Xavien Howard – October 31, 2021 (Postgame)
Sunday, October 31, 2021
Postgame – Buffalo
CB Xavien Howard
(You guys were able to have some success against them in the first half. What were some things that were working for you guys early?) – “We had some great play calling from the coaches. I think we were getting back a little bit to what we were doing last year with the coverage we were playing.”
(In the second half, they had three third-down plays that didn’t go your way. What were some things that were not happening for you guys?) – “We couldn’t get off the field. On third down, we expect to get off the field and give the ball back to the offense and we couldn’t do that today.”
(You said it was getting back to what you were doing last year in what way?) – “On the coverage calling.”
(More man-heavy?) – “Yeah.”
(Can you break down the touchdown to Bills WR Stefon Diggs?) – “It was good play calling there from the offense. They were able to do a lot of great play calling over there. We were in Cover Zero and he came down on a tight split and just ran a bang eight.”
(Do you guys feel like you get enough from the offense each and every week to go toe-to-toe with these other teams?) – “I feel like it’s on all three phases. We’ve got to make plays, everybody as one. Everybody from all three phases has got to make plays.”
(What happened the play before the touchdown when Bills WR Cole Beasley threw that pass? What was going on there you broke it up?) – “I think it was a screen-and-go. I ended up seeing the screen-and-go and ended up just trying to make a play on the ball.”
(What’s the vibe in there right now?) – “The vibe in there, we just got to stick together and we got to keep good practices. We’ve just got to keep going.”
(With as well as you guys played through the first call it, two-and-a-half, three quarters, what can that do for your team’s confidence moving forward as you try to stick together?) – “I feel like we can compete with the big dogs. That’s a great team over there. They’ve got great players over there. I would say we just have to keep being consistent and making plays.”
Jevon Holland – October 31, 2021 (Postgame)
Sunday, October 31, 2021
Postgame – Buffalo
S Jevon Holland
(Any thoughts on the first half? You guys pretty much had your will defensively against them. Anything happen in the second half that changed that?) – “I think in the first half we came out strong. We played how we think we can play and you guys saw that. That’s a good team so in the second half they went in the locker room and did their thing. They executed and we got to learn how to finish.”
(Talking to … You guys are 1-7, what’s the outlook of the locker room? How are you guys feeling? Are you guys still motivated? Tell me about it.) – “We’re in the NFL, this is week-by-week. You lose games, you win games. It is what it is. You move on to the next week so that’s what we’re doing every week.”
(What was happening with Buffalo WR Cole Beasley in that second half? It looked like they went to him an awful lot and they were effective with it.) – “Yeah, I mean, you probably got to ask them because they were executing and were throwing him the ball. They were finding him in open gaps and that’s what it is.”
Mike Gesicki – October 31, 2021 (Postgame)
Sunday, October 31, 2021
Postgame – Buffalo
TE Mike Gesicki
(Can you walk us through that play right before half?) – “It was just miscommunication. That’s all it is. Just got to be better with that.”
(Were you telling WR Jaylen Waddle to stay on the other side of the field there?) – “Yeah, there was just some misalignment. We’ve just got to get lined up.”
(With Robert doing – it was a … so Robert was telling the center to snap the ball…?) – “Correct.”
(I guess outside of the miscommunication why was that so disappointing?) – “That’s all it is. Yeah, that’s just miscommunication and we’ve just got to be able to line up and not make negative plays against ourselves.”
(So it looked on the replay like the ball hit you in the chest?) – “Correct.”
(What I wanted to ask you is what was going through your mind as…?) – “Get the ball. Try to get the ball. Do whatever you can to get the ball. We got points right there – obviously there was a chance to get points at the end of the half and we don’t get them. So that’s all 11. It’s not one guy. It’s not two guys. It’s all 11 guys. We’ve got to get lined up right. We’ve got to – snap count – all that kind of stuff. So that’s kind of been the story so far because we’ve got a lot of talent. We’ve got a good football team. I say every week to you guys, we’re that close and that’s how close we are.”
(What was the mental effect of that play on the team going into halftime?) – “We were fine. Bounced back.”
(Just for clarity sake you were not expecting the ball – you were not expecting to be snapped the ball, right?) – “Do I look like jet sweep type of player? (laughter) No.”
(What’d you think of QB Tua Tagovailoa’s performance today?) – “Good. I like playing with Tua. I think he’s tough as nails. He bounces back. I think everybody is probably writing us off at the start of the fourth quarter and we go down there and we get a drive, get a two-point conversion, convert on a fourth down. He steps up in the pocket, makes plays, quarterback sneak for a touchdown. So people are going to talk bad about him, people are going to say all the negative stuff; but Tua is just going to keep coming to work. He’s going to keep doing what he has to do and I’m going to keep supporting him week-in and week-out.”
(Tell us about that fourth-down play – the 40-yarder?) – “I say it every week. Just got to make the most of your opportunities when they present themselves. I had an opportunity and I made the most of it.”
(Why is it that this offense – it seems like there’s not passes really – not no, but very, very few passes longer than 15, 20 yards being thrown?) – “We’ve got it in the playbook. We call them. Some defenses take it away. I don’t know if I’m really the right guy to ask that question.”
(Walk us through that completion on fourth down – the 40-yard catch.) – “Yeah, that was what I just said. So every week I say the same thing to you guys. You’ve just got to make the most of your opportunities when they present themselves. That was an opportunity on fourth down. Made the most of it. Tua (Tagovailoa) gave a great ball like I just said, stepped up in the pocket, made a big play on fourth down, gave me an opportunity and if I have an opportunity to make a catch I’ve got to go up and get it. And we were able to score a touchdown that drive, get a two-point conversion and kind of get some momentum going back our way.”
(The start of the second half you were trying to get – it looked like you were trying to get people lined up properly. Why were the issues today that…?) – “I don’t – I wish I had that answer for you. We just like I said earlier, miscommunication. Not getting lined up right, maybe it was not hearing personnels. I don’t know what it was honestly. But like I said earlier, it’s not one guy. It’s not two guys. It’s all 11 guys. We’ve all got to take that responsibility, take that accountability and we’ve got to come back tomorrow, learn from everything and Wednesday have the best practice of the year. Thursday, have a better practice. Friday, have an even better practice. Have a phenomenal week of preparation to put us in position on Sunday to get a win because that’s what we need right now.”
Brian Flores – October 31, 2021 (Postgame)
Sunday, October 31, 2021
Postgame – Buffalo
Head Coach Brian Flores
(On the play before halftime what happened?) – “Yeah, just miscommunication, lack of execution. Obviously, it was a big play in the game. We struggle at the end of halves with turnovers and unfortunately, we got one again today. We lost out on points that ended up being big points in the game.”
(After that, you guys came out three-and-out three times in the third quarter. Did you think that had some lasting effect for you guys?) – “Look our guys, they bounce back. I think it was more execution on Buffalo’s part and lack of execution on our part. Got to give them credit. At the end of the day, especially in the second half we didn’t move the ball efficiently enough. Especially those first three drives. Got it going on that fourth drive, I believe, when Mike (Gesicki) caught the long ball on fourth down. But just didn’t make enough plays.”
(Since we are on that play you were going to call timeout – you came down to the official like you might call timeout. What were you seeing?) – “I went down there; I saw us lined up in position to motion. I looked at the clock. Looked like we had enough time. Between the snap, it hit Mike (Gesicki) and it was just a bad play.”
(There were other plays where players had trouble getting into the right alignment. Was there a common thread to any of this?) – “Yeah, just overall miscommunication.”
(From QB Tua Tagovailoa to players? Or from…?) – “Everyone kind of plays a role in that. You never want to put it on one guy. Getting the call, getting the alignment, getting the shift, getting the motion. With the crowd noise just, we didn’t execute. We ended up kind of going to more just standard formations with less shifting and motions later in the game.”
(What did you think of QB Tua Tagovailoa’s play today?) – “Again, I know there are some plays he wishes he had back. The one before the half for sure and then the interception. But he made some good throws. I thought we moved the ball decently in the first half, got some first downs in the run game, threw some good balls to (DeVante) Parker and got (Mike) Gesicki on that fourth down. I thought he did some good things but overall, not enough.”
(What’s your message to the team at 1-7? Obviously, playoffs are always the aspiration but at 1-7 at pretty much the halfway point of the season, what are you telling players at this point?) – “I’m telling them to – I thought the guys fought. It’s a good team. I though they fought. I thought they played hard. I thought they played with great effort. But we’ve got to make more plays. I think it’s things that we can definitely get fixed. A shift and a motion and an alignment error. Some other things that we missed in a game. Some missed alignments defensively as well. If we can do some of those things on a more consistent basis, it will definitely go a long way to have the results we want.”
(What do you think the disconnect is week-to-week? I know you’re getting tired of answering questions about what’s the margin from Week 2 to now. What do you think the disconnect is?) – “It’s something different really every week. I think it’s drops, not getting aligned, not having enough guys defensively – I know that happened one time. Just overall miscommunication.”
(How does your postgame routine differ maybe after a loss than it would after a win?) – “As far as watching the game and going through that routine? Nothing really changes. There’s always good plays, bad plays, good calls, bad calls, things you kind of wish you did a little bit differently. It doesn’t really change. I think there’s always things that you wish you would have done better, win or a loss. But obviously in a loss those plays, those calls, those situations from players and coaches is something that you sit there and go, ‘Hey, if we had done this, this and this we may have a different outcome.’”
(What about immediately after a game? What is your usual routine after a game? Do you speak to the team or…?)- “Yeah, speak to the team, tell them my thoughts on the game and go talk to our trainer and talk about some injuries and how guys are doing. That’s really the routine.”
(Was there, given that normally when we speak to you before most of the players and today you come in later, is there anything we should know? Did you have an extended talk with the team or anything that you can tell us?) – “Like always, my conversations with players I try to keep confidential. Players, coaches – I keep them confidential. There’s always conversations. Today I really just kind of sat there. Sitting there, it’s a tough loss, it’s a number of losses in a row so I just figured we’d let the players go.”
(Were there conversations with Chairman of the Board/Managing General Partner Stephen Ross or General Manager Chris Grier after this game?) – “Yeah, I always talk to Steve (Ross) and Chris (Grier) after the game. But again, those conversations are between them and I.”
(Do you have any concerns about your job security moving forward?) – “I’m just worried about the players. I’m worried about the players. I’m worried getting them better, helping them improve so no.”
(It was mentioned on the CBS broadcast that WR Preston Williams did not come due to discipline. Can you tell us anything about his future with the team?) – “Yeah, for disciplinary reasons he wasn’t on the trip. Obviously, we will revisit that in the morning and talk through it. I expect him to be with us.”
(With the trade deadline coming up, are you guys a quarterback away here? Are you guys going to make a trade or are you going down the same path and not doing anything?) – “Like I’ve said, Tua (Tagovailoa) is our quarterback. Tua is our quarterback.”
(Beyond that, what about the other direction? At 1-7 is there any pressure from the front office to start offloading players and become sellers at the deadline?) – “Those are conversations I’ll have with Chris (Grier) tomorrow. Right now, I’m really kind of focused on the game we just had, the things we need to improve on and get better to turn this thing around.”
Tua Tagovailoa – October 31, 2021 (Postgame)
Sunday, October 31, 2021
Postgame – Buffalo
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(On that snap before the end before halftime, what happened there? What was the miscommunication?) – “Yeah, miscommunication with getting guys set and then obviously the game clock going down. That was just bad football there. Bad operation.”
(How would you describe your game today?) – “It wasn’t up to par. That’s what I would say. We obviously didn’t win so it’s kind of how I judge a lot of how we do; not just myself but offensively. It’s kind of how we judge our games based off the outcome.”
(Why were there problems getting players in the proper alignment?) – “Different personnels, different groupings. It’s tough in a loud environment and we knew that that’s what was going to give us some problems, is just trying to communicate and getting that. Some guys are hearing different things and that’s just something we’ve got to fix.”
(I think you said you first got back from IR that this team needed to do a better a job getting its playmakers involved early. With WR DeVante Parker’s first game back how do you feel like you guys accomplished that?) – “I think we could’ve did a lot more with that, with incorporating DeVante (Parker) and then Mike (Gesicki), some of our other guys. But this is a good defense. They know where their problems are. They know who our playmakers are as well and they play really sound, really physical up front and there’s not need for much communication in the back end for them so it’s a veteran group and they make it tough for teams to play against them.”
(On that play just before the half was WR Jaylen Waddle supposed to go in motion? Was he supposed set up on the right side to begin with?) – “Yeah, like I said just miscommunication. We were supposed to get guys set, but obviously just the miscommunication of ‘this is what I heard, this is what I heard from me’ and I’ve got to do a better job communicating that out to our tight ends so that they can communicate it out to the receivers and so forth.”
(This is another week where you guys were able to move the ball first drive, second and third quarter really can’t convert, obviously the end of the first half you were able to get down to the red zone, but is it something during the week where maybe you guys aren’t keying in on something or what’s the reason why it’s just these lulls in the middle of the game and then you’re able to move the ball late?) – “I don’t know. I wouldn’t question anything we do throughout practice. I think we work really, really hard. We work extremely hard. We prepare extremely hard as a team. Unfortunately it hasn’t been going our way and the way we want it to, but just got to keep going.”
(The completion to TE Mike Gesicki for the 40-yard pass. That was your longest in the NFL so far. Why are there so few instances where you’re throwing longer than 15, 20, 30 yards?) – “That’s what I’m given as far as guys that are open and if it’s not a matchup that I like outside and I want the play to develop, I’m going to take what the defense gives me. I’m not going to try to force anything and then obviously the interception just trying to push the ball downfield to try to give us a shot to either kick a field goal or score a touchdown.”
(What was the mood like in the locker room? How’s everybody feeling after this one?) – “It’s tough when you lose. That’s what I’d say. It’s tough when you lose, but like I’ve said in previous interviews the guys are a great bunch. Great bunch of guys and no one’s keeping their head down. Just got to keep going. Just got to keep going. So we’ll come in tomorrow, see what we need to clean up and fix and we’ll go from there.”
(What do you feel like you need to do to – I know you said you’re confident in your place on this team, but what do you feel like you need to do to just really cement your status as future quarterback or quarterback of the future?) – “I don’t think I have to do anything beyond the means of what the play gives me. So I’m not going to go out there and try to be a hero every play. If the play tells me to hand the ball off, that’s what I’m going to do. If the play tells me to read a defender, that’s what I’m going to do.”
(The trade deadline is Tuesday. Do you have any thoughts on how it’ll play out?) – “I really don’t. I haven’t even thought of that.”
(All these rumors over the last month, months. Even earlier this year. You’ve got two more days I guess to kind of let it sink in or let it fester some more. How do you kind of approach the next two days before the week comes up?) – “I think you approach it the same way you approach any game. I don’t think this trade deadline to me really means anything. I’m going to continue to work my butt off in our meetings and try to see the things that we can fix to help us win this upcoming week.”
Brian Flores – October 29, 2021
Friday, October 29, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I know you haven’t gone out to practice yet and the fact that you changed your normal walkthrough to a regular practice impacts it. Where are you guys with LB Jerome Baker, WR DeVante Parker and some of the injured players?) – “Jerome was limited yesterday and we will see how he does today. Same with DeVante – limited yesterday and we’ll see how he does today. Both trending, I would say, moving in the right direction. We’ll see how it looks today. Today is going to tell us a lot as far as game status, what we think and how much we think they will be able to help us in the game.”
(This week we heard Steelers’ Head Coach Mike Tomlin come out and deny the college reports for him. We heard 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan say there wasn’t a 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo trade in the future. Why wouldn’t you come out with the Houston QB Deshaun Watson rumors and just say, ‘Hey, that’s not true,’ if that’s the case?) – “I think I’ve said this multiple times – Tua (Tagovailoa) is our quarterback. I don’t get into rumors. I don’t get into speculation. Tua is our quarterback.”
(I understand that. I guess the question, like last October I remember being here and CB Xavien Howard was the topic of the rumor at the time and the team put out a statement saying, ‘We’re not interested in any Xavien trades.’ I’m curious why this time it’s different?) – “I wouldn’t say it’s different. I would say that I’ve answered that question by saying Tua (Tagovailoa) is our quarterback. I’m not getting into speculation and I’m not getting into rumors. I’m not getting into rumors, speculation, distractions. I’m focused on our team, focused on our quarterback and that’s Tua.”
(Can you declare definitively that he is the quarterback for the rest of 2021?) – “Definitively that he’s the quarterback barring no …? I mean, there’s a lot of things that…“
(Barring injury.) – “Barring injury? Yeah.”
(You mentioned the concept of distraction. I’m curious – obviously we have different perspectives on the idea of a distraction. Do you view not talking about it as a better way to deal with it versus addressing it head on?) – “Not talking about it? So when I say Tua (Tagovailoa) is our quarterback, is that not talking about it?”
(No, I guess the actual trade rumor. There’s been reports that you guys had agreed to terms on a deal.) – “I don’t get into reports or rumors or speculation. I’m focused on our team and the guys in our locker room. I think when we get outside of that, that’s not where my focus is. My focus is on our players. I’m interested in our players. I’m talking about our players and helping them improve and get better. That’s where my focus is and that’s where it’s always going to be.”
(On that subject, when I asked QB Tua Tagovailoa about this the other day, I asked him would it not make you feel that much better if the Dolphins came out and said we are not interested in Houston QB Deshaun Watson? Would he not appreciate that? From that point of view, what do you think? Would he not appreciate that? Would anyone not appreciate hearing from the boss I’m committed to you?) – “When I say he’s our quarterback, that is me saying we’re committed to him.”
(Can you talk a little bit about RB Salvon Ahmed? Especially with RB Malcolm Brown being out, do you expect a bigger role for him and what have you seen from him this week?) – “With Malcolm being out, we need more out of Myles (Gaskin) and more out of Salvon. We’re working through who the next back is going to be. But yeah, I think Salvon has done some good things. He’ll obviously have some more opportunities and yeah, I think he’s doing a lot of things in practice from a preparation standpoint to give himself an opportunity to have some success in the game.”
(When you say you’re working through who the next back is going to be, I’m sure that has a lot to do with roles and filling roles because you guys are a role-based team. With RB Malcolm Brown being the bigger back, the power back, the guy who is mostly in pass protection, is that the role that you are trying to fill or somebody moves into that role and somebody else handles that role?) – “I think depending on who the next guys are. (Patrick) Laird’s been a third-down back. Larid has played in the kicking game. Duke Johnson’s been a third-down back. (Gerrid) Doaks is more of an early-down, more power I would say, power back. Based on the gameplan, based on how we want to play, that all kind of factors into the decision that will be made there.”
(I don’t know RB Malcolm Brown’s special teams roles. Is there a massive role that he used to fill that you have to replace?) – “No. As far as backup roles, he definitely fit some backup roles and played sparingly in the kicking game. But that’s something that (Patrick) Laird has done a lot of. Put him in, spill somebody else in that role or give somebody else a break in that instance. Or you go with a guy like (Gerrid) Doaks who would backup like Malcolm did. Really, Duke Johnson is kind of similar, as far as having more of a limited special teams role.”
(With RB Duke Johnson, he’s only been here for one week. You did that in 2019. Would you feel comfortable playing him with him only being here for one week?) – “He’s done a nice job these last couple of days. More time, you always feel better about that. But this is an experienced guy who has played a lot of football. The concepts come fairly easily to him, the protections, the concepts. Maybe just some verbiage and terminology is different. Obviously with more time, we’d feel better about having a few more days, a few more practices under our belt. But I wouldn’t say we’d never do it.”
(Pass protection was an issue the first time you faced the Bills this season. How much better has that gotten since then and what gives you confidence that you guys can handle their pass rush this time?) – “They’re a good rush team. They bring a lot of guys. They’ve got good rushers, good scheme. Obviously protection is going to be a big part of protecting the quarterback. It’s going to be a big part of the gameplan in order for us to push the ball down the field in the pass game. Obviously we talked about that extensively – the different looks they have, the players they have. We will continue to practice for that and prepare for that as we get closer to the game. It’s a big part of it, no doubt about that. It’s a point of emphasis. We’re going to have to protect if we’re going to move the ball.”
(How does RB Malcolm Brown’s injury play into what you were just talking about regarding pass protection.) – “Yeah, he was a big part of our protection plans. Other guys have to step up. That’s really what it boils down to – whether it’s Myles (Gaskin), whether it’s RB Salvon (Ahmed). Guys have to step up in that phase of the game. We’ll need it.”
(I know you mentioned earlier this week about WR Will Fuller. Have you gotten to see him do anything at practice this week? Do have a better idea of what his timeline is?) – “No, he hasn’t been at practice. He’s still on IR. We didn’t designate him to return. He’s still working his way back. He’s still working his way back. We obviously didn’t see him this week at practice. I’ve seen him in the building. We didn’t see him this week (at practice) and we’re hopeful. It’s moving in the right direction, that I can say for sure. We’ll see in the next few weeks.”
(I know you’re big on developing your program here and you still have a young football team. Looking at some of the veteran guys that have produced the last couple of years that have came on year two or three of their career, I’m just curious from your perspective, is there a common theme among these players that it starts to click for them around year two, year three? Is there a common theme or is it just all development is kind of at their own pace?) – “Everyone is a little bit different. I think it’s case by case. I think it’s case by case. I think some players, it clicks for them a little bit sooner. Some players it takes a little bit longer. Some players have success early and then for whatever reason start to tail off. Some people don’t have success and then for whatever reason, the light bulb goes off. I think it’s case by case. I think our young guys all work hard and all give great effort. They are all working towards being the kinds of professionals they need to be to have success in this league. It’s not perfect and again, it’s case by case. There are a myriad of things that are going on obviously inside the building, outside the building, that play a role in that development. We try to steer them in the right direction really on a daily basis and that’s everyone in the building. That’s coaches but all of our support staff as well. They play a big part in that.”
(QB Tua Tagovailoa was very hard on himself after the two picks. Do you try and carry those two solid offensive performances and build a little bit of momentum and utilize that during the week? Is that something you talk about?) – “Yeah. I think he’s done a lot of good things the last couple of weeks. I think we moved the ball fairly efficiently the past couple of weeks. I think you can build on that and we are trying to build on that. He’s trying to build on that. We’re trying to build on that as an offense. He’s always going to be hard on himself. I think a lot of our players are that way. That’s a good thing. I think that speaks to his competitiveness and his want to get better and be better for our team. I have a lot of respect for that and a lot of respect for him.”
(How often are you stressing to him, if it’s not there, take the sack if you have to and live to play another down.) – “That’s every day. I think that’s part of the learning process. I think there are a lot of decisions the quarterback has to make to put us in good positions and he’s made a lot of them. I think he’s made a lot of good decisions the last couple of weeks. He wants to put our team in good position and he’s fighting, clawing and scrapping to do that. He made a couple of throws that he wished he had back. Every player has plays that they wish they had back. It’s obviously just exacerbated at the quarterback position and he’ll be better, I would say. He’s learning from these mistakes, bumps in the road. I think he’ll be better from them.”
DeVante Parker – October 28, 2021
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Thursday, October 28, 2021
WR DeVante Parker
(Do you feel totally better now? Do you think you’re going to play on Sunday?) – “I feel good but we’re going to wait and see what happens. But I feel good though.”
(What’s this journey been like for you? I know you’ve always been adamant about getting out there, being on the field and now you’ve been sidelined for three weeks.) – “Injuries happen. I’m not a robot. Things happen. The only thing you can do is just try your best to get back on the field. Just put in the work.”
(What have you seen out of QB Tua Tagovailoa this week? Obviously, the distraction of these trade talks. How has he overcome it and be with you guys?) – “I haven’t heard anything about that. I don’t have anything to say about that. I haven’t really heard it from him. I don’t know.”
(What does QB Tua Tagovailoa look like in practice?) – “In practice he looks good. He looks as good as he always does in practice. We just have to bring it as a team on Sunday.”
(Sometimes this year there will finally be the long-awaited moment of you, WR Will Fuller and WR Jaylen Waddle on the field at the same time. Is it weird that it hasn’t happened yet? I’d imagine it’s frustrating. You all would probably love to be out there together.) – “You know it’s tough not having your brother out there with everyone. We’re just wishing him a fast recovery to get back out there.”
(How difficult has it been to watch the offense this season? You’ve been here for quite a while so you’ve been on six, seven game losing stretches but you guys were supposed to be good this year. How difficult has that been?) – “We’ve got to really just take it one game at a time. It all starts in practice and preparation. That’s where it is. We just have to bring it on Sundays.”
(Deep down, what were you thinking the potential of this receiving corps would be as you were waiting for the season?) – “I feel like we still do have a good receiving corps. We’re dropping balls. We’ve got to make the play when it comes to us. They give us a chance, you have to come down with it.”
(What do you think about facing the Bills? They’ve had your number recently.) – “They’ve got good players on their side. We just have to execute our plays that we have and go out there and fight.”
Jaelan Phillips – October 28, 2021
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Thursday, October 28, 2021
LB Jaelan Phillips
(I wanted to ask you about the event over at the Lotus House you participated in the other day. How was that?) – “That was incredible. So for those who don’t know, me and Duke Riley and a couple other staff members from the Dolphins went down to the Lotus House, which is a shelter for women and children in need. We went down there and basically all the kids filled out a wish list of Halloween costumes that they wanted. So we got them all their costumes and we got to hang out with them and do arts and crafts and tutoring and stuff. It was a blessing to be able to hang out with them. Kids are so impressionable at a young age and so full of joy, so it was just awesome to be able to go down there and talk to them a little bit. There were some football players and stuff, so it was a really good time.”
(Obviously you played less last week. Was the sense you got from Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer and the linebacker coaches – was it because you were limited in practice last week as opposed to gameplan stuff?) – “Yeah, that has to do with it. We also have gameplan differences every week, so you never know how it’s really going to play out. I just have to stay ready myself whenever my name is called.”
(I don’t think we had you last time you guys played the Bills, meeting Greg Rousseau on the other side. Although you guys never played on the same D-line because you were sitting out that one year – what’s it like a former teammate, rookies in the same class going up against each other on opposite sides?) – “Yeah, I mean throughout this whole journey, I’ve been incredibly proud of Greg (Rousseau). He’s an amazing kid. Really great guy. Genuine guy so I’m happy for his success regardless of whether he’s on the opposite team or whatever the situation may be. But he’s the enemy this week so got to get after it. (laughter)”
(What was that year like at Miami? DE Greg Rousseau was having this great season and then you were taking that year off to kind of rebuild your body after retirement. What were you able to take away from what he did that season?) – “It was crazy because every game goes by and you’re just like ‘oh, Greg had two sacks, Greg had a sack or whatever,’ and then at the end of the year he has 15.5 and you’re just like, ‘wow, that’s pretty impressive for a freshman.’”
(You added a couple of other Canes. I don’t know how much you know them, but S Sheldrick Redwine and RB Duke Johnson joined the team. How often were they around while you were there?) – “Sheldrick (Redwine) was around more often because he had just left in ’18 obviously. So I’ve actually talked to him a few times prior to him coming here, but it’s great to have some Canes. Both the guys are extremely hard-workers and you can already see Sheldrick, for example, running down making plays today on defense and Duke (Johnson) doing his thing, too. So it was great.”
(Were you 10 years old when RB Duke Johnson was playing at UM?) – “I don’t even know. (laughter) All I know is I see like the Canes Access and stuff will post throwback clips and I know he had one huge game. I think it was against Duke or something like that – ironically enough – but the camera quality doesn’t look like it was from anything recent. (laughter)”
(You’ve probably never seen RB Frank Gore run in college.) – “(laughter) Honestly. That’s funny.”
(Just your thoughts just seven games into your pro career how you’re doing, do you think?) – “I feel like I need to do more, to be honest with you. I definitely feel like I need to continue to improve and play better. I’m not going to keep saying, ‘oh, I’m feeling comfortable.’ I feel like I’m comfortable at this point. I just need to elevate my game. That’s all that is.”
(Do you have contact with with Bills DE Greg Rousseau these days at all?) – “We jersey swapped after the first game and I congratulated him after his pick and stuff last week. But like I said we don’t fraternize with the enemy. (laughter) No reason to talk to him right now.”
(I know gap integrity is important, but when you’re facing a quarterback like Bills QB Josh Allen who can extend and make so many plays, how important is it against a guy like that to make sure you’re being really – having that rush and gap integrity in the pass-rush game?) – “Yeah, that’s always important. Like you said, against mobile quarterbacks obviously, that’s kind of an added part of the game that you kind of have to worry about. But we’re just going to stay true to our gameplan, stay true to our assignments and play our asses off.”
