Raheem Mostert – December 28, 2022
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Wednesday, December 28, 2022
RB Raheem Mostert
(Does the team do you think feels snake-bitten at all, in terms of obviously bad luck with concussions which goes well beyond results and four losses in a row?) – “Yeah, the four losses is something that you can definitely control, but it’s just hasn’t gone our way. And with the team, in regards to how the bad luck has happened, it’s just the way of the game. We’ve just got to move on and try to find the next win, which is this week against the Patriots. So I know there’s a lot of playoff implications on what we have to do and everything like that, but we’ve just got to dial in on what we have to do in order to get a win this week.”
(Sunday was obviously a difficult game for you. Coming back with another chance on Sunday against the Patriots, does that make the fire burn even more for you?) – “Yeah, it does for me specifically because I know what I’m capable of. Last week wasn’t my best game, but it wasn’t a lot of guys’ best game last week. So I know I’m going to improve. I’m going to step up this week and do what I got to do. And I know the team is going to do that as well. So we’re not worried about it. We’ve just got to, like I said, dial it up the best way we can.”
(What are you seeing regard to the Patriots on film?) – “Their defense is good. I think they’re ranked, like, fifth in pass defense and overall they’re ranked in the top 10. So it’s going to be a challenge, but a challenge comes with great opportunity and that’s what we have right now is a great opportunity for the offense to get after it.”
(How important will it be to establish the run early in this game in order to kind of help QB Teddy Bridgewater in the offense, just get settled?) – “It’s very important. I feel like being a running back it’s always important at the beginning of the game. That’s just my mentality of being in this offense for a long time. But yeah, if we can establish the line of scrimmage and establish what we got going on and the plays, then we’ll be we’ll be fine. I pretty much say that every week, but more so this week.”
Jaylen Waddle – December 28, 2022
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Wednesday, December 28, 2022
WR Jaylen Waddle
(How tough was it to hear the news about QB Tua Tagovailoa going through the concussion protocol again?) – “It’s tough, man. But he’s a competitor. He’s going to be around throughout the week helping us out and getting us ready for the game. But it’s definitely tough.”
(And your confidence with QB Teddy Bridgewater, obviously an experienced guy coming in?) – “Yeah, definitely. ‘Teddy B’ (Teddy Bridgewater) has been great for us the whole season. So he’ll come in and try to help us win.”
(WR Tyreek Hill mentioned that QB Teddy Bridgewater likes to make a lot of jokes in the huddle. Is that kind of how he calms everyone down in these situations?) – “Yeah, and ‘Teddy B’ (Teddy Bridgewater) is going to be himself out the huddle, in the huddle, just around. (He’s) a great leader. He’s an older veteran guy, so he’s kind of like the old head around.”
(As a professional football player, how much are concussions on your mind? How much do you worry about concussions and the fact that it’s always a possibility?) – “Yeah, man, it’s a violent game. It kind of comes with the game though. It’s something that we’ve got to deal with long term, but that’s – sadly, it’s part of our game. It’s physical. We’re going to war each and every week. Concussions are definitely something serious, but it’s a part of the game.”
(Have you gotten to talk to QB Tua Tagovailoa? How is he doing?) – “Yeah, ‘Uce’ (Tua Tagovailoa) is doing good. He’s in good spirits around, being himself, helping us. He’s going to help us throughout the week, get our minds right and just trying to move on and try to go out there and compete.”
Teddy Bridgewater – December 28, 2022
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Wednesday, December 28, 2022
QB Teddy Bridgewater
(Opening Statement) – “What’s going on guys? Happy holidays. I’m excited to get an opportunity to play some football, some meaningful football. I’m looking forward to this weekend, getting out there and competing.”
(Have you had much conversation with QB Tua Tagovailoa and how would you describe it?) – “No, I haven’t.”
(How tough is it to see QB Tua Tagovailoa go through this again?) – “It’s very tough.”
(How much are you looking forward to get a week of reps? Obviously the Jets game didn’t go the way you wanted. How are you looking forward to it?) – “I’m excited, man. Football still means something to the guys in this locker room and the guys that are going out there Sunday. For the guys that are giving it their all, it means a lot. I’m looking forward to the opportunity.”
(We know you missed about five games with a knee injury. How are you feeling there? And how did it impact you over the past month or so?) – “I’m cool. One day at a time still. Looking forward to this opportunity we have to get into the tournament.”
(How weird was that first Jets game for you and given what happened, how strange is it…) – “It’s very weird but it happens. Things happen throughout the course of a football game. You’ve just got to keep your head down and keep rolling.”
(On a human level, I’m sure your heart breaks for what QB Tua Tagovailoa is going through.) – “Yeah, definitely.”
(I know you only got one play in your last start. You’re in here starting for your hometown. How eager are you to play the whole game this time?) – “Just looking forward to it. That’s all I would say.”
(You went in against the Vikings. Were there some things you picked up from that experience – chemistry, timing with the receivers, etc.?) – “Yeah. Every time you go out there, it’s an opportunity just to learn different things about your teammates and yourself. That’s pretty much it. We practice throughout the week. We throw routes on air. You get a good feel for the guys. You just want to apply it to the games.”
(There was a play going around social media where we think QB Tua Tagovailoa suffered his concussion. Did you notice anything different about him on the sideline in the second half?) – “Throughout the course of the game, emotions are high and flaring. Your competitive juices set in and you want to continue to fight through whatever you’re going through. So I didn’t notice anything.”
(Sunday obviously is a big game for this team. You’ve been in the league a long time. You’ve been in big games before. How does that experience help you?) – “It’s going to help a lot. It’s just going to help a lot.”
(Is it kind of wild how the NFL works out sometimes?) – “Yeah, it’s very wild. You just have to respect the game. If you respect the game, the game rewards you. That’s all. I had a good talk this morning with my good friend Steve and Ray – Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles. They can see what’s going on.”
(I know you had your own concussion previously. Is there anything that you would or have said to QB Tua Tagovailoa now that he’s dealing with it again?) – “You just have to take care of yourself. That’s pretty much it.”
(Is there anything you say to the team? I know there’s probably an emotional period with the team hurting … is there anything you tell them?) – “Yeah, we’ve just got to go in and compete for one another. It’s an opportunity to go out there for guys like Tyreek (Hill), Melvin (Ingram), Xavien (Howard), Mike (Gesicki), (Zach) Sieler, Jevon Holland. Guys who this game means something to. I get an opportunity to go out there with them Sunday. I’m looking forward to it.”
Tyreek Hill – December 28, 2022
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Wednesday, December 28, 2022
WR Tyreek Hill
(Teddy Bridgewater’s last game was against Minnesota, even though you guys didn’t win, in the fourth quarter alone, he passed for more than 200 yards. I was wondering, how would you describe the rhythm that you guys got into?) – “Every quarterback is different. Every quarterback is going to bring his own swagger into the huddle. And I feel like when Teddy steps into the huddle, there’s like a different mindset for us all. We understand Tua (Tagovailoa) has his things that he does very well. And then Teddy, he has the same thing. He has the same certain package of things that he can do very well as well. When he stepped in for us, in the fourth quarter against the Vikings and came in and balled out, we needed that as a team. Teddy’s a guy who has been in his league for a long time and he understands and he knows what it takes to get the job done to win games.”
(You mentioned what QB Teddy Bridgewater has that he does well. What are some of the things you see that Teddy does the best?) – “Oh, he’s very funny. I feel like when Teddy steps in the huddle, my first reaction every time I see him is like, ‘Bro, he’s about to say a joke and I’m going to laugh.’ (laughter) But for Teddy, he obviously can throw the deep ball very well. He’s very accurate. Timing is very good. Good footwork. Good mechanics. Typical quarterback stuff. Like I said, he’s been doing it for a long time and he was able to play with us during the season, and he’s been here since training camp. So the chemistry is there with all the guys. So if it’s Teddy or if it’s Skylar (Thompson) – I don’t know who it is, but I’m just looking forward to playing with the guys.”
(What was your reaction when you heard that QB Tua Tagovailoa had a concussion and would be out for a bit?) – “Well, I kind of heard the news late. And I’m going to say this – as a person, I don’t want anybody to ever experience anything like that because it sucks. I’ve never had a concussion in my life. So I mean, I don’t know how Tua is feeling. I can’t sit here and say how he’s feeling. But as a player, I was able to play for I feel like one of the greatest head coaches of all time, and his mindset is always next man up. That’s Andy Reid. It doesn’t matter who went down – myself or whoever went down. It’s always next man up. That’s why we got GMs to bring in some of the best talent in the league. They got a job and we got a job.”
(From the outside, this kind of feels like a team that’s teetering a little bit with four losses in a row. Internally, what’s the vibe? And how are you as a leader making sure this thing doesn’t fall apart?) – “The vibe is good. Everything’s good, man. I just feel like we just got to continue doing what we’re doing and just finish games. Leaders got to lead, leaders got to make plays. So all the guys you see with that big C on their chest, we just got to make a few more big plays for this team.”
(You mentioned leaders. Obviously losing QB Tua Tagovailoa, he’s one of those guys. Does anybody have to say anything this week to get guys back up after maybe what was down for a day hearing that news?) – “Not really. We’re all grown. We already know what we got to do, which is make plays and just win football games. The NFL (is) tough. It doesn’t matter who you play. It doesn’t matter what the record shows on a team. It doesn’t matter. Because at the end of the day, you’re going against professional athletes who get paid just like you get paid.”
(With everything you said about QB Teddy Bridgewater, can you express the confidence level you have in him as you go into this stretch that will determine whether you get into the playoffs or not?) – “You remember my comment from earlier when I said I can put up numbers with anybody? That still stands. That comment still stands. (laughter) But yeah, like I aid, all of the guys got chemistry with Teddy. He just brings that veteran presence that we all kind of need. I even need it sometimes. Just to have another guy in the huddle giving me confidence, giving us confidence. Just having Teddy is going to be fine. Or just having Skylar (Thompson). I don’t know.”
Mike McDaniel – December 28, 2022
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Wednesday, December 28, 2022
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Is QB Tua Tagovailoa in the building today and has he been ruled out for Sunday?) – “In regards to Tua (Tagovailoa), I’ve been advised by medical professionals that it’s critical that Tua worries only about the day that he’s currently in and nothing else. He is in the building, but beyond that, as medical professionals will tell you, any added pressure, any added sort of – anything beyond that day does not behoove the process at all so I’ll take that very serious and worry about his health first and foremost and take the advice of the medical professionals.”
(How’s QB Tua Tagovailoa feeling?) – “He’s better than yesterday. Beyond that, I feel like it’s kind of weird to extrapolate beyond ‘good,’ which is what he tells me.”
(So QB Tua Tagovailoa did suffer a concussion?) – “He did.”
(Do we know what stage of the protocol QB Tua Tagovailoa is in right now?) – “No, I’m not even really worried about any of that. Again, in moments like this, you lean on medical professionals and I stopped even thinking about anything but each day and when it was clear and obvious that is the best thing for him. So the stage, all that stuff, it’s just a day at a time.”
(At this point, is QB Teddy Bridgewater the starter for Sunday?) – “The whole idea of taking it day to day is kind of rough on coaches who have to plan for a bunch of people, so the approach that I’m unequivocally taking, today I was on the phone, I met with him yesterday – I met with Teddy (Bridgewater) yesterday; I was exchanging ideas and talking through some stuff all the way till like 10:15 last night. Then it was his bedtime. And so moving forward today and the whole team’s approach is Teddy Bridgewater is the starter. This is why we thought it so vital to go after him in free agency. This is why he’s done such a diligent job during the course of the season with his own injuries and such to be prepared for this opportunity. And I know the team is very excited. I feel very fortunate to have him and for him to get his opportunity that he’s totally prepared for.”
(Has QB Tua Tagovailoa already visited with or scheduled to visit with one or multiple – I know last time he visited multiple concussion specialists?) – “They’re treating it with prioritizing his health more than anything. Beyond that, I’m not sure if it’s really my business to go into his day to day. Just honestly, it’s science. You don’t want to – this is a private time for him to focus on his health and that’s all I really want to get into.”
(Whenever the time comes that QB Tua Tagovailoa clears concussion protocol and doctors say that they’re comfortable, can you foresee a scenario where you might add an extra layer of caution, either hold him out an extra week or shut him down for the season?) – “Again, I think for me to speak totally outside the lines of stuff that’s for medical professionals and Tua (Tagovailoa) himself, I think that’s a layer of pressure either way. I don’t pretend to know what that feels like to adhere to somebody else’s expectations in some way, shape or form. I’m just worried about his health on a day-to-day basis and will take that step, whatever step that is next, whatever that next step is. But beyond that, I would feel irresponsible to go even think about if or what or whatever. That’s taking a lot of non-expertise in my own hands.”
(Before back in October, QB Tua Tagovailoa went through all those battery of tests and they said that there’s no long-term risk. Will you need to hear those words? “There is no long term risk” for him to see the field again?) – “Yeah, this is a human being that I’m – very, very much like all players, I’ll do what the medical experts advise me to do and I’m quite certain they’re not going to advise me in the wrong direction when it has to do with his health in regards to that. But that’s again, something that I’m not even going to go in direct conflict with what the doctors have told me to do, which is just to worry about one day at a time and not project any sort of absolute to have him get information secondhand of whatever thing that this is just a day-at-a-time process that his health is the first, foremost and only priority.”
(Were you able to pinpoint when exactly QB Tua Tagovailoa sustained that concussion on Sunday?) – “The day after the game – it was on Monday – there was some, upon reviewing the film, we had some questions. Kind of feel like we had an idea that there was, ‘Hey, did something happen to this portion of the game?’ We questioned him. Once we got really – we continued to question him – and once we get some information back, we’re like, you need to go see the see the doctor. So to say with absolute certainty that it was this, that or otherwise; it was just there were some things that caused us to really prod and as a result, we felt like he needed to see medical professionals.”
(Were the things that caused you to prod stuff on the tape or was he behaving in a way on Monday, showing any symptoms to you in your meetings with him or with anyone else that caused you to say “you should see a doctor?”) – “This specifically had to do with consistencies of things that I study daily on tape, which provoked some direct questioning with a high degree of concern.”
(You and QB Tua Tagovailoa are very close off the field. For you as a person, as a friend, as a coach to him, what’s it like just seeing him have to go through this?) – “Terrible.”
(I want to ask about QB Teddy Bridgewater. How has he done when given the opportunity to play this year? What are some things that he can be better at?) – “I think the season, as the journey has gone for the team, has given us some definitely moments of adversity and turmoil. One of the – our whole team was very excited for Teddy (Bridgewater) the Jets week, and then first play of the game, we all know what happened. So I think with regard to in professional football, at the quarterback position, there’s two ways you can go with it as a starter for a game when you have the entire week to prepare. One way, the pressure gets to you and sometimes, it makes you worse. That’s not Teddy. Teddy thrives on those moments and really was – I know the team has seen exactly what he was prepared to do that particular game when given the entire week to prep. And I think that it is a big deal for guys that enjoy the moment, enjoy the camaraderie, enjoy the leadership, enjoy everything about being a starting quarterback. I’m happy for him to get the opportunity to fully prepare for a game that the team needs him for. So we’re very fortunate to have him and excited for his opportunity.”
(A question about the shock value and trauma to the team regarding QB Tua Tagovailoa. You just said it was terrible for you personally. The team, how do they stay focused on a game when one of their best players, one of their most popular players, most loved players, is dealing with something more serious than an on-field football injury?) – “It’s hard to – you’re talking about the opinions of an entire locker, that’s a lot of people. I think overall, there’s so much investment within this season. They chose to have the ambition, the drive, and it was because of them, all their collective work, that we were able to be in a fortunate situation of having seven wins at the bye (week). There’s way too much investment for – and then going through the month of December where the only silver lining is there was no shortchange of investment by the whole team. If you’re going to lose four straight, you want it to be in those type of terms that you’re going all in and then trying to learn from each and every game without blinking – much, much easier said than done. It’s one of the reasons that it’s so difficult is the emotional investment. I think these guys, because of that, have a team that’s playing against them. Everything that we’ve set out to do is right in front of us. And I can tell you one thing, the New England Patriots don’t care about our feelings. They’re very aware about that. I see a very focused and determined group that recognizes the opportunity within the adversity.”
(I just want to get clarity and I apologize if this is redundant for you, but you said you saw inconsistencies on Monday. Was that when you watched the tape or when you watched the tape with QB Tua Tagovailoa and his reaction to watching the tape?) – “No, it was when we were watching it the morning of, before he came in.”
(Anything on any other note you can update us with regard to LB Bradley Chubb and FB Alec Ingold and their availability this week?) – “I was depending on you (to ask that). I thought you were slipping. (laughter) There’s some question marks as big as there’s been all season, because some guys had some legitimate dings. There’s some casts involved in those two particular individuals as well as some other stuff that there are a lot of guys that are really going to be – we’ll be finding out later in the week. They all know how important it is. All the people really involved are some of the guys that we count on the most, and they feel that responsibility. They will do everything they can, but at the same time, there’s only so much you can control. I do know for a fact that the people in question, I won’t have to question anything about the process to get to gameday. But we will be left with some question marks that we’ve had – I guess it’s fortunate we’ve had a lot of injuries this year. So I don’t see guys really – it’d be different if we were going against a division opponent in January and it was like, ‘Oh wow, how do we win with injuries?’ We’ve been down this road and have had these reps. If any one of those individuals can’t go, we’re fortunate to have some professionals that our team believes in that can go attack the mission at hand and see if we can leave the month of December in December.”
Christian Wilkins – December 26, 2022
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Monday, December 26, 2022
DT Christian Wilkins
(I know pressure can bust pipes but they also make diamonds. This loss, the last loss you had, closes out 2022. You’ll get a chance to move on on the first of January. How do you look to bounce back?) – “Well, it’s definitely going to start with each individual looking at themselves in the mirror and checking to see the things they can do better and the things they can do well. That’s really where it starts is just that accountability. Then it’s going to be the leaders on the team making sure that everyone is doing what they need to be doing and handling their business so that we can shake this. It’s not like – there’s little things here and there throughout the game that we can improve upon that we need to do better. And we need to do that collectively as a team and as individuals. It’s not one person’s fault. It’s not this, that or the other. I see things and hear things. We win as a team and we lose as a team. It’s not one specific person doing this or doing that, and I’m not going to allow that to be the thought process of a guy on the team. Everyone has to look in the mirror and see what they can do better.”
(How do you hold everyone accountable? You’ve been on this team for about four years and it seems like every time the season comes to a close, it’s kind of like a letdown. How do you hold everyone in the locker room accountable?) – “Like I said, it’s just going to start with belief first of all, that we can do all of the things we set out to do at the beginning of the year. And then the leaders on the team are going to have to bring guys along and make that decision. The only way I know to get out of something is to work. That’s all I know. That’s how I was raised. That’s how I operate. You just got to go back to work and improve for New England.”
(The last couple of years, there have been big games that didn’t go your guys’ way in a must-have situation. You kind of run into one of those on Sunday and then against the Jets in Week 18 as well. Can you draw from those experiences the last couple of years?) – “Yeah. You’re not necessarily thinking of it as a must-win. You just try to approach it as ‘Alright, this is the game at hand.’ You’re not thinking of – you can’t win two until you win this one. So we’re going to put our all into New England this week. That’s what it is. Yeah, there’s a few guys who have been on the team the last couple of years who can definitely learn from it and just use that. But really it’s a new year, a new team, a new season and things like that. So you’re just going to have to bring it and do your best all week so you can win on Sunday.”
(You had two pass deflections in the game. Did DE Emmanuel Ogbah pass something down to you? What was the key to that?) – “Definitely just staying consistent. Just doing my best to rush, push the pocket, win and then if not, read my indicator. If he’s looking like he’s going to try to make a throw and I can get my hand up, I’m going to do that. I had an opportunity for a few more. I always try to find ways to affect the game as best I can.”
(Of all the things that Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer puts as priorities for you all as a group, where do you think you all have fallen short? Takeaways? Third downs? What would be on top of your list?) – “I think we can definitely do a better job of takeaways and things like that. The things you said. Just really, we’ve got to – when we have to be our best, just be our best. I’m not saying that we haven’t done that, but that’s a point of emphasis that I always can go to. When it’s third down, when it’s red area, it doesn’t matter what happens in the game. Wherever the ball is spotted, we’ve got to be our best. And in those high-pressure situations or those more meaningful situations, like the red area, two-minute, third down, things like that, you’ve got to be at your best.”
(Did you get to see Dabo Swinney after the game?) – “Yeah, I did. That was cool. I got to see him today actually, too. They were here. It feels good to see some familiar faces. It was good to see that paw in South Florida.”
(Did you watch any of Clemson’s practice or did it overlap with your meetings?) – “I wasn’t able to get over there.”
(Is there anything Dabo Swinney told you that stood out?) – “No. He was just proud of me. Just continue to do the things that I’m doing. He just said I hadn’t changed since college. Just work hard, play hard and keep that going.”
(Are you going to be able to go to the Orange Bowl?) – “We’ll see. I’m a pretty process and routine oriented person so if that messes up my schedule and my routine, I don’t know if I’ll be able to shake it. But we’ll see what happens.”
(Going back to the 2015 Orange Bowl game, do you ever recap on that 31-yard fake punt reception?) – “I do remember that. I do recall. (laughter) Since Clemson has been announced to the Orange Bowl, I’ve seen a lot of the social media people talking about it like the last time Clemson was in the Orange Bowl, Big Man Wilk (had that catch) down the sideline. (laughter) It was a big play and whatnot. It was cool to see the videos. You reminisce for a second.”
(Do you ever reminisce about playing in Hard Rock Stadium in your college senior year and now you’re in the NFL?) – “Definitely. It’s definitely just cool. I even thought and said in college that this was one of my favorite stadiums to play in. I played at least two or three times at Hard Rock (Stadium) in college and now I get to play there every home game on Sundays. It’s definitely cool, and the perspective to think about where I was and where I am now. It’s cool to keep it all in perspective.”
(You’re about to play in Gillette Stadium. You must have some mystique in your mind growing up?) – “Absolutely. I say it every year, every time we play in New England, it’s no secret I was the biggest diehard fan of those guys. But now I’m the biggest Dolphins fan. (laughter) I’ll have a lot of family and friends there. It’s back home. It’s a home game for me. I always get a little nostalgic and a little more emotional driving in on Sunday to the stadium because it feels like home. It is home. It means a little bit more for me.”
(I tweeted yesterday that I would take DT Zach Sieler in a short-yardage situation against anybody in the NFL. Would you agree with that?) – “He’s been doing that for years. That’s kind of how he got his start in this league. In those short-yardage situations, even when he wasn’t playing much, he knew how to get a stop on short yardage. His game has developed so much and it’s been so fun to watch and fun to see. We constantly joke now about how bad Zach used to be and how awful you have to be to be a Division II walk-on. (laughter) The distance traveled is great and I owe a lot to Zach too, because my career wouldn’t be where it is if it wasn’t for my guy.”
Mike McDaniel – December 26, 2022
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Monday, December 26, 2022
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Will LB Bradley Chubb and FB Alec Ingold be able to play through their hand injuries, the hand and the thumb and then also the thinking in sticking with OL Robert Jones yesterday instead of activating OL Liam Eichenberg?) – “With regard to injuries from the game, those two warriors – Alec (Ingold) and (Bradley) Chubb – will be casted and we’ll see how they respond to that. That is kind of up in the air, but they played as long as they could and what they’re capable of. And then we also placed Tua (Tagovailoa) in the concussion protocol. So then on top of that, Robert Jones as far as he is concerned, he’s done a great job. And because of that, there’s a lot of things that go into activation of IR and one of those is roster spots and we have a good amount of good players on the team, so it didn’t make sense for us to go ahead and move on that early.”
(Someone posted a video suggesting that QB Tua Tagovailoa might have suffered a concussion late in the first half. Was he evaluated at all during the game for a concussion? Do you know when he sustained it?) – “I’m not totally sure. This is something that just came across my plate a couple hours ago. As far as the game was concerned, no one recognized anything with regard to any sort of hit. I can’t really tell you exactly what it was. I’m not totally positive on that, but it was something that he met with the doctors today and discussed some symptoms and then from that, as you guys know, from there on, that’s between Tua and the doctors and we’ll move forward as information is projected towards us.”
(So will QB Teddy Bridgewater get the majority of reps in practice on Wednesday and Thursday?) – “Yes, I believe so. That and he had a great week of practice the week before.”
(Getting back to playing complementary football, how important is it for you all to start the year off with a fresh, fresh, clean slate and just closing out 2022 just trying to get back on track?) – “It’s extremely important. It’s tough when you find different ways to lose football games when guys are really trying their hardest and put forth their best effort. I think any time that you’re minus three in the turnover ratio and I think our defense really had a good job of play and improved upon their effort before because basically the defensive staff and the players kept coming together. So I thought they did enough to win. We can’t really go to games and expect to win if you’re minus three in the turnover ratio and turn the ball over four times.”
(Were doctors sure that QB Tua Tagovailoa did in fact have a concussion over the past day or two? Were doctors sure that Tua has had a concussion because obviously you can go in protocol even without certainty of that? Are they sure that he did have a concussion?) – “As much as I know, he’s displayed symptoms and they enacted the protocol, which is all that needs to happen before you have to, by the player’s health, go through that whole process as they should, so it’s a little early. Like I said, I only found out a couple hours ago.”
(Obviously you have a very important game coming up on Sunday. How do you expect the team to respond? How do you expect QB Teddy Bridgewater to respond to the challenge that lies ahead without Tua?) – “I mean, that’s one of the reasons you go and aggressively pursue a player like Teddy Bridgewater. And the team is, I expect them to do what is pretty difficult for a lot of people but no one really cares. This is something that we have all of our fortunes ahead of us, so it’s up to us to choose what we do with all the past experiences, move on to the next game, which in this case is the New England Patriots – a division rival that they’ve gone through their set of circumstances as well. So I think they’re going to respond the way I’d hope, which is fully embracing the challenge and going after it, really, really trying to rectify these past couple experiences that we’ve had on the field.”
(So will QB Teddy Bridgewater start on Sunday or is that not yet clear?) – “It’s too soon to really tell. You just know that someone goes into the protocol and you have to be ready to really do whatever with that. I know Teddy (Bridgewater) will prepare as though he’s starting and we’ll see as the week goes.”
(All these changes with QB Tua Tagovailoa in protocol, but a lot of the analysis of his last game, saying that he’s not reading defenses, just trying to manipulate them and predetermine where he’s going. Do you agree with that assessment that led to some of those interceptions?) – “I think I’d be careful (with) the absolute anything. I think the bottom line is in the National Football League, players and coaches shouldn’t be surprised when outcomes aren’t what we’re going for in the first place. So you turn the ball over, you throw three interceptions and you have a fumble; a lot of conclusions can be drawn. It’s fair to draw them, but in my experience, absolutes in those regard or making it that simple; it’s a team game and you have to assess each and every decision, how did it happen? I know there’d be couple throws in particular that he’d love to have back. I know there’s at least one decision that appears to be pretty poor that other guys on the offense would take 100 percent accountability for, so a lot goes into it and I don’t think it’s always that simple.”
(How would you describe the mood of the team today?) – “I was proud of how they came in. They got their workout in, and that’s not easy. They’ve had – their expectations haven’t been met for going on a month now, so you learn a lot about people. I think that’s been made clear to them that what they’re being asked to do is not easy, but neither is being a professional athlete or having the opportunity to do what we do for a living. So I was happy with their disposition, how they approached really watching kind of a painful game tape to watch. You expect them to learn from it and move forward, expect them to seize the opportunity that’s right in front of them, then you sit back and coach as best you can and see what happens.”
(Do you need to reassess your replay review challenging system protocol that the team has in place? Or is that something that can’t really be done midseason and has to be kind of looked at after?) – “You’re always accountable for it. The bottom line was collectively, guys that we’ve really relied upon all season had a – it’s a fast-paced decision that you get one shot at, and they collectively didn’t think that there was information enough to overturn it. Now you go and look back at it, I know there’s some assessment by people outside the league that have formerly been in the league. I’m aware of that. I’ll be interested to see what the league has to say. But I think you do it like everything else with regard to head-coaching responsibilities – you don’t just ever blow anything off, regardless of if it works in your favor or not. We’re always talking through, trying to get better at stuff so that the one thing you can control is not have something happen twice that maybe didn’t work out in your favor. So I’m happy with the guys that we work with and I expect that process to continually get better, regardless of what happens in the immediate.”
(I know how much you care about your players. How worried are you about QB Tua Tagovailoa, if in fact he had a concussion? Whether it was his second or his third this year, I guess we’ll never know that with certainty. How worried are you about him personally?) – “I just want guys to really be done right by the information we have, the science and all the medical expertise that we rely on. I care very deeply about each and every player. I take that seriously, so I just want him to get healthy and have peace of mind in that regard. That’s first and foremost, and then whatever the circumstances are after, you deal with after. It’s about the human being and making sure he’s squared away.”
(As far as adversity, this is another layer of adversity. You’ve been facing adversity all year. How do you try to push through making pressure turn into diamonds instead of bust pipes?) – “Well, in this circumstance, it’s a lot easier in terms of it’s pretty clear. You have – it’s just the way that football has worked out around the league. You have an opportunity to control your own destiny. You have a division opponent, so you really focus all your mind and body towards that, and you try to acknowledge that, ‘Hey, this is tough.’ Well maybe not for everyone, but football is not for everyone. If you want to succeed in football, you have to go through adversity and when that happens, by nature, people – if you handle it well and you win, it’s very satisfying. If you go after it, regardless of the outcome, you just do not want to leave in hindsight saying, ‘Well, I could have done X, Y or Z.’ If you want to really have integrity with that, I think that’s important in the game of football. We definitely have seen our share of adversity, I think everybody has, but this is a tremendous opportunity to try to topple that, because that’s the nature of this game and that’s the nature of life, really.”
(Any reasons that you have identified in why special teams has given up a lot in both kick and punt returns and then not gotten a lot in the return game on your side?) – “There was a portion of the season that I feel like the lineups were changing every week. I thought that special teams – really, we had a good week against Buffalo, against one of the better units in the league. I thought we definitely cost the team this week. In a couple of occasions, there were some plays made, for sure, but with regard to field position on two instances and a missed opportunity to get points. It sure didn’t transfer to two games, so you have to really comb the whys on that – why we didn’t build on the momentum and try to get back to what I thought was a positive contribution about the Buffalo Bills.”
Robert Hunt – December 26, 2022
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Monday, December 26, 2022
OL Robert Hunt
(I would imagine it’s easy collectively for a group maybe to get down after four losses in a row. How was the mood today? Was there anyone down that you sensed?) – “It’s tough to lose four games, man, especially with the team we have. We think we’re a really good team. We know we’re a really good team. So yeah, it’s tough to lose four. But we all know the goal. We all got the goal in front of us still. We’re excited to get back to work this week and try to make things right.”
(Why do you think this team has been on so many streaks? Not a single game that’s just a one game win or loss this whole season.) – “I don’t know. We’ve got a little streakiness to us. But hopefully we can get that streakiness going in the right direction and carry out with that. That would be fantastic.”
(How was QB Tua Tagovailoa today? I know he gathers the offensive players on Monday usually to go over things.) – “He’s good, man. He’s in good spirits. Everything’s good. Tua is Tua. That’s our guy, that’s our leader. He’s psyched to get to work just like the rest of us.”
(I know pressure has the opportunity to bust pipes but they also can make diamonds. This is something that you all been facing with the entire season as far as adversity. How do you use that as motivation to press forward for this week?) – “We know what’s at stake and we know what we want to do. We know we’ve got the team to do it. Right now, the time is to try to do it. We get a chance to play two more games against divisional opponents and we’re going to try to do what we got to do to make this thing right and go to where we’re trying to go to.”
(With the game being on New Year’s Day, do you feel like it’s a good opportunity for a fresh start to start new?) – “I think so. We don’t have any more games in December. We failed all of our exams in December. But we get an opportunity to come in January and make them right. So hopefully that’s what we do.”
(The first game against New England was so long ago. How much can you take from a game that was that many weeks ago?) – “We’ve still got the same players. We’ll watch film, we’ll check them out and see what they do. We know what they like. They like the run game. They like to switch up the defense and give you different looks. They’re going to do their base things. It’s nothing too much that you can go into and switch up. But we’ll see what they got since we played them so long ago. We’ll see what’s what.”
(What were some of the main takeaways from watching film from yesterday?) – “I thought we did a lot of good things as an offense. Speaking on the offense, I thought we did some good things. I thought we could be better on little details more. There were some things we can fix, but I thought we did fairly decent. I thought we were physical. I thought we were on assignments. I thought we did a lot of things good. It just didn’t go our away.”
