Ryan Tannehill – November 30, 2016
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Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill
(Six wins in a row. How good is this team? Is that something maybe you’re wondering a little yourself?) – “We’re on the right track right now. We have to keep progressing, keep working, taking advantage of each and every day and keep working to get better. Obviously, (there is) still a lot of room to improve. (We are) doing some good things, but (there is) a lot of room to improve. If we keep doing that, we’ll be in a good spot.”
(What kind of potential do you see here?) – “I don’t know. Right now, (we are) taking it one game at a time and (have) a big one this week up in Baltimore.”
(You mentioned about improvement. The 1-4 start … Of course you want to win – not win every game after that – but are you surprised how the improvement has come rapidly the way it has?) – “I wouldn’t say I’m surprised, but I’m proud of the way the guys have banded together. Times were tough early on in this year; things weren’t going well. We really stuck together, kept pressing forward and came together as a team. We found a way to win in a bunch of games. This team knows how to win now. I feel like no matter what happens going forward, we can always try to find a way to win, because we’ve done it before.”
(We talked to Ravens WR Mike Wallace on the conference call today. He said he recalled his time here fondly, said he wishes the team could’ve made the playoffs. How do you recall his time here and your relationship with him?) – “Mike was good. He did some good things as a weapon down the field for us, got some big touchdowns for us. Especially his second year here, I think he really caught more touchdowns and made some bigger plays for us. (I have) good memories of Mike being here and wish him the best – except not this week, but other than this week.” (laughter)
(I think you guys had a conversation after the 2014 season. How did that go? I know that WR Mike Wallace was traded a couple of months after that or whatever, but how did that meeting go, and what do you recall from it?) – “We wanted to end it on a good note and wish each other the best moving forward. Obviously, this business is tough sometimes. People move on, and that’s obviously what happened. (I) wished him the best as he continued on his career.”
(Obviously, you guys might get some key pieces back along the offensive line potentially, but how big has it been for the offensive line and the run game to be able to have success on frontside and backside runs?) – “It’s huge. It takes all of them. You never know when one is going to cut back, or whether it’s an outside zone or inside zone. It takes all those guys working together as a team. Usually, it’s one guy that really has to crease the defense to give the running back a lane. It takes them all. I think no matter who has been in there the past month or two, we’ve found a way to have good, positive runs, and it has really had a positive impact on the game.”
(Nice to get T Branden Albert back out there? He’s all wrapped up. You can’t keep him off the field, can you?) – “’B.A.’ (Branden Albert) is a tough guy. He wants to be out there. He’s doing everything he can to get himself ready to play. You appreciate his toughness, his willingness to be out there, play through pain, play hurt. That example – that leadership – is huge for this team.”
(I know the mentality is, “Do what it takes to win,” but just from a pure enjoyment standpoint of a running role, is it fun for you? Some announcers will wince when it happens saying, “Oh my God, they’re putting their quarterback at risk even though Ryan does it well.” Is it fun for you? Are you always aware of being hit when you do scramble or zone reads?) – “I think it’s a weapon for us. I think it opens up some things in the run game. It keeps them accountable on the backside, (and) obviously, in the pass game, if I’m able to scramble and create yardage there. It keeps them honest up front when they have to stay in their run lanes and it keeps them accountable. It’s definitely a weapon for us. Obviously, you have to be smart and not put yourself in harm’s way too much and leave yourself out there for potential injury.”
(Does the threat of you running with the football actually open up passing windows as well?) – “I’m not sure. I don’t really know if that matters, but it keeps them accountable, so it could help with the play-action game.”
(How important is the game this week?) – “They’re all important. We’re getting into December football. It’s really crunch time across the NFL. Right now, you’ll see where the good teams can finish out strong and make a run into the postseason or fall to the wayside. We’re going to see what we’re about here in the next month or two.”
(Can you talk about the Ravens defense and what they bring to the table?) – “They’re a really good defense. You see a talented defense, tops in all types of categories. (I have) a ton of respect for what they do. They do a great job in the run game shedding blocks, getting to the ball carrier, swarming, tackling well. In the pass game, they rush the passer well. They do some exotic stuff to create pressure on the QB. They can get pressure (with a) four-man rush. They really have it all. It’s just a matter of what they want to do. They try to mix it up a lot. (I have a) ton of respect for what they do, and it’s going to be a challenge for us.”
(Statistically, this is probably the best stretch of your career. Nine touchdowns, one interception during these six games. How do you feel about the way you’ve played, and is this definitely the best stretch of your career you think?) – “I don’t know. I feel like I’m progressing, and that’s what I want to do right now is keep getting better, keep working every day in practice and putting our team in a situation to win.”
(What are you doing better – you personally, right now – do you think?) – “I think I’m really comfortable with what we’re doing in the offense, really kind of settled in. The offensive line has done a great job protecting, giving me time to make throws, and the receivers are getting open down the field. It takes all 11 guys to have success.”
(Do you allow yourself any time to feel proud of yourself – or not until the season ends – in terms of your growth?) – “No. I’m excited about the growth that has been there, but (I am) hungry to keep getting better.”
Ndamukong Suh – November 30, 2016
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Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Defensive Tackle Ndamukong Suh
(Nice to see T Branden Albert back out there on the offensive side?) – “I don’t get to see ‘B.A.’ (Branden Albert). We’re split up offense and defense, but it’s always a pleasure having your teammates out there at practice with you.”
(What kind of a leader is T Branden Albert? He’s been dying to be back out there. Finally, he gets to be out on the field again.) – “’B.A.’ (Branden Albert) is a great leader. He’s one of the guys that speaks with his actions, not so much with his words. When he does speak with his words, it goes pretty far and pretty deep, especially with the young guys and even guys like myself. I’ve admired him since he was in ‘K.C.’ and it’s a pleasure to obviously be a teammate with him the last two years.”
(How many of those guys are there around here? Because this team has made a turnaround here that would’ve been tough without guys like that.) – “I think at the end of the day, it’s all about guys coming together – wherever you’re from, whatever you’ve been through. At the end of the day, we’ve found a groove and became a unit – offensively, defensively and special teams. It’s all about putting that together and I think we’re finding a way to do that. (We) pick each other up in tough times and in good times.”
(This Baltimore team is a team that scraps. They may not score a lot of points but they scrap. What do they do on offense that’s…?) – “I think overall Baltimore is an organization that’s found ways to win. It hasn’t always been the prettiest way of doing it when they’ve won championships or been in playoff games or things of that nature. So at the end of the day, from their coaching staff to their players, I’ve got a lot of respect for them in the ways that they’ve found ways to win games. So we’re going to go out there, we know we’re going to be in a dog fight and we’re looking forward to it.”
(They’ve got a field goal kicker that kicks them from 57. He had like four from 50 last game.) – “Yes, unfortunately it’s not my first come around with him. I’ve got a bad taste in my mouth from ‘14 when we were … actually ‘13 when we played against them in the playoffs, or not in the playoffs, but they knocked us out of the playoff contention. At the end of the day, we have to go out there. We have a great field goal block team. We have to go out there and put pressure on him.”
(There was a play in the 49ers game, I think it was in the third quarter, when you tackled their running back for loss. Before you made the tackle, you put the center on his knees. You physically overpowered him. The question is: when you do that to another player, what does it feel like?) – “Honestly, I don’t really pay attention to those things. I understand who’s trying to block me and who’s trying to be in my way of finding the ball carrier or the passer being the quarterback, if it happens to be a center then I need to get them out of my way any way and how, I’m going to do that, and obviously get after the running back or the quarterback.”
(You played right end on the final series against San Francisco? Right defensive end?) – “The final series, I was all over the field.” (laughter)
(You played like three different places. Is that your call or how does that work?) – “I think (Defensive Coordinator) Vance (Joseph) is one of those great coaches that, I’ve said many times before, he allows his players to find ways to be successful. He gives us freedom within the scheme and understanding what we need to get done. We have conversations on the sideline. If you’re speaking about the time that I rushed against (49ers T Joe) Staley, there was a conversation on the sideline that I was allowed to go and do that. So I picked my opportunity to do that.”
(Would you say you picked the right spot and now is the time?) – “Within the scheme, within the situation, we find the right time to switch. I don’t really want to give you the ins and outs of why I go out there and do it. But yes, I have opportunities where I can call and put myself in a particular place just like (Andre) Branch can put himself in a particular place. ‘Cam’ (Cameron Wake) can do the same thing, Jordan (Phillips) can do the same thing, all of the guys can do it. We’ve just got to go out there and communicate. The great thing about our d-line is we’re all interchangeable so we can play all four positions on the D-line.”
(When Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph comes over, I saw him come over a couple of times and you guys hashed things out right away. How much do you see eye to eye with him?) – “We have a great communication, really tunnel and vision between us, especially when we come off the field. And unfortunately, this is the NFL. We’re going to have bad times. We’re going to give up plays. We’re an organization and defense that wants to be able to squash it and get an answer to that problem very quickly. Communication is key and obviously, it’s up to us as players to go out there and implement.”
(When I was at the Rams game, I had a conversation with a guy named Jackie Slater, who was a Hall of Fame offensive tackle. He’s a broadcaster. He said that when he watched you at defensive end, he saw Reggie White. Have you ever thought about Reggie White…?) – “I’ve admired Reggie White since I was first getting into the league. I think that’s one of the reasons why I’ve always been able to play at a high level when I go to Philly. Honestly, he must be looking down on me or something of that nature; but, he’s a great player and I’d wish to play anywhere near his capabilities. At the end of the day, I’m going out there whether I’m playing defensive tackle or defensive end, playing with my best ability. I’ve always looked at myself as a knock … Everybody had a knock on me when I was coming out of the draft that really I don’t have a patent move. The reason why is because I feel like I can adapt and adjust to any type of player that I’m going against, whether I need to be a power rusher, speed rusher or whatever it may be. And I think he’s an example of that. To have the ability to go out and play end or play interior and just rush and beat people when he wants to.”
(You know the Dolphins have four [offensive] linemen who have played tackle, starting sometimes at the same time. They’ll talk about how it’s a grown man’s game to [move inside] … How the interior of the offensive line is a different game. How does the experience when you’re in the interior line compare to the outside?) – “I’ll just say this, we give our defensive ends a hard time when they have to go and play inside, when we have certain games and different things of that nature. But at the end of the day, they’re capable of doing it. It is a grind being in between tackles, (going against) primarily guards and centers and whatnot.”
(Do you feel you’re at top of your game right now?) – “Do I think I’m at the top of my game? No. Not by any means. I’m a long way from being at the top of my game. I just got to hone into my technique. We have five weeks to get to … (inaudible)”
(Is there some areas you want improvement in?) – “I just say all areas. Never be satisfied. I’m never going to be a satisfied person unless I’m breaking records and if I’m breaking records, I want to set new records, going from there. At the end of the day, I have a lot of work ahead of myself.”
(They triple-teamed you on some plays, but on that last play they single blocked you. Were you surprised? You flushed him out of the pocket and then you chased him down. How much…?) – “Yes, during the drive, the last drive, the majority of the time, their back was opposite of me, which means I was getting double-teamed. So that was their protection. I understood their protection. I realized it really the last second or two, on that last play of the game, when we had that quick breather, that I had the back behind the guard. So I anticipated the one-on-one and had an inside move to try to get to the quarterback. He obviously is an athletic quarterback. He moved out of the pocket and I had to find a way to get him down before he got into the end zone.”
(Is there an optimistic sense right now of what this team can do considering the 1-4 start and now you’re trying to win seven straight for the first time since 1985, of just what could be ahead?) – “I think at the end of the day, and I’ve said this before, when you look at the situation that we put ourselves earlier in the year when we were 1-3, we put ourselves in a tough position and we found a way to fight out of it and it’s been at the helm of our head coach understanding that we need to go out there and focus on what we need to do each and every week, and take each week one piece at a time. We’ve done that and we want to continue on that same path and go from there.”
(The flexibility you now have to be able to change spots on the defensive line after talking to Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph and Defensive Line Coach Terrell Williams, is that something you had in Detroit? Did you have it here last year being able to make that move pretty much on your own after talking about it with your defensive coaches?) – “There’s no question I’ve had flexibility to move around, especially in Detroit. I think it comes at the helm of the trust and confidence that your coaches have within you. At the same time, them agreeing and seeing the things that you can do. I’m going to continue to say it, we’re a very talented group in the defensive line room. With that being said, we’re interchangeable, across the board. So when we move into different positions outside of our – as you would say – normal positions, it shouldn’t be any different of the expectations.”
Jay Ajayi – November 30, 2016 (Conference Call)
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Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Running Back Jay Ajayi Conference Call with Baltimore Media
(Can you talk about your success this year? Has this been a surprise to you, or is there a reason why you’ve been successful this year?) – “No surprise. I’ve always had belief and confidence in myself and waited on an opportunity. Now, it’s all about being consistent.”
(Do you look at this week as a big test for you going up against a Ravens team that has the best ranked run defense in the league?) – “For me, personally, I think we’ve had the opportunity to go against a lot of great run defenses over the past couple of weeks, and it has been a great challenge to go out there and try and succeed in the run game. We know this week is another good defense we’re going against, and we want to be up to the challenge, have our offensive line play well and be physical on Sunday.”
(After having those 200-yard games, what have you seen from how defenses are approaching you? More eight-man fronts, nine-man fronts? What are you seeing?) – “(There) have been a lot of different things that teams have started to do. You definitely see a lot more teams are stacking the box, respecting the run game and kind of daring us to pass, and we’ve been able to do that as well. It has been fun showcasing our balance over these couple of weeks, showcasing what we can do, and we want to keep executing on offense.”
(How has Head Coach Adam Gase changed the culture down there?) – “He makes it fun for us to come to work. At the same time, he stresses a lot of accountability for us. It’s a one-day-at-a-time mentality as well as one week at a time. You can definitely see around the building no one is really looking too far ahead. We’re all focused on what we’re trying to achieve right now.”
(You mentioned accountability. Was that something you guys needed?) – “I definitely think that it’s a huge part of why we’re doing better. A lot more people are accountable. Everyone is playing for each other. I think we’re playing as a complete team, whereas maybe in the past, we were not playing together.”
(Was that really the change – because that’s what Head Coach Adam Gase said – after you guys started 1-4, this six-game run he attributed to the fact that everyone seemed to buy in to showing up on time and being disciplined a little bit more.) – “I think over this win streak, fines are down and player accountability is definitely up. I think to be successful, you need to be accountable to each other, and it has bled over to the field. We’re trusting each other on the field. We trust our defense to get us out of situations. Special teams – they’ve got us out. On offense, we always want to help the team put ourselves in great situations to win. We’re definitely working on playing as a full team out there on the field each game.”
(Along that same thing, when Head Coach Adam Gase left you at home for the road trip to Seattle, how much of a shock was that to your system, and do you look at what has happened since then? What does that mean to you and the success you’ve had?) – “No one wants to get left home. No one wants to be a healthy scratch. It’s tough. I’m a competitor, so I wanted to help my team win. Moving past Week 1, it was all about refocusing, being more consistent and focusing on myself, really, and blocking all the outside noise and going and grinding each week.”
(Has Head Coach Adam Gase made any other changes besides the mental or cultural aspect in the locker room?) – “Not that I know of, personally. I know I feel like our team this year is a completely different team than we were during our losing streak. I think now that we’ve been winning, we understand what it takes. I think he has done a great job in showing us what it’s going to take. But at the same time, we still are scratching the surface. We still have a lot of room to grow. It’s comforting because if we can figure those little things out and hone in on those details now at this time and really get rolling, then December is going to be huge for us.”
Adam Gase – November 30, 2016 (Conference Call)
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Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Head Coach Adam Gase Conference Call with Baltimore Media
(When you look back on the six-game winning streak, is there anything you can put your finger on as to why you guys have been so successful?) – “It starts really with we’ve eliminated all of the type of nonsense that most of the teams around the NFL doesn’t have during the week – guys being late, guys getting fined, having practices that really are not energetic and you’re not getting things done the way you need to. We’ve really turned around as far as a maturity standpoint of our younger guys doing things right (and) our veterans doing a good job of showing these guys the right way to do things day in and day out. I think that’s been our biggest turnaround as far as just doing all of the things leading up to the game and then on Sunday, that’s at least giving us our best chance to know what to do and to execute our game plan.”
(Was that an issue prior to this six-game winning streak? How did it change? Was it a landmark moment or just a gradual shift?) – “I think it’s been mostly a gradual (shift) through the progression of the season. We would have one or two things a week. It wouldn’t be always these huge (things), like this guy isn’t playing because of this. It wasn’t things like that all the time, just little tiny irritant things for a coach where, ‘Why can’t we just be on time?’ Some of those things happen every once in a while and it happens in every organization and it’s frustrating when it does because this is your job. It would be like any of us not being where we’re supposed to be and just kind of shrugging your shoulders, not really caring. That was something we felt like we needed to get changed fast and we needed to make sure we were doing the right things because it does matter on Sunday. It all adds up at the end of the day.”
(Was that a result maybe of guys trying to take advantage of a rookie coach?) – “No. I think that’s how it has been here for the last how many whatever years. That’s just what it was.”
(You’ve directed some good offenses. What goes into a decision whether to go no huddle, and when you use it, and what are some of the drawbacks maybe? There has been a lot of talk around here about the Ravens using it, and how much they should.) – “You have to be built for it, for one. If your terminology is not really built for it, it’s hard. Our system’s built for it, because that’s what it was when we created it in 2013. It was hard for us to do in 2012, because really we had a huddle terminology, but then we started going no huddle. So we kind of were changing things mid-season. In 2013, we switched everything, and we created it for no huddle. That’s the starting point, because if the quarterback’s back there and he has to tell everybody what to do by guy, it makes it tough. You have to have signals, and buzzwords. There’s a lot of work that goes into it. It’s not as easy as you think. I know, especially the way TV is now, where they pick everything up, it makes it really tough, because now all of a sudden, you say one word twice, then you use it the next game, and every player on the defense starts saying ‘it’s going left, it’s going left.’ That can be somewhat frustrating for your players, because they feel like they know what all your code words are.”
(Are you guys using it much less since the start of the season, and if so, why?) – “I think a little bit of it had to deal with the fact that we were never really together as a full group through spring and training camp. We’ve had guys in and out. It makes it tough when the quarterback’s trying to get everyone lined up and some guys didn’t know what to do. There was a lot put on his plate, to where it is things that he shouldn’t have to worry about. We kind of had to reel it in a little bit, as far as we got DeVante (Parker) back. We wanted to make sure that everyone was good with what we were doing. So we started huddling. We had our linemen back. We just didn’t have enough experience practicing it because we were never together as a group. We lost so much practice time, because (Mike) Pouncey goes down in the second preseason game, a couple of other guys go down (and) we didn’t get to work on it as much as you need to in order to be really, really good at that.”
(What do you remember from your time when you interviewed here [in Baltimore] for the offensive coordinator position?) – “It was a great experience for me. I really enjoyed being able to talk football with Coach (John) Harbaugh. It was a late night, I know that. I really appreciate the fact that he didn’t have to squeeze me in when he did. We were up there from … I think I got into his office at 10 o’clock at night, we talked until one in the morning and he drove me back to the hotel I was staying at. He really did me a favor by just not making me wait. I was kind of getting pressured as far as making decisions on some other places. The fact that he did that to at least give me an opportunity to come interview there, that was something I’ll always be appreciative of.”
(The game this weekend, the Ravens, very good against the run as you know. Does that present an extra challenge for you and will it put a little more pressure on QB Ryan Tannehill?) – “I think any time you play a defense that has the players that they have and then the coaching staff that they have – it’s a very good coaching staff to where those guys will be in great position. They’ll obviously be dialed in to our scheme. And it’s really going to be about who executes their scheme better at the end of the day. Our guys have to do a great job of getting on their blocks, just staying on their blocks, finishing every play. They’re going to be trying to do the opposite. They’re going to be trying to get off blocks, and making sure they’re in the right gap and making solid tackles. It’s going to be really, at the end of the day, it’s going to be about which side of the ball executes their scheme and finishes plays better.”
(Not a whole lot of people naturally talk about DT Brandon Williams of the Ravens. What kind of force is he against the run and how do you have to account for him?) – “I hate to single out one guy because there are so many guys that are impactful on that defense. It’s consistently … These guys do such a good job at executing their scheme. When you have a group that does it the way that they do it, that’s why they have success. You never feel like there’s any lanes. Like if you see a clip of film where you felt like a guy had a lane and he rips off a 9-yard run, those are very rare to see. They do such a good job as far as doing their assignments in the front, but then the linebackers are doing a great job of making sure any time a guy gets loose, they get him down. They’re tackling well. The whole front seven just causes so much … so many problems for what you want to do on offense.”
(Is it a case where you look and see what the Cowboys did against the Ravens being that they had the most rushing success because in large part they kind of stuck with it … Is that something that you look at and say, ‘Even if we don’t have success early on the ground, it’s something that we need to stick with?’)- “Yes, you try to talk yourself into it. It’s really kind of the flow of the game. You’re trying to do what’s best for your team for that game, and sometimes it changes mid-game. I was a little surprised last week as far as how consistent San Francisco was as far as sticking with the coverage that they stuck with and they did a great job as far as executing their scheme. Their guys played well and made it really tough for us in the run game. We made a couple of plays in the passing game to kind of open a couple things up that allowed us to move the ball. It’s a tough thing to kind of keep your mind wrapped around as far as, ‘Stay with the run. Stay with the run.’ But, having the running back that we have makes me feel good as far as consistently staying with Jay (Ajayi), knowing he’s a big man that plays for four quarters and does a great job as far as wearing a defense down and trying to consistently get positive yards. It doesn’t always work out that way, but there is some comfort with me being able to stay with the run because you do feel like your guys get better as the game goes on.”
(I knew you were missing three offensive lineman last week. What’s the status of those guys?) – “I’ll find out more today as far as we’re going to be able to take a look at them in practice today and get them in individual and possible get them into some of our practice reps. We’re so early in the evaluation stage as far as actually seeing these guys take reps in practice. It’s still kind of up in the air for me.”
(This is a hypothetical, but if you had become the offensive coordinator here, do you think it would’ve been probably a short stay, because you would’ve been a head coach very soon after?) – “It’s hard to predict anything ever, because you never know what’s going to happen. You never know how the health of your team is going to be. You never know the results of anything. It’s one of those things … There’s no point in thinking about it.”
(Do you feel like you have the culture of the locker room where you want it right now?) – “I think there’s always room for improvement. There’s always room to get better in certain things. I know there are a couple things where some of our veteran players would like to straighten out a few things occasionally with some of our younger guys, because we are very young, and guys still make mistakes. That’s what happens when you got a bunch of 22-, 23-, 24-year olds. They’re going to mess up here every once in a while. Thankfully, we got enough veteran guys that have really stepped forward – especially as the year has gone on – to take control of that locker room. I rarely have to deal with anything, because those guys handle it.”
Adam Gase – November 28, 2016
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Monday, November 28, 2016
Head Coach Adam Gase
(How are December games different?) – “I think the later you get in the season, every game is very … the importance increases because you’re getting down to the end and everybody’s fighting to win their next game. The stakes go up. Everything starts feeling … It feels different in December.”
(A lot of your guys do not have experience with this. Is that a problem in any way?) – “Not from my experience. I’ve been on a couple of teams where it’s the first time going through this process and they’ve handled well. Guys just focus on … It’s a small focus for most guys. They’re worried about that week. As long as the guys aren’t looking ahead to the next week or the week after that, usually you can be in good shape.”
(Is it a good thing that you’re so young because these guys can probably give you a lot of stress with these nail-biting games? Obviously you’re going to keep playing 60 minutes but it seems like every game is coming down to the end.) – “For myself, it was just more about us being in that situation. There were a few things that we wish we would have done a little different; but sometimes it’s good to be in those situations because as the season goes on, it’s going to keep happening. The better teams you play, the harder the games get, and it usually comes down to the last drive, one side or the other. We’ve been in quite a few of those situations. Last night, just watching the Denver/Kansas City game and seeing Andy Reid after the game talking about that was a little stressful; but, like he said, that’s why you love this game, because those type of situations, when you get into those, that’s why you work and go through those situations you go through in practice, because when it comes up in a game and you execute them and you complete the play, that’s the fun part of this game.”
(Did you know to root for the Chiefs?) – “No, I wasn’t even thinking about it. I was watching a good game and I have a lot of relationships still in Denver, and there’s some good one’s in Kansas City as well. So it was a great game to watch.”
(After the game they put up a graphic that showed the projected bracket with the Dolphins in playoff position. Did you notice that? Will you think about the fact that you are currently in the playoffs?) – “I wasn’t really paying attention. I was working on … I was watching our game from yesterday. I was here. I was listening kind of more with the press conference, Andy’s (Reid) press conference and then I wasn’t really … like some things I hear, and some things I don’t.”
(What did the tape show you on the last play of the game on DT Ndamukong Suh’s [stop]?) – “I thought it was a really good job of him doing his job and then making a play. It just shows his relentless pursuit. It’s something that I’ve heard him say a lot and I hear it a lot in that room as far as running with a purpose. I’ve heard him say it a lot, when guys run with a purpose and understand why you’re pursuing with that effort. What are you trying to accomplish? Are you trying to get in the clip or are you trying to make a play? You always see him. He goes to make a play. For that to happen on that last play of the game, that just shows his conditioning level, his ability to fight through a lot. When you get double-teamed all game, I’m sure that’s got to be frustrating, and he never wavers. He keeps playing hard and he had an opportunity to make a play and did a great job, and the rest of those guys did a great job of just attacking and they finished the play.”
(Is there an advantage to knowing you control your own destiny or is it too early?) – “It’s too early for me. You just keep playing right now. You don’t worry about all that stuff.”
(Talking to the guys, they have nothing but high praises for the way you coach, your cheerleading, the way you go about every day business, but how much pride you take in being so relatable with the guys to the locker room?) – “I think the thing that we try to do as a coaching staff is we try to shoot our guys straight. That’s the biggest thing for us. We want to make sure that we’re honest. If we feel like either somebody’s not doing something right or they are doing something right, we let them know. My experience being in this league, I’ve been around some good coaches, some good mentors, and the good ones I’ve been around have always done the same thing: they shoot their players straight. They don’t tell them something just to try to gain favor with them or pick sides or anything like that. Being around (Chicago Bears Head) Coach (John) Fox was good for me because I really saw a head coach who was very upfront, very honest. (He) didn’t B.S. (He) shot his players straight and they always knew where they stood. I thought that was a great experience for me to have over those four years I was with him. I watched guys really respect him because of the way that he handled certain situations. I think that was a great learning experience for myself.”
(I think they appreciate the fact, a lot have mentioned the fact that you’re just a little bit older than them as well, and you can relate to them on whatever aspect, whether it’s social media … you treat them like men.) – “I think that’s another thing that I’ve learned over the last four years being with (Chicago Bears Head) Coach (John) Fox is that’s how he always treated all of his players. He gave them some leeway on a few things, but if you abused it or you tried to take advantage of that or did something wrong, then it would get it reigned in pretty quick. Once again, that was great for me to see because it was different than anything I had experienced before.”
(When did you learn that G/T Laremy Tunsil would be unavailable and how far away do you think he is now?) – “The night before, we felt like we were probably going to be without him. We held until the next morning to just … I mean he could have walked in and been like, ‘I’m good. I can go.’ He took enough reps to where we felt comfortable. Like we talked about last week, ‘B.A.’ (Branden Albert) could just legitimately not do anything the entire week and walk in there. Laremy, I would want him to at least go through the walkthroughs or just at least have an idea of seeing things from the position he was going to play. So we had enough in there where if he would have said I was good to go, we would have been okay with it. We didn’t feel great about it going into Sunday and we had our mind set that Sam (Young) was going to be the left tackle.”
(What are you hearing or seeing from your players on the sidelines late in games that tells you they have this belief that somehow they’ll find a way to pull out the game?) – “I think there’s just good chatter through the game. If something bad happens, which it does in every game, right? I mean every game in the NFL, it just seems like there are these momentum shifts and you feel like you’re okay and then all of a sudden, something crazy happens and there’s a swing. I just hear that constant positive reinforcement from a lot of the guys on the sideline – whether it’s offense, defense or some of the special teams guys – but there’s always good dialogue and good encouragement on the sideline.”
(Has that increased through the course of the season?) – “I think it’s been pretty consistent. Once (Mike) Pouncey started playing again and we kind of had a lot of our guys back – our captains were all healthy – that’s when it really picked up. It really has been pretty steady as we’ve gone on. We’ve seen some guys kind of emerge as far as being a little more vocal. It’s some different guys that maybe we didn’t expect to hear from. I think a lot of guys have – whether they’ve become a starter and feel as though they can say something; or just some guys that have been veteran players that have been through a lot of this before, to where they feel comfortable saying something.”
(Who would be some of those guys?) – “I think (Andre) Branch is a guy that I’ve noticed. I think Cam (Wake) has been a lot more vocal than probably what I thought. When I first met him, I thought he was quiet. He worked as hard as anybody I’d ever been around and was consistent, but I’ve noticed that especially over the last, when things weren’t going so good, he was really stepping up. He was being vocal and really trying to be an impactful leader.”
(When QB Ryan Tannehill talks about playing with fast feet, can you explain that in layman’s terms and do you guys have like a buzz word that you use to remind him of that during games?) – “The thing that I always just remind him every once in a while is if I feel like he’s getting a little stagnant at the back where you see him kind of sitting in the back of the pocket and his feet aren’t moving or he’s not sliding around, I’ll just say something like, ‘Keep moving,’ or ‘Push up in the pocket.’ Just things like that, just little reminders. I don’t want to overdo it because there are a lot of things going on there. You have a lot of things on your mind as far as hot side adjusts (and) run checks. He’s got a lot of things going on out there. I just try to hit him up with that every once in a while but we try to get him back (in the pocket) quick, get him up quick, keep his feet moving and then, if something breaks down, just be ready to move and run. We’ve encouraged him to get outside the pocket. ‘Don’t wait.’ It’s nice when he can stand in there and throw it. Every once in a while he will and he’ll take a hit, but we’d rather him not get hit.”
(How are you going to grade the improvement on that then?) – “I think he’s done a great job. He’s really bought into the fact that we’re okay with him making, kind of ad-libbing plays. I have no problem with it. He makes good decisions. He’s aggressive, I know that. When I see him roll to the left and throw it 40 yards down the field, I’m sure I’m going, ‘No!’ and then he completes it and I’m like, ‘That was a great play.’”
(Along those lines, nine touchdowns by QB Ryan Tannehill and just one pick during this win streak. He’s accurate on throws when he knows he’s not going to see the completion because he’s going to be on the ground. Is there one or two aspects of his game that just impress you more than others?) – “I think there is a lot of trust there for him with the wide receivers, tight ends, running backs, as far as those guys being in the right spots. I think a lot of it comes from the way that we’ve been practicing. Guys are practicing fast; it’s competitive. I love the way our scout team is practicing right now as far as going against our offense. It’s very competitive, and I think that’s what makes the games at least feel normal for our guys. It’s not a different speed. He’s impressed me as far as his faith in where guys were going to be. I’ve seen him make a couple throws where he doesn’t see it and he puts it in the spot that we had talked about during the week and, whether it’s a receiver, tight end or running back, they’re where they are supposed to be.”
(TE Dion Sims really flashed yesterday, at least in the receiving end. How would you assess the way he played? Also, what did we not see that he had…) – “He’s been pretty consistent as far as when he’s out there, whether it’s blocking, pass protection, route running; he catches the ball well. He has good hands. He’s just one of those guys that you don’t expect it from because he’s a big guy. He looks like he should just be your prototypical leave him protection, don’t release him on the routes, good run blocker (tight end). But for a guy his size, he does have good hands and he can run after the catch. He looks for that, like that one he had yesterday when he got that check down, he was ready to go and he wasn’t going to be brought down. I don’t think he ended up going to the ground that play, because even when he went out of bounds, they tried to take a shot at him and the guy just bounced off of him.”
(You guys are really wide receiver heavy in your offense. Do you think if you get X number of catches from your tight ends, it’s a good day? Do you even go into it like that?) – “I don’t even think about who’s getting the ball, for the most part. It’s about finding the open guy. It doesn’t matter who it is, we just want guys that can catch the ball and then turn up the field and try to make a play.”
(How is WR DeVante Parker?) – “We’re still kind of in the process right now as far as our evaluation. I’ll know more when we hit Wednesday. It’s going to take the rest of today … I was very brief with the trainers today so I don’t have all the details yet.”
(What does it say about WR Leonte Carroo for him to be able to step in and make the play that he was able to make when WR DeVante Parker got injured?) – “Well, the experience that he had probably coming out of – I can’t remember what game it is but when Kenny (Stills) went down – I think that was valuable because we had a few things that he didn’t quite do his job as well as I know he wanted to do and we had a few mental errors there. I think it was a good thing that it happened because we started getting him more reps in practice because we felt like we did him a little bit of an injustice by not preparing him better than what we had. We can … (Wide Receivers Coach) Shawn (Jefferson) and (Assistant Wide Receivers Coach) Ben (Johnson) can do a great job in the classroom, but really, at the end of the day, it’s about getting reps, especially for a young player. They’ve done a great job as far as moving those guys around more in practice. When he got in there, I felt really good. When he went in there in this game, I knew he was going to know what to do, it was just going to be will he get an opportunity to make a play? When I saw (Tannehill) throw it to him, it was kind of one of those things you could sense the way that he turned up that he was not going to be tackled. That was good to see. You saw an aggressive runner. It was basically what we had seen coming out of college.”
(RB Kenyan Drake is making more plays in November than he was in September. What’s lead to him coming around?) – “I think it’s just the development of a young player. That’s part of … you want your rookies to be able to contribute as much as possible. With his skill set, we obviously have a lot of confidence in him. It’s just about assignment, making sure that we’re going as many places we can without doing the wrong thing, which he’s getting better and better at. I know sometimes it’s hard when you don’t get a ton of reps because Jay (Ajayi) takes a lot of our reps in practice. Jay likes to practice and he practices fast. You try to get somebody in there for him and he doesn’t want to be taken out because he wants those reps. Kenyan and Damien (Williams) have to do a good job of watching and listening in meetings, which isn’t always the easiest thing to do when you’re not the one doing it. He’s done a good job of learning what we’re doing and being accountable to what he’s doing. He’s been impactful when we’ve put him in there. We’d always love to get him in there more, all three of those guys. I really like watching those three guys play. They always seem to make something happen. Whenever we give them the chance to touch the ball, they make something happen.”
(Is there an update on C Mike Pouncey?) – “I think we’re still … it’s such a week-to-week thing. I’m going to have to really look into it as far as what are our chances this week; but just in my mind, we’re probably not ready yet. We’re probably not ready.”
(How did C/G Anthony Steen perform?) – “He did a good job. He had a tough one, the way that they were playing. We had some things going on as far as what he had to control in the run game and in pass protection. They gave us some tougher looks there when they did go into some of their smaller personnel groupings and trying to figure out who we were supposed to block up front compared to the back and our hots, stuff like that. They really gave us some tough looks. He did a good job as far as his communication goes. He had a tough matchup, and he did a good job of trying to get his guy covered up as much as possible. Sometimes when you play a 3-4 style defense, you’re on your own at center. It’s not as easy as you think, trying to read some of those shades; it’s not always easy. You try to do the best you can as far as not allowing penetration and sometimes he won and sometimes he lost.”
(We asked some of your guys what they thought of the standings, if they knew about the standings and that sort of thing, and they professed that they don’t pay any attention. Is that what you want to hear?) – “I think it’s hard for us to really worry about anything else. Our focus is so small, as far as we’re worried about what we’re going to do this week. I think guys are still looking at yesterday as far as, what do we have to fix? What do we need to do better? I love the fact that our guys are thinking that way. A lot of the times, that’s how coaches think. It’s hard to look down the road because you have so much focus on what’s going on that week, there’s so much work that goes on just to win that one game. I know it sounds easy to do to just say, ‘Well we’ve got this team after this, and this team after this,’ but you can’t look past anybody. You can’t think too far ahead, because that’s when you get in trouble for the week that you’re preparing for. All of your focus needs to go on that one week.”
(Does it get more important week to week? Do you rely more on veterans that may have playoff experience or been down this road before?) – “I think that we’re going to rely on the guys that are on the field. I think veteran players are great to have. I don’t know if you checked out our roster lately. (Laughter)”
(I meant having someone in the locker room getting the message across to players that haven’t been through this?) – “I don’t know how many guys that we actually have had that have been through this. I think we have more coaches than players, really. I think a lot of our players that have had experience where December is a little interesting is minimal.”
(Going back to TE Dion Sims, in the last three games he’s played all but two of the offensive snaps. What does that say about A) his durability and B) his value to the offense?) – “For a guy his size, he’s in tremendous shape, and that’s why he has the ability to stay on the field. I do think he has the type of mentality to where he takes a lot of pride being on the field as much as possible. I know when he has been hurt with us in the past, if it’s been something that he can play with; we rarely hear about it. He just keeps going. Obviously, the only thing that has really side tracked him is when he had to go through … He went through a tough deal when he had his concussion. That was a tough thing for him to go through because it was not the first one. We had to be very cautious. We had to retool kind of how we prepare him, as far as once he did get healthy and he was cleared, we took one more week. We felt like that was the right thing to do. Our strength and conditioning and sports science guys getting with him and trying to find ways as far as strengthening certain muscles in his body, and the equipment guys just going out of their way to make sure we are completely protecting him. (We were) doing all of these little tiny things to make sure that he’s going to be safe every game and if he does take a shot, are we going to be ok? It’s something that … It’s uncontrollable for him, really. That’s the toughest part. I think that everything else he plays through, but when you kind of get into that concussion protocol, that’s something we have to take a step back and do the right thing.”
(What can you say about his value to the offense? You want to keep him out there.) – “Yes, I think for a guy that has that kind of size and his skill set is just, it’s unusual. You don’t find a lot of guys that can do everything. When you have a guy that can block and pass protect, and obviously he has a valuable role in our passing game, it makes it harder for teams to defend.”
(The running figures yesterday were not what we thought they might be considering San Francisco was last in run defense. Was that a matter of just having eight or nine guys up there, or was it the offensive line?) – “I think they played well, I mean they did a lot of things really well. We … Sam (Young), and (Kraig) Urbik were … (they) really haven’t had a lot of playing time together. Some of the combination blocks, weren’t as good as I’m sure they wanted, and it was just kind of a different feel for us as far as, I kept running to the right and a lot of times that was unusual. We had been probably more to the left coming into this game, the last couple of games. Usually they were backside and they were kind of … I think it was almost like a hash deal. That’s just how it played out. It was just kind of a perfect storm as far as they played well, they have a good scheme, which makes it tough against our running game, and they did a good job as far as challenging us in the passing game, and saying ‘Hey, beat us in the air.’ Their players played well, and I think they had less plays than they’ve had in a long time as far as I think … What did we have, like 53 plays? They were averaging 70 something. Sometimes when you have a lot of plays and you’re on defense, all of a sudden the numbers can look bad. When you get caught in a game like that where you get 53 plays, now all of a sudden it looks different.”
Ja’Wuan James – November 28, 2016
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Monday, November 28, 2016
Tackle Ja’Wuan James
(Talk about Head Coach Adam Gase and just how he’s a cool coach. He’s not afraid to show emotion like a teenager. He gives you guys high fives, slaps you on your tail from time to time. How much do you guys love that and enjoy that and embrace it as a team?) – “I love it because he’s relatable. He relates with us. We’re a young team. Everybody has seen that as an issue, I feel like, in the past. But he’s came and he’s embraced it and he has really, like I said, related with us. He holds us to a high expectation too.”
(And does that make you want to run for a brick wall for him? Explain that.) – “Oh, for sure. You’d do anything for him because you see he has your back. He has your back with you guys, the media. He has our back with our position coaches. Everything. So you want to play for a guy like that.”
(Has this team developed a belief that no matter the circumstances, you guys will find a way to…?) – “Yes. I do believe that. I feel like you can see it in the players’ eyes. When the team scores and we’re seeing the defense walk off and we’re about to go out, you can see it then like, ‘Oh, we know you all are going to score.’ And we’re like, ‘We got your back.’ (It’s the) same thing with us. We get a three-and-out, we see the punt team come on (and it’s) the same thing. ‘Oh, we’re going to get the ball back.’ So I feel like that’s what’s helped through this little run we’re having right now. We have to continue to have each other’s back.”
(When did you first notice it?) – “I first noticed it really the Titans game. We didn’t come out with that W, but I feel like that week is when stuff really started growing.”
(When did you become convinced that the team you were at 1-4 is becoming the team that you are now? Is there a time between now and then when…?) – Like I said, right during the Titans game and then that week of practice. That week of practice, practice changed and it’s been the same ever since. Guys are competing and then we’re going hard every day and I feel like (we’re) just going out there showing (it).”
(What do you think about when you think of the Baltimore Ravens and their style?) – “Physical defense. I think of defense first. Being a kid, seeing Ray Lewis all the time. (Terrell) Suggs, all those guys. Great defense. We haven’t looked at a lot of film yet but we’re about to.”
(And you’ve played against them once or twice?) – “One time. Last year, I was out. One time. My rookie year.”
(What do you remember about that game?) – “I remember it was a physical game. It was a game that was going to the fourth quarter. So I know we’re going to have to come out here and be prepared to play four quarters.”
(Is the ‘p’ word allowed now in the locker room?) – “I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”
(Playoffs.) – “Oh. No, we haven’t… (laughter) We haven’t really talked about it. We like to just talk about being 1-0 this week because this week is our next game.”
(Do you even know where you are in the standings? The Wild Card race or..?) – “No, sir.”
(Don’t pay any attention to it…?) – “No.”
(Because?) – “I feel like what’s been working has been working. We’ve just been focused on the next opponent and I feel like we have to keep that approach.”
Anthony Steen – November 28, 2016
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Monday, November 28, 2016
Center/Guard Anthony Steen
(You’ve been trying to play with the neck roll. How’d that go for you? How’s your neck and your ankle coming off yesterday?) – “It’s different having to play with a neck roll. You feel stiff and any time you have to bend over, it’s hard to bend over with a neck roll and you definitely can’t look up; but I’m slowly getting used to it.”
(Are you able to pop up and see everything in time or are you…?) – “When I’m down on the ball, it’s hard to look up. But once I snap it and then come up, it’s fine. It keeps me more back flat, not hunch backed over.”
(Did you come out of it any worse yesterday as far as your neck and your ankle?) – “No, not at all. No, I didn’t tweak anything or hurt anything.”
(That’s progress, right?) – “Yes.”
(Overall, just talking about this team having a flare for dramatics. Every game seems it goes down to…) – “That’s football. Sometimes it comes down to the end of the game, even though you don’t want it to. Especially like last night’s game, we were just sitting on the sideline (saying), ‘Man, what could we do?’ So everybody on the sideline on offense is standing out there cheering our defense on to try and support our defense and luckily they stopped them right there at the goal line.”
(Good thing you guys have a young coach to keep that blood pressure a little lower and whatnot.) – “Yes, he might’ve fallen down right there on the sideline.”
(What does it say about this offense that you guys are now winning without RB Jay Ajayi and the running game being the focal point of it?) – “I think that’s part of being a playoff caliber team. You can’t be strong at just one position. So when that one spot in the run game, for us blocking last night wasn’t very strong for us at all. So when we went to the throwing game and we have a quarterback like Ryan (Tannehill) and the receivers that we do, when we’re struggling in the run game, we go to the passing game. They put seven or eight guys in the box every play and go ahead. We’ll let Ryan (Tannehill) throw it on you all day.”
(Head Coach Adam Gase was saying that he took it as an insult that they were kind of daring you guys to throw) – “Yes, that’s what it seemed like. They kept putting eight guys in the box. They knew we were going to try to run inside and outside zone on them. They were so focused on stopping that, that after the first couple of plays, Gase said, ‘The heck with it,’ And let Ryan (Tannehill) have the ball and let him throw it.”
(What were those conversations like on the sidelines amongst you guys and Head Coach Adam Gase about that they weren’t respecting your passing threat?) – “We didn’t think anything of it. (Head) Coach (Adam Gase) was saying, ‘Keep the job up for giving Ryan (Tannehill) plenty of time and just keep doing what we do.’”
(Head Coach Adam Gase said afterwards that they felt like it was disrespectful. Was that something he was telling you guys on the line?) – “Usually, if we see Gase on our bench, it’s either when we’re doing something really good – he comes by and tells us, ‘Hey, keep it up.’ – or if we’re doing something really, really bad. (Laughter) But I don’t even think he came over last night. It’s usually when we talk to any coaches, it’s (Offensive Line) Coach (Chris) Foerster. He’ll come over. I guess if Gase has something, he’ll tell Foerster.”
Cameron Wake – November 27, 2016 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 27, 2016
Postgame – vs. San Francisco
Miami Dolphins DE Cameron Wake (transcribed by Ted Leshinski)
(Up 17 points, did you think as a team you’d have to make one last stand at the goal line?) – “Well, the way things have been going the last couple of weeks you never know. But, no matter what happens this is the NFL. You’ve got to play every play until the last play of the game, if it comes down to it, and so said. That’s what we got to do. It took every guy, top to bottom, doing their job to make sure we got this win.”
(How tough is QB Colin Kaepernick? I know the first couple of times when they ran that option you had RB [Carlos] Hyde and he was off running down the field. Was it tough to decide what he was doing in that football game)? – “Not really. That’s the assignment. If I got the dive, I take the dive and you count on your guys to take the quarterback. So assignment football … I think a couple of times whether it’s scheme, or miscommunication; assignments got screwed up. So that’s something that we definitely have to make sure we take care of going forward. But at the end of the day, like I said, we just had to make one more play than they did and we did and we got the win.”
(How’d it feel on that last drive when they were moving down the field and got to within a shadow of that goal post there, and have an opportunity to tie it up?) – “We just knew we had to keep them out. Every time we stop the ball, guys got together, ‘Look, one more play. Who’s going to be the guy who makes it?’ And everybody would gather up and look at each other in the eye and say, ‘Listen, we’ve just got to make this happen. We can’t let them in.’ He moved the ball a little bit but at the end of the day, like I said, don’t let him in. And here we are with another win.”
(Did you have a view of DT Ndamukong Suh and the tackle he made at the end of the game? Were you able to see that?) – “I was busy doing something else. I just know, it looked… When I saw it, it looked impressive. I’m sure were going to go back and watch the film and see what happened on that last play.”
(Did you have a sense that it was going to come down to you taking him down in the open field? He’d run well all day.) – “I had no idea what it was going to be. Whatever it was going to be you have to do your job. If your job is rushing the quarterback, rush the quarterback. If it’s cover, cover, and if he broke the containment it will take everybody to rally. That’s just the way we’re built, and that’s exactly what happened. I didn’t really have any premonitions about what was to come, but again I knew there was still time on the clock and the balls in play and you’re going to have to continue to go out there and do your job. Like I said, every guy, top to bottom, it took both sides of the ball and that’s the way it is when you want to win in this league.”
(I know it’s one game at a time, but since you’ve been in Miami through 11 games you guys have never had seven wins. Does it feel different around here?) – “If you start looking at the big picture you’re going to miss the things that are ahead of you. Our whole mindset this past week was just one game, win one game. They i’m sure they don’t care about what happened two weeks ago, and neither did I. I’m sure they don’t care what’s to come three weeks from now. It was just about the task at hand and what we have to do. Honestly, it wasn’t so much about them it was about us and making sure we take care of our job and the guys up front being in place, where you’re supposed to be and that’s the only way you’ve got to be. You can’t start wondering and looking at things down the road because then you’re going to miss things right in front of you.”
(This team is more confident during this winning streak. What are the areas you guys have made major gains, would you say?) – “I just think the whole… probably weeks and weeks ago; it was just complimentary football. Maybe it was a long time ago but way back in the beginning it seemed like there were spurts were offense was kicking on all cylinders and they’re doing their job and the defense couldn’t get off the field. And there were times when we were doing our job getting off the field and the offense couldn’t stay on the field. And you’re not going to win that way. The entire goal is very basic; defense get off the field, get the ball to the offense, and they put points on the board and we go back out there and repeat the process. For the most part that’s kind of been what we’re doing. Obviously special teams is playing their part as well. Just play complimentary football – whether it’s offense, defense, left, right … on a side of the defense, front to back, corners and safeties playing off each other. That’s the only way to play. I feel like when we’re doing that it’s going to be hard to beat us.”
(On that last drive, there was that deep pass that was ruled incomplete that was overturned on replay. Did you have an idea that as soon as you saw the board that it was going to be overturned?) – “Again, I didn’t know. I’m usually busy dealing with something else to find out what’s going on in the backend. They made a play. That’s the NFL. They get paid too. They’ve got decent players and that’s just the nature of the business. They’re making plays, got to say hey ‘Hey look, spot the ball, let’s line up and let’s do this again.’ They called it incomplete at first and then reversed it and … you just have to have that mindset. Oh well, put the ball down, snap it, and let’s do it again. We just kept fighting, kept fighting and kept fighting. It came down to the last play of the game and the guys who strained and made a play … we got the W.”
(On that quick call when it was 1st down and goal at the 8-yard line, they throw it at CB Byron Maxwell and he breaks it up but only three seconds came off the clock. Did you think that that pass was the end of the game?) – “Well, again, you look at the clock and there’s still time on the clock then you got to go again. Until it says 00:00, you’ve got to continue to go out there and leave it all on the field. I think if you look at the team, look at the way we played today, the guys literally left it all on the field. Their last drop, engine light’s on, tires blown, transmission … everybody just literally rolled it all the way until the end. That’s the best feeling. You come off the field and you know you left it all out there. Two seconds left, whatever it may be … I don’t get to play the clock or control it, because it probably would’ve been different. But that’s just the way it happened. Last play, last minute play. We need it.”
(Kiko [Alonso] seems to be consistently around the football. Just how instinctive is he as a player, you being around him every day?”) – He is obviously, mike “middle” linebacker, he’s the centerpiece. Front, back, side to side. He’s the one who makes the calls, gets us lined up. You really want that kind of guy to be your mike linebacker. The guy who knows what’s going to happen before it happens. Has you lined up, makes sure everybody’s set where they’re supposed to be and obviously he has a nose for the ball and I think he’s been a big part of our success from the beginning. And obviously being around him, he’s a great person, a great football player and he’s made some really, really big plays to help us stack up these wins.”
(I think you have a sack or an assist sack in each of the last six games. How do you feel about the way you’re playing right now?) – “It’s hard to satisfy me. I’ll be very honest. I feel like I could play better. I have very high standard. Probably higher than any of you guys, my coaches involved, included, what I expect from myself. Getting out there, if it’s just one that’s not enough. I have big dreams so every time I go out there I feel like no matter who I’m lined up against, no matter what the situation is, I’m going to win and if I don’t, that’s unacceptable. So I may pat myself on the back later on in the year, or after I’m done playing but for now I’m still striving for more, so I’m not satisfied.”
