Tyreek Hill – December 6, 2024
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Friday, December 6, 2024
WR Tyreek Hill
(You’ve handled everything great this year. Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith was asked yesterday about you not being in on the goal line in that late play. Did that bother you at all? What’s your reaction when you’re not in the game during a critical moment on offense like that?) – “As a teammate, you understand personnel and certain things that coaches are looking for, but as an individual, as a competitor, it sucks because at the end of the day if we don’t score there, I’m going to feel some kind of way. But my mindset and the growth that I’ve had in my career throughout the years is that I’m a teammate now where I’m in a better space and I understand what the coaches are exactly trying to do, so it is what it is. We all have to learn from it as a group, not just the coaches but also as players and we’ve just got to take our wins and losses.”
(Is that something you would discuss Head Coach Mike McDaniel or Pass Game Specialist/Wide Receivers Wes Welker or did you decide not to?) – “No, no, ain’t no bad blood in that. I’m in great spirits regardless of whatever is going on, but at the end of the day, I did have a conversation with Coach (McDaniel). It kind of helped me understand their point of view and exactly what they’re trying to do, so I understand it. Everything is about scheme. These guys do this certain coverage in this area, these guys – we’re looking for this type of scenario in this situation. So just in that scenario, I wasn’t a part of it so it is what it is.”
(When you put that in perspective, how much has WR Tyreek Hill grown now? Because a younger Tyreek probably wouldn’t have sort of receptive to that?) – “I would’ve been hot. I would’ve been cussing somebody out on the sideline. I would’ve been probably on Twitter talking trash like saying, ‘Get me out of here,’ ‘Do this, X, Y, Z, man.’ But I just feel like right now, man, I’ve got to be a great example for the young guys in this locker room, so I feel like if I’m very outspoken, if I’m being a diva about not getting the ball, about not being in the game, those guys are going to be a reflection of who I am because those guys are going to be like, ‘Oh, if 10 can do it, we can do it, too.’ So I really don’t want to bring that kind of negative attention inside of our locker room because the season isn’t going the way that we all planned, so why add even more drama to it?”
(In recent years, have you usually been on the field in those situations inside the opponents five-yard line?) – “Trick question. (laughter)”
(I can do the research. I’ll do the research.) – “Yeah, yeah, I have. Great question. Yes, I have, but I just feel like teams change, coaches change, so schemes change. We all know how it goes. It’s all about trying to get a competitive advantage at the end of the day. Coach (McDaniel) felt like if we went with a heavier personnel, those guys would go all backers or something like that and he’ll be able to throw it like a quick pass to whoever. To me, when I went back and looked at it, I thought it was a great idea. We just had some guys kind of get caught in trash, which is nobody’s fault, so at the end of the day, we’ve just got to be better as a unit. Whoever’s out there on the field, you’ve got to trust and believe those guys are going to make the play so that’s what it all unfolds.”
(Has your wrist felt about the same in the last couple of weeks?) – “Yes, sir, it has. I’ve been doing whatever I can to rest it, to recover it the best way I can. The training staff here, those guys have been doing a great job of allowing me to take days whenever I need it to give me a break from catching, give me a break from blocking. So everything’s been great, man.”
(You’ve been a great sport about lack of deep balls. When a game goes by where you don’t get any of those deep targets, does it bother you at this stage of your career? Do you feel like it’s a part of the offense that needs to be more prominently displayed in the offense?) – “Not really, man, because if you really look at the defenses that we’ve played against, guys aren’t really allowing a deep shot to the Miami Dolphins. Defenses are truly falling in love with playing Cover 2 defense against us. They don’t care about nothing else, don’t care about the run game, don’t care about nothing else. They just want to stop ‘10’ (Tyreek Hill) and ’17’ (Jaylen Waddle) from (references SportsCenter Top 10 music). So at the end of the day, you’ve just got to be a teammate. You’ve got to do whatever the team needs you to do in that moment. If that requires you to block 30 times a game, it requires you to block. If it requires you to run through the middle and open other guys up, then that’s what it takes, because eventually it’s all going to turn soon. We play 17 games for a reason and I feel like if we continue to have the success that we’ve been having which Tua (Tagovailoa) has been playing lights out, defenses are going to change soon and going to be like ‘We’ve got to stop ‘28’ (De’Von Achane), we’ve got to stop ‘31’ (Raheem Mostert), we’ve got to stop Jonnu from catching those quick passes across the middle,’ because those guys are dangerous as well, too.”
(Seems like Jets CB Sauce Gardner’s status is in doubt. What does that do for the Jets defense whether he is able to go or isn’t?) – “Sauce (Gardner) is a great competitor, man. He’s one of the best in the league. He definitely changes the dynamic of how those guys want to play over there, but schematically I think they would try to do some similar things, so I really hope he does play and stays off Twitch.”
(Are you friends with Jets WR Garrett Wilson or Jets WR Davante Adams by chance?) – “No, I’m not friends with either one of those guys.”
Jalen Ramsey – December 6, 2024
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Friday, December 6, 2024
CB Jalen Ramsey
(On facing WR Garrett Wilson and WR Davante Adams) – “It’ll be a matchup. I’m sure I’ll guard him (Garrett Wilson), I’m sure I’ll guard ‘Tae’ (Davante Adams). Same old, same old.”
(Last time, you took sort of a greater role in shadowing Garrett Wilson for that game, but do you think now that WR Davante Adams is in the mix there’ll be more mixing and matching?) – “We’ll see.”
(What’s unique about WR Davante Adams’ skill set?) – “He has good releases, has good connection with his quarterback, has good routes. Yeah, been a top receiver in the league for a number of years.”
(How about WR Garrett Wilson? Same question.) – “Same, kind of – they’re different a little bit. Just different style, Garrett is a young guy coming into his own, still even. Getting that chemistry with A-Rod (Aaron Rodgers) this year, obviously. But they’re both the guys of their offense, getting those targets.”
(What do you think of facing QB Aaron Rodgers? Because he wasn’t around when you guys met up with them last year, two times.) – “Yeah, he can make all the throws, has good ball placement, has good chemistry with his guys, is obviously the leader of their whole organization, I guess you could say, so yeah.”
(I’m sure it will be good to have CB Kendall Fuller back, assuming he clears today. What have you appreciated about him as a teammate, learned about him this year being a teammate of him?) – “I’ve known Kendall (Fuller) for a long time. Me and Kendall knew each other in high school, we were like 16 or something like that. So it’s always been a lot of love and respect there. Then him being my teammate, obviously, we’ve both been in the league the same amount of years. He has a lot of knowledge as well. We try to help each other, help the young guys out. I feel like we play off each other pretty well in certain things that we do.”
(What would it feel like to have – if CB Kendall Fuller was able to play and then CB Kader Kohou coming back, to have that tandem all together when it seemed like last game it was just every cornerback that was going in was dropping?) – “I mean that’s football in general; injuries happen and you’ve got to adjust and other guys go in there. But it’s always good to have all your main guys in there together, being able to flow and try to go make some plays with the team.”
(If you could think about the big picture for a second, the first 12 games of this season. How would you describe the first 12 games?) – “NFL – lots of ups and downs. A lot of adversity that we had to overcome. Overcame it sometimes, sometimes we didn’t. Yeah, that’s about it.”
(What’s been the biggest surprise?) – “Our record.”
(You mentioned ups and downs, what’s the most important thing this team needs to do to finish on an up?) – “Keep working – that’s it, it’s simple. It’s not a secret formula. Got to keep working, got to be very intentional. Focus on details, all the little things. At the end of the day, just got to keep going, our mindset, have to believe really and keep going. Because yeah, it’s the NFL; everything is not going to go your way a lot of times, but you’ve got to keep going. You’ve got to overcome things and you’ve got to push through a lot of things. But at the end of the day, you’ve got to truly believe that you’re going to be able to do all of that.”
Mike McDaniel – December 6, 2024
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Friday, December 6, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Three defenders – is CB Kendall Fuller out of concussion protocol? How’s it looking for CB Kader Kohou and LB Anthony Walker Jr.?) – “(Kendall) Fuller first – Fuller, he is appropriately within it, hoping that practice and then the part of the process after practice, hopeful that he’ll be through it this afternoon, so we’ll wait and see on that. Then Kader (Kohou) and Anthony Walker will both – I’m optimistic about both but I say ‘optimism’ and ‘pessimism’ when I’m trying to be clear that’s assuming that there’s no setbacks and how they feel after. But it’s been positive for them this week and we’ll see what that lends.”
(How about your two tackles, T Terron Armstead and T Kendall Lamm?) – “They love football and they find different ways to prove it. I think I’ve felt good about Terron (Armstead) in much more physically dire situations. I think that being said, we’ll make sure that he’s feeling good and I’m not going to put him out there if he’s not capable, but I feel optimistic about it, whatever that means. And then Kendall Lamm had a very good week in terms of getting his body right. I feel optimistic about him, too, but in the process, we’ve also been able to get some guys some reps, much needed reps in case my optimism is in vain and one or both can’t go.”
(LB Bradley Chubb?) – “Bradley Chubb. Him – we’ll call them the ‘window dudes.’ The window dudes – we had three of them this week – and you want to talk about needing all three days. It’s one thing if you’re in-season, you’ve played football during the season and whatever. We’re talking about just today being a third of the evaluation process, so going into it, Chris (Grier) and I had been very firm with ourselves and disciplined to, all right, let’s let Friday go through. Let’s talk to the players and then we’ll have concrete discussions on what that means, but I think it is a lot to expect. I think you don’t expect any one of those three guys to be able to play; however you leave it open because again, you let the process play out with a third of that process left and then we’ll assess from there.”
(This year against the Jets you won’t get to see your old coaching mate, Robert Saleh. What did you think of how that all went down?) – “I get to see – I coached with Jeff Ulbrich as well. Did you know that? In Atlanta. I’m old. I have so many of my own problems for me to weigh in on anything that’s outside Dolphins. I think it’s kind of worthless because it’s not very educated; I guess I’m assuming that everybody else is having a glorious sunny day all the time, so I don’t really have much to say other than that. I want to beat the Jets regardless of whatever coach is coaching there, and I think our team does as well.”
(Just a little housekeeping, a word we like to use, the LB Tyus Bowser and CB Cam Smith injuries. Were they season-ending or if you need them back could they play again this year?) – “At the beginning of December it is always tricky; however, it’s up in question because it’s around that time – basically will you do the follow-up question, ‘Will they be ready for training camp?’ I think they’ll be ready for training camp. (laughter) But whether or not they’re back in the season, we’re leaving that up open to their bodies.”
(With RB Raheem Mostert has the hip impacted how many carries you and Associate Head Coach/Running Backs Eric Studesville have given him? I think it’s been 10 these last four weeks. Has that been a factor at all with him?) – “I think there’s a lot of factors at hand. I think he’s been an unbelievable teammate in the process. He’s had a couple things pop up that it wouldn’t be fair to his body to over-press him. I think it’s important to me that with a very talented backfield that everyone gets opportunities; sometimes they come in waves. I think again – I’ve said it before – but there’s a lot less to do with Raheem’s not doing something or can’t and much more to do with multiple talented players that are taking advantage of opportunities as well. I wouldn’t ever – specifically with Raheem Mostert on this team – I wouldn’t ever put him in a box in terms of ‘this is what his contribution will look like always’ and I know he can help us win this season. So when and what that looks like, there will be a lot of factors that I can’t give up the game plan.”
(One matchup for Sunday – LB Chop Robinson for the first time will go against his former college teammate Olu Fashanu. What do you think of how Chop is progressing now going into that matchup?) – “That will be a cool. That’s a cool situation that you just bring light to in terms of you have guys that are used to practicing against each other and then the National Football League demands a lot of different adjustments in technique and play. So any time you get rookie college teammates going against each other, it’s easy to assume you know exactly how the other person plays and then you get to the game and see how the NFL season has adjusted their game and where that puts them matchup-wise. I think it’s a competitive situation with two talented players that should be a fun matchup within the matchups for this game.”
(What do you think of the Jets pass rush?) – “It’s ever-present. Like I said, I have a high regard for Coach (Jeff) Ulbrich, worked with him, and same as Coach (Aaron) Whitecotton; in San Francisco, I worked with him as well. They do an unbelievable job of getting guys to fully commit to a relentless approach at pass rush. So they present two problems – early in the down and late in the down. Their get off is as good as it gets in terms of coming off the ball and utilizing their technique. And then the one thing that is pervasive is they make a lot of plays in the run and pass game, but as pass rushers, they make a lot of plays late in the down as well and those are generally the most impactful in games because that’s where turnovers, whether that be sack-fumbles or pressure interceptions; this system of defense thrives on it. It’s almost a non-negotiable for that scheme is to have a pass rush that can go, and they are well-equipped to be a dominant phase of football at any given time because that pass rush.”
(Did you see the game last night? Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell fourth and inches call to run out the clock before the game winning field goal?) – “I did not see it, but I’ve heard Detroit has gone for it on fourth down. Were you debating him? Did you think he should do it?”
(A lot of people have.) – “Did it work out?”
(It worked out, yeah. Got the first down.) – “At the end of football games, I think it’s important, at least for me, to understand that the only right answer is the one that works. So in that, you have to stay true to what it takes to win the game, and I regard and respect people that understand that they’re probably going to get some heat if it doesn’t work out. But if you stay connected to the idea of ‘whatever it takes to win the game – you’re always going to get the heat as a head coach or a play caller or a decision maker when it doesn’t work out, so to prioritize that not being your motivation, which it doesn’t seem like it’s Coach (Dan) Campbell’s.”
(We haven’t had a chance to talk to you yet since FB Alec Ingold was nominated as the Dolphins Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee. I just wanted to get your perspective on what makes Alec a good candidate for that?) – “Well the Man of the Year; I think Alec Ingold best embodies how to succeed in life and how to take things that on the front end, for sure, he had a lot of adversity interwoven into the way he started in the world. And so adversity is ever-present to everyone, it’s all relative, but one or two things happen. Generally it’s very difficult to take that adversity and make it purposeful and that’s what he has done by taking all of his time, his services and giving back into the community to those that he knows that – in the least, it’s someone that has taken some obstacles and flourished in them. I think he’s a motivating and inspiring person and I’m just so glad that a guy that I didn’t know personally, that came to us in 2022, the more people that can know about Alec Ingold and what he has to offer this world; if we could all take a good measurement as if we could all do like Alec and take perceived adversity and make it the engine that drives your life force into making the world a better place. I mean he fits the bill and on top of that, he’s a captain at a position that you have to earn those stripes with nothing other than daily accountability, effort, mentality, toughness. I can’t say enough good things about the human being, the player and I’m just glad he’s – he needs to be a focal point for what professional athletes are capable of and can do for their community and the sport and leaving the sport better than when he got to it.”
Calais Campbell – December 5, 2024
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Thursday, December 5, 2024
DT Calais Campbell
(How much do you think this rest is going to help you guys close moving forward to take on a team like the Jets?) – “Hopefully it helps a lot, we’ll see. At this point in time of the season, everybody’s beat up and bruised. It was just mental toughness; who’s the most resilient and who has the most fight inside of them. Even with the extra couple days, it’s still whatever week it is in the season. It’s all heart and ‘want to.’
(How happy are you guys just to be back home?) – “I’m very happy to be back home. Our fan base, they bring a lot of energy on game day and make it a lot more fun when you make plays. When you make a big play and the crowd goes crazy, that’s a special feeling. You never take that for granted, so being home, I’m looking forward to it. Hopefully we make a lot of plays and win this ball game.”
(What did you say to FB Alec Ingold when you found out he was going to be nominated for the second time for the Walter Payton Man of the Year?) – “I haven’t talked to him yet. I haven’t had the chance to talk to him but I’m going to definitely give him his congratulations. I mean he’s such a great guy; a force on the field, a force in the locker room as a leader and obviously he’s doing great stuff for the community and just a guy that I admire a lot.”
(He said he heard you speak when you won the Walter Payton Man of the Year, and he said you were a real inspiration in what he thought he could do as a player in the NFL.) – “Wow. That’s awesome. That’s what you do it for, right? When I won and had to get up there and give a speech, the main motivation was to inspire people to do more. And so to hear that, that’s pretty sweet. That’s what it’s all about.”
(He was a rookie, and he was there for something else, but he was probably obviously, maybe in awe of you or maybe he didn’t want to go up to you. So now that you know, how cool is that?) – “It’s very cool – the fact that he was a rookie is crazy. (laughter) It has been a while though. I’ll say that he’s just a guy that I admire. To have any kind of influence on the next generation of younger people to go out there and do great things in the community, that’s a great honor. Obviously, there’s a lot of people that are in need in this world and for us, we’re extremely fortunate and blessed to be able to play this game. Sometimes, especially when football isn’t going the way you want it to go sometimes, being in the community just puts things in perspective. We still have this incredible job; we still have the ability to impact people and affect lives, so it’s a great feeling and I’m happy for him. I think he’s very worthy of the nomination and I hope he wins it all.”
(Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver talked about the importance of a pass rush on getting home to QB Aaron Rodgers, I’m sure you’ve played against him before. Why is it so important for you guys to be kind of coming after him on Sunday?) – “I feel like every game is important for pass rush, but when you have a quarterback that can make every throw and has done it a thousand times before, you’ve got to try to make him uncomfortable. So you’ve got to get in his face, you’ve got to get him off the spot, you have to get him just kind in positions he doesn’t want to be in. Now he also makes plays in uncomfortable situations too, so he’s kind of a guy that you have to always worry about. But you give yourself the best chance to win by getting him off his spot, getting to him, get him down, hitting him – that’s always the formula in my mind. I like to have influence and know that we’re the reason why we’re winning ball games and so we have to get to him early and get to him often.”
(I’m curious if you have any thoughts on the College Football Playoff and the University of Miami getting slightly left behind.) – “Yeah, I’ve been having some disagreements with some of my friends that played for other teams, like Alabama. I feel a certain kind of way. I feel a certain kind of way. I think that Miami should be in the playoffs. I think that the team is capable of beating anybody, and we can put up points at the highest level. Obviously, the selection committee has a tough job on their hands because there’s so many teams that feel like they’re worthy, but I don’t see how you could watch Miami every game and think they’re not one of the best 12 teams and have a chance to compete for a national championship, I just don’t see it. It is what it is; you can’t cry over spilled milk. And we should have won those games, but you lose two games against teams that are pretty good teams on the road, last second, they’re close ball games. It’s not like we got dominated like some teams did, we just lost a tough ball game on the road which is turnovers and everything that played a role. Now, I guess people say that we don’t have any big wins, but you can only beat who’s on your schedule. You can’t go and schedule better competition so you can beat better people, you just go beat who’s in front of you. But I think that even the way – I wish Georgia Tech would have beat Georgia. They had it won and then Georgia kid made a heck of a play on that fourth-and-one forcing a fumble – because he got the first down, but he forced the fumble, gave his team a chance to win and found a way to win in eight overtimes and so you have to tip your hat to them. But I think if Georgia Tech wins that ball game, I think they can’t not put Miami in; but it’s just circumstantial football, that’s all it is.”
(What did DT Da’Shawn Hand say about it earlier?) – “I mean (Da’Shawn) Hand, I didn’t actually talk to him directly, but I talked to a lot of other guys that played for Alabama. I’ve been going back and forth – I’m sick. I’m sick to my stomach but it’s football. At the end of the day, control what you can control. If you win your ball games, you don’t got to worry about it. You make it hard on yourself when you lose, but I think that team right there is good enough to win a national championship this year. They’ve come a long way, because it didn’t used to feel that way. So it’s good to be back in that kind of mentality. Maybe they come to light one more week and they fix their mistake, but if not, it’s still cool to see that we have a shot.”
(Has the topic come up with QB Tua Tagovailoa and WR Jaylen Waddle, or only DT Da’Shawn Hand?) – “No, a bunch of guys. I’ve been talking to all the guys that I played with before that played for Alabama. I’ve been pretty much – anybody I know that played at Alabama, I’ve been picking a fight with because I feel like we should be in before them, but it is what it is.”
(What do you think about LB Chop Robinson in this matchup against T Olu Fashanu, his former college teammate?) – “I think that’s very beneficial for us, because he has familiarity with him and that’s one of the biggest things that rookies don’t really have. So it kind of allows him to be more of a vet for this week and hopefully it pays off. Obviously, it goes both ways, because he also is familiar with Chop (Robinson) too from all the time they practiced and stuff. We’ll see how it goes, but I like our chances because Chop is developing to be a pretty good player. He’s getting his confidence, you can see, he’s getting to where he wants to be, so I’m getting excited for him.”
(One last thing on the Miami thing, does three losses for Alabama compared to two for Miami – does wins and losses have to factor in more to this? I know they value the SEC and probably undervalue the ACC, but does just your record have to factor more into the decision?) – “I think so, and I also think the SEC this year is not the same as it’s been in years past. I don’t know if it’s because of the NIL, whatever it is, but the parity across the league, across all conferences has been way different. I’ve seen a lot of SEC teams lose early in the year when they played against teams outside the conference and then go into the conference and dominate. I don’t get it, but it is what it is. But I think the record should matter too. They got three losses and only one of them I think is a ‘good loss’ in theory, if there is a good loss. Once again though, if you win, you don’t have to worry about it, but I do think that they’re overvaluing the SEC this year. I guess when the playoffs come and we see what happens, we’ll see how it goes. I am an avid football fan; I love football, and I think the playoffs is a great addition, going to 12 teams instead of four. Just more football, more games that matter, it’s good for the sport. I’m just happy that we have these conversations, but I do wish Miami was there.”
(What sort of history might you have with QB Aaron Rodgers, good or bad? Any games stand out?) – “Quite a few, quite a few histories with Aaron Rodgers. We used to train together for a while, so I know him personally. He also went to junior college with my brother, so I remember when my brother was in college he was like, ‘Man, we got this guy. He’s an NFL player,’ and I’m like, ‘At Butte Junior College? Come on, man. What?’ Turned out to be Aaron Rodgers, so he probably could be a scout because he knew what he was looking at. (laughter) Then competing against him on the field, I’ve probably played against him, I don’t know how many times, it’s a big handful. I feel like it’s been kind of back and forth, of course, but there’s definitely a couple games that stand out. I did get to him three times one game, so that was kind of nice.”
(I was going to ask you if you sacked him.) – “Yeah, it would be nice to get to him three times again, I don’t know if that’s happening though. I don’t know if I get enough opportunities these days anymore. It would be nice to have an old vintage matchup with an old time great. One of the first old-timers still hanging around, it’s a little easier for a quarterback than it is for a d-lineman, but he is still impressive. He can still make every throw, he’s scrambling around back there, making guys miss, throwing the ball down the field. At moments you see brilliance like it’s still the same guy that it was 10 years ago when we were competing.”
Alec Ingold – December 5, 2024
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Thursday, December 5, 2024
FB Alec Ingold
(This is your second nomination here. What does this mean to you?) – “I think that Walter Payton’s legacy was always about greatness on and off the field. The way he ran the ball was elegant. It was beautiful. And the work that he’s done, his entire family, the foundation and the legacy that they’ve been able to provide beyond his life has been inspiring to the entire organization, to the entire country. And the impact that’s been able to have just being associated with this award means a lot to me and my family. I take it extremely important. It’s a lot of responsibility and I think it lays a groundwork for work to be done in the community beyond your playing days while you’re doing it, leading by example and being able to set up this next generation for success. So just trying to do right by that award, by that name and by this league and this organization. I feel like all those responsibilities play a role in this recognition and this season of football that we’re in.”
(Last year you had this nomination and you were honored at NFL Honors with the other nominees from the 31 other teams. What did you take from being around those other nominees?) – “It’s a lot of guys doing really cool things and being able to be in a roundtable form with those, to be able to break bread and see all of the work that’s being done; I think it’s extremely inspiring. I think the challenge for the 32 nominees, to truly take this recognition, this moment and to be able to not only lead out in the communities but also the locker room, everything you’re doing, walking with your families; I feel like that group of guys is constantly trying to uplift one another so the past couple times I’ve been able to be a part of those rooms, I always leave it more hungry, more fulfilled, more inspired to do more work because of the environment that’s created around the Super Bowl, around NFL Honors, so I wouldn’t expect anything less this year.”
(Speaking of which you have a new teammate this year who is a former Walter Payton Man of the Year winner across the whole league, so how cool has it been to have DT Calais Campbell here and maybe have some of those conversations?) – “It’s a full circle moment for me being in the leadership council with Calais and working with him day in and day out. I don’t think I’ve ever told him this, but at the NFL Honors awards in 2019 when he won it, I was there with Josh Jacobs. He had brought me while he was going through the Offensive Rookie of the Year deal, and as a rookie you’re trying to figure out what you want to do in the league, right? You’re trying to figure out, okay, there’s all these activations, the signings, who you’re kind of looking up to. And I was really lost and trying to find what path I wanted to walk down in the NFL, and as soon as Calais gave his speech, I knew in my heart that that’s something that I wanted to do. I wanted to walk down that path and I wanted to embody all the work that he had put in, and it was extremely inspiring seeing him get his standing ovation and the work that he did through his foundation, through his family’s name. So it’s been pretty cool to have that full circle moment, going to work with him every single day, seeing that patch on his jersey and seeing how he walks that walk.”
(What are some of the things that you guys have been able to do with the Ingold Family Foundation that you’re proud of?) – “I think just sharing our story, being advocates for youth that have been adopted like myself, being a voice for those in foster care looking to become adopted. And at the end of the day, just bringing those messages of family into living rooms – whether it’s education, football camps – the events we do are cool, but being able to look somebody in the eye and tell them to call somebody and tell them they love them, right? And feel that connection, feel that vulnerability. The ‘relatableness’ that happens in those environments, it’s everything. It brings purpose to my work on the field, brings purpose to my life at every step that I walk, so being able to be an advocate for those that have been adopted and are looking to be adopted brings great joy in my life.”
(I know that that’s the cause for My Cause My Cleats for you. Tell me about taking advantage of this platform that you’re given as an athlete with My Cause My Cleats?) – “I think the NFL, the Dolphins as a whole, as an organization being able to utilize the platform that we have; they do a great job of allowing us to have these moments, to share our stories, to bring eyes, ears, attention to amazing causes that are happening in our lives because day to day we’re talking X’s and O’s, we’re getting into the nitty gritty of things and all of a sudden you bring kind of that bigger picture into things. I think it kind of reminds everybody just being a better person, doing things right just because that’s the integrity you should be walking with. All those messages I think are extremely important and My Cause My Cleats is a great reminder. Every step that we’re taking, we’re walking with an organization, a community, someone we’ve came from, stories that have been shared. So I think it’s a great opportunity and the Dolphins do a great job allowing us to share our platform and share our voices.”
(Two-part question for you – first, I know you talked a lot on the NBC special about what it would be like to go home, so first question is what was it like for you to go home, play in that stadium? And then additionally to that, I think towards the end of that special you mentioned one of the best parts would be seeing a bunch of people who are from the same place and looking at you and having that moment – has there been any moment since then that someone has come up to you and really shared some sort of affinity for what you talked about there?) – “I think going home was special. I think it’s a very historic place to play a football game, especially Thanksgiving, snow game. I think those are the moments that I’ve dreamed of as a kid being able to be part of. I’m glad it wasn’t my first time, so I was able to lock in at the job at hand and make sure I was doing right by the team and what we needed to do execution-wise. But I think for the family at-large, to be able to just have to drive 15 minutes down the street to go watch the Dolphins play some football was, I think that was really cool for them. It was a special moment for my family to celebrate Thanksgiving that way. And yeah, I think when you go to that special – we talk about the Ingold Family Foundation, all the work that we do serving those kids; I see myself in those kids through core traumas, through tough conversations, whatever environments we’re creating. So being able to be on that field and hoping that some of those kids could see themselves out on the football field, I think was special. Obviously, a lot of outreach through social media, through our website, opportunities to continue this work. And I think that’s the power of this platform and doing right by it, using it. Y’all as the media, you give us so much grace and opportunities to impact beyond what we do on the field, and I think that the more work, the more stories that are being shared from y’all allow for these kids to feel extremely special. And you never know the residual impact. I know we can look at numbers and clicks and you can go through all the analytics of things, but you can’t measure that one kid who gets it. And I think that’s where the power of us working together, this entire organization working together, I think that’s where real magic happens.”
(What do you think when you think about meeting up with the other 31 nominees for the Walter Payton Man of the Year and just kind of sharing your guys’ stories together?) – “I think it’s extremely humbling and you hope that you do right by that opportunity, and like I said earlier, I think it really is a motivating sense of continuing to do good, continuing to do right, walking with that integrity that Walter Payton did in his life and building a network of guys across the league that are wired the same way, have their hearts in the same place. The vehicles can be different, the foundations can be different, the communities can be different; but that intention is the same. So when you’re aligned that way, I think it’s an extremely special place to be a part of.”
Frank Smith – December 5, 2024
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Thursday, December 5, 2024
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(It had been such a good running team last year and for much of this year – 2.96 yards per carry the last four weeks. Has the quality of the blocking you’re getting, not just from the offensive line but other positions, diminished considerably during those four games?) – “I don’t think it’s diminished considerably; I think that we’re close. We had an explosive run called back. Ball got outside and ‘Reek’ (Tyreek Hill) lost leverage on the corner and he got called for a holding; otherwise that was going to be an explosive run, and normally what happens is once you get one of those runs going, things get going. That’s where you build the momentum. You get in your groove blocking, and I just think that’s where we’re trying to get back to. It’s just get that groove, that rhythm and what we’re doing; however ultimately for us it’s that how do we maintain efficiency and score points? That’s ultimately what we’re doing. Defense presents different variables that we have to adjust to and as long as that we’re maintain our efficiency and gaining yards to score, that’s ultimately what we’re trying to do.”
(I meant to ask Head Coach Mike McDaniel yesterday and I forgot. That fourth – four-down series against Green Bay early in the fourth quarter, why wasn’t WR Tyreek Hill on the field?) – “We were down inside the tight red zone and once we got in there, we liked our heavier personnel groups trying to invite a defense to run on and we just didn’t execute. We were close on two of the plays and then the last one we just didn’t execute well. I think that’s the thing that when we look at from the game, is that you can’t talk about many different things, however, it’s execution. You change four plays in that game, outcome could be drastically different and that’s what we need to improve on.”
(It looked like WR Malik Washington missed a block there in the first run?) – “Yeah, it was the angle of like the way he thought the safety was going to trigger on the run, he stayed back so it changed his angle. He had to change his angle to get him so it’s like when you think he’s in run-fit safety, you think that he’s going to see the run and trigger so your angle is going to have to be flat at first. He kept backing up and then when the ball bounced, you’re now out-leveraged. So he played it more like it was (inaudible) and he was backing up almost like kind of two-ish, so it just changed his angle and it’s the difference between getting the ball down inside the five and scoring. So it’s a learning lesson, but it’s not the first time it happened. When you’re anticipating the corner’s run fit, then he backs up and you’re just out-leveraged. So if we were in the open field, say we’re on the minus-40, there’s more space to it, but when you get low in that, when you cut into it, that’s where all of a sudden, he has room to catch up to you.”
(But WR Tyreek Hill isn’t a part of the in close package, the red zone package or…?) – “Yeah, he’s in there. It’s just that play, that one, he was out. And then when we got in there, we were going heavier personnel groupings that he just wasn’t in there. It wasn’t anything intentional. It was just the grouping for what we were doing.”
(I wanted to ask you about this week’s practice. Obviously we know T Terron Armstead is on a very low practice, limited snap count for the moment. But now you’ve got T Kendall Lamm with the elbow injury. T Patrick Paul, obviously you need him at left tackle because Terron is not there, but I’d also view him as viable starting option at right tackle. How do you balance that work in terms of if you need him at right tackle to come from that need you have?) – “You balance it through individual periods, scout team. You use all available tools in the practice day to make sure that all the variables are getting done, so you can do one variable and then in scout team you can do another variable and individual, you can do another variable. So I know Butch (Barry) and the guys, they make sure they’re always constantly using all the time available to make sure we’re all the work, plus walkthroughs and stuff like that.”
(You’ve coached that position. How difficult is it for a tackle to from left to right?) – “Not as easy as you think, but at the same time you get used to the versatility unless you – when you’re the starter it’s a little bit less, but ultimately at the end of the day, to play that position, being versatile and being able to do both sides is helpful. I was a left guard for three years and I was at center and tackle before all that, and once you get into a routine of certain things, that was three years, then it was all of a sudden like you go to the other side and it’s kind of like, what do I do over here? So that’s why we were trying to maintain versatility constantly with the guys.”
(With T Patrick Paul, where would you say he is in the evaluation and the assessment? Because he got a starting opportunity earlier in the season and then everybody didn’t have glowing reviews of him. Where is he in that development right now?) – “I think the greatest thing about your rookie year, it’s always the hardest and your expectations; you go out, you get an opp and then you learn, you grow, stick the process. For us right now, we’re seeing really good signs with his development and we’re really excited for his future with us.”
(I wanted to follow up on the question about the four downs opportunity on the Packers goal line. On the fourth down, it was some bad luck where FB Alec Ingold kind of tripped over T Kendall Lamm’s foot that took him out of the play. In your opinion, did QB Tua Tagovailoa maybe have a chance to pull a trigger on TE Durham Smythe or was he covered too tightly on that play?) – “Potentially. It was one where the variable of what we anticipated, they kind of gave us a little bit a different look, but ultimately that whole sequence is something that we really think if we could’ve executed that better could have helped us in the game. So to your guys’ point, when you look at it you can say certain areas, but we look at just a couple drives of final execution; if we could make sure that we improve upon that, that’ll be the thing that’ll help us going forward.”
(Can a short yardage situation – not just that one – but let’s just say fourth-and-1 at midfield, if you want to go for it and you want to keep the ball on the ground, which running back do you most have confidence in to get that yard whether the blocking is there or whether he was the move the pile himself?) – “Which one specifically? ‘Which child is your favorite, Frank?’ (laughter) I think we have confidence in all of our guys. The way we build the packaging, it’s not necessarily, ‘Hey, it’s him over him.’ It’s that we try to go into games and knowing that all right, in certain areas, we want to make sure we’re giving the guys and spreading the adequate reps. So I have confidence in all of our backs to be able to do what we need to do in critical moments like that.”
(Is there any team in your mind, besides Philadelphia, where it doesn’t matter what defensive look you’re getting on third and one, or goal line from the one or two-yard line, “We’re going to run the ball no matter what look you give us,” – does it work, you think well, for anyone against Philly or is it unwise to force your will physically certain defensive looks?) – “I don’t know. Philly does their sneak thing and everyone tried to implement the same thing and they’re really the only ones that have had maintained success with it. I think ultimately, it’s like there’s certain elements of core concepts and principles that you believe that you can execute versus all things, and there’s other plays that you want to use to attack the defense and the variabilities and the structural conflicts that you think you can get. I think it’s a balance of core principles that you believe in that you want to get done, like we want to be able to run strong side outside zone and we want to be able to run complementary runs off of those principles. We want to be able to run play(-action) pass off of the same thing and make sure we distribute the ball. So it’s like there’s principles that start and point the drive out that you’re saying, ‘We need to do this because it’s our core beliefs and convictions,’ so I think that’s your driving force in anything you do and then each week you have your variables for the attack of the opponent.”
(What keeps you up at night about the Jets’ defense? Is it the defensive line? The secondary? What specifically?) – “They have a very good front. There are guys who’ve played together in the same system for a while. They’re very versed at their coverage system. They have played really good defense and they’re extremely disruptive. So I think there’s certain – I mean obviously it’s easy to say their rush because they are very talented, but overall, their defense, they’re a challenge. No opponent in the league is anything that you can ever say, ‘Hey, it’s this.’ It’s going to be an opponent that’s ready to play for us, and I think all areas of their defense, when they work together, is obviously very formidable – that’s why they’ve been an upper-level defense. So I think it’s never one thing, it’s all things because you got to weigh in all of the areas as far as your plan for the game planning.”
(What went into the decision to make QB Tyler Huntley the backup quarterback, or the primary backup this week – or moving forward, I don’t know what the answer to that question is.) – “I just think his overall, the way that – you’d say when he came into the game, if we didn’t have turnovers in the Indy game, we feel like that game could have gone into our favor because of the way we were running the football. A couple little miscues, but ultimately when ‘Snoop’ (Tyler Huntley) was in there, we were operating efficiently. His ability to execute and distribute, we just feel like was a good addition and that’s why we felt like that’s the route we wanted to go.”
(What is the hope for QB Skylar Thompson moving forward?) – “We still have confidence in Skylar (Thompson) and we know it. We just felt like with Snoop (Tyler Huntley) right now, with what he’s able to bring and a certain area of also his mobility, playing outside, extending plays was something that was always good. Especially when your starter has a certain skill set in the pocket and your backup has a different skill set. That’s a challenge on the defense when all of a sudden, your game plan goes towards pocket passer distribution, there’s another who has extending plays and has mobility, having that balance is also because it changes a gameplan for defensive coaches.”
(Overloaded offensive line, this team has short yardage issues. Why isn’t that we haven’t seen a sixth offensive lineman work on the line in those situations yet?) – “For us, it’s we like using our tight ends and we like the versatility that tight ends give us. In my time in New Orleans, we used heavy offensive linemen a bunch, and when I was in Los Angeles we used heavy offensive linemen a bunch. It’s like, ‘OK, what do you do?’ It’s either run or action. A few teams use linemen and do things outside of the conventional norms, so we like the ability of having tight ends with – as we view it – a complete skill set that allow us to do our full offensive output. But it’s on us as coaches to make sure we put them in positions where we run schemes that are complementary to their skill set. Because most times, guys when they bring in the sixth offensive lineman, they all run the same play. They run power, no puller and try to mash it up in there, and we don’t run that stuff. We run outside zone. So it’s like you’re going to put a sixth offensive lineman who’s going to man reach a nine-technique playing in space that’s on the edge, that’s better for a tight end’s skill set, that’s what we try and do.”
(Would you consider using QB Tyler Huntley in short yardage now that he’s active?) – “I mean it’s an option as we go through each week and just what’s the defense and how does it present itself. It’s not outside the realm of possibility, ultimately though, we’re just going to use the guys that are available and what is necessary to make sure that – core principle, maximizing efficiency of our offensive production to score points. So all options are always on the table.”
Anthony Weaver – December 5, 2024
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Thursday, December 5, 2024
Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver
(How much was LB Tyus Bowser missed in terms of setting the edge last Thursday? What does LB Mohamed Kamara need to do at this point needs to do to get to play?) – “Tyus (Bowser), whether he was missed, yeah, of course. I think Tyus has a presence out there, he’s just familiar with the scheme and he’s been through a lot of battles, particularly in those situations. But I don’t want to take anything away from ‘Q’ (Quinton) Bell. I thought ‘Q’ Bell went out there and played really well and continues to flourish when he gets opportunities, so excited about him. As far as Mo (Kamara) is concerned, he’s just a very young player who’s still trying to earn trust amongst his teammates and that only comes through consistent, repeated, positive action. When he’s out there, can he make plays, can he be impactful? Yes. As the games become more important, it’s hard to live through some of those potential rookie mistakes that can occur. Again pleased with where he’s trending, but practice is very much different than games against the opposing competition, particularly when you’re vying for playoff spots and things of that nature. As he continues to grow in his technique and fundamentals, his attention to detail and scheme, he’ll earn more reps.”
(Does LB Bradley Chubb look to you like he’s ready to play? I know that’s a decision that you, General Manager Chris Grier and Head Coach Mike McDaniel et cetera will make collectively, but how close does he look to you to being able to help in an NFL game?) – “That’s difficult to say; I’m basing it off like seven full speed reps. I’m really just incredibly happy for the kid. I know the work he’s put forth just to get to this point. I’m sure it’s going to be some time just to gain confidence and get back to where he feels comfortable going out there and playing in an NFL game.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel noted that on film he saw some guys stopping their feet on defense, not running through the tackle. In all your years of experience, do you believe that that could be a result of the cold?) – “No. It’s one of those things where, as a coach, you’re always trying to predict what’s going to happen in the game. Our poor tackling in this showing was certainly one I didn’t see coming. Was it the cold? Who knows. Was it playing on a Thursday? Who knows. It could be a variety of things. You got to give credit to them, right, just in terms of breaking tackles. Josh Jacobs is not an easy guy to bring down. Do we need to be better in our technique and fundamentals and like wrapping up, driving our feet, not diving off the diving board? Absolutely, but I certainly wouldn’t attribute that to the cold. I’ve coached in Houston where we’ve gone to Green Bay and we’ve won, a number of places where it hasn’t been a concern. I certainly wouldn’t put that on the weather.”
(CB Storm Duck, the first quarter, the touchdown pass in front of him and then the RB Josh Jacobs run, he’s there. What about the teaching moments? I’m not criticizing him at all, I know he’s had a good rookie season. Do you put your arm around him? Do you yell at him? Does that depend on how each guy is? What’s your policy on that?) – “No, each one of these experiences for him are new. It was unfortunate in that particular game, the plays that kind of hit us, he was right by and really had a negative impact on those plays. They’re all learning experiences, and you try to make sure he understands why he didn’t have success on those particular plays and coach him through them. That way when those same plays present themselves again, he’ll now make the play with confidence. It does me no good just yelling at a kid, particularly if you don’t know if he’s been in those situations and you as a coach have kind of coached him through it so he can have the success. That’s all we try to do with him. Again, I have so much confidence in that kid. He’s stepped up for us in huge situations and certainly not going to lose confidence in him now.”
(I say QB Aaron Rodgers. You say?) – “Future Hall of Famer. He’s a stud. He’s one of the few guys left in the league that I’ve played with, right? Him and Calais (Campbell) and Marcedes Lewis would be another one. Has all the arm talent in the world, a lot like (Matthew) Stafford where there isn’t anything he hasn’t seen. A lot of times, if you’re not great with your disguise on what you’re showing pre-snap, he’s going to figure it out. You’re going to try to do everything you can to try to affect him with your rush, because that’s probably the one thing that he can’t really control. I’m going to put a lot of onus on the guys up front to have a good game, and when we do bring pressure, it’ll be calculated.”
(Did you sack Aaron Rodgers?) – “I did not. I did miss a sack on him, I do remember that.”
(What happened? Did you stop your feet?) – “It was really cold. (Laughter) I’m kidding, that is a joke. He was just faster than me. I was rushing off the edge, he bailed and kind of gave ground and ran around me and I lost the edge. Yeah man, heck of a player. He has weapons too, so we are certainly cognizant of those guys.”
(When you have a player like S Jevón Holland, obviously there were a lot of expectations for him coming into his career because of his talent level, how would you assess how he’s played? Do you feel like injuries and setbacks have impacted how he’s played this season and what you’ve asked him to do?) – “Yeah, I think just kind of being in and out of the lineup has certainly affected some of that. It’s unfortunate the stats haven’t been there for Jevón (Holland). When he’s on the field, you certainly feel his impact even though it may not show up necessarily on the stat sheet. I think the games he’s missed, you can feel it. Particularly on our side of the ball on some of those plays where you thought if he would’ve been there, those plays would have been made. I love Jevón, I think he’s a heck of a player. Those stats to me, they’ll come. They’ll come with the snaps.”
(Green Bay scores 10 points in the last two minutes of the first half. There were a lot of missed tackles in that series. What happened?) – “We were essentially in red two. They were in a three by one set, they motioned to it. Jordyn Brooks was kind of standing on the line, he can be in more relation to two there and then Storm (Duck) took a chance and went inside to try to make the tackle, missed it and ends up capturing the edge. Storm, again, another young player, needs to set the edge there, we’ll chase that thing from inside out and we’ll get him down on the ground – hopefully stop them from a first down, definitely shouldn’t score a touchdown. Prior to half, what really contributed to those three points was Jalen Ramsey, he missed a tackle on the tight end, I believe, on the sideline which kind of extended the drive and put them in more of a manageable field goal situation. Again, it was tackling in both of those cases, unfortunate. Don’t know why it happened, but that game – sometimes the ball just needs to bounce your way a little bit. We were about two feet away from having four takeaways. Third play of the game with (Zach) Sieler on the sack, how close was that to being a takeaway and a huge play in the game? Kader Kohou, the play he gets hurt on, the ball is in the air forever, very close to a takeaway. Jalen Ramsey on a corner blitz tips the ball, close to a takeaway, and then obviously a lateral that we all thought was a lateral where Siran (Neil) picks up and goes for a tug. The missed tackle, they stink, definitely didn’t see that happening. Don’t anticipate that happening again, hoping that was a lesson so when we play cold games and hopefully they are meaningful ones in the end, we have no excuse. We’ve been there, we know what we need to do. But sometimes the football gods just aren’t shining upon you man. The guys played hard and I think that showed the second half. They didn’t stop trying to score points in the second half. If they could’ve scored 50, they would’ve scored 50 – they scored six. Did we miss a couple tackles in the second half too? They had a checkdown go for like 40 something yards to the running back. Yeah, it stinks but there are play of opportunities there to be made, and unfortunately in this particular game, we just didn’t make them.”
(CB Siran Neal’s play, is that one that you guys submit to the league and see what they say?) – “I don’t know who submits what to the league. What, do you get an apology letter like – if it happens enough times, I’m still going to lose my job. (laughter) They don’t care, like ‘Hey, sorry we messed up.’ Great, is this official going to stand in front of you guys and do this? I don’t think so. (laughter) God bless them, they have a difficult job. But again, I think sometimes the football gods got to shine upon you man. You’ve got to make those things happen.”
(How tough was that to stomach?) – “I’ve been in this league a long time, man. I’ve had some – that AFC Championship loss last year stings a lot more than this one. Again, I think there’s lessons to be learned in this game that hopefully pay dividends in those two games that ultimately will be cold in Cleveland and New York at the end of the season.”
(LB Jordyn Brooks is an aggressive, physical player. He had a few aggressive, physical plays. After the game, he kind of opened some eyes when he said he thought that the overall defensive performance was soft. You’ve heard the comment, what was your reaction to it?) – “I think that’s Jordyn (Brooks) – it’s one of those things when you’re talking after the game, you’re reacting purely off emotion. I’m sure that once he watched the tape, I wouldn’t be surprised if he changed his tune, because that game, the missed tackles you could say they kind of equate to softness in the moment, but when you see why they occurred, you would see that softness had nothing to do with it. I give credit to the Green Bay Packers for just making plays and making us miss.”
(Talking about the bad luck, I can think back to the Buffalo loss, you guys had a tipped pass on that last drive that could’ve been picked off as well. The Cardinals game when Kyler Murray had his arm going forward, Calais Campbell swats it back and bounces right back to him like a basketball. My question is how much do you harp on that or what is the teaching point when you have defensive meetings? Are you showing guys that being like we have to keep coming because this could happen or do you not focus on that?) – “I think the first thing you do is you make sure you’re hopping on every loose ball regardless of whether you know what happened – that was case in point with Siran (Neal). The other thing you’re just trying to coach is where is that tenth of a second, can that be gained? Is that better timing on a blitz, is that not being in your stance ready to play? Now rather than just being there and getting there for the tip and him just having control of the ball, now you’re being there a second early and that ball is out. It’s always those little intricate details that you’re trying to coach guys through that takes them from good to great.”
(Obviously you have a talent in CB Jalen Ramsey who is comfortable, efficient and familiar with shadowing a player. From a defensive coordinator’s standpoint, I want to know the cons to having a player shadow a guy?) – “I think the stress isn’t on Jalen (Ramsey) so much as it puts pressure on everybody around them to know their jobs. When you can play somebody into the boundary or at a particular position, then everybody else, they kind of fall into place and just know they’ve got to learn that one particular spot. Once you start moving guys around, there’s a trickle down with everybody around them. To me, that’s where the weight is. The weight is on the other guys to kind of, ‘Hey, this guy is sitting at No. 2 in the slot, now I’m this. This guy is No. 1 to the boundary, now I’m this.’ It’s all the pieces around them that have to know how they fit together based on where that guy is now.”
(So I’m guessing CB Jalen Ramsey isn’t shadowing anyone on Sunday?) – “We’ll find out. We’ll find out on Sunday.”
(When CB Jalen Ramsey is in the nickel, obviously I’ve heard the theory that you always want your best players closer to the ball and the line of the scrimmage, especially somebody as physical as him. What are the pros and cons to him being in there at the nickel spot?) – “I think the pros are just what you said, he’s around the ball, he’s around the action. You can feel his presence more in both his physicality in the run game, I’ve seen the guy set edges on tackles where a lot of nickels aren’t capable of doing that, and then obviously you can blitz him. You have a little bit more blitz flexibility when he’s there. The negatives to that are your potential matchups on the outside, if you don’t have a player that you feel confident in, particularly if there’s a size deficiency or things of that nature, and then sometimes, his skill set isn’t necessarily perfect for some of those jitterbug guys that you have at the slot position. He’s kind of straight line, fast, has good change of direction, but you get some of those guys like the Wes Welker types back in the day from a matchup standpoint, just doesn’t work in your favor. So you kind of pick your spots based on opponent, based on what we’re trying to do that week schematically. The beauty when Kader (Kohou) is out there is you really don’t know when we’re going to pop it out on you from an offensive perspective. When you have to substitute it, as soon as you trot a guy in, they’re going, ‘Hey, 5 is going to nickel,’ and you lose that element of surprise.”
(How do you like to explain to players how to handle the opposing quarterback going into a slide, possibly going into a slide, might be stepping out of bounds, might not? It seems real delicate, how do you go about that?) – “That is incredibly difficult, and you’re obviously referencing the kid in Houston situation. I think throughout the week, you always watch what’s in this quarterback’s DNA, what’s he done in the past. Really, Trevor Lawrence in the past, he’s been a guy that wasn’t sliding a whole lot. He was going to try to run through you, he’s a big dude, so I could understand why something like that could occur. You would hope that – again, the onus is on the defensive guy and rightfully so. Those guys are protected for a reason and I get it. You just hope that if you see a guy going in that slide position, you have to pull up. You don’t have a choice, and I know that’s a difficult thing but it’s no different than the Poyer hit in the Buffalo game. That is such a bang-bang play, and for him to hit somebody, even when you say in the strike zone and not make contact with the helmet, it’s so much easier said than done. It’s terrible for both parties, for all parties involved. As a defensive guy, again, I err on the side the aggression, but if you see that, you have to try and pull up.”
(You mentioned the slide thing, and I can understand how that’s a difficult play, but I always wonder about the sideline plays too. Especially you see Patrick Mahomes always doing this, and that was the Gardner Minshew and Jevón Holland.) – “Yeah, you’ve seen it with (Gardner) Minshew and Jevón Holland. You’ve seen it with (Patrick) Mahomes where he looks like he’s going to go out and then he turns it up for another six or seven yards. Again, we’re going to try to hit you and if that’s what you’ve shown on tape, don’t be surprised if you get hit late.”
Danny Crossman – December 5, 2024
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Thursday, December 5, 2024
Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(If you could take us through, on the first punt, what WR Malik Washington should have done?) – “In a perfect world, he recognizes the spin, plays the drift and catches the football with a fair catch. In the scenario that transpired, once you lose the rhythm of the ball, don’t make a bad play worse. So in that case he should have aborted and got out of the way.”
(There was another play, this was the second time I think in three weeks or four weeks, where WR Malik Washington fielded a punt at the five-yard line, and in both instances there was a penalty on the return where the team was backed up to start on offense. Do you have a set rule as you’re inside the 10, leave it alone or do you leave it up to their discretion?) – “There’s several different guidelines we use and it’s based on a lot of things. It’s based on where the ball is being punted from, what’s the space, what’s the call, are we in a single, are we in double, what are we playing on the gunners in terms of them getting down the field, so there’s a lot of things that go into that. We have great confidence in Malik (Washington), but those are some of the – like every position across the board, there’s growing pains with young players and that’s part of it. We got to minimize them, but that’s part of the National Football League and young players. But we have complete confidence, and we’ll keep working and keep practicing and hopefully those things turn the other way.”
(Am I safe in assuming in a perfect world you’d rather he not field a punt at the five-yard line?) – “Absolutely not, that’s not what I’m saying. It depends on the situation. There’s times that that’s a good play. There’s times that that’s maybe not the right play. So there’s a lot of things that go into it situationally in the game.”
(He seemed to slip on that and a lot of guys – I mean the field was what it was. Was there cleat issues?) – “Well most of our guys were wearing seven studs and didn’t have a lot of issue. You could see going into the game and historically there, that’s always been a little bit of an issue. Whether it’s the late day dew games or the night games when it’s colder with the surface being heated from underneath. Again, that’s part of it and understanding don’t make a bad play worse, to put it in the simplest terms. And that’s, regardless of position, one of the things we try and echo.”
(What is the skill with WR Malik Washington that makes you think he can be a good punt returner long term?) – “When a young player comes in who doesn’t have a lot of history, that’s an opportunity to help make the football team, and a lot of guys that have the skill set of a returner or a defensive back, who have good ball skills, who understand reading a football in the air and adjusting to it, have an opportunity. Now it’s going to be different when you have bodies involved and people run at you, but he’s done a great job on developing from when we got him in the draft and like I said, we’re so happy to have him. We just got to eliminate some of the issues on this climb to what we feel is a very good player.”
(One more thing about WR Malik Washington. He’s a very tough kid, isn’t he? He took a big hit that game. I thought I saw him knock down LB Lukas Van Ness, No. 90 from the slot, right?) – “He’s a lot of the things that we’re looking for. He’s smart, he’s tough, he’s physical. He’s a good football player, but as I said, we’ve got eliminate some of the small things with young players. Again, that’s part of it. You hate to say it and you hate to live with it, but there’s a long, long list of things that we really like about him as a player.”
(How hopeful are you to have LS Blake Ferguson for Sunday?) – “Again, that’s a work in progress. We just opened his window and finally able to get some work on the field. We got a little bit yesterday, we’ll get more today, so that’s a work in progress.”
(On the opening kickoff, it looked like LB Chop Robinson and LB Channing Tindall got blocked, but DB Elijah Campbell was right there. Should he have taken on that blocker, or should he have tried to make the tackle?) – “Well, he did take the (blocker). We had two guys sort of play into one another, so that put us in a little bit of a bind, and then there was a lot of space then for Elijah (Campbell) to have to defend. Like anything, there’s some plays that you see where you can look at one major issue and point the finger at it. That play, we had a couple things, maybe non-ideal location on the kick, two guys end up in the same gap to create a lot of space, and again like we’ve talked about in here, against a very, very good player. So you put those things together and they’re at their 43-yard line to start the game.”
(This has nothing to do with your team, but I’m curious. Maybe the best kicker of all time has had trouble, how much – you’re in this position, and not to ask about him obviously, but in general – how much of kicking is mental?) – “A large part of it.”
(Like what? What percentage would you put?) – “I wouldn’t, but when you take – I’m going to put Justin Tucker in the exceptional player at a position. When a guy that’s had the success that he’s had and until this year, had the one hiccup maybe eight or nine years ago where he had a little bit of an issue in a year, but every other year he’s going to be 95.0 percent. Unless you see something jump out at you physically, which I don’t see because he’s still striking the ball at a high level, the mental part, it’s big. I don’t want to put a number on it, but it’s not talent, that’s for sure.”
(Have you had, and again, this isn’t about your team, but in your career have you had kickers – things just mentally something happening to them?) – “Oh, absolutely and it’s part of it. I’m not going to – we had a year where we had a guy start of 16-for-16 with several game winners and overtime winners and the next two games, he missed three kicks in one game and first kick of the next game. So a guy that’s 16-0 with multiple game winners all of a sudden missed four out of five kicks. And again, it’s part of the process. That just is a position where when you’re not out there a lot and there’s only one thing that people expect and want to see, when that’s not executed, the magnifying glass is on it.”
(I wanted to ask you about Green Bay and the kickoffs. Was that weather related and are you going to see more shorter kickoffs because of the change in the climate, change in the weather? And is there truth that the ball gets heavier, harder when it’s cold?) – “It gets harder and doesn’t compact as much is what happens. It doesn’t get heavier, but like anything – take a ball and put it in the freezer just for fun, and then try and squeeze it and you’re going to be like, ‘Wow, that’s a different animal.’ So obviously without the ball compacting as much, it’s not going to travel as far. So yeah, I think anytime when you start getting cold, it can have a factor, but I go back to last year when we played in Kansas City in the playoff game, by the end of that game both kickers are kicking touchbacks. It’s a moving target and some days guys are hitting the ball well, some days they’re not, then you add obviously the game plan part of it in terms of what you’re trying to do and how you’re trying to kick the ball. But simple rule though, yes. Wind and cold you’re going to see probably more opportunities in the return game.”
(How did S Patrick McMorris do?) – “Did good for his first time out. It’s always good to see guys that put in the work that get injured in the preseason and have to go four months before they get an opportunity. Again, another good, young player that we’re excited to have and get more on his plate and see where it goes.”
(You guys had a field goal where Green Bay jumped. Your guys didn’t move. From scrimmage, wouldn’t the offense touch the defensive guy and get the penalty? Is that different on special teams?) – “No, it’s not different but you don’t need (to). As soon as that guy crosses, that’s such a, for a lack of better terms, face-to-face play. There’s not a lot of separation there, as soon as that guy breaks the neutral zone, he almost is in fact touching us before we even have a (chance). But it was a nice job with the cadence, being able to get the five back to be able to come back, bring the offense back on the field and get the first down. You look at all those not change of possession, change of possession plays where you’re able to get the offense back to get the first down. Those plays are so – that guy moves, it’s almost impossible for him to not have contact – but the rule stays the same.”
(I know we talk about things that weren’t called and if you expect a call. Did TE Julian Hill get a block in the back on a kickoff return?) – “You know I can’t comment on that. But as I look at it, whichever team that would be on, I would have expected that call to be made. If it was us on the return team, I would have expected that to be a call.”
(And then on field goal, this is very minor. You made some changes on the line, T Jackson Carman not there anymore – OL Liam Eichenberg and DT Da’Shawn Hand were out during the game.) – “Well, a lot of that has to do with the game day. Who’s active, who’s inactive.”
(The punt that WR Malik Washington muffed, when that ball is rolling around it looked like CB Siran Neal and LB Quinton Bell had a chance. I know it’s tough, can you teach how to recover that?) – “Well yeah we do, and those are drills you do.”
(I mean that ball’s just hopping around, and Green Bay is there too.) – “Their guy is getting ridden out by two guys blocking him so him having first access. Those are all how and when to recover kicks, yeah, that’s part of some of the drill stuff you do, absolutely.”
