Brian Flores – August 10, 2019
Download PDF version
Saturday, August 10, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(After watching the film, can you let us know something that actually was maybe better than you thought and something that was maybe you didn’t notice right that wasn’t so good?) – “I noticed that it was – I think the tackling was something I talked about after the game, and it’s something that I definitely reiterated to the team that we have to do a better job defensively and in the kicking game from a tackling standpoint. We won’t have a shot – we won’t give ourselves a chance if we don’t do a better job there, so that’s something that – I know I mentioned that (was) not good. I would say it was it’s something was probably worse than I thought, so it’s something that we’re going to place some emphasis on, something we’re going to drill more, practice more and continue to try to get better there. Something that I felt was better – I thought our operation, just in and out of the huddle. When you watched the tape, you see Atlanta had some trouble kind of getting lined up from time to time because we were in and out of the huddle pretty quickly. I liked the operation. From that standpoint, we can catch or keep people off guard and off-balance that way. I think that gives us an advantage, so I thought that was something that was good.”
(Do you have any updates for us on where your quarterback competition stands?) – “It’s still in a competition. I think – obviously, Josh (Rosen) had come in there and had more reps. He played the second and third quarter. (There was) some good, some not-so-good. ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) really just had the first quarter. He had a couple of errant throws, but I thought his operation was good. Honestly, Josh had the lion’s share of the snaps. I thought he did a good job. I thought he ran the offense well. I thought he made some good throws. I thought he could’ve made a couple better decisions. Checking the ball down is not a bad thing to do. That’s something we talked to him about – understanding what they’re doing defensively from a cover standpoint, from a run game standpoint. We could have put ourselves in some better situations. Both quarterbacks – really all three quarterbacks – Jake (Rudock) went in there and did a really good job in the fourth quarter, so I think all three guys are working hard, and I think they’re continuing to improve. This week’s a big week for sure.”
(Do you think that the dynamic has changed all, or do you still anticipate giving QB Ryan Fitzpatrick the bulk of the first-team reps?) – “I think we’ll continue to split reps in a way that we can evaluate both, but really all three quarterbacks. First team, second team – I think people put more value in that stuff than I do, but we’re going to try to get the reps to evaluate all three guys and really everybody on the team.”
(I wanted to ask you about the offensive line. You had mentioned after the game that you needed to take a closer look at it on film to get an idea how they performed. Now after seeing the film, what did you see?) – “Yeah, I think the two young guys inside – I think the speed of the game – we talked about it after the game is that it’s new to them. As much as you can talk about it, there’s no way to simulate that. You have to feel it, you have to go through it, you have to experience it. I think both guys did, and I think both guys settled down as the game went on, so I think that was positive. In the second half, we had some miscues on the o-line. I think a couple of guys could’ve played better. I think as a unit, they could have played better really in both halves. I think that’s something where we need to improve really across the board – with the guys who are running with the first team, second team, third team. I think there’s a lot of room for improvement. I think the game is an opportunity for us to learn from. I think we harped on protecting inside out, doing a good job on double teams in the run game and having good communication. Hopefully, we’re better as we move forward.”
(We’ve all seen the highlight-reel catches that WR Preston Williams is making. What about the less exciting aspects of the game that he has to master obviously as a rookie? How is he coming along in those areas?) – “I think Preston is doing a very good job, and that starts in the kicking game. We had him in there on punt return. I think he played tough, he played physical, he blocked in the run game. That’s something we talk about here a lot. I think he wants to make his presence felt obviously from a receiving standpoint, but really in all phases. I think he needs to continue with that. Again, one big game doesn’t make you a superstar. This league is all about consistency, so he’s got to continue to string good practices together and hopefully good games, but I don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves on Preston. He’s got a long way to go.”
(With WR Preston Williams, with a guy like that, what goes into the decision to sign him? Obviously he wasn’t drafted because something happened with his background. How do you – since this is your first year, can you walk us through your thinking on players in general with a history?) – “I would say – I mean we do a lot of research. (General Manager) Chris (Grier), (Vice President of Football Administration) Brandon (Shore), our personnel staff, they do a lot of digging really on every player – not specific to Preston, but really every player. We try to find their strengths, their weaknesses, the things that they do well, any issues that they may have. We have to make a decision as a staff as to guys we feel like can help this team. I think we have a structure here. We try to create a structure here where guys get into a routine and a rhythm and really all they are doing is focusing on football. Then we try to educate them on everything outside of football that could be taking focus away from the game. I think that is part of trying to help young guys develop. I think people forget the fact that these guys are just kids. I remember being a 21- ,22-, 23-year-old and I didn’t make the best decisions. I think that is something that we have to educate these young kids. I think that’s our job as teachers, coaches, as educators, as leaders is to help educate them. We’re doing that with Preston, all of our rookies, all of our young players, and even our vets as well. It’s a league where you’re 30 years old and you’re an old guy. (laughter) In the real world you’re still pretty young. It’s a challenge for coaches across the league, not just the Miami Dolphins. (It’s) something that I take great pride in trying to help these young guys get into a routine and take things one day at a time and improve and get better on a daily basis. Preston and all of our young guys take into that, and hopefully they continue to do that and that’s a way to see an improvement and build and get better.”
(I’m wondering if you could expand or explain why you think next week is going to be a big week for the quarterback competition? And also, why you don’t give a lot of credence to first-team reps, and second-team reps?) – “Well next week – really every day is a great opportunity for us to build, get better and run through the coaching staff and evaluate the guys in how we want to construct this team. Going to Tampa and practicing against this team, they’re a talented team. They’ve got players all over the place. It will be a great opportunity for us to play and practice against high-level competition and guys we don’t know. Training camp can become monotonous seeing the same guys each day. You see the same – you get a feel for what they’re doing offensively, defensively and the kicking game. It’s going to be a great opportunity for us. It will be a great challenge. And then as far as the first team, second team, I think in anything you are doing, all you can do is control what you can control. If you do a great job with you reps, whether they be with first team, second team, third team, then hopefully you move and get some reps with some other guys. As we’ve gone through training camp, we’ve moved guys around offensively, defensively and in the kicking game. Whether you’re first team or second team, I want to see how guys respond, and work their techniques and fundamentals wherever you’re at. I don’t really – there is the whole first team, starters, backups. I think the best players will play and we’re always going to have a group of guys who aren’t going to be starters who come in – they are called backups, but they’ve got a vital role on the team. In a lot of ways I think you diminish their role when you call them that. I’ve never been a proponent of that. That may be new to some people, but again, I think you have to make the most of your opportunities wherever they lie, wherever they are. I think it’s that way in life. I guess that’s why I don’t spend too much time thinking about first team or second team. I watch it, but I like to see guys be productive, period. If you’re not, whether it’s first team, second team, or third team then that’s a problem. If you are productive, then I’m taking notice of that as well.”
(Are you comfortable with the evaluation that you can get on QB Josh Rosen if he’s not playing with the best, against the best?) – “I am comfortable with that. I think it’s so early in training camp and we’ve played one game. We’ll have the opportunity to do – play him whenever we want to. I think there may be an opportunity where he plays with some of those guys who we call first-teamers. Josh can only – He’s got to take care of the things he can control and do a good job with the reps he has. That’s the case for every guy. That’s kind of how I feel about it. As a staff, we’ll make that decision when we feel like anyone is ready to move up or down. That will be our decision as a staff and we’ll do what we feel is best for the Miami Dolphins.”
(How are the joint practices going to be structured? What will we see and how will that benefit the club?) – “These joint practices – I think they’re a great opportunity. They’ll look similar to what we’ve done in training camp thus far except that they’ll be against another team. Obviously, there are going to be a lot more players on the field. You may see a split field where we’re running a couple drills with offense and defense on one field and offense and defense on another field. The kicking game – obviously, we’ll try to work that on one field, and then some of the team periods, we’ll be on two fields as well. There will be a lot of moving parts to these practices. I talked to (Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach) Bruce (Arians), and we scheduled out – I’d call it 95 percent of what we want to do. There’s always a couple changes. They just played last night … so they might make changes. Again, we have to be able to adjust; but I think you’ll see a lot of what you’ve seen really throughout training camp.”
(I want to ask you about the left tackle position. Obviously, you’ve got a lot of injuries out there. Where’s your comfort level with going into a game without LT Laremy Tunsil?) – “Losing a guy like Laremy Tunsil would be very tough. At the same time, we have to be able to adjust and adapt and the next guy will be up. As a team, we would have to do what we need to do to – if we felt like there was an issue – to help that position. If it means leaving the tight end over there, we’ll do that. If it means chipping the back, we’ll do that. If it means five on the line over there, we’ll do that. When you’ve got 11 guys on the field, you have an opportunity to help when you need help. That’s the case. You can’t double everybody. I think everybody understands that. Once there’s a particular matchup we don’t like, then we’ll try to help that situation offensively, defensively or in the kicking game. Conversely, if you’ve got a guy you feel really good about, you may leave him one-on-one and go help somebody else. That’s coaching. You’ve just got to do what you feel is best for the team. That’s different case by case. It changes from week to week, day to day and by opponent.”
(If QB Josh Rosen goes up against the best 11 players on your defense, what could you take away from that in regards to your quarterback competition?) – “My takeaway would be: is he getting the group in and out of the huddle? Are we up at the line scrimmage with enough time to make our points, adjustments, Mike (linebacker) calls, etc.? Part of that to me is as important as anything. It doesn’t matter who’s on the other side. And then after that, making the right decisions to go with the ball. That quarterbacking and decision-making – I think you can get a good evaluation of decision-making regardless of who’s on the field. If you want to see if he can make a tight throw into tight coverage against a good corner, that’s one thing. If you want to see if he’ll force a ball into double coverage whether it’s against a first, second-team or third-team – if you see a quarterback doing that, he’s getting a bad evaluation. I don’t know if you guys – That’s the way I see it. But from a decision-making standpoint at the quarterback position, first team, second team – I get what everybody’s saying, but if the ball needs to be checked down, it needs to be checked down versus the eighth group. If he can fire the ball into split-safety coverage into the turkey hole versus the ones or the twos, we can see about making those decisions then. If you’re watching, you get a good evaluation of a guy. That’s how I see the game at the quarterback position. I guess other people see it differently, but that’s how I see it.”
Kenny Stills – August 8, 2019 (Postgame)
Download PDF version
Thursday, August 8, 2019
Postgame – Atlanta
WR Kenny Stills (transcribed by Ken Mendonça)
(In response to Mr. Ross holding the fundraiser for President Trump, what are your thoughts after that tweet still and the fact that he’s holding that fundraiser tomorrow?) – “My thoughts really haven’t changed. The tweet is what it is. I said what I said.”
(For somebody who’s so active in the community, especially for the Dolphins and the RISE initiative, do you kind of feel like it’s almost a betrayal or hypocritical in a sense?) – “That’s what I was saying in the tweet, was that it just didn’t really make much sense to me for what the mission statement was for RISE and what they are setting out to do. It doesn’t make sense to me for him to be trying to, or to be supporting the man’s campaign who seems to be against all of the things he is trying to work towards.”
(Have you talked to Mr. Ross?) – “I haven’t.”
(Do you plan to talk to Mr. Ross about this?) – “I’m sure at some point.”
(What would you like to say to him?) – “I mean, the same thing that I’ve already said. It just doesn’t make sense to me. It doesn’t align, to be running a non-profit focused on equality and talking about sports and equality, and then to be holding a fundraiser for a man who we know isn’t standing up for that same cause or championing that same cause.”
(There’s been talk about people wanting to boycott this team. When you hear that, what do you think? Did you give any thought to not playing tonight?) – “I get it. I understand it. You know we all can make our own choices, and for me it’s not about politics. It’s never been about politics. It’s more just about the human being. I understand that some people think that you don’t say those types of things to your boss; but for me it’s just a human being and if you say you’re going to be about something, let’s be about it.”
(Will you continue to be involved with the RISE initiative after this?) – “I’ve tried to distance myself from the RISE initiative, just based off of the gut feeling that I’ve had. I’ve done little things here and there, but I wasn’t included in the Super Bowl thing that they did, and it’s just something that I felt in my gut from the beginning, and so I tried to distance myself from RISE. I respect the work that they’ve done; but it’s just the things aren’t aligning for me, so I try to stay away from it.”
(Do you view Mr. Ross as an ally still given what you’re trying to do?) – “I think he’s trying to be, but I don’t believe that you can play both sides.”
(Have you heard from the organization about your tweet?) – “It’s all about just staying focused and making sure that I perform on the field.”
(Did you get any feedback from the organization?) – “Yeah, it’s just all about making sure that I perform.”
(Do you want to continue to be a part of this organization?) – “Yeah. The tweet doesn’t put me against Mr. Ross. I’m just trying to inform him that the two things don’t align. I don’t think it’s that complicated. I don’t have any hard feelings toward him. There’s no beef. It’s just, hey, these two things don’t align and maybe somebody else hasn’t told you, but I’m letting you know. It’s important to me that the work that we’re doing isn’t just lip service. It’s real. Everything that I do has been real from the very beginning, and it’s going to continue to be that way. So, I just wanted to let him know that’s where I’m coming from and how I feel.”
(Did you think about calling Stephen Ross before you sent the tweet?) – “No. We’ve had plenty of private conversations, and through his statement you see his loyalty to his friend and I understand and respect that; but the two things don’t align when it comes to the non-profit and then holding this fundraiser for that man.”
(But just to be clear you did not talk to Stephen Ross privately before the tweet?) – “I did not.”
(You know how it is in this league that sometimes players who speak out, and you can think of QB Colin Kaepernick and S Eric Reid, how it’s frowned upon by some people in the league. Is there any chance that you might feel repercussions because you spoke out?) – “If those come, then they come. I feel like I’m doing God’s work. All the stuff that I’ve done, and the things that I’ve stood up for and spoken up for, I pray that God uses me every night for his message and that’s all that I’m doing.”
(What reaction have you heard from your teammates?) – “Most guys aren’t really paying attention, and I just try not to be a distraction to my teammates and it hasn’t been. We went out there and we won a football game tonight, and I just want to continue to perform and do what I’m paid to do.”
(Did you talk with Head Coach Brian Flores about it?) – “We did. He said to remain focused on the game and don’t let this stuff become a distraction to our team.”
(What about the reaction from QB Josh Rosen where he had the applause emojis that he sent to you? I’m sure you saw that. How do you feel about that?) – “I think people also agree with what I’m saying. The truth is all we want is for the work to be real and for it not to be lip service, like I said. What I tweeted wasn’t very complicated. The two things, they don’t coincide, they don’t go together, they’re very contradictory, and so I think guys understand that.”
(But you can appreciate that it’s rare for an NFL player to speak out on social media against his owner, right?) – “I honestly don’t think it’s that big of a deal or that courageous. It’s human being to human being and it’s not right. I don’t want to associate myself with bad people, and we shouldn’t want to be associated with bad people. Our country’s in a rough place right now, and I think that we could be doing more. I think there are other candidates he could support. It’s not Democrat, Republican, or any of those things. It’s literally just about why. Why? Why are you trying to help this man raise money to continue to do the things that he’s been doing?”
(Some of your guys flashed in your group tonight, WR Preston Williams, can you give us your thoughts on his performance?) – “You heard ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) talk about him the other day. He’s a first-round talent. He’s going to be somebody to deal with in this league for a long time, and so we’re looking forward to everything that he can do. I think the receivers as a whole played a good game, and the quarterbacks shined and did their thing. It’s not that big of a deal, but it’s a big deal for us to come out there and play hard and to get a victory in a preseason game.”
(What about that catch WR Preston Williams made?) – “Big time. Big time. You guys see the flashes of the talent that he has, and hopefully he can continue to get better and we can find a way to get him in the lineup and get him some catches throughout the season.”
(Before your tweet, did you have a conversation with your owner before?) – “The owner of the Miami Dolphins? No, I did not have a conversation with him before the tweet.”
(How did that make you feel when you heard the news that there would be a fundraiser?) – “I just was baffled more than anything because you look at the work that he’s done or the work that he’s trying to do through RISE and then you look at the work that the man that he’s hosting a fundraiser for has done, and it just didn’t align. It didn’t make sense and so I just was really just confused and baffled.”
(What types of conversations do you think you can have with Stephen Ross after this? What do you want to say to him?) – “Just, for us, I think for both of us to understand that you can’t play both sides of this. I respect his political decisions and what he wants to do and there’s no hard feelings or beef between us; but I think someone has to have enough courage to let him know you can’t play both sides of this and I have that, and it’s something that I can look back on myself and be like ‘Hey, I did the right thing. I made the right decision.’ Maybe I shouldn’t have done it on social media or on Twitter, but I did. If you’re going to associate yourself with bad people, then people are going to know about it, and I think there’s ways that you can support candidates without it being so public or without it being at your personal private residence. I just put it out there so everybody could see it.”
(There’s not many people who would risk a dream job to make the statement you made, to stand up for what you are standing up for. What message do you hope others get who could possibly help create positive change as well?) – “We have to lead by example, right? I can’t dream or think of someone else or call someone else out if I’m not going to do it. For me, it’s just ‘Hey, I’m just trying to lead by example. I’m trying to do the work that I feel like God has placed on my heart to do.’ If it comes with a little bit of kickback, that’s okay. Everything that I’ve done in my career has been to bring people together. I’m not here to try to have any divisive conversations or get in this back and forth about politics. It’s not about – It’s about human beings and loving and respecting each other and I don’t think that’s what we’re doing right now.”
(During the height of I guess 2017 with the kneeling and when Trump was really going after you guys, I think you said you got a couple death threats. Was that right? Did any of that pop back up?) – “Yeah. It’s back.”
(Within the last couple of days?) – “Yeah.”
(How many would you say?) – “Five to 10.”
(Five to 10 death threats?) – “Yeah. In a night. 24 hours.”
(Did you report them?) – “No. It’s on social media. It is what it is. I’ll be okay.”
Kenyan Drake – August 8, 2019 (Fourth Quarter)
Download PDF version
Thursday, August 8, 2019
Postgame – Atlanta
RB Kenyan Drake (transcribed by Vira Halim)
(You got a lot of work in there today. How do you feel?) – “I feel really good. It felt good to be able to get out there, get your feet wet a little. Offense did a – the furst offense got in there, got a nice little drive and got three points. We wanted to punch it in, but that all comes with a little bit of work that we’re going to continue to do in practice.”
(You got a feel for this offense during training camp. How do you like what you’re seeing out there?) – “I have a lot of hope for this offense. I feel like the more we’re out there and we communicate with each other and build camaraderie. I feel like we’ll go out there and score a lot of points this year, so I’m looking forward to the next game and continue to come out here and hopefully the second and third team will go out here and take care of this one.”
(How do you like running behind a fullback these days?) – “He’s an Auburn guy (Chandler Cox), but you know, I won’t hold that against him. (laughter) He goes in there, he’s still out there doing his job, so I know he’s going to be tired up in this game, but he’s a rookie so he’s got to get his dues in, so I look forward to him doing a lot more for this season.”
(With you and RB Kalen Ballage, it looks like a nice little backfield back there.) – “Kalen, you know, had a nice little dive in the end zone today. The backs scored three touchdowns today, so our room is doing pretty good, we’ll look at the film and see what we can improve on.”
Christian Wilkins – August 8, 2019 (Postgame)
Download PDF version
Thursday, August 8, 2019
Postgame – Atlanta
DT Christian Wilkins (transcribed by Anthony Gutierrez)
(First game, how was it for you?) – “It was pretty good, I was really excited before the game, my first NFL opportunity. It’s official, I’ve got a game in the books and it feels awesome. I’m just excited now to go watch the tape and learn from this. I’ve never been more excited to watch a game tape ever I don’t think. But, I’m really looking forward to it. I’m probably going to watch this tonight before I go to bed so I can see what I did wrong, see what I can improve and just get better. I’m just excited to learn from this game.
(Were you nervous at all?) – “I wasn’t really until the national anthem. That was when I first started to feel a little – not nervous but a little anxious, like this is really it, it’s go time. After that first play, I was good. I flushed all that and just started playing football.”
(What did you think of the d-line’s play throughout the game? You guys got some pressure especially in the second half?) – “I think we did a pretty solid job. It’s something definitely we can build off of. I feel like all my other guys like (Dewayne) Hendrix and (Jonathan) Ledbetter did a good job late in the game getting pressure – (Jamiyus) Pittman – all those guys did a good job making plays and so it was just fun to see and fun to be a part of.”
Michael Deiter – August 8, 2019 (Postgame)
Download PDF version
Thursday, August 8, 2019
Postgame – Atlanta
G Michael Deiter (transcribed by Anthony Gutierrez)
(Was stepping on the field as you pictured it – being from college and jumping into a professional sport and playing at Hard Rock Stadium?) – “It was awesome. I’ve played here before in college, and now I’ve played here as a pro. It’s awesome. It’s super fun to play here. It’s just – whenever you get to step onto a field there is always that feeling of, ‘man I’m glad I get to do this.’ It’s super fun. You just kind of smell it. There’s like a smell when you get to play football again. It’s comforting.”
(What was your anticipation like coming to this game and what do you think of your performance?) – “I was excited – super excited just to play football again and hit someone who doesn’t play for the Dolphins. I thought I did OK. There’s definitely some stuff I could clean up. Some good, some bad, but it wasn’t all bad and it wasn’t all good. There’s some stuff I can get better with and that’s all I can do is just focus on getting better, but I’m doing all right.”
(Can you put into words what type of strides you guys have made as a unit and how much still needs to be done?) – “We’ve come a long way, and like you said we have a ton more to do. Especially me and Shaq (Calhoun) being rookies – there’s a lot that we can clean up. We were not perfect at all and, we’ve got to get there. I think the other guys – the vets – are doing a really job of bringing us along, and I think that we are the two that have to kind of pick it up because we are rookies. There is a lot we don’t know, and there is a lot we have to learn and we are doing a good job of getting there but we are not there yet at all. We have a lot more to do, which is good. If we can get better and this is our starting point, then we’ve got to be happy with that, but we’ve got to get better.”
Preston Williams – August 8, 2019
Download PDF version
Thursday, August 8, 2019
Postgame – Atlanta
Miami Dolphins WR Preston Williams (transcribed by Anthony Gutierrez)
(Did you expect that type of performance when you came out of that tunnel?) – “When coach gave me the opportunity, I was just tried to make the most of it. I didn’t have any expectations really coming into this game, but when my number was called, I just wanted to answer.”
(Do you look at the depth chart? Do you look at who’s around you? Do you start assessing your chances of making this team at this point?) – “I got a lot of great guys around me, a lot of vets. I learn from a lot of them. I’m actually glad they’re here. It’s my first year, I can learn from everybody; everybody has a different past. I’m here taking from everybody, learning.”
(The one-handed catch down the sideline, the left handed catch, did you expect that all along? When you knew you had to reach with one hand, just kind of take us through that.) – “When we were warming up, I practiced it earlier and the opportunity presented itself. So it happened the same way I practiced it.”
Brian Flores – August 8, 2019 (Postgame)
Thursday, August 8, 2019
Postgame – Atlanta
Head Coach Brian Flores
(What did you think of the quarterbacks?) – “It’s hard to tell. I’m going to have to go back and watch the tape. Obviously, the turnover, Josh’s (Rosen) turnover we didn’t like that, but I thought he made some good throws. I thought ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) was off target on a few throws as well. I thought the protection for both guys could have been a lot better, which would have given us a little bit better evaluation on the – as I was watching it. But I’ll probably have a little bit more – I’ll have a better feel for how each one of those guys played after I watch the tape.”
(Do you feel like there’s a good point where you want to see QB Josh Rosen play with starters behind the starting offensive line to get a feel for what he can do?) – “I think the rotation we had today was a good one. He played the second and third quarter. I thought the protection with both lines could have been better. I thought he had a few good throws to Preston (Williams). I thought Preston showed up today. Again, it’s hard to say how a guy played without really going through it. Just at first glance there’s a lot going on, offense, defense, special teams. But I thought Josh managed the game well, he got the guys in and out of the huddle, obviously didn’t play turnover-free. But specifically in the second half I thought he put together a couple good drives.”
(How do you feel about QB Josh Rosen making throws when in the grasp? Obviously he completed that one to WR Preston Williams.) – “Yeah. A couple times there I thought, maybe, those are a little dicey. And at some point as a quarterback you’ve got to take the sack. That’s the best play. But the guy’s got a little bit of a gunslinger mentality and wants to let it rip and obviously got the nice one out to Preston, but I think we want to play smarter than that I would say in that situation, not just let the ball go like he did.”
(You mentioned WR Preston Williams a couple times. What have you seen in him in practices and how did it translate to the game?) – “I think he’s worked extremely hard really since he got here, post-draft. He’s big, he’s fast, he’s got good hands, he’s tough, and he’s really worked every day to get better. We tell him to block in the run game, he blocks in the run game, play more downhill on your end cuts, he does that. He works hard after practice, he works hard in meetings, and it showed up tonight.
(We heard comments earlier that WR Preston Williams can get to be a No. 1 receiver. Obviously it’s early for that, do you see potential in him that he can be that type of player?) – “Very early. I think this is a talented young receiver. There’s a lot of talented people in this league. To get to a number one status is, he’s got a long way to go, but does he have that potential? I would say he does and it’s up to him to do the things he has to do to reach that potential. We’ll help him though. I think he’s done a really good job over the course of the spring and summer.”
(You mentioned the offensive line. Obviously, T Laremy Tunsil didn’t play. Are there issues more than that?) – “No. He’s a very good player and we just wanted to see some other guys.”
(The offensive line as a whole, were the issues more than just having T Laremy Tunsil not be there?) – “No. At first glance you got to take a look at it, but we had two rookies in there. And their first game action in this league as you could imagine the game moves fast. I think there’s some getting used to the game speed was something that showed up just from the naked eye that I saw. I think it got better as the game went on for those guys. And then the next group came in and they had some of those same issues. I think it’s a little bit of first-game jitters, a little bit of you can’t simulate game speed, you just cannot – the kicking game, offensively, defensively. We do as much as we can from a practice standpoint, but you can’t simulate it. We talked about that specifically the last couple days, but you really got to feel it as a player and then adjust. I think we made some adjustments. I thought the protection was better in the second half and hopefully it will be better moving forward.”
(I know it’s just preseason, but your thoughts stepping on the field for the first time as a head coach?) – “I had a lot of fun tonight. I was excited, the players were excited. It’s a different role for me, but it was fun. I think the main difference is I’m on the entire game – offense, defense, special teams and really just managing the game and feeling the ebbs and flows of the game and calling timeouts and ripping red flags. It was fun.”
(How comfortable were you on the sidelines? Did you know what you were going to do or where you were going to be and stuff or did you feel that out?) – “I think you feel it out. I had a little bit of a plan going in, who I was talking to on the head sets, who I was going to stand next to, where I was going to stand. I had good dialog with the officials which I thought that’s new, that’s brand new for me. All of it is a learning experience. Hopefully I’m better the next time out. Again, just like the players, I ask them to improve and get better; I ask the same of myself.”
(As a coach and wanting to win, how do you manage dealing with things like QB Josh Rosen, WR Preston Williams, your offensive line, needing to develop, needing time to mature on the field, when you’re just trying to win games?) – “I think that’s what this time is for, that’s what training camp is for. It’s to develop these guys, help develop them, help work on their techniques, fundamentals, consistency. That’s what training camp is for. That’s why I got into coaching, that’s what I love about coaching. We want to win, there’s no doubt about that. But we’re going to try to develop these players as best we can and try to win at the same time. And I think development of players is something that’s ongoing. We could bring in eight or 20 eight-year vets and still I would still be trying to develop those guys too because they don’t have all the answers. I don’t have all the answers. I think we’re constantly searching to get, trying to get, better and I’m on a quest to help young players get better.”
(What was sort of your overall assessment of the defensive play?) – “I thought tackling was an issue, a major issue. And it’s something that we’ll work on, it’s something that we talk about. Tackling, communication, defending the deep part of the field. It wasn’t good enough. When you don’t tackle well you’re going to give up yardage. It’s as simple as that. That’s something we’ll spend a lot of time on. I can think of four or five missed tackles off the top of my head that would have kept the score down a little bit more than it was. A couple on third down, a couple in let’s call it scoring territory, that would have helped us. Again, if you could tackle well and you communicate and you defend the deep part of the field, more times than not, you stop the run, more times than not you’ll be in decent shape. So we got to do a better job in all those areas.”
(What did you think of CB Nik Needham?) – “I think Nik has had a good camp. I think he’s had a solid camp, he’s worked hard, he’s gotten better, he’s been consistent really throughout the spring and in these training camp practices. I think tonight he struggled. But I still have a lot of confidence in Nik Needham. I think this is a young player who – There’s been a lot of tough games for a lot of young corners in this league. It’s definitely a learning process. There’s some talented receivers. The speed of the game is something that I’m telling you, it’s new to these young guys and it’s something they got to adapt to quickly. We’ll try to help them do that. I think he had a couple good plays, but he definitely missed a couple tackles and had a couple tough coverage situations and some penalties. Overall, look, we got to watch the tape and see really what it was. He had some struggles, that’s for sure.”
(DT Christian Wilkins, did you feel him out there or is he a guy that you have to see the tape) – “I saw he made a couple plays. He brought great energy. I got to watch – Those interior guys it’s hard to tell, it really is. It’s hard to tell if they’re – He could have been on two blockers the entire game. It’s hard to tell. I’ll let you know tomorrow.”
(Did you have a conversation with WR Kenny Stills or the team about his comments about the owner and Trump yesterday?) – “I talked to Kenny. The one thing I said to Kenny was – I understand kind of where Kenny is coming from. He wants to be a voice. I talked to him about that a couple weeks ago. I understand him wanting to be a voice for people who don’t have a voice. I respect that. My conversation with Kenny, I asked him why he didn’t talk to the owner, why he didn’t talk to Steve (Ross) first before putting something out. And I think that’s something that we have to do more of. There’s got to be more communication, more conversation, more communication if we want to really make change. And I wish he would have done that. I told him that. But yeah, I talked to Kenny.”
(This, I know we had asked earlier this week about reflecting on this opportunity. Have you had an opportunity to reflect these seven months you’ve been as coach or is it, win a Super Bowl, been hired, you get QB Josh Rosen as quarterback to kind of tie your future here, the coaching situations on your staff, Mr. Stephen Ross and WR Kenny Stills yesterday. How do you deal with all these things?) – “That’s the job. That’s the job. Look, when you’re in a leadership position there’s a lot on your plate. It’s something that I think I welcome it all, to be honest. I don’t run away from any adversity or really any situation. And I don’t want our players to run away from anything. I think I need to be an example to them. So, yeah I reflected on this entire process and I’m having a lot of fun. I am. I’m fortunate. I’m humbled to be in this position to lead, to be an example of hard work and try to be consistent and try to do things the right way and at the same time be demanding and tough and try to help these guys become the best version of themselves. I take a lot of pride in that.
(You signed DT Robert Nkemdiche. Can you tell us your thinking on adding him to the roster?) –“He’s a talented young defensive tackle. I think any time you can add somebody with this type of talent you got to at least explore it. We did that, we did a lot of research homework on Rob. We felt comfortable making the move, (General Manager) Chris (Grier), (Vice President of Football Administration) Brandon (Shore), myself, we had a lot of conversations about it and we brought him in and we signed him. We’re looking forward to working with him and, again, helping him reach his potential. But that’s going to be up to Rob. I’ve told him that. He and I have had some … I’ve had very direct conversations with him. He knows where I stand as far as him coming in, working hard, doing things our way, getting himself back into shape, rehabbing, and then hopefully we get to see, or he gets to realize, his potential. I enjoy taking on that type of challenge and helping guys reach their potential.”
Josh Rosen – August 8, 2019 (Postgame)
Download PDF version
Thursday, August 8, 2019
Postgame – Atlanta
QB Josh Rosen
(How would you grade it for you?) – “I think there was some good and bad. I don’t know about a specific grade. The pick was pretty bad in the sense of my read told me to go here and I didn’t. It wasn’t like a ball play kind of pick. It was a read kind of pick, so it’s definitely something to build on. I think there was some good, some bad and everything in between. I’m looking forward to breaking down the film and trying to get better from it.”
(Can you take us through that play to WR Preston Williams where you were kind of getting tackled and the defenders were on your legs and you lobbed it up there?) – “Yeah, probably – I don’t know. I felt some guys at my ankles. I knew Preston kind of had a stop coming back to me. I saw he was a bit inside of him, so I knew if I just put it up he would kind of have the break on it. It might have been a little bit too dicey; but I don’t know. A couple fall in your favor, a couple don’t. I probably should be a little smarter with that, even though this one worked out.
(Was it WR Preston Williams specifically? Do you have that level of trust in him already that he might come down with that?) – “Yeah, yeah. I think you’ve got to know what certain guys are good at and Preston can go get the ball. So you’ve got some guys that are smaller, quick and fast, some guys are physical, some guys – and Preston will go get the ball, so you’ve got to give him those opportunities.
(On that play we are talking about, Coach Brian Flores said that was one he probably would have preferred you to take a sack, but you have a ‘gunslinger mentality’ that he would like to see you manage. Is it easier to let it loose when you have a guy like WR Preston Williams out there?) – “Yeah, just you just can’t fall into that trap because bad games will turn really bad really quickly if you don’t learn to kind of mitigate that risk. So I’ve been kind of battling that my whole career. I’ve got to find that balance of knowing when to kind of push the edge and when to just take the sack and live to play another day.”
(How was your sort of overall comfort level right now compared to like two weeks ago?) – “Oh, to the moon and back, but I’ve still got ways to go. I feel substantially better now than I did two weeks ago. But like I said, I’ve got a long ways to go. The way ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) in our meeting room can break down a defense and how quickly he can make comments on where everyone is, where the ball should go, is pretty impressive and I think if I can kind of hedge that gunslinger attitude a little bit and put a little bit more thought into it, I think I could develop pretty nicely.”
(How tough was it to pick yourself up off the grass there?) – “Well that’s football. It is what it is. I think we’re all working on things. Yeah, I mean, it’s football. You kind of – it’s a physical game.”
(What’s your approach in general about a lineman who is maybe struggling, who’s having a tough day, had a tough series or two, just in general how do you try to approach that player?) – “I don’t know. Support him? I threw the pick in a completely clean pocket. So football is football. You’re never going to have a completely clean pocket all of the time. When you get it, you’ve got to take advantage of it and when you don’t, you can’t make stupid mistakes by trying to play hero ball. I did kind of a little bit of everything, so I’ve got a lot of film to watch. Just because like good plays gained yards doesn’t mean that the way we got that was like a sustainable way to do that in the future. So I think that like I said at the beginning, there’s good, bad and everything in between.”
