Durham Smythe – November 16, 2020
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Monday, November 16, 2020
TE Durham Smythe
(I wanted to ask you how you felt the offense performed on Sunday. It seems like you guys are getting a lot of short fields from the defense that might skew your yards a bit. Take us behind how film study went today, and what went well and what didn’t?) – “I think the offense is playing pretty well, or played well yesterday, like you said. The last four or five weeks have been pretty interesting from the offensive side of the ball just because the defense and special teams are giving us a short field a lot of the time, which is obviously nothing to complain about. We put an emphasis yesterday on trying to be able to run the ball a little bit more efficiently, which I think we did. Tua (Tagovailoa) made some throws when we needed those too. I think overall we played pretty well. Obviously there are things to clean up in all phases and all facets; but for the most part, I think we’re trending in the right direction.”
(What has been working in the red zone for you guys recently? I noticed that all of QB Tua Tagovailoa’s touchdowns have come in the red zone, and the Dolphins have also done a really good job of getting you tight ends free for some plays in that area. What are some things that are really helping with you guys?) – “That’s a part of the field that we put a lot of emphasis on during the week. Whether it’s running the ball or play design like you kind of mentioned, that frees people up, I think we, over the last four of five weeks – really all season – we’ve had plays in our game plans that free people up. Like you saw me yesterday, there was no one within 10 to 15 yards of me. I think that’s a reflection of the offensive staff and the game plans they are putting together in the red zone, and us just going out there and realizing there is an emphasis on it and trying to execute.”
(When you heard that call come in, you knew obviously the ball was going to come your way, or if it didn’t, something went wrong. Did your eyes get big? Were you like, ‘Oh crap, I’m going to be 10 yards clear of the rest of the defense, I better not drop it?’) – “Obviously you love to hear the play call come in; but I always tell people that when you are that alone in the end zone, it is kind of lonely. You feel like the ball is in the air for 10-15 seconds. But there is definitely nothing to complain about in terms of an uncontested touchdown catch. I won’t complain about that.”
(WR Jakeem Grant has been telling us for five years that he is a Pro Bowl receiver. That’s halfway joking. Obviously he’s an extremely confident guy. But in the last couple of weeks, he’s really kind of shown me something. What have you noticed about his growth as a receiver?) – “I think for Jakeem, obviously first and foremost with the ball in his hands, he’s one of the most electric players in the NFL, whether it’s on special teams in any return game or getting the ball in space on offense. Once the ball is in his hands, anything can happen. I think for him, it’s just consistency and really getting opportunities. Over the last couple of weeks, he’s made the most of those opportunities in terms of the offensive side of the ball and on special teams. I think Jakeem has put a lot of work in, in terms of just being consistent and obviously he’s a very electric type of player. It’s always exciting to see him go kind of crazy with the ball and just watch him go. I’m happy for him and he’s been very consistent lately.”
(I wanted to ask you about a guy on the other side of the ball that maybe you see in practice quite a bit in DE Shaq Lawson. We see these social media post of him grinning and laughing during the game. I know Head Coach Brian Flores has a pretty serious focused mindset that he talks about how players who it’s important to are a key aspect of being Miami Dolphins. I’m wondering how Shaq has found a way to strike that balance of serious, and focused and just absolute class clown to make everybody laugh. How important is that to a football team?) – “It’s very important. I think this goes back to this staff, this regime, bringing in the right type of guys because I think you absolutely need a balance on a team in the NFL in terms of guys who are – I mean we all take obviously the game seriously, but guys who are almost always business and straight-forward, and then guys who bring some energy and some fun to it. Shaq is a huge energy producer for us, whether it’s pregame, in the locker room, at halftime on the field like you said with these pictures of him laughing and stuff. I think this staff has done a great job of bringing in the right people that mesh well together, personalities that mesh well and kind of feed off of each other. Like I said, Shaq is a huge spark for us in terms of energy, which has kind of showed up on the field, especially on the defensive side of the ball over the last couple of weeks.”
Brian Flores – November 16, 2020
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Monday, November 16, 2020
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Opening statement.) – “I’m going to start by letting you guys know (that) we released Jordan Howard this morning. This was a mutual parting. I think given the circumstances, Jordan handled himself professionally. I think he was the consummate pro. There were no issues. We just felt like this was in the best interest of both parties – ours and his. (I have) a lot of respect for him, a lot of respect for the way he worked. No ill will, nothing of that nature. Just thought it was best for both parties.”
(You all are getting a lot from players who might have been overlooked by other teams, cut by other teams, third-day draft picks. I know you’re involved in personnel, but could you talk about the quality of the evaluators you’re working with? Obviously General Manager Chris Grier but also Assistant General Manager Marvin Allen, Senior Personnel Executive Reggie McKenzie, Assistant Director of College Scouting Matt Winston, Co-Director of Player Personnel Adam Engroff – just the quality of the people that you’ve worked with here these 18 months and how much that’s helped toward eyeballing players that you brought in that have helped you?) – “I think we have a lot of people throughout this organization who work hard in whatever facet of the organization that they work in. It’s important to them. I think everyone communicates well. I think myself, (General Manager) Chris (Grier), (Vice President of Football Administration) Brandon (Shore), (Assistant General Manager) Marvin (Allen); we have a collective vision of the types of players we want, what we’re looking for, and the guys in the personnel department, they look for players who fit that criteria and they continue to do that, and they’re doing that now. I’ve said this many times over, it’s a team effort. Everyone’s role is important from people who clean to the people who scout, the people who do personnel to really everyone within the organization. Everyone’s role is important.”
(I guess just following up on RB Jordan Howard. He had been productive in Chicago and Philadelphia. I’m just curious on why you think maybe it didn’t work out for you guys.) – “It’s a tough question to answer. I think he’s a good back. He’s definitely been productive. I think we had some other guys who stepped in and played well and for that reason, his reps were limited and when he did go in there, it felt like we had maybe a little bit better production from some other guys. But I don’t think that speaks to his talent level. I think he’s a talented young man and he’s been productive in this league and I wish him all the best.”
(I don’t know that you think that a 6-3 record is an accomplishment. I don’t know if you’re wired that way or not, but nonetheless you’re 6-3; so I’m wondering what you see as the reasons – what have you accomplished to get to where you are?) – “I think guys have worked together. I think we have a team full of guys who football is important to them, competing is important to them, communicating is important to them. And I think they bought into the – let’s call it working together as a team and working hard and preparing and giving ourselves an opportunity to compete. We’ve seen some good results from that and they continue to buy into those things.”
(I was curious about the offense in general. How do you think it’s performing around the midway part of the season? Certainly QB Tua Tagovailoa’s changed things. What has gone well? What do you think he needs to improve on and more specifically, how do you think you can get WR DeVante Parker more involved on the offense?) – “I think we can improve in a lot of areas – run game, drop-back, third down, third-and-1, red zone, two-minute, o-line can play better, backs can play better, quarterbacks can make better decisions, receivers can do a better job getting open. It hasn’t been perfect, that’s for sure. There’s always room for improvement and I think the guys will work towards making those improvements.”
(A few guys that played a lot of snaps and contributed and did pretty well – DT Zach Sieler, LB Andrew Van Ginkel, CB Nik Needham. One thing they have in common is they’re not first-rounders. One guy is a five, one guy is a seven, one guy is undrafted. My question is what traits in your opinion are required to become a key contributor when you’re not a highly drafted player?) – “I think you only get one, normally one first-rounder a year, so most teams are made up of guys who aren’t first-round picks. I think what allows a guy to make a team and to contribute are, is he tough, is he smart, does he love to play, is he team-first, is he competitive? I think if you have all those qualities, then you give yourself an opportunity to learn, to develop, to improve and eventually contribute. I think you see that in the guys you mentioned. So (Nik) Needham, (Zach) Sieler – whether it’s his time in Baltimore to coming over here – and (Andrew) Van Ginkel; the three guys you mentioned, they have all those characteristics. And it allows them to get the most out of their ability and they’ve been able to contribute and play well, and they’re still getting better. They’re still young players, still getting better and hopefully we haven’t seen the best that they have to offer.”
(I wanted to ask you about the defensive schemes. I know that you are a man of mystery, but how many packages do you have?) – “We got the rover package coming in for (you) next week, for sure. (laughter) That’s coming in next week, that’s coming in hot. We’ll have (your) package coming in a couple of weeks. We’ll name something after you. (laughter)”
(In terms of the packages with this hybrid defense, how many are there… Because guys play let’s say 30 snaps and I assume it’s on certain packages that they are a part of. Is that correct?) – “I’m not going to give up too many – yes, I would say depending on how many packages we have and when those packages come up situationally, that would definitely play a part in how many snaps guys will get. But to answer your question, I think every week given the players we feel like are going to be active, who we’re playing against, how creative our coaching staff feels that week, ideas get thrown around all the time. I try to create an environment where that’s happening really on all sides of the ball. Especially defensively, I think (Defensive Coordinator) Josh (Boyer) does a great job – Josh and his staff do a great job of trying to come up with things that are new, that are different, that will give our opponents problems. Then we have to figure out whether or not we can get that to our players and teach it to them over the course of a week, to a point where they can execute. (Your) package is going to be tough, I’m going to tell you that right now. (laughter) I don’t know if we can get that one taught in a week. (laughter)”
(Today is the one-year anniversary of when QB Tua Tagovailoa suffered that hip injury. I’m wondering if you can recall what you may have been thinking the first time you saw that play and the severity of what you were witnessing, and if you can reflect on how far he’s come in that year?) – “Honestly, I was deep into our 2019 season, so I don’t necessarily recall when that all happened or – I don’t know where (I was). I’m sure there are some people who know where they were on that at that exact moment, but I don’t necessarily. I love Tua. He’s come through it, he’s healthy, he’s playing well, he’s getting better on a weekly basis. I think that adversity will ultimately help him, and has helped him come through something like that. Rehab, you feel like everything is going to be over, everything you’ve worked for is over, and then you come back and you rehab. I think that’s a testament to him, his family, his work ethic and how important the game is to him. While I don’t necessarily know where I was when that happened, I know where he is now. I think he’s in a good place physically, mentally, emotionally, and he’s improving on a daily basis. That’s important to me, to this team, to his family and hopefully we just continue to get better on a daily basis.”
(CB Xavien Howard has had more interceptions over the last few years than anybody. For you as a defensive schemer and Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer as a play caller, what does it do knowing that you have a guy that can change the game with his playmaking ability at any point?) – “’X’ (Xavien Howard) has very good cover skills. I think people put a lot into interceptions and sacks. I know we’ve had these conversations before – and they are big plays and he had a big play yesterday, and he’s made some big plays – but the rest of his game has really improved as well, getting off of blocks and tackling. Just pure coverage when the ball is not being thrown his way. I’ve had this conversation – I probably haven’t had it with you guys – but over the course of a season, lets call it a starter in the league, whether it’s a d-end or a receiver or a DB, you get 1,000 snaps. So it you get 10 interceptions or 20 sacks, you’re talking about one or two percent of the snaps roughly, if my math is right. It probably isn’t because I’m not very good at math; but to me, it’s the other 98 percent or 99 percent that really matters. Those are huge plays. They are. But I try to focus on the 99 and 98 percent and get those guys really good at that, and then I think the other two percent or one percent kind of happens. When those opportunities present themselves, they have to make them, and ‘X’ has done that. The players with those big stats, they do that; but my focus is normally on the other 99 percent and I’ll let you guys handle the one to two percent. He’s done a great job and we’ve got a lot of guys who has made a lot of big plays for us; but they are doing the little things too. The little things add up. That’s what I like about this group is they really focus on the little things and when you do enough of the little things, the big things happen. You’ve got to make them happen, but when you do all of the little things, the big opportunities present themselves and then you’re ready to make a play. I’m good on all the interceptions and all of that. That’s great; but I’m going to focus on the other 99 percent.”
Xavien Howard – November 15, 2020 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 15, 2020
Postgame – L.A. Chargers
CB Xavien Howard
(Can you tell us about your interception and how important it was after the Chargers had moved down the field on you guys, and then you had the pick and it kind of it seemed like it turned things around for the whole team.) – “It was a great call from the coaches, made a great play on the ball. It changed the momentum and the offense ended up scoring.”
(Five interceptions now leads the NFL. Is this the best you’ve been playing in your career, do you think?) – “I feel like I’m just getting better. I want to say, put myself by saying that this is the best football I’ve been playing also. I think it’s probably two years with seven, so I’m (going to) just keep on going, just trying to strive for the best.”
(We hadn’t talked to you since I guess last month when it was all, like, a trade deadline and all that, so I wanted to get your view of how that was for you, and now that it’s all behind you, what does that make it easier?) – “I knew somebody was going to ask me that question, though, but, man, we got a W today. That’s what I’m proud about. We’re just going to keep on going and keep fighting that’s all I’m going to say about that.”
(I wanted to ask you about the interception again. You guys talk about how the coverage and pass rush kind of marry up together. How much does pass rush performance this year give you extra confidence to play that aggressive style that gets you so many interceptions?) – “That’s the way the coaches – (Head Coach) Brian Flores and the guys – that’s how they want us to play and be aggressive no matter what. With everything working together and everybody making plays, that’s what it’s all about on the defense.”
Ted Karras – November 15, 2020 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 15, 2020
Postgame – L.A. Chargers
C Ted Karras
(111 rushing yards, no sacks. Obviously one of the better performances from this line. How much was the challenges that you guys faced this week with just kind of the shuffling of the line a catalyst for?) – “I think that everyone’s been working really hard. We’ve placed an emphasis on the run game. We’ve been not where we want to be throughout the start of this year; but heading into the second half of the year, we really want to emphasize it and I think everyone had their best game in the run game. Salvon (Ahmed) had a great game and everyone did their job, and it was a great unit effort and team effort to win this game.”
(I have no idea if you’ve heard this, but a few minutes ago the Cardinals won on a Hail Mary with two seconds left. That means that you are now a half game out of first place. Your reaction?) “I’m glad the NFC West could do us a favor there. I was waiting on one of them. (laughter) But those are good games. Obviously we’re in the hunt and we got to keep executing and winning games and doing what we’re doing.”
(I got to ask you about the snap that went awry. What happened there?) – “I was waiting for that. Two questions before that…“
(I’m the jerk. I apologize.) – “No, no, not at all.”
(What happened there and what did you say to QB Tua Tagovailoa after he saved the touchdown?) – “It’s the privilege of a lifetime to play with guys that play with effort like that. And it slipped out of my hand on the third down a couple plays before. I take a lot of precautions with kind of moisture management. It was a long drive and it slipped out of my hand again. And when something like that happens, it’s devastating and you look at guys in the eye that count on you and it hurts you in the deepest part of your being that you let people down. And I’m really glad we rallied. I thought it was an otherwise good performance by everyone, but it’s a lonely feeling at center and that’s my job and that was 100 percent on me. I took the arm sleeves off. I was just pretty wet and it slipped out of my hand and kind of a nightmare play at center, and I’m really glad the team rallied. I thanked everyone. That was a tough one and that’s your No. 1 priority and job and I take it very seriously and that was a tough one.”
(We all saw the video of you encouraging QB Tua Tagovailoa after the first start and it seemed like he was there to help you out with that tackle there. Just playing for each other and your relationship with Tua, what did you think about him making the tackle and what do you think about his play today overall?) – “Well, that’s a gutsy play and one of the plays of the game and something that is just great team football and not on my part, on that play, and that hurts. You want to always be the guy to be old reliable, but this team is so fun to play with and there’s a brotherhood here and I think that’s why it hurt me so much. But we rallied, and you have to make a decision there whether you’re going to let it bother you and we didn’t, so I didn’t, at least I tried not to. So we won the game and we’re going to keep rolling.”
(You mentioned RB Salvon Ahmed before. Talk about the impact he made and how happy you are for a guy making his, starting his first start and making such a contribution in a game like this helping you win a game?) – “Just taking advantage of his opportunities, that’s something that in this league, they’re rare and usually only come around once. And he’s been doing such a great job and a huge impact player for us today and really hit the hole nice a lot, and we had some big runs and something that we’ve been working towards for weeks now and it feels good to have some of our hard work pay off there with a guy like that coming in and making an impact.”
(Kind of on that same topic, I wanted to ask you, we talk all the time about quarterbacks and receivers and the timing and the comfortability of the passing game. How much does it change your approach with a different running back in there multiple weeks in a row having to block for different guys, how much does that change the way you guys kind of approach things?) – “Well, I think Coach Gailey (Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey) and Coach Marshall (Offensive Line Coach Steve Marshall) do an outstanding job scheming up runs that will be successful for the personnel we’re playing against and the personnel we have. And then when it comes down to game time, the onus is on us to execute and I thought we did a decent job today, obviously better than we have and good enough to win. Obviously there’s a lot still to improve on, but getting coached up after a win like that is always nice.”
(I feel like I ask you guys this every week, but complementary football just appears to be the key to getting these wins, and I just am curious when special teams makes a play like that so early on in the game, what’s kind of said amongst the offense to be like, “all right, this is our turn, like, let’s go?”) – “Our defense and our special teams have spotted us points early in games here for a couple weeks in a row now and it’s an outstanding, it’s fantastic, and as an offensive player to go out there and start the game on the 1-yard line is very rare and something that was important to the game. We’re just going to have to keep continue working hard. We’ve got great specialists and great special teams and a great defense and offense. We’re continuing to improve and putting up points on the board and going to roll these last seven games.”
Jakeem Grant – November 15, 2020 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 15, 2020
Postgame – L.A. Chargers
WR Jakeem Grant
(I know you’ve talked a lot about wanting to prove that you’re more than a returner, that you can be a receiver too, that you could step up with WR Preston Williams injured. What do you think your performance today said about that and your chances to prove that?) – “Like I’ve been saying, I’m a receiver before a returner, and my number was called today. That’s what I did. I went out there and showed them that I’m not just a returner, I’m a receiver too. I’m a total package.”
(What can you say about this team, what direction are you headed, and is this, in your mind, a team that can make a playoff run?) – “We’re not looking that far ahead. We’re a one-week team. We play it like it’s a one-week season. I think this team is a phenomenal team. We got all kind of talent on every side of the ball and I think we do a good job of playing together and playing for four quarters.”
(That’s two straight weeks where you got a season-high four catches. What do you think about the chemistry that you’re building here with QB Tua Tagovailoa?) – “I like it a lot. We had a lot of chemistry going into camp and I caught some balls from him, some deep balls, short balls. And it’s just chemistry. We’re just going to continue to be chemistry week after week.”
(I noticed you’re wearing a basketball jersey there and one of the comparisons I thought of during the game for QB Tua Tagovailoa was a point guard. When I watch him play, I kind of feel like I’m watching a point guard. What do you think of that comparison and how does he kind of compare to a point guard?) – “Point guard is the leader of the team on the basketball court, and that’s exactly what Tua is. He’s a quarterback and he’s the leader of our team whenever we’re out there. And guess what? He gave me a couple assists. He even gave a couple assists to DeVante (Parker), so he’s a point guard on the field, too.”
(Wanted to you ask about that touchdown reception you had. A 3-yard hookup route there. Not usually how you score. Could you walk us through that play and tell us how it felt to get a red zone chance and convert like that?) – “All week coach has been telling me sit in that zone, it’s going to be wide open. All you got to do is just sit there and Tua is going to find you and that’s exactly what I did.”
Andrew Van Ginkel – November 15, 2020 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 15, 2020
Postgame – L.A. Chargers
LB Andrew Van Ginkel
(So blocked punt or a touchdown, which one felt better?) – “Man, they both felt good. But touchdown is unbeatable. You’re putting points on the board, so that’s hard to beat, so I’ll definitely say touchdown.”
(I got to admit I didn’t watch enough of you in college to know the answer, but did you have a blocked punt in college or high school?) – “I had a couple in high school, but no, I never got one in college.”
(Can you just kind of explain what was the key to putting, to being in position to make that play and what had to happen for it to work?) – “There’s a lot of different parts to it. (Special Teams Coordinator) Coach (Danny) Crossman does a good job of putting us in a position where we can make plays and then all 11 guys have to execute. And it’s one of those things that we have had in there since training camp and we finally got an opportunity to call it and it came home. So just want to give props to Coach Crossman on dialing that up.”
(I’ll ask the first non-special teams question: What is it about Head Coach Brian Flores and Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer, these five straight victories, it seems like you guys are applying a lot of pressure on quarterbacks, forcing them into bad decisions, and it’s multiple guys getting the job done?) – “Right. That’s what we take pride in is being aggressive and getting to the quarterback. When you have DBs back there that can cover, it makes it a lot easier to do that. That’s what this defense has taken its pride in and it’s something that we’re going to continue to do.”
(They came out and had a nice drive they put together to open the second half. What was going wrong for your defense at that point? And then how big of a lift was it when you came back out again right after that and CB Xavien Howard had that big interception?) – “(Kalen) Ballage was just hitting it downhill hard and he was hitting the hole hard so props to him. He really came out to play. It’s just something that they got us, but it’s something that we need to fix and to continue to improve on. When they’re gaining 8 yards on first down that’s going to be tough to stop, especially when it’s second-and-short and they have the playbook open. It’s something that we need to do a better job on first down, stopping the runs, for sure.”
(Last year this team only won five games. Now this team is on a five-win, five-game winning streak and very much in the playoff hunt. What does it mean to be a part of this team this season? What can you say about the turnaround and just what’s the feeling in the locker room after weeks like this?) – “Just knowing all the hard work that we put in, that this was bound to happen, and this doesn’t just happen by chance. You see all of us, all 53 guys on the roster, and then even the practice squad players who are coming into work each and every day and I think that’s gotten us to this point and it’s something that we need to continue to do to really take it to the next step because we’re not perfect at all and there’s a lot to improve on. Just taking it day by day.”
(DT Christian Wilkins is obviously a big part of this defense. What were you guys able to do to overcome the loss of him being in the lineup this week?) – “Man, he’s the heart of the defense right there in the middle, but I think that we had a couple young guys like Benito (Jones) and (Jason) Strowbridge and Raekwon (Davis) step up and accept their role this week and come in and do the best that they could do and fill his role. Obviously, when you lose a star player like that, it’s tough, but it’s next-man-up mentality.”
Salvon Ahmed – November 15, 2020 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 15, 2020
Postgame – L.A. Chargers
RB Salvon Ahmed
(Could you talk about the week and when you knew you were going to be playing a featured role, when you were going to be starting the game? And then your reaction as it got closer and you knew that was going to be your role.) – “Yeah, we just treat it like a regular week. That’s what it is. It’s another game for us, and just be ready for anything and that’s how we attack every week – just being ready. Every running back in that room, knowing that we got to step up, so getting closer to the week it was just do what I’ve been coached to do this whole week and let’s go get a W.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores was just talking about how you just had a great week of practice and that’s kind of what allowed you to have kind of an increased role today. What does that say about him as a head coach in the, it doesn’t matter who you are, you got to earn it and you’ll be out there?) – “I think that just speaks for our team. I think we go out there and we earn it every single week. We go out there and put it all out there and leave it all there. So I think that just speaks for our whole team. We’re very proud of ourselves and just keep it going. Keep taking it week-by-week and that’s just kind of our motto, I think.”
(What are some things that are working for you personally that are allowing you to have some success like you’ve seen today?) – “Just practicing hard and asking questions. Not being too proud to ask questions. There’s a lot of older guys in that room and a lot of guys on this team that want to help, especially guys, young guys like me, first year. This team is a family, so I just ask a lot of questions and go out there and attack practice the best I can.”
(Can you talk about how this offense has evolved in the past couple of weeks? I know you’ve been here from I guess the end of training camp. What have you seen in terms of the evolution of the offense?) – “I think that week-by-week it’s just more and more confidence. We see what we’re able to do as a team and when we’re doing what we’re supposed to do. So I think as the weeks go on, just more and more confidence for sure.”
(I wanted to you ask you about CB Xavien Howard’s interception. It seems like that was one of the biggest plays of the game, the turnaround. Can you take me through what it was like on the sidelines when that happened and just do you just marvel at the job he does at cornerback?) – “Yeah, it’s always exciting when ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) makes a play. It’s just kind of like, ‘all right, now we got to go punch it in.’ They got us the ball back and we got to go capitalize on it. I think that was what we were thinking as the offense. But ‘X,’ he’s a guy that goes after practice and does what he does, so it’s not surprising once he does it on game day.”
Tua Tagovailoa – November 15, 2020 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 15, 2020
Postgame – L.A. Chargers
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(I wanted to ask you: This offense in terms of the RPOs, in terms of the running out of shotgun, how is it evolving as the season progresses?) – “To be honest, I think (Offensive Coordinator) Chan (Gailey) is just finding ways to put guys in certain areas or certain positions to become successful. We’re trying to put guys defensively in a bind to where we can take advantage of them. I think up to this point, we got to continue to execute on those things, but it’s still a work in progress, so we’ll continue to look at the film when it comes time tomorrow and continue to grow from there.”
(I just want to ask you about your tackle. Did anyone on the sidelines, when you came back say, “Please don’t do that again?”) – “No, no one said that. Really, I was just trying to strip the guy from the opposite side. It was probably best to try to just get him down next time, so I’ll take that into consideration.”
(You talked about Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey a little bit earlier. I wanted to ask: How are you kind of evolved with him in your comfort together over the last three weeks as far as knowing what you like, what he likes, and that flow when it’s a game day?) – “I feel like I’ve always been comfortable with Chan. The only thing is me and him getting on the same page as to why he’s calling a certain play and just the chemistry that we have. It’s just a continuous talk leading up to the game. And even with our starters, our drive starters, plays that we want to go out with to start the game, too, it’s a continuous talk. Just me and him getting on the same page and being comfortable with the plays that we’re going into the game with, I think that’s very key.”
(I do want to talk to you about your comfort level out there. It seems three games in you are feeling a lot more comfortable, taking some chances even though the defense has not been able to take advantage of those when you do have some miscues. How comfortable are you out there and just how do you feel overall?) – “I would say I’m comfortable, but a lot of that starts from practice, just being able to talk with our center, Ted (Karras), on Thursdays, going over our protections, just being able to talk to the o-line about what I’m thinking and then hearing from them what they’re thinking, talking to the receivers, what we’re thinking, and just kind of a combined thought process for all of us together to all kind of be on the same page. I think that’s where, you know, probably not just me, but everyone feels most comfortable is, it starts from practice and then it translates to the game.”
(3-0 now since you took over. I know it’s kind of a simple question, but how much fun are you having? How much fun is this team having now having won five in a row with three with you as a starter?) – “I think it’s fun winning in general, whether we do good offensively or the defense does good and special teams does good, just being able to come out with the win. I’m sure you guys have seen that video with Ted kind of helping me put things into perspective. But I think today was a great team win. We ran the ball really well. Big shout out to our o-line and big shout out to Salvon Ahmed for stepping up when his number was called. We have had a lot of opportunities that the defense has given us, as well, and I think the special teams did a really great job as well, too. It was a great team effort.”
(Curious, did you get a chance to talk to QB Justin Herbert after the game and if so, what was that conversation like?) – “I actually didn’t get an opportunity to talk to Justin after the game. Someone came up to me and, it was just a lot of people coming up to me and then when I tried to find Justin, someone told me he had already gone into the locker room. I don’t think that was ever personal on his part. He was probably trying to look for me too, but just there’s just a lot of people. But I have much respect for him and his game, and I know he’ll continue to grow and continue to get better.”
(So much of your success throughout your career has been your ability to make good decisions, like on the run, under pressure. I wanted to ask about that first pass you had to TE Mike Gesicki. In that moment, what goes through your mind in those last-second decisions on the run, just knowing where you’re going to put the ball and be successful with it?) – “Well, knowing I got out free and there wasn’t a rusher in my face, I was able to decipher what that corner was going to do, if he was going to stay back, take Mike on the flag, or if he was going to step up and take Salvon on the flat. I kept going out, he made his decision, and just stuck to my rules and gave Mike a chance.”
