Bradley Chubb – October 9, 2023
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Monday, October 9, 2023
LB Bradley Chubb
(As the player who has the longest history with Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio and who knows him the best, has there been anything that he’s asked you to sort of emphasize or convey to teammates about what he wants and expects philosophically, defensively, execution wise, beyond what he tells the players as a group?) – “I feel like, in general defensive meetings, he kind of gives a general idea of what he wants us to do. And then when you get to talk to him and kind of ask him those questions, like ‘Hey coach, I know we had this in this call, but what if I see this?’ Then that’s when him saying that starts that back and forth. I feel like when he requires a lot out of you, he’s going to be detailed in exactly what he wants from that person in that situation and that stuff. But for the most part, the message he gives the defense is the same that he gives each and every day. So we just got to, like I said, go out there and just continue to execute and do that at a high level.”
(You guys are up to 17 sacks now on the season, 40 quarterback hits. What does that say about the pass rush and how it’s coming along?) – “It’s coming along well. We’re getting after it, rushing as one. We got to continue to do that, rush as one. We play a lot of good quarterbacks coming up on our schedule, so we got to make sure we continue to get after them and make sure we don’t let these guys don’t hurt us with their legs because they’re all talented throwing the ball, so we don’t need another added element to that. That’s on us to eliminate it.”
(What can you say about LB Andrew Van Ginkel’s play when he’s been in there?) – “He’s been phenomenal. Just the energy he brings, he’s finding a way to make a play every game and multiple plays every game. It’s been dope to see him come along. I know he’s going to continue with it throughout the rest of the season, and I’m excited to see when we look at the end and see where we are at with him. I know he’s been diligent in his preparedness for the week and stuff like that. It’s been coming to life, so it’s been dope.”
(It’s important for obviously all defenses to get pressure with four-man rushes. How important is it do that in Vic Fangio’s defense just because he doesn’t call as many blitzes as some coordinators?) – “Yeah I feel like you said, it’s important regardless no matter who the coordinator is. But I feel like it’s important in this defense because the way our DB’s play sometime, when we see teams we get a lot of quick throws, quick passes. I’m not saying it’s on the DB’s. I’m saying that their leverage, the quarterback is hitching and getting it right there or whatever it may be, so it’s important that when he does take that hitch, when a guy is on him pretty well and takes that hitch, that we’re hitting him and affecting him. I don’t feel like that’s against Vic’s defense. I think it’s like a team thing. They see the playmakers we have and just try to get the ball out quick and try to take the pressure off themselves as an offense and try to find little things in order to have success.”
(How’s it been playing at home? The first homestand of the season, back-to-back games. Can you touch on the energy that you get from the fans?) – “It’s amazing playing at home in terms of how the fans bring the energy for sure, packed out every time. You know they’re going to be yelling. It’s honestly one of those things you get used to the fans screaming because we make so many big plays on offense and as a defense, we try to make those big plays and the fans are always into it. So having that energy is always fun and it’s always amazing. And then the heat element too. I feel like throughout the game, like we feel the heat and start feeling it on us as the fourth quarter comes on. But we practice in it. We’re accustomed to it. You see teams when they start to come down here and we kind of use that as our advantage. I’m excited that in the back-half (of the season) when places start to get cold, we still have that heat to our advantage. Those two things have been really helping us out.”
(How would you assess your own play?) – “It’s been decent. I feel like decent is not where I want to be though. I want to be an elite player, a great player, and that comes with doing my job at an elite level. I feel like I’ve been doing a pretty good job at it, but I’m not here to be pretty good. I’m here to be like I said, the words I use. We’ve got to find ways throughout the week and just capitalize on those big plays and finding out the intricacies of when the offense does this and where I could take my shots and do that and have that calculated risk and stuff like that. I feel like I’ve been pretty good, but I’m working on making it great.”
(How do you get past decent then?) – “Putting a complete game together with the rushes and playing the run and like I said, not taking shots off my own free will. Doing it within the defense and doing it within the guys next to me. I feel like that’s what’s going to take me from good to great.”
(The amount of guys you’re getting blocking you, has the volume changed compared to your Denver days in the terms of the amount of attention you’re getting from offensive players who are blocking you?) – “I wouldn’t say so. I think it’s about the same I feel like with chips. Receiver chips, tight end chips, running back chips, seeing all that as well. I wouldn’t say anything changes. Got to go out there and execute.”
(What are some ways that you find playing rookie quarterbacks, as far as them coming into the league, some things that you all use to your advantage, or just some things that they just don’t know?) – “I feel like at this level, everybody is an elite athlete, elite talent, elite mentally. Those rookies come in – I’m not saying anything negative, but they come in without that notion that everybody is at that level. Bryce Young has been playing good ball. He’s going to be great in this league, but he’s still young right now. Rookie mistakes. Everybody always says rookie mistakes and stuff like that. It’s hard to put your finger on what actually a rookie mistake is, but you see a veteran wouldn’t do that. But that just comes with it. Everybody has been through that rookie phase and has made rookie mistakes. I feel he’s just another one of them, just finding his way along in this league. I know it’s going to click for him sometime, but we just have to make our goal this week to rattle him and do whatever we can for him to get uncomfortable. And that starts with us up front.”
(I know in the years before you got here, I think a lot of people would have been happy to just make the playoffs as Dolphins players or fans. Do you think expectations are such that you all feel strongly about winning the division and not nearly making it as a wild card? Is that important to players?) – “I think it’s very important. Taking care of the division, that’s how you achieve – that’s a step closer to how you achieve the ultimate goal. Everybody knows what the ultimate goal is. You have to take steps. You have to hit mini goals in order to get to the big goal, and that’s one of the mini goals is winning the division. Like you said, people aren’t happy with just making the playoffs. We made the playoffs last year, but we felt like we could do so much more last year. We have a completely different team now, not completely different, but with a different mindset and expect them to be there and expect them to do all the things that we know we can do. Now it’s just about honing it all in and make sure we take week-by-week the focus of what we actually want to do as a team and I feel like if we take that path, things are going to start going well for us for sure.”
(Have you had the chance to speak with Browns RB Nick Chubb since his injury? And what are some things you said to him?) – “I mean I just reached out to him and told him I’m praying for him and keeping him in my prayers. You never want to see somebody go down as bad as that was. With the news, it seemed like it wasn’t as bad as people thought, or I’m not sure the whole context of it, but just praying for his recovery. The league is a lot better with him in it.”
