Terron Armstead – January 3, 2025
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Friday, January 3, 2025
T Terron Armstead
(We know it’s been a challenge, how are you feeling about playing on Sunday?) – “Just preparing and trying to get ready to go.”
(Has anything been maybe more challenging this week than maybe last week or two weeks ago getting ready?) – “It’s been a grind, really, just the entire time. But like I said, just preparing, watching film, getting in the playbook, just getting ready to go if possible.”
(It’s December, obviously everyone’s banged up. FB Alec Ingold talked about you being the example for a lot of guys here, just being able to battle through everything. What’s the mindset? How are you able to do that?) – “I appreciate him saying that, for sure. It’s a lot of reasons, like people have their own motivating factors. It can be internal, it can be material, it can be accolades, whatever. For me, I just always try to put my best foot forward, man. Every day just try to get better and try to be the best version of myself on the field, be productive, you know what I mean? So that’s it. Every day, just try to be the best me possible, no matter what I’m doing, dealing with, circumstances, situations – got to be the best me.”
(When the season is on the line and you guys have so many injuries, players that are not going to be available, how do you look into helping your teammates, especially in particular this week, knowing what’s on the line?) – “Yeah, we’re down now to the last game of the regular season. We got something that we are playing for, trying to get into the postseason, so all hands in. All hands on deck, all money in, we roll with who we have; who’s available, who can go out and produce, be productive and go get a win.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel has said a couple of times that the Monday Night Football, Rams game was a turning point for y’all this season. I’m curious if that’s something you would agree with and if so, what was it about that week that helped you guys start to rotate around?) – “Yeah, I mean a really good team, really good team, hostile environment. That Rams team was tough, especially from their defense standpoint. It was a tough, physical game so it was great for us to get the win and it felt like the most complementary game that we were able to play as a team at that part of the season. Defense played really well, offense was productive, we got points when we needed, and we complemented each other really well. So I think we were able to create some sort of a blueprint moving forward and we’ve been able to try to duplicate it over and over.”
Tua Tagovailoa – January 3, 2025
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Friday, January 3, 2025
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(Can you just detail what you’ve been going through since the Houston game, the hip injury, aggravating it and then the two weeks since?) – “Just dealing with that and getting a good gauge of what the doctors are telling me and outside of that, we’ve been able to look at MRIs and keep track of this. So that’s what it is.”
(As you mentioned you’re a gangster. Being a gangster, as much as you want to play this last game, how tough is it to know you may have to sit out with the season on the line for you?) – “Yeah, it’s tough. It’s tough for any competitor to have to sit out when the season is on the line and you know you can do more, but that just tells you how much trust and respect that we have for ‘Snoop’ (Tyler Huntley). The defense has been balling as well, so looking forward to what our guys can do this Sunday and we’ll see how the cards fall and how they play out.”
(What are you experiencing right now in terms of pain, restricted movement, anything like that? What are you experiencing?) – “When it comes to pain, I think I’m good with all of that, but it’s just the restriction of what the doctors are saying I can do. That’s what it is.”
(Do you feel like it could improve to a point where you could play in another week if the team makes the playoffs?) – “Yeah. Yeah, if the cards play out the way they should and the way we know and think they can, I’m going to be available next week. There’s no ifs, ands or buts allowed. I’ll be playing. That’s for sure.”
(What is the injury that you would be at risk of if you were to get God forbid a bad collision in the game? What have doctors told you?) – “I don’t know if anything could be worse than what it is right now, but I don’t know. This is just what the doctors are telling me is right for myself and things of that nature, but I want to be out there. That’s for sure. That’s for sure. I want to be out there, but it’s just a risk for myself to be out there and if something were to happen again, that’s what it is.”
(Has there been much improvement this week? Are you feeling somewhat better?) – “Yeah, feeling a lot better. That’s for sure.”
(Was it something where you thought that you would be able to go out and play last week like you had thought you were at a position where you could play and doctors were like “no, there’s risk of more…”?) – “Yeah, for sure. For sure, I thought I could’ve played last week. Just the doctors said no. That’s all it was.”
(And same thing this week as well doctors have said?) – “Yeah, they’re just trying to give it as much time to heal.”
(What are you telling your teammates now, too, because we still see you out there taking those practice reps as well?) – “Just making sure everyone is locked in, making sure no one is throwing in the towel or whatever. We still have an opportunity. And this is also one of those things where you just show who you are as a teammate, and if you want to be part of the organization next year, when things are hard, you really show who you are. And then when things are not, anybody can act however they want to act, but that just tells us a lot, I would say.”
(Are you frustrated and how are you feeling right now just through all of this kind of going?) – “Hell yeah, I’m frustrated. I’m frustrated. Yeah, I’m frustrated.”
(Considering what happened at Alabama, when this current injury happened, was there any concern in the back of your mind that it was related to what had happened a few years ago?) – “Not necessarily. The one at Alabama was definitely a lot different, but I would say this was probably the more challenging one that I had to go through out of all the injuries with my ankle, playing a week out of surgery, like it wasn’t as bad as what this one feels like.”
(Does this type of thing just take different amounts of time to heal with different people? Have doctors told you if this strain or whatever it is with a muscle like this, it varies in terms of how long people need to recover? Like is there a timetable which the doctors said or do they say it changes depending on the patient?) – “See, it just gets so hard because we’re just given broad – we’re giving you guys broad things about what the injury is.”
(Obviously the cards have to play in order for you guys to make it to next week, but if it ends up being that this is the last week, what are some of the things that you’ve thought through about this season and just if it ends up being that your last game was a couple weeks ago?) – “I think the biggest thing and it has been my thing since last year – obviously the concussions have been a thing and then just off of that, other injuries that have stacked up with the concussions to where I’m missing games. It’s frustrating. That’s the frustrating part and I think that’s something to take into consideration for myself, for the team and just moving forward to stay available for more than one season, that’s for sure. More than one season. And yeah, that’s just the frustrating part about it.”
(So what can you do that you haven’t done already? Is there anything?) – “I think that’s something to think about this offseason. That’s something to talk with coaches, and essentially it just falls on my plate, just protecting myself better and things that I already know.”
Mike McDaniel – January 3, 2025
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Friday, January 3, 2025
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Can you share if QB Tua Tagovailoa is out on Sunday?) – “We’ll approach it like ‘Snoop’ (Tyler Huntley) is starting. It looks like the way that I approached the week was probably smart, I see it as unlikely that Tua (Tagovailoa) will see any action.”
(And I know you’ve been very consistent with what you said, but there was something on NFL Network saying it’s just a nagging thing, it’s not structural issue that’s highly worrisome. So is this a case simply of a bruise just not healing as quickly as everyone thought?) – “It’s not a case of – a bruise would be like pain tolerance, and that’s something that I think Tua wishes it was just a pain issue. It’s quite literally being able to have the strength to do what we ask him to do as well as protecting himself from very serious injury if we don’t treat it appropriately. So I wouldn’t say it’s a bruise, but it’s a unique muscle issue that is a result of the hip.”
(Has there at least been progress this week?) – “Yeah, there has, and we expected that now that we got a little more familiar with the injury as it relates to his body. Some of the most challenging has been like you usually base things off of knowns, so if I say somebody has a high ankle (sprain), depending on the grade – if it’s inside or outside – you have a barometer. If somebody sprains their MCL, if somebody has an AC joint, these things are patternized based upon the routine and how often they happen to various players where this injury wasn’t really of that nature. So it hasn’t been a setback but that’s because we’ve proceeded with caution.”
(Have the doctors said he should rest for a certain amount of time, be it another two weeks before he resumes football activity, another month?) – “It’s been more of consistent check-ins to see how far it’s gone and whether or not it’s quite literally safe to play football in a responsible fashion. So that’s why it’s kind of been forecasting and daily acknowledgements or deep dives into how it’s doing. That’s why we kind of have to check in on the daily.”
(Just to be sure, the bone itself is completely intact, no hairline, no nothing?) – “Right. Right, 10-4. Confirmed.”
(What have you learned this season?) – “I mean there’s been a lot. There’s been a lot of lessons offered. Some of the most valuable lessons unfortunately come in times of adversity, for sure. And the lessons within learning this team, the team’s been able to tell me who they are from individual to individual to each phase. I think there’s nowhere to hide when you start the season behind the eight ball. When you’re 1-3 or 1-4, 2-6, those are trying times, but you do get to find out a lot about people and who you’re working with and whether they’re coaches or players. I know one consistency since I’ve been in the NFL is if you’re able to flip a 2-6 start, your first eight games and your next eight games is 6-2, there’s only one way and that’s in-house, effective work and strain and detail and you’re doing it for the right reasons. So learned a ton of that. I think there’s been, you didn’t quite know how teams were going to adjust based upon the season before from how defenses were going to attack us and kind of get a picture of that and there’s a lot of guys that I’ve learned in the whole process that I can really rely upon based upon the most valuable experience there is and that’s real – real life, real time. The biggest thing is that I’ve learned that I can lean in on this team to go ahead and put their best foot forward for the right reasons to win a football game to try to, as I’ve watched them, try to keep this team together for as long as possible and earn another opportunity to practice together and play.”
(Are you still holding out hope that T Terron Armstead might be able to play?) – “Based upon experience, it would be unfair to really dismiss his ability to dig deep and do stuff for not only himself, but for the team. So I’ll always leave that open and he’s a hard guy for me to rule out, specifically when he doesn’t throw in the towel. I’m hopeful but I would say – I wouldn’t say I’m pessimistic nor optimistic, I really don’t have a feel and it’s probably going to take all the way until that hour and a half time frame before the game, before we know for sure.”
(How about S Jordan Poyer? Are you optimistic about him?) – “There is some optimism there from my standpoint. And I know he will do absolutely everything to play, he’s been very adamant about that. I am confident at the position with him and Jevón (Holland) battling various things and trying to play in the game. I’m also very confident in the work that Elijah (Campbell) and Pat (McMorris) have had, specifically over the last couple weeks. So I know our bases our covered there.”
(WR Jaylen Waddle. I was going to ask you about Waddle as well.) – “I would say I’m feeling optimistic, in a positive fashion. So we’ll see what today uncovers but I’m feeling good barring no setbacks.”
(You’ve called that Rams game, that week leading up to the Rams game, like it was the turning point in the season, but can you just detail a little bit more what specifically was it about that week, about that preparation, that execution that led to the turnaround in the season?) – “I think it was also coming off of a hard one to stomach. We had a game in Buffalo that we lost on a 61-yard field goal at the end and just knowing what that meant to the guys. You have across the country, three-hour difference in time, time zone trip to the other coast, on national television; so you don’t have any time to sulk and you have to have to have confidence playing a good Rams team and there were reasons for people to feel defeated. So just knowing based upon – I think it was two last-second field goals in a row that we lost on, Arizona the one the previous week – that it was going to be tough to overcome a third consecutive letdown and I didn’t know what that would look like. So then guys go on a two-day trip across the country, you’re hoping for the best, but I do understand it’s the National Football League in football. And for them to boldly go after the game the way they did for us to – it was the first time that I really saw the three-phase contribution on display in that game where down to the wire, you had a defensive stop, you had a drive to make it a two-score game, and then really it took all the remaining time in the game after our field goal team trotted out there and made it a two-score game. Then they had to eat up all the time remaining in the game just to try to attempt to get the one touchdown. So it took the whole team. If one piece of the team was half in or not detailed in that moment, we lose our third game in a row and have a long flight home that who knows where the team is going to be at. I knew it was important and it was national television against a team that was second in the division at the time – I can’t remember – but ultimately have proven to be a tough team to a lot of opponents throughout the season. Knew that going in, so I thought it was defining moment that enabled us. It wasn’t a clear path after that game, we did have some ups and downs, but once we were able to do that together, the trend was to persevere which is what it takes in the National Football League.”
(If I could have just a quick little follow-up, what was that flight home back to Miami like for you?) – “I slept. And so that tells you a lot. You have so much frustration, you go into a season with so many expectations and it was far from the fight being over and I knew on that flight that the fight was going to be over for nobody. I know one thing to be true in the National Football League, is that you don’t achieve anything or you don’t have growth without adversity, and it was high in adversity, but it’s been high in growth as well. So I’m glad we gave ourselves an opportunity as a football team there to be in a position where we could play for our playoff lives the last three or four weeks and come down to Week 18 where you need to win a game. I think a team is better served when they’ve gone through stuff throughout the course of the season for those elimination-type games which we’re definitely well-versed in.”
(To circle back to QB Tua Tagovailoa real quickly. Now that you have more information, is surgery an option and would surgery help whatever is ailing him?) – “It’s not a surgical solution. It is a ‘stop aggravating this by pushing through and try to regain some security and strength’ and so it’s time.”
(I think it’s the dramatic in me, but I can’t help but think about the fact that this is game is really like the epitome of sports. You guys are fighting for the playoff spot versus a once-elite aging quarterback and you’re likely starting a backup, the 2-6 to 6-2 turnaround. I know you’re laser-focused on the Jets, but have you had a moment to step back and be like, “damn, this is kind of cool?”) – “I think I’ve had a moment to understand how much this game needs to be in our primary focus because of the football team, really everything they’ve gone through, deserves to put their best foot forward in this moment to try to fight to keep the team and the season alive. So I think inherent in that is some reflection just based upon understanding, all right, well, it is a tough spot to not have complete control over your destiny, but it is also something that you’ve earned to have partial control and how important it is for us to take advantage of that against a team that has a ton of weapons everywhere and that wants to finish their football season on a high note, because you have a lot of offseason that the taste of the last game sits with you. I don’t disagree with you. I think this is kind of what football is about, is straining through the highs and lows of a regular season to try to get in the tournament and in the tournament, you have seeding but it’s elimination, single-elimination. So to get there, we’ll need a valiant effort – one that will have to be in the scope of what’s allowed us the opportunity and I think doing so will be very validating and then we’ll see what the world has in store for us.”
(I don’t think we’ve touched on LB Anthony Walker Jr., have we? How’s he doing?) – “We haven’t. He’s hanging in there. He’s such a competitor and had such a big stamp on the season and then following the San Francisco game, the Monday after, had something pop up. You can rule him out for this game. and he’s obviously hopeful that our season extends as well.”
Calais Campbell – January 2, 2025
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Thursday, January 2, 2025
DT Calais Campbell
(No scoreboard watching on Sunday?) – “No, you don’t want to do that. You don’t want to do that. Just stay our course. Of course if we get a big lead, you start looking over there a little bit more, but the biggest thing is just do our part. At the end of the day, we’ll figure out what happens when the game is over.”
(The amount of years you’ve been in the league, people come to you or players come to you with your experience. Is there anything extra that you’re saying this week to them or everyone is kind of focused and controlling what everybody can control?) – “Yeah, I think there’s nothing actually to be said. At the end of the day, this is about playing a really good football game enough to win a ball game and finishing the year with a bang. Obviously, we have the hope and aspiration to become a playoff team, but it’s not solely in our control. But we have to do our part. The biggest thing is just stay locked in, stay present. If this is our last week, we go out with a bang and if we do our part to earn an opportunity next week and the football gods bless us with that, we’ll take advantage of that. But at the end of the day, just stay present, stay in the moment and give everything we have.”
(Will you still leave with a sense of gratification if the team earns a winning record but you are indeed left out? Will there be something? A feeling of accomplishment for the second half of the season?) – “I think everybody wants to be a winner, right, and having a winning record, obviously there’s only one team that leaves the year happy – that’s the Super Bowl champ. The team that goes and loses is just as upset as the teams that don’t make it. That’s just the nature of the business, but there is some solace in knowing that at least you had a winning record, you’re a winning team; and I think it helps as something to build off of for the people who are going to be here next year and stuff like that. I know there’s a lot of unknowns, but at the end of the day, we’ve just got to do our part and finish the year strong, finish it with a winning record. All that stuff is stuff you can hang your hat on.”
(Speaking on unknowns, nobody on this team made the Pro Bowl. You guys have had a pretty good defense all season, but the last “No Name Defense” here was pretty good. I guess it’s not the…) – “That was surprising that nobody made it, but you’ve got to win ball games. You don’t win enough ball games early on, that affects all those accolades and stuff, too. So I know it’s supposed to be an individual award, but it really is a team award. You always see teams that go on big wins, like this team last year, you had eight players. When you’re a winning team, you always get that extra love. But there are definitely guys in this locker room that are worthy of the Pro Bowl. Jonnu Smith had an incredible year; if that’s not a Pro Bowl year, I don’t know what is. Zach Sieler, another guy I just feel like – you could go down the list. There’s a few guys that are extremely worthy, but it is what is. You can’t do anything about it. The people voted, and it’s just motivation for next year for those guys that feel like they got holes there, so it is what it is.”
(You guys already have enough to motivate you coming into this game, but does that maybe motivate you guys a little more for one last push when there’s names that maybe should be on that Pro Bowl list?) – “No, I don’t think so. That’s not going to motivate me any extra. If you need extra motivation for this, you’re playing the wrong sport. This is for all the marbles. This is essentially a playoff game, and we’ve been in some semi-playoff games earlier in the year just because we needed to win – we started 2-6, you’ve got to win some games to get into the mix – and you say it’s a playoff game because you know if you win, you can probably get in. But it’s hard to win nine straight and we lost two tough ball games to two good teams on the road, but we put ourselves in position to have a shot. But this right here, this is a true, real-life playoff game for us. I know it’s essentially the same thing; you lose, you’re definitely out. You win, you give yourself a chance to keep going and that’s all that really matters. The guys are locked in, guys are focused, they understand what the scenario is. So definitely takes a lot of focus because there’s that doubt that creeps in. It’s like, ‘Man, all my effort, is it going to be worth it? Are the Chiefs going to beat the Broncos or the Broncos are going to beat the Chiefs? What’s going to happen?’ You start kind of thinking about what could be and it’s like, forget all of that. Don’t even worry about the actual end result, let’s play our best football game this week. Let’s be our best this week.”
(You can’t worry about that stuff, especially when you’ve got Jets QB Aaron Rodgers. You already played him once. He put up good numbers, but you guys got the ‘W.’ What needs to get even better against a guy like that?) – “Honestly, he played his butt off last time we played him. That was the Aaron Rodgers that I played against most of my career who’s won MVP awards. He was elite that game, and I know he’s eager to go out there and finish his career off with a bang. I don’t know if he’s going to retire or not, but assuming that he’s in a similar situation as me where this could be your last ball game, what do you do there? You want to go out with a bang. I know that personally. I’m sure he’s going to have the same (mindset) that I have, so it’s going to be a battle, but we have to be at our best. We’ve got to get pressure in his face, make him uncomfortable and it can hopefully be a vintage ball game for us.”
(How much does that thought cross your mind, that it could be your last ball game?) – “Quite a bit. (laughter) Quite a bit. I try not to make decisions during the season. I try to wait till the offseason to kind of really put myself in that, and I do feel like there’s a chance I could play again. I know that it’s not 100 percent or I’m definitely going to be done, but I have to treat this like it could be my last game. That’s a pretty strong emotional feeling there. As much as I love this game, as much as I’ve given this game, the fact that this could be the last one is kind of crazy. But I’m going to go out there and play with all my heart and try to finish with a bang.”
(So when you put on your uniform, when you take it off after the game, you’re going to be thinking “This might be the last time I do this?”) – “Yeah, yes, I will. That definitely is going to be a thought process. I will say that I’ve felt that way before, too, so this is not my first time feeling that way. (laughter) So it doesn’t mean I’m definitely going to retire, but definitely you have to have that mindset because at the end of the day, I don’t know. And I want to make sure that if this is my last game that I make it worthwhile.”
Jonnu Smith – January 2, 2025
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Thursday, January 2, 2025
TE Jonnu Smith
(You’re still alive, chance to make the playoffs. What’s the energy that you guys are trying to keep and the mentality to stay and hopefully things go in your favor?) – “We got to control what we can control. We understand the urgency that we need to have going into this game. We’ve got to give ourselves a chance. We got to hope that things go in our favor. We’re preparing as if we’re in. We’re going to continue to go in there and play as if everything is on the line, which it is. Unfortunately we don’t control the outcome of our future, but good things come to those who wait. We’ll be patient, we’ll do what we need to do and let the cards fall where they may.”
(Knowing that you can only control what you can control, Kansas City and Denver play at the same time. Do you look at the scoreboard at all when you’re on the sidelines?) – “Just got to play. Just got to play. What are you going to worry about the score for? Obviously, we’re human, it’ll be tempting, but we’ve got a game to win and we need to focus on us. That’s the mentality we all have. We know. We’re just excited for this moment. Through everything we’ve been through, I think the whole NFL world can say ‘I didn’t think the Dolphins will be here.’ It’s been a long road. It hasn’t gone the way that we expected it to. But we fought, we were resilient, we looked all of the doubt that was in our faces towards the beginning and middle of the season, all of that adversity that we were facing, and we took head on and now thankful that Week 18 we’ve given ourselves an opportunity to compete in the big dance.”
(Did you think you were going to make the Pro Bowl?) – “I thought I did. I thought I did, it’s my first time ever being recognized for a respectable honor. Congratulations to all of the guys that made it. It was deserving. I guess that’s just how these deals work.”
(How surprising is it that no Dolphins made the team?) – “I definitely felt that was kind of a slap in the face. I felt like a few guys were deserving, for sure. At the end of the day, we play this game to win championships. Pro Bowls, that’s extra that comes with it. At the end of the day, we’ll laugh about it for a few minutes or so, but we’ve got work to do this weekend.”
(Anybody going to use that as motivation?) – “Everybody got their own way of getting themselves going. If that’s going to be some guys mentality to go out there Sunday, then have at it. Everybody’s got a lot of different things they play for – family, the faith, belief, so many things we play for. Just being doubted our whole lives. For me, it’s funny because I’ve been a guy – I wasn’t a big recruit. I came out of West Port High School; nobody really knew about us. Wasn’t a five-star, four-star, I went to a mid-major school at FIU. Shoutout, Panthers paws up for sure, always. It’s kind of been this way for me. Just always – this is nothing for me. My sophomore year in college, I led the country in receptions out of all the tight ends – receptions, touchdowns, and receiving yards and wasn’t even honored for the Mackey. It’s just kind of been that way for me, it is what it is. I’m still here. I’m here at the end of the day, so that’s all that matters.”
(The uncertainty at quarterback, QB Tua Tagovailoa being limited and QB Tyler Huntley taking first team reps. Do you talk to him about being more comfortable with you guys, or what’s the sense of not knowing what the decision will be on Sunday?) – “’Snoop’ (Tyler Huntley) is getting quality reps. We don’t know the status of what’s going to happen on Sunday. He’s preparing, he’s ready to play and we’re right behind him. So whoever is out there Sunday, we’re extremely confident. Snoop obviously took a big step this past weekend in Cleveland and went out there and helped us win a game with his performance. He had a heck of a performance. We’re just extremely confident in his ability to continue to help us.”
Frank Smith – January 2, 2025
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Thursday, January 2, 2025
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(If God forbid T Terron Armstead cannot play on Sunday knowing obviously that T Kendall Lamm is now on IR, obviously you have T Patrick Paul at left potentially, then you have options at right with T Jackson Carman; I was going to ask you, would it be unreasonable to expect a veteran who has played right tackle before but not this year like OL Isaiah Wynn or OL Liam Eichenberg to play right tackle in a Week 18 game?) – “I think it’s expected that we have to go through all variables making sure that we cover potential situations. So those are the things that as we go through the week and the process, that we’re in conversation with Butch (Barry), Mike (McDaniel), Chris (Grier) and I are just talking about making sure that we’re in the right position and have the right guys so if we had any down the line issues, we’re ready to go.”
(What was your assessment of T Jackson Carman’s first game?) – “I think that for him there was some good that we liked and there were obviously some things that he can improve upon. Especially when you play for a long time you’re used to certain techniques and you actually get game performance to do it, that’s when you make your greatest learning because now you can actually see it live and now you can make the improvements. So the one thing about Jackson (Carman) is heavy pro, works his tail off and I know he’ll be ready to go and he’s excited to improve every day he goes out there.”
(Had you worked out or observed OL Braeden Daniels in the past? I don’t know if he was part of the draft assessment back last year, right?) – “He was a guy that we liked and then he’s shown versatility in the NFL, and that’s just something that we always value, is the guys that have flexibility throughout the line, show range, movement skills that can play inside and outside. And when guys become available and we have spots available, those are the types of guys that we really value.”
(When you look at pass protection, you could have a quarterback who has not played a lot in QB Tyler Huntley with this team, left tackle who has not played a lot in T Patrick Paul, right tackle. That communication – quarterback, left tackle, right tackle – is that a huge thing in pass protection or is it just kind of “You’re a pro, you can do it?”) – “It’s more of collectively the group of the offensive line starting with the communication through ‘Brew’ (Aaron Brewer), through the inside out and then quarterback knowing the intention through our protection system of how we’re going to block things, anticipation. But I think that kind of goes into each week we always try and make sure that we’re connected with our route distribution, protection plan, launch points, timing because the hardest thing in pass protection in the NFL is how are you going to throw the football, what’s your launch point, how are you going to protect it? Six-man, five-man, seven-man? So I mean, those are all things that we weigh each week and we make sure that we’re all connected throughout the entire offense.”
(Are there any things that you found in the run game against San Francisco that maybe reverted back in this past game against Cleveland?) – “It’s just one of those where you just see we’re one guy off, and when you’re one guy off and the ball is cutting and that’s the guy that’s forcing the ball or making the play; the differences between a positive gain, minimal gain or a big gain is this margin of error. So that’s kind of where we’re off is that we were just one guy short from having some runs that could’ve been pretty cool.”
(And T Patrick Paul, how would you assess how he’s played when he’s had a chance?) – “I think each week he gets better and he really is improving and you can see the – the part of coaching is you can see, like the practice, that’s where you make a lot of growth and you get into the game. And then each week, he’s been able to keep building, getting better in pass protection and with his run fundamentals. So it’s a guy who is really using his time to grow and we’re excited about him really short-term and long-term for how he’s been able to grow.”
(QB Tyler Huntley was 22-of-26 passing last week. Why was he so effective? Why is that number so high?) – “I think it goes into like we were talking about in pass protection and how it builds out to the entire passing game. So if we’re all on the same page of our intent and we understand how route distribution, timing connects to pass protection, that allows us to distribute the ball. And also at quarterback, knowing that as I go through my progression, where is everyone going to be and what’s the launch point I’m protecting. So I think it’s just that connectivity is vital and that’s why we make sure that from Wednesday through all the way to the game, we’re talking about the different components of the game plan, how we’re trying to attack the defense, distribute in the passing game so that way we can be effective. And ‘Snoop’ (Tyler Huntley) is awesome with his approach and preparation.”
(Yesterday Head Coach Mike McDaniel said, “I think ‘Snoop’ [Tyler Huntley] is starting today.” In other words, as of yesterday he was planning on “Snoop” to start. Nothing has changed, right?) – “I think that this time of year, we’re really working through each day just making sure we’re getting guys ready for a process and we’re just evaluating where we’re at each day. So like right now it’s Thursday, making sure we’re at right now, Friday, Saturday, all the way to the game. So that way we’ll know who we can go to the game with and put them in the best position possible.”
(Has QB Tua Tagovailoa told you guys if his hip has improved at all in terms of how he feels or how he’s able to move? What’s been conveyed?) – “Always a player they want to be able this time of year to go out and execute and play with their teammates. He’s being aggressive with his rehab and his approach to get ready to play, but ultimately, we’re just making sure that we put everyone in the best position possible so we can execute and have a great day versus the Jets.”
(Where does RB Jaylen Wright stand right now as his opportunities have kind of diminished recently?) – “I think it’s not really as much the other guys as just the versatility and what De’Von (Achane) brings, just in the passing game along with the running game. When you look at like – the first Jets game, we had a 30-yarder called back on a holding call, and then versus the Niners that hits off almost the same spot for the touchdown at the end of the game. So it’s not as much how the other guys are doing, it’s just opportunities as we’re getting into it. If we’re not running the ball the way we feel about it, then we’re making sure that we’re moving the ball effectively through other areas of the offense. So ultimately, we always look at our goal is to manufacture yards, drive the field to score points in whichever way the defense is vulnerable to the attack, and so that’s one emphasis for us in the run game, is to give us more opportunities and make sure we’re getting guys, but we have the most confidence in any of our backs and their approach has been great.”
(When you’re measuring if QB Tua Tagovailoa is healthy enough to be able to play, Head Coach Mike McDaniel said that it’s an issue of how well he can protect himself on the field without making the injury worse. Is that independent of issues along the offensive line or injuries on the offensive line and how that pass protection like you were mentioning earlier can hold up? Or do you just measure, OK, if he’s good enough to go, we’re going to send him out there regardless?) – “I think it’s easy to sit back and go, ‘OK, these are the things that could happen and then how do they impact things?’ Ultimately it goes into a player’s ability to execute his job and also be healthy enough to handle the things that could occur. So I think that we try to make sure that our guys are good to go through our medical process and our communication so that way we can have guys play effectively and they’re not putting themselves in a position where it’s just, ‘Hey, I can do this, but I can’t do that.’ It’s like we want guys to be able to go and perform and do what we need to do to win.”
(And on that same question that was just raised, I guess phrased a slightly different way just to confirm what you’re thinking: does whether you have backup offensive linemen in the game affect even one iota a decision on whether QB Tua Tagovailoa plays or are they totally unrelated, it wouldn’t matter if you had five backup offensive linemen, if Tua is cleared and able to play, he would play?) – “I think that when it comes into these situations, I know that you guys have to weigh and think the involvement of our process. The biggest thing for us is that when we have different guys stepping up to different spots, we’re making sure our entire plan of what we’re doing is putting our guys in the best position and making sure they have the ability to do their job. If we were sitting in five-wide and just dropping back and throwing seven-step, then yeah, that would be like the doomsday you go through of like, ‘Oh, what’s going to happen?’ But ultimately it’s for us to put our guys – can they play and play at a high level and play what we need to do, and that’s how we evaluate to make sure we’re ready to go.”
(For him is there like a mental component of you don’t want him thinking of how to protect himself like as a play is going on? You want him to be able to kind of focus fully on play in the game rather than, “OK, I need to protect this hip”?) – “I think that goes into the psychology of just playing in general. It’s like, when you’re playing if your mind wanders from the moment from now and you’re worrying about maybe a variable here, a variable there, a variable of what it is; you’re not in the moment of ‘what am I trying to execute right now, what is the defense presenting, how do I attack it?’ I think it goes into the compartmentalization of a player of like your focus has to be on the present to how you can perform and all the other things are just part of the process that you have to minimize to make sure that you can maximize performance. And I think that goes into whether it’s working through injuries, maybe performance cues or something that you’re trying to improve; I think all that goes into the mental training that you have to have to really have high level performance.”
(I’ll just throw this out because this could be the last time we talk this season. Head Coach Mike McDaniel said that QB Tua Tagovailoa kind of aggravated the hip on a hit that he took against San Francisco. Was it the pass to WR Tyreek Hill in the end zone that was tipped?) – “There was one element from that, but I think it was just ultimately as you go through a game of just movement and stuff, so I think that when you try and push through stuff and then you have a setback, it’s like now that’s part of where we’re at now, is making sure that when we get to the game we’re maximizing where we’re at. We’re not regressing or just trying to hold water with that. But yeah, it’s this time of year. Everyone is working through something trying to make sure we’re ready for Sunday.”
(I don’t think Pro Bowl is very important, but it is also true that the team has zero Pro Bowlers after having five on offense last year and none this year. I know there’s a lot of factors – fan vote and that sort of thing – does that tell you anything about the kind of season it’s been?) – “I don’t know if it’s the kind of season it’s been. I think there’s things that go into that, but I think our focus right now is team goals. Let’s focus right now on getting what we need to do to keep playing and extend our season.”
Anthony Weaver – January 2, 2025
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Thursday, January 2, 2025
Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver
(As you look back at LB Chop Robinson’s season, I was going to ask not only what stands out from a good standpoint, there’s been a lot of good, but the message you would give him specifically where there needs to be a jump in Year Two would be what?) – “I think the biggest message that would be relayed is just not to be satisfied. He’s obviously had some early success which is truly a credit to him. As coaches just continuing to pour in him and with him responding and listening, but complacency is the cousin of death in this league. The last thing you would want to do is be happy with where you are at because the second that happens, somebody is passing you up. Incredibly excited about the kid, and I know he’ll put the work in so I’m probably more talking to a lot of other people on the team as opposed to him.”
(With LB Chop Robinson, is there a need to add yet another countermove as a pass rusher? And from an edge setter, I know you’ve talked about he’s made progress, but those two areas, what would be the next step?) – “As a pass rusher, you’re constantly adding tools to your toolbox. Trying to see how guys are seeing you on tape, trying to watch guys who have had success that has similar skillsets as you and seeing what you can take from them and apply to your own game. It’s exactly what I said, the kid has every athletic attribute known to man. He’s fast, he’s physical, he can bend. His arm length doesn’t hinder him by any means. So whatever he can take and utilize and then apply, he should.”
(For LB Tyrel Dodson to come in and have a game he did last week, I imagine you bring a guy in mid-season you never know how they’ll mesh or how they’ll fit in with the group, but it seems like he’s just kind of been able to step right into the starting lineup.) – “And to be honest, we kind of expected that. Fortunately I had some people in Seattle that could give us some really good intel, and all reports out of there was tremendous teammate, really good player. They just had some young guys they wanted to get on the field. That obviously has worked out in our favor and the transition has been seamless for us.”
(DT Zach Sieler was named team MVP. Do you approve?) – “Absolutely. We’ve talked about Zach (Sieler) before, I think the absolute world of him. Without a question to me, he is worthy of that award, particularly for our defense. He is the heartbeat of our defense. He holds down the middle and obviously just shows up week-in and week-out and affects the game in a positive manner. Well deserved, for sure.”
(This is the No. 3 defense in the league, but no Pro Bowlers. What do you think of that?) – “I guess we’re a little bit like, ‘No Name Defense,’ I guess. Hopefully we get in and we’ll give them a reason to talk about us.”
(I wouldn’t ask you the nature of what a private conversation would be, but I’m curious, obviously with guys who are on waivers, in Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s case, he called Matt LaFleur about WR Grant DuBose. In your case because of your relationship with Mike Macdonald having worked with him, did General Manager Chris Grier and Head Coach Mike McDaniel have you make the call to Macdonald with regard to LB Tyrel Dodson? I wouldn’t ask you what’s discussed, is that conversation ever awkward when a player has been cut, because obviously you have to probe about why he’s been cut?) – “It’s never an awkward conversation, and (General Manager) Chris (Grier) and (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) definitely didn’t prod me to do that. That’s something you just do on your own; if somebody comes up and you think there is potential to bring them to your team, as a coach you always want to get as much information on that player as you can. Those conversation typically aren’t awkward if you’re calling someone that you can trust. Because there’s some coaches obviously that are going to try to protect their guys, particularly if you’re talking to college coaches, right? (laughter) They’re going to try to protect their guys and paint them in a positive light. If you’re talking to coaches who you trust, particularly throughout the league, usually most people are pretty honest.”
(So you emerged from the conversation with Mike Macdonald recommending? Again, not asking the details…) – “No, I think the potential of adding Tyrel (Dodson) was brought to me – you’re always asked to watch the player first. So when we were asked to watch him, that’s when I chose to do a little bit of digging.”
(Last week LB Tyrel Dodson had 15 tackles. When you look at LB Jordyn Brooks’ career, he’s had as much as 184 tackles in a season. When you hear numbers like that, I’m trying to figure out in my head here what goes through a person’s body when they have that man collisions in a season?) – “I’ve never been close to that many collisions in a season during my career. (laughter) But the thing I’ll tell you about those guys – one, particularly in reference to Jordyn (Brooks) because I’ve been with him the longest, he is constantly working at his craft, in whatever that is – on the football field, technique and fundamentals with (Linebackers/Run Game Coordinator) Coach (Joe) Barry and (Defensive Assistant) Matt O’Donnell, off the field, taking care of his body, making sure he can endure those collisions week-in and week-out. I think he just displays a will and a mindset where he will not be denied. He’s going to make sure that he gives all that he has to each and every one of his teammates every single week. I think in my limited exposure now to Tyrel, ‘T. Dot,’ he’s cut the same way. Anthony Walker Jr. is cut that way, Duke Riley is cut that way. That room has been strong and consistent for us most of the year, and it’s truly a testament to those guys and the coaching they’ve been given, too.”
(Last time against the Jets, both WR Garrett Wilson and WR Davante Adams had strong outings. What needs to change this time?) – “We need to stop them. We obviously did not execute our plan the way we intended the first time, and we certainly didn’t go into it blind thinking like, ‘Oh, don’t got to worry about these guys.’ They’re incredibly talented. Obviously (Aaron) Rodgers, his relationship with Davante (Adams), it’s like they live together. They know what each other is going to do before they even have to signal anything, so we’re certainly cognizant of that. We have a chip from the way that last game went. It certainly wasn’t our best game, and we got to make that right.”
(And different for your secondary will be CB Kendall Fuller out, now CB Storm Duck on the boundary on nickel packages. How have you assessed how he has done?) – “I think Storm (Duck) has done a good job. I think Storm’s done a good job, but who knows who’s going to be out there. Could be a multitude of people and Aaron (Rodgers) will just look out there on Sunday and find out. (laughter)”
(Was there anything with CB Ethan Bonner’s snaps – I mean he’s played 16 defensive snaps this year – but was there anything there that made you give any thought to anything toward this Sunday?) – “Yeah, when his opportunity presented itself, he was physical and edge-setting. He got out there and made a tackle when the opportunity presented itself, so extremely happy with where Ethan (Bonner) is at. And there were some other guys that showed up, too. We’ve talked about Elijah Campbell who made some hits out there and was talking a little trash, which you got to love that confidence in him, and then Siran Neal. Siran Neal is a guy that has had some ups and downs throughout the season, but the one thing that I know about him is he’s going to show up and he’s going to be a physical force out there when he does touch the field. So all those guys certainly have an opportunity.”
(Are there any Georgia Bulldogs on the coaching staff?) – “None that come to mind right away.”
(Do you feel good about Notre Dame’s chances in the Sugar Bowl?) – “I feel pretty good about it, I absolutely do. More than I have – this is not a knock on my university, but I got to tell a quick story. (laughter) In 2012, they’re playing here in the Orange Bowl against Alabama.”
(I was there.) – “So unfortunately, so was I. Me and my dad were in town, because I’ve had that place in Coral Ridge since 2009, and I’m like, ‘Dad, we’re going to the game. We’re going to make it a day.’ It’s going to be a memorable time, like me, dad, father-son time, let’s go watch the Irish kick some butt. Only time we got to cheer was kickoff, and after that it was a pretty quiet day. I think we left some time midway through the third. Yeah, who would have known that after that game that your Mike linebacker getting catfished was going to be the second thing you’re actually going to be sad about. (laughter) So yeah, hopefully it doesn’t go down like that. Have the utmost faith in the team, cheering for Marcus Freeman and I hope they bring home a win.”
(This would typically be a question for Head Coach Mike McDaniel, but since we had a lot with QB Tua Tagovailoa with him, yesterday we never got to it. Just wanted to make sure that LB Tyus Bowser, CB Cam Smith, obviously they haven’t been designated to return. Both just physically not ready yet?) – “Yeah, just medically haven’t been cleared to play.”
(We’re hoping this isn’t the last time we meet, but I’m just wondering what your process is going to be should you get feelers from other teams for head coaching positions. What will you do?) – “Yeah, so it’s funny because I spoke to my agent last night and he’s like, ‘What are you doing to prepare for those opps?’ And I’m like, ‘Absolutely nothing. Absolutely nothing.’ (laughter) I’m so focused right now on just controlling what we can control, beating the Jets and praying that we get the help we need in order to continue this run, because I think if we can get in, if we’re blessed with that opportunity, we can make some noise.”
(How much do you want that for DT Calais Campbell? Because obviously, he stuck it out with this team and then now has a chance going into Week 18. That’s what he came here for, to compete in the playoffs.) – “I’ve wanted that for Calais (Campbell) since 2021, our first year together. Even the year we spent apart when he was in Atlanta, I wanted that for him. So obviously man, just to get in and to get a ticket to the dance is what we’re looking for. And if anybody can help push a team past whatever its limits may be, it’s that guy. So I’d give anything for that opp.”
(Maybe you need him to talk to the Chiefs, then.) – “(laughter) I don’t know, we’re playing at the same time so that’ll be a tough one. Maybe we can do a pre-recorded message or something like that.”
(How has LB Bradley Chubb been this last week, these last couple of weeks?) – “He’s been phenomenal. Like I said prior, I hope he gained confidence in that three-week window when he was allowed to go out there and actually play football. And really, he’s been phenomenal the entire season. I can’t say enough about the effect he’s had on Chop Robinson. He’s constantly out there, trying to coach him up on the sideline, just trying to help this young kid out because he’s been that guy too, right? He’s been that high draft pick with high expectations so he can relate to him. I love him. I can’t wait until he’s out there with us all the time because just like Calais (Campbell), Zach Sieler, some of these other guys, Jaelan Phillips, he is a force multiplier.”
Danny Crossman – January 2, 2025
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Thursday, January 2, 2025
Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(Having WR Tyreek Hill return punts, was that your idea or Tyreek’s idea and how do you think it went?) – “I think it went well. They did a good job trying to keep the ball away from him after the first opportunity. But again, anytime you have a playmaker of that caliber, the more you can get the football in his hands, I think it’s a good thing.”
(What about him doing that again, is that on the table? Off the table?) – “Everything is constantly in flux, so we’ll see.”
(How do you assess this season as a whole – how about 2024? In 2024, now that we are in 2025. 2024 is complete.) – “It has nothing – I’m not there. It’s cumulative, it’s cumulative.”
(How did you assess last season?) – “Good try. (laughter) See me down the road.”
(One more on the WR Tyreek Hill thing. The reason behind it was what?) – “I mean he’s an outstanding player, great with the ball in his hands and give us a spark, possibly make a big play. All the normal reasons why you would assume a player of that caliber would be back there. There’s a lot of moving parts to it like there always is, weekly, in-game, so there’s a lot of things that can dictate that. But again, I think it’s a good thing; when he has the ball in his hands, it’s a good thing for the Miami Dolphins.”
(Not making any excuses. P Jake Bailey was on the injury report with a back treatment ailment. A couple of punts that he just barely missed. Did stiffness in the back or did the back have anything to do with it at all?) – “I’m not going to talk about injuries. That’s separate.”
(On the 54-yard field goal, it hit crossbar and went through. Were there some elements there that made it that close?) – “There were a couple things. The front end of the operation maybe wasn’t as clean as we’d like, the strike maybe wasn’t as good as you like, the field – a lot of elements. Any time you play, when you don’t know exactly what you’re getting in terms of field, wind, rain, whatever it may be, there’s always going to be moving parts. But there was parts of it that I think we could have handled better and controlled a little bit better. Fortunately, normally when he hits the yellow, it’s not gone our way. Fortunately, we hit the yellow and it went our way on that one.”
(What does it say about K Jason Sanders that despite all those things, it still went through?) – “Correct, and that’s sort of where he is right now. Hopefully we can keep that rolling as long as we’re playing that the good things keep shining on him.”
(I have a question that hopefully you can teach me some football on. On the play that I think DB Elijah Campbell was the one that drew the flag for fair catch called and you can’t make the contact after that. What’s the coaching point on that for a gunner when the guy calls fair catch or doesn’t call fair catch? Do you try to teach him to hit the guy? What’s the coaching point there?) – “No, well you can’t. Obviously, there’s a couple rules. There’s a couple ways that we’ll play the gunner based on field position, what ball we’re hitting, so there’s a couple things that go into what technique we’re asking him to play. Simply put in that situation is trying to attack and play the returner as if it’s going to be returned and then off the fair catch obviously. The best part of that to me was both Elijah (Campbell) and Siran (Neal) immediately were pointing at the returner and yelling at the official that it was an illegal play. They don’t want to hear from us, they don’t have time to get to us. For those guys, again, to be able to do that as soon as it happened and make the official aware of what happened – not that the official wasn’t, he was pretty quick to go to his flag – but good awareness by both those guys and understanding the rules.”
(General football question. When a player’s helmet comes off, I know it happened to DT Benito Jones, I think it happened to LB Mohamed Kamara on a special teams play not too long ago, but anyway, what is the rule? Is the play dead or what do you tell the players to do? What happens there?) – “You keep playing. The play does not stop when a player loses his helmet in the course of a play, the play continues. They just got to be smart in how they’re playing but a lot of it’s instinct at that point. They’re not thinking about any of that, they’re just playing football.”
(And so DT Benito Jones was carrying the ball with no helmet.) – “Has nothing to do with anything. In the course of a play, they are not going to blow a whistle because a player has lost his helmet. The play will continue.”
(If I were to ask you if you think if you found a long-term returner in WR Malik Washington, would your answer be “Yes” or “It’s too soon to know”?) – “I think we really like him as a player. I think we really like him as a returner. I really like the progress that he’s made this year and where he started, so I think the long-term prospects of him are very good, but that’s again, that’s for another day.”
(The Jets changed kickers since last time. Anything, any change in the process for you guys? I mean he was the one that was on the kickoff that WR Malik Washington returned.) – “No. We’ll go back, we got a lot of history and files and tape and reports on Greg Joseph, and as soon as the move happened, we got into that. Again, they’re going through something there. It’s hard, people don’t understand the constant change in the operation and that’ll be their fifth kicker of the year. So kudos to those guys for working through that, it’s hard. But he’s a good player, he’s got a strong history in this league and we’re going to get their best. It’s a good group.”
(No sympathy for them when you’ve had five long snappers.) – “Correct, but it’s all part of it. It just seems how it is.”
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