Isaiah Ford – December 29, 2021
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Wednesday, December 29, 2021
WR Isaiah Ford
(How has this expanded role in recent games gone for you? Obviously somewhat due to whether it be injury or some COVID, but just handling the expanded role and your role here?) – “My approach is the same. I think I’ve kind of said that over. That’s the way you have to be. Prepare as if you are going to play. Prepare as if you are the starter even if you’re not getting all the reps because realistically, you’re only one play away. When that opportunity comes, you want to be able to make the most of it and preparation helps you build that confidence in being ready, so I think that’s all I’ve tried to do.”
(You guys all play multiple positions in that receiver room and there’s all kinds of stacks and bunches and motions. It just seems like a lot. I was curious what the coaching point or if there is a common theme among all the receivers to be able to compartmentalize all those roles and play the versatility you guys have in that room. Is there a common theme or is there a coaching point you guys go back to for all that?) – “I think the biggest thing is just learning conceptionally. I think a lot of times, or at times, younger guys will sit there and say, ‘Hey, well I’m an X,’ or, ‘I’m a Z,’ or, ‘I play in the slot,’ and they stick to that position. I think in our room, we can all move around. We have Devante (Parker) in the slot and we can put Jaylen (Waddle) out wide. I think him being able to pick that up and everybody else in the room being able to do that as well helps us to be able to help each other to where if somebody didn’t hear the call correctly, we can help Tua (Tagovailoa) get lined up. We can mix and match and so it’s hard to just know where someone is so a team can game plan for that person if they’re move all around, so it helps us be a better offense.”
(A couple of things, we’ve seen a lot of motion in this offense, we’ve seen Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey have some real creative play calls the last month. What has stood out to you about George Godsey as a play caller?) – “Just giving the defenses a bunch of different things to look at and then building plays off of plays. I think that in this league, everyone has pretty much seen everything so being able to come up with different ways to run similar plays, similar concepts and even simplifying them enough to where we can go out there and execute them has been the biggest thing. We’ve just made enough plays to win these games, bottom line.”
(I was going to ask you about WR Jaylen Waddle. Obviously, what a great rookie season. What surprised you about him? We all knew about the speed obviously but has anything surprised you about him?) – “Not really. We had a similar receiver coach, or we had the same receiver coach from college my last year and then his coach his past two years (at Alabama). I pretty much heard the same things that he was hearing. Jaylen is extremely talented. The sky is the limit for him and you can just see his confidence growing more and more with each catch, each rep he’s getting. He’s an awesome player.”
Tua Tagovailoa – December 29, 2021
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Wednesday, December 29, 2021
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(As you guys are at 8-7 and kind of find yourself in the position where you just need to win these final two games to make the playoffs, I guess what can you kind of draw back from your time at Alabama playing these kind of high stakes playoff-type games whether it was in SEC Championship games or college playoff games?) – “All those games are electric. They’re fun. I would say it’s just a different stage where all these games mean a lot getting towards the ending of the season. I would say all of these games are big-time games and we’ve got to do all that we can to prepare the right way so that we can hopefully go ahead and get a win this week.”
(You guys did something that no NFL team has done in history. You had a seven-game losing streak and a seven-game winning streak in the same season and I’m just curious as one of the leaders on the team, how is it that you think the guys in the locker room were able to keep belief when you were 1-7 to put you in this position now where you’re 8-7 with an opportunity to go to the playoffs?) – “I think the belief has always been in the locker room. It’s really just the execution from all of us – being able to play together. There would be times where the defense plays really well and we’ve got to pick it up on offense – we don’t play as well as we should and vice versa. Or maybe something happens where penalties take a toll on the game for us as a team. So we just weren’t playing complementary football – like we’ve been saying – the way that we’re kind of doing now. That’s that.”
(I always enjoy asking about the opposing team’s safeties and kind of how they make your job more difficult. Tennessee has an All-Pro in Titans S Kevin Byard. What have you seen from him and how he kind of makes that defense clicks as far as disguising coverages and everything they do?) – “Like you said, he’s a Pro Bowler so he’s really good at what he does. In the back end, he’s their communicator. He gets guys aligned in the back end. He communicates out where everyone needs to be, who’s pressuring, who needs to replace him, all of that. So he’s the captain for them in the back end and I think he’s done a really good job so we’ve definitely got to be aware of where he’s at and who he’s covering at all times and look pretty much elsewhere for our matchups.”
(Titans QB Ryan Tannehill will be on the other side. For Dolphins fans that brings a lot of extra meaning to this game as if it needs anything extra. For you, do you just forget about the opposing QB and focus on who you’re going against, which is the actual Titans defense?) – “Yeah. I mean Ryan (Tannehill) is not playing corner or he’s not going to be pressuring me, so I’m not going to be watching film on Ryan. But I have a lot of respect for the things that he’s done throughout his career, his football career being here and also what he’s doing there at Tennessee. But yeah, we’re focused on what their defense can do to stop us. Not looking at Ryan playing defense.”
(I’m wondering whether any of your coaches, whether it be Head Coach Brian Flores, Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey, Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville, Quarterbacks Coach Charlie Frye, have had discussions with you since the game on Monday night about making sure you get in your head to slide when you’re scrambling as opposed to going up against a guy like CB P.J. Williams for example on Monday night?) – “I mean, yeah, literally everyone. It’s not just the coaches. Everyone. (The senior director of football communications) comes up to me and asks me why I’m not sliding. (laughter) It’s weird. I don’t know if (she) has ever played football and she’s telling me to slide. It is what it is. Just being out there, it’s different. For me, in that scenario, I wanted to get a first down so PJ Williams fell off the guy that he was covering and that’s what happened. At the end of the day, it’s football.”
(They’ve got a really good player up front with DT Jeffery Simmons on the other side. I’m curious as a quarterback, what does interior pressure do you for you versus maybe traditional edge pressure as far as how you are in the pocket and trying to do what you guys want to do offensively?) – “Interior pressure wreaks havoc really on the game both in the run and the passing game. In the run game because the holes aren’t going to be there, the runner’s got to bounce it out forcing their edge players – which really, their contain players are more than likely going to be out there. And for the pass game, stepping up, it’s hard to step up into the pocket with interior pressure. But I’m pretty good friends with Jeffery. We played against each other while he was at Mississippi State and I was at Alabama. Great player, good person, but we do understand that it’s going to be a tough task for us offensively to know where he’s at at all times and get him blocked.”
(You mentioned you’re good friends with him. Do you tell him to take it easy on you this week?) – “Yeah, no matter what you tell your friends, it’s competition.”
(I wanted to ask you about WR Mack Hollins’ impact on the offense. You guys talk about guys making the most of their opportunities and Mack has had limited opportunities, but it seems like he’s made an awful lot of big plays. I wonder if you could describe that impact he has for you guys?) – “Mack (Hollins) has made a great impact for us. As you can see, every time he’s downed the ball on the 1-yard line, that Gritty is amazing. So those are some big plays. I don’t know if those are the big plays you’re talking about, but he’s done a great job with the Gritty. I thought that was amazing. But yeah no, Mack has done a great job for us with a lot of the deep balls that he’s been given. He takes advantage of his opportunities when he gets in, so I think he’s done a great job with that.”
Mike Gesicki – December 29, 2021
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Wednesday, December 29, 2021
TE Mike Gesicki
(TE Durham Smythe wore your shirt today. What do you think?) – “I think it’s a good look. I think he should wear that shirt more often honestly. (laughter) I do appreciate his support. I’m not entirely sure what the occasion is, but I do appreciate it.”
(I think it’s the career high receiving yards. He did say it’s the first time he’s worn it.) – “It definitely is the first time he’s worn it. Rumor has it he’s also wearing it on the trip this weekend, so I’m looking for that as well. (laughter)”
(QB Ryan Tannehill is going to be on the other side. There was some crossover between you and him earlier in your career in Miami. What did that time mean to you and what will it be like seeing him on the other side?) – “I like Ryan a lot. I’m happy for his success. He’s a good guy, a good player. Like I said, I’m happy for his success and I’m looking forward to us competing against his team this week.”
(We’ve seen a lot of motion from this offense. We’ve seen creative play calls from Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey the last few weeks. What has stood out to you about George Godsey as a play caller? Obviously you know him well as your position coach for four years.) – “George has done a very good job as well as Eric (Studesville) of implementing different things into our offense and being creative, and at the end of the day, doing whatever it takes to get a win.”
Durham Smythe – December 29, 2021
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Wednesday, December 29, 2021
TE Durham Smythe
(Fun to see the continued evolution of you as a dangerous receiving threat in this offense. I know you’re always happy to do whatever is asked of you of course, but has there been some satisfaction in the expanded role in the receiving game? Do you feel like you’ve needed to prove yourself in that way over three years to convince the coaches to give you more of that role, Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey, etc.?) – “I think you hit it on the head with the opening of the question. I try to do what’s asked. That’s kind of been my mindset really dating back to college because offenses are always changing. Some years you’re going to run the ball more. Some years you’re going to have to throw the ball, so I just try to do what’s asked of me. It is always nice every now and then to have something kind of show up from a statistical standpoint, but I’ve always just tried to do what’s asked whether that’s in the run game, pass protection, being a receiver – whatever it is – special teams. So that’s my mindset and that’s kind of what it’s always been.”
(Was there ever a conversation the last year or two with Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey where it was conveyed that you would be looked for more in the passing game because clearly these are career numbers for you and you are being targeted more than ever before?) – “Not directly. I think like I said, each year the offense evolves in a different way so you have to be ready to adapt and play the role that you’re needed to play. I think that’s just the evolution of our offense this year and that’s kind of how it’s been. Everyone has to roll with the punches. You have to be able to adapt in this league and be able to do what’s needed. So I think that’s just kind of how it’s been.”
(I have two different things on two totally different topics. The first one I’ve got to ask you about the t-shirt. Did you have that specifically made or how’d that…?) – “I was hoping someone would ask. Let’s give another view of it. (laughter) I just wanted to obviously pay the respects back. Mike (Gesicki) hit his career high for a season in receiving yards this past week so thought it was worth a shoutout there. I didn’t have it personally made. This I think is for sale somewhere, but this was given to me from Mike last year so I’ve held onto it. Unfortunately this is the first time I’ve worn it. He’d probably be pretty angry to hear, but maybe I’ll break it out more starting now.”
(Totally different topic. You were a rookie in 2018 when Titans QB Ryan Tannehill played here his last year. I wanted to ask your recollections of playing with him as your quarterback.) – “Yeah, he was actually in the locker right next to me in 2018. Great guy. Great football mind. He’s one of those guys that can look at a defense and tell you a lot of things just by really subtle things the defense does. So it was nice having him honestly around my rookie year as a guy who could teach us a little bit coming right out of college. He’s a great player obviously. Has been for a long time and like I said, it was nice having him around for our rookie year.”
Elandon Roberts – December 29, 2021
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Wednesday, December 29, 2021
LB Elandon Roberts
(I wanted to ask you about this Titans play-action passing attack. It seems like that’s where a lot of their big yards come from. What’s been a key for you guys in that linebacker crew to be able to recognize when they are running the ball and when they are going to go play-action?) – “I think with preparation. We’ve just got to prepare for it and hone in on it. They do a lot of things good in the run game, play-action, drop-back. They are a complete offense and we’re going to have a big task on us this week. They have a lot of great players on that offense as well. It’s going to be a 60-minute ball game.”
(For years you went up against QB Ryan Tannehill on the flip side when you were with the Patriots and he was with the Dolphins. What do you remember from preparing for him those days?) – “To be honest, I don’t think I played against Tannehill. As a matter of fact, I want to say I played against him in Tennessee and not Miami. I think he was hurt those games. Obviously he’s a talented quarterback. He leads their offense good. He controls it all. He’s doing great things for his team. He looks to be a great teammate. Like I said, we’re going to have a big task on our hands this week.”
(How have you seen him evolve since that point in time, to now?) – “Like I said, he’s a complete offense. He does great things for that offense, that team. He’s been having a good career and like I said, it’s going to be a big task.”
(As a veteran on this team, what are you telling the younger guys as far as their approach to this game knowing what the stakes are, as high as they’ve been all year for you guys. What sort of advice are you giving the younger guys?) – “We just as a whole team continue to take it one week at a time. That’s really all you can do, just take it one week at a time. It’s not just the younger guys, it’s the veterans like myself too. Hone in what we have in front of us, and what we have in front of us is the Tennessee Titans. We’re just all zoned in on that.”
(Have you guys talked about the playoffs at all?) – “Nope.”
(What was it like for you – QB Ryan Tannehill is going against his old team, a place that was – he played in Miami for so long. What was it like for you going against your old team?) – “Man, I’m so focused on Tennessee, I really don’t feel like talking about that.”
Michael Deiter – December 29, 2021
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Wednesday, December 29, 2021
C/G Michael Deiter
(I wanted to get your reaction on reviewing the film from Monday Night’s game on the offensive line. How do you feel you guys played and what your focus is now going into this week?)– “Didn’t play well enough, obviously. A lot of stuff that we need to correct and get tighter with. That started yesterday with watching it and then making sure that everyone is detailed today and tomorrow and the next day and making sure we are getting things right. There was some good but not enough good and we can be a lot better.”
(It seemed like on Monday Night the Saints had a lot of success running those four-man rushes with the stunts, I know that’s obviously really tough post-snap but as an offensive line group, is there any way to communicate that better to make sure that the looping guy comes and isn’t free?) – “Yeah, definitely communicating would help with awareness. That way you can react faster and snap things off faster. Once the ball is snapped, it just falls back on technique. The same technique you always use to pick it up in practice, we needed to get to that in the game consistently. When we’re getting teams that run games really well, we knew they did and we just need to trust our fundamentals, technique and pick things up.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores mentioned Titans DT Jeffery Simmons being one of the best players in the NFL. They’ve got plenty of weapons up front with him, DL Denico Autry and several other guys. Just wanted to get the players perspective on what the Titans bring on that interior front against you guys this Sunday.) – “They’re really good. Obviously, Jeffery is the star of it all but they have a really good, sound defense, especially their front. They’re big, they’re fast, they’re powerful, they play smart and they play with a lot of effort. They present a lot of good challenges for us, which is exciting. It gives us a chance to go against the best and expect a lot of good stuff. Like I said, they’re big, physical, they fly around, they play smart and they play with tremendous effort.”
Brian Flores – December 29, 2021
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Wednesday, December 29, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I’m sure you heard the news yesterday that legendary coach John Madden passed away. I wanted to start off getting your thoughts on his career, his legacy and how many football generations he touched.) – “It’s a sad day for a lot of people, for the game of football. As far as legacy and impact and the amount of people and lives that he touched not only as a coach, but as a person, as a husband, as a father. I think he’s up there on the Mount Everest of coaching and obviously he had a great career as a coach and as a color commentator. From all the things that I’ve heard – I never met him – he’s a better human being. It’s a huge loss for the sport and really for everyone, so a sad day.”
(So you began the day with 14 players on the COVID list. Are any coming off in time for practice today?) – “Yeah – Cethan Carter, Justin Coleman, Robert Jones, Greg Mancz, Duke Riley will all be back.”
(I know Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman really didn’t want to go into this a lot yesterday, but with WR Jaylen Waddle obviously you have a great returner, someone who did very well at that at Alabama. You opted not to use him in that role Monday when you had WR Tommylee Lewis available. Is the thinking that you want to protect him, conserve his energy because of his vital role on offense at this point in the season?) – “There’s a lot that goes into all decisions. We always want to do what’s best for the team. Rosters – as you know, because you’re on top of this – have been very fluid and moving these last few weeks. With Jaylen (Waddle) coming off of COVID and a litany of moves that have been made really across the league, that factored in. We’ll always do what we feel is best and these obviously last couple of weeks – one because of COVID or really both because of COVID – we opted to go with Tommylee and we’ll see how it goes this week.”
(Now that we’re into the last two games of the regular season, what does experience tell you about the best way to approach a playoff stretch run? Is your coaching style and approach with the players absolutely the same as any other week and for that matter, the sense you get from the players in terms of things like intensity and focus and all of that, does any of that change or is this as normal a week as possible?) – “I’d like to think it’s as normal a week as possible. Preparation is always at a high level – our effort, our communication, always trying to be at the top of our game from that standpoint. I think this week we’ve got a great challenge in the Titans – a well-coached team, a tough, a physical team really on all three sides of the ball. So our preparation has got to be at a high level. They’ve got a lot of good players really on both sides of the ball and in the kicking game so it’ll be a big test for us.”
(I think you mentioned yesterday Titans DT Jeffery Simmons up front. I’m curious what your thoughts are on his pressure in the interior and why he’s been so good at that this year.) – “This is one of the most impressive guys I’ve seen this year. One of the top – I would say one of the top defensive players in the league. Big, strong, physical, high motor, tough to block, tough to double. But they’ve got a lot of good players on their front really across the board – (Bud) Dupree, Rashaan Evans, Zach Cunningham they claimed from the Texans. They’ve got a lot of good players in the back end as well, offensively as well. It’s a good team, a well-coached team. But (Jeffery) Simmons is definitely at the forefront.”
(If I could briefly follow up, I know a lot of times in this league we talk about the edge rushers. What sort of difference does it make when you have an interior guy who maybe is putting pressure on your guards and centers play to play?) – “Yeah, I mean there’s no pocket to step up in. That’s hard, which he does a good job of creating push up the middle and then if you can’t step up, then you go out and they have good edge rushers as well. We have our hands full with this front. We’ve got to do a good job across the board and obviously he’s a big part of that.”
(Could you assess QB Tua Tagovailoa’s play on Monday night? What you saw from reviewing the film and what it’ll take from him against this Titans defense and the challenges they present?) – “He’s going to have to do a good job from a preparation standpoint – a great job from a preparation standpoint – of getting to know their defensive players, their front, their second-level players. Obviously their DBs. We have to make good decisions with the football. Obviously it’s going to be a loud and tough environment so we’ve got to deal with that as well, but it’s not just Tua. It’s our entire offense. It’s everyone – o-line, running backs, tight ends, receivers. We need to have everyone to prepare the right way. That starts today in meetings. Have a good walkthrough, have good practices and give ourselves an opportunity to have success in the game.”
(I know you guys obviously have played in cold before, but I looked at the temperature on Sunday. It’s supposed to be in the 20s, maybe a little snow. What do you do maybe to get your guys prepped for that inclement December playoff football?) – “Put some thermals on, put a hoodie on and get out there. I don’t think we can cool up the indoor facility to those temperatures so we’ll get out there, put a sweatshirt on and get some hand warmers if that’s what you need. Look, when you’re out there on the field, your energy levels are up. Obviously we expect an intense, physical 60-minute ballgame so when you’re out there, I think guys will be fine and there’s heated benches or I’m sure we’ll have something like that, too.”
Josh Boyer – December 28, 2021
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Tuesday, December 28, 2021
Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer
(I want to get your assessment on this year’s Titans QB Ryan Tannehill and how the Titans offense is different from when they had Titans RB Derrick Henry back there to now – the version you’re preparing for which is them without Henry, like it’s been since about midseason here?) – “I would say when you start with Ryan Tannehill, you start with the intangibles. I think he is definitely a tough-minded quarterback. He has the arm to make all the throws and does make all the throws. He can beat you with his feet whether it’s a designed run or whether he makes a play to extend with his legs in the pass game. He makes good decisions. He makes good reads. I would say whether – I think their offensive philosophy is they’re going to run the ball, they’re going to use play-action, they’re going to get into manageable third downs and they’re going to try to wear you down and they’re going to play for 60 minutes because they’re a tough, physical team. They’re tough-minded and I think Ryan Tannehill embodies all that.”
(You mentioned tough and physical so you still see those traits definitely even since they’ve been without Derrick Henry?) – “Absolutely, yeah. Derrick Henry is a good back, there’s no question about it. But I think their philosophy and what they try to do – and they have capable backs – they have a very good scheme and they have a very good offensive line and they’re going to be physical in all facets of the game and we’re excited for the challenge. Obviously this is the biggest game of the year for us. We’re excited for it and we’re going to need to be at our best for 60 minutes because we’re going to get that from Tennessee.”
(It was obviously a really big night for your entire defense and CB Nik Needham kind of started that off with the pick-six. The week before we’d seen him play pretty much every snap at safety and then he kind of goes back to nickel. He’s played outside when CB Xavien Howard and CB Byron Jones went out. How does he kind of embody everything you look for in a Dolphins defensive player? Not only on the field but off the field.?) – “I think it starts with his work ethic and his constant desire to improve, and he puts in the work to do that. He’s mentally and physically tough. He’s a put-the-team-first guy. I think he’s everything that you want in a player in your program and it’s obviously – again like I said, we don’t really celebrate individual success. We celebrate team success, but Nik is obviously a guy that all of us are happy for when he has some success out on the field. And like I said, we’ve got a big challenge in front of us this week so I know Nik has already been in here getting prepared and ready to go for this week and whatever role that may be, he’ll accept that challenge and he’ll do his best to be at this best.”
(I saw a cool stat that over the course of the winning streak, you guys have the highest sack rate when you rush four or fewer rushers. Just wanted to get your take on how you’ve been able to get pressure with only rushing three or four and how important it is to your defense?) – “Any time you can get pressure on a quarterback, obviously it opens up things for you in the pass game and I think again, a lot of times that’s not just an individual thing that can – one, it could be the coverage is good enough to allow extra time to get there or it could be just a great individual rush or it could be a team rush that’s executed well to get pressure on the quarterback. And then I think allowing yourself to do a variety of different things and present rushes whether you’re rushing three, four, five, six, seven, eight. I think all of that puts a little bit of pressure on the offense as you go and then there’s always elements to open up – based on what you’re getting from a protection standpoint – different ways that you can attack the protection that the offense is giving you.”
(When I was looking at the league statistics at the end of last night’s game or I guess early this morning, it jumped out at me that the Dolphins are now first in the NFL in sacks. I know you’ve spoken how that’s a splash play and sometimes quarterback pressures and quarterback hits can be as impactful, but I am curious what is your opinion on the sack play and how it can change the dynamics of a game?) – “I mean obviously we’re always happy when we get sacks. You could get a sack on first down that puts you behind the chains and I think when you listen to offensive coaches talk, they’re always talking about staying on track, staying in manageable situations. Any time you get a negative play or a sack, that’s going to put them a little bit off track which sometimes puts them into a different mentality. It shrinks their call sheet a little bit or you kind of have a little bit of a better idea of maybe what’s coming as opposed to everything’s available to them. And again, it’s not that we’re not happy when we get sacks. (laughter) We just know that as a defense to put pressure on the offensive line, to put pressure on the quarterback, it’s not always a sack that does that. Sometimes you can get pressure, you can get a tipped ball, you can get an interception which ends up being a pick-six kind of like what happened last night to start the game. So again, that wasn’t a sack, but there was pressure, ball gets tipped and you’re able to have a successful play. But I think it all comes down to putting pressure on the offensive line and the quarterback in those situations and then obviously if they lose yardage, we’re all going to be happy with that and then again, there’s a lot of times when we have sack opportunities that you’ll see our guys trying to attack the ball because there’s nothing more important than the football. So sacks are nice, but if we can get a strip-sack and recover it, that just made a good play a great play, if that makes sense.”
(You guys have been consistent, generally successful against the run in this stretch. To you, has DT Christian Wilkins improved against the run? Has DT Raekwon Davis improved? Who else beyond those two might come to mind as players whose improvement against the run has pleased you?) – “I’ll credit (Defensive Line Coach) Austin Clark and (Linebackers Coach) Anthony Campanile. These guys have done a good job with these guys. And really it’s a credit to the players. Their work and their understanding –it’s one thing to improve your individual run technique and two, to understand what’s going on around you and how one particular block and the way that you play that affects a guy behind you, a guy beside you. I think we’ve garnered a better understanding of that and again, I think our players’ work ethic and their love for playing for each other and their joy to see success from others has really kind of been the catalyst for our improvement on that.”
(I wanted to ask you about LB Elandon Roberts as well. He seems to bring such a toughness – you have plenty of tough guys on your unit – but what do you think of when you think of Elandon and what he brings to a defense?) – “Again he’s a good communicator. He’s intelligent. He’s a physical player and he loves football. He cares. He wants everybody to be on the same page and he goes above and beyond to make sure that’s getting done. And we’re going to need that to continue and we’re going to need that to continue to improve because we need our best football coming this week.”
