Alec Ingold – October 10, 2022
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Monday, October 10, 2022
FB Alec Ingold
(Let’s start with QB Teddy Bridgewater. How much did you see? Did you see a stumble? Do you think that was a legitimate reason to pull him from the game?) – “I mean that’s not my job. That’s the first thing you could say. We were all really bummed how Teddy went out that first play. Obviously somebody saw something and we’re all competitors. We’re all going to try to strap up. We’re all going to try to play. That’s just the nature of the beast. There are people out there looking for us and a lot of hindsight from ex-players and people in those positions. As much as it hurts in the short term, there are people looking out and being extra cautious and safe. It’s definitely a double-edged sword. It was really tough to see Teddy go out like that, just knowing how he prepared and it was his moment. We’re really fighting for him.”
(How good was it to see RB Raheem Mostert and the running game get going? It seemed like he got loose really for the first time this season.) – “Raheem is a speed demon and it’s just so smooth when you watch him work, week in week out, day in day out. I think that’s kind of the whole message we’ve had as a running back room is we’re just going to stay on this process, we’re going to keep working at it, the running game is going to click, we’re inches away here, there or whatever. It was just a lot of guys staying on the details. The offensive line, myself, quarterback, running back, just kind of being able to put it all together. The wide receivers were blocking on the edge. We saw that jet sweep and you had Trent Sherfield and River Cracraft locking guys up over on the edge. It literally takes all 11 to make the run game work. I think that’s just the epitome of our team. Guys are going to work. We’re going to consistently play to our standard and I think the run game, you’ve just got to keep fighting and stay consistent with that work, and things will hit.”
(How close are you paying attention to what the Raiders are doing?) – “I talk to my guys over there, for sure. I talk to Foster (Moreau), Hunter (Renfrow), Josh (Jacobs), AJ Cole. I definitely have some friends over there that I check in on. I know they’re playing tonight. They’re playing the Chiefs. It will be a fun Monday Night Football, for sure.”
(What did you think of QB Skylar Thompson going in and just the contingency plans now if he has to go in again?) – “I think Skylar did awesome. A seventh-round quarterback, a rookie, having to step up immediately after that, going out to New York, a division game, ‘gotta have it’ type of game, to see him show up and play poised and have a guy like that who is – how old is he? He’s 25? He’s almost as old as I am. Shoot. (laughter) But he plays like that. He has confidence. He has composure and conviction. We trust him in this room. It’s cool to see a guy like that step up when you need him to. I think a lot of guys in our offense and the team in general really need to step up, for sure.”
(How does the team feel after the two losses from the standpoint you did so many good things in the first three games and injuries didn’t seem to bother you. How much of this are you attributing to injury and how much is this being beat by better teams?) – “You can have any excuse, any reason for any loss that you want and I think being a professional football player and being a guy in the locker room, you know the talent’s there. You know the coaches are there. You know the pieces of the puzzle are there. We’ve proven that, like you said. It’s just about us coming together as a team, finding our formula to win, having a standard and sticking to it. I feel like those are all simple answers that you can give but it’s really hard to do on a week-to-week basis. That’s what separates good teams from great. I think we’ve got a really good opportunity to show guys that want to be coachable, want to get better, want to have a long season – 17, 18, 19, 20 weeks – and that’s what we’re facing right now. There’s a lot of guys that have to look in the mirror and be accountable whether you thought you did good or it’s that reason or that circumstance. Let’s just get better. Let’s just keep working. I think that’s kind of where we’re at right now.”
(How much does the locker room believe in that?) – “I think you have to. I don’t think there’s any other option. When you get 53 guys pushing in the same direction, I think that’s where power is. I think that’s where a team can come together. I think that’s where an identity comes out of. And it comes with work. We can talk at a press conference and you can answer these questions and sound cool and like we believe it, but it’s going to start on Wednesday’s practice. And then it’s going to follow up with Thursday’s padded practice. How are we going to respond? Friday, Saturday, then let’s put it on tape Sunday. Whether the result – win, loss or draw, whatever that is – the way we go about our work and the way we consistently push this wheel and push this whole thing to move in the same direction, that’s what it’s all about. You look at a guy to your left and your right, do you trust him? Is he playing for you and not playing for himself? I could play for a coach, I could play for Raheem (Mostert), I could play for Chase (Edmonds), I could play for all of these guys and that’s where power comes in. That’s where you come together as a team and that’s what we need to do.”
(As a guy who takes a lot of hits – I’m just going back to QB Teddy Bridgewater for a moment – what are your thoughts on the addition of the new rule and just kind of taking that extra step to protect players?) – “Like I said earlier, it’s a double-edged sword. We’re all competitors. We want to be out there. We want to be out there. We want to play for our brothers. We want to play for the organization, the team, the coaches. You put so much, you sacrifice so much, for these limited opportunities. You get 17 opportunities. So as a player in the heat of battle, you’re always going to try and get up. You’re always going to try and play for the people next to you. For the organization, the NFLPA and the NFL to come in and protect us from ourselves a little bit and be able to say we’re going to protect you from injuring yourself further, for your family and playing with your grandkids one day, I think they have a lot of insight there too. I know I want to play with my grandkids. I’m going to play as hard as I can for my guys right now for all of these limited opportunities. You just have to trust the people in charge that they have the best interest for you.”
(Just being from Wisconsin, is there any extra giddy-up this week knowing that it’s the Vikings, with you being a football fan growing up?) – “I grew up and watched the Vikings twice a year very closely – the NFC North. I definitely know what that’s all about. I played up there my rookie year. I do think this is a week and an opportunity to play for these guys and play for the room, play for the organization. Any of that extra jazz, you can kind of leave to the side right now. We have enough to worry about right now.”
(Does this offense have an identity right now? Is it a big-play offense? Or is the identity still evolving?) – “It’s still evolving and it probably always will be. I think that’s power in having so many playmakers on offense. You’ve got ‘Cheetah’ (Tyreek Hill), you’ve got (Jaylen) Waddle. You’ve got all of the guys that can make the big splash plays. But then it’s the guys up front in the trenches too. I think the offense that we have and the personnel that we have, being able to step up when your number is called is huge. Whether that’s a run-first game, a pass-first game, a big-play game, a grind-it-out type of game, an ugly game, good weather, bad weather, whatever – I think being able to be a Dolphin and being able to win and be in any type of game that you need to be in, I think that’s where teams can get dangerous.”
(Do you think the run game scheme can kind of mask some of those injuries along the offensive line?) – “I think when you talk about a run game scheme, it really is like earlier when I talked about all 11 playing together. That’s where you have power in guys stepping up. So when you have injuries, when you have guys that are going down, when you have tight ends that can learn multiple positions, wide receivers that can take ownership of the playbook, running backs and fullbacks able to be adjustable, be football players and understand the whole concept and be able to give defenses different looks, I think that’s where there’s a little bit of power in the run game and the concepts that we run. It’s just a lot of guys taking ownership and just buying in and getting a little bit better every single day. We’ll put some good stuff on tape.”
(Considering it was QB Skylar Thompson’s first start yesterday, how much more importance did that give to you guys to finally get the running game going to take some weight off his shoulders a bit?) – “I think it was close for a while. Just being there with Skylar, seeing him call plays in the huddle, you know we had confidence in him from a great preseason and a great training camp. It’s great to see it in the regular season come to life. A lot of things that the players, coaches and the organization have been preaching, it really did – there were some good things to take out of it, especially from the run game. You’ve just got to keep building on that and keep pushing.”
Connor Williams – October 9, 2022 (Postgame)
Sunday, October 9, 2022
Postgame – N.Y. Jets
OL Connor Williams (transcribed by N.Y. Jets)
(On QB Teddy Bridgewater going down and the challenges of playing after that) – “Honestly, it’s tough to see. Definitely in the beginning of a game like that, you just got to put that in the back of your head and move on and take it one step at a time.”
(On if it is easier said than done to continue playing after watching QB Teddy Bridgewater go down) – “Most definitely. At the end of the day, our job is to go out there and execute at the top of our ability. So, that’s what it takes.”
(On QB Skylar Thompson’s performance) – “I think he did a great job. To be able to come out of college and run the offense like that and to be able to move us like that, I think he did a great job.”
Jaylen Waddle – October 9, 2022 (Postgame)
Sunday, October 9, 2022
Postgame – N.Y. Jets
WR Jaylen Waddle (transcribed by N.Y. Jets)
(On how QB Skylar Thompson handled things) – “I was impressed. It’s tough to go in there, but I think he handled it really well. He commanded the offense, got the o-line going, got the run game going. We just have to have more of an offense to put everything together.”
(On QB Teddy Bridgewater not being able to come back into the game even after passing concussion testing protocol) – “That’s for the higher ups. I don’t really have any opinion on that.”
(On the run game) – “(That was) something we wanted to place an emphasis on (and) work on in practice. We knew what we were capable of, so I’m kind of glad to see it come to light on Sundays.”
Durham Smythe – October 9, 2022 (Postgame)
Sunday, October 9, 2022
Postgame – N.Y. Jets
TE Durham Smythe (transcribed by N.Y. Jets)
(On the feeling when QB Teddy Bridgewater was injured) – “I think you never want to see a teammate go down on the first play, especially a guy who is playing quarterback for us and is getting his shot to play quarterback. But in terms of how the team reacted, I think we’re confident in all the guys in that room. Skylar (Thompson) showed a lot in the preseason, so guys had confidence in him. I thought he did a great job when he got in there. He showed confidence in himself, took command of the huddle. I think we’re confident in all those guys.”
(On QB Teddy Bridgewater being ruled out by the NFL spotter despite passing concussion tests) – “Yeah, actually I didn’t hear that. As I was saying just a second ago, I think the protocols are the protocols – there’s nothing we can do as players or as a team to change that. I think the intentions are right, so I appreciate what they’re trying to do in that aspect. There are always going to be situations like this, where maybe a guy saw something that wasn’t there and then he cleared everything. That’s a fine line you’re walking there, so mistakes are going to happen one way or the other, but luckily, like I said, we’re confident in everybody in the room, so we’re confident in the next guy up.”
(On whether you need to be more careful getting up due to the new protocol) – “I think so. Obviously, this is a new thing. One week into these new protocols and I think that’s something that I guess you have to take into account a little bit more now. But like I said, I think the intentions are right, so we appreciate that to a degree. But like I said, there’s going to be mistakes. If this was a mistake, then that’s going to happen. That’s part of the game – (the) physical game. Trying to keep people safe in a dangerous game, things like this are going to happen.”
Raheem Mostert – October 9, 2022 (Postgame)
Sunday, October 9, 2022
Postgame – N.Y. Jets
RB Raheem Mostert (transcribed by N.Y. Jets)
(On the offense’s reaction when QB Teddy Bridgewater left the game) – “It’s a little discouraging, but at the same time, we’ve just got to know that next-man-up attitude and have that mentality going into the rest of the game, which I felt like we did a fairly good job of. It’s all about working. You’ve got to do a little bit extra.”
(On the running game improving and him being the team’s first running back to eclipse 100 rushing yards in a game this season) – “We had a plan; we executed it. I felt like I left a lot of meat out there, especially on some specific runs. But all in all, it’s not about the run ability, it’s about the team effort. And I felt like we just didn’t get up to our standard and it just showed out there.”
(On QB Skylar Thompson in the huddle) – “He’s a young guy. He’s just got to take his time. We all have to trust and believe in him, which we do. But when he comes into a situation after that first drive, now all of a sudden he’s up. You’ve got to hang your hat down and go out there and play ball.”
Robert Hunt – October 9, 2022 (Postgame)
Sunday, October 9, 2022
Postgame – N.Y. Jets
OL Robert Hunt (transcribed by N.Y. Jets)
(On whether he feels better that the running game was better today) – “I mean, it’s an emphasis every week to get the running game going. It’s never a good feeling after a loss no matter what you do good. I’m glad we got it going, hopefully we can keep it going next week, but we didn’t get the job done today and get the win.”
(On the reaction on the sidelines when QB Teddy Bridgewater was injured) – “We see it. It’s part of the game, so next-man-up type of deal. Of course it hurt the team. We all felt it, but next man up. Skylar (Thompson) came in, Skylar played well for his first game. We’ll come back, we’ll watch the film tomorrow and see what we can do better.”
(On what QB Skylar Thompson was like in the huddle) – “He was good. He had a presence. He’s a natural leader, so I’m excited to see what goes on in the future.”
Tyreek Hill – October 9, 2022 (Postgame)
Sunday, October 9, 2022
Postgame – N.Y. Jets
WR Tyreek Hill (transcribed by N.Y. Jets)
(On QB Teddy Bridgewater getting hurt on the first play) – “It was rough. Just to see everything Teddy (Bridgewater) had to battle from last year, just that adversity. For him stepping in for us in a time that we needed him, it was tough. Like I said, I’m going to keep reiterating (that) our main focus here is making sure he’s alright. Making sure that he’s not dealing with any kind of crazy circumstances. So far, so good. I talked to him during halftime, and he said he was feeling alright.”
(On QB Teddy Bridgewater being ruled out because the spotter saw him stumble) – “I believe that’s a little bit above my pay grade. My job is to play ball and just let professionals be professionals in that area, so I don’t have too much to say. Obviously, I would want Teddy (Bridgewater) out there, but if somebody saw something and wants to be cautious, that’s their job to watch stuff like that.”
(On QB Skylar Thompson) – “Skylar (Thompson), he did a tremendous job. For him not being able to get all of the practice reps (and) just come in, play-calling and stuff like that, because our play calls, I feel like, are very tough, especially for a young quarterback. For him to just step in the way he did, complete passes and stuff like that, it’s great. And for him moving forward, he’s going to be able to build off of that for his confidence. Looking forward to playing with him more.”
Skylar Thompson – October 9, 2022 (Postgame)
Sunday, October 9, 2022
Postgame – N.Y. Jets
QB Skylar Thompson (transcribed by N.Y. Jets)
(On how it felt playing) – “It was great to get out there and get my feet wet. The first real taste of wild NFL football for sure, as far as getting experience, the atmosphere on the road, live reps. So it felt good to get out there and get that going.”
(On how he was able to adapt and get himself ready to play mentally after the first play) – “Obviously, you never want to see one of your teammates go down, especially to see Teddy (Bridgewater) on the first play. Definitely was a little bit to take in. It kind of took me a little bit to settle in there, take a deep breath and just relax and trust the work that I’ve put in up to this point. I kind of knew that it was going to be a little bit of that going into this, or whenever the time came, but you have to start somewhere. We didn’t play well enough today and that obviously starts with me. There’s a lot to learn from and go from which is the exciting part from my end.”
(On how he thinks he performed and what he needs to improve on) – “It’s hard to – I try not to make quick judgement on how I feel right after a game, because sometimes it’s different on tape than what we feel in the game. I just really try to hone in on my thoughts right now and what things looked like on the field to me every play and then try to go back and watch the film and try to correlate with my eyes, ‘Did I see this correctly? What could I have done differently on this play?’ There’s a lot to learn out there, I know that for sure. So, I’m excited to watch the tape and start improving on the things that I need to.”
(On if the game felt fast at first and if it slowed down at any point) – “Yeah, it started to slow down. Like I said, it’s a jarring situation. The first play to see Teddy (Bridgewater) go down and what not. I kind of knew it wasn’t going to be perfect right off the bat, but I definitely felt like there were times where it was slowing down. I was able to see the defense, see what was going on, being able to make decisive reads, put the ball where I wanted to, but there’s still a lot there. I’m looking forward to watching it on film.”
(On the offense sometimes seeming out of sorts and what stood out to him) – “That starts with me in my operation of communicating clearly and controlling those things in the huddle to where there is no confusion and where we don’t look out of sorts. That’s not something that we want on offense and that starts with me in the huddle commanding things, speaking with confidence, doing those things. That’s something I’m going to get better at and continue to improve on. That’s definitely something we want to improve on, because we don’t want delay of game penalties or those unnecessary false starts. Those things that get you off schedule are really tough, so that’s something we have to clean up and that starts with me.”
(On the frustration level after missing the field goal with 13 minutes left in the game and having the rest of the game slip away) – “It’s tough no matter what fashion that you lose. I’m here to win. I know everybody in this locker room and this organization are here to win, and to just lose in general is really tough. It’s hard to fully speak on everything right now just because I want to go back and watch the tape and align everything with my initial thoughts and feelings right now. But losing is not what we’re about here, and I know we have the right guys in the locker room that are going to bounce back from this and find ways to take ownership in their play. It’s not about pointing fingers or pointing blame or anything like that. It’s about taking ownership in what you did, and that’s what I’m going to do and do my best to just get better and continue to improve.”
(On how tough it is on the sidelines to see your teammates QB Tua Tagovailoa and QB Teddy Bridgewater go out) – “Well, my world has changed quite a bit in three weeks. Like I touched on earlier, coming in here this year, Tua (Tagovailoa) and Teddy (Bridgewater) have been phenomenal to me and helping me learn, helping me grow, mentoring me, even though that’s not in their contracts at all or something that they’re asked to do – they’re just those types of people. So when you’re surrounded by people like that, especially in your quarterback room, it makes the team better. I think the three of us in our room, the attitude and the people that are in there has really impacted our team in a great way this year. To see those guys, to see Tua go down the way he did and to see Teddy go down the way he did, it’s something that I’d never wish on anybody. You just hate to see it and it hurts. I care about those guys and want to see them do well. I was really excited to watch Teddy play today; his week of preparation was unreal. I just tried to jump on his back hip, tried to learn as much as I can from Teddy. He’s done an awesome of mentoring me, even though I know that he’s not asked to do so. I feel for those guys and I’m praying that they’re getting better.”
(On how tough it was to get the ball to WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle) – “I felt like I got the ball to them in certain situations. Like I said, it’s kind of hard to really comment just because (it was an) emotional loss and (I) don’t really know. I want to go watch the film before I really answer those things, because I know there are plays I left out on the field and that’s always tough. The one thing – I gave it my all today; I played the hardest I possibly could for this team and to help this team win. I never gave up and that’s what I’m going to hold my hat on and stand on every time I touch the field and step between the white lines. I’m excited to get back and watch the film, learn and get better.”
