Elandon Roberts – December 29, 2021
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Wednesday, December 29, 2021
LB Elandon Roberts
(I wanted to ask you about this Titans play-action passing attack. It seems like that’s where a lot of their big yards come from. What’s been a key for you guys in that linebacker crew to be able to recognize when they are running the ball and when they are going to go play-action?) – “I think with preparation. We’ve just got to prepare for it and hone in on it. They do a lot of things good in the run game, play-action, drop-back. They are a complete offense and we’re going to have a big task on us this week. They have a lot of great players on that offense as well. It’s going to be a 60-minute ball game.”
(For years you went up against QB Ryan Tannehill on the flip side when you were with the Patriots and he was with the Dolphins. What do you remember from preparing for him those days?) – “To be honest, I don’t think I played against Tannehill. As a matter of fact, I want to say I played against him in Tennessee and not Miami. I think he was hurt those games. Obviously he’s a talented quarterback. He leads their offense good. He controls it all. He’s doing great things for his team. He looks to be a great teammate. Like I said, we’re going to have a big task on our hands this week.”
(How have you seen him evolve since that point in time, to now?) – “Like I said, he’s a complete offense. He does great things for that offense, that team. He’s been having a good career and like I said, it’s going to be a big task.”
(As a veteran on this team, what are you telling the younger guys as far as their approach to this game knowing what the stakes are, as high as they’ve been all year for you guys. What sort of advice are you giving the younger guys?) – “We just as a whole team continue to take it one week at a time. That’s really all you can do, just take it one week at a time. It’s not just the younger guys, it’s the veterans like myself too. Hone in what we have in front of us, and what we have in front of us is the Tennessee Titans. We’re just all zoned in on that.”
(Have you guys talked about the playoffs at all?) – “Nope.”
(What was it like for you – QB Ryan Tannehill is going against his old team, a place that was – he played in Miami for so long. What was it like for you going against your old team?) – “Man, I’m so focused on Tennessee, I really don’t feel like talking about that.”
Michael Deiter – December 29, 2021
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Wednesday, December 29, 2021
C/G Michael Deiter
(I wanted to get your reaction on reviewing the film from Monday Night’s game on the offensive line. How do you feel you guys played and what your focus is now going into this week?)– “Didn’t play well enough, obviously. A lot of stuff that we need to correct and get tighter with. That started yesterday with watching it and then making sure that everyone is detailed today and tomorrow and the next day and making sure we are getting things right. There was some good but not enough good and we can be a lot better.”
(It seemed like on Monday Night the Saints had a lot of success running those four-man rushes with the stunts, I know that’s obviously really tough post-snap but as an offensive line group, is there any way to communicate that better to make sure that the looping guy comes and isn’t free?) – “Yeah, definitely communicating would help with awareness. That way you can react faster and snap things off faster. Once the ball is snapped, it just falls back on technique. The same technique you always use to pick it up in practice, we needed to get to that in the game consistently. When we’re getting teams that run games really well, we knew they did and we just need to trust our fundamentals, technique and pick things up.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores mentioned Titans DT Jeffery Simmons being one of the best players in the NFL. They’ve got plenty of weapons up front with him, DL Denico Autry and several other guys. Just wanted to get the players perspective on what the Titans bring on that interior front against you guys this Sunday.) – “They’re really good. Obviously, Jeffery is the star of it all but they have a really good, sound defense, especially their front. They’re big, they’re fast, they’re powerful, they play smart and they play with a lot of effort. They present a lot of good challenges for us, which is exciting. It gives us a chance to go against the best and expect a lot of good stuff. Like I said, they’re big, physical, they fly around, they play smart and they play with tremendous effort.”
Brian Flores – December 29, 2021
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Wednesday, December 29, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I’m sure you heard the news yesterday that legendary coach John Madden passed away. I wanted to start off getting your thoughts on his career, his legacy and how many football generations he touched.) – “It’s a sad day for a lot of people, for the game of football. As far as legacy and impact and the amount of people and lives that he touched not only as a coach, but as a person, as a husband, as a father. I think he’s up there on the Mount Everest of coaching and obviously he had a great career as a coach and as a color commentator. From all the things that I’ve heard – I never met him – he’s a better human being. It’s a huge loss for the sport and really for everyone, so a sad day.”
(So you began the day with 14 players on the COVID list. Are any coming off in time for practice today?) – “Yeah – Cethan Carter, Justin Coleman, Robert Jones, Greg Mancz, Duke Riley will all be back.”
(I know Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman really didn’t want to go into this a lot yesterday, but with WR Jaylen Waddle obviously you have a great returner, someone who did very well at that at Alabama. You opted not to use him in that role Monday when you had WR Tommylee Lewis available. Is the thinking that you want to protect him, conserve his energy because of his vital role on offense at this point in the season?) – “There’s a lot that goes into all decisions. We always want to do what’s best for the team. Rosters – as you know, because you’re on top of this – have been very fluid and moving these last few weeks. With Jaylen (Waddle) coming off of COVID and a litany of moves that have been made really across the league, that factored in. We’ll always do what we feel is best and these obviously last couple of weeks – one because of COVID or really both because of COVID – we opted to go with Tommylee and we’ll see how it goes this week.”
(Now that we’re into the last two games of the regular season, what does experience tell you about the best way to approach a playoff stretch run? Is your coaching style and approach with the players absolutely the same as any other week and for that matter, the sense you get from the players in terms of things like intensity and focus and all of that, does any of that change or is this as normal a week as possible?) – “I’d like to think it’s as normal a week as possible. Preparation is always at a high level – our effort, our communication, always trying to be at the top of our game from that standpoint. I think this week we’ve got a great challenge in the Titans – a well-coached team, a tough, a physical team really on all three sides of the ball. So our preparation has got to be at a high level. They’ve got a lot of good players really on both sides of the ball and in the kicking game so it’ll be a big test for us.”
(I think you mentioned yesterday Titans DT Jeffery Simmons up front. I’m curious what your thoughts are on his pressure in the interior and why he’s been so good at that this year.) – “This is one of the most impressive guys I’ve seen this year. One of the top – I would say one of the top defensive players in the league. Big, strong, physical, high motor, tough to block, tough to double. But they’ve got a lot of good players on their front really across the board – (Bud) Dupree, Rashaan Evans, Zach Cunningham they claimed from the Texans. They’ve got a lot of good players in the back end as well, offensively as well. It’s a good team, a well-coached team. But (Jeffery) Simmons is definitely at the forefront.”
(If I could briefly follow up, I know a lot of times in this league we talk about the edge rushers. What sort of difference does it make when you have an interior guy who maybe is putting pressure on your guards and centers play to play?) – “Yeah, I mean there’s no pocket to step up in. That’s hard, which he does a good job of creating push up the middle and then if you can’t step up, then you go out and they have good edge rushers as well. We have our hands full with this front. We’ve got to do a good job across the board and obviously he’s a big part of that.”
(Could you assess QB Tua Tagovailoa’s play on Monday night? What you saw from reviewing the film and what it’ll take from him against this Titans defense and the challenges they present?) – “He’s going to have to do a good job from a preparation standpoint – a great job from a preparation standpoint – of getting to know their defensive players, their front, their second-level players. Obviously their DBs. We have to make good decisions with the football. Obviously it’s going to be a loud and tough environment so we’ve got to deal with that as well, but it’s not just Tua. It’s our entire offense. It’s everyone – o-line, running backs, tight ends, receivers. We need to have everyone to prepare the right way. That starts today in meetings. Have a good walkthrough, have good practices and give ourselves an opportunity to have success in the game.”
(I know you guys obviously have played in cold before, but I looked at the temperature on Sunday. It’s supposed to be in the 20s, maybe a little snow. What do you do maybe to get your guys prepped for that inclement December playoff football?) – “Put some thermals on, put a hoodie on and get out there. I don’t think we can cool up the indoor facility to those temperatures so we’ll get out there, put a sweatshirt on and get some hand warmers if that’s what you need. Look, when you’re out there on the field, your energy levels are up. Obviously we expect an intense, physical 60-minute ballgame so when you’re out there, I think guys will be fine and there’s heated benches or I’m sure we’ll have something like that, too.”
Josh Boyer – December 28, 2021
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Tuesday, December 28, 2021
Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer
(I want to get your assessment on this year’s Titans QB Ryan Tannehill and how the Titans offense is different from when they had Titans RB Derrick Henry back there to now – the version you’re preparing for which is them without Henry, like it’s been since about midseason here?) – “I would say when you start with Ryan Tannehill, you start with the intangibles. I think he is definitely a tough-minded quarterback. He has the arm to make all the throws and does make all the throws. He can beat you with his feet whether it’s a designed run or whether he makes a play to extend with his legs in the pass game. He makes good decisions. He makes good reads. I would say whether – I think their offensive philosophy is they’re going to run the ball, they’re going to use play-action, they’re going to get into manageable third downs and they’re going to try to wear you down and they’re going to play for 60 minutes because they’re a tough, physical team. They’re tough-minded and I think Ryan Tannehill embodies all that.”
(You mentioned tough and physical so you still see those traits definitely even since they’ve been without Derrick Henry?) – “Absolutely, yeah. Derrick Henry is a good back, there’s no question about it. But I think their philosophy and what they try to do – and they have capable backs – they have a very good scheme and they have a very good offensive line and they’re going to be physical in all facets of the game and we’re excited for the challenge. Obviously this is the biggest game of the year for us. We’re excited for it and we’re going to need to be at our best for 60 minutes because we’re going to get that from Tennessee.”
(It was obviously a really big night for your entire defense and CB Nik Needham kind of started that off with the pick-six. The week before we’d seen him play pretty much every snap at safety and then he kind of goes back to nickel. He’s played outside when CB Xavien Howard and CB Byron Jones went out. How does he kind of embody everything you look for in a Dolphins defensive player? Not only on the field but off the field.?) – “I think it starts with his work ethic and his constant desire to improve, and he puts in the work to do that. He’s mentally and physically tough. He’s a put-the-team-first guy. I think he’s everything that you want in a player in your program and it’s obviously – again like I said, we don’t really celebrate individual success. We celebrate team success, but Nik is obviously a guy that all of us are happy for when he has some success out on the field. And like I said, we’ve got a big challenge in front of us this week so I know Nik has already been in here getting prepared and ready to go for this week and whatever role that may be, he’ll accept that challenge and he’ll do his best to be at this best.”
(I saw a cool stat that over the course of the winning streak, you guys have the highest sack rate when you rush four or fewer rushers. Just wanted to get your take on how you’ve been able to get pressure with only rushing three or four and how important it is to your defense?) – “Any time you can get pressure on a quarterback, obviously it opens up things for you in the pass game and I think again, a lot of times that’s not just an individual thing that can – one, it could be the coverage is good enough to allow extra time to get there or it could be just a great individual rush or it could be a team rush that’s executed well to get pressure on the quarterback. And then I think allowing yourself to do a variety of different things and present rushes whether you’re rushing three, four, five, six, seven, eight. I think all of that puts a little bit of pressure on the offense as you go and then there’s always elements to open up – based on what you’re getting from a protection standpoint – different ways that you can attack the protection that the offense is giving you.”
(When I was looking at the league statistics at the end of last night’s game or I guess early this morning, it jumped out at me that the Dolphins are now first in the NFL in sacks. I know you’ve spoken how that’s a splash play and sometimes quarterback pressures and quarterback hits can be as impactful, but I am curious what is your opinion on the sack play and how it can change the dynamics of a game?) – “I mean obviously we’re always happy when we get sacks. You could get a sack on first down that puts you behind the chains and I think when you listen to offensive coaches talk, they’re always talking about staying on track, staying in manageable situations. Any time you get a negative play or a sack, that’s going to put them a little bit off track which sometimes puts them into a different mentality. It shrinks their call sheet a little bit or you kind of have a little bit of a better idea of maybe what’s coming as opposed to everything’s available to them. And again, it’s not that we’re not happy when we get sacks. (laughter) We just know that as a defense to put pressure on the offensive line, to put pressure on the quarterback, it’s not always a sack that does that. Sometimes you can get pressure, you can get a tipped ball, you can get an interception which ends up being a pick-six kind of like what happened last night to start the game. So again, that wasn’t a sack, but there was pressure, ball gets tipped and you’re able to have a successful play. But I think it all comes down to putting pressure on the offensive line and the quarterback in those situations and then obviously if they lose yardage, we’re all going to be happy with that and then again, there’s a lot of times when we have sack opportunities that you’ll see our guys trying to attack the ball because there’s nothing more important than the football. So sacks are nice, but if we can get a strip-sack and recover it, that just made a good play a great play, if that makes sense.”
(You guys have been consistent, generally successful against the run in this stretch. To you, has DT Christian Wilkins improved against the run? Has DT Raekwon Davis improved? Who else beyond those two might come to mind as players whose improvement against the run has pleased you?) – “I’ll credit (Defensive Line Coach) Austin Clark and (Linebackers Coach) Anthony Campanile. These guys have done a good job with these guys. And really it’s a credit to the players. Their work and their understanding –it’s one thing to improve your individual run technique and two, to understand what’s going on around you and how one particular block and the way that you play that affects a guy behind you, a guy beside you. I think we’ve garnered a better understanding of that and again, I think our players’ work ethic and their love for playing for each other and their joy to see success from others has really kind of been the catalyst for our improvement on that.”
(I wanted to ask you about LB Elandon Roberts as well. He seems to bring such a toughness – you have plenty of tough guys on your unit – but what do you think of when you think of Elandon and what he brings to a defense?) – “Again he’s a good communicator. He’s intelligent. He’s a physical player and he loves football. He cares. He wants everybody to be on the same page and he goes above and beyond to make sure that’s getting done. And we’re going to need that to continue and we’re going to need that to continue to improve because we need our best football coming this week.”
Danny Crossman – December 28, 2021
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Tuesday, December 28, 2021
Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(I wanted to ask about that perfectly downed punt between P Michael Palardy and WR Mack Hollins in that fourth quarter. How is a play like that executed? What is Mack looking for and how does he know where he’s at on the field as he’s looking up at the ball, and just the execution from a technique standpoint?) – “It’s something we work on quite a bit, especially later in the week at practice. The biggest thing is trying to have a good understanding of where we believe those ball are going to be to give the gunners a good landmark. Obviously Mack is doing a good job of winning at the line of scrimmage and making sure he avoids the returner and then obviously being able to finish the play. Very well executed. A big play at that point of the game.”
(I was hoping you were able to give me some insight on this beyond – I know every decision will be made that’s in the best interest of the team. But specifically the decision to move away from WR Jaylen Waddle since he’s come off the COVID-19 list and use WR Tommylee Lewis on returns. Obviously Tommylee got hurt. Can you share thin insight on whether you guys are trying to save Jaylen’s energy, whether Tommylee had such a good skillset returning, a combination of the two, what the reason has been?) – “No, I won’t share. (laughter) There are so many things that are going into these things and as you guys are very well aware over the last couple of weeks, there is even more that goes into it in terms of who we’re going to have on game day and how we’re going to be able to use them. There are so many things gong on right now, it really makes it interesting during the week.”
(With regards to long term with both WR Jaylen Waddle and S Jevon Holland as returners, has their work in those roles this year left you encouraged that they will be good NFL returners as we saw in college?) – “I believe so. I think both of those kids are really good. It’s been a bit of a blessing that they’ve both evolved as quickly as they have both offensively and defensively, and their roles have really, really expanded on those two sides of the ball. Both are really good players.”
(K Jason Sanders, I think we all would agree that the mental side of kicking is a big part of it. What’s his process or your message to him when the opposing team tries to ice your kicker before the half or before the end of the game?) – “For us, it’s a practice kick. Any time we snap the football, we’re gong to kick it. I thought both balls were well struck. I thought the first one he hit very well down the middle and maybe the second one, maybe after just hitting from 59, maybe he tried to give it a little umph after just going from that distance and pushed it a little bit. But to me when we miss, as long as we’re hitting good hits, and I thought that was a good hit on the ball. In terms of icing, you just play the play. You can’t control what they are going to do. The percentages and numbers are interesting when you look at them. You really got to get into certain individual players. Then it’s what the head coach wants to do. They had the timeout and didn’t feel like taking it into the half and it worked out.”
(LB Andrew Van Ginkel’s defensive snaps keep going up the past few weeks but his special teams has not decreased. I just wanted to ask you about his ability to play 80 percent of the defensive snaps and still give you 20 snaps on special teams every week?) – “A kid that we’re really happy to have, has really developed over his three years here. His production has gone up on defense, his play time has gone up on defense, and that’s how it should work. But at the same time, he’s still heavily involved in the kicking game. He’s still a very good player for us.”
(On a list of moves that have come out of nowhere, RB Jordan Scarlett being elevated was probably high on that list. Had he shown you something with his special teams acumen during his limited time on the practice squad that made you think he’s be helpful in that role last night?) – “Really, it goes more back to training camp. We had him in training camp and we felt like he has some good attributes. When we put him on practice squad with all of the issues that we had in the Jets week, then he picked up where he left off and showed us some good things, especially at the positions that he played and some of the other things that happened to us during the week. It was a move we felt comfortable and he went out and performed very well.”
George Godsey – December 28, 2021
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Tuesday, December 28, 2021
Co-Offensive Coordinator/TEs George Godsey
(Yesterday or last night, staying true to the entire season, you found some really creative ways to get WR Jaylen Waddle the ball. I was just curious as you look back at all the film from this year, how have you seen defenses adjust to covering Jaylen?) – “He’s definitely created some positive plays for us by getting open at all spots on the field. We know that going into each game there’s going to be a plan for him and then it’s we want to make sure that the defense has to adjust. We try to find as many different ways as we can to get him the ball. Inside, outside. Last night it was from the backfield. We try to do as much as possible.”
(It seems like your play calling, especially in the red zone, is uber-creative, whether it’s rolling QB Tua Tagovailoa out or whatnot. When you reach that red area, what goes through your mind as a play caller? Obviously, it’s a more confined space but what are you thinking of in terms of dialing up the best possible plays to get in the end zone?) – “Yeah, that’s it. Just trying to find some type of edge to get in there. We know that those four points, the difference between a field goal and a touchdown, are really big. The more you can pop it in there for a touchdown, the more pressure it puts on the opponent.”
(I know you try to exploit the most favorable matchups every week. But with WR DeVante Parker last night, were there plays that you had called that just didn’t materialize because of QB Tua Tagovailoa audibling or how the defense lined up? Would you like to have gotten him the ball a little more? Does it ultimately not matter because you won?) – “Yeah, I think all of our guys are happy with the victory. We’d certainly like to spread the ball out of we could as evenly as possible. There’s probably some plays that we left on the call sheet that we could have called. The way the game transpired, we kind of played it a certain way.”
(At running back, of course a little bit of a change in terms of how carries were allocated with most of them going to RB Duke Johnson and RB Phillip Lindsay. I know that’s no indictment of RB Myles Gaskin who has played a lot of snaps, but were there things you saw from Phillip and his one game a couple of weeks ago and practice after he came back from the ankle that made you guys want to give him a more expanded role last night?) – “That group is a real cohesive group and they work well together. They’re not really, they don’t really care who gets the ball. At some point they all have their roles and we expect that whole group to perform. Sometimes they’re the same, sometimes they’re different. In last night’s game, it ended up being a little bit more of Phillip, a little bit more of Duke, but that doesn’t mean that Myles’ chair isn’t there. Probably kind of similar to DeVante question.”
(Last night was a little bit more of a conservative approach given what the defense had going but I wanted to ask you about the sequence where things kind of opened up in the third quarter, back-to-back plays with the deep pass to WR Mack Hollins and then going with the flea flicker right after. What opened up there to be able to make those calls and convert those plays back-to-back?) – “it was a good drive by our unit. We were backed up a little bit and it ended up being an 80-plus yard drive. There were a couple of plays there in a row and then a good execution down there in the low red. We call plays to win the game so sometimes they end up being a little bit more explosive as everybody says than others. We felt good about the way we were playing as a team and ultimately, the defense played well and was able to keep them out of the endzone.”
(With this quick turnaround, your early impressions on this Titans defense and what is important to stress to QB Tua Tagovailoa and the rest of the guys?) – “I would say everybody has got to jump on this film pretty soon. This is a good defense. They know what they are doing. They are sound. They are obviously playing well at all three levels from level one with the d-line, level two with the linebackers or the nickel and level three with the secondary. These guys play well together, they communicate well, they’ve got very quick reactions to what they see and they’re in the right spots. We’re going to need to execute for four quarters here for this game.”
(What can you say about WR Mack Hollins and his knack for making big plays with limited opportunities? What can you say about that and is there a part of you, I know there is only one ball, but is there part of you that wishes he had more opportunities?) – “He’s found himself in a role where he’s helping on all four downs. He’s helping in the special teams area. He did that last night and then from down to down with a lot of the misdirection, motions. Those receivers end up shuffling in and out. They all have their role on normal downs and on third down and at some point, like it happened last night, somebody is going to need to make a play that the defense maybe honing in on Jaylen specifically on that play. We had some leverage issues on some of the route concepts and that was the correct player to throw the ball to. He won the route and he came down with a great catch for a big play that really turned the field and that created a positive scoring drive. I would say that that play really ignited that drive, obviously because we had two really zero-yard plays right before that.”
(You had mentioned putting together a game plan to win the game. I think you’ve spoken recently about the offensive collaboration that you guys all come together for the gameplan. I was curious how much collaboration there is with the offensive side and the defensive side when it comes to putting together a cumulative gameplan. How does that work for the offensive side of the ball?) – “The head coach does a good job of putting us all on the same page and understanding each side, including the special teams roles in the game. When we develop a gameplan, you don’t really necessarily know how the game is going. The game may end up being one way or the other. Last week against the Jets, we’re down 10-0, so our gameplan goes to when you’re down 10-0 as far as calls go. We got up 10-0 in this game so that’s kind of how the calls go from that standpoint. I think it’s really hard to predict exactly how the game is going and how it will go. You want to have enough calls for however which way the game ends up unfolding. Fortunately for us, we maintained the lead for the whole game so we ended up playing a certain way.”
(I wanted to ask you to assess your offensive line play last night and how it can impact play-calling in certain occasions where rushers are getting to the quarterback quickly?) – “Yeah, I think early on in the first series, we had a pressure on a third down where we had Myles (Gaskin) coming open across the field. I think our guys would like to have that back. Shoot I’d like to probably have that back from a protection standpoint of how we called it. There’s some ebbs and flows of the game. I know the environment created some issues for us like all road games do. There are certain things there that are probably a little bit easier in a home atmosphere. That’s part of the league, that’s how the schedule is and we’re going to have overcome those again this week and do a better job from a play call to execution.”
(Brian Griese made a bizarre comment last night citing a conversation with you and suggesting on second and third and longs, you would just assume punt which I know cannot be precisely what you said. Do you remember that conversation and the point that you were trying to get across?) – “I didn’t hear his comment. I think for some downs, third down and very long, that’s a tough situation and it’s really not fair to a unit, the quarterback, the line, to put that much stress on those type of players. I don’t remember that exactly being the comment but I’m sure that’s really what we were alluding to that sometimes some of those situations are so unfair to that – now we put ourselves in that situation, let’s not forget that. But when you get yourself in third and extra long in this league, those percentages of converting are very low. If we got to have it at the end of the game, we’ll go for it and we’ll try to test the waters so to say. But we don’t want to make a living there in those situations at all. I think Brian knows that as a former quarterback too. That’s kind of how that conversation went.”
Brian Flores – December 28, 2021
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Tuesday, December 28, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(You’ve gone this long with this current offensive line group. I would presume, correct me if I’m wrong, you’d probably stick with them. How do you think they played last night and is the Tennessee front as strong a group as you’ll face this year?) – “Yeah, Tennessee has got a very good team. They’re well coached, a very good front, linebackers, DBs, backs, receivers, offensive linemen. So they’ve got a good team. But yeah, certainly from a front standpoint. Jeffery Simmons is probably one of the top players in the league. He leads the charge there. They’ve got a lot of good players up front. It’ll be a good challenge for us. I think New Orleans had a good front as well. A lot of good players there. They gave us some issues, some problems, which you would expect against a team with a front like that. We’ve got to play better. We’ve got some corrections to make. We need to play well this week.”
(Is there any roster moves you expect today with COVID, injury list or otherwise?) – “We’re going through the injury situation. We’re still running some tests on a couple of guys. Tommylee (Lewis) is the one we’re still kind of running some tests on him. On the COVID front, like any medical situation, I don’t get into a guy’s medical situation. I’ll leave it at that.”
(I wanted to ask you about turning the page quickly after Monday night and a slightly shorter week. Also as the Titans have had extra days to prepare coming off of a Thursday night game?) – “It’s a quick turnaround. A quick watch of the game last night. Probably a lot of our guys have taken a look at Tennessee and gotten a head start. Definitely a quick turnaround. We’ve got a lot of work to do to get a gameplan put together offensively, defensively and in the kicking game, getting to know their roster, getting to know their players, their coaches. It’s a very good team.”
(I also wanted to ask you about WR A.J. Brown. Without revealing too much obviously, is he a guy that demands a greater variety of looks and coverage than what you may normally allow CB Xavien Howard or CB Byron Jones to handle one-on-one?) – “Yeah, he’s one of the top receivers in the league. I think (Ryan) Tannehill is doing a great job of getting him the football. They’re scheming things up to get it to him, which as they should. His talent level, he is someone we’ve got to pay attention to. They’ve got other receivers, backs, tight ends. And Tannehill is certainly getting him the ball and doing a good job of leading that offense.”
(From Week 9 to the present, you guys have the highest sack rate when rushing four or fewer rushers. I wanted to ask you how you’re able to generate pressure without blitzing and the importance of doing so?) – “I think Josh (Boyer) and our defensive staff have done a nice job of putting together gameplans and putting our guys in good position. You really can’t rush unless you stop the run, so I think we’re doing a good job on early downs trying to get that done. I think opportunities to pressure, there is a lot that’s involved there. I think people just think you put your hand in the dirt and rush the passer, but oftentimes the score dictates it, the situation dictates it. If they are running the ball, then there is no pass rush. If you’re down points then they are more apt to run it, so there is no pass rush. There are a lot of things that go into it. It’s not a seven-on-seven league or just a passing league. As a team, we’ve put ourselves in position where we’ve created some situations where it’s more likely than not that it’s going to be pass. Our guys kind of know and understand that. They work well together to try to beat protections and win on rushes. Credit to the players obviously is No. 1 there.”
(I believe when you first came here, you may have had a month or two crossover with QB Ryan Tannehill here before you guys made a move. I’m curious how you think his game has evolved after he left here now running that offense in Tennessee?) – “He’s a very good player. Good arm, mobile, good command of the offense, makes checks at the line of scrimmage. He’s a very good player.”
(Following up on QB Ryan Tannehill, I remember in 2019 you and General Manager Chris Grier talked about getting together to discuss whether or not to move forward with Ryan or move on. What was your assessment of Ryan and what went into that decision at that time in 2019?) – “Well, 2019 is not really something that is on my mind right now. Like I just said, Ryan Tannehill is a very good player. He’s on the Tennessee Titans, who we are seeing this week. This is a major challenge for us. He can run. He can throw. He’s had a lot of success with them. Really, I’m kind of focused on the guys that are on our team. This is going to be a big challenge so those conversations from 2019 are kind of really far from my mind right now. ‘Vrabes’ (Mike Vrabel) and his staff and his team, this is a tough, physical group really on all three sides and Ryan is a part of that. I think his demeanor, his temperament, the way he goes about things, his toughness, I think that shows on their offense. I think that permeates throughout their team. He’s shown leadership and this is going to be a tough challenge for us.”
(Can I ask a more general follow in terms of your opinion about what’s most important at the quarterback position. Every franchise is seeking a ‘Franchise Quarterback.’ What in your estimation are the most important attributes of the ‘Franchise Quarterback?’) – “Again, another answer for things that are far from my mind. I’m really on the Titans. But toughness, competitiveness, intelligence, leadership. These are kind of like draft questions. But leadership, accuracy, taking care of the football. That’s kind of what I think every team is looking for. Yeah, I think that’s what every team is looking for.”
(What have you seen from WR Jaylen Waddle inside the building behind the scenes that maybe has led to some of the recent statistical success he’s had over the last month or so?) – “Jaylen, I think he’s done a good job really since he got here, since he stepped foot in the building. He’s tough. He’s smart. He’s a sponge as far as wanting to learn the receiver position, defenses, defensive structures. Are they playing me inside leverage, outside leverage, double teams, which he’s starting to see a little bit more of now and how to handle those. He’s talented. He’s got speed. He’s got quickness. He’s got good hands. We’re trying to figure out different ways to get him the ball whether it’s coming out of the backfield, whether he’s running routes just one on one, crossing routes, cross routes, vertical routes. I think he’s done a nice job.”
(I know you mentioned Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel. I’m curious what the dynamic is for you. A guy that you coached early in your career – you guys are a similar age but you coached him. I’m curious what your relationship is and how that may impact how you gameplan for him as a coach?) – “I didn’t coach Vrabel. I would say he probably more coached me as a young guy in New England when he was there and he was a player. He was pretty much a coach on the field then. I certainly didn’t coach him but I have a lot of respect for him. I think his toughness, his acumen, I think that shows up and you see it in the way his team plays. He’s somebody I call a friend. I have a great deal of respect for him and I think they’ve got a lot of guys on their staff who I’ve worked with. Jon Robinson, their general manager. Monti Ossenfort, who is a guy that I kind of came up with in the scouting game. Ryan Cowden. There are a lot of relationships there with the Titans. I think they’ve done a lot of really good things over there building a team, building the culture. A lot of things that we would like to emulate.”
(Obviously you’re concerned with keeping all your players healthy but I’m curious with the end of the regular season approaching and the increased importance of every game moving forward, if you had any plan specifically for your quarterbacks? Like maybe to, I know there’s a team or two that are keeping their QBs separate from the rest of the team. Just wondering if you had any plans for QB Tua Tagovailoa and QB Jacoby Brissett?) – “I think our setup here, everything is virtual so that’s kind of how we are setup now. We are really trying to keep everybody away from everybody as much as we can.”
Jaylen Waddle – December 27, 2021 (Postgame)
Monday, December 27, 2021
Postgame – New Orleans
WR Jaylen Waddle
(10 catches for 92 yards and 1 touchdown. How did it feel playing in your first Monday Night Football game?) – “It was great, it was great. Really any time we win or get a W, it’s always great. It was fun. It was fun.”
(What are your thoughts on tying the Monday Night Football record with WR Jerry Rice on 10 receptions for a rookie?) – “Yeah, I didn’t even really know. I just literally found out like five minutes ago. Jerry Rice is the GOAT so anything with him is an honor.”
(The first team in NFL history to have seven straight losses and then seven straight wins in the same season, what does that say about the way that you guys were able to stick together?) – “It just really speaks to the team, how we are going to fight with each other every week. Every opportunity we get, we are just going to try to go out there and just compete.”
(After you scored the touchdown, I wrote down WR Jaylen Waddle touchdown run but I messed that up. It goes in the record books as a touchdown pass and catch. What do you think about that?) – “It was pretty cool. I know it was a weird play design. It was smooth. I liked the play call. It was a great play call. Our OC called it at that time. It’s pretty fun any time you score. It’s hard to score in this league so any time you score is big.”
(You guys have had some good success in the red zone, what do you like about the types of plays that are being called in the red zone?) – “I think our OC does a good job of keeping the defense honest in how they play us specifically in that area. I like it. I think we are doing good. Still room to improve here and there, but I like it.”
(I know you don’t necessarily keep track of these things, but on this 10-receptions game, you are on pace to break WR Anquan Boldin’s rookie record for receptions. Is that something that would be important to you?) – “Important… I wouldn’t say it’s something I got my mind focused on, but I’m all for it as long as it comes with some wins. It would obviously be pretty cool because the NFL is a special league, so anything in this league to have a record in is always big.”
(You’re now in the No. 7 position for the AFC standings meaning if you win out, you get in the playoffs. You don’t need any help. What’s it like to move into that position and when did you become aware that you would not need any help from another team?) – “Really just right now. Honestly, I think our team does a good job of staying on course, taking it one day at a time, one play at a time and then just going out there and competing when it comes time to compete.”
