Byron Jones – December 23, 2021
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Thursday, December 23, 2021
CB Byron Jones
(There was a report out today that the Saints are preparing to start rookie QB Ian Book instead of QB Taysom Hill. I was just curious how much do you know about Ian Book, how much does that change your preparation over the next couple days?) – “I guess that just came out. I got the news on the way up here. If he’s in the NFL and he’s playing quarterback, he’s going to be a good player. Preparation still stays the same. I’m sure he’s a mobile guy who can run and throw as well so we’ll be working, just the same way we work otherwise.”
(When you have such a quick change at the last minute, I understand this is COVID times so things are kind of unorthodox. How quickly do you have to go about the film study on this?) – “Honestly you just prepare the same way. The meetings don’t really chance, the structure doesn’t change. I guess coaches will probably find some film of the new quarterback coming in but they still have 10 other players on the field that are consistent. I still have to guard the receivers, linebackers got to still tackle their running backs and so on and so forth.”
(Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer talked this week about how well you’re playing. How even in ways that the average fan wouldn’t necessarily see, you’re playing well in those areas as well. What’s your comfort level with year two in this defense compared to year one and do you think that’s helped you have a really good season?) – “Coming into this system, small things are different. The way you play man. Your high hip, low hip, how you attack the ball, whether you’re undercutting routes. It was a good challenge. It was a fun challenge especially trying to adjust the way you play later on in your career. That was something that I was eager to adjust to. It’s been fun. It’s been fun playing on this team and watching these young guys come up and become their own players and become their own superstars. I’m just excited to be a part of this whole process and hopefully we keep it going and keep it riding.”
(I wanted to ask you about CB Xavien Howard being named to the Pro Bowl, obviously your teammate and friend, I’m sure you have a lot of thoughts on that.) – “No, he makes fun of me every single day so he’s not my friend. (laughter) We definitely do work together. No, it’s a blessing to see a guy like that perform at the highest level that you see on a day-in and day-out basis. He’s a ball hawk. He’s a smart player. He’s grown in so many ways since I’ve been here. There’s no one more deserving to get that award than him on the defensive side. He’s always making an impact. We’re all happy for him and of course he wants more so he’s still pushing the rest of the year to get more.”
(I wanted to get your thoughts on this defensive turnaround from where the defense was at the 1-7 start and then now on this six-game winning streak. What do you think is the biggest reason for the stark difference?) – “I’m not sure. Guys are just playing better essentially. Guys are just executing their responsibilities a little bit better and when you’re doing that more consistently, you see the results that we’ve been seeing. That’s the whole thing. We all have a job to do – line up, get the communication out and do your job at the highest level. The call is going to be just fine. We’re going to be in a position to make plays and we’ve just got to make them. We’re starting to do that a lot more consistently this time around. Obviously we still want to keep that thing rolling but we’re off to a good start.”
(As a fellow safety turned cornerback, I’m sure you’re aware of the challenges that CB Nik Needham faced last week and has faced previously. Can you talk a little bit about the growth that you’ve seen from him as a player?) – “Nik is one of those guys where when I came in, I didn’t know too much about him but watching him perform and the way he approaches practice – there was at one point I told him, ‘The way you approach the game, you inspire me.’ He is a guy who was undrafted, didn’t have much of a shot but is fighting, scratching and clawing to be here. He’s been put in a lot of positions and he’s stepped up every single time. The fact that he was playing nickel throughout the entire year and has to hop back at safety and make all the calls is something that, as a team, doesn’t go unnoticed. I know fans probably overlook it but that’s an incredible adjustment to make in a week. He was a guy that all of us trusted and the coaches trusted and he did the job very well. I’m happy to see a guy like that be able to perform at that level and be versatile.”
(I’m curious, you have experience at that spot. Could you have done it and felt comfortable?) – “Truthfully, not in this system. The amount of responsibility that these safeties have is just tremendous. The fact that Nik (Needham) was able to do that within a five-day turnaround, that’s incredible. I’d like to consider myself a smart guy but I don’t know half their calls. I just look back at the safety, they give me my call and I say, ‘Yes, thank you.’ The fact that Nik was able to do that in four to six days is really impressive.”
Zach Sieler – December 23, 2021
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Thursday, December 23, 2021
DT Zach Sieler
(Good to see you continuing to play so well. At this point, having achieved a lot in your career and really done beyond what most late-round picks do, are you content long-term? As you look at your career long-term, and I know every player on the team is just looking at New Orleans, but if I can ask you to look long-term, is this role one that you are content in the long-term? Do you have any goals to be an NFL starter – a regular NFL starter at some point?) – “I always want to get better. Wherever that path takes me, it takes me. You kind of – the earlier answer – I’m kind of worried about this week and the technique and the fundamentals that it’s going to take to win this game, and that’s kind of been my mentality my entire career is just focusing on what’s next and then just keep building week-by-week.”
(And then one thing on this week’s opponent. Obviously you guys and us have gotten word in the last hour on Saints QB Ian Book likely starting. Will you study Notre Dame tape of him in the next few days? Will you look at his one preseason appearance for New Orleans?) – “We haven’t sat down and talked about that yet, but it’s all about – yes, looking back at any tape from him from college, NFL, anything we’ve got.”
(Two questions for you – one football, one about yesterday with the Nickelodeon and the NVP for Christian Wilkins. Did you eventually get a chance to slime him?) – “Oh yeah. Yeah, I think that was later in the video. Yeah, that was funny. A nice little treat.”
(Were you a big Nickelodeon guy growing up?) – “Absolutely. Absolutely. I think that was awesome that he won that and I think you couldn’t have picked a better kid. I mean, Christian. (laughter)”
(So my other question is football. Going back to the game on Monday, like you mentioned. The Saints obviously have a very powerful running game. You’ve been very good against the run this year. What have you seen from them in terms of their running game and what they offer on tape?) – “They’re a very dynamic group. They all play multiple positions and they have multiple formations and packages so it’s just being ready and being prepared and watching the tape and just studying your opponent.”
(And also just to follow up on that, what are your impressions of Saints RB Alvin Kamara and the career he’s put together to this point, and going up against him?) – “Alvin Kamara is an elite running back. Has had a great career. He’s who he is.”
(I also was just going to follow up on QB Ian Book. How much, if at all in your estimation, do things change with that alteration for him? Obviously he is still a guy who can get out of the pocket and run a little bit.) – “I think we’ve just got to stick to the game plan and what’s been given to us and then just prepare for anything. With COVID, anything can happen.”
(I’ve been asking all of his defensive linemen for DE Emmanuel Ogbah – one thing that you would like to take from his game and to incorporate into yours. What would that be?) – “His pass rush. Just his knowledge of how to manipulate blockers and o-linemen and using that to the best of his abilities.”
(So you think he plays mind games with them or just…?) – “He just knows how each play – he’s very good at reading the blocks and reading what he’s presented with and making plays off that.”
Duke Johnson – December 23, 2021
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Thursday, December 23, 2021
RB Duke Johnson
(I followed you during your career at UM and I’m puzzled where this pass-catching, scatback specialist reputation comes from considering you’ve proven yourself as a runner. Does it bother you to be viewed as a pass-catching back?) – “No. Not anymore. When I was younger, when I came out of college and I did what I did in college, I thought I proved myself that I could do it and I didn’t get the opportunity to do it when I was younger. Yeah, it used to bother me when I was younger. But as I got older and more mature and more years in the league, I learned that I can’t control that. There’s nothing I can do about that. So whatever role I do have, I have to embrace it and move forward. That’s kind of what I did.”
(Where do you think that came from?) – “Which?”
(The pass…) – “No idea. To be honest, I really can’t tell you. I don’t know. I think it’s because I can catch the ball. That’s something I can do. I really couldn’t give you a definitive answer on why or how that came about. I can’t.”
(How important is it for you to prove that you can be a running running back?) – “I don’t think it’s important for me. At this stage in my career, not really. My thing is just doing whatever they ask – whether it’s running, catching, special teams. I don’t really care to prove anything to anyone anymore because I know who I am and what I can do. That may not be what the team needs. No, I’m not at a proving stage anymore.”
(You said a second ago you know who you are and you know what you can do. The obvious question is who are you and what can you do?) – “I’m Duke Johnson and I can do what the team needs. (laughter)”
(Well, tell me about your confidence in being able to run between the tackles because we saw you getting some tough yards the other day and maybe it opens some eyes. Where does that ability come from, do you think?) – “To run the ball?”
(Yeah, just in terms of your determination, strength. What is it the enables you to be as effective as you are getting tough yardage?) – “It’s a mixture of things. I think it’s not mainly just me. I think it’s a mixture of play-calling, blocking and whether it’s just me trying to be as physical as I can to get every yard that I can. But it’s not just me. It’s not just a Duke show. I know it’s getting portrayed as I did everything but that wasn’t the case.”
(What are your expectations? Now that you put up the 107 yards last week, what are your expectations for yourself moving forward in this offense?) – “The same expectations I put on myself every year. Make the plays when my number is called. Whether it’s 22 carries or two carries, it’s just make the plays and be as efficient as I can when my number is called.”
(Can you talk about the dynamic of the depth at running back on this team all of a sudden? What’s it like now being in a more crowded running back room between you proving you need to be on the field, RB Phillip Lindsay coming back – we know what he’s capable of – RB Myles Gaskin, RB Salvon Ahmed now having more time under them since their return?) – “I wasn’t even thinking of that kind of direction. I was thinking more of last week we had three healthy bodies and now we have nine. I wasn’t thinking of the actual talent around the backfield. It was kind of depleted last week and now we have nine guys. I don’t know. We all have the same mindset, which is do what we need to do, do what we’re asked and do what the team needs. It doesn’t matter who is in or who is coming back or who is not here because we all believe in the same thing, and that’s doing what we need to do to help the team win.”
(This Saints defense is obviously very good against the run. They just came off a shutout of the defending Super Bowl champs. What stands out to you when you watch them?) – “The way they depend on each other. They’re very sound in what they do. They know that if one guy fits the A-gap, the next guy will have the B-gap. There’s not too many people trying to do more than what they’re supposed to. They play fast. They play physical. The biggest thing is they believe in each other to the point where they do their job and only their job.”
(I wanted to ask you – your career, seven years. Obviously that’s a nice, long, healthy span for a tailback. How much do you feel like you’ve still got left? I know you feel like you don’t have anything to prove but it doesn’t look like you’re done.) – “Yeah, that’s hard to say. I haven’t thought about retiring. I haven’t thought about that in no way, shape or form, so it’s really hard for me to tell how much I have. I think for me, that’s really a day-to-day thing because I think in the game of football, something could change in 24 hours. As of now, I’m not sure how much I could give you. I just know I feel good and I’m happy.”
(We haven’t asked you yet about being signed to the active roster. Tell me when you’re walking off the field after your performance against the Jets on Sunday. Are you kind of thinking to yourself, ‘Somebody is signing me to their active roster after this, no question?’ And take me through the process of how it came about.” – “No. So actually, after the game, I was really just overwhelmed with the way the game went and just being happy with the way I played and we winning the game and still moving forward. I really wasn’t too concerned with the active roster because again, that’s not up to me. I did what I had to do and that’s not my call. I was just kind of focusing on what I can focus on and control what I can control. That’s one of the things that I can’t, so I didn’t really put too much thought into it. I just let it happen as it happened.”
(That said though, once you did get the call…) – “It was a great feeling. Definitely a great feeling.”
(Did you feel like almost, I don’t want to say disrespected but the fact that you should have been on active roster all along maybe?) – “Not really. I don’t take everything as disrespect. There’s 32 teams and none of them felt at the time that I was ready. I didn’t take it as disrespect. I just took it as get better and move forward.”
Tua Tagovailoa – December 22, 2021
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Wednesday, December 22, 2021
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(I wanted to first ask, there was an Inside the NFL clip from last Sunday’s game where it looked like you audibled to the game-winning touchdown to WR DeVante Parker. I’m curious, over the course of the season, over the course of the week, how much of that – audible options – are emphasized in practice and how much of it is trial and error and just getting a feel for what you see on the field on gameday?) – “I would say it’s a mixture of both. It’s a mixture of us having an audible already in the play and then a mixture of us going out there and us playing football, just how the game goes and how it’s been going, the matchups that we like out there. That was a screen play. It looked like they ran a Cover Zero. Everyone was to the right. We gave DeVante a signal with what we wanted him to run and he executed that with a catch and finishing it off with a touchdown.”
(I know you mentioned after the game that they were giving you a lot of man looks, especially on second-and-long, and you had some success throwing the ball deep. How much more comfortable are you in those situations and knowing that sometimes, whether it is WR DeVante Parker or WR Isaiah Ford, you gave them an opportunity to make a play on the ball in single coverage and they came through with it?) – “I’m very comfortable but I would say it starts with practice, throwing to our guys against man coverage. In seven-on-seven we go against our defense practicing man coverage because that’s what our defense runs a lot and then you get mixtures of zones. Guys just need to be in the right spots and I need to obviously hit them when they’re in the right spots.”
(You are going to be playing on Monday Night Football for the first time, so your thoughts on that. And also the environment in the Superdome and you visiting Louisiana when you played in college against LSU, I just wanted to get your thoughts on Louisiana football fans who can obviously get pretty rowdy out there.) – “It’s pretty cool. I grew up watching primetime football, whether it was Sunday night, Monday night, Thursday night. So being able to be a part of that and being able to play on Monday night, I think that’s super cool. Just being in the NFL, as it is, has always been a dream of mine and I know it’s been a dream of a lot of the guys that are playing in this league. To answer the second question, it’s tough when we went down there to play LSU. I got to play at the Saints field when we played Clemson. We all know what happened there – right Christian (Wilkins)? (laughter) It was loud but it was really 50/50. Their side and our side and it was still loud. I’m excited to see what a full stadium is going to sound like.”
(I know you couldn’t have been too happy with your interceptions on Sunday but when you come back from a game with a couple of turnovers, is there a greater emphasis on correcting what went wrong on those plays or do you just have to forget about it and prepare the same way?) – “Yeah, I think you prepare the same way but you always have to take into consideration those mistakes. Those were two costly mistakes because both of those led to points and if you add them all up, that’s 10 points. With the pick-six and then obviously the first interception that led to a field goal. That’s something that I need to be better with as far as the turnovers and that doesn’t help us stay on track in all three phases of the game. You can’t change field position the way you want to. You don’t give the defense a good opportunity to have their offense go three-and-out. That was bad football. I’ve got to obviously not make those same mistakes and move on from it.”
(I wanted to ask you, why do you think you guys have been so receptive to the one day at a time philosophy from Head Coach Brian Flores?) – “Yeah, I think that mentality just helps us keep into perspective what we’re trying to get accomplished now. That’s why. You don’t want to worry about third downs because if you’re too worried about third downs, you’re not going to get normal down and distance plays correct or you’re not going to understand what your job is on that. I would say that’s why it’s very important that we just focus on what we have to do today and take it one day at a time and then obviously one play and one snap.”
(People looking for Christmas gifts may want to consider Tua’s leis. It’s a project that I know you did. I’m just curious how it came about and hat it means to you personally to be able to raise money for a good cause but doing it by doing something that’s your heritage and so close to your heart?) – “I would say you really spoke on it. It really just embodies where I come from, my heritage and then it’s also giving back to a good cause. That’s really all it is.”
(I know you;ve played in a lot of big games and handled a lot of big moments. Are there any relaxation techniques that you have employed either before or during a game? Any meditation, breathing exercises, visualization? Are any of those things you incorporated into your approach?) – “I’ve never done any of those. I’ve never had meditation. I guess exercises for myself before a game, for me it’s just making sure that I’m prepared whether it’s looking over the gameplan again or really going over my third downs and making sure I’m good with that. For me, I feel that’s what brings confidence for me.”
(Do you feel like the experienced you’ve had in primetime NFL games, at least a few, that will some way be beneficial to you?) – “I think at the end of the day, you’ve got to go out and play football. It’s football whether it’s primetime or it’s not. You’ve got to go out there and perform at the best of your ability.”
(I know you have trust and confidence in all of your receivers, but having WR Jaylen Waddle back, how much more comfortable and confident does that make you heading into a game against a very good New Orleans defense?) – “I would say it helps having Jaylen back, being that threat he’s a vertically and just speed-wise. Whether it’s a juke route or whatever you want to call the routes that he runs, he gives us good opportunities for matchups with whether it’s a ‘backer or it’s their down safety. Then if they do switch it up, it opens up other guys out there on the field. It’s good but we’ll see how we go about using everyone else in the gameplan this week too.”
(The last time you guys were in a hostile environment was Buffalo and there were a lot of communication issues. I don’t know how much the crowd impacted your ability to communicate with the teammates. How are you guys certain that those issues are in the past?) – “I don’t think you’re ever certain that nothing is going to ever come back up again. I think one thing is for certain is that we’ve been working on it in practice – our communication with crowd noise. We do understand that this is going to be very hostile. It’s going to be very loud. We do understand that we got to get in the huddle, I’ve got to get things communicated whether it’s the personnel and we’ve got to give ourselves as much time as possible so we have that much more room for error, so you’re not always playing with the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 shot clock. That is something that we’ve been working on communication-wise and also with signals.”
(The last two games, you’ve kind of had after the game a sentiment of knowing you could’ve played better. Obviously the two interceptions is evident. But where do you feel the next step for the RPO? You talked about it after the game, you felt like you weren’t producing as much as you could in the RPO. What is missing? What do you feel like is the next step?) – “I think decision-making for me. I think there have been a lot of times where I could’ve handed the ball off where I didn’t. We could’ve went for a lot more bigger runs this year. For me, I’ve been giving up premier looks so I pull it and I throw it and we gain six or seven yards. I think for me, just being 100 percent within my decision-making in the RPO world and it not being 85 or 90 percent.”
(RPO or otherwise, you guys had your best rushing performance of the season Sunday. I just want to ask you how a consistent successful running game impacts the passing game and your job?) – “It helps a lot. Duke (Johnson) did really well. Myles (Gaskin) did really well. Those guys did well. They saw the holes that the line was opening up for them. I think hats and all credit goes to the line upfront. We’ve been talking about establishing our run game and coming off the bye week, that’s exactly what we did. Hats off to our o-line for that.”
DeVante Parker – December 22, 2021
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Wednesday, December 22, 2021
WR DeVante Parker
(How did it feel to come through in the fourth quarter last game with the game-winning touchdown, connecting with QB Tua Tagovailoa?) – “He made a good play on that. Tua saw what the coverage was and we were on the same page and came up with the touchdown.”
(How significant is it going to be to get WR Jaylen Waddle back to team up with you against that really good Saints defense?) – “It’s going to be a good thing to have Jaylen back. It opens up things for everyone. Jaylen is going to attract a lot of attention. He’s that kind of player. It’s just good to have him back out on the field with us.”
(I’m assuming you watched the Saints on Sunday night and I was wondering what you thought of their defense against Tampa Bay.) – “Nah, I didn’t watch the game.”
(What do you know about their defense?) – “I know they’re a very good secondary, great corners. We just have to come out and stick to our technique and we’ll be fine.”
(Obviously, you’re still close to WR Jakeem Grant. What’s it like to see him become a Pro Bowler?) – “I’m happy for the things he’s done. It’s good to see that he’s doing good. But I’m just focused on this game coming up, really. That’s the main thing.”
Christian Wilkins – December 22, 2021
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Wednesday, December 22, 2021
DT Christian Wilkins
(WR Jaylen Waddle said that he gave you a 10/10 on your worm dance. He was watching from home. But he also mentioned that you rehearsed quite a bit. So I was curious what those rehearsals may have looked like and if that’s the case, what are you rehearsing now?) – “Definitely appreciate (Jaylen) Waddle’s stamp of approval. It doesn’t mean much because I had to teach him his celebration. (laughter) No, I’m just joking. But no, again, that wasn’t rehearsed. That was just all spur of the moment. But I’m a creative guy. I’m good on my feet so if I get another opportunity maybe I can find something pretty good to beat that or at least match it.”
(Talking about celebrations, I saw you when DT Adam Butler in his celebration of Dragon Ball Z and you wanted to do a fusion with him. Can you talk a little bit about that for our Dragon Ball Z fans and all young people that see you…?) – “Yeah so, first of all, that was probably one of the dopest, most exciting celebrations I’ve seen. That was a pretty good job. And it’s hard for me to give him so much praise with the Dragon Ball Z Kamehameha because I’m a big Power Rangers fan, but I’ve got to give him his flowers because that was pretty smooth. Just everything was dope there. It was pretty cool. And yeah, so we kind of did mention that like way earlier in the year. Like, ‘Adam, if you get a sack, we’re going to fuse.’ So I guess it was so far along earlier in the year because I guess he forgot, but we’ll work on it for next time. Now I’ll be really upset if he forgets to do it on his next sack.”
(Shifting to Monday night, the Saints have a pretty beefy interior offensive line with Saints C/G Cesar Ruiz and C/G Erik McCoy and a couple other guys. Just wanted to ask you what kind of challenges those guys present you for the game on Monday.) – “Yeah, this is a really good offensive line. I feel like in a lot of ways, it’s what makes their team go. They’ve got a lot of experience and like you said a lot of beef up there and they’re really good players across the board. Really good center, good guards, the tackles are two of the better ones in the league, so they present a good challenge for us. But we’ve got good guys on our side, too. We’re going to have to be at our best though in order to get a win. But it’s not going to be good enough to just be all right. We’re going to have to play pretty good to get the job done.”
(To that point, just as a whole, I wanted to ask just what’s the best way you would describe this Saints offense kind of powered by Saints QB Taysom Hill and it’s not the first time that you guys have faced like a QB run-powered offense whether it’s Ravens QB Lamar Jackson or Panthers QB Cam Newton. Can you kind of use those games as teaching points as well? Obviously it’s different teams, but are some of the same teaching points applying here?) – “Yeah, I would kind of just describe the offense as just very versatile, multiple. It’s tough. With Taysom (Hill) and the things he can do, it’s like you’re playing with 12 out there. You’re playing against 12 because he can throw the ball and run the ball. And (Alvin) Kamara – they’ve just got a lot of good skill guys and a good offensive line and obviously they’ve got a good play caller, too, and a good head coach. They present a great challenge for us, but you can definitely take parts of those other games I’m sure. Just even whether it’s little technical things, not necessarily schematic things – although you can probably take some there. But just even technical things – wrapping up, breaking down, how to make a tackle on such a mobile quarterback who has some thump to him, too. He’s not afraid to mix it up either.”
(Not quite to your extent, but the Saints have been like the Dolphins – pretty streaky this year and now you’re catching them on the upswing. Just curious whether you see any similarities between the two teams and the kind of seasons that you guys have had?) – “Really the biggest thing and the most important thing that matters is this week. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done leading up to this point or anything like that. It’s all about this game. This game is the biggest game of the year because it’s the next game. We’ve got to have that approach. We can’t – I’m sure neither team is looking at it like ‘all right, yeah, we’re hot’ or anything like that. You’ve just got to focus on the task at hand if you want to get the result you want. So we’ve just got to have that mindset over here that it’s the most important game of the year, it’s the biggest game of the year and take it one day at a time.”
(You’ve gone up of course against some of these young Dolphins offensive linemen in practice. Just the growth you’ve seen from August to now in T Liam Eichenberg, G/T Austin Jackson now at left guard obviously and G/T Robert Hunt with now nearly a full year under his belt at right guard.) – “Yeah, I like those guys a lot. Not only are they good teammates, but they work extremely hard. You see all the work they put in whether it’s during practice just grinding, getting after it in that hot-ass sun. And even after practice, they’re always working on their game, getting together, doing a bunch of things to improve. Just constantly talking, communicating, asking us, taking knowledge from us as d-linemen and I’m always willing to help them out. I’m going to give them as much knowledge as possible to help them on their games. But yeah, it‘s just been good to see the things they’ve been able to do and kind of their development and their growth. I’m happy for those guys because like I said they’re all good teammates and they all work extremely hard.”
Jerome Baker – December 22, 2021
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Wednesday, December 22, 2021
LB Jerome Baker
(I wanted to ask you your thoughts on the new league COVID-19 policy where asymptomatic players don’t test unless they are randomly selected like a lottery almost. Is that a fair way of doing it in your opinion?) – “I honestly just follow the rules. I don’t really have input or anything. I’m just trying to stay healthy and be ready to play. This COVID thing is hard. It’s hard to control. It’s hard to dictate it. I’m just trying to do my part to stay healthy.”
(Have you been tested this week?) – “No, I haven’t.”
(As you watch the Saints on film, how would you best describe QB Taysom Hill and do some of the same principles apply from when you were game planning for QB Lamar Jackson or QB Cam Newton? Do some of those same teaching points apply with Taysom Hill and that offense?) – “Yeah. They are similar in the aspect as far as running quarterbacks, but I think they do a great job of keeping you on your toes. When you pop on the film, they can be in so many personnel (groups). They can give so many looks out of so many personnel (groups). I think that’s what really makes them hard is you have to be sound … you have to know who is in the game. You have to communicate. They do a great job of just putting you in situations where it’s going to be difficult. It’s going to be a good one Monday.”
(As a linebacker, do you personally like facing the more unorthodox quarterbacks like Taysom Hill, or would you prefer a more traditional drop-back quarterback?) – “I love the challenge, so I’d say I love the guys that can run and extend plays. I won’t say it’s easy, but it’s a little easier when a guy just stands back there and just makes throws. You don’t got to worry about if they run the ball, if you’re covering well, you can’t be in too much man because they can take off. That challenge for me, that’s what football is about. I love the challenge of football, so any chance I get to have a great challenge like Hill, I get excited. It’s going to be fun, especially Monday night, there. It’s going to be an electric atmosphere for sure.”
(An athletic quarterback sparks your move back to outside linebacker. What do you think you’ve learned from this transition? What has it brought to your game?) – “I think for me, when you’re down there with the d-line and outside linebacker, your technique has to be very, very sound. At linebacker I can get away sometimes with just my pure speed or just being off the ball in anticipation sometimes. With outside linebacker, if you’re not worried about who is in front of you sometimes, it can hurt. Down there, it taught me that technique is really, really important. Your hand placement, getting off the ball – those things I’m not going to say you take for granted as a linebacker, but sometimes you can shy away from it. At outside linebacker, just being down there really helped me appreciate my technique .”
(It’s only human nature to look forward, but it seems like going day by day is working for the Miami Dolphins. Why do you think this group is so receptive to the Head Coach Brian Flores philosophy?) – “It’s one thing. It’s all trust. We trust ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) with everything. Every guy trusts him. We know his system works. We believe what he is talking about. I think we just had to truly see it. I think once we believed in us and him, things started to turn around. It’s a credit to him and our coaching staff and it’s a credit to all of us. We’re really just doing a great job of taking it one day at a time and taking it one game at a time and just doing our thing.”
(Can you give your thoughts on how your front is playing? With DT Christian Wilkins playing really well, DT Raekwon Davis, DE Emmanuel Ogbah’s impact. Do you have even more respect for DT Zach Sieler because of what he made himself as a [seventh-round] guy. If you could just talk about that group of player in front of you.) – “I’m going to say this, I’m very grateful for those guys. They make my job a lot easier. All of those guys we got down there, from Christian to Ogbah all of them. They truly make my job easier. I think the one guy – ‘Gink’ (Andrew Van Ginkel), that is a smart guy. There have been plenty of times he got me right and he coached me up a little bit. When you see a guy like Zach, he comes in and he’s so consistent. He comes in and works and does what he has to do. He’s a great teammate, he’s a great guy and we’re all just happy for him. He deserves it. Everything he gets and accomplishment he’s making, he deserves it. You definitely have a lot of respect for a guy like that. He comes in and works and does his job and he’s consistent. Credit to him.”
Jaylen Waddle – December 22, 2021
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Wednesday, December 22, 2021
WR Jaylen Waddle
(Obviously you had to miss last game. Can you tell us how you’re feeling – hope you’re feeling well – and what that was like with the first time in your NFL career having to miss a game, watch it, what you were doing and how happy you are to be back?) – “Yeah, I really wasn’t doing much. I was just at the house just chilling. I was in quarantine. I was at the house chilling, cheering from afar.”
(I wanted to ask you about the one game at a time mentality. Why are you personally so receptive to that message from Head Coach Brian Flores?) – “Because it’s true. Every week there is a new task at hand, a new team. That’s just how we look at it every week, just trying to take it one game at a time, one play at a time and do our job.”
(Did you have any symptoms with COVID and how disappointing was it to have to miss a game?) – “Nah, I was cool for real. What was the second question?”
(How disappointing was it when you had been on such a roll to have to slow it down and park it for a week basically?) – “Yeah, it was very disappointing. I watched enough games last year when I was in college. I was very anxious to come back and try to help out.”
(If you watched, I would imagine you watched the Sunday night game between the Saints and the Bucs. What did you come away thinking about the Saints defense and the challenge for you guys on offense?) – “Just always what I know. They’re a great group. They all play together. Veteran team. Veteran back end for sure. They’re a great group and it’s going to be a great challenge for us.”
(I wanted to ask you, did you ever match up with DB CJ Gardner-Johnson when he was at Florida?) – “No.”
(So I guess I’ll ask you then, what have you seen on tape from him? He’s one of their bigger playmakers. What have you seen from him on tape with the Saints?) – “He’s a fast, physical guy. They really depend on him to do a little bit of everything in the run game and then he does some covering as well. He’s a great player.”
(Your ‘Waddle’ celebration was the clubhouse leader for best celebration of the year and then this past Sunday, DT Christian Wilkins broke out the worm. I was just curious from your perspective, how would you rate the touchdown celebrations standings at the moment?) – “I feel like Christian rehearsed that. That definitely was like a routine he had planned for that. But I give it a 10/10 for sure. Watching that on TV was hilarious. He did his thing.”
(This is your first game after Christmas. How are you going to celebrate Christmas and does it interfere in your plans for the game on Monday?) –“Nah, I’m going to go Tua’s (Tagovailoa) house for Christmas. Hopefully he’s got some gifts for me. (laughter) He doesn’t even know I’m going over there. I’m just going to pop up out of the blue. I might just pop up at a whole bunch of people’s house. (laughter)”
(To get food again like in Thanksgiving?) – “Yeah, just to get food, show my face. You know. (laughter)”
(This Monday Night Football game – growing up, was Monday Night Football something that you tried to watch, enjoyed watching, any memories of that Monday night stuff?) – “Yeah, Monday night is a big game. Obviously, it’s a big game. Everybody is watching. Nothing really else is on TV so it’s a big primetime game. Always watch them. Same thing with Thursday nights. It’s a late game, a primetime game.”
(It’s crazy, now they got games on Tuesday and games on Saturday.) – “Yeah, they got games almost every night this week.”
(It’s fun to watch but in terms of your pregame routine, pregame ritual, when there is a big game, is there anything that you change up at all? What is your routine?) – “Nah, not for real. Just throw in lunch in there and it’s pretty much the same.”
(The Dolphins offense seemed a little out of sync early Sunday before getting it together mostly with the run game. Can you feel how important you are to this offense? Were the guys when you walked in saying, ‘Good to have you back,’ because it seemed like they were a little out of sync without you to start on Sunday?) – “Nah, not really. I think they played well actually. I think it’s always good when things aren’t going well and then you overcome it. I feel like that’s good for an overall offensive standpoint. Everything is not always going to be good and what we practiced and how we think it’s going to go. It’s always good to have things like that and overcome it. I think they played well and I’m just excited to be back.”
