Austin Jackson – November 20, 2023
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Monday, November 20, 2023
OL Austin Jackson
(As you guys look at the tape with regard to run blocking as a group, you all were averaging record yards per carry for the first six weeks, well over six yards per carry, and it has gone way down over the last four. As you guys watch tape, you and Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith and Offensive Line Coach Butch Barry, have you pinpointed anything for why that might be happening?) – “It all starts with our standard, I think. Just being really intentional about what concepts we are running as a group. Are you speaking in terms of this last game?”
(Over the past four games, it’s been under four yards per carry as a team.) – “It’s a combination of our intentionality on understanding what different concepts we run versus the defenses that we play.”
(We talk to you a lot about how well you’ve been playing and kind of the groove that you’re in. I was curious, a lot of guys have talked a lot about how the game isn’t so much physical as it is mental. Is there a point whether it was back in training camp or some point this season where you felt things really clicking for you and you were like, “Alright, I got it now. I’m in the groove?”) – “Yeah, I feel like going into my second year in this system, I definitely feel a lot more comfortable, just mentally being sharper on concepts that I had already learned in the NFL and had those blocks before, so I could have an extra intent on being better at them versus taking in a whole new playbook and being younger already.”
(LB Jaelan Phillips had some injuries and stuff earlier this season and he said he had a little bit of a confidence dip, but going up again Eagles T Lane Johnson and getting a sack against him really boosted his confidence. Did you have a moment like that during the season so far where you’re like, “I can do this, for sure?”) – “Yeah, I had some pretty good rushers the first week of the season. I go against pretty – I think everyone in the NFL is capable of being good and being great if you let them. So my focus is making sure my technique and my stuff is on point, and maybe I could have a little style of play myself.”
(How did you think OL Liam Eichenberg did playing right next to you in his first game at a new position?) – “Yeah, he’s a beast. It’s like his fifth or sixth position, I think, and he’s been productive at all of them.”
(What is the sixth? Hold on.) – “Exactly – tight end. (laughter) But I think he (Liam Eichenberg) did a great job. He’s very professional. It’s easy to play next to him. He’s been around, pays attention, gets better, and he went in there and he did his job well.”
(It seems like you just got off the field, but I’ve got to ask you anyway with the short turnaround, have you had a chance to look at the Jets defense and what stands out?) – “Yeah, what stands out the most is their style of play. They’re very much a read-and-react defense. They’re very fast on their keys, meaning they want to play with speed as well at the second level, and then their defensive line is pretty good. All of them across the board are pretty good rushers. So we’ll definitely have to get into our routine of studying sooner than later, because they’re definitely a good team.”
(I just looked this up, they’re bringing pressure on, I guess, 27 percent of dropbacks. So as an offensive lineman – I think that is second in the league – what does that say to you?) – “It means we have to study tendencies as best we can to see if we can maybe get some tells on some of those blitzes as best we can. I’m sure our coaches will do that to the best of their ability.”
(What was your first thought when you saw that you guys were playing on Black Friday? I guess now that it’s here, the day after Thanksgiving, it kind of messes up the normal schedule. What’s your thoughts about that?) – “It’s interesting. It’s kind of cool to think about it though, because of Friday night football in high school. It’s Friday night, and that’s instantly what I think about. It’ll be my first high school football kind of Friday night game in a minute. Under the big lights, I think it’ll be fun, honestly. I think it’ll be cool. I like fun environments.”
(How aware have you been, if aware at all, of Hard Knocks cameras being in the building over the last week?) – “Very aware. There’s a lot more cameras in the building than usual, so that’s easy. They don’t interrupt stuff. They came to our o-line dinner, which was different. It was kind of weird, but it was cool. It was a cool experience. It’s not often you get to be on television, HBO, so it’s cool.”
(Do you have to change what you’re saying or how you guys interact at all because the cameras are there? Do you keep it consistent?) – “Oh, definitely keep it consistent. Definitely just keep it consistent.”
(And that offensive line dinner was where in town?) – “We were in Fort Lauderdale, somewhere in the Fort Lauderdale. It was by the water though, it was nice.”
(That was last week?) – “Yeah.”
(Is it like a weekly thing you guys do? Or just kind of whenever it pops up?) – “It’s a weekly thing. We definitely try to get together whether it’s at someone’s house or a restaurant. Terron (Armstead) really organized it when he got here last year, and we just kind of stuck to it as a line.”
(Did you talk to RB De’Von Achane on the sideline after he got injured? And if so, what was his mentality? Or did you talk to him after the game at all?) – “I didn’t get to talk to him. I wasn’t really aware of his situation until later in the game. Otherwise, I probably would have said something, but it’s tough. I’ve battled injuries. I had a big battle with injuries last year. His mentality will put him in place to be great.”
(What happens, because I was going to ask you about that, when you return, like you and RB De’Von Achane, and then you’re out again? What does that do to you mentally?) – “Shoot, makes you a monster. (laughter) No, it makes you have to refocus and get your body back into shape. But that’s what being a professional is. Terron Armstead has done it a bunch. If you look at all the vets throughout the league, injuries happen to everybody. It’s just part of the game.”
(On another note, when you have CB Jalen Ramsey on one side of the ball and WR Tyreek Hill on the other, what is that like? I mean, are you amazed?) – “You’ve got Jalen (Ramsey) and Xavien Howard on the same side, and then you’ve got Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Yeah, it’s crazy. I agree. All across the board it’s crazy. I think it’s definitely exciting to be a part of, and our team feeds into it. We love the style of play we get to have.”
(I’m curious, as you kind of enjoy what I think most of us would consider a breakout year here, as you think back to what you came into the league to now, what do you think is one physical trait that you have really honed-in on and just improved from then to now?) – “I think, kind of back to the question earlier, I think my mentals have been the biggest thing to improve since I’ve been in the league. Physically, I would say – I don’t know. I can’t really say any big physical thing has taken my play to a different level. Just understanding concepts has really helped my level of play a lot. Understanding situations in football has been huge for me. I definitely had to get in a different shape, I think, for durability in the NFL. Just a lot of training, a lot of people getting rolled up, a lot of situations that occur, so I would say I lost a little bit of weight. But not too much.”
Terron Armstead – November 19, 2023 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 19, 2023
Postgame – Las Vegas
Miami Dolphins T Terron Armstead
(What can you about how the offensive line performed today?) – “Got some stuff to clean up, communication, execution. But we played well, played fast, physical, a lot of effort and energy. Hats off to the Raiders, they did a great job. All three levels of that defense have been playing very well together, technically sound, fundamentally sound, gap sound. The back end is tied into the pass rush. Those guys doing some great things over there. “
(How cool was it to see your defense have such a big day like you did today?) – “Yeah, we needed it. We needed it. Our defense – they were amazing. Mr. Gold Jacket, Jalen Ramsey, he controlled the game, gave us all the opportunities we needed to get this win. But the defense as a whole, it’s great to see. It’s great to see them coming into life, fully reaching their potential, what we expected from them. Now we can tie it all together – offense, defense, special teams – we’ll be a very scary team to beat, so that’s the goal.”
(Obviously the offense is playing really well, but the one thing is short yardage stuff, the percentage has not been great. How do you guys improve in that area?) – “Yeah, we have to. That’s definitely a big point of emphasis at this point. It keeps showing its face, and we haven’t answered it yet. So that will be one of the main focal points moving forward to create that and be more efficient in the short yardage. We’re definitely going to need that when we start to play football in the winter.”
Zach Sieler – November 19, 2023 (Postgame)
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Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023
Postgame – Las Vegas Raiders
Miami Dolphins DT Zach Sieler
(How much better connected is this defense now compared to five or six weeks ago?) – “Yeah, I kind of hit that earlier. It was bye week reflecting on what we did, what worked and what we needed to adjust on to keep growing as a unit. Got everyone healthy and back it’s been great.”
(You said teams are figuring out what they want to do and who they are. What are you figuring out about your defense right now?) – “I think for us after the bye, once we sat and reflected, we really want to work as a unit. Whether it’s defense, offense, special teams all together, and be the most dominant defense on the field every game.”
(And how close did you come to realizing your potential today do you think?) – “I think it’s every week. Just keep going and converting as a defense and how to play off each other, and the adjustments we make in-game. Just be confident with each other and uplift the guy next to you.”
Raheem Mostert – November 19, 2023 (Postgame)
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Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023
Postgame – Las Vegas Raiders
Miami Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert
(What was it like seeing the defensive guys ball out there and secure the win?) – “They did a hell of a job. Kudos to the defense, especially (Jalen) Ramsey. I think that he’s getting his stride. He’s doing an unbelievable job, and he has three (interceptions) on the year now. I know there’s a teacher out there that’s counting down to five, so it’s exciting to see that she’s going to be at school on Monday teaching the kids about those picks, and it’s going to be awesome.”
(No matter how you guys are doing, you can’t seem to lose at Hard Rock. This place is …) – “Kudos to the fans. They’re out here. At one point, Alec (Ingold) was sitting right next to me, I could barely hear him. It was just loud and impactful. Being at home, you just always want to take that home-field advantage and fingers crossed when we get to the playoff talk that we do have that home-field advantage because that will be very, very instrumental for us.”
(We’ve seen so many big-time plays on offense this year. To just be able to see those big playmakers do their thing on defense and specifically big defensive plays, how do you like to see that?) – “It’s fun. We’re just trying to play complementary football – both sides of the ball and even special teams. We have to step our game up… so if we’re able to go out there and just perform at a high level which we’re doing on offense and defense and special teams, then it’s a good formula for success so we’ve just got to keep that stride going so we’ll see what happens.”
Bradley Chubb – November 19, 2023 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 19, 2023
Postgame – Las Vegas
Miami Dolphins LB Bradley Chubb
(You guys weren’t in the best position all the time when you went out there on defense, yet you got the job done. What does that do for your guys’ confidence going forward?) – “Through the roof, man, through the roof. It’s one of those things that we, each and every week, talk about how we want to be the best defense on the field. Because they’ve got great guys on the other sideline, man, and we had to match that intensity, you know what I mean? Each week, we try to do the same thing and be the best us. I feel like today we’re the better version of ourselves. We still got a lot more to go, but it was dope to see that us take that step.”
(What can you say about the guys on the back end?) – “Man, they do such an amazing job. They make our job so much easier. There’s even times when I’m like, ‘Oh, the first move didn’t work, he’s about to get the ball off,’ and he pumps it and he has the ball again, ‘OK.’ That’s when that rushing coverage starts working together. On Ram’s (Jalen Ramsey) first pick now, I was so happy for him, because I felt like I got in the quarterback’s face a little bit and then boom, I see the team defense start to work together, man. It’s dope to see, man. Just got to keep carrying that on and make sure we make more plays.”
(Do you guys feel like the last few weeks you’ve come together to be the kind of defense you would expect to be?) – “No, for sure. For sure. It’s one of those things where there was kind of some soul-searching to be done. Nothing like bad at all, we just didn’t think we were playing to our standard. As we’ve been gelling, as we’ve been learning the defense and as we’ve been learning each other, it’s been coming together for us a lot better. It’s one of those things we’re playing for each other now, too, and with each other. So it’s just been beautiful to see.”
Jaelan Phillips – November 19, 2023 (Postgame)
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Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023
Postgame – Las Vegas Raiders
Miami Dolphins LB Jaelan Phillips
(Two turnovers in the second half. What got into you guys there?) – “Just continuing to play as we’ve been playing. Good things happen to those who wait. We just kept our head down, kept playing disciplined football, kept playing hard, kept playing for each other and, obviously, good things happened.”
(Your first interception. Is that the way you pictured it?) – “It’s funny because it’s exactly how it happened in college so I’ll take it. I got one in college and one now so far and it happened the same exact way. The quarterback getting sacked and he just threw the ball up and happened to be at the right place at the right time, so clearly my karma is all right. I’ve been living right, so I’m going to keep doing good.”
(You mentioned CB Jalen Ramsey. Only his third game back and doesn’t seem like he’s missed a step and missed training camp or anything.) – “That’s what happens when you’ve got elite talent and elite preparation and just the mentality really. Throughout that whole process I can’t imagine how tough it was for him just to see us out here playing. Obviously all the hype during the offseason and he doesn’t get a chance to come out during the regular season, so for him to come out and perform that way, it’s a huge credit to him because I know how tough that can be and he really had that fortitude and showed up.”
(Does it feel like you’re going to have to win a game in December or January like today?) – “Oh, 100 percent. I mean we might have to win the rest of the season like that. You never know how it goes and on any given Sunday in this league teams can bring their best stuff and we might not have our best stuff. I think the key is to just keep our head down and have that confidence in each other – defense, offense, special teams – and no matter what the situation is we’re going to pull it out.“
Jalen Ramsey – November 19, 2023 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 19, 2023
Postgame – Las Vegas
Miami Dolphins CB Jalen Ramsey
Q. Where does the clutch gene come from?
JALEN RAMSEY: God. Everything I’ve got comes from God, all my gifts, everything. All my gifts, all my blessings, they all come from God, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Q. Were you okay after the pick, you got the wind knocked out of you or?
JALEN RAMSEY: I’m good.
Q. Did you – I’ve seen you do it a couple times before – but did you more or less bait O’Connell into making that throw?
JALEN RAMSEY: I’m just playing football. Sometimes it’s part of the game. I guess you can call it that, make him look open a little bit and then go burst a little bit, but just playing the game the way I know how to play it.
Q. How special was it for you given everything you’ve gone through to not just make plays today but make plays at the biggest moments to seal the game?
JALEN RAMSEY: I mean, it means a lot. The game, it’s all to God, Jesus Christ honestly. I wouldn’t be here without all the grace and mercy that I’ve received in my life, without my friends and family praying over me and praying for me. And then my teammates and coaches pushing me extremely hard, training staff, as well, weight room staff, as well, pushing me extremely hard to be the best version of myself, so I just get out there on the field and I just try to prove all of them right, and all the hard work that they’ve invested in me, just try to make it come to life in the game in whatever moment that it may be. It just so happened that it was that moment but it could have been any moment where I tried to just express who I am.
Q. The Dolphins have been on the negative side of turnover margin for most of this season. Based on your experience, what kind of role do turnovers, key turnovers, lots of turnovers generally play in the results of games?
JALEN RAMSEY: I’m personally not like an analytics guy, but I think like the analytics are like if you’re plus 2 you’ve got an 80 percent chance of winning, but in the same token, if you hold a team to under 17 points then you’ve got an 80 percent chance of winning. I guess it’s kind of like pick your poison. Would you rather have a lot of turnovers or like locked-down defense. Obviously you would want both, and that’s what we’ll strive to do for our defense and then our offense, to correct some of their mistakes. They’ll be explosive and do what they are. They are who they are. We’ve got all the confidence and faith in them. But yeah, it’s all good.
Q. Do you feel this is a defensive team now?
JALEN RAMSEY: No, no, I don’t never like to say nothing like that. It’s just a team. We’re all together. At times they’re going to have our back, at times we’ve got to have their back. We’ve got special teams, as well, and them guys can go out there and make some plays. Yeah, it’s just a complete team. We do have to play a little bit better complementary football at times, and we’ll continue striving to do that and be that team that we feel like we can be. But no, I would never say anything like that.
Q. Is the knee better now than it was three weeks ago, and do you think it still has room to grow?
JALEN RAMSEY: Definitely still has room to grow. I get fatigued a little bit, in the second half a little bit. Just my body overall. I do feel great. I feel extremely great. Put in a lot of hard work. But at the same time the only way to get ready for football and be really in football shape and feel like the guy I am is to play more football, and this is only my third game. Technically I’m just now ending my training camp preseason really, and then I’ve got to continue to grow.
Q. How were you feeling that last snap because you looked pretty good.
JALEN RAMSEY: I felt good.
Q. From a fatigue standpoint I was wondering –
JALEN RAMSEY: When I say fatigue, I don’t mean necessarily like my wind. I did get my wind knocked out, but I don’t necessarily mean my wind. I mean my muscles, my body, I feel them getting fatigued a little bit, legs getting a little shaky, not as crisp, so that’s something I’m still working my body into that shape, premier shape that I want it to be in. I’ll get there because I ain’t going to mind working my ass off, and my teammates are helping me a lot with that. So we’ll get there.
Q. That first interception I think a lot of DBs probably see it as pass breakup as best. Do you see that ball and you have to dive for it as that’s a pick?
JALEN RAMSEY: Again, I feel like I’ve been extremely blessed by God, with my body, my long arms, my abilities. I just tried to go make a play, and yeah, I always – PBU is cool. I always want to get a pick no matter what. It’s just different techniques at the time, if I feel like I’m in phase or out of phase, but in that particular instance I felt like I was in good enough shape where I could dive and try to go get that, and yeah, that’s just what happened.
Tua Tagovailoa – November 19, 2023 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 19, 2023
Postgame – Las Vegas
Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa
Q. Who gets most of the credit for maintaining the run game – RB Raheem Mostert, offensive line? Who gets the credit there?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: The entire offense gets the credit. Needless to say, our defense was able to will us through that game and help us win that game. We need to be better in the second half offensively, and it starts with me. As we came out, can’t turn the ball over the way I did, and that’s what it was. State of the union was that, and we can be a better team. We can be a better offense for our team when I stop turning the ball over and doing things like that.
Q. All the metrics offensively have been great this year except short yardage. How do you clean that up and execute that stuff on the third and fourth-and-shorts?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, it takes a lot. It takes all of us. With the play, with me understanding what we’re trying to do with that play, if we have a read key, if we’re trying to hand it off, if we’re trying to pass it. We all have a job, and we just haven’t been in sync, and we’ve just got to do a better job at that.
Q. Next week you guys have a Friday game. You probably haven’t played Friday football in a while since high school. What would you tell your high school self to get to the point where you’re at today?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I would tell my high school self to be right where he is. The things that have came up in my life throughout my journey, I couldn’t have foreseen them, and they’ve made me who I am as a person. My character has been built through all of those with what I’ve learned in high school, through college. So I would tell him just be where you are and just continue doing your thing. There’s nothing that I could tell my high school self that would potentially get him to the NFL where I’m at. God has a way for everyone, and that was just my way.
Q. You said that when you stop turning the ball over that the offense can click there, but is there a common theme? I know one was an interception and one was a fumble, but what’s the common theme right now in the fact that there were a couple turnovers today and you want to clean that up?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, that’s all it is. The common theme is miscommunication, and that’s starts with me. Maybe I have to talk to the guys and express certain routes to them differently, and so it all starts with me. That’s what I’m going to say. I’ve got to be better with that, and we’ll be better for it.
Q. On top of that, did you see anything specific that defenses are doing to this offense the past couple weeks, or do you see it as more self-inflicted stuff like the turnover situation?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I see it as more self-inflicted things that we do, turning the ball over, not being able to convert on downs that we should be converting on. But then again, these are good teams. All these teams are in the NFL. The NFL is a tough place to play football, and we’ll take this win and we’ll learn from this.
Q. What’s it like having CB Jalen Ramsey on the other side for your team?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: It’s amazing. He got the entire crowd going. But he’ll be the first to tell you that all these interceptions, all the things that he’s been able to do has been because of the pass rush and because of the pass lanes that they’ve been practicing throughout practice. Our team is a better team having him in the back there, and like I said, those guys on that side of the ball, they willed us to win today.
Q. It’s been a long time since this team was 7-3. Just the significance of being atop the AFC East at 7-3?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Well, the job is not done. There’s nothing accomplished to being 7-3. But as far as our focus today, we won the game, and we’re going to take that and we’re going to learn from that film.
Q. Head Coach Mike McDaniel had mentioned that after you played the Chiefs game, the bye week, you were hard on yourself. It sounds like you’re hard on yourself again today. How do you balance your own gratification versus giving yourself grace?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, I have a standard for myself just like everyone in here has a standard for themselves with how they go about doing their job, and I take pride in doing my job. And for me, if I’m not doing my job to the best of my abilities and to be the best in the league doing it, I shouldn’t be out there doing it. I’m sure each and every one of you here would feel the same within your profession. It’s not me being super hard or me not extending grace to myself. It’s just understanding, like you know you can do better. It’s to a place where I’m not beating myself up as much as I probably would have my rookie year or my second year just because of the people that I’ve had to help me through that. So that’s what I would say. I understand the state of the union, and I’m not blind to the mistakes that I’ve made, but it’s not more so that I’m hard on myself, it’s more so I know my expectation and the standard of what I can do, and it can be better, and I want it to be better. That’s really what it is, it’s being real with yourself.
Q. How do you feel physically today? You took a couple hits.
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, I feel good. As good as I can be with whatever week we’re in, being 7-3.
