QB Tua Tagovailoa – August 20, 2022 (Postgame)
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Saturday, August 20, 2022
Postgame – Raiders
QB Tua Tagovailoa (transcribed by ASAP Sports)
Q: I know we spoke to you a couple days ago. You said that you wanted to get out there. Now that you get a couple series in, how did it feel and how did you feel about the way the offense operated those two times?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: It felt good. I enjoyed being out there with the guys. I enjoyed the atmosphere that was out there tonight with the fans. I know as an offense you always want to go down and accomplish every drive ending in a score. Obviously, that wasn’t the case within the two drives that we had. We had a field goal, but our job as an offense is to go down and try to put points up on the board. I felt there were some things that we needed clean up on – pre-snap operations and then also just everyone playing together, us all knowing our assignments and knowing what to do. I think for the most part, extremely proud of the way the second-string guys came in, the third-string guys came in stepped up. A lot of the younger guys played extremely well in this game, and that’s not to take away the fact that they did really good for us in this preseason game. We didn’t accomplish what we wanted to, but that doesn’t outshine what a lot of the younger guys were able to do towards the ending for us.
Q: Was it important to you to get these preseason snaps in?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, I’m hoping I get to play in the Eagles game as well. As a competitor, I think anyone in the locker room wants to do that. I know Tyreek (Hill) wanted to go out there. X (Xavien Howard) wanted to go out there. I also know Melvin Ingram wanted to go out there, but Coach (McDaniel) had to shut those guys down. That’s kind of the locker room that we have, guys wanting to be out there, but Coach is protecting them from themselves. I wanted play more snaps in this game, but Mike (McDaniel) said that was it.
Q: How did it feel playing back in front of your home crowd for the first time in a while?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: It was good. For a preseason game, it got pretty loud. You know, when there were situational deals going on, when it was third down or when we needed to convert on a third down, we could really hear them. For the most part I think it was pretty cool. These guys are just excited to see the nuances to the team, a lot of new faces. They want to see what Mike (McDaniel) has done to our team. There’s a lot of hype going around our team because of what Mike has done for this organization with how he is as a person and then, obviously, all the comments with our other players. It was really cool.
Q: Tua, they showed on CBS many hours before the game you were kind of out there by yourself going through some things. Can you kind of help us understand what you were trying to accomplish and what that exercise was like for you?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Well, for me I’m just trying to picture the operation of how I want the offense to operate, so I’m looking at the play call, saying the play call out, getting the motions. If a certain person is not where they’re supposed to be defensively, then that’s an opportunity to exert all the adjectives as far as getting us into the right play. So, for me that’s what my practice is every time that I go out there is, okay, if we run this play, what could stop that play? If we run this play, what could stop that play? And then going through my entire progression; if it’s a pass play, if it’s a play action play, if it’s a run play, understanding I have to carry out my fakes. Just all the little details, I would say, that’s what I try to do.
Q: How impressed are you with QB Skylar Thompson and his development over camp and these past two games?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I’ve been extremely impressed with Skylar. Skylar handled the Tampa game extremely well, and then now he comes in a little later into the third quarter, gets his group going, has — I don’t even know how many plays he had. He probably had a 10-play drive leading up to the score that we had our first score that we had here at Hard Rock for this 2022 season. But I think he has handled it extremely well. He gave us an opportunity to kick a field goal to win the game. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, but I think he has done an extremely great job for us.
Q: We had a chance to talk with TE Mike Gesicki in the locker room. He acknowledged that it’s kind of a tough transition from last year’s offense to this year. As a leader on this team, do you get in his ear a little bit to help him keep his head up?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, and I think for Mike (Gesicki), you know, Mike knows his abilities and Mike isn’t one to kind of just ponder on it and just think on it. Obviously, Mike is a competitor. Mike came to me into the locker room and was kind of telling me what I’d seen. Obviously, the pass that happened, he was kind of telling me what he was going through with their press man. They kind of had man lurk with the backside safety dropping in to pretty much rob whoever the third guy is, but I think for the most part Mike did a great job. We’re going to be able to put it all together, and I know Mike knows that.
Q: QB Skylar Thompson said that on the last two-minute drive he was talking to Head Coach Mike McDaniel on the sideline. He throw a joke at him. Is that his understanding of like lightening the moments? Is that his style?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: For Skylar?
Q: Yes.
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Well, I mean, I don’t know. That’s pretty cool. I never thought — wow, I guess Skylar is getting comfortable, huh? (laughter) I never knew Skylar to be –
Q: I said Mike threw the joke to him.
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Oh, Mike threw the joke to him. Oh, okay, then yes, yes, yes. That is much more believable than Skylar telling Mike a joke. Much more believable. Skylar is more like ask a question, you know, like I’m going to ask you a question, like please, what is information that I can use when I go out there? Like, hey did they do this, did they do that? He just wants to learn, so with you saying he was joking – I thought you said he was joking.
Q: How do you think is that for a head coach to understand that moment for that guy to lighten the mood up, is that Mike?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: That is Mike, yeah. I would say that’s Mike. And we’re talking about McDaniel, right? Yeah, that’s definitely Mike.
Q: Was tonight’s two series sort of a benchmark in the progression until Week 1, like something you have to check the box, get out there on the field?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Not necessarily. Obviously, we want to be able to simulate game-like practices, but nothing simulates the actual thing. Just me being able to go out there with the first string o-line, you know, we all need that. As you can see, we’re a little rusty when we went out there, but it’s nothing that a little film can’t help, but I think it’s going to be good. I hope we get another opportunity to go out and play a couple of series next week, too.
Q: What’s your thoughts on the run game tonight? Not a lot of yards rushed…
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I would say for us offensively and I’m sure this is how it is around the league, but we don’t have — we have basic run calls being called out there, basic play pass calls, basic passing game calls. It’s not necessarily game plan for us out there. I don’t look at our run game tonight as something to be discouraged about. It is what it is. We only had what calls we had, and that’s what that was.
Mike McDaniel – August 20, 2022 (Postgame)
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Saturday, August 20, 2022
Postgame – Raiders
Head Coach Mike McDaniel (Postgame) (transcribed by ASAP Sports)
Q: QB Tua Tagovailoa was able to make his preseason debut. Two series. Just overall how would you evaluate his performance and just working with the offense in those two series?
MIKE MCDANIEL: I was really happy with Tua because he has been having such a good camp, just in his development and ownership of the offense. I was very hopeful that he would be the same guy on game day. It was my first opportunity with him, and he executed really everything that we asked him to do. His ownership of the offense, his command of the players was real good. He distributed the ball well. There were a couple of times that he got to three in his progression, and he adjusted with the defense. They kind of came out and weren’t matching personnel, and that wasn’t something that in the preseason you necessarily expect nor prepare for. Didn’t bother him in the slightest, so I was happy with his performance, and it was something to build upon moving forward that the team really was pumped to see.
Q: While Tua did play, some of the key offensive starters – Terron Armstead, Jaylen Waddle, Tyreek Hill. Obviously, Terron and Jaylen had been kind of sidelined for a bit. I guess at this point of the preseason, do you expect them to play at all in the finale and I guess just what is your level of concern with not having all those guys kind of in the preseason setting?
MIKE MCDANIEL: It’s the same thing. It’s the imperfect situation that is the preseason for the game of football. You’re trying to balance getting guys prepared and not putting them at risk in an exhibition. With each player, it’s kind of case-by-case. I hadn’t planned on — I didn’t really know what I was going to do with Tua, and I hadn’t planned on making a decision until the last second, and he kind of helped me with that, but you have to assess each and every player for where they’re at in the offense and really in the defense. You really have to just assess everyone where they’re at and how much they need that preseason so that they can feel 100 percent full go against the Patriots, and I think I’ll continue to do that through the Philly week and for the Philly game.
Q: What are you seeing from QB Skylar Thompson now compared to when he first got here?
MIKE MCDANIEL: He just gets better every day. This game the operation was better. There was one time that he kind of lost the play clock a little bit, and we had to burn a timeout, but more than anything, he really had command over everything. And he is starting to make plays that when one or two aren’t there, feeling the concept. And like that touchdown they threw to ‘Z. White’ on the left-hand side, that’s something that Skylar doesn’t make at the beginning of preseason. So, I’ve seen continued improvement, but he is very diligent about the process. He has got the makeup of what it takes to be an NFL quarterback, so I think all of his teammates can feel that too.
Q: There was cool video that they showed on CBS where Tua was on the field by himself at 2:30 in the afternoon kind of visualizing things. He had a play sheet. He was going through what he was going to do before the snap, during the snap. What do you think that says about where he is relative to his knowledge of the offense and his desire to gain full command?
MIKE MCDANIEL: Man, that says everything. That’s why his teammates are confident in him. That’s why I’m confident in him, and that’s why his coaching staff is because that is something that he has done on his own with guidance from his quarterback coach, Coach Bevell. You can feel that every day that he is — Coach Bevell has explained to him all sorts of stories of the players he has worked with. Coming in here this year that wasn’t something that I had heard Tua — that wasn’t really his MO, just to go ahead and go outside the framework of whatever the schedule is and really invest all-in on your craft. He is doing that every single day, and it really shows in his play. That doesn’t surprise me. I hadn’t heard that, but he has really been doing that every single day at the beginning of the day before he gets the script, and that’s why he is owning the offense and leading us well so that we’ll be in a good position to be what his teammates really need him to be Week 1.
Q: What do you think of the four yards rushing, if anything?
MIKE MCDANIEL: That’s not very much. It’s a fine line. I’m not overreacting to it. I’m not really one that is just black and white. All right, so you have a bunch of yards, and you can run the ball, and you don’t have any you can’t. Really rushing yards, if you have one explosive; it can be super misleading. What I do know is that the last two opponents, this one a little bit more so than the other one, our players were caught off guard with something they hadn’t seen on tape really. In the NFL you have to be able to do that. So, I’m happy that there’s no false sense of comfort level really. It does raise the urgency for the offensive line, tight ends, and receivers blocking, but at the same time I’m not panicked because I would be more panicked if they were entering into something that we had totally prepared them for and we still weren’t able to displace people on the line of scrimmage and do things of that nature. So it’s cause for your attention, but at the same time there’s no panic button. It’s really, okay, can we learn from this? Now if the same thing happens next week, that will be more concerning for me, but I think the guys have a lot of pride, and we emphasize the run game a lot. Obviously, we want more production, and that’s what we expect from ourselves moving forward.
Q: Injury-wise, what happened during the first half with CB Nik Needham, DB Keion Crossen, and I think CB Alexander Mackensie left for the medical tent at some point as well.
MIKE MCDANIEL: There were some dings. We had some hand injuries. There was nothing fatal in terms of long-term issues. There was one occasion we had someone go back into the game. We had someone leave and stay out. I’ll have more information tomorrow with all that, but they’re in constant communication. There’s nothing that we’re overly concerned for in the long haul, which is a good thing for the Miami Dolphins.
Q: What does TE Mike Gesicki need to do to make sure that he can have as positive of an impact on the team, the offense, during the entire season?
MIKE MCDANIEL: He was in a position to have a pretty good game. You can ask him. He was frustrated because he had a couple of options. We rely on him, and we went to him, and he had a couple pretty good ops that he wasn’t able to come up with the play. So, he needs to continue what he is doing, which is completely committing in the run and pass game to the offense. He is a couple plays on the ball away from having a really good game that he feels really good about. He knows that. I know that. That’s one of the reasons why he stayed in the game, because he was frustrated. As a competitor, he knew he could make the plays that he didn’t. It’s nothing out of the ordinary or nothing far from exactly what he has been doing. He just needs to continue to be diligent and not get frustrated when the ball doesn’t bounce his way or they get paid, too; they hit him, he doesn’t make a play on the ball. We all appreciate the fact that he is a competitor, and he is not satisfied with touching the ball and not coming down with it. As long as he approaches it like the player that he is where he is very accountable, we’ll be fine, he will be fine, and we’ll all be better for it.
Q. How do you evaluate the offensive line’s performance? What did you like or not like about it?
MIKE MCDANIEL: I thought that it was pretty solid in terms of they went out and they were trying to attack the defense as best they could. Again, there was just some stuff that really we didn’t adjust to as well as I would have liked. At the same time, it’s not all on them really. There were some things that I did expect them to get, some things that I’m not surprised that they didn’t get. I’m not terribly — the game was kind of taken out of their hands a little bit at the beginning with some of the stuff they were doing. We kind of had to transfer and do some drop-back stuff, and I thought they protected the quarterback well enough where it was never a situation where they had to get rid of the ball too early. The tight ends got beat on horrendous play call with Teddy (Bridgewater) in, but outside of that, I think it was a pretty safe, well-protected game from them. We just need to go look at the tape and understand, okay, well, when teams are pressuring us in the run game and their feet are like this, we need to adjust like this. That’s why it’s just a process really for all the run game stuff and protection that I was pretty happy with. We’ll just keep working next week and see how good we can get for game one.
Jaylen Waddle – August 20, 2022 (Fourth Quarter)
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Saturday, August 20, 2022
4th Quarter – Las Vegas
WR Jaylen Waddle on WFOR broadcast with Kim Bokamper
(You have an opportunity, let me ask you this. Where are you now compared to where you were last year at this time?) – “I think I’m just more confident, especially in this system that we’re running. I’ve got another year with Tua (Tagovailoa) and the offense. Some of the guys came back and we’ve got some new weapons. So, I’m more confident. I’ve got a year under my belt, so I already kind of know what to expect this year. It’s been good.”
(Let’s talk about you and WR Tyreek Hill. How do you guys go about complementing each other in this offense?) – “I think we complement each other pretty well, just what we bring to the table. I think it opened up for him and it opened up for me. So, I think us and our short but long time together, it’s been great.”
(You guys have worked a lot together. Are you very competitive with each other?) – “Oh yes, definitely. We definitely compete on who can make a big play during practice each day. It’s good competition, definitely.”
(What do you expect out of yourself this season, your second?) – “I just expect me to come in, be more of a leader. We have some younger guys that I feel I can help, and just continuing to learn from the veterans in our room, just try to keep building and stay consistent.”
(How do you like this Head Coach Mike McDaniel offense?) – “I love it. Mike is definitely a genius with the plays. He definitely knows how to put his players in position and try to get them the ball in some space.”
(Are we going to see a little bit more waddles this year?) – “Yes, hopefully. Hopefully.”
Terron Armstead – August 20, 2022 (Third Quarter)
Saturday, August 20, 2022
3rd Quarter – Las Vegas
T Terron Armstead on WFOR broadcast with Kim Bokamper
(On the first preseason game at home) – “It feels great. It feels great getting a chance to show the fans what we’ve been working on all training camp, all offseason really. Brand new system, brand new scheme, a lot of explosive opportunities that we’ve got built into this offense so it’s exciting.”
(You come over as a veteran, you’ve played a lot of games and you’ve got a lot of young guys in this group. How do you affect them and how do you help those guys with your experience?) – “I just try to bring my knowledge, my wisdom, experience, my wins, my losses, my success, failures, all those good things. These guys ask a lot of questions. Real professionals, they go about their business the right way. So any way I can try to be an asset, that’s what I like to do.”
(You look at this offense with Head Coach Mike McDaniel. You want to be a wide-open offense, but he wants to lean on the running game. Do you like that?) – “The running game is basis, it’s the foundation of everything we’re trying to do. We can’t create those explosive and big plays without the run game, so we have to be able to instill that and instill our will early in games.”
(I’ve been watching this training camp the week throughout, and it seems like there’s a focus on fundamentals and technique, especially when it comes to the offensive line.) – “That’s the game. That’s the game of football. It always comes back to the fundamentals. The team that has the best fundamentals that sticks to what they do well, their bread and butter – it comes down to the fundamentals, their bread and butter and execution.”
Mike McDaniel – August 20, 2022 (Halftime)
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Saturday, August 20, 2022
Halftime – Las Vegas
Head Coach Mike McDaniel on WFOR broadcast with Kim Bokamper
(What did you see in the first half that you liked? And what would you like to see a little bit better this second half?) – “I saw some good third down operation, guys made plays. I thought the quarterbacks are playing pretty well. Obviously, there were some MAs (missed assignments) that really cost us, negative plays, some run downs and guys really – there were some players that honestly were frustrated for the most part that really (inaudible). It’s good to see that, but we just need to be a lot cleaner in our operation and execution and score touchdowns, not field goals.”
(A lot of fans have been looking forward to seeing QB Tua Tagovailoa. You got an opportunity to see a little bit of him. How do you evaluate that?) – “I thought he did a great job controlling what he can control. He made some plays where one or two weren’t open. I thought he was responsible with the ball, and I like how he commanded the huddle. It was – for the most part, they were playing pretty conservative on the back end, so he took what was there and didn’t put us in harm’s way.”
(You had a couple guys, WR Tyreek Hill, RB Raheem Mostert and your third guy who were expected to play and you chose not to play them after watching workouts. What happened there?) – “No, it was really just evaluating them. All three of those guys are veterans. It was not injury related. It was something I had in the back of my mind. I wanted to see if they were ready to play and compete, and all that does is I’ve other people opportunities to kind of go out there and prove their worth. So it was a gametime decision that I really made, no other reason but I think they didn’t need tonight as much as other guys and that’s the way we operate.”
Jevon Holland – August 18, 2022
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Thursday, August 18, 2022
S Jevon Holland
(I know it’s not games, but it is meaningful, obviously, in training camp. How much are you enjoying the string of picks you’ve had in camp, including three in the last two days?) – “Oh, I love it. I love it. Interceptions are the best things for a DB to get, besides an interception and a touchdown, which I got today. (laughter) But no, I love it, man. It’s fun. I love playing against our offense. They’re electric, and they love talking mess. I love talking mess. It makes us play better. I really enjoy it.”
(It looks like on some of those picks you’re coming from depth and jumping in. How do those defensive calls put you in position to make the plays you’re making this week?) – “Well you know, Coach (Josh) Boyer, he makes the calls based on the situation. He does a great job aligning us in the right position to let us go out there and have fun, definitely.”
(Where are you a better player than you even were last year? What parts of your game are you better now?) – “My whole game. My entire game. I think I’ve improved in every category because I continue to plan to improving, because I don’t think I hit my ceiling yet. As a competitor, as a high-level competitor, I hold myself to a high standard. So every day, I’m trying to get one percent better than I was yesterday.”
(Who are a few safeties that you have admired and appreciated throughout your football playing life?) – “In my life? OK, Bob Sanders, Troy Polamalu, Ed Reed, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer, Derwin James, Kevin Byard, Budda Baker, Tyrann Mathieu, there’s a lot.”
(Some of those guys share an agent with you, is that what I saw on social media?) – “Yes, some of those guys do.”
(So is there a – did I see on social media a text thread where you guys kind of communicate, some of you guys?) – “Oh, I’m not in that. I’m not at that level yet. Shout out to David, but (laughter) I’m just playing. No, I’m not in that text thread. Those guys are a little bit older than me, but I have their number. I can reach out to them anytime I need and ask questions, because I do. Jessie Bates (III) helped me a lot last year. So those guys are – everybody in the safety community and the football community in general is always cool about spreading love, spreading ideas and everything like that.”
(Is there one thing S Jessie Bates III said that was not so obvious but helpful?) – “Yes, absolutely.”
(Anything you can share from S Jessie Bates III?) – “No, man. I’m going to keep those secrets to myself, honestly. I’m sorry about that.”
(I know team goals are No. 1 for you, but from a personal standpoint, is there any desire to be a Pro Bowl player, which you’re looking like out there, this year? Is that at all on your mind?) – “Absolutely. I mean, it’s – I desire to be the best player that I can be, and those type of things are the standard that I hold myself at. I want to those occasions, absolutely. As a competitor, I feel like you should strive to be the best you can be, and if that’s in your goal, then you should definitely do that for sure.”
(You mentioned S Ed Reed, someone here people obviously associate him with University of Miami. What from him did you take and were able to apply?) – “I try to take his whole game, everything he does, really. He was a phenomenal player. He played with such energy, such grit and furious intention. So really his attitude and the way he plays in the post is really what I was trying to focus on.”
(The playlist today was awesome. What went into that?) – “Well, the last two playlists I had were for everybody else, make sure everybody had a good vibe. But today was specifically for me, so you know I had some Mike Jackson on there, had some Luther Vandross inside, I had some Polynesian music, but they didn’t get to it in the playlist. The playlist was a little long. SOB (X RBE), Mac Dre, all that in there. I had a whole bunch in there.”
(Do you and QB Tua Tagovailoa have conversations after practice or the next morning about the picks that you make ever in terms of what you saw, since you are on the same team?) – “No. I usually ask him about plays that I messed up on or things like that. I’m not really looking for him to explain what I did right or what he saw in that specific play. I’m more looking for things that bother me when I go to sleep at night and how I can correct them, because Tua is helping me tremendously, him and Teddy (Bridgewater). But because Tua is a left-hander, it challenges me a lot, because I’m seeing things from a different side, you know what I mean? He can open his shoulder in a different way. But Tua is a hell of a competitor, and his desire to be great is the same as mine, and that resonates with me. That’s why I’m continuing to ask him questions and I’m trying to compete with home very day in practice.
(Do QB Tua Tagovailoa or QB Teddy Bridgewater or QB Skylar Thompson ever ask you what you saw on a pick or on a ball that you’ve deflected?) – “Yes, yes, of course. Because like me, like I said, we’re like-minded competitors. They want to know what they did wrong or how they could get better. So the atmosphere in the locker room between us four is awesome, really. I would want to go watch film with them too. So that’s something that I plan on doing in the future.”
(Late game situations, two-minute drills, all three units had picks. What’s the key to success in those late game scenarios?) – “You have to do your job, that’s what it comes down to. It’s a high intensity situation, but you have to do your job and then you have to let the plays come to you, because if you try to force it, then you’re going to miss your opportunity.”
(With the list of safeties you went through before, does anyone stand out that you said – any tape you watch more than others?) – “Tyrann Mathieu when he was at LSU, I watched his tape every Friday before my college games, and then right before I went to bed, me and my roommate, Jamal Hill, he’s out of Oregon, we watched Minkah Fitzpatrick’s last year in college every day.”
(A lot of the guys that you mentioned are of the nature that if you’re a quarterback, you always have to know where that guy is before the snap. Have you thought about how you want quarterbacks to look for you in that same way?) – “That’s actually a great question. Not necessarily. I just want offenses to fear me, really – not necessarily the quarterback, more the coaches. I feel like the way we’re practicing, I can get to that, because I’m continuing to push myself. But no, that hasn’t come across my mind.”
(Talking about S Tyrann Mathieu and S Minkah Fitzpatrick, they played that star role in Nick Saban’s defense. You played slot in college a lot. How does playing that position translate to playing the pros as well as you have so far this camp?) – “It puts me in a dynamic where if I have to step down and into the box or I have to do anything close to the line, I already have some type of history with that. College and NFL are completely different, but it kind of gives me a comfortable feeling knowing that I’ve been down there before and I’ve seen pulling guards come at me and tight ends like that. So just a little bit ease on my body.”
(There are a lot of safeties that you named just now that you’re inspired by. You might be well on the way to being better than some of those guys. What does that mean to you and your progression as a player and a student of the game?) – “It means a lot that you said that, but for me right now, I’m looking to the next day. I’m not looking years down the line or anything like that, I’m looking at tomorrow and how I can get better in the meetings today and then stepping onto the field tomorrow through walkthrough and whatnot and how I can grow.”
(When you get to a deep ball, whether it’s an interception or a pass breakup and use range, obviously speed is a key attribute. What portion of that play involves preparation and anticipation?) – “The whole play.”
(Can you tell me a little more about the combination of physical tools with anticipation and instincts?) – “Obviously, it starts in the film room, understanding quarterbacks looks and what not. As you’re in your peddle, you have to understand your technique and what you have to do and then trusting your instincts, really. As you get closer to the ball, like we work on deep ball drills and everything like that, understanding your distance from the receiver, from the sideline, from the ball, judging the ball correctly, going up and grabbing it, focusing on getting the ball first and then anything else. So there’s a lot that goes into the deep balls, not just running and going to get it.”
(You were born in Canada, right?) – “Correct.”
(How much time did you spend in the Bay Area?) – “I was in the Bay Area from 2008 to 2018 before I left for college, but I mean my parents live in the Bay Area still, so I obviously go – that’s home for me. It’s my home, too. I grew up in Canada, but I also grew up in the Bay Area.”
(I was about to say, I don’t know anybody that’d playing Mac Dre that’s not…) – “Mac Dre, all that. They didn’t even get to the SOB (X RBE), I had all that on there. Mozzy, ALLBLACK.”
(I want to ask you one more thing. S Minkah Fitzpatrick got a new deal this summer. S Derwin James just got a new deal this week. When you see the money being thrown around for safeties like that, what do you think about that?) – “I’m super happy for those guys. Minkah (Fitzpatrick) and Derwin (James), they’re well-deserving. They’re (great) players, they’re ballers, really. Those are guys that I look up to. Absolutely, it’s motivation or whatnot, but like I said, I’m looking to tomorrow. I’m not looking at the next couple of years and whatnot, I’m looking at how I can get better off today and that’s really how my mindset stays.”
Christian Wilkins – August 18, 2022
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Thursday, August 18, 2022
DT Christian Wilkins
(I heard you got a dirty mouth from somebody.) – “Oh, you guys are predictable. I knew somebody was going to say something. (laughter) I wouldn’t say dirty. I would just say I’m very myself – animated, some people would say extra, some people would say annoying. I’m just having fun out there. I’m just having a good time. Just having fun out there, that’s all. That’s just what it is.”
(I think yesterday’s practice in particular, you really tried to set a tone and assert yourself a little bit more. What made you want to do that?) – “A lot of that is definitely calculated. It just felt like we’re in day whatever at training camp, we’ve been going at it. Being in the position that I’m in, you have to recognize when there is a day or there is a time where guys will get a little – just human nature. You’ve been going hard just practicing against each other in training camp, and you are kind of like, dang let’s just get to the game. But no, you’ve got to find a way to get yourself going so that everyone else can get going too. It’s all definitely calculated to bring a little bit more juice and energy to practice.”
(Calculated from previous days? Or that day you felt something that made you want to do that?) – “Personally, I thought that I’ve been having a good camp but I could definitely be better and bring it more. I just haven’t been that part of myself. You just feel it. It’s a hot day – the hottest it’s been at training camp and you’re like ‘No, I won’t let that creep in for a minute. Let me just find a way to bring something extra so that way everybody can feed off the energy and raise the level of play of the guys around me.”
(Who are some other guys that bring that energy out here?) – “On our side, ‘E-Rob’ (Elandon Roberts) brings it every day. I love what he brings to the team, I love his leadership. Jevon (Holland) is obviously a heck of a player but he has some great leadership skills. There are a lot of guys on our defense who bring that. There are a lot of guys on our offense who don’t back down from that. They accept that, they welcome that, they embrace it. That’s what brings the level of practice up.”
(Who are some of those guys on offense?) – “They’ve got a lot of guys everywhere. Guys on the o-line who don’t back down. When I get going, they want to shut me up. They make sure that they are on their stuff. That’s the camaraderie we have, but it’s all love. It’s all respect. It’s just competitive nature.”
(How does coach try to push players like yourself and some other players that were here before he got here? How does he try to influence you guys to take the next step so you don’t linger on things you have done in the past?) – “The biggest thing is that he encourages us to be ourselves. He welcomes us to be ourselves. He’s a good leader, he’s a good coach, and he has his way. He’s a players coach, so he invites you to be yourself. That’s the number one thing. If you’re not yourself, and you’re trying to confine yourself in a way that he wants, it’s hard to be the player that you can be if you’re not the person you can be first.”
(What can CB Mackensie Alexander do?) – “You already know his strengths. He’s a good player because he went to Clemson, so that’s No. 1. I think he’s a veteran presence on this team now. He’s played a lot of ball, played a lot of good ball in the NFL. He’s a Florida boy. He’s going to come in and work. He’s a smart player. I was able to be around him for a year when we were in college together, and that’s one thing he always did was work hard and he always knew what to do. I can imagine he’ll bring a lot of the same things to us.”
(We talked to CB Xavien Howard and S Jevon Holland at the start of camp about one defender who would open our eyes, and they both mentioned you. Why do you think your teammates view you as ready to be the guy to open everybody’s eyes?) – “I definitely appreciate that by them. I really can’t tell you other than the fact that I try to come in here every day and work hard, and make the other guys around me better. I just try to each and every day hone-in and focus on my technique, maximize my strengths and get better at my weaknesses. That’s just what I try to do and bring it every day. If you continue to do those things day after day, play after play, I guess people take note of those things. I just try to be the best teammate I can be, the best player I can be.”
(I know as a player you want to be well-rounded, but is there one element of your game you feel like you focused on and anticipate will translate into the season?) – “Really just playing the game within the game. The mental aspect of it. Not just beating guys and dominating them physically but more so taking a holistic approach to the game. Knowing what the offense is trying to do, how they are trying to attack us as a defense, where I can take my shots, when is a good time to make this adjustment or that adjustment. Just play a different game within the game.”
(One of the guys we watch out here is Defensive Line Coach Austin Clark. The way he celebrates when you guys make plays. He brings a lot of juice and energy. What would you say about how he provides that?) – “I love Coach Clark. He’s a heck of a coach. He brings it every day and he holds us to a high standard. He’s been doing that since day one that he’s been here. He holds us to the highest standards. He knows how great we can be and he’s going to push us to be that great each and every day. It doesn’t matter how hot it is, how many plays we’ve worked – none of that. He just wants us to be our best each and every play. He’s such a good coach teaching technique. My technique has gotten a lot better. A lot of guys on the defensive line’s technique has gotten better. He brings that juice – good, bad or indifferent.”
(Anything you know now that you wished you knew coming into the league?) – “More so, like I always talk about just about the process. You’ve just got to stick with the process because there are going to be a lot of things that are new to you, things are going to be going fast and things you’re going to have to adjust to. You’ve just got to stay with the process and never waver, never grow weary of doing the little things right and then eventually, you’ll reap the benefits of that.”
Jason Sanders – August 18, 2022
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Thursday, August 18, 2022
K Jason Sanders
(Preseason or not, how significant was it to start off the preseason the way you did with a big night and two 50-yarders?) – “It was good. I take every preseason (game) the same as practice. Getting those game reps is completely different than getting the practice reps though. I take it as a privilege to play all three games, so I get all of those field goal reps and all of the kickoff reps. I’ve got to get better and improve my game.”
(How much of a difference can a holder make?) – “I mean a pretty big difference. It depends on who it is. There are certain things that people have tendencies but any holder we’ve had, they’ve always done a great job for me. I’ve been incredibly thankful for the last five years, four seasons, I’ve had with a good holder.”
(On what he does in the offseason) – “Just work out. In some free time, you play some golf. That’s about it. I spent a lot of time in the pool, in the sun.”
(Have you pinpointed anything that you can go back to doing to get back to 2020?) – “Just doing the same things I’ve always been doing. Yeah, I missed a couple of kicks last year but if I keep showing up here and doing what I can to get better, everything is going to work out for itself and I’ll make a kick.”
(Have you seen a non-kicker try anything out here? Is there an DT Ndamukong Suh?) – “Are you talking like a field goal tryout?”
(Yeah, like an emergency. Like LB Porter Gustin or somebody.) – “I’ve seen Brandon Jones kick a few. I’ve also seen him kick a few bad ones. (laughter) I encourage it because it makes me look better. (laughter)”
(In even seasons, you have a great field goal percentage and in odd seasons, it’s in the 70s. Do you think about that at all?) – “No. I mean it sounds like I’m on the right season right now. (laughter) Like I’ve always said, I always show up to practice and it’s one practice, get better. That’s all it is.”
(Is there anything different for you this year?) – “Nope. Doing the same thing that I’ve done since my rookie year. Just learning a few things extra and every year, I feel like I’m getting better and better.”
(Have you picked anything up from P Thomas Morstead and just the experience he has in the league?) – “He’s very similar to me. He’s very analytical. We like talking kicking. Having an older guy like that, it takes me back to John Denney. John Denney was great here. I love having those guys around because they’re so smart and they know exactly what they want to do when they show up.”
(You like the way P Thomas Morstead holds a football?) – “I love it.”
