Read the full transcript from S Dante Trader Jr.'s media availability on November 9, 2026.

Haf was praising how you and Michael have played. He said you all used disguises more effectively yesterday. Was that something that came down from the coaches? Is it something that you, Michael made a concerted effort to be able to do more of?

Dante Trader Jr: Yeah, since the time we came in there, they just put an emphasis on disguise, especially with the quarterback gauntlet that we've been through. They know and seen everything. If you give these types of quarterbacks what they're going to look post-snap and there's no pre-snap movement, they're going to pick you apart with the passes they want and checks and plays they want. We're trying to dictate runs and passes with disguises. So it can get a little stressful because there's times where you're at linebacker depth or the line of scrimmage and you got to play all types of deep coverages and things like that. But it pays off in the long run, especially with sacks coming in and just trying to limit the types of plays. And soon as he puts his head down and you see a safety move, now you got to read the coverage while having pressure in your face and your eligible is not in the windows that you need them to. So it can make you pat the ball or not hit the throws you need to hit.

Hafley talked about – this is the second week he said – we were trying to figure out what our identity is on defense. What do you think that identity could potentially be?

Dante Trader Jr: I feel the same way as Hafley of trying to figure out as we get to know everybody in this scheme and coming together as we are now is what type of defense we're trying to be, what type of defense we're going to be in the long run, in the long haul. Are we going to be the team that just stays physical and limits explosives and just plays to a certain identity? Especially when teams are known to be tougher, how tough those teams and and those types of things. So I feel like we're still figuring that out. Like Haf has been saying, as players been saying, like JB and Zach Sieler and everybody like that, we're trying to figure it out. And I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing as you got a lot of new faces, we got a lot of new guys in the new regime. So as we continue to go on, I feel like the tape will try to show us who we are, not trying to ask about what we are, whatever the tape says. That's kind of what we are, if that makes sense.

I know, obviously winning is the ultimate goal, but to hold the No. 1 offense to 270 yards, Gibbs was held under 75 yards, Goff doesn't throw a TD, Jamo, one catch. Do you guys kind of take solace in that and take like, OK, obviously we didn't get the end result we want, but we still played well against an elite offense?

Dante Trader Jr: Yes and no. At the end of the day, you want to win. Everybody wants to win. Fans want to win. Players want to win. It's our jobs to win. And our jobs are on the line if we don't win. So at the end of the day, yes, taking that away from the No. 1 offense is and trying to every play, just fight them, battle them, it's like, bro, no, you're not going to get this easy. If you're going to get one, you're going to get one. You got to earn it. They did earn a couple, but at the end of the day, yes, we got to build on that. Continue to limit explosives like seeing Jamo and Amon-Ra and even Gibbs, like just trying to contain that offense and fire power. And you can hang your hat on that, but at the end of the day, they were on the plus of the win-loss ratio.

Can you speak on Chris Johnson's first career interception? I mean, a rookie against a quarterback that coming into Week 9 had only thrown one interception. How does that fire up the secondary?

Dante Trader Jr: Yeah, I mean, he's been playing at a high level the past weeks. And I remember coming in here – I think we were down in Napa and they asked about Chris and I was like, I'm telling you, this is going to be one of your worst games. And now if you're seeing him, he's been hooping, he's been balling, and just to see him go. And if you watch that play, like it's very instinctual. Especially with a quarterback like that, you can't jump things too early or he's not going to throw you the ball. Especially in that coverage, he was trying to read it post snap because we were disguising. And as you see Chris, as he flipped his hips open, Goff didn't see him and there was pressure, so that's when rush and coverage goes. But man, he's been doing instinctual things and that's just him.

I was going to say it felt like, especially in that first half, like the pass rush, Zach and Josh and Chop, I guess really opened things up for y'all to make plays on the ball.

Dante Trader Jr: 100%. We can't do anything without a pass rush. And if we're not covering, they're not going to get sacks. So it goes hand in hand, as you know, as football players. And Chop's been hooping, his aura is different this year. And it's great to see as me and him play back in Maryland, so we're close and we always talk, especially with Uche, Sieler and all the internal pressure that we're getting too. So we got them shooting up on the outsides and then you got the internal push. And you got coverage disguises and matching the back end. If you make a quarterback pat the ball in this league, then you can get some of the pressure on them.

You guys have been a really good situational defense. I think it was against the Jets, right? You had the goal line stand. Yesterday, the opening drive, they started off because of the bad kickoff on the 35, the fake punt. You guys don't allow points. Are you aware of how good you are situationally and if so, how does that manifest itself on the field?

Dante Trader Jr: I feel like that's a great question because that goes unnoticed on the terms of the players because you got to realize we're on the bench talking about adjustments and then it goes sudden change. Now you got to go put your helmet on and run and you got there are people yelling and everything. So you got to be able to hone in and lock in. So it's an identity and a mindset. It starts really on Wednesdays, the first day of pads. So when we go against an offense, it's hey, we're going to take the grass, take the field, like let's go. Nobody jogging out. We have a huddle right before we go out. It's that mindset, like whatever situation we on, we bend don't break. If we got put in bad field position, like we can only allow at most three points, just get everything out, unless you get turnover and they get no points out of it. So just trying to not let them do it. So it's a mindset and identity because we can easily go out there and be like, 'man, we got put in this situation.' But it's that it goes back to the mindset.

I asked Brew about the road team fans coming into Hard Rock Stadium. He said the offense has even had to go into some silent counts. I'm wondering what has been your experience on the defense? Do you feel enough energy on third downs from the crowd?

Dante Trader Jr: I mean, yeah. I mean, especially on third down, you pump them up and you hear them. But I feel like as you got to think it's hot. It's hot in Florida right now. So when the away teams come down, it's a vacation. So a lot of them come. But also like where we continue to go, we got to put a product on the field that they want to come out and support. But it does present challenges when we're a home team and it's a little louder. And then our quarterback has to use silent counts and stuff like that, like an away game. But it's a lot of factors, but you got to deal with everything.