Transcripts

Christian Wilkins – January 16, 2023 Download PDF version

Monday, January 16, 2023

DT Christian Wilkins

(Do you think this is like an origin story for the team?) – “I don’t think about it that deep or look at it that deep or anything like that, but I just think we’re definitely doing some things the right way, moving in the right direction and there’s a lot to look forward to like I said, as an organization and as a team. So I’m just excited. If everyone handles their business this offseason, I’m excited to see what we can do next year and the years to come.”

(How different does this day feel from all the other ones that you’ve been in the NFL?) – “Different in ways, but it’s all the same because you didn’t get to the big game and you didn’t have an opportunity to play for that. But definitely a lot of positives to leave with from the season and I learned a lot this year both as an individual and about my teammates and things like that. So I definitely am leaving with a sense of optimism and just looking forward to what’s to come.”

(What do you know this year – after a few years in the NFL – to have the kind of year you did, that you didn’t know when you came into the league?) – “It’s just really – you develop each year. Stick to a routine, stick to a plan and you improve on that each year and you just try to be your best each and every year. There’s a lot of things I learned schematically about our defense, about how offenses try to attack us and different things like that that allow me to play at a higher level and be more productive and just overall confidence. When you put your all into something each and every day with few days off, you’ve got no choice but to get better at what you do.”

(How much were you able to grow as a leader this year?) – “Definitely. Growing as a leader was definitely a point of emphasis of mine this year because I try to do a lot of things the right way not just on the field, but off the field and carry myself in a way to where people can look at me and count on me so that’s only going to improve and just like anything, it’s a skill so you can always work on it, can always work at it, always find ways to improve and it’s something I’m going to improve on and get better at.”

(We move onto the business side of the proposition. What do you expect this offseason from the Dolphins?) – “I’m not paying attention to that. I’m not in control of that. That’s up to the powers that be – my agent, whoever else – but I just like I said, control what I can control, do what I can on the field. If I do what I can around the building and things like that, then that’ll all take care of itself.”

(If I can ask you just the motivational factors, just the way this defense played yesterday against a team that Head Coach Mike McDaniel called one of the best, if not the best in the NFL? What do you take from that?) – “Again, like I was just saying earlier, there’s a lot of positives you can take away. It wasn’t perfect, but we did some good things and we played hard and we fought hard to the very end. That’s one of the things I appreciate about this team and respect about this team and the guys on defense and everything. Even when things were at their worst, we never blinked. We never wavered. Maybe a lot of you and a lot of people on the outside didn’t believe in us. But we believed in each other, and we fought hard each and every day. So that’s one thing I can appreciate about my teammates and our defense and our team as a whole.”

(If I could follow up, what does it say about Head Coach Mike McDaniel keeping this team together through QB Tua Tagovailoa’s situation, injuries, a losing streak? What does it say about him?) – “It says a lot and it’s easy to follow a guy who leads the way he does, in the manner that he does. He never flinches. He never blinks. He embraces adversity so you as a man and you as a follower of a leader like that; it’s definitely something I take from him. Just embracing adversity and just looking at it all as an opportunity.”

(What do you think getting to the playoffs and that experience yesterday, what do you think that can do for you guys going forward?) – “I think it was definitely good because I’ve never played in a playoff game. That was my first time. This organization, we haven’t been in the playoffs in however many years and haven’t won a game in even longer, so it’s definitely just getting a rep of it knowing what we can be, what it feels like, what it looks like, all that. I’m already ready to fast forward to next year and already start training and doing things I need to do because I’m excited for what’s going to come for the years to come. Absolutely.”

(How different was a playoff game?) – “It’s all football. It’s all a game. But there’s an extra sense of urgency, an extra sense of heightened physicality, heightened sense of urgency, all that. So like I said, it was good to get that rep and hopefully we’ll get the opportunity to play in a lot more of those games down the line.”

(Obviously you’re in line for an extension this offseason, but what does it mean to you to have seen improvement over these past few years to put yourself in line to get an extension?) – “I always try to keep perspective and just appreciate the distance traveled individually definitely. It was rough for me my rookie year and I just work tirelessly every day because I love this football stuff. I love my teammates, I love Miami, I love this organization so I put my all into it, not for myself but for the people that it affects. And I’m going to continue to do that moving forward. I’m just grateful for the distance traveled for myself individually.”

Jerome Baker – January 16, 2023 Download PDF version

Monday, January 16, 2023

LB Jerome Baker

(Now with a day to digest this game, how proud of you are of this season?) – “I’m definitely proud. We definitely accomplished some things. It’s just unfortunate we lost but it’s part of the game.”

(What are some of the things that you’re going to build off of and this team needs to build off of in the offseason?) – “I’m sure we’re going to sit down and address that and figure that out. Right now, it’s kind of just waiting and getting back to normal. We definitely have some great people here and it’s going to be some great years coming.”

(How different does this day – the garbage bags and everything being packed up and all the stuff going on. How different does it feel?) – “It definitely feels different. It’s one of those feelings that you know it’s going to happen every year but you still can’t get used to it. But you’ve got to do it and we’ll figure it out next year.”

(How tough is it to not look back at what could have been? Especially in that game yesterday?) – “For me, it’s pretty easy because I know I can’t change it, so I’m not going to dwell on it. But we definitely could have made some plays. We definitely could have done some things differently and changed the outcome. But it’s too late to say anything about that now. Now it’s just about going forward.”

(How long do you step away from football in the offseason before kind of going back into that mentality of workouts?) – “I don’t know. It changes every year for me. Some years I want to get back in the gym like next week. Sometimes it’s like let me take a few weeks off and take a vacation. Usually after a vacation I’m ready to go back. But it changes every year.”

Skylar Thompson – January 15, 2023 (Postgame) Download PDF version

Sunday, January 15, 2023
Postgame – Buffalo

QB Skylar Thompson

(Can you walk us through the challenge you guys had with the system and getting it off on time? What was wrong there?) – “I feel like our operation in general today struggled at times, and I take full responsibility for it. Yeah, it was a loud environment, but we knew that going into it. I feel like there were things that I could have done better to help that be smoother. Those experiences are great learning experiences for me. I take full responsibility for those miscues and just not being clean in all aspects at times. So it’s something to learn from and take from and get better next time.”

(What did you think of the playoff atmosphere on the road in a hostile environment and how you handled it?) – “Yeah, it was really fun. It was really fun. Never try to take for granted getting an opportunity to play this game, especially in an atmosphere like this. This is – as a little kid, this is every kid’s dream to play in an atmosphere like this and have this opportunity. I did take some time to soak that in today and try to cherish it, and it was awesome. It was awesome. It was unfortunate that we couldn’t come up with the win, because I felt like our team fought really, really hard today. You could tell there was no quit in us. Walking into this game, nobody gave us a chance at all, and we had a chance to win it. That’s what you want, and it just speaks volumes about the fight in this team, the guys that we have in this locker room, the people that we have in this organization from top to bottom. I do feel like we are moving in the right direction in this organization and guys are hungry. It’ll be important to remember this feeling that we have right now in this offseason and get to work.”

(Is there maybe one passing play that you think could have been made to maybe change the score?) – “Yeah. Yeah, that last interception there on the third-and-19. It was a bad decision on my part. I just have to know the situation we’re in there. I felt it go to Tampa 2, I was trying to two-on-one the safety. The corner did a good job of just falling off. We did have a quick slant coming underneath it and I had a checkdown, too, looking at the pictures after the play. I just have to understand the situation there and just take yards and play field position there and not force something. That’s not – that one hurts. That one hurts, but I just got to learn from it.”

(What did Head Coach Mike McDaniel say to – what was kind of his final message to you guys in the postgame locker room?) – “He was – obviously, we’re all hurt right now. Nobody in that locker room wanted to lose, and we have a lot of competitive people with a lot of fire in them that wanted to win today. He just said he was proud of us, the way we fought, the resiliency we showed and we just have to keep trending in the right direction and learn from the mistakes, learn from every opportunity that we’ve gotten this year, that I’ve gotten. I have all the confidence in the world that we have the right guys in the locker room – they’re going to do that. I feel like we got a taste today of what we can do and what we can accomplish. We just have to build on that in the offseason and get to work.”

(A lot of seventh-round picks don’t even make an NFL roster. You did and you started a playoff game. Obviously, there’s room for growth, but what do you need to do this offseason to take the next step?) – “Yeah, I think it’s going to be – this year, man, just looking back at all the things that I’ve experienced, I’m super grateful. Because like you said, Brock Purdy is doing an exceptional job right now, but I’m very fortunate to be in the shoes that I am and get the opportunities that I’ve gotten. I think every opportunity that I’ve gotten is a great learning experience for me – the highs, the lows. It’s just having faith in the process, and that’s something I’ve done my whole life. It hasn’t always been clear and perfect and sunshine and rainbows, but one thing about me is I’m going to take some time here to decompress, it’s been a crazy long year from going from draft prep to this – it’s been a year full of football. I think it’s important for me to take some time away and decompress and just be me for a second and let the game kind of just rest for a second and then get back into it. I think the biggest thing for me is just understanding the ins and outs of the offense. Right now, I do everything I can to be prepared. I prepare so hard, and I hope my teammates feel that in me and see that and know that I give it everything that I’ve got. Just the ins and outs of the offense, understanding situational football, understanding the way that the game works in the NFL and being able to put us in great situations to win, I feel like there’s glimpses of times where I’m doing that and then there’s glimpses where it’s like, ‘Man,’ like the interception. Just things to learn from and understanding defenses even more, there’s so much work to be done – that’s what’s exciting. That’s what’s exciting about this position is as soon as you feel like you’ve got it figured out, you should be done playing the game, because there’s always stuff to learn, there’s always stuff to grow from. That’s one thing I take pride in, making growth and getting better, and I will do that this offseason.”

(Can you describe what the stretch in the game felt like when you guys were down 17 and ended up taking the lead, just that end of the first half to the start of the second half?) – “Yeah, well – man, our defense played so good today. I’ve – that’s tough, because those guys gave us every chance to win; got a touchdown, got us turnovers, helped me out a ton. For us (to) not come out with the win hurts me a lot. But we go down 17-0, kind of struggled to get into a rhythm there. I throw an interception, just had trouble seeing the ball go through the hoop a little bit, and then once we did that, it was like, ‘OK, we’re getting in a rhythm.’ That was the biggest thing for us that everybody kept preaching was, ‘Hey, you just got to see the ball go through the net and get in a rhythm here. We did there before halftime, and our defense started that. I’ve got to be better to help out this team, because I feel like that’s a game, we definitely had an opportunity to win. I will take the credit for the loss and shoulder that and move forward.”

Mike McDaniel – January 15, 2023 (Postgame)

Sunday, January 15, 2023
Postgame – Buffalo

Head Coach Mike McDaniel

(Can you take us through what happened with some of that operation on third down that you guys had in the second half? What was the problem with the plays?) – “There was a couple different scenarios. It’s something that obviously will be a point of emphasis in the offseason, but there’s compounding variables. There was some crowd noise that had to do with mishearing some digits of the wristband. There was some issues within the huddle of communication and getting to the line of scrimmage and there was the excuse that you don’t use that you don’t use but is a real compounding variable is there was a multiple amount of different people in the huddle when you’re in a nice routine and you have maybe a group of offensive linemen that are being communicated to by the same person; when you have flux like that, it happens. It shouldn’t happen as much as it did. And then the last one in particular had to do with whether it was officials or coaching, there was some communication that we’d gotten first down. So then we were deploying a group of players for the first-and-10 call and then it was articulated that no, itw as fourth down. So that miscommunication – that’s all the stuff that you do in this business, is you never stop finding the things that you can improve on and it was a piece of the reason why we were unable to come out with a victory, but it definitely wasn’t the only reason. There was a lot of people who can find several things that they could do better including myself which we will do pressing forward.

(Were the plays coming from you any later than normal? Or was it basically just…) – “It felt – the timing of it for the most part when there wasn’t extenuating circumstances felt normal, but there was certainly some times where things were kind of going in different directions and I’m sure the plays got in a little later than I would prefer at least once or twice, but it’s all kind of lumping together right now.”

(Where did that inclination that you thought it was a first down – who or where did that come from?) – “It was communicated to me through upstairs from the headset, I think. I was standing by an official. I had just gotten convicted information that it was a first down so I don’t really know exactly who it was from. It was probably the first time all year that that had happened so you try to do your best. As it was I thought we had a fourth-and-6 opportunity that we were unable to come up with as well, so fourth-and-1 most of the time is easier than fourth-and-6, but at the same time you just have to adjust to whatever variables are put out there and I think we had a chance at fourth-and-6 as well.”

(I know that you guys have a lot of faith in QB Skylar Thompson and you have a lot of trust in him, but in a three-point loss in the playoffs, just knowing that your starting quarterback wasn’t there, how much of that is something that you think will be on your mind or you’ll just think what could have been if QB Tua Tagovailoa was there?) – “Honestly I don’t really think about it like that. Every team that I’ve ever been on that’s successful, one of the mantras and just I think people in general is if you just look at what you could have done better, I think that was the situation at hand. That was the hand that was dealt and that was part of the story that we were willing to completely – we thought that we were good enough to win this game in the hand that was dealt. So that won’t weigh on me as much as the things that as I comb the game that will be pretty tough to watch, but you do it nonetheless and I’m sure there are going to be some decisions that I would like to have back. There always are win or loss, really.”

(What do you think it was about this team that it could be the way it did when not many people thought that you could in this situation?) – “It was the same story as well season. We lost five in a row, but it wasn’t because we weren’t competitive. I think there was a couple games this season that late in the third, early in the fourth, the game kind of got out of hand. But from my memory I think it’s a group of individuals that take their job, take their teammates, take the opportunity very serious and we expected to be in every game. We were very aware that no one really gave us a shot. That was definitely an extra motivating factor, not that we needed any other motivation. That Dolphins fans and the organization – we were very aware of the drought of winning a playoff game, but that’s something that since I got the job that was been a huge motivating factor for me and I really wanted to bring the team, the organization and the fanbase and we fell short. But it wasn’t because of lack of effort or lack of determination or lack of intent. It’s because we didn’t get it done. We’re a young team and we had to learn from it and unfortunately we had to learn the hard way.”

(Do you get any additional sense of pride, I know you say it’s not always about you, but do you get a sense of pride when you see your team battle back like that? It’s now the third or fourth time that you’ve come back from a double digit deficit?) – “Absolutely. Absolutely. That’s the realness of coaching a team and the relationship with players, coaches and just knowing what happens to most people when you invest a lot and you don’t get the results you necessarily desire. Most people tap; this collection of individuals does not. Very, very proud of that. Heartbroken for the guys because they didn’t want their season to end and did everything they could, but it’s part of the sometimes hard learning lessons that are appropriate when you have high expectations, high dreams, high goals. This team much like the five-game losing streak, this team utilized it which you have to do. You utilize hard things to make you better and I was very proud of the way they fought. Have always been. That’s the standard that they’ve shown me and it’s one of the reasons that I wanted the team to progress so much, because of things like that.”

(To follow up, is it validating at all too just knowing that first season, you have a team that will rally behind you and won’t quit on you?) – “Yeah, I think as a coach you definitely take it personal when guys, regardless of if it’s their intent or not, you find your expectation for your job is to be able to motivate people to put forth their best effort. So if you don’t get that, it’s kind of a gut check to your whole, ‘What am I supposed to be doing out here in the first place? Shouldn’t I be able to motivate these players to do what I know can lead to a team victory?’ So yeah, I would say that it is validating for myself but I don’t really look at anything as just myself. I – immediately , that’s an extension of the rest of the coaching staff and let me know that we’re going in the right direction, even if we want that direction to be now and even if we – sometimes, it’s these types of lessons that have to push you over the top when you have the opportunity to go all the way and you don’t shortchange it at all. So that’s what we’ll try to do in the offseason and get better from it, for sure.”

(T Terron Armstead played with four injuries that we know of at least. What does that tell you about what you’ve brought to this organization with T Terron Armstead?) – “We kind of had some insider trading in terms of (Offensive Coordinator) Frank Smith had been with him in New Orleans, so we knew kind of the guy we were investing in. Those are the type of people that if you’re having the expectation to win football games, those are the type of people you have to invest in. And investing in them is, literally, the guys that you go out and pay, they have to have that mindset if you’re expecting to try to win a championship as an organization. So I think he’s just delivering on what was advertised. One of the reasons we were here, even when he wasn’t on the field, is everything we relied on from him as a captain. He really – it was the youngest offensive line room that I’ve ever been around by far, and he really helped them set the vision. Because there’s – when you’re trying to do stuff differently, you have to have a different standard with how you do things and there has to be a level of strain that if you’re trying to get better or be great that you haven’t ever done before. Those type of things – you can a lot of times beat people in the face with all sorts of coach-speak and come up with the best ways to say stuff, but more often than not, you need players to deliver and push that message through to everyone. He was one of those guys that really helped get us to a point where we expect to win and are disappointed when we don’t.”

(There was a report from ESPN today that QB Tua Tagovailoa does intend to play next year and you intend to have him as your quarterback. Is that report accurate? And if so, can you explain your thinking behind it?) – First and foremost, you guys know with Tua (Tagovailoa), we’re worried about it on a day-to-day basis – how’s he doing today and just worried about his health. Now, with that being said, yeah, of course. You guys know how I feel about Tua and that hasn’t changed at all. I see, I think we all see, him as the leader of this team and when it’s appropriate for him to lead the team, I will jump on that opportunity. He’s a great player with only improvement in front of him as well. We’re talking about a 24-year-old quarterback that I think when I signed up for this job, I spent six months trying to convince people that he was good. So the fact that people are – the fact that Las Vegas saw it as a four-point swing when it was announced that he was – it means that, he’s a … Yes, this is a challenging time for him, yes, his health is of primary importance, but I would be a fool to not embrace him when he’s healthy and ready to go. We’ll all be excited for that.”

(You may need some time to reflect on it, but how would you asses how you handled your first head coaching season?) – “I’ll definitely need some time to reflect on it, for sure. This was – you talk about working your whole life in one direction for a singular goal, this place feels right. I feel very fortunate. I feel very bound and determined to always improve. I think there’s always good and there’s always bad. I think the second that you start thinking that you’re problem-less or that you’ve figured it out is when stuff passes by. I know one thing – without question, I know I did the very best that I could for all the people involved, which is extremely important to me. So I am proud of that, and I know there will be plenty of things that I’ll get better at which is the way I look at the expectation for myself and my job. That will never change; that will be the same thing every year, but my primary concern is that I do everything possible to try to put people in positions for success, because that’s what this role can offer. I think I’m happy with that and not happy with today’s result, which I don’t think I’ll ever be until it’s the final game of the season and you’re champion.”

(Can we just get clarity because it might be a thing – did the refs tell you it was first down? Or did it come from upstairs?) – “I don’t think it was – I don’t think it was the refs. I think it was from the headset, to be honest. It didn’t really matter to me, because I’m not pointing fingers. But I’m pretty sure – I don’t think I saw a sign. After the game, there’s a lot of stuff going on at all times, so I think I was under the assumption that it was first down because of a coach communication, because I don’t remember seeing a sign.”

Tyreek Hill – January 13, 2023 Download PDF version

Friday, January 13, 2023

WR Tyreek Hill

(Does it piss you off inside this locker room that nobody outside this locker room is giving you guys a chance to go up to Buffalo and take the Bills to the woodshed?) – “I wouldn’t say that it pisses us off. It’s definitely more fuel to the tank for us being the underdogs that we are. But coach has been telling us, if we go out there and execute and do our thing, the results are going to be what we want. Obviously it’s a control what you can control situation and we can’t control others’ opinions. We can only control what we do on Sunday.”

(With the magnitude of this game and no QB Tua Tagovailoa and possibly no QB Teddy Bridgewater, just going in there with QB Skylar Thompson and the confidence this team has moving forward heading into a playoff game with Skylar Thompson as the QB?) – “We’ve got the utmost confidence in whoever is in at quarterback. So if Skylar is in or if Teddy is in, it doesn’t matter because we’ve got the playmakers to do whatever it takes to move the ball. We’ve also got the guys up front to be able to do whatever we want.”

(You have some playoff history against the Buffalo Bills. How does it feel to play them now in a different uniform?) – “I think the stakes are a little bit higher. I feel like this one right here will mean a lot more to me because I’ve never been an underdog. I feel like in Kansas City, I was blessed to be on a real good football team. Here, it’s different. I feel like right now I’ve got a chip on my shoulder and so does the rest of the guys. I’m looking forward to the challenge and I know it’s going to be a lot different than those two past games that we played against the Bills.”

(What have you told some of these guys, the guys on the team here, from your playoff experience, of what to expect in a playoff game?) – “Guys’ games are much more elevated in the playoffs. Guys are sharper. Guys are much more on their assignments. And the game is much faster. It’s going to be a lot different because it’s single-game elimination, so guys got to play at a different speed.”

(The last time you went up against them [in the playoffs], you had more than 150 yards and 11 catches. Is it going to take that kind of performance from you to kind of help your team?) – “Whatever it takes, man. If that means for me to go out there and go crazy, whatever it takes. But if it means for me to go out there and block for my teammates and be on my assignments and no MAs (missed assignments) for myself and the rest of the receiver room, then as long as we come out with a W it doesn’t matter if it’s 100 yards or one yard, one catch or 10 catches. It doesn’t matter.”

(When you were in Kansas City, you faced them at home. What do you think of that environment over in Buffalo, especially with this team?) – “It’s going to be crazy. I just hope that there isn’t any snow so the fans aren’t launching snowballs at us because it was crazy last time. Our receiver coach got like smacked in the head. It was funny, though. It was real funny. (laughter) I was kind of mad at Wes (Welker) and I don’t know if somebody felt my energy and they just hit him right in the jaw with a snowball. I’m like, ‘that’s what you get.’ (laughter) So yeah, I just hope there aren’t any snowball (tosses).”

(I know you told us last week that you’d be happy to return punts obviously with WR Cedrick Wilson Jr. down. When you did late in the game, was that a case of you asking Head Coach Mike McDaniel and Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman for you to go out there? Or did they finally say, ‘Ok, I know it’s a risk?’) – “I feel like with football, there’s always a risk. For me to just go out there, I’ve been itching for a return all year. I know Coach Danny (Crossman) does a great job with our return unit on setting up certain things. I just felt like it was time. I felt like it was time to take it back to my rookie year. So I just wanted to rewind the clock a little bit and see if I still can get around the edge one more time.”

(Are you guys playing for QB Tua Tagovailoa as well, just extending the season and giving him maybe one more opportunity this year?) – “I mean if you want to say we’re playing for Tua – I feel like we’re playing for this whole city of Miami. When we play this game, we know that this organization has been through so much. They haven’t been to the playoffs in a minute. They haven’t won a playoff game in a long time. We do this for the whole entire city of Miami. We want to be a part of something special and be a part of history, and be able to live in this moment forever because 10 years down the road from now, if we’re able to come away with this win, we are going to be able to look back at this moment in our careers and say, ‘Man, a lot of people doubted us. A lot of people had us as underdogs.’ What are we, 12- or 13-point underdogs? And we went out there and we took care of business. Other teams are going to be using us as teach tape like, ‘hey, here’s a team that lost their quarterback. There were a lot of situations going on. And they went down there and took care of business. And that shows how a team battles through adversity. It’s going to be a cool moment.”

(If you guys get a win, you might go to Kansas City.) – “Right. But right now, we’ve just got to focus on this week.”

Mike McDaniel – January 13, 2023 Download PDF version

Friday, January 13, 2023

Head Coach Mike McDaniel

(Do we know with certainty barring a setback or something unlikely that QB Skylar Thompson will in fact start on Sunday?) – “Skylar (Thompson) is going to start. Teddy’s done a great job really just being a part of the team, getting himself closer and closer to being able to play the way that he knows he needs to play. Really doing whatever it takes so that we can have him available on Sunday. But yeah, Skylar will get the start.”

(What can QB Teddy Bridgewater do and how much have you seen QB Skylar Thompson grow within this week in practice, another week getting reps?) – “What can’t he do? (laughter) It’s a different conversation what he’s able to do today with an injury like that on a metacarpal. That’s something that really time, he’s been doing extensive rehab. Just yesterday I thought he was casting himself for Zoolander movie because he had his hand in wax with like a bubble around it, so he looked like he was the hand model. Anybody know that one? (laughter) But he’s been working relentlessly and what he’ll be able to do with extra time, even more rehab and then game day adrenaline, we’re hoping it’s good enough for him to be able to fully execute everything in the offense. If there’s certain things that he is unable to do, we’ll just adjust. But his objective is No. 1, to be ready to play if needed, and No. 2, he’s been doing a fantastic job. You really rely on your veterans in playoff game preparation just to kind of ease minds and direct energy in the appropriate way, so he’s been kicking ‘A’ all week with that with Skylar specifically, but on top of that the other skill position players and offensive players as well.”

(How is QB Tua Tagovailoa doing? Is he advancing in protocol at least?) – “The current stage is the same as it was last. He’s been around and been good and I’m just worried about his day-to-day health. I’ll let you know when it does advance, but besides checking on him and how he’s doing, it’s a big-time life adjustment when you go from playing to being out. That’s for every player that’s injured. So you try to make sure that they’re still feeling as involved as possible in general, and then besides that, I’ve just been focused on preparing this team for a Wild Card game on Sunday.”

(Is this team playing for QB Tua Tagovailoa on Sunday? I mean, because of everything that’s been going on in his life right now. Teammates, I’m sure they’re well aware, is this team playing for Tua on Sunday?) – “I know there are people that are really motivated by doing right by his contribution for sure. I think guys have a lot of reasons to play this game. Specifically because it was not easy to earn it. They went through a lot of things. There was some adversity down the stretch of the season, that as much as you look down on a five-game losing streak, I see a lot of mental fortitude and impressive, really an impressive collective locker room to find a way to get in and they want to do right by that as well. So there’s a lot of different reasons to play. I would say that’s probably one of those reasons for multiple people in their mind is making sure that we take care of the team the way he has. And that’s in a multitude of ways for sure.”

(The last time this team had zero penalties in a game was back in 2013. How important will discipline for you all in order to shock the world this weekend?) – “Wow, that’s a long time. No, it’s very important. Those little things become big things in games – it’s really just in competitive games where you know both teams are really going to be putting their best foot forward. A third-and-7 on both sides of the ball is very different than a third-and-2 or a third-and-12. And one penalty can dictate those terms which can dictate the course. So absolutely those will be important. I think turnovers like always, but even more so in a road playoff game, winning the turnover battle is incredibly important. And just really trying to play as clean of football as we possibly can. When you’re aggressive, which the Buffalo Bills are and I think we are, too; when you’re just aggressive in the style of how you play football, penalties will happen. You just hope to minimize them and not have them come in untimely fashion.”

(It’s pretty rare to face a team three times in one season. You did it last year with the 49ers. What are some unique challenges of facing a team for the third time within a four-month span?) – “Oh, there’s plenty of challenges. The first and foremost for me is overthinking. You can play the game of chess – or maybe it should be a game of checkers and sometimes you try to make it chess and it shouldn’t be. You can overthink things. You can think this will lead to this or because they did this this time, we’re going to do this. A lot of times, it’s just more of an overall team mentality at that point because how much people know about each other. You’re not tricking anybody really, for the most part and from a game-planning perspective, it’s trickier earlier in the week. But then ultimately, I really love the times that we’ve been fortunate enough to do it – to play a team three times. You really trim the fat and it’s about a team’s will against each other. It’s an equalizer for sure because you know exactly what it’s going to feel like the first play of the game and on all phases. All the players can put themselves there, and it’s not a matter of what it’s going to feel like; it’s how are we going to execute whatever we’re doing.”

(Do you have any insight on T Terron Armstead, T Brandon Shell and OL Liam Eichenberg, their availability?) – “Oh, all three. Those are the three that I have no real insight – waiting game, really, for all three. It’s not ideal. But at this stage of the season with your team’s season football life on the line, you end having to not worry about any of that. It minimizes that. It’s just next man up, who’s able and capable, and let’s put our best foot forward within our scheme.”

(You haven’t ruled RB Raheem Mostert out up to this minute. He hasn’t practiced yet.) – “I’ll probably be able to be definitive with that probably early afternoon today. So I’d like to figure that out concretely, but I give him as much time as possible because of my history with him.”

(He’ll try to practice?) – “We’ll see. I don’t think he’s going to, but there’s a couple things they’re going to be communicating with as far as the players and the medical staff in how he can try to approach this game and be able to execute what he needs to execute. But we should be able to know that at least today, just a little more communication and planning needs to go before that’s the case.”

(There have been a couple games where QB Josh Allen has had either two interceptions or a couple fumbles. Has there been anything that you guys have seen in those instances maybe that are some things defensively you guys can capitalize on?) – “Ironically, it’s the simplest thing of all time, but it’s opportunistic defenders, which means they catch it. You definitely have – when you have an elite playmaker, such as Josh Allen, they get so many yards and so much productivity out of the things that he does to extend plays. The amount of field that he can cover with the ball in the air is outrageous. And in that is inherent risk. He’s a fearless football player, so he’ll try to squeeze stuff into windows, and the teams that are able to, with conviction, attack the ball and maybe change their angle to the trajectory early because they’re ready for it and they catch it. The opportunistic part of playing against him is huge. You have to have a short memory. He’s going to make plays. He’ll probably make some pretty cool ones that are highlight-worthy. You have to be ready for that and make sure that those are very hard earned and minimize him to the best of your ability.”

(There’s not a lot of playoff experience on this roster, but in the past year the team has brought in a lot of veterans with that playoff experience. How much has their voices helped this week?) – “It’s been huge, and it’s been something that didn’t start this week. It was something that was on our mind collectively, in terms of the leaders that we have brought here with experience and some of the guys that were here that have been on teams with success, all of that, we knew the team was young and we wanted to approach that early. We’ve been talking through that. We feel pretty good about where they’re at in their ability to make this game a fun, not stressful game, because of how they prep and understanding what it feels like to have an elimination game. The good news is for certainty, we already had one. We knew that our season was over if we didn’t win last week, so that should help. It’s a really cool thing that you try to prepare your team for as much as possible, but there’s nothing like playoff football. Once you experience it, it’s the only way you want to play. So I’m excited for these guys to get the true opportunity, and I think they can build upon the opportunity of an elimination game that they had that week before.”

(The point spread for this game is up there historically for a playoff game. What do you think when you see that the outside perception is that you guys are going to get smoked?) – “I’m more concerned about preparing the team. I’m very used – that doesn’t make me, personally, blink. This just in – no one expected me personally to do anything that I’ve ever done, really. I think a journey of an NFL player is very similar with the amount of competition there is and how the parity is what it is. I think most guys on NFL teams have been told they couldn’t. It’s a really good football team that we’re playing, so we probably agree with people in that regard. Arguably the best in the league, it’s right up there. If we think we’re pretty good as well or have a higher opinion than everybody else, that’s not everybody else’s fault. So that’s – I don’t know. I’m not surprised nor does it affect me that much at all. It’s more about playing the football game to the best of our ability and being happy with our investment. If you’re happy with your investment, you can live with the outcome, regardless of what it is.”

Ty McKenzie – January 12, 2023 Download PDF version

Thursday, January 12, 2023

Outside Linebackers Coach Ty McKenzie

(A question about LB Bradley Chubb and I guess the finger ailment or whatever you want to call it. How tough is it, once an offensive lineman gets his hands on you, to use your hands to get those hands off? Does it work like that? How tough is it?) – “It’s tough. I have a lot of respect for Bradley to be out there and give us all he can as a warrior. You’re trying to get engaged, trying to set an edge or being able to use your fingers to shed. He’s out there giving us all he can. We’re appreciative for the reps that he can give us?”

(How do you compensate for that?) – “It’s going to be tough. You really got to get knock-back and be able to grab something with the one or two fingers, however many you may have. But it’s a difficult task. And that’s one thing on setting the edge is we have to make sure we’re setting the edge on defense and we’ve got to be able to rush the passer. He’s giving us what he can and we’re appreciative of it.”

(We’ve seen LB Jaelan Phillips rush the passer from inside. When he does that as opposed to be kind of outside all of the time, what are the teaching points and kind of the things for him to be successful against some bigger guys inside?) – “So working inside – Jaelan has done a great job for us working inside and outside, and being able to get some straight rushes where he can go work a pass rush move and work his hands. You can see this year he’s working his hands really well. So it’s really a body lean. It’s about working an edge, knowing your opponent, what they have success in, what they don’t have success in and being able to take advantage of that.”

(Are there things that edge guys have to be more aware of when you have a quarterback as mobile as QB Josh Allen?) – “Yeah, Josh is such an elite player. I have a lot of respect for him because when he gets outside of the pocket, he throws a beautiful ball down the field with velocity and accuracy. When he’s in the pocket, he can throw with velocity and accuracy as well. He’s a big-statured (guy) back there moving around. You got to make sure that all 11 are on the same page and the rush and coverage come together, because if not, you guys have seen his highlight tape.”

(Is there a difference in the approach of the pass rush for a guy coming in off the edge that you have to take with a guy like QB Josh Allen?) – “I think it goes back to making sure all 11 (are in sync). Is this an opportunity where we can get really aggressive? Is this an opportunity where everybody has to do their job? Or is it 11 vs. 1 with Josh Allen out there? He’s dynamic and he can make some big plays. The biggest thing is just knowing what the call, what the situation is. And then making sure that we’re trying to keep him in the pocket and not let him get out. But at the same time in the pocket, we still want to get as close as we can or get him to the ground because he’s dynamic in and out of the pocket.”

(How much do you think is going to carry over from the first two games with how you guys played against Buffalo and how Buffalo plays against you guys?) – “It’s a new matchup. Right now, anything that we did during the season versus them in the first two rounds, it’s over. Now we’re going to the third round or third date or however you want to look at it, so it’s going to be a new slate. We’ve got to see what they’re going to do and we’ve got to have a good gameplan for our defense to give ourselves a chance to win the game. It’s going to be a new game and I’m excited to see what they do. I’m excited to see our players go out there and perform at a high level.”

(It was a little bit of a pitch count for LB Bradley Chubb. How did he get through the game and how much do you think he can give you with another week?) – “It’s really just how much can he give us during the week. So we try to build it up and then we get to the game and it’s kind of him out there playing and giving us everything he can. If that’s one snap or if that’s 15 snaps or 30 snaps or 100 snaps, nobody is counting. We’re just out there trying to make sure we do right by the player and whatever he can give us, he’s giving us the best that he can.”

(It looked like LB Andrew Van Ginkel played with some good energy last week. Do you feel like he’s kind of regained his form after having an appendix issue? How do you think he’s come back from that later in the season?) – “I feel like he’s playing well. He’s playing really well. His eyes are right. He’s striking tight ends and knocking guys back. He’s doing a lot of things that we coach him to do. So him getting an opportunity to step up with (Bradley) Chubb going through his injuries gives us a chance to win. I was excited to see him out there perform and we’ll see how it goes this week with whoever we have out there – whether it’s Chubb, (Van) Ginkel, ‘Mel’ (Melvin Ingram), (Brennan) Scarlett dressed for us a couple weeks ago, or Jaelan Phillips.”

(Even beyond health obviously, which has been a factor in how much LB Andrew Van Ginkel has played with LB Bradley Chubb’s injury, do you guys – you and Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer – base snaps at all for LB Melvin Ingram and LB Andrew Van Ginkel on how they play early in the game? Or do you have a pretty good idea of how much each of those two backup outside linebackers will play before the game?) – “I think before the game, we go into it like the guys prepare their tail off and that’s the decision. We go off of who is going to start, who’s performing at a high level in practice and who feels good with the gameplan and that’s every week. That’s every position. You don’t play a guy that took zero snaps in practice. You play the guys that practiced, the guys that gave us what they can and you try to win with those guys. There’s no count that we put together. We just kind of go with the guys we have out there. The guys, they do a great job. Talking about just being selfless – (Melvin) Ingram, (Andrew) Van Ginkel, Jaelan (Phillips) when we have to put him inside or he’s outside, whatever it may be. Or ‘Mel’ getting however many snaps. Those guys are selfless and just want whatever they can do to help the team win. So a lot of respect for those guys to whenever their number is called, with that being 100 snaps or maybe zero snaps in the game, those guys are always ready to go.”

(Elevating LB Brennan Scarlett and then having him inactive, was that just precautionary in case LB Bradley Chubb couldn’t go? I know he contributed on special teams a little bit the week before.) – “Elevations and all that, I kind of leave that to (General Manager) Chris (Grier) and (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) for them to answer those questions. I don’t want to say anything and the NFL want to fine me or anything like that. So I stay away from those. (laughter) But I think it’s always an asset to have guys in the building that know the system, that you can trust, that have practiced during the year, training camp, during the season that you can trust and that you can count on to go out there and perform at a high level. Because at the end of the day, it’s 11 guys going on the field that they have to feel good with, and I know we feel good with the guys on this roster.”

(Obviously one of the big questions with LB Jaelan Phillips coming into the year was how would he do against the run? Do you think he’s become a good NFL run defender?) – “In my eyes with Jaelen Phillips, I feel like Jaelen Phillips has become a complete outside linebacker. And that’s something that we kind of talked about there in offseason. I mean Jaelen Phillips, he’s setting the edge and he’s earning the right to rush the passer. That’s something we talked about is on early down, you’ve got to set the edge, you’ve got to have clean eyes, you’ve got to do your job, and if you do your job, then we can get the offense to a second-and-long, to a third-and-long and we can actually rush. So he’s doing a great job on early downs with his drops, with his breaking drive, with his vision. He had a couple ‘PBUs’ (pass breakups), and then at the same time, when it’s time to rush, he’s doing a great job rushing. For him, I don’t know the numbers, but we were kind of talking about it a couple days ago – he’s like top five in QB hurries and all this other stuff. He’s getting after the quarterback and that shows a tribute to the team that he’s on, what the guys around him, with Christian (Wilkins), with Zach Sieler, with (Bradley) Chubb, with Jaelan (Phillips), with Mel Ingram, with Cameron Goode, with Brennan Scarlett, all those guys – Raekwon (Davis). I can just keep going down this long list. But it’s a tribute to all those guys that he’s out there with and at the same time with the work that he’s put in. Actually, he’s getting to the quarterback and he’s affecting the quarterback. That’s one thing that we talk about a lot is affecting the quarterback. Sometimes it’s a ton of sacks in a game. Sometimes it’s quarterback pressures, it’s quarterback hits and those things add up where the quarterback has to get the ball out quick. They can’t just sit there and just hold it; they have to get on a rhythm and get the ball out of their hands.”

(How would you assess LB Jaelan Phillips’ in-game pass rush plan in terms of seeing what a tackle is doing to him and then coming back and saying, “Here’s how I can beat that?”) – “Yeah, I think that’s the in-game adjustments. You’re sitting there actually having a plan, and then sometimes you go out there and it may not work on the first one. Now you have to adjust on the sideline and know what you’re going to get with those tackles or a guard or a center that’s inside. So that’s something that we’ve been doing a great job with Jaelan (Phillips), and the rest of the guys as well, down on the line with the guys that would rush the passer, is ‘Here’s what we’re getting. Let’s change it up. Let’s do this instead.’ That’s just – it’s huge for success for players. At the same time, it’s stuff that we talk about through the week, so when it happens in the game, it’s like, ‘Alright, yeah. This is great.’ They have confidence in it.”

(It says you were born in Queens?) – “I was born in Queens. That’s a long story – if you want to know, I’ll tell you.”

(I’m from Glendale and Ozone Park.) – “Oh really?”

(How long were you there?) – “I was there until I was about two-and-a-half, and then I moved to Tampa, but I still have a couple family members up there. My aunt, she’s up there with a couple of my cousins. So we’ll go up there once in a blue moon. It’s been about, I want to say, four years since I’ve been up there. But it’s good.”

(What are your sports teams outside of obviously the Dolphins and football?) – “You know what? During the offseason – I don’t watch a lot of sports during the season, I’m always watching tape or game-planning opponents and all that. So during the offseason, I watch some baseball. I like the Dodgers, always good. Got a lot of respect for (Los Angeles Dodgers Manager) Dave Roberts over there. Got a lot of respect for (University of Georgia Football Head Coach) Kirby Smart. There’s a couple of coaches out there – so now, I’m watching these sports teams and I’m really looking at the coaches, because the stuff they’re doing, in-game adjustments, how they’re handling their roster. So that’s really how I pick my sports teams off of the best coached teams.”

(You started to say, I think, that there’s some kind of story behind you and Queens and going way back?) – “Queens was great. So I ended up spending some time there for two and a half years or so and then moved to Florida. For me, Florida has just always been homebase, because the time that I spent there, I don’t remember. It’s all photos and so on, so Florida has always been home to me. It was great to come back to work for the Miami Dolphins. (I have) a lot of respect for what they’ve done here and we’re getting closer to accomplishing another goal and that’s every day. Right now, the biggest thing today is it’s Thursday and we’ll figure out Friday when it comes, so it’s exciting.”

Austin Clark – January 12, 2023 Download PDF version

Thursday, January 12, 2023

Defensive Line Coach Austin Clark

(We had Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer here earlier talking about hemming QB Josh Allen in the pocket and not letting him escape. What’s kind of the key to rushing a quarterback like Josh Allen, not letting him get out of the pocket?) – “Yeah, I think it’s being coordinated. How many guys are we bringing, your rush lanes, your eyes, gap integrity, level rush, middle push. All those things kind of factor into it depending on how many guys we’re bringing and what we’re doing.”

(Run defense very effective last week, what was the role of the of the d-line and what were you guys doing there?) – “I think we did a really good job playing square to the line of scrimmage with good pad leverage, getting extension on blockers, playing primary to secondary and the linebackers I thought did a phenomenal job filling secondary on crack replace. In the run game it takes all 11. But it’s a new season Sunday.”

(Just to sum up the year that DT Zach Sieler had, if you could just share your thoughts?) – “I think Zach Sieler is versatile, dependable, accountable, works his ass off, runs to the football. Can’t say enough great things about him. Student of the game. I think he’s come a long way in his game using his length. I love him, love what he’s doing.”

(Have there have been things you’ve been able to do with DE Emmanuel Ogbah since he went down, whether it’s involvement in team meetings, anything else?) – “No. I’ll tell you this, though. I think it says a lot about the guy. We had a big game Sunday for us and he’s there. He’s in the locker room. He’s around. I know the players and myself, I really value that. I value him as a person as well and the leadership he brings, and so that was that was awesome for us having him at the game and being around.”

(Ninety-plus tackles for a defensive lineman. Obviously it’s a big number. Does that number, does it even make you go, “Wow, that’s impressive”?) – “I’ll be honest, (Christian Wilkins) had 89 last year. So I did tell him like – we don’t look at it long term goals until the season’s over, but as the regular season ended, that was a big step for him. And I think it speaks to his effort and how far he’s come with his technique. And for him, how important it is to be as close to that football as possible at the end of every play.”

(First NFL playoff game for you. What do you think about that? How do you feel about going into the postseason?) – “We got to win. That’s what it is. To be honest, that’s the only thing on my mind, on our players’ minds, is going up there and getting a W.”

(What do you expect the playoff atmosphere to be in that building? It’s usually always a great atmosphere?) – “Yeah, the last time we were up there was a great atmosphere. So I would expect it to be some of the same. Hopefully no snowballs this time. (laughter) I don’t think it’s snowing so we should be all right.”

(Thoughts on how DT Raekwon Davis’ season went?) – “Yeah, I think he’s ascending. I think over the last couple of weeks really, I would say, to pinpoint one thing if you’re looking for – probably that that fake punt against Green Bay. Stopping that has kind of catapulted him and I know when you guys look at run defense, you may look at yards or tackles for loss, but there’s a guy over there in the middle lining up over the center that’s taking two a lot and he’s done a nice job.”

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