Jeff Wilson Jr. – October 23, 2023
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Monday, October 23, 2023
RB Jeff Wilson Jr.
(Good to have you back on the field. How were you feeling physically last night, and did they give you any sense that they were going to ease you back last night in terms of, you had a pass thrown to you but didn’t have any carries?) – “Body feels great. Glad to be back with the team, with the guys. That’s always a blessing. Every opportunity you get is something you have to cherish because everybody doesn’t get those. As far as that, I really don’t know. All I know is stay ready and be prepared. I’m not a coach so I can’t control any of that. All I know is just lock in on what I have to do and be ready.”
(Can you tell us about the process of coming back? Because I know when it first happened, it seemed like you were close to even playing in that last preseason game and then it ended up keeping you out for a while.) – “It was stressful because that’s a part of the journey that you don’t want to miss, especially when you have the camaraderie with the guys, getting familiar and getting used to your o-line, your quarterback. So missing all that time, that definitely hurt me that way. But it’s football and this is something that I’ve been playing since I was five years old in pads. It’s like riding a bike almost. You just get on there and do it. Getting back at practice and getting back with those guys and feeling the lanes and feeling the cuts and the blocks again, it’s all been great. Like I said, it’s just a matter of time.”
(What’s your overall perspective on where this team can go as it starts to get a lot of guys back now? You just came back and then obviously RB De’Von Achane is on IR, and you’ve got T Terron Armstead and CB Jalen Ramsey going to be returning soon, and a few other guys.) – “The sky is the limit. Like I said, it’s all in-house. It’s all us. We’ve just got to keep on getting better and keep on striving for our goals, blocking out the outside noise and take it one week at a time.”
Bradley Chubb – October 23, 2023
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Monday, October 23, 2023
LB Bradley Chubb
(Can you detail kind of just what you and the whole pass rush have gotten going in recent weeks?) – “Just learning each other I feel like over time. We’ve got a lot of great rushers in the room that I feel like any time you do anything individually, it’s not going to work out in your favor, especially in a team sport. I’m not saying that’s what we were doing, but I’m just saying we weren’t all locked in together and I feel like over these past couple of weeks, we kind of just learned each other, learned how each other likes to push the quarterback off the spot and just playing off each other. We kind of saw on the sack that me and ‘JP’ (Jaelan Phillips) had, I came inside, Zach (Sieler) wrapped right around and just kept him contained in that pocket and stuff like that. So it’s just like I said – learning each other and growing as a unit and I feel like we just keep taking strides each and every week.”
(I’m going to follow up on exactly that. What was it like having LB Jaelan Phillips get some more snaps, now second game back under his belt, and beating Lane Johnson for a sack. That’s big. He hadn’t allowed one since 2020, if you were aware of that stat.) – “We talked about that one for sure. I encouraged him and just let him know – because when you’ve got things going on and stuff popping up and all that like he has been in his first couple weeks, you get a little frustrated and you get a little down on yourself and I just made sure I kept reminding him every chance I got just like, ‘hey man, be that dude.’ Like Lane Johnson hasn’t – like you said – given up a sack since 2020 and guess who he just gave up one to. And he called his shot right before we went into the two-minute drive, too, so it’s just dope to see him back out there playing like himself, feeling like himself and I’m just trying to do whatever it takes to get him to that level and I know when he’s at that level, I’m going to be at that level and everyone else around us is going to be at that level. So it was dope to see.”
(I wanted to ask you what the general message has been from Head Coach Mike McDaniel, Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio and the coaches you’ve spoken to or have spoken to the team in the last 12 hours after the game?) – “The vibes are still high. We still believe that we’re a team that has everything right in front of us. We gave up a big game but at the end of the day, these are the reps we need in terms of those atmospheres. That’s a Super Bowl team and they’re going to have a lot of success this season and we’re going to have a lot of success this season, but unfortunately it just didn’t pan out for us. So just getting those reps of being in that playoff atmosphere and responding – we score, they score – just getting to that ebb and flow of the game and understanding that we’re right there and everything we want is still right there ahead of us. We’ve just got to lock it in and let these losses turn into lessons. You hear that all the time, like the cliché saying of let it be a lesson, but that’s really what it is in terms of this team and understanding that when we get to these big games, we’re going to have to show up all around. I know and I got it in my heart that once we get to these big moments when it really counts, we’re going to be exactly where we need to be.”
(I don’t think that the score was really reflective of the competitive nature of the game. Do you feel like you have the athletes to go toe-to-toe with the best teams in the league?) – “No doubt, man. I feel like we matched up really well with this past team and it’s unfortunate like you said that the score was what it was, because even on the sideline we were thinking ‘yeah, they’re a good team; but were they a 31-point team to beat us like that and stuff like that?’ But at the end of the day, you’ve got to give your hats off to them. They executed their game plan to the highest degree and we’ve still got some holes to fill and at the end of the day, it’s a possibility long down the road that we could see that team again. We’re just going to have to be ready. My main thing is just getting the Miami Dolphins better and not having those types of games again.”
(The blitz this year has generally been effective. Knowing Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio as well as you do, do you think when both CB Jalen Ramsey is back and CB Xavien Howard is back, we might see more blitzing? Any sense of that?) – “He’s the mastermind. I don’t really know what’s going on through his head, but I know that once those pieces get back, I know he’s going to have something drawn up or whatever it may be and we’re going to be ready for it. I know those guys are licking their chops to get back on the field and I know he’s going to put us in the best positions to make plays and when you have a lot of playmakers on the field like that, something’s going to have to pop. Something’s going to have to happen so I’m just looking forward to having those guys back and I know they’re looking forward to being back on the field as well.”
(And one quick follow up on those guys. Once you have CB Jalen Ramsey and CB Xavien Howard both playing together, what impact does that have on a front seven?) – “It all goes hand in hand. They need us like we need them and as we affect the quarterback, get him off his spot, we know those guys can stay sticking and do everything they need and cause the quarterback to do one more pump or whatever it may be or we might get in the quarterback’s face, tip the ball up and they’re coming up with the glory. So at the end of the day, rush and coverage – you hear it all the time – it works hand in hand so I like I said, when we get those playmakers back, when we get our playmakers all on the same page, it’s going to be good.”
Mike McDaniel – October 22, 2023 (Postgame)
Sunday, October 22, 2023
Postgame – Philadelphia
Miami Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel (Transcribed by Philadelphia)
On the playoff-like atmosphere:
“You can learn everything. It was a very important thing. I kind of knew that going into the game that it was going to be that type of atmosphere and I think that’s very important for our team being on the younger side to experience. Those are critical. You have to feel what it’s like to play such a good team on the road. Your margin for error is so small, and it’s an important building block along your progression for the season, you know. If you’re going to lose games, you want it to be against a really good team, and you want it to hurt. The collection of coaches and players in the locker room right now are hurting because they feel like they left some plays on the field for sure. You know, losses, if approached the right way, if you’re not pointing fingers and you’re looking internally, can be a good thing too. So that’s what we’ll be determined to make this moving forward, starting with tomorrow.”
On the penalties:
“Well, without a doubt, you can’t be minus 10 in penalties. So, you look at the – what’s the commonalities for it. Is there a pattern, and you have to look at it case-by-case and look at it hard. You can’t just point a finger and say that it’s not fair. That doesn’t make any sense to me. It’s more about looking at ourselves, the stuff that we can control, and what things we can clean up in our game. You know, generally, penalties occur when you’re out of position in any phase. So, we have to start with that and make sure that guys understand and learn from stuff because if you’re going to go through anything that’s as frustrating as this loss, you might as well — you better make it worth it. That will be our focus for sure.”
On Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa’s interception:
“No, that one in particular, there was a couple double moves that are kind of built for man coverage, so it kind of disperses that way where they’re kind of close together. That’s something that we’ve been working on for a while. You know, those are the things you have to learn from in terms of that particular play with Tua because playing quarterback in this league is tough enough, but getting used to adjusting when you don’t have protection versus when you do. On that particular play, I thought we do have solid protection there, and so when Tua watches the film, I’m sure he’ll be critical of himself as the leader he is and where he’s at in his career. He’s pretty overly accountable for throws and he kind of let that one fly on his back foot. So, I was hoping [RB] Raheem [Mostert] could step back and make a play. He had an issue doing so with apparently what was legal contact down the field. That’s definitely not why we lost the game. For sure, that play, I thought Tua had a very, very good game all things considered and made a ton of plays under some duress.”
On coming in with the number one rushing attack and how much that affected his play-calling:
“We were behind the chains more than we were used to. We had some small nuance details of some plays that, hats off to the Philadelphia Eagles because they made us pay everytime we – maybe our track was a little too tight, or too wide or an offensive lineman was a hair off. We rely on the running game to have a successful offense. We got it going a little too late in the game, so that is something that we take pride in and will be sure to get better from moving forward.”
On having to win road games and what can a coaching staff do to make sure they are ready:
“Well, I mean, from my perspective, there is a good amount that falls on my shoulders because you are working through what your team is and what you can do and can’t do on the road. Sometimes coaches can get a little too aggressive with some of the things that they decide to do. I felt that it started it with me, if that was the case. There were a couple instances where it was correctable, but there was one where we had to use one timeout because I adjusted the play-call late, so that is not on the players. Then we weren’t as crisp as usual coming out of the huddle, which always leads to stuff, and we will take a hard look at that in terms of what we are doing and how we are doing it, and make sure that we get better because it definitely wasn’t good enough to win and to beat a football team like that. It was a shame because I thought our defense gave us a definite chance to win with the way they played and made some serious physical plays that were kind of wasted.”
On the condition of Dolphins LB David Long Jr. and S Jevon Holland after collision:
“So, [Dolphins S] Jevon Holland was evaluated by the specialist on-site and cleared so he went back into the game. [Dolphins LB] David Long [Jr.] came into the locker room and, you know, never came out of it. I’ll get a better update on that, haven’t had a chance to talk to [Dolphins Head Athletic Trainer] Kyle [Johnston] and his staff, so, I’ll give you the information tomorrow for sure.”
On how close Dolphins WR Chase Claypool is to contributing:
“[Dolphins WR] Chase [Claypool] had a package of plays that – circumstances, the game, kind of ran us out of. So, we’re expecting him to play a little bit more, but once you start having – with [Dolphins WR Jaylen] Waddle leaving the game it’s more difficult to get a newer player involved just that way unless it’s in his package of plays, like, which I said, we kind of digressed through what we were planning on getting done. He’s doing a great job, he’s carved out a little role with us already. So, I’m hoping that expands as he gets the opportunities to play within our offense.
On how injuries impacted the game:
“You know, good players – the more good players you have, it definitely makes you better, however it would be tough for me to really look at, you know – I kind of look at what we do have and was very confident going into the game – of the players that were scheduled to play a good amount of snaps, and I think it would be awesome to have players return to our team, but going without X, Y, or Z, whomever it is, wasn’t the reason that we lost. We were still capable of winning that football game if we’re playing our brand of football at its highest.”
On Dolphins CB Xavien Howard not playing tonight:
“Yeah, I know, that’s something that I talk to you guys a lot about is trying to protect players from themselves and sometimes competitors can be shortsighted in their scope, so, it just didn’t seem – with that position, with that injury – it didn’t seem prudent, to kind of, press the envelope at this stage knowing how important [Dolphins CB Xavien Howard] is for the entirety of the season. He had a good week and he’ll be chomping at my ear this next week, probably every day, because he definitely didn’t like watching this game in street clothes, for sure.”
On the team starting to come back after being down two scores:
“I think they felt very capable of doing that. The one thing I will say is that there’s some definite positives that came from this game. I felt like the team is at a place where they can compete in these types of atmospheres against a stubborn opponent. There’s still some growth that needs to be had and that’s part of the journey for sure. I was encouraged by our locker room temperament at halftime. I was encouraged by the way we came out to the field, and we were expecting to bridge that gap for sure. When it happened, I felt our guys were validated for sure, too short lived unfortunately.”
On how struggles from the offensive line affect the offense and play-calling:
“Yeah, it’s definitely part of the job. It’s not the first nor will it be the last, it can add a layer to your decision-making for sure. That is something I see as 100% my job. That’s something that’s not going to go away, and it can’t ever be an excuse. We have to be prepared if there’s any shifting and shoveling and it just wasn’t good enough tonight.”
On Dolphins CB Cam Smith not having any defensive snaps:
“It’s just the natural growth. There’s many different journeys that players take and he’s got a room of very capable players and I think you have to do right by the team and right by the player to make sure they’re appropriately versed, and the main thing with him is that by all testaments he’s getting better and better and closer and closer to doing that. You don’t just have guys learn on the fly with a position like that in my opinion because it’s like a quarterback where you don’t want to hurt their progression by having them see the field too soon. There can be scar tissue with that. I really like the way Cam goes about his business and he’ll see his time on the field at some point but tonight was not that night.”
Tua Tagovailoa – October 22, 2023 (Postgame)
Sunday, October 22, 2023
Postgame – Philadelphia
Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa (Transcribed by Philadelphia)
On whether this feels like a lost opportunity for him and the team:
“It’s tough when you come on the road against a really good team and you’re not able to execute the way you expected to execute. But you have to give props to those guys and their coaching staff. They did a real good job in preparing for us. Some things went well for us, some things we’re just trying to figure out there. But overall we just have to get better.”
On what he saw on the interception by Eagles CB Darius Slay:
“It was just an underthrow. That’s all it was. It was nothing more than just an underthrow.”
On playing a team that’s able to stop the run and how it changes the math for him as a quarterback and the offense:
“Yeah in a way it does change how we go about playing out there because there’s actions off of those runs that we’d like to get. And when the run game is not going the way you would expect it to go, then that kind of mitigates the way we run-pass and then it’s more of just a drop-back sort of game. But they did a really good job. Second half we came out with some adjustments. We got some things going in the run game. But really, for us offensively and as a team, it’s really just trying to sustain putting consistent drives together, being able to go out there defensively and getting three-and-outs and sort of playing off each other in that sense.”
On what can be done for the offense to be better on the road:
“Yeah, well, there’s a lot of pieces that go into our offense, a lot of moving parts. I have to communicate to the [offensive] line, the cadence in a loud environment. You know all of those things play a role in us going out there executing, especially with a loud environment, tough environment. But it’s communicating, it’s being able to go out and executing. It’s hard to, sort of, replicate crowd noise the way it is over here than in other places. You know, that’s the next step for us in what we are trying to do.”
On protecting himself during the sack by Eagles DT Jalen Carter:
“Yeah, that’s all it was. You know, I missed the snap point in what we were trying to do with that play. You know, there wasn’t anything else in that play so I just took that and protected myself.”
On anything positive he can take away from this game:
“Yeah, I think there’s a lot of positives we can take, but then again we have to come in tomorrow and watch the tape and see things we could get better with. You know, there are always [good things] that are [being] done, but none of those guys in the locker room remember those especially after a loss there. They’re all thinking of what we could continue to do to get better and help our team win games.”
On where he thinks the team is after this game:
“Well, I don’t think we listen to the outside noise in regards to how people feel about our team. I think the most important thing is the guys in the locker room sticking together and continuing to go. There’s a lot of football to be played, a lot of football, it’s a long season.”
On how the injury to OL Isaiah Wynn affected the offense:
“It affects a lot of what we do because he’s had a lot of the reps throughout practice week and then for [Dolphins OL] Lester [Cotton] to come in, I thought he did a really good job, you know, for what he was given to do, the task at hand. I mean there’s a lot of things going on, when it’s, ‘Are we trying to run this? No, it’s this look, we have to run it this way.’ The communication up there and getting that orchestrated for those guys is not as easy as it seems. I think they’ve done a good job. It was a team effort today. It took everyone today.”
On what he learned from playing against the Eagles:
“Well, we learned that the little things matter and they turn into big things as they continue to build up. This is a good test early in the season. People can say the penalties this, the penalties that. Like for us as a team we aren’t throwing that out as an excuse. They went out there. They did what they had to do to win that game. We didn’t do enough to win that game so it is what it is. We’ll go into tomorrow and learn from that. We’ll get ready for New England.”
On whether this game will help them down the road:
“Oh yeah. All of these games help us down the road. To me it felt like this game was a playoff atmosphere type of thing. I think that was a good rep for us early in the season. Leading down the road to when it’s crunch time.”
On things he can do to streamline the communication of the offense:
“I think the thing I can do is communicate to those guys prior to us going out there. I can do a better job in letting them know what we’re trying to get accomplished on this drive. Obviously we’re trying to get points on the board, but when [Dolphins Head Coach] Mike [McDaniel] does communicate to me what we’re trying to run, ‘Alright guys, it’s a run play. This is what the play is going to be. Just be alert for this look or this look.’ And they can communicate that throughout this being on the sideline before we go and start drives.”
Mike McDaniel – October 20, 2023
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Friday, October 20, 2023
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Let’s talk not one, not two, but three, three cornerbacks. So CB Xavien Howard, I know he tried to work with the groin yesterday. CB Kader Kohou has had the neck, he’s been limited. Those two what’s your level of optimism for Sunday? And CB Nik Needham, do we see him this week? Do we see him next week?) – “Zero, I mean, what? (laughter) They’re great questions. I enjoy the spirit of them. But I know those football players are going to play football very soon. If it’s Sunday, they’ll be ready to roll. If it’s not, they’ll be ready to roll the following week. Again, I apologize, but I mean, c’mon.”
(I know it’s Friday at noon.) – “But honestly, what I can tell you is there weren’t any setbacks from yesterday at all. They’re all progressing at various speeds. Needham, it’s a roster situation that we kind of have to be calculated with. But there weren’t any setbacks, and we’ll see how today goes and then how they’re feeling. Those three players are very – established players in these scenarios are different than guys maybe that aren’t as long in the tooth in play. If you have a lot of experience, you’re less apprehensive about the unknowns going into the weekend. So we’ll do our very best.”
(I wanted to follow up with that. CB Cam Smith, he talked about how he spent a lot of time with the scout team earlier in practice and now is getting some reps with the base defense. How has he looked and what did you learn about him just from these past six weeks?) – “There’s been a lot to learn for me, personally, because I know guys with ability, everyone has their expectations. You’re drafted in the first day or the second day, your vision is of how you’re going to play and you don’t really think of the possibility of like hey, what happens if you have to earn your way on the field. So you learn a lot about guys when they’re practicing and then they maybe don’t get game reps. Well, the most important thing that is absolutely non-negotiable to me is that guys get better. I think that’s hugely important. I know that’s cliché. And then you want to see, what a great opportunity to see if things aren’t falling your exact way maybe that you want, where do you go? Do you point fingers and then get worse at football because, shoot, I’m not going to try because I’m not getting any immediate results. Or do you chop wood at your craft and get better through the process? Well, what I’ve seen from the last couple of weeks is a progression of Cam getting better. So that’s the thing that is the most important thing to me because it’s not easy to be an ambitious football player, have competition like we do and not get immediate results. I’m happy with the way he’s approached stuff. I’ve learned a lot about him in terms of the tough-mindedness that you hope that people have. Where again, you’re not a finger-pointer, you’re okay, I’m going to work harder to get the results that I want. Because of that, he has a chance, as long as he continues to do that, which I have no reason to believe he won’t.”
(Do you have a greater sense of optimism for OL Connor Williams playing?) – “That’s even trickier than the corner situation just because we’re dealing with the residuals of hey, we went and played and the injury was burdened through the play. We’ve been trying to protect Connor from himself and Connor is going to make sure that whatever he does, that it’s with the big picture in mind. That doesn’t mean anything but okay, well, is it at a spot where I know that it’s not going to be worse on Monday than while we’re in the middle of the season? He had some good reps when he was working on the bags yesterday, specifically, that I saw some movement that was exciting. But you kind of have to let that one specifically progress because you’re really day-to-day. Because it’s like, alright, well, let’s turn it up a little bit, or let’s pull it back a little bit. But he’s at a good spot mentally and that’s the most important thing to me because it’s a big picture, whole season kind of outlook that I want to make sure that we’re doing right by him and he’s doing right by himself.”
(Coach we talked to Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith and Assistant Head Coach/Tight Ends Coach Jon Embree about the fun they’re having in the collaborating of putting together the offensive gameplan. I was curious, from your perspective, how you go about fostering, making it fun to come to work and then also the collaboration of putting together the offensive gameplan?) – “I think perspective is a big part of the job that I have. We’ve all worked – I mean, work is work – but it’s one thing to have a glass half-full boss and one thing to have glass-half empty. We’ve had a lot of reasons to be optimistic. But just in general, I think it’s important to recognize and bring to the attention of everybody involved that, hey, this is pretty awesome because we’re all moving in the same direction. We’re a team that’s trying to solve the same problems and when you do that, without trying to assert credit, or you do it from a humble perspective, it’s fun to be a part of. Because it’s truly – we’re in a team game and the way that we operate here is as a team. Regardless of what problems you have with a given week, what obstacles, maybe matchups that are coming up, or maybe guys that you have injured or whatever it is, those are surmountable if you’re doing it with teammates. I think that idea is something I believe in, but the biggest part of the whole formula is you have the right people to execute that. I think it’s like a lot of things, the result of having a fun place to work has a lot to do with the people that are working there. I can set any tone I want. But the guys have to be ambitious, they have to be the right type of people, hungry to give their players advantages. The end result is coaches and players working together, appropriately I think.”
(Speaking of fun, you were recently featured on NFL Films and when you got announced as the head coach people called you a savant. Now it’s coming into funny and delightful. Did you ever think that you would have that kind of impact to people that are not even Dolphins fans, kind of tuning in and seeing what you’re doing and actually watching the team?) – “I mean, that was a lot right there. I try to stay out of the noise. Generally, when you’re getting a lot of positive feedback, there’s some humility to follow. So I stay out of that, but you hope you’re given the opportunity. I know for me personally, it’s been a life’s journey to try to hope or to try to be in a position to really positively impact people. It’s why I knew that coaching was the profession I wanted to get into was because I was passionate about it. I know if you’re passionate about something, that gives you the best chance to be effective at doing it. But yeah, I really don’t take anything for granted. That’s the fortunate thing of having trials and tribulations in life. That’s why it’s not necessarily a bad thing to have to go through things because I think that’s given me the – I’m very, very fortunate to have the perspective that I have. I don’t take the role, the team, and everything that comes with it for granted for one second. The analogy I would use is the irony in life is are you really fortunate if you grow up as a child with money. On the front end, you think that’s awesome. But then do you really appreciate it? I didn’t grow up with money so being paid as a head coach, I really appreciate. I didn’t grow up with a family, so being a part of a team is extremely important and I don’t lose that at all. All those things, I’m kind of in the middle of a dream, living it, and have a lot of work to do. So to say that I could have forecasted any of this wouldn’t be honest. But I very much appreciate each and every part of it for sure. I’m very, very blessed in that way.”
(It’s been six weeks and of course, results are there for you guys. What makes you feel comfortable about where this team is going? Maybe things that we don’t see on the field, some things that you see off the field?) – “That’s a great question. I like that question because there’s a very concrete, easy answer to my optimism moving forward. It goes back to my favorite, not my favorite, but it’s a top saying of mine. I see better than I hear. And I think what I’ve seen is specifically in the last three weeks, a continued uptick in the deliberate intention and strain and execution in practice. That’s my greatest litmus test, is how are people approaching their jobs during the week, giving you the best chance to perform and execute all of your given tasks on a Sunday. It’s pretty cut and dry, black and white. When teams are treating practice like a game, you have a chance against any team. That’s what I’ve seen from our guys. You worry mightily about a young team and having success. So then your eyes are fully open to their behavior and how they’re approaching their day-to-day jobs. I’m confident in the team because of what they’ve shown me, not what they’ve told me.”
(Is LB Andrew Van Ginkel back today?) – “Yes.”
(Sometimes you hear the phrase, ‘teams learning how to win’. Where do you think this team is? Has it learned how to win? I mean, you’ve won five games so where are you in that process?) – “Yeah, I think we’re learning how to win. Not just because we’ve won, but because we’ve had obstacles and won in different fashions. I think a lot of people forget, I don’t want the team to forget, but I think our first two victories, the defense won the game. Okay, then our third victory we had a ton of points and turnovers that we turned into. Those are different types of games. This past game, we were down 14-0, and then the offense scored and the defense didn’t allow the opponent to score. They didn’t have any scoreboard adjustment until the fourth quarter. Those are different types of games. So I think that’s part of the learning mechanism. I know there’s more to learn for our team, and that’s why you have to approach every game with full intent and see what happens and then get better from it. There’ll be more lessons to learn, so we’re not done learning. But I think as far as where we could conceivably be at, relative to the season, Week 7, I’m happy with what we’ve learned, and we need to continue to learn so that we can be our best when our best is required.”
(How has your defensive front seven done? And is there room to grade on a curve even a little bit, because they’re in the first year of a new system?) – “The one thing that I’m fired up about is progressing as a defense from the entirety of it, really. I think, case in point, we’ve gotten into a rhythm. I think we lead the league in quarterback hits and we’re third in sacks, I believe. And what that is, you don’t get anywhere top of anything unless there’s a growth. I think that journey, you have to be literally relentless if you really want to get the best out of yourselves, out of the unit, and finish the season as far as you can go. You have to continue to progress. So that’s why I’m happy. I guess the bottom line is across the board, I’m happy with where we’re at. But as far today, this practice, this game, and the following, I’ll be happy if we maintain that progression because that’s necessary for you to accomplish what you want. And you don’t do it any other way besides coming to work. We have a Friday practice, and we need to execute our assignments with high intensity. And then you just stack those over and over and over. As boring as it is, that’s the formula. And I don’t think it ever changes.”
(You’ve said something probably a month ago that I found very interesting. You said why save plays when you can just make new plays? Now I wanted to know about when you create these new plays, at what point do you implement them? And then have them ready for execution on Sunday? Is it a week? Is it you’ve been working on this play two weeks ago sharpening it? Or how does that process all work?) – “Well, if we determine a play’s worth, we’re always tweaking plays for a specific defense. But if there’s a new play that as a staff we decide we want to implement, it’s an entire football team, that’s why it’s our offense; it’s not mine or this other person. It’s ours. Because we’ll put the play in and then listen to the feedback that’s directly given to us. Not by like, ‘hey, I like this or not’, but how do the players handle it? Okay, well, if there’s a lot of tinkering that needs to be done with it, we try to tinker with it, see how they respond and maybe apply it for the next week. Or maybe you see it through the week. There’s a lot of different angles. Generally, if we introduce something new, by the end of the week we either throw it out or run it generally if it’s something completely new. That’s not always the case. And then there’s times where maybe in a game you just don’t get it called because the situation doesn’t present itself. There’s been multiple opportunities this season that we’ve been able to have a similar scheme, have the play that we didn’t have or had up previously. And then I’ll run that same play that week because the defense hasn’t seen it, and now the offense has more reps at something that’s new, so it’s always varied. But the bottom line is we’ll run plays that our players will execute at a high level. And once they get to that, all right, call it. And until it’s not that, we have to do a better job coaching.”
Jaylen Waddle – October 19, 2023
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Thursday, October 19, 2023
WR Jaylen Waddle
(How does it feel to kind of have an Alabama reunion? I feel like every week is one, but maybe so more this week with nine guys.) – “It’s going to be fun. We got to practice against them last year. I’ve been watching them from afar, so to play in person, it’ll be fun. Lot of ‘Bama guys out there.”
(I know Philadelphia DeVonta Smith has a hamstring injury, are you making sure to tell him to be out there?) – “Nah, one thing about ‘Schmitty (DeVonta Smith) is he a dawg. He’s going to be out there for sure.”
(Do you have a group text going with Alabama guys? Is it multiple positions? Is it just offensive guys?) – “We have a group chat. Mostly our receiver room, everyone who was in our receiver room, so we talk every day. It isn’t really nothing new for us. We haven’t seen each other and keep in touch.”
(How often do you and DeVonta Smith exchange texts? Do you do it after some games? How often do you guys talk still?) – “Oh yeah, like every day, honestly. When they have a game I can watch and we’re not playing, I’ll tune in, tap in, and he is doing his stuff. Pretty often.”
(Are there a lot of texts going back and forth when Alabama is playing?) – “Yeah, definitely. We’re tuned in, tapped in every week. Good, bad, and ugly.”
(It’s wonderful how both of your careers have worked out well. Was it a tough three months before the draft when every draft analyst is dissecting who should a team take between you and DeVonta Smith? Was that something that you joked about at the time? Because it was every day on draft pregame shows.) – “No, not for real. I was in a whole different place then he was. So we were just rolling with the punches at that time. We got to connect on pro day and ended up doing pro day and cheering him on and stuff. Nah, it really wasn’t weird.”
(There’s a lot of talk about how unique this offense is. I know the short motion that we’ve seen WR Tyreek Hill do kind of where a tight end runs out. It seems like some teams have kind of stolen that, have you noticed that across the league or not?) – “I think everybody motions. We do a lot of different motions throughout the week and throughout what y’all see. It’s a copycat league. If they do something we like, we’ll try to put it in. If we do something that other teams like, they’ll try to put it in. That’s just how the league goes.”
(Do you get a sense of pride knowing teams are seeing what you guys do and have success and try to replicate it?) – “Yeah, you can say that.”
(What’s the biggest on-field skill that WR Tyreek Hill has rubbed off on you in your game just from watching him and learning from him?) – “Yeah, Tyreek is a dawg. He just brings that dawg mentality week in and week out. And that’s what you all see. He just stays locked in, for real, throughout the whole game, through practice and all that good stuff. I pretty much learn from him each and every day.”
(Any sort of pressure you guys might be feeling with Sunday Night Football and the atmosphere you’ll be in? What do you expect?) – “No, no pressure at all. We’re going into a hostile environment against a good team. It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be real competitive going in, but I wouldn’t say pressure no.”
(Have you come up with any theories on why WR Tyreek Hill is always cramping?) – “I don’t know. I’ll tell him to drink water. He normally does drink water though.”
(It can’t be that simple though, because I’ve seen WR Tyreek Hill with Pedialyte in his hands.) – “I don’t know. I guess when you’re running that fast, you generate all that power, maybe you just get dehydrated faster than other people, I guess.”
(But you run that fast. I haven’t seen you cramp one time.) – “Yeah, I don’t know. ‘Reek’ (Tyreek Hill), I don’t know. (laughter) That’s a good question though. The people want to know, huh?”
(How many IVs do you take?) – “I’m really not an IV guy, really. I ain’t really an IV guy. I don’t – no. I’m really not.”
(So you think he’s just leaning on the IVs too much?) – “No, not for real because he’s always drinking, always got water next to him. He knows it’s going to be hot, so I wouldn’t even say that, for real. I don’t know, that’s a good question.”
(Can you take us inside the Alabama swag box that was here a week ago?) – “Yeah, we had the shirts, the hats, the winter gear, beanies. They didn’t send us no shoes, but we had the whole shebang. I just seen somebody else’s box, my locker mate, they sent him just a t-shirt and a hat. I said, ‘We don’t get down like that at the Tide.’ You feel me? (laughter) Yeah, they did us right.”
(When QB Tua Tagovailoa threw the pass to WR DeVonta Smith to win the championship, were you committed to Alabama at that time?) – “No.”
(Were you at the game?) – “No.”
(Do you remember watching it on TV?) – “I do remember watching it on TV. I do remember.”
(What did you think?) – “It was a play, man. It was play to be remembered that’s going to be remembered for a long time. But yeah, that was exciting.”
(What did you learn at Alabama about the best way to approach the biggest game?) – “Really just treat it like any other game. There’s no game that’s bigger than the other one. It’s going to be pretty regular.”
Tyreek Hill – October 19, 2023
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Thursday, October 19, 2023
WR Tyreek Hill
(On cramping last game.) – “I’ve been cramping my whole life. It’s something I’ve been dealing with ever since I was in high school. It’s crazy man. It doesn’t matter how much I hydrate, how much fluids I put in my body, it’s just an issue I’ve been dealing with. Obviously, I’ve been looking for ways my whole entire life to deal with it because I don’t want it to stop me or prevent me from being on the field.”
(How excited are you for a Sunday Night game going into the environment that you guys know can get kind of crazy?) – “I love it. This is what football is all about. Going against a real good opponent, Sunday Night Football, no better stage. I feel like our guys are ready with the way we practiced today.”
(What do you expect that environment to be like over there with the Philly fans?) – “I’ve played in Philly. I mean obviously the fans are going to be fans, regardless of who you play against. Some good, some nasty. I feel like playing this game, that’s what you have to expect sometimes, and that’s what I’m ready for.”
(Did the NFL let the celebration go and not put anything in the mail this time?) – “Yeah, I didn’t see anything in the mail. I’ve kind of been expecting it, but hopefully the NFL won’t fine me this time.”
(Is this a bigger game then any other game or is it just one of 17?) – “It’s just the next opponent. We’re just going to treat it like any other opponent. We’re going to go in there and play hard and do what we have to do to win.”
Frank Smith – October 19, 2023
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Thursday, October 19, 2023
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(I am a WR Tyreek Hill could win MVP guy. Do you think nowadays, a wide receiver could win the MVP in the NFL?) – “Sure, I’d hope so. That would be awesome for the achievements at the end of the year. However, right now we still got a couple of months to go before we’re worried about all of that. Our sole focus this week, and I know Tyreek’s as well, is getting ready for the Eagles and making sure that we embrace the challenge of this week.”
(I want to ask you about the offensive line. I don’t have to tell you in the past year, we’ve written a certain story about them, and this year that story has totally flipped. The single biggest reason for the improvement is what?) – “The magical powder we throw over the practice field. (laughter) No, there is no one single thing you could really say. It’s a collective group buy-in to what they are trying to do and trying to accomplish, and then going out and upholding to that standard every day. It’s easy to say I want this and then therefore your goal is this lofty idea as opposed to ok, daily improvement requires a deliberate daily focus and intensity to the process. I think that’s just the greatest thing that this offseason and the way we structured it, was allowing the group to really focus on their individual techniques and individual collective purpose to concepts. I think all of that has really played into the factor of them really understanding what we’re trying to do, how we’re trying to do it and then constantly working to improve and growing every day through their knowledge of the fundamentals they are trying to accomplish and then what the intent of the concept is.”
(When you look at the Eagles defensive front, you see what?) – “A very good group that knows who they are. They play together very well. They’ve had a lot of success there. They have their style of play and the way they want to attack an offense. Like we’ve talked about earlier in the year, as you have success in the season, every game gets more important. They are going to be a great challenge for us for what our long-term goals are, but our short-term focus has to be right now on how do we make sure that we’re at our best when our best is required Sunday night.”
(QB Tua Tagovailoa is often lauded for his footwork and what he can do getting to different spots, and different launch points in the offense. With the quarterback drops and footwork and timing of the routes in the offense, how do you think his skillset with his footwork help you guys expand offensively?) – “When you have a good understanding of the fundamentals necessary to play your position, it allows you to really play within the timing of the concept in the offense. It allows you to really have a great starting point that you can always build upon. When you look at all sports just in general, whether you’re an offensive lineman blocking, a wide receiver getting a release, a defensive back in coverage or taking a jump shot, footwork and fundamentals translate through all sports. It’s easy to bypass that and go into schematic things or loftier things. But ultimately, all sports break down to core fundamentals and execution within your fundamentals. When you play that way, it allows you to operate at a high level.”
(From the time you guys got QB Tua Tagovailoa to now, how have you guys seen him train and improve that aspect of his game?) – “Every day he approaches everything the way that you would want a quarterback to approach it, with a mindful deliberate nature towards how I want to play through my fundamentals is how I want to play through an entire season. Every day he has a sole focus on that.”
(Was TE Julian Hill’s blocking ability something you saw all along even before he got here or has it just continued to develop since the time you got your hands on him?) – “I think it’s something that we saw as potential on his tape coming out of college of what he could be and how he could really be a value to us at this level. I think between him and Jon (Embree), they’ve done a great job of really working on those things. The hardest thing about playing tight end is all the different spots you’re going to be asked to move, do things. You execute one fundamental and one plan, a completely opposite one another play, and his ability to have that mental stamina to balance all the different things you’re going to be asked to do and execute at that time. He and his approach from the day he got here has been – you would’ve thought he’d been in the NFL before because the way he approached all the little things to try and get better and the extra work he puts in. When you watch how a man goes about his business, you’re not surprised by what follows and for him, it’s no surprise because he’s putting in the work and then he has the ability. He’s another guy that each week you just see him keep growing and growing and improving in what he’s trying to do.”
(It says here 46 degrees, this weather man says northwest winds of 20 miles per hour with gusts up to 30 miles per hour. In your years of experience when it is a little chilly and especially windy, how, in all honesty, how aware does the offensive group need to be about that?) – “The greatest gift is we are here South Florida so at practice some days, we deal with wind just going out on a Wednesdays. I think our natural conditions help us with certain elements. When it comes to a cool day, it’s the same thing as like, when you’re a cold-weather team going to a warm-weather game. There’s going to be elements that you have to either allow yourself to be an issue or you just know that, all right, what’s my true focus and that is on my execution of what I’m doing. But the good thing is with a lot of the elements and stuff like that, windy days we’ve had here and we know how to work through conditions. So ultimately that place, the wind could blow that way, that way, any way; it’s going to be us and how do we execute collectively together.”
(What are the top two or three factors in deciding whether to activate RB Jeff Wilson Jr. this week?) – “Again, it comes down to the end of the week, where we’re at with guys and what we need for the active roster for Sunday. But ultimately, when guys are ready to go and they’ve exhibited what is necessary for Sunday, then it just comes down to what are our needs as far as depth throughout the complete roster. It’s never just as easy as cut-and-dry as, ‘okay, he’s ready to go, so here.’ You have to balance and weigh the entire group and what’s necessary for the game.”
(You mentioned last week RB Jeff Wilson Jr. already looked ready to go. Is he just even more so this week?) – “Ultimately the greatest thing you have when you have a position group where you have multiple – you have healthy inactives – like so at the beginning of the season, that’s the case a lot and it’s just as you get into the middle of the season, all right, if you ever have any guys ready to go and he’s down, that’s a good thing. For us right now, it’s all – it’s never as easy as just one group so this is that. You have to weigh the decisions for the entire roster that Mike (McDaniel) and Chris (Grier) have to do every week.”
(How did OL Liam Eichenberg do?) – “It’s like again, the first opportunity you go out and you have to play in that environment up there, it’s a great learning lesson. Next opportunity, you get to come home and really sink into things. Again, the growth of the position has been great for him and we’re very pleased with what he’s been doing so far. I know that he’ll never be satisfied with the work he’s done because like all guys, you’re always working to be at your best all the time. You’re always going to remember the play or two that you wish you could’ve improved on. But yeah, there’s a whole other body of work of things that we’re really pleased on what he’s been able to do for us.”
(Last week, Assistant Head Coach/Tight Ends Jon Embree talked about the redzone game plan that he’s a part of and how excited he is to try to get his stuff in every week. Just wanted to get your perspective of kind of the collaboration of the game plan, how much fun it is for you guys to put those together?) – “My favorite day of the week – I think we talked about it last year – my favorite day of the week is Tuesday. Your opponent prep starts on Monday, where you start really, okay, who’s the defense and who are they, how do they play, trying to see how they use their players and what’s the overall philosophical principles of coverage and front and just everything. And then as we get together on Tuesday with Mike (McDaniel) and I, we go through the base plan and it builds and then as we get into third down with the elements of that and then you get into short yardage, all right, inside the 5-yard line offense, and then red zone is the last element of the puzzle along with two-minute. You’re using the resources of your whole staff and everyone has different perspectives towards the experiences they had, so that’s where it’s like how do we all see the same thing. We’re seeing the defense the way we want to attack it. If everyone’s from the same one family, everyone will see it one (way); but since everyone here, we have such a wealth of experience, we see things different ways and how we’ve attacked that defense in a different realm. That’s the fun part and now that we’re going into Year 2, you see us collectively coming together as a staff. You see so much carryover of all of us seeing things. Now we’re seeing things more similarly. We have these concepts in this part of the plan that are now, ‘hey, third-down guy saw it the same way, red zone guy saw it the same way;’ we all are starting to really see the same things of how we want to attack things, which has been a really cool thing that ironically Mike (McDaniel) and I were talking about last week.”
