Wes Welker – December 22, 2022
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Thursday, December 22, 2022
Wide Receivers Coach Wes Welker
(What was the thinking in going twice this season with WR Braylon Sanders over WR Erik Ezukanma? And is Erik having trouble grasping the playbook at all or doing what’s needed play-to-play in practice and the reps that he does have?) – “I think he’s getting a really good grasp of the offense. I think there’s a ton of details that go into all of that stuff that just takes a lot of reps and a lot of time and different things like that. With practice, the guys that are playing tend to get a lot of those reps. So a lot of his stuff is scout team and different things like that, but trying to work our techniques on that side. It’s one of those deals where it’s tough for him to get those reps in practice because the other guys need those reps. So the evaluation of it, yeah you see things on scout team and things but you do a lot of that during training camp, getting ready for the season and then as the season kind of goes on. But Erik is doing fine; Erik is doing great. We’ll keep on progressing with him. He’s going to be a good player for us.”
(And why WR Braylon Sanders over WR Erik Ezukanma and in Detroit? What was the thinking there?) – “The same deal on the positions and stuff. River (Cracraft) had been backing up (Jaylen) Waddle and then Braylon was the next guy up at that position. I don’t think it’s fair to Erik or anything to say ‘Hey, now you’re the X.’”
(So who is WR Erik Ezukanma the primary backup to? Is it WR Tyreek Hill?) – “Yeah, he’s mainly doing the Z, so Tyreek.”
(So through 15 weeks with WR Jaylen Waddle, what has impressed you about him?) – “I think how much better he’s gotten as the year has gone on. I think there were a lot of details and things early on in the year that weren’t quite there yet. He’s still doing really well just because of what a freak athlete he is and how fast he is and how he’s able to beat his one-on-one battles. But him just really progressing as a player, the details, over and over getting all of these different reps. Now it’s starting to hit. It’s been really cool to see the progress he’s made over the course of the season.”
(WR Jaylen Waddle has had a big jump in catches of 30 yards or more from last season. I know you weren’t here last year but I think the 67-yarder was the longest of the year. What stood out to you about that particular play?) – “I think just his burst. When he gets the ball in his hands, he’s gone. He’s got the mindset once he gets the ball in his hands to take it to the house. It’s something you see quite a bit. He’s done an amazing job across the board and being on top of the details and really kind of honing in on his craft. I think that’s the biggest thing I’ve seen with him this year of really jumping on that stuff.”
(You said early on in the year that WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle had changed sort of your thinking about smaller receivers playing physical. Now that you’ve seen them most of the year, can you talk about that? Do you still feel that way, that they changed some of your thinking on…) – “Absolutely, because you see how defenses have to play us. We’re getting two-man a lot on first and second down. Nobody does that. You don’t see that around the league. I think just the way defenses have to prepare for us and if you want to play single safety, go ahead. Those two guys are very, very hard matchups for anybody – the best corners in the league and all of them. We rely on those guys heavily whenever they want to take away any of our run game or play post-safety. They’ve got to make sure they’re bringing their A-game and most teams are going to have to play two-high and make sure they keep things in front of them, which opens up our whole offense.”
(With WR Erik Ezukanma, in your experience in the NFL, is this something you’ve found common, that rookie wide receivers need some time to pick up the NFL game?) – “Absolutely. You’re looking at a sideline your whole career looking at a picture of Bugs Bunny. And that’s your play. (laughter) To hear a play call in the NFL, we have some very long play calls. So you’ve got to hear what’s talking to you, where your alignment is, then getting into the coverages and the details. Is it man press? Is it a cloud? Is he off? Is it single high? Is it two high? There’s a lot that goes into all of that for receivers and if they’re not on point with the quarterback, there’s too much of a pass rush for us to be off even a little bit for the quarterback to be able to make that decision that he needs to make. It’s a huge learning (curve), especially coming from that offense. I mean I came from that offense. My rookie year, do you remember how many catches I had? Zero. That’s part of it. As a young receiver, there’s plenty of guys that – there’s just so much to learn. There’s a process to it and that’s why you see a lot of elite receivers start to become very good receivers in their second, third and fourth years, just getting all of those reps and understanding that the game is different at the NFL level.”
(Obviously you want every ball caught, but are you concerned with drops at all?) – “Yeah. I mean I think our guys take a lot of pride in catching the ball, getting open and catching the ball, doing what we need to do as far as that goes. Absolutely, it’s something that you emphasize. It’s part of their job and everything else. But it’s nothing that I sit there and harp on and yell at. It’s football. Bad things are going to happen and then how do we respond? How do we come back the next play? Do we make the play the next time? To me, that’s really all that matters after something like that happens.”
(More specifically, do you think it’s a problem for this receiving corps?) – “No, I don’t. I don’t sense that at all.”
(Going back to WR Erik Ezukanma for a second. It was hard not to notice him back in August. What did he show you in training camp that gives you hope that he’s going to develop into the kind of player that you drafted him to be?) – “Well, I think what he’s showing every single day. He obviously has the strength, the size, the hands, speed – all of those different things that we really like in our receivers. It’s always a learning curve for those guys and it’s always tough and all of those things. But Erik has been doing it day in and day out. I can see him getting better as far as studying his playbook and being on top of it, because there was a time there where it was just hard to even line up. Now we’re lining up right. So there’s a progression to it and everybody is a little bit different. Erik will get there. I look forward, whether it’s this year or this offseason, to really working with him and really dialing it in. It’s nothing that we’re really worried about. We’re just trying to make him better and be the best player that he can be.”
(It’s so odd to see WR Tyreek Hill to not come down with catchable balls. He was mad at himself for a couple last week. He tweeted, ‘Dolphins fans, you’re not going to see that again.’ How is he with you on those rare occasions where he doesn’t make catches? Does he come up to you and say, ‘I’m sorry, coach. I should have done better.’ What is it like?) – “No, he’s more upset with himself. Guys like him, I don’t sit there and – he’s already mad at himself. He knows. He expects to make those plays. It would have been a hell of a catch but that’s the standard that he holds for himself. It’s cool for myself and everybody else to be around.”
Tua Tagovailoa – December 21, 2022
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Wednesday, December 14, 2022
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(The Pro Bowl rosters will be announced tonight. What would it mean to you to hear your name called?) – “That’d be cool. But sort of at the same time, my feeling on it is, I hope I’m not available for that week. We have a lot of goals that we set as a team, and that’s really the main goal for me and for the team is to focus on this game first, obviously, but make a playoff run, and hopefully we get that opportunity to win those games deep in January and then make a make a Super Bowl run.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel said you had completely corrected in the Buffalo game the things that were holding you back the two previous games. How do you see it?) – “I would say sort of how I see every play. Just had to take every game for what it was worth. Let every game stand on its own merit. Don’t let what ended up affecting us offensively from the 49ers game to the Chargers game into the next game that we played, which was against Buffalo. I think a lot of those things were corrected by a lot of us offensively. And it took the leaders to step up. I would say we did offensively and really we just got to continue to build off of that.”
(I know every year is different. But whenever you’re deep in December, playing meaningful games and an opportunity to make the playoffs, is there anything you can take over your first two years, just in terms of preparation, execution, anything that was kind of guiding you and helping you in this third season?) – “I haven’t prepared this year (the same way) I’ve ever prepared for a football game in my life. I would say I’ve continued to implement the same things I’ve done within film study, with how I walk through plays. But then there are things that I do a little more of than I’ve done previously, which I would say is walking through the plays, trying to visualize the plays. If we have a run play and we want to alert that to another run play, or alert that to a pass play, visually, what would that look like for me? And then it really helps when I’m able to just do it. I’m someone that takes in information by doing it. So that’s been a big thing for me this year.”
(What areas have you seen WR Jaylen Waddle improve from last year to this year?) – “I think he’s improved a lot on understanding the game better with his splits, where he wants to be, what he knows to get him open in certain areas of the field with coverages that we’ve studied against these teams that we’ve played. And then when he does get into open field, I would say the biggest difference from last year to this year is when he gets it, he doesn’t hesitate. He takes off, he slashes when he runs now, and it’s really cool to see. That’s a lot as well to be attested to from (Wide Receivers Coach) Wes (Welker) with how he’s coached up that receiver room. But man, he’s been balling this year for us, as well as Tyreek (Hill), and the rest of the guys in there.”
(At what point did you think WR Jaylen Waddle was gone on that 67-yarder?) – “I’m going to be honest, I threw it and was like, ‘Okay, we got a completion and first down.’ I’m not the biggest guy out there. I got to really look to find what’s going on. And he took off and he was gone. That was really exciting to see.”
(You actually won the Pro Bowl fan vote, which accounts for 1/3 of it. What does that say about your fans that they showed out in such strong numbers to support you?) – “It means a lot and it’s crazy with how they’ve been promoting that through social media. I had a couple coaches send me those. My agents have sent me that. So it’s cool. But it’s also cool to see the journey of how the first two years went and then all the narratives. And then, we’re here now and it’s just a big blessing.”
(Growing up, did you have big celebration on more so on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? What can you tell us about Christmas stuff?) – “I would say it was a little bit of both. Like Christmas Eve, we’d spend time with my dad’s side. And then Christmas Day, we’d go and spend some time with my mom’s side. But with me having a family now, me and Annah are trying to create traditions for ourselves. There’s a lot of ideas that we have, but we don’t know yet.”
(S Jevon Holland had told us that there’s an extra layer of motivation coming in taking on a legend in his own time like Aaron Rodgers. I know, obviously, you’re on the other side of the ball. But for the QB marquee to be to Tua Tagovailoa vs. Aaron Rodgers, is that extra special in any way for you? And what are your thoughts on Mr. Rodgers?) – “I would say it’s special in the sense that I got to watch this guy ball ever since I can remember, watching football in Aaron. It’s not necessarily me versus him. That’s not how I see it. He’s got to go against our defense, we got to go against their defense. But it’s really cool. When we come off, I like seeing good football regardless of what it is. Obviously, we always want to win. But man, I turn into a fan at times just sitting back and watching whether our defense is going off or the opposing team makes a couple plays. It’s cool to see. But having to go against someone like him and seeing him across the field ever since watching him on TV growing up, it will be awesome.”
(What is the conversation like with guys like WR Braylon Sanders and WR Tyreek Hill after some miscues in the Bills game early on?) – “I would say there’s just some ordeals that we got to work through. Some of the plays that guys were in, those aren’t necessarily for them, and it kind of was tailored toward a strength of another person. We ended up putting some guys in positions that they weren’t comfortable in, so that’s why it may have looked like, ‘ah, these guys aren’t connecting here. But really, it’s just things that we can kind of get help with those guys and not putting them in those positions. But I would say nothing to be worried about for us.”
(Is that trying to throw the defense off of expecting something that they’ve seen before and putting somebody different there?) – “Not necessarily. It’s really assuming that we’re getting our personnel, but there are times when some of the guys that are in the personnel are tired and we got to sub them in with another guy. That’s really all it is.”
Mike McDaniel – December 21, 2022
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Wednesday, December 21, 2022
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Just how you’ve used Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith, just to kind of lessen the workload for you. I’m sure it’s a lot first-year head coach to be a play caller. Have you had Frank do a portion of the game plan each week? How does that work? Do you have him write down ideas for you? How do you like him to present things for you and what has his role been in game planning?) – “Well, let’s be frank. (laughter) He does a great job for us. He’s an incredible resource. You are so vulnerable to really everyone in football as a head coach. A lot of people don’t really, I guess, think about it that way, but in terms of yeah, everything is very important for me to do a good job. That’s really just an extension of everybody I work with doing a great job. So he’s absolutely invaluable to me. He’s a set of eyes. You can’t be in every place at once. You also can’t watch everything, so for us to be – even to approach what I feel like should be the standard for a game plan and how to really prepare players and put them in positions to succeed, you have to have your head wrapped a lot of information. And that can be tough from this chair or podium, I guess, especially the more hats that you have to wear. There’s nothing more that I value than as a coach preparing players because it is their window, their moment. That’s who people pay to watch and that’s who makes the plays and they’re the people investing and putting their bodies on the line and really spending six days a week of their most – it’s not golden years, what years is it? And so to me, it is a really big deal how he sets the table for me, kind of will seed-plant stuff. We have a nice working relationship now where I do my best with abstract common denominators. He kind of understands me in that way so then he’ll be able to plant seeds for kind of overarching themes within the game plan. ‘Okay, we should be attacking this player, personnel, this area of the defense, this is where they’re vulnerable, this is where our matchup is good,’ which really gives me all the CliffsNotes to things that I can’t button down myself. So great working relationship and he does a great job with all of that and on top of coordinating the offense with what we’re practicing, what defenses we’re going against, all those things that are a part of the nuances of that job. So I’m very fortunate to have him.”
(Quick follow on that. Does Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith ever talk in your headset with play suggestions before plays or do you him not do that basically?) – “He’s pretty sensitive to what’s going on. You’ve got a lot of thoughts going on in terms of the situation, what’s going on in the game, what our players are doing, who needs to get the ball, all of those things. He’s more of a face-to-face guy, so he’ll walk up to me on the sidelines. He generally knows where I kind of stand depending on what side of the 50 we’re on. I try to get as close to the end zone copy as I can with the o-line roots that I have in my background. And he’ll just walk over and he’s very tactful in terms of being aware of the different constraints and he knows how important it is for me to get, regardless of what decision is made, to get it to the players as fast as possible because nothing is worse for a quarterback or an offense when you’re getting close to the 15-second mark of the play clock and you have to rush a play call in. The play hasn’t started and you have a ton of anxiety. He allows me to do that and make sure to not get in the way. He just basically adds a ton of value, which I think is to his credit.”
(Some of the team defense rankings jumped out to me as surprising – scoring, third down, red zone and takeaways all between 25th and 29th in the league. Is the defense playing up to its capabilities?) – “I think any person in the locker room, every coach on the coaching staff would say no, just because they really believe in each other. So me personally, I don’t hide or really run or get frustrated with that stuff. To me in the game of football, you’re held accountable for everything. It’s one of the beauties about it. I think a lot of people in the building want to do right by their own talents, by each other’s investment, really by the fans and understand that any time that things fall short of what you’re capable of, people care and out of that care, you get frustrated. You’re a very, very nice great guy, but shoot, we’ve lost three games in December, you probably haven’t been high-fiving me in your own mind. But that doesn’t come from a bad place. They understand that. They want to get the best out of each other. No stone is unturned in that process. I really wouldn’t rest unless I thought we were going in the right direction. Does that mean direct results? Obviously not. And does that mean that they’re going to shy away from that or say ‘no, it’s okay’? No. It’s not okay when you have expectations to win and you lose and then you do it consecutively. They earned the right to play on national television, took it very seriously and got embarrassed in their own minds. Their expectation was to do well and it wasn’t. So I think we’ve really attacked the possible reasons for those things. And my expectation is that they improve drastically in a short amount of time. That is what it is, but I don’t think it’s anything to run from or whatever. I think you’re a fool if you don’t realize that’s what you signed up for and if you want fans to cheer for you, they’re going to care when you’re not doing well.”
(There’s a stat that shows that on third-and-short conversions, three or fewer yards…) – “Last in the league.”
(I was curious with third-and-medium, third-and-long, the offense is top half in the league. I was curious what would you attribute to that disparity?) – “So here’s the thing. You’re trying – 100 percent of the play calls, 100 percent of the game plans; I really, really want them to work so the reason why I know that we’re last in short yardage is because I live it. You attribute it to a lot of different things. You’re trying to problem solve. That’s the way I look at everything, but the bottom line is you have to keep chopping wood to figure it out because that’s your job. I think at the end of the day, there’s a lot of quick fixes. I’ll just say that the one thing – and so I have a ton of regrets about play calls that they didn’t work, but really what I hold myself accountable for and I feel 100 percent convicted in is that were those calls made for the right reasons at the time with the information? If you’re doing it because you’re afraid of the result, if you’re doing it because people are annoyed that you’re maybe – okay, we’ve passed the ball a lot on third-and-1 and they haven’t worked, so it’s probably pretty annoying as a fan. I think it’s annoying when we don’t get first downs. But at the same time – and I learn from every single one of them – but in the moment I think it’s incredibly important as your position as a head coach to have integrity in your decisions. Shame on me if I’m doing something because it’s the easy way out, but I fully know every time that we put a play in, I make a play call; I know exactly what it is. Guess what? There’s always a risk, but I’m very fortunate to have the opportunity to do it, so I have to do it the right way, which I can honestly say for the whole season, all those failed third-and-1s that I thought I was doing the thing that was best for our team at the time, which means I was wrong a lot. But I know that I did so with all information that I could possibly get, as much preparation. Those are the things I really worry about and then I try to fix the problem. I take that super serious and I’m not going to put it on players and I know that it needs to get better for us to win football games in big-time moments. Does that mean that on the next third-and-1 that it’s going to be a run play? If that deep down, I know this to be the best chance for us to get the first down with the decision, and that’s the only reason I’ll do whatever. I have a hard time putting it on anybody else but really the play calls for that ranking. We have, I think, third-and-7 to third-and-9, we might be first. That makes no sense. So clearly we have people that can make plays and you don’t have to worry about whether or not I critically assess each and every play call without a doubt, and I know run or pass, the idea is that the team needs us to stay on the field and so we need to do a better job collectively and it starts with me.”
(Pro Bowl announcements come out tonight. Do you want your players paying attention to that and why or why not?) – “I think it’s reality so I think you can’t ignore it and I think to ask them to not pay attention to it – that’s not really my approach. I think it’s to understand the state of the union. What is the Pro Bowl? And if where you’re at in regard to your play relative to the league is being honored in a way that’s appropriate, that’s awesome. Man, how cool is that, that you’re being recognized by peers and fans that you’re the top percent of the top percent. I think it’s also just information because there’s going to be inevitably people that probably are playing better that don’t get necessarily that nod. There always is. And I think there’s a simple way to handle that. All right, I’ll make sure the vote isn’t that close next time. But there’s no emotion necessarily attached to like, ‘I’m mad anyone.’ You should use it to your benefit if it’s good and use it to your benefit if it’s bad, all the same really. And I think it’s a cool process and I know it’s very important to players, as it should be, because it’s a tough club to crack and so those who get to crack it should feel very honored.”
(The topic of TE Mike Gesicki is one that’s come up a lot this year. There’s one interesting quote from Daniel Jeremiah, before the season. He said, if you run those opposing safeties out there like WR Tyreek Hill is going to be able to and even WR Jaylen Waddle, you’re going to have a lot of room for Gesicki, who’s one of the more athletic tight ends in the league. When I asked Mike if defensive coverage tilted toward Tyreek and Jaylen has created more space for him, he said it’s made no difference this year. Has that surprised you? And even though you’ve put a very good offensive numbers, is there a part of you that wishes you could have incorporated Mike more? There is still the opportunity to do that) – “I mean, absolutely. I look at my portion of the situation in that yeah, he’s a good player and I don’t get him involved enough. I don’t like that he’s having to answer those questions. I don’t like that it feels as though it’s a failure to some degree, I think, for myself, because if I’m to lead this team, I need to set an example. And the example of accountability can’t ever be skirted. And I think, I hope and I believe that Mike looks at it as what could he do to better the situation. I think he’s a pro and it’s been a rough set of circumstances. There’s always more you can do as a coach and he’s a good player. So yeah, there’s multiple variables to crack as a head coach, play-caller, all that stuff. I really, really want, in the worst way, to do the best job possible and feel very responsible to these players’ careers. And it’s okay for me to admit when something is staring you in the face and you know that you could do better. I don’t like that he has to deal with that and I need to do as good a job as I can, which obviously, I can do a better job of making him have opportunities. And then he needs to take advantage of those opportunities.”
(How have your players kind of approached this state of mind that you have where, when something is staring you in the face, you feel like you have to be better. How do you feel like when the players hear what you say about these things, that they take to it and kind of improve on themselves as well?) – “I have a saying that I see better than I hear. And they’ve shown me that they hear it, and they’ve shown me that it means something to them. I think they do it in a situation that’s much more difficult. I think even people in my generation, which, yes, I am old now, I guess. But I don’t think people really put themselves in the position of the modern-day player. I know when I started coaching, so like 15 years ago, you had to be accountable to your locker room, and you probably had one or two beat writers that would assess your play, and hopefully those players had guys like you and people like you, and that you were nice to them. But now in the multi-platform generation, there is so much weight. There’s so much judgment. A lot of which, I mean how could it be completely informed. But at the same time, you understand it because the engine that is our jobs is driven by people paying attention and caring. But they have a lot on their plate. So when there’s failure, for you not to point fingers at other people and try to do better, I mean, it’s a tremendous human accomplishment right now because people don’t understand what that’s like. You don’t understand, especially in an athletic performance that you put everything into, being judged like you’re – call a spade a spade and throw judgment out, completely disregarding human emotions. And that’s hard. So everything I’ve seen from this team shows me that they get exactly what we’re trying to do here, and they’re way more impressive than anything I could do because that is tough. I can at least not be on social media. I haven’t been on it in whatever. I know how to live that way. That’s pervasive. That is how you operate now. I mean, shoot, you pull out your phone and it’s just like, ‘Oh hey, you suck.’ That is tough. It’s so much easier to be like, ‘It’s not my fault.’ But then wow, what an opportunity to be special and extraordinary if you can do that in this era and go after what’s hard and go invest in more, even though you’ve invested and you’ve failed several times consecutively. I know it to be impactful because I see it every day and I’m inspired by how they’re going about it. It’s a tough-minded locker room that is really, really cool and I feel very fortunate to coach.”
Tyreek Hill – December 21, 2022
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Wednesday, December 21, 2022
WR Tyreek Hill
(You mentioned your accountability there about not making a play in the red zone. Head Coach Mike McDaniel was also talking about accountability on certain kind of plays that he’s made and stuff like that. How is the accountability that you guys have taken on the mistakes you’ve made and trying to get better? How has that kind of gone run through the whole team?) – “It’s tough. Sometimes it’s tough. As a very prideful guy, it’s tough being able to say ‘I did this’ or ‘I did that.’ But it really just shows who you are as a person. All throughout my life, my mom always used to tell me ‘accountability, accountability. It’s going to really show the man who you are.’ That’s something that I learned. Earlier on in my career, I probably wouldn’t be saying or doing anything like that. I probably would just have been like to hell with it. But now I’m realizing that being an older guy on this team, a lot of guys look up to me and I have to take some kind of responsibility for my play.”
(You always tell us how much family means to you and you surround yourself with your family. What does playing on Christmas, how does that change the regular Tyreek Hill Christmas? Does it better it in a way?) – “It does. Family can be a plus and it can also be a negative because we play so much time playing football and we spend so much time – well, I spend so much time dedicating my time to football by watching film, workouts, working out at night. And my family pays the price for that. So when my kids are here – and they live with me – my mom, my dad, my sisters, I live with all women. It’s tough. When everybody is in town, I try to find ways to fit everybody inside of my schedule. Right now, we’ve got a lot of things planned. We’ve got a movie theater for Avatar. We rented out a whole store for my kids and teammates to come by and shop. So just trying to find small ways to spend time with family members because I know there’s going to be a point and time in my life, when my kids get older, they’re not going to want to do nothing with me, because you know how kids are. (laughter) But right now, I’ve just got to enjoy that time while they’re young, they love being around their dad and it’s fun for them.”
(You’ve been on a lot of times that have performed very well in December and January. You know what it’s like and what’s required. What gives you confidence that this time can do this?) – “Because we’ve got the talent. We’ve got the talent. We have one of the swaggiest coaches in the league. And we have one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the league. Everybody believes. Nobody has lost faith. We’re just going to continue to keep rolling and keep chopping this wood.”
Alec Ingold – December 21, 2022
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Wednesday, December 21, 2022
FB Alec Ingold
(QB Aaron Rodgers, will you stop him? Will you say hi to him? How will you handle it?) – “Nah. (laughter) I think I saw him driving down the street one time. I’ll wave and stay out of the way. (laughter) The dude is a superstar. I grew up watching him and the way that he is just a role model for all those kids growing up in Green Bay, I know that from experience. So it’s really cool to be able to share a field with that guy. I’m sure he’s going to be doing his thing over there. I’ll just worry about that defense I got to block up this week. It’ll be good.”
(What do you think it will be like for you to play a game on Christmas Day? The whole nation will be watching on TV with their families. Kind of a different vibe.) – “I think it’s going to be nationally televised, like you said. It’s going to be cool. I’ve never played on Christmas before. But anytime you get to perform, strap it up with the boys, I think there’s a lot of family for myself that will be there, a lot of family that’s going to be opening Christmas presents by the tree or whatever. So to be able to kind of be a part of their day when you’re not physically there, to be able to give them some fun entertainment to watch, hopefully a lot of touchdowns and a good game, I think that’s all you can ask for. That’s the business we’re in. It’s really cool and it is a special opportunity. I don’t think anybody’s taking that responsibility lightly.”
(What is the confidence that this team can get over the hump and get into the postseason?) – “I think it’s just we found our formula early on in the season, we won five straight after losing three. We’ve done it before. We’ve been there before. I’m not saying that we have the answers to the test. But I’m saying that guys have worked through the process of overcoming the adversity and kind of using it to bring everyone together. I think we’ve found formulas, we’ve stuck together as a team through hard times, through thick and thin, and the teams that stay together the longest are the ones that are going to be in it the longest. We got it. We’ve been there before. So it’s just time to do it again.”
Terron Armstead – December 19, 2022
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Monday, December 19, 2022
T Terron Armstead
(It was just incredible to see the holes created by the line. Obviously, your two backs did a great job as well. Why was the running game so effective on Saturday?) – “The run game is always a combination of things, and really a combination of everybody being on the same page – o-line, timing, running backs, landmarks, reads by receivers, blocking perimeter, all those things. I think we did a great job of just locking in really and trying to emphasize on the importance of the run game and how it directly relates to the passing game.”
(Was there any new wrinkle added that the average fan wouldn’t see?) – “No, not really. I think we kind of found the groove, the rhythm, the standard that we are kind of looking for in that run game. It won’t always be as explosive as it was Saturday night, but the consistency to make Mike (McDaniel) want to keep calling them, and then Mike keep calling them after we have a negative run or a short gain. It’s’s a collection of things and not getting too far behind in the score of the game. All those things go into a successful run game.”
(What’s going to feel like to play at home after three straight road games and a lot of travel was involved in that?) – “It will be great. We’ll be back in front of our home crowd. ‘The Rock’ (Hard Rock Stadium) will be rocking for sure. It’ll be Christmas. It’ll be a beautiful football Sunday.”
(I know a lot of players like to say, you treat every game the same. But as you get down to late December, and basically if you win two of the last three, you’re in the playoffs. Does the excitement grow? Is there a buzz in the locker room? Is there more energy in practice? How do you handle that? How do you channel that?) – “I think the treat every game the same will apply more late in the season. I think you have to completely lock in, sacrifice, use all resources, empty the tank every one of these games towards the end of the season, and then you get into the playoffs. You don’t want to just get into the playoffs and try to flip a switch, especially without the experience. The time is now to treat every game the same for sure.”
(How much talk, if at all, is there within your teammates about the playoffs?) – “None of that from what I’m experiencing. I feel like the team, the only thing we’re focused on is the Green Bay Packers. That’s all that matters. All that matters is taking care of this game, and then we’ll talk about next week the next week. But there’s no playoff talk. It shouldn’t be any playoff talk. It’s the Packers.”
(How did you come out of last game physically?) – “I’m alright. I’ve got my bumps and bruises like everybody else. It’s late in the season. A lot of games on me. But no, we’re moving forward.”
(Three different body parts on the injury report – is it 1/3 the knee, 1/3 the toe, 1/3 the pec?) – “(laughter) If I could allocate percentages to body parts, I would spread it out a little more. But no, it’s just part of the game. It’s part of the game. And I take it all into consideration as I plan and prepare to get ready. But everybody’s dealing with something.”
(Is this the first time you’ve had that many injuries at this point in the season?) – “I’ll have to probably go back – I’ve dealt with some stuff for real. I have. But it’s nothing to really talk about or write about. I got to go and get ready to play and do everything I can to be out there to play. And if I’m playing, I’m 100 percent.”
(When you say it’s nothing to talk about or write about, but among us, and among fans, your health is a big deal to this team. I mean, you understand our interest and the fan’s interest in your health, right?) – “Yeah, and I appreciate it. I appreciate you asking. It’s been a challenge, man. It’s been a challenge for sure. Don’t get me wrong. Playing without feeling great or doing things different, changing techniques and changing technique in a week of prep is tough, but unfortunately I’ve had to do these things throughout my career. So I got some experience finding different ways to win and using different techniques, being real good with my eyes and stuff pre-snap. Just finding a different way.”
(I’m doing something on DT Christian Wilkins and the outstanding season that he’s having. What do you notice about Christian on and off the field? You know off the field, in college, I think he won the academic Heisman. He’s a very intelligent player, very emotional guy on the field. A beast against the run and the pass. What are your observations of him as a player and as a person?) – “Elite technique. Elite effort. He has a great feel for the game. He’s tough to deal with. He’s relentless. I think his biggest attribute may be the plays he doesn’t make initially, like when he’s chasing the ball down the field. I think that is an extreme asset to the team. Other teams have to keep that in mind when they’re trying to get extra yards, so you see guys slow down and ball up before the guy in front of them gets to them and that’s because they feel that pressure from behind from Christian and JP (Jaelan Phillips). That’s a really big advantage for us.”
(It’s unusual to add a player off the street in September and have him become a really helpful starter for you. What have you learned about Brandon Shell? What have you admired about what he’s given you on the opposite end?) – “B-Shell (Brandon Shell) has been a blessing, for sure. He’s been a blessing to us. He’s a great professional, the way he goes about his business, the way he orchestrates a plan and goes out and executes. Even when everything isn’t great or going well, you know what you’re going to get from B-Shell. You’re going to get a dawg that’s going to fight, and I’m rocking with him every day of the week.”
(You know how you felt on like Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday a lot of these weeks, and yet, hopefully, you’re on pace to play 15 games a season, which is high, considering what you’ve been through over the past several years. How much pride you take in that?) – “I just want to be there for my teammates. That’s it. Be there for my teammates. Be there for my coaches. I control what I can control. I do a lot off the field to prepare and get my body in a position to play. But I really don’t get into counting the games or counting reps. I’m trying to play every game, every snap. That’s the goal. And this year, I didn’t play every game. But anytime I can be out there for my team, I’m in there. No questions.”
(For you all, with this three-game losing streak, have you identified some of the bad habits and good habits that you had compared to the first losing streak?) – “That’s a great question. They’re different, but they’re similar in a lot of ways. I’d say our shortcomings have come from self-infliction, and some things that I feel like we got better at Saturday night. The attention to detail, the standard that we want to play. I think we got a really good start of where we want to be Saturday night. Now the thing is, and the challenging part about this league, is consistency. So going out to do it every week, week after week, I think that is the hard part. But us being so young in this system, especially offensively, when you see things work, and it’s this exactly how it’s supposed to work, you have to experience it first. All right, that’s exactly what it needs to be and that’s how – so when you get those moments, it carries over.”
(Do you have any like holiday giveaways coming up personally or anything for you?) – “We just did a huge one. Back in my hometown, Illinois, at the Team Armstead Community Center, almost 500 kids. We bought clothes, toys, you name it. So I’m trying to set up a quick giveaway here in Miami. I don’t have a spot yet. North Miami Beach Police Department might be my landing spot one day this week.”
(The snowballs last game – have you ever been through anything like that? Did you laugh at it? Did you worry if there were batteries in the snowballs? What was the situation?) – “You definitely don’t want anybody to get injured or affected by it. It was funny. Like that game was one of the best games that I’ve ever been a part of, just from its totality really, what was at stake, the back and forth, great players making great plays, all those things. The crowd was into it. They’re playing The Temptations song. It was a great environment. I enjoyed it. I would have loved to have won and did some snow angels. I would’ve threw some snowballs back in the crowd. (laughter)”
Jevon Holland – December 19, 2022
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Monday, December 19, 2022
S Jevon Holland
(So the neck, you went back into the game with a neck roll right?) – “Yeah, I went into the locker room, got that Bobby Boucher out there and then come back out and help the team.”
(How was it playing with that neck roll or with the injury?) – “Playing with the neck roll was kind of difficult. I couldn’t look left or right. I had to turn my shoulders and whatnot. It’s just something you’ve got to do though. The times call for what the time is called for and I had to do what I had to do to get back on the field.”
(How are you feeling now?) – “I’m feeling straight.”
(What were you feeling when it first happened and will you continue to wear the neck roll?) – “I had come down and hit somebody and then just happened to get a stinger and my arm was on fire. That’s why you saw me running off the field pulling my arm sleeve down because my arm sleeve was on fire. Then I had the neck roll on. When they first told me in the training room that I had to put a neck roll on, I was obviously against it. I was like, ‘Nah, I’m not trying to do that. I’m not trying to look like Brock Osweiler.’ (laughter) But then I was like nah, forget it. I might as well, if that’s what I got to do. So I came out there in a neck roll and it just is what it is. Man coverage was kind of hard because I couldn’t really turn my head or anything like that. But other than that, it’s part of the game. More equipment. It is what it is.”
(What is it like to play behind DT Christian Wilkins and is there a difference this year and in previous years? Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer said his snap percentage went up from about 60 percent in previous years to 80 percent now because he plays the run and pass so well. What do you notice about Christian as a player and as a person?) – “I’d say as a player first, Christian is probably the most schedule-based and process-based individual we have on the team. You see him doing the same thing day in and day out, week in and week out. He continues to organize himself accordingly so he’s always ready for game day. And even on game day, he does the same thing over and over again. So I always know he’s going to be locked in. I always know he’s going to be prepared to go out there and play at 100 percent, at 110 percent. As a person, Christian is by far one of my favorite people in the building. He’s always bringing you a positive attitude. He’s always ready to attack the day and joke around when you need to joke around. He’s a hell of a competitor but a better person.”
(You’ve called out the fans on Instagram live about them switching up. What is it about the difficulty of pleasing this fan base and when you win, you win, and when you lose, they’re hard on you.) – “It’s not so much for me personally, because people don’t waver regardless. I was on Instagram live on my other account but I was mainly talking about people on Tua (Tagovailoa). Tua has been balling all year. We’re in the NFL, which everyone is getting paid for a reason because everybody is an elite competitor. So there are going to be games where sometimes the other guy getting paid on the other side of the ball is going to have an advantage and gets the best of an individual. So when Tua is out there balling and doing his thing, he’s getting all the love but he has one (rough) game and now he’s the worst quarterback in the league. That’s just something that irritated me. You’ve got to have faith in somebody. You’ve got to believe in somebody. Because like we have throughout his whole time here, we’ve believed in him. We know what he can do and you guys see what he can do, because he is a hell of a player. He leads us on the field and off the field. That was basically that. It wasn’t anything for myself personally or nothing like that. Somebody asked me if I was going to cry or something. I was not going to cry. I was just laying down because I was laying down and laying on the floor, kind of side chilling or whatever … Tua is our guy. It is what it is.”
(You’ve never had the full defensive backfield this year. Huge losses with CB Byron Jones and CB Nik Needham and S Brandon Jones. Have you ever wondered, in a quiet moment this year, if we had everybody, how good of a group we could be in the defensive backfield?) – “Yeah, sure. You can play if games. You think about it all the time. You see those guys around the facility and of course I miss Nik, Byron and B-Jones (Brandon Jones). But we’re playing with who we got and I believe in those guys who we got and who have stepped up. You see them going out there and giving their all. So definitely.”
(I know this isn’t why you play the game but I remember back in training camp this year when you made the statement that you wanted to be feared, which to me, sort of correlates with respect. In that vein, you wound up in No. 2 in fan voting at safety for the Pro Bowl. Does that mean anything to you? Does that tell you that you’re starting to get that level of respect in your young career?) – “Yeah, I would think so. I think it’s pretty cool that people respect me. I respect them. If they give me respect, I’ll give them respect. (laughter) But yeah, I think that’s cool. I think for me, personally, recognition is dope, especially from peers and people that are elite competitors that compete at such a high level and you watch them throughout your whole life, even as a young kid. Like after the game, I’m looking around looking to say what’s up to players that I’ve seen and like (Stefon) Diggs came up to me and said ‘Yo, great game.’ So me, going to find them and them walking up to me, at the same time, that’s always something that I’m like, ‘Damn, that guy is sweet.’ Jordan Poyer, the same thing. Taron Johnson, the same thing. Seeing that kind of stuff and people coming up to me kind of gives me like, ‘Damn. Cool.’ I respect them but they also respect me and they say me as a good player in the league. That’s what I want. I want to be respected and I want to be recognized; and if I’m recognized and I’m respected, that means I’m playing well. And I’m going to continue to try to play the best I can because I want to be the best. If you’re competing at this level and you don’t want to be the best, then you’re just floating. I’ve got a direction and I know what I want to be. But that is definitely cool, for sure. That is definitely cool.”
(You’ve known S Verone McKinley III for a long time. How have you seen him grow just since the time he got here as an undrafted rookie to now?) – “Confidence and maturity, for sure. Definitely. He’s back there having to kind of control the helm now. He’s back deep at free safety and I see a lot of what I did last year in what he’s doing now. It’s funny being in the position that I’m in watching him go through what I went through last year, trying to give him the little pieces, ins and outs of how he can improve himself and how he can help me improve myself along with him, playing together. It’s kind of weird because usually in college we were free safety and nickel but now we’re like free safety and strong safety, so we’ve got to be even more in-sync than we were before. I love that he’s out there and he’s doing what I was doing and doing what everybody else is doing on their field, which is living their dream playing in the NFL. There’s nothing better than being able to say that you were going to do something as a kid and then going out there and doing it. And he’s doing exactly that, at a high level too.”
(So to clarify, the neck is fine? But the neck roll was worn because an arm injury?) – “My neck is fine. Spinal cord looks all good and everything is straight like that. It was just preventative and you want to make sure that you’re taking care of yourself and being protective. I might rock the Bobby Boucher. (laughter) I might have to do it. I don’t know. We’ll see.”
(You have the nickname Snowman. I’m just kind of curious where did that come from?) – “It’s actually very simple. So on the iPhone, the emoji of the snowman looks like a No. 8. I wear No. 8. Plus, I’m from Canada. So like in special teams meetings last year, Coach (Danny) Crossman was like ‘Snowman!’ Then Mack Hollins called me Snowman in a podium interview like this and I just ran with it. I was looking up who was the Snowman and I think it’s like a UFC fighter or something like that. Isn’t Brock Lesnar the snowman? And Jeezy too. Shout out Jeezy.”
(Some players talk about one game at a time and focus solely on that game but the playoffs are looming. I’m wondering how do you balance that excitement of the playoffs with focus on Green Bay. Is there room to think about playoffs or is it solely Green Bay right now?) – “I mean we’re about to go play Aaron Rodgers. I played Tom Brady last year. We’re about to play Aaron Rodgers, who has been in the league for years and arguably one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play. So what more do you have to focus on? This is a huge challenge, especially for me. This is Aaron Rodgers that we’re talking about. It’s AR-12. He’s the guy. I’m excited. Definitely. It’s Aaron Rodgers, bro. Discount double-check. The whole cheese head thing. Playoffs are playoffs. I’ve never been to the playoffs so I wouldn’t know. But it’s going to be what it is. That’s my mindset. I’ve just got to focus on what I can focus on and what I can control, and what I can control is today, right now, and focusing on how to slow down Aaron Rodgers. That’s all we can do. Playoffs is going to be what they are.”
(How much do you focus or get hyped about matchups with a quarterback? QB Lamar Jackson is a former MVP. QB Josh Allen, QB Aaron Rodgers, QB Tom Brady. As a player, do you really get fired up? And then as a football fan, do you also get fired up?) – “Yeah, absolutely. I mean these are people that I’ve been watching for (a long time). I’m a football fan. I love football, both watching it and playing it. So playing against guys that are elite competitors is fun and being able to try to break down and slow them down and things like that. Like game-planning against them is even more fun. Playing Josh Allen is probably some of the best fun I have because he’s such an elite competitor and he’s a physical matchup on all levels. He’s a runner. He’s a passer. Lamar Jackson, too. He’s electric, so how do you stop somebody like that? That’s the mindset that I have and I try to approach that still as a fan but also as a competitor. I try to take advantage of their flaws but also realize that these guys are paid at a high level too and it’s going to be a challenge. I’m excited for that challenge.”
Christian Wilkins – December 19, 2022
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Monday, December 19, 2022
DT Christian Wilkins
(I see you have a throwback logo on today. What are the odds that you’ll play in throwback jerseys this week? I know it’s after a three-game losing streak.) – “What are the odds? I mean I just wear what I wear on game day. I don’t know the odds. I don’t know what it’s looking like or what goes into that. I just show up and play on Sundays. It’s cool when you get to wear the throwbacks because of what they mean. It’s cool to have a little switch up and things like that, and the history that we have as an organization and stuff. It’s cool and fun to wear the throwbacks, but I just show up on Sunday. What we’re wearing is what we’re wearing. That’s how I roll.”
(Do you value the throwback uniforms when it is a switch up? Because a lot of fans want it to be permanent.) – “I think it’s a treat and those games are a little more special. It’s a little more exciting. I know the fans enjoy it. I know the players on the team enjoy it a little bit more. I think it’s nicer when it’s more of a treat than when it’s a permanent thing.”
(T Terron Armstead mentioned your technique is the first thing that stands out about your game and watching you play through players and play around them, whatever the case may be – one gap, two gap – it seems like it’s all kind of coming together for you. Now that you’re in Year 4, do you feel it slowing down for you? Do you feel that technique take hold stronger?) – “Well, it never really fully slows down. It’s a fast game. And the way offenses try to attack defenses and specific players nowadays, it’s never really slow. But I just try to work hard to slow the game down as much as I possibly can and make sure my technique is as sharp as it can be. It really just starts in practice. Players holding each other accountable in our d-line room – (Defensive Line Coach Austin) Clark and (Assistant Defensive Line Coach) Derek (LeBlanc) holding us to the highest standard and really on us and coaching us hard. That’s where it starts and then to be able to do it on Sunday. I hold myself to a high standard to try to get things right because I know that’s what I need to do not only for myself but for the team.”
(Kind of along those lines, S Jevon Holland was saying that you’re the most scheduled-based and process-based player on the team. Tell me about that. You’ve found a process that works and things? Tell me about that.) – “Yeah, I’ve always been a very routine-oriented person, but I’ve kind of taken it to another level each year, just as I learn my body, understand what works for me, what doesn’t for me, my sleep schedule, my workout schedule, things like that. You pretty much know where to find me any day at any point based off my routine, because it doesn’t really change. There’s times where you might need a little wrinkle if there’s burnout or if it’s getting too tedious. But for the most part, just so I know that I’m a sharp as I need to be and everything all the work gets done that I need to get done week-in and week-out, the schedule, the routine pretty much remains the same.”
(What degree do you take that? Are there times that you’re doing something and you’re almost laughing like, “Well, I’m doing this because I’ve always done it?”) – “No, I’m pretty intentional and, a Mike (McDaniel) word, deliberate with my routine It’s not just a checking the box thing. I’m really intentional about it. I’m that way too so nothing throws me off from getting my work done – not family coming in town for our holiday, not, ‘Hey, Christian, we’re doing this. Come hang.’ No, I need to do my work. That’s what it is.”
(How do you describe the season that you’re having? When I say the season, I mean, individually, because it looks to us like, would you say it’s your best year?) – “I guess, but you’re just never really satisfied as a player. It’s just funny, because people might say it’s my best year, but there’s a lot I feel like I leave out there. I always feel like a play I can make or something I can do, win lose draw, if it’s the best game of my career or the worst game, I always look at myself and I’m a pretty harsh judge trying to figure out what I can do. But also with that having a little bit of perspective. I definitely feel like I’ve gotten better each year and understanding that. But yeah, I don’t really try to think about stats. I don’t try to think about things. I just try to worry about getting better each time I touch the field, whether it’s in practice, a walkthrough or a game.”
(I know that you said before, you’re a guy who treats every game the same. You guys are getting down to some games that could get you into the playoffs and excitement is building among the fans. How do you balance that?) – “Playoffs? Playoffs? (laughter) Well, no – we’re just trying to try to win the game. No, we just take it week by week and go from there. I try to – again, because of my routine and how I am in my process, I try to treat every game like it’s the Super Bowl so that way when you’re playing a random game in October, to people it might not matter but they all matter, you know what I mean? Because when you lose games, you figure out how important they are. You might not think things are important or December has more meaningful football, but to me, they’re all important. They’re all meaningful, because they all help you in the end, in the long run, to get to your ultimate goal and get better each week. So that’s how I look at it.”
(This is the second three-game losing streak that you guys have had this season. What are some good habits that you all learned from the first one that you can compare to this one? And the bad habits, have you identified those?) – “Well, the biggest thing is I feel like the first time, there was like a decision amongst leaders in the locker room, the team, the coaches like, ‘Alright, we’re going to get out of this.’ And it was just like, this happens. There’s ebb and flows throughout the course of a season, but we all just kind of looked at each other, like, ‘Alright, well, we’re just going to practice harder. We’re going to do things better. We’re going to try to do things in a better way,’ to where that we can kind of shake the losses off or get out of the losing streak. And right now, it’s no different. You always want to be on a trajectory where you’re rising and going in the right direction, but now it’s like just finding ways to strain a little bit, more sacrifice a little bit more for yourself and each other.”
(What are your feelings right now toward coming back home after these three road losses?) – “It’s definitely good to always get back home in front of the home crowd, in front of the home fans. I love playing in that stadium. I think we’ve got the best stadium in all of the league. It’s just fun to play there and everything like that, so it’ll be good to switch it back up and be back home. It’ll be nice, especially it being the holiday and everything, just to hopefully take care of business and then enjoy the holiday at home.”
(Will it mean something to you to play on Christmas Day? I know that’s a big thing in the NBA.) – “Absolutely. Absolutely, it means a lot because I grew up watching NFL football. When I was younger, too, that was it – it would be snowing outside. You go outside, you play like a football game with the neighborhood kids on Christmas kind of thing like that. So to me, I’m kind of having that kid excitement a little bit, getting to play a game on the holiday and everything like that. So I’m looking forward to it. I try to take most things like – I always try to have good perspective, and it’s definitely a blessing to be able to play at the highest level and on Christmas Day with everyone watching.”
(I know you’re looking ahead to Green Bay, but now that the sting of the loss Saturday has passed, you have good perspective on things. You’ve been here obviously, for lopsided losses against the Bills. Do you feel good about collectively where your team is now where you can go toe to toe with a team that’s been the leader in the division?) – “I mean, there’s no moral victories or anything like that. We did beat that team before, and to your point, we were close to doing it again up at their place. We know we’re a good team. We approach things the right way around here, but there are no moral victories. You want to win every game you play in and that’s as simple as that goes. It’s not like – at least to me, I don’t look at it as like, ‘Oh, we were so close guys.’ It’s just like be our best, do the most you can each week to make sure we get the result that we want to get.”
(Two-parter for you on LB Jaelan Phillips. You mentioned your routine and your process, it seems like he’s pretty on that same track as well. Is that something you’d agree with? And then he’s made a big jump in kind of the second half of the season? What has kind of attributed to that for him do you think?) – “Yeah, Jaelan (Phillips), he’s like me in a lot of ways. He has his process down, he has his routine, and he has a way of going about his business that works for him. It’s good to see because he’s always looking to me or asking me questions on how to improve things and whatnot, and I’ll help him in any way I can. But I think that’s part of it, just his progress as a player and just him doing the things he’s been able to do this year. It’s just that he loves the game. He cares about the game a lot and puts a lot into it and that’s pretty evident – just how emotional he plays and how much he buys in each week to try to be the best that he can be.”
(What did you think of the shirtless warmups that LB Jaelan Phillips went through?) – “Hey, I mess with it. I feel like because of that, he was nice and warm and ready for the game. The weather didn’t affect him too much, but more power to him.”
