Andrew Van Ginkel – October 14, 2020
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Wednesday, October 14, 2020
LB Andrew Van Ginkel
(With LB Kyle Van Noy not at practice today and no indication of when he’s going to play again, did your role change at practice today?) – “I’m just going to leave that up to coach to figure out what the plan is going forward. I’ll leave it at that.”
(I’m looking at a video of a play in the second quarter where you drilled QB Jimmy Garoppolo from behind. I’m wondering if you can take me back to that moment. When you’re about to do that and you know what’s about to happen, what does it feel like?) – “Obviously it’s a great moment. You just try to get there as fast as you can because the quarterback’s got a quick release, so you want to be able to get there and get the sack. Anything on top of that is just bonus; so whenever you can get the ball out and get an opportunity for a turnover, it’s a great play in the game and you thrive for those. It’s a great feeling and it’s something that you always push for.”
(You come across as a quiet, timid kind of guy, and that hit definitely showed a little different aspect of you. Did you have any saved up energy or anything you kind of wanted to lash out with that hit that you delivered there?) – “No. I was just trying to get the ball out. I knew it was in the front of him, so I couldn’t really punch at it or reach for it. I knew getting a big hit on him would give me the best opportunity to get the ball out.”
(I wanted to ask you, you’ve done a better job of setting the edge as the season has progressed. What has gone into improving in that area?) – “I think just building my strength in the weight room and trusting my technique. I think (Outside Linebackers Coach) Austin Clark has done a great job with teaching me his technique and how to do a better job of setting the edge. Whether it be hand placement or my feet, not giving up ground but more attacking, I think that’s really helped improve me this year.”
(I think you were hurt at the beginning of last year. Is that right? You missed the first part of the season?) – “Yes, correct.”
(So you weren’t on the field during that hard start that you guys had. I think 0-7 was the beginning but since you’ve been back, the defense has played better and the team has played better. What has it been like, the turnaround, this team has had in the last 12 months from wondering when that first win will come to talking about being in the hunt?) – “I just think it’s our preparation and our willingness to practice and get better. I think that’s a huge part of it. We all know that we’re not good enough and that there’s a lot to improve on. So being a young team, we just need to trust what the coaches are teaching us, be able to practice it and then go execute it on game day. I think that would be the biggest thing.”
(For some reason, when I watch you play I have this like 1980s heavy metal soundtrack in the back of my head. I don’t know if you’re too young to know like Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer. Do you like that kind of heavy metal music or not at all?) – “I listen to it but it’s not my favorite. If it’s on, I’ll listen to it and go with it; but it’s probably something that I wouldn’t prefer.”
(I was going to ask you what you did specifically in March, April, May and June to become a better player, because you’ve clearly become one. Was it simply working out to add strength? Had you looked at tape of other edge players in the league?) – “I would say the biggest thing is just adding strength, during quarantine, being able to spend time in the weight room. Back home, I was working out with (Washington G) Brandon Scherff a little bit. He’s from my hometown – or not from my hometown but he lives in my hometown now. So just being able to pick his brain a little bit and understand kind of what he does on a regular basis has really helped me, I would say.”
(I wanted to ask you about a couple of games this year where you really produced and the defense got a bunch of pass rush. I’m just curious, what is it about this scheme that benefits your skillset as a pass rusher?) – “I would say they put us in a position to succeed. The coaches know our strengths and weaknesses as well, so they’re not going to put me down the middle of a guy or make me do something I’m uncomfortable with, which I think has really helped me. Whether it be movements or edge rushing, I think they just align guys where they can succeed, which has benefitted me.”
(So now we have to get into what music do you like? Are you easy listening? What music goes with this hairstyle?) – “(laughter) Oh, man. Honestly, I kind of listen to everything from country to rap to a little bit of rock and roll. I’d say country is at the roots. Classic country is kind of my thing.”
(I couldn’t help that you have some resemblance to Sunshine from Remember the Titans. Have you gotten that reference before? Is that something that guys talk to you and mention to you about on the field?) – “Yeah, I’ve definitely heard that before. Everywhere I go I seem to pick up a new nickname here and there. I’ve got probably about 20 nicknames, but I’ve definitely heard ‘Sunshine’ quite a bit. I’ve been a lot of places in my career; so yeah, there’s tons of guys that have thrown that at me.”
(I think the play before you nailed QB Jimmy Garoppolo, if I have it right you shed TE George Kittle and tackled RB Raheem Mostert. I’ve noticed – I think I have the sequence right – that your ability to shed blockers seems to have improved. What is the key to that, to disengage whatever you guys call it?) – “Once again, I’ve just got to give credit to (Outside Linebackers Coach) Austin Clark. I think the key that he has taught me is getting inside hands on their chest plate. That way you can get a grip on them and it’s easier to disengage. I would say that’s the biggest thing is to get inside hands and being able to grab them has made a huge difference.”
(I just wanted to follow up on something you mentioned a minute ago. Since you brought up the nicknames, what is the best nickname you’ve gotten? And I’ve got to pin you down and ask what’s the worst nickname you’ve gotten?) – “I get anything and everything that rhymes with ‘Gink.’ I would say ‘Gink’ is my favorite. It’s just short for my last name. Man, I don’t know. People call me ‘stink’ just because it rhymes with ‘Gink,’ and something like that. I don’t know. I’d probably say that, honestly.”
Brian Flores – October 14, 2020 (Conference Call)
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Wednesday, October 14, 2020
Head Coach Brian Flores Conference Call with N.Y. Jets Media
(A couple of things: One, why do you think that guys kind of rally around QB Ryan Fitzpatrick? And then on a completely different note, what do you learn from your first year from a leadership standpoint? Coming in as an assistant and then trying to command an entire room, what did you learn from last year that you’ve used in your second season?) – “I’ll start with ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick). I just got asked this question by one of our local writers and I think a lot of why they rally around him is because of the relationships he builds off the field. So in the locker room – when I say off the field, to me you see his infectious energy on the field on game day, but he creates and he builds relationships in practice, in meetings, in walkthroughs really in the locker room. That’s why he has such rapport with his teammates. We have a lot of guys like that but honestly, a lot of our guys work hard to build relationships and try to create bonds throughout the team offensively, defensively and in the kicking game; but I think it’s really important at the quarterback position and honestly, Tua (Tagovailoa) has a lot of those same qualities. He’s learning from a good guy. I think that’s a lot of the reason why those guys rally around him. As far as your second question, I learned a lot from Year 1. Look, I’m a guy who is always trying to learn and always trying to get better. So just from a leadership standpoint, I just think it’s important to be authentic and to be honest. I don’t have all of the answers. I tell the players that; but I’m constantly working to find the right answers. I think it’s about being genuine and being authentic. I think at the end of the day, I’ll have peace with my actions and the things I say, regardless of how things go. I think, to me, leadership is about service and how I serve the players and how I serve the coaching staff. Those are things that I’m constantly trying to think about as I’m going through the day. It’s not always about yelling and screaming. Obviously I’m demanding also. I think players will tell you that. But I think this role is about service. How do I get other people to play, coach and operate at their optimum level? That’s constantly on my mind. I don’t know if that answers your question, but that’s my answer.”
(We watched QB Ryan Fitzpatrick for a couple of years here in New York, and saw what he can do for a team. What has he done for your team in his last year or year plus?) – “I think he brings a veteran leadership experience. I think he has a joy – he just brings a joy for playing the game that is infectious. I say it all of the time, it’s almost like he brings a Pop Warner attitude where he just wants to play and there’s not like a – I don’t want to call it business but he has fun playing the game. I think that’s infectious and other guys see that. He brings energy, he brings juice and guys feed off of it. That’s been good. He’s also been productive. At the end of the day, it’s a production business. I think we all know that. If you can have energy and juice and be productive, (and if) guys feed off of it and hopefully they’re productive because of that same energy, and that’s a good thing. This league is about consistency and that’s something we’ve harped on with really all of our players. It’s one thing to do it one time. Whether or not you can do it over and over and over again is the mark of whether or not you’re good, for lack of a better term.”
(I’m just curious, at the very beginning of last year, obviously it was your first year and the numbers were staggering as you guys were trying to get started over there. How difficult was that to stay the course and what were some of the most important things you did to continue to believe in your system and your philosophy, and sticking with it?) – “I think any time you deal with adversity – and this was my message to the players – it either breaks you or makes you stronger. For me and our staff and the players – for me personally, I think any time you deal with some type of adverse situation, how you come out of that says a lot about who you are, your character and whether or not you can withstand a troubling time. Looking and thinking back on it, it was definitely a tough time; but I think we learned a lot from it. I know I learned a lot about myself. We learned a lot about ourselves. The people who were here learned about dealing with adversity. Hopefully it’s made us better. But last year was last year. We’ve had our own adversity this year and it’s no different, to be honest with you. Every year is a little bit different. I know that we can withstand it. I can withstand it. We as an organization can withstand any adversity and I think we’ll come out of it for the better.”
(I’m sure you’ve talked about this ad nauseam with your local guys, but what went into the decision of luring Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey out of retirement and how has it been working with him over the past couple of months?) – “When Chan was in New York and I was up in New England, he gave us some problems. He’s given a lot of people a lot of problems over the course of his career. I’ve always had great respect for him as a coordinator. As a head coach, as a coach, we were looking for someone who was a very good teacher. Someone who obviously had leadership ability. I couldn’t think of anybody – or I was excited to have the opportunity of working with Chan. I think it’s been good thus far. We’re always trying to improve and get better. This week is going to be – every week is a tough test in the National Football League and this week is no different. I’m excited about working with Chan and continuing to work with him, and pick his brain about offensive football and talk situations. It’s been good.”
(If you could pluck out one or two of your most important philosophies on building a team, just some of the things that you stick to – as you referenced a minute ago – through the adversity and as you move forward here. What are some of those things, the principles, that are most important?) – “I think we’re still in the process of building. I think it’s about – I think with anything, it’s about people. It’s about having the right people, having the right cohesive group. It’s about communication. I think it’s about having good people who are team-first, selfless and want to do things for the greater good – I guess that’s the best way to put it – which, in this arena is for the team and what we can do to help the team win games. Those are the types of people we’re looking for. People who are tough, who are smart, who are competitive, put the team first and people who love to do what they’re doing. People who love to coach, love to play, love to scout, love to do equipment, do nutrition – people who love what they’re doing. I think you need as many of those people as possible and I don’t think it’s just the football because there’s a lot that goes into it, a lot of people who are involved in helping this team improve, get better and build. That includes the grounds crew, the strength and conditioning staff, the PR department. It’s everybody. Everyone has a role and everyone’s role is important. I think when you have a – the thought process is that everybody understands that and there’s a respect that’s built and there’s a camaraderie that’s built, and hopefully that team type of atmosphere, you see that on the field. Hopefully.”
Brian Flores – October 14, 2020
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Wednesday, October 14, 2020
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Any plans to put DT Davon Godchaux on IR and do you have a player in mind that you might promote to the 53 if you do?) – “We’re still going through – (General Manager) Chris (Grier), myself, the scouting staff – we’re just still talking through kind of our options on that one, so I don’t have a concrete answer for you as far as any moves that we’re going to make. We’re still kind of talking through it; but yes, (Davon) Godchaux has an injury. We’re still kind of getting the information on that injury before we make the final or any final decisions.”
(We talked to TE Mike Gesicki before. He called QB Ryan Fitzpatrick his favorite teammate he’s ever played with. I wanted to ask you why do you think players love playing with him so much?) – “I think he just brings a lot of energy to the field. I would say first and foremost, he’s a great teammate, and that goes, I would say, far beyond what you guys see on the field. So that’s their interactions in the locker room, outside of the building – I think that all plays a part in why he (Mike Gesicki) said something like that. But on the field, you guys see his energy, his enthusiasm, his support for his teammates, his willingness to put his body on the line for his teammates. I think that’s why you get that type of response from a guy like Mike and other players as well; but to me that starts – what you see on the field is what you see on the field, but those relationships and that respect is earned in practice and meetings and in the locker room. Then it kind of manifests itself into the relationships you see on the field.”
(What has impressed you the most so far about DE Emmanuel Ogbah?) – “There’s a lot of things – his run game, pass game, work ethic, competitiveness. I think he’s tough, smart, he can play multiple positions. Ogbah’s been obviously improving and getting better every week, getting more familiar with the system, his role and his fit in the defense. I’ve been pleased with him.”
(In both wins this year, you guys have gotten out to 14-0 starts. I’m just curious if there’s something consistent or synonymous with playing that well that early and that fast, and how do you get that fast start against the Jets on Sunday?) – “We always talk about playing fast, starting fast. It’s something that we harp on, on a weekly basis. Again, it’s football. The ball bounces a few different ways, so anything can happen and we’ve got to be able to play any type of game. When we start fast and when we’ve started fast this season – we’re five games in – we’ve started fast twice and we won those games. When we didn’t start fast, we didn’t win those games. Every game is a little bit different. I think there’s some – if we can get going early, we want to and that’s always a good thing; but we’ve got to be ready to play any type of game, and we’ve talked about that as a team. You’re up, you’re down, it’s a back-and-forth, it’s a defensive game, it’s an offensive game. We’ve got to be able to adjust and we try to play any style because every week it’s a little bit different based on your opponent, based on a lot of factors. But starting fast has always been something we put a lot of emphasis on.”
(I wanted to get your reaction to Jets RB Le’Veon Bell getting released. What does he offer a team and how does this possibly change the Jets attack?) – “The Jets have got a lot of good backs, so – (Frank) Gore, (La’Mical) Perine – they’ve got good skill players over there offensively, so I think they’ll be okay. Look, Le’Veon Bell is a great player. I think we all know that. He’s had a lot of production in this league – run, pass and just a dynamic player. For us, our preparation doesn’t change. Obviously he won’t be there or obviously that transaction hasn’t officially gone through – so that’s what it looks like, but our preparation doesn’t change. We’ll still go through the early downs and the third down and red zone, two-minute and get to know their players and their strengths and weaknesses and try to improve in all our areas – whether it’s run game, pass game, pass rush – and just try to get better and get the Dolphins better and also prepare for the Jets. Transactions happen every day and if this is – it sounds like this is going to be another one – then we have to prepare for the guys we’re going to see, which they still have good backs.”
(Speaking on that conversation, how do you improve your run game? Last week you did get over 100 yards, but the yards per carry average wasn’t high. I know you were playing with the lead, but where do you feel like your run game is right now?) – “It’s like every other area on this team. It could improve. So run game, play-action, run defense, pass defense, kickoff, kickoff return, punt, coaching; all of it can improve, so that’s what we’re trying to do on a daily basis. It starts in meetings. It starts in meetings and then you take it to walkthrough and then you go out there and practice and you try to improve and get better. Whether it’s blocking an eight-man front or one guy – getting seven-on-seven and the back beating the eight guy or something schematically that we could do that would help us in that phase of the game. But we’re doing that on a weekly basis and there are things that people think we’re struggling in, obviously; but also there are things that we might be having some success in. So we’re trying to improve every area – even the rover position. We’re trying to improve that position also. (laughter)”
(I’ve noticed that the Dolphins have been underdogs in every game you’ve coached – 21 straight times, the Dolphins are underdogs. That’s expected to change this week. My question is, what had it been like for you to be an underdog every time?) – “I’m not a big betting odds (guy). I’m not really big on that. I’m not really – the plus/minus, over/unders, I don’t really follow that or understand it very much. The underdog role, that’s not really something I think about. We just try to go out there, prepare for each opponent, give our best effort and try to win every week. I don’t really honestly know much about spreads. The underdog role, that’s not something I really think about too much. It’s not something that gives me a source of motivation. I think if you’re not motivated to play in this league, than you don’t belong in this league, whether you’re an underdog or not an underdog. It’s not something I put much stake into, quite honestly.”
(You said betting odds, plus/minus, over/under and spreads, I think you know a little bit. But my question for you is going back to leads, psychologically, what does that do for a team with a lot of young guys and guys still learning to play together through five games. How do you kind of reinforce that? Can early leads also translate to playing well late in games, when games are most decisive? Playing with a lead, psychologically, what does that do for a team with a lot of young guys on it and a team still five games in and trying to learn to play with each other, and how do you kind of let the guys know that if you get off to an early start, we can play great late in games as well?) – “I don’t think it’s automatic that you play (well) late, if you start fast. I think with any team – young, old – when you play well, you build confidence. That’s part of the reason you always want to start fast because if you play well early, you’re confident in the game plan, you’re confident in your teammates. Conversely, if you don’t play well (early), then you could potentially start pressing and doing things outside of your role or your responsibility. I think it’s important to start fast. I don’t think it guarantees that you’re going to finish strong. I think that’s a whole other entity to the game. That’s different, in my opinion. You may feel differently than that; but in my opinion, they are two totally different things. As far as the betting odds and spreads, yeah I know all of the terms; but -8, +8, I think anybody who has seen anything can tell you the terms, but I’m not much of a betting guy. That’s not something that I’ve spent a lot of time on.”
(What are things that make you nervous about a team that’s 0-5 and has a coach who is on the hot seat?) –“This is the National Football League. Every team has good players. On any given Sunday, any team can beat any other team. That’s my approach every week, whether the team’s undefeated, has won four out of five or hasn’t won any games. There is a competitive nature to these games that when you’re on the field and you see these guys compete, you understand what that is. I’m not taking anyone lightly. That’s going to be my message to the team. That’s how we should approach every game. That’s how every NFL team and player should approach every game. It’s the best of the best. Every team has good players. If you walk into a game thinking that somebody is going to lay down, you’re probably going to get the opposite, in my experience, in my time in this league.”
(I wanted to get an update on DE Shaq Lawson, and also DE Jason Strowbridge hasn’t been active for a game this season. Last week you guys needed a body on the defensive line and promoted a practice squad player. Where’s his status, in terms of Strowbridge, in terms of what he can contribute, and what’s he doing at practice?) – “I think we talked about this the other day as far as (Tyshun) Render being up over Strowbridge. Again, a lot of people take that and you just see the one position – d-line; but there is a special teams element here with Durham (Smythe) being down. Render’s role is kind of d-line, but also some of those tight end/d-end roles in the kicking game. I forgot who asked me about that on Sunday or Monday, but I think we talked about that one. That’s was really – I think Strowbridge has done a good job. He’s getting better, he’s improving. There are only so many spots and we’ve got to fill all of the kicking game roles, all of the defensive line roles, all of the offensive line roles, etc., etc. That’s part of what goes into the decision making to bring guys up or not. That was the case with Render. It was really more kicking game than it was d-line. There is no real knock on ‘Strow,’ but just as far as being able to fill the team and have backups involved in the kicking game, that’s part of that. Look, as we make decisions – myself, (General Manager) Chris (Grier), our coaching staff and our personnel staff – again, like I’ve said, there are a lot of things that go into those decisions that you guys may not know. That’s ok. You ask and I’ll let you guys know our thought process. But yeah, that was it on Render. On Shaq Lawson, he’s getting better. He’s rehabbing, he’s getting treatment. I expect to see him out at practice today. We’ll see how this goes in practice. We want to see him out there obviously. If he’s healthy enough, we’ll get him out there.”
Gerald Alexander – October 13, 2020
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Tuesday, October 13, 2020
Defensive Backs Coach Gerald Alexander
(CB Xavien Howard, he gets a lot of interceptions. Now if you haven’t played football or coached football, you might not understand some of the things that allow him to do that. Can you kind of break down some of the things that he does and that he has, that enable him to get so many interceptions?) – “Well, the first thing, to get as elementary as I can put it, is he does his job. He’s aligned in the right places. He does what’s necessary for the play call. The communication to him allows him to understand what his responsibility is – whether it be man or zone – and then especially when we’re in zone defense, which was the call when he got his interception the other day, a lot of it really came from the defensive line and their ability to affect the quarterback and force a high throw. That’s why rush and coverage really go together. But more specifically for ‘X’ (Xavien Howard), he’s a guy that has good ball skills when the ball is in the air. There’s a lot of guys, a lot of corners – I mean I could look at my playing career. There were so many layups that I dropped that were right in my hands. A guy like him, who has the ball skills to really defend in the zone defense and catch those balls, or even in man-to-man and defending a 9-route, and going up there and catching the ball at its highest point. He does a really good job of just attacking the football once he’s in phase.”
(A follow up on CB Xavien Howard, do you see him physically get better by the week? And do you think he’s back in a place now where he was in the past, where the knee, the COVID and all of that is completely behind him?) – “I’ll reference this in terms of – you’re talking about specifically health, correct? I’ll reference this kind of in one of my favorite video games, which is Street Fighter. So I have four kids, three boys. So in Street Fighter, if any of you guys have played Street Fighter before, you pick a character and then when they say ‘Ready, fight!’ they have a health meter like on the top of the screen. So you can see how much health your fighter has until he’s no longer useable and you have to go to the next round. Unfortunately with ‘X,’ I don’t see his health meter. I do think he’s improving on a day-to-day (basis) and he has the ability to go out there on Sundays and make plays for us.”
(This isn’t a second-guess because CB Nik Needham obviously played well on Sunday and is highly skilled. I’m just curious what’s the thinking from you, Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer and Head Coach Brian Flores in not trying CB Noah Igbinoghene at slot in the nickel. I know Auburn Defensive Backs Coach Wesley McGriff has said he got some work there at Auburn and is capable of doing it. Why, at this point, are you working him only at boundary?) – “Well, this isn’t Auburn. I’m pretty sure he did that at Auburn but just for us and for Noah, and how we’ve trained him so far – nickel is a totally different position than the perimeter corner. The nickel is not just plugging in a corner and saying that he’s the nickel. There’s a lot of things that the nickel does, whether it be in the man defense or the zone defense, or being able to fit in the run game, possibly coming in on pressures. I’m sure he’s capable of doing so, but one thing you have to be careful with a guy like Noah or even any young player for the most part, is putting too much on their plate too soon, which gets them to hesitate and gets them to play slower. Again, Noah is a developing player for us. He’s done a good job with the reps he’s had so far. But right now, he’s really more of a perimeter guy for us who will obviously be in roles between Byron (Jones) and ‘X’ (Xavien Howard), as of right now, in our defense. And that’s all situational and game plan because that can change throughout the season.”
(I’m more of a Mortal Kombat guy myself, but I can appreciate the reference for sure. I wanted to ask you about S Eric Rowe. You were a coaching intern here last summer so you were around him a little bit and now you’ve seen him grow and develop into this safety that’s locking down tight ends and playing really well on Sundays. What have you seen from him from that first training camp you were here with last year to this year and the growth he’s made?) – “Just the feel of the position. I think safety is such a different position than corner. One, obviously a communication standpoint, which he’s gotten a hell of a lot better. Eric naturally is a quiet guy and when he’s on the field, he has to be very verbal and be loud and be confident to give the communication to everybody. So you get some feel of he’s starting to get better in that role as a communicator and also in the run game where he’s got to have recognition of crack splits if he’s a down safety and being able to fit in on the run game and seeing pulling guards. When you’re coming from the corner position, you don’t necessarily – you’re not exposed to that. So it’s just different nuances within the safety position where different keys and different movement and things like that; he’s now continuing to expose himself on a week-to-week (basis) through practice. He’s gotten a hell of a lot better since I was a little intern here just trying to get information.”
(I appreciate the Street Fighter reference, so I wanted to follow up on that. One, do you or your sons have a favorite character and does CB Xavien Howard remind you of any of those guys on there or Chun-Li? Any of those characters?) – “I’m more of a Ken/Ryu guy, depending on if I just want to wear the red suit or the blue suit. I never really got into the other characters because I wanted to master those. So still to this day, if I need to kind of put a whooping on my 7-year-old son, that’s going to be my selection. As far as ‘X’ (Xavien Howard), he hasn’t thrown any fire balls or anything like that, so he doesn’t really remind me of those guys. So I’m not sure in regards if I can reference him to any Street Fighter guy. I just want him to be a street fighter that wins.”
(You’ve got to pass that Street Fighter reference with the health bar up to Head Coach Brian Flores. He would love that talking about injuries, not being able to see a guy’s health bar.) – “I’m just trying to be a little small example for anybody in the building. (laughter)”
(I wanted to ask – you spoke about this earlier on how much the coverage helps the pass rush. When a guy like CB Xavien Howard and CB Byron Jones – when you have those two out there – what does that do for kind of everybody else on the defense including linebackers as well?) – “I would reverse what you just said. I think the rush helps the coverage more so, because if those guys are coming after those guys and attacking those linemen and really putting pressure on the quarterback, not only can they get the quarterback on the ground, but that can really affect the throws and really create ill-decision. And again, it marries. If obviously we’re doing a good job in coverage, that’s why you see coverage sacks because the quarterback is trying to hold onto the ball and guys are doing a good job whether it be in man or in zone. But if you have guys like Byron (Jones) and guys like ‘X’ (Xavien Howard), who are experienced corners in the league and those guys are playing tight coverage and then all the guys around them, whether it be ‘backers on their man or in their zone, and we’re doing a good job on the back end, that gives time for the rush. Maybe that initial work on the guard didn’t work or maybe that pick stunt needed a little bit more time or maybe they’re just beating that guy off the one move and those guys aren’t able to get into the progression in the route concept quickly or in enough time for the quarterback to be on the ground. So it all works together. We all know how important each phase and each defense – I always say that everybody’s one of an 11-piece puzzle that’s a beautiful picture, and everybody’s just got to do their one-eleventh.”
Austin Clark – October 13, 2020
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Tuesday, October 13, 2020
Outside Linebackers Coach Austin Clark
(I wanted to ask, what are some of the contributions that LB Kamu Grugier-Hill has given you guys specifically as a pass coverage linebacker?) – “I think Kamu (Grugier-Hill) is a versatile guy. I think he’s made some big-time plays in every game so far. He can do a lot of different things. He can rush, too, now. I think he’s a smart player. Very instinctive and excited about what he’s done so far.”
(I know that we can kind of manipulate statistics good or bad, like the narrative we’re trying to tell; but this is a good narrative so I’ll give you a good stat. It says here that the Dolphins are now eighth in sacks per pass attempt. So obviously the pressure and the sacks have been increasing. What are some of the things that are most encouraging to you overall that are leading to more sacks?) – “First, I would say, it’s early. So all those numbers, all that stuff, we’re focused on the Jets; but I think the players’ preparation, effort, focus and execution on what the plan is each week is the biggest thing. I think all the guys – it’s kind of been a group effort and a group contribution from all the players. It’s not just one single guy rushing the passer. They’re all winning their matchups. They’re all executing the scheme properly, and they’re all bought in. That’s something we’re really excited about.”
(I asked this question for Defensive Line Coach Marion Hobby. He said he doesn’t have a chance to work with S Eric Rowe, but we did hear Head Coach Brian Flores talk about the fact that he will play some linebacker positions on certain calls. I’m just curious – do you get much of a chance to work with Eric Rowe and what do you see from him?) – “No, you have to talk to ‘G.A’ (Defensive Backs Coach Gerald Alexander) and (Defensive Coordinator) Josh (Boyer); that guy is a hell of player. He did a hell of a freaking job on Sunday, and those guys are doing an excellent job with him.”
(What can you say this first season has been like after the first month – I guess your time as a coach through the first five games? How has it gone for you – your first experience as an NFL assistant?) – “I think it’s been great. I would say I’m extremely lucky, one, to be around the staff that I’m on, on both sides of the ball. I think we’ve got a bunch of great coaches on this staff, so for me, I’m learning a lot. Everything from day-to-day preparation – that would be the biggest thing I think I’ve taken during my time here so far, is just all the preparation that goes in each week. I think I’m extremely fortunate to work with the players we have. I think we’ve got some great guys and so I just feel lucky to be here every day, to be honest with you; and just being from Florida, being down here to work for the Dolphins, for me this is a dream come true.”
(Aside from work ethic, which everyone raves about with LB Andrew Van Ginkel – if we put that aside, what specific skill do you think gives him a chance to be a quality performer long-term?) – “I would say – and I hit on this a little bit with the pass rush as a group – but this guy prepares extremely well. He’s up there all the way up until the day before the game watching tape. He’s versatile. He can kind of play a lot of different roles. I think he uses his hands extremely well. I think that’s something he developed in the offseason in the run game, that I think he’s been able to show. But his preparation and his effort. I know you said work ethic, but effort to really – not just to get to the ball, but to try to make every play – and I think that’s something that he’s done so far. It’s a testament to him and I’m excited to see him keep going.”
Anthony Campanile – October 13, 2020
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Tuesday, October 13, 2020
Linebackers Coach Anthony Campanile
(What did you think about LB Jerome Baker and most specifically – I was going to ask about a specific play but I got lost on the Italian food track.) – “(laughter) That’s an easy thing to get lost on. I’m lost on that on like 20 hours a day. (laughter) I thought ‘Bake’ (Jerome Baker) played well the other day. I think he’s been off to a good start this year. He’s played a bunch of snaps for us and has a really variable skillset. He’s done a good job in coverage, a good job in the run game. I think he’s just playing very physical and he has some pass-rush ability too. I think he’s done a good job with that. He definitely was a factor there the other day. I’m proud of him. I think he’s doing a good job.”
(How is LB Andrew Van Ginkel different from the guy you watched on tape when you got the job? How is he better?) – “I said something in regard to Van Ginkel maybe two weeks ago. He’s a tireless worker. I think a lot of times at this level, people think in professional football, the guy is – you’re obviously an elite player to get to this level. But I don’t think sometimes people understand that at this level, guys still improve. A lot of the best players in football, they improve every day. He’s done that in a myriad of different ways. I think he’s done a really good job of improving his game in the run game and as a pass rusher. He’s another guy that has a very multiple skillset and allows us to do a bunch of different things when he’s in the game.”
(I wanted to follow up on LB Andrew Van Ginkel. There was a play in the game where he stacked up and shed TE George Kittle. You guys talked a lot about in the offseason about him adding that functional strength and the tireless work in the weight room. Do you think that’s a direct translation of that work in the weight room?) – “For sure. I think (Head Strength & Conditioning Coach) Dave Puloka does an unbelievable job with these guys here – all of our strength coaches. We work hard all the way through the season with that. I think he’s done a really good job in terms of the fundamentals of block destruction. I know just watching from my own perspective, from the spring on, he’s really put a lot of work in, in that regard. I think everybody talks about running to the football, running to the football and that’s of the utmost importance here in this organization; but you can’t run to the football unless you can get off blocks. He’s done a really good job with that and he’s improved very much so in that regard.”
(Is gelato better than ice cream?) – “Yes. That’s not even close. That’s like two different universes right there. Gelato and ice cream. Gelato is like – what are we doing? If you haven’t eaten that, then you haven’t lived. Anybody who has never tried it, you have to get on that like right now. I don’t think that’s even a question.”
(Why is it so good?) – “Less fat, a little bit more real. That’s like the whole diamond of ice cream – gelato. It doesn’t get any better than that.”
Chan Gailey – October 13, 2020
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Tuesday, October 13, 2020
Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey
(Head Coach Brian Flores said he was happy with the running game in the second half of the game on Sunday. I was curious if there was one or two things that you can specifically point to that you liked that you saw in the running game?) – “We had a couple of bigger runs in the second half, especially when we were trying to run some clock and get it down the field with the running game instead of trying to throw it all over the park. We did a couple of things that were good. It was more of our counter game than it was of our just straight zone game. We’ve got to work on our zone game, that’s what we got to work on.”
(We’ve heard you talk a lot about QB Ryan Fitzpatrick here, but he had probably one of the better games that you’ve seen him play, I’m guessing. What comes to your mind when you see him play as well as he did Sunday?) – “He does things with this offense that we have that are truly amazing to me. He really does. He sees things – we’ll call a route and he’ll change one guy because he sees something, and he’ll change one little wrinkle to it and be able to take advantage of the defense. The other day, he saw the defensive end’s stance, so he knew the coverage, so he changed one route and we get a touchdown. It’s little things like that, that he’s amazing with. He knows what the defense is doing and how to beat them. He’s a special guy, very special guy, in that respect.”
(How big of a step in the right direction did WR Preston Williams take and what do you think this can do for him moving forward for this season?) – “It was just a matter of time, in my opinion. He’s been practicing well, he’s been working on his routes, he’s doing some good things. When you’ve got several good players, everybody doesn’t get the ball. This is one of those times where he got the ball, took advantage of it and made plays. To me, that does nothing but help our football team. Now they’ve got to worry about him, they’ve got to worry about ‘D.P.’ (DeVante Parker) on the other side, Jakeem (Grant), Mike (Gesicki). They’ve got a lot of things to think about. I was glad we were able to get him more involved. Now it just creates more open opportunities for everybody, now that he’s back on track. I hate to use that term because he wasn’t off track. It just hadn’t happened for him yet.”
(What went into the decision to insert G/T Robert Hunt in at right tackle, and how did things look on the right side of that line with the two rookies when you broke it all down?) – “Our plan all along had been to work Robert in at right tackle if something happened. (Offensive Line Coach) Steve Marshall does a great job of getting guys ready in case we get an injury, and he had been working Rob at right tackle. Jesse (Davis) had been working a little bit at left tackle. We just work those scenarios. ‘Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) told us to start working that back – three weeks, two-and-a-half weeks before the first ball game. We’d been working that, so it wasn’t a spur of the moment decision. We’d been planning if something happens, this is the direction we’re going to go. The players knew it. It wasn’t like it was a shock to them either. And he did a good job.”
(I’d like to follow up on QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. I talked to TE Mike Gesicki yesterday and he called him his favorite teammate he’s ever played with. I’m just curious what it’s like for you knowing him so well to coach with. How would you describe him among the players you’ve coached?) – “Wow. That is a tough question because you hate to ever label anybody your favorite, because there then there are a bunch of other guys you’ve been close to through the years that might get offended and I wouldn’t want to offend anybody. But I’ve been with ‘Fitz’ (Fitzpatrick) a long time. We’ve had some great times together and we’ve had some bad times together. I think I have as much respect and I like him as much, if not more, than anybody I’ve ever coached. He’s a great teammate, a great, great, great competitor, and he’s a lot smarter than me.”
(WR Lynn Bowden Jr., I think he started at receiver, and then took at least three snaps at Wildcat. How many options does him being at Wildcat give you? And how is his route-running and understanding of the offense coming along for the slot position?) – “I’ll answer the second part first. He’s learning. He didn’t get any of the preseason. He didn’t get any of the base stuff. Since he’s been here, we’ve been game planning, and that’s a little bit tougher to learn everything when you don’t get the base concepts down from Day 1. It’s been a longer process for him than somebody who got here the first day of camp. He’s learning though. He’s getting better. He’s understanding it, but that’s a lot to comprehend. And now we’ve thrown the Wildcat package on him, so that takes time away from some of the other (stuff). We’re trying to massage the situation where we get him to understand the slot receiver position, and get him to play the Wildcat, and keep expanding both packages so we can – and we try to play him in there on regular downs so they can’t tell if Wildcat is in or if Wildcat is not in. We kind of just don’t want them to know when it’s coming.”
(I wanted to ask you about the Jets. I think they are 29th, 30th, or 31st in points allowed. They are pretty bad when it comes to yards. Has what they’ve done been a reflection of not getting a lot of help from their offense and being on the field a ton? Or is there some part of the defense you guys can really attack this weekend?) – “I don’t know what the situation is. I only look at one side of the ball. ‘Coach Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) can probably give you a better overview answer there; but what I see is a group on defense that is flying around. They’ve given up a bunch of big plays. That’s where the yardage and the points have come from is a bunch of big plays. There have been some drives down the field, but you have to fight for every yard against this crew. They are flying around the football field pretty well right now. We’ve got to take advantage of the opportunities when we get a chance to make a big play. If we don’t get those opportunities and they decide to go back and play it soft and not give you the big plays, we’ve got to be good enough and detailed enough to work it down the field and punch it in the end zone when we get down there.”
(When we saw the o-line got redone this offseason, I guess a lot of the assumption was that the run game will come along quicker than the pass game as far as protection and push. It seems to me early, it’s been the opposite. I’m curious as to why you guys have been so successful in the pass-blocking early and why it hasn’t translated as much in the run game as much as you’d want?) – “I’m going to go back and say what I said earlier about (Offensive Line Coach) Steve Marshall. He does a great job of teaching protection and concepts and ‘Lem’ (Assistant Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre) is right in there helping these young players especially, work on their techniques and their sets. We work pass protection a lot, and really the run game is more of a process of they are putting an extra guy in the box. So if they put extra guys in the box, guess what? We’re going to throw it. We’re not gong to try to run uphill. We’ve tried to force it a few times just to keep them honest and hadn’t made a lot of yards on it. I think we’re capable of it, and I think if people start taking away the pass, then we’ll start running it better. If they keep playing the run down there with an extra guy in the box, we’re going to keep throwing it. We just try to take advantage of what the defense is giving us.”
Josh Boyer – October 13, 2020
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Tuesday, October 13, 2020
Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer
(Since this was a good overall performance in terms of pressure and coverage and it was just a lot of good, what may be not so obvious after you reviewed the film that you were very pleased with?) – “I think win, lose – I think you go back every week and for me personally, it starts with myself and then you kind of look at the things that we’re doing and you kind of just self-evaluate. And I think there’s always good things and bad things each week, and the things that we’re not doing so well, we need to work hard to improve that because ultimately they’ll show up again. A lot of coordinators in this league, they’ll test you to make sure that you got stuff corrected. We’re working hard to do that, so I think the approach is the same. You start over. We’re done with San Francisco. We’re onto the Jets. We’ve got a division opponent this week. It’s a big game for us, and all our time, effort and energy is into the Jets.”
(I wanted to ask you about S Eric Rowe – a guy you’ve been around since 2016 when he got to New England and you really saw him fight through injuries in those early days. I just was curious what does it mean to you to see him really thriving here and can you turn that into something of a coaching point with how maybe the rest of the guys deal with and overcome adversity?) – “I think the good thing is for Eric (Rowe) is he’s a mentally tough kid. He’s a hard worker. He’s constantly striving to improve, which is what we ask him to do, and I think he’s seeing some results of that. Like everybody, there’s things that he’s got that he can continue to work on. As far as using him as an example and stuff, I think each individual’s case is a case-by-case study, if you will. I think sometimes things can start off good for a guy. Then they have to deal with a little bit of adversity and then they can come back. Sometimes guys just need a chance and then there’s other times that it doesn’t start off so good and guys work their way to that. I think it’s different individual to individual; but again, Eric is a hard worker. He’s been able to handle the ups and downs. He’s a good professional. He puts in a good day’s work and we’re going to continue to ask him to do that.”
(CB Xavien Howard now leads the league with three interceptions. I think his 15 since the end of 2017 or the most in the NFL even though he missed basically a season. Is he back now to where he was pre-injury? Is he by now a top-three cornerback in the NFL?) – “As far as the stats and the evaluations and comparisons, that’s probably a question for somebody else. What our focus is, is just getting the best out of each individual player week to week. Obviously like we’ve said time and time again, if you see guys out on the field, we feel like that they’re good to go and they can help us, and I think with all of us – and it’s really been a week to week deal – is we’re striving hard to improve, to be the best we can collectively as a group.”
(LB Jerome Baker after the game attributed the pass pressure that you all were able to generate on moving guys around, lining them up in different places, and said some of that was even based on decisions the players made just before the snap. Did you see it that way and I’m wondering how much flexibility for the players is built into the system?) – “Ultimately again, there’s no coaches out there in between the white lines on Sunday, so it’s the players making decisions. You try to build it in so that those guys have flexibility within calls to change things, to see things, so they can go out there and play fast at a high level. So there’s a structured scheme that we put out there and then within certain things or certain things that they see, guys can have the ability to adapt based on certain parameters, which I think our communication is improving as a group. We’ve still got a long way to go. We’re working hard at that. We’re working hard on that in the meetings and at practice, and hopefully it carries over to Sunday. It’s a hard thing to get 11 guys all on the same page and that’s what we’re working to do. And then you can have a variety of different guys out there from time to time. So really again, it’s a credit to the players putting in the time, the effort and the energy to get it right.”
(I wanted to ask you about DT Davon Godchaux – how his contributions at defensive line have helped you guys then how do you guys kind of move forward with this d-line rotation if he does have to miss some time with the biceps injury?) – “Again we’ll just see how it goes. I know ‘Flo’ (Head Coach Brian Flores) kind of deals with the injuries. We’ve been busy game planning most of the morning here, but Davon (Godchaux) – his leadership, his work ethic – all that stuff has been great. He’s been a mentor to the younger guys and on top of that, he’s been able to give us some production on the field. So nothing but good things to say about him, and like everybody else, he’s continuing to strive, to make himself the best player he can possibly be. As a coach, you always hope all of your guys are available to you and whatever the scenario is, we just kind of deal with it from there.”
(I could ask you about DT Zach Sieler every week because he’s just a beast, but instead I’ll ask you about the youngster DT Raekwon Davis, who maybe will be in line for some more playing time. How is his progress coming along? What does he have going for him? What does he still need to do better?) – “I think like all young guys, there’s some ups and downs, and I think you kind of have to one, learn what the NFL is about; two, learn about being professional, which I think Raekwon is working hard to do all those things. It’s hard to perform in this league. It’s hard to win in this league and there’s a constant reminder of ‘hey, you need to get better on this. You need to get better on this,’ or ‘hey, this is good. Let’s build on this.’ And I think Raekwon comes in – he loves football, he puts in a good day’s work and we’re going to hope that continues to improve week-by-week, which is what we’re all striving to do.”
(My question is also about DT Raekwon Davis. How ready is he to handle a bigger workload?) – “Raekwon, he’s been out there for a handful of snaps for us. What the workload is, obviously for us that’s going to depend on a week-to-week basis. Obviously we’re ultimately striving to put our guys in the best position to succeed. Raekwon is a guy that we have a good amount of confidence in. We’ve put him out there. Like I said, hopefully he continues to grow as this season moves along.”
(You had S Bobby McCain, CB Xavien Howard and CB Byron Jones on the field there for over 150 snaps in the game. I was curious what you saw from that first extended playing time from the three of those guys together, the way they communicated and handled the 49ers passing game throughout the course of that game.) – “I think as a group, as a team, whether it’s d-line, linebackers, secondary, there’s a lot of communication that goes out on the field. I think as a group, we’re getting better. I think Bobby obviously spearheads a lot of that communication with the linebacker group, but I would say it’s really a credit to the players putting in not only the time that we spend here, but putting in some extra time meeting and talking over situations, what they see on this, what do you see on this. I think the work ethic that we’re getting has been outstanding. We need to continue to do that and we need to continue to improve, and that’s what we’re working for. We have a big challenge this week, like I said, with the Jets coming up. It’s a divisional game that all of us are going to put our time, effort and energy into that.”
