Chan Gailey – November 17, 2020
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Tuesday, November 17, 2020
Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey
(One thing that I guess will be helpful to determine this year with your two rookies who were college quarterbacks – RB/WR Malcolm Perry and WR Lynn Bowden Jr. – is whether they are going to be change of pace gimmick players or whether one of both players will develop into legitimate NFL slot receivers. Could you talk about each of them separately, about where each of them stand in terms of becoming a legitimate slot receiver as opposed to being a gimmick guy?) – “I think that anytime you get a player, you hope that they are going to develop into something unique for your football team. That takes on different roles, whether it’s doing some specialty things or playing a bunch of snaps at one positon or the slot position. Malcolm has come a long way. He didn’t play receiver; he’d been a quarterback. He’s really tried to work to become a better receiver. He’s still learning. Lynn’s the same way. Lynn is a gifted talented athlete, and he’s showed that in college and we’ve seen flashes of it here, and hopefully he’ll continue to develop the way we think he can. Both of them have some unique talents to themselves and we’ll see if we can develop them and make them be an integral part of our offense. What direction it’s going to go in right now, I don’t think anybody knows.”
(I wanted to ask you about your offense’s flexibility with different guys playing multiple snaps every week. You have so many guys whether it’s RB/WR Malcolm Perry, who was mentioned there, some of the tight ends playing, RB Salvon Ahmed. Have you been impressed or surprised by how flexible this team is with this next-man-up mentality? Does it surprise you at all with how much success they’ve had with different guys playing so many snaps?) – “I think college programs are really good now. I think guys come to us in a very good frame of mind, and they are able to go out and play. We shouldn’t have them on the team if we don’t think they can play. I think the next-man-up mentality is exactly what we have, and we’ve been fortunate to have. These guys are very strong mentally and they want to play. They are eager and when they get the opportunity, they try to take advantage of it. Am I surprised? No, I’m not really surprised. I think that’s the way a guy should be. I think all players should be that way.”
(We figured you and QB Ryan Fitzpatrick would have some chemistry because of your time together. It looks like you and QB Tua Tagovailoa have started to have some rhythm too. Where would you say you and him are as far as your comfort in what each person wants out of the offense?) – “You’d have to ask him on his part; but from my part, he’s getting better every week and doing what we hoped he would do. He’s taking care of the football, being very smart about that. He’s making plays. Is he missing some things? Yeah, he’s missing some things; but that will come with experience, that will come with time. We just have to continue to help him grow and hopefully he learns and as he continues to learn, I think it slowed down. I’ve made that statement a bunch of times, I know; but I think it’s slowed down for him each week. The more he plays, hopefully the better he gets and the more comfortable he’ll feel.”
(Can you, as an offensive coach, coach accuracy and anticipation to a quarterback?) – “It’s hard to coach accuracy. You can teach anticipation a little bit; but they’ve got to believe it. If a guy doesn’t believe it, it’s very difficult. It’s hard to coach accuracy. I can’t get a guy more accurate than he is. I think we can help him on the anticipation part.”
(With RB Salvon Ahmed, we got to see him in his first start this week. What about his skillset allowed him to be as successful as he was early on?) – “I think he has very good instincts as a runner. He can see a crease and then he’s got the ability, once he sees a crease, to go make something happen. We had a couple of long runs by him – two or three this week. I shouldn’t say long runs. Unfortunately they’ve been long by our standards this year. We’ve got some good execution there from him seeing things, understanding where his cuts are probably going to be. That doesn’t mean that they’ll always be there – that’s where the instincts come in – and then the ability to explode. He’s got that ability. He’s got that explosive ability. He’s taking care of the football. If he wasn’t taking care of the football, it would be a tough deal.”
(The last time the Dolphins were 6-3, do you know of the offensive coordinator was?) – “No.”
(It was Chan Gailey in 2001 – 19 years ago. That was QB Jay Fiedler and WR Chris Chambers and QB Ray Lucas and RB Lamar Smith and RB Travis Minor. It just interests me. It was so long ago. What do you remember about that group and how you’ve changed and how the locker room’s changed and how football has changed in all of that time?) – “That was a strong, tough – I mean they were tough football players. Really tough football players. But you had to be. It was more of a ‘let’s run it down your throat’ mentality then. Now it’s ‘let’s spread it out and throw it around the park.’ That group, they were really a strong, tough football team. We could run it. We had a tight end that played – I can’t remember his name (Hunter Goodwin) – but he was a tackle at Texas A&M and he was playing tight end for us. We just ran the football. Jay did a great job and Chris had a good year that year. It was a fun year. Those two years were fun years.”
(Looking at this roster up and down, it would appear that you guys would be weaker at running back and weaker at receiver without WR Preston Williams. But you guys have been able to run off five straight wins because of the help of the defense and special teams as well. Offensively, what is it a factor of that you guys are having success? Is it QB Tua Tagovailoa not turning the ball over? Is it the next-man-up mentality like you talked about earlier? What’s really working for this offense that you guys are done some bodies at some important positions?) – “I think we have guys who understand the system and what we’re trying to get done. I think they have realized the importance of being where you’re supposed to be and when you’re supposed to be there, and doing what you’re supposed to do. They take what coach says about, ‘let’s pay attention to details,’ and I think they’ve done that. The thing about it is we’ve had some success – not a ton, but we’ve had some success. But we can get better and we need to get better. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can be, not what we are at this present time.”
(QB Tua Tagovailoa is a year past his hip injury. My question is this, why is his mindset the perfect guy to not only recover from that, but now immediately play at a pretty high level – at least to our eyes. What is it personally that makes that click?) – “I think he is a glass-half-full guy. Everything is going to work out, everything is going to get better, everything is going to be just fine, let’s keep doing what we do. If the trainer says hop on your right foot 20 times, he hops on his right foot 20 times even if you’re not looking. He will do all of the little things to get where he needs to be. He has no reservations about any of that. He enjoys it. He enjoys the challenge.”
Josh Boyer – November 17, 2020
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Tuesday, November 17, 2020
Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer
(I’m writing about DE Emmanuel Ogbah today and his turnaround. His career turnaround, at least on the sack side, is pretty stunning, pretty remarkable. How important is he to what you do and how many different ways can you use him?) – “I think as we talk about Emmanuel, I think that the thing is he’s shown ability to be multiple and we can move him around in multiple spots. He does a lot of things for us. He can set the edge, he can handle double teams, he can rush the passer, he can rush the passer individually, he can do it with games. Like I’ve said numerous times, he’s a diligent worker and he constantly is striving to get better, so hopefully we can continue that, continue to do multiple things with him, continue to get some improvement. I know he works at his craft and takes it very seriously.”
(How much of your game plan every week is designed specifically to try to create confusion in the opposing offense?) – “Each week we look at it. We look at what we have available to us and we look at what our opponent’s trying to do. And as always, any time that we can put pressure on the offensive line, put pressure on the quarterback, which hopefully in turn puts pressure on the coordinator, just to get them a little bit off-balance; that’s always the goal. It’s easier said than done. There’s a lot that goes into that, but we’re always trying to make sure that we put pressure on the offensive line, put pressure on the quarterback. Some weeks that’s by scheme, some weeks it’s by varying fronts, some weeks it’s by varying coverage. Ultimately what we’re trying to do is just put our guys in the best position to succeed on a week-in and week-out basis.”
(I also have an DE Emmanuel Ogbah question. What has clicked for him this year? Why is he having a breakout season now?) – “Watching him on film at Kansas City and Cleveland, you obviously like some things that you saw there. Again, my experience with him has been this year and I think you always kind of try to go into a season with an open mind, regardless of what you’ve done in the past or haven’t done. I’m not sure how much different it is than years ago for him. Again, like I said, he works hard. He works at his craft. He’s constantly trying to get better, puts extra time in at it and he’s had some production out on the field. And like I said, there’s a lot of other things that he does for us that probably doesn’t get noticed and we’re going to continue to try to improve that week by week.”
(Two defensive touchdowns, special teams touchdowns. You guys are getting a lot of turnovers forced with CB Xavien Howard and DE Emmanuel Ogbah doing their jobs. Do you see your players really taking on being happy to see some success and striving for more because they have been successful in certain opportunities?) – “One thing is I would say we put a good amount of time into creating turnovers, forcing turnovers, scoop and score, cradle a fumble. There’s numerous different techniques and drills that these guys do. They put in a lot of time and effort at it and obviously we only get so many shots at it; and for all the time, effort and energy that they put into it, I’m sure that they’re gaining confidence in it and I’m sure they’re thrilled and excited. Our guys genuinely like playing for each other and they’re excited when guys make play,s and it’s kind of something that we stress. We’re trying to get the ball. We work at it and it’s showing up a little bit in the game and we need to keep continuing to work at it so it does show up for us week by week.”
(I wanted to ask you about DT Raekwon Davis. How did he do? How is he doing?) – “I think when you turn on the film, Raekwon, he’s been working extremely hard at practice and I think there were some good things. I think the thing that we’re striving for is consistency on a play-in, play-out basis. I think we’re working towards that. There were definitely some good things that he did on the game that I think we’re improving. There’s still some things that we need to work on to get better and he’s working hard at that, as all of our guys are. That’s really what you want as a coach, is when a guy is given an opportunity, you really want them to make the most of it. And I know it’s important to all of our guys because you see the work and the time that they put into it.”
(Yesterday we had DE Emmanuel Ogbah on and he talks a lot about the trust that has been developed between the players and the coaching staff and how he kind of has a perspective that he gives you guys to help you craft up plays for him and stuff and fill in behind him when he makes a rush or whatever it might be. I was just curious to get your perspective on how that trust works for you and the players – not just with Emmanuel but with the entire defense.) – “As a coach, there’s some things that you can’t see in real time or on the field or from the (Microsoft) Surface that you have at the sideline. You can go back when you watch the game film and you can kind of see it; but the players, they can give you some good information on the sideline and obviously when that’s confirmed and they’re giving you the correct information and if there’s things that they see that they can do that will help us, we’re all for that. It’s no one-man show. Everybody has input and ultimately we’re all trying to make sure that we’re successful as a group and if guys are seeing things and sometimes it’s not even an individual thing. A guy will say, ‘hey look, if I do this, this can open up this for such-and-such.’ It’s a constant battle to gain information and you’re looking for as much good information as you can possibly give and obviously when players give you good information, you can use that. I think they trust us, we trust them. I think that’s a good working relationship.”
(This is the second week in a row you went into battle without three of your assistants. I was wondering how this experience has been like for you personally with the kind of double challenge. One, putting together a game plan and executing it without guys that you rely on and two, coming into a place where the virus has been and how it’s been concerning for you. How has this experience been?) – “I think you just kind of take things as they come, and you kind of deal with them. It’s another challenge, it’s another obstacle. I think that’s the great thing about football. I think football has a lot of life lessons in it. It’s why I enjoy it and love it so much. I think it’s very closely-related to life. There’s plenty of ups and downs and adversity in the game, and whatever it is, you kind of deal with it. You don’t run from it and you just make the best of the situation, and I think that’s what all of us try to do in everyday life because problems always come up. I can see you’ve got blinds back there. The blinds at our house, they stopped working. So we’ve got to get those fixed. So there’s things that happen on a daily basis that I think you just kind of deal with it as it comes and I think live I’ve said time and time again, ‘Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) and (General Manager) Chris (Grier) have done a great job of bringing guys into this building that are mentally tough, that can handle ‘hey, we’ve got to go through this protocol, we’ve got to do this, we’ve got to do that,’ and they don’t skip a beat because they’re focused on the task at hand. I don’t think you really reflect on it or think about it. You’re just like, ‘what do I need to do to get the job done?’ And I think that’s the way our coaches, our players, everybody in our organization – I think that’s the way they approach it.”
(You’ve had some, I guess, some ballhawk corners in your career from former Patriots CB Malcolm Butler to Patriots CB J.C. Jackson and now CB Xavien Howard. I’m curious for you as a play caller, how does that change what you do when you know you have a guy who can make plays on the back end?) – “I think ultimately, what you’re doing is – it’s for every position – is you’re trying to put the guys in position to highlight the things that they do well. So especially for guys in those situations, sometimes you try to put them where you think the ball is going or you try to put them on routes that you think that if they throw up a 50-50 ball here, it’s more than 50-50; we’ve got a chance. So I think it goes back to whether you’re a corner – a ball-hawking corner – or you’re a defensive tackle. I think from a schematic approach, you’re just trying to put guys in positions where you can highlight their talents and they can make plays because ultimately the turnovers help, the ball disruption plays help, the tackles for loss – they help – and I think that’s what goes into it. You’re just trying to put them in the best position to succeed. Obviously we’re not 100 percent at that and there’s obviously things that we can work on as a coaching staff to put guys in better spots, but that’s the goal and that’s what we’re trying to do. Obviously we’ve been fortunate to have some good players that have a good skillset and they’re able to make plays.”
Zach Sieler – November 16, 2020
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Monday, November 16, 2020
DT Zach Sieler
(Congrats on the new deal. Got to know, does the money go to the hog hunting? Is it the RV? What is the first expenditure that you do with the check?) – “I think the hog hunting is an investment for me – the business – so I think we might try some with that; but for the RV, no, I love it. I’m happy with what I’ve got. It’s perfect for me. I’m going to keep that and keep going. I plan on being in that for a while.”
(So you mean you’re really going to continue to live in the RV home, the RV community?) – “Yeah, of course. I enjoy it. For me, it’s easy. It’s simple. Most of my time is spent at the facility anyways, so I don’t see any point in anything else for now. Obviously things can change year to year, but here right now, that’s what I got. Yeah. (laughter)”
(Congratulations to you. What does this mean to you to get a commitment from an NFL organization considering your journey playing at a small school, being a seventh-round pick, getting cut?) – “It’s huge. For me, it just shows the organization just has faith in me, and I just want to go out there each week and play my best and it just shows just how happy I am – it’s exciting. This organization is great top-down – Mr. (Stephen) Ross, Mr. (Chris) Grier, (Head) Coach (Brian) Flores, (Defensive Coordinator Josh) Boyer, everybody, all the d-line coaches. So to be able to be here and grow with them as a team and continue this culture that we’re starting to build is very exciting for me and I’m very happy to be a part of that.”
(I’m curious, when and how did this come about? Did you have an idea for a while or was it General Manager Chris Grier called you into his office this morning and said, “hey, let’s get this done?”) – “I don’t know when they started talks really. That was more so between my agent and them. Last night my agent called me and kind of laid some stuff out after the game and kind of explained some stuff. ‘Hey, this is kind of what we’re looking at, would you be interested, what would you like, what are you thinking?’ And just kind of today we kind of went through and got it all buttoned and then we were able to make a deal today and sign now, and I’m very excited.”
(I wanted to kind of just relive the last year’s journey with you. You come over here off waivers from Baltimore and you wind up on the team, get an extension in the offseason for one more season and now here you are with a three-year contract extension. I’m just curious if you can kind of reflect on that year, maybe where your game grew to get you into this position, who you might give credit for coaching you up or teammates along the way if you can just kind of reflect on the last year of your life for us?) – “Obviously last year was my second year in the NFL. I was with the Ravens both those years. I kind of grew as a player there and then obviously I was cut and claimed here December 9. And they really – the Dolphins – the coaching and just the staff and everyone kind of gave me the opportunity to really take my game to that next level so I could grow. (Defensive Line) Coach (Marion) Hobby, (Outside Linebackers) Coach (Austin) Clark, (Defensive Line) Coach Robbie (Leonard) and ‘K. Jack’ (Coaching Intern Kenyon Jackson) now who’s here; they all have just helped me just grow my game and just learn as a player as just how to become effective and (Defensive Coordinator Josh) Boyer explaining stuff to me and helping me kind of realize, ‘hey, what kind of role we need you to be’ and just fully taking that and learning from what he’s saying and how to make the most out of that, if that makes sense. And then this offseason to have – even though it was tough with COVID, that was obviously a big hurdle for everybody – but to make the most out of what we were given with the COVID laws and restrictions and just keep growing as a player and maybe even use that to my advantage.”
(Kind of following up on that a little bit, I supposed. There are what, hundreds of guys who get cut every year and for a lot of them, you never hear from them again. Why do you think you’re here and enjoying what you are right now – your reward – and was there ever a point when you doubted that this might not happen?) – “For me, kind of just how I was raised – my family, my parents and just where I came from – I just feel like I have a good sense of just never quitting and never giving up. So yeah, things might be bleak and grim and just not great, but God will give us an opportunity with everything and just for me to realize and make sure I turn anything that might be negative at a time, try to realize how to make that into a positive. So getting cut and getting claimed here. Some guys would be like, ‘oh, this was awful’ and just feel sorry for themselves, but that’s where I try to look at it as an opportunity for me to grow and develop and that’s what hopefully I have been doing and can continue to do while I’m here.”
(You got to paint a picture for me here about this RV. How many square feet are we talking about and is your girlfriend going to be fine if you make this decision that you’ve just made?) – “(laughter) All right, so the second question, I don’t think I can answer that one. (laughter) But the first one, it’s a 35-foot fifth wheel, so it’s got two slide-outs – I don’t even know how wide it is, 10 feet – 35 times 10, so you’re looking at a small space. It’s a toy hauler – got a nice patio out back. The back door drops down, little patio and then you can go all the way down and there’s a garage. You can put a golf cart or something back there if you do trips with it; and on top of all that, to have a trailer, it’s an opportunity for me to get a truck and build that truck up bigger because you’ve got to tow a trailer. So that’s a nice little excuse for me to work on, to tinker on a truck, because I enjoy doing that kind of stuff.”
(I wanted to get your thoughts on kind of the amazing nature of the NFL. You’re a guy who had to put on 50 pounds in a dungeon, you told us, working out to YouTube because you didn’t have a strength coach. And next to you on the defensive line will be for years to come, a guy who was a first-round pick who went to the gold standard of programs in the NFL in DT Christian Wilkins. Just how wild of a story is that?) – “Yeah, it’s definitely not the most conventional way to get here; but again, for me, I’m going to make the most of any opportunity I get and that’s what the Dolphins have shown, is no matter how you get here, if you play and you perform and you buy into the culture and the system they have here, they will reward you for it as you continue to grow and perform as a Dolphin. And I really appreciate that opportunity they’ve given me.”
(What do you think is your potential as a player? Obviously you greatly improved since arriving in the NFL. Do you have goals, aspirations? How do you think you can make the biggest impact during the term of this contract?) – “For me, definitely just continue to grow – run and pass. Continue to learn just offenses and how to manipulate players and how to work edges and get around guys and take on double teams or take out scoops – all that kind of stuff. Just to keep refining and finetuning each one of those things and become an all-around stout player that can play anywhere from end to zero across the line and be able to do it all in case something happens. As we’ve seen this year with COVID with all these teams, you never know what’s going to happen. So be able to all that to help the team out wherever they need me.”
(I don’t want to give your outfitter operation short shrift – you said maybe some investments up there? Where would you like to spend some money and make some upgrades?) – “Advertisement. Get our name out there. That’s always a No. 1 for us, especially being a young company and then probably just making it – keep classing it up. We put a barn out there. We’ve got new buggies. We’re working on a buggy right now, getting that built. Side-by-sides, boats, whatever we need. We’ve got some, but just keep growing and be able to house more people and take more people in on weekends and continue to make a better and better operation each week, just like with football. Just keep growing every week.”
Emmanuel Ogbah – November 16, 2020
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Monday, November 16, 2020
DE Emmanuel Ogbah
(I wanted to ask you, after the injury last season and your time with the Chiefs, to have the success you’ve been having now this season, what does it all mean to you?) – “It means a lot. I’ve been around. I’ve been on three teams in five years, which I’m tired of moving. (laughter) It’s been quite a journey. I’m blessed and I’m grateful for all the experiences I’ve had. I’m happy to be a Dolphin.”
(I wanted to ask you about your teammate and kind of counterpart there on the other side in DE Shaq Lawson. There was a great video of guys back in training camp where he was complimenting your ‘heavy [bleeping] hands’ when he talked about – I was curious what kind of stuff do you guys do on a daily basis to kind of work with each other and improve your games, and also if you can, just kind of talk about the personality that we see all the time in all those great videos.) – “Usually in individual drills we work together, so that’s where that kind of started off. Shaq’s a character. He brings energy to the group. Him and Christian (Wilkins), they both bring great energy to the group and that same laugh y’all see on social media, he does that all the time. We hear that 24/7. So it’s a good thing it’s actually a mix, because it’s not all business all the time. You’ve got to have some fun with it, too. It’s a game we all grew up playing and he just brings that energy every time he’s out there with us.”
(I wanted to kind of piggy-back on a previous question. This is for you – this is probably how you expected your career to go and it took a couple years to get here. What were some of the trials and tribulations and setbacks you had and was this the vision of you playing at this level because there’s not a Pro Bowl this year, but you would be in Pro Bowl consideration if there were. It’s got to be rewarding for you, but can you just talk about the journey a little bit?) – “Obviously I was drafted by the Browns. Every time you get drafted by a team, you want that team to be your home. You want to stay with that team for life; but everything happens for a reason. It’s just been a journey. I’ve had my ups and downs. I’ve started hot and got (seasons cut) short to injuries, but I’ve been focusing this year and just staying healthy, taking care of my body, spending money on my body just to make sure I’m good to have a full season.”
(I just wanted to kind of I guess piggy-back about the hands. I had watched you a little bit before. You’ve always had good hands, but this year it seems like your hand use is next-level. Can you take me into sort of what you may have done or what you’ve been able to do this year with your hands to be able to get off blocks so effectively?) – “I’ve been working on hands ever since I got out of college. I feel like that’s the key to a d-lineman’s game and so every year I’ve progressed, I worked at it. You’re going to eventually grow and become better and better as you keep improving and working on your hands every offseason. I just got better and better at it.”
(This year you’ve had at least a half-sack in eight straight games and at least one sack in six straight games. I don’t know if you remember that basketball game where the guy used to get on fire and he couldn’t miss. I kind of feel like that’s you right now like Steph Curry or something. What’s the hottest you have ever been in a sack streak in your life? Was it college, high school, Pee Wee?) – “I would say it was college when I ended the year with 13½ (sacks). That’s probably the highest I’ve had; but it just takes the play calling, just working together as a defense, and coverages work hand-in-hand. ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) is back there, Byron (Jones) is back there holding it down, giving me a second or more just to get back there and just do my thing, and I’m grateful to have those guys back there helping me out.”
(You talked about putting money into your body. What does that all entail? Are we talking acupuncture, cryotherapy? What’s the difference between the young Emmanuel and the veteran Emmanuel?) – “The young Emmanuel didn’t really take into consideration how much you use your body during the season, so I was not really into nutrition like that. I didn’t really work out as hard as I am now and just massages, like you said acupuncture, cryo; I just get all that stuff done. I don’t think about the money anymore. I think about it as an investment to my body.”
(Right now you’re I think fourth in sacks and the names that you’re behind are like T.J. Watt and Aaron Donald? That’s a whole other level. You’ve been productive in the past, but those are really truly some of the very best players on the planet. When you hear your name mentioned in that breath, what do you think?) – “First of all, I don’t listen to stuff like that because it’s week-to-week and anything can happen. I just stay focused, just keep doing my assignments and just going out there and giving it all I got and just try to make plays every time I get the opportunity to.”
(One of the Rams players a couple weeks ago was talking about – one of the defensive players – was talking after the game about he’d never seen the kind of pressure that you guys brought and then Chargers Head Coach Anthony Lynn was saying yesterday after the game was saying that you all bring pressure like nobody else in the NFL. To hear those things from the other side, what does that mean to you?) – “We work on that every day at practice and until it gets stopped, we’re going to keep doing it.”
(I need you to settle something for me. Who has played better this season, you or CB Xavien Howard? I’m trying to figure out who the MVP of the team is. You’ve got eight sacks, he’s got five picks. You’re the reason y’all are scoring more touchdowns defensively than he is, although he’s getting the turnovers just like you are. You’ve got to settle the debate for us.) – “How are you going to put me on the spot like that? (laughter) Come on now. I’m going to let you guys decide because I feel like we’re both playing good and we’re both improving every week and we just make each other better. Like I said, pass rush and coverage work hand-in-hand. So me getting a sack could be him back there holding the receivers and him getting a pick could be me pressuring the quarterback, so it works hand-in-hand.”
(I just wanted to go back to something you said earlier about you moving around a lot throughout your career. Have you started to think about this and whether Miami could be a long-term place for you?) – “Like I said earlier, I’m tired of moving. (laughter) I don’t want to move no more. (laughter) So God willing, if it be Miami, then I’ll be thankful for it. I’ll be happy for it.”
(I want to go back to something you talk about often with the trust between you and the coaches and kind of that mutual trust you guys have. I’m just curious if you can go maybe a little bit more in depth on what exactly that means in terms of how you get that trust and how it has a positive impact on the field for someone on the outside that maybe doesn’t know exactly what that does for a player and coach relationship?) – “We’re the players, we’re out there; so we see sometimes what the coaches don’t see. So when I come to the sideline and say, ‘hey, the offensive tackle is giving me this and whatnot, I want to take this move,’ that’s why I was telling them like, ‘hey, I’m going to take this move, can you have somebody cover me?’ or something like that. That’s the trust we have with each other and he would say, ‘okay, I’m counting on you. I know you’re going to make that play, so you go ahead and do it.’ So when I go out there and do what I said I was going to do, that’s how the trust keeps growing and getting bigger.”
Nik Needham – November 16, 2020
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Monday, November 16, 2020
CB Nik Needham
(Can you talk about the process for you in terms of the development that you’ve made at nickel? How is it different from the boundary and what has been involved in that transition?) – “It’s definitely a different realm, I guess you can say. You can’t really get as many hands on – you’re matched up against a lot quicker, faster receivers. Just transitioning into that, it involves a lot more tackling and fitting in the box. ‘Coach G.A.’ (Defensive Backs Coach Gerald Alexander) has helped me a lot with that, showing me a couple of safety fits and showing me film of some good nickel, some good nickel slot corners in the league, and just breaking down their film showing me how they play on certain situations. So just taking all of that in and trying to grow week by week. That’s what’s been helping me.”
(WR Keenan Allen comes into this game second in the league in catches and then finishes the day with only three. I’m curious to ask how were you guys able to naturalize one of the game’s best receivers and did you view that as a personal challenge given how often you and he lines up inside?) – “Watching film every week, you could see that (Justin) Herbert was throwing to Keenan Allen on the go-to situations. We were just trying to make sure in the game plan that we would limit him as much as possible and make him throw to some of the other guys. I think we did a pretty good job with that. That’s what helped us execute and limit him out there.”
(The Dolphins just tweeted they locked up DT Zach Sieler through 2023 so Sieler gets a three-year contract extension. When you see a guy with his story – gets cut, seventh rounder, Ferris State, small school – what do you think about what has happened here for him?) – “That’s for sure inspiring, because Sieler grinds hard every day. You can just see it out there on the field. He’s a monster out there. For him to get that, I’m super proud of him and happy for him. That’s just motivation, for sure. Congrats to Sieler.”
(You mention motivation, when you saw what transpired this offseason – the Dolphins make CB Byron Jones the highest paid cornerback in the NFL, they use a first-rounder in a corner on CB Noah Igbinoghene, did you think in the moment, ‘Where is my spot going to be?’) – “No, I’m always trying to put as much work in as possible. Just seeing that, I’m like ok, we’ve got some more guys on the team. I’m just going to fit in wherever they need me. I’m going to come in and put my hard hat on and just put the work in every day. Wherever they need me to play, I’m willing to do it. I just want to help the team win, for sure.”
(In terms of who you study, who are some of the nickel guys that you’ve studied when you were reviewing some film?) – “Kenny Moore from the Colts. I think he’s played a little bit in the slot in the past couple of years. And then (Baltimore’s) Marlon Humphrey. I know he does a great job of punching the ball out. I think he has like four forced fumbles this year. Just seeing how they transverse into the slot and how their game has progressed, just watching all of that stuff has just helped me a little bit learn some different techniques that I can use versus different receivers and stuff like that.”
(I want to go back to the sack you had yesterday to open up the game. One of my favorite things to watch about with this team is it seems like there is always pressure coming where the quarterback tries to escape and that seemed like what happened on that play. I’m curious if that’s the case, and also how much does it help to blitz behind a guy like DE Emmanuel Ogbah?) – “As you can see, he gets a sack every week. I think even on that play, they were probably more worried about him, and checked the running back to block him or something. I’m not sure but when I came off the edge, the running back had his eyes locked on Ogbah. That freed me up off the edge, and (Justin) Herbert ran right up to me. I just had to secure that (tackle). He’s a dominant force out there for sure.”
(You played a lot of outside corner last year and now you’re doing a lot in the slot. How did you work on your transition so that – was there a point where you knew that ‘this is probably where I need to do more of my work?’ And how did you get there?) – “Like I said, corner you can get a lot of hands on them at the beginning of the routes and stuff. In the slot, you can do that as well, but they have a lot more access to the field. They can go outside, inside, they can run across the whole field. You’ve got to be ready to get on your horse. Like I said, I just try to transition and work on my footwork, work on staying lateral when I’m off at like three yards or so, and just shuffling down instead of opening my hips, so I don’t get caught in a bad position.”
Durham Smythe – November 16, 2020
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Monday, November 16, 2020
TE Durham Smythe
(I wanted to ask you how you felt the offense performed on Sunday. It seems like you guys are getting a lot of short fields from the defense that might skew your yards a bit. Take us behind how film study went today, and what went well and what didn’t?) – “I think the offense is playing pretty well, or played well yesterday, like you said. The last four or five weeks have been pretty interesting from the offensive side of the ball just because the defense and special teams are giving us a short field a lot of the time, which is obviously nothing to complain about. We put an emphasis yesterday on trying to be able to run the ball a little bit more efficiently, which I think we did. Tua (Tagovailoa) made some throws when we needed those too. I think overall we played pretty well. Obviously there are things to clean up in all phases and all facets; but for the most part, I think we’re trending in the right direction.”
(What has been working in the red zone for you guys recently? I noticed that all of QB Tua Tagovailoa’s touchdowns have come in the red zone, and the Dolphins have also done a really good job of getting you tight ends free for some plays in that area. What are some things that are really helping with you guys?) – “That’s a part of the field that we put a lot of emphasis on during the week. Whether it’s running the ball or play design like you kind of mentioned, that frees people up, I think we, over the last four of five weeks – really all season – we’ve had plays in our game plans that free people up. Like you saw me yesterday, there was no one within 10 to 15 yards of me. I think that’s a reflection of the offensive staff and the game plans they are putting together in the red zone, and us just going out there and realizing there is an emphasis on it and trying to execute.”
(When you heard that call come in, you knew obviously the ball was going to come your way, or if it didn’t, something went wrong. Did your eyes get big? Were you like, ‘Oh crap, I’m going to be 10 yards clear of the rest of the defense, I better not drop it?’) – “Obviously you love to hear the play call come in; but I always tell people that when you are that alone in the end zone, it is kind of lonely. You feel like the ball is in the air for 10-15 seconds. But there is definitely nothing to complain about in terms of an uncontested touchdown catch. I won’t complain about that.”
(WR Jakeem Grant has been telling us for five years that he is a Pro Bowl receiver. That’s halfway joking. Obviously he’s an extremely confident guy. But in the last couple of weeks, he’s really kind of shown me something. What have you noticed about his growth as a receiver?) – “I think for Jakeem, obviously first and foremost with the ball in his hands, he’s one of the most electric players in the NFL, whether it’s on special teams in any return game or getting the ball in space on offense. Once the ball is in his hands, anything can happen. I think for him, it’s just consistency and really getting opportunities. Over the last couple of weeks, he’s made the most of those opportunities in terms of the offensive side of the ball and on special teams. I think Jakeem has put a lot of work in, in terms of just being consistent and obviously he’s a very electric type of player. It’s always exciting to see him go kind of crazy with the ball and just watch him go. I’m happy for him and he’s been very consistent lately.”
(I wanted to ask you about a guy on the other side of the ball that maybe you see in practice quite a bit in DE Shaq Lawson. We see these social media post of him grinning and laughing during the game. I know Head Coach Brian Flores has a pretty serious focused mindset that he talks about how players who it’s important to are a key aspect of being Miami Dolphins. I’m wondering how Shaq has found a way to strike that balance of serious, and focused and just absolute class clown to make everybody laugh. How important is that to a football team?) – “It’s very important. I think this goes back to this staff, this regime, bringing in the right type of guys because I think you absolutely need a balance on a team in the NFL in terms of guys who are – I mean we all take obviously the game seriously, but guys who are almost always business and straight-forward, and then guys who bring some energy and some fun to it. Shaq is a huge energy producer for us, whether it’s pregame, in the locker room, at halftime on the field like you said with these pictures of him laughing and stuff. I think this staff has done a great job of bringing in the right people that mesh well together, personalities that mesh well and kind of feed off of each other. Like I said, Shaq is a huge spark for us in terms of energy, which has kind of showed up on the field, especially on the defensive side of the ball over the last couple of weeks.”
Brian Flores – November 16, 2020
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Monday, November 16, 2020
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Opening statement.) – “I’m going to start by letting you guys know (that) we released Jordan Howard this morning. This was a mutual parting. I think given the circumstances, Jordan handled himself professionally. I think he was the consummate pro. There were no issues. We just felt like this was in the best interest of both parties – ours and his. (I have) a lot of respect for him, a lot of respect for the way he worked. No ill will, nothing of that nature. Just thought it was best for both parties.”
(You all are getting a lot from players who might have been overlooked by other teams, cut by other teams, third-day draft picks. I know you’re involved in personnel, but could you talk about the quality of the evaluators you’re working with? Obviously General Manager Chris Grier but also Assistant General Manager Marvin Allen, Senior Personnel Executive Reggie McKenzie, Assistant Director of College Scouting Matt Winston, Co-Director of Player Personnel Adam Engroff – just the quality of the people that you’ve worked with here these 18 months and how much that’s helped toward eyeballing players that you brought in that have helped you?) – “I think we have a lot of people throughout this organization who work hard in whatever facet of the organization that they work in. It’s important to them. I think everyone communicates well. I think myself, (General Manager) Chris (Grier), (Vice President of Football Administration) Brandon (Shore), (Assistant General Manager) Marvin (Allen); we have a collective vision of the types of players we want, what we’re looking for, and the guys in the personnel department, they look for players who fit that criteria and they continue to do that, and they’re doing that now. I’ve said this many times over, it’s a team effort. Everyone’s role is important from people who clean to the people who scout, the people who do personnel to really everyone within the organization. Everyone’s role is important.”
(I guess just following up on RB Jordan Howard. He had been productive in Chicago and Philadelphia. I’m just curious on why you think maybe it didn’t work out for you guys.) – “It’s a tough question to answer. I think he’s a good back. He’s definitely been productive. I think we had some other guys who stepped in and played well and for that reason, his reps were limited and when he did go in there, it felt like we had maybe a little bit better production from some other guys. But I don’t think that speaks to his talent level. I think he’s a talented young man and he’s been productive in this league and I wish him all the best.”
(I don’t know that you think that a 6-3 record is an accomplishment. I don’t know if you’re wired that way or not, but nonetheless you’re 6-3; so I’m wondering what you see as the reasons – what have you accomplished to get to where you are?) – “I think guys have worked together. I think we have a team full of guys who football is important to them, competing is important to them, communicating is important to them. And I think they bought into the – let’s call it working together as a team and working hard and preparing and giving ourselves an opportunity to compete. We’ve seen some good results from that and they continue to buy into those things.”
(I was curious about the offense in general. How do you think it’s performing around the midway part of the season? Certainly QB Tua Tagovailoa’s changed things. What has gone well? What do you think he needs to improve on and more specifically, how do you think you can get WR DeVante Parker more involved on the offense?) – “I think we can improve in a lot of areas – run game, drop-back, third down, third-and-1, red zone, two-minute, o-line can play better, backs can play better, quarterbacks can make better decisions, receivers can do a better job getting open. It hasn’t been perfect, that’s for sure. There’s always room for improvement and I think the guys will work towards making those improvements.”
(A few guys that played a lot of snaps and contributed and did pretty well – DT Zach Sieler, LB Andrew Van Ginkel, CB Nik Needham. One thing they have in common is they’re not first-rounders. One guy is a five, one guy is a seven, one guy is undrafted. My question is what traits in your opinion are required to become a key contributor when you’re not a highly drafted player?) – “I think you only get one, normally one first-rounder a year, so most teams are made up of guys who aren’t first-round picks. I think what allows a guy to make a team and to contribute are, is he tough, is he smart, does he love to play, is he team-first, is he competitive? I think if you have all those qualities, then you give yourself an opportunity to learn, to develop, to improve and eventually contribute. I think you see that in the guys you mentioned. So (Nik) Needham, (Zach) Sieler – whether it’s his time in Baltimore to coming over here – and (Andrew) Van Ginkel; the three guys you mentioned, they have all those characteristics. And it allows them to get the most out of their ability and they’ve been able to contribute and play well, and they’re still getting better. They’re still young players, still getting better and hopefully we haven’t seen the best that they have to offer.”
(I wanted to ask you about the defensive schemes. I know that you are a man of mystery, but how many packages do you have?) – “We got the rover package coming in for (you) next week, for sure. (laughter) That’s coming in next week, that’s coming in hot. We’ll have (your) package coming in a couple of weeks. We’ll name something after you. (laughter)”
(In terms of the packages with this hybrid defense, how many are there… Because guys play let’s say 30 snaps and I assume it’s on certain packages that they are a part of. Is that correct?) – “I’m not going to give up too many – yes, I would say depending on how many packages we have and when those packages come up situationally, that would definitely play a part in how many snaps guys will get. But to answer your question, I think every week given the players we feel like are going to be active, who we’re playing against, how creative our coaching staff feels that week, ideas get thrown around all the time. I try to create an environment where that’s happening really on all sides of the ball. Especially defensively, I think (Defensive Coordinator) Josh (Boyer) does a great job – Josh and his staff do a great job of trying to come up with things that are new, that are different, that will give our opponents problems. Then we have to figure out whether or not we can get that to our players and teach it to them over the course of a week, to a point where they can execute. (Your) package is going to be tough, I’m going to tell you that right now. (laughter) I don’t know if we can get that one taught in a week. (laughter)”
(Today is the one-year anniversary of when QB Tua Tagovailoa suffered that hip injury. I’m wondering if you can recall what you may have been thinking the first time you saw that play and the severity of what you were witnessing, and if you can reflect on how far he’s come in that year?) – “Honestly, I was deep into our 2019 season, so I don’t necessarily recall when that all happened or – I don’t know where (I was). I’m sure there are some people who know where they were on that at that exact moment, but I don’t necessarily. I love Tua. He’s come through it, he’s healthy, he’s playing well, he’s getting better on a weekly basis. I think that adversity will ultimately help him, and has helped him come through something like that. Rehab, you feel like everything is going to be over, everything you’ve worked for is over, and then you come back and you rehab. I think that’s a testament to him, his family, his work ethic and how important the game is to him. While I don’t necessarily know where I was when that happened, I know where he is now. I think he’s in a good place physically, mentally, emotionally, and he’s improving on a daily basis. That’s important to me, to this team, to his family and hopefully we just continue to get better on a daily basis.”
(CB Xavien Howard has had more interceptions over the last few years than anybody. For you as a defensive schemer and Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer as a play caller, what does it do knowing that you have a guy that can change the game with his playmaking ability at any point?) – “’X’ (Xavien Howard) has very good cover skills. I think people put a lot into interceptions and sacks. I know we’ve had these conversations before – and they are big plays and he had a big play yesterday, and he’s made some big plays – but the rest of his game has really improved as well, getting off of blocks and tackling. Just pure coverage when the ball is not being thrown his way. I’ve had this conversation – I probably haven’t had it with you guys – but over the course of a season, lets call it a starter in the league, whether it’s a d-end or a receiver or a DB, you get 1,000 snaps. So it you get 10 interceptions or 20 sacks, you’re talking about one or two percent of the snaps roughly, if my math is right. It probably isn’t because I’m not very good at math; but to me, it’s the other 98 percent or 99 percent that really matters. Those are huge plays. They are. But I try to focus on the 99 and 98 percent and get those guys really good at that, and then I think the other two percent or one percent kind of happens. When those opportunities present themselves, they have to make them, and ‘X’ has done that. The players with those big stats, they do that; but my focus is normally on the other 99 percent and I’ll let you guys handle the one to two percent. He’s done a great job and we’ve got a lot of guys who has made a lot of big plays for us; but they are doing the little things too. The little things add up. That’s what I like about this group is they really focus on the little things and when you do enough of the little things, the big things happen. You’ve got to make them happen, but when you do all of the little things, the big opportunities present themselves and then you’re ready to make a play. I’m good on all the interceptions and all of that. That’s great; but I’m going to focus on the other 99 percent.”
Xavien Howard – November 15, 2020 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 15, 2020
Postgame – L.A. Chargers
CB Xavien Howard
(Can you tell us about your interception and how important it was after the Chargers had moved down the field on you guys, and then you had the pick and it kind of it seemed like it turned things around for the whole team.) – “It was a great call from the coaches, made a great play on the ball. It changed the momentum and the offense ended up scoring.”
(Five interceptions now leads the NFL. Is this the best you’ve been playing in your career, do you think?) – “I feel like I’m just getting better. I want to say, put myself by saying that this is the best football I’ve been playing also. I think it’s probably two years with seven, so I’m (going to) just keep on going, just trying to strive for the best.”
(We hadn’t talked to you since I guess last month when it was all, like, a trade deadline and all that, so I wanted to get your view of how that was for you, and now that it’s all behind you, what does that make it easier?) – “I knew somebody was going to ask me that question, though, but, man, we got a W today. That’s what I’m proud about. We’re just going to keep on going and keep fighting that’s all I’m going to say about that.”
(I wanted to ask you about the interception again. You guys talk about how the coverage and pass rush kind of marry up together. How much does pass rush performance this year give you extra confidence to play that aggressive style that gets you so many interceptions?) – “That’s the way the coaches – (Head Coach) Brian Flores and the guys – that’s how they want us to play and be aggressive no matter what. With everything working together and everybody making plays, that’s what it’s all about on the defense.”
