Albert Wilson – October 7, 2021
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Thursday, October 7, 2021
WR Albert Wilson
(What’s the story behind your shirt?) – “My foundation. Every child deserves a chance, every child deserves a home. Just giving children opportunity. It’s not their fault they’re in that situation. Just try to raise awareness for foster kids and try to put the word out there to have parents become foster parents if it’s something in their heart.”
(Have you considered that, becoming a foster parent?) – “Yeah. Me and my wife talk about it all the time. We are trying to find a way to make that life fit ours, or adoption. We are in between the two but we definitely want to be able up a home to a person that is unfortunate to not have their own.”
(Looking back on your wedding, I don’t really have a question, but y’all look like you had an amazing time at your wedding.) – “(laughter) For sure. It was great. It was a dream come true for the both of us and we are excited we were able to do it.”
(I know you and WR Jakeem Grant Sr. are really close. The high-five on that play always comes to mind. How is it losing a friend like Jakeem but still happy for the opportunity he has?) – “Ah, man. It’s tough but it’s part of the business. Guys come and go. Fortunately enough he gets another opportunity somewhere else. When I talked to him, I just told him to continue to do what he does. Every opportunity that comes, he’s got to make the best of it. Just happy he still can play the game.”
(Where are you in your return game? It’s been a minute, right?) – “Yeah, but it’s all opportunity. Once the ball gets in my hands, I know what to do with it. It’s all the same.”
(How do you assess your season? It’s been kind of all over the board. How do you assess it?) – “Just trying to get back in the swing of things. Just trying to be there when they need me. Trying to be available for the quarterback. It’s definitely not as I planned it coming back, but it’s a long season and we definitely got a lot of work to do. I think everybody on the team, including myself, is willing to put that work in.”
(Adam Gase maximized you for that first season, using you in different ways that were really effective. Have you and Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey and Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville talked about maybe expanding the way you’re used? Have you gone back to tape of that year just to maximize your abilities again?) – “We move a lot of guys around. I think a lot of guys, besides myself, can be in that role of moving around. That’s what makes our offense exciting. We are just trying to feel it out and get the job done. Whatever they ask me to do, I’m going to be willing to do it.”
(Did you have any interactions with QB Jacoby Brissett growing up in that same area?) – “Not really. Fort Pierce wasn’t too big on sports itself. My class was the first class to kind of get the juices going. Now, there’s like 7-on-7 team that goes and experiences the whole country. But back then, when I was playing, I didn’t really get outside of the city.”
(What is it like setting the tone for your area? I guess it wasn’t that big.) – “It was great. It’s a blessing. A lot of people look up to what I’m doing. I’m happy I can be a role model for them. I give back every chance I can and get a camp going. To see the kids that were at my first camp to being ranked in the nation and stuff like that and getting offers to colleges is a blessing. I‘m happy to do what I can for them.”
(Physically, how are you feeling?) – “Physically, great. Earlier, I had a little muscle issue but I finally knocked that. I finally got my legs back under me so I feel really good.”
(Where you healthy in Las Vegas? Did being inactive catch you off guard?) – “That’s all a coach’s decision. Like I said, whatever they’re willing to do, I’m just here trying to help the team win. If that’s what they feel, that’s what I’m going with.”
Durham Smythe – October 7, 2021
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Thursday, October 7, 2021
TE Durham Smythe
(While not giving away any strategy, obviously, what has been the message from Co-Offensive Coordinator/TEs George Godsey and Co-Offensive Coordinator/RBs Eric Studesville this week about what needs to change primarily?) – “I think above everything else, it’s just being consistent. You can pick and choose things that you want to see improved as an offense overall, whether it’s more big plays, things like that or running the ball better. But you have to put yourself in a position to do that so if you’re not successful on first and second down, everyone knows you are going to throw the ball down the field on third-and-13 or something like that. I think it’s about putting yourself in better positions to be able to do these things. A lot of those things, whether it’s running the ball more efficiently or more chunk plays, they’ll come.”
(You were on this team last year that started 1-3. It’s a similar situation and you turned things around a little bit. Do you draw from that? I know you guys speak one week at a time but can you draw from that, that you’ve been here before and turned a season around?) – “Yeah, I think so, to a degree. Every year the team is new and it’s a different team. At the same time, I think last year, what happened was we were doing the same things but things started to click. Once they did, we went on a little bit of a run and being on a team that did something like that, we know it’s possible. It comes back to what I said originally, if we can be more on top of things and more consistent, things will start to click and hopefully we can go on a little bit of a run.”
(I think the Buccaneers are ranked first in the NFL, and I know it’s early, but they’re obviously good at run defense. What do you think makes them good at run defense?) – “It’s a combination of a lot of things. The personnel they have are pretty incredible. It’s one of the better front sevens in the NFL, if not the best, in terms of just actual players, and then (Todd) Bowles does a lot of things. He’s multiple with the fronts, with the pressures, with the coverages. When you combine those two things, it makes a lot of sense that they’re difficult to run the ball on and just an overall good defense.”
(You’ve known Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey for a couple years now. How has he taken on this new responsibility that he has with the team? How have you seen him react to it and take the challenge head-on?) – “He’s always tried to put himself in a position of, not leadership but being knowledgeable about the entire process on offense, dating back to three years ago when he was just the tight ends coach. In terms of that, nothing much has changed. It’s kind of like a guy that’s a backup for us right now, he prepares every week as the starter. He’s kind of done that same, or at least in a similar fashion as a coach. Not much has changed on that front. He’s going to continue to be the guy that he is and hopefully we can get things clicking here.”
(Is there any ability that the players have under this unique co-coordinators system – aside from quarterbacks, but players of your position, running backs and receivers – to suggest plays or things for the gameplan? Is that something that is an option for players this year that wasn’t? Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville is saying that all the coaches contribute to the gameplan with multiple coordinators. Can players do that?) – “Well, I guess the simple answer is no, other than the quarterbacks. But at the same time, if you see something and you relay that, it’s not like they’re going to immediately shoot it down. If you came with a whiteboard and drew up a play and you’re like, ‘We need to run this,’ you’re probably not going to get that immediately. But if you see a tendency or something like that and you see a matchup of whatever it maybe, they definitely will take that into consideration, especially if you relay it to a quarterback. Obviously they’re in the room when they’re making those calls.”
(Could there be a case to be made – and I know it’s not your decision – to play up-tempo more? Obviously you’ve had success late in games doing that, albeit against looser defenses when you’ve been trailing the last two weeks. Could a case be made to play up-tempo more early?) – “There’s a lot of moving parts with that and you hit it on the head. We’ve been efficient when we’ve done that in the last few weeks but at the same time, you’re right, it’s at the end of the game when they’re playing off-Cover 4 and things like that where it’s a looser zone. At the same time, we have been efficient. In years past, we have worked in going up-tempo then slowing it down. Obviously it’s not my call and we have been efficient when we’ve done it. I think that’s just something that we will use here and there, like we kind of have the last two years and we will see how that goes.”
Jevon Holland – October 7, 2021
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Thursday, October 7, 2021
S Jevon Holland
(How would you assess how the first four games for you have gone in your first NFL season? Are you happy with where you’re at progress-wise?) – “Yeah, it’s exciting. I didn’t really have an image of how the first quarter of the season was going to go. I was just going to go out there and try to support the team as much as possible. I feel like I’m doing that. I feel like I’m getting better. The more experience, the better things get. I’m looking forward to the next game.”
(In terms of making all of the calls, if you’re out there and have to do that, are you totally comfortable with that aspect of an NFL playbook in terms of making calls as a safety would?) – “Yeah.”
(What has surprised you about basic NFL offenses compared to when you were at Oregon facing college offenses?) – “I think NFL offenses, the aspect of them going to the sideline and changing the plays and then coming back and attacking our defenses, I think that’s – I like football, so it fascinates me that they’re able to make in-game adjustments just like that. And then us too, making in-game adjustments. I think that part for me is really exciting.”
(Does it require more of you maybe during the week in terms of film study and just kind of being more mentally prepared for whatever game plan might be thrown your way?) – “Yeah, definitely. I felt challenged to really hone-in on film study, paying attention. I talked to somebody a long time ago about Bobby Wagner and how he is always in the film room, always paying attention, always looking at the little details. I try to do that as much as possible to try to get the advantage.”
(I was just curious, how much film study did you personally do or did you do at Oregon? I’ve talked to some former college players when they come to the NFL as rookies and they’re like ‘we didn’t really do too much. We just kind of came for game week and we had a gameplan and we tried to practice and whatnot.’ But how much film study did you do?) – “We did a lot of film study. Coach Keith Heyward, he’s at Cal now but he was my safeties coach (at Oregon) and (Mario) Cristobal. They were great on really making sure that we knew what we wanted to do, knew the gameplan and things like that. Everybody had iPads. We could watch game film at home. I lived with two other safeties and a running back, so we always did like film study together – both sides of the ball.”
(LB Jaelan Phillips made an interesting point earlier in the week. He said I’m 22 years old and QB Tom Brady has played in the NFL for 22 years. It kind of put things in perspective. Do you have any memories or recollections as a youngster sort of watching him?) – “I’m 21 so he’s been in the league for as long as I’ve been born. (laughter) Since I’ve been watching football, Tom Brady has been the top quarterback in the league, so to be able to go out there on the field and play against him I think is pretty dope. But yeah, trying to game plan and whatnot, he’s Tom Brady. I’m excited.”
(QB Tom Brady is obviously 44 or so years old. What stands out to you about what makes him special?) – “I’m not going to get into any detail of anything like that but just know that when I’m watching the film, I’m just like there’s a reason why he’s the No. 1 quarterback for the whole gist or the whole board. He covers all of the boxes.”
(You really perked up just talking about that. Would a pass deflection or an interception against QB Tom Brady, they would have a little bit more special meaning, I would assume, for you?) – “I feel like in the league, getting an interception anywhere would be lovely. But Tom Brady is like the greatest quarterback of all-time. (laughter) It’s going to be fun. I’m excited, definitely.”
(Have you talked to your teammates about what it’s like going up against him and what to expect for? What are some of the things that they’ve said to you?) – “Yeah, he’s going to demand the best out of us. We’ve got to go out there and play our best game and support each other and stay on top of things. That’s really what it’s going to come down to.”
(I know the snap totals can vary from week to week based on opponent matchup and packages and things like that. What have the coaches said to you relative to last week you not getting too many defensive snaps?) – “Nothing. You just go out there and play. When I get the chance, I’m going to go out there and support my team. That’s basically what it comes down to. Snap count or not, I’m not really tripping. I’m just here to help the Dolphins.”
(You mentioned your coach at Oregon – who has Miami roots, Mario Cristobal – the best qualities of him as a coach were what?) – “His passion for each player. I really think that he truly cares about each player and wants us to uphold the culture that he’s established, which ultimately makes us better men, not just football players. I think that’s one of his best qualities.”
(You said you lived with [two] safeties and a running back at Oregon. Did you learn much about the other side of the ball living with the running back?) – “So I’ll tell you the names. I lived with Verone McKinley III, who is one of my best friends. Steve Stephens, also one of my best friends. And then KJ Maduike. So KJ played running back. I didn’t really try to go into the Oregon offensive scheme but he did tell me like ‘this is block protection’ or things like that, that I didn’t know. So he helped me out with that.”
(Do you think that impacts how you play your position? Does understanding what the offense is trying to do help?) – “Yeah, for sure. And vice versa, too. If you know the other side, then you can kind of predict what they’re going to do and things like that. But you still have to be able to read your keys and react.”
Austin Jackson – October 7, 2021
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Thursday, October 7, 2021
T Austin Jackson
(How do you think last week went?) – “We didn’t win so it was not good. Pretty much at the end of the day, there’s no glory points to take away from not winning. That’s what we get up and do all that we do for. We put in 12 hour days so at the end of the day if we don’t win, it doesn’t really matter.”
(Obviously specifically to your play, how do you think it went?) – “I did some good things. There’s definitely some things I could do better at. As a unit, too, we definitely did some good things and definitely did some things we could be better at. But if you don’t win, it’s different.”
(When you see plays that maybe don’t go your way in games, are there things that you kind of key up on or are there things that you kind of see for the future that you know maybe you can keep an eye out for this or can keep it in your notepad for next time? Things that can help you improve?) – “Definitely. I’m on my second notebook this year already. I take notes. It’s something I’ve been working at since I was 12 years old and it’s not going to stop. I figure if I’m here it’s because it’s never going to stop for me. The only way is up. I think that along with my position group, we’re all kind of the same type of ‘we’re going to get it right’ guys. The only thing we know is to work harder when we get into situations like this. And work smarter.”
(What’s the note-taking process like that?) – “It’s a lot of different things. You have scouting. You have to scout the defense. You have to see who your nickels are, who your Stars are, what safeties they like to rotate down and out. They’ve got some guys that like to come in in sub packages to play different rush positions, whereas in normal base downs, they’d be coverage guys. That’s one part. Then also, you have your technique that you work with you coaches and stuff like that. You take that from them. Then you have your assignments, which you get from coaches too, which you need to handle.”
(How do you prevent the start that you’ve had as a player and then as a unit from chipping away at your confidence?) – “I don’t get the question. Can you explain it for me?”
(Confidence-wise, where are you?) – “I’m very confident. I’m very confident in myself and in my team. It’s the National Football League. Obviously we come in here and we work every day and we want to win. There’s no excuse for not winning at the end of the day. But confidence wise, every person we play put their pants on the same way we do. We know that we can fix things and we can be better. We’ve won games before. We obviously know there’s stuff that needs to be done and we’re doing it – like the process of doing it. Yeah, I think our confidence is good.”
(With this team, you guys started out with the identical 1-3 start last season and then turned it around. What, in your mind, was the key to turning it around?) – “Last year was a long time ago. A big thing for us turning it around, really I think we just kind of settled down a little bit. We became a little more focus-oriented on the little things and what we do. You’ve got 11 people on the field trying to get one goal. But if all 11 pieces aren’t lined up how they should be, it makes it harder. So I think just as a unit, we come together. Then also individually, we all focus more. I think that’s what is going to be the focus to some Ws.”
(In pass protection, has Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre made any change from how Steve Marshall taught you? Have you made any technical adjustments in pass protection?) – “Yeah, there’s some different stuff there.”
(Is it an adjustment at all?) – “An adjustment how? Like obviously when you have to do something different, it’s always an adjustment. So yeah, it was an adjustment just because they’re two different coaches.”
(I guess some people wonder with all of the turnover of offensive line coaches here, does that impact the players much in terms of at your position, it seems significant in terms of having to learn a technique with a new coach once. I know you wouldn’t make excuses or would not blame that for anything, but is that a reasonable explanation for perhaps anyone’s struggles on the offensive line? One of several factors.) – “I don’t think they pay me to answer that question at all. (laughter) So I don’t think I can. But I do know as a player, one thing I can do is focus on what I do. No matter what’s being told, it’s like you’ve got a job and you’ve got to do it. That’s like a ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) or Chris Grier question. (laughter)”
(On your run blocking, we saw the great block on the RB Malcolm Brown TD run a couple of weeks ago. Are you happy with that part of your game, your run blocking?) – “Oh, yeah. Run blocking is fun. I think going back to college, we would just line it up and hit all practice – in high school. It was fun. I think kind of making the adjustment to an NFL offensive tackle is – when you play 10-year professionals, you’ve got to get your professional technique up. That’s something I have fun doing and getting better at every day. Run blocking is fun.”
(I wanted to ask you about RPOs. Is RPO run blocking a lot different than regular run blocking from the standpoint that in RPO run blocking, you can’t really be super aggressive. You have to be basically one yard downfield. You can’t just tee off on somebody.) – “Yeah, it’s a little tricky. It’s a little tricky. If you remember, I had a down-the-field call a couple of games back on an RPO. It’s definitely – I don’t want to say more passive. You just have to be smarter about it. You have to try to sustain your blocks long enough to give the quarterback time. If he needs to throw the ball, you’ve got to make sure he has enough time to throw it without being downfield. Versus if it’s a run, you’ve got to take care of the down linemen first before you get to the second level because if you’re in the second level too soon, that’s when penalties start coming out and stuff like that.”
(How do you know it’s a run play if it’s happening behind you in those situations?) – “It’s hard. You’ve got to be on your toes. With a lot of offensive line play, you’ve got to be on your toes. You’ve got to think fast. But that’s what we practice for. We practice, we study, the coaches are available. There’s always an adjustment or something you can do.”
(There’s a lot of versatile guys on this line. You’ve been pretty steady as the left tackle since you’ve been here. Do you feel you also have versatility at different positions if ever called upon?) – “Oh, yeah. I definitely think I could play anywhere. I think I could play guard, center, tackle. I love to play football. Offensive line play is something I’ve been around for a long time. If you ask any receiver if they could move around, I’m sure they all could. I think offensive linemen are the same way. Any offensive linemen – you’ve got short tackles, you’ve got tall tackles, you’ve got short guards, you’ve got tall guards. Anybody can move around. It’s about the mental.”
(Center, too?) – “Center too. Mental. There’s a lot of centers that can move out to tackle though, too. Michael Deiter did his freshman year. I know you guys remember that. I remember seeing that and it was crazy. (laughter)”
(Did he tell you that?) – “I watch a lot of film so I remember going back and I was like ‘Whoa!’ I didn’t expect that.”
(Overall, when the offensive linemen gather in their room, what is the general feeling for the level of performance you’ve put up so far and the level of performance that you’re capable of moving forward?) – “Overall, like I said earlier, when we’re not winning, we’re not accomplishing our goal. So I think first and foremost, we’re not accomplishing our goal and instead of getting into the finger-pointing game that a lot of people can get into, it’s more so there’s obviously things we can do better to help our team out and help everybody out. That’s pretty much the vibe, I would say. I know for me personally, there’s some plays I wish I could take back and do way differently now but it’s in the past now. The best thing I can do is just not make the same mistake again.”
(Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre was having a conversation with a reporter and he talked about the difference between a question and the test. He was explaining how just because you get one question wrong doesn’t mean the whole test has to be a failure. I don’t know if he’s spoken to you about that philosophy. I was thinking about how when I was in class, I didn’t know which ones I got wrong until the test was over. How do you process knowing that you might have gotten a question wrong and there’s still like three quarters to play?) – “Especially in the NFL, you can’t let one bad thing spiral into something else. If you mess up on a play, you can’t (go) ‘Oh, I messed up on that last play and now I’m going to go out here and be scared to do anything else.’ You kind of just have to learn from it quickly without putting a bunch of blame on yourself to restrict you from doing better on the next play. About the question and test thing, yeah just because you fail one question doesn’t mean you fail the test. But I know for me personally, I don’t want to get anything wrong on the test. That’s where we’re at with that.”
Christian Wilkins – October 6, 2021
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Wednesday, October 6, 2021
DT Christian Wilkins
(We didn’t want to ask you last week – can we ask you now? Brady vs. Belichick?) – “That doesn’t have nothing to do with me, so I’ll just leave that one alone. (laughter)”
(Not that you’re a doctor, but I know Head Coach Brian Flores is saying we’re hopeful with DT Raekwon Davis this week, we’ll see how practice goes. How did he look today lining up with you, if you could?) – “Again yeah, I’m no expert. I’m no doctor or anything like that. I’ll leave all that up to coaches and whoever makes those decisions. But it’s always good to have Raekwon (Davis). That’s my little brother. I like to pick on him. I like to put him in headlocks and stuff and make fun of him. He makes practice a lot more fun.”
(You pick on Raekwon?) – “Yeah. (laughter) He’s the little brother. I don’t care what he says. He’s the little brother. I’ll put him in his place, put him in a headlock, all that good stuff.”
(How does that usually end when he’s in the headlock?) – “Oh, you can ask him, but he knows I’m winning that matchup every time. It’s just the big brother effect. (laughter)”
(In years past, Cam Wake used to always say if you want to get to QB Tom Brady, make him uncomfortable in the pocket. Whether you’ve watched games or what you’ve seen on film, is there still a way to make him uncomfortable because he has a couple steps and he has a quick release?) – “Yeah, I definitely feel like that’s an accurate statement, but it’s definitely difficult. You see watching the tape, you see why many consider Tom Brady to be the GOAT. There’s just so many things he does throughout the course of the game that are just different than what a lot of people do, but we’re excited for the challenge. This is a game you tell your grandkids about. Not necessarily a game, but playing someone of Tom Brady’s stature and things like that. Well shoot, at this rate, he might play my grandkids. (laughter) But yeah, he’s definitely a special talent and we’re excited for the matchup.”
(If I could follow up, have you personally seen any of QB Tom Brady slowing down at all?) – “It’s interesting because you definitely hear sometimes like people are like, ‘oh he’s slowing down.’ People have been saying he’s slowing down for five years, but I don’t really see it much. He just keeps winning and keeps doing great things and he’s continued to be the player he’s always been.”
(Going back to the last three games, is there anything in particular that you have seen on video that’s sort of a common denominator as to why you guys haven’t been able to get a win?) – “It’s just doing the little things consistently right. That’s one thing I’ve learned in my time in my NFL, is just consistency. If you want to be good at anything, it’s just being consistent. So I’m not saying that we haven’t been doing good things. It’s just doing them always and being consistent, like I said, so making those plays, just doing all the little things right.”
(Speaking to Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer yesterday about how you’ve had success this year getting into the backfield and one of the things he talked about was hand placement, which maybe you can help me teach me a little bit about hand placement and what the key factors are and how it can actually dramatically impact whether a play for you is successful or unsuccessful?) – “You want to come up here and I’ll show you? (laughter) Nah, I’m just teasing. But no, that’s something I definitely try to work on and I’ve noticed that’s been something I can improve on – the coaches as well – so that’s just something I honed in on in the offseason. The coaches hit on that. Not just me, but all the d-linemen. It’s all about hand placements and getting your hands on them and putting them in the right spots so then you can take care of just the fundamentals and techniques and things like that, so that’s something I just try to work on every day and just focus on that. That’s definitely one of the areas of improvement.”
(The other point that Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer made was that he believes you’ve been very committed to film study. How has the way you study film changed, if at all, since you entered the league?) – ”It’s just a combination of things really. Yes, film study, but just confidence, understanding the scheme – where you can take your chances, where you can’t. It’s a multitude of things. But yeah, like understanding things more – again, more confidence. And sometimes things just slow down or it just feels different, so that definitely does help.”
(What’s the best piece of advice you could give your rookie self if you did that now?) – “It would definitely be something that just John Jenkins says all the time, is just ‘stick to the process and enjoy the process.’ He’s been around for a while and that’s always what he says and that’s something that always resonates with me and I just hear like yeah, the dog days, the good days, the bad days – just enjoy it. We’re playing this game and it’s work to us, but it’s still a game at the end of the day, so just enjoy it all, take it all in and just enjoy it.”
(Did it seem a little more tedious when you were a rookie when the tougher times came?) – “Again, I have perspective now and things like that so again, my mindset is different, so I can always still enjoy it more it now in a sense because I was just a wet-behind-the-ears rookie. But now I’m definitely more experienced and like I said, I can enjoy the process more.”
(You mentioned taking chances. What are some of the factors that you’re constantly considering when making that choice?) – “It’s just really what you see on film, what you see in practice and then just having confidence in yourself to just go do it. Like when you’re going to take a chance, when you’re going to take a shot, don’t just halfway pull the trigger. Like shoot the shot and hopefully good things happen.”
(In what ways are you guys emphasizing and really how do you emphasize not beating yourself this week? How can you implement that more so than you had been in the past?) – “Yeah, it’s definitely something we talk about and we have just a bunch of different drills and just situational things that we emphasize during practice just like ‘all right, this is an opportunity where this is the situation.’ Like let’s be locked in, let’s focus in on it. Let’s not beat ourselves. This is where this is winning football. This is the time to make a play. This is the time to lock in a little bit more. Not that you’re not locked in the whole game, but this is the time to go the extra mile. So just things like that and it’s really a mindset that we’ve got to create.”
Nik Needham – October 6, 2021
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Wednesday, October 6, 2021
CB Nik Needham
(We didn’t see CB Byron Jones, which is why I asked DB Jason McCourty about corner. For you, on days when Byron is not there like today, do you spend more time on the boundary in addition to playing in slot?) – “Nah, it just depends on what the gameplan is for the week. Sometimes I’ll play more in the slot, sometimes I’ll play more on the outside. It doesn’t really have to do with who’s out or who’s in when it comes to where I’m playing at.”
(So your workflow today was as it would be even if CB Byron were here? Some at slot, some outside?) – “Correct.”
(Do you feel equally good at both? You’ve done both well, right?) – “Yes sir, yup.”
(Last Sunday, you were playing well in the slot position and then when CB Byron Jones got hurt, I didn’t know if they were going to slide you outside or go with CB Justin Coleman outside. Did you know or did you have to find out that you were staying in the slot?) – “Nah, we just found out in the game. It’s just a quick adjustment. We don’t want people going back and forth. That was just the decision made and we just played through it.”
(What are some of the nuances of playing nickel as opposed to on the boundary? If you’re in the slot, what are some of the things that you are looking out for more?) – “That’s different? In the slot, they have the whole field to work. They can go all the way inside or they can go all the way outside or they can go all the way inside and then break back outside. On outside, you really only have the sideline. Just from the numbers to the sideline, that’s where most of the routes are going down, or in-breaking routes. In the slot, there’s just so much more space you have to work. You have to know where your help is coming from. Just knowing that part of the game is a little tougher and it’s a lot more speedier guys and quick guys in the slot rather than the big, taller-type receivers like DeVante’s (Parker) type on the outside.”
(Are there any former cornerbacks that play in the slot that you look at that do that job really well?) – “Nah, I have not watched anything like that. The only corner I really studied a lot is Darrelle Revis. That was my favorite cornerback.”
(You were on this team last year that started 1-3. Do you find similarity in the situations from the way you guys were able to win that game in San Francisco last year and then this coming game?) – “I think that was a coming together game. I think the games last year when we lost were just like this year, beating ourselves. It’s not like the team just outplayed us. We have too many little, minor mistakes that end up having a big impact on the game. Just focusing on deleting those this week and going out there and competing and see who’s the better team. I think that will help us out.”
(There are so many talented quarterbacks in the NFL, but if you had to say one thing that seems to be especially unique, and I know he’s good at everything, about QB Tom Brady, what might be the one thing?) – “I think the one quality that I see, that everybody sees, is that he wins. He went from the Patriots then went right to Tampa Bay and went right to the Super Bowl. To me, I don’t think that’s a coincidence. I have a lot of respect for his game. I always have. I don’t understand why people don’t like him as a player. He’s one of the greatest of all time. I think that’s just what it is. Like J-Mac (Jason McCourty) was saying, his winning mentality. I think that’s what separates him and let him play for 22 years.”
(Have you noticed anything about QB Tom Brady’s willingness to throw into tight windows this season?) – “Not as far as tight windows but I see that he trusts his arm. He’s going to throw it on time, maybe that’s what you’re talking about. He throws it on time and believes his receiver is going to make the play and that he can get in there quick enough. I think we will have to be right on our breaks. We have to be on key – no miss-fall steps or anything like that in order to make a play on the ball.”
(With that said, what is it like facing a passer like that?) – “Just like I said, you can’t have any mistakes on your end. No false-steps, no slipping down or anything like that because you never know. He’s going to make a lot of mistakes also, like J-Mac (Jason McCourty) was saying. You can’t afford to make any mistakes versus him.”
(What are your thoughts on Tampa’s Receiving group? Good group, WR Antonio Brown, etc. What problems do they pose?) – “They all bring a different skillset. Mike Evans is a real big-bodied receiver. (Chris) Godwin has big size but is also fast. Antonio Brown, an 11-year vet. He’s been playing well for 11 years. They all bring a little different stuff. Antonio is a little quicker and Mike Evans is obviously a jump ball-type guy. You just got to have a different gameplan for each receiver and how you approach them when you line up against them in a game.”
(I was going to ask you about your comment that some people don’t like QB Tom Brady as a player. Do you think it’s just because he wins so much or does he need better PR?) – “Maybe, I guess. Ain’t nothing wrong with winning too much.”
Mike Gesicki – October 6, 2021
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Wednesday, October 6, 2021
TE Mike Gesicki
(What’s the mood like getting back on the practice field? Is there a little bit of a sense of urgency just to kind of turn things around?) – “Yeah, absolutely. I think we had a good day at practice. Like you said, a sense of urgency. A lot of leaders on the team stepped up and got the guys together and were ready to flip the page. It’s a new week and we’re ready for another opportunity.”
(You were on this team last year that started 1-3, and you won the San Francisco game that a lot of people didn’t think you were going to win. After that, you ran off some consecutive wins. Do you feel something similar could happen?) – “It’s tough to say, comparing this year to last year. All I know is we have an opportunity to go play Tampa Bay. They are a very good football team. We have to continue to stack good days together. Today we had one. It’s easy to go out there after a loss and have a good Wednesday. You’ve got to stack more. You’ve got to go Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Saturday night leading into Sunday and then go out and execute on Sunday. That’s the most important one. Right now, we have an opportunity and we’ve just got to continue to stack good days on each other.”
(What’s the overlying message that the team leaders wanted to get across?) – “Just a sense of urgency, trust, belief and then just confidence to go out and make plays. We’ve got a lot of talent, and we’ve just got to be able to utilize it.”
(What is your belief right now relative to the offense’s ability to create chunk plays as they say, downfield plays, big plays, on Sunday? I know statistics can lie, but the Bucs are ranked last in passing yards allowed. How much belief do you have that Sunday will create an opportunity for big passing plays?) – “I think like you said, statistics can be a big misleading thing. They’ve got a lot of talented players between (Antoine) Winfield and (Jordan) Whitehead in the back. I know they just got Richard Sherman. They’ve got guys on the front in (Jason) Pierre-Paul and (Ndomukong) Suh and the ‘backers (Lavonte) David and (Devin) White. The list goes on and on. They have plenty of talented players out there. It’s going to be a great challenge for us and one that we’re looking forward to it.”
(What does it mean if there is no struggle there is no progress?) – “I think that you learn through your struggles. If everything is easy and it comes easy and you don’t ever go through tough times, you don’t learn through adversity. Me personally, in my career, both dating back to college, and now as a professional, nothing worthy is ever going to come easy. I think that if you continue to put your head down and keep working, and like I said just stack good days on each other, good things are going to turn out eventually.”
(From your perspective, what are some of the good things this team has been able to do in the last three weeks?) – “I think we’ve done a lot of good things. I think on offense, really it just takes one play. I think you saw that in the fourth quarter. We got one first down, before you know it, we’re on the ball and we got down the field in three or four plays and scored a touchdown. I think you stack good plays on each other like that. I think on defense we’ve done a tremendous job. They’ve done a great job of forcing turnovers and putting us in a good position. We have to be able to capitalize. Then I think we have a great special teams unit. You’ve just got to be able to play complementary football throughout the course of the game just a little more consistently. Like I said, we have 13 more opportunities to do so.”
(What have you or would you say to QB Jacoby Brissett going into his third consecutive start relative to from a receiver’s perspective?) – “Honestly, keep doing what you are doing. I think Jacoby is doing a great job. He’s keeping plays going with his feet, he’s getting guys lined up, he’s being a great leader, he’s talking through routes with guys at practice, how he wants you to do a specific route, how he wants to spot up versus this look. I think he’s done a good job of putting the ball out and letting guys make plays. That’s just hoiw this game works. On Sundays, obviously things happen. The other team, they are getting paid to make plays too. At times, he’s going to be pressured. He’s going to get rushed out of the pocket. And I think he’s done a good job handling it all. Then when he does have time, he’s sticking in there and putting a good ball on guys.”
(You mentioned the offense clicking at the end of the game this past game. We also saw it at the end of the Raiders game. For three-and-a-half quarters, I guess the offense was still struggling. Have you picked up anything on how to avoid these slow starts?) – “I think it’s really just the flow of the game, honestly. Like I said, these guys are getting paid to make plays too and they are making plays. We have to be able to come out and start faster. I’m not focused on the Colts anymore, the Vegas, the Patriots, all of that stuff is in the past. I’m looking forward to Tampa this week.”
Jason McCourty – October 6, 2021
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Wednesday, October 6, 2021
DB Jason McCourty
(How did QB Tom Brady make you better?) – “I would say just competing against him every day. That guy is the definition of greatness. The preparation he puts in, the excellence he approaches the game with, his ability to go out there and get things right the first time around. When you compete against that, you have to bring your A-game every day. The intensity that he brings to work, whether that’s in meeting rooms or that’s at practice – it’s Tom Brady. When you go up against him, you know if you don’t deliver your best, he’s going to embarrass you.”
(This morning I asked Head Coach Brian Flores, how hard it is to confuse QB Tom Brady. He was like you can’t. You can’t confuse Tom Brady. When you go out there, you can obviously do your best, right? Can you explain that preparation for me when you’re going up against him?) – “He’s seen two decades of defenses. I remember I got a chance to play for Dick LeBeau in Tennessee and he was standing in front of the room and we talked about fire zones, and he would say, ‘Well when I first created this defense,’ or he’d say, ‘I’ve played against or I’ve watched every single play that’s every single play that has ever come across the NFL.’ Obviously, Tom is not to that point yet. (laughter) But a guy that has seen that much football, it is very hard to confuse him. It’s up to us as a defense to not make it easy on him, give him different looks and do things that you possibly can make him uncomfortable. That’s what we are going to prepare to do all week and when we get out there on Sunday, we have to execute it.”
(Historically the Dolphins have 27 interceptions against QB Tom Brady, the most by any NFL team. You’ve been around him. Is it more anticipating what he could do or is a mistake that he could commit to come up with that pick?) – “He’s human, so there’s going to be times where you may get a chance to make a play. When you’ve reached his level of success, it just doesn’t happen often. It’s up to you as a defense that if those opportunities do present themselves, you have to take advantage of them. Whether that’s just making a play and making a good decision but you just going out there and outfighting somebody for the ball to come down with it. Maybe you confuse him on a certain play and you were able to get him. It’s a football game, so you still have to go out there and play on Sunday. We don’t want to go into the game thinking it’s going to be impossible to make a play against this guy. We have to go out there and execute well and when our plays and our opportunities happen, we have to take advantage of them.”
(Did you work at all at corner today or are you still at safety?) – “Do you guys get to watch practice?”
(The first 10 minutes.) – “Then I don’t know. (laughter)”
(If you had to play corner again, obviously you’ve done it all your life, it must be like putting on a shoe. Is there any adjustment just because you’ve been at safety entirely the last six weeks?) – “I don’t know if I’ve ever heard anybody compare playing cornerback in the NFL to putting on a shoe. (laughter).”
(It would be a lot harder for me, but you’re a natural at it.) – “Definitely an adjustment. You guys, you’ve watched and you’ve studied this game for a long time. What a cornerback has to do versus what a safety has to do is drastically different. The play in and play out ability to match somebody at the line of scrimmage, run with them down the field and make a play on the ball versus being able to stand back there and survey the whole field, communication, are two totally different positions. Definitely if somebody has to move from corner to safety or safety to corner, or any position, if you’re moving from guard to tackle, if you’re moving to a different position, it is always going to be an adjustment and a different set of thinking that goes into the position.”
(What might you tell a youngster, especially a rookie, like S Jevon Holland about the mindset approach, pregame and in-game, that he might want to keep in mind when facing a legend, an icon, and someone he’s seen on TV?) – “Don’t make the moment bigger than what it is. At the end of the day, it’s still a football game. Jevon is a guy asking questions during the week, during the game, on the sideline and he already has the right approach to the game. He’s had the right approach for the past four weeks and I would tell him to continue to prepare and do the things he’s been doing since the start of the season. You go against Tom, maybe you want to prepare a little harder. I’m not going to tell you not to do that. But just continue to approach the game the same way he has. Work on your disguises, work on different things, watch film and just prepare the same way. Don’t make the moment any bigger than what it is. It’s a football game and we want to go out there and execute to win.”
(Talking about the young players, what have you told the guys in the locker room about this game? As media, we can think that guys are more motivated to play against QB Tom Brady and the defending Super Bowl champions and all of that. What do you say to them?) – “I don’t even think for us as a team right now, and as an organization, that it’s a focus on Tampa Bay or Tom Brady. We’ve just lost three straight games. I think regardless of who’s on our schedule for this week, it’s very important that we have a sense of urgency to go out there and get a win on Sunday because we have been on the wrong side of the score for the past three weeks. That’s not a good feeling and we know in this league, it’s about production and it’s about wins and losses. Just for us as a team and as an organization, we want to do everything we possibly can, regardless who’s on the side of the field, to make sure that we come out of Sunday with a victory.”
