Robert Jones – November 4, 2022
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Friday, November 4, 2022
OL Robert Jones
(A full week of practice, how much does that benefit you?) – “It benefits a lot. Just helps me keep building confidence, understanding and knowing the game plan from inside and out. Being able to get all the reps is just getting me ready to go out there and compete.”
(And then the communication, I guess it helps with that also?) – “For sure. Just being able to go with different guys, hearing how they say things, how they see things; it just helps me be ready for when an opportunity comes in the game.”
(And so you’re playing in your hometown, right? So tell me about that. A lot of family and friends going?) – “Yeah, I’ve got a lot of family and friends coming. It’s amazing to be able to go back and play where I grew up at, and get my first start there this year. Just go out there and put on for my city and help the team win.”
(And so it works out perfectly that way?) – “Most definitely.”
(What did you think when you saw Chicago on the schedule? Did you think it might be nice if I get in there and make a mark?) – “No, I just saw it’s another game on the schedule that me and the team have got to go out there and compete and try to win. But I did think, it’d be cool to have my family come out there just to watch me play. Even if I don’t play, just coming out there and see me out there.”
(Coming out cold like you did last week, you guys are always ready, but when you get that call immediately, just the difference between that and being able to prepare all week?) – “Each and every week, we prepare like we’re going to get an opportunity to go in there. Going in cold last week, I was kind of ready, went out there and did my best. But this week going in, knowing that I’ll be starting, taking the majority of the reps, it just gets my head on straighter and helps me really lock in on certain things. Just get ready.”
(Were the penalties a talking point within the locker room? Is that something, the next step, that you guys want to limit penalties?) – “For sure. We always want to limit penalties because the more penalties we get, it hurts us in the long run. But we’ve been focused on that all week, offensively and defensively, so we can go out there and just put our best foot forward.”
Mike McDaniel – November 4, 2022
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Friday, November 4, 2022
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(I noticed T Terron Armstead with an Achilles on the injury report. Is that related to the toe or is that something separate?) – “That’s something that he’s always managed that is a wear and tear of the football season, but he’s the guy that has proven week-in and week-out to be able to play at a high level while battling through stuff. (He is a) tremendous part of our team, so I have nothing but hopeful and optimistic feelings towards him playing on Sunday.”
(And OL Robert Jones gets a full week of practice this week. What will that do for the offensive line – the unity and communication – I mean, huge benefits or how do you quantify it?) – “It’s definitely beneficial. It’s not to the degree like when you’re talking about a quarterback working through a week calling plays and him doing all those things, but of course, it’s advantageous. It’s awesome for the player. People don’t necessarily give it its due, how difficult it is to be an NFL mid-game relief pitcher. Like starting a game, you get yourself mentally prepared. Like a backup quarterback, an offensive lineman goes zero to 60 real quick. So he did a tremendous job of being able to – really when you’re able to continue on your course and you have something like that happen to a starter and then the next man steps up, and you’re not adjusting for that next man, that means that you are doing right by your teammates and the team. I’m really pumped about him getting the extra work this week and them working all together.”
(Do you have an idea of how much LB Bradley Chubb and RB Jeff Wilson Jr. might play this weekend?) – “I have several ideas. Do you want to hear all my ideas? Wouldn’t you like to know? (laughter) Yeah, they’re going to play. To what exact degree, that depends on multiple variables. We started putting the game plans together before they were on the team. Things move fast. They’re both professionals. They’re both ready and comfortable within the plan and within their roles. It will be somewhere between zero snaps and what they’ll normally get in a given week, just somewhere in that range. But it’ll be more than zero snaps. (laughter)”
(With how quick of a turnaround it’s been for them, how much of the playbook can they reasonably be expected to know at this point?) – “You have to manage your expectations appropriately. Each individual is different and then you put that on the coaches to really do their best so that they can be out on the football field playing fast. So there’s a lot of things that are involved with that. It’s a relentless process but one that I’m confident our guys are up for and excited to do. I think that both guys have come in seamlessly within the locker room, and I think their energy for doing their jobs is palpable. And I think they’ll all be excited to play as a team together. But you just make sure that they’re able to do what they do best and if you have to compromise some things, you compromise some things or you utilize your other guys.”
(You all incorporated LB Bradley Chubb and RB Jeff Wilson Jr. onto the team. As far as them adapting to the team rules, how have your views been on with them accepting that adversity is opportunity?) – “Well, they’ve already checked off one piece of adversity and that’s changing cities on the player day off and then all of a sudden getting a physical and being involved in install meetings in the same day. And honestly, we wouldn’t have made either move if we weren’t operating with extreme conviction that they were the type of people that could fit within our locker room. That’s a sacred place that we hold that we don’t just let anybody jump into. So they’ve met exact expectations in regards to how they conduct themselves and the type of people they are, which in that circumstance, we don’t have to worry about them. And with any of our rules, I don’t have a ton of them, but the ones that I do have that I’m pretty hard line on, they should have no problem with.”
(Talking about that, how has it been for you? This is your first year as a head coach. How has it been for you these two days after the trade deadline and the new players that you got because you have to worry about them performing on a football field, but you have to worry about other things now that you’re the head coach?) – “It’s not the first time that I’ve seen it happen. Again, that’s one of the things that I’ve been so thankful for in my career is having the opportunity to – you know, 2019, right at the trade deadline, we traded for Emmanuel Sanders. And that season he didn’t even get a bye week because of when the trade deadline was in regards to our schedule. He got to feel the pros and cons of whatever you do in that short situation. We traded for Jimmy Garoppolo in 2018, I believe, or 2017. So both circumstances were very helpful in kind of being comfortable in this situation. I think all of those things, all of my job this year, it’s new; but it’s also something that I prioritized before I ever did any of this to think through these things and take advantage of those opportunities because I know they’re going to come my way again, and I don’t want to be thinking on the fly like that. So it’s been like everything else. You just handle whatever comes to you and good problems to have is to have new players that are really good.”
(Just observing LB Bradley Chubb over the last couple of days, who are some of the guys you’ve seen him working with a lot that have kind of been teaching him scheme. Outside of coaches, obviously, like some of the players on the squad that have kind of been guiding him along helping him learn some things?) – “This is the first rep that I’ve had with this team being together and then having new additions. So I did get to learn a little bit, but I wasn’t surprised at all. And what I saw was a bunch of teammates excited for their new teammate and trying and understanding that any individual success on this football team is everyone’s success. So you see players, the entire defense – not just his position, but our captains, Christian (Wilkins) and ‘E. Rob’ (Elandon Roberts) and Jevon (Holland) and really everybody. I think our team puts it upon themselves to embrace these guys, get them up to speed as fast as possible. They put a little accountability on themselves as well, which is really cool to see. It doesn’t surprise me but just further validates the type of locker room that we have.”
(To follow up on an earlier question about LB Bradley Chubb’s knowledge of the playbook, at a certain point with a guy like him, with his pass rushing abilities, is it just like go get the quarterback? Maybe scheme aside, just do you what you do best?) – “Have you been listening to my play calls? (laughter) I call that play a lot, so hopefully, we’ll execute that play more. (laughter) No, to a certain degree, you just have to really manage expectations, understand, have empathy and put yourself in their shoes. I think our coaching staff has done a great job with that, understanding that we need to put him in position to play fast. And that’s a challenge, but not something completely foreign and something that I think our guys proved to be pretty comfortable with this week.”
(Is it safe to assume you evaluated QB Justin Fields ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft?) – “One could assume that, safely.”
(How would you say he’s grown from that time to now?) – “Well, I think he’s two inches taller. No, you can see – it’s one of the really cool parts about just coaching in general. I actually worked a quarterback camp in my past that I’ve seen him as a 17-year-old. You could tell from afar that he was made of the right stuff, because he was diligent. He was super talented, but the super talented, hard workers standout. Then you see him as an NFL player, and you’re seeing him make even better decisions with some of his skillset. The guy has an unbelievable arm and is so fast. So he’s really putting defenses in binds by giving his receivers opportunities down the field, but then also understanding how much of a weapon his legs are. It doesn’t surprise me at all, really. But he’s starting to just understand how disruptive he can be to NFL defenses. Hopefully, he doesn’t further go on that learning curve here this Sunday, because it puts coaches and players in a nervous spot. To his credit, he’s a real good player that we’re going to have to fully commit to to try to hold back, not stop.”
(The coin toss – how do you manage that? Does a voice come to you at 5 a.m.? Do you get analytics involved? How do you decide heads or tails and how does that whole process work?) – “Well, that – so it’s always the captains. We had our seven captains just basically rotate. That part isn’t hard science. Then I communicate with (Special Teams Coordinator) Danny Crossman about the particular angle that we’d like to go in terms of if we win it or not and those type of things, and he communicates that on gameday while I prepare to call the game. Then typically, I think we’ve – our whole process has proved to be one of the most threatening things in the National Football League because I think we’ve only lost one (coin toss). We’re pretty unstoppable at calling it, and that’s why I can’t divulge too much of the process for competitive advantage purposes, because I know people are studying our process because the proof is in the pudding. (laughter)”
(So you leave it up to one captain each week to actually make the call – heads or tails?) – “Oh yeah. Oh, yeah. That’s something that you’ve got to let go at some point as a coach. It’s kind of like parenthood. So I leave that up to them, but I definitely judge them immediately after. (laughter)”
(So you don’t chart heads or tails or anything? You just let it go?) – “No. It’s just not the way I was trained in the coin-flipping process. (laughter)”
(It used to be that teams always took the football back in the day to start the game. Why do you think it’s changed now to almost everyone defers?) – “Well, the idea of end of half, beginning of third quarter strategy, with the more and more influx of football analytics, I think people have started to pay attention to really possessions. I know along my career, I didn’t really pay attention to it, then all of a sudden, it’s the only thing that made sense. So I think that’s just with the growing football community’s focus and obsession with situational football, people have gotten a little more groomed in it. So you basically see the same decision every week until you don’t. There’s always a reason not to, and that will be the time that we don’t do it.”
(Everyone that works here, they received a game ball from Week 1. What went into that process of making sure that everyone within the Dolphins organization received a game ball? You were really literal when you said that.) – “Yeah, I think it’s important, especially as a boss, to mean what you say. So I’m very literal, literally. (laughter) I think it comes back to my philosophy of team sports. It’s much like life, that you accomplish anything, there’s no job too little. It takes a village to – in this league with the competitiveness, with the parity, with how many talented players there are, with how many talented coaches there are, all that goes into it, it takes every person in the organization moving the same direction for you to win more than you lose over time. When better to really, really emphasize that then the first time you win? To me, it was the only thing that made sense, because the second that the clock strikes zero and we have more points than the opponent, it takes me about half a second before I’m swallowed in all the things that have to occur for that to happen. As a head coach, you just feel so dependent upon so many different people to do your job, more dependent than you’ve ever felt. You feel very gracious, and I think it’s the only – I think everybody that deserved a game ball got one, and that’s everybody because it takes everybody to win football games in this league.”
Bradley Chubb – November 3, 2022
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Wednesday, November 3, 2022
LB Bradley Chubb
(How does it feel to be in Miami?) – “It feels great man, to be honest with you. It feels great just to get around the guys and get around Coach (Mike) McDaniel and see the culture that’s already here. There’s a lot of leaders on this team. I’m just glad I could come in and fall to a good position where guys are winning, guys care. And we can get after this playoff run and Super Bowl and accomplish all the goals we go out there and fight for.”
(It seemed like, from our perspective, from our vantage point, it seemed like all this happened in a whirlwind. You’re traded on Tuesday and come Thursday morning you sign a new deal. I mean, were you aware that you might be headed to Miami? I’m sure you’re probably looking for new deal. Can kind of walk us through the past couple of days, weeks, from your perspective?) – “So we get back from London with the Broncos and I kind of see my name on Twitter and stuff and different teams had interest and stuff like that. I didn’t really know what to expect. And then I got a call from our GM and he told me I was being traded to Miami. He told me about the opportunity it was for me, for this organization. As soon as he told me I was being traded in Miami, man, I kind of like zoned out. I’m not going to lie to you. I just started thinking about everything I could do. Getting my stuff down there. Now I’m going to be a Dolphin. So I got to look up the guys, I got to look at the roster, I got to look at the numbers (and see) what numbers are open. So that’s kind of where my head went and then I flew down Tuesday night, woke up Wednesday morning, did the physical and got out onto the practice field, meeting, and just trying to get caught up on everything now. It’s been a whirlwind. There have been a lot of highs and lows in these past couple of days because you never want to get traded from the team that you get drafted by and started your career with. But at the end of the day, God has a bigger plan than I could ever imagine. So I’m glad I’m here now.”
(What did you know about Head Coach Mike McDaniel before you got here?) – “Luckily I had a couple of teammates – DJ (D.J. Jones), and K’Waun (Williams) who told me a lot about him before even all this even happened. Then when I did get traded, they were like ‘man, you’re going to love him. It’s going to be a great opportunity. He’s a little quirky, but he’s going get the job done. He’s going to get everybody bought in.’ So I see what they’re saying now. He is a good dude. I’m just glad to be around him. And hopefully, we can be around each other for a long time.”
(Did you FaceTime Head Coach Mike McDaniel? Like there’s a video of him FaceTiming QB Tua Tagovailoa when he first got the job? Did he FaceTime you?) – “He didn’t FaceTime me, but he called me for sure. Yeah, he called me, low key probably five minutes after I got the notification I was going to be traded. He was quick with it, for sure.”
(How much do you appreciate that this team was not only willing to trade a first-round pick for you, but reached this extension that you just signed?) – “Man, it’s huge. It’s just a testament to what I’ve been doing. I just got to come out here and continue to do it. I can’t take a step back or make excuses for myself that I’m in a different city or whatever. I’ve just got to hit the ground running. I’m looking forward to doing that with the opportunity against Chicago this week. Just learning my teammates, learning about getting their trust, letting them understand the type of player I am, letting them see it, putting it all out there for them. And like I said, we got bigger goals. We got so many things ahead of us. It’s just about how are we going to get there?”
(Is it going to be hard not to press because a new team, a new contract, all that kind of stuff? I mean, is it enough to be yourself? Or do you think you’ll be a little anxious?) – “To be honest with you, I might be a little anxious. Like you said, it’s a whole new situation, a whole new everything. But at the end of the day, where I’m at now is because I’ve been doing the things that got me here. I can’t change just because of the situation. I might be a little nervous for sure, get the jitters out and all that. But at the end of the day, I know I believe in my abilities, I believe in the guys I’m around on that practice field every day, these past couple of days, and I know we’re going to get the job done. So I’m excited about it.”
(You played with a very talented end in Denver with Von Miller, and now you come here. There’s some anticipation about what you and LB Jaelen Phillips can do, not just this year, but in the long term. What do you know about Jaelan’s game? And what do you envision that you and he could do together?) – “So it’s crazy, man. We actually played the Jets kind of like right after the Dolphins did, so I got a chance to see him rush and see this whole defense play out. I always watch the edge guys because I’m going against the tackle. So I’m trying to figure out what they got and stuff like that. But when I watched that whole room man, with ‘Gink’ (Andrew Van Ginkel), and ‘Mel’ (Melvin Ingram), and ‘JP’ (Jaelan Phillips), and all those guys that were rushing the passer, and (Emmanuel) Ogbah man, it’s a beautiful sight to see. I’m glad I could just be a piece of that. I know all the things that Jaelan does well, his length, his size. He’s one of the biggest humans I’ve seen, seeing him face to face. And I get to practice that every day with him. It’s going to be a great opportunity. I know he brings that power. He brings that finesse. He does a great job of bringing both so I know we can match each other with that, so I’m excited about it.”
(People who don’t know your game, can you kind of give us a self-scouting report?) – “Yeah. I’m a relentless guy. I’m going to run to the bal. If there is a ball 30 yards downfield, I’m going to try to do everything I can to get down there and try to get the ball out. When it comes to rushing the quarterback, I like to do a little bit everything. I feel like I got a good combination of size and speed so I can use my power, I can use the finesse, whatever the situation comes to and I’m just like I said, relentless and doing everything I can to help my team win.”
(On that same note, how do you think this multiple defense suits your skillset?) – “It’s pretty much the same thing I’ve been doing for the past couple of years. It’s just the language is a little bit different. And the calls and stuff like that, I’ve just got to study and make sure I’m good on every call like I kind of knew the Denver defense like the back of my hand because I was in it for four years at the time. So it’s just like a refresher on having to be a better pro and studying my playbook every night and getting to it. I’m up for the challenge and I’m excited about it.”
(Anything specific within this defense that you’re excited to maybe do on Sunday and in the future?) – “To be honest, I’m still learning.I’m still learning but I know once I get it like I knew my previous defense, I know there’s going to be opportunities in there for me to take shots, take chances and do what I do. But at the end of the day, I’m just going to try to focus on everything I can and get to be in the best number two I can be.”
(What did you and Jeff Wilson Jr. do on the private plane?) – “Sleep. (laughter) I honestly didn’t even see Jeff come on the plane. I was so knocked out because we had – I didn’t wake me up. We were going from Denver to Dallas and I was knocked out, feet up, had a blanket on me and all I remember was getting to Florida. It was about 2 a.m. when we landed too. We didn’t even barely say anything in the car. But the next morning, we were happy for each other and happy for the opportunity.”
(Did the Dolphins come up in any like film study that you were doing with the Broncos? Like I know these teams haven’t played each other obviously. But what did you know about Miami as a team? I don’t know if they’d come up when you’re doing film study and other opponents.) – “Yeah, to be honest, like throughout the week in Denver, we used to watch like situational football and stuff like that. So I saw like the ending of the Bills game, how Josh Allen tried to throw it to Stefon Diggs and he couldn’t get out of bounds and it ended up being bad for them. The Dolphins won. So when I got traded, I start thinking about all the stuff I saw the Dolphins with. I’m like that’s crazy because it’s been on the back of my mind. Then like I said, we played the Jets after the Dolphins so I kind of got to see those guys rush and get after it. And yeah, those are probably the two games I watched this past season. And the news too. Like I was able to watch the Cincinnati game because it was a Thursday night prime time. I have vivid memories of every time I watch the Dolphins play, which is crazy now.”
(On the outside, some people are talking about what level this team can reach with this move. Some people are talking AFC Championship contention, Super Bowl contention. Where do you see that this team stands?) – “I see the sky’s the limit. Like I said the leadership, that’s what’s going to take it to wherever we need to go. I’m just now getting here and we got player-led meetings on both days and it really means something to guys. You see how we practice in jog-through yesterday running to the ball 30 yards down the field. And, and I’m looking around like, ‘Am I doing this right? Bring me along to.’ I feel like the sky’s the limit because everybody in this organization, in this building cares, and they understand that to play championship football, you got to go the extra mile.”
(At one point, you had made a mention, I think it was this past offseason, about how the Chiefs were getting under your skin. The rivalry between the two teams. Did you and WR Tyreek Hill share a laugh now that you’re on the same side?) – “We didn’t talk about it yet because it’s still a little sensitive subject for me. (laughter) I’m just playing. I used to hate that dude, man. Not going to lie to you. Not because of the person he is. Just because of the team he was on and all the things he did against us and stuff like that. But now I’m happy I’m on the same sideline as him. I’m going to level him up every time he throws out the peace sign and I’m going to do it too. It’s going to be a good time. I’m excited.”
(This contract puts you in a sphere with guys like TJ Watt, Joey Bosa, Myles Garrett, Khalil Mack. Can you talk about where you would like your personal legacy to go from here eventually?) – “I just want to be in that conversation consistently. I feel like I’ve had good seasons. And then I have had bad seasons as well with the injuries and stuff. I just want to be consistent with my play, consistent with my leadership, consistent with everything I do. I feel like if I do that, the sky’s the limit not only for me but this organization because I’m going to be here for a while. So I’m going to do everything I can to be a key piece, a key focal piece, and bring my teammates along. And like I said, the leadership is already here. I’m just an addition to it. So I’m excited to grow as a leader, as a man, as a person, as a football player. And like I said, just continue to be consistent.”
(I have a question out of left field. I believe your rookie year, you guys played San Francisco and Jeff Wilson Jr. Do you remember – can you give us a scouting report on Jeff?) – “We actually played them this past year too. Week 3. So yeah, man he runs hard. He’s one of the hardest running (running) backs in the game. He can catch the ball out the backfield. He can do a lot of great things for this offense. He can do a lot of things to open it up. He’s just one of those guys that when we game-planned against them, we said it’s going to take the whole group, the whole defense to bring 22 down. So he’s what, 23 now? It’s going to take the whole defense to take 23 down. So I’m excited to see what he does.”
(Is there any specific meaning to choosing number two? Or is that just the jersey that was available?) – “At first, it was the coolest looking number available. And then when I started thinking about it, it’s part two of my life. My whole adult life I’ve been in Denver. It’s part two. It’s a new beginning. It’s a new everything. It’s kind of like part two for me, so that’s what I put my focus towards now.”
(I know that you said there’s leaders already on the team, you’re just adding to it. But what kind of things do you need to do, coming into a locker room that you’ve never played with before, and already being one of the highest paid guys on the team?) – “I’ve just got to earn the trust of my teammates and continue to be me. I feel like when I go out there and play, and loving up my teammates after they make a play, and them loving me up after I make a play, it’s going to happen organically. Now it’s just like a little weird because like you said, I haven’t played with these guys. I barely know – I know Teddy. I played with him. So he’s seen me put in the work. He’s seen me do a lot of stuff. I know how weird it is to for somebody to come into a new team and get paid and not put no stain with them. So my main thing is just trying to be the best me I can be, show these guys that I’m a hard worker, I’m going to do everything right or try to do everything right because nobody’s perfect. I’m going to try to do everything right and whatever it takes for this team to win, (No.) 2 is going be there to do it.”
(How much Clemson crap has DT Christian Wilkins already talked to you?) – “We actually had a laugh about the towel stealing a couple years ago. We had a laugh about it. He said ‘do you know where I got the towel stealing from?’ And he pointed at me. (laughter) I’m glad we already played them. It didn’t work out for us. But I’m glad we already played them so we don’t have to have that conversation upcoming. But at the end of the day, man, he knows NC State is probably the better team. But you know what it is. (laughter)”
(Closing Statement) – “I want to thank Mr. (Chris) Grier, Coach (Mike) McDaniel, Mr. (Stephen) Ross for believing in me, trading a lot for me and being able to pay me and do all that. So it’s a blessing. It’s an honor. I’m excited to get this thing going. I just want to thank all the people out in Denver too with George Paton, John Elway, the Bowlen family, the Walton family that just came in, for the opportunity as well. I appreciate you all.”
Jeff Wilson Jr. – November 3, 2022
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Wednesday, November 3, 2022
RB Jeff Wilson Jr.
(What was that first moment like when you, Head Coach Mike McDaniel and RB Raheem Mostert got back together?) – “Man, it felt like a reunion. When I first came in the league, those were the guys I knew. Raheem – like nobody knows, but when I was undrafted, he was the person that took me out to breakfast and sat down and explained everything to me and talked to me and told me what to expect, how to work. So before I even played a down, before I even knew who he was, before he even really knew who I was – he took me out to eat, brought me in, just gave me that big brother feel. So that’s the type of person he is. And Mike (McDaniel), man. Mike is Mike. Y’all know, Mike, so we’ve been tied in ever since we met.”
(I was just curious, I mean is this a move that you saw coming? Obviously the 49ers traded for RB Christian McCaffrey a couple weeks ago. Did you have any inkling that you know, you might be headed somewhere else?) – “It was something that I asked (for). There’s a lot of love over there, so they understand. They understand the situation, so they knew where I was at and where I was trying to go. So it was a (mutual) agreement thing.”
(Did you have like, a list, maybe an idea in your head or like, places that would be good destinations for you when you asked to be traded?) – “No, not really. Because the type of person I am, I try to focus on the now. So I was still playing with them. I was still getting ready for games with them. So that was my concern. And once I asked where I landed, I had no clue. So that was something I couldn’t control, so I didn’t really worry about it.”
(You know this offense. What do you like about it and why do you fit so well into it?) – “Man, it’s just almost like riding a bike. I’ve been doing this since Day 1. Same run styles, same passes, the same one-on-one matchups to get you in the open field. So everything is the same. And you know, it’s something that I’ve been doing, and it’s something that I’m comfortable with now. So it’s very, very familiar to me and I’m excited to be in this offense.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel told us a story yesterday about when he flew out to Denton, when you were coming out of UNT. What do you remember about that workout with him?) – “Man, I remember everything. Like at first, I remember being so uptight, like palms sweating. I felt like, just nervous, like a nervous wreck. And the first thing Mike (McDaniel), comes in and y’all – like I said, y’all know Mike now – he makes a joke and I just bust out laughing. It was like the ice was broken so after that, it just felt almost if I’d been working with this guy all my life. It was just the vibe we had, how he was talking, going through the motions that he was taking me through. You just felt the love. We didn’t even know each other then, so that was real cool. I’ll never forget that day.”
(In this offense right now, is it some new terminology you might have to know or as soon as something, you see it kind of unfold in front of you, you kind of know exactly what it is because you’ve seen it so much?) – “Oh, yeah, you know, terminology has definitely been key and in this offense, it’s a lot of details. So it’s not the exact same. It’s similar, but it’s not the exact same at all. So I’ve got to hone-in on all those little details and things. That way I can try to be at my best to try to help this team.”
(How much have you been able to kind of watch this offense – obviously I’m sure you’re not watching the Dolphins film when you were with the 49ers, but as a football fan, what are your thoughts on this offense and its potential?) – “Explosive and fast. I mean, just seeing the highlights from them, obviously the NFL posts. To see all of the plays on there – obviously Tyreek (Hill) and Jaylen (Waddle) are top five receivers in receiving yards. So seeing all that and just watching those guys – obviously I knew Raheem (Mostert), Salvon (Ahmed), I knew him. He was with us before at the 49ers. Myles Gaskin – I grew up watching him at Washington. He was a person I kind of tried to compare myself with. Like his numbers are first, so I got to – you know what I mean? So all those guys, I already knew about them, heard about them and I’m just excited to be here with him and help them.”
(How would you describe your approach to running?) – “I’m downhill. I don’t like to play too many games. I like to get to where I’m going and get there as fast as I can. That’s how I kind of take it.”
(LB Jaelan Phillips and T Terron Armstead are two musicians in the Dolphins locker room. Armstead is a rapper and Phillips does the guitar and the piano. I heard you play drums?) – “Oh yeah, most definitely. I grew up in a church playing them, but I play all types of genres, man.”
(Do you have drums in the garage that you’re going to bring here?) – “I’m thinking about it. I might just go the electric way since it’s so quick. Electric way, you just play it out like that because I don’t want to – you don’t know how the neighbors and stuff are going to be about it. (laughter) We’ll figure it out though. We’ll figure that out when the time comes.”
(We asked LB Bradley Chubb about you, a little scouting report. What’s your scouting report on LB Bradley Chubb?) – “Oh, man. He’s a beast, man. He’s a straight up beast. Obviously, we played him earlier in this year and got to face him, but besides that, just to see the type of person he was working out, getting ready for the Combine – we were together out there in Carlsbad at EXOS. So just to get that connection with him (then), and he’s the same person he is now. Even after signing his contract, he’s still that same person and that’s what I love about him most. He’s never changing. I haven’t even been with him that period of time, but every time we link, he’s still the same (Bradley) Chubb. That’s what I love about him, man. Obviously, he’s a tremendous player and one of the greats in this league.”
(I read an article about how you grew up in a small town in Texas. East Texas or West Texas?) – “East Texas. No, don’t do that. (laughter) Don’t put me in a bad spot. No, East Texas though.”
(How does where you grew up, how does that play into who you are and where you’ve come from? How do you approach everything?) – “It humbled me. That’s what I would say more than anything, and then the city that I’m in, it’s a place where everybody knows everybody. Almost the half of the city is family. It’s just being around that love and that compassion and feeling all those feelings that they felt, seeing my family at the games and always being there, it’s great. And then, my father, he’s a real big believer, so God was instilled in me coming out the womb. My dad also was a gospel singer, so that’s how I grew up playing the drums. I used to play the drums with him. So it’s just my faith and that’s what made me the person I am today.”
(Talk about coming from a 2A high school. I mean that’s – 2A and then you go to North Texas?) – “That was definitely difficult. Everybody was like, ‘Y’all do this,’ or ‘You had this, this, this,’ but we would lose by 30 or 40 points every game. It turned around. We ended up going to the playoffs. We weren’t too too bad my senior year, but it was different. The players you’re around, if you go to a 5A (school), you’ve got everybody looking at scholarships. You’re seeing 20 or 30 scouts coming to the school. You didn’t see none of that where I was. You only saw one or two, and that was my senior year when they finally started to come. It was so small. Didn’t have a lot of offers because a lot of people told me they didn’t even know where I was. It was a graduating class of 67 people. I mean, that pretty much tells you right there. Like I said, beyond all that, I’ve got so much love in that town, so much love in that place, you almost can’t even go down there and say nothing bad about me – it’s that kind of love. I love that place, and I’m glad I was raised there.”
Christian Wilkins – November 3, 2022
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Wednesday, November 3, 2022
DT Christian Wilkins
(On acquisition of LB Bradley Chubb) – “… and he’ll add a lot to our team and what we like to do. There’s one issue I do have with him – well, he has with me. I went to Clemson. He went to NC State, and I’m part of the reason why he never got a win against Clemson, so there’s a little battle there. (laughter) But other than that, it’s cool. I’m excited about it. It’s a move that makes everyone who’s already here better and our defense better.”
(You made sure to remind him of that?) – “Absolutely. (laughter) Absolutely. I’ve been throwing subtle jabs here and there, but yeah, I’ve been on him about it.”
(I know you’re kind of one of the elder statesmen on the team… a lot of turnover since 2019. You’ve seen this team, for lack of a better word building for the future in 2019 and 2020, and now that you’ve seen them get WR Tyreek Hill, get LB Bradley Chubb, make those big moves, even bringing in T Terron Armstead – how exciting is it to see the front office really making moves…?) – “No, it’s definitely good. It just changes your mindset as a player. It’s not like – we’re good enough. You see everyone believes in us around the building. Everybody upstairs. And it shows, too. It changes your mindset now at practice when you’re out there working, when you could be sitting down doing nothing; you’re like, no, now’s the time. You’ve got to kind of change your mindset and why wait? Why let the opportunities pass by?”
(You bring in a guy like LB Bradley Chubb. Is it easy to bring in a guy into that defensive line or does the chemistry maybe take a week or two?) – “No, I think we’re all pros and we all handle our business and we’re all excited to have him. He’s going to add a lot to what we do. Like I said earlier, so yeah, it’s definitely big-time and he’s a good guy for us and for our defense. He’s come in with the right energy immediately. Humble, excited to be a part of what we’ve got. He’s not thinking anything else. He’s just adding to what we have and he’s going to do great things for us.”
(You go against Bears QB Justin Fields. Does it help that you’ve seen some mobile quarterbacks like Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, like Bills QB Josh Allen?) – “Of course and all of those guys are a little different. They bring a little something to the game and they’re all dynamic and stuff, but Justin (Fields) is definitely a heck of a player and I’m excited to go up against him. We’re just going to have to do our best to rush smart and even when they’ve got some QB-designed runs and things like that, that he does a good job with; so we’re just going to have to play good, smart, sound defense.”
(I hate to bring up a sore topic but what happened with the lining up offsides the other day?) – “Honestly that’s just something you’ve got to learn from. In the game, I didn’t think I was doing anything different than I normally do, just as far as lining up. I always line up with a close alignment, but they called me on it once. I thought I made the adjustment. Apparently I didn’t. Then they banged me on it two more times. It’s just something to learn and grow from and something I’ll get better from and I’ll be pretty damn pissed if I cost my teammates or cost this team like that again, so it’s definitely a point of emphasis from me to not let it happen again.”
Terron Armstead – November 3, 2022
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Thursday, November 3, 2022
T Terron Armstead
(How does a player like LB Bradley Chubb, a player of his caliber, how does he strengthen the team?) – “A great addition, great addition. I’m a fan of the player. I was just talking about him. You bring in somebody of (Bradley) Chubb’s caliber, only great things. We see him being extremely disruptive (in the) run game and pass game, opening up lanes and opportunities for other guys on the defense, too.”
(How much do you know about RB Jeff Wilson Jr.? I think he’s more of a power runner, but what does that add to your offense?) – “I had watched some of his film after we acquired him – explosive, physical, understands the scheme, he knows the scheme. He comes from the same tree, so I’m definitely excited to get out there and block for him.”
(Are you pretty much set and happy with the routine that you have now with the one practice on Thursdays?) – “No. As much as I can get out there and practice would be great. I wasn’t able to do too much today, so maybe I’ll try to hit the field tomorrow and see if I can get some quality work in.”
(Do you find any difference when you play on Sundays without as much practice as usual?) – “Me personally, I always like to finetune, try to get the timing right, footwork, all those good things, the chemistry with the guys. So I think it’s important.”
(How would you describe your matchup with DE Aidan Hutchinson last week?) – “He’s an explosive player. You can definitely see why he was drafted so high. His size (and) ability, he’s going to be a problem for a long time. He’s going to be a huge problem. His effort – I was impressed. I was impressed.”
(Where are you right now with your happiness with your level of play?) – “I’m just trying to do my job. I just try to do my job. Whatever that play is, do my assignment and go to the next one. Next game. Every week – if you look at the list of pass rushers I’ve blocked this year, I’m just trying to do my job. Never get too high or too low, always room for improvement, trying to get better, all of us across the board. I think we’re getting better in a lot of areas, run game and pass protection – just try to keep that train going. But good plays, bad plays, it happens. I’ve been having good and bad plays my whole career.”
(You guys had offensive linemen step into the fold throughout the last couple of weeks. How do you guys as a unit feel you’ve done and the chemistry that you’ve gained? Or has it taken maybe a little bit of time to get that as guys come in and out of games?) – “It’s a challenge. It’s a challenge. It’s a testament to the guys that have had to come in – it’s hard to prepare for multiple positions. I’ve been fortunate enough to lock in at one spot, and I’m studying one or two guys in pass protection, but it’s hard to be a swing guy and come in cold. It’s got to be an extremely tough situation. Those guys have put in the work and make sure they’ve been ready. Rob Jones, it’s his time now coming in at left guard and he’s ready. He’s excited. I’m ready and excited for him.”
(With the toe, is it basically pain tolerance at this point? Is it something that you think you’re going to have to deal with for the rest of the year?) – “I hope not. I hope it continues to improve. It’s tricky, man. It’s a tricky injury, especially for a bigger guy. It’s been tough. It’s been challenging to deal with, but as long as it’s functional, I’m rolling.”
(These two trades, from the fan and media standpoint, it gives you more attention and higher profile. What do you think that does with your opponents? Are you guys going to be – are they going to circle this game a little bit more now because of the trades?) – “I don’t care. I don’t think anybody in the locker room, we don’t really get into that. We’re just more so focused on our weekly preparation, getting ready to go out and play ball. Anything that goes on – you can circle whoever you want to circle. (laughter) We don’t get into any of that, we just go out and try to win games.”
Frank Smith – November 3, 2022
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Wednesday, November 3, 2022
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(RB Jeff Wilson Jr., what does what does he bring to the table. Talk about his skill set a little bit.) – “I think he brings physicality as a runner. Like his speed, like his vision. I think he’s a great complement for us. Obviously his experience in the system will be extremely helpful. Just when the opportunity presented itself, it was something that with Mike’s (McDaniel) history with him and all the guys in San Francisco; it just seemed like it was an option that we just had to take action on.”
(As a coach and particularly an offensive coordinator who’s involved in the game planning, how do you go about working RB Jeff Wilson Jr. in? I mean, Head Coach Mike McDaniel said that he would play but how much he plays on Sunday is to be determined, but midweek, making the trade, how you go about kind of incorporating him into the game plan, knowing his skillset and making sure that he’s ready to go?) – “I think that we just use the practice time – Wednesday, Thursday, Friday – to dictate his familiarity with what we’re going to ask him to do, make sure that whether it’s a package of plays or on a rotational basis, I think that we use the practice time to really dictate that. Obviously, he has help coming from being in the system. The terminology is going to be the same, so we’re hoping that the evolution for him to make it to the field will be very quick and smooth.”
(On Sunday, I think the offense kind of broke out in a way that we haven’t seen since Week 2 against Baltimore particularly on third down. There were a lot of times where you face third-and-7, third-and-8, even longer, and you were able to convert and QB Tua Tagovailoa specifically has been really, really good on third down. What would you attribute that to? Because it seems like in a league where teams are building defenses more to stop the deep passing and stop the long passes, it seems like you guys are executing that and doing what you want.) – “Well, I think between the time of early in the season to now we’ve had a three-game stretch where we were working through some, we had injury issues, guys in and out of the lineup. And obviously the second week, back with Tua (Tagovailoa) and the guys working together who honestly have the whole offseason worked together; I think that allows you to build on certain things that you had done earlier in the season. And then obviously with the Pittsburgh game, work into, I mean in reality, it’s like Tua’s first game and second against Baltimore. First game’s back against the Steelers, the next game back is versus the Lions. So honestly, I just think that guys working together, familiarity is the No. 1 thing that helps. And then I just think that the collaboration between the staff and the players and making sure they have a clear vision of what we’re trying to execute on was excellent last week. And I think that’s just like everything, it’s a constantly work in progress. We’re trying to challenge ourselves to maintain that standard and with the Bears this week, that’ll be another challenge.”
(We always hear familiarity and continuity is very important with offensive line. I think last week was the third time this year, you guys made a mid-game change – T Terron Armstead, OL Austin Jackson and OL Liam Eichenberg. But anyway, what is the big challenge there when a guy comes in mid game? Is it communication? Or what is the big challenge?) – “Yeah, communication, and then also getting into the flow of the game. I mean, once you’ve played for a while, you kind of get a feel to how your guy’s playing blocks, how he’s playing his rush plan. So I think that just making sure that – how do you help a player who comes in mid-game? You have good communication on the sideline throughout to make sure that they’re hearing and seeing what’s occurring. So that way when they come in, they kind of already understand the way the flow of the game is going, how the blocks are being played out. All right, what the pass rush plan is. We think ultimately that’s the best way is that overall we’re communicating as a staff to the players and that the players are also communicating with each other. So when we’re on the sideline, they’re talking to each other, making sure they’re communicating what they’re seeing, and they’re also communicating with the guys who are on the sideline from what they’re seeing, because sometimes the vantage point is different. So I think overall, like you said, communication in the huddle, on the line of scrimmage and also if we’re having good communication on the sideline through the players; that you’re hoping it’s going to be a seamless transition.”
(What are some of the OL Robert Jones plusses that he has going for him?) – “Rob (Jones) has done a great job for us. I mean, young in his career. Learning really the techniques we’re trying to do. He has great strength, has really good upper body strength, physicality. Really like his anchor. I mean, there’s a lot of stuff with him that you just feel like the physical skills are really there to be a really strong blocker. And this will be a great chance for him all right, as we’re working through things, to really take a next step in his game. And then I think ultimately all the guys, as they get opportunities to play, that’s where you got to take what you’ve done on the practice field, all the investment in the offseason. It’s your opportunity to show your advancement in our techniques and our stuff. So we like what Rob has done so far and ultimately our guys that have been coming off of the backup role have had to really step up this year. And I think that, ultimately, that’s the best thing that as coaches we can ask for, is the guys that have to come up in the middle of a game or have to step up the next game are prepared and ready to go and execute.”
(I’d like to ask you about a problem that you’ll never have. And that is I’m curious about an offensive coordinator’s perspective if you’re going against a team, as I’m sure you do several times this year, with the quality of edge rushers that this team has now with LB Jaelan Phillips and LB Bradley Chubb, especially. When you’re in such a situation and you’re putting together a game plan, what are some of the first questions you ask yourself to sort of plot out a point of attack, a plan of attack rather?) – “Yeah, that’s a great question. I think it goes back to – like when you said that, I thought back to my first couple years in Oakland where it was Von (Miller) and Bradley (Chubb) in Denver – two good edge rushers. Or a couple years ago in Chicago, where it was Khalil (Mack) and Leonard (Floyd) on the edge. I think ultimately your first thought process too is like, okay, what are the pressures that you’re seeing? How are you going to have to handle the pressures? Then after that you’re looking at, alright, how do they deploy the rushers? How do we try to minimize their strengths? Are you getting guys on the line of scrimmage to affect their speed rush? Are you getting guys coming out of the backfield that chip as they go? What do they do well and how do they affect it? And is that going to be a challenge for you? So like last year, I mean, I can remember specifically, we’re playing Cleveland. Rashawn Slater, he’s blocking Myles Garrett. He didn’t want to chip. He said, ‘No, I don’t want to do that, like you’re screwing me up.’ Like he said, ‘get all the way so I can see where he is so I can block him.’ And then at that point, you’re going, ‘okay.’ And I think because ultimately the last element is your guys. So how do they feel about where they’re going to be spatially and how they feel in their matchup? Like Rashawn being a rookie is one of those where you’re like, ‘Okay, bro, whatever you say, man.’ (laughter) ‘Whatever you want.’ Because he had that confidence in himself and he was prepared, like he’d been in the NFL for five years. So I think ultimately, you look at it, you go, okay, what are the schematic elements that are going to be a challenge that are not going to allow you to be able to assist? How can you assist to take away what they want to do well in their rush? And then ultimately, how do your guys feel about how they want to set the guy and how can you help them? I think it’s a combination of things between the coaches, the players to be basically work to contain the elite rushers in the NFL.”
(QB Tua Tagovailoa said yesterday that sometimes Head Coach Mike McDaniel is so overly positive that he has to step away and find someone else who will be real with him, and he pointed out QBs/Passing Game Coordinator Darrell Bevell as somebody who does that for him. Have you seen him do that? Or have you seen sort of interaction of Tua trying to be positive and McDaniel being positive to him and him maybe needing more of that toughness?) – “I think that Darrell Bevell is the perfect complement to what we’re doing with the quarterbacks. I mean, he is so just methodical in his approach. On the little details of all the things, I mean, he’s just always so locked in on making sure that the quarterbacks are fundamentally sound, understanding the execution of each play, the timing of each play, understanding the nuances of what we’re trying to do. And I think it’s a perfect complement for us because with his experience of being a coordinator in this league for so long, and then with Mike’s personality, a lot of our personalities and Tua’s personality, it’s just a great offset because as you get through the league, you don’t want to have a staff full of everyone with the same personality type, everyone of the same mindset. Otherwise, you just sit there and it’s either you’re going to get a ton accomplished or you’re going to get nothing accomplished. But having guys with different personalities, viewpoints, vantage points; that allows you to have one, creative thought; two, challenging perspectives because I think that’s ultimately in life, you want to surround yourself with people with different perspectives and different viewpoints to things. That’s why you challenge yourself and I think that’s why Darrell (Bevell) coming from outside the system has been such a great offset and then just who he is as a guy is a perfect fit for Tua and Mike.”
(And how would you describe Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s coaching style and personality compared to previous head coaches that you’ve worked under?) – “If you go through my gauntlet, okay … Jon (Gruden) has an unbridled love of football that you can feel it every day. And so does Mike (McDaniel). John Fox had an unbelievable, like energy for each day. And (Brandon) Staley, just with the one year with him, I mean, he had a positive outlook to things. And then Sean Payton, he had a great feel towards what was needed at the day. He was a great communicator of the vision for the week and each day’s daily needs with the players and the staff. But Mike overall, I mean, the greatest thing about Mike is who he is. And as a person, what you see is what you get. He’s so genuine. The positive nature is just, he never believes he’s out of the fight. It’s always there’s a way, we can find a way if we just stay towards the mission and we don’t distract ourselves with any negative emotion or negative thought. It’s really a joy to work for a guy like Mike, just because the way he sees football and then he adds that energy to it. I mean, it just – when your boss brings that kind of energy and positivity to what you do, I mean, it’s infectious. I think it’s especially infectious here as you’re starting off on a new staff, you’re really trying to set the tone and then when the leader of the football team has that unwavering positivity every day, you just feel like, ‘man, what’s going to happen today?’ You just feel like you got to match it or exceed it, so hopefully, that’s what you guys feel when we’re out of practice. You don’t think it’s a bunch of people just standing there with their heads down. It’s like you have an energy and passion for your day because it starts with your leadership, and I think that when the leadership sets the tone that way, it’s easy for all of us to set the vision and be able to follow.”
(With QB Tua Tagovailoa, we in here have seen him show more of his personality, like throwing jabs at critics and whatnot. Since you’ve gotten here, is that the Tua you’ve always seen or have you seen that kind of grow on him coming out of his shell?) – “You saw signs of it. That’s kind of who he is, though. He has a lot of fun, great energy and passion towards what he’s been doing. I think that it’s always been there and then the hard thing is, when you come into a new staff is that players, they’re trying to feel you out a little bit and trying to figure out where are we going to be, you know, in relationship? Is it going to be – are you going to be up and down? I think that when you said – I mean, it goes back to the last question of when the culture and the standard and the communication patterns are set and it’s based in positivity and energy, it makes it easy to just be yourself because you’re not worried about the consequences of, you know, necessarily, like you’re getting every play, you’re getting whatever. You just worry about being your best and I think that’s where you can see with Tua, his concentration with ‘Bev’ (Darrell Bevell) has been to be fundamentally sound, understand what we’re trying to accomplish in our plays, and then now, with the success comes out your personality. So yes, as I circled all the way back around, (laughter) yeah, this is kind of the guy that we kind of saw. We saw the glimmers of, because you see it in your interactions with him kind of when you first met him. And now I mean, it’s just really exciting, because now we’re hitting essentially the middle of the season and then as we talked about in here, we’re starting to really feel what this football team is. And now we just got to keep executing and playing upon the good things we’re doing. And it’s a constant challenge to improve on the things that each week presents a new challenge that we have to clean up to get better for the next week.”
(Along those lines kind of going on the field, if there’s one thing – yesterday QB Tua Tagovailoa joked with us when we asked what have you most improved, and he said the deep balls, you know, obviously kind of as a slight at the critics. On the field, if there’s one thing you can pinpoint that he’s grown at whether it’s the footwork, seeing the fields, like manipulating defenders; what is the one thing we say, okay, he’s really operating at a higher level than earlier in the year, maybe last year’s film, previous film that you’ve seen?) – “I think ultimately, you would say that he has a great understanding of the timing of each play and where everyone’s supposed to be. And also, that in turn, is because the guys around him understand where they need to be in the time of each play. So I think that his understanding of what the offense is trying to do and working with the guys to be where they need to be, allows you now to take the next step of working aspects of the coverage, manipulating defenders more. So I think that would probably be the biggest thing outside of the fundamentals that he’s really, I mean, he already kind of naturally had. Like you could see it. And now you can see now the timing of each play and the consistency. I think that’s where he’s made the most growth.”
Josh Boyer – November 3, 2022
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Thursday, November 3, 2022
Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer
(You had an early Christmas present the other day. What’s your reaction to the new addition of LB Bradley Chubb?) – “Obviously, we’re excited. Any time that you can add a quality player to your roster, obviously, you’re very excited to get that. Then he got here, I know it was a quick turnaround for him, but we’ve been fast at work, getting him caught up with really the terminology and things that we’re going to ask him to do. We’re very excited to get him out there on the field.”
(When you picture him, perhaps, on one side and LB Jaelan Phillips on the other, what are some of the things that go through your mind in terms of the potential for those two guys?) – “I think both of them have shown that they can do multiple things. They both can set edges, they both can rush the passer, they both can drop from time to time. I would say that they’re productive, they’re physical. Obviously, we have a multitude of players that we feel like we can use and put in those spots as well. And the more you have, the better we feel we’ll be. We’re really excited about the addition and getting him caught up to speed. Like everything, you’re trying to get better from week to week, and we feel like he definitely can help us do that.”
(I hope this question makes sense. Is LB Bradley Chubb a specific good fit for this defense? Or is he so good, you just take his talent?) – “That’s a good question. He’s a good fit for our defense, so I don’t really look at the other question. I know he fits what we’ll ask him to do. I think we’ll be able to highlight his skillset, and I think he’ll help our defense. So I think it’s a good marriage.”
(Can you take us through the decision to play S Verone McKinley III at free safety and now S Jevon Holland playing a lot in the box? Is that matchup based? Or do you think that’s something you want to continue doing?) – “Well, I would say, to us each week is based on what’s available to us, what the offense is doing to us and then what we think is going to be the best going into that week. So I think the key point in all of it is to progress players as we’re going along, get other players a little bit more multiple as we’re going along, and then each week, you just choose what you feel is the best way for you to win that week. So I wouldn’t say anything is set in stone like, ‘This guy is going to be this this week, this guy is going to be that this week.’ Usually, if you line up the same way or you – you’re always tweaking things as you go, you really are. I think the key thing is to understand what we’re asking guys to do and for them to get better at things that maybe we’re asking them to do that’s new, if that makes sense.”
(Back to the LB Bradley Chubb acquisition, one of the talking points you see is how important is it get pressure with four-man rushes in today’s NFL. I’m just curious your take on that and kind of how he adds to your ability to get pressure with just four rushers?) – “Obviously, if you’re rushing with four and you’re getting pressure with four, you have more guys in coverage. Again, I’m not real good with math, but I do know the more guys you put in coverage, usually, you have an opportunity to do things a little bit more multiple than you do the more guys that you send. Again, I think it’s dependent on how you feel about your matchups week to week and what you feel like the offense is doing to you on how you use guys and where you put them. I think that’s kind of – is it advantageous? Again, you can get a sack on a three-man rush, or you could rush eight and have really good coverage in the back end. It goes hand-in-hand, but I would say it opens up a lot more avenues to you from a coverage perspective when you can rush with four.”
(What would you say the one single biggest factor in the defense pitching a shutout the past two weeks?) – “In the second half?”
(Yeah, in the second half. Sorry – details, details.) – “(laughter) The first half, we committed way too many penalties, which continued in the second half, which, obviously, we got to get cleaned up. Then there are penalties that really have nothing to do with talent or effort, so we definitely need to get that cleaned up. We had some opportunities for plays – they kind of went against us, I would say. This week was a little bit different than the previous week at half. There was, I would say, substantial adjustments this week than there was the week before. But it’s really a credit to our players and our coaching staff because halftime is 12 minutes. So really you talk about it as a staff for – I was actually talking to a couple guys walking up the tunnel. You talk about it for a couple minutes, and then you go, ‘Alright, we’re going to do this, this and this. We’re putting this in on this. We’re going to put this and on this. Let’s make sure that we got this on this.’ And our assistant coaches didn’t miss a beat, our players didn’t miss a beat and we were able to make some adjustments that helped us out. I think we’re working very hard to start faster, especially on the road. So, again, there’s always things that you’re going, ‘OK, we’ve got to get this better. And what are we doing to get it better? How are we going to get it better?’ Then the things that you’re doing well, obviously you try to keep continuing doing those and build. I think the big thing is just the mentality of our coaching staff and our players allows us to handle whatever comes our way. Our guys are built to handle adversity. Now, obviously, we would not like to put ourselves in that situation time and time again, but they’re definitely built to handle that. That’s a credit to them, and it’s a credit to our coaching staff.”
(You’re one of the few remaining coaches from 2019 when the team and the franchise were, for lack of a better word, building for the future. I know you’re focused on the now, but can you kind of speak on a coach level and maybe the organizational level, the excitement of the team bringing in LB Bradley Chubb, months after bringing WR Tyreek Hill and making moves that kind of signal that this team really believes it can win now and is ready to win now?) – “I think as a coach, regardless of what your circumstance is, your intent and your expectation is always to win. I really believe that, like we said last week, like there’s going to be one team that’s happy at the end of the year, and there’s going to be the 31 others trying to figure out how to be that team. I think that’s why you’re in the business is to win championships. I think when you go out and you play each week, the expectation – and for our opponents, I’m sure the expectation is the same. We’re going to go out, we’re going to have a good plan, and we’re going to win. – that’s our expectation. Obviously, when you acquire players that are good players, proven players, that have done it, the beauty of it is you actually get to see firsthand. Like, I knew Tyreek Hill was a good player when I was coaching at New England. The amount of respect that I have for him now seeing how he practices, seeing how he approaches the game, seeing how he attacks things, it’s on a whole new level. There’s usually a common thread between guys that are really special in this league – it’s their effort, their attention to detail, their routine. I think you’re always trying to acquire the best that you can be in the NFL from a player standpoint. Whether it was (2019) or now, I don’t think the expectation has changed one bit.”
(Has the belief changed?) – “For me? No, not at all. Each week, we expect to win. We expect to do good things. Like I said, you’re in this business to win the last game of the season. It’s not – I think that’s what all competitors want to be and want to do. I don’t think it’s about contract, it’s not about sponsorship, it’s not about – when you’re in it in a competitive manner, you’re trying to win the game that’s in front of you, and you’re trying to do that week after week to set yourself up to be in a position to have a chance in the tournament.”
(QB Tua Tagovailoa said that he had to learn to be less hard on himself because Head Coach Mike McDaniel is so positive and encouraging. I’m wondering, in your first year of working with him and having been here previously, have you had to learn that as well and maybe learn to adjust maybe some of your own coaching styles to match his encouraging sort of supportive style?) – “Well, I think to be genuine, you have to be who you are. So I don’t think from that standpoint, it changes. What it does is it gives you an opportunity to learn from somebody else, and I think those are valuable lessons from all the coaches, not just (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) included, which I’ve learned a lot from Mike since he’s been here. But I’ve had conversations with ‘Embo’ (Assistant Head Coach/Tight Ends Jon Embree). I’ve had conversations with (Quarterbacks/Passing Game Coordinator Darrell) Bevell, (Offensive Coordinator) Frank (Smith). Obviously, I knew (Wide Receivers Coach) Wes (Welker) from before when he was a player, but there’s a lot of guys that you have conversations with. I think it’s always a great opportunity to learn and to improve yourself, because I think, again, as individuals or human beings, you’re always striving to be better than you were the day before. When you’re presented with an opportunity from people that give you a new perspective, it’s a really an opportunity for growth. So I’ve been very fortunate in that regard and very, very happy that those conversations exist.”
If I’m not mistaken, this team has played four undrafted rookies, three on defense – DL Ben Stille, CB Kader Kohou and S Verone McKinley III. Can you take me through the process of those guys from when they come into camp, getting the coaches attention, gaining their own confidence and then for two of them to start last week is just kind of incredible. How do you gain confidence in them? And how do they? It seems like it’s a much tougher road for them.) – “Yeah, I think it comes in and it really starts with consistency in practice. I think it starts with, obviously, the execution that you see on the field. Their opportunities arise on the practice field before you can get them in the game situations. Obviously, we had some preseason games that they got opportunities. Then you definitely see how they handle themselves off the field and all their preparation that goes into it. Then really, it’s like all of us – it’s a production business and comes down to when you get opportunities, can you produce? They take coaching. They all pride themselves in trying not to make the same mistake twice, because, like all of us, they’re going to make mistakes. I mean, I make probably – I would hate to quantify how many mistakes I make a day, but it happens every day, and you just try to learn from them and get better. And they do. They try not to repeat errors. Then they have the physical ability, the right mentality and they’ve been able to be productive for us. They’ve earned everything that they’ve been given.”
(Are they, I guess, allowed to make fewer mistakes, for lack of a better term, than maybe a veteran player or a drafted player?) – “I think you know when you go in, you have a plan in place and you know or anticipate some things are going to come up. That’s just a natural thing. The big thing is, and like (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) said all year, adversity is really just an opportunity. So what they do when they’re faced with adversity or a bad play really kind of tells you a lot and how they learn from that and how they move on.”
(Which part of CB Kader Kohou’s college film has sort of shown from a physical skills strength perspective in the early portion of his career?) – “I think we’ve seen it all. I really do. I think we’ve seen that he was a physical player in college. He attacked the ball when he had opportunities. He was able to track the ball and his coverage skills, which obviously, we’re working to improve all those things, but I think you see all of those transfer to our league.”
(The Bears obviously run the ball for a bunch of yards, a couple of really strong running backs and a quarterback that involves himself in the running game a lot. How do you handle both those running backs but also a team that can insert the quarterback in the run game both designed and with a scramble yardage?) – “They make it very challenging. I mean, they have a really strong one-two punch with (David) Montgomery and (Khalil) Herbert – two different types of runners, but they’re both very productive. They both get opportunities. They are a team that is committed to the run. They have a quarterback that’s very dynamic when he is running. He’s very fast, very strong. He’s physical. He’s elusive in the open field. So there’s a lot of assignment football, if you will, that has to be detailed with every call that we have, with every play that we could possibly face. So it’s a massive undertaking, but we’re really excited for the challenge. We have nothing but the utmost respect for their running game. We know they’re going to be committed to it. They’ve got two really good backs, and they use the quarterback in it as well. They’ll also – they’re using their receivers on jet sweeps, or reverses, whatever you want to call them. So it’s a very dynamic running game that I would say that’s very diverse.”
(How many minutes before you got over the Detroit Lions win?) – “(laughter) That anger process started a little early for me, that was probably somewhere in the first or second quarter. But no – I mean, I would say it’s the same thing. You just move on. Obviously, there are some things that you look back on and reflect that you’re like, ‘OK, we could have done this better. We need to get this better.’ Like the penalties, that stuck out in your head right away. I think there were some things that we did improve and some things that we changed going along the way. So you obviously feel good about that and building on that, but it quickly turned to, ‘We need to get a win this week,’ which I don’t – you can go all the way back to (2006) when I started my career, maybe I didn’t know this at that time, or like the question about 2019 to now, but it’s the same process. It really is. I mean, you put that in every week with the expectation of winning. I’ve never went into a game going, ‘I don’t know about this one.’ I mean, you always put a plan in that you’re going ‘OK, we’ve got to do this. If we hit our targets and we execute, we’re going to win.’ So I think that’s kind of the expectation and that’s all the preparation that goes into it to get to that point.”
(The Bears were also active at the trade deadline. I’m curious, how do you prepare for an offense that may feature a new receiver in WR Chase Claypool? What’s the process there? Are you just watching him in his previous team and extrapolating? How do you do that?) – “Yeah, I would say you look at what the team does offensively, then you look at the skillset of the player that they acquired and you take an educated guess on how they might use him. Obviously, it was two weeks ago that we played Chase Claypool. So, we have a little bit of familiarity from call it a skillset standpoint. Obviously, the schemes are – I would say they’re vastly different. So it’s a little bit of, ‘OK, how will they use him in this?’ But I think our players are very aware of who the player is, how they might use him and how we need to defend the scheme and the player.”
