Tua Tagovailoa – December 22, 2024 (Postgame)
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Sunday, December 22, 2024
Postgame – San Francisco 49ers
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa
Your thoughts on the win?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: That was awesome. That was super cool. I think that was something that we needed to see as a team together. You could see in all three phases that we were able to play the complementary football that we said we wanted to play. The defense giving the offense opportunities to go put points on the board. Then when there were times where we didn’t do what we wanted to do offensively, the defense held. Jason (Sanders) was 5-for-5. He was able to help with putting points on the board for us as well.
When you guys get those scoring opportunities, how important is scoring those touchdowns? You had two passes to WR Tyreek Hill – one was deflected, but then the other was dropped. How big could those be in these big games?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: In all these games, now that we’re coming to the end of the year, they’re all big. We’re looking for all our big time playmakers to make the plays that we know that they can make, me included. Every time we have that opportunity to go and score, that’s what we want to do. You know it’s tough. Those guys prepare the same way that we do. They get paid as well. They’re going to do their best to stop that from happening, but as long as we’re locked in on our details and saying and doing the things that we’re saying we’re going to do, I think for the most part we should be fine.
WR Tyreek Hill made multiple references to not getting enough valuable reps in weeks of practice. What do you think there from your perspective as far as connectivity throughout the week into game day?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: If he told you that, then that’s what we need more of. We need reps. Me and him need more reps. That’s what we’ve got to do. That’s the secret sauce to me being able to connect with all these guys. You guys see Jonnu (Smith) here, that’s the secret sauce. If we miss a throw, if we’re off on a throw in the team practice or in a routes on-air rep, we’ll get together in whatever time we have, whether it’s after or during, while the defense is on, and we’ll get those reps made up. Telling him what I see and then him also telling me how he feels with running it. That has a lot to do with reps for sure.
You’re responsible for putting a lot of your teammates in the record books. With TE Jonnu Smith specifically, how special was it to get him that record today?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I wouldn’t say that’s something that I do. Jonnu is a man of faith, and I would say that’s something only God can do. For Jonnu to have come here and believed that I could be the quarterback for him to be able to help him achieve his goals and things that he’s wanted to do playing in the NFL – I can say he’s open. He’s open. If you give him the ball, you see what he does with the ball. Yeah, I’ve heard the reference safety blanket, so it’s my safety blanket, if you will. (laughter) I think the cooler thing though, and even while Jonnu is in here – and he knows this too – the coolest thing about all of that is all the accolades and whatnot is cool for him, but how he is as a teammate, how he goes out there and approaches his business, like trust me, he’s a dawg, he wants the ball, but that’s not his mentality. Like his mentality is it’ll come. I’m like, Jonnu, we’ve got to get you the ball. ‘It will come. Just let it play out. If we’ve got to run the ball, we’ll keep running the ball.’ I think that should tell you a lot about the mindset he has coming into these games and whatnot, and when he does get these opportunities, he cherishes them.
Did you know you guys are still alive for the playoffs?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: We’re just focused on one game at a time right now. We got the Niners out of the way, and we’ll focus on the Browns and Christmas.
The run game was more effective overall today than it’s been in a lot of games. Can you speak specifically to how that helps you?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I think that helps our offense. It doesn’t just help me, it helps our offense when we can play at will and run the ball the way we want to, the way we say we want to, and exactly how we said we want to attack their defense; I think the opportunities for us offensively are endless. With the (play) action game, then you can go on the ball, quick, no huddle, it throws them off, forces them to communicate a lot. So a lot of those things have definitely helped in this game when it came to the run game.
Being in the NFL, there’s the criticism that comes with it. Head Coach Mike McDaniel has had more criticism this year than he’s had in years past. How do you react to that, and what do you think of the job he’s done this year?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I think he’s done a great job. I think criticism comes with the job, whether you’re a head coach, whether you’re a player, and it comes at different types of levels of it, right? Some are more severe than others, but that’s what it comes with. We understand, when we signed up to play football, that that’s what it was. It is what it is at the end of the day. It is what it is. We just love football. We love to do this. We don’t take this for granted, that’s for sure, and I think that’s been the message to a lot of the guys in the locker room is like you can remember a time when you were a kid, when you were in high school, when you were in college, you wanted to be an NFL football player, and now you got that opportunity. Regardless of the circumstances that you’re in, you get to play for an NFL football team, and that’s something special.
You have 100 career passing touchdowns, first one here at Hard Rock Stadium, your 100th one here at Hard Rock Stadium, can you just give us the emotions?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I just found that out today. That’s cool. That’s awesome that we got to do that in a win. But as far as the accolades and whatnot, that’s probably least on my mind. I’m just trying to find ways that we can end the season the way we want to and control what we can control. We go from there.
Tyreek Hill – December 22, 2024 (Postgame)
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Sunday, December 22, 2024
Postgame – San Francisco 49ers
Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill
Q. How big was this win just to keep you guys relevant for what remains?
TYREEK HILL: It was huge, man. The guys came together, played for one another. We just executed when we needed it, man. Moving forward, this was a big motivator for a lot of guys on this team. It gave everybody on this team the juice that we need moving forward.
Q. On the opening drive when you and Tua weren’t able to connect, it looked like you pointed to your visor or your eyes something. Can you take us through what happened there?
TYREEK HILL: As a leader, in those moments, I feel like at the end of the day, I need those valuable reps with Tua. Those vet rest days are starting to show. I completely blame myself for not getting my head around and not seeing the ball because, if I see a ball, we’re talking cross-court, 70-yard touchdown. But those Wednesday reps are definitely showing. As a leader, I’ve just got to be able to bite the bullet sometime and practice and get those valuable reps with QB1 because, if we’re able to stay on the field on third down, who knows what could happen. Like De’Von Achane can break 60 yards. Jonnu can catch a screen and go to the house. Just got to be able to get those valuable reps with the quarterback.
Q.Q.You had the touchdown, but two other throws in the end zone. Do you feel you should have come up with those? I know one of them was tipped a little bit.
TYREEK HILL: Yeah, on the deep ball, it was tipped by the defensive back, and on the other one, it’s just, again, missing those valuable reps with the quarterback. One thing I learned from Coach Reid whenever I was in Kansas City, I was blessed to be able to play under such a great head coach, is you can’t just show up on Sunday. You’ve got to be able to prepare yourself Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, even Saturday. Then when it’s Sunday, it’s easy. Once again, us missing those valuable reps because when it’s live speed, everything’s moving so fast. We need those valuable reps whenever it’s Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Q. This hasn’t been the year you’ve obviously wanted personally. Do you think this is just a speed bump, or are you worried this might carry over to next year?
TYREEK HILL: I’m not too worried about it. I do what I have to do regarding like whatever I got to do to get better. A lot of guys understand what I’m dealing with this year, and I’m going to continue to be a leader, continue to be the best guy I can be for this team no matter what, you know what I’m saying? Obviously there are a lot of things that I wish I can get back and do better, but at the end of the day, I’m going to continue to fight. I’m going to continue to be out there for my team. That’s all I can be, man. Just be myself, and I’m grateful I’m in this situation because I’m learning a lot about myself. I’m learning how to be patient. I’m learning how to be more mature about situations whenever they don’t go my way. I’m actually learning a lot from it. It’s the NFL. It’s not easy. I know in the past I’ve made it look easy, but this year it’s kind of tough, but it is what it is, man. I’m human. I’ll bounce back.
