Miami Dolphins Media Conference

Sunday, September 11, 2022

Miami, Florida, USA

Devin McCourty

Visitors Postgame Presser


Miami - 20, New England - 7

Q. How would you sum up that game?

DEVIN McCOURTY: Too many bad plays. I didn't look at the stats, but it wasn't a game where we just got completely dominated, but you can't win in this league with bad plays. We just had too many bad plays, defensively specifically.

But even overall, turnovers, bad plays, defense missing tackles, things like that, it's too hard to win in this league. Almost gave ourselves a chance, and then another bad play. It's just too much to overcome.

Q. What would you say, just describe your perception of that play before the half? Did that feel like a bad play at the time or no?

DEVIN McCOURTY: I couldn't fully see it. I was in coverage. Lester ran a wheel route, so I was in coverage.

Definitely, what was it, 10-0 and you give up that play, even if we just make the tackle, we go 13-0 into the half is way better, I think, than giving up the touchdown and coming back out on defense.

I thought we did a good job to come back in the second half after giving up that play the first drive to get a three and out and get our offense back on the field. Again, it's just too much to overcome.

I think within the game, like that play, I was sitting there like, man, we lost now, but it definitely, when you have a play like that where it's just like -- I don't want to say easy, but a play where they make a good throw and catch and just tackle him right here, it definitely, I think it hurt us, but it didn't knock us out of the game.

We still had a whole half of football, and we got momentum, we got going, but then again, like another missed tackle here or there, turnover, just couldn't overcome it.

Q. Did you think they might punt there? He goes out.

DEVIN McCOURTY: I didn't. The offense never left the field. Obviously A.P. gets hurt, so they had more time to think about it, but I would say overall, if I remember correctly, I told the guys we need to get a stop, and I think someone said to me, it's fourth down. The offense didn't leave the field. They stayed out there.

So whether they were going to go or not, it definitely looked like they were thinking about it, and I think we saw that. Even at the end of the game, the reverse, they were still throwing the ball. Obviously an aggressive mentality, and we've got to match that as a defense.

Q. Are you encouraged at all? 13 points, and they only had one big play.

DEVIN McCOURTY: Hard, man. I'm not going to lie to you. Like I said, there's some good things on the film. I'm sure we'll see that.

But you want to win, man. I think you understand how this league works. It's a result league, win or loss. There's no like we did this well, good momentum. Yeah, there's some things we'll look at and say, I don't think this team is going to say, hey, we're destined to go 0-17. We have some good players. We had good plays today.

But in this league, you've got to change that fast and get it going, play better and get a win next week. That's what it's about.

Q. How deceptive is Tua? It seems like he hides the ball really well.

DEVIN McCOURTY: I would say overall like that offense, we knew that, when we played San Fran, it's just a lot of movement within the backfield. When you've got the quarterback kind of hand down in front, did he give it, did he keep it, I think they do a good job of that.

We did a good job on some plays just getting pressure and making them decide and having them react quickly. No, he does a great job with that, and I would say does a good job of just taking what the defense gives him.

They've got a lot of guys, I think we saw today, that they're going to just throw it to and say do the rest. We've got to do a better job, no matter who we play, of tackling because guys are talented in this league.

I think there were some plays on third down and different times where he threw the ball short, but a broken tackle turned it into a big play and I think kind of changed drives. Instead of being ready to get off the field on a minus 50, they get a first down, either in field goal range now or the punt knocks us back to within the 5 yard line. I think some of those plays made it tougher for us too as a defense and as an offense.

Q. It seemed like no matter what you guys tried, it's getting really hard to come out of here with a win?

DEVIN McCOURTY: Frustrating. That's what I said. Are you encouraged? Yeah, I mean, but we just -- what is this, four straight losses? I think that's definitely frustrating because we've got a team that I think can compete and come out here and win, but we keep falling short.

It sucks to come in here and have to keep saying that.

Q. Going to clean up the mistakes?

DEVIN McCOURTY: I sure hope so. We're going to go to work and get it fixed. Week 1, we've got a lot of time, but have to have a sense of urgency.

Obviously going on the road next week in Pittsburgh won't be any easier, but it will be a great challenge to see what we're made of and go out there and try to get a win against a good football team.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
124631-1-1182 2022-09-11 20:51:00 GMT

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