Josh Boyer – October 27, 2020
Tuesday, October 27, 2020
Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer
(LB Jerome Baker has mentioned that QB Tua Tagovailoa has asked defensive players questions about coverages and different sorts of things over the last few months. Has he done that with you at all? Has he either called you aside to talk about defensive looks or has he gone into any of your meetings with your defensive players?) – “I think it’s with like all young players – not exclusive to Tua (Tagovailoa) – there’s a lot of guys on the other side of the ball that are always asking you, ‘hey, what are you guys trying to do on this?’ or ‘what are your opinions or thoughts on this?’ And I think that’s a good healthy thing, and hopefully our defensive players do the same to (Offensive Coordinator) Chan (Gailey) and the offensive coaching staff, asking them ways that they’re going to get attacked. So yeah, those conversations happen from time to time.”
(There was a sequence in the Rams game last night where they were going tempo and then they slowed it down all the way I think inside the 10-yard line and then five seconds left on the play clock, they ran to the line, ran the play, scored a touchdown. How cognizant are you of that kind of tempo and timing for the Rams offense, that they could play with against you guys next week?) – “I would say Coach McVay (Rams Head Coach Sean McVay) does a tremendous job using tempo, and they use it in numerous different ways. It doesn’t always show up; you don’t know exactly when it’s coming. You have to be ready for it on every snap. They’ve got a good skill group. They’ve got a good offensive line and they mesh well together as a group and a unit, and they’re really, really good at changing it up on you and not just with the tempo of the pace that they’re doing. It’s the same thing – they change the cadence, so they get a lot of guys on hard counts. They do a very, very good job. They put a lot of pressure on the defense, and we’re going to have to do a great job this week of our communication to make sure that the calls are in, guys know what we’re doing, getting lined up quickly and being ready to go and handling if the ball is snapped quick; or if they come out, survey what we’re in, change their call and go. There’s a lot of multiples this week. Coach McVay does a tremendous job with that, has for years, and he puts a lot of pressure on the defense.”
(I wanted to ask you about pre-snap motion. The Patriots obviously used it to great success in the opener. The Rams use it in different ways, but they still use a ton of it. How confident are you that you guys have a better handle on pre-snap motion than you did in the opener?) – “I would say each week is unique to what the offense is trying to do, so hopefully we’ll go out there and we’ll work, we’ll prepare for the things that we’ve seen; and some things that are unseen, we’ll prepare and try to be ready for that as best as we can on Sunday.”
(Yesterday I had a chance to talk to Head Coach Brian Flores about the way S Bobby McCain nurtures relationships and how important it is to him. I just wanted to get your take on what you’ve seen as far as the way Bobby McCain kind of interacts with his teammates and the way he cultivates those relationships.) – “I would say Bobby (McCain) number one is a great communicator, and he has a unique ability to get along with all types of personalities, which in turn helps him on the field handle multiple communications with different individuals. Bobby has been everything that you could want in a communicator. He really quarterbacks our defense, and he continues to work hard at that and he’s a really diligent worker, and that’s just part of his game and part of what we’ve really benefited from Bobby being able to one, nurture those relationships and two, be able to handle communications to numerous individuals.”
(How much do you work on letting the other team score?) – “(laughter) It’s a situation – it’s only come up once in my career. It’s not a situation that you really want to be in from a defensive perspective. Sometimes – I mean obviously it’s a last resort to give you a chance to win the game. It’s not really something that you want to find yourself in, but there are situations that call for the percentages and best odds to give your team a chance to win the game, which ultimately is what we’re all trying to do.”
(I wanted to ask about the injuries that you guys are facing right now at the linebacker unit with LB Kyle Van Noy, LB Andrew Van Ginkel, LB Kamu Grugier-Hill. How do you compensate for that? I know you’re probably hoping to get a lot of them back, but how do you compensate for that and can you talk a little bit about LB Sam Eguavoen and how he performed last time – I believe it was 49 snaps?) – “The thing that we ask all of our guys to do, whether they’re slated to play a lot or they’re slated to back up, is we ask all of our guys to prepare to play a 60-minute football game and to play every snap. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a starter or you’re not. You could be a play away from playing a lot, and I think it was really a credit to Sam (Eguavoen) who again – like I said about a lot of our guys – he comes in and puts in a great day’s work. He prepares. He prepares to play at multiple spots, and then when his number was called, he made the most of his opportunities, brought some energy to the field. I thought he did a good job for us, helped us; but we ask really all of our players whether they’re slated as, ‘hey, you’re going to be in this group, this group, this group’ or ‘you’re a backup in all these groups’ – all of them need to prepare like they’re going to play a 60-minute game, and that’s the way we kind of approach it.”
(I’d like you to play a pretend game for just a second with me. If Rams QB Jared Goff were a left-handed quarterback, how would that change your week?) – “That’s a good question. I’ve been so used to seeing Jared Goff as a right-handed quarterback and that’s where all my focus, time and energy has been. I haven’t really thought if he was left-handed. (laughter) I would say right-handed, left-handed; you’re looking for the same things. You’re looking for what teams do offensively. You’re looking if they have tendencies, the way that they try to attack defenses. You’re going to look at targets, areas where they throw on the field. There’s a lot of things that go into just scouting a particular team. Each week we go into – ‘has this receiver ever thrown a ball?’ ‘Did he throw the ball in college?’ There’s a lot of digging that goes into scouting, so right-handed, left-handed – I’m not so sure how much of that matters. It’s more what plays are they trying to do and how do they execute it and how are they trying to attack you.”
Danny Crossman – October 27, 2020
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Tuesday, October 27, 2020
Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(The last time we talked and met, we asked you about WR Jakeem Grant. I just wanted to re-loop to that now that’s it’s been a couple of weeks since that performance. What do you think a really electric – I mean it was his best returning game of the season. What can that do for him moving forward these last 10 games?) – “I think any time you have success, it builds confidence. As we all know, confidence is a strange thing; but most importantly, confidence comes from production and playing well. Hopefully that gives him, and really the whole group, a little bit more confidence going forward.”
(I was watching the Monday night game last night and it seems that the Rams P Johnny Hekker has a different way of holding the ball. A watermelon, I think that’s what they called it on the telecast. Can you give me some more insight into that? What is it about the specific way you hold it and punt it and the way it bounces that gives an advantage?) – “I think the biggest thing, as you said, is when the ball hits, when you hit that lateral ball, it’s more inclined to bounce laterally as opposed to bouncing forward. Most of the time you see guys hitting the ball end over end or from a spiral, where it’s coming down with the nose first. He’s trying to hit that ball on the belly to get more of a lateral bounce, even if it does hit on one of the tips. Johnny is a heck of a player. He’s been a great player in this league for a long time. He really does a great job. I think you hit the nail on the head, he really did a great job of controlling field position for them last evening.”
(Do you try to catch that as soon as the punt is coming? How do you defend against a punter who really has a really good knack of flipping the field?) – “I think every one of those kicks is different. When you talk about flipping the field, you’re getting a different type of ball as opposed to what we refer as plus-50 balls. I think anytime you have the ball on the ground, you’re at the mercy. Any time you can field the ball cleanly, it’s going to help you.”
(I wanted to ask about S Kavon Frazier and what he’s meant to the special teams units being a guy that plays on all four of the coverage and kick units?) – “He’s done a really nice job. He was a good pick up for us. He has good experience and has a lot of position flexibility, and has really been a good addition for us. He’s one of those guys that’s really settling in on those four phase core players for us. Those guys need to play well, and we need to keep playing better and better as the season progresses.”
(WR Mack Hollins, can you speak on the attitude he brings to the room, knowing his reps offensively are limited, but he’s playing a pretty big role at that gunner spot.) – “He’s doing a good job really on each of the phases. Another guys that plays on all four (core teams) for us. I think the biggest thing is Mack has a great personality. His upbeat personality really transcends and really brings a lot of guys along, when you look at him in the locker room, in the meeting room, out on the practice field. He’s really got a great demeanor and his approach of how he works, and I think that has a lasting impact on a lot of the younger guys.”
Chan Gailey – October 27, 2020
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Tuesday, October 27, 2020
Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey
(I’m sure you’re going to get a ton of QB Tua Tagovailoa questions so I wanted to get one in first about the previous quarterback, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. Obviously you guys are as close as you can be. A, what are your emotions now knowing the news that you’ve had to help deliver and B, how is “Fitz” handling it?) – “You’d need to talk to ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) to talk about that to get that answered. He’s the best one to do that and yeah, I’m close with ‘Fitz,’ but guess what? I like Tua. I like Tua a lot and I think he’s got a great future, so I’m excited for him. We do what’s best for the football team all the time. That’s what we try to do, so that’s where we are with this thing right now.”
(So everyone knows that the starting quarterback gets the vast majority of the reps in practice with the first team. Was there a point before he was named starter that QB Tua Tagovailoa cut into that number or got more reps than normal as the backup? And when was that?) – “No. We gave him the same number of reps most every week.”
(What are some of the benefits of having RPO – run/pass options – available as an option as a play, and how does that align with QB Tua Tagovailoa’s strengths, the quick passing game elements?) – “Well, he did a decent amount of that in college. There’s different types of RPOs. There’s pre-snap RPOs, there’s post-snap RPOs. We use some of both but mostly pre-snap RPOs is what we have done. What I remember him doing in college is he was good at reading and seeing that and as time goes on, we can adjust and maybe use a few more of those to fit into what he has done in the past.”
(Obviously coaching QB Ryan Fitzpatrick again was a big reason why you joined the team here. If the organization decided that maybe trading away Ryan Fitzpatrick was a move they wanted to make at the trade deadline how would you kind of take that in and how do you think you would probably respond to that?) – “I can’t speculate on that. I have no idea. I like him. I love having him here. I’d hate to see him go, but somebody would step in. That’s the way this business is. We do what we think is best for the football team in every decision whether it’s who’s here, who’s not here, who’s playing, who’s not playing, who’s backing up, who’s a practice squad guy, who’s not a practice squad guy. You make the decisions you feel like are best for the football team all the time. That’s what we do.”
(I wanted to ask you about the left-handed side of things. When you go to a left-handed quarterback, which as you know is very rare these days in the NFL, what changes for you as an offensive coordinator and what changes have you noticed perhaps for a defense trying to contain a lefty at quarterback?) – “I would think that if somebody – the No. 1 thing that I would think about is if somebody is trying to make a right-handed quarterback scramble, they would want him to scramble to the left. They’d probably have to change that thought process to make a left-handed quarterback scramble to his right. That would be one of the first things that I would think about. For us, we practice things both left and right, so it doesn’t change a lot for us. If we’ve had a bootleg that’s been to the right for ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick), then it’s been on Tua (Tagovailoa)’s wristband every week that he runs it to the left. We practiced it all both ways, so nothing really changes for us.”
(I wanted to ask you about QB Tua Tagovailoa’s Tuesday meetings. They’re with Head Coach Brian Flores, is what he said, but I don’t know if you’re also involved in that. When you do have meetings with Tua and go over film, what are those conversations like and what are you watching? Are you watching games of QB Ryan Fitzpatrick playing? Or Tua in practice?) – “Most of the time you’re watching the team we’re playing that week. We’re talking about how we’re going to defeat them. Right now, we’re only talking about the Rams. That’s all we’re talking about. We’re not talking about anything else. We’re trying to get ready to defeat them and defeat what they do and take advantage of our personnel against them and see how we match up. Those are the things that we’re working on and that’s all that we work on.”
(On that topic of the Rams, we saw DT Aaron Donald on TV last night doing what he does every single week. What’s the best way to get that guy blocked and how does he kind of adjust your offensive game plan?) – “Somebody made a statement that a lot of people want to know where a safety is or where a linebacker is. You want to know where (Donald) is. Is he lining up on the left or the right? Is he lining up on the tackle or on the guard? You want to know where he is and you want to scheme some things to help out whoever’s got him. At the same time, you can’t change everything that you’re doing. You’ve got to depend on our good players playing well against him too. We’ve got to depend on that a little bit.”
(I know coaches try to anticipate every possible situation. I’m wondering over the course of your career, how much time have you spent on not scoring when the other team is trying to let you score, and how much that has even been on your radar?) – “We’ve talked about it. It’s not like it’s something that you consider on a daily basis; but we’ve talked about it. We try to educate our players into the situation that’s at hand. At the same time, you can negate that if you want to and just take a knee.”
(How do you think QB Tua Tagovailoa will do?) – “I think he’ll play great. That’s what you anticipate. You anticipate him going out there and seeing the defense, and knowing where to throw the football and making good throws and making good decisions in the run game, as far as getting us where we’re supposed to get blocking-wise. I expect him to play excellent; but that’s the way I feel about every week going into every game. You think you’re going to play great. You’re disappointed when you don’t score every time.”
Brian Flores – October 26, 2020
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Monday, October 26, 2020
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I’m going to be the one non-Tua question again just like last Thursday. At defensive tackle do you have any more of a sense whether you’ll have DT Raekwon Davis available this week and since General Manager Chris Grier is not really available to us, just give us what your thoughts were on if you have enough moving forward at that position with DT Zach Sieler, DT Christian Wilkins obviously at end and tackle, DT Benito Jones and DT Raekwon Davis?) – “Raekwon (Davis) is working just like all the other guys who are a little banged up from last week. He’s working to get back, doing everything we can. I know we had a lot of guys in over the weekend getting treatment, rehab. So he’s doing everything he can to get back as well as that other group of players. We feel good about our depth on the d-line. We also have some on the practice squad; but sometimes you’ve got to play with a short hand. If that’s the case, then we’ll do our best, but I think guys are trying to get out there as soon as they can.”
(I wanted to ask you about QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. There was a lot of chatter about the trade deadline and potentially his name coming up among some teams that need quarterback help. A, have you been contacted by anyone and B, can you say definitively that you’re not going to trade Ryan Fitzpatrick next week?) – “Again, those questions really go to (General Manager) Chris (Grier). They should go to Chris. My focus is on the Rams and getting ready for the Rams, getting our players – this team – ready to play the Rams. It’s a good opponent. They’re tough. They’re physical. They’re talented. They play tonight so we’ll be watching that and again, that’s really a Chris question. He’s the one who handles all the calls from different teams. My focus is on this team, this week and getting our guys ready to play.”
(What are realistic expectations to have for QB Tua Tagovailoa in his first start?) – “I think he’s just got to do a good job of preparing throughout the week. I don’t like to put expectations on anyone. I think we just need to go out there, really – not even go out there – but have a good day today, have good meetings, have a good walkthrough, have a good practice, put together a good week and just try to play a good football game come Sunday afternoon against a good opponent. It’s a team effort. Again, it won’t be just Tua, but he’s going to have to do his part as far as communication, getting us lined up, making good decisions. We’re saying specific to Tua, but this is anyone who steps on the field. We need them to do a good job with our communication and to play with good fundamentals, technique and we need them to execute. We’re asking of him what we would ask anyone that steps on the field. But again, he’s young. But yeah, we expect him to go out there, play with good fundamentals, technique and execute.”
(Coming with another non-Tua question. I wanted to check on your edge players – LB Kyle Van Noy and LB Andrew Van Ginkel. Is Van Ginkel out of the concussion protocol and with Van Noy, was that more of a precautionary thing or you felt like he couldn’t play last game?) – “Just talking about (Kyle) Van Noy – there’s only 16 games – so ‘precautionary,’ I don’t know if that’s the word I would use. He couldn’t go. We just felt like that was the best decision for him and he’s doing everything he can to get back out there. ‘Ginkel’ (Andrew Van Ginkel) is not quite out of the protocol yet, but getting closer, it looks like. He’s doing everything he can, but not officially out of the protocol yet. He was in all weekend trying to do everything to get back.”
(Conventional thinking at least says that the bye week is an advantageous time to change quarterbacks if you’re going to do so. So with that in mind, what was QB Tua Tagovailoa possibly able to accomplish with the bye that may not have happened had you had a game? How did he capitalize on his time?) – “He, along with all the players, I think it’s a time to rest, it’s a time to self-reflect on the first six weeks of the season. I think he had a – again, we only had the one practice, so as far as getting out there and practicing, that was limited. I’m not really sure what else – what you’re asking me there. You can kind of re-ask that if you’re looking for more there.”
(I was just trying to find out if there were other ways – anything hidden that we may not think of – where he might have been able to capitalize on the time and get better prepared or just mentally prepared and focused on the idea that he’s No. 1 now.) – “I think that’s probably more of a question for Tua (Tagovailoa), but just mentally getting in the right frame of mind of being the guy, being the starter and look, his preparation’s always been good, so I don’t really see that changing all that much. As far as kind of going through his progressions – weekly progression – (Quarterbacks Coach) Robby (Brown) and (Offensive Coordinator) Chan (Gailey) have done a good job as far as teaching him what that progression should be like as a starter. I could see it being ramped up a little bit because obviously knowing that he’s going to be out there, but he’s prepared that way really throughout the season and we’ve tried to talk to him to prepare that way. So maybe it just gives him a little bit more time to prepare that way for an opponent, which is probably a good thing; but yeah, I don’t really have much more insight than that.”
(I know you’re not worried about outside narratives. But I’m curious how after the change, have you at all talked to the team to make sure there aren’t any unanswered questions in the locker room with why you made the decision, and why as a staff you made the decision to go with Tua Tagavailoa? And what was said, if anything?) – “I mentioned that I was going to talk to the team last week. At the end of the day, we make decisions that we feel are best for the team. That’s what we said to the team, and that’s where we left it.”
(Communication is a big staple of your program. I wanted to ask you if there is anything specific you could tell us about S Bobby McCain that makes him a good communicator both on the field, but also with the guys in the locker room. Would you say it’s fair to say he’s the quarterback of the defense?) – “Yeah, I’d say it’s fair to say he’s the quarterback of the defense. He’s a good communicator. I think a lot of that is tied to the relationships he has with other players on the team. His willingness – I would say his production on the field and his overall wanting to communicate and make sure we’re all on the same page, I think he’s taken that role on and been successful in it. You need someone to kind of remind guys to watch this or watch that. If it’s third down, watch the sticks. I think we all kind of need reminders, and he’s taken on that role and really embraced it I would say.”
(We heard from QB Ryan Fitzpatrick last week and he was obviously emotional, discussing the move and how he thought of it. Obviously you guys have been playing really well with ‘Fitz.’ How do you prevent there from being any division or anything involving that if QB Tua Tagovailo doesn’t play well coming in initially?) – “We go out there, we prepare, we practice. I think the guys rally around each other. I think they support one another. To think there would be division because a guy doesn’t play well, I don’t think we have that on this team. I don’t think we have that one this team. I think when guys make mistakes, this team rallies around each other and pick each other up. To say there will be division, I don’t see that. It hasn’t been that way, and I don’t foresee that. We will coach it the way we’ve always coached it. We’ll pick each other up, we’ll rally around each other, we’ll bring energy to the team. I think to even bring that type of energy or speak about it, I think it’s unfortunate that anyone would go that route. But obviously that’s out there and people are thinking about it. I don’t see that on this team.”
(QB Tua Tagavailoa mentioned in his press conference last week that he would meet with you every Tuesday and go over film. I’m assuming that’s practice film, or would that be a game film situation? Can you just walk us through what those meeting would be like with him?) – “It’s game film, it’s practice film, it’s situations. He’s a young player. He’s got a lot to learn. He tries to be a sponge. I think everyone can see that – players, coaches, this team. I think it’s – he wants to learn, and he wants to see it from all different aspects. I give him a defensive aspect, he gets it from (Offensive Coordinator) Chan (Gailey) obviously from the offensive side of the ball. He asks defensive players things that they saw. That’s just the type of kid he is, and it’s a good thing. He tries to learn as much as he can, and I think as a teacher, and as a coach, I think that’s what you are looking for. I try to watch as many different things as possible; but obviously you don’t want to overload the kid. I know he’s getting a lot of information from a lot of different places. Our meetings are more, I would say, me giving him the defensive perspective, and I think as an offensive player, if you understand the thought process from the other side of the ball, it can make you a better player. I know that’s the case defensively, when you think of how they are trying to attack us offensively. That’s what those conversations are like.”
Mike Gesicki – October 26, 2020
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Monday, October 26, 2020
TE Mike Gesicki
(I’m sure there is a lot of excitement about the new quarterback, but you’ve been very open about how much QB Ryan Fitzpatrick has meant to you. Have do you balance those two things, the excitement about QB Tua Tagavailoa and recognizing everything that Ryan has done for you?) – “Yeah, absolutely. I think you hit it right there on the head. First and foremost, I’m super excited for Tua. I think he’s done a great job dating all the way back to college, doing his rehab, getting healthy, and being put into a position to be where he is right now, where he’s the starting quarterback for our football team. He’s practiced hard. He’s had a great work ethic. He’s done all the right things preparing for this moment. I’m super excited for him and can’t wait to get out there and get to work with him at full speed practice and all of that kind of stuff. Then obviously like you said with ‘Fitz’, he’s one of my best friends on the team and I’ve been very open about how I feel about him as a teammate, and a guy and a leader for us and all of that kind of stuff. I think the biggest thing with ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) is he loves football. He loves being out there. I think he gave it everything he had from the second he was here from last year, with everybody out there saying that we weren’t supposed to win a game, and we go out there and give the Dolphins fans something to be excited about coming into this year – winning five games of our last nine last year and all of that kind of stuff. Then this year, you see him 10 yards down the field blocking on running plays, and having fun and enjoying himself and doing his little celebration every time he throws a big touchdown. Even in training camp, 30 minutes after he finds out his mother passed away, the first thing he is thinking about is obviously his family and all of that kind of stuff, and then he straps on his helmet and shoulder pads and laces up his cleats and goes out to practice. Just all of things makes him the person he is and the leader he is and all of that kind of stuff. I’ll forever be indebted to ‘Fitz’ and all of that kind of stuff because he believed in me when not too many people did. Just a thank you to him, and all of that kind of stuff. Now, I’m really excited for this next chapter with Tua getting out there. I know everybody is excited, both in this locker room and outside this locker room, our fans, everybody. It’s a new week. We came off a fresh bye week and we’re ready to get rolling.”
(This is your third season, and I think this is probably the best position this team has been in to make a playoff run in a minute, maybe the entire time you’ve been here. Oftentimes when teams are in that position, they don’t make a quarterback change, particularly if the quarterback is playing well. How do you process this season versus building for the future, and QB Tua Tagavailoa needs reps to be ready for 2021 and beyond. Do you feel like the playoffs are still something you can achieve with a rookie quarterback?) – “I think – if you guys know anything about ‘Coach Flo’ (Brian Flores) and the way that he coaches us and prepares us each and every week, we’re sitting here in mid to late October and if you think anybody in here is thinking about the playoffs or a playoff push, or anything other than coming back in here after a bye week and focusing on our opponent this week – preparation and getting some timing down and all of that kind of stuff – that’s really what our main focus is. I think for our fans, I’m sure they are excited and all of that kind of stuff, and I think they should be. I think that it is an exciting time; but as a professional and as a team that we’re starting to come together, we all trust in ‘Coach Flo’ and the guys upstairs making decisions. Honestly, I’m just excited to get back to work after a good bye week.”
(First round draft picks at quarterback come in and sometimes they hit it off with their teammates and sometimes they don’t. QB Tua Tagavailoa clearly has, and I’m wondering what you can say about how he’s gone about that? Is it just his personality or some of the things he’s done? And how would the dynamics of this would be different with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick going to the bench if he was not as popular as he was?) – “Tua has done a phenomenal job with just being a guy in the locker room. Everybody has fun when they are around him. He’s a funny guy. He’s a good time to be around. Then when he’s out on the field, he has that – where he can flip a switch and make it serious, but also still have fun with it. I think that’s something that I look forward to getting out there on the field with him and seeing him in the huddle and making a big play because you know it’s eventually coming, and how he reacts to that. I think it’s exciting to be a part of that chapter, that next phase. I think he’s done a phenomenal job of kind of earning everybody’s respect in the locker room; then obviously, everybody’s respect outside of the locker room, upstairs giving him this opportunity. He’s earned it and I’m excited for him.”
(Just listening to you talk about QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and what he’s done for the franchise, and obviously you guys want to win. It makes me wonder if QB Tua Tagovailoa doesn’t come out there and play as well as ‘Fitz,’ what is that going to mean for the locker room and how you guys handle that?) – “Our locker room is tight, and like I said, we all believe in one another and believe in Coach Flores and (General Manager) Chris Grier and (Managing General Partner/Chairman of the Board) Mr. (Stephen) Ross, and everybody that’s upstairs making decisions. I think that we all have confidence in Tua to go out and make plays. It’s not going to be like one series here or one series there and everybody is throwing in the towel. That’s not how it is. We’re all excited, and honestly, I think there is a lot of trust and a lot of belief in the players that are being put in position on the field on Sundays. Like I said, I’m excited for Tua and his opportunity, and I think that he’s going to do everything in his power to be prepared and be put in a position to be successful.”
(Every quarterback has his strengths and weaknesses, so I’m wondering, how do you see the offense changing with QB Tua Tagavailoa as opposed to QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, and how does it affect you and your role as a tight end?) – “I’m not really sure, honestly. I don’t know how the game plan is or is not going to change. What I will say is that Tua has, I think he has every throw in the book. I think he’s got the intelligence to make all of the reads and he’s got the legs to be able to escape pressure and make plays with his feet. I don’t really know if you’re going to take any plays out or if he’s going to do something that ‘Fitz’ wasn’t doing. I don’t think that’s what it comes down to. I think it just comes down to our coaching staff and what they’ve done this season to put guys in position to be successful. I think that’s going to be a common trend here moving forward.”
(Obviously you’ve had such a great chemistry with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick throughout the last two seasons and you may not have had as much time practicing catching from QB Tua Tagavailoa. How do you guys go about creating chemistry on the field at practice this week?) – “It’s not like he just got named the starter and now I’m about to catch my first ball from him. This has been dating all the way back to when we first got out there in late July, just working on some timing and seeing how he’s going to place the ball, this, that and the other thing. And also, the thing that a lot of us do is I’ve been taking scout team reps all year. Whenever he’s in there, I’ve been in there running routes on the scout team and being the opposing team’s tight end for a couple of plays here and there and all of that kind of stuff. I’ve run full speed routes with him and it’s something – we made the change and I don’t really think there is going to be a beat off here or there. I think it’s just going out there and making the most of your opportunities, just like I’ve been saying this whole entire year.”
Shaq Lawson – October 26, 2020
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Monday, October 26, 2020
DE Shaq Lawson
(I wanted to ask you about your teammate, DE Emmanuel Ogbah. Having both of you guys one on one side and one on the other, what have been your observations about how he’s doing?) – “Emmanuel is a beast. He’s been going crazy these last six or seven games we’ve played. He’s been a dominant force. Having him on the other side, hopefully that starts opening me up now, seeing he’s been balling like that and things like that. That guy has been incredible. It’s been a pleasure to work with him. We both came into the league the same year, so we kind of had a relationship before we got here and knew each other; but man, that guy has just been balling. It’s incredible how he’s been playing.”
(Obviously last week before the bye, the team made a quarterback change. I wanted to get your view on maybe how that was perceived in the locker room and were you surprised when Head Coach Brian Flores went to QB Tua Tagovailoa?) – “You know how this game works. It’s a business. It’s a business thing so whatever happened upstairs, I guess the coaches made the right decisions for the football team. For Tua, getting an opportunity to start, that kid is incredible. I’m looking forward to going out there and playing with him on Sunday. I’ve seen a lot of him in practice and how athletic he is, how incredible of a player he is. To get to see it on Sunday this week, it’s going to be incredible. He’s going to lead this team in the right way.”
(I wanted to continue with that line of questioning. I believe you were in Buffalo when they made the move to QB Josh Allen, is that right?) – “Oh, yeah. I was up there. It was the same situation with how they did with Josh.”
(How was that handled and maybe what advice do you give QB Tua Tagovailoa from what you saw with QB Josh Allen?) – “You know those guys, they don’t draft a quarterback in the first round for no reason. Those guys are the future of the program. Tua, advice for being a leader, I’m just going to tell guys to continue to work hard and continue to get better, and we’re going to follow your lead. Just embrace every moment of it. As a guy that’s been seeing him, he’s been doing it every day. He’s a guy that always has a smile on his face, a great kid. He always wants to talk to vets and things like that and wants to learn new things. That guy’s learned a lot and likes to learn too.”
(Having been in the AFC East your entire career and seen the Patriots dominate it the way they have, what are you thinking when you see them struggling the way they are and at 2-4 right now?) – “Shoot, everyone knew coming in that this division is up for grabs. It’s open to anybody. My focus is not worrying about the Patriots. My focus is on the Miami Dolphins and how we can win and get better as a team. I can’t focus on the Patriots. I’m not in that organization.”
(As a defensive lineman, I’m wondering if you’re going into a game and the opposing team has a rookie quarterback starting for the first time, what’s your mindset? How does that affect you? What are you looking to do maybe that you might do against a veteran QB?) – “All QBs, you want to affect them. You want to either affect them by hitting them, getting your hands up, putting pressure in their face, sending blitzes and things like that. I think you use the same method as any quarterback. Any quarterback that doesn’t get pressure or has all of the time in the day, they’re going to have a great day – a seven-on-seven type day. We just approach the same method as a rookie quarterback to a veteran quarterback, any quarterback that you play.”
(You talked about just being impressed with QB Tua Tagovailoa in practice. We haven’t gotten a chance to see him since camp. Can you take us maybe through what you have seen from him, his improvement and what it looks like for you on the other side when you’re defending him?) – “It’s dangerous. Normally I’m in the back side behind the quarterback, usually the right side; but he’s a left-handed quarterback and you don’t get that a lot in the league. That’s why I think he’s so dangerous and he’s athletic. His IQ for the game – you wouldn’t think he’s a rookie if you watch him in practice. He looks like he’s been around the game a long time.”
Preston Williams – October 26, 2020
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Monday, October 26, 2020
WR Preston Williams
(What was your reaction to the news about QB Tua Tagovailoa’s promotion?) – “I thought it was pretty cool – Tua getting his first start this week against the Rams. I’m excited for him. I’m ready to see what he’s going to do, just like everybody else.”
(Before last week when they announced the change, the first six weeks of the season QB Ryan Fitzpatrick obviously got the vast majority of reps in practice. How much did QB Tua Tagovailoa work with the ones? Have you had a chance to work with him really since training camp or has he been running mostly the scout team?) – “I got a couple plays with him every now and then. The plays he did get with me, he looked real good, so I’m excited for Tua.”
(Obviously you and QB Ryan Fitzpatrick had a good connection when y’all were playing together. How do you transition and how does the flow of the team still stay high where you were with “Fitz,” even though you got a new quarterback now?) – “We just try to do the same thing every week and just execute no matter who’s in – make plays. Whether it’s ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) or Tua, we’re all going to just do our assignment and make plays.”
(Everyone’s heard a lot about how QB Tua Tagovailoa’s a good kid. He’s humble, he’s respectful, he’s got leadership qualities; but we’re not allowed to watch practice since the season started. That’s closed to the media. So can you just kind of fill us in on what you think his on-field traits are? What does he do best on the field? What are his football strengths?) – “Obviously throwing. Making plays. Everything you want in a quarterback. Y’all have seen his tape. It speaks for itself. Like I said, we’re excited that Tua is making his start, just like everybody else. I’m excited to see him in his first game action against the Rams.”
(For a long time up in New England for example, they always went with left-footed punters because they thought it threw the return men off with the rotation of the ball. So I’m wondering when you have a left-handed quarterback, how does that rotation of the ball affect you? What is it like catching a pass from QB Tua Tagovailoa as opposed to catching a pass from QB Ryan Fitzpatrick?) – “It’s not really different. Catching a football is catching a football, no matter how it comes, how it turns over. If it’s a left-footed punter, you’ve still got to make the same type of punt. You practice for that type of stuff. So just the reps in practice will help us catch a left-handed thrower. I’m a lefty myself; we run a couple trick plays in practice. I throw it to some guys, so they’re probably used to seeing it a couple times.”
(Obviously you guys got the Rams this week. They’ve got a couple big playmakers on the defensive side of the ball with DT Aaron Donald and CB Jalen Ramsey. For you and Ramsey – you might probably face him – what do you see in him as a corner and how does it change your game when you’re going up against a guy like him who has a lot of respect around the league?) – “I know (Jalen) Ramsey’s a good player. The Rams are a good team. They’re going to come ready to play. We’re going to come ready to play. You’ve got to be – a big-name DB in there like that, you usually just try to play your game. We’re going to take some shots at him, I believe, so we’re going to see.”
(About the left-handed thing, aside from the spin of the ball there’s a coach – Steve Mariucci, he had Steve Young and he was a lefty – and I was watching a video where he was talking about when Steve Young goes in a game what’s different. And I didn’t know this but he said that in the 49ers playbook, they actually had to flip the plays so strong would become weak and weak would become strong. Do you guys literally have to flip your playbook?) – “No. Tua can throw going left just as good as he can throw going right. That’s why he’s here. That’s all I’ve got to say about that.”
Jerome Baker – October 21, 2020
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Wednesday, October 21, 2020
LB Jerome Baker
(I saw you did a radio appearance yesterday, and you said you found out on social media about the quarterback change. Surely since then, you’ve had a chance to hear from the head coach. I’m curious A, what was his message; and B, what was the team’s reaction to the quarterback change?) – “His message was just letting us know. I think just the one thing, we were just off, and that’s when we all heard it. We were just off. One thing about ‘Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) is he always makes sure we know news first. I think the team is excited. We’re all excited; we are ready to go. We believe in Tua (Tagavailoa). He definitely can get the job done. We’re all excited about what he can do, so I guess we’ll see when the time comes.”
(We just got a chance to talk to QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and he was pretty emotional, feeling like he lost his job. How is that in the locker room for you guys? Obviously you want to support QB Tua Tagovailoa, who is a young player; but you’ve got a guy like ‘Fitz’ that you all love, and put a lot into it for you all?) – “It’s a part of the job. At the end of the day, you just want the team to do well. We all believe in our coaching staff, and that’s who they went with. We’re all excited and expect Tua to do great things. It’s unfortunate; but it’s also a part of the job. At the end of the day, we’ve just got to get the job done.”
(Forty-eight hours ago, we were talking about how this team won three out of four in a blowout fashion, and looking like a real playoff contender. Are all those things still in front of you in 2020 with a rookie quarterback?) – “Yeah. Our season – there are a lot more games left to play. We have a lot of areas we need to improve on. These past few wins, we’re not just excited about what we’ve done, but what we can do. The one thing that got us to this point is we truly show up every day and we put the work in. These past few games are just a small glimpse of that.”
(A little bit more on the locker room news and your reaction to when you guys heard the news. I know that Head Coach Brian Flores likes to inform you guys first, but that wasn’t the case in this situation. How did you guys kind of deal with everything kind of collectively, before finding out from ‘Flo,’ and now after hearing from him?) – “I think the one thing – we are all excited. I think that’s the one thing we all can agree on is that we’re excited. We’ve all seen it as far as his talent, he can do it. I think now we’re just excited to show he can do it and show the world what he can do. Yeah. We are definitely all excited.”
(I wanted to talk to you about the defense for a second. You guys really shut down the last two offenses you’ve seen, and really heated the quarterback up in both of those games. A lot of new names on the defense this year. How much of that production is growing more comfortable with the defense and guys really jelling and coming together?) – “It’s a lot. It’s definitely a lot. I think as a defense, we are definitely learning what different guys are comfortable doing. We’re trusting each other more. At the same time, we have so many things we can improve on. I think as a defense, that’s what we are so excited about. We are making plays now, but we left a lot of plays (on the field) we definitely could’ve took advantage of. I think as a defense, we’re definitely excited and hungry; but we’ve got a lot more to prove.”
(Us as media, we haven’t been able to see all of practice since camp, so I wanted to kind of get a gauge of maybe what it’s been like facing QB Tua Tagavailoa. We haven’t seen him. What have you seen from him, and has it been different from what you saw in camp?) – “He’s a smart, collective young man. He’s very smart. He’s very calm. He’s definitely going to be a future great player in this league. I think we are all excited; we all know what he can do. I think the one thing that surprises me or surprised me – I always tell this story – is when he first came in, we went through a few practices, and we threw so many different looks at him. Instead of getting down on himself or saying it’s too hard or whatever, getting emotional, after practice, it was me and Bobby (McCain), he came by and just asked us questions. He asked for advice on what can he work on, what can he see, whatever it is that he can get better. I think that was the one thing that really stuck to me. He just truly wants to get better, he just truly wants to help us win. I’m definitely happy that he gets his shot.”
(I’m sure you heard it and you felt it on Sunday when QB Tua Tagovailoa went into the game. Obviously the fan base is excited of his kind of superstar power as their quarterback. Do you guys feel that from social media, or just amongst that locker room, the national hype around Tua?) – “I think in the locker room, he’s still our rookie. (laughter) He can get all the hype he wants, but he still has to do his rookie duties. He still has to – honestly he still has to prove that he’s ready. We understand that the media is going to give you all of the credit and all of that; but at the end of the day, you still have to strap on those pads and gain our trust and gain the trust of everybody that you can do it. The one thing we all can agree on is that we’re behind him 100 percent, and we definitely believe in him.”
(Did you all as a team get the question addressed in terms of why QB Tua Tagovailoa, why now?) – “No, we didn’t get that question. I think the one thing with that is we just put all of our trust in ‘Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) and our coaching staff. If he says Tua is the man to lead us, we’re going to go with it. We’re going support him. The defense is going to support our offense just as our offense will pick us up. We’re going to do the same thing. We’ll come together as a team, back him up, and do what we have to do to win games.”
