Justin Coleman – November 29, 2021
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Monday, November 29, 2021
CB Justin Coleman
(Can you take us through the play? What do you see? Did you see LB Duke Riley block it and then there is a bunch of bodies and somehow you end up with the ball and end up in the end zone. Could you take us through from your perspective?) – “Yeah, definitely. Duke did his thing. I feel like we executed well and the ball just ended up in my hands. It was just a great celebration play.”
(In years past, I know you spent time with New England and Seattle – franchises that are known for winning and winning games when it counts the most. You guys are on a similar trajectory where when the season gets towards the middle, later part of the schedule, you guys are starting to stack wins. From your experience, what clicks for a team where you’re able to stack those wins? Because that’s what separates the good and the bad teams.) – “Really just eliminating bad plays and mistakes. Just trying to make sure we execute every situation and take advantage of each opportunity that we get.”
(Is there anything that needs to be said? Obviously you guys started 1-7, but whether it’s this year or years past, is there anything that is said? Or is it just kind of like everyone honing in on their job?) – “It’s really just everybody buying in and believing in the coaches and each other. We know that every time we take the field, we’ve got each other’s back. That’s what it’s about. Those little plays that you put out there, you’ve got to be able to trust the guy next to you that he’ll do the right thing and they have to trust that you’re going to do the right thing as well.”
(You talk about trusting the guy next to you. Does that become harder when you start the way you guys did? Because it seems like even with the 1-7 start, it seems like that maybe brought you guys even closer. But is it harder or easier to do when you’re struggling off the gate the way you guys were?) – “I don’t think it necessarily makes it easier or difficult. I think it puts you in position to determine if you trust someone or not. I feel like it was tough but right now, we’re trying to – like I said, it was just those little plays that we’re taking advantage of. That could be the difference between winning or losing.”
(You’ve obviously had a good career and played well for a long time, but over the last month it’s been spectacular in terms of passer rating when you’re in coverage. It’s been like infinitesimal. What’s been the key to your success in particular over the last month? What’s contributed to it, do you think?) – “I feel like it’s really just opportunity. The opportunity coming my way, I feel like I was put in a good position to make the play and I was just relying on my practice and my coaching and taking my experience and extending it.”
(I know you’re a team guy and team success comes first for you, but as a veteran player, was it a difficult adjustment initially the first few weeks in terms of the way Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer, Defensive Backs Coach Gerald Alexander and Cornerbacks Coach Charles Burks alternate their nickel corner? Some weeks you’ll play a lot, some weeks CB Nik Needham plays a lot. Was that an adjustment early on or not really?) – “It kind of was nothing new. I kind of see it as football. They try to put us in the right position and we have to put ourselves in a good position as well, and it just is a part of our overall scheme and that’s what we have to do to win, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
(Tell us a little bit more about the touchdown yesterday. Once the ball was in your hands, it looked like there was a big scrum going on. What did it feel like in the middle of that and did you think you were going to be able to get it into the end zone?) – “Honestly I didn’t even know where I was when I got the ball. I kind of felt a group of guys pushing me backwards into the end zone. That was definitely a relief to know that I ended up in the end zone. My teammates helped me get in there. I just want to move forward because that was a great touchdown, but I have to give it all to the guys. The guy (Duke Riley) blocked it. The whole execution went perfectly.”
(When was the last time you were in the endzone?) – “It probably was a couple of years ago. (laughter)”
(I find it interesting that some offensive players don’t have four touchdowns and you’ve got four touchdowns as a cornerback and special teams player. What’s the magic key?) – “There is no magic key. It’s just doing your job well and I’m going to keep saying it, just taking advantage of your opportunities.”
Austin Jackson – November 29, 2021
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Monday, November 29, 2021
G/T Austin Jackson
(I wanted to ask, you’re well over a month into left guard. Where do you think you’ve grown the most and how do you think you’re settling at that spot?) – “I think I’m settling pretty well. Doing a lot of good things. Definitely some things to clean up. I think it’s just great that I’ve been able to transition into it pretty well. To play two positions on the offensive line in the NFL is pretty dope.”
(I just wanted to talk to you about you and T Liam Eichenberg on the left side. Are there things that you think have developed in terms of chemistry that have led to improved play? Obviously experience, you getting comfortable at left guard and improved technique can contribute to improved play. But is there anything with the chemistry dynamic that you think is also helping with you guys playing well as a group these last couple of weeks?) – “I think we definitely have a great room. We definitely approach every day with playing to get better at what we do all across the board in everything we do. I definitely think we have good chemistry there between Liam and I but across the whole line as well.”
(I wanted to ask you about your first impressions of the new running back, Phillip Lindsay. I know he hasn’t been here for long.) – “Phillip’s great. He’s definitely a guy that brings a lot of juice to the room. Glad to have him. He’s been working his butt off since he’s been here. I’m looking forward to him doing great things, getting more things going in the running game and all that stuff.”
(It was like four days after RB Phillip Lindsay got here that he carried the ball 12 times. Did that surprise you?) – “I didn’t really think about it too much, to be honest with you. But that’s part of the job.”
Durham Smythe – November 29, 2021
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Monday, November 29, 2021
TE Durham Smythe
(How much fun has it been to you to be incorporated in the passing game obviously overall this year, but particularly in the last three weeks?) – “It’s always fun when we have a fun offensive gameplan, where everyone is touching the ball and everyone has an opportunity. When we’re spreading it around, I think that’s when we are at our best. It is fun for everyone, you’re right.”
(You guys wanted to be a balanced offense, but this has been the longest stretch where you’ve actually been committed to the run game, not abandoning it even if the results aren’t substantial. What has that been like especially for guys like you whose job it is to open up those holes?) – “It’s obviously good to establish the run game at this level. Everyone knows that. That opens up a lot of things, whether it’s in the play-action game. Maybe it takes off the rush a little bit in terms of helping the offensive line. It’s definitely a benefit when you’re trying to establish that regardless of the outcome. But when it starts to roll a little bit and you can get some positive yards on a consistent basis, that’s when our offense, and really all offenses, are the most effective. That’s something that we’ve focused on the last couple of weeks is to try to get that rolling. I think we’ll continue to do so and try to be efficient in that aspect of the game.”
(What do you see from WR Jaylen Waddle behind the scenes that leads to his success so early on as a rookie?) – “Jaylen has been tasked from the beginning of the season to do a lot of things for this offense, play a lot of different roles. He’s a smart guy. He can handle all of that. And he’s confident. He’s been confident from day one when he stepped into this building. He knows that he can make those plays, and as he’s become more comfortable, as we’ve seen in the last couple of weeks, he’s really taken off.”
(What’s the next step for this offense? You guys have seen to be getting on a roll, where you’re averaging about the NFL average. How do you get it better? How do you get it to the next step?) – “I think above everything else, it’s just being consistent across the board. There are games this season where we’ve been efficient in the pass game. There have been games this season where we’ve had multiple explosive plays in the pass game. And there has been games where we’ve run the ball efficiently. I think when you put all of those together within one singular game, that’s what will really take you to the next level. I think it’s just finding the consistency and finding a way to be consistent in really all of those categories within one game instead of just having one here or one there.”
(It seems as if Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey has really found a groove as an play-caller. What has he done that has most impressed you in that role? Why are things working successfully as far as play calling these last few weeks?) – “I think one thing that sticks out to me is that he knows his personnel. He knows how to utilize the guys that he has. I think if we had different personnel at different positions, this offense would look completely different. I think he’s become comfortable with who we all are on the offensive side of the ball. He’s utilizing us in ways that are becoming more and more efficient. I think that is something that he really has a talent in is recognizing who he has and what he has in guys, and trying to play to our strengths.”
(The offensive line growth, obviously with young offensive linemen it’s going to take time. Has it impressed you seeing how the young players have come on these last couple of weeks?) – “Yeah, absolutely. I think that was a matter of time and it still is. It’s the building of a process, but in this league, it definitely takes a while to adapt or establish a comfort level, I think is a good way to put it, especially at the offense line position and tight end as well. Once you get that groove, you become a little bit comfortable with what you’re doing, your technique and things of that nature. Then it starts to become a little bit easier. As you know these guys gain experience, like you said there are a lot of young guys up there, I think they’ll just continue to get better.”
(I wanted to ask you about RB Phillip Lindsay coming in. It seems like he got here five minutes ago and he went and had 12 carries yesterday. What did you observe from him and his ability to learn the offense as quickly as he did, and his ability to contribute so quickly?) – “He’s a good player. He’s been a good player in this league. He’s had production in this league. He’s a guy that I think brings some tenacity to our offense. As you mentioned, it’s a testament to him that he was able to pick things up so quickly in three days or whatever it was and go out there and be efficient in the game on Sunday. That says a lot about him and I think he’s impressed us all.”
(With the amount of snaps that TE Mike Gesicki now takes on the boundary, does he go to wide receiver meetings or is he in the wide receiver room? Have you guys kicked him out of the tight end room yet?) – (laughter) “Good question. If it was up to him, then he might be in that room. But he’s a guy that plays a lot of roles for us. Obviously he plays tight end, but he splits out a lot of the time as the statistics show. He kind of bounces around. One day if he needs to be in the receiver room, he’ll go over there and get some tips. He’ll be in our room. He’s been in the quarterback room talking to quarterbacks before. As a guy who does a lot of things for us, he kind of bounces around and absorbs from all of the rooms.”
Jaelan Phillips – November 29, 2021
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Monday, November 29, 2021
LB Jaelan Phillips
(I’ve got to ask you about the three sacks. It seemed like things were really clicking for you yesterday. What was working so well?) – “Honestly, I’ve got to give all the credit to my teammates. Without them, it wouldn’t have been possible. The first sack, Duke (Riley) and Christian (Wilkins) flushed Cam (Newton) out. The next sack, Zach (Sieler) flushed PJ (Walker) out and then the next one, ‘Gink’ (Andrew Van Ginkel) helped flush him forward in the pocket. I think honestly, as a team, we’ve been doing really well these last few weeks just continuing to play together and to build on what we’re working on. Give a lot of credit to the DBs for giving us time to get to the quarterback and for the other d-linemen for getting pressures to make it happen.”
(Was there something that changed in terms of the defensive philosophy these last four games? Because like you mentioned, the sack rate has really gone up from the first eight games.) – “I think we’ve just been playing more aggressively and looser. I think we’ve been working better as a team in terms of our coordinator on rush stunts and games that we’re running, and just playing freer and having genuine joy out there and having a great time playing together and just flying around and making plays.”
(Obviously with you coming in, you could do what you’re doing now and it’s good to see it coming to fruition. Is there something that you either added to your game or you’ve really improved on to the point where now we’re seeing what we’re seeing in the sack numbers and all of that?) – “I think I’ve just been trying to stay as consistent as possible, just trying to get one percent better every day. Like I’ve said before, I’ve been working on my hands, technique and different things like that throughout this whole year. I think now it’s just starting to pay off, just the work we’ve been putting in consistently all year.”
(What is your impression of the Waddle waddle? What do you think?) – “It’s funny because Christian Wilkins and I have been trying to get Jaylen (Waddle) to do that damn dance this whole entire year. Like after every single big play, we walk up to him and we’re like ‘Do the Waddle!’ and he never does it. Finally he pulled it out yesterday. I know if you watch the replay, you see Christian run over from like 50 yards away and he’s like ‘Jaylen! Jaylen! Do the waddle!’ So that’s super funny. That just goes to show that we’re having fun. We’re really enjoying each other’s company and enjoying the time that we spend out there.”
(You, WR Jaylen Waddle and S Jevon Holland are obviously having a lot of success. Is there something off the field that you guys have a common interest in? Something that you guys talk about or have even done together?) – “Winning football games is our common interest. (laughter) No, we hang out a lot. I think the chemistry that we have in the locker room is incredible. Whether it’s the rookies or the older guys, what I’ve found is that this team isn’t very cliquey. We kind of all hang out with each other and all really enjoy each other’s time. We have a bunch of great guys around here and I’m just blessed to be a part of it.”
(Right or wrong, and I’m sure you’re aware of this, edge defenders are very often judged by sack totals. Having said that, how much more satisfying – is there a sense of relief – now that you’re at 6.5 sacks at this stage of your rookie season whereas earlier in the season, the sack numbers weren’t there. Is there a sense of relief almost that that’s kind of out of the way?) – “To be honest with you, I’m not satisfied at all. I know I have so much more in me. Even yesterday, I could have had more. I’m just – like I said, this league is very process oriented so you can’t step outside of your boundaries and worry about weeks ahead and worry about numbers and worry about how everybody else is doing in the league. You’ve just got to focus on yourself. We say cut your own grass. Don’t worry about your neighbor’s yard. For me, like I said, I’m not satisfied. I know this is just the beginning so I’m going to continue to work as hard as I can and try to do the best that I can for this team.”
(Were you a little bit bummed that the sack near the end zone didn’t produce a safety?) – “Nah, I think it all worked out well. I didn’t even notice. (laughter) I was just excited I got a sack.”
(Besides your teammates, besides Dolphins coaches, who else has been in your ear over the last two months to give you encouragement or to offer you tips? Has it been your dad? A former UM coach? A former coach of yours? Former UM teammates? Who comes to mind, if anyone?) – “Yeah, I still talk to – what comes to mind is Coach (Todd) Stroud, Coach (David) Feeley. Those are two guys, I literally text them every single week before every single game. Ben Newman is a guy who I’ve been talking to recently. He’s kind of like a coach in terms of building confidence and things like that. I think I have a great group around me that have been really encouraging me. Kaleb Thornhill is a guy who I’m extremely close to and he’s been great and encouraging me, just reminding me to stay process-oriented. I have a lot of support and I really appreciate everybody for all of the support they’ve given me.”
(I’ve heard you and WR Jaylen Waddle have both said that you guys hang out a lot, the rookies. What do you guys hang out and do?) – “We just be vibin’. We vibe out. We hang out. We go eat. We go do community service together. We hang out on the weekends after games. We’ll go to a nice dinner down at Komodo or something. We just – like I said, we really enjoy each other’s presence and company. I think we have a really close-knit group. A bunch of great guys on and off the field. We have a really good time together.”
Jaylen Waddle – November 28, 2021 (Postgame)
Sunday, November 28, 2021
Postgame – Carolina
WR Jaylen Waddle
Q. The long deep hitter you had and the quick-hitting slant, looked like you were off to the races?
JAYLEN WADDLE: It was kind of like a deep over. Tua (Tagovailoa) just found me, gave me a great ball and made a positive play.
Q. Have you been waiting to show your speed vertically? This year we haven’t seen a lot of it going to the jet sweeps or passes that way into the end zone but nothing north and south like that very much. Was that nice for you to show?
JAYLEN WADDLE: I wouldn’t say I’ve been waiting. Honestly, I just go out there and try to do my job. Whatever it is that they want me to do, I try to go out there and execute.
Q. Were you surprised the guys caught from behind? Were you surprised? Were you, like, dang, I almost took it to the crib?
JAYLEN WADDLE: No, not really. I feel like he had an angle. I seen him coming from the corner of my eye but they got great players over there.
Q. Is that called the ‘Waddle Waddle?’
JAYLEN WADDLE: You like that? (Laughter) Definitely. Definitely. Definitely. Most definitely.
Q. Is that — it’s a waddle, right?
JAYLEN WADDLE: Waddle, for sure.
Q. Like a penguin?
JAYLEN WADDLE: Definitely.
Q. Who came up with that? I think we saw DT Christian Wilkins do it with you.
JAYLEN WADDLE: Christian (Wilkins) was kind of making fun of me at first and then he just started doing it. Then it just became me and his thing. He be the first one out there. We just do it. J.P. (Jaelan Phillips) be in on it too. He was in the training room.
Q. You like it?
JAYLEN WADDLE: Definitely.
Q. Twitter likes it, too.
Q. Can I ask you a follow-up about Thanksgiving? You said you were going to go to as many players’ houses and eat as much food as possible. QB Tua Tagovailoa said he uninvited you after hearing that. How did Thanksgiving go?
JAYLEN WADDLE: He really did uninvite me (Laughter). I really did not show up. It was like you get to Thanksgiving day, and you are, like, ‘Yeah, remember to come by.’ It wasn’t one of them. It was like, about your day. I spent time with my family and went and ate good, and it was a good day.
Q. Do you feel like you are part of a rookie class that’s really on the ascension? Do you feel like you’re really starting to figure it out and if so why? What’s been the difference the last few weeks?
JAYLEN WADDLE: I think just our OGs, our vets. Just going out there and seeking knowledge when we don’t know and just wanting to learn and just be out there and go out there and give great effort.
Q. The communication QB Tua Tagovailoa says he has always had with you. The chemistry we saw today, does it really just go back to what you are used to with him at Alabama?
JAYLEN WADDLE: Yeah, most definitely. A lot of things we do, we did. We did a lot of routes from previous before I was here and so I think it’s all just connecting, just going to the flow.
Q. Any catch stand out for you today as far as either a read you made or beating somebody that… any of these?
JAYLEN WADDLE: No, I don’t just got one that just stand out or stick out. No.
Q. QB Tua Tagovailoa was asked as well if this is a continuation of your Alabama chemistry. It seemed like he was kind of hesitant to admit it, because you had a lot of new chemistry to build over the past few months. Do you feel like you guys have — that’s what you’ve been working nonstop to do? Have you had to relearn each other since you got here?
JAYLEN WADDLE: I would say so to a certain extent. I think Tua (Tagovailoa) grew as a player. I’m trying to grow as a player. Just learning what he do and his new knowledge and me going out there every week and learning something new and just putting it all together. We work throughout the week on just new things that we find and just trying to get better.
Q. Knowing your quarterback, having had a relationship with him, does it help you quicker grow as a player?
JAYLEN WADDLE: Definitely. I think it’s definitely, you know, a good thing.
Q. How important is it for you to develop a reputation as an all-around receiver instead of just being a speedster?
JAYLEN WADDLE: I think it’s very important. I think I work extremely hard not to just be known as a speed guy or a guy that just is a vertical threat. I think I’m just going to continue to try to go out there every week and show that I can actually run routes and do things that I would say people don’t expect me to do.
Q. Can you walk us through the touchdown?
JAYLEN WADDLE: It’s more like a timing route going out there, gameplan and just dotted it. Real good ball. Fit it in there, pause. Yeah.
Q. How tight was that window?
JAYLEN WADDLE: It was tight. (Laughter).
Q. You had to make sure you were in the end zone for that amount of space?
JAYLEN WADDLE: Yeah. Yeah. (Laughter) For sure.
Q. What did you make of the Iron Bowl yesterday?
JAYLEN WADDLE: Come on man, we thrive on those type of moments (Laughter). Y’all was worried. We had people really worried. I wasn’t. I was, like, man, we do this. We do this.
Q. Four overtimes and you weren’t worried?
JAYLEN WADDLE: No. No, not at all.
Phillip Lindsay – November 28, 2021 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 28, 2021
Postgame – Carolina
RB Phillip Lindsay
Q. What have the past couple of days been like coming to Miami, learning the offense and just rolling?
PHILLIP LINDSAY: A great team win today and it’s been tough. You know, this is my first time having to deal with a situation like this where many men have to do in the NFL. I think the toughest part about that was seeing my son. As I was getting in the Uber to go to the airport, he had a defeated face. He was just defeated and deflated, crying and bawling. That really hurt. That right there kind of set the tone of, like, I don’t want to have to keep doing this and so for me it was like the next opportunity I get, I need to run with it. I’ve been working day and night. I got off the plane what was that, Tuesday or Wednesday, at 1:00, 1:30 and went straight to the facility and started to get the plays going.
Q. I know QB Tua Tagovailoa said that you were staying after practice with the quarterbacks. Were you doing anything else to kind of get the offense down?
PHILLIP LINDSAY: First off, Coach ‘E’ (Eric Studesville) has done a phenomenal job of getting me prepared. Like I said, we were in here day and night literally from in the morning from 6:30 when we get there to 7:30, 8:00 at night, 9:00 at night. Just depending on what I need to do. Just mentally it drains you and I haven’t done that much studying since school. I’ve learned a lot in the first three days, two days I’ve been here studying with Coach ‘E’. I have known about Coach ‘E’ from Denver and all of that, so he is a phenomenal coach and a great guy.
Q. First, just a quick thing, your son’s name and age?
PHILLIP LINDSAY: His name is Phillip Theo Lindsay. He is 1 1/2, but he is bigger than me already. (Laughter) All he needs is a little chin hair.
Q. The real question I had, Head Coach Brian Flores mentioned earlier — he made a passing reference. Did you guys even do work this morning?
PHILLIP LINDSAY: Oh, yeah. Like I said, it doesn’t stop. Honestly, at one point I didn’t know who we were playing because I was so dialed in, so intent on what I needed to, what my job is and I guess that’s a good thing. I guess that’s what people talk about when you are so intensely focused on what you need to do in your assignment that you don’t even pay attention to who you are playing. You just need to know what you need to do. That’s what we’ve been doing and Coach ‘E’ (Eric Studesville) has been staying at night with me to do that. I was very serious about this. I was very serious about going out here because they did give me an opportunity to come here. I didn’t know how much I was going to play. I knew that they were going to try to put a package together and I’m thankful that they had the confidence that they did in me to let me go out there for, I thought if I did get in it would be one or two little snaps, so I’m very thankful for that.
Q. When did you learn you were going to play?
PHILLIP LINDSAY: Honestly, you know going into the game they just said, ‘Just be ready. Truly.’ I took the whole day and night to study the whole playbook for this game. I kind of knew what I needed to do if I had to get in. I didn’t know how much I was going to play, though, honestly when I started going. But it’s football. At the end of the day, it’s what I love to do. When I get out there, I just feel good. It feels good to get continuous runs and continuous plays, and that just feels like you are just playing football again like you’re a young kid and I love to do that.
Q. One thing you can control, even if you don’t know the scheme is effort plays, like pass blocking. You walk through long pass to WR Jaylen Waddle. Looked like you chipped OLB Haason Reddick on the edge there to clean the pocket up for QB Tua Tagovailoa.
PHILLIP LINDSAY: That doesn’t take talent. All that takes is determination and effort, and being of the dog mentality to say I’m not going to let my quarterback get hit. Honestly, that’s what it’s all about. In my head how I process things, and I’m a little crazy, but how I process things is I’m protecting this man, his health and everything about him. If I sit here and I let him go and I let him get hit, his family is watching this, my family is watching this and it’s a bad thing. On top of that, this is how I keep food on the table for my family and I really take that serious. That’s truly who I am, and y’all will get to know me a little bit more about that, but I am crazy in the head (Laughter). At the end of the day ain’t nothing going to stop me from feeding my family.
Q. What have your impressions been of this team in just the few days you’ve been here and the way that they played today?
PHILLIP LINDSAY: They’re relentless. They go at it. They put all effort into it; special teams, defense and offense. It’s a great group of men and you guys are seeing a team that is starting to get that confidence back. You guys are seeing a team that in the NFL any given day you can win and if you can get on a roll, it can get scary. I’m excited to be a part of this and try to do my part, try to do my little part to help these men win some games. So on to the next, it’s the Giants, and I’m excited about that.
Duke Riley – November 28, 2021 (Postgame)
Sunday, November 28, 2021
Postgame – Carolina
LB Duke Riley
Q. On those two plays, the big play on third down and then blocking the punt back to back. What was that like for you?
DUKE RILEY: It felt amazing. It felt good to bring the energy and set the tone. You know, we wanted to set it early, and fortunately, it was me setting it. I play hard every play regardless of if it’s a special teams play or a defensive snap. Just doing my best job regardless and doing whatever the coach wants me to do.
Q. What’s been the difference for this defense the last few weeks?
DUKE RILEY: We’re just coming together. I said it before. It didn’t look too good for us in the beginning. Everybody was saying we were everywhere, but we deserve it, man. We worked so hard, and we work together. I said in another interview I want to say that this team is closer than any team I’ve been on. We are always doing stuff together off the field, and I think that’s what’s most important, and we just have fun every day. We work, and we hold each other accountable every play every day. If somebody is not doing their job, somebody is telling them. That’s something that we do well here. I’m just happy for us. We deserve it.
Q. Forgive me – was that your first blocked punt?
DUKE RILEY: That’s my first blocked punt, yeah.
Q. How did that feel?
DUKE RILEY: It felt amazing. I’ve always wanted to block a punt, but usually you get picked up, and unfortunately, they had a miscount, I want to say. I don’t know what happened, but I was the guy who came free, and you work the block drill all day. You never know when it’s going to happen, and it happened, so I was just happy that it happened during that moment. I didn’t even know we scored. I was celebrating. I turned around, and I’m, like, oh, we have to go kick off now? (laughter) What happened? It was just fun, man. It was amazing. I’m just thankful.
Q. You got pretty hyped on that celebration. What was the celebration you were doing?
DUKE RILEY: I don’t know. (laughter) I was just screaming at the top of my lungs. I’m him! I don’t know. I was just happy. A lot of emotion. I’m an emotional player and I love the game so much, and I’m just thankful that the cards are rolling my way right now.
Q. Did you see the play open up to where you knew you were going to have a great chance of getting that ball?
DUKE RILEY: Honestly, every play and every time I rush my goal and my job is to go – I’m thinking I’m going to block the punt. It doesn’t always happen, and when it does, you just have to make the play. During that moment, you just got to make it happen, and I did. I didn’t expect to, but I didn’t think – I’m always thinking I am. I just didn’t think it was going to happen right then, but me always being ready to do it, it happened, you know, so it was just the moment.
Q. Did you get it clean off your hands or was it a forearm type of deal?
DUKE RILEY: I seen a picture, and you don’t even know. I think his leg might have kicked me. I don’t even know. (laughter) I think I hit the ball with my hands, and I mean it just happened like that. Literally, it just – it was a great play. We needed it. We needed the energy. We needed the spark, and I’m just glad that it was me.
Q. Did you guys do anything different in your alignment for that play?
DUKE RILEY: No, we did what we usually do. We pretty much do the same stuff all the time, and it was just I think they may have had a miscount, and I think that’s what caused it. It could happen to us, so you know what I mean? It could happen to any team if you miscount. I think that’s the only thing that happened. Other than that, we’re just doing what we do every week.
Xavien Howard – November 28, 2021 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 28, 2021
Postgame – Carolina
CB Xavien Howard
Q. Did today, at least on defense, feel like one of those days where you guys could insert your will as often as you wanted to?
XAVIEN HOWARD: I feel like we took one play at a time. They gave us an opportunity and we took advantage of it.
Q. Can you explain the turnaround this defense has had the last month or so it’s been lights out?
XAVIEN HOWARD: I feel like it’s just the confidence we have. Everything is clicking and going on the right path, I’d say.
Q. Overall the team, is this the kind of performance of what you thought? The defense coming together, the offense and special teams, is that really what you kind of envisioned?
XAVIEN HOWARD: Yeah, I feel that. Yeah, I feel that. I also feel like it was missed opportunities out there in all three phases. I feel like we are just still getting better each week.
Q. After those first two wins after the losing streak, it’s a real celebration back there in the locker room. Now that that streak has hit four games, what’s the mood back in the locker room now?
XAVIEN HOWARD: It feels great in the locker room. We take it one game at a time, it’s week by week. We’re focusing on just getting better.
Q. What have you seen in terms of growth from the rookies, S Jevon Holland and LB Jaelan Phillips, that had defensive plays today?
XAVIEN HOWARD: They play a big role in defense. Them guys out there balling, I say. Everybody works together and them two guys do bring a lot to the defense. It’s all 11 to the ball.
Q. When did you start to sense that QB Cam Newton was — that you were getting to Cam Newton, that you were rattling him?
XAVIEN HOWARD: What you mean?
Q. Well, he completed only five passes.
XAVIEN HOWARD: Oh, damn. (Laughter) I seen he was getting a little frustrated, though. I feel like our defense, we did that to him and we just got to feed off that and try to get every quarterback to feel like that.
