Mike McDaniel – October 7, 2022
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Friday, October 7, 2022
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
“I came here to find out who you guys got in the 2022 Embo Bowl on Sunday. The Embo Bowl.”
(The Embo Bowl? We need an explanation.) – “It’s the Miami Dolphins-Jets game.”
(Embo Bowl?) – “Yeah, Embo Bowl. Our tight ends coach and assistant head coach, Jon Embree, right? (His) eldest son Taylor Embree – running backs coach for the Jets.”
(A little-known nugget.) – “And I mean this has serious consequences for Thanksgivings. (laughter) Do you go with age or do you go with beauty? I’m going to go with both and do Jon Embree.”
(So we saw WR Tyreek Hill pop up on the injury report yesterday with a quad. Is his status at all in question for Sunday, or do you expect him to play?) – “I can say with 100 percent conviction he will play or he won’t play. (laughter) And that’s all (Robert) Saleh is getting. (laughter) Yeah, he had something come up. We’re treating it and we’re very hopeful he’ll play.”
(And I would understand if you don’t want to answer this, of course, but obviously with T Terron Armstead, he didn’t practice all week so we never saw him on the field and he’s been playing through the toe. So fans are curious, is it a similar situation with CB Xavien Howard, where you’re merely resting the groin but he’s going to try to play through it? Or is he seriously in question? Again, if you don’t want to answer I understand, but I’m just asking.) – “Philosophically – generally, when players don’t practice, you don’t play him. Like I’ve told you guys from the beginning from the onset that absolutes are not my cup of tea. So with players like (Terron) Armstead and ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) – guys that have played at a high-caliber NFL level for a long time – there are exceptions. So if ‘X’ is able to go, kind of like in that Armstead fashion, if he’s able to go on Sunday; I won’t treat it like my general philosophy. And him not fully practicing today won’t be a component to make that decision on Sunday. He’s in that Armstead, Allen Iverson practice category. (laughter)”
(You’ve had some fun with Robert Salah and some of the connections you’ve had with the Jets this week. I’m curious, do you enjoy this week maybe more than others or how your personal feel is given your connections to the other side?) – “I try to do my best not to even factor that stuff in. It is unique because you know people so well. But again, it’s the players on the field that decide the game. The hardest part is not overthinking it because you do know their philosophies to a adegree. And you know they know, so then you can go into that rabbit hole. But for me, I wouldn’t say it’s anything either way. Just because I’ve found in the past when I know people, sometimes it makes me worse because I think of it that way. It’s just another opponent to me, and I think it’s important for the for the players to feel that, too.”
(If I could just follow up briefly, that same token, I think Robert Saleh was asked by Jets reporters about you and your style and he said even though they passed a lot he’s a run-first guy at heart which I think we know, but what would you describe Salah as? His coaching style if you could boil it down?) – “Okay, his coaching style starts – the leadership portion of it starts top-down. So his coaching and his philosophy is to be extremely accountable to what the players are being told and to what they’re being asked to do. I would say he is an extremely sound coach that wants his team to play fast with high effort. That’s non-negotiable for him. And that’s why it is cool for me to watch the tape this year. I was able to watch a little bit last year, you know, as a friend kind of look for it and whatever, and I saw it there. They’re a little healthier this year. They’ve improved some talent and you’re seeing better results because it’s a non-negotiable, sound, effort team that will always – you’ll always see 11 players around the ball. And so that philosophically, he’s a sound, rules-oriented coach that demands and receives fast play from his players.”
(What do you remember maybe liking about Zach Wilson in the scouting process a couple years ago?) – “The very, very elite throwing talent. First and foremost. You can see it a little bit. It looks different where it just pops off his hand. And I think when I was evaluating him – I said something before earlier in the week, but I said something about off-platform throws, meaning that he can be in any position and distribute the ball anywhere on the field. It’s like, there’s not that many guys that can do it. Like him, I think of the – you have Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes that are the bigger guys that can really string it across the field. But as throwers, the only guys that I really see that throw like him are probably Aaron (Rodgers) and Kyler (Murray). Similar that way. So you’re always intrigued when you’re looking at a quarterback and you see unbelievable throwing talent. And he’s special in that way and can make a defense pay any part of the field at any given time.”
(We’ve done a lot of four-game assessments of different aspects of the team, how would you assess yourself after four games?) – “Well, if you guys have any recall, and I’ve done this before. But I would refuse to ever give myself a high grade because my assessment of myself is to always assess my job and to continually evolve and get better. So will I ever be like, pumped about the job that I’m doing? No, that’s not the nature of the job. The nature of the job, the way I see it and what I’m trying to do for myself is assess decisions across the board, which is all-encompassing, and then never stop that process of development and getting better at stuff. So if you’re asking me, it’s probably going to be the same at 3-1 as if it was 0-4 or 4-0. So bad person to ask.”
(What about the way you’ve handled things such as halftime at the Baltimore game? Is it the same answer? Do you give yourself credit for that? Because I mean, players could have tensed up or whatever, and you seemed to have handled that very well.) – “For me personally, I’m not one to give myself much credit at all, because I’ve said it before about a multitude of different topics, but people – for me to take this job, I better be adept at doing stuff. This is not – this job is to service hundreds of people and I better, when they’re needing me, be able to make the appropriate decisions and handle things the right way. So anything that you’d be saying, that’s kind of what I expected for myself – that’s why you prepare so long. Over a decade is a long time when this particular job is on your mind, and at some point when it’s not happening, you have to make sure that, ‘Okay, well if it does happen, I better be ready and happy with where I’m at in coaching, so that I can do right by the players in the organization that are counting on me.’ So I’ll never – I knew early that when I was starting the head coaching process here in the offseason, I could feel it early that I was prepared for it and I was happy with that. I could feel as the next hurdles came, where I was calling plays for the first time, I could feel that I was ready to do that. But what I’ll never really be assessing – it’ll always be bad on all fronts because I’m looking for ways to improve. I think Mike Shanahan used to say to Kyle (Shanahan) when he was a little kid; Kyle would say it all the time in San Fran as a phrase that spoke to him that I’ve kind of adapted is, ‘If you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse.’ One of two things are always happening.”
(Is there anything you can tell us in terms of an update on how QB Tua Tagovailoa is doing?) – “He’s been diligently going through the process. Right now, he’s still in the protocol, obviously. There’s several outside specialists that we’re also utilizing, and we’ll just take it from there. But happy that he’s – I get to see him every day. It’s nice when I walk down the hallway, and I hear, ‘What up, Beast,’ which is, for whatever reason, he calls me ‘Beast’ all the time. I don’t think I give off the ‘Beast’ vibe, (laughter) but – we’ll just take it day by day from there.”
(Is he traveling?) – “He will not be traveling to this game for recovery purposes.”
(Have you and General Manager Chris Grier made a firm decision that he won’t be going on IR today or tomorrow?) – “Yeah, he won’t be going on IR today or tomorrow. We’re still getting information and progressing through that.”
(Anything you can tell us about the guys who have practiced little or none at all this week – CB Keion Crossen and WR Jaylen Waddle?) – “We’ll be checking out (Keion) Crossen today and seeing how he goes, but we’re just being careful not to push the envelope. And as (Jets Defensive Coordinator Jeff Ulbrich) Coach Ulbrich and (Jets Head Coach Robert) Saleh will pumped to hear, I’m just hoping for the best with Jaylen Waddle.”
(I’m curious, and hopefully doesn’t get too much into a gameplan, with a left hander like QB Tua Tagovailoa going to a right hander like QB Teddy Bridgewater, do you have to flip play calls at all as a play caller for certain plays?) – “You try to – if you do have tendencies to do things one direction because of that, defense generally picks up on it. So we run with Tua (Tagovailoa) all the time run bootlegs to the right. We kind of even everything out, so we don’t tend to have too many one-way orchestrations. So no, it doesn’t really change anything. The hardest part was actually learning left-handed quarterback footwork to coach. It’s just reversed, but just once we got that done for the coaches, it didn’t affect the players at all. It didn’t affect Tua (Tagovailoa), he had been thrown with his left (hand) for his whole life. So that doesn’t, it doesn’t really change anything at all, to be honest.”
(How has OL Brandon Shell been progressing?) – “Good, he had a good week of practice. I’ve been very impressed with his commitment to own the scheme. It’s always challenging when you jump into a moving operation that’s already full tilt, but he’s shown his professionalism. He improves on stuff every day, which is what my base bottom line is for all players. That’s all I’m really concerned with is them continuing to improve, and he’s done that. I’m very happy we have him here.”
(Your secondary has some problems, you talked about Jets QB Zach Wilson. Are you expecting heavy-pass from the Jets?) – “The way I know the Jets and (offensive coordinator) Coach (Mike) LaFleur is I’m expecting heavy whatever’s working. It’s not – honestly, they have the ability to live in the run game. They’ve ran for, in the last calendar year, I think they’ve had over 150 yards rushing. I know they had a great stretch. The last six games or so, they might have been like third in the league in rushing last season. If it’s impossible to run, he’ll definitely pass it. I know he looks at the world from the quarterback’s perspective as he should, so he’ll always try to call a balanced game so that you can’t play for pass and put the quarterback in harm’s way. But I also know that if he’s running the ball and it’s not working, he’s just not going to run it to run it, but he’ll try to get an evenly-called game as best he can. As I know from experience last year when he would text me with exclamation points and telling me, ‘I got 35 runs in!’”
Danny Crossman – October 6, 2022
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Thursday, October 6, 2022
Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(What does it do for the special teams unit if S Clayton Fejedelem can start reincorporating himself?) – “It’ll be big. He’s been a good player for us. He’s been a good player in this league, so any time you get a good veteran player, not only for his performance, but leadership. We’re happy to have him back practicing and we’ll see where that where that goes here this week and over the next couple of weeks.”
(Did you guys make a change to the up-man in the punt game?) – “In the last game? Yeah, we’ve played a couple of different guys throughout the season. But yes, in the last game particularly, yeah, there was a switch and that involved a lot of things offensively.”
(I know injuries seem to affect special teams and so without making excuses, how tough is that? Because you’re running plays out there and guys have to be used to each other, right?) – “It’s part of it and there’s years where you don’t have many and it’s fun. And you know, when you’re doing depth charts and you’re working, you’re going to run the same guys out there every time and it’s fun and it’s easy. I shouldn’t say easy, but you’re don’t have a million contingency plans that are actually put into effect. So it makes it tough, but that’s part of the game.”
(The missed extra point, what happened there?) – “Yeah, just caught it inside a little bit and then as you guys know, there was a little bit of wind and it was gusting and a little bit of inside with a gust of wind and the unfriendly upright got us again.”
(And then the blocked 52-yard field goal attempt?) – “Yeah, technique and communication. We had a look that we didn’t get communicated properly and we got some penetration and the guy did a good job, played hard and got his hand on the football.”
(Going back as long as I can remember, the Meadowlands have always been known for their swirling winds. Speaking of wind in Cincinnati, is that something you kind of prepare for, is the elements?) – “Well, you never really know and it’s interesting. You try not to track weather too early, but you do. You get the information and a week before it’s 94 degrees and it’s sunny and all of a sudden you go up there and it’s 60 degrees with the temperature dropping with wind. But that’s all part of it. You try to have history and you track different winds in certain stadiums and every coach has files based on sun, weather, wind, rain, whatever it may be in each particular stadium. You try and play – you got to play through it – you try and time some things up so you’re maybe not catching the gusts. The gusts are always more important. If it’s the steady winds, you can handle it. It’s the gusts that always get you.”
(So where does Hard Rock Stadium rank in terms of most tolerable for kickers and punters?) – “Well, since they’ve changed the design it’s pretty convenient for kickers. You don’t get a lot of different wind angles and wind directions and changes and swirls. So it’s a very kicker-friendly arena.”
(But they took out the dirt infield.) – “Which always made it really interesting. (laughter)”
(Without giving away strategy obviously, can you give us any insight as to when WR Tyreek Hill would be deep on punts?) – “There’s a lot of things that go into it. As we’ve said, we have a lot of guys we like and we feel comfortable with. The situation of games and there’s so many different variables of how the game’s going. What’s the situation, score, time? There’s so many different things, but we feel like we have a good nucleus of guys and when those situations and opportunities come up, hopefully every one of them is available so we have some of those chances.”
(What do you think of Jets WR Braxton Berrios in the return game?) – “Very, very good player. It’s really impressive when you watch his progression over the years from when he was drafted out of to Miami to New England and then his formative years here with the Jets and how he’s improved every single year, which is a credit to him and the coaches there.”
Ty McKenzie – October 6, 2022
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Thursday, October 6, 2022
Outside Linebackers Coach Ty McKenzie
(I know that you have obviously very good options among edge players with LB Jaelan Phillips, LB Melvin Ingram and LB Andrew Van Ginkel. Since LB Andrew Van Ginkel has been back from the appendix, the snap count defensively has still been pretty lopsided. How tough a call has that been for you and Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer on how much to play LB Andrew Van Ginkel? Do you want the snap count numbers between him, LB Jaelan Phillips and LB Melvin Ingram to be closer at some point?) – “Andrew Van Ginkel has done a great job. He’s gotten so much better, and then all of a sudden, the appendix hit, and you’re like, ‘Ah, we were heading in the right direction.’ So he’s feeling better, and we’re taking that day by day, trusting the medical staff. We want him to be on the field more often, the same way we want Jaelan (Phillips) and ‘Mel’ (Melvin Ingram). So I mean, if we could get 200-plus snaps a game, then that’d be great for everybody. (laughter) So we’ll just keep working it.”
(It’s kind of a good problem to have though, this depth and how many guys you can roll out there?) – “Yeah, it’s a great thing to happen, and that kind of goes to a tribute to those guys, working their tail off. This offseason, during OTAs and during training camp, working their tail off to get themselves ready to give us an option and give us many options. We tell the guys that we don’t set the depth charts – the players do. They’ve performed at a high level, so it’s a good option to have where you got some guys that have improved from Jaelan (Phillips) to ‘Mel’ (Melvin Ingram) to ‘Gink’ (Andrew Van Ginkel).”
(LB Melvin Ingram gets AFC Defensive Player of the Month and I’m wondering if any aspect of his game has, I guess, surprised you? You know everything LB Melvin Ingram can do, but did anything catch you off guard?) – “No, I mean, he just – ‘Mel’ (Melvin Ingram) came in and he just kept working. He keeps working and keeps getting better each day, and that’s a tribute to him. He’s buying into what we’re doing, he’s working hard, and he’s seeing the fruits from his labor. So (I have) a lot of respect for him and the rest of the guys on defense, but when one person wins an award like that, it really is a tribute to everybody because everybody has to do their job so he can do his job. So it’s kind of nice for the entire defense.”
(One thing that LB Jaelan Phillips told us during the offseason was he wanted to make improving against the run a priority for him. How’s he done against the run through four games?) – “I mean, you guys watched the tape. It’s been pretty impressive. He’s been setting the edge, he’s been using his length, knock-back on those guys. We want to set the edge in the backfield, not on the side of the defensive line of scrimmage. He’s doing a great job and he’s improving. He’s accountable and we can use him in many different ways for our defense, depending on what we got that week for our scheme.”
Austin Clark – October 6, 2022
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Thursday, October 6, 2022
Defensive Line Coach Austin Clark
(What are you seeing out of the pass rush so far, compared to last year? And what are you not seeing out of the pass rush?) – “I think, if you look at the season as a whole, it’s week-to-week. I think there’s weeks where we’ve affected the quarterback the way we’d like to. And then there are some areas where you’d like to see us finish. Like early in Cincinnati game, we got a chance – I think it was (Trey) Flowers and (Jaelan) Phillips missing a sack and the finish. And you want to knock down balls. Our goal is to affect the quarterback with the pass rush. I like the pieces we got. The effort is there. We’ve just got to finish a little bit better overall. We look to get them in situations, advantageous situations, where they have to throw the ball. When you know they’re throwing, that’s when the rush can really hit home. I’m pleased with the way the guys are working and looking forward to this week.”
(When you look at the pass rush success and sacks, how much of that is attributable to winning one on ones? And how much does CB Byron Jones’ absence affect that?) – “The way I look at things as the defensive line coach is it’s about those guys I work with. I think there is an element, I’m sure (Defensive Coordinator) Josh (Boyer) can tell you rush and coverage work hand-in-hand, and we preach that to our guys. But really, part of it is one-on-ones, part of it is the scheme and what we’re trying to do to attack certain guys with blitzes and games. And a lot of it is fundamentally. It’s your get-off. It’s attacking a set you’re getting. It’s the quarterback. That’s kind of the piece when Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Zach Wilson – you’ve got to rush these guys a certain way versus a quarterback that maybe doesn’t move quite as much. So there’s a lot of different factors that go into it. Like I said, I think we’ve got a lot of great pieces and the guys are working hard. Hopefully we can clean some things up.”
(You mentioned winning one-on-ones. The Jets have some tackles out. Is that viewed as an opportunity to attack and win some one-on-ones?) – “It depends who’s out there. Every week we prepare like Duane Brown is out there – Alijah Vera-Tucker. You look at the way they use their offensive line, they’ve got a bunch of different guys. That’s a small piece to the puzzle in terms of knowing your personnel and how you’re rushing a certain type of guy. It’s definitely a part of it.”
(Are there some instances where you mentioned – you’re rushing athletic guys like QB Lamar Jackson or QB Josh Allen – where maybe the defensive lineman’s job isn’t necessarily to collapse the pocket or – I don’t want to say not get to the quarterback, but maybe keep them … We talked about gap integrity. Are there some cases where that is their job on that play?) – “Yeah, rush lanes. I mean, as you look at rushing the passer, how many are we bringing? Where does a guy look to escape? Does he get rid of it quick? Is alerting three step and batting down balls, is that a big part of it? All of those things are factors to it, for sure. Absolutely.”
(Through four games, how you would assess how DE Emmanuel Ogbah is doing? I know pass rushers obviously are always going to be judged by numbers, but there’s more to it. His play overall, is it up to your standards?) – “Yeah. I don’t want you guys take this wrong way but when I look at Ogbah, it’s three downs, it’s four downs. It’s being a complete player down in and down out. I think he’s done a heck of a job so far. There are certainly some things, some more plays out there to be made for him. But I think week to week, he’s done exactly what we asked him to do and he’s flashed. He’s shown a lot of those flashes we’ve seen early in the season, especially in Buffalo. Late in the game last week in the second half, I thought he really turned it up. He’s got a lot of fundamental things we’re looking to clean up and he’s had a great week of practice so far.”
(I think LB Jaelan Phillips’ sack was from the four technique if I’m not mistaken. Did you guys know that he could play that far inside coming out of college? Or is that something he kind of grew into?) – “Yeah, to be honest with you, off of the stuff he did at Miami, he didn’t really do a lot of that. But him, like every player we got, you don’t know where that guy is going to line up. Every down or every week, it’s going to be different. And I think what Jaelen does a good job of is buying in and really feeding on the role that’s given to him each week. In that game, that was his job. He finished a play and was able to get him a sack, so we’re definitely excited for him for that.”
(How do you assess this team’s run defense at this point? I know probably some numbers have been skewed by some long rushes, maybe some quarterback scrambles or just on design runs.) – “Yeah, I would say in terms of our run defense and what we’re asking guys to play, to be honest with you, we’re focused on the New York Jets and how we’re going to stop their run. But last week, I thought we did a pretty good job. The guys inside are buying into attacking the man they are aligned on based on the methods of play per front we’re playing. and we do a lot of different things. We’ve got to continue to work on pad level, leg drive and all those things on all downs, whether it’s the early down run defense, short-yardage, goal line. There is a lot that goes into it. But again, our guys inside and the linebackers – Elandon Roberts – they’ve bought into all that so it’s been good so far. It’s got to be good every week.”
Frank Smith – October 6, 2022
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Thursday, October 6, 2022
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(I asked you on the Zoom last week about the running game – 3.5 yards per carry, which is probably not exactly where you want it. With both RB Raheem Mostert and RB Chase Edmonds well below their career averages, someone might look at that and deduce, “Well, it’s the offensive line’s fault or blocking at multiple positions.” Have there been runs where you’ve seen the running backs with the ability to make more out of what they’ve had? Or do you think it’s primarily a blocking issue that accounts for the running game not being as successful as you want?) – “I think it’s a combination of things. I mean, we also had an explosive run that got called back for a penalty in the game. So I think overall when you look at it, we’re seeing – it’s the end of Quarter 1 of the season. It’s a new staff and a new team coming together, so you hate to say it, but there’s just lots of learning opportunities inside of this first quarter. I think that there were two runs where we were able to learn a lot for how we need to implement our overall blocking scheme and running the football. I wouldn’t really say – again, I know it was kind of the same answer last time I was talking about (how) it’s really a combination of things, because I ultimately think it is always a combination of things. If it was so black and white and clear, I think that you’d have a solution to that and you’d be clear to what you need to do. But when you’re looking at kind of 11 guys working together, it’s always going to be close, and every week we get closer. I mean, you saw, really, two explosive runs, one called back from a penalty, which is a tough look. But I think ultimately, we’re getting closer, and I would think that the runners with the repetition of what we’re doing, allowing them to really understand where they need to fit, the blockers need to fit, perimeter to fit, the quarterback, how your actions and your setups fit. So I think it’s ultimately a combination of things that every week through our as we move into Quarter 2, we’re hoping to see that growth.”
(You guys have placed WR Tyreek Hill everywhere on the field. One thing I noticed last week was that you had him closer to the offensive line, kind of like an H-back tight end, and then you put him in motion. Just how is that different, him motioning from a close alignment as opposed to maybe motioning from the slot or out wide?) – “I think that with a player of Tyreek’s skillset, the real challenge is getting him involved all over the field because when teams are playing a variety of coverages, you’re using his placement inside of the formation to draw matchups, to move them inside of timing to locations that you can either attack those zones, or you’re hoping to get an advantageous matchup in man-to-man. So I think the challenge for us, essentially, I know (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) and (49ers Head Coach) Kyle (Shanahan) in their past in San Francisco, or really whenever you have a player with a broad skill set, is not just letting him line up at the same spot over and over again and the defense can anticipate where he’s going to be. The challenge is for us to keep moving him throughout the formation, different motions, different adjustments, so that the defense is always not sitting on one thing; they’re having to adjust and react to where we’re trying to locate him within the play.”
(It seems like the offense doesn’t have to change too much with QB Teddy Bridgewater in opposed to QB Tua Tagovailoa. What’s your take on that? How much remains consistent with the offense?) – “In training camp, I think you guys were able to witness, it’s not like we had two different offenses functioning. I think Teddy (Bridgewater) has shown a great understanding of the offense and what we’re trying to accomplish. I think his veteran leadership and his understanding of the role has been extremely helpful. We’re really excited to continue on the growth of what he was able to do at the end of the game, and ultimately with what he does well. So I think, again, like we’ve talked about for numerous weeks, the challenge for us as coaches is to tailor your offense to what players do well. And the good thing for Teddy is that we’ve had multiple months of him working inside the system, along with Tua (Tagovailoa) and Skylar (Thompson), that we have a really good feel to how we think he’s going to execute and do what we’re trying to do this week.”
(Regarding QB Skylar Thompson, I’m wondering how much things have changed for him, practice and game? For example, I guess in practice as the No. 3 quarterback, you’re the scout team quarterback? Maybe emulating the other quarterbacks? Or during the game, now he’s on the sideline with the earpiece. Can you kind of go over some things and how it’s different and how he’s handled it?) – “I think one thing that I noticed about Skylar (Thompson) early on is how mature and professional his approach has been from really Day 1. And even though he was the third quarterback, you saw an approach that was really, in many ways, very veteran. I mean, taking the mental reps, putting himself in the play every moment, and then now, it’s just an extension of that preparation. So I think when you’re not ‘playing,’ how do you handle those opportunities? You could see just he was mentally locked in from the beginning. You could just see that intensity to his, honestly, our word around here is deliberate practice to what he was doing. It was really great to see a rookie with that intensity. So as he was doing scout-team work and now elevating up, I think that it’s just an extension of his preparation. Now you’re seeing him take that into actual practice reps. So overall, like in preseason, we’ve been very pleased with what Skylar has been able to do, and we know that he’ll be ready and his teammates will be ready, because he’ll show up, because of the way he’s prepared through everything.”
(What do you see on film from the Jets two first-round picks on defense, CB Sauce Gardner and DE Jermaine Johnson?) – “You see guys with talent, guys with a skillset ability to run, challenge the ball, good fits to their defense, really. You can see what they’re trying to build there. I mean, I know that (Head Coach) Robert (Saleh) and (General Manager) Joe Douglas have a vision for what they’re trying to build, and you can see inside of their defense, they’re slowly accumulating those players that they’re looking to rely on for the next several years. So I mean, ultimately, you see a team that plays extremely hard with effort (and) is trying to play very aggressive to the ball. You understand that with their coverage system, how they’re trying to implement it, what a good job they’ve done coaching. As they’re working through the first quarter of their season, I’m sure that they’re very pleased with some things they’ve been able to get through so far, and I think that a lot of it is their young players, their development that they’ve been able to have through Quarter 1 or the last couple of years, that I think that they’re looking to build on it this week. That’ll be the challenge for us is to handle the matchups with their guys and make sure that we execute and properly do what we’re trying to do.”
(Going back to the run game, on the plays where you have had explosive run plays and stuff like that, what commonalities have you seen in terms of execution that have allowed you guys to be able to improve in those areas over the last couple of weeks?) – “I think it all starts with accurate communication. We’re all moving in the same direction. I think that on those plays, obviously the advantageous scheme fits for what we’re trying to do. So we’re getting good looks with good communication and then our execution fundamentally has been what we’re looking for. So I think the challenge is that just as you go through Quarter 1 of a season, it’s easy to sit there and go, ‘Here’s the numbers concrete. What do you think?’ Where, ultimately, we’re sitting on a 17-game season after four games and the tail of the tape is going to be different even after four more games. I think it’s ultimately a race to improve for us, because as you look at Game 1 to Game 4, there has been some improvement. I think it starts with just the simple things: stance, alignment, technique assignment. I mean, those are the hallmarks of football that always hold true, and I would say that those are the things that we’ve been really able to do well when we execute well. I think those are the things that we’re looking to improve on. It’s always a challenge when you go into away environments to make sure that you have the proper communication and execution when you’re working inside a crowd noise.”
(What are the factors going into the playing time splits that we’re seeing at the tight end position?) – “I think that, ultimately, it’s (that) we’re trying to just put guys in position to do what they do well. I think it’s a real credit to what Durham (Smythe) has been able to do. I think, ultimately, production on the ball at that position obviously gets highlighted a lot, but the difference between many tight ends is those guys that have that ability to block – they’re really invaluable. Especially in college football, there’s more spread tight ends than there are in-line tight ends. I think that you can’t lose vision or sight of what Durham has really done to his play from the day he got here and what him and (Associate Head Coach/Tight Ends) Jon (Embree) have been really trying to work on. So I think that ultimately – I don’t think necessarily you’re looking at it like, ‘OK, here. What do they do well?’ I think Durham has really grown in the last several months and that’s a credit to how hard he’s worked with ‘Embo’ (Associate Head Coach/Tight Ends Jon Embree). It’s fantastic.”
Jon Embree – October 6, 2022
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Thursday, October 6, 2022
Assistant Head Coach/Tight Ends Jon Embree
(The thoughts on I guess, TE Durham Smythe and TE Mike Gesicki, how they’ve done in your eyes through four games?) – “I’m pleased at the progress we’ve made. I feel like we’ve gotten better every game, which is obviously the goal at every spot. Durham has given us an opportunity to get the ball on the perimeter. I think he’s doing a good job with the run game and he’s showing up in the pass game as well, when he’s getting his opps. And Mike’s continued to improve as a run blocker and then the opps as far as the passing game have come, as coverage dictates, and I think he’s done a good job of taking advantage of his opportunities that he’s had so far.”
(What’s gone into some of the playing time splits and decisions?) – “Nothing. It’s just more of trying to get guys to fit their skill sets. I don’t think – we’re not going to ask Mike (Gesicki) to block power. So when we’re doing some of the heavy running stuff, that’s obviously going to be Durham. But it’s just more of a flow of what the guys are, what we’re trying to get accomplished or what’s going on as far as scheme for that week. I think like the Buffalo game, someone had mentioned to me, I guess he played 18 snaps – Mike (Gesicki). And I was like, ‘wow,’ but then we only had 39 plays. And I think the other thing, too, is we’re doing more 21 (personnel). I think we’re a little more diversified in our personnel than what they had been around here in the past. In the past, they’d been primarily 12-personnel, so Mike was playing more because of that. But right now, Durham gives us a little more in the run game and we want to be a run-first team.”
(Going back to TE Mike Gesicki for a second. I know the main concern has to be winning games, and you’ve won three of four. But at the same time, he has, what, 71 yards receiving? Are you getting as much out of him as you should? And do you sense any frustration on his part?) – “He’d have to answer that about the frustration. Yeah, I feel like we’re getting what we need out of him or what has been capable. Some of it’s coverage-dictated. But like you said at the beginning of your question, it’s about winning. And you know, it’s ironic, I got a text from George Kittle Tuesday morning at 3 a.m. And it was a video of him, in the game against the Rams, knocking a DB down on his behind. That’s what we want, that mentality here. It’s not about how many passes did I catch. At the end of the day you’re judged – to me, this is a team sport; you’re judged on what did you do as a team? And I posed the question to the guys in my room, when were 3-0, ‘how many of you in here have been 3-0, as a professional?’ You know how many raised their hand? None. So we’re trying to do something around here or accomplish something for the Dolphins organization, so it’s never going to be about one player. Whether you’re talking about Mike Gesicki, Tyreek (Hill), Tua (Tagovailoa); it doesn’t matter. We’re trying to win a Super Bowl. We’re not trying to win the fantasy league title and we’re not trying to lift one guy up over another person. We’re going to take what the defense gives us and we’re going to do within the concept of our scheme.”
(You guys had an interception last week – QB Teddy Bridgewater throwing to TE Mike Gesicki, and in the past was behind him. And I’m wondering, was that due to familiarity between those two? Or I don’t know how much…?) – “No, not necessarily. Teddy (Bridgewater) just missed. It was just a little high and behind and he was trying to fit it in a tight window. What happened on that play, we got a lot of pressure and he was hot. And that was one of the options as far as one of his answers for the hot throw and he just missed. But it’s not necessarily a timing thing. I think Teddy and Mike (Gesicki) have done some work in the past. I know Teddy likes to stay out after (practice), and he’s learned when he’s in a backup role, he’s done a good job staying out after and throwing with all the guys. So I don’t think timing is necessarily the issue on that. It was just, you know, bad luck.”
(As someone experienced in this type of running scheme, you’ve seen what it looks like when it’s working at its best. How far off do you guys think you are from that? And what will the guys in your room have to do to be able to make that come to realization?) – “Well, football is a funny game. Football, every play is just that close to why it did work or didn’t work. Right now in the run game, when we do get explosive plays, we’re getting penalties. So that makes it a little worse than it probably actually is. We’ve had a lot of different combinations up front on our offensive line, which plays a factor into it. But I think really, at the end of the day, it’s just about us continuing to be consistent with our run attempts and continue to work what we do every day. We’ve got to get better at our combination blocks, all the way across the board, get our running backs tied in with the line. There’s a lot that goes into running the ball besides just handing it to a guy and saying ‘go get it.’ So at different times, we’ve had different breakdowns at different positions or different spots on the field. And then when we do have explosive plays, we we’ve had a penalty here or there, but I do feel like we’re close. And it’s just a matter of us just keep chopping wood, so to speak, and we’ll see what happens when it’s all said and done at the end of the year.”
(I know in the past, players have sometimes alluded to the fact that when they’re down and can’t play that they get a little more mental work and mental reps. With TE Hunter Long being out over the last few weeks, what have you seen from him in that aspect?) – “Well, as far as the mental reps are concerned, it’s just being attentive in the meetings and being there and all that. What I’ve done with Hunter (Long), in some of the meetings, I’ve had him just go get rehab so he can speed up the process of him getting back. He’s a smart kid and player, and he understands what we’re trying to do. I think he’s done a good job of keeping up. Yesterday was his first day practicing and he was a little rusty as you would expect after being off for a week or so. But I’m not worried about him from the mental aspect of picking up things.”
(We’ve seen TE Tanner Conner get, like sparse snaps as kind of like the No. 3 guy. I guess how are you bringing him along? And are there like, certain situations where you’re in games, you’re looking like, “alright, let’s maybe get a rep here or there?”) – “ Yeah, there’s certain things that I think we can get Tanner (Conner) involved in and we’ve tried to. Like you said, he’s got a couple of reps here and there. But really, it’s not, again, about necessarily getting one guy going and getting one guy involved. Really at the end of the day, especially in my room, if you can’t do both, you’re going to limit how much you can play. That’s just how it is. But Tanner’s coming along as a run blocker. He’s really improved, I’m really pleased at where he’s at having coached kids similar to him – Cameron Brate when he first came out, and then Ross Dwelley. He’s farther along than both of them were at this stage of their careers and he’s just beginning. So I’m excited about what’s on the horizon for him and he’s got to make sure he’s a contributor and being a difference maker on special teams because as I joke around in that room, I’m not really your coach. (Special Teams Coordinator) Danny Crossman’s your coach. And if you can’t play for him, I can’t help you. We’re going to have at least one up on game day, we know that – a tight end. But as far as who else is up and who’s going to get a chance to contribute, if you’re not able to do anything for us on special teams, then I can’t help you. So he’s done a good job of showing up on special teams. He needs to be an impact (player) on that as well and the opps will just keep coming for him as he improves.”
(Obviously injuries are part of the game. Nobody wants to make excuses, but with TE Tanner Conner starting off slowly, TE Cethan Carter, TE Hunter Long – how much have injuries altered what you wanted to do? I mean, greatly, about average?) – “You learn to deal with it. It doesn’t – I don’t want this to sound wrong but I don’t really think about it. I anticipate those things are going to happen. I’ve been in places where we’ve only had two tight ends to begin with in Kansas City when I first started – Tony Gonzalez and Jason Dunn. So you had to find a way to make it work. So the injuries – the only thing that it’s affected is just the development of some of the guys. It really hasn’t affected us from a scheme standpoint. Mike (McDaniel) has seen a lot of football in his time and so there’s ways you can go about doing things to make up for what you may be missing in certain rooms with other positions. That’s the unique thing I think about what we’re trying to do when we were composing this roster, is you have a lot of guys that can do a lot of different things. You know Trent Sherfield does some blocking like a tight end sometimes in certain situations. Tight ends sometimes do some fullback stuff. Sometimes we have a tight end out as a wide receiver. When you look at like where we came from in San Francisco with (George) Kittle and Deebo (Samuel) and all those guys, all these different moving pieces; that’s what you want in this scheme is to have guys that can play multiple positions and do multiple things, so that when you do have injuries or that you’re in a situation where you might be down on something, someone else can step up and keep the machine moving forward.”
Josh Boyer – October 6, 2022
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Thursday, October 6, 2022
Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer
(Health of the cornerbacks is a primary topic right now. Can you give us any update on how optimistic you are about CB Xavien Howard?) – “I’d say we have a couple of guys in probably the same category of they’re kind of day-to-day. You make plans with them and you make plans without them. You kind of approach the week that way. I know all of our guys are trying hard to get out there on the field and be in the best physical condition possible, which at this point in the season usually somebody is dealing with something. Not everybody – I would say very few guys that we put out there are at 100 percent.”
(I know that you guys have a philosophy and you have core tenets that you want to stick to and a style that you want to play. With injuries that you need to monitor in the secondary – CB Xavien Howard, DB Keion Crossen and obviously CB Byron Jones is not still up. At any point, during the week, do you have to consider contingency plans given some of the guys you might be putting out there may not be as experienced as some of the guys that you have right now?) – “I think ultimately it comes down to putting the guys in the best position to succeed. I think regardless of if it’s a guy that’s been a veteran guy or a guy that’s had little playing time, you really want to put them in spots that they can succeed knowing full well that where you put all 11 guys, it affects everybody. So if you move the focus to maybe compensate for something else, it’s going to take away from something else. I think ultimately, there are so many variables that go into it. One is the particular players that you’re using. And two, the offense that you’re facing. I think all of those things go into it. Over the NFL and the course of the season, you’re very accustomed and used to guys being in and out. You kind of understand that even when you’re in OTAs. I doubt that there’s a team that goes wire to wire that all 11 starters, whether it’s on offense or defense, goes (the entire way). I think we’re very accustomed to guys being in and out and that’s why even the guys that aren’t playing, they need to prepare mentally. And you give them as many reps as you possibly can. They need to prepare mentally like they’re going to play in the game anyway.”
(How bothered are you by the fact the team only has one pick in four games?) – “Well, we’ve had some opportunities. Obviously turnovers is a thing that we stress and we’ll continue to stress it. Those are usually game-changing or momentum-type plays for a defense. Yeah, we’d obviously like to have more than we have. There’s no question about that. I think any time that you present problems, whatever they may be, it presents an opportunity for progress. We’re sitting at a pretty good spot here at 3-1 and there’s a lot of things that we can improve and get better on that we’re looking forward to doing, that we need to do, to get better.”
(On the pass rush) – “A lot of that goes back to game plan. Sometimes it can be a scheme thing, sometimes it can be an individual thing or a matchup-based thing. Or another thing is when you pressure at a high rate, the ball comes out a little bit faster and you’re seeing quicker routes and a lot more check-downs. I don’t really get caught up in a sack number. I don’t really get caught up in stats in general. Basically what you’re trying to do is you’re trying to get the ball back to the offense. Going back to (Josh) Allen, one thing we would look at is turnovers because that correlates probably more to winning than most stats. There are stats out there for everything. But I do – and our players believe this and we preach this – is the problems or the issues that we’re having, we have a great opportunity to make progress on those. That’s what we’re working to do in a lot of facets, not just rush.”
(Last year it got rolling at one point and then it got rolling in a big way. Is there such a thing as momentum when it comes to that, forcing turnovers and creating pressure?) – “I think there are a number of factors that go into it. If you’re playing with a lead and a team is forced to be one-dimensional or get into a drop-back game, there may present some more opportunities for that to happen. That’s one scenario that could happen. Another could be taking advantage of protections. Another could just be physically winning one-on-one matchups or doing things from a coverage structure that make them hold the ball a little bit quicker. I think there’s a lot of variables that go into that.”
(Considering the amount of time you guys were on the field in the Buffalo game and the heat, then the short week, was last week different as far as taking precautions and monitoring snaps and things like that because of the short week?) – “I think we were very aware of the snap counts going into the game. I think you’re always pretty aware of each individual player, the things that they’re dealing with that they’re out there playing with and then snap counts. Then you’re also very conscious of the fact that it’s going to be a long season. But at the end of the day, on a short week, the opposing team (is also) on a short week and it really comes down to execution. It really does. There’s no shortcut. There’s no excuses for traveling early due to a hurricane, playing on a short week. Once the ball is kicked off, none of that stuff really matters at all. It really comes down to execution and trying to put the players in the best spots to succeed. I think we always take into consideration health and rep counts. We do that on a daily basis even in practice so the games are really no different.”
(What do you need to see from CB Noah Igbinoghene for him to get playing time on defense?) – “We’re just going to ask him to continue to do what he’s been doing. He’s had a real positive attitude. He’s worked really hard at practice. Then when he gets his opportunity, hopefully he’ll make the most of his opportunities. I’m really excited to see that when that happens. I think all of the guys we have in the back end, they’re working. We’re seeing progress out at practice. I know you guys don’t get to see all of that. Then when we get into game situations, hopefully practice execution becomes game reality. I’m excited for the opportunity for him when he gets it. He’s worked hard and when he gets an opportunity, he’ll have earned that for sure.”
(In last week’s fourth quarter, Cincinnati was able to complete a lot of long passes. Granted CB Xavien Howard and CB Byron Jones were not in there but what happened? Why was Cincinnati able to have that success?) – “Well one long pass was on a third down and the double pass, we didn’t execute the coverage we were in well enough. Obviously I have to coach it better and we need to play it better. Then the one at the very end of the game – one was a second-and-6 play. We were in man coverage. We were cheating coverage over one way and just kind of got beat on call it a double move down the field. Then the one at the end of the game when we were just being pretty aggressive, we’re really in a four-minute situation where we need to get the ball back. That’s where that occurred. Obviously that’s another category for us defensively, if we can eliminate some of those big plays. Chunk plays are going to happen. Like 17 yards or 16 yards here, 22 yards here, those will happen. But the 40-yarders and stuff like that, we really need to eliminate those and make people drive the field. Then when you get down to end of game situations, there’s obviously a risk of the offense throwing the ball because that can stop the clock. We’re probably going to play that pretty aggressively. We can definitely coach it better and play it better. I’m not saying that. But those are really kind of the situations that came up in that game in that situation.”
(We’ve seen you do different things with CB Xavien Howard in the secondary but I noticed against the Bengals, you had him on WR Tee Higgins for the most part until he went out. Then you shaded a lot of the coverage towards WR Ja’Marr Chase. What went into that particular decision there because obviously Xavien travels with the number one but in this case you kind of put him on the number two and shaded to the number one.) – “Again, a lot of it varies from team to team. I think when you can manipulate balls or throws to go ‘X’s (Xavien Howard) way, I think everybody in our building feels very comfortable with that. Now 100 percent of the time is that going to work? No. Even Champ Bailey, Deion Sanders and Darrelle Revis, all of them have been beat at some point in time. But I think everybody has the utmost confidence in ‘X’ and his playmaking ability, especially if you can get a ball thrown down the field, which we feel very comfortable about that. If we feel like we can manipulate a coverage to get more balls his way, we will try to do that. Then sometimes it’s really just matchup and coverage based, and what coverages you’re playing. There are a lot of variables that go into that. Then what are you trying to take away? How do you feel that you can manipulate the offense to play into your hand? It doesn’t always work out in your favor but that’s something that I would say for the last three years, we’ve tried to do at certain points in time to make sure that balls get forced his way. He’s had a lot of production on the ball over the course of his career and sometimes I’m sure people go into the game plan saying, ‘Nah, we don’t really want to go this way.’ And if you can force it that way, more often than not, that’s going to be good for the Miami Dolphins.”
(The Jets have a couple of tackles out. Is that viewed as an opportunity or do you look at their line any differently?) – “I think from a protection standpoint, kind of how they’re structured, they’ll be very similar. Obviously it’s different guys in there. Again, I think whether it’s us putting new guys in or them putting new guys in, it just presents opportunities for the guys that they’re putting in. Ultimately, it comes down to execution. But it’s no different from anything week to week. Obviously it’s easier for someone who is watching the game to see what you’re doing with guys that are spread out of the formation. But we try to do the same thing with guys on the interior, if we feel like those are matchups – again, it ultimately goes down to putting guys in position to succeed. So moving guys around and trying to – what we feel like would be the best advantage to us to help our guys succeed is usually what we try to take advantage of on a week-to-week basis.”
(QB Zach Wilson made his first start of the season last week. What have you kind of seen in that one game, the growth he’s made from Year 1 to Year 2 already?) – “He’s very athletic. He has a very strong arm. It looks like he’s making his progression reads quicker. He’s definitely doing a good job with that. He came in and in the fourth quarter, they were able to mount a comeback. He was very efficient and very accurate with his throws with a lot of big-time throws and in big situations. The fourth-and-7 comes in mind last week against Pittsburgh. That was a good throw that was right on target and it was a great read. He has the ability to get the ball downfield. He has an incredibly strong arm. I would say he’s very athletic and he’s really slippery in the pocket, for sure.”
Teddy Bridgewater – October 5, 2022
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Wednesday, October 5, 2022
QB Teddy Bridgewater
(Opening Statement) – “It was a great start to the week. It was good to get back out there and move around with the guys coming off a long weekend. I’m excited about our opportunity to go out and compete this weekend. We’re looking forward to the matchup against Jets.”
(You’ve done it as a starter. You’ve done it as a backup coming in for a starter. How much does that past experience give you confidence?) – “Yeah, it gives you a ton of confidence. Just having been through this before, as far as coming in, or entering the game late or all the types of scenarios I’ve been through in my career. It’s like experience is life’s best philosopher. So I’ve had some experience. I’m just looking forward to this opportunity that the guys and this team, we get moving forward this weekend.”
(Obviously you’ve had an entire week of first-team practice reps. Can you kind of describe a way that that’s benefited you already so far, whether that’s working with the wide receivers and the offensive line or something like that?) – “It has its benefits. Just being in there repping the plays in live action, full speed. So at the same time, each day,, you have to take this mental approach, like never before. It’s so easy to talk about it. But when you actually live in it, it’s totally different.”
(To that point, Head Coach Mike McDaniel kind of talked about the human element of preparing. Obviously, you get the practice steps, but then you kind of have the pressures of knowing that you’re starting as opposed to being the backup. Obviously, you’re a local guy, making your first start for your hometown team. How you kind of manage all that and the emotion that comes down?) – “I just take it one day at a time. Because at the end of the day, I look at all this as a blessing. Me standing here before you guys, me getting an opportunity to still play this game – there have been so many instances in my career where I probably could have never played again. So every day that I get to step into this facility, be around the guys, this coaching staff, the support staff, the crew in the cafeteria, it’s all just something that I soak in because it’s a blessing.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel talked about how fortunate this organization is to have you as their backup. Have you felt that support this week? Just kind of with your teammates and the coaching staff and the people in the building?) – “Yeah, I definitely felt it. And I felt even when I wasn’t starting. There’s just so many genuine vibes around here and the energy is contagious. It goes a long way. It starts from the top and it trickles all the way down to the locker room to the support staff, even the cleaning crew. Their energy, everything is top notch.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel mentioned a sense of relief that you’re here. Filling in as a starter, what kinds of things can a backup quarterback do to of ease the lives of his teammates?) – “Honestly, just be yourself. I can’t be Tua (Tagovailoa). I had to learn a lesson when I was in New Orleans. I couldn’t be Drew Brees. So it’s like, as long as I continue to be myself, the guys realize this guy isn’t faking. He’s not trying to be something he’s not. It’s like it’s a sense of relief. Like okay, we know we’re getting the real version of him. He’s not trying to be something he’s not. That’s just my approach every day.”
(You referenced your time with the Saints in 2019. What kind of similarities do you see between that situation and now?) – “It’s just an opportunity to prepare a full week. Just to be around the guys, be in the huddle with the guys, letting them feel my energy. I feel their energy and I’m just ready to go play honestly.”
(What’s something that’s different or unique about the way this offense operates or this team that maybe you haven’t experienced before?) – “There are so many weapons on this team. I honestly think or believe that this is the most firepower that I’ve ever been around. Just the combination of talent, the guys’ skillsets, their mental capacity of being able to retain information and go out there and execute at a top-notch level, it wows me every day.”
(Throughout your career, you’ve managed to stay in touch with your Miami roots and especially Northwestern High School. What has that kind of meant to you throughout your career and now getting to start for your hometown team?) – “It’s a huge blessing to be able to just suit up in my hometown. I played little league football five minutes down the road at Bunche Park. So if I leave work tomorrow and go to the park, all of the little kids will come running up to me excited. If I go to the Northwestern game on Friday night, everybody will be excited. It’s such a relief, honestly, knowing that the love is genuine no matter where I go. I really appreciate that from my community and my people. I know they’re excited that I get this opportunity. I’m looking forward to it.”
(Growing up in Miami, was the Dolphins-Jets a rivalry to you?) – “It did some of the years that I really paid attention to it. I do understand the history of this rivalry just being a football fan. We have an opportunity to get to 3-0 in the division. That would be huge for us. That’s one thing that we emphasize right now. We know that we’re playing against a very good Jets team. It’s a young team with some young talent but those guys are playing some good football. We know that they’re going to give us their best.”
(How many tickets are you getting for this weekend?) – “We play on the road. (laughter)”
(Does this game mean anything more to you considering your history with the Jets organization?) – “Honestly, every game is the same because I just respect the game. I respect all of my opponents and know that each week you’re going to get each team’s best. The year I spent OTAs and training camp with the Jets. I look at it as they helped save my career. When I signed with the Jets, it really was like on a tryout basis almost with Todd Bowles, the head coach, and ‘J Mel’ (John Mellody) the trainer, he helped me get back to my old self health-wise. Todd Bowles, his charisma and his energy helped me just continue to get that confidence back for myself. Then when they traded me, it was like everything happens for a reason. I understand the nature of the business. I don’t take anything personally.”
(A couple of weeks ago when we were talking, you were talking about potentially going into coaching when you were done playing. Then a couple of days later, we saw you drawing up some plays on the sideline at the Northwestern High School game. What was that moment kind of like for you and did the play end up working that night?) – “(laughter) It’s fun, man. It’s a great moment for me. Yeah, I get to be on the sideline at my high school games and draw plays and things like that. Some plays work and some plays don’t. But it’s really something that I always talked about when I was playing for different teams out of town. Just allowing for people to see me in the flesh. There are so many kids in the Bunche Park area, the Liberty City area, who want to be Teddy Bridgewater and look up to Teddy Bridgewater, but they can only see me on the television. So when they can see me in the flesh on the sideline, high school kids can touch me and interact and realize that I’m human just like them. That’s food for my soul.”
(It’s a big game for Northwestern High School this week against Miami Central.) – “Yeah, definitely a big game. We always got a chance. I like us every week.”
(How has this mini-bye been, catching your breath after that Thursday night game and having 10 days between games?) – “It was great. It’s always great to have a moment to reset and for it to come that early in the season, I think it was great for everyone because we’ve been grinding since training camp. So you get that nice weekend off to get away from ball, spend time with the family. I went to Lion Country Safari with my son and had a rhinoceros and all of those animals walking across the truck. It’s just great to reset and then when you come back, you remember your purpose. When you’re away, you’re with family and that’s your why. Then when you come back, for me especially, you remember your purpose.”
