Mike McDaniel – November 9, 2024
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Saturday, November 9, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(WR Tyreek Hill gave us another scare about a midweek thing that surfaced with him. How did he get the wrist injury and do you expect him to play Sunday?) – “Managing something, just kind of was heating up so trying to have it cool down. He’s doing everything possible. He’s a competitor, so we’ll see how he responds but just trying to get him to game day. He’s prepared and if his body lets him, he’ll play but we’ll see.”
(Are you less optimistic about it than you were with the foot injury a couple weeks ago? Is it a more serious thing where it’s a toss up in your mind if he plays?) – “I would say relatively – all I know is that I know nothing, as Socrates would say. (laughter) I’m optimistic that he’s going to do everything he can, but we’ll see. I wouldn’t say I was optimistic or pessimistic about it.”
(How did OL Austin Jackson’s knee injury develop and what is his status?) – “That was something that popped up after the game, and he’ll be out for this game.”
(Is there any long-term concern? Any surgery concern?) – “We’re still evaluating that. It’s not concrete, but that’s not out of the question. But we feel good about the way he’s attacking it, so we’ll see. We’re finding out information.”
(If he does need surgery, would it be a clean-up type thing or might it be something that would sideline him for the rest of the season?) – “I would look at it more in the former than the latter, for sure.”
(Did CB Cam Smith come out OK from that knee injury?) – “He did, yes. He’s good to go.”
(Good to go for the game?) – “It was a minor football practice scare that proved nothing to be fearful of.”
(And also in the secondary, S Jevón Holland, CB Kader Kohou and CB Storm Duck?) – “All three have had a good week and I think they’re all three super competitive and not happy with being off the field. I’m optimistic with them but we still have today to work through and then the remaining time up until Monday night.”
(Do you expect to activate WR River Cracraft in the next 48 hours?) – “We’re handling some roster stuff, so it’s kind of compounding but feel very good about where he’s at. I think he’s ready to play, so managing the roster will kind of dictate that but there’s a chance, for sure.”
(What’s it like kind of picking CB Jalen Ramsey’s brain? I know we see the impact and the results on the field, but I’m curious what is he like maybe in team meetings, on the sideline at practice? Just behind the scenes, what can you share about what he’s like?) – “I think he is a passionate football student and athlete. He’s really into football, so he has a lot of cool perspective and he really knows a ton of – he kind of lowkey has a grasp on a lot of different techniques and fundamentals across the board, specifically defensively but understanding what offenses are trying to do. He’s utilized in all sorts of ways where he’s playing inside, outside. He’s played an edge player before. One of his superpowers is that he has so much skill set in a unique body so he is exposed to a lot of football, knows a ton about different techniques and fundamentals of defensive players but also he’s got a strong opinion on offensive players, for sure, and what they’re good at and what they’re vulnerable to. It’s a cool guy to talk to on the football field because he has a lot of thoughts and passion about just really football in general. He could be a coach, I’m just not sure if he could stand the hours.”
(What do you think this game will be like for both CB Jalen Ramsey and WR Odell Beckham Jr. going up against the team they won a Super Bowl with?) – “I think those situations in the National Football League are always special for the individual. I think for them, especially having the success that they did that you alluded to, there’s always those memories but at the same time, they’re veterans that are fully immersed into the Miami Dolphins and what we need to do to win this game. I think the initial moments of going into the stadium will probably bring up some memories, but the second the clock starts, it’s just football. I know they’re going to be eager to get a win out there, as we all are.”
(What makes Rams Head Coach Sean McVay’s offense so dangerous?) – “I think it’s the collective understanding of what’s trying to get done. I think between Sean (McVay) and (Offensive Coordinator) Mike LaFleur, both guys that I’m very close with, they have a supreme conviction in what they’re trying to do and very good at articulating it to their players so you have a unit functioning in unison which forces defenses to play sound, and generally if you’re overplaying something, they have something to offset it so that you can take advantage of that overplay. I think just the various ways that they can attack you as well, if your pass rush isn’t getting home, the offense paired with the arm talent of (Matthew) Stafford is very dangerous and they can score points in a hurry while also maintaining ball control and having good ground game and all of that. So you have to be on your Ps and Qs or things will get exposed, for sure.”
(Will you have WR Dee Eskridge available this week?) – “I don’t think he’s going to (travel with the team).”
(How is FB Alec Ingold doing managing that calf and also TE Julian Hill, he missed last game. Will he be able to return?) – “Those are two of our hardest workers on the team, and I think one thing that you can always count on is if they’re not available, it’s because there wasn’t anything one could do. They’ve both had a good week and we’ve been managing appropriately so hopeful for the next 72 hours to come out clean but optimistic.”
(LS Blake Ferguson, would he be available to long snap after this game when he’ll be eligible, after his misses those four…?) – “We’re still working through that. We know that time will come. The specifics if it’s next week or the week after or the week after, we’ll let time tell, but he’s – I love Blake (Ferguson). When he’s ready, you’ll see him because the team is best when he’s spinning it.”
(What made you guys want to use one of your designated to return spots on S Patrick McMorris? What intrigued you about him in the offseason program and in August and is it more likely next week or beyond for him rather than this week?) – “I think first and foremost the guys that – there’s few and far between rookies that are able to transition super quick. We thought that he did a real good job of learning the responsibilities and really getting better throughout training camp. So he stood out in that way, and I think that’s both because of his ability and his professionalism. I think it might be a hair soon this week, but I look forward to him getting up and being a part of what we’re doing because he’s about the right stuff and has talent to contribute.”
(How tough a call is it going to be with your second elevation? Obviously you need a long snapper as one of them, but you’re shorthanded at tackle without OL Austin Jackson, at receiver, we’ll see on WR Tyreek Hill, WR Dee Eskridge out. You have WR Erik Ezukanma and others. How difficult of a call is that for you and General Manager Chris Grier with the second elevation?) – “It’s one of those things that’s part of the job and you have to be very mindful in terms of the needs of the entire team. It is challenging because we think there’s a couple guys that can help us at various positions so you just have to really take the week to fully assess where each position group is so that you can try to maximize really the health of your team on game day by assessing where everyone is at and having contingency. So you just really have to be communicative and thorough so that you can hit the right spot for your game day roster.”
(I read that two-point conversion success was 55 percent in the NFL last year, but this year it’s down to 31-33 percent. Do you think this is a deal where defenses are getting better at defending the two-point conversion?) – “I think it could possibly be a sample size issue that could contribute it, but I think that more teams have been in tune with the variables, particularly in the second half for your point charts and whatever; you have more reps for defenses to kind of game plan and it’s a tough down-and-distance. It’s two yards, but the field is compressed. So I think there’s a lot that goes into it. I do think from weekly preparation, what I’ve noticed is there’s more variance. In years past, I could feel a little more predictability which I think that might have something to do with it as well where you’re having to prepare for – a play has to work versus several different defensive personnels and coverages as opposed to kind of a known entity of what to execute and how to attack them.”
(Can you speak to T Kendall Lamm’s readiness and what he can provide as he’s going to be thrust into action at right tackle for OL Austin Jackson?) – “He is? Maybe, or maybe you’re dead right. I think just regardless, what an asset he’s been since he first got here where we’ve seen him execute in both. There’s two different things that you have to be able to do as an offensive lineman; that is prepare to start when you’re the starter all week and then in-game, be able to come off the bench and perform. The thing that stands out with Kendall (Lamm) is he executes at a high level doing both. So that gives you a little more confidence and conviction going into a game when you know if the next man up is prepared and can be a resource and a source of production as opposed to somebody that you have to protect against and leaves you limited – it’s very valuable. I think what’s so impressive is that he’s not just able to execute in games where he has the entire week to prepare as a starter, but he also has proved to be abnormally productive coming into the game in the second or third quarter which is not easy to do, a lot of people struggle with that. I think that has to do with who he is. He was never given anything in this league, he’s had to earn everything, and I think it’s to his credit that he’s what, in Year 10 or something? He’s one of many guys that we have on this team that have exceeded their due date so to speak from a right when they got into the league, he’s playing some of his best football right now, so important part of our team.”
(Though T Patrick Paul obviously is a left tackle by trade, do you and Offensive Line Coach Butch Barry want him to get to a point where if needed he could fill in at right tackle? And if T Kendall Lamm should break a shoelace for a play on Monday, could Patrick handle right tackle now?) – “Yeah, that’s always something that is important in your tackles that aren’t starting, is their versatility, and that’s something as a rookie that you try to walk before you run. You try to speak one language before you speak two, so you start out as one position for the sake of trying to master the nuances and then you grow. We’ve had the opportunity to get him comfortable at left tackle and so he’s been able to work at right throughout the year and that’s something we’ll continue to work on. He’s definitely capable and able to play on the right side as well, at any time. Maybe even this week, who knows?”
(With the success that the offensive line has had of late, especially with guys staying relatively healthy, how confident are you in there not being a drop off, I guess, from a continuity standpoint with OL Austin Jackson’s injury?) – “I think that where there’s adversity there’s opportunity. We’ve had so many different – we’ve had a lot of experience with a shuffling of offensive line lineups and Kendall (Lamm) has been a part of that. I think it’s a bigger deal when there’s not familiarity between two people working together. When guys have been in individual together, I mean shoot, he’s worked alongside Liam Eichenberg for two and a half years. I think that makes it a lot easier. There’s not as big of a learning curve when guys have history working together and we rep our tackles in a multitude of fashions during the season, during the week to minimize that learning curve as well. So I’m very confident in our offensive line group and feel very good about the depth and the working relationship of all those guys.”
Jevón Holland – November 8, 2024
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Friday, November 8, 2024
S Jevón Holland
(Sorry about the different things you’ve had to deal with this year. Is the knee at a point where you think you can play through it Monday safely and have the mobility you need?) – “Right now I’d say it’s TBD. Still working through the week, we’ve got a good amount of time before the game. I’m sure it will be a gametime decision.”
(Would you say this one is comparable at all to last years?) – “No. No, not close. Not close.”
(How frustrating has it been having to deal with different things over the last year with the body?) – “It’s not really frustrating, it’s more so enlightening. I’ve had a career where I don’t really deal with injuries, and then as of late I’ve been going through little, small bumps and bruises here. It’s taught me just to trust in myself, trust in the work I put in rehab, and it’s not happening to me, it’s happening for me. On the other side of the injury, I come out and I’ll be fine. It’s been a great learning experience honestly.”
(One last thing on this injury, is this particular one where you need medical clearance from the team to play or have they left it more in your hands in terms of what you’re able to do without being restricted with it?) – “It’s definitely a team effort. It’s more so how I feel and then as well as their input and what they think. I trust the professionals that I rely on.”
(Trying to tell through your helmet, you looked really upbeat at practice. Is that – you’re feeling good?) – “Yeah, I’m out there, the sun is out. It feels great. I was wearing the long sleeve and I wasn’t hot so the weather is awesome. I’m enjoying myself and playing the game that I love. Taking it one day at a time.”
(What do you think of the Rams offense? QB Mathew Stafford throwing to WR Cooper Kupp, and WR Puka Nacua, and also Demarcus Robinson?) – “Yeah, they’ve got a bunch of weapons. From the receiver corps to the running back to the quarterback whose been in the league for a very long time and their head coach who’s an offensive mind, they are a very well put together. I’m excited to go against them, and it’s going to be a fun game.”
(What do they do so well specifically, WR Cooper Kupp and WR Puka Nacua?) – “They just do a good job of moving around. Getting them in similar positions down the field but dressed up differently, and I think it keeps defenses on their toes trying to understand what they are trying to get to.”
(What do you think about S Jordan Poyer’s and S Marcus Maye’s game back there against Buffalo?) – “I think they did solid. I think it was definitely a stressful game because it was so close, but I think they were doing their job and they were trying their hardest out there. They were flying around. It was exciting to see.”
Terron Armstead – November 8, 2024
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Friday, November 8, 2024
T Terron Armstead
(Could you talk about the influence of T Kendall Lamm? Even though he hasn’t played, you always seen him involved in the game, regardless, and the way he mentors young guys. What is the influence of having a guy like that who’s able to jump in and take over?) – “For sure, and I said it earlier, but I love his approach to the game, to being a professional. He never complains, he just gets the job done. He’s a true hard hat, lunch pail, old school, but I love – since he’s got here, I love everything about his mentality, his mindset. I’ve learned a lot from Kendall (Lamm).”
(And him stepping in, I remember every time he’s played, it’s been very positive.) – “For sure, that’s what he does. He’s ready, he’s a professional at the highest level of the word. He takes it serious, his preparation is on point. He knows exactly where he needs to be, his communication. Like I said, he’s one of my favorite teammates I’ve ever had.”
(What does it take to play 10 years in the NFL?) – “You got to be adaptable. You got to show improvement every day, you got to go prove yourself every day, your preparation, your ability, too – he’s somebody that takes care of his body, he’s been blessed to be healthy most of his career. So it’s a lot man, 10 years don’t just happen. I see a lot of talented guys and for a lot of different reasons, their career stops before 10. That’s like that benchmark that all of us are trying to get to.”
(Obviously this team, where you are at 2-6, where you’re running out of track, how do you get a sense of urgency across?) – “I think we have that urgency, like we understand the situation. It’s all about getting a win, the result at the end. But you don’t get the win without the preparation and the approach that we’ve had and I can’t say this enough how happy I am to be here and be in a team and organization that works the way that we do, like our intent to win because I don’t want to just be here and roll out something on Sunday. We’re actually putting in the work to go win every game and it hasn’t been our result, but we’re not out of anything which is the beauty of it. We’ve started 8-3 the last couple of years and emptyhanded. So our start has been rocky to say the least, but we still have everything that we want in front of us and it all starts with this game on Monday.”
Chop Robinson – November 8, 2024
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Friday, November 8, 2024
LB Chop Robinson
(How much was relief the feeling, what was the emotion you had most after the sack?) – “I was excited in the moment and then as soon as I finished, I knew I had to line back up because they were going hurry-up offense. It was the last two minutes of the game, so I had to get back into it.”
(Is there pressure where you feel some relief for a first-round edge player to get their first NFL sack? Was that something you felt at all? Just to get it out of the way?) – “No, I wouldn’t put pressure on myself about it because I know a lot of people on the outside don’t really understand what it takes. They can’t really come out here and try to do what I do, so it’s different. So I don’t really pay attention to it, I just go out there and play football.”
(Most surprising text you got congratulating you for your first NFL sack? Somebody at Penn State? Who was the most surprising person you heard from?) – “I wouldn’t say surprised, but my defensive line coach at Penn State, he was like, ‘Congratulations, but you got more work to do.’ He’s always been on me about every little thing, so he knew once I got it, he knew I was going to be excited but he was trying to keep me level-headed and just keep going.”
(What’s his name?) – “Deion Barnes.”
(So what happened with the celebration after your sack?) – “It was too quick. It was too quick to do it because I had to hurry up and get back on the line of scrimmage because the clock was still running. I hit it quick but the TV didn’t show it, but you’re going to see it again.”
(So they didn’t stop the game or anything?) – “I know right? (laughter) They should’ve.”
(What do you think this week, going against the Rams, getting pressure on QB Matthew Stafford would be big against that receiving corps that he has to throw to?) – “It’s going to be big, we just got to get after them. Main thing – stop the run, of course. We stop the run, I feel like we could just do what we did against the Bills – rush, getting to the quarterback and everything like that.”
(How are you feeling in that regard? Stopping the run, because obviously it’s an important part of your position on top of affecting the pass rush?) – “I feel good. I feel like once I stop the run, pass rush is what I love to do and that’s everything. So I earned it, I earned the right to pass rush and when that happens, I can just go out there and be free.”
(Can you speak to the mentorship that you’ve gotten from, even if LB Jaelan Phillips isn’t out there, LB Bradley Chubb not out there yet – the mentorship that they provide?) – “I watch film with (Bradley) Chubb every week on the tackles or myself. We talk basically every day about something that I could do better since I first got in here. He put me under his wing, him, ‘JP’ (Jaelan Phillips), (Terron) Armstead, they’re just guys that see something in me. I’m just listening to the guys who have been in the game for a long time, who’ve been doing it good, so I’m just learning from the best.”
(What are some of the things that you’re picking up from T Terron Armstead? I mean offensive tackle, he’s giving away secrets I guess, right?) – “Yeah, I can’t give those up. (laughter) But he’s been helping me out a lot though.”
Danny Crossman – November 8, 2024
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Friday, November 8, 2024
Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(Does everybody sit in the same seat in your meeting room every day, pretty much? Like LB Duke Riley has a chair?) – “For the most part, yes. Yes. And if they don’t, it screws me up. Because to me, that’s almost roll call to me. Like when I want to ask somebody a question – ‘boom.’”
(We learned yesterday that the decision was made to designate S Patrick McMorris to return. I was curious how he did on special teams for you in preseason.) – “He was obviously trending in the right direction, was doing a good job. Unfortunately, had the injury up in Tampa and has missed a significant amount of time, but good young player. Smart physical, tough. He’s got all the attributes you want. Now we’ve just got to get him back into the swing of things and getting some work.”
(Do you know the new snapper LS Tucker Addington? Like do you have any previous connection?) – “No, no true connection. Obviously with the games that he had snapped when he was with the Patriots, a couple of those games were against us. So the combination of studying him before those games and then obviously, in the games playing against us and being able to talk to him pregame, but other than that, no.”
(Is there anything we might not know about joining a team and being asked to snap? Is there an element to that that might be a little harder than anyone realizes?) – “It’s very similar to a lot of other positions. You got to understand and learn the terminology. Some of the techniques; certain teams do certain things differently with the snappers. Whenever you bring anybody in, especially in those positions – if you bring in a punter, a kicker, a snapper – initially you’re not going to change a lot of stuff. Their comfort level, first and foremost, has got to be where they are successful doing the job. If you don’t get the snap, the rest of the play is irrelevant. But having some history of playing in games and being in the league – Matt (Overton) did a great job and hopefully we bring Tucker (Addington) in and things continue to trend in that same direction.”
(I want to be careful how I phrase this because I’m not asking you the merits of bringing LS Blake Ferguson off injured reserve and using one of the eight spots that teams have, but I’m asking in general, do you think a team could get away with alternating long snappers all season? Having them on the practice squad, elevating them three times, get rid of them, bring in a new one and go through a cycle of six of them over a season or is it too risky because of what’s required as far as chemistry at that position?) – “Way too risky. First of all, you’ve got to – I don’t care what position you’re talking about, there’s not …. The number of qualified – the pool is shallow.”
(Are you hopeful that LS Blake Ferguson might snap again for the team this season?) – “Absolutely.”
(When you have DT Calais Campbell, you have his height, but you kind of want to limit his snaps. Is it automatic that he’s going to be on field goal block, extra-point block, that you stick him in the middle or do you ask him? How does that work?) – “Obviously, that length and the experience, he’s had a lot of success doing it over the years. That’s not a physically taxing play, so that’s one of the things that’s a benefit of that. It’s a play, it’s tough, it’s hard – it’s a lot harder on the protection team than it is on the rush team, but it’s not a taxing play.”
(TE Durham Smythe, how did he do in there for DT Zach Sieler for I guess, a couple games?) – “Good. It’s like anything else, when you have to play – any time you go to the next guys, you got to understand, you’re not doing the exact same things in the same techniques and you’re not playing the same calls. It’s part of the game planning and the personnel aspect of it. It all ties together. Whether it’s us game planning for ourselves or game planning against the opponent, you’ve got to make sure you have matchups. If you don’t have good matchups, you can’t be upset if you’re not winning those matchups. That’s part of coaching.”
(K Jason Sanders, he kind of got rolled into on one of the field goal attempts. I talked to him about it, is there anything a kicker can do? Because he was telling me he’s looking at the ball, and then this guy comes… It’s just part of the game, right?) – “No, there’s nothing and They’ve done a good job in identifying all specialists as defenseless players, but then the next progression of what is considered a foul or not foul, you put that in the same bucket of officiating. It’s decisions that are made by individuals in the split second of time and it’s not a call that they want to make, so it’s got to be, in my opinion, usually has to be egregious for them to make that call.”
(Would you like to see that called? Or should that play be reviewed?) – “No, I don’t think it should be reviewed and I think they do a pretty good job of when it is egregious, but there’s always plays that – and I always look at every penalty the same: Would I want that call? Would I expect that call? And if it is, whether it’s us committing the penalty or the opposition committing the penalty, I view it all the same. I change the uniforms and would I have wanted that call if that would have been us? Probably not, so it doesn’t bother me.”
(It looks like the Rams lead the NFL with 95 percent kickoff touchback percentage, is there any reason to believe that they have any intention to have anyone return any kicks this season? In other words, is there any reason for you guys to think otherwise on Monday?) – “There is and you just go back to the last game. (Ethan) Evans has an illness right now, the punter who is traditionally their kickoff specialist did not kick off last week. They went with (Joshua) Karty, their field goal kicker and they were a couple of the kickoffs that were not touchbacks. So again, it ties a little bit more of personnel, but you never know. There’s mishits, there’s – you work for the opportunity. If the opportunity doesn’t come, you can’t control that, but you’ve got to be ready when the opportunity presents itself.”
(Going back to long snapping, what goes into scouting a long snapper? Because from the uneducated eye, it seems like their job is to long snap – but how big are these margins when you’re scouting them? Is it just as simple as “well, he took 100 snaps and 99 of them were good”?) – “No, there’s a lot of things you look at – what’s the tempo, what’s the location, what’s the placement, the laces, on the hip, left, right, can he snap to an offset punter? Can he protect left? Can he protect right? Can he handle a big body? Does he stay square? There’s a lot that goes into it. Fortunately, if everything goes according to plan, it’s not something that you should hopefully spend a lot of time with, but when things go wrong, then it is, ‘well, why did that happen?’ Those are the things that evolve into a negative play.”
(I was curious about it when you said, “the pool is shallow,” so as a team that’s had the same long snapper for six or seven years (five), how often do you guys check the pool to see exactly?) – “It’s the progression of the year. Every year I evaluate every snapper that’s coming out of college, look at him, you track him because you never know when things are going to happen when you are going to need that next guy – and that’s every position. That’s every kicker, every punter. So for me, it’s every specialist and then you keep the file on that guy and you track him throughout his career, i.e., Matt Overton was a guy who you track him for his entire career. You know a little bit of what he is, where he’s progressed in his career, whether he’s on the up, whether he’s on the down, whether he’s on the even. So that’s just the ongoing process of being ready when something happened when you need the next guy.”
(We talk about plays where you guys just missed – WR Dee Eskridge’s kickoff return, that qualifies, right?) – “Yeah.”
(LB Quinton Bell has a great block, I think No. 44 for Buffalo just got off that block, right?) – “Yeah, does a good job. Got a little bit crossed over with a small technique thing, but that’s the difference between being able to have the proper leverage and losing the leverage on an inside out block with the crossover and the guy was able to come over the top and make a play.”
(K Tyler Bass, the game-winning kick – I talked to K Jason Sanders about this, and he (Bass) misses the extra point on that open end. I guess the garage door opened for a lack of a better term. And Jason was saying maybe as a kicker, you can say, “well, I missed it at that end, now I’m kicking at this end, it’s completely different.” How much does mentality and that go into it? Can you tell yourself that was the open end? Is that a factor?) – “What’s funny is in that stadium, that was the wind that you maybe get once a season. Traditionally, the wind towards the closed end is the tough end, but we got a nice day, and the wind help was actually to the closed end as opposed to the tunnel end. The mentality of a kicker is, ‘I’m going to make every kick.’ If you are worrying about a miss, bad stuff is going to happen. But you give them credit, he had missed the PAT, he had banged one off the upright that went in, so they didn’t blink and went for the win, and he did a great job, made a heck of a kick.”
(In light of your comment with the risk involved with going through rotating long snapper, were there conversations about maybe giving LS Matt Overton a spot on the 53?) – “There’s all kinds of conversations. And that conversation about…that’s every position. Do you want to play a new quarterback every three weeks? Do you want a new snapper? Do you want a new defensive end every three weeks? There’s a lot that goes into those transitions and most importantly, every player is different and how you scheme and how you gameplan; all that stuff would continually be changed regardless of position. Any time you can get continuity, it’s a good thing.”
(I wonder what long snapper do in life as they’re waiting for long snapping jobs. We can’t talk to guys on the practice squad, but I’m curious, the two guys who you brought into audition this week, do you know what they were doing? The one that you signed and the one that you didn’t sign in real life these last few weeks – working at Walmart, something else?) – “Yeah, you know a lot about what guys are doing. That’s part of the process.”
(And the guy you signed [LS Tucker Addington], what had he been doing since we can’t talk to him?) – “Maybe someday you’ll get an opportunity to and that’s his business. I’m from Philadelphia, I don’t put people’s business in the street.”
(If you could have every kickoff to the opponent five-yard line, would you sign up for that? Is that pretty good? Is that perfect? Every kickoff for the rest of the year will be kicked to the five, would you be cool with that? Is that a good set up?) – “Are we kicking off? Are they kicking off? Who is the returner?”
(The Dolphins kickoff to the opponent five. Every kick, you’ve got to sign off.) – “No.”
(Really, why? That’s so interesting.) – “The average return right now is almost 28 yards.”
(So 28 plus five is 33.) – “So fudge your numbers a little bit and I may be signing up for something.”
(So what you’re saying is the rules are not generous enough to the return team to incentivize…) – “The number of over 40-yards returns are up. So there’s so much differentiation in terms of what goes into it based on who you’re playing, where you’re playing, who’s the returner, what are they trying to do? Last week, we played a team that a couple balls minus-two, were touchbacks. Three weeks leading up to our game, those were return balls. You can’t control what they’re going to do and there’s a lot more that goes into it.”
(For instance, like last week, how deep is too deep? Because you might think having a kickoff return is a better chance of scoriang a touchdown than a 17-lateral, last play of the game situation. How deep…) – “Again, that goes into you look at them; they kicked the ball into the fourth row and that’s a little bit of the coaching. You got a defensive head coach who’s been a defensive coordinator. That’s a play that you work every week, last play of the game for a must win situation. He felt much better playing defense on the last play as opposed to, how often are we working covering a desperado situation with our kickoff cover team? But head coaches are different. Some may play it to maybe try and end the play with a kickoff, but you get a defensive head coach, he knows exactly what they’re going to play on the last play to defend whatever we may have in store, so they’re going to play to the defense. Other people may play to the kicking game, and that can change week-to-week. You keep files on coaches, you know how they want to play certain situations and what you expect.”
(Did you have a return on?) – “We did, but we knew – and knowing Sean (McDermott) you knew it was going to be – we had talked about it on the sideline, ‘yeah, here’s what we have on,’ but this thing is going to be out of the back of the end zone because you know how Sean is going to play that.”
Frank Smith – November 8, 2024
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Friday, November 8, 2024
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(The volume of plays 20+, 40+ obviously has plummeted. QB Tua Tagovailoa’s absence for a time obviously is a huge factor in that. Can you score and win to the level you want to win without higher volume of those chunk plays?) – “Yeah, I think it’s about just your overall efficiency as an offense. So if you’re not having 40 and 20 massively explosive plays, then you’re looking at your overall efficiency of how you’re moving the football. This last game especially when you look at our efficiency obviously we’re continuing to improve is just making sure we do the little things. This is the first game we were able to overcome some penalties we’ve had that in last couple of games before that set us back. Overall when you’re looking at a offense it’s about efficiency in what you’re doing, maximizing the situation and if you do have setbacks, making sure you’re able to get back on track whatever play is necessary in the situation.”
(Anecdotally it seemed like there were less shifts and pre-snap motion on Sunday. Is that true and if so what was the affect of it?) – “I think like everything you’re trying to do is intentional. Just with the environment up there and just making sure that for us we want to make sure that when it’s a loud environment that we were able to come off the line of scrimmage together. We felt that with a division opponent we were thinking, this is how they’re going to play and this is how we can take advantage of it. So yeah, that was part of the plan. Each week is a little different. With Buffalo you kind of know them a little bit better. This week for LA we’ll base our attack on what defenses they are going to play and what they present.”
(QB Tua Tagovailoa said that it wasn’t necessarily the game plan to spread the ball out so much, but how impressive was it to see him get the ball to TE Jonnu Smith, get the ball to RB De’Von Achane and even to WR Odell Beckham Jr. when so much attention went to WR Tyreek Hill, and WR Jaylen Waddle?) – “I think it’s a good sign of growth for us. It’s like when coverage gets pushed are we able to maximize one-on-ones or different parts of the space. And I think that’s what we were able to see this last game was when coverage gets pushed, are you able to get back to the other guys, like Raheem (Mostert) on the sideline for 15. They pushed coverage all the way to the slot and they had one-on-one on the backside. That’s just areas where you can see our growth. If they are trying to take away a part of the field, it means they are light somewhere else and it was great to see Tua with the distribution with the guys being in the right spot at the right time to take advantage of what they were giving us.”
(We saw OL Austin Jackson pop up on the injury report. Are you at a point where you could play T Patrick Paul at right tackle or is that a T Kendall Lamm type of situation?) – “I think it just plays to the nature for us. We always try to cross train the line so guys are versatile to play both sides if necessary. Like with all things, you guys know, as we go through the week we’ll try and make sure that we take all the variables in play and we put the guys out there that give us the best chance to be successful.”
(How would you evaluate, certainly since QB Tua Tagovailoa’s been back, but all season, how your offensive line has played?) – “I think overall you can see in the last month, you can see the continuity and the growth showing in areas of things that we wanted to improve, especially after the Tennessee game. So I think that the guys really understanding how to play together and how to work together, our communication has been outstanding as far as them getting connected, so yeah, the last couple of weeks we’ve been very pleased with how they’ve been playing.”
(With T Kendall Lamm, there’s a big body of work with him at left tackle. Where’s the comfort level with him at right tackle? I know he’s been a swing tackle most of his career but primarily the left side.) – “Yeah, here he’s played left, but he would tell you when he says personally, ‘I love playing right, but I like playing left, too.’ So he’s one of those guys that when you have a career kind of like him, you get used to playing both sides and that’s a luxury especially when you have a veteran with that kind of experience. So ultimately, you just never know the way a season’s going to play out, so when you ask a guy to do one side, one side only, and then he switches, sometimes it gets a little harder, but that’s the way our guys train.”
(Kind of going back to the balance thing, what kind of discussion did you guys have as a staff this offseason to incorporate a more balanced approach this season? I feel like we heard from WR Tyreek Hill earlier this season that we need to be able to sustain drives more, I think he said it wasn’t his personal goal anymore to just get 2,000 yards. How did you guys come together as a staff to make sure it would be a more diversified approach this year?) – “Ultimately that’s what we’re trying to achieve every week is the balance where you can’t overplay a part of your defense to defend an area. And as guys try to overplay an area, that allows us to attack with different guys. I think it’s just basically for us of when a defense tries to overplay an area, we’ve got to be able to attack the matchups that are presented from it and I think that’s an area that we wanted to focus on for growth because when they’re trying to defend or isolate an area and you can maximize with, maybe it’s not a 20 or a 40-yard gain, but you get 10, 16, 12, you’re right at that threshold where maybe just a hair more and you get the 20 (yard gain). So I think overall, that’s what we’re striving to achieve and especially at the end of the season when we started seeing those coverages where they’re trying to man up and do all that. Well, what happens? You get isolation of one-on-ones on the backs and the tight ends and that’s last week. So you’re going, ‘hey, there’s only so many yards and so many possessions that you get, and so that way, how are you maximizing the opportunities?’ Well, if they’re trying to play forward or take away two, the math is one-on-one in other spots, so how do we do that? You get out of that coverage, hit a tight end for 12 yards. Hit a back for 15 on a flat route. And now all of a sudden, it’s going, ‘I can’t push the coverage,’ so now you change it up, you get single-high and then you hit Tyreek (Hill) for 30. So that’s the variables that went on of how does it work out? Well, drive them out of a coverage that can’t defend a certain area, now guys get one-on-ones. We ran the ball one play to the right, we ran the ball for eight yards. Next play, we come back, hit Tyreek (hill) on the double move for 30 because we drove them out form two-shell, four man, single high, one-on-one. So that’s the game that we have to play because when you have to defend the whole field, where’s the ball going?”
(If FB Alec Ingold is limited in any way, what does that do in terms of changing up the offense if you have to play without him or have him limited?) – “I think it shows like all season, just trying to make sure we’re versatile with what we’re doing. Obviously he’s a big component of why we’ve been successful running the football but ultimately, as we go through any guy that’s down one week, we have to complement another in a certain area and another has to offset it. So like always, we’re trying make sure that we cover all variables for all potential things that can happen and those solutions.”
(What haven’t you said, what can you say to WR Jaylen Waddle? I know he’s frustrated because the team isn’t winning but I also sense that less than five catches per game, one total touchdown, in my opinion, might be getting to him a little bit. What have you said or could you say or do you want to make sure he’s thinking about in this time?) – “The great thing about it is you play a whole game and the way it’s going, maybe when you’re the primary and the targeting and the coverage pushed, like whatever happens, but you’re executing, you’re doing your job for your teammates. And then in a critical moment at a critical time, where we needed a critical reception, he makes it. I mean that third down was huge and then comes back, touchdown – huge. For us, we look at it as, talk about a guy who’s leading by example of executing when the plays come and then all of a sudden at the end. It’s easy to get frustrated in a game and then at the end, how do you perform? Executed his job, critical moments, making plays to help us win and he’s the guy on the sideline at the end, cheering on his teammates as the defense is fighting to get us the win. So keep doing what you’re doing because you’re being a fantastic teammate and helping this football team, and like all things, when you stay the course and you keep working at that level, it will come.”
(You’re rarely a team that gets blitzed a lot. You were the least blitzed team last year. This year, you’re by far the least blitzed team in the league. I think you’ve been blitzed 30 times. The stats said the next closest was 45. You can’t never account to say they’re not going to blitz us, but knowing that there’s a 90 percent chance that you’re not getting blitzed, does that totally change how you would approach protection schemes, using your backs, all that?) – “No, you prepare for the worst and what could happen because when you underprepare, what happens when that happens? So we always have to prepare in a manner of, ‘Okay, they want to bring that kind of day? Okay, what are we going to do. If they don’t bring that kind of day, what are we going to do?’ Because the worst thing you can have is – was it a couple years ago on Thursday night with Lamar Jackson and the Dolphins zeroed (blitzed) him all those times? You have to work all variables and assume if they do this, this is their plan; what is our answer? So we always make sure that if there is going to be a pressure day, here’s what we’re going to do. Alright, it’s a coverage day, here’s what we’re going to do. And you’re going, ‘how do you carry all that volume in plays?’ Well, it’s how it’s packaged and what you’re asking people to do is how you get it done. So no, we always have to prepare that the 10 percent could be the 100 percent. Otherwise, you’ll be sitting here next week going, ‘why didn’t you guys plan for that pressure?’ (laughter) ‘Yeah, well 90 percent of the time they said they weren’t going to do it, and I was playing the percentages.’ No, if it’s two percent, five percent, 10 percent, you got to assume that it could be 50 percent any day, so you always prepare for it.”
Anthony Weaver – November 8, 2024
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Friday, November 8, 2024
Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver
(I know it’s a week-to-week league, but are you going to move forward this week again with LB Anthony Walker Jr. starting alongside LB Jordyn Brooks?) – “Yeah, that’s certainly the plan. I thought ‘Walk’ (Anthony Walker Jr.) went out there and did a good job of both executing not only his assignment but communicating to the defense overall and trying to help guys out. So yeah, that’s the plan right now.”
(And as far as weaving in LB David Long Jr. at all? Something that had been done in reverse for a couple weeks earlier this season, is that a consideration or do you want the continuity of LB Anthony Walker Jr. and LB Jordyn Brooks playing every snap together?) – “Yeah, I certainly think that’ll be a decision based week-to-week. Love ‘Dave’ (David Long Jr.). He’s a captain. He’s an outstanding teammate. At this particular time, we just think ‘Walk’ (Anthony Walker Jr.) gives us the best chance to go out there and execute from a defensive standpoint.”
(What were some of the things you were seeing going into that decision before executing?) – “Yeah, again, I think ‘Dave’ (David Long Jr.) was doing a heck of a job out there, but I think he’ll be the first one to admit to you that he had left some plays out there. So I’ve said this to you guys before – we see that linebacker room as a position of strength and ‘Walk’ (Anthony Walker Jr.) was a good player waiting in the wings and we wanted to give him the opportunity to go out there and make those same plays.”
(Regarding CB Cam Smith it looked like he was targeted a couple of times especially with Bills WR Mack Hollins. How did he do and what are the teaching points moving forward?) – “Cam is a young player. We know he is Year 2, but in a lot of ways you can still say he is kind of a rookie out there. So the fact that he was targeted certainly wasn’t a surprise to us. When he did have his mistakes, they were lapses in technique and fundamentals, so from a coaching standpoint, that’s what you try to focus on. Now to his credit, I think it says something about him where he did get in some instances where he gives up a couple passes, gets a holding penalty and a PI, I believe, but then that most critical play late, he was there and made the play. And I think that just says something about the kid and who he is, just that even though he was targeted at the most critical time, he showed up and was there to break that pass up.”
(And it looked like he kept I guess at least one player in bounds late in the game?) – “Yeah, for sure. For sure. So again, I think you’re going to go through some young growing pains with any young player and we’re just going to have to continue to work our way through those.”
(Your pass defense in general, these last three games, what’s gone wrong in the second half?) – “I don’t know that – there have been lapses particularly in communication and we’ve given up big plays like the 61-, 63-yarder in this last game. That’s when those instances come up, particularly when we’re in man coverage. We’ve had some lapses there. I think you’ve also got to give credit to the two quarterbacks that we’ve played. There have been instances where we had them dead to rights and they’ve been able to make some things happen. That’s why they make the money they do, so ultimately I think we’re just trying to chase, as a defense, competitive greatness. You go back to old John Wooden where we’ve got to be at our best when our best is needed and right now we’ve fallen short really two games in a row.”
(I think there was a viral clip of you challenging – maybe last year or the year before – the Ravens defensive line, you have to dig deep… how do you translate that into the second half because you guys have had leads the last three weeks? How do you instill, hey, this is the time to do it?) – “I think we can talk about it till we’re blue in the face. What we have to do is you have to go out there and work for it. You have to make sure that you prepare each and every day so that when you’re in that situation, nothing is surprising to you. People always say you rise to the occasion. I don’t think you rise to the occasion; I think you drop to the threshold that you’ve been working at all week. So let’s make sure in everything we do whether it’s a walkthrough, a live speed period in practice that we’re taking all those reps like it’s fourth down and five to go in the Super Bowl.”
(It’s approaching moot point here, but since this is the first time we’ve been able to talk to you since Sunday, S Jordan Poyer’s unnecessary roughness penalty, those are such bang-bang situations. What can he do differently in that scenario? Like realistically what could he have done differently in that scenario and how do you coach him to get to that?) – “It’s unfortunate. It’s like you said. It’s a bang-bang play. It’s certainly up to interpretation from the official at that point. All you try to do with Jordan is say, one, try to go get the ball, right? And hopefully in doing that, you don’t make helmet-to-helmet contact. And at this particular time unfortunately in the league, you’ve really got to lower your target and make sure you’re in the strike zone which is easier said than done when you’re when you’re going at those speeds. So I hate that it happened. I hate that it happened to him in particular in that place because obviously you know the importance of that game, particularly to him being an old Bill. But the last thing you ever want to do as a coach is take away his aggressiveness. So you just continue to try to talk about the strike zone and then just go get the ball.”
(I know when S Jordan Poyer was out earlier this year where I mentioned S Marcus Maye, your line was “don’t sleep on Elijah Campbell.” Where is he now in your thought process? If S Jevón Holland is out again on Monday, is the best approach you think sticking entirely with Marcus and Jordan or has Elijah done something to change that thought process?) – “I have the utmost confidence in Elijah and I think he’s earned the right to go out there and play for us. So we’ll see how it all shakes out during the week with Jevón and some of these other guys, but I would not be shocked at all to see Elijah come Sunday.”
(Sometimes we worry about players trying to do too much when they face their former team. CB Jalen Ramsey gets a chance to go back to the Hollywood, California, area. Inglewood is probably kind of far from Hollywood, but how do you think Jalen is built for this moment where he’s going to face a team that he won a Super Bowl with?) – “This is, to me, like these prime time games, that’s when players like your Jalen Ramseys, your Jevón Hollands, all your guys who are supposed to be prime time guys; that’s when they show up. So there’s no situation, there’s no game, there’s no areas, no ex-team that I think is too big for him. He is going to go out there and play like he has all year and try to be impactful.”
(How would you describe that DT Zach Sieler being back could make for the defense?) – “Yeah, I think it’s huge. He should be a Pro Bowl and All-Pro player. The impact he has for us obviously off the field is tremendous and then on the field he’s showed up consistently and has been impactful all year. And then the connectivity he has with Calais in terms of their communication – both to talk nonverbally and verbally and what they’re hearing from the offensive line and being able to use that to their advantage; you miss that a little bit with him out. So if he can get out there and play, man, like I told you guys last week, I am a much better coach and it certainly enhances our pass rush, too.”
(Is the feeling any different in the locker room before a prime time game compared to 1 o’clock on a Sunday?) – “Yeah, for sure. Any time you know that you’re in the only game in town and all your peers and all your family are going to have eyes on it, there’s certainly a heightened sense of urgency there where you want to go and put your best foot forward. So the short answer – that was long-winded – is yes. Yes, there is a very big difference.”
(You talked a little bit about CB Cam Smith. Can you speak to the importance of having CB Kader Kohou in the lineup, what he does for the defense?) – “I mean you guys saw really the way we were able to move in and out of Jalen (Ramsey) being at nickel, putting Kader outside and just being able to do that seamlessly in one personnel group. The ability to do that, it surprises offenses because you really don’t know. When Kader is not out there, right now we don’t have the flexibility to do that. At some point you hope we can grow into that, but some of the guys that we have playing in Kader’s spot, like they’re very specific in their jobs and what they can do. So to have him back, particularly he was playing at such a high level prior to his injury, obviously is huge for us.”
(You’re always going to try to get pressure on the quarterback of course, but the trouble you’re having and getting it with consistently the front four getting home to the quarterback, is it almost better off, hey, you might be better with seven guys in coverage and take our chances? Is that kind of the way you look at it or will you always be aggressive even if you don’t get the results?) – “Again, I think whether or not we’re rushing four or being aggressive is truly based on an opponent. I don’t go in with any preconceived notions about ‘this is how we have to do it.’ I have faith in our four-man rush and our ability to get there. Sometimes, again, based on opponent, you want to bring some pressure and put that guy under some heat. I thought we were selective in when we chose to do that against Josh Allen where some of those younger quarterbacks like an Anthony Richardson, you’re probably going to be a little bit more aggressive because he probably will be more prone to make a mistake. So this week there is nothing that Matt Stafford hasn’t seen, so we’re probably going to be in that mode where we’re going to be selective when we decide to apply pressure and our four-man rush will have to come alive.”
(I’m trying to understand what I saw with LB Chop Robinson. I thought the first possession, he got that pressure just off his first step and I thought his sack – I don’t know if Dion Dawkins’ technique was off or it was a bull rush – can you…?) – “Let’s not take anything away from the kid’s sack and blame it on the lack of technique by Dawkins. He got chopped up is what happened. (laughter)”
(No, no, I’m not. I’m trying to understand what I saw. What did I see on that? That’s what I was getting to…) – “No, I just think Chop (Robinson) is continuing to grow. And I’ve said this from Day 1, it’s unfortunate he hasn’t had the sack numbers, but the thing I love most about the kid is like I said, his approach to work. Like he is out there every single day just trying to listen to all the wisdom that he’s getting from both coaches and players alike. Bradley Chubb is out there working with him. I know Coach (Ryan) Crow and Coach (Sean) Ryan do a tremendous job. I think even Terron Armstead has talked to him a little bit about some stuff, so he’s taking all that in. Trying to figure out what he can use particularly with his specific skillset and we’re starting to see some of the benefits of that on Sunday.”
(Did we see a combination of speed and strength, I guess would have been a better way to ask that originally?) – “I think he possesses both those traits, yes.”
(What’s unique about the Rams receiver trio of Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua and now Demarcus Robinson?) – “I was with Demarcus (Robinson) in Baltimore, so I think the thing he adds for them is he’s kind of a big target and obviously he can get down the field and he’s one of those guys where if you throw him the ball he can go up and get it. Puka (Nacua) and Cooper Kupp are two of the toughest receivers I believe in the National Football League. They’re asked to do things that not only receivers do in terms of blocking but tight ends do as blockers. And then as receivers their short-area quickness and ability to get open in that intermediate window in coverage is outstanding. I mean you certainly have to account for all three of them. Fortunately I think we have the secondary and the guys on the roster do that, but it’ll certainly be a challenge for sure.”
(LB Jordyn Brooks took the blame for the long touchdown that went to the running back, Ray Davis. Was it just a miscommunication in man coverage as far as where…?) – “Yeah, in really the last two games, the majority of our communication breakdowns have happened in man. So it’s unfortunate that it happened in that particular instance. It was certainly two backers that are communicating and then at the end of the day we’ve got to get them down with a post safety in Marcus (Maye). So Jordyn is a man, right, so he’s certainly going to take blame, but ultimately we’re all responsible for that.”
(I know how much time you spend obviously training camp and other times in terms of chopping the ball out. Turnover creation bottom five in the league. How bothersome is that to you and has that been a factor in higher point totals these last two games?) – “Certainly disappointing because it has been a point of emphasis from the very moment I stepped foot here in Miami, so certainly something we’ve got to continue to work on. I think you’ve got to make sure you’re constantly have that as a point of focus in practice, particularly when you’re not wearing pads a whole lot. And I think that’s where some of the drop off has been. So we’ll continue to chase that, continue to attack that and hopefully the ball starts to fall our way a little bit.”
Emmanuel Ogbah – November 7, 2024
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Thursday, November 7, 2024
LB Emmanuel Ogbah
(I know you’re fighting through injury. A lot of guys are fighting through injury, but when you look across the field, you see a lot of guys coming back now, playing through it even though the record isn’t where you want it to be. What does it say about this team that you guys haven’t given up, still want to keep fighting?) – “It’s just the brotherhood we have here. The will to fight and the will to fight for your brothers. I’m not the only fighting through injuries, a lot of people, and we’re happy to have those guys coming back this week. They were definitely needed and it’s going to boost our whole team up.”
(You guys have been so close the past couple of weeks, even going really back three weeks – 10 points has been the difference between these last three games. What is the thing that needs to happen for you guys to finish?) – “Just keep chopping wood. Obviously it’s not going our way right now, but we’ve just got to keep playing, got to keep going hard. The sky’s the limit.”
(What is the message from Head Coach Mike McDaniel after these practices when you’re gearing up for another primetime game on the West Coast in the situation you’re in?) – “We control our destiny. The world’s watching now, you got to go out there and prove that you can do it.”
(I was just curious, I think it was DT Calais Campbell who mentioned if you guys play the way you did against Buffalo, you’re going to beat almost every team. But when the margin of error is so thin, what’s the line there between playing guarded so you don’t make a mistake but also playing all out so you can win?) – “Just do your job. Trust the man next to you is going to do his. So like I said, just keep on fighting, keep on playing for the man next to you. And the sky’s the limit, but we have to study more and just do your job, don’t mess up, don’t be the reason why.”
(DT Zach Sieler was back out there today, what was it like having him back out on there? I can see you smiling immediately.) – “Everybody loves when Zach (Sieler) is out there. He makes stuff go and we’re glad to have him back out there.”
(Speaking of DT Calais Campbell, what was it like watching him chase down QB Josh Allen last week? He ran like 30 yards to go get that tackle.) – “Man, that guy can run. But it just speaks of how his work ethic and how he works. Year 17 and he’s still doing that, you just look at that and draw inspiration from that.”
(What’s noticeably missing out there when DT Zach Sieler isn’t there? What has it been like the last few games? What did you notice was missing?) – “Just a lot, him bringing the team together, bringing the defense together, making big plays, giving us that spark that we were missing. We’re just glad to have him back.”
(DT Calais Campbell is 38 years old, are you going to be playing until you’re 38, 39, 40 or what?) – “We’ll see man. (laughter) I’m just taking it one year at a time.”
