TE JORDAN AKINS
What's it like for you guys to play with QB Tyrod Taylor again?
"It's good to have him back. Just finding that rhythm and getting back in tune. I think we can open up the offense more than we usually do. It's good to have him back."
How do you work with TE Brevin Jordan?
"I just work with him the best way I can. I just teach him what I know as far as this offense. I just tell him to relax and play ball. Still have to have fun with the game. You know, he picks my brain a lot, whether its blocking or route running or coverage or just anything. We chop it up a lot."
How much does the offense open up with QB Tyrod Taylor?
"He's vet. He knows more. I mean it opens up a lot. That's about as much as I can go into detail about that."
How hungry is this team to get a win?
"We see the season as 0-0. We're at the halfway point. We've very hungry to go get a win. Everybody's put in the extra work. Everybody's dialed in. We tune into our job, make plays when they come and spring somebody else free, whether it's getting a block on offense or special teams."
Did you pay any attention to the trade deadline on Tuesday?
"I just shut it out. I was with my family. Just enjoying my day, especially my off day, and taking care of my body. I wasn't really into the media. Whatever happens, happens, and I can just control what I can."
What was your reaction to QB Tyrod Taylor starting?
"I'm happy for him. Whether it's (Davis) Mills or Tyrod. They are two great guys. (Davis) Mills did a great job. There are some things we can improve on as a total offense overall. But, Tyrod you know got a little more experience under his belt. The team welcomed him with open arms and we are ready to get back to work and pick up where we left off at."
DL MALIEK COLLINS
How do you feel like you are playing and the season you are having?
"I feel like I can always do more. I felt like I've shown improvement on the game to game basis. But I feel like I can always do more. I'm steady working at it. BK (Bobby King), he steady keeping my honest, steady working me in different situations on how to improve and that's probably it.
What can you do on that situation with Kyler Murray in Week 7?
"I'm going to keep playing aggressive, man. I'm not going to do nothing out of the ordinary but when I get to the quarterback, I am going to tackle him the way I know how to tackle. Let's hope there is not no penalties, try to stay off the neck and head area and hit him lower."
What are some of the adjustments you guys have made to stop the run?
"Discipline, staying in our gaps. Just everyone doing their job. Being more gap discipline."
What are some of the things you've noticed since last game that you can work on?
"For me, just doing my job, play in and play out. It's a specific scheme that we've been getting a lot and I feel like if I'm more gap disciplined and play my gap better, we will be better off."
In terms of trying to win a game, what is the mentality of the team right now?
"The mentality is to go win. That's the mentality for sure."
When it comes to stopping the run, what is the mentality that it takes?
"It takes all 11, that's the part about stopping the run. It's going to take all 11 in their run fits. Everybody doing their job. Everybody in a dominant position with an arm free if you are an end or if you're a three technique, you're square in your gap instead of being turned. Just basic technical things that we practice and go over every day that it will take."
What was your response when you heard QB Tyrod Taylor was starting?
"I really haven't paid too much attention to it. I've been seeing him in practice the last two weeks and it's good to have 5 (Tyrod Taylor) back out there."
Did QB Tyrod Taylor ever talk to you on the sideline? How do you guys interact?
"We talk a little bit. We talk."
What does QB Tyrod Taylor say?
"He's the same guy every day whether he's not playing, whether he's playing. He's the same guy. He's focused on doing his job. A great leader for our team, a veteran."
RB PHILLIP LINDSAY
What do you think it's going to take in the second half of the season to get the running game going?
"We've got to be consistent on what we do. As running backs, we've got to continue to follow our landmarks, read our eyes, take what's given to us. Offensive line just has to continue to keep pushing, keep pushing, and we've just got to find ways. It's been tough. It truly has been tough, but things will open up as we keep going. We've just got to stay consistent and we've got to keep pushing through."
How much could having QB Tyrod Taylor back help against?
"It's going to help a lot, just having his presence out there. As y'all can see, it's just him being a veteran. It's him playing a lot of football and understanding things. It's going to help us out a lot. I'm excited to have Tyrod (Taylor) back. I think everybody is. It's good to see him healthy, and people are going to fight for him. People are going to fight for him, and we're going to try to go 1-0 this week, and try to get a win in Miami."
How did you hear QB Tyrod Taylor was starting?
"Tyrod (Taylor) has been out there competing and doing his part. It's not really up to us to be like, 'Oh, he's starting,' or anything like that. If he's in the huddle, or Davis (Mills) is in the huddle, you don't know. But he is feeling healthier, as he's told our team. So, we're excited about that."
How would you characterize the mentality of the team right now?
"I think everybody knows what we have to do. I think what it is, is we're keeping our heads down and trying to go 1-0. I could sit here and tell you guys everybody is feeling this way. But at the end of the day, as an individual, as a pride thing, as a professional, we don't like where we're at right now. I think everybody needs to do their part, and that's what we need to do. We just focus on what we need to do to be successful, and that's (to) do our part first, and everything will roll after that."
As someone on a one-year deal, how are you approaching the back end of the season?
"The same as the beginning of the season. For me, they brought me in here to do what I do best. I just need to get in there and keep trying to do what I do, and hopefully, something pushes through as we go and we can get a rhythm. Football is all about getting a rhythm, no matter what you do. We haven't been able to get that, so hopefully we can find that here this game. We're professionals, at the end of the day. We just need to go out there and handle our business."
How do you all build a habit of winning in the back end of the season?
"It's very important to build those habits because it's contagious. All it takes is one game to win, and everything can click. I've seen that. I've seen how things can be bad at the beginning and really good at the very end. That's why it's a long season. At this time, if you're in college, you've got two, three more games left. But if you're in the NFL, you've got a whole college season ahead of you right now, honestly. Things can switch in a heartbeat. All it takes is for the offense to make some plays, the defense to make some plays. We get a win, and then everybody kind of starts to get that confidence and understands little certain things that get us over the top. That's what we've got to do."
Speaking of college, how do you think Colorado is going to do?
"I don't know. Every week is different. I'm always going to root for my team, though, no matter what. Those kids go out there and fight every day. So, hopefully they can come up with something this week."
