Darrell Bevell – December 29, 2022
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Thursday, December 29, 2022
Quarterbacks Coach Darrell Bevell
(Whenever QB Tua Tagovailoa does come back, one thing that will be a focus is can we do anything to prevent the likelihood of concussions moving forward? Have you and Head Coach Mike McDaniel and the medical staff talked about potential solutions in terms of how he falls to the ground and also the helmet? I know there’s been a lot of talk about Steelers QB Kenny Pickett wearing a helmet that has more padding than what Tua’s wearing? Have you all talked about these possible solutions?) – “I would say not specifically at this moment. I think in passing, there’s been conversations about different things in terms of that, but nothing that we’ve huddled up and come to a consensus. I think it’s just important for him right now to rehab, I guess, is the word. Heal up and be able to focus on his day-to-day, things that he’s going through now.”
(What did you see from QB Teddy Bridgewater in his, I guess, two extended games – minus the Jets game but obviously against the Bengals, against the Vikings, that makes you optimistic about this upcoming game against the Patriots?) – “I think you look at Teddy’s whole body of work. Teddy’s been in the NFL for a long time. He’s a cagey veteran player. He’s seen a lot of defenses. He’s played a lot of football, so I’m really excited about the things that he can bring to us. It’s really important that we do things that will help him be successful as well so I think there’s been a good collaborative effort, working together to make sure that he’s going to be able to be put in the best situation to help our offense be successful. But there’s a good history there of him playing really good football.”
(What are some of the things in QB Teddy Bridgewater’s toolkit on the field? What does he got going for him? I know for example, he obviously has a high career completion percentage?) – “There’s a lot of things that he does well. I think first of all is the experience that he brings. That’s first and foremost. He’s been in a lot of locker rooms. He’s been in a lot of huddles. He knows a lot of offense. He has a lot of background, so it’s not like he needs a thousand reps of this specific thing because over time, he’s accumulated those reps and he’s seen a lot of things. So the things that we’re able to do with him, he’ll be able to diagnose the coverages, diagnose the looks that he’s getting from the opponent and he’ll be able to put himself in those positions because he has all those banked reps. He throws a great ball, he can throw a great deep ball. He’s an accurate passer. He has better movement skills than you think, so I’m excited to see him play.”
(There’s a lot of talk about when QB Tua Tagovailoa began to show these concussion symptoms. Can you detail what you saw from him in the second half on Sunday and then Monday when I guess you might have been part of the process with Head Coach Mike McDaniel in determining he needs to get checked?) – “I think the process really probably started on Monday morning. For me, it was actually the night, because I go back and watch the game Sunday night. I had enough time to be able to do that. I just saw some things in the game (film) and then talked to Tua (Tagovailoa) the next morning and basically from that information and the information that we had talking to ‘Coach (McDaniel)’ as well, thought it was important for him to be able to see the docs.”
(Did QB Tua Tagovailoa seem off to you when you talked to him Monday morning? Was he at all off to you in terms of conversation?) – “I don’t know what ‘off’ means, but I would just say there was enough information there that we thought it was important for him to be able to go see the doctor.”
(During the game, did you suspect anything? Because a comment was made yesterday by a player that possibly maybe he thought something might have been off with the offense and QB Tua Tagovailoa said he thought maybe that he might have called an incorrect play. How much do you talk to Tua during the game and did you even suspect that something might be amiss during the game?) – “I talk to Tua after every series. We have a lot of conversations. There was nothing for me at that time that indicated that it was off, but when you go back and you start piecing it together – because all that stuff is happening in real time and you’re making corrections of whatever is happening and ‘hey, if we get this again, let’s do this’ or ‘we’re going to make this adjustment.’ So there’s always those conversations. So it wasn’t until after that the next morning.”
(Do you suspect that that might have had anything to do with the three interceptions that now what we now know is a concussion might have had anything to do with those three interceptions?) – “It’s hard for me to make that speculation.”
(Have you seen QB Tua Tagovailoa in the last day? How is he doing?) – “I saw him today. He has been in the building, but he’s not with us (in quarterback meetings). He’s with the training staff and it’s just great to see him in the building.”
(He seemed to be doing okay or hard for you to judge just from limited interaction?) – “He seems to be okay.”
(So he won’t be in the meetings this week with you guys?) – “It’s day-to-day so I mean, today he’s not.”
(There was a quote or I guess a phrase that QB Tua Tagovailoa has always said – “let every play stand on its own merit” – and I think that comes from you. I was curious where did that originate from?) – “Yeah, it’s just something in my background that I’ve had that when you play the quarterback position there’s so much that goes into it. It’s such a huge mental game for a quarterback, whether it’s play calls, whether it’s defenses; just all the information that they have to take in and then things that are happening during the game. So it’s just kind of a way for them to be able to not hold onto the last play or let’s say they made a mistake on a play back here; you have to continue to move on or situations happen in game where you got pressure on one play. Well, you can’t say the next play is going to have pressure again. Those things that kind of get in your head as human nature. So ‘let each play stand on its own merit’ is we have to this play and then no matter what happens, it’s gone and then the next play, hey, what happens on this play? And I’ve got to make sure that I stay within the framework of that one opportunity and just something that we’ve been preaching in our room.”
(Are you the author of that phrase or did you get it passed down?) – “I don’t know if I’m the author of it, but it’s one that we use, yeah.”
(Your name has been brought up as a potential candidate for some coaching jobs. I know right now you’re focused on these two weeks, but is that something you might want to get into at some point in the future?) – “I’ve been asked this question a hundred times. Yeah, it’s something that I definitely want to do. Whenever the time happens, it’s something that I’d be ready for, but right now like you said, this is a huge opportunity for us.”
(With two games left in the regular season, what do you think are the chances that QB Tua Tagovailoa plays in the regular season?) – “I don’t think we can even answer that question right now. I think it’s truly a day-to-day deal and then see how he’s reacting, see what the medical professionals are the ones that have say. That’s not a question I’ll be able to answer.”
