron Armstead or DB Elijah Campbell would practice this week?) – “I think we’ll see a little of (Terron) Armstead today and we’ll see how that goes. Then the next day, we’ll assess that. (We are) starting to get Elijah (Campbell) into individual drills and go through that process as well because, again, the foremost priority is guys come back without having a setback. We’re just trying to do our due diligence, so it will be cool to see them.”
(With T Terron Armstead, is it more the injury? Or, is it the wind, just being able to play 50-plus snaps?) – “No, it’s more when players always want to play, we obviously want them to play. But there’s some, I don’t know, gut feeling that he might have to resort to a style of play just to get through. I don’t think that’s fair to him or his teammates. If there was a scenario that it was the only human being possible, you’d maybe consider that, but probably not. The biggest thing is that you have to have depth on your football team. For him and the Dolphins, you just don’t want him to gut through it for a cause and then the tape doesn’t go away. It’s part of our personal relationship and he respects it in regards to those types of decisions, which I appreciate.”
(A couple of personnel questions; LB David Long Jr., why was his snap count so low? Also RB De’Von Achane, why didn’t we see him active on Sunday?) – “So the game day actives are real and there’s only a finite (number). When you have areas of your team that necessitate certain things, you kind of have to go light on positions. That’s why De’Von (Achane) was inactive. Really, it’s kind of what I was getting in front of last week about Week 1 and how interesting it is, because it feels like Groundhog week, and I get why. It’s because there are all these thoughts and opinions and people care. Then something happens and you have a whole week to sit on it. Well, Week 1, in the first year of a system, I mean, how often does everything never change during the course of the season? I think especially with new players on this team and a new system, that is really the formula for that game. But that’s a far stretch to say that it’s going to be that way the next game. These are things that there’s only 11 on the field. We have some depth and every game presents different challenges and you have different tools in your toolbox. He’ll keep working and his teammates love him. I’m not expecting that to be the norm, but the players decide that not me, ironically.”
(What are some things you’d like to see cleaned up on defense this week?) – “I think the biggest thing is you want to see a constant mode of progression. So, whatever the outcome is, and literally, you could talk about both phases, are you going to have a game that’s not as desirable as you’d like? Does that mean now you should try to improve so then you have a game that you do like and you let your foot off the gas? The idea is that we have to improve on certain things. Specifically, if I could sum it up, I think there are a lot of people with the right motivations that were trying to independently make plays and not thinking about technique and fundamentals. So that’s been my message to them, which is my message to all players. Really, it’s humanity. If you’re able to worry completely about what you can control, and only that, it’s amazing what individuals can do. Case in point, if you asked Tua (Tagovailoa) about his game and say, ‘hey, what was the reason for that?’ Well, I worried about my technique and fundamentals every play. So that’s a process that is not easy. It is very hard in this world to not worry about all the stuff that you can’t control. But if you’re able to do that, you might turn the page and find yourself getting better at what you actually care about.”
(I just saw a stat this week that you guys, going back to Week 1 of last year, are the best team in passing against Cover 1. The Patriots, going back to that same time, are the best defending in Cover 1. What is it about their defense that makes them so difficult to attack in that package that’s kind of rare these days?) – “It is amazing to me, and I hope one day I can even sniff this, it’s amazing that the orchestration of the defense is so consistent, so fundamentally consistent and sound. The strain. Very, very detailed. And the leader of the ship was at the same job when we were all like, ‘what’s an iPod?’ The coolest part about what they do is it’s not because they’re entitled. It’s because they work at stuff. You can really see it. They have very strong and consistent technique and fundamentals that you can tell from the top down, and all the coaches on the defensive side, that it’s non-negotiable. Then they work together. I think they are unique in what they do, and that’s a testament from an X’s and O’s standpoint to one of the founding fathers of this generation of football. It’s pretty cool to watch. It’s a great challenge, and that’s what you want. You want to be challenged week in, week out with different things because, again, you’re preparing to try to be the best version of yourself against the best teams when it matters most.”
(I feel like the characteristics of the Shanahan coaching tree is the scheme gets guys open a lot. I was curious, when you go to coaches like high school coaches, college coaches, for seminars, and you tell them, here’s one or two things scheme-wise that can help you get guys open. Obviously, the answer is get really fast players like WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle. But from a scheme standpoint, what can you do to really enhance that?) – “That’s something that there’s a little bit of fortune involved. You kind of made the categorical consistency there, where you’re able to learn under somebody that does it the right way. And that is constantly challenging what has been done or relentlessly watching tape. That’s why I’m so grateful for Mike Shanahan and there’s so much that was embedded when that’s your standard. I think it’s hard to like, X’s and O’s. What are your players skill sets? What coverages are you seeing? What fronts? Everything’s so specific. Like, if you were to ask me, give me your favorite Cover 1-beater, I’d be like, what? Who’s the defense? Where are the matchups? What’s the structure? How do they treat stacks and bunches? Those types of things. When I talk to coaches, it’s not like I know how to coach in high school or college. I’ve never done that. But I think there’s an element of consistency with good and fair scheme that there’s a why for everything you’re doing. It’s abstract, but literally every alignment, every assignment, every motion, literally everything, if you exhaust that process, you end up coming out with a solid opportunity that doesn’t even matter unless your players are bought in and they fully immerse themselves and do all the hard work and labor. To me, we’re coaches. Professionally, we get paid to and inherent in that is a devotion to players and their success. I think that’s the standard that is inherent in being a coach, that you should be attempting to put your players in advantageous situations. You only do that when everyone’s invested. But I think the biggest point is that, I’ll draw up sweet, sick plays on this board right now. But they mean nothing. I’ve been drawing plays since I got started in 2005. It’s the players that make it come to life and that’s the cool thing to watch. Because you watch the whole process and know that the execution is earned not given.”
(When you have to make a decision during the game that’s not easy, not obvious, for example fourth-and-7, like last game, do you get a sense of adrenaline at that moment? Is that an exciting time for you? What’s that moment like?) – “It’s the purest form of living. You’re locked in every blink, like time stops really, and I get proud of whatever the decision is. And honestly, regardless of the result, if the decision’s made for the right reasons. When I recognize there’s a decision that before I send the play in, I know if it doesn’t work what comes next. But I think it’s very important that you take the job serious enough. For me, I wouldn’t be able to sleep if that factored in. And so in the moments, there is a little adrenaline only because what I’m able to execute on something with all of my information, with all the preparation, it’s the right decision for certain reasons. And that is far from saying, I know it’s going to work. But yeah, it’s living.”
(You mentioned QB Tua Tagovailoa. He was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week. With all the work he put in, whether it be jiu-jitsu or whatever else he did during the offseason to be stronger, as you watched this Sunday, was it just something that you felt this was going to happen right out of the gate considering he didn’t play since last Christmas against Green Bay?) – “It’s funny, I talk about it with the coaching staff, because we’re very fortunate to be around some really, really good players that stand the test of time. And so when we’re practicing and as we’re evolving in our techniques and getting better and better, there’s certain things in practice that you’re like, ‘Wow, I haven’t seen that in the game before.’ However, it didn’t surprise me that guys were able to execute. It made me very proud of all the training that it took because I know how it was for all people involved. You’re witnessing their most invested, intentional, deliberate execution of whatever they’re doing. But I didn’t know it was going to work. Players decided on the field and sometimes players decide to be the best versions of themselves and you don’t know what’s going to happen on Sunday. But I knew with the way they invested, it was either going to live up to their expectations, or it wasn’t. Either one, we have to flourish at. It’s literally that’s cool, that’s well earned, but that means nothing on this Wednesday for the Patriots. Literally, zero. I checked with the league. We can’t take the points from last game and put them in the points of this game. (laughter) So it was a really, really cool little thing that you’ll look back on. And that night, as a team, it felt nice to see some of those rewards. But the goal this offseason, the goal for these guys lives wasn’t like, ‘Man, I’m going to have a good game.’ So you have to keep that in perspective. But I’m excited to see what they do with that moving forward.”
(I don’t know if you were watching live on Monday night, but obviously Jets QB Aaron Rodgers injury is a big league story. What’s your reaction to him having his season end?) – “I was watching the Patriots, but I heard a couple of people came down and told me and I’m not going to lie, you don’t want to ever see that. I think it’s important for all teams that they’re the best of their ability for the sake of the game and the product that we want to deliver on. But I also think that – I did check, someone also did tell me, that they won the game. And I think there’s a lot of players and coaches that I know on that team, that all their hopes and dreams as NFL players in the organization wasn’t to hang out with and play with one guy. They still have a lot of players and I promise you that the Miami Dolphins won’t be the team that overlooks them because of anybody not being there. Granted he is one of the greatest players to ever do it. And so that is supreme adversity, and if I was a betting man, I think that that team will find a way but we shall see.”
(What are some of the qualities that WR River Cracraft possess that make him a guy that you want on your team?) – “I think he’s been cut seven times, I think, before making an active roster. Do you realize how – well first of all the professional athlete, the investment it takes, and then the lack of control that you have in situations like that if you’re an undrafted player or something of that nature, and then the fortitude to say, ‘No, you guys are wrong,’ and to keep coming back means he’s spending a lot of time not worried about stuff that he can’t control. And I’ve had a lot of people tell me that I couldn’t do a lot of things. Generally, whatever I’m doing the first time, people see me and they’re like, ‘You can’t do that.’ Whatever it is. So there’s a place in my heart for it. But the bottom line is you have to be a special individual when you put that much on the table. And then when the moment comes and you’re able to produce, I think that’s what all the players see. And he makes his teammates better around him. So that’s an important part too.”
(How have you seen the Patriots offense change in the limited sample size of Bill O’Brien taking over as the offensive coordinator?) – “You can tell there’s some good relationships going on there. Bill O’Brien has always done a really good job and I think they’re doing some things that, you can tell when there’s connectivity between coach and quarterback, and there’s stuff that he’s playing very confident in. It’s a good litmus test when the quarterback is playing better. Generally everyone is because they go hand in hand. And he can only be successful if his players are in the right spots doing the right thing. So there’s definitely some tempo going on. There’s some different formations. There’s different ways to attack, similar to what he’s done in the past to a degree. But then there’s new things. The crazy thing about NFL Sundays is then you could just come to work on Sunday and he could have five wide receivers, no running backs or tight ends every play. You just don’t know. There is some unknown in that regard for what they’re doing. You have one team that is known on how they want to do attack. But outside of that, you have to defend everything. So it’ll be a good challenge for us.”
(What time are you going to bed if you’re waking up and go to work at 2:30 a.m having seen the ESPN piece?) – “I mean it just depends. I think for the most part, you try to compensate. Science keeps telling me that you do need sleep to function. So you do compensate with earlier nights when you can. There’s some late ones, but I’m super fortunate because my wife and daughter get my back and as long as I make it to Thursday or Friday, really, they positively reinforce naps. So although the science doesn’t support, cram sleeping – yeah, I debunk science with that. With a lot of coaches, there’s just a lot of stuff to do. And in the morning, I might be the only person for a little while, but there’s always people here when I leave. So I make sure to stop by and say what time did you get in? I was earlier. (laughter)”
