Brian Flores – October 22, 2021
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Friday, October 22, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(It was reported today that Quarterbacks Coach Charlie Frye actually called the plays in the first four games. I know that you’re going to say that we’ve talked about this before but I just want to make sure we get the bottom line on what exactly his role was. We know now that Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey is giving the plays to the quarterback. You’ve previously said that Charlie gets the call and gives it to the quarterback in the initial system. My question is please clarify for us, was Charlie Frye the primary final-say play-caller in the first four games?) – “I understand the question. Our focus is on Atlanta right now. We’ve kind of talked at length about the situation. It’s always been a collaborative effort. It was that earlier in the year. It’s that now. We talked about the process early in the year. That changed to what the process is now. We’ll kind of leave it at that and just kind of move forward. Our focus is on Atlanta and today’s practice, and preparation for that. Really, we’re just looking forward. It’s always been a collaborative effort. It always will be a collaborative effort. We’ll leave it at that.”
(I know that you’re saying that your focus on Atlanta but just the other elephant in the room. There are reports out of Houston that trade talks between you guys and the Texans for Deshaun Watson have started again or have continued this week. Is there any truth to that or is there anything you can comment about that?) – “I don’t really get into rumors. Tua is our quarterback. We’re happy with our quarterback situation and I’ll leave it at that, which I’ve said multiple times.”
(With this situation, a head coach’s job and responsibility is to minimize distractions. Obviously this thing has lingered for quite a while. Considering the team is on a five-game losing streak, aren’t you concerned about the distraction that this could potentially cause? Not just for this Sunday, but for next Sunday before the trade deadline?) – “I really don’t see it as a distraction. I think our players are kind of blocking out all the stuff that’s gone on outside of our building. That’s what I’ve seen here in the building and meetings and practice. And yeah, I think our focus is on Atlanta and that’s really where our focus should be.”
(Specific to QB Tua Tagovailoa what are you doing, what are your coaches doing, what is the staff doing to try to ensure that the reports about continued trade discussions do not negatively impact his psyche?) – “I think his preparation, the way he practices and the way he performs has been good. I thought he played very well last week. I thought he was out for a few games and he came back and played I thought very well last week. I think his psyche is in a good place. He’s a confident kid. He’s a tough kid. And really, he’s played in two games this year so he should have a lot of confidence in the way he’s played. We have a lot of confidence in him because of the way he’s played and we just – our focus is on Atlanta and trying for him to play well again and our team to play well again.”
(Do you talk to guys often about what to do with noise? When you’re winning, Nick Saban calls it rat poison. When you’re losing, everybody on social media has got an opinion on everything and you can’t fully insulate players from that obviously. Do you issue periodic reminders, read the stuff, don’t read the stuff, don’t believe the stuff, focus on what’s within these walls or is it just assumed by now that that’s what a player is supposed to do?) – “I think it’s assumed. I think it’s not just our team. It’s the world really. I think there’s always someone writing about something – positive, negative, opinions, positive opinions, negative opinions. I think our players understand that. That’s part of being a professional athlete, a coach in college or these professional leagues, whatever sport – basketball, hockey, baseball. That kind of comes with the territory. I think we all understand that, but our focus is on the task right in front of you. So today’s practice, today’s walkthrough, today’s preparation, in preparation for this weekend’s game. That’s where our guys are. I think they’ve done a good job of that. It’s a resilient group. I pretty much say that every day and I really believe that. I think their minds are in the right place.”
(What kind of sense do you feel you have about where QB Tua Tagovailoa’s career is headed after his resume to this point, which is 12 pro starts?) – “I think he’s developing. I think this kid is smart. I think he’s tough. I think he’s talented. I think he’s accurate. I think he definitely has an opportunity to be a very good player. But there’s a lot that goes into that. A lot of work from him, a lot of work from us. It doesn’t just happen overnight. He knows that. We know that. There’s always bumps in the road for anyone in any career or any profession. I’m sure you’ve had your own bumps in the road. And you have to work through those, work through that adversity and you become better for it. He’s already dealt with adversity with the hip (injury). He’s overcome it and I think he definitely has a chance to be a very good NFL player.”
(Are the five guys who missed the game Sunday because of injuries on track to at least have a chance to play this Sunday?) – “They’ve got a chance, yeah. They’ve got a chance – Byron (Jones), ‘X’ (Xavien Howard), (Adam) Shaheen, Preston (Williams) and DeVante (Parker). All five have a chance. Today’s practice is going to give us a lot on those guys. But they’re all doing everything they can do to get back as quickly as possible and hopefully they do well today. We’ve still got a couple of days before the game.”
(We talked a lot about this Wednesday. It’s obviously an unusual week with the schedule and with the travel. Are things where you’d hope they would be in terms of things you have to check off the list this week?) – “I think so. I thought it was a good practice yesterday. There was good energy. Guys moved around well. I think we’re back into a normal week routine. I woke up this morning and told my wife I was landing in London a week ago. It was 10 o’clock there or 9:30 there. It’s good to be home and in a normal routine.”
(You’re obviously working in practice as you say every day but talking about social media about the status of the team with this losing streak, what are your conversations like with the guys? Obviously with the talk of trading for a quarterback, how are your talks with the guys? Not about the football side, but about the mental side and the mental strength that maybe this team has been lacking in those games they lost?) – “Those conversations, I wouldn’t say there is a lot of them. Our guys are pretty focused on what’s in front of us. I know it’s nearly impossible to not read whatever is on social media, but I think they do a good job of ignoring most of the stuff outside of our building and listening to what our coaches is saying and trying to communicate with one another. I think it’s a mentally tough team. I think they’re sticking together. I think they are mentally tough. We’re just rearing for another opportunity to get out there and play against a tough team and try to turn it around.”
(What are some of the ways you feel that you, General Manager Chris Grier, and the entire organization have supported QB Tua Tagovailoa since he became a Dolphin?) – “I think it’s no different than we support any other player that we bring in. We try to get to know him, try to find out the best ways to teach, try to figure out strengths, weaknesses and build on the strengths and build on the weaknesses as well. I think we try to support every player and Tua is no different from that standpoint. To me, that’s what coaching is about. It’s about trying to help each player become the best version of themselves. That’s on the field, that’s off the field. I think all of that is a part of being the best possible player, possible coach, whatever it is that you can be. There is a lot that goes into that. I don’t think it’s just one technique, one fundamental, a play call. I think there is a lot that goes into that, supporting each individual player. I think that’s the job is to do everything we can possibly do to help each player reach their optimal level. I think we do that for every player and Tua no different.”
(The Falcons are the only offense in the NFL to run 50 plays out of four personnel groupings. How does that versatility and the way they can challenge your sub packages, what kind of challenges does that present to you guys on Sunday?) – “They are very versatile. They have a lot of different groupings and they do a good job in each one of those groupings. They create matchups or try to create matchups or mismatches. They are balanced. They do a nice job really across the board offensively, defensively and in the kicking game.”
(In regards to the defense in general – and I know you’re involved – have you made it a point or do you care to say that you have or have not made it a point to be even more involved in the defensive planning, strategy, all of that stuff this week?) – “I’m always involved. I’m always involved really across the board. With thoughts in the kicking game, thoughts offensively, thoughts defensively. Matchups I think we can try to take advantage of. Matchups I think we may need to help a guy, whatever phase it is. I try to stay involved in all three phases.”
(I wanted to ask you about S Eric Rowe. I think that Eric had a pretty decent season last year with a couple exceptions against some very good tight ends. This year he’s been in a platoon situation. Where is he from a confidence standpoint and a getting the job done assignment-wise standpoint?) – “I think his confidence is high, as it should be. He’s a good player. Every week is a little bit different as far as matchups, as far as how we are going to attack defensively. We’ve got a good group of safeties. We’ve got some young players there, some veteran players, got some guys who do a few different things well. Trying to get them all in has turned the whole thing into basically a matchup/grouping. You’re in these two or three groupings, and you guys are in these two or three groupings. Specific to Eric, I think he’s a good player. He’s done a lot of good things in this league and we’re going to need him.”
(You have so many safeties coming in and out of the game. I know you are a package-based team. That’s universal for everybody. But with the safeties, they are solely responsible for the back-end communication in the secondary. How much does that put a strain on that? Considering you have not played to the level you guys have played last year.) – “Well, I think communication is always critical regardless of who is in there. I think you have to have that communication and that’s always at the forefront for safeties, linebackers. But more often than not in those packages, there is always at least one guy who is in the majority of the time. That may be by game or – really more often or not, it’s by game. Whether it’s always (Jason) McCourty in there or it’s always (Jevon) Holland in there. There is always one particular guy – unless there is an injury – that’s in there and kind of handling the majority of that communication. We try to keep that the same and that will always be the case. But between that person, Jerome Baker who is in the game most of the time, we need to do a better job of our communication. But yeah, it’s definitely a priority.”
