Terron Armstead – September 24, 2023 (Postgame)
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Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023
Postgame – Denver Broncos
Miami Dolphins T Terron Armstead
(The numbers, y’all put up 70 points. Do you think that adds any target or mark on your back because of what you did today?) – “I think we’re dangerous, so I think we’re going to get every team’s best. There’s no what we did to this team. No, I think we’re going to get every team’s best shot. They’re going to put their best game plan together. We’ve got guys on the edge that they have to scheme for. We’ve got guys in the backfield they have to scheme for. So nobody’s going to take us lightly anyway. You know what I mean? So it’s like we’re going to get everybody’s best shot.”
(You talk about sacks not being fully an o-line stat. 350 rushing yards, that’s considered a running back stat, but to me it’s an o-line stat. What was it like seeing – you see RB Raheem Mostert, you see RB De’Von Achane just speeding past you guys for big gain. ) – “We put a lot of that on the o-line. A lot of that run game weight is on our shoulders. We try to create lanes and get those guys into the third level. That’s the goal, and it’s on them to make the safeties miss and the corners miss. But that again is not just a running back stat. Receivers have to block on the edge, you see WR River Cracraft all the time, Julian Hill, Durham Smythe. You see ‘Reek’ (WR Tyreek Hill) blocking down on d-ends. It’s everybody. It’s a full offensive statistic, so everything that we’re doing from sacks, rushing, passing. All 11.”
(I’m sure there’s a lot of highlight plays from today, but one I want to ask you about is QB Tua Tagovailoa throws that little shovel pass. He did two of them, one with his right hand. I’m curious what you thought of that?) – “(No.) 1’s swaggy man. He’s playing incredible – he is incredible. He’s an amazing quarterback. He’s a commander of the game. He’s seeing it at just a high level. He’s slowing it down for himself, and he’s having fun. Really, that’s probably the most thing. That’s like my biggest message all the time, like have fun, it’s a kids’ game. We’re grown men playing a kids’ game, so let’s play like we’re kids. Let’s have fun.
Raheem Mostert – September 24, 2023 (Postgame)
Sunday, September 24, 2023
Postgame – Denver Broncos
Miami Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert
Q. Have you ever been a part of something like this? Have you ever seen anything like this especially on the NFL level?
RAHEEM MOSTERT: Absolutely not. To put 70 points on somebody is – I mean I’ve been a part of games where I was unfortunately getting scored on a lot, but to be able to do that, it just speaks volumes especially for our offense.
Q. Did you know that you guys were a field goal away from setting an NFL record?
RAHEEM MOSTERT: I found out when I was talking to Jalen Ramsey on the sideline. He was like – we were right there at the end and I was hoping that we kicked it, but unfortunately we didn’t. Honestly that’s respect just because you don’t for it like that and the way ‘Mikey’ handled it – ‘Mikey,’ I called him ‘Mikey’ but (Mike) McDaniel handled it – I think that it was very professional.
Q. The execution early in the game, particularly the plays that you came out and guys were running wide open, obviously the running game was working. What was working for you?
RAHEEM MOSTERT: The line of scrimmage. I harped on that from the jump. If we can establish the line of scrimmage, we’ll have a good chance of getting to that second, third level and even those home run plays. To be able to see the o-line — those guys don’t get enough credit and it’s sad because those guys really have gotten a lot better, especially from last year. They improved last year. We were able to do some things. But this year they’re on a whole other level. They understand the assignments a lot better. You’ve got Butch Barry who’s a phenomenal coach. I was with him in San Francisco and he’s going to bring that tenacity for the o-line, which you need, especially down in the trenches.
Q. We know preparation is so important in this league. Can you describe the preparation that went into the conga line?
RAHEEM MOSTERT: Yeah, so the preparation itself, every guy has to take that initial step. This entire week we were definitely honing in on that craft. Denver is a good team. Don’t get that mistaken. They lost — prior to today, they lost two games within three points, and I know Russell Wilson; when it’s crunch time, that guy can be on point. You can’t take those guys lightly, so for this week, we were just honing in on our craft and what we’ve got to do, and like I told you, set that edge, set that line of scrimmage, and then it’s off to the races.
Q. Was there one of the celebrations that you liked the best between the conga line and the surfing? Was there one that stood out to you?
RAHEEM MOSTERT: I mean, any part of the group celebration, I think that’s a hit. We talked about it. It was funny because we actually practiced it on Friday and then we were undecided what we were going to do, and then we just decided to hit that, just to show a little culture, which is pretty awesome. But then of course you’ve got to celebrate — I’ve got to get De’Von (Achane) to do a celebration. He said he has one. I’m like, man, you scored four touchdowns, you’ve got to celebrate, do something, stand out. We’re going to work on that this week for sure.
Q. Speaking of RB De’Von Achane, to do this in his first significant NFL action, what can you say about that?
RAHEEM MOSTERT: The guy is, he’s a sponge, man. He comes in, he understands the assignments. He understands the play calling. He understands what he has to do. I give him crap here and there because he’s the rookie. I’ve got to do that. I’ve got to do my part. But all in all, I just can’t be more proud of him, both him and Chris Brooks. Chris Brooks, when he gets his opportunity, he’s going to flourish, too. I know he is. Those guys really take in coaching. I’m still trying to work on De’Von and using his speed in practice, but obviously something worked today, which is a plus. For him to come in and do the things he did, he had 208 — 203? Still, 200 is still a lot. To be able to come in as a rookie, to do that, it just speaks volumes on the type of character that he has.
Q. Was there anything different for you personally in these last two games, the performance, the best games of your career? Obviously the o-line was clicking.
RAHEEM MOSTERT: Yeah, for me last year I was coming off of a knee injury. I had surgery, so I was more dialed in on protecting my knee and strengthening it throughout the week. Then this year, I’m more so focused on the scheme of everything, how I can improve as a player, what I’ve got to do out of the backfield. I mentioned sometimes during training camp that I’ll try to work as much as I possibly can on the pass game, and so that’s some areas that I would like to improve on. Still a lot of ball left, still a lot of ability that I’ve got in myself, but all in all, I’m very happy with how I’m going thus far in the progression, especially given my age. I know that a lot of people throw that out there, but I keep telling you, I’m only 25 at heart, so y’all stay tuned.
Q. Is this personally gratifying are you, as much talk as there was this offseason about the position?
RAHEEM MOSTERT: Yeah, when you have a lot of guys, a lot of people, a lot of naysayers out there, they want to continue to talk and continue to — oh, I wish this player was here, I wish that player — my whole thing is I’ve always been an underdog and that’s okay, but I’m going to show everybody, I’m going to prove everybody wrong because that’s what fuels me the most is proving somebody wrong. When I approach somebody, I tell them, hey, look, I’ve got receipts, just know that. To me, that’s the most satisfying thing is proving your haters or your doubters or anybody, your naysayers wrong. Like I said, I’ve been the underdog all my life and I’m always going to be that way.
Q. Something that sticks out to me is Head Coach Mike McDaniel always says you can’t carry over points from this game to the next. So those 70 points (indiscernible)
RAHEEM MOSTERT: Yeah, I mean, obviously it’s going to tell a statement now because it’s hard to score points in the league, especially anything above 50. I know the Giants a couple weeks ago lost 50 to Dallas. Like I said, it’s hard to score in this league, but to be able to put up 70 points, I think that’s going to put a lot of teams on notice that we’re nothing to play with. We definitely have — we’re that team, just to put it blunt. We’ve just got to hone in on our craft. We’re not worried about what everybody else thinks. We’re not worried about what everybody outside the building thinks. We’re going to focus in on what we’ve got to do and get the job done.
Q. You and De’Von combined for eight total touchdowns receiving and rushing. Just from the work in practice, training camp to this point in the season displayed on the field, what does that mean to you?
RAHEEM MOSTERT: I mean, it means a lot. Just in one game between the two of us, we had eight touchdowns. That speaks a lot of volume and a lot of character on our part, just because we don’t take anything lightly. We want to work and we want to score. We want to get the job done. To be able to do that, like I said, it just speaks on your character.
De’Von Achane – September 24, 2023 (Postgame)
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Sunday, September 24, 2023
Postgame – Denver Broncos
Miami Dolphins RB De’Von Achane (transcribed by ASAP Sports)
Q. How are you feeling?
DE’VON ACHANE: I feel good. Great team win. Most credit to the o-line, they blocked great. The offense in general, defense in general, great game. No bruises, came out healthy, so nothing much more I could ask for.
Q. When you were first drafted, you knew this offense was built around speed. In your third NFL game, to have the performance you had and the performance the offense, could you have even imagined this?
DE’VON ACHANE: No, I ain’t going to lie, eight touchdowns between two running backs and then just Tua (Tagovailoa) going out there and making plays – our offense is, like you said, speed, you’ve got weapons everywhere from receiver, running back, QB. I mean, if we go out there and we’re all clicking on all cylinders, I feel like that’s something. I wouldn’t say that I came out here like, “OK, we’re going to score 70 points.” We’re capable of doing a lot of great stuff with this team.
Q. Do you have four footballs in your locker right now?
DE’VON ACHANE: (laughter) I have four footballs, yeah, but they’re not in my locker yet. I most definitely have all four of them, though.
Q. What are you going to do with them?
DE’VON ACHANE: Probably give them to my mom, put them in a trophy case or something.
Q. Which was your favorite of the four tonight?
DE’VON ACHANE: I’d probably say the longer run, the inside zone. The longest run I had was probably my favorite one.
Q. What about on the receiving end of a no-look shovel pass?
DE’VON ACHANE: Yeah, at practice he did that, and then my coach was like, “Just make sure you be steady, because he’s not looking.” We’re just making it easy for each other, but Tua (Tagovailoa), he’s always at practice doing a lot of no-looks. Monday through Saturday, we’re practicing. Sunday is the easy part.
Q. Did you have a flashback to that long touchdown run when you were here when you were at Texas A&M and you scored in the Orange Bowl?
DE’VON ACHANE: I wouldn’t say I had a flash back, but I think I was going to the left side on both runs, so that really is crazy. Like you said, Hard Rock Stadium, I’d probably say there’s good luck in here, and I want to keep that tradition up.
Q. Were you aware late in the game that the NFL scoring record was in reach?
DE’VON ACHANE: I mean, I wasn’t until the crowd started saying three more points, like that. But man, (Head Coach) Mike McDaniel is a generous guy, so we just took the knee and took the win.
Q. Have you ever had a game like this in your career on any level?
DE’VON ACHANE: No, never. 70 points is crazy – our stats are like video game type stuff. I’ve never been on this side of it.
Q. Personally though, 200 yards, four touchdowns, where does this rank in your games?
DE’VON ACHANE: Probably – this is my second time ever having 200 yards, my last game at A&M I had 200 yards.
Q. Did you ever catch yourself looking at the scoreboard or counting your touchdowns?
DE’VON ACHANE: I won’t look at the scoreboard much, but if I see myself in the end zone a lot of times, like today, I kind of keep track, knowing it’s my first touchdown, second touchdown. I kept track of this one.
Q. How many unread text messages when you picked up your phone approximately?
DE’VON ACHANE: At least 100. That’s at least. I had a lot of notifications from Instagram, messages, Twitter. That’s a lot of stuff, I ain’t just going to go through all that. (laughter) It was a lot, though.
Q. Do you expect your Madden rating to increase after this week’s performance?
DE’VON ACHANE: It better do something. Obviously, my speed, because I don’t want to be tied with Raheem (Mostert). We always talk a lot of trash to each other. Hopefully that happens, though.
Q. Speaking of Raheem, he said he wants you to work on your touchdown celebrations. Is that something you’re looking to pay more attention to next time?
DE’VON ACHANE: Yeah, everybody said, “You need to do a touchdown celebration.” I said, “Alright, I got y’all.” But I just be in the moment, I just be enjoying the moment. I don’t be too much into the touchdown celebrations. That’s just being me like my whole life, even from college. I never really just did celebrations. If I’m (inaudible), then I’ll say something or do a dance or something, but next game I’ve got it for sure.
Mike McDaniel – September 24, 2023 (Postgame)
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MIAMI DOLPHINS QUOTES
Sunday, September 24, 2023
Postgame – Denver Broncos
Head Coach Mike McDaniel transcribed by ASAP Sports
Q: 700 yards of offense, 10 touchdowns. What can you say after that?
MIKE McDANIEL: It’s a lot of players executing a lot of things to a standard that’s unrelenting. I think that you see where guys are at, for me, when you have a lead. So many leads are vulnerable in this league. We talked at length all off-season just about adversity, and sometimes adversity is having a score or two lead because you can let the atmosphere dictate your product. So what I saw from a lot of guys, and specifically when you’re talking about that type of production, that’s guys really taking it to heart, that we have one op with this team in 2023, and we’re going to make the most of it and be unrelenting with our standards. I’ve said it time and time again that it’s an incredibly coachable locker room, and they definitely earned that victory.
Q: Three different weeks, three different celebrations from Tyreek Hill.
MIKE McDANIEL: What did he do this week?
Q: He hopped into the stands and celebrated.
MIKE McDANIEL: Oh, yeah. I never see celebrations until the coach’s film because I’m turning around looking at the series, on to the next. Is your question do I teach him the dances?
Q: How do you rate this one compared to last week?
MIKE McDANIEL: I didn’t see it yet, but what did you think?
Q: It was pretty exceptional.
MIKE McDANIEL: I thought last week was pretty good. I think that part of what we try to do with the Dolphins is work relentlessly hard, but in that process try to have fun doing it. I think it’s hard to score touchdowns in this league. So when you do, if guys want to take an extra five or ten minutes to organize something or have a plan, I definitely positively reinforce it in team meetings by closely reviewing those celebrations so that they’re held to the same standard as our play. Hopefully it was organized and good.
Q: They often say you can’t carry over the points from one game to the next, but to score 70 points, that hasn’t been done in decades. What do you think that can do for this group?
MIKE McDANIEL: I think that’s an example of — shame on us if you put a ceiling on what you’re capable of. If you just worry about the right things, you don’t worry about anything but your technique and fundamentals and your assignment within the team. You don’t worry about stats, you don’t worry about credit, it’s amazing what a group of people can do going in one direction. I think the points don’t carry over, but I do think this is a meaningful game for a lot of guys to understand to not let an opportunity on the field together slip through your fingers in any way, shape or form because collectively, we have all the right people to do some pretty cool stuff on the football field. I think that’s just incredible. It just goes through my mind like a Rolodex, like all of the intentional work that goes into it by the players. I think of April 17th, the first time we met together. I think of the first day of Phase 2 on the field. There’s just a lot of people working and buying in and leaving it all out there, and you get some — you can have some pretty cool stuff happen. I thought today there was a lot of that, but I was most proud of the unrelenting nature. I think it was the first game outside of the Houston game last year where we had a lead of maybe three touchdowns or more going into half. And that game, it ended up being pretty close at the end. So you want guys to learn from stuff, and there was, case in point, I think – was the first series a four-and-out by the defense in the second half? I believe it was. Then I’m not sure if it was the first or second series that we ended up scoring offensively, so we just kept – it’s so key that you don’t let the ebbs and flows of a game interject into how you play football. It’s so important, whether you’re down or up, and I think that’s the biggest thing that guys can learn from this game.
Q: Were you aware of the scoring record in that last series?
MIKE McDANIEL: Yes.
Q: As a head coach, how do you deal with that? You don’t want to embarrass your opponent, but at the same time, it would be kind of cool to have the scoring record. How did you balance that as a head coach?
MIKE McDANIEL: You know, I don’t — I think to think through all of my decisions and hold them with the importance that they do have. It felt like chasing points and chasing a record – that’s not what we came to the game to do. That doesn’t have a bearing on the overall season outcome, and I just didn’t — I saw it as 10 times out of 10, you concede and kneel down in those situations because there was an attainable record that was cool, but the message that I thought it would send wasn’t really in line with how I view things. It’s awesome to — I think it was the most points since ’66 or something. I think that’s awesome for a regular season record. You can have that, and then suffer the same fate as we had last year. I don’t care about that regular season record. It would have been cool, but what we’re trying to do, I think that would be talking out of both sides of my mouth if we went and tried to send the field goal team on and squeeze an extra three, that’s not really what I’m about.
Q: Was there any part of you that thought – it’s not like it was 40-7, you weren’t trying to embarrass them, but it was just in the flow of the game, that it was NFL history possibly being made as opposed to just scoring?
MIKE McDANIEL: It doesn’t really — I will be fine getting second-guessed by turning down NFL records. That’s fine. I’m very okay with the decision, and I think the team, notably the leaders of the team supported it, the captains supported it. It’s not the way you want to get the record. I would hope that if the shoe was on the other foot, the opponent would feel the same way. That’s called karma. I’m trying to keep good karma with the Miami Dolphins.
Q: QB Tua Tagovailoahad an efficient day, sat most of the fourth quarter, but the unit that you had come in with QB Mike White and WR Robbie Chosen, can you talk about those guys staying ready for the opportunity and when it comes time, executing?
MIKE McDANIEL: Absolutely. I think when you’re building something, you set forth a standard with which your expectations need to be met, not just from the coaching staff but from within the locker room. Those guys are on the team for a reason, and when you diligently work, it’s funny how opportunities can present themselves. I think Mike White has been an awesome addition to our team, and then (Robbie) Chosen has remained steadfast in the fact that he wants to be on this team. He probably wouldn’t — I don’t want to speak for him, but the amount of respect that he commands by selflessly just going about his business and trying to contribute, he just wants to be a part of his hometown team, and he is, and I think he showed why today.
Q: QB Tua Tagovailoa was saying that your biggest growth in terms of offensive playcalling and management has been the way you get plays in, not necessarily the plays that you’re calling. How much of a focus was that for you this offseason and working with him to get the plays in quickly?
MIKE McDANIEL: A huge one. I speak a lot to the players about getting better, and I think last year was the first year that I had done a lot of stuff, and my expectation was to be what everyone deserved. But that being said, you know that there’s going to be things that you can get better at. Well, getting used to calling plays, I think there’s — the tempo with which we operate and the speed with which my decisions are are just very much enhanced from a season’s worth of reps. I think that’s very nice of Tua to say; don’t let us equate our growth to anything that has to do with me. My job is to set forth a standard, and I’d better be getting better at everything. That’s what the team needs and deserves. I could call plays fast as I’ll get out, and they have to execute them. What Tua is doing is beyond the stat sheet, because we’re doing a lot of movement. We’re moving a lot of pieces every snap. There’s a lot of timing involved with a lot of things that he’s doing, not just passing. All of that orchestration and the lack of pre-snap penalties, starts with the quarterback position, the immense amount of stuff that he has to learn and execute every week, and then it goes down to the entire offense. They’re fully committed to their techniques and fundamentals that we ask, and they’re starting to really gain that hunger of the continued growth, which is never at rest. It’s always there. We have to grow from this game, and we will continue to focus on that, which is the biggest reason why you’re seeing some extra — you’re just seeing some growth in our production from an offensive standpoint.
Q: Speaking of growth, Tua threw 460 yards against the Chargers, mostly pushed the ball down the field, it’s been mostly underneath. What have you noticed about his growth in the department of being willing to take what’s in front of him?
MIKE McDANIEL: Yeah, he’s learning every week, man. He is one of the — I’ve said it before on record; he’s like the most coachable, best learner that I’ve ever been around. Everything that happens, you guys — have you heard adversity is an opportunity? Yeah. Well, that’s how he looks at it. For instance, he thought he was short-changing how fast I was getting the plays in last week and wasn’t looking at his wristband fast enough, so he kept the tempo moving. Then you have to execute aggressively what the defense is giving up while they take something away. When safeties are super high and wide and deep, he learned from his interception from the Patriots game. In that moment, he was trying to win the game and threw it up to Tyreek (Hill) and he had a checkdown to Raheem Mostert. I think it was on a very similar play — it wasn’t the same play, but a similar situation where he threw in the second half a checkdown to De’Von (Achane) that last week he would have thrown into tight coverage. That’s all you’re trying to do is a lot of people — it’s hard to get better continually because it’s exhausting, and you just want to feel like, man, I’ve arrived. That’s not him. That’s why we’ll continue to see a better version of him as he progresses. He’s a season and three games into this offense, and the sky’s the limit for him, as long as him and his teammates continue to put as much focus on preparation and practice and all of those things that make Sundays possible like that.
Q: Any update on LB Jaelan Phillips and OL Connor Williams after they left the game?
MIKE McDANIEL: I really don’t have really any updates for you right now. I know that — I could tell by Kyle, our head trainer, that he wasn’t too worried about it. I could tell it was real, but I think I’ll have some updates hopefully tomorrow as I decompress and then get information.
Tua Tagovailoa – September 24, 2023 (Postgame)
Sunday, September 24, 2023
Postgame – Denver Broncos
Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa
Q. I feel like at Alabama you were probably part of a lot of lopsided victories. Does this compare to anything that you’ve seen or been a part of?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: No, this isn’t compared to anything that I’ve seen or been a part of. Just talks about the resilience of our team, although we were up going into halftime, I’m very proud of the guys and the way they continued to play. No one took their foot off the gas. Everyone continued to play. That’s the result that we got.
Q. Just what were you feeling as you completed your first 17 passes today?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I wasn’t feeling anything. I was just trying to find the open guy and just go through my progressions.
Q. You tend to do a lot of things with deceiving defenders with your eyes. When you passed the shovel pass twice to RB De’Von Achane, how seeing was that, and did you get a little showtime feeling?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I mean, for our guys that have been practicing with us, our defense and whatnot, like me no-looking defenders and moving guys with my eyes, it’s not something that’s new for them to see. I mean, it was cool that we were able to do that and we were able to score, but that’s what we said we wanted to do when we installed the play.
Q. Obviously the classy thing to do was to kneel down and not kick the field goal, but was there any enticement to try to set the NFL record which you guys would have had if you had kicked the field goal?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: No, no. I think in this league and around the league, it’s about respect in the NFL. As we went out there, I feel like that’s what we got. We got respect, and we’re not trying to go out there and humiliate teams. That’s just what it happened to look like. Trying to run the ball, trying to kill some time, big plays opened up and that’s what it looked like.
Q. Can you speak to the fact, it’s pretty clear after three weeks in the season, and I can hear the pundits pretty much declaring the Dolphins the best offense in the league, at least through three weeks. Can you talk about the pride that you take in that as a quarterback, the pride you take in that?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I take a lot of pride in how we perform and how we do things offensively. I think it’s like anything else. If it’s a week one deal, you’re either Super Bowl contenders or you’re the worst team in the league. I try not to pay attention to any of that, try to talk that kind of mindset into our guys offensively to put your head down — whatever you’ve been doing with your studying, just continue to do that and stay on that course. When we go, our team goes.
Q. If I had told you before the game you’re going to get 700 yards and 10 touchdowns, what would you have said?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, I’d have been like, all right, cool. But we’ve still got to go out and play. I would have been like, oh, cool. That’s nice of you to say that to us.
Q. When guys are running open as they were at times today, you’re being protected, where do you think Head Coach Mike McDaniel is as a play caller right now and a game planner? Is this the top level you’ve seen him since you’ve been here?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, I think this is some of the best that Mike (McDaniel) has done. It’s not necessarily the play call as much as how fast Mike gets the play in and how we can operate with our motions, our pre-snap deals, get guys in the right positions, and I think he’s done a really, really good job. That’s something that we’ve wanted to work on this offseason, and it’s paying dividends for us.
Q. Raheem said that you guys worked on the conga line celebration on Friday. Were you pleased with how the preparation translated into —
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I don’t know, I didn’t see everyone behind me. I was just looking in the front, so I was like, all right, just go and hopefully there’s guys — there’s more than five guys following. I don’t know. (laughter)
Q. Getting the play in early, that was a thing last year at times. How do you work on that, and what does it mean to you when you get the play in earlier rather than later?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, so in practice, I mean, we all know that 15 seconds cuts out for the quarterbacks and play callers. In practice, we run plays and we try to get our personnel in. We call our personnel while I’m getting ready for Mike (McDaniel) to tell me what number it is, and we operate in that sense. It’s a little more challenging when you’re the head coach because Mike has to talk to guys, guys want to talk to him while he’s calling the plays for us, so it was also a challenge for him. But yeah, we try to see, all right, how much time do we have left of the period if we start out with eight minutes, like how much time do we have left? Two minutes and we finished our plays. That’s good operation from play caller to the quarterback, quarterback to the huddle.
Q. Have you had a right-handed touchdown pass either in the NFL or Bama that you recall?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I don’t think so. I don’t think so.
Q. You were pretty clean today at zero rushes. Was there an effort to stay away from the run for you and avoiding any hits?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I would say with what we had installed this week with our plays, our plays allow me to be able to find the open read quick and distribute the ball. It throws off the timing of the rushers, and it also helps our guys up front. But like that’s just also a tremendous effort from our guys up front, being sacked really only once in three games, and everyone has been saying we need this on our o-line, we need that on our o-line, we need better this, we need better that. That’s just a big middle finger to everyone that’s been saying that for our o-line. I think they’ve done a tremendous job, and Mike has helped with that, but you can’t discredit the work that they’ve put in this offseason.
Q. You mentioned the no-look shovel pass before, but had you done that before in a game —
TUA TAGOVAILOA: I’ve never done that before in a game. I’ve done no-look passes before in a game, though.
Q. Where did that come from? It looked like a basketball play?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: That’s just the play that they put in and when I did it in practice, everyone thought, oh, that was super cool, especially with the helmet cam you can watch it again, and they’re like, you’ve got to do that in a game. I’m like, all right. So we did it.
Q. You played with Jerry Jeudy in college and you were often compared to Russell Wilson coming up being drafted. Can you touch on speaking with them pregame and just seeing them again?
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, I talked to Russ (Wilson), he did his pregame deal, I did my pregame deal before the game started. Talked to him, said what’s up, had a little conversation. That was basically it. Just wished them well, best of luck, hope that he can stay healthy, all of that, and then after the game it was basically the same. It was really cool to see Jerry Jeudy, Pat Surtain, a couple of the guys that I’ve been able to play with at Alabama. They’re doing all they can over there on that side of the ball to help their team win games. I’m proud of how far they’ve come, and it’s really cool to see ex-teammates in college performing and being able to go out and play against each other.
Q. To put up 70 points, 10 touchdowns without Jaylen Waddle, this offense seems like the sky’s the limit.
TUA TAGOVAILOA: Yeah, I mean, we always have the next-guy mentality going, but when we do have Jaylen Waddle, it does present a lot more challenges for defenses. But needless to say, we’ve got our run game going. We had our deal with our pass game, our action game. I’m very proud of the guys and the way they came out.
Mike McDaniel – September 22, 2023
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Friday, September 22, 2023
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(WR Jaylen Waddle, out Sunday?) – “Jaylen Waddle will be practicing today. He is still in protocol. As a coach, I always prepare for worst case scenarios, but we’ll see how he progresses and see what the medical staff tells me about his position and the protocol tomorrow and the day after and the day after and the day after.”
(Best case scenario, is it possible for WR Jaylen Waddle to play on Sunday?) – “I’m going to wait until he clears the protocol first before I even enter into is it best or worst for him or other players. I’m just going to wait until he clears the protocol before I even enter into that whole field. Stay in my lane.”
(Are you optimistic about T Terron Armstead?) – “I am optimistic. He’s giving me reason for optimism. He has had a real good work week, so I feel good about where he’s at. I’m hoping that there’s just green lights and no red lights until Sunday.”
(Do you have confidence that T Terron Armstead has the stamina to play 50+ snaps?) – “Yeah, that’s something that he holds over his own head as a veteran that he is. That’s anxiety that he has rid himself of the last couple of weeks because when he when he was going through whatever he’s going through, then he’s making sure that he can do everything he can to compensate for that. So if he were a younger player that didn’t know what he was getting into, I would be concerned. I think that’s one of the reasons it made it an easier decision for me last week, so that we can avoid that. So you’re dead on.”
(How is LB Jaelan Phillips doing?) – “He’s good. I only answer questions about Jaelans. (laughter) No, he’s doing good and I feel very optimistic about him as well. Those two guys, you’re fortunate enough to make decisions that aren’t short-sighted with players that are as important to your team as Jaelan Phillips or Terron Armstead when you have a team that has a lot of capable contributors. I think that being pragmatic, I would say, last week, makes me feel pretty good about this week.”
(A policy question for you on quarterbacks making tackles after they throw an interception, I haven’t been able to ask you this for a few weeks. I believe when QB Tua Tagovailoa had his interception, he kind of threw his body in front of the guy but the guy was close to the end zone. When QB Mike White threw his, I recall him kind of headfirst going at a guy’s knees. How do you want your quarterbacks to handle that? And do they need, like Tua if it’s a touchdown, understand, but do you want them to kind of shove the guy if pursuit is coming or go all out? What do you want them to?) – “I start my preventative measures by, ‘Hey, guys, listen, don’t throw a pick’. But when you do, you’re a player on this team. I coach them to stop the ball. And the same way that you coach people to keep their head out of the game in terms of just tackling functionality 101, you’re trying to stop the ball. One thing on turnovers that I think was brought to my attention in Atlanta was Terry Robiskie had trained Roddy White and Julio Jones, far before we got there, and emphasized that on turnovers, generally the fastest people on the field need to have ownership on that turnover not becoming a touchdown. And so when I talk about the quarterback stopping the ball, I’m saying, ‘You have to stop the ball from getting into the end zone. You need to be a part of the team.’ And then I’m also emphasizing all the skill players to pursue. There’s a weight that you have to carry when you have a low 40 time and high GPS. No pressure, no diamonds.”
(I watched your episode of The Pivot podcast, and you alluded to pretty much learning on the job under Kyle Shanahan and making sure you took advantage of that time with him. But I’m curious as you’ve had now a full year and two games calling plays, what have you learned from that time as a play caller, as a first-time play caller opposed to what maybe you’ve had expectations of that role when you came on the job?) – “There’s the element of unknown. You’re putting yourself in situations like what’s the difference between a practice rep and a game rep? Well, it should be the same, but it’s completely different. It’s just human nature. So I think I was prepared for the decisions that would occur. I was prepared for the types of binds that you’d be put in live speed. But you also learn a lot of – it’s not like when I was training myself while Kyle called plays and I worked with him and suggested and plays and all of that stuff, I wasn’t thinking about the 40-second clock. I wasn’t thinking from a team perspective, in relation to the game and what the defense was doing and how aggressive to be. I think it has been night and day difference for me this season in terms of the natural gait with which you call a game. So I think that allows our players the opportunity they deserve to not be rushed at the end of a play clock. And then some of the decisions, I find there’s a lot less emotion going on in the game for me, which is what I tried to train myself to do because you don’t want in hindsight, well why did you make this decision? Well, because I was all geeked up about something. It’s easier for me to have a level head and understand how many decisions I have to make through the course of the game. Being able to just make the best decision doesn’t mean it’s the right decision. The result will kind of dictate that. But there’s nothing like that hands-on experience that I was able to have since I’ve been here.”
(You mentioned level-head. I’m curious, you guys are 2-0 this year. Obviously, things are going great. You had a five-game losing streak last year. How do you make sure you maintain kind of an equilibrium there? How do you decompress to make sure you’re not spreading how you feel onto the team or even when you go home with your family? How do you make sure to stay even-keeled?) – “It’s easier for me because I’m very literal with 2-0. 2-0 means you have two wins. So, what does that mean? That means nothing to me. When you’re proactive, and I talked to the team at length about this in April, what’s going to happen when you win? What’s going to happen when you win a couple in a row? You expect probable positivity. If you’re 2-0, that’s all that means. There’s no level of high. We did our jobs, and we won the game, which is what we’re trying to do each and every game. That’s a checked box, that’s not a high five. I think that’s a very important part of it, to understand the journey, to understand, really, what you are trying to do. No one signed up to have a stellar road two-game win streak. ‘All right, we’re good guys. Let me go get the lawn chair. And get my oils and let’s go chill.’ (laughter) You’re also just very, very real with the fact that we’re 2-0 but we have a nine-point point differential. How different are you than the Denver Broncos, who are 0-2 with a three-point point differential. For anyone to have a visceral opinion of themselves after two games is short-sighted. It’s easy for me because I think this way, but it’s also my job to make sure that the team is seeing it that same way. I’m confident through Thursday’s practice that our team understands that it’s about us developing and continuing to get better and hopefully winning games in the process to position ourselves where we can best make a push at the end of the season.”
(With T Terron Armstead on track to play Sunday and T Kendall Lamm having played so well, I know you and Offensive Line Coach Butch Barry and Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith talk about everything. Have you talked about looking at Kendall at right tackle? Or is the thinking that OL Austin Jackson is playing well, we want to see it through with this young player, Austin Jackson, at this position?) – “I think specifically with the offensive line group, that is something that, you’re right, we’ve had to talk about a lot. One of the things that we knew going into the season is you can’t just have a stagnant thought process with regard to that group. You have a valuable asset in the fact that you have depth, and you don’t just all of a sudden close your eyes and say, ‘okay, this is bestowed to you.’ I think that depth makes just an even extra incentive for every player across the board to make sure that they’re putting their best foot forward because the Miami Dolphins need the best player that’s available, not the guy that just played before. Even while he has been starting, we’ve made sure to get work on the right side because you don’t know about injuries. Then you also don’t crown anyone long term when you have depth like that. You make sure that the best players play and you give people opportunities to dictate that. But that will always, like the whole season, we’ll really make sure that we’re going in with the best crew and that each player is the best person at their position. Right now, Austin Jackson is playing awesome and it’s on Austin Jackson to continue his progress, which I’m very confident he will. If he doesn’t, or if somebody gets hurt, you’re not tied to anything when you have a group of people working together in one direction. I think that’s the way they want it as well. Ironically, nobody wants gifts. People want their jobs earned, especially on this team. They want to play next to the best player that’s there. I think we’re in a good spot and even if lineups don’t change, that doesn’t mean we haven’t thought through that.”
(A question about athletes using doubt as motivation. RB Raheem Mostert said yesterday, he remembers everybody who has cut him. I wonder is it healthy, to you, for athletes to use that as motivation? And how much do you use that when you’re talking to the team, that nobody thinks you can win the AFC East or blah, blah blah?) – “I think it can be healthy if utilized correctly. Keeping reminders, not forgetting slights or when people have shortchanged you, I think it’s healthy to use that as motivation, for sure. If you’re using it for motivation, that’s great. If it’s the only reason you’re doing something, then you’re probably going to make some poor decisions in that process. So as long as people use adversity for whatever their goals are – I know for me personally, I’m not sure if I run them through my brain all the time but I’m hyper-aware of the innumerable times that people told me I couldn’t do something. I think it’s healthy – it’s okay to be aware and to take that for what it is and use it to your benefit moving forward. But as long as it’s for your benefit and not overly projected in one direction, because that can turn a little negative if you just start obsessing about this person did this to me, then your whole conversation is about what they’re doing and has nothing to do with what you’re going to do about it.”
(I heard about some dance lessons or ballroom dancing that you did back in the younger days.) – “I’ve never done ballroom dancing. I mean, I have been known to have some ownership of the dance floor. (laughter) If you turn some music on, have the ambiance right, maybe there can be some lessons had. But I don’t think I would be the one learning them. Boom. (laughter)”
(Can you do the “Waddle?”) – “There are just layers to me. Some layers I try to keep a little secret, but I’m not sure if that’s what you’re alluding to. But interesting caveat, yes, all the music that I listen to that’s generally hip hop. I might surprise a person here or there with my ability to rhythmically follow along with the baselines.”
Raheem Mostert – September 21, 2023
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Thursday, September 21, 2023
RB Raheem Mostert
(On playing the running back position at age 31) – “I’m truly blessed about it just because I didn’t get that tread on me early on. So it actually saved me and I feel like it just helped prolong my career a little bit longer and I’m truly happy about that.”
(You weren’t happy back then though, were you?) – “At that point though, I was just an undrafted guy just trying to make a roster and pretty much a special teams guy, so I did get my opportunity. And one thing that I did learn when I was young was when you do get that opportunity, don’t look back. That’s something that Darren Sproles taught me when I was a rookie for the Eagles. He was like, ‘Hey look, a lot of people are going to say a lot of different things about you that you can’t play, you’re too small, you don’t have a big enough heart, you don’t have a lion’s instinct; but you’ve got to be true to yourself.’ And that was the case for me even when I was on several different teams my first two years.”
(Talking about making the most of the opportunity when it comes, how much pride do you take in your average yards per carry? You’re one of the NFL leaders in that.) – “I don’t necessarily look at it like that. I just go out there and play. The pride that I get is from winning, from my teammates being happy that I had a good game. The yards per carry, they’ll take care of itself. I know that I am up there in the league in NFL history, but I try not to look at those things. I just try to solely focus on the game itself.”
(When the 49ers first started giving you a chance to run the ball a lot in the 2018 range, initially were you fueled by the chip on your shoulder of four or five teams not knowing how good a runner you were and does that still fuel you now or is that old news?) – “That still fuels me to this day. I still have that list of the teams that cut me, that didn’t give me an opportunity, including the Dolphins at the time; but all is forgiven. (laughter) But you just have to look at it as a positive. I did get my opportunity when I was with the Niners and like I said, I can’t look back. I try to just pride myself just on maintaining, making sure that I’m doing all the little things, not listening to the outside world because if you let the outside world get ahead of you or get you distracted, then you’re not really focused on your own personal goals. So I know my goals. I know where I want to get in life. I know where I want to get with my football career and it’s still attainable in my eyes.”
(Is that list written down? Is it in a bookshelf? On a wall?) – “It’s right up here. I think of it every day and that’s to be a gold jacket candidate. I know that it looks like a longshot, but that still doesn’t stop me from my mentality.”
(Are you ready for a pop quiz? I was going to ask you, name the teams in order that have cut you.) – “Yeah, I can do that. Philly, Dolphins, Baltimore, Cleveland, following year Cleveland, Jets, Chicago, Niners and now I’m here.”
(So Cleveland got two shots at you?) – “Well, Cleveland had me at the end of the year and then I started the roster with them, made the 53-man roster. Actually, that was the same day my wife had her bridal shower, as I got cut. So if you can only imagine that phone call that I had with her dad, because he was the one that was hosting, helping her event. I’ll never forget, I was sitting at the couch in our apartment and gave him that call. I said ‘hey man look, I don’t know how to tell you this, I don’t even want to tell the ladies, but I just got cut by the Browns.’ The first thing he said was don’t worry about it, we’re going to talk about this when the girls get done with the bridal shower because that would have just ruined their day. But yeah, we had that conversation and that’s actually the pivotal moment in my career, when I asked my wife on our couch, ‘what should I do?’ Because I had just got cut by several different teams prior too. She asked me, ‘how much do I truly love football?’ I told her, ‘I mean, I’ve played this sport since I was seven.’ She was like, ‘well, I don’t see what’s stopping you now.’ That was a pivotal moment for me.”
(What would you do if you didn’t do that?) – “Who knows? I mean, only time will tell on that case. But I’m thankful that we did have that conversation.”
(Over the last five years, what head coach, running backs coach or general manager who was involved in cutting you has come up to you and said something like ‘we made a mistake?’) – “I’m not going to name any specifics because that’s just not what I do.”
(It’s petty?) – “Yeah, that’s little petty. (laughter) But I’ve had several people in personnel departments and other teams come up to me if I was playing them that week, truly apologize. They really felt like they made a mistake. All is forgiven, truthfully. But you still have to have that dog mentality. Like, hey, you thought I wasn’t good enough? Well, I’ve got to run for 200 on you today. That’s just something that you have to do. But like I said, all is forgiven. I’m not really holding no grudges or anything like that. But you still have to keep that in the back of your mind that that was that possibility.”
(Was there ever a time when you thought, well, maybe I’m done with the NFL? Maybe it’s not for me anymore?) – “When I had that question with my wife, at the time, she told me how much do you truly love the sport? I told her I’ve been playing ever since I was seven. She basically gave me like, well you need to keep playing. At that moment, any thought of me quitting or giving up just null and void it. It was just more so, hey I need to go out here and I need to do what I need to do. If I want to be great, I have to go out there and chase my dreams.”
(How good did it feel to get to 100 yards and win the game the other night with a long touchdown?) – “It felt great. Especially the fact that it was a team win, we’re 2-0 and we’re looking forward to Denver now. We’re trying to get to 3-0.”
(21.62 miles per hour.) – “Yeah, I could have went faster. Tyreek (Hill) would have been upset. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. (laughter)”
(Did you get touched on that?) – No, I didn’t get touched either. I tell them all the time, it’s easy to be the receiver and running 20-something miles an hour. Anybody can do that in their sleep if they’re fast. Especially on a go-ball. But come down in them trenches where you have to make cuts and then hit it. It’s a little bit different. (laughter)”
(WR Tyreek Hill probably see things a little differently.) – “Yeah, no, he definitely does. (laughter)”
Tyreek Hill – September 21, 2023
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Thursday, September 21, 2023
WR Tyreek Hill
(I saw in an interview where you were complimenting the offensive line, talking about how they have a good approach this year. What are you noticing on that?) – “It’s just a confidence, man. I feel like going into year two, everybody’s together, everybody’s playing under one accord and it’s a beautiful sight to see man. I know for Tua (Tagovailoa), whenever he drops back, he has no defenders in his face. He’s able to get the ball out quick and efficient to the speedsters. As a receiver, I love that. I love when I’m able to like run a route two yards deeper and get open and Tua is still able to get the ball out, so shout out to the offensive line. Without those guys, there would be no ‘Cheetah;’ there would be no ‘Penguin.’ We’d just be like another receiver in this league. So offensive line, they’re doing a great job.”
(If WR Jaylen Waddle can’t play, how does that affect the passing game?) – “Well, obviously we’d love Jaylen to play. I love him like a brother, man. But obviously, health is everything. In the NFL, the mindset is next man up. That’s how we’re going to approach it going into the game. So if we got Jaylen, that’d be perfect. We want Jaylen out there because obviously he makes our offense more explosive, more dangerous. But the mentality is always next man up.”
(How does WR Jaylen Waddle make your job easier?) – “Oh, guys can’t double then. Teams aren’t able to just put me as the key focal point. You have two guys on the same team who can do literally the same thing. It’s more dangerous when we’re both on the field.“
(How much of this is an opportunity for guys like WR Braxton Berrios and WR River Cracraft to show what they can do?) – “Oh, it’s huge. I feel like all of the moments that we had in training camp, OTAs – this is what it’s for. I know when those guys had opportunities to go against ‘X’ (Xavien Howard), Jalen (Ramsey) and stuff like that, I feel like those guys are ready and prepared. A lot of people are going to be shocked to see Braxton and River show out on Sunday if Jaylen doesn’t play.”
(I wanted to ask you about WR Erik Ezukanma, as well. What about his skills make you think he could become a really good NFL receiver?) – “I mean, just look at him. He’s 6-2, he’s 210 (pounds). He’s built almost like ‘T.O.’ (Terrell Owens) a little bit. He’s very freakish, very athletic. He loves the game of football. I think having myself in the room with him, helping him develop into that next level receiver – even though we got two different playing styles – I still stay on him about working hard and stuff like that. I’m teaching him the small nuances that I know in the offense.”
(Who taught you football when you were young?) – “My dad. I got to give all the credit to my granddad man. Herman Hill, I have to give all the credit to him. Throughout my whole entire life, I played football and I feel like he always told me having a strong IQ goes a long way. You can be as talented as you want to be, but knowing about football, understanding positions and understanding where to be at on the field will help you make it in the league or wherever you want to go. So I got to give a shout out to my dad. He’s done a fantastic job.”
(You’ve gone from one of the best offenses in the league, if not the best with you and QB Patrick Mahomes, to one that’s running on all cylinders and is really good. Have any of your formal Chiefs’ teammates or friends text you either this season or last?) – “I can’t even tell you that. (laughter)”
(About QB Tua Tagovailoa and how the offense runs? Because it runs smoothly and quickly here. Do your friends in the league and former Chiefs text you about that?) – “I don’t know. I don’t want to get into that. Shoutout to my boy Pat (Mahomes) though. He just had a birthday. Obviously we still communicate and guys are fascinated by our offense, the way that coach got me motioning around. They are like, ‘bro, where does that come from?’ I’m like, ‘you know what, I have no idea.’ Obviously guys around the league are fascinated about what we are doing down here in Miami. It’s a copycat league, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t see it here soon across the league.”
(How important is it to you to have the No. 1 offense in the NFL?) – “It is. I feel like being the highest paid receiver in this league, I really take pride in that. Everything I do, I want to be the best at everything that I do – not only in individual stats, but also as a team. If I’m able to bring the same mindset each and every day at practice, I feel like it’s going to translate over in the game. That’s what’s been happening. Our pre-snap penalties are down, guys are moving fast out of the huddle in practice and it’s translating over to games. Guys are knowing where to line up and stuff like that. It’s all translating over to the game. I feel like having the best offense, I feel like who wouldn’t want to be a part of that as a competitor?”
(In this age of analytics and tracking everything to hydration. Do they track how much you run on game day, like how far you run in a game with all of the motions?) – “Oh yeah, they do. That’s why sometimes on Wednesday’s, I be having a day off or whatever. I don’t really be injured. I don’t get hurt. The ‘Cheetah’ don’t get hurt.”
(What’s the furthest you’ve run?) – “As far as distance, they don’t tell me. They just be like you had a long day, so we’re going to ease it off of you a little bit.”
