Tua Tagovailoa – December 15, 2021
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Wednesday, December 15, 2021
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(You obviously played these guys four weeks ago and have that tape to go off of to prepare for this week. How much does having that recent familiarity with this Jets team help your preparation this week?) – “It helps but I think what we try to do week in and week out is try to prepare as if we don’t know the team. We’re going into this game as if we don’t know this team. Obviously there’s some familiarity but you have to prepare like this is a new team.”
(Obviously your top three running backs are currently sidelined due to COVID-19 protocol. Was having RB Duke Johnson, RB Gerrid Doaks and RB Dexter Williams coming in there, some guys who haven’t had as many practice reps, what are some things that you’re working on to try to make sure that you’re on the same page ahead of Sunday?) – “I would say the same things that we’ve been working on with Myles (Gaskin), Salvon (Ahmed) and also (Phillip) Lindsay. The same things with handoffs, run game, getting them some route opportunities, whether they’re in an empty formation or if they’re running a route from the backfield. Same old thing.”
(So the timing in the passing game and stuff like that is maybe even a little more difficult than just the normal RPOs and hand-off stuff?) – “I don’t think so. I would say it’s the same thing. The only thing with it is just understanding how they run their routes and basing it off how they do certain things.”
(How did you spend the bye week?) – “I got to golf. I got to go to some games. I tried to do as much as I could. I was itching. I couldn’t stay at home.”
(You participated last night in the holiday toy event. How important is it to you to get that community event in? It’s an important week because you’re playing the Jets here on Sunday but how important is it for you to get into the community and talk to kids and see what they think of you?) – “I think that’s something that’s very important to me. Giving back has always been something that’s been a part of my life and something that I’ve seen growing up from my parents. I would say it’s not more so the children being able to see me there or being able to hear me, but just the gift of giving back and seeing how it changes those families lives. Now I didn’t purchase the gifts and I wasn’t the person who bought the gifts for the kids and whatnot, so all credit goes to whoever did that. I was just very grateful to be there to support that organization in something like that. It was cool.”
(I have a quick two-part question. Against the Jets at Hard Rock Stadium is where you made your NFL debut last year. What do you remember most from that game and how much have things changed for you since that day?) – “From the first time I stepped on the field, it was exciting. I was a little nervous going out there for the first time. That was the loudest I’ve ever heard people cheer for a 1-yard pass ever in my life. (laughter) The loudest. To number two, I would say just going through the years, obviously this is my second year. Being able to experience game-time situations, game-time play, playing against different defenses, playing against different coaches, you learn a lot. I’m continuing to grow in that.”
(What would you say your chemistry is with RB Duke Johnson and RB Gerrid Doaks?) – “I would say it’s a continuation of us still trying to find our tune. I only played with Duke one game and it was against the Jets the first time we played them. I’ve never had the opportunity to play with ‘GD’ (Gerrid Doaks), so this will be my first time. It’s just like anything else. You just have to get reps in with them, with mesh points in the run game and then also route distribution for them in the pass game.”
(Yesterday I talked to Quarterbacks Coach Charlie Frye and he said the back foot is a mentality for the quarterback. I was curious what you think of that mantra and kind of how you think you’re progressing in regards to that confidence in the pocket and with that back foot.) – “It’s really based on the confidence part of that. The back foot plant and you’re getting ready to throw it knowing there’s someone in your face and you’re really getting ready to take a hit while throwing the ball. So just being able to stand in the pocket, stand firm and make the throws that you need to make for the team.”
(We don’t know how Sunday is going to play out but we know that the running back corps is going through what it’s going through, which could put more on your arm and the passing game to pull the offense through. In situations like that, do you welcome that? Is it pressure or is it opportunity? Players see it different ways.) – “I don’t see it any other way than the way we’ve been playing these past few weeks. If the defense allows us to throw the ball, then that’s what we’re going to do. If they allow us to run the ball, then that’s what we should be doing. We’re not going to change our gameplan unless it’s not something we game-plan for according to what the defense gives us.”
(Did guys come in after the bye week like juiced up, ready to go these last four games? Like let’s make something happen?) – “Yeah. Guys look like they’re fresh. Guys are running around. It looks like a lot of the guys were itchy too. A lot of the guys were happy to be back in. There’s a standard here that a lot of these guys are holding each other accountable to. I think that’s pretty cool to see after a bye week, especially.”
(How does RB Malcolm Brown look to you? A guy coming off an injury.) – “Yeah, Malcolm looks good. Obviously he’s still working his way into the lineup with us but he looks good at practice.”
(What do you think about defensive-minded coaches getting an opportunity in the NFL, like Head Coach Brian Flores and N.Y. Jets Head Coach Robert Saleh? What do you think about that?) – “I think you look at those teams and they’re defensive-minded coaches, so they’re going to spend a lot more of their time with the defensive side of the ball, game-planning how to stop our offense and whatnot. We’re going to have to go into the game and we’re going to have to execute, take whatever they give us and march down the field and put some points on the board.”
