Read the full transcript from Tua Tagovailoa's press conference on December 22, 2024.
(Your thoughts on the win?) - "That was awesome. That was super cool. I think that was something that we needed to see as a team together. You could see in all three phases that we were able to play the complementary football that we said we wanted to play. The defense giving the offense opportunities to go put points on the board. Then when there were times where we didn't do what we wanted to do offensively, the defense held. Jason (Sanders) was 5-for-5. He was able to help with putting points on the board for us as well."
(When you guys get those scoring opportunities, how important is scoring those touchdowns? You had two passes to WR Tyreek Hill – one was deflected, but then the other was dropped. How big could those be in these big games?) - "In all these games, now that we're coming to the end of the year, they're all big. We're looking for all our big time playmakers to make the plays that we know that they can make, me included. Every time we have that opportunity to go and score, that's what we want to do. You know it's tough. Those guys prepare the same way that we do. They get paid as well. They're going to do their best to stop that from happening, but as long as we're locked in on our details and saying and doing the things that we're saying we're going to do, I think for the most part we should be fine."
(WR Tyreek Hill made multiple references to not getting enough valuable reps in weeks of practice. What do you think there from your perspective as far as connectivity throughout the week into game day?) - "If he told you that, then that's what we need more of. We need reps. Me and him need more reps. That's what we've got to do. That's the secret sauce to me being able to connect with all these guys. You guys see Jonnu (Smith) here, that's the secret sauce. If we miss a throw, if we're off on a throw in the team practice or in a routes on-air rep, we'll get together in whatever time we have, whether it's after or during, while the defense is on, and we'll get those reps made up. Telling him what I see and then him also telling me how he feels with running it. That has a lot to do with reps for sure."
(You're responsible for putting a lot of your teammates in the record books. With TE Jonnu Smith specifically, how special was it to get him that record today?) - "I wouldn't say that's something that I do. Jonnu is a man of faith, and I would say that's something only God can do. For Jonnu to have come here and believed that I could be the quarterback for him to be able to help him achieve his goals and things that he's wanted to do playing in the NFL – I can say he's open. He's open. If you give him the ball, you see what he does with the ball. Yeah, I've heard the reference safety blanket, so it's my safety blanket, if you will. (laughter) I think the cooler thing though, and even while Jonnu is in here – and he knows this too – the coolest thing about all of that is all the accolades and whatnot is cool for him, but how he is as a teammate, how he goes out there and approaches his business, like trust me, he's a dawg, he wants the ball, but that's not his mentality. Like his mentality is it'll come. I'm like, Jonnu, we've got to get you the ball. 'It will come. Just let it play out. If we've got to run the ball, we'll keep running the ball.' I think that should tell you a lot about the mindset he has coming into these games and whatnot, and when he does get these opportunities, he cherishes them."
(Did you know you guys are still alive for the playoffs?) - "We're just focused on one game at a time right now. We got the Niners out of the way, and we'll focus on the Browns and Christmas."
(The run game was more effective overall today than it's been in a lot of games. Can you speak specifically to how that helps you?) - "I think that helps our offense. It doesn't just help me, it helps our offense when we can play at will and run the ball the way we want to, the way we say we want to, and exactly how we said we want to attack their defense; I think the opportunities for us offensively are endless. With the (play) action game, then you can go on the ball, quick, no huddle, it throws them off, forces them to communicate a lot. So a lot of those things have definitely helped in this game when it came to the run game."
(Being in the NFL, there's the criticism that comes with it. Head Coach Mike McDaniel has had more criticism this year than he's had in years past. How do you react to that, and what do you think of the job he's done this year?) - "I think he's done a great job. I think criticism comes with the job, whether you're a head coach, whether you're a player, and it comes at different types of levels of it, right? Some are more severe than others, but that's what it comes with. We understand, when we signed up to play football, that that's what it was. It is what it is at the end of the day. It is what it is. We just love football. We love to do this. We don't take this for granted, that's for sure, and I think that's been the message to a lot of the guys in the locker room is like you can remember a time when you were a kid, when you were in high school, when you were in college, you wanted to be an NFL football player, and now you got that opportunity. Regardless of the circumstances that you're in, you get to play for an NFL football team, and that's something special."
(You have 100 career passing touchdowns, first one here at Hard Rock Stadium, your 100th one here at Hard Rock Stadium, can you just give us the emotions?) - "I just found that out today. That's cool. That's awesome that we got to do that in a win. But as far as the accolades and whatnot, that's probably least on my mind. I'm just trying to find ways that we can end the season the way we want to and control what we can control. We go from there."
