Brian Flores – December 16, 2020 (Conference Call)
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Wednesday, December 16, 2020
Head Coach Brian Flores Conference Call
(I wanted to ask you, head coach is obviously a leadership position as much as it is X’s and O’s and you’ve made some tough decisions the last couple years. I wanted to ask you about – you guys are obviously having a pretty good season here, but you replaced both coordinators after just one year. How difficult was that to make a decision to move on from both your coordinators after you guys had had a fairly good finish last season?) – “I think in this position and in any leadership position, you’ve got to make tough decisions – things that you feel are best for the team, the organization. It’s not always easy, but I think you always have peace knowing that you try to do the best for the people that you’re essentially serving.”
(On the same vein, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick was a very popular player inside your locker room, then you made the decision to switch to QB Tua Tagovailoa. Were there any concerns on your behalf when you made that switch that it might not be popular with your players and inside the locker room?) – “Again, when you’re genuinely and authentically and sincerely trying to do what’s best for the team, as a leader you have peace making the decisions you make and that was the case with going with Tua (Tagovailoa). We just felt like that was the best thing for our organization.”
(And how has that worked out making that switch and how has QB Ryan Fitzpatrick handled it?) – “Ryan (Fitzpatrick), he’s a special guy and he’s handled it well and obviously he’s a competitor and it’s something that – he wants to play, but he’s been supportive of Tua and all of his teammates. He still brings a lot of leadership to this team and obviously if we need him, he’ll be ready to go.”
(I’m just curious, I know LB Kyle Van Noy didn’t play last week with the injury, but what has he brought to the table and is it the fit that you imagined when you signed him in free agency?) – “Kyle (Van Noy), he’s tough, he’s smart, he’s competitive. He loves to play. I think he’s brought some leadership to our team and he’s been a good fit.”
(When you were with New England, obviously there were times you guys went down to Miami and you struggled in Miami regardless of the team you had. Were there any commonalities in that, in the performance of Miami vs. New England in Miami?) – “To think back on those days, I’m really kind of focused on what’s going on today and today’s practice and meetings. It’s hard to think back to two, three years ago. We’re playing against a tough opponent. They execute well offensively, defensively, in the kicking game. That’s kind of where my focus is.”
(Do you think your team – we’re in Week 15 – has established an identity yet and if not, what would you like that identity to be?) – “As an identity, I hope people see us as a tough, smart, disciplined football team that competes for 60 minutes as a starting place. I think that’s what I think we are. I think we can always improve and get better. I think they’ve worked to do that, so hopefully that’s what other people see as our identity.”
(Almost two years into your run as head coach, do you feel you’ve been able to kind of establish what you want in a football team or are you progressing in that area?) – “I’m probably never going to feel established. Just got to keep working, keep improving, keep trying to develop. That’s me personally and hopefully our team is that same way. Just continue to try to improve and get better. We’re going to need that this week to have a good week of preparation against a good football team. And ‘establish,’ probably not the right term. Right now, we’re just trying to just get better.”
(Is it odd at all kind of having flipped roles? You’re in wild card position trying to solidify your spot in the playoffs and the Patriots have basically a 2 percent chance. It just seems to be a different dynamic. Does that hit you at all?) – “No, I don’t think we’ve really flipped roles. I think they’re trying to win one game and we’re trying to win one game. That’s where we’re at and that’s kind of our thought process and I’m sure – actually I know – that that’s what they’re saying in their building. I could see how people could think that it’s flipped, but for us it’s a one-game season; it’s the same for them.”
(I guess this might be a little bit building off the previous question, but I’m curious and I know you’re focused on the here and now and what’s going on this week, but the way you guys finished last year, have you seen that carry over to this season and what did the way in which you guys finished last year say about the culture that you’re trying to establish in Miami?) – “Last year, it was last year. I don’t think it really has any effect on what’s going on now. There’s different players, there’s different coaches, it’s a different year. It’s 2020. We’re trying to coach through a pandemic – coaching and playing through a pandemic, I should say. I think our guys, they work hard, football is important to them, they compete, we ask a lot of them and they try to perform to the best of their ability. That’s really at the end of the day, that’s all we can ask for. We’ve gotten that out of a number of guys on this team and we’re trying to teach the young guys how to be professionals and I think they’re taking to it and we’re just trying to improve and get better every day, and we’ll try to take it one day at a time and let the chips fall where they fall.”
(Is there anything – you mentioned trying to teach the guys how to be professionals – for the young guys that were with the team last year that are still with you guys, do you think they were able to learn anything about how you guys finished that season off as strongly as you did when you guys were not in playoff contention? Was that a lesson in and of itself?) – “I think the lessons – I can’t speak for them individually – but I think the message has always been whether it was last year or this year or next year, let’s try to get better every day. Let’s try to improve every day and if you do that, more times than not, you’ll end up having success and seeing the fruits of that labor. So hopefully that’s what the guys who were here took from last year and then hopefully they build on that and hopefully our guys this year are building on the same thing – those same principles.”
(I’m just wondering what LB Kyle Van Noy has brought to your defense both on the field and from a leadership perspective off of it?) – “Kyle (Van Noy) has been a very good addition. He’s tough, he’s smart, he’s competitive. He’s brought leadership and he’s been a really good fit so far.”
(Patriots QB Cam Newton has been the starter all year. You saw him in Week 1. What have you seen from him as the season progresses and do you still – even though the passing numbers aren’t what they are – do you still see him doing things to help the Patriots win?) – “I think he’s a very good player in this league. I think he does a really good job extending plays. I think his ability to scramble is something that you always have to take into consideration on every snap. I think he’s a leader. I think he’s a problem, so we’ve got to do a good job from a pass rush standpoint, try to keep him in the pocket, not let him extend plays and allow his receivers more time to get open. Good player, good team, good run game, good defense, good special teams. We’re going to have to play well this week.”
(On the subject of culture – I know this is more of a big-picture question and I know you’re uber focused on this week, but we’ve seen what you’ve done in Miami, Sean McDermott has done in Buffalo, what Ron Rivera is doing in D.C., even Matt Rhule in Carolina – in your experience as both a player and as an assistant coach and now as a head coach, how important is culture and establishing that culture? Is that the baseline where you start? You have to have a culture if you want to be a successful program?) – “Sorry, when you mentioned me as a player, I always chuckle when people mention that. (laughter)”
(Yeah, Boston College. We’re not talking Division III here.) – “I wasn’t very good, so that kind of threw me off. (laughter) But yeah, I think when you talk about culture, to me culture is about people. And that’s the case in any organization. It’s about the people within the organization. I can’t force anyone to act a certain way. It’s about bringing the right people in for the Dolphins who are tough, who are competitive, who love to play, who are team-first and that’s players, that’s coaches, that’s equipment, that’s nutritionists, our medical staff; it’s everybody. And everyone bands together for really one goal and do it for each other, so to me, I think the word ‘culture’ is thrown around, but there’s a lot of people that are involved in building that. It’s not just one person. It’s certainly not just me. We’ve got a good staff here really all the way around – media, our food catering group – everyone, they work hard. It’s important to them and I think they’re all part of that label of culture.”
