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David Long Jr. – January 8, 2024 Download PDF version

Monday, January 8, 2024

LB David Long Jr.

(What do you remember changing in the second half against Kansas City? Specifically what Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio might have done or what the players did to change the course of that? Kansas City was scoreless the second half that day.) – “Words wise I don’t (remember), but I do remember just the mentality of us going out there. We knew we could play with those guys. We knew we didn’t travel that far to come out with an ‘L.’ It was just more the mentality and the energy. KC traveled well, of course, so it was just us being our own biggest fan in that game and turned it around in the second half.”

(Speaking of a mentality, a game like last night that you have to put aside quickly with a short week, how hard is that to do? Knowing if you won last night, you could’ve won the decision, could’ve been at home. Now you have to travel to KC. What was that process like not even the last 24 hours?) – “I wouldn’t say it’s not hard, especially if you’re emotionally invested in it. But at this point, anything prior to this week doesn’t matter. It’s 0-0. We’re in the tournament. That’s all we needed was the opportunity. I feel like we have the right guys in the room to take advantage of it no matter the weather. Now we’re traveling. We don’t play at home. It’s not coming to Miami. All these things you have to deal with, but I think we have the guys capable of making it happen.”

(What’s it been like on the front dealing with so much turnover? LB Jerome Baker is out, LB Jaelan Phillips out, LB Bradley Chubb is out. Baker comes back in, just a lot of moving parts.) – “I hate it man. But it’s good to see these guys that haven’t been playing all year to get a chance. Cameron (Goode), I’m sick that he had to get hurt yesterday. It was an opportunity for him to come in and step up. ‘Og’ (Emmanuel Ogbah) getting more chances. And then Mel (Melvin Ingram) making the best of his opportunity. He had a sack yesterday. Just to see these guys or this defense as a whole not dwell on losing these great players of course. But just being ready to do what’s best for the team and what we need them to do.”

(You’ve been in cold weather your whole life, right? Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee. What’s different about cold weather? Do you notice anything about a ‘warm weather’ team when they’re in that environment?) – “Just go back to mentality. A lot of people don’t want to get hit or hit in that cold weather. It hurt a little more. That’s what you see. And that’s when you see what types of players you have on your team. How much do you love it? How much do you want to get to that certain point as a team. Like I said, I’ve been playing with these guys all year. Of course, I’m new to the organization, but I’ve been playing with these guys all year. I don’t see a drop-off when it comes to any type of weather. It’s just going to be the same thing going in as it’s been all year.”

(With your mentality, your intensity, do you get fired up for cold weather?) – “Yeah, man. Like you said, I’ve been playing that all my (life). That’s football weather. It’s cold weather. That’s when I like to see who’s going to break. Who’s going to turn down those hits? Who’s going to push through it? That’s when you see what the love for the game is at that point.”

(Does it hurt a little less the aggressor and not the one getting it?) – “That’s a fact. That’s why I play defense.” (laughter)

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