Mike McDaniel – November 29, 2024
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Friday, November 29, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Do you have any sense yet about how severe CB Kader Kohou’s back injury is and are you hopeful for having CB Kendall Fuller back for the Jets game?) – “Hopeful for both. More information on Kader (Kohou), it didn’t seem to be severe but we’ve got to get more information.”
(As you reviewed the tape of last night’s game, in particular I wanted to ask you about the three plays from the 1-yard line. What did you see on tape and what might you do differently as a playcaller?) – “I would do four plays, like I said I thought there was an opportunity for us to score from the 9(-yard line), great effort but a minor execution fault on the perimeter got us to the 1(-yard line). The next play, we had a critical assignment mistake that got us kind of stuffed at the 1(-yard line), then we had a bootleg which we just needed an extra tick to layer the ball out there a little bit further. That was a huge opportunity to score and defense did a good job on the edge to kind of layer the ball and then I thought the defender got to Jonnu (Smith), it was a bang-bang. You hope for a call there, but it’s 50-50 when those happen, it’s just one of those football things. The fourth down call was what I was eluding to last night, I was disappointed in just because this is the way I kind of look at fourth down; sometimes going for it on fourth down you’re successful, sometimes you’re not. I can’t really hang my hat on the result, but what’s important to me is in those situations that I give the players an opportunity to make a play in that moment of truth. In that situation, the defensive presentation was a little difficult for the play. I put Alec Ingold in a really tough spot who got caught up in foot traffic, and with the pocket kind of compressed at the point of attack, there wasn’t really a play to be made. So those are the ones that for me I don’t view as acceptable, I expect better in those situations. I think just going through that, that’s kind of the microcosm for the game where everybody played a part in something and executing football in a way that we hadn’t in the past month offensively and as a result, we came up short.”
(I wanted to get your reaction to a comment that came out of the locker room last night postgame. LB Jordyn Brooks, “We were soft.” What’s your reaction?) – “I think specifically what Jordyn (Brooks) was talking about, I think that has to do with the tackling or the lack there of. So much of the production over 100-some odd yards for them offensively was as a result of tackling, and I think that was a collective issue. It’s two-fold, really. In my mind, it’s hard for me to assess 100% with conviction opinion one way or the other, but I think two things were at play; I saw a consistent failure of tacklers to bring their feet through the tackle, just picture diving and leaving your feet to try to wrap up, as opposed to bringing your feet through the tackle which is our No. 1 fundamental emphasis when we do that. Whether that was because of the cold or the short week, either way both things are consistent with the opponent; the opponent has a short week and the opponent is playing in that weather. There are some things that kind of we took a step back in the football that had gotten us out of 2-6. I’m not sure – whatever factors at play, we need to attack this game singularly and focus on the stuff that we didn’t do that contributed to the result that we had been doing. We got out of, I think the last five guys – even before the three-game win streak, there were three games that we lost but they were all one score, so you saw us playing better football. Then we travel to Green Bay, and unlike the Monday night experience, we didn’t bring some of the nuts and bolts of how we play football and paid for it severely. A 13-point game, three-and-out after the defense was defending a short field based upon a kick return that we gave up too much yardage on special teams, then we had a special teams turnover, too many mistakes there which wasn’t acceptable, so you give up seven points there and then you’re denied on the goal line – that’s 14 points there in a 13-point game. It’s frustrating but it’s also not that complicated from my vantage point. I think it will be very clear when talking to the team, I think they’ll agree. In the National Football League, you learn hard lessons a lot, and we’ll have to hear about all the things that come with this loss and I’d prefer that. I want things earned, not given, and we have some work to do to earn what our goals are.”
(I’m wondering if you guys talk playoffs at this point. Is that still the big picture goal or is strictly week-to-week, game-to-game right now?) – “I think it’s an understated thing that I bring up from time to time just because I try to address things that I know that come up in conversations. I absolutely obsess about – there’s only one thing you can do about your football season, about your football team, about your football play, and that’s through one opponent and when you do that, case in point, we have the prototype right in front of us. When we were 2-6, we weren’t talking about getting to 5-6, we were talking about one opponent. And then when you talk about that one opponent, you talk about how you’re going to improve your football play or how you’re going to execute your football play on that very day, and then you put that to bed and learn from it and go to the next. So the focus is very much on the New York Jets. We have seven losses and that’s the amount of losses we had last year in the playoffs, and we had eight losses, I think, the year before. So a lot of things happened the last five weeks based upon my experience in the NFL, so you just worry about the one opponent with the life of our season absolutely being above water.”
(You guys had been so good about the penalties and reducing the penalties, and they cropped up last night. What happened last night in that respect?) – “That’s another microcosm of the issue. We can’t expect to have the results of the previous games and take a gigantic step back. To the players’ credit, some of those things were absolutely gigantic reasons for losses earlier in the season. And so what happens there? Well, you put a point of emphasis on it, you really focus on it and to their credit, we played really clean football which is how you win in this league. One of the biggest things that good teams do when they’re playing good teams is they play clean football and allow the opponents to make mistakes – that’s what the Packers did to us last night. So in moments like that, you can’t regress on something that has been monumental in your development over the course of the season. If the collective investment is to the standard, it should be an easier lesson to learn in terms of we have the prototype in front of us as how to clean that up. Part of it I think is taking a hard look on short weeks how we can get that done, because I think our team does a great job preparing for opponents, and then why our some of our fundamental principles and foundational principles of our football team regressing in short weeks? That’s something that’s my job to figure out and will be the rest of the coaches to apply it and the players to execute it. So I have some substantial things to work on but things that we are capable of based upon my observation and direct experience this season with this football team.”
(T Kendall Lamm left the game, came back, left again. Do you have any sort of idea of whether this is anything that might be concerning in terms of his availability for the Jets game or beyond?) – “No, I think he was battling. He’s a warrior for us. He had some back stuff and had an elbow thing, but he was showing his grit and his toughness last night. I’ll get more information probably later this afternoon, but nothing is indicating that it’s super severe, but as far as what that means for this week and this game, I’ll have to find some more stuff out.”
(A question about WR Malik Washington. Beyond the muffed punt, which you addressed after the game yesterday, I think it’s twice now in the past two or three games where he’s fielded a punt at the 5- or the 6-yard line and I’m wondering if you guys have some sort of set rule for him: “Do not field a punt inside the 10, at the 5-yard line,” or do you leave it strictly up to his judgement?) – “You have parameters, and the one last week, I think it was last week, but that was him really doing something calculated, it was dangerous, but it was also very smart in terms of how fast the ball was moving backwards and it was probably going to be pinned. He saved us some yardage, risky but heads up play. This one, I think it’s a tough lesson that if I know Malik Washington like I think – yeah, I’m pretty certain that I know – the good news is he learns lessons as well, fast. It’s a part of the reason he’s been able to contribute so much to our team as a rookie is it’s very important to him. It was terrible for a guy who takes the job of contributing to a veteran team as a rookie so serious. It was gut wrenching to see him learn this lesson of you’re in the Midwest, the winds are swirling, the balls in the air and it changes flight, and sometimes the best play, it’s like a quarterback learning to take a sack instead of throwing a pick. I know that’s going to be difficult for him but it’s one of those that you have to understand. And we talked about it during the week, with teams like this, games generally come down to turnovers and extra possessions, which it did and he had to learn a tough lesson the hard way. I know he’ll bounce back.”
(Obviously, injuries are a part of the game but how frustrating is it to lose two corners when you’re already down and there’s no CB Kendall Fuller as well?) – “I try to lead by example and one of the things that I think is paramount, and it’s probably to my fault, is that I refuse to allow myself, nor the team to make excuses. In the game, I really attach zero emotion to it because I think it’s important to focus on what you can control. In this game, there can be a snowball effect and it’s unfortunate, especially when some young guys are really cutting their teeth with some good experience and continuing to progress their game. I would say it’s probably more frustrating; we’ve had position fallout at tackle in 2022 and outside linebacker in 2023, but it gets even more frustrating when you have some young players that are growing in their game and you really want to see them continue to climb mountains. So that’s the tough part for the team and the individuals.”
Mike McDaniel – November 28, 2024 (Postgame)
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Thursday, November 28, 2024
Postgame – at Green Bay Packers
Miami Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(On the narrative of playing poorly in cold weather.) – “That’s the thing with narratives. There’s one way to change them and so my expectation would be those who, the naysayers, you prove them right, they’ll be louder. That’s part of the territory. You carry that until you do something about it, and unfortunately, we didn’t tonight.”
(On what went wrong on defense.) – “I’ll have to have a calculated answer for that. I’ll have to refer to the tape. From my eyewitness accounts, it’s an accumulation. Partial is that you have to give the Packers credit. That’s kind of their game. They put guys in space and force you to tackle them. That’s part the missed tackle players, part pursuit. Collective defense against talented space players. You need to stop the ball or force the guy to redirect and then you have to have a teammate come to your aid. Generally, from what I saw, it was a collection of things. I think that there were some positive parts to how they played, but I know that there’s going to be some frustrated individuals when they watch the tape because of that.”
(On how much of tonight’s lack of success is attributed to the cold.) – “I think, the weather and the cold, I didn’t really see that as much of a factor as it was playing football and technique and fundamentals of bringing our feet collectively and getting our hips into tackles and wrapping up. I think the biggest thing is that on a Thursday night game in a short week, you have to be clean, and we weren’t. They were a lot cleaner in terms of penalties. In terms of just our style of play. How complimentary we were specifically in the last game, we were not that tonight and I thought they made us pay. For instance, the first drive, you’re three and out to get the ball back, and that special teams turnover equaled seven points. A turnover on downs on the one-yard line equaled seven points. That’s 14 points in a 13-point game.”
(On what happened with WR Malik Washington on the muffed punt.) – “It was a tough spiraling punt that kind of turned over unexpectedly on him and as a competitor, he’s trying to field every ball, but when you’re reacting to a flight change at the last second, you have to fight your instinct and run the opposite way. He’s trying to be great and not allow an inside the five drive, but that spirit worked against us. The most important thing was hanging onto the ball. We’d prefer the ball on the three-yard line with our possession as opposed to their possession at the nine. That’s a tough learning lesson, but fortunately at least with a guy like Malik (Washington), it won’t be in vain. I know it’s going to be tough for him to swallow and for all of us to swallow.”
(On the turnover on downs at the Packers one-yard line.) – “There’s three plays in particular. The first down on the nine and then the following play that I thought there was some technique errors that could have gotten us into the endzone. Then there is a play call that I’d absolutely like to have back. It was a collection of things over the four-play process that will be tough for us to swallow when we watch the film.”
(On what he told the guys in the locker room.) – “We didn’t come all this way to have this stop us. Yeah, your margin of error is smaller, but tough-minded individuals can learn from the things that kept us from the victory column this game and utilize it in last five games. The biggest thing is that you hyper focus on the next thing and take it one game at a time. The same way that we did when we were 2-6. I told them 5-7 pales in comparison to 2-6. To me, we positioned ourselves to be in a situation where we can withstand a one game setback and still be able to get things done. It’s a long season left, and a lot of things can and will happen, but the main thing we have to do is make sure that all these things that, specifically the self-inflicted wounds, that we use to our benefit and make sure that those things aren’t keeping us from winning football games and moving forward. If you are tough enough to withstand that, which I really believe our absolutely frustrated locker room who knows that it just gets really, really frustrating when you know you’re capable of winning a game and you can point to yourself as why you lost it, and that’s the biggest thing that they are eager to make right because they believe in each other and they believe in this team. We didn’t do it justice this week, and so you have to press forward and that’s really all you can do.”
(On still having more cold weather games this season.) – “There is correlation or causation and that will always be the case from my vantage point. We weren’t failing to snap the ball before delay of game or false starting because of the cold. I think that the tape will show that when we watch it tomorrow, but like anything else you eventually have to overcome it if you are trying to do anything in this league so that narrative like good teams and etcetera, etcetera correlation causation. It will always exist until you defeat it. So I think our guys will look forward to executing in the cold weather at the next opportunity because I think that they know that they can, so they need to and they want to, so we will take advantage of that opportunity when it comes.”
(On the injury to CB Kader Kohou.) – “Yeah, lower back. He cleared protocol. They checked him for that, but it was his lower back so we will find out some more information tomorrow.”
(On the injury to CB Cam Smith.) – “Yeah, his shoulder. I think it came out so he was in a good amount of pain so we will see what that looks like tomorrow.”
(On not activating LB Shaq Barrett this week.) – “In just talking with Chris (Grier) where are roster is at and the players that have earned the right to be on it, it is just a numbers game in the NFL so the timing I don’t think was necessarily ideal.”
(On if LB Shaq Barrett was clear with who he wanted to play for.) – “It wasn’t any measured situation like that posturing one way or the other. Like I said we just found out on a day that I had a press conference with you guys, and it was more of that. It wasn’t whether he wanted to play there or here. He knew we had his contractual rights, so it was more of where we are at, and let’s look at our roster.”
Tua Tagovailoa – November 28, 2024 (Postgame)
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Thursday, November 28, 2024
Postgame – at Green Bay
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa
(On why it took so long for Miami’s offense to get going.) – “Yeah, I think that the things that we progressed on, we somewhat ended up digressing within the first half. Pre-snap penalties, things that we thought we were getting better at. You look at penalties in general. Outside of the pre-snap penalties just the operation wasn’t our style of football that we showed and that’s not how we wanted to start and that’s not how we wanted to play, but I am proud of this team for continuing to stay in it. In the second half, we had an opportunity to come back. Nobody blinked. Everybody continued to stay in the fight.”
(On fourth downs not working out.) “Yeah, the play to Achane, Achane was where he needed to be. That was just a missed throw on something very simple. That is on me. On that fourth-down play where I took the sack, it was one of those where I seen Alec (Ingold) fall and as I got through to Jaylen (Waddle) I couldn’t really navigate to see if he won his matchup or not and by that time I was just trying to maneuver through the pocket and hopefully find an opening to find somebody on a scramble drill.”
(On if FB Alec Ingold was the first read on that play.) – “Yeah.”
(On if the cold weather impacted the slow start offensively) – “I wouldn’t say any of the things that were out there as far the elements are going to be used as an excuse for the reason as to why we started slow. When you are on the road, it’s always tough to communicate and operate at such a high level the way you want to and that’s why it is very premier that in walk through and practice, when it is loud, that you are locking in so that you know did I hear this, did I hear that, or did I say the correct thing in the huddle and are we getting out there and doing what we need to do to execute this play. So I would say from my standpoint and from our team’s standpoint we aren’t going to use any of that as an excuse as to why we didn’t get the start that we wanted.”
(On Green Bay’s run defense making things difficult for the entire offense.) – “I think it makes it challenging for any offense to go out there and not sort of be one-dimensional, but to mix in runs and then mix in play passes with those runs. Obviously tonight we were a little more pass heavy, but it does make it tougher, but sometimes that is what the game asks of you, especially when you are playing catch-up from behind.”
(On having a 5-7 record.) – “As far as season hopes I would say that this one was a tough one for us as a team. I know what this game meant to a lot of the guys in this locker room. I wouldn’t say that the dream is dead for our team just yet. Anything can happen in this league and we are going to watch the film and look over things that we need to get better at. We are going to come back next week and just keep chopping wood. Keep chopping wood and find a way to win the next game and keep stacking those again.”
Mike McDaniel – November 26, 2024
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Tuesday, November 26, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(I know all the focus obviously is on getting through this week and winning Thursday, but just to get this out of the way with Shaq Barrett unretiring today, are you and General Manager Chris Grier open to his return at some point next week or beyond?) – “Just to be candid, obviously there’s a reason why you target and sign somebody, and then I was fully caught off guard or caught by surprise this morning as I found out and it wouldn’t be reasonable or – I really haven’t had a chance to think about it. I think the team is counting on me to think about the Packers and I’ll get with Chris (Grier) and we’ll work through that, but there’s a ton of implications that go along with it in terms of team and roster stuff, so we’ll work through that as we just got the news today.”
(And with LB Tyus Bowser that sort of popped up – two injuries that he’s dealing with – do you expect him to be available Thursday?) – “He’s working through it. He’s a competitor that really wants to play so we’ll give him – what is today?”
(Tuesday.) – “Tuesday, Wednesday a little bit and we should know more tomorrow.”
(Where are you with LB Cameron Goode? You said he was ahead of LB Bradley Chubb, but is he at the point where his window can open?) – “Are you asking, is he ‘Goode’? (laughter) He is Cam Goode. I have nothing to report other than no setbacks. They’re getting closer for sure and there’s a lot that goes into it, but Cam is approaching ‘good’ or he is ‘Goode’ or he will be good.”
(What made S Marcus Maye the choice to make room for S Patrick McMorris?) – “Tough decisions, really a lot of roster variables and positions. You have to take into account anybody that has an injury in that position group that affects depth, so when you’re trying to make tough decisions and it involves a safety, a lot of the times it comes from the position group. But I absolutely have high regard for Marcus (Maye), and I would say it’s less about him and more about ‘Pat’ (McMorris) and the stuff he has to offer. He’s ready to go.”
(If I can just one more about Shaq Barrett, I know he kind of surprised you guys with the retirement in camp. Had you guys communicated with him at any point up to this week of that he’s contemplating this before?) – “No, so that’s why it’s just kind of news as you guys got it, it’s to us. So we’ll sort through that. The Tuesday of a Thursday night game, it’s tough to kind of totally know the way – I’ve got to talk to Chris (Grier) first and I’ve just got done with a meeting and about to go to another one. So we’ll get to do that, but I hadn’t had any communication.”
(Earlier today it was announced that WR Tyreek Hill’s tickets were dismissed. Knowing that the season kind of started and you were emotional about everything that had occurred in Week 1, do you have any response to that? Did you hear about that, that his citations were dismissed at all?) – “I have a lot of people make me aware of a lot of things, but I think with regard to the business at hand – I did go into depth into that situation when it occurred at the very beginning of the season, but I don’t think it’d be prudent relative to what this team is preparing for and I don’t really have much else to say beyond what I already have.”
(The Packers defense has 22 takeaways, eight games with multiple takeaways this year. What makes them so good at taking the football away from opposing offenses?) – “When you’re talking about takeaways and turnovers, so much of it has to do with the variable that you can’t control and that’s effort. The Green Bay Packers, a defense lead by Coach (Jeff) Hafley is a very high octane, high effort crew, so good things happen when you are pursuing the ball and have high strain. Some of those fumbles become turnovers when you have a collective effort, so I think it starts with the overall strain. They’re very ball aware; you can tell they talk about it a ton. A good zone defense that plays with vision and then has the accompanied pass rush that can make quarterbacks make a decision a hair earlier than they would like to. You leave yourself vulnerable to risky situations when pass rush and coverage are tied together, and I think ultimately, they do a good job of taking advantage of mistakes. You have an overthrow, generally it’s a pick – a lot of guys with ball skills in the back end. I think the collective effort doesn’t surprise me that they rank where they do without seeing the takeaways directly based upon how they play every play. When I did come across the takeaways, I wasn’t surprised because they play each and every down that way.”
(The balance in this offense right now, the ability to sustain and elongate drives, do you feel like this style is better suited for success in cold winter environments like the one you’re about to see on Thursday?) – “I think that the variables that you can’t control like your opponents, your matchups and weather, being able to adapt to certain circumstances is vital. Being able to be aggressive when attacking a defense, inherent in that is being able to have success in a multitude of ways. So being able to show up on a game day and survive the elements, maybe you show up and defenses flip the script and it’s an eight-man front and they play two man all day. Or they’re a two-man team and they just play zone spot drop. You’re constantly trying to sharpen the axe, so to speak, for every team in one shape or form faces elimination games. In elimination games, you don’t choose the matchup, you don’t choose the situation; you just keep playing or your season is over, whether that’s to get in the playoffs or in the playoffs. I think it’s important for teams to be not subject to matchup if they’re trying not to leave it up to fortune for their success or failure of a season.”
(I wanted to ask you about your history with Head Coach Matt LaFleur. You guys were together for three spots. Having an intimate knowledge of a guy being on your coaching staff, you’ve been in meetings with, knowing his thought processes and him knowing yours, does that hurt you in the process of preparing for a game like this?) – “Just based upon successes and failures as your career goes, I think for me at least, earlier in my career knowing information or things that I thought that I knew, you can kind of overthink certain situations. I think ultimately with Matt (LeFleur), I just know the team is going to be super prepared. The second I start crystal balling things based upon the past, then I’m leaving myself vulnerable if he’s still working hard and changing which I know he is. I think the biggest thing is as a coach, I have such a high regard and respect for Matt. He’s been a big part of my career and was really helping me along during my career path when times were tough and when things were going well. Through all of that, I know that regardless his standard is that he prepares his team – offense, defense, special teams. He is going to be detailed, and they’re going to be ready to play and they’re not going to take you lightly and you’re going to have to play football to beat them. So that’s where I’m going to kind of leave it. Based upon my past, the second I’ve absoluted something to a coworker or a fellow coach – I got that out of the way before I was a head coach because I’d do it and then you’re wrong and then you’re like, ‘Sorry.’ As a head coach, people tend to at least pretend to listen to me more. So I try not to overly crystal ball, but the one thing that I make sure that the whole coaching staff and the team knows is that come Thursday night, there’s going to be a prepared motivated team that’s going to come after us and going to give us their best shot.”
(Given your relationship with Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur, is there any fun story or friendly wager that you think about as you prepare to coach against him?) – “Beyond some nonsense texts that I sent out after our game on Sunday that may or may not have incentivized – I was giving him the optimist, ‘Hey, if you don’t feel like trying that hard, it’s OK.’ (laughter) You want to talk about things that I probably shouldn’t say in a press conference at a microphone, we were at our late 20s, just cutting our teeth in the coaching industry and what’s funny is when you look back, you don’t feel like you’re young in your late 20s – or at least I didn’t, I thought I was like an adult. But some of the things that you think you know as a football coach, you’re not nearly as hardened from tough times and you think you have some answers and you get humbled along the way, and just some of the growing that we did as coaches, it was very impactful. He really pushed me and some of the other coaches I was working with because he’s a tireless worker and that type of competitive nature as you’re cutting your teeth as a coach in the league, it’s a big deal and it’s gone a long way in my career. I think the world of him and it doesn’t surprise me the success that he’s had. And he’s – I’m just going to have to concede, he’s probably the best-looking guy out there. I mean let’s just be honest, so I’ll concede that title for sure.”
(Sean McVay is pretty attractive.) – “You think so?”
(Yeah.) – “I don’t know. So you prefer Sean McVay to Matt LaFleur? I can’t wait until he hears that. (laughter)”
(A lot of the players have shared the times that they’ve watched Thanksgiving night football as they were little. Do you have any special memories of watching games on Thanksgiving night?) – “Yeah, I think it might be the coolest game to play in in the regular season. I can remember – you guys might remember – a snow game with Leon Lett. Like that’s one of my first TV memories, I was in Fort Morgan, Colorado – population like, 12,000 people in northeast Colorado, and I remember sitting there, watching that. I think it’s unique and special because everybody can relate to, ‘All right, well I know that my family is sitting down. My Uncle Ray is sleepy because he always eats too much turkey,’ all the different nuances of family time, but it’s always kind of centered around watching football after old school people would be watching the parade and stuff and then you turn on the game. So it’s something that everybody can identify with, it being a holiday experience that is annual, so it’s a cool thing to be a part of. You feel very grateful and that’s always a cool experience to have that platform and have everyone jump into your season journey and get the opportunity to play in front of America. It’s a really cool one that I don’t think is lost on anybody.”
(Did you get a chance to evaluate Jordan Love when he came out? And if so, how have you seen his evolvement as a quarterback?) – “Great player. I think what’s been cool is any time you watch people have expectations thrust upon them and then to be able to grow as a quarterback, you can see the influence on his game that he took from Aaron Rodgers but then you can also see him play his own style of ball. I think the way he competes is real cool; I think he’s not afraid of the situation. He will make the long, intermediate or short throw, so it’s been cool to watch him develop, and I know Matt (LaFleur) has a fun time coaching him.”
(With OL Isaiah Wynn activated, do you envision a reserve role at first for him and could there be competition down the road?) – “I think one foot in front of the other. I think right now – Isaiah (Wynn) is a competitor, so he’s working to be his best each and every practice. As coaches, we don’t always have the most patience in the world, but I think it would be silly of me not to take into account there was a year, almost a calendar year, where he didn’t play football. So you’re trying to put players in positions to succeed; I love him as a player but I’m careful not to put him in situations that isn’t prudent to his success. And there’s also some guys, Rob Jones is really playing at a high level and the facilitation of ‘Brew’ (Aaron Brewer) and both Rob and Liam (Eichenberg) has been a strength of ours during the course of the season. But you love those problems in terms of there’s only so many spots on the field that guys can play, so I’m happy for Isaiah to continue to work and feel better and better each and every practice so that becomes more and more difficult for us.”
Alec Ingold – November 26, 2024
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Tuesday, November 26, 2024
FB Alec Ingold
(What’s the earliest you can ever recall thinking to yourself, “I’d love to play on that field someday?”) – “That’s a funny story. Like I said, it’s a gathering space, right? So I was probably eight or nine years old, my cousin is getting married and they have wedding receptions there. So we’re up there and everyone is dancing, having a good time and they had one of the suites open where you could just get desserts or whatever. And I sat down there for like hours just staring out at the field like, ‘Man, I want to be out there. I want to be there one day. I want to play on this field one day.’ So that was probably the earliest memory of me dreaming about being able to play on that field. Played there in Pop Warner, played there in college – we played against LSU Week 1 my sophomore season – and then again as a rookie. So it’ll be fun to be able get back onto that field.”
(I’ve been to just about every NFL stadium but that one, what makes it so special?) – “I think it’s a community place; it’s faith, family and football there. That’s how people eat, live and breathe, it’s all about that organization and that sport. I think it brings people together, I think they’ve done a great job of continuing to renovate the place while keeping the history of it alive and well. So I just think they do a lot of things the right way. I think it’s going to be a really cool honor to be able to be on that field, especially for Thanksgiving. There’s been a lot of memories there for a lot of people growing up in that area.”
(Are you the most popular guy in the locker room these days, considering you’re going back to the crib with everybody in town?) – “I don’t know, I don’t know about that. I think Tua (Tagovailoa) might still be and I think we got Jonnu (Smith) over there who’s playing well, so we can pass that love around the locker room a little bit.”
(In the spirit of the holiday, what are some of the things that you’re thankful for and just being able to play on this evening?) – “First off, I think I’m thankful for being here, being where our feet are, all these opportunities. I’m thankful for family and thankful for being able to be adopted and brought into that family that I’m apart of and being able to have a platform that can advocate for those individuals and those families that might look a little bit different on Thanksgiving this Thursday, but it’s all the same and really special for all those folks.”
(I know you guys are preparing for the Thanksgiving night game, but some of your favorite dishes on the holiday – what can you indulge in? Even though during football season you guys got to –) – “Well I know mac and cheese is big up where I’m from, so you got to get as much cheese and all the cheese curds, all that stuff. Mac and cheese, you got good turkey is always pretty good, so I’m pretty simple with that stuff.”
(How many tickets are you responsible for?) – “My dad took good care of it. Our extended family is all taken care of, but I bet you there’s a hundred, couple hundred people that are going to be there all repping Dolphins stuff. I told them, ‘No Packers gear. You can’t bring it in.’ (laughter) So we’ve got a lot of extra Dolphins fans in the stands for this one.”
(Playing on that iconic field is one thing, but a Thanksgiving game and as big of a game as it is for the Dolphins – that’s the triple-threat right there, that just must be everything?) – “Yeah, it’s prime time and you think about growing up, families all sitting together watching football – I lived that. Playing in ‘Turkey Bowls’ out in the back yard, we played in ‘Turkey Bowls’ out in the Titletown district steps away from the stadium. That’s where I grew up, that’s where family kind of learned the love of the game. So for family and football to kind of be brought together on Thanksgiving night, it’s about as good as it gets.”
(I hear that all of the teams playing on Thanksgiving are going to have John Madden patches on their jerseys. When you think about John Madden, what comes to mind?) – “I think about the turducken. (laughter) I think about him being that voice of football for so long, every big-time game educating fans, educating families in how to play football. He was fun, he brought energy about him. Obviously a legend in the coaching world. He did a lot of great things for this game and I’m glad that we’ll be able to continue to remember his legacy.”
(I’m not sure if you heard, but Shaq Barrett came out of retirement. How cool is that that you guys own the rights and might be able to have him back here in this locker room?) – “Yeah, that would be good to obviously – any way that he is able to help this team, I think would be good for us. I think healthy competition always brings the best out of people, so hopefully it’s all good. Obviously enjoyed him as a teammate while he was here and wished him the best with his entire retirement and then coming out. You hope the best for all those guys that you walk across and meet along this league, you’re always a big fan of the players that you share this locker room with.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel said that QB Tua Tagovailoa has made significant improvement when it comes to emotional control in a football game. I was curious, coming into the huddle, do you know of any examples of that within the last couple years? Is he different this year at all?) – “He was singing all game on the sidelines, so I think he’s got his swagger back in his own way. He’s in his own skin. So I think it’s just a part of growing up and being in the third year of this offense, being able to play the game within the game. He’s been doing outstanding, I think we’ll continue that whole trend, so he’s doing a great job.”
Isaiah Wynn – November 26, 2024
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Tuesday, November 26, 2024
OL Isaiah Wynn
(How long did it take you to get into game shape? We know that you haven’t had trained camp or anything.) – “You can’t really put a time limit on it, but the more reps and more things I do the better I’ll get.”
(Playing in cold weather, I know you’ve done it a lot. What is the key? What is the secret to it if there is a secret? Is it mental?) – “Ain’t too much secret to it, it’s all mental. Really ain’t nothing too much to it. You just got to go out there and play. By that first snap and first series, you’re pretty much acclimated to the cold.”
(Is there anything that you practiced this week to help the team mentally prepare for colder start times?) – “I’m not too sure, that’s a Coach McDaniel question.”
(Just in you’re history of being a football player, is there anything you can do to prepare for the shock?) – “No, not as much as just being out there. If you don’t have that actual environment, it’s kind of hard to simulate it.”
(Does the adrenaline usually take over in those circumstances?) – “For sure.”
(Tell me about when you’re in an atmosphere like that, how that alters so the temperature doesn’t matter.) – “Yeah, a lot of things don’t matter when you’re in that type of atmosphere and you get going and all of that, it’s kind of second nature.”
(What’s it been like being on the sidelines for so long? It must be tough.) – “Not too much tough. It gave me an opportunity to help out the team and also on my behalf learn more stuff about the offense, learn my responsibility and what I have to do to help this team. It’s been good.”
(How does it feel to be getting back in the swing of things?) – “Oh man, it’s awesome. It’s awesome, for sure.”
(What do you think about the way the offensive line has performed this year?) – “They’ve been playing great. They’ve been playing great. We’re looking forward to just continuing that.”
(The road getting back for you, what’s it been like?) – “Just as any injury, mentally and physically just staying active and staying prepared for anything to come up.”
(What do you think you can add to this team at this point in the season?) – “At this point, the guys are playing their (explicit) off. I guess energy at this point.”
Calais Campbell – November 26, 2024
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Tuesday, November 26, 2024
DT Calais Campbell
(What is your reaction knowing now that all the charges have been dismissed against your star receiver, WR Tyreek Hill?) – “That’s new information, but it makes sense. Honestly that was just such a long time ago now with all the football stuff and everything else, but going back to that, it was just a crazy moment, really uncalled for but I’m glad the charges have been dropped and hopefully can move past that process. It’s kind of crazy that’s how the season started off, but here we are. Grateful for our opportunity.”
(What kind of effect did that whole situation have on the locker room since then?) – “I think it helped bring us closer together. At the end of the day, we try to build those bonds as a brotherhood. Tyreek (Hill) is captain, star player, just a great guy. You always try to have your teammates’ backs and that’s everything I’ve always tried to be throughout my whole career, really, my whole life is my have my people’s backs. I’m glad I was there for him, but obviously the main thing is just that I’m glad that we can put it behind us and all charges have been dropped because it doesn’t make any sense to start with.”
(Calais, on that day you jumped into action with TE Jonnu Smith and you were briefly detained.) – “Yes. Yes, placed the handcuffs on, it was crazy. It’s relevant and it matters, but now it’s time – for me, my mindset has been just moving forward and try to put ourselves in position to get back in this fight, we’ve had a very interesting season. It started off with the most interesting outside of football, but the season has been up and down. We’ve had a lot of game where I feel like we should have won but we didn’t, and then the last few weeks we’ve been rolling. We’ve been playing really good ball and now we have a great challenge ahead of us and we’re going to make sure we’re on point.”
(After the temperature kind of cooled down from that incident, did you ever have any connection with the officers involved? Did they apologize to you? Was there any dialogue at all or anything?) – “No, but I don’t know if they – I mean they might have tried, but there was just so much going on. So for me, it takes a lot to get ready every week so the time is limited. My mindset is we can deal with it in the offseason, just push it down the road because football is why I’m here, it’s the most important thing to me other than my family and my religion, so I just have to make sure I put everything towards that. I think they might have tried to reach out, but I haven’t talked to them.”
(You came here to compete for a Super Bowl, and now this three-game win streak has put you guys in a position, I know you haven’t done anything yet, where now the rest of this season means something. What does it mean to you that now there are possibilities for this season that you came here to compete?) – “I think we’re in a really good spot. Obviously, football is a four-quarter ball game; same thing here, it’s a full-season ball game. We’ve played some really good football the last couple of weeks, but our best is required now. For us to go where we want to go and get back into this fight, this one is a pretty big one, and it’s special. As a kid, I grew up watching Thanksgiving football and imagined playing on Thanksgiving. I’ve played on Thanksgiving before, but it’s always special. It’s very, very special, and also we’re playing in one of the most historic stadiums that’s ever been built – the frozen tundra. So it’s going to be fun. I’ve always liked those big games; lights are bright and everybody is paying attention. It’s nice to know all the people that grew up in my hometown in Colorado are probably going to be watching, all my friends through college and everything else, these kinds of games are special in that way. It’s motivation to go out there and play really good ball, but really this team, where we’re at right now, we need a win. We’ve got to stay hungry. Obviously, the last couple of weeks have given us a chance to make these games matter and these games definitely matter, but those games don’t mean anything if we don’t get this one. So we’ve just got to keep the same mentality we’ve been having, preparing at an elite level, focused, details and doing what’s required for us to win a ball game.”
(You’ve had a long career, I’m sure you’ve had a lot of cold weather games. Do you give any advice to the guys that haven’t had the most success in these temperature games even though it’s not the coldest this team has played with QB Tua Tagovailoa, etc. Do you do warmers? What’s going through your mindset with the cold or do you kind of just let that slide?) – “There’s things that you can do to give yourself a little bit of an advantage, but at the end of the day it’s really just a mindset, it’s a mentality. I’m a football player; rain, sleet or snow, give me an opportunity to play football and I’m going to go out there and play my game. It’s cold for them too, but it’s technically football weather. It’s temporary. I grew up in Colorado where little league football and high school football, you didn’t have heaters on the sideline. We didn’t have big jackets, you just had to suck it up. Obviously, a lot has changed since then. You were superman when you were a kid, you could run through a brick wall and then nothing happens. Now it’s obviously a little different but we have all the things we need for us to go out there and be successful. That definitely won’t be an excuse, we just have to have the right mindset but I think we’re at a place in our season where we should be locked in and have the mental toughness to go out here and win the ball game.”
(You’re someone that has a lot of routine and you’re preparing for a game knowing that it’s a short week for both teams. Is there different preparation for you to get ready for a Thursday night game coming off of short rest?) – “The short weeks are always a different preparation; you just don’t have that much time. I’m doing what I normally do on a short week, normal Thursday. You really can’t – you just have to make the best of it, there’s not much more you can do. In my experience, I’ve done enough and I was able to go out there and play well on Thursdays. Hopefully I’ve got one more in me, we’ll see. (laughter)”
Tua Tagovailoa – November 26, 2024
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Tuesday, November 26, 2024
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(So the topic of no-look passes which are always very snazzy, came up with Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith today. Was there any basketball player that you ever watched do that where it left an impression on you and do you get a kick out of doing it?) – “I would say no basketball player that I know inspired me to do any of that. Definitely get a kick out of it. It’s always fun when you can manipulate the defense with your eyes just because you know the spots in which guys are going to be with the throws and you’ve been working on that for some time with those guys as well.”
(Was there a football player who inspired you?) – “I would say no. In my opinion you’ve either got it or you don’t. That’s what it is.”
(How does this offense feel different than years past? Like as the one who operates it, how does this feel different?) – “I think within the structure of our offense with how we’ve said we wanted to go out and how we wanted to play games in terms of taking over it, staying on the field, managing situational ball the way I think we have these past couple of weeks has definitely helped. I think also being able to elongate drives and we’ve been known last year to take shots and it’s been three, four plays. Maybe the longest last year was a 12-play drive and I don’t even remember if that ended in points or not, but I would say that’s the biggest difference with our offense this year.”
(On the flipped pass to RB Jaylen Wright when he comes from your right to left, is that designed as a no-look flip or is that something you just thought…?) – “All of those I just do trying just to try to manipulate the defense, but Mike (McDaniel), ‘Bev’ (Darrell Bevell) and Frank (Smith) – they entrust me with the ball handling knowing that I’m not going to screw it up with whatever play is called. But yeah, it’s not it.”
(I don’t know if you’ve ever been to Lambeau Field – I can’t remember off the top of my head – I think you guys have played Green Bay here. Do you ever look forward to playing in these historic buildings where you think about the NFL and those are one of the top places you think about?) – “One hundred percent. One hundred percent. I think this is an awesome opportunity being able to play Thursday Night Football, prime time, on Thanksgiving. It just takes me back to growing up in Hawaii. Obviously, the prime time games were a little earlier in Hawaii, but it’s sort of the same deal, like that’s the only team that’s playing. And whether you liked the teams that were playing or not like you just sit down eat, you spend time with family and you get to watch that. And sometimes you go outside and you pretend to be some of the players that are playing and so for me and I feel like a lot of the guys, cherish this opportunity that we’re about to get, to be able to go over there to Lambeau, be able to play over there at a historic field. And it is just a blessing. It really is.”
(Who was the guy you emulated when you guys went out back?) – “I don’t know, it’d be like safeties. (laughter) ‘Like I’m just playing defense.’ And then somebody would be just the quarterback for both sides.”
(Have you practiced this week at all or will you when it’s a short week with the glove on the right hand?) – “Probably not.”
(No glove this time?) – “Yeah, probably no glove this time. I think for a lot of our guys that were able to play in the game last year against Kansas City, kind of gave you a different perspective of what cold really was.”
(You’ve talked about the Seakeeper mentality a lot now this year. Why did that specifically come to you? Just buy a boat recently or were you on a boat and you noticed that or where did that come from?) – “I have a boat and the guys that were showing me the features of the boat ended up telling me about the Seakeeper and what the Seakeeper does and whatnot, and so sort of took that mentality into training camp really. It was just one of those I had an ‘a-ha moment’ like it would be good if we use ‘Seakeeper’ and sort of explained it to the quarterback room, explained it to ‘Bev’ (Darrell Bevell) and that’s what it came to be.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel has talked about the gigantic strides you’ve made in like emotional control in a football game. Can you feel yourself when maybe that’s slipping away and then how do you like jar out of that mode so that you can move on to the next play?) – “As a competitor I think you definitely tend to slip out of that frame of mind, but I think at the position, it entails for us to, you have to know how to erase whatever play happened last time and focus on what the defense is giving, focus on the play and the task at hand.”
(We know you want to kill narratives and one of them being your record in the cold. What can you take from your previous opportunities in cold weather into this game?) – “I would say the biggest thing is mindset. We’re obviously nowhere near the temperatures that all these other cold teams play at being in Miami where it’s 80. Sometimes it gets down to 50, but it just gets nowhere near the teams that make it in long stretches in the run that they try to do. To me it’s just a mindset. That’s really all it is.”
(Going back to just elongating drives, do you feel like that style of play is more conducive for success in these kind of environments? Not this, I meant like the one you’re going to see on Thursday.) – “I think with what the defense gives us and with what the play that we’re told in the huddle to run entails for us to do; that’s basically what it is. When we do call our shots, we’re looking to take them, but if they’re not there, that’s just essentially what that series calls for. Now, if we’re dinking and dunking for three plays and then we get a shot, we’re not going to be mad at that. But then again, it falls back to the mindset of the quarterback play like, don’t get antsy. Take what they give you. If this read entails for you to take your shot, take your shot. That’s what it is.”
(This will be your first game against Packers QB Jordan Love, fellow 2020 Draft class. What do you think of him and his game?) – “I’ve got a lot of respect for him. He’s done himself justice last year and he’s earned his contract last year coming into this year. He’s a baller. That’s the reason why they paid him.”
(Packers S Xavier McKinney leads the NFL in interceptions. It looks like he was taken 31 picks after you in the 2020 NFL Draft. What were those practices like back in college?) – “I had ‘X’ (Xavier McKinney) and I was with Josh Jacobs at the same time, so knowing the competitive mindset that those guys have, those were fun practices. Those were fun practices, but being able to go against those guys, I know ‘X’ knows what he’s going to get out of me and I know exactly what he’s going to bring to the table, too. With Josh as well, we came from the same school so you know the mindset that those guys are going to bring every time they see a fellow Alabama player, but yeah, I’m super happy for ‘X’ and the success that he’s found as well as Josh, but I’m looking to mitigate that success when we play against them.”
(Speaking of former Bama players, you have a moment with Christian Barmore there on Sunday after the sack?) – “What do you mean?”
(I saw a little bit of jawing back and forth, some old Bama love?) – “That’s it, that’s it, that’s it. (laughter) I’m glad they didn’t put any of that in the mic’d up. I’m a good person, I swear.”
(How much trash talking do we miss when you’re not mic’d up?) – “Oh, I don’t know. You just go with the flow of the game.”
(We talking Christian Wilkins level or no?) – “I think it can be absurd sometimes. I’m like, dude, what are we doing?”
(What is prepping for Thursday night games like for you? Do you study tape late to Monday night and Tuesday night?) – “I would say yes, you definitely study tape. I would say studying tape begins after our Patriots deal. Then you get with your coaches. You get to look at things that you need to clean up and whatnot, but you’ve got to move quickly. So from there, then it gets to the plays and getting guys dialed in on those plays as well, reasons as to why we’re running those plays, spots they need to be in, all of that.”
(What’s it like playing on Thanksgiving for the players? Is that an honor or is it more like kind of rather be home with my family?) – “I think the players look at that as a great honor, great opportunity. Reason I say that is because a lot of us grew up watching prime time football and on Thanksgiving, a lot of times you’d see the Cowboys play, you’d see the Packers play, the Lions play. And to be able to have that opportunity to play in in a prime time game at night at a historic field, I don’t think any of the guys take that for granted.”
(Will you have your family with you, traveling with you?) – “I probably won’t have my family traveling with me. I think it’s too much for Annah with the kids.”
