Jerome Baker – November 24, 2021
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Wednesday, November 24, 2021
LB Jerome Baker
(What do you think about facing QB Cam Newton this weekend?) “I’m excited. Growing up, I always looked up to him. I’m definitely excited to play against him.”
(You faced him a couple times last year. You maybe thought you’d face him Week 1 this year. Just having that experience against him.) – “It definitely helps, just to play against him and you see the type of player he is actually playing against him. He’s Cam. He’s going to talk, he’s going to compete and we’re definitely up for this challenge.”
(When S Eric Rowe was out here a few minutes ago, he was talking about how QB Cam Newton has a way of getting under your skin as a defensive player. How much of that have you experienced and how eager are you to shut him up?) – “Me personally, he doesn’t really do it to me too often, just in the few games I played against him. But like I said, in the eighth grade when he was at Auburn, I was that kid in the back of the class looking up YouTube videos watching his highlight tapes. I’m still that fan of him. Just to go out there and compete against guys you looked up to is definitely fun. He’s Cam. He has a personality but at the end of the day, he loves to compete. If anybody knows that, I know that because I watched him quite a bit. I’m definitely excited.”
(What do you remember the most or was most challenging about him when you faced him last year with the Patriots?) – “I remember last year that we didn’t know exactly how they were going to use him in the run game. That first game, we would come back to the sideline and try to coach it up. It’s pretty hard to do that the way they were doing it. I remember the second game we were coached up and did a better job of containing him. At the end of the day, he is still Cam Newton. He can run the ball, he can throw it, strong arm, he’s a veteran. We definitely have to get after him and throw different looks at him. We’re definitely excited.”
(What type of dual threat does RB Christian McCaffrey presents to your defense? A guy who has been successful for a while now in this league.) – “Do you want me to talk about him?”
(Yeah, about McCaffrey.) – “He’s definitely one of the best backs in the league. He can take it 90 yards on a run play or he can catch a bomb for 60 yards receiving. He’s one of those guys that it’s pretty hard to stop him. You really have to contain him and limit his plays. It’s definitely going to be a big challenge with him. I’m excited because I cover a lot of running backs and it’s my first time going against him. I’m definitely excited to go up against him and see where I stack up against him. This will definitely be a fun one for me.”
(What’s more challenging from your standpoint in terms of defending a scrambling quarterback, an incredibly fast guy like QB Lamar Jackson or a really big guy like QB Cam Newton?) – “It’s not really challenging for me per se. It’s more the d-line. Our d-line does a great job of containing those guys, knowing the gameplan and just following the gameplan. If I would give anybody credit, it’s our d-line. They come in and they’re ready to work. They know how important it is to contain a guy like Lamar. They know how important it is to squeeze the pocket on a guy like Cam. I give it all to them. If I had to say what’s the most challenging, I’m going to give it to the young guy that’s running a 4.2 or something like that. Lamar, he’s definitely a challenge. But the one thing about Cam is he has something to prove. I think a lot of media takes away from his talent now that he’s older. He still has a strong arm. He has a bright mind so he’s seen it all. He has that hunger, that chip on his shoulder. I’m going to give it to Lamar but I’m definitely going to still give it to Cam.”
(When you found out that QB Cam Newton was re-signing to Carolina, did it immediately flash that ‘oh, we’re going to be playing them in a few weeks?’) – “Yeah. It definitely did, I was just happy for him to get back into the league. It was definitely cool to say we’re definitely playing him later. This week is this week, and now it’s time to get it done.”
Jevon Holland – November 24, 2021
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Wednesday, November 24, 2021
S Jevon Holland
(What are your thoughts on facing QB Cam Newton this week?) – “I think it’s pretty awesome. I was a kid when he was at Auburn. What was that, like 11 years ago or something like that? Super long time ago. Nah, it’s pretty crazy. It really is pretty crazy. I’m excited.”
(One of the plays that happened last game was DT Christian Wilkins had the ball and then he didn’t. Were you on full alert? You jumped on it right? Were you on full alert in case something went wrong?) – “No, it’s funny. I was actually behind him. I was waiting for him to start running to the sideline because I was standing right behind him and I was going to try to get as close as possible to try to cut him off and block somebody. He ended up fumbling it but hey, I appreciate the stat – fumble recovery and whatnot. (laughter) I was just trying to throw a block out there but it ended up coming out so Johnny on the spot.”
(Did you ever think about taking the ball from him? S Ed Reed did that once.) – “If he’s running and I’m like, ‘Yo, give me the ball?’ (laughter) It wasn’t really on my mind but if he started running and I saw he was going to get tackled I would have been like, ‘Yo pitch it!’ Nah, that would have been fun though.”
(Do you think he actually would have pitched it? I think he wants to run with the ball.) – “(laughter) He might have faked it honestly. Christian, he’s good with the ball in his hands as you guys have seen before.”
(Judging by what you’ve seen on film, what comes to mind as far as what you have to do to stop QB Cam Newton both passing and when he’s rumbling and stumbling towards you as big a guy as he is?) – “That’s a great question. I’m actually not going to answer that question. Keep the game plan within the gameplan. But after the game, you can diagnose what we did and determine what the gameplan was. I’ll keep that one to myself.”
Vince Biegel – November 24, 2021
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Wednesday, November 24, 2021
LB Vince Biegel
(How was the emotional roller coaster this year of not making the team, being injured, being practice squad and now? How much of a roller coaster has it been emotionally for you.) – “I think the game of football is a journey and sometimes the gift is the struggle, as I’ve been saying. It’s been quite a journey this year and I wouldn’t want it any other way. I’m just thankful to be back with a great organization like the Dolphins and help this team come out and win ball games.”
(You participated some in training camp, right? But then right before the season you had to have an injury settlement. Tell us about what happened and how you were feeling about the fact that I guess you weren’t ready.) – “I got hurt during training camp with a calf strain and then we did an injury settlement. The reason why we did an injury settlement is because technically when I went on IR before the 53-man roster was set, my season was over at that point. So the only way for me to come back during the season was through injury settlement. So, I knew I was going to come back this season. It’s never a good time to get hurt, but especially during training camp, it sets you back. We did an injury settlement and trained here in town away from the facility. My whole mindset was to come back and be able to come help the Miami Dolphins finish the season strong and win ball games.”
(Did having extra time since your last NFL game – defensive snaps, I know you had a couple of special teams snaps this year – did that help in any way strengthen the Achilles situation?) – “The Achilles has been great. It was a calf injury during training camp. Both are 100 percent healthy. I’ve been running around here now for the last six weeks and bringing the juice on special teams, bringing the juice on scout team defense. I’m excited to be able to come out now and contribute to the defense, contribute to special teams and like I said, continue to help this football team win ball games.”
(Not everyone who goes in injured reserve in August gets an injury settlement and is brought back by the team. OL DJ Fluker wasn’t. Many examples around the league of guys not being brought back. Did Head Coach Brian Flores or General Manager Chris Grier tell you at the time that you were placed on IR in August that we’d like to do an injury settlement with you and bring you back?) – “It was in the conversation but at the end of the day, the game of football is a business. You never know what’s going to transpire. I always go back to I have a great relationship with ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) and a great relationship with this team. Honestly, that’s not just talk. I really wanted to come back here and I really do love this team. My family loves it here in Miami and like I said, I’m just excited to get back, move past the injuries and finally be able to get out there and play football again and be able to help this team win and be able to make plays with guys like (Andrew) Van Ginkel, Jaelen Phillips and be able to bring the energy on defense, special teams and on the team.”
(Before you re-signed here to the practice squad, did you ever come close to signing with another team?) – “We definitely had a lot of interest from other teams but to me, it was just the commitment from this team that really wanted me to come back here. The commitment from Coach ‘Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores), the commitment from (Chris) Grier. I really wanted to come back. It was really cool to come back and see my locker wasn’t cleaned out. My nametag was still up there and that really speaks volumes to what this organization is. I wouldn’t really want to be anywhere else.”
(A little unfinished business maybe?) – “Unfinished business, that’s right.”
(What are some of the things that you were able to do in 2019 that you would like to re-establish in the last six games?) – “It’s the same type of system, right? It’s not overly different from what we had in 2019 so there are a lot of parallels, a lot of similarities. It’s still the Miami Dolphins defense. To me, it’s not a huge difference it’s just being able to be consistent every day. Being able to be a guy that, I’ve had injuries in the past, and it’s about being able to be out there and be reliable. A guy who my teammates and coaches can count on where I’m consistent and I can be able to make plays and also bring the energy and be a guy that they can rely on.”
(A huge part of who you are as a player, and all your teammates have told us as well is your skill, is your positivity, your leadership and all that. Is that tough to be gone for those chunks of time and come back and get that role back? Is it a different feel now then it was then?) – “It was definitely tough being away from the guys. I’m a football guy through and through. I grew up in a football family. Being away from the game for six weeks, it was challenging. Watching games on Sundays, not being able to around the facility rehabbing. You’re really out of the flow of things. It was a challenge in a different way but I always go back to sometimes the gift is the struggle. I’ve grown so much as a man, as a person off the field, being able to spend time with my daughter. Those are the things that I’m thankful for. Those are the things that – I’m a glass half full type of thing so those are the things that I really took and being able to grow, not just on the field but off the field.”
(I’m a girl-dad too. If you get a sack or something have you thought about maybe you can do something to let her know what you did or you’re thinking of her?) – “I’ll be completely honest, I haven’t given it too much thought. To your girl-dad point, I’ve got another daughter on the way. So not only do I have a daughter, I got another daughter coming March 7, so I’ve got my hands full in a few months here.”
(Was there even maybe a slight gamble on your part when other teams call that you were banking on the Dolphins re-signing you? Was there any kind of gamble would you say?) – “To me, going back to my relationship with this team and my relationship with ‘Flo,’ that was really what my mindset was. Coach ‘Flo’ knew I wanted to come in and help this team win ball games. Obviously you’re hoping that the Miami Dolphins are still interested in you after the injury settlement but kind of what my mindset was during that rehab process was to take it one day at a time, continue to train and get my body right so whether it was the Dolphins or any other team, I could be ready to go out there and help contribute. To my earlier point, it was always the Dolphins who I wanted to come back to and be able to come back with this group of guys, this locker room and come help win ball games.”
Eric Rowe – November 24, 2021
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Wednesday, November 24, 2021
S Eric Rowe
(What did you take from your two games facing QB Cam Newton last year?) – “The two games – every time we played him, he brings all of the energy. He brings it for both sides because he gets us pissed off and obviously that gets us going, and then obviously energy for his team. Every time we play him, it’s always fun. He’s one of the most competitive quarterbacks at least when I’ve played against him, that I’ve been against in the sense of he’s talking crap to everybody – linebackers, DBs, d-line, it doesn’t matter. He’s on the sideline talking crap. I like that. Every time we play him, I’m always look forward to it.”
(Is that pretty rare? Most quarterbacks don’t talk do they?) – ‘That’s what I’m saying. Most quarterbacks don’t talk. The only ones I know are like him, I know Philip Rivers did. (laughter) But usually everybody else, they kind of stay to themselves.”
(What was your reaction a couple of weeks before the opener when you found out you weren’t going to play against him, and then a couple of weeks before this one you found out you will?) – “The opener shocked all of us. We were getting prepared for him because we know when he’s in the game, offenses can change a good amount. Now that we’re a little bit over midseason, we’re playing him again, so we’ve got to prepare for quarterback runs, quarterback powers and that’s his strength. We’ve got to get ready for that all of a sudden now.”
(Is there a particular instance where he pissed you off?) – “Not a particular instance. I do remember it was my rookie year, I was on the Eagles and we played at Carolina. It was like 2015. I remember he – he didn’t run over a DB. I can’t remember who it was but he hit him and then he said ‘you too small!’ This is my rookie year, so I’m like ‘oh, man.’ Cam is a big guy. I was like ‘I’ve never seen a quarterback come at somebody (and yell) you’re too small. I’m like ah shoot, he’s the real deal.”
(You said you like that. Does it give an extra edge to you?) – “Yeah. You know how it gets the juices going. You’re like ‘no, eff you.’ Then you get going. It’s a part of the game.”
(At the same time, you want to do your best not to get run over by this guy.) – “Yeah. Once you get mad, you just want to smack him and it brings out the most competitive in you.”
(I see LB Vince Biegel back in the room. What do you recall about what he brings to the defense when he’s been out there?) – “When Biegel is out there, because I’ve been with him since 2019, it’s consistent energy – practice and game, it doesn’t matter. He’s out there communicating, he’s talking and when he makes a play, you know it. It’s good to see him back out there. I saw him get hurt, come back, get hurt again, work hard, I’ve seen him through rehab and to know he got singed again, to (the) active (roster), that’s a great thing for him.”
Austin Jackson – November 24, 2021
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Wednesday, November 24, 2021
G/T Austin Jackson
(On the offensive line not allowing a sack against the Jets.) – “A no-hitter. Well, a penalty. (laughter) One guy (bailed us) out. But that’s our goal every week. Uphold the protection, follow our keys. We study a lot. I think the league is a copycat league so if you mess something up with one team, another team is going to try to do it. Just staying on our p’s and q’s with that and staying alert. We look to have a lot more of those.”
(I think you and T Liam Eichenberg did a good job on the left side of the offensive line in the pass game. Can you talk about how the two of you and your relationship and working together is evolving?) – “Yeah. We go to practice every day. We’re both guys that – I don’t know, we just work hard. We’re not afraid to critique ourselves and accept that we’re not doing some things well, so we’ve got to do it better. We just keep that mentality and take it in day in and day out.”
(The Panthers are one of the league leaders in sacks. What have you noticed about the Panthers pass-rush plan?) – “They’ve got two very fast dynamic guys on the edge in (Brian) Burns and (Haason) Reddick. They’re very fast, very agile type of rushers. We’ll definitely be practicing for that. They’ve also got some pretty stout guys that can also move pretty well too on the inside, too. It’s really a good mix. I think the offensive line has to do a great job of just holding the pocket, especially upfront for us, with those guys being fast around the edge. Yeah, they’re dynamic. And like you said, they’re leading some categories in terms of the whole league.”
(Your comfort level at guard now, how is it? Do you feel a lot better there than you did a month ago?) – “Yeah, definitely. Just getting more reps, more game reps, practice reps and training. I think my comfort level has gone up.”
(How about your chemistry right next to T Liam Eichenberg?) – “I think that’s gotten better too. I like to get better every time I step on the field. I definitely would say that instinctually, I’ve been able to be a lot quicker on certain things and reading certain types of stunts. I think I’ve done a good job there.”
(What was your perspective on QB Tua Tagovailoa’s long touchdown pass last game?) – “I was like blocking the whole time so I really didn’t even know what was going on, to be honest with you. I just looked up and saw Mack (Hollins) running down the field. Looking back at the film, it was a great pocket he had to step in. He stepped up, which is all the great things we talk about, and he delivered a strike. That’s what we want.”
(There were several good runs in the last game. What are some of the common denominators, in your opinion, on the successful run plays?) – “Just being on – first things first, we have to be on the same page in terms of who we are blocking. There’s a lot of different rules, a lot of different motions, a lot of different situations where we would re-count and where we wouldn’t. Being on the same page, first and foremost. And then getting movement up front. I think they played a lot of – in their base, they didn’t really move too much at the start of the game. But every team you play makes adjustments based on how you play, so taking in those adjustments, or adjusting to their adjustments, that’s like the second biggest thing. I think we did a good job with both of those things.”
(It’s rare to have a day off in the middle of the season on a game week to celebrate friends, family and Thanksgiving. What’s your plan tomorrow?) – “I actually don’t think I have a lot of family coming into town for this game. I think Christmas, I will. I’ve got some turkey legs I want to smoke. Tua (Tagovailoa) got us a Traeger (grill) last year for Christmas, so I finally got that set up. So I’m probably going to throw something on the grill and see what I can do.”
(This is kind of random, but I’m curious how you think the USC head-coaching opening compares to some of the other ones that are out there like LSU and Florida?) – “Well you get the opportunity to coach in LA, which is a great job. It’s a great university. Very prestigious. (I had a) great time. I love it. I think there’s a culture about football over there that is hard to match. I think whoever ends up filling that role, I’m looking forward to whoever it is because there’s definitely a lot to do in order to help us get back to where we want to be.”
(I heard they re-did the Coliseum. I have not seen how nice it is.) – “Yeah, it’s nice. It’s really nice. They re-did it like two years ago. They took a lot of seats out. I remember my freshman year, we were sitting at some games of like 100,000 capacity. Now I think it’s 70 or 80,000. Something like that.”
Tua Tagovailoa – November 24, 2021
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Wednesday, November 24, 2021
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(Your deep throws obviously at Alabama were outstanding, but your metrics in terms of balls that travel 20+ air yards have improved a lot from Year 1 to Year 2. They’re among the best in the league now. Do you attribute that partially to the hip being better and more power in the base? Are there other reasons? What might you cite?) – “I would say it starts in practice. A lot of the looks that we get in practice kind of entail us to take shots. But in the game, if it doesn’t present itself, we never want to force it. So when it does present itself, we try to take advantage of that.”
(Are you feeling more strength just in your base this year on deep throws? Obviously you’re future removed from the hip injury.) – “I wouldn’t say it doesn’t not help. I would say it helps. Then again, it’s always about the opportunity presenting itself.”
(Have you found it difficult at all to manufacture power when going through the rib fracture and your finger fracture as well?) – “I would say just being in the game, those aren’t things that you kind of think about. You’re just playing. And also in practice. So to me, no. I would say no.”
(You’re like I’ll deal with the pain later?) – “Yeah. Nothing really hurts if you win.”
(Hitting that deep ball at the end of the game, did it feel like a monkey off your back, to be able to hit one in the game that both the opportunity presents itself and then you connected?) – “Yeah, it felt really good. We haven’t had much of those. Last year when I played and then this year too, we haven’t had much of those aside from the throw to Albert (Wilson) earlier the game before, the Baltimore game. Those feel really good, especially when it ends in a touchdown too.”
(The last couple of weeks, the play-calling there’s been some Wildcat and there’s been some flea-flicker stuff. Do you guys get excited for that or is it just ‘Don’t mess this up, the execution, whether it’s the pitch or whatever,’ that you can’t really get geared up for it?) – “I would say it’s definitely the second part of what you said. We want to execute the handoff, the toss, whatever the trick play has. We really want to execute that. Then once everything is kind of set up already – when I get the ball to throw it or someone else gets the ball to throw it – then it’s just about making the throw or the guy being in the right spot.”
(Has any DB ever said anything to you when you are lined up wide in the Wildcat?) – “No. I don’t think these guys want to talk to me. (laughter) I just go out there and just ask for the ball and try to get them to come up. Some come up and some don’t even mind me.”
(One of the statistical things that I’ve noticed is that your performance in the fourth quarter has been good. Can you think of any reasons why things might be going well for you late in games?) – “I would say the things that kind of haunt me is after our first series, it’s the second, third, fourth series when we kind of get stopped and are just shooting ourselves in the foot with me turning the ball over on the second series. Things like that. I kind of think of those things more than the fourth quarters and how we’re trying to finish. Obviously we’d like to start fast and finish strong but it’s really the meat of everything. Then also situationally, our two-minute, just all of those things. I think offensively, I need to help our guys do a better job this upcoming game with the second quarter, the third quarter, playing at a high level still and getting us to the fourth quarter to finish strong.”
(Do you have any personal experiences with Carolina DT Derrick Brown when he was at Auburn and you were at Alabama?) – “A really good player. He was always in the backfield when we played against them. He’s a nice person too, just not on the field.”
(Back to those instances when you line up out wide, if the ball one day comes your way, are you catching it or are you looking like QB Tom Brady in the Super Bowl?) – “(laughter) It really depends. If I see somebody and the ball is coming, I’m going to have to bat the ball down. I’m not catching that ball. (laughter) I know how the receivers feel now. I don’t know about that. (laughter)”
(What stands out to you about the Panthers defense?) – “Fast. Fast, athletic. They’re very good as far as their communication up front and then the back end, I do understand that they – I think they’re the No. 1 pass defense, which forces us to – it gives us a challenge, I would say. I would say philosophy-wise with this defense, they don’t give up big plays much. It’s more of a eight-play or 12-play drive. They really make you work for points. You don’t ever see them blow coverages. You rarely ever see a three-play or four-play drive and a team scores on this team. They do present a big challenge for us.”
(Do you spend any or some time on social media to know that there is a very, very staunch group of fans that are very defensive of you and back you 100 percent? Like a minute ago when someone said your performance in the fourth quarter is good, they might be thinking, ‘What do you mean good? It’s better than good.’ Are you aware of how much they’re behind you?) – “Sorry if this offends those guys, but no I don’t.”
(WR Jaylen Waddle told us that he has an invite to your place for Thanksgiving?) – “Yeah, but I did hear that he is going to everyone else’s house after? Yeah, so I’m pulling the invite. (laughter)”
(How many teammates are invited?) – “Well, I mean all of them are invited. It’s just whoever shows up.”
(You’re a family guy. You’re so used to being with your family. I’m sure Thanksgiving is amazing for you. What’s it going to be like for you and your teammates, your second family?) – “It’s going to be good. You got it right, I’m a family guy so my family is coming too. They’ll be here and I’ll be able to spend some time with my dogs, with my sisters and with my parents. The only person that won’t be there is just my brother.”
Brian Flores – November 24, 2021
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Wednesday, November 24, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(WR Will Fuller, WR DeVante Parker, RB Malcolm Brown, G/T Michael Deiter – any of those four that you think will be out there today?) – “Deiter will return to practice today. The rest of that group, they will not be out there. All getting closer, just not quite there yet.”
(S Will Parks, what’s the thinking behind adding him? What skills do you like?) – “He’s obviously had some experience in this league – free safety, strong safety, kicking game. An opportunity to add him to the roster and take a look at him. We’ve got some guys banged up. That played a role in it as well. I’ve watched him over the years and had an opportunity to have him join our team and we’ll see what it looks like.”
(When you watch QB Cam Newton, do you feel like there is any rust or anything from his time off or has he picked up where he left off?) – “I think he’s picked up where – he’s the same player he’s been. Dynamic obviously as a runner, but also as a thrower. I think that gets pushed to the side. He can throw the football. He’s had a lot of production with throwing the football in this league. They’ve got good receivers, a good o-line, a good scheme, good backs obviously. He’s a very good player in this league and can still make a lot of plays. This will definitely be a big challenge for us.”
(It probably helps that you faced him last year. Did you have any idea that you would face him in different circumstances?) – “Yeah, we’ve got history with him like we’ve got history with a number of players that we play against, but the same problems are there – as a runner, throwing the football. This is definitely going to be a game about communication and playing disciplined football. But it’s not just Cam. (Christian) McCaffrey is a great player. (DJ) Moore. Robby Anderson takes the top off the field. Ian Thomas is a very good blocking tight end. (Tommy) Tremble is a good young tight end as well. They’ve got a good o-line. It’s not just one player that’s their offense. It’s their offense, their defense and their special teams and we have to play a good complementary game in all phases, which starts in practice.”
(What have you noticed about the Panthers’ pass rush?) – “It’s very good. I think defensively they are fast. (Brian) Burns, (Haason) Reddick, Shaq Thompson, Derrick Brown – they’ve got players everywhere. It’s a very good defense. They are well coached. (Matt) Rhule, (Phil) Snow, Joe Brady – they’ve got a good coaching staff. Chase (Blackburn). It’s a good group, a good staff, they’re well coached and they’ve got a lot of good players.”
(LB Brennan Scarlett and CB Jamal Perry, are those season-ending deals?) – “Yeah, unfortunately with Jamal, that is going to be season-ending. You hate when that happens. He’s been a significant contributor to this team for three years. He’s been on the active, this year he was on the practice squad, he was back active this past weekend and unfortunately that will be season-ending. Brennan will be at least three weeks and we’ll take it from there. I don’t want to put a timeline on that one.”
(Anything you’re particularly thankful for this holiday season?) – “I think we all have a lot to be thankful for. I’m thankful for my wife, my kids and my family. I’ll take this time to say that, how thankful I am for my wife and really all of the football wives. Throughout the league, whether it’s high school, college, pros, those women in our lives allow us to come in early, stay late and do what we love to do. My wife in particular has done a great job raising our kids and taking care of our household, so I’m very thankful for her. I’m also thankful for all of the other wives who allow their husbands to come hang out with me and coach some ball and they take care of things. I’m very thankful for them. I’m thankful to be a part of this organization. I’m thankful for our support staff. I think we have a great staff from the medical, to nutrition, to equipment, to you name it – IT, video. I think there are a lot of great people here. I’m thankful to work with all of them. And I’m thankful for the Dolphins fans and the community here and the support of our team.”
(It’s your third Thanksgiving week as a head coach. How unique is this week as far as the players deserve friends and family and that outside thing, but also keeping the team on track with very little margin for error? How do you balance that? Have you got that down to a science?) – “No. I don’t think anything is down to a science in this league. It’s the same for everyone else. I think that’s it. We’re all kind of dealing with the same schedule, besides the teams actually playing on Thanksgiving. But we know there is going to be family in town. We know there is going to be added distractions, so what I try to do is just get our guys, when they’re here, let’s focus in. I understand that parents are here, brothers are here, family members are in town. They want to spend time with them, as they should. This is people who are important to our players and those people are important to them, and I want them to spend that time. I think that has a lot to do with – those relationships outside of the building are a part of the reason why we get production on the field. It’s a whole different thought process but I want them to spend that time with them. But at the same time, when we’re in here and we’re putting time to focus on the Carolina Panthers, let’s devote time to do that and get prepared well so we can have the results we’re looking for.”
(Question on DT Zach Sieler. What are some of thew things that you think make him effective against the run?) – “I think he’s tough. He’s strong at the point of attack. He plays with very good fundamentals and technique. Hand placement, footwork, locking guys out, it gives him an opportunity to see where the ball-carriers are and does a good job of releasing and making plays. He works hard at that, really on a daily basis. He’s the first guy out there hitting the sleds and he’s improved really every day since he’s been here. There’s a desire there as well. I don’t think you can really quantify that and I would say that’s probably the No. 1 thing that he has that allows him to make some of the plays you are talking about.”
(When things aren’t going well for a team, there is that … to put the nose to the proverbial grindstone and all those cliches. When things are going well, how do you keep that same edge? How do you not get lost in 3-0 the last three games and get away from the things that help you be 3-0 in those three games?) – “I like to take the same approach, really every day, which is we are just trying to get better and improve. I think that’s the most important thing. Try to let the results take care of themselves as long as the preparation is where you want it to be, the execution in practice, that we are doing everything we can possibly do to get the results we want. That’s kind of the mindset we are looking for. I don’t really get into losing streak, winning streak, momentum and not having momentum. I try to stay the same either way and that’s the message I give to the players. There’s always emotion involved with winning and losing. You try to build on the winning and you try to learn from the mistakes and adversity of not having success. In both instances, there’s an opportunity to motivate.”
(Is there something you really liked or maybe that’s different, other than execution and those things, about the way your defense has played these three games? They’ve given up some yards. It hasn’t been all three-and-outs, but you’re not giving up points. In the ultimate moments, they found a way to get off the field. Is that simply execution or is there something that’s really stood out in that unit?) – “Execution is definitely a part of it. I think communication is a part of it. I think putting in extra time and meeting together more is a part of it. I think practice, practice execution becomes game reality. That’s a big part of it as well.”
(What can you tell us about your Thanksgiving tomorrow? Are you going to be spending it at home? Are you going to be eating, cooking? You’re a Latino, what kind of special food? I expect you like some flavor.) – “Yeah, I like flavor for sure. (laughter) I’ll be home, probably a little later than my wife wants me to be but I’ll be home. We’ll have the normal – turkey, ham, greens, macaroni and cheese, yams. My wife makes a lot of desserts so maybe we’ll have some guys come by for some dessert. They probably won’t come by though. (laughter) The offer is there for the players.”
(If you like mac and cheese, there’s a lot of blasphemy going around about this dish on the internet right now.) – “Yeah, I’m not really on the internet so I don’t know. (Laughter) I like mac and cheese.”
(It’s average. Like a throwaway of a dish. Patriots OLB Matt Judon said yesterday, ‘Take mac and cheese off of the menu. Take it off the menu, it’s a terrible side. No one should be eating mac and cheese.’) – “Who said that?”
(Matt Judon.) – “Hmm well, everyone’s got their own opinion. (laughter)”
(Do you have a controversial food take that could make some news?) – “Controversial food?”
(Food take, yeah.) – “Um, for Thanksgiving or just in general?”
(Let’s go Thanksgiving.) – “No. I think it’s all good.”
(What about in general?) – “(laughter)”
(I think you have one open spot on the 53-man roster, is this going to be a tough call for you and General Manager Chris Grier? Are you looking potentially for another edge guy like a LB Vince Biegel to replace what LB Brennan Scarlett gave you? What’s the thought process this week with you and Chris on that?) – “Yeah, we are going to sign Biegel today.”
(So LB Vince Biegel will be on the 53-man roster?) – “Yes.”
(I know LB Vince Biegel’s injury, especially the one last year, is sometimes tough to come back from. Does it look to you like he’s regained physically what he showed in 2019?) – “Yes. I think he’s moving around well. I think he’s brought a lot of juice, energy to practice. We brought him up a couple times and we’ll sign him to the active (roster) today.”
(Talking about family as we have been this morning, I’ve wondered in the role that you’re in, obviously you spend a ton of time in this building. How do you balance that? I know being a father is very important to you. How do you balance those two?) – “I think when I’m home, I try to be present with my kids. When I’m there, I try to throw the football around, play baseball, run around with them as best I can. I think that’s the most important thing. I don’t want to go home and watch more film. I don’t do that. All coaches kind of deal with that same wanting to spend time with their family, knowing it’s important – very important – but also doing what we love, coaching and spending time with our other kids which are the players in the locker room. It’s not easy but I try my best to FaceTime as much as I can and make the parent-teacher conferences even if it’s over Zoom. It’s not perfect but I work hard at it. You always want to spend more time and we get that done in the offseason.”
(I can’t imagine what the teachers think when the Dolphins’ head coach pops up.) – “I’m just a dad in those instances. That’s what I am. When I go home, I try to just be a dad. I’m just a dad. The head coaching thing doesn’t really matter in those moments. My daughter sure doesn’t care. (laughter) It’s just, ‘go get me this,’ and alright I’m going to get it. That’s kind of how that works. I’m just a dad.”
(I’m genuinely curious, do you watch football on Thanksgiving Day like the rest of us?) – “Yeah, I pop it on. I like to watch end of half situations, end of game situations, red flags, timeouts. That interests me.”
Josh Boyer – November 23, 2021
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Tuesday, November 23, 2021
Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer
(How would you assess how DE Emmanuel Ogbah has been playing and how important is he to what you all do defensively?) – “I would say Emmanuel has been a good leader for us. He leads by example. He comes in and puts a good day’s work in every day. He’s been able to be multiple for us and he’s been able to have some production for us. I would say the things that he’s doing for us over the course of the season, I think that’s been consistent. The things that he needs to improve – he’s worked really hard to improve some things that maybe haven’t went his way. I would say that we’re seeing production from him out on the field.”
(Heading into this matchup, a lot of people naturally look at the quarterback you are facing QB Cam Newton and draw a quick comparison to QB Lamar Jackson and say that you guys can replicate the same gameplan. When you look at the Panthers’ offense and that scheme, what differences do you see compared to what you faced against the Ravens?) – “I would say the similarities are they definitely have the quarterback runs that Baltimore has. There is a little bit of a different flavor to it. All three of the backs that Carolina has used are dynamic players, headlining that with (Christian) McCaffrey. But (Chuba) Hubbard and (Ameer) Abdullah, those guys have all made explosive plays as well in the run game. It’s just a matter of how they choose to play. They have some – call it normal runs. And they also have their quarterback runs that they can implement, which they’ve implemented a little bit more in the past two weeks with P.J Walker and Cam Newton at quarterback. But they’ve run some of that stuff earlier in the season with (Sam) Darnold too, so it’s not foreign to them.”
(If there were certain keys that you would want your defensive players to keep in mind when they faced QB Lamar Jackson and his dynamic style, what are some keys towards handling QB Cam Newton and the kind of power that he presents when he takes off running?) – “When you’re talking about a quarterback run scheme, I think it’s very important for us defensively to make sure that everybody plays good assignment football and you try not to do more than your responsibility. That’s when you can get in trouble and that’s when you can put yourself in bad position, and somebody like Lamar can make you miss or somebody like Cam can run through you. When you’re talking about a quarterback in the run game, it really starts with assignment football. That will be our focus going into the week.”
(I wanted to ask you about your four interior guys who seem to play all over the place with DT Raekwon Davis, DL Adam Butler, DT Christian Wilkins, and DT Zach Sieler. I think the obvious question would be how much does those guys being able to all play significant snaps and stay fresh help them out, but was that the thought process building that room out was to keep all of those guys fresh? Is that something you guys talk about how to keep fresher legs as the game goes along?) – “I would have to go back to (General Manager) Chris (Grier) and ‘Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) on this and those guys building the roster. I think you want good depth at every spot that you have. You want to feel comfortable when you put guys out on the field that they are going to know what they are doing and they are able to execute. I think all four of those guys up front, there are some multiple things that they can do. It really boils down to the simplicity of trying to put guys in the best position to succeed within the structure of 11 guys being out there and a total team defense. With each of those guys, even though they may play the same spots, at certain points you may try to highlight a little bit different things that they can do or do well, even though they are playing the exact same position. You kind of tweak it a little bit to highlight their abilities. I would say the good thing is they are all good players. They are all good workers. They come in and they compete every day. They are really a joy to be around.”
(I wanted to ask you about the structure of your defense and I know you guys didn’t create this defense out of nowhere. It’s built off of what you all did in New England. How important is it to have two cornerbacks that can hold their own on one-on-one coverage when you’re doing a lot of this exotic stuff and blitzing the safeties? Could you do this defense without having those two guys?) – “I feel very fortunate that we have the two guys that we have. I feel pretty comfortable with the guys that we have behind them. That’s the nature of the position. I’ve coached that position for many years. There are going to be times, regardless of your scheme – the majority of the teams you see when it comes to third down, red area, you’re usually at some point going to get a version of man, whether that’s blitz coverage or man with help. When they go out there, we ask them to do a lot of things, but at the end of the day, you’re responsible for covering a guy that we need you to cover when we ask you to do that. We feel very fortunate about the guys that we have and I think (Cornerbacks) Coach (Charles) Burks has done a good job with those guys. They work extremely hard at their craft. I’ve always compared it to being in martial arts. It’s a skillset and if you don’t practice your skillset, your skills are going to diminish, and those guys work very hard at that every day. it’s not a really easy thing to do. We feel very fortunate about the two guys that we have and we feel very fortunate about the spots that we can put them in. Those guys have done a good job for us.”
(With CB Noah Igbinoghene being inactive again, I wanted to know what he could stand to do better and what do you tell him in that regard?) – “It’s probably good advice for everybody, and myself included. You need to try to control the things you can control. That is come in, put in a good day’s work, do the best you can and keep improving and keep working at it. When you get opportunities, make the most of them. We’re pretty fortunate. Chris (Grier) and ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) have done a good job putting the roster together. We’re pretty fortunate to have good depth at that position. Just keep doing what he’s doing and working hard and keep improving. I think those are the things that he’s doing and that we encourage him to do.”
(When you play that zero pressure look and there is no help over the top, what’s the coaching point or the weighing of the risk versus reward in terms of taking chances versus playing off and being more willing to accept underneath completions?) – “One, it’s a philosophy thing. I think Coach Flores has hit this point many times, whether it’s in the kicking game, offensively or defensively, we’re going to be aggressive. I think you’re always looking for spots when you feel it’s best to do and when it’s advantageous for us as a defense and when it coincides with putting your players in position to succeed. It’s one of those things, do I sit back or go after them? I think there is always a good mixture, but I just think from a philosophical standpoint that we tend to be a little bit aggressive.”
