Transcripts

Tyler Huntley – December 29, 2024 (Postgame) Download PDF version

Cleveland Browns vs. Miami Dolphins | 12-29-24

Miami Dolphins QB Tyler Huntley (transcribed by the Cleveland Browns)

What was your perspective this week on how Tua [Tagovailoa] got hurt and you found out you were gonna be the starter?

“Just like every week, you just gotta be prepared. You never know when you are going to be called on. And I am telling you, Tua did a good job of just taking his reps, and he was just talking to me through my reps and I went to work.”

So you knew this was a possibility beginning all week?

“I mean, we had a possibility because he was a little sore when he came in one day. Earlier this week he felt a little sore and we were switching off reps.”

What was your approach you had into this game where it seemed like at times of just managing it and at times it was time to make plays?

“When it was time to make a play, we had to make a play for the time the plays were there. We just took them but we got to get better to clean up our fundamentals. The flags were the stoppers of our drives. we could’ve put up way more points. We just got to get one more win and we all know we are gonna get ready for this week coming up”

You looked so much more decisive today than compared to weeks past. Do you feel comfortable in this offense at this point?

“Yes I do feel good. I actually feel more comfortable with these plays. So yeah, a couple weeks in the office definitely makes a difference.”

At what point did it really start clicking for you?

“I would say after my third start when I was just able to watch Tua come in during that Arizona game and I was just able to click by seeing how he can take control of the offense.”

You mentioned how Tua was in practice this week. What was he like, for you, on the sideline tonight?

“Just the same. When I came to the sideline, he told me what he was seeing. And when I made a play, he was the first one to say something to me. That’s a great teammate right there.”

Take me though a couple running plays. The touchdown where you scored and also when you had the big opening up the middle and kind of did a little whirl around.

“I was just trying to get a little more space, man. It was tough to pick my feet up off the ground with those studs, but I was able to help the team make some plays.”

Were there any feelings with returning back to Cleveland and playing against those guys that you spent all summer with?

“Not really. It was more just seeing the guys again if you know what I mean. But a couple of guys I have known for a long time. We still stay in contact, but it is always good seeing the dudes that you have played some games with.”

Mike McDaniel – December 29, 2024 (Postgame) Download PDF version

Cleveland Browns vs. Miami Dolphins | 12-29-24

Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel (transcribed by the Cleveland Browns)

(In order for Dolphins QB “Snoop” Tyler Huntley to be the starting quarterback for this game, what was the process and timeline as far as seeing that Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa was unable to go?)

“It’s been a ‘since last game’ process. The hip injury which he sustained in the Houston game and was made worse on one particular play against the (San Francisco) 49ers. Then you come in and you see that the injury is a little worse, but you try to forecast how things will heal based upon the only thing that you have to work with, which is the previous week’s forecast from the Houston game to the San Francisco game. So we were hoping and anticipating for a timeline similar to that, and as the week progressed, we didn’t see the improvement we’d hoped for, but still really allowing his body the full amount of time to heal. Ultimately he absolutely wanted to play. It wasn’t a pain tolerance thing, because he wanted to. That’s not in the equation for him. The main thing was that he not only was super susceptible to a much more significant injury based upon that injury if he were to fall in harm’s way, but a major factor was the lack of strength due to the injury, and his inability, as we forecasted, to protect himself and his teammates within the pocket and doing the things that he normally has to do. Really, I think it was Friday or Saturday, that the hopeful trend of improvement, we were kind of faced with the reality that it was kind of plateauing right then. And then ultimately all the way up until this morning I kind of kept an open mind and a hopeful mind. I think the major thing in the process, I think what was evident was the positives of time for Snoop and for how far he’s come since we last played with him. I thought that was a tremendous outing for him. I thought he made some plays and was very good with the ball, and those are always cool things for a player when they’re playing a team that they were on in that same calendar year.”

(Given the significance of this game tonight and that he didn’t play, and you describe the significance of the injury and the pain if he were to play today, is it realistic to think that he could play next week? Is it a question of whether he needs surgery down the line?)

“Surgery is not currently on the table. I mean, aren’t you talking about next year? It’s hard to forecast next year. C’mon – calendar joke? Like I said, we had reasonable, hopeful expectations for his body, and he absolutely had the same expectations. So, to even begin to forecast this next week is difficult because we were waiting until the last hour. Ultimately, he is super important to our team. It was not ideal in any way, shape, or form to have a game like this and not have him available, but it was also, from a medical perspective, not an option for him to play. We’ll be hopeful for that as we progress. I can’t even lean one way or the other really. We’ll see what the world has in store for us.”

(To follow up, is this injury in any way related to the previous injury?)

“No. It’s not at all.”

(What is your perspective as the team is still alive going into Week 18?)

“I don’t know. I’m very proud of the locker room and the coaching staff, and just really everyone because this one was important for the obvious reasons, but also because we were 2-6 staring at the LA Rams, and winning this game put us at 6-2 cents. Some of the best things in team sports occur when you have to galvanize together and there’s a lot of people telling you that your season is over, this, that, and the other. I think it speaks to that, and on top of all that, you’re going through that stretch where you’re 5-2 in your last seven games, then on gameday you’re faced with not having your starting quarterback. Defensively, team football, they rose to the occasion. Having a couple turnovers and not letting them into the end zone. Guys made some plays just across the board. It was a team win that felt really good for all the reasons above and one that I thought was earned through not only this last work week, but the accumulation of work weeks as they’ve bonded together.”

(Tyler said he finally started to get the hang of this offense after his third start. When was it noticeable to you and your staff that Snoop was starting to find it?)

“Honestly it was running ‘not’ our offense. When he came back from injury and he was doing the service team’s work, you could feel an enhanced confidence that was bleeding over from his ownership of what he was tasked to do as a quarterback for our offense. You could feel his impact on the daily practice field. When you’re talking about a backup quarterback, that’s a big deal. When you’re making an impact of providing energy and also making confident plays, it was right when he returned from injury. He made a pretty noticeable impact on the practice field in service team and it was trickling over into our offensive stuff. It’s been a cool process with him and to watch him kind of evolve.”

(We know how much Dolphins LT Terron Armstead means to this team. Can you give us a sense of what he was going through tonight? We saw him on the sideline flexing the knee and we know he exited the (New York) Jets game. What has he been through these last few weeks?)

“I can’t understate the mental component to it. He’s really testing the boundaries of what will can do. It’s very important to him, this team is important to him. He has been one of the main voices, the pillars of reason. When you have adversity in the season, the leaders are leaned on that much more. His fight week in, week out, is not gone unnoticed by all his teammates for sure. Also I think it kind of helps in an indirect unintended consequence way by seeing this guy doing everything he can to play. Then the frustration that ensues when he’s unable to, his teammates I think indirectly have an appreciation for being on the field in their own right, that much more. Just because you’re seeing guys that when he’s not out there, he absolutely and positively wishes and would do anything to be out there with his teammates. He continues to improve and be a linchpin for this team. We’re all happy that he gives it his all every week.”

(What about Dolphins DT Calais Campbell and that he has an opportunity with this team to get into the tournament?)

“I think that’s why he’s here. Every week you’re just like ‘wow, we’re fortunate to have this guy.’ He almost has that youth football energy towards football. Like just a love for it that he’s never really satisfied. His appetite for the game is real and every time he speaks, the team takes it super serious and it leaves an impression on them. I think he’s one of the absolute reasons we’re still alive for postseason play, and we get an opportunity to play one guaranteed game. If we take care of business, we have an opportunity to keep going in the season, which has been the whole motive and point of trying to turn this thing around, because you know if you’re able to, you’re also a weathered, experienced, tough team that has all those components of what it takes in December and January football.”

(There is such a difference between how the season began and how it’s ending. When you look at turning points, what’s the main turning point that stands out in your mind?)

“It was the Monday night game in LA. I think we were able to win that game, it was one of our first examples of complementary football in all three phases. I think it was a hard fought game. As a team, you’re embarrassed of your 2-6 record being on national television, and I challenged guys to own that and do something about it, and they really had that sense. Once you do that, you win a couple games in a row, then a lot of times people break the next time there’s a setback. What I’ve seen is guys not blinking anytime something maybe doesn’t go the way that we’d hoped to the point of being a situation where the last two games we knew we had to win and have some help, and as a result we’re staring another playoff game in the face with the New York Jets that we’ll have to earn. That’ll be our complete focus. If you focus on that, then hopefully you have an opportunity to focus on another opponent. We’ll have to first get to that, which will start the second that tomorrow starts. Otherwise, I’m getting excited to get on the plane and take a nap.”

(Can you run us through the process behind the 4th and one play call – the pitch to Dolphins RB De’Von Achane?)

“When I called it, I didn’t think it was going to end up that way. Otherwise I wouldn’t have called it. It was a situation of being a little aggressive because I was aware that in about ten minutes, the dry night we were having was going to turn into a wet one that I kind of figured that this was the moment to try and go get a lead. You would need the execution of a lot of pass plays in wet weather to come back from. They did a good job. They were blitzing and unfortunately the way that (Browns CB Mike) Ford (Jr.) aided the play, we didn’t get a chance to down block something at the point of attack, so it looked like their own decision for sure. But that’s the nature of what I signed up for, so it was more just a misplaced play call for the defense that they executed, but we had a rhyme and reason. I’m sure it didn’t feel that way when it didn’t work, but that was kind of the thought process.”

Mike McDaniel – December 27, 2024 Download PDF version

Friday, December 27, 2024

Head Coach Mike McDaniel

(Encouraging to see WR Jaylen Waddle practice at least some yesterday. Is there optimism with him for Sunday?) – “I’m optimistic just because of the way he goes at it and I know he will play if he’s able to. So as of right now, I would say there’d be some ‘questionability’ to it, but we’ll see how it progresses. He’s done a great job doing everything he can.”

(And with S Jordan Poyer, if you’re able to say, if not, we understand. Is it more knee or finger and are you pessimistic with him since he hasn’t practiced this week?) – “I’m optimistic that he will practice today which gives me optimism towards the game, but we’ll see how that plays out with the old game of head, shoulders, knees and toes.”

(CB Kendall Fuller out?) – “Yes.”

(I don’t know if this is something you’ll want to share, but I’ll throw it out there. Was the OL Isaiah Wynn, OL Liam Eichenberg platoon so successful that you plan to continue with that?) – “It was a cool formula that it proved to provide dividends for this past game, and should we see it to provide the same dividends this game, we will be open-minded to doing the same thing, but maybe we won’t.”

(LB Jordyn Brooks, LB Anthony Walker, can you share with us the level of optimism on those two?) – “Very optimistic about Jordyn Brooks and I can rule ‘Walk’ (Anthony Walker Jr.) out. That was something that popped up this week.”

(A backup quarterback question. Who has been your best backup quarterback here and why? And what will you look for in the future from a backup quarterback?) – “I think you’re looking for – being a backup quarterback is one of the more difficult tasks that exist in football. So the baseline to me is that you have to have guys that are self-motivated to stay prepared without losing the edge of, you can have one, two, three, four games in a row, every single game you have to be ready. And that means you have to have additional reps on top of any reps you get in practice. That you have to be a self-starter in that regard or get guys together so to me, I think it’s supremely important that the backup quarterback is a leader that his teammates believe in. I think it’s one of the reasons why ‘Snoop’ (Tyler Huntley) won the job during the season, and I think he exemplified the characteristics that were reminiscent of what we had the last couple years. Specifically, it reminded me of Teddy (Bridgewater) and how guys, the second you go in, they believe that you won’t miss a beat. And you’ve got to earn that trust, and you’ve got to earn that conviction and that’s something that you can’t fake. So in terms of rating all the backup quarterbacks, I’m not sure if I’m going to do that. I feel like that’s a recipe for disaster somewhere, but I think that the biggest thing is that you want to see growth within the season, which is very difficult to do from your backup quarterback because like everybody else, they need to be improving and gaining advantages at their game a lot of times without reps.”

(Does this team I guess have patience or room for a developmental backup as opposed to a veteran because this team wants to win, now, and I think that’s the case even next season. So can you develop a backup, or do you need a veteran who can come in and get the job done immediately?) – “It sounds like you’re trying to stay within my vision which is this season and obviously this game. I think overall, you need development from that position regardless of what stage of their career they are in. They need to evolve with your team and where your team goes and the type of things that your eligibles are finding successful and just all the things that you ask a quarterback to do which is operate the offense that’s ever evolving. I think even if a quarterback is developing, that they can still lead a team to victory and players have to believe that that player, they can get all the assignments from them, that they’re on their stuff and they can depend on him and that they’ll put him in positions to succeed, regardless of it’s run or pass. So I stay away from absolutes, not for any other reason but that I just think there’s a lot of ways to skin a cat. I think overall, it’s imperative that your team believes in whoever is calling the plays for you and I don’t think that will ever change.”

(Why did the organization choose to allow Shaq Barrett to pursue work elsewhere here at the end of the season?) – “I think it was Chris (Grier) and I talking, and I think overall, it didn’t present a competitive disadvantage for us, so it made sense in the timing of it.”

(How would you evaluate WR Tyreek Hill’s week of practice after his comments on Sunday about needing more reps with QB Tua Tagovailoa?) – “I thought he had a phenomenal week of practice. Not only from an execution of assignment perspective, but the way he attacked the ball. What I don’t like – drops happen in the game of football; pretty much 100 percent of the time people are trying to catch it, but there’s technique to catching the football that a lot of times you get weary of people getting passive when the ball’s in the air because of past experiences. And not only was he catching a ton of footballs this week, but he was doing so aggressively. There was on the move, coming back to the quarterback and down the field. He had a very aggressive week of practice which was very encouraging to see because he didn’t blink and that’s the only way to handle short comings in your game. If you’re mad about something, you have to aggressively attack it and that’s what I saw him do this week.”

(You guys have won five of your last seven, you could finish the season winning seven of your last nine. Does it feel that you’re on that type of a roll? Does it feel that way?) – “Well, I think it feels like the team that I had hoped we were when we were looking at the mirror at 2-6. I think the team is very hungry to go after this game against the Cleveland Browns to make us 6-2 from that juncture. I think it’s more, to me, watching people, how they handle adversity and how do they, what do they do with all the noise. Do you sit there and justify who, what, where and why and point fingers? Or do you get into the lab, get with your coaches and then get out on the field and technically address the issues that lead you to losses? And I think starting the season off unfavorably makes for a long season and I’ve seen it go different ways, so I think the team has an opportunity to really exemplify their internal fortitude and their belief in each other because it’s not easy to flip the script that way and I think there’s a lot of guys in the locker room that are very eager to have that. I think – I don’t know, it’s almost representative of just how we felt. You’re 2-6, flipping it to 6-2 would be something meaningful that we’re going after for sure.”

(Optimistic about T Terron Armstead?) – “Yeah, I’m optimistic because it’s (Terron) Armstead and we’re going to see him out there today and he’s coming off a very good game, so I know he’s going to do anything and everything. But I’m optimistic for today and for the game.”

(Do you already know that you would love to have him back next year?) – “Yeah, there are conversations that he has to have with his family and whatever, but what a huge piece of our team he is. Just in terms of where we started off and where our mindset is in tough times or in good times. He’s one of the guys that everyone looks to. You’re always hopeful for that. I’m not taking him for granted for any moment either. Just because there are some decisions he has to make that I know he’s not thinking of right now either.”

(DT Calais Campbell – a lot of people have showered him with praise for what he’s contributed to this team and just the career that he’s had, but what have you learned from him in particular?) – “You feel very fortunate to be around guys – I’d put him in the category in terms of not just longevity but high output, high production. You put him in the category of quarterbacks like Tom (Brady), Aaron (Rodgers) and those guys because he’s in just a rarified air. How does one do that? The formula seems to be the same. He is absolutely, positively someone that goes about the process of the week very diligently. What I’ve learned is that to be capable or to have players that are capable of doing that it takes a unique spirit that really loves football. He loves the process not just in successful times… he loves being the galvanizer for when things are tough. He loves the Mondays after a tough loss. He doesn’t blink. It’s hard not to take some of the residuals of his internal fortitude as a coach and really go after your job. But more than anything, to be exceptional I think he’s just another example for all players and coaches alike that there is no shortcut to those results. If you want to standout and produce – what is he 47 years old now – you could argue he’s putting better tape out there than when he was 36 and that isn’t by just sheer luck. That is taking care of his body so that he can be the same athlete, but as well as utilizing the wisdom that you gain each and every game every season. I think he’s a tremendous example of what it takes to have success – not just fleeting success but career success. He’s been doing it at the NFL level for three different decades, I think, right? That’s rarified air, but you learn and you double down that you don’t just luck into that. It’s equal part talent and equal part just mental fortitude and how he really is aggressive with his daily process like he was in Year 3. It’s pretty amazing. It’s really, really hard for teammates that align next to him and say, ‘hey, I’m tired’ or ‘hey, this season is hard.’ Like what? Try being 38, so very, very fortunate to have him.”

(The Chargers play at 1pm tomorrow, the Bengals play at 4:30 p.m. Will you given the opportunity watch any or either of those games?) – “No, I will prepare for the Cleveland Browns and do my normal Saturday routine for situational play calling, etc. I’m sure there will be several people that will inform me. I’m not too fixated at all. I know we have a game on Sunday that will be played. And my focus is that the team does the best in that opportunity and that’s where my focus has been, with the team and I think that is where their focus is.”

(Do you have score alerts for any teams on your phone? Yale football, Colorado Avalanche?) – “This was several iPhone models ago. I used to have – I don’t know, I think I was in San Fran at the time – but I had Nuggets and Avalanche as alerts. Those days have passed me. I’m more either doing my job or my other fulltime very important job which is dad. Right now that means a lot of Barbie playing. Barbies have no time for score alerts.”

(You guys have done a phenomenal job containing Raiders DE Max Crosby and obviously 49ers DE Nick Bosa last week. What have you learned from those experiences that will help you with Browns DE Myles Garret on Sunday?) – “I think the team has learned that it’s not just one person’s job. I think to affectively execute against some of the premier players in this league specifically at the edge position, it takes receivers’ contributions, tight ends. It takes technique and fundamentals in the pass game from the wide outs to be where they are going to be when they need to be there. It takes conviction from the quarterback to get the ball out to the voided zones. And you have to force all of those players that are really, really good at rushing the passer to defend the run. And I think it’s group effort that there has to be a group focus, a group conviction. You have to take pride in it. Overall it takes 60 minutes of attention and tonality. It only takes one rep for guys like that to wreck the game. I think more than anything I think our offense from all the skill to the offensive line have really, really learned live speed how important it is for everybody to contribute. You don’t just have a Maxx Crosby stopper or a Nick Bosa stopper or a Myles Garrett stopper. It takes a lot of people collectively working together.”

Jaylen Waddle – December 27, 2024 Download PDF version

Friday, December 27, 2024

WR Jaylen Waddle

(How are you feeling?) – “I feel solid. It’s always good to go back out there and get with the guys and practice. It’s always good to go out there.”

(Do you feel like you are healthy enough to play?) – “I feel good. They kind of limited me a little bit, but for the most part got through everything. They wanted me to hold back some parts. There is always a chance, always a chance.”

(Were you worried it was a little bit something serious when you initially suffered the injury?) – “I ain’t going to lie, I’ve never dealt with something like that. So I really didn’t know but (was) praying for the best.”

(Obviously you guys can only control what you can control. Will you guys be scoreboard watching or cheerleading at all this weekend?) – “No, I think we just take care of business. We got the Browns that we have to take care of. A good group so we’re definitely not looking over them. We’re just trying to go out there, play our ball and get the dub.”

(With that being said, knowing there is a couple of teams that you guys need help from, their games might be over and your playoff fate might be decided tomorrow night.) – “That’s something, but ultimately, we’ve got to go out there and play regardless. We’re just focused on the Browns.”

Calais Campbell – December 27, 2024 Download PDF version

Friday, December 27, 2024

DT Calais Campbell

(Obviously, with two games left you guys have to win and need a little bit of help. How do you guys go into this weekend knowing that your playoff fate could be sealed even possibly by tomorrow night?) – “You’ve got to just have the mindset of controlling what you can control. Obviously, we would have preferred to be in a situation where we didn’t need a lot of help, but that’s not how the season went and so we’ve just got to go through it. I don’t even really want guys watching those games, just focus on what we’ve got going on and make sure we go out there and we prepare and hopefully, the football gods bless us with an opportunity to stay alive. But when it’s all said and done, we just do our part and let the rest take care of itself.”

(With that being said, how hard is it not to cheerlead knowing what’s at stake?) – “It’s hard. It’s hard because you want to be in there, you want to be in the dance. And so you go through the whole process and you turn into a fan a little bit, you’re hoping, you’re wishing that the teams you need to lose, lose and I kind of feel like the biggest hater, man. I’m a hater out there right now because I be hating on the Broncos and Chargers and Colts. It’s not the ideal way of being a fan but it is what it is. I really want the Dolphins to be a playoff team, so for us to get that, we have to go out there and get some help. I grew up in Denver too, so I used to be the biggest Broncos fan and all my family still are Broncos fans, but I’m like, ‘Nah, we got to be haters now, right, everybody?’ But I’ll say this game is a beautiful game. I’ve seen crazy things happen. I’ve seen the Broncos actually lose out when the Chargers needed to win out to get to the playoffs, that was before I was even in the league, but you see it happen. I mean crazy things have happened, so it’s not like it can’t be done. Just hoping and wishing that it happens for us this year.”

De’Von Achane – December 26, 2024 Download PDF version

Thursday, December 26, 2024

RB De’Von Achane

(Has anyone from other teams, other coaches said anything to you this season or last about how good you are at pass catching?) – “No, not really. They’ll just be like ‘Good game,’ stuff like that. Nobody has really said anything to me specifically about me catching the ball, no.”

(Have you caught from the Jugs machine earlier in your life to get so good at this?) – “Yeah, most definitely.”

(Going back to what age?) – “I’d say it started in high school.”

(I know wins have to mean the most to you, whether you win or lose a game, it has to be No. 1, but you’re setting so many records – the first Dolphin to do this, the first Dolphin to do that. Is there anything in that list that means more to you than any others?) – “Not really. I just go out there and play football. When you go out there and you play good, the records will come. It’s not like you’re out there thinking, ‘OK, I need this to get this.’ It just comes with great performance, that’s how I look at it.”

(But it has to feel good that those records are yours, right?) – “Most definitely, yeah. When you see everything you’re doing, the hard work paying off, it feels like you’re doing something.”

(There was something that was said earlier today that’s probably going blow you away a little bit. I asked Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver about what it’s like trying to cover a back who can do both. He mentioned – he wasn’t comparing you to him, but he did mention the name Marshall Faulk. When you hear that, what do you think?) – “I think my name being brought up with his is always a great thing. Many people have told me. I’ve heard that more than a few times, so I feel like that’s a good thing when your name is being brought up (with his).”

(You have heard that?) – “Yeah, I’ve heard it before.”

(There are players in the league – you, RB Alvin Kamara, RB Darren Sprouls in the old days – who probably could be a well above average running back and a well above average slot receiver. Was there ever a point in your life you’ve said I’d like to play receiver instead of running back? Or have you always been a running back?) – “I’ve always wanted to play running back, but I’ve played slot receiver in my life before. That’s why it’s not new.”

(What years in high school before transitioning to running back?) – “I’ve always been a running back my whole life. When I was a freshman, my ninth-grade year in high school I played running back. Then my sophomore year I moved to varsity, on varsity we had a running back. So I started at slot receiver and then came and got running back.”

(Was there a certain point in your life where you saw that your receiving skill had really taken a jump for the better?) – “I take pride in catching the ball. I feel like even though I play running back, when I go out there and catch the ball at receiver, I feel like people don’t see a running back do the things that I do. I take pride in catching the football especially lined up at receiver, because you don’t see many running backs. – especially the routes that we run in this offense, you don’t see a lot of running backs go out there and run the routes that I run.”

(How do you like when you’re lined up with a linebacker and they are trying to cover you?) – “Most linebackers or any DB think when I get out wide, I’m either running a go or something like that. They don’t know we’ve got in-breaks, out-breaks; that’s why I like this offense because we run all types of routes.”

(Wide Receivers/Pass Game Specialist Wes Welker told us that you’re never in their room. Do you and Wes have to communicate much ever on the practice field about stuff that will involve receiving?) – “No, it’s more when we do team offensive install and we’re going over plays. More of me and (Jaylen) Waddle telling me something or he’ll like put their routes of them running the same routes, and then me and my coach will go look at it and just go from there.”

(You’ve had a lot of runs between the tackles. You’ve always been a guy with strong lower body strength. How has your body held up with all of those inside runs this year going into Week 17?) – “I’m good. I feel like I’m healthy and that’s the best thing that you can think of. Last year I had a couple of injuries, so this year it was more of trying to get through the season.”

(How much did teams talk to you about your receiving skills before the draft? Was that often a conversation piece?) – “Some of them. Some did. After the combine was over, I stayed after and did receiver routes. So after my running back drills, I did some routes at receiver.”

(Was that your idea or was that by their request?) – “Coaches – some teams requested that, so I had to do that. Some knew.”

(You probably welcomed that opportunity, didn’t you?) – “Yeah. It’s good when you can be versatile and can be put in more than one position.”

(Being a dual threat like that, is that something which you find satisfying and get a kick out of?) – “Yeah, it’s fun to me. It makes it hard for a defense to key in when you’ve got two running backs on the field.”

(Would you rather score a touchdown receiving or rushing?) – “Now, I feel like a route like that – I feel like if I’m out at receiver and run a deep route or routes that technically receivers are supposed to run, I feel that is more impressive. Because I’m a running back and nobody expects that.”

Tua Tagovailoa – December 26, 2024 Download PDF version

Thursday, December 26, 2024

QB Tua Tagovailoa

(I wanted to ask you about RB De’Von Achane. Did you know that he was as polished a receiver as he’s proven to be? At what point did you realize that and how does that help you?) – “I would say I wouldn’t have put him in that category as a polished receiver. I knew that he had great hands in practice and training camp. He’d shown that last year, but I would say you only really know until you have to go out and perform in a real scenario of a game, right? And he’s definitely surprised me in that aspect. We know how fast he is when he has the ball in his hands and we know what he can do, but I think that just adds another element to his game and it adds another element to who the matchup is out there with him and how defenses want to play him when we have him out there running routes.”

(We’ve heard a lot this season about the extra attention defenses give WR Tyreek Hill but I also think, hasn’t that always been the case? Is there something specific you need the defenses are doing more so this year?) – “I would say they sort of copy and paste what other teams have done to mitigate a lot of explosives going to Tyreek (Hill), but that’s to be considered because he’s been the No. 1 player, (No. 1) ranked player in the NFL last year, so why would you not want to do that? You force everything else to go on other people and if that’s how – I’m assuming this is how defensive coordinators are thinking – if ‘10’ (Tyreek Hill) doesn’t beat us, we can live with that; if other guys beat us, we’ll live with our chances.”

(After WR Tyreek Hill’s comments last week, have you and him made an extra point to get those reps in this week?) – “Yeah, we got some reps. I think at this time of the year as well, guys are banged up and it’s sort of toeing the fine line of what reps are the reps that we need and you go from there.”

(Seventy percent chance of rain at this time for the Cleveland 4:20-ish kickoff. And then also the temperature is in the 40s. Is the wetness actually more of a factor than the cold?) – “I would probably say the wind more than any other element when it’s a cold game. It’s more so the wind than anything else.”

(You haven’t had to be in that kind of – the cold rain – for a while now. What do you remember? I guess the Tennessee game? What do you remember were keys in preparation for that?) – “What I remember was I didn’t have a good game. Another thing I remember was we lost. And that’s never a good feeling, but I think with this being Year 5 for me, just what I know now that I didn’t then as far as preparation, just getting my mind right, getting wet ball drills in during practice; all of that is definitely going to be a good thing for us to prepare for this game.”

(This is going to be the first time you’re going to see a Jim Schwartz defense in your career. When you watch him on tape, what stands out about the way he structures things and how he attacks offenses?) – “I would say he does really good structurally with getting to different things and making those things look the same. You get to third down, I think that’s where everything starts to open up a lot. Like I said, a lot of things look very similar so you’ve got to be attentive to where guys are; if we have certain alignment with receivers, who those guys are covering those eligibles and then the alignment of the backers. So you’ve got to be really on it when it comes to protection and you’ve got to be really on it with making sure you see what the defense is giving.”

(Road environments can always be more challenging for an offense. How have you seen the operational aspects of the road game offense evolve throughout the season?) – “It’s continuing to work. I’m not proud to say that it’s not where we want it to be especially this far into the season, but that’s I think where we’re at right now. And that’s definitely going to be something we have to continue to get better at.”

(How’s the hip? It was something we didn’t know about until after last week’s press conference. Made it through the game obviously, but is it something that’s all right?) – “I mean it’s good. It’s just like anyone else on the team and anyone else around the league. You get banged up little bit towards the ending of the year so just got to take care of that.”

(What was it like to have T Terron Armstead, T Kendall Lamm and OL Isaiah Wynn all available to play last week?) – “It was unbelievable. It was unbelievable. It was fun, and I think all those guys being in at once helped with our run game as you guys could see.”

(Saw WR Jaylen Waddle back at practice today. How’d he look? Obviously we don’t know the status for Sunday, but how’d he look?) – “(Jaylen) Waddle looked good. He took some reps and then you just want to be cautious with the amount of reps that he’s taken as well, but for the most part he looked great. His spirits are high and hopefully he’ll be ready to go this Sunday.”

(With WR Jaylen Waddle, his numbers against man coverage this year on third down are all really good and obviously you guys have rapport going back to Alabama, but it seems like you really trust him. I’m curious what about his game makes him so trustworthy for a quarterback?) – “I think he gives really good indicators for me. If I’m able to see the indicator of you ‘left-righting,’ I know, ‘OK, I know where to throw ball’ just doing the fast math of A2 plus B2 is C2, then throw it over there to where I know he’s going to be. And then vice versa, if it’s an out route or an in-breaking route, a lot of the indicators that he gives really helps with the timing.”

(Not sure if you guys have TVs on your plane that you’ll take on Saturday. I’m not sure what time your flight is, but if it is available, would you watch any of the Chargers or Broncos games? The Dolphins need those teams to lose and they’re playing on Saturday.) – “I probably won’t be looking at that. On the plane I’m just looking over the plays for normal down and distances, just making sure that I’ve got everything queued for the game on Sunday, going over third downs. And then if I have anything to talk to any of the guys about on the plane, just go and see if they’re up. If they’re not up, I just let them sleep and then get with them at the hotel. So that’s sort of the process.”

(If both of those teams win, then this team is eliminated before it plays on Sunday, those two teams playing on Saturday. Would that alter anything in the way you approach a game, just knowing playoffs are out of the question?) – “No.”

(How do you view the opportunity that is presenting itself in the final two games?) – “I think that’s exactly what it is, is it’s an opportunity and I don’t think any of us on our team should take this for granted. This is something that we’ve worked extremely hard for to be in the positions that we’re in now, to be able to play in the NFL. That in itself has been a dream, so for you to short-circuit yourself and be like, ‘oh, no, we’ll get it next year.’ Well, how do you even know that there is going to be a next year for your career or there’s going to be a next game for you? You just never know when you’re weighing out those options. But to go back to your question, regardless of if we’re still in it or not, you get to see a lot about who a person is by the way they go about their business. You see guys laying down? That tells you a lot right there. You see guys fighting? I mean, that should tell you a lot as well, and you should know the guys that you want to – hopefully next year you should know by that time, the guys that were going when times were hard. You kind of want them on your team and you can kind of count on those guys.”

(You spend time on the airplane getting ready for the upcoming game, so it sounds like you’re preparing really all week long. I’m curious for a player that I’ve heard Kurt Warner for instance say that your preparation, your processing is all some of the best in the league – how do you balance spending enough time on it versus maybe doing too much to where you have too much going on from a processing standpoint? Does that make sense?) – “I don’t think there’s ever enough time to be spending trying to focus on your craft and honing in on your craft. This is our job. This is what we’re supposed to do. Like I’m supposed to do that and I would expect the next guy to do that, too, if they were preparing to help this team win. So it’s just the variables of on each play, this is where I’m going to go with the coverages we know, but if they don’t run these coverages, what are the coverages that gave us problems on these plays. So I’d go through that in that my head and I think that helps speed up the process, but it’s also one of those where my footwork, it has to be right if I know I’m know I’m not working this on a certain look.”

Anthony Weaver – December 26, 2024 Download PDF version

Thursday, December 26, 2024

Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver

(I know Head Coach Mike McDaniel has told us that CB Kendall Fuller is unlikely to play this week. You obviously have options with DB Elijah Campbell in a three-safety look, you have CB Siran Neal. But it’s primarily since CB Cam Smith… it’s obviously been CB Storm Duck primarily. What has made you guys want to invest more time in him as opposed to say, someone else on the roster or finding a veteran on the street?) – “I think it’s just a testament to the kid and his consistency. He has continued to develop all throughout camp and throughout the season and he’s just a guy that I think his teammates and both teammates and coaches alike trust. That’s not to take away from some of the other guys that are on the roster, too. I have a tremendous amount of faith in Ethan Bonner, if he’s out there and he’s on the field. When Siran Neal is in there, I have confidence in him, but in terms of the outside corner position, I think Storm (Duck) has played his way into that role.”

(I’m going to name DT Zach Sieler the Palm Beach Post “Most Outstanding Dolphin of the Year” even though there’s two weeks left. That is just my personal choice. How would you describe Zach in one word?) – “That’s difficult. One word. He is determined. I think that’s the word just because he’s one of those guys you just think about his kind of path to the league, getting cut from Baltimore, had every opportunity to kind of go the other way and say, ‘you know what? Maybe this isn’t for me, this isn’t my path.’ But throughout all adversity he’s faced in this sport, he has shown just a resilience and a true determined attitude to persevere. So that’s why.”

(If you had a 16-year-old four-star defensive lineman at Christmas dinner there and what would you tell him about DT Zach Sieler? Like “hey, watch this” or “know this”…?) – “I would tell him – one, if he was at dinner, I would make sure he was around me every day so he could see more of the ins and outs of what Zach does, because I think it’s truly his day-to-day operation with how he approaches all aspects of work which is why he has the success he has on Sundays.”

(S Jordan Poyer, we saw the play with 49ers WR Deebo Samuel there toward the goal line. I think 49ers TE George Kittle also got him earlier in the game, but on both of those it looked to me like Poyer came in with bad form, head down. Is that the case and if it is, do you talk to him about that? Or do you just think “he’s a vet, he knows what he did wrong”?) – “I think to single out Jordan (Poyer) in those two particular instances, that’s rough to me. It’s not like the two guys you mentioned – Deebo Samuel and George Kittle – are like me and Brian Duker who’s going to be up here later. (laughter) Those two guys are obviously physical players and they make a lot of people miss tackles. I watched the game yesterday. I’m sure (Texans Head Coach) DeMeco (Ryans) on the other side is saying, ‘hey, we’ve got to contain Lamar Jackson. We’ve got to keep him in the pocket, guys.’ You go into it with those mindsets, but there’s some great players out there and they force you to sometimes, unfortunately, look bad on defense. So yeah, could ‘Po’ (Jordan Poyer) run his feet, could he go lower, could he make sure he wrap up; yeah, we can talk about that till we’re blue in the face. It’s a bunch of coach speak, but those guys are going to make plays, too, and we’ve got to make sure we get more people to the ball so we don’t have those one-on-one situations.”

(With a guy like Browns WR Jerry Jeudy who has not had the production early in his career, gets to Cleveland and takes off – we knew he was talented as a first-round pick, but now the production matches the talent. What’s changed for him in Cleveland to make him so productive, do you think?) – “That’s difficult to say. When I’ve seen him in the past – haven’t played against him a bunch – but you always saw the talent there in terms of short-area quickness, his speed, his ability to catch the ball, to go up and get it, his instincts. He has all that. So if anything has changed, I think it’s probably just more opportunities, if anything, for him. Just quarterbacks having willingness to throw to him and give him opportunities to make those plays because the skill set and talent has always been there.”

(Are you optimistic about having both LB Anthony Walker Jr. and LB Jordyn Brooks available on Sunday?) – “Yeah, we’ll see. We’ll see. I know those guys are certainly working through bumps and bruises. Probably feel – kind of guessing on both, but I’m betting on the warriors that they are in the hopes that they’ll both be out there.”

(And with backups, is there position versatility with LB Duke Riley and with LB Tyrel Dodson where we saw obviously Duke replaced Jordyn; could Tyrel have gone in there or do you like each guy backing up those two guys?) – “Since Tyrel (Dodson) has been here, he’s focused primarily on the Mike position, on playing middle backer. Now could he play Will, absolutely. The kid is incredibly smart, has high ‘FBI’ (football intelligence). Duke (Riley) has played them both, so we have a tremendous amount of confidence going out there and execute – really, he’s played some Sam backer for us, too, so you talk about just a multitude of skillsets for him. He’s played all over so we trust him in whatever backer role he happens to be in.”

(I’d like to get a defensive coordinator’s perspective on this. RB De’Von Achane is setting all kinds of records now, not just running the ball, but as a receiver. I know there aren’t a lot of players who can do what he can do in this league, but when you go against someone like that, what sort of headaches does it cause for a defensive coordinator that other plays would not?) – “He’s an absolute nightmare and I imagine – again, I’m not trying to put this tag on him and he has a long way to go to reach this – but I imagine coordinators were having the same conversation when they were facing Marshall Faulk. A guy who from the backfield could definitely hurt you, could run with physicality, could hit you on the edge but then when you split him out, particularly if you’re matched up against the backer, you have no chance. So when you’re facing guys like him, you’ve got to be cognizant of where he’s at every play and it’s probably going to force you to play more zone than you want to.”

(What are your memories of Head Coach Mike McDaniel 10 years ago when you guys were together in Cleveland where you return this week?) – “Oh man, we were a lot colder than we are now, but Mike (McDaniel) was as hard a worker from a coaching standpoint as I’ve ever seen. Even now, he still gets here super early, stays super late, probably doesn’t stay as late as he once did because he now has a daughter. It’s important that he gets home to spend time with her, but even back then – I don’t want to say younger coach at that point, he was probably 10 years into his NFL career – but I saw very early like when we talked football, he saw it differently. I would always leave every conversation with him thinking, ‘oh man, he gets it. He gets the big picture wise.’ And then when he would talk to his players in the wide receiver room, you could just tell they had a genuine appreciation and love for who he was and how he taught. So yeah man, I love him and even back then I kind of knew this was coming.”

(The decision with LB Chop Robinson to have him play, it’s obviously been substantial playing time. You’ve gotten great production. Less than LB Emmanuel Ogbah each week, is that because of a desire to have LB Quinton Bell in on run-heavy downs? Is it you need to see more from Chop? What goes into that?) – “I think it’s just making sure all those guys see the field because we think they can impact the game in a multitude of ways. Chop (Robinson), I think again, the more you play him, he’s going to be efficient at everything – run game, pass game, all of it. I think he’s really gotten to the point where he can do that now. But (Emmanuel) Ogbah is a bigger body and sometimes you want those bigger bodies out there to set a more firm edge and do things of that nature. You have ‘Q Bell’ (Quinton Bell) who’s probably a little bit more proficient in some of the things we do from a pass coverage standpoint when he’s out there. So they all have a multitude of skill sets and we just kind of try to blend them in based on what we think we’re going to get schematically from the offense in that particular time.”

(And with LB Cam Goode, how do you make a decision on how much to incorporate him defensively? Obviously he hasn’t played in a year, doesn’t have a ton of defensive snaps on film, body of work.) – “I tell you what; obviously I didn’t know much about Cam (Goode) coming in, and I knew he was battling through the injury. You watch some limited snaps from a year ago and you saw something there, but you knew he was still a fairly young player, particularly as an edge defender. But man, he has a skill set and he works so hard that you can easily see how that will translate to success in this league. I think particularly once he gets a full offseason of just training his body and getting bigger, he can be even more impactful. But when he’s out there right now, we have all the faith in him to go out there and execute the jobs we need him to.”

(How has LB Bradly Chubb responded to the unfortunate reality that he will not be able to participate this season?) – “I think we were all cautiously optimistic that he’d get out there and play this year, particularly with the severity of the injury he had. It was incredibly encouraging to see him go out there these past three weeks and play, and I hope that provides confidence in what he can be when he does come back. He’s probably disappointed just because he has put in the work, but again, I hope that he feels confident that when he does return, he’ll be everything he was and more.”

(I wanted to ask you about your defense. Obviously, we talk to you all year. You always say points is the No. 1 barometer. You’re No. 8 in yards allowed, you’re No. 10 in points allowed; but yet, you guys don’t get many sacks and you don’t get much turnovers. Why do you think you’re having this level of success you’re having as a unit without the big play production?) – “I think it’s just that. I think whatever group of 11 you see out there, you’re doing everything possible to play with effort and energy and play together. And when you have that, yeah, sometimes you don’t make the big plays and you don’t have sacks and some things of that nature. I think the sack stats are a little bit overrated personally, but turnovers we certainly have to increase and some of that sometimes I think is just the way the ball bounces. Even last game, I think we probably had like, four or five pick opportunities that if the ball is a foot either way, we get those. So I think it’s a credit both to the players and the coaching staff of buying into both culturally what we’re trying to instill and then schematically going out there and playing with again the effort, the energy, the physicality, the tenacity, which is why those numbers are where they are. We certainly need to increase the turnovers, for sure.”

(The 12 men on the field – I thought you guys were off but maybe not, but my question is should that be a literal interpretation of the rule? Like you guys weren’t going to get an advantage. Should it be a literal interpretation or should there be some leeway?) – “I think it should be as literal as when the clock hits zero and it’s not a delay of game. So to me, those fall under the same barometer.”

(Should that be a reviewable play because I mean…?) – “He should have to look. (laughter) I hear that all the time.”

(It was mentioned covering Browns WR Jerry Jeudy. What do you think of Browns TE David Njoku especially given the struggles this defense has had covering good tight ends?) – “I think he’s banged up a little bit, so he can take a week off. I’d understand. I get it. (laughter) But I’ve faced ‘Dave’ (David Njoku) now for a number of years, having to go against him twice a year in Baltimore and he’s a dynamic player. When the gets the ball in his hand, tremendous YAC – yards after catch, he can run through people and he’s a huge target down in the red zone. So for us in particular, is he going to have his catches in normal field, yeah, and we have to be cognizant of that, but particularly when they’re down in the red zone, we’ve got to make sure we try to take him away.”

(Earlier you mentioned LB Quinton Bell, I was curious because I’m looking at his snap counts. He played about 10 reps in October and since then has played almost 200 snaps. What has he done to earn that elevation of playing time?) – “Again, I think it’s just his development. He’s shown through work on the practice field that he can be trusted, not only to go out there and execute his job but execute at a high level and make plays. So he’s one of those guys that really early on when I got here, you could kind of see he’s another one of those guys you could see that just wasn’t going to be denied, and regards to where he fell on the depth chart, who was in front of him, he was going to earn his way onto that field whether that be on special teams or on defense. So that’s truly a testament to the kid and the work he’s put in.”

(What’s your role in the red challenge flag process? DT Benito Jones had the challenge last week, the play. Do they ask you what do you think or do you contribute a thought? How does that work?) – “I don’t have much contribution into it at all. That’s truly a decision that comes from Mike (McDaniel) and whoever he listens to on the other headset. So obviously in that situation as a defensive guy, I want to throw the flag, but in that moment, I’m not taking into account the big picture repercussions of losing a timeout.”

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