Mike McDaniel – November 22, 2023
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Wednesday, November 22, 2023
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(We were deeply concerned yesterday only because, we saw the injury report – of course, if you had practiced fully, you listed three offensive line starters as limited – OL Austin Jackson and OL Lester Cotton with new injuries – and obviously OL Robert Hunt. Of those three, are you optimistic that any or all will play on Friday?) – “I’m very optimistic that Austin and Lester will play. I feel pretty confident in that. Rob, I’m optimistic that he will be dressed. One of the trickiest things – short weeks are just a heart attack for you because right now it’s Wednesday. We’re all creatures of habit and in the NFL season, I’m not sure if people understand how labor-some Wednesday is in general. You have to get going. Well, this is the Thursday of our work week, so trying to decipher between bumps and bruises and injuries, it’s just a little difficult now. It’s pretty gray. We have to be very fluid as a coaching staff. There’s a lot still up in the air but that’s kind of how I view those three. But this would be the worst time to be like, ‘alright he said this, this is going to happen.’ There’s a lot of gray. And you have to embrace that and be fluid with a lot of stuff. There’s going to be a lot of things that will be up until gametime, including Rob Hunt.”
(What about RB De’Von Achane? Was it positive that he was limited?) – “I think it was a positive. Today’s a big day for him. We’ll have to make a decision that is going to have to be – he’s going to want to play. It’s not really a preventative decision on how much you can sustain and worry about further injury. It’s not that. It’s more the consequences of someone that when you go to a game on an active roster that’s very limited, and then you’re unable to fulfill your four-quarter duty, there’s a consequence on the team. As well as, I need to still make sure where his confidence level is at with something that I know is uncharted for him, because you want him to be his best self when he’s playing. There will be a little posturing on his part, I assume, and I’ll just be deciphering between his level of confidence and my confidence that he can play four quarters. Not saying that he has to because things happen all the time in the NFL that you can’t control. Just educated guesses that will come, and today will be a big day for that.”
(So it’s possible to bring back RB De’Von Achane on a limited snap count?) – “All things are up in the air. From a medical standpoint, there’s no risk in regards to, alright, this is pressing the envelope. That’s what I first established is like, is there inherent risk? Are we playing with fire? That has been communicated to me that we aren’t. So it’s more about his confidence, and yes there is a chance that he’ll play, for sure. But there’s a chance he won’t either. We have one practice opportunity to go full speed. That’s today, so obviously that will be very important.”
(A question on a possible follow up on RB De’Von Achane. On video it looked like he was tackled with hip-drop tackles when he hurt his knee versus the Giants and Raiders. Is that the case? If so, what are your thoughts on that technique?) – “You want me to make national headlines right now, don’t you? (laughter) You want me to go bold. You want me to call everybody out. (laughter) It’s an interesting debate. I operate so much in opportunity cost. If you’re spending time thinking about one thing, you’re not spending time thinking about the other. So I don’t really have an opinion – or the validity of hip-drop tackles and the recourse and whether it’s good for the game, I know that it’s good for the game for all players to be healthy. I know that it’s hard for me to envision a defender trying to tackle someone and while wrapped up, I think sometimes people aren’t intending to do that and it just happens. I don’t know. I haven’t really combed the tape that way or looked through that lens in terms of that being kind of the impetus for De’Von’s injury. Now that you say that, I can kind of picture the tackles and they probably were something similar. But it’s also just, you’re tackling offensive ball-carriers in the heat of battle. It’s a hard enough job to bring someone down. So I think rules should be based around protecting players as much as we can because the game benefits with all players being available. But with that being said, as long as you don’t violate the integrity of tackle football, I think things done towards player safety is a good thing. How do you enforce that, or, I put myself in a defender’s shoes and you’re tackling someone and you’re trying to bring them down, that generally is happening when they’re building momentum and they’re already progressing down the field, in theory. So it’s kind of tricky. It’s a really interesting topic that I spend absolutely zero time thinking about. But it doesn’t mean it’s not valid. That doesn’t mean it’s beneath me. It’s more that I’m not trying to meddle in stuff. I’ve got enough problems.”
(I want to talk a little bit about LB Jaelan Phillips and LB Bradley Chubb. This dynamic duo, they’ve said that they help each other out in ways when they’re frustrated within their game. Besides the stats, what also has impressed you the most about the two of them?) – “That they’ve also had internal battles through the season, battling the best problem you could possibly have the professional athlete, which is strong conviction and obligation to be an elite player for their team and themselves. That is obviously a positive thing, but it also can lead one to press. I think they have really relied on technique and fundamentals in orchestration with Vic’s (Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio) beliefs and (Outside Linebackers Coach) Ryan Slowik’s and (Senior Assistant) Wade Harman’s work with them. They’ve done an outstanding job building their game the right way within the structure of the defense, because for you to play good defense, individuals have to buy in so they’re not just stat chasing and running the hoop nine yards deep on first and second down, those types of things. Ultimately, they care a tremendous amount about being pillars to our team, and have learned and really grown right in front of my eyes, particularly this year, in understanding what that is. So they bring it every day. They are pushing themselves – watching those two in the fourth quarter is one of my favorite things, because they are tired and they don’t care. They are willing themselves. You can really see it with both of them. I think they expected this year to be the best football year of their lives so far, and I think they’re delivering on that in their journeys and knowing that there’s more on the table for them. It’s a huge part of our team and what drives us. Huge part of one of the reasons – I think last week we led the league in quarterback hits up until the game. I’m not sure where we’re at now. It’s a short week, so I have no information. But they’re a huge driving force for what we’re doing.”
(I want you to put your critics hat on for a minute. What is your unbiased review of Hard Knocks? What did you think?) – “Oh yeah, I didn’t see it. I was asleep. I think that that’s a compliment itself to a lot of people in the building, the relationships that we’ve built with the crew, my full belief in our communications department led by (Senior Director of Football Communications) Anne Noland. I didn’t anticipate that, but it was 8:30 and I fell asleep. (laughter) So I didn’t watch it. I don’t really have any critique, thus. What did you think? That’s what the people want to know. Give the people what they want. (laughter)”
(You were the star, by far.) – “Oh really? I don’t believe that.”
(Does Linebackers Coach Anthony Campanile come up with analogies and pep talks like that every week?) – “Oh yeah, that’s a Jersey thing, man. He’s got stuff in his back pocket that him and all his brothers – I mean, he’s one of however many football coaching brothers he has. So people responded to him well?”
(Yes. There needs to be a Dolphins shirt that says “Ass Whoop – Universal Language.”) – “Universal language. I’m fluent in that. I learned that in middle school on the bad end – just kidding. (laughter) No, that’s good. That’s kind of what I alluded to in a team meeting before about the unintended consequences. There’s some natural resistance to your safe place. We do things in a way that would – from a foundational standpoint, you try to do things not because it’s been done or the way that you’ve done it before, but what makes the most sense. When you’re doing stuff like that and you let your guard down, your guard is down because you’ve learned to let your guard down in the safe place. For that to be violated, it was kind of nerve wracking, but at the same time, I knew there were so many stories of people that – the idea that I’m the star of a show, I dislike that to the nth degree, just because that’s not team. Like I signed up for this from the beginning, getting into coaching, to be a part of a team. Within this team in particular, there are so many driving forces to make us who we are, and to be able to shed a little light on some of those dynamics, it’s therapeutic to me because I just know it’s the way things work, but you guys don’t get to talk to Anthony Campanile all the time. You’re forced to talk to me all the time. You do your best with what is in front of you, so I get that. But I’m glad to hear that you guys are fired up. You put a guy like Anthony Campanile in front of a room because of his connection to players and because he brings energy and brings passion and his conviction. Those type of people have a big residual towards our day-to-day process, which is what makes us who we are. I think so far so good. Remember, my job is problems, right? That’s what my job is, and people generally don’t tell me – sometimes they tell me some positive stuff, but most of the time, it’s like, ‘Hey, fix this.’ And I haven’t gotten any fix this conversation, so I feel pretty good about it. Just let me know if there’s something that I do (need to know). I’ll leave it to you guys. OK? Can we agree on this? If there’s something that I do that you’re like, ‘Oh, man, that’s terrible.’ You just let me know, because I probably haven’t seen it, so that I can adjust moving forward. Cool? (laughter)”
(I wanted to ask you about CB Jalen Ramsey. A lot of players have talked about how engaged he was in meetings, and how he’s so committed to the team, and how he brings food trucks on Fridays. How do you think that commitment while he was coming back physically has allowed him to drop into the defense and have this seamless comeback?) – “I think it’s absolutely everything. When I tell you, never in my career have I seen someone with a months not weeks injury, be as involved in a team. Mind you, he had two practices under his belt with this team. To have two practices and have the wherewithal to understand your impact on people and how your injury – I mean our team was in the tank until he talked to the team. He explained, ‘hey, I’m going to do this.’ And then he did it each and every day. When your most talented players epitomize your beliefs and how to do things as an individual with regards to yourself but also with regards to the entire team, when you have the most talent and you exhibit the exact model of Rudy, you are like wow. You have Rudy in a once in a generation type skillset for a guy that size, and there is no way to avoid the ramifications for the rest of the team. I think he comes back and it raises peoples’ level of game because he’s an elite player, but you also know what he did to get back here. So maybe you take an extra 30 minutes to review your tip sheet that you get from your coaches the night before the game. The residuals are endless. If you want to be a winning program, that has to happen. Or you’re just wishing and hoping. I can’t say enough good things about that guy. He’s one of my top three favorite players of all time. I’ve only been in game situations in what, four times? Three?”
(On a short week with less time on the grass for your gameplan, how does that add to the challenge of getting ready for an opponent?) – “It is a completely different challenge. You have to let go some of your idiosyncrasies as a coach to where maybe your plan just adjusts everything you do. You have to keep in mind you can’t have your cake and eat it to. You only have a certain amount of reps, so how do you do things within the realm of players comfort so that they are confident, but also give an element of edge that is necessary to beat any NFL team. You’re trying to balance a lot of things. It is a strain. You want to talk about something that no one talks about that is so real. We are a creature of habit. You have the same orchestration of work week, and that is where people live in the high-stakes world of professional football. Well, we are meeting all day and putting in so much stuff on Tuesday, which is the player’s day off, so that is the challenge that you enter into because they are conditioned – it doesn’t matter how bad they want to, they are tired. It’s like, ‘oh man, didn’t we just play?’ Yes, you did. So you have to really go after it that whole player day off, which is now your Wednesday and Thursday combined. All of that is hard. And then you have to get up and do it again the next day, except this time you’re practicing as you would on Thursday, on a Wednesday, which is different to the clock. Professional athletes have the most OCD routine and are more routine-oriented than anybody that I’ve come across. They are regimented. That’s the only way you can maximize your physical performance. Talking about meals, stretching, massages, treatment, pools, tubs, all the different things that go into it. That inherently is a challenge, but when it’s an uncontrollable, then it’s not about this is hard. It’s about how do we combat that? I feel very fortunate that we have a lot of competitors that when it’s explained to them through that lens, they are up for the challenge. I’m expecting some exciting football here today on the practice field.”
(I want to follow up on RB Jeff Wilson Jr. just because he’s a guy we expected to be a regular rotation player for you, and it hasn’t been the case. He was inactive last week. How has he been performing? Is it just health or performance why he hasn’t been contributing more?) – “The position at running back, we’ve, in my opinion, done a good job of making sure that position group has plenty of depth. That position in particular has an unpredictable injury flowchart. Honestly, I’m so excited for where Jeff is at because it has nothing to do with his performance in terms of not doing X, Y or Z. There are a multitude of variables. We get a lot out of our running backs, whether it’s you’re on first down, second down or third down, or you’re on special teams. I think one of the things that was really a part of SA’s (Salvon Ahmed) growth this year was his ability to contribute in a strong fashion on special teams. Not to say that Jeff can’t. It was more that you don’t know which position your pillars on special teams, or guys that are strong contributors, are coming from. And before that, that was a major role for Chris Brooks. When you have multiple players, that’s why he’s on the team but hasn’t really been able to bite the meat off the bone. When you stay patient, and you worry about the stuff you can control, the whole point of doing that is so that in moments like these, your game hasn’t suffered when the opportunity is right in front of you and as real as all get out. Jeff is ready, fully healthy and I’m excited for the people’s champ to get some action.”
Vic Fangio – November 21, 2023
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Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio
(Do you go back and watch anything of QB Tim Boyle beyond the 14 throws from last Sunday? Do you look at the Detroit days to see how he responds to blitzes and other looks? Is there time for that?) – “Yeah. You have to make time. He played in the preseason for the Jets this year. He played in Chicago some, which was the same system that he’s in now. He was in Green Bay with Coach (Nathaniel) Hackett, the offensive coordinator, in Chicago, and was in Green Bay when he was there. He was with Chicago now he’s back with Coach Hackett. So he knows the system and there is some video out there.”
(A lot of teammates of CB Jalen Ramsey have spoken about how involved and engaged he was while he was coming back from his injury. From your perspective, what role has that played in him coming in and hitting the ground running?) – “His rehab process was pretty amazing. He said right from the start that he was going to make it back way ahead of what that injury usually requires. It wasn’t just the first day or two talk. He backed it up all the way through. He did a tremendous job rehabbing that injury, and getting well, and getting ready to play. He deserves 90 percent of that credit. I think (Head Athletic Trainer) Kyle (Johnston) in the training room and his people that helped him, (Assistant Athletic Trainer) Jasmin (Grimes), (Associate Head Athletic Trainer) Troy (Maurer), they did a tremendous job with him. (Cornerbacks/Pass Game Specialist) Sam Madison went above and beyond and worked with him on the field while he was rehabbing. He just did a great job and it was one of the better things I’ve seen.”
(In the film room and meetings, is it usual to see an injured guy as engaged as some of the players recounted?) – “Yeah, at times. And at times, no.”
(Aside from the rehab, what has amazed you the most about CB Jalen Ramsey as a player?) – “He’s a student of the game. which is something that you don’t know until you get around a guy. He’s a smart player. He’s a team player. He likes to help people and he’s been a great addition.”
(What stood out to about CB Jalen Ramsey’s two interceptions last week?) – “Both of them were great plays. A lot of interceptions are tips, as overthrow, a really bad throw by the quarterback or something along those lines. These were just two really, really great plays.”
(You mentioned observing past tape of Jets QB Tim Boyle. What if anything changes as far as how you approach him as opposed to Zach Wilson?) – “That’s the unknown. Always when you have a new quarterback in there or a lot of times when you have a new quarterback, the plan of attack and the way the game is called may change. And I think it’s different in this case because he is very well-versed in the offense they’re running because of where he’s been the last few years. So I think they’ll run their offense, which he’s very capable of doing.”
(We saw, I think, LB David Long Jr. had his fewest snaps this past Sunday since Week 1. Was that matchup or…?) – “It was just kind of the way the game, the personality that the game took on there. We had a good bit of short series there and then when we had two-minute drives at the end of the game, we were either going to be in dime or place ‘Gink’ (Andrew Van Ginkel) in there some.”
(When you have an inexperienced quarterback like Jets QB Tim Boyle, is there a general rule or is it case-by-case like do you want to pressure him early and get to him or do you want to kind of read and react and then do what you…?) – “Yeah, I think it’s case-by-case. In Boyle’s case, he knows this offense. He’s comfortable in it. I don’t think it’s your normal young backup coming into a game.”
(You’ve had obviously a lot of success in your career against quarterbacks without a lot of experience. Some coordinators would blitz a ton. Obviously you’ve always been measured with that. We saw a blitz got a sack on third down last week, then you rushed four on the last drive. Is it ever self-control not to blitz or are you so used to being measured with blitzes that you’re not tempted to blitz an inexperienced guy more?) – “Again, it’s just the situation and the flow of the game and you call what you think needs to be called at any given moment that is best for your team versus the opponent. It’s not that we’re adverse to calling pressure. Sometimes the way the teams are playing dictates that it may not be as advantageous because of the way they’re playing, whether they’re keeping a lot of guys in to block or throwing it real quick. So you just have to get a feel for it.”
(Have there been any moments along the way that stood out to you of your defense, your guys, picking up your defense better? Or has it just kind of been a steady progression?) – “I just think it’s been steady improvement along the line, which you would expect and being able to game plan opponents and meet specifically on certain teams helps and I just think it’s the natural maturation as you go along.”
(Is there a stunning effect on quarterbacks when they see CB Jalen Ramsey and CB Xavien Howard out there? I mean in general. I know it hasn’t been that many games for you guys.) – “I don’t know. They’re two good players and the more good players you have, the better off you are. I feel fortunate that we have those two guys outside.”
(Was there a point early in the year where you thought the defenders should learn the system more quickly or you were frustrated at all about your defensive players were doing in that regard?) – “Maybe on a play-by-play basis. I wouldn’t say on an overall basis.”
(Have they absorbed it though? I know it’s a big playbook. Have they absorbed it as well as you’d like by the end here?) – “Yeah, we’ve done a good job here of late and I think they’re gaining confidence in it.”
(The quandary of DE Emmanuel Ogbah this year. Obviously he’s a guy who’s done a lot in this league, but obviously you’re deep at edge and outside linebacker. How tough a call is that then with you to not play a lot a guy who’s used to playing a lot?) – “It’s not easy or not enjoyable. He’s a hell of a guy. He’s been a very productive player in this league. It’s just hard sometimes to get four guys reps at the edge position when it’s mainly been (Bradley) Chubb, (Jaelan) Phillips and ‘Ginkel’ (Andrew Van Ginkel).”
(Would you ever go to QB Mike White or WR Braxton Berrios, former Jets, and kind of pick their brain or would you welcome them coming to you with tips?) – “Yeah, but it’s a new offensive system than when Mike (White) was there, so a little less validity to it.”
(You were with LB Bradley Chubb in Denver and it seems like he’s really come into his own and in being teed up with LB Jaelan Phillips on the other side. Has he just grown as a player defensively throughout his career or is it now that he’s less injured? It just seems like he’s really grown. Have you seen that growth in him?) – “Yeah, I think it’s everything you said. He really struggled the three years I was in Denver with him, except the second year he had a good stretch from about Game 5 through 14, and I think he actually made the Pro Bowl that year. But his first year obviously he was injured, I think in Game 4, and missed the rest of the year. And the third year, he had two different ankle injuries that really affected him the whole year. When you look it up, it says he played seven or eight games, but he wasn’t himself because of the injuries. I’m really happy for him on a personal level and it’s really nice to see and I think he’s going to continue to grow.”
Frank Smith – November 21, 2023
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Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(RB De’Von Achane, were you able to talk to him on the sideline and what is his mindset as far as being a young player who experiences a setback after such a good game?) – “Yeah, I’m in the press box during the game, so I did not. But afterwards, I talked to him in the locker room and saw him around. The only thing you can control is your attitude. You can’t control the events that occur. It’s just your response. That’s the nature of being a professional athlete. There’s going to be highs and lows and your choice and how you handle that is going to be most times the outcome.”
(Were you in the press box last year?) – “No, I was on the field.”
(From your perspective, how do you see the game up there?) – “It’s great. I started my career in New Orleans in the press box. I was up there for five years. When you first come down, it’s like, ‘Oh there’s a game going on down here.’ You’re so far removed you feel like you get a different vantage point and you’re behind a giant piece of glass watching everything going on. So you get less of the – especially in the Superdome it was way worse because you were in the rafters. Here at least you can still feel like you’re part of the game. The Superdome, I just felt like I had some popcorn and watched everything going on. (laughter) But yeah, I think it’s a great perspective. I enjoy it. I enjoy anything I need to do to help this program.”
(How did TE Julian Hill play aside from the turnover?) – “Being a rookie is always a process. Tight end, it’s a hard process with all the different variables that come into play. He’s doing a great job with it. The one thing with Julian, there’s a guy that every minute of the day he is using to make himself better. I know him and Jon (Embree) are always trying to maximize their time. We’ve been really pleased with what he’s been doing. To come from Campbell and be contributing is really pretty cool.”
(How was your reaction to losing RB Salvon Ahmed? Another running back injury now.) – “It’s unfortunate. But again, you can’t control a lot of things that happen. He was doing very well for us, especially the early part of the year. It’ll be on collectively the guys in the room and guys in the offense, when we lose guys, to step up and rise to the challenge.”
(How would you describe the Jets defense?) – “Very well coached. They have a very good identity to what they’re doing. They know how to play together. They communicate well. They play aggressive. They’re going to be a great challenge for us on Friday. I was about to say Sunday (laughter). Facing another division opponent, it’s obviously an important game for us. We’re really looking forward to Friday.”
(How much mystery is there associated with how to play QB Tua Tagovailoa considering he didn’t play against them last year?) – “I don’t know. I mean the mystery is more what are we going to get on (Friday). I mean, we get so many things that necessarily another opponent might not get. The New York Giants played nickel the whole game or play guys who play a different amount of snaps. I think ultimately it’s about our understanding of the concepts and our understanding of our communication with each other and the intent and purpose of all things. Whatever they decide, if it’s to deviate from what they do, then it’s our job to adjust and make sure they’re on the same page together. The variables and what ifs, it’s more about how can we get better each day at what we do.”
(I wanted to ask you a couple questions about the short-yardage offense. From your vantage point, what’s gone wrong or right with the short-yardage offense?) – “It’s not just one thing. It’s one thing here, one thing there. You hope over the course of a year, at the end, things even itself out. Ultimately, when you have something that you can improve, I mean we’re very aware of it and we’re working on it. It’s just when you have a situation where it’s either yes or no, it’s one yard or not, it gets magnified sometimes. We’re all very aware around here. It’s just making sure we’re on the same page connected because one yard is important. Ultimately when you’re halfway through the season, things can turn around with the emphasis and focus by the group.”
(You’re not a team that goes under center a ton and we understand why you wouldn’t throw QB Tua Tagovailoa or a franchise quarterback in that situation and all that. A couple years ago they used Jacoby Brissett in short yardage. Have you thought to use a non-quarterback or Mike White maybe to get you that yard if you don’t want to put Tua at risk like that?) – “I mean, we’ve weighed a lot of different things. If you’re putting someone under center who is not there all the time, it’s another chance for you to put the ball on the ground. There are variables for all things that you can weigh, and we try to make sure everything that we do is for a purpose and for a reason. This last game, we know what our issues were and we’re working on improving it. Friday will be our opportunity to try and improve in that area.”
(QB Tua Tagovailoa was harping on cutting down on turnovers. What are some of the key teaching points?) – “I mean the hard thing is when it comes to turnovers, you look at the root of them. When you deal with accountable men, you know you’ll improve in it. His commitment, the whole groups commitment to it, will be the reason why we improve. It’s a start to your basic fundamentals and intent of how you go about your day. If you have that deliberate nature toward the importance of ball security and you approach your day that whole way, that normally creates that habit you’re looking for. Sometimes the minute you take the ball for granted, you might not have it. It’s just that sense of urgency with everything we do. That’s the fortunate thing is we have guys that really take that approach.”
(The team has generally been a bit more productive at home than on the road. What are some things that you know the team needs to do especially on the road?) – “I think also it’s a different year. When you play at home and you have a successful game like we did versus Denver, you’re not sneaking up on anyone anymore and everyone is going to looking at you going, ‘you ain’t doing that to me.’ So you get everyone’s attention in the league, so now when you roll up in town, they know who you are and they’re not going to let it happen. So it’s great for us to now have to rise to the occasion as we go on the road and grow as a group, and a lot of the times that we’ve been on the road, we’re facing really good opponents and the result might not come, but it’s about the process. Ultimately if you look at each game, the result went one way, but what did you learn and grow? And that’s ultimately how we build this program here. Yes, we’re a results-based business. If you talk process for too long and the next thing you know, I’ll be holding a seminar on the street. (laughter) But ultimately these environments are really good for us and growth and again, this Friday afternoon will be another big-time game being the first Friday game. All these things are happening for a reason for us and we’re growing through it together.”
(Two offensive coordinators have lost their jobs recently – Pittsburgh and Buffalo. I used to cover an offensive coordinator who said it’s the most high-profile assistant coach’s job in sports because everybody thinks they know how to call plays. Would you agree with that? Is your job the most high-profile assistant coach’s job in sports?) – “I don’t know. You guys can tell me. I have the dream job you could ever have. I coach football professionally in the National Football League. Whatever role I have, to be part of an organization, to help players be their best; that’s the most important thing for me, is helping these guys fulfill their lifelong dreams. And when you do that, all this other stuff that you get – I remember when I started out in coaching. My head coach made $120,000 at Miami of Ohio, and I was like, ‘man, if I make that, I’m going to be rich someday.’ (laughter) It just comes with the nature of this business. The higher you get, the more scrutiny you get. I don’t know who’s the most important job around here. I know that it’s definitely the head coach and the general manager. They deal with the most scrutiny. The starting quarterback after that? I don’t know. But pressure comes with the nature of this business and I look forward to it every day.”
(Can you speak to what TE Durham Smythe brings and the importance that he brings to the lineup when he is in?) – “Absolutely. Just a true pro, toughness, grit. Just everything you want in guys that are part of your roster. His approach, his detail to everything has been fantastic. He’s just a really valued member of our football team. We’re really fortunate to have him.”
(Not to talk about specific names, but how concerned are you with the offensive line going into a short week, a very strong opponent defensively, obviously no OL Robert Hunt at the moment – limited today according to the injury report – and then OL Lester Cotton and OL Austin Jackson? No OL Robert Jones. OL Isaiah Wynn on IR. How concerned are you?) – “The nature of a short week is there’s a lot of variables that are different. You don’t practice as much. We’re traveling again. So there’s a lot of concerns that we have just as far as our preparation and making sure we’re on things. When it comes to the roster, there’s just certain things that are going to be what they are and day-to-day we address it and we’ll work through it. So when it comes to the offensive line, each day we’re working with the guys that are going to be available and we’re doing the best we can schematically to make sure we put guys in their best position.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel had alluded to how difficult it is for a guy to come off the bench mid-game to play on the offensive line compared to having a whole week’s worth of reps to get ready for the game. Why is that? Why is it so challenging to do one and not the other?) – “When you play in a group with four other guys and you’re working together and having to communicate together to do or accomplish a job, it’s not like you’re an individual. Like wide receivers can work in tandem or groups as their pattern, their running. Running backs can work with the o-line. The offensive line – if one of them is not in phase with the others, it kind of sticks out. So to come in the middle of the game and get into the swing of things and make sure that you’re communicating, they’ve already seen things going on in the game so they may be a step ahead of you as far as the first thing that comes out of their mouth is like ‘Yo!’ I remember playing in college, starting three years, by the end I was the center and – I didn’t even, I was like, ‘hey!’ And they were like, ‘yep.’ You didn’t even have to really say it. You just kind of sensed because you already talked during the week so you know exactly what you should do and what the other guy is thinking. The closer you are, the better that occurs, so coming off the bench at that position, it is challenging, especially when you may have prepped here, there and everywhere and then now all of a sudden, ‘oh by the way, you’re going out here.’ So I think that’s a real challenge and that’s why we train the way we do to hopefully help them to be ready for those situations.”
(OL Chasen Hines, the kid that was elevated, can he play guard and center?) – “Yes, we try and cross-train as many guys as we can. It’s the nature of everything we do. That’s been the one challenge, like lessons you learn over the years, the versatility of the training of the offseason, or just having guys that are flexible just. You never know what poses in the middle of the year so that always is a benefit.”
Danny Crossman – November 21, 2023
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Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(It was good to see K Jason Sanders come back after the 50-yard miss with the 51-yarder. Do you talk to him typically after missed long field goals ever?) – “I don’t talk to him really on any missed kick as long as it’s a good hit. It was a good strike. The thing leaked a little bit left, misses it by six inches, but it was a good strike from 50 at the top of the stick. He hit a good ball. If he hits a good ball, I don’t say anything to him whether it’s good or no good.”
(Without WR Braxton Berrios, we saw some WR Cedrick Wilson Jr. I think WR Jaylen Waddle was a returner. What do you think you got out of Cedrick there?) – “I thought Cedrick did a good job. He was our primary guy a year ago. He hasn’t gotten a lot of work this year. Obviously he gets it in practice and is out there pregame every week, but for him to go out there, he had a good return on the first one – we lost the yardage with a penalty – and then I thought we had an opportunity later on and we ended up with a fair catch. But I thought he did a good job and made good decisions, which is the most important thing in that position.”
(What’s the process, without giving away strategy, RB De’Von Achane this week – maybe he plays, maybe he doesn’t – but when it gets to okay, if he’s playing, do we use him on kick returns? Do you tell Head Coach Mike McDaniel he’s okay or does Mike ask you? Or how does that work?) – “Those conversations are ongoing throughout the week. But generally speaking, if a guy is playing, a guy is playing.”
(With losing RB Salvon Ahmed and the running back unit is kind of being thinned out, how does that impact special teams primarily? You also have other guys like WR Chase Claypool who was on special teams and was down.) – “It’s been one of those years where we’ve gotten some work from a lot of different guys and a lot of it because of injuries and then it trickled down when we were losing some guys on offense or defense that are primary guys; then we’re losing a guy from the kicking game, has to go to offense or defense. Chris (Grier) and Mike (McDaniel) have done a good job with the roster and guys are doing a good job and work, so when they are called – we’ve talked about this several times this year – we look at it not as a 53-man roster, but a 69. Earlier in the year, we had a boatload of flexes. Basically we were flexing somebody every week and that guy was going out and playing on three or four phases, so we’ve sort of gotten away from that. We’ve not had a lot of flexes lately, but the guys that are up and playing, that has been transitioning. And as we all know, it’s a little bit tricky, but the guys have done a great job.”
(How interchangeable are players on special teams? You certainly have roles for everyone, but how hard is it when you lose someone?) – “It’s hard. They’re all pieces and the pieces really have a spot where you’d like to play them, but when you start losing guys with injuries, it can’t always be that guy plugging in to what is his primary and probably best position. You’ve got to have guys that have to have some flexibility. You’ve got guys playing out of position sometimes, but you find a way and like I said, the players do a great job. They come in early if they have to, especially when we let them know it’s a possibility of some position changes and some shifts. They do a great job of staying on top of it, but like anything it’s difficult.”
Tua Tagovailoa – November 21, 2023
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(Speaking of being thankful, since it is Thanksgiving Week, what are you most thankful for in the last 12 months?) – “I am thankful for everyone in my life. I’m thankful for the life that I have, the life that I’m able to live. I’m grateful that I get to live this life. Very fortunate to be living the dream that I’ve had ever since I was little.”
(You’re going up against two very capable cornerbacks here in D.J. Reed and Sauce Gardner. How aware are you of the cornerbacks during the game? Are you just paying attention to your assignment? Or are you aware, yeah, that’s Sauce Gardner over there?) – “I’m aware where everyone is on the field. But when it comes to matchups, for me I’m always going to take our guys regardless of who’s covering them. I will get off of those guys if they have help on top, but if it’s just a one-on-one, I’m going to give the benefit of the doubt to our guys winning that battle. But they’ve got a talented defense. They’ve got really good guys up front within their front seven and their guys in the back are really good as well. Some guys are banged up, but they haven’t missed a beat defensively. We know this is going to be a really tough challenge and we’re looking forward to it. First Black Friday game.”
(On a short week with obviously less practice time, less reps on the practice field, how does that increase the challenge of getting ready for an NFL defense when you have less reps in practice?) – “It is more challenging. Only because you play a game, there’s the science behind the 48-hour time window of practicing or not practicing. So it’s a lot of mental reps for all of us. I think we’ll probably have one day of field practice to just run around and make sure everything is on point and on time. But outside of that, what makes these short weeks tough is a lot of these things are mental, more mental than physical.”
(Does it benefit you that you actually play a division rival, so you know the personnel and you know their approach?) – “Yeah, it does. But for myself, it also doesn’t because I wasn’t able to play against this team last year for the two times that our team played them. Will they play us the way they did last year, I’m not too sure. As we’ve watched the film, we can only assume what they’re going to be running. But if they come out with something different and want to put an umbrella over those two guys with Jaylen (Waddle) and Tyreek (Hill), so be it. We will have to adjust. And if not, then we’ll play the game the way we see it.”
(Did you have a chance to talk to RB De’Von Achane Sunday on the sideline? If so, did you share anything with him about injury recovery or being patient or anything along those lines?) – “Well, I think he’s smart enough to understand for himself that it isn’t worth it in the long run to have came out if he wasn’t feeling right. He made that decision himself with the trainers. He talked to those guys and they got that all situated. It’s a long season. We’ve still got a couple other games before we can make a run at what we want to do this year. I thought it was the right thing for himself and what he discussed with the trainers to stay out of that game. But hopefully he gets to feeling better and we can get him going with us.”
(What have you noticed about DL Quinnen Williams and the Jets pass rush strategy?) – “They’re really good. I’ve played against Quinnen. I played against him and I played with him. Very strong. It’s tough, the things that he likes to do is he likes to get one-on-one matchups. That’s really his game. It’s not just him, it’s their guys outside as well that make that defense go. All those guys, they’ll have to be accounted for.”
(Do you find that your former Alabama teammates take it easier or harder against you when they play you?) – “I don’t think they take it easy. That’s not the way we grew up practicing with each other when we were all in college during the same time, and I don’t expect that as we play each other because I’m not giving that to them.”
(I want to ask about another injury. QB Joe Burrow, again done for the year. I don’t know how much you’ve kept in touch with him over the last couple of years?) – “Yeah, I reached out to Joe after the incident happened, sent him a text. It’s a part of the game, but well wishes to Joe on a speedy recovery and hopefully he comes back better next year for it.”
(You spoke about cutting down turnovers, what are some of the things you can do on this short week to try to eliminate those?) – “Completions. Get drives extended. Continue to get our playmakers the ball and keep it moving that way.”
(With WR Tyreek Hill, the connection is so special with the numbers you guys are putting up. How different is it with timing just getting him the ball versus anybody else?) – “Well, it’s different with Tyreek with the timing because of how fast he is. He runs his routes different than everyone else. Jaylen runs his routes a little different than the other guys as well. So it’s just getting the timing down with the other guys the way that me and Tyreek have kind of been working through that.”
(Another road game for you guys. Do you practice silent count more? Can you maybe take me into the silent count element of that as you prep for another road game?) – “Yeah. We try to work silent count the entire practice. Really the mindset of it is we try to go as much cadence as we can. It’s really until we can’t. Then when we can’t, then we revert to the silent cadence. But on days or on weeks where it is away games, that’s what we’re working on mostly in practice.”
(Do you feel a big difference in the operation home and away?) – “Yeah, there’s a lot of differences. The biggest one being how I time up the cadence with my – or how I type up the snap points with my cadence, versus Connor’s (Williams) head nod snap deal. That’s really all it is.”
(A strange question. It seems like we hear music or sound during home game practices for you guys. Do you guys do that? Do you pipe in sound during practice during the week of a home game? And if so, why?) – “Over here?”
(Yeah.) – “That’s for the defense. When the defense is on the field, the defense has to get their communication going when the crowd is loud.”
(Hard Knocks is debuting tonight. Will you watch it live?) – “No. I’m not watching any of that.”
Alec Ingold – November 21, 2023
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Tuesday, November 21, 2023
FB Alec Ingold
(On the NY Jets defense) – “It’s got to be one of the best units in the league. I think we’ve had a couple of challenges coming up these past few weeks on really good defenses and this is going to be another one. I’m really excited to go against their front. Four down, they’ve got so much talent. My guy ‘Soli’ (Solomon) Thomas is over there, he’s rotating in. Across the line, they are pass rush, run stopping. Those two linebackers in the middle are playing lights out this year. The Williams brothers (Quincy and Quinnen). C.J. Mosley is obviously a huge guy and presence there, and then you’ve got the talented back end. There are not a whole lot of chinks in the armor on that defense. It’s going to be a good challenge for this offense.”
(What does Quincy and Quinnen Williams have in common?) – “Quincy Williams is balling. I think it’s just the relentless pursuit to the football. You can see sideline to sideline football. Playing fast downhill football. That’s the brand of that defense right now. It’s cool to see brothers playing together like that, but it’s also a challenge to go up against it. I’m really excited for the challenge.”
(What are you most thankful for?) – “I’m thankful for you guys. I do think that it’s important that every once in a while for you guys to get your flowers too. It’s a hard job and you have to ask hard questions during tough times for athletes, and have the courage to be your best and do your job to the best of your abilities, and having smiles on your faces, to be able to bring up the locker room, that all matters. All of those little things add up. I am thankful for the media continuing to do your job to the best of your abilities.”
(Are you looking forward to the Hark Knocks debut tonight?) – “Oh, yeah. I will be asleep by then because a short week means extra sleep as much as possible. I made that mistake as a rookie. I would stay up and watch it. I’d want to see what the story lines were. We can put that to bed and we’ll watch it maybe on the plane ride home after a fun game. But no, I won’t be watching it tonight with everyone else.”
(A big point of emphasis is going to be short yardage, third-and-1, fourth-and-1 and all of that. What needs to get better?) – “It’s execution. I think it’s details. Situational football, especially late in the season – December, January, it’s like that one yard turns into three or four it seems like. That’s the importance of those inches in the matter of games. When there is a certain menu of plays, the guys have to be able to execute that at a very high level. I think those situational football – offense, defense, special teams playing together. The offense’s job on short yardage is to continue to extend drives, extend first downs, to gain field position. It is all going to come into play late in the season. It’s something we are very aware of as players and we’ve got to get better at that, for sure.”
(How much leeway do you have in those situations to where you’re like, ‘Hey, Mike, I see something. Can we try this?’) – “I think that is a cool part about our offense. The amount of creativity and flexibility, if you have an idea, or if you’re watching tape from around the league you see one of your old teammates do something fun, or just talking about football sparks really cool ideas. Offenses copy each other all over the place. They add their own little wrinkles to it depending on personnel. It is definitely creative.”
Braxton Berrios – November 21, 2023
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Tuesday, November 21, 2023
WR Braxton Berrios
(What’s unique about Jets CB Sauce Gardner other than his nickname?) – “He’s long. He’s very rangy. A lot similar to No. 5 (Jalen Ramsey) we have in here. He’s a smart football player. He makes the plays when he’s there and he doesn’t mess up too often. He’s extremely sound and it should be fun.”
(The other guy Jets CB D.J. Reed isn’t as well-known, but he has really good metrics. What does he do well?) – “Absolutely. I think last year he had one of the best years statistically, or however they measure it, in the league. It’s the same thing. He’s a guy who’s going to go 100 percent 24/7. Again, same thing, physical corner, fast. And again, they’re very, very sound in what they do. You’re not going to catch him off guard too many times.”
(You obviously know Jets QB Zach Wilson pretty well. Your thoughts on what he’s going through at this point?) – “Obviously I know him personally and I’ve been keeping up with him through the year and it’s tough. It’s the game of football, the ebbs and flows of it, and all that is obviously is handled in-house there, but I still talk to him and stuff. We still have a personal relationship.”
(What’s it going to feel like pulling up to the stadium as a visitor?) – “It’s going to be very familiar. Obviously the sideline won’t be, but very familiar just being in MetLife (Stadium) again.”
(Anyone you’re looking forward to seeing on the other side?) – “Honestly, all the guys that are still there. I was there for four years. You keep a relationship with a lot of those guys so I’m still close with a lot of them. Seeing them all pregame is going to be fun.”
(How much texting is there this week or is it radio silence until kickoff?) – “It’s been radio silence so far and I expect it to stay that way. (laughter)”
(As we talked about, the team has been very cautious with the soft tissue injuries. This year Head Coach Mike McDaniel has talked about that. Did you push to play last Sunday? Or do you feel like – and clearly the team wants to protect all those injuries, or did you feel like it’s best to give it more time?) – “Of course I pushed to play. I wanted to play. And again, those decisions are a culmination of everybody involved and so that’s something we decided as a whole. But of course I pushed to play and wanted to.”
(Anything you can say about Friday?) – “I think head coach answered that.”
(Are you looking forward to the Hard Knocks debut?) – “Yeah, when is it? Is it this week?”
(It’s tonight.) – “It’s tonight? Wow. I don’t know if I’m going to watch it live each week. Again, this is our life, our career, and it’s definitely going to be cool to look back on, that the season is documented and everybody in this locker room, and hopefully it ends up being a very special year. So I think the documentary side of it, looking back is going to be cool. I don’t know if I’ll watch it week to week.”
(Have they sat down with you yet?) – “No, we have not. We’ve talked, but we haven’t sat down.”
(How open do you feel you would be to sort of sharing personal stuff with us and HBO?) – “I share – I think a good amount of personal stuff is already out there so there’s no real problem with that at all. And personal stuff, I don’t mind. I think it’s more so the team-related stuff, the game planning stuff. That’s always tricky and you always feel a little weird sharing status and stuff. That’s a little more in-house, but personally, we’ll see when we sit down what they want to talk about. But yeah, I have no reservations about that from a personal side.”
(Have the cameras been around for any moments that made you say, “okay, that’s definitely going to make their cut?”) – “Well, they’re in our meeting rooms, so we see them move and throughout the meeting. They capture everything. Now what makes it (to air), we have no idea, which is kind of the cool part of the documentary. But yeah, it’s going to be interesting. I’m sure it’ll be very entertaining, but I don’t know when I’m personally going to get around to watching it.”
(Of all the players on the entire offense, who is sneaky funny, like we would not know that this dude is actually like secret funny?) – “I mean when you say funny, like Jaylen Waddle comes to mind, but I think everybody knows that.”
(We don’t see it that much.) – “Really? (Jaylen Waddle) is one I would put up there with probably the funniest on the team. So we’ll see if that gets highlighted.”
(Who’s maybe acted up the most for the cameras? Has that happened?) – “No, I don’t think so. I think we hold each other accountable in this locker room to not show out for the cameras.”
Robert Hunt – November 21, 2023
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Tuesday, November 21, 2023
OL Robert Hunt
(What did you think of OL Liam Eichenberg playing your spot last game?) – “I thought he did well. I thought he held his own. For a guy that’s never played the position – it was his first time – he battled, man. He was a warrior out there. He didn’t look bad at all. He looked good. He knocked off all five positions on the field in his NFL career, so that’s great.”
(I think you guys have had five different starting guards this year. Is that right?) – “It’s somewhere around that (expletive). It’s been a lot. It’s been a tough time for the trenches this year, the middle three. It is what it is, and the guys that have been stepping up and playing have been doing a really good job, so it’s going well.”
(What does it say about this offense is still producing with all that change?) – “Yeah, we’ve got a bunch of ballers, man. You’ve got a bunch of ballers and we’ve got a pretty good offense.”
(We saw your frustration on the day you suffered the injury. It’s so unusual, as we were saying, for you to miss time. Was there any relief that it wasn’t torn, that is was just a pulled or strained or whatever word is being used?) – “Yeah, 100 percent. If something would hold me out longer than what it’s been, that would have been devastating. But it was something that I knew right away that I’d be fine whenever it gets back right.”
(Are you ready for the debut of Hard Knocks tonight?) – “Damn, I did not know that was tonight. I will watch, though. I definitely will watch. I want to see what’s actually going on around this place, because I’ve been busy in the training room, so I’ve been missing a lot. I’ll be excited to see what’s going on this week.”
(Were you at the o-line dinner that they filmed?) – “I definitely was at the o-line dinner.”
(Who might be the surprise star among the o-line?) – “I don’t know. We’ve got a couple guys. We’ve got a couple characters out there. We’ll see. We’ll see what they filmed. They cut out a lot of stuff and they take a lot of stuff, so we’ll see what they got.”
(Did HBO pick up the check?) – “Not this time. But HBO, you will be picking it up next time. (laughter)”
(You’ve got one of the bigger personalities on the team. Do you think you’ve been part of any moments that might have been caught on camera that might go viral?) – “I don’t know about viral, man. I’m just myself and if it does, it does. I enjoy being myself, so if that’s what they want, that’s what they got, then that’s what they got.”
(Do you expect to practice today?) – “Today? I’m going to try to get some reps in after the walkthroughs to see how I feel.”
