Tua Tagovailoa – November 15, 2020 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 15, 2020
Postgame – L.A. Chargers
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(I wanted to ask you: This offense in terms of the RPOs, in terms of the running out of shotgun, how is it evolving as the season progresses?) – “To be honest, I think (Offensive Coordinator) Chan (Gailey) is just finding ways to put guys in certain areas or certain positions to become successful. We’re trying to put guys defensively in a bind to where we can take advantage of them. I think up to this point, we got to continue to execute on those things, but it’s still a work in progress, so we’ll continue to look at the film when it comes time tomorrow and continue to grow from there.”
(I just want to ask you about your tackle. Did anyone on the sidelines, when you came back say, “Please don’t do that again?”) – “No, no one said that. Really, I was just trying to strip the guy from the opposite side. It was probably best to try to just get him down next time, so I’ll take that into consideration.”
(You talked about Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey a little bit earlier. I wanted to ask: How are you kind of evolved with him in your comfort together over the last three weeks as far as knowing what you like, what he likes, and that flow when it’s a game day?) – “I feel like I’ve always been comfortable with Chan. The only thing is me and him getting on the same page as to why he’s calling a certain play and just the chemistry that we have. It’s just a continuous talk leading up to the game. And even with our starters, our drive starters, plays that we want to go out with to start the game, too, it’s a continuous talk. Just me and him getting on the same page and being comfortable with the plays that we’re going into the game with, I think that’s very key.”
(I do want to talk to you about your comfort level out there. It seems three games in you are feeling a lot more comfortable, taking some chances even though the defense has not been able to take advantage of those when you do have some miscues. How comfortable are you out there and just how do you feel overall?) – “I would say I’m comfortable, but a lot of that starts from practice, just being able to talk with our center, Ted (Karras), on Thursdays, going over our protections, just being able to talk to the o-line about what I’m thinking and then hearing from them what they’re thinking, talking to the receivers, what we’re thinking, and just kind of a combined thought process for all of us together to all kind of be on the same page. I think that’s where, you know, probably not just me, but everyone feels most comfortable is, it starts from practice and then it translates to the game.”
(3-0 now since you took over. I know it’s kind of a simple question, but how much fun are you having? How much fun is this team having now having won five in a row with three with you as a starter?) – “I think it’s fun winning in general, whether we do good offensively or the defense does good and special teams does good, just being able to come out with the win. I’m sure you guys have seen that video with Ted kind of helping me put things into perspective. But I think today was a great team win. We ran the ball really well. Big shout out to our o-line and big shout out to Salvon Ahmed for stepping up when his number was called. We have had a lot of opportunities that the defense has given us, as well, and I think the special teams did a really great job as well, too. It was a great team effort.”
(Curious, did you get a chance to talk to QB Justin Herbert after the game and if so, what was that conversation like?) – “I actually didn’t get an opportunity to talk to Justin after the game. Someone came up to me and, it was just a lot of people coming up to me and then when I tried to find Justin, someone told me he had already gone into the locker room. I don’t think that was ever personal on his part. He was probably trying to look for me too, but just there’s just a lot of people. But I have much respect for him and his game, and I know he’ll continue to grow and continue to get better.”
(So much of your success throughout your career has been your ability to make good decisions, like on the run, under pressure. I wanted to ask about that first pass you had to TE Mike Gesicki. In that moment, what goes through your mind in those last-second decisions on the run, just knowing where you’re going to put the ball and be successful with it?) – “Well, knowing I got out free and there wasn’t a rusher in my face, I was able to decipher what that corner was going to do, if he was going to stay back, take Mike on the flag, or if he was going to step up and take Salvon on the flat. I kept going out, he made his decision, and just stuck to my rules and gave Mike a chance.”
Brian Flores – November 15, 2020 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 15, 2020
Postgame – L.A. Chargers
Head Coach Brian Flores
(That CB Xavien Howard interception seemed to have been the huge turning point. Can you take us through that play, his significance to this team, and significance to this game that that play made?) – “Yeah, that was a big play in the game. There was a lot of big plays. I think it was a total team effort. I thought we started fast, played well in the kicking game, offense punched it in, so got a defensive stop, got the block on special teams and then the offense punched it in after that. And then we got off to a fast start. I think defensively we played, … We made it hard for them early in the game, getting off the field on third down. A lot of guys played well. I thought there was good communication, really across the board defensively, the kicking game, offensively. Like you said, ‘X’s’ (Xavien Howard) play was a big play in the game. I wish we would have turned it around and made a little bit more out of that next offensive series. A lot of things we can correct in the game. It’s nice to make those corrections in a win.”
(You guys have won five straight now. Is this sort of the style of play, the style of winning that you want for your team going forward?) – “However we … If it’s a win, I’m not sure it’s the style. I’m not really into style, fashion, as we talked to Armando about earlier in the week, but playing team football – offense, defense, special teams – if that’s what you mean, everyone involved, everyone’s role is important, good fundamentals, good technique, and just trying to grind out wins in a tough league, every game’s hard. That’s, again, like I said all week, their record is misleading. That’s a good football team. (Justin) Herbert is a good player. They’ve got a lot of good players over there. It’s tough to move the ball. It was tough to stop them. It was tough to make plays in the kicking game, but we executed a little bit better than they did and came out with the win.”
(Just wondering at what point during the week maybe you gave RB Salvon Ahmed the heads up that he was going to have an increased role in this offense? And what you thought of his game today?) – “It’s like everybody else on the team, the way you perform in practice will go a long way with how much playing time you get. So at what point in the week, it’s not like we walked in Wednesday and said, ‘It’s yours.’ He had to practice well. He practiced well Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. I think we talked to all the backs and really everyone at every position and, ‘Hey, this is what the plan is, the initial plan is, or here are our thoughts and we’ll see how well you practice and if you practice well, then we…’ He went in there and performed well. I thought he ran the ball effectively. Again, we could have … We left some yards out there also, so I mean it wasn’t perfect, but we’ll make the corrections and hopefully be better next week.”
(With RB Salvon Ahmed, what went into your decision to start him? And can you talk about the speed that he brings and how that adds a dimension to this offense?) – “I think that he practiced well. Like I said earlier, he practiced well, made a couple plays last week. He’s been practicing well. And we gave him an opportunity and I thought he ran the ball effectively today. It wasn’t perfect, but again it’s not a one-man show, he had a lot of blocking up front from the o-line, the receivers and the tight ends. If nobody blocks, it doesn’t matter how fast you are. I know you probably have some speed there, but if nobody blocks for you, you’re not going to be able to get around the edge. So again, it’s a team effort and his runs are a … He had a lot of guys blocking for him.”
(How would you assess QB Tua Tagovailoa’s performance today? And do you leave this game feeling like you guys made the right decision drafting Tua?) – “It’s still early to … I haven’t watched the tape. Again, there’s … I got to watch the tape. It looked like he made two pretty good decisions. It looked like there were some throws there that he got into some tight windows. I’ll watch the tape as far as … We’ve talked about this. We have a lot of confidence in all our draft picks, that they’re going to develop and improve. He’s no different. That’s what we’re trying to do, develop and improve, and take it week-to-week and not make grand, ‘Hey, this is, you know’ … We’re not going to make any grand … We’re not going to talk about any player and say, ‘Hey, you’ve arrived and you’ve done it.’ Everyone has got to improve and get better. The players, coaches, everybody. So nobody has all the answers. I certainly don’t. It starts with me, and hopefully we just improve really at every position, including with the quarterback.”
(Earlier you mentioned the success in the kicking game. I wanted to see if you could walk us through the blocked punt and what happened there. Looked like some late shifting caused the pressure. Is that what happened, and if not, can you just tell us what happened on the blocked punt?) – “Danny comes up with different … Danny Crossman, our special teams coordinator, comes up with some schemes every week and we don’t get to run it all the time, but we had an opportunity to get that run early, do our best with it. And like you said, we had some a little bit of shift in motion, moving guys around, and we felt like it was an opportunity to maybe get a rush. We got it. But the big thing is executing it. Oftentimes you draw something up and it hits the way you want it to hit, whether it’s a run play, a pass play, a defense, but then you got to make the play. So it was a great block and a recovery and we were able to punch it in.”
(It’s been said that when you’re trying to turn around a franchise the only thing tougher than attaining success is managing success and for you guys to come off such an emotional big win last week, and to come out and get this victory, how significant is that and what does it say?) – “I think we have a mentally tough team. I think that this team they know that it’s important, it’s a week-to-week league, how we prepare, how we practice, how we walk through is a direct correlation to how we play. I think they understand that. This is a hungry group, they fight for each other, it’s important to them, they’re competitive, so they work at it and we’re seeing the fruits of that have labor out on the field. It wasn’t perfect. We know we got a long way to go, we know it’s hard to win in this league and we just take it one game at a time. We’re not looking down the road, we’re looking at the next day, the next meeting, the next practice, and just trying to take it one day at a time. I think that’s the approach that … That’s my message to the team on a daily basis and hopefully they’re kind of listening to it and I think that’s probably the best approach. That way we’re not thinking about everything else that’s going on, we’re just focused on right now.”
Jason Sanders – November 13, 2020
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Friday, November 13, 2020
K Jason Sanders
(We’ll start with the 20 straight kicks. What’s next on your mind. Is it 21? That’s a huge accomplishment, and obviously something that a lot of us have been talking about all season, but what does it feel like to accomplish that, and what is the next goal?) – “It feels great. There is a lot of thanks to be given to a lot of people too. I’d like to thank coaches – both (Special Teams Coordinator Danny) Crossman and (Head Coach Brian) Flores for just putting me out there for even long kicks like the 56(-yarder) last week. We can also look at our rookie long snapper out of LSU (Blake Ferguson). He comes in here as a rookie and has done as good of a job as I can ask him to do. Then you take Matt (Haack) who is arguably one of the best holders in the NFL. With a good support staff and a good long snapper and holder, it makes it that much easier to do my job.”
(Can you talk about the significance of setting the franchise record for most consecutive successful kicks? And I’ve noticed your beard is longer than it’s ever been. Is this something where you’re not shaving until you miss a kick?) – “The beard is working. If the beard’s not working than I don’t need it anymore. But, it’s working right now. (laughter) Just to be in any franchise record book, to be named the most consecutive – whatever it is, it’s an honor to be in any history book. Any record you get in the NFL is something to be proud of.”
(You mentioned a minute ago about your holder and long snapper, and that was actually the question I wanted to ask you. For the layman that doesn’t really understand what goes into special teams, how important is that? How the snap comes in, and how you process that, and how the hold get done – how much does that impact the kicker’s approach and everything you do to set up for a field goal?) – “To be able to have a group that’s together for a good amount of time, like with Blake (Ferguson) and Matt (Haack), we get a lot of work in the offseason so when the season comes around, we can have a nice smooth operation. I think that smooth operation makes your kicking that much easier too.”
(I can’t grow a beard, so what can I do to grow a beard? Another reporter has been a hot topic on Twitter this week wondering how you can keep the beard groomed without it itching. How can I grow one, and once I get to that level, how I can I keep it from itching?) – “I don’t know. Maybe we should go to the pharmacy and see if we’ve got anything we can pick up. (laughter) Once you get passed the itchy phase, it’s just hair now. I don’t see it bothering me. If I did see it bothering me, I wouldn’t have it. I don’t see a need to shave it right now. And we have face masks too. So when I wear a face mask, you guys probably didn’t even know I had a beard this length too. I think that helps me a lot in the grooming process of there is no need for me to shave it.”
(Have you gotten the QB Ryan Fitzpatrick stamp of approval on your beard yet?) – “No. That’s the thing, we are in COVID protocol so a lot of the guys don’t even know the length. I’ve gotten some jokes. People think I look Amish. (laughter) I’m ok with that.”
Brian Flores – November 13, 2020
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Friday, November 13, 2020
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Are LB Kyle Van Noy and DT Christian Wilkins ruled out for Sunday and will RB Matt Breida play Sunday?) – “Christian (Wilkins) and Kyle Van Noy are on COVID IR (Reserve/COVID-19 list). (Matt) Breida – he’s listed as questionable. So anyone on IR is unavailable.”
(So just a follow up on that, so we’re to assume that this wasn’t a false positive, that these two are actually on the COVID list and will not be available for you on Sunday?) – “I’m not going into anybody’s medical situation. They’re on COVID IR and they’re unavailable.”
(I just wanted to ask when you look at sort of what you guys were able to do – I hate to go last week – but what you guys were able to do against Arizona, were you able to learn anything maybe based on how Cardinals Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury went about your defense that sort of changes how you expect the Chargers to combat it?) – “Every week is different. Every coordinator is different offensively, defensively, in the kicking game. The players are different. I think there’s always pieces of a game plan that if they’re similar, then potentially you can use it if you feel comfortable with it offensively or defensively. But there’s really no way to know, to be honest with you. So we try to prepare for everything and at the end of the day, you’ve got to rely on your technique, your fundamentals and following the rules and try to play sound football.”
(How many coaches, if any, do you anticipate not having available on Sunday?) – “We’ll make that available to you guys later in the day. It’s a league rule now; but again, I’m not going to go into anybody’s medical situation. I think that’s – each of us obviously has or has had medical situations and I think we all should have that privacy. Clearly in these situations, that’s not necessarily the case, so I’m not going to divulge anyone’s medical situation.”
(You’ve busted some ceilings along the way. I’m wondering what you reaction is to the Marlins hiring Kim Ng as the first female general manager in major professional sports.) – “I think it’s phenomenal. I think there are quality candidates who are women, who are men, who are Black, who are Asian; I don’t think it really matters as long as they’re qualified. Obviously she’s – I don’t know her, I don’t know much about her – but I know the Marlins, they do their due diligence and they’ve done a great job of hiring and they’re just coming off a really good season. I imagine she’s very more than capable. Anyone who thinks a woman can’t manage or coach or lead, I think is silly. That’s just my personal opinion, so kudos to the Marlins, but at the same time you always should hire the best person. It’s almost a Catch 22. We want to congratulate them and celebrate them for doing something groundbreaking, but at the same time this is – she’s capable, she’s worthy – why wouldn’t we do it?”
(I wanted to ask you about RB DeAndre Washington. Since he’s been with the team, what have been your impressions and do you think – I know you’ve played a lot of guys who got there last, in a week and played the next Sunday. Do you think he’s had enough time to contribute to your team?) – “He spent a lot of time with (Running Backs Coach) Eric Studesville and he’s had three days of practice. I think he’s kind of gotten more comfortable each day. Eric’s spent a lot of time with him and Eric’s a really good coach, so he’s gotten up to speed fairly quickly. So we’ll see. We’ll talk as a staff here in a little bit. He’s done a few things in the kicking game, he’s done a few things offensively; but we can only take 48 to the game, so we’ll see.”
(I wanted to ask you about a moment that NFL Films captured on the sideline with you talking to your defensive line and your pass rush in general about getting after the quarterback and I couldn’t see who it was but somebody had replied, “I got you coach, I got you.” I was just curious who that was and if it’s common for that type of energy to kind of be reciprocated for you and your players in the heat of the game like that.) – “I think it’s an emotional game, so especially late in the game, in those critical moments, as a coach you try to encourage the guys. Our coaching staff has done a really good job of that – encouraging them and tell them what’s expected of them and what we need to try to win the game. And I think the players, they’ve received it the right way. It’s important to them that they execute, so I’m not exactly sure – I want to say I tried to wave the cameras off when I pulled the team together because it’s not about the cameras. It’s about that group of guys. Clearly they didn’t listen to me, which is about right; but it’s about that group of guys and trying to execute and to have it reciprocated, that’s par for the course for the group we have. It’s important to them, so they’ll do everything they can to try to execute and do it right. So pick any guy – Shaq Lawson or (Emmanuel) Ogbah or (Zach) Sieler or Christian Wilkins or (Kyle) Van Noy; that could have been any of them because honestly, probably all of them in some form or fashion, whether it’s their body language or they yell something out at me.”
Emmanuel Ogbah – November 13, 2020
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Friday, November 13, 2020
DE Emmanuel Ogbah
(With LB Kyle Van Noy and DT Christian Wilkins out, how can this defense kind of fill that void and kind of fulfill that next-man-up mentality?) – “We have guys and players that can come in and step up and do their job. That’s the good thing about this defense. A lot of guys can step in and just handle the responsibilities of the guys that we’re going to miss.”
(How does it work when you go inside? I guess you consider yourself an end but you’re also used as a defensive tackle. What are the challenges that that presents?) – “Well, this is a multiple role defense so some plays I’m an edge, some plays I’m a d-tackle. That’s why I’m here because I’m able to play both positions and be good at it, so that’s one of the reasons they brought me in because of my versatility. I’m just doing my job and doing what I’m asked to do.”
(The last two games you’ve faced a pair of quarterbacks who really couldn’t be more diametrically opposed in Rams QB Jared Goff and Cardinals QB Kyler Murray. And I think Chargers QB Justin Herbert is somewhere in the middle of that, I want to say, athletically. My question is how does your pass-rush approach change based on the athletic ability of the quarterback? Does your launch point change? Do you have to keep your eyes up more for one quarterback over the other? How do different athletic quarterback styles change the way you rush the quarterback?) – “There’s a difference. How you rush Goff, you can’t rush Kyler like that because Kyler will move around and can beat you with his feet. Yeah, it’s a different approach when you rush. More so with Kyler, you’re more so power rushing. With Goff, you can take your chances. It just depends on the quarterback we play. Those are the rush plans that we get.”
(Do you ever get a little bit of envy with you not getting to be the one that picks it up and takes it back to the house?) – “It’s a team sport. If they score, we score. Shoot, I’m just doing my job. I’m happy for those guys scoring the touchdowns. I’m just happy to be able to make plays for them to score touchdowns.”
(I wanted to ask about DT Zach Sieler. We’ve talked about him before, especially as he’s emerged. What’s it like competing with him and having him there in the huddle? Obviously both of you guys are trying to attack the quarterback. What do you notice about him when he’s out there?) – “Zach is a dog. He’s a hard worker. He plays hard. We love him when he’s out there. He’s stepping up big this year for us. He’s just doing the right thing and making plays for us. Every time I’m back there, I look to my right and I see him back there too. So I’m happy for him. I’m happy with the way he’s come since training camp. He’s getting better every week.”
(When you guys have those zero blitzes that you throw at offensive linemen, is it designed to get certain guys or is it just about somebody is going to be free and making the most of it?) – “Like Coach Boyer (Josh Boyer) always says, expect to be free when you’re rushing on those pressures. I just rush like I’m going to be free or Shaq (Lawson) rushes like he’s going to be free. It just depends on who they let go because they can’t block us all.”
(With the productivity that you’re having, do you expect to get a lot more attention?) – “Yeah, I think at a point I’m going to probably start getting a lot more attention, which opens the door for a lot of guys. I’m excited. I’m just going to keep doing my job, make plays when I can and help those guys make plays too.”
Salvon Ahmed – November 12, 2020
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Thursday, November 12, 2020
RB Salvon Ahmed
(I thought it was an interesting coincidence that you and RB Myles Gaskin played together in Washington. How has he helped you out, especially going into last week’s game?) – “He’s been a tremendous help, just like when I first got to Washington. I was a freshman and he was a junior. He just kind of showed me the ropes and made sure I was good. It’s definitely a blessing to be a part of this organization and also to be with Myles again.”
(I know as you just mentioned, you and RB Myles Gaskin are good friends. I have to ask you to recount the story of the time that you and he raced at midnight.) – “(laughter) We lived together in college, so there was a night we both were going back and forth, because in high school he had beat me in the 4×100 (meter relay). It came down to inches and he had beat me. I was 15 years old and he was a senior at the time. We were just talking about that. It was late. We were like alright, let’s just go race. We had raced a couple of times. I had got him on the first two and then he got me on the last three. I think it came down to a conditioning thing.”
(What were the emotions like for you before you made your NFL debut on Sunday, and how you felt it went for you?) – “I was so cool to be a part of. I just wanted to go out there and win. I wanted to do whatever I could in my power to go out there and win. It’s definitely a childhood dream to be a part of that. It was a big-time game and a big win for our organization. For me, I was happy to be a part of that. Obviously the first game, you just kind of go into it excited, and I was happy and I’m blessed I got the opportunity. ‘Coach Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) and those guys gave me the opportunity to go do that. I was happy to be a part of that and get out of there with a win against a really good team.”
(You had that one run in particular where you kind of squirted through the middle, saw some space and then used your speed. I think you ran out to the left. What was going through your mind and what were you feeling when you realized that you had an opportunity for a big gainer?) – “Make the most of it. (laughter) Make the most of it and then just hold on to the ball. Do what I’ve been coached to do. I think I was running at Patrick Peterson, and I was like ‘oh man, that’s Pat P.’ So that was kind of cool. It’s a credit to the offensive line. They worked really hard and they were able to open up some stuff for us as a team. That was really cool, not only in the run game, but also the pass game.”
(What is your approach to your NFL career? Breaking in undrafted and all, sometimes guys come in and feel like they really have something to prove or a chip on their shoulder. I don’t know if any of that applies to you. How are you approaching that?) – “I’m just grateful. I’m a person that’s being grateful, going out there every day, work hard and do what I’m coached to do. I’ll ask the guys – there are a lot of older guys like Myles (Gaskin) and Matt (Breida) and Jordan (Howard) and Patrick (Laird) and all of those guys. We’ve got DeAndre (Washington) in now. I ask all of those guys questions all the time, and just kind of to show me the ropes. I’m not too prideful at all to ask those questions. Those guys help me out a lot, especially the running back room for sure. I just attack it, go out there and work hard.”
(RB Myles Gaskin has another two games that he has to miss because he’s on IR. Do you feel that with your performance, did you leave that game thinking to yourself that you showed the Dolphins that you’re someone that could be trusted that they got to give the ball to more?) – “I just looked at it as just make the most of the opportunity. Go out there and do what you’re coached to do. Every week there is a different game plan so whatever that is, I’m just going to do whatever I’m asked to do. I’m happy I’m here. I’m happy to be a part of that. It was a big win against a really good team.”
(Obviously you and RB Myles Gaskin are two different people and two different players, you just happened to go to the same school and are friends. I’m wondering where do you see the similarities in your games? What’s the biggest one and what’s the biggest difference?) – “I’d the say the biggest thing I learned from him is I try to take everything from Myles honestly. I try to take as much as I can; but I think one of the things I took from him is just having patience. I tried to take that from him in college. We are all our own players; but what I try to take from his game, I try to watch every run he does. Whatever run I do, I always ask him, what do you think on that? Because I usually think if he thinks it’s good, then he’s probably right. He’s right most of the time. I try to take as much as I can from him.”
(You only played three years at Washington? What went into your decision to not play that fourth year and did you expect to get drafted?) – “I just felt that I was ready. I felt that I was ready to get into this league and I saw I had the opportunity to, so I took my chances. Yeah, I went undrafted; but that was just a part of my journey, a part of my process and it led me to be here. I am grateful. Yeah, going into that year – at the end of that year, I felt like I was ready, and ready to make that decision.”
Bobby McCain – November 12, 2020
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Thursday, November 12, 2020
S Bobby McCain
(I wanted to ask you about Chargers WR Keenan Allen. I don’t you’ve faced him one-on-one in the nickel as a cornerback back in your former life. What are the challenges that he presents as a receiver?) – “He’s a ball player. He’s one of the best receivers in the league and he knows how to get open and he knows how to beat your leverage, he knows how to come out of breaks really well and he’s got a good crossover at the line, so you’ve got to be patient with him. You have to understand that he’s a guy that can wiggle and he’s a guy that can move and understand you’ve got to play to your help and protect your leverage and just keep going after it, keep playing and keep playing, because he’s going to keep playing. He may catch a ball or two – it’s just the league – but it’s a long 60-minute game, so you’ve just got to keep playing and keep playing the game with him.”
(Home teams are under .500 this season in the NFL and that’s the first time that’s been the case this late in the season since 1983. We’re doing a national story. I just wonder, do you think it’s a function of no fans in the stands, that the home-field advantage has been mostly eliminated or what do you think?) – “That may have something to do with it with the fans; but at the end of the day, it’s the NFL and any team can be beat on any Sunday anywhere. You always have to respect your opponent, whether you’re away or at home, and understand that they’re coming in or you’re going there to beat them. I think with no fans, it may help some teams; but with no fans, it makes you have to lock in even more.”
(I wanted to ask you about their quarterback. What do you think Chargers QB Justin Herbert does well?) – “He’s a really good passer. He’s got a really good deep ball. Even though he’s a rookie, you can tell he’s seeing things a lot better than he was when he first got in at the beginning of the year. He feels a lot more comfortable. He’s a big, tall-frame guy, big guy, big arm, throws the deep ball well and we’ve just got to keep it in front of us.”
Jesse Davis – November 12, 2020
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Thursday, November 12, 2020
G/T Jesse Davis
(How many positions are you playing this week?) – “I don’t know. That’s a good question. You should ask the head coach that. I honestly do not know.”
(The comfort level at guard last week – obviously you’ve been there before. Was it like putting on an old pair of slippers when you moved there in the second quarter?) – “Yeah, I’d say putting on an old pair of slippers might be a little easier than that; (laughter) but yeah, I definitely had some familiarity. I just try to do my best there. I haven’t had that many reps, especially game reps there since 2018. Luckily I did okay there, but we’ll see what happens.”
(Obviously you guys opened up things a lot more offensively last week. What do you think the biggest difference was in you guys being more successful?) – “As soon as we can get those first downs rolling, I feel like we gain our momentum and that kind of opens up the play calling a little bit, too, where we can get the run game established. Obviously we haven’t been that great in the run game and kind of been more reliable on the pass or the RPO kind of world. But if we can get that run game going, we can open up a lot more and then hopefully have Tua (Tagovailoa) more comfortable back there as well.”
(Obviously QB Tua Tagovailoa was able to help lead a fourth-quarter comeback, which is something that the best quarterbacks in this league do. They give their teammates the confidence that they can come from behind. You were in the huddle so I’m wondering what did you see, what did you hear, what did you sense as far as leadership huddle presence?) – “It was just regular routine, go in there, ‘hey, this is the situation, this is what we need to do, we need to score points here.’ Luckily our defense is one of the best in the league that allows us to be in those positions and gives us those shorter fields to work with and I think Tua’s done a really good job granted how old he is. But being a rookie quarterback, coming in here and getting a fourth-quarter win is kind of unheard of in the league; but he’s been there before. He’s a winner, so that’s what he does.”
(NFL home teams – the home team is under .500 this season in the league. What’s happening to the home-field advantage? Is it all because of COVID? What do you think?) – “Yeah, obviously there’s not really home-field advantage at all. You’re used to going into an away stadium thinking this is going to be loud, it’s going to affect the snap count, it’s going to cause more problems. And what it has been recently, that’s probably part of it. I don’t know. Maybe it’s just by chance teams are a little better on the road right now. I don’t know.”
(You’re facing the Chargers for the second consecutive year except when you faced them last year, you guys were at the pretty much beginning stages of a rebuild and weren’t necessarily a great team at the time. Now you’re a team that’s in playoff contention. Are you a little bit amazed at just how far along the team has come since you last faced the Chargers last September?) – “We kind of flipped it pretty quick. Granted, we’ve had some good leadership on this team and our defense is playing really well, and then our quarterback situation has been really good as well; and the o-line, we’ve kind of had our struggles, too, but I feel like we’re on the top end of things right now and trying to get that solidified, too. And then hopefully we’ll have more production on offense for sure.”
(Obviously you guys are going to be without RB Myles Gaskin for a little while now and RB Salvon Ahmed stepped in the other day. What did he show you? What are you seeing out of him that maybe gives you confidence that you guys can keep the running game going?) – “He’s willing to learn. He’s a really coachable back. He’s a quick, really fast guy especially out of the backfield. That’s what kind of helps our offense move, is those faster guys that can hit the hole and be gone. I’m excited to see him develop more. Obviously (Myles) Gaskin really developed and I feel like that’s a similar type of running back.”
(I was trying to look it up, so I don’t remember. The Chargers last year, did you start at guard or tackle?) – “No, I was out that game. I had a torn UCL out of that Dallas game and I sat that week, and then we went into a bye week.”
(Have you faced Chargers DE Joey Bosa or Melvin Ingram III before? I’m trying to remember if you…) – “In 2017, I played guard. I played left guard. We rotated … but, I’ve never…”
(I was going to ask you specifically about Chargers DE Joey Bosa and DE Melvin Ingram III, but I guess you’ve never necessarily prepared specifically for them.) – “Yeah, not really.”
(You said something earlier about leadership is really the difference because you’ve been part of past regimes. Are you talking about leadership on the team from the players or leadership from the coaching standpoint? And if so, why is that the difference?) – “I’d say a little bit of both. I think obviously last year was a rebuild year. We didn’t know what to expect. A lot of guys in and out. I feel like coaches – we have better – we have different coaches in the building. I feel like the roles have kind of been a little better. I don’t know necessarily upstairs, but the guys that were brought in here, coaching these guys and the guys that we brought in at free agency or in the draft, I feel like they kind of did a really good job getting that done and we have guys that stepped up and are more vocal, especially younger guys, too. It’s kind of a good little marriage we have going on. I feel like it’s only going to get better.”
(Trying to figure out how to kind of ask this question, but I know you have two years left on your deal and the Dolphins obviously drafted three rookies to play on the o-line here. I guess how do you see your role kind of going forward the rest of the season and the future? Do you see yourself trying to continue to stay with a viable starting job on the line? Do you see yourself being maybe the best option for a swing or something in the future? How do you kind of just fit in and kind of play things out here with your career this season and the rest of your contract?) – “Yeah, that’s a good question. Obviously I want to be here, I want to be starting; but that’s a question to ask the head coach because right now I’m trying to figure out my role as well. Hopefully it’s somewhere on the starting offensive line.”
