J’Marcus Webb – September 13, 2019
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Friday, September 13, 2019
T J’Marcus Webb
(Head Coach Brian Flores said you’re going to get the start at right tackle. How has this week of practice gone for you and how do you think you will do on Sunday?) – “It’s always about the next-man-up mentality. All I can is stay prepared and get in the film (room) and communicate with the guys who are in the room, and make sure that I keep the work ethic that I have been and prepare, prepare, prepare, work, work, work and get some good sleep, get some good foods and stay ready.”
(What’s your level of excitement at starting?) – “Just about this smile right here. I’ve just got to hold that and put my hand on the ground and get ready to grind.”
(What was your reaction when you realized that the guy who started at right tackle last week had gotten hurt?) – “What was my reaction?”
(I don’t know if you saw it happen, if you thought, “Oh my gosh, I might be playing now.” You know what I mean, if you could tell it was serious?) – “It’s really bad what happened to Julién (Davenport). At a practice, that’s tough. You’ve got to give him his due respect and keep moving forward and keep your head in the game, really, because like I said, it’s the next man up and you’ve got to be prepared.”
(What challenge do you see from the New England defense? What’s the biggest issue they present?) – “You’ve got to just keep it in-house. There is no challenge too big if you prepare the right way, and that’s what we’ve been doing all week. Why not? Why not continue to just do that, communicate, work hard, stay in the film and know these guys better than we know ourselves.”
Brian Flores – September 13, 2019
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Friday, September 13, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Anything going on?) – “I just got done with practice.”
(Your starting right tackle is injured?) – “Yeah.”
(Is T Julién Devenport going on IR?) – “That’s something we’ll have discussion about as a – between myself, (General Manager) Chris (Grier) and (Vice President of Football Administration) Brandon (Shore). There’s a lot of different ways we can handle this. We’ll talk about it as a group and make that decision when we feel like the time is right.”
(Is T J’Marcus Webb next guy up?) – “Yup. J’Marcus will be the next guy up. He has practiced well this week, so we think – any time (with) injuries, they occur. They happen in games, they happen in practice. When they happen, the next guy just has to step up. I feel confident that he’ll do a good job.”
(How do you feel about S Minkah Fitzpatrick requesting a trade and will he be out there on the field in his normal position in the starting lineup Sunday?) – “Yeah. Minkah is a big part of the game plan right now. He’s done a really good job all week. This is a tough kid, a hardworking kid. He loves football. I expect him to play well Sunday. I’m excited to see what he does Sunday.”
(Are you offended that S Minkah Fitzpatrick requested a trade? Does that irritate you in any way?) – “No. My focus right now is on Minkah going out there and this team going out there and giving their best performance on Sunday. That’s kind of where I’m at. That’s kind of my thought process.”
(Is the team trying to trade S Minkah Fitzpatrick? Would you go through with his trade request?) – “I would say those conversations or any conversations that we have as an organization between Chris (Grier), myself, ownership – those conversations are confidential. My thoughts right now are Minkah is playing on Sunday and he’s got a big role in the game. It’s a big game for us. We’re motivated to play Sunday. That’s where my focus is.”
(Don’t you think it’s unusual to have a player that doesn’t want to be here in the locker room, in the lineup? If so, why or why not?) – “I don’t think it’s unusual. I think Minkah (Fitzpatrick) is a good player. I think we’ve talked about his role all week. I think he’s going to be a big part of the game plan. I think he’s going to go out there and play well, to be honest with you. I’ve coached for a while. I’ve gone through this a little bit before. A guy who comes to mind is Patrick Chung. He was in New England with me. He left, went to Philly. (He) didn’t like the way things were going there in New England, left and went to Philly, came back and that whole thing turned around. This is not my first go-around with a situation like this. That turned out well for Patrick. He and I have an incredible relationship. Things change, quickly. We know that to be the case in this league. We’ll just see how this thing shakes out. Right now, my focus is on Sunday. If we all put our focus more on that and less on some of the other things that are going on, I think we’ll all be better for it. I’ve gone through a similar situation.”
(Do you think you can repair the situation?) – “I think, again – repair – that word, I don’t know if that’s the word I would use. I don’t feel like anything’s broken. I think we’re looking forward to Minkah (Fitzpatrick) playing on Sunday and looking forward to this team playing on Sunday. That’s kind of where I’m at. Again, I’ve had this kind of similar situation and others in the past, so I think we’ll be able to move past it and move through it. I think as an organization, we’ll be fine.”
(Do you think S Minkah Fitzpatrick will be here the rest of the season?) – “I’m worried about Sunday. That’s where I’m at. I’m worrying about our preparation – our preparation and our motivation for Sunday. Anything past that, (it is) not on my radar.”
(From the outside, we see how S Patrick Chung was used with the Patriots – a lot of different roles. What changed him to where he said, ‘Okay, I like this role’ or accepting that?) – “That was – I don’t know how (long), five, six years ago – it’s in the past. That situation was that situation. Again, placing any effort or energy towards things that have happened in the past – right now, the focus is on really facing Patrick Chung now and facing that entire team – offense, defense, special teams and coaching staff. That’s really where our efforts and our focus should be.
(This isn’t S Minkah Fitzpatrick-specific but everybody – isn’t it incumbent on a coaching to use a player where he is most comfortable, so that he is most confident and most able to succeed?) – “I think – that’s an interesting question. I think in a team sport, you do what’s best for the team. That’s kind of where I’m at on that, as far as that’s concerned. Yes, would you like to – I think the goal for every coach is to put a player in where you see is his best position. I think that’s where we have all of our players, and we’ll continue to make those decisions – the decisions we feel are the best decisions for this team.”
(Have any of your other players requested trades or asked for trades? Are you aware?) – “No.”
(Do you anticipate S Minkah Fitzpatrick’s role changing to acquiesce more to what he may want?) – “I think everybody on this team is going to have a role, and that role is going to fit whatever we feel is best for the team. I think they all understand that, and I think that’s the way it should be.”
(Is this a situation – I’m talking about S Minkah Fitzpatrick – that you would talk to the team about as a team, or are you just kind of staying focused on New England and let that play out?) – “The focus is on New England and this game this week.”
Davon Godchaux – September 12, 2019
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Thursday, September 12, 2019
DT Davon Godchaux
(Do you prepare differently when you face a team like this specifically QB Tom Brady, or is it just the same?) – “(It’s the) same thing we do, same thing we did last week. Come out (and) practice hard. We had a good Wednesday practice, had a good practice today on Thursday. (It was) pass-rush day, third-down day. We’re getting ready for Tom and the New England Patriots.”
(Is the key to make QB Tom Brady uncomfortable?) – “I can’t tell you that. Like I said, we just come out and do the game plan that the coaches tell us to do each and every day and try to execute it.”
(Is there anything Head Coach Brian Flores brought to the table this week as far as game planning because he was in New England for such a long time that maybe you didn’t realize the Patriots did, or something different that maybe you hadn’t seen before that just kind of clicked?) – “Everybody knows the Patriots are a well-coached team. They are coached by Bill Belichick. There’s a reason why they are in the Super Bowl each and every year. They make you make mistakes and they execute off of it. At the end of the day, we’ve got to make less mistakes and execute our plays. The biggest thing on my mind that we need to do this week is start fast, and focus on defense, offense, special teams. We need to start fast.”
(You guys had to make a change on the defensive line. Is it safe to say that with DE Jonathan Ledbetter going on IR, that it makes it easier that you’re signing a guy that you spent training camp with, and have familiarity with in DE Tank Carradine?) – “It’s the next-guy-up mentality. I’m sorry about what happened to Ledbetter, but this is the nature of the business in the NFL. One day you’re here and the next day you’re down, whether it’s an injury or you got released. At the end of the day, Jon will be okay. At the end of the day, it’s the next-guy-up mentality, just like me my rookie year. Something happened and then, ‘Hey, I’m up.’ At the end of the day, I think every guy has to prepare everyday like they are a starter – whether they are on the practice squad, the second team or the third team.”
(What did you learn about DE Tank Carradine during your time with him?) – “He’s a veteran guy. He’s got some veteran skills coming off. We’re going to need that coming into a hostile divisional game against the New England Patriots. (They are) a team who always comes down here and plays hard. We know we’re going to get their best and they know they’re going to get our best. At the end of the day, we have to prepare well.”
Christian Wilkins – September 12, 2019
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Thursday, September 12, 2019
DT Christian Wilkins
(On going against the New England Patriots.) – “You see why they’re so successful and they have been so successful for so long. They’ve got a really good team who all work well together. They know the plan. They execute the plan well, and they really don’t make too many mistakes. From what you see, they don’t put themselves in bad positions, so you can just see why they’re so successful and have been so successful.”
(I know you don’t want to go into a game star-struck, but the idea that you’re going against Patriots QB Tom Brady. Does that carry that much special meaning?) – “Not necessarily. I feel like once you’re out there on the field, you’re just playing ball. You’ve got a job to do, so you try to execute it to the best of your abilities and try to stick with the game plan so you don’t really try to think about that, but maybe afterward or something, I’m like, ‘Oh, that was pretty cool.’ Just what I’ve been hearing about him for so long, it’ll be pretty cool to see it live and in-person.”
(Did you learn anything about Patriots QB Tom Brady this week that maybe you didn’t know before, just from Head Coach Brian Flores having coached him?) – “When you’re game-planning for someone, you learn a lot more about him rather than just hearing what you do from the media or just from the outside. When you’re game-planning and you’re focused on him, you hear a little bit more and know a little bit more. I’m just trying to take and learn as much as I can, so I can execute the game plan the best that I can this week.”
(No state secrets you can give?) – “Nothing crazy like that. None of those, no.”
(How do you think the defensive line performed against Baltimore, and what do you do to get a better pass rush this week?) – “The biggest thing is just addressing the areas of where you weren’t your best at and try to improve on those each week. This week, we’re stressing and straining to improve on all the things we didn’t do so well and continue to do the things we did well. That’s the biggest thing and the biggest takeaway from Week 1.”
(Now that you have your first game out of the way, is it going to be easier for you the rest of the season?) – “Yeah, definitely. That’s the hope and that’s the plan. You want to improve each week and get better each week and just for my confidence and just getting used to the speed and just getting those reps. The more reps you get as a young player, the better. The more locked in you are and those kinds of things, so it’s just important to get reps, mental reps, physical reps out there on the field – just reps, reps, reps, reps, reps as a young guy. That’s the most important thing.”
(Is there anything that surprised you about your first NFL game?) – “Nothing, specifically. Guys were really good. I kind of expected that. It’s the best of the best out there for a reason, so that’s what I expected and that’s what you kind of felt out there. They played well. That was pretty much everything.”
(Did you have a “welcome to the NFL” moment in those 60 minutes?) – “There wasn’t one specific moment where I’m like, ‘Oh yep, I’m here.’ That’s what happens, but I’m just trying to learn and improve and get better each week.”
Tank Carradine – September 12, 2019
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Thursday, September 12, 2019
DE Tank Carradine
(How does it feel to be back?) – “It feels good. I’m excited to be back with the guys and be able to have another chance to go out there and compete. So I’m excited.”
(Were you sticking around in town or where were you when you got the call?) – “I was in Texas. I actually was training. My agent gave me a call and said the Dolphins want to bring you back. So I was like, ‘Oooo, that’s awesome. I want to go back.’”
(Obviously it had to be hard to stomach not being part of the team on the final cuts, but also watching them play last week and the struggles. What was that like?) – “It hurt because I knew that I wanted to be out there and compete with the guys. I knew that I could have been out there helping that defense and the d-line. I knew they could have used a guy like me. I had to get over it. It hurt, but now I’m glad to be back and get another chance to compete and be able to go out there and play the New England Patriots.”
(What do you think you can offer this defense going against QB Tom Brady and company?) – “Just being dominant in the run and being disruptive in the passing game. That’s something that I’m looking forward to doing this Sunday, and help this d-line out and help this team out.”
(How much do you feel like you still have something to prove?) – “I feel like I still have a lot to prove. The situation that happened, it kind of caught me off guard because things were going so good. I know they felt they made the best decision for the team, but it’s something that I had to deal with. I had to overcome it. So I just went back and started training and did things so if I ever get back on a team, (I will) make sure something like that won’t ever happen again.”
(When did you get back in town?) – “I got back in town last night – like 1 a.m. And I was here at 5:30 in the morning. (laughter)”
(A little tired?) – “No, because I’m excited to be back so my juice and everything is up right now. I’m excited to be back and being able to play, practice and compete with the guys. It felt really good. I didn’t feel tired at all.”
(Adrenaline is a good thing?) – “Adrenaline is a good thing, yeah.”
(Were you excited to see DT Davon Godchaux?) – “Yeah, I was excited to see him. He’s one of the guys who is competitive. We call each other out when things aren’t going right and try to stay on top of each other. But yeah, I’m excited to be back and talk trash to him about LSU thinking they can beat Florida State. (laughter)”
(Is it exciting too – obviously this is a challenge on Sunday but it’s also QB Tom Brady. Is that also exciting for you to see what you can do?) – “Yes. Going against a good offense – a really good offense – I’m excited. It’s just another challenge for the defense, being able to redeem myself and come back and show everyone that last week was a fluke. That’s not us. That’s not how we work. We compete really hard and we’re going to go out there and show that we are a good team and we are going to show that we are a good team.”
(Does it seem like they’re going to work you into the mix right away or is there going to be a little time, when you think about playing time this week?) – “I think they’re going to put me in the mix. I’m not for sure yet. That’s up to the coaches but I think so.”
Brian Flores – September 12, 2019
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Thursday, September 12, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Is it possible to build a team in the likeness of the New England Patriots? For years, this team said it was going to build a team to beat New England. Now it kind of seems as though this team is taking a New England path to building. Is that possible?) – “No, it’s not. There are different players in this building. We’re trying to build the Miami Dolphins. I’ll say that first and foremost. New England has their players, their coaches, their own organization. We’re the Miami Dolphins, and we’re trying to build something here. Each player is different. Each coach is different. How you coach differently, it’s all different. To build something in the likeness of someone else – that’s not how it works. We’re going to have our own personality as a team, our own culture. That’s the goal.”
(How is that going? How do you think instilling your culture to this franchise is going so far?) – “I think it’s a work in progress. I think we’ve got a group of guys who understand the work that it’s going to take to prepare and compete every week, and we’re learning to do that. I think we practiced that way yesterday, and we’ll continue to build and try to improve and get better.”
(One of the things that you talked about or have learned in your previous stops is “team first” and “selflessness” – that those are part of the core values.) – “Absolutely.”
(When you encounter resistance to that, what is your plan to overcome it?) – “(The plan is to) continue working and continue preaching the message. I think ultimately, at the end of the day, in this game when there are 11 guys on the field and 53 guys on the team, it’s a lot of individuals. I think to get the most out of the team, to get the most out of the groups that are on the field, you have to put the team first. So I just keep preaching that message. Hopefully, it sinks in and guys start to really take it to heart, understand it. It’s my message, and hopefully it becomes their message, which I think we’ve got some of that already.”
(It’s no secret you guys are heavy underdogs this weekend. Is that anything that you tell the team, you make that known or…?) – “We just come to work. We’re going to prepare like we do every week. They’ve got a good team. We know that. We understand that. Our preparation doesn’t change. I think every week they go out there, we’re going to go out there and compete regardless of who the team is. It’s hard to win in this league. It’s a challenge every week. That’s kind of where we’re at. We’ve just got to come to work, practice, try to get better and then we’ll go compete on Sunday.”
(What does it take to pull off a big upset?) – “It takes all 53 guys on the same page. Obviously, 46 on game day, but 53 and really 63 with the practice squad – (and) all the coaches working during the week. It starts in practice. It doesn’t just happen on Sunday. It starts in practice, and then you execute in the game and you just string good plays together. I think that’s – you call it an upset – I just call it playing good football.”
(What do you think of WR Jakeem Grant’s performance last week? He had the muffed punt, he had the touchdown-saving tackle on the fake punt. I know QB Ryan Fitzpatrick went at him deep one time, but overall, what did you think of Jakeem’s performance?) – “I think we’re kind of moved on to this week. I think everyone had plays they wished they had back, and some guys – as a coaching staff, we have things we have things we wished we had back, but we’re kind of moved on to – I shouldn’t say kind of. We’re moved on to this week.”
(How do you foresee him being used in the next few weeks, and what do you expect from WR Jakeem Grant?) – “I have a lot of confidence in Jakeem as a returner, as a receiver. I have a lot of confidence in him. He’s a guy who with the ball in his hands, he’s very explosive, and we’re going to try to put him in positions where he can make some plays.”
(What’s WR Albert Wilson’s status after he tweaked that calf last week?) – “Albert’s doing everything he can to get back. Obviously, he didn’t practice yesterday. He’s doing everything he can to get back. Obviously, when he’s in there, he’s an integral part of the offense. The guy’s dynamic with the ball in his hands. He’s doing everything he can to get back, and hopefully he’s back sooner than later.”
(Is it realistic to have WR Albert Wilson Sunday?) – “That’s the hope. That’s the hope. That’s the hope.”
(After S Walt Aikens, CB Chris Lammons is the one who got the most snaps on special teams. What is it you like about him as a special teamer?) – “He’s worked extremely hard to better himself, both on the field and off the field. He’s tough. He’s fast. He’s physical. The game’s important to him. He puts the team first. He went out and made a lot of plays in the preseason. He’s a guy who we like his toughness. You need that on your team, especially in the kicking game. I think he’s done a good job.”
(What do you want to see out of your tight ends this Sunday against that Patriots defense?) – “The first thing that comes to mind is we want to see them block in the run game, block in protection if that’s what the offensive play call calls for, get open, catch the football and then just 100 percent on their assignments. That’s kind of my checklist for really every position.”
(You made some roster moves this morning. Why DE Tank Carradine? Why’d you bring him back?) – “We put (Jonathan) Ledbetter on IR. We just felt that was a one-for-one, end-for-end.”
(What did DE Tank Carradine show you in preseason to warrant getting re-signed for example?) – “Tank’s tough. He’s physical. He’s a good teammate. We liked a lot of things about him, and we’re happy to have him back.”
(You guys have made a habit these last couple of days – coaches and players – of saying, “we’re not talking about the Ravens game.” Is that going to be the norm throughout the season? After a victory, will you stick to that same line, or do you take good stuff and…?) – “No. I think you have to move on. I think every week, you’ve got to put your energy and your effort towards the next opponent because if you take your eye off that team and you start worrying about some other things, then you lose a little bit of preparation that you’re going to need for the following week, so that’ll be something you’ll hear from me on a weekly basis. You learn from both wins and losses, and we just try to make the corrections in either case and try to move on, get better, improve and really move on to the next opponent. That’s simply because I really firmly believe that the moments, however – five minutes spent on the last game is five minutes you could spend on the next game, and I don’t know what the difference would be, so we try to move on.”
(WR Allen Hurns got a lot of snaps – I think he was second on the team in wide receiver snaps in that opener. He had kind of a quiet preseason from him, but what do you like about what you’ve seen from him? Obviously he’s a veteran guy.) – “(Allen Hurns is) veteran, tough, blocks in the run game, good hands, tough. I like Allen a lot. (He’s) smart (and) can play multiple positions. (He’s) clean on his assignments most times. I like him. I think he’s a good player.”
(How does the, I guess the uncertainty of whether Patriots WR Antonio Brown is going to play affect how you guys prepare?) – “We’re preparing for everyone, so ‘AB’ (Antonio Brown), (Julian) Edelman, (Josh) Gordon, (Ryan) Izzo, the backs – we’re preparing for everyone. They’ve got a good team. There’s a lot of guys to prepare for but he’s as dynamic as they get from a receiver standpoint, but they’ve got a lot of good players there. We’ve got a big task ahead of us.”
(When S Reshad Jones was on the field last Sunday, how did you feel he performed?) – “I thought he played well. I thought he played well. I think he tackled well. I thought he was aggressive. I thought he played well.”
(I know it varies from week to week. Do you think S Reshad Jones can do more?) – “Yeah. This is an experienced – this is a very good player. This guy’s made a lot of plays in this league. I think he can do a lot, and we’ll try to put him in positions to do that.”
Brian Flores – September 11, 2019 (Conference Call)
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Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Head Coach Brian Flores Conference Call with New England Media
(How’s it been in the football offices this week coming off that loss to the Ravens?) – “We moved on from that one. We got back to practice today. Guys are motivated. Guys are happy to be back out there, put that one behind us and we’re just out here trying to improve and get better.”
(I know you have practiced against Josh McDaniel’s offenses, but is it weird to put together a game plan against Josh for this week?) – “No, it’s like any other week. You watch what the team does. You see what their strengths are. You see what their weaknesses are. You try to attack their weaknesses and try to negate their strengths. It’s like any other week.”
(How different does the Patriots offense look just based on Week 1 from how they looked last season?) – “There are a lot of similarities. A lot of things that I’ve seen in the past. How they utilize their personnel is always a little bit different, but overall there were some similarities.”
(I think after one week, people kind of – knee-jerk reaction was, “Oh, Miami’s rebuilding.” What would you respond to that?) – “I would say every week we’re trying to improve and get better. I think we had a tough game last week. I think the best thing for us was to get back out on the field today and move on, get a practice under our belt and try to improve, get better and look towards the next challenge.”
(What, if anything, did you learn about dealing with early-season adversity during your time with the Patriots?) – “I would say I learned about dealing with adversity, not necessarily through football but through other experiences I’ve had. The lessons I learned in football are definitely a part of that, but I think any time you get knocked down, you’ve got to get back up. I think it makes you stronger. Whatever the situation is – whether it’s football, whether it’s a family situation, a tragedy – I think those things make you stronger. That’s kind of how I deal with any type of adversity.”
(What’s it like facing your former team so early in your coaching career – just your second game?) – “I’ve taken the approach like I do with any other game. The difference is I know a lot of these guys. I have personal relationships with the people throughout the organization. They’re competitors, and they know that I’m a competitor so from that standpoint, there’s just some, I would say some personal relationships there. I’m watching players that I coached, that I spent a lot of time with. That part of it is different, but I think as a professional, you kind of move on from that and you go through your process. We’re trying to do everything we can to help ourselves this week.”
(Having been on both sides of the series now, how would you explain the just consistent difficulties the Patriots have down in Miami when you were with them, and now, being a part of the organization what makes it difficult to play down in your stadium?) – “Well, it’s tough to play on the road anywhere in this league – from a crowd noise standpoint, from a familiarity standpoint, it’s tough to play on the road. Whether it be Miami or Detroit, it’s just hard to play on the road in this league. I just think the Patriots do a really good job of putting pressure on you in all three phases. They’re a well-coached team. They’ve got good players. More times than not, they play well, so that’s what I’m expecting on Sunday.”
(I know it’s just one game, but what stood out to you when you watched the Patriots defense against the Steelers?) – “I thought they played really sound, disciplined football. It was good. A lot of good players, they’ve got a lot of depth. They can make adjustments in-game. They play good football. They’re well-coached.”
(What do you think WR Antonio Brown does for their offense, and is it hard to prepare this week, just because you’ve never seen what he looks like in their offense?) – “This is a dynamic player. They’ve got good coaches there. I’m sure they’ll find a way to get him involved in the offense. They could do it a few different ways. I could sit here and think of a hundred different ways they could do it. I’d probably drive myself crazy trying to do that. I think for us, we’ve got to just know where their key guys are, and those key guys are obviously (Tom) Brady and (Julian) Edelman and James White, Josh Gordon and obviously Antonio Brown. We’ve got to know where they are and do our best to defend them all.”
(Just your impressions of QB Tom Brady after Week 1?) – “The same impression I’ve always had. This is a great player. He’s a great player – a future Hall of Famer. I have nothing but respect for him. Obviously I spent a lot of time with him. I think more of him as a person than as a player, and I’ve got nothing but great things to say about the guy.”
Ryan Fitzpatrick – September 11, 2019
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Wednesday, September 11, 2019
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
(Pretty physical practice today?) – “It was good. It was good. You get one day a week to be in pads out there in practice, and I thought (there was) good energy, a good tempo to the day. (It was) real physical, so I thought we got a lot out of it today.”
(How did a 36-year-old – how do you get through, what you got hit 10 times or so on Sunday?) – “It was good. I still, in a sick way, enjoy that aspect of it a little bit. Getting hit makes me feel more like a football player, kind of as I said in preseason with some of the stuff. That stuff is no big deal. It’s part of the game, and there’s some stuff we’ve got to correct. There are a lot of things I can do better. We just learn from the film and move on, but my body feels good.”
(I wouldn’t imagine though it’s the most sustainable way to go through a season, getting hit like that.) – “I don’t know if you’re trying to make me jinx myself. (laughter) I’ve been pretty healthy throughout my career being able to play through all that stuff.”
(I’m wondering what your kids said to you after the game on Sunday.) – “They were happy to see dad, No. 1. You know what’s amazing – the conversation with my older boys is now mainly about fantasy (football), which just drives me insane. (laughter) And my younger ones – they don’t know what the score is. They just know that they think they saw ‘Dad’ out there. That stuff just always puts it in proper perspective a little bit; but for me, there’s always – especially with my 10 and my 12-year-old, there are always lessons that I want them to be able to watch dad out there playing and for them to figure out or take with them. I think about that a little bit, especially when you’re in a game like that where it’s a struggle and you’re losing and just trying to continue to do your best.”
(Do they have you on their fantasy teams?) – “Oh, yeah.”
(You’re the starting quarterback?) – “You better believe it. (laughter)”
(Do they have any of your receivers?) – “I don’t know. I’m not sure on that one, but they were a lot happier with me in the opener last year than this year. (laughter)”
(What are some of the things you talked about in terms of limiting the hits that you take whether it’s recognizing protection, calling out protection or getting rid of the ball faster or whatever. What are some of the things you might focus on?) – “I think we could do everything better. I don’t think it was one or two things. I think there were a lot of different things that came up. I’m going to try to control the ones I can control. The guys up front will the do the same. The running backs will do the same. There’s a lot of different things that came up, but I think the biggest thing is just working towards limiting some of that stuff moving forward, no matter who was at fault or who needs to get better at it. Just continue to work to do it better and realizing we’re all on the same team and in this together. For me, there’s a lot of communication stuff I could do better and then getting the ball out and all that, there’s a lot of stuff I could get better at.”
(You’re a pretty smart guy. How smart do you have to be against the Patriots defense?) – “They’re a great team, and obviously I’ve played them a bunch. (I have made) 10, 11, 12 starts, something like that against them. I’ve played them quite a bit in different cities, obviously, but they’re a great team and have been for a long time, so it’ll be a tough opponent for us.
(Do you feel more comfortable with Head Coach Brian Flores being a former defensive coordinator and you playing them so many times that the game plan for this week?) – “Every year is different, and being in a new system with new guys, that presents different challenges and obstacles. Every year is a different team on both sides, but for me especially, just being in a new system on a new team, it’s going to be treated differently for sure.”
(How much do you think the communication and I guess the game plan was affected by – you guys had a lot of changes, I guess, up front – last week?) – “I don’t know. I think for two guys to come in basically that week, and for a guy to move, they held up pretty good in terms of the communication and that snap count and the moving parts. I think a lot of that was good, and they worked really hard throughout the week. We all did to kind of hammer that out. I think we’ll continue to get better in that area just with guys being more comfortable with each other and knowing the system a little bit better and knowing how to play off each other a little bit better.”
(Considering how long you guys have been in the league, is it extra special for you, extra competitive when it’s you versus QB Tom Brady?) – “It’s obviously a team game, and it’s never just one quarterback versus the other. I know – not with me, but with the big names – people like to pit them together. I just like to go out there and play. That’s about it. I don’t really mind who’s on the other team.”
(We saw you guys did like a golf tournament with the other AFC East quarterbacks in the offseason. What’s your relationship with those guys since you’ve played?) – “I know (Buffalo Bills QB) Josh (Allen) and (New York Jets QB) Sam (Darnold) a little bit, just from being at events or the same agency or whatever it is together. They’re good dudes. I’ve seen them a couple different times. Obviously being – I played for both those franchises, so just talking to different guys whether it’s equipment guys or training staff or whatever it is, we’ve got some connections here or there.”
(One thing you hear about regarding the Patriots is that Head Coach Bill Belichick will often identity one guy on the opposing team and say, “we’re not going to let this guy beat us.” Is that something you agree with, or what do you see in their defensive philosophy that usually holds true throughout the year?) – “I think he’s got a pretty good track record with it. I think they’re very physical in what they do. I think the experience in the secondary really pops out. I just think they’re very detailed and very good at what they do. (They) know where their help is, all that stuff. It’s a very disciplined defense and a tough, aggressive defense as well. They always present issues for you, and they make you earn it, that’s for sure. They make you earn your yards down the field and your touchdowns.”
(I know it’s probably a coaching decision, but what do you think if you guys won the coin toss, got the ball first on offense, were able to put a drive together instead of playing from behind? What do you think that would do for the offense?) – “We harped on last week starting fast, and that’s something we didn’t do. We’ve definitely got to go out there and start fast, no matter when you have the opportunity. We’ve got to go out there and do a better job with that.”
(Is there anything you said to the guys this week after what happened Sunday?) – “Not really. We’ve just got to come to work, put that behind us and keep going. Keep going, keep practicing hard, getting better at what we do individually and collectively as a team, and then the results will follow.”
(You were probably pretty surprised at the way it kind of snowballed a little bit.) – “I don’t think anybody really saw it going that way; but yeah, like I said, put it behind you and move on.”
(Your kids’ ages?) – “Twelve, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 and 7 months.”
(You’ve got to remember that every year.) – “They’re either evens or odds (laughter). It helps me out a lot. Even if they haven’t all turned yet, I lie about it.”
