Mike Gesicki – December 8, 2021
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Wednesday, December 8, 2021
TE Mike Gesicki
(How in the weeds do the self-scout projects get? What are some of the detail things that just might not be obvious at all to us?) – “We just came in here today and just kind of – I know you’re trying to avoid that – but we were talking about how teams are covering us on third down, what we’re seeing in the red zone, some of the attraction that some guys get. Just stuff like that. It wasn’t too individual-specific or anything like that. More big picture and things that we do well, things that we can improve on. Just that kind of stuff.”
(Any plans for the bye week?) – “Yeah, plans for the bye week. I will be enjoying some downtime. I’m going to head back up to New Jersey for a couple days and then I’ll be back down here on Sunday. So a little reset, but nothing too crazy.”
(I know everything with players is week-to-week. Fans of course are different. Fans are thinking, “oh my goodness, the playoffs are conceivable.” Is that something that at all – even on a bye week – could enter your mind and do you feel that’s been a void in your NFL – your young NFL career so far?) – “Yeah, I mean if you know anything about Brian Flores, I am not even allowed to think about what I’m going to have for dinner tonight. (laughter) So I haven’t had lunch yet, so that’s really what I’m focused on. (laughter) And that’s kind of where we take it from there. So we’re not looking too far ahead and we’re not looking behind. Just kind of focusing on the present and what we’re dealing with right now.”
(What are you going to have for lunch?) – “That’s a great question. Do you know the menu downstairs? There’s some pizza. Jackie makes a great sandwich down there. There’s definitely some options.”
(What have you noticed from QB Tua Tagovailoa … [inaudible]?) – “The same things that impressed me last week and the week before and in the preseason. He’s really the same guy. He’s doing the same things. He’s playing well. He’s playing confident. He’s being a good leader. He’s playing tough, making good decisions. The list goes on and on, so I think his numbers speak for itself and I’m happy that he’s having the success and finally getting a positive narrative around him as a professional and as a player because he deserves it.”
(He revealed you guys were at Heat game yesterday…) – “Sure was.”
(Do you like going to the Heat? Do you like going to any other teams here in Miami?) – “Yeah, absolutely. I love basketball. I grew up a big basketball guy so any time we can get out there and go watch a game, that’s fun. I’ve never been to a hockey game before, so maybe I’ll go to a Panthers game if we have some time. But yeah, I love to go out and check out some other sports, enjoy ourselves and hang out.”
(Were you a Nets fan?) – “I grew up the world’s biggest New Jersey Nets fan. Vince Carter, Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson – the big three. That was my squad growing up. Had season tickets when I was sixth grade. Me and my dad would go to the games. A lot of fun.”
(Kerry Kittles once helped me jump my car. I had a dead battery once.) – “Really?”
(Yeah, it was late after the game and my car battery was dead. And who’s going to help? Kerry Kittles. And he was a player so keep that in mind if you ever see a fan in need.) – “I will put some jumper cables in my truck. (laughter)”
(Are you no longer a Nets fan because they’re now in Brooklyn?) – “I am not against the Nets. I’ve kind of gotten away from – when I was a little kid, I literally watched all 82 games. My friends were like, ‘yo, it’s Friday night, let’s go hang out.’ ‘No, I’m watching the Nets play the Milwaukee Bucks tonight. That’s what I’m doing.’ So that was my thing. I’ve gotten away from that, but I do still love watching basketball.”
(Who’s your favorite player?) – “Growing up? Vince Carter. That was my guy. I always say that a lot of people, like I would never be starstruck if I met somebody. Like I would never ask somebody, ‘hey, can I take a picture with you?’ If I met Vince Carter, I’d be like, ‘Yo, can I take a picture with you? You’re the man.’ I grew up, had a Fathead of him on my wall. That was my guy. I have his jersey in like every single color.”
(Even from the Toronto days?) – “I have some Toronto, but primarily the Nets.”
Raekwon Davis – December 8, 2021
Wednesday, December 8, 2021
DT Raekwon Davis
(The run defense has been very good and it’s coincided with you returning so you have a big role in that. Are you happy with how you’ve done against the run?) – “Yeah, I am. I am. Just trying to keep that same routine going and trying to stop the run basically.”
(A question we seem to ask you every year this time of year. How much trash talking have you been doing with G Solomon Kindley this week?) – “Oh, a lot. ‘Solly,’ it’s hard for him right now. It’s so hard for him. I can only imagine how he’s feeling. But you know, I try to uplift him and keep his composure up day-by-day.”
(I was going to ask you what I asked S Jevon Holland about what Co-Offensive Coordinator/TEs George Godsey was saying that on both sides of the ball they’d like each guy to work on one or two areas to improve. What would that be for you?) – “Just the same thing, to self-scout myself. Just try to get better and keep developing. That’s it.”
(Speaking of the college game, I’m sure you’re aware that Mario Cristobal is at Miami now and he’s got a reputation as being a very good recruiter. How do you think that effects the talent that comes out of this area? Everybody knows it’s a top talent. Alabama likes to come here as well. How do you see all that developing?) – “Him and Coach (Nick) Saban are going to be going neck to neck, I guess. They’re both good recruiting coaches. Both of them are great coaches. They do recruit well.”
Tua Tagovailoa – December 8, 2021
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Wednesday, December 8, 2021
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(What’s the self-scouting process going to be for you? I know guys have talked about doing that this week. Is it all looking at mannerisms to make sure that you don’t tip off defenses? How in depth will you go with that?) – “I would say that is a part of it. I would also say for myself, just finding ways to get completions, get the ball out of my hands on third down. If you looked at previous film, there have been some guys that have been open that I’ve missed. Just trying to eliminate that period of missing guys, whether it’s in the flat, whether it’s an under route, an over route, whatever it might be. Just going through my progressions faster.”
(How did you enjoy the experience of going to the Heat game, being shown on the big screen, getting a Heat jersey?) – “That was cool. It was my first experience of going to a Heat game. I thought that was cool. The love and support from the fans there at the game. I also knew there were teammates there after I was shown on the big screen. I got a lot of text messages. I wasn’t aware that I wasn’t the only Miami Dolphins player at that game.”
(Can we ask who else was there?) – “Mike Gesicki, Jacoby Brissett, Durham Smythe and a bunch of those guys. It was literally a last-minute decision. I asked one of my guys what there was to do around because we had a bye week and he said that there might potentially be a Miami Heat game. The game started at 7:30 and I told him at about 6:50 that I wanted to go. (laughter) So thanks to him and the people that he got to get us into the game.”
(Was that your first NBA game and have you been to a Major League Baseball, or National Hockey League game?) – “That was my second NBA game. My first NBA game was at the – I believe the Army All-American Bowl and we went to watch the Spurs play. This is my second NBA game. I’ve never been to a baseball game. I’ve been to a hockey game, a Panthers game. It was a fun experience. I like it though because it’s cold. I don’t like being hot, especially after you’re cheering. It’s nice.”
(Inter Miami, have you been to an Inter Miami game?) – “I haven’t, but I do have friends that I train with that have gone to some of them. They’ve taken their kids and they’ve enjoyed it a lot. There are a lot of people that go to those games too. I might have a better chance of going to those games and not being recognized because everyone is so much more focused on the soccer players and whatnot. It might be more enjoyable to go to those games.”
(You don’t like being recognized?) – “I just want to enjoy. (laughter) I don’t go out as much too. The reason I don’t is because of that. I try to go out as much as possible. Every time my mom is in town, I go out to Winn Dixie near my house. I get my mom flowers every time she’s in town. (laughter) That’s the reason I go.”
(Do you get a lot of people coming to you?) – “No. I wear a hoodie, wear a mask and glasses. (laughter) It’s good, but that’s really it.”
(It’s difficult living in Miami trying to hide.) – “Yeah, but the cool thing about Miami is that there are a lot of celebrities out there. It’s almost like it’s nonchalant. They see you like ‘oh, that’s Tua. Let’s go eat Subway.’ (laughter) I think that’s how it is.”
(The next time we see a hoodie, masked figure at Winn Dixie, we’ll know it’s you.) – “No, no, no. I’m going to change it up. Play the game.”
(How does it compare to Tuscaloosa?) – “Tuscaloosa it’s just hard to hide. No one looks like me in Alabama. (laughter) You can’t hide.”
(Do you have any plans this weekend?) – “Yeah. I am going to go golfing. I’m going to go golf and enjoy the bye week with some of my teammates. There might be some last-minute decisions made whether I fly out to go see my parents or spend some time with my brother. Who knows?”
(How’s that golf game coming along?) – “I played yesterday. I shot all right. I shot an 88. It was pretty decent. It was at Fort Lauderdale Country Club. It was good fun. It’s getting better but still a lot of shots that I wish I could have back.”
(A lot of your teammates have pointed to your confidence … [inaudible]?) – “I think we’re getting the ball out. We’re completing the balls. I’m not too sure from my standpoint. I know there are a lot of things that we can continue to fix. There are things that we could continue to get better with. To me, that’s the way to go with it. Don’t be satisfied. Just continue to find out what we can do better.”
(What gives you more satisfaction – you nail a golf shot these days or you throw the perfect pass?) – “It depends. Is the perfect pass a touchdown? And is the hit going in the hole? (laughter)”
(Inaudible) – “I’d take them both if I could. I’ll take them both. To me, there is nothing better than maybe hitting your 8-iron 160-yards out and you see it land on the green and it starts rolling and it disappears. (laughter)”
(Have you had one of those?) – “No. I’ve never had one of those. (laughter) But I’m just saying – I’ve had a nice chip and it’s went in. Other than that, that’s it.”
Jevon Holland – December 8, 2021
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Wednesday, December 8, 2021
S Jevon Holland
(I know we asked you a Mario Cristobal question last week. I had one for you. Players who you know who would ask you what does it require to play for him, what qualities does he value that are essential for players to have to want to play for him, you would say what?) – “That’s a good question. I would say players that have dignity, honesty, respect, they’re hard workers and they buy in. That’s really what it’s all about. That’s what was reiterated to us, just about buying into the process, trusting it and believing in what the coaches have for us and going out there and executing.”
(What does Mario Cristobal mean to you and what has he given you as a player?) – “He’s given me a lot of sense of direction and leadership. When I came in, I was a young player when I had a leadership role put on my shoulders and he encouraged me throughout my career at Oregon to step into that role, wear it with pride but also be one of the guys that younger guys can look to as somebody who gets there early, leaves late, does that extra 1/8th so that I can perform on the field but also help my team win in any situation possible. Definitely about pushing me and understanding how to buy into a culture, really believing that and not just trying to do what I want to do. Be a team player, there’s no I in team as the saying goes.”
(I know Mario Cristobal has been busy and you’re busy too, but have you talked to him or been like, ‘Hey, we’re both here?’) – “Nah, I haven’t reached out. It’s common knowledge obviously that I’m down here. He actually texted me a couple weeks ago just congratulating me on having a good season and continuing to, like I said before, he wants guys to continue to work hard and that’s what he reminded me. Always stay humble. Never be complacent. I’ll probably reach out to him pretty soon when everything dies down because I know it’s going crazy.”
(Was he involved in recruiting you?) – “Coach (Mario) Cristobal specifically was not involved with recruiting me. He was on staff when Coach (Willie) Taggert was the head coach. That was my main recruiter. Coach (Keith) Heyward actually, who was the safeties coach when I was there. But when Cristobal, it was like this whole movement of Cristobal in and guys were like we want Cristobal as the head coach. I went on my official (visit), met with him, talked to him and after that I was like ‘yup, this is the guy really.’ It was almost like we were recruiting him to Mr. (Rob) Mullins, so that he could be the head coach, if you put it that way.”
(What was it about him that you guys wanted in a head coach?) – “He just wanted us to become better ourselves. He was a player’s coach. People enjoyed him, enjoyed the way he coached, enjoyed his energy on the team. He was electric. You see that on the field. He’s a fireball of energy whether we’re losing, winning, regardless. He’s going to go out there and coach us as hard as he can.”
(Any plans for the bye weekend?) – “Yeah I got plans but I don’t know, there’s a camera on me and people are going to pull up on me. I don’t know. (laughter). Nah, I’m just playing. I’m going to be at Animal Kingdom and Universal Studios. Yup, Orlando.”
(What rides do you ride?) – “I don’t like roller coasters. I don’t. They make my stomach hurt. (laughter) But I do like the sightseeing and all the different cool stuff at Disney (World) and stuff like that.”
(You’ve done so much well obviously in your rookie season, I know Co-Offensive Coordinator/TEs George Godsey was saying, on both sides of the ball, the goal is for every player to be given one or two things to improve on over this week-and-a-half. For you, what’s one area where you think you’d like to take another step in your growth?) – “With the bye week and us not having an opponent, I want to really scout myself. That’s really what it is. Just go back and watch my tape because how we’re watching tape on other teams, other teams are watching tape on me. So to see my mannerisms and see where either I lack or need to improve at and go into next week a better myself.”
(I know you’ve talked about how valuable it was to have your dad stop the tape once the remote control was developed as you all were watching TV growing up. Does he still do that watching your games and send you a flurry of text messages after game saying I want you to this differently, that differently? Does he tell you on the phone after games?) – “Nah, not no more.”
(He doesn’t do any of that?) – “Nah, I mean he probably does it for himself but he knows I’m a professional athlete. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t do it myself and he knows that. He doesn’t do that no more.”
Jerome Baker – December 8, 2021
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Wednesday, December 8, 2021
LB Jerome Baker
(Congrats on your nomination for Walter Payton. How much pride and pleasure do you take in giving back?) – “A lot of pride. Just growing up, that was what was instilled in me as a kid, so that’s a credit to my parents and my community. I’m definitely happy.”
(Just one football question for you. How much would you say you’ve played inside over the last couple weeks? Obviously we’ve seen you on the edge more beginning against Baltimore. How much do you think you’ve actually played inside the past month?) – “I don’t know. I really don’t keep track, but yeah, I’d say these past few weeks I’ve been everywhere. On the edge, I still do my cover of the running back, I’ve still been dropping into coverage. I’d say these past few weeks they’ve been using me different ways and I’m definitely happy to play in this defense.”
(I wanted to ask you – congrats on your nomination. I wanted to ask you about your work helping Haiti. Can you talk a little bit about your relationship with that community that is a community here in South Florida?) – “When I moved down here, I didn’t really understand the different communities here, but I made a point to really just learn and meet new people and just really learn. I quickly learned that the Haitian community – they’re just beautiful people. I truly love them. Their food is amazing. It was just one of those communities that they just welcomed me in and I definitely just wanted to help so when I heard about it, the first thing I thought was ‘what can I do to help?’ And the Dolphins, they did a great job helping me and making sure I did the right thing and making sure that my help is really doing well for them so yeah, shoutout to the Haitian community and shoutout to the Dolphins. They’ve truly helped me a lot so I appreciate them.”
(When you were younger, did you ever run into a professional athlete and have a really cool experience or really like “man, I’m never going to act like that guy”?) – “So a cool experience, I’d say one cool experience I always go back. Chris Chambers, he used to have camps back up in Cleveland. It was like every year, he used to have it at Collinwood, I think – whatever the school was – and I remember sitting in there. I’m hearing him talk. I was like, ‘one day I’m going to play in the NFL and be just like him.’ And he had this fastest kid camp, like a board or whatever and I won it one year. Fast forward, fast forward years later, I end up working out in his gym and I told him like, ‘you probably don’t remember, but when you had those camps, I was one of those little kids.’ And it was just like a cool experience of years later just to see – I remember that camp, I remember everything I was going through, everything he said – and just to see me in the NFL now, it definitely is a cool experience. I had a few things like that. I used to go to Ben Wallace’s camp. So it’s definitely cool just to look back and see all those camps, see all those experiences I had. That’s why I try so hard to bring that to other kids and have other people experience that.”
(Can we see your trophy?) – “Yeah, this is cool. This is a cool one right here. So I actually just put together a little trophy case. My mom takes all my trophies, so I’m finally starting to get my collection back and this is definitely an honor to have.”
(Do you remember – and obviously that’s a huge honor for any player – but were there times in your career where you were like, “I would love to be nominated for that one day?”) – “Actually it was earlier this year and I remember just talking to my friends and I’m one of those people like if I speak it into existence, that’s when I feel like it could happen. I said like, ‘I want to be nominated. I want to win that award.’ I didn’t really care about Pro Bowl and all that. It was to have that award, I feel like that’s a very special award. That was the thing. I definitely said it and just to be nominated is definitely an honor.”
(Is that something growing up that you told yourself that “if I get to a place where I can help others, I’m going to do that?”) – “Yes. That’s been instilled in me since I was a little kid. My dad, he had a non-profit called Men of Central. He started that when I was 7 (years old) and honestly it was truly just my family. It was me, my dad, my mom, my sister and that’s how it was. We used to go to parades and he used to have these big banners. You would think it’s a hundred people with us, but it was only me and him holding it up and my sister and my mom was in the car riding along. And that slowly built up to him having a great organization. So when I got old enough, that was like my mission. I wanted to do the same thing. He had the blueprint and it was my job to make it better. So shoutout to my dad. He definitely instilled that in me and I’ve been blessed my whole life. Just to give back, it’s always been one of those things where if I can give back, I definitely want to do it.”
(Any plans for the bye week?) – “Just relax. That’s my main thing. I’m just going to relax and just take it all in. It’s been a long few weeks. It’s been its ups, it’s had its downs, but just relax, get back on track, get my mind right and come finish strong.”
Mack Hollins – December 8, 2021
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Wednesday, December 8, 2021
WR Mack Hollins
(You do such a good job of helping us understand things at times and I want you to know that we appreciate that. This week one of the phrases we’ve heard over and over again is self-scout. If you could help me understand some of the things that the coaches and the people who study statistics and trends and patterns and all of that stuff, what kind of things do they come up with that actually help you guys do your job better?) – “I think it’s easy to get lost in – you’re playing a season and it’s easy to get lost in what everybody else is doing. You don’t really get a time to look and reflect on yourself. Maybe in life in general but in football especially. So this bye week, when you say self-scout, it’s like we get a chance for a week straight, we don’t have to focus on any opponent. We can focus on – let’s watch all of our games, let’s go through all of our practices and I’m not the statistics guy but I’m sure they break it down that this play was successful this many times, this was unsuccessful, we averaged this many yards on this or whatever it may be. Then we can take that and how do we after this bye come back and improve as a team. So being able to do that is critical for a team. Whether it’s an early bye or a bye in Week 15 or whatever week we’re on, that’s a time where not only can players get their bodies back but we can come back and it’s really like a fresh start. Like, ‘Hey, we have these plays that have been working. We have these plays that haven’t been working as well. How can we fix those plays? How can we improve?’”
(You probably lead the team in touchdowns per catch so my self-scout says throw Mack the ball more.) – “If it comes my way, I do my best to make sure the touchdown to catch ratio doesn’t get messed up.”
(Is that something that you had been aware of more, the touchdowns. Was that a number that you knew upon catching a touchdown on Sunday?) – “No. The ball just came to me and – I rarely know my stats. Except for tackles. I always know my tackles. I compete.”
(Why not?) – “I don’t know. Catches kind of just, they come and you can kind of get lost. ‘Oh, I had a cool game I had three.’ But people forget. But with tackles, me and Cethan (Carter) actually go back and forth because me and him both have eight. It’s like who is going to get to double-digits first? Who is going to end the season with the most? It’s a little competition so it’s good.”
(Is there a difference in terms of – every player on special teams obviously knows they have to do it well. You obviously take it really, really seriously, which has made you a staple on the special teams unit and good at it. Is there a difference do you think in mentality of certain special teams players, where some really, really take it seriously like you do and some just see it as a necessary thing to stay in the league?) – “Maybe on some teams but I think on our team, everybody takes special teams really seriously. I think the positions that I’m in are optimal for making tackles, whether that’s on punt or kickoff. All returns that get sent to the back side, I’m the first that has a chance. Obviously at gunner, I’m the first that has a chance. It’s easy to make tackles (the determining factor of) he’s a good special teamer or not. You look at a guy like ‘Fedge’ (Clayton Fejedelem), who is really the leader of our special teams unit. He’s the signal-caller in every unit, whether it’s punt return, kickoff, kickoff return or punt. But he’s not going to be the first guy down there because he has two gunners that are playing well this season and he has a bunch of interior guys that are playing well. So to have all of those guys, he may not have the tackles but if you take him out of the equation, are we as successful? Are we protecting punts as well? Are we identifying what kickers are doing direction-wise? Are we identifying what punters are doing directionally? So it’s easy to say Mack is the guy on special teams because I have tackles and I dance and I do all types of wild stuff to bring attention. But every guy on our unit is a ballplayer. It takes a different type of person to be able to do that. Especially the ones that are playing a bunch of snaps offensively or defensively and can go in there and do well on special teams.”
(I’m curious if your competition with TE Cethan Carter involves yards also because you had one special teams tackle that was for a four-yard loss on punt return.) – “No. It was just pure tackles.”
(How did it feel to drop a guy for a four-yard loss?) – “It was good. You don’t look at the numbers but statistically, if you can back a team up and they go on the negative on punt returns, that helps the team’s average at the end of the year when you say, “Hey, how did our punt unit do?’ It’s good but a tackle is nice. I’d definitely take that over like a five-yard gain or a 15-yard gain or something.”
(Based on what you told us earlier this year, that was more satisfying to you than the touchdown catch, correct?) – “Yeah, I love tackles. Tackles are great. That and downing balls inside the five.”
(How certain were you that you had completed the catch?) – “I knew I caught it for sure. I knew I had my feet in. But I know it can be tough sometimes for refs to see that angle when guys kind of have to hug over the ball. But I knew. If it came down to it, I would have argued to throw the (red) flag. I guess you don’t have to on that because it’s a touchdown score anyway but yeah, I was confident that I had it.”
(When you were re-watching it, were you a little impressed with yourself? Like the concentration, the focus, the toes. It was cool.) – “I think I just made it harder than it needed to be. If I had just jumped a little bit higher, I could have just caught it the first time. But then it wouldn’t have made ESPN and wouldn’t have brought their attention. It wouldn’t really be me.”
(Who are the first guys’ names that come to mind if I ask who is the most improved on this team from a year ago? What two or three guys would pop into your mind on either side of the ball?) – “I don’t know. That’s tough. I think we’ve improved really well as a team. It’s hard to improve as an individual player in this league without your team being successful as well. We’re winning games. Is it because of the quarterback? Or is it because the o-line is starting to mesh a little bit better? Or is it because the running backs are starting to run the ball better so defenses are playing differently. Are receivers getting open? Then likewise on defense. I don’t know if I could identify specific players but I think as a unit, we’re starting to understand, we’re getting a little older and guys are starting to understand what it takes to win. They’re feeling comfortable. I think when you’re a rookie, everything is new. You’re in Week 12 and you’re like the season is done before (your realize) you’ve got five more games before we’re done, because you’re on that college mindset. So getting used to what it’s like to be in the NFL has definitely helped us this year.”
(Do you have any plans for the bye week?) – “Cleaning. I’ve been doing some research on some new animals.”
(What kind of animals?) – “Either another snake or maybe a gator. We’ll see. Then I think I’m going scuba diving at the Frost Museum. So stuff around here but yeah, a staycation.”
(Are you saying that you’re considering acquiring an alligator?) – “Yeah.”
(Where would it stay?) – “You can smart them off in small tanks and then I can swap them out once they get a certain size until I can get a place big enough where I can get the cool pool that I want.”
(Funny but they tend to grow.) – “Yeah. I just swap them out with the alligator farm. I take the little one and they take the big one.”
(What do you do with a pet alligator? Just look at it?) – “Yeah. Like feed it. You can walk it if you want. You can carry it. Like I have the snakes now but they don’t chew up my house like dogs do. I don’t have to clean up their poop as much as dogs. They don’t bark. They don’t keep me up at night. And they don’t fake like they’re going to protect me if a robber came in even though they probably wouldn’t.”
(Dogs wouldn’t eat you either.) – “Gators won’t because I’ve got the little ones.”
(So you’re going to look for an alligator this weekend? Is that on the agenda?) – “Yeah, probably. We’ll see. No wild ones. That’s an offseason project.”
(You said you walk them. So when you walk them, your neighbors think what?) – “’There goes Mack again.’ (laughter) Because I walk around with the snakes already.”
(How many snakes do you have and what kind?) – “Two. I have a boa and a ball python.”
(How big are they?) – “One is like five foot. The other is 11-and-a-half maybe?”
(Have you ever had a dog or a cat?) – “I did, yeah. I would love to have a dog. I ended up getting the snakes in college because everybody gets a dog. Then we go to training camp and we stay in this hotel for a month and all of the guys are like ‘Hey girl I’m talking to at the time.’ ‘Can you take care of my dog?’ Then she’s like ‘Yeah, of course.’ Then the first week goes by and she’s like I don’t want to take care of this dog all day. So she’s like I can’t take care of it. He tries to get somebody to take care of it. Neither of them take care of it. They come home and the house is ruined. They’re paying rent at some place. They get kicked out. So it was like why not get a snake where everything is set. Like I could leave for a month and they’d be fine.”
(So you walk the snakes how?) – “I don’t walk them. I put them around my neck and we go for a walk. Yeah, I don’t take them for slithers. (laughter)”
(So you’ll walk around your neighborhood with the snakes around your neck?) – “Mhm.”
(What are their names?) – “One doesn’t have a name because I was going to breed him originally. And then one is named Nikiti.”
(Back to the alligator. If you were taking the alligator on a walk, do you have a leash for it?) – “Yeah, you could put a little – you know those little rat dogs that people have? Those little slipper dogs, the little tiny ones? The same type of leash.”
Brian Flores – December 8, 2021
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Wednesday, December 8, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(How would you assess how the offensive line has played in the last couple weeks? Is it up the standards you want and T Liam Eichenberg’s play as well seemingly has improved?) – “I think the guys are working hard. I think they’re making improvements as a unit – individually and as a unit – and I think they’re going to continue to just try to get better on a daily basis. It’s a young group and they’re developing, getting a lot of experience and I think they’re improving every day.”
(And one quick follow-up on that. Was the decision do you think to move G/T Robert Hunt to guard this year in your mind, in Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre’s mind, has that been validated? Do you think he is at the right place? Are you glad you did it? Do you think he’s playing at a high level?) – “I think Rob (Hunt) works hard every day. I think he tries to help the team as best he can and that’s what we ask of all our players.”
(Do you think that pass protection is maybe a step ahead of run blocking at this point?) – “You’re talking overall with the entire unit?”
(For the offensive line, yeah.) – “What was the question again?”
(Do you think that pass protection is perhaps a step ahead of where run blocking is?) – “I think our guys work hard and I think they’re improving in all areas – pass protection, run blocking, getting out on screens. Yeah, I think our guys work hard and they’ll continue to work hard in all areas.”
(With the – and I might be wrong – but the presumption that this time of year practices would taper a little bit. Just wear and tear on bodies, where you are in the calendar and all of that. How has QB Tua Tagovailoa been able to be so effective and so sharp guessing that you guys aren’t having the same number of reps you would have, say in July or earlier in the season?) – “I think he’s preparing the right way. I think he’s getting a good amount of reps in practice. That always helps – practices, walkthroughs, meetings. He watches extra film and it’s showing up on the field.”
(One of the things that players and coaches have said a lot this week is about the opportunity to self-scout and I was wondering if you can kind of dive into explaining some of the things that you guys look for and what exactly goes into the self-scout?) – “Really everything. Our operation as a coaching staff, how we practice, how we schedule things. Obviously on the field, first down, second down, third down, red zone, two-minute, four-minute, punt, punt return, field goal protection. Really everything. And what are some things we can do better, what are some things that we should continue to do, some things we should stay away from. What are the best things individual players do within in a coverage or a concept offensively, who our best blockers are in the return game, who our best blockers are in the run game, who our best protectors are. You can kind of go through all of that.”
(I guess it’s a constant throughout the year. I think self-scout is probably a term that gets used more in a bye week than any other week of the season, but is it more in-depth when you don’t have a game?) – “Yeah, certainly more in-depth. When you have an opponent coming up, there’s only so much you can, there’s only so much time. So we have more time to devote to us and what we’ve done in certain situations throughout the year as opposed to we’ll be working on the run game for the Jets or third down for the Jets or punt protection for the Jets.”
(How do you sort of assess and evaluate the opportunity to tendency break vs. “you know what, we do this a lot in this situation because it works, we don’t need to tendency break that?”) – “I think there’s a lot of good coaches in this league. I think anything you do, there’s something to beat it. That’s just the game. That’s just how the game is. If you play a coverage, there’s something that beats that coverage, so I try to basically assume that our opponents are looking at that and they’ll try to come up with some answers.”
(One area where I’m sure you want improvement still is the run game. It’s at 3.3 yards per carry now. Are you optimistic that RB Phillip Lindsay’s ankle will be healthy enough for him to be a factor the last four games and your thoughts overall on where the run game is?) – “I think it’s something, an area, we need improvement. I think we’ll keep putting an emphasis on it, keep running it and hopefully we’ll get the improvement necessary to get the results we’re looking for.”
(With RB Phillip Lindsay, does it look like he’ll be healthy enough to help you this last month?) – “We have a walkthrough today. He’ll be part of the walkthrough and we’ll see how he feels next week.”
(What did you think about P Michael Palardy getting AFC Special Teams Player of the Week?) – “I thought he punted well the other day. He helped us from a field position standpoint. I think he’s gotten better over the course of the year and we need those kicks. He was a big part of the game on Sunday.”
(LB Jerome Baker was named your guys’ nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. I just wanted if you could speak on what that nomination means and what he does in the community here in South Florida.) – “I think being nominated to be Walter Payton Man of the Year is a great honor. I think it highlights the player on the field, but more importantly off the field, and in the community. I think Jerome has made an impact obviously with our team on the field and certainly in the community as well. Just thinking about the Haiti situation, I know he was very involved in helping them during that situation. He does a lot for the community. I’m proud of him for that. It’s certainly an honor for him to be nominated.”
(Will either WR Will Fuller or RB Malcolm Brown participate in the walkthrough today? Is there any change to what they are now able to do, compared to what they couldn’t do in recent weeks?) – “No, they won’t be part of the walkthrough today.”
(Knowing you, your attitude and how hard you coach, is it difficult to stop for this week, to take this time off?) – “In some ways, yes. You get in a routine. I try to stay on my routine. I’ve been watching the Jets, trying to stay on my routine, but without a game I would say it’s a little bit – for someone who tries to go, yeah I think it’s something that’s tough. But I’ll spend the weekend with my family.”
(In other sports, guys talk about getting on rolls. A basketball shooter gets hot, a baseball hitter gets hot, these sorts of things. Can that happen in football? CB Xavien Howard just said that he feels on a roll. He can’t manufacture an interception. The ball has to be thrown his way and he has to make a play. But is there something to that, how a guy could get hot in football as well? Whether it’s karma or whatever, that things just sort of break for them?) – “It’s the ultimate team sport. If you’re talking individually, it’s just not an individual game. Somebody can get hot in basketball and make every shot. You can go out there and hit four home runs. That can happen. But in football, you need help. Somebody has to throw you the ball, somebody has to block for you, somebody has to rush. There are a lot of things that’s got to happen. It’s a team game and a lot of people have to play well to get the results you’re looking for. A lot of people have to communicate, a lot of people have to trust in each other, so it’s different. That’s kind of the beauty of the game. That’s my take on that.”
(With so much time before your next game, is there such a thing as over preparation, or looking at too much film, too much time?) – “I think that is case by case and person by person. You may need to watch 10 minutes and be good. I may need a little bit longer. I’ve heard that before, over prepare. I think everyone is a little bit different. I think that’s the case when we were all in school. I was good at math, so I didn’t need to spend a lot on time on that. There are some people who aren’t good at math and may need to spend a little more time. I was no good at science, so I had to spend more time on that. I think it’s case by case. Each person individually has to figure out what they need and only that individual person knows whether they’ve over-prepared or not. That’s kind of my feeling on that.”
(So you’re not telling players to take some time away and don’t study this every single day, don’t over-saturate your mind?) – “No. I’m certainly telling them to take some time, relax, get off their feet, get some rest, get away from it. I think you need that too. I think you need balance. I thought you were talking about just a normal week.”
(No. I was talking about during the bye week, or the mini-bye, when you have so much time before your next opponent. Is there a such thing as being too prepared or studying too much, like you were saying in school.) – “Yeah. I think it’s case by case.”
Josh Boyer – December 7, 2021
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Tuesday, December 7, 2021
Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer
(It was announced this morning that LB Jerome Baker will be the Dolphins’ Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee. I wanted to get your take on not the football player, but just Jerome the person and why he’s deserving of that honor. Just tell us about him a little bit as a man.) – “The thing that sticks out about ‘Bake’ to me is that he’s a very even-keeled guy. I think he has a good perspective that you need balance in life. Our sole focus when we’re in the building is about getting better, executing better, coaching better and becoming better football players. I think that oftentimes what gets lost in that is the balance of being a good human being and being kind, being considerate, being able to be compassionate by listening. I think ‘Bake’ embodies all of those things. I think he’s got a good balance of football – he knows when to put in the time solely for football – and he also has that once he leaves the building there are a lot of things that he embodies that I think he shows while he’s in the building and when he’s out. I think he does a good job of having that balance in life that all of us, regardless of profession, are searching for.”
(A lot is made in this league about having an identity. Earlier in the season, this team felt like it lacked an identity. We went in thinking it would be the defense, but there were some struggles then. Now on this winning streak, do you feel this defense has established an identity and what do you think that is?) – “I was kind of asked this question a year ago and I’m probably going to say the same thing. You can call it whatever you want to call it, I think things are always changing, they always evolve. I think you deal with the things that are in front of you. I think you work on the things you feel like you’re not doing well. I think you try to build off the things you are doing well. At the end of the day, it comes down to you’re just trying to win and you try to play good complementary football in all three phases. Obviously defensively, we’re a third of that. Whatever it is – it may be different from one week from the next. I do appreciate the work our players put in. I think that’s a credit to them week in and week out. They have all been diligent workers and I believe when you see them play on Sundays, they play with great effort and great intensity. Those are things you can ask for. What people want to call it, they can call it.”
(Last time I was talking to Linebackers Coach Robbie Leonard, he was talking about batted passes. He was explaining how it can be virtually identical in impact to a sack. A batted pass first-and-10 becomes second-and-10 and I’m sure it’s something you guys talk to the players about. A sack might be second-and-12, they are similar in impact even though one is considered a splash play and the other one is kind of overlooked. I’m wondering if there are any technicalities you could break down for me relative to increasing the odds of a batted pass. Obviously you have a lot of guys who have done that well this year.) – “It’s no different than tackling. We have specific drills that we use that have specific coaching points, just like we do with tackling, just like we do with interceptions, just like we do with defeating blocks. It’s something I would say as a defense we highlight. And really we started that a year ago with the batted balls. We kind of explained the impact that they have on the game and our players have bought into one the impact they have on the game, but two the drills we ask them to do. Then obviously we’re seeing some success or some carry-over from the drills we do in practice to when they do them in group periods versus whether it be our offense or a show team, to game situations. I think we all see that carry-over. There are definitely things we do to try to increase the odds on that and when you can do it, because there are certain situations when you would not want to be in that position. We try to tie all of those things in together, just the situational awareness and knowing and understanding. Obviously our players know and understand the impact of a batted ball and how big it is to us as a defense, to keep offenses off track.”
(On LB Jaelan Phillips, the one thing I’ve noticed is his ability to cover a large amount of ground late in the development of a play. I don’t mean off the snap he runs around a guy. I mean like the play is developing, the play is developing, wow how did he cover that much ground? What have you noticed about that?) – “I think first, it starts with he plays with great effort. He plays with great effort. He’s blessed that he has a good amount of explosion to him. He has a good first step. I think the thing with Jaelan is he’s always playing with effort, and a lot of our guys do. You’ll see Adam Butler, you’ll see Christian Wilkins, you’ll see Jaelan Phillips, you’ll see these guys 20 yards downfield on a pass play. I think when they play with that effort and that intensity, not only does it seem like they are all over the field, they literally are.”
(The red zone efficiency, obviously that’s an area where you guys did quite well in last year, and now you’re getting back to it – I believe 50 percent is your percentage in red zone execution. What helped you guys tighten that coverage in the money area?) – “I think anytime you see improvement obviously, first I’d credit the players. They work at it. Obviously we’re probably coaching it better. They’re probably playing it better. I think we all know and understand how valuable points are in this league. Any time you get in the red zone, if you can only give up three points, if you can take the ball away, if you can turn them over on downs, that eliminates seven points. I think we all understand the importance and that down there, we really need our best execution, our best calls and it just depends week to week. A lot of times offenses are widely different on what they try to do and their philosophy down there. We’ve talked about this many times, we’re just trying to put players in the best position to succeed. It comes down to we need our best calls and our best execution in that part of the field because points are at a premium and we all know how close the games so many games in this league are. If you can make three points not seven, that’s a four-point play for us defensively. If they get down there and we get a turnover or a turnover on downs, that could potentially be a 7- to 14-point swing depending on what happens in the game. I think all of our guys are well aware of what’s at stake when we get down there. I think it comes down to execution and having guys in the right spots in those situations.”
(With S Eric Rowe, I was stunned to realize that he is like two tackles off from leading the team in tackles considering his role has evolved this season and there are young players taking snaps and opportunities from him. How different are you using Eric and how much has he helped the young players grow?) – “I think Eric, whether it’s run or pass, I think he’s got a better understanding of his fits in the run game from just two years ago when he just moved to the position. I would say one, Eric has always been a good tackler. He’s always done well with that. He’s doing a real good job in the pass game of seeing where the ball is going, breaking and getting to the football. That’s one thing we ask our guys to play with a relentless pursuit and we’re getting that from a lot of guys and Eric is a big part of that. He is a solid tackler when he is in position, whether it’s in line at the line of scrimmage, or he’s in space, or he’s in coverage, whether he’s in zone coverage or man coverage, Eric has been a solid tackler for us.”
