Tyreek Hill – December 8, 2023
Download PDF version
Friday, December 8, 2023
WR Tyreek Hill
(So many teams in the league have faltered. So many of the top teams are losing to teams, like Dallas lost Arizona. How have you guys stayed focused on the day to day, the play to play, all season?) – “Man, look, as crazy as this may sound, the amount of competition that flows through this building each and every day is wild. It just naturally flows. And then when we go to the practice field, you’ve got some of the top guys at their positions competing at high levels, going at it ones-on-ones each and every day. So that’s kind of how we keep that mindset inside the building and it’s a beautiful thing. I can give you some examples where you’ve got Connor Williams going against Christian (Wilkins). Or whether you’ve got T-Stead (Terron Armstead) going against B-Chubb (Bradley Chubb). Or (Jaylen) Waddle or myself going against Xavien (Howard) or Jalen (Ramsey). The competition flows through the building. We’ve even got guys taking scout team reps. You’ve got ones taking scout team reps for each other. It’s a beautiful thing to see.”
(How many games will it take you to overtake Seahawks WR DK Metcalf?) – “What do you mean?”
(Did he run faster than you?) – “I thought football was about making plays though, not about being the fastest. That’s what I thought at least. I mean, at least that’s what I signed up for.”
(But Seahawks WR DK Metcalf has said that you’ve been ducking him for years and now he’s got the fastest time this season. He took you down.) – “Once again, I thought football is about making plays. And also, I’ve got receipts too though. It’s easier to say that somebody’s been ducking you, but he don’t have the receipts to back it up. I wish I could sign language that for him, but I don’t know how to. (laughter)”
(If you can get a sponsor for an offseason race would you try to pull that off?) – “Of course. Cheetah ain’t ducking no smoke from nobody. But the reality of it is, my focus right now is obviously, what we’re doing right here. If I try to get tied up in trying to be the fastest, I feel like I’d be losing what’s ahead. Most of the time when I catch a touchdown, it’s like, I’m already in front of people. You feel me? He’s like, getting almost caught. So there’s a difference.”
(WR Braxton Berrios was on one of the talk shows talking about the MVP race and the stuff that you’ve been able to do on the field. What does it mean to you that your teammates, you’re putting on a show even for them?) – “That’s great for teammates to say something like that. My peers, it’s awesome man. It makes coming to work even more fun, so I love it. I absolutely love it. Thanks for building my ego Braxton.”
(Do you think a receiver winning the MVP honor is realistic, even if you do break records?) – “No, I don’t think so because there have been numerous times before I even started playing football that guys have been making plays, been having great seasons. It’s a quarterback award. We all know that. And if Tua (Tagovailoa) won it, I’d be happy. I’d be happier if Tua won it. I feel like I’ve gotten everything I want. I get a chance to play the game that I love. God has blessed me with that. But obviously, winning the award would be icing on the cake. But God has blessed me with just everything I’ve got, with just being here in Miami. My family is enjoying life. I’m enjoying life. I’m just enjoying what every day has to offer. I couldn’t ask for more.”
(Adrian Peterson got it with 2k.) – “He did. He did get it.”
(So a running back deserves it but a receiver doesn’t?) – “AP also took that ball a lot too though. He also had a lot of carries too though. The way the league is now, I just don’t see it.”
(Is there anything that’s surprised you from this Titans defense? Obviously records sometimes don’t reflect what they can do. Have you seen anything on tape that maybe you went, oh?) – “Those guys have got a real good secondary. Those guys fly to the ball real well, they punch the ball out. So our main focus is protecting the ball and like we’ve been doing all season, make sure we’re at the right spots for Tua (Tagovailoa) and just put up points, just execute each and every opportunity that we get a chance to step on the field.”
(What made you want to give a scooter to all of your teammates?) – “Well, growing up, I’m from the South. I grew up riding ATVs, riding dirt bikes and stuff like that. I just thought it would be cool to give back to the guys because most of the time, being in the positions that we’re in, most guys don’t receive gifts. A lot of people expect us to give them gifts and it’s like, okay, how can I find a way to give something cool to the guys? I wasn’t thinking about anybody being getting hurt at the time. I was like, you know what, let me just get them some scooters that go 43 miles per hour. (laughter)”
(You’re on pace to pass the 2,000 yard mark. What would it mean to get it?) – “It would mean a lot, man, it would be great. It would be great. I really haven’t thought about it. My wife and my mom, they remind me every day. They’re like, you’ve got to live in the moment, you’re doing it. And it’s like, bro, I can’t stop right now. I’m trying to visualize this next game. You know how they are. They don’t be understanding that. They’re like, you’ve got to live in the moment. Let’s go out. Let’s celebrate. And it’s like, nah, bruh. I’ve got to watch this film gang. I told myself, if I’m able to do it, I’m going to buy my dream car.”
(What’s that dream car?) – “It’s an Aston Martin V12. Very expensive car.”
(I think you’ve got it.) – “I’ve been managing my money pretty well.”
(Does it matter, 16 or 17 games? I know some people will bring up that Calvin Johnson did it in 16. Does that matter to you at all?) – “It really doesn’t matter. I feel like people should understand, like what we go through as professional athletes, it’s a lot. I wouldn’t care if I broke it in 18, if there were 18 games. I’d just be like, you know what? I feel like I did something special.”
(You were playing Washington this past week. They played a surprising amount of man, single coverage on you. Are you surprised when teams still play single coverage man on you?) – “No, I’m not. I feel like each and every week is like a different opportunity for you to prove that you can beat man coverage. Not every team plays man coverage the same way. Some teams may play outside leverage. Some teams may play inside leverage. Some teams may play at seven yards and sit. So it’s different. It’s my job and the rest of the receivers’ job to go out and prove that we can beat man coverage. It’s quite shocking, but at some point, it’s like, I mean, I’m grateful for it. I’m like, okay, I enjoy this. I’m having fun with it.”
Jalen Ramsey – December 8, 2023
Download PDF version
Friday, December 8, 2023
CB Jalen Ramsey
(Playing a receiver like Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins, what are the biggest challenges?) – “There’s a lot of changes. We could go on and on. Everybody knows I’ve played him more than any other receiver I’ve played in my career. It’s another one of those matchups. Another one of those days. I just don’t have to follow him this week I don’t think.”
(Is it one of those where you really know him, he really knows you from all that experience?) – “We’ll see on Monday. We’ll see.”
(Is it better to face a guy with speed or with size in your opinion? You have both.) – “It’s never mattered for me my whole career.”
(Never mattered?) – “Do you think it has?”
(No, not really.) – “Alright, yeah (laughter).”
(Being from the Nashville area, what’s it like playing the Titans?) – “Crib! I mean, it’s my hometown team. (I’m a) Nashville boy – 615 represent. I represent Nashville, Tennessee no matter where I’m at, no matter what I’m doing. But I don’t represent the Titans though. I represent the Miami Dolphins now. That’s all that matters.”
(Did you grow up a Titans fan?) – “I watched them a lot. Obviously, it was right there in my backyard basically. But nah, I wouldn’t say I grew up a Titans fan.”
(What’s your opinion over FSU getting left out of the CFP?) – “I ain’t got no control over it. I think they did a good job this year going undefeated. They did all they could do. You have to be at peace with that. That’s all you can control. They had their reasons for leaving them out. It is what it is. You just have to move on. You can’t really harp over it. Can’t change it now.”
(How would you describe the vibe among the defensive backs? How would you describe what the room is like? Every room is unique. What’s unique about this group of d-backs?) – “As far as personality? How we play?”
(Yeah, like off the field.) – “It depends on who you ask. I don’t know, you’ll probably get different opinions. We’re cool. We be chilling, have some fun.”
(I know a few weeks ago you said you were still trying to knock off the rust. Where would you say you are at this stage?) – “What, week three? All you have to do is do the math. Just do the math. (laughter) This is my fifth game plus one week right before then practicing. So that’s three preseason games, a couple weeks of training camp, so yeah I’m more like game one or game two.”
(What’s the difference between being in midseason form as opposed to training camp mode?) – “I guess you all are going to find out in a few games or in the playoffs.”
(Tell us about the Christmas gifts. You got everyone foot massagers?) – “Yeah, got a little something something. Nothing crazy.”
(And why foot massagers and why did you buy gifts for everybody?) – “It’s something I’ve always done, no matter where I’m at. It’s just a blessing to bless others around holiday time. And take care of our feet.”
(Who do you think is the most underrated player on the Dolphins defense?) – “Dolphins defense? I don’t know. I couldn’t point to one person. But while I’m here though, go Pro Bowl vote for everybody in the secondary. Jevon Holland, Xavien Howard, Kader (Kohou), DeShon (Elliott), Nik (Needham), Brandon (Jones), the rest of the guys.”
Danny Crossman – December 8, 2023
Download PDF version
Friday, December 8, 2023
Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(It was definitely not a penalty on the Steelers center, right?) – “Correct.”
(They talked after the game about abrupt movement. What is the teaching point for the center in that situation?) – “It’s like just about every other rule you want to look at. A lot of it is the interpretation of that crew and that particular referee, umpire, side judge, line judge. Whatever call it is, you could have the exact same call and you can four guys in this pocket, in this bucket, in that group and they’re all going to see it differently. That’s the interesting – when you meet with those guys, their interpretations are all slightly different. None of them are right, none of them are wrong. It’s human interpretation of what is sudden. What’s sudden to me may not be sudden to you. What’s abrupt, may be sudden to me. It’s a hard thing, but that’s the risk. And everybody does that, especially on fourth-and-short. It’s worth the opportunity to see if you can steal one.”
(With LB Duke Riley taking on a larger role defensively, will you have to sacrifice some of his special teams snaps or can he handle the workload?) – “We’ll work through that and we’re working through that as the week goes on. Like most guys, when the reps in one go up, you’ve got to find and be smart in how much guys can handle. Some guys can handle a lot. Some guys you’ve got to be smart in where you taper them down and what voids, then who you have to fill those voids. So it’s an ongoing process as we go through the week.”
(How much of what factors into that decision is based on what LB Duke Riley is telling you in terms of his workload in a particular game?) – “We try to have an idea going into the game. Then obviously, you’re ready to adjust as the game progresses based on groups and packages and how the game goes. Is it a heavy run week, heavy pass? You think one thing and then you get something different in the game. Down and distance. There’s so many things that go into it. We’ll have packages with him. We’ll have packages without him. The game will sort of dictate where that goes.”
(As the weather changes and the air gets colder, does it affect the kicking game and do you make adjustments in strategy in returns and coverage and all that kind of stuff?) – “Obviously the compact in the ball, as it gets cold, it is much more difficult. It doesn’t travel as far. The air then doesn’t travel as far. There’s a lot of those things that go into it. The biggest thing when you get into this time of year is weather. When I say weather, wind, most importantly, and then precipitation, whether it be rain, snow, sleet, whatever you may have. But wind is always the number one nemesis that you’re always most concerned about.”
(Fan voting for the Pro Bowl is open and LS Blake Ferguson is currently the lead vote-getter in the AFC. What have you seen from him compared to other long snappers and how do you differentiate them?) – “Blake’s very good for how we use him and what we ask him to do. I’ve been very happy with Blake since he’s been here. I talked about it earlier this year when he earned the extension. Number one, he’s always available, which is so paramount. You can always count on him being there and he does a good job with his snaps, with his location, with his protection. Then he’s really good in the locker room.”
(After multiple years of team speed overall like this, I imagine there’s a trickle-down effect to every part of the roster, practicing against this type of speed and the condition of it. For special teams, when you think about your drills and the way that you’re having guys attack different contours and areas of the field, has that speed affected the way that you think about areas you can get to in that phase?) – “Absolutely. The two great equalizers and the separation difference-makers in this league are size and speed. To me, the way that the rules have developed into this league, it’s become speed is number one more over size. When you have multiple guys and a full team of guys that can run, it really opens up a lot of doors for things you can do. It helps cover up, more importantly, for mistakes.”
(Has it changed the way you look at spacing in those coverages?) – “In some ways. More importantly, it’s always based on the opposition first. We’d like to do certain things but we’ve got to make sure those matchups tie in to what we’re seeing from the opposition.”
(With the injury to Titans P Ryan Stonehouse, how does that affect the game-planning?) – I think they might go with P Ty Zentner?) – “You hate to see injury to anybody. But obviously as a specialist, those are crushing because you don’t have a guy to go to. You’re into the emergency scenarios like they had to go through last week with (Nick) Folk handling the punting and then obviously (Ryan) Tannehill handling the holding. Now they’ll get somebody in there to be able to do those jobs. You hate those injuries. That’ll be a loss. A really, really talented guy. He really was able to flip the field and really do a great job controlling field position for them. We’ll prepare for a couple different things. We’ll keep track and stuff but it won’t necessarily affect a lot of change in what we’re doing.”
(So the backup holder here would be?) – “We have multiple guys.”
(P Jake Bailey is the holder?) – “Correct.”
(So a quarterback would presumably be the backup?) – “We have lots of guys that are able to do it.”
(How much practice does the backup get?) – “Every week. Every week they get some.”
(It would be fun if it were a random 300-pounder.) – “It is not that. (laughter) I will tell you that. (laughter)”
(Was there a point over the last couple of years or this last offseason maybe, where you recognized that the guys that you’re working with – and I know it rotates and fluctuates a lot – but the guys you’re working with, you saw, yeah, you’re working against elite speed in some of those scout looks and things like that?) – “I think its more of, in my position, I watch every single thing. I watch every offensive drill, every defensive drill, every competitive 1-on-1, 7-on-7. I watch it all. So yeah, it gives you a heck of an appreciation for, we have guys on practice squad that you’re just like, ‘wow.’ We have a lot of guys that can run. It’s nice.”
Vic Fangio – December 8, 2023
Download PDF version
Friday, December 8, 2023
Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio
(Some guys who maybe haven’t played as much for a team can react different ways. With DE Emmanuel Ogbah, LB Duke Riley and S Brandon Jones, who are playing now because of injuries, how do they handle this year playing less than they have in the past? And how have they done with their on-field opportunities?) – “In Brandon’s case, it was different then the other two because he didn’t partake in the offseason and didn’t really partake in training camp. So his situation is different. But I think he’s done well. He’s played three games now and each game has been better than the one before. Duke’s handled it great. Duke is the consummate team player. Always ready to go when called upon and a great guy to have on the team. (Ogbah) has handled it ok. He’s disappointed he doesn’t get more reps. But his reps should go up here now with Jaelan (Phillips) out.”
(You guys signed DT Justin Ellis to the practice squad. I’m curious what was behind that decision?) – “Chris (Grier) just wanted another defensive lineman in here to help with practice and also to have somebody on board in case we needed them.”
(LB Duke Riley also handled the green dot duties. How did he do in that regard?) – “Good. Duke did a good job with that. He’s good at that.”
(When LB Jerome Baker goes out, what’s the decision to give the green dot to LB Duke Riley as opposed to LB David Long Jr. who is also on the field?) – “Well, the position that ‘Bake’ played, which now Duke is playing, stays in there all the time so there’s not new learning. The position David (Long) plays in base and in nickel is replaced by a DB when we go dime.”
(Who would wear it if then the situation arose where you need a backup for LB Duke Riley? Is there another player that can handle it?) – “Yeah. It would be one of the ILBs.”
(In terms of the green dot, LB Duke Riley was saying it’s his position coach that talks to him and not you. I just wanted the thought process of why is it that you’re not the one, even though you’re calling the plays, speaking the instructions?) – “It’s kind of teaching an old dog new tricks. I got so used to – that was the way it is, especially being in the box. Then when they made it available that you could do it from the box, I was just too engrained to my system of doing it. I didn’t want to have to mess with the controls and all that.”
(How has CB Xavien Howard’s skillset meshed with what you ask of your corners in this system?) – “Pretty good. I think ‘X’ has had a hell of a year. He made a tremendous play this past game on the deep ball. I think he’s been solid and playing good for us.”
(When you guys talked about how you want to run your scout team this year, what was the conversation on the defensive side about understanding at some point you were going to be installing things that you guys had already done because teams like to borrow from each other? Then also, the effect of all that movement pre-snap that you’re going to be seeing with how you wanted to structure and rep your scout team? Just giving looks to the offense during the season.) – “Well they’re doing it off cards. They’re doing what the cards tell them to do. And at that point, they’re playing for that week’s opponent. They’re really not playing for us. So they have to be a player. For instance, this week, that scout teamer is a Tennessee Titan player and doing what Tennessee Titan defenses do. There’s not a lot of carry over.”
(In talking with QB Mike White a little bit, with some of the things that you guys are accustomed to in training camp, repping against some of the pre-snap movement, some of the speed that is coming up in the league more and more. Other teams are installing those types of concepts. Are you seeing more of those things come up on the cards, maybe on a higher frequency then in previous years, because more and more teams are trying to experiment with more of this pre-snap movement?) – “Yeah. We’re seeing more of those plays from other teams in the league, yes. When we do see them, we prepare for them. But I don’t see the carryover to the scout team part.”
(LB Andrew Van Ginkel mentioned a tell he saw in the Washington right tackle that let him know the screen was coming. Is that something that he picks up on in his individual film studies? Is that a coach’s studies and communicating it to the players?) – “A combination of both. Combination of both.”
(You’ve gotten a lot of pressure on four-man rush without having to blitz a ton. Have you been happy with that aspect of what you’ve gotten without blitzing?) – “Pretty much, yeah. I haven’t had too many games or extended periods of games where I felt that we had no rush. That’s what you’re trying to avoid. Yeah, I think the guys rushing the passer have done a good job.”
(Titans QB Will Levis to WR DeAndre Hopkins, what do you see, what makes that unique or challenging?) – “Well, Hopkins is a unique wide receiver. He’s been a really good wide receiver for a long time in the league. Great hands, great body control. Has a big catch radius. Savvy with his routes. The quarterback knows that, and he’s trying to throw it to him. The quarterback’s got a really good arm. He has a really quick release. I’ve been impressed with what they’ve been able to do.”
(The key or keys to slowing down Titans RB Derrick Henry?) – “You have to do a good job up front, first and foremost. You can’t get pushed back. You can’t be blocked out of your assignment and let him get rolling because once he gets rolling, he’s a load. That’s why he’s probably headed to the Hall of Fame as a running back.”
Frank Smith – December 8, 2023
Download PDF version
Friday, December 8, 2023
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(The snap allocations at running back and receiver. I know some of that is dictated by packages. But is that something that you, Wide Receivers Coach Wes Welker, Associate Head Coach/Running Backs Eric Studesville and Head Coach Mike McDaniel collectively talk about? Or does Eric have an idea of this is how I want to distribute running back carries, and runs it by you? How does that work?) – “It’s kind of a combination of the packaging for the week, where we anticipate them to go and how we want to deploy them. As the week involves, it’s handling the variables that could occur and a discussion on game day for things that are coming up. Kind of like all things, everything around here is very collaborative towards our process. There really is no element where there is just one person in charge of an island. It’s just a collective process as we go through all players’ play time on Sunday.”
(With the decision last week, it was the first time in RB De’Von Achane’s limited body of work that he carried more than RB Raheem Mostert. Was that a decision in part to the lopsided score and getting work late? Was it because you just wanted to give him more work? What led to that?) – “It was a combination of things. The way the game was going – getting some touches, getting in the rhythm of the game, getting some opportunities presented itself. It’s just at runner, if you can get in the rhythm of running and get some opportunities, that’s where you can really grow. I think it was a combination of all of those things.”
(I wanted to ask you about the four-minute and eight-minute offense and the ability to finish off games as you guys have. Has that helped build the confidence in the run game some? Obviously you’re averaging, I think it’s No. 7 in NFL history at 5.3 yards per carry. Does it make you more confident knowing you can finish out games and finish off drives with a run game even when teams know you’re trying to run?) – “Yeah, absolutely. Even last year, we’re always striving for balance, the ability to do both elements – run and pass – whenever it’s necessary. In those moments where we’re trying to close out a game and the defense knows it’s coming, the ability for us to execute in those situations is vital, as at the same time they know you’re going to throw it and you have to throw it. Then you have to pass protect and get open and timing. When it comes to situational football, being able to execute as a group I think is just vital, whatever phase it is, one minute, two minute, or eight minute.”
(To build off of that, the last two games you guys have had I believe 34 and 37 rushing attempts. What is the significance of those numbers to you?) – “It’s more of just the flow of the game and what’s being presented and what we’re attacking, and the execution of the guys. With the run game, not every run is going to be 70 yards, and it looks sweet as it goes up the sideline. Many are you’re running though the briar patch through the middle. As you’re going through there, it is going to be prickly and ugly, but you’re learning about the core as they are blocking, how guys are fitting combinations to either what we anticipated or they are working on this. The more opportunities you get to understand what the defense is doing and for us to know what we’re attacking, it allows collectively for the guys to really build confidence into what we are doing. To sustain drives and to do what we’ve been able to do the last two weeks has been really encouraging and it’s really a testament – when you can do that on a Sunday, it starts with Wednesday, Thursday and Friday practice.”
(You guys finished the game with a 13-play drive, and 12 of those plays were runs. Is that significant to you?) – “Yeah. It’s the same thing if you had to throw the ball 12 times. It is just being at your best when your best is required. You trained the whole offseason and training camp through all your practices, getting yourself ready for whatever the game is going to present. You have your plan, you work your plan and you plan for the unexpected. As you go into the game, you’re executing on your plan and then you adjust to whatever they are presenting themselves. If you’re able to run the football at the end of the game to close out games and do it that way and play team football, that’s what you want to be doing in December. It’s been really encouraging and it’s a real testament to everyone and how they train and how they go about things.”
(OL Austin Jackson got his contract extension. I would imagine you must’ve been a big proponent in that.) – “What a great guy. The way he works, how he’s gone about everything with (Offensive Line Coach) Butch (Barry) and (Assistant Offensive Line Coach) ‘Lem’ (Lemuel Jeanpierre), and just everything. The way he attacks his day, it’s awesome just to see a guy work so hard to fulfill your childhood dream, and at the same time, after he’s done with it all, he says, ‘I’m ready to get to work.’ He’s ready to go to practice. It’s an awesome thing when you have the culture and environment that we do here, when you have just a great group of men that really embrace the day and they are really just trying to be their best. I couldn’t be happier for Austin.”
(I know you guys have a high level of confidence in T Terron Armstead and him being out there playing hurt, even if he is out there working on a short week. At what point do you look at it from the standpoint of what would benefit the team long term in terms of what you guys are trying to achieve at the end of the season?) – “There are no easy games. Every team is good. Every team can take it to you and you can be sitting there at the end of it going what happened. You can’t look at anything bigger than the way we approach wholeheartedly our program of the most important day is today. Being able to be available today to help us win today in the current is the most important thing. If you start thinking today, this week, next week or looking towards the future, the next thing you know – When a guy like him is getting ready for every game and he says he’s good to go and he’s ready to play, we trust that with really all guys. But Terron has proven he’ll tell us when he’s ready to play and when he’s ready to play, we’ll play him.”
(I was wondering about the pass game specifically. You have so many plays that express themselves so quickly. I’m wondering with the linemen specifically, are there drills that you guys rep to get them moving and that understanding of both speed and space quicker than the average play?) – “You would think that watching other teams operate, that’s just the way we operate from the beginning. There’s not, ‘Hey, let’s ease the boat in the water with how we do things.’ It’s our progression of how we install the offense and just everything is about that life. So they learn through the process, and not everything is perfect. Early on, you have things that you’re really going to learn from and you learn why, and then you start learning reactions and you understand the intent and through the concepts and the trust that exists between our staff and our players of what we’re trying to do, that’s how they learn. So it’s not what drill we do. I’d just say it’s our team period. (laughter) It’s just the way we do things. I think that’s ultimately – that’s why when we assimilate guys through the season a little bit, they’re like, ‘That’s how we roll, man.’ That’s kind of our starting point.”
(I wanted to ask you about the quality of play you got last week from T Kion Smith and what level is OL Liam Eichenberg playing right now, those two guys?) – “Pleased with the way both of them have performed. They did a good job, especially with the interior guys in that front. We knew it was going to be – we’re going to have to be on it all day. I mean just overall, the group, the way they’re able to control the line of scrimmage and control the pocket for the quarterback, it was great. Kion (Smith) is obviously doing very well. He did a great job. You’re not surprised when you watch guys every day, you see the pre-practice, during practice, post-practice, and he’s one of those guys, like Liam (Eichenberg), that just puts so much time into it. You’re really happy when you can see him really start putting it together.”
(If OL Robert Hunt can’t play, what goes into deciding where OL Liam Eichenberg and OL Lester Cotton would respectively line up considering OL Liam Eichenberg played at left guard last week and before that played right guard?) – “It’s not one thing. It’s a collective of things that we go through. It’s ultimately the variables that we work through, the line or the wideouts or the runners, as we go through, ‘OK, if this, then this and this.’ We don’t go through 20 contingency plans, but we have basically three that we work through. Through the three variables that occur, where is the consistency, and that normally drives some of our decisions with who will play where. So when it comes to the line, it’ll just ultimately be as we go through the week, who is going to make it to the game, availability, and then ‘OK, if we had this and this, what are the moving pieces we have to do,’ and just trying to limit, like we talked about, one side to the other side. That’s hard, so we try to limit that as much as we can. So some of that drives a lot of our decisions, and we normally work through that between today, tomorrow and Saturday, or whatever day we’re at now, Sunday. (laughter)”
(Are you guys calling today Thursday? Like is it Thursday, Thursday, Thursday?) – “Yeah, just as far as the routine, in my head it’s Thursday. (laughter) Everyone else might say, ‘No, it’s Friday.’ But I’m like, ‘What are you talking about, it’s Thursday.’ Why was this game playing on Wednesday last night? I’m sitting there going like, ‘Huh? What’s going on here?’ But it just goes and then on a short week, it’s like, ‘OK, this is a Wednesday-ish day.’ You try to do it because of the routine, otherwise I personally don’t know what day it is. I just go, ‘Yeah, it’s Thursday, right?’ It’s Friday. ‘But why is there a game on Wednesday?’”
(I wanted to ask you about RB De’Von Achane and the rib injury, which obviously was a surprise to us, I’m sure not necessarily a surprise to you. Is there a concern about putting him out there when he’s got something that he’s battling? Or is that you saw no effects of it from practice yesterday?) – “Anything is – injuries are things we’re working through. It’s communication between the training staff, the players and Mike (McDaniel), Chris (Grier), all of us. It’s a collaborative effort. We’re never going to put a guy in harm’s way, so we make sure that everyone feels comfortable and that we have the adequate things we need to make sure everyone feels that they can be at their best and not going into a situation knowing you don’t think anything is going to happen.”
(What percentage of opponents base their defense around WR Tyreek Hill primarily? You know, the Belichick with the three high safeties. What are you expecting along those lines on Monday night? Are you expecting that type of a defense on Monday night?) – “I mean, it’s more of anyone can do anything. You have so much tape now that there have been several different ways now that defenses have tried to defend us. If you go down the rabbit holes of, ‘what if they would’ve,’ it’s not about that. They’re going to have their plan. They’re going to execute it. Our job is to be where we need to be at when we need to be there. If we’re on that together and we’re connected, there will be a better execution at that moment. We try not to worry about too many variables, because that’ll keep you up until 3 a.m. – an hour later than you need to be. (laughter) But it’s more of it’s about us and making sure that we are where we need to be, and then we execute and just adjust as the game goes.”
Duke Riley – December 7, 2023
Download PDF version
Thursday, December 7, 2023
LB Duke Riley
(Obviously you’ve had starting experience before. You’ve held down starting roles for the Dolphins. What this experience going to be like holding it down for LB Jerome Baker?) – “It’s just going to be another day for me. I’m not really worried about the game right now. Just worried about today, Thursday. I’m just focused on that. We’ve got a couple more meetings left and then I’ll worry about tomorrow when that comes and then the next day. Game time is like a relief. It’s like the best time of my life. Those moments, everything’s already been put in. Now you’ve just got to go have fun.”
(Have you spoken to LB Jerome Baker and is there anything you guys have shared back and forth?) – “I’m kind of giving him the space right now while he’s dealing with stuff. You obviously encourage him and give him your blessings and stuff like that. Just let him take care of himself and just focus. It’s kind of hard to be going back and forth so we just focus on what we’ve got to right now.”
(What strengths of yours do you think are maximized in Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio’s defense?) – “Just my ability to play fast, knowing that everybody’s going to do their job. My speed, my energy and my communication skills and stuff like that. Everything like that, Just my game, not just for me but for everybody. As long as everybody’s on the same page and I get everybody lined up and I make the right call and we’re all on the same page.”
(On playing on Monday Night Football and if that amps him up) – “I wouldn’t say we get extra amped up. We obviously know it’s a prime time game and everybody is going to be watching. Those moments are like the best moments. You want those moments. You want to be the only team that people are watching. You want to showcase your talents to the world. Like I said, if we do everything that we’re supposed to do during the wee then everything’s going to take care of itself.”
(Played a lot more last year than this year and have been total pros, you and DE Emmanuel Ogbah and S Brandon Jones. Now with injuries you guys are getting a chance. How important is that for guys in general?) – “At the end of the day, in this league and every phase of life, you’ve just got to control what you can control. If you’re not up even though you want to be, whatever it may be, you’ve just got to control what you can control and make the most out of the opportunity that you do have. In that case, I was getting a lot of special teams reps, so I had to make sure I was being the best leader I can be in that phase, knowingly that I’m preparing as a starter on defense regardless. Even if I was a fourth-string guy, I would prepare like I’m a starter. It’s just like who I am. Every single day I come to work, my main focus is to be better than I was yesterday and bring somebody along with me every single day. So that’s my goal.”
(I want to ask you about the green dot. When was the last time outside of the last game that you had the green dot?) – “Well, practice every single day, it’s obviously in our helmet. I had it in the Bills game. ‘Bake’ (Jerome Baker) didn’t play one game and I had it. I think it was like two years ago. But I communicate regardless. Even when I don’t have the green dot and I get the call, I relay the call like I have it. So it’s kind of like something that I do naturally. I talk a lot anyway so everybody already knows that’s what I do. (laughter) I’m a communicator regardless. It’s like practice to me because I get the call in my helmet every day anyway and get the signal.”
Austin Jackson – December 7, 2023
Download PDF version
Thursday, December 7, 2023
OL Austin Jackson
(You talked to us on Tuesday. Did you have an inkling that this was in the works?) – “No. I knew there were conversations being had but I really found out this was getting really close yesterday morning for the most part.”
(What emotions do you have now that the ink is dry?) – “I’m excited. I’m excited and extremely grateful. If you know my journey here, it’s been one with a lot of, I don’t know, I guess stuff to remember. There’s been a lot that went on, but I’m just glad that I got a place that allowed me to work on my craft and get better every day. I’m just looking forward to keep doing that.”
(What were the conversations leading up to it that gave you that idea that it could be coming?) – “They were just negotiations between my agent and upstairs. For the most part it was between them. I was included, of course, but for the most part it was between them. Stuff I probably wouldn’t talk about right now.”
(What made you decide, hey, you know what, let me sign now instead of doing what some folks might do and carry it into unrestricted free agency and take a bunch of LeBron type meetings?) – “For me, I like this organization and I like where we’re at right now. I like where the focus is here right now. I think it kind of aligns with what I want to be still as a football player in this league and also further in life. I think everything just kind of aligned up. When I prayed about it and talked to my family, it worked out for me really well.”
(You don’t really know when a new coaching staff and regime takes over, you don’t know where their loyalties are going to lie. Especially if they’re not the ones who brought you in. When Head Coach Mike McDaniel and this staff got here, how much did it mean to you that they said I don’t care about those first few years, I want to see for myself who Austin Jackson is?) – “It meant a lot. He definitely took the time to really see who I was as a player with his own eyes, like you said. I appreciate that. It’s definitely – people could’ve ran with whatever they thought they knew about coming in here to our situation at the time. He really just took the time to sit down with me, sit down and talk with the team. He’s given me every opportunity and every tool to be great, so I’m thankful for that. It makes me really work hard, and I appreciate that.”
(How did you celebrate?) – “Well I didn’t really get to celebrate. I got told that I would sign this morning like yesterday night. So last night was talking to everybody on the phone. Then I’m going to be tired tonight because it’s a Wednesday practice. I’ll find some time to celebrate later.”
(You talk about the support you feel from Head Coach Mike McDaniel. QB Tua Tagovailoa was up here five minutes ago. He said that might not always have been the case from some of the coaching that you had. Can you speak on that? What you had to go through earlier in your career?) – “So earlier in my career, I was the fifth tackle taken in the first round. First-round draft pick. I had high expectations. I had high expectations and every time I didn’t perform, it was noted and highlighted. It was very much so highlighted, to say the least. But that just made me a better football player at the end of the day. I’m very tough. I understand this is football. There are certain things that are done in football. The only thing you can do is not take it too personal. So I just moved on from that, took what I needed to get better, and got better.”
(I don’t mean to drag up those first years too much, but for the biggest skeptics outside the organization, what were people not seeing in those first two years that if they saw behind the scenes what would have altered their opinion?) – “That’s a tough question. They didn’t see my at my full potential. Point blank period. I’m always going to point the finger at myself first. I think there were some things I could’ve done better. There were some things I could’ve done to be better in my first two years, all on my own that I could’ve done, that I’ve learned how to do now. It’s really just learning and not staying complacent. You have to stay hungry so you can get better, which is what I try to do.”
(What was the reaction from your offensive line teammates?) – “Yeah, everyone was pretty excited. Lots of smiles and hugs. Everyone want’s some money for some dinner. (laughter) It’s been good energy. Those guys are really happy for me. I’m appreciative of that.”
(In college, the head coach tries to get three guys all agree to return together. Is that going down with C Connor Williams and OL Rob Hunt? Have you been asked to recruit these guys back?) – “Not yet. Shoot, I just signed, so I’m sure that’s coming soon.”
(Are there any hints that you want to give QB Tua Tagovailoa publicly about a possible gift?) – “No, I actually have his gift and I know what it is and I want it to be a surprise. I can’t give you that one now. But we can talk about it when we do it for sure.”
(How did you get his gift already?) – “I’ve been talking about it for a while. I think I brought it up to the o-line a couple weeks ago actually when December started. As soon as December started, I got in the Christmas mood this year.”
(Mike McDaniel told us about an interaction between you and T Terron Armstead last offseason when he told you, you could be special, you could be different. Do you remember that interaction and what the conversation was?) – “Yeah. Last offseason I got the opportunity to play tackle again. So with Terron coming in playing left, I’d be able to play right. So I remember I sat down with Terron, Frank Smith, and Mike McDaniel the day Terron got here. Terron was just really adamant about who I could be in this league. Everybody was. We all talked about the stuff that needs to get done, the type of program we wanted and expectations. It was a great conversation between all of us because I really felt like I had a good opportunity to handle everything on my end, which is all I wanted for me to be able to do everything I needed to do to benefit and help the team. That definitely was a great talk for us. We’ve had a lot of interactions since then for sure.”
(Have you seen any of the same similarities with OL Liam Eichenberg and his approach? Someone who also has to be aligned maybe at times early in his career.) – “Yeah, his approach has been spot on. You have to show up every day and compete and get better. The game is always everchanging. Coaches are drawing up new plays and dealing with new situations all the time. So being present every single day and allowing yourself to take in new information is huge. He does it very well, and he’s able to take it in and go perform at a high level as well. As long as he keeps doing that, he’ll be great.”
(Did a family member have a cool reaction when you filled them in last night?) – “Yeah. Well, everybody is just super happy and excited. It feels like everybody kind of screams when they first hear it. Nothing ridiculous. No one got up and ran around the house or anything. I’m sure I’ll get some reactions today when I get back on my phone.”
(It has to be a massive relief for you not to have to carry this into the offseason?) – “Yeah, it definitely is something to be grateful for. Definitely was supposed to go into free agency and deal with that whole process. I will have some more time to be in my shoes and come up with a great plan for the offseason.”
(You went into your profession at 20 years old. Head Coach Mike McDaniel was speaking earlier about how difficult that is for someone. How have you matured since then?) – “I’ve matured a lot. I’ve matured a lot. I think one, I was mature coming in, but there’s a lot of stuff going on and it’s at a very fast pace. No one is really stopping to catch you up. It’s things you should kind of know already. I went through a lot of those things and learned a lot of things that you should know. I’m glad I made that decision to go in early. I’m glad I had that faith in myself, and I still do.”
Tua Tagovailoa – December 7, 2023
Download PDF version
Thursday, December 7, 2023
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(Your experience on Monday Night Football and showing everybody your guitar skills. Can you tell us a little bit about that night?) – “Yeah, that was an audio recording. I don’t know how to play the guitar, so don’t ask me how to play the guitar. (laughter) I’m kidding. It was cool. I have a lot of instruments at my house. To me, that’s a getaway for me is to play music. I do my best to teach myself how to play things. I taught myself how to play the guitar, how to play the bass, was teaching myself how to play the drums and some piano. My mom can play the piano by notes. I don’t know it by those. To me, it’s through hearing, and then through progressions of chords. I grew up in choir, so I grew up around music in church.”
(Did you start out playing Guitar Hero?) – “Yeah. I did start out playing Guitar Hero. I knew how to play the ukulele before I knew how to play any other instruments. From there, I had a couple of buddies that played the guitar and I thought it was really cool they knew how to play it, and the way they played it. It sounded really good so I wanted to get really good at that. You go on YouTube, you learn C, F, G, and then you build it off from there. Then your picking skills come alive as well, and then you use your imagination from there.”
(I know earlier in the offseason, we talked to you so much about what you did during the offseason to stay healthy and protect yourself. I know quarterbacks have various stuff they do during the week in terms of recovering. I was curious if there’s anything in particular that you do or have picked up to make sure your body is fresh on gamedays?) – “Yeah, I have a process and a routine that I do with our head of strength and conditioning, Dave (Puloka). We have a routine after games and throughout the week with what we do as far as conditioning, sprint yardages so that in the game, the first time I’m sprinting is not in the game. It’s not that long period before the first time you’re sprinting in a game. Then we have two lifts throughout that period outside of the recovery day.”
(The sprinting help you stay prepared for when you get into a game even though you’re not known for running a lot?) – “Yeah. It helps a lot, and the conditioning as well. There is only so many times we can run full speed reps of keepers or extending the plays in practice with our guys running full speed. I have to find other ways to keep myself in check with that.”
(How often do you cold tub and/or recovery chamber?) – “I use the cold tub every day. Every morning I jump into the cold tub.”
(Do you still take jiu-jitsu classes?) – “I don’t take any jiu-jitsu classes. From what I’ve learned, I’ve just been practicing what has been given throughout the process where I’ve been learning to fall, and really just going over that on Thursdays.”
(Do you think you’d continue the training in the offseason? Is that something you want to continue to do?) – ‘If I want to become dangerous then sure. (laughter) But no, I’m just learning how to fall.”
(With the Titans’ record 4-8, is there anything that surprises you this week preparing for a prime time game?) – “Not necessarily. I think one of the things we’re going to have to see is who is going to fill in for 98 (Jeffery Simmons). I think personally that is a big loss for their d-line and the things they do in the back end and with their ‘backers. But outside of that, they are who they are. They play what they play. We’re going to have to be ready with some answers with the pressures they have.”
(You had those two long touchdown connections with WR Tyreek Hill. You also had to like that you had a zero in the interception and turnover section. What were your thoughts after that? That was something you were trying to get over in recent weeks.) – “Anyone can do it once. I got to continue that throughout this back stretch of the year. Zero turnovers is good one time, but anyone can do that once.”
(In a game where you have those two long touchdown connections with WR Tyreek Hill, you also had to like the zero in the interception and turnover section. What were your thoughts after that?) – “Anyone can do it once. I got to continue that throughout this back stretch of the year. Zero turnovers is good one time, but anyone can do it once.”
(Speaking of that, we saw on Hard Knocks this week that Head Coach Mike McDaniel encourages you to use extreme frustration and focus it. Have you been able to do that? To use that? Because you have obviously talked a lot in the past about getting frustrated when you do turn the ball over. Are you able to do that?) – “Yeah, I’m able to move on from it a lot quicker than I have in past years. I think that’s just the level of growth for myself as a football player, as a person. Not everything is going to go your way, but how you react to it, you have control over that. I’ve said it many times, you never win the game in the first, second or third quarter. So if you throw interceptions, you always have however much time left to redeem yourself and to go help your team put points on the board and win the game.”
(Obviously you guys get up for every game being professional athletes. But the fact that on Monday Night Football you’ll be one of the only game on. Do you get more amped up knowing more eyes will be on you guys?) – “To me, personally, I don’t think our team cares if we’re Monday night, if we’re a one o’clock Sunday game. Our team is just excited to go and play. Once you get a taste of what it feels like to put a good work week together and you see the results, for our guys, what I’ve seen is it’s addicting to them. You see guys staying in longer. You see guys doing a little more. I don’t think any of us necessarily matter if it’s a prime time game or not, we just want to go out there and play.”
(How do you feel about OL Austin Jackson as your long-term blindside protector?) – “Oh, that was awesome. Can we all give him a round of applause please? Seriously, can we give him a round of applause? I mean I’m not saying you guys, but it could be you guys. (laughter) The media, everyone wants to say whatever they want to say about Austin Jackson, but it’s almost a heroic story or something for how he’s turned his career around within last year up to this year, and all the things that have been said about him. I’m very proud of him. I know he’s very happy. But out there at practice, you wouldn’t see it because of the person that he is. I’m sure his family is very happy for him, but this dude just loves ball. He wants to do anything and everything he can do to help the team. We’re all happy for him. That was awesome.”
(Can you tell us about OL Austin Jackson’s personality through all this for these last couple years and just his work ethic?) – “Kind of like what he said about me. He’s been a more vocal person. You can hear more bass in his voice. He’s been more vocal to me. I just smile because of where he’s come from early when we got here together. There’s a lot of things that have been said about him in front of team meetings, in the media and things like that. So, I’m just happy. I don’t want to get choked up about it. What he’s done is tremendous. What he’s done is tremendous. I’m very proud of him. Very happy.”
(I’m just wondering in the moment, when you identify WR Tyreek Hill has single-man coverage on him and the safety is not going to be able to get there, what is going through your head? What are you thinking in that moment?) – “I mean, I hope I don’t miss the layup, really. I’m always thinking Tyreek is going to win his one-on-one matchup. I’m always thinking Jaylen (Waddle) is going to win his one-on-one matchup. It’s really based off if it’s a one-high look and they’re playing man, it’s really off where the safety goes. If it’s not a matchup deal, then we’ll just read it throughout the progression of the play. Outside of that, it’s just don’t miss the layup.”
(Just to clarify, you said in past years things were said about OL Austin Jackson in meetings, right? Not this year?) – “Yeah, not this year. Past years. It’s awesome. Truly remarkable to sit in those meetings and have things told about you that you know aren’t true but get planted in your head. And you have the media on you as well. Then you have someone like Mike (McDaniel) and his coaching staff come in and basically just build you back up. And it’s not just Austin, it’s really everyone that’s been here for some time and kind of give you that renewed confidence in yourself to go out there and be yourself and play the way you’ve played. That’s why the organization chose you. You see the fruits of his labor. I’m very happy for him. I think we’ll probably have a couple other guys as well, hopefully, within the near future. I’m excited about them.”
