Jerome Baker – September 22, 2021
Download PDF version
Wednesday, September 22, 2021
LB Jerome Baker
(We haven’t seen you rush quite as much, is that something you’ll bring up to Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer, saying ‘hey, give me a few more chances?’ I know you’re a team guy and you have value in pass coverage too. Is that ever anything you might be antsy to do more of?) – “I’m honestly one of those guys that whatever they need me to do, I’m down to do it. They ask me to do so many different things, so I don’t want to say something like that. We have guys that can get after the quarterback. We’re pretty fine. I try do whatever they tell me to do and I’m down to do it.”
(I know the rule with your team and most team about moving onto the next opponent. Has there been any lingering depression for you guys? You guys are used to winning the last year and a half and that was a very difficult moment Sunday.) – “Yeah, we just didn’t execute. I honestly think we just to turn the page. It’s still early in the year and we’re better than what we showed Sunday. We just turn the page and focus on the Raiders. That’s been our main focus. We’re not going to let it linger and let it affect us for the rest of the year. We’ve got a long year. We’ve got to turn the page and keep going.”
(The last time you guys played in Vegas, a pretty wild finish. How much fun was that finish?) – “I am so excited to play there. Their stadium was amazing and it was empty. I can just imagine what it is now. I’m excited. It was a fun game last year. It will be a tough game this year. I’m excited, we’re all excited and it’s definitely going to be a good one.”
(Head Coach Brian Flores called the Las Vegas offense explosive. That’s the word he used to describe them. What stands out to you about them last year and if anything has changed at all?) – “It’s the same thing. They are explosive. They get the ball down field. They get the ball to their playmakers. It’s going to be a challenge for us and I’m excited. We’re going to be fine. We’ve just got to execute and really play together.”
(How did QB Jacoby Brissett look today in practice?) – “He looked good. We’re going to support him. We’re going to expect him to lead our offense. He’s going to be fine and we all have trust in him.”
(Do you have feelings or feel bad for QB Tua Tagovailoa with his situation with injury?) – “Yeah. Tua is my guy, so just to see him banged up, I don’t like – I don’t like seeing anybody hurt in football. But the reality is it comes with the sport. I know he’s going to be in the training room, getting his body right. He’s going to come back, he’s going to bounce back and be stronger.”
(I think you said after the game Sunday that QB Jacoby Brissett showed a lot of poise, and a lot of confidence and he’s a guy that can pick it up if QB Tua Tagovailoa is not in there.) – “Yeah. He’s been like that the whole year. With him, he was behind Tua, but he was coming in and getting our defense right, our first-team defense, and coaching us up, telling us what he sees. He’s been like that the whole year. He’s definitely helped us. Now we’re excited he gets his shot to be the first-team quarterback and we all believe in him. He’s going to do well.”
(You’ve practiced against both of those dudes, what stands out to you as the biggest difference between them?) – “Really just experience. That’s pretty much the main thing. Tua (Tagovailoa) is a younger guy. You can tell that’s really the main thing. Jacoby (Brissett) has seen a lot more defenses, so he knows little things. That’s pretty much the main thing. Just experience.”
(We heard from Head Coach Brian Flores that QB Tua Tagovailoa was trying to re-enter the game on Sunday. Did you see any glimpse of that in the locker room at halftime?) – “No, I didn’t see that. Just knowing Tua, I know he definitely was doing that. He’s one of those guys that wants to be out there with the team and just help us win. I’m sure that was definitely Tua. That sounds like him. Right now, he has to get healthy and he’s going to come back and be stronger for us.”
(For clarity, if you get brought back to the locker room, where are you during halftime? Are you in the position where you can see the rest of your teammates in the locker room, or are you off to the side?) – “We’re all in the locker room. It’s pretty much offense on one side, defense on the other. We get a little break where you can walk around and get your mind right. Guys that are hurt are usually in the training room, so you really don’t see them. That sounds like Tua. He’s definitely a guy that just wants to be out there and help us win and he’ll do anything to help us win. That sounds like him.”
(You get to tackle RB Kenyan Drake. What’s that going to be like?) – “That’s going to be fun. That’s my boy. We’ve been competing for so long. When he was here, now that I actually get to hit him, and really compete in a game day setting, it’s going to be fun. I’m definitely excited to go against him.”
(You might find yourself having to stick TE Darren Waller at some point. What stands out about his game?) – “He’s just a playmaker. He gets open, he’s physical. He’s one of those guys you have to look out for on pretty much every play. Last year was a challenge and this year is going to be a bigger challenge. They are rolling right now and we’ve got to go up there and execute and play together. That’s the main thing we got to do, just play together and execute and we’ll be fine. I’m excited to go up against him. I’m excited to go out there Sunday and bounce back.”
Jacoby Brissett – September 22, 2021
Download PDF version
Wednesday, September 22, 2021
QB Jacoby Brissett
(You said you always prepare as a starter and you’re ready for these moments when you get called on. Just kind of your mentality as you led practice today.) – “Yeah, I mean nothing has changed. Obviously I’m taking the bulk of the reps. It’s just my mentality. Like I said, nothing has changed from when I said Sunday that I feel like I’m a starter so I prepare that way. There’s no difference in my preparation this week than there was last week.”
(When did Head Coach Brian Flores give you the final nod that it’s going to be you this week.) – “We talked about it today.”
(So if I told you when you were like 10 years old that at some point in your life, you would start at quarterback for the Dolphins – thinking back to your 10-year-old self, what would you have said or thought?) – “Not a chance in hell that I would probably make it this far. (laughter) Definitely not playing for the Dolphins. Yeah, it’s pretty cool.”
(Were you a Dolphins fan growing up?) – “No, I was not a football fan. Yeah. Crazy.”
(I guess you talked about having the rep difference. Obviously now that you’re the guy, what is it like chemistry-wise when you get those reps in a game week versus when you don’t?) – “It makes a tremendous difference because you are getting those reps with the guys and you can talk through things that not only you see but you feel when you’re out there. I think that’s just been the most important thing from today was a lot of those guys, just us getting on the same page not only just from the physical part but the mental part too.”
(You took some hits Sunday and you needed a little time getting up from one of the hits in the game. Physically, how did you come out of Sunday?) – “I’m good. Like I said, I’m still standing with a smile. If I’m laying on the ground for a while it’s just I want to catch my breath. (laughter) It’s nothing too dramatic. I’ll get up next time faster though for you. (laughter)”
(So you weren’t a football fan at age 10. How did that evolution come along and who made you into a football fan?) – “I mean I still played football. I just loved basketball. I had favorite football players obviously growing up. My older brothers played football, so that was just my way to stay connected with them and with our neighborhood friends. My mom made sure I played multiple sports and not just concentrate on basketball. Then I stopped growing, so therefore I needed to take this a little serious. That’s what made me stop liking basketball.”
(You said after the game Sunday that you did not view yourself as a backup, that you viewed yourself as a starter. Is that mentality what kept you going through camp to be prepared for this moment?) – “I think that’s been my mentality since I got in the league. That’s what I just – I’ve been in situations where I honestly didn’t know when my chances and my opportunity was going to come. So I just wanted to make sure when I went out there I put my best foot forward and just stick with that mindset. It’s put me in good situations.”
(Early in the 2019 season, when you were starting, you played very, very well in terms of touchdowns to interception percentage… What are some of the things that you remember were going really well for you at that time, that you’d love to see continue here?) – “It really just comes down to confidence. Obviously that was years ago with a different team. I think this will present some of the same opportunities with the guys and them feeling my confidence in them and also in myself and what we’re doing in our plan against who we’re going against. I think the only thing that really matters is that it’s really about us. If we do what we’re supposed to do to take care of ourselves, that will take care of what we need to take care of.”
(What stands out to you about the Las Vegas defense?) – “They’re playing really well right now, obviously. They’re playing really well. They’ve got a lot of good players. Obviously their front is causing some havoc. They’ve got some good players on the edge covering. Gus (Bradley) is doing a good job with those guys.”
(Do you remember watching how the Dolphins were able to win their game in Las Vegas last year and what was your reaction to that game?) – “(laughter) Well when I was in Indy, I think we needed the Dolphins to win for us to go to the playoffs. We definitely stayed up a little too late for that game. Yeah, I remember ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) and Mack (Hollins) make that play. Hopefully it doesn’t come down to that.”
(Left-handed quarterback versus right-handed quarterback, how much do things change for the other guys on the offense – whether it’s the offensive line or the receivers, the way the ball spins?) – “I think you’d have to ask them that because I don’t catch the ball from a left-handed person. (laughter)”
(Inaudible) – “No, not yet. I’m about to go re-watch film and say how were my right-handed throws compared to the left-handeds. (laughter)”
(How would you describe the leadership approach that you are planning to take throughout this week and especially on game day?) – “Really just being myself and the guy that has gotten me to this point. I don’t think it changes because your role changes, because I think that’s fake and I try not to do that – not try, I know I’m not going to do that. Really just go out there and by myself. I think that will suit me well. They’ll feel the authenticity of that from me. They’ll feel my confidence and then we’ll go from there.”
(You were smiling Sunday when you were speaking. You’re smiling now. You obviously have this gregarious personality. How much do you think that alone rubs off on other guys? When you have a positive attitude towards something, that obviously has to help the people around you.) – “I hope so. Look, it was the second game of the season. We’ve got a long season to go ahead. The mindset is just we’re still finding things to get better at and still trying to find our identity and still trying to go and continue our foundation and our bricks that are going to build this offense and this team. We can’t abandon those just because one thing happens and one game looks like that, because you’re going to have those along the way. You hope that once you go back and watch the film, you correct them and you grow from that.”
(I asked LB Jerome Baker a little bit ago about what stands out about you and he mentioned the experience, the fact that you’ve seen a lot of things and defenses. What can your experience add to this team with a young offense and a young offensive line.) – “I don’t necessarily think about it more as experience but just me being who I am, hopefully that just adds a little bit of difference. Look, it’s not my offense or Tua (Tagovailoa’s) offense. It’s the team. We’re going to go as the team goes, not as the quarterback position goes or whatever position goes. We’re going to go as we go. That’s what I relay to the guys. That’s what it’s all about. It’s not about who is starting at quarterback. It’s about us understanding the objective that week and it’s about us every week. We’ve got to go take care of our business.”
(Obviously you had a run with the Colts as the guy there. What did you learn maybe from your time there that you can maybe take here?) – “That it is a long season. Like he alluded to earlier, you have that success early in the year and then we clearly fell off towards the end. But understanding the highs and lows of the season and understanding that it’s a process of still getting better. No matter which week it is and whoever the opponent is, you still have to find ways to get better. Like I said, this is the third game of the season so we’ve got a long way to go.”
(Whenever there is pressure or sacks, fans and sometimes us media folks, we just point a finger right at the offensive line.) – “I know y’all do. It’s terrible. (laughter)”
(So I admit it.) – “It’s terrible. Stop. (laughter)”
(What I’m wondering is, how can you help the offensive line and the offense limit the amount of pressure and/or sacks?) – “I think it just comes down to – like you said, it’s not the o-line, it’s not the quarterback. It’s all of us. It’s the receivers, it’s the running backs, it’s the tight ends. It’s all of us playing a part in it. We’ve just got to find ways to get better at those things and really just understand the broad picture of what we’re trying to accomplish on each play and understanding the timing of each play and when we have a lot of time and when we don’t have a lot of time. Just playing like that. I think once we realize that and understand that, that just puts us in a better position so you guys don’t write these terrible articles about the o-line and they can’t block and (expletive) like that. (laughter)”
Brian Flores – September 22, 2021
Download PDF version
Wednesday, September 22, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Opening Statement) – “I’m going to open with Tua (Tagovailoa). I said on Monday that we were going to run some more tests. We ran those tests and Tua will be out this week. He has fractured ribs. Obviously he is in a lot of pain. He will be out this week. Jacoby (Brissett) will start. We’re just going to take it week to week. Let’s call it day to day and week to week but he’ll be out this week. I just wanted to put that out there right now. This is a tough kid. He wants to play. He’s actually trying to play. We’re going to save him from himself a little bit on this and hold him out this week and then take it week to week from there.”
(Is this injury one of those where you have to let it rest? Is there much you can do? Is it just time?) – “I’m no doctor so I don’t want to speak out of turn here when it comes to an injury like – or any injury. Rest always helps. We’ll just take it one day at a time; but right now we know that he’ll be out this week.”
(Do you anticipate QB Tua Tagovailoa being placed on IR?) – “Again, we’ll take it day to day. Like I said, he wants to play and I think he would try to play. But we will see how he responds over the next days. That’s not something that we’re really thinking about right now, but we’ve got to see how this trends over the course of the week.”
(What are you going to do as far as backup quarterback?) – “Reid Sinnett will be the backup quarterback.”
(You said QB Tua Tagovailoa took some additional tests after Monday or Tuesday. Was it a surprise that what you found on the additional tests weren’t on the initial tests?) – “Again, I’m not – X-rays, MRIs, CTs, that’s really not my ballpark. We did some more tests and that revealed the fractures. So that’s what it is. He’s in a lot of pain. Was I surprised? Is that what the question was? We got an initial diagnosis and we decided to run some more tests like we talked about on Monday. We ran them and we got this information. It’s unfortunate, but thankfully it’s not something we think is going to be – I don’t want to put a timetable on it. He’s taking it day to day. He’s better but he’s still dealing with some pain. We’ll take it one day at a time.”
(None of this is ideal obviously, but the fact that you’ve got some definitive answers early in the week, does that help him in terms of installing a plan and that sort of thing and not having certainty until Thursday or Friday or whatever?) – “You don’t want this. Nobody wants this. We are going to deal with – we have the information, we’re making a decision and we’re going to move forward with Jacoby (Brissett). The team knows that, the team understands that. Not ideal but we’re just going to move forward with the guys we have available.”
(How do you anticipate being able to get a lot of practice reps on Wednesday and Thursday or Wednesday and Friday, might help QB Jacoby Brissett compared to the situation last week?) – “Practice reps always help. We’ll have Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to go through our practice routine – early down, third down, red zone. Obviously he didn’t get a lot of reps last week. He will get a lot more this week and build some timing and some chemistry with the offensive line, the backs, the tight ends and the receivers. That always helps. You get that timing and you get those reps, you get some execution with some of those guys in practice, and hopefully it carries over to the game.”
(How does QB Jacoby Brissett’s skillset affect what you might focus on as far as running the offense compared to QB Tua Tagovailoa’s skillset?) – “Do you mean right-handed versus left-handed? I think that’s one obvious situation. One is right-handed and one is left-handed. The ball comes out a little bit differently from one guy to the other, so I think we’ll work through that from a practice standpoint. I think all of the receivers, tight ends and backs have caught the ball from both quarterbacks and really all three quarterbacks. This week, it will be Reid (Sinnett) as well. As far as a skillset, I don’t really think much changes, to be honest. We’ll just kind of move forward and try to prepare a game plan that puts us in a position to have some success.”
(Were there things that QB Jacoby Brissett did on Sunday that you liked? I know there is obviously a lotto correct, but were there things that he showed you that particularly stood out?) – “That’s a hard situation to go in with limited reps against a good team. Some of the timing things that you gain through practice, he kind of did it on the fly. I think this week will be good. I think we’ll use today, tomorrow and Friday to try to build some of that chemistry and build some of that timing in the pass game, as well as the run game, as far as ball-handling and things of that nature working with the centers. That’s the plan this week.”
(You mentioned QB Tua Tagovailoa is in a lot of pain and he wanted to play. How is he doing emotionally obviously knowing that he has to be down for this week?) – “He’s in good spirits. He’s a tough kid. He’s doing everything he can to get back as quickly as he can right now. He’s getting better. He wants to be out there. He wants to be with his teammates and I think this is the right move for him from a health standpoint and again, he wants to be out there. We’ve got to protect him though.”
(What sense do you and the coaching staff have about QB Jacoby Brissett relative to his ability to understand defenses and sense pressure and be good in the pocket awareness category?) – “I think all the quarterbacks do a good job from that standpoint – can step up in the pocket and move laterally and avoid the rush that way, have a good understanding of what we’re seeing or what the defense is doing. I feel good about all of them. That includes Jacoby and we’ll work through all – we’ll put them through some of those situations in practice where we try to create some instances where he’s got to step up and slide and avoid a little bit of a rush. That’s just kind of part of being a quarterback.”
(You mentioned you have to protect him whether it’s QB Tua Tagovailoa or QB Jacoby Brissett. Have you made at this point any decisions that you’re willing to share as far as the o-line and how you can fix that?) – “Every week we look at it and say ‘hey, who are our best five?’ I think we’ve talked about that numerous times in this setting. That’s no different this week. I think obviously we’ve evaluated last week’s game and we’ve got to be better. That’s kind of the message we’ve sent to everyone on the team. I know you’re talking specific to the offensive line. They’ve heard that message as well and I think there’s going to be a lot of competition in practice this week and when we come out of practice this week, we’ll make the decision on who will be out there.”
(You talked about after the game on Sunday that being the next man up was nothing new for QB Jacoby Brissett. He’s been in this position before. Just kind of your faith in him as a coaching staff and kind of stepping into that role and the confidence that he brings.) – “This is someone who’s played a lot of football in his career. He’s started games, come in as a backup. He prepares the right way, puts himself in position to come in, play as a backup, play in a starting role and I think he’s done a nice job from that standpoint. I think he’s preparing that way, preparing the same way he prepares every week this week. I think we’ve just got to build chemistry with the o-line, with the backs, with the tight ends, with the receivers, some timing and I think if we do that – we’ll work towards that throughout the course of the week.”
(Kind of a similar line of questioning – QB Jacoby Brissett said after the game he doesn’t refer to himself as a backup quarterback, that he sees himself as a starter. What does it do for your team’s morale, for your team’s I guess mentality, when it has to go to a backup quarterback who has that kind of mindset?) – “I think that’s the mindset every player should have. We’ve got a lot of good players and not everyone can ‘start.’ I’ve coached positions where we’ve had six, seven guys who I felt were starting-caliber players, but you can’t start all of them. So you kind of try to build that mindset that each one of them is a starter. They may be a backup, but when they go into the game, they should prepare like a starter every week and we’re counting on them to go into a game and play as such if the opportunity presents itself that they go in. I didn’t know Jacoby (Brissett) said that, but that makes sense. That’s the message that he should be getting. That’s the message that we really give to everyone. But yeah, it’s good to hear that and I think guys have confidence in Jacoby and his ability to lead the offense. But we’re going to have to prepare the right way and work throughout the week to put ourselves in position to execute.”
(Do you anticipate having to tweak the offense at all to fit QB Jacoby Brissett’s skillset versus QB Tua Tagovailoa’s?) – “No. No, other than the right-handed to left-handed.”
(Regarding offensive line changes, because it’s only been two games, how is your mindset relative to, “okay, we can tweak this scheme or this guy,” as opposed to we need to reshuffle the whole deck? What’s the process and the factors that you consider about tweaking versus a reshuffle?) – “I think the process starts in practice first and foremost. So we have a lot of information on all of our guys. The games give us more information and then if we are going to do anything, we would see what that looks like in practice and then really evaluate and make a decision. So ‘reshuffling’ or ‘tweaked’ – I think we’re always kind of moving some guys around during practice anyway because that could happen in the game. But as far as how we start the game or anything like that, I don’t think we’d make any decisions until we’ve actually practiced.”
(There’s only six or seven teams that have started 2-0, the Raiders of course being one of them. What jumps out when you study them?) – “It’s an explosive team offensively, defensively and in the kicking game. They’re well-coached and they’ve got some explosive players on both sides of the ball, all three sides of the ball. From (Darren) Waller to (Henry) Ruggs to (Hunter) Renfrow to Maxx Crosby to Yannick Ngakoue, they can create big plays really a few different ways. They’re explosive. They’re really moving the ball. Derek Carr does a great job. I should always mention him first. He’s done a great job of taking total control of that offense, putting them in good positions to have success. He finds the matchups. He knows what defenses he’s looking at. And then defensively, I think Gus Bradley is doing a real nice job of getting those guys coached up. They’re doing a good job in the run game. I think they’re tackling well and they’re making people earn it. So I think collectively they’re doing a lot of good things.”
(You mentioned last time WR Will Fuller rejoining the team. Where is he physically and mentally?) – “He’s here at practice and he’ll be out there today.”
Jevon Holland – September 20, 2021
Download PDF version
Monday, September 20, 2021
S Jevon Holland
(Going back to your football experience at Oregon, I’m not sure if you had any tough loses like you had yesterday. But I’m just curious, in your experience, what’s the best procedure to put a game like that behind you and move to the next one?) – “I think it’s important to watch the game first and see what went wrong, what went right and then take the corrections and add those to the arsenal of things you can build on. Basically building blocks. It’s important to see tough losses like that as just adversity you can overcome. I had a loss like that in college in 2018 when we played Arizona. We just use that as building blocks to take the next step and try to progress the next week.”
(You had to overcome an injury during training camp and the preseason. What’s the process been like for you as a rookie, figuring out all of these packages and getting adjusted to the NFL game?) – “I think it’s just about simplifying it in my head, for myself at least. Breaking things down into groups, so I’m not just looking at everything at one time, if that makes since. That’s the simplest way I can explain it, honestly. That’s how I try to learn – breaking everything down to the core, the ingredients, then analyzing the ingredients and after that, putting it together and making everything make sense in my head.”
(You mentioned the importance of looking over the film and making corrections. When you looked at the film from yesterday’s game, what stood out to you?) – “I feel like the things we went over with the coaches, and whatever the coach said in the meeting and things like that, we know what we need to correct. It’s just getting back to the TNTs (take no talent). Like I’ve always said, it takes no talent. Just making sure that we are reviewing our play scheme or whatever it is that we have and taking a deep dive into what we need to shuffle around and get back on track with, if that makes sense.”
(When did you know you would see a uptick in snaps on Sunday? And just how you felt you played and what it meant to you to secure a fumble and be part of a takeaway while the game was still competitive?) – “It felt great to be a part of that takeaway. When I saw Brandon (Jones) scoop it, I was juiced. I was just trying to run and go block somebody. Then the tight end stripped him and I was like, ‘Oh, snap. Ahh!’ and slid over there and got up on it. We have this thing in practice called city or country. If there is a lot of space, you pick it up and scoop and score. But if there are people around, get on it. I saw people around and got up on it. Shout out to (Emmanuel) Ogbah because he jumped on top of me. I knew there was a lineman by me and he was going to try to jump on top of me. It might’ve hurt but Ogbah got on top and protected me. In terms of the snap count and stuff like that, that’s just package by package really. It’s not starters or anything like that, it’s package by package and the game plan. I was excited to be out there and having fun, especially in the home opener with my family there and everything. I was enjoying myself.”
(You said DE Emmanuel Ogbah got on you – that’s a pretty big dude. That couldn’t have felt too good right?) – “I recovered and then Ogbah got on me and I looked up and I was like, ‘ah, good looking.’ Because then I saw a lineman jump on top of Ogbah. I felt the lineman jump on Ogbah, but I didn’t necessarily feel Ogbah because he didn’t try to pounce on me. Shout out to him.”
(My follow up is you mentioned your first game here as a rookie here at Hard Rock Stadium. Dolphins fans are pretty juiced up these days. How was it playing in front of those guys for the first time?) – “It was dope. Honestly, it was dope. In warmups, there was this dude who had a crazy hat on. He was screaming at us just to get hyped and whatever but it was early out, so everybody was trying to stay calm. He was literally screaming at the top of his lungs. I was like ‘man, this guy is crazy.’ But I was enjoying myself. It was fun.”
Preston Williams – September 20, 2021
Download PDF version
Monday, September 20, 2021
WR Preston Williams
(How tough has it been, not only dealing with the foot but I know the team listed you with a knee injury last week. Did that bother you at all in the game? How are you feeling?) – “I felt pretty good. I just went out there. It felt real good just being back out there with the guys. On game day, nothing hurts.”
(What’s the secret sauce for putting a game like that behind you and getting onto the next opponent? In your experience, what’s the best way to make that happen?) – “It’s a long season. We’re early in the season. Just put that behind us and get ready for next week. Just make the corrections, watch film and that’s it.”
(We heard from Head Coach Brian Flores that WR Will Fuller was back around team facilities today. How do you guys as teammates support a guy who is going through a personal issue right now?) – “That’s our brother. We always deal with it. He’s like family, you know. If he’s got issues going on, we are with him all the way. We are just glad he’s back in the building and he’s doing better.”
(We all remember how you got off to your NFL career a couple of years ago and how hot you were then. Where are you physically now compared to then?) – “I feel good physically and like I said, when we put pads on and we’re on the field, I don’t feel anything. I’m definitely over that foot. I’m just happy to be back out here.”
Zach Sieler – September 20, 2021
Download PDF version
Monday, September 20, 2021
DT Zach Sieler
(Obviously you never want to begin the game with big runs but how much does that get into the mindset of the team’s run defense each week since it’s happened the past two weeks?) – “Yeah, obviously we don’t want to let that happen. We want to start fast, make the corrections and get it fixed so it doesn’t happen again later in the game.”
(What’s the mindset of the team coming off that big loss to Buffalo? Obviously, you wanted to play better but what issues do you see?) – “They’re a really good team. We have a lot to correct. We’ve got to make the corrections and then move on to Las Vegas. Make the corrections and get them right.”
Brian Flores – September 20, 2021
Download PDF version
Monday, September 20, 2021
Head Coach Brian Flores
(A couple of things, the league-owned TV network said today that the extent of QB Tua Tagovailoa’s health issue is bruised ribs. He has nothing worse than that. I just wanted to ask you if that’s correct. And also, has WR Will Fuller returned to the building today?) – “Yeah, Tua obviously went out of the game yesterday. We’re still running some tests. He was in a lot of pain yesterday. He’s still in a good deal of pain today. But I think we’ll call him day-to-day right now. As far as Will, Will was here today and we expect him here this week as well.”
(I wanted to ask you, after watching the film of yesterday’s game and evaluating the offensive line as a whole, are you contemplating any changes to the line, whether that is internal or external?) – “I don’t think we did really anything well yesterday – offensively, defensively or in the kicking game. We’ve got a lot of things that we need to improve on. Specific to the O-line, I think it was communication, it was fundamentals and techniques that were an issue. We’ve got to play a lot better on the offensive line and really across the board offensively and as a team. That starts with me. We’ll do a better job of getting them prepared and ready to play. And yes, we’ll take a look at personnel and see if we need to make any changes to play better than we did yesterday.”
(In terms of a lot of those blitzes that were coming from the edge, how responsible were the tight ends and the backs in those situations. And also, what were the receivers’ roles in terms of their hot routes?) – “We’d have to talk specifically on some specific plays but there were some hots and sight adjusts that we didn’t throw that we should have thrown. There were some missed IDs and missed communication on the offensive line between the center and the quarterback, and we have to get that better. We have to get that right. We have to get that corrected. There were also some technique and fundamental issues. You mentioned the tight ends. We’d have to talk specifically about a specific play, but there were some instances where they were in protection as well. We’ve got to do a better job, really, at all positions. Sights, sight adjusts and hots, like you mentioned that’s part of it. Identification – they don’t make it easy. Nobody makes it easy. But we have to be able to see it, recognize it, make the right ID and get it blocked.”
(You’ve seen QB Tua Tagovailoa go through a lot in his first two seasons, just physically coming back from the hip and some of the other injuries. What can you tell me about his toughness that you’ve seen, if it is a question of pain management in his ability to come back. What kind of toughness does Tua have?) – “He’s a tough kid. I would say he’s a very tough kid. Whether it’s the – just coming back from the hip. I think he had a thumb (injury) last year that he played through. He tried to go yesterday. Toughness isn’t something that we question with him. He’s going to do everything he can to get back as soon as he can. I have a lot of confidence in that. No, he’s a tough kid for sure.”
(I’m wondering if you could educate me a little bit on the subject of flak jackets. I know a lot of times when quarterbacks have rib injuries, they wear flak jackets. Is that a possibility for QB Tua Tagovailoa? I have no idea whether these things are custom-made and they take forever to make or whether you’re exploring that option.) – “I think that’s something we would look into. To be honest, I don’t have a lot of familiarity with flak jackets. I think sometimes it’s personal preference for some guys who have dealt with some rib-type of injuries. Some guys just like to wear them for an extra layer of protection. I think that’s definitely something we would look into. Yeah, I think we’d look into it.”
(I wanted to ask you about the second half yesterday. It seemed like after having a rough start, you were still pretty much in the game at halftime. Why wasn’t your team able to step up in the second half and just continue to compete as Buffalo – was it Buffalo stepping up a little bit or was it you guys not making the adjustments?) – “We just didn’t play well. I thought we just didn’t play well. They’re a good team. I think we need to give them credit. They did a lot of good things yesterday. We simply just – whether it was communication or whether it was technique, fundamentals, we didn’t execute the way we needed to. We had some opportunities early. We didn’t take advantage of them and it kind of snowballed on us.”
(How much does the O-line, what they’re dealing with, impact how you deal with QB Tua Tagovailoa this week? Coming back with ribs, obviously that’s not an injury you want to get hit with a lot.) – “I think we’re making the corrections, really, at all positions. I don’t think we go into it thinking, ‘Hey, we need…’ We go into it every game thinking we are going to get the quarterback protected. That’s always a point of emphasis. Obviously, we didn’t do that yesterday so we will make some adjustments to make sure that gets done. That’s not going to be part of it. If Tua can go, he’s going to go. That’s the kind of kid he is.”
(I wanted to ask for quick updates on the team running tests on G/T Jesse Davis and WR Jakeem Grant Sr. Do you have any updates on how they are feeling and when you expect them to practice this week?) – “Still running tests but the early indications are promising, I would say, initially. I’m hopeful to see them out there on Wednesday. Nothing to too serious with either guy.”
(You kind of answered this a moment ago when you said if QB Tua Tagovailoa can go, he’ll go. Because it’s your quarterback, because it’s his left side, his throwing side and the side that theoretically would be more exposed and knowing that the player is almost always going to say, ‘I’m good, I’m going to play,’ how much stock will you put into what his voice says this week? Or because this is such a sensitive area for a guy, do you almost have to protect him from himself a little bit too?) – “I think that’s part of our conversations. As coaches, that’s part of our responsibility is to not put the player in a position – to protect the player from himself like you mentioned. That’s always part of the conversation and part of our process, and knowing that if he’s out there, then we feel comfortable with him out there. That’s the approach we will always take.”
(S Eric Rowe seeing less snaps, S Brandon Jones and S Jevon Holland saw the field more. I know some of it might be packages but certainly it ate into Rowe’s playing time. What went into those decisions?) – “Like you mentioned, there are different defensive packages we come up with on a weekly basis. Just trying to get what we feel is the best group for a particular opponent and that’s the way we went yesterday. Rowe is obviously a big part of our defense, he’s played well. We played a little bit differently yesterday. I thought Brandon played well, I thought Jevon played well and I thought (Jason) McCourty did some good things. It could be very different this week, we’ll see.”
(l wanted to get your opinion on T Austin Jackson. Obviously, he missed the first game with COVID. I don’t know if there was rust involved – obviously everybody struggled, where us Austin performance-wise and mentally?) – “He’s got to play better. I think that’s, I can’t put it any plainer or simpler. He’s got to play better and he’s not alone. We’ve got to play better at a lot of positions. We’ve got to coach it better. We’ll do that. I think that this is a resilient team. We are going to turn the page to the Raiders after we go get done with these corrections. Turn the page, make the corrections, get back out to practice Wednesday, have a good week of preparation and give ourselves an opportunity to have success a week from now.”
Robert Hunt – September 19, 2021 (Postgame)
Sunday, September 19, 2021
Postgame – Buffalo
G/T Robert Hunt (transcribed by ASAP Sports)
Q: What’s the emotions with the guys in the locker room after a game like this?
ROBERT HUNT: Probably exactly what you can imagine. Like we have to be better. As a whole team, that’s why we are going to come back tomorrow, focus on what we have to focus on and get better.
Q: How much responsibility do you put on this loss as an offensive line?
ROBERT HUNT: It was a rough day for us. Everybody saw that. We just have to, like I said, come back tomorrow, be better, man. Put pressure on ourselves, put this loss on us, because it is what it is. We know we need to be better. We know we have to have some issues. We’ll come back and we’ll work to correct those issues.
Q: It seems like they were sending a lot of blitzes to you guys early. Did any surprise you with maybe the type of pressure they sent?
ROBERT HUNT: I can’t say it surprised me. We did our film study, stuff like that. It was a rough day for the Dolphins, you know what I mean? That happens sometime. We’ll go watch film tomorrow, see what we (expletive) up at, come back and try to be better.
Q: What was the team feeling when you saw QB Tua Tagovailoa go down?
ROBERT HUNT: It was a tough feeling. You never want to see any of your teammates go down, you know what I mean? Hopefully Tua is all right. I’ll reach out to him when we get done. You never want to see any of your teammates go down.
Q: How long does it take guys in the O-line to mesh so they can work as one unit?
ROBERT HUNT: I want to say, I mean, it doesn’t really take time. You have to work with the guys, trust the guys next to you. We’re a young line, trying to improve. That’s no excuse. We can’t keep saying that (expletive). We working to be better, we will be better.
Q: What is the communication like for you guys up front? It seemed like there might have been some times where pressure should have been slid one way or the other and it may not have happened?
ROBERT HUNT: I mean, communication is communication. Once we get the communication, we try to go the right way. It didn’t happen as well today. We’ll watch the film, try to correct it.
