Tua Tagovailoa – November 17, 2021
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Wednesday, November 17, 2021
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(The theme of the day: G/T Robert Hunt set the tone. He said that he went swimming in the Everglades this weekend and saw a gator.) – “He said what? (laughter) He said he went swimming?”
(In the Everglades.) – “Wow.”
(And there was a gator around. So we’re asking everybody what’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?) – “I haven’t done anything like that. I’ll tell you that. I haven’t done anything to put my life in – that’s tough. (laughter) He deserves it. He caught the screen that was supposed to be a throwaway to Myles (Gaskin) and he made the best of that.”
(How much better is the finger compared to Thursday night? Are you in much pain?) – “It feels good. Obviously there’s still healing that’s taking place. But other than that, it’s fine.”
(Do you have any limitations in terms of the throws you’re able to make on Sunday? I know that Head Coach Brian Flores said that when you have to come into the game kind of cold, they wanted …) – “I don’t think there are going to be any limitations for this Sunday with the finger. I think it feels good at this point. We should be good.”
(Are you going to wear a sleeve on your hand?) – “A sleeve? No. I’ll just do it as normal.”
(You have a history of coming into games and playing well in your career. What’s the difference between coming off the bench and coming into a game as opposed to preparing all week and starting the game?) – “Well, you don’t get the reps. That’s what I would say. You get all of the mental reps. You just don’t get to go in and rep it out. That’s just the biggest thing.”
(What’s the difference in your workload from last week to this week?) but I – “Yeah, full practice. Getting most of the reps out there today. We’re just trying to see what the gameplan is and that’s really all that is.”
(How are the ribs?) – “The ribs are good but not great. They’re still healing. I feel good with it.”
(How good did it feel – when you went back and you watched the film, how good did it feel not only for when you were in there but for most of the entire game, to be able to connect on some of those deep passes that may have been kind of missing from your guys’ offense?) – “It was good. Like I said, I had to take a lot of the mental reps. We’ve talked a lot throughout the week about where we want to attack the Ravens defense and how we were going to try to attack them. Those are just the plays given to us and that’s what I had to do to read it out. Those plays came to us because that’s kind of what we discussed in our meeting rooms.”
(I’m just curious, as a quarterback or as kind of a leader of the offense, there were some coverage breakdowns in the Ravens defense. How do you view that as an offense? Do you just say, ‘Hey, that’s one of the gimmes that we’ve got to take?’ Or do you kind of also view it in the sense of maybe you guys may have done something in terms of the motion or whatever to maybe influence that? How do you view that when you go back and you review that?) – “I think with a lot of the shifting that we did against the Ravens, it kind of put them in a bind if you will, just because it forces communication defensively with where the front is going to be, where the ‘backers need to be aligned now. That kind of helped open up a lot of the deeper routes.”
(When you take a look at the Jets, has anything stood out to you?) – “Yeah. I would say they’re good at what they do. Just regardless of the losses that they have, you look at the teams that they’ve beat and those are some really good teams – Cincinnati and the Titans. We look at those things that they do really well and we try to avoid those things happening in these games. We’re going to try to do our best to play a mistake-free game. Obviously that’s never the case in games, but the least mistakes as possible.”
(I noticed at the end of the game that there were a lot of fans that were chanting your name. Do you hear it? And how does it make you feel?) – “I hear it. It makes me feel good but the fans can’t go in there and play for me. I’ve got to go out there and I’ve got to execute what play is given to me. At the end of the day, I have to focus on what I can do to help the team win every time that I’m in there. It’s much appreciated but I can’t use that to help me win or help our team win.”
(WR Jaylen Waddle is on pace for someone in the neighborhood of 102 catches and about 950 yards, which would both be rookie records for the Dolphins. How do you see his development going along?) – “I think Jaylen is doing well. Jaylen communicates a lot out there with what he sees, things that he likes. But I would say everyone in this league knows on third downs who we like going to. With Jaylen, with however many receptions he has already on third down and then also normal downs too. But yeah, I think he’s done a great job for us getting open and we just have to continue getting him the ball.”
(Yesterday, Wide Receivers Coach Josh Grizzard said that WR Jaylen Waddle has been playing a little bit more inside and outside the last couple of weeks. How does having guys that can be flexible and play every position at the receiver spot help your job and kind of identify those matchups?) – “It helps my job a whole lot just because you have not just Jaylen but you have Mike (Gesicki), you have Albert (Wilson) – you have multiple guys that they need to put their players on. We take a look at that and we see the matchups that we like and that’s kind of what we do as far as talking on the sideline and getting plays for whoever the individual is that we want to work on.”
(With Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey having taken a central role and a process that was at some point streamlined this season, how are things going working closely with Coach Godsey?) – “They’re going good. A lot of communication between George and us in the quarterback room. A lot of what we like and, ‘hey, do you think we can change this protection to this because of that? Or the route –‘ there’s just a lot of communication going on right there. A lot of flexibility with that communication too.”
(Last Thursday, it looked like the Ravens were putting CB Marlon Humphrey on TE Mike Gesicki a lot and you guys kind of isolated him out wide. Have you seen any defense try to defend him like that and if so, were you able to deduce anything with their defense because they had to switch things up?) – “No. We obviously want to give Mike shots and opportunities but if the opportunity doesn’t present itself then you have to move on to your next read. Being in the back there, we don’t have a lot of time as quarterbacks to just sit there and pat the ball, waiting for our guys to get open. We have to move on and make quick decisions in the back there.”
(This game is supposed to be a rivalry. Do you sense anything different this week? Do you like rivalries at all?) – “Me personally, I don’t necessarily believe in rivalries. I think those are all made up for the hype. I know that every game in the NFL is a big game and that’s how we’re going to treat this game.”
(Do you feel like the mood in this locker room has really transformed over stringing together a couple of wins after a losing streak?) – “I think we’re getting into a good flow of things – no pun intended. (laughter) But yeah, I think that guys are starting to find their rhythm defensively, offensively and in special teams. We just have to continue to find ways to play complementary football. That’s really all it is.”
(The little dance that you hit after you scored. Who taught you that?) – “No one taught me that. My brother was doing it for a while and then also my roommate in college my freshman year, Najee (Harris) would do the dance a lot. He’s from the Bay Area and I think that’s a Bay Area thing, right? But man, I thought that thing was cool when I saw it so I learned how to do it, then started doing it. (laughter) It was good fun, good fun out these. Especially when you score and you’re with the guys, good fun.”
Brian Flores – November 17, 2021
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Wednesday, November 17, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(We saw T Greg Little going on IR yesterday. How was he injured? Is it season ending and who is the backup left tackle moving forward?) – “He was injured in practice. He’ll be out for at least three weeks. He’s been inactive so we’ve had a backup tackle really the whole year. We’ll just move forward the way we’ve been moving forward.”
(I don’t know if this is a competitive thing and if it is, obviously you don’t have to talk about it. But G/T Jesse Davis, at this point would he be…) – “We have a plan for who the next guys would be really at all positions, without going into the gameplan, like you said.”
(One last thing on this topic with G/T Austin Jackson. I know you said you were comfortable with him at guard and I know everything in the league is fluid, but could you see a scenario where you consider him not as an injury replacement but as a left tackle again or do you and Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre and General Manager Chris Grier have a pretty strong conviction that guard is his home?) – “A lot of those guys have flexibility. If there is a need at a position, we’ll make the move. We like what he’s doing at guard but the flexibility is always a good thing.”
(Last week, QB Tua Tagovailoa told us that he took mostly mental reps and rested his hand. What’s the plan for this week relative to throwing as opposed to just mental reps?) – “He’ll take most of the reps, practice.”
(What is your perception of how QB Tua Tagovailoa is doing?) – “Again, he’s got a fracture in his finger. There’s discomfort. It takes a while for the bone to heal. I think we all understand that. He’s had some time since the injury. Took some time. Didn’t throw all that much last week, which was good from a healing standpoint. He played in the game and then we’ve had some time off since. More time equals more healing so he’s doing a little bit better. Still some discomfort but we expect him to practice this week.”
(The Jets reportedly will start QB Joe Flacco. Your reaction?) – “He’s been a good player in this league for a long time. Smart. Experienced. He’s going to try to get the ball to their go-to guys. It’ll be a challenge for us.”
(Where is the challenge between developing guys to play multiple positions versus letting them get comfortable at their natural position and learn their natural position?) – “There’s only 48 spots on gameday so everyone’s got to – there’s only 48 spots and three are in the kicking game. So 22 on offense, 23 on defense, 11 guys on the field, so if you want backups then some guys have to play different positions. I think we all understand that. Some left tackle has to play right tackle. A defensive tackle sometimes has to play defensive end. Corner has to play safety. That’s just kind of the nature of the game. If you can’t play multiple positions, that hurts your ability to help the team, so that’s why most guys play multiple positions.”
(You obviously have the three extra days because of the short week last week. What are some of the benefits to having this mini-bye to work off of going into the Jets game?) – “An opportunity to recharge the battery. More time to prepare for the next opponent. Hopefully we go out there and have a good practice.”
(CB Xavien Howard, I believe was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week. Obviously it’s the second time he had a critical game-changing type of forced turnover this season. Just in general, how do you feel like his season has gone?) – “’X’ (Xavien Howard) is obviously a big part of this team from a leadership standpoint and obviously as far as his play, I think he’s played well. But for me and for us, we’re just kind of focused on today. We celebrated his Player of the Week (award) in the meeting this morning. We announced that this morning, gave him a round of applause and the next thing he said was ‘let’s get ready for the Jets.’”
(While QB Jacoby Brissett obviously was cleared to return last week, has there been any regression to the point where there was a question of whether he would be available this Sunday that you might have to prepare your developmental guy on the practice squad to be QB Tua Tagovailoa’s backup?) – “No. I expect Jacoby to be ready.”
(One of the many great things about the defensive gameplan last week was obviously LB Jerome Baker, LB Duke Riley and LB Elandon Roberts together for a dozen, 14, 16 snaps. I know as explained yesterday by the assistants, Jerome’s speed chasing Lamar Jackson obviously was a help there. As far as Jerome playing on the outside more, is that something that you and Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer have talked about? You have obviously plenty of good edge guys, but is that something that you think has potential for more of Jerome outside allowing you to play Duke and Elandon more inside or is that just a Baltimore thing?) – “It’s gameplan-specific every week. So the guys we feel like give us the best chance to give us success on the field, that’s who we put out there. So it’s game plan-specific.”
(Have you seen anything different in the last two games defensively since you have gotten good results that was not there before?) – “No. Just better execution.”
(How has RB Gerrid Doaks been doing in practice? We know he keeps being protected from poaching, but we haven’t seen him in a game yet. Is he on your mind as a possibility?) – “I think Gerrid (Doaks) is doing a good job on the practice squad learning the gameplan every week. He takes the approach that he’s going to be out there and that’s good. We want that for all our – everybody on the roster. When his opportunity presents itself, I think he’ll be ready.”
(Does physicality help you without RB Malcolm Brown? I’m sure that’s something obviously you guys have talked about.) – “I think that we’re always going to try to put the best players out there – guys who we feel like are going to help us. If we feel like that’s Gerrid, then he’ll be out there.”
(I think the Jets lead the NFL in yards per game over the past few weeks. Have you noticed anything that they’ve started to do differently later in the season to help kind of jumpstart?) – “I think they’ve got – you’re talking about offensively? They’ve got a good o-line. They’ve got good backs. They’ve got some receivers who make some big plays. I think they’ve done a good job. White did a good job getting the ball, spreading the ball around and making some good decisions. So all that, put all that together and you get a lot of positive plays. It’s a big challenge for us. We’ve got to do a good job really in all those areas – run game, pass game, pass defense I should say, run defense, pass defense, screens, RPOs, play action, drop-back, red zone, third down and conversely all those things on offense. And obviously the kicking game.”
(I know you say you go day-by-day, but do you as a coach look at the standings, look at the calendar and look at your possibilities to maybe turn the season around at this point?) – “No. I focus on today.”
(The old adage says that a team takes on the personality of their head coach and this is your first go up against Robert Saleh for the Jets. What do you think that personality is of him that the Jets kind of embody that type of play?) – “I know Rob. He’s smart, tough, disciplined, intense, high energy. I think you see that from his team.”
(You guys added Andrew Billings to the practice squad. Can you comment on that?) – “Big body. Tough. We liked some things on tape. We felt like he could help us so we’re excited to work with him.”
Jevon Holland – November 15, 2021
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Monday, November 15, 2021
S Jevon Holland
(I was talking to Head Coach Brian Flores about your maturity level and he said you are mature beyond your years. What are you, 21 years old? Where do you think that comes from? At what point do you feel like you had to mature?) – “In life or just in football?”
(In life.) – “I would have to say it’s my parents, really, giving me leeway to grow up, take care of my sister and drive her to school. Little things like that kind of pushed me forward to grow up quicker than I am. Then having my brother, he’s four years older than me, he’s close in age. Close enough to where I can learn from him and his mistakes and the things that he does good and then far enough where I can correct them myself or avoid something. Same thing in football with my brother also. That’s basically it.”
(What are some of the things you think you have shown for Head Coach Brian Flores to have that opinion of you in such a short time?) – “Maturity level? Just being confident back there. Speaking loudly, communicating with my teammates and things like that. Simple things. Nothing crazy.”
(When you were in London and Maurice Jones-Drew was there and he gave a shoutout to you in the pregame referring to you as a little brother. Didn’t he coach you in high school?) – “Yeah, KT – “Kenyon Training” was my seven-on-seven team. He was a coach on that team. He basically took me under his wing, taught me a whole bunch of stuff along with a lot of other coaches over there, but he was probably one of the main ones. But yeah, he’s a good guy.”
(You don’t see many former NFL Pro Bowlers. It’s probably pretty cool to learn from them. What are some things that stuck out about Maurice Jones-Drew from early on?) – “Really just his knowledge of the game and how important it is to have a knowledge of the game. That’s really what it was. For me it was like, ‘Man, that’s Maurice Jones-Drew’ because I watched him growing up. I was really just trying to absorb all of the knowledge that he’d give me about whatever position, whatever situation because there are like 2,000 things that happen in football but a coach can only tell you like 200.”
(Your dad played football. Have you had a chance to ever watch the old CFL footage? Any of the interceptions? I’m wondering how you think your ball skills compare to his?) – “My ball skills are way better than my dad’s, by far. (laughter) I played receiver in high school. I lowkey went crazy in high school at receiver. (laughter) Nah, his finger is cut off too so he really couldn’t play receiver. I’ve seen some of his old tapes and whatnot, he was balling. But yeah, my ball skills.”
(Growing up in Canada, obviously you moved to Oakland when you were around eight. How much do you remember from Canada?) – “I remember quite a bit. I’ve got fond memories, friends up there playing soccer and whatnot. Where I lived, how to get to school and things like that.”
(How’d you end up from wide receiver to safety?) – “My dad played DB, my brother played DB so, I was trained to play DB also, but I wanted to play receiver and my dad wanted me to play quarterback. I was learning offenses and things like that and I was like, ‘Nah, I’m playing receiver freshman year of high school.’ So, I played receiver and my dad was like you got to play defense too, so I played safety. I’ve always been the guy to be back deep if we are playing out in the street or something like that. That’s basically how I ended up playing safety. Then I just got better and better at safety and receiver, but I chose safety because teams wanted me more for safety.”
(Was it coming out of high school or in 2020 last year when you opted out, where Mario Cristobal told you to get ready to play come receiver?) – “It was both. When I came out of high school, it was more Coach (Marcus) Arroyo. He’s the head coach at UNLV right now. He told me ‘Yo, get ready to play some receiver.’ Then last year, Coach Cristobal told me.”
(You were still going to be a defensive back, just get some offensive snaps?) – “Yup.”
(So you never got a chance to catch a ball in college?) – “No.”
(How does your first half of your rookie season compare with your expectations?) – “They’re by far better than what my expectations were. I really just wanted to help the team in any way. That was my goal. Once plays started coming to me where technique meets opportunity, like ‘Coach G.A.’ (Defensive Backs Coach Gerald Alexander) says, splash plays happen. That’s what I’m trying to replicate every week, make sure I’m prepared, over-prepare, so that when I go out there I play free, empty-minded and just go out there and react.”
(So WR ‘Hollywood’ (Marquise) Brown is nicknamed after the Florida, Hollywood. What is the origin of your nickname and is that something you have to live up to?) – “My dad’s nickname was Hollywood when he was in the CFL and in college, and a couple of his friends started calling me Hollywood too. I just put the 2.0 behind it because obviously my dad is 1.0. I just put that on my Instagram. It’s been my Instagram for like four or five years now, so people start calling me it. That was basically it.”
(Have you ever gone to Hollywood, California?) – “Yeah, plenty of times.”
(How did he get the nickname?) – “That’s just the way he played. He had blonde hair, flashy. DB. (laughter)”
(Is your father a role model for you that he helps you during the start of your NFL career or do you have someone else that you talk to that helps you maintain your head on your shoulders?) – “It’s definitely my dad and my brother. They’re like my two. Those are my role models all my life. My dad played in the league, my brother was four years older than me, getting the opportunity to play in the league. I was basically just following their tracks. That’s what got me here, really. My dad is a trainer and everything too.”
(How do you compare the feeling of an interception versus a sack?) – “At one point, it’s just like blind excitement, really. That’s all I can really say. An interception is like the best thing because I’m a DB. But nah, a sack is kind of new for me. But I enjoy it though. I really do.”
(You answered this when you first got drafted but how tough was it to opt out of that 2020 season?) – “It was difficult, definitely.”
(Where were you and what were you doing during the time? I know you were training but what else were you spending your time doing?) – “It was difficult, like I said. I stepped away from the game for the first time in a long time. My teammates, I wanted to play with them. They went back-to-back Pac-12 Championships so that was dope. I was training and playing video games and watching anime. That was basically what I was doing the whole time.”
(I read some articles in the Vancouver newspaper and the Edmonton newspaper. They’re very excited about your success. They’re claiming you.) – “They should. I was born there. (laughter) Shout out to them. Shout out to y’all.”
(I wanted to ask you a question about Canada relative to you still hear form folks in Canada. Are you aware of how closely they’re still following you?) – “I’ve gotten more familiar with how close they are following me, but really I just talk to family friends that are from there. Sometimes on Facebook. I get messages from on Instagram from people too. That’s basically it.”
(Lacrosse and soccer as a kid but no hockey?) – “Lacrosse, yeah. But no hockey. I tried to play hockey. I fell like one time and I was done. I was like nah, that’s not it. (laughter)”
(When did you stop playing soccer? When did you make that change?) – “I stopped playing soccer in like third or fourth grade. One day I was at practice and the kids were juggling the ball and I was like what is your record? They were like 115 (juggles). I was like nah, this is not for me. I only got like 15 and I would lose a ball. (laughter) I was like nah, y’all too good so I stopped.”
(Talking about Canada, do you watch their soccer team now with all the stars that they have?) – “I haven’t been able to tap in. I really have not but I heard that they’re pretty good. I might have to go up there and check them out.”
(Did you blitz much at Oregon and what was the key moment where Head Coach Brian Flores or anyone else identified this?) – “I didn’t blitz that much at Oregon. Maybe like three or four times. Honestly, I’m not really sure. It was just like one of the times me and Brandon (Jones) in practice switched on a blitz where he was supposed to go but I went and then I don’t know. You’ll have to ask coach that. That’s not really a question I can answer.”
Zach Sieler – November 15, 2021
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Monday, November 15, 2021
DT Zach Sieler
(I feel like I saw a video of Hannah lifting. Tell me how good is she?) – “Yeah, Hannah is my fiancé. She played college basketball at Alabama and then she played overseas in Greece and Iceland. That for her is her kind of escape and stress relief. We have a little gym back home and that’s where she did that at.”
(Do you guys ever have any sort of athletic competition against each other?) – “All the time. She smokes me in basketball. We got pickleball. We like playing that a lot, especially in the offseason. That’s kind of a 50/50 toss up. We love playing that. It’s get’s kind of heated and she won’t talk to me sometimes and I won’t talk to her. But it’s good. It’s all healthy.”
(Did it feel good to stick it to your former team on Thursday?) – “It was a great team victory. I think both sides played well, us and them. We came out with a win. It felt great but I think we’ve got to move on to the Jets and start preparing.”
(Did you feel good about where the defensive line is? You’ve obviously played well, DE Emmanuel Ogbah is getting a ton of pressures, DL Adam Butler is doing his thing – had his first sack the other night. We see the impact of DT Christian Wilkins this year and DT Raekwon Davis is back. Do you like this group and where you are heading into mid-November?) – “Yeah, I think we have a great bond as a d-line. We all feed off of each other very well and our play styles. All of us besides Butler were here last year. Just kind of learning how to play with him and him play with us I think has been really progressive and beneficial.”
(How do you feel like the pressure packages that have been utilized the last couple of weeks, how does that help the team reach it’s defensive goals?) – “I think it plays to our benefit and I think it’s just how we play. It’s how we want to show here as a culture, as a defense, and as a team – physical. I think it’s good.”
(It was mentioned to DE Emmanuel Ogbah that it’s unfair you guys are busting your butts in the trenches, punching and getting punched in the head, and here comes the d-backs with clean looks. What do you think of S Jevon Holland and how he had 20 blitz chances in the last game?) – “We’re all happy for him. That’s why we do it. We don’t play d-line for the glory – yeah, we love that stuff, like the tackles and sacks and stuff but if the team is winning and the defense is doing well, I think we’re all winning.”
(What did you do with your weekend off to recover your body?) – “We have a place in Sebring, Florida about two hours from here. So we just had a nice weekend there in the middle of nowhere. It was a mental release. Just hung out and played with the dogs.”
(What kind of dogs do you have?) – “Two Dogo Argentinos.”
(When you get recognized in public as a Dolphins player, how often will people – has it ever happened when they bring up the RV history? Even though you’re no longer living in one, how often does that come up from the public?) – “(laughter) Here and there. Not all the time, but people do ask, or plays. I know when (Adam) Butler came in or someone came in when they first got here and was like, ‘do you still live in that RV?’ I’m like ‘nah.’ People here in there because a lot of guys haven’t done that or a lot of people don’t do that. I try to tell them you should always try it once. I think it’s a really great experience.”
Mike Gesicki – November 15, 2021
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Monday, November 15, 2021
TE Mike Gesicki
(Last Thursday was one of the rare games where you didn’t have a reception. I know you’re happy with the win, but outside of CB Marlon Humphrey, what did you see from the way the Ravens defended you?) – “It’s just one of those games. Like you said, it’s a team win. It’s a team game. Now we’re stacking good weeks on top of each other and that’s the most important part. I’m very pleased with the way that we’re progressing as an offense, as a defense, special teams together in all three phases. Now another great opportunity to continue to improve and get better throughout the course of this week. We had essentially an extra day today. We’ve got several more opportunities this year and just take them day-by-day and try to continue to improve.”
(We know about QB Ryan Fitzpatrick’s aura in terms of how he is in the huddle. With QB Tua Tagovailoa, is there something unique about his aura? Obviously he was such a winning player at Alabama, his personality is infectious. What’s the Tua aura when he comes into the game and helps lead you all to a win?) – “I don’t really know specifically what – I mean he’s obviously a great kid, a good leader, gets in there, the crowd went crazy and all of that kind of stuff. But he’s cool, calm and collective. He gets in the huddle, does his job, and does it at an effective rate. Everybody is excited to play with him and all of that kind of stuff. I love having him back there and I’m happy to have him in there.”
(Do you still feel like you had an imprint on the game because they didn’t alter what they would normally do to counter you? It kind of led to some breakdowns in their secondary.) – “Yeah, sure. I don’t really care about that, honestly. (laughter) It’s not like I’m trying to walk away from the game like ‘oh, that was a moral victory here.’ Together as a team, we got a win and that was really the most important part. I said the same thing after Week 1 when I came in here and everyone wanted to know if I was ready to pretty much hand in my helmet, go home and call it a season. I’m most focused on helping this team in any way, shape or form that I can. Whether that’s supporting the guys, playing my role or making plays in the pass game, or whether that’s attracting some coverage or whatever it is, we’ve got plenty of guys on this team that can make plays and I think we proved that on Thursday night.”
(I know you said that your spirits had been high after the previous losing streak, but after winning two games and getting the big win in front of the entire country, and having a few days off, when you came back, do you see that maybe the spirits are even more boosted?) – “I think that is probably the most important part for me personally, the way I carry myself. Obviously in the moment, you make a play and you get excited. But after that, never too high, never too low. You play great, it’s on to the next one. You play not so great, it’s on to the next one. That’s how I carry myself and I think for the most part professionally in this league, that’s how you have to carry yourself, and I think that’s how this team carries itself. I’m already excited to have another opportunity this week. Obviously there is positivity and happiness and all of that kind of stuff, but at the end of the day, we’re still 3-7. We’ve got to come in here each and every day to fight to get to 4-7. Then we’ll talk to you guys next week about new goals.”
(Do you look at the standings personally? Do you think you guys have a possibility looking forward, or do you stay day-by-day like Head Coach Brian Flores?) – “Day-by-day. Right now we have a squad meeting at 4 o’clock, so that’s our next focus. Then we go to O/D (offensive/defense meetings) from 4:30 to 5:30. Then I’ll probably roll out, stretch, get into the hot tub, the cold tub, leave here around – let’s call it 6:30. Go home, see what Durham (Smythe) is doing, maybe hang out with Durham. Then before I know it, wake up tomorrow, come back in here and do it all over again. I try not to look too far ahead, just take it day by day and be where your feet are.”
(How important is it to lead by example whether you get plenty of catches in a game or not? How important is it for you to be the same and be an example for the rest of the team?) – “It’s a team game. It’s not Mike Gesicki versus the other 11 guys on defense. When you see a guy like Isaiah Ford go out there and have four catches for 84 yards or whatever the heck he had, and you see Albert Wilson make a huge play at the end of the game for 60-plus yards, and Adam Shaheen go up and make three catches for however many yards he had, and then Durham (Smythe) put on the jets there a little bit and made a big play. Contributions from both of our quarterbacks. ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) on defense made a big play and returned that for a touchdown. Some guys in the kicking game. There is so much more to it than yourself and there are a lot of games, and I’m going to play a lot more games in my career, and I will have another game in my career where I have no catches. And, if we have a win, I will be ecstatic.”
(TE Durham Smythe was much faster than I expected.) – “Yeah. I don’t know what the numbers came out to be, but he was moving. I’m not going to give him too much praise. At that point, it looked like he was the only person on the field. There was nobody around him. He pretty much just ran his 40-yard dash from the Combine. I am happy for him. Maybe he hit his – whatever he hit, 4.95 at the Combine, or whatever he hit.”
(One more from me on WR Jaylen Waddle. What do you think he can become? What do you think – how good?) – “Yeah. I don’t want to put expectations or anything on a guy, but I think Jaylen Waddle is a special player being himself. He can get in and out of cuts, he can make catches where he knows he’s going to get hit like the one at the end of the third quarter on Thursday. He’s extremely quick, has good hands and he’s a good teammate. He’s young and he has a lot of potential, and I think that’s something he’s going to continue to work on and get better each and every day to reach his full potential.”
(You’re a Jersey guy. Do you always look forward to this week going home to play the Jets?) – “Yeah, it’s fun. Obviously you walk out in the stadium and you hear a lot of people ‘hey, I’m from Manahawkin, hey I’m from Toms River, hey I’m from da-da-da.’ I’m like ‘alright yeah, good seeing you,’ and all of that kind of stuff. It is good getting back in New Jersey and seeing some family. It’s easier for them to get to some games and all of that kind of stuff. It’s cool, it’s exciting. But like I said, our number one goal is to go up there and get a win.”
Jesse Davis – November 15, 2021
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Monday, November 15, 2021
G/T Jesse Davis
(How was the mini-bye?) – “It was nice. It was refreshing to get a couple of days off and kind of work on your body more. It was nice.”
(Did you have any time just to reflect the last few days just on your play over the first half of the season? Just your views and thoughts on how things have gone?) – “I didn’t really think back on the previous games. I just thought of the recent one. I think I’ve been getting more confident with my hands. I’m just trying to improve each day out here.”
(How is the hand?) – “Good. When I say confident I mean like throwing it and trusting my – not like it’s hurt. I think every o-lineman’s hands are probably hurt but nothing serious like that.”
(What went well for you in pass pro in the last game? It seemed like it was solid.) – “I’m not really sure. They had some good edge rushers. Like I said, throwing my right hand a little more aggressive and not leaning on it or just trusting my technique, I think that kind of helped me more. I think they’re a good team. They have good edge rushers. If we can hold up in protection more and give our quarterbacks time to throw, obviously it will be more confidence throughout the whole team.”
(Do you guys feel some momentum coming along now, closer to what you guys felt at the start of the season?) – “I’m not sure about momentum but yeah that’s definitely the thing. Our team, I think we’re just starting to click a little bit better. I’m just focusing on our room and trying to get us clicking as a whole unit. I think that will help with the whole team. I think the team has been pretty solid. The defense played a really good game.”
(Have you ever caught a touchdown pass?) – “Me? No. I have not. And I wouldn’t attempt to catch one on a screen. (laughter)”
(Did you guys have some fun with G/T Robert Hunt after that?) – “Yeah, we obviously laughed about it and stuff. Every time an o-lineman catches one of those, it never ends well. That’s why usually I try to bat them down I guess. He’s really athletic. I was surprised. But I think personally, I wouldn’t have caught that. (laughter)”
(After Thursday’s win, S Jevon Holland was saying that the locker room was a really, really fun place to be and that you guys were excited. As you came back from kind of this mini-bye week, have you seen some more revitalized energy to know that you guys can string these weeks together and start to turn the season around more?) – “Yeah, I think maybe the energy in the locker room is a little bit more up. I think they’re always – the guys are all usually up. We don’t really sit down and dwell about each week or we lost seven games. I think we’re focused on this week coming up and how we can improve. I think the relationship in the locker room has been great all year. There hasn’t been any rift or nothing. I think the guys have been pretty solid.”
(As a leader of the group, have you felt at all that you need to try to lift T Liam Eichenberg’s spirits? Obviously at Notre Dame he went two-and-a-half years without giving up a sack. This is a different level. There are going to be sacks. Have you had to work on his mood or spirits?) – “No. I think usually Liam is pretty upbeat. I know we all have struggles and stuff but I think Liam, just the confidence he needs to gain in the league as a tackle. He’s bounced around too. I think it’s just him versus himself sometimes. I think he’s been growing. I think he’s getting better. But as a leader, I just try to help work with him and he works with me.”
(You were a Jet once, right?) – “Yeah.”
(Did you play in a regular-season game?) – “No.”
(What do you remember about your Jets experience?) – “I got in there in 2016 during OTAs and then got cut in camp. I liked it. Nick Mangold was there. He was a really good guy. A couple of other guys I still talk to this day were there. The experience was good. That’s when I was trying to transition to guard and I couldn’t really quite get it until I got here and worked with the previous o-line coach. I like it down here better.”
(It will be nice and chilly.) – “That’s right. It will be nice.”
(Are you looking forward to a football game in the 50s?) – “Yeah. I think we had one in Buffalo it was about that. I always enjoy the cooler games.”
(Not that many of them this year. Buffalo on Halloween instead of later this year. Jets in November. Tennessee might be cold.) – “Yeah, that might be a cold one. I was hoping it would be cold on Thursday when we played but that might have been the most humid one we’ve had. (laughter)”
(So I know everybody is kind of banged up at this point in the year. It is nice to have the extra weekend but I was wondering your impressions of QB Tua Tagovailoa having played through some obvious discomfort and pain and whatnot. How do you think he handled himself playing through the finger injury?) – “I think he’s always been like that. He knows how to win games, like I’ve said before. I think Tua, he prepares the right way. He’s always done that. He’s always understood everything. He knows how to communicate to us too so that’s really big. For him to come in off of a short injury from Jacoby (Brissett) or whatever, hats off to him. He did a good job.”
(There were times last year where I recall when QB Ryan Fitzpatrick would come in and players would talk about the jolt of energy when he came in. What was it like when QB Tua Tagovailoa came in the other night?) – “I guess ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) would bring in himself and ‘Fitz’ was ‘Fitz.’ Tua is Tua. Tua comes in and he’s confident. He looks you in the eye and he gives you the play with confidence. He doesn’t stutter. He doesn’t tell you ‘Hey, I need you to hold up,’ or something. He comes in with confidence and he shows the confidence to his players. Hats off to him. He’s done a good job of doing that all year.”
Isaiah Ford – November 15, 2021
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Monday, November 15, 2021
WR Isaiah Ford
(It was good to see all your hard work and resilience pay off on Thursday. Does anyone ever mention to you jokingly about having nine lives here? Are those words that have ever come into your mind with your Dolphins career – nine lives?) – “(laughter) Yeah, I’ve heard that a few times. I’ve also heard the ex-girlfriend that keeps coming back. I’ve heard that one too. (laughter) I think it’s a testament to the way that I carry myself and the way that I work when I’m on the field, in the classroom and around here.”
(I know you were traded, released, came back and I’m sure that at times it has been tough for you, but in terms of legitimately getting settled, what does that look like when you can’t really invest in a spot because you know you might be going somewhere else? What has that been like for you?) – “I’ve been here for the better part of the last five years. I’m here in the offseason too, so this is pretty much my home.”
(What was the backstory to the long passing play in the last game?) – “Yeah, so it was a busted coverage. I think it was a miscommunication on their part. I slipped the guy outside and I’m running down the sideline. That’s usually one of those plays that we’ll see but maybe Jacoby (Brissett) or Tua (Tagovailoa) haven’t had enough time to see it or make the play and that’s something you watch with the other guys like ‘dang, I wish we could have hit that.’ You see the other guys hitting busted coverages and stuff like that. Jacoby got flushed outside, he happened to see me, threw a great ball and I made a play. I wish could have made the guy miss a little earlier and gotten into the end zone, but it was a good play.”
(Gave him a little shimmy shake, right?) – “Yeah, a little bit. (laughter)”
(Did you think you were going to retire this at some point or were you waiting for the right moment?) – “I was just waiting on the right moment, the right play. It’s all a feel thing. I even joke with my girlfriend and my mom about not being able to do it on the spot. It’s like, ‘How you do that?’ I’m like ‘Man, I got to be in the moment to do it, you know?’ It’s just my thing.”
(How much work needs to be done behind the scenes for you to stay ready when it’s your time?) – “A ton. I think the biggest thing is mentally. Mentally, you have to prepare as if you are going to play 80 snaps even though you might only play one or two, or you might not play any. But you have to continue to prepare as if you’re going to be the guy because you never know when that opportunity is going to come. When it does come, you want to be as ready as you possibly can. I think mentally is the biggest challenge, and it’s not easy but it’s something that I have a really good support staff around me, I have really good mentors that I talk to on a daily basis to kind of keep me taking the baby steps and stacking those little victories and keep putting on foot forward.”
(How did QB Tua Tagovailoa look to you today?) – “He looked like Tua. He looked good. He looked like he had no problems or anything like that. He looked good.”
(Taking into account QB Tua Tagovailoa’s entire season, from the first game through Week 10, what has impressed you most about those 10 weeks?) – “Him just being himself. I think that he’s still his natural self in terms of off the field, being a goofy guy, having fun, enjoying being here and enjoying the game of football. Then you see the confidence that’s growing the more reps he gets. It’s what – has he played 16 games yet? Or maybe right around there? So he’s still getting confidence and he’s still learning as he’s going, but you can see the confidence and the belief in his arm and in the throws that things are starting to slow down for him.”
(I know it’s been three months since August 24th when you were released after training camp and the second preseason game. Do you remember if Head Coach Brian Flores or General Manager Chris Grier said to you then, ‘You know about our relationship, you’ll probably be back?’ Did one of those two guys say something like that to you?) – “I think it was mentioned in our conversation.”
(By General Manager Chris Grier or Head Coach Brian Flores?) – “I don’t remember exactly who it was but I do remember it being mentioned and it being a possibility. I always wanted to re-focus and see where it went. I was fortunate that they wanted me to come back and thought I could help the team out.”
(Was there ever a time that you departed from here and were convinced I’m probably never coming back?) – “I don’t know. Even with me being traded last year, I remember having the exit meetings with ‘Coach Flo’ (Brian Flores) and (Chris) Grier and them saying, ‘You never know, we may cross paths again.’ I didn’t know it would be later that season but I think it’s a testament to my parents who instilled those characteristics in me. I think that if you leave a good impression, a lasting impression, that you can cross paths again and you never burn those bridges. I’m thankful for that.”
(You would seem to be the kind of selfless, smart guy who would be helpful to have around very young receivers like WR Jaylen Waddle, who’s third in the NFL in catches. Where do you think this guy is headed compared to where he is? Where do you think he can go?) – “The sky is the limit for Jaylen. He’s still learning. Some of the things that he’s seeing for the first time and he’s so naturally gifted at some of the things that he just does it without really kind of explaining it or knowing why he did it, but it’s the right thing to do. The more he understands coverages, finding those soft spots in zones and understanding and getting comfortable because this is his first year in this system as well. The sky is the limit for him.”
(What is it that you like living in Miami that you call this home even if you’re not in-season?) – “I think the weather is the big thing, right? Sunshine year round with the occasional rain. You can’t beat it. I grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, which is four-and-a-half hours from here. I’ve been a Florida kid at heart. I’ve been in Florida pretty much my entire life.”
(You had 84 yards receiving the other night. You had one game where you surpassed that earlier in your career. Do you remember that game?) – “(laughter) Yeah, I do.”
(Do you remember who it was against? What do you remember from that day?) – “I just remember coming in for Allen Hurns, getting a catch early in the drive. DeVante goes down with a concussion. Albert (Wilson) goes down later that drive and the next thing you know I’m in for the rest of the game. It was just that fast and it’s one of those things where if I hadn’t prepared that week, I wouldn’t have been able to play as well or even be able to function out there at all in that game. That game was pretty much the epitome of my career. Staying ready so you don’t have to get ready. Being ready for that moment and when it comes, try to make the most of the opportunity.”
Emmanuel Ogbah – November 15, 2021
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Monday, November 15, 2021
DE Emmanuel Ogbah
(You’ve had pressures all year – you personally and the team were in the upper half of the league in pressures. It’s finally turning into sacks these last two weeks. At least four in the last two weeks. What has been the big change you where the group has gotten the quarterback down more often?) – “I wouldn’t say it’s a real big change. We just have to keep going. It’s the same approach we take every game – affect the passer whichever way we can. We just kept on doing what we’ve been doing and we’re finally getting home.”
(I know that Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer, Head Coach Brian Flores and Defensive Line Coach Austin Clark have all said the goal is to disrupt the quarterback more than sacks per se. But I’m curious, from a human standpoint, being in a contract year, do you think teams consider pressures or do you think you need high sack numbers to get the type of contract that any pass rusher of your quality would like to get?) – “I would say sacks are the flashy numbers but as long as you affect the quarterback whichever way you can and stop them from making a play with batted balls, pressures, hits. As long as you’re throwing them off the spot, you’re doing your job. That’s what I would say.”
(I believe you have a streak of going of five games with a pass defensed. Is that something that you’re making a point of emphasis or just they came along and you made the plays? What’s going on there?) – “I would say for sure practice and also I would say instincts, too. If you know you can’t get there and you know the ball is coming out hot, all you have to do is just put your hands up and hopefully you bat the ball down.”
(You made it sound so easy.) – “(laughter) I wouldn’t say it’s easy. Practice starts with practice. But if you know you can’t get there fast enough and the quarterback is throwing the ball in less than two seconds, the best thing you can do is put your hands up and affect him.”
(I read a statistic that said S Jevon Holland had 21 blitzes in the last game, which hasn’t been done in five years or something by a defensive back. How does all those blitzes help the team?) – “It does. It goes by gameplan. He’s doing a good job for us blitzing. It’s all 11 men on the field. Either you’re blitzing or you’re dropping in coverage. Just whatever you do, affect the quarterback. He’s doing a phenomenal job for us blitzing like he is doing.”
(Sometimes it’s a sight to see when a corner or a safety blitzes and they come in clean and they just smash the quarterback. You never get that option. What’s that like for you?) – “(laughter) I think my presence is more – they feel like I’m bigger. They don’t really see the DBs coming so that’s why it’s always a clean shot with them. Like I said, I like when they’re doing it. It feels good. I like when they hit the quarterback. It makes my job easier. Now he’s worrying about that and won’t see me coming.”
(Don’t you ever say to yourself, just one time let me…) – “Don’t see me coming? (laughter) It’s a team game. If he gets it, I’m happy for him. If another person gets it, I’m happy too. It’s making a play for us.”
(I know the gameplan won’t be the same every week and you won’t blitz as often as you did, every single week. But is a gameplan like that fun as a defensive lineman to know how many are going to be rushing, and that it’s going to happen a lot with a lot of guys rushing?) – “It throws the offensive line off. They don’t know who to block. They might block me one play and then somebody else is coming free. They might block another person and I’m coming free. They don’t know who to block so it throws them off the spot and makes our job easier, I would say.”
(When you get to the line of scrimmage, sometimes there’s three players on the line, sometimes four, sometimes seven or eight. Do you very quickly know how many guys are going to be around you or does sometimes more guys just start appearing?) – “It’s practice. I know who is coming and I know who is not coming. When we line up, I know who is coming but they don’t know who is coming.”
(Do you look at the standings at all? You’ve won two games and see how you’re coming back into the rhythm. Do you think maybe if you get this game and next game, you’re back in it? How do you manage that?) – “I just look at the next game. I take the game one game at a time. Like I said before, it’s a process. We weren’t getting the wins but we were always in there. I felt like we were getting better. A lot of people didn’t say we were getting better but I felt like we were getting better and it’s finally turning around so I’m grateful for that.”
(You guys have had 10 straight game weeks and now you had a mini-bye. Did guys come back fully refreshed, do you think?) – “Oh yeah, definitely. Any time you get three days off, it’s always a blessing. I feel like a lot of the guys feel good. They feel good, I feel good and we’re ready to get after the Jets this week.”
(Have you always had that mentality of day-by-day or is it something that Head Coach Brian Flores has instilled in you and your teammates?) – “I mean I’ve always had that, that mindset of just taking one day at a time and don’t think about the past too much. Just keep it moving. Also, Coach Flores harps on that every day at practice and in the meetings, too. Just keep it going, one step at a time. You never know when this thing could turn.”
(One of my favorite photos is DE Cameron Wake and DT Ndamukong Suh coming together to crush a Jets quarterback. Is that photo still in one of the rooms? Have you seen it?) – “No. I know the play you’re talking about but I haven’t seen any pictures of it here. I haven’t noticed it.”
(Do you have an extremely memorable collision? What’s your all-time favorite two dudes meet at the quarterback?) – “I’d say that has to be up there with Cam Wake and Ndamukong Suh. It’s for sure up there.”
