Brian Flores – August 10, 2019
Download PDF version
Saturday, August 10, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(After watching the film, can you let us know something that actually was maybe better than you thought and something that was maybe you didn’t notice right that wasn’t so good?) – “I noticed that it was – I think the tackling was something I talked about after the game, and it’s something that I definitely reiterated to the team that we have to do a better job defensively and in the kicking game from a tackling standpoint. We won’t have a shot – we won’t give ourselves a chance if we don’t do a better job there, so that’s something that – I know I mentioned that (was) not good. I would say it was it’s something was probably worse than I thought, so it’s something that we’re going to place some emphasis on, something we’re going to drill more, practice more and continue to try to get better there. Something that I felt was better – I thought our operation, just in and out of the huddle. When you watched the tape, you see Atlanta had some trouble kind of getting lined up from time to time because we were in and out of the huddle pretty quickly. I liked the operation. From that standpoint, we can catch or keep people off guard and off-balance that way. I think that gives us an advantage, so I thought that was something that was good.”
(Do you have any updates for us on where your quarterback competition stands?) – “It’s still in a competition. I think – obviously, Josh (Rosen) had come in there and had more reps. He played the second and third quarter. (There was) some good, some not-so-good. ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) really just had the first quarter. He had a couple of errant throws, but I thought his operation was good. Honestly, Josh had the lion’s share of the snaps. I thought he did a good job. I thought he ran the offense well. I thought he made some good throws. I thought he could’ve made a couple better decisions. Checking the ball down is not a bad thing to do. That’s something we talked to him about – understanding what they’re doing defensively from a cover standpoint, from a run game standpoint. We could have put ourselves in some better situations. Both quarterbacks – really all three quarterbacks – Jake (Rudock) went in there and did a really good job in the fourth quarter, so I think all three guys are working hard, and I think they’re continuing to improve. This week’s a big week for sure.”
(Do you think that the dynamic has changed all, or do you still anticipate giving QB Ryan Fitzpatrick the bulk of the first-team reps?) – “I think we’ll continue to split reps in a way that we can evaluate both, but really all three quarterbacks. First team, second team – I think people put more value in that stuff than I do, but we’re going to try to get the reps to evaluate all three guys and really everybody on the team.”
(I wanted to ask you about the offensive line. You had mentioned after the game that you needed to take a closer look at it on film to get an idea how they performed. Now after seeing the film, what did you see?) – “Yeah, I think the two young guys inside – I think the speed of the game – we talked about it after the game is that it’s new to them. As much as you can talk about it, there’s no way to simulate that. You have to feel it, you have to go through it, you have to experience it. I think both guys did, and I think both guys settled down as the game went on, so I think that was positive. In the second half, we had some miscues on the o-line. I think a couple of guys could’ve played better. I think as a unit, they could have played better really in both halves. I think that’s something where we need to improve really across the board – with the guys who are running with the first team, second team, third team. I think there’s a lot of room for improvement. I think the game is an opportunity for us to learn from. I think we harped on protecting inside out, doing a good job on double teams in the run game and having good communication. Hopefully, we’re better as we move forward.”
(We’ve all seen the highlight-reel catches that WR Preston Williams is making. What about the less exciting aspects of the game that he has to master obviously as a rookie? How is he coming along in those areas?) – “I think Preston is doing a very good job, and that starts in the kicking game. We had him in there on punt return. I think he played tough, he played physical, he blocked in the run game. That’s something we talk about here a lot. I think he wants to make his presence felt obviously from a receiving standpoint, but really in all phases. I think he needs to continue with that. Again, one big game doesn’t make you a superstar. This league is all about consistency, so he’s got to continue to string good practices together and hopefully good games, but I don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves on Preston. He’s got a long way to go.”
(With WR Preston Williams, with a guy like that, what goes into the decision to sign him? Obviously he wasn’t drafted because something happened with his background. How do you – since this is your first year, can you walk us through your thinking on players in general with a history?) – “I would say – I mean we do a lot of research. (General Manager) Chris (Grier), (Vice President of Football Administration) Brandon (Shore), our personnel staff, they do a lot of digging really on every player – not specific to Preston, but really every player. We try to find their strengths, their weaknesses, the things that they do well, any issues that they may have. We have to make a decision as a staff as to guys we feel like can help this team. I think we have a structure here. We try to create a structure here where guys get into a routine and a rhythm and really all they are doing is focusing on football. Then we try to educate them on everything outside of football that could be taking focus away from the game. I think that is part of trying to help young guys develop. I think people forget the fact that these guys are just kids. I remember being a 21- ,22-, 23-year-old and I didn’t make the best decisions. I think that is something that we have to educate these young kids. I think that’s our job as teachers, coaches, as educators, as leaders is to help educate them. We’re doing that with Preston, all of our rookies, all of our young players, and even our vets as well. It’s a league where you’re 30 years old and you’re an old guy. (laughter) In the real world you’re still pretty young. It’s a challenge for coaches across the league, not just the Miami Dolphins. (It’s) something that I take great pride in trying to help these young guys get into a routine and take things one day at a time and improve and get better on a daily basis. Preston and all of our young guys take into that, and hopefully they continue to do that and that’s a way to see an improvement and build and get better.”
(I’m wondering if you could expand or explain why you think next week is going to be a big week for the quarterback competition? And also, why you don’t give a lot of credence to first-team reps, and second-team reps?) – “Well next week – really every day is a great opportunity for us to build, get better and run through the coaching staff and evaluate the guys in how we want to construct this team. Going to Tampa and practicing against this team, they’re a talented team. They’ve got players all over the place. It will be a great opportunity for us to play and practice against high-level competition and guys we don’t know. Training camp can become monotonous seeing the same guys each day. You see the same – you get a feel for what they’re doing offensively, defensively and the kicking game. It’s going to be a great opportunity for us. It will be a great challenge. And then as far as the first team, second team, I think in anything you are doing, all you can do is control what you can control. If you do a great job with you reps, whether they be with first team, second team, third team, then hopefully you move and get some reps with some other guys. As we’ve gone through training camp, we’ve moved guys around offensively, defensively and in the kicking game. Whether you’re first team or second team, I want to see how guys respond, and work their techniques and fundamentals wherever you’re at. I don’t really – there is the whole first team, starters, backups. I think the best players will play and we’re always going to have a group of guys who aren’t going to be starters who come in – they are called backups, but they’ve got a vital role on the team. In a lot of ways I think you diminish their role when you call them that. I’ve never been a proponent of that. That may be new to some people, but again, I think you have to make the most of your opportunities wherever they lie, wherever they are. I think it’s that way in life. I guess that’s why I don’t spend too much time thinking about first team or second team. I watch it, but I like to see guys be productive, period. If you’re not, whether it’s first team, second team, or third team then that’s a problem. If you are productive, then I’m taking notice of that as well.”
(Are you comfortable with the evaluation that you can get on QB Josh Rosen if he’s not playing with the best, against the best?) – “I am comfortable with that. I think it’s so early in training camp and we’ve played one game. We’ll have the opportunity to do – play him whenever we want to. I think there may be an opportunity where he plays with some of those guys who we call first-teamers. Josh can only – He’s got to take care of the things he can control and do a good job with the reps he has. That’s the case for every guy. That’s kind of how I feel about it. As a staff, we’ll make that decision when we feel like anyone is ready to move up or down. That will be our decision as a staff and we’ll do what we feel is best for the Miami Dolphins.”
(How are the joint practices going to be structured? What will we see and how will that benefit the club?) – “These joint practices – I think they’re a great opportunity. They’ll look similar to what we’ve done in training camp thus far except that they’ll be against another team. Obviously, there are going to be a lot more players on the field. You may see a split field where we’re running a couple drills with offense and defense on one field and offense and defense on another field. The kicking game – obviously, we’ll try to work that on one field, and then some of the team periods, we’ll be on two fields as well. There will be a lot of moving parts to these practices. I talked to (Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach) Bruce (Arians), and we scheduled out – I’d call it 95 percent of what we want to do. There’s always a couple changes. They just played last night … so they might make changes. Again, we have to be able to adjust; but I think you’ll see a lot of what you’ve seen really throughout training camp.”
(I want to ask you about the left tackle position. Obviously, you’ve got a lot of injuries out there. Where’s your comfort level with going into a game without LT Laremy Tunsil?) – “Losing a guy like Laremy Tunsil would be very tough. At the same time, we have to be able to adjust and adapt and the next guy will be up. As a team, we would have to do what we need to do to – if we felt like there was an issue – to help that position. If it means leaving the tight end over there, we’ll do that. If it means chipping the back, we’ll do that. If it means five on the line over there, we’ll do that. When you’ve got 11 guys on the field, you have an opportunity to help when you need help. That’s the case. You can’t double everybody. I think everybody understands that. Once there’s a particular matchup we don’t like, then we’ll try to help that situation offensively, defensively or in the kicking game. Conversely, if you’ve got a guy you feel really good about, you may leave him one-on-one and go help somebody else. That’s coaching. You’ve just got to do what you feel is best for the team. That’s different case by case. It changes from week to week, day to day and by opponent.”
(If QB Josh Rosen goes up against the best 11 players on your defense, what could you take away from that in regards to your quarterback competition?) – “My takeaway would be: is he getting the group in and out of the huddle? Are we up at the line scrimmage with enough time to make our points, adjustments, Mike (linebacker) calls, etc.? Part of that to me is as important as anything. It doesn’t matter who’s on the other side. And then after that, making the right decisions to go with the ball. That quarterbacking and decision-making – I think you can get a good evaluation of decision-making regardless of who’s on the field. If you want to see if he can make a tight throw into tight coverage against a good corner, that’s one thing. If you want to see if he’ll force a ball into double coverage whether it’s against a first, second-team or third-team – if you see a quarterback doing that, he’s getting a bad evaluation. I don’t know if you guys – That’s the way I see it. But from a decision-making standpoint at the quarterback position, first team, second team – I get what everybody’s saying, but if the ball needs to be checked down, it needs to be checked down versus the eighth group. If he can fire the ball into split-safety coverage into the turkey hole versus the ones or the twos, we can see about making those decisions then. If you’re watching, you get a good evaluation of a guy. That’s how I see the game at the quarterback position. I guess other people see it differently, but that’s how I see it.”
