Jon Embree – October 6, 2022
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Thursday, October 6, 2022
Assistant Head Coach/Tight Ends Jon Embree
(The thoughts on I guess, TE Durham Smythe and TE Mike Gesicki, how they’ve done in your eyes through four games?) – “I’m pleased at the progress we’ve made. I feel like we’ve gotten better every game, which is obviously the goal at every spot. Durham has given us an opportunity to get the ball on the perimeter. I think he’s doing a good job with the run game and he’s showing up in the pass game as well, when he’s getting his opps. And Mike’s continued to improve as a run blocker and then the opps as far as the passing game have come, as coverage dictates, and I think he’s done a good job of taking advantage of his opportunities that he’s had so far.”
(What’s gone into some of the playing time splits and decisions?) – “Nothing. It’s just more of trying to get guys to fit their skill sets. I don’t think – we’re not going to ask Mike (Gesicki) to block power. So when we’re doing some of the heavy running stuff, that’s obviously going to be Durham. But it’s just more of a flow of what the guys are, what we’re trying to get accomplished or what’s going on as far as scheme for that week. I think like the Buffalo game, someone had mentioned to me, I guess he played 18 snaps – Mike (Gesicki). And I was like, ‘wow,’ but then we only had 39 plays. And I think the other thing, too, is we’re doing more 21 (personnel). I think we’re a little more diversified in our personnel than what they had been around here in the past. In the past, they’d been primarily 12-personnel, so Mike was playing more because of that. But right now, Durham gives us a little more in the run game and we want to be a run-first team.”
(Going back to TE Mike Gesicki for a second. I know the main concern has to be winning games, and you’ve won three of four. But at the same time, he has, what, 71 yards receiving? Are you getting as much out of him as you should? And do you sense any frustration on his part?) – “He’d have to answer that about the frustration. Yeah, I feel like we’re getting what we need out of him or what has been capable. Some of it’s coverage-dictated. But like you said at the beginning of your question, it’s about winning. And you know, it’s ironic, I got a text from George Kittle Tuesday morning at 3 a.m. And it was a video of him, in the game against the Rams, knocking a DB down on his behind. That’s what we want, that mentality here. It’s not about how many passes did I catch. At the end of the day you’re judged – to me, this is a team sport; you’re judged on what did you do as a team? And I posed the question to the guys in my room, when were 3-0, ‘how many of you in here have been 3-0, as a professional?’ You know how many raised their hand? None. So we’re trying to do something around here or accomplish something for the Dolphins organization, so it’s never going to be about one player. Whether you’re talking about Mike Gesicki, Tyreek (Hill), Tua (Tagovailoa); it doesn’t matter. We’re trying to win a Super Bowl. We’re not trying to win the fantasy league title and we’re not trying to lift one guy up over another person. We’re going to take what the defense gives us and we’re going to do within the concept of our scheme.”
(You guys had an interception last week – QB Teddy Bridgewater throwing to TE Mike Gesicki, and in the past was behind him. And I’m wondering, was that due to familiarity between those two? Or I don’t know how much…?) – “No, not necessarily. Teddy (Bridgewater) just missed. It was just a little high and behind and he was trying to fit it in a tight window. What happened on that play, we got a lot of pressure and he was hot. And that was one of the options as far as one of his answers for the hot throw and he just missed. But it’s not necessarily a timing thing. I think Teddy and Mike (Gesicki) have done some work in the past. I know Teddy likes to stay out after (practice), and he’s learned when he’s in a backup role, he’s done a good job staying out after and throwing with all the guys. So I don’t think timing is necessarily the issue on that. It was just, you know, bad luck.”
(As someone experienced in this type of running scheme, you’ve seen what it looks like when it’s working at its best. How far off do you guys think you are from that? And what will the guys in your room have to do to be able to make that come to realization?) – “Well, football is a funny game. Football, every play is just that close to why it did work or didn’t work. Right now in the run game, when we do get explosive plays, we’re getting penalties. So that makes it a little worse than it probably actually is. We’ve had a lot of different combinations up front on our offensive line, which plays a factor into it. But I think really, at the end of the day, it’s just about us continuing to be consistent with our run attempts and continue to work what we do every day. We’ve got to get better at our combination blocks, all the way across the board, get our running backs tied in with the line. There’s a lot that goes into running the ball besides just handing it to a guy and saying ‘go get it.’ So at different times, we’ve had different breakdowns at different positions or different spots on the field. And then when we do have explosive plays, we we’ve had a penalty here or there, but I do feel like we’re close. And it’s just a matter of us just keep chopping wood, so to speak, and we’ll see what happens when it’s all said and done at the end of the year.”
(I know in the past, players have sometimes alluded to the fact that when they’re down and can’t play that they get a little more mental work and mental reps. With TE Hunter Long being out over the last few weeks, what have you seen from him in that aspect?) – “Well, as far as the mental reps are concerned, it’s just being attentive in the meetings and being there and all that. What I’ve done with Hunter (Long), in some of the meetings, I’ve had him just go get rehab so he can speed up the process of him getting back. He’s a smart kid and player, and he understands what we’re trying to do. I think he’s done a good job of keeping up. Yesterday was his first day practicing and he was a little rusty as you would expect after being off for a week or so. But I’m not worried about him from the mental aspect of picking up things.”
(We’ve seen TE Tanner Conner get, like sparse snaps as kind of like the No. 3 guy. I guess how are you bringing him along? And are there like, certain situations where you’re in games, you’re looking like, “alright, let’s maybe get a rep here or there?”) – “ Yeah, there’s certain things that I think we can get Tanner (Conner) involved in and we’ve tried to. Like you said, he’s got a couple of reps here and there. But really, it’s not, again, about necessarily getting one guy going and getting one guy involved. Really at the end of the day, especially in my room, if you can’t do both, you’re going to limit how much you can play. That’s just how it is. But Tanner’s coming along as a run blocker. He’s really improved, I’m really pleased at where he’s at having coached kids similar to him – Cameron Brate when he first came out, and then Ross Dwelley. He’s farther along than both of them were at this stage of their careers and he’s just beginning. So I’m excited about what’s on the horizon for him and he’s got to make sure he’s a contributor and being a difference maker on special teams because as I joke around in that room, I’m not really your coach. (Special Teams Coordinator) Danny Crossman’s your coach. And if you can’t play for him, I can’t help you. We’re going to have at least one up on game day, we know that – a tight end. But as far as who else is up and who’s going to get a chance to contribute, if you’re not able to do anything for us on special teams, then I can’t help you. So he’s done a good job of showing up on special teams. He needs to be an impact (player) on that as well and the opps will just keep coming for him as he improves.”
(Obviously injuries are part of the game. Nobody wants to make excuses, but with TE Tanner Conner starting off slowly, TE Cethan Carter, TE Hunter Long – how much have injuries altered what you wanted to do? I mean, greatly, about average?) – “You learn to deal with it. It doesn’t – I don’t want this to sound wrong but I don’t really think about it. I anticipate those things are going to happen. I’ve been in places where we’ve only had two tight ends to begin with in Kansas City when I first started – Tony Gonzalez and Jason Dunn. So you had to find a way to make it work. So the injuries – the only thing that it’s affected is just the development of some of the guys. It really hasn’t affected us from a scheme standpoint. Mike (McDaniel) has seen a lot of football in his time and so there’s ways you can go about doing things to make up for what you may be missing in certain rooms with other positions. That’s the unique thing I think about what we’re trying to do when we were composing this roster, is you have a lot of guys that can do a lot of different things. You know Trent Sherfield does some blocking like a tight end sometimes in certain situations. Tight ends sometimes do some fullback stuff. Sometimes we have a tight end out as a wide receiver. When you look at like where we came from in San Francisco with (George) Kittle and Deebo (Samuel) and all those guys, all these different moving pieces; that’s what you want in this scheme is to have guys that can play multiple positions and do multiple things, so that when you do have injuries or that you’re in a situation where you might be down on something, someone else can step up and keep the machine moving forward.”
Josh Boyer – October 6, 2022
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Thursday, October 6, 2022
Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer
(Health of the cornerbacks is a primary topic right now. Can you give us any update on how optimistic you are about CB Xavien Howard?) – “I’d say we have a couple of guys in probably the same category of they’re kind of day-to-day. You make plans with them and you make plans without them. You kind of approach the week that way. I know all of our guys are trying hard to get out there on the field and be in the best physical condition possible, which at this point in the season usually somebody is dealing with something. Not everybody – I would say very few guys that we put out there are at 100 percent.”
(I know that you guys have a philosophy and you have core tenets that you want to stick to and a style that you want to play. With injuries that you need to monitor in the secondary – CB Xavien Howard, DB Keion Crossen and obviously CB Byron Jones is not still up. At any point, during the week, do you have to consider contingency plans given some of the guys you might be putting out there may not be as experienced as some of the guys that you have right now?) – “I think ultimately it comes down to putting the guys in the best position to succeed. I think regardless of if it’s a guy that’s been a veteran guy or a guy that’s had little playing time, you really want to put them in spots that they can succeed knowing full well that where you put all 11 guys, it affects everybody. So if you move the focus to maybe compensate for something else, it’s going to take away from something else. I think ultimately, there are so many variables that go into it. One is the particular players that you’re using. And two, the offense that you’re facing. I think all of those things go into it. Over the NFL and the course of the season, you’re very accustomed and used to guys being in and out. You kind of understand that even when you’re in OTAs. I doubt that there’s a team that goes wire to wire that all 11 starters, whether it’s on offense or defense, goes (the entire way). I think we’re very accustomed to guys being in and out and that’s why even the guys that aren’t playing, they need to prepare mentally. And you give them as many reps as you possibly can. They need to prepare mentally like they’re going to play in the game anyway.”
(How bothered are you by the fact the team only has one pick in four games?) – “Well, we’ve had some opportunities. Obviously turnovers is a thing that we stress and we’ll continue to stress it. Those are usually game-changing or momentum-type plays for a defense. Yeah, we’d obviously like to have more than we have. There’s no question about that. I think any time that you present problems, whatever they may be, it presents an opportunity for progress. We’re sitting at a pretty good spot here at 3-1 and there’s a lot of things that we can improve and get better on that we’re looking forward to doing, that we need to do, to get better.”
(On the pass rush) – “A lot of that goes back to game plan. Sometimes it can be a scheme thing, sometimes it can be an individual thing or a matchup-based thing. Or another thing is when you pressure at a high rate, the ball comes out a little bit faster and you’re seeing quicker routes and a lot more check-downs. I don’t really get caught up in a sack number. I don’t really get caught up in stats in general. Basically what you’re trying to do is you’re trying to get the ball back to the offense. Going back to (Josh) Allen, one thing we would look at is turnovers because that correlates probably more to winning than most stats. There are stats out there for everything. But I do – and our players believe this and we preach this – is the problems or the issues that we’re having, we have a great opportunity to make progress on those. That’s what we’re working to do in a lot of facets, not just rush.”
(Last year it got rolling at one point and then it got rolling in a big way. Is there such a thing as momentum when it comes to that, forcing turnovers and creating pressure?) – “I think there are a number of factors that go into it. If you’re playing with a lead and a team is forced to be one-dimensional or get into a drop-back game, there may present some more opportunities for that to happen. That’s one scenario that could happen. Another could be taking advantage of protections. Another could just be physically winning one-on-one matchups or doing things from a coverage structure that make them hold the ball a little bit quicker. I think there’s a lot of variables that go into that.”
(Considering the amount of time you guys were on the field in the Buffalo game and the heat, then the short week, was last week different as far as taking precautions and monitoring snaps and things like that because of the short week?) – “I think we were very aware of the snap counts going into the game. I think you’re always pretty aware of each individual player, the things that they’re dealing with that they’re out there playing with and then snap counts. Then you’re also very conscious of the fact that it’s going to be a long season. But at the end of the day, on a short week, the opposing team (is also) on a short week and it really comes down to execution. It really does. There’s no shortcut. There’s no excuses for traveling early due to a hurricane, playing on a short week. Once the ball is kicked off, none of that stuff really matters at all. It really comes down to execution and trying to put the players in the best spots to succeed. I think we always take into consideration health and rep counts. We do that on a daily basis even in practice so the games are really no different.”
(What do you need to see from CB Noah Igbinoghene for him to get playing time on defense?) – “We’re just going to ask him to continue to do what he’s been doing. He’s had a real positive attitude. He’s worked really hard at practice. Then when he gets his opportunity, hopefully he’ll make the most of his opportunities. I’m really excited to see that when that happens. I think all of the guys we have in the back end, they’re working. We’re seeing progress out at practice. I know you guys don’t get to see all of that. Then when we get into game situations, hopefully practice execution becomes game reality. I’m excited for the opportunity for him when he gets it. He’s worked hard and when he gets an opportunity, he’ll have earned that for sure.”
(In last week’s fourth quarter, Cincinnati was able to complete a lot of long passes. Granted CB Xavien Howard and CB Byron Jones were not in there but what happened? Why was Cincinnati able to have that success?) – “Well one long pass was on a third down and the double pass, we didn’t execute the coverage we were in well enough. Obviously I have to coach it better and we need to play it better. Then the one at the very end of the game – one was a second-and-6 play. We were in man coverage. We were cheating coverage over one way and just kind of got beat on call it a double move down the field. Then the one at the end of the game when we were just being pretty aggressive, we’re really in a four-minute situation where we need to get the ball back. That’s where that occurred. Obviously that’s another category for us defensively, if we can eliminate some of those big plays. Chunk plays are going to happen. Like 17 yards or 16 yards here, 22 yards here, those will happen. But the 40-yarders and stuff like that, we really need to eliminate those and make people drive the field. Then when you get down to end of game situations, there’s obviously a risk of the offense throwing the ball because that can stop the clock. We’re probably going to play that pretty aggressively. We can definitely coach it better and play it better. I’m not saying that. But those are really kind of the situations that came up in that game in that situation.”
(We’ve seen you do different things with CB Xavien Howard in the secondary but I noticed against the Bengals, you had him on WR Tee Higgins for the most part until he went out. Then you shaded a lot of the coverage towards WR Ja’Marr Chase. What went into that particular decision there because obviously Xavien travels with the number one but in this case you kind of put him on the number two and shaded to the number one.) – “Again, a lot of it varies from team to team. I think when you can manipulate balls or throws to go ‘X’s (Xavien Howard) way, I think everybody in our building feels very comfortable with that. Now 100 percent of the time is that going to work? No. Even Champ Bailey, Deion Sanders and Darrelle Revis, all of them have been beat at some point in time. But I think everybody has the utmost confidence in ‘X’ and his playmaking ability, especially if you can get a ball thrown down the field, which we feel very comfortable about that. If we feel like we can manipulate a coverage to get more balls his way, we will try to do that. Then sometimes it’s really just matchup and coverage based, and what coverages you’re playing. There are a lot of variables that go into that. Then what are you trying to take away? How do you feel that you can manipulate the offense to play into your hand? It doesn’t always work out in your favor but that’s something that I would say for the last three years, we’ve tried to do at certain points in time to make sure that balls get forced his way. He’s had a lot of production on the ball over the course of his career and sometimes I’m sure people go into the game plan saying, ‘Nah, we don’t really want to go this way.’ And if you can force it that way, more often than not, that’s going to be good for the Miami Dolphins.”
(The Jets have a couple of tackles out. Is that viewed as an opportunity or do you look at their line any differently?) – “I think from a protection standpoint, kind of how they’re structured, they’ll be very similar. Obviously it’s different guys in there. Again, I think whether it’s us putting new guys in or them putting new guys in, it just presents opportunities for the guys that they’re putting in. Ultimately, it comes down to execution. But it’s no different from anything week to week. Obviously it’s easier for someone who is watching the game to see what you’re doing with guys that are spread out of the formation. But we try to do the same thing with guys on the interior, if we feel like those are matchups – again, it ultimately goes down to putting guys in position to succeed. So moving guys around and trying to – what we feel like would be the best advantage to us to help our guys succeed is usually what we try to take advantage of on a week-to-week basis.”
(QB Zach Wilson made his first start of the season last week. What have you kind of seen in that one game, the growth he’s made from Year 1 to Year 2 already?) – “He’s very athletic. He has a very strong arm. It looks like he’s making his progression reads quicker. He’s definitely doing a good job with that. He came in and in the fourth quarter, they were able to mount a comeback. He was very efficient and very accurate with his throws with a lot of big-time throws and in big situations. The fourth-and-7 comes in mind last week against Pittsburgh. That was a good throw that was right on target and it was a great read. He has the ability to get the ball downfield. He has an incredibly strong arm. I would say he’s very athletic and he’s really slippery in the pocket, for sure.”
Teddy Bridgewater – October 5, 2022
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Wednesday, October 5, 2022
QB Teddy Bridgewater
(Opening Statement) – “It was a great start to the week. It was good to get back out there and move around with the guys coming off a long weekend. I’m excited about our opportunity to go out and compete this weekend. We’re looking forward to the matchup against Jets.”
(You’ve done it as a starter. You’ve done it as a backup coming in for a starter. How much does that past experience give you confidence?) – “Yeah, it gives you a ton of confidence. Just having been through this before, as far as coming in, or entering the game late or all the types of scenarios I’ve been through in my career. It’s like experience is life’s best philosopher. So I’ve had some experience. I’m just looking forward to this opportunity that the guys and this team, we get moving forward this weekend.”
(Obviously you’ve had an entire week of first-team practice reps. Can you kind of describe a way that that’s benefited you already so far, whether that’s working with the wide receivers and the offensive line or something like that?) – “It has its benefits. Just being in there repping the plays in live action, full speed. So at the same time, each day,, you have to take this mental approach, like never before. It’s so easy to talk about it. But when you actually live in it, it’s totally different.”
(To that point, Head Coach Mike McDaniel kind of talked about the human element of preparing. Obviously, you get the practice steps, but then you kind of have the pressures of knowing that you’re starting as opposed to being the backup. Obviously, you’re a local guy, making your first start for your hometown team. How you kind of manage all that and the emotion that comes down?) – “I just take it one day at a time. Because at the end of the day, I look at all this as a blessing. Me standing here before you guys, me getting an opportunity to still play this game – there have been so many instances in my career where I probably could have never played again. So every day that I get to step into this facility, be around the guys, this coaching staff, the support staff, the crew in the cafeteria, it’s all just something that I soak in because it’s a blessing.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel talked about how fortunate this organization is to have you as their backup. Have you felt that support this week? Just kind of with your teammates and the coaching staff and the people in the building?) – “Yeah, I definitely felt it. And I felt even when I wasn’t starting. There’s just so many genuine vibes around here and the energy is contagious. It goes a long way. It starts from the top and it trickles all the way down to the locker room to the support staff, even the cleaning crew. Their energy, everything is top notch.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel mentioned a sense of relief that you’re here. Filling in as a starter, what kinds of things can a backup quarterback do to of ease the lives of his teammates?) – “Honestly, just be yourself. I can’t be Tua (Tagovailoa). I had to learn a lesson when I was in New Orleans. I couldn’t be Drew Brees. So it’s like, as long as I continue to be myself, the guys realize this guy isn’t faking. He’s not trying to be something he’s not. It’s like it’s a sense of relief. Like okay, we know we’re getting the real version of him. He’s not trying to be something he’s not. That’s just my approach every day.”
(You referenced your time with the Saints in 2019. What kind of similarities do you see between that situation and now?) – “It’s just an opportunity to prepare a full week. Just to be around the guys, be in the huddle with the guys, letting them feel my energy. I feel their energy and I’m just ready to go play honestly.”
(What’s something that’s different or unique about the way this offense operates or this team that maybe you haven’t experienced before?) – “There are so many weapons on this team. I honestly think or believe that this is the most firepower that I’ve ever been around. Just the combination of talent, the guys’ skillsets, their mental capacity of being able to retain information and go out there and execute at a top-notch level, it wows me every day.”
(Throughout your career, you’ve managed to stay in touch with your Miami roots and especially Northwestern High School. What has that kind of meant to you throughout your career and now getting to start for your hometown team?) – “It’s a huge blessing to be able to just suit up in my hometown. I played little league football five minutes down the road at Bunche Park. So if I leave work tomorrow and go to the park, all of the little kids will come running up to me excited. If I go to the Northwestern game on Friday night, everybody will be excited. It’s such a relief, honestly, knowing that the love is genuine no matter where I go. I really appreciate that from my community and my people. I know they’re excited that I get this opportunity. I’m looking forward to it.”
(Growing up in Miami, was the Dolphins-Jets a rivalry to you?) – “It did some of the years that I really paid attention to it. I do understand the history of this rivalry just being a football fan. We have an opportunity to get to 3-0 in the division. That would be huge for us. That’s one thing that we emphasize right now. We know that we’re playing against a very good Jets team. It’s a young team with some young talent but those guys are playing some good football. We know that they’re going to give us their best.”
(How many tickets are you getting for this weekend?) – “We play on the road. (laughter)”
(Does this game mean anything more to you considering your history with the Jets organization?) – “Honestly, every game is the same because I just respect the game. I respect all of my opponents and know that each week you’re going to get each team’s best. The year I spent OTAs and training camp with the Jets. I look at it as they helped save my career. When I signed with the Jets, it really was like on a tryout basis almost with Todd Bowles, the head coach, and ‘J Mel’ (John Mellody) the trainer, he helped me get back to my old self health-wise. Todd Bowles, his charisma and his energy helped me just continue to get that confidence back for myself. Then when they traded me, it was like everything happens for a reason. I understand the nature of the business. I don’t take anything personally.”
(A couple of weeks ago when we were talking, you were talking about potentially going into coaching when you were done playing. Then a couple of days later, we saw you drawing up some plays on the sideline at the Northwestern High School game. What was that moment kind of like for you and did the play end up working that night?) – “(laughter) It’s fun, man. It’s a great moment for me. Yeah, I get to be on the sideline at my high school games and draw plays and things like that. Some plays work and some plays don’t. But it’s really something that I always talked about when I was playing for different teams out of town. Just allowing for people to see me in the flesh. There are so many kids in the Bunche Park area, the Liberty City area, who want to be Teddy Bridgewater and look up to Teddy Bridgewater, but they can only see me on the television. So when they can see me in the flesh on the sideline, high school kids can touch me and interact and realize that I’m human just like them. That’s food for my soul.”
(It’s a big game for Northwestern High School this week against Miami Central.) – “Yeah, definitely a big game. We always got a chance. I like us every week.”
(How has this mini-bye been, catching your breath after that Thursday night game and having 10 days between games?) – “It was great. It’s always great to have a moment to reset and for it to come that early in the season, I think it was great for everyone because we’ve been grinding since training camp. So you get that nice weekend off to get away from ball, spend time with the family. I went to Lion Country Safari with my son and had a rhinoceros and all of those animals walking across the truck. It’s just great to reset and then when you come back, you remember your purpose. When you’re away, you’re with family and that’s your why. Then when you come back, for me especially, you remember your purpose.”
Mike McDaniel – October 5, 2022
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Wednesday, October 5, 2022
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Could you please give us an update on the health of the two starting corners? Is CB Byron Jones ready to begin that 21-day practice window to come off PUP and will CB Xavien Howard try to play through the groin as he has?) – “Yeah, ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) is going to be day to day. He’s going to do everything in his power to play against the Jets on Sunday. And then Byron will not begin the 21-day (window). We’re still going to take our time with it. It’s not progressing as fast as we obviously had hoped, from the spring into the summer. But there hasn’t been a major setback or anything. We mean what we say when we’re – I won’t put a dude on the field unless he has complete stability. There’s too many other risks that can happen around other people, so we’ll keep addressing that and that could change, because again it didn’t have to do with a major setback, so that could change at any time, day by day, week by week.”
(DB Keion Crossen seemed to be getting some trainer attention Monday. Do you have any update on him?) – “There’s a little – I mean, that was attentive of you. You’re on it. I can’t believe you’re the only one that noticed. You weren’t the only one? (laughter) He’s got a little thing he’s getting treatment for on his, I believe it’s an upper leg, lower glute type area. Nothing that will be severely serious but something that he has to get treatment on, and we’ll continue to work with him as the week goes to see if he can be ready for Sunday.”
(Over the weekend, I had seen something where Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell, a first-year coach like yourself, said that after his first win, everyone had reached out so rapidly. After his first loss, he got like five text messages. I was just curious, on the days that followed Thursday’s loss, were you able to maybe lean on any contemporaries, any mentors, especially given everything that’s transpired on the team?) – “Oh, yeah, the cricket world is real. (laughter) I think there’s – I did, as the weekend progressed, there were some texts from several peers that mean a lot to me. But I mean, what kind of fool would I be if I would have taken this job and been like, ‘A loss? Oh, adversity? I quit.’ So me personally, the way I kind of look at the job is that there could be – everybody can be a head coach when everything’s going well. When you’re winning, if you win a couple in a row, football is fun. It’s easy to lead. But what this job is to me is coaching after losses and adversity, in general. So although I’m not excited for the opportunity, I recognize it immediately as an opportunity and didn’t take this job or didn’t work to be in a position to be prepared to do this job with any delusion that that stuff’s not forefront. All the guys that I’ve learned from in my career – the ones that really stand out – are guys that respond in losing streaks, after a loss, after some adversity. That’s the name of the game to me. So I did get some well wishes, but you don’t know what it’s going to look like. You don’t know what it’s going to be, but you know it’s going to happen. And guess what, it will continue to. So that’s part of the job for sure.”
(We’ve seen a lot of backup quarterback play already in the NFL through four weeks. How fortunate do you feel to have QB Teddy Bridgewater because whether it’s salary cap reasons or others, a lot of teams aren’t able to spend or have a caliber backup like the Dolphins?) – “It’s everything. That’s why you go out in free agency and spend a good, a nice little chunk of the salary cap on a guy that on paper isn’t supposed to play. The amount – the quarterback’s job is to make his teammates better. If you operate and they are better because of you, you’re doing a good job of playing the position of quarterback because you have the ball in your hands every play and you have to give it to somebody. And you also have to have players play together around you. Teddy’s already made all of his teammates better on this Sunday coming in the future, simply by how he’s conducted himself, how he’s owned the offense and really, there is a relief. You can hear in people’s voices when even if they’re a great player, when you are the distributor of the football on every play, guys that are in a groove that this will be their fifth game of the season, you hear anxiety in the huddle or you hear a little lack of confidence in their voice and it completely changes how you play. So to have not only his past history help him but everything he’s done in the building, it’s a huge, humongous deal. So I feel very fortunate to have Teddy because Tua (Tagovailoa) will tell you himself and Skylar (Thompson), the whole room is better at their jobs because of Teddy. And that takes a special person that has started, that is capable of starting in the National Football League, that understands how much value he can have backing someone up and taking them under his wing. It’s immense and you can’t understate it.”
(What kind of approach would you like to see from QB Teddy Bridgewater going into this game considering how special of a moment it could be, him starting for his hometown team for the first time?) – “It’s more about the process. It’s more – especially at the quarterback position – not letting noise or extraneous thoughts. The dude’s playing football. He’s done that for a long time. He was wearing two gloves at the quarterback position before that was a thing. It’s like every other player. Guys really wanted to win against Cincinnati and we were able to find on the tape moments where guys were trying too hard to individually make plays themselves. But understanding that you want to put forth full effort, but you’re going to win a game as a team, so you don’t have to do anything spectacular besides do what you have done that’s gotten you there. So the biggest thing to him is he owns the playbook. He knows exactly what to do in every situation. He’s plenty, plenty, plenty prepared for this. So to enjoy it more than anything. That’s the biggest thing, is to enjoy this opportunity that he has to play with his teammates and have fun doing it.”
(To follow up on that, you mentioned how he’s kind of a total quarterback and a winner. How have you seen him kind of working with QB Skylar Thompson after having to take over that backup role since then?) – “How hasn’t he? Skylar (Thompson) is very inquisitive. He’s not looking for information handouts, but he will have a question on everything because he wants to do it the right way. So it’s a game changer to have a veteran leader in that room that you can comfortably ask questions to because who knows. We get it all the time. A lot of times players will withhold information that they don’t know about a play, about their assignments. They’re like, ‘Man, did I miss it? Or maybe I just shouldn’t know that.’ And it happens all the time, pretending to be on it when really there’s a couple holes in the equation and to have a guy like Teddy that’s so approachable and offers everything that he has to offer to these dudes; now, I mean, who knows how many questions Skylar has gotten answered. Maybe that one domino clicked to the next, just because he has that resource of someone that regardless of how much we tell the players, we won’t judge them for a question. Invariably, they feel judged. And so you can go to a judgment-free zone.”
(Generally speaking, how much of a difference does it make for a quarterback to have the full week to prepare as the starter as opposed to going into the game because of an injury? And how does that manifest itself on game day?) – “Anybody remember Sage Rosenfels? The thing I brought up? Not in general – I think he has a game record or one of the top five game records – I can’t remember if it was yardage or whatever. So not in a disparaging way, but Sage Rosenfels taught me – it was my second year in the league, 2007 I think, in Houston – and he opened my eyes to something I had no idea about as a coach or even as a player and the disparity between preparing as the backup as opposed to preparing as the starter, and how he was legendary. He told me himself, and then it was like self-fulfilling prophecy – he continued to do it as his career progressed, but he would go light it up off the bench. But the weight, the production meetings, the interviews, the headlines, the loved ones reaching out, the people trying to get tickets to the game, these things add up, and these are human beings so starting is much, much different than preparing. And I didn’t know that off the surface, but once he said it, it made total sense. It was like, ‘Wow, this is a big difference when you’re preparing to be the starter.’ All the more important that Teddy relies on all of his training and where he’s at. I feel very good about where he’s at and I think that he can minimize that distinction as best you can because it is different, as I learned early and have witnessed since then, my whole career.”
(QB Sage Rosenfels also started a couple of times, years before, with the Dolphins.) – “That’s what I mean. And then – and it will always be this way so it’s not just you guys, I promise you. But fans, media, coaches, everybody in football, your favorite player is the backup quarterback. The grass is greener. So Sage (Rosenfels), he was so cool about it. He was just very honest. When he was in Houston, he was like, ‘Yeah, you know, this is a different deal.’ He was like, ‘That’s why I have so much respect for Matt Schaub, because of how he handles himself. Yeah, I’d light it up in practice, but you prepare for a whole week and know all the ins and outs of the gameplan and then all the different defensive things that can occur and it can get overwhelming.’ So, I swear he has a – did anyone Google it? He has some sort of benchmark, maybe it was touchdowns thrown in a game. Come on, I thought you guys were quicker. If only you guys had like access to computers. (laughter)”
(With so many people obviously wanting any information you have on QB Tua Tagovailoa, can you give a sense of what he can do this week? Will he be in quarterback meetings? Will he travel to New York?) – “So at this point in time, he’s in the protocol, and it’s all about the only thing it’s about and that’s the health of the human being. It’s a change in routine for him, and he loves football and loves being around his teammates. So he will – it’s another example of us having to have honest and forthright communication with the medical staff. He’ll be around as long as it doesn’t adversely affect him as best possible. He’s a captain of this team and we want him to be present as much as he can, but not at any sort of cost to his process, getting himself healthy, and going through that procedure. So that will be really case by case. And if his – I know if he’s able, he’ll be around as much as he can, because he’s already got FOMO. I can feel it.”
(There’s been a lot of talk about optics surrounding QB Tua Tagovailoa and his concussion. Did optics factor into at all in ruling him out on Monday, so early in the week? Or was it just clear medically, he would not be ready by Sunday, even back then?) – “Optics are to the team and the players, and the second that I start doing things because I think it’s some answer that somebody else wants, that’s, to me, that I’m failing at my job. My job should start and end at what’s the best thing for the team and everybody involved – the players. It will always be about individual players first, because it’s in my title – coach. What does a coach do? You’re supposed to coach players. It’s the players’ opportunity that we have to take best advantage of. So no – that’s not really my speed, I would say. I’m not a – I feel like it’s very vital that the integrity of my position that I stay true, right, wrong or indifferent to whatever decision, but it’s done for the right reasons, and I won’t stray from that.”
(Obviously, in your line of work, you can’t pay credence to every comment, every bit of criticism said about you, but is it any harder to tune things out when people are suggesting something’s wrong with your character, that you did something wrong here?) – “That would probably be hard or it would probably crumbling if it was coming from within the team or the people that it is my job to service. I mean, outside of that, it’s actually quite the opposite. Again, you have to be delusional to think that you’re going to have a pardon – or who knows? Everything’s reactionary anyway, so if people want to – if I’m listening to that, or thinking about that. If I’m spending time thinking about that, let’s say Monday night for five seconds, that’s five seconds that I’m not thinking about all the other things that relate to the team and the upcoming game. So preparing for the Jets – I’ve been a huge fan of the sport, you guys have heard the story, since I can remember and I fully, fully have way too much respect for the game, for everyone involved, for everyone that’s counting on me that I’m actually the ‘anti-T.O.’ (Terrell Owens) I would say. You know, ‘Talk good about me, talk bad about me – just talk about me.’ I’d be cool if no one talked about anything. That’s how I’ve been operating my whole career. But (I’m) fully expecting that they’re going to have all sorts of opinions because that’s the nature of the beast. That’s what happens when you watch it and are a fan of it for your entire life. You see it happen over and over. And I mean, nothing, I guess, in that avenue would really surprise me.”
(What needs to happen for the running game to get where you want it to be?) – “We need to have, really, a better commitment, starting with me in the plays that are called, and we need to have a better execution by everyone really on the team, including the quarterback, at operating the run plays. These are things that in the course of a season, you could be surprised if you took four-game blocks and broke down people’s statistical, wherever they’re at, in the league. It’s not unfounded to have a four-game block where you’re down in a phase and that becomes a strength of yours as the season progresses. As a coaching staff and as a team, that’s our plan is for it to progress and become a strength of ours. That’s the goal. And so we have a tremendous opportunity to, every week, redefine what we are. That’s the cool thing about the National Football League is there’s a week in-between games and then you get a reset. So I think that, really, it’s a concerted effort by everyone, including the coaches, to prioritize that and to better execute that when the bullets are flying on Sunday.”
(What is your relationship with Jets Head Coach Robert Saleh? Different sides of the ball in San Francisco and seemingly different personalities. What’s your relationship like?) – “This whole team, the Jets, is probably, outside of the team I just left, has the – I’ve worked with all these guys for so long. You talk about a guy that – Robert and I were both hanging on as young NFL assistants back in 2006, and then we both ended up being let go in Houston at some point and scratching and clawing to stay in the league. One of the closest coaches, to me, that exists in the league. And then probably the guy that I’ve worked alongside the most besides Kyle Shanahan is (Offensive Coordinator) Mike LaFleur, who does an unbelievable job over there that credit really hasn’t been given to him, but I’m sure that credit will sometime in the future. Maybe near, hopefully not too near like next Sunday. Coach Saleh, very close. Mike LaFleur, very close. Jeff Ulbrich, the defensive coordinator, I’m very tight with. I mean, there’s a laundry list of guys. Even Miles Austin, their receivers coach, was the first player that I had ever coached that we got into coaching in San Francisco. So the list, (Offensive Line and Run Game Coordinator) John Benton, (Defensive Line Coach Aaron) Whitecotton, (Linebackers Coach Mike) Rutenberg – I mean, there’s a laundry list of guys. Very, very, very good relationship working and personal. So that’s why I have a clear-cut vision of what it’s going to take for our guys to be happy with their performance on Sunday, because I know how detailed and passionate and how much energy those guys in wherever they’re at New York (or) New Jersey those guys are preparing for us today on Wednesday and for the rest of the week.”
River Cracraft – October 5, 2022
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Wednesday, October 5, 2022
WR River Cracraft
(What has gotten you comfortable so fast with this offense?) – “I think being in the scheme for so long, I’m able to kind of be at any position. I think that plays to my benefit. Just trying to make a play when your number is called. Luckily it’s been in the red zone twice for me. I’d like to keep up that rate and we’ll see what happens.”
(On being signed to the active roster and who told him) – “Mike (McDaniel) told me. It was a little bit more special coming from the head coach, for sure. I was real excited. I was hoping that would be the case the way the previous three weeks had gone. He didn’t surprise me or anything that that happened, but I was real happy being on the official roster now.”
(On the gift in his locker) – “Shout out to Athletes First. I got my first touchdown and they sent me a little champagne bottle to keep for me and my wife.”
Tyreek Hill – October 5, 2022
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Wednesday, October 5, 2022
WR Tyreek Hill
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel was saying that QB Teddy Bridgewater is a different level of backup quarterback. Do you feel that too, that you guys haven’t really missed a beat this week?) – “Oh, yeah. I feel like Teddy comes right in and keeps us with the same momentum that we’ve had all season. He’s a guy who has been in this league for a while now so he understands the playbook. He understands what the coaches want from him and what the coaches expect from him. I’m looking forward to playing with him on the field and I’m looking forward to being in the huddle with him.”
Christian Wilkins – October 3, 2022
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Monday, October 3, 2022
DT Christian Wilkins
(As the team’s player rep, the NFLPA player rep, what has your reaction been to how your teammate’s been handled over the past week in terms of his return to the game against the Bills and what the process was like throughout the week from there?) – “As the rep obviously, I understand that rules and protocols and things and such are put into place to protect the players. So essentially how things are handled, how things are dealt with; it’s up to the whole process and how everything’s supposed to go. I’m in no place to comment on the rules or how the protocols – those are all voted on by players or those are all talked about amongst the PA (players association) and NFL.”
(I’ll ask you this, are you confident with the level of care that you receive from the Miami Dolphins?) – “Oh, absolutely, yeah. We’ve got a great training staff. We’ve got great coaches, people who care about the players on this team, and our health and safety, our personal lives, all that stuff. This is our home away from home, so we’ve got a lot of people who care and it’s bigger than just football around here and winning games.”
(What was your reaction to seeing QB Tua Tagovailoa go down on Thursday, that moment…?) – “That’s obviously tough to see and tough to deal with, but we all had each other’s back. We all had Tua’s back and just wishing him well. A lot of guys were praying for him and things like that, obviously. He’s better now, so we’re all happy for that and that he’s feeling better and that he’s himself and he’s around here. He’s being himself and Tua and bringing great energy. So that’s obviously the most important thing.”
(Did the players association, I guess reach out to you guys or reach out to you specifically in regards to the neurotrauma consultant they terminated?) – “There’s conversations I had obviously as the rep, but I’m not going to get into exactly what was said on those phone calls or those conversations or anything like that.”
(Do you feel like maybe not just QB Tua Tagovailoa specifically, but do you feel like the players as a whole, maybe feel like something failed here in this situation?) – “Again, like I said earlier, there’s a process to how things need to be handled and need to be done, and there’s protocols in place for a reason – to protect the players.”
(Can you talk a little bit about – I know recently you had a fine with Josh Allen in the groin area. Can you explain your side of the story?) – “I’m not going to necessarily get into what goes on throughout the course of the game, what goes on in piles, this, that and the third. I’m not going to get into that. I don’t necessarily agree with what’s being accused of me and how things went down and how things were handled from that standpoint. So there’s obviously a process that goes there, an appeal process and everything, which I fully wish to take advantage of.”
(You plan to appeal, correct?) – “That’s my plan. Yes.”
(When a quarterback goes down, obviously, how does it change the mood of the team? How is it that next man up mentality, knowing that your QB will be out at least one game?) – “Yeah, obviously, Tua (Tagovailoa) is a heck of a player. He’s a big part of our team and obviously a great leader and a great teammate. But fortunately for us, we have a lot of great players, a lot of good teammates. So just other guys got to step up, other guys got to do their job, and we’ll be just fine from that standpoint. We’re definitely going to have to come together as a team and just do our jobs, do what we do. It’s the next man up mentality and just handle our business.”
(You’re involved obviously with what it takes to bring the quarterback down and how hectic it can be. How did you see the play in which QB Tua Tagovailoa was hurt Thursday night? Was it illegal in your eyes?) – “I mean, there was no flag or anything thrown or anything like that. And again, things happen fast. It’s tough because obviously my quarterback, my teammate got hurt from that. But also as a d-lineman, I understand it’s tough. Things happen fast. You’re trying to make a play, so it’s tough. It’s a tough call either way.”
(I wanted to get your thoughts on the first quarter of the season, roughly a quarter. Defensively the numbers aren’t that great, but you guys have managed to make some plays. What are your thoughts on the defense through four games?) – “I definitely think you’re never satisfied as a defense and we’re always looking to get better each and every day. So even if we had the best defense in the league right now and stopped them on every drive, did everything we were supposed to do, you’re still not satisfied. So we’re always striving to be our best and the best. So that’s really the goal each day, each week, and we’re going to continue to make those strides.”
(I know you’re on the defensive side of the ball but what have maybe seen from QB Teddy Bridgewater when he went into the game and what are you seeing from him like today and…?) – “I’ve seen from Teddy (Bridgewater) what I’ve seen all training camp, all season really, which is just a guy who loves to play. He’s a really good teammate, a competitor. And he was able to do some good things. So yeah, I’m excited for him moving forward and we’ve all got his back as he does what he needs to do.”
(How was College GameDay?) – “Oh, it was a lot of fun. That was cool. It was cool to go back to my alma mater and be a part of that and get my picks in. I really didn’t care about any of the other picks other than the one that mattered most and that was that my Tigers got the win.”
(DE Emmanuel Ogbah was obviously very happy with Oklahoma State pick. Have you talked to CB Xavien Howard about Baylor?) – “Yeah, I talked to both those guys about it. We joked about it. It was funny. (Emmanuel) Ogbah was like, ‘yeah, you’re smart guy. Good pick.’ And you know, ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) just laughed it off.”
(Can you talk a little bit about maybe the Jets and what do you see from them and your plan to attack Jets QB Zach Wilson) – “The Jets, they do some really good things. They made some improvements on their offensive line. They did a couple of things there. They’ve got really good skills. They present a good challenge for us. They beat Pittsburgh. They came back. They’re battle-tested. They came back against the Browns. So they’re a good team. We’re going to have to be ready for whatever they throw at us and the things they got on offense.”
Jaelan Phillips – October 3, 2022
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Monday, October 3, 2022
LB Jaelan Phillips
(So as a person who has had concussions, I know it’s hard to deal with. I guess one change that looks like is going to happen from what happened the last couple of weeks is that the union and the league, reportedly, according to the league’s website, are going to agree that if a player exhibits motor instability, as QB Tua Tagovailoa did, that player won’t be allowed back in the game. Just in general – not talking about Tua’s case – in general, do you think that that’s a good thing, that even if a doctor doesn’t know that it’s a head injury, if a player looks unstable, don’t let him back in the game? That seems to be the big change that’s going to happen from all this?) – “Yeah. I mean, I think that that’s fair. I think it’s always better to be overcautious when it comes to especially head injuries. But I also think that you got to take the players and training staff and doctors’ words for it. So it’s obviously a complicated situation. But I think that the league and the PA doing everything they can to keep us safe is is probably in the best interest, for sure.”
(These past seven or 10 days, have they kind of brought back unpleasant memories?) – “No, not really. To be honest, I mean that seems like a lifetime ago for me when I had those issues. But I definitely sympathize with Tua and just hope the best for him. You never want to see your teammate, your brother. hurting like that.”
(What’s the road back from a concussion? I’ve never had one. What is it like to come back?) – “It varies for everybody. Some people I’ve seen – there’s different types of symptoms that people get. Some people are sensitive to light and sound. Some people get really nauseous and dizzy. So for me personally, I always recovered like really fast – maybe like a week tops, or two weeks tops. But yeah, everybody – that really goes with every injury, not just concussions. It really just depends on each person and how they recover from certain things.”
(How do you balance – this is a broader question, but obviously you had to deal with this in the past. Knowing that this is a violent game and this unfortunately could be part of the game. Then also what you just said that there are things in place trying to make the game safer. As a player, how do you kind of balance that, knowing the risk involved?) – “I mean it’s an assumed risk. It’s obviously something that is prevalent in the game, not just with head injuries, but just injuries all around. I think that’s kind of what we sign up for. Obviously you never wish that upon anybody and you surely don’t wish it upon yourself, so we try to do everything we can from a preparation standpoint, from how we take care of our bodies, how we play the game, rules that are in place in the game to try to protect everybody. But ultimately, it happens. And so at that point, you just pray for a speedy recovery. But I feel like that’s what we signed up for playing this game. It’s a violent game. We all know that. We wouldn’t play it if we didn’t know that. We’re compensated well for it. Ultimately, health is the most important thing, and longevity. So I think that especially with head injuries, you’ve got to be cautious with that. But at the same time, people do recover from those types of things.”
(Do you think players are more willing? Or do they more frequently push through a head injury, as opposed to like maybe a knee injury? Like getting your bell rung, are you more likely to go back into the game or try to go back into the game as opposed to a knee?) – “It really all depends. We’re competitors and we love this game and we want to be out there for our teammates, for our families, for the fans, for everybody. So it’s a sliding scale. It’s not black and white when it comes to injuries at all. Sometimes you might try to play through something, you might get your bell rung, you might get a stinger or you might get a knee injury or something like that. And if you’re able to perform, you always want to perform. I mean that’s just the nature of the game that we play. And so I don’t know if – it just depends. Like if you get hit in the head and you’re extremely dizzy and out of it, obviously you’re not going to get back in the game, whether you want to or not. I think sometimes with like a lower extremity injury or something like that, where it’s painful but you can play through it and not have any severe consequences if you have to have a reoccurring injury, then you might be more likely to try to play through it. But ultimately, it just depends on the severity of the injury and depends on the person, the situation and all of that.”
(What happened on Thursday I think was really scary for anyone who watched the game. Obviously you guys were right there on the sideline. That’s your teammate, your brother. Do you guys as a group kind of band together in times like these when it’s scary for anyone?) – “Yeah, 100 percent. I think you saw us being on the field and all surrounding Tua after he was down. I mean that just kind of goes to show the type of guys that we have on this team. But I think it’s important to band together and be able to recover after that because there was still a game to play after that situation. We had a whole other half to play. So that’s always tough. But at the end of the day, you have to have a short-term memory and just focus on the task at hand. And then, after the game, obviously we were checking to see if Tua (Tagovailoa) was alright. I think that we did a good job as a team banding together and sticking together, obviously, when one of our brothers is down.”
(How has Head Coach Mike McDaniel helped you guys do that the last few days or going into the start of this week?) – “Yeah, I mean, he just reminds us of the mission. Ultimately, we take this thing day-by-day and we try to be as present as possible. We’re not worried about the future and not worried about the past. Obviously it was a frustrating loss, but we’ve already moved on from that. So we take the coaching points, take the adjustments and we gear forward to next week.”
(The weekend off for you, you were able to kind of disconnect from everything like the QB Tua Tagovailoa injury and the loss. How do you feel now going into this week?) – “I feel fresh and prepared. Yeah, it was nice to have a little mini-bye definitely for our bodies, especially after a short turnaround like that. It was definitely good to kind of just get away from it but we’re definitely back in it now.”
