Kader Kohou – November 18, 2024
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Monday, November 18, 2024
CB Kader Kohou
(You got a chance to play more on the boundary this week. What was that experience like going back to something you did probably – last year you did that?) – “It was fun, whatever that really just helps the team. They needed me to play boundary so that’s what I did.”
(What was it like having CB Storm Duck back in there? He hadn’t played in a few games and just meshing with him?) – “Storm (Duck), he’s a great athlete, great corner. Even Cam (Smith) got in there sometimes, too, so just having those young guys going in there and just doing what they’re asked to do and it’s hard going from not playing a lot to just going into the game and having to play all those snaps; so salute to him just going out there and handling his business.”
(Third down defense was really strong against the Rams. I know the Raiders were able to execute some. What were some of the things that happened on third down?) – “I think just a lot of missed tackles because if you go back and watch the film, I feel like maybe not on those third-and-real short, but third-and-medium and stuff like that; they were catching the ball way before the sticks and just missed tackles or not really finishing the tackle and letting them kind of fall forward is what really was like our downfall this game.”
(You had a lot of drives in that game for both teams that were 14-, 15-, 16-play drives. What was it like being on the field that long over and over?) – “It’s good when our offense is having them because you get a lot of rest time, but obviously being out there, you’ve got to get them off the field on third down when it gets to that. Like guys get tired, techniques maybe start not being as good as it was the first plays and stuff like that. So when you’re on defense and start getting those long drives, extended drives, it’s not really a good look on us because it just gives them opportunities to get points.”
(Now that you’ve won two in a row how if at all has the mindset changed – confidence, things like that?) – “I feel like we had the same confidence the whole season. Sometimes the ball just didn’t roll our way. We didn’t have Tua (Tagovailoa) a lot of those games, but we always had our confidence so winning those games is not really like a surprise for us because I feel like these past couple games we’ve really been at strength, like our whole team together, like our starting quarterback, a lot of guys on defense came back. So we’re not surprised winning those games, so I wouldn’t say confidence has changed, but we know we dug ourselves a little hole we’ve got to come up out of so even after we win it’s not like we’re just super happy about it; it’s like we’re supposed to win those games and we just haven’t so that’s where we’re sitting at right now.”
(Was that always the mentality even when you were losing those games without QB Tua Tagovailoa? Like we know once we get everyone together, we’re going back to what we were?) – “No, even without Tua, we lost some games that we were supposed to win so obviously having him out there is a big plus for us, but a lot of those games when he wasn’t here we felt like we should have won. So I feel like our mentality never really changed for real even though he wasn’t here. We were supposed them and we just didn’t.”
(How does this team take it to that next level, continue to build on the success that you’re having now?) – “Just throughout the week, we kind of found like a little formula going into – talking about practice-wise – so we’ve just got to keep honing in on that, just working on technique and not getting relaxed. Like I said, even though we’ve won two in a row, we’re supposed to win those games and stuff like that. It’s just not getting complacent.”
(Have you had interactions with CB Kendall Fuller? How’s he been?) – “Kendall is good. Hopefully we can get him back this week because he’s a big help for us so hopefully we can get him back, but he’s doing good from what I’ve seen.”
Zach Sieler – November 17, 2024 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 17, 2024
Postgame – Las Vegas Raiders
Dolphins DT Zach Sieler
(You guys are working as hard now as you have been all season, but what does it mean to see and feel the fruits of your labor, like two straight wins for the first time in almost a year?) – “Yeah, it’s great but at the same time, we’re still in the hole. I mean, we’ve got a long ways to go and I think we got the team to do it. We just got to keep coming together as a unit, both sides of the ball and the special teams and keep putting this together week by week and build on this.”
(What about the two-point conversion? What did you see on that play?) – “That’s just kind the tape of the game and knowing what can possibly come. It’s take a chance sometimes, and it felt like a good opportunity for me to do that on that play with our call and what I saw. To be able to do that was awesome.”
(I mentioned you had a sack and DT Calais Campbell had a sack. Do you guys feed off each other?) – “Absolutely, yeah. He makes me feel young, and I hope I can make him feel young and give him some energy of mine – he doesn’t need it. He’s just an amazing example. He’s been so great for me and my career, learning from him and hearing from him and him just taking time to sit with me and other guys on the team and see how he sees things. And just off the field too, leadership, responsibility, how to be vocal, how to work through things, it’s really been a blessing playing with him this year.”
-DOLPHINS-
Calais Campbell – November 17, 2024 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 17, 2024
Postgame – Las Vegas Raiders
Dolphins DT Calais Campbell (transcribed by ASAP Sports)
Q. I think in one of the hype videos the team put out, you can hear you say “all it takes is a spark to light a fire.” Does it feel like that fire is lit after today?
CALAIS CAMPBELL: Definitely trending that way. Obviously the fire is still real small. We’ve got a long way to go, but we’ve just got to keep fanning it, just keep doing the little things that matter. Today was a big step in the right direction. Obviously a lot of plays we left out there, you want a perfect ball game, but it’s a win. It feels good, but like I told the guys in the locker room after the game, we’ve still got a big hole to climb out of. So we get to celebrate it for 24 hours but we’re right back to work.
Q. You’re always a guy, pregame, in the middle of that big huddle, around the whole team. What is that moment like, especially you’re such a veteran but this is your first year with this team and being that guy that leads that charge?
CALAIS CAMPBELL: Yeah, you know, the best feeling in the world is when the guys look to you. They say ‘talk to me.’ They want to be inspired and so I always try to think of something good. But for the most part it’s just bringing good energy. Bring good energy and looking them in the eyes and let them know that I’m going to bring everything I’ve got, and if we play together we can win, we can beat anybody.
Q. Did the blocked punt go through your hand?
CALAIS CAMPBELL: I can’t wait to watch it on tape. I don’t know how they blocked that. You can’t be more free. The funny thing is we were watching tape. I could tell by the way the guy short set that if we got in a situation I had a chance to block one. I never told anybody. I just in my head was like, I might have a chance to block one this week. Sure enough, I got my little swim move and I was right there. And I kind of got a little too big-eyed and kind of hesitated and I don’t know how I missed it. It had to go through my hands. Had to. But this is football. I will take that probably every day of the week. I’m glad my guys had my back and held them to three. But I’m going to go out and die on my sword by giving my best effort to make plays that win ball games.
Q. Sounds like one of those aggressive penalties you referenced a couple of weeks ago. Did he kick you in the helmet?
CALAIS CAMPBELL: Yes, he did. Yes, he did. (laughter) Right on top of my head. But that’s how close I was. But if I had blocked the punt it would have been much better.
Q. That’s impressive form, to get his leg up to 6’8″.
CALAIS CAMPBELL: He got it above my head and came back down. That was quite impressive.
Q. How do you feel about playing special teams?
CALAIS CAMPBELL: You know, I like to be able to impact the game. And especially when it comes to like blocking field goals and stuff, that’s something I love to do. Even on field goal protection, I really try to – those are big points. Those are plays that’s going to win us ball games. So I know when I’m on the field my side is going to be protected. I haven’t given up a block my whole career and I don’t plan to. Those guys are getting good; they get those good jumps and stuff. But I just try to be out there to help the guys. I don’t mind playing special teams. This punt stuff is a little unique. I haven’t played a lot of punt rush over the years. But the Tennessee game I got my hand on one and still went forward, so I don’t know if they call it a blocked punt. And then today I should have had a block. It’s not bad. I’ve been having an opportunity to affect the game.
Q. What’s it like being part of the game where both teams held the ball for so long? Such long drives, fewer possessions but longer drives?
CALAIS CAMPBELL: Yeah, for us, we’ve been really good on third down and get off the field. Today they had a really good game plan and they made some plays to keep those drives alive and made it tough on us. But we just kept fighting, kept believing and found a way to win a ball game. But you’ve got to take your hat off to them. They had a really good game plan. That (Brock) Bowers kid, that boy is good.
Q. What is it that’s making you and Sieler mesh so well as a duo?
CALAIS CAMPBELL: I think some of it is just natural chemistry. He’s a great player that is very cerebral and he understands how to take advantage of what they’re doing. I’m the same kind of way. It allows for us to kind of communicate on the line and adjust based off what they’re doing and allows for us to make a lot more plays. And there’s times where we kind of do too much and it’s like, ‘oh, man, we messed up.’ And there’s times where it hits perfectly and it’s right there. And that’s football. But that’s my guy. Sieler, when he’s out there, when I’m out there with him, I feel like we can dominate anybody.
Q. You mentioned you still have a hole to dig out of at 2-6. Things looked bleak here, but now you guys are 4-6 and we’ll see what Denver does, but you could be right there in the mix. You personally, how rewarding is it to be part of this turnaround?
CALAIS CAMPBELL: We’ve still got a long way to go. It doesn’t get to be rewarding until we get to where we want to go. So just it’s a good opportunity. We gave ourselves an opportunity, but we still are in the hole. We’ve still got a long way to go. And the guys know it, but the good thing is there’s life. We’ve got a lot of life, a lot of fight left. This next one is going to be a big one. Division game at home against a team that’s playing hungry. I know Drake Maye had a pretty good game today. They lost, but he played well. We’re going to have our hands full. We have to go earn it again, but this next one is going to be huge.
Q. The Raiders under 60 yards rushing. What was working well for you guys today?
CALAIS CAMPBELL: Great game plan. We had a really good game plan. I think earlier in the year we really struggled stopping the run and we put a lot of emphasis on really our techniques and what we could do to stop the run. I think it’s been three games in a row, three or four, where we’re keeping teams at 100. But we still have – that’s the key, right, if we keep teams under 100 yards rushing we have a chance to win the ball game. Obviously we didn’t win all those games we did that, but we gave ourselves an opportunity. So I think it is four straight games and we’re trying to keep that going. That’s a big part of our success.
Q. You mentioned what Drake Maye has been doing. Did you already check what they did today before you got out here?
CALAIS CAMPBELL: It’s one of the first things I do, look at the scores, what did guys do. I mean, I’m just a football fan, too, so I like to see what the scores are around the league but also the team we’re getting ready to play, trying to see how they played.
Q. What are your thoughts on Gardner Minshew? He’s had ups and downs this seasons as far as passing-wise. How were you guys able to adjust to what he was doing well as the game went on?
CALAIS CAMPBELL: I think he played really good football today. I think the offensive coordinator did a good job as well, giving him some good reads and putting him in position to be successful. But he executed and he made some big-time plays. I think late we got him in a situation where we had a big advantage, any time you get a lead like that – our offense played great, gave us a big lead and we were able to make plays. Jalen Ramsey does what Jalen Ramsey does. But it still was impressive. Gardner, he’s come a long ways. We were teammates back when he was a rookie and to see his development has been really cool.
-DOLPHINS-
Jonnu Smith – November 17, 2024 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 17, 2024
Postgame – Las Vegas Raiders
Dolphins TE Jonnu Smith (transcribed by ASAP Sports)
Q. Jonnu, when do you ever remember having a game like this?
JONNU SMITH: Christ is king, baby. Man, that was – it’s a lot more than just a game for me. I’m extremely blessed, man, and just proud of where God has placed me with this team. Everything was rocky in the beginning – forget about the stat line, what we just experienced in the locker room is something that we worked all year for. I’m not trying to ignore your question, but I just felt like I needed to hit on that. It wasn’t about the stat line for me today, it was the joy that we had knowing that the work that we just put in, the work that was put in all the way from OTAs and just the expectations and the fight that’s in this team. Just proud of this group of guys. It’s a special group, truly, and I’m just excited to be a part of this as a team no matter which way it’s going. Today was another step towards the direction that we want to go, but it’s one step at a time mentality.
Q. What was the locker room like?
JONNU SMITH: It was what we expected it to be every week, to say the least. But the resolve of the group of guys that we got, the leaders on this team, it was some key additions that was added to this. It was a championship caliber team before this year but just the leaders that were added to this team, it’s definitely taken us to another level. I know the record right now doesn’t show it, but we know who we are. We know who we want to be, and just that energy in the locker room, just guys being selfless rallying around one another, just more happy for other people’s successes. Just proud to be part of this group.
Q. What is that feeling of when you’re standing there all alone in the middle of the field on that touchdown?
JONNU SMITH: The Red Seas parted. It’s Sunday, I’m coming with my biblical terms today. It seems like if it was a busted coverage, and Tua, me and him, we just connected, locked eyes and just made the rest happen.
Q. Talk a bit about the reaction on the sideline when Jalen Ramsey got the interception, pretty much iced the game.
JONNU SMITH: Just momentum and energy, just an amazing feeling. It’s such a sigh of relief when you see everything that we put into it, you know what I mean? The guys, we’re working — I know the stats, the record doesn’t show, but we’re working. We’re sacrificing, you know what I mean? And for everybody, this town, this city, has had big expectations on us and we understand that we’re playing for the city of Miami — really probably the state of Florida, you know what I mean? We’re playing for a lot bigger than just the city of Miami, we’ve got fans all over the country. And I understand that there’s an expectation that came into this. And to just have that mentality of, listen, let’s look at this thing in the mirror and let’s go attack it. No matter who is with us, who is against us, we know what we’ve got in here and we’re going to keep rolling.
Q. What’s it like to have scoring drives of 14, 16, 14 and 10 plays?
JONNU SMITH: I was messing around earlier in the locker room just now saying, Jake probably went home already. (laughter) That’s our brand of football. That’s who the Miami Dolphins are offensively, that’s who we are. Still not our best offensive game, still. A lot of things we can clean up, and that’s why we believe in — but that’s who we are. That’s the Dolphin standard of football, and still a lot of things that we need to clean up and we know that. We’ll get back to the drawing board and continue to fix those mistakes and just continue to try to be better, never get too complacent.
Q. When you caught that and you saw nobody around you but you knew they were gaining on you, were you looking back? Were you just like focused at the end zone?
JONNU SMITH: I was told a long time ago slow people look back. So when I caught it and I saw nobody in front of me, I wasn’t leaving without a tud, wasn’t leaving without a tud. The Red Seas parted, Uce found me and God did the rest.
Q. What about the first touchdown moving in motion, fourth down play, could you just detail that one?
JONNU SMITH: Yeah, again, just getting my eyes around quick and just Tua having a feel for where I’m at. It’s funny, the ball actually got tipped. The guy tried to make a play on the ball, the ball got tipped and we still found a way to come down with it. Another big, big play just by the offensive group being it was fourth and one right there and definitely needed points. Another big play for us, and good way to start the game off.
Q. You guys were I think 8-of-12 on third down, 2-of-2 on fourth down. Since Tua has back from injury, you guys have been a really good third-down team. What’s the key been?
JONNU SMITH: Best in the world. You’ve got the best quarterback in the world. Makes things a lot easier for everybody else. And those guys that came in during that time when he was down, they did a great job and helped us as much as they could and showed a lot of grit and a lot of selflessness. We are happy to have those guys, but 1 is who he is for a reason. But we’re excited to have him back and excited to where we’re back where we need to be.
Q. You talked about how happy you are and what a blessing it is to be on this team. You’ve been on a few teams, what’s the difference?
JONNU SMITH: Again, like you could look at the roster and you could say, they’ve got this guy, they’ve got this guy. A lot may deem them as superstars. When we come into that locker room, we just try to put all that stuff away and come together and win. And I think that’s what is so special about this group, just eliminating the egos. Eliminating the “me” mentality and just focusing on the team, doing what you’re supposed to be doing, being there fighting for your brothers, being in this thing together. Everybody had the same feeling for the past nine or so weeks or whatever it was. We all had the same thing, we were all going through the same thing. Nobody was pointing fingers and nobody was wavering. We rallied, we experienced some adversity and pushing through it. That’s why it’s a special group.
Q. So because you’re a coach for little league football team, how does it translate with you being on the field to the coaching mindset with the kids? How do the kids look at you? Do they look at you as, oh, that’s just coach; like he’s supposed to do that? Or do they look at you when you have a game like this, it’s like, dude, that’s our coach?
JONNU SMITH: I’ll say this, so it’s funny that Tua said that. I had my pups come in. We just won two championships, my flag — my 7-year-old and 9-year-old team, we came in Saturday for Saturday’s walkthrough yesterday. I brought them in because we just won two championships, so I wanted to show them around, bring them around the guys. But obviously it’s like I’ve been coaching going on it’s probably started in January, so this is probably, I don’t know, what is it, 11 months or whatever it is. For me obviously all the kids knew who I was and all of that, so I had to separate — actually a good question, but they did a great job like separating like Jonnu Smith from Coach Nu. They did a great job. That’s why we won two championships. Shoutout to Cooper City Dolphins Optimist, come check us out next year.
-DOLPHINS-
Jordyn Brooks – November 17, 2024 (Postgame)
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Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024
Postgame – Las Vegas Raiders
Miami Dolphins LB Jordyn Brooks
(What can you say about the defense’s performance today?) – “I thought we were OK. We weren’t our best today. We gave up some touchdowns I don’t think they should have got. We pride ourselves on being a Top 5 defense, so there’s some things we’ve got to clean up but I thought we finished well.”
(I saw you gather the team on the sideline. What was the message and have you had to do that before?) – “Just the timing of the game, I felt that the Raiders were gaining momentum and those times, you kind of want to get everybody back focused and let them know we’ve still got the lead, we just have to keep the lead and finish it.
(What do you guys say to each other in the locker room after winning but like you said not being fully satisfied?) – “Enjoy the win. Always have to enjoy the win because it is hard to win in this league. Enjoy and then the next 24 hours, get back to work because we’re not where we want to be. We’re heading there, but we’re not where we want to be. Be content but don’t be satisfied.”
-DOLPHINS-
Jalen Ramsey – November 17, 2024 (Postgame)
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Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024
Postgame – Las Vegas Raiders
Miami Dolphins CB Jalen Ramsey
(What does it mean to get the first back-to-back win for the season for you guys?) – “It means a lot. It means we can start stacking them up, letting our preparation turn over to Sundays or Mondays or Thursdays, whenever we play our games. So it means a lot, but we’ve got to keep going.”
(Tell us about the interception. What did you see on the play?) – “He kind of just threw it to me, for real, and I had to get down there and make the catch, but that was it.”
(What do you like about your role with the defense? I see you sneaking up on the line, sitting on the pass, you got an interception, what do you like about your role?) – “Yeah, it keeps me in the game plan. It keeps offenses guessing a little bit. Just my versatility, going where I’m at, makes the linemen pay attention to me, makes the running backs pay attention to me, and of course, the receivers. So it’s fun. It keeps me motivated, it keeps me focused throughout the game. In the past when I’ve only played corner and things like that, it could at times get boring. I love the game and have fun but in the sense of being in the action, being in the game plan. So it’s cool, it’s fun.”
(DT Zach Sieler has a sack, DT Calais Campbell has a sack, just how big are those guys up front for you guys?) – “They’re literally big. (laughter) They’re big for us. Captains of the team, leaders of the team, they help set the tone with a handful of the other guys. They are super important to what we have going on this year.”
(Do you feel momentum building here?) – “We got to keep building so that’s all that matters. It’s what we feel in here and just continuing to build. Obviously we are happy, don’t get it twisted, but we can’t get too high or too low. We’ve been preaching that all year, even through the tough times and the good times like today. So, yeah, we’re going to keep building.”
-DOLPHINS-
Tua Tagovailoa – November 17, 2024 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 17, 2024
Postgame – Las Vegas Raiders
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa (transcribed by ASAP Sports)
Q. Can you talk about a guy like Jonnu Smith, what he did today on the field to be able to also help with this win today?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I think it’s super cool. We’ve had plans to implement him in the past within the offense, so be it, the defense doesn’t allow for him to get as many catches as we would like for him. But it’s been really cool to see his progression from the prime time game we had against the Rams to now. Just being in the right spots. It’s just a lot of the reps that we’ve gotten throughout training camp and leading up to this point. So all of this that everyone is seeing isn’t new to our team, but now that he’s being implemented more and getting the ball, going through the progressions, that’s just what it is. He’s a baller.
Q. You had all kinds of yards and points and last year was a special year offensively, but you didn’t do it like you’re doing it now. The 12-, 14-, 16-play drives. What’s been different for you guys?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I think what’s been different with the quarterback play is now not trying to force things down the field if it’s not there. Taking the checkdowns, allowing our runners in space to go get first downs. Hopefully they can break a tackle and you can use that also as essentially a run play if you look at it in that sense. And we like our matchups with our guys in space, so that’s what I would attest to today’s performance for us offensively.
Q. Sometimes when players are off for a week or two or three weeks, they get a chance to see the game a little bit differently from the side. Was this something when you came back that you wanted to implement? To be a little bit more ball control, keep drives up, alive longer?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Not necessarily. I think coming back it’s more so how can we get back into our rhythm as an offense, finding that rhythm, whether it’s in the run game, the action game, the pass game, whatever that looks like and just protecting the ball. Not trying to force things if it’s not there. We’ve got good enough players to where if we get them the ball in space, we like our chances. That’s sort of been the mindset coming back. And really pocket presence as well. If guys want to drop eight or if they want to bring pressure, just feeling that out. If I still have time in the pocket, just moving subtly, things like that.
Q. Talk a bit about having to limit an explosive player like Maxx Crosby on defense. How did you guys game plan for him? And how ultimately are you able to pull off limiting him to just five total tackles?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: He’s a dawg. Everyone knows that around the league. If you watch his tape, he’s in every play. Dude has a motor like no other. Got a lot of respect for him. Got a lot of respect for his game. A lot of what we did was because of where he was on the field, so we had a lot of check outs of runs and things like that to go away from him. Once you get somebody like that going in a game and he gets a rhythm, it’s sort of hard to stop it regardless of the scheme or whatever. Players make the plays work, so got a lot of respect for him.
Q. When Divine Deablo was closing in on you in the last touchdown, did you see Jonnu? Did you know he was going to be there the whole time or did he all of a sudden come open to you?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: You know, I don’t know – I think that was, for Jonnu, that was a feel-space kind of play because essentially that wasn’t what we called for that play to be. And I think he just felt space and was, like, ‘if I break it in, like, I could run into this guy over here.’ And he kind of just throttled going forward and was just, like, ‘yo, I’m over here.’ So I got out – I think at the beginning of it the motion kind of messed up what they wanted to do. I think they were trying to get into a (Cover) Zero look. And I think 5, with the communication in the back end, I think it was messed up. That’s why they dropped it. It was 2-for-3 and they were trying to bring 5. But it helped that they had that communication error because he ended up adding late. So that was cool.
Q. As a leader of the offense, just to give Jake Bailey essentially the day off with no punts. Can you describe that feeling?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Free money for him. Good for him. Great for him. We took a picture. Had zero punts. Happy for him. It should signify that, for the most, part things are going well offensively.
Q. What keyed the 10-for-14 on third and fourth downs? What was the key?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I think just staying in it, continuing to have the Seakeeper mindset and each play stands on its merit. Just go through my reads. And having it in the back of my head with what other teams have played prior to us on third downs that they could potentially do that instead of what they would normally do in those down and distances and having those answers. So I think everyone was dialed in and locked in on that.
Q. Going back to the past two games, how close or far do you think you are to playing your best football?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I think it’s a week-to-week thing. We’ve just got to build off of what we can learn from this week. We move forward. We see what the next opponent is and things that we can do to get better to give us the edge to win that next game. And we’ll continue to move forward. I don’t think anyone can play their best game essentially. But you try to minimize the amount of mistakes that you have in games. So I think that’s what we’re trying to do.
Q. On that topic, just talk a bit about, there’s a couple of big playoff-caliber matchups ahead, however you do have New England next Sunday. Just talk about not looking too far ahead, especially against a team you guys have already beaten earlier in the season.
TUA TAGOVAILOA: We’re looking forward to playing New England, but first off we’re going to enjoy the win tonight, go home to our families, hang out with our friends, whatever that looks like. And we’ll come in Monday, watch the film, put that to rest, and then we’ll get on to New England and focus on that week.
Q. I think you had extended play completions to Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill. I might be missing another one, but are those plays particularly rewarding? Do you get a personal sort of rush of confidence when those occur, the extended plays?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, sure, if you will. Yeah. Any time we can extend plays and keep their offense off the field and we can continue to be on the field, you love that at all times. I just got to be better with protecting the ball inside the pocket.
Q. Just to put up the amount of points you guys did, how gratifying is it understanding, all right, like, all this, we’re finally seeing this on Sundays?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: It’s cool. It’s cool. We’re glad that everyone gets to see it. One thing that I know with the players in the locker room is they’re not satisfied. There’s a lot of things that we wish we could have done better, especially on my end with my play, with some throws. I wish I could have had back for certain guys. But that’s just the way the game goes. It’s football. You learn from it and you continue to play the game as it is.
Q. Your first touchdown came on a tipped ball on fourth down. Your last touchdown of the game just popped wide open. First time all season winning two in a row. Do you feel like you have more momentum going into the back half of the season?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I would say any time you can get a win in the NFL, it’s a momentum builder for your team, for the locker room, for the organization. It always feels better when your body is hurting after a win than a loss. I would say we’re looking forward to New England next week. We’re going to enjoy this game and move forward.
-DOLPHINS-
Mike McDaniel – November 17, 2024 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 17, 2024
Postgame – Las Vegas Raiders
Miami Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel
Q. The four long drives — 14, 16, 14 and 10 plays. What do you think when you absorb that, digest that, the four long drives?
MIKE MCDANIEL: I think you know you’re diligently working at various things in our football. I think last year we might have had three drives that were 14-plus plays the entire year. So it has been a focus of ours in anticipation of how guys were going to defend us and then as we’ve gone through the season, adjusting to how defenses have adjusted to us, and I think that’s a lot of hours of practice, meeting room – that’s what comes to mind, as well as the collective effort of our coaching staff, starting with (Offensive Coordiantor) Frank Smith, but all the position coaches being connected with the players and really focusing on fundamentals and technique to improve our game because the idea is if the whole orchestration of your offense is right, it shouldn’t matter who you go against or what they decide to do. So a lot of execution, a lot of people making plays, and a lot of fundamentals and detail that go into that earned productivity.
Q. What has TE Jonnu Smith meant to you guys and has he exceeded what you expected when you first got him?
MIKE MCDANIEL: I knew it was a great add by Chris (Grier) and the pro (personnel) department just because of his skills with the ball in his hands, and then I knew secondhand from a couple of coaches that have been on staffs before the type of person we were getting. But I think the collective of his play and who he is has really added something very important to our offense. Ultimately, he’s making defenses pay for the over attention that Tyreek (Hill) and (Jaylen) Waddle get, and that space that’s added by, let’s say, call it you have a linebacker playing in the alley between the numbers and the hash and his landmark is three yards deeper based upon our offense and trying to stop the in-breaks for Tyreek and Waddle. Well, he’s making full use of those extra three yards and adding a real cool element to our offense that we needed every yard that he’s had for us this year. It was cool to see him make plays in opportune times today.
Q. We asked you about becoming a ball control offense. On third down, what’s the key since QB Tua Tagovailoa has been back?
MIKE MCDANIEL: I think the development of like when Tua was out, our offensive skill positions didn’t throw their hat or they didn’t tap. This year, those tight ends, receivers, running backs, have done a very good job at developing their game within the season, which is very hard to do. So their attention to detail in situations today, the Raiders coming into the game were a very zone-oriented defense on third down. And today, they played virtually all man, specifically the first half, which is, as we are a group working together over time, we’ve learned to adjust faster to the unexpected because it’s been a long time since a defense has just shown up and done what they’ve done against other teams against us. You don’t get that exact work, all the plays that we’re running on third down during the week against man coverage. That’s the idea of them showing up and surprising us, but we’ve been focusing on fundamentals and technique to beat man each and every week from a route tree perspective. So being able to do that, having the amount of time, the protection plan being executed and then I think Tua has just been very, very – he’s taken a gigantic step in his game. He’s got control of the emotional piece of the football game and isn’t trying to force things unnecessarily, isn’t trying to make plays when they’re not there, but also finding ways to extend plays and making more plays than maybe the play that I gave him enabled them to do. So a lot of work, and I think the good news is although we haven’t gotten a 30-point offensive output all season, that’s been kind of the standard and expectation of the guys and they’ve been unrelenting in that expectation standard for themselves. So I think today, we got to tap into all that work and I don’t see our crew really taking the foot off the gas just because there’s a lot to prove each and every week. It was fun to get our first consecutive win of the season but we’ll have another tough journey next week and the week after that as that continues. I like where we’re at. We have a lot left to do.
Q. You have used basketball references before. What is the value of seeing the ball go in the hoop and the value of that win last week after being so close, two or three weeks before, the value of stringing two or three together?
MIKE MCDANIEL: Well, I think for this season, for this team, it’s monumental because there’s only so far that belief can last through adversity. And I think when you have a losing streak of like three games, that’s 21 days of – and you have the next week before the next game, it’s almost like a month of it’s not good enough, but then you have guys continuing to chop wood and holding themselves accountable and finding ways that they can burden themselves with that result and that’s trying. Worried? It makes you a little nervous when you find your fifth and sixth loss of the season consecutively on the last second. But then thankfully during the work week, my worries were appeased because I saw guys not breaking and going after it. So they deserve to be feeling the feeling of a two-game win streak. Based upon feelings that we’ve had for a couple of months at the beginning of the season, I think – I don’t know about you guys, but winning feels a lot better than losing. So I think we’re going to keep trying to do that.
Q. You had success on third downs the Raiders also did. What were you finding some of the challenges in that setting and what can you say about TE Brock Bowers?
MIKE MCDANIEL: I’ll have to look at the tape. We’ve been very successful, specifically in the previous game on third down. It was one of the reasons we were able to win that game against the Rams. And they found a rhythm where, I think, they were ultimately, including fourth downs, 10-of-16, maybe? I think it was 8-of-14, 10-of-16. It was tough. It made the drives last long. We need to find a way to get off the field and take advantage of some of the momentum on the opposite side of the ball, and that’s an important part of team football is playing complementary football and being able to put a team away when you have the ability to. I think that would have occurred earlier if we would have been able to find some success on third downs, but I was very happy with the fact that more often than not, even when they were driving, we kept them out of the end zone and had several, or we had a couple, four-point plays that helped the score be what it was. We had some tackling issues. Bowers, he’s legit. We knew coming out of the draft, we were very high on him, and he didn’t disappoint. He’s going to be a player that everybody knows for years to come, in my opinion.
Q. Can you talk about the defensive line’s efforts and what the return of DT Zach Sieler has meant to the team?
MIKE MCDANIEL: I saw an uptick in generated pass rush from my live observation, from our big guys, and it was really cool. Zach Sieler and Calais (Campbell) together do some really, really cool things in terms of working together, pass rush lanes, stunts, and just bringing the much-needed juice. I would say they’re probably the heartbeat of our defense, for sure. And everybody plays off of that. And we have players on all three levels making plays from some of the production they do in the run and pass game. So (they are) very important players to us. Zach, personally, he’s probably like my binkie. I don’t like doing game day without him. He’s the guy when we pray together in the locker room that sits next to me every single week and a lot of guys have really, if they didn’t already appreciate it, appreciate what type of playmaker he is for us. Every opponent ends up saying that he’s probably better than they realized, and that’s good for us. Hopefully they can keep doing that.
Q. After so many completions between 13 and 24 yards, what was it like to see that 57-yarder develop?
MIKE MCDANIEL: It wasn’t real. I was getting ready for my next call on the 30-yard line. (laughter) No, those are strenuous. If you can’t tell by my energy level right now, my eyes feel like they’re bleeding because you’re just staring at your call sheet and the defense. A lot of decisions to be made. It was nice to have one pop. And that’s what happens. You have to earn that. Well, in that situation, so many guys had made the appropriate play versus soft coverage, four-man rush, that it forces the defense to try to bring five or six. And the way that we operate in our offense and motion guys around, that makes it difficult to totally play sound. They dropped a guy and to Tua’s credit, he waited an extra tick longer to go get the ball to Jonnu (Smith). If teams want you to earn it, then you need to play that way to have explosives. Explosives are an important part of winning football, just because it’s hard to execute play in play out at five yards a tick. But if a defense wants to commit to playing keep-the-ball-in-front-of-you defense, then you have to execute in the ways we did and have long drives to force them to be a little riskier. But like we’ve seen all year, we’re going to have to earn those types of defenses, which is what I was happy with the collective unit that they were able to do that this week.
-DOLPHINS-
