Ted Karras – October 19, 2020
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Monday, October 19, 2020
C Ted Karras
(You all have handled COVID really well since the season started. Besides wearing masks, can you please tell me one or two other things that you all are doing as a team or as individuals that are helping?) – “I think everyone just going home or just here to the facility. We reported July 28th and I haven’t been anywhere other than my house or the facility. I think a lot of guys are taking that responsibility pretty seriously, and so far so good in the regular season. Knock on wood, we’ve got to keep doing our routine.”
(I want to ask you the level of confidence from the players after the big win against the 49ers, and the Jets?) – “Anytime you can string two wins together, any wins together in the NFL, it’s going to breed confidence. It definitely feels good going into a bye week here, getting back to even. We’ve got to keep working our hardest, keep coming in every day to improve. I know we are going to have a lot of improvement to do this week, and then some rest, and then we have a big game coming up here in two weeks.”
(Statistically sack wise, you’re in the top half of the league. What has gone so well with your pass protection this year?) – “I think a lot of credit goes to (Offensive Line Coach Steve) Marshall and Coach Gailey (Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey) scheming it up, Ryan (Fitzpatrick) getting us in the right calls and then coming down to individual technique and winning one-on-ones. We’re fortunate we work hard to win our one-on-ones, and we’re doing a good job of it across the board. We’ve got to keep it going.”
(TE Durham Smythe was talking about how eventually the mindset shifts from hoping to win to expect to win. Where are you in that process?) – “I think that we’re close to expecting to win. Every game has been close. Now, we’ve strung a couple of games together, and learning how to do that as a team, and learning what it takes to prepare and putting yourself in the right positon to go out there 60 minutes on a Sunday. We’re getting that. A lot of work still to do after this bye – a 10-game stretch to see what we’re about. It’s really exciting. It’s going to be a fun stretch to finish the season.”
(A lot of people didn’t know much about RB Myles Gaskin going into the season, he’s obviously been pretty productive for you guys. What have you learned about him as a running back from blocking for him?) – “He’s a great player, and it’s a pleasure to block for him. He hits the hole fast and makes the right read all the time, and finds the hole. Our job is to open it up and his job is to find it, and he’s doing a great job. We’re rushing the ball pretty effectively. Obviously you always want more out of rushing production on a Monday; but after a win, it feels pretty good. He’s a great player, a great teammate and I’m excited to see what he does for the rest of the season.”
(I want to piggyback off that comment about RB Myles Gaskin because after the game yesterday, he talked about the way you guys hold him accountable, and there is a relationship on this team to not be afraid to speak up about when a guy can do more. I’m wondering how that relationship develops between a team and between you guys and Myles Gaskin specifically?) – “I think everyone just wants to do everything right, which is a good sign for our team. Sometimes an RB will leave a read out, or sometimes you’ll let your guy come through and maybe it wasn’t your best block. Everyone is striving to do the right thing. We’re trending in the right direction, working really hard. We are holding each other accountable and it’s a lot of fun to play on a team like that with a lot of big playmakers and a lot of talent.”
(I’m wondering how the vision that was laid out for you, what this Dolphins team might look like and what the organization is like, how was that vision that was laid out for you when you were deciding where to go, how close is that to reality right now?) – ‘I think we’re playing tough, smart physical football, stringing wins together. We still have a lot of work to do, a lot of improvement, and we’re working hard every day. That’s the kind of team I want to be on is a team that wants to improve and work hard, and get better individually, which will help the team as a whole. This is a big week for us. It’s going to nice to get some rest, get some guys back and we’re going into a stretch to determine our fate this year.”
(What is it about Offensive Line Coach Steve Marshall that you think has been a good fit with the three rookies in particular? Is he a good teacher, is he a yeller? What about Coach Marshall has helped the three rookies?) – “He has a lot of experience in this league and has a great rapport with all of us. He is a very good teacher, and this is a fun system to play in as an o-lineman, and to learn how to play in the National Football League. I think that he’s doing a great job of not only developing these three rookies, but helping me out, and Jesse Davis and Ereck Flowers and all of us get better at our craft. We have a great room. Coach Marshall and ‘Coach Lem’ (Lemuel Jeanpierre) are doing a great job of putting us in the right positions to be successful.”
(A normal year, how would you spend the bye? Would you go to the Bahamas? And how are you spending the bye this year?) – “Well, there are a lot of options down here. I was looking forward to that; but how am I spending it this year? I’m just going to get COVID tested and I’ve got a lot of chores to do at home. I’m pressure washing the whole exterior, so I’m looking forward to it.”
(Is that a bye weekend or just a weekend without a game?) – “Well, I just put so much stuff off. It’s nice to get caught up at home. That is a bye weekend to me. It’s not a vacation. This year we have to come in and get tested every day, so we might as well get up, get going and get some stuff done to have peace of mind for the second half of the year.”
(You can’t leave without answering one QB Tua Tagovailoa question, so I’ll try to be creative. How did his approach to the game and approach to that play – rolling out to the side there in the end zone as opposed to just handing it off – how does that align with any confidence that you’ve seen this young man gain over the last seven weeks?) – “Well, he went out there two-for-two with a big third-down conversion to seal the game for us. That was pretty fun. Coming in, there was like a minute left, and it’s the highest pressure snaps in the game. With Tua coming in, you want to do a good job protecting him. I think we had a good pocket for him and he stuck it in there for a completion. It was awesome. I’m really happy for him. He’s a great teammate. I’m really looking forward to – as all Dolphins nation is – looking forward to see what he can continue to do in the future. It was a good start though, two for two.”
