Chan Gailey – December 8, 2020
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Tuesday, December 8, 2020
Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey
(The third quarter when QB Tua Tagovailoa and the offense comes out, obviously we saw a lot of up-tempo. How much of the feedback and the conversation you have with Tagovailoa do you apply to the next week and moving forward, knowing that type of play style and scheme obviously benefited him and the offense?) – “I think we will continue to use it. How much? I think it will depend on the game; it will depend on the situation. We felt like that would help us in the second half of that game and obviously it did. I think as time goes on, we’ll just have to see how much of it we’ll use or what direction it goes. It was obviously good for him and for us. It will be a part of what we do, I’m pretty sure, from here on out.”
(What are the challenges and benefits of going up-tempo no-huddle with a young quarterback, specifically in this case, QB Tua Tagovailoa?) – “The challenges are he doesn’t get as much time to see what is happening. The benefits are the defense doesn’t get as much time to see what’s happening. (laughter) You have to decide the trade off and that’s where it is. Are you gaining more by being in the up-tempo or are you hampering the quarterback’s ability to see everything that’s going on? As we design it – what we might use each week – we try to take that into consideration and use it to however it might be the most beneficial to us, so we can get the most out of it. Those are the two things that I would say.”
(I saw an interesting break down of QB Tua Tagovailoa on the internet, where they talked about how he can move defenders with his eyes, head, shoulders, hips and feet. I’m curious where he is on that in terms of being able to mislead or trick defenders?) – “I think he’s learning everyday about how to do that. In college, you look one way and you turn back and you throw, and you can be kind of definitive about it. You look hard one way and then come back and throw the other way. You have to be a lot more subtle here. Those defenders have seen a lot of things, if they are not rookies. You have to be more subtle about it and I think he’s learning the subtleties of looking with his eyes or moving his shoulders instead of moving his eyes and doing things like that. I think he’s coming along in that.”
(I wanted to ask a specific question about WR Lynn Bowden Jr. We got teased based on what he did last week with the ball in his hands and his ability to make defenders miss. We’ve seen that in his film at Kentucky. What’s been the hindrance in why he hasn’t gotten to the point where he can contribute on a regular basis and what’s next for him?) – “There are a lot of things that go into a season. It could be injury, it could be anything. This year it could be COVID. There are a lot of things that go into that. Then if somebody else is playing good and a guy gets hurt – like Malcolm (Perry) got hurt, Lynn got a chance and Lynn did some good things. That’s what you have to do in this league is you have to take advantage of your opportunities, and he did that last week. I think we will continue to try to use him and let him get some touches, along with some of these other guys that we think can make plays for us.”
(On the broadcast of the game last week, the guys that were the broadcasters had done a previous game for you guys, and they said that when they talked to you, you had told them that you don’t like the up-tempo, no-huddle stuff. You prefer execution as opposed to going fast. I just want to hear it from you – is that true and why do you feel that way and how do you feel about the no-huddle and all of that stuff?) – “I probably said something along those lines because you don’t get to take advantage of some things sometimes when you’re going into the up-tempo because it is – You don’t have your whole offense up-tempo. You have limited packages in that. You want to try to take advantage of what you can take advantage of. Sometimes the tempo does take advantage of some things. You’ve got to be flexible. You’ve got to be able to go do different things in order to move the football. If up-tempo is one of those things, we’re going to use that to help us.”
(Outside of tempo, you guys did a lot of empty in this game, and had some success with that. What sort of things does empty packages unlock for QB Tua Tagovailoa as far as what you guys can do in the passing game?) – “First, it defines rushers. People got to go out and cover those guys, so it defines who is rushing. That means if they bring one more than you have blockers, then you’ve got to get rid of it. We got caught on that one time and it almost cost us. We feel like it gives him an opportunity to see where the rushers are coming from, and then see where the matchups are that we like. Who’s on who, you can see that more distinctly, rather than being in closed formations where they can disguise better. Those are a couple of things that help him somewhat.
(You’ve lived through the evolution of NFL offenses and I’m curious, what Kansas City is doing right now, could you have envisioned 35 years ago the diversity of their packages and the speed and the quarterback play? When you look at what Head Coach Andy Reid is doing, what do you see?) – “I couldn’t have. Thirty years ago, I’m not saying we were three yards and a cloud of dust, but it was close to that. (laughter) Everybody was in closed formations. You seldom got into wide formations. The game has changed and they’ve done a great job of taking the talent that they have, and using it and spreading people out. I don’t study them, but I get to see them a lot because we have common opponents. I do get to see them play some, and they do spread people out and have people going everywhere. They do a good job.”
Josh Boyer – December 8, 2020
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Monday, December 7, 2020
Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer
(You guys played fantastic last week, but I want to ask you about the Chiefs because they’re the upcoming opponent. I’m curious, when it comes to the challenge of a player like Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill, who’s got incredible speed and can get open, have you found a certain kind of corner does better against – do fast corners do better against him, do bodied-up big corners…? How do you defend a guy who’s that explosive?) – “I think to answer your question, I think you’ve got to do it multiple ways. I think he’s obviously an explosive player and he’s getting better. You watch it on film, he was very good to begin with and he’s taken that to another level. He’s an extremely good route-runner, he’s very quick, they do multiple things with them, they’ve got great scheme. (Chiefs Head Coach) Andy Reid and (Chiefs Offensive Coordinator) Eric Bieniemy, those guys do a phenomenal job. They make you defend every blade of grass and they have a tremendous set of skill players to do it. Tyreek Hill is a very explosive player, (Mecole) Hardman is a very explosive player and they’ve got very good skill all the way around the board – tight ends, receivers. You’re looking at two of the fastest guys in the league that they have on their team and then a quarterback that can make all the throws and extend plays, so it’s a big challenge. I don’t think there’s one way you can do it. You’ve got to approach it with a multiple-facet approach to make sure that you limit those explosive plays.”
(You guys have done such a good job this season of being a disruptive defense and putting other teams on their heels. How much have you seen defenses be able to do that with the Chiefs over the last couple years?) – “I think it’s hard because one, their players and the talent level that they have; and two, the outstanding coaching and scheme that they have. So usually the times that there are disruption, it’s probably a mistake here or there. They’re going to do an outstanding job. If you get them once, they’ll fix it. I would say Andy Reid and Eric Bieniemy, they’re going to adjust to whatever you do, so it makes it extremely hard. It’s not like somebody’s just teeing off on them; they adjust very well to what you’re doing and like all offenses, they’ll have some plays that probably aren’t their best, but for the most part, these guys are a really efficient group.”
(What have been your observations and study about how Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes generally does against numerous – when you bring a lot of people when he’s blitzed?) – “I think he’s a very good decision-maker. I think he does a very good job of keeping his eyes down the field. I think he has a very good feel of what’s going on on the field, so he doesn’t necessarily sit there and look at the rush. He’ll keep his eyes downfield and look for matchups. The guy’s a tremendous player, so like I said, we have a big challenge in front of us this week.”
(There’s been a lot of talk about up-tempo given how successful you guys were with it the second half the other day and I’d like to hear a defensive coordinator’s perspective of going against up-tempo. How much do you hate it when you have to face it or are you just hoping that you have the right guys on the field because you can’t substitute necessarily? What are the things you’re looking for when you face that?) – “Whether they’re huddling or not huddling or they’re going fast or they’re going at a normal pace, you’re looking at what they’re trying to do and what they’re trying to attack. I would say obviously defensively, we’ve practiced against it. We’ve seen it this year. You’ve just got to make sure that your communication, the calls get in quickly, the communication’s a high level. Those are the things that you’re looking to do, but really the matter of it is how are they trying to attack you and what are they trying to do? That could be the same as if they were going at a slower pace or sometimes it’s different or maybe they only have select plays when they’re going fast, so all those things kind of go hand-in-hand. It’s just a part of defending offenses and I would say all offenses have it because if you get into a two-minute situation and then the clock becomes an issue for them, they’ll all go fast. You have to be ready for it at any time. It’s no different than if they give you an unbalanced (formation) or they give you a formation maybe that you aren’t – or a personnel grouping that maybe you aren’t expecting. You’ve just got to handle it as it comes up and I would say in the course of a week, we prepare for all that stuff.”
(I wanted to ask you about CB Byron Jones. I know CB Xavien Howard gets a lot of the publicity with all the interceptions; but I’m curious, does having Byron on the other side maybe deter quarterbacks from throwing in that direction giving CB Xavien Howard more opportunities? Like what exactly is Byron doing that maybe we’re not seeing that really proves his value on this defense?) – “I think the thing with Byron (Jones) is whether it’s zone or man or in the run game, he’s consistently been able to do what we’ve asked of him and for the most part – like I said, you can have a great game as a corner and have really a zero stat line. If you don’t give up a third-down pass, you don’t give up a red-area pass, you don’t have any penalties, no missed tackles. For a corner, they could have a great game and really nobody would even know they had a great game unless you went back and really kind of studied the film. And I think Byron works hard at a lot of those things and there’s a lot of things that he does that are unseen and then I would say like everybody – myself included – there’s always things that you can improve on and we work hard to do that. Byron does that. He’s a diligent worker, but he’s been productive for us and I’m glad we have him.”
(I know we’ve talked to you in previous weeks about your amoeba defensive package. I wanted to ask again, I know you guys did some of it in New England when you and Head Coach Brian Flores were together, but I wanted to see how much has it evolved for you guys now in Miami from where it initially was?) – “I think things evolve all the time and it’s a copycat league and I think you look at things and like I said, it’s no different than plays that hurt us defensively, we’re probably going to see it again from other offenses. A lot of coaches watch a lot of film, so if they see something that hurts a certain protection or gives something a certain problem, you’re going to see it. And there’s always little tweaks here and there, so I would say it evolves. A lot of it depends on what the offenses are doing and your personnel defensively depending on what you can get done. It really goes back to you’re just trying to put guys in position to succeed. I think that’s the way most people approach it, but it’s been – like I said – nobody’s out there inventing anything. Everybody, they kind of look and they take stuff from other people and you really just try to put your guys based on your personnel in the best position that they can be in that really kind of attacks the offense. So in a long roundabout way to answer your question, I would say it’s always evolving.”
(I wanted to ask, we talk about the Chiefs and their playmakers and stuff, but I wanted to ask you what are some things that let you know your defense has a chance this week against them?) – “I think we go into every game with the idea to win the game and again, that starts with one, having a good plan; two, the players putting in a great week of preparation and having a great week of practice, executing at a high level and then going out there Sunday and being able to execute in pressure situations, and knowing and understanding the situation and being able to execute. I have a lot of confidence in our guys. We’re going to play hard and we’re going to compete and the goal – it doesn’t matter who you’re playing – the goal every week is to win. We know we’ve got a good opponent this week that’s very well-coached, a very good scheme with a lot of talented players, but like I said, we’ve got a bunch of competitive guys in this building. We’re going to work hard, we’re going to prepare and we’re going to go out there and play on Sunday.”
(What does Chiefs TE Travis Kelce do best?) – “I would say much like Tyreek Hill, these guys are getting better and better. And they were really good players to begin with. You’re talking about elite players to begin with and they’re actually getting better. Travis Kelce is an outstanding route-runner. He’s got great hands. He can make tough catches in traffic. He usually comes up with big plays. They move him all around, so obviously he can handle the whole offense. He’s just really an outstanding player. It’s kind of mind-numbing to think that guys that are playing at that high of a level are actually just improving and he really has had a great season and like I said, he’s really good route-runner. He’s got good hands and he’s made a lot of tough catches for them.”
Eric Rowe – December 7, 2020
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Monday, December 7, 2020
S Eric Rowe
(There was a little bit of concern for you yesterday when you left with the injury. I’m curious, what is the concussion test like in the moment. And I don’t know if you’ve had concussions in the past but do you know in the moment if you’ve got one or not?) – “The test is a series of – like they want you to remember 10 words and see if you can remember that, kind of where you’re at in time. They’ll ask you like what’s the date, can you put the months backwards. I did a little balance test, almost like you see when you see all of those cop videos when they have the drunk drivers and they have the heel-toe action and all of that stuff. They had me do all of that. I was like ‘come on, let’s get this over with because I knew I was good.’ I was just trying to get back out there.”
(You’ve got one of the biggest matchups this week, obviously the Chiefs are a dynamic offense, they pretty much got a tight end who is on the verge of having a Hall of Fame career. How much do you get excited about that matchup?) – “It’s a great opportunity. You can’t really ask for anything better – going against a guy that’s been consistent every game for years now. Just having that challenge ahead of you. I’ve been looking forward to it since the schedule came out. It’s a great test, not just for me, but as a whole defense too and as a whole team. It’s going to be a great test this week.”
(With TE Travis Kelce, I know you’ve defended a lot of tight ends, but do you have to defend him differently because of maybe his prowess as a receiver?) – “Yeah. Well, you have to defend every tight end a little bit differently because everybody has got a different skillset. Some are more blocking than receiving and some are more receiving than blocking. This one is more receiving than blocking, obviously. I already see from a little bit of film that the way he runs his routes are like receivers. He’ll stem leverages, he’ll push you outside, cut you inside to go back outside. He does a lot of stuff. Obviously with that, I have to approach it differently.”
(What’s unique about QB Patrick Mahomes?) – “He’s a complete quarterback. He can make all the throws, he has the arm, he can read defenses, he can read coverages, he can read protections, he’s mobile enough to get out and run for the first down. He’s not slow, so he’s the complete package. What’s unique? He’s got it all.”
(I wanted to ask you a couple of questions about your teammate LB Kyle Van Noy. They caught him on the sideline predicting his three sacks, and he got them. I was wondering, does he do that every week or was that actually a premonition? And two, what does he add to this defense in general, going back to your time with him with the Patriots. What is something he does that the fans don’t see every single Sunday?) – “Everybody tries to predict their stats, right? I go into the game like, ‘I’m going to get two and maybe a TFL today.’ Bobby (McCain) is like, ‘I’m going to get me one. I’m going to get me one this week.’ Everybody always like to predict, but he spoke it into existence. He called out three and he got three. That’s good for him and just for him, as a guy on the team, he provides leadership, experience, when he’s on the field, he’s confident about whatever call or check he needs to make within the scheme. Having that kind of security on the defense, whatever call he makes, his confidence kind of puts everybody at ease, like ‘we’re fitting to run this call,’ rather than maybe someone who is not too sure and kind of gives you the call kind of faintly. Then everybody is questioning ‘what did he say, what did he say,’ then the ball is snapped. Just little stuff like that really adds a – he’s really an important piece to the defense.”
(I have two quick questions. No. 1, you guys have been amongst one of the best defenses all year. What is the sense of excitement in facing the challenge of stopping the Kansas City offense that few teams have been able to slow down. And No. 2, what makes TE Travis Kelce different than other tight ends that you have faced this year?) – “This is really going to test us to see how good we are as a defense – from our run defense, to pass, to pass rush, to coverage, to everything. It’s not like a team that let’s say we get a jump on them and we have a comfortable lead and we’re good. Nah, we’ve all seen them score and put up points. I think last year they put up like 21 points in two minutes or something like that against the Texans. This is going to be a good test for us. We’ve got to play all four quarters, 60 minutes. Everyone has to be on their details because one slip up and we all see how explosive this offense is. Then two, with Kelce, just like I said before, what makes him different is a lot of tight ends when they run their routes, they don’t really stem, they don’t push leverages, they don’t do stuff like receivers do. They kind of just run the route like you see on paper. If it’s an over, they’ll run straight across the field and you’ll be like ‘ok, that’s easy.’ But with him, he’ll push you vertical, maybe a couple of juke steps, jab out, then break on his route, which obviously makes it harder to cover. He has a totally different skillset.”
(How does the way TE Travis Kelce goes about his business, how does that compare to a guy you know well in TE Rob Gronkowski?) – “The difference between those two guys is ‘Gronk,’ his route-running ability is not like Kelce’s with the stemming and all of that. But what makes ‘Gronk’ great is the way he knows how to use his body. He’s a wide dude. He’s a big bodied guy and obviously he has tough hands. You put the ball anywhere in his radius and ‘Gronk,’ he was getting it, even with the hits coming on. Two different skillsets, but obviously I think Hall of Famers.”
Ted Karras – December 7, 2020
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Monday, December 7, 2020
C Ted Karras
(I think I Tweeted I would have liked to have been a fly in the room at halftime. Sometimes halftime speeches are kind of overrated. Coaches maybe don’t throw chairs as often as we might think, but were there any chairs thrown? What was it like in there from Head Coach Brian Flores and the other coaches?) – “It was intense. Obviously we needed to play better than we did in the first half and ‘Coach Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) emphasized that. We came out a lot better in the second half. I think we had a better sense of urgency and we made some adjustments. I think it was obviously a good halftime adjustment period, because we came out way better than we did in the first period.”
(One of the adjustments it seemed like was the use of tempo – more no-huddle offense. I guess from your perspective, what does the use of no-huddle do for you guys as an offense and QB Tua Tagovailoa as a quarterback?) – “I think as an o-lineman, the one thing you can do is slow down the pass rush if we can keep guys on the field longer, but we executed well in those situations and came out and had a big drive to start the third quarter, which kind of set the tone for the rest of the game. Coach Gailey (Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey) does a great job scheming it up and that was part of the scheme this week and it was successful and I’m glad we could execute it as a team.”
(You know this next opponent very well. You played them in the AFC Championship a couple years ago. What can you tell about the Kansas City Chiefs from a defensive standpoint?) – “A lot of really good players up front starting with Chris Jones, but several very good d-linemen and linebackers, and they’re going to be well-prepared and bringing high energy, so we’re going to have to match that with our preparation this week and play our best when it counts the most Sunday afternoon.”
(You guys ran for over 100 yards for the second straight week. No sacks this week, which is a good rebound from the two previous games. Do you feel like you’re getting your footing as an offensive line?) – “I feel like we’re being more consistent. Obviously like you mentioned, the last two weeks we had to rebound, but we’re just going to keep working hard every day. Obviously o-line is a very cut-and-dry position as far as if you’re successful or not, and we’re working hard every day and we’ve got some young guys out there who are playing really well. It’s fun to play with these guys. This is going to be our biggest test of the year coming up here Sunday.”
(I don’t know if you knew this, but Sunday was the first time the Dolphins franchise started three rookies on the offensive line. Obviously a rookie quarterback there in QB Tua Tagovailoa. We hear all the time about this valuable experience this time of year for young players. I’m just curious form your perspective, how valuable can this meaningful football in December, how far can that go for such a young team like you guys have?) – “Well, experience can only go so far. It’s in performance here. We’ve put ourselves in a position to have a chance and every game here is really huge moving forward and if you want to be a good team, you’re going to have to win December, January and ultimately February is the ultimate goal. So we’re going to come to work like we have. The sense of urgency is high and I’m proud of those three rookies. They’ve played really well. Those guys are fun to play with – a lot of talent up front – and it’s fun to play with those guys and watch them grow and get better myself, so it’s been good.”
(What are a couple of the keys or the points of emphasis that you guys have really been working on in the run game that have shown up at times this week and I think it was in the second half of last week, too?) – “Sustaining blocks would be a big one. I think we did a way better job doing that – everyone being on the same page. I think I said this a while back, everyone just taking a turn in the run game, doing something and you need all 11 doing the right thing on offense to have a successfully executed play, so I think we’re getting more of those and we’re sustaining blocks as an offensive line. We’ve just got to keep working hard to keep this run game going because it’s going to be very important here coming up in this last month of the season.”
(One more question about the Chiefs, if I could. Aside from I think the last time that you faced them, all those games are track meets and that’s not a surprise. The Chiefs are maybe the best offense in the world. As an offensive player, when you know you have to go against that, is there a little bit more get-up in your step? How do you approach a game where you know that if you don’t score 25, 28, maybe 30 points, it might be a bad day for you?) – “As an o-lineman, it’s kind of a one-play-at-a-time mentality. I just focus on doing my job and then hopefully everyone is doing the same, but I have a lot of confidence in our defense and I think as an offense, we want to step up our game. Our defense is playing very, very well and we want to be at that same level. So this is going to be a big test for us – for everyone on our team. So we’re going to have to bring our best preparation starting today, tomorrow, but ultimately Wednesday and then finish with execution and performance on Sunday.”
Xavien Howard – December 7, 2020
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Monday, December 7, 2020
CB Xavien Howard
(Another pick for you this week. A lot of your teammates are trying to make the case for you for defensive player of the year. A lot of times that’s been a pass rusher award, but CB Stephon Gilmore won it last year. What’s been the case for a cornerback to win that award in your opinion?) – “I feel like if I continue to play the way I’ve been playing, I feel like it will take care of itself. It’s an honor for guys to mention my name for Defensive Player of the Year. If I continue to play the way I’ve been playing, I feel like everything will take care of itself.”
(Earlier today, Head Coach Brian Flores was saying that you’re one of the best corners he’s ever been around. I was trying to think of some of the guys he has coached, but maybe you guys have discussed it. I was thinking of CB Stephon Gilmore, CB Darrelle Revis, CB Devin McCourty. Have you guys ever talked about the corners he’s coached and has he ever brought up some of the things they do well?) –“Not really. I don’t really bring up other cornerbacks, and he’s never brought up any cornerbacks. We are all different in a way, so I just focus on what I can get better at and what he can coach me to get better at. That’s the only thing I really focus on. It’s an honor for him to even say that. I just got to put my head down and keep going to work.”
(You are two interceptions shy of the franchise record of interceptions this season. That record goes back to 1967. It’s been 53 years since somebody has had double-digit interceptions in a Dolphins uniform. Do you feel like that’s a record that’s within reach, and what would it mean to you to put your name in the history book like that?) – “That would be great. The way I’m getting a pick damn near every week, just keep that going. I’m really not focused on – I wouldn’t say like making history or something like that. I’m just playing day-in and day-out and really just trying to put my team in the best situation to win. It’s not really on my behalf of being selfish. It’s a whole team effort. When everything starts getting together and people start making plays, it helps the team out. That’s what my main focus is on, not really just Defensive Player of the Year or making history. I’m just playing and everything at the end of the season will take care of itself.”
(I have to ask you about your emotions as you walked off yesterday. The game obviously not complete and you had to walk off. What was going through your mind and do you think that Bengals WR Tyler Boyd thought that you shoved him rather than CB Byron Jones?) – “Yeah, he didn’t know who shoved him, so he just came up and did what he did. I didn’t throw a punch, so I thought it was a BS call; but I put my team in a bad situation. That can’t happen down the stretch because these games are important games for us and my team needs me out there.”
(You have to be excited about this matchup because it’s the Super Bowl champions and they are playing at a high level with this offense. What will it mean for you guys to come out and be the defense that you’ve shown all season?) – “We’ve just got to keep that going, from everybody’s aspect. We’ve got to win all three phases. This is a good team, an explosive offense. Just contain them guys, it’s going to be a big matchup for us all. If we just play and win all three phases, I feel like we’ll be on top.”
(You mentioned that matchup, and obviously they got WR Tyreek Hill on the other side. He’s been making a lot of big plays for a while. What do you think about that matchup? Do you anticipate being on him and what would winning that matchup say for you as a corner?) – “I really don’t know our game plan, like what matchup we’re going to have. Whatever matchup they have, I feel like they are going to put us in the best position to make plays and win. With them guys, there is Tyreek Hill but there’s also Sammy Watkins and (Travis) Kelce. And (Demarcus) Robinson also. There’s a lot of weapons they have, so we can’t just focus on one guy because it’s a bunch of guys that they got that can hurt a defense.”
Brian Flores – December 7, 2020
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Monday, December 7, 2020
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Given the way that things unfolded yesterday, I’m wondering is it your understanding that the actions of WR Mike Thomas on those two punt plays, is that grounds for an ejection and if not, do you think it should be in the interest of player safety? Secondly, can you update us on how WR Jakeem Grant is dong today?) – “Jakeem is banged up like a lot of guys on our team are. That was a tough, hard-fought game yesterday. To answer your first question, we’ve kind of moved past it. We talked about it as a team today. We’ve got to do a better job keeping our composure, playing with poise and not getting penalties. That’s going to be a point of emphasis this week, and we’ll leave it at that.”
(I wanted to ask about G Ereck Flowers. There are reports out there that he suffered an Achilles injury. I don’t know if they are accurate or not. Where is he in terms of the medical status and finishing out the season?) – “As you guys saw, he left the game yesterday and didn’t return. He’s getting treatment this morning. He’s getting evaluated. We’re still kind of working through that process this morning. He’s a tough guy. He wants to be out there. I know he’s going to do everything he can to get back out there as quickly as possible. As far as any reports that are out there, again, I’m not going to talk about anyone’s medical situation until we have all of the information ourselves. That’s where Ereck is.”
(You’ve won eight out of nine now that I believe, and most of those wins have been in double digits. You’re playing at a high level. Do you think this team is ready for the challenge that the Kansas City Chiefs presents?) – “The Chiefs are a very good team. I think we all know that. They are the reigning Super Bowl champions. They’ve got a great coach, great quarterback, great players defensively, they do a great job in the kicking game as well. It will be a great challenge for us. We’ve got a bunch of guys in our locker room who will compete and are tough. We’ve just got to do a good job of preparing. Right now, we’re just making the corrections from yesterday’s game. We’ll get into the preparation later in the week over these next few days. It’s a very good team. I think we all know that. We’ve just got to take this one day at a time and just try to prepare the best we can, and try to play a good football game this week.”
(I know you talked yesterday about Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey going into the up-tempo offense in the second half for QB Tua Tagovailoa, and he talked about how it confused the defense a bit. The obvious question would be, should we see more of that and what are the pros and cons of running more up-tempo offense?) – “I think it’s week to week. Every week is based on what we see from our next opponent. If we can turn on the tape and see someone else running no huddle against Kansas City and they are getting stoned every play, in that case we wouldn’t do it. That’s the case for up-tempo. That could be the case for something else in the kicking game, offensively and defensively. It’s very early. All of the focus was on the Bengals. It’s a one game season. We’ll turn our attention to Kansas City and we’ll see. We’ll see if it’s something that – if we think it will help us, we may implement it; but again, I don’t think that’s an every week thing. It’s more something you can go to in the offense. But every team has some form of two-minute or up-tempo. You have to have it if you get into a two-minute situation.”
(With an elite opponent coming into town, what’s your message to the team?) – “The same as every day. Prepare the correct way, make sure we’re getting our rest and hydrating, getting the right nutrition in our body, trying to get ourselves to an optimal level for next week. That’s a daily process. Let’s have a good meeting today, let’s get into our weekly routine, which everyone’s is a little bit different. Mine is different from yours, is different from the next player. So get into your routine, watch the film, study your opponent and we’ll be in touch with the players about game plan and things of that nature later in the week. Really nothing changes, to be honest with you.”
(How would you say CB Noah Igbinoghene responded with his opportunity to fill in for CB Xavien Howard? He got 20-plus snaps and it seemed for a good part of that second half he kept things pretty quiet on his side?) – “Yeah, I thought he played well. He’s a guy who’s been practicing very well. I’ve seen a lot of improvement with him at practice. I think he’s made a lot of plays in the kicking game for us over the last few weeks. Those things don’t go unnoticed. He’s young. He just turned 21-years-old last week. I think he’s getting better. Like I’ve said, developing players and watching them improve is something that we always have an eye on and I’ve seen that in practice and he got an opportunity yesterday. I thought he played well.”
(I wanted to ask you about CB Xavien Howard – not the ejection, but just about his play throughout the season. Do you believe that he’s one of the best players in the league?) – “’X’ (Xavien Howard) is very, very talented. Yeah, he’s one of the best corners I’ve been around and he’s improving, and he works at it on a daily basis. He’s playing with a lot of confidence right now and we have a lot of confidence in him, and hopefully that continues. With the way he works and how important the game is to him, I don’t see why it wouldn’t (continue). He’s a key piece to this team.”
(You’ve done a good job of preaching day-to-day and it seems like these guys certainly listen you to, just take the next-game, next-day approach. But big picture, with four games left and this team being in the hunt, do you want them to embrace that, the fact that with four games left you’re right where you want to be as far as potential goals and maybe the postseason?) – “We try to take things one day at a time. I think that’s the only way to approach it. We’re in a position where we get to play some meaningful games and that’s good, but in order to take advantage of them, we can’t be thinking three, four, five weeks ahead. You’ve got to focus on today, focus on this week, focus on this team. We’ve got plenty to focus on with the Kansas City Chiefs. As you guys know, this is a very, very – look, they’re the reigning Super Bowl champs. They’ve got great coaches, they’ve got great players, they know how to win. They played a tight ball game yesterday and you see them pull it out at the end last night. They play well in situations, they play well in the kicking game; so again, getting ahead of things is not really my nature and obviously I don’t really see how it helps us all that much. We just need to focus on trying to get better today and trying to get ready for the Chiefs.”
(I know you obviously don’t want to go back to the Bengals situation, but do you immediately try to take that and turn it into a teaching moment for your players? How do you think that is going to bring you guys even closer together and what have you learned about your team so far this season?) – “These guys, they enjoy playing with each other. They care about each other and they celebrate with one another in good times; they support one another in bad times and I think that’s important on the team. I think this is a resilient group. I think this is a hard-working group and I think they know that as a team, this is a – let’s call it a very supportive team. I would say so. And I think that they play hard for one another.”
(You’ve started 10 rookies at different points this season. It is the most in franchise history. I’m wondering if there is a certain intersection between the coaching staff that you assembled with that teaching mentality and development in mind, like you mentioned with CB Noah Igbinoghene, and also the knowledge that you had so many draft picks coming into this season and how would you evaluate the development of all these first-year players on your roster?) – “I think – we’ve played a lot of young guys – I think they’ve all developed at different paces. I think some are further along than others. I think they’re all getting better, they’re all improving, they all work hard, it’s important to each one of them. I think they’ve all had a little bit of different circumstances for a number of reasons, whether it’s injury or whether it’s a couple guys have been inactive, down, inactive for multiple games and then they get called up. Some guys played early and then didn’t play as much and it’s basically just being a rookie in the National Football League. I think every experience they’ve had on the field has been a good one. Whether they’ve played well or didn’t play well, each one of those experiences is good for them and are opportunities for them to learn, grow, and if it went well, then they take that and say, ‘hey, well, whatever my process was to get that result, let’s stick with that and build on that.’ And whatever the process was if it was a bad result, then they know they have to change that. That’s life in the National Football League and honestly that’s life, period. So those are kind of some of the lessons we try to give those guys as far as process, routine and trying to accomplish something. So I know we’ve played a lot of rookies. Honestly I wasn’t sure the exact number until you mentioned, so if we’ve started 10, then it’s a good thing. They’ve earned that opportunity. I think a lot of these guys are playing well and we’re counting on them. Somebody mentioned last week that this is around the time when their seasons are over, so they really have to push through this portion of the year, which is different and there’s a lot going on. They’re tired mentally, physically and emotionally. They’ve got to push through. This is the – you’ve earned the right to play in some meaningful games. I think they’ve got to push through and I’m confident they will. But yes, each one of them has developed and gotten better, I would say.”
Shaq Lawson – December 6, 2020 (Postgame)
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Sunday, December 6, 2020
Postgame – Cincinnati
DE Shaq Lawson
(Obviously, we know you’re a fiery guy. It seemed like this game was really chippy from really the start. What was your view of the game and particularly that fourth quarter sequence that got pretty out of hand?) – “It’s football, you know, and people. It’s competitive. It’s competitive. So people just talk between the lines. It wasn’t nothing bigger than what it was. And I’m one of those guys that likes to talk throughout the game. But it wasn’t nothing bigger than that. We’re two teams competing to win a game. That’s all that was.”
(After that sequence, what did it mean for you to respond with that big sack and really for the defense to play well in all that followed?) – “We just knew we had to play better in the second half than we did the first half. I know we left some plays out there the first half and I guess that little incident got the whole team hyped and ready to go. I guess it was momentum, but that’s what that was, man. Hell, I finally made a play. (laughter) it felt like. So other than that, it was just great.”
(You mentioned that play getting you guys all hyped up. With four games left, do you think that’s a play and that’s a moment that can bring you guys a little bit closer together for the rest of the season?) – “Nah, nah. You know what I’m saying? People remember what you do in December, right? That’s what we – December is the most important football. It is. It takes care of all the other months. So that’s what’s been going through my mind, plus my teammates’ minds too; this is December football. We’ve got to play our best ball. There’s no room for errors and things like that. That’s our mindset, and that’s what we’ve got to approach throughout the rest of the season.”
(I know CB Nik Needham got one later in the game, but for “X” CB Xavien Howard to continue that takeaway streak, it seems like obviously he’s found the ball a lot this season?) – “Best cornerback in the league, you know what I’m saying? Hands down. He gets one every week. I have never witnessed nothing like that. I mean, I’ve played with good cornerbacks, don’t get me wrong. I played a great cornerback last year, but to see a guy get a pick almost every week, it’s incredible, man. It’s incredible, man, and I’m glad I’m witnessing being with the best corner in the league.”
(You talked about the second half kind of going better than the first half for you guys. It seems like this defense feeds off this energy and off one another. What is it about when one guy makes a play and then somebody else steps up and makes the next play and just continue that avalanche of plays?) – “It’s excitement. When you see a guy make a play, especially your teammate, and you know throughout the week he worked hard to make plays for Sunday; you just feed off of that. And you want to go make the next play, and then we just feed off each other, man. People are feeding off Kyle (Van Noy), (Emmanuel) Ogbah, Christian (Wilkins). Christian is the reason why – get us going. Like his energy and juice. I know I be part of that too, but Christian, it’s been different since we’ve been having him back than before he was missing. You know, the energy level is a lot different having that guy.”
Christian Wilkins – December 6, 2020 (Postgame)
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Sunday, December 6, 2020
Postgame – Cincinnati Bengals
DT Christian Wilkins
(Talk to me a little bit about just what it means to see your head coach go out there and defend his team like that.) – “It’s good to see that kind of just because you know he has our back and we’re a family. So that’s the biggest thing. That’s all I’ll say. We’ve all got each other’s back. So we’ll just keep that in the family.”
(I wanted to ask you about the defense today with the multiple sacks by DE Emmanuel Ogbah, DE Shaq Lawson. You guys were able to bear down there and keep the Bengals off the scoreboard for most of the game. How did it feel to turn in a performance like that?) – “It was good. It felt really good, especially since in the first half we started off real sluggish. We didn’t do a great job of coming out and starting fast. So it was just good to kind of get things going and take over. It’s good to see teammates succeed. Everybody … We’ve had a full team effort by the defense. To perform like that today, really by all three phases of the game, we did some good stuff. We still can improve, especially in December. So it’s an important time right now during the season. So we can still improve, but I just thought it was a good overall effort.”
(Two quick ones. One, how upset were you to get that TD called back? And two, you guys got four key games coming on in the playoff stretch. How important is it for this defense to sort of …) – “They some haters. That’s all I’ve got to say. I don’t know who I’ve got to talk to, but I’m a little upset. I done did every dance in the book, every celebration, I was tired, all of that, and it didn’t even count. I might have even took a fine, but hey, it was worth it, I had fun out there. Too bad it just didn’t count. It is what it is. I’m glad we got the win. What was your second question? I’m still just hot about the no touchdowns. I apologize.”
(I figured you were going to be hot about the no touchdowns. The second question is you guys have four games left for the playoff push. What does sort of your defense got to show for you guys to get in towards the end?) – “Really it’s just improving each week, locking in during the week in meetings, practicing, not just practicing, just going out there to practice and getting it done, but locking in and honing your craft. I really think it’s going to be important ball the rest of the way out. Every game matters. So we’ve just got to keep taking care of business really.”
(Why do you think the Bengals were playing as dirty as they were today? It wasn’t just one thing. It was the entire afternoon, they were doing things that were outside the rules.) – “I’m going to stay away from that. I don’t know what they were doing or what they were thinking or what’s going on over on their sideline. So I’m just going to stay away from that question. It’s just what it is. It’s competitive. It’s heated out there. That’s all I can say.”
(You talked about being a family and knowing that Head Coach Brian Flores has your back. At the same time, you guys have done great this year as far as avoiding penalties. So how do you balance keeping those emotions in check versus not letting teams take advantage of you? How do you find that right balance?) – “Like you said, we’re one of the least penalized teams in the league, so I feel like we’ve done a good job of that kind of stuff all year even when things get chippy, so it’s just focusing on that. Sometimes, things happen. Like I said, it’s really competitive out there. We care for each other. Guys compete each week, each day and you get close with guys, so things happen. That’s all I can say.”
