Frank Smith – September 27, 2022
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Tuesday, September 27, 2022
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(I wanted to ask you about WR Jaylen Waddle’s competitiveness. We obviously all see the speed and dynamic playmaking ability, but I’m wondering if there was either a specific moment or maybe just in general, a time where you kind of realized like, this dude’s wired a little bit differently?) – “I think that he expressed his competitiveness in the spring, just trying to learn the offense, trying to learn the fundamentals with (Wide Receivers Coach) Wes (Welker) and learn the scheme through the presentation. So I think overall, you could really feel it. And then also, I think it helped in spring and training camp, just the competitiveness of that group. It was an extremely competitive group. Guys made it really hard for our final cuts. I think all of that competitiveness along with just the way Wes coaches, I think – Jaylen (Waddle) alone, but I think the entire group you can feel that competitive resolve to really play their best and just play big at the big moments.”
(With QB Tua Tagovailoa’s status potentially up in the air on this short week, are you preparing at this point for the possibility of starting QB Teddy Bridgewater? And how much does the offense change with either quarterback in?) – “I think with all players, in these short weeks, we’re working all contingencies. But ultimately, our goal is for the players that are going to be available on Thursday to put them in the best situation possible and maximize their skill sets. I think there were questions in the last couple weeks about lineman contingencies and different things we do, it’s something that we always practice as coaches is try to make sure that any contingencies that could potentially happen, we’ve rehearsed it and have a plan so we can execute and actualize them on Thursday.”
(There was a report before Sunday’s game about how as part of the new offensive scheme and the new system that you brought in, you’ve kind of streamlined the protection process. So as opposed to kind of QB Tua Tagovailoa maybe working with OL Connor Williams on that to set the protections and adjust the lines, QB Tua Tagovailoa just reads the defense. I was curious, can you kind of walk us through that process, why you decided to do that and just what it does for the overall functioning of the offense?) – “That’s a great question. I think it ultimately comes back to quarterbacks, and you’re letting them to – you want to have them grasp the fundamentals to play their position. It’s something similar last year that we’ve adopted with Justin (Herbert) in L.A. (Los Angeles Chargers), then I know (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) has done before. I wouldn’t say he (Tua Tagovailoa) necessarily is removed from the process. I just think that ultimately, you want the center to have an understanding of what’s going on in the front. The quarterback and him have a communication. We understand the plan, the stresses during the week that we need to be on the same page with. But I think ultimately, linemen block people. Quarterbacks have to work throughout the system. So our goal is to make sure that we maximize each player to focus on their fundamentals, to focus on the necessary things to be able to play the position at a high level. So I think ultimately, them working together is a lot easier than one person just telling the other ones what to do. So I think it’s more of a collaborative process, which is kind of like – overall, that’s kind of the mission of our program here is that as we all came together, we’re having a collaborative process to put the best system of football that we can on the field. I think it starts with Connor and Tua assuring sharing great communication to make sure we’re in pointing the right direction.”
(There’s a lot of different aspects and parts of offense, when you look at deep passing game or short yardage, red zone, whatever. What has pleased you most about this offense to this point from that standpoint?) – “There’s been many aspects, and I think that when you look at our situational football, or you look at our first and second down offense, there’s been some good aspects to it and there’s other things we need to work continually work on. I think, ultimately, this time of year, you want to see signs of improvement. You want to see signs of getting better in certain areas. I think that the one thing that you can really point to recently would be third downs, we’ve done pretty we’ve done well on. We’ve done well in the red zone. We’ve done well on ball security. I mean, there’s areas that we need to continue our focus on, but ultimately, this time of year is just about our improvement from week to week because from Week 1 to Week 3 to Week 6, it’s just a race to improve. I think, ultimately, as we look at some of the areas that we’ve done well in, I mean, there’s other areas that we would like to improve. So I think it’s conversely, that you want to keep continue staying positive in those areas you’ve been positive with and not take a step back. But ultimately, we’re trying to make sure we improve in some of the areas we’ve kind of focused on in the next couple of weeks.”
(As far as rushing average goes, you’re averaging 3.3 per carry, which I’m sure is not where anyone wants it to be. Has it been primarily a blocking issue? Have RB Chase Edmonds and RB Raheem Mostert not found holes that were there in certain instances? What’s been the main culprit for that?) – “I think it’s a – on each individual play, it’s not just one specific thing. I think that it’s a collection of things that obviously as we learn our system and how we move pieces to try and create advantageous situations for our guys, advantageous blocking angles, just learning the reactions and making sure that we understand the speed at which we need to play, understanding where the relative position to defenders will be on that scheme. So I think ultimately, how does the – when we get through Level One to Level Two, like how are we getting on linebackers? How is the receiving corps fitting up their blocks? How is the runner pressed in his track? I think ultimately, we can’t really – because that’s an assessment we did yesterday is when we’re looking at ultimately, like (you guys) said before, ‘Hey, there are certain things that we have done well, but where are areas we can improve?’ Obviously, the run game is something that we feel that we can improve in, because we ultimately feel like we’re close. So we feel like it’s now two weeks in a row where there’s just some runs that you just realized were extremely close to catching the lane or getting the block down. Ultimately, it’s not where we want to be, but it’s an area that we can definitely improve in and we feel that we’re getting very close to being what we want to see overall as far as our efficiency.”
(You started out as a grad assistant at Miami of Ohio. I wanted to know, for you heading back to Cincinnati in this aspect, are you looking forward to the full-circle moment of that?) – “Well, my college friends are, since every time I come within two hours of Ohio, my phone lights up like a Christmas tree. So they are. My family moved out of Cincinnati a couple of years ago. My parents relocated Charlotte, so it’s not really, I would say ‘home’ anymore. I’ve been a nomad for the last give or take 16 years. Yes, it’s cool being close to Miami of Ohio. I’m very fortunate for my time there and the people I’ve met. If we played the game in Oxford, it’d be a super – it’d be a real big deal. But down in Cincinnati, it’s going to be a great opportunity on Thursday. I know I have friends and family that will be there that will really enjoy it.”
(I wanted to ask you about T Greg Little and what specifically has he done in his time in the lineup that you’ve liked?) – “I think it dates back to just overall – like for him, when we got together and just kind of assessing his goals for what he wants to accomplish with his career in the short term and long term – I think so many times players, you have this long-term goal and you forget the daily process to how to get to their goal. Whether it’s being a high-level player, starting, making the team, what’s your process to actualize what you have set forth for yourself? So I think Greg (Little) was one of those guys that really with coming from Carolina, was just kind of trying to find his way. Through our communication as a staff, I know with (Offensive Line Coach) Matt (Applebaum), (Assistant Offensive Line Coach) ‘Lem’ (Lemuel Jeanpierre) and (Offensive Assistant) Mike (Person) in the room, Mike (McDaniel) and I as well, just talking to him, I think we were really able to help him understand, ‘OK here’s where we’re at, and you want to get to here. Here’s how we do it.’ And I think that is the basis of what we’ve been able to see so far is we’re seeing a guy that’s really understanding how he needs to play and understanding his skill set. I think that’s hard for a lineman sometimes. You watch a player, and you think, ‘Oh, I want to be like him,’ but is that comparable? Is it comparable for a big, tall possession wide receiver to watch Tyreek Hill or Jaylen Waddle? You have to find comparison players that you can compare your game to that help you learn through tape study, and then you’re got to have coaches who set up drills for you to allow you to maximize your skill set. So I think ultimately with Greg, it’s been a process that really has been great in many ways that you can see him really working on the fundamentals necessary for him to be successful. Each week, he just continues to get better, which is really a credit to his work ethic and how he’s preparing himself.”
Josh Boyer – September 27, 2022
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Tuesday, September 27, 2022
Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer
(You’re about to face Joe Burrow. Just what are your thoughts on him and what you’ve seen out of him in his first few years here in the NFL?) – “A very tough competitor. He’s never really out of a game. He can make all the throws, he can extend plays with his legs, he can extend plays and keep his eyes downfield and make big plays. He does a very good job of having command of the offense, so we’ll have a big challenge for us this week.”
(Just wanted to ask you what LB Trey Flowers has added and do you like having him rushing from inside some? He seems effective with matchups there.) – “Yeah, I think when we signed Trey (Flowers), we knew we were getting a good player and we knew that he would have some multiplicity to his game. He’s kind of worked his way into, I would say game shape, which I think we’re all kind of doing. And it was good to see him out there this past Sunday and we got some production out of him. We’re hoping like all of our guys that we can continue to improve and get better as we move forward.”
(Just your thoughts on coming back on the short week after your defense played so many snaps against Buffalo in a lot of heat and humidity. Specifically, Jevon Holland played 92 snaps. I know a few others got up around 90 and into the 80s at least. Just the key over these three days in between game days?) – “We’re obviously excited for the opportunity to get out there and play again and I think one of the things that has been most impressive with our group of guys is the effort that they give and their mental toughness to handle any situation. I’m sure our guys are excited and I don’t think they blink at any challenge that’s put in front of them.”
(I wanted to ask you how involved you were in the decision to sign LB Melvin Ingram? Did General Manager Chris Grier ask you to look at tape and give your evaluation? What did you see? If so, what did you see from the Kansas City and maybe the Pittsburgh tape that made you think this guy still has something left even on the back end of 30?) – “That really was a group process. Mike (McDaniel) was involved, Chris (Grier) was involved, I was involved. Our assistant coaches, they were involved. I think when you look at him from a year ago, you still saw the explosion, the get off, the strength. And we just thought it was a good fit for what we do and what we ask our guys to do. He sure hasn’t disappointed. I know there’s a little bit of a learning curve when it’s a little bit of a new scheme, but a lot of things that we’ve asked him to do, he’s done in his career before, and he’s a true professional. He cares about the team and he works hard and he works at his craft and I’m glad we have him.”
(In the red zone, it seemed like it was kind of a tale of two halves. The first half, it looks like you guys blitzed a little bit and maybe left a guy open or a little too wide open. And the second half, it just seemed like something flipped, I guess. In the midst of that chess match, what kind of flipped for the defense in the second half, and especially on that last drive to keep the Bills out of the end zone?) – “Again, I think you want to be multiple when you’re going against offenses and a lot of times it comes down to communication and execution. And again, I think it’s a credit to our players to making adjustments and being able to execute, especially like in the second half of games, playing some of our better football there. And really the things that we can work on, like I did say this earlier, that I would say the effort that we play with defensively and the mental toughness of our guys has been outstanding. Some of the things that we can clean up a little bit is just our tackling. We will improve on that. And then the other thing is just with overall communication and when we are given opportunities on defense to make plays or balls are thrown our way, to take advantage of those. I think that will help us. And again, Mike (McDaniel) said it right after Week 1. We hope Week 1 is our worst week. We hope we’re getting better every week. There’s things to build on. There’s a lot of good things going on, but there’s a lot of things that we can improve to become what we want to become.”
(There have been a lot of things to like about this defense so far and I know you just mentioned effort and mental toughness, but what have you liked most about this defense at this point?) – “Those two things, really. It doesn’t matter what the situation is. It doesn’t matter how many snaps a guy’s had, whether it’s two snaps or 80 snaps. You’re going to get pretty much the same effort from all of our guys, all 11 guys that are on the field. And then I think our guys know and understand that if we execute at the level that we desire, good things are going to happen for us defensively and we’ll get the ball back the offense.”
(I know you’ve seen this maturation from S Jevon Holland, but has he exceeded expectations from the standpoint of leadership and being a vocal guy and where he is from where he was a year ago in that department in particular?) – “I think Jevon has done an outstanding job as far as leadership, communication, work ethic, production on the field. And as far as exceeding expectations, I think Jevon has high standards for himself. I think we have high standards for him as a staff and an organization. So I think we all see things on the same page. And I think he’s working to get better week in and week out.”
(One more thing for me, CB Nik Needham had said last week he wasn’t pleased with the way he was playing. He had struggled against Buffalo in the past, obviously he played only three defensive snaps in the second half last year, but instead of dragging his head, he responded with what appeared to be a really good performance on Sunday. How pleasing was that for you to see? And what does it say about Nik? And playing in the slot probably is something he’s obviously comfortable with more so than boundary time, just thoughts and all that with Nik.) – “I think we’re comfortable with Nik wherever he plays whether he plays inside or outside. A lot of it’s matchup based. I think Nik is an ultimate competitor. I think he works extremely hard. I think like a lot of our guys, we’re expecting improvement as we go. I don’t think you’re satisfied with – I don’t think any of us are satisfied with where we’re at. But I do think all of us know and understand where we want to be and where we want to go, and I think we know and understand the things that we need to do to get there. I think we’re all excited about that. We’re not going to hang our hats on one game here, one game there and we’re going to move on to the next one and we’re going to continually try to get better so we’re playing better ball this week than we were last week. And then when we get to December, we’re playing better ball than what we were playing in October, November. I think that’s kind of the goal and the mindset of our group and Nik embodies that.”
(I wanted to ask you, when you plug on the Cincinnati Bengals tape, what impresses you about Joe Burrow?) – “Again, I think it’s just his overall competitiveness. Like when the reads are there, he makes the throws. When the reads aren’t there, he can make things happen and improvise and make the throws. If you open up running lanes, he can take those. I think he has great command of the offense, and I think you can really just see the competitive juices flowing from this guy. I think what he’s done since he’s came into the league, it’s been pretty impressive.”
(I was just wondering what you have seen in terms of opponent adjustments to your blitzes – the times when teams are seeing it and reading it, right. Is there some common thread that you’ve noticed, and how do you adjust to the adjustments?) – “I think there’s multiple variables. People have done a lot of different things to us. Basically, I mean, you almost have 200 snaps of it over the last couple years on tape. I think a lot of people have done a lot of different things. We have different adjustments that we use and I think it’s an evolving chess match as it goes, and you’ve got to prepare for it all. So you’re not quite sure how people are going to approach it, but you have good ideas going in. Sometimes people will copycat what other teams have done, sometimes teams will do what they’ve done in the past. And then sometimes we see new stuff. And that’s just kind of the ebb and flow of probably all coverages, fronts and blitzes in general.”
(As the elevation of the season progresses and the level of competition improves week by week, what are you looking forward in this week’s matchup for your defense against the defending AFC Champions?) – “I think we’re going to need good execution. I think we’re going to need to be a physical team on the field and I think the fundamentals that I talked about earlier, we’re going to have to make sure that we do a good job of tackling, a good job with our coverage at the top of the routes, a good job with our rush. It really is going to come down to fundamentals and techniques and that’s kind of what we’re looking for this week.”
Danny Crossman – September 27, 2022
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Tuesday, September 27, 2022
Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(I’m sure you probably weren’t very pleased with Sunday’s butt punt. But does any part of you get any amusement out of what a lot of other people around the league found to be a comical error? And also, does it help that it did not lead to a loss? That it ended up coming in a win. Do you get any amusement out of that days later? Or is it strictly a critical eye to what went wrong on that play?) – “Absolutely zero amusement and a 100 percent critical mistake that has an opportunity to possibly lose a football game. So yeah, it will never get any smile from me.”
(On that point, we talked to LB Duke Riley and he kind of had a different perspective just in the sense that he thinks it may have helped you out. Obviously you never want to give points to the other team and you want to execute to your highest ability, but he kind of made a counterpoint that because you guys were so backed up, as opposed to maybe getting a shorter punt and leaving Buffalo with a shorter field to get a touchdown, you were able to get the free kick. And we saw what P Thomas Morstead did. Just what’s your perspective on that?) – “I think it comes down to you’re going to defend between 40 and 45 yards of field, whether you’re defending 40 or 45 yards of field or 40 yards of field for them to score a touchdown, which if we get the punt off, that’s probably what you would have. Or you’re defending a very similar yardage for them to kick a field goal. So I think the yardage you’re going to defend would be somewhat similar but again, you don’t ever want – it’s a momentum play also, which you don’t ever want to give up. But to your point, to come back and the fortitude of this football team, like we talked about last week after Baltimore and we’ve seen all year, you get a poor play no matter what phase it is and then you come back and make a big-time play. So that was good to see.”
(I was curious, did DE Emmanuel Ogbah get a piece of the missed field goal for Buffalo? And then the second part is I just want to ask how you’ve been impressed by CB Justin Bethel and what he’s done since coming in here on special teams?) – “No. 1, yeah. Ogbah got a piece of that. So that gets turned into the league and they’ll make the correction on that. A good rush by really the whole club. We got good push and obviously Ogbah with those long arms was able to get a piece of that. And then yeah, Justin Bethel has been the pro that we expect when we claimed him. It’s very nice to have him on our club.”
(Anecdotally, it seems like you guys have been very good at downing punts inside the 15 or inside the 10. I think CB Justin Bethel and CB Keion Crossen come to mind immediately. Can you quantify how tough that play is to execute on the scale of special teams plays? Is that one of the toughest? Or is it kind of middle of the road, if that makes sense?) – “It’s a difficult play. It’s timing. There are a lot of things that go into it based on the rules that those guys have in terms of where and what the returner does, and that ties into where the ball is. You saw a great job by Bethel on Sunday having to play the ball of the bounce. Sometimes it’s trying to play it in the air. There’s a lot of things that go into that, which is why those guys spend a lot of times doing that both in drills and in practice.”
(What exactly went wrong on that punt anyway? Was it P Thomas Morstead taking one extra step forward too much? Or WR Trent Sherfield backing up too far?) – “Any time you’re in those situations, there are a couple of technique things that change for everybody. So when you’re punting from the 1(-yard line) or punting from the 2(-yard line), there are certain techniques that everybody has that have to change. Obviously and unfortunately, we did not get all of those variance of techniques accomplished on that play, which is what led to that negative punt.”
(I assume with the way the point differential was at the time, that you guys never really considered taking an intentional safety, right?) – “No, we didn’t. Not with that score sequence. We did not.”
(Back to CB Justin Bethel, do you believe he’s at that Pro Bowl level? Is he starting to make that incline towards that this year?) – “I think he’s been that type of player over the last couple of years when he was in New England. I think that trajectory and that performance level that he had there has carried over. So for him and for us, we hope that continues and even improves.”
(WR Tyreek Hill was asking postgame the other day about how WR Trent Sherfield took ownership after the punt mistake. What did you see from him when he got back to the sideline and what was your message to him?) – “Well again, like we saw, it’s a move-on moment. There is a great situation where there’s no stoppage of play. They wind the clock again and we’re ready to go. That’s why you have and enjoy veteran players and veteran players that have done what they do for a long time with a high level of success. There’s nothing you can do about it. You have to turn the page and you have to move on. You have to perform on the next play. Don’t let one bad play become multiple bad plays.”
Robert Hunt – September 26, 2022
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Monday, September 26, 2022
OL Robert Hunt
(So how hot is hot enough?) – “It’s hot, so I think that’s enough. It’s always hot here. I do – like I said, I wear this every day. (laughter) I don’t know if I actually wish that.”
(You’ve been here for a couple of years now. Obviously, the record is different, but internally, what can you say is different about this team, the set of players here, the coaching staff, the environment?) – “Man, I just think we got a locker room full of guys that care about each other, that’s willing to go out and battle for each other and put their body on the lines every week, man, just to try to get a win. I think that’s just like – a lot of high character guys in the room, man.”
(QB Tua Tagovailoa specifically, I’m sure you’ve heard the noise. He’s a polarizing guy. Where have you seen him grown the most over the years, and really in the first three weeks of the season?) – “I think Tua (Tagovailoa) has always been a guy with leadership and character. He’s been him since Day One man. I haven’t seen much change. Tua is just being Tua. We love to see the publicity of it and everybody looking at it differently, but we’ve been seeing it for a while.”
(Do you get an extra sense of pride or kind of joy seeing that praise now?) – “Yes, I’m extremely happy for him. We have a long season ahead, and I’m excited to keep doing what we’re doing. Yes, he definitely deserves it.”
(Thankfully, it turned out not to be serious, but how scary was it to get a kind of rolled up on the side of your leg there yesterday?) – “It was alright. I wasn’t really scared. I mean, if I can get up and move, I knew I was going to be okay. So I tried to go and stay in, but they told me I had to get out. But it is what it is. I’m fine.”
(Is it something to monitor on the short week? Or do you feel you’ll be OK?) – “I’ll be fine.”
(Watching QB Tua Tagovailoa, what was your perspective of him going out, coming back in and what he was able to do the second half?) – “Tua (Tagovailoa) is just Tua, man. Tua is a hardnosed guy who’s tough. He’s one of the captains of this team and he did what he did, man. He did what he had to do. We won the football game. That’s all that really matters. We were excited about that.”
(What do you see from T Greg Little lining up next to you?) – “A lot of great things, man. Greg (Little) is doing fantastic. He communicates well and he plays hard. I think we got a bunch of guys in that room that do the same. So it’s exciting to see Greg get his (opportunity) and do what he’s doing.”
(You mentioned the shirt. We’ve seen you wear it before, but yesterday in particular, you got guys cramping up and a lot of Bills guys had to go out. I mean, players were out there struggling. Is it a mindset? Is part of it when you wear a shirt that, it’s kind of mind over matter?) – “No, it really is. That’s the way we look at it, because it is hot here. We know it, and we use that to our advantage. So when we’re practicing and when we’re doing what we’re doing, we do say that, ‘I wish it was hotter,’ because we know our opponent may struggle in the heat because it’s a little different. But we get to work in it every day and try to embrace it.”
(Short week, obviously. Usually it’s a 24-hour rule to celebrate a win and stuff like that. The challenge of turning around quickly with a tough opponent coming up on Thursday night, how do you embrace that? How do you deal with that?) – “Like you just said, we enjoyed the win last night and we’re back in here today getting to work and watching those guys. The game will be here before you know it, so we’re getting ready for them.”
(On that subject of the heat, watching your defense be out there for 90-plus plays, what was your thought on how they persevered through all of that?) – “Unreal, man. Those guys are warriors – they’ve been that way. We go against them – we went against them all camp and we know what they’re about. Those guys are tough guy. Those guys are the real deal.”
(Going against the defense, talking about that, what have you observed about LB Melvin Ingram? He’s made some big plays in these three games so far.) – “Mel (Melvin Ingram) is a dawg, man. He’s really good. He’s been good. We all know he’s been good in his league for a while, and he can play, man. He can just flat out play. Lining up against him in camp, you got to be with it because he can do a lot of different things. He can power, he can rush to like get the edge. He’s a dangerous rusher, man. He’s good. He’s really good.”
Duke Riley – September 26, 2022
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Monday, September 26, 2022
LB Duke Riley
(So when look back at Sunday’s game, for a lot of you guys on defense, that was the most snaps you ever played in a game. Can you recall ever playing in a game that many snaps and that hot?) – “Well, I didn’t play like every snap of defense, but I played more snaps in actually the Bills games last year at the Bills. But it was like in the heat (this week), like it was a different. So yeah, it kind of plays a big part in it. It was definitely one of the hotter games that I’ve played in, but just living in Miami, being from New Orleans, I’m used to the heat. It’s kind of like playing at LSU, I’ve been in the heat my whole life. So I’m kind of used to it. I just, when I know it’s going to be like a hot game like that, I get extra IVs. I make sure I drink extra Pedialyte before the game, but I always try to stay ahead of the curve.”
(Speaking of LSU, how much did you enjoy watching Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase in college and how much are you looking forward to playing against them?) – “Oh, man. I was there for the national championship game obviously in New Orleans. That was like the only good thing that happened in 2020. That was the COVID year that we all know. I mean, those two guys are like some of the greatest players. I told Joe Burrow, when I first met him, I was like ‘man, you’re my favorite college player ever.’ And that’s hard to say, because I’ve had a lot of people that I used to watch that I used to like, but (Ja’Marr) Chase being from New Orleans, I’ve always seen him. He played at (Archbishop) Rummel. So I always knew he was going to be that type of caliber receiver and just to see him from high school to college to now it’s just like, it’s something that’s a beautiful thing to see. And yes, we do have a quick turnaround and we’re playing them, so I think that we’re getting to it. We had some extra meetings today and I’m looking forward to it. Thursday night game, prime time.
It’s something that every player I think in the NFL looks forward to because those are the games that everyone’s watching and we’re well aware of that. So I think it’s going to be a great game, AFC matchup. And it’s going to be a fun one.”
(What’s the feedback you’ve been receiving from coaches on your play, when you get your opportunities in that rotational role?) – “Being that we have such a quick turnaround, it’s like, the coaches really don’t talk about the game that we just did that much, I guess you can say. I definitely got good feedback after the game. I played hard. I try to always do my job at least to the best of my abilities. So regardless, my coach trusted me enough to know that I’m always going do my part, at least, to help the team regardless of what it is. And what I have to do – special teams, defense – it doesn’t matter. But just like moving on and moving forward, just because of the quick turnaround on a Thursday game, you don’t really have – today’s a really big recovery day for us being that we played in a game like that yesterday with a bunch of heat and guys were cramping up. I’m drinking pickle juice on the sideline because I’m feeling like I’m about to cramp and I usually don’t, so that’s how hot it was, because I usually don’t even feel that. Nah, I had to that extra during game and at halftime.”
(Do you like the taste?) – “Of what, pickle juice?”
(Yeah.) – “No, (laughter) I mean, some people do, but I don’t. Especially like the pickle juice wasn’t even cold. So, I mean, just think about drinking hot pickle juice. Right? It’s already bad but then you drink it hot. But other than that, I think you got to do whatever you got to do to not cramp.”
(You mentioned you didn’t play nearly every defensive snap. Some guys did…) – “Some guys did. Yeah, for sure. Like, I think I want to say Jevon Holland played 94 snaps the whole– that’s like, I don’t think I’ve ever played 90 snaps in one game before in my whole life. Maybe at LSU maybe, but I mean, that kid has a lot of energy. We all know that. And he played every play to the last play, like full to his best ability. Just having a guy like that, who can go that long and compete that long and who can stay consistent that long, it’s honestly a beautiful thing to see that we all don’t even really appreciate as much I think. But I think that he’s a great player, a great man, a great teammate. I love playing with him and just to see him do that and not come out. It’s like I didn’t even know he was tired during the game because he never said anything about it. Usually somebody’s like, ‘man, like it’s hot out here.’ The whole time he like ‘hey, we’ve got to lock in.’ It’s great to see, man. A young leader in our eyes. He’s got that ‘C’ on his chest for a reason. As a second-year player, that’s hard to do. Usually, like a second-year quarterback, maybe will get it, but you don’t see a lot of second-year safeties in the league with that, so that right there shows you a lot about him.”
(In talking to other guys on the team and describing QB Tua Tagovailoa, they say Tua is Tua. I was curious from somebody that’s in the building with him every day; you saw him last year, you’ve seen him now. What does that mean and how have you seen him grow into …?) – “Someone was saying this on the sideline, like Tua is growing up in front of everybody’s eyes. I’ve always knew the type of player Tua was. I love the type of person he is. He’s always, always, always positive. I’ve never seen Tua or heard Tua say anything negative about a person or individual since I’ve known him. And I even knew people who knew him at Alabama that were real close and they say the same thing. I told his parents – I met his pops the other day, and I was like, ‘y’all raised a great man.’ Not even a great football player, he’s a great man and individual. And just seeing him stick to his course, stick to the things that he knows, stick to his routine, stick to the script; every single day Tua comes in here and he’s a professional, regardless of what it is and he’s always encouraging people, always helping people. He’s a great person and I’m so glad and happy to see that. People are just seeing what he’s doing now and they’re excited about it, but they don’t really see the work that he’s putting in throughout the process. That’s why it’s a blessing that we do get to show people on game day, and especially on a Thursday night with everybody watching, what you can do. And Tua is just like I said, sticking to the script and doing the thing. It’s a beautiful process to see. I knew in OTAs, like watching Tua, I knew that with the offensive personnel and everything that we brought in with Mike (McDaniel) as the head coach, I knew that it was going to be a great thing and a great change for Tua because sometimes change is better and it can benefit and help. And in this situation, Tua’s been in the NFL, it’s starting to slow down for him a little more and we’re seeing what he’s doing now and he’s only in his third year. He’s going to continue to, I think, improve just because of the work ethic he has. You could tell Tua he’s doing good right now, but I bet you any money, he’s going to tell you he needs to get better. You know what I mean? It’s just the type of person he is and he’s just always been like that his whole life. He’s been a competitor, regardless of if it’s football, golf or ping pong or singing karaoke at his house… (laughter)”
(Can he sing?) – “I’m telling y’all right now, he can sing his tail off. (laughter) Tua is a funny, man. Y’all don’t even know. I wish everybody knew. I’m just fortunate enough that I know. He can sing and he can sing any song. I’ve seen his dude sing some crazy stuff that you would never even know. And it just lets you know how good his energy is and how positive he is and how much of a great person he is and how his family raised him. I love Tua, man. I love Tua.”
(Were you on the field for the butt punt and how much fun have you guys had with that over the past 24 hours?) – “So yes, I was on the field on the butt punt. They loaded the box up – actually, like, I know this might sound crazy, but I think the butt punt might have helped us because in that situation, they loaded up the box. They brought their corners in which brings our gunners in and they’re out there like, ‘oh, let’s rush, let’s rush them, we’re about to block this.’ And they didn’t even rush us. Like maybe they brought like a little pressure maybe up in the A-gap on the snapper. That’s normally what people do. But like on the outside, they weren’t really rushing hard. Usually people are rushing hard in that situation. They wanted to load the box up and keep everybody packed in. Usually, when we’re backed up, punt. The punter knows like, ‘we’ve got to do a one-step punt.’ You know, we got to get the ball out quick. So usually he’s not hitting his best ball. So the fact that with the time – the ball stayed in the air for, I don’t know, four seconds. I don’t know how long, two or three seconds and if we punt that ball, they get way better field position. I mean, Thomas (Morstead) had one of the best punts I’ve ever seen on a kickoff. The ball stayed in the air so long and then the returner gave us extra time by running, trying to chase the field, so it honestly worked out in our favor as crazy as it sounds. I mean, during the time you’re like, ‘oh damn like they need to only get in field goal range now.’ But we never blinked. We moved on from it and actually like I said, I think it worked in our favor as crazy as it sounds. You don’t ever want to give up a safety or be in a situation like that, but I think that the way the game was rolling and the way everything happened, it worked in our favor.”
(So you’re going to put that in the playbook?) – “Only when we need it. (laughter)”
River Cracraft – September 26, 2022
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Monday, September 26, 2022
WR River Cracraft
(Two games, two touchdowns. Can you kind of walk us through the 11-yard touchdown pass yesterday?) – “Yeah, it was a play we had drawn up for Jaylen (Waddle) all week and Tua threw a dart in there. I was just happy – when you get your number called, to be able to come through and I was really happy with the results on that play. So, yeah, looking forward to hopefully dialing up a couple more of those.”
(When you say the play was dialed up for WR Jaylen Waddle, you mean, like you were running the route that Jaylen would have usually ran?) – “Well, yeah. Jaylen took us down the whole field. (laughter) So I think that was that was his touchdown and I was just happy to be able to make the play for the guys.”
(Can you explain emotionally what it’s been like for you to not make the 53 but then every week you’re elevated to play?) – “Yeah, I think the guys do a really good job of not making me feel like I’m up and down. I feel like I’m a part of the team and that’s the way it’s been from Day 1. So it’s nothing to me. I go about my business every week, assuming I’m up and you have to practice every week with the mentality that you’re going to be up, so if I just continue to do that, I think everything will fall into place.”
(What’s the latest that has been communicated to you, as now three practice squad elevations have been used?) – “It’s the day after the game, so nothing has been communicated, which is totally fine. I’m going to keep going about my business. And like I said, everything will fall into place. I’m not worried about it.”
(What did you think of the ball QB Tua Tagovailoa delivered on that touchdown?) – “It was a dart, man. Tua is a dangerous man back there and I was glad to be on the other end of it.”
(How do you feel about making as much of the time you have as possible? You look at the amount of opportunities you’ve had and production, it’s pretty high production.) – “Yeah, I think it’s just right place, right time. I’ve been fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time. There’s been many times throughout my career where that hasn’t been the case. So I’m just real happy and real fortunate that I’ve been able to get those.”
(There was a report before the game that as part of kind of week preparation, QB Tua Tagovailoa has been gathering the pass catchers after practice, working on some kind of fine tuning stuff. Just what do you think the offense has gotten out of that, those post-practice sessions?) – “It’s just leadership. Tua has brought that from the day that I got here, from reaching out to me before I even showed up to OTAs. He reached out to me and just said ‘excited about the year’ and stuff like that. That’s a leader right there and to see his progression throughout the season and what he’s done with the guys, I think it’s real progress from what I’ve heard about last year. And yeah, I mean, he’s a leader, man, and we’re all sticking behind him.”
(What was the mood like on the sidelines? I mean, you guys, they were running twice as many plays as you guys and yet you pull back a win in just really trying conditions, as you know. What was the mood like on the sideline?) – “We had to rely on our defense this week. Last week, I think the offense was heavily relied on and the defense was kind of called upon this this week. They showed up and they got us to win. And special teams is going to be another one of those units I’m sure in the future that’s going to be relied on for the win as well.”
(How is the confidence level – it must be up there for the team?) – “You can never get too high, never too low. So we’re 1-0 this past game and we’re trying to be 1-0 this week. I think that’s needs to be the mentality going into Cincinnati on a short week and a real quick turnaround.”
Durham Smythe – September 26, 2022
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Wednesday, September 26, 2022
TE Durham Smythe
(What was your perspective on watching QB Tua Tagovailoa between having to exit, coming back in and then delivering in the second half?) – “I think, above all else, it’s what everyone else saw. It’s just that he he’s a battler. He’s going to battle for this team. Obviously if his back was aching or whatever it was, he fought through that and then came back and made some big plays for us in the second half. It’s a credit to him. I think, as the crowd got into it and everything, I think everyone saw that that brought a lot of energy to us.”
(There was a report before the game that as part of kind of the daily preparation this year, QB Tua Tagovailoa has been gathering the pass catchers post-practice, fine-tuning some stuff with the routes and the playbook and whatnot. What have you gotten out of that? And being someone that has been with Tua in the past couple years, how have you seen him really grow into that leadership role?) – “Yeah, he’s a smart guy, first and foremost. In referring to working with guys after practice and stuff, that’s a player by player basis thing. Dating back to training camp, if there was something that was a little off during practice, he’d pull you aside and get some extra reps at it. So he’s a smart guy in regards to that. And then in terms of him stepping up into a leadership role, he’s been on a pretty linear progression, I felt like, the last three years in terms of his performance in general. That’s something that kind of naturally comes. As you continue to grow and perform better and get older in this league, the leadership, especially at that position, kind of comes with it. So there’s not really anything that he has to do differently than what he’s been doing. It just kind of comes naturally once things start falling together.”
(How much appreciation do you have for a guy like WR River Cracraft, who obviously had to be disappointed not to make the 53, but he keeps working hard, gets elevated and all he has done is produce for you guys?) – “Yeah, I mean, you love to see stories like that. Obviously, he’s a great guy and he’s been through a lot in this league. He’s been cut a lot of times, has been on a few different teams, and he continues to perform for us. He does a lot of things that a lot of people don’t see. I mean, obviously he’s scored two touchdowns now. But he’s getting in there, he’s blocking guys, which a lot of guys in this league don’t like to do at that position. So he does a lot of the dirty work and obviously now it’s cool to see him get some stats in the stat book and a couple touchdowns. But I have nothing but respect for him and how he’s going about his business over the last couple of months.”
(Are you guys on offense doing anything special for these defenders that were out there for 80, 90 plays?) – “I actually didn’t even realize how wild the discrepancy was between how many plays we had and they had until this morning. We’ll give them a pat on the back and some extra rest before Thursday. We’re obviously proud that they’re out there for however many – 90 snaps? And they gave up 17 points. That’s impressive.”
(I guess, in that regard, just how critical is it to rest and recover on a short week and turn this around for Cincinnati?) – “Yeah, absolutely. Thursday games are definitely unique. And that’s really what it is. I mean, you got to get back right after the game and start the re-gen process and we’ll do that over the next couple of days. Hopefully everyone’s feeling up in terms of health and everything by Thursday and then we’ll get after it.”
(When you do have such a quick turnaround, you talked about the 24-hour rule and kind of cutting that. I guess at what point do you like start diving into Cincinnati film?) – “Yeah, this morning. I mean, that’s kind of how it is. Most Mondays are like that but specifically on a short week, you enjoy the win last night and then this morning you got to turn the page quick because a Monday is like a normal Thursday for us on a regular week. So you turn the page.”
Jerome Baker – September 26, 2022
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Monday, September 26, 2022
LB Jerome Baker
(I was looking back at snap counts for the defense. I figured this was the most a lot of you guys have ever played in the NFL game in terms of snaps. And this wasn’t. You’ve actually played more. Can you compare Sunday’s game in terms of the heat and the toll it took on you guys? Can you compare that personally to any other games that you played?) – “I’ve had some rough games before. I think that was last year in New England. I was dying in New England years ago. I think it was last year or two years ago … It comes with it. It happens. But at the end of the day ,it’s kind of one of those things that we got to get off the field on defense. You can’t really blame anybody or say anything. So it is what it is. It’s part of the game. We’re professionals and you’ve got to just focus on next week.”
(Is there anything that sticks out with the first couple of red zone trips compared to the ones at the end of the game? The first two seemed like you guys ran some blitzes, maybe a guy was left a little open or not as covered as closely. What stuck out to you about those final two red zone stops?) – “I think it’s just really a communication thing. The more we communicate, the better we can play. A lot of times we’re in a scramble and just trying to figure it out, but if we communicate better and lock in a little bit better, we’ll figure it out. If we don’t communicate in the red zone – in the field, it might be a 10-yard gain but in the red zone, it’s a touchdown. That’s really the biggest difference. So we got to communicate a little better and it’ll work out for us.”
(Honestly, getting out of bed this morning, was it that much harder? How do you feel right now? Is your body telling you that you were in a draining game yesterday?) – “I mean, it’s one of those things that we’re professionals. You’re going to feel sore, you’re going to feel tired. But at the end of the day, we all love this game. We all know what we signed up for. So just getting up and getting to work, it’s a little easier when you’re winning. I wouldn’t say it was bad. I wouldn’t say it was the worst I’ve ever felt. Of course, I was tired. But I know what it takes to get back to normal. So it’s a part of the game and I’m down for the challenge.”
(S Jevon Holland played nearly 100 snaps total between a few on special teams and the defense. What are your thoughts on him, his stamina, and that dawg in him?) – “I mean, that’s the main thing – the guy’s a dawg, man. He doesn’t really care about anything. He throws his body in there. He will run 100 yards on one play. Whatever it is that our defense needs, he’ll do it. He really came into this year and he’s definitely been a leader for our team, our defense. So it’s just really, that’s the work he puts in. Now we just expect from him every game now. I’m definitely happy for him.”
(How do you assess the day on defense where you give up a lot of yards, but you hold them to 19 points?) – “As a defensive player, of course, we’re not happy about that. If we get off the field more, we have less snaps and it’s just a trickledown effect. If we just lock in and do a little better, it’d be easier on a lot of us. So am I happy with the performance we had? It’s whatever. At the end the day, we won. So that’s all that matters. We definitely got to just play better Thursday. It’s going to be a good challenge for us.”
(What’s your approach to kind of this week on a short week getting ready for Cincinnati?) – “Everything just speeds up. The recovery, you got to lock in on your recovery. You got to come in. There’s really no off days. You got to just come in, watch film and get it done. It’s one of those things where it is Thursday night, so you’re going to be the only one playing. So when it actually comes down to it, you’re going to have the energy. You’re going be fine. It just really is a mentality of you can’t feel sorry for yourself. You can’t say you’re sore or you’re tired. You got to go in there, perform and get it done. Those next few days, you will have a little time to rest. I’m sure all of us would be fine. We’re ready to go. It’s still early in the season, too. It’s not like it’s Week 13 or 14. It’s still early, so we’ll be fine.”
(Are you excited to be going back to Ohio?) – “Oh, yeah, definitely. I’m definitely really excited to play against Joe (Burrow). That’s my boy right there. So definitely, it’s going to be a fun one. And, of course, we’re going to talk a little stuff. But it’s all love and I’m definitely excited to play against him.”
(What’s going to go into that recovery aspect over these three days before you travel?) – “For me, it’s a lot of sleep. I sleep quite a bit. It’s really the ice tank for me. I tried to get into cryo, but I don’t know if I’m ready for that one yet. (laughter) So the cold tank is where I will stay at.”
(I was just curious, you being with QB Tua Tagovailoa for three years, we hear a lot like Tua is Tua. What does that mean and how have you seen him really grown into himself and his third season?) – “Yeah, I think Tua get a lot of – let’s just say stuff from the media and other people. But if you’ve been in this building and you’ve seen Tua work, the guy puts in a lot of work. He truly wants to get better every day. You can see over these first few years, you can see the flashes of this guy’s going to be special. I’m just happy this year he really just showed it to the world. It’s kind of one of the things, we all kind of knew it was there and just now everybody else is seeing it. I’m definitely happy for him. He’s a great guy, a great player, a great teammate. You just can’t help but to be happy for him.”
(What stands out to you about QB Joe Burrow?) – “What stands out? The guy is a competitor. That was the main thing. He had some guys in front of them or whatever but he didn’t care. He just came in and worked. Een going back to high school, when he played in the state championship game, the guy just found a way to just make plays and win games. So it’s going to definitely be a fun one Thursday. I know last year he had a great year, so I’m just happy for him. But I’m also excited just to play against him.”
(Did you expect QB Joe Burrow to get to where he is?) – “Oh, yeah. I mean, just his whole personality, the way he goes about his business, it’s kind of hard not to see that. So early on, you can just see that he wants to win and he will do whatever to win. He plays with swagger. When you just play with him, you can just feel that we’re good. He’s going to get us there. It’s just a credit to him and credit to him, how he was brought up and everything he’s been through. So just all credit to him.”
(We’ve heard stories with him at Ohio State being extremely competitive with basketball. Do you have a story like just something, even if it’s not football related, but some of you remember about QB Joe Burrow?) – “We used to have these mat drills and you had basically one-on-one pull the tire or whatever. The guy was going so hard. Like quarterbacks don’t really do that type of stuff too often. But man, Joe, he was going after it. He just wanted to win. Just to see that drive, that passion he had, it’s hard not to be happy for him and it really rubs off on everybody else. He just always had that passion and he just wants to win and Thursday, I’m trying to stop that. (laughter)”
