Read the full transcript from Tua Tagovailoa's press conference on November 26, 2024.
(So the topic of no-look passes which are always very snazzy, came up with Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith today. Was there any basketball player that you ever watched do that where it left an impression on you and do you get a kick out of doing it?) – "I would say no basketball player that I know inspired me to do any of that. Definitely get a kick out of it. It's always fun when you can manipulate the defense with your eyes just because you know the spots in which guys are going to be with the throws and you've been working on that for some time with those guys as well."
(Was there a football player who inspired you?) – "I would say no. In my opinion you've either got it or you don't. That's what it is."
(How does this offense feel different than years past? Like as the one who operates it, how does this feel different?) – "I think within the structure of our offense with how we've said we wanted to go out and how we wanted to play games in terms of taking over it, staying on the field, managing situational ball the way I think we have these past couple of weeks has definitely helped. I think also being able to elongate drives and we've been known last year to take shots and it's been three, four plays. Maybe the longest last year was a 12-play drive and I don't even remember if that ended in points or not, but I would say that's the biggest difference with our offense this year."
(On the flipped pass to RB Jaylen Wright when he comes from your right to left, is that designed as a no-look flip or is that something you just thought…?) – "All of those I just do trying just to try to manipulate the defense, but Mike (McDaniel), 'Bev' (Darrell Bevell) and Frank (Smith) – they entrust me with the ball handling knowing that I'm not going to screw it up with whatever play is called. But yeah, it's not it."
(I don't know if you've ever been to Lambeau Field – I can't remember off the top of my head – I think you guys have played Green Bay here. Do you ever look forward to playing in these historic buildings where you think about the NFL and those are one of the top places you think about?) – "One hundred percent. One hundred percent. I think this is an awesome opportunity being able to play Thursday Night Football, prime time, on Thanksgiving. It just takes me back to growing up in Hawaii. Obviously, the prime time games were a little earlier in Hawaii, but it's sort of the same deal, like that's the only team that's playing. And whether you liked the teams that were playing or not like you just sit down eat, you spend time with family and you get to watch that. And sometimes you go outside and you pretend to be some of the players that are playing and so for me and I feel like a lot of the guys, cherish this opportunity that we're about to get, to be able to go over there to Lambeau, be able to play over there at a historic field. And it is just a blessing. It really is."
(Who was the guy you emulated when you guys went out back?) – "I don't know, it'd be like safeties. (laughter) 'Like I'm just playing defense.' And then somebody would be just the quarterback for both sides."
(Have you practiced this week at all or will you when it's a short week with the glove on the right hand?) – "Probably not."
(No glove this time?) – "Yeah, probably no glove this time. I think for a lot of our guys that were able to play in the game last year against Kansas City, kind of gave you a different perspective of what cold really was."
(You've talked about the Seakeeper mentality a lot now this year. Why did that specifically come to you? Just buy a boat recently or were you on a boat and you noticed that or where did that come from?) – "I have a boat and the guys that were showing me the features of the boat ended up telling me about the Seakeeper and what the Seakeeper does and whatnot, and so sort of took that mentality into training camp really. It was just one of those I had an 'a-ha moment' like it would be good if we use 'Seakeeper' and sort of explained it to the quarterback room, explained it to 'Bev' (Darrell Bevell) and that's what it came to be."
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel has talked about the gigantic strides you've made in like emotional control in a football game. Can you feel yourself when maybe that's slipping away and then how do you like jar out of that mode so that you can move on to the next play?) – "As a competitor I think you definitely tend to slip out of that frame of mind, but I think at the position, it entails for us to, you have to know how to erase whatever play happened last time and focus on what the defense is giving, focus on the play and the task at hand."
(We know you want to kill narratives and one of them being your record in the cold. What can you take from your previous opportunities in cold weather into this game?) – "I would say the biggest thing is mindset. We're obviously nowhere near the temperatures that all these other cold teams play at being in Miami where it's 80. Sometimes it gets down to 50, but it just gets nowhere near the teams that make it in long stretches in the run that they try to do. To me it's just a mindset. That's really all it is."
(Going back to just elongating drives, do you feel like that style of play is more conducive for success in these kind of environments? Not this, I meant like the one you're going to see on Thursday.) – "I think with what the defense gives us and with what the play that we're told in the huddle to run entails for us to do; that's basically what it is. When we do call our shots, we're looking to take them, but if they're not there, that's just essentially what that series calls for. Now, if we're dinking and dunking for three plays and then we get a shot, we're not going to be mad at that. But then again, it falls back to the mindset of the quarterback play like, don't get antsy. Take what they give you. If this read entails for you to take your shot, take your shot. That's what it is."
(This will be your first game against Packers QB Jordan Love, fellow 2020 Draft class. What do you think of him and his game?) – "I've got a lot of respect for him. He's done himself justice last year and he's earned his contract last year coming into this year. He's a baller. That's the reason why they paid him."
(Packers S Xavier McKinney leads the NFL in interceptions. It looks like he was taken 31 picks after you in the 2020 NFL Draft. What were those practices like back in college?) – "I had 'X' (Xavier McKinney) and I was with Josh Jacobs at the same time, so knowing the competitive mindset that those guys have, those were fun practices. Those were fun practices, but being able to go against those guys, I know 'X' knows what he's going to get out of me and I know exactly what he's going to bring to the table, too. With Josh as well, we came from the same school so you know the mindset that those guys are going to bring every time they see a fellow Alabama player, but yeah, I'm super happy for 'X' and the success that he's found as well as Josh, but I'm looking to mitigate that success when we play against them."
(Speaking of former Bama players, you have a moment with Christian Barmore there on Sunday after the sack?) – "What do you mean?"
(I saw a little bit of jawing back and forth, some old Bama love?) – "That's it, that's it, that's it. (laughter) I'm glad they didn't put any of that in the mic'd up. I'm a good person, I swear."
(How much trash talking do we miss when you're not mic'd up?) – "Oh, I don't know. You just go with the flow of the game."
(We talking Christian Wilkins level or no?) – "I think it can be absurd sometimes. I'm like, dude, what are we doing?"
(What is prepping for Thursday night games like for you? Do you study tape late to Monday night and Tuesday night?) – "I would say yes, you definitely study tape. I would say studying tape begins after our Patriots deal. Then you get with your coaches. You get to look at things that you need to clean up and whatnot, but you've got to move quickly. So from there, then it gets to the plays and getting guys dialed in on those plays as well, reasons as to why we're running those plays, spots they need to be in, all of that."
(What's it like playing on Thanksgiving for the players? Is that an honor or is it more like kind of rather be home with my family?) – "I think the players look at that as a great honor, great opportunity. Reason I say that is because a lot of us grew up watching prime time football and on Thanksgiving, a lot of times you'd see the Cowboys play, you'd see the Packers play, the Lions play. And to be able to have that opportunity to play in in a prime time game at night at a historic field, I don't think any of the guys take that for granted."
(Will you have your family with you, traveling with you?) – "I probably won't have my family traveling with me. I think it's too much for Annah with the kids."
