Brian Flores – October 8, 2021
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Friday, October 8, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Will CB Xavien Howard and CB Byron Jones be available Sunday?) – “They’re going to practice today. Hopeful that they’ll be available on Sunday.”
(With OL Greg Mancz – obviously he suffered the neck injury in practice. How concerning is that and do you feel like you have a possible backup if he’s not able to play, that knows the offense?) – “Greg (Mancz) – he’ll be out at practice today as well. I would say that’s probably trending in the right direction, but we’ll see how today goes. And yeah, last week it was Cameron Tom who came up. We signed Austin Reiter this week, so he’s done a nice job these last couple days. We’ll have a backup plan for sure.”
(Did DT Raekwon Davis look good this week – enough where you think he’ll be available Sunday?) – “Yeah, I mean if all things go well today, I expect him to be up on Sunday.”
(With the center, obviously you still have C Cameron Tom, but can a guy who showed up on Wednesday play and execute your offense if put in a position have to play center?) – “He’s done a nice job these last couple days. Is that the perfect situation? Probably not. But we’re going to play the guys we feel give us the best chance to win. I think Austin (Reiter) has done a nice job. Obviously Cam (Tom) has more familiarity with the offense, more familiarity with the guys around him on the offensive line. But can it happen? Yeah, I mean we’ve done that here before. Is that the ideal situation? I think we’re working through that as a staff.”
(How have you liked how your team has practiced this week after last week?) – “These guys always work hard. I can count on that. I can count on them to compete. I can count on them to work hard. I can count on them to come in and be professional and do things the right way so from that standpoint they’ve done a good job.”
(We saw WR DeVante Parker pop up yesterday with a hamstring on the injury report. His status for Sunday, do you have a sense of that yet?) – “Yeah, we’ll see how he does today. He’ll be out there a little bit today. We’ll see what kind of soreness there is there and we’ll make a decision that may go up right up to game time.”
(Can you talk a little bit about WR Albert Wilson? What have you seen from him and if you would like or expect for him to have a bigger role in the next few weeks?) – “Yeah, Albert (Wilson) got off to a strong start at training camp, dealt with an injury, came back. He plays a lot of different positions in the receiver room – F, Z, X – you can move him around a good bit. He’s done a good job in the last couple weeks in practice and I think when his number is called, he’ll be ready.”
(Your team started 1-3 for the second year in a row. What has your message been this week with the team?) – “Continue to work. Continue to try to improve. Continue to prepare, practice the right way, prepare the right way and that’ll give you a chance to execute. If we continue to play with more consistency and not beat ourselves, then we’ll play better. That’s really the message.”
(What you’ve seen from the punt and kickoff returns, obviously you have a couple of candidates including some young players, are you comfortable with one, Jaylen Waddle adding that extra work on his plate and do you have other options?) – “Yeah, I’m comfortable with Jaylen (Waddle) going back there returning punts. Obviously he’s got speed and the ability to make guys miss so we’re always going to put the best guys back there. Jevon Holland has caught punts in the past. So he’s an option, but we have to get everybody on those units to make their blocks, give us an opportunity to catch the ball and get vertical. Obviously ball security is the top priority there. So yeah, comfortable with the guys we have there.”
(Have you and Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman looked at CB Noah Igbinoghene on kickoff returns this week? He did well of course as you know at Auburn on kickoff returns.) – “Yeah, we’ve looked at that. We’ve certainly looked at that. Some other guys there as well to include (Jaylen) Waddle. So yeah, we’ve looked at all potential kickoff returners. But you know kickoff return, it’s one of those where a lot of teams are just kind of (kicking a) touchback and the opportunities are somewhat by game, potentially limited. But yeah, we’ll put the best guy back there and if given the opportunity – again, we’ve got to execute in that phase as well. Make the blocks and find a lane and get vertical and try to create a play there.”
(As far as allocation of carries at running back, I know it‘s a tough call because RB Malcolm Brown, RB Myles Gaskin, RB Salvon Ahmed all are good at different things. Have you – without asking you what was decided obviously – but have you and Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville and Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey talked about this week in terms of maybe getting a particular guy more carries, whether that has to be revisited? Is that a subject?) – “Yeah, we talk about that every week based on the gameplan, based on how we plan on what the offensive gameplan is. So if we want an in-between-the-tackles runner, that could be Myles (Gaskin), that could be Malcolm (Brown), that could be Salvon (Ahmed). So those are the kind of things we talk about – run game, pass game, screen game, etc. And then the game every week plays out a little bit differently. We have a plan going in. We want to get this guy, this guy, this guy. And then however the game unfolds is how we end up having to play. Or we stay on schedule and we play the way we planned on playing.”
(You have worked obviously the physical, the football side of this team. But what are you doing to keep the concentration, to keep the mentality of not letting the guys, in some aspects of the game, letting it go and keep concentrated like we have not seen from this season?) – “Focus is a big thing. What we always talk about is just taking it one play at a time and focusing on that play and not worrying about something that happened before, what’s going to happen in the future, what’s happened in the past, what anybody’s going to say, what a coach says, what another player says, a penalty that happened, a good call, bad call. I think that’s part of the game. I think we always to need to take the next-play approach and I think if you just concentrate on the next play, focus on the next play regardless of what’s happened, that’ll put you in the best position to succeed on that particular play. So that’s always the message to our team – to the players, to the coaches, to really everyone in the building and the organization. That’s kind of the approach and the message that we try to send out. And that’s not an easy thing to do because there’s just so many things – so much going on in the world, so much going on within a game – that takes a lot of focus and discipline to do that and that starts in practice.”
(After WR Jakeem Grant was traded, one of the names that came up as a guy who could see more playing time is WR Preston Williams. Given his injuries over the past couple of years, where is he physically, as well as mentally in terms of moving past these injuries and just focusing on playing football?) – “I think physically he’s in a good place. He’s running well. He’s in shape. I think mentally, I think he’s in a good place also. I think he’s excited to get an opportunity. I don’t think he’s thinking about what’s happened in the past. I think that’s something we talk about. Let’s not worry about injuries that happened in the past or whatever has happened, good or bad. Let’s just focus on what we just mentioned. Let’s just focus on today’s practice and get ready for the game and when we get to the game, take that one play at a time. I think he’s in a good place. I think he’s excited to get an opportunity and I think he’s preparing so that he can take advantage of that opportunity.”
(Defensively speaking, the first half production has been better than the second half in games so far for you guys this year. Is there a key in your mind to get more consistent play over the course of 60 minutes?) – “That’s something that offensively, defensively and in the kicking game, as a team we’re not playing consistently enough. Specific to defense, it really boils down to fundamentals, communicating consistently, tackling consistently, setting the edge. Those things that have started one way, we’ve just got to maintain our focus, concentration and continue to play well in whatever phase it is, especially if we get off to a good start.”
(I know DT Raekwon Davis is just coming back from the knee injury and getting his football legs underneath him. How has he looked this week at practice?) – “He’s looked good. I think any time you take some time off there is a little bit of rust. I don’t say that in a negative way. It’s just like anything. If you don’t work out for a long time and you come out, you’re a little more sore. My son didn’t do math all summer, he came back to school and he struggled with math a little bit. (laughter) It’s just one of those things you got to get back into it. You got to practice a little bit. He’s probably going to be mad I said that. (laughter) Help me out there, please. (laughter) When I say rust, I don’t say that in a bad way. I think Raekwon is working his way back. It’s important to him. We’re excited hopefully to get him back.”
(Are you solving all of the math problems?) – “The new math is killing me. (laughter)”
(All week we’ve hard guys talk about looking themselves in the mirror. I’m sure that stemmed from somewhere, some sort of leadership. I’m just curious what in your opinion that means? What does it mean to look yourself in the mirror at this point in the season, kind of a do or die in some ways?) – “I just think it is – are we doing everything, am I doing everything I can? Let’s just speak for me – am I doing everything I can, am I making the sacrifices I need to make to help this team the best way I can? I think that is something that some guys are asking themselves. I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I think oftentimes it’s good to – I wouldn’t say reevaluate, but to take a look at yourself and evaluate what you’re doing. Is there anything you can do better? I’m always doing that. Is there any way I can help this team, can I help this team, can I help a coach, can I help someone on the support staff do a little bit better? I think if we all do a little bit better, we’ll get better results. When you have a team of players, if all 53 do a little bit better, we’ll be better. I think that’s something that a lot of guys have thought about and we’re seeing a lot of that at practice. It’s one thing to talk about practice, it’s another to produce in a game. That’s really what we’re looking for.”
(I wanted to ask about QB Tom Brady, which I’m sure you know better than me, has an extensive record of attacking the new guy in the secondary unit or the replacement player. Is whoever is forced to play in this situation, for either CB Byron Jones or CB Xavien Howard, prepared for that mentality that know that Tom is pretty much going to come after him?) – “Yeah. He’s going to go after whoever – the best match up, coverage match up. Yeah, I think everyone knows. I think everyone in the whole league knows that if there is a guy that’s open, Tom is going to find them. And if there is a matchup he likes, he’s going to attack that matchup. I think we all know that. I don’t think it’s a one-on-one thing. I think it’s more of a – it could be a one-on-one thing. It could be a coverage situation where there is a weakness in a coverage. It could be a linebacker matchup, it could be a tight end/safety matchup, tight end/linebacker matchup. It could be the inside part of the field on Cover 2. It could be the seams in Cover 3. It could be a post route on Cover 4. Yeah, if he knows what it is and he sees it. I don’t know if it’s a one-on-one thing. More of just all of it. He does a great job. He’s done a great job for a long time. It’s definitely going to be a challenge for us. We’ve got to play well, we’ve got to communicate, we’ve got to tackle, we’ve got to set the edge. On those 50/50 balls, we’ve got to do a good job on those.”
Jerome Baker – October 7, 2021
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Thursday, October 7, 2021
LB Jerome Baker
(From a defensive standpoint, what do you feel most needs to improve? What have been the priority with you as a group with Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer and Head Coach Brian Flores this week?) – “Just execution. We have guys that are trying to do as much as they can to help us. Sometimes it’s just doing your job that’s all that matters. Just executing, doing your job and letting us play together and execute, and the defense will do what we’ve always done. I think that’s been the message, just do your job and everything will work out.”
(The last couple of weeks without DT Raekwon Davis in the lineup, what does he provide you guys upfront that makes you guys kind of a better defense?) – “I mean he’s a big, massive, strong guy. I think the one thing we don’t give him a lot of credit for is he brings a lot of energy to us. It’s not the energy of ‘let’s go hard,’ it’s the energy of you just want to be out there and play with him. He goes out there and he goes hard for us. He’s just a big, strong guy in the middle of our defense. It always helps when you have guys like that. I’m definitely happy to have him back.”
(Following DT Raekwon Davis on social media, all offseason he was lifting weights and really working hard. Did you feel sorry for him that he had to be out the last couple of weeks and excited for him to be back?) – “I wouldn’t say I feel sorry for him. We have this relationship where we talk a lot of stuff to each other. I was basically telling him – just cracking jokes the whole time. But at the end of the day, he knows I love to have him out there and I want him to be out here. I know he’s excited to get out there and do great things on Sunday.”
(How do you joke?) – “He thinks he’s big and bad and nobody can step to him. Sometimes it’s the fear that nobody really talks to him. Me, I don’t care. He’s still my rookie. (laughter)”
(Is he your little brother too? We heard DT Christian Wilkins say he’s little bro.) – “I wouldn’t call him little bro. He’s a little big for that. (laughter) But he definitely has that spirit of a younger brother. I’m not about to call him my little brother, he’s too big for that. (laughter)”
(As a linebacker do you notice the big difference if he’s in front of you, taking up blockers and just kind of freeing you up a lot?) – “Yeah, just the pure mass of him, he takes up essentially three people. It’s him, and two other guys that usually have to block him. You can tell it’s a big difference, a big guy down there. It’s hard to move him. Double teams are going to happen, but it’s different when it’s a double team and the guy is not moving. We definitely need that and we’re excited to have him back.”
(Your thoughts on how you’ve been playing this year? It’s hard to match your numbers last year. You were in rare company, 100 tackles, five sacks – there was only two linebackers to do that. Are you pleased with how it’s gone for you the first four games personally?) – “I’ve never been a guy to focus on my stats, really. I’m more of a guy that says our defense needs to improve. That’s been the message all around, that we need to improve, we need to play better. That’s been my thing, I need to play better, I need to do better. When I say that, it’s I want this team to be the best that we can be. That’s my mentality. I think we’re all not happy with where we are right now and Sunday is a great opportunity to go out there and show that we can play with the great teams in this league. I’m excited for Sunday, I’m ready to get out there. We’re going against a great challenge. It should definitely be a fun one.”
(Last year, you guys had this identical start. The sky was falling, from us of course. Then you guys turned it around. What was the key to turning it around?) – “I’m not going to say it was a key or that it was a certain thing that happened. I think it’s one of those things where we have guys that want to make the play, they want to make the interception, they want to make the tackle. But in this defense, that’s truly not what it is. It’s about doing your job. If that’s setting the edge, if that’s filling the block, if that’s taking on double-teams, whatever it is. If that’s knowing your leverage on a third down coverage, I think that’s the thing that we just need to focus on what our individual task is. It will work out for us. And that goes for pretty much the whole team – offense, defense and special teams. If we just do our job, the plays are going to come to us and the games will start going our way. I think that’s the main thing. That’s the sauce. It sounds simple, but that truly is the recipe for it.”
(Is there frustration at all in the room because you all are better than a defense that would be ranked in the 20s, which is where you are right now, in terms of yardage. Is there a feeling like we’re better than this and we need to start showing it?) – “Yeah, it’s definitely a feeling of we need to go out there and really show that we’re one of the top defenses and one of the top teams out there. We’ve definitely had talks. We’ve definitely had just individual talks with our position groups, us as a defense, us as a team. We kind of took that approach of we’ve got to look in the mirror and we’ve got to stop blaming other people or blaming other things. We’ve got to really look in the mirror and turn this thing around for us. It’s not coaches, it’s not fans, it’s not media out there playing with us. It’s us. The only people that can really fix it is us and that’s the approach we have, and Sunday is a great opportunity for that.”
(So when guys are not doing their job and maybe they’re kind of all over the place, what does it look like then? Is it missed assignments? Is it guys having free running lanes? What does it look like guys are..) – “No and when I say this, it’s not to be – none of the guys we have are intentionally messing up or intentionally just losing their mind. A lot of the guys we have, they know exactly what they have to do, but it’s those little things of your hand placement is wrong or your leverage is wrong or it could be something so simple, but in this defense, those little things really – if you just keep doing little things, little things, little things – it adds up to losing games and that’s essentially what we need to turn around.”
(Could it be that teams have figured out this defense and know what’s coming and know how to counter it now? Because previously it was new.) – “Could it be? I mean you could always play the ‘could it be’ game, but essentially this defense just history-wise, going back all the way to the Patriots, it’s been just a great defense. So it’s hard to just say ‘could it be?’ But I think we’re not going to sit back and say ‘it could be this, it could be that.’ It could be the players on the field just not getting it done. And that’s what us as a team, us as a defense, that’s what we say. We’re not about to say the scheme is wrong. We’re not about to say the coaches are wrong. We’re not about to say anything is wrong. At the end of the day, we’re the ones on the field, we’re the ones that have got to turn it around. I think it definitely starts with us.”
(You’ve played against QB Tom Brady a lot. What comes to mind when you think about playing him obviously in a different jersey?) – “Greatness. He’s the greatest quarterback to ever step on the field. It’s truly an honor to play against a guy like that. For me, I’m a competitor. I think my earlier years in this league, I was starstruck of ‘this is Tom Brady. This is the guy I played Madden with my whole life. This is the guy that I looked up to growing up.’ But now I’m in a spot of I want to beat this guy. I want to go out there and ruin his day for him. (laughter) All credit to him. He’s definitely great, but at the end of the day, he’s the guy I’m competing against so just the competitor in me, I want to win. I want to walk off that field and feel that happiness and have everyone talk about us. That feeling is – you just compete for that, just to defeat another guy. So Sunday when it comes, I’m going to give all the credit to him now and it’s Tom Brady and this and that, but at the end of the day, I want to win the game so that’s what it’s about.”
(Do you know that you guys have the – the Dolphins have the best win-loss record against Tom Brady?) – “Yeah, I think it was the Patriots-Tampa game last week. They showed it on TV and I watched it, so yeah I’m aware of it. (laughter)”
(So you would play with QB Tom Brady in Madden growing up? You would pick the Patriots?) – “Yeah. Well, I was more of a guy that I did the fantasy draft thng, (laughter) and Tom Brady was always either if not the No. 1 quarterback, he was No. 2. So that was kind of a safe bet, go with a good quarterback and he was always one of those great quarterbacks.”
(What was the cooler moment? The first time you played QB Tom Brady or the first time you played as yourself in Madden?) – “Oh, the cooler moment was when I played with myself. (laughter) I think it was even cooler when my little cousins – they send me videos and it’s me and they’re – my little cousins are jokesters so if I drop a pick or if I get ran over or something, they’ll send me the video. (laughter) Those are like the cool moments that you never really thought about and now that I’m older, I don’t even play Madden like I used to. But seeing them and them sending me videos and them talking stuff to me, it’s always fun. But the conversation always ends as ‘I’m in the game.’ It’s definitely fun.”
Eric Rowe – October 7, 2021
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Thursday, October 7, 2021
S Eric Rowe
(I know TE Rob Gronkowski told Jay Glazer that he’s got assorted things, ribs and other issues, so he doesn’t seem terribly likely to play Sunday. How would that change your responsibilities Sunday and the look of their offense?) – “For us, it changes nothing. You always have to prepare as if he was going to play or if he is going to play. If he isn’t, then you just adjust. Whether he plays or not, they still have two other great tight ends that are a big part of that offense that we need to stop.”
(Where is the pick-six ball from 2019 at?) – “(laughter) It’s at my house in Houston.”
(Do you got it framed up and stuff?) – “Yeah, I got it in my little mancave room. (laughter)”
(A couple years later, does that football still mean a lot to you?) – “Honestly, I don’t think about it during the season because of the grind of the season. I can’t think about stuff in the past. When I’m done playing, it’s always a good thing to look back at.”
(Have you and QB Tom Brady had any interaction since that day, that late December day, when you picked him in his last regular season home game there?) – “No.”
(I always enjoy players over the years talking about QB Tom Brady. It has been 20 years. But defenders have always said it’s a helpless feeling that no matter what you do, he knows the answer to and you’re subjected to it. As somebody who has played with him and now somebody who plays against him, is that how you see it?) – “I mean, yeah. He’s seen over two decades of defenses. He does and he’s very, very intelligent so if he sees one thing, he can make the quick decision on whatever read he needs to make. It’s just up to us to make it as hard as we can. He’ll figure it out eventually, but we don’t want to line up in it and have him make a quicker decision.”
(How much more difficult is covering QB Tom Brady with the three receivers he has – Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown – and backs and tight ends that can also catch the ball?) – “Yeah, I mean he has some weapons. All the receivers, tight ends and backs are all very talented skill players. They all obviously have a name for themselves in the league and they’re all proven. You add him (Tom Brady) to the equation and it makes it 1,000-times harder.”
(In 2019, you played WR Antonio Brown and QB Tom Brady together for their only game when AB was with the Patriots. What does AB do in that slot position that makes him so difficult to guard?) – “He’s just one of those kind of receivers. He has speed, quickness, hands, route-running ability, and it’s hard to anticipate what route he’s going to do. He’s very good at the top of the route. Obviously, him and Tom have a good connection and that’s all you need, a quarterback connection and you can make it happen.”
Albert Wilson – October 7, 2021
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Thursday, October 7, 2021
WR Albert Wilson
(What’s the story behind your shirt?) – “My foundation. Every child deserves a chance, every child deserves a home. Just giving children opportunity. It’s not their fault they’re in that situation. Just try to raise awareness for foster kids and try to put the word out there to have parents become foster parents if it’s something in their heart.”
(Have you considered that, becoming a foster parent?) – “Yeah. Me and my wife talk about it all the time. We are trying to find a way to make that life fit ours, or adoption. We are in between the two but we definitely want to be able up a home to a person that is unfortunate to not have their own.”
(Looking back on your wedding, I don’t really have a question, but y’all look like you had an amazing time at your wedding.) – “(laughter) For sure. It was great. It was a dream come true for the both of us and we are excited we were able to do it.”
(I know you and WR Jakeem Grant Sr. are really close. The high-five on that play always comes to mind. How is it losing a friend like Jakeem but still happy for the opportunity he has?) – “Ah, man. It’s tough but it’s part of the business. Guys come and go. Fortunately enough he gets another opportunity somewhere else. When I talked to him, I just told him to continue to do what he does. Every opportunity that comes, he’s got to make the best of it. Just happy he still can play the game.”
(Where are you in your return game? It’s been a minute, right?) – “Yeah, but it’s all opportunity. Once the ball gets in my hands, I know what to do with it. It’s all the same.”
(How do you assess your season? It’s been kind of all over the board. How do you assess it?) – “Just trying to get back in the swing of things. Just trying to be there when they need me. Trying to be available for the quarterback. It’s definitely not as I planned it coming back, but it’s a long season and we definitely got a lot of work to do. I think everybody on the team, including myself, is willing to put that work in.”
(Adam Gase maximized you for that first season, using you in different ways that were really effective. Have you and Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey and Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville talked about maybe expanding the way you’re used? Have you gone back to tape of that year just to maximize your abilities again?) – “We move a lot of guys around. I think a lot of guys, besides myself, can be in that role of moving around. That’s what makes our offense exciting. We are just trying to feel it out and get the job done. Whatever they ask me to do, I’m going to be willing to do it.”
(Did you have any interactions with QB Jacoby Brissett growing up in that same area?) – “Not really. Fort Pierce wasn’t too big on sports itself. My class was the first class to kind of get the juices going. Now, there’s like 7-on-7 team that goes and experiences the whole country. But back then, when I was playing, I didn’t really get outside of the city.”
(What is it like setting the tone for your area? I guess it wasn’t that big.) – “It was great. It’s a blessing. A lot of people look up to what I’m doing. I’m happy I can be a role model for them. I give back every chance I can and get a camp going. To see the kids that were at my first camp to being ranked in the nation and stuff like that and getting offers to colleges is a blessing. I‘m happy to do what I can for them.”
(Physically, how are you feeling?) – “Physically, great. Earlier, I had a little muscle issue but I finally knocked that. I finally got my legs back under me so I feel really good.”
(Where you healthy in Las Vegas? Did being inactive catch you off guard?) – “That’s all a coach’s decision. Like I said, whatever they’re willing to do, I’m just here trying to help the team win. If that’s what they feel, that’s what I’m going with.”
Durham Smythe – October 7, 2021
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Thursday, October 7, 2021
TE Durham Smythe
(While not giving away any strategy, obviously, what has been the message from Co-Offensive Coordinator/TEs George Godsey and Co-Offensive Coordinator/RBs Eric Studesville this week about what needs to change primarily?) – “I think above everything else, it’s just being consistent. You can pick and choose things that you want to see improved as an offense overall, whether it’s more big plays, things like that or running the ball better. But you have to put yourself in a position to do that so if you’re not successful on first and second down, everyone knows you are going to throw the ball down the field on third-and-13 or something like that. I think it’s about putting yourself in better positions to be able to do these things. A lot of those things, whether it’s running the ball more efficiently or more chunk plays, they’ll come.”
(You were on this team last year that started 1-3. It’s a similar situation and you turned things around a little bit. Do you draw from that? I know you guys speak one week at a time but can you draw from that, that you’ve been here before and turned a season around?) – “Yeah, I think so, to a degree. Every year the team is new and it’s a different team. At the same time, I think last year, what happened was we were doing the same things but things started to click. Once they did, we went on a little bit of a run and being on a team that did something like that, we know it’s possible. It comes back to what I said originally, if we can be more on top of things and more consistent, things will start to click and hopefully we can go on a little bit of a run.”
(I think the Buccaneers are ranked first in the NFL, and I know it’s early, but they’re obviously good at run defense. What do you think makes them good at run defense?) – “It’s a combination of a lot of things. The personnel they have are pretty incredible. It’s one of the better front sevens in the NFL, if not the best, in terms of just actual players, and then (Todd) Bowles does a lot of things. He’s multiple with the fronts, with the pressures, with the coverages. When you combine those two things, it makes a lot of sense that they’re difficult to run the ball on and just an overall good defense.”
(You’ve known Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey for a couple years now. How has he taken on this new responsibility that he has with the team? How have you seen him react to it and take the challenge head-on?) – “He’s always tried to put himself in a position of, not leadership but being knowledgeable about the entire process on offense, dating back to three years ago when he was just the tight ends coach. In terms of that, nothing much has changed. It’s kind of like a guy that’s a backup for us right now, he prepares every week as the starter. He’s kind of done that same, or at least in a similar fashion as a coach. Not much has changed on that front. He’s going to continue to be the guy that he is and hopefully we can get things clicking here.”
(Is there any ability that the players have under this unique co-coordinators system – aside from quarterbacks, but players of your position, running backs and receivers – to suggest plays or things for the gameplan? Is that something that is an option for players this year that wasn’t? Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville is saying that all the coaches contribute to the gameplan with multiple coordinators. Can players do that?) – “Well, I guess the simple answer is no, other than the quarterbacks. But at the same time, if you see something and you relay that, it’s not like they’re going to immediately shoot it down. If you came with a whiteboard and drew up a play and you’re like, ‘We need to run this,’ you’re probably not going to get that immediately. But if you see a tendency or something like that and you see a matchup of whatever it maybe, they definitely will take that into consideration, especially if you relay it to a quarterback. Obviously they’re in the room when they’re making those calls.”
(Could there be a case to be made – and I know it’s not your decision – to play up-tempo more? Obviously you’ve had success late in games doing that, albeit against looser defenses when you’ve been trailing the last two weeks. Could a case be made to play up-tempo more early?) – “There’s a lot of moving parts with that and you hit it on the head. We’ve been efficient when we’ve done that in the last few weeks but at the same time, you’re right, it’s at the end of the game when they’re playing off-Cover 4 and things like that where it’s a looser zone. At the same time, we have been efficient. In years past, we have worked in going up-tempo then slowing it down. Obviously it’s not my call and we have been efficient when we’ve done it. I think that’s just something that we will use here and there, like we kind of have the last two years and we will see how that goes.”
Jevon Holland – October 7, 2021
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Thursday, October 7, 2021
S Jevon Holland
(How would you assess how the first four games for you have gone in your first NFL season? Are you happy with where you’re at progress-wise?) – “Yeah, it’s exciting. I didn’t really have an image of how the first quarter of the season was going to go. I was just going to go out there and try to support the team as much as possible. I feel like I’m doing that. I feel like I’m getting better. The more experience, the better things get. I’m looking forward to the next game.”
(In terms of making all of the calls, if you’re out there and have to do that, are you totally comfortable with that aspect of an NFL playbook in terms of making calls as a safety would?) – “Yeah.”
(What has surprised you about basic NFL offenses compared to when you were at Oregon facing college offenses?) – “I think NFL offenses, the aspect of them going to the sideline and changing the plays and then coming back and attacking our defenses, I think that’s – I like football, so it fascinates me that they’re able to make in-game adjustments just like that. And then us too, making in-game adjustments. I think that part for me is really exciting.”
(Does it require more of you maybe during the week in terms of film study and just kind of being more mentally prepared for whatever game plan might be thrown your way?) – “Yeah, definitely. I felt challenged to really hone-in on film study, paying attention. I talked to somebody a long time ago about Bobby Wagner and how he is always in the film room, always paying attention, always looking at the little details. I try to do that as much as possible to try to get the advantage.”
(I was just curious, how much film study did you personally do or did you do at Oregon? I’ve talked to some former college players when they come to the NFL as rookies and they’re like ‘we didn’t really do too much. We just kind of came for game week and we had a gameplan and we tried to practice and whatnot.’ But how much film study did you do?) – “We did a lot of film study. Coach Keith Heyward, he’s at Cal now but he was my safeties coach (at Oregon) and (Mario) Cristobal. They were great on really making sure that we knew what we wanted to do, knew the gameplan and things like that. Everybody had iPads. We could watch game film at home. I lived with two other safeties and a running back, so we always did like film study together – both sides of the ball.”
(LB Jaelan Phillips made an interesting point earlier in the week. He said I’m 22 years old and QB Tom Brady has played in the NFL for 22 years. It kind of put things in perspective. Do you have any memories or recollections as a youngster sort of watching him?) – “I’m 21 so he’s been in the league for as long as I’ve been born. (laughter) Since I’ve been watching football, Tom Brady has been the top quarterback in the league, so to be able to go out there on the field and play against him I think is pretty dope. But yeah, trying to game plan and whatnot, he’s Tom Brady. I’m excited.”
(QB Tom Brady is obviously 44 or so years old. What stands out to you about what makes him special?) – “I’m not going to get into any detail of anything like that but just know that when I’m watching the film, I’m just like there’s a reason why he’s the No. 1 quarterback for the whole gist or the whole board. He covers all of the boxes.”
(You really perked up just talking about that. Would a pass deflection or an interception against QB Tom Brady, they would have a little bit more special meaning, I would assume, for you?) – “I feel like in the league, getting an interception anywhere would be lovely. But Tom Brady is like the greatest quarterback of all-time. (laughter) It’s going to be fun. I’m excited, definitely.”
(Have you talked to your teammates about what it’s like going up against him and what to expect for? What are some of the things that they’ve said to you?) – “Yeah, he’s going to demand the best out of us. We’ve got to go out there and play our best game and support each other and stay on top of things. That’s really what it’s going to come down to.”
(I know the snap totals can vary from week to week based on opponent matchup and packages and things like that. What have the coaches said to you relative to last week you not getting too many defensive snaps?) – “Nothing. You just go out there and play. When I get the chance, I’m going to go out there and support my team. That’s basically what it comes down to. Snap count or not, I’m not really tripping. I’m just here to help the Dolphins.”
(You mentioned your coach at Oregon – who has Miami roots, Mario Cristobal – the best qualities of him as a coach were what?) – “His passion for each player. I really think that he truly cares about each player and wants us to uphold the culture that he’s established, which ultimately makes us better men, not just football players. I think that’s one of his best qualities.”
(You said you lived with [two] safeties and a running back at Oregon. Did you learn much about the other side of the ball living with the running back?) – “So I’ll tell you the names. I lived with Verone McKinley III, who is one of my best friends. Steve Stephens, also one of my best friends. And then KJ Maduike. So KJ played running back. I didn’t really try to go into the Oregon offensive scheme but he did tell me like ‘this is block protection’ or things like that, that I didn’t know. So he helped me out with that.”
(Do you think that impacts how you play your position? Does understanding what the offense is trying to do help?) – “Yeah, for sure. And vice versa, too. If you know the other side, then you can kind of predict what they’re going to do and things like that. But you still have to be able to read your keys and react.”
Austin Jackson – October 7, 2021
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Thursday, October 7, 2021
T Austin Jackson
(How do you think last week went?) – “We didn’t win so it was not good. Pretty much at the end of the day, there’s no glory points to take away from not winning. That’s what we get up and do all that we do for. We put in 12 hour days so at the end of the day if we don’t win, it doesn’t really matter.”
(Obviously specifically to your play, how do you think it went?) – “I did some good things. There’s definitely some things I could do better at. As a unit, too, we definitely did some good things and definitely did some things we could be better at. But if you don’t win, it’s different.”
(When you see plays that maybe don’t go your way in games, are there things that you kind of key up on or are there things that you kind of see for the future that you know maybe you can keep an eye out for this or can keep it in your notepad for next time? Things that can help you improve?) – “Definitely. I’m on my second notebook this year already. I take notes. It’s something I’ve been working at since I was 12 years old and it’s not going to stop. I figure if I’m here it’s because it’s never going to stop for me. The only way is up. I think that along with my position group, we’re all kind of the same type of ‘we’re going to get it right’ guys. The only thing we know is to work harder when we get into situations like this. And work smarter.”
(What’s the note-taking process like that?) – “It’s a lot of different things. You have scouting. You have to scout the defense. You have to see who your nickels are, who your Stars are, what safeties they like to rotate down and out. They’ve got some guys that like to come in in sub packages to play different rush positions, whereas in normal base downs, they’d be coverage guys. That’s one part. Then also, you have your technique that you work with you coaches and stuff like that. You take that from them. Then you have your assignments, which you get from coaches too, which you need to handle.”
(How do you prevent the start that you’ve had as a player and then as a unit from chipping away at your confidence?) – “I don’t get the question. Can you explain it for me?”
(Confidence-wise, where are you?) – “I’m very confident. I’m very confident in myself and in my team. It’s the National Football League. Obviously we come in here and we work every day and we want to win. There’s no excuse for not winning at the end of the day. But confidence wise, every person we play put their pants on the same way we do. We know that we can fix things and we can be better. We’ve won games before. We obviously know there’s stuff that needs to be done and we’re doing it – like the process of doing it. Yeah, I think our confidence is good.”
(With this team, you guys started out with the identical 1-3 start last season and then turned it around. What, in your mind, was the key to turning it around?) – “Last year was a long time ago. A big thing for us turning it around, really I think we just kind of settled down a little bit. We became a little more focus-oriented on the little things and what we do. You’ve got 11 people on the field trying to get one goal. But if all 11 pieces aren’t lined up how they should be, it makes it harder. So I think just as a unit, we come together. Then also individually, we all focus more. I think that’s what is going to be the focus to some Ws.”
(In pass protection, has Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre made any change from how Steve Marshall taught you? Have you made any technical adjustments in pass protection?) – “Yeah, there’s some different stuff there.”
(Is it an adjustment at all?) – “An adjustment how? Like obviously when you have to do something different, it’s always an adjustment. So yeah, it was an adjustment just because they’re two different coaches.”
(I guess some people wonder with all of the turnover of offensive line coaches here, does that impact the players much in terms of at your position, it seems significant in terms of having to learn a technique with a new coach once. I know you wouldn’t make excuses or would not blame that for anything, but is that a reasonable explanation for perhaps anyone’s struggles on the offensive line? One of several factors.) – “I don’t think they pay me to answer that question at all. (laughter) So I don’t think I can. But I do know as a player, one thing I can do is focus on what I do. No matter what’s being told, it’s like you’ve got a job and you’ve got to do it. That’s like a ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) or Chris Grier question. (laughter)”
(On your run blocking, we saw the great block on the RB Malcolm Brown TD run a couple of weeks ago. Are you happy with that part of your game, your run blocking?) – “Oh, yeah. Run blocking is fun. I think going back to college, we would just line it up and hit all practice – in high school. It was fun. I think kind of making the adjustment to an NFL offensive tackle is – when you play 10-year professionals, you’ve got to get your professional technique up. That’s something I have fun doing and getting better at every day. Run blocking is fun.”
(I wanted to ask you about RPOs. Is RPO run blocking a lot different than regular run blocking from the standpoint that in RPO run blocking, you can’t really be super aggressive. You have to be basically one yard downfield. You can’t just tee off on somebody.) – “Yeah, it’s a little tricky. It’s a little tricky. If you remember, I had a down-the-field call a couple of games back on an RPO. It’s definitely – I don’t want to say more passive. You just have to be smarter about it. You have to try to sustain your blocks long enough to give the quarterback time. If he needs to throw the ball, you’ve got to make sure he has enough time to throw it without being downfield. Versus if it’s a run, you’ve got to take care of the down linemen first before you get to the second level because if you’re in the second level too soon, that’s when penalties start coming out and stuff like that.”
(How do you know it’s a run play if it’s happening behind you in those situations?) – “It’s hard. You’ve got to be on your toes. With a lot of offensive line play, you’ve got to be on your toes. You’ve got to think fast. But that’s what we practice for. We practice, we study, the coaches are available. There’s always an adjustment or something you can do.”
(There’s a lot of versatile guys on this line. You’ve been pretty steady as the left tackle since you’ve been here. Do you feel you also have versatility at different positions if ever called upon?) – “Oh, yeah. I definitely think I could play anywhere. I think I could play guard, center, tackle. I love to play football. Offensive line play is something I’ve been around for a long time. If you ask any receiver if they could move around, I’m sure they all could. I think offensive linemen are the same way. Any offensive linemen – you’ve got short tackles, you’ve got tall tackles, you’ve got short guards, you’ve got tall guards. Anybody can move around. It’s about the mental.”
(Center, too?) – “Center too. Mental. There’s a lot of centers that can move out to tackle though, too. Michael Deiter did his freshman year. I know you guys remember that. I remember seeing that and it was crazy. (laughter)”
(Did he tell you that?) – “I watch a lot of film so I remember going back and I was like ‘Whoa!’ I didn’t expect that.”
(Overall, when the offensive linemen gather in their room, what is the general feeling for the level of performance you’ve put up so far and the level of performance that you’re capable of moving forward?) – “Overall, like I said earlier, when we’re not winning, we’re not accomplishing our goal. So I think first and foremost, we’re not accomplishing our goal and instead of getting into the finger-pointing game that a lot of people can get into, it’s more so there’s obviously things we can do better to help our team out and help everybody out. That’s pretty much the vibe, I would say. I know for me personally, there’s some plays I wish I could take back and do way differently now but it’s in the past now. The best thing I can do is just not make the same mistake again.”
(Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre was having a conversation with a reporter and he talked about the difference between a question and the test. He was explaining how just because you get one question wrong doesn’t mean the whole test has to be a failure. I don’t know if he’s spoken to you about that philosophy. I was thinking about how when I was in class, I didn’t know which ones I got wrong until the test was over. How do you process knowing that you might have gotten a question wrong and there’s still like three quarters to play?) – “Especially in the NFL, you can’t let one bad thing spiral into something else. If you mess up on a play, you can’t (go) ‘Oh, I messed up on that last play and now I’m going to go out here and be scared to do anything else.’ You kind of just have to learn from it quickly without putting a bunch of blame on yourself to restrict you from doing better on the next play. About the question and test thing, yeah just because you fail one question doesn’t mean you fail the test. But I know for me personally, I don’t want to get anything wrong on the test. That’s where we’re at with that.”
Christian Wilkins – October 6, 2021
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Wednesday, October 6, 2021
DT Christian Wilkins
(We didn’t want to ask you last week – can we ask you now? Brady vs. Belichick?) – “That doesn’t have nothing to do with me, so I’ll just leave that one alone. (laughter)”
(Not that you’re a doctor, but I know Head Coach Brian Flores is saying we’re hopeful with DT Raekwon Davis this week, we’ll see how practice goes. How did he look today lining up with you, if you could?) – “Again yeah, I’m no expert. I’m no doctor or anything like that. I’ll leave all that up to coaches and whoever makes those decisions. But it’s always good to have Raekwon (Davis). That’s my little brother. I like to pick on him. I like to put him in headlocks and stuff and make fun of him. He makes practice a lot more fun.”
(You pick on Raekwon?) – “Yeah. (laughter) He’s the little brother. I don’t care what he says. He’s the little brother. I’ll put him in his place, put him in a headlock, all that good stuff.”
(How does that usually end when he’s in the headlock?) – “Oh, you can ask him, but he knows I’m winning that matchup every time. It’s just the big brother effect. (laughter)”
(In years past, Cam Wake used to always say if you want to get to QB Tom Brady, make him uncomfortable in the pocket. Whether you’ve watched games or what you’ve seen on film, is there still a way to make him uncomfortable because he has a couple steps and he has a quick release?) – “Yeah, I definitely feel like that’s an accurate statement, but it’s definitely difficult. You see watching the tape, you see why many consider Tom Brady to be the GOAT. There’s just so many things he does throughout the course of the game that are just different than what a lot of people do, but we’re excited for the challenge. This is a game you tell your grandkids about. Not necessarily a game, but playing someone of Tom Brady’s stature and things like that. Well shoot, at this rate, he might play my grandkids. (laughter) But yeah, he’s definitely a special talent and we’re excited for the matchup.”
(If I could follow up, have you personally seen any of QB Tom Brady slowing down at all?) – “It’s interesting because you definitely hear sometimes like people are like, ‘oh he’s slowing down.’ People have been saying he’s slowing down for five years, but I don’t really see it much. He just keeps winning and keeps doing great things and he’s continued to be the player he’s always been.”
(Going back to the last three games, is there anything in particular that you have seen on video that’s sort of a common denominator as to why you guys haven’t been able to get a win?) – “It’s just doing the little things consistently right. That’s one thing I’ve learned in my time in my NFL, is just consistency. If you want to be good at anything, it’s just being consistent. So I’m not saying that we haven’t been doing good things. It’s just doing them always and being consistent, like I said, so making those plays, just doing all the little things right.”
(Speaking to Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer yesterday about how you’ve had success this year getting into the backfield and one of the things he talked about was hand placement, which maybe you can help me teach me a little bit about hand placement and what the key factors are and how it can actually dramatically impact whether a play for you is successful or unsuccessful?) – “You want to come up here and I’ll show you? (laughter) Nah, I’m just teasing. But no, that’s something I definitely try to work on and I’ve noticed that’s been something I can improve on – the coaches as well – so that’s just something I honed in on in the offseason. The coaches hit on that. Not just me, but all the d-linemen. It’s all about hand placements and getting your hands on them and putting them in the right spots so then you can take care of just the fundamentals and techniques and things like that, so that’s something I just try to work on every day and just focus on that. That’s definitely one of the areas of improvement.”
(The other point that Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer made was that he believes you’ve been very committed to film study. How has the way you study film changed, if at all, since you entered the league?) – ”It’s just a combination of things really. Yes, film study, but just confidence, understanding the scheme – where you can take your chances, where you can’t. It’s a multitude of things. But yeah, like understanding things more – again, more confidence. And sometimes things just slow down or it just feels different, so that definitely does help.”
(What’s the best piece of advice you could give your rookie self if you did that now?) – “It would definitely be something that just John Jenkins says all the time, is just ‘stick to the process and enjoy the process.’ He’s been around for a while and that’s always what he says and that’s something that always resonates with me and I just hear like yeah, the dog days, the good days, the bad days – just enjoy it. We’re playing this game and it’s work to us, but it’s still a game at the end of the day, so just enjoy it all, take it all in and just enjoy it.”
(Did it seem a little more tedious when you were a rookie when the tougher times came?) – “Again, I have perspective now and things like that so again, my mindset is different, so I can always still enjoy it more it now in a sense because I was just a wet-behind-the-ears rookie. But now I’m definitely more experienced and like I said, I can enjoy the process more.”
(You mentioned taking chances. What are some of the factors that you’re constantly considering when making that choice?) – “It’s just really what you see on film, what you see in practice and then just having confidence in yourself to just go do it. Like when you’re going to take a chance, when you’re going to take a shot, don’t just halfway pull the trigger. Like shoot the shot and hopefully good things happen.”
(In what ways are you guys emphasizing and really how do you emphasize not beating yourself this week? How can you implement that more so than you had been in the past?) – “Yeah, it’s definitely something we talk about and we have just a bunch of different drills and just situational things that we emphasize during practice just like ‘all right, this is an opportunity where this is the situation.’ Like let’s be locked in, let’s focus in on it. Let’s not beat ourselves. This is where this is winning football. This is the time to make a play. This is the time to lock in a little bit more. Not that you’re not locked in the whole game, but this is the time to go the extra mile. So just things like that and it’s really a mindset that we’ve got to create.”
