Frank Smith – November 21, 2022
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Monday, November 21, 2022
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(At the beginning of OTAs and training camp, you spoke a lot about the playbook and how it’s going to be tailored to the skillsets of the players. Without getting too much into scheme, can you kind of break down the major difference maybe from how Head Coach Mike McDaniel has left his imprint on this offense as opposed to the 49ers or various iterations of the West Coast scheme?) – “I think every stop you make, you learn something about just the schematics of your offense, and you grow and evolve through the players you have. And I think that every stop that they were able to go on through their journey, they evolved with the players they had. I think that’s no different here of the evolution we kind of did with all the guys we have. Everyone’s got different skillsets. When we first came together, we didn’t really know exactly what the roster was going to be. We had a blueprint for how we wanted to go about it. I think as each player gets assimilated to the program, we are constantly trying to evolve to what they do best. And I think right now – I kind of flash back to the beginning of like when we started, the press conference that we talked about, ‘Hey, quarter two, this time of year, you kind of really know what you got.’ And that’s the challenge of I think most football teams is you rush to make decisions or you can rush to eliminate players. The reality is it’s going to take time in your first year to grow and to know what guys do under pressure, how guys perform in big games, and I think that’s kind of like where we’re at right now is that you saw the end of really, the second quarter, third quarter, we really started to figure out who we were, as a football team are and how we needed to play. And then we continued to improve. I think that’s a total testament to the players we have here and how hard they work. And also just with Mike, just his constant evolution towards doing what is required. We don’t really believe in the saying here, ‘well, that’s just what we do. That’s the way it’s been done.’ It’s always what’s best each week and how do we put players in positions to maximize their skill set. I think that ultimately, as we got here, and from my perspective looking at it with Mike, it’s that we are constantly trying to evolve what we do and making sure that we are attacking the defense in a way that we’re putting our players in the best positions possible. And I think even if you go from a month ago to now, to what it’s going to be in a month, to what it’s going to be next year, it’s going to always constantly be evolving to, ‘Who do we have? Who’s available? What do they do well?’ Not putting our guys in situations where we’re asking them to do things that maybe is not what they do best. I think that’s the challenge of coaches. And I think that’s the challenge of this league is to be flexible and to evolve and to not be rigid, and to always have our growth and our process-based approach being the driving force to what we do. I think that’s why – I know for many people here, that’s why this stop is different, because it’s been kind of the basis of our program and it’s the vision that Mike’s had from the beginning.”
(What’s impressed you the most about OL Connor Williams?) – “His ability to I mean, really be flexible. And overall, his athletic skillset. It goes back down to when you get college tackles, sometimes it’s like, are they tackles in NFL? No. So you move them inside. And then sometimes they do well there but you don’t really know necessarily sometimes where their best spot is. And like with Connor, moving him in to center, just because when we were able to acquire all the pieces of the line, it’s just kind of like, ‘well, he’s got this skill set, he seems to be able to…’ So his ability to be flexible. And also the hardest part when you’re a pro player is be willing to be uncomfortable. Because when we ask you to do something new, it’s ‘well I’ve done this in the past and now…’ It’s part of the process. Just learn (and) grow. I think that’s the greatest thing that he’s been able to do is be flexible through the process because when you do something for so long, and then now we’re asking you to do something different is trusting the people you’re around, and I think that’s been the greatest thing to him because in the last – I’d say about a month or so – you can really see, because the hardest thing when you play center in the National Football League, practice is one thing. But then when you get into real games, that’s when you really learn. I think that’s what kind of is overriding that. That’s when you grow as a player and grow as a team. You grow as an offense overriding. That’s when you grow as a staff too. And I think that’s what Connor has able to (do is) be flexible, know that this happened and now this is the byproduct of this. I think he’s learned at such a tremendous rate because in pro football, I think a lot of times, guys are always rushing to make sure that I’m steadfast in the spot. And with him, it’s been really cool because he’s moved and done such a great job and asked – he has a call system working with the quarterback. The center has to know the game plan a little different than the other linemen, and I think to his mental flexibility and also his physical flexibility from moving from outside to in through his career, we couldn’t be happier with what he’s done. I know that he’s always striving to improve himself for what he’s doing. I know it’s a really long answer to a short question. But ultimately, it’s what I do (for) one. But then two, for him, it’s just been so awesome to watch a guy, a veteran, take on a challenge and really do it at a level that’s really exceeding our expectations because we always thought he was going to be good at it. But really in the last month, you’re seeing him be able to take the next step in his play.”
(Do you guys plan to give OL Austin Jackson any practice reps at left guard, obviously, knowing you have less depth there with OL Liam Eichenberg out?) – “We have contingency plans to all things. So we will make sure that we have all bases covered going forward. But our ultimate goal is to play the best five that we’re going to be able to help us win on Sunday.”
(And the five obviously played very well against Cleveland. Do you envision rolling with that group for another week, off how they played against the Browns?) – “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you. (laughter)”
(It seems logical, but it’s worth asking.) – “We will make sure that we do our due diligence in putting our best five out there.”
(How do you compare where this offensive line is today to when you’re – say going back to the spring and summer, and you had probably a lot of questions going in.) – “I think offensive line play is always – it’s an interesting process because the days you feel like you have it mastered, the next day you can easily be humbled because you’re requiring five guys to work together, which is different than in almost all of the positions outside of the defensive backs. With the nickel defense, they need five working together for coverage. Offensive line play, you need five working together, especially in pass protection. We always had good belief that when the five would be able to play together or just our system is able to help guys do their job over and over again, that we hoped that we would be able to have the kind of versatility through – because that’s kind of in the past what Mike (McDaniel) and Kyle (Shanahan) were able to do through their other stops is that versatility through linemen playing through our system, through our scheme. And ultimately, the different variations we’ve had on the line this year, I mean, I don’t think we would have saw a lot of this stuff coming. But the only thing constant in the NFL is change. We’ve made sure that in the spring, we’re just trying to make sure we’re teaching core fundamentals and constantly repeat, reiterate that over and over and over again, because at this time of year, I mean, players can still get better. That’s been the one positive thing is with the group, through the ebbs and flows of the season, we feel that at the critical time where we needed to get better, we did. And right now, we’re hoping to be able to build upon the Cleveland game and when we have a productive game in pass protection and running the football, now the challenge is you’re only as good as what you do today. So trying to replicate what you did last week is always a challenge. It’s more of trying to improve upon it and raise the standard to what the group and what the offense and what the team is requiring. So yeah, we had a vision for a positive outlook and obviously last week, it felt pretty good for the line and how they were able to perform.”
(Through 10 games, what’s been the story for the offense?) – “I think it’s really kind of a story of an NFL season. I mean, you have success, then you have your adversity and then how do you respond to that? And then you really manage things game-by-game and then you try and make it not too big, not make it too small. You try and really just understand that the most precious thing we have in professional sports is the present and you maximize that. That’s when you bank days to allow you to be able to play important games like hopefully right now we’re building towards. And I think the story of the season for the offense is responding to the challenge, responding to the standard that was set in spring, by the players, by everyone together. And it’s just been awesome to watch them respond to an NFL season together. The characters are ever changing and the stories, there are some constants. But ultimately, if you have a great script, you need great actors to fulfill to make the lines come to life. And that’s kind of really been the season. You’re seeing the story of our actors taking the script to life. Hopefully we can take these last couple games, really the month of November, and really kind of finish off the month the way we want it to end. And then now, get into the month of December where everything matters.”
(RB Jeff Wilson, has anything surprised you with getting him incorporated so quickly?) – “Not really from what the guys who are with him in San Francisco were able to really describe. I mean, kind of the hardest thing is sometimes when you get acquired guys, you don’t have familiarity with him. And obviously having multiple guys on the staff and players that were with him in San Francisco, I think we knew what we were going to get. We’re just fortunate enough that the situation presented itself to get him, especially at this time of year, when you have hope for your future, and then you can bring guys in that really can help cement where you want to go through their style of play and who they are as teammates. I think that we were fortunate enough that the situation presented itself and then – his energy he adds to each day is awesome. I mean, just a guy whose story is, like so many on this football team, it’s earning it. And I think that we always remember that through, especially each week, we got to earn it every day. I don’t think you lose track of the success you have. And you’re always humbled to prove it again and again and again.”
(WR Trent Sherfield caught his first touchdown against the Browns. He didn’t start out high on the depth chart but has really taken hold of that third receiver spot.) – “Yes, he’s another guy. I mean these guys are coming through different roles. And obviously roles evolve and change as you perform. Just what a team-first guy. A physical player. Being able to come here with the experience, obviously, with Wes (Welker), Mike (McDaniel) and Jon (Embree) from San Francisco. I mean, knowing the player and just knowing his growth, I’m not surprised at all, especially with a lot of the things we ask the wide receivers to do and how physically he is in his game. And then now being able to see the production come in the passing game is just awesome. You can’t say enough about the guy. We are fortunate enough to have him here. He’s one of those guys that maybe his stat line doesn’t really show sometimes how valuable they are to us, but he’s one of those guys that is really an integral part to our offense. I think he’s an excellent teammate. He’s one of those guys that you’re going to remember, years after this team gets reshuffled or you move on and you look back, he’s one of the guys that you’ll always remember for his love of the game because you can tell guys who love the game do the little things that don’t show up on the stat line. Like wide receivers blocking, running backs in pass protection, offensive linemen finish down the field. There’s just little things you can see in their play that really show their love of football, and he’s one of them.”
Josh Boyer – November 21, 2022
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Monday, November 21, 2022
Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer
(So as far as replacing DE Emmanuel Ogbah, it’s good that you have depth. How much of a jigsaw puzzle is it to you as far as determining how much more to play DT Zach Sieler, how much more to play your four natural outside linebackers, maybe three of them together among those four? What goes into that thinking?) – “Well, I think ultimately, it’s one of those things that comes down to what you’re facing offensively, what personnel they’re throwing at you, what they’re trying to do to you, putting guys in position to succeed. We feel pretty good about the guys that we dress for the game, and we’ve been able to roll those guys in there. Obviously, I’m disappointed for Emmanuel (Ogbah), for all that he’s put into it. We’ve had a number of these guys this year in that situation, and it’s just one of those things that you know and understand things happen and you have to move on. I can remember, I was a sophomore in high school, and a guy that played for my dad – so he was older, he was a senior. And he lost his father like, the week before a game. And it’s funny how things happen – you live life forward, but you understand it backwards. My dad was telling the kid, he was like, ‘Hey, you know…’ The kid loved his dad – his dad was his whole world. And he told him, ‘Hey, you don’t have to play this week.’ And the kid amazingly said – he goes, ‘Coach, listen.’ He heard a train whistle and heard the airplanes going over – the world doesn’t stop. So the NFL is not going to stop, the games aren’t going to stop. Injuries are an unfortunate thing and you hate to see it for the guys that we’ve had go down this year, but the reality of it is we’ve got games on the schedule and we have guys that we feel very comfortable that we could put in. Collectively as a group, I think we can get things done. So that’s the way it kind of – I’d go all the way back to sophomore in high school, but that’s the way I kind of approach things like the world doesn’t stop. It doesn’t wait on anything. The NFL is not going to stop. We’re going to play games. It doesn’t matter who gets hurt or who doesn’t. We’re going to have to be at our best to beat Texans this weekend. That’s what we’re striving to do, and that’s what we’re working on today.”
(Just through 10 games, what’s been the story of this defense do you think?) – “I think we’re still evolving. I don’t think we’ve played our best ball yet, and I think we’re getting closer and closer to that. I think it’s all situational. There are things that we’ve done well on early downs, and there are some things that we can improve. I think third down is something that we’ll continue to work on and get better at. Two-minute situations, sometimes things don’t come up in games, but there’s things that you put work in, because you never know when they will. Sometimes they can be the biggest situations in the game. So I think it’s evolving. The common theme has been that our players have welcomed adversity. They have not changed. They have not wavered. Their work ethic, the time that they put into it outside of what’s required of them, has been pretty impressive. I think those guys have done a pretty good job, and we’re all continuing to try to get better.”
(What did you like about pass rush against the Browns? It seems like maybe the past was kind of elevated a bit to a level that we haven’t seen in a couple of weeks?) – “I think there were some good things. I think we had some good individual rushes. I think we had some good games in there. We were able to play with the lead for a little bit, that kind of got them into certain situations where we knew it was pass. I think there were more opportunities out there where we were able to marry the coverage with the rush. Sometimes, it’s a coverage thing that helps the rush, and sometimes, it’s a rush thing that helps the coverage. There’s a lot of variables that go into it. Obviously, it’s – we’ve kind of talked about this from week to week, but again, it’s a striving thing for us to just continually build and get better as we’re moving forward.”
(Philosophically, you guys run a fair amount of Cover 2, but not a lot of quarters. I’m not asking specific to your defense, but just in general, what’s the thought process? Obviously, you’re putting more guys on the back end in quarters, but what do you kind of weigh when deciding whether to do quarters or Cover 2?) – “There’s different variations of both. You can run numerous things off of a quarters coverage. Are you a tight 2-3-2 match underneath? Or are you a zone match underneath? Are you leaving your corners basically pressed and on an island with really no help? If you get verticals, from the safety or your safeties, are they robbing curl to post or are they playing deep? Then within the call, you can change quarters to quarter, quarter, half. You could change it to a two-man structure. When I first got into coaching, like quarters, when it was a Dean Pees thing. He’s very good at quarters and it’s very detailed. There are a lot of things that go into that. Teams that run it sparingly probably touch the surface with it. Teams that do it all the time, there’s all those variations of how they handle things. And then, if they get certain formations or certain sets, do they truly zone that or do they pattern match it? There’s countless – and then basically your Cover 2 or your Tampa scheme is really – the Tampa scheme, your middle read or middle runner, whatever you want to call it, that would be designated, whereas in your Cover 2 scheme, that’s not necessarily designated – it’s basically off a route progression that could get designated. So a Cover 2 scheme could look like a two-man scheme if all the receivers went vertical. It could look like a match principle if all the receivers were short. So I think within those two coverages, there’s a ton of variables. I would say the similarities of them is they both start with a two-shell.”
(I just want to ask you about LB Channing Tindall, what he does well, at this point, as an NFL player, and what he needs to do better to get into what’s a very crowded inside linebacker rotation you already have?) – “I think the things that that we’ve seen him do well when he was out on the field, like he can run and he can hit. He’s working very hard to understand. There’s a lot of things that go into play when you’re playing, call it inside linebacker or safety for us in our defense, or even our nickelback for that matter. Those are really signal-caller positions, so there’s a lot of variables that go – not only are you responsible for your assignment, you’re responsible for adjusting and handling other people’s assignments as well. We’re working very hard with Channing (Tindall), and Channing is working very hard at it. We’re trying to get him caught up to speed to where he can know a lot of different things. I think in some of the roles that we’ve put him out there in, they have been not all encompassing, more situational. So I think he’s working that way. But the physical aspects have been really good, and I think the mental aspects of it, he’s working very hard at to just grasp a total understanding. We’re at a point where I would say we have veteran guys in front of him that we’re not really at a point where we’re forced to say, ‘OK, go out there and just learn as you go.’”
(Staying with inside linebackers, LB Elandon Roberts who’s always been solid against the run seems more noticeable this year. What have you seen from him? What is he doing maybe better than in year’s past?) – “Well, first I would credit Coach Campanile (Linebackers Coach Anthony Campanile), who’s really worked on not only his run fits, which Elandon (Roberts) has done pretty much since he’s been in the league, but really worked with him on his breaks, his agility, his pass drops. Last year, Elandon being the tough guy that he is, he came off an ACL (injury) pretty quick. It was pretty impressive that he was ready to go Week 1 a year ago. And I think he’s better from a health standpoint, and like I said, ‘Camp’ (Linebackers Coach Anthony Campanile) has worked really, really well with him, as far as his movement. I think that’s one thing from the Cleveland game that we saw, a lot of his zone drops, the breaks, the drives, the no yards after catch, which again, we’re continuing to strive as a group defensively, not just Elandon. But I would credit Elandon and his work ethic and his desire to get better and Coach Campanile who’s really kind of drilled a lot of that with him.”
(Will you come back to experimenting with LB Brennan Scarlett with his hand in the ground in the offseason program? Were there some things you liked? How would you assess what you saw out of him?) – “Brennan, he’s done a lot of things in this league. He’s had his hand in the dirt. He’s stood up. He’s played off the ball. He’s played on the ball, on the edge. So I think he’s been exposed to a variety of different things, which obviously makes him a little bit more multiple. We’re glad to get him back, kind of see what kind of shape he’s in and kind of progress him along as he goes. We’re excited to have him, and we do feel he’s a multiple player for us.”
(In general, late game situation, a team is passing. Do you want your DBs to knock the ball down? Or do you want them to catch it? And then the second part of that is, how much time do you guys spend knocking the ball down? Because we see tip drill and we see guys catching it, but how much time do you spend actually knocking it down?) – “Well, I think if you can intercept it, for the most part, you would like to do that. I do think there’s some situations where it’s actually advantageous to let a receiver catch a ball, depending on the situation and the clock, especially if you can tackle them in bounds and the clock would run out – that would be an example of one situation where you could go ahead and tackle a guy in bounds and you’re better off catching it than a pass breakup. Obviously, an interception that would change possession. If it was late in a game, you’re potentially in a kneel-down situation. There are several situations where, say you have a fourth-and-long and they throw a long pass – or it could even be fourth-and-5, they throw a long pass down the field, you’re going to get the ball right there and you see guys intercept it, and you’re like, ‘OK, well that would have been more advantageous to knock that down.’ I think ultimately, you’re always telling you guys to attack the ball. And then if you’re in position, there’s certain, I would say drills and techniques you could use, and then there’s also certain things when you’re going to bat a ball down or stick your hand in a pocket, it’s really varied based on where you’re at on the field and where you are in relationship to the receiver and the ball in relationship to you. So I think those things – there are times where it’s advantageous to knock it down, there’s times when it’s advantageous to let them catch it, and there’s times where it’s advantageous to go ahead and pick it. So I think more often than not, you’re probably more advantageous to pick it, but there are certain situations, which – and that’s the hard thing. When you’re going through a week and preparing, there’s numerous things that you spend a lot of time on that may or may not come up, like goal line defense, end of game situations, which obviously, those will be critical situations when they come up. Sometimes you work on them continually, but some seasons, they never come up, and some seasons, your season rides on whether you can execute that in the proper situation.”
(Do you think guys are comfortable knocking the ball down? Or are they more comfortable catching it? I know situations can change like you said.) – “You’d probably have to ask each individual player. I think just my experience in coaching DBs over the years, there are guys that have more natural ability to go attack balls and catch them. And there’s some guys that have more of a knack to play through the pocket and break up balls that way. So I think it probably varies from player to player. I think the thing that you look for in both situations is not to panic, especially when the ball is down the field. So some guys have an innate ability that they can turn around really quickly and locate the ball, and they have such good ball skills that they could go ahead and catch it. And others, same reaction time, but they find the ball a little later, which may be pushing them through the pocket.”
(For those instances where what’s advantageous is different than the norm, is that communicated before the play? Or do you expect players to know long on this fourth down, you have to knock it down?) – “You try to always communicate to the players situations that come up. You guys see it every week – the offense has the ball. They can either run a play or let the play clock run out before the quarter. That’s a very good time for offenses to hard count. So usually in that situation, we’re always like, ‘Hey, alert to hard count here.’ Or if we do get an interception at the end of the game and we could kneel it out, that would be a situation – people call it different things. You call it ‘victory,’ you call it ‘no mas,’ call it whatever you want to call it, but we’d have a term for that that we’d let them know, ‘Hey, if we do get an interception at this point, we’re going straight down.’ I was part of the (2006) – so was (Safeties Coach) Steve Gregory, although he was playing for San Diego at the time and I was coaching in New England – so I was part of that 2006 divisional game where they intercepted the ball, Troy Brown stripped him, we were able to recover, go down and score and win the game. So in that situation, if they got down, the game would have been over. I think you’re always preaching and practicing situational football. You practice that as much as you can, and then you kind of expect guys to know and have an idea, but that’s also our job as coaches when those situations come up, ‘Hey, you got to remind them.’ But a lot of times this stuff can happen. It’s no different than a team – it’s a questionable catch on the sideline. ‘OK, did they catch it or did they not?’ The offense goes straight to the ball, they’re trying to get it snapped so you don’t have time to challenge it before either I have to get a call in or whoever has the green dot, (Jerome) Baker, Duke Riley, Elandon Roberts, one of those guys, we have emergency calls that they can just shoot out right like that and they know and understand the situation. It’s like, ‘Oh, they’re going on the ball.’ So again, I think it goes hand in hand, but I think you always have to be talking about those things, because sometimes seasons ride on those situational plays.”
Mike McDaniel – November 21, 2022
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Monday, November 21, 2022
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Wanted to start with just a cornerback update. The weekly “will CB Byron Jones practice” question and how is DB Keion Crossen’s shoulder? Will he be able to practice this week?) – “My crystal ball? You shine it and it still doesn’t work. (laughter) Nothing’s changed with Byron (Jones), but we’ll continue to be hopeful and optimistic.”
(And then DB Keion Crossen, just covering corners.) – “Yeah, he’s a guy that it’s the same deal. He had a shoulder that would make most pretty up in the air for a two-week recovery game. I’ve learned to not count Keion (Crossen) out. He’s both a very committed professional and also a freak of a healer, so we shall see. But he’s done a lot of work in that in the time that we have been away and will continue to do so to try to make it to Sunday. And if he doesn’t, then he’ll hopefully be ready to go for the next week.”
(Just to clarify on CB Byron Jones. I know you said at the end “hopeful and optimistic” – is that hopeful and optimistic that he will play this this calendar year or this season?) – “Yeah. I’m generally just a hopeful, optimistic person. But yeah, specifically, (I’m) hoping and being optimistic towards his play. And goodwill and his family’s health and all those things as well.”
(After the last game, Browns DE Myles Garrett was very complimentary of the play calling and scheming that the Browns faced. He talked about how the Browns were out of position and the Browns felt that the Dolphins offense was a step ahead and he made a reference to the concept of scripting. He said, “It wasn’t like a first 15. It was like a first 60.” And so I don’t know that I’ve ever asked you about the scripting concept. But do you guys go into a game with like, here are 15 plays we’d love to get to early, or is it more than that? Can you fill us in on that?) – “That’s a really cool compliment from one of the better players in the National Football League that I think is unfortunately giving myself and the rest of the coaching staff a little too much credit. I think that there’s execution of plays that, to me, what I saw was our players adjusting to, really to their adjustments in real time fast and playing 100 percent with conviction. So I think that credit should really be put on the shoulders of the guys out there really owning all the rules and all the responsibilities within their own assignment. As far as scripting opening plays, I’ve never been one to be light on the amount of plays that you go into a game so that you can adjust to whatever unforeseen thing comes your way. It’s something that we got used to doing – I would watch Coach Shanahan do it. When you start to have any sort of success, being able to adapt to unforeseen gameplan stuff, which is kind of old hat and we’re kind of used to now. As far as how you script stuff, generally, we go to the game with an opening 24, but that is not including third downs and that isn’t 100 percent. Like I don’t stick to that. Giving an opening 24 plays to the players, the point of it is so that you can get another orchestrated walkthrough of plays that you know you’re going to hit and try to hit early, that sometimes you can abort mission on play six. Sometimes you make it all the way through. Sometimes you skip around. But generally, we’ll go into a game with a vision of how we will execute our offense and that’s something that you work tirelessly over the week, and you kind of digest what your players are executing well during the week and what you think you’re going to get. You try to do your best in crystal balling, but it’s something that will – generally it’s about 12 runs, 12 passes, intermixed and that’s pretty consistent every game.”
(Kind of like Madden.) – “I don’t know. Again, I was more of a (NCAA) College Football Create-Dynasty guy. Once people started beating me, so I don’t – Madden analogies, maybe? I don’t really know. (laughter)”
(So you have 10 games of experience where you are the full-time primary play planner and caller from the sideline. Some new stuff you were involved, but now it’s like a different role. So in what areas do you feel like a little more comfortable now that 10 games have passed relative to that part of the job?) – “We’ll see. Us here with the Miami Dolphins, we’re very deliberate in everything we do, so it’s technically 13 because the preseason was definitely not just a ‘go through the motions’ type thing when you have a new offense. So 13 games in, I think there’s always stuff that you’re working on. For me, I don’t think that journey is ever complete necessarily. You’re doing two things at once. You are coaching players up on technique and making sure that they develop during the season, but you’re also kind of catering your offense to what they’re good at, and both of those things kind of work and are intertwined. I think that part I’m always chasing. I don’t think I’ll ever feel like ‘alright, gold star.’ I think you can always adjust and think a little outside the box, and kind of tailor your scheme to what your players are really good at. I’ve always thought an important part of play-calling is minimizing or eliminating emotion out of your decision making, which is very, very tough to do. I’ve done a better job with that over the course of the season as the season progressed, trying to just do things not based upon anything but the best decision possible and go from there. I think there’s a lot – I mean, the list is just long. I’m not very comfortable – I equate feeling a sense of comfortability, in my mind, it kind of makes me feel like I’m not working hard or lazy. So I don’t think there’s anything that I’m very, very comfortable saying ‘alright, I got that.’ I think just admitting that you’re a fallible human being and trying to do your best is very liberating and also it does get the best out of you because it frees you from feeling like you need to be perfect. So across the board I would hope that grading myself, the best stuff is way in front of me and you guys have seen the worst and haven’t hated me for it.”
(I was going to ask you about the game plan as well. What is your process? Who did you learn your process from? Who do you rely on most when you’re putting it together? Is there certain coaches that have certain responsibilities?) – “It didn’t take me long to realize how unique and special some of the guys that I was fortunate enough to work with, how unique and special they were at their craft. So starting with Coach (Mike) Shanahan, then to Gary Kubiak and then to Kyle Shanahan; those three people probably kind of established what I see preparing for an opponent, what that looks like. And within that vision, I’m also very aware and have seen the best outputs are collective, so for me, what that looks like is watching as much tape on the opponent as possible in a day and a half. So half a Monday and then all of Tuesday and in that process, collecting all the information from the staff by way of them coming into my office, giving notes. We kind of have a nice routine, but it’s not really a staff meeting-type situation because I feel like you can get more tape watched independently. But then you just take all those collections of thoughts and kind of move forward and tie things together and you just do that within your staff. Each position coach does have an area of expertise, so they can kind of approach it like they’re the head coach of that situation, whether that’s red zone or third down or short yardage, or four-minute or backed up. All those different situations so that instead of having a bunch of people trying to memorize tendencies and know the opponent inside and out across all phases; make sure that they know they are responsible and held accountable for ‘Okay, well, alright, it’s short-yardage. I know who to talk to.’ And bounce through. That’s in-game and really when you’re putting together the game plan. So that process is – the cool thing about it is, what I enjoy most about it is, it’s a collection of individuals. And there’s no shortcut to a game plan that’s really up to the standard of your players, in my opinion. You don’t just make stuff up. You don’t just ‘Hey, what if we put this guy here?’ These are all – if your game plan is sound and tied together and complete – I tell the staff all the time – there should be a ‘why’ attached to every single thing that you’re doing. That’s every alignment, every motion, and that’s kind of the way we approach it and the way that the staff has really, really come together and understanding that there is a why, a reason for every little nuance, every variable. And even if the why isn’t 100 percent accurate, just having the level of detail and preparation to have a reason behind it gives you a good chance to put players in position to make plays, which is the whole point.”
(How much value do you put into being in first place at this time of year?) – “About as much value as – how about a lottery ticket that you don’t check the winning numbers? I mean, is it worth something? I don’t know. It’s very similar to the way that I felt about our offseason program. If you guys recall, I gave the most time off to the players that I’ve been around, that I’ve experienced and I know they had experienced. And I gave it to them because I felt they deserved it because they won the first quarter. I thought that they won the first quarter of a game. Being in whatever place at this stage of the season is cool, because each and every win, which puts you in first place, is hard-earned, not given. And so it is like winning another quarter of a game. But does that mean anything? I mean, it all depends on how you handle it. I think there is an element, once you get closer to the end of the season, that you feel pride in controlling your destiny. I think that is a cool deal. But at the same time, is it totally necessary to achieve your goals? It’s not. The point is that you continue to progress. I’m super fired up to be where we’re at right now, if we continue to progress as a football team. I think the last game you guys saw, you felt a little more complete contribution from the team that we were hitting on, in one way shape, or form, in each phase. That doesn’t mean each phase was null of a miscue or whatever, but you felt a team execution win and that’s a cool spot – Game 10 – for that to occur. But literally, nobody gives two – about who’s the Week 10 champion. So it’s an accomplishment that isn’t one that we’re chasing, nor does it matter except in the moment and how you use it. So I’m happy with where we’re at, I’ve been in first place and won the division after 10 weeks. And I’ve been in last place after 10 weeks and won the division. So it’s neither here nor there. As long as we keep moving in the appropriate trajectory, I’ll be good with it.”
(Bringing back LB Brennan Scarlett, what can he provide your front seven and what did you see from him both when you had him in the offseason in training camp and then also now working him out before signing him?) – “I’m excited to have him back to add him to the group. I saw a ton of versatility and a level of combative attitude that I think is cool for any football team when you’re a defensive player. I think adding him to the already really productive ascending crew of versatile players, I think it helps the team. But more importantly, I think his addition helps the guys that are playing pretty well to have a little insurance. And who knows, maybe we’ll get him some live action at some point.”
(Can you describe kind of the energy or the mood and the vibe in the building now coming in the home stretch?) – “It’s a very cool vibe because you get worried. Call a spade a spade, we’re above .500. At this stage of the season, you have a bye week. Do people get comfortable? And the vibe was exactly the opposite, exactly what I’d want to see, which was a group of people that are confident but hungry. And that’s what you want to gain from winning football games is confidence, not any complacency. I haven’t seen any of that. I see a team that recognizes they have an opportunity in front of them. They also recognize how, like it is every year, parity is crazy in the National Football League. In particular, our division, which first and last place is a huge one game. I think their mind is right. I think they’ve come in refreshed. I asked them to deliberately rest and I feel like they did. But they are definitely charged and ready to go to play the sport they love and see how far we can take the team.”
(Before the bye, I asked LB Bradley Chubb what he hears from an offense when him, LB Melvin Ingram and LB Jaelen Phillips are on the field at the same time. He just said it’s a lot of talking and kind of disorientation from the o-line trying to figure out who is where, who to block, what they’re going to do. From a coaching perspective, what does it add to your defense and what does it do to an opposing offense, when you can put three pass rushers of their caliber on the field at the same time?) – “I think from a defensive standpoint, if you’re creating any hesitation from an offense, especially known passing situations, that’s a win for the defense because defenses are typically reactionary. You’re waiting to see what alignment, which dictates your assignment. But on pass rush situations, on known passing situations, that is an opportunity for a defense to kind of dictate the terms, and them make somebody else react. So it’s huge, as long as guys are able to still do what they do well, which is get the edges of blockers, and get home to the quarterback, while playing good sound, structural defense for rush lanes. When you have a bunch of pass rushers on the field that have had success in the league, there’s also humility that has to be in place because you can’t just freelance. You have to rush with a group. A lot of times there’s inner-working games, that maybe traditionally an edge rusher only reaps the benefits of. He doesn’t have to do the dirty work. That’s not the case. So you have to have the right types of people. That’s why it’s hard to do. And then when you have the right types of people, you have to have coaches that really can expand their mind and maybe do stuff that they haven’t done before. A lot of people working together for that stuff to be in place. And then you also have to be tied with the rest of the defense to know that, you can take a risk here or there because you know that the quarterback is going to take two hitches, because our coverage is going to be right. All those things are really cool to do. It’s hard to pull off. That’s why more people don’t do it. But we’re afforded some talented edge players that have the right types of mindset, that can allow a team to put three of those guys out on the field at one time if the opportunity presents itself.”
Jeff Wilson Jr. – November 14, 2022
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Wednesday, November 14, 2022
RB Jeff Wilson Jr.
(Your attitude coach said is infectious on the team. Because when you do that and want to run over a defender, it seems like everybody else wants to do the same thing as well.) – “Yeah. I mean, it’s just contagious. I’m glad I can be that point. Obviously, it’s not like these guys are not physical or haven’t been playing hard or running hard since before I got here. It’s just the fact that even if it was me on the other side, to see somebody else doing it, it would turn me up to be like I want to get some of that because I like the affect it brings.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel actually has a name for it. He called it Wilson-itis.) – “Yeah, I guess you can say that. That’s just me. That’s how I play the game, and that’s how I’ve always played the game.”
(What’s the kind of reaction you get on the sideline when you come back from a run? You put a Euro step on somebody yesterday. What’s the kind of reaction you get from your teammates when you go back?) – “It be pats (on the back) and a good job, but it’s the facial expressions that say more than words or any other thing. Just to come back and to see the guys giving me that look like, ‘I feel you brother. Keep giving it to me. I feel you. You’re turning me up.’ That’s what gives me the thrill out of it, to see them come back and be hyped and ready to play some NFL football.”
(You’ve been with Head Coach Mike McDaniel for probably the longest now. Do you ever wonder what’s going on in the mind of that dude? Because he’s not the typical coach. He never gives a typical coach speech. You just never know what’s going to come out of his mouth. Just talking about that mind of Mike.) – “He’s a mastermind. He’s a guy that does a lot, that has a lot on his plate now. I can only imagine how much more it’s turning than what it was before because he’s always thinking, he’s always working, he’s always prepared and he’s always trying to be the best. So when you do that, it causes a lot of hours. I’m just thankful to his wife and family for being a great support to him. That way he can be at his best and give us all that he can. He’s doing a tremendous job. But trying to figure out what’s exactly on his mind? I think that’s impossible. (laughter)”
Mike McDaniel – November 14, 2022
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Monday, November 14, 2022
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(There were a lot of fans asking last night about LB Trey Flowers. I know a month ago you’d said you weren’t sure if he’d be able to come back like the DE Emmanuel Ogbah injury. Is it possible he might return or would you expect him to be out for the year?) – “Yeah, there’s no change. I think I can quote MacGruber on this, okay, and that’s ‘Never ever say never ever.’ (laughter) But yeah, no change.”
(So out at least for the foreseeable future?) – “Yeah.”
(And then obviously K Jason Sanders has a very good body of work over five NFL years. He’s struggled this year. Have you and General Manager Chris Grier and Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman decided if you will bring in kickers just to take a look or is Jason Sanders your kicker unquestionably moving forward?) – “He’s given me no reason to believe that he won’t get the things corrected. So we’re always doing that regardless, with regard to every position to make sure that you are up to speed on your contingency plans because you’re only one soft tissue (injury) away, especially at those positions. But I have no reason to think – first and foremost, Jason (Sanders) holds himself to a high degree of scrutiny and has high demands of himself so he expects more. But it’d be one thing if he’d given me any reason to think that he can’t get it corrected. So until he proves otherwise, we’re feeling good about where we’re at with him.”
(We’ve reported the news on DE Emmanuel Ogbah, but to hear it from you and just whatever you can elaborate on his injury?) – “It was very unfortunate for him. For the individual, it sucks because he is one of the type of veteran players that didn’t take his investment by the organization lightly and it just seems he’s just had hiccup after hiccup. Just unfortunate luck this season, so with regard to health and his injury occurred on a play that really fired me up. He really set the edge on the right tackle and stayed in for a play because he just felt weird. So it’s very unfortunate. I feel terrible for him. That’s the hard part of being invested and being along on the journey with some of these guys, but we’re just going to have to have what’s occurred all season at every position, which is to have guys step up and account for his production and his missing voice in the locker room.”
(Update on DB Keion Crossen?) – “Haven’t talked to (Head Athletic Trainer) Kyle (Johnston) about him specifically today. I do not have an update on it. But I guess I can further update you guys on Wednesday. (laughter) Just be patient. Just be patient. (laughter)”
(When you see receivers blocking downfield like we’ve seen this season and specifically yesterday, what does that tell you about their desire and their responsibility, how seriously they take it?) – “It tells me that they’re trying to win football games and they get it. It tells me that they are being coached right. It tells me that they’re that they’re approaching the game the right way. If you’re shortsighted, you can think, ‘Okay, I’m a receiver. I get paid to catch footballs.’ And that’s a very shortsighted investment because you’re also, as a receiver, depending on a lot of people to do the right things for you to get receptions. Yeah, you’ve got to sauce people up and do cool receiver stuff, but you also have to have a line executing appropriately. And you have to have a quarterback executing appropriately. And that’s all easier on both those parties when you’re able to run the ball. And in this league, if you want to run the ball with success, it’s not negotiable. You’ve got to have receivers play that way. I saw some guys make some impact plays and get involved, and if you’re trying to play good offense at a high level and you have the aspirations to be a really good group in the league, you better run block. It changes the energy and the mentality of a football team when that’s the case. I’m glad you mentioned that because it’s not happenstance. Not only did we get our first explosive touchdowns … But it’s not a coincidence. You’re breaking these long touchdowns because guys are committing to the process and having the desire and determination not to have the person that they’re in phase with be a part of the tackle. It’s cool football.”
(Yesterday in the locker room, when you were talking to the team, you kind of challenged the players, so to speak. You used a phrase – “make 2022 one of those years you remember forever.” What constitutes a year that you would remember forever?) – “When you go through things, when you’re fully invested. Contrary to popular belief, you can’t really control ultimate outcomes. You can’t – I’m not worried about that. I’ve learned a life lesson in my experience, that you get out exactly what you put in. You’ll make 2022 memorable if you and a collection of other individuals decide to invest as much as they’ve ever invested in their craft because in that experience, there’s highs, lows, there’s relationships. But ultimately, I know this for a fact, you get the most out of whatever you got. And you’ll remember that. So I make it less tangible, or a proclamation about ‘we will do X.’ If it’s more about – if you reflect on some of the things that you’ve done in team sports, some of the guys speak on it candidly, guys that have won stuff and guys that have gone to the playoffs, gone and done stuff in the playoffs; the common denominator is that players decided to put team first and individual stuff second and you invest and you go through hardship and you go through triumph, and you become closer as a team and it kind of defines you as a human being as well. So that’s all. It’s the 100 percent investment, which so far I’ve been very happy with. But it’s long-distance running. It’s not a sprint. So we still have a lot of the race to go.”
(OL Austin Jackson was active but didn’t play. Do you see that as a plan going forward or was it more so just he was available if someone got hurt and maybe he could start on the other side of the bye?) – ”We were hoping not to play him because we felt that good about him being able to really – we felt like if we could get through this game, we just loved his progress and he could not have a setback, we would be out of the woods as best we can control with that stuff. So he was there for an emergency and we were hoping not to have to play him and we were fortunate not to.”
(This is the bye week for you all. I know you get some time off. Do you have plans to visit a high school game? Have you had a chance to try a Publix sub? I’m just curious some of the things that you planned for the bye.) – “Yeah, I have – I’m still working on the phrase or how to coin a phrase, but it’s half regen, half dad. I don’t know, I’m not creative enough right now. I emptied the tank this this first half the season, so all my wit’s gone. But I think it’s important. Just philosophically, how I see going about business, you’re competing against people all the time within your own personal – within your building structure, within the people in your position group and around the league. To separate yourself in how you go about stuff, it’s the intentionality and being deliberate, but the thing is to do that the right way, it’s an exhausting process. It is to – deliberate practice is a brain drain. And in order to do it the appropriate way, you have to have deliberate rest as well. So I’m a leader by example. I’m going to show these guys how to rest my butt off, and then when I’m not asleep, I’ll be daddying and husbanding. I’ll have some honey-dos. I’ll do my chores, because I won’t want to be in the doghouse. I might kind of, at the end of the week, just kind of skirt some of those honey-dos, just knowing that there won’t be ramifications because I’ll be back at work. (laughter) But until then, I’m alright.”
(FB Alec Ingold played easily his highest number of snaps yesterday, on the day when the running game had it’s best outing of the season.) – “Correlation or causation? (laughter)”
(What say you?) – “I don’t think it’s a coincidence. We knew going into the game that we were going to have him on the field a lot. He provides a very physical presence and is adjusting to playing. He’s played fullback before, but what that means and how we’re utilizing his skillset is a little different than he’s been used before in his career – a little more versatile. He’s got a lot more running. He’s not as much close quarters stuff. I thought he did a tremendous job, and he’s starting to come into his own in that regard. So, he stepped up to the plate when we needed him to, and he’s a tone setter for our football team that we count on, week-in and week-out, to help establish a physical style of play. I was happy to see him be put in some advantageous situations, and he took advantage of them yesterday.”
(The physicality of RB Jeff Wilson Jr.’s run style, was that something that you think this offense was missing for the first eight weeks of the season?) – “I think that it’s something that benefits the offense. I’m not sure if I would say necessarily missing, but it definitely adds another dimension. I guess we weren’t necessarily lacking it, but with a guy like him that brings energy every time he touches the ball, I think that is infectious. I think it does help the team. Whether or not I don’t think necessarily we were missing it, but I think it does change a little – there’s residual effects to other eligibles, not just the running back room and not just the offense. There’s residuals to the whole team as well. I think he electrifies the defense, too, because when you’re on the sidelines and you see someone punishing defenders and straining and doing everything they can for each and every yard, it makes every eligible better. I think him and Raheem (Mostert) play off of each other extremely well. They always have. And I thought you saw some pretty cool stuff from Raheem, too, playing off of Jeff’s energy.”
(So it’s one of those things that it’s not necessarily quantifiable? Like there’s no stat that’s going to say, “This is what we’re getting with Jeff Wilson as much as…”) – “You’re exactly right. I was trying – it’s made me so happy, because I couldn’t articulate it. I really couldn’t, but when we were talking about it, I was like, ‘Just wait, guys. Just wait.’ I was very excited, because I knew we could benefit from something that wasn’t necessarily that we were missing but he could add something that could do more than whatever his stats are. Whatever the Jeff – we’ve got a case of the Wilson-itis, I think, maybe. The whole team benefits from it, and ironically – or is it ironic? Is it correlation or causation? But Cedrick Wilson Jr. also had his most physical game. So maybe the Wilsons are just long-lost brothers that rubbed off on each other, I don’t know. (laughter) But I think that it is something that our game can continue to grow in all aspects. I think it was the most physical that we’ve played on both sides of the ball. I think Jeff Wilson contributed to that, but I think we’re all just kind of growing in how we play our style of football. There’s a lot of people putting some more physical stuff on tape that it’s only going to help the Dolphins.”
(Going back to your daddy duty this week, I saw your shoes yesterday had a picture of your daughter on them. I was curious kind of the behind the scenes of how that came to be and just how special it was to have that picture with your daughter?) – “So she can’t really talk, but she’s a savant of painting and she designed – no. (laughter) That was gifted to me. That was a surprise on Saturday. I have people on top of people – yes, I was surprised on Saturday. I’m getting my haircut on Friday by Steve, you guys might know him, and then he’s like, ‘I’ve got a present for you on Saturday.’ I said, ‘Cool.’ I didn’t expect that. Salute to Service, which is very meaningful to me and I very much appreciate it, but then to have a picture of myself and my daughter, it was just like, what world am I in? This is unbelievable. So then I went down the hall and checked with my regulatory advisors to make sure that I would not be violating any NFL rules, and I think I passed all tests so then I put them on. It was a really cool thing to be able to support an unbelievable cause for people that sacrifice really everything they have, in a selfless manner, for our way of life. And then to have that on top of a painted picture of my daughter, who when I saw her on the sidelines before the game, they were talking about them. So I pointed and she goes, ‘Ayla,’ which is her name, so she recognized herself on a shoe and I almost just broke down crying before the game. So that was pretty cool. I felt very fortunate to be a part of it. Those shoes are – I took them from the game home and I’ll probably be wearing them doing dad duty all week while I take out the trash.”
Jeff Wilson Jr. – November 13, 2022 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 13, 2022
Postgame – Cleveland
RB Jeff Wilson Jr.
(How good does it feel to just have this type of impact so early on especially going into the bye week 7-3, part of a team that feels like it is doing something special?) – “It is kudos to all those other guys. I’m just a running back. There are a million running backs in this league and like I said, we have three good ones that were up today and was active. So it could have been any one of those guys because the way our o-line attacked, and the way our receivers attacked down field helping us get to the open field.”
(Is this the most special group you have been a part of?) – “Oh man. Special. Like I said, I think it is early to tell. We’ve got a long journey, a long ride, but the way the guys brought me in, the love, the facility, everybody around that showed me. Man, I can’t wait to see how it unfolds.”
(Is there a healthy competition going on with you and RB Raheem Mostert?) – “There’s no competition. All that stuff’s up to the coaches – whoever’s in, we’re going to roll and that’s just how it is.”
Raheem Mostert – November 13, 2022 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 13, 2022
Postgame – Cleveland
RB Raheem Mostert
(What has the bond been like in the running back room over the last few since RB Jeff Wilson Jr. has gotten in there? Obviously, you said you guys aren’t worried about where the ball goes, but just the bond you guys have?) – “We’ve worked together for a number of years. For him to come in and play the role that he’s doing, I can’t be much prouder. I said it last week and I’ll say it again this week; he’s definitely a guy that we can count on in the run game. I’m just happy for him, because like I said, I saw him when he was just crawling in the league, and now he’s blossoming. He’s doing unbelievable things. We feast off each other. We’re a good 1-2 punch.”
(This is the first time since 2003 that the Dolphins haven’t punted in a game. What does that say about this offense?) – “It’s just high flying. We did take a chance on fourth down a couple times and I think we were 1-for-2 or 2-for-3 or something like that. But it’s all about how we can operate on this offense. We are doing a great job, especially like I mentioned earlier we have got (No.) 1 (Tua Tagovailoa) directing everything and putting the ball in a great position, and then you have (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) calling plays, doing what he has to do. It’s up to us players to get the job done, so we’ve been able to do that.”
(The Dolphins put up 39 points – how much better can this offense be?) – “We’ve got to check the tape. That tells a lot. We’ll see what it entails. We’ll watch film tomorrow before we head out for the Bye Week. But it’s real simple – we’ll watch the tape and go back to what we know and do what we do best.”
Bradley Chubb – November 13, 2022 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 13, 2022
Postgame – Cleveland
LB Bradley Chubb
(How did it feel to get the sack?) – “It felt good. It’s only a half, so I can’t feel too good about it, but I just have to keep working. The numbers are going to come and I’m just excited to be here.”
(Was it less thinking and more doing today than last week?) – “For sure. Last week was a whirlwind trying to figure out my living situation, kind of having the emotions of getting traded, all that type of stuff and now I’m comfortable, I’m good. My guys help me out every time I need them. I’m a lot more comfortable and feeling like myself.”
(It seems like everyone has been pretty welcoming here. Can you talk about how you have kind of just become a part of a team) – “Yeah, like you said, it wasn’t really an awkwardness or anything like that. Last week, I was figuring myself out, wasn’t really talking to anybody. Now guys are starting to see my personality a bit more and I’m starting to see theirs. I’m starting to hang out with guys on the days we don’t have stuff too late. It’s cool to so quickly be a part of this team and continue to build. Like I said it’s only kind of a sample of what this defense and what this team is capable of, so I’m excited to see what we do after the bye week.”
