Brian Flores – November 18, 2019
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Monday, November 18, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(What was most frustrating and disappointing after watching that?) – “We just, a lot of things we talk about – penalties, missed assignments, tackling – we really just didn’t execute across the board in all three phases. We’ve got to do a better job. We’ve got to play better; we’ve got to coach better. There were a lot of things that were disappointing. Obviously we lost the game. I think there were some opportunities we didn’t take advantage of. We have to do a better job.”
(Good things that you saw yesterday? I guess including WR Jakeem Grant and WR DeVante Parker.) – “Yeah, they played well – both guys. Again, it’s football so you need a team effort. One or two guys can play well and it’s still not enough. You need as many guys – really, we need all 46 guys in the game to play well and contribute. We talked about that and we didn’t get that accomplished. But yeah, there were a couple of bright spots. At the end of the day, even they’ll tell you that an individual effort is not really what we’re looking for. We’re looking for a good team effort.”
(You guys looked like you were trending the right way on your offensive line, at least with the way your pass blocking was going. In the last game there were a lot of sacks given up. I know there was one change made but do you think continuity or anything you guys did upfront changed your effectiveness?) – “I wouldn’t say it was one – Julién went in there and started and I wouldn’t say that was the issue. I think Buffalo played well. I thought they did some things in the front that were a little bit – not different but tough to block and you have to have really good communication and really good execution to get it handled. We didn’t do that yesterday. We need to play better. There were some instances where it was just bad technique, bad fundamentals and we got beat one-on-one in some situations. We just have to play better. There’s games like that. This is how it is, really, I would say. Week to week it’s a different matchup, a different scheme, different communication, a different set of issues. We didn’t execute yesterday.”
(With the offensive line, you had a coaching change, a big trade involving a left tackle, you had injuries. With all of that, over the course of this year, how much progress do you feel like you’ve made and laying a foundation for what you want?) – “Based off of yesterday and I would say the last few weeks, it looked like it was moving in the right direction. I still feel like it’s moving in the right direction but (it was) definitely a setback yesterday. We have to play better on the offensive line. And really, I don’t want to put it all on the o-line (because) it’s everybody. It starts with me. Coaches, players – we have to do a better job executing. We have to do a better job with our communication, our fundamentals, our technique and just overall, it has to be better.”
(With T Julién Davenport, will he be able to come through whatever he was dealing with yesterday?) – “We’re still – it’s early in the week. He got dinged. A couple of other guys got dinged. On Monday, they come in and they get evaluated and then we’ll see how it goes throughout the course of the week.”
(S Bobby McCain?) – “Same.”
(Neither of those guys you are overly concerned about the long-term stuff?) – “I think it’s early. It’s still so early. We’re still kind of going through the evaluation. It’s still early.”
(How much did wanting to get an evaluation of T Julién Davenport on the field play a role in him starting?) – “We’re always going to put the group we feel is best to play against that opponent. We’re always going to put the best five guys out there. That’s how we felt going into yesterday’s game. (There were) a few things that went into it. We’re always going to put the best five out there.”
(Did anything that Bills QB Josh Allen do with his arm yesterday surprise you guys?) – “No. He’s a good player. He’s obviously a talented quarterback and he’s made a lot of plays this year and a year ago. He’s a good young player and it wasn’t really surprising. We knew that was the case and we were going to have to play well against that entire offense, and we didn’t do enough good things.”
(How did LB Jerome Baker do against the run?) – “Again, if it’s a one-man show – it’s not a one-man show I should say. Jerome made some plays. There were some plays he didn’t but that’s the case for everybody. I think we just have to learn from this, learn from this game, make the corrections, turn the page and move on. They’re still in meetings right now and making those corrections. We’ll move on and hopefully play better next week.”
(WR Jakeem Grant obviously had a splash play on special teams. Is there a chance he could work back in at punt returner or are you happy with how CB Marcus Sherels is playing?) – “There’s a chance. There’s always a chance. Obviously he made a big play and made a couple of good plays for us. So yeah, there’s a chance.”
(Since we’ve seen you last, the organization decided to give WR Allen Hurns an extension. What can you tell us about what went into that?) – “Allen is a good player. He’s tough, he’s dependable, he’s a smart player. We like him. We think he has a lot of qualities we’re looking for in our players and we’re happy to have him.”
(The Wildcat formation worked for you guys in the fourth quarter. RB Kalen Ballage had his longest run and you guys scored on the next play. How important is it for you guys to want to be creative with the run game and try to get some plays like that?) – “I think we want to be creative really in all areas – offense, defense, special teams. We try to do that on a week-to-week basis. It’s something that we’ve got a creative group of coaches. But when, how – all of that kind of ties into play-calling. Whatever week, we’re trying to be creative.”
(The 2-point conversion, would a better block have helped WR Allen Hurns get that?) – “I think a better everything – a better block, a better set of block. It wasn’t just one (block). We could’ve blocked it, I would say, a lot better but we didn’t. Again, that’s part of the execution – the fundamentals, the execution – and we just didn’t get it accomplished. I thought it was a good play, a good play call, we got what we wanted but they made the play and we didn’t.
(Did yesterday move you any closer to finding a way to utilize your three running backs – RB Myles Gaskin, RB Patrick Laird and RB Kalen Ballage?) – “I would say not necessarily. I think we didn’t get the run game going, so we’ve got to find a better way to do that. Again, that’s everybody. That’s o-line. That’s tight ends. It’s backs and receivers. It’s (the) quarterback getting us into good plays, play-calling and the whole deal. We’ve got to be better. That’s something we’ve talked about for consecutive weeks now. We’ll just keep working at it.”
(You’re comfortable with how you use them as far as first down, second down, third down? Did RB Myles Gaskin get a couple more second-down looks yesterday? Is that because of down-and-distance?) – “Yeah, he was in there. Yeah, I’m comfortable with how we’re using them.”
(WR DeVante Parker looks like he’s on pace for maybe the best year of his career. What do you think has been the cause of that?) – “It’s DeVante. I think he’s – since I’ve gotten here, he’s worked hard in the classroom (and) on the field. He’s worked on his technique, his catching the football, running with it, blocking. He’s smart and I think he’s gone out there and he’s taken it from the practice field to the game. He’s done a good job, so it’s all – it’s DeVante. He’s done a really good job.”
(Why didn’t QB Josh Rosen play in the fourth quarter?) – “We felt like ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) gave us the best chance.”
(Somebody mentioned that WR Gary Jennings might’ve been injured during a celebration. Is that the case, and if so, do you talk to your players about chill out a little bit?) – “Yeah, he got dinged. He’s being evaluated and we’ll see how things go with him. I think as far as whether or not it was on a (celebration), I think we want our guys to celebrate, but that’s speculative on how he got injured.”
(How did you feel DE Taco Charlton and LB Raekwon McMillan not playing affect your pass rush overall?) – “I think any time you lose two starters, it has an effect on your team – offense, defense or special teams. They’re both good players. They’re both working their way back. Hopefully we get them back soon, and I think they’ll definitely help us.”
Davon Godchaux – November 17, 2019 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 17, 2019
Postgame – Buffalo
DT Davon Godchaux (transcribed by Ken Mendonça)
(Without looking at the tape, what did you sense was the biggest difference out there?) – “We knew they wanted to run the ball; but they didn’t do anything that we didn’t see, we just had miscommunication on defense whether it was somebody not in the gap, and they just hit it. Like I said, it was just a bad defensive game for all of us. We have to turn it back fast. We have six games left and the Cleveland Browns just won two games, so I’ll watch the film and my focus will be on Cleveland.”
(We saw you getting fired up on the sideline with your guys. What were you telling your guys?) – “Playing the run is a mindset. There is some skill to it too, but it’s a mindset of ‘I’m going to knock that guy back, he’s not going to knock me back, and I’m going to make the play.’ To me, it’s all about toughness. If you want to be tough, stop the run. If you don’t, then get out of the game. At the end of the day, we just have to play better on defense in terms of stopping the run. At halftime, they had 114 rushing yards. I mean that’s ridiculous. I take full blame for it, being a captain on the team. I promise you we’ll get it fixed.”
(How much did you guys miss DE Taco Charlton and LB Raekwon McMillan today?) – “You always miss bodies. A guy like Taco setting the edge, a guy like Raekwon up the middle, making plays, so that was big for us; but like I said, I’m not in the game to make excuses. We had enough guys out there to get the win and we didn’t.”
Daniel Kilgore – November 17, 2019 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 17, 2019
Postgame – Buffalo
C Daniel Kilgore
(Did you feel the shift in momentum in the second quarter when you had that fumble?) – “That obviously would have been a huge deal. It is what it is. You’re going to face adversity throughout the game and you’re going to have to learn how to cope with it and move on and take it play-by-play.”
(T Julién Davenport back in there – another starting o-line combination. Was there a communication issue? What was the challenge of that?) – “No communication (issues). Obviously, he hasn’t played since I don’t know when – the first week I guess. I think he’s just getting back into the groove of things. Getting back on the field, I’m sure it was good for him. Obviously it’s another added puzzle piece to it, another offensive lineman; but we as a group have to do better job of preparing throughout the week.”
(Can you say after these last two wins coming into this week, there’s a little more frustration maybe just because guys weren’t executing the way you know they can?) – “I mean you are always going to be frustrated with a loss. I know I am. I’m sure the guys are too. It’s tough because you experience success and you want that train to keep that rolling … but this is the NFL. Those guys get paid too. Next week is going to be a challenge. Next week is going to be a challenge for us and we will have 24 hours to get pissed off about this and then move on. We’ve got Cleveland next, I think? So we have to Cleveland next. Just take it one game at a time and be ready next week.”
Reshad Jones – November 17, 2019 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 17, 2019
Postgame – Buffalo
S Reshad Jones (transcribed by Bryce Reddick)
(From your perspective, how tough was it covering WR John Brown today. He had a huge game, a couple touchdowns) – “The guy is making plays for them. I think he’s been doing well. On film, he looks good. Josh Allen extended plays for them to get a couple of guys open or whatever, but they just made a couple of more plays than we did to win the game.”
(Did it feel like you guys were in coverage so much because QB Josh Allen can scramble around? Did it make it that much more difficult to guard against the Bills?) – “Most definitely. When you’ve got a guy that can move around back there in the pocket, extending plays for the offense, it definitely makes it – as a defender – it definitely makes it that much harder to defend guys.”
(I don’t know if you were asked but the first game back, how did you feel out there?) – “I felt real good. I felt real good, my first game back, like you said. I haven’t played in a while. I felt pretty good running around out there.”
(As a team, as a whole, you had a two-game win streak. There’s a loss now. What do you think you guys can go for, for the rest of the season?) – “We’ve just got to keep working, get back to the drawing board, learn from our mistakes, what we didn’t do well today and correct it. That’s part of the NFL. It’s a tough league, a tough league to win in week to week. We’ve just got to get back to the drawing board.”
DeVante Parker – November 17, 2019 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 17, 2019
Postgame – Buffalo
WR DeVante Parker (transcribed by Devin Davis)
(I know you had two very long plays, I think one was 50 and one was 45. The first one you got open right in the middle of the field. What do you remember about what happened on that play that worked?) – “Honestly, I think the defense just busted the coverage on that one. I just came over on an over route and was wide open.”
(In the second half, probably the fourth quarter, you had a 45-yard gain, what do you remember about that play?) – “It was just double move. (Tre’Davious White) always likes to jump routes. We called a double move on that play and it worked.”
(You ended up with 135 receiving yards, which is a career high. What does it mean for you to have a career high in yards?) – “I mean I still have a lot left in me and I can still make plays when we need it. Whatever helps the team.”
(Every week we ask you about a touchdown, a catch, a new career high. Does it mean a lot to you after how you career has gone here in Miami?) – “It means a lot to me if we win. That’s it. If we don’t win, I don’t really care about it. It doesn’t matter.”
Jerome Baker – November 17, 2019 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 17, 2019
Postgame – Buffalo
LB Jerome Baker (transcribed by Bryce Reddick)
(QB Josh Allen has had his best game so far of the season against this defense. What allows him to be able to do that and the matchup problem he creates for you guys?) – “I mean, he is a great player. He can throw, he is smart. We just came up short today.”
(Until you look at the tape, you won’t know exactly where you guys fall short but in the feel of the game, what was special about the Bills offense today that allowed them to put up 37 points?) – We just didn’t do the little things. It’s us. We didn’t tackle, we didn’t line up right, just the little things we didn’t execute and the score (reflects) that.”
(Coming of these two straight wins, the feeling in the locker room is vastly different. How do you guys put it back into perspective, as far as where you’re going and forward with this season?) – “We just go back to the things we know and that is going back to work tomorrow, looking at the film, correcting it. That’s the only thing we’ve got to do is get back to work.”
Nik Needham – November 17, 2019 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 17, 2019
Postgame – Buffalo
CB Nik Needham (transcribed by Anthony Gutierrez)
(A lot of people talk about QB Josh Allen like he is an afterthought of that big quarterback class, but he seems to be having some success.) – “Yeah, Josh is definitely not a quarterback that you see every week. He is a big guy but can also run, break tackles and has a cannon for an arm. There are not a lot of quarterbacks like that in the league and I think the best thing he does that not a lot of quarterbacks I would say can do is escape the pocket. He has good elusiveness kind of like a running back, back there. He can shake a lineman, get out and make a pass and extend the play. I think that is the biggest thing is his ability to extend plays and make plays with his feet.”
(One of the touchdowns there, it seemed like you were looking for safety help over the top. Was that kind of the case?) – “Yeah it was Cover 2, but that was my fault. I’ve got to sink a little more. I’ve got to carry John Brown right there and be underneath him a little more and drift inside a little bit, so that was on me for sure.”
(Is that part of it, this is kind of a younger defense, you guys are still trying to figure it out at this point?) – “Yeah, it’s just a learning process but you’ve got to grow up quick because you don’t want to just be out there messing up all the time and then say ‘Oh, that’s a rookie.’ To me personally, that doesn’t feel good. People saying, ‘It’s alright.’ No, it’s not alright. If I’m out here, I need to be out here performing at my best and at a high level.”
Christian Wilkins – November 17, 2019 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 17, 2019
Postgame – Buffalo
DT Christian Wilkins
(37 points, with the way this team has been clicking together defensively, it doesn’t seem like something that would come up. What were they were able to do successfully today against you?) – “Well, definitely I want to give a little respect to the Bills because they did a good job of capitalizing on all of our mistakes and doing a good job. They’re just a very good team, a good offense, so that’s the reason they were able to capitalize and do some things with the ball. But just really, I don’t know what exactly it was that we didn’t do. It’s something we have to watch the tape to really figure out as to what happened and what is going on because clearly we didn’t play well enough to win today. But we will do what we do every week, get back to the drawing board, keep grinding and try to do better next week.”
(How big was that shift in momentum at least seemingly with that fumble there in the second quarter just before the half?) – “You’ve still got to go out there and do your job. It doesn’t matter. Stuff like that happens in a football game and you just got to be a pro, get back out there and control what you can control.”
(How difficult was this game when you lose a guy like DE Taco Charlton? I know you got DE Avery Moss back but working on the front line, the defensive line?) – “Obviously Taco has done really well for us this year … He is one of our brothers, we love him and have respect for his game but it shouldn’t matter if a guy is out or not. We’ve still got to play, still got to be pros and step up. The guys have to step up and everyone is capable. So everyone still has to do their job.”
