Mike McDaniel – September 26, 2022
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Monday, September 26, 2022
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Short week. It’s a short turnaround. Do you have an update on how QB Tua Tagovailoa is feeling? Will he practice this week? His overall status?) – “Yeah, I have an update that he’s feeling sore. But as far as everything else, we’re just acquiring information right now, in terms of the exact imaging and stuff. But yeah, he was he was pretty sore, which we knew he was going to be. His ankle was a little sore, too, from all of his inner-trench warfare. But we’re just – these Thursday night games, you get used to just doing the best you can and we’re trying to get information as fast as possible. We’ll be working fluidly from that. But right now there’s – especially in a hard-fought game like that – not just Tua (Tagovailoa), but there’s a lot of players that we’ll be adjusting to on the fly, seeing if they can turn it around and give a healthy outing on Thursday.”
(Would you consider what’s going on with QB Tua Tagovailoa more natural treatment, or is there any concern that he could miss the game on Thursday?) – “These are – it’s my first time on a Thursday night game with Tua, so I don’t assume anything. But this, yeah, it wasn’t out of the extreme norm of bumps and bruises after a game. As far as like me being able to access my crystal ball, it’s broke right now. That’s one of the reasons why you have a roster of capable people. And that’s why we brought Teddy (Bridgewater) here and drafted Skylar (Thompson) is you have to be ready for these type of adjustments. And just like Teddy was ready in the game, we’ll be ready for whatever we have to deal with moving forward.”
(The NFLPA initiated an investigation into the handling of QB Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion check. I know you’re on the field trying to coach at the end of the first half, but what is your understanding or direct knowledge of the process that took place in order to get Tua cleared and then back on the field in the second half?) – “You’re right, my expertise is much more in the coaching realm. But I think this is the exact reason there’s protocols in place. I was very much, with a lot of people, I think when you saw it, you assumed one thing. But that’s why there’s also an independent neurologist that clears him. We have to clear him. You’re talking to the player and listen, the one thing I think our players know more than anybody, there’s certain things that I’m very sensitive to. I’ve been called emotional from time to time and one of those things is player health. So I don’t mess around with that at all. And if so, it was above and beyond. Tua was pretty annoyed with me in the game when I was talking to him, because he knew what hurt and didn’t understand why people kept talking to him about what we were talking to him about. I think watching replays, he probably could. But yeah, that’s something that I think, the paramount or the pillar of importance for all of it is player safety. That’s why the protocols are in place, so we’re happy to comply and feel fine about that whole process, really.”
(So he’s not in concussion protocol?) – “No, no.”
(You said that QB Tua Tagovailoa didn’t understand what people weren’t talking to him about what happened on the field there. Did he know that he like fell down and stumbled after that moment?) – “Yeah, he could feel his body so it was just one of those things where you’re not looking at it from our sphere. Everyone was so worried about trying to talk to him through the lens of ‘hey, is there something wrong with your head’ and he was (like), ‘no, I’m fine.’ And he was dealing with his back. He knew that he was losing his balance a little bit when he was getting up, but it was a completely different source of issue from what everyone else was really looking at from that prism. But they went through the protocols and in that process during the game, and it was something that we wouldn’t have moved forward in the direction we did, had there been any sort of red flags because that’s – you can’t keep quarterbacks out of harm’s way so you wouldn’t – if he had a head issue, he wouldn’t have been back out there.”
(Do you know what part of the sideline evaluation for QB Tua Tagovailoa got him sent back to the locker room? Which part of the process kind of triggered his you guys sending him back to the locker room?) – “No, all I know is he was out and so then I was calling plays for Teddy. And then when I was back in the locker room, that’s where I got the information from. So as far as the nuts and bolts of the whole process, and when and why they went into the locker room, I was just trying to get the game even, is all we were trying to do at that point. They knew that to have a concrete conversation, it was going to have to happen at halftime anyway, because of however long that timeline takes. So I didn’t really worry about when he was in the locker room, or if he was going to – I already moved on to trying to get our team producing without him.”
(The fact that he was able to come back in the second half and help the team win, did that raise the respect teammates have for him, or was it already so high that it couldn’t be raised anymore?) – “I definitely don’t think it hurt at all because you could see, like from the onset, he was not happy with the idea of not leading his team to try to get this win. I think the guys that have been around here– and I can relate, too, everyone can where in your division, you’ve lost several games in a row to a team. As the quarterback of this team and a captain, he wants to lead the team and is very competitive. I think his teammates saw a version that we haven’t been able to see really, which is this confident quarterback that’s really grown in his game. But you don’t really know until you’re in the heat of the moment how a guy is going to try to battle through in this case back pain. And you could tell it was uncomfortable. But like you said, I don’t think – it definitely didn’t hurt with his teammates. He got to show a hunger and a yearning to be with his brothers, which all of the guys whether they say it tangibly or not that, that’s something that sits with you moving forward for sure.”
(You mentioned confidence. I wanted to ask – you mentioned a couple of times about wanting QB Tua Tagovailoa’s confidence to outweigh his perfectionism. I’m curious through three games, how it’s been going in that pursuit. I’m sure it’s still ongoing but what you’ve seen from him.) – “It was a really cool last week. That’s one of the things that I can’t say enough about Tua in general is how coachable he is. It’s one thing to say a coaching point, which is what you are alluding to. It’s another thing for a guy to take it by the teeth and run with it. He channeled the end of the Baltimore game into a great week, where you could feel his spirit, his command and his attention to detail, but also his confidence. I think it definitely manifested itself in this game. That’s why you can’t just look at stat lines. His stats weren’t nearly as impressive as the game before but he definitely took a step forward in the right direction. You could argue that – I would argue that the in-rhythm touchdown he made to River Cracraft, I would put that up against any play that he’s made this year. And I don’t think going into the Baltimore game he might have made that play because it was more than just a bang-bang. He had to see the coverage right and really, really hum the ball in there because it was a tight window in that low red area. So that’s an example. I think on the long (Jaylen) Waddle catch, people talk about all sorts of nonsense to me. But all I see is a guy that not only made the throw but watch what he was doing before the throw with his drop. The only reason why there was any room from the field half safety is because he was eyeing him up the entire time and really not even looking at Waddle to try to manipulate that guy. So what that tells me is that’s a guy in a situation that is not for everybody. Third-and-22 isn’t exactly where you want to be, but he saw that, he recognized that he had a play call that he owned, he got the look that we were looking for and he really owned that moment. And who would have known that that could have been one of the bigger plays in the game. (He’s) a guy that’s confident. A guy that’s not trying to force stuff but recognizes when his opportunity is there. That’s what that was there. I think it was a really, really big week applying all of that game momentum from the Baltimore game into this past week. I’m not sure we would have won the game otherwise.”
(How did CB Xavien Howard and T Terron Armstead make it through the game on Sunday?) – “There’s a lot of inspiring – our guys are really taking leadership and following leadership appropriately. Our captains, specifically, had done an unbelievable job setting the tone. When you have two captains like that do everything they possibly can to contribute as much as they can to the team, there’s a trickle-down effect that I think really it’s hard to just say their own play. Not only did they play very well – both of them – but I think you’re also setting a tone for your teammates to follow. And I think there’s a lot of straining, a lot of grit, a lot of battling in that game that is a function of a lot of captains really scratching and clawing. That’s the thing I was so pumped about because they not only put their characteristically top-shelf play on performance, but I think they led by example in a way that you’d really hope your captains would. That’s what we count on them for and they came through, for sure.”
(Can you talk about the short week and just your approach to getting ready for Thursday night?) – “My grandfather used to have a saying that’s very applicable for Thursday nights. He was a farmer, so he would say ‘I’ll sleep when I’m dead.’ That’s how I feel. (laughter) You just approach it. I think one of the things that after you’ve had one or two, you realize you’re doing – for instance, today we’re doing Monday’s, Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s worth of work today. It’s fly by the seat of your pants. It’s very hard on the players and coaches alike. But also, we understand that I’m very comfortable with it because every team does it. It’s also not a bad thing when you have an opportunity to play in front of a national audience. It’s good for our game. We all benefit from it because it brings in revenue to the whole pie. I kind of look at it as a necessary evil that you just – they have the same short week as well. So if you’re going to spend time complaining about it, that’s time lost on your opponent. And realistically, it is nice, after the game, if you’re able to win that game because you get a little mini bye week that can kind of break up the season and give your guys a little rest, if you’re able to do so. It’s a scramble but it’s one that’s fun that we all benefit from, so we’re looking forward to it.”
Emmanuel Ogbah – September 25, 2022 (Postgame)
Sunday, September 25, 2022
Postgame – Buffalo
DE Emmanuel Ogbah
(You played an explosive offense last week and an explosive offense this week. What kind of pride do you guys knowing that the bigger the challenge, the bigger you guys play?) – “Like I said, last week’s gameplan was kind of similar to this week’s game. They’re similar quarterbacks. Every time we’re out there, we’re trying to make a play for each other. We’re trying to make a play for the offense and give them a chance. They make big plays for us, and we feed off of them too.”
(The heat was a big factor today; a lot of their guys went down. What was that like and where did you guys find your own burst of energy to be able to close that out?) – “We train under the sun every day, so we’re used to it. So it doesn’t really affect us as much. Like I said, we knew it was going to be a long game, and we just had to go out there and execute plays.”
(What does a win like this say about this team playing complementary football and just all three phases playing a huge part in today’s game?) – “Everybody wants to play for each other. It’s a brotherhood out here. I want to play for the offense, and they want to play for us. One position group can’t carry the whole team – we need everybody.”
(At any point there, was there a discussion on the sideline about the letting them score?) – “No, it was stop them at all costs. We’re not letting nobody score on us. Do our job and stop them.”
Christian Wilkins – September 25, 2022 (Postgame)
Sunday, September 25, 2022
Postgame – Buffalo
DT Christian Wilkins (Transcribed by ASAP Sports)
Q: What did you say to Josh Allen to set him off like that?
CHRISTIAN WILKINS: It’s just competitive out there. You get a lot of guys, you get 22 alpha males on the field, it gets competitive, it gets chippy, it’s a division opponent that have beaten our butts the last six times we played them. It just gets competitive; it just gets chippy and that’s just how the game goes when we play each other.
Q: So what does that mean – just said they beat your butts X number of times, what does that mean for you guys to win this game?
CHRISTIAN WILKINS: To me, this is how I look at it. Our goals as a team are bigger than beating the Bills. It was a great win today. It was an awesome, gritty, gritty win. It took a lot of grit. That’s what those southern grandmothers make on Sundays, grits. It was gritty. It took a lot. It showed the character of our team. But, like said, our goals are bigger than going 3-0 and beating the Bills. This is just a stepping stone to where we want to go. That’s how I look at it.
Q: Defensively as a team you were out there on the field a lot. I think 40 minutes. It’s hot, obviously. What was that like, the emotion of making all those stands?
CHRISTIAN WILKINS: You are telling me. I was out there playing. It was definitely hot. It was definitely tough, but like I said, it was just gritty. We knew last week that wasn’t the defense we’ve been, and we didn’t play to our capabilities, so we definitely had the mindset of just coming in this week and just rectifying that because that’s not who we are, that’s not how we played last week, and we were able to did that.
Q: There was one time-out there in the third quarter, and I took notice of it. There were five offensive linemen on their knees during a time-out. I noticed nobody on your defense was on their knees. Did you sense that heat was starting to wilt them down a little bit?
CHRISTIAN WILKINS: We practice in this every day. This is what we do. We were able to play tough the whole game and just able to squeeze it out.
Q: Did you pick up on that? Did you think that maybe they’re…
CHRISTIAN WILKINS: Everybody is pros. When the ball is snapped, you’re competing as hard as you can go. You’re not thinking about how hot it is or things like that. You’re trying to compete your butt off and try to do the best you can for your team.
Q: Take us through the goal line stand there at the end. What’s going through your mind? Any play in particular stand out to you?
CHRISTIAN WILKINS: It was just gritty. We needed all four downs to stop them, and we did just that. We stepped up as a defense. When our best was required, we stepped up. It was just awesome.
Q: Tua (Tagovailoa) goes out there in the first half, he comes back. Can we just talk about that?
CHRISTIAN WILKINS: All year Tua has been the heart of our team. He has been leading us and doing a great job. He just showed his toughness and his grittiness just to be able to come back, bounce back off of what was going – I don’t know exactly what was going on. He knew we needed him and he did a great job.
Q: I’m curious about if there was any messages going around after the fumbles or after the punt situation at the end with the safety. What was the message going around to the team?
CHRISTIAN WILKINS: Hey, we just didn’t flinch. All right, well, next play mentality. That’s really all you can do. You’re not going to sulk on that. We’ve got to go out there and get a stop. That’s the mindset, the mentality. You try to get guys up going on the sideline. You don’t flinch. We still have the lead, so they still have to score to win. If we just did our job, which we did, and we were able to get a win.
Q: What does it mean for you for your team to be the last standing undefeated team in the AFC?
CHRISTIAN WILKINS: Like I said, like I alluded to earlier, our goals are bigger than being 3-0. Our goals are bigger than just winning today. Again, we started back in April. We knew we had a chance, and we’re going to keep working the same way we did since April 4 moving forward. We’re just going to go back to work. Quick turnaround. No 24-hour rule. It’s the 12-hour rule. We just get tonight, and tomorrow we’re already getting ready for the next opponent so we can turn the page and get ready for Thursday night.
Q: I know you have your own concerns on the last play, but did you notice what Melvin (Ingram) was able to–
CHRISTIAN WILKINS: Oh, absolutely. You can’t tell me nothing bad about Melvin Ingram ever in life. After seeing what he did on the last play, he has the ultimate respect. An 11-year pro beating a rusher, missing a sack, then making a play 10, 15, 20 yards down the field, that’s just a
dawg mentality. That’s leadership. That’s ‘want-to.’ That’s will. Again, he is not the only player like that on our team. We’ve got a lot of guys that are just gritty and just compete. I’ve got the ultimate respect for him after a play like that because that takes a lot. That’s will to win.
Chase Edmonds – September 25, 2022 (Postgame)
Sunday, September 25, 2022
Postgame – Buffalo
RB Chase Edmonds
(There were many up and downs in today’s game. Obviously, you had two very important touchdowns. What was it like on the field?) – “Football is always about ups and downs, and that’s what’s so beautiful about the locker room we have right now. The culture that (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) has really done a good job of bringing in here. Before my second touchdown, when I dropped the ball, that’s something that nine times out of 10 times I always catch. Just to have teammates to have your back and coaching staff that has your back and kind of teach a method of just adversity is always opportunity and really not to really hang your head and just find a way to find to make that adverse situation that you’re facing into an opportunistic moment. I think that’s something we try to really hone in on as a team and continually, we will do so during the length of the season.”
(There was a lot of hype about this game before it started. After you guys get the win, there was a lot of excitement outside. Do you think the excitement of the fans outside matches what you were feeling in the locker room?) – “For sure, we put blood, sweat and tears into this thing. It’s a beautiful thing right now. Nobody really saw the hard work we were putting in May, June, July and August when it really counts. And again (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) has done a great job of bringing this culture here that we bought into, quite frankly, and continue to find a way to lean on each other, continue to find a way to make one more play than the other team to make a win”.
(To be 3-0, what does that say about this team on a national level, because Dolphins fans, they might not notice it but you came here because of how special this team could be?) – “(Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) said on Wednesday in a team meeting, ‘Either two things are going to happen Sunday. Either we’re going to win the crown NFL of the world, (laughter) or everybody is going to say, ‘See, I told you the Dolphins aren’t straight.’ Obviously, the first is happening right now, but I think it’s really just another game. We have a Thursday game coming up. We’ll obviously celebrate this one tonight, but just finding a way to win a game every week. The NFL is a week-in, week-out league. You guys report, you guys journal. One week it’s an overreaction, the next week you settle back down. So it’s about taking the wins and not staying too high and taking a loss and not staying too low and just continuing to find a way to win.”
Xavien Howard – September 25, 2022 (Postgame)
Sunday, September 25, 2022
Postgame – Buffalo
CB Xavien Howard
(Is there special satisfaction in beating the Buffalo Bills?) – “No. It is not only about the Buffalo Bills. We have to keep going. We have the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday, so we have to prepare for that.”
(Where does this rank in wild finishes in games that you have played in?) – “They have been crazy in back-to-back weeks, so like I’ve said we just have to keep going and keep going.”
(It was the second largest crowd in seven years, what did you hear on the field of the crowd noise?) – “I couldn’t even hear the calls over the crowd at one point. I’m like, ‘what the hell is going on!’’
(What are finishes like this, like you said ‘back-to-back weeks’—late adversity. What do games like this do for a team especially when it gets later in the season?) – “Like I said, we just have to keep it going. We build our confidence each week, but like I said we just have to keep it going.”
Melvin Ingram – September 25, 2022 (Postgame)
Sunday, September 25, 2022
Postgame – Buffalo
LB Melvin Ingram
(What was it like out on the field today, especially on that last drive?) – “The atmosphere was amazing! We thank every fan that was out there screaming and everything that had us feeling the matchup. It was electrifying, and it is something that you love to play in. We feed off of them – without them, there is no us.”
(They run that last play, you guys know the clock is ticking down. Were you guys looking up at the clock there or are you fully locked in?) – “No, we’re playing football – you definitely have to be aware of what the clock is, but we’re just playing football, baby.
(Were you surprised they couldn’t get a play off there?) – “No, no. It was only fourteen or twelve seconds. You run around, throw the ball. He runs all the way around, that clock is going to down. Then you have to get on the ball and get set, that’s kind of hard.”
(QB Josh Allen threw 63 passes today. Obviously, that’s a lot for the corners, but for the front seven and the pass rush, what is that like?) – “That’s a lot, but we love it. Every opportunity to get a sack – we were just out there playing ball.”
Jaylen Waddle – September 25, 2022 (Postgame)
Sunday, September 25, 2022
Postgame – Buffalo
WR Jaylen Waddle
(Back to that third down play, were you surprised that you were that open? Third-and-22, they have to cover the deep middle, you would think.) – “I was hoping, wishing and hoping that I was open. Tua (Tagovailoa) threw a great ball, and I caught it man.”
(When you see Tua go down at the end of the first half and then come back out in the third quarter, what does that say to you about your quarterback?) – “That he’s tough, but I already knew that already. He’s tough mentally and physically. I kind of figured he was going to come back and fight with us.”
Tua Tagovailoa – September 25, 2022 (Postgame)
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Sunday, September 25, 2022
Postgame – Buffalo
QB Tua Tagovailoa (Transcribed by ASAP Sports)
How are you feeling?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I’m feeling good. It always feels a lot better after a win, so I feel good.
From your perspective, can you just kind of break down what happened towards the end of the first half with you getting shoved, hit your head? Team said it’s a head injury, but now Head Coach Mike McDaniel just said it was a back injury. He said your back was kind – what happened from your perspective?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: On the quarterback sneak, I kind of got my legs caught under someone, and then they were trying to push back and then kind of felt like I hyper-extended my back or something. Then on the next play I kind of hit my back and kind of hurt. Then I got up and then that’s kind of why I stumbled – my back kind of locked up on me. For the most part, I’m good. I passed whatever concussion protocol they had, so I’m good.
Can you tell us about the 45-yard bomb to WR Jaylen Waddle? At that point, were you feeling anything throwing-wise? Or were you able to throw the way normal will you do?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: It was uncomfortable going in. I guess you could say it was the adrenaline that was keeping me going with the throwing. But (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) called a play that he thought would work, and if we got a certain look, we wanted to take advantage of it. So, it looked like they ran a quarters coverage, and they played really deep, so I tried to hold the boundary – or the field safety to Tyreek’s (Hill) side. I tried to hold him and then I came back to (Jaylen) Waddle, trusting that Waddle would beat his guy, which he did.
It was kind of a weird game, not getting a lot of plays, a lot of possessions, but when you were out there, you were able to move the ball. From your perspective, what was it like kind of sitting on the sidelines for so long just kind of waiting to get the ball in and then having just so few opportunities and even with some guys coming in and out?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I would say that was the toughest part of the game. We never knew when our next (opportunity) would be, and then when we did get an opportunity, we had penalties on those, and then we would go three-and-out in some instances. Against a good team like this, you can’t do that. I think we rallied. You really look at it – the defense came through, and it kind of tells a picture story of what our team is capable of. It’s not just our offense being able to help win a game, but it’s the defense as well. And we’ve seen that today with their performance.
Buffalo has had your number of late, and now you guys are 3-0. You beat them. Where are you at as far as the season? Have expectations changed or raised at all?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: No, expectations haven’t been raised, haven’t changed. For us, this is what we believe. We believed in each other. We believed in ourselves. It might be new to a lot of the people that are watching, but for us, we don’t do anything more than what we’re asked out there on the field as well as practice, and that’s what we do. We just trust each other, go out, and play football.
Tua, you’re now 3-0, the last undefeated team in the AFC. How do you manage the celebration of this game, but then preparing for a short week getting ready for Cincinnati?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, I mean, you enjoy it. You enjoy it now, but it’s a quick turnaround. So you have to move on quick and get ready for Cincinnati. For me, I’m just worried about getting my back right.
Tua, you guys, obviously, had great resolve at the end there after the safety. Can you talk about maybe your role now as a captain too? Were you stepping up and talking to people about how to stay and maintain the intensity at the end of that game?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: It’s kind of hard to get the guys riled up after they just came off. So I think we can do better offensively in a situation like that backed up trying to help end the game with the ball in our hands. But the defense went out there. They did their thing – really hats off to them. They played an outstanding game – tough. That’s a really good offense, explosive offense.
How would you describe your back injury? … What was that exact feeling?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Right now, it’s tight. It was sore when it did happen, but any competitor that would have never wanted to come out would’ve done the same thing. I just tried my hardest to get back up and get the next play and run it.
So to clarify, did you hit the back of your head when you fell down on that play?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yes, I did. I did, but I think I really hit my back first because that’s what I felt first.
Can you talk about the O-line and how they kept the pocket relatively clean for you today?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: They did a great job. I think they did a great job within the run game as well, and then within the play-pass, I think they did a good job operating that way. There’s still some miscues that we had from me communicating to those guys, but for the most part it was clean.
What did you think of the defense stepping up on two separate occasions as of late? And what your thoughts were as you’re watching on the sideline and can’t really do anything about it and just kind of watching?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Man, just let the defense do their thing. We’re always hoping for the best. We’re always hoping for a turnover. Our defense gives us a turnover, but you think of the drives that Buffalo had. They had some long drives. I don’t know how many plays, but they took a lot of time off of the clock. The stamina and then kind of going through it running around in the heat, a lot of guys were cramping up, but they stuck with it, and they helped us pull off this win.
Did you notice the Bills doing anything in particular to make up for the loss of their starters in the secondary?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, there were some things. There were some coverages that we didn’t see that Micah Hyde would be kind of orchestrated in, but they ran whatever the guys in the backend felt most comfortable, I would say. They tried to disguise some coverages. But for the couple of rookies that were out there, they did a good job playing today on the defense. You, obviously, have someone like Von Miller on their D-line making it tough for us to run the ball and then pass. I think our O-line did a great job kind of containing him and keeping him away from the quarterback.
Are you concerned about the back stiffening up overnight or anything? Do you think it will be pretty manageable?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: We’ll have to see. I don’t want to say I’m a genie and I’m going to feel good tomorrow. We’ll see. So, we’ll go get some tests, and then we’ll come back tomorrow.
