Mike McDaniel – October 5, 2022
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Wednesday, October 5, 2022
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Could you please give us an update on the health of the two starting corners? Is CB Byron Jones ready to begin that 21-day practice window to come off PUP and will CB Xavien Howard try to play through the groin as he has?) – “Yeah, ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) is going to be day to day. He’s going to do everything in his power to play against the Jets on Sunday. And then Byron will not begin the 21-day (window). We’re still going to take our time with it. It’s not progressing as fast as we obviously had hoped, from the spring into the summer. But there hasn’t been a major setback or anything. We mean what we say when we’re – I won’t put a dude on the field unless he has complete stability. There’s too many other risks that can happen around other people, so we’ll keep addressing that and that could change, because again it didn’t have to do with a major setback, so that could change at any time, day by day, week by week.”
(DB Keion Crossen seemed to be getting some trainer attention Monday. Do you have any update on him?) – “There’s a little – I mean, that was attentive of you. You’re on it. I can’t believe you’re the only one that noticed. You weren’t the only one? (laughter) He’s got a little thing he’s getting treatment for on his, I believe it’s an upper leg, lower glute type area. Nothing that will be severely serious but something that he has to get treatment on, and we’ll continue to work with him as the week goes to see if he can be ready for Sunday.”
(Over the weekend, I had seen something where Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell, a first-year coach like yourself, said that after his first win, everyone had reached out so rapidly. After his first loss, he got like five text messages. I was just curious, on the days that followed Thursday’s loss, were you able to maybe lean on any contemporaries, any mentors, especially given everything that’s transpired on the team?) – “Oh, yeah, the cricket world is real. (laughter) I think there’s – I did, as the weekend progressed, there were some texts from several peers that mean a lot to me. But I mean, what kind of fool would I be if I would have taken this job and been like, ‘A loss? Oh, adversity? I quit.’ So me personally, the way I kind of look at the job is that there could be – everybody can be a head coach when everything’s going well. When you’re winning, if you win a couple in a row, football is fun. It’s easy to lead. But what this job is to me is coaching after losses and adversity, in general. So although I’m not excited for the opportunity, I recognize it immediately as an opportunity and didn’t take this job or didn’t work to be in a position to be prepared to do this job with any delusion that that stuff’s not forefront. All the guys that I’ve learned from in my career – the ones that really stand out – are guys that respond in losing streaks, after a loss, after some adversity. That’s the name of the game to me. So I did get some well wishes, but you don’t know what it’s going to look like. You don’t know what it’s going to be, but you know it’s going to happen. And guess what, it will continue to. So that’s part of the job for sure.”
(We’ve seen a lot of backup quarterback play already in the NFL through four weeks. How fortunate do you feel to have QB Teddy Bridgewater because whether it’s salary cap reasons or others, a lot of teams aren’t able to spend or have a caliber backup like the Dolphins?) – “It’s everything. That’s why you go out in free agency and spend a good, a nice little chunk of the salary cap on a guy that on paper isn’t supposed to play. The amount – the quarterback’s job is to make his teammates better. If you operate and they are better because of you, you’re doing a good job of playing the position of quarterback because you have the ball in your hands every play and you have to give it to somebody. And you also have to have players play together around you. Teddy’s already made all of his teammates better on this Sunday coming in the future, simply by how he’s conducted himself, how he’s owned the offense and really, there is a relief. You can hear in people’s voices when even if they’re a great player, when you are the distributor of the football on every play, guys that are in a groove that this will be their fifth game of the season, you hear anxiety in the huddle or you hear a little lack of confidence in their voice and it completely changes how you play. So to have not only his past history help him but everything he’s done in the building, it’s a huge, humongous deal. So I feel very fortunate to have Teddy because Tua (Tagovailoa) will tell you himself and Skylar (Thompson), the whole room is better at their jobs because of Teddy. And that takes a special person that has started, that is capable of starting in the National Football League, that understands how much value he can have backing someone up and taking them under his wing. It’s immense and you can’t understate it.”
(What kind of approach would you like to see from QB Teddy Bridgewater going into this game considering how special of a moment it could be, him starting for his hometown team for the first time?) – “It’s more about the process. It’s more – especially at the quarterback position – not letting noise or extraneous thoughts. The dude’s playing football. He’s done that for a long time. He was wearing two gloves at the quarterback position before that was a thing. It’s like every other player. Guys really wanted to win against Cincinnati and we were able to find on the tape moments where guys were trying too hard to individually make plays themselves. But understanding that you want to put forth full effort, but you’re going to win a game as a team, so you don’t have to do anything spectacular besides do what you have done that’s gotten you there. So the biggest thing to him is he owns the playbook. He knows exactly what to do in every situation. He’s plenty, plenty, plenty prepared for this. So to enjoy it more than anything. That’s the biggest thing, is to enjoy this opportunity that he has to play with his teammates and have fun doing it.”
(To follow up on that, you mentioned how he’s kind of a total quarterback and a winner. How have you seen him kind of working with QB Skylar Thompson after having to take over that backup role since then?) – “How hasn’t he? Skylar (Thompson) is very inquisitive. He’s not looking for information handouts, but he will have a question on everything because he wants to do it the right way. So it’s a game changer to have a veteran leader in that room that you can comfortably ask questions to because who knows. We get it all the time. A lot of times players will withhold information that they don’t know about a play, about their assignments. They’re like, ‘Man, did I miss it? Or maybe I just shouldn’t know that.’ And it happens all the time, pretending to be on it when really there’s a couple holes in the equation and to have a guy like Teddy that’s so approachable and offers everything that he has to offer to these dudes; now, I mean, who knows how many questions Skylar has gotten answered. Maybe that one domino clicked to the next, just because he has that resource of someone that regardless of how much we tell the players, we won’t judge them for a question. Invariably, they feel judged. And so you can go to a judgment-free zone.”
(Generally speaking, how much of a difference does it make for a quarterback to have the full week to prepare as the starter as opposed to going into the game because of an injury? And how does that manifest itself on game day?) – “Anybody remember Sage Rosenfels? The thing I brought up? Not in general – I think he has a game record or one of the top five game records – I can’t remember if it was yardage or whatever. So not in a disparaging way, but Sage Rosenfels taught me – it was my second year in the league, 2007 I think, in Houston – and he opened my eyes to something I had no idea about as a coach or even as a player and the disparity between preparing as the backup as opposed to preparing as the starter, and how he was legendary. He told me himself, and then it was like self-fulfilling prophecy – he continued to do it as his career progressed, but he would go light it up off the bench. But the weight, the production meetings, the interviews, the headlines, the loved ones reaching out, the people trying to get tickets to the game, these things add up, and these are human beings so starting is much, much different than preparing. And I didn’t know that off the surface, but once he said it, it made total sense. It was like, ‘Wow, this is a big difference when you’re preparing to be the starter.’ All the more important that Teddy relies on all of his training and where he’s at. I feel very good about where he’s at and I think that he can minimize that distinction as best you can because it is different, as I learned early and have witnessed since then, my whole career.”
(QB Sage Rosenfels also started a couple of times, years before, with the Dolphins.) – “That’s what I mean. And then – and it will always be this way so it’s not just you guys, I promise you. But fans, media, coaches, everybody in football, your favorite player is the backup quarterback. The grass is greener. So Sage (Rosenfels), he was so cool about it. He was just very honest. When he was in Houston, he was like, ‘Yeah, you know, this is a different deal.’ He was like, ‘That’s why I have so much respect for Matt Schaub, because of how he handles himself. Yeah, I’d light it up in practice, but you prepare for a whole week and know all the ins and outs of the gameplan and then all the different defensive things that can occur and it can get overwhelming.’ So, I swear he has a – did anyone Google it? He has some sort of benchmark, maybe it was touchdowns thrown in a game. Come on, I thought you guys were quicker. If only you guys had like access to computers. (laughter)”
(With so many people obviously wanting any information you have on QB Tua Tagovailoa, can you give a sense of what he can do this week? Will he be in quarterback meetings? Will he travel to New York?) – “So at this point in time, he’s in the protocol, and it’s all about the only thing it’s about and that’s the health of the human being. It’s a change in routine for him, and he loves football and loves being around his teammates. So he will – it’s another example of us having to have honest and forthright communication with the medical staff. He’ll be around as long as it doesn’t adversely affect him as best possible. He’s a captain of this team and we want him to be present as much as he can, but not at any sort of cost to his process, getting himself healthy, and going through that procedure. So that will be really case by case. And if his – I know if he’s able, he’ll be around as much as he can, because he’s already got FOMO. I can feel it.”
(There’s been a lot of talk about optics surrounding QB Tua Tagovailoa and his concussion. Did optics factor into at all in ruling him out on Monday, so early in the week? Or was it just clear medically, he would not be ready by Sunday, even back then?) – “Optics are to the team and the players, and the second that I start doing things because I think it’s some answer that somebody else wants, that’s, to me, that I’m failing at my job. My job should start and end at what’s the best thing for the team and everybody involved – the players. It will always be about individual players first, because it’s in my title – coach. What does a coach do? You’re supposed to coach players. It’s the players’ opportunity that we have to take best advantage of. So no – that’s not really my speed, I would say. I’m not a – I feel like it’s very vital that the integrity of my position that I stay true, right, wrong or indifferent to whatever decision, but it’s done for the right reasons, and I won’t stray from that.”
(Obviously, in your line of work, you can’t pay credence to every comment, every bit of criticism said about you, but is it any harder to tune things out when people are suggesting something’s wrong with your character, that you did something wrong here?) – “That would probably be hard or it would probably crumbling if it was coming from within the team or the people that it is my job to service. I mean, outside of that, it’s actually quite the opposite. Again, you have to be delusional to think that you’re going to have a pardon – or who knows? Everything’s reactionary anyway, so if people want to – if I’m listening to that, or thinking about that. If I’m spending time thinking about that, let’s say Monday night for five seconds, that’s five seconds that I’m not thinking about all the other things that relate to the team and the upcoming game. So preparing for the Jets – I’ve been a huge fan of the sport, you guys have heard the story, since I can remember and I fully, fully have way too much respect for the game, for everyone involved, for everyone that’s counting on me that I’m actually the ‘anti-T.O.’ (Terrell Owens) I would say. You know, ‘Talk good about me, talk bad about me – just talk about me.’ I’d be cool if no one talked about anything. That’s how I’ve been operating my whole career. But (I’m) fully expecting that they’re going to have all sorts of opinions because that’s the nature of the beast. That’s what happens when you watch it and are a fan of it for your entire life. You see it happen over and over. And I mean, nothing, I guess, in that avenue would really surprise me.”
(What needs to happen for the running game to get where you want it to be?) – “We need to have, really, a better commitment, starting with me in the plays that are called, and we need to have a better execution by everyone really on the team, including the quarterback, at operating the run plays. These are things that in the course of a season, you could be surprised if you took four-game blocks and broke down people’s statistical, wherever they’re at, in the league. It’s not unfounded to have a four-game block where you’re down in a phase and that becomes a strength of yours as the season progresses. As a coaching staff and as a team, that’s our plan is for it to progress and become a strength of ours. That’s the goal. And so we have a tremendous opportunity to, every week, redefine what we are. That’s the cool thing about the National Football League is there’s a week in-between games and then you get a reset. So I think that, really, it’s a concerted effort by everyone, including the coaches, to prioritize that and to better execute that when the bullets are flying on Sunday.”
(What is your relationship with Jets Head Coach Robert Saleh? Different sides of the ball in San Francisco and seemingly different personalities. What’s your relationship like?) – “This whole team, the Jets, is probably, outside of the team I just left, has the – I’ve worked with all these guys for so long. You talk about a guy that – Robert and I were both hanging on as young NFL assistants back in 2006, and then we both ended up being let go in Houston at some point and scratching and clawing to stay in the league. One of the closest coaches, to me, that exists in the league. And then probably the guy that I’ve worked alongside the most besides Kyle Shanahan is (Offensive Coordinator) Mike LaFleur, who does an unbelievable job over there that credit really hasn’t been given to him, but I’m sure that credit will sometime in the future. Maybe near, hopefully not too near like next Sunday. Coach Saleh, very close. Mike LaFleur, very close. Jeff Ulbrich, the defensive coordinator, I’m very tight with. I mean, there’s a laundry list of guys. Even Miles Austin, their receivers coach, was the first player that I had ever coached that we got into coaching in San Francisco. So the list, (Offensive Line and Run Game Coordinator) John Benton, (Defensive Line Coach Aaron) Whitecotton, (Linebackers Coach Mike) Rutenberg – I mean, there’s a laundry list of guys. Very, very, very good relationship working and personal. So that’s why I have a clear-cut vision of what it’s going to take for our guys to be happy with their performance on Sunday, because I know how detailed and passionate and how much energy those guys in wherever they’re at New York (or) New Jersey those guys are preparing for us today on Wednesday and for the rest of the week.”
River Cracraft – October 5, 2022
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Wednesday, October 5, 2022
WR River Cracraft
(What has gotten you comfortable so fast with this offense?) – “I think being in the scheme for so long, I’m able to kind of be at any position. I think that plays to my benefit. Just trying to make a play when your number is called. Luckily it’s been in the red zone twice for me. I’d like to keep up that rate and we’ll see what happens.”
(On being signed to the active roster and who told him) – “Mike (McDaniel) told me. It was a little bit more special coming from the head coach, for sure. I was real excited. I was hoping that would be the case the way the previous three weeks had gone. He didn’t surprise me or anything that that happened, but I was real happy being on the official roster now.”
(On the gift in his locker) – “Shout out to Athletes First. I got my first touchdown and they sent me a little champagne bottle to keep for me and my wife.”
Tyreek Hill – October 5, 2022
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Wednesday, October 5, 2022
WR Tyreek Hill
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel was saying that QB Teddy Bridgewater is a different level of backup quarterback. Do you feel that too, that you guys haven’t really missed a beat this week?) – “Oh, yeah. I feel like Teddy comes right in and keeps us with the same momentum that we’ve had all season. He’s a guy who has been in this league for a while now so he understands the playbook. He understands what the coaches want from him and what the coaches expect from him. I’m looking forward to playing with him on the field and I’m looking forward to being in the huddle with him.”
Christian Wilkins – October 3, 2022
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Monday, October 3, 2022
DT Christian Wilkins
(As the team’s player rep, the NFLPA player rep, what has your reaction been to how your teammate’s been handled over the past week in terms of his return to the game against the Bills and what the process was like throughout the week from there?) – “As the rep obviously, I understand that rules and protocols and things and such are put into place to protect the players. So essentially how things are handled, how things are dealt with; it’s up to the whole process and how everything’s supposed to go. I’m in no place to comment on the rules or how the protocols – those are all voted on by players or those are all talked about amongst the PA (players association) and NFL.”
(I’ll ask you this, are you confident with the level of care that you receive from the Miami Dolphins?) – “Oh, absolutely, yeah. We’ve got a great training staff. We’ve got great coaches, people who care about the players on this team, and our health and safety, our personal lives, all that stuff. This is our home away from home, so we’ve got a lot of people who care and it’s bigger than just football around here and winning games.”
(What was your reaction to seeing QB Tua Tagovailoa go down on Thursday, that moment…?) – “That’s obviously tough to see and tough to deal with, but we all had each other’s back. We all had Tua’s back and just wishing him well. A lot of guys were praying for him and things like that, obviously. He’s better now, so we’re all happy for that and that he’s feeling better and that he’s himself and he’s around here. He’s being himself and Tua and bringing great energy. So that’s obviously the most important thing.”
(Did the players association, I guess reach out to you guys or reach out to you specifically in regards to the neurotrauma consultant they terminated?) – “There’s conversations I had obviously as the rep, but I’m not going to get into exactly what was said on those phone calls or those conversations or anything like that.”
(Do you feel like maybe not just QB Tua Tagovailoa specifically, but do you feel like the players as a whole, maybe feel like something failed here in this situation?) – “Again, like I said earlier, there’s a process to how things need to be handled and need to be done, and there’s protocols in place for a reason – to protect the players.”
(Can you talk a little bit about – I know recently you had a fine with Josh Allen in the groin area. Can you explain your side of the story?) – “I’m not going to necessarily get into what goes on throughout the course of the game, what goes on in piles, this, that and the third. I’m not going to get into that. I don’t necessarily agree with what’s being accused of me and how things went down and how things were handled from that standpoint. So there’s obviously a process that goes there, an appeal process and everything, which I fully wish to take advantage of.”
(You plan to appeal, correct?) – “That’s my plan. Yes.”
(When a quarterback goes down, obviously, how does it change the mood of the team? How is it that next man up mentality, knowing that your QB will be out at least one game?) – “Yeah, obviously, Tua (Tagovailoa) is a heck of a player. He’s a big part of our team and obviously a great leader and a great teammate. But fortunately for us, we have a lot of great players, a lot of good teammates. So just other guys got to step up, other guys got to do their job, and we’ll be just fine from that standpoint. We’re definitely going to have to come together as a team and just do our jobs, do what we do. It’s the next man up mentality and just handle our business.”
(You’re involved obviously with what it takes to bring the quarterback down and how hectic it can be. How did you see the play in which QB Tua Tagovailoa was hurt Thursday night? Was it illegal in your eyes?) – “I mean, there was no flag or anything thrown or anything like that. And again, things happen fast. It’s tough because obviously my quarterback, my teammate got hurt from that. But also as a d-lineman, I understand it’s tough. Things happen fast. You’re trying to make a play, so it’s tough. It’s a tough call either way.”
(I wanted to get your thoughts on the first quarter of the season, roughly a quarter. Defensively the numbers aren’t that great, but you guys have managed to make some plays. What are your thoughts on the defense through four games?) – “I definitely think you’re never satisfied as a defense and we’re always looking to get better each and every day. So even if we had the best defense in the league right now and stopped them on every drive, did everything we were supposed to do, you’re still not satisfied. So we’re always striving to be our best and the best. So that’s really the goal each day, each week, and we’re going to continue to make those strides.”
(I know you’re on the defensive side of the ball but what have maybe seen from QB Teddy Bridgewater when he went into the game and what are you seeing from him like today and…?) – “I’ve seen from Teddy (Bridgewater) what I’ve seen all training camp, all season really, which is just a guy who loves to play. He’s a really good teammate, a competitor. And he was able to do some good things. So yeah, I’m excited for him moving forward and we’ve all got his back as he does what he needs to do.”
(How was College GameDay?) – “Oh, it was a lot of fun. That was cool. It was cool to go back to my alma mater and be a part of that and get my picks in. I really didn’t care about any of the other picks other than the one that mattered most and that was that my Tigers got the win.”
(DE Emmanuel Ogbah was obviously very happy with Oklahoma State pick. Have you talked to CB Xavien Howard about Baylor?) – “Yeah, I talked to both those guys about it. We joked about it. It was funny. (Emmanuel) Ogbah was like, ‘yeah, you’re smart guy. Good pick.’ And you know, ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) just laughed it off.”
(Can you talk a little bit about maybe the Jets and what do you see from them and your plan to attack Jets QB Zach Wilson) – “The Jets, they do some really good things. They made some improvements on their offensive line. They did a couple of things there. They’ve got really good skills. They present a good challenge for us. They beat Pittsburgh. They came back. They’re battle-tested. They came back against the Browns. So they’re a good team. We’re going to have to be ready for whatever they throw at us and the things they got on offense.”
Jaelan Phillips – October 3, 2022
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Monday, October 3, 2022
LB Jaelan Phillips
(So as a person who has had concussions, I know it’s hard to deal with. I guess one change that looks like is going to happen from what happened the last couple of weeks is that the union and the league, reportedly, according to the league’s website, are going to agree that if a player exhibits motor instability, as QB Tua Tagovailoa did, that player won’t be allowed back in the game. Just in general – not talking about Tua’s case – in general, do you think that that’s a good thing, that even if a doctor doesn’t know that it’s a head injury, if a player looks unstable, don’t let him back in the game? That seems to be the big change that’s going to happen from all this?) – “Yeah. I mean, I think that that’s fair. I think it’s always better to be overcautious when it comes to especially head injuries. But I also think that you got to take the players and training staff and doctors’ words for it. So it’s obviously a complicated situation. But I think that the league and the PA doing everything they can to keep us safe is is probably in the best interest, for sure.”
(These past seven or 10 days, have they kind of brought back unpleasant memories?) – “No, not really. To be honest, I mean that seems like a lifetime ago for me when I had those issues. But I definitely sympathize with Tua and just hope the best for him. You never want to see your teammate, your brother. hurting like that.”
(What’s the road back from a concussion? I’ve never had one. What is it like to come back?) – “It varies for everybody. Some people I’ve seen – there’s different types of symptoms that people get. Some people are sensitive to light and sound. Some people get really nauseous and dizzy. So for me personally, I always recovered like really fast – maybe like a week tops, or two weeks tops. But yeah, everybody – that really goes with every injury, not just concussions. It really just depends on each person and how they recover from certain things.”
(How do you balance – this is a broader question, but obviously you had to deal with this in the past. Knowing that this is a violent game and this unfortunately could be part of the game. Then also what you just said that there are things in place trying to make the game safer. As a player, how do you kind of balance that, knowing the risk involved?) – “I mean it’s an assumed risk. It’s obviously something that is prevalent in the game, not just with head injuries, but just injuries all around. I think that’s kind of what we sign up for. Obviously you never wish that upon anybody and you surely don’t wish it upon yourself, so we try to do everything we can from a preparation standpoint, from how we take care of our bodies, how we play the game, rules that are in place in the game to try to protect everybody. But ultimately, it happens. And so at that point, you just pray for a speedy recovery. But I feel like that’s what we signed up for playing this game. It’s a violent game. We all know that. We wouldn’t play it if we didn’t know that. We’re compensated well for it. Ultimately, health is the most important thing, and longevity. So I think that especially with head injuries, you’ve got to be cautious with that. But at the same time, people do recover from those types of things.”
(Do you think players are more willing? Or do they more frequently push through a head injury, as opposed to like maybe a knee injury? Like getting your bell rung, are you more likely to go back into the game or try to go back into the game as opposed to a knee?) – “It really all depends. We’re competitors and we love this game and we want to be out there for our teammates, for our families, for the fans, for everybody. So it’s a sliding scale. It’s not black and white when it comes to injuries at all. Sometimes you might try to play through something, you might get your bell rung, you might get a stinger or you might get a knee injury or something like that. And if you’re able to perform, you always want to perform. I mean that’s just the nature of the game that we play. And so I don’t know if – it just depends. Like if you get hit in the head and you’re extremely dizzy and out of it, obviously you’re not going to get back in the game, whether you want to or not. I think sometimes with like a lower extremity injury or something like that, where it’s painful but you can play through it and not have any severe consequences if you have to have a reoccurring injury, then you might be more likely to try to play through it. But ultimately, it just depends on the severity of the injury and depends on the person, the situation and all of that.”
(What happened on Thursday I think was really scary for anyone who watched the game. Obviously you guys were right there on the sideline. That’s your teammate, your brother. Do you guys as a group kind of band together in times like these when it’s scary for anyone?) – “Yeah, 100 percent. I think you saw us being on the field and all surrounding Tua after he was down. I mean that just kind of goes to show the type of guys that we have on this team. But I think it’s important to band together and be able to recover after that because there was still a game to play after that situation. We had a whole other half to play. So that’s always tough. But at the end of the day, you have to have a short-term memory and just focus on the task at hand. And then, after the game, obviously we were checking to see if Tua (Tagovailoa) was alright. I think that we did a good job as a team banding together and sticking together, obviously, when one of our brothers is down.”
(How has Head Coach Mike McDaniel helped you guys do that the last few days or going into the start of this week?) – “Yeah, I mean, he just reminds us of the mission. Ultimately, we take this thing day-by-day and we try to be as present as possible. We’re not worried about the future and not worried about the past. Obviously it was a frustrating loss, but we’ve already moved on from that. So we take the coaching points, take the adjustments and we gear forward to next week.”
(The weekend off for you, you were able to kind of disconnect from everything like the QB Tua Tagovailoa injury and the loss. How do you feel now going into this week?) – “I feel fresh and prepared. Yeah, it was nice to have a little mini-bye definitely for our bodies, especially after a short turnaround like that. It was definitely good to kind of just get away from it but we’re definitely back in it now.”
Tyreek Hill – October 3, 2022
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Monday, October 3, 2022
WR Tyreek Hill
(Have you had a chance to talk to QB Tua Tagovailoa in the last couple of days? Just your read on how he’s doing.) – “Yeah, Tua has been in. Tua’s fine. I’ve had a chance to talk to him on our off days. There’s really nothing to talk about further. Tua is fine. He’s in good hands.”
(Did you get a chance to talk to that Bengals coach that talked to you on Thursday night?) – “Nah, I have no comments on that. I really don’t want to jump into anything crazy. The only thing I know is I’m going to take care of business next time, whenever I face him or whoever. The Cheetah doesn’t want no smoke. All I ask for is when players are playing and talking trash, that’s all fun and games. It makes the game fun. A lot of people think that I’ve got smoke with Eli Apple but it’s all love, man. I’m not a rapper. I don’t have beef with anyone. But I feel like when a coach comes at me in a certain way and I feel like it’s something deeper then obviously I want smoke. I’m just focused on the next game right now.”
(Can you talk about the comfort level you have with a guy like QB Teddy Bridgewater coming in, who is a veteran in this league and kind of learning the offense like you are?) – “The offense is in great hands with Teddy. Obviously it’s going to be a different change of pace because every quarterback has a different playing style. But for me, I’m just going to go out there and do what I’ve been doing and on every team I’ve been on, which is playing hard, giving 110 (percent) effort and doing what I’ve got to do to help this team win games.”
(What have you though about the offense through four games? Obviously you have been a huge part of it. What have you liked and what would you like to see improve?) – “I think so far – this is a new offense and this is a new scheme for everybody. So far, I think there are improvements every game for everyone. Moving forward, I just want us to keep the mindset of just wanting to get better. I feel like if we begin to get comfortable with who we are as an offense, then that’s when bad things begin to happen and teams begin to figure us out. If we are a unit that continues to want to get better and continues to want to work on the fundamentals and techniques at practice, that’s going to help us moving forward.”
(You lead the league in receiving yards and are on pace for career highs. Is this the best you’ve ever been playing?) – “Nah. Truth be told, I’m just blessed to be in this scheme. Coach (Mike) McDaniel really believes in me and believes in who I am as a person, as a player. I’m just thankful for the opportunity. I could have been leading the league all seven of my years but I guess that’s not the case. So here I am here today leading the league. I’m thankful for the opportunity.”
(What did you think of QB Patrick Mahomes and your former team looked last night? Did you watch the game?) – “I did watch the game. I was actually watching it with my dad. Me and my dad had a bet. My dad was actually going for the Bucs and I told him, ‘That boy, Pat. He’s just special.’ It’s just something about that team. Patrick is just on another level. He’s playing a different game than everybody. When you watch him play and you watch just the energy that he brings out of that whole entire time, it’s just crazy. I’m just glad to see my boys out there balling.”
(You talked about wanting to be a leader on this team. In the past week or so, have you found yourself trying to rally guys or give encouraging words here and there with everything going on with QB Tua Tagovailoa?) – “For real, I’ve just been chasing my kids around this whole entire time. I’m just trying to manage that. (laughter) As far as the team, just being back in the building, it’s my whole message just to the receiver room that we just have to be better. In order for us to be a dominant team, in order for us to take off how we want to take off, receivers have to be able to block down the field. I feel like we’ve got to be better. Obviously there are some areas that we can improve on. But to open up more lanes and more gaps, and to help out the offensive line, our receivers have to block down the field. That will help us break longer runs.”
(I know you said the QB doesn’t necessarily matter to your production. I think you said you put up numbers with QB Alex Smith, you put up numbers with…) – “I’d put up numbers with you. (laughter)”
(But you spent a lot of time building your relationship this offseason with QB Tua Tagovailoa. What has your relationship been with QB Teddy Bridgewater?) – “If you go back and watch the clips, me and Teddy have some little highlights in there on Dolphins Twitter. I feel like he’s just a veteran guy – having that connection and being able to have some conversations about ball. Teddy understands my play style and I understand where he wants me to be at on the field. That’s how we connected deep down the field against the Bengals. Just me and him on the same page. Him telling me, ‘Hey ‘Reek, if we get a certain coverage, I need you on this side of the hash. I need you here.’ And stuff like that. So just us being able to recognize things together and being on the same page. I try to have a good relationship with all of my quarterbacks.”
(The Jets were the other team that was vying to trade for you. How close was that to happening this past offseason?) – “It was very close to happening but it was just those state taxes, man. (laughter) I realized I had to make a grown-up decision and here I am in a great city in Miami. It’s great weather. Great people. Beautiful people. Here I am.”
(With how well QB Tua Tagovailoa has played and how great his offseason was and the belief in him and just how great he was playing, is there an element of let’s do this for him? Let’s rally around him while he’s down?) – “For real, I don’t think there’s ever a moment when Tua is down. I just saw him in the locker room a moment ago and he’s smiling from ear to ear. As far as winning football games, we’re going to do everything we can in our power to win games. We want Tua on the field but we also understand the magnitude of this situation. His health moving forward is very important to all of us because life is so precious. You never want to take something like this for granted. We’re going to do everything we can to continue to win games. It would be the same mentality if I went down or if anybody went down. It’s the NFL for you. It’s the next man up. It’s sad.”
(Have you had a chance to look at the Jets defensively yet and what do you see?) – “I’ve had a chance to look at those guys. They have a terrific secondary. Two great corners. They’ve got two great safeties – Lamarcus Joyner and (Jordan) Whitehead. The front seven, those guys really fly around the ball. The mindset of the defensive coordinator, you never know what you’re going to get. It’s going to be a great game. I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to the challenge and I can’t wait.”
Mike Gesicki – October 3, 2022
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Monday, October 3, 2022
TE Mike Gesicki
(How have the last few days been for you? Have you been able to get away from the QB Tua Tagovailoa stuff and relax? Or have you been around it on social media?) – “No, for me, I was away from it. Obviously, I was making sure that he was alright and all that kind of stuff, but I’ve been away from it. It’s been good.”
(What have your conversations with him been like? I know that each player has concern over him and has checked in on him, but what does that been like for you with QB Tua Tagovailoa the last few days?) – “Just like if anybody else went down like that, obviously it was a scary situation, seeing that on Thursday. But just talking with him, making sure he’s good and happy he’s alright.”
(What was your reaction when it initially happened because that’s your quarterback?) – “Yes, like I said, (it was a) scary situation. It’s not something you want to see.”
(Can you talk a little bit about with QB Teddy Bridgewater stepping in? He’s a veteran in this league. Just what you’ve seen with him and connecting with him?) – “Yes, I like Teddy (Bridgewater) a lot, man. He’s an experienced guy and has been at a couple of different stops throughout this league. To just kind of be thrown in there is something that I think his career has kind of prepared him for. He’s got a lot of experience, and I trust him back there a lot. I think he’s got everything it takes to continue to keep this thing rolling for us.”
(The events of last week have kind of sparked a look into the concussion protocols. Things are already maybe going to be changed. What are your thoughts on how the league handles concussions? And are you comfortable with what happened last week?) – “I don’t really know all the details of how they handle it specifically, so I can’t really talk about that, but I do feel comfortable with the league and what they do and how they handle things. Obviously, safety and player safety should be No. 1, and I think that, for the most part, they handle that.”
(What’s the difference in catching QB Tua Tagovailoa’s ball versus QB Teddy Bridgewater’s ball?) – “I’ve played with Ryan Tannehill, Brock Osweiler, Josh Rosen, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jacoby (Brissett), Tua (Tagovailoa), add Teddy (Bridgewater) to the list. Skylar (Thompson) in the preseason, David Fales in the preseason my rookie year. I mean, I’ve caught Reid Sinnett. I’ve caught footballs from anybody and everybody. So just got to go out and make a play on the ball when it comes to you.”
(Just put it in the radius, that’s all you need to do?) – “That’s all it is, man.”
(I was not expecting a QB Brock Osweiler reference there.) – “I hope I didn’t miss any, but I think that covers it.”
(What did you think about the video of Ryan Fitzpatrick singing to QB Tua Tagovailoa before the game? Did you see that?) – “Yes, hilarious. I don’t know what Amazon is paying ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick), but they should double it. (laughter) That guy is one of a kind. I’m happy for him. He’s obviously doing great things and is going to continue to make a lot of people laugh.”
(Can you talk a little bit about the season that you’re having, what you want to see better from yourself and the offense?) – “I just have to keep doing what I’m doing, make the most of my opportunities when they present themselves and control the controllables. It’s really all I can do. I’ve been doing this for five years now. I’ve had big games; I’ve had games where (there’s) not a lot of impact on the stat sheet – it is what it is. I’ve just got to continue to do what I do and be ready when my number is called.”
(Did you see QB Zach Wilson’s griddy?) – “Yes, I did, and I’m happy for him. I’m happy that he kind of let loose out there.”
(He was better than you.) – “(laughter) Listen, it depends on who’s grading it. It also depends on what you’re looking for. I really let loose out there, and I think that I opened the door for a lot of other people to kind of feel comfortable out there. So I’m happy that I could do that.”
(Have the practices been happening, going back to the griddy in front of the mirror?) – “As I’ve thought about it, naturally, will it probably happen if I score again? Yeah, probably. But like – I don’t know, man. A lot of people are doing it. I mean, I obviously piggybacked off a lot of other people. So I’d still like to be unique. When I did it, I thought it was absolutely hilarious, so that’s why I did it. So I don’t know if it’ll still have the same effect the second time around.”
(Did you get any reviews from your wife on your dance?) – “Oh, yes – she was not proud. She told me not to embarrass her like that ever again, so she’s had me practicing several times a day since then. (laughter)”
(Any birthday plans?) – “Birthday plans. So I took Durham (Smythe) out to dinner when we were in Tampa for his birthday. So (my wife) Halle asked me yesterday, she said, ‘Hey, what do you want to do for your birthday?’ And not to her liking, my response was, ‘I want Durham to take me out to dinner so I can run the tab up on him because I paid for his dinner, so I want to make sure that I’m taking money out of his bank account now.’ Halle, obviously, wanted to do some romantic date, but I was like, ‘Halle, there’s always next year.’ (laughter) So I’m hoping that she caves, and I can go out to dinner with Durham. Halle can come too, but like… (laughter)”
(Do you have a place in mind to eat?) – “No, not off the top my head. Maybe – I have no idea. Somewhere expensive. Maybe, what is it – Nobu or whatever the sushi spot is? Yeah, I’ll just order a bunch of spicy tuna rolls that are probably way overpriced that you could probably get it like Phat Boy Sushi in Fort Lauderdale.”
(You’re getting to go back to Jersey this weekend, that’s always an exciting time.) – “Oh, I was just back up in Jersey yesterday. So yes, heading back up there again. It’s always cool to get back up there and play in front of home, family, all that kind of stuff. Looking forward to another opportunity.”
Emmanuel Ogbah – October 3, 2022
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Monday, October 3, 2022
DE Emmanuel Ogbah
(Just a follow up with QB Tua Tagovailoa. Where’s the mindset of this team?) – “Tua is our starting quarterback. We hate to see a player go down but we’re rooting for him and we’re praying for him. Hopefully he gets better quick. We got Teddy (Bridgewater) to step in and take his place.”
(Can you speak to your confidence in QB Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback?) – “Yeah, we are confident in Teddy. He was brought in for a reason in case something like this were to happen. We support him and we’re ready to have his back too just like we have Tua’s.”
(How confident are you in the way the NFL handles protocols, concussions, potential injuries to the head and things like that? As a player, how do you think the NFL deals with it? What can improve, if anything?) – “Me personally, I’ve never experienced it, but I will say that we have hired a good medical staff to handle those. That’s above me. I don’t really know how to handle it based on my experience.”
(Were you able to get away from the QB Tua Tagovailoa situation over the weekend? I mean, even watching games yesterday it came up.) – “Oh yeah, during this weekend I just took the time off just to relax and rest of my body. I didn’t really watch a lot of football games this weekend. Just getting my mind right for this week.”
(Have you guys, as teammates, had discussions about concussions and protocols come up in the past few weeks?) – “No. We kind of just met today since the game, so we haven’t really talked amongst teammates about it.”
(What’s Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s message throughout this? Obviously it’s kind of been a tough week for you all?) – “Adversity is opportunity. Just go out there and handle our business and control what we can. Just let the rest fall in place.”
(How was the mood among the players in the building today?) – “I mean obviously seeing a player get hurt is never a good sign. But we had a good practice today, I will say. Everybody was upbeat, uptempo. Yeah, we’re rooting for our brother, but everybody still has that in back of their mind. It was sad but it’s the next man up. We got to game to place this Sunday.”
(You’re at the quarter mark of the season. What’s your assessment of how it’s gone for you guys so far?) – “I mean, I would like to be 4-0, but it didn’t go as planned. We’re still fighting. We’re still in this thing. It’s still early in the season to measure where we are. We’ve got to keep fighting and just keep making plays out there.”
(Are you pleased overall? I mean 3-1, are you pleased overall?) – “Like I said, I’m a hard critic of myself. I’d rather be 4-0. But I’m ok with 3-1. Just more football games to be played.”
(What are your thoughts on the pass rush as a group through four games. Is it where you want it? Your thoughts on that.) – “No. We definitely have to improve as pass rush unit. We have to get better at affecting the quarterbacks. I know Joe Burrow got rid of ball pretty quick during our game. We just have to do a better job of getting back there as fast as I can and give those guys in the back end a chance to compete and make picks.”
(What do you see from the New York offense? I know QB Zach Wilson’s back now but what do you think maybe from the offensive line, and how you’re going to attack them?) – “I haven’t really watched a lot of their film yet. Like I said, I took the weekend off and just kind of relaxed my mind and my body. Zach is back and they obviously beat a good Steelers team, so we’re going to go in there watch film, see what they’re good at and see what we can capitalize on.”
(I know you guys saw QB Tua Tagovailoa on the plane Thursday night. Did he have a chance to talk to you guys today. Mike McDaniel said he’s in the building.) – “We spoke to Tua on the plane. We were rooting for him. We asked him how he was doing. He seemed fine. He seemed great. Just happy to be with his brothers.”
(No conversations today? QB Tua Tagovailoa didn’t talk to the group?) – “Oh, no. He didn’t he didn’t talk to the group.”
(You said earlier that you have not experienced concussion protocol. Even going back to like your high school and college days you never had any of that at all?) – “No, I’ve had a concussion. I meant in the NFL. I don’t know how that’s all handled in the NFL because I haven’t had one. But that’s why we hire good medical personnel just to handle that. Like I said, that’s above me. I don’t really know how that works.”
(How many do you estimate you had?) – “Concussions? I only had one I’d say in college. I would say that’s about it.”
(Did you see DT Christian Wilkins pick Oklahoma State over Baylor in the game? What were your thoughts on his reasoning behind that?) – “Somebody sent that to me and I was like good choice. (laughter) He better had picked my team. And he was the only one that picked our team so he did a good job of picking us. It’s a d-line brotherhood so we got each other’s back, even though ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) is still part of the team too. But the d-line comes first.”
(Some say that a win or against divisional opponent on the road is worth two. How do you guys feel about that?) – “Like I said, we are going to play a good Jets team. We’ve got to go out there and handle a good team. They’re a good team even though their record isn’t really. We’ve just got to go out there and handle business like we did the past two opponents.”
(What does QB Zach Wilson being back with the Jets do to that offense compared to maybe when QB Joe Flacco was under center?) – “That’s their QB1 so he brings the energy to the group. As long as we do a good job affecting him, it’s going to be a good play for the defense.”
