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.”
