Eric Rowe – December 31, 2020
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Thursday, December 31, 2020
S Eric Rowe
(The league-owned website is reporting QB Ryan Fitzpatrick has COVID. Are you aware of this? Were you alarmed to hear this news? And how hurtful do you think it will be not to have him on Sunday?) – “Yeah, I got the news today. It hurts. He’s a leader of our team. He brings energy, even in the Zoom meetings; so just to hear it that he’s probably – it’s down for all of us but I’m sure it’s worse for him because one, he loves the game; and two, nobody wants to catch COVID, right? But kind of with that, you just got to push forward.”
(You’ve played in a lot of big games in your career and you’ve mentioned before how much it means to you to be a part of this Dolphins team. What does it mean for you to be in this position to play in a game of this magnitude with this team and how can your experience in big games kind of provide some direction for the younger guys who haven’t seen a big Week 17 game like this in the NFL?) – “This means a lot, just kind of coming from where we came last year. We were definitely like, bottom five in the NFL last year. It was a struggle. To now this year to have a chance to get to the playoffs and obviously you’ve got to take it day-by-day, so this is the last game of the season; but kind of with the young guy, I just kind of tell them like – actually, I don’t really have to say much. They kind of know. They’ve kind of matured through the season that it’s just a regular game – same regular game plan, technique, all that’s the same. The only difference is it’s just the last game of the season. So I didn’t really have to tell them much.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores mentioned that Assistant Defensive Backs Coach Curt Kuntz leads the third-down defense meetings and I was curious, how long can those meetings go and in what way are they beneficial?) – “How long can they go? I’m not sure. I’ve never actually really timed it. (laughter) I never really timed it. It’s just as long as how much he wants to talk about it, but obviously you see we put an emphasis on third down every week for that game plan. We break it down by yards, and obviously it’s helped us a lot this year coming off the field. You can stop points right there.”
(How was the news broken to the team today about QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and how would you describe the reaction when it was immediately revealed?) – “’Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) told us in the team meeting this morning about his situation and then we’re on Zoom, so you can’t really tell everybody’s reaction at the time; but my reaction was just praying for his health because COVID, that’s a real-deal thing whether you don’t have symptoms or you do. So I’m just kind of praying that he doesn’t have the symptoms and that he didn’t spread it to his family or kids.”
(You talked a little bit earlier about just sort of the turnaround where you guys were last year to this year. When you look at that, the full frame of you guys were the No. 32 scoring defense to No. 1 so far this year; are you able to put all of that into grips and how you guys have really completely overdid this defense?) – “Also, it’s a bunch of new guys that we have on the team than last year. I think over like defensive-wise, I feel like – over 50 percent of the roster has flipped, right? So a lot of guys don’t know and I tried to tell them, but they don’t know what we’ve been through last year and how we go from getting scored on nearly every drive to now we’re getting off the field on almost every third down. So just to see that flip, it is crazy, though.”
(CB Byron Jones actually mentioned that this morning on Good Morning Football, about the overturn of the roster and how guys have kind of bought in that way; but he also mentioned something I wanted to ask you about and he said that CB Xavien Howard is the best player he’s ever been around. What do you think about that statement?) – “He’s not lying. To have a pick in nine games straight – it got to the point where if he didn’t have a pick, we’re kind of like – like the Patriots game – we’re kind of like, ‘whoa, that’s not normal, right?’ And really to have a guy like that, that you can put him on any receiver and he can produce turnovers like that, that’s definitely a comfort thing within the defense.”
(I wanted to ask you, you guys have obviously come so far this season; if you didn’t make the playoffs, would it be a big disappointment or would you guys be able to see the success you guys made and the strides you guys made as a positive?) – “It’d be both. It’d be a big disappointment. We put a lot of work in this year, a lot of work winning games that aren’t easy and really to have double-digit wins and to not make the playoffs, that hurts. But at the same time, kind of like at least we’re – the guys like me, Bobby (McCain) and ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) who were here last year, to see that stride especially defensive-wise, to see that kind of leap we took from last year to this year, it’s positive. Positive for the years coming on.”
Isaiah Ford – December 31, 2020
Thursday, December 31, 2020
WR Isaiah Ford
(Obviously you are very, very close to QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. What are your thoughts and wishes to Ryan at this time?) – “He’s our guy. But if this year has taught us anything, it’s to expect the unexpected. We all love Ryan; but we’ve got a job to do, and I think everybody is focused on getting that done.”
(I know you guys don’t need any more motivation than you already have to make the playoffs; but with the news of QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and him having never been there in a 16-year career, is it just on a personal level, does it add any more motivation for you guys to want to get there for him, knowing that he won’t even be on the sidelines in Buffalo?) – “Yeah. Like you said, we all know what’s at stake. We know how important this game is and we’re preparing and trying to go towards that and win one football game and go from there.”
(It seems to me that regardless of who the quarterback is, you always find a way to make plays when they go off-script in the scramble drill. You find a way to break off the route. What’s the key to that? What’s the key to finding open space when the quarterback has to get out of the pocket and a play breaks down?) – “I think a lot of it is just seeing the same thing. Trying to spend as much time as I can with these guys, seeing things how they see them so we’re always on the same page whether it’s on-script or off-script. I think that comes with just spending time with each other, watching film, talking through things that you’re seeing on film so you’re always seeing the same thing and speaking the same language.”
(You haven’t been here for a month and yet last week, you were directing traffic and telling guys where to go; and this is a new offense for you just like it is a new offense for everybody else. Where does that come from? Where does this grasp of offensive concepts and playbooks, where does that come from?) – “To be honest, I just study. I just study it a lot. I try to rehearse it as much as I can. I was taught at an early age to try to learn things conceptually. I was never stuck being held in one spot, whether it’s being in the slot or being outside. When you learn things conceptually, it’s easier for you to be on the field and be able to play. And, also in times like that, there are a million things going on on the field. Sometimes somebody might forget where they are supposed to be or what the play may be, so to be able to get them lined up and have them ready to go, you can still have a good play instead of having to burn a timeout.”
(Whatever happened to those shorts QB Ryan Fitzpatrick wore to practice? Did you get them back? Did you have them washed? Are you going to wear your helmet to the side as a tribute to Fitzpatrick one time on Sunday?) – “(laughter) I actually have some. I didn’t get mine back. I don’t know what ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) did with them, but the equipment guys got me another pair. These might be a little shorter than those actually. So yeah. (laughter)”
Durham Smythe – December 31, 2020
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Thursday, December 31, 2020
TE Durham Smythe
(I wanted to ask, did you know that you are a part of the most successful tight end unit in franchise history statistically? And what do you think about that?) – “I was unaware of that statistic until just now; but that’s cool to hear, for sure. Obviously I have a biased opinion, but I think we have one of the better tight end rooms in the NFL in terms of depth and across the board. It also helps when you have a guy like Mike (Gesicki) shouldering a lot of that production. That’s cool to hear.”
(On the note of statistics, you guys have rushed for 380 yards over the last two games combined. What can you personally do in the run game, and as a whole, do this week to continue that success in the ground game?) – “I think it’s just staying consistent with what we’re doing. It’s Week 17. We do what we do. Obviously there’s been an emphasis on improving the run game as the season’s gone on, and we’ve seen some results the past few weeks. Like I’ve mentioned before in previous sessions, it’s extremely important to be able to run the ball this time of year to win games against good teams. That’s something that we’ve emphasized and I think being consistent across the board is how we’ll be successful moving forward.”
(Back to the running game, the two guys that have really been a big part of the rushing yards are RB Myles Gaskin and RB Salvon Ahmed. I was curious, those guys coming from the same college and now being here in the pros together, what have you recognized about their relationship that maybe stands out to you a little bit?) – “That’s a really cool story, first and foremost, knowing that they were roommates or whatever it was back in UW. That’s a cool story to begin with. I think it’s just another level of the camaraderie of this team. I think all of these position groups are so close. They obviously have a history. It’s cool to see them support each other. When Myles was out for a few weeks, he was supporting Salvon when he was successful, and Salvon is doing the same thing when Myles has a big game. I think that’s just something that this team has that I don’t think is extremely commonplace across the league, the support within a position group.”
(It wasn’t too long ago that we got the news about QB Ryan Fitzpatrick’s positive test result, that he won’t be available Sunday. I’d like to get your reaction to that, as well as your thoughts on how QB Tua Tagovailoa is going to do.) – “Yeah, with all of that happening today, you guys probably know more about it than I do, which is normally how these things go and when news breaks. I think everyone at that position is prepared across the board. Guys who haven’t seen action this year are prepared. They’ve been prepared all year in practice and such. I think we’ll be good moving forward and I think it’ll be a testament just to how these guys have worked all year and kind of stayed ready.”
(I wanted to ask you, you’ve been part of some Head Coach Adam Gase teams. You’ve been part of last year’s 5-11 team. What’s so different about what you guys have going now and that locker room? What’s the tangible difference?) – “I think the one thing that stands out about this team is just – like I’ve mentioned a few times – just how close it is, which is tough to do in a year like this because of obviously the unique circumstances. I haven’t been a part of a team thus far in the NFL that is this tight across the board. There’s support across the board. I think there’s a trust that you know other people are going to get their job done, so it kind of allows you to focus on your own. We’ve been growing all year. I think that will continue to happen. I think that’s the one, like you said, tangible thing that sticks out to me so far.”
(We saw QB Jake Rudock out at practice as one of the quarterbacks today. Obviously you know the offense as well as anyone; but from being around Jake some over the last couple of years, does he strike you as someone who is really cerebral as well and has a strong grasp of the offense?) – “Definitely. He’s one of those guys that picks up things really, really fast. He always has been that way, through my experiences with him over the last two years. Like I said earlier, he’s a guy that’s kind of stayed ready throughout this whole thing. Obviously he’s been on the roster, off the roster; but he’s stayed ready and obviously we have a lot of confidence in him to be able to come in and pick things up on a very short-term notice.”
(You guys have obviously made a lot of progress this season. How important is it for you guys to kind of finish the job and make the playoffs this week?) – “I mean it’s extremely important for us. We talk about finishing strong all year, dating back to virtual OTAs and training camp and things like that. When you have an opportunity in Week 17 to do just that, kind of the definition of the phrase ‘finish strong,’ I think it’s something that all of the guys are excited about. Obviously a situation where you can win a game and make the playoffs – there’s not a ton of playoff experience on this team and I think a lot of people are hungry to experience that. I think it’s just something that will get all of the guys excited. It’s something we’ve talked about for so long and there’s an obvious kind of reward there to be had.”
Brian Flores – December 31, 2020
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Thursday, December 31, 2020
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Just wanted to ask about a couple of offensive linemen. I know you can’t judge players as rookies on a scale. You just judge how they play. How do you think T Austin Jackson has played overall? And what C Ted Karras has given you this year at center, just your thoughts on him as well, please.) – “I think Ted has given us leadership. I think he’s given us good play. I think he’s played some good football and I think he’s improved over the course of the year. Same for Austin (Jackson). I think he’s improved over the course of the year, was out for a little bit, fought his way back, so that showed some mental, physical toughness getting through that and then again, I think he’s improved and developed over the course of the season.”
(We’re seeing the forecast now saying one to three inches of snow on Sunday. How much of an impact might that have on your game plan and the way the game is called?) – “I mean the elements are what they are. I don’t see it having much of an impact. I’ve played and coached in snow before, so one to three (inches) should be okay there as far as play calling and things of that nature. I don’t see it being that big of an issue, to be honest with you.”
(It’s the last day of what’s probably been a difficult year for a lot of folks. What would you take most out of 2020 the year as a coach and as a man?) – “2020 has been an interesting year. A lot has gone on with the pandemic and things like the George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery and things like that. It’s been difficult for a lot of people – a lot of people in the country and around the world. On the bright side – which I like to look at that – that time when we were on lockdown, I got to spend a lot of time with my wife and my kids, so that was good. Really good. I think we learned about making sacrifices and not seeing your family and things like that with Thanksgiving and Christmas for us as a team. I know that may not be the case for everyone; but yeah, from 2020 I take for me, there were a lot of things that were difficult, but that time in March and April and May where literally everyone was locked down and I would normally be – a lot of coaches would normally be – on the road doing draft, this or that, but I was with my wife and kids. I thought the draft was a lot of fun. My kids can’t wait for the draft next year. We could sit here and talk about how bad everything was. I thought there was some good – a lot of good – also from a family standpoint and I think the growth in this team, obviously I’m happy with that. But we’re still trying to improve and develop like we always are.”
(Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe you told us growing up you were a Giants fan. Obviously being from New York, that would make sense. I was curious, when you were young, did you understand the significance of Dan Marino and Jim Kelly and that rivalry, Bills-Dolphins in the early 90s? And since you’ve been a coach, what have you learned about how important this game is to a lot of the alumni and the fans?) – “Yeah, I know the rivalry. I know it well. I think every game is important to the fans on both sides. Obviously this is a division game; but the Dolphins fans, the Bills fans, these are diehard fans who root for their teams through thick and thin, so every game is important and this one’s no different. There’s a lot of great players over the years on both sides and I’m just humbled and honored to be a part of it.”
(You spoke on the draft just a second ago and the first-round pick from Houston has the potential to be either No. 3 or No. 4. I know the draft is a couple of months away, but just the thoughts on having such a high draft pick or potentially having such a high draft pick?) – “I talked about my kids enjoying the draft. (laughter) I let (General Manager) Chris (Grier) and the personnel staff handle that stuff. I know you want to take what I said about my six- and seven-year-old and turn it into a draft question, but I’m focused on the Bills. We were reflecting on my family and the 2020 year, not the draft. Chris (Grier) and (Vice President of Football Administration) Brandon (Shore), whenever you get Chris on one of these Zooms, you can talk to him about that stuff. I’m focused on the Bills.”
(Road teams have won almost exactly half the games in the league this year. Now that we’re deep into the season and the intensity is ratcheting up, what are your thought about the affects that the pandemic and few or no fans has had on home field advantage?) – “It’s still tough to win on the road, especially against a good team like this. Every year is a little bit different. This year the elements on the road, there are still elements that make it difficult. The No. 1 element being the team across from us. Everyone has good players, good coaches. Again, 2020 is a little bit different in that you don’t feel the affects of the crowd noise as you have in other years. There are still the strengths of the other team that are still issues. The coaches and the adjustments they make, I guess I would say I don’t feel like it’s easier, if that answers your question. It’s still hard. It’s still hard to win in this league. It’s still hard to execute, especially when they’ve got good players over there. It certainly doesn’t feel easier, if that answers your question. I’m not sure what the numbers are – you just said 50 percent, but it certainly doesn’t feel easy to win on the road.”
(We’ve asked Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey over the last couple of weeks about his future and obviously this is not the time to address that, I understand. I just wanted to get your thinking behind – when you hired a 68-year-old offensive coordinator, there will be questions about his longevity obviously here. What was your plan at the time and has that changed?) – “When you say this is not the time to ask this and then ask it – I’m just trying to go through that. I think Chan is focused on the Bills, just like we’re all focused on the Bills, and that’s where I want his focus and energy. I’ll leave it at that.”
(Yesterday you said that you’re quite familiar with Offensive Coordinator Brian Daboll in terms of his play-calling. I’m assuming that’s from your history with him in New England. What has made effective in his stint in Buffalo as a play-caller?) – “I wouldn’t say I’m familiar with him as a play caller. I’m familiar with him as an offensive mind. I think part of that – part of him being a good play-caller is that I don’t know what he’s going to call. I think he’s done a phenomenal job there with (Josh) Allen and that offense. I think he’s got a lot up his sleeve. He and I have had many conversations – offensively, defensively, you do this I’m doing that, you do that I’m doing this – and you see it all kind of come to fruition in the way they play. (I have) a lot of respect for him. I certainly don’t know what he’s going to call and that’s what makes him good. He mixes the run, the pass, the shots, the screens – he’s got every element to the offense. They’ve got good players, and they execute. He’s a damn good coach. So is (Head Coach) Sean (McDermott), so is (Defensive Coordinator) Leslie (Frazier), so is (Special Teams Coordinator) Heath Farwell. They’ve got great coaches there. They’ve done a really good job of coaching those guys up. They’ve got a talented roster as well. You throw all of that together and you have what you have, which is a very good team. Daboll is a good friend of mine – a great friend of mine I would say. He’s someone that I’ve got a lot of respect for. But we’re looking to compete on Sunday, and I know he’ll have some bullets in his gun. I know that.”
Jerome Baker – December 30, 2020
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Wednesday, December 30, 2020
LB Jerome Baker
(What’s it like having CB Byron Jones as a teammate? What kind of energy does he bring in the locker room and then also on the field?) – “He’s a quiet guy really. He’s a quiet guy. He just stays to himself and he does what he has to do on the field. He’s smart; but to me, he’s real quiet.”
(I wanted to ask you about the lessons that you learned from the first time you guys played Buffalo. I know this isn’t your first time facing QB Josh Allen. What do you take from that game earlier in the season that will help you guys pull out the victory this week?) – “Are you talking about as a team or just me personally?”
(Both.) – “For me personally – for me, it’s my eyes. They throw a lot of eye candy. Just me personally, I just have to make sure my eyes are right. If my eyes are right, everything else will fall in line. As a team, we’re a completely different team honestly. We played them in Week 2 right? We’re just a completely different team. We have different things that we’ll try defensively, but ultimately we’ll have to play together as a team. That’s with all three phases.”
(Earlier today, Head Coach Brian Flores was telling us that Assistant Defensive Backs Coach Curt Kuntz leads third-down meetings – third-down defense. Obviously he was an Ohio high school football coach. I’m wondering if you knew of him and how he’s made the transition from high school to the NFL and what his strengths are?) – “He’s very detailed, I’ll say that. He’s very detailed. He tries to get every single thing they do on third down. I guess you can say he transitioned well. He’s definitely been helping us doing his part when it comes to third down. Yeah. I think he transitioned well and he’s doing fine.”
(I’m curious as to why you think you’re getting to the quarterback with more frequency this year. Seven sacks, is that more opportunities? Do you think you’ve improved your pass-rushing skills as far as moves?) – “I’d say it’s more credit to our d-line. Having (Emmanuel) Ogbah, having Shaq (Lawson), having Kyle (Van Noy), the offense has to gear towards blocking them first and it just helped me with more opportunities. I’d say it’s definitely the d-line. Those guys will take up sometimes two or three guys. For me, it’s usually a one-on-one battle and sometimes I’m just free. I definitely give all credit to the d-line.”
(From Week 1 in 2019 when you guys played your first game under Head Coach Brian Flores to now, what do you think is the biggest thing that you guys evolved as as a team, and him as a coach over that period?) – “I just think we found – we’re playing together and we learned how to win. What I mean about that is we were in some tight games and some close games but certain key plays you have to execute and do your job and that’s how you win the game. I think last year we didn’t do a great job of doing that. This year, I think we do a better job of really just knowing how to win and knowing the situation and what we’re supposed to do to make sure we win. It’s just a credit to ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores). He’s been preaching that since he’s been here. It’s definitely working out for us.”
(Just as a follow up earlier to my question about CB Byron Jones. He’s a quiet guy but he’s got a lot of experience under his belt. He’s been to the playoffs a couple of times. What’s more so that like, knowing that he has experience and you get to line up with him, especially with such a critical game coming?) – “He’s very detailed. What I mean by that is every little play, every little assignment, it matters. It’s not just him. All of the older guys we have that have played in the playoffs, they know that and they stress that. I think Byron does a great job when it comes to the secondary of making sure those guys know that. Kyle (Van Noy) in our room, he makes sure we all know that even the little plays matter when it’s big games like pretty much for the rest of the year. That’s the way he does a great job and we definitely need that.”
(I don’t think you’ve ever won in Buffalo, I think the two trips you’ve gone up there have gone the other way. Is that correct?) – “I don’t know. You’re probably right.”
(Is there a common thread when you go up against those guys and come up on the wrong end of the result?) – “I don’t know. It’s something about them. For them, they have a unique offense. They have a unique way of how they do things. I know they don’t have fans now, but when you throw in going up there, the fans, how they play the game, I guess we just didn’t come out with a win my three years. Hopefully that changes.”
(What makes their offense so unique? I know they’ve got weapons all over the field, but what makes their offense unique?) – “It all starts with Josh Allen. He’s their guy. He does a great job of just leading them. It’s hard because you can’t just pass rush and go wildly out of control because he can scramble out. He has the arm talent to not only make the throws down the field, but he can also use his legs. Now when you throw in (Stefon) Diggs and you throw in all the weapons they have, they give you a real challenge. I think this year, if you look at their offense, they’ve been rolling. It’s definitely going to be a big challenge for us.”
(I don’t know if you had individual goals or team goals coming into the year, but you guys are No. 1 in scoring defense. Is that significant and what sort of does that mean if it is?) – “Yeah, it’s definitely significant. We definitely had goals as a defense – batted balls, interceptions, sacks. There is one more. But yeah, we’ve got team goals. I don’t know the exact numbers or if we met them, but we kept those goals, we kept those pillars of what we had. Just having the No. 1 whatever it was is just a testament to if we do what we’re supposed to do, we’ll be one of the best defenses in the league. It’s definitely been a fun year.”
(Obviously when Head Coach Brian Flores got here the first couple of games were not pretty at all, and now you guys are one game away from making the playoffs. How unfathomable is that and how realistic is it for you guys to be able to go to Buffalo and get your goal of reaching the playoffs this year?) – “It’s very realistic. That’s one thing. It is a credit to Coach ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores). Since the day he came here, he stressed the main points of what he needed this team to be and what this team needed to do. That’s what we did. We just followed his lead and it’s definitely working out for us. I think this Sunday, we’ve got to put it all together, we’ve got to play together as a team and if we win this game, the rest is what we make out of it. We’re definitely excited, we’re definitely ready to go and it’s going to be a fun one Sunday.”
Ted Karras – December 30, 2020
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Wednesday, December 30, 2020
C Ted Karras
(You’ve made some trips to Buffalo over the years. What is your most favorite thing about playing there and what is your least favorite thing about playing there?) – “I think the fans are two-sided with that. They have great fans up there and the drive in is always pretty entertaining with what they got going on in the parking lot; but it is nice with no fans up there because they do make a very – it’s a loud stadium. It’s a great stadium, going to be a big matchup, division opponent, Week 17 with a lot of implications, so we’re excited and ready to roll.”
(Most serious Dolphins fans could tell you the four scenarios where the Dolphins could make the playoffs, the most obvious one of which is you guys winning and you’re in. I’m curious, do players ever talk about scenarios of how a team could get in the postseason if they don’t win? Has that come up at all in any conversations? Are you even aware of the other three scenarios?) – “I’m aware that if we don’t win, we’ll need some help; but the main thing that I’m focusing on is going up there and kind of kicking the door in on the playoffs ourselves. We’re going up there in a huge game – a play-in game, really – and we’re going to need to play our best Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.”
(I wanted to ask you, just that game – the Raiders game – didn’t seem to really go that well for you guys up until the final seconds. What was that emotion like for you and for some of your teammates before the throw from QB Ryan Fitzpatrick happened and then kind of afterwards now that you have a meaningful game to play now next week?) – “It was a huge win. Never really been part of a play like that – obviously unbelievable finish. We did enough to win. Obviously there’s some things we would’ve liked to do better before the big play, but we were in a position to win and made the play when it counted the most and I’m very proud of everyone for how they’re fighting and staying alive. Now we have a huge Week 17 matchup here that hopefully we can prove our worth.”
(I was looking at some of the Bills pass rush statistics and they get plenty of production from linebackers coming after the quarterback. I was curious how that kind of changes or how you can best get blocked a team that pass rushes using so much linebacker blitzing and stuff like that?) – “Yeah, they’ve got great linebackers – (Tremaine) Edmunds, (Matt) Milano, (A.J.) Klein. They bring those guys a lot. They’re good pass rushers – accomplished pass rushers – more so than a lot of linebacking corps, and we’re going to have to set these guys with good technique and fundamentals and get our hands on them and finish blocks.”
(After QB Tua Tagovailoa’s first start, I’m sure you remember the camera caught you having a few words of encouragement for him. I was wondering if after Saturday’s game, if you had any message for him?) – “Yeah, I check in on him. He’s a tough kid – mentally tough, physically tough. He’s out here preparing, ready to win. We’re past all that stuff now. (It was) a great victory out in the desert, but now it’s time to go up to a cold environment and win a football game with a lot of stakes on the line.”
(Offensively you guys have gone through kind of the works here – a quarterback change, o-line injuries, guys in and out, wide receivers, TE Mike Gesicki being out and then coming back – how have you guys kind of dealt with all of that this season?) – “That’s the league and that’s Week 17 of an NFL season. Guys are in and out, guys get banged up and hopefully we’ll get some guys back, but everyone’s got to step up. We have a lot of guys who have taken a lot of reps. We have a pretty deep, talented o-line. I’m glad to be a part of it and have fun coming to work with these guys every day. We’re coming in, we’ve got a good game plan ready to go, had a good start to practice this week and tomorrow we’ll build on it.”
(The way you guys have done your quarterbacks this year, it’s been unusual, I guess would maybe be the right word; but you guys haven’t seemed to be phased by it as an offense. What’s sort of the key to not letting such an important position change impact how you do your job or how everybody else does their job?) – “As an o-lineman, I have an assignment and I’ve got a job to do blocking the guy; so whoever’s giving the orders, calling the plays – obviously it very much matters in this sport – but to me, it doesn’t really affect my play-in and play-out strategy. So we’ve taken it a play at a time and a day at a time and I think both guys have done a great job. We have a lot of great people on this offense and on this team and the culture certainly helps us to be able to transition smoothly and get wins when we need to get it done.”
Tua Tagovailoa – December 30, 2020
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Wednesday, December 30, 2020
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(I was wondering about your freshman year at Saint Louis School and then your freshman season at Alabama, how do you think those moments prepared you where you weren’t the guy, so that you’re able to handle moments like Denver, like Las Vegas and even earlier in the season when you take a backseat, that you were mature enough mentally to be able to handle that?) – “I think there just needs to be understanding, like situational understanding, what we’re trying to get done as a team; and then just from that perspective, you’ve just got to get out of yourself and into the team and see it from that perspective instead of yourself. I would say my freshman year, I played junior varsity because in our league, you couldn’t play varsity right away. But it’s all about what you can gain from everything. For me, it’s a learning experience. And like I said, in all of the previous interviews that I’ve had, it’s not like a one-and-done thing. It’s continuous, especially in your rookie year.”
(I wanted to ask you about the pressure you may or may not be feeling this week given the stakes and given how last Saturday went. Is there any extra pressure that you feel on your shoulders to pull out this victory and show that the Dolphins made the right choice?) – “I’d say for me, there’s really no extra added pressure for me. I would say the expectation for myself is very high in how I perform and how I go out there and try to lead the guys to victory. Obviously this past weekend, I didn’t play to that standard. It’s more so me knowing that we’ve got to go out there and got to get the job done. If you can’t get the job done, then that’s on you. That’s on no one else.”
(Sixteen weeks into your rookie season, when do you most still feel like a rookie at this point?) – “I’m not too sure how to answer that question. I just think it’s a continuing learning process whether you’re a rookie or a second-year or third-year (player). There’s always things that you can learn but it’s how quickly you can digest those things, and then kind of go out there and execute them. That’s the biggest thing for me.”
(I have two questions and the first one is pretty easy. Have you ever played in snow before and what was that experience like? There could be some snow on Sunday. And two, going back to your college days, you’ve obviously had big-time performances on the biggest stage. Can you draw on that experience and what specifically from national championship games can prepare you for a weekend like this?) – “To your first question, I’ve never played in snow. To your second question, I think at the end of the day, it just comes down to our 11 guys against their 11 guys. It’s football. This time it’s a lot different because there’s no fans. But you do know that there’s a lot at stake. It goes back to what I said before, you’ve got to go out there and perform. This is crunch time. Now is not the time to be making mistakes and all of these things. You’ve got to really zero in on what you’ve got to do to help the team become successful and get a win.”
(I was thinking about when you just mentioned that, have you ever seen snow? You’ve lived in Hawaii, Alabama and Miami – have you seen snow? That’s not my question but I was curious about that. My actual question is I’d say how the quarterback situation has worked out this season has been unorthodox maybe is the right word. What is it about how Head Coach Brian Flores has handled it that makes you and QB Ryan Fitzpatrick both comfortable with whatever happens?) – “Yeah, I’ve seen snow. I’ve gotten to play with snow a little bit. That was in Alabama my freshman year. It was snowing there. It snows like every four years there, so I was lucky. (laughter) With our whole quarterback situation, I think ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) does a good job in communicating with me, ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick), as well as our coordinator and our quarterbacks coach, and kind of seeing ‘hey, are you in a groove?’ Or ‘what can we do better?’ And if not – it’s always communicated. There’s really good communication between all of us. I trust that he has the interests of not just for us, but in the whole team. He has the best interests for the whole team.”
(I’m still learning about RPOs. You’ve played in it for quite a while right now. Because you have to get the ball out of your hands so quickly to prevent offensive linemen from being illegal downfield players, how do you produce big plays in the RPO? How does that happen, if it has to be such a quick progression?) – “You get the ball in the hands of our playmakers and you let them make plays. I would say that’s how you do it. That’s one way. Then other ways are just pushing the ball downfield, and I would say that’s what I need to do a better job with. Especially this past game and games prior.”
(I’m really looking forward to the College Football Playoff. I’m wondering could you give me a little thumbnail on WR Devonta Smith and how do you think Alabama will do?) – “Devonta Smith is a really good player. I got to play with him from my freshman year until last year so I was with him for three years. He’s very smart, very instinctive. He’s very athletic and he’s fast too, and he goes up and he gets the ball. I’m no magician and I’m not Houdini. I don’t have a crystal ball to say who is going to win this game and whatnot, but you just wish the best to our guys at Alabama. Notre Dame is going to be tough, too. You can never be too sure when it comes to football.”
Brian Flores – December 30, 2020 (Conference Call)
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Wednesday, December 30, 2020
Head Coach Brian Flores Conference Call with Buffalo Media
(You’re No. 1 in the NFL on third-down defense. Just give us a few thoughts on what has gone so well.) – “I think the players have – again, it starts with the players – they’ve done a good job executing on third down. Obviously it’s an important down in the game to allow ourselves to get off the field and put the offense back on the field. Our defensive coordinator, Josh Boyer, has done a very good job – and the defensive staff – of putting the players in good positions and they’ve been able to execute.”
(Do you have – like a lot of teams have an assistant who is a third-down – like does your defensive backs/safeties assistant specialize in third down or is it a team effort?) – “(Assistant Defensive Backs Coach) Curt Kuntz, he’s one of our assistants and he handles the third down and kind of leads that meeting when we go through it. Again as a staff, we put together some ideas and talk through what we think is the best way to handle or try to get our opponent off the field. Those can be long conversations, which they’ve been already this week with the challenges that (Brian) Daboll and the Bills offense with (Josh) Allen and (Stefon) Diggs and with John Brown coming back and Cole Beasley, the backs and (Devin) Singletary. These guys do a good job and there’s a lot of weapons there, not to mention (Josh) Allen’s ability to even if they play – if you have him covered, he scrambles and picks it up like he did last week and he’s done all year. They pose a lot of problems, so that third-down meeting is ongoing still and hopefully we can execute on Sunday.”
(How do you prepare for a team not knowing if the Bills are going to be resting some of their starters? It looks like WR Cole Beasley is week-to-week, but how do you deal with that in trying to prepare your team mentally in knowing they could be playing some backups and that could backfire, too?) – “We’re preparing as if they’re all playing. That’s been my message to the team. Everyone is playing – the quarterback, the coaches are definitely coaching – I’ll tell you that right now. I know these guys and they’re competitive as all get out, so we can’t control any of that. We have to prepare for their best players as if like any other week, and hopefully that’s been put out of their mind because it’s something I would say I’ve been on a little bit of a crusade about. I expect them to play. It’s a big game for us and we’ve got to go out there and execute against a good football team. It’s never ever either way.”
(In showing the improvement the Dolphins have showed this year, how have you been able to walk the fine line between looking at the long-term future and development of players versus the objective to win now? How have you managed to walk that fine line?) – “I think the objective is always to win and to win every game. I think as far as looking into the future, I really leave that to (General Manager) Chris Grier and the personnel staff. With the players we have, we just try to develop the young ones, develop the veterans, try to improve and get better on a daily basis, and we try to play our best players; so if that happens to be a rookie, then it’s a rookie. If it’s not, then it’s not; but we’re trying to develop everybody. So I guess from that standpoint, I guess I have a long-term view from that standpoint; but to me, that’s just coaching and whoever’s on the roster, you try to help them get better. Honestly, I think Sean (McDermott) and (Brandon) Beane and the Bills have done a great job from that standpoint and we’ve seen guys develop there as well from Josh Allen to (Micah) Hyde to (Jordan) Poyer. If you watch these guys for the last four or five years, they do a great job back there, I would say. You guys know I’m a safeties coach by trade, so it’s good to see a group like that and watch them play and see how well they play together. You can do so much defensively when you’ve got guys like that. But that’s just a couple. There’s 10 other guys like that on that team, so they’ve done a great job.”
(With DE Shaq Lawson, just could you tell us how he’s doing? He’s got four sacks. People I think maybe look at that first, but how he’s setting the edge? Overall, how is Shaq Lawson doing this year?) – “I think he’s playing well. He’s a little bit banged up right now. We’ll see if he can get out there today, but he’s doing everything he can to get out there. I think he’s playing well. I think he’s been able to pressure the quarterback and set the edge and do some good things in the run game. He’s been a big part of our defense this year and he brings great energy, and just as a teammate, he’s been great and as a student who’s someone that we’ve been able to coach, he’s been great.”
(I’m sure you’ve talked about it a lot, but you look at the talent Buffalo has at wide receiver or any team every week, really, but could you just talk about you and General Manager Chris Grier and the priority you put in roster building on investing at cornerback? What do you think about how important that is? Is it hard to fake it at cornerback in this league?) – “I think every position is important, but with the talent at receiver in this league, the talent at tight end in this league; I think Chris (Grier), myself and I think every coach, GM, football mind – I think they all believe that having talented guys in the back end is important as well. We’re no different than I would say anybody else in the league. We’re fortunate to have a number of guys back there who are very good players and have made some plays for us this year and hopefully they continue to do so.”
(QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is a subject Bills fans never get tired of given who he is. You’ve gone to the relief route, gone to the bullpen a couple times here with Ryan. Can you talk about maybe his personality and what allows him – maybe some other guy if you went and used him in this way, it might not go quite so smoothly just from a chemistry standpoint. But with Ryan, it’s so clear to everyone he knows his role. What do you think about that, how Ryan’s personality in this role has helped it go smoothly?) – “First and foremost, ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) is as competitive as anyone in this league, as we all know; but he’s also selfless and humble and he’s been a great mentor to Tua and a lot of our young players. This is a very young team. We’re fortunate to have him. I can’t speak to what it would be in another situation. I know in this one, everyone on this team wants to just do what they can to help us win ball games and when asked, ‘Fitz’ stepped in last week and has done so also in the Denver game. We just ask them to do their best and try to help this team win and he’s done that and he’s been selfless and he’s team-first, and those are the types of guys we’re trying to bring in here. Honestly it’s very similar to the types of guys the Bills bring in or brought up there. I think in order to, in this league, where there’s so much even attrition, you need guys who are ready to step in and we have that.”
(Speaking of QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey, they were in a similar situation while with the Jets in 2015, needing to win and get in. Chan yesterday spoke about how much that still sticks in his craw – that memory – and Fitzpatrick of course has never made the playoffs. I know everybody wants to make the playoffs, but do you get a sense from Chan or Fitzpatrick how important to them this game is in some ways?) – “I think it’s important to everyone. I think we as a team, we’ve put a lot into this season, but I think that’s the case for every team in this league. Everyone works hard, everyone puts a lot into it. We find ourselves in a situation where we’re fighting to stay together one more week, honestly. More than just winning, I think this group likes to be around each other, so it’s important to everyone; but at the same time, we’ve got to just kind of follow our routine, follow our process and not have our eyes squarely on the result. We’ve got to just follow the process and prepare the right way and let the result take care of itself. All we can do is our best as far as from a preparation standpoint and try to execute on Sunday. And then we’ll let the results take care of themselves.”
