Emmanuel Ogbah – September 16, 2021
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Thursday, September 16, 2021
DE Emmanuel Ogbah
(Do you know you almost had like three sacks that just escaped you by that much last week?) – “Almost don’t count, (laughter) but hopefully I’ll get that this week.”
(What was it that was the closing issue?) – “Just doing my best to just to get back there giving the team a chance to win the game; but like I said, I try to put my team in the best chance to win games and that’s my goal every game.”
(As an edge rusher, do you find yourself preparing for this game kind of looking to rush Bills QB Josh Allen a little differently just knowing that he can escape from the pocket and extend plays?) – “Yeah, Josh (Allen) is a good quarterback – a good, mobile quarterback so you’ve got to watch out for his speed, too. We’ve just got to do a good job containing him and rushing him with good level rush; but yeah, he has great receivers, too, that we’ve got to watch out for, too, so we’ve just got to get back there as fast as we can.”
(A quick follow-up. He’s kind of progressed kind of gradually from Year 1 to Year 2 and then he explodes in Year 3. Is he kind of a cautionary tale of not judging a quarterback too early just because as he gets more comfortable, he just seems to get better and better?) – “He’s definitely a great quarterback and we’ve got to do a good job stopping him. He makes the offense run obviously – got that money so you know he’s a really good quarterback. (laughter) But we’ve just got to do a good job stopping him and controlling him.”
(I know it’s a different year, but is there any sort of kind of wanting to get redemption for the defense after what happened in the season finale last year against the Bills?) – “Yeah, it definitely left a bitter taste in our mouth last game; but no, we take every game the same way. Same approach. We’re going to have a good game plan for them. I’m sure they’re going to have a good game plan for us. We’ve just got to go out there and execute the game plan.”
(How does your approach change without DT Raekwon Davis next to you for the next couple weeks?) – “It’s tough. We’re going to miss him, but it’s a next man up philosophy here. I know we’ve got guys that have to step up and fill in that role.”
(Do you think other teams are going to kind of try to key on you a little more without DT Raekwon Davis there?) – “We’ll see. I haven’t really played another team yet, but we’ll see how that goes.”
(You kind of rolled your eyes when he mentioned the near sacks and the close calls. Coaches always say “hey, if you pressure a quarterback it’s just as good as a sack.” It sounds like you don’t buy into that theory?) – “No, no, I do buy into it. Pressure counts the same way even though you’re not getting him down, you’re still pressuring. You’re still disrupting the offensive flow of the game. But you’d definitely like to get those.”
(Is there a little bit more satisfaction when you get to a guy like Bills QB Josh Allen as opposed to maybe one of these guys who typically just stand in the pocket?) – “They all count the same. (laughter)”
(You brought up level rush for Bills QB Josh Allen. What does that mean for just the people who don’t play defensive line?) – “Just don’t give him those step-up lanes that he can lead in and throw the ball and don’t give him no room to run the ball if he chooses to run the ball.”
(Sacks aside, how did you think the pass rush performed in the game against New England?) – “I always think we could be better, but we had a good game plan coming in. We got some pressure on Mac (Jones), but we should be better this week.”
(How much can a home crowd – a full home crowd – help you being an edge guy and kind of getting a jump on that snap count or get that quick – you guys are going to have that full house behind you this weekend?) – “It definitely helps because we’ve got the home crowd and we’ve got crowd noise. The offense don’t like that and we love that as a defense. It makes us better and it makes us get off the ball faster.”
(And this will be your first game since you got here because last year was limited capacity so how much are you looking forward to having a full house here?) – “I’m definitely looking forward to it. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing the fans, making plays and just enjoying my time out there.”
(What do you think that’s going to feel like – the first third-and-long – when you haven’t played in that kind of stadium at home since 2019 I guess and the crowd gets hyped up?) – “We’ll see. I can’t wait. I know it’s going to be an amazing feeling – the crowd pumping you up and you’re just going out there and you’re executing the game plan.”
(When the quarterback has the size of a linebacker – it says 6’5, 237 – what do you have to keep in mind as you’re kind of closing in on him?) – “Everybody’s got to run to him. Only one man can’t bring him down. It takes the whole defense pretty much to get him down.”
(I know this is the next game and this is the opponent this week, but these guys put up 50 on you guys last time you guys saw them. Is there a statement? Is there something that you want to Bills to kind of come away with on Sunday after you guys play them?) – “Like I said, it definitely left a sour taste in our mouth last year; but like I said, we take it one game at a time. This is another opponent for us and we’re going to have a good game plan for them and we’re ready to go.”
(How much time was spent this week looking at the tape of that Week 17 game? A few hours? An hour?) – “They were the last ones we played last year so we watched film from last year, we watched the game before that last and we just kind of watched their – we watched the Steelers game, too, just to see how they are this year, too. So like I said, we just take it one game at a time and we’re going to be prepared for them.”
Jerome Baker – September 16, 2021
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Thursday, September 16, 2021
LB Jerome Baker
(Just how difficult this challenge is obviously with very good skill position players, receivers, a quarterback who can run. Is this as tough a challenge as you face all year?) – “Yeah, this is definitely one of our toughest challenges, but we are built to have tough challenges. We are going to do our thing. We are going to come out Sunday and do what we are supposed to do. It’s as simple as that.”
(As an inside linebacker, you are someone that could be asked to spy QB Josh Allen. What’s the key when you are an inside linebacker, trying to be disciplined and rush him but also make sure he doesn’t get out of the pocket?) – “It’s really a front seven thing. It’s really a defensive thing. You don’t want to just get out of your lanes. You don’t want to rush the guy and end up behind him. You just want to stay in the frame of our defense and if my job is to spy him one time, I guess I’ll do it; but it’s more of a defensive thing. You don’t want to just leave it all on one guy or leave it all on the d-line. You all want to put it together and truly work as a defense.”
(Does Week 17 last year still leave a sour taste in your mouth?) – “Last year is last year. We watched the film. We saw what we did wrong. We are a whole new team now. We’ve got a whole new mindset. We watched it but at the end of the day, it was last year.”
(How painful was it to watch it?) – “I wouldn’t say it was painful. It was just disappointing. We were just disappointed with how we played and we knew we were a better team than that. Like I said, it’s a new year so we are just going to perform and do our thing on Sunday.”
(How much time was spent on watching that film of the finale last year? How many hours ballpark?) – “That’s hard to say. Coaches, they spend a lot more hours than us. For us, we just saw the mistakes we did and see where we can improve. Honestly, we definitely could have played better. This year, we are a new team, so we are going to try to not make those mistakes again.”
(What are some of the things that the Steelers did – not very specific scheme but just generally – that you would like to repeat on Sunday?) – “They played as a defense and they really played together. They did a great job of just getting after the quarterback. As soon as you pop on the tape, you can see that. That’s one thing that they definitely did well.”
(This is probably the fifth or six time – you’ve been playing against QB Josh Allen since 2018 when you guys came into the league together. Does it get any easier going up against him or reviewing film of him knowing that you have a base to work with or is every time you see him play, he does something new and it brings a new challenge?) – “He’s one of those quarterbacks who’s going to get better every year and that’s exactly what he’s been doing. He’s Josh Allen, so he’s been doing his thing and he’s definitely going to be a tough challenge for us on Sunday.”
(For many years, the Patriots were the team to beat in the AFC East. They won it like almost every year and now the Bills have found their traction. How do you feel about the Dolphins-Bills rivalry and where you’d like to see it go?) – “Where I’d like to see it go? I don’t know. I just want to get as many wins as we can. I’d love for us to be that team to beat. This year, we are just trying to do our thing and truly just take it one game at a time. We know what we have in this building and we are definitely confident in the guys we have. Sunday is going to be a great challenge for us.”
(This will be the first time in 21 months that you guys get to play in front of a full house with fans. Is there an extra level of excitement and what would you say to those fans coming on Sunday?) – “Yeah, we are all excited to go out there and play in front of fans. One thing I think we want to prove to our fans is that we are going to go out there every Sunday and compete and truly play as a team. We’re excited. Hopefully the fans are excited. It’s going to be a good one Sunday.”
(Got your mom a ticket already? Know where she’s going to be sitting?) – “Yeah (laughter), it’s funny that you just said that. She texted me last weekend and told me that she’d be here. I’ll definitely look out for her.”
(Following up the other question on the Patriots having been the top dog, do you guys in the locker room look at the Bills as the team that everyone is chasing or do you feel like the AFC East is kind of wide open now?) – “I don’t think we look at other teams as far as things like that. It’s early in the season right now. Right now, we know we can be as good as we want to be so we are just taking it one game at a time and Sunday is definitely going to be a good test for us.”
(What has stood out to you the most about where QB Josh Allen has improved? Despite the success he had against the team in recent years, he had a rough rookie season, improved in year two and then in year three, he has an MVP-like season. What stood out to you in terms of his growth?) – “I think truly he just developed his game as a whole. He always had a strong arm and he truly just improved on every little thing that he possibly can. It’s his pocket awareness, knowing where a guy is going to be. He truly – you can just tell every year he truly works on something and he gets better at it. Praise to him. He’s definitely been doing it and like I said, Sunday is going to be a great test and I’m excited to play him. He’s one of those guys that when you get a chance to play him, it’s a fun one. He’s one of the best quarterbacks in the league and it’s definitely going to be a good challenge for us.”
Blake Ferguson – September 16, 2021
Thursday, September 16, 2021
LS Blake Ferguson
(How insufferable was Bills LS Reid Ferguson after the results of the two head-to-head matchups last year?) – “(laughter) He’s insufferable no matter what the outcome of the game is. No, he and I have friendly banter no matter what; whether it’s a game between us two, Red Sox/Yankees, whatever it is there’s always a little bit of brotherly love going on there. We enjoy the banter but we’re focused on this year, we’re focused on this game and we’re just taking it one day at a time.”
(Which one gets it right? Who is the Yankees fan?) – “So he played on the Yankees little league team growing up and I being the little brother that I am became a big Red Sox fan. Just that’s how it was. Whatever he picked, I was the opposite. North Carolina? Duke. Didn’t matter. The Red Sox/Yankees is the one that stuck.”
(So it’s kind of fitting that one of you plays for the Bills and one of you plays for the Dolphins, right?) – “It was perfect. It was perfect. We talked about that on our podcast. We were like it couldn’t have worked out any better that we’re in a division rivalry now. Yeah, it’s worked out perfect.”
(I should know this but does Pro Football Focus rank snappers?) – “You know, I don’t know. I haven’t really looked at that. I know that it’s hard to measure the analytics of long snapping. Executed snaps I guess is the only way to do that. I chart my own snaps. I think Reid still does too. I was telling (a media member) that we want to be experts at what we do. We want to be experts of our craft. Whatever it takes – notes, it doesn’t matter. We want to be the best.”
(I would say players on NFL teams least likely to be recognized in public would be long snappers. Have you been recognized a single time in your year-plus in South Florida?) – “(laughter) It’s funny. I went to Mission BBQ yesterday and the guy in the back literally making my food, he gave me a waive. I don’t go there that often. He gave me a waive and was like, ‘Hey man, I got you. You guys keep winning. I got you.’ I’ve never talked to him before. He knew who I was. I was wearing a black hoodie and blue sweatpants. I didn’t have any Dolphins gear on. But there are a couple teams where it’s happened. (laughter) Honestly, I get recognized more as (Mike Gesicki) more than I get recognized as myself. (laughter)”
(You’ve been called TE Mike Gesicki how often since you arrived?) – “You should check the Instagram comments on the Miami Dolphins Instagram page. Every time I show up on that Instagram page, it’s ‘Mike Gesicki changed his number?’ It’s hilarious. It’s all the time.”
(But in public? With members of the public?) – “It’s happened a couple of times but mostly on social media. (laughter)”
(Yeah, that guy at Mission BBQ totally thought you were TE Mike Gesicki.) – “Man, he hooked me up. He got the sweet potato pie. He hooked it up. (laughter)”
Brennan Scarlett – September 16, 2021
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Thursday, September 16, 2021
LB Brennan Scarlett
(It’s kind of hard to get the coaches to compliment one guy. It’s kind of like a thing about when you ask about one guy they bring up like 10 other guys, but Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman when asked about which newcomer had a good week in special teams, he cited you. What do you think went well about the special teams performance?) – “I think that the unit played a solid game. Specialists, we rely heavily on them in the kicking game. The operation, the hang time, the placement of the ball in the punt game and kickoff as well. The system is built that we’ve got 11 guys out there doing a job and all 11 have to do their job well for any one of us to have a decent game. I would say I attribute that to the unit.”
(You got a solid number of snaps on defense and also special teams. I’m curious, when you know you are going to be involved in both – the defensive packages and also special teams – is there a challenge in that?) – “It’s something that you prepare for. It is something that I personally prepare for in the offseason, preseason and during the season right now from a physical standpoint but also mentally making sure I know what to do and can be out there and play fast and aggressive regardless of the phase, and just make sure my body is in the right physical condition to do it for 60 minutes.”
(As a newcomer to the team, do you sense any of your teammates really wanting this game a little more because of how last season ended for them?) – “I’ve sensed a hunger on this team since I got here and since we started, pretty much OTA workouts and meetings. It’s carried on through training camp and Week 1. Now, yeah for Week 2 that hunger remains to be a great team, to win games, win in meetings, win in practice. It’s something that circulates throughout the building, in my opinion, just since I’ve been here.”
(Have you ever been in a situation where you’ve played against a team that put up 50 on you? What’s a second chance to go up against a team that played really well against you?) – “I think that, to a certain degree, that crosses your mind. At the same time, you can’t put too much focus and emphasis on that because that’s extra stuff. If you focus on too much external, you lose sight of what’s coming up, which is the next game. Or for today, it was the next practice. I don’t think you think too much on the extra stuff. Obviously, I wasn’t here last year when that happened; but you never like to get beat, much less blown out. We prepare and go out there and execute the game plan.”
(When you’re approaching a guy like QB Josh Allen on the pass rush, do you have to approach him a little bit differently than the guy you just faced, QB Mac Jones?) – “Yeah, he has a different skillset. Both are great quarterbacks but Josh Allen is obviously more mobile. (He’s an) athletic quarterback and you just have to be conscious of the pass rush lanes and making sure that we are not allowing him to get out and scramble and make plays. When he’s moving around outside of the pocket is when he really makes some good plays, so be conscious of that.”
Robert Hunt – September 16, 2021
Thursday, September 16, 2021
G/T Robert Hunt
(Your first game at a new spot, albeit one that you’ve played before. How did it feel? Was it a smooth first game for you?) – “It was good. I did some things ok, but there are things I need to improve on, in my opinion. The transition is good. I think I’ll be ok. I just got some stuff to work on. I take that personal and do what I can do to improve on that.”
(In your study, what’s unique about the Bills defense?) – “Just watching them, you see how these guys fly around. You can definitely tell they are a tightknit group. They play together. You can see the effort on tape. We’ve got to make sure we can match the effort.”
(As an offense, when you know the Bills can score and score plenty. Do you guys feel any pressure in needing to fill the scoreboard up yourself and try to keep pace?) – “No, I don’t think so. I think we’ve just got to go out and play our game and try to be better this week than we were last week. That’s all we can do is try to improve. Like Brennan Scarlett just said, one meeting, then a walkthrough, then a practice at a time. We’ll try to do that on game day on Sunday.”
(One of the biggest accomplishment you can give a run game is to be able to get first downs at the end of the game when the opponent knows you’re going to run the football. What did it mean to you guys to be able to pick up a couple of first downs and run out the clock?) – “It meant a lot. We practiced that during the week all last week. It was a big emphasis for us and I think we did a good job putting it on our back, knowing what was at stake and closing out the game.”
(Last year in your rookie season, you didn’t get a chance to play in front of a home crowd that was bigger than limited capacity. Have you given thought to what that might be line in front of a full crowd on Sunday and what the atmosphere might be like?) – “I think it will be fun. Actually playing in New England last week in front of a full crowd, that was different coming from Louisiana-Lafayette. We don’t get crowds like that so that was great to see. And it was fun. I can’t wait to see how we turn out here in Miami.”
(The website that grades offensive linemen, your grades are right tackle were really good the last six weeks of last season. Do you know yet – it might be too early to know – but do you have a feeling yet as to if you’ll be a better NFL right guard or right tackle? Do you think about that ever?) – “No, I don’t. I just want to be a good NFL player in general. Wherever I can play, I want to be good, if that’s the question you’re asking. Yes, I definitely want to be good. I’m working my butt off to be good.”
(We know that T Liam Eichenberg gave his best effort on Sunday but what is it like to have T Austin Jackson back?) – “It’s good. No matter who is out there at any position, I think everybody gives good effort and is going to compete. Austin is doing his thing and Liam is doing his thing. We all rotate in and out, wherever we are. All of us compete but it’s good to see Austin back out and see him. He had a week off so I know he’s excited to be back this week.”
(I know you just learned how to drive recently.) – “It’s been a year, man. I know how to drive. (laughter) Not recently, it’s been a year. (laughter)”
(Do you have road rage yet?) – “That’s a good question. I definitely do sometimes. I catch myself. It’s just the people that don’t use the signal. That pisses everybody off. (laughter) I know that pisses y’all off, so you now how that goes. (laughter)”
(Do you get tentative going on the highway?) – “I used to. Do you know the maps on iPhone? I used avoid highways. I was using back roads. That’s when I first started driving. But now I’m good. I get in the left lane and turn that thing up. (laughter)”
(I’m just thinking if someone had road rage at you and you stopped the car and got out, and they saw how big you were, what do you think their reaction might be?) – “Let me tell you one thing right now. I ain’t getting out of the car for nobody. (laughter) I don’t care how small, big or anything. I’m going to go about my business. I don’t want to get in that business. You won’t see me out of the car. (laughter)”
Mike Gesicki – September 16, 2021
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Thursday, September 16, 2021
TE Mike Gesicki
(How often do people mistake you for LS Blake Ferguson?) – “Never. Never once. Never once in my life. (laughter)”
(Have you ever been a long snapper?) – “Yes, actually. In middle school.”
(Were you good at it?) – “I don’t know if the technique was like professional. I pretty much just threw the ball between my legs. It got to where it had to go. (laughter)”
(What did you like last week about this new offense? Obviously it was fascinating to see that first drive of each half with the RPOs, with the up-tempo at times. What intrigued you? What left you thinking this could be promising?) – “Yeah, I think when we were moving at a fast pace, we were operating at a high level. Tua (Tagovailoa) got everybody lined up and did a very good job at going through his reads and making the right plays, and we were able to put the points on the board in those two situations. Those were two effective drives for us.”
(Do you feel any pressure offensively to kind of need to keep pace and put on the boards because of how explosive Buffalo’s offense is?) – “No. I think they’re a great overall team in all three phases of the game. I think for us, we just have to come out and execute, follow our game plan, follow our rules and make the most of our opportunities when they present themselves. That’s pretty much the name of the game. I don’t think you have to overthink it or make it something that it’s not.”
(How much did you know entering the first game that blocking for the tight end position was going to be a necessary, heavy part of the game plan?) – “I think we’ve got a bunch of different packages and a bunch of different guys that go in for different roles. When you get the personnel on the sideline and you go in – whether you’re in or not – you’ve got to go out and execute or be ready for when your personnel grouping gets called. I think going into a game, there’s many different ways that a game can go depending on if you’re up, down, things are working, things aren’t working. You just try to go into it with an open mind and be ready to go out there and execute when you are given your opportunity or when your name is called.”
(Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey was saying that we have a lot of running backs that are good, we have a lot of tight ends that are good, we have a lot of receivers that are good. Of course, there’s only one ball. How do you approach the general idea that some weeks you might get a lot of targets and some weeks you might not?) – “I approach it the same every single day. The same as I have since I’ve gotten here. I’ve been through – I think we talked about it a couple of weeks ago – the adversity, the getting the ball, the not getting the ball. At the end of the day, I have my routine. I go through it every single day. I follow the things that have gotten me to where I am and I think that’s just the best way that I can approach this. I think that also at the end of the day, we won a football game in a place that we haven’t won a football game too many times in the past couple of years. That was good. I’m excited to move on and get ready for Week 2.”
(You’re one of the players who are old enough to know the old Dolphins before Head Coach Brian Flores got here. There’s always been this mojo about New England, which you guys have gone and beaten them twice in New England. Then the Bills have just owned this franchise since the QB Josh Allen era began. How do you get rid of that?) – “I think this just goes back to what we were talking about before about feeling pressure for this or that. This is the National Football League so every single week there’s going to be a legitimate opponent on the other side and you have to go out and execute. It doesn’t matter if you’ve lost to them X amount of times in the past or if you’ve beat them X amount of times in the past. Division, conference, it doesn’t matter because it’s tough to win in this league. I think that’s the way that we have to approach it. They are a very, very good team in all three phases. They’re well coached, they play hard and are extremely efficient in all three phases. Me personally, I’m excited about it. It’s something that I look forward to. We’ll just keep working and get ready for Sunday.”
(Where do you feel you are now in your run blocking?) – “(laughter) I don’t think that I’m going in there to go in and run block and do all of that stuff; but when my name gets called, I’m going to throw my helmet in there and I’m going to go in there and not just ruin the play. I think that’s kind of the perception of me in terms of run blocking and going in on running downs and all of that kind of stuff. If you know anything about me, I could literally care less about what anybody says about me, this team. If it’s an opinion that’s outside of our locker room, I could care less. That’s kind of my mindset. I go at it every single day and try to improve and just hope to go out there and make some plays and let me preparation speak for itself.”
(In the game against the Bills at Hard Rock Stadium last year, you found some success. In thinking back to that game or having looked at the film, which you probably have, what are some things that led to success?) – “Honestly, they’re a good defense. They do a very good job of disguising coverages. They do an extremely good job of playing off each other in terms of both the safeties. (Jordan) Poyer and (Micah) Hyde, they do a great job. They are experienced and they’ve done a great job in this league. Then also you’ve got another couple talented (line)backers in (Tremaine) Edmunds and (Matt) Milano. So they’ve got a bunch of different guys that they can put on you. They’ve got a good nickel in Taron Johnson. You’ve just got to be able to identify the coverage, identify who is on you and how to run specific routes. Game plans always change and all of that kind of stuff, so to compare it to how it was successful to last year or this year, it’s just different. Some of the schemes are different. Everything in terms of – in that game, a different quarterback played. I mean everything is different. It is what it is. My biggest thing is to just be ready and when that ball comes your way and your number gets called, you’ve got to go out and make a play.”
(As good of a relationship as you and Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey have, and obviously he’s helped you and you’ve helped him. After a game like Sunday, is there ever a time – maybe on the flight home or any time – where he says we wanted to get you the ball more, just the looks were not there? Does that type of thing happen?) – “Nah. At that point, you go in the locker room and everybody is happy. We won the football game. You come back in and watch the film the next day, go through all of your reps and figure out what you did well and what you didn’t do well and try to improve. At the end of the day, there were times last year, times in 2019, times in 2018 where there were also games where I didn’t get the ball. That’s just how this thing goes. This year, we have a 17-game season. There’s a lot of football left to be played. For me, I’m just sticking with my routine. I feel like some people are ready to throw in the hat already on everything. It was Week 1 and we got a win, and that was the most important thing. Now we’re going on to come back home to Hard Rock Stadium and I’m excited to have another opportunity to play this game.”
(This will be your first time in almost two years playing in front of a full house. A lot of these fans haven’t been able to go to a game in almost two years. What is that going to be like?) – “Yeah, for sure. Last year, I know that we were able to have – I think it was (13,000) or something – and that at the time felt like a packed house. To get the fans back in the building at Hard Rock (Stadium), I’m super excited about that. I know they’ve been waiting a long time to get back out there. There’s a lot of excitement in South Florida right now and everybody is fired up, as they should be. Like you said, they didn’t have an opportunity to get out to many games last year so to have this first home game, it’s something that we’re all looking forward to and something that the fans should be looking forward to as well.”
(TE Durham Smythe moved out right?) – “He did. He sure did. I didn’t kick him out so I don’t want that to be the story here. I don’t want the headline to be ‘Gesicki kicks best friend out.’ (laughter) He did move out unfortunately but he’ll be back. He’ll be back for dinner, he’ll be back to hang out. My fiancée is down here and she’ll cook Durham some dinner. Halle will cook it up in the kitchen and we’ll get Durham back. So yeah, we’re excited about it.”
(So you don’t miss him as a roommate?) – “I do miss him as a roommate. Yeah, I loved the company. We would come home, I would sit on the couch, he would sit on the other side of the couch obviously (laughter), and then we would watch Snowfall on Hulu. It’s a great show. We went through all four seasons. The good thing is we were able to finish the show together. Now we literally spend now from 7 a.m. until 6:30 or 7 p.m. tonight. So we still get 12 hours a day (together) which is plenty.”
Austin Jackson – September 15, 2021
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Wednesday, September 15, 2021
T Austin Jackson
(I know different players have had different feelings about how much they want to share on this with the media. Some have been open; some don’t want to talk about it. But are you able to discuss what your COVID experience was like? Was it bad? Did you feel good generally?) – “Yeah, I kind of don’t really want to talk about it. It was an unfortunate situation. There’s a lot involved in the situation. I think coaches and stuff would probably be better to answer that so I’m going to stay away from those questions.”
(Are you strong?) – “Yeah, I’m strong. I’m back to normal now. Yeah, I feel good. I feel great. I’m excited to be back.”
(What were you doing the week away? How did you keep yourself occupied?) – “I’m not really going to talk about that too much just because I don’t really want to talk about the protocols and stuff like that. I would say it was definitely difficult not having the access I have here (in the building). It was tough.”
(When you were cleared to join the team, did you think you might have a chance to play or did you know right away that it would be a reserve role?) – “That’s a tough one. I was out of the building for a while so I missed a lot of crucial moments in practice and stuff like that. Was I sure that I was going to play? Not really. There was like a bunch of stuff I had to go through. I can’t really even explain the specifics of it because it was so much; but I told coach I was ready to go and I’ll go out there and play if you need me. But we had confidence in Liam (Eichenberg). He had been practicing all week and is a great player.”
(Do you look at the protocols different now that you had to go through all of that?) – “Yeah, last year I was pretty much scot-free from all of that COVID mess. Having to deal with it this year, I kind of got to see what a lot of guys throughout the league have to go through. We’re in a pandemic right now pretty much, so it’s tough for everybody.”
(How weird was it to travel to an away game separate from the rest of the team?) – “It was definitely a first. It was interesting.”
(It seemed like, at least on the outside looking in, that it was sudden. “Oh, Austin is coming up” and boom, boom, boom. Was it a race to the airport kind of thing? Was it that sudden? What was that like?) – “No. You have to do tests and stuff like that – COVID tests. I think they let me know Friday, a couple days before, that if this happens we’ll do this and if this happens, we’ll do this. They kept me on standby and let me know what was going on beforehand.”
(You wouldn’t be the first player in NFL history to lose out on a spot for either injury or a situation out of your control. Did Head Coach Brian Flores tell you going into the week that you’re still our guy? How did it feel when he comes out and says it on Monday that “Austin Jackson is still our left tackle?”) – “That’s good. It feels good. Just throughout training camp and all the work we’ve put in, all the work I’ve put in, it’s good to hear that; but I don’t know. I didn’t think too much about it.”
(From a timing standpoint, how do you think today went for you? Just from not being around for whatever it was.) – “I forgot how hot it is in South Florida (laughter), especially during football practice with pads on. But it felt great to be back out there with the team, doing my job. I’m looking forward to getting after Buffalo.”
(I know the players don’t like to reflect on the past but going into Sunday, considering what the Bills did last year to this team in Week 2 and the season finale, is some type of payback in store for the Buffalo Bills?) – “The past is the past. I was there for that game. Obviously, no one enjoyed that on our team. It’s a new year. They have a new roster. They have a lot of guys coming back but it’s a new team. We are going to do everything on our end to make sure that we’re ready to do what we have to do to execute and win the game. That’s always our goal is to win the game. I remember that game last year. I speak for me.”
(You mean the regular season finale? You remember that?) – “Yeah.”
(What did you take away form that game personally that you can carry into this year and maybe learn from and bring into this week with a different approach?) – “I could say no game like that is ever fun. I think everyone has a game like that and they look back to see what they can correct. I know for me, there were certain instances with communication that I could have done a better job talking to other people, letting the line know what was going on in terms of adjustments and movements. That’s one thing I would say I remember.”
(How do you feel having been through COVID about your choice to choose the vaccination?) – “For me, I think the vaccine definitely helped. There’s a lot of – I’ve had family members heavily affected by COVID but everybody is different. I think people have the right to hold their own opinions about the vaccine. If you don’t want to get it, that’s fine; but for me, I know that it helped me.”
Tua Tagovailoa – September 15, 2021
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Wednesday, September 15, 2021
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(Today is the 60th birthday of the greatest quarterback in Dolphins history.) – “Dan Marino! And don’t forget Jesse Davis. It’s Jesse Davis’ birthday too, guys. (laughter)”
(Do you mind talking about your relationship with Dan Marino? Do you talk a lot, how often do you talk? Does he text you ever? What’s that relationship been like?) – “I think Dan has done a great job being in our meetings. He has a lot of input in our meetings. Happy Birthday to Dan. I got to see Dan today and wished him a happy birthday. He’s not much of a texter. But in person, Dan sits in our meetings and helps us with things that we don’t see or we never thought of seeing. I think it’s really good to hear from his perspective, someone who has played the position.”
(Have you spoken to QB Ryan Fitzpatrick since he’s got hurt?) – “I have spoken to ‘Fitz.’ ‘Fitz’ is going through what he’s going through. I wish him the best. I think this is something that he’ll get through. Knowing the kind of person that ‘Fitz’ is, he’ll get through this.”
(The Patriots game, what stood out to you about the success you were able to have in the opening drives and not being able to finish drives later on. What stood out to you?) – “I think they made some good adjustments defensively. We came out and we knew what we wanted to do as far as our game plan. We’ve got to execute and we’ve got to finish drives. I think it’s tough for our defense to go out there and have 12, 14, 16 play drives and we’re going three-and-out the next series and things like that. I think that comes down to communication for us and execution.”
(I know you were able to generate some explosive plays and it just so happens that every time you were able to generate explosive plays, it resulted in scoring drives. Is it also an understanding that as well as making big plays, you still have to kind of methodically drive down the field sometimes and score?) – “I think it’s just the mentality of literally taking what the defense gives you. If you look at the Patriots defense, they try to keep everything in front of them. They try to minimize a lot of the chunk plays, if you will. Whatever they gave us, that’s what we were out there to take.”
(What’s your level of comfort from a timing standpoint with WR Will Fuller and what does he add to the mix?) – “I think it’s fun and it’s good to have Will back. We can see in the game plan what things he can do to help us win this game. It’s still things that we need to work with Will on – with me and his timing. That’s what special teams is for. When special teams is out there, I’m pulling him to the side and throwing routes to him – single routes, whatever routes he has in the game plan and things like that.”
(With WR Will Fuller working with one of your strength coaches, how important was that time in the offseason to build some familiarity?) – “I’ve always had a relationship with Will since we picked him up in the offseason. We’ve texted; we’ve chatted. But really when I asked him to come out and throw and he moved down here, he came out and it was just a conversation that we had. He asked me who I was training with and the rest is history.”
(Going back to Dan Marino, what’s the best advice he’s given you about being a quarterback and trying to lead this team? Or just a general theme that he always stresses with you?) – “Pick a guy and let it fly. (laughter)”
(I don’t know if someone has ever told you this, but I was told that you are the youngest quarterback ever to win in Foxborough. Based on that, and based on the game and getting the ‘W’ of course, what did that game do for your confidence as you lead this offense now and you are the starter?) – “It’s good. It feels good to win the game obviously. For myself, I would say I’m a pretty confident person in the things that I can do. That’s what I would say to that. Obviously it feels good to win, but I think my confidence comes from within and trusting in my preparation. I felt like we came into that game well prepared. There were just things that we needed to adjust on. And like I’ve said before, it really comes down to execution for us on the offensive side of the ball.”
(Did anyone tell you that, that you were the youngest quarterback ever to win in Foxborough?) – “No. You’re the first, so thank you.”
(In your 10 NFL starts, you’ve had a lot of success up-tempo. You did at the start of the game on Sunday. At this stage of your career do you have a comfort level to encourage Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey and Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville on the sidelines to go up-tempo and they maybe don’t want to? Or do you feel like it’s not your place to this early in your career?) – “I think we go into these games having a game plan. It’s a mutual game plan. There is a lot of open communication with me, with (Quarterbacks Coach) Charlie (Frye) with George, with Eric and with ‘Flo’ (Brian Flores) as well. We kind of talk through that pretty much starting today and throughout the whole week. It’s really not set until the day of the game. It’s continued communication with all of us. Yeah, that’s what it is. If us getting on the ball is going to help us execute a lot better this week, then that’s what we’re going to do. If getting guys spread out is going to help us, that’s what we’re going to do.”
(WR Will Fuller was saying that there’s kind of this element of surprise when it comes to the two of you playing together because there is no film, no video, of what you guys can do together. Does that excite you at all?) – “Yeah, it really does. I’ve obviously seen his film while he was at Houston. Seeing a lot of the routes that he does well in, and then also talking to him about the routes that he likes and he does well in as well; yeah, I think it’s very exciting.”
(The Bills have a couple of safeties that have been together for a long time Micah Hyde, and Jordan Poyer. What kind of challenges do they present for you in your pre-snap reads and your post-snap going through your checks. What kind of challenge do they provide to your game?) – “They provide a good amount of problems for us. It’s a veteran defense, so with Jordan on one side and (Taron) Johnson on the other side, (Matt) Milano inside, (Tremaine Edmunds) on the other side, you never know what’s going to happen. They could spin the coverage, they could bring 58 or 49. You never know what’s going to happen. For us offensively, if you don’t know, you’ve just got to stick to your rules. Revert back to your rules and you’ll be fine.”
(Near the end of the last game, there was a passing play called when you guys had a 1-point lead and you dropped back near your end zone and threw a slant to WR DeVante Parker. What kind of confidence and what kind of message is that for you to be called upon to pass in that situation where it could just be let’s run a bunch?) – “It wasn’t necessarily a pass play. It was really a run play but there is force in the box and we can’t take care of it. We don’t have enough guys unless you want me to block. But I’m not going to do that. (laughter) By taking care of that, that’s how we do that.”
(So you switched it to a pass play?) – “We had that in. That’s what I’d say.”
(It looked like the first play of the game that you ran, you hit… when you get to that late in the game, how much are you talking to Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey, Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville and Quarterbacks Coach Charlie Frye to say “Hey, this is what I like, this is what I’m seeing, this is what I feel comfortable with?”) – “With it being that late in the game, as a quarterback you’ve got to understand situational awareness. You’re really not trying to give them the ball back to go down and drive and kick a field goal. Really, we’re trying to run the clock down. They had three timeouts. We’re trying to make them use their timeouts; but more importantly, we’re trying to get a first down. I think two first downs in that situation is really what helped us kind of take over that ending of the game. I think there was about three minutes and something (left). I think it was big. I think that was really big.”
(One more question about Dan Marino, but “pick a guy, and let it fly.” I’m sure he’s sharing a lot more than that obviously; but is that a reminder that even in a game that can seem very complicated sometimes, there is some simplicity to it that sometimes really can be…) – “We have a saying in the quarterback room: keep the easy things easy and then try to make hard things simple for yourself.”
(Where do you think you are in your progression and getting to your second or third read?) – “I’d say I feel good. Obviously it’s a continued process for me. It’s a continued process for all of us to continue to learn. Week 1, we got a win; but we’re moving on to Week 2. This is our focus now.”
