Tua Tagovailoa – September 27, 2023
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Wednesday, September 27, 2023
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(There’s a lot of talk about this offense. Obviously, you put up 70 points and all the feats you guys achieved. There’s a lot of comparisons to historical offenses. I was curious in your experience playing football, what are the one or two things that makes this this iteration of this offense so unique? Is it the speed? Is it the personnel? Is it scheme? What do you see that really distinguishes this group?) – “I think what distinguishes the group that we have is all of what you said – the speed, the timing in which we play, the pre-snap motions, the scheme that (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) sets up for us, how we play, we go out, we play fast. And then the communication things that we wanted to work on this offseason. It’s an accumulation of a lot of things. But I think all of those things have to play a role in this offense. If not, the offense doesn’t go.”
(How much is the balance now that you guys can be effective and efficient running the ball, how much does that benefit the offense and benefit you?) – “It benefits all of us. It doesn’t just benefit one specific person. It benefits us in the run game when we can pass and it does so vice versa when we can run the ball to pass it. Defenses are getting the same looks (with) different things happening. Sometimes towards the edges, the view for the ‘backers, the second level guys. Guys are looking at me, guys are having to focus on these fast guys that we have. It benefits all of us.”
(The last time the team made a trip to Buffalo, you didn’t get to play in that game, that playoff game. How much did that bite at you then and how much do you still think about it now?) – “Yeah, it’s tough. It’s tough not being able to go out there and help our guys and help the team win. But last year is last year. We’re focused on this year, finding ways that we can win against this team. It’s a good team.”
(I know you said you’re focused on this game, but did you watch the playoff game? What was that kind of like?) – “Yeah, I couldn’t help but watch it and be a fan. I knew the game plan that we went into the game with. I had the pages of things that they’ve worked on. And so I was able to be a fan, but also kind of get a gist of the plays that they were going to run as well. But it’s always tough for any competitor to have to sit and watch their team go out there and play.”
(You mentioned pre-snap motions a minute ago. And obviously leading into the training camp and the regular season, pre-snap penalties were a big topic of discussion and you guys have done really well in that regard. So how have you been able to mix in all of the pre-snap motion and still stay away from pre snap penalties?) – “Like I said, that’s something that we’ve been working on this entire offseason, starting in OTAs. We’ve had our goals of what we wanted to achieve this offseason as an offense and how we wanted to operate, and that was one of the biggest ones. So it’s no surprise to me. It’s no surprise to our guys on the offensive side of the ball. And we’re continuing to work. It’s not something that’s perfect. That’s why you have practice and you got to continue to rep it.”
(You get the ball out very fast. We know this. I’m sure some of its schematic, but for you, has being able to process a play and get the ball out always been easy? Is that kind of a learned skill?) – “I would say in this league, nothing’s easy. I would say some of that has been instincts that have been elevated as I got to the league, but it’s not something that I would say has been easy. It’s just something that you got to continue to rep and do especially with the guys that we have. If you’re out of sync and you’re not on time with those guys, you miss your opportunity right there.”
(You guys started off 3-0 last year hot as well. What, if anything, feels different this go around?) – “Well, to think back to 3-0 last year and think of 3-0 this year, I couldn’t tell you the feeling that I felt like last year. I don’t think anyone around the league cares who’s 3-0 or who’s 4-0, who’s 0-3. I mean, there’s a lot of football left to be played and that’s how we’re looking at this as a team. We have a tremendous amount of respect for the Bills and their coaching staff, things that they can do in all three phases of the game. But we’re excited for that challenge. We’re excited to go back up there and play those guys.”
(How important was it for you last year to get over the hump? I mean, the Bills had won a bunch of games in a row against the Dolphins. To get over that hump and show in all three games that you guys are right there with them.) – “Yeah, well, you got to be consistent. And that’s the thing, we try to be consistent in the things that we do. I would say getting over the hump for any of us in the locker room, it’s not even close to the standard. You get over the hump, and that’s it. You can’t beat them anymore. That’s not what we are here (for) or that’s not what we all came here to do. We try to be consistent with that. And like I said, in regards to their team, they got a really good team. And we’re really excited to play against them.”
(Whether it’s personally or as a team, do you remember the last time you had this much fun playing football?) – “It was probably in college, probably in college. It’s hard in this league to do good things because guys on the other side are really good as well. They study and they’re really good. But it’s been a lot of fun, that’s for sure this year.”
(What is it about this group of guys that makes it that way?) – “I think the work ethic for everyone. The work ethic from OTAs, the offseason, training camp, guys put a lot of work into it. And I would say everyone’s reaping the benefit of it right now.”
(From afar, it seems like you have a pretty good relationship with QB Josh Allen. Can you kind of elaborate on that at all?) – “Yeah, I’ve talked to Josh a couple of times. I mean, he’s a great guy. Josh is huge. Josh is big. But yeah, he has a strong arm. He solidified himself in the league pretty early on in his career. I got a lot of respect for the way he plays the game and how he operates with those guys on that side of the ball. But yeah, I got a lot of respect for Josh.”
(This is S Micah Hyde and S Jordan Poyer’s seventh year playing together in the back end of that defense. How do you think that experience together helps them disguise coverage and makes things tough on you guys?) – “Yeah, it helps them all. The communication that they have in the back end. There’s some things on the fly that they don’t need to communicate that they’ve been playing that position and they’ve been playing this defense for so long that they understand the defense inside and out. And I think what helps them a lot is Taron Johnson. Me personally, I think he helps that defense go as well with them being able to stay in nickel defense to any personnel. I mean he’s a player. And he helps that defense go too. But they show you what they’re going to run. They line up in their deal and they’re basically telling you like, ‘Let’s play football here.’ And you know what they’re going to do. Sometimes you don’t know what they’re going to do. But for the most part, they just play sound defense.”
(We talked a little bit earlier about the motion. That inside out short motion that WR Tyreek Hill does where he’s going at the snap, where he’s already moving, can you maybe take me through the timing element and how do you practice that? Because it seems like you have to be perfect when he’s going forward so that they don’t call a flag on that.) – “Yeah, there’s a lot of motions that we have. There’s a lot of things that go into our motion timing. There’s some motion snap points that we say snap here for certain plays, and then some we say snap here for other plays. There’s just a lot. I couldn’t say that we have a set snap point for basically all of them. Some of them are different and could be called the same, just dependent on the play.”
(It seems like there are different ways you can approach a game like Sunday. You could say it’s one out of 17. Or you could say, ‘Hey, that’s a team that’s won the division three years in a row. A team we have to get through to get to where we want to go.’ What’s your approach to this?) – “Oh, we got to beat these guys. That’s how I see it. I don’t think there’s any other way to look at it. We got to beat these guys. They’re the next team up and that’s how I think all our guys see it. We’re not worried about anyone else right now this week, except for the Bills.”
(How hostile is it playing in Orchard Park when you’re there and how much does that add to the motivation to shut them up?) – “Yeah, it’s very hostile. It’s very hostile. Those guys, you hear a lot of things. When I was able to play there and it was snowing, I mean, guys were throwing some packed snowballs. (laughter) Those things hurt. To me, being able to go on the road in an environment like that, it’s always fun. It’s always fun. When you’re a little kid and you’re able to play against a really good team and you see their fans and how they are, it’s always fun to go over there and be able to come out with a win.”
(We’ve seen the highlight plenty of times this week of your no-look pass to RB De’Von Achane. How much and how far do you practice throwing with your off, right hand?) – “I don’t really practice throwing with my right hand. I never thought of it as throwing with my right hand for a touchdown pass for those two shovels. But it’s what it was, so that was cool. Two left and two right. Has it ever been done in the NFL? (laughter)”
(Can you throw a baseball left-handed too?) – “Yeah, I throw a baseball with my left hand. Shoot a basketball.”
(So everything athletically is left-handed?) – “Except for batting. I kick with my right. I don’t know if I’m a real lefty or a fake lefty, real righty. I don’t know. I write with my right. I mean, I don’t know. You guys tell me.” (laughter)
