Brian Flores – October 22, 2021
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Friday, October 22, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(It was reported today that Quarterbacks Coach Charlie Frye actually called the plays in the first four games. I know that you’re going to say that we’ve talked about this before but I just want to make sure we get the bottom line on what exactly his role was. We know now that Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey is giving the plays to the quarterback. You’ve previously said that Charlie gets the call and gives it to the quarterback in the initial system. My question is please clarify for us, was Charlie Frye the primary final-say play-caller in the first four games?) – “I understand the question. Our focus is on Atlanta right now. We’ve kind of talked at length about the situation. It’s always been a collaborative effort. It was that earlier in the year. It’s that now. We talked about the process early in the year. That changed to what the process is now. We’ll kind of leave it at that and just kind of move forward. Our focus is on Atlanta and today’s practice, and preparation for that. Really, we’re just looking forward. It’s always been a collaborative effort. It always will be a collaborative effort. We’ll leave it at that.”
(I know that you’re saying that your focus on Atlanta but just the other elephant in the room. There are reports out of Houston that trade talks between you guys and the Texans for Deshaun Watson have started again or have continued this week. Is there any truth to that or is there anything you can comment about that?) – “I don’t really get into rumors. Tua is our quarterback. We’re happy with our quarterback situation and I’ll leave it at that, which I’ve said multiple times.”
(With this situation, a head coach’s job and responsibility is to minimize distractions. Obviously this thing has lingered for quite a while. Considering the team is on a five-game losing streak, aren’t you concerned about the distraction that this could potentially cause? Not just for this Sunday, but for next Sunday before the trade deadline?) – “I really don’t see it as a distraction. I think our players are kind of blocking out all the stuff that’s gone on outside of our building. That’s what I’ve seen here in the building and meetings and practice. And yeah, I think our focus is on Atlanta and that’s really where our focus should be.”
(Specific to QB Tua Tagovailoa what are you doing, what are your coaches doing, what is the staff doing to try to ensure that the reports about continued trade discussions do not negatively impact his psyche?) – “I think his preparation, the way he practices and the way he performs has been good. I thought he played very well last week. I thought he was out for a few games and he came back and played I thought very well last week. I think his psyche is in a good place. He’s a confident kid. He’s a tough kid. And really, he’s played in two games this year so he should have a lot of confidence in the way he’s played. We have a lot of confidence in him because of the way he’s played and we just – our focus is on Atlanta and trying for him to play well again and our team to play well again.”
(Do you talk to guys often about what to do with noise? When you’re winning, Nick Saban calls it rat poison. When you’re losing, everybody on social media has got an opinion on everything and you can’t fully insulate players from that obviously. Do you issue periodic reminders, read the stuff, don’t read the stuff, don’t believe the stuff, focus on what’s within these walls or is it just assumed by now that that’s what a player is supposed to do?) – “I think it’s assumed. I think it’s not just our team. It’s the world really. I think there’s always someone writing about something – positive, negative, opinions, positive opinions, negative opinions. I think our players understand that. That’s part of being a professional athlete, a coach in college or these professional leagues, whatever sport – basketball, hockey, baseball. That kind of comes with the territory. I think we all understand that, but our focus is on the task right in front of you. So today’s practice, today’s walkthrough, today’s preparation, in preparation for this weekend’s game. That’s where our guys are. I think they’ve done a good job of that. It’s a resilient group. I pretty much say that every day and I really believe that. I think their minds are in the right place.”
(What kind of sense do you feel you have about where QB Tua Tagovailoa’s career is headed after his resume to this point, which is 12 pro starts?) – “I think he’s developing. I think this kid is smart. I think he’s tough. I think he’s talented. I think he’s accurate. I think he definitely has an opportunity to be a very good player. But there’s a lot that goes into that. A lot of work from him, a lot of work from us. It doesn’t just happen overnight. He knows that. We know that. There’s always bumps in the road for anyone in any career or any profession. I’m sure you’ve had your own bumps in the road. And you have to work through those, work through that adversity and you become better for it. He’s already dealt with adversity with the hip (injury). He’s overcome it and I think he definitely has a chance to be a very good NFL player.”
(Are the five guys who missed the game Sunday because of injuries on track to at least have a chance to play this Sunday?) – “They’ve got a chance, yeah. They’ve got a chance – Byron (Jones), ‘X’ (Xavien Howard), (Adam) Shaheen, Preston (Williams) and DeVante (Parker). All five have a chance. Today’s practice is going to give us a lot on those guys. But they’re all doing everything they can do to get back as quickly as possible and hopefully they do well today. We’ve still got a couple of days before the game.”
(We talked a lot about this Wednesday. It’s obviously an unusual week with the schedule and with the travel. Are things where you’d hope they would be in terms of things you have to check off the list this week?) – “I think so. I thought it was a good practice yesterday. There was good energy. Guys moved around well. I think we’re back into a normal week routine. I woke up this morning and told my wife I was landing in London a week ago. It was 10 o’clock there or 9:30 there. It’s good to be home and in a normal routine.”
(You’re obviously working in practice as you say every day but talking about social media about the status of the team with this losing streak, what are your conversations like with the guys? Obviously with the talk of trading for a quarterback, how are your talks with the guys? Not about the football side, but about the mental side and the mental strength that maybe this team has been lacking in those games they lost?) – “Those conversations, I wouldn’t say there is a lot of them. Our guys are pretty focused on what’s in front of us. I know it’s nearly impossible to not read whatever is on social media, but I think they do a good job of ignoring most of the stuff outside of our building and listening to what our coaches is saying and trying to communicate with one another. I think it’s a mentally tough team. I think they’re sticking together. I think they are mentally tough. We’re just rearing for another opportunity to get out there and play against a tough team and try to turn it around.”
(What are some of the ways you feel that you, General Manager Chris Grier, and the entire organization have supported QB Tua Tagovailoa since he became a Dolphin?) – “I think it’s no different than we support any other player that we bring in. We try to get to know him, try to find out the best ways to teach, try to figure out strengths, weaknesses and build on the strengths and build on the weaknesses as well. I think we try to support every player and Tua is no different from that standpoint. To me, that’s what coaching is about. It’s about trying to help each player become the best version of themselves. That’s on the field, that’s off the field. I think all of that is a part of being the best possible player, possible coach, whatever it is that you can be. There is a lot that goes into that. I don’t think it’s just one technique, one fundamental, a play call. I think there is a lot that goes into that, supporting each individual player. I think that’s the job is to do everything we can possibly do to help each player reach their optimal level. I think we do that for every player and Tua no different.”
(The Falcons are the only offense in the NFL to run 50 plays out of four personnel groupings. How does that versatility and the way they can challenge your sub packages, what kind of challenges does that present to you guys on Sunday?) – “They are very versatile. They have a lot of different groupings and they do a good job in each one of those groupings. They create matchups or try to create matchups or mismatches. They are balanced. They do a nice job really across the board offensively, defensively and in the kicking game.”
(In regards to the defense in general – and I know you’re involved – have you made it a point or do you care to say that you have or have not made it a point to be even more involved in the defensive planning, strategy, all of that stuff this week?) – “I’m always involved. I’m always involved really across the board. With thoughts in the kicking game, thoughts offensively, thoughts defensively. Matchups I think we can try to take advantage of. Matchups I think we may need to help a guy, whatever phase it is. I try to stay involved in all three phases.”
(I wanted to ask you about S Eric Rowe. I think that Eric had a pretty decent season last year with a couple exceptions against some very good tight ends. This year he’s been in a platoon situation. Where is he from a confidence standpoint and a getting the job done assignment-wise standpoint?) – “I think his confidence is high, as it should be. He’s a good player. Every week is a little bit different as far as matchups, as far as how we are going to attack defensively. We’ve got a good group of safeties. We’ve got some young players there, some veteran players, got some guys who do a few different things well. Trying to get them all in has turned the whole thing into basically a matchup/grouping. You’re in these two or three groupings, and you guys are in these two or three groupings. Specific to Eric, I think he’s a good player. He’s done a lot of good things in this league and we’re going to need him.”
(You have so many safeties coming in and out of the game. I know you are a package-based team. That’s universal for everybody. But with the safeties, they are solely responsible for the back-end communication in the secondary. How much does that put a strain on that? Considering you have not played to the level you guys have played last year.) – “Well, I think communication is always critical regardless of who is in there. I think you have to have that communication and that’s always at the forefront for safeties, linebackers. But more often than not in those packages, there is always at least one guy who is in the majority of the time. That may be by game or – really more often or not, it’s by game. Whether it’s always (Jason) McCourty in there or it’s always (Jevon) Holland in there. There is always one particular guy – unless there is an injury – that’s in there and kind of handling the majority of that communication. We try to keep that the same and that will always be the case. But between that person, Jerome Baker who is in the game most of the time, we need to do a better job of our communication. But yeah, it’s definitely a priority.”
Jaylen Waddle – October 21, 2021
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Thursday, October 21, 2021
WR Jaylen Waddle
(You know QB Tua Tagovailoa better than a lot of these guys because you go back with him. It’s kind of hard for most of us, definitely us, to ignore the Houston QB Deshaun Watson talk. How much of that is a distraction to this team and how much of that do you see impacting Tua?) – “Honestly not really. I think the days here go by just regular. Everybody is just focused on the game, to be honest. Not rumors of some sort. I think everybody is just focused on playing the game and winning.”
(Two of your three touchdown catches this year came on those flat routes where you found the front pylon of the end zone. I was just curious of your process, when you catch the ball with your back turned to the defense, what’s your goal there? Try to find that pylon? It seems difficult but you seem very good at doing it.) – “Just getting there, really and truly. That’s all I be thinking about is just making sure I’m getting there and ball security, of course. Just a few things, making sure I come up with the ball honestly.”
(Do you have a sense of where the defender is when you make that catch because you are kind of blind to him or do you feel it?) – “Yeah, I’ve got a good idea of where they are just based on the coverage and where the ball is placed. I think a lot goes into it, just where the ball is at and where I catch it at.”
(Did you imagine your first year you were going to start with the record that the Dolphins have now? And how do you change the page to move forward in the season?) – “You know there is going to be adversity, of course, just coming into it. I think we are a young team. I think we are talented team. Just going about it every week, just trying to get better and just focus on the next game and try to get better every week and every day.”
(You didn’t lose five games total during your time at Alabama. How has that been to adjust from not winning all the time like you’re used to?) – “Honestly, I just go about it as it is a new challenge every day. Same thing as winning. Weeks just go by and I’m just trying to get better and help the team out for us to be successful on Sunday.”
(What are you learning about NFL defenses and the different ways that they try to cover you, and in particular, limit your ability to make downfield plays? What have you noticed about the NFL schemes?) – “I think everybody just stays true to their zones and know exactly where their help is and things like that. There’s not going to be a lot of mental errors in the NFL, but you should know that going into it. Everyone knows their job and where the help is and things like that.”
(I know you’re probably still faster than almost everyone else on the field, but have you noticed that the gap is not quite as big as maybe it was at times in college?) – “Yeah, I think everyone is just fast, the game. Everyone is here for a reason and everyone is a really good player.”
Emmanuel Ogbah – October 21, 2021
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Thursday, October 21, 2021
DE Emmanuel Ogbah
(We saw you had pretty good joint practices when the Falcons were here a few weeks back. How can that kind of benefit you seeing these guys on the game day field?) – “They’re a different team. They improve every week. They do a lot of good things and we’ve just got to do a good job stopping the run, rushing the passer well this week. We’re definitely going to use some film during joint practices, but they’re a different team now so we’ll see.”
(I’m assuming – I guess I’ll bring it up – we saw that there was a Twitter exchange that was sent to you and you posted it and it became public and the student was reprimanded or is in the process of being reprimanded. One, how did that tweet impact you and two, when you shared it with the world, what did you hope would be the end result?) – “When I first saw the DM – it was actually on Instagram – when I saw the DM, it was definitely after a tough loss and seeing that pissed me off. It’s not the first time I’ve gotten messages like that, but I just wanted to show the world that you can’t do that. We’re all human. You can’t come at a person like that, especially I know you can’t come to my face like that, so I just wanted to show the world you can’t do that and then I realized I didn’t want it to be a distraction for this team, so that’s the only reason why I deleted the tweet. I just wanted to show those keyboard warriors, you can’t really do that. We’re still humans at the end of the day.”
(Do you think we’re making progress or regressing in that direction as a society?) – “I don’t know what to say about that. I know I strive to be a better human every day and I just hope the world strives to be better as a society because we’re all the same. We all bleed the same, we’re just different colors. That’s all.”
(Do you think social media platforms should do more because we’ve seen not only in American football but in football – for example, Premier League players have been receiving a lot of abuse online also. Do you think social media platforms need to do more?) – “I think we just need to stand together as one. If you see your friend or somebody you know doing that, say something. Don’t just ignore it just because that’s your buddy or your family member. Just say something about it because it affects everybody.”
(From a defensive standpoint, obviously you’re one of the veteran players on this team and you were one of the top players last year. What do you guys say to kind of stop the bleeding and get this thing headed in the right direction?) – “I mean we’re almost right there. We’re almost right there. We’ve just got to keep pushing and we’re going to turn it around. I know it’s going to take some work, but we’re going to do the best we can to turn this thing around because if you watch the games, we’re always in there. We’re almost winning games, but we just need that something just to get us there.”
(Did you feel that the effort that you guys put making Jacksonville go backwards, was that moment that was going to turn it for you guys?) – “I mean it’s a football game. It’s a matter of inches. We thought we did something and they came out and kicked a 54-yarder, so who would have known. But like I said, we’ve got to keep fighting every week. Can’t give up. I love the fight of this team.”
(There was a lot of talk before the season about how you’ve got to start fast, you’ve got to start fast, and how you’ve kind of learned your lesson from last year and how the slow start costs you in the end. Where do you think you are six games into the season? At what point does it become like almost too late to turn things around? Where’s the sense of urgency?) – “I mean we’ve still got 11 games left so it’s not too late. We can still turn this thing around. Like I said, come to practice every day ready to work. Just got to push each other at practice. You’ve got to be better every day. You’ve got to go watch extra film. Just got to be the best you can be for yourself to just help the team win.”
(Some people maybe in this room even operate better under a deadline or their back against the ball. At 1-5, it seems like y’all’s back is against the wall. Do you think you’re the type of team that can wake up in that circumstance?) – “Yes. All we can do is fight forward now. We’ve already got our backs against the wall so all we can do is move forward.”
Nik Needham – October 21, 2021
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Thursday, October 21, 2021
CB Nik Needham
(How beneficial – obviously we’ve seen CB Byron Jones and CB Xavien Howard back at practice the past two days. How beneficial would it be to get them back especially against a skilled group of receivers on like Falcons TE Kyle Pitts and Falcons WR Calvin Ridley on the other side?) – “It would be great because ‘X’ and Byron are some of the best in the league at what they do. To have that presence and veteran presence back out there would be great. Definitely this week. Like you said, they have some explosive receivers. Just to handle them, that will be good.”
(The way that they move Falcons TE Kyle Pitts around, do you think there’s any chance that you might have to matchup on him?) – “I’m not sure. If it comes up there on the ball and I happen to be in there and we call a man call and Pitts is right there, then I might be on him but there’s no matchup plans for me to be on him. Like I said, we’ll see if it happens in the game.”
(You aren’t a tight end lock down corner?) – “(laughter) I’ve guarded tight ends before. I believe I can guard tight ends and lock them down. If I’m in that position, I’m going to do my best and do that.”
(How do you think you guys held up without CB Xavien Howard and CB Byron Jones last game? You, CB Justin Coleman and CB Noah Igbinoghene?) – “I think we did pretty well, guys stepped up and competed. We’ve just got to go out there and do it again this week with whoever is out there. We don’t know who’s going to be out there but whoever’s out there, we got to go out there and handle business.”
(How would you describe the mood of the players this week?) – “It’s tough being on a five-game losing streak. We’re not about to sit here and just sit here and mope and cry around. I think we’ve been on each other’s ass a little more and just trying to up the tempo and the urgency a little more because we have to do whatever we need to do to get a W this weekend. You can see that in practice today. People were more on each other’s asses trying to make sure everybody gets everything right.”
(You’ve been very transparent about some of your struggles that rookie season when you had the ups and downs. How would you compare that personal, individual adversity, to when your team is struggling right now on a five-game losing streak?) – “I guess you could take the same mindset as a team, see what you did wrong and then work even harder. Even when things are tough, you don’t want to just, ‘Alright, I’m going to just give up.’ You’ve got to do extra work, extra film or whatever you need to do. Get out to practice a little earlier. Because all the little things add up and can help make one big play that you want to make on the weekend. We all do that little stuff and get out there a little earlier, stay a little later after practice and we all take that mindset. I feel like that can benefit the team as well.”
Zach Sieler – October 21, 2021
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Thursday, October 21, 2021
DT Zach Sieler
(I remember last year the team was at the top or near the top in turnovers. Obviously you got a few big plays in the last game with the fumble and the LB Jerome Baker tackle. Specifically about turnovers, how do you feel the emphasis has been and the success rate this year compared to last year?) – “I think the emphasis is still there. It’s still a goal of the defense every week. We strive to get turnovers. We’ve just got to keep working it and keep getting better and when the opportunity presents itself, make the most of it.”
(What role do you feel turnovers played in the tremendous success you guys had overall last season?) – “It always helps. It helps the ebbs and flows of the game. You shut the offense down, you get a turnover, that is no score. That’s a huge play. We’ve just got to keep working to get those plays and get more of them.”
(At any point did you consider picking that ball up and trying to go the other way?) – “No. I didn’t know who was around. I just knew the ball was on the ground and I wanted to make sure I covered it up and get the ball back to the offense.”
(I wanted to ask you about leadership. You’ve been here now for three seasons. You’ve seen the ebbs and flows – actually you showed up late in 2019. I think they were winning when you showed up. You weren’t here for the 0-7 start. How much are leaders responsible for stepping up and speaking up to not have all of the burden on the coaching staff for what’s going on?) – “The coaches can only do so much and they are doing all they can to coach us and motivate us and do that. At the end of the day, it comes down to the peers in the locker room, the leaders in the locker room. We’ve just got to make sure we step up and really focus on what we need to focus on – the task at hand each week. We’ve got to keep just honing in on that.”
(I’m curious because Head Coach Brian Flores and the coaches say we practice well every week and then it doesn’t translate to the game. What is the missing thing?) – “I think we’ve just got to keep our heads together and keep working together as a team, and just focus on that. That’s where we need to come together and start turning this around.”
(If I can go back to the fumble recovery real quick. Did anybody give you a hard time on the sideline for not picking it up and running with it?) – “Not during the game. But as soon as I got into the locker room, my fiancé called me and asked me why I didn’t pick it up. (laughter) But other than that, no. She was getting after me. (laughter)”
(How would you describe the mood of the players this week?) – “I think we’ve had good energy. I think we came back from London and I think we bounced back from that good. The guys are getting sleep. We’re starting to come back and adapt to this time zone again. It’s been a good week of energy in practice.”
(How challenging is it to have a game right after the London game?) – “I think the biggest thing is getting back on your schedule. I know for me, my eating schedule was all messed up. I’m just forcing myself to wake up usually when I would’ve woken up beforehand, and not sleeping in or sleeping in and not staying up late. However that works.”
(Back to DT Christian Wilkins on that big play. It seems he’s progressing each year of his career. What have you seen from him this year that makes him more productive in his third season?) – “He’s worked on his technique a lot. I’m sure you guys see that and see how his progression is with his hands, his feet and his vision and reading the offensive players. That’s something I think has been a huge thing for him this year. He’s been doing really well at that.”
(Do you guys work on that together during practice?) – “Yeah, we do. We work on that all the time.”
(Was Defensive Line Coach Austin Clark a guy that worked with you individually some last year? Or was that not his focus to help some of the line play, the pass rushers and things? Who helped you when you got here?) – “When I first got here it was Marion Hobby. He was here. Then last year it was Hobby and Clark. It was really 50/50. They both gave their input and gave their technique and helped coach us. They did a great job together.”
(I’m curious about Defensive Line Coach Austin Clark. What about his approach is helpful to the guys?) – “He does a really good job of explaining techniques and what exactly he wants. There is not a lot of gray area. You see this, this is how he wants it point blank. He’s very good at that and he’s very good at getting to different players and teaching different players how different players play. Every guy plays different. I’m going to play different than Raekwon (Davis) and Raekwon is going to play different than Christian (Wilkins) and so forth.”
(I think the Dolphins were 2-1 in the three games you played at the end of the 2019 season. What do you remember about the team you joined at the end of the season?) – “I think just coming together as a team and really working together on the team camaraderie. I know we had that last year and I think we’re getting that this year.”
Liam Eichenberg – October 21, 2021
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Thursday, October 21, 2021
T Liam Eichenberg
(As an offensive lineman, how do you approach and what needs to happen better to make a short-yardage play successful?) – “I think on that final play, I should have taken into consideration where Josh Allen was. I’ll put that on me. I should have told the guard a man-3 tech and then I should have helped the tight end. Just kind of understanding where those players are that can affect games, especially in crucial moments like that. I should have maybe made a certain call to kind of help the tight end out which, in turn, would have helped the running back out. It’s definitely something I can learn from moving forward.”
(What about in general? Not just on that play but in general, what needs to happen to make short-yardage situations successful?) – “I think it just comes down to communication. Just kind of like what I was talking about. It just goes back to everybody being on the same page. If Austin (Jackson) says something to me, I need to communicate it out. Especially in those moments when it’s loud and you can’t really hear well, you need to put an emphasis on communication. That’s kind of what we’ve been talking about this week and that’s something we’re going to continue to work on as the season goes on.”
(What signs of progress have you seen that gives you confidence that the offensive line is going to keep getting better?) – “I think we’re improving every week. Obviously it’s not enough though. It’s a group of guys that come in here every single week working hard. It’s not a lack of hard work. It’s just kind of those fine details that we need to continue to perfect. That’s kind of the emphasis that I’m focusing on and a lot of guys in our room. We’re getting to the point where it’s not acceptable to make that small mistake. I think when you strive for perfection, you’ll eventually keep getting better and better.”
(How much pride did you guys take in not allowing a sack?) – “Yeah, I mean there are still pressures. It’s definitely – I think it’s the first time this season so it’s somewhere to start. But obviously we can continue to get better and better. This week, we’re just kind of focused on this week. One week at a time. It’s about winning this game.”
(Were you impressed with QB Tua Tagovailoa’s ability to avoid pressure with those pressures?) – “Yeah, I thought he did a good job of stepping up. I think he reads the field very – I mean, I have no idea about the quarterback position. Let’s be honest. (laughter) I could get up here and tell you he made all the reads correctly but – I think he did a good job. Especially coming back, his first game back. I think he did a good job in the pocket. (laughter)”
(You might not be a quarterback expert in terms of technique and all of that stuff, but you do have a sense of QB Tua Tagovailoa’s presence, his personality, his demeanor and how he seems to be feeling. What is your sense about all of that stuff this week?) – “I think he’s got a good amount of energy to him and I think that’s needed. He’s a great leader. He’s a guy who demands respect and he pushes me and pushes a lot of guys. It’s definitely great having him back. But that whole quarterback room – Jacoby (Brissett) does the same thing. It’s kind of how that room is. But definitely having him back, his second week now, it’s great to see him out there and have him behind me.”
(Did you get a sense this week in the huddle that maybe QB Tua Tagovailoa wants to do more since he’s back and he played with some pain last week in London?) – “Yeah, I think regardless of how you feel, you obviously want to play as well as you can and keep moving in that direction. Whoever is behind me, I’m going to support. I’m going to do the best I can. At the end of the day, I need to play better. I need to strive for that perfection that we kind of talk about. Every single day I’m out there, I’m working to get better.”
(On the fourth-and-1 call, you talked about some corrections you made. Is that something you can make within the game and adjust to it then? Or is that something that you see on tape on Monday?) – “It’s kind of just based on personnel. It kind of depends on – it’s tough because you have your assignments and you have specific things you need to do based on alignments and stuff like that. Kind of like what I was saying with a guy like him, maybe I should have taken different footwork and maybe made a different call. That is kind of something that you talk about after the game.”
(Obviously there’s a lot of QB Deshaun Watson talk out there. QB Tua Tagovailoa is a mature man who understands the business of the league. Do you see any of that impacting him or impacting the team’s focus?) – “No, I don’t think so. I really don’t go on Twitter, to be honest with you. You just brought it up. Some of us have probably heard about it but as of right now – it’s just a distraction at the end of the day. The most important thing this week is we’re playing the Falcons and we need a win. I think that’s everybody’s thought right now is to focus on the Falcons.”
Malcolm Brown – October 21, 2021
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Wednesday, October 20, 2021
RB Malcolm Brown
(In these situations when you’re on a five-game losing streak, how much do you feel as a veteran that you have to speak up or you have to say something?) – “That’s a good question. I feel like for me personally, I guess, I’m not a guy that’s ever going to start doing the whole yelling and screaming thing and we’re on a losing streak or whatever. I think that comes from within the locker room. Yeah, us older guys definitely – I’m learning that too because I’ve always been kind of on the back end of things and never been the vet on the team and stuff like that. I think it comes from within the locker room and really just encouraging guys. I feel like the yelling and screaming and all of that type of stuff, for me I don’t think that helps me. I feel like encouragement is where it comes because we’re already losing. We already feel bad. Why come in and do the whole yelling and cussing and screaming, ‘We got to do this, we got to do that’ (thing). For me personally, I’m more of a guy that will be encouraging this entire season, win or lose.”
(When you’re a running back and your team averages the least amount of carries in the league, which you guys do, do you take that personally?) – “I think we do need to run the ball more. I think I saw even a comment where ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) said the same thing. That’s something that, to be honest, is totally out of my control. Whatever plays are called, when we’re out there in that huddle, it’s my job to execute whatever is called and whatever my job is on that play.”
(When the team called your number in a critical fourth-and-1 situation near the end of the last game, I was curious what was going through your mind when you knew you were about to get the ball?) – “Get the first down. I knew the situation. It was one yard. We need to definitely as a team get better. I feel like I’m definitely the type of guy to where I need to find a way to get that done no matter the circumstances. But yeah, when they called it, I had full confidence in everybody. If they call that in the same situation again, I’ll still have full confidence in everybody and in myself to get it done.”
(In general, what do you feel like is the key for the short-yardage run to be a successful play?) – “Just pure heart and will. I think it just comes down to a mentality. I feel like you get into certain formations, certain plays, certain situations. There are times where the whole stadium may know you’re about to run the ball and you’ve got to get it done.”
(Going back to the whole notion of the five-game streak and all, throughout your career going back to even college and high school, have you experienced something like this before? And is there anything that stands out as possibly a path towards snapping out of it that you could maybe take away and implement here?) – “Right off the top of my head, I can’t really think of a major one key to that. I just know from looking at us, looking at the film, looking at the team – obviously I only like to speak for offense and there’s a lot of little stuff that we can correct. A lot of little stuff that people sitting on the couch watching the game may not even see or may not know about. But in this room and in this building, we know about it and we have to get those type of things fixed.”
(How was QB Tua Tagovailoa this week in the huddle? Upbeat? He played hurt last Sunday. Just upbeat and ready to go? You mentioned the five-game losing skid and never been through that, but to get this thing turned around?) – “Yeah. Even when he came in last week and played, we had full confidence in him. He definitely was. He was upbeat and ready to go throughout the whole week.”
(We saw a few times in the game that you were kind of mugged up in the A-gap pre-snap for pass protection. I was just curious how that changes your role in pass protection compared to when you are kind of riding sidecar next to the quarterback in the shotgun.) – “For me, it’s a little bit easier. Some downs obviously it’s going to be a passing down, so whether I’m up there or back near the quarterback, everybody knows it’s going to be a pass. But for me, if my responsibility comes, it’s really getting to him before he gets a full head of steam. Sometimes it’s tough. If he’s mugged up in the A-gap, he’s essentially four to five yards closer. So for me to be able to just meet him right there and just kind of stop before he even gets his momentum going, it’s a little bit easier sometimes in my personal opinion.”
(When you were talking about your leadership style and how you’re not one to stand up in the locker room and start yelling and screaming, it sounded as if you were also saying that you haven’t heard anybody else on the team going through that. That it’s been more on the encouragement side than on the yelling and screaming side this week. Am I reading that accurately?) – “Not really. (laughter) That’s some guys’ personality. I was more so speaking for myself. I’m not really a guy who – I’ve before in the past stood up and spoke in front of the team, whatever team I’m on. I’ve done that type of stuff. But when it comes to the whole outburst and start yelling and screaming stuff, it kind of takes a lot for me to get to that certain type of point. I feel like it doesn’t always have to be that to get your point across. That’s always been my thing. I feel like I’ve gotten plenty of good points across in the past, whether it be here or on a past team, without doing the whole yelling and screaming thing.”
(From your personal experience as a player, who is the best player leader that you’ve been around and why?) – “Man, that’s tough. I could probably name multiple people. You’re making it hard on me. (laughter) I think that comes with guys that you know have had success at a high level for a long time. So when you – and really just older guys that have been around the NFL for a long time. They may not even have a ton of experience. Guys like Andrew Whitworth come to mind. J-Mac (Jason McCourty) comes to mind. E-Rob (Elandon Roberts) comes to mind. Aqib Talib comes to mind. Guys that have had success and been in this league for a long time.
(On sustained success) – “Somewhat. Maybe somewhat. But I can’t sit here and say a second or third-year guy can come in. If he gets that vibe from the team, he’ll get that respect too.”
(You said you’re not the one that’s being vocal, yelling and screaming. But some guys are. I guess the natural thing is who are some of those guys and what are they saying?) – “(laughter) Nah, man. We aren’t going to get into that. (laughter) It just depends on personality. It depends on who the person is. You can get your point across any way you want to.”
Mike Gesicki – October 20, 2021
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Wednesday, October 20, 2021
TE Mike Gesicki
(You had a really good game on Sunday and it seemed like you were able to really find the pockets in zone coverage. I know we talk a lot about a quarterback deciphering man versus zone. But as a tight end or receiver really, what’s the pre-snap recognition like for you in terms of finding the pockets?) – “For me, just understanding different tendencies in the defense. Who is going to be on you if it’s man? Trying to understand how they disguise different things and then while you’re running the route is the most basic way. If somebody is following you or are they not following you? Pre-snap you can kind of get a good idea and then post-snap you’re going to know immediately. That’s the biggest thing. Zone coverage, really getting depths in routes, understanding spacing. And then man coverage, being able to win.”
(What’s it like now getting more time with QB Tua Tagovailoa since he’s been gone…?) – “Yeah, it’s good. It’s been great. Tua has obviously been here now. I’ve gotten plenty of work with him since the day we drafted him. I feel like chemistry is there and all of that kind of stuff, so nothing new with that. It’s obviously good to have him back and good for him to get reps and that kind of thing.”
(I believe you spent time with TE Kyle Pitts at the Tight End University this summer and then he was here for the joint practices. I was wondering what your impressions are of him from one tight end to another?) – “Obviously extremely talented and very versatile in what he can do. I think he’s shown that. I know that he had a big game in London a week before. He’s obviously very talented and he’s definitely a matchup for them to utilize. I think week in and week out, there are a lot of talented guys out there, and he’s obviously one of them.”
(Did you interact with TE Kyle Pitts at all at Tight End U and did he pick your brain?) – “He didn’t ask me anything. There were a lot of other guys to talk to other then Mike Gesicki. (laughter) But he was there. He’s a good kid. I talked to him a little bit. I’m happy for him. He had a good start to his career. I wish him the best and all of that.”
(What kind of progress are you making on your hurdling game? You got caught in the air a little bit.) – “I will not quit the hurdling game. If there is an opportunity, which there probably wasn’t an opportunity on that one. (laughter) It is what it is. Get the ball in your hands and try to make a play. That is all that was.”
(Coaches tell you anything when you got back to the sideline after that play?) – “Nothing. Nothing.”
(Is it almost worse when the don’t say anything?) – “(laughter) No. You saw me. I get up, I go nuts, I run around the field and act like we just won the Super Bowl. That’s just the way I play and how I act. Just having fun out there. I’m not really worried about it.”
(Your celebrations when you get a first down, and the enthusiasm. Do you find that to be infectious with the guys?) – “You try to go out there and have fun, and you see the guys having fun out there. That’s why we do what we do, honestly. We put in a lot of work, we put in a lot of time, a lot of extra work that nobody really sees. You go out there and make a play, go enjoy yourself, go have fun. And then the next play mentality, be ready to go and do it again. That’s the way I play and the way I carry myself. I like to have fun.”
(I think you missed only one game in your pro career. I don’t remember if you had a similar track record at Penn State. What do you attribute to your ability to stay on the field?) – “A lot of it’s probably luck, honestly. It’s a physical game. You could get rolled up on the wrong way or be in the wrong place at the wrong time. But also, you try to put in a lot of work into your body and the weight room, stretching and tubs, and everything and anything that you can do to stay durable and stay out there. You always hear everybody say, ‘your best ability is your availability.’ If you can be out there making plays, it’s better than not. That’s what I try to do. Some guys are not as lucky, but it’s just the way the game goes.”
