Bradley Chubb – December 20, 2023
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Wednesday, December 20, 2023
LB Bradley Chubb
(On OL Austin Jackson) – “That’s what football is. It’s 11 one-on-ones. In the trenches, I feel like you got to take it a little more personal because it’s the person you’re lined up against. At the end of the day, you’re doing that one-on-one within the calls. It’s not like it’s your own thing, your own vendettas or whatever. But it is how can I beat this guy one-on-one. It’s not necessarily getting caught up in it. But yeah, emotions do fly, so you can’t let that happen. That’s all it is. Just winning that one-on-one. That’s what coaches preach to you, while doing it within the scheme. I got full faith in Austin and confidence in Austin, so I’m excited to see him go at it this weekend.”
(How aware are you of who you’re going against? Like if OL Austin Jackson is looking at LB Micah Parsons, is that just No. 11 or is that Micah Parsons the All-Pro?) – “You’re very aware of who you’re going against. You talk about them all week; you study them all week. You’re very aware of who you’re going against. He knows it and he knows the challenge that he’s got. He’s going to step up to it and I’m excited to see it.”
(What about OL Tyron Smith? What do you know about him?) – “A veteran guy who has been doing it a long time at a high level for a long time. Very savvy, very strong, very quick. It’s going to be a good match up. I‘m excited about the challenge. He’s been doing it for a long time. When you’re at this level, you want to play against the best each and every week. He’s one of the best to do it, so it’s going to be a challenge. I’m excited for it.”
(The perception about both of these teams is that you guys haven’t beaten anybody. I don’t necessarily agree with it, but that’s the narrative. Now that you play one another, are one of you guys are going to be Super Bowl contenders and one pretenders?) – “That’s going to be the narrative at the end of the day. All we can control is how we go out there and handle it. They are a great team that has won a lot of games and done a lot of good things and put up a lot of points. On the defensive side of the ball, we pride ourselves on not giving up points, so it’s going to be a battle on that end. They have a great defense as well, and we feel like we’ve got a great offense, as well. It’s going to be a battle. Like I said, people feel like we haven’t beaten a team, but like I said, it’s a chance to go out there and prove it. We’ve got to go out there and make sure we handle business.”
(What was your reaction to learning you were the AFC Defensive Player of the Week? First time you’ve won that award.) – “It’s the first time, so it’s dope, it’s a blessing. It’s everything you could think of. But at the end of the day that was only Week 15. We’re on Week 16 now so I just got to go out there and do it again. Yes, it’s fun to see the fruits of your labor come to life and stuff like that, but it’s a what have you done for me now league. I can’t do nothing about last week. I got to go out there and continue to prove it.”
(How often do you think about LB Jaelan Phillips who is usually out there next to you?) – “Yeah, he went out against the Jets last time. Every pregame, I toss my hat to a fan, and I remember I was sitting in my locker thinking like, ‘dang, I don’t have a hat.’ Then I looked over and saw No. 15 right there, so I grabbed that. The whole time I wore that hat on the sideline, and it was a reminder I know he would do everything to be out there against the Jets. It was one of those things I had to step it up for him.”
(Against the Titans, you missed on like three or four sacks. What’s it like when you actually follow up that game by getting home?) – “It feels amazing, because like you said, you wear those scars throughout the week. It’s supposed to be one week to the next, but I remember all of those missed opportunities last week, and I can’t let myself do it again. That was my mindset, and that’s just how I went into it. I emphasized finishing whether that be in practice, whether that be in games, walkthroughs or whatever the case may be. I just emphasized the finish of it and it worked out well.”
Tua Tagovailoa – December 20, 2023
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Wednesday, December 20, 2023
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(People actually doubted that [your signal] was what it meant, and then when they saw the Hard Knocks and actually saw you say it, it made them believe it. Because they thought you were talking smack.) – “If I wanted to talk smack, I think you’d probably know I’m talking smack. That’s not even close. (laughter) It’s just part of the game. It’s fun. That was fun. That ‘talk to me’ thing, really as we came into OTAs, Jaylen Waddle would just say that constantly throughout OTAs. Then I guess it’s just been used so much that I just started saying it to a point where everyone was like, ‘that’s hilarious every time you say it.’ In practice, I would throw a bomb and the d-line would be like, ‘Bro, seriously?’ And I would look at them and be like ‘talk to me,’ and then they’d start laughing. Then they’d start using it too. It really started out that way so I take no credit. That’s Jaylen Waddle’s deal but the whole signal thing just made it even funnier. It heightened it so people that were inside that knew what that was, could sort of hear me saying it and hear other people saying that when I gestured that. So that’s what that was.”
(Have you warmed up a little bit to Hard Knocks? I know early on you weren’t thrilled they were here.) – “They didn’t air my episode from the house yet? (laughter) I was messing. They haven’t asked this week or last week. I’m sure they have asked (our communications department) but (our communications department) haven’t brought it to my attention yet. I don’t know. But I mess around with them with that as well. I’ll just tell them, ‘I’ll see you guys later on tonight,’ and they think it’s funny when they don’t know if I’m being serious or not being serious. We’ll see. There’s still a lot of games left.”
(In the last Hard Knocks, they showed a speech that Head Coach Mike McDaniel gave the team and he took a lot of accountability with some of his play calls. What does that mean to you as a player when a coach is taking that level of accountability on himself?) – “I think that shows the leadership that he has that is not something that is a one-time deal. It’s something that as a team, we’re actually sort of used to. He’s one of the first to admit he’s wrong when he is wrong. And he is going to be also the first to admit that if it was a baller play call, that it was a baller play call. That’s the reason as to why we work, why we do this and why we invest so much into it. But it is sort of at a point where because he takes so much accountability, everyone also shares that same trait of ‘No, it’s my fault. I could have done better on my part.’ Everyone feels that sort of need or want to take the fall or take the blame. It’s rare that I think you ever see that in this league because it is tough and it is a job. It is result-oriented. What you put out there is however long you are able to keep your job or whatever it is. That’s what this league is and I think it is super cool that he does that and it trickles down to all of us.”
(What was your takeaway from the Bills-Cowboys game last week looking at the Cowboys defense considering their whole body of work has been much better than what you saw last week?) – “I don’t necessarily look at one particular game when we watch games. But you do want to look at games where they struggled, what were their struggles, things that we can take advantage of within the pass game and the run game. I sort of think of our team last week coming off the loss to Tennessee. I can sense that that’s where they would probably be. Not a very fun team meeting to be in. Guys are going to be dialed in, locked in, doing whatever they need to do to get that feeling off their chests or off their shoulders. For me, we’re going to prepare the same way we’ve prepared for any other team. We’re expecting their best. They’re going to do anything and everything they can to beat us and we’re going to do the exact same.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel was asked earlier about your interceptions and the fact that you haven’t really thrown any in the past three games. He said that that’s natural that you’re going to throw picks, but he feels like you’re progressing each game. How do you think you’ve grown maybe from the beginning of the season to now in the final month of the season?) – “Well, I think there’s continued growth every time I step out on that field. There’s always something new that I can learn. Just when you think you’ve got it and you’ve been playing for however long, however many games, there’s always going to be new things, new challenges, new obstacles, but that’s the beauty of this game. For me, I think that’s also allowed me to be the human that I am also. I think in this league, you also mature a lot quicker because as good as things can be, they can be just as bad the next week or the following week, and through all of those obstacles of the wins and the losses, there are so many things that you can learn from. This league is just like golf – you can go out and shoot really good one day and you’re like, ‘I’m in my rhythm.’ The next day, you go out and you forgot how to even hit the ball the way you were hitting it yesterday, and it will humble you in that sense. So it’s just like golf. Golf and football is the best way I could sort of correlate them”
(CB DaRon Bland has a lot of splash plays this year. When you watch him on tape, what do you see?) – “You just don’t show up on Sundays and poop that out, if you will. Having the NFL record in pick-sixes and whatnot, you don’t just show up on Sundays and do that. He’s done a great job. I think (Cowboys Defensive Coordinator) Dan Quinn has a done a great job for their defense as well. They’ve got really talented players up front, really talented players on the back end. We know what we’re going to have to do. We know what kind of game this is going to be. It’s going to be a hard-fought, physical 60-minute game and we’ll be ready come time Sunday.”
(I know Head Coach Mike McDaniel worked under Defensive Coordinator Dan Quinn, and you’re so candid and honest, I know you’re going to give me an honest answer. How much does that help you when a guy has worked under a coach and he knows his ins and outs of his defense, obviously not with the Cowboys, but his mentality and tendencies?) – “I think it could go both ways of Mike (McDaniel) understanding how Dan (Quinn) has run his defense or how he would gameplan for teams and whatnot, but I also think that with Dan knowing that, that we could expect things that other teams have ran that have been successful against us as well. It’s sort of in between of we know but then at the same time, be prepared for the unknown. You’ve got to stick to your rules, what do your rules tell you, this is how you’re going to have to read this out if that’s the case. Then same thing could be for Dan. He’s been around how Mike installs run game, how they’ve done things with Kyle (Shanahan) and whatnot, so I think it could work both ways. We’ll just be ready for the unexpected.”
(RB Raheem Mostert was talking after the game about WR Jaylen Waddle and how maybe he was beating himself up throughout the year that he performs like he does? What have you seen in WR Jaylen Waddle throughout the year and now after that big game Sunday?) – “I personally – me personally, I’ve seen someone that’s just come in day-in, day-out, just grinding. Not once did I ever see him feel sorry for himself throughout the success that Tyreek (Hill) has had. But you could see that there had been sometimes where it was like, ‘Man, I sort of wished I was involved more or this happened more or this happened.’ It’s one of those deals where, I’ve said it before, we’ve called a play for (Jaylen) Waddle to be the person to be first in that progression and it just so happens that the defense doesn’t allow for that route to be open. As anyone else would, I’m sure he was very frustrated. Coming from being the ‘Wide Receiver 1’ in my rookie year and in my second year to ‘Wide Receiver 1B – where do I fit in this offense?’ So for him to have been able to go out and show to everyone and remind everyone, ‘Letting you guys know I’m still that person if you guys allow me that opportunity.’ I’m very proud of what he’s done, what he’s put on tape and what he continues to do for our team. But yeah, that’s what I would say about that.”
(You guys can clinch a playoff spot if you win this weekend. How meaningful would it be for you getting to play this late into the year and have that opportunity to do it?) – “I wish you didn’t share that. (laughter) I had no idea about any of the scenarios of what that would look like. At any time, we just want to come out of the game with a win. We want to stack those together. If you can win them all, that’s what it is.”
(Weren’t the Cowboys your favorite team growing up?) – “Yep. Cowboys were my favorite team growing up. They played in primetime a lot and in Hawaii, primetime is like 3:00 p.m. We were like, dang it’s night over there, the sun is still up over here. (laughter) I come from a family that are big Cowboys fans. But not anymore. Everyone is Dolphins fans. And then the one who still support the Cowboys are probably not my family anyways. (laughter)”
(What will it be like playing them for the first time?) – “It’s going to be cool. It’s going to be cool for the moment, just being able to see the star. Being able to see those guys in their jerseys and whatever and whatnot. Some of the guys that are playing, I used to watch them while I was in high school playing high school football. And now I get to play against some of the guys on their team. That’ll be cool but at the end of the day, I have a job and we want to go out there and beat them.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel just said it’s been a long time since a defense has played what they’ve showed you on tape adjusting to your motion and timing. Can you share the evolution for you and controlling the offense when it comes to timing and motion and what a defense is supposed to do versus what they do?) – “Well, I would say with our motions, it gets to a point where if we just call a play without a motion, it’s very weird. It’s not just weird for me, it’s weird for our entire offense. Are you sure we’re just lining up and running this play? There are perks to doing both where ok, they’ve motioned so many times and we’ve got however many looks from them, we’re expecting that. So guys are going to get ready. They’re looking at their keys and sometimes would just come up and snap the ball and not motion. I think all of that plays into the rhythm of our offense. They also play into keeping the defense on their toes. Every play we have to communicate. We don’t know what that’s going to look like, but we’re going to have to communicate. Whether if that’s with the front with the change of the strength with the Y or the other motions, the back end is going to have to communicate. That’s what it forces those guys to do. For us, because we’ve seen so many different looks off of those motions, it’s sort of helps how we need to block it in the run game and where we can see as far as space within their defense with the routes that we have.”
(The game without WR Tyreek Hill last week and being able to put up 30 points and move the ball like you guys did, was that something that confirmed something within yourselves? Or was any criticism about your ability to do so without them something that came from mainly outside the building?) – “Nah, I would say it’s always tough when you don’t have one of your best guys out there. To me, I personally say none of us really care who’s out there or who’s not. At the end of the day, whoever is in there, we all trust that we can get it done with those people. Even when I wasn’t in there last year, that was the mindset that those guys had. Ok, Tua’s down, we can’t do anything about. Tyreek is down, we can’t do anything about it. We have to go out there, we still have to play. Those guys don’t care that Tyreek’s out. Those guys didn’t care that I was out last year. It doesn’t matter. We have to go out there and play. I think that should tell you a lot about the guys that were out there. Everyone wants to make this, I keep saying it, everyone wants to make this about me, about Tyreek. Please keep pushing it to Tyreek. Make it about Tyreek. I understand that my platform and who I am in this league as a quarterback makes me – if you want polarizing, whether I’m the best, whether I’m the worst, I could care less. I don’t listen to it. This is my bearer of bad news, (is the communications staff). I hate to say it, but that’s my bearer of bad news if anyone has something bad to say about me. (laughter) But at the end of the day, I really don’t care. If it is shared with me – I mean, I keep receipts. We all have a way of how we do things. But all the narratives about it, sure I’m only good with Tyreek. You’re right. That’s the only time I’m at my best. You’re right. I’m only good when Jaylen (Waddle) is in. I could care less about it. Sure, if Jaylen and those guys are out, I’m only as good as Raheem Mostert allows me to be. If that’s what the narrative needs to be, and we’re able to win games and we’re able to go where we want to go as a team, I am the worst football player, if that’s what you want. I don’t care. I really don’t. Whatever it is, whatever you need on your show, take clips out of what I just said, do what you need to do. I’m just here to do my job and my job is to help our guys win games.”
(It’s not a narrative, it’s actually a fact that you’re the most popular player in the NFL among the fans. No player is more popular than you. You’re number one in fan support. How do you feel about that?) – “It makes me feel weird. (laughter) It’s different just because I try to not make things about myself. I like to make it about others. That’s probably – yeah, it’s unique, I would say. Of course, I appreciate the support from the fans. I appreciate those that are in support of me and my teammates. What statistic makes you say that?”
(You lead in all the Pro Bowl votes.) – “Oh, ok I got you.”
(When you see all the No. 1 jerseys, is it something that is so calming it doesn’t even resonate with you or does it still have a little impact on you? There’s so many jerseys. These people are wearing your number.) – “Well for me, every time I step out there on the field, it’s always about me proving myself right every time. You came into this league and I would even question myself. Am I even good? Do I even belong in this league? Things like that. Every time I step foot on that field and I see someone wearing my jersey, I want to prove myself right, but prove to those people that, ‘dude, you bought that jersey for a reason.’ Whether you’re a fan of me as a football player or a fan of my journey or a fan of things that I’ve done, every time I see that, it’s super cool. As a kid growing up, I would do the same thing for other players. I’d wear their jerseys hoping to be like them. Now, it’s come full circle. To be able to hear that, that’s very cool. Just how that process works, it’s cool. But like I said, it’s also a little weird when I become the spotlight of it.”
(Your brother is about to go into the draft, preparing for the draft. What was your reaction to hearing that? What advice do you have for him?) – “Well, I’m always here for ‘Lia (Taulia). I’m always here for you. You know that. Whatever you need, I can help with. But outside of that, I just tell my brother to listen to what he thinks is best when he hires agents or when he has to go throughout that process. I’m not the one who’s going to tell you who you should go with or whatnot. That should be totally up to you. Because when it’s your decision, regardless of if it is right or wrong, in the end, you always make it right.”
Mike McDaniel – December 20, 2023
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Wednesday, December 20, 2023
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(I’ve got to ask, watching Hard Knocks last night, you’re in the office at 4 a.m. on a Tuesday. Did you go home after the game?) – “Just work. Season hours are you just need to do what needs to be done. It’s a short week, so you just work.”
(So Eminem is your angry music?) – “Yes. How’d you know?”
(Because Hard Knocks told us.) – “Oh. I still haven’t gotten used to that. Yeah, I think ‘99, I was a sophomore in high school when he came out, or when he hit the mainstream. Yeah, he has a tone, a tonality, that I was trying to harness, I would say probably.”
(After talking with the trainers, the plan this week for WR Tyreek Hill and S Jevon Holland. Do you expect Tyreek to practice at all this week and is Jevon at the point where he can progress from limited involvement like the last two weeks, to full involvement this week?) – “We won’t have Tyreek practice today but that’s not any indication of left or right. It’s more just us trying to make sure that we have all cylinders go. Then Jevon Holland, he’s doing well. One thing that we have to do specifically with Jevon, just knowing him I’m sure you get the sense of he’s so motivated, and so aggressive to attack things that we have to kind of (takes breath) so that we don’t have lingering effects. He’s a very, very important part of the team. There’s a lot of guys that I kind of have to step in and get involved with the training staff, and really protect people from themselves. He is very high up on that list in terms of having to be proactive. So he’s doing well, though. He was in great spirits today so I know he knows that he’s getting closer. But we’ll be prudent and do right by him and the team.”
(You’ve talked about every loss being kind of a learning lesson and the team learning from that. Obviously you guys haven’t suffered back-to-back losses. What do you think the four losses kind of as a whole have taught this team as you look ahead to this weekend and the three-game finish?) – “Well, each is unique to itself. Each came at a different stage in the season and I think each has been extremely valuable. The first one, we were riding the high of a rare, I think 50-point margin of victory, and we experienced humility. Not because it was out of lack of respect; it was just a unique experience to go from that high to that low. So I thought from that loss, the way we practiced football changed for the entire year. Then the second loss against Philly, going on the road and not playing clean football from a standpoint of, it’s hard to go to a place that they hadn’t lost there. I think they’ve lost one since. It’s a really tough place to play. It was a big stage and we needed to feel that. We came up short, not out of lack of effort but that was something that this team hadn’t felt. They had only felt one loss and by their own volition, they had a big part in that. So then that occurs, we just get beat by a good football team. And then I think in Kansas City, we learned that in a different way, people were pressing when they shouldn’t have or shouldn’t need to, a different way from the Tennessee game. They also learned how hungry they were and they hadn’t really accomplished anything that they had set out to do, which is a humbling experience but a very healthy experience. This last loss, I think we learned a vital piece of what will shape the rest of our season, namely this game against the Cowboys. But that one, we learned a vital piece on where our attention should lie, and how, in a matter of four minutes in that case, how things can go drastically awry. You also don’t have anywhere to hide. You have to stare yourself in the mirror. You have to feel that. You’ve got remember that the identity of each and every player, coach and person on the football staff, they’re wrapped up in the Dolphins. And when, as an organization, you feel that kind of humbling embarrassment, the only thing you can look at is exactly what’s on deck today, exactly what your assignments are and the details with which can help you fix the feeling. It’s the most heightened sense of being present. It’s the most intentional way that you go about your daily week that football teams have to learn. You just aren’t birthed it. We’re in month 20 in the season and you have to keep finding a new level of intent and hard work and keep building on the last week and that’s kind of where we’re at right now. I know one thing, there’s an entire team that is solely focused on the Dallas Cowboys. Good teams are hard to beat anyway. So you can’t do anything to – you can’t just hope and wish. You have to make sure that you can do everything in your control, and then when you do that, I think that’s when you see our team come to life. I think that’s when we have a spirit on the field that’s unique because it’s earned. It’s not fake and it’s born and built out of preparation.”
(You’re facing a team on Sunday that just gave up 266 rushing yards to Buffalo. When you looked at the film of that game, what jumps out at you?) – “I think for one, any football coach in the National Football League pretty much knows by reputation shown on film of what type of coach Dan Quinn is as a defensive coordinator. He inspires guys to truly be their best selves. I’ve witnessed it firsthand for a couple of years. They are a team that strains and they met a team that was also straining. It wasn’t like they were just giving up big open spaces and easy – it was deliberate, intentional. Each team has their own thing going on and you could tell that Buffalo had a mindset that – it was more Buffalo executing then I saw than this, that or the other with Dallas. But one thing in this league, if you guys are hearing about and speaking to me about it, I think that our team is well aware and I’m very well aware that that team is very prideful. The Dallas Cowboys have prided themselves on a lot of things football, and they are hearing about it too the ‘nth degree, so we know exactly what to expect this Sunday. And that’s something similar that we can relate to in terms of what we went through just six days ago. I think it sets up for two teams that feel internally that they really have something to prove to themselves and that makes for good football. It will be a hard-fought test for both teams that I’m really excited about. This is what you play football for. You play football to play the best teams and we’re very fortunate to have the opportunity, and we look to take advantage of that this Wednesday and then do more of that on Thursday.”
(What’s the condition of your offensive line? You had OL Austin Jackson and OL Liam Eichenberg get through the game. How are they doing?) – “They are earning stripes and metal with every single one of their teammates. The rarified air to be – I mean the whole group really has battled things throughout the whole season. And Liam Eichenberg, his performance when the team absolutely needed it, he wasn’t saying, ‘okay, I’m going to try to go.’ He was telling everyone he was going and then not even leading on to that he was dealing with anything. You just had to look – one of his feet had terrible footwear. It was a boot. Then what Austin was doing. In this stage of the season, you don’t know where, you don’t know which position, but if you’re trying to win, it’s a big task. It’s inherent that there’s people willing to go there for the team. Their efforts have not gone unnoticed. I think they’re building onto the already established equity that they’ve built with their teammates this year.”
(I know you’ve known RB Raheem Mostert for a long time. What, if anything, have you learned new about him this season as he’s having a career year?) – “Even in a career year, the stripes that – what makes him him is the chip on his shoulder that he uses for a competitive advantage never goes away. So, he finds in one way, shape or form to find his formula, which is that no one thinks he’s good enough ever. That’s the way he looks at it. You got to understand the stuff that he’s gone through in his career is real. That would break most people. So it doesn’t surprise me. But if you want to talk about a guy that every single game, every single one of his teammates knows that dude is a hard tackle. Whether you’re blocking for him, you’re handing the ball off to him or you’re watching him play from the other sides of the ball, in the game of football, when there’s an element that you feel like a controlled variable, it is monumental for a team. So, we rely on him week in and week out to deliver on that. He’s a huge reason for the success that we have had this season.”
(I don’t want to jinx anything, but QB Tua Tagovailoa hasn’t thrown a pick in three games. How much is that him maybe not taking chances? Is that play calling? Is that more signs of his growth?) – “So especially with Tua, there’s a pattern here where somebody’s got to pick up on, ok? He gets better. And he gets better in an inordinate amount in a short period of time. That doesn’t mean– the game of football is tough. He will throw an interception at some point in his life. But what he’s doing is he’s learning from everything because he’s not pointing a finger or hiding from it. He’s really holding himself fairly accountable for everything, but not backing down from anything. You’re seeing a guy develop as we’ve seen him develop really since I’ve been here. So should it surprise us that he continues to improve his game? Well, if we’re blindfolded with earplugs, it should surprise us. That’s what you know about Tua. His hunger is deep within himself and that will continue. He’s playing the quarterback position better than he had at the beginning of the season. Numbers are numbers, but he’s learned stuff that is tangible as you progress through the season. It’s a tremendous responsibility to have the football every play and he doesn’t take that lightly.”
(What have you noticed about Dallas LB Micah Parsons?) – “He is one of the best players in the National Football League in any position. And I don’t think it’s really debatable. This dude is different. The orchestration that he has with his teammates and the stuff that Coach (Dan) Quinn does with the multiplicity of his alignments, you can tell not only is he unique in skillset, but you don’t play all the way across the line and in the stack and do all the things that he does without having a true love for the game. I would probably say he’s more to fun watch when you’re not going to play him. But that being said, I like the challenge of facing elite players like our players do. It’s really cool to watch because when you combine talent with strain, that’s rarified air, and in general with the level of talent and the level of strain he exhibits. So, he is a real dude for sure.”
(What have you learned from how defense have adjusted to you timing and motion throughout the season?) – “To expect the unexpected. I think our guys have gotten pretty comfortable. It’s been a while since we’ve played a team that has just kind of done exactly what they do against other teams. Sometimes that means it’s a different ratio of the coverages that they like to play. Sometimes it’s coverages that we’ve never seen them play. I think that’s something that is a badge of honor that you try to earn in the National Football League because it’s both a sign of respect but also a challenge at the same time. It presents unique things. We were just talking about Tua’s development. That is something that he is well versed at week in and week out is new challenges presented. You can forecast to a certain degree. To a certain degree, it’s impossible. That’s what December football is and meaningful football games. From my experience, that’s what I know to be true about playoff football. And throughout the postseason, it only gets more extreme, especially when you get to a game with two weeks to prepare. These are things that you have to become successful at if you’re trying to be successful. So they’re very good learning experiences as our team grows throughout the season.”
(Just a check in on S DeShon Elliott. Is he still in concussion protocol?) – “I don’t think he’s cleared yet. But he’s participating in the process of getting cleared. Does that make sense? You have to walk before you can run.”
Andrew Van Ginkel – December 18, 2023
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Monday, December 18, 2023
LB Andrew Van Ginkel
(Your head coach set you up because he asked if we’d seen you because you broke your nose, and we hadn’t today, but you look a lot better than we thought you would.) – “Yeah, it’s not too bad. I didn’t even know it was broken until this morning when they did the CT scan on it.”
(Do you have to go into protocol if you get a broken nose?) – “No. They’ll ask you how you’re feeling, if you’re lightheaded and stuff like that. They ask questions to make sure that you’re not, and if you need to see a doctor. But they don’t automatically put you in it.”
(How does one continue playing as if nothing happened if you have a broken nose? How do you pull that off?) – “Honestly, I’m just a football player. It’s the nature of the beast. It’s what we do and that’s what makes us who we are.”
(Do you know how it happened?) – “Yeah. I was pass rushing and I took a fist to the face. It kind of went through my facemask and I felt it instantly. Blood started gushing everywhere. I didn’t think anything of it. I just thought I had a bloody nose. I got back to the sideline and blood is just pouring out of both nostrils. It took a few minutes for it to settle down.”
(How about the game LB Bradley Chubb had on the other side?) – “Unbelievable. That’s just a testament to who he is. He’s been playing like that all year, but the quarterbacks have been getting the ball out a split second before he gets there. He’s been playing lights out all year. It’s so great to see it’s finally paying off and all the fruits of his labor is working.”
(Just to clarify, the fist to the face part, do you have any suspicion as to if it was inadvertent?) – “It’s football. That stuff happens all the time. I can’t tell you if it happened on purpose or not. I would be lying if I said I haven’t accidentally done that. It just happens. You move in different directions and stuff happens so fast out there. I personally don’t think it was on purpose.”
(In the first half yesterday, you guys had sacked the quarterback more than they had total yards – five sacks versus four yards. What was going right for you yesterday?) – “Everything was clicking on all cylinders. (Bradley) Chubb started the game hot, getting two sacks in the first couple of series. We just had the momentum and I think we just went from there. When you have somebody making big momentum plays like that, it gets you going and gets everybody fired up.”
(Did you and your wife host the holiday gingerbread…) – “Yeah, (my wife) might have.”
(How was that?) – “Yeah, just a few of our friends and all of our wives just got together and had a little friendly competition, spending some time together around the holidays. Just soaking it all in. Something cool like that, it doesn’t happen all the time. When you have good friends on this team and guys that want to get to know you, it’s special. Obviously with Calvin Munson being back, it was good to see him so I think we wanted to get together with him and his wife and spend some time with them.”
(Who won?) – “I don’t want to brag. I think it was me. Me and my wife did a good job, I thought. Alec (Ingold) did a good job as well. They all did. Calvin is funny. He tried to put a smiley face with licorice and obviously it’s hard to make a smiley face. It just goes to more of a straight face.” (laughter)
(How do you think this defense has handled life after LB Jaelan Phillips this year? How do you think you guys have filled that void?) – “I don’t think you can. He’s a special player. He’s a unique player. He brings all the energy to this defense. When you see a guy like that go down, it’s tough. You need guys to step up. I’m doing my best to be able to step into that role and obviously we got (Emmanuel) Ogbah, and ‘JPP’ (Jason Pierre Paul). Cam (Goode) played well in the game as well this past Sunday. Just seeing guys like that take advantage of their opportunity and make the most of it.”
(Does LB Jaelan Phillips come around?) – “Yeah. We see him all the time. He still texts me before games. He’s my No. 1 fan. I love that man. We’ve been here for three years now together. We’re like brothers. It’s special.”
(All the games you have left on the schedule are teams that will probably be bound for the playoffs. What do you think of the intensity of the remaining slate?) – “We just got to take it one game at a time. I know that’s coach talk, but it’s the truth. You can’t get to the next game without playing the team in front of you. We’ve got to focus on the Cowboys. They are the next opponent in our way, and if we want to get to where we want to go, it starts with the Cowboys. That’s what our team should be focused on, and what our mentality should be.”
Alec Ingold – December 18, 2023
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Monday, December 18, 2023
FB Alec Ingold
(On picking up RB Raheem Mostert’s record-setting football after he spiked it. Is that something you were very aware of before the potential touchdown?) – “One-hundred percent. I knew the emotions would be high for him. Obviously setting history is a big deal. I probably ran over like four people trying to get that ball. I was on a full sprint. I didn’t get to celebrate with the guys but I wanted to make sure that he had that one. I think it’s going over to Canton. For that man to be in the Hall of Fame for that is really, really cool. Really special. Then he reset it again a couple of drives later. He got to keep that ball, so that’s good.”
(So the Canton people contacted the Dolphins about the football you snagged for RB Raheem Mostert?) – “Raheem (Mostert) just said that it’s on its way so pretty cool moment for him in the position meetings today to reminisce, see that and keep on record-setting with him this year.”
(You will have to go to Canton this summer?) – “Yeah, we’ve got to do a field trip. Bring the running back room up, make a special time – I don’t know what time of year that would be good for – but I’m sure it’s going to be great getting the guys. It’s historic up there. It’s a pretty cool opportunity to whenever you’re doing something at a record-setting pace, there’s a lot of guys chasing a lot of individual statistics; but it’s the team, it’s the collective, it’s the pursuit, it’s that chase that so many guys are doing really, really special things this time of year.”
(You guys had a ton of moving parts yesterday on offense, but the one constant this year has been QB Tua Tagovailoa. How would you say he has handled the season and this stretch run?) – “As a pro. Tua is handling it like he knows how. The roller-coaster of emotions outside of the building, he is one of the constants, as an NFL quarterback, to keep all those emotions in check – good, bad or indifferent – and to stay consistent has been one of the biggest things for us as a team. So it’s great to see a leader be able to do that – stay stoic, stay in the moment and deliver time again.”
(That first touchdown, it was a commitment to punching it in on the ground after the first time, second time, it was third-and-goal at the 2-yard line. What were your thoughts? What was your reaction when you heard you were going for another run?) – “Oh, I loved it. I loved it. And it’s like any time you have that opportunity for the guys to be able to kind of get that monkey off your back and be able to get Raheem (Mostert) in there. First drive didn’t start exactly how we wanted it, but you get Zach Sieler almost scoring another touchdown and you get there, it’s really that mindset to get in and touch paint. So a lot of guys were battling yesterday. It was fun to see and it was a little game of attrition for us and it was fun. It was a good game.”
(Does it feel a little bit normal coming into work today as opposed to last Tuesday? It felt like a different vibe around this place.) – “Yeah, I mean, I think human nature kind of sets in every once in a while and especially in December when games start to ramp up and everything seems to mean more, you kind of have been training yourself to put yourself through the stressful environments in training camp and OTAs so that here is just time to perform. So any time you’re able to go out and make things right on the football field, I think that was really important for us and it was fun to be able to go out and play with the guys again. You have a whole week of work that you just can’t wait to get out and make things right again in that box, so it was a good time.”
(There are no soft spots left on the schedule, not that you deem any opponent as such, but you have the most challenging schedule, strength-of-schedule-wise coming up. What are your thoughts on the upcoming slate?) – “We’ve got the Cowboys. It’s all I’m worried about. How can I be better today? How can this team be better today for Sunday? That’s the mindset. That’s the process. That’s the formula we built here. So one day at a time, being present where my feet are at, answering these questions as good as I can; and then I’m going to rest as best I can and get ready for a great Cowboys game.”
(Starting with the run that put you guys ahead 20-13 in the Titans game, starting with that red zone sequence, there obviously has been a change in Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s thinking in terms of running the ball deep in the red zone. He did it the last two series of that game, did it early this game. Was that something that he or Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith conveyed to you that at least for now – it won’t necessarily always be this way – at least for now we’re going to make a commitment to the run in the red zone? Was that conveyed or not particularly?) – “I think the whole season, it’s been so dynamic and fluid and I think that’s what’s been so different with this coaching staff coming in, is like they aren’t afraid to look things in the face. And that gives the players such a great example of how to deal with adversity, how to improve, not be afraid of growth and seeing opportunities in the game to step up. So I think whatever message you want to portray, I think the coaches, players, everyone is willing to improve and get better and I think that gives you a chance late in the season. So that’s the lesson I’m going to take today and tomorrow and every day moving forward.”
Christian Wilkins – December 18, 2023
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Monday, December 18, 2023
DT Christian Wilkins
(A career high sack total for you and DT Zach Sieler. Do you think that’s a function of both you guys just improving at that craft? Is there any part of it with Defensive Coordinator’s Vic Fangio’s defense that makes it easier for defensive tackles to get sacks?) – “Really, just me and Zach, we typically try to focus and worry about the right things and just do our jobs at a high level and be the best we can individually, because that ultimately affects the team. We don’t really think about this or that. We just try to do our jobs at a high level, and we both put a tremendous amount of work in to be good individual players and to also be the best for the guys around us, learn the scheme, different things like that.”
(The game that LB Bradley Chubb had. You and DT Zach Sieler were bringing up the interior and having him off the edge, what was that like to see that?) – “That was fun to be a part of. It was pretty much a career day for Bradley. That was awesome for him because he works hard, and there were a lot of times this year he was really close. To have a night like that, the football gods were on his side. It was good to see and fun to be a part of. I’m happy for him. If we can just keep things like that rolling and going, it will be big for us moving forward.”
(You and LB Bradley Chubb combined on that one sack early and he forced the fumble. Was that like a Steph Curry no look, you looking away?) – “That was style points. I already knew what was going on. Just like we drew it up. Everything to a tee. We knew Zach was going to pick it up and all of that. Just style points right there, knowing how it was going to play out.”
(Do you think DT Zach Sieler should’ve scored?) – “Yeah, that’s the part he messed up. He was supposed to score on that. He got a little off script, went a little rogue there. (laughter)”
(We don’t know Zack Martin’s status because he got banged up yesterday, but that would be a matchup we’d all love to see – your interior versus that Cowboys interior line. How do you see that playing out?) – “They’ve got a really good offensive line, along with a lot of good pieces on their offense. Receivers, skilled positions, Dak (Prescott) stirs the pot. He’s the guys that leads them and handles business, and gets them going, and everything like that. They present a good challenge for us, but we’ll be up for it as a defense and as a front. It will be exciting. A lot of fun. I’m looking forward to it.”
(OL Zack Martin as a player, I’m sure you have watched his career from afar? What are your thoughts on him?) – “His resume speaks for itself. I don’t know how many All Pros, Pro Bowls and whatnot he’s got. He’s a heck of a player. A lot of guys on the o-line – (Tyron) Smith – have great resumes and things like that. We’re just going to have to put a good week of prep in and be prepared for that. I got to play Zack one time in my career. It wasn’t a favorable matchup for me. I’m looking forward to this one, three or four years later. It should be a lot of fun.”
(What kind of intensity do you expect in late December when it’s getting close to playoff time?) – “You definitely kind of feel it a little bit. That December football. The games mean a lot more now. There is always just a little extra something. You don’t know what it is but the games just feel a lot bigger. They are more fun and more intense like the focus is there throughout the week. These games, the later they get in the year, they all get a little more meaningful and a little more fun.”
(Speaking of QB Dak Prescott stirring the pot, as someone who lines up as close to him as just about anybody on the team, how long into the game will that ‘Here we go’ thing get on your nerves?) – “Obviously I’ve heard a lot about that, but I guess we’ll have to see. I haven’t faced it yet, but we’ll see how that goes.”
Mike McDaniel – December 18, 2023
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Monday, December 18, 2023
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(We were just talking about how difficult it must be to play football with a broken nose.) – “Yes. That’s not for everybody. (laughter) Two gauzes? What’s funny – so the information flows on like a need-to-know basis during the game. Generally, you would find out as a head coach that someone had a broken nose. But with Andrew Van Ginkel, I think it speaks to the prerequisite toughness and kind of the guy is, because he was just like, alright gauze it up and let’s go, I never knew about it until I saw his face. Have you guys seen him? I mean, it’s two – so I was like what happened to him? ‘Oh yeah, he broke his nose.’”
(With OL Austin Jackson, is there any concern that the oblique could be as serious as what LB Jaelan Phillips went through where I think he missed three out of four games? And with CB Xavien Howard, was he close to playing with the hip yesterday or is he more week to week?) – “With Austin, I would say that it’s not – the timeframe isn’t what Jaelan Phillips’ was. It’s not as severe. However, we’re going to have to see how he progresses during the week. So day-to-day I would say, with some optimism, but there’s a lot of unknown. Then I guess there’s a new gradient that you guys could use. Inherently to me, if you are working a player out before the game, inherently, they’re close. If you are taking it to the game day and putting them through a workout, for me, that is close enough that you couldn’t rule it out. As far as how it progresses during the week, we’ll take that a day at a time. But I think with the guys that we’re working out before the game, that lets you know that it’s close because if it wasn’t close, we wouldn’t be working them out.”
(FB Alec Ingold just mentioned that he believes RB Raheem Mostert’s record-setting touchdown football is headed to Canton. How cool is that? Did you get notified that that was happening?) – “No. That’s really cool. Especially with a player that I have so much history with, I can remember the first time that he had – he’s always had internal confidence, because it’s the only way you can sustain in the league when everyone tells you you’re not good enough. But with the 49ers, Green Bay 2018 at Green Bay, I can remember the first time that I saw it click in his eyes that it’s not just internal belief; I am a good running back and here’s the tape to show you. The journey has been long so I’m very invested in his story. I just know how many obstacles or points of adversity he had to persevere through to be here this year. Then on top of that, the season that he’s having on the heels of every single one of you guys were trying to get us to trade for a running back all year. Right? No? (laughter) There was just a lot of talk about – he doesn’t bring that up, but you just know that people have ears. So that noise, it’s cool for him to have the season he’s having. And one thing that I can tell you, just because there has been some individual success stories and some statistics that have garnered – there’s just some guys that have been producing, is that the team is really proud of having a hand in it. He knows that it takes 11 people to orchestrate a football run play or a pass play on every down. But the team takes pride in it. The team was happy for him. He had a violent spike, but players were aware to (see) is the ball in the stands or not? Just knowing that was a big deal. It is about as cool as it gets.”
(How likely is it that you will have your starting safeties intact for Sunday?) – “We started two safeties that did a great job. In terms of the guys that were out this game, talking about (Jevon Holland) and (DeShon Elliott), right? We’ll continue to take it day by day with Jevon (Holland). I’m proud of him because he is earning his captainship. He already had earned it, obviously, by his teammates voting for him consecutive years, but it’s a special thing to be a very good player or an elite player at your position in the National Football League. It’s a different feather in your cap when you’re able to make people better when you’re not playing. He was just a coach on the field all game day. He’s been tirelessly trying to get back, so his body will tell him and us when it’s ready to go. But I can promise you that he’s been as diligent as anyone really going after that. Then DeShon (Elliott), he’s been progressing well and we’re anticipating those final stages (of concussion protocol). But again, with concussions, unfortunately, we’re well-versed in that and I just want to make sure that he’s good to go and don’t really worry about a timeline. But very optimistic as you can tell.”
(There’s obviously a long list of injuries we’re trying to get through. DE Emmanuel Ogbah is another one I don’t think we addressed yesterday. What happened to him?) – “Soft tissue. It should be day-to-day. We’ll see for this week.”
(You know the narrative of this team’s record against other contenders is going to resurface this week and down the final stretch because every game remaining is one of those types of games. What are your thoughts leading into this final stretch?) – “Not much. The thoughts are firmly with getting better from this previous game and as I talked to the team today, I instructed the players that anything other than to concern yourself with the next opponent, which for us is the Dallas Cowboys, any other narrative that has to do with good teams or playoff seeds or the next three games, all that stuff; I gave them the clearance to tell all members of the media to – with all due respect – eff off, with all due respect. (laughter) Because all we’re focused on is the Dallas Cowboys and they definitely deserve our attention. So as we clean up our game from the previous, we’ll be thinking about that, and the narratives will be what they be and we’re not really concerned. We now that’s going to exist but it’s really inconsequential for what we’re trying to do.”
(In both games against the Jets this year, it seems like the quick game and the running game, you guys were able to get on the perimeter in both those contests. I was curious to hear your perspective on TE Durham Smythe’s contributions to that?) – “He’s a player that in a year and a half, you’d be hard-pressed to earn and garner more respect from me as a coach. He’s really carved out a very important role for how we do a lot of things, whether that is in the run game, in pass protection or converting a critical third down, which I think he was responsible for two first downs. And so every time he’s on the field, he’s a big part of what we do. There’s a lot on his plate on a week-to-week basis. He goes above and beyond for the team. Sometimes in install, we’ll have a play up in two different personnel groups. One, he’s the primary target in one personnel group and in the other personnel group, he’s not the primary target and I’ll ask him in front of the group, ‘hey, which personnel is better to run this play in?’ And he’s like, ‘I think both are great.’ That’s how he approaches everything he is. He’s the consummate Miami Dolphin because he is just trying to do whatever it takes for the team to win.”
(Have you crossed paths at all with Cowboys Head Coach Mike McCarthy? I’m sure over the years you have, but what is your thoughts on him as a coach and the path he’s taken?) – “I think obviously he’s been a fixture in the National Football League for a while and that’s justified because he’s on many different teams, found the successful formula to reach them. He’s been the head coach of numerous gigantic games and the only way you do that is if you’re adept at your job and I’ve been very impressed how he’s molded this particular team and this particular franchise into his own. He does a great job with that and I think one of the big indicators that I always hope to strive for is to have players that believe in you and every time I hear players talk about him, there’s definitely belief behind their eyes and their words. So he’s done a great job there. They’re a double-digit win football team and I think they’re going through something that six days ago, we went through. So history has told me that he’s going to have his guys ready to play hungry as well as Coach (Dan) Quinn and all the guys.”
(Is activating RB Chris Brooks a simple decision to do so by tomorrow and also OL Isaiah Wynn, is he out for the season or is there some possibility he comes back?) – “I think Chris Brooks, he’s gotten himself to a pretty good place. Watching him on a day-to-day basis, he’s – rookies especially you go through a season at the NFL level and it’s so many games. It’s so long. But in that, you can see guys that are capable of transitioning from okay, I’m a rookie, well maybe I’m not a rookie anymore, maybe I’m something between a rookie and a second-year guy. That maturation and understanding what it takes to execute stuff at the NFL level, guys can depend on him. They trust him and his strain and effort is something that adds value to the team, so it’s an easy decision to have him up or have him activated.”
(OL Isaiah Wynn?) – “Yeah, again, I don’t like to completely shut the door on anything. What I do know is he’s been doing well and I haven’t been really worried about a timeline for both us and him. So it’s not really on my radar at this time. I’m not really looking for – I’ve got enough injuries on the plate. What I do know is I see him in his process and he’s going about it diligently.”
(With OL Robert Hunt, do you think he needs another week of just rest and sitting out with the hamstring before you think about bringing him back?) – “I’d like to see how he develops this week. I’m not going to rule that out. I’m just optimistic that it’s going to turn the corner and he’s going to feel good. So I’m just watching him do his diligent work as he desperately wants to be with his teammates. I think he’s showing them that.”
(CB Cam Smith?) – “Another soft tissue. He had an injury in training camp that he showed his teammates his internal toughness and fortitude, he came back pretty quick. Really it’s day-to-day, but I’m optimistic about him.”
(WR Jaylen Waddle’s injury didn’t worsen overnight or anything did it?) – “No. He’s just a tough guy that has a high pain tolerance but is feeling a little sore today.”
Brandon Jones – December 17, 2023 (Postgame)
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Sunday, December 17, 2023
Postgame – N.Y. Jets
Miami Dolphins S Brandon Jones
(On Friday, you were talking about just how happy you were to be back on the field. What’s the feeling when you catch the ball and you know you’re doing something for your teammates, you’re doing something for your team?) – “It was an awesome feeling. Like I told you last time, just the opportunity that I’m getting just to be out on the field and help out any way that I can. As soon as the ball hit my hands, I just tried to make something work. I shouldn’t have went across court, because I was super tired. I don’t know what I was thinking, I should’ve just went straight. I don’t know, everything kind of slowed down so I was like, ‘Ah, let’s go all the way down to the field to this side,’ and I ran right to the sideline, so it worked out.”
(What was the preparation like going into this week? Obviously, three out of four starting defensive backs out. Still pitched a shutout, the first since 2020, that’s got to feel pretty good missing some pieces as well?) – “Yeah, obviously it was a short week. We played them like three weeks ago, so it all kind of worked itself out. I think we knew guys were going to be down, and we knew we had to step up. As long as we were playing fast, we were communicating and we were doing our job, I think everything else kind of took care of itself. We have a lot of guys that are skilled and can do a lot of good things, so from that aspect there wasn’t a lot of drop off. We had people flying around, people out there taking command. A lot of them played a great game as well, so it was just really good to see.”
(The Jets didn’t get many opportunities to get down into the red zone or even close to it, but when that second interception happened, they were starting to creep towards that. Did it mean something special to you guys that that interception helped keep the shutout going?) – “Yeah, I was getting tired as hell, too, I’m not going to lie to you. Actually, I feel kind of bad, because I should have let Eli (Apple) get it. I see Eli just sitting there and I was like, ‘Ah, should I do it? I got to do it, I got to do it.’ So I ended up getting it, but it was a great way to end the game and keep that score at zero.”
(For you to have a game like this after everything you’ve gone through with injuries, how important was this for you?) – “It means a lot. It still kind of hasn’t hit me yet, I’m just trying to take it all in. It’s been an interesting year, to say the least, for me. It hasn’t been super ideal with what I’ve necessarily wanted, but the big thing is I’ve learned is to be super grateful and appreciate everything, especially coming off of my injury. Any opportunity is an opportunity, that’s how I look at it. So getting this opportunity to play, not knowing what’s going to happen the rest of the season, I’m just glad I was able to make the most of my opportunity.”
