Robert Hunt – January 3, 2022
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Monday, January 3, 2022
G/T Robert Hunt
(I’m wondering what’s the overriding feeling in the locker room this morning as it sinks in that you are not going to make it to the playoffs this season?) – “It’s not a great feeling. We all wanted to win. We all wanted to go to the playoffs. Losing a tough one, it’s never fun. I would say nobody’s happy.”
(Does that make the final week of the regular season tougher to get motivated for or as a competitor, do you still get up for this final chance to play this season against a division rival?) – “Of course, we want to play. We want to go out, take it one day at a time and of course the goal is to try to end the season on a good note. That’s exactly what we’re trying to do.”
(Is finishing with a winning record – you guys are 8-8 now and a win would put you at 9-8 – is that something that motivates you guys or the team?) – “For myself, yeah I would like to do that. I’m sure everybody else would like to do that too. That’s the goal pretty much. I’m sure everybody wants to win. I know we all want to win. We all want to go out on a good note, like I said.”
(Since this probably will be the last time we get a chance to talk to you until this summer, I just wanted to ask you if you are happy and content at right guard, if that is where your position is long term. Is there any part of you that would still like to play tackle?) – “Wherever the coaches need me, wherever I’m at, whenever they need me, I’ll be available to go. I got some stuff to work on still, but I think I can be great at guard and tackle in my opinion.”
(How would you assess how you played at the guard position your first full pro year there?) – “There are things that I need to get better at, for sure. Starting to get the hang of it here a little late. That is starting to work well for me. There’s some stuff that I can improve on.”
(How would you assess where the offensive line as a whole is right now?) – “I think we’re getting better. We have our ups and downs and that’s that, but I think we’re definitely getting better. I think we have a room full of guys who care, that want to get better and that are willing to get better. That always speaks volumes and I think we got a great room of guys that are willing to do that.”
Brandon Jones – January 2, 2022 (Postgame)
Sunday, January 2, 2022
Postgame – Tennessee
S Brandon Jones (transcribed by Tennessee Titans)
(on getting to play after being on the reserve/COVID list and not being able to practice all week)
Yeah, obviously it’s a little challenging for me because I’m really big on the physical reps, getting in practice and being able to have an overall routine. It kind of messed me up a little bit, but I just had to do more mentally when it came to watching film, asking my coach any questions if I had any and understanding the playbook. Just kind of took it day-to-day and didn’t know the actual plan for today, but I got some playing time and it was good to be out there.
(on if he was symptomatic)
I was feeling a little under the weather kind of early on in the week, but when Wednesday rolled around, I was feeling good, had no symptoms and stuff, just still testing positive. At that point, all I could do was just kind of wait and see if I could either test out early, or with the new protocol just wait to get released after five days.
(on the unorthodox trip to Nashville)
Yeah, I traveled separately.
(on if it is possible for the season to still be a success without going to the postseason)
Yeah, I think for me, personally, making the playoffs is kind of in the rearview mirror. I’m really big on just focusing and taking it one game at a time. So obviously, just losing itself, regardless of the outcome, what it cost us, what it didn’t cost us, I’m just really upset how we kind of played as a team. Just knowing how good we can be and when we’re out there playing on the same accord, from offense, defense, to special teams, it’s always frustrating when stuff doesn’t go your way. Tennessee did a really good job overall gameplanning on all three phases. We just didn’t execute.
(on what he thinks went wrong with the run defense)
Obviously, their coaches just put them in really good positions when it came to how to get everybody blocked up. The running backs did a really good job with hitting it, getting it vertical, even if it was stretch game and it was a designed run, outside zone run. They did a really good job with just seeing the hole and kind of making that first cut and getting up field. From a gameplan standpoint, I think they just did a really good job of executing and kind of making us struggle a little bit on the defensive side.
Mike Gesicki – January 2, 2022 (Postgame)
Sunday, January 2, 2022
Postgame – Tennessee
TE Mike Gesicki (transcribed by Tennessee Titans)
(on the feelings inside the locker room)
This is the situation that we’re in. We obviously have proved that there’s a lot of resiliency in this locker room. So, just have to get back to work. We’ve got another opportunity to play a very good team a week from today, so back to work.
(on the disappointment of today’s performance knowing they needed a win)
Obviously, if you’re a competitor you’re disappointed. That’s the situation we’re in.
(on if the offensive performance was the most frustrating outcome)
Yeah, we obviously could have played better on the offensive side of the football. We’re going to get back to work for it. Like I said, there’s a lot of resiliency in that locker room, a lot of guys that are looking forward to another opportunity this upcoming week.
(on the playing conditions)
I think, honestly, it was a factor for both teams, but it is what it is. It’s exactly like you said, they had to play in it too. So, you can’t point your finger at that being a deciding factor.
(on if they had an alternative gameplan for the rain)
Duke Johnson – January 2, 2022 (Postgame)
Sunday, January 2, 2022
Postgame – Tennessee
RB Duke Johnson (transcribed by Tennessee Titans)
(on the field and elements affecting the game)
I mean, nothing major really. It was a field. It wasn’t the best field, but it wasn’t the worst. Both teams played on the same field, so it was cool.
(on the frustrations of the offensive miscues)
I won’t say frustrating. Disappointed in a sense, because we know what we’re capable of doing on offense. But at the end of the day, it’s about going out there and performing and doing it on Sundays. We practice all week. We do what we’re supposed to do, but we didn’t execute today.
(on the disconnect on offense)
Not finishing drives. We just didn’t finish our drives. We had some drives where we strung along good plays. We got down there, we just didn’t finish. Again, like I said, we had a great week of practice and did what we’re supposed to do. We just didn’t turn it over to today.
Elandon Roberts – January 2, 2022 (Postgame)
Sunday, January 2, 2022
Postgame – Tennessee
LB Elandon Roberts (transcribed by Tennessee Titans)
(on the issues with the run game)
We have to tip our hats off to Tennessee. They came and played well offensively. We just have to watch this tape and really look at this one.
(on the state of the locker room)
Of course, with any loss, it’s emotions because week in and week out because it all goes into an opponent. We’re going to really look at this one, and we have another big opponent coming up next week and we’re going to put all our focus toward them.
Christian Wilkins – January 2, 2022 (Postgame)
Sunday, January 2, 2022
Postgame – Tennessee
DT Christian Wilkins (transcribed by Tennessee Titans)
(on the Dolphins’ difficulty defending the run today)
I think they kind of just figured us out. They were able to run the ball effectively, just stayed consistent with the run. A few yards here, a few yards there. They were able to pop some big ones, which is unfortunate because I feel like we’ve done a pretty good job with the run all year and we know what type of defense we are and what we can be. Tennessee’s a good team so hats off to them. They were just the better team today.
(on what the Titans did to neutralize the pressure)
Well, they ran the ball a lot for starters, so that takes away opportunities to rush the passer. They were able to run the ball effectively all game. Like I said, we just weren’t able – we just didn’t play well enough defensively and on early downs, especially stopping the run.
(on it being frustrating to have been two wins away from the playoffs before today’s game)
Not really, focused on what needs to happen. Just trying to take care of what we can take care of. We’re going to do what we’ve done all year together. Stick together. Come in tomorrow. Flush this loss. It’s definitely unfortunate though, because we’ve been experiencing a lot of winning lately, been doing a pretty good job. The recipe, the formula is still the same. 24-hour rule, flush this one. Get back to work tomorrow. Best seven days of the season yet.
Tua Tagovailoa – January 2, 2022 (Postgame)
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Sunday, January 2, 2022
Postgame – Tennessee
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(When you kind of look back at some of the sloppy execution in terms of the fumble and obviously there was some rain and wind involved, how much did that play a role in some of the execution or lack of it and do you think that you were maybe prepared for that?) – “It played somewhat of a role but at the game, you got to go out there and you got to execute the plays regardless of the conditions, regardless of what it is. And, that, we just didn’t do enough of.”
(There are going to be a lot of people questioning right now if you are the quarterback who can put the Dolphins over the hump and take them to the playoffs. Why are people wrong to doubt you moving forward?) – “I think people have their own opinions. I’ve heard this the entire time I’ve been here so at the end of the day, I can control what I can control and that’s to be the best version of myself for this team. We’ve got to move on to the next game at this point. We’ll look at the mistakes that we’ve made, make some corrections and move on.”
(You mentioned the mistakes, I wanted to ask you this week as you always say, the coaches put a game plan in place and prepare you the best way possible. Leading up to this, things that worked did not work today. I know that you have to watch film but if you had to summarize, was it a miscue or mistakes out there overall by the offense?) – “If one person doesn’t do what they need to do, then it pretty much screws up the play. Whether it’s me making a certain throw, the running backs running and finding the right lane with the line blocking a certain way, the receivers’ routes. Everything matters, the little things matter. It was just poor execution on our part.”
(A key play when the game was still close and you guys drove into field goal range and then the third-down sack kind of pushed you back and then the long field goal came up just short. Can you take us through what broke down on that play?) – “Can’t take the sack. Obviously I tried to step up and fire it into Jaylen (Waddle), but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to so that’s what happened. I couldn’t execute that.”
(How would you describe the emotions for yourself and for your teammates?) – “It’s never a good feeling, losing. There’s been about seven games where we’ve been able to pull out and string some wins so, it’s tough. It’s tough to win on the road. You lose, it’s never a good feeling. It’s just back to the way we got to do things and move on to next week.”
(Specifically over the last three weeks, have you noticed any sort of difference in how defenses are playing you guys? Have they been figuring this offense out a little bit or just making a couple tweaks here and there? What’s been the difference that you’ve seen?) – “I think they really run with what they do well. There’s really not much game-planned unless it’s third down. They’ll bring some pressure here and there on normal down and distances, but other than that they stick to what they do and what they do really well. They just go out there and execute. We try to stick to what we do and try to execute, but obviously that wasn’t the case today.”
(Just to follow up do you feel like they’ve been – starting with that Jets game – do you feel like teams have been any more ready for this quick passing game, this kind of rhythm and timing passing game that you guys like to do on offense?) – “I’m not too sure as far as how they prepare for us. I think a lot of the teams that we’ve been playing, we know here within these last couple of weeks, they’re really good teams. They got veteran guys out there and their communication is at an all-time. We just got to do a better job of executing.”
(Is there a level of uncomfort playing from behind because over this winning streak you’ve been ahead for the most part?) – “No. It’s football. You’ve got to not worry about the score. You just keep your head down and you keep fighting and you try to string some good plays together to get some points on the board.”
(Your first pass was a deep pass. Second play was a pass. Was that just stuff you saw or was the game plan to come out attacking this defense? Strong defensive line obviously and what were you guys trying to do offensively today?) – “Offensively we wanted to try and push the ball downfield, get into some of the areas that we felt were going to be voided with the play-action game. We wanted to try to stay ahead of the sticks, be in manageable third downs, but that wasn’t the case with our first three series. We were third-and-9, I think third-and-10 and maybe another third-and-10. But yeah, you can’t go out there and not be able to execute on the road against a good team and expect the outcome to be good. Just needs to be better execution from us.”
Brian Flores – January 2, 2022 (Postgame)
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Sunday, January 2, 2022
Postgame – Tennessee
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Obviously you expected to see a physical game, but they rushed for 198 yards on you. What happened from a defensive standpoint?) – “I think they did a good job. We’ve got to credit the Titans. They had a good plan. I thought we did some good things early and then they made some adjustments. We had some missed tackles. We had some guys out of gaps. They took advantage. We’ve got to do a better job.”
(Could you put into words the totality of what this team is feeling right now? Fighting all the way back into the playoff picture to now being on the brink of elimination?) – “Any time you don’t have the performance you’re looking for, you’re disappointed. But this group, they’re going to stick together, support one another, get back out there tomorrow, make the corrections tomorrow and prepare for another big game next week.”
(I’m curious what kind of impact do you think the weather conditions and the field conditions had on the outcome of this game? It looked like QB Tua Tagovailoa’s specifically ball security was a little, I guess less secure than usual?) – “I think there was rain, it was slick; but regardless of that we’ve got to do a good job of protecting the football and that’s always our No. 1 priority. We’ve got to do a better job protecting it. That’s always a top priority, and they had the same elements we had that we were dealing with, so even playing field from that standpoint. We’ve got to do a better job.”
(I actually wanted to ask you about Titans QB Ryan Tannehill and the blitzes. They weren’t necessarily effective against him or you guys didn’t utilize them as much. Was that the game plan? What were the Titans doing to neutralize the pressure?) – “The run game was a part of that. We’ve got to get them in situations where – we try to get people in situations where we believe it’s going to be a pass so obviously the run game and the success running it kind of neutralized some of that. I think they had a plan for a lot of it from a protection standpoint.”
(I wanted to ask you about the play where there appeared to be a fumble in Tennessee territory that DE Emmanuel Ogbah came out of the pile with. What was the explanation you received there and was that something you could challenge?) – “They said it came out of it a new ball.”
(G/T Austin Jackson was out quickly for a series. G Solomon Kindley and then Jackson came back in. What happened there?) – “Austin (Jackson) just had to come out for a series. Solomon (Kindley) obviously backs him up. He went back in when he was ready.”
(I’m curious did you get an explanation for the no pass interference call on WR DeVante Parker there I think on fourth-and-11?) – “He said he didn’t see a hook and that’s his call.”
(You come into this game with an opportunity to control your own playoff destiny. How much was that something that you guys were thinking about this week and then given the loss how discouraging is it to have an opportunity like this and then putting out a performance like that?) – “Every week we put our best foot forward to try to have a good performance. It was no different this week. I think our guys prepared the right way. I thought we had a good week of practice. The Titans are a good team. They had a good plan and we didn’t play well enough in any phase. And that starts with me. I didn’t coach it well enough either, so we’ll go back and make the corrections and try to play better next week.”
(You mentioned earlier about the missed tackles and you mentioned about just some of the mistakes. Is it the most frustrating thing as you prepare your team as you always do every week what happened today along those lines whether it being mistakes or miscues?) – “I think it always comes back to fundamentals and technique – tackling, breaking tackles, blocking guys, defeating blocks. We can come up with all the – we have a plan, but at the end of the day that’s really what football boils down to. So we’ve got to take care of those fundamentals and we had some miscommunication issues as well. It’s against a good team. Got to take care of all those little things or else they take advantage.”
(When the game was still within reach one of the offensive plays that stands out to me is a sack that was taken on third down that created a 53-yard field goal that was then missed. What was your perspective on that situation and that play?) – “I think it was a third-and-9 on the 50-yard line, but yeah, you don’t want a sack in that situation. Created a longer field goal which we ended up missing. Got to execute better. We’ve got to protect better. We’ve got to get open quicker. We weren’t able to do that. It led to a sack. Losing those couple of yards was the difference in the field goal, especially with the weather.”
