Tyreek Hill – December 3, 2023 (Postgame)
Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023
Postgame – Washington Commanders
Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill
On his thoughts on scoring a touchdown on the third play of the game:
Yeah man, it’s all film study, mostly. Some teams typically do the same things throughout that season on third down and it was just one of those looks that it was a favorable matchup. [QB] Tua [Tagovailoa] noticed immediately that there was a backer on [RB De’Von] Achane because if you watch the whole play, they have a backer on Achane, who ran a really good route on the other side. So, he really could have picked, you know, either side for a touchdown. So, he signaled me cause that wasn’t originally my route and we was just on the same page.”
On if QB Tua Tagovailoa audibled him into a different route:
“Yeah, yeah, so he has that freedom to be able to do things like that.”
On how Tagovailoa has taken ownership of the offense throughout the season:
“Yeah, and that’s just us, you know. Preparation on Thursdays, you feel me. So, our coaches they do a good job of reminding us of certain looks and that was one of those situations that ‘Hey, we get this certain look, you know, be ready for this signal’ or you know so we don’t have another situation that we had against KC [Chiefs]. So, yeah, he did a great job of it, signal and I was able to lock eyes with him and say ‘Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.’”
On if it surprises him to see no safety help over the top at this point in his career:
“Not for real, man, because those guys are great at what they do and they also get paid, man, but at some point, it’s like man. I don’t know, man, I just appreciate it, you know. Thanks for, you know, not respecting me I guess, so yeah.”
On if it surprises him that a rookie was guarding him on the first touchdown:
“Nah, like I say man. Most teams, they do what they typically do throughout the whole season and we knew that they favor the safety playing over their backers. Like I said, there was [RB De’Von] Achane on the outside and the safety was favoring that side, so it was just one of those looks, you know.”
On if he thought today’s game could be a big day for him:
“Not really, man. I came into the stadium worried about how I feel man cause I didn’t practice throughout this whole week, so it was like one of those that I was worried about just how I was going to be able to perform because every team is good in the NFL. I’m not saying that it’s easy, like our job is hard. It may look easy. Those guys, they do a great job on the other side of the ball.”
On if he locked eyes with Tagovailoa on the second TD:
“The second touchdown, it was like surprising, man. It was like a Cover 3. I believe it was Cover 3 and the way that I ran my route, I thought I ran a perfect route and I was looking this way and I had to adjust back this way and it was just one of those things that, you know, Tua, he does a great job of throwing the ball exactly where it needs to be and, I thought he was wrong, went back and watched the film. He threw it exactly where I was supposed to be because I was bending it in and I wasn’t supposed to bend it in, so it was just one of those things just put it up, man, he down there somewhere.”
On if he watched the film for his second TD with Tagovailoa:
“No, so we watched it right after it happened because we got iPads on the sideline. And I was like ‘Bro like you can’t throw me like that bruh like’ and he was like ‘Bro, I threw it exactly where like we teach it’. I was like ‘No way’. He pointed out on film and I was like ‘Yeah, you’re right. My bad, so’”.
On where he is in terms of mindset towards the end of the season and with 9-3 record:
“So, I’m about, man, taking it one week at a time, man you know. We know that each and every week is an opportunity for us and that’s how we gonna take it, you know, one step at a time. Continue to do what we’ve been doing all season, you know. Practicing hard, playing for one another and being deliberate. That’s something that we say across this whole organization a lot, so it’s what we gonna do. 9-3 is a beautiful thing and the way that this league, if you somehow get complacent, if you somehow start feeling yourself, it’ll catch up with you fast. So, we got a great group of leaders on this team on both sides of the ball that have been in situations like this throughout their career, so I think we’ll be alright.”
On relation between rollercoaster TD celebration and the football season:
“It was sweet, right? I think it explains, man, how football is. There are ups and there’s down, man. Credit goes to [WR] Jaylen [Waddle] on the touchdown celebration. It was sweet though with the whole hand in the air and the seatbelt. That was nice.”
On where the idea for the celebration came from:
“No idea, man. We always come up with ideas on Friday and that was one of the ideas from [WR Jaylen] Waddle, [WR River] Cracraft And [RG] Rob Hunt, so those guys added a lot of things and I was like ‘Okay, whoever scores we’re doing it’, so it didn’t matter who scored, we were gonna do it regardless.”
On if he thinks this is his best season:
“Yes, I think I believe I am having my best season, even if I didn’t have the numbers, you know what I’m saying. I feel like I’m doing a great job of being in the right spot for the quarterback and making sure I’m doing a great job blocking and just understanding this whole offense. I think this past offseason, I really had a chance to just look back and just understand my mistakes from last year and I took it head on because I’m the type of player, I put a lot of accountability on myself. I feel like as one of the leaders on this team, I just had to step up and be better. Obviously, the stats looked good last year, but there was a lot of room for improvement for myself and I was like ‘You know what? I’m not gonna settle for that’, you know. I feel like I can be a whole lot better, so that’s just me believing in myself.”
