Emmanuel Ogbah – October 24, 2021 (Postgame)
Sunday, October 24, 2021
Postgame – Atlanta
DE Emmanuel Ogbah
Q: How difficult is it to suffer this loss knowing that the defense had the victory in their hands?
EMMANUEL OGBAH: It’s tough. Football is a team game, you know? When the offense is down, we got to pick them up and when we’re down, they got to pick us up. It was definitely tough. Still love the fight of this team. I know we just got to get over that hump. We’re almost there.
Q: What happened on the forced fumble? It looked like you had your eyes on the ball for a while.
EMMANUEL OGBAH: Yeah, I saw him cut back. I just knew he was going to have the ball hanging so I just immediately went straight for the ball. It happened to come out and luckily, (Nik) Needham recovered it. It was a big momentum for the team and I’m just doing my part.
Q: How difficult has it been to watch and experience the season considering it seemed like you guys were building something pretty good last year and kind of regressed as an organization?
EMMANUEL OGBAH: I would say we still have got to take it one game at a time. The season is not over for us. You never know. It’s tough. We won a lot of games last year and now we’re losing, but we just got to keep the fight on. We can’t give up now.
Tua Tagovailoa – October 24, 2021 (Postgame)
Sunday, October 24, 2021
Postgame – Atlanta
QB Tua Tagovailoa
Q: For starters – the interception in the end zone. What did you see on that play?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: It was a Cover 2. Miscommunication with me and Durham (Smythe), and I take full responsibility for that one.
Q: How do you judge your day? You had four touchdown passes, some big plays both ways really, I mean.
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I think the margin for error is slim in this league. That’s kind of what ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) has been telling us this entire week, and I think we had many opportunities to get good drives going. We just didn’t make use of those opportunities that the defense gave us.
Q: What was the week like for you? Obviously, there’s a lot swirling around out there.
TUA TAGOVAILOA: It was a normal week for me. I mean, I approached this game the same way I approach any other game.
Q: But the coaches have to sit down and talk to you about trade rumors. That doesn’t necessarily seem like a normal week even though it’s kind of been consistent all season.
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, I would say it still is a normal week. The only thing is, I really respect and appreciate his (Brian Flores) transparency, you know, with where he is at with that, but within our conversations I like to keep those private too.
Q: But you’re human. Isn’t it challenging, tough to block that out?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Not necessarily. Kind of how I answered Omar’s question. I respect what ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) does, and he is transparent. He sits me down. He tells me what’s going on. He has conversations with (Chris) Grier, and he kind of keeps me in the loop with all of those things, but yeah, that’s – I hear it, but I’m not really focused on that.
Q: There also was a challenging moment in the game when you guys got the takeaway, and then you had the interception where you, yourself, and the team could have gotten down, and, yet, you didn’t. You brought them back and had the lead. How challenging was it to go through that period and how were you able to bring the team back?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I think it’s challenging for any team to be down by two touchdowns and having to rally the troops to go back out there and continue to fight their butts off and continue to play. You know, we had a lot of time in the fourth quarter. Obviously, you know, that second interception wasn’t what we wanted off of an interception that the defense gave us, but I think that’s just the testament to the kind of guys we have in the locker room. Grit, fight and finish.
Q: There were several key scrambles today. One late in the game where you broke the tackle and gained the first down. If you recall that run, what was going through your mind on that particular play?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I was just trying to get a first down on that. We had Albert Wilson also open on that play. I couldn’t see him, so I tried to maneuver my way throughout the pocket. I think the o-line did a really good job today. I was able to step up and make some plays with my feet and also make some plays on the run throwing the ball, too.
Q: You guys last season had a lot of magic mojo ability to finish games. This season that just has not been the case. How do you get back to that?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Well, I think, you know, what we got to do is continue to work. I don’t see any other way that you look at that. I don’t think there’s a secret recipe for wins. It’s just the margin for error is slim, you know, and my two turnovers, the amount of penalties that we’ve had in this game, you know, that just doesn’t do it. We just got to continue to work on those things and move on from that.
Q: How would you gauge your progression and your growth since coming to the NFL, and what do you feel like you still need to work on to improve and have success?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Being a second year player like I’ve said before, I wish I knew the things I knew when I was a rookie and my second year I know a lot more, but I’m continuing to learn. This is just an opportunity for us to come in tomorrow to work and learn from the mistakes that we made today.
Q: As the quarterback of the team how do you balance kind of making sure guys are keeping their head up but also letting them know, ‘hey, I feel your pain, I want to win, too’?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, I mean, everyone is here for a reason. They’re all professionals. They’re all really good at their position, but I would say we just got to continue to work. It’s tough right now, but we got to learn from a lot of the mistakes that we’ve made today.
Q: It looked like you and Dan Marino had some words before the game FOX showed. Was it encouragement words to you or support, or can you share any of what (he said)?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: It’s always support from Dan (Marino), and then there’s just other things that we’ve kind of talked about that I want to keep private.
Q: Are you upset over all this trade talk, or do you say, ‘I’m a pro, this stuff happens sometimes?’
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I hear it. I do hear it. The thing is I just don’t listen to it. You know? That’s the thing. But, yeah, that’s that.
Mike Gesicki – October 24, 2021 (Postgame)
Sunday, October 24, 2021
Postgame – Atlanta
TE Mike Gesicki
Q: Another heartbreaker. I guess if you could just describe kind of the morale and you guys really put up a fight there at the end.
MIKE GESICKI: Morale is still high. We’re very close. I know, you know, people will be like, ‘are you sure you were that close?’ Yeah, we’re that close. We’ve had a couple of games now that have come down to the wire, and sometimes the ball just doesn’t bounce your way, so just got to keep going.
Q: What was Tua like in the huddle? There was a sequence when you got a takeaway and then he threw the interception. Things could have totally unraveled then, but he brought you guys back. What was he like as this was unfolding?
MIKE GESICKI: Yeah, he is the same guy. Never gets too high, never gets too low. He is confident. He knows what he is supposed to do. He goes out there and he executes at a high level, and I can’t say enough good things about him. I love playing with him and love having him back there, and bounced back great. Played a hell of a game. Played tough. You can go on and on.
Q: What’s the background, if you can, on the third-and-15 play that helped set up the go-ahead touchdown?
MIKE GESICKI: They just played that deep zone coverage. You got to read your guy who is covering the zone that you are running to. My guy kind of jumped outside. I jumped in. Gave two of my hands. (Tua) put a great ball on me. I got it, knifed and jumped forward, got a first down. That was pretty much it.
Q: How much do you watch fellow tight ends around the league, and if you do, I’m sure the guy in Atlanta is one that you watch. What makes him what he is right now?
MIKE GESICKI: During the season I don’t really watch a lot of other guys unless watching film for the opponent, but I mean, that dude’s play speaks for itself. I think he is in his sixth or seventh game, and he is out there making plays like he is, so you got to tip your hat to him. He obviously — he knows how good he can be, and you can’t say enough good things about him either.
Brian Flores – October 22, 2021
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Friday, October 22, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(It was reported today that Quarterbacks Coach Charlie Frye actually called the plays in the first four games. I know that you’re going to say that we’ve talked about this before but I just want to make sure we get the bottom line on what exactly his role was. We know now that Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey is giving the plays to the quarterback. You’ve previously said that Charlie gets the call and gives it to the quarterback in the initial system. My question is please clarify for us, was Charlie Frye the primary final-say play-caller in the first four games?) – “I understand the question. Our focus is on Atlanta right now. We’ve kind of talked at length about the situation. It’s always been a collaborative effort. It was that earlier in the year. It’s that now. We talked about the process early in the year. That changed to what the process is now. We’ll kind of leave it at that and just kind of move forward. Our focus is on Atlanta and today’s practice, and preparation for that. Really, we’re just looking forward. It’s always been a collaborative effort. It always will be a collaborative effort. We’ll leave it at that.”
(I know that you’re saying that your focus on Atlanta but just the other elephant in the room. There are reports out of Houston that trade talks between you guys and the Texans for Deshaun Watson have started again or have continued this week. Is there any truth to that or is there anything you can comment about that?) – “I don’t really get into rumors. Tua is our quarterback. We’re happy with our quarterback situation and I’ll leave it at that, which I’ve said multiple times.”
(With this situation, a head coach’s job and responsibility is to minimize distractions. Obviously this thing has lingered for quite a while. Considering the team is on a five-game losing streak, aren’t you concerned about the distraction that this could potentially cause? Not just for this Sunday, but for next Sunday before the trade deadline?) – “I really don’t see it as a distraction. I think our players are kind of blocking out all the stuff that’s gone on outside of our building. That’s what I’ve seen here in the building and meetings and practice. And yeah, I think our focus is on Atlanta and that’s really where our focus should be.”
(Specific to QB Tua Tagovailoa what are you doing, what are your coaches doing, what is the staff doing to try to ensure that the reports about continued trade discussions do not negatively impact his psyche?) – “I think his preparation, the way he practices and the way he performs has been good. I thought he played very well last week. I thought he was out for a few games and he came back and played I thought very well last week. I think his psyche is in a good place. He’s a confident kid. He’s a tough kid. And really, he’s played in two games this year so he should have a lot of confidence in the way he’s played. We have a lot of confidence in him because of the way he’s played and we just – our focus is on Atlanta and trying for him to play well again and our team to play well again.”
(Do you talk to guys often about what to do with noise? When you’re winning, Nick Saban calls it rat poison. When you’re losing, everybody on social media has got an opinion on everything and you can’t fully insulate players from that obviously. Do you issue periodic reminders, read the stuff, don’t read the stuff, don’t believe the stuff, focus on what’s within these walls or is it just assumed by now that that’s what a player is supposed to do?) – “I think it’s assumed. I think it’s not just our team. It’s the world really. I think there’s always someone writing about something – positive, negative, opinions, positive opinions, negative opinions. I think our players understand that. That’s part of being a professional athlete, a coach in college or these professional leagues, whatever sport – basketball, hockey, baseball. That kind of comes with the territory. I think we all understand that, but our focus is on the task right in front of you. So today’s practice, today’s walkthrough, today’s preparation, in preparation for this weekend’s game. That’s where our guys are. I think they’ve done a good job of that. It’s a resilient group. I pretty much say that every day and I really believe that. I think their minds are in the right place.”
(What kind of sense do you feel you have about where QB Tua Tagovailoa’s career is headed after his resume to this point, which is 12 pro starts?) – “I think he’s developing. I think this kid is smart. I think he’s tough. I think he’s talented. I think he’s accurate. I think he definitely has an opportunity to be a very good player. But there’s a lot that goes into that. A lot of work from him, a lot of work from us. It doesn’t just happen overnight. He knows that. We know that. There’s always bumps in the road for anyone in any career or any profession. I’m sure you’ve had your own bumps in the road. And you have to work through those, work through that adversity and you become better for it. He’s already dealt with adversity with the hip (injury). He’s overcome it and I think he definitely has a chance to be a very good NFL player.”
(Are the five guys who missed the game Sunday because of injuries on track to at least have a chance to play this Sunday?) – “They’ve got a chance, yeah. They’ve got a chance – Byron (Jones), ‘X’ (Xavien Howard), (Adam) Shaheen, Preston (Williams) and DeVante (Parker). All five have a chance. Today’s practice is going to give us a lot on those guys. But they’re all doing everything they can do to get back as quickly as possible and hopefully they do well today. We’ve still got a couple of days before the game.”
(We talked a lot about this Wednesday. It’s obviously an unusual week with the schedule and with the travel. Are things where you’d hope they would be in terms of things you have to check off the list this week?) – “I think so. I thought it was a good practice yesterday. There was good energy. Guys moved around well. I think we’re back into a normal week routine. I woke up this morning and told my wife I was landing in London a week ago. It was 10 o’clock there or 9:30 there. It’s good to be home and in a normal routine.”
(You’re obviously working in practice as you say every day but talking about social media about the status of the team with this losing streak, what are your conversations like with the guys? Obviously with the talk of trading for a quarterback, how are your talks with the guys? Not about the football side, but about the mental side and the mental strength that maybe this team has been lacking in those games they lost?) – “Those conversations, I wouldn’t say there is a lot of them. Our guys are pretty focused on what’s in front of us. I know it’s nearly impossible to not read whatever is on social media, but I think they do a good job of ignoring most of the stuff outside of our building and listening to what our coaches is saying and trying to communicate with one another. I think it’s a mentally tough team. I think they’re sticking together. I think they are mentally tough. We’re just rearing for another opportunity to get out there and play against a tough team and try to turn it around.”
(What are some of the ways you feel that you, General Manager Chris Grier, and the entire organization have supported QB Tua Tagovailoa since he became a Dolphin?) – “I think it’s no different than we support any other player that we bring in. We try to get to know him, try to find out the best ways to teach, try to figure out strengths, weaknesses and build on the strengths and build on the weaknesses as well. I think we try to support every player and Tua is no different from that standpoint. To me, that’s what coaching is about. It’s about trying to help each player become the best version of themselves. That’s on the field, that’s off the field. I think all of that is a part of being the best possible player, possible coach, whatever it is that you can be. There is a lot that goes into that. I don’t think it’s just one technique, one fundamental, a play call. I think there is a lot that goes into that, supporting each individual player. I think that’s the job is to do everything we can possibly do to help each player reach their optimal level. I think we do that for every player and Tua no different.”
(The Falcons are the only offense in the NFL to run 50 plays out of four personnel groupings. How does that versatility and the way they can challenge your sub packages, what kind of challenges does that present to you guys on Sunday?) – “They are very versatile. They have a lot of different groupings and they do a good job in each one of those groupings. They create matchups or try to create matchups or mismatches. They are balanced. They do a nice job really across the board offensively, defensively and in the kicking game.”
(In regards to the defense in general – and I know you’re involved – have you made it a point or do you care to say that you have or have not made it a point to be even more involved in the defensive planning, strategy, all of that stuff this week?) – “I’m always involved. I’m always involved really across the board. With thoughts in the kicking game, thoughts offensively, thoughts defensively. Matchups I think we can try to take advantage of. Matchups I think we may need to help a guy, whatever phase it is. I try to stay involved in all three phases.”
(I wanted to ask you about S Eric Rowe. I think that Eric had a pretty decent season last year with a couple exceptions against some very good tight ends. This year he’s been in a platoon situation. Where is he from a confidence standpoint and a getting the job done assignment-wise standpoint?) – “I think his confidence is high, as it should be. He’s a good player. Every week is a little bit different as far as matchups, as far as how we are going to attack defensively. We’ve got a good group of safeties. We’ve got some young players there, some veteran players, got some guys who do a few different things well. Trying to get them all in has turned the whole thing into basically a matchup/grouping. You’re in these two or three groupings, and you guys are in these two or three groupings. Specific to Eric, I think he’s a good player. He’s done a lot of good things in this league and we’re going to need him.”
(You have so many safeties coming in and out of the game. I know you are a package-based team. That’s universal for everybody. But with the safeties, they are solely responsible for the back-end communication in the secondary. How much does that put a strain on that? Considering you have not played to the level you guys have played last year.) – “Well, I think communication is always critical regardless of who is in there. I think you have to have that communication and that’s always at the forefront for safeties, linebackers. But more often than not in those packages, there is always at least one guy who is in the majority of the time. That may be by game or – really more often or not, it’s by game. Whether it’s always (Jason) McCourty in there or it’s always (Jevon) Holland in there. There is always one particular guy – unless there is an injury – that’s in there and kind of handling the majority of that communication. We try to keep that the same and that will always be the case. But between that person, Jerome Baker who is in the game most of the time, we need to do a better job of our communication. But yeah, it’s definitely a priority.”
Jaylen Waddle – October 21, 2021
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Thursday, October 21, 2021
WR Jaylen Waddle
(You know QB Tua Tagovailoa better than a lot of these guys because you go back with him. It’s kind of hard for most of us, definitely us, to ignore the Houston QB Deshaun Watson talk. How much of that is a distraction to this team and how much of that do you see impacting Tua?) – “Honestly not really. I think the days here go by just regular. Everybody is just focused on the game, to be honest. Not rumors of some sort. I think everybody is just focused on playing the game and winning.”
(Two of your three touchdown catches this year came on those flat routes where you found the front pylon of the end zone. I was just curious of your process, when you catch the ball with your back turned to the defense, what’s your goal there? Try to find that pylon? It seems difficult but you seem very good at doing it.) – “Just getting there, really and truly. That’s all I be thinking about is just making sure I’m getting there and ball security, of course. Just a few things, making sure I come up with the ball honestly.”
(Do you have a sense of where the defender is when you make that catch because you are kind of blind to him or do you feel it?) – “Yeah, I’ve got a good idea of where they are just based on the coverage and where the ball is placed. I think a lot goes into it, just where the ball is at and where I catch it at.”
(Did you imagine your first year you were going to start with the record that the Dolphins have now? And how do you change the page to move forward in the season?) – “You know there is going to be adversity, of course, just coming into it. I think we are a young team. I think we are talented team. Just going about it every week, just trying to get better and just focus on the next game and try to get better every week and every day.”
(You didn’t lose five games total during your time at Alabama. How has that been to adjust from not winning all the time like you’re used to?) – “Honestly, I just go about it as it is a new challenge every day. Same thing as winning. Weeks just go by and I’m just trying to get better and help the team out for us to be successful on Sunday.”
(What are you learning about NFL defenses and the different ways that they try to cover you, and in particular, limit your ability to make downfield plays? What have you noticed about the NFL schemes?) – “I think everybody just stays true to their zones and know exactly where their help is and things like that. There’s not going to be a lot of mental errors in the NFL, but you should know that going into it. Everyone knows their job and where the help is and things like that.”
(I know you’re probably still faster than almost everyone else on the field, but have you noticed that the gap is not quite as big as maybe it was at times in college?) – “Yeah, I think everyone is just fast, the game. Everyone is here for a reason and everyone is a really good player.”
Emmanuel Ogbah – October 21, 2021
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Thursday, October 21, 2021
DE Emmanuel Ogbah
(We saw you had pretty good joint practices when the Falcons were here a few weeks back. How can that kind of benefit you seeing these guys on the game day field?) – “They’re a different team. They improve every week. They do a lot of good things and we’ve just got to do a good job stopping the run, rushing the passer well this week. We’re definitely going to use some film during joint practices, but they’re a different team now so we’ll see.”
(I’m assuming – I guess I’ll bring it up – we saw that there was a Twitter exchange that was sent to you and you posted it and it became public and the student was reprimanded or is in the process of being reprimanded. One, how did that tweet impact you and two, when you shared it with the world, what did you hope would be the end result?) – “When I first saw the DM – it was actually on Instagram – when I saw the DM, it was definitely after a tough loss and seeing that pissed me off. It’s not the first time I’ve gotten messages like that, but I just wanted to show the world that you can’t do that. We’re all human. You can’t come at a person like that, especially I know you can’t come to my face like that, so I just wanted to show the world you can’t do that and then I realized I didn’t want it to be a distraction for this team, so that’s the only reason why I deleted the tweet. I just wanted to show those keyboard warriors, you can’t really do that. We’re still humans at the end of the day.”
(Do you think we’re making progress or regressing in that direction as a society?) – “I don’t know what to say about that. I know I strive to be a better human every day and I just hope the world strives to be better as a society because we’re all the same. We all bleed the same, we’re just different colors. That’s all.”
(Do you think social media platforms should do more because we’ve seen not only in American football but in football – for example, Premier League players have been receiving a lot of abuse online also. Do you think social media platforms need to do more?) – “I think we just need to stand together as one. If you see your friend or somebody you know doing that, say something. Don’t just ignore it just because that’s your buddy or your family member. Just say something about it because it affects everybody.”
(From a defensive standpoint, obviously you’re one of the veteran players on this team and you were one of the top players last year. What do you guys say to kind of stop the bleeding and get this thing headed in the right direction?) – “I mean we’re almost right there. We’re almost right there. We’ve just got to keep pushing and we’re going to turn it around. I know it’s going to take some work, but we’re going to do the best we can to turn this thing around because if you watch the games, we’re always in there. We’re almost winning games, but we just need that something just to get us there.”
(Did you feel that the effort that you guys put making Jacksonville go backwards, was that moment that was going to turn it for you guys?) – “I mean it’s a football game. It’s a matter of inches. We thought we did something and they came out and kicked a 54-yarder, so who would have known. But like I said, we’ve got to keep fighting every week. Can’t give up. I love the fight of this team.”
(There was a lot of talk before the season about how you’ve got to start fast, you’ve got to start fast, and how you’ve kind of learned your lesson from last year and how the slow start costs you in the end. Where do you think you are six games into the season? At what point does it become like almost too late to turn things around? Where’s the sense of urgency?) – “I mean we’ve still got 11 games left so it’s not too late. We can still turn this thing around. Like I said, come to practice every day ready to work. Just got to push each other at practice. You’ve got to be better every day. You’ve got to go watch extra film. Just got to be the best you can be for yourself to just help the team win.”
(Some people maybe in this room even operate better under a deadline or their back against the ball. At 1-5, it seems like y’all’s back is against the wall. Do you think you’re the type of team that can wake up in that circumstance?) – “Yes. All we can do is fight forward now. We’ve already got our backs against the wall so all we can do is move forward.”
Nik Needham – October 21, 2021
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Thursday, October 21, 2021
CB Nik Needham
(How beneficial – obviously we’ve seen CB Byron Jones and CB Xavien Howard back at practice the past two days. How beneficial would it be to get them back especially against a skilled group of receivers on like Falcons TE Kyle Pitts and Falcons WR Calvin Ridley on the other side?) – “It would be great because ‘X’ and Byron are some of the best in the league at what they do. To have that presence and veteran presence back out there would be great. Definitely this week. Like you said, they have some explosive receivers. Just to handle them, that will be good.”
(The way that they move Falcons TE Kyle Pitts around, do you think there’s any chance that you might have to matchup on him?) – “I’m not sure. If it comes up there on the ball and I happen to be in there and we call a man call and Pitts is right there, then I might be on him but there’s no matchup plans for me to be on him. Like I said, we’ll see if it happens in the game.”
(You aren’t a tight end lock down corner?) – “(laughter) I’ve guarded tight ends before. I believe I can guard tight ends and lock them down. If I’m in that position, I’m going to do my best and do that.”
(How do you think you guys held up without CB Xavien Howard and CB Byron Jones last game? You, CB Justin Coleman and CB Noah Igbinoghene?) – “I think we did pretty well, guys stepped up and competed. We’ve just got to go out there and do it again this week with whoever is out there. We don’t know who’s going to be out there but whoever’s out there, we got to go out there and handle business.”
(How would you describe the mood of the players this week?) – “It’s tough being on a five-game losing streak. We’re not about to sit here and just sit here and mope and cry around. I think we’ve been on each other’s ass a little more and just trying to up the tempo and the urgency a little more because we have to do whatever we need to do to get a W this weekend. You can see that in practice today. People were more on each other’s asses trying to make sure everybody gets everything right.”
(You’ve been very transparent about some of your struggles that rookie season when you had the ups and downs. How would you compare that personal, individual adversity, to when your team is struggling right now on a five-game losing streak?) – “I guess you could take the same mindset as a team, see what you did wrong and then work even harder. Even when things are tough, you don’t want to just, ‘Alright, I’m going to just give up.’ You’ve got to do extra work, extra film or whatever you need to do. Get out to practice a little earlier. Because all the little things add up and can help make one big play that you want to make on the weekend. We all do that little stuff and get out there a little earlier, stay a little later after practice and we all take that mindset. I feel like that can benefit the team as well.”
Zach Sieler – October 21, 2021
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Thursday, October 21, 2021
DT Zach Sieler
(I remember last year the team was at the top or near the top in turnovers. Obviously you got a few big plays in the last game with the fumble and the LB Jerome Baker tackle. Specifically about turnovers, how do you feel the emphasis has been and the success rate this year compared to last year?) – “I think the emphasis is still there. It’s still a goal of the defense every week. We strive to get turnovers. We’ve just got to keep working it and keep getting better and when the opportunity presents itself, make the most of it.”
(What role do you feel turnovers played in the tremendous success you guys had overall last season?) – “It always helps. It helps the ebbs and flows of the game. You shut the offense down, you get a turnover, that is no score. That’s a huge play. We’ve just got to keep working to get those plays and get more of them.”
(At any point did you consider picking that ball up and trying to go the other way?) – “No. I didn’t know who was around. I just knew the ball was on the ground and I wanted to make sure I covered it up and get the ball back to the offense.”
(I wanted to ask you about leadership. You’ve been here now for three seasons. You’ve seen the ebbs and flows – actually you showed up late in 2019. I think they were winning when you showed up. You weren’t here for the 0-7 start. How much are leaders responsible for stepping up and speaking up to not have all of the burden on the coaching staff for what’s going on?) – “The coaches can only do so much and they are doing all they can to coach us and motivate us and do that. At the end of the day, it comes down to the peers in the locker room, the leaders in the locker room. We’ve just got to make sure we step up and really focus on what we need to focus on – the task at hand each week. We’ve got to keep just honing in on that.”
(I’m curious because Head Coach Brian Flores and the coaches say we practice well every week and then it doesn’t translate to the game. What is the missing thing?) – “I think we’ve just got to keep our heads together and keep working together as a team, and just focus on that. That’s where we need to come together and start turning this around.”
(If I can go back to the fumble recovery real quick. Did anybody give you a hard time on the sideline for not picking it up and running with it?) – “Not during the game. But as soon as I got into the locker room, my fiancé called me and asked me why I didn’t pick it up. (laughter) But other than that, no. She was getting after me. (laughter)”
(How would you describe the mood of the players this week?) – “I think we’ve had good energy. I think we came back from London and I think we bounced back from that good. The guys are getting sleep. We’re starting to come back and adapt to this time zone again. It’s been a good week of energy in practice.”
(How challenging is it to have a game right after the London game?) – “I think the biggest thing is getting back on your schedule. I know for me, my eating schedule was all messed up. I’m just forcing myself to wake up usually when I would’ve woken up beforehand, and not sleeping in or sleeping in and not staying up late. However that works.”
(Back to DT Christian Wilkins on that big play. It seems he’s progressing each year of his career. What have you seen from him this year that makes him more productive in his third season?) – “He’s worked on his technique a lot. I’m sure you guys see that and see how his progression is with his hands, his feet and his vision and reading the offensive players. That’s something I think has been a huge thing for him this year. He’s been doing really well at that.”
(Do you guys work on that together during practice?) – “Yeah, we do. We work on that all the time.”
(Was Defensive Line Coach Austin Clark a guy that worked with you individually some last year? Or was that not his focus to help some of the line play, the pass rushers and things? Who helped you when you got here?) – “When I first got here it was Marion Hobby. He was here. Then last year it was Hobby and Clark. It was really 50/50. They both gave their input and gave their technique and helped coach us. They did a great job together.”
(I’m curious about Defensive Line Coach Austin Clark. What about his approach is helpful to the guys?) – “He does a really good job of explaining techniques and what exactly he wants. There is not a lot of gray area. You see this, this is how he wants it point blank. He’s very good at that and he’s very good at getting to different players and teaching different players how different players play. Every guy plays different. I’m going to play different than Raekwon (Davis) and Raekwon is going to play different than Christian (Wilkins) and so forth.”
(I think the Dolphins were 2-1 in the three games you played at the end of the 2019 season. What do you remember about the team you joined at the end of the season?) – “I think just coming together as a team and really working together on the team camaraderie. I know we had that last year and I think we’re getting that this year.”
