Christian Wilkins – September 29, 2021
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Wednesday, September 29, 2021
DT Christian Wilkins
(With the sack on Sunday – you are studious about your work. Pass rushing to you – how much have you focused on that in training camp and even through the start of the regular season in terms of skill development?) – “It’s part of being a pro. One of the things I try to always do is continue to hone my craft. Get better – pash rush, run. Just become a complete player. Be balanced and be able to stay on the field as much as I can and do my job as well as I can. Whatever the coaches ask me to do, whatever my team needs me to do, just try to develop them as much as possible, whether it’s day by day or week by week or season by season. Just always getting better.”
(As far as sack numbers go, I don’t think the Dolphins rank very high in the league. But you are in the top 10 as far as hitting the quarterback and contacting him. How do you bridge that gap between actually bringing him down versus just running into him?) – “There’s a lot of things that go into that. The fact that we are getting there and hitting him, hitting the quarterback, it does say we are able to get a lot of pressure and make a few things happen. We might have to try that much harder to make sure we get there and get home and bring him down.”
(I guess it feels better not getting the sack but still hitting him than not getting the sack and not touching him at all?) – “You always want to go. Again, there’s always a lot of different things that go into that. Sacks are big plays but hitting the quarterback is affecting him as well.”
(I ask because a lot of fans like to clamor about sack numbers, but it feels like sacks are, like you said, a great stat but it can be a little misleading.) – “Yeah, right. Like I said, there’s a bunch of ways that you can affect the quarterback. A batted pass can affect the quarterback just as much as a sack can. It really all just depends.”
(Did you and Defensive Line Coach Austin Clark go over the offseason program in August, focusing on polishing some of the pass rush moves you have? Or have you worked on developing new ones?) – “Really, like again, it doesn’t really matter about – there are a lot of guys who have great sack numbers off of just a few moves. It’s really working on what it is that you do as a scheme and what fits you best as an individual and mastering those things, and figuring out where you can take risks, where you can take shots, where you can’t, here and there. It’s all just about the scheme and what fits your skillset.”
(When you guys look back at run defense, you had some bright spots like the turnover on downs, the forced fumble. But allowing a guy to go over 100 yards, what did you find?) – “Each week the goal is just to get better. You’re always looking at what we did well, what we didn’t do well. The things we did well, we are going to try to continue to do moving forward and the things we didn’t do so well, we are going to try to improve on those things.”
(I wanted to ask you about third-down defense and time of possession. There have been several games in a row here where you have been on the field a lot. I don’t think I have to tell you that. What are you seeing as what is going wrong and how frustrating must that be to not be able to get off the field when you want to?) – “As a defense, your job is to get the ball back to the offense and get off the field as much as you can. That’s always your No. 1 goal. We’ll just keep trying to build each week, keep focusing on what it is that we need to do and execute the gameplan at a high level so we can get off the field more.”
(QB Tom Brady or Head Coach Bill Belichick?) – “What does that have to do with anything?”
(You’re a Massachusetts guy.) – “Yeah, okay. (laughter)”
(I know we talked a couple years ago about QB Tyler Van Dyke being here. He had his first start. Do you all have any sort of contact still from the Connecticut school?) – “Oh yeah, Suffield Academy. Suffield’s finest. A proud alum. (laughter). Actually, I talked to Tyler when he first came down here a little bit. I’m still open to talking to him whenever but obviously I do check in on games and that is the local team down here. I always kind of see things and pay attention to him when I can.”
(He went 10-for-11 for 266 yards in his first start.) – “Yeah, I definitely do pay attention to him. I try to support the fellow Suffield Academy alum.”
(Did you get a chance to talk to DE Clelin Ferrell, CB Trayvon Mullen Jr., WR Hunter Renfrow and C John Simpson?) – “Yeah, I was able to talk to all my guys and just catch up for a second. Just let them know I’m proud of them, keep working hard and we’re brothers.”
(Were there any jokes about how many of them ended up on the same team?) – “There were a lot of jokes, but yeah we were kind of just shooting it and just like old times. It was like we were in the locker room or something. Just kicking it, talking and making fun of each other. A bunch of different stuff.”
(This is the second game at home. Obviously the first one didn’t go the way you guys wanted. To have a successful season, you have to be good at home. How big a motivation is winning at home on Sunday or is it just about executing the gameplan that you guys have?) – “You always want to execute and that starts in practice. That starts in the meetings, it starts in the workouts and everything. It all goes into winning on Sundays. It’s definitely important to win at home. You always want to protect your house. You just have to have that mindset. You want to win anywhere but you definitely want to take care of your business at home.”
(They’re honoring Head Coach Don Shula this weekend. Do you feel that history in this building and if you had any interactions with him that you remember that stand out?) – “Absolutely. I’m definitely aware of the great history here and the great things that teams before us were able to do. The history here is pretty rich. I think that’s awesome. I think that’s pretty cool. Whenever former players come around and former coaches, I always have a little extra sense of let me listen, let me lock in or let me just go and say what’s up to that guy or that person, that coach, that former player or whatever and just shake their hand a lot of times when I can. There’s a lot of people that came before me that made the rich history here. It’s always pretty cool.”
Jaylen Waddle – September 29, 2021
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Wednesday, September 29, 2021
WR Jaylen Waddle
(You were one of the best in yards after the catch in college, probably one of the best we’ve seen in college football in years. I know a lot of them came on deep throws and some on shorter throws where you eluded guys. Where are you with YAC as a NFL player? Are you happy with what you’ve produced? Are you sort of antsy to get more as far as yards after catch?) – “Honestly, I feel like I can do more after the catch. I’ll try to do more after the catch. That’s pretty much where I’m at. I’m not dissatisfied or anything like that but I feel I can do more.”
(Can you walk us through the safety against the Raiders? What happened from your perspective?) – “We just didn’t execute the play well at all. Just execution all around. We just didn’t execute really.”
(Were you expecting to get the ball there?) – “You always – hopefully. You always want the ball. I think just execution all the way around. We just didn’t execute well. “
(It’s tough to make the decision so quickly, but did you think you should just let the ball go and not catch it and live another down?) – “I always want to catch the ball. (laughter) To be honest, I wouldn’t be like – I wasn’t going to let it go past (me) or anything like that because it’s just like an instinct to catch the ball. Nah, I wouldn’t say that.”
(How would you self-evaluate where you are right now three real games in?) – “I think there is room for improvement. A lot of improvement, just all the way around, honestly.”
(Do you feel like there is a sense of urgency in the building to kind of pick up where you left off, the way you finished that game, and kind of build on the momentum that you guys were carrying through the end of the game?) – “I think we just want to play good football all the way around through the whole 60 minutes, honestly. You can say momentum throughout the game, but I think we just want to play one full game that we just leave it all out there.”
(We talked about yards after catch at the start. What’s the key to getting you going in that way? Is it the play design? How do you set yourself up, when you’re starting a play, for a better end result?) – “I think it starts with executing the play – getting the play started and doing your ability to try to make someone miss. That’s honestly where it starts.”
(Are NFL players as fast as you thought they’d be or faster than you thought they’d be? Because at Alabama, you were just out-running people left and right.) – “I think it’s the NFL, so it’s the best of the best. Everyone is really good.”
(Are you pleased with how you’ve been able to get open? You have a large volume of catches so you’re getting open.) – “You’re always happy with that. (laughter) You’re always happy.”
(How do you feel looking back at a game where you had 12 catches but your yards per catch wasn’t really high?) – “To be honest, I don’t really look at that too much, like they tell me or anything like that. I really don’t look at it too much. I feel like we can do more. I can do more. The unit feels like they can do more. We’re just honestly going to try to do more.”
(What’s this process like? I don’t know if you’ve ever been on a team that’s 1-2. I know not for many, many years if ever. Obviously you guys are building towards something. I get all of that. But how unusual is it to be going through real growing pains when you’ve never really – the teams you’ve been on haven’t really gone through something like this?) – “I feel like we’re building, honestly. With us losing the game, I feel like we’ve learned a lot. We’re a young team. We’re just going to try to continue to get better.”
(Other than not having to go to class, what have you noticed is different about being an NFL player as opposed to college?) – “Just everyday life?”
(Yeah. Anything that has to do with anything. What’s different?) – “Nothing really. You be here pretty much all day. (laughter)”
(So that’s what’s different?) – “Yeah. You’re here all day, but that’s your job.”
(I know Hurricanes players have talked before about having a group text. Do you just text directly with DeVonta Smith or do you have a text chain with all of the Alabama rookies where you guys check in with each other every Sunday night, Monday or Tuesday?) – “Did you say all of the Alabama rookies?”
(There are a lot of them.) – “(laughter) We have a lot of group messages, but I don’t think we have one with just all the Alabama rookies.”
(Or most? Do you just text with DeVonta Smith? Or do you have a few of you guys?) – “Yeah, I keep in contact with almost everyone. But the group messages, I know that all of the receivers, we always text.”
(Do you talk about your games that week, or is it just non-football stuff?) – “Non-football stuff.”
Mike Gesicki – September 29, 2021
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Wednesday, September 29, 2021
TE Mike Gesicki
(I’m trying to remember if there would have been a previous shovel pass to you before Sunday.) – “Yes – 2018, Detroit Lions, on the goal line.”
(Who was the play-caller?) – “Adam Gase.”
(Is that a play in which you enjoy?) – “Yeah. I like any time I get to touch the football, so that was a good one.”
(Speaking of touching the football, it seems like you’ve done a lot of it with QB Jacoby Brissett under center. Not to say he’s going to throw you the ball more than QB Tua Tagovailoa would but what kind of chemistry did you two have considering this is your first year playing well?) – “Yeah, I mean I think Jacoby does a great job of just kind of going out there and executing, taking what the defense gives you. My thing is just making the most of my opportunities. When an opportunity presents itself, I’ve got to go out and make a play. That’s what I’m out there to do. I think that for the most part, I was able to do so.”
(Is there a greater optimism this week in practice that you guys can build off some of those late big plays and try to find some explosive plays this week?) – “I think every week there’s a lot of optimism and there’s a lot of us out there working, trying to execute. I wouldn’t say this week there’s more or less or any week there’s more or less. We’re professionals. We go about our business professionally and that’s how – it starts from the top with our coaches. They handle things in a great manner and that trickles down to us. We’re excited to get back out here and have another opportunity.”
(What do you see in this offense in terms of the lack of big plays? What’s not clicking that needs to start clicking?) – “I think that’s just how this game works. The other team is getting paid to make plays too and that’s just how it goes. I think we’ve just got to continue to keep working, keep trusting the coaching, keep going to practice and working on your fundamentals and techniques, and like I’ve said over and over again, when that opportunity presents itself, when that safety does cheat down a little bit and that post does open up and hit it, then you guys can write about that.”
(How aware of LB Darius Leonard do you have to be on every route you run?) – “Extremely. He’s a very talented player both in the run game and in the pass game. He’s extremely athletic. A ball hawk in both the pass game but also when you’re a ball-carrier. He’s going to go out there and try to punch that thing out of your hands. He’s obviously gotten all of the recognition and he deserves it all. He’s a great player.”
(What’s it like as an offense going against a player who could literally be anywhere at any given time on the field?) – “There’s a lot of good players in this league. I think you’ve just got to go out there and be able to execute no matter who we’re going against. Obviously he’s at the top of the list, so he deserves a lot of recognition and deserves a lot of credit. We’ve just got to go out and be able to execute.”
(WR Jaylen Waddle was in here earlier and I know he’s not in your position room but he’s really young and has only played three NFL games. If he did ask you for any tip or advice about navigating this rookie year, what would you say?) – “I think he’s doing a great job already without any advice from me. But (I would say) just continue all of the basic stuff – like if you were a coach, what you would say, it’s true. Just keep coming in here, keep doing what you’re doing, understand that the coaches are going to put you in a position to be successful and trust your technique and trust your work because that’s what’s gotten him here. He’s an extremely talented player – good hands, extremely fast, quick in and out of breaks, can impact a game on offense and in special teams. I think just continue to do what he’s doing and continue to grow.”
(You obviously have someone involved in the play-calling who really appreciates your skills from having worked with you for three years in Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey. Do you feel a comfort level with him during the game, at halftime or whenever to say ‘Look, I’m getting open against this look?’ Can you maybe call that a little more than maybe you would have had with Chan Gailey just because you’re more familiar with George?) – “I try to stay in my own lane. I think there’s points throughout the game where obviously you think you have this matchup or you think you can do that or this. But for the most part, I try to stay in my own lane just like everybody else. You’ve just got to trust in the coaching because they spend a lot of time up here, a lot of hours watching film, game-planning, figuring out matchups, trying to figure out and scheme up guys to get open and here and there and all of that kind of stuff. Obviously I think everybody is confident in themselves that they can go out and make plays, but that’s the beauty of this game. Sometimes you’re going to go out there and there’s not going to be many opportunities. Sometimes you’re going to go out there and there’s going to be a lot of opportunities. You’ve just got to be patient and like I continue to say, just be ready when that opportunity presents itself.”
(The fourth down catch didn’t seem like the easiest of catches. I’m just curious – I know it was a few days ago – what was going through your mind as that route was developing and sort of time was running down? You knew that it was fourth-and-20. What was going through your mind?) – “I lined up and based off of the concept of the play, I was really supposed to run a little bit of a shorter route but kind of understand the sticks. It’s a gotta-have-it play right there, so I ended up taking my depth a little bit deeper and Jacoby (Brissett) did a great job of extending the play with his legs. He put a ball out there and I think it just goes back to in big moments and opportunities, when you have an opportunity to make a play in a big moment, you just fall back on your preparation. I’ve caught a lot of footballs leading up to that moment. You just fall back on your preparation and we were able to make the play. Obviously we were still a couple of plays short on Sunday.”
(There were a lot of things that went right in those final few moments where you guys were able to rally the way you did. What did you see on film that maybe you could build off on this Sunday from last week?) – “I think honestly just kind of getting into a little bit of a flow. You could see guys getting confident, going out there and making plays. In terms of Jacoby (Brissett) to the receivers to myself to the backs. Adam Shaheen had a good one that ended up getting called back. There are a lot of guys that are capable of making plays. We’ve just got to get into a flow, trust the coaching and trust the gameplan to go out there and be able to execute it. I think you saw that in the fourth quarter but we’ve got to be able to sustain that. We started off fast but can’t really have those lulls in the middle of the game that lead to having to fight back. We’re a talented team that we can fight back, but ultimately you don’t want to put yourself in those positions.”
Jacoby Brissett – September 29, 2021
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Wednesday, September 29, 2021
QB Jacoby Brissett
(It’s a home game where you know you’re going to be the starter. How many people are you going to have in the stands?) – “All of the people in Dolphins jerseys are going to be for us, so all of those people.”
(Any special thought about facing the Colts and your fondest memories of your time there?) – “I mean obviously good, bad, sad, happy memories from there. That’s about it. I’m just playing football now. Kind of put that to the side.”
(Any time a guy faces his old team, no matter the sport, there’s always that parallel drawn, there’s always that storyline is obvious. As an athlete, is it kind of overstated? I mean you want to win with whoever you’re playing with and whoever you’re playing against. Is that…) – “Yeah, and it makes it more than what it is. I’m not here for like a revenge game or anything like that. I want to go win just because I’m playing football and I’m playing in the National Football League. We need a win so that’s what the purpose of this game is.”
(Can you carry some momentum, especially from the end of the second half of last game to this game, especially with the sense of urgency that you guys had the second half of the last game?) – “Yeah, for sure. That’s what we’ve been talking about is just building off of that momentum. Like I said after the game, we obviously lost but we did a lot of good things, especially coming from the week before that. Just finding those key things that we knew that we wanted to harp on and get better at. We did a lot of those things, so just find ways to keep doing those more and more. Obviously on the practice field, just pushing that mindset of we can’t wait until the fourth quarter to actually play football.”
(Piggybacking off of that, obviously play calls are dictated by the score and the clock specific to the fourth quarter and overtime when you guys were in that situation. But is there more of a – from a play-calling perspective, can you be more aggressive based on the success you had and what you just mentioned in the fourth and overtime?) – “I think every game and every situation is just so different. When we play against a defense like that, they’re not going to let you just go out there and just throw bombs every play. That’s why probably that game looked like that. Then we saw them get tighter and tighter and that’s when they presented the opportunities for a lot of those down-the-field throws. But every game is different. You’ve obviously got to pick your spot in this league and you’ve just got to make sure you hit them.”
(What has been missing from this offense in terms of the ability to hit big plays? Obviously you added a lot of big-play wide receivers this year. When you look at film, why have there not been more big plays do you think?) – “We just missed them. Yeah, we just missed them. We’ve just got to hit them. I don’t know how else to say it. We’ve just got to hit them.”
(The familiarity aspect of the Colts, how much can you take away from knowing them and vice versa?) – “Yeah, it’s that ‘chess match’ but obviously it’s different. I’m in a different scheme than I was when I was there. They’re a different team obviously. Different players playing in different positions. A lot of the same players are playing, obviously. But it’s going to be different. Yeah, obviously you have some type of familiarity with each other. I’ve been going against them for four years. But they know that as well, so obviously they’re not just going to come out and say ‘Jacoby, do you remember this from training camp your second year? We did this. Beat us here.’ It’s not going to be like that. I’m sure they’re going to have their own wrinkle and stuff like that.”
(On the flip side though, do you feel like – you were just there last year. Do you feel any different as a player?) – “For sure. I think I’m a way better player, better teammate, better man from my time there. Yeah, I think I’m better.”
(Is there anything you can do, without obviously divulging the gameplan, but is there anything that you can do to kind of combat what they know about you? They could have a different scheme but still…) – “Yeah, just like they think that I’ll know everything they’re doing, at the same time you’ve got to stop one another and go against it. It’s just going to take good fundamentals, good technique, good execution. I’m not playing by myself out there. It’s a good thing I’ve got 10 other guys that are going to be out there with me. We’ve just got to be good play after play.”
(Having played with QB Andrew Luck and QB Tom Brady – two outstanding quarterbacks obviously – is there something that they had in common that sort of will always stand out to you?) – “I just think their will. Watching those guys and seeing on a daily basis what they battled through – I mean even Phil (Rivers). Just seeing what those guys battled through to get back to the next week and not get through, but actually work and fight each day throughout the week to fill up on Sundays and things like that, I think that’s what stands out the most. Especially at this position. It’s to be able to get up and go again.”
(After a couple of tough weeks in a row, where would you say the confidence level of this team is? Is it fazed at all?) – “No, I think it’s rising. I think we see our potential but we also see where we need work at. I think the coaching staff and players are doing a good job. It’s early in the season. Let’s just keep stacking days, stacking weeks, and just finding ways to get better at these things because we know it’ll pay off in the end. Just like surrender the result. As long as you keep on finding those steps to get better and better and better, then everything else will take care of itself.”
Austin Jackson – September 29, 2021
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Wednesday, September 29, 2021
T Austin Jackson
(As you look back at the tape last week, what were your takeaways as far as how you did? Where do you go from here as far as improvements go?) – “Yeah as a team, we started out fast. We didn’t take advantage of our defer, so we got the ball back at halftime and we didn’t capitalize on some points in the middle. I think playing the whole game – executing the whole game, not just playing. Executing the whole game is probably my biggest takeaway from the film.”
(As far as your play, just thoughts on how you did and where you would like to get better.) – “I did some things as well. I definitely was more consistent in my pass pro, technique-wise, in terms of just doing the right thing.”
(Where do you think this offensive line is in relation to being able to hold your blocks long enough to allow either QB Tua Tagovailoa or QB Jacoby Brissett to look downfield and push the ball downfield, rather than just dump ups and short passes?) – “I think it’s there. We have some plays where we throw the ball short and some plays where we throw the ball long. Some plays we’re throwing the ball short and it turns into throwing the ball long. That’s just kind of football. I definitely think this offensive line can do that – can do both.”
(I think it was on the RB Malcolm Brown touchdown run where you sort of buried a guy. How did that particular play … how did that feel for you?) – “It felt good. It’s part of what we do day in and day out. We work to do stuff like that. It felt good. Looking to get a lot more.”
(One week removed from your absence, did you feel a bit stronger overall and a little bit better stamina?) – “Yeah, definitely. I’m not making any excuses or anything but I definitely felt the difference having a couple of weeks under my belt going into this last game.”
(It felt like – and I’m not an offensive line expert – but it felt like at times, for you, and you can tell me if I’m wrong, there was a little bit of hesitation off the snap, perhaps wanting to ensure that there wasn’t a false start. Tell me about that. Were there times where you felt maybe you were slightly hesitant on Sunday?) – “No, especially because being away, I can’t hear the quarterback a majority of the time. I’m already looking at the ball so whenever the ball goes, I go. Kind of like the receivers. Sometimes you have to hesitate coming off the ball if you’re reading like a stunt or a blitz. You’ve got to abort your first mission and go to your second gameplan, so that’s probably where you see that.”
Brian Flores – September 29, 2021
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Wednesday, September 29, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(With regards to two guards who were here earlier this year – Ereck Flowers and Jermaine Eluemunor – both have played well this year and neither has given up a sack. I’ve never asked this but I’m sort of puzzled – what was the incentive in moving from Flowers and paying him $6 million even though the cap savings wasn’t very big and with Jermaine as well, what was the thinking in moving on from both of those when perhaps they could have helped?) – “I’m really more worried about the guys on our team and the Indianapolis Colts, so that’s kind of where my thought process is – not really any other players on any other team. I’m worried about the guys on our team, getting us better and helping us and helping our guys improve. I’m worried about our team, not so much those players. That’s really my answer to that. I haven’t really given that much thought – really any thought – and I’m kind of worried about our guys.”
(Has the evaluation, do you think, been good enough on the offensive line? Not in terms of coaching, but in terms of evaluating players you bring in and the ones you keep? Or looking back, do you think things should have been done differently in some regards?) – “I’m not one to look back. I’m more in the moment, in the present, and focus on the guys on our team – our coaches, the people in our building – and what’s in front of me. Not necessarily what’s gone on in the past. I think that’s the way I’ve handled really everything – football, life – and that’s how I will continue to do it.”
(Yesterday in an interview, Trent Dilfer, who has worked with QB Tua Tagovailoa, stated that Quarterbacks Coach Charlie Frye is the Dolphins play-caller. So the question is, how Charlie been selecting the plays?) – “I mean we’ve talked about this. Charlie talks to the quarterback. We’ve talked about why he’s the one who gives him Play 13, Play 33. We’ve had that discussion. It’s a collaborative effort offensively. George (Godsey) and Eric (Studesville) are the co-offensive coordinators. They have a process that we feel very comfortable with. Charlie is part of that process, as we’ve talked about in the past. We’ll continue to go that way.”
(Is there any change this week to the offensive play-calling operation?) – “No.”
(On Saturday, they’re going to honor Coach Shula and finally do a celebration of his life. I know it has nothing to do with the game but, when you work here, how much – he’s everywhere. Pictures are everywhere, a statue and everything. Is he always just kind of in mind on some level, when you work for this team? Isn’t he always in the psyche somewhere?) – “Yeah, I mean he’s one of the greatest coaches of all-time. I think he’s made an incredible impact on a lot of players. A lot of players, a lot of coaches and this league. It’s obviously a rich history here with the Dolphins. We have a great alumni base or alumni group that’s around the facility and at games. I think that’s a great thing, from Nat Moore to Dan (Marino) to (Bob) Baumhower. We’ve got a lot of great players who are around and I think it’s great. I think Coach Shula, I think it’s great that we get to honor him. I know we tried to do this last year but with COVID, it wasn’t to the level that it should be and that it will be this weekend. I’m glad the fans get to be at the game and honor him then, and I know we’re doing something Saturday night. It’s obviously a very rich history. He’s a great coach. It was an honor and privilege for me to get to speak to him and get some insight from him about coaching and about helping guys become the best version of themselves from a preparation standpoint, and then take the things that they learned from football on the field and use it outside of football when they’re done, to help them attain success in other areas, which has certainly been the case with a lot of players he’s had.”
(What more can you tell us about any advice Don Shula might have shared with you or more about that wisdom of just how to help players develop as players and men?) – “I think it was always – some of his conversations or our conversations were about being demanding of the players. It’s something that they need – that discipline, toughness and hard work and guys who are competitive and guys who love to play. Those are the guys you want to have on your team. If you have enough of those types of guys – you don’t really worry about anybody else. You just worry about the guys on your team. If you have enough of those types of guys and they all kind of band together and work together, you’ll get the results you want. It doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a lot of time and preparation. Those are kind of the conversations we had.”
(When you play a team this early in the year that’s winless, in your history does that team with an 0-3 record play with a certain aspect of desperation knowing that their season is salvageable but they can’t afford many more losses? And would you put yourselves at 1-2 in that category too?) – “This is a good team. I would say it’s a very good team. I know they’ve played some tough opponents. They’ve been in every game. They’ve got good players, they’ve got good coaches. They’re skilled. Every game is a meaningful game in this league. They’re looking for a win and we’re looking for a win. I think that’s what the preparation is about this week, really in all three phases. Today is a big day for us from a preparation standpoint, getting to know this team and then trying to execute in practice the way we want to execute in the game. All of them are important. I think it’s important to them, it’s important to us and I know they’ve got a good team. I know it will be a tough 60-minute ball game.”
(Considering Indianapolis has pretty intimate knowledge of QB Jacoby Brissett, what can you as a staff do to help mitigate that effect on Sunday?) – “That’s a great vocabulary. (laughter) I had to kind of go through that. (laughter) Obviously yeah, they’ve got a history with Jacoby. They know him. He’s got knowledge of some of their players as well. At the end of the day, there are some things that they could take from that, but it comes down to execution. It’s a team game. It’s not Jacoby against one other person or that one player against Jacoby. It’s a team game. It takes 11 guys offensively, 11 guys defensively, 11 guys in whatever kicking game or phase or unit we’re dealing with to gel, get on the same page, have good communication and execute as 11 guys turned into one team on a given play. There are some things that may help that unit, but those get integrated over the course of the week. I’m sure they’re having conversations about Jacoby and Jacoby is having conversations with our team about some of the things that they do well and some things that we probably want to stay away from. I know the knowledge and the history that they have with him and he has with them will have some bearing, but I think at the end of the day, it’s about the 11 guys on the field.”
(How do you assess where WR Jaylen Waddle is at through his first few games?) – “I think he’s – look, he’s a young player. Every time he goes out there and sees a new defense, a different style of corner that plays maybe some off-technique or maybe some press, we get into stacks and bunches and see how teams play them. Sometimes they zone it, sometimes they man it, sometimes they do something 4-on-3 or 3-on-2, so I think it’s a learning experience for him every week. I think he’s – he works, he’s got the right routine, he’s doing a lot of the right things, he’s asking the right questions. I think over time, if he continues to do what he’s been doing, he’ll be just fine. I think that’s the case not only for Jaylen but for a lot of our rookies and young players. I think developing in this league – every game, every practice is an experience. I think everyone is a little bit different – the amount of reps, a timetable – but I think our guys are working in the right direction.”
(A phrase that keeps coming up in relation to the offense is taking what the defense gives us. Given that though, the Raiders the other day had 10 plays of 23 yards or more. I’m sure that’s not what you intended to “give them.” So with that going on, what do you do offensively to create more of those kind of big plays and at what point is it a matter of not just taking what they give you but imposing your will and taking what you need?) – “I think the first thing that comes to mind for me is execution. I think if you execute, then offensively – really across the board, your operation, in and out of the huddle, fundamentals, technique, throwing, catching – you’ll move the ball. I think in some instances, you’ve got to make plays against what’s going to be good defense. Making throws into tight windows, giving receivers a chance to make some plays or breaking a tackle in the run game if we’re one-on-one, I think that’s how you create bigger plays. We need to do a better job of that. We need to put them in – as coaches, we need to put them in better positions to take those shots. We’ve talked about it but you also don’t want to force things and create negative plays the other way. There’s a balance there as far as being aggressive and being smart. We’ve got to find that balance.”
(Everyone wants more explosive plays on gameday. What can you emphasize in the week of practice?) – “I think everybody wants to see more explosive plays. I’m that way as well. But I want us to play smart, tough and disciplined and give ourselves a chance to win at the end. At the end of the day, that’s what we’re looking for. Every game is a little bit different. They just are. There is no one formula for having the results you want. But explosive plays definitely help. Every team wins a little bit differently and every game is a little bit different. Sometimes you need more explosive plays, sometimes you need more explosive plays in the kicking game, sometimes you need a better running attack, better run defense. I mean every game is a little different. We need to execute in all phases, in all areas, better.”
(How do you balance what you’re talking about there, you wanting an offense and a team that can win in different ways, versus the concept of identity? They seem to conflict, the notion that we want to win in different ways versus this is who we are, this is what we do best. How do you juxtapose those?) – “I don’t think they conflict. I really don’t. I don’t think they conflict at all. I think we want to be a balanced team. We want to be able to be productive offensively, defensively and in the kicking game. I think those are three different areas. I don’t think your identity can be just one thing, otherwise you don’t have a – I think every team wants to be good in all areas. I think that’s what we want to be. I think that’s the identity, in a perfect world, we can have success in a variety of ways. We don’t work on everything so we can be good at one thing and have that one thing be our identity and not be good at anything else. I don’t think anybody is trying to do that. We may have a difference in opinion as far as that’s concerned, as far as identity of a team. I think every team wants to be good in all areas. I think some people’s identity is probably more of what the masses think than the actual team.”
(Last year, the defense gave up the lowest percentage of third-down conversions. Right now the defense is allowing the highest rate of third down conversions. When you look at the film, what hasn’t been working. Or what’s stood out to you that’s been allowing the defense to not get off the field?) – “I’ve taken a hard look at this myself and at the end of the day, our opponents are making more plays than we are. It’s just as simple as that. Good throws, good catches, contested catches. The rush is probably a half second late, so we need a half second more coverage. The difference between winning and losing those plays, it’s small. The margin for error is small on those, and right now we’re not – as far as the contested plays, the contested catches, getting the ball out, getting the extra half-second or quarter of a second to get to the quarterback, we’re not getting there. We’ve got to do a better job and that starts with me. I’ve got to do a better job of getting our guys in position to make those plays, to keep leverage, to get the ball off of them. I would say some credit to our opponents. As a coach, when you sit there, I think sometimes it’s a good throw and a good catch, and that’s happened a few times already this season. But we’ve got to do a better job. We’ve got to do a better job defensively getting us off the field and putting our offense back on the field.”
Eric Studesville – September 28, 2021
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Tuesday, September 28, 2021
Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville
(You’ve been part of some pretty successful running games going back through your career in Denver and also here in 2016 – the RB Jay Ajayi years. What does it take to have one of those forceful rushing attacks?) – “It takes the whole group. It’s not just – there’s one person that gets credit for it a lot of times with the yardage but it’s everybody. It’s the offensive line, it’s the tight ends, it’s the wide receivers blocking force, it’s the quarterbacks making great decisions a lot of times getting us in and out of the right looks and the right plays. It takes everybody on the field for a successful running game.”
(Do you feel like you have the talent and the personnel to get something sustainable where you can average over 100 yards per game?) – “I think the stats are always a nice thing to have but at the end of the day, we are tying to win and if that means that we have to run it and have one of those kind of running days, then we want to do that. But if we need to pass protect to win the game and that sacrifices some of the run possibilities, then that’s what is most important to us. What do we have to do to win the game? We’d love to certainly have a run game that we set a precedent that we are going to run the ball and that we can run it effectively. But at the end of the day, we want to do whatever we have to do to win the game.”
(I wanted to ask about WR Jaylen Waddle and the overall thoughts of the passing game. He had 12 catches for 58 yards. What do you attribute to not seeing so much success downfield? Do you think he needs more diversity in the route running? Just as a whole, what do you see from the passing game and why haven’t you been able to connect on some of those deep plays?) – “We are talking a lot about that, trying to find explosive plays and ways to get explosive plays. Not just to Jaylen but to other people on the team also, whether we are talking about Will Fuller or Mike (Gesicki). We did take some shots at the end of that game the other day in Las Vegas. We’re always trying to find explosive plays. We’re constantly talking about it, we’re trying to put them in, we are trying to get them, but we are limited at times because of what the defense gives us. We have to call them at the right time and we have to be prepared and we have to dial those up when we think we have the best chance to execute those.”
(I know after the game, QB Jacoby Brissett said that the Raiders and Defensive Coordinator Gus Bradley will play a lot of Cover 3 so you are going to get a lot more guys in coverage. Were you pleased, generally, with the way Jacoby handled the looks that he was getting and would you describe it as that give and take of taking what the defense gives you but also trying to force their hand?) – “I think that’s a concept that we go to every week. We game plan and try to come up with things that we think are going to give us the best chance to be successful. We are watching the defense and we are trying to make sure that what we planned for is what we are getting so now we can use our things. We always have to be ready to adjust too because they can do something different, so there is a give and take at all times in every game in different situations, what’s going on and what they feel like our strengths are that they are going to try to take away and what we feel like we want to do to attack their defense. There’s always a give and take in everything that you do and we have to just make sure that we are communicating and that we have things going on in there that give us the chance to adjust and then to execute when we do call our plays.”
(The play call in the end zone that resulted in a safety – could you educate us on how something like that is decided upon? And QB Jacoby Brissett shouldered the blame postgame. Should he have gone elsewhere with the same play call and route patterns?) – “I think what happens is when you’re in the heat of a game, you’re calling plays and that position, especially Jacoby (Brissett), he made a decision. I read what he said about it and I think that’s what happens. He made a decision and right, wrong – if we all went back would we do different things? Probably we would do something different or we could do something different. But we didn’t. That’s what we did in that play so we have to learn and grow from that experience of what happened on that particular play. That’s what happened on that play and that’s what happened.”
(Just to follow up to make sure we’re clear. Did QB Jacoby Brissett make that play call? Or did that come from the coaching staff?) – “No, we called that play into him. That wasn’t an audible or anything of that nature, no.”
(And just to close the loop on that one particular play – was WR Jaylen Waddle in fact an eligible target on that play or was he supposed to just be a decoy that does not get the ball?) – “No, that was an empty formation and we had five eligible receivers in that particular formation.”
(There’s been a lot of talk about taking what the defense gives. What is your opinion on taking what the defense gives versus trying to take what you want?) – “There’s a whole process in there. When we game plan and we put things together that we want to call in the game, we are calling those things based on what we’ve studied and looked at as what we anticipate the defense giving us a certain look for. What we are calling is what we think would be best against those looks. We have to have adjustments and we have to have rules because if they don’t give us the specific look that we want, then we have to have rules and adjustments to be able to execute a play that we call. We can’t just call timeout all the time because they don’t line up exactly how we want. We’re planning our plays to what we think we can do best against a defense. I think to answer the question, what I’m saying is we want to dictate what we think is best for us against what the defense has shown us to do.”
(It seems like you guys have a lot of success when you are up against the clock and area little more urgent on offense. What do you see differently that makes you successful in those situations on offense when you have to go a little bit up-tempo and fight against the clock as well?) – “That may be what is happening in the game but we want to have urgency at all times. We want to be productive, not just at the beginning or at the end of the game. We want to be productive the entire game. We want to have tempo, we want to have urgency the entire game. We are working for that. We have got to get better at it. Obviously that’s something for us to work on going forward. We are talking about that. But we want to have urgency the entire game for 60 minutes. We don’t want to let down and then ramp it up at the end. We don’t want to do that. We want to be consistent throughout and that’s something that we can work on and get better on.”
(I wanted to ask about T Austin Jackson. He had a few moments where he showed some good aggressiveness in the run game but there were still some tough moments in pass protection. What is the coaching staff stressing to Austin right now?) – “To keep working and to continue to buy into what we are doing and our coaching and what we are talking about. He’s a competitive young man, it’s important to him and we feel like he played better. But we are still continually working and he’s going to continue to work and we are going to continue to work with him to get better and improve so that we do get the level of play that not only he expects from himself but that we want from him also.”
(With regards to passing, opening it up and trying to take shots downfield, how much was WR Will Fuller’s first game kind of a feel-it-out game for him early and how much can you add on his plate as he becomes more comfortable in the offense?) – “First of all, I think it was good to have him out there and see him make some plays. We threw the ball to him, tried to take some shots to him. He made a great catch on a two-point play, the route that he had there. It’s just good to have him out there and get him into the offense. The more that he’s in the offense, the more things we will try to do as he gets more and more comfortable with it. We are just going to keep working on that but as long as he’s able to be out there, we are glad to have him out there and we are going to find things to try and do with him.”
(Obviously we have history with RB Myles Gaskin and RB Salvon Ahmed. We know what they bring to the table but RB Malcolm Brown has been a guy that is contributing more than most of us expected. He started last week. What went into that decision not only to start him but to give him an equal share of this backfield?) – “I think Malcolm has done a great job since he’s been here. He’s a very focused, serious and mature-type person – intensely competitive. What we’ve seen is that his preparation and how he does everything, we wanted to create a little bit more of a role for him rather than a couple plays here and there. We wanted to change that up and see what it looked like. We feel like he had some production for us. We will continually evaluate that each week like we do. It’s what we think gives us the best chance to run the ball as well as with protection and things. He did a nice job this past week. He played more than he has but I thought he did a really nice job.”
Josh Boyer – September 28, 2021
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Tuesday, September 28, 2021
Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer
(LB Jaelan Phillips, he started, he got more playing time. What did he show last week in order to get that start and extra snaps, and if you can assess how he did?) – “I think it’s like all of our guys. Week to week, we go into the game plan and obviously we’re going to have probably a different line up in guys based on their week of practice, their improvement over time and what they do with their opportunities with their snaps, we’ll increase their snaps or if the gameplan presents it. Jaelan has been doing a good job of coming in the building, working hard on the things he needs to improve. Some of the things he’s doing well, we’re expounding upon that. That’s a result a little bit of gameplan and a little bit of Jaelen’s work that you’re seeing a little bit more opportunities there. And then obviously with all of our players, when they get more opportunities, if they make the most of them, those usually continue.”
(Last year you guys were the top-ranked defense on third down conversions, not letting drives continue. But as of now ,your team is worst in the league giving up the most third-down conversions. When you look at the film, what would you assess is the biggest point and what’s changed in why you’re allowing so many conversions?) – “I think we can coach it better. I think we can execute better. Obviously when you give up third downs, you extend drives, you extend plays. You give them more opportunities. We need to do a better job in that and that starts with me, making sure we coach it better, put them in a better opportunity to succeed and then when we have opportunities, make sure we go out there and execute.”
(Last summer when Bill Arnsparger passed and won his lifetime achievement award, we talked to you a bit about the football historian in you and how much you really respected what he did here in Miami. With Coach Shula’s celebration of life coming up on Saturday, I was curious asking the football historian in yourself, just your memories of Coach Shula and if you can recall studying what he did as a coach and reading books? I just wanted to hear your thoughts on Coach Shula.) – “It’s kind of interesting, my introduction to Coach Shula. It really started with my sister, who is two years younger with me. She shares the same birthday as Coach Shula, who was born on January 4th, 1930. My sister was obviously born a little bit later – January 4th, 1979. She actually grew up a Dolphins fan because she shared the same birthday as Don Shula. When we were kids, you guys have heard me talk before about my father – he’s a high school football and baseball coach and he’s been coaching football for over 40 years. I had a Ken Anderson poster on my door and my sister had a Bob Griese poster on her door. It just so happened, growing up in Ohio, Don Shula was an Ohio guy – went to Harvey High School in Painesville, which is just a suburb of Cleveland. He went to John Carroll University, which was in the same conference as Muskingum College, where I went to school. Every time we’d travel to John Carroll, you’d see the Don Shula athletic facility there at John Carroll. I think the historian part of me really loves Coach Shula’s story. Obviously, he was drafted in the ninth round by the Cleveland Browns. He played halfback at John Carroll and then Paul Brown ended up moving him to defensive back. Then obviously Coach Shula had a defensive background from there on out. But when you look at Paul Brown’s legacy and the number of people he’s had a hand on, obviously Chuck Noll was there too, which Coach Shula coached with Chuck Noll as well. Those are two Hall of Fame coaches. And interestingly, Coach Shula was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997. That’s the same year my sister graduated. There were a little bit of characteristics there. I would just say that Coach Shula’s ability to maintain winning seasons – I believe in his coaching career he only had two losing seasons. I know he was very successful with the Colts. He was very successful here in Miami and then obviously he really spent, even when he was done coaching, he spent about 50 years in the Miami organization. I think it’s awesome that they will celebrate his life and his legacy to pro football, his legacy to the Miami Dolphins, and honestly there’s not enough good things you can say about him. It’s just kind of an interesting fact that my introduction with him basically started with my sister having the same birthday.”
(CB Noah Igbinoghene was active for the first time this past game. Obviously he didn’t play any defensive snaps. What have you seen from him in practice, I guess? What is the plan for him? Obviously he’s a former first round pick and has had ups and downs. Is there kind of a plan for him? Do you want to see him on the outside, on the boundary, in the slot?) – “The plan is pretty much universal for all of our guys. They get reps and opportunities at practice, you make the most of those opportunities and obviously when things go into game planning, we try to put guys in the position not succeed. Obviously I need to do a better job with that. Then when those guys get opportunities in game situations, hopefully they make the most of them. Then you re-assess from week to week. The idea is to give opportunities and to progress on a daily basis.”
(I know you go into every week determining the allocation of playing time based on whose practicing well, based on matchups and all sorts of factors you’ve talked about. One big difference from a year ago, speaking of the secondary specifically, last year you had two safeties that played either every snap or most snaps with S Bobby McCain and S Eric Rowe. You decided by Week 4 that CB Nik Needham was your primary nickel. He played all the snaps after experimenting early in the season. Your sharing snaps at safety amongst multiple players. You’re sharing nickel snaps with CB Justin Coleman and Needham. I would imagine in your view, tell me if I’m wrong, they are all compatible talents who can give you different things. My question would be, have you given serious thoughts on just settling on two guys at safety … be your primary players at those spots. Could that be helpful or do you need to see week to week more this rotation of six players at those spots?) – “I think there are a lot of variables that go into that. I do think that when you have multiple players that you feel comfortable with, it gives you a little more flexibility on certain things you can do to try to highlight their talents with what we’re trying to do schematically. At the end of the day, what guys are doing with those opportunities, you go back and see if one, we’re putting them in the best positions to succeed. And two, are they making the most of the opportunities. As the season goes on, guys that are doing better with their opportunities, you will probably see them more. Then guys that are a little erratic with those, you’ll see them less. That’s just kind of how it goes. Having the opportunity to have multiple guys that you feel confident in I think gives you more flexibility schematically.”
(We saw some interesting matchups with CB Byron Jones on TE Darren Waller a lot and even one time when CB Xavien Howard was on WR Hunter Renfrow in the slot. In terms of kind of coming to those decisions, obviously you have a week of game planning but how much of that is in the heat of the moment during the game, you deciding to go with different matchups? And how much of the require other guys to be mindful and be ready to play different positions as well, and switching that up in the middle of the game?) – “I think you set a game plan and guys are well aware that their matchups can change or shift within the gameplan. Once you go to the game, they may know this might be a certain matchup here, this might be a certain matchup here. When you get to the game, that could change too based on how we are doing, what they are doing. I think it’s really a credit to our guys and we try to put them in the position in practice, so when we get to games, it’s not a surprise or something foreign to them. We always set a game plan going in, we set contingencies going in and as usual, when you get into the game, those things can change too as well.”
(We’ve seen DE Emmanuel Ogbah get a lot of pressures consistently this year. We saw DT Christian Wilkins with a sack. Do you think you need more pressures and sacks from your edge guys beyond Ogbah? In terms of LB Jaelan Phillips and LB Andrew Van Ginkel, has there been enough? Does there need to be more? Even DT Adam Butler has a history of being a good pass rusher.) – “I think each week we go into it trying to put those guys in positions where they can affect the quarterback. Sometimes, it’s not just the sacks, it’s the pressure in the quarterback’s face. I think you’re always trying to do that from a week-to-week basis. It’s very similar to what you’re talking about with the DBs. You try to put those guys on good matchups and ultimately what we’re trying to do is we’re trying to affect the quarterback, we’re trying to affect the offensive line. A lot of that starts with me. I can do a better job of putting these guys in better spots. We’re constantly evaluating that and obviously we need to be better in third-down situations. We need to be better on all situations. I think that’s what we’re striving to do. Unfortunately I talk to you guys on Tuesdays and by that time, the last game to me is a distant memory and we’re all on the upcoming opponent. But I think the idea is the same. We’re trying to put the guys in the best spots here. Obviously we want to get as must pressure as we possibly can. Whether it’s moving guys around or bringing pressure, that’s a week-to-week decision.”
(There has been an onus on coaches doing a better job so that the execution can improve. You mentioned third downs but where do you feel like this team is in regards to stopping the run?) – “I think at times we do it very well. And at times, it’s a little bit of – whether it’s schematically the call, myself trying to make a play or schematically it’s a player trying to make a play and gets out of a gap and not trusting – or just trying to make a play. Usually in general when you do that, we just need 11 guys doing their job and when that happens, our results are pretty good. I think that’s a process of us coaching it better, playing it better and everybody being on the same page and just doing their responsibility. Then consistently, it will be what it needs to be. It’s been good in spurts and it’s been bad a handful of times. All of those come down to guys trying to make plays or we’re trying to make plays with the call. The results haven’t been what we wanted. We’re really just striving for consistency in that phase.”
(You guys had so much success with guys buying in last year in terms of playing team ball and you clearly saw the benefits of it. I know this is a new team with new personnel, but you’ve got so much carryover. How do they not buy in?) – ‘I don’t think it’s a matter of them not buying in. I think their intentions are good. I think it’s just a matter of us – again, to your first question, really coaching the fundamentals, coaching the techniques and getting the guys to do it on a more consistent basis. I think when everybody understands that and does that, the results will be better. I don’t think guys are not buying in or they are not trying to do what we’re asking them to do. It’s they are trying to do more. That’s – sometimes when you try to do more, it yields less results. We got a great group of guys. They work hard. They do what we ask them to do. We’ve just got to get it coached consistently better.”
