Liam Eichenberg – October 4, 2021
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Monday, October 4, 2021
T Liam Eichenberg
(You’ve obviously been a total team guy in terms of playing three different spots this year and learning all of them. I’m curious, has Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre or Co-Offensive Coordinator/TEs George Godsey or anybody ever asked you this year where do you think you will be best? Is that a question that you have even been asked?) – “I kind of just assumed after being drafted that I was coming in to play right tackle. But no, at the end of the day, it’s wherever the team wants me, wherever they need me. I’m just trying to improve every single week. Like you said, I have played a couple different positions. Hopefully I am able to stay at right tackle, which I think is the case. I haven’t heard anything new. I’m looking forward to this week practicing, and improving on the little things that I have made mistakes on.”
(Do you think right tackle could ultimately be your best NFL position? As a guy who went two and a half years playing left tackle without allowing a sack, is it clear to your mind which is your better NFL position?) – “I think right tackle will be great for me. Like I said before, I need those reps, I need practice and I’m looking forward to that – something I can work on and improve on.”
(I know you’re settling in at right tackle now, but how much work do you actually get on the opposite side at left tackle?) – “I do some work after practice, just making sure my movement pattern is still there. At the end of the day, it goes back to wherever they want me to play. Like I said, these past two weeks I’ve just been playing right tackle, so I have kind of shifted into that mindset.”
(How did Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre say you graded out yesterday and were there encouraging signs of the review of the tape for you personally?) – “We watched the film. It just kind of goes back to the little things. For me, it’s about not leaning and staying square when I set. I think that will improve as time goes by and I get more and more reps. For me, like I said, I’m really looking forward to practice. It’s frustrating because I know I can do it and it’s tough letting the team down, to say the least. I’m looking forward to getting back at it, improving and helping this team win.”
(When you say right tackle might be your best spot for you, are you saying that because you feel your NFL skillset is best for right tackle or is it because you don’t want to step on T Austin Jackson’s toes knowing he was drafted to be the left tackle?) – “I think Austin is a better left tackle than I would be, if I’m being honest with you. Just like myself, we each have things we need to work on from a technique standpoint and a fundamentals standpoint. But for my mindset, I think that I have been a right tackle for a couple weeks and I personally have seen improvement in my movement and how I punch and just also from a run-blocking and pass-blocking standpoint. I think it’ll be my best position.”
(Fundamentally, you talked about some technical stuff. Where do you feel like you’ve gained the most in terms of knowledge and understanding switching sides?) – “I would say switching from the left to the right, I think personally I feel like as reps go on, I will have a better ability to keep my balance on the right side than on the left compared to in college. I think I leaned a lot more in college on the left side. On the right side, I think I have a better ability to stand my ground and be balanced. From a fundamental standpoint, I think I need to keep my head up when I punch. Those are kind of the biggest things. Also, get used to throwing the hands more.”
(What do you think has been the issue with the run game?) – “My personal run game, I need to work on not false-stepping. I need to work on gaining ground and helping the guard out. Like I said, it goes back to fundamentals and technique. For us as an offensive line, we need to focus on those details.”
Malcolm Brown – October 4, 2021
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Monday, October 4, 2021
RB Malcolm Brown
(Not to start on a negative note, but this team right now is 28th in rushing yards per game. What needs to change in order for you guys to start making plays?) – “I think it’s a collective (thing). We just need to do a lot of things better. Meeting better, preparing better, practicing better. Anything you can think of, we just need to do it better. I think it’s no secret that we need to get better at a lot of things. We just have to own that and keep it moving forward.”
(I saw a stat this morning that said you were facing eight-man boxes on 52 percent of your snaps. I’m just curious, when you watch film or in the middle of the game, is that something that you notice and if so, do you feel that that’s an opportunity for the offense to take advantage of that and hit some play-action against defenses?) – “Oh yeah, sure. I believe what you are saying is pretty true, but at the same time we still have to establish that run game and make sure that we are doing that, practicing that. Whatever adjustments we need to make, I think in this league, you have to be able to establish a little bit of a run game. We have some great players on the outside, tight ends and receivers, that can make some really good plays. If we have teams respecting our run game and being able to open up things for them, you’ve still got to run the ball and make those types of plays. I think you’ve got to have teams respecting you in the run game and try to be as successful with that as possible.”
(I noticed that you started a couple of games here, what does that mean to you that the staff has, I know that more than one guy gets to play, but what does that mean to you to be selected as the starter at this time?) – “Personally, it’s definitely special to me. Being in this league for so long, definitely not really being able to get that. I think I had two maybe two starts or so throughout my entire career. If I’m being honest, they weren’t really meaningful before this year. Personally, it’s something definitely special. I’ve been working for a long time and for these coaches to be able to trust me like that and put me in right then and there is definitely an honor. Starting doesn’t really match to taking a loss or anything like that. I think I’m more so worried about being able to contribute to this offense and contribute to this team to be able to put some W’s on the board.”
(When you think about what Co-Offensive Coordinator/TEs George Godsey, Co-Offensive Coordinator/RBs Eric Studesville and Head Coach Brian Flores would like to see accomplished on offense, what is your opinion of the identity they would all like to see developed on offense?) – “I think we just want a tough, physical team. That’s everybody. To be able to start fast, be physical, establish the run game, be able to use our weapons that we do have. Like I said earlier, we have a lot of great guys on the edges as far as tight ends and receivers to be able to establish something very early, establish a presence very early. That’s really it. To be physical, play fast, knowing our assignments, smart players as well, being able to make adjustments on the fly as well and just being able to execute at a high level at all times consistently. Consistent is the biggest word in that, just being able to do all those things that I just named but being able to do it on a consistent basis.”
Jaelan Phillips – October 4, 2021
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Monday, October 4, 2021
LB Jaelan Phillips
(I wanted to ask about yesterday’s game and getting your first sack or half-sack and having some success rushing the passer. As the game goes on, are you able to kind of tell in your mind that this is starting to click? What do you think clicked for you yesterday?) – “I’d say that I’m just starting to get more comfortable just in terms of within the game, being able to work different moves, being able to just consistently get off the ball and consistently try to create pressure. I feel like just getting in the game flow and seeing what’s working, seeing what’s not, I’m starting to just kind of understand what I need to be doing to be, like I said, creating pressure.”
(Four games into your rookie season, what is something that you maybe want to improve on? Obviously we’ve talked a lot about how you’ve been developing. You’re trying to get to the point where things are slowing down but what do you want to work on going forward?) – “You can always work on your consistency. So for me, just being able to bring that day in and day out in practice, in games, and just to be able to continue to improve on my mechanics, my fundamentals. Just everything like that. Then just whenever my name is called and whenever I get those opportunities, to be able to come through and deliver for the team.”
(I noticed you spent a lot of time closing on the quarterback, real close to the quarterback. I’m wondering, can you just describe what that feels like when you’re having some success and you’re getting in the backfield? What does it feel like to be closing in on the quarterback?) – “It’s like getting a taste of something a sweet. Like if you eat a bite of a cookie, you’re not about to stop eating the cookie. (laughter) Honestly, it feels like when you’re getting pressure and stuff like that, it makes you want to do more. It makes you want to get to the quarterback. It makes you want to get a strip sack, just to continue to create havoc and have an impact on the game.”
(I wanted to ask, I know it looked like on one play I think to open up the second half, it looked like you may have got caught inside on that outside run. What did you see on that play and what’s something that’s maybe a teaching point later on for a play like that?) – “Yeah, that was just a communication thing. I just need to make sure that I’m in the right spot, right where I need to be, and that I’m communicating with my teammates to make sure that what we’re doing is cohesive because you lose together and you win together. I definitely take responsibility for that and I just got to get my alignments and make sure I’m on point.”
(A quick follow up, on the facemask penalty, it looked like you got like the shoulder area. Did you get any explanation for that? Because obviously that was a big third-down penalty for you guys.) – “Yeah, frankly I can’t do anything about what the refs want to call. All I can do moving forward is just make it so that there’s no gray area. Be able to win cleaner on my rush so I don’t have to be grabbing his shoulder and I can just wrap him up properly. So yeah, I don’t really have anything to say about that.”
(In six days from now, you’re going to be going up against QB Tom Brady. I wanted to know what that was like for a rookie player.) – “Yeah, Tom has been in the league 21 years? And I’m 22 years old this year. It’s pretty crazy obviously to have the opportunity to play against somebody I’ve been growing up my whole life watching. I can remember all of the Super Bowl parties at the house when I’m eight years old or 10 years old, watching him dominate. But to be honest, coming into the game, I’m not about to be starstruck. You can’t really focus on ‘Oh my gosh, this is Tom Brady.’ Or ‘this is Leonard Fournette.’ Everybody is nameless and faceless, so you’ve got to prepare for everybody just like they’re anybody else. At the end of the day, our execution is what matters so we’ve just got to go out there and execute. I’ve got to go out there and execute. It will be fun, no doubt.”
(Do you have to do anything to prevent yourself from being starstruck? Given the magnitude of the player?) – “Listen, I’ve been around enough – NFL players and enough celebrities and stuff – that I don’t really get starstruck anymore. You’ve just got to go out there and play.”
(So who is the biggest celebrity you’ve been around?) – “Biggest celebrity I’ve been around? (laughter) Who knows, I can’t even tell you off the top of my head. (laughter)”
(Throw out a name for us.) – “Like I’ve said, I’ve been in Miami for two years. I’ve met Trey Songz at an event. That was cool. (laughter)”
Brian Flores – October 4, 2021
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Monday, October 4, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(You said postgame yesterday that the team has to look at everything and you didn’t rule out possibly making major changes, Now that you’ve had 24 hours to decompress from the loss, have you decided on potentially making a big change on offense or is the plan more so get by this week and see if QB Tua Tagovailoa’s return later could help matters?) – “I think we are still evaluating everything – offense, defense, special teams, our operation, the way we practice. It’s got to be better. We’ve got to do basically everything better. We are still evaluating some things. I don’t expect any wholesale changes, if that’s what you’re asking. We are still going through the evaluation process, making the corrections from yesterday, making those today. But don’t expect any wholesale changes.”
(Did you give any thought last night or have you this morning to changing who calls the plays whether it is Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey or Quarterbacks Coach Charlie Frye or another person who’s doing it?) – “No. I like the system we have in place. Obviously we haven’t had the success we want or the production that we are looking for. I like our process during the week. I like our preparation. I think we’ve had some good plans going in, we just haven’t been able to execute and we are not getting the results we want. I think from that standpoint, I think the collaboration and the preparation, it’s not like I’ve gone into a gameplan saying, ‘I don’t like what we’re doing.’ We just haven’t been able to execute.”
(Do WR William Fuller V and CB Byron Jones look like multi-week injuries? I know NFL Network just said Fuller has a broken finger.) – “Fuller is going to be out at least this week. Again, still running some tests to see how quickly he can get back or get some more opinions on how quickly he can get back. But he’s definitely out this week. Byron is more of a day-to-day (thing). We’ll see how that goes and see if he’s able to practice on Wednesday.”
(Does Quarterbacks Coach Charlie Frye have the final say in play-calling?) – “I feel like we hit this every week. Charlie gets the call and gives it to the quarterback. We do that so he can give his last ‘watch this, watch that,’ on the play. Again, there’s collaboration. He gets the call and gives it to the quarterback.”
(I know we are watching the offensive line, all of them closely, but T Austin Jackson seems like he’s been struggling all season and it pretty much carries over from training camp. Is there any thought to what can be done to address this and any though to possibly moving him inside to left guard?) – “I think we are evaluating everything. We are evaluating what we are seeing on the offensive line, the defensive line and really across the board. We are going to take a hard look at really everything we are doing, to include the offensive line. We made changes really – we’ve had to make changes due to injury or performance this year and we will continue to evaluate it and if we feel like we need to make a change, we will.”
(Most of your guys, they take that second-year jump progression or at least that has been the case. What is going on in your evaluation with the second-year offensive linemen?) – “I think these guys, they work hard and it’s important to them. I think they are doing everything they can to improve and get better. I’ve seen improvement from each guy. I have. There’s some instances where we’re not getting the consistency that we are looking for but I have definitely seen improvement from each guy. I think what we’re talking about is consistency from the players you’re talking about on the offensive line, whether it’s Solomon (Kindley), whether it’s Austin (Jackson), whether it’s Rob Hunt. That’s something that we are still building towards. We are still developing players but we need that consistency and that’s something that we harp on and we talk about really on a daily basis. We need that. We need it in-game and we need it sooner than later.”
(When you like what’s going on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. And presumably if you do, then the players feel like it’s going well as well. And it doesn’t translate to Sunday a couple weeks in a row, how dangerous of a time is this if players aren’t giving the return on investment that they think they deserve from good work on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday?) – “To answer that question, I think the return on the investment, I guess that’s what you’re asking?”
(Yes sir.) – “To me, I think it’s a lot of plays that we make in practice that we are not making in the game. We are not holding in practice, we’re not dropping balls in practice, we’re not jumping offsides. And those plays that really are the result of a lack of concentration, lack of focus – those are the ones that we’re struggling with right now. I think if we did a better job with those, we would string together more drives, I think we would end more drives defensively and I think we would get better plays out of the kicking game. I like the way we are preparing. It’s not translating, I would say, not because the gameplan is bad. I think we are not executing.”
(I wanted to check on WR Jakeem Grant and DT Raekwon Davis. On Jakeem, where is he in terms of – is he the clear top returner still at this time? And also an update on Raekwon if you could.) – “I think we are still evaluating all positions, to include the returner position. Obviously Jakeem struggled a bit yesterday. He’s been very productive for a number of years but struggled a bit yesterday. We’ll take a look at that position, like we will for all positions, and do what we feel is best for the team. As far as Raekwon, he’s making a lot of progress and we’re hopeful to see him this week.”
(I wanted to ask about LB Jaelan Phillips. We’ve seen him be able to stack performances. Last week he got the most playing time to date. He didn’t get as many snaps yesterday, but we did see him make an impact. Where have you seen him grow and improve the most from training camp up to now?) – “I think he’s playing with a lot more confidence over the last couple of weeks. I think that’s the big piece here. He’s playing fast, he’s being aggressive. It’s not perfect, but he’s definitely playing with more confidence. He’s playing better.”
(I wanted to revisit the thing we’ve seen the past couple of weeks of the offense being able to move the ball very late in games, but not up until that point. What did the film tell you in that regard as you watched it from this past game? Specifically, were there many occasions where you saw receivers open downfield that QB Jacoby Brissett just didn’t take a shot? You mentioned postgame that there were some plays that you checked out of that were designed to take shots downfield. Do you have to do something as drastic as take away audibles in order to get those plays going?) – “After the game, we just talked about there were some shot plays that got checked down, not audibled. There were definitely some missed opportunities on some downfield shots. We’ve got to take advantage of them, that’s really what it boils down to. We had a couple of guys open. We missed those opportunities. We’ve got to execute better. That means getting the protection and getting the ball downfield when the opportunity presents itself. I don’t think we should force the ball down the field. I think if we need to check it down, we should because that’s the right play. Right now, we’re pushing it down the field late in the game because we have to, because we have to force it to get back into the game. We’re having some success there and we need to do a better job earlier in the game of finding ways to create explosive plays. And if the opportunities present themselves, we’ve got to try to take advantage of them, which we have not done. We’ll continue to coach it and create situations where we can do that.”
(One of the hallmarks of your teams so far in Miami is they’ve been very disciplined and they don’t beat themselves. So after every game, you’ve somewhat been saying lately that you put it on yourself, you have to coach them better. Is there something that you’re doing differently this year, do you think, upon evaluation, that you weren’t doing before that might be leading to this?) – “You’re right, we’re not playing disciplined football. I think we’re undisciplined. We’re inconsistent right now. I would say we’re putting as much emphasis as we have in the past on playing smart, disciplined football, trying to play penalty free and we’re just not getting that. We’ve got to do a better job because it’s costing us chunk plays offensively, like it did on the first drive, or extending drives defensively because we’re getting penalties on third down. It’s cost us in the kicking game as well. The emphasis is always there. It always will be there. But again, just because something was some way last year doesn’t mean it’s going to be that way this year. Every year is different. The coaching points are the same, the emphasis is the same but the execution is not. We’ll continue to work on playing more disciplined and playing more consistent football.”
(Is that something you can draw on though? In the past, you were able to do it versus now, it’s a difficulty. Is it something where you can look back and go, “Ok, these were my notes last year where it was working, and now I see I’m doing X different or Y different,” or whatever specific factor it might be?) – “Yeah. I’ve personally gone through that and I’ll continue to place an emphasis on it. I would say if you’re asking if I’m doing the exact same thing I’m doing last year, the answer is yes. But look, every year is different. Every team is different and I’ve got to find a different way of coaching it so that we’re better in that area.”
(Can you touch on that, in terms of the difference? I think we take it for granted that you’re supposed to pick up right where you left off, even though it’s a new roster, a new schedule, new elements. Then also, can we get an update on QB Tua Tagovailoa and his status? There’s a report that he’s going to be healthy and back for the Jacksonville game and we have not had you address that.) – “Tua is doing – I mean he’s working to get back as soon as he can. He’s starting to throw a little bit. We’re just taking this one day at a time. I would say – look, he’s getting better every day. I forgot the first part of your question.”
(Do we take it for granted that you can’t just pick up where you left off in 2020 with a new roster and new team and new players?) – “I try not to take it for granted. Actually, I don’t take it for granted. Every year is different. Every year has been different. Every year I’ve been in this league, every team is different. There’s always different players on your team. Every year you’re trying to just find the right formula or put the right pieces together on each team every year, and try to make them fit in a way that allows you to play good football. That’s every year. Every year is a little bit different.”
(I was looking at WR Jaylen Waddle’s production splits by quarter and his catches and yards go down by each quarter. I’m wondering if it’s an emphasis to get it to him early and if so, what has prevented that emphasis from continuing throughout all four quarters?) – “I think that speaks to our entire team. We’ve gotten off to some good starts and we haven’t been able to sustain it. That’s something we’ve talked about for the last three weeks. We’ll continue to talk about it. We’ve got to be more consistent. We’ve got to sustain drives really throughout better. We’ve got to get off the field better. I think those stats kind of speak to that.”
Eric Rowe – October 3, 2021 (Postgame)
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Sunday, October 3, 2021
Postgame – Indianapolis
Safety Eric Rowe (transcribed by ASAP Sports)
(You seemed frustrated at the end of the game on that last touchdown. Was that directed at yourself? Did you feel like there was no call of a penalty or something? What was your reaction there?) – “It was at myself. Just I had good coverage. I didn’t make the play and that’s one thing that we’ve been preaching on all week is these 50-50 balls and we’re not coming down with them, and that was one of our key points going in the game. I was just frustrated that I didn’t come down with it.”
(How would you describe the atmosphere in there after the game?) – “The atmosphere – everyone is frustrated at ourselves because we know we’re a better team. We’re making just mistakes that you can’t make to win a game in this league, so, the atmosphere is — it’s not — no one has their head down, but, we all need — we all know what needs to happen.”
(You were fortunate enough to have been here for the 2019 season. You saw last year’s 10-win season. You saw the turn-around in the 2019 season. What is missing in this team?) – “Right now we’re making mistakes. Like I just said, we’re making mistakes that you can’t make. Penalties, stuff that we can control that if you make just enough, it’s really tough to win. It’s already tough enough to win a game in this league. When you are making just costly penalties and maybe substitution errors, little stuff like that, it just makes it that much harder to win, and right now that’s just — we just need to get cleaned up.”
(How do you eliminate those things? What’s the process to make sure that doesn’t happen?) – “It’s just a mentality thing. Obviously it starts in practice, starts during the week. Really it’s not even a talent thing. It’s everyone getting their mind right for it.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores has been here, the Dolphins it has been one of the least penalized teams. Today Head Coach Brian Flores mentioned penalties, some of the other guys, so did you. What’s been the difference this season with penalties being such an issue?) – “It’s just like I just said, it’s just a mentality thing. We all just need to just tighten up and just kind of get those mistakes out the way. It’s nothing with talent. It’s nothing with coaching. It’s nothing with scheme. It’s nothing with the other team. It’s just us and our mindset that we just need to get it right.”
(When you said that winning the 50-50 balls is a point of emphasis, was that for the defense specifically this week, or is that a team thing?) – “I mean, obviously, you want to win them on offense too, right? But specifically for defense, our kind of – one of our downfalls right now is we’re not winning the 50-50 balls. They’re throwing it deep on us and we’re right there in coverage and we’re just not coming down with them. That was just a key emphasis. That’s why I was just so frustrated.”
(How big of a challenge is facing this team right now given all you have to fix and the fact that next Sunday you’ll be in Tampa and you are playing the Buccaneers?) – “It doesn’t matter who we’re playing. It doesn’t matter because in the NFL it’s already tough to win. Every team is good, and then when you are playing – when we’re making mistakes like that, we’re just making it 100 times harder on ourselves, so, you know, it can be the Bucs, it can be, I don’t know, the Giants. It doesn’t matter. We just need to kind of fix ourselves first.”
Christian Wilkins – October 3, 2021 (Postgame)
Sunday, October 3, 2021
Postgame – Indianapolis
DT Christian Wilkins (transcribed by ASAP Sports)
(What’s the feel like? Describe the emotion in the locker room right now.) – “I would just say we’re all disappointed because we worked so hard. We’re a tight team. We all like each other. We’ve been building since the offseason. We know we’ve got a good group so it’s just a little disappointing because we know we’re better than what we have been proving and doing. So, I mean that’s not to say – it doesn’t mean we haven’t always played well enough to win but we’re not getting the results we want. So, we just have to figure out some things and then go from there.”
(What needs to change?) – “Biggest thing is through all this, through the ups, through the downs, it’s a long season, we’ve just got to stay together. That’s just what it’s going to need to be. You know, when things are tough, when we’re losing, stay together. When we’re winning or kicking butt, stay together. That’s just the biggest thing. Like I said earlier, we got a lot of guys who are talented and a lot of guys who care about each other and care about this team and want to do well for our city, for each other, for our family. Like we got guys who care so we just got to figure some things out.”
(You guys talked a lot about last week about everybody being disciplined from a defensive standpoint. Did you feel like you guys got that across today?) – “I don’t really know. I just know we were out there competing. We were fighting hard. You know, you got to look at the tape to truly understand and see what went wrong or what went well, what didn’t work or whatever, so I truly can’t answer that. But I just know like I said, like I keep saying, we’ve got a lot of the guys who care and are willing to compete and willing to fight. Got to go back through the film for that.”
Emmanuel Ogbah – October 3, 2021 (Postgame)
Sunday, October 3, 2021
Postgame – Indianapolis
DE Emmanuel Ogbah (Transcribed by ASAP Sports)
Q: As a defensive line, how much onus do you take this upon yourselves to provide that pressure so you can get help on the back end so that they can make some plays because you guys looked lost back there? – “As a defensive line, we have to do a better job of stopping that run. The run killed us today. We just got to play better complementary football, all phases. We just have to go back and watch film, see what we messed up on, and just bring it all out next week.”
Q: Is it communication? What do you think is the piece that’s missing? – “I don’t know. We have to go back and watch film and see what we were lacking out there.”
Q: Do you feel like you got appropriate pressure on QB Carson Wentz considering he had a couple sprained ankles entering the game? – “We had decent pressure; we got to do better as a defense rushing him. Like I said, we have to watch film and see where we messed up on. We definitely left some money out there on the table so we just got to do a better job rushing.”
Q: Is this a reminder there’s no such thing as a “get right game?” On paper, the Colts come in with injuries to G Quenton Nelson, there’s a quarterback and some more? – “The Colts are a good team. On paper they might have been 0-3, but they were close in every game they played this year. Like I said, we got to be prepared better, play good complimentary football in all phases.”
Q: Is it frustrating as a defense if the offense deep into games only has three points and is not producing? Does it put a lot of pressure on you guys to get stops? – “It’s a team sport. When the offense is down, we have to pick them up. When the defense is down they have to pick us up. Special teams down, we have to pick them up, too. Just got to play good complimentary football. That’s it.
Q: With LB Jaelan Phillips and his progression in getting DT Raekwon Davis back in a couple of weeks, how do you see the future of the defensive line this season? – “We got to take it one game at a time. That starts with practice. We got to keep getting better at practice, do better an practice and do better in the game.”
Jacoby Brissett – October 3, 2021 (Postgame)
Sunday, October 3, 2021
Postgame – Indianapolis
QB Jacoby Brissett (transcribed by ASAP Sports)
(Jacoby, how do you explain the struggles in the first three and a half quarters and then the last two drives were different?) – “It for sure is frustrating, and it’s all on us, and we’re putting our defense in bad situations and things of that nature. Yeah, it’s frustrating, you know, and we just have to find a way to stop the bleeding and focus and concentrate and really just start to take it one play at a time and repeat that cycle over and over again.”
(Is there anything in particular that seems to be killing the drive for you guys?) – “It’s really us. It’s really us. It’s our execution in those critical moments. And all of us being on the sage page at once. At times we are on the same page, and we execute, and there are times that we’re not and we get put behind the 8-ball and things like that. We just got to find a way to really zero in on our task, and it starts from play one of the game. We can’t wait until those minutes at the end of the game to really start going.”
(Jacoby, it’s easy for us in the box and the fans at home to say why aren’t they pushing the ball down field, but from your perspective – we heard Brian Flores say there are opportunities to do so in the game, but from your perspective, what keeps you from trying to push the ball down the field?) – “There are definitely opportunities. Sometimes when we call them, they really just push back and they forced us to throw the ball underneath. I think towards — we started to find ways or tried to, but it will come. Whenever they come, they’ll start coming in bunches because we have the guys to push the ball down the field.”
(Those two touchdowns. Sorry, those two touchdown drives at the end of the game, DeVante Parker had a huge role. Does that give you, you know, what does that do for your chemistry with him moving forward?) – “Just from last week, last week when we got in those situations, I overthrew him a couple of times, and then this week we hit him because we got that experience, we get to talk about it, we get to practice it and then we come out and then he has, like you said, a big role, and he makes big catches.”
(Jacoby, to that end, for both Parker and Gesicki it seems like they’re getting more involved third quarter, fourth quarter, and are teams trying to take those two guys out?) – “At points, yeah. They know when certain spots that we like to target these guys. But it doesn’t matter, they’re still good players. We just got to find a way to get these guys the ball more often. Got to do a better job of that, and keep getting better.”
(Jacoby, how are you doing and have you had a chance, are you getting a chance now with the two games you start and lose and obviously the Buffalo game you played most of the game. How disappointing is that? How will you take that looking back, now going forward?) – “Obviously, it’s frustrating. You never want to go out in a game and lose. Nobody goes out and says, hey, I’m okay if we lose. You just keep building and you keep finding ways to get better. The DeVante Parker situation, for example. The week before, we don’t hit it, and this week we hit a couple. You keep finding those things to push forward and keep getting better at, and then once they start all forming together, piece by piece at a time, then you have something.”
(Jacoby, what was going through your mind when the ball came out on that fumble play?) – “I was trying not to get sacked and trying to get the ball out, and Grover just got me at the right time.”
(Jacoby, late in the second quarter, the Colts had the ball on fourth and one, and they went for it from their own 27, willing to risk giving you guys the ball on their 27. Did you take note of that? Was that sort of a personal affront?) – “For sure. Definitely. And yeah, I mean, it’s Frank (Reich)’s MO. He is not scared to do it. Definitely as an offense you say, hey, it’s borderline disrespectful, honestly, because they think they can stop you and not get a touchdown. Yeah, I mean, it’s part of the game.”
(Is there a simple answer for what is wrong with the running game?) – “No, it’s never simple. But it’s never that complicated. You’ve just got to keep finding ways to do what we’re good at in the run game, and I think we are getting better. When we start to hit some of our downhill runs, we pop a couple. Yeah, I think we’re getting better in the run game. We just got to get better at everything, you know?”
(Jacoby, how do you find consistency as an offense especially starting next week?) – “I think ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) did a good job of just telling us to look in the mirror and that’s where it’s going to start because it’s going to start from within, and that’s where it always starts, and then you go out there in practice and show why you are going to line up and going to dust it off, put the pads on — back on and get ready to go back to work. Thank you.”
