Tim Boyle – September 26, 2024
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Thursday, September 26, 2024
QB Tim Boyle
(How did you think you did last week? We know it was adverse circumstances but how did you think you did?) – “After watching the film, not great with my feet. I feel like I saw it well and I slowed the offense down a little bit for being a challenging offense, but not great for my standards or the team’s standards. We need to be better in certain moments, but for the circumstances, being three weeks in, in a difficult offense and those were my first reps getting into the game, I’m happy with how I handled it from a poise standpoint, a command standpoint in the huddle, but definitely can clean stuff up in the pocket.”
(You’ve been here three weeks now, how you say each one of those weeks has gone?) – “Yeah, definitely slowed down. It’s just like anything, repetition makes everything slow down, so every day has been more comfortable.”
(Is it different for you preparing this week not knowing exactly who the starter will be versus a week like last week where you guys knew?) – “No, we’re all professionals so we all get ready like we’re going to start, even if I’m going to be the backup or third string. I’m going to be ready; I’m going to know the Titans defense. I’m going to know our gameplan, I’m going to make sure that I’m ready to go.”
(Do you recall a situation like this where you run into a week where you just don’t know what your status is going to be as far as a starter or not?) – “Yeah, a few times. It just happens, it’s the business. The fun part is we get to prepare like we’re the starter. I get to go out there and get reps and have fun out there with the guys and continue to grow in the offense.”
(How do you evaluate where you are with the offense? I know you said you’re only three weeks in.) – “Yeah, it slows down every day, every week I’d say, but definitely a tricky offense. Mike (McDaniel) is obviously a heck of a game planner and calls are long, but we definitely do a really good job scheming up defenses. So it’s just really understanding the verbiage and getting in the huddle and spitting it out and slowing the game down, but every day, every week I’ve been here, it’s really slowed down for me.”
(Has anybody in the locker room ever talked to you about that Black Friday game last year? S Jevón Holland in particular, has he ever teased you or anything?) – “No, it’s all been professional. We had a couple looks. He shook my hand when I first got here and I knew, he knew. (laughter) It’s all professional, but I like to keep that one in my past. Tough rep, but he made a good play. It’s football.”
(This is what you sign up for as a backup quarterback – you’re probably going to go in, in adverse conditions. How do you kind of keep your cool? How do you handle these situations and perform at your best in stressful times?) – “First and foremost is preparation, making sure I’m prepared because that’s where confidence comes from on game day. Making sure I know the gameplan in and out, making sure I know the tempo of the guys – throwing to our receiving corps is a little different than other places, right? So understanding their tempo, understanding the offense line needs – there’s a lot of different needs a quarterback has to give his players. But yeah, I’m excited for the challenge. Coming here three weeks and kind of getting thrown at the fire a little bit has been fun and I’m learning a lot on the fly but that’s what football is all about to be honest with you. At the end of the day, it’s just football. It’s a sport I’ve been playing since I was six years old, and I know I have the ability to do it, I just got to go execute.”
(How did you feel with the guys today?) – “Felt great, yeah. It’s a heck of a team, we’re very talented and the scheme speaks for itself. I think Coach McDaniel does a really good job game-planning every week, but yeah, we’re having fun out there. We just got to – like I said, it comes down executing. We can have a great Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, you got to do it on game day. We’re looking forward to doing that.”
(How do you plan to control your mindset and just being in the unknown if whether or not you’re going to be there Monday night?) – “Yeah, just prepare. It’s just preparation – I get all of my confidence from preparing. I’ll feel confident on game day whether it’s me, ‘Sky’ (Skylar Thompson) or ‘Snoop’ (Tyler Huntley), and all three of us are expected to go out there and compete and go win a game.”
(What has the chemistry been like with as you’ve been learning the offense?) – “Yeah, that’s a growing process obviously. I’ve only been here for three weeks and reps are limited. Obviously, we’ve got some quarterbacks in the mix, so just making sure I take full advantage of the reps I do get with those guys, but camaraderie is great. They’re still getting a good sense of who I am and what I bring to the table personality wise, football wise so it’s been a great three weeks for me.”
(We always say that competition brings success. You and QB Tyler Huntley are trying to get those first team reps, how’s that going?) – “Yeah, it’s been great. I think he’s doing a heck of a job. He’s a week behind me, so it’s one of those things I know kind of where he’s at from a catching up standpoint. I’m glad I have that extra week where I can kind of give him that perspective of, ‘Hey, this is kind of how I learned this that first week here.’ So he’s doing a really good job. He’s a super talented player. He can spin the rock; it’s been impressive watching him throw the ball. Obviously, his athletic ability speaks for itself, but whoever gets the nod, it’s going to be great and we’re going to support each other just like we’re all starting.”
(WR Tyreek Hill said he’s become the guy a little more gentler, not demanding the ball like he needs to, but as a quarterback you know he doesn’t need to demand it, right?) – “No, Tyreek (Hill) needs more touches – that’s definitely on the quarterback’s mind. That’s nothing from a play call standpoint, but just trying to get him the rock in open space because he’s obviously a dangerous weapon for us.”
(Obviously it’s been just a short time with the guys, but has anybody invited you to their house to kind of get to know them better?) – “I’m still trying to work my situation out with my own apartment. So it’s kind of been a funky couple of weeks, too, from a schedule standpoint – obviously, that first game, the Thursday night game, then going out to Seattle. So we really haven’t had that much free time but I think as we get into a regular Sunday routine, there will be a little bit more free time to do those things. But I’m still trying to get my feet under me as well when it comes to my own apartment and trying to get comfortable down here.”
Tyler Huntley – September 26, 2024
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Thursday, September 26, 2024
QB Tyler Huntley
(What’s it like just getting thrown into the fire like that? One second practice squad, now on the active roster and have a possibility of starting on Monday Night Football?) – “That’s all what we based our lives off of. We’ve just got to be able to go out there and perform for the team and help them in any way to get the ‘W.’ All of us are striving for that every day of the week; that’s why we come to practice and that’s the goal.”
(What was your comfort level with Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s offense last week compared to now?) – “It’s like riding a bike – first time, you’re a little iffy, you didn’t know how to pedal. Then you just start putting it all together, pedaling, going in a straight line, then after a while, you’re going to start standing up.”
(If you were to start on Monday Night Football, how would you approach it?) – “Just like you approach every week. Getting the plan as hard as I can and just watching film and just prepare like I’m going to start. That’s what we continue to work on.”
(Do you enjoy the spotlight?) – “Yeah, it’s nothing – it’s football at the end of the day. I’ve been playing football since I was yay high.”
(For a guy that just got here, just the confidence level the team has in you already, guys are giving you high praises and you’ve only been here a week.) – “That’s amazing, but I just hope I continue to build towards their confidence, I plan to.”
(How tough is – take me through learning the playbook. How long do you – do you just get what you can?) – “No, you’ve got to literally learn it like learning for the bar exam. I know some people probably took the bar exam, I didn’t. I know I didn’t. (laughter) But it’s definitely preparing for the bar exam – you’ve got to go all in and just absorb everything that’s in the playbook.”
(How comfortable can you be though after only a couple weeks?) – “As much as I can. (laughter) As much as I can, try to quiz myself and put myself in some situations where the play is called and try to see if I know it offhand.”
(QB Tua Tagovailoa and QB Skylar Thompson have thousands of banked reps with WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle. How do you make up that time?) – “(Through) Tua’s and Skylar’s words. Tua’s and Skylar’s words, how they did it and how they see it definitely give me reps up under the belt by hearing them.”
(How is the timing with WR Tyreek Hill? Because obviously he’s a huge part of this offense.) – “Yeah man, they’re some fast guys so I’ve got to catch up to them.”
(What’s the most challenging part of this particular offense in terms of being new to it? Is it the timing that was just talked about? Is it pre-snap motions?) – “Just being that you didn’t run the plays as much as you would like to, but at the end of the day, football is football. So you’ve got to be ready to play it.”
(About how many tickets will you take for Monday’s game?) – “Ah, I ain’t taking that many tickets. They gotta go buy their own, you know what I’m saying? I’m still moving into my place. (laughter) So that’s on them if they want to come to the game.”
(Since the time you’ve been here, how much time outside of this building have you spent? Like are you just here from the time you wake up and the time you go to bed?) – “Yeah, I’ve spent some good time here. Like yesterday, the off day, I was here the whole day, (but) making enough time where I go home and play with my kid a little bit and kiss the girl.”
(Did you sit with Head Coach Mike McDaniel and say, “Here are the four or five concepts I love?”) – “Not yet. We’ve got to see; we’ve got to run some place which we did today. Later on in the week, we’ll be able to dumb down how many we like or don’t like.”
(What would it mean to you if you were to start the game for your hometown on Monday night?) – “That would be amazing, that’s just a child’s dream. Being able to play for your home team, man, that’s just something everybody doesn’t get to come across. So it would mean everything in the world, but I’m just here to help the team win.”
(I know that you can throw and run. Some quarterbacks are very sensitive about that; some say, “Don’t call me a running quarterback.” What’s your take on that? Is it OK if we say you’re a running quarterback?) – “You can say I run when I need to. That’s when I feel like I’m the best, being able to run when everything breaks down and that’s what puts the defense in conflict.”
(What have the conversations been like off the field with the guys? Have they been able to hype you help, kind of help you feel more comfortable with the idea of maybe starting on Monday?) – “Just guy chat, but like most of the confidence comes from just running plays and being in the building.”
Mike McDaniel – September 26, 2024
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Thursday, September 26, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Have you decided on a starting quarterback for Monday or are you willing to disclose it?) – “I have in my mind what I think, how it could play out, however it’s a little premature for a multitude of reasons and the very last being the competitive advantage piece. There is a lot going on today, a lot that’s gone on the last 48 hours and you kind of want to – instead of wishing something into existence, I’ll let it play out while the quarterbacks that will be participating today will get action and great opportunity. As the week progresses, I’ll be sure to shout it from the top of a building when we know that, but still a lot of information to gather. But looking forward to today because it’s a very important day when you have opportunities, regardless of how you think it’s going to play out. You get to – I get to see guys play within this offense and play with their teammates and all of that tells me a lot of information and we’ll continue progressing, but we got a good team practice today that will be very enthusiastic based upon the meetings today.”
(Where is QB Skylar Thompson as he comes back – I just want to clarify too, is it a rib injury or is it chest?) – “Rib. Which I guess is semantics because ribs are connected to your chest, but it was rib injury. Pretty painful so you’re trying to gauge – it’s not just a pain tolerance thing, because Skylar is a very tough individual, but it’s how you’re able to do your job and with what effectiveness, and every day from the injury, you get kind of a scope into what it could look like and how that can affect him. So I’m really just balancing what he’s able to do and then with regard to the reps and what the other guys are doing, just trying to absolutely make the best decision for the football team.”
(So QB Skylar Thompson will work today?) – “Yeah, I mean this is not a day off for anybody but how much and whether it’s fully – he’s able to be in football drills. He’s working on his body and I’m not – I would be surprised if he would be able to fully participate, but I also don’t want to hold him back. I’m just letting the process take care of itself and I know he’ll do what he’s able to do, what he’s capable of doing, but he won’t put himself – or he won’t put the team in harm’s way if he’s unable to execute some of the jobs, so we’ll play that by ear. But not expecting him to get a ton of team stuff, and as a result, there will be some opportunities for our newer guys to the team that are pretty excited for the opportunity.”
(Where is QB Tyler Huntley in his grasp of the offense? And what have you guys asked of him since he’s gotten here?) – “I’m feeling much more knowledgeable about exactly where he’s at over the course of the last half-week and very, very encouraged. I think we – Chris (Grier) and his staff, in conjunction with the coaching staff, we targeted him for a reason. It’s a player that we’re very familiar with from the opponent standpoint, and then we have a couple coaches that have been on staff with him, on the same team – our defensive coordinator being one of them. So what you’re careful of, and not to misread into it, what I don’t like to do is when players are out on the NFL football field and they have their name on the back of the jersey and they’re playing with their teammates, you want to make sure that you’re doing right by them and not living in hope and allowing them to execute what they train at in terms of being a quarterback. So I take that super serious and it was bottom line, in the event that Skylar (Thompson) went out for that game, I felt that Tim (Boyle) would be more prudent. At this point, I’m more comfortable him (Tyler Huntley) falling into where we went and targeted him for – we targeted him to be on the active roster and he’s steadily working every day, and I can see him gain the confidence of his teammates as well. So it’s a cool process to be a part of. It’s not easy but nothing in this game is, specifically for that position. So you can tell he’s cut from the right cloth and that the game isn’t too big for him, so very encouraged with his progression.”
(Have you ever been in a position where you added a quarterback, let’s say two weeks ago, and then started them in a game? I’m thinking maybe Jimmy Garoppolo?) – “Yeah, that was one. That was actually a turning point from our staff then, but really all the guys that we’ve worked with in terms of play communication to the quarterback. Jimmy’s (Garoppolo) first game was against Chicago on the road, and he was – it might have been about that timeline, so we went to a wristband system that really we all kind of are steadfast to, to this day. There’s always challenges in the league, and sometimes they have to do with the player that touches the ball on every play. And you learn; for me I got to learn – we we’re able to win a football game and won several after that with Jimmy that year, and you naturally reflect on, ‘OK, how do you pull that off?’ And you start to – it really puts into perspective the relationship that quarterbacks have with the team and the players that they are playing with, because you have to – to win football games like Jimmy did, your team has to believe in you. Well where does that come from? Well it’s not all the reps that we’ve had throughout training camp; we weren’t there with him. There’s an unspoken, I don’t know, confidence and conviction that a person has to have where guys believe that, regardless of how long they’ve played with him, that they have the components to do what each and every one of them need him to do, really. So the quarterback, there’s no player really on the team that that player doesn’t touch. I mean indirectly or directly; your special teams and defense are playing for that guy. Everybody, whether you’re a runner or an offensive lineman, trying to come off on the right snap count, or you’re a skill position trying to get a pass target, all of these things, everyone’s job, they’re depending on that person doing their job. So when you see people with conviction get the back of quarterback, especially new ones. I’ve seen a lot of teammates really gravitate to not only – I call him ‘Snoop,’ that’s much easier and pretty legit to call somebody ‘Snoop’ (Tyler Huntley) and that be their name. ‘Snoop’ and Boyle, which is also cool – not as cool as ‘Snoop’ in terms of names, but unless you’re maybe – it’s close to ‘O’Doyle rules’ from a movie reference. But Tim (Boyle), that’s the thing I don’t think people – there’s also opportunity to really see people galvanized and it was really cool to watch the teammates of Tim’s and how he competed without blinking. I just have a lot of regard for guys that just jump into a situation that isn’t for the faint of heart, and you’re talking new language. It takes some self-confidence from within to be able to do that, and I feel fortunate that the guys that we’ve added are boldly attacking it and not looking for any sort of excuse.”
(You mentioned on Monday that you were planning on talking to players about the quarterback situation. I’m just wondering the feedback they’ve given you already on QB Tyler ‘Snoop’ Huntley?) – “I think you’re always interested in how – Chris (Grier) and I are talking and projecting how we think someone is going to fit in the locker room. It’s not overly weighted – you’re just interested to see if your forecast is similar, just early impressions. I listen to the strongest statement that I think teammates can make. Asking them is nice, but I’m also the head coach and generally players are not trying to overly plateau one way or another with their teammates because they are good guys and they love all of them. But what I like to lean into is what I see through all sorts of nuances when 11 people play football. You can just tell, it’s the best way that I can explain it, when guys are believing in the signal caller to really go and do what we have to do. So these practices are extremely important for me for that reason, because a lot of people are very much concerned – I think a lot of guys on the team that the last thing that they could care about is that, only because so many people are trying to worry about their job themselves. I think that’s one thing that when you’re in a football season and you have results that you didn’t forecast necessarily on the front end, you can either find excuses or you can find solutions. Although all the players do very much care who the quarterback is on one hand, on the other hand there is a lot of motivated people to try to do their part to make our football right, and when you’re having results like we’re having it very clear to everyone that it’s not just one person. It’s a collection of people. So we have a lot to worry about in that. A lot of guys will be worried about their jobs, and along the way I’ll be able to observe natural interactions with teammates and we’ll do our best to absolutely – regardless, right, wrong or indifferent as every decision that I make is, always willing to work to the end of the earth to try to do the best. But you also know what the job is and that you just have to make your best educated decision, and fortunately, there is a lot of people that will be seizing the day today and I’ll get a lot of information out of that.”
(T Terron Armstead, CB Kendall Fuller, LB David Long Jr.?) – “(Terron) Armstead, talking to him, he’s feeling better. He’s in the protocol, and I make sure anyone that enters into that, same with (Kendall) Fuller, is that they know on the front end from me is that I’m not projecting or worried about the timeline because of the literal science that I’ve learned that I think that’s important to come from me. Guys have told me they are feeling better, what that means and where that’s at, I intentionally don’t concern myself with that. We’re still in the protocol, so we’ll see.”
(LB David Long Jr.?) – “He (David Long Jr.) won’t be able to practice today, but he is doing absolutely everything he can for this opportunity. He’ll either be out there or it will be impossible because he’s going to do everything he can. Him and we are rooting for his body, but will let his body work through it.”
(T Patrick Paul, obviously you guys got a good look at him during training camp because T Terron Armstead was not working and you pretty much should have a good look at him during the practice week. How ready is he to start an NFL game? You said you didn’t want to put him in adverse situations. Seattle obviously with the crowd noise must have been an adverse situation, but now it’s a home game. Is that a possibility that he could be out there?) – “I’m feeling good about his readiness and ability to play NFL football in the regular season. What ready means is that he can be counted on for his assignments and he’s steadily progressed in his techniques and fundamentals. Then you have the actual NFL game which is a whole other process because it’s not if but when you have a snap that you don’t like, and realistically just making sure our coaches do a great job of knowing where our rookies are, what amount of pressure they feel on a daily bases and in that way they are a little more – I don’t want to say aggressive, but you try to put pressure on guys so that they don’t know football without it so they don’t get into a cruise control situation. I think he’s responded well, so I’m feeling good about his development and I think his chance to play NFL football is coming soon. I just don’t know how soon. He’s got to tell me that today and where he’s at today, and then we’ll move forward with that. I’ve been very happy with his progression, fully knowing that there is different things to attack on the horizon when you step on that football field, and he knows that too.”
(The other day you said that “I think that as QB Skylar Thompson progresses, I think that leaves variable more vague.” What did you mean by that?) – “It’s very easy to say that Skylar (Thompson) is not playing if he’s unable to play. It’s a different scenario forecasting complete unavailability to OK, well now you’re assessing when he’s able to get the reps and how much he’s going to get, and what type of situation you’re putting in the whole team and the other guys if you put them in. It’s more of a decision to make, so there’s more variables in that. It’s less of a decision when you remove a person – that’s high-level math right there. (laughter) That’s all it’s – you have to take into account several factors that may or may not change your ultimate decision. It’s just you have to account for it and makes it a different type of problem to solve when guys – the hardest thing for football players is when they are unavailable, but when they’re unavailable, the picture of what you could do is a little clearer. It doesn’t mean it’s not going to be the same thing. It just means you have to evaluate that and not – my business is not to say the grass is greener all the time. My business is to assess what’s going on, attribute to the issues and where it might seem – if I would’ve thought that Skylar Thompson and the offense would have scored three points last Sunday, I probably would’ve changed the players, the scheme, everybody – maybe I would’ve had you call plays, I don’t know. But you’re trying to do – listen, I don’t take any of the decisions lightly at all. It’s never as clear as the surface value. I said that on Monday, and sure enough, I have a lot more information on Wednesday. The picture is clearer to me and I’m excited for the moment of supreme clarity. I just don’t chase that for the sake of, ‘All right, I just want it off my plate.’ Generally the easiest thing is not the path that I choose. That doesn’t mean the results are always awesome, but that’s literally what I signed up for.”
Alec Ingold – September 24, 2024
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Tuesday, September 24, 2024
FB Alec Ingold
(It’s got to be a humbling from an offensive standpoint. You guys – best offense in the NFL for the past two years, one of the best offenses to now one of the worst offenses. How do you rectify that?) – “That’s a great question. I think during training camp we had talked – you had asked a similar question about what did you do last year, how are you going to carry that over into this year; and I feel like that response was, we have to re-identify who we are this year. And right now 1-2 through Week 3, we have to look at this offense as nothing like what happened last year. You start 3-0, everything is great, everyone is happy and now it’s like we’ve got adversity right out the gate as an offensive team, and that can be seen a bunch of different ways and it really just comes down to your perspective of it. Like we’re going to learn a whole lot more throughout the next 15 weeks about the type of guys in the room, the type of character in the room, the type of offense that we want to create throughout a season, the type of progression that we can develop as a group playing together. And from last year to this year, you can make a whole bunch of comparisons on stats, on the ups and downs, on the roller coasters; but how I see it is off to a slow start, that gut check time right off the bat allows for guys to truly find the whys and the hows of an offense so that all these problems coming down the stretch, you’ve had to solve them before. You’ve had to communicate before. You’ve had to deal with problems before rather than just executing and just doing it because that’s just what happened. So I think we’re having to answer a lot of the whys and the hows early on and it’s really just how we respond with these opportunities.”
(What were your impressions of both QB Skylar Thompson and QB Tim Boyle in the huddle?) – “It was definitely loud for both. It was a lot of adversity in this huddle and I think that they did their part in commanding the huddle, the operations. I think the other 10, we all can step up. I think all 11 on offense – it’s no secret, you score three points in a game, everybody can execute better – and that starts with hearing the play call in the huddle, figuring out your assignment, your alignment, being on that stuff with a sense of urgency. And being able to kind of fall victim to the circumstances, last week I don’t think we really gave ourselves a chance, and I don’t think it’s fair for either of guys to wear the burden that all 11 had on the results of that game.”
(What do you think if it is QB Tyler Huntley – and obviously Head Coach Mike McDaniel said it could very easily be QB Tim Boyle, outside chance of QB Skylar Thompson he indicated – if it’s Tyler Huntley, skills he brings out that could help you, would be what?) – “I think any time you get a new fresh face in the offense, it comes with this idea, right, we’re thinking about who can come save the day whether it’s Tyler Huntley, whether it’s Tua (Tagovailoa) after bye week, whatever the timeline is. And at the end of the day, what we’re focused on, the guys in the huddle and the guys in the building, is how could we be better so that whoever shows up and is calling that play can be the best version themselves with confidence, conviction and all 10 other guys are humming all together. That’s got to be the focus. I don’t think you can dive into (or) dissect skill sets between one or another. I think as a team, we need to be better and we need to be problem solvers together before looking for some savior to come down. Like it’s the guys in the room being better, being more competent, being more convicted, preparing better, executing better. And it’s a lot of clichés that I’m throwing out here, but I think that’s real stuff. I truly believe in it.”
(I wanted to talk about the red zone offense efficiency – really good last year, not as good this year. Is there anything that you notice that you guys – aside from I know a lot of the clichés you mentioned – but is there anything you’ve noticed specifically that you guys need to do better of in that area?) – “Situational football, it’s a fun topic to talk about because it’s not just the plays anymore. Everything changes, right? The horizontal length of the field is all of a sudden a lot wider than the vertical length of the field, so the game, the dynamics, the play calls all change. And when you have that change, when you have that uncertainty, when you have a new opportunity in that red zone, it’s about really getting that play call and being able to execute, knowing that it’s a different circumstance, that we’re in that red zone and you have width and you can attack run game or pass game in a little bit different windows. So I feel like that progression of red zone offense, of situational football; I think that’s a small piece of the pie that we’re all working towards right now. So being able to understand that, master it, talk about it, so that when we get into those spaces, when defense gets us ball on the six, there’s no hesitation. We know the situation. We know the circumstance. We know the new rules. We know the new circumstances to take advantage of it. So I think it really goes back to being able to touch the paint when we need to.”
(The websites that break down this stuff say that the outside runs haven’t had as much success per carry average as last year. As you watch the tape, what’s happening on the majority of those plays? Is it just needing to block better?) – “Yeah, when you talk about outside zone, especially in the backfield perspective, those edge defenders and how defenses – whether you have two-high shell that everyone wants to talk about right now, one-high, what the force block is – all those different situations. At the end of the day, it’s playing violent and physical on the edge and you can talk about, ‘Man, we need to run power to really be explosive and run off the ball.’ It’s that same concept for outside zone; it’s really creating the point of attack wherever we’re at. If you can dent an edge and then there’s a backside pressure or there’s a front-side pressure, being able to manipulate those edges in a number of different ways; those are all pieces of the pie to an outside zone scheme team. Being able to run convicted, hit that pad level, stay on blocks, playing with elite technique and straining to finish, that allows for speed to run. And right now, I just don’t know if we’re taking advantage of the space because of a lot of technique stuff that we just need to hone in on and we need to develop as a unit so that we’re trusting one another.”
(That early fourth-and-1, you guys kick a long field goal. I was thinking maybe go for it. Would you have wanted a chance there to go for that short yardage situation?) – “I think that’s above my paygrade. When you get your number called at any time, you’re ready to execute that play, but I think it goes down to trusting the execution – offense to special teams, to defense, back to offense, right? That’s the progression of playing a team playing together. So the more trust and faith you have in the guys around you, whether you’re on the field with them or you’re on the sidelines watching them execute; I feel like we all have to remove a little bit of hesitation and just continue to trust each other more.”
(Mentally how do you overcome the last game, the game before that, two-game slide? Tennessee is coming on Monday. How do you mentally overcome that? I know WR Jaylen Waddle mentioned the offense is a little bit frustrated because you guys are kind of performing under your expectations, so how do you mentally just kind of put that aside and it’s like, go for the next opponent?) – “Yeah, I mean, if you say you’re underperforming, right, that means that there’s a high expectation. There’s a high potential. There’s a high level of talent. And when your execution over a short period of time is below that, I think the only way that you can raise that execution, the only time you can raise to meet that potential, the only time you can raise the execution to reach the talent, is through your process, through the standard through the daily habits. Like I don’t think you can change – if we’ve built a process since April for the last two years and we’re starting off slow for the first time since I’ve been here, I don’t know if you can change that process, overcompensate because you aren’t seeing the results. Now, that’s a high standard that we carry and we have to all reflect and say, are we all keeping that standard? Are we all accountable to that level? But it starts with that mirror. And if I’m not doing that, if the running back room isn’t doing that, we need to fix it in our room before we can try and change everything. I think that’s where we’re at. We’re trying to reflect internally, and then we’re able to move forward with that higher level of accountability to help raise that bar from execution to meet the potential that we have, because we all know it’s there. There’s no secret sauce there – I think that’s just the work. That’s the courage that it takes to put yourself out there and lean into that uncertainty of what’s to come on Monday Night Football.”
(You had a big hit on the special teams play. How much do you value that as an offensive player, to deliver some punishment?) – “Yeah, man, I think that’s like the only taste of wrestling that I ever get anymore, is when you get tackling like that down the field. So obviously you didn’t want to have to punt three times in a row, but when you have to do that and you get to make a play and give the defense a chance to defend a long field, I think we get a chance to get the ball back so complementary football. Need to be better at that, and it was good to get a little fired up after a nice tackle.”
Calais Campbell – September 24, 2024
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Tuesday, September 24, 2024
DT Calais Campbell
(It was a good effort on Sunday, but what did Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver focus on as areas he wants to see improvement?) – “I think our biggest issue is that we all want to make plays, right? And when you chase plays, sometimes you kind of leave your job left not to the standard we want it to be. So the message has been just let the plays come to you; do your job at an elite level and just make the plays you’re supposed to make. We had a pretty tough meeting because he went through pretty much line by line situations, and we went through tape and watched it. Sometimes you need those. It’s not really a call out session, it’s just a get better session, but let’s be on the same page, understand who was messing up on what play or caused the issues so we can get it fixed. And usually, that’s probably the biggest issue you have on defense is (with) a big gain, you don’t really know what happened on the field because you really can’t go through that process, you really don’t have all the information, you can’t see it. And then guys still trying to make up for it, still trying to do a little more because they had a little leakage instead of letting that one guy get it fixed. So a big thing is trust, trusting the guys you have next to you to do their job and you do yours and be accountable.”
(How much of – and it’s not as if the run defense has been bad, it hasn’t been at the standard set last year when teams averaged 3.8 per carry.) – “It’s not our standard. It’s not our standard.”
(Right, and now it’s been in the four range, 4.2 on Sunday. On the runs you’ve given up, and you have had obviously some tackles for loss, but on the runs you guys have given up, has it been blocks being defeated, what’s been primarily the problem from what you’ve seen on tape?) – “Most of it was gap discipline, and we play a light box and stuff too, so we do make it tough on ourselves, but we like that challenge because we know we can handle it. Probably 80% of it’s really, really good, but the extra 20% has been just biting us for a couple weeks, so we have to clean that up. But a lot of it is just being on the same page, communicating and just playing together football. I have a high standard – we, the Miami Dolphins, have a high standard and we obviously know that we can be a lot better. I think everybody knows we can be a lot better. It hasn’t been just brutal, other than that 49-yard run and a couple leakage yardage this game. It hasn’t been brutal. But we want to be the best, right? We don’t want to be OK most of the time and then have these runs that we’re really beating ourselves. I mean if somebody just makes a play to make a play, but we can’t have times where we beat ourselves, that’s just not who we want to be. The standard we have, we have to adhere by, so we’re putting a lot of effort on, a lot of emphasis on – we asked for a different way of doing things so we can try to be a little better too at times. At the end of the day, it really comes down to just win your matchup and being where you’re supposed to be, being accountable and making the play you’re supposed to make.”
(You’re obviously good at getting your hand up, tipping ball at the line of scrimmage. You had a big one on Sunday that led to an interception, but what do you think gives you a knack for that – obviously, being 6’8” I think helps a lot, but do you think over 17 years you’ve picked up on some reads?) – “(laughter) I try to look at the quarterback’s flight line, where he’s throwing the ball, and trying to do little things that can help, but most of the time it’s just instincts in the moment. I feel like there’s a lot of times that I’m trying to bat the ball and I have no chance, but then sometimes you’re in the middle of a rush and you just kind of got to feel, put your hand up and good things happen. I do think that good things happen to those who play really hard and run to the ball, and if you play hard and run to the ball, good things are going to happen for you. Now batting balls is a little different because you’re going towards the quarterback or whatever, but I’m trying to get to him. (laughter) And if I can hit him, I want to hit him, but if I can’t hit him, then I’m trying to affect him any way I can, so getting my hands up on balls is definitely something that comes natural to me. But man, what an interception though. My man Zach (Sieler) got his hands up and got that ball. It makes it that much more sweet; when you get a hand on the ball, it’s cool – it happens all the time. But when – not only when it’s intercepted by a DB or something, that’s cool, but when it’s intercepted by a d-lineman, you can’t get no better than that.”
(You played with QB Tyler Huntley going back to your years with Baltimore. What can people who haven’t seen his game expect from him as a player if he does get that opportunity?) – “Yeah, we call him ‘Snoop.’ ‘Snoop’ (Tyler Huntley) is a guy who is going to be very prepared. He can make every throw. I think he has good poise in the pocket and then he can create with his legs, which I think is something with the weapons we have at receiver and the way people have to guard us, when you can really make people pay with your legs, there’s going to be some opportunities there. And I think that’s a place where we can really exploit going forward – or at least if they have to adjust and account for his running ability as well, it should give us some more opportunities to hit some bigger throws.”
(What are your impressions of QB Will Levis or any of the Titans offensive linemen you might have to face?) – “They’re one of the best running teams that we’re going to face, which is something that we’ve been putting a big emphasis on the last couple of weeks and we still haven’t really had that complete game from a front seven stopping the run. The Titans are – that’s what they do best, and Will Levis’ ability to scramble and keep plays alive makes it even more hard. They have really good backs who can hit the home run hits and just make you pay if you catch a gap. So this is going to be a very big game on being disciplined, gap sound and just doing our job. They have good players. They’re also a ‘desperate’ team – take that with a grain of salt. It’s early in the season, just get this next win and everything goes back to normal, right? Just play football. They’re a team that wants to get a win real bad, too, so it’s going to be a matchup of who wants it the most and who’s willing to do what’s required.”
(Do you think you’ll check out your Canes on Friday night?) – “(laughter) I always like watching my Canes, man. I love going to the games when I can, but if it’s it on, I’m always watching.”
Jordan Poyer – September 24, 2024
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Tuesday, September 24, 2024
S Jordan Poyer
(So as a unit, what are you happy about collectively that you’ve done and where’s the biggest area that you guys and Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver would like improvement?) – “It’s continuous improvement. I think just continuing to stay together as a unit and guys just doing their one-eleventh, that’s including myself. Everybody just honing in on the philosophy of our defense. The things that we’ve done well – we’re running to the ball, we’re playing extremely hard. We were talking about it earlier; these last three games, it’s probably been the first time our unit has been fully, collectively together since maybe even before OTAs, so it’s just continuing to stay the course and trust in the process and trust in the talent that we have and the coaches that we have. It’s Week 4, so it’s part of it. This is the NFL. Adversity comes and how you’re going to handle it, so we’re right in the thick of it right now so just continuing to keep working.”
(When you play with backup quarterbacks and the offense is struggling like it was Sunday in Seattle, as defenders do you feel pressure to make more happen on defense, even try to score on defense?) – “No, that should be your idea each and every week going into the game. Finding ways to get your offense the ball back and ideal field position and even scoring. And you really try to not look at the other side of the ball because you’ve got your job to do, and when you’re seeing the games and how they unfold, there are times where we’ve got to get the ball and we’ve got to think to score. But yeah, as a defensive player each and every game, you want to go into the game understanding how that offense is trying to attack you and finding ways to get the ball off of them and put our offense in good field position.”
(Have you seen CB Kendall Fuller? How is he doing?) – “He’s doing good.”
(Have you been in a situation where you’re on the third quarterback for the game?) – “I’m sure – I mean, in Cleveland for sure. We didn’t know who the hell was going to be quarterback that week. But like I said, it’s just part of it, right? There’s a million excuses – you could say this, that or the other, but it’s just part of our season right now and just having to like I said, keep your head down and keep working and not worry about the who’s playing where or whatever. We have a job to do and our job is to go out there and stop obviously the offense to our best ability and get the football back to our offense.”
(How much time have you had so far this week to look at anything the Titans do or how much do you know about the Titans offense and Titans QB Will Levis?) – “We’re about to have a meeting here in about 30 minutes to kind of go over their KGB. I haven’t had too much time to look at them, but this is the NFL. This is a good football team. They’re a hungry football team, and we’re going to have to play extremely well to win on Monday night.”
Mike McDaniel – September 24, 2024
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Tuesday, September 24, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(With QB Skylar Thompson hurt, will your starting quarterback next Monday be QB Tim Boyle or QB Tyler Huntley? Or will it be a Boyle-Huntley competition this week to determine that?) – “Well, I think that as Skylar (Thompson) progresses, I think that leaves variables more vague. I think we have an important 48 hours to kind of see where he’s at and then also to get in front of the rest of the quarterback room and talk with them, talk with coaches, talk with some of the players to get them as most comfortable with the varied uncertainty and we’ll just have to take it a day at a time, there’s a lot of stuff on the table. And in moments that are broader than just the quarterback, just the overall offense and the team in general, I think you have to open up your mind to a plethora of different solutions considering your current answers, as objectively you could evaluate haven’t been the right ones.”
(QB Tim Boyle seemed to move the offense. What did you see between him and QB Tyler Huntley that tells you, you’ll have him up over Tyler?) – “Well, that was something that we utilized the week to kind of asses. You want to be fair to all parties, you don’t want to rush to judgement and assume that people will assimilate – fully knowing that it was going to be difficult this past week for a guy getting there on Tuesday to feel comfortable leading the offense, also a veteran guy so you just let it play out. At the end of the day, we thought that the quarterback affects a lot of players, down-in, down-out and that Tim (Boyle) was the better option for that moment on that day.”
(QB Skylar Thompson was obviously your guy after training camp going forward – this was a moment you had planned for, were you surprised by the level of quarterback play that you saw on Sunday?) – “I was surprised by a bunch of things. I think you go into a game planning for more than three points. I think there was surprising moments within that game from the quarterback play from Skylar (Thompson) that I know he wished he had back, just the same as – I think it’s important to not take anything for granted and to be extremely accountable and critical across the board, including yourself, so you’re looking at the decisions that you’re making. And then I think there was also some surprising contributions too that to the quarterback by way of other players that compounded to make it not a game that any of the players are used to, one that I’m used to or the fans watching that have gotten used to how we play offense. So I think the NFL is full of surprises. I think it’s either – and there’s no gray, generally you’re either very happy or very, very motivated and annoyed with whatever happens. I think there was definitely some results that were not what we were expecting, but it doesn’t matter how you feel. Your job is to take whatever it is, however unexpected, and figure it out. So I think that’s where we’re at.”
(When you reflect on games like that, or let’s just say this Sunday’s game specifically, have you ever felt like delegating offensive play calling roles or do you feel like that’s something you’re still comfortable doing moving forward?) – “Yeah, well, whatever it is I think I’m a veteran enough to the National Football League that I expect to field those type of questions randomly when your production isn’t near anyone wants. And I think it’s important as a head coach and a leader to take accountability for all decisions made, and then as well as like, what if we had numerous touchdowns that were terribly timed play calls that players just made right? I think you have to – I don’t just make that assessment. I think it would be incredibly irresponsible if I just went with the results. So I think every time that I call plays, I’m de facto, doing so in the light that I think it’s the best for the team. I wouldn’t be able to – the game is not about me, first and foremost. The cost of the television packages to watch the games would be a lot less if people we’re trying to watch me. So I think that inherently, I take the responsibility super serious and every time that I’m calling a game, it’s based upon doing the best for the team and the second – I mean I wouldn’t hesitate to change that procedure because it is my call; I would change it in a heartbeat if I thought somebody else gave the team a better chance to win. So ultimately, you just have to be fully accountable for every decision you make knowing that the results could be any way, and I’m fully accepting of that.”
(Do you have any kind of update you can share on the status of T Terron Armstead and CB Kendall Fuller?) – “Both in the protocol. Good conversations with them today, but we will – no timelines and day-to-day and just making sure that they’re getting back to full health and assessing the plan after that. So I don’t really, I couldn’t rule anybody out for anything, but I really don’t have a scope either, just because it was so fresh and we’re just taking it day by day.”
(We know philosophically you like outside zone runs, something that’s a big part of this offense. You seem to be having more success this year running inside, is that something you have seen as well, and might that change your philosophy going forward?) – “No, I think by and large – so the outside zone is the starting point for our technique and fundamentals, and basically every play in the plan has an accompanied tool if there’s overplay to that play. I think based upon the structures that we’ve evaluated during the game, as the opponent trots their plan out on the field, I think there’s been some pre-snap and post-snap overplay to kind of our more perimeter runs, and as a result we’ve tried to get some stuff going with some alternative schemes that we’ve always ran. But I think we’ve gotten those called a little bit more, and we’re still working and developing those types of results, so the four-yard plays and the eight-yard plays, 16-yard plays, etcetera, etcetera. That’s – you’re always kind of adjusting for the defenses, as well as the players that you have. We’ve had some good combination blocks on the inside zone and gap stuff, so we’ll see how that plays out moving forward.”
(You were one of the better teams when it came to red zone touchdown scoring last year, not so much this year. What do you attribute the change to and how do you plan to overcome it?) – “You’re always going to have people that are trying to stop you from scoring touchdowns, and I think there’s been a lot of points that we’ve left on the board when we’ve gotten closer to there. I think there’s – first and foremost, I’m always about evaluating the decisions and when stuff doesn’t work, generally it’s hard for me to be like, ‘Oh yeah, I’m absolved of all responsibility.’ So there’s some directions that had I known X, Y or Z, I would have done differently. Then I think there’s also one of the pieces that I think is supremely important, this being the first time that I think since I’ve been here we’re below .500, and it feels way too long as it is. I think the big thing as a team, in this case if you’re questioning the offense, is that you have across the board accountability, and the hard thing is, when you very much dislike the results, for you to go above and beyond to say, ‘OK, well how is that my fault?’ And so as a team when you’re in situations like this, or as an offense when you’re talking about the overall score of games or just your red zone efficiency, you get to learn a lot about a lot of your teammates and it goes one way or the other. You either stay miserable with the results or you collectively fix them, and the only way that will get fixed is if everyone’s putting all the burden on their own shoulders individually, so that we can have more winning football plays because currently, we’re not doing right by the football team in taking three points and making them seven.”
(Are you and General Manager Chris Grier planning to bring in a third, healthy quarterback to join QB Tim Boyle and QB Tyler Huntley?) – “I would say that Skylar (Thompson) is more day-to-day, so that’s a little – but at the same time, Chris (Grier) is steadily at work and that’s important to have depth at that position which we’re finding out the absolute most difficult way. So those conversation will continue probably through NFL Tuesday, which is Wednesday.”
(There’s been a couple reports that QB Tua Tagovailoa was going to meet with a neurologist early last week and another that there was a scheduling conflict and now it’s been pushed to this week. Just from you, what is the plan for Tua to be meeting with doctors and specialists?) – “For me, the plan has never changed, and he has a meeting with neurologists this week. The plan hasn’t changed and it’s being executed, so that’s kind of where that stands. I don’t know reports, I don’t know whose sources are who, but people should just talk to me. I get the real information. (laughter)”
(When it comes to WR Tyreek Hill and after watching film, is there something in particular that you caught, maybe something the opponents are doing, something that you guys are not executing?) – “Oh yeah. A lot of the times – this just in: the team likes to get Tyreek (Hill) the ball; I like to get Tyreek the ball and it can be as simple as calling more plays regardless of attention. But I think that the more realistic or what you try to teach in terms of football and how plays relate to other plays is the second tight end on a play can determine how many targets, or if Tyreek can get a target on that drive, or the backside receiver on a play. When you execute football plays and every drive isn’t four or five plays, you can appropriately get the ball to Tyreek and not have some pass plays where he’s No. 1, but maybe the coverage doesn’t present itself and that doesn’t – you have two people doubling him, no force defender and you didn’t run it. So I think the execution of our offense in its entirety has to do with some of the key players that make plays for us and how much they get the ball as well. I think that we’ve never really had an issue getting them, or Tyreek in particular, targets. I think he might have been the No. 1 targeted receiver per route run last year, top three at least, but we also haven’t had – it’s been rare to have a three-game span where you’re as clunky drive-in, drive-out. So there’s a lot to be answered. I think the more that people can see how individual results are tied to the eleven people executing their jobs each and every play, and then how well are their jobs being communicated by their coaches, and then what’s the frequency where I’m calling plays that are putting players in good positions. All of those things are coupled to kind of assess that, but the bottom line is we are better when he is involved and there’s a lot of people that have their hand in his involvement.”
(I don’t think we’ve asked you about WR Odell Beckham Jr. in a while. Where is he at in terms of his progress from his injury?) – “I’ve seen some good progress, and I’m optimistic for when his window opens up and we will see how his body responds. I do know there’s been some very intentional good work and that he hasn’t had the setbacks that we’ve made sure to avoid.”
(If QB Tyler Huntley is your decision this week to be your starting quarterback, do you need to teach this team 20-25 new plays this week? Is there a big change that needs to happen?) – “No, if that would be the direction, which is a possibility for sure, the good news is within the framework of the offense, there’s typically some of those principles that are put in intentionally for the preseason and that’s something that was built within the offense back from 2012 – actually, ode to Robert Griffin III on that one. So that’s kind of the art of the illusion of complexity – can you add some stuff? If you do, the only way that you can is that there has to be some overlap into what you already do. Just because you don’t go in and completely change from ground zero everything you do, it has to be within your verbiage and ways that they’ve learned how to identify people and who you’re reading and all that. I think there’s a balance – you add some stuff that features a player if it’s worth it. If it’s something that can fit within the framework of the other stuff that players do, how to block it and then how can you bridge some of the stuff that people have done in the past to what you’re going to do this week. It’s a fine balance; it’s not an exact science but it’s the same thing as there was plays built within the plan for (Tim) Boyle when he came in to know what his history had been, to have evaluated him on tape to know concepts that overlap with stuff that we do, and you try to call those when those players are in so that guys can perform at their optimal level on the big stage. It won’t be a full sale, but if we were going to go in that direction, we would probably introduce a couple of things that for the coaching staff there’s a lot of familiarity with, specifically from our history with multiple teams. And then for the players, they have gotten a dose of that since they have been here, and I think in the first training camp install, I had a couple zone reads in. And I think, I’m pretty sure that in preseason 2022, Game 2 maybe, Skylar (Thompson) actually ran some.”
(If QB Skylar Thompson is not able to work this week because of his rib situation, does it become an open competition, or do you just have to go with your gut and your decision and go with one guy and build it around them?) – “I think you have to kind of make a decision, for sure, just because of the limited reps and kind of splitting those up. It’s already difficult, and then weighing that against there’s also the scenario of Skylar (Thompson) coming back but in a limited fashion, which kind of makes it even more gray – you’re probably going to have to make a decision before you’d like to just to give the players a chance to adequately perform on Sunday. So those are things while we are very open at this point, there’s some decisions that are to come earlier, and then depending on how Skylar plays out and some of the conversations play out amongst the staff and Chris (Grier) alike, I think we’ll come to a definitive conclusion on how we want to work through the week and I don’t see a scenario where it’s going to be (Tyler) Huntley and (Tim) Boyle, just because of the limited time.”
Jaylen Waddle – September 24, 2024
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Tuesday, September 24, 2024
WR Jaylen Waddle
(What were your impressions Sunday of both QB Skylar Thompson running the offense and then getting some QB Tim Boyle in there?) – “It was a hostile environment, real tough environment, but I think they handled themselves really good, both quarterbacks. Yeah man, I’m proud of both of them coming in and stepping up.”
(What is this week like for you guys with the uncertainty? We just heard from Head Coach Mike McDaniel; you still don’t know who the starting quarterback will be. What will that be like for the receivers and the offense?) – “Nah, we’re just hitting it, going to work, trying to help out whoever is back there and get him ready for Monday night. So man, just going to work.”
(What on your end – we talked to Head Coach Mike McDaniel about what he needs to do better. What on your end as players needs to get better with this offense?) – “I think everybody just – especially with a quarterback that’s coming in, we’ve just got to clear up everything. I know from a receiver’s standpoint or from my standpoint, if it’s getting more separation to help him see things clearly, then that’s what we need to do. But everybody needs to enhance their play to make it easier for the quarterback that’s back there. I think if we do that, it makes it a lot easier for him to do his job.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel left open the possibility that QB Tyler Huntley starts this week at quarterback. What’s your relationship with him in this short time and how much work have you guys gotten in together?) – “I actually worked out with ‘Snoop’ (Tyler Huntley) in the offseason, that’s when I first met him. He’s a local guy from around here, so I work out around here in the offseason. So I got to hang out with him – cool dude. He’s new, but he’s a playmaker.”
(Do you think that already gives you some chemistry with him?) – “No, but it’s always good to have.”
(How would you describe the mood of the offensive players? Is it more of like you guys are pissed off, you guys are frustrated? How would you put it into words?) – “Frustrating because we know we’re better than what we’re putting out there, but I think it’s good for us. I look at the last two season, or since (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) has been here, and going into the first three weeks, we had a whole bunch of hype and all this crazy stuff with all this media attention and we get to see what our team is made of early. It’s only the third week and our back is up against the wall, so we’re going to see what we’re made of pretty early, see what the team’s got.”
(You guys were really good in the red zone when it comes to touchdown efficiency last year, not so much this year. What do you attribute the change to?) – “Execution, man. Being on our assignments. Communication is going to be key, especially in an environment like we were (in). Communication is going to be key and executing.”
(We hear “adversity is an opportunity” all the time. It’s in big letters in the locker room. How much has this team taken that ideology to heart over the past three years?) – “You’ve got to. There’s been a lot of ups and downs with this team, previous teams here, and we always look at it like that. It’s something that Mike (McDaniel) preaches, it’s something that we practice, and it’s definitely big in this organization.”
(Just how differently, if at all, are opposing defenses playing you and WR Tyreek Hill?) – “I mean, we get a lot of different looks, get a lot of different coverages. Most of it will be a lot of two-high shell and they can switch it up with different versions of it, whether it’s four, two-man, six.”
(Is it very different from what you guys saw last year?) – “Sometimes they will go out their way to stop us and take us out of the game pretty early, but it’s not much different. Not much different.”
