Tua Tagovailoa – November 24, 2021
Download PDF version
Wednesday, November 24, 2021
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(Your deep throws obviously at Alabama were outstanding, but your metrics in terms of balls that travel 20+ air yards have improved a lot from Year 1 to Year 2. They’re among the best in the league now. Do you attribute that partially to the hip being better and more power in the base? Are there other reasons? What might you cite?) – “I would say it starts in practice. A lot of the looks that we get in practice kind of entail us to take shots. But in the game, if it doesn’t present itself, we never want to force it. So when it does present itself, we try to take advantage of that.”
(Are you feeling more strength just in your base this year on deep throws? Obviously you’re future removed from the hip injury.) – “I wouldn’t say it doesn’t not help. I would say it helps. Then again, it’s always about the opportunity presenting itself.”
(Have you found it difficult at all to manufacture power when going through the rib fracture and your finger fracture as well?) – “I would say just being in the game, those aren’t things that you kind of think about. You’re just playing. And also in practice. So to me, no. I would say no.”
(You’re like I’ll deal with the pain later?) – “Yeah. Nothing really hurts if you win.”
(Hitting that deep ball at the end of the game, did it feel like a monkey off your back, to be able to hit one in the game that both the opportunity presents itself and then you connected?) – “Yeah, it felt really good. We haven’t had much of those. Last year when I played and then this year too, we haven’t had much of those aside from the throw to Albert (Wilson) earlier the game before, the Baltimore game. Those feel really good, especially when it ends in a touchdown too.”
(The last couple of weeks, the play-calling there’s been some Wildcat and there’s been some flea-flicker stuff. Do you guys get excited for that or is it just ‘Don’t mess this up, the execution, whether it’s the pitch or whatever,’ that you can’t really get geared up for it?) – “I would say it’s definitely the second part of what you said. We want to execute the handoff, the toss, whatever the trick play has. We really want to execute that. Then once everything is kind of set up already – when I get the ball to throw it or someone else gets the ball to throw it – then it’s just about making the throw or the guy being in the right spot.”
(Has any DB ever said anything to you when you are lined up wide in the Wildcat?) – “No. I don’t think these guys want to talk to me. (laughter) I just go out there and just ask for the ball and try to get them to come up. Some come up and some don’t even mind me.”
(One of the statistical things that I’ve noticed is that your performance in the fourth quarter has been good. Can you think of any reasons why things might be going well for you late in games?) – “I would say the things that kind of haunt me is after our first series, it’s the second, third, fourth series when we kind of get stopped and are just shooting ourselves in the foot with me turning the ball over on the second series. Things like that. I kind of think of those things more than the fourth quarters and how we’re trying to finish. Obviously we’d like to start fast and finish strong but it’s really the meat of everything. Then also situationally, our two-minute, just all of those things. I think offensively, I need to help our guys do a better job this upcoming game with the second quarter, the third quarter, playing at a high level still and getting us to the fourth quarter to finish strong.”
(Do you have any personal experiences with Carolina DT Derrick Brown when he was at Auburn and you were at Alabama?) – “A really good player. He was always in the backfield when we played against them. He’s a nice person too, just not on the field.”
(Back to those instances when you line up out wide, if the ball one day comes your way, are you catching it or are you looking like QB Tom Brady in the Super Bowl?) – “(laughter) It really depends. If I see somebody and the ball is coming, I’m going to have to bat the ball down. I’m not catching that ball. (laughter) I know how the receivers feel now. I don’t know about that. (laughter)”
(What stands out to you about the Panthers defense?) – “Fast. Fast, athletic. They’re very good as far as their communication up front and then the back end, I do understand that they – I think they’re the No. 1 pass defense, which forces us to – it gives us a challenge, I would say. I would say philosophy-wise with this defense, they don’t give up big plays much. It’s more of a eight-play or 12-play drive. They really make you work for points. You don’t ever see them blow coverages. You rarely ever see a three-play or four-play drive and a team scores on this team. They do present a big challenge for us.”
(Do you spend any or some time on social media to know that there is a very, very staunch group of fans that are very defensive of you and back you 100 percent? Like a minute ago when someone said your performance in the fourth quarter is good, they might be thinking, ‘What do you mean good? It’s better than good.’ Are you aware of how much they’re behind you?) – “Sorry if this offends those guys, but no I don’t.”
(WR Jaylen Waddle told us that he has an invite to your place for Thanksgiving?) – “Yeah, but I did hear that he is going to everyone else’s house after? Yeah, so I’m pulling the invite. (laughter)”
(How many teammates are invited?) – “Well, I mean all of them are invited. It’s just whoever shows up.”
(You’re a family guy. You’re so used to being with your family. I’m sure Thanksgiving is amazing for you. What’s it going to be like for you and your teammates, your second family?) – “It’s going to be good. You got it right, I’m a family guy so my family is coming too. They’ll be here and I’ll be able to spend some time with my dogs, with my sisters and with my parents. The only person that won’t be there is just my brother.”
