Brian Flores – December 27, 2019
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Friday, December 27, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Do you expect to have everyone available except maybe CB Jomal Wiltz on Sunday?) – “Yeah, Jomal will be out. Everyone else I expect to be available, yes.”
(LB Jerome Baker – did he suffer an ankle injury in yesterday’s practice or was that just something that’s just lingering?) – “It’s Week 17, so everybody’s got something. He dinged it a little bit in practice yesterday. Obviously it’s on the injury report, but I expect him to play.”
(With obviously a difficult year, an interesting year – this was the last practice, what were your thoughts going through that process with the team and what will your message be to them?) – “My thoughts were on the tough opponent we have this weekend. Offensively – being efficient offensively, running the football and trying to move it against what’s a very, very good defense. Defensively, obviously it’s a great quarterback, good backs, good o-line, good receivers, good tight ends, so just how we’re going to handle those guys and then obviously the kicking game; this is one of the best special teams units in the league, so that’s where my thoughts were. Yeah, I knew it was the last practice. There was a little bit of ‘I think we’ve made a lot of improvement from the voluntary minicamp way back in April to where we are now.’ The team’s very different, but I’m very appreciative of really everybody in this organization. There’s a lot that goes into us practicing and putting all of this in motion. We can’t practice unless the field guys go out there and line the field. We don’t eat unless the people in the cafeteria and our chefs make us meals. From nutrition to equipment to the strength staff, there’s a lot of people that put in a lot of hard work to help us and help this team go out here and practice, play, prepare; so I’m appreciative of all those people. Media, security, video, the list goes on and on. We’ve made a lot of strong relationships over the course of this season and hope to continue that moving forward.”
(Do you feel like you’ve laid the defensive and offensive foundations that you want for the Dolphins during your tenure?) – “It’s so early. Again, that’s something we’ll reflect on at the end of the season. Right now it’s about the Patriots. It’s about going up to a tough environment and hopefully laying enough foundation to play a good game this weekend, and we’ll reflect on the end of the season at the end of the season; but I think every week, we’ve tried to build and compete and improve from foundationally how we prepare, how our process – it’s never perfect, but hopefully we’ve taken some steps to get better and hopefully we see some more success down the road as a byproduct of that process and hopefully this weekend.”
(For a while, people always look at Bill Belichick and say, “what’s he like behind the scenes?” You got to work with him for 15 years. How would you describe him and your relationship with him?) – “I think he’s one of the greatest coaches of all time. Yeah, Bill is one of the greatest coaches, and I was fortunate to work underneath him. I learned a lot of football – situationally, having a tough, smart, disciplined team. He’s a great coach. I’ve got nothing but good things to say about him.”
(There’s probably a lot of similarities from what they do, what you do … because you guys all spent time together. How much do you look at that when you’re maybe looking at players or looking at game plan – like what they do and how it compares to what you guys do?) – “I think anyone, any team that’s had success – and I think this is, if there’s a play that works or a defense that works or a kicking game, an onside (kick) that works, I think that’s part of growing as a coach, really in any field. You try to study what those people do well and if it works for you or you think you could emulate it and it’ll help you become successful, I think you try to implement that. So as far as Bill (Belichick) or ‘Vrabs’ (Mike Vrabel) or ‘Matty P’ (Matt Patricia) or ‘Billy O’ (Bill O’Brien) and the guys that have been in that group; yeah, I think you take a look at the things they’re doing, but you also take a look at the things that Pete Carroll’s doing and Mike Tomlin and the great coaches of the past as well, and how they’ve done things. So yes, to answer your question; but it’s not just that group. There’s a lot of great coaches that have come through this league. John Harbaugh is another one who’s had a lot of success in this league. I don’t know if that answers your question, but it’s not – there’s a lot of good coaches that have come through.”
(I wanted to ask you about DT Zach Sieler and the 4-technique. What is the difference in terms of what he brings as an edge player compared to what you guys have or had to utilize previously early this season?) – “I think Zach as a 4-technique, as a 5-technique, as a 3-technique, as a shade – he plays a lot of different positions. He’s big. He’s got length. He’s got athleticism. He plays hard. I think when you get a player like that, you just move him around and see the different things he can do. He’s very versatile because of his size, his length, his athleticism. It’s different because he’s different. How you play him is different because he’s a different style of player than Vince Biegel or Taco (Charlton) or Jamal Davis. Each player is a little bit different. Because he’s got some size, you can play him inside, you can play him at 4i, you can play him at the edge, if the game plan needed that. Maybe he plays out there this weekend, so we’ll see.”
Jerome Baker – December 27, 2019
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Friday, December 27, 2019
LB Jerome Baker
(You get kind of shorted with the fact that your birthday is on Christmas.) – “Yeah, I’m used to it. (laughter) It’s been 23 years, so I’m kind of used to it. I kind of look at it as everybody is celebrating my birthday, so it’s all good. (laughter)”
(How do you guys approach this last game of the season going up to New England?) – “It’s still football. We’re still a family. It’s just one last time to go out with a bang and enjoy each other and also come out with a win.”
(How would you describe your growth this season?) – “It’s indescribable, really. In the beginning of the year, you have your own expectations, you have your own thoughts of what you can do. Throughout the year, things change; but one thing is I definitely grew as a football player and as a person. I’m definitely grateful for that.”
(What are you looking for – moving forward, what’s the next step going to be for you, do you think?) – “For me, it’s to take a little time away from football; but I’m definitely excited for next year (and) all of the pieces we’re going to bring in. ‘Coach Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores), it’s something special playing under him so I’m definitely excited for next year to see what we can bring. It’s definitely going to be fun these next few years.”
(What makes you confident that what they’re building is going to work and lead to success?) – “I think this year kind of proves a lot to everybody – from the beginning of everyone saying we were going to tank and not win a game to getting some wins. They were hard, they were tough, but we got it done. After this whole year, it’s hard not to be confident in this group – just the pieces we have, the people we had in and out and we still got a few wins. I’m definitely going to be excited when we gel together as a team for more than a few weeks. It’s definitely going to be fun.”
(What’s the biggest challenge about this season in terms of all of the guys coming in and out?) – “That was the hardest thing I think, out of everything. There were so many guys, so many new faces, so many different things you have to do. Getting guys ready to play, and they would just come in on Monday, I think that was the hardest challenge; but I’m definitely excited for next year. Hopefully we all gel together for longer than a few weeks. But for right now, it’s just finishing out strong with the guys we have and ultimately walk away with a win.”
(With so much change, do you actually know everybody’s name in the locker room? The DBs corner over there, that’s got to be a challenge.) – “I think I know everybody. Pretty much everybody on defense, for sure.”
(First and last name?) – “That’s tough. (laughter) That’s very tough. There are a lot of guys that I didn’t know like their real name. I’d call them one name – like De’Lance (Turner), I didn’t know that was his real name. Everybody called him ‘L.T.,’ which I still don’t know why. There are certain guys that…”
(They call RB De’Lance Turner what?) – “’L.T.’ I never understood that. But I pretty much know everybody.”
(Aside from winning the Good Guy Award, what would you say was the personal highlight for you this season?) – “The first win we had. That was a big one just because it felt so good. That was definitely a big one. I think the fun moment I had was definitely the ‘my mama’ video. That was pretty cool. This whole year has been hard – it’s been tough – but overall it has definitely been fun.”
(Are you pleased with how you played your first year in this new defense?) – “Yeah, it was definitely cool. I made a few plays. I made a few mistakes. But I’m definitely happy.”
(In what area would you even like to be more impactful next year? What particular area in the game?) – “Yeah, so after the season that’s really what I’m going to look over and see some of the things that I didn’t do as well or that I can work on. I’ll definitely have a better answer for you in a few weeks.”
(Will you sit and actually watch all of the plays or some of them?) – “I talked to ‘Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) and he’s going to put together a tape of me doing some things I could do better. I know (Linebackers Coach) Robbie (Leonard), he’s definitely going to sit down (with me) and watch a lot. It works a little better when your coach is there. It will definitely be good.”
(As a pass rusher, how pleased were you with how you did? You had some opportunities and obviously you were in coverage a lot, too. Were there plays where you thought you left something there where you maybe could have gotten them or were your pleased overall in that aspect?) – “Yeah, there’s definitely some plays I definitely could have worked on. I could have made – as ‘Flo’ would say – some good plays I could have made great. But overall, I’m still happy with this whole year.”
Ryan Fitzpatrick – December 26, 2019
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Thursday, December 26, 2019
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
(Your memories of playing in Foxborough and aside from the quality of the opponent, why is that such a tough place to play?) – “I think that’s a lot of it. Obviously it’s a very good team. It’s a good atmosphere. They really know and love their football up there. It’s a place where you’re going to have to be at your very best. You’re going to have to deal with all of the elements of playing on the road. There is going to be plenty of adversity. A lot of noise. They’re going to have something for us that maybe we didn’t expect and force us to communicate. One thing about it a New England-led defense is they’re going to make you – they’re going to force you – to make plays. They’re going to make you earn it on every single play. I’ve played a lot against them but this is a new year and even just looking back to the first game, it seems like a new season – a new team – for us and what we’re doing and how far we’ve come. For us, just like the last few weeks, a lot of the focus will be on us and continuing to get better and to end the season on a high note. I know there’s a lot of stuff at stake for them and maybe not so much for us, but I promise we’ll give everything we have and we’re going up there to try to win the game.”
(With the way this season has gone for you, has it changed or reinforced the way you think of yourself as a quarterback?) – “No, it hasn’t changed at all. I am who I am at this point and I try to be very transparent, try to be a competitor and try to do what’s best for the team. That’s something I’ve tried to do all year long. Whether the results have been great or not so great, I make sure that when I go into every game and coming out of every game, I know that I gave everything I had to try to put the team in a position to win.”
(You’ve explained to us the things that you were looking for in coming here and the reasons you came here. Looking at those things now, has this experience met or exceeded your expectations, would you say?) – “Well, if you would have asked me that Week 3, 4 or 5, I might have given you a different answer. Look, I’ve been proud of the way that guys have responded and hung in there and I’ve really been proud of the way the guys have played. We really have come together at the end of the year here against a lot of tough situations and tough scenarios. We’ve played much better football. It’s all come from the meeting rooms and practice from guys just having the want-to to go out there and play high-level football. We’ve continued to get better and we’ve continued to strive for that goal and this week will be no different.”
(How much better is this team than when you faced New England in what seems like a year ago?) – “Us? Again, we’ve just made a conscious effort to not necessarily put a ton of emphasis or focus on the opponent but to put it on us and continue to grow and continue to get better. I think the last half of the season, we’ve done that. But that being said, it could all be for naught if we show up and lay an egg. We’ve got to continue to try to stay on that trend of playing better each week.”
(There was a report going back to that Week 3, 4, 5 range that you were referring to – there was a report that suggested that retiring may have crossed your mind at that point. Is there anything to that?) – “Like midseason retirement? No, definitely not. Those were tough times for me in the sense that the first few games, I didn’t put this team in a position to win and I didn’t play well enough. It’s hard to sit and question that decision. That being said, I love being out there and playing and I want to be part of the solution. That’s why that was hard for me. Trying to be part of the solution every day – whether it was trying to help Josh (Rosen) or being back out there and trying to bring guys along – that’s the part of the game that I really enjoy and what I’ve tried to do as I’ve been back in the lineup.”
(Let me ask you a different way. Is there a moment or two, or a story from the season, that really kind of sticks out in your mind and kind of encapsulates the kind of year you’ve had and interaction you may have had with a teammate or a moment in a game we may have missed? Is there anything that you’ll look back on pretty fondly?) – “No. I mean I think just looking at it now and the guys that were here in the offseason, the guys that were here during training camp – the Dan Kilgores and the Jesse (Davis’) and the DeVante (Parker’s) and everything Albert (Wilson) has worked through – all of those guys that have been through this rollercoaster of a season together, we’ve kind of all done it together and I think we’re coming out of it better football players and stronger. That’s something that I’ll look to and remember about this season is just the progress. Through it all, those guys continue to keep their focus and continue to try to get better every day. It was difficult conditions and situations but we kind of all did it together and leaned on each other.”
(Has there ever been anything like this throughout your career in 15 years like this season?) – “They’re all unique and different in their own special way, but this one definitely has its own little file in the file cabinet.”
(I know you’ll probably spend some time this offseason deciding what you want to do in the future but I wanted to ask how much will what the Dolphins do with their quarterback plans impact how you’ll make your decision?) – “Not really at all. I think part of it for me is just sitting down with my family and that’s something I owe to them and to my wife, and figuring things out on that end of it. My wife has always been very supportive in whatever I want to do and physically, it’s not an issue. Physically I feel great. There’s always different things that go into it and you’re always drained at the end of the season emotionally. So there is a lot of stuff that goes into it but I still love playing, so it’s going to be hard to – it’s going to be hard to – I don’t know that it will be a difficult decision. I just think that I’ll go through the due process and figure things out.”
(You had mentioned when we talked before the season about the desire to have your kids in the same school for two years in a row. Obviously you’ve had the back and forth with Tampa with your family coming down and you going up. Has that burden been what you expected? Bigger? Worse? Where does it stand?) – “Well, I knew it would be difficult. The difficult part isn’t hopping on an airplane or hopping in my car and driving there and back. That part of it is not difficult. It’s the dance recital, it’s the soccer game, it’s being able to be present for the student of the month award or to be able to go have dinner at Chick-fil-A and watch the guy make balloon animals. It’s all of that stuff that is silly and little and maybe in the grand scheme of things it is consequential; but those are the things that you miss out on that makes each year – as they get older – harder and harder to miss. That’s definitely part of it for me but in terms of going back and forth and all of that, that part of it isn’t a big deal. I think I was able to – while I was here during the week – maybe even put more time and focus and energy into the game plan and into playing and I think that might have been a positive that came out of it. But the difficulties of not having them here definitely outweigh the positives.”
(We have not yet asked you about being named Team MVP.) – “I just heard. I think – I’m humbled by it. It’s awesome. I think again, it’s something that we’ve worked through a lot of adversity this year and to be a guy regarded as that by whoever it was that voted for it, I’m proud. I’m proud to receive the award and to be named that; but overall, I’m happy to be one of those guys that stuck with it throughout the whole year and continued on a positive trend and continued to keep guys going a little bit.”
(How much do you respect the attitude that WR Albert Wilson has had all season long, what he’s gone through and I’m sure you’re happy to see some success lately from him, right?) – “Yeah. His attitude is unbelievable. I don’t know that I’ve played with many guys that – I mean he is truly happy when somebody else makes a play. He really is. He’s always rooting for – whether a ball comes his way and he makes a play or it’s to DeVante (Parker) or Isaiah (Ford) or Allen (Hurns) or Mike (Gesicki) or whoever it is, he’s truly happy that the team is moving the ball and those guys are making plays. That’s something that even though it’s sad to say you don’t see a lot of – you see less and less of it – it truly is a genuine happiness that he has. He’s just put his head down. He’s had to deal with a lot of adversity and things out of his control in terms of some of the injuries and whatever else. He’s worked really hard and is coming on as of late at the end of the season. Really, the run-after-the-catch ability and all of that, he’s really shown it the last few games.”
(Do you think you’re somebody who would be good at retirement? Will you fill the hours that there will be to fill? I suppose with seven kids…) – “I think retirement is going to be a lot more difficult than playing football. (laughter) I can’t pass off some of those duties that maybe I would.”
(So that might keep you coming back for more?) – “(laughter) Yeah.”
(Earlier you said that this team will continue to put the focus on yourselves instead of the opponent. What did you mean by that? Can you expand a little bit?) – “I just think the process that we’ve gone through this season – obviously we’re game-planning for opponents and we’re looking at who they have and what they do; but the focus truly has been on us and getting us better, because especially as you sit during the season and you’re 0-7 and maybe the playoffs are no longer in sight, what are you playing for? A lot of it is love for the game. A lot of it is for your teammates. Just the goal for us is how do we continue to get better every week? That’s what I mean by that. We’ve really put an emphasis and focus on us and doing things the right way. It’s been nice to see some results as we’ve done that.”
(What will be the most important thing for you when you decide on 2020? What will be the one thing that you need to have happen for you?) – “That’s hard to say. I think there’s a lot of different factors that go into it.”
(How much of a factor is the direction that things seem to be headed here and the opportunity to be part of that or to step away at a time when – it could get really interesting next year?) – “Not really. Just like you guys asked me when I made the decision to come here and the direction of the team, I saw it as a place where there was a job opening and I like being out there and playing. I don’t try to overthink things. I try to keep them pretty simple.”
Christian Wilkins – December 26, 2019
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Thursday, December 26, 2019
DT Christian Wilkins
(We see that you’re leading all rookies in tackles at the d-tackle position. Is that something you’re aware of? Is it something that you’re kind of proud of hearing through your rookie season?) – “It’s cool. I’m really just focused on playing my game and doing what I need to do for this team. In today’s day and age, you can’t help but hear things. People are always talking or social media or whatever; so yeah, I was aware of that, but it wasn’t something I was chasing. I just try to do what I can for my team and play my best each week.”
(Running onto the field after the offense scores, after K Jason Sanders scores – why is that so important to you?) – “It’s very important to me just because that’s always how I’ve played the game. I play with the same excitement, the same fun, the same energy as I did when I first started playing football in the second grade. I feel like seeing my teammates have success not just when touchdowns are scored, but even on defense – guys make a big play, I’m running over there. I’m trying to be there for them like, ‘yeah, keep it going.’ Just try to be there for them just to celebrate the good plays. It’s just always something I’ve done and I know it’s something I’ll continue to do.”
(That’s just you being you, right?) – “That’s right.”
(What was the reaction like when the offensive players, they kind of just see you running to the field at first? I’m pretty sure they aren’t sure what you’re doing out there and then you’re just congratulating them, right?) – “Well luckily I’m on the PAT and field goal units so I kind of have more of an excuse to run out there. So they kind of see that, too; but they realize I’m there before really a lot of other guys on the offense who’ve been on the field are there, so they kind of have fun with it. I think they enjoy it. I don’t know. Probably not because I usually hit them too hard or celebrate too hard. (laughter)”
(So that’s something they have to get used to. They have to get used to you, you celebrating how you do?) – “Yeah definitely, because it’s going to happen as long as I’m their teammate. It’s going to be a thing I do.”
(What’s that process like when you see the team about to score? You go run and get your helmet…?) – “Yeah, so as we’re moving the ball, moving the chains and we’re getting into field goal range, I get ready to go. I take my coaching points first from the coaches or whatever and then that excitement slowly builds up. Then if we don’t score or something happens, then I’m like, ‘oh…’ When we do score, I’m definitely very excited and happy.”
(How do you think your teammates have taken to that?) – “I feel like they kind of just accept it. That’s just who he is, what he does. They make fun of me here and there just like, ‘you don’t know how to celebrate. You celebrate too much.’ But I feel like it’s all just in good fun and they just take it for what it is.”
(Another guy who QB Ryan Fitzpatrick highlighted today who is happy for teammates as he is for himself is WR Albert Wilson. You guys are cut from the same cloth, do you think?) – “Oh, yeah. Definitely. I like Albert a lot. That’s a good dude, a really great guy. Just to see the fun and excitement he plays with, I feel like it’s infectious for sure.”
(How important is an attitude like the one that you guys have? Do you think on any team…?) – “I feel like you definitely need that because this game can get so serious and feel like such a job at times. For me, it doesn’t feel like a job because I try to approach it with the same fun-loving mindset I’ve had all my life playing this before it was a job and before I was getting paid for this. I still try to bring that and help guys realize like, ‘this is what we’re doing. This is fun.’ This is our job but it’s like, we’re playing a game. I always try to keep perspective.”
(How much have you learned this year?) – “How much have I learned? More than I learned earning two degrees at a top-20 public institution in college in four years. (laughter) This year’s been so big for me just learning everything on the field, off the field, just how to manage things, learning different techniques and just learning so much about the game and just trying to process so much information. It’s a lot. I’m definitely finding a lot out about myself through this year, through the good times, the bad times, the things happening on the field, off the field. I’m just learning a lot.”
(What are some of those things you’re learning about yourself?) – “Again, there are just a lot of things I’m learning. Just a lot of life lessons, a lot of just different experiences, things I’ve never been exposed to or accustomed to, and now I’m learning how to deal with those things.”
(You mentioned after the last game that you took more pride and joy in the sack than even the touchdown. Expand upon that a little bit.) – “Touchdowns are cool and all. Everyone’s going to pat you on the back for a touchdown. They see that, they think it’s like, so cool, so great; but there’s nothing like the grind of a sack, especially being a d-lineman. You just take a lot more pride in that. Touchdowns are pretty, but once you get a sack, the work you’ve got to put in to get one – it’s ugly. It’s an ugly grind. (There is) nothing like getting a sack. Just the pure emotion that comes out and everything. There’s nothing like it.”
(Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham talks about destructive blocks…) – “Block destruction.”
(You’ve had an improvement in that area. How much confidence does that give you about what you might able to do in the future?) – “Definitely. Again, just as I alluded to earlier, I’m just learning a lot and just figuring things out from a technique standpoint. There’s just so much I’m learning, so just building that confidence, knowing that I can do it and that it can be done; again, moving forward I just know what I need to work on to continue to prove and just be more consistent with things.”
(The touchdown and the sack – JJ Watt did it and QB Ryan Fitzpatrick threw the touchdown to him, too. Did you know that?) – “Oh, I did not know that. Oh wow.”
(Only three players in the last 10 years…) – “That’s a pretty cool stat…”
(Vita Vea, you and JJ Watt have had a sack and a touchdown in the same game and QB Ryan Fitzpatrick did it with JJ Watt.) – “Oh wow, I did not know that; but I think I get more style points because it was a one-handed catch, so… (laughter)”
(I don’t know. You dropped it, man.) – “Hey no, but it still counts the same, does it not? (laughter) I lost style points for the drop – for the fumble – but I did get a lot of style points for the one-handed catch.”
(How mad would you have been if TE Clive Walford recovered the fumble for a touchdown?) – “Oh. (laughter) It would’ve been one of those bittersweet moments. I would’ve been celebrating with him of course, but it’s like – I would’ve been like, ‘dang!’ As long as we got in, I would’ve been happy.”
(With all you’ve learned how much better are you now than you were before you got here?) – “Oh, a lot better. Just even watching tape of me from like Week 1, Week 2, it looked like playing Baltimore, playing the Patriots; I’m like, ‘who is that dude?’ Or like even in preseason, I’m like, ‘my goodness, that is just bad ball.’ Then seeing me the last three or four weeks, midseason, it’s like, ‘okay, I can recognize myself.’ It’s hard to (watch) seeing what I did in preseason and the first few weeks of the season. It’s like, man, I did some things some well but a lot of things not so well. You definitely see the strides I’ve made, so it’s definitely encouraging.”
(Does it have you excited for what’s ahead?) – “Oh, for sure. I’m always going to be hungry, always looking to get better each day, each time I get an opportunity to go out on the field.”
(When you think about how competitive the team has been despite adversity and all sorts of things, how excited are you about the future of the franchise, thinking about 14 draft picks – I know that’s not your business, but thinking about, “hey, there’s a wave of positivity coming.”) – “No, definitely. There was a lot that’s been going on this year on the field, off the field, just so many things. It’s encouraging still – the things we’ve been able to do and just the positive energy and the focus we’ve been able to keep in this building regardless of everything going on. I feel like guys have done a great job all year just coming each week whether a win, loss or draw; we came in every week with a positive energy, refocused, got after it. You couldn’t tell we only had four wins. We’re still preparing like we’ve got a chance to go to playoffs. That just definitely says a lot about the guys in the locker room and just the coaches, how tirelessly they work each week to get together a good game plan, so it’s just definitely encouraging and it’s great to see you’ve got those type of men in the building and in the locker room, for sure.”
Davon Godchaux – December 26, 2019
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Wednesday, December 26, 2019
DT Davon Godchaux
(You were nominated for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award and now you’ve won the Nat Moore Community Service Award. How does that make you feel?) – “It’s big. It speaks volumes about you on and off the field – mostly off the field. It speaks about the things you do in the community, which I think is a big accomplishment. I think it’s a big award. I’m happy to have it.”
(Why are you giving back so much?) – “Because growing up, nobody ever really did anything for me. So when I got to this point in the NFL and got a little money in my pocket, I always wanted to give back to the community and let the kids know that I do appreciate them. That is our youth and I think our youth is very important. For me to give back to those kids, it’s very important.”
(How do you plan on continuing to do this in years to come?) – “Just continue to build the events I had with Funky Buddha, the events I had with the Miami Dolphins and back home. Just continue to build and do more things. Anything I can help do in the community, I’m always willing to do it, so I just want to continue to build off of it.”
Zach Sieler – December 26, 2019
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Thursday, December 26, 2019
DT Zach Sieler
(When did you start to see doors open in the NFL for you?) – “Probably my breakout year (as a junior). That year I had 19-and-a-half sacks. For me, that was always there. But when that happened it was kind of like, ‘Alright, now we can really start rolling and working on things’ after that.”
(Any team take you for a pre-draft visit?) – “Yeah, I think I had eight pre-draft visits.”
(Okay. Not here though?) – “No, sir.”
(I was going to ask you if the Patriots were one of the eight.) – “No.”
(How did you wind up at Ferris State?) – “For my degree. I went there – I was a walk on, so I went there for mechanical engineering. We had a family cabin up there, so I knew the area little bit. It’s about two-and-a-half hours away from home, so I could still be home on the weekends if I’d like to in the offseason. (It was a) good fit for me.”
(Are you thinking an NFL career as a possibility at that point?) – “It was always (on) my mind; but for me, I was a mechanical engineer and then football was my passion, so I was doing that and hoping to get as far as I can, but I was still doing my classes and graduating (with) my degree.”
(When did you start thinking that the NFL was realistic?) – “For me, it was always there. But when other people talked about that kind of stuff – if that’s what you’re asking – was the year I had my breakout year. (As a junior I had) 19-and-a-half sacks, 30-something TFLs and I think it was 70 or 80 tackles or something like that. After that year it was kind of like, ‘Let’s start getting into this and working for this.’”
(When you look back at the game Sunday, which I believe was your first NFL start, was it not?) – “Mhm.”
(And first career sack. I don’t know if I want to say it’s a culmination of all the hard work and all that and a dream becoming a reality.) – “Every day up until this point, even today at practice, it’s a culmination of everything I’ve done beforehand. You learn, you improve and you watch and you just keep working in your craft.”
(So what were you thinking as Sunday was going along? Because I remember I was like, you made a play and just I kept noticing you, which is always good for a defensive lineman. So what was it like inside for you?) – “For me, it’s just the next play. You don’t want to – If you have a bad play, you don’t want to keep honing in on a bad play and thinking that in the back of your head, so that’s how I treat them. You want to treat the good plays as, ‘Yeah that was great, but you’ve got to move onto the next one.’ That last play doesn’t affect the next play. Just like a bad play doesn’t affect the next play. You’ve just got to move on and keep playing each snap.”
(So you didn’t feel like, “Hey, I’m on a roll today,” or something like that?) – “You feel good, but I try not to think about that during the game at least. I want to just work on the next snap and keep working and read your keys and do your job. That’s ultimately all you can do. Yeah, you’re making great plays; but you can make a bad play and that’s going to make everything worse. It doesn’t matter what happened before, it’s what’s happening that snap. That’s the way I like to think of things and then after you can review and learn and go from there.”
(What happened on the snap where you got the sack?) – “It was a play-action, the guard fanned out and I hit the gap under him and got to (Andy) Dalton. It felt good.”
Brian Flores – December 26, 2019
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Thursday, December 26, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(In the season finale here two years ago when the Dolphins were out of playoff contention, Adam Gase started QB Jay Cutler, played him one series then had QB David Fales play the rest of the game. Could you see a scenario where you want to get QB Josh Rosen some work behind QB Ryan Fitzpatrick on Sunday or do you just want to stick with one guy?) – “Two years ago, what happened? I’m sorry. (laughter)”
(Adam Gase started Jay Cutler, played him a series and then David Fales played the rest of the game.) – “Oh, okay. Yeah, I don’t see a situation like that. We’re going to play the guys who we feel give us the best chance to win, like we’ve said all year. I know that was two years ago, but no. We’re just going to stick to what we’ve been doing all season.”
(Do you and General Manager Chris Grier talk about any guys you want to look at this Sunday from a personnel standpoint that maybe you’ve seen some but maybe want to see more? I don’t know if you can share that, but is that a discussion that you’ve had?) – “Yeah, it’s something we talk about daily. We’ve seen a lot of guys this season obviously; so yeah, those conversations are ongoing and a lot of it’s based on who played well last week (and) who didn’t play last week that we want to take a look at. Injuries play a role in that. Those conversations are ongoing between myself, our coaching staff and Chris is involved in those obviously. At the end of the day, we’re going to play the guys we feel give us the best chance to succeed.”
(You didn’t see a whole lot of RB Myles Gaskin in game action, but what was your takeaway from what you saw?) – “Not a whole lot of game action like you said, but we saw plenty in practice (and in the) preseason. This is a kid who’s really improved over the course of the season from a preparation standpoint, from a process standpoint, and he’s gotten a lot better from where he was in rookie minicamp to where he was last week. He’s made a lot of progress. Unfortunately he got the injury last week, but he’s a guy who will bounce back and get himself healthy as quickly as possible and hopefully build on some of the improvements he’s made over the course of the season.”
(How about RB De’Lance Turner? Again, brief appearances from scrimmage but your thoughts on what you’ve seen from him?) – “Another young guy who’s gotten some opportunities in the kicking game. He got to carry the ball a couple times last week. Again, he’s made a lot of improvement over the course of the season in the time that he’s been here, and he’s made some plays in the kicking game, blocking, tackling. I think there’s been some growth, some improvement, and hopefully that continues this weekend.”
(What did the club see in RB Samaje Perine who you guys added to the roster?) – “A guy who’s had some success in this league. (He’s a) good runner, plays in the kicking game and obviously having only two backs, we felt like we needed to add one, and it was an opportunity for us to add someone with some experience. He’s had some production in this league.”
(You’ve got a few obsessions. One I’ve identified is the kicking game. You are absolutely obsessed with the kicking game. Where did that come from?) – “It was the only way I got on the field early in my college career, so I guess it would start right there. I remember getting thrown into the game in high school on kickoff. Somebody – they broke a long run and (Head Coach) Dino (Mangiero) stuck me in there and said, ‘go make a tackle.’ It’s something that, it’s a phase of the game that I love. My time as an assistant under Scott O’Brien was invaluable to me. I think those six phases – field goal, field goal block, punt, punt return, kickoff, kickoff return – there’s plays to be made in all of those phases. We’re going up against an opponent who – they do a really good job in the kicking game. They try to apply pressure in all of those phases. It’s definitely a place where I feel like we can make a lot of improvement and if we play well in that phase, I think it’s a real advantage.”
(Is that where a guy first gains your attention? Is the kicking game where a young player can…?) – “Yeah. If you want to impress me, you do it in the kicking game. It’s something I’ve said since Day 1 here to anyone who sits in those meeting rooms. Quarterbacks who can hold, running backs who can cover kicks, receivers who can block in the return game, defensive players who can block on punt and then run down and make a tackle, guys who from a ball security standpoint can return kickoff and punt returns. All of it is very valuable. I think people take it for granted at times until it doesn’t work out in a game. It’s very important to me. I think it’s a phase in the game that we’ll continue to harp on and try to play well in that. We’ve got a great challenge this week. I would say this is one of the best kicking game units in the league. They’re well-coached. They’re tough. They’re physically. Schematically they do a lot of different things. They pose some issues. They try to apply pressure really in all phases, so it’ll be a big test.”
(On a personal level, what’s it going to be like returning to Gillette Stadium, a place you know very well. Have you ever been in the visitors’ locker room? Are you going to have to mentally say ‘I have to turn left, instead of turning right?’) – “I know my way around that place. I’ll be all right. I’ll figure it out. It’s a road game in a tough environment, against a good football team. It will be a great challenge for us. As far as the history, my personal history there, that’s one of those things that right now, I’m the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. That’s where my focus is going to be Sunday at one o’clock. Yes, there are a lot of relationships and friendships I have there. Again, those go far beyond football. I’ll be ready to compete on Sunday at one o’clock.”
(What does it say about a teammate like DT Christian Wilkins that he wants to run on the field and celebrate with teammates after a touchdown or even K Jason Sanders when he kicks a field goal?) – “It just says he’s a team guy, which we knew that when we drafted him. He selfless, he understands the different roles and how important each guy’s role is. He’s selfless. He’s a team guy, and I think we have a lot of guys like that on this team who really appreciate the hard work that everybody in that locker room puts into each week, into each practice, into each meeting, and I think he should celebrate it. I tell those guys that all the time, ‘we work hard.’ When we make a good play we should celebrate it. Nothing crazy, but as long as we don’t get a penalty I’m good. We should celebrate good plays.”
(You tell us a lot that tough, smart, physical is what you want from your players. I was curious that if there is a situation where a player is talented enough, but may not have one of those qualities. Would you still take on that player or if they don’t have those four, they’re out for you?) – “Talented but not tough?”
(One of those four. They’re talented but not tough, or talented and not physical, talented but not smart or talented and not disciplined. If they don’t have one of four, are they out for you?) – “It’s case by case. I think it’s really case by case. To me, a talented football player that is not tough – that’s almost an oxymoron to me. It’s case by case. That’s a tough question. A longer answer for me would probably be if you have a couple of for instances for me. I think it’s a longer conversation, but I do think it’s case by case. I’m looking for those qualities in every one of my players. Not everyone has each one, I realize that. Each player is their own individual person and has different qualities and probably are stronger in one area than in others. I understand that. In some instances, some guys are tougher, some guys are smarter, some guys are more physical etc., etc. But yeah, it’s case by case, and I’m not writing anybody off for being deficient in any one area. I need my guys to be tough though.”
(This is a year that you probably never experienced, and this is for us as well. But I’m sure there will be moments, stories from the season that you will look back on and smile about. Is there one or two moments during the season, maybe during a game or at practice that you’ll kind of cherish?) – “I’ll reflect on the season after the season. Right now we’ve got a major challenge ahead of us. It’s a very well-coached, tough, physical team in New England, really in all three phases – offense, defense and special teams. That’s where most of my – really all of my attention – is right now. I could sit and try to think about one, but then my mind goes to the four blocked punts they’ve got on the season, or (Julian) Edelman on third down or the variety of games they run on the front. Even when I try to go there, something else pops into my mind, which has something to do with a situation where they are doing something to pose problems for us. Maybe that’s a next week question. I’m sorry.”
(Did CB Tae Hayes show you something Sunday which intrigued you guys to want to see more? Do you feel good about – you’ve developed young corners. You, Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham, Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Cornerbacks Josh Boyer, do you feel like you have some young guys that can be developed moving forward and might turn into something long-term?) – “I think Tae jumped right in and played a significant amount of snaps last week. He made a few plays and was competitive on most of the coverage. I thought he tackled well. It’s a good start. I think we need to build on that in practice, meetings and walkthroughs and hopefully duplicate that type of performance again. That will be hard against a good receiving corps and obviously a great quarterback. It’s not an easy thing, but he’s off to a good start. As far as the corner position, I think Patrick and Josh do a great job as far as developing young players. It takes time, but every play, every game is an experience for those guys. I think those guys do a good job.”
Brian Flores – December 24, 2019 (Conference Call)
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Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores Conference Call
(As a New England guy being down in South Florida now, what do you miss most about something up here in New England?) – “Well, it’s 80 degrees here, so… (laughter) I had a lot of winters growing up. It’s fun to have a different – well, one season – so it’s nice to have 80-degree weather during the Christmas season; but more than anything, I built a lot of great relationships in New England from players to coaches to you guys in the media to Stacey James and Anne Noland, equipment guys, IT – (Dan) Famosi. There’s a lot of people that I came to know and really built some good relationships with. Those people I miss, and I enjoyed my time with them; but things change and I’m really excited about what’s going on here in Miami. There’s a lot of great people here as well. I’m really enjoying myself and trying to help this organization grow and get better.”
(Just a follow-up on that. We caught you in Week 2 and now we get you at the end of the season. How would you describe what your first year in Miami has been like?) – “It’s been fun. I’ve really enjoyed working with this team. I think we’ve grown a lot. Obviously we’ve had a lot of players as you know – as everyone knows – but we’ve tried to coach them up as best we can, get them ready to go whether it’s new guys, whether it’s guys in different positions, obviously trying to build relationships with the players as coaches, as the head coach, as the coordinators and then obviously building that trust and camaraderie – trying to build it within the locker room and with the players on the field. That’s really what’s most important. It’s been fun. It’s been a great experience. I think I’ve learned a lot about myself and this team. Like anything, there’s things I wish I could have done better, and I try to always to improve and get better in my role and try to help guys do the same.”
(Do you like coming into Foxborough and being a possible spoiler in terms of the Patriots getting a second seed?) – “I don’t really think of it that way. I love to compete. I love to go in – I know that’s going to be a great environment. It’s going to be a huge challenge for us and a great test for us to go into an environment like that against a really good football team and try to compete and try to come out with a win. That’s what competition’s all about. I don’t really get into all the other seeding and all of that. I just like to compete and our team likes to compete, so that’s really what it’s all about for me.”
(The last couple of weeks, you guys have claimed DB Nate Brooks and LB Calvin Munson off the Patriots practice squad, and both of them pretty much slotted right into the lineup for you guys. What attracted you to those players, and how do you think they can help you moving forward?) – “We watched a lot of tape on both guys from preseason and obviously knew a little bit about – I knew a little bit about Calvin having spent some time with him. From a toughness – speaking about Calvin – from a toughness standpoint, from an intelligence standpoint, I knew he had a lot of the things that we covet, which is why he was down there. We learned those things about him down – up there. I’m used to saying ‘down there.’ (laughter) I thought he played well last week. I think he’s been a really good addition. He’ll have another opportunity to play again this week; but we’ve got to prepare, go through our process. It’s not easy to stop that offense or move the ball against that defense or protect from the punting game against the kicking game unit. It’ll be a big challenge – our biggest challenge of the year, I’d say.”
(Understanding – your offense is its own system and obviously you’ve got your own personnel down there, but where do you still see the greatest overlap between the system Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea is running and the offense that you saw for so many years on the practice fields up here?) – “That’s a tough question because of what you said at the beginning. It’s totally different personnel. To me, at the end of the day, that’s what it boils down to, is it is different personnel. Again, I know the guys there. They know us and I think on every coaching staff, the objective is to put your players in the best positions to do the things they do well. That’s really dependent on the skillset of each individual players – your offensive line, your tight end, your receiver, your running backs. Is he a receiving back? Is he more of a runner? Is he a receiving tight end? Is he more of a blocker? Et cetera, you go on and on. What groupings are you going to put out there? Heck, they’ve got ‘E. Rob’ (Elandon Roberts) in there at fullback. He’s a damn good fullback, too. I’ll tell you that right now. He’s a good fullback. I’ll leave it at that.”
(Knowing CB Stephon Gilmore pretty well, what can you say about the challenge of going up against him and what did you get to see just with his practice habits and how he is in that environment that makes him the player that he is?) – “We could talk about ‘Steph’ (Stephon Gilmore), but there’s again, there’s a lot of other players there. You need 11 guys out there. They do a great job with communication from ‘Steph’ to Jon Jones – I know he’s a little bit banged up, but Jon Jones to J.C. (Jackson) to the McCourty brothers to (Duron) Harmon, (Patrick) Chung; how that works with the linebacker corps and the d-line. I think they work in unison. They play together as a team, but specific to ‘Steph,’ I think he’s really grown over the last few years. This is one of the best corners in the league, one of the best defensive players in the league. I think from a coverage standpoint – big receiver, small receiver, quick receiver – he can really do it all. He can move inside if you need him. He can do a lot of different things. It’s going to be definitely a challenge. It’s a challenge for every team to get open against him in man coverage, and that’s why a lot of teams just stay away from him, to be honest. He’s a great player, but they’ve got a lot of great players on the defense, on the offense, in the kicking game. It’s a great coaching staff, so it’s going to be a challenge.”
(I know when you’re in the division, that can create a different dynamic with relations with Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick. How has that been for you in terms of your relations with him just because you guys are competing in the same division? I ask you in the context of Bill talking in the past about how strange – not how strange but how tough it was for him when Nick Saban was coaching down in Miami and they’re such close friends, but when the competition’s that close, what’s that been like for you guys?) – “You know what, I think – look, I was with Bill for 15 years. I know him very well. He knows me very well. At the end of the day, I have a lot of respect for him. I learned a lot from him. I’m fortunate to have worked with that organization for a long time; but I know this about him: he’s going to try to beat the heck out of us, and he knows this about me, that we’re going to do the same. That’s why I was in the building, because I’m competitive by nature. I think that’s something I try to impart on the players I was around. I know they’re competitive. I love those guys and they love me, and I know that. From McCourty to (Patrick) Chung to (Kyle) Van Noy to (Elandon) Roberts to (Dont’a) Hightower, I built relationships with these guys that go far beyond football. I know that; but on Sunday we’re going to be competing against each other and nobody’s going to care about any of that stuff. I think that’s the same with Bill and that coaching staff and all the guys there – Josh (McDaniels), Joe Judge. The friendships go far beyond football, so I know that and I think Bill knows that; but once 1 o’clock on Sunday (comes), they’re going to be on the other side and we’re competing and we’ll be friends after that, after those three or four hours. That’s kind of my take. I don’t know if that answers your question, but that’s kind of how I look at it.”
