Jason Sanders – January 8, 2023 (Postgame)
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Sunday, January 8, 2023
Postgame – NY Jets
K Jason Sanders
(Before the kick I saw you standing, I think you were by the opposite 20-yard line just taking in the moment. What were you thinking before you get the chance to go out there?) – “It’s kind of my routine, I like to come from behind the 50 whichever direction we’re going. I’m going to say the same thing I do every time. Every kick is the same whether its 50, 30 yards. I’m going to take the same approach. Every kick is a big kick for me.”
(At what point during the game did you feel like, “all right, this might come down to me?”) – “You can kind of feel it throughout the game. Low scoring, it was 6-6. When that penalty hit, it was just one of those kind of things like, ‘it’s time.’ We’re going to have an opportunity.”
(Did it feel like the playoffs with a must win mentality?) – “Yeah, I mean we had to win. That’s what makes it more special. And that’s why I am more happy about these guys, the way they fight. They never give up. They put in good hard work at practice all week and sometimes it shows and sometimes it doesn’t, but they’re working hard and it’s cool to see it pay off.”
Skylar Thompson – January 8, 2023 (Postgame)
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Sunday, January 8, 2023
Postgame – New York Jets
QB Skylar Thompson (Transcribed by ASAP Sports)
Q. How does it feel?
SKYLAR THOMPSON: Do you see my face? (laughter) It feels amazing. Throughout this whole entire year for this entire football team, to experience the things that we experienced and to finish it like this, it’s pretty special. I think it speaks volumes about the type of guys we’ve got in our locker room, and they’re willing to fight. That’s something that I’ve prided myself on my entire life is fighting, and I felt like that game today was the definition of just fighting. It wasn’t always pretty, but we did what we had to do to win and made the plays when we needed to to win. That is all that matters. I am very grateful to stand up here and be part of this team and to have the opportunity that I did today. It was special and meant a lot to me.
Q. When the outcome of your own game came, not only did you get the win, but the video board showed the score for the Patriots game for the first time. I’m assuming you didn’t know the score. When you see that, what’s going through your mind then?
SKYLAR THOMPSON: Obviously, we had to take care of business. I wasn’t paying attention to that at all until obviously after the game, seeing it. It just gives you butterflies, man, to have the opportunity to go to the playoffs. It’s something that we’ve talked about for a long time around here, and what? It’s been (20-plus) years since we’ve (won) in the playoffs, so that’s something that we’ve set a large goal to accomplish this year. Like I said, just the adversity that we’ve faced, overcoming what we have to get to this point is something to be very proud of and is very special.
Q. Can you take us into the locker room? What was it like? Did they give out any game balls? What happened?
SKYLAR THOMPSON: Yeah, game balls for everybody. Everybody was part of this win, from top to bottom. That’s what’s so cool is everybody is just so happy for one another, to see each other succeed. Everybody was making plays. That’s something that I tried to just preach before the game is just to trust the guy next to you, trust the preparation that we’ve put in and go make plays for the guy next to you and trust whenever it comes down to the wire, we’re going to make a play and we’re going to win the game. Having a one-play-at-a-time mindset is what I had all day today, just one play at a time. OK, one play is over, what’s the next play? What’s my call? What’s my read? Go through it and execute it the best I can to give us a chance to win. And we did that at the end of the day, and it’s awesome.
Q. Do you leave here thinking that – it’s a long week ahead, but do you leave here thinking you’re going to be starting that playoff game?
SKYLAR THOMPSON: You know, I’m soaking this in as much as I can right now. I have no idea what that’s going to look like. That will be something for a couple days from now, whatever that looks like. I’m enjoying this. It’s important to celebrate stuff like this for the time being and soak it all in, and that’s what I’m going to do.
Q. When you think about the storyline of this year for you, your last game of your rookie season is your first win as a starter, and you put your team into the playoffs. Could you have scripted it any better?
SKYLAR THOMPSON: No. No. I mean, it’s crazy. One thing that I’ve just held true to myself all year, because I’ve had my own ups and downs, and it’s been a crazy journey for me this year and just the experiences and situations that I’ve experienced. It hasn’t always been pretty, hasn’t always been perfect, but I believe everything that I went through set me up and prepared me for this moment. I had so much confidence coming into this game because looking back at this year, it was like, ‘What have I not experienced?’ I’m ready for this. I’m built for this, and I’ve prepared for this my whole life. I’ve just got to be myself, have fun out there and let the game come to me. I truly felt like I did that today.
Q. Where do you feel like momentum is with this team? It’s been a really streaky year for this team. It seems like you either win or lose and then go on that streak. What’s it feel like right now? Do you feel like you can get something going when it matters the most?
SKYLAR THOMPSON: Yeah, of course. That’s something that we’re working through as a team is not getting too high, not getting too low, stay right in between. That’s key for us to get where we want to get to. I think this is a great opportunity for us to get back in the win column, get some momentum going. Guys are confident. Seeing a win and feeling a win is important, especially going into the playoffs (and) going to Buffalo, which is a very good football team. We’re going to be confident, and I believe we’ve been confident all year. It’s great momentum for us moving forward.
Q. In a game like this where you don’t know if one play could decide it, it’s going to be low scoring, one mistake could decide it. As you’re going through, what are you thinking as far as managing that, making sure you don’t make that mistake and getting them and setting it up just to kick field goals if you had to?
SKYLAR THOMPSON: Yeah, well, not thinking about not making a mistake. My mindset was just to take care of the football. It’s having positive – there’s ways of saying that in a positive way to where it’s not a playing scared type thing, where it’s just taking what the defense gives us and trusting our defense. Our defense played so well today, special teams, everything, trusting that everybody is going to do their job. All I’ve got to do is put us in a position to score. If that is field goals, if that’s touchdowns, whatever the case may be, it’s having that one-play mentality that I was talking about. I think that really helped me manage the game and put us in a situation to win.
Q. Was there any one person, whether it’s teammate, coach, relative, who helped put you in the right frame of mind before this start today?
SKYLAR THOMPSON: I touched on this earlier in the year. I have so many great people around me – my family, my circle, the people in my life that I have are very special. Throughout this whole week, it wasn’t like anybody was telling me, ‘Hey, you’ve got to go be a hero. You’ve got to go save the season. You’ve got to go do this; you’ve got to go do that.’ It was just, ‘Hey, you’re prepared for this. You’re built for this, and this opportunity, this moment is what you’ve worked for and what you’ve lived for your entire life.’ I heard that from a multitude of people. That just – that kept me so calm and so just dialed in to the process. My college coach, Coach Klieman reached out to me, I want to say it was Wednesday, and just told me to trust my preparation and prepare. ‘You’re going to win this game with your preparation,’ and that’s something that he always told me in college. My quarterback coach in college reached out to me, chatted a little bit last night. It’s just those people in my life that I have great relationships with that know me and I know them really well, I got in contact with and just talked. I think the biggest thing for me this week was that I’ve experienced the week of preparation as a starter, so I knew what to expect. I knew what it was going to look like, I knew what it took. I felt very confident when I woke up this morning that today was going to be a good day. It sure was.
Q. Can you walk us through that last drive? Obviously, the penalty on WR Jaylen Waddle when you got a horse collar was a big swing. What was that drive like for you all?
SKYLAR THOMPSON: Yeah, well, season is on the line. What’s crazy is you would think that guys would feel the pressure, feel the – get tight and get anxious about making a play. But I felt we were very loose, very calm in the huddle. We have great leadership. Tyreek (Hill), Trent Sherfield, guys were speaking up, ‘Hey, it’s one play at a time. One play at a time. Take it as it is, trust each other, we’re going to do this.’ That really helped me just not trying to be a hero, just making a couple plays there, making a couple throws to get us in that situation to have a chance to kick a field goal and win it. And then Jason (Sanders) nailed it. It’s the true definition of just trusting each other, trusting your brothers, and guys pulled through and did their job, and it’s awesome.
Q. Did you watch K Jason Sanders’ field goal, or did you turn away?
SKYLAR THOMPSON: I was pacing. (laughter) Yeah, I watched it. I watched it. I had all the confidence in the world he was going to nail it. He did. It was awesome.
Mike McDaniel – January 8, 2023 (Postgame)
Sunday, January 8, 2023
Postgame – N.Y. Jets
Head Coach Mike McDaniel (Transcribed by ASAP Sports)
Q. You said at the beginning of the season that this team belonged to the defense essentially until you were convinced otherwise. Did they show up today in the biggest moment?
MIKE McDANIEL: Absolutely. A six-point outing is tough any way you cut it in the National Football League, and I’ve been really, really proud of them specifically in the last three weeks. I thought that down the stretch when we needed it most they’d really come through, so yeah, I can’t say enough about that effort when this team needed it.
Q. You guys have been through a lot, but now to get into the playoffs despite all that, how does it feel?
MIKE McDANIEL: Well, I would say it feels tremendous. That doesn’t mean that that wasn’t the goal, was just to get to the playoffs, however, understanding all involved – you’re talking about people that have been within the organization for 30-plus years, you talk about a fan base that hasn’t seen their team go to the playoffs since 2016, you just talk about a lot of people involved, it’s very fulfilling for the way it happened. I feel like guys were very energized about their output during the season right around the bye week and right after that, and then to take five losses in a row, specifically the last three where I thought that we really had a chance to win, a phase was off in one way, shape or form; and for guys not to quit, because it is so much easier to quit, I’m very, very proud to be called the head coach of this team. It wasn’t just about the players that were playing in the game today. This was an accumulated effort. You can go down the line of all the injured players that weren’t able to play had an effect on this game and our ability to get to the playoffs, which is what you want for your organization. For you to ultimately finish the season the right way, you have to get into the tournament and put your best foot forward. Very, very happy about the defense. Very happy about the offense. Shoot, I think we’ve gone – how many tackles have we played? I feel like it’s like seven. Skylar Thompson, a rookie, gets the start, doesn’t turn the ball over. Heavily, heavily influenced and assisted by his position coach, his position coaches, Coach (Darrell) Bevell and Coach (Chandler) Henley, but also Teddy Bridgewater and Tua are humongous – they’ve had a huge impact in how he’s approached the game. I know he’s very – that doesn’t happen without them. You can go down the line. We had – I think the last quarter of the game – we had a guard playing tackle, and then defensively for them not to give up a touchdown was absolutely critical, and then how about — you can almost sum up the whole season, which I think this is life, this is what a football season is. Hopefully it’s not as extreme as five on, five off. But Jason Sanders, to come through the way he did and have all the points, especially that last one, you have to be built different for that. I’m very, very happy with the entire locker room, the entire building, and I feel they wanted no part of this season to be over, and it’s not. Now they get another opportunity to play together, which they really hold dear to their heart, and I think that goes to show, by the way, that they’ve really put their best foot forward through some games that haven’t turned out the way you’d want them to.
Q. I know that earlier you said you didn’t want to pay any attention to the score of the Bills-Patriots game and the videoboard didn’t show the score, but when your game was over were you able to take a glance, and when did it finally hit that that outcome was what you needed…?
MIKE McDANIEL: There were a couple people right after I shook hands with some of the Jets’ coaches that I know too well, so I didn’t know any sort of score, because that was the objective. We needed to win, regardless. Nothing mattered if we didn’t. Then I saw Anne Noland – I’ve never played her, but she’s probably terrible at poker. She had a grin, and I was like, ‘oh, okay.’ And then the game was on in the locker room, so guys were able to see that it was a two-score lead, and guys were able to see that it was a kneel-down. It’s to everyone’s credit. You don’t want it to always be this hard within the game or within the season, but at the same time, for you to do anything special, you have to go through adversity. You have to learn from it, and you have to improve. The bottom line was we, the last two games specifically, the team did enough to win and then critical mistakes, which we weren’t void of, but critical turnovers in the second half had led to our demise. Today that wasn’t the case. It was team football that was really a field position match-up. There was a lot of runs, not as many explosives, and guys really had to dig deep, but very happy with the outcome.
Q. We’re aware of your usual postgame, how you leave the field, but you went running off today. Was that to watch the end of the game or was that just…?
MIKE McDANIEL: I’ve pulled that card a couple times. It’s my move when I’m really excited, so I don’t know what else to do, but I just run. It’s the only running I get all season. That’s happened a couple times, but it’s just because I’m fired up and want to go sit down and try to take it in because I literally don’t take in anything that’s happened the entire game, so it’s like — then I like to run into the room and be like, yes, get a couple high fives — I’ve got a bruised finger from high-fiving something. All that was is just to dissipate energy, I guess.
Q. What would the process be with QB Tua Tagovailoa this week and where is Teddy in terms of his status?
MIKE McDANIEL: We have a lot of question marks. I left the Tua question last Friday. He’ll have another day. We’ll continue to take it day by day and I will not even think about any sort of game, whether that’s this year or next year, until he’s fully ready to do so, and that comes with medical clearance. That’s why the procedure is in place. Haven’t even thought about that. Ready for either quarterback against the Bills. There’s a lot of things that have to – we have to get through the training room first. Teddy was battling to be available and we think that he was in a spot that he could have come through in an emergency situation, and Skylar (Thompson) got twisted up a couple times, too, so we’ll have to see how all that shapes out. But yeah, there will be some question marks, but fortunately this team has proven not to blink in any sort of question marks either way. We have guys that we really believe in, and we’ll go with the healthiest group up to Buffalo and play a very good football team.
Q. You need obviously to get him through the protocol, QB Tua Tagovailoa, before you would consider it. Do you need a full week of practice coming off of that long layoff?
MIKE McDANIEL: Again, I’m pretty disciplined. Once it was articulated to me that it doesn’t help Tua in any way, shape or form if I project any sort of things besides, hey, what are we doing today and are we getting better today, I haven’t even thought about it. I just want him to take everything day by day, and we’ll assess everything when he’s fully cleared, whenever that is. But I’m not worried about timelines or – saying yes or no to the postseason is another added layer of anxiety either way, whatever I say. I’m not in the business of that. I’m going to do what’s best for that player. We’ll see each and every day. It’s not because I like keeping people in suspense. It’s because it’s the best thing for the human being.
Q. You had your first successful challenge of the season. How did it feel to finally get it done?
MIKE McDANIEL: I was actually saying that on the headset, because I was very aware of that. I had a feeling, and I was like, ‘You know what? How fitting would this be if I finally get one right, and it’s the 18th week, 17th game, fourth quarter.’ Like the rest of the locker room, I just was battle tested, tried to learn from my mistakes, but it was nice that it ended up being a big turning point, and so credit goes to all the people communicating with me and provoking me to not have a long memory on all these failed attempts, which I had one that half, as well.
Q. Did you get a chance to talk to QB Tua Tagovailoa at all after this game and see his reaction?
MIKE McDANIEL: Yeah, no, he was in the locker room waiting for his teammates, and he was just all smiles because this is his team that he – this was the first game we were able to pull off without him, and he was just happy for his teammates and happy for himself because, like I said, everybody that’s a part of – that’s what’s so cool about team sports, so it’s not, ‘okay, this person got us to the playoffs, that person…’ I mean, shoot, he’s led us to where we’re at to the point that we’ve had two games down the stretch of the season that if we win one, we could possibly make the postseason. That’s to his credit. He was very happy and shaking hands and just being there for his teammates.
Q. Has he been talking to QB Skylar Thompson a lot?
MIKE McDANIEL: No, icing him out. (laughter) Yeah, of course. Tua is a great guy, Skylar is a great guy. They have great guy conversations.
Q. What was it like sharing that moment with Steve Ross after the game, the guy who brought you here?
MIKE McDANIEL: It’s really cool. I am not one to feel entitled to anything. Also, my walks of life have kind of led me to have an infinite memory of anytime someone takes a chance on me. I’m very loyal to that. It was very — I know how many other teams were interviewing me, so the answer is zero, and he felt his gut that that didn’t matter, that this was the right fit for everything that we’re trying to do here, and I’ll forever be loyal to that. I really feel like over time people will truly realize what type of unbelievable owner he is, and he’s just been a hundred percent supportive, so I was very happy to share that with him and then the president, Tom Garfinkel and Chris Grier and Brandon Shore. All those guys, I feel indebted to. We’re not nearly done by any stretch, but to continue to progress with your goals, you have to get goal one. To be in the tournament was something that I feel like I would have felt shortchanged the team, the players and the organization if we weren’t able to do it, and we found a way, so I’m very happy about that part.
Q. How do you sum up those emotions that you felt once it was over, when the clock hit zeros, and you found out also that Buffalo had beaten New England?
MIKE McDANIEL: I still haven’t — you get terrible versions of me in postgame press conferences. I’m trying to keep the integrity of every decision that I make during the course of a game, so I can’t spend any time having emotion on anything that happens. In that process, you get to the end of the game, and it’s like, all right, you’ve done that for three and a half hours; what’s next. Okay, now I need to go talk to the team. Then I need to come in here and talk to you guys. I’m not sure if it’s really — long story short, I’m a terrible podium guy because I don’t really know how I feel. I’ll probably figure that out later tonight, but I know one thing. I will be excited tomorrow to come to work and begin the game planning process again because I was not ready for that to be discontinued for the season. I think a lot of guys really are – it meant a lot to them, this team, and they didn’t want to see it go, and they knew what the stakes were, which is why I’m that much more proud of them.
Skylar Thompson – January 6, 2023
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Friday, January 6, 2023
QB Skylar Thompson
(Can you talk a little bit about the week of preparations? Obviously, it’s a big matchup for the team and you have the responsibility to lead on Sunday.) – “It’s a great opportunity – an opportunity I’m really excited about. I thought we’ve had a great week of prep this week, all things considered. Guys are coming to work every day still dialed in and focused on accomplishing a big goal of ours that we set way back when Coach (Mike) McDaniel first got here. So for me, I’ve just been trying to focus on my weekly process that I’ve always done every week this year and the fact of just getting an opportunity to go lead this thing and start the game is an opportunity I’m really looking forward to.”
(Did you ever envision when you were a seventh-round pick, a rookie, that this early in your NFL career you’d be leading a team with a playoff spot on the line?) – “I can’t say that this is the exact situation that I imagined, but I’m definitely not mad about it. Obviously, it’s a tough situation for me to get this opportunity. Seeing my guys, Tua (Tagovailoa) and Teddy (Bridgewater), deal with some injuries, for me to get this opportunity that’s never how you want to draw it up to happen. But unfortunately, that’s how some things have shaken (out) this year. I’ve got a great opportunity here ahead of me that is something I’ve always worked for and dreamed for my whole life. I put a lot of time into this game and to get to this point, and to see it kind of play out this way is very exciting for me.”
(How has the week of practice gone for you?) – “It’s been really good. It’s been really good. I’m able to obviously get all the rest of the ones and just build trust, build continuity in the huddle and on the field. The most important thing for me is just to be myself when I get out there. I’ve had an opportunity to be the leader that I am this week, take ownership of the huddle and do the things that I feel like suit me and the way that I want to lead and command the huddle and help this team win. So I’m very excited to see the work throughout the week translate on to Sunday.”
(The difference in the feeling this week as opposed to when you were thrust into the last Jets game, I think was the one you came in right after QB Teddy Bridgewater. Can you kind of put into words when you have that week, what you feel like now and the confidence you feel going in as opposed to coming in cold?) – “Having the opportunity to do it already one time this year, the second time around has definitely helped me just know what to expect. There’s a whole gameplan going in. I know what it’s going to look like. I know what’s going to feel like and just how the transgression of the week is going to progress through and how I’m going to feel, so it wasn’t my first time doing it, to sum it all up. I definitely felt very smooth throughout this week and very confident, so I’m excited for it.”
(Was there a time either in October when you played or now where you and Pass Game Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach Darrell Bevell have sat down and looked side by side of tape of you at your best in preseason and regular season throws – that Vikings game you played really well – compared to throws that have not been made how you wanted them to? Have you looked side-by-side at that tape? What did you learn was the difference between those two Skylar Thompsons?) – “Yeah, well it’s the same Skylar. (laughter) It’s not always going to be perfect. That’s the biggest thing for me that ‘Bev’ (Darrell Bevell) was just talking to me about today. Obviously, we chase for perfection – that’s what I’m here for. The day that I stopped striving for greatness and perfection is the day that I’m going to be done playing the game. But also having a reality (that) there’s good football players on the other side of the ball and they’re going to make plays at some point. It’s not going to be perfect all the time. But just having that next play mentality and not letting one play carry over to the other and just not trying to press and do it all. That’s one thing I’ve been telling myself all week is I don’t have to be a hero; I’ve just got to be Skylar Thompson. That’s what I’m excited to go do is to go out there, smile, have fun and play the game that I love.”
(Was there something in your footwork that you and Pass Game Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach Darrell Bevell noticed where maybe it was a little better on some of the throws you were really affected by?) – “Yeah, I think last week – and I felt it in the game if my first or second read wasn’t there, it was kind of – I got hit early and I felt like there were times where it kind of sped me up a little bit whereas I could remain calm and take a step up in the pocket and get to my next progression of the read. I did that a couple times, but there’s definitely some happy feet there a little bit. I think some of that translates to those are my first live reps of the week. That’s definitely something we’ve talked about, but it’s not the time to sit here and try to correct and do all this stuff. I have to go be confident and trust my arm, trust my feet and trust my guys catching the ball.”
(When were you made aware that you were going to start and what was that conversation like?) – “Yeah, it was this morning. I was getting the reps throughout the week, so I didn’t really know what that was going to look like. But yeah, I knew this morning that was I was going to get the start, so it was exciting.”
(To the point of not having to be a hero, do you look forward to some simplification in the offense? Or do you feel comfortable handling all aspects?) – “I believe the way that I’ve prepared this year and the way that I’ve studied this playbook hasn’t really put Coach McDaniel in a position where he has to simplify a bunch of stuff for me. I definitely think that he’s accustomed the calls and stuff we’re doing to fit my strengths, which is something he’s done with Teddy (Bridgewater), with Tua (Tagovailoa), with all of us. It’s a great asset that helps me make me feel comfortable and confident, but I don’t necessarily feel like he’s had to really simplify things and make things easier for me. I think he’s just – what’s best for the team, what’s going to put us in situations to win and he trusts me to go execute it.”
(It helps having guys like WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle to throw to, huh?) – “Yeah, 100 percent. That’s one thing that I’ve got two of the best receivers in the league on my team, and I know those guys are going to go and make plays for me. We have great skill guys all around me. I don’t have to go be perfect, like I was saying earlier; I just have to distribute the football, be confident and keep us on schedule, keep us moving the chains and then when we get in the red zone, score touchdowns.”
(WR Tyreek Hill was talking about how fun practice was yesterday. How did you feel the support of your teammates during this week?) – “I’ve had so much fun this week. Kind of what I’ve touched on multiple times already, it’s what I told myself going into this week is I’m going to be myself. I’m going to be Skylar. All the exterior, the white noise, the what’s at stake, all of that stuff, I have not been paying any attention to it. I’m here to have fun and do what I’ve always dreamed of doing. I get an opportunity to go start a game here to finish the season with an opportunity to go to the playoffs. I’m just focused on going out there, having fun, letting the game come to me and trusting my teammates and having fun doing it.”
Mike McDaniel – January 6, 2023
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Friday, January 6, 2023
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Will QB Skylar Thompson start on Sunday?) – “Yes, I believe he will, unless there’s a classic Dolphins weekly setback. But, yeah, that’s the plan. I’m not sure if you guys have been able to witness any of it, but Teddy (Bridgewater) has been unbelievable in his rehabilitation. We’re hoping that we’ll have him for the game in a backup role. I feel like he’ll get there only because of his grit, determination and really his leadership in this team.”
(As far as QB Tua Tagovailoa is concerned, has he been cleared to do anything on the field yet as far as protocol?) – “As of today, where he’s at, I can rule him out for the game because he will not be practicing today. That’s what I know today. But I can’t speak in the future to Sunday because it has to do with practice and such.”
(With T Terron Armstead, is he out Sunday? Is he doubtful? Do you know where that stands, if you’re able to share?) – “Whatever the status is, whether it’s doubtful or questionable, it will be something that will take up until the game and it would be inaccurate if I’d forecast it. Not just because of competitive advantage, but really just keeping it real. He does everything he can and it means a lot to him. He wants to be on that field. So we’ll see.”
(T Terron Armstead has got a laundry list of injuries this season. Is it one specific thing that would hold them up this weekend, or would it be kind of the collective?) – “I think it would be probably the lower-half injuries as a collection. He has several things going on. But it’d be pretty much the accumulation of them all. But he’s trying to get there so that he can play to the standard that we need to play with.”
(What did QB Teddy Bridgewater show you that he can or can’t do this week at practice, and what has QB Skylar Thompson shown you that he can do this week at practice?) – “Teddy has gotten to a place as of yesterday where I could see him – it was super conservative, but I saw him throw. That was his initial baby steps of throwing. Then Skylar had an outstanding week of practice. He really did. Much like preparing for Minnesota, in which I thought that was the game that we had the drive that was like an incredible 90 yards and didn’t get points, and we had to punt because of 15 penalties or whatever. Much like Teddy, both of those guys really thrive when they’re able to get all the team reps. It was cool to see. I think the guys are pumped. He was diligent and communicative from the onset, confident he owns the plan. I’m excited for him to get his deserved opportunity and hope he can set a 2022 season Miami Dolphins backup quarterback record of starting and finishing a game.”
(How do you help QB Skylar Thompson mentally coming through such an important game during the week? Or do you think that’s something that’s done before – was he ready coming in? Because mentally, of course, there’s a lot within this game, within this week?) – “I think it all depends on the individual and the human being to how much you have to place on that. For Skylar, he holds himself to such a high standard, just in general. I don’t think the gravity of the game, I think is no different to him than the Minnesota game, in that he has an opportunity to start an NFL game so he’s not going to waste this opportunity. I think there are certain individuals that you might have to make sure they know this is not his game to win. He knows that. He just wants to do his job well. It’s never been his issue with us that he’s trying to really take over. He really holds himself to a high standard of did I do what I was planning on doing? Was it there or should I have checked it down? He wants to play the position at a high level. It’s how he approaches it. It’s one of the reasons he can be as detailed as he is. I don’t see the magnitude of the game really weighing in, in his particular set of circumstances, which is one of the reasons we feel pretty fortunate to have him.”
(QB Joe Flacco is starting, what was your reaction to that?) – “I didn’t know that to be true. I figured that they were going to have a quarterback start. Which one? Once I saw that Mike (White) had rib injuries yesterday that it popped up on the injury report, I thought this could be a possibility. That’s my reaction. It’s more about I’m mostly focused on every aspect of our team, less about the opponents at this juncture. Joe Flacco, I’ve watched him and studied him for years. He still is one of the best throwers, pure throwers that you see on tape. Any quarterback on this level can be dangerous if you don’t play the style of defense that you need to play. Now that you’ve broke the news to me, that was my reaction. It was live speed. You saw it firsthand. And you’re the closest to me. (laughter)”
(Obviously everybody knows what’s at stake, but all week inside that locker room is it – I’m assuming it’s nothing that has to be said, everybody knows what’s at stake, and things just go about the exact same way you would go about business in Week 8, 9 or 10 or whatever? Is that the way it is?) – “So for this team, it’s been a unique journey from the onset. We started out winning three and then we lost three. Then we won five. And then I think as a team, especially the veteran players, the coaches, people that have been around what it takes to do stuff down the stretch in the National Football League, recognize that we do have a young team that hasn’t been used to win-or-go-home football, which is what the playoffs is. So we’ve been approaching it with that severity and that type of communication for several weeks, and they’ve approached it with vigor and been left disappointed for a multitude of reasons that change every game, but particularly the last three have been unique in each individual regard. I say all that because we’ve already been through that idea of preserving this team that you don’t – by NFL standards, there’s a good majority of the roster that changes every year, even when you’re trying to hold it intact. That’s the nature of the salary cap system. That’s been on their mind this particular week. To really counteract what has happened and really what we’ve gone through as a team, I thought it was most important to just focus on each and every day, get back to the details of what it takes to win an NFL football game and that doesn’t happen on Sunday. So we’ve been focusing on each day as it comes. Today’s Friday and like I told the team, hopefully tomorrow they’ll tell me what day that is because I don’t even know what exists after Friday. So you approach it methodically that way, not trying to think about the overall outcome of anything. Our objective is to get a much needed win just as the worst-case scenario to do right by this team that has lost five in a row that they all feel that shouldn’t be the case. We try to pinpoint in-house those reasons and to get a win after that shows the type of strength that you’re looking for. I think it’d be a win that they’d be proud of and it’s a win that could transition us to having a longer season and getting another opportunity to play together. So it’s the most important game of the season and when you play those type of games, you need to reverse engineer and say, what’s the desired outcome? Okay, how do we get there? And it’s not by worrying about how big a deal it is.”
(I’m sure that our return question for Sunday has crossed your desk. Is WR Cedrick Wilson Jr. out and are you open to having WR Tyreek Hill return punts? He told us yesterday he would like to obviously if Cedrick is out.) – “I think that Cedrick (Wilson Jr.) is going to be doubtful. It was to his credit, I think he really opened some eyes with some extreme toughness playing through the injury that he had last game. I know the training staff was pretty wide-eyed that he was able to so in that event, we have a couple different options. Tyreek (Hill) is definitely one of those options and our plan is to do the thing that works. (laughter)”
(And what about CB Xavien Howard and LB Bradley Chubb and their status?) – “I feel very optimistic about both of those guys. I think they’ll be – if my crystal ball isn’t too foggy – I feel like they’ll be questionable later on this afternoon. But you know crystal balls, so don’t hold me to that.”
(You mentioned for the team keeping things kind of the same, so you don’t approach things differently. But for you, how do you deal with pressure and these situations when you’re running out of opportunities to get into playoffs?) – “I wouldn’t say that we’re just continuing to do the same. I think it’s a re-emphasis of the nuts and bolts and as opposed to worrying about an end result, you worry about how can we put ourselves in the best position during the course of the game and handle the ebbs and flows. So with that, I don’t know. I feel the pressure to do right by so many different people involved every time that we have a game that people pay to go see. You’re talking about the team, the organization and the fan base and that would get overwhelming, maybe the situation, if I looked at it, like, ‘hey, it’s my job to win or lose it.’ I feel that’s furthest from the case. I feel like it’s my job to be a part of the team and put them in positions to succeed in whatever way I can. Whether that’s mindset, dictating before the game with words that I say. Maybe that’s communicating certain things that I think might be helpful on special teams and defense or that’s calling the best plays. At the end of the day, a team of 11 people on all 150-160 snaps that will occur on Sunday, they have to get it done. So to answer your question about pressure, if I was affected by the stakes of the game and I felt the pressure, me personally, I’d consider myself a terrible decider of a career choice. Because you ultimately are searching for the game that’s hardest to get to, the game that everyone’s trying to be in with the most critical examination that can possibly occur in the job. The one that takes an extra month and a half on top of this long season to get to. You feel pressure then. I’ve been in them. So my whole focus since I’ve been on the job is to make sure that really every game is like that for myself. So I don’t really see it as handling anything else. I started the work week knowing that I need to put my best foot forward for my contribution to the team and I know on Sunday that my expectation will be that I’ll do my very best, the best that I’ve done all season and doing the things that I can control and making sure that I best put people in positions to succeed and they’ll take it from there.”
Tyreek Hill – January 5, 2023
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Thursday, January 5, 2022
WR Tyreek Hill
(Knowing what is at stake on Sunday, when you are on the sidelines, do you take a look at the other games that could affect your playoff position?) – “No. I never look back on anything. I feel like there are certain situations that could’ve helped us be in better positions. But I feel like everything happens for a reason and the type of adversity we’ve been in is going to help shape who we are as a team moving forward. All we can do is look forward and that’s the New York Jets. That’s what this team is looking forward to.”
(With the injuries at QB, guys in and out. From a game-planning perspective, with the stakes going into this one, has this been one of the tougher weeks to get ready for?) – “No. I don’t think so. I wish you guys could’ve stayed and been a part of that practice. I feel like that practice right there was a lot of fun. We got a lot of good work in. Skylar (Thompson) had guys flying around catching passes, being deliberate in and out of the huddle. Practice was great today. I’m really looking forward to Sunday and watching him play in this game.”
(This is a serious game coming up and I wanted to get a little humorous. The ping-pong table, how much superstition is involved?) – “I know y’all are going to blame that on me. I know everybody is going to put it on me. (laughter) I’m just going to go ahead and take it. Somebody wanted it. It was a gift for somebody. We did a basketball shot and whoever made the shot, they get to take the ping pong table home.”
(I have an idea for Sunday. My idea is that when the opponent lines up to punt, you just run out there and say I got it.) – “If you want to find out who the punt returner is, just say ‘are you the punt returner?’ instead of trying to say that. (laughter) Whatever this team needs me to do, I’m going to do it. I do want to go back and return, so if (Special Teams Coordinator Danny) Crossman wants me to go back there and return, I’m all for it. I know the returns, I know the scheme, I obviously catch punts during practice. I’m ready.”
(How weird is it knowing that you not only have to take care of your own business, but you need help from the Bills? Is that something that you’re aware of through the week and maybe on Sunday?) – “We only can focus on what we got to do, and what we’ve got to do is take care of business on Sunday. Obviously we need a lot of scenarios to play out for us, but we need to take care of our business first and make sure that we go out on the winning side of things.”
(Something else that players have mentioned, and even Assistant Head Coach/Tight Ends Jon Embree mentioned earlier today is that throughout the losing streak, it’s not like you guys had a big players-only meeting, or a big team meeting where you had a Come to Jesus moment. What does that say about the confidence of the leaders that you guys can turn this thing around?) – “There’s still confidence in this team, confidence in this whole building. I feel like you never lose that as a competitor. The guys from top to bottom, who brought in all of the guys here including myself, we’ll never stop believing. When you play this game, you don’t come into this game just for what it gives. You come into it for teammates that you come across, the winning atmosphere and just competing. We all love that. Nobody has lost spirit yet.”
(Historically, the Jets fans travel well. It will be packed Sunday. How do you silence that crowd?) – “I don’t know man, but I’m a huge fan of Adam Sandler and he loves the Jets. I just hope he pulls up. (laughter) And how do we silence that? We just use our speed and do what we’ve been doing all season. Taking what teams give us, don’t shoot ourselves in the foot and just play ball.”
Sam Madison – January 5, 2023
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Thursday, January 5, 2023
Cornerbacks/Pass Game Specialist Sam Madison
(You have so much history here. The finale against the Jets – as a player can you take us back? How much do you want to get rid of all these Jets fans coming in here and taking away home field advantage?) – “Always. You always want to do that and then you know they want to come in and play spoiler. Same if it was us going anywhere else. That’s just the way that this division is built. None of us like each other very much and we know that, they know it, the fans know it. So it’ll be a lot going on in the stands, but it’s been cut back a little bit. I’m just ready and excited for these guys to go out here and put it on the line, just being able to talk them through the things that that myself, Pat (Surtain), this organization has been through with these franchises over the course that we’ve been here. Just want to get this game done and over with. But the guys are locked in and ready to go. We’re going to keep them focused and we know what the end result is and they know as well. So it’s going to be a dogfight and I think our guys are ready and prepared for it.”
(As a player, do you remember seeing a lot of Jets fans taking over the stadium?) – “Yeah, I mean, there are a lot of New Yorkers that moved down here over the course of time so they’re always going to come and support their teams. Even if it’s Giants fans, I mean, just a lot of New Yorkers. So they’re going to come, they’re going to be loud. They’re always loud and then we’ll start smacking them around and then they’ll be quiet. (laughter)”
(One of the unfortunate things of this season obviously has been that CB Byron Jones has not been at a spot where he feels he can help you. Have you had any heart-to-heart talks with them in the last three weeks where you’ve asked him, “is there anything you think you’re physically well enough to give us?”) – “I haven’t. I leave Mike (McDaniel) and the training staff with that. But just when I first got here, just being able to watch tape on Byron (Jones), wishing that I had an opportunity to work with him. But I haven’t throughout the course of the offseason, or not even in the season. So I think he could have helped us, but injuries, they come up. Things happen. Some people fight through them. Some people don’t. But right now, we can’t really worry about it. We only can worry about the guys that we have here and that’s what I’ve been doing – trying to focus on the guys that we have. We have a young group of guys here that still needs a lot of attention, so I haven’t focused much attention on anybody else unless they would have been here.”
(I have a micro and a macro question for you. The first one is CB Noah Igbinoghene gave up a touchdown pass earlier in the Patriots game. What happened there? It looked like they had kind of a rub route and some motion. What would you liked to have seen better with that?) – “It was a scheme issue. Something that we talked about. One of our things was in certain situations, we would have different levels and sometimes we would be close to one another. But the communication part, it has to be quicker. It has to be faster when you’re going. And that’s why a lot of people do the motions and the jet motions and all those different things, so you don’t have opportunity to sit and discuss things. So they move things really, really fast. So that’s why pre-snap communication is very important. Really just trying to always communicate with these guys, being able to look across the formation, but because of the situation that he was in, being that he was on the left, and they had the safety out to the right, being able to look over there and being able to communicate ahead of time, it just was a situation where they didn’t communicate very well. But things that we worked on in practice, things that we took them through, just being able to speed the process up and understanding what you’re getting; that is the most important part of these guys understanding how fast it’s going to go and how quickly you have to communicate.”
(Big picture with CB Noah Igbinoghene. He was kind of put into action after some injuries early in the season, then he had some string of inactives and now he’s kind of back playing a bigger role. Where have you seen him grow the most this year?) – “Well, just staying focused. You throw a guy into the fire, things good and bad happen to him and then all of a sudden, you don’t really know what his mindset is going to be coming back. I just like the way he’s been consistent over the course of the season because any of us – we go out there and like, ‘Hey, go and play, you make a couple of good plays.’ And it’s like, ‘Oh, you can’t play anymore.’ Now psychologically, it throws you off. But just being ready – one of the things that I always talk about with the young guys is just like that, you can be in the game and ready to go. It happened to me as a rookie. Then you just got to know exactly what the game plan is and to go out there and execute it. So with Noah, I’m just really happy that he’s had the focus to stay focused because he could have went left, he could have went right. But he’s just stayed right down the middle and staying consistent. He had some really good reps over the course of the time that he’s been in there. A couple of bad reps, but he’s building, he’s growing. So we’re very confident and happy that he’s able to stay with the game plan and stay consistent when we do have an opportunity to put them in the game.”
(This is often in a different direction, but as I’m sure you know, last night, Zach Thomas was named finalist for the Hall of Fame.) – “Oh, yeah, about time. Come on, man, we got to get him in there. Are you going to sit there, are you going to help him, are you going to write some scripts to get him in there? (laughter) Everybody else helped help all the other guys get in there. We need you guys help him get in there. So I mean, Zach (Thomas), you look at the things he’s done and you look at the guys that have gone before him; I mean, he should have been in there a couple of years ago, but we’re going to keep fighting for him. He knows that one day he’s going to be in there and these are the things that we can’t control. It’s something we talk about all the time, that you can’t really control certain stuff. This is one of them. But he’s eventually going to get in there. Just hoped that he would have got in there sooner. But one day he’s going to be in there and hopefully it’s this year.”
(When you look back at playing in the Dolphins-Jets rivalry, what is your favorite moment and maybe your least favorite? A lot of which I think I know…) – “Winning on a Monday and losing on Tuesday. (laughter) Yeah, yeah. But you know, just always being able to beat these guys, just shutting these fans up. That’s one of the things. And then just trying to get our young guys to understand that. It’s always going to be a tough, hard-fought game. But being able to be down here at home, the (season) finale, to be able to knock them off and send them off with a sour taste in the mouth is going to be feeling really, really good.”
(How proud are you of CB Kader Kohou? I mean, to get an undrafted kid who wasn’t at the highest level of college football and to know now you have a reliable NFL cornerback is how satisfying?) – “Very satisfying. When you talk about the little things, and you know you’re going to get some good, you’re going to get some bad. You expect that from a rookie, but just the way that he triggers, the way that his mindset is. He’s had a cast on his hand that really has hindered him from making a lot of other plays, but he doesn’t complain about it. He just goes to work. But just being consistent and having an opportunity as a rookie to not get overwhelmed by like you said, coming from a small school and being a starter and being relied on, on a consistent basis, moving from the star position out to the corner position. It’s a lot on his plate, but just being able to absorb all that stuff and then go out there and compete and play the way he’s playing and have the confidence that he has and making the plays, you tip your hat off to those guys. That’s why these scouts – you look at Chris (Grier) and his staff going out and doing their due diligence and finding players like this; this is what you do it for. Because you never know those diamonds in the rough that you’re going to be able to find and he’s definitely one. I’m just really happy to have him around and he’s very good in the room. The veteran guys, they’re always going to give the young guys a lot of hassle, but they’ve done very well with him and he’s absorbed it very well. Everybody goes through it. I went through it as a rookie. He’s going to go through it as a rookie. (Jevon) Holland went through it. Everybody’s going to do it and he’s doing very well for us.”
(I was going to ask you real quick your reaction last Thursday, when a fluke-ish thing happened with CB Xavien Howard banging knees in practice. Was your reaction “I can’t believe this is happening to my unit again, what the heck?” What was your emotional reaction?) – “Hey, listen, hey, next guy’s in there. That’s our motto around here. That’s the motto in the NFL. You look at this point of the season, everybody’s dealing with something. Everybody’s dealing with injuries. This is the part of the season where guys really have to – the things that we talked about at the beginning, taking care of your body, understanding what’s going to happen, you know you’re going to break down here or there – but having the strong mind and continue to do all your workouts and knowing the little small details are going to catch up. And this is what we’re relying on. You’re going to rely on your technique, you’re going to rely on your teammates to go out there and be successful. So next man up, not missing and just like you talked about with Noah (Igbinoghene), I had confidence for him to go out there. Are you going to get those explosive plays? You don’t know. You see the different big plays that go down the field and you want those guys out there that you know are your starters and your stars to be able to help you; but when you don’t, the next guy’s got to go in there and get it done and that’s why I feel confident enough to be able to put those guys whoever it is out on the field.”
Eric Studesville – January 5, 2023
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Thursday, January 5, 2023
Associate Head Coach/Running Backs Eric Studesville
(What did you think of the run game production last week?) – “Well, I would want it to be better. I think that we’ve got a talented room that can contribute in a lot of different ways. As running backs, they want to touch the ball, so we always want to be more productive. We feel like we can have a positive influence on the team in the game when we do that.”
(Snaps were more toward RB Jeff Wilson Jr. than RB Raheem Mostert, which is a little unusual. What led to that last week?) – “Just the flow of the game and things that happened within the game. We’re on the sidelines and we’re talking constantly between those two guys. It’s a physical position, we’re late in the year and as we get going, we’re trying to find somebody that’s got the hot hand as we go. I think in the last few weeks, you’ve seen that happen. We’ve alternated at different times for different reasons.”
(In recent weeks, we’ve seen a few plays where RB Raheem Mostert breaks and multiple tackles. I like those runs.) – “I do too. (laughter)”
(It reminds me of Ricky Williams-Jay Ajayi days, you know? How does that impact the juice for the team from your perspective?) – “Well, I think any time a player on your team makes a play that brings juice to the group. I mean, that’s what this is about. These guys are out here because they want to make plays. They want to make a difference in the game and have a chance to affect it. So I think that’s – but you can’t artificially manufacture those. Those happen within a course of a game and good players do that. Raheem (Mostert) is a good player. We’ve got a lot of players on our team that have made big plays for us, not just like that. I think all those things, whether that’s offensively, defensively, special teams wise, they energize that whole sideline, and you feel it. That’s what we want. We want everyone together pushing this thing forward. Everyone’s got a piece of this.”
(Specifically when an offense is playing with backup quarterbacks, how much more important is it to get those game-changing plays from a running back room to add to the offense?) – “I think game-changing plays are important no matter who your quarterback is, and that’s an easy answer. Certainly, we feel like we have to find ways to contribute. But again, you can’t look to do that. That happens within the scope of each individual play. You play that play out, and if it’s there and you take advantage of it and make the play, then that’s what it is. But you can’t say, ‘Oh, on this play, I’m going to jump this ball to the edge and be on SportsCenter tonight.’ And then all sudden, it’s (a loss of) minus-six and now you’re not on SportsCenter, or you’re on it for a different reason.”
(I think a lot of us think of T Terron Armstead as protecting the quarterback’s blind side. But when Armstead is not there, what happens with the run game? How does he affect the run game, both during the week and actually on Sunday during the game?) – “Well anytime you don’t have one of your better players in there, there’s going to be an effect on everything – run, protections, mentality, attitude. He’s a captain of this team for a reason, so I think anytime that he’s out of there, something is missing. And we say it, and it’s not cliche, but that’s an opportunity for someone else then to get in there and to get reps and to get better. This is a game of attrition. There’s things that happen in this game, and everyone has to be ready to step up and go in there. And when one of your leaders goes down, it’s certainly more difficult, but that’s an opportunity for someone else to step up into a leadership position.”
(For a guy like FB Alec Ingold, whose game is all hands, blocking, catching all that stuff, what does it say about him to club up and go out there and play like that?) – “I think for the fact that six days post-surgery with pins in his thumb, for this guy to tell me on Tuesday, ‘You’re not playing without me this weekend,’ I think speaks volumes to how much character he has, the toughness that he has, the mentality that he has. I think it also speaks volumes as to how invested he is in this team and that he wants to be out there with his teammates, contributing whatever way he can.”
(With RB Raheem Mostert and RB Jeff Wilson Jr., both have good yard per carry averages. Obviously you haven’t run the ball a ton compared to some other teams. Are you generally pleased with what the running game has given you when you’ve run the ball this season?) – “I would like to run the ball better. I would like to run the ball where we’ve had more production. But at the end of the day, I want to win football games, and that’s what our focus is. I think we’ve done a good job at times when we’ve had opportunities – some things we’ve missed, some things as a group that we haven’t done as well. But I always want to improve. I want to be better. I want our group to be an elite group. I think that’s the standard that we set and that we talk about. We have quality people in that room and now we’ve got to keep working and pushing to achieve that goal that we set out there in front of us.”
(I wonder, although you’ve had T Terron Armstead for most game days, not having him available for most practices, how much does that affect the run game preparation?) – “It does. I mean, anytime somebody’s missing, it affects it. But again, that’s an opportunity for someone else who may have to go in and play and do that. You adjust things – we didn’t have Alec (Ingold) all last week doing things, so that’s an opportunity for someone else to go in there. We have to come up with schemes and plays that accommodate that.”
(I’m just curious from more of like an overall perspective, there’s not a lot of players on this team with a lot of playoff experience. This is a must-win game. How much do these games change mentally for the players understanding that it is a must-win, just not having that experience of going through it?) – “What game isn’t a must-win when we go into it? I mean, every game – we get 17 opportunities. That’s what we get. It’s not 82 in basketball, it’s not 160 or whatever it is in baseball. We get 17 chances to do this, and every one of them makes a difference for us. So that’s why when you start fast early, that’s an advantage. When you struggle early, that’s a disadvantage, because now you’ve got to scramble. Every game is critical to us. This game is just the most critical one to us right now because it’s the next one we have.”
(Most games, when you win, you lose, you still have a game the next week. This game, you lose, you don’t have a game next week.) – “But we should approach every game like that because nothing’s promised (and) nothing’s guaranteed in anything that we do. So every game is an advantage and an opportunity for us to go out and perform. That’s what it is – that’s how I view this game. That’s how I think this game is (while) yes, the playoff implications of this game, but every game we play is like that. Every game that these young people are in are like.”
(Closing Statement) – “If I could say this, it’s kind of been on my heart here. I want to speak to Damar Hamlin. First of all, that myself, my family, our thoughts and prayers are with that young man and his family and what they’re going through. And he’s got a tremendous battle. That family is battling. But I hope that they understand that they have support from the brothers around this league and the families – that they have an extended family to help them with this battle (and) that we’re all thinking about that young man. These young people that go out here are extraordinary young people. They really are. They’re extraordinary young people. And for something like this to happen is truly terrible. But they have a support system. We’re sending thoughts and prayers and support to that family, that organization and for that young man, because there’s a lot of things that are bigger, bigger than this game. What’s happened there, that focus needs to be and know that that family and that organization know that they have support around the league.”
