Robert Hunt – August 17, 2022
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Wednesday, August 17, 2022
OL Robert Hunt
(It seemed like Head Coach Mike McDaniel was animated at the end of practice. Can you kind of fill us in on what the message was that you guys took away?) – “Just to keep working man and to come out here and keep doing what we’re doing. Some days don’t go how we plan it, but if we come out the next day and we fire off and we play well – if we play good and we are competing, that’s the best thing about it because of the team. You have to compete. You like to see the defense make plays and you like to see the offense make plays. I think that’s what we did today.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel said contrary to what we may see, he does at times get fiery and have to yell at guys. What is that like? Because we haven’t seen that side of him.) – “I haven’t really encountered that yet from Mike (McDaniel). Not yet, but I definitely have seen (Offensive Line Coach) Matt (Applebaum) get fired up a couple times. But it’s good, man, because I think we need it. Some guys might be loafing around. Not loafing, but just like they need it. It’s football. It’s been that way since we were young. These guys are passionate. They care about what’s going on. You know me, a lot of guys are out here to get reps, there are a lot of people out here right now. So guys have to get reps and people just have to work. That’s what we all have to do.”
(What was it about today’s practice that led to that again?) – “I don’t know. I think it was a combination of us making plays on offense and defense that kind of had him fired up and excited, I guess. Maybe yesterday wasn’t our greatest, but today we came out and we were finding a way. So it’s just getting better each day.”
(RB Raheem Mostert said that Head Coach Mike McDaniel is genuine. He used the word genuine. He let’s you know…?) – “Right, that’s a beautiful word. I definitely think he is. He cares about this. He cares about it, man. You can tell all the guys that he’s hired here, too, care about it. It’s a great thing to have on your team … when he’s passionate about what his job and how it looks and how it feels. He’s won the game, so he understands what it takes and that’s us just believing and following his idea.”
(What do you see in OL Robert Jones and his training camp?) – “Robert Jones? Robert Jones is a beast, man. I like Rob. Rob reminds me of myself a little bit. He’s a go-getter. He likes to play football. He’s physical. He’s a hard-nosed football player out of Middle Tennessee, so I always have to respect a guy from one of those little bitty schools like that. They come out on fire. He’s a tough guy with big old legs, so that will definitely help him out. He’s good. He’s playing really well.”
(What’s one thing that you all want to make sure as an offensive line group that you get better at, refine, perfect in the running game between now and the season opener?) – “I don’t think it will ever be perfect, but just little details, man. I think we’ve been getting on people. I think we’ve been physical. I think we’ve been playing well. I think it’s an uphill trend, just the little details. The little details that are going to, on offense, it’s got to be 11-for-11 – not just o-line, it has to be receivers, it has to be everybody. So just details, small details, and that will make the whole ship go. If one got missed, then somewhere there’s going to be a leakage, you know what I mean? So the whole offense has got to go, that’s with o-line through quarterbacks to receivers. So it’s the whole offensive deal.”
(As much as you can share, what are those mid-play conversations like between the offensive line and the defensive line? It looks like there’s a couple antagonizes there lining up opposite you.) – “Christian Wilkins has a nasty mouth, ladies and gentlemen. We have to find a way to get him reported and fined for his filthy mouth. I’m joking. (laughter) It’s fun. Christian gets fired up. He’s one of the ones that get fired up. His trash talking is freaking awful, like it sucks. So I don’t say much, man. I’m already tired, I ain’t got time for that. So I just kind of let it go. I let ‘AJ’ (Austin Jackson) do all the talking with him. (laughter) They hash it out, but it’s just Christian running his bad trash talk mouth and then some guys say something back to him. But we really are just trying to get a little work in. Christian is just being Christian, so we love him. To have Christian on the team, I love it, except when it’s on field goal or something like that when he’s talking trash to the other team and then they have to just tee off on the o-line. So that’s the only problem, that sucks.”
Tua Tagovailoa – August 17, 2022
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Wednesday, August 17, 2022
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(Could you talk a little bit about the improvements made from yesterday to today? It sounds like Head Coach Mike McDaniel was a little animated and happy that you guys got better from yesterday to today.) – “Yeah, I think everybody got better from yesterday. I think yesterday seemed one-sided in the first half, if you will, from the first two team periods. Then I would say the defense started to pick up their morale and they brought it yesterday as well. I think today was a really good back and forth with the offense making plays and then the defense making plays and continuing to go back and forth with that.”
(Watching the offense, obviously you sat out, but watching the offense from the sidelines, what were your impressions of it and are you starting to envision what this offense can be once you get in there with the starters?) – “I think it’s really good. I think Skylar (Thompson) did a great job with his operation being that he’s a rookie, that’s his first time in an NFL start. You’ve got to give credit to him. It’s not easy to go in there, understand where everyone needs to go, understanding how to manage the situation, the game clock, the down-and-distance. I thought Skylar did a really good job. But a lot of our plays that we’ve also been running haven’t been shown out there. Those are just glimpses of the plays that we do have in our arsenal, but there are a lot of plays we didn’t get to run as well. To me, it looked really good.”
(Are you lobbying to play Saturday? Do you want to play? What’s your stance?) – “Man, I always want to play. I’m going to be honest. (laughter) I wanted to play last week too, at least a couple of snaps. But Mike (McDaniel) decided that then wasn’t the time. Hopefully he gives the first offense an opportunity to go out there, hopefully get some plays in, understand some situations, knowing how to manage the game and get back into the groove of things in that sense, where we have no coaches on the field, we have no one to really line us up. We just figure out things on our own when we’re out there playing.”
(Is there a switch though when you are playing in preseason? Is there a switch you have to turn off to where, ‘Ok, maybe I would fight for extra yards if this was Week 5, but this is preseason, let me throttle back?’) – “I would say there is some understanding of playing smart in the preseason. Obviously you want to get real live reps, you want to get game reps, but at the same time, you want to be smart. These preseason games don’t count, but they do add additional reps for us for when we’re going out there to work with each other.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel said this morning that he doesn’t think that yelling is a good way to communicate. But when you have to go to that level, it puts a little more emphasis for when you do that. What is your reaction when the coach gets a little more animated?) – “I think it’s good to see that side of him. We never get to see that side of him. I think it’s good to see that side of every person that people think is too nice, or they are too chill, or too mellow, because you understand the competitor in them, you understand that they mean business. For me, and for the guys, when we hear Mike raise his voice, we’ve got nothing but respect because that’s not something that he does. When he does do it, it’s that much more meaningful.”
(What does it take to get you out of too nice, too chill?) – “I’m not too sure. Not many things. I guess when it’s extremely hot and we’re not executing on the offensive side of the ball.”
(S Jevon Holland is really good, huh?) – “Really good. Oh my gosh. He’s made tremendous plays. For me, trying to read off of my read keys, he’s made tremendous plays. And not just today, but throughout the entire camp. The plays that he’s made is only getting me better, getting our route distribution better and our timing better offensively. So props to JH.”
(Since Head Coach Mike McDaniel was hired, how do you think things have come along with the team and how do you like the direction of how things are going so far?) – “We love football. That’s all I’ve got to say is we love football here.”
Raheem Mostert – August 17, 2022
Wednesday, August 17, 2022
RB Raheem Mostert
(I don’t think we’ve really seen Head Coach Mike McDaniel that animated before after a practice. Can you give us some insight as to what was happening there?) – “Yeah, yesterday, as a team, it wasn’t particularly our standard. Especially, like you said, in a meeting he told us when the defense gets scored on a lot in the red zone, that affects everybody as a team. We all took it personal and as you can see, today was just an example of how to overcome those things like with what happened yesterday. That’s why he was a little bit more animated today because he saw the type of practice he wanted moving forward. We have a standard for this team and that’s to win, first and foremost. But we want to come out here each and every day and try to be one percent (better). That was the big thing.”
(Have you seen that side of Head Coach Mike McDaniel before?) – “Oh, yeah. Yeah, I’ve seen that side of him before. It’s something that’s new to you guys but it’s familiar to me. Just to see him be the way he is and exude that energy towards everybody else, especially for the team, is truly something special.”
(What is that like to see? What is Head Coach Mike McDaniel like when gets that way? Because we haven’t seen him like that.) – “When he gets to that point, it’s authentic. I think that’s the biggest thing. When a head coach comes in, you want to see how, especially as a player, you want to see how authentic that coach can be. He hasn’t changed since Day 1 since I’ve met him. Clearly you can see that too as y’all are getting to know him. That’s just the type of person that he is and he’s going to continue to be that way for as long as I know him and as long as you guys know him.”
(What’s communication like between you guys as teammates after something like that happens?) – “When we sit down in the locker room after Mike (McDaniel) tells us we didn’t have a good day, we just go back to the drawing board. That’s the best thing you can do. Just go out there and try to figure out what the solution is for those problems that we caused on the field. That’s the best way that we can handle it. Then we’ve got to come out here and just execute as best as we possibly can.”
(Through the first three weeks or so of training camp, how have you seen QB Tua Tagovailoa grow in the scheme just knowing what is asked of quarterbacks?) – “First off, kudos to Tua (Tagovailoa) because he’s been dealing with a lot ever since he got into the league. But now you see the side of Tua where it’s something that hasn’t been touched in quite a few years. He’s upbeat. He’s more happy. He’s definitely soaking all of this in and he’s actually playing football. Not to say that he wasn’t in the past, but in regards to this offense, it allows him to open up a little bit more and to have fun and make those plays and throws. Like you see, you have Tyreek (Hill) right down the middle and he barely got it off of him. Jevon (Holland) came out of nowhere and just batted it down. To him, that’s still a win because he’s able to make that connection with players and go out there and do what he does best.”
(I’d have to imagine that confidence early in your career, when you kind of bounced around, maybe waned a little bit at some point. When you get that confidence back, what does that do for you as a player?) – “That confidence, it’s definitely – you can have your highs and your lows but when you gain your confidence and you understand … it’s like anything you do in life. Whether you’re a reporter, a businessman or somebody that owns or operates some type of business or entrepreneur, you want that confidence because that confidence is infectious. It spreads throughout everyone. That just shows that you’re a better person in regards to whatever you’re doing in your life. Especially for players, when you start building that – I didn’t build that confidence until I got my first touch in 2018 being a running back. After that, the confidence just went through the roof. That’s all it took. Just the opportunity that you get. So like I said, when you see Tua (Tagovailoa) out here, he’s happy because he knows the opportunity that lies in front of him and it’s all up to him and how he can progress. That’s just like any player out there.”
(You mentioned S Jevon Holland. Could he be a three-peat for the orange jersey?) – “We’ll see. He broke it down for the team. We’ll see if it’s a three-peat. It would be the first one, that’s for sure. I’m excited about his playlist. He always has some good songs on his playlist.”
(Can you kind of summarize what the message was from Head Coach Mike McDaniel? I know he was a little fired up.) – “Like I mentioned earlier, he was a little fired up yesterday just because as a whole, it wasn’t to our standard. So when the defense is getting scored on in the red zone, that’s something that I don’t know if they’ve emphasized just yet as far as red zone defense. But when they’re getting scored on, that affects not only the defense but the offense as well because we’re all a team. That was his big message yesterday was, ‘How are you guys going to respond to tomorrow’s practice?’ And as you could see, we responded very well in regards to making plays and doing what we have to do. There’s always growth and room for improvement.”
(How would you evaluate where the run game is right now? Are you on track with the goals you’ve set?) – “I would say we’re on track. It’s still fresh. A new line and stuff like that. We’ve still got some pieces that we have to work out but all in all, the run game is getting up there. We’ve just got to continue to make those connections in the blocking scheme and everything else that comes with the run game – the running backs and even the quarterback has to do proper footwork. A lot goes into it but we’re picking up speed and we’re doing well so far.”
(How are you feeling? Are you fitting in?) – “Yeah, I’m fitting in. This is my style of offense. I’m fitting in very well. I’ve just got to maintain and the primary goal for me is Week 1. I’m not too sure what the preseason lies for me, this game or next. (Coach McDaniel) and the training staff have a good gameplan for me. I’m just going to ride the wave like I normally do and when the time comes, then I’ll be ready.”
Mike McDaniel – August 17, 2022
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Wednesday, August 17, 2022
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Did WR Jaylen Waddle miss practice yesterday because of an injury? And is he back today?) – “He just didn’t feel like it. (laughter) No, that was fun. It was a cool process with Jaylen. You learn more about your players all of the time. There is something that I really don’t need to get into but he could have practiced with. With our elite medical staff, having history with stuff, we were trying to be preventative. He wanted to practice. We disallowed it to try to be in front of something. But I expect him to practice here again in training camp. We’ll take it day-by-day. We’re just trying to – sometimes you have to protect people from themselves. And that’s a great problem to have, especially with an elite talent like that.”
(With these fast-twitch guys, the soft-tissue stuff can sometimes linger throughout the season. Is that a new point of emphasis…) – “Definitely. Especially because their head coach was in that same category. He was so fast-twitch and explosive, he can relate. He was pretty good at talking in the third person and preventing fast-twitch soft-tissue injuries. (laughter) No, it’s something that you learn over time. I think one of the things that is really cool about the Miami Dolphins and the medical staff and Dave Puloka and the strength staff is they aren’t science minors, they’re science majors. So we take all of that stuff into consideration and we try to be as accountable as possible in preventing as many soft-tissue (injuries) as you can. You’ll never be 100 percent but you try to pay attention to each individual player and tailor things so that they can avoid those things as best as possible.”
(Can you assess what you saw from QB Tua Tagovailoa yesterday? It was the most interceptions we’ve seen him throw in camp… what do you want to see him do today?) – “That’s interesting. Yesterday was a classic example of the conflict, at least for me emotionally, as a head coach – and I was very clear with this with the team – I was very pumped with how the offense and in particular Tua, came out in practice. I let it known early and often to the defense that I didn’t think they were performing to the standard. I think it was probably the most successful red zone period that we’ve had, certainly being here, offensively versus the defense. But after bringing that to the defense’s attention, we got into some situational periods and man did they answer the bell. And in those periods, we turned the ball over way too much, which was a great learning lesson for Tua. We hadn’t been in a couple of those situations yet. So we got to talk about it and learn from it. So overall, I had half the practice that I was pumped at the offense, half of the practice I was pumped at the defense and simultaneously being mad at the other side of the ball. All of which is either a blip on the radar or something that is some of the best stuff that can happen to you. So especially on the practice field, you try to have players put themselves in scenarios as close to a game as a possible, and let it rip and play what they see. Then you re-evaluate it or you coach them up on it. Then the next day, you want to see improvement. And the next time we’re in those situations in practice, I want to see improvement. And in games, I’m expecting improvement with the offense. And hopefully the defense is able to reproduce that same production against an opponent. But yeah, it’s almost like it makes you, as a head coach, you just feel completely bipolar at times. You’re like, ‘I’m happy and I’m sad.’”
(How many situations are there where you’re simultaneously happy with both sides of the ball?) – “When effort, intent, assignment and technique are good – which does happen – that, generally, somebody wins a down. I really like the periods within the period of back and forth. That’s when I am simultaneously happy because you’re going – every play doesn’t work on both sides of the ball ever. So going through that process of saying, ‘Wow, that was a seven-yard run play we just gave up as a defense. It’s second-and-3. Ok, now it’s a two-yard loss. Now it’s third-and-5.’ Then you have a perfectly executed defensive structure versus an offensive structure, and then maybe Tua (Tagovailoa) throws a perfect throw and it’s a very contested but good completion. Or it’s a perfect throw and a DB makes a great play. Those are my favorite periods within the team, because you don’t want to see complete domination by either side. It’s an interesting – when you practice together for about a month and then you have all of the OTAs and stuff, you’re looking for parity because our team needs both sides of the ball to be as good as they can be.”
(Where are you in the return game right now with WR Lynn Bowden Jr. having a nice night on Saturday? How is that shaking out, the race for the returner roles?) – “If you’re a return enthusiast, this is a cool moment in time for the Miami Dolphins just because there is competition there. We have a lot of dynamic playmakers so we’re afforded the option of really being able to mix it up and have people really compete. Right now, after one game, I think nothing is settled. But guys are starting to get more comfortable with the returns and it’s like everything else, the competition is really where the cream rises to the top. It’s a fun thing to watch. I, by no means, short-change the process ever. Especially with situations where there is high competition like that. We’re going to continue to give guys opportunities because again, I’m always looking – and I have to do it with the players all of the time – I’m not bottom-line oriented as a coach because there are too many compounding variables for success or failure. What I’m looking at is, ‘Ok, well here is what you did well. Cool. Can we count on that? Here is where you did poorly. Do you improve on that?’ Because the name of the game is not being really your best necessarily in September. It’s about January. That’s what you are building towards and that’s the mindset that I’m trying to really infuse in the team.”
(Do you need to settle in on one returner? I know you said you’re not into absolutes. You could use WR Jaylen Waddle and WR Tyreek Hill but you’re not going to use them full-time. Do you need to find one guy that fills that role?) – “I don’t think you need to. I think you can – I think that’s something that happens a lot if you have a player that has an exclusive skillset that doesn’t really fit into offense and defense. Or you only have one guy that you’re really confident in. So no, I don’t think you have to by any stretch. I think that’s a competitive advantage to give different people opportunities because it shows the opposing team – they get a different feel. It also creates a little urgency for each returner because ‘I want to get another one.’”
(Since your time taking over as coach until now, how do you like where your team is at this point and what are some things you really like about how the team has grown since you got here?) – “One of my favorite parts is that I’m a pretty positive guy and I like to bring energy, but there have been opportunities that I’ve had along the way to kind of point out and nip in the bud that that’s not good enough. Whatever that is on either side of the ball or on special teams or anywhere that I’ve really applied that pressure, like 100 percent of the time, people have responded. And I think that is the life you live, that is the life of everyone, that is football. The nuts and bolts of it is really handling all of the noise, being able to accept constructive stuff and then getting better from it. That’s my favorite part. I’m pretty happy with where we’re at for approaching the second preseason game. I’m pretty happy. Will I be happy during the season? That’s contingent upon what happens now. You could have the greatest offseason and beginning of training camp in the history of football and if you shut it down for a couple of weeks, all of that is meaningless. I feel very confident. They’re earning my confidence by the way they respond. I’m happy really about where we’re at and where we’re going, feeling confident that we’ll take the right steps to be ready to play New England in Week 1.”
(Do you have to – I mean, it’s a bad word, but do you have to yell? At times, do you have to get in front of your team and chew them out? Is that something…?) – “I try not to major in it. It’s kind of philosophically – I don’t enjoy yelling, but you have to do what you have to do to let them know exactly the urgency of the moment. But I’ve always philosophically thought that if you pick and choose those moments, then that state that you don’t really like to be in is purposeful. I just know from my personal experience, at some point in time if you’re just yelled at consistently all the time, then the yelling sounds like normal talking, and that’s not the idea of it. I think it’s important to build relationships and try to develop players as players and people. But they also need to know the urgency, it’s my job to let them know the urgency, so if it’s – I won’t hesitate nor have I hesitated – you can ask some of the players – but I will have a temper from time to time. I think they understand – because I value earning that and earning trust, I don’t think that I’m owed or entitled to anything. I think on a daily basis, I have to really earn their investment. I think that they see where that’s coming from, not as misguided emotion but more as tangible direct, I don’t know if convicted emotion (is the right phrase), that is all geared toward them being their best.”
(What are you most looking forward to for Saturday’s game? It’s your first home game at Hard Rock Stadium. What are you most looking forward to?) – “I don’t know, the aqua seats? (laughter) I’m just excited for, really, it’s been such a cool process to, as I’ve explained before, I didn’t really know the fanbase. This was one of the two divisions I had never coached in in the league, so everything since I’ve been here, I’ve just been like, ‘Wow, this Miami Dolphins fan base is phenomenal.’ Just hearing the feedback, seeing the fans out at practice, I know there’s going to be a lot of energy and people are excited about seeing their players and their team. So I’m kind of – I guess I would say the thing I’m most excited about is that connection between a fanbase that really supports and is invested into the team and a team that really wants to do right by the fanbase. That should be fun, and I look forward to that this weekend and the rest of the season.”
(No announcements? No big announcements?) – “Hm, are you setting – should I have an announcement?”
(Well we’re not going to see you until Saturday.) – “Oh, I think tomorrow, there’s a birthday tomorrow. I just read it. There’s a player’s birthday. I should announce that. (laughter) I should announce that my wife went to the grocery store, which is exciting because I’m a big snack time guy. (laughter) Outside of that – oh, I would like to announce that I’m very excited for practice, as you guys should be, because it’s an opportunity for both sides of the ball to respond to things that they weren’t happy with the previous day.”
(I think maybe he was referring to like the rotation of players and starters?) – “Oh, you know (moves hand over his head). I’m still working through it. And again, as transparent as possible, I think I really, in an annoying manner, I don’t like to shortchange individual practices. I think that deciding everyone’s playing time based upon where they’re at for this team, for our young team, I think that doesn’t do right or justice to the individual practices. So we’ll be working through that and it will probably be about the same timeline that I’ll know as it was last week, unfortunately.”
(For us. I’m just kidding.) – “Hey, I mean for me too. I want to know what I think. (laughter) I really would love to know what I think, but I have to wait for all the information before I can think that I think I know the right answer.”
Elandon Roberts – August 16, 2022
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Tuesday, August 16, 2022
LB Elandon Roberts
(What do you guys get out of joint practices, and now when you get back here, you’re going against each other again. What’s the difference?) – “In a joint practice, you get a chance to see other teams and practice their schemes. In practice amongst each other, we’re able to still practice a different scheme and get better as a defense. The advantages go hand-in-hand. It’s just how you look at it.”
(We just had RB Chase Edmonds up here. How much of a headache is it having those speed guys?) – “It’s challenging but it gets us better for teams that we’ll play this year with a lot of backfield speed. We look at it as an opportunity to be able to see it early and know how to adjust to it and know how to play with our techniques and stuff like that. It’s a good thing we’re able to see it in our own practice so we get chances to rep at it.”
(What was the vibe like on the sideline pregame with Head Coach Mike McDaniel?) – “Locked in. Locked in just like every coach. Even the players that weren’t playing, we were all locked in, seeing what Tampa was doing, giving input to the guys when they got to the sideline and vice-versa with the coaches. We all work together as a team and working together as a team, that’s what’s going to get us to where we want to be.”
(We saw DT Christian Wilkins taking notes. Did you guys have somebody in your group doing something like that?) – “Everybody has their own thing and Christian, his thing is a notepad. Everybody is different.”
(How are you feeling? We spoke to you back at the beginning of the offseason and you said the process is a lot different this year because you’re not rehabbing. How do you feel?) – “I’m feeling good. I’m ready to go. I’m feeling good.”
(Did you ever face RB Derrick Henry when you were with the Patriots? What’s he like? I’m sure he’s a handful to tackle. He’s getting up there in age right now, but he’s still got to be a force to be reckoned with.) – “You can’t look at age too much. I think something that’s a problem is they look at people’s age but he’s still putting up big numbers every year. Is he aging or is he getting younger? Derrick is a great back and I’m pretty sure he’s going to be at the top of the league once again this year.”
(They say he’s a guy that wears on you as the game goes on. Is that true or is that a myth?) – “I don’t know. I haven’t played Derrick in a little minute.”
(We talk a lot about the offense and how they are trying to build up a new scheme. You have a lot of continuity on defense. What are the talking points on a day-to-day basis when you do have so much continuity and you know the defense but you’re trying to perfect it? What are the points of emphasis for the defense on the day-to-day?) – “The points of emphasis are always the same. Play technique sound, play within the defense, trust your teammates and everything will fall together. That’s one thing we look at day-in and day-out in practice. To answer your question, just because the group has been together for so long, we’re able to take steps in different directions to make our defense evolve a little bit more and stuff like that. But right now, the good thing about training camp is we’re able to control what we can control and get better at what we can get better at. Training camp is a constant, just getting better at fundamentals. That’s one thing when you’re in the nick-pick of a game is you’ve got to go back to your fundamentals. That will bring you to where you want to be brought to.”
(When you talk about evolving, should we expect some wrinkles in the defense or something like that?) – “The NFL evolves every year. I expect it in all 32 teams’ defenses that everybody should evolve and you will see little nuances in every team. Just like the media. That question, you probably didn’t ask that last year but you’re evolving as a media guy. (laughter) That question I didn’t expect it from you, but you’re evolving as a guy. You’re getting good. (laughter)”
(As a defender, you’ve got to like a practice like today. Six interceptions from the defense.) – “That’s just how we hold ourselves as a standard. If that’s not the standard – turnovers win games. We have to (pride) ourselves in it and going against our offense and being able to do that is good. We’ve just got to be able to put it together when it’s time to go on Sundays.”
(What about some of the guys – S Brandon Jones got two, CB Noah Igbinoghene got one, what’s that like?) – “I think all of those guys, just like the total defense, we hold ourselves to a certain standard, and each day they come to practice with that same standard. It’s a good thing. There’s a standard between the whole defense.”
(You’re another year away from that knee injury. How different do you feel this year compared to this time last year?) – “I feel a lot different. I got my speed back. It’s going to be a good year. I’m blessed that God gave me the ability to heal up the right way and be able to feel back to normal and be able to put the best product of Elandon out there for the Dolphins.”
Chase Edmonds – August 16, 2022
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Tuesday, August 16, 2022
RB Chase Edmonds
(What was it like to watch the offense run and operate on Saturday? What were your thoughts watching it?) – “I loved everything about it. Obviously it was a new experience for me coming from a team for four years, so you get a new feel for everybody on game day, just kind of a new routine and how everything goes. I loved being out there with the guys, cheering the guys on, and hopefully I can get out there this weekend. Hopefully.”
(What do you think of the operation of the run game? I know Tampa Bay was committed to stopping it.) – “It’s a new offense for us all right now. We’re still installing a new scheme and I think as you get more game repetition – because you know it speeds up from practice to the game. Just continue to hone in on your technique, hone in on your rules, look at the film, figure out what we have to do to correct it and go back to work the next day.”
(Was it encouraging to see the way play-action worked off of it?) – “Yeah, it was very encouraging to see the way the play-action worked and just really the displacement of the defenders, really making them guard all aspects of the field. That was a good thing to see.”
(How is it going to help, if they keep all of you fresh obviously, with you and RB Raheem Mostert and RB Sony Michel and RB Myles Gaskin. How much is it helpful in that regard?) – “It’s very helpful keeping the bodies fresh. Coach (Mike) McDaniel obviously will have a plan going into the season, and whatever the role is that he has for each individual, it’s all about going out there and really doing your role to the best of your ability. Figuring out what it is that you’ve got to do for the team and figuring out what you’ve got to do for yourself to continue to be the player that you want to be.”
(I know you signed early in free agency. Before Drew Rosenhaus finalized the deal, did you have a conversation with Head Coach Mike McDaniel about what your role would be?) – “I did not. I wanted to play for Coach McDaniel because the outside zone scheme intrigued me. I felt like that’s something I could really do with my skillset. I feel like it fits my abilities and it’s something that once I get a grasp of, I’ll be an expert at it.”
(Is starting important to you? I think all of us probably expect you to be a starter here. Is that important to you?) – “No. I’m a team guy. Whatever my role is, I’ll be the best at my role. That’s how I look at it. That’s how I look at this game.”
(What is it specifically about this scheme that fits your skillset?) – “I just like how with outside zone, you’re stretching the defense laterally. When you’re displacing the defense, you’re making them have to cover a lot more field. It opens up certain lanes and certain holes that I’m able to take advantage of. I remember seeing a play we had – it was early in training camp. We were running an outside zone to the left and there was an unblocked man in the hole. But because you have everyone stretching laterally, there can be an unblocked man in the hole and I can still press that hole, make him miss and get back to a back gap – a gap one space behind it and still make a positive run out of it. Sometimes with inside zone, you’re working more vertical so the space is a little more tight. I feel like here when we stretch people laterally, that’s really what I do best. That’s pressing holes and bursting through the hole.”
(Does that give you more latitude to pick your spots?) – “Yes, exactly. I’m not the biggest back obviously, but when I have a lot of space and a lot of holes to play from, I do a really good job I feel like of just playing cat and mouse with certain defenders, and knowing angles and knowing lanes and being an expert at that.”
(You will have ended up playing with possibly three of the top 10 or 20 wide receivers of the past 15 years with WR Larry Fitzgerald, WR DeAndre Hopkins and now WR Tyreek Hill. WR Jaylen Waddle might be in that group soon. How does that help running backs?) – “That’s going to help us tremendously. With J-dub (Jaylen Waddle), and Cheetah (Tyreek Hill) on the outside, I don’t think there are going to be too many teams that will dare us to play eight men in the box. We’ll have to see obviously once the game starts. But just that in itself right there, with lighter boxes comes easier ways to run the football. Having those guys, those deep threats, really keep the safeties honest. You can’t have a safety down at eight yards because we can beat you with a go ball with those guys. That is a tremendous help for us in the run game.”
(Did you get a chance to talk to RB LeSean McCoy?) – “Yeah, I did. He is my mentor. So after I’m done with you all, I’m going to go over there and holla at him a little longer.”
(What about his game do you try to model your game after? What about him made him so special?) – “It’s very hard to do that. Shady is like the modern-era Barry Sanders. I think the closest one to Barry ever. Certain things I like to model after him is how he plays with defenders in the hole, how he does a quick one-two and a nifty miss. He makes people miss in space. Obviously I try to keep the ball secure. (laughter) I know how he handled the ball. But just find the ways of how I play with defenders and how I can better myself as a scat back to more so a receiving back.”
(Inaudible) – “It’s a business. They are going to be the first ones to tell you that. I feel like when you play in this business as a running back, your shelf life is very short. So keeping the body healthy, keeping the body fresh is of utmost importance, honestly. I’m ok with it. Obviously whatever is asked of me, I’m going to do it to my full capability and go from there.”
(You still want the ball?) – “You still want the ball, but you’ve got to pick and choose where you want it at I feel like. It’s all about staying fresh and staying healthy so you can have as many years in this league as you can possible. Maximize your time.”
(How excited are you to get on the field for your first home game on Saturday?) – “I’m excited. We don’t know the plan yet obviously with playing time and everything like that, but I’m excited to get out there at Hard Rock (Stadium). I’m excited to see how this scheme feels in game speed and really get game reps with the o-line.”
(The defense the last couple of years was really good at closing out games and we saw some of that today. Did you learn that firsthand today?) – “Yes, I learned it. I’ll give the defense the credit. But I will say, when you practice two-minute (drills) in practice as opposed to games, there are certain balls and certain tight windows that a quarterback might not throw in a game, but you want to get that feel, you want to see what you can get away with. I’m not going to give them all the credit this week. (laughter) But they did a great job of closing it out, for sure.”
(When did you and Barry Sanders meet?) – “I’ve never met Barry Sanders. I was saying Shady (LeSean McCoy) was the closest thing to Barry Sanders.”
(Does it ever get to a point in training camp where it’s hard to judge one unit against itself? Because you’ve been practicing against each other for so long.) – “That’s why I liked the joint practice with Tampa. You really got a different feel for different personnel on the other side of the ball, obviously different schematics. You’re going against people that you don’t really know. You are tired of going against the same defense every so often. I kind of like that feeling because now we go back to going against our defense again. We’re kind of really trying to perfect our scheme. We get different looks versus them as we will when we play Philly next week, or as we will when we play Vegas this week. I’m looking forward to joint practices as long as guys do a good job of taking care of each other and practicing like pros. It’s a good way to get a feel for where you’re talent is at, what your weaknesses are and what your strengths are as a team, as a whole.”
(We talked to you a couple of weeks ago and you talked about getting the feel for the system, a new scheme to you. I just want to get progress update on how you feel you are now compared to where you were last month?) – “I’ve still got a lot of work to do, but I feel a lot more comfortable. I’m getting the flow of it, I’m getting the tracks of it down more. Just to really be able to feel it and really feel how fast it’s going happen in the game, that’s something I’ve got to be able to see to pick at what I need to work on more for a game. In terms of just flow and track, I’m definitely getting a feel of it.”
Mike McDaniel – August 16, 2022
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Tuesday, August 16, 2022
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Could you please give us an update on CB Byron Jones? Do you still expect him back for the start of the regular season?) – “The processes remain the same with regard to very hopeful. The entire time we’ve all known, including Byron, that things have to hit on all cylinders without having a setback for that to be the case. Nothing has changed in that regard. We still – he’s still in that part of the timeline where it is unknown. As of now, he hasn’t had any setbacks, so still extremely hopeful. I believe in the player and the human being, so we hold the same optimism as we did before for him coming back to Week 1. Ready to adjust if need be.”
(What kind of football activities is CB Byron Jones doing now?) – “There’s change of direction, there’s rehab, there’s – that’s an area of the medical development, coming back from an injury that I don’t pretend to be an exact scientist on. It’s a progression-based deal that you’re trying not to have any setbacks as you proceed. He’s moving around. He’s exactly where we thought he would be at this point with some change of direction stuff being incorporated on a daily, but in terms of football drills, whether he’s peddling or running or moving side to side, he’s just moving. He’s not playing with other people around him right now, so I’ll let you know when that comes about.”
(How long do you have to see personally of him going out there and working out before you put him out there on the field?) – “That’s a case-by-case basis because you’re going with unknowns, right? So like how much does someone that has one accrued season that maybe has played his position four, six, eight or 10 games – that’s different than Byron who’s excelled at the position for extended periods of time. So he does have to do it before the game, (but) it’s case-by-case to me. That’s how I look at everything. You kind of have to use your brain with that, but I wouldn’t put him on the field for the first time during a game. But the exact timeline for him is a little shorter being all of his production at the NFL level, all the stuff that I know exactly what he should look like. I know what he looks like when he’s playing his full speed game, so it’ll be easier for me to kind of make that decision because of my familiarity watching him for an extended period of time at every team he’s played on.”
(Does the staff view CB Mackensie Alexander primarily as a slot who could allow CB Nik Needham to go outside if needed? Or will CB Mackensie Alexander be an outside player?) – “So you try to – initially, you know what a guy has played. There is a portion of the process, especially with a player like that, where you want them to earn their ability within your exact scheme. So the versatility of inside and outside I think is nice for us. Everybody knows where he’s had his production from, but I try not to say – every defensive scheme has their specific techniques. Sometimes, like for instance, we just played a team, Tampa Bay, where if you watched one-on-ones or whatever, they’re man-to-man coverage. They don’t necessarily re-route as much as our guys do. The reason why I say that is I’ll never be 100 percent committed to, ‘OK, this guy is only this,’ always leaving the options open fully knowing that he has experience. We watch tape, too, but we would rather, especially with that particular player, let him earn his keep. I wouldn’t want to say, ‘Hey, you can’t do something.’ We were just going for the best player, inside or outside, available and let the chips fall with that in his hands.”
(But did you feel like there was a need for an inside guy?) – “Really I felt like there was just a need for a competitive NFL defensive back. I’m not particularly worried about inside or outside. We like Nik Needham’s versatility. Luckily, we have a group of athletic, diverse players on the backend that can really – that versatility is a huge strength. So to me, the only way – we were afforded an opportunity. It’s hard to get competition that has a chance to make the team in the middle of camp. So when you have a good player out there that you work out, that has already been on your radar before you had any injuries, I wasn’t really concerned with, ‘Hey, we’re light on inside players,’ or ‘We’re light on outside.’ I just wanted someone that would legitimately have a chance to compete for a roster spot, which I think he does.”
(One more corner question, if I may. With CB Noah Igbinoghene, one thing that you’ve been impressed by and one thing he still needs to work on?) – “I’ve been impressed by his internal fortitude. OK, this is – it’s not lost on me at all the pressures that come in the National Football League, especially when you’re an athlete of his skillset. So he’s done an outstanding job. You have to have a short memory at the cornerback position. He’s really had some maturation and growth this year, from the stories that I heard coming in, where he’s moving onto the next play and competing and not letting himself get down on himself. Where he needs to improve, I would say, is kind of what I was alluding to when I talked to him during the game, is I don’t want him to ever lose his aggressiveness and feel like he’s playing not to get beat. I want him to always compete, have no memory in that regard and just be kind of cutthroat with the game of football, to just trust all of his training. So in times I think he’s being a hair passive, I’ll jump on that and be like, ‘Hey, that’s not you. This is not where you’re at in your development,’ which I think he agreed, which again is why he’s taken some steps forward as a professional.”
(Do you have a coach that may have talked to CB Noah Igbinoghene about the transition of wide receiver to corner and his head, where it’s at in that sense to develop the instincts of a corner?) – “I think they’re just – I wouldn’t say I had a coach directly responsible for that. I think all coaches are responsible to know where their players are coming from, including the head coach but every coach that touches those players to best reach them and to know where they’re coming from, you have to know their experiences. So that can be used as a negative or a positive that you’re a position switch. Obviously, I think that you should present it and get him to understand that it is a positive, that you know what it feels like to be a receiver. So how does your play and your technique, how does that invite X, Y or Z from the receiver when you’re playing them? It can be used as a strength as opposed to, ‘OK, well I’m new to the position.’ Well, you’re actually – you have an edge on other people, because you most recently played that position that you’re covering. So I think all the coaches, I put a huge emphasis on knowing their players and where they’re coming from in order to reach them. So that’s a prerequisite with all of the defensive coaches from the top down.”
(Is this week set up so that QB Tua Tagovailoa will prepare to start?) – “This week is set up to not know what I’m going to do. (laughter) No, it is – I get where you’re coming from, you’re just trying to get an idea, so I’m sensitive to that fact. But it is not coach-speak at all. It is direct. I really truly believe in the process and taking in all pieces of information to do what’s best for the team. What I do expect is I expect there to be some players that didn’t play in this last game to play in this game coming forward. When I see exactly where we’re at – and it doesn’t necessarily mean if he has a good week of practice then I’m good, it’s more of where the whole offense is at, what he needs on the field, but also other players that have to play, does that necessitate him playing? To do it the right way, in my opinion, there are so many compounding variables that I would hesitate to say, ‘Yes, he is,’ or ‘No, he’s not,’ because I haven’t made totally that decision. I have a best guess. But again, I let the stuff on the field and what’s best for the Miami Dolphins lead the charge. So about the same timeline as it was last week, I’ll know this week if he’s going to play or not.”
(Do you have a best guess as to what’s going to happen?) – “I mean, I’m not in the game of guess. And c’mon, you guys are too veteran. The second I guess something, now you are tipping the scales one direction because you’ll definitely hold me accountable for said guess. (laughter) So, I won’t tip the scales on that, so to speak, and I appreciate your guys’ patience with me in that regard and your trust that I mean what I say.”
(So, your dress rehearsal will be next week then?) – “(laughter) You know what, as soon as I know, you guys will know. But again, I would be doing a disservice to just arbitrarily say, well typically I’ve always played the starting quarterback in game one. But I didn’t think it was appropriate in this particular situation that necessitated him to have that risk and all the other different variables. Ironically, I think you guys would hope as vested Miami Dolphins enthusiasts that I put that off and taken all the variables to really make the best decision that is hopefully the right decision.”
(What are your thoughts on T Larnel Coleman’s play? And just at training camp, he’s had a lot of …) – “He’s a really cool, cool player. Like everybody on the offensive line, it is ‘What’s the last play you watched?’ He’s had some growth and there have been some areas where it’s been like, ‘Hey man, you need to emphasize this or we need more here.’ I’ve seen him as having a very good camp and I see him having the ability to continue the process and have an even better camp, but it’s been far from perfect, which is kind of the case for most if not all players. I was pumped with him getting out there and what he did during the game. We’ve explained to him what he can do to improve and that’s what this is all for. The biggest thing with players in the National Football League is that you have to go and adjust and get better because the bottom line is the best teams are their best at the end of the season, which means you have to, as a player, continue to develop and get better from coaching and that’s what is awesome about the pre-season, is that you get those opportunities to see without educated guessing, to see firsthand, ‘Is his game going to be better next week?’ We’ll see.”
(Mike, could you explain what happened with TE Adam Shaheen? The trade was made, reverted and then IR?) – “That is a classic example of the process of the National Football League just being spot on. That’s the reason why it exists. He was practicing with nothing holding him back. We 100 percent thought he was 100 percent healthy. Such is the nature of veteran players, you occur nicks along the way and that’s why you have a physical before things can be finalized and the whole trade processed. We were as surprised as I know Adam was, and that was something we definitely didn’t anticipate. But once we got that information, we had to digest it – all of us, including Adam – and once we got back and he got some more opinions, he has decided to get surgery, which puts him on IR and out for the season, which we are in 100 percent support of. But it is a classic example of ‘Why do they have this physical and why are trades not finalized pending that physical?’ I think it was an example of the process or reinforcing the process of why the procedures are as such. It definitely wasn’t anticipated. It was a nice little curveball.”
(You spoke a couple days ago about the fact that you’re committed to stopping the run, putting eight in the box a lot of times. Obviously QB Skylar Thompson is a rookie, but you have QB Tua Tagovailoa in those situations. Is he at a point in this offense where he is empowered to make checks? Overall, can you go through how checks and audibles are incorporated into this offense?) – “We have a little bit of both elements in the offense. You have the ability to go from run play to pass play. There are a lot of times that there’s two plays called, and you have parameters for the quarterback to adjust the play call. It’s not a holistic, ‘alright, everything’s up’. It’s not a Peyton Manning situation where you’re just audibling. That’s not really how we’ve ever played offense. But you have parameters and then there’s a lot of parameters where we’ll go run to run or pass to pass. It all depends on the different things that the defense presents and how you problem solve. Sometimes it’s not bad to run the ball versus an eight-man box. There’s a lot of defensive structures that presents an eight-man box but it’s the illusion of where they’re playing pass first. In the particular instance that was the Tampa Bay game, that was eight-man box that was run first. In those types of situations, we weren’t really going into the game thinking they were going to commit that way, so then that’s kind of play-call driven, like I was calling more passes than runs. It was like, ‘Wow this is intense, they’re overcommitted.’ I think it speaks to all the players that were on the field, as well as Skylar, that I felt without hesitation that I could put them in that situation and that we wouldn’t have penalties or a ton of negative plays and we were going to be able to stay on schedule calling pass plays.
(With the check-with-me system, from what I understood, it could be from one pass to another and not pass to run?)– “It’s all of them. So, we have pass to pass plays that you can check with me. You have run to pass plays, you have pass to run plays or you have run to run plays.”
(So, if you send a pass to pass play to a quarterback, he can never audible that into a run?) – “I mean he could, in theory. That would be cool because then I could take a break on the sidelines. (laughter) I try not to just like pass my job off completely. But shoot, at some point in time – it’s all about empowering the players and if they were ever thinking that way, I wouldn’t refrain and be like ‘I haven’t done this.’ It’s just in my experience, I’ve found that it’s a lot easier for players to not have have the whole playbook at their hands like coaches do. But I guess I would never say never either.”
Mike McDaniel – August 14, 2022
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Sunday, August 14, 2022
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(On CB Trill Williams, we were wondering whether you, Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer and General Manager Chris Grier have talked about any possibility of moving S Eric Rowe back from safety, where obviously you have good depth, to cornerback?) – “First and foremost, you hate to see an injury like that for a guy that’s been working as diligently as Trill has. He was an example of a player early on that I could tell, in a healthy way, that he wasn’t totally happy with where he was at in terms of depth. You want to talk about an example of a player handling that the right way and transferring that energy to the point where he’s been making plays daily on the ball. You can tell from his teammates how pumped they were for him. It’s one of the hard things about the profession that I really struggle with when I see that happen to someone. At the same time, I think he’s proven time and time again that things of that nature won’t keep him back over the long haul. The challenge is to make that thing happen for a good reason and come back stronger and better. It’s something that I think hurt the hearts of the whole team, myself included. With regard to Eric Rowe, he’s been getting pretty involved in the defense in a good way. I kind of like where he’s at in terms of his play. There’s a new side of him that was kind of displayed in the joint practices. I was talking to the team about the salty side of Rowe. He was getting competitive and it was really cool to see. I like where he’s at right now at his position. I think he does have versatility that you could go down that road if need be. But right now we’re just evaluating a couple of guys and then as Chris and his department always does, for the cornerback position, we’ll be in discussion on how to handle some of these injuries and moving forward, what we need to continue to develop and not over-do the other existing corners on the roster.”
(I know cutdowns are coming. I think on Tuesday. Where are you guys in the evaluation process?) – “That’s something that we talk a lot about people getting opportunities every day and how valuable and how every practice is so valuable, and every opportunity is so valuable. It’s a balance where going into a preseason game before you know there’s a cut, you’re kind of saying the state of the union right then, fully knowing that when there are opportunities in front of people, you don’t make your mind up because you learn so much about players each and every time they’re out on the field. And specifically when you have to handle the emotions of the game. We had long discussions last week and then some discussions that we started today. But then we’re careful that this is their livelihoods and it’s also the team and the organization. These are big decisions that when you have a competitive, talented roster like we have and that they’ve built here and are growing right now, you don’t take them lightly at all. You discuss them. We discussed more today but we’ll sleep on it. Further discussion comes tomorrow. It’s just a constant communication with Chris (Grier) and myself, as well as with the coordinators and position coaches for every real decision that we make. And to the team’s credit, it’s not easy. And that’s a good thing for the Dolphins. There’s no no-brainer like this guy is a fish out of water. It’s far from that. We’ll continue to discuss that before we make those final decisions, which are tough and that’s good.”
(T Greg Little’s absence last night, was that injury related? And can you describe his camp so far?) – “We didn’t totally know that he wasn’t going to play. He’s been day-to-day, so you’re trying to position him to be ready to play in the game but then at the last second, when it comes time for the game, you have to decide if this is a fair representation for the player, because you don’t want to put them out there and then after the game be like ‘Well, he was playing through an injury in the preseason right now.’ Because that just confuses you more. He’d been really doing well, flashing some stuff and gaining some confidence that he should have and deserves, and we didn’t want to compromise that confidence by putting him out there before he was ready. He’s really day-to-day and we’ll continue that evaluation so we can get the right Greg Little out there on the field.”
(There’s been a lot of excitement about OL Rob Hunt and OL Austin Jackson from yourself, General Manager Chris Grier – the guys themselves have been very excited about their work in this system. Now that you have I think 13 snaps of game tape, what’s kind of your take on what they put on tape last night?) – “It was really cool because of how they have developed, where it’s the first opportunity. We talk about deliberate practice a bunch. I was talking to the team today about it. The idea of deliberate practice is so that in the games, it’s just virtually another practice. That you’ve put yourself in game situations all of the time. So really, out of those 13 snaps, probably for all three of those guys, there would have been like 10 plusses. Then the three minuses were all things that they’ve executed against our defense in practice, whether it’s combinations or pass pro sets, that maybe were a little off. So it was awesome for those young dudes to get that feeling, for us to say ‘Hey, why is this different?’ Ok, it shouldn’t be. You should have all of the confidence. It should feel the same as practice for you and that’s the goal, that the spectacle that is a game isn’t anything but doing our craft that we do every day. It got us a chance to revisit kind of the primary pillars of philosophy of how we go about our business. I think they felt it but they didn’t lose confidence. It was like, ‘Oh, yeah.’ And we’re at a good spot with them because of that.”
(You said at halftime yesterday that you weren’t nervous because football is what you’re good at. Now that you’ve had a night to process last night’s game and your first chance at being a head coach, how are you feeling about your performance and that moment for you in general?) – “I think it was more that I’m not good at anything else (laughter). But it is where I’m comfortable. I think you guys feel that. I’m not going to hide from it at all. There are a lot of things – I’m not going to necessarily have this whole dialogue about how terrible I am but there are a lot of things that I’m like yeah, that’s not what I’d hope it to be. Which it was ironic because I knew that going into it. I knew going into it that it’s an odd thing to be excited for something, but also know I’m not going to put my best foot forward or my final product forward. So just like the players, there are a lot of things. I think that’s important as a coach to identify and be transparent with that with your players. ‘Yeah, this wasn’t good enough. This short-changed you in one way shape or form.’ I’m excited because it’s over because I wanted to identify exactly where – I just wanted to get to that point as fast as possible. Ok, now I did this, now I can get better at this and I can manage this better, I can communicate this better, this decision can be better and all of those things. Yeah, it’s what I expected, and I expected to get a C on the math test. I got the C and so I’m like, ‘Yeah, cool.’ Now I can work on getting a B or an A someday, if you guys allow it. (laughter)”
(I know some offensive line coaches talk about playing the five best guys when they have injuries. I’m curious your feeling on that issue with regard to tackle. If Terron Armstead – God forbid he misses any games this year – would you think, and I don’t know how much you want to talk about this for competitive reasons but I just want to throw it out there, would you be of the mindset to potentially move OL Austin Jackson or OL Liam Eichenberg, from positions where they’ve played since May and developed real good consistency, to left tackle if need be? Or do you believe it’s best to leave them where they are if they’re thriving at those spots and play a natural left tackle if Terron needs to miss time?) – “There is a starting point to that, but I think absolutes are a dangerous place because if you live in that, then what about the exception that flourishes? But from a starting point, it kind of has to do with your combinations of players because the starting point for me is that moving a player that’s in a spot where he’s being productive, now you just have two spots that are less, as opposed to you just having one thing you can work around. But there are exceptions to that and left tackle is an interesting one because with the edge rushers that are in this league, you can go from sack fumble to completion explosive because there is so much space. I would say from a starting point, I would try not to move a starter out of their position to cover up another position. But I wouldn’t say that would be an absolute because you have to think through, know the pros and cons, and kind of address it the best you can. I guarantee there will be a situation where I will go back on that statement at some point in time because I don’t believe in just being like, ‘Ok, this is my philosophy,’ and my brain shuts off.”
(I wanted to ask you about QB Teddy Bridgewater. I didn’t see him practice on Thursday and then he didn’t play in the game. Was any of that injury related or just he’s a veteran and you really wanted to see QB Skylar Thompson for two days?) – “He had a little back tightness to a degree on the practice day but it wasn’t anything major. We saw it as an opportunity to get Skylar some reps in practice. And then Skylar’s ability to handle those reps, those all important reps with the twos, we kind of just got thinking here’s an opportunity to do something that you don’t generally get, which is – I think I’ve talked about it before but I had one experience with Sage Rosenfels when I was coaching in Houston. And Sage’s point to me that always stuck out to me was like, ‘Yeah, I’m so much better coming in as a reliever.’ It’s so different when you’re not preparing as a starter and then in-game, you come in and play. But when you have a night or a week to prepare as the starter, for whatever reason, it’s just a different set of circumstances that psychologically, Sage was like, ‘I didn’t flourish in.’ And that always stood out to me because I wouldn’t know that, but that’s probably real. I think that over time, you can look at backup quarterback success and see that that’s more common than not. So I was paying attention to it after he planted that seed. So fast forward to that week and I was like wow, here he is operating at a pretty high level. If he does have to play, should circumstances present themselves, where else would we have that opportunity where he would be a known starter in a three preseason game (schedule). That would typically come up in the fourth preseason game and you can cross that bridge but with three, you can’t really. In conjunction with how Tua (Tagovailoa) is performing, where I thought the first-team quarterback was at, and then in that practice, we thought why not do this and see how he reacts, and we learned a lot about the guy. I think his teammates did too. It was more really the opportunity to – Teddy had started plenty of games. And I think you can see by Skylar’s play that he was pretty ready, although he’ll be hard on himself and say there was plenty of stuff that he missed. That was kind of the objective and I thought he handled it well.”
(So you wanted QB Skylar Thompson to have the mindset of ‘Ok, I’m going to start?’) – “Right. And wear that for preparation, for the night before, for sleep. That was something that, like I said, you just try to observe surroundings. That was something that stood out to me so much because I had never been in that position and I had never thought about it that way. So yeah, that was exactly what we thought. We can get this opportunity out. Why go play Teddy (Bridgewater) for a quarter or two when what if this is the only opportunity we have before live bullets down the road and let’s see what this kid is made of.”
(For record-keeping purposes, will CB Trill Williams end up on IR?) – “I wouldn’t go as far as to say that just because you’re careful not to get ahead of yourself with all of the medical opinions that are currently in that process right now. But it does seem severe and I wouldn’t be completely surprised if that is the case. But I wouldn’t be willing to stamp that. That would be kind of inappropriate and a little jumping the gun.”
(On the touchdown pass between CB Noah Igbinoghene and S Brandon Jones in the first quarter, was that a missed assignment or a couple of missed assignments? Missed communication? Physical error?) – “Really, I kind of put it on myself. It’s something that the players, we’re obviously teaching them but at the same time, there’s been a tremendous amount of focus on a lot of different football things and I don’t think that they had really gotten enough reps really in that situation. So to be fair to them, it’s something that if it happens again, I would be more critical on. I talked to Noah during the game and he can let it loose, play what he sees and don’t be as conservative. Those are types of things that I’m more worried about than it happening again in this process than on game day. It was definitely a learning moment.”
(I think it was back in OTAs and you talked about kind of calibrating your aggressiveness on offense to reflect the good defense that you have here. I was curious when you have a guy like K Jason Sanders, who made four field goals and two from 50+ down the middle, how does that kind of change the way you see the game or see the field from an offensive aggressiveness standpoint?) – “That’s a great question because it’s direct. There is that area of the field where it’s third down and you’re between the 25 and the 30 (yard line) and do you want to be aggressive or not? Do you want to put yourself in a situation where maybe you could get an explosive? You feel a little more willing to do that if the worst-case scenario, which I think happened to us twice, happens and you get sacked. So it expands that – you get into that area where you might take yourself out of points but now you have a little deeper area where you can be a little more aggressive because if you do have the worst-case scenario happen, he can get your back, which is what he did last night, which is why it was a team win and something to build upon.”
