Teddy Bridgewater – September 29, 2022 (Postgame)
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Thursday, September 29, 2022
Postgame – Cincinnati
QB Teddy Bridgewater (transcribed by the Cincinnati Bengals)
Initial comments …
“Tough loss tonight, man. It was tough walking away from a game like tonight, especially given the circumstances. Obviously, seeing Tua (Tagovailoa), and hearing the news from Coach about Tua, we’re looking forward to just seeing him, and flying back home, and using these next few days to learn and grow from these first four games.”
(What was the sideline like after QB Tua Tagovailoa went down?) – “Initially it was complete silence, because our first concern is Tua. At the end of the day, football, it’s a game, but we’re human beings outside of this game, and we all have feelings. In that moment, I think you saw how everyone felt about Tua. He’s a captain on this team, and a leader, and guys have so much respect for him. The silence was just guys showing their concern, and it was great to see our team doctors doing a great job handling the situation — the trainers and everyone just responding.”
(How tough is it seeing your starting quarterback go down, and going through all those emotions, but still having to go in and play?) – “For me personally, there was a lot going through my mind, honestly. Given that against the same team I was carted off the field, so a lot was going through my mind, but I knew I just had to snap, and try and lead this team to a victory. So many guys were counting on, not only myself, but us to go out there and finish that game, and try to get a win, and ultimately we came up short.”
(What did you see from QB Tua Tagovailoa throughout the week as he got ready for this game?) – “Honestly, he’s been working with the trainers, and they’ve been doing whatever they’ve been doing. It’s been a short week, so we really just had to focus on the game plan and things like that. Whatever he’s been doing with the trainers, that’s between them, because it’s a short week. Guys have been locked in on the game plan and wanted to go out and execute at a high level.”
(So you didn’t have a ton of interaction with him throughout the week?) – “We traveled yesterday, so it’s pretty much been one day, and I don’t really know Monday and Tuesday. The trainers have a job, I have a job to get ready to play on Thursday, and that’s what it was.”
(What happened on the interception in the fourth quarter?) – “It was a hot situation. I just tried to get the ball out to beat the defender. I didn’t get what I wanted on it — tried to throw it right at Mike (Gesicki) — and it just sailed a little bit. It was tough, especially that it was Vonn Bell too — former teammate in New Orleans — he’ll talk some stuff. It was just tough, man. We’re fighting and battling to the end trying to come away with a victory. Guys are sacrificing so much in that situation, and we came up short. But it’s a learning situation for me, for the team, there are so many things that happened throughout the game that we’ll be able to learn from.”
(What was the reaction in the locker room when you all found out QB Tua Tagovailoa was going to be on the plane ride back with you?) – “Man, it was a good feeling. You could see guys’ spirits lifted, and that was some great news, especially after the result of the game. Yeah, it was just some great news, man.”
(How hard is it to play the game after something like that happens?) – “It can be tough. This game alone is tough, and the things that occur throughout the course of the game that happens, especially something like that tonight. It can put you on eggshells, or be mentally stable, and you’ve got a job to do. That was my mindset. Like I said, first I was like, ‘Man…’ but there were a ton of men on that sideline that were depending on me to go out and compete.”
(You talked about that game in December in Denver. That struck you right away — kind of the irony right there that it was you not too long ago?) – “Yeah, it definitely did. And that’s why I kind of stayed back a little bit, and just tried not to go back to December, and just really lock in on what was really in front of me.”
(When you’re being carted off, are your thoughts with you and what’s going on with you, or are you thinking about the team and what’s going on after you leave?) – “I can’t answer that, because I don’t remember anything until I woke up in the hospital.”
(You didn’t wake up until you got to the hospital?) – “They said I woke up in the back of the truck, but I didn’t remember anything until I got the CT Scan and MRI.”
(How scary is that to not have a memory and blacking out essentially?) – “It’s very scary. You hear people say injury is a part of the game. That’s the part of the game that sucks. It’s fun to compete, it’s fun to score touchdowns and make plays, but it’s that one side of the game that really sucks, and it’s unfortunate. For me, I just think about my son. And one day he’s going to be old enough to use Google, and he’s going to Google his dad, and he might see his dad getting carted off on the field, or his dad had a concussion. All those things play in your head. You really don’t think about that until you have children, I guess, but it’s just tough, man.”
(Did you look up and watch the replay of QB Tua Tagovailoa going down?) – “No, I didn’t. I saw him down there, and I just started throwing the football with Mike Gesicki. I was just processing everything, because I knew that at the end of the day, no matter what, I had to go out there and compete. No matter what was going through my mind, no matter how I was feeling, I just had to go out there and compete. It was good just being back out there.”
(What did you think of the hit itself on QB Tua Tagovailoa?) – “I’ll have to watch it on the tape. I think I might’ve been looking down the field, and I didn’t really see it. I’ll watch it on tape, but really I don’t want to watch it on tape. Hopefully we can fast forward or cut it out of the system.”
Mike McDaniel – September 29, 2022 (Postgame)
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Thursday, September 29, 2022
Postgame – Cincinnati
Head Coach Mike McDaniel (transcribed by the Cincinnati Bengals)
(Can you talk about the status of QB Tua Tagovailoa?) – “It was a scary moment. He was evaluated for a concussion and he’s in the concussion protocol. He was at the hospital, I believe he’s about to get discharged. That was an emotional moment. That is not part of the deal that anyone signs up for even though you know it’s a possibility in football to have something that you have to get taken off in a stretcher. All of his teammates, myself, we’re all very concerned. The best news that we could get is that everything is checked out, that he didn’t have anything more serious than a concussion. He’ll be flying back with us here on the plane.”
(Is it tough to get back into the game as players and coaches after a situation like that?) – “For me, yes; I think a lot of people struggled. I know me, personally, that if I didn’t have a job to do for the organization and the rest of the players and I didn’t have that obligation in my mind, I would’ve tapped. It’s not something that is comfortable for anybody. It was not a situation that you want for any of your players or your team in general. That’s some scary stuff. I’m just glad that it worked out.”
(Looking at the game, it was a tough time with your short-yardage running and you weren’t able to punch the ball in when you had it down by the goal line. Could you have used one or two of those earlier in the game?) – “Yes, absolutely. When you lose games to very good teams, you can always point to that. We lost the turnover battle and we were kicking field goals as opposed to trying to score touchdowns. On top of that, we had some third downs including the third-and-one I think in the fourth quarter or third. There was situational football that we had been executing and we did not today. You don’t get freebies or you don’t get passes in games against good teams. So, the point of that is it only means anything if you can learn from it, if you can get better from it, and that’s what I’m going to be challenging the guys to do because that’s what will happen in games against good opponents if you don’t take advantage of those opportunities. They win those situations and you lose, you’ll lose the game.”
(What was the message to the team at halftime and what was the message after the game?) – “The message was that if Tua had his way that he would be standing here watching us play and that we need to put forth an effort for him because one of our teammates and our brother has gone down. That was beyond what everyone else was trying to do. They had expectations to come in and play pretty well and they didn’t, so I tried to refocus them as best I could with that message.”
(What led to the determination to allow QB Tua Tagovailoa to play tonight? What factored into determining he was healthy enough to play?) – “What goes into every one of those decisions, that it starts with your medical staff but then there’s independent specialists that look into it, too. There’s an entire protocol and then you’re talking to the player as well. There’s probably five or six different layers of a process and decision-making like you do with all players.”
(What specifically throughout all the layers of the process gave you guys confidence to say you feel like QB Tua Tagovailoa is healthy enough to play?) – “Him getting cleared by people. Your standard operating procedure with all players in every single game.”
(Can you express with 100 percent certainty that QB Tua Tagovailoa in last Sunday’s game vs. Buffalo did not suffer a concussion or other head injury?) – “Yes, otherwise we would’ve reported him having a head injury. That’s why the NFL has these protocols and there’s, like every single NFL game that is played, an independent specialist that specializes in the specialty of brain matter. For me, as long as I’m coaching here, I’m not going to fudge that whole situation. If there’s any sort of inclination that someone has a concussion, they go into concussion protocol and it’s very strict. People don’t vary or stray. We don’t mess with that, never have, and as long as I’m the head coach that will never be an issue that you guys will have to worry about.”
(What allows him to be able to fly back on the team plane? Can you walk us through some of the things that he has to clear at the hospital to make sure that he is safe to fly?) – “That’s told to me. It’s not me making that decision, it’s more the medical professionals that are there with him at the time that deem him fit to leave. What goes into that, I wouldn’t pretend to know. I just report the news.”
(When you saw QB Tua Tagovailoa go down and saw him on the field, can you explain what you saw?) – “I saw him lay down. I saw that it looked like he had some stressers going on with the impact of the hit, and then once I got out to the field, I knew right away that this was at least a concussion. What I was worried about was other things on top of that. Obviously, I was very worried about his head, but you’re wanting to make sure that all things with relation to the spine and back and all that stuff, you want to make sure that’s okay. But it was very clear to me from the onset that he had, I didn’t really the know the degree of, but I knew he had a concussion. He was asking for me and then when he saw me, I could just tell it wasn’t the same guy that I’m used to seeing.”
(When do you think the players shook off the injury and put it behind them, or did they?) – “I think that was my hope just because I knew exactly the way Tua would feel, that he would want his guys to go take care of business. So, I would hope at least at halftime when I’m extending that message. I think they put it past them. They went out and fought. I think both sides of the ball and special teams didn’t show any signs of just kind of being out of it. We just didn’t make the plays that we needed to make and we were playing a good team that was taking advantage of the opportunities that we weren’t. I think that I feel confident that they put it behind them, but at that point in time you have to put it behind you but you also have to rise to the occasion and make some plays on both sides of the ball, and I think we just weren’t very complementary like we had been in the previous weeks.”
(Can you talk about the frustration of losing a game in which you had opportunities and couldn’t get over the hump?) – “I think that is something that you don’t want to run away from the frustration. I think that you have to experience this in some part to really go after all the little details that it takes to win NFL football games, so it’s very frustrating. You feel like you missed an opportunity to play toe-to-toe with a very good team and potentially beat them, but that’s the point. It’s not supposed to be easy, and if you’re wanting to play teams like this on stages like this, you can’t do some of those things. Otherwise, you’re going to end up on the short side of the stick. To me, it’s incredibly frustrating with good reason, and that’s part of what we do in professional football, and you do one of two things with it. You either use it to make you get better or you live with things that you can’t change and get worse. Our plan is to learn from it and move forward. The only thing you can do really, to me, with losses is make them purposeful, and how do you make them purposeful? You have to be better from it than had you won the game. So, that’s the way I’m going to approach it with the team and so far they haven’t done anything but answer the bell whenever I’ve asked them. I feel confident that we can get that done.”
(Is there anything you feel like in hindsight you should’ve done or could’ve done differently after QB Tua Tagovailoa went down the first time?) – “Absolutely not, absolutely not. If I would have, that would be irresponsible in the first place. I shouldn’t be in this position.”
(Given the manner of how QB Tua Tagovailoa went down similarly to how he went down last week, do you feel confident that you got the correct diagnosis the first time and that it was indeed a back issue initially?) – “Yes, absolutely. I don’t think that an injury from last week made him fall the same way this week. But yes, I do not have any, absolutely zero patience for or will ever put a player in position for them to be in harm’s way. That is not what I’m about at all, and no outcome of a game would ever influence me being irresponsible as the head coach of the football team.”
(What was the reaction you saw from the players when they saw QB Tua Tagovailoa go down?) – “I got out there pretty quick. I did notice some guys around that were pretty worried about it. I’ll tell you this much, if you guys or people are ever curious or question if Tua is the leader of the team, I think you found out pretty quick. It was a gut punch to a lot of people and I’m just very, very happy that it wasn’t anything more. I’m very happy with that and I just want to get him healthy and right for himself and for the football team whenever that is.”
(You mentioned an interaction with him on the field, so he was responsive at that point?) – “Yes, he was. When I got out there, which was pretty quick, he was conscious. I could just tell by what we were communicating and how he was talking to me that he was in the midst of a concussion, for sure. I’m no medical expert, but it was pretty obvious to me that he was just trying to grasp what was going on, what had just happened. There was a little of that foggy nature to it.”
(Do you feel like when something like this happens in a game to a player you are close with that it could have a long-term effect on you personally?) – “I wouldn’t say that. I’ll never be comfortable with it, it’s just not my personality and I’m pretty emotionally invested in these guys. It’s also a part of the game. It’s not something that goes away, but it’s not something that’s in the forefront of my mind. I don’t think it’s something I’d ever get comfortable with, but you know that it is an unfortunate part of the game. If I didn’t have so many other people depending on me to do my job, maybe it would be hard to get over but I don’t really have that option with regards to the responsibility that I feel to the Miami Dolphins organization and the fan base.”
Raheem Mostert – September 27, 2022
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Tuesday, September 27, 2022
RB Raheem Mostert
(How are guys adapting to the short week? I know it’s something you got to do, but it’s still got to be a little bit tough coming off such a tough game.) – “Coming off a tough game, a big win, we just got to focus on us. It starts today with walkthrough. It just has to carry over to the game. We’ve got to take care of our bodies. They opened up the facility right after the game so we can get in here and do what we needed to do in order to get prepared for Thursday.”
(How tough is it for running backs?) – “As a running back, you just got to take care of yourself. You got to do the little things. I had my own personal guy come out here after the game on Sunday. He hit me up, and said we need to do a little extra work and I was honed in. I know what it takes to have a short week and go in there and try to win, especially in a tough crowd like Cincy is going to be. They are wearing all white too, so you can imagine how turned up they’re going to be for that game. Yeah, you just got to take care of your body and take care of your mental and get prepared. Coach is doing a great job with that.”
(Do you guys hear all the hype you’re getting nationally after the 3-0 start?) – “Yeah, a little bit here and there. There are still some doubters, but we don’t really pay attention too much. We just go out here and do what we got to do at the end of the day. Whether if it’s against a tough opponent or a not so tough opponent, each week is a different challenge and each week is a different opportunity for us to grow.”
Jevon Holland – September 27, 2022
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Tuesday, September 27, 2022
S Jevon Holland
(On the short week and playing the Bengals on Thursday) – “Man, I look forward to playing football every day. It’s lit, for sure. I love it. It’s awesome. Prime time – my mom can see me and my grandma.”
(How do you feel physically after playing all 92 snaps?) – “Right now? Man, I feel like I jumped off a building or something. My body is hurting. But it’s alright, though. We’ve got ice tubs and whatnot. I take care of myself.”
(How high of a building?) – “I don’t know. I feel like I jumped off a Starbucks or something. (laughter) A little bit of pain but not much.”
(What did you do Sunday night? Did you come back here for treatment?) – “Oh, yeah. For sure. I got in the ice tub and hot tub immediately. I went straight to it.”
(Do you hear a lot of the hype the Dolphins are getting as one of only two 3-0 teams in the league?) – “We’re one of two? Really?”
(Yeah, you and the Eagles.) – “I didn’t even know that. I’m just worried about football. 1-0, that’s all it was.”
(On if he’s recognized when he walks around town and if people say anything to him) – “When I walk around the city, I go to Publix and they don’t know who I am. I’ve got a helmet on. That’s a question for like ‘W’ (Jaylen Waddle) or Tua (Tagovailoa) or something. But they don’t know me. I’m just out there.”
(To play the volume of snaps that you played on Sunday, how tired were you then? Are you still tired at all today?) – “Nah, I went to sleep on (Sunday) night and then I woke up, got a little extra rest and then went to sleep last night. Today is Tuesday, so I got a good night’s sleep last night. I’m not that tired right now but probably after this walkthrough, I may be a little tired then.”
(Joe Burrow, what does he present as a really good quarterback?) – “I mean he’s a really great quarterback. That’s, in itself, a difficult task for the defense. We’ve just got to work our technique, study the playbook and do our job.”
Mike McDaniel – September 27, 2022
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Tuesday, September 27, 2022
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(So was QB Tua Tagovailoa able to do everything in the walkthrough that he typically would if he were fully healthy? Did you distribute QB Teddy Bridgewater’s and QB Tua Tagovailoa’s snaps differently than you typically would in a walkthrough?) – “It’s a tricky scenario. Luckily that’s one of the reasons why we feel so fortunate to have Teddy (Bridgewater). But if this were like an actual real practice on a normal week, Tua (Tagovailoa) would be limited and he would be questionable for the game. As far as walkthroughs and stuff and just in general, this much I know about Tua; him and I’s relationship is strong. He actually called me at like, 10:50 last night. And I’m like, ‘Dude, is everything okay?’ [Tua said] ‘No, I’m just checking in on you.’ I’m like, ‘Alright, that’s fun.’ And just him talking to me, I can tell in his voice, he’s literally going to do everything he can and in his power, so I know that he’s going to do everything you can to play. So I’ll know that if he doesn’t play that it literally was not possible and we’re just taking measures accordingly for Teddy beyond that. But I’m happy with the way he’s so far progressed and feel very optimistic because of how he’s going about it.”
(In regards to QB Tua Tagovailoa, is it pain or is it functionality with the back that may be what is in flux with his…?) – “Literally like pain and stability of both injuries because I’m not sure – have you ever thrown your back out at all or had any…? Like apparently, you need your back for literally everything. So it’s the functionality of it because all of a sudden your back’s overly tight or you feel that crazy pain. Your body has a reaction process that you can all of a sudden – you can lose all your power in your throws, you can’t redirect and once you can’t protect yourself on an NFL football field, we have to protect you. So it’s both. Yeah, there’ll be some pain regardless. It’s whether or not that pain hurts him from being able to put his production on the field and escape impending danger, which is part of the job of an NFL quarterback on Sundays, or Thursdays.”
(When you watch QB Joe Burrow the last couple years and coming into this season, what do you see?) – “Well, coming off the bus, I see swag. And then on the field – which yeah, I have a sound place in my heart for [swag]. (laughter) But yeah, you really, really like – I don’t know, I appreciate guys, that you know, you’re the No. 1 pick in the draft. That is a burden for some. It was a blessing for him and I really respect guys that come out, take all that hype and do justice by it or exceed it. The guy has great vision and awareness. He’s very mobile both within the pocket staying a passer and escaping to run. Great touch. Great accuracy. And he really not only makes plays for their offense, but he helps other players make plays because of his ball location. So he’s one of the true young flag bearers of our league that does a great job and it’s a tremendous challenge for our defense to go out there and face him really.”
(Speaking of hype, how does the team keep from buying too much into their own hype? With you guys specifically, getting a lot of attention in certain power rankings and talk shows and so on and so forth, how does a team block that out?) – “It’s pretty simple. The hype, the power rankings, everything you’re talking about; unless I missed in the bylaws somewhere that that gets you a playoff berth, then what are we talking about? I think that that’s the thing is it’s just understanding the natural course of the narrative and this week is going to be the same. You explain to the guys and they totally get it that hey, if we win there are going to be further crowns. They are going to say all this. None of that relates to what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to get better every week. So what does that have? Nothing. Or we lose the game and they’re going to say, ‘oh, yeah, see I told you, it’s the Dolphins that won three.’ So regardless, you just know there’s going to be a narrative and a reaction to whatever happens and then you just stay true to what you’re trying to do. We’re trying to win football games and more importantly in the process, we’re trying to get better every week so we’re playing our best football at the end of the season because that’s where you’re truly judged. So none of the power rankings or the hype factor in on that. To me, I try to cater to any of the guys that are in love with attention and let them know that, ‘hey, if you still want this attention, keep winning.’”
(With the short week and with how much your defense was on the field Sunday, there’s only so much time between the two games. How do you get as much rest or do as little as possible so the guys can be as fresh as they possibly can?) – “There’s no perfect formula. Our team very much understands that Thursday night games do great things for the league in terms of fans are able to see a Thursday night game and all the revenue that it brings, but it’s a challenge nonetheless. And there’s no perfect formula. You got to sleep, you got to eat right, honestly, you’ve got to rest. But the bottom line is, both teams are on short weeks. It’s out of the norm. You only do once a year, so you’re not going to be used to it. There’s an element of will, that you just have to – yeah, there’s no doubt that’s the defense played enough for two games, like a couple days ago. But one thing I do know is no one’s going to care when the ball is kicked off in Cincinnati, whatever that is, in two nights. No one’s going to care. So you have to do the best that you can but then get guys in the mind frame of two teams are playing one game on an evening, take pride in that and just go after it with full force, and you’re going to have to dig deep. And as a result and as a reward, you’ll get a couple of days off after.”
(Your offense has shown a lot of skills or traits or characteristics, whatever you want to say. What have you liked most about what the offense has shown so far?) – “I really like how you’re starting to see guys strain through plays longer. You’re starting to see guys play for each other. I’m really liking how we’ve developed our standard with which we go about our business. How we run off the ball, how we finish plays, the things that aren’t result-oriented but more big picture and how you look; I’m happy with where we’re at right now because we’re continuing to progress and hopefully we’ll continue to even get better with that. Early in the season, especially in Year 1, there’s a lot of things you’re feeling out. But the one thing I don’t have any patience for and the one thing that I’d really hope for is that the standard with which we play the game of football together looks in the way that it’s trending right now.”
(How would you evaluate your cornerbacks opposite of CB Xavien Howard? And to piggyback off that, is there any sort of update on by Byron Jones over the next couple of weeks?) – “Well, I haven’t heard you guys ask that many questions about corners outside of ‘X’. And, they’re kind of like referees in that regard. Where, if you’re not talking about them sometimes it’s a good thing. I was just so happy we were fortuitous that guys got extra reps in the offseason, that they got to feel what it was like to be depended upon on the first team defense. I think I’m very happy with the play that we’ve got. I think it’s been very competitive. I think people have tried to attack them. And, guys will always make their plays, but I think they’ve done a really good job and they can’t be targeted that way, play and play out. You end up worrying. So I feel great about that with Byron. All I know is there is nothing new to update except that I can see, especially on the sidelines during our games, I can see vigor and eagerness in his eyes that let me know it’s progressing and he’s excited to get back because if you queued a camera to him during the games, he’s as locked in as everybody. So I feel very good about that. We’ll see as it continues to progress.”
(You have a history degree from Yale. I was just curious how’s your top three dolphins running backs up all the time. How does that list look?) – “I didn’t have that in my course curriculum. But I mean, how can you not do Mercury (Morris),and (Larry) Csonka off the rip. Then there’s some pretty good ones in the 80s. Ricky Williams is a strong one. Mercury and Csonka are 1, 2, for sure. And then do you guys want me to go with like a Terry Kirby or something? (laughter) I don’t know. I would leave it open for this Tuesday of a Thursday night game, for what I’m probably forgetting, considering I barely know my name. So if I could just not be held to that top three, know that there’s two of them. I want to be a little more convicted on the third because there’s like five different options that. Yeah, to be continued.”
(If I can ask you one more on QB Tua Tagovailoa, just because he’s the quarterback. I know sometimes these go up to gametime decisions. But do you hope to make a call before Thursday, before the game, on if it will be him or QB Teddy Bridgewater? Do you have a timeline?) – “Yeah, I think I have to. It’s just in a short turnaround like this, I don’t have reps at back and ankle injuries on a Thursday night game. So I’m going to take the rest of the day and then as soon as we can probably at some point tomorrow, I’d like to. If it’s more up in the air, I know that’s one thing that we can handle with our guy in Teddy is that part of the reason it was so paramount and I was so pumped that (General Manager) Chris (Grier) and the guys were able to get it done was because you have to be able to adjust as a backup quarterback and really nothing would change that much in terms of how to call the game. We have a bunch of faith in him. So we’re walking through in general, anyway. So Teddy has to take reps each and every play in terms of calling the play and visualizing everything as it stands. So we’ll probably just take it as long as we have to before we can be convicted. But at some point there has to be – it won’t be five minutes before kickoff I know that. Probably some time on Wednesday, but if we have to, we’ll move it to Thursday morning.”
(Is there any concerns with WR Jaylen Waddle and S Brandon Jones popping up on the injury report? And while we’re on the topic, CB Xavien Howard and T Terron Armstead?) – “Again, there are so many unknowns that I’d really lump all those guys together and know that they all know how important it is for us to have them operate for us to go win the game. And they are all – I think we had guys in the training room in the facility after the game on Sunday. Like guys came and got treatment. So guys are really doing everything they can to try to make up this unique timeline and I expect to see most, if not all of them. But we’ll adjust if we have to.”
(How fresh could they be expected to be 48 hours after a game?) – “My impression from them is that you guys tell me more about how you’re feeling because all I see is a team that’s geeked up to play on Thursday night. So I have to kind of pull teeth to get there the real answers from how their bodies are feeling but I think they recognize the moment, they recognize the opportunity and they are eager to go experience that whole opportunity with their teammates.”
Tua Tagovailoa – September 27, 2022
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Tuesday, September 27, 2022
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(What are you feeling right now? What have you been doing in the time since the Buffalo game to get ready?) – “I’ve been up here getting treatment, doing everything I can to get as close to 100 percent as possible. That means after all of this, staying as long as I have to until these guys have to go home.”
(It was mainly the back after the game, but we’ve also now learned the ankle is part of the equation. How much is it the back and how much the ankle?) – “I would say it was more the back than the ankle. The ankle was just, I would say, after the game soreness, when my legs got caught up under whoever it was on the quarterback sneak.”
(And the head is completely out of the equation?) – “Yes, I’m fine.”
(So when we go into the locker room every day, there’s always a ping pong match going on. We know that you guys have a tournament. What has that table kind of represented in terms of bringing everyone together and [inaudible?]) – “I would say the first thing that the ping pong tables brought is competition, more competition into the locker room. I would say another thing that it’s brought is guys trying new things. There are guys that don’t normally play ping pong, or haven’t grew up playing ping pong. They’ve just been watching and now they want to get into the action. Now, guys think they’re professionals. Guys are going and getting their own paddles. I mean, that’s crazy. Guys are like watching YouTube. They’re doing like some weird serves, now. They’re doing some professional serves, so I don’t know. (laughter)”
(I know I heard down there a couple guys told me WR Tyreek Hill got you guys all personalized paddles? What does that kind of represent, him making that gesture?) – “Yes, I think it kind of shows Tyreek’s (Hill) personality. It also shows his leadership because he cares so much about the guys.”
(Another litmus test, you had the Bills last week, the Bengals, reigning AFC Champions. Doing that in back-to-back weeks, but having success the last few weeks with wins, what’s the mindset of going against them?) – “Well, just to do things we’ve done since OTAs. Just worry about what we need to accomplish on every play that we’re given. If it’s offensively, whatever play that (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) tells us to run, that’s what we’ll run. But let’s not go out of the parameters of trying to make a big play happen. Just let those come. So we’ll take whatever they give us, both on offense, defensively and then also in the special teams game, and then we’ll go from there.”
(There was something on NFL Network on Sunday saying you have fewer responsibilities with line calls this year. Is that the case? And has that made things a little easier for you?) – “I would say I have the final say in our protections, but it’s definitely made it a lot easier that I don’t have to come out and initially make a Mike (linebacker) point or necessarily tell the guys you know what to do up front. Now I can worry about the motion landmarks for our guys in the back, then also seeing their coverage and then executing our plays that we have. So it makes it easier to just go out there and play quarterback.”
(What is affected by the back injury in your play? Head Coach Mike McDaniel said you use your back for everything. What aspects of quarterback play are particularly difficult or not?) – “ I would say everything – having to twist, to hand the ball off, having to toss the ball, having to throw the ball. Every aspect of it.”
(Have you been able to try to throw the ball like you normally do? If so, how does that feel?) – “I haven’t tried today yet, but before we go out there and do our walkthrough, we’ll get some throws in and see how it feels.”
(Although you guys play the defense, do you look forward to playing against QB Joe Burrow knowing you guys were in the same draft class and all that? Do you look forward to that matchup?) – “Yeah. I look forward to the challenge that their team presents us. Knowing that they were the AFC champs last year, they’re really good team. I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily me versus Joe (Burrow), but I’m just excited that this is an opportunity for our team that we get that. Our first four games are extremely tough games, so we welcome that. I would say as a team, we’re excited for it.”
(I know there’s a lot of adrenaline mid-game, but how difficult was it for you to go out and actually throw the ball on Sunday after halftime?) – “Yeah, it was pretty difficult. It was difficult because we weren’t out there as much. So sitting down on the bench, my back started to get tight and then things started to lock up. So I had to kind of move around a little on the sideline. But I mean, for the most part, just got to find a way to get our playmakers the ball and just go out there. Nothing feels better than a win.”
(WR Tyreek Hill called out CB Eli Apple after Sunday’s game, he says, “I owe you.” For you as a quarterback, when you have an outspoken receiver like that sort of hyping up an individual matchup, what’s your approach to that?) – “It’s fuel to the fire for Tyreek (Hill). He’s a competitor, and he loves those kinds of those kinds of things. But for me, I’m not going to let any of that get into the way that I operate with an offense. If Tyreek is matched up with him and we call it play for Tyreek and it’s one-on-one, I’m giving Tyreek a shot, just know that he is getting the ball.”
(On the topic of Joe Burrow, you guys obviously are always going to be linked with Alabama-LSU and the same draft class. What are your thoughts on the way his career has taken off in two-plus years?) – “I mean, you look at it, his second year, he came off an injury and led his team to the Super Bowl. I mean, that should tell you a lot about his character, that should tell you a lot about his leadership and the belief that the organization has with him. But I have a lot of respect for Joe (Burrow). We’ve talked on multiple occasions, not just when I was at Alabama, but also when we did go down there to Cincinnati and played them last preseason.”
(You guys are ranked Top 5 on [inaudible], late game defense, fourth-quarter defense, fourth-quarter offense. What is it about this team that allows you guys to perform the best when you guys are probably the most exhausted at that point in the game and late in the game?) – “I think it’s standard over feelings for our guys in the locker room. We have a standard here that regardless of how we feel, it’s hot, we’re tired, there’s a standard that we hold each other to. And I think it’s really cool that you could see us win three different games three different ways. The offense only put up one touchdown the first game and the defense scored a touchdown that first game. Then the offense comes back and we score six touchdowns the second game. Now you look at the third game, the defense is on the field for probably 50 minutes of the game and holds a tough, tough Buffalo offense to only 17 points. So I think the resiliency of the team and the guys in the locker room, we all have a standard and that’s what we’ve showed on Sunday.”
(The expectation or plan is for you to play. In the event you can’t, just what’s your confidence in QB Teddy Bridgewater?) – “I have a lot of confidence in Teddy, that if he had to step up right now, he could go out there and play extremely well. I mean, you look at Teddy and Teddy is a vet in the league. He’s played on multiple teams, and he’s found success on the teams that he’s played on.”
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.”
