Brian Flores – November 22, 2021
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Monday, November 22, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(What was your message for the team when the season reached its low point, a seven-game losing streak, and what do you remember telling the team at that point that kind of turned this around to these three wins? What do you remember you wanted to get across to your players at that point in time and how the players responded?) – “I think my message is I try to be consistent. I hope my message is the same every week. We want to get better and improve in really all areas. That starts with our preparation, our understanding of what the opponent is trying to do to us, how we are trying to attack them, getting into the scouting report, doing a good job in meetings and in practice. That’s my message every week.”
(I was just wondering if you had any updates on whether CB Jamal Perry and LB Brennan Scarlett injuries are serious and if you expect to have WR DeVante Parker and WR Will Fuller available to practice and potentially play?) – “We’re still waiting on tests with the guys who went down yesterday. I think some guys are still getting some of those tests, so I don’t have all the information on, you mentioned Jamal and Scarlett. When we have it, I’ll get it to you, but they’re still running some tests. As far as DeVante and Will, they’re eligible (to return off IR). We’ll see how this goes. We’ll know Wednesday for Wednesday practice. Nothing definitive right now though.”
(I wanted to ask you about what went into the decision to move up RB Duke Johnson and not dress RB Salvon Ahmed, and how you thought Duke did? Obviously, he got a chance there late in the game.) – “Duke’s been here a few weeks, kind of got his feet under him. He’s got a little better understanding of what we’re trying to do offensively. He had been doing a good job in practice. He’s an experienced player. He’s played a lot of ball in this league. I thought he went in and played well yesterday. He got us some positive yardage, was ready to go and I was pleased with his performance.”
(Speaking of Thanksgiving, I’m doing a story on Steven Rivera and how thankful he was for you and the Miami Dolphins organization for allowing him to do what he does and does well, which is cut hair in the facility and whatnot. He mentioned you being a fellow Honduran and how much he appreciated you. I just wanted to get your insight on that.) – “Steve is one of my favorite people around here, and not just because he does a good job with my haircut but I think he’s just a great overall human being. We’ve gotten to become friends since I’ve been here. When you go into the barbershop, there’s a fellowship that happens in there and the camaraderie in that environment. He’s someone who’s a great listener. We’ve had some great conversations and I’m glad to call him a friend.”
(A lot of people have talked about, among the many goals you guys have for the last six or seven games, to get a look at everything QB Tua Tagovailoa can do as a quarterback. Yesterday we got to see him rip a really long ball down the field. Is that something that you guys have wanted to incorporate more into his game and did he sort of show people? There have been people who have questioned if he could do it, but I imagine in the building that wasn’t a big surprise for you.) – “We know he can throw the ball down the field. It’s all about the opportunity to do so in a game. We try to create those opportunities with our play design and play calling. I think there’s a timing element to it. You can get the exact look you’re looking for, get the matchup you’re looking for and get an opportunity to push it down the field, get the protection you need to get it down the field. There’s a lot of things that play into that. That showed up yesterday and we were able to connect.”
(QB Tua Tagovailoa said on that play that he was going through his progressions, that he was looking for TE Mike Gesicki and that he was able to look off. Is that something that’s frequently designed in plays where you have a guy going deep as part of a progression if a play breaks down at the line?) – “Occasionally. I think you can read the post safety and if he’s low, you throw it high. Sometimes where a Cover 2 corner or a curl-flat player is supposed to play high-to-low and he doesn’t so you can get in behind him. Sometimes deep third corners are sitting on a curl route or sitting on an in-cut and you can get in behind him. I think oftentimes as you go through your progression, you expect to see a guy somewhere and he’s not there and that’s normally when you have an opportunity to go down the field.”
(You just came off of a road win and you’ve won on the road before. That goes without saying. But the fact that you’re home now for the next month, what kind of advantage could that be as you guys look to continue this surge, the fact that you don’t have to – everything will be very settled, you don’t have to travel. Can that be of help for you guys?) – “It’s only a help if we prepare the right way, meet the right way, walkthrough the right way, practice the right way and then go out there and execute against what’s going to be some stiff competition definitely this week. This Carolina team, I was taking a peek at them this morning. They are talented. They are fast. They’ve got a lot of good players. It’s going to be a big challenge.”
(I wanted to ask you about the other two guys who are eligible to return from IR – C/G Michael Deiter and RB Malcolm Brown, in terms of their level of readiness?) – “Like (Will) Fuller and DeVante (Parker), those guys are working every day to get back as quickly as possible. Definitely making a lot of progress and try to take it one day at a time. We’ve got a plan for all of these guys, and we’ll see if they’ll be available Wednesday. I’m hopeful that we’ll get a couple of guys back. There are a couple of more things we need to get through before we make those decisions.”
(What if anything have you noticed about LB Jaelan Phillips on Sunday, and also over the last wo or three weeks that has changed or improved?) – “He’s made a lot of improvements. We need to not have 15-yard penalties. I’ll use this platform to make sure he understands that. Obviously there is a lot of fire, a lot of intensity, a lot of energy. We’ve got to channel that the right ways, which he’s done most of the time, but not yesterday on one particular play. I’ll take this as another opportunity to use this platform to tell Jaelan to keep your poise.”
(I know you base practices and changes on injuries and the way you’re feeling about the team. But there has been this message that the practices have improved, they’ve gotten crisper, understanding is better. Do you think that has anything to do with the Thursday walkthroughs and then Friday practice, instead of practice Wednesday, practice Thursday and walkthrough Friday? Do you see any kind of correlation with that? I know when the team was struggling, you were changing up a couple of things and experimenting.) – “Perhaps. I think we always try to do what we feel is best for the team. The Wednesday practice, Thursday walkthrough, we’ve had a little success with that than other times where we’ve had different schedules. But at the end of the day it’s about our preparation and just getting a better understanding of how we want to play and then being able to execute on Sunday. Whatever works best for the team is what I’ll try to do. That’s likely how we’ll go this week as well.”
(You’ve made the point that every team is different. Every team reacts and handles things differently. Every team has to be coached differently. How long do you think it takes you to figure out the rhythms of the team that year?) – “I think you want to find out as quickly as possible. As a staff, we’re always trying to do everything we can to put the players in the best possible positions to have success. Always hopefully sooner than later, to answer your question.”
(Since you wanted to use your platform for LB Jaelan Phillips, I’ll tee you back up on it. The 19 penalties in the last two games is the most under you in a two-game span. How much of an emphasis across the board is that? I know it always is for you guys, but will there be a little bit more emphasis on this week?) – “We’ve got to do a better job. We talk about it at length every week – the officials we’re going to see, how we expect them to call it, how we’ve got to adjust to the way they are calling it within the game. We’re not doing a good enough job of that. They are calling pass interference, offensive pass interference. We’ve got to make an adjustment. Defensive pass interference or holding, we’ve got to make adjustments. We’re not doing a good enough job. I’ve got to do a better job in-game of reminding these guys that you’ve got to limit the penalties. They are hurting us. Again, I’ll use this platform to convey that message. I think they know that. Our guys know that. They understand it. They’re trying to play physical, trying to play aggressive, but we’ve got to play smart also. I’m not going to beat him down too much, even though that’s what you’re looking for. (laughter)”
