Tua Tagovailoa – December 29, 2021
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Wednesday, December 29, 2021
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(As you guys are at 8-7 and kind of find yourself in the position where you just need to win these final two games to make the playoffs, I guess what can you kind of draw back from your time at Alabama playing these kind of high stakes playoff-type games whether it was in SEC Championship games or college playoff games?) – “All those games are electric. They’re fun. I would say it’s just a different stage where all these games mean a lot getting towards the ending of the season. I would say all of these games are big-time games and we’ve got to do all that we can to prepare the right way so that we can hopefully go ahead and get a win this week.”
(You guys did something that no NFL team has done in history. You had a seven-game losing streak and a seven-game winning streak in the same season and I’m just curious as one of the leaders on the team, how is it that you think the guys in the locker room were able to keep belief when you were 1-7 to put you in this position now where you’re 8-7 with an opportunity to go to the playoffs?) – “I think the belief has always been in the locker room. It’s really just the execution from all of us – being able to play together. There would be times where the defense plays really well and we’ve got to pick it up on offense – we don’t play as well as we should and vice versa. Or maybe something happens where penalties take a toll on the game for us as a team. So we just weren’t playing complementary football – like we’ve been saying – the way that we’re kind of doing now. That’s that.”
(I always enjoy asking about the opposing team’s safeties and kind of how they make your job more difficult. Tennessee has an All-Pro in Titans S Kevin Byard. What have you seen from him and how he kind of makes that defense clicks as far as disguising coverages and everything they do?) – “Like you said, he’s a Pro Bowler so he’s really good at what he does. In the back end, he’s their communicator. He gets guys aligned in the back end. He communicates out where everyone needs to be, who’s pressuring, who needs to replace him, all of that. So he’s the captain for them in the back end and I think he’s done a really good job so we’ve definitely got to be aware of where he’s at and who he’s covering at all times and look pretty much elsewhere for our matchups.”
(Titans QB Ryan Tannehill will be on the other side. For Dolphins fans that brings a lot of extra meaning to this game as if it needs anything extra. For you, do you just forget about the opposing QB and focus on who you’re going against, which is the actual Titans defense?) – “Yeah. I mean Ryan (Tannehill) is not playing corner or he’s not going to be pressuring me, so I’m not going to be watching film on Ryan. But I have a lot of respect for the things that he’s done throughout his career, his football career being here and also what he’s doing there at Tennessee. But yeah, we’re focused on what their defense can do to stop us. Not looking at Ryan playing defense.”
(I’m wondering whether any of your coaches, whether it be Head Coach Brian Flores, Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey, Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville, Quarterbacks Coach Charlie Frye, have had discussions with you since the game on Monday night about making sure you get in your head to slide when you’re scrambling as opposed to going up against a guy like CB P.J. Williams for example on Monday night?) – “I mean, yeah, literally everyone. It’s not just the coaches. Everyone. (The senior director of football communications) comes up to me and asks me why I’m not sliding. (laughter) It’s weird. I don’t know if (she) has ever played football and she’s telling me to slide. It is what it is. Just being out there, it’s different. For me, in that scenario, I wanted to get a first down so PJ Williams fell off the guy that he was covering and that’s what happened. At the end of the day, it’s football.”
(They’ve got a really good player up front with DT Jeffery Simmons on the other side. I’m curious as a quarterback, what does interior pressure do you for you versus maybe traditional edge pressure as far as how you are in the pocket and trying to do what you guys want to do offensively?) – “Interior pressure wreaks havoc really on the game both in the run and the passing game. In the run game because the holes aren’t going to be there, the runner’s got to bounce it out forcing their edge players – which really, their contain players are more than likely going to be out there. And for the pass game, stepping up, it’s hard to step up into the pocket with interior pressure. But I’m pretty good friends with Jeffery. We played against each other while he was at Mississippi State and I was at Alabama. Great player, good person, but we do understand that it’s going to be a tough task for us offensively to know where he’s at at all times and get him blocked.”
(You mentioned you’re good friends with him. Do you tell him to take it easy on you this week?) – “Yeah, no matter what you tell your friends, it’s competition.”
(I wanted to ask you about WR Mack Hollins’ impact on the offense. You guys talk about guys making the most of their opportunities and Mack has had limited opportunities, but it seems like he’s made an awful lot of big plays. I wonder if you could describe that impact he has for you guys?) – “Mack (Hollins) has made a great impact for us. As you can see, every time he’s downed the ball on the 1-yard line, that Gritty is amazing. So those are some big plays. I don’t know if those are the big plays you’re talking about, but he’s done a great job with the Gritty. I thought that was amazing. But yeah no, Mack has done a great job for us with a lot of the deep balls that he’s been given. He takes advantage of his opportunities when he gets in, so I think he’s done a great job with that.”
