Brian Flores – November 10, 2019 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 10, 2019
Postgame – Indianapolis
(As spoken for the Miami Dolphins, are the Miami Dolphins happy they won today?) – “Yeah. There is an excited group in there (the locker room). Tough game against a really good opponent. They’re a really tough coached team. A lot of good players. On the road. Tough environment. It’s hard to win on the road in this league. I’m proud of this team – I really am. There were some plays that we came back from. Some adversity we dealt with that earlier in the year would have been hard but now these guys are tough mentally, physically, they trust the process and we were able to overcome some. But that’s what you get is adversity in every game and I think we are learning how to do that and we’re doing that by sticking together and taking it one play at the time. I’m proud of this team.”
(The effort by the defense coming up with the three takeaways, coming and stepping up big for you and this was one of those defensive games where it was close all the way through and you had to just grind it out and your guys got the best of them.) – “Credit to the players. They went out there and executed and our coaching staff you know, Pat Graham, Josh (Boyer), T.O. (Tony Oden), Hobbs (Marion Hobby), Robbie (Rob Leonard) – work extremely hard to get these guys ready. To put these guys in position to make some plays and we got some today. Created some turnovers. Those are always big in the game. We played a tough, physical game. We tackled and I think even when they drove the ball a little, we just stuck together and took it one play at a time and made the plays we needed to win.”
(You have stacked together about five games in a row, winning the last two. Do you just feel this team coming together and that momentum just building for you?) – “Yeah, I think that’s something I felt, like you said, for the last four or five weeks and we are starting to come together across the board. From a communications standpoint, an execution standpoint, a practice standpoint, from a confidence standpoint. I think being able to overcome adversity is part of playing in the National Football League and we had a lot of that early in the year and we are starting to do that at a high level now.”
(Once again Ryan Fitzpatrick is able to get this offense going just enough and comes and takes a touchdown. Takes the ball in himself for the touchdown and just the things he has been doing since you put him in the fourth quarter against Washington game.) – “Yeah, Fitz has been leading the way and a tough, gritty performance. Not perfect obviously. There has never been a perfect game played so I love that he just comes right back in on a scoring drive and I was just very happy with Fitz’s (performance).”
(What happened there with his concussion protocol?) – “You know they called down and once they call down, it’s out of everyone’s hands and I had to take him out of the game.”
(But they didn’t call down until he went back on the field?) – “They called down when they called down. I’m not on the phones there.”
(CB Nik Needham and S Steven Parker have been in and out of the lineup. Both of them had interceptions. Needham had a big game. How have you decided whose going in week to week in this secondary? Is it just practice and who is practicing good?) – “Yes, it’s practice. It’s walkthroughs. We watched the tape last week and there are a lot of things. No one has set guys in the building, so I think our coaches are doing a job these guys ready and. Josh (Boyer), T.O. (Tony Oden), really all the coaches are doing a good job getting these guys ready and we just put the guys on the field that help this team win games. Those two guys in particular helped us a lot today and made two big plays in the game. One really in the red zone and Nik’s interception that put us up one – that’s a huge play of the game. Like we talked about, those winning moments and some of those as a team.”
(You have won two in a row and as you process through this, can you see the team improving from here?) – “That’s the goal. I told them that when we first met. I try to improve every day and again if this team is a reflection of me, we are going to improve every day at everything – blocking, tackling, study habits, preparation, walkthrough, practice, third down, red area, run game. We are going to try and improve every day.”
(What are you seeing in WR DeVante Parker and TE Mike Gesicki that have allowed them to become such a big part of your offense right now?) – “They are two talented guys – we will start right there. There is a toughness and grit in both of those guys, and we are seeing it on a weekly basis. We need that. Getting that from those two guys in particular, I think our offensive staff is putting them in position to have some success. George (Godsey) has done a really good job with the tight ends and Karl (Dorrell) with the receiving group. Just one foot in front of the other on a daily basis and that process, that commitment to the process is just the fruits of their labor.”
(It was well documented that you guys had a lot of scouts at the LSU-Alabama game. Only 13 teams didn’t attend and 19 teams were there. It’s no secret you guys are putting resources to next year. How much does this team feed off this and what everyone is talking about next year? What about this year?) – “I think if you are not motivated to play in this league, you will not be in this league long. I have been here for a long time and if you are not motivated on a daily basis, you won’t be around long – that’s players, that’s coaches, that’s personalities. I don’t know if we need extra motivation. It’s the National Football League.”
(That fourth down stop that gave you guys the victory, can you take me through that play and the emotions leading up to the victory?) – “It’s the winning play. It’s a four-point game. They’re in the red zone. It’s a good offense with good skill players. They go to (Eric) Ebron, who is one of the best tight ends in the league and low and behold we stopped him short. It’s a winning play and I’m just so proud of this team. The way they stick together. The way they fight. They played and overcame adversity. Went on the road and played in a tough environment. That’s what it takes to win in this league. To come to Indy and win, you have to be a physically and mentally tough team.”
