Miami Dolphins Media Conference

Sunday, October 18, 2020

Miami, Florida, USA

Ryan Fitzpatrick

Postgame Presser


Dolphins 24, Jets 0

Q. Ryan, I know there's a lot to get to with the game, but I just wanted to ask this question, because Tua looked like he just came back on to the field to kind of soak in the moment. He was sitting on the 10 or the 15 for a few minutes. Could you just talk about what you think of him getting in meant to him, to finally see some playing time?

RYAN FITZPATRICK: I mean, I think he was happy to be out there. It was nice to get a couple throws in, too, the naked in your own end zone, getting the easiest of plays, and he went in and completed that one and then completed the 3rd down. You know, I think that was a cool moment for him, just the reception, too, of the fans that were here and everybody on the sideline. We were all excited to see him get out there.

Q. Kind of piggy-backing on the same idea about the relationship and people getting excited, Coach Flores just told us that the relationship with you and Tua is kind of emblematic of the entire team. I'm curious how you perceive how this locker room bonds and gels together compared to the previous 16 years of your NFL career?

RYAN FITZPATRICK: I mean, I would say we're still a work in progress, but we're definitely heading in the right direction. We've brought in a lot of new guys this off-season and I think we've brought in the right kind of guys, and everybody has really meshed well. Even a couple weeks ago sitting at 1-3 not really feeling sorry for ourselves but continuing to work, and now to get a couple in a row and sitting at 3-3 going into the bye, it's a good feeling for us, and I think we're coming together as a team.

Q. How would you assess how you played today? Obviously you had three touchdowns in the first half, also you had the two picks. How would you assess your day?

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Yeah, first half we kind of got the lead there. We had a good two-minute drive going at the end, and that's a throw I can't make. We had points on the board, trying to force one to Mike in the end zone. And then the second half was a little bit frustrating offensively, I think, for all of us, just trying to grind it out and hand it off and didn't really get the results we wanted in the second half doing some of that stuff, but it was fun to sit back and watch our defense play today.

Q. I wanted to ask you this question about Myles. You seem to have a pretty close relationship to him. Do you think that Miami's flirtation with Le'Veon Bell motivated him? What do you attribute his career game to today?

RYAN FITZPATRICK: I mean, part of it was opportunity, part of it was what the defense -- the way that they were playing us and sort of inviting the run a little bit. But he's a guy that has just continued to work really hard and just the improvement that he made from last year to this year is awesome. Not just in running the ball but the way he catches it and his confidence in the huddle. We're always out there cheering for Myles and he wants to get better every single day, and I think that's why you've seen such a great jump for him this year.

Q. What do you do with the second half of the season now that you're .500? How do you move forward now?

RYAN FITZPATRICK: Yeah, I think hopefully we'll carry some of that momentum and continue to play well on both sides of the ball. As I'm sitting here and there's a bunch of defensive guys getting ready to get interviewed, that's a very good sign. They played their tails off.

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102662-1-1002 2020-10-18 23:54:00 GMT

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