Tua Tagovailoa – December 15, 2021
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Wednesday, December 15, 2021
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(You obviously played these guys four weeks ago and have that tape to go off of to prepare for this week. How much does having that recent familiarity with this Jets team help your preparation this week?) – “It helps but I think what we try to do week in and week out is try to prepare as if we don’t know the team. We’re going into this game as if we don’t know this team. Obviously there’s some familiarity but you have to prepare like this is a new team.”
(Obviously your top three running backs are currently sidelined due to COVID-19 protocol. Was having RB Duke Johnson, RB Gerrid Doaks and RB Dexter Williams coming in there, some guys who haven’t had as many practice reps, what are some things that you’re working on to try to make sure that you’re on the same page ahead of Sunday?) – “I would say the same things that we’ve been working on with Myles (Gaskin), Salvon (Ahmed) and also (Phillip) Lindsay. The same things with handoffs, run game, getting them some route opportunities, whether they’re in an empty formation or if they’re running a route from the backfield. Same old thing.”
(So the timing in the passing game and stuff like that is maybe even a little more difficult than just the normal RPOs and hand-off stuff?) – “I don’t think so. I would say it’s the same thing. The only thing with it is just understanding how they run their routes and basing it off how they do certain things.”
(How did you spend the bye week?) – “I got to golf. I got to go to some games. I tried to do as much as I could. I was itching. I couldn’t stay at home.”
(You participated last night in the holiday toy event. How important is it to you to get that community event in? It’s an important week because you’re playing the Jets here on Sunday but how important is it for you to get into the community and talk to kids and see what they think of you?) – “I think that’s something that’s very important to me. Giving back has always been something that’s been a part of my life and something that I’ve seen growing up from my parents. I would say it’s not more so the children being able to see me there or being able to hear me, but just the gift of giving back and seeing how it changes those families lives. Now I didn’t purchase the gifts and I wasn’t the person who bought the gifts for the kids and whatnot, so all credit goes to whoever did that. I was just very grateful to be there to support that organization in something like that. It was cool.”
(I have a quick two-part question. Against the Jets at Hard Rock Stadium is where you made your NFL debut last year. What do you remember most from that game and how much have things changed for you since that day?) – “From the first time I stepped on the field, it was exciting. I was a little nervous going out there for the first time. That was the loudest I’ve ever heard people cheer for a 1-yard pass ever in my life. (laughter) The loudest. To number two, I would say just going through the years, obviously this is my second year. Being able to experience game-time situations, game-time play, playing against different defenses, playing against different coaches, you learn a lot. I’m continuing to grow in that.”
(What would you say your chemistry is with RB Duke Johnson and RB Gerrid Doaks?) – “I would say it’s a continuation of us still trying to find our tune. I only played with Duke one game and it was against the Jets the first time we played them. I’ve never had the opportunity to play with ‘GD’ (Gerrid Doaks), so this will be my first time. It’s just like anything else. You just have to get reps in with them, with mesh points in the run game and then also route distribution for them in the pass game.”
(Yesterday I talked to Quarterbacks Coach Charlie Frye and he said the back foot is a mentality for the quarterback. I was curious what you think of that mantra and kind of how you think you’re progressing in regards to that confidence in the pocket and with that back foot.) – “It’s really based on the confidence part of that. The back foot plant and you’re getting ready to throw it knowing there’s someone in your face and you’re really getting ready to take a hit while throwing the ball. So just being able to stand in the pocket, stand firm and make the throws that you need to make for the team.”
(We don’t know how Sunday is going to play out but we know that the running back corps is going through what it’s going through, which could put more on your arm and the passing game to pull the offense through. In situations like that, do you welcome that? Is it pressure or is it opportunity? Players see it different ways.) – “I don’t see it any other way than the way we’ve been playing these past few weeks. If the defense allows us to throw the ball, then that’s what we’re going to do. If they allow us to run the ball, then that’s what we should be doing. We’re not going to change our gameplan unless it’s not something we game-plan for according to what the defense gives us.”
(Did guys come in after the bye week like juiced up, ready to go these last four games? Like let’s make something happen?) – “Yeah. Guys look like they’re fresh. Guys are running around. It looks like a lot of the guys were itchy too. A lot of the guys were happy to be back in. There’s a standard here that a lot of these guys are holding each other accountable to. I think that’s pretty cool to see after a bye week, especially.”
(How does RB Malcolm Brown look to you? A guy coming off an injury.) – “Yeah, Malcolm looks good. Obviously he’s still working his way into the lineup with us but he looks good at practice.”
(What do you think about defensive-minded coaches getting an opportunity in the NFL, like Head Coach Brian Flores and N.Y. Jets Head Coach Robert Saleh? What do you think about that?) – “I think you look at those teams and they’re defensive-minded coaches, so they’re going to spend a lot more of their time with the defensive side of the ball, game-planning how to stop our offense and whatnot. We’re going to have to go into the game and we’re going to have to execute, take whatever they give us and march down the field and put some points on the board.”
Brian Flores – December 15, 2021
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Wednesday, December 15, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(With positive COVID tests pretty rampant now around the league, have you considered telling your players or strongly encouraging your players to stay home when they’re not at the facility or when they’re not at games or do you feel like that’s not the place of a coach in sports to tell their players to stay home?) – “We tell them to be smart, be safe, understand that we are all living in a pandemic. There’s a lot of things about COVID that are, a lot of it is our of our control. It’s airborne. Really every decision they make or every place they go, we really all should walk into wherever that is, a supermarket or store, understanding that it’s out there and we have to take the correct precautions.”
(RB Malcolm Brown, is he trending in the right direction early this week?) – “Yeah, he’ll be out at practice today.”
(What’s your level of concern given what we are seeing this week regarding the test results around the league?) – “You never want to see people test positive. Obviously this is a serious situation as far as COVID and the amount of hospitalizations and deaths that have occurred because of the virus. I guess that’s where my initial thoughts are, just people’s overall health. Nothing is more important to me than the health of our team and that extends out to their families as well. We take it seriously. I take it seriously. I think the entire league takes it seriously and I think the entire country is taking it seriously. If the question is about football, yeah that’s one part of it but I think the overall health of the team and the people around the league is my initial concern or my No. 1 concern. I think we have to try to take as many precautions as possible so that it doesn’t spread throughout teams, the league, the community and etc.”
(With S Jevon Holland’s status uncertain for Sunday, do you feel good about S Brandon Jones in terms of the elbow healing enough for him to be able to return to play?) – “We’ll see Brandon at practice today. We’ll take this day-to-day and if he’s available, then he’ll be out there. If he’s not, then we’ll have the next guy step in and play. Brandon is eager to get out there and play. He’s doing everything he can from a rehab and training standpoint. We’ll see how this week goes.”
(Do you have any update on the four guys currently on the Reserve/COVID-19 list? Have any of them started the process of returning negative tests and are any on track to potentially return ahead of Sunday’s game?)- “There’s a protocol and a process. Again, I don’t get into people’s medical situations so I’m not going to sit here and say somebody is negative and somebody is positive. I don’t believe that’s the right way to approach someone else’s personal situation, I think that’s just common courtesy. We’ll just take it day-to-day.”
(On S Jevon Holland, how different is it replacing him and the safety he is as opposed to replacing S Brandon Jones the past couple games?) – “I think this is why we practice guys in multiple positions. If this situation occurs, the next guy will step in and play. That may be a variety of players but I know we feel good about the guys in that room. But it’s about preparation. It’s about how we practice. That starts today and obviously we’re gearing up to play a division rival, a team that played us well the last time we saw them a few weeks ago and it’s going to be a big challenge for us.”
(Do you get the sense that, a year ago at this time, the vaccine was an idea. It hadn’t been in a whole lot of arms at that point. Now we’ve got 200 million people in this country fully vaccinated, a lot of them boosted. A lot of people testing positive but they’re still asymptomatic. Do you get any sense that there is a frustration level that if a player is fine, if he’s vaccinated, if he’s boosted and he’s done all the right things and yet he still has to sit out, is there a frustration in those situations?) – “I think that’s a question for people individually. I think our focus right now is obviously on the health of the team but then on the Jets. Any frustration that there may or not be, I think ultimately you’ve got to compartmentalize that and deal with that somewhere else. When we’re in here, we’re focused on getting better, improving and trying to prepare ourselves the best way to play against a Jets team that has played well, I would say, in spurts. I think they’ve played some good defense. I think they’ve played well offensively. I think they do a good job in the kicking game and it’s going to be a big challenge for us. Our players know that. We’ve got to prepare the right way to try to go out here and have a solid performance.”
(You tell us all the time that you are very much a one day at a time, what’s in front of me today, practice today, the Jets this week. We all understand that perspective of course. To that end, when a team has a chance to get to .500, this magical number that so much gets made about, does some of the focus just naturally go there? It’s not a goal to be .500 but it is a benchmark, it’s the best you can do this week. Is there something that is a little extra when you have a chance to get back to that plateau?) – “No. I think we’re playing the Jets and we’re trying to just win one game. That’s it. We’re not worried about what’s happened in the past, we’re not worried about the future. We’re just trying to win one game and that starts with today, obviously.”
(Can QB Tua Tagovailoa and the short passing game help counteract some potential losses on the ground?) – “I’m not sure if those go together as far as losses in the backfield. We’ll have a running back or running backs, so we’ll have an opportunity to run the football. I think we’ve got to execute and when we do do that. I think we’ve got to execute our short pass game. I think we have to execute our intermediate pass game. I think we have to execute our deep passing game as well as our play-actions and screens and RPOs and run game as well. At the end of the day, it’s all about execution. Tua is at the forefront of that because he touches the ball on every snap. I don’t really see much changing. I think the Jets have a really good front. I think they do a really good job whether it’s Quinnen Williams, whether it’s (Folorunso) Fatukasi, whether it’s Sheldon Rankins, whether it’s (John) Franklin-Myers, Shaq (Lawson), C.J. Mosley. They’ve got a good front. They’ve got good DBs as well and this is going to be a big challenge for us so we’ve got to get execution across the board.”
(What have you guys seen from RB Duke Johnson?) – “Duke played in the one game against the Jets. He’s done a good job in practice over the last – I don’t know exactly how many weeks it’s been but let’s call it six or seven weeks. He’s a professional. He’s had a lot of production in this league. He’s preparing and he always prepares as if he’s going to play. If he gets an opportunity, hopefully he’s put himself in position to take advantage of it but that happens over the course of the week.”
(With the running backs, obviously RB Duke Johnson has been here and RB Gerrid Doaks has been here. Those guys are probably going to get some more reps than they usually get in a game week in preparation. What are some things that you are looking for, whether it’s pass protection or the communication with the quarterback?) – “Good communication. Good fundamentals and technique. Ball security. Give us that and I think – just your fundamentals and techniques and whatever it is, pass protection, route technique. As a running back, there’s seeing the front, seeing the linebackers, understanding where the lanes should open up, things like that. I think it’s just, that’s what I’m looking for.”
(How is it preparing for the Jets and QB Zach Wilson after seeing QB Joe Flacco last time?) – “I think Zach Wilson is a very talented young player in this league. A big arm. Mobile. I think he’s getting better every week. I think this is a player who is ascending. Like any young player, there’s been some bumps. I know he was out for a little bit and came back. He’s played well. I think this will be a big challenge for us. That’s who we are preparing for and against.”
(After the byes, do you feel like today at practice you need to sort of ratchet it up? Like all right, back to business. Will it be that sort of mentality today?) – “Yeah, I’m expecting a good practice and good communication, high intensity, a high level of execution, that’s what I’m looking for. That’s what I look for every day. Whether it’s after a bye or after 12 games in a row, it’s the same to me.”
(You guys have been so efficient running play-action and running RPOs, particularly during the last five weeks, even without kind of a dominant run game. I’m curious, why is it that offenses are able to successfully run the play-action and successfully run RPOs even without that dominant run game?) – “I think it’s week-to-week. It’s case-by-case. It’s hard to say. I think at the end of the day, the only way to answer that is execution in whatever scheme or concept we’re trying to do offensively. That’s really the answer. It’s execution in whatever play-action or RPO versus not executing in something else.”
(Does the threat of a run suffice here? Even if you are not averaging five or six yards per carry, is the threat that they might run enough to open up those windows?) – “Again, it’s case-by-case. If I know what defense we’re talking about, then I could probably answer it more – or have a better answer for you. But based on what they’re doing, the threat of a run may not be enough. In some instances, a threat of a run might be enough. I think at the end of the day, we want to be able to – we need balance. So we want to be able to run it, we want to be able to throw it, we want to be able to play-action it. In some instances, the threat may open up more holes in the pass game. I think that’s probably what you’re alluding to. But the same thing is running it opens up some lanes in the passing game as well. That’s something that we’re constantly having conversations about. I think to get the efficiency that we’re really looking for, you need to kind of put all of those things together. And we’re still working towards that.”
(When you play a team at this time of year that is out of the race, do you find that there’s an unpredictability? Have you found in past situations that there’s an unpredictability to that team because they can maybe be a little more looser? They’re playing for or evaluating guys in different ways. They’re looking towards the future. Have you found that teams change a whole lot when they’re in that situation?) – “I think that Rob – Coach Salah – I think he’s going to have his guys ready to play. He’s intense. He’s a great motivator, a great teacher of fundamentals and techniques. I think he’s going to have his team ready to go. In this league, every week, everyone – every team has good players. When they step in between those white lines, everyone is competing. I don’t really take the approach that they’re out of it. It’s more – there’s a lot of competitive people in this league. Players, coaches, executives, medical staffs, the whole bit. They’ll be ready to play. That’s the case in really every game in this league and that’s really what I’m expecting from this group.”
(When a team is officially out of contention, I was wondering if you notice they tend to change what they do maybe more on a week-to-week basis than you would ordinarily see.) – “No. I think they’re trying to get a win. Whether it’s trick plays or onside kicks or things of that nature, I think they’re trying to get a win. Whether it’s looser – I guess you could call it that. Maybe they’re more apt to call a trick play or do something in the kicking game. Those are things that we’re always alert for. But they may be more likely to do something along those lines. To me, that could show up at any point. We got hit with a fake punt a couple of weeks ago with a team that was in it. I think we’ve got to be ready for all of those things. We’ve got to be alert for all of those things. We’re certainly going to coach the guys to be alert for those things. But we know this is going to be a tough, competitive game.”
Emmanuel Ogbah – December 13, 2021
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Monday, December 13, 2021
DE Emmanuel Ogbah
(I noticed that you were one of the players that the Dolphins have nominated on social media to encourage fans to vote for the Pro Bowl. What would that mean to make the Pro Bowl?) – “It would mean I’m doing my job. I’m doing what’s best for the team. I’m excited. Like I said, I’ve just got to go out there, dominate, make the plays I can and give my team a chance to win games.”
(One of the things I noticed is that you have 15 sacks as a Dolphin in 29 games. At a rate, that’s almost twice as often as the sacks you got with the Chiefs and Browns. To what do you attribute the increase in the sack percentage?) – “That’s one of the reasons why I chose to play with the Dolphins. Coach (Brian) Flores and his staff put me in the right position to make plays and I just go out there, show them my talent and show them what I can do. They put me in a good position to make plays.”
(I’ve been asking you about this question and you always give the same corporate answer which is that you are going to let your agent handle the business. When you’re an impending free agent and you make it to December, usually that’s when teams say ‘ok let’s try to get a deal done before the season is over,’ and players usually say ‘well, I made it this far, I might as well see it through.’ Where is your mindset?) – “My mindset is still winning games and right now the Jets. But like I said before, my agent is handling that. I already told him before the season started, I don’t want to be bothered with the calls. You handle that and I’ll go handle my job on the field.”
(Obviously great team defensive play over the last five games has been because of the players, you guys are doing great. But what is one thing that Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer has done during this winning streak whether it was a lot of zero blitzes against Baltimore or something else do you think has made a difference? What’s the first thing that comes to mind that Josh has done to help things these last five weeks?) – “I’ll say giving the offenses different looks. That attributes to practice, just giving our offense different looks just to see how they react to it. Coach Boyer, he’s done a great job disguising plays, all-out blitzes. We kind of went back to our old thing but I’m glad he’s switching it up and giving offenses different looks, confusing them.”
(Earlier today I asked Head Coach Brian Flores what he thought you were bringing to the team. He said leadership, work ethic and professionalism. I wanted to ask you about those topics as it relates to football first and then on the personal side. Who is a football player that you picked up some of those traits from that helped you?) – “The one player I grew up watching, I would say I wanted to be like on the field was Michael Strahan. I watched him a lot with the Giants. I’ll say he’s a class act on the field and off the field too. I watched him growing up and I would say that was the kind of player that I wanted to emulate my game after.”
(As it relates to work ethic, when you think about being a young person whether it’s family, friend, mentor – is there a person who kind of stands out to you as helping you establish the work ethic?) – “I’ll say my dad. Coming from Nigeria, he started from the bottom, he started all the way over. Just seeing him drive an hour or two hours to work just to provide food for my family drives me. I want to do good for him. I want to be just like him. I want to be responsible for my family, I want to take care of my family like he did. I would say that’s the one person that I look up to every day.”
(Can I ask what is your dad’s name?) – “Richard Ogbah.”
(Can I ask what was his job or jobs?) – “He worked at Accruent, the oil company, but he worked on pipelines so he would drive about an hour and a half, two hours a day, just to work every day and wake up at like five in the morning. Just seeing him do that gives me the drive to be the best I can be and I can’t take anything for granted. Also, he did security too at a prison. A correctional officer, I would say.”
(I wanted to ask you another question about your teammates. If you could take one thing from each of your defensive linemates what would it be?) – “Christian (Wilkins), he’s a jokester. I would take that from Christian. Raekwon (Davis) dominates games. Zach (Sieler), I would say his work ethic. He’s a hard worker, nose in the ground and comes to do work. Jaelan (Phillips) bounces around the outside linebacker, d-line. I’ll say Jaelan is a ball hawk. See ball, get ball. He’s going full speed and I’ll take that. Adam Butler I would say unselfishness.”
(What’s one thing that you hope everybody looks at you and admires?) – “I like to say I’m a leader by example. I’m not the ‘rah-rah’ kind of guy but I come to work, I do my job. Like coach (Brian Flores) ‘Flo’ said, professionalism. I come in here, do my job, do what I’m paid to do and keep my head down to be the be the best I can be for myself and the rest of my teammates.”
(I’ve been asking players what their experience was like on national signing day since signing day is coming up. What was that day like for you?) – “It was a blessing to me because I know my parents wouldn’t have to pay for my college, my school is paid for and it’s a blessing to me because just seeing how hard my parents worked and seeing what I can do to help out when I graduate, get my degree and all that inspires me and brought joy to my face seeing my mom smile, seeing my dad smile. Seeing my whole family excited for me was a big step in my life. I was excited for signing day.”
(Were you still under pressure from other schools that day?) – “Oh yeah, I had some calls come in and I couldn’t answer. I stopped answering calls for sure. It was a big deal for me to sign to Oklahoma State and I’m real appreciative that they offered me too.”
(What’s your best advice to any high school senior who is going through that on Wednesday?) – “Just relax, take it one step at a time and just know that they want you. As soon as you sign that dotted line, you are with that squad and you have to do what’s best for that squad too.”
Jaylen Waddle – December 13, 2021
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Monday, December 13, 2021
WR Jaylen Waddle
(How did you spend the bye weekend? Did you watch much football yesterday, including eyes on former Alabama teammates?) – “I watched some of the earlier games a little bit but nah, I was just on Netflix.”
(The last time we talked to QB Tua Tagovailoa he said that he was going to spend some of the bye week time evaluating some of the situations where he missed guys who were open. I was thinking about that time he gave you a hard time the time you dropped the ball. I was wondering when you’re watching film and you’re definitely open, do you give him a hard time either in the film room or sideline during games?) – “Nah, not for real because he normally has a good reason why he was looking the other way, maybe a read. He has a lot of stuff going on in his head. The last thing he needs is me in the back of his head telling him to throw me the ball or something like that.”
(You probably are open a lot though?) – “(laughter) I get the job done.”
(What were you watching on Netflix?) – “It was a mix. I was on HBO and Netflix. I watch all types of stuff.”
(Name one show. What got the award for best show of the week from Jaylen Waddle?) – “Best show of the week? I went to the movie theater – Eternals. That was the best thing I watched during the bye. Eternals for sure.”
(I asked you this a couple of weeks ago about being a full-service wide receiver, proving that you’re not just a speed guy. Did you come into this year with that as the goal or vision? Or did you just develop that way?) – “Not necessarily. I always try to showcase more than just running down and showcasing speed from in college. I wouldn’t say just the goal, honestly. Anytime I get the chance to showcase route-running or deception in a route, I try to.”
(How much do you think speed helps because of teams fearful of getting beat over the top?) –“It definitely helps a lot. Sometimes it stands out. I could run a great route and because I’m running at such a high speed, people forget how I got open at the top of the route. They’ll just see someone running fast.”
(You run your routes at the same speed as opposed to a different speed on a nine route?) – “Sometimes. I try to switch it up. I try to give a little bit of deception. I try to set things up. Things like that. I try to keep them off guard, on their feet, on their toes.”
(Do you like playing the slot?) – “Yeah. of course. I like playing anywhere really. I spend a lot of time in the slot and spent a lot of time in the slot in college. I got to play outside in college a little bit and playing outside here a lot more. I like it.”
(I’ve been asking players about their experience on national signing day since it’s coming up Wednesday. You went to Alabama where they were probably signing 100 guys that day, but what was that day like for you and how much pressure, if any, did you feel when you got up that morning to maybe go elsewhere?) – “I remember it. I didn’t even go to school that day. I had missed school and just went to signing day. (laughter) I was like, ‘Man, everybody is going to be asking me questions. Everybody is going to be asking me where I’m going and things like that.’ So I just showed up to the gym, family there, everybody there. It was a great time, honestly. A real special moment in my life, just making a decision. Everyone being there, my whole school supporting me, my family supporting me. It was just a great day.”
(Did you know and did everybody else know that it was going to be Alabama when you got there? Or was it a up in the air for at least the public?) – “It was definitely up in the air. I had four or five hats on the table. I had a top five. I had like five hats on the table.”
(You did the hat thing. I guess that’s a big attraction for some guys?) – “Yes. It was definitely big.”
(During this whole interview you’re smiling – how much fun are you having this season? Did you think things would work out this well or be this easy for you in your first season in the NFL?) – “It’s fun coming out here and competing, competing against the best week in and week out. Going to war with guys that you like in the locker room. It’s fun going out there and competing. A lot of these guys I used to watch on Sundays. You see them week in and week out and you’re like ‘man, I’m a fan of him, I’m a fan of him.’ It’s a cool experience. I’m just taking it all in really.”
(What about when that fan burns their favorite cornerback or something? How is that experience going up against a guy you kind of like – ‘hey I remember him.’ And then you catch him for a nice route or whatever the case may be?) – “In the game, I try to be calm and not get too hyped, because I could burn a lot of energy getting hyped. It’s normally like, ‘Man, I caught that on (so and so) and I’m a fan of his,’ because I’m a fan of a lot of DBs in this league. I respect a lot of DBs in this league. Any time I get a chance to go against them and make a play or things like that, and then when they make a play on me, I try to learn from it and move on, and try to use it against a similar corner to them.”
(Was there a DB this season that you caught and the next day you were like ‘I got that dude pretty good?’) – “Yeah, definitely.”
(You’re not going to disclose the name?) – “Nah. (laughter)”
Jesse Davis – December 13, 2021
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Monday, December 13, 2021
G/T Jesse Davis
(Obviously you know what is happening with the running back room, what are the challenges to develop chemistry or have them get a feel with some of the younger backs – and in RB Duke Johnson’s case, not necessarily younger because I think he’s the oldest back in the room – but some of the backs that you guys generally don’t go with?) – “For us, it’s not too much of building chemistry. It’s more of them trying to build chemistry with themselves, I think. I’m confident with these young guys and especially with having Duke back there too as a vet. We’re just focused on trying to get ourselves better too up front, trying to get our looks right and trying to get our chemistry down too. I think we’ll be all right.”
(During this stretch of five straight wins, I did the numbers and I crunched it up – you guys are averaging 28 carries per game. Good number? Great number? How do you feel about that?) – “As long as we are getting wins as a team, I think that’s the biggest thing there. Obviously, you want to run the ball. As long as we can get it down the field and not take negative plays, I think that’s the ultimate goal there.”
(I’m taking an informal survey here, national signing day is Wednesday – what was signing day like for you?) – “It’s a life-changing thing for any guy or woman going through that. Obviously, a full ride scholarship to a D-I program. Couldn’t ask for anything else really at that time.”
(Did you know that morning that you would be signing with Idaho or was it up in the air?) – “Yeah, I had a couple offers. I think it was Eastern Washington and then Portland State and Idaho. Idaho was close. I liked the head coach there. It was Robb Akey, who is awesome, and that’s what kind of sold me on the program. It was good for me and I enjoyed my time there.”
(What’s the season been like for you? New fatherhood, I’m also in the new fatherhood club and it’s quite tiring, and then having a young unit that looks towards you for leadership and you guys having early struggles and a new position. What has this season been like?) – “Every season is different, no matter who is returning and who’s new. It’s all about building chemistry with your team and teammates. Obviously, we’ve had our challenges and I think we’ve just put our head down and go to work. It doesn’t matter if it’s good or bad, we try to fix the negatives and we try to move forward and get our praise from the good. Every season is a challenge.”
(What have you learned from this season?) – “Mostly just fight through all the adversity and try to get better each play. I try to tell the guys every play get focused, get up, get set, let’s go to work and just focus on the play. Adversity is probably the biggest thing we had to fight through.”
Byron Jones – December 13, 2021
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Monday, December 13, 2021
CB Byron Jones
(How concerned are you about the fact that there have been three positive breakthrough cases in the past week?) – “That’s something that everyone is dealing with on each and every team, so the next guy up, that’s always the mentality. I think it gives guys, young guys, an opportunity to step up and show what they got. Hopefully we get those guys back as soon as possible but we’re looking forward.”
(I know you all are vigilant anyways about this with the way Head Athletic Trainer Kyle Johnston and Head Coach Brian Flores and all the players have handled things, but was there an additional message from Flores today about you guys have to be even more careful in light of what’s happening with breakthrough cases and variants?) – “Throughout the entire season it was the same message. We understood that other teams were having outbreaks. We were getting pretty lucky for the first two, three months, and we’re just trying to take it day-by-day. Guys are smart. They understand don’t go out too often, wash your hands, take care of each other and get to Sunday.”
(This one is kind of out of left field, I know, but national signing day is coming up in a couple of days and I’m wondering for you as an NFL player, if I could take you back to national singing day for you, what was that like?) – “It was amazing. It was incredible. For me, I understood that I had an opportunity to go to a really good public institution at the University of Connecticut and I was starting a new chapter of my life and it was going to be for free at no cost to my parents or me. It was incredible. I knew it was a new beginning for me. It was a new chapter and I’m just incredibly fortunate to get that experience, really. It was my only offer but it was the only one I needed.”
(Did you know that morning when you woke up what you were going to do and were you still under pressure from other schools or anything?) – “Oh no, UConn was my only offer. I was a two-star athlete coming out of Connecticut. I didn’t get many looks but it all ended up working out for me. It was a beautiful experience at the University of Connecticut and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
(I know one of the important things that this team has done successfully is not look too far ahead but do you guys, after that [five]-game winning streak, look at the fact that you’re still in it, that you still have reasons to play for, you still can achieve a lot of your goals and do you talk about that at all?) – “No, the focus is really just on the next game. I’ll tell you what, this NFL season has been crazy where teams have started out extraordinarily well and fell apart as the season went along. Our focus is just on the next game. We kind of keep it simple that way. It’s too hard to open your vision because you can get got on any given Sunday at this point. We are focused on the Jets at this point.”
(This is the first time you guys seemingly get an opportunity to play the young rookie, QB Zach Wilson. What are the challenges that come with playing a young, inexperienced quarterback?) – “I’ll tell you what, the guy he is impressive. He’s a gunslinger, man. He’s taking shots down the field. He’s making really smart decisions. He’s making plays for his team with his feet. He’s impressive. He’s impressive for a young guy and we have our hands full but that’s an exciting challenge, playing against these young hotshots. These guys are good and it’s exciting to get a chance to play against these young guys that are coming up that are going to be perennial starters in this league. We’re looking forward to the challenge.”
Brian Flores – December 13, 2021
Monday, December 13, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I wanted to ask with RB Myles Gaskin and RB Salvon Ahmed ending up on the COVID-19 list last week, can you shed some light on the timeline of the return of those tests? Obviously, you guys had your last walkthrough last Wednesday. And is there any concern that this might not be an isolated case?) – “Yeah, so those guys tested positive last week. As far as timeline, exact days, whenever they ended up on the (transaction) wire, I would say that’s the day. I don’t have that exactly in front of me. What was the other part of that question?”
(Is there any concern that those aren’t isolated situations?) – “Per protocol, we test once a week. The guys tested today. We just follow the protocols as we normally do. But there’s no feeling that this is that type of situation. But again, I also don’t have a crystal ball here and with everyone coming off of the bye week and kind of getting away, part of our discussion was being safe and understanding that there is still a pandemic out here. We’ll follow the protocols and practice the guys who are here.”
(There was a report that RB Lamar Miller was going to be brought in for a workout. Was that connected to the guys being on the COVID list or was that already intended?) – “It was certainly connected to the guys being on the COVID list. I think when guys go down, there’s no [inaudible]. Just getting a workout and seeing where he and some other players were physically. If we have to make a move, we’re ready to do that.”
(A few of us last Wednesday saw C/G Michael Deiter in what appeared to be a walking boot. Did he have a setback at all? Will he play this week? Also, it would not be a Monday if I didn’t ask you about WR Will Fuller and whether he was going to practice this week?) – “Deiter, he’ll be out at practice today. We have a walkthrough today and I expect him to practice this week. Will Fuller, I do not expect him to be here this week.”
(On that note with WR Will Fuller, is there something more at play than just the multiple bone fractures of a finger here?) – “He’s not going to be at practice this week. We’ll take it day-to-day, week-to-week. We’re not going to get into any specifics about his situation but he won’t be here this week.”
(I wanted to ask you a question about your views on free agency being used to supplement rosters. Obviously you guys have done it a number of ways the past three years. What do you view free agency’s purpose is and benefit for?)- “It’s, as you said, a way to, one of a variety of ways to fill and build a roster. There’s different types of free agents. Exclusive rights free agent, restricted free agents, unrestricted free agents. Obviously via trade, via waiver wire. There’s a number of ways to try to build a roster and free agency is just one of them. What was the rest of that question?”
(You guys have done, like last offseason, you guys undid a lot of deals. This offseason, there were a lot of lower end deals and trades and things like that. How much do you think it has benefited or hurt your roster, your team, as it presently stands?) – “Honestly, my focus right now is on today’s practice and not what happened last year, last week. If we go through every free agent deal from last year – we have the guys we have, we’re working with them and that’s kind of what my focus is.”
(Housekeeping to wrap that up there, two other guys – RB Phillip Lindsay and RB Malcolm Brown. Do you believe either one of those guys or both of those guys can practice this week?) – “Hopeful that Malcolm can return to practice. I think he’s got a couple more workouts and hopefully we can see him this week and then the same with Phillip.”
(Unrelated question, we’re going to talk to DE Emmanuel Ogbah later today. I wanted to ask you how would you describe his contributions to the team?) – “I think he’s played well. I think his leadership, his work ethic and his professionalism are something that we like our young players to watch and emulate. He’s a true professional and I think he brings a lot to our team.”
(In just watching some of the games around the league yesterday and really all season long, it really seems like no lead – two scores, three scores – is safe in today’s NFL. But over your win streak, you’ve managed to not just hang on to games but also sustained two-score leads in I think four of those five. What do you think is the key to closing out those games and not letting teams hang around and come back late like that?) – “Good execution. I think at the end of the day, that’s what it boils down to really in all three phases. I think you’ve got to play well at the end. That goes without saying. I think that’s when you get your opponent’s best shot, you give them your best shot and you’ve got to execute.”
(I just wanted to ask, with you guys having the walkthrough on Monday, it’s a little wrinkle in the schedule because you guys are coming back from a bye. How important is this first walkthrough to touch up on some things that guys may be rusty on and set the tone for the rest of the week?) – “I think anytime you have a few days off and you’re out of the routine, you’ve got to get them back into the routine. I think today’s kind of walkthrough, jog-through, get out there, get a sweat, get back in the huddle, get the correct terminology, verbiage. It’s been a while since we’ve been in a huddle, a few days. Get out, get a sweat, run around, run a route, get to the top of a route for the receiver, or the top of the route for a DB, or put hands on somebody, or put hands on a sled. I think knocking a little bit of the rust off is what we’re trying to get accomplished today. We’ll get started on the Jets and some of the install and what we want to do there on early downs, and take it from there. Get off to a good start this week. That’s really the goal.”
(RB Phillip Lindsay missed the last game with an ankle injury. I know the bye week has probably benefited him a lot. How much is this week a good time for him to get healthy considering what you got going on in the backfield?) – “I think having the extra week to get healthy is helpful for him. Another week of terminology, verbiage and things of that nature. I think it’s always good.”
(During the winning streak, you guys haven’t trailed once by more than three points. How important has that been in helping you play the style of offense you guys want to play?) – “The goal is always to play from ahead. I think that’s what we try to do really all year. The focus isn’t on the last five weeks, it’s on today. That’s where I’m at. It’s on the Jets. I think they played us well the last time we played them. I think they’ve got some talented players. They play hard and they gave us some issues the last time out. That’s where my focus is, and trying to help our team, put our guys in the best position to have success next week, next Sunday.”
(With how you guys have been playing, did the bye week come at a bad time for you guys? How much are you guys looking forward to getting back to work, and the business at hand, especially the way you guys have bene playing as of late?) – “We took the bye week to recharge the battery. I think guys were excited to be back in here today. I definitely felt that in our meetings this morning. The schedule is the schedule and whatever it is, it is. I don’t put too much – ‘I wish it was here or I wish it was there.’ It was where it was. We kind of use the bye week to heal up, to do some self-evaluation and we treated this one no differently. It’s a little later in the year, but I think we come out of it trying to recharge the battery and we’re anxious to get back out there.”
(As a coach, how was it for you knowing that you guys were in your groove? You don’t really have to rest the mental aspect of it. Maybe your voice from yelling at guys and whatnot, but just for you in particular?) – “To me, the bye week was at [inaudible] – no issues there. Just come back to work today, practice and try to go execute next week.”
(We can look at the stats and say that WR Jaylen Waddle is having a very solid season, especially for a rookie. But for what we don’t see, the way he practices, his attentiveness in meetings, what he asks, how he understands, how he processes information. How would you assess his learning curve in that area and how he’s handled all of that as a rookie?) – “I think he’s done a good job. I think he’s taken in all of the information, I think he’s learned multiple positions, I think he’s been out there at practice pretty much every day. I think he’s gotten better every day. I think he continues to get better and I think he wants to get better. I’ve been pleased with his development over the course of the season and hopefully that continues.”
Michael Palardy – December 8, 2021
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Wednesday, December 8, 2021
P Michael Palardy
(Congrats on the award Michael. What’s it mean to you?) – “It means a lot. It’s my first time getting it. I’d be foolish to sit up here and take the credit for it. A lot of it has to do with Coach (Danny) Crossman, Coach (Brian) Flores, the guys on my punt team, the gunners. Those guys work their butts off. This is more of a unit type of award than it is for myself. I’m only as good as they are and vice versa.”
(How much do you appreciate the work of the guy that was just in here, WR Mack Hollins?) – “Unbelievable. These guys are the ultimate professionals and I can’t be thankful enough for what they do daily. They challenge me, they push me, they want me to be great – coaches included. As well as I do for myself. I want them to be great as well. They can only make plays if I make plays. I can’t be thankful enough for the work they put in. This is more of a unit thing than it is a me thing. I’m super appreciative for them and all the work they put in daily.”
(There was a time when your numbers weren’t as good as they are now, when the Dolphins actually brought in a punter for a workout. How aware were you of that at the time and did that light a fire underneath you?) – ‘I’ve been playing in this league long enough to know that those things are possible throughout a year. That’s really not my decision to make. But that doesn’t change my approach, that doesn’t change the things that I do on a daily basis. Of course, I want to be as consistent and as effective as I possibly can. If I’m effective, then the team is. I think ultimately, the goal is to make an impact on the game. Sometimes that’s deep punts, sometimes is shorter ones but it’s field position. Coach (Brian) Flores preaches field position and Coach (Danny) Crossman does as well. It’s a big emphasis that we put on our punt unit, but every special teams unit really. Ultimately that’s the approach I take daily, whether I’m hitting the ball well in a game, in practice or whether I’m not. It doesn’t change my outlook, it doesn’t change my approach. I care about my job, and I work hard every day to make sure that I execute on Sundays because that’s what matters.”
(Did you change anything up at some point in the season?) – ‘No, nothing. Just sometimes the ball doesn’t bounce your way, sometimes it doesn’t go the way you want it to but you continue to work. Yes, you want to evaluate yourself but then you go back to staying true to yourself and continuing to work, persevere and continue to do those kinds of things. That’s what I’ve been doing all season. This time compared to earlier in the season hasn’t change. Nothing has changed. I’m doing the same thing, I’ve approached every practice, every game the exact same way.”
(Do you feel you’re hitting the ball more consistently these days?) – “Yeah. I never walk out to practice on the field or in games on the field and am not confident in myself. I always have been. I think I always will be. Obviously, the numbers speak for themselves but we always preach consistency. In a specialist game, consistency is absolutely vital and that’s what I try to do. I try to go out, practice and be as consistent as I can. On gameday, be as consistent as I can. And let the results be what they may.”
(As K Jason Sanders’ holder, how have you seen him handle the ups and downs of his season? Last year you weren’t here he was practically automatic, and this year it’s been a little bit more…) – “It’s the same thing. I think, again, Jason has been playing long enough and has had success in the league to where the reality of sometimes things don’t go our way, but that doesn’t mean that we completely change everything that we’re doing or we change the approach that we’re taking. Jason does that on a daily basis. He continues to work his tail off. He is an ultimate pro and the thing that’s amazing and the reason why guys stick around long in this league, and I believe Jason is going to and has, is their ability to work through adversity or things maybe not going as well as they want them to. That’s kind of the mark of a true professional and that’s who Jason is. That’s who Jason is and he challenges me, I challenge him, we challenge the guys around us and we want to be great. That’s what we’re here for. We want to be great. He wants to be great, I want him to be great, I want to be great, he wants me to be great and everybody around us. Jason’s outlook and approach doesn’t change on a daily basis.”
