Frank Smith – December 21, 2023
Thursday, December 21, 2023
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(You have a five-game sample size of OL Liam Eichenberg at center this year, obviously the first time in his career. How has it gone in your view?) – “It’s been great. You can’t say enough about what Liam’s been able to do and the whole line just in general with all the different scenarios that we’ve faced. A lot of it goes back to, like we talked about, just kind of the whole way we went into the off-season and training camp, just making guys versatile and flexible. I can’t say enough about what Liam’s been able to do. Just his mental toughness. Just really loving the position. Each one that he’s learning, the perspective that you get is invaluable. I can’t say enough about what’s been able to do to help this football team this year.”
(What about what OL Liam Eichenberg went through last week where he gutted through an injury that was pretty substantial and not practice and then play.) – “It’s pretty cool. But it’s kind of the whole group, just their collective mindset to if we can go, we’ll go and help this football team. Consummate teammates. You’ve heard from them. Their group standard of what they want their play to look like and how they want to play together, it’s been awesome to watch them all year just respond to the challenges the season faces and respond to who we’re going to need to fill roles throughout the games. Great work we’ve done so far. We’ll have another great test this week and we’ll have to respond appropriately.”
(If I could follow up, you’ve built offensive lines before. You’ve coached that unit working your way up in the league. What does it take to build a unit with that kind of camaraderie and chemistry and development?) – “It’s kind of when you’re looking at it, really when you’re building anything, you look at what kind of foundation you’re going to build upon. If you build a building, it’ll crumble even if it gets the highest if the foundation is weak. We try to make sure we have men of character, guys who really love football. They have the instincts, the vision, the willingness to grow and learn. There’s so much that you try to look for. Who’s the person that we’re bringing in here, along with now coupled with the coaches you put into the room? So I mean ultimately when you’re talking about the environment, which we create here to have players have the opportunity to be their best every day, everything is about them. So we make sure we put the best resources around them. Put the people with the best coaches we can bring, the best men, teachers. Then ultimately, you keep growing with a system that fits, understanding of the system, growth through it. I think ultimately if you take all those components, you build something that lasts. Just it’s been really fun for us reflecting on a lot of things, through spring to now, the challenges that you have to face to grow the unit together, different variables, different pieces, and to watch them respond, it’s been awesome. Like I said, it’ll be another great challenge this week.”
(I’m curious how your individual relationship has grown with QB Tua Tagovailoa in year two as you guys have more and more success?) – “Yeah, I just think like all the guys, Tua especially, when you get to know the person better, you get to know efficient communication. You make sure you know intent and understand things. I think ultimately, when we have a lot of guys on offense who are trying to get the pieces, as you grow and know each other better, I think it’s just efficiency of communication. You’re able to make sure you get what is necessary and quickly because they’re going from their position coach, me, Mike (McDaniel). Whoever it is, I think ultimately knowing what they need, how efficiently can you communicate it and get them going to the next opportunity to play, I think that’s the biggest thing over time, we really get to know them better. And I think that’s all relationships. The more you know someone, the easier it is to communicate. The basis of our industry is elite communication. I think that’s one of the things that really is a benefit.”
(I wonder about the coaching chess match that goes on, not just on gameday, but during the week in terms of you look at film of Dallas, they got gashed on the ground with their run defense last week. So maybe there’s a temptation to see what you can do on the ground. But I also hear Mike McDaniel say they’re going to focus on shoring up that part of their defense. So how do you weight all of that in terms of putting together a game plan, not just this week, but any week?) – “If you look at the result of the game and you focus on that is who they are, then it’s extremely misleading. You look at a defense and their body of work, who they are, how they work together, how they communicate, when are they at their best, how do they try and feature their guys. All the things that go into our gameplan, that drives your decision. It’s not like, ‘man, they gave up this so therefore they’re that.’ One individual result doesn’t necessarily equal who they are. They have a great coaching staff, players who really understand what they’re doing. So you know they’re going to be working on what they need to do to improve. Ultimately, when we look at things and the variables that we’re trying to control, we look at who are our personnel going to be for the game, who are they as a defense, how do they work together, how do they move their defense in and out and how do we attack it? That’s kind of our driving force. Not necessarily like you’d say, they struggled here, but then maybe it’s not only that was that game. If someone shows something that they’re working on, they’re a good staff. They should go back to the lab and get it fixed. So you have to weigh the variables out of more of the entirety more than one individual game.”
(They have one of the best players in the league in LB Micah Parsons. Do you guys have a phrase that you use, like ok he’s a guy we circle or we star or a halo guy? I’m sure you highlight that this is a guy if we don’t find a way to slow him down, we don’t have a chance. Do you guys start with one guy?) – “Yes, you have to be very aware. He’s an elite player in the league. Wherever he lines up, they’re very aware too and they’re versatile with how they deploy him throughout their front of the defense. When you start, you look at overall how does the defense, how do they play it? Then how do they use their personnel inside of it? Then ok, do we try to work our matchups to control their matchups? If you go too far down the rabbit hole, you’re sitting there going through too many what if’s as opposed to focusing on what you do know and how we play at our best. But yeah, they have several players on their defense that are very good and we’ll have to be on it. The greatest thing is it’s December football. You just really want to be having these games at home and be able to keep getting better and showcase where we want to go and how we’ve grown from September to now.”
(These last three games are not about any individual, but quarterbacks are different. For QB Tua Tagovailoa, what’s at stake here as far as winning in December, getting confidence, all those types of things?) – “It just all comes down to the offense and what we’re doing together. Things don’t necessarily go – you’re looking at one guy and all that. We’re collectively trying to get better together and keep growing on great lessons from the last week. And how do we keep growing as a unit? Each guy is an individual component and obviously the quarterback has an effect on a lot of parts of it. But for us, it’s all about today. How do we get better today? What are we focusing on today? What part of the gameplan are we focusing on today to get better? The reality is when you look too far out and all that, that’s not what we do here. We focus on today, each play and how do we make sure we’re maximizing our moments to be our very best.”
(A lot of people look at RB Raheem Mostert as a speed back. What has made him so successful punching the ball into the end zone, and running between the tackles sometimes?) – “In his past, you could see the speed, but he had the physical element. Now it’s one of those things that when you work with the guy, you can see his passion for the game, and how so many parts as his career went. He has that natural chip on his shoulder ready to play every day. I think it’s just part of his running style. You saw a lot of the speed in the past, but now you’re seeing him really showcasing who he is. We, as a staff, can’t say enough about him and what he brings to this football team, and who he is as a man. He is what you look for in football players.”
(Quarterbacks/Passing Game Coordinator Darrell Bevell was in here earlier and labelled QB Tua Tagovailoa’s superpowers as anticipation, timing, accuracy, and vision. One of the examples he gave was a throw against the Chargers earlier this year with like four defenders around. Any throws of Tua’s this season, any anecdotal stories that come to mind?) – “I don’t know if it is one necessarily. That one that he referenced was obviously very impressive. But there have been so many over the course of the last two years. He had the touchdown to River Cracraft last year vs. Buffalo where he threw it in there off the break in quarters. The anticipation play he made last year to Tyreek (Hill) vs. Green Bay. There are so many things you look at. His ability to execute within the offense has been great. That comes from him building the trust with the guys to be in the right place at the right time, the execution of the line to understand the intent of the timing of the play. There are so many parts of when you have a collective piece coming together the way it is that for him to be able to play that way, it’s a result of so many other people. It’s been awesome to watch, especially when you’re going, ‘this week, how can we make sure we keep getting better and working on those same things.’ Yeah, he’s doing an awesome job.”
(Yesterday QB Tua Tagovailoa talked about WR Jaylen Waddle and how with the arrival of WR Tyreek Hill, it’s kind of natural to wonder you were the No. 1 option as a rookie, how are you going to fit in? This year we know he’s dealt with injuries and sometimes not having the production that we all anticipated, he anticipated. After the game he had with WR Tyreek Hill out, what has stood out to you about how he handled this season with the injuries or maybe not getting the opportunities we expected on a week-in and week-out basis?) – “I think it really shows his character that we see every day. He had an excellent spring and an excellent offseason. The way he went about everything. Just the daily process to get better. When you see somebody go about their business so deliberate for months, you’re not surprised when the opportunity arrives for them to showcase all the banked work they’ve done. I think it’s a testament to who he is. He knew what time it was. He and Tua obviously work together well. I think when you get moments to showcase like that, you can’t be more proud of the guy because you watched him in April, May. You watched it so it’s no surprise to a lot of us because of his daily process.”
(Last season, just based on the numbers, QB Tua Tagovailoa was attempting a lot more passes further downfield. This year, he’s getting it out quicker, a lot more passes going closer to the line of scrimmage. How much did developing that kind of gameplan factor into the goal of keeping him healthy and limiting the amount of times he’s been hit this season?) – “I think it’s more of we look at things like how do we appropriately attack the defense and put stress on them? Yes, you want them to understand that you have a vertical passing game, and you have to defend 100 yards. But the width of the field and the space of the field is also an area that people sometimes don’t challenge them as well, because once you get them to play the width as opposed to the length, you create natural space that you can attack. The way we try to make sure we have guys on the roster, they understand how to attack the space. You can create explosive plays through quick throws if you’re attacking the defense in the manner to which went into our preparation on how we think we can do it. It’s ultimately how the collective piece of when you use your guys and they know you can go that way, well you also have to defend this way for those lanes we can create in between. I think it’s not necessarily because of this. It’s more because if we do these things, they are going to have to respond to such, so now that’s our layering of what we’re trying to do. We’re moving the defense around the field to make sure we attack the appropriate space. That’s kind of really the driving force to all of our decisions.”
(So it’s not more like QB Tua Tagovailoa not getting hit as much or getting involved? It’s a result of this type of gameplan, but that’s not necessarily the reason why you’re doing it?) – “Yeah. Like everything, for us there is a marriage for certain parts of the plan, and then how can we do elements of the plan and then attack them at a time at which maybe there is still dropping in their zones. Maybe they are seeing a formation from us that we’re now doing something else out of it. It’s part of the attack, and sometimes those immediate throws that they are not exactly ready for, you can catch it and you can split zones. Or they have a man answer, and we have a man answer and he just didn’t get there because he didn’t attack the zone. We try to make sure we are multiple in what we do because if you’re always going for the home run, you won’t have the greatest hitting percentage. It’s like in baseball. I’m making sure we’re here, there, everywhere. That’s basically where we go to with the offense.”
Danny Crossman – December 21, 2023
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Thursday, December 21, 2023
Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(What went in to being prepared for that fake punt last week? Is that film study or is that reading a key as the play happens?) – “It’s not necessarily a key. They have had some success over the last two years in those types of situations on short to medium where they’ve used it to try and get some things jumpstarted. So any of those situations, it was one of the things that we were alert for. Now once you’re alert for it, there’s a myriad of things that they could have done – run, pass, pass inside, pass outside. Good execution. The call we were in was one we thought we could be a little bit good on everything and the guys did a great job executing.”
(Were there some tells with the Jets where certain Jets players were lined up?) – “No, it was their base punt group. It was more the down and distance and field position where we were alert for something.”
(With RB Chris Brooks activated, what could he potentially bring to special teams?) – “Well, he was really doing a good job. His evolution from where he was when he got here to when he made the roster through training camp, and then each game he was participating in, he kept getting better and better. Hopefully, we’re able to restart that and at worst, start him off to where he was when we’re able to get him back on the field. But a good young player. I’m really happy that he’s back as a possible availability for the game.”
(What was that game like just with the shuffling of the special teams unit, because a lot of guys had to play defense that you usually had on special teams?) – “Yeah, it’s always an issue. When you have injuries, there’s always a trickle down. This year, especially the last couple of weeks, it has been magnified a little bit more. But that’s just part of it. You’ve got to prepare for it. You talk about it and a lot of times, it’s one of those things you talk about, you communicate, you go over stuff and it doesn’t happen. Whether you look at it as a positive or a negative, it’s happened the last couple of weeks where we’ve lost guys and guys have had to step up and groups change and play time changes and positions change. It’s a process, but the players have done a good job. And again, it all starts with Mike (McDaniel) from the jump start of hey, we’re working with a 69-man roster and guys are getting elevated at the very last second, guys getting flexed at the last second, guys roles changing at the last second. The players have bought in because, especially now that they’ve seen it happen the last couple of weeks, it really adds credence to what we’re preaching.”
(What stood out to you on what CB Ethan Bonner did on special teams? I know he got in some on defense as well. But on special teams, specifically, I saw him on some kickoffs, some punts.) – “Another deal where he was a last-second end-of-the-week elevation and played on two of the phases and did a good job of what we asked him to do. We’ve talked to him a couple times this year and in these meetings. He’s a talented young player who, once he starts getting experience, he’s got a chance to even be a better player.”
(I don’t know the exact position title, but he was on the far-left side for the kickoff coverage.) – “Yeah, he played the one spot for us on kickoff.”
(Is that a lot about speed?) – “It’s a combination. That’s a position that we ask that guy to do a couple of different things based on what we’re doing. But again, he’s a smart, heady player who hasn’t had a lot of reps and to be able to go out there and execute at the last minute, I was happy with how he performed.”
(What trait stands out with WR Braxton Barrios when you look at him as a returner?) – “Number one, ball security. We had the one muff early in the year but ball security, you feel good about him handling the football. Decision making, which is paramount in that position. And then most importantly, then once he gets the ball in his hand, he’s fearless.”
(A question for you putting on your veteran football coach hat about teams playing a team that’s coming off of a loss. Dallas is, obviously Kansas City was, Philadelphia was. You guys were laser focused last week. You haven’t lost back-to-back games. Is there something about a team coming off a loss that you worry about? How do you account for that?) – “I don’t ever think about that. I look at who they are, what they are, the personnel, how talented they are, how well-coached they are. I’m assuming every week we’re going to get their best shot. It’s the same idea when you see teams on winning streaks. Is there any difference between a team coming in on a six-game winning streak and a one-game losing? I have no control over what they’re doing. I just make sure that as much as we can, we’re focused on what we’re doing. And if you get their best shot, it’s a good football team.”
(Dallas’ kicker has an unusual – like a lot of kickers – has an unusual background. Out of left field, do you ever watch soccer games and think..?) – “Yes, I do. But not with that idea. What he’s done, it’s really remarkable and they’ve done a great job with him. Obviously, if you take every kicker in the National Football League, they all have a soccer background. It’s all been part of it. He’s just different because his background ended a year and a half ago, in terms of playing soccer. Really impressive kid and it wouldn’t surprise me – it’s like anything else. It only takes one. I wouldn’t be surprised if more and more guys now don’t maybe pursue that route of going to some of the offseason camps and getting acquainted with some of the coaches around the league that work primarily just with punters and kickers and try and make that avenue to the National Football League. But he’s been super impressive.”
(What do you think of Lionel Messi as a kicker?) – “(laughter) More than willing. (laughter) More than willing.”
(You said you watch soccer, just you love the game?) – “Years and years ago, I had an English player who was a kicker for me in Carolina and he was a big soccer fan. I didn’t know much about it, didn’t follow it. Him constantly talking about it, and then obviously on Saturday and Sunday mornings talking about it, and it started showing up. It’s something that – (Assistant Special Teams) Brendan Farrell has it on his TV every Saturday morning so when I walk in there, there’s always something going on. It’s something I enjoy in the offseason. This time of year, I don’t watch anything.”
(Are there a lot of people in this country who could make a bunch of 65-yard field goals but the problem is they can’t consistently repeat a technique?) – “I think there’s a lot of things. Yeah, could they just go out there and put a ball on a stick and do it? Yeah. Now you add a holder. Now you add a snapper and a holder. Now you add the protection with people coming at you. Then to your point, then do it time and time again. It’s an acquired long process to be able to do it on a consistent basis, which is what makes what we’re seeing now so impressive with what’s happened in Dallas.”
(So what’s your favorite soccer team? Be careful.) – “Well, sadly for a long time I was a Chelsea supporter and it’s been hard the last couple years. (laughter)”
Vic Fangio – December 21, 2023
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Thursday, December 21, 2023
Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio
(Last week you had CB Jalen Ramsey shadow Jets WR Garrett Wilson. Was that only because CB Xavien Howard was out, and might you consider having Jalen shadow even when Xavien returns?) – “It was because ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) was out.”
(How did CB Jalen Ramsey do? From my untrained eye it looked like he put on a clinic.) – ‘He played real well. He really did. He got challenged a few times on some tough routes that he answered. He really played a good game. He really did.”
(CB Jalen Ramsey has been really good through seven games. He’s given up hardly anything. If he’s at times matched up against WR CeeDee Lamb – we rarely talk about the opponent these days but I’m interested to talk about Ramsey and Lamb. If they do match up, what do you think about that matchup?) – “It’s one worth watching. Two really good players. Two capable players. CeeDee Lamb is one of the wide receivers in the league. Jalen is one of the top corners in the league. It will be interesting to watch. I wish I had popcorn to sit at home and watch it.”
(You guys are only two sacks away from a franchise record. It seems like everyone is part of the party. What is it about this pass-rushing group that everyone is so connected the way they get after the quarterback. You don’t have one star that has all the sacks.) – “I think we do a good job of rushing as a unit instead of rushing as individuals and realizing that a good even rush, whether you’re running games or not – we run our fair share of games – will provide results for the entire group.”
(One individual that had a great pass rushing game was LB Bradley Chubb. What did he unlock that game? He’s been pretty consistent.) – “He had a really good game obviously production wise. I think he’s been playing good all year. It’s just that this game, the production became extraordinary with the three sacks and a couple of caused fumbles .Sometimes you just get games like that. I think he’s been playing good all year. But obviously with the production last game, it was a special game for him.”
(What gives LB Bradley Chubb the knack to force so many fumbles?) – “I think he’s got the knack ingrained in him over the years. I think ‘Camp’ (Linebackers Coach Anthony Campanile) does a good job leading the takeaway charge for us as coaches. But Bradley has that knack.”
(Did you have any connection last year with DT Ndomukong Suh in Philly? What are you thoughts on him?) – “I did not have any interaction with him last year.”
(Your thoughts on DT Ndamukong Suh as a player?) – “He is an interesting guy in that we all know what a great player he has been in this league. I think we were interested to see if he has anything left and if he has mutual interest.”
(You were just mentioning the CB Jalen Ramsey vs. WR CeeDee Lamb matchup. There is going to be a lot of interesting one-on-one matchups. OL Austin Jackson vs. LB Micah Parsons is another one. Is there room for a player to get involved in a one-on-one matchup? Are you aware of who you’re going against? Is it healthy for that to be your focal point, or do you always have to play within the team concept?) – “You always have to stay within the team concept. You’ve got one-on-one matchups all over the field. It doesn’t matter who it’s with, you’ve got to focus on yours. Whether it’s man in the case that you’re alluding to, or zone, we have to execute. You can’t get carried away with who you’re lined up against.”
(On the subject of a fourth edge rusher, how did LB Cameron Goode do in his 20 defensive snaps, and does LB Melvin Ingram look to you like he’s close to NFL ready this season?) – “Cam did a nice job in the limited time he got in there. He knew his assignments, was where he was supposed to be, and did a good job. We had a lot of guys step up in that game. Elijah (Campbell) played really good at the safety spot. Obviously Brandon (Jones) has been thrown in there a few times. He played good. Duke (Riley) has been playing good ever since he’s been in there for ‘Bake’ (Jerome Baker). We’ve had a lot of guys step up. Eli Apple got back in there. It was a great team performance defensively. And Mel, last week was a different week with the short week. We didn’t really practice a whole lot other than walkthroughs. This week we’ll get him some action and today particularly. With (Emmanuel) Ogbah’s injury – he’s questionable to play – he could be up this week.”
(The Dolphins have only finished in the top 10 in offense and defense in the same year one time in the last 50 years. You guys are in that position now – one on offense, six on defense in yards. How confident do you feel that this defense is going to play to that high level in what is clearly a challenging finish to the season with three games left?) – “I’m confident but you got to go out and do it. Obviously we’ve been down some guys as of late and the guys that have come in have done a nice job. We’ve been that way all year. Jalen (Ramsey) missed the first seven games, Jevon (Holland) has now missed the last three. (Jerome) Baker has missed time. ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) missed three games. So it’s been happening all year, but really the only stat I’m worried about is wins and losses. That’s it.”
(I was curious if there’s anything you and the position coaches do during the week in terms of the preparation to make sure the guys who haven’t really played much and are stepping into starting roles are ready to go? Like you mentioned, CB Eli Apple hadn’t played significant snaps for several weeks, S Brandon Jones, guys like that. Is there anything you and the position coaches do to get those guys extra reps or to get ingrained?) – “Yeah, they have to do a good job, both the coaches and the player, of getting mental reps. We’re at the point in the season more so then it ever used to be, where the reps in practice are limited, when you’re actually going at a good tempo. So it’s really critical for those guys to focus in the meetings and execute in the meetings mentally. We get them all some reps during practice, but with the reps being limited, it’s really not enough that you would like ideally. So they got to just be ready. You hope through the OTA’s, if they were here with us, through training camp if they were here with us, those reps carry over. But you see Elijah (Campbell) played a lot better this past game because he got the reps all week.”
(Just want to get your take on what stands out about Cowboys QB Dak Prescott’s game on tape and how he commands that offense.) – “Yeah, he’s playing at a very high level. He has been all year. He seems really comfortable in the new offense. Mike (McCarthy) has a really good offense schematically and he does a good job of play-calling it. Prescott is really comfortable in it. They mix the quick game, mix the shots, mix their formations. I think the offense really fits Prescott.”
(Were there things that Buffalo exposed last week?) – “No, it was just one of those games where they got behind early and never could quite get on track. I don’t think so. Sometimes you get those games that are anomalies.”
(I was talking to one of your guys about CB Jalen Ramsey and he said during practice, Jalen will hop in on scout team against WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle. How frequent does that happen? Is that normal for a defensive player to do that?) – “No, it’s not normal, especially at this point in the season. But again, it’s something that he started to do once he got back to practicing because he had no offseason, had no training camp. He needed reps, as many as he could get, to get ready for those first few games that he played in. He’s just kind of carried it over. He’s not doing it quite as much as he was when he first got back, but he is still doing it some.”
(Are you surprised that the Dolphins offense has gotten deep so many times in games this year?) – “No. I mean you got good receivers that can run. We run the ball well, so you can’t be playing deep all the time. Mike (McDaniel) and Frank (Smith) do a good job of scheming it up. They’re good receivers and Tua (Tagovailoa) is capable of throwing a good deep ball.”
(Talking about CB Jalen Ramsey earlier, he mentioned to us after the game he doesn’t get a lot of activity, maybe bored for a lack of a better word. As a coordinator, do you view that as a good thing or a bad thing that they won’t throw at him?) – “It’s just part of the deal. I think some of it is by design by them. Some of it is just happenstance of the coverage we’re in and the quarterback reads take them. I mean, I don’t look at it either way, to be honest with you.”
(Has DT Christian Wilkins improved pass rush under your system surprised you? Have you expected it?) – “No, I’m not surprised by it. Like I’ve told you guys many times, I liked him coming out of the draft that year. I think he’s always had the ability to be more productive in the pass rush. This year is proving to be evidence of that.”
Alec Ingold – December 20, 2023
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Wednesday, December 20, 2023
FB Alec Ingold
(In Dallas’ last game, we saw them giving up 266 rushing yards. You guys love rushing, you love running the ball. So put it together, what did you see and what are you thinking?) – “Obviously there’s a lot of context going into the game. There’s a lot of storylines, a lot of narratives. You don’t want to put all your eggs into one basket for any team, any game, any prep. Obviously we know they have a ton of strain, a ton of talent on the defensive line, the back end, and those linebackers in the middle. So as an offense, when we’re looking at that defense, you see a lot of talent, a lot of hard workers, a lot of strain. Dan Quinn has coached them up really well. That’s a dangerous team and they’re coming down here with a point to prove. They’re going to be a little ornery, so I think we’re going to expect their best game and we’ve got to give them our best game too.”
(How much more difficult does it make it facing a team that just got humiliated the week before?) – “I mean, it’s a week-to-week business but anytime you kind of get a reality check so to speak – we had one recently – everyone gets focused. Everyone dials into the details. Those make for the most impressive and exciting and fun games to be a part of. You know they’re going to bring their best stuff down here to South Florida and it’s a great opportunity for us to be able to play a really good team with a lot of wins here at Hard Rock Stadium. It’s going to be fun.”
(Just kind of a random question, with the New Year right around the corner, what are your hopes for 2024?) – “What are my hopes? Oh man. I think just hitting a good reset button, being with the family. I want to hold really good priorities this next year. I want to be the best version of myself every single day and by the time we’re talking at 2024, hopefully we’ll have more wins in the bank then we do this year.”
(You touched on the fact that you guys had to come off a tough loss and now Dallas is in that similar position. Would you rather catch a team that’s not in that kind of position that’s kind of cruising along?) – “I think the best teams, when they’re playing their best football, that’s where I have the most fun. The most competitive fourth-quarter games, those are the ones that you look for, those are the ones you’re most excited for. I don’t think you ever look forward to a down team or a team that’s a little beat up. You want this best teams with the best possible circumstance and you want to see where you measure. That’s why we play the game, that’s why we’re professionals. I think that’s the challenge that you want to expect and accept as a professional.”
(You have a couple of things going on in your room right now. RB Raheem Mostert is closing in his first 1,000-yard season. RB Chris Brooks coming back after a very strong performance early in the year. What are you most looking forward to?) – “I’m excited to give Chris his Christmas presents. We have a little Christmas thing. You might have to ask some of the other running backs about how we’re going to treat our undrafted rookie. But as an undrafted rookie myself at one point, I know how important the holiday season is. We’re really excited to treat Chris and glad he’s up on the active roster this week. We’re going to treat him right, it’ll be good.”
(You’re not going to tell us what the Christmas gift is?) – “No, I mean, you can ask him and see how he’s feeling. But it’s all good. Obviously you want to look after your guys. There’s a lot of undrafted guys in that room so we know how it goes. We’re definitely looking after him and treating him right. It’s a really close room that we’ve got and anytime you can do those little things outside of the building, outside the facility, it just makes it that much more tight.”
(You might have to retrieve another ball for RB Raheem Mostert this Sunday.) – “I will retrieve every single ball that he wants to throw near to the stands. I’ll go grab all of them so he can have them.”
Bradley Chubb – December 20, 2023
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Wednesday, December 20, 2023
LB Bradley Chubb
(On OL Austin Jackson) – “That’s what football is. It’s 11 one-on-ones. In the trenches, I feel like you got to take it a little more personal because it’s the person you’re lined up against. At the end of the day, you’re doing that one-on-one within the calls. It’s not like it’s your own thing, your own vendettas or whatever. But it is how can I beat this guy one-on-one. It’s not necessarily getting caught up in it. But yeah, emotions do fly, so you can’t let that happen. That’s all it is. Just winning that one-on-one. That’s what coaches preach to you, while doing it within the scheme. I got full faith in Austin and confidence in Austin, so I’m excited to see him go at it this weekend.”
(How aware are you of who you’re going against? Like if OL Austin Jackson is looking at LB Micah Parsons, is that just No. 11 or is that Micah Parsons the All-Pro?) – “You’re very aware of who you’re going against. You talk about them all week; you study them all week. You’re very aware of who you’re going against. He knows it and he knows the challenge that he’s got. He’s going to step up to it and I’m excited to see it.”
(What about OL Tyron Smith? What do you know about him?) – “A veteran guy who has been doing it a long time at a high level for a long time. Very savvy, very strong, very quick. It’s going to be a good match up. I‘m excited about the challenge. He’s been doing it for a long time. When you’re at this level, you want to play against the best each and every week. He’s one of the best to do it, so it’s going to be a challenge. I’m excited for it.”
(The perception about both of these teams is that you guys haven’t beaten anybody. I don’t necessarily agree with it, but that’s the narrative. Now that you play one another, are one of you guys are going to be Super Bowl contenders and one pretenders?) – “That’s going to be the narrative at the end of the day. All we can control is how we go out there and handle it. They are a great team that has won a lot of games and done a lot of good things and put up a lot of points. On the defensive side of the ball, we pride ourselves on not giving up points, so it’s going to be a battle on that end. They have a great defense as well, and we feel like we’ve got a great offense, as well. It’s going to be a battle. Like I said, people feel like we haven’t beaten a team, but like I said, it’s a chance to go out there and prove it. We’ve got to go out there and make sure we handle business.”
(What was your reaction to learning you were the AFC Defensive Player of the Week? First time you’ve won that award.) – “It’s the first time, so it’s dope, it’s a blessing. It’s everything you could think of. But at the end of the day that was only Week 15. We’re on Week 16 now so I just got to go out there and do it again. Yes, it’s fun to see the fruits of your labor come to life and stuff like that, but it’s a what have you done for me now league. I can’t do nothing about last week. I got to go out there and continue to prove it.”
(How often do you think about LB Jaelan Phillips who is usually out there next to you?) – “Yeah, he went out against the Jets last time. Every pregame, I toss my hat to a fan, and I remember I was sitting in my locker thinking like, ‘dang, I don’t have a hat.’ Then I looked over and saw No. 15 right there, so I grabbed that. The whole time I wore that hat on the sideline, and it was a reminder I know he would do everything to be out there against the Jets. It was one of those things I had to step it up for him.”
(Against the Titans, you missed on like three or four sacks. What’s it like when you actually follow up that game by getting home?) – “It feels amazing, because like you said, you wear those scars throughout the week. It’s supposed to be one week to the next, but I remember all of those missed opportunities last week, and I can’t let myself do it again. That was my mindset, and that’s just how I went into it. I emphasized finishing whether that be in practice, whether that be in games, walkthroughs or whatever the case may be. I just emphasized the finish of it and it worked out well.”
Tua Tagovailoa – December 20, 2023
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Wednesday, December 20, 2023
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(People actually doubted that [your signal] was what it meant, and then when they saw the Hard Knocks and actually saw you say it, it made them believe it. Because they thought you were talking smack.) – “If I wanted to talk smack, I think you’d probably know I’m talking smack. That’s not even close. (laughter) It’s just part of the game. It’s fun. That was fun. That ‘talk to me’ thing, really as we came into OTAs, Jaylen Waddle would just say that constantly throughout OTAs. Then I guess it’s just been used so much that I just started saying it to a point where everyone was like, ‘that’s hilarious every time you say it.’ In practice, I would throw a bomb and the d-line would be like, ‘Bro, seriously?’ And I would look at them and be like ‘talk to me,’ and then they’d start laughing. Then they’d start using it too. It really started out that way so I take no credit. That’s Jaylen Waddle’s deal but the whole signal thing just made it even funnier. It heightened it so people that were inside that knew what that was, could sort of hear me saying it and hear other people saying that when I gestured that. So that’s what that was.”
(Have you warmed up a little bit to Hard Knocks? I know early on you weren’t thrilled they were here.) – “They didn’t air my episode from the house yet? (laughter) I was messing. They haven’t asked this week or last week. I’m sure they have asked (our communications department) but (our communications department) haven’t brought it to my attention yet. I don’t know. But I mess around with them with that as well. I’ll just tell them, ‘I’ll see you guys later on tonight,’ and they think it’s funny when they don’t know if I’m being serious or not being serious. We’ll see. There’s still a lot of games left.”
(In the last Hard Knocks, they showed a speech that Head Coach Mike McDaniel gave the team and he took a lot of accountability with some of his play calls. What does that mean to you as a player when a coach is taking that level of accountability on himself?) – “I think that shows the leadership that he has that is not something that is a one-time deal. It’s something that as a team, we’re actually sort of used to. He’s one of the first to admit he’s wrong when he is wrong. And he is going to be also the first to admit that if it was a baller play call, that it was a baller play call. That’s the reason as to why we work, why we do this and why we invest so much into it. But it is sort of at a point where because he takes so much accountability, everyone also shares that same trait of ‘No, it’s my fault. I could have done better on my part.’ Everyone feels that sort of need or want to take the fall or take the blame. It’s rare that I think you ever see that in this league because it is tough and it is a job. It is result-oriented. What you put out there is however long you are able to keep your job or whatever it is. That’s what this league is and I think it is super cool that he does that and it trickles down to all of us.”
(What was your takeaway from the Bills-Cowboys game last week looking at the Cowboys defense considering their whole body of work has been much better than what you saw last week?) – “I don’t necessarily look at one particular game when we watch games. But you do want to look at games where they struggled, what were their struggles, things that we can take advantage of within the pass game and the run game. I sort of think of our team last week coming off the loss to Tennessee. I can sense that that’s where they would probably be. Not a very fun team meeting to be in. Guys are going to be dialed in, locked in, doing whatever they need to do to get that feeling off their chests or off their shoulders. For me, we’re going to prepare the same way we’ve prepared for any other team. We’re expecting their best. They’re going to do anything and everything they can to beat us and we’re going to do the exact same.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel was asked earlier about your interceptions and the fact that you haven’t really thrown any in the past three games. He said that that’s natural that you’re going to throw picks, but he feels like you’re progressing each game. How do you think you’ve grown maybe from the beginning of the season to now in the final month of the season?) – “Well, I think there’s continued growth every time I step out on that field. There’s always something new that I can learn. Just when you think you’ve got it and you’ve been playing for however long, however many games, there’s always going to be new things, new challenges, new obstacles, but that’s the beauty of this game. For me, I think that’s also allowed me to be the human that I am also. I think in this league, you also mature a lot quicker because as good as things can be, they can be just as bad the next week or the following week, and through all of those obstacles of the wins and the losses, there are so many things that you can learn from. This league is just like golf – you can go out and shoot really good one day and you’re like, ‘I’m in my rhythm.’ The next day, you go out and you forgot how to even hit the ball the way you were hitting it yesterday, and it will humble you in that sense. So it’s just like golf. Golf and football is the best way I could sort of correlate them”
(CB DaRon Bland has a lot of splash plays this year. When you watch him on tape, what do you see?) – “You just don’t show up on Sundays and poop that out, if you will. Having the NFL record in pick-sixes and whatnot, you don’t just show up on Sundays and do that. He’s done a great job. I think (Cowboys Defensive Coordinator) Dan Quinn has a done a great job for their defense as well. They’ve got really talented players up front, really talented players on the back end. We know what we’re going to have to do. We know what kind of game this is going to be. It’s going to be a hard-fought, physical 60-minute game and we’ll be ready come time Sunday.”
(I know Head Coach Mike McDaniel worked under Defensive Coordinator Dan Quinn, and you’re so candid and honest, I know you’re going to give me an honest answer. How much does that help you when a guy has worked under a coach and he knows his ins and outs of his defense, obviously not with the Cowboys, but his mentality and tendencies?) – “I think it could go both ways of Mike (McDaniel) understanding how Dan (Quinn) has run his defense or how he would gameplan for teams and whatnot, but I also think that with Dan knowing that, that we could expect things that other teams have ran that have been successful against us as well. It’s sort of in between of we know but then at the same time, be prepared for the unknown. You’ve got to stick to your rules, what do your rules tell you, this is how you’re going to have to read this out if that’s the case. Then same thing could be for Dan. He’s been around how Mike installs run game, how they’ve done things with Kyle (Shanahan) and whatnot, so I think it could work both ways. We’ll just be ready for the unexpected.”
(RB Raheem Mostert was talking after the game about WR Jaylen Waddle and how maybe he was beating himself up throughout the year that he performs like he does? What have you seen in WR Jaylen Waddle throughout the year and now after that big game Sunday?) – “I personally – me personally, I’ve seen someone that’s just come in day-in, day-out, just grinding. Not once did I ever see him feel sorry for himself throughout the success that Tyreek (Hill) has had. But you could see that there had been sometimes where it was like, ‘Man, I sort of wished I was involved more or this happened more or this happened.’ It’s one of those deals where, I’ve said it before, we’ve called a play for (Jaylen) Waddle to be the person to be first in that progression and it just so happens that the defense doesn’t allow for that route to be open. As anyone else would, I’m sure he was very frustrated. Coming from being the ‘Wide Receiver 1’ in my rookie year and in my second year to ‘Wide Receiver 1B – where do I fit in this offense?’ So for him to have been able to go out and show to everyone and remind everyone, ‘Letting you guys know I’m still that person if you guys allow me that opportunity.’ I’m very proud of what he’s done, what he’s put on tape and what he continues to do for our team. But yeah, that’s what I would say about that.”
(You guys can clinch a playoff spot if you win this weekend. How meaningful would it be for you getting to play this late into the year and have that opportunity to do it?) – “I wish you didn’t share that. (laughter) I had no idea about any of the scenarios of what that would look like. At any time, we just want to come out of the game with a win. We want to stack those together. If you can win them all, that’s what it is.”
(Weren’t the Cowboys your favorite team growing up?) – “Yep. Cowboys were my favorite team growing up. They played in primetime a lot and in Hawaii, primetime is like 3:00 p.m. We were like, dang it’s night over there, the sun is still up over here. (laughter) I come from a family that are big Cowboys fans. But not anymore. Everyone is Dolphins fans. And then the one who still support the Cowboys are probably not my family anyways. (laughter)”
(What will it be like playing them for the first time?) – “It’s going to be cool. It’s going to be cool for the moment, just being able to see the star. Being able to see those guys in their jerseys and whatever and whatnot. Some of the guys that are playing, I used to watch them while I was in high school playing high school football. And now I get to play against some of the guys on their team. That’ll be cool but at the end of the day, I have a job and we want to go out there and beat them.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel just said it’s been a long time since a defense has played what they’ve showed you on tape adjusting to your motion and timing. Can you share the evolution for you and controlling the offense when it comes to timing and motion and what a defense is supposed to do versus what they do?) – “Well, I would say with our motions, it gets to a point where if we just call a play without a motion, it’s very weird. It’s not just weird for me, it’s weird for our entire offense. Are you sure we’re just lining up and running this play? There are perks to doing both where ok, they’ve motioned so many times and we’ve got however many looks from them, we’re expecting that. So guys are going to get ready. They’re looking at their keys and sometimes would just come up and snap the ball and not motion. I think all of that plays into the rhythm of our offense. They also play into keeping the defense on their toes. Every play we have to communicate. We don’t know what that’s going to look like, but we’re going to have to communicate. Whether if that’s with the front with the change of the strength with the Y or the other motions, the back end is going to have to communicate. That’s what it forces those guys to do. For us, because we’ve seen so many different looks off of those motions, it’s sort of helps how we need to block it in the run game and where we can see as far as space within their defense with the routes that we have.”
(The game without WR Tyreek Hill last week and being able to put up 30 points and move the ball like you guys did, was that something that confirmed something within yourselves? Or was any criticism about your ability to do so without them something that came from mainly outside the building?) – “Nah, I would say it’s always tough when you don’t have one of your best guys out there. To me, I personally say none of us really care who’s out there or who’s not. At the end of the day, whoever is in there, we all trust that we can get it done with those people. Even when I wasn’t in there last year, that was the mindset that those guys had. Ok, Tua’s down, we can’t do anything about. Tyreek is down, we can’t do anything about it. We have to go out there, we still have to play. Those guys don’t care that Tyreek’s out. Those guys didn’t care that I was out last year. It doesn’t matter. We have to go out there and play. I think that should tell you a lot about the guys that were out there. Everyone wants to make this, I keep saying it, everyone wants to make this about me, about Tyreek. Please keep pushing it to Tyreek. Make it about Tyreek. I understand that my platform and who I am in this league as a quarterback makes me – if you want polarizing, whether I’m the best, whether I’m the worst, I could care less. I don’t listen to it. This is my bearer of bad news, (is the communications staff). I hate to say it, but that’s my bearer of bad news if anyone has something bad to say about me. (laughter) But at the end of the day, I really don’t care. If it is shared with me – I mean, I keep receipts. We all have a way of how we do things. But all the narratives about it, sure I’m only good with Tyreek. You’re right. That’s the only time I’m at my best. You’re right. I’m only good when Jaylen (Waddle) is in. I could care less about it. Sure, if Jaylen and those guys are out, I’m only as good as Raheem Mostert allows me to be. If that’s what the narrative needs to be, and we’re able to win games and we’re able to go where we want to go as a team, I am the worst football player, if that’s what you want. I don’t care. I really don’t. Whatever it is, whatever you need on your show, take clips out of what I just said, do what you need to do. I’m just here to do my job and my job is to help our guys win games.”
(It’s not a narrative, it’s actually a fact that you’re the most popular player in the NFL among the fans. No player is more popular than you. You’re number one in fan support. How do you feel about that?) – “It makes me feel weird. (laughter) It’s different just because I try to not make things about myself. I like to make it about others. That’s probably – yeah, it’s unique, I would say. Of course, I appreciate the support from the fans. I appreciate those that are in support of me and my teammates. What statistic makes you say that?”
(You lead in all the Pro Bowl votes.) – “Oh, ok I got you.”
(When you see all the No. 1 jerseys, is it something that is so calming it doesn’t even resonate with you or does it still have a little impact on you? There’s so many jerseys. These people are wearing your number.) – “Well for me, every time I step out there on the field, it’s always about me proving myself right every time. You came into this league and I would even question myself. Am I even good? Do I even belong in this league? Things like that. Every time I step foot on that field and I see someone wearing my jersey, I want to prove myself right, but prove to those people that, ‘dude, you bought that jersey for a reason.’ Whether you’re a fan of me as a football player or a fan of my journey or a fan of things that I’ve done, every time I see that, it’s super cool. As a kid growing up, I would do the same thing for other players. I’d wear their jerseys hoping to be like them. Now, it’s come full circle. To be able to hear that, that’s very cool. Just how that process works, it’s cool. But like I said, it’s also a little weird when I become the spotlight of it.”
(Your brother is about to go into the draft, preparing for the draft. What was your reaction to hearing that? What advice do you have for him?) – “Well, I’m always here for ‘Lia (Taulia). I’m always here for you. You know that. Whatever you need, I can help with. But outside of that, I just tell my brother to listen to what he thinks is best when he hires agents or when he has to go throughout that process. I’m not the one who’s going to tell you who you should go with or whatnot. That should be totally up to you. Because when it’s your decision, regardless of if it is right or wrong, in the end, you always make it right.”
Mike McDaniel – December 20, 2023
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Wednesday, December 20, 2023
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(I’ve got to ask, watching Hard Knocks last night, you’re in the office at 4 a.m. on a Tuesday. Did you go home after the game?) – “Just work. Season hours are you just need to do what needs to be done. It’s a short week, so you just work.”
(So Eminem is your angry music?) – “Yes. How’d you know?”
(Because Hard Knocks told us.) – “Oh. I still haven’t gotten used to that. Yeah, I think ‘99, I was a sophomore in high school when he came out, or when he hit the mainstream. Yeah, he has a tone, a tonality, that I was trying to harness, I would say probably.”
(After talking with the trainers, the plan this week for WR Tyreek Hill and S Jevon Holland. Do you expect Tyreek to practice at all this week and is Jevon at the point where he can progress from limited involvement like the last two weeks, to full involvement this week?) – “We won’t have Tyreek practice today but that’s not any indication of left or right. It’s more just us trying to make sure that we have all cylinders go. Then Jevon Holland, he’s doing well. One thing that we have to do specifically with Jevon, just knowing him I’m sure you get the sense of he’s so motivated, and so aggressive to attack things that we have to kind of (takes breath) so that we don’t have lingering effects. He’s a very, very important part of the team. There’s a lot of guys that I kind of have to step in and get involved with the training staff, and really protect people from themselves. He is very high up on that list in terms of having to be proactive. So he’s doing well, though. He was in great spirits today so I know he knows that he’s getting closer. But we’ll be prudent and do right by him and the team.”
(You’ve talked about every loss being kind of a learning lesson and the team learning from that. Obviously you guys haven’t suffered back-to-back losses. What do you think the four losses kind of as a whole have taught this team as you look ahead to this weekend and the three-game finish?) – “Well, each is unique to itself. Each came at a different stage in the season and I think each has been extremely valuable. The first one, we were riding the high of a rare, I think 50-point margin of victory, and we experienced humility. Not because it was out of lack of respect; it was just a unique experience to go from that high to that low. So I thought from that loss, the way we practiced football changed for the entire year. Then the second loss against Philly, going on the road and not playing clean football from a standpoint of, it’s hard to go to a place that they hadn’t lost there. I think they’ve lost one since. It’s a really tough place to play. It was a big stage and we needed to feel that. We came up short, not out of lack of effort but that was something that this team hadn’t felt. They had only felt one loss and by their own volition, they had a big part in that. So then that occurs, we just get beat by a good football team. And then I think in Kansas City, we learned that in a different way, people were pressing when they shouldn’t have or shouldn’t need to, a different way from the Tennessee game. They also learned how hungry they were and they hadn’t really accomplished anything that they had set out to do, which is a humbling experience but a very healthy experience. This last loss, I think we learned a vital piece of what will shape the rest of our season, namely this game against the Cowboys. But that one, we learned a vital piece on where our attention should lie, and how, in a matter of four minutes in that case, how things can go drastically awry. You also don’t have anywhere to hide. You have to stare yourself in the mirror. You have to feel that. You’ve got remember that the identity of each and every player, coach and person on the football staff, they’re wrapped up in the Dolphins. And when, as an organization, you feel that kind of humbling embarrassment, the only thing you can look at is exactly what’s on deck today, exactly what your assignments are and the details with which can help you fix the feeling. It’s the most heightened sense of being present. It’s the most intentional way that you go about your daily week that football teams have to learn. You just aren’t birthed it. We’re in month 20 in the season and you have to keep finding a new level of intent and hard work and keep building on the last week and that’s kind of where we’re at right now. I know one thing, there’s an entire team that is solely focused on the Dallas Cowboys. Good teams are hard to beat anyway. So you can’t do anything to – you can’t just hope and wish. You have to make sure that you can do everything in your control, and then when you do that, I think that’s when you see our team come to life. I think that’s when we have a spirit on the field that’s unique because it’s earned. It’s not fake and it’s born and built out of preparation.”
(You’re facing a team on Sunday that just gave up 266 rushing yards to Buffalo. When you looked at the film of that game, what jumps out at you?) – “I think for one, any football coach in the National Football League pretty much knows by reputation shown on film of what type of coach Dan Quinn is as a defensive coordinator. He inspires guys to truly be their best selves. I’ve witnessed it firsthand for a couple of years. They are a team that strains and they met a team that was also straining. It wasn’t like they were just giving up big open spaces and easy – it was deliberate, intentional. Each team has their own thing going on and you could tell that Buffalo had a mindset that – it was more Buffalo executing then I saw than this, that or the other with Dallas. But one thing in this league, if you guys are hearing about and speaking to me about it, I think that our team is well aware and I’m very well aware that that team is very prideful. The Dallas Cowboys have prided themselves on a lot of things football, and they are hearing about it too the ‘nth degree, so we know exactly what to expect this Sunday. And that’s something similar that we can relate to in terms of what we went through just six days ago. I think it sets up for two teams that feel internally that they really have something to prove to themselves and that makes for good football. It will be a hard-fought test for both teams that I’m really excited about. This is what you play football for. You play football to play the best teams and we’re very fortunate to have the opportunity, and we look to take advantage of that this Wednesday and then do more of that on Thursday.”
(What’s the condition of your offensive line? You had OL Austin Jackson and OL Liam Eichenberg get through the game. How are they doing?) – “They are earning stripes and metal with every single one of their teammates. The rarified air to be – I mean the whole group really has battled things throughout the whole season. And Liam Eichenberg, his performance when the team absolutely needed it, he wasn’t saying, ‘okay, I’m going to try to go.’ He was telling everyone he was going and then not even leading on to that he was dealing with anything. You just had to look – one of his feet had terrible footwear. It was a boot. Then what Austin was doing. In this stage of the season, you don’t know where, you don’t know which position, but if you’re trying to win, it’s a big task. It’s inherent that there’s people willing to go there for the team. Their efforts have not gone unnoticed. I think they’re building onto the already established equity that they’ve built with their teammates this year.”
(I know you’ve known RB Raheem Mostert for a long time. What, if anything, have you learned new about him this season as he’s having a career year?) – “Even in a career year, the stripes that – what makes him him is the chip on his shoulder that he uses for a competitive advantage never goes away. So, he finds in one way, shape or form to find his formula, which is that no one thinks he’s good enough ever. That’s the way he looks at it. You got to understand the stuff that he’s gone through in his career is real. That would break most people. So it doesn’t surprise me. But if you want to talk about a guy that every single game, every single one of his teammates knows that dude is a hard tackle. Whether you’re blocking for him, you’re handing the ball off to him or you’re watching him play from the other sides of the ball, in the game of football, when there’s an element that you feel like a controlled variable, it is monumental for a team. So, we rely on him week in and week out to deliver on that. He’s a huge reason for the success that we have had this season.”
(I don’t want to jinx anything, but QB Tua Tagovailoa hasn’t thrown a pick in three games. How much is that him maybe not taking chances? Is that play calling? Is that more signs of his growth?) – “So especially with Tua, there’s a pattern here where somebody’s got to pick up on, ok? He gets better. And he gets better in an inordinate amount in a short period of time. That doesn’t mean– the game of football is tough. He will throw an interception at some point in his life. But what he’s doing is he’s learning from everything because he’s not pointing a finger or hiding from it. He’s really holding himself fairly accountable for everything, but not backing down from anything. You’re seeing a guy develop as we’ve seen him develop really since I’ve been here. So should it surprise us that he continues to improve his game? Well, if we’re blindfolded with earplugs, it should surprise us. That’s what you know about Tua. His hunger is deep within himself and that will continue. He’s playing the quarterback position better than he had at the beginning of the season. Numbers are numbers, but he’s learned stuff that is tangible as you progress through the season. It’s a tremendous responsibility to have the football every play and he doesn’t take that lightly.”
(What have you noticed about Dallas LB Micah Parsons?) – “He is one of the best players in the National Football League in any position. And I don’t think it’s really debatable. This dude is different. The orchestration that he has with his teammates and the stuff that Coach (Dan) Quinn does with the multiplicity of his alignments, you can tell not only is he unique in skillset, but you don’t play all the way across the line and in the stack and do all the things that he does without having a true love for the game. I would probably say he’s more to fun watch when you’re not going to play him. But that being said, I like the challenge of facing elite players like our players do. It’s really cool to watch because when you combine talent with strain, that’s rarified air, and in general with the level of talent and the level of strain he exhibits. So, he is a real dude for sure.”
(What have you learned from how defense have adjusted to you timing and motion throughout the season?) – “To expect the unexpected. I think our guys have gotten pretty comfortable. It’s been a while since we’ve played a team that has just kind of done exactly what they do against other teams. Sometimes that means it’s a different ratio of the coverages that they like to play. Sometimes it’s coverages that we’ve never seen them play. I think that’s something that is a badge of honor that you try to earn in the National Football League because it’s both a sign of respect but also a challenge at the same time. It presents unique things. We were just talking about Tua’s development. That is something that he is well versed at week in and week out is new challenges presented. You can forecast to a certain degree. To a certain degree, it’s impossible. That’s what December football is and meaningful football games. From my experience, that’s what I know to be true about playoff football. And throughout the postseason, it only gets more extreme, especially when you get to a game with two weeks to prepare. These are things that you have to become successful at if you’re trying to be successful. So they’re very good learning experiences as our team grows throughout the season.”
(Just a check in on S DeShon Elliott. Is he still in concussion protocol?) – “I don’t think he’s cleared yet. But he’s participating in the process of getting cleared. Does that make sense? You have to walk before you can run.”
Andrew Van Ginkel – December 18, 2023
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Monday, December 18, 2023
LB Andrew Van Ginkel
(Your head coach set you up because he asked if we’d seen you because you broke your nose, and we hadn’t today, but you look a lot better than we thought you would.) – “Yeah, it’s not too bad. I didn’t even know it was broken until this morning when they did the CT scan on it.”
(Do you have to go into protocol if you get a broken nose?) – “No. They’ll ask you how you’re feeling, if you’re lightheaded and stuff like that. They ask questions to make sure that you’re not, and if you need to see a doctor. But they don’t automatically put you in it.”
(How does one continue playing as if nothing happened if you have a broken nose? How do you pull that off?) – “Honestly, I’m just a football player. It’s the nature of the beast. It’s what we do and that’s what makes us who we are.”
(Do you know how it happened?) – “Yeah. I was pass rushing and I took a fist to the face. It kind of went through my facemask and I felt it instantly. Blood started gushing everywhere. I didn’t think anything of it. I just thought I had a bloody nose. I got back to the sideline and blood is just pouring out of both nostrils. It took a few minutes for it to settle down.”
(How about the game LB Bradley Chubb had on the other side?) – “Unbelievable. That’s just a testament to who he is. He’s been playing like that all year, but the quarterbacks have been getting the ball out a split second before he gets there. He’s been playing lights out all year. It’s so great to see it’s finally paying off and all the fruits of his labor is working.”
(Just to clarify, the fist to the face part, do you have any suspicion as to if it was inadvertent?) – “It’s football. That stuff happens all the time. I can’t tell you if it happened on purpose or not. I would be lying if I said I haven’t accidentally done that. It just happens. You move in different directions and stuff happens so fast out there. I personally don’t think it was on purpose.”
(In the first half yesterday, you guys had sacked the quarterback more than they had total yards – five sacks versus four yards. What was going right for you yesterday?) – “Everything was clicking on all cylinders. (Bradley) Chubb started the game hot, getting two sacks in the first couple of series. We just had the momentum and I think we just went from there. When you have somebody making big momentum plays like that, it gets you going and gets everybody fired up.”
(Did you and your wife host the holiday gingerbread…) – “Yeah, (my wife) might have.”
(How was that?) – “Yeah, just a few of our friends and all of our wives just got together and had a little friendly competition, spending some time together around the holidays. Just soaking it all in. Something cool like that, it doesn’t happen all the time. When you have good friends on this team and guys that want to get to know you, it’s special. Obviously with Calvin Munson being back, it was good to see him so I think we wanted to get together with him and his wife and spend some time with them.”
(Who won?) – “I don’t want to brag. I think it was me. Me and my wife did a good job, I thought. Alec (Ingold) did a good job as well. They all did. Calvin is funny. He tried to put a smiley face with licorice and obviously it’s hard to make a smiley face. It just goes to more of a straight face.” (laughter)
(How do you think this defense has handled life after LB Jaelan Phillips this year? How do you think you guys have filled that void?) – “I don’t think you can. He’s a special player. He’s a unique player. He brings all the energy to this defense. When you see a guy like that go down, it’s tough. You need guys to step up. I’m doing my best to be able to step into that role and obviously we got (Emmanuel) Ogbah, and ‘JPP’ (Jason Pierre Paul). Cam (Goode) played well in the game as well this past Sunday. Just seeing guys like that take advantage of their opportunity and make the most of it.”
(Does LB Jaelan Phillips come around?) – “Yeah. We see him all the time. He still texts me before games. He’s my No. 1 fan. I love that man. We’ve been here for three years now together. We’re like brothers. It’s special.”
(All the games you have left on the schedule are teams that will probably be bound for the playoffs. What do you think of the intensity of the remaining slate?) – “We just got to take it one game at a time. I know that’s coach talk, but it’s the truth. You can’t get to the next game without playing the team in front of you. We’ve got to focus on the Cowboys. They are the next opponent in our way, and if we want to get to where we want to go, it starts with the Cowboys. That’s what our team should be focused on, and what our mentality should be.”
