Alec Ingold – December 31, 2024
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Tuesday, December 31, 2024
FB Alec Ingold
(What was the difference that you noticed in QB Tyler Huntley’s orchestration of the offense from when he first came in to how he operated on Sunday in Cleveland?) – “He was having fun, man. I think we’re all having fun. It was cool to see him off-schedule, being able to play football, you know what I’m saying? Like bringing his personality to the game, to the huddle, a little bit more comfortable with the ins and outs, I think it was fun to see him do that – either in the huddle or on the sidelines, just kind of playing ball, man. It was fun to see, good to be a part of. He was scrambling a lot. I was running around, trying to figure out how I could stay in somebody’s way on some of those routes, but it was fun, for sure.”
(Another topic. You know the scenarios; you need a win and to have the Chiefs beat the Broncos. Any scoreboard watching for you on Sunday at MetLife or does that take away from the focus on the game?) – “That’s a great question. I think you know my answer is going to be I’m going to be worried about who I got to block, what the assignment is, what my alignment is, all that good stuff. We’re going to let that Chiefs-Broncos game do what it does, but I’m sure there’s going to be whispers and murmurs in the stadium. So the more awareness that we got with all that will be good, but yeah, we’ll stay locked in. I think it’s going to be a good test to kind of have those reset buttons throughout the game, controlling what you can. I mean I can’t imagine the amount of regret that would go on the field if you miss an assignment, you miss a block because you’re up there peaking at a scoreboard, you know what I’m saying? That’s not professional and I don’t think that’s what we should be doing.”
(I’m doing something on the grind that you guys go through at this time last year. And I recall two years ago, you win the Ed Block Courage Award, you’ve got pins in your thumb and Associate Head Coach/Running Backs Coach Eric Studesville says that you told him on Tuesday there’s no way you’re taking the field in Buffalo without me. You see what QB Tua Tagovailoa is going through. You see what T Terron Armstead is going through. Talk to me about all of that, what you went through, Tua, Armstead and how much guys do to get on the field at this time of year.) – “That’s a great question. I’ve been in the training room quite a bit, the trainers and I are on a first name basis, obviously as soon as you show up to the facility. They’re doing a great job with everybody, making sure that we have the best care. They’ve been first class in everything that they do. I think a lot of guys are spending the time taking care of their bodies, but it’s the toll of the season, man and every single season has a little different thing. Sometimes it’s thumbs, sometimes it’s ankles, it could be whatever it is. I think it’s all about understanding what we’re pushing ourselves and the limits of our bodies to be able to do and execute. I know those guys, a couple of those captains that you named, are doing absolutely everything in their power with a great staff to be able to be out there and be available. It’s just that daily discipline, showing up early, staying late. That’s the grind that you’re talking about late in the season, for sure.”
(Kind of on that same tip, how does practice change in December? Obviously, this is potentially the last week of practice of the year, how does – and LB Jordyn Brooks talked about making this the best week of practice – how does that look and how does that kind of differ from previous weeks?) – “It’s intentional effort. It’s intentional focus. It’s really dialing into your details and putting yourself into the game. Visualizing, watching the tape when we’re in a meeting room and putting yourself in that game atmosphere on the practice field. While you might not be going full speed, well you got a full week to try and get your body feeling ready for Sunday again, all that stuff. It’s about being a pro, and I think that’s something I’ve learned a lot from ‘T-Stead’ (Terron Armstead) and how he approaches a week, how he’s able to do his work throughout a week and then go out and perform unbelievably, All-Pro levels for the past few years now. I think that’s a great example to follow. A lot of the younger guys looking at those types of people – hopefully I’m one of those guys right now that’s able to make every single rep count during the week. Like really putting yourself in there, visualizing it, believing it, seeing it, so then on Sunday it feels like you’ve already done it before. I think that’s how you put as much as you possibly can into this week of work.”
(You mentioned T Terron Armstead, and obviously we don’t get to see a lot of the stuff that happens with him, but when you have a younger guy, how do you kind of communicate that? Like look at the ‘T-Steads’, look at someone – obviously, you’re not “look at me” – how do you communicate that to the younger guys?) – “That’s a great question. I think the specific position rooms, they kind of embody the personalities of some of those leaders, some of the older guys. So being able to have those one-on-one conversations – I think it happens in the lunchroom, I think it happens in the training room, in the weight room. Those are the one-on-one conversations we’re able to kind of build trust, build relationships so that those types of, ‘Hey, pay attention to what this dude’s doing,’ right? He’s all bandaged up, he’s got this elbow brace, whatever it might be and he’s still out there working, he’s still out there grinding. Those are the types of things where you can point to a number of different ways throughout the week and that’s the power of relationships. That’s the power of building trust and having those conversations more so than just nodding your head and saying what’s up and moving on.”
(If the Dolphins win on Sunday, the organization would have a winning record for five straight seasons – which is actually kind of rare in the NFL. What do you think that might say about the state of the organization?) – “That’s a good question. I haven’t really thought of that, honestly. I’ve been – 2-6 to 6-2 and we’re just one week at a time. You look back at the last five years, having winning records, I think it speaks a lot to consistency. I think that winning is a habit and obviously, early on in the season, it was very uncomfortable, very frustrating because we weren’t holding up to the standard that we set for ourselves, that everybody had for us, all that. I think that discomfort, the strain, the standard, the way that we pushed ourselves throughout this season, I think that’s kind of – it’s in the walls a little bit – like, ‘this isn’t enough, this isn’t good enough. We need to continue pressing forward. We need to find more, we need to dig deeper,’ whatever it is to be able to have the product and the execution that we are expecting and what people have seen the last four years, five years. I think consistency, a high standard is something that we’re consistently trying to elevate.”
(What have you said, or would you say to QB Tua Tagovailoa as a young guy, I think he’s about 26 years old, who’s unfortunately had to deal with a number of injuries already in his career? What have you said, or would you say and certainly what are your hopes for him and the longevity of his promising career?) – “It’s a good question. I wouldn’t give him advice on how to take care of his body and his approach to things. He’s a professional; he’s got his kids and his wife, and I’m going to be as uplifting, as positive as I possibly can be. I’m going to be a friend, I’m going to be a teammate, but when it comes to the injury talk and those discussions, I trust him. I trust his judgement; I wouldn’t want to put my two cents into his approach because I completely trust and believe in his approach and how he comes to work every day. So anything I would say is positivity, uplifting, being a friend, being a great teammate and letting him know that we all support him and believe in him.”
Emmanuel Ogbah – December 31, 2024
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Tuesday, December 31, 2024
LB Emmanuel Ogbah
(In order to get into the playoffs, you need to win and a Broncos loss on Sunday. Are you going to be doing any scoreboard watching at MetLife stadium when you’re on the sideline?) – “No, we’ve got to handle business first. The Jets are priority No. 1, so we’ve got to handle business and hope the Chiefs pull out a victory for us.”
(Take me through your strip sack on Sunday. How that play developed and also with QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson committing so many intentional groundings. How did it feel to have the actual sack that occurred in the game?) – “So I knew once we got to him he was going to try to get the ball away quick but going back to the sack, we were getting back there but he seemed to get the ball off so quick so I knew I had to work a fast move just to get back there quick. That’s kind of what I did. I kind of set him up a little bit and then I hit him with my fast ball right after. That’s how I was able to, but he was getting rid of the ball quick. Then when we had him he would just throw the ball away. That’s how it was so many intentional grounding calls.”
(I’m doing something on the grind and kind of what it means to get to the playoffs, how hard you push yourself at this time of the year. I think of T Terron Armstead and him trying to get out there. QB Tua Tagovailoa and the disappointment of not being out there. What does it mean to be out there at this time of year and what have you seen guys go through?) – “It means a lot because December football is playoff football. It’s closer to the end of the year and guys are dealing with a bunch of injuries that they want to push through just to be out there with their brothers. But it’s definitely a long season and I admire guys that push through stuff to give the team all they got, but sometimes it’s out of their hands but I admire guys that want to push through things just to help the team win.”
(The grind, is it 50/50 mental and physical or is it more mental this time of year? What can you tell me about that?) – “I’d say it’s both because your mental can be telling you, ‘nah, I can do this,’ but your body will is like, ‘hey, chill out, man, I don’t got nothing.’ So I would say it’s both, but it’s more physical than it is mental because guys want to be out there. They need to.”
(LB Jordyn Brooks in the postgame little video that they put out, talked about making this the best week of practice. What does that look like for you and how does that change in December? Practice, how does that change?) – “Like I said, December is playoff football. We’re not done yet, so we’ve got to be focused this week. We got a good opponent even though their record doesn’t seem like it, but they are a good opponent. We went toe-to-toe with them last game, so we’ve got to bring our A-game this game. But just be focused, ultra focused. We have no room for error. Do your job, do your responsibilities and just be out there and give it all you got.”
(What did you guys learn from the last Jets game?) – “Like I said, they are fighters. It’s a division game. So they are going to bring their A-game, we’ve got to bring our A-game. You just can’t take no team for granted. We’ve just got to go out there and just play our brand of football. Don’t do too much, just focus on your responsibilities and just do your job. Don’t try to do other people’s job.”
(If you guys are able to pull another one of these Miami Miracles – I’m thinking about Kenyan Drake, that’s kind of what it feels like. Like that was the odds. If you guys are able to do that, the present would be a trip to Buffalo. Is that something you want? How bad do you want that?) – “Go out there, handle the Jets game, hope the Chiefs handle the Broncos for us, and then we are ready for whatever. We just want to get in. That’s the goal, just to get in.”
Jason Sanders – December 31, 2024
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Tuesday, December 31, 2024
K Jason Sanders
(What was it like in Cleveland hitting that 54-yarder off the crossbar and were there any elements that made the kick nearly short or was it just a matter of how the kick ended up?) – “The grass wasn’t very strong, so it made the plant a little harder so I wasn’t able to get into it as much. But the suspense of hitting the crossbar, I hope never happens again. I stared at Jake Bailey the whole time and was like, ‘tell me it goes in.’ Like just give me the result. So I hope that suspense never comes ever again, but it was a good kick in a tough stadium.”
(What’s it been like for you to be on this run of so many consecutive field goals made and not only consecutive field goals but field goals of 50-plus as well?) – “It feels great, but it’s just one of those weird seasons where I feel like any other year might be a strong Pro Bowl candidate, but I think there’s a lot of guys around the league doing so well this year where a year like this might not even be good enough. But personally, it’s been great and I’ve been enjoying this year a lot.”
(I’m doing something on the grind and kind of the mental and physical grind that you guys all go through at this time of the year and can you tell me about what it’s like mentally? You’ve kicked this team into the playoffs twice – the Jets game and the Dallas game. You’ve made clutch kicks, but at this time of year, how are things different? What do you see out there? What do you feel?) – “Everybody’s going through their own thing right now. Week 17, 18 – everybody’s going to have some sort of injury whether it’s a hip, knee, arm. But just being able to show up on a Wednesday, be a professional and do your job that needs to be done; if everybody does their part, that’s a recipe for success. So as long as you show up, be a professional, weeks just keep stacking.”
(And what does it mean to you to be able to kick the team into the playoffs? I remember you counting off one, two, three, four five after the Dallas game with the five field goals and what is that like to be able to deliver that for your teammates?) – “For them to be able to lean on you and you come through like that is – that’s what team sports are about. It’s not just one person. It’s the whole team, but to have those memories and those accolades for this team, it’s something special to me.”
(LB Jordyn Brooks talked about making this the best week of practice that you guys have had so far. What will that look like? How does that feel? Kind of talk to me about – I know your practice is a little bit different than everyone else’s, but what does that look like? How does that feel?) – “It’s just back to what I said. If everybody just shows up and does whatever they need to do to win a football game, that is the recipe. So if you can just show up and crank out a Wednesday, crank out a Thursday at the highest level, Sunday should come pretty easy.”
(I know sometimes kickers compare their swings to a golfer and I’m wondering when you run out there, do you bring a different club depending on a 40-yarder versus, “okay, this is 52,” “this is 57” – do you consciously bring a different club onto the field?) – “It depends on the factors. If there’s wind involved, if there’s slippery surfaces, if it’s cold out. I think around the 56 range, you might need to do a little something different, but usually within 53-ish, you should have the same swing. But if you’re hitting into the wind, like for example, I had a kick in Seattle this year where it couldn’t be my normal swing. I had to put everything I had into it. It was a tough kick, but there’s kicks like that where you have to bring a different club for sure.”
(And you’ve obviously been very successful from 50-plus this season. Did you do anything differently in your strength and conditioning exercises in order to maximize your leg strength at this point in your career?) – “No, but I didn’t run from it. Like I knew last year or the year before that the 50-plus percentage probably wasn’t as good as I would like it, but as long as you’re not running from things and you can look at it in the face, just understand what you need to be better at.”
(In order for you guys to qualify for the postseason on Sunday, you need both your win and a Broncos loss, so will there be any scoreboard watching from you at MetLife Stadium?) – “I have a unique position where I’m in the game maybe five plays the whole game, so I might look around if they post it, but I think Calais (Campbell) said it best. We’re going to probably root for the Chiefs this week.”
(Now that we’re almost a year into it, I was curious about your thoughts on the new kickoff rule, the dynamic kickoff rule?) – “I don’t know what the statistics say, but I think the injuries have gone down. I think overall the play doesn’t look as cool. I think the original kickoff used to be a great way to start a football game, and now I picture the Super Bowl, just the kicker standing back there and guys facing each other just ready to go. I don’t know. I don’t really pay too much attention if it’s going to stay or go. I don’t really know much about it, but I would say I’m not hating it.”
(And then quick follow-up on a totally different topic. How satisfying is it for you to have gotten back to that level you were at, like in 2020, you were basically the best kicker in the NFL and while the level was pretty good the next few years wasn’t quite at that level – now you’re back to 2020 Jason Sanders, how satisfying is it to have been able to get back to that level?) – “Yeah, every year you go through some kind of up or down. You face a lot of adversity, but as long as you know who you are personally and you can treat every offseason as good as you want to treat it. It feels good to be doing my part on this team for sure.”
Mike McDaniel – December 30, 2024
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Monday, December 30, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(On the QB Tua Tagovailoa thing, there’s one thing I was going to ask you for clarity on that confused me. I know you said that it was determined that he would be at risk of much more significant injury if he had played yesterday. Wouldn’t that risk still exist if he plays as early as next Sunday or a potential playoff game?) – “It’s all about time and I think what was tricky is we were basing all of our timelines with this particular unique injury to Tua (Tagovailoa) and how his body would respond to that based upon the week previous. So then with really the change in momentum or trajectory of it getting better, I think it was about the timing of when the game was relative to his recovery process from the last week which was a different timeline than the week previous. So where does that leave us? Firmly in the unknown. Just because, all right, you have this one sample size of time that would lend you to believe one thing and then a second sample size which is very converse, so then what does that mean for this week? Well, honestly, I don’t really know. There was a lot of optimism last week in my mind based upon the previous experience. So this week, I know one thing, Snoop (Tyler Huntley) will get more reps than Tua this week as we go through the week and have to be prepared for both guys to play because I don’t really know exactly what it’s going to look like this next Sunday. So that’s really the optimism, we’re kind of in a gray area now because of just how his body did not cooperate with my agenda.”
(To follow up on the preparation aspect of that, do you come up with two different game plans depending on the quarterback or did you see enough from QB Tyler Huntley this week that you said, either way, it’ll work?) – “Well, it does depend on your quarterbacks, their skill sets and their conviction in certain things. That was a much different formula at the beginning of the year. I would say then I think the things that Tua (Tagovailoa) is good at and some of the concepts that he really likes, those are the concepts and things that Snoop (Tyler Huntley) has been working on the most. So overall, there’s certain things that each individual really likes. Typically, besides zone read running, now at this point in the season, there’s a lot of overlap with what they like, what they’re good at and what they can execute. Fortunately, at this stage of the season, it will look a lot more similar with the different nuances to each guy’s game that’s subtle, but it won’t be a completely different ‘throw the playbook out’ type scenario just because of the growth and what Snoop’s been able to put together this season.”
(Who has the final say in whether QB Tua Tagovailoa plays? Who had the final say last week? Who will have the final say this week?) – “Well, I think with injuries it’s pretty cut and dry – 100 times out of 100, if someone’s not medically cleared to play, I don’t trump card that. I suppose, on game day, I guess by the letter of the law you could say it’s my final say. My final say is to choose to listen to the medical professionals with their expertise and knowing the pros and cons and that’s the only thing responsible to do with players. And then realistically, those conversations, Chris (Grier) and I get debriefed and sometimes more than other times depending on the injury in question, but that with our medical team and the doctors that are experts in the field, but to play for the Miami Dolphins, you have to have medical clearance to do so and when doctors tell you that a player is not safe to play football, we don’t ever deviate off of that. That would be extremely irresponsible on my part.”
(And the doctors told you that Saturday, that he was not able to play?) – “You get updates all week and you’re trying to figure out what it’s going to look like. Saturday, it looked bleak, but officially with zero ambiguity on Sunday morning, we knew. But that was based upon Saturday information that, ‘all right, it’s going to have to really take a turn,’ and when we saw it didn’t, it didn’t.”
(Is T Terron Armstead out for the season?) – “No. He’s going to see what he can do and we’ll approach the week with the mindset of getting Patrick (Paul) ready to start but allowing Terron (Armstead) to see if he can get himself ready to play and be live for both scenarios. I love multiple scenarios if you can’t tell.”
(How about WR Jaylen Waddle?) – “He had a good week. I think if the circumstances would have been different – it was kind of a recipe for disaster on the playing surface relative to his injury – we’d be begging for not only a reaggravation but probably early in the game. So I feel optimistic about him, but we’ll progress that day-by-day.”
(And then Antony Walker Jr.?) – “Right now it seems more week-to-week so I wouldn’t totally expect but wouldn’t rule out this week.”
(With QB Tua Tagovailoa it got worse because he said on Thursday it didn’t seem to be a big deal and Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith said it was December football. It got worse after Thursday’s practice?) – “Relative to a projected timeline based upon the previous week, I would say that it didn’t improve as we were kind of forecasting. Not necessarily worse, just you’re expecting things to progress and sometimes the body could care less about your expectations. It wasn’t like he took a shot or got hit in practice or anything like that. We just had some I think reasonable expectations based upon the week previous and it didn’t really work out that way.”
(Can you be specific on when he got injured and when he got aggravated – Houston and San Francisco?) – “Specifically, Houston he took a shot outside the pocket and then San Franciso the QB hit around the 50-yard line.”
(Can you say what specific thing he would be at risk of if he were to play and be injured more severely. I know you said he was at risk of something significant. Did doctors say he could get a broken hip? He could get something that would be career-threatening if he were to play before it’s fully healed?) – “It was not safe at all based upon a litany of things that his body was vulnerable to as well as his inability to avoid and move within the pocket, the risk of just leaving him really unprotected is the way that I would say both on impact and the ability to avoid impact.”
(No second thoughts about playing QB Tua Tagovailoa against San Francisco?) – “No, he was medically cleared and I think there is inherent risk every time you play. So that’s why you have to be very concrete with your medical team and very communicative with Tua. But no, I think it would be safe to say that I don’t foresee ever as a head coach retroactively saying that I regret playing someone because that insinuates that you’re bending that threshold of both safety for individual players and you have to account for other players specifically when you’re talking about the quarterback position and how they involve everyone. But no, he was cleared to play and sometimes in football you’re dealing with a sore wrist and you play in a game and the first play of the game you get hit on the wrist. It’s more happenstance than anything.”
(Late second quarter or early third where RB De’Von Achane did not carry the ball, did Associate Head Coach/Running Backs Eric Studesville or Achane tell you he was dinged up or did you just want to see your other guys?) – “I think really with De’Von’s involvement with our offense there was no change with our standard mode or really how we operate normally. It was very similar to the game before. The difference was we had a string of three- and four-play drives so you’re trying to get the opportunities and you’re putting Raheem (Mostert) out there to do a run play and the situations changes so you do a pass play, so Raheem is out there for that run play but also that pass play. Those opportunities that you try to give that we’ve had success getting fresh legs out there and Raheem deserving of opportunities to go and make a play with the ball and then you punt. And so then happens on a couple of successive series and then it seems like he was taken out. It was no different than our normal operating procedure. The difference being that normally – we kind of major in sustained drives and we had a collection of them that we were unable to sustain the drive.”
(I know you said it’s not the exact same hip injury that QB Tua Tagovailoa had at Alabama, but the hip is the hip and it’s the second seems to be major injury to the same area. Does that at all play into the diagnosis and moving ahead is there more caution because of that?) – “Your question is absolutely fair because your question is the same that immediately that I posed to the medical staff and then understanding that they’re unrelated and there’s no causation involved in it. It’s a fair question, but they are unrelated in terms of really the nature of that injury versus this. But it’s a fair question because it’s quite natural, hence, it was my first question.”
(WR Tyreek Hill endured a lot criticism for his drops against the Niners. What can you say about the way he responded yesterday?) – “I think that’s sports. It epitomizes what I see this whole game, is not avoiding any sort of failure whether it’s in this situation that receivers, that their world, it’s very obvious a lot of the times when there’s shortcomings in a particular game for a particular player. But it’s not about whether or not you ever have something bad happen or a bad play or something that you want to have back; it’s about doing something about it and what I saw during the practice week as I fielded some questions in the press conferences about his approach and he aggressively attacked the problem and was very focused on that. And I thought that translated to I think nine-of-nine on targets to receptions. Those are the things that I really appreciate about the game of football that are I think the nuts and bolts of really, how do you define success within an individual player’s game. It’s how do you grow from the inevitable mistake or shortcoming? You attack it and do it in a bold manner and he created his confidence and got over that San Francisco game during our practice week and I thought it was very fitting that the game played out that way and he was able to be his best when his best was required.
(The Chiefs, it all appears they’re not going to be playing anybody of significance, or I should say any of their top players. What are your feelings towards weighing that when you’re absolutely obligated to your team first but then you’re playing in a game that could impact other teams? Do you have any thought son that?) – “First and foremost, it’s a very clear message to the team that we’ve been afforded the opportunity to kind of execute upon which when you dig a hole within the season that you have to get yourself out of and then you’re faced with the reality of yeah, you need to take care of business and you need some help; you learn quickly that any time spent on the help is not benefitting the desired goal. So in terms of playing, not playing, whatever; I’ll let them handle that. I do know that through the experience of in my career in the National Football League, especially Week 17, if you are a betting man that is just checking boxes based upon lineups, you’re going to lose money. So I don’t really know what’s going to happen in that game and I will care about that the second our game is over. But to me the most important thing is really leaning into the lessons of this season and an overall lesson that is absolutely paramount for success of football teams, is to focus on the right things and nothing matters about a game in a different stadium – maybe in a different time zone, I don’t know – if we don’t find a way to beat the Jets. So everything will be about the Jets. You have to operate and if you operate exclusively that way, I’m not sure how yesterday plays out against the Cleveland Browns, if our team wasn’t focused on the Cleveland Browns all week. And the scenarios and stuff, you just know that you still have the ability to play in the postseason, so you take care of your end of the bargain and then see what happens. But what I know is not on the table for our team, is disbursed focus that leads to an end result where the Jets beat the Dolphins; then who cares what happens in that game or if I’m playing quarterback? Doesn’t matter and that’s the way we’ll approach it, and fortunately we’ve had that formula for a couple weeks now.”
(K Jason Sanders has been on a incredible roll here. He’s kicked you into the playoffs basically the last two years. Can you quantify how it feels to go into a big game with him on such a roll? He’s done it before. Does that affect play calling? Confidence?) – “Yeah, that’s what you’re looking for in a kicker, is that – there are supremely talented kickers. There’s a plethora. There’s probably more than a handful of guys that aren’t on a team right now that will have winning kicks next season; it’s finding the types of people and the working relationship he has with Jake (Bailey) and being able to have guys that the moment’s not too big for them and I think specifically when you’re talking about someone that his job is to get points, I think that it’s a huge asset. It’s one of the reasons why he’s a firm Dolphin, is because he has proven time and time again since he’s been the kicker for the team that I’m the head coach of, that he comes through and the moment isn’t too big for him and that’s clearly not an easy thing. It’s very impressive what he’s been able to put together, not only this year but since I’ve been here with the end-of-the-season situations that you mentioned.”
Zach Sieler – December 29, 2024 (Postgame)
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Cleveland Browns vs. Miami Dolphins | 12-29-24
DT Zach Sieler (transcribed by the Cleveland Browns)
Obviously a good win for you today. What was going well for you today?
“Communication. Staying on the same page and no one trying to take a shot and working within the bounds of the defense, offense, and special teams. So I think all three phases came together well today and that’s what we gotta do to continue to play next week and hopefully after.”
With the win and scores around the league, you guys are still alive. What’s that feeling like and what is that going to do to keep you moving throughout the week?
“I mean what happens is what happens. We got one more game to win and hopefully some other things to go on and we got a shot. So I guess a huge motivation factor is getting to the playoffs and hopefully take this all the way.”
Obviously [Calais Campbell] is not going anywhere next week. What do you think about his performance today?
“I love playing with that man [Campbell]. To come in here and have the impact that he had so automatically in August was just a testament to his career and himself as a human being. His love and respect for the game shows he is a better player that wears the badge better over the last 17 seasons. I mean, all the things he’s done over his career is just incredible, so all the respect for him. I love playing with him every game, so I’ll just take every snap as you can and just be grateful.”
What about [Tyler Huntley’s] performance tonight?
“Awesome. Unreal and that’s why he is here and why he’s our guy. You know he is one h*ll of a football player and a great man as well, so we are excited to have him. He is a pivotal reason why we won this game, so shout out to [Huntley] man, he played his butt off.”
Jonnu Smith – December 29, 2024 (Postgame)
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Cleveland Browns vs. Miami Dolphins | 12-29-24
TE Jonnu Smith (transcribed by the Cleveland Browns)
We heard the music before we came in. What was the feeling like to get this one?
“It was great to add another one to the resume. It was obviously pivotal in where we wanna go as it is another stepping stone. We are going to enjoy this one and we just gotta have that get back to work mentality because there is a lot on the line.”
Reflect on the dark days when you guys were in a deep hole that no one thought you could climb out of, and now you’re .500
“We are now .500 and still very much going into the last week of the season. Nobody saw this, but we did, and I’m not surprised. Nobody here was losing their minds because we knew we got this in the locker room. I’m just proud to be a part of this organization, proud to be a dolphin, and everything is still in front of us. Obviously we still need some things to happen out of our control, but if we continue to control what we can, things will happen.”
Calais Campbell – December 29, 2024 (Postgame)
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Cleveland Browns vs. Miami Dolphins | 12-29-24
DT Calais Campbell (transcribed by the Cleveland Browns)
When did you guys know that Tua wasn’t going to be available? What was the thought process going into this game?
“Tua did tell me on Wednesday ‘They’re going to have to pull me out of the game I’m playing,’ so I thought he was playing. So then Friday you kind of could tell, he didn’t really have a lot of reps. He’s a guy that likes to take reps. So we kind of had it in the back of our minds that he might not…I didn’t know until right before the game, I looked over and saw him in sweats and I was like ‘Yeah I guess Huntley’s up.’”
Was there a point of emphasis to make sure Tyler Huntley gets that win against his former team here?
“Well I mean yeah, but I think the biggest point of emphasis is just winning to stay alive. But it is a good feeling to see a guy who I’ve played with for a few years you know. I know he’s capable of being an NFL quarterback and to go and get an opportunity I thought he might be able to, you know, get an opportunity there and for him to cut was our blessing because we were able to pick him up. Earlier in the season he came in off the street, and played well. He put us in some ball games, won one for us – I feel like we can win ball games with him playing how he played today.”
Tyreek Hill – December 29, 2024 (Postgame)
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Cleveland Browns vs. Miami Dolphins | 12-29-24
WR Tyreek Hill
Did you have practice reps with QB Tyler Huntley?
“Yeah. I decided not to take any days off and that’s just accountability on my part and also the head coach to take full credit for it. Just knowing that we only get so many reps before the game, and Wednesday and Thursday are a real good time for me to get good reps with the quarterback, not only me, but for all of the wideouts. We took advantage of that and today shows for it. I’m really proud of that.”
When did the team know that QB Tua Tagovailoa wasn’t going to be able to play?
“I found out the same time as you all did. My mindset all week was to take reps with both of the guys, Tua and also Snoop (QB Tyler Huntley). But, like I said, I found out the same time as you guys did. In this league, you have to always have a next-man up mentality. (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) definitely had that today. He told us whoever’s back there, just have faith in him. It doesn’t matter.”
What’s the difference of this offense with QB Tyler Huntley having more experience in it?
“Snoop came into a new offense, into a new building, looking at unfamiliar faces. He really wasn’t comfortable with telling guys what to do or truly understanding the offense and knowing where guys were supposed to be. Today’s game showed he can throw the ball on time, he can read defenses, and he can also make plays with his feet. Him being able to do all that, and then also come into the locker room at halftime and then talk to the whole entire offense, telling us to pick it up a notch, shows the growth and just him first getting here and now. I was really impressed by that. A lot of guys started playing in the second half. We were doing a good job, moving the ball up and down the field, we were just shooting ourselves in the foot. That’s all the things, pre-snap penalties, holdings and false starts and all kinds of craziness. He did a good job of leading us.”
How tough do you think it was for QB Tua Tagovailoa to have to sit out in this elimination game?
“Tua is a real competitor. I know, and I’ve seen it practicing with him all week, seeing that he wanted to play. He understood what was at stake. He’s just like every other guy you know on this team, whether it’s myself, T-Stead (LT Terron Armstead), (CB Jalen) Ramsey, you have to force him you know off the field and basically it was the staff trying to save a player from a player from from just being a ball player. And Tua being him, he’s going to be the pro about it and support his teammates, and do everything he has to do to make sure that whoever is playing in this spot, they’re going to take care of business. He did a good job of that today.”
Was there more of an intentionality today with your number of targets?
“I just think it’s just one of those things where Snoop is more familiar with the offense and understands exactly where people have to be. Instead of seeing me actually run an end route, he actually knows, just like Tua knows on a certain step, I’m going in or I’m going out and he’s banging it. He was just making plays and Snoop is a ballplayer. He knows and understands the game, and now he’s in a position where he’s in the meetings every week with Bev (Quarterbacks/Pass Game Coordinator Darrell Bevell). He understands exactly where we have to be , he’s practiced with us, whether it’s one on one, seven on seven. He understands how guys run their routes now.”
