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Ryan Tannehill – November 16, 2016 (Conference Call) Download PDF version

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

QB Ryan Tannehill Conference Call with Los Angeles Media

(What do you think of the challenge of going against a defensive line like the one the Rams have?) – “They have a great defense. It’s definitely a challenge for us. They have a really good front. They do a lot of things to put pressure on the offensive line, get a lot of five-on-five matchups and let their guys work. They have a lot of faith in the guys and for good reason. They’re really talented upfront, and they do a good job of getting pressure on the quarterback, whether it’s pushing the pocket, affecting throws, making the quarterback move – all those types of things to just disrupt the passing game. I have a ton of respect for this defense and how they want to affect the game.”

(The Rams have a rookie quarterback starting for the first time. Do you have much recollections of your first start?) – “Yes, I obviously remember my first start. It was a rough first half and then we got things going in the second half. But that was a long time ago.”

(What kinds of things helped you get through it after that first half, and what kind of things happened that enabled you to run a little bit more smoothly?) – “You just have to keep playing. I think no matter whether you’re in your first game or your 101st game that’s football. You just got to keep playing.”

(What you do think has been the difference for you guys as a team and for you as a quarterback with Head Coach Adam Gase as head coach?) – “I think he’s done a great job of establishing a mindset, building a culture around our building, a belief in each other. We’ve done a good job of pushing each other in practice, practicing really hard. We’re practicing efficiently and trying to get the most out of our time. I think establishing the culture has been the biggest thing (and) his mindset, competiveness in practice and pushing each other to be better. And we see that payoff on Sundays.”

(You made some pretty big leaps in your career from Year 1 to Year 2. What kind of things were you able to draw from that first year as an NFL starting quarterback, and how big was that for you to have that season where you were under center, and how much did it help you moving forward?) – “Obviously, the more reps you get, the more experience you get, the more comfortable you get and you learn. You learn from the good reps; you learn from the bad reps. You learn from game reps and practice reps alike. The more reps you get under your belt, the better you should be.”

(From your vantage point, can you talk about what DT Ndamukong Suh has done for the defense as well as your team and field position and things like that?) – “He has done a great job. He’s very disruptive, whether it be in the pass game or the run game. He’s a talented player who’s playing really well right now. He’s making a lot of big plays for our defense.”

(What think has been the key in RB Jay Ajayi’s sort of jump and his leap in maybe his development?) – “I think he has done a really nice job. I think he learned a lot from Arian (Foster) in the run game whenever Arian was here. I think the biggest deal over the last month has been the offensive line doing a great job up front and giving him those creases. Jay runs hard. He runs hard every down. He’s going to break tackles. He’s going to run through arm tackles and make it tough and then get to that second level consistently. That’s trouble for a defense. I don’t care, really, what defense it is. You get a 240 pound back – or however much he weighs – running full steam ahead, you don’t want to have that matchup several times over the course of the game. That’s really our goal – to get him to the second level, get him to the secondary clean and let him work from there.”

(Do you think part of the reason for the run that you guys have been on is maybe you all just getting more used to each other from a coaching staff perspective and then also from the player perspective, building that chemistry there.) – “There’s definitely a learning curve with the new system, new head coach. There’s definitely a growing process, and we’re still on it. We’re still on that path. We keep growing as a team – growing as an offense – and building that chemistry together. That’s definitely a big part of it, and I hope to continue on that path.”

(You’re going up against the Rams, obviously, this week and you’re going up against Rams QB Jared Goff, but being part of the quarterback fraternity, if you had any advice for Jared coming out and playing his first game – getting his first snaps – what kind of advice would you give him?) – “I’m not really big on giving him advice before we play him. I’m just focused on doing everything I can to help this team win.”

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