Adam Gase – November 26, 2017 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 26, 2017
Postgame – New England Patriots
Dolphins Head Coach Adam Gase (transcribed by the New England Patriots)
Q: Coach, first series of downs and three and out, then they run the fake punt. How demoralizing was that for the team?
AG: That was one of the areas we are trying to emphasize – win the special teams battle. Losing that one on the first one of the game was a little disappointing. But it was a 60-minute game, so we have to figure out how to get a stop and make them punt again.
Q: Seems like out there, we are 11 games into the season, it still seems that on defense there is confusing at times when guys are lining up and offensively some of those situations. Is there a big concern with that?
AG: I mean, when the defense, when the team, breaks the huddle, they are trying to figure out where everybody is at. You know, it’s tough against these guys, especially because you are seeing multiple [running] backs and three wide outs in this game. You know, we are trying to make sure that everyone is kind of communicating, knows where to go and our end zone man [coverage], pressuring – there were a lot of things going on there. So you know, those guys communicating, to me, isn’t a negative thing on defense, offensively. You know, I didn’t kind of see that today.
Q: Adam, season-high seven sacks allowed. Quarterback sacks. What went wrong with the pass protection?
AG: It was an overall effort. I mean, we were throwing the ball almost every down there. When we were down to one running back, so there were a couple times when we had some missed assignments, but you know, we were trying to get some chunk plays and try to find a way to shorten the field up.
Q: What happened on the [Bobby] McCain play when he was ejected?
AG: That’s something you guys will have to talk to him about. What happened there, I just saw the replay.
Q: Coach, you get down on 14-0 in the first two series. How much does that change what you try to do offensively? What you can’t do offensively? Play calling-wise…
AG: I didn’t change anything. I kept to what we kind of talked about. Nothing really changed for us until we were down to one running back.
Q: Adam, right before the half, you had a 21-10 game. You had the ball at the 15, you threw a lot of passes to Devante Parker and he didn’t make a play on the ball. Did he not see it?
AG: That would be a good question to ask him. I thought Matt [Moore] made the right read. I would have to watch the film, don’t know if he was early or DeVante didn’t think it was coming to him? You know, that quickly. It looked like the ball was in the air, when he got his head around, he was trying to stop then fell.
Q: He’s had four interceptions come at him. Is this something in his game that you are seeing?
AG: I mean, that’s hard to say. I mean, every place, is a different play.
Q: Seems like every week we talk about the same issues with this team. Converting first down, converting third down, gaining first downs, penalties, mistakes. You have five games left, can you clear it up?
AG: We had less pre-snap penalties, so that was a positive. You know, we just seem to be having the wrong things happening to us at the wrong times. You know, we just have to go back to work and find a way to clean a lot of these things up. I see a lot of those things as fixable. You know, we are basically in a situation where we need to put a good game together here real quick.
Q: You lost five in a row, where is this team?
AG: I think they are still battling. I mean, we have been practicing good. That’s the frustrating part, more than anything and it’s not translating to Sunday. We are still making a few mistakes that are really hurting us. You know, get a little too aggressive underneath things and kind of put everybody else in a bind there. To where I thought Matt had a good call on and everyone does their job, we are in better shape. And we were just having too many situations like that. You know, guys just have to do their job. They have to trust what they are being told and do exactly what they are supposed to do and that’s when we will start having better results.
Q: The Patriots have shown a little more balance this year and Dion Lewis, every week, seems to be getting better. He had over 100 yards, first time in his career. Can you talk about how dangerous their offense is when they run the ball like this?
AG: I think anytime you got a group of running backs, especially like they do, you can stretch the field. You know, and then all of a sudden – you throw it underneath, and you have one-on-one matchups across the board. That makes it tough and you know, when you expect a team that historically, with certain guys, they emphasize certain parts of the game, whether it be run/pass game. Now all of a sudden you start running the ball with them and you are expecting pass or vice versa. That’s what makes it tough, the [more] versatile those running backs are, that’s what makes it more difficult to defend.
Q: Is there a fine line to toe between playing aggressively and still allowing yourselves to be efficient? There was a drive that the Patriots had where there was the ejection of McCain, a facemask penalty. I haven’t covered you guys, but heard about the number of penalties…
AG: Yeah, that was a terrible series for us. I mean, that was one we really couldn’t have at that moment in the game. We really put ourselves in bad position, especially losing Bobby like that. That puts a lot of guys in a bad position. And then we have to start moving things around. The frustrating part is when you have the facemask penalties, that’s just going back to fundamental football. Hands in the right place and doing the right things through the entire down. You know, we shoot ourselves in the foot when we do things like that.
Q: They’re [the Patriots] not perfect, but they are somewhat maddeningly efficient. I mean you got a three-and-out in the first drive, bam they hit you with something. Are they a measuring stick or do you have enough to worry about in your own place?
AG: Yeah, I think I have enough to worry about in my place.
Q: You now have one healthy running back, where do you go?
AG: Obviously going to have to reevaluate where we are at right now. Probably have to move some pieces around. I don’t even know how bad everyone is right now.
Q: What else do you tell the team in terms of last year, 10-6, you made the playoffs. This year, you have surpassed that in terms of the number of losses. What do you tell the team in terms of overall goals?
AG: Well, right now we just have to worry about winning one game. That’s what we have to worry about.
Q: Early in the second half, there was a play in which they dropped a punt return, and Michael Thomas came up with the ball. They ruled it dead. How did you see that?
AG: Well, sometimes when you [see] those scrums, as soon as they see someone with the ball, they think that’s who has it. They just say it’s blue and then they go with it and it doesn’t matter who gets up with the ball, so assuming that’s what happened. I didn’t really get an explanation on that one.
