Tua Tagovailoa – November 21, 2021 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 21, 2021
Postgame – N.Y. Jets
Tua Tagovailoa (transcribed by N.Y. Jets)
On the touchdown pass to WR Mack Hollins…
Yeah, it was a progression on that play. In the first progression of that play was Mike (Gesicki) and when I came off of Mike, there was about three people including the safety who were on him. Then when I turned out, Mack was wide open so I threw it down to him and he made the play, obviously scored for us, came back to the sideline and realized how open he was.
On if there’s any plays more relieving than going through your progressions and seeing a guy that wide open…
That’s just part of the game, that’s what I could say. It was definitely a big sigh for us offensively because we really wanted to find our rhythm in the game. Obviously, the interception, turnover, stopped us, but I would say that’s what I’m most proud of of our offense. We continued to put our head down, continued to fight. We had some mishaps, but it didn’t matter we just kept going.
On the drive where RB Myles Gaskin scored, how big is it to have a drive that eats up the clock and extinguishes games…
I think those types of drives are very key. Especially ending those drives in points, I think that’s very key. Obviously, that’s kind of what we wanted to do this entire game, it didn’t happen, but like I said, I’m very proud of all three phases, just continuing to play and trying to play complimentary football.
On what were the keys that led to the high completion percentage today…
Just my keys. Whoever I was reading in the RPO game, whatever my progressions told me to work, that’s what I did.
On the interception…
It was just a bad ball. It would have had to have been a good throw to Jaylen (Waddle) as well. There’s some pressure, that’s just part of the game, so we took that and like I said, very proud of how we came back from that to win the game.
On what happened in the moments leading into the touchdown pass to Gaskin…
Yeah, I was really looking to hit Durham (Smythe) on a quick out that he had. Durham was open but I felt like I was late to that read, so next in my progression would have been Myles so tried to stand in there and Myles came in and threw it to him.
On if there have been more discussions on trying to test defenses in different ways…
I just think we’re trying to do everything possible for us offensively to find ways to get the ball moving down field. With these trick plays if they’re there, they’re there, if they’re not then live to play another down.
On the tempo of the first drive and what he liked about it…
I think the thing that I like about going fast-paced offense, tempo offense, it forces defenses to communicate with the linebackers to the back end, to the d-line, what front they want to be in, all of that. Then when you do get things going, those guys up front get a little tired and that’s what I’d say I like about it.
On being one of three quarterbacks from the last three draft cycles in possession of winning records and learning how hard it is to win in the NFL…
Well, I learned it last year. It’s not easy at all to win and then obviously the mishaps and the ups and downs that we’ve had this year, but that’s what you love about this game. You never know what’s going to happen and that’s why you prepare. I’d say that’s the challenging part and that’s also the fun part of playing my position, but also playing football.
On what he’s learned this season…
I would say I learned a lot more being able to play and then also being on the sideline, understanding a little more of the protections, understanding where guys need to be within their route distribution and then also for myself, stepping up in the pocket, maneuvering my way throughout the pocket and then finding the open guys.
On how the offensive line played…
I think the o-line did good. I put us in a bad situation towards the ending of the game taking that sack but then obviously it was a penalty which is good. It got wiped away so other than that I thought it was good.
On how watching from the sidelines when he was out has helped him and if that process is something he picked up from his first year at Alabama…
You know, I’d say no only because the amount of information that you need to know weekly is always different, it’s not the same things you’re really taking in to the game. It’s always dependent on what the defense runs and what kind of coordinator it is, so it’s different. At Alabama you just knew where the guys lined up and you just go out there and play. Whereas in the NFL, you have to know what everyone is doing, the protection, where you’re hot, we could go on forever about that.
On his pajamas…
Oh yeah, the pajamas? Yeah, I love Christmas and I have three dogs, so I got dogs with Christmas hats on, that’s all it is.
On having Christmas pants on before Thanksgiving…
Trust me, I’m thankful for a lot of things. I really am, but Christmas is just – I’m a big Christmas guy.
On if he’s a skip Thanksgiving and begin celebrating Christmas person…
No, I mean, what I’m saying is I’ll wear Christmas things, but I’ll still celebrate Thanksgiving. We’ll probably have a couple teammates coming over this Thursday.
On being thankful for Christmas…
Thankful for Christmas, thankful for the Miami Dolphins, thankful for my teammates, thankful for my family, lots to be thankful for.
Brian Flores – November 21, 2021 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 21, 2021
Postgame – N.Y. Jets
Head Coach Brian Flores (transcribed by N.Y. Jets)
On getting their third-straight win….
It’s always good to win. Our guys played hard for 60 minutes. We knew it would be a tough game and a tough environment against a tough team, and that’s what we got. We were able to make a few more plays than they made.
On what has worked on offense lately…
I think it’s just truly a series of things: good preparation in meetings, in walkthrough, in practice, execution in practice. That gives you a chance to execute in the game. We’re seeing some of that, and we made enough today, but we’ll just keep preparing the way we’ve been preparing and try to string good days together.
On what a good week of practice looks like…
Good energy, good preparation, when I ask questions in a meeting guys will have the answers. They have a good understanding of what we’re trying to do, what our opponent’s strengths and weaknesses are so when asked, they can answer, and then it looks like they understand the things that we talked about in meetings and practice. So generally, that’s kind of the thinking.
On what led to the sloppiness of the team in the first half and the way the team bounced back in the second half…
I think it always comes down to execution – our operation, getting in and out of the huddle offensively, defensively and in the kicking game, communication. And look, you’ve got to give credit to the Jets, they created some situations that forced some communication issues for us. I thought they did a nice job and had a nice game plan, so credit to them. They played hard, they made some plays for sure, we just made a few more plays than they did.
On if there has been an effort between the coaching staff to be more creative in play-calling with trick plays…
I think we always want to be creative, really in all three phases. You’ve got to practice them, you’ve got to feel good about them, not running them from practice. We felt good about some of the plays we ran today, had some success. Some of them we didn’t really execute the right way – I’m thinking about the one in the low red – but I think again, we did enough. We always want to be creative and try to run plays that are going to get us positive plays. Some of those trick plays allow us the opportunity to do that.
On how he felt about the execution at the end of the half…
We had an opportunity to kick a field goal, Jason (Sanders) missed it, but Jason came right back and made one at the end when we needed it.
On QB Tua Tagovailoa’s performance today and how he would assess where he is right now…
I think he’s getting better every time he steps out on the field. I think he made a lot of good decisions today. I thought we moved the ball pretty efficiently, especially in the second half. Those drives in the second half are big drives, and I think we answered their score with a score and then we were able to go up two scores with the next drive. Tua is leading the way from that standpoint, so I think he’s playing well. I think he played well today, obviously there’s some throws he wishes he had back I’m sure, some decisions he wishes he had back. I think we all feel that way, that’s how everybody feels after a game, but he made enough plays for us to win.
On his FDNY shirt…
My uncle is a fireman – or he was a fireman – he’s retired now. He was very instrumental in my life and he gave me this shirt. His work for ladder 118, they were one of the first fire houses to go in on 9/11, and no one came out of there. So, he’s been very instrumental, he introduced me to football. He gave me this shirt and I figured this would be a good time to wear it.
On how important it is to use their four-minute offense and eat up the clock like they did in that possession…
I think at the end of the game anytime we’re at the end of the game with the lead, we always want to do a great job of kind of milking the clock, using as much time as possible. When you’re on the other side of it, you want to conserve as much time as possible. So, that fourth quarter and that time of possession in the fourth quarter and in the second half is very important, something to talk about. We were able to execute it today. I thought we ran the ball, picked up some third downs, some short yardage plays. Everyone contributed to that, it was Myles (Gaskin), Duke Johnson, (Jaylen) Waddle, Durham (Smythe). I think we got contributions from a lot of different guys and we were able to string good plays together, and that’s what we talked about, just stringing good plays together. Not having one good, one bad – that doesn’t get it done in this league, you’ve got to string them together. We were able to do that and punch it in at the end, and those are the winning points.
On the status of CB Jamal Perry and LB Brennan Scarlett…
We’ve got to run some tests. I don’t want to give an initial diagnosis and come back and tell you it was different tomorrow. Both guys were ruled out, we’ll go through the gamut of tests, X-rays, MRIs, etc. Hopefully it’s not that bad, but we’ll have more information after we run those tests.
Myles Gaskin – November 21, 2021 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 21, 2021
Postgame – N.Y. Jets
RB Myles Gaskin
(What did you think about getting the ball as often as you did in this game?) – “It was good for me, but the o-line did their job today. Proud of those guys up front. I know it hasn’t been what we wanted in the past but I think we took that step today against a very good d-line.”
(This was the type of game where the offense is really starting to generate chunk plays. In the run and pass game, what do you think is starting to click for you guys?) – “I think just over the time that we’ve had, it’s been a long season. I mean we didn’t start out how we wanted to, but I think we’re just getting more hungry, getting used to it and just I don’t know, it turned out the way it did today. We were just working hard today.”
(You’ve been on these teams in recent years when you haven’t started off the way you wanted to and then you put things together. Do you get that same feeling from the team in 2020 now that you guys are starting to click late in the season?) – “No, I just think about it as every team is different. I think we’re just starting to click like you said and just starting to work. I think we had a good week of practice this week. I think that contributed a lot to it.”
(This is the fifth game in a row that you’ve had at least 15 touches. After starting the season in kind of a timeshare for lack of a better word, do you feel like this recent stretch has allowed you to get into a better rhythm?) – “A little bit. I don’t think I’ve played my best the last couple of games. I think I played alright today. I have to go look at the film but I think just keep working, whatever it may be. Obviously, with Malcolm (Brown) going down a couple weeks back, my workload kind of picked up a little bit. But I look at every week as its own so just keep working, keep your head down and keep working.”
(On your touchdown catch, I don’t know if you saw the replay after, when QB Tua Tagovailoa delivered the ball he was about to get crushed. After seeing the replay or understanding what happened what do you think about his performance on that play?) – “He was doing his job. I think ‘Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) is here so you should probably talk to him. He was doing his job, he had a great game today so yeah, y’all got ‘Flo.’ (laughter)”
Xavien Howard – November 21, 2021 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 21, 2021
Postgame – N.Y. Jets
CB Xavien Howard
(What are your thoughts on getting a third straight win and a road win in the division?) – “It feels great. Winning on the road is hard in this league every Sunday. To get a big win in an away game feels good.”
(What do you think about the way that QB Joe Flacco played on the other side? Just your thoughts?) – “I thought he did a good job. They were making some good calls. It was a lot of quick passes coming from him. We knew that coming in that they were going to get the ball out quick and not hold on to the ball. At the end of the day, we got the win and that’s all that matters.”
(Overall how would you rate the defense’s performance? Obviously outside of the long catch and run by WR Elijah Moore there wasn’t too much behind you guys.) – “I thought we did okay. There’s always room for improvement. We are just going to watch film and see what we did wrong or what they executed on and just get back in the lab and do our work.”
(What are your thoughts on the rookie WR Elijah Moore today?) – “I talked to him after the game, he’s going to be special in this league. He’s a smaller guy, quick guy. He made some tough catches out there and I respect his game.”
(I thought you said you usually talk to the cornerbacks after games?) – “Yeah, I talked to him. I guess he trains out there with Gold Feet so he said he is coming to Florida a lot and he be watching me so I ended up giving him his props.”
(How confident are you that when the offense can deliver 24 points that you guys can do enough to produce victories as a defense?) – “Very confident. I feel like all three phases, we got to play well. Defense doing their thing, offense, everybody making plays in all three phases of the ball. I feel like if we have the confidence then it’ll show, that we’re winning.”
(We’ve seen a couple long, time consuming drives from the offense. How hopeful is that to the defense?) – “I love that for the defense. We need that break sometimes so when we get that break we come back out there fresh.”
(What’s it like to see them take the ball with eight minutes and basically kill the clock?) – “I love that (expletive).”
Brian Flores – November 19, 2021
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Friday, November 19, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Do you expect to have DT Christian Wilkins and LB Andrew Van Ginkel available on Sunday?) – “Both those guys are limited. Let’s call them day-to-day. Hopeful that they are out there. Today’s practice will tell us a lot. Both guys are doing everything they can to get out there.”
(The thinking in changing the quarterback on the practice squad? Another young guy in QB Jake Luton. What was some of the stuff that appealed to you about him?) – “We did a lot of work on Jake pre-draft a couple years ago. He’s someone we had some interest in so when he became available, (General Manager) Chris (Grier) and his staff, we felt like it was a good opportunity to take a look at him. He’s been here a day and we will just keep working with him and see what that looks like.”
(QB Tua Tagovailoa told us on Wednesday he doesn’t expect any limitations on Sunday. Is that the way that he’s been progressing throughout the week?) – “I think he’s had a good couple days of practice. We’ll see how today goes. There’s definitely some discomfort but he’s fighting through it. He’s looked good.”
(How is the team doing mentally? Obviously, you had a tough stretch but now you have two wins. How is the team mentally doing, getting ready for the game on Sunday?) – “I think they’re excited to get back out there. It all starts with their preparation, which we’re kind of finishing that, the preparation today and putting the finishing touches on the gameplan and having as good an understanding of how we want to play on Sunday. That’s where the focus is. It’s on this game”
(When you have to face a team twice in four weeks or whatever it is, does that change the way you gameplan at all?) – “No. No, I think we just try to, as a staff, put our players in the best position to have success this week and we’ll worry about – I don’t even know when the next time we play them is – we’ll worry about that when we get there. Really kind of just focused on this week.”
(Have you and General Manager Chris Grier given any thought to changing personnel at all in terms of injecting another player at running back? I know you have trust in RB Myles Gaskin. He’s done good things over the last year and RB Salvon Ahmed as well. Have you thought about RB Duke Johnson, RB Gerrid Doaks, a guy on the waiver wire or do you just want to continue on with primarily Myles and Salvon at this point?) – “I think there’s always conversations about who the best guys are to help us win this week. I think the focus is on the Jets and what players can help us have success. Those are always conversations that we’re having. That’s guys on the active roster, guys on the practice squad. Obviously, we’ve elevated a number of guys over the course of the season. Yeah, those conversations are being had and we will always do what we feel is in the best interest of the team.”
(You’re leaving town this weekend for basically the last time until Christmas as a team. Do long stretches of playing at home like that impact how you practice at all – how you schedule practices and schedule things around the team?) – “I think we take things week to week based on injuries, based on my overall sense of what we need. I get feedback from everyone in the building – strength staff, medical staff, etc. So as far as scheduling down the road, it’s really week to week. I think the focus right now is just on the Jets. They’ve got some good players. They’ve got good coaches. It’s hard to win in that building so that’s kind of where the focus is. We’re going to have a good day at practice today, finish off the week strong and hopefully that’ll lead to some success during the game.”
(It’s a question without an answer probably but when you’re going to a building that has a wind element to it – it does kind of swirl there – how do special teamers prepare for things that you can’t control and things that you can’t really replicate?) – “Yeah, obviously weather, wind and rain are all elements that we have to deal with at times. We’re going up north to play in that particular stadium. There are some gusts and winds that definitely play a role in the kicking game first but then offensively, defensively, there are some things that the wind could play into how the game is called, what we do offensively and what we do defensively. Those are things we talk about as a staff. Weather obviously changes day to day so we try not to inundate the players with, ‘Hey if the gusts are this.’ We just don’t really know. But I think some of the conversation is, ‘Hey, this is the environment we’re used to. These aren’t the elements we’re used to. There’s probably going to be a little bit more wind, a little bit chillier.’ I know it’s a cold front here but it’s 75 degrees. (laughter) It’s going to be colder than what we’re used to and that’s part of playing on the road.”
(I wanted to ask you about the gunner role. How difficult would you say that job is not just on the special teams level but in football overall?) – “It’s probably the hardest job in the game for let’s call it one play, one specific play. I would say my first, when I got into the league, I started in the kicking game. I started in special teams with Brad Seely when I was up in New England and I worked with the gunners. I understand the physicality, what goes on from a play-to-play basis at that position, especially when you got two guys on you. You’ve got to be mentally tough, physically tough. You’ve got to be strong. You’ve got to be fast. And it’s a tough down, especially when you’ve got a vice there. Only the strong survive out there.”
(On that note, how fun is it having WR Mack Hollins on this team? Yesterday we just talked about how much he enjoys playing special teams and how passionate he is about that and how that can really elevate the other special teamers.) – “I’m sure Mack had plenty to… (laughter) It’s great to have Mack. He brings a lot of energy and juice to practice. As you mentioned, he’s a lot of fun and I’m sure it was a great interview. (laughter)”
(Have you ever heard of his duct tape theory? Do you know the duct tape theory?) – “I don’t know the duct tape theory. I’m ok not knowing it. (laughter)”
(Can you talk about the matchup between two young coaches who have defensive backgrounds? Can you talk a little bit about that and if you have a relationship with Jets Head Coach Robert Saleh?) – “Yeah. I think highly of Coach Saleh. He’s mentally tough, smart. He’s had a lot of success in this league. Intense. And you see that with his team. I think they’ve done a lot of good things. I think they play with great effort. I think they do a good job in a lot of areas and one that comes to mind with me is rushing the passer. That is right in Rob’s wheelhouse. We know what to expect from that standpoint. They are tough, they are disciplined. It’s a hard-working group and that’s pretty much what Rob is. That embodies a lot of Rob’s characteristics and him as a person.”
(Have you ever crossed paths professionally with Robert Saleh other than just coaching circles?) – “Yeah, just the coaching circles. The Combine, on the road, working players out, games. We’ve gotten to know each other over the years and I think highly of him.”
(RB Michael Carter is a guy that you guys got a significant amount of exposure to at the Senior Bowl. He leads them in rushing yards, and is tied for the lead in receptions. What kind of challenges does he present to a defense?) – “He’s a good back. He’s a good young back, good vision, downhill runner. But he can also make you miss in space. He’s good out of the backfield. He’s done a nice job for them. They’re doing a good job getting him the ball and highlighting his skillset. We liked him at the Senior Bowl. I think he’s smart, he’s tough. You could see some of the professionalism just in that week, that he would do the things necessary to give himself a chance to have success, and clearly that’s happened.”
(What’s it like to have CB Jamal Perry to stick around your entire tenure here so far and what went into his promotion to the 53 this week?) – “His versatility, his ability to play in the kicking game, corner, Star, free safety, kicking game, he’s fast and we like him. We’ve got a lot of DBs in the room so he was on the practice squad. We were able to elevate him this week. He’s helped us in a few games this year and hopefully he helps us this week.”
(There were some reports that when you guys brought DT Andrew Billings this week, he would rise up quickly. Do you expect him to be able to play on Sunday?) – “Reports? Who got those reports?”
(There was a report from NFL Network saying he was expected to rise quickly.) – “He’s been here two days, two practices. There is a lot that – I’m not sure if he knows how to get to the stadium. (laughter) There is just a lot we’ve got to get through – playbook, getting to know his teammates, if we want to make a call on the line, what’s the guy you’re making a call with’s name? There are some things we’ve got to work through. But he’s done a good job. I would say the first day we had him out there, we were in pads and he showed some things that we liked. We’ll keep working with him. You guys know I don’t really give much into the reports and speculation. I’m here. I’d like to think I know what the plan is. We like Andrew. He’s doing a lot of good things and if he could help us, we’ll put him out there.”
(There is a facial change-up. You’ve got hair growing, you’ve got a beard growing. Your appearance, did you just figure to change it up?) – “My son asked me to grow my hair out. He wanted to see what it looked like.”
(Are you pleased?) – “My son asked me to grow my hair out, so that’s what I’m doing. (laughter)”
(Knowing that you don’t like reports and all of these things, is there something to be said though that you’ve won two games after the trade deadline. I know you said guys weren’t focused on it, but you are 2-0 since that chapter closed for this season.) – “I think we’re just having better execution and playing better. I think we practiced better, we prepared better, we played better. That’s the formula. We can get into other things if we want to, but that’s the formula that I know, and that’s what I’ve seen and what I’m trying to do is help us continue to do the things we’ve been doing the last couple of weeks from a preparation standpoint, from a practice standpoint and we’ll see what happens when we do those things.”
Jaelan Phillips – November 18, 2021
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Thursday, November 18, 2021
LB Jaelan Phillips
(I was talking to Outside Linebackers Coach Robbie Leonard this week about your growth and he said the one thing that has changed a little is that you’re playing with more violence in terms of hand chops and motions. Is that something that you made a conscious decision to do? What’s lead to that evolution?) – “Robbie and I are always talking about marrying the violence in my feet with the violence of my hands. That’s something where at the beginning of the year – I’m good at running and I’m fast so I’ve always been violent with my feet, but now I’m learning how to really use my hands. At this level, you really need to be elite and precise with your hands. Just continuously trying to improve. Him and I work a lot together.”
(There was a third-down play in the Ravens game where you dropped back into coverage and QB Lamar Jackson took off to the right and you chased him down. Tell me about that play. Did you know the whole time that you were going to get him?) – “I told you guys last week that I was going to be running a lot, so I guess that was true. (laughter) I popped out and I was reading, waiting for him to throw a check down. Once I saw him start scrambling, I was on my horse. I knew I had him in my line of sight.”
(I know you call it something different than the amoeba package – most of the people it the amoeba package where the rushers and the edges and safeties are all up at the line of scrimmage. Is your assignment based on what the offensive lineman in front of you does?) – “I can’t give that away. That’s the secrets of the trade right there. (laughter) What I can say is having a six-up look like that kind of lets us dictate how we want to play the game. It lets us put a lot of pressure on the quarterbacks. I’m not going to give away the secrets to what I’m doing, but it’s a great scheme.”
(You guys have incorporated the safety blitz. How has that changed things for an edge rusher where maybe guys on the offensive line or blockers have more guys to look out for than what might be coming in and opening things up possibly?) – “At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who is getting the sack or who is getting the pressure. It just matters that we’re getting it as a defense. I think having different looks, having different schemes, keeps the opposing offense on their toes. It allows us to do a lot more.”
(I think you’re second in the NFL in rookie pressures. There has been an increase in pressures. What do you think has led to the increase in pressures for you?) – “Just being tenacious. Just getting after the quarterback. At the end of the day, sacks are flashy stats. I think what is more important to have an impact on the game and put pressure on the quarterback. That’s just what I try to do. I try to execute the best that I can within our scheme and I think that everything is coming together. All of the hard work that we’ve been putting in, in terms of getting more comfortable as a team and with each other, and just with the gameplan and everything.”
(It seems that over the last couple of weeks you guys have made so many plays where guys are chasing after the football, and just following the ball and making a big play. You had the one against the Texans with QB Tyrod Taylor’s interception to LB Jerome Baker. Is there a mantra in the defensive room about flying to the ball?) – “Absolutely. That’s the first thing is you have to get phenomenal effort. It’s a life decision is what the coaches always say. There are a lot of things you can’t control in this game, but one thing you can control is your effort. For me, I’ve always hung my hat ever since high school really, on being a guy who is going to give my all, going to give 100 percent effort and going to be chasing after the ball. It’s important to get 11 guys to the ball. You never want to have guys out of the picture at the end of the snap. It’s definitely something that is important to us and we’re going to keep doing.”
(RB Michael Carter, you played against him in college. What have you seen on tape from him?) – “He’s a raw running back. He’s really powerful and he does not like to get tackled. He runs through a lot of tackles and keeps his legs churning. I obviously played him last year, the last game of the regular season. He’s a good back.”
(Speaking of UM, obviously you played for Manny Diaz and you’ve been around that organization. I don’t know if you’re on this special UM alum chain of people – you were only there for one year, so I don’t know if you apply. Are you concerned about the direction things are headed there?) – “I will always, until the day I die, be a huge proponent to Manny Diaz, and really the whole entire staff at Miami. Really everybody there. Obviously we haven’t had – for the last couple of season or really the last decade – the results haven’t been exactly what the fans, the school, or the program really wants. But I think more importantly, Manny has developed a culture at ‘The U.’ Even this year, you can see a lot of the young guys coming in and making an impact and having excitement and love for the game. I think that is something that you really can’t take for granted. I love Manny and I think he’s a great coach. I think he’s really talented and really smart and cares a lot about what he does and about his players. Wherever the chips may fall, it’s going to be what it is. But regardless, Manny is going to stay steadfast and keep doing his thing.”
(What were your interactions with Blake James, the athletic director, that won’t be there anymore?) – “He’s not there anymore. Blake was good to me when I came in. I think he’s a great guy as well. I don’t think football success or success on or off the field really determines how good of a man you are. Blake James is a great person. I think they are just looking to uphold the standard of what ‘The U’ is. I’m all for making changes and doing what they think they need to do to improve.”
(I wanted to ask you about CB Xavien Howard who was in here a few minutes ago. He was the AFC Defensive Player of the Week. When you have a player with his coverage skills at the cornerback position, how does that help you and the other rushers?) – “If the corners and safeties are covering, then we have more time to get after the quarterback. It’s really a symbiotic relationship. If we don’t rush well enough, then they’re in coverage for too long and eventually somebody is going to get open. And vice versa, if they don’t cover well enough, then we might not be able to get to the quarterback. I think we’ve done a good job of working together. But yeah, Xavien and really our whole entire secondary have been doing an amazing job covering for us, putting pressure on the quarterbacks when they rush and doing everything like that.”
Durham Smythe – November 18, 2021
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Thursday, November 18, 2021
TE Durham Smythe
(I told TE Mike Gesicki that I had never seen you run so fast. You know the play I’m talking about. He claims it was a 4.9 and I do not believe that’s accurate. How fast was it?) – “That’s a good question. We’ll have to check the numbers on that one but yeah, really since the Combine back in 2018 or whatever that was, he’s given me a bunch of crap about top-end speed and stuff. I can guarantee you it was better than a 4.9. (laughter)”
(I’m trying to remember the play. Did you have a lot of grass there?) – “Yeah, a ton of space. It’s always fun when you catch a ball in the flat and you turn and there’s nobody there and you can kind of just take off and you don’t have to worry about really anyone around you. That was nice.”
(The Jets have a couple of really strong interior defensive linemen with DL John Franklin-Myers and DL Quinnen Williams. Without giving away your gameplan or anything, I know a lot of times it will be incumbent on a tight end to either wham those guys or line up in the backfield. What kind of challenges to those guys present you and your approach to this game?) – “I think their entire front four and really their front seven is one of the strengths of their entire team. They are pretty talented across the board – good players really in every position. I think when you face a front like that, it’s going to be a total offensive effort. You’ve got to keep those guys guessing. What are we going to do on this play? What are we going to on that play? It’ll be a nice challenge and I think like I said, with that being a strength of their team in general, it’ll be kind of up to us to set the tone from that perspective.”
(Going back up to Jersey, isn’t that where TE Mike Gesicki is from?) – “It is, yeah.”
(Does he have a little bit of a community that comes together when you guys go back up there or is it all ball?) – “Yeah, no it is all ball. But Mike is a homebody to begin with. Any time that we get anywhere in that area, I hear a lot about it, we all hear a lot about it. So he’s excited to be around family, friends and his whole thing.”
(Are you a fan of the popular MTV show Jersey Shore?) – “No. Myself? No, personally. I can’t speak for Mike (Gesicki) either, but I don’t know if that is an accurate representation of the area. If it is, then that’s fitting for him. (laughter) It’s on brand.”
(More of a Sopranos guy?) – “Oh yeah, love The Sopranos.”
(Have you been to the Jersey Shore?) – “I have actually. I say that all about Mike (Gesicki) but I was actually born in Philadelphia before I moved to Texas early on and we used to spend summers out in the south Jersey Shore. A week here, a week there. I was almost too young to remember it, but I do have a little bit of background there.”
(I’m wondering about young TE Hunter Long, who we haven’t seen a lot during the games. What have you noticed, if anything, about how he’s doing in practice and how he’s handling not playing?) – “Hunter is a good football player. I know with him not being exposed to the general public yet, people don’t really know that about him yet. But he’s a good football player. He’s a smart guy. It’s always tough as a rookie in a position like that. I was in a similar situation when I first got here back in 2018, but there were some injuries and then I had to play. It’s always about the situation but he’s done a great job in terms of staying involved in the gameplan, involved in the game-planning. He’s, like I said, a good player. He will be a good player in this league, I think he’ll play in this league for a long time as long as he continues on this track. It’s cool to see that obviously without getting as many reps in games, he’s still staying so involved, so that’s kudos to him.”
(Have you and TE Mike Gesicki had to have chats with TE Hunter Long to keep his spirits up because he came in as a third-round pick and he’s inactive most weeks?) – “Like I said, he’s a smart kid, so he almost doesn’t even require that. He knows what happens in this league in terms of specific situations and things of that nature. He’s one of those guys that I think is self-motivated enough that he doesn’t really need us to pick him up here and there. I will say he’s ready every week so if there’s ever something that happens, he’ll be ready and he’ll be able to fill in.”
(I’ve heard that tight end is the second-hardest position to learn to get to the point of contributing in the NFL because of the many different facets that you have to learn to do your job. Do you think that that’s accurate?) – “Yeah, I mean obviously I can’t speak for other positions but in terms of at least the path that myself and even Mike (Gesicki) being in the same draft class have gone through, I think there could be some accuracy to that. I, in terms of what I was thinking and how comfortable I was in 2018 versus now, is a huge differential. And I think Mike is probably the same way. I don’t want to speak for him, but in terms of his production, it seems like he probably is the same way. I think it is, kind of like you mentioned, it’s a culmination of we have to do so many things within the offense. Maybe one day you’re focused on being a receiver, the next day you’re focused on whatever. It does take some time to be able to feel comfortable from a holistic standpoint. I think there’s definitely some accuracy to that.”
Liam Eichenberg – November 18, 2021
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Thursday, November 18, 2021
T Liam Eichenberg
(Thoughts on how things are going for you? Are you starting to feel more comfortable? Obviously you played on the left side your whole college career. Where things are for you at this point?) – “Yeah, I think for me, something I work on every single week is just carrying those fundamentals and techniques to gameday. I think run blocking is going well. Pass pro, it needs to improve and that’s what I’ve been focusing on this past week and what I’m going to continue to focus on. Like what I said before, it’s kind of just carrying those techniques and fundamentals to gameday.”
(Does anybody on the Jets defensive line or front seven catch your eye in terms of pass-rushing ability?) – “I think they’re all great pass rushers. It’s a great defensive line, great linebackers. We’re definitely focused on that and then at the end of the day, we want to win. You have to scout the guys that you are going up against and also the backups and everyone. It’s a very good defensive line – a veteran defensive line – so it’ll be a good game. I’m looking forward to it.”
(What’s the biggest difference you’ve noticed from the college game to the pro game?) – “I would say probably things happen a little faster. For us, we’re throwing the ball a good amount so just kind of that idea of you’ve got to protect a little bit longer I guess you could say. That’s probably the biggest difference.”
