Mike McDaniel – December 13, 2024
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Friday, December 13, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(A lot to get to, I was going to start with two of your marquee guys. If you are optimistic about T Terron Armstead for this week and do you think LB Bradley Chubb is more likely for next week than this week?) – “I think generally – you guys know my philosophy with Terron (Armstead) – I am a little pessimistic about it this week and we’ve planned accordingly, but we’ll see how the next 48 hours go. Then with Bradley (Chubb), each day is so important that again, it’s the watch, evaluate, then have conversations and then see how you feel the next day with the ultimate goal of having him completely convicted and confident in his play, and that’s important for everyone involved. So time will tell, I’m more ready for the next week in terms of where I’ll kind of put my attention, but we’ll see how today plays out and move forward accordingly.”
(WR Odell Beckham Jr. being waived, did he come to you guys? Was it a mutual agreement as was reported?) – “Yeah, conversations led us to determining that it was the best for both parties. I think we’ve been – Odell (Beckham Jr.) and I have been very communicative since he’s been here. He had a tough start in terms of having to rehab his way into the season and then just looking at it as simple as, all right, what’s the best for both him and the team moving forward? And we just thought it was a good time to go that direction. That was the motivation behind it. That’s all.”
(Did it initiate – if you’re able to share this – with WR Odell Beckham Jr. coming to you or General Manager Chris Grier or his representation saying it might be best for us to initiate something?) – “No, it was just our professional communication. He’s a professional that has diligently chopped wood and I know his expectations, and so when you communicate transparently, I can kind of know where he’s at. Normal communication that just kind of led us that direction for the best for both parties, really.”
(One final thing just to clarify this. Wednesday, Thursday – were those excused absences for him to just clear his mind or decide what he was going to do?) – “I think I don’t really need to get into the timelines or nuances of it. We discussed and we’re both on the same page. I wish him the best and we’ll be rooting for him.”
(As far as fifth receiver, if you have one on the 53 this weekend – obviously, no WR Dee Eskridge – so if you decide to have someone besides WR Malik Washington and WR River Cracraft as backup receivers, is WR Grant DuBose ready after just three days, two days of limited practice?) – “I think Grant (DuBose) is ready, but there’s other things at play so we’ll sift through that. But I was very happy with him meeting what my expectation was throughout the week.”
(You got a chance to see T Patrick Paul for extended period of time on Sunday. I thought he played pretty well. I’m curious, in your opinion, how his development maybe was helped out by the fact that he could sit and wait, and get those reps on Wednesday and Thursday as opposed to playing in games all season long?) – “That was a tremendous help. I think it’s really helped some of the unintended consequences of having some guys go through some things has helped both sides, our depth and the players there, younger players that are working their way through the system. I think it’s played out really beneficial for Patrick (Paul) specifically because he’s gotten a ton of reps. He’s also got some opportunities in games, and you can get yourself up to the speed because it’s a different ball game from college to the pros. So I think that not only just the actual reps, but the aid that guys like Terron (Armstead) and Kendall Lamm can give him are monumental for him to attack game day the way he wants to. So it’s worked out. You feel fortunate that guys with limited experience on our team, particularly a rookie, gets experience in a real way, not just on scout team. It’s a game changer to operate within the group.”
(Going back to WR Odell Beckham Jr. for a second, I know every move is not going to work out in the NFL. Do you have any regrets about signing Odell or good move, just kicked the tires?) – “No regrets. My only regrets are that we’re not talking more about the Texans. (laughter)”
(And speaking of the Texans, it helps to have many good offensive linemen as you can against that front. Do you think T Kendall Lamm is up for the job physically? We know he’s a trooper.) – “He’s going to practice today and we’ll see how that works out so I feel optimistic based upon that, but we’ll see how today goes.”
(So this isn’t about the Texans, but it’s from left field. You might like it. It’s the 30th anniversary of “Ace Ventura,” the movie, and I was told that you were in an interview, and you said it was your favorite movie. That might have been exaggerating?) – “At a time it was my favorite movie, for sure.”
(An 11-year-old Mike McDaniel?) – “I just have more movies at my disposal in my catalog of viewership. But no, it was my favorite movie for probably a five or six-year period. Something that I still have the quotes – ‘laces out, Dan’ I think was one of the first things I said to Dan Marino when I met him and… wow, you’re aging me. Thirty years?”
(Yeah, 30 years. That aged everybody.) – “Gosh. I still use some of the vernacular in the movie in play calls once in a while too. It was a really cool movie in terms of what I’ve heard since I’ve got to meet Mr. Marino himself and kind of the level of method acting almost that Jim Carey went to. I think the story goes that when Dan (Marino) went to go I think first meet or read a script or something, that Jim Carey showed up in the insane asylum, tutu outfit and stayed in character. So the legend of that movie grows for me.”
(When you say vernacular in a play call, you mean you actually use it in play calls today?) – “Yeah, oh yeah. And when referencing something, if there’s a change in a concept and you want to alter it a little bit and have guys remember it, maybe you just call it ‘Flipper,’ I don’t know. There’s ‘Einhorn’ or ‘Finkle.’”
(These are in the Dolphins play book?) – “Perhaps. They might show up this week. They might be a code word at the line of scrimmage, who knows.”
(How does Dan Marino respond to a stranger for the first time meeting him saying, “Laces out Dan,”?) – “I think he was prepared for the unexpected so you’d have to ask him, but he played right along with it. I was kind of offended he didn’t have Isotoners on at the time when I met him. He’s a great sport about it.”
(I wanted to ask about the mood of the team. Just in the locker room there’s a lot of smiles, everyone seems loose just in comparison to the Buffalo Bills week. Obviously, it’s a very high stakes game, but what’s been the mood of your team?) – “I’ve noticed the mood as well and it’s important to me because I know how important the season and this game is to our locker room, but I think there is a level of comfort in establishing exactly what to focus on. I think our team has been extremely focused in the nuts and bolts of the gameplan and within that comes some confidence that I think when push comes to shove at this stage of the season, you know the stakes and all you want is teammates’ conviction and ownership of what the plan is, what you’re doing. I think the locker room is feeling the totality of that. We’ve grinded through a lot of the season, learned a lot of lessons, had some success, had some failures that lead to the ability to, case in point, win last game on the heels of some plays made in all three phases. I think over the totality of the season, the team is really fired up in the moment of truth to be able to be prepared going into it. They love playing football, and the stressors of playing well can be taken care of in one way and that’s preparation. I think we had good meetings and good practice for two-thirds of the week, we’ll see what today offers.”
(A question about WR Malik Washington’s toughness. I see him blocking down on the goal line. I thought I saw him knock Jets LB Haason Reddick to the ground form the slot, I thought I saw him do that in the Green Bay game. We’ve seen him take big hits and pop back up. What can you say about this guy’s toughness?) – “One of the reasons we felt so good about adding him to the team and one of the reasons we felt confident that he was ready for an NFL game is simply by his play style. He might have the best balance on the team. He’s right there with De’Von (Achane) in that where he utilizes his low center of gravity and he’s a fearless player. He showed that over his college tape. He had a crazy high percentage of targets at two different collegiate schools. When you have those high percentage of targets, you have a bullseye on your back and you get the best from each opponent and he never blinked. So we kind of forecasted that, but he utilizes that week-in, week-out and it’s one of the reasons he’s able to contribute to us in a multitude of ways, both in the run and pass and special teams. It’s cool that people are starting to take notice of something that was the reason he was here in the first place.”
(Are you optimistic about RB Raheem Mostert being able to play this week? Should we be concerned with LB Jordyn Brooks’ rib injury as it popped up this week?) – “I’m optimistic in Raheem’s participation, and you should not be concerned with Jordyn Brooks’ ribs.”
(When it comes to RB Jaylen Wright, how ready do you think he is to make routine contributions to this offense, especially as you guys are trying to wake the run game back up?) – “I think he’s ready to make plays. He’s gotten a nice comfort zone; I want to say right around the New England game. It’s been more about the flow of the game and the plays being made at the position. I think at any time, in any given game, it could be a situation where he could have not just one or two but he could have several plays made for the team. I think it speaks to the depth of the room and how things have been executed that we have multiple playmakers that we’re always trying to challenge the defense and utilize. The most important thing is for him not worry about what plays he’s making or not, just to be ready for when your number is called because the opportunity will be there. It’s not if, but it’s when.”
Bradley Chubb – December 12, 2024
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Thursday, December 12, 2024
LB Bradley Chubb
(What has this journey been like for you? 11 months, practicing two weeks, what’s the wait like?) – “It’s been an up and down journey for sure, you know what I mean? Starting from getting the surgery and that being almost a five-hour surgery at the time, and coming back home and having my mom and dad there with me, my girlfriend there with me helping me out throughout the whole process. Seeing from when I was there, to where I am now, man, it’s been nothing short of a blessing. So just being able to keep chopping wood, carrying water each and every day, continue to have a positive mindset as I approach the building every day, it wasn’t easy but at the end of the day, man, it got me to where I am right now and continue to move forward.”
(How does this one compare to the first time?) – “It doesn’t compare, man. When I first did it, (Head Athletic Trainer) Kyle (Johnston) kind of told me, he was like, ‘Yeah, this is a completely different ball game,’ because it was my ACL, my (patellar tendon) and my meniscus that ended up tearing. It was, like I said, a five-hour surgery, so it was a long process. It’s kind of hard to compare it to the first one with the first one just being a partial tear, but like I said, I know the work I had to put in for the first one and I did the same thing this time. Changed up some things in terms of how I approached it because of all the stuff that went on, but the mindset was the same.”
(How has it felt kind of amping up in practice the past couple of weeks and realistically, how close to game-ready do you feel?) – “It’s been feeling good. I’m just taking it day by day. I’m not trying to look big picture right now, just trying to see how I feel each and every day, how it responds to each and every different obstacle that’s thrown at me right now. So far, it’s been good, so hopefully it trends in the right direction.”
(What would it mean to be able to take the field this season?) – “It would mean a lot because like I said, being on that field the last time screaming and holding my leg and doing all this, it would be cool to get back on there and have a new memory of my last football snap. But at the end of the day, I’m just thankful to be where I’m at right now in this process. I know it’s going to be a continued uphill climb, but the past 11 months have prepped me for that, so I’m excited just about where I am.”
(What was New Year’s Day like for you because the injury happened on New Year’s Eve?) – “Terrible, to be honest with you. Not comfortable at all, in very much pain. All of 2024 I’ve been fighting this right now. Like you said, I got hurt on New Year’s Eve, so just been taking it day by day. New Year’s Day was not fun, but make new memories throughout the year and you look back on these and be like, ‘OK, I’m glad I went through that to put me where I am today.’”
(How were you feeling going into that game? Because I looked it up and you had 4.5 sacks in the two games before that.) – “Yeah, feeling good, man, feeling good. At the top of the world, it feels like God finds ways to humble you, you know what I mean? But I’m thankful for that opportunity, I’m thankful that – nobody wants to be hurt, but I’m thankful that I had to go through that because I wouldn’t be half the man I am right here standing in front of you. So it’s been a great journey. Like you said, I was feeling good going into that week, so I would like to get that feeling again.”
(What have you learned about yourself during this process?) – “I learned how resilient I am, that nobody can take my shine. I had to dive into myself a lot because I was tired of doing the same things, feeling the same things. As this process goes on, you kind of get caught in a cycle. So I was trying to break that comfortability of that cycle and it helped me grow as a person, as a player, as a man of God and like I said, I’m thankful for the opportunity to do that.”
(There was a lot of conversation of whether starters should have even been in the game at that point in time, the game had kind of gotten away. What do you remember about conversations maybe you and Head Coach Mike McDaniel had?) – “I don’t remember much about that time last year. I just remember, like I said, screaming my lungs out on the field because of the pain I was in. I don’t get too much caught up in, ‘It was a blowout,’ or whatever the case is. A lot of people were throwing that at me like, ‘Man, you shouldn’t have been on the field,’ but at the end of the day, God put me in that position to be there, to go through the things I went through, and it made me a better man for it.”
(As hard as it is for you to go through this, how much worse is it knowing that LB Jaelan Phillips is going through it as well right now?) – “For sure, man – as hard as it was for me, I feel like God put me in this position to help others that have gone through the same things or are going through the same things. So all the hardships and all the time that I had to get close to myself, I’ve been trying to relay that to ‘JP’ (Jaelan Phillips) and he’s been accepting it well. He’s been killing his rehab process as well, so it’s been cool to see how he’s responded as well. And like I said, I’m doing everything I can to help along his process, but he’s a dawg as well.”
(Another person you’ve been helping is LB Chop Robinson. What’s it been like kind of taking him under your wing knowing how highly he thinks of you?) – “It’s been dope, man. The first time he came in here, he told me I was his favorite player and stuff like that. And at the time, you’re like, ‘Man, you’re just saying that whatever. You’re just talking.’ But being around him, seeing how he works, how he approaches the game, it’s nothing short of special. And to see him having the success he is now – all the talent was there at the beginning of the year; he’s just starting to put it all together as the games have been going on. So it’s been fun to see because he’s like a sponge too. You tell him one thing, he fixes it right away, you know what I mean? He doesn’t let two mistakes roll over. He’s a good, young rookie to have in the room and I’m excited to see his growth.”
(What’s the process been like of watching the team play these games?) – “It’s been hard. It’s been not the most fun being on the sideline, but I’ve tried to find a new role into how can I affect the team while not playing. And that’s bringing energy every day, that’s being the same guy every day, that’s being in the meeting rooms, helping Chop (Robinson), helping Mo (Mohamed Kamara), helping all the young guys in the room. Even – we’ve got guys like ‘Q’ Bell (Quinton Bell) who’s been in six years but hasn’t played much, but now he’s getting his chance to shine, do his thing, make tackles, make plays. It’s been cool to see just how the room has been growing, how the defense has been growing and how the team has been growing.”
Tyreek Hill – December 12, 2024
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Thursday, December 12, 2024
WR Tyreek Hill
(Obviously big stakes game. You guys know you’re pretty much back up against a wall. Lose and playoffs is done. What kind of mentality do you have to go into this game with?) – “Got to be a dawg, dawg. I feel like each and every week, that’s kind of been the mentality. Unfortunately, things haven’t gone our way, but everybody knows what’s at stake and it’s going to be the same mentality that we had on our final few drives against the Jets. Guys have got to approach the game that way. Like we don’t want to end in January and stuff like that, so I’m expecting the best. We’ve put together some great practices this week and I’m just happy, the things that we’re building upon here. Trying to win games late in December, so it’s going to be something special.”
(Do you think, do you see a way that all the adversity you guys have faced, all the things that you guys have gone through will finally come to benefit you?) – “Oh yeah, for sure. For sure. I feel like a lot of guys are using that as fuel, learning from mistakes earlier in the season, just trying to get better. Like whatever it takes to win games, so it’s been the mindset. Guys are in meeting rooms longer, guys are staying after practice longer doing the small things trying to get better. So that’s just the approach you’ve got to have whenever you’re trying to win these kinds of games. Everybody’s tired, everybody’s sore. But what are you going to do to separate yourself and go the extra mile to be different? And we’ve got a lot of guys that have been doing a great job of doing those little things.”
(How much did you like that both you and WR Jaylen Waddle both had big games on the same day? It had been a long time since both of you had really gone off the same game?) – “Tua (Tagovailoa) did a great job of throwing the ball with precision and accuracy and offensive line, those guys did a great job, too, though. It’s been a wild season for us, but me and Jaylen (Waddle), we obviously understand that it’s a team game and the most important thing is to win football games; and however we can help win those games, we want to be a part of it. So it takes a lot for us to get the ball. Offensive line obviously has to do their job, running backs have to help them on that and then obviously Tua is the main part of that. Things were just rolling in our direction on Sunday and we were able to make a few plays.”
(I would imagine at the wide receiver position it’s grueling to play most every snap. You were like 70-72 last week. Is that something that you enjoy – playing that high of volume?) – “Yeah, yeah, I do, man. I feel like I can do it. I train myself the whole entire offseason just for moments like that. I want to be that player that can stay in the game, motion all the way across the field, run all the way down the field and continue to play. That’s kind of how I’ve been my whole career even dating back whenever I was in Kansas City. Not only I’m a fast guy, but I’ve got a lot of endurance that can play a lot of snaps and go in and block and do a whole lot of things, so I kind of enjoy doing stuff like that.”
(You have been a part of an offense where everybody’s got like 65-plus receptions…) – “Oh yeah, I have, I have been. I have been. I can’t think of the year….”
(Kansas City?) – “Yep, I can’t think of the year, but I think we did something similar. It wasn’t just me and (Travis) Kelce. But anyways, it was a lot of guys that had a lot of success that year and I think it’s good whenever you spread the ball out this way because defenses can’t key in on one guy and defensive coordinators, they’ve got to worry about more than just one guy so it’s a beautiful thing to see. Opens up a lot more for Tua to see.”
(When QB Tua Tagovailoa was out, there were a lot of games where the run game got going. Now Tua’s been back and kind of lighting it up through the air, but the run game hasn’t been as effective. What would you think this offense can do once all cylinders are hitting with the run game and pass game?) – “I think when Tua (Tagovailoa) got back, me and ‘J. Dub’ (Jaylen Waddle) just decided not to block no more. (laughter) We were just like, ‘we’ve got to catch the ball now.’ No, we’ve just got to – in this offense schematically, it takes all 10 guys on the field to block, outside of Tua obviously. Everybody has to do their job. Obviously if you want a seven-yard run, offensive line, they’ve got to do the dirty work inside. Now if you want big plays down the field from the run game, the receivers have got to get involved in that – receivers, tight ends and stuff like that, etc. So we’ve just got to continue to battle it out. Last game I believe we had a long run with (De’Von) Achane, but it got called back unfortunately. But we’ve just got to continue to chip away at it. Guys have got to continue to trust their fundamentals, trust their techniques and Achane, Raheem (Mostert), Jaylen (Wright), whoever is back there; those guys have been doing a great job of staying patient and just waiting on their moment.”
(We know that QB Tua Tagovailoa can do a lot of things very well whether it’s accuracy, third downs, getting rid of the ball quickly. What has he done most effectively this season, do you think?) – “For me, ever since I got here, he’s been great at all those things, but for me – I’ve said it – he’s gotten better as far as just being a leader inside the locker room. Obviously the word against him when I first got here was like, ‘nobody likes him’ and stuff like that, but as I began to be around the guys, stuff like that; I can see that every guy on this team, in this building, everybody loves him. Just the way he controls his offense, this year alone really sets him apart from when I first got here and to me, I feel like we’ve gotten a whole lot better. A lot of people may look at the stats and say, ‘You guys were No. 6 [in] 2022, No. 1 last year and you guys are like, No. 15 this year. How are you guys getting better?’ And Tua, by far, he’s gotten better, has taken control of this offense and given us all direction on exactly what he wants from each and every one of us.”
Anthony Weaver – December 12, 2024
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Thursday, December 12, 2024
Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver
(When we talked to you last week about LB Bradley Chubb, you had only seen just eight live reps. Have you seen enough to this point to think that he’s ready to play in an NFL game and also what’s realistic to expect from a guy who hasn’t played since New Years Eve?) – “That’s difficult, and truthfully, I don’t really know that answer in terms of what to expect from him. The one thing I do know is he’s put in the work. When he’s out there on the field, he certainly doesn’t look out of place. For him, it’s just a matter of confidence and when the doctors and all the medical people say he’s ready, he’ll be out there on the field.”
(And what about LB Cameron Goode? I know most people forget that he’s actually coming back, too. What has Cameron shown you and what could he bring to this defense? I know you’ve had some injuries along the edge specifically.) – “I think Cam (Goode) falls into that same category there where when he’s out there, he looks the part. I think the thing that’s most incredible about those guys is if you’re just talking about pure schematics in them and their knowledge of the defense and going out there and executing, you can tell that they’ve been locked in. They’re not going out there and giving up a bunch of busts and mentals (mental errors) because they’re hearing new terminology. These guys have been locked in from the start, so it’s truly a credit to their professionalism and their work ethic, and when they do hit the field, I know that they’re going to contribute and be ready to go.”
(Are you hopeful that LB Tyus Bowser comes back and is able to finish out the season?) – “Yeah, if I’m betting on the kid, yes. Ultimately that’s between the medical people and God, but I know Tyus (Bowser) and just who he is as a man, and he’s going to do everything possible to get out there.”
(DT Zach Sieler really added the interior pass rush last season and then just expanded on it this year – two sacks last game. What are some of the things that he does that makes them a good pass rusher inside?) – “Wow, first off, I think it’s a testament to just how hard he works at everything – on his body, on his craft, on his knowledge of the game. He is the ultimate professional, and if I’m a younger defensive player, I’m looking to him, Calais Campbell, and trying to mimic as much of what they do to try to make sure I maximize my God-given ability. But I love him to death. He is a coach’s dream and all of the rewards he’s reaped so far, he’s worked for.”
(What makes him a coach’s dream?) – “Just that you know exactly what you’re going to get every single day. He is consistent. He is disciplined. He is tough. He is physical, and obviously he’s productive.”
(I’ve got a technique question. On CB Jalen Ramsey, when he fell down, slipped – he’s lined up off of Jets WR Garrett Wilson, which he’s done before, but his back is almost pointed at the sideline. Then it looked to me like Garrett gives him an inside move and Ramsey lost his footing. What was he trying to accomplish? I don’t think he went back to that all game.) – “Yeah, it was one of the few times he played off coverage. There was an instance earlier in the game when Garrett (Wilson) got behind him. We were in press. He was like in clue one-third and I think he had that on his mind. So he tried to play it from off, got hit on a dub move, got kind of stuck in the ground on the transition and fell. Unfortunate play. Didn’t look the best, but the thing you love about Jalen (Ramsey) is he responded. There was a play he almost made and almost picked it on the same sideline which would’ve been unbelievable, made a critical tackle on like a second down which got them to third down, we were able to get off the field. So even though the day probably wasn’t going as well as he liked early, true testament to the competitor he is. He responded when we needed him the most.”
(The pass interference, was that a catchable pass?) – “Absolutely not. (laughter)”
(I know prior to last week there had been – and I know this is also a function of how the game is going and packages used – but there have been a drop in percentage of snaps that DT Calais Campbell was playing defensively from three games in October, it was 60-76%. Then it dropped a lot last month until last Sunday. Where are you, Calais and Defensive Line Coach Austin Clark right now in terms of whether you think he can play as much as he did early in the season per game if needed, if he needs to rest more? Does it depend on climate?) – “I don’t think that drop off is anything discussed more than we’re probably a little bit more cognizant of it the Thursday game in particular with just a short turnaround, and that probably contributed to some of that. But Calais (Campbell) is going to be out there as much as necessary to get the dub, and he knows that and we know that; and he’s one of those guys where if you try to take him off particularly in critical situations, he ain’t coming off. (laughter)”
(I know last week LB Jordyn Brooks made some headlines with his comments after the Green Bay game and then he came out on Sunday and I thought played very spirited like the guy felt like he had something to prove. I’m curious what that week was like for Jordyn in terms of preparation, the way that he kind of communicated with his teammates and the way you saw him carry out on Sunday?) – “I love Jordyn Brooks, and I think he’s really been consistent for us the entire season. Right now, he’s starting to play with a little bit of chip and I think when you talk about December football and what that means, everybody should. We’ve essentially been playing playoff football since we went to L.A., so our backs have been against the wall and he’s responded accordingly. And he’s making sure he’s bringing as many teammates along with him as he can.”
(With CB Jalen Ramsey, what do you think of the way the Jets targeted him and after a game like that, he doesn’t seem like a guy that needs reassurance or anything like that so what were conversations like about how things went?) – “The conversations were short. When you have the skill set he has and we give him a lot of heavy lifting, occasionally the other team is going to make a play. When you’ve had the success he’s had, you have to have a short memory and never lose confidence in that ability, and that certainly won’t happen with him. We’ll continue to give him those heavy lifting and just like he did majority of the second half of that game, he’ll respond and go out there and play like we expect him to.”
(There were two completions to Jets WR Davante Adams in the second quarter where he was completely alone. One was at the numbers, the other one was a third-and-2 where he ran an out and there was nobody within five yards…) – “The third down in the low red to the right of us, we were in a pressure. So that was a straight banjo beater. We were inside out on them and then he actually checked the protection when he saw the pressure. Now my misstep is this, is that we had him – there was a penalty. I had made that call. It went back five yards, I changed the call. Then there was another penalty and then we were right back where we started, and I probably should’ve changed it. And I showed him the same look and the joker is 41 years old; he (Aaron Rodgers) saw it. Saw it, called in protection, they had a beater. Like hats off to them. Then the one – you’re talking about the touchdown they scored?”
(No, it like a 34-yard gain like it went right up the slot and nobody picked him up?) – “I don’t remember that one. I don’t remember exactly which one that was. I’m sorry, man, I’m knee-deep in the red zone on these guys right now.”
(To get to the Texans, QB C.J. Stroud, RB Joe Mixon and WR Nico Collins – your thoughts on each of these?) – “Yeah, and Tank Dell and Laremy Tunsil. They’ve got a squad, right? They have a bunch of guys and the good thing, particularly a year ago – I played them twice when I was in Baltimore, so I have some familiarity with what they’re trying to do schematically and how they’re using them. But they have all the talent in the world. Nico (Collins) is big, strong, fast, great hands. Joe Mixon – unfortunately had to play against him the last three years, two in the AFC North – and a back that I don’t think really gets enough credit throughout the league. Can run with physicality, is great out of the backfield. He tries to punish DBs on the second level which I respect from a back. And then the quarterback has all the talent in the world. He has a cannon for an arm, can make every throw, has a tremendous amount of talent, a sneaky good athlete. It’s not what you think of when you think of C.J. Stroud, but he can create problems with his feet, too. So as a defense, we know we’ve got to play our best game to date. It’s December football; like I told you, the playoffs started for us a long time ago. We were fortunate to get out of Sunday with a win with not playing our best. We know to go on the road, you know if you want to win on the road, you better pack a good defense when you get on that plane.”
(So what do you have to communicate to your DBs about trying to take Texans RB Joe Mixon, a guy who is known to try to attack…?) – “Put your big boy pads on, maybe get an extra chin strap or something like that. (laughter) But our guys have seen it on tape already. We’ll lower the strike zone a little bit and make sure we get population of the ball.”
(Anything extra special about going back to Houston where you finished your playing career or where you coached like five years?) – “Yeah, it’s always special to go back to a place where you’ve played and coached. Shoot, I had my second child there, met my wife there. There will be a lot of family cheering, so hopefully they don’t get heckled too much in the stands when they’re wearing that aqua. But it’s always meaningful to go back. You’ll see a lot of familiar faces, right, I played with DeMeco Ryans for three years. The ownership there was tremendously good to me, so there will be a lot of smiles pregame and hopefully a lot of smiles for me postgame, too.”
(So you all are giving up 4.3 yards per carry which is still good. It’s tied for 10th in the league. It’s not that as you’ve ranked these last few weeks – I wouldn’t obviously expect you to single out any names, but you’re always straight with us. Must the run defending improve primarily in the interior, at linebacker, with your edge, with your inside guys, with your defensive backs? Where is the performance in run defending, not up to your standards?) – “Right now, particularly when we’ve given up some of our bigger runs, a lot of that has been on the perimeter in jets sweeps and things of that nature where ultimately you’re relying on really the second level edges to show up, whether it’s a crack replace corner, or a safety, or something of that nature. And then particularly down in the low red area, some of those things that are kind of sifting through the middle has really been because of the interior of our defense. And it’s really – some of our backup interior nose tackles need to play better in those situations.”
(I know it’s a copycat league. How much going forward do you expect teams to emulate maybe what the Jets did and their key to getting two 100-yard receivers, maybe what other tight ends have done, Cardinals TE Trey McBride – is that stuff transferable or do teams have to do what they do best?) – “I think there’s always a copycat aspect to the league. If people want to go sign 41-year-old quarterbacks, I’m OK with that or target Jalen Ramsey, I’m also OK with that. (laughter) The majority of it, I don’t think is transferable. I went up to Aaron (Rodgers) after the game and told him I enjoyed playing against him much more than I enjoyed coaching against him, so you’ve got to give him credit. He found his guys. I think we can do a better job of kind of hiding some of our coverages pre-snap and not giving him the answer to the test and that’ll be our challenge again this week.”
(We’ve seen DT Benito Jones and DT Da’Shawn Hand kind of I suppose come on the last week or so-plus. How has their production helped you get more from guys like DT Zach Sieler and DT Calais Campbell, not just in giving them a breather but allowing them to kind of play wider and more end positions?) – “Those guys have been critically important for our run defense improvement. Some of the success you see from our backers – Jordyn Brooks – I think you can attribute to the way they’ve played, too. The work they do, a lot of times it goes unnoticed. It’s kind of unheralded, but it’s so important and we make sure that we make that a point of emphasis during the week and so the guys also notice what they’re doing. When those two guys on the interior can hang four where there’s a guard, tackle and center; if they can take four and kind of let those smaller backers behind them run free, that is huge, particularly when you want to play some split-safety shell defense.”
Frank Smith – December 12, 2024
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Thursday, December 12, 2024
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(So short yardage remains vexing for all of us – now third-and-1, fourth-and-1, 11-for-22 on running attempts this year. How much do you, Head Coach Mike McDaniel, Offensive Line Coach Butch Barry, Associate Head Coach/Running Backs Coach Eric Studesville talk about it and do you feel some compunction to come up with something new and different in those spots?) – “I think it just comes down to what’s the issue and is it correctable or is it that we have to pivot in scheme. Most of our issues are just making sure that we’re executing at the moment when we have to be on it and making sure that we’re preparing them appropriately with the looks that we think we’re going to get. Sometimes we’ve gotten things that were down the line looks that were kind of not what we thought, but I think ultimately, it’s just we know what we need to do to be better. We feel very good about the opportunity this week to improve on the situation.”
(When you talk about looks, if I’m not mistaken, there was a play when RB De’Von Achane had a chance to score but he tripped over WR Malik Washington’s legs. And there was a play against Seattle where Achane looked like he had a hole, and he slipped. How often do you go back to those plays? Is that dictated on what look the defense gives you or are you saying, we had this, we’re going to line up and run it again no matter what the defense shows us?) – “We normally go back and make sure that we’re evaluating, that you’re looking at all of our encompassing plays from the season, making sure that you’re not doing something because it looks like it’s good, you just don’t execute it very well. And yeah, we always take into our self-scout of what we’re trying to do to make sure that we’re putting the guys in the best spot and giving guys the ops to be able to execute.”
(Speaking of WR Malik Washington, he seems to be a very tough kid to me. He’s taken some big hits and on goal-line, he’s down there blocking. What can you tell me about Malik’s toughness?) – “It was one thing that stuck out on his college tape. He had a catch, I think it was versus the University of Tennessee where he had to go up on the sideline to get it and when he came down, he got hit by two guys and didn’t go down was able to gain even more yards. So I think that wasn’t a surprise to us because that was part of his evaluation in college. You could clearly see toughness in all phases of his game.”
(With T Patrick Paul, he’s obviously prepared like a starter for the last month. This is different than when he got that opportunity against Tennessee. What growth have you seen from his game during that stretch and what more do you want to see from him to sort of get to that next level?) – “I think the big thing for him is you take the difference from college to the NFL, and then the level of talent you’re facing week in and week out and then you realize what it’s going to take to get there with your fundamentals and making sure that everything’s on point all the time. I think he really invested more each week as he learned things that were necessary, his sense of urgency improved and that’s where he’s at right now. So he’s done a great job. I know Butch (Barry) and the guys, with him, have really been doing extra in all phases just because he has that drive and you’re seeing things starting to connect, things to really understand of how he needs to play to be a successful player in this league.”
(I wanted to follow up on T Terron Armstead. You’ve coached him for a while, you were there [in New Orleans] at the beginning of his career. It was kind of a sad moment for me to watch him on the sideline during that game. I’m sure you were focused on other things.) – “No, I always notice them. (laughter)”
(What is it like seeing him struggle to not be able to contribute to his team?) – “I think that it’s he isn’t able to contribute maybe there physically, but he contributes in other phases because he is a natural leader. His experience and his wealth of knowledge towards things is very helpful for the guys, so he’s working through his process and there’s not a player that I trust more than him.”
(The Texans have the second-most sacks in the league. What makes that pass rush so deadly and what will it take to limit them?) – “I think it’s their understanding of how they want to play, how they’re connected throughout their whole defense, good players and a good scheme and they play very hard. I think ultimately for us, it’s being connected together, all phases of the offense because when you have a team that rushes the passer really well or even teams in general I think, our sole focus is to always make sure that we understand launch points, timing, distribution and getting connected, and I think that when you play a team like this those are going to be very important factors.”
(Have there been conversations about maybe using RB Jeff Wilson Jr. in short yardage situations considering he is your biggest, maybe the most physical, back?) – “Yeah, we always have the evaluation of where the guys go, but I mean last year, De’Von (Achane) was running in short yardage and I mean in Kansas City we had a critical short yardage where we needed two and it wasn’t clean and he was able to punch through and get us, I guess you’d say ‘an ugly three,’ ‘a bloody three’ and he was able to do it. So yeah, we’re always making sure that we get the right guys in the right spot and balancing the load well amongst our position groups.”
(How have you seen OL Isaiah Wynn make progress since he has returned to practice and had a few weeks now?) – “I think he’s such a diligent guy. He’s awesome just to have in group settings because he’s one of the most locked in guys in the meeting. So yeah, we’re just working through his process to return and there’s not a guy that’s going to work harder to make sure he’s ready to go.”
(Throughout the game, during the overtime and that game-tying drive in the fourth quarter, we saw a lot of shots of QB Tua Tagovailoa kind of amping the guys up and he looked to me like a very confident player in that moment. I’m curious what you can say about Tua’s confidence at this stage of his career.) – “I think he has a very good understanding of what we’re trying to do, the guys around him and just he loves those moments. So I think you’re seeing the true nature of him come out and I think it’s also the confidence in what we’ve been able to do lately in the passing game too. I mean it’s been a lot of fun to watch him work and a lot of the results on Sunday come from the hard work throughout the week and in the meeting rooms, so it’s not surprising because he’s the same way in practice.”
(Question about something I saw during the game – a 12-yard completion to WR Tyreek Hill on the right side. Before the play, he’s in the right slot, he runs over to about center and he goes back, and QB Tua Tagovailoa’s pointing to him, pointing to an area. Is that the play design or is that Tua noticing something with the defense in the moment?) – “It was communication of two prominent things. Just when you’re having movements, just making sure that for the timing of it and just defensive recognition stuff. But ultimately, the reason why you move, and you do motions and stuff like that is to create angles and leverages on defense so our ability to do that helps a lot of the times and it also adds a layer that multiple people have to be connected so we can execute.”
(Just to follow up on a [previous] question about RB Jeff Wilson Jr. With RB De’Von Achane, obviously a strong lower body, but do you and Head Coach Mike McDaniel and Associate Head Coach/Running Backs Coach Eric Studesville still believe that he is your best back for short yardage even though he’s diminutive?) – “That’s a – ‘diminutive’? (laughter)”
(He’s not an enormous guy who is physically imposing. He’s skilled, but not a physically imposing back.) – “As a running back there is feel, there is timing and there is space and your ability to see that and take space, I think is the most important thing. Ultimately with the run game right now that’s an area we want to improve on and everyone is aware and the guys have been focused on making sure that we’re operating and we can do things well. And I think that it’s easy to say one person, one group, one thing when running the football is a collective thing. Same as the passing game. Earlier in the season we were running well. Okay, we’re throwing it well and we just need to get the run game back in the efficiency where it needs to be and it’s going to be a collective group effort to get it done.”
(This is about a previous question to you about QB Tua Tagovailoa in clutch situations and you mentioned how he loves those moments. If you could turn it inside out a little bit, to me it seems like a big part of it is how the players around a quarterback respond in those kind of clutch moments late in a game when it’s time to rally. What have you seen from the players around Tua in their faith in him over these past few years and when it really started to crystalize?) – “I think there was a lot of adversity in this season early on and a lot of things that we had to push through and things guys really learned about themselves, about each other, and what important. Now in the back half of the season we’re having opportunities to capitalize on and make those experiences meaningful. So I think that’s what when you go through a football season, and you go through life, it’s like how do you define certain things, adverse moments. Is it going to define you or are you going to define it? I think it’s ultimately what this season for a lot of guys has been. We’ve learned a lot, haven’t gotten the results that we were looking for early on, but we’ve gotten stronger together and we’re looking forward to every opportunity to continue that growth and make everything count.”
Danny Crossman – December 12, 2024
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Thursday, December 12, 2024
Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(It’s funny, the whole tone of the WR Malik Washington questions obviously have changed from a week ago, the fumble, to what he did on Sunday. When you look at the upside of him as a returner, we saw a little bit of physicality with the punter last week, we know about his speed. What skills standout to you that make you think that this guy can be a long-term productive NFL returner?) – “It’s the same things we talked about last week from a negative to what we liked about him. He’s a talented player, he’s physical, smart. The biggest thing is the experience, and those things are going to keep coming, and in our opinion, he’s just going to keep getting better and better. He’s got good understanding of catching the football, reads the ball well in the air. It’s all the stuff we see on a weekly basis in practice, but it’s like anything else – it’s what happens on game day, and those are the things that’s going to be remembered and those are the things that’s going to get amplified. He’s a good, young player who, again, just has to keep gaining more and more experience because he wasn’t the return guy in college, but he’s really growing and we’re really happy we have him.”
(On the speed issue, of course the speed is good. It’s not track star. How important is speed with kickoff returners in terms of projecting how good they can be compared to punt returners, and where does he stand in that area?) – “The biggest difference between a punt returner and kick returner is that short area elusiveness on punt returns. You have to have that just because of the confined spaces. You’re always going to have more space to get started as the kickoff returner where you’re not going to have that obviously in the punt returner game. We feel he has the attributes to do both. We’ve all seen very successful kick returners that have blazing speed, and we’ve also seen very successful kick returners that maybe don’t have the great speed but they play and they win maybe more with power or running through blocks or being able to make the guy miss. There’s a lot of guys around the league that have had very good success. We have a variance of guys on this team that have had success in their careers that are all built a little bit different.”
(When I talk to him, he comes off as very mature for a young player. Can you talk about what you see in that, especially how he bounced back from that mistake to that return?) – “Very mature, he’s been that way since he’s got here. I mean, No. 1, he’s a worker. He does his due diligence. He doesn’t take anything for granted. But the earlier you can learn in this league that – literally it’s a week-to-week proposition in the National Football League, whether it’s an individual performance, whether it’s team performance, it all goes together. You win a big game; this is the picture that’s painted. You lose a game; this is the picture that’s painted. To be able to stay even keeled and learn from whether it’s the good or bad, there’s things you can learn. A good play is not always a perfect play. There’s things that go wrong, don’t lose sight of all of the little things throughout each and every play. If you can do that and continue to grow and get better as the season progresses, that’s where you will either get better as a player or more importantly get better as a team.”
(K Jason Sanders, no matter what kind of season or game he has, when the game is on the line the dude is like money. Is it something about his emotional make up to where he can just completely chill at that moment? There have been games where he’s kicked poorly and then the game is on the line and boom, it’s right down the middle.) – “I think the best attribute about Jason (Sanders) is he is almost immediately on to the next kick. He doesn’t carry anything, positively or negatively. Everything to him is play, done, forgotten, move on to the next. When I say forgotten, it’s not completely forgotten. It’s ‘OK, what do I need to take from that,’ on a positive, ‘What do I need to change from that,’ might have been negative, but everything is about the next kick. If he misses a kick, he’s not thinking about that. Just like if he makes a kick, he’s not thinking about that on the next kick either. He has a great ability to live in the present.”
(Take us inside the meeting room, if you will? When you’re watching the tape of WR Malik Washington’s return, especially the moment where he makes contact with the kicker.) – “The meeting room was a little bit – who was more surprised, Malik or the kicker. He gave the Tua (Tagovailoa) hard inside look, no eye contact before he cut back and the kicker never really went anywhere. He didn’t buy that fake, so it’s – I need to work on fakes more because that guy didn’t react at all to the fake. And when he came back, the guy was standing in the exact same spot and then he ended up with the contact. He made a good play and that’s part of it. Once that happens, he didn’t panic; it was OK, what is my counter to what just happened? I know what I’m trying to do. If it works, great. If it doesn’t work, what is my answer to that?”
(What about the move he makes once he gets the ball? He cuts inside, and then he goes outside and gets the sideline – just great.) – “Again, talented players in this league and guys that can do special things – understanding where we’re strong and understanding where we may be weak on every call. You don’t have great matchups on every player. You don’t have a great scheme for everything because there’s so many things you can’t control. But to understand all of those things and try and put yourself in a position to make a play, again a sign of a mature player, a guy that’s studying, who is in working, spending extra time with coaches and veteran players. You see him talking to Braxton (Berrios) a lot, so trying to just hone in and be very good at his craft.”
(On that move by WR Malik Washington, was that spur of the moment athleticism or was that scouting knowing that this guy tends to—) – “Well it’s a combination of both – how they play a little bit and then also based on ball location, what availability do you have, what vulnerabilities do you have and then as you said, in the spur of the moment being able to execute. We talk about it all the time; we talk about it in the meeting room. It’s easy for all of us – players, media, coaches – as we sit in a nice, air-conditioned room and watch the tape and have our Gatorade or our water and say, ‘This is great.’ To be able to execute and do those things when you’re battling or dealing with another human being, obviously 22 of them on a field, and then be able to execute, that’s what makes these guys so special.”
(The defensive play right before that was so big. CB Kendall Fuller getting WR Davante Adams out of bounds, helping save 40 seconds there. Does that affect the decision to bring the kick out?) – “It affects a lot of things. It affects how or what they’re trying to do kicking the ball, in my opinion. It affects what we’re going to try and do in terms of what are we going to return, how are we going to return in, what are we going to not do. So yeah, time and timeouts, big. Quarterbacks, kickers, there’s a lot of elements that go into the situation play of those scenarios.”
(So you think they intentionally put that ball in play?) – “I think for them, based on our timeout situation, the ball in play there with no timeouts is a good plan, as long as you feel like you can execute it because again, you’re taking time. In those situations, time is the most important thing; it’s more important than field position. And if we’re not able to field it, they get a great bounce, it ends up being an even better kick because if we’re not able to handle it and it gets in the end zone, the balls on the 20. Conversely, if it takes a bad bounce for them, that thing may go out of bounds and now you got the ball on the 40. Again, but those are parts of the situations and what are you trying to do and then like anything, the execution of the play is a whole another level.”
(With the WR Malik Washington return, that ball looked like it was probably going to go out of bounds. What do you tell Malik when it’s that close?) – “You have to play it. You have to field it – as long as you are not in an awkward position of fielding it. If you’re able to, you got to play that.”
(With the kicker in that situation, what do you advise a kicker to do? He obviously didn’t go for the fake; do you want the kicker to stand his ground?) – “Get him on the ground, whatever. Again, you got to get him on the ground. When that thing pops as a kicker, your job is to get him on the ground. But again, you’re talking about a situation where you have a – kickers aren’t spending a lot of time working on open field tackling. It’s something you work a little bit here in the offseason, in training camp, but it’s not something you drill time and time again. So that player in that situation is not something he sees. It’s the human element that makes the NFL so great. You don’t know what humans are going to do.”
(One more about WR Malik Washington, his college resume had 14 kickoff returns, no punt returns. What was it about maybe you saw something on film or early on when you had him here that led you guys to believe, “that could be our returner?”) – “Based on what your role is going to be and finding a niche to be able to make the club – when you’re a later round draft pick and the team you get drafted to has two elite receivers, if you want to make the team and get on the field, what else can you do? Whether that is, not only am I a good receiver, but I’m a good blocker. Maybe I’m a good special teams player, maybe I’m a returner. The old adage to stick around in the National Football League, the more that you can do to enhance your resume and what I can do on game day, you have to do. So there’s a guy who had limited experience, but very early on, like, ‘Hey, this is going to be part of what you need to try to excel at.’”
(You mentioned kickers and punters drilling a little bit on tackling, how good are K Jason Sanders and P Jake Bailey in that regard if that situation arose?) – “I can’t answer that. (laughter)”
(I would not obviously ask you what you would tell General Manager Chris Grier or Head Coach Mike McDaniel, but I am curious. When the Dolphins are deciding who to designate to return, a case like S Patrick McMorris, would they ask your feedback on whether you see him as a potential core special teams player? And does he have the quality to make you think he could be?) – “Well, yeah. Those conversations are constantly ongoing about the roster. Everybody’s input is part of it, of ‘if this happens, what is the role, what is the contingency,’ and it’s constant. It’s ongoing, it happens because of injuries. It happens because of activations, deactivations. It happens for a myriad of reasons, but yeah, those conversations are important because it’s the lifeblood. You only have X amount of players and you need players that have uniforms on game day, they need to be playing. So that’s the key to this league is getting production from everybody that’s got a uniform on game day, that makes it, well I’d say, the greatest team sport in the world.”
(And does S Patrick McMorris have the qualities to be a core special teams player?) – “He does.”
Tua Tagovailoa – December 11, 2024
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Wednesday, December 11, 2024
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(Your completion percentage, which has been stellar, especially in your stretch coming back – you and Lions QB Jared Goff are on the verge of possibly surpassing Drew Brees for the all-time completion percentage, which is like 74-and-change. Achieving that would mean what for you?) – “To surpass any record in the NFL, I think is an accomplishment in itself. You’re talking about legends, Hall of Famers in the past that have played this game. You’re talking about future legends, future Hall of Famers that are playing now in this game. That would mean a lot, but I think for us, right now, just trying to keep the main goal, the main goal and to find a win this Sunday and go on a run that we’ve been talking about in that locker room as a team, that would be a little more special than any other record I would say.”
(What do you think of Texans QB C.J. Stroud, now as you face him in the regular season for the first time?) – “Yeah, I think he’s been playing pretty well. I know there’s been some hiccups, but for the most part, I think he’s been able to bounce back. You see the mental fortitude that he takes and brings into his game. I got a lot of respect for his game. I’ve also been able to talk to him a little bit, at the Pro Bowl last year. Very good guy, very humble, very competitive as well. That’s what you like to see in a competitor.”
(Non-football related question. A lot of NFL and some NBA players have actually had their homes broken into – obviously Joe Burrow, etc. The NFL put out that security alert. Is there any fear or concern on your end for yourself or your teammates?) – “I have personal security just because my house had gone broken into – not necessarily my house but one of my cars. So it’s a little too close for my comfort with my family being in the house. So we got personal security to take care of all of that. When we’re on the road, we got someone with my wife. Got someone also at the house surveying the house. So just to let that be known, they are armed. So I hope if you decide to go to my house, you think twice. (laughter)”
(How long ago was that your car got broken into?) – “It was either last year or two years ago. So the personal security guys were actually pretty recent as well this year.”
(How much does that weigh on you, being a public figure? You’re one of the most public figures on this team. Do you feel like you might be a target?) – “I wouldn’t say necessarily I would be a target, but I wouldn’t want to play the chances with my family, my kids sleeping. My wife sleeping, me sleeping at the house.”
(Getting back to [previous] question, how do you stay focused on the task at hand amid all this noise about potentially breaking records?) – “I think the success that we found offensively, being able to distribute the ball to different guys has allowed us to find success in the short game and then in the mid-passing game as well. That’s basically what it entails as well, is just find a completion wherever it may be. But with all the statistics and what not, all we’re trying to do is stay on the field, find ways to elongate our drive so that we can find ways to go down and put the ball in the end zone.”
(When you look at this Texans defense, from the pass rush all the way up to their secondary, what stands out on tape?) – “They play really well. Sound football. They get some depth in the back end, so they try to mitigate a lot of explosives, but you’ve got to have your Ps and Qs when you’re dealing with a rush that they have. Very similar structure to the team that we just played, but they don’t necessarily play the same way, if that makes sense.”
(If you had the chance to speak to Chief Tagovailoa, what do you think he would say to you today, as far as you coming back from IR, just the stats that you’ve been able to produce?) – “I don’t know. I don’t know if it would be like a motivational thing or ‘you’ve got to be better at this,’ or it could be like, ‘I’m proud of you,’ like I wouldn’t know. But I do know that he wouldn’t be satisfied with whatever’s going on right now, that’s for sure.”
(—- Texans, what do you remember from seeing them in those joint practices last year and how much can you take from that setting?) – “You can take a good amount. That’s their defense structurally. They do things different with their fronts and their backers, but you can definitely take what they’ve done in our joint practices and try to implement that into some of the plays that we have. But it’s also another thing to where it’s different with that I feel like, versus game planning. And so we’re going to have to see what their plan is defensively, normal down and distances and then third down.”
(On the touchdown to WR Tyreek Hill on Sunday, I noticed you changed your launch point a little bit against that six-man pressure they sent you. And for a room full of people that don’t get a chance to experience what it’s like to play quarterback and make those decisions in two seconds—) – “Anybody can play quarterback, brotha.” (laughter)
(You said OL Aaron Brewer could in mic’d up. I’m curious what goes into that, both in the physical aspect and the mental aspect to know that rush is coming, I have to move. What all goes into the ability to make that quick adjustment in 1.8 seconds or whatever it is?) – “You kind of have a gauge if you’re looking at film, you’re watching film with ‘got to have it’ situations, what teams like to do. And there’s only so many ‘got to have it’ situations that people have, and you see what they run, so they ran zero right there, and I think our right side, which was the short side, did a great job because we had that same rep in practice where we let the inside guy go and he picked up the outside guy and they learned from that, they sorted that. They came down on the inside guy, let the furthest guy outside rush and I was able to move off the spot to buy me some time to be able to throw it to Tyreek (Hill) and that’s what ended up happening.”
(This past game, it was the best that both WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle had together, since maybe the opener. What did it mean just to get the connection with both of them together going again?) – “Yeah, it was good to get those guys going. It’s pick your poison, really. If the play entails for ‘Reek’ (Tyreek Hill) to get the ball, but the coverage doesn’t allow him to get the ball, we’re going through our progression and you really see that with our guys this year, especially Jonnu (Smith) is a great example, right? Doesn’t get the ball the entire game, then when it’s time for our guys that we call playmakers to make plays, it’s overtime, the game was over, like this is not even in a quarter of a game. He hadn’t touched the ball, now he touches the ball, like you can see that guys are itching but guys aren’t going to complain about it. They’re just going to be ready whenever their time is called.”
(I don’t know if you’ve been keeping in touch with Teddy Bridgewater, but his team is playing for the state championship this weekend. Any shoutout you have for him?) – “Yeah, big shoutout to Teddy, ‘Teddy B,’ ‘Coach Teddy,’ man, jeez. Big shoutout.”
(I wanted to ask you, with this team having to have the mindset of ‘we’re in the playoffs already and every game is a must win,’ what kind of mental toughness or resolve does that kind of create for you guys?) – “Yeah, it creates mental fortitude, but I think we’ve had the reps earlier in the season, and we’ve continued to have those reps as the season progressed. Oh, it feels like we’re going to win this game, ah, we give up at the end. Feels like we’re going to win this game, we end up giving one at the end, or something like that. Then we find a couple wins here; then we lose again. And just the mental fortitude I think the guys have, it’s been in that playoff mode, but I think having those reps have definitely gave guys epiphanies, like ‘a-ha’ moments in which it’s like, ‘man, yeah, I felt like because this was a big game that I needed to do more than what my job asked me to do when really, all I need to do is go back to the basics and fundamentals of what we’ve been doing in OTAs, what we’ve been doing in training camp because that’s what’s gotten us here and that’s what’s helping us win games.’”
(Going back to Sunday, I think WR Tyreek Hill mentioned that he had run the wrong route and you kind of made it known to him, “hey, I need you to run it this way.” How much value is there in knowing that your teammates are going to respond to your leadership and your correction in that way?) – “I think it tells you a lot about the relationship that we all have with each other, to be able to do that first and foremost. I think in any workplace, that is very important to have. If you were to yell at my man right here, and y’all didn’t have a good relationship, he’d look at you crazy. (laughter) And so I think that’s definitely what is the forefront in us being able to communicate that to each other, and that goes for everybody on the team.”
Jaylen Waddle – December 11, 2024
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Wednesday, December 11, 2024
WR Jaylen Waddle
(What’s changed in the last couple of weeks where it’s been more like the old days in terms of you and WR Tyreek Hill getting a lot of targets?) – “That’s just confidence from the OC, the quarterback going out there and letting us play fast, putting the ball in our hands and expecting us make plays.”
(What kind of momentum does that win in overtime provide you going into this week?) – “It means a lot. It was a hard-fought game; it was a game we really needed to win. It just showed what this team could do. It definitely gave us a lot of confidence, but it’s a whole other team, a whole other gameplan. We’re just going about it like any other week.”
(Do you find you’re getting thicker skin just considering the last three weeks have already been like the playoffs for you guys right? Must-wins every week?) – “It’s a must-win. We definitely got to win out if we want to make that chance to play in the playoffs. Every game is important, every game we need and it’s fun. It’s a fun experience, especially with this team, with these guys. It’s fun.”
(What do you see in the Texans matchup?) – “A great team. Definitely get the ball, ball hungry team. Their d-line is really tied into their backend. It’s going to be a hard game. I think they have like a top five ranked defense, get pressure on the quarterback. DBs are playing great, (Derek) Stingley Jr. is having a career year. They’re a good group.”
(Earlier you mentioned confidence when you were asked about what changed. Did you make any appeal or reminder to coaches that you can do what you can do?) – “No, man. I think over the years, they kind of know my ability, know what I can do and know the type of guy that’s in the locker room and on the field. They know.”
(Were you thinking inside, “Man, I’m really looking forward to when they open it up again?”) – “I really look forward to winning, man. All that is good, but having a good game with an ‘L’ really doesn’t mean too much.”
(What’s it going to mean to go back to Houston?) – “It means a lot going back. Got a lot of family, and friends coming to the game, so it’s going to be big.”
(You’ve played there before?) – “We had a preseason game there last year. We practiced there for a week.”
(How many ticket requests did you get, ballpark?) – “If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me. (laughter)”
(You think 100?) – “No, not 100, but it’s going to be definitely more than 100 people there that I know, for sure.”
(How did it feel to the partner with T Terron Armstead and Calais Campbell for the Christmas event this past Monday?) – “That was great. Giving back to the community that support us is always key. The event went good. ‘T-stead’ (Terron Armstead) and Calais (Campbell) were great. A lot of teammates came out and supported us, so that’s always great.”
(How much do you think you’ll reflect when you’re back in Houston, when you back in your hometown? Just a childhood dream, I’m sure?) – “I remember my first game was at NRG – it used to be called Reliant Stadium. I remember going and watching the Texans play when I was a kid, so just playing in the stadium now is going to be a surreal moment.”
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