Sony Michel – August 27, 2022 (Postgame)
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Saturday, August 27, 2022
Postgame – Philadelphia
RB Sony Michel
(The run game had big game tonight. How did it feel to finally let that loose and show fans that “hey we can put it together too”?) – “It was great. To just get out there and have opportunities to run the football and I think we ran the football pretty well.”
(And for you guys to also put it in the end zone as well and for you to be back home, to hear those cheers for you finding pay dirt?) – “You know that’s the goal whenever we run the football, anytime we’re on offense, is to try to get it in the end zone and that was our goal and we were able to accomplish that today.”
(The first play of the game, to see that up close and personal finally come together, Tua Tagovailoa to Tyreek Hill, what were you guys thinking?) – “It’s just kind of practice execution. We see that every day in practice. And it was able to come to life today and it’s always great to see what you practice come to life in the game field.”
Tua Tagovailoa – August 27, 2022 (Postgame)
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Saturday, August 27, 2022
Postgame – Eagles
QB Tua Tagovailoa (transcribed by ASAP Sports)
Opening statement:
TUA TAGOVAILOA: First and foremost, I would like to extend my condolences to Jason Jenkins and his family. I think what made this so hard is that it was unexpected. He was extremely close to a lot of us on the team. From when I got here I was extremely close to him. I grew close to him waiting for Anne (Noland) and just being able to talk stories with him before my media. I couldn’t imagine what his family is going through right now and waking up not thinking that this was going to be his last day here. I want to send my condolences to his family. I think through our team win I’m glad we got to do that for him.
Q: What stands out to you about the kind of man Jason was and what he represented for this organization?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I would say that Jason was a beacon of the community. That’s what I think of when I hear of Jason’s name. This guy is always wanting to do stuff for other people. ‘Hey Tua, how can I help you with this? How can we help with your foundation? Hey, how can we do this to make that better or do you want to come do this community service event?’ Things like that. That’s what I think of when I think of Jason. Someone who is extremely selfless.
Q: You found out after the game?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Just found out after the game.
Q: What must have it been like in the locker room when McDaniel gave you the news? It must have been hard.
TUA TAGOVAILOA: It was emotional for a lot of guys and a lot of guys that have been here for quite some time that got to know him. We won a game. We expected Mike (McDaniel) to be the very optimistic guy after the game giving out game balls and that wasn’t the case. Mike got a little emotional in there. There were some other guys who were able to talk that also got emotional and he broke the news. It’s tough. Anything having to do with a life of someone who had great relationships with people in the organization, it’s hard.
Q: Can you tell us about the first play, hitting Tyreek Hill deep, and what that meant to be able to connect with him the first time on the field with him?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: It was good. We had to decide with plays what openers we wanted to go with. So knowing that Tyreek was playing, he wanted a go ball. We gave him a shot. The throw wasn’t to my liking. That whole spiel. If it was a better ball, if it was probably more in front of Tyreek, you know, we could have scored on the first play probably. You know I think it’s a credit to the practices that we’ve had with the Eagles and how hard our guys have been working. Not just this week but all training camp and OTAs. It’s really good that people finally can see the hard work that we’ve all been putting in together.
Q: What do you think overall of the three scoring drives there that you had?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I thought they were good. Obviously there’s always going to be things to get better at, but I credit all our success to our o-line. They worked their butts off extremely hard throughout OTAs and then coming into training camp. They’ve worked extremely hard to get defenders to read keys and make everything look the same basically. None of that would have been possible within the run game and then the play pass game without our o-line.
Q: When a coach wins a toss, or a team wins a toss and you elect to receive and the first thing the coach tells you is to throw it deep. I mean what’s that like as a quarterback? What kind of feelings does that bring to you?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I would say when we were given the play, Mike (McDaniel) didn’t necessarily tell me who to go to with the ball, but for me it was one of those deals that if we got a specific coverage from their defense that regardless of who was on Tyreek (Hill) or not, we wanted to take that shot. And so we got the premier look of what the play consisted of and that’s why we took the shot.
Q: Mike (McDaniel) said before the game that he knew what was going on with Jason (Jenkins). Could you tell a difference with him on the sideline at all?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Couldn’t tell a difference with Mike on the sideline at all. Couldn’t tell. He hid it pretty well. No one on our team had any idea or any clue that any of that had happened. It’s a sad day for us here the Miami Dolphins and our organization. We lost someone really, really good.
Mike McDaniel – August 27, 2022 (Postgame)
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Saturday, August 27, 2022
Postgame – Philadelphia
Head Coach Mike McDaniel (transcribed by ASAP Sports)
Opening Statement:
MIKE McDANIEL: Let’s go ahead and get started. I’m sure you guys have heard that we lost a dear member of the Miami Dolphins organization, Jason Jenkins, Senior Vice President of Communications and Community Affairs. Yeah, we’re just going through the process in grieving with the team. I just told them about it. Right now football pales in comparison to what all the people that were really affected. The list is long from Jason and his walk of life and his wife, Elizabeth, and his children, Liya, Aiden, and Sloane. I haven’t been here that long, but his investment into the team and the community, it didn’t take long to see the great work he did. I mean, I didn’t see a day that — there wasn’t a time — there wasn’t a day that passed that I saw him that he just didn’t light up the room. Like I just told the team, it’s important for those who loved him and were touched by him and all the members of our team to lean on each other. That’s what we’re going to try to do. Our hearts are heavy, as they should be, for an unquestioned professional that’s made his mark on not only the team but the National Football League. Like I told the team, I thought their effort today reflected what would bring him joy as best we could. This was unexpected and very hard. Thoughts and prayers just go with his family. I’m not really sure what I do after this.
Q: If I can ask you a question about the relationship you had with Jason? You said you haven’t been here very long. What impression did he leave with you, and how do you think this organization will remember him?
MIKE McDANIEL: As consistent as I have ever seen, from his wardrobe to his spirit. He was the nines. That’s why it makes it so tough. This is a healthy, healthy guy that just brought it every day. You know, he worked at the stadium. I’m not sure how many people that I feel like I know from the stadium. I would love to know more, but on a day-to-day I don’t get to interact with all the people as much as I would like. For him to make such an impact, it was obvious. You can’t make that impression. You get to talk to them maybe once a week, but the impression that he made, there’s no fooling that. You could see the relationships, the eye contact, how people looked at him, how he embraced others. He was the consummate professional. I know for guys that have been around here for a while, they knew him like a family member, and I think it’s incredibly impressive, and it just speaks to the human being and his impact on all of us where I could see that in my brief time around him. I mean, he was a force of positivity. The organization has been through some stuff, and it was very impactful to me just how many people in the organization were passionate about doing their jobs well and about the Dolphins, and he was the top of the list. He was just full of life. That’s the hardest part. There’s no words to describe. He had a great family. His wife is awesome and his children, and it’s just tough. It’s a tough one to swallow, and he will be missed, but he will not be forgotten. I can tell you that much.
Q: Did you get word like all of us during halftime, or did you know a little bit beforehand?
MIKE McDANIEL: No, I got word before the game. And so there was a — you know these things happen in life. You never expect them. As the head coach, I didn’t really know what to do. This was maybe a couple of hours before the game that we heard he was having trouble. Then speaking with the people that had worked with him for the longest that had spent intimate time with him for an extended period of time, I was really at a loss. Like, hey, what do I do about this because I just couldn’t stop thinking about everyone that’s affected. And I got some strong advice from in particular Chris Grier and Brandon Shore specifically that said that it didn’t matter that it was Preseason Game 3. He understood what was on the line for all the players. I mean, shoot, this particular game, I don’t even know the head count for how many people from the community that he had at the game that wouldn’t otherwise be able to see the game, and what he would want most is to see us all do our jobs as best we could. In that vein, I had to push forward, and we thought that the best thing — the thing that he would want, as best we could decipher, would be that we let the players know after, so that’s what I was just doing before we got started. It’s been a tough day for all those reasons.
Q: In the back of your head did you maybe call that first play just to kind of maybe to tribute or maybe just to lighten up the mood or something like that?
MIKE McDANIEL: Somebody said something. I can’t even remember at this point. Maybe it was Chris (Grier). I think it was Chris that said, ‘dude, he would want you to do what you do.’ So that’s all I thought of. It at least gave me direction because you’re, like, ‘Okay, what am I doing?’ But, no, when Chris said that, I was able to, all right, say, okay, I have a job to do, and then it was just all right. Once we got to the two-minute warning, it all came back. We do the best we can, like all of us. This is a part, a fixture of life. It’s a part of being human, and it’s impossible. It’s inhumane. We do the best. We all experience those things. I hate it because you feel like you can — as a head coach, you’re supposed to do stuff. You’re supposed to lead, or you’re supposed to do things, and there’s nothing for me to do, you know? I can’t make this one better, but I think we all can relate to that.
Q: I know it’s tough to talk about the game after that, but that Tyreek pass on the first play of the game, what was it like to see that right off the bat their first time playing in a game on the field together?
MIKE McDANIEL: I was just happy for those two individuals because they’ve invested a lot. I was happy for the team and the organization really because they’ve invested a lot. They know — let’s just say it was cool to see them not blink and do what they love doing. Really good players. I’m happy to call them my teammates.
Q: Are you sending the league a message with calling that on the first play? I think you did it in a scrimmage, two deep passes like that.
MIKE McDANIEL: We’re really just trying to work on our craft. You don’t know what defense they’re going to run out there. You have to execute the play, and I was happy that it was a tough look, but Tua is making that decision to throw to him while at the same time his back is to the defense. It takes a lot of training, but we were pretty confident that if we got the right look that, they would execute it. That’s why they are who they are, and that’s why we all believe in them so much.
Elandon Roberts – August 27, 2022 (Fourth Quarter)
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Saturday, August 27, 2022
Fourth Quarter – Philadelphia
LB Elandon Roberts on WFOR broadcast with Kim Bokamper
(Last preseason game, where do you see your defense as you stand right now?) – “I think we’re in a good spot. We’re coming out of preseason and we’re not – we got two weeks to prepare until the first game, so we’re just going to take it one day at a time and get ready for the season opener.”
(These days it’s pretty rare to bring a whole unit back, but you guys seem to have done that. You have another year with Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer. What can this defense do to elevate themselves from last year?) – “I think with everybody back, we have an opportunity to work on things. Every year the league is so different and you’re bringing new people in and stuff like that, you have to teach a whole defense over. With us, we were able to keep the same guys, so we were able to take steps in different directions with our defense and whatnot. We’re at a good point where we just have to continue to take it one day at a time.”
(You were really playing well towards the end of the season. Can you jump off of that hill and go up higher?) – “I think the momentum with that is good, always. You know you want to leave a season and go into the next season with the same momentum, but I think for us, we just kind of put the season behind us and are looking into what we can do as a defense, as a team to make sure we start the season the right way.”
(You look like you had a lot of pressure up front and you’re getting a lot of coverage behind. That’s going to make things very interesting this year?) – “Yes, it’s going to be a fun season.”
Jaelan Phillips – August 27, 2022 (Third Quarter)
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Saturday, August 27, 2022
Third Quarter – Philadelphia
LB Jaelan Phillips on WFOR broadcast with Kim Bokamper
(You got to rest in the second half, but you put some good work into the first half. How are you feeling after this training camp? We have got a couple weeks to go until the first game of the season. Are you getting pretty excited?) – “Absolutely. I think that this camp has been really good for me personally just to be able to grow. I really feel like I’m kind of getting into gear now as the season approaches. I’m super excited for Week 1, but still got work to do, for sure.”
(You didn’t waste any time. I think the first past rush of the year, you almost made that hook and got in on him?) – “Hey man, it will come eventually. It will come. I’m just trying to apply pressure, trying to be tenacious in my pass rush and my run game and everything like that. So yes, I’m feeling good out there.”
(How different has this been from your rookie year? You didn’t get a lot of practice early on and kind of got a slow start. You’re ready to come out of the box pretty fast, it looks like, now?) – “Yes, the preseason is super valuable for the exact reason that you just said. Being able to get comfortable playing and just within the scheme and everything, it’s definitely invaluable going into the season.”
(What did you learn last year that you’re putting into action now?) – “I’d say it’s more from a momentum standpoint, just in my preparation and just in the way my process leading up into the game. It kind of rids me of anxiety and rids me of that worry, and I just feel confident and ready to go.”
(Along with playing football, you do a lot of work in the community. You reach out, you want to get to these kids and you want to help them. What drives you in that?) – “It’s one of the most important things, just using this platform that we have. We’re so blessed to be in this platform and be in the NFL, because kids listen to us and people listen to us in general. So I think the most important thing for us is to set an example, not only for the kids but for other people to show that giving back is so much more important than doing something that’s going to feed your ego. You want to feed your soul, so I love giving back and doing the most that I can do.”
Mike McDaniel – August 27, 2022 (Halftime)
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Saturday, August 27, 2022
Halftime – Philadelphia
Head Coach Mike McDaniel on WFOR broadcast with Kim Bokamper
(You don’t waste any time getting this offense going. QB Tua Tagovailoa and WR Tyreek Hill on the first play, it had to feel good for you?) – “I think it felt good for them. They’ve put in a lot of work, but it doesn’t matter until you do it in a stadium in front of fans. So I know they were happy to get started the right way. It was an awesome read by Tua (Tagovailoa). That’s not easy, and it was an awesome read by Tyreek (Hill) tracking that ball, so I was happy with that.”
(One thing you talked about was trying to find this running game. Well, you’ve certainly found it. RB Raheem Mostert comes out with a big run, RB Myles Gaskin getting some effort and RB Salvon Ahmed. Are you seeing your running game do what you want to do?) – “There’s – any time you run the ball with sustained success, it takes a group of individuals working together. So I was happy with the effort, with the (running) backs breaking tackles, but it was good to get a little rhythm going and be able to get some runs called. So there’s a lot of work that goes into that, and I was proud of the guys to be able to reap some of those rewards.”
(Defensively, you got a nice fourth-and-1 stop and a lot of pressure on their quarterback. That had to feel good?) – “That’s an important part of our defensive unit. They take a lot of pride in working the fundamentals and technique. I thought that was on display, and I’m hoping for more of that in the second half.”
(About 30 minutes left in this game, are there still jobs to be had out there?) – “Absolutely. Absolutely, any time you’re on the field in a professional football game, that tape lasts forever. So all the guys are very focused to make sure that the standard that was taken first half, there’s no let up and that standard continues in the second half.”
Mike McDaniel – August 25, 2022
Thursday, August 25, 2022
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Prior to the 206 questions you’re going to get about stomach flu, just to get two things out of the way. We haven’t seen LB Andrew Van Ginkel in two days. Does he have a serious injury that will sideline him into the season? And CB Nik Needham we saw walk off with trainers. Does he have a serious injury that will sideline him in preseason?) – “Van Ginkel had an unforeseen appendix issue, so we removed him of said issue. And he should – he’s feeling great. I just talked to him recently and we’ll be moving forward. There’s some significant optimism that shouldn’t affect anything in the season. But I know he’s going to do his best to get back as fast as possible. So I’m excited to move forward with that.”
(And CB Nik Needham?) – “He’s day-to-day. It’s nothing super significant. I’m really happy for him because I feel good about where he’s at and it’s nothing to be concerned about.”
(Can you tell us about the situation today in practice?) – “So yeah, that was kind of a unique curveball early this morning. It was just an accumulation of some players having having a stomach bug that we don’t really know totally where it was coming from and we’re just trying to be overly cautious so that we didn’t further affect players on the team, as well as we had to think of the best interest of the Philadelphia Eagles as well. We couldn’t, in good conscience, just move forward and try to limit reps in practice. We just wanted to make sure that – really, it all comes down to wanting to be able to fully play the the preseason game as planned. So the best way to do that with the unknowns were to just keep everyone away from each other because clearly it’s some sort of contagious. But it appears to be the normal symptoms that I’ll allow you to detail if you’d like of stomach bugs.”
(How many players are we talking about that are ill right now?) – “There’s more than a couple players. So it’s not half the team by any stretch, but that’s what I was trying to prevent, is I didn’t want to have half half the team drained out from a stomach bug, fight through the heat and then have depleted performance in the preseason game because for a lot of guys, it’s the most important game of their career, and I hold a strong amount of value to that and didn’t want to compromise that in any way.”
(Is it limited the players or are there staff also?) – “There’s a couple of staff members too, which is why the decision was easy just because I really didn’t want this to linger and the best way to nip in the bud was just aggressively act, erring on the side of caution.”
(With COVID and other viruses and any other type of illnesses that could pop up during the season, what are some things that I’m sure you’ve thought about relative to “Ok, if we lose a player or a play-caller on a Thursday or Friday, we have our contingency plans?”) – “You have to think about this stuff. It’s kind of your job. So that’s very natural and organic because it’s the same protocol. Football, by its nature, you can’t predict the future and you have to be ready to adjust. So you’re always doing that with with the roster in general, and we’re all very well-versed in COVID. So those types of things, an unintended consequence of that is you end up naturally thinking of contingency plans because no one – the bottom line is the organization has to operate at its best and no one cares about extenuating circumstances. So this was a random curveball, but I’ve said on record before, I look forward to any sort of adversity in general because I always think there’s something to take out of it. In this case, guys can get a little perspective. Maybe my team meetings are actually more entertaining than they realized. (laughter) Missing their teammates, an opportunity to really rest and recover and regen. These are all things that I spoke to the team about virtually probably an hour ago because it’s not about – you just don’t worry about what happens. You worry about how to handle things, and how you handle things that are really unforeseen.”
(Do you have any feelings about how this could potentially affect who plays on Saturday?) – “Feelings, I wanted to share feelings. I actually was pretty excited about today because upon waking up and driving to work, before I got said news, I was excited to talk about my feelings and maybe some announcements. (laughter) This unfortunately, and with all seriousness, I kind of had something in my mind and I was ready to go with it. And sure enough, the world told me not to get ahead of myself. So it’s just like any sort of football-related injury where now you just have to really reassess tomorrow, when when you get everyone in, and and make sure everyone is not put in harm’s way and then take it from there. So it may or may not affect – I’m hoping the whole intent with having the guys not come in and not practice today was to nip it in the bud so that it wouldn’t be affected. But we’ll see. That’s not something that really rattles me. I’ll just adjust. That’s kind of the nature of my job.”
(Do you know if you guys have identified the origin of this illness and have addressed it so it won’t recur?) – “I don’t wear multiple hats of MD or athletic trainer. But luckily, we employ a lot of people that are taking care of that. When you don’t know exactly the total cause, you make sure that you take the necessary measures to not perpetuate the whole deal. So without knowing exactly what it is, I know they’re doing their best to figure it out. That’s why you keep people out of the building. And that’s really what was the strongest motivating factor for me, because it wasn’t like they were extenuating circumstances of ailments. People have stomach bugs. And then when all of a sudden you have an accumulation of those over one night, you’re like, ‘Hey, we don’t want this to spread anymore.’ So they’re diligent and hard at work. So I trust in my teammates and that’s where I’m going to keep my trust.”
(What steps, if any, are you taking that you wouldn’t normally take inside the building? When I say you, I mean, the organization? Is it possible to like, sterilize anything?) – “Again, an unintended consequence of COVID. Like those measures, you just have measures that you can apply. So in the short term where you don’t have any information other than symptoms, you can move forward with those same types of protocols to make sure everything is up to snuff with sanitation, etc, etc. But that’s not – these are measures just because we’re trying to be overly cautious and make sure nothing continues to trickle moving forward.”
(Are there sort of three, four or five roster spots that are really just not decided at all at this times? Or give me an idea, if you can, on where the roster sort of stands.) – “There are some jobs to be settled and it’s not as easy as who has the most tackles, who has the most yards. You’re talking about an accumulation of – I look at like this, each position is coached by a position coach that is accumulating points of emphasis during the course from May on, and you see how people adjust. The longer that you get into camp, the more specific those things get. In that process, you’re seeing how people respond. And by nature, especially with a competitive roster like we have, where there’s multiple – we have more NFL players than spots. That’s the bottom line. So yeah, there’s too many to count on a hand with things that need to be ironed out. Unfortunately, we missed an opportunity on the field today. But then all that means is guys have an extra day to – with that extra day of preparation, we get to see a product on Saturday that is not result-based. It’s an accumulation of how people have handled coaching points and how they’ve really evolved and got better, because the bottom line of an NFL game is you’re looking for players and units that are their best in January. So that is the prerequisite of teams that win. And if you’re trying to be a winning team, one of the things all the players have to be able to do is continue to get better. So it’s it’s a really fun process that you’re exhausting, where you get to see this final product at play after all of these different coaching points, and that’s why you you don’t try to rush the process with a lot of those undetermined spots that we’re trying to finalize.”
(There was a report earlier this week that TE Mike Gesicki’s name has come up in trade conversations. Is that report accurate? Is he assured to be on this roster in Week 1?) – “These reports are tricky to me because I’m like – again, I’ve alluded to this before, at the beginning of the offseason. Durring training camp and during the offseason in general, GMs have work to do. And they’re not just watching us coach. So when people report that somebody is – when they use the that loose verbiage of ‘his name has been brought up,’ or whatever, the report is kind of misleading because there probably should be a lot of names on that report. All I’m focused on is regardless of what people try to drum up, I’m focused on coaching Mike and Mike’s focused on getting better. People have made stuff about this, that of the other. Whether you are a receiver or a tight end or we even have running backs do it – you have to be able to do stuff with the ball and you have to be able to block for other people that are doing stuff with the ball. And we continue to work those techniques with everyone. He’s had a great week of practice this week, which tells you a lot about that individual because there has been random noise that he’s hasn’t listened to clearly. He’s putting his best foot forward and that’s all I’m concerned about. It’s my job to coach the players on the team and I like coaching Mike. And beyond that, it’s kind of a no-ends process of talking about did someone talk about somebody else with (so and so). That stuff happens more often than it doesn’t?”
(Is there an update on WR Jaylen Waddle? We know he’s been out for a little while.) – “He’s still mad at me. (laughter) He got a little indy work and that was intentional because we knew that he had – not only is he yearning to compete and do his job, which he loves to do, but also I’m aware enough to know he has some close ties on the opposing team. So if we were practicing against ourselves, would he have practiced? There might be a stronger chance maybe. I’m just very acutely aware of even if a guy says, ‘Alright, I’m going to take it easy,’ you have to protect people from themselves. I saw him on the field for my office after practice catching JUGS with his buddy that I knew he’d probably try to perform in front of. So yeah, he was out there and it wasn’t because of any setbacks. We were just making sure that we took it step-by-step and didn’t go zero to 60. The rest has been awesome for him and I’m really fired up and expect to see him on the field sooner than later.”
(On the offensive line, I know they’re not a finished product. But for the first part of the season, I’m wondering how you manage them. Do you figure out four or five things they do well and play to that until they develop later in the season? Or how do you manage that?) – “You’re always trying to do stuff that your players are good at as best you can. I’m happy with how each individual is progressing. If it was – if you’re striving to be really good at something, that process is never complete and it should be hard. There’s a lot of things that go into both of their responsibilities, protecting for the pass and blocking for the run. I thought that’s one of my favorite things about joint practices, is you get that – like Philadelphia, for example, their defensive line penetrates a lot. They’re very good and I was very happy with how they responded yesterday in practice, in terms of adjusting to techniques. I’ve told you guys before, that’s a huge part of their job. So yeah, I try to -that’s the whole idea of the entire offense in general is that you don’t leave offensive lineman on an island. You try to do what they’re good at. Just yesterday, there were a couple – in jest, there were a couple of really good Philadelphia defensive linemen that were poking me a little bit like, ‘Why don’t you drop back more?’ I’m like, ‘You would like that, wouldn’t you?’ So I think they’re in a good stage of where they’re developing. And I’m confident that at some point in time moving forward that the results will reflect that. But there’s a lot of compounding variables for those results, which is up to everyone, even the quarterback. He has a job on run plays too. If you don’t see Tua (Tagovailoa) carrying out his fakes, make sure you get on (Quarterbacks/Passing Game Coordinator) Darrell Bevell.”
(You mentioned the competition on the final roster spots. How did players react to missing this key practice, the last one in training camp…) – “That was an unintended consequence of the Zoom meeting this morning. Guys were in the tank. Guys wanted to practice. Guys were doubling down asking to come into the building. So I didn’t know this whole, ‘stomach bug gate’ to be something of gathering information, but every circumstance that you you incur, there’s something to be gathered from it. And I learned that they wanted to be in the building. I thought that but you don’t know until you see their faces and they’re just like, ‘Well…’ And I’m like, relax. So it was tough on all of them. I think they’re all aware that there are opportunities missed. But in turn, they are also feeling the responsibility of ‘Ok, well I better use this day to rest, recover and also make sure I am completely square on all responsibilities that I’m going to be held accountable for on Saturday. So you just try to use what can be perceived as a negative and turn it into a positive. It’s the same message that I preach daily that I don’t even care if it gets old. I’m going to keep pushing it because that’s what I believe.”
Jaelan Phillips – August 24, 2022
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Wednesday, August 24, 2022
LB Jaelan Phillips
(You must be feeling good in that orange jersey?) – “It’s a little crinkled up and a little sweaty right now, but I’m feeling great.”
(How does last practice and this one compounding those two practices?) – “Yes, I mean it feels great. I feel like I’m just kind of really getting into gear as the season’s coming soon. So we’re just rolling along and trying to get better every day. But it’s definitely great to get these opportunities and reps out here.”
(We saw you and I think Landon Dickerson kind of mix it up. Just from your vantage point, what was going on? It looked like it was physical on that side.) – “Yes, we’re just competing man. It was hot out here. We’re having a great time competing. There’s no animosity. That’s just that competitive spirit, man. You’ve got to butt heads sometimes. So it’s just good on good. We’re getting them better. They’re getting us better.”
(What did the Eagles do on offense that is maybe a little different from what you see with your own offense every day?) – “They do a lot of quarterback run, obviously, with Jalen (Hurts) being back there. But they’re just a very multiple offense. I mean, they’re similar to ours in that sense. They’re solid. They’re good. They’re doing their thing.”
(How does this compare to going against the Bucs in joint practices?) – “Different schemes, definitely, but the intensity is there and I think that’s what’s important. We’re just trying to come out here, push our conditioning and just get better every day. So that’s kind of similar in that sense.”
(How tough is balance between not being able to go at each other full impact, but still wanting to mix it up a little bit? Talk about the delicate balance.) – “Yeah, I mean, this is pretty full impact out there. We’re going after it. (laughter) I don’t know if you saw some pulling guards coming after me, but you have to obviously take care of that the team and take care of our teammates. So you always want to hold it back a little bit, but we’re competing out there, definitely.”
(Was that you who went flying when the whole dust up happened?) – “I don’t know. (laughter) Maybe. Maybe not.”
(This defense is more accomplished than the offense at this point. Do you feel that the defense can carry this team for the first half until the offense catches up? Or could you carry the team all season if necessary?) – “Honestly, it’s just complementary football. It’s us feeding off of each other. It’s us carrying each other. You don’t ever want to have a team that’s one-sided. Like you want every aspect of the team to be able to carry that load. So I’m completely confident in our offense, our defense, our special teams. So we’re just trying to get better every phase of the ball, every game.”
(What were your impressions of another Jalen, Jalen Hurts?) – “He’s fast. He’s a really good quarterback. Obviously he has some experience in this league. I’ve been watching him since he was at college, so it’s cool to get those reps against him.”
(Too many Alabama guys out there.) – “There’s a lot of Alabama guys, a lot of Bama guys. (laughter) I think I’m only ‘U’ (University of Miami) one though, sadly.”
(What’s that like for a University of Miami Hurricane? You’re in South Florida and all these Alabama guys are running around.) – “I mean, I don’t pay much mind to it. (laughter) But it’s cool to see all these talented guys come in here and get us better, like I said, and we try to do our part.”
(Did you get to Jalen Hurts? What’s the challenge when you have a guy like that?) – “I mean, I have to watch the film. I think I got to him. But that’s up to the refs to decide. But with him, playing against a guy who can run the ball, who can pass the ball, it just makes you honor all aspects of his game. And so it was definitely good work for us, because there’s plenty of other quarterbacks out there like that. So we need to get that practice.”
(With so many pass-rushing linebackers on this defense, it feels like come fourth quarter, everybody is still going to be fresh and still going to be relentless. Have you gotten a sense of that from practice of, I guess, sharing reps and how fresh you could be at the end of the game?) – “Yes, and like I said earlier, we’re just continuously trying to push our conditioning. … We’re just trying to push our conditioning so that every one of us can be available at any time. But having that depth, having guys you can trust, it’s definitely helpful. Just keep the o-line on their toes and keep us rotating in and out.”
(I don’t know how much you might play on Saturday, if at all, but do you like these formats where it’s two joint practices and a couple days as opposed to that fourth preseason game?) – “Yes, honestly this is only my second year, and last year, I was hurt for the first preseason game. So I’m still kind of getting my footing in it, but I’m enjoying it. I think that it’s the right balance of getting us the experience before the season but not wearing us out too much before the season. So yes, I’m excited for this week and excited for Week 1 to come, for sure.”
(How much more prepared do you feel going into this year than you did as a rookie? Obviously you missed most of camp last year.) – “Yes, I mean I definitely feel more prepared, both mentally and physically. But just still continuously trying to get better every day. I have a lot of room to grow, a lot of things to work on in my game. So every day is a challenge to come out here, not think about the future, not think about the past and just really be dedicated to trying to improve all those little aspects.”
(You rushed up the middle a lot at the University of Miami, didn’t you?) – “Yes, I did a little bit of 3-(technique) action. I’m a small 3-tech, but I get loose a little bit in that pass rush.”
(I saw that today. Is that new for you this year?) – “Yes, I mean I did it a little bit last year, too. I think there’s just we have different schemes that we try to do, and I just want to be able to help the team out as much as possible and be available to do whatever they really want me to do.”
(How has LB Melvin Ingram become more incorporated as he’s gotten more reps in this defense?) – “Melvin (Ingram) is just – he’s learned the defense at this point. He’s great veteran leadership, extremely talented pass rusher and early down stopper, honestly, too. So he’s been invaluable for me and for our team, just learning from him and really just picking his brain on what it’s like to be an elite pass rusher and an elite edge player in the league.”
(What challenges does it present an offense when your defense has guys like you and LB Melvin Ingram who can rush but also drop back in coverage? What sort of challenges does that present especially for quarterback?) – “Yes, I mean I guess for – I’m not a quarterback, so I don’t really know. (laughter) But I think that just being able to do multiple things within the scheme of a defense gives them challenging looks and makes them honor both aspects of that game.”
