Adam Gase – September 21, 2016
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Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Head Coach Adam Gase
(On his message to the team today) – “Get back to work, focus on this week, the details. We got to clean a lot of things up that we are doing to ourselves. I think every week we’ve gone in and worried less about the opponent and more about what we were doing.”
(On an update on RB Arian Foster) – “Right now, we are going through our process as far as evaluating him and trying to rehab him a little bit and see where his strength is at. I’ll have a better idea when I get back in tonight.”
(On today being an injury day of as opposed to it being a veteran’s day off) – “Yes, this was from him coming out of the game.”
(On if he has a starter in mind or if it will be an open competition if RB Arian Foster doesn’t play on Sunday) – “We’ll look at practice this week. When we put our openers together, we will have a better idea of who it’s going to be.”
(On what he needs to see from someone to win the starting running back job) – “I think we are going to use whoever we need to use this game. If it’s more than one, I’m not opposed to that. I think all of those guys have great skill sets and they’re all different, which is a strength for us, at least that’s the way I see it. We’ll just see how this goes. Like I said, as far as what we do at the beginning of the game, that could dictate too a little bit who the first guy is out there.”
(On the difference between guys like RB Isaiah Pead and RB Kenyan Drake) – “With (Kenyan) Drake, he is a guy that you can use in a whole bunch of different areas. Outside, he can be an outside zone runner. He can go out and run a lot of routes. There’s a big route tree there. He is good at pass protection, which he really proved himself last week. A guy like (Isaiah) Pead, he really showed us how he was as far as running in the outside zone scheme and then still being flexible enough to go inside gap scheme. His strength is more of the running game and we’ve been trying to open up more of what he can do in the passing game. It’s something that he hasn’t really been able to do a bunch of. That’s why in training camp, you’re always trying to give those guys as many reps of things that, maybe they haven’t done before, to see ‘How well can he do this? How far can we bring him along.’ He showed some good things in training camp and the preseason games, it’s just we haven’t had the chance to get him out there in a real game.”
(On how disappointing it is to have QB Ryan Tannehill as the leading rusher with 52 yards) – “I’m alright with where we are at right now. I know why certain things are what they are and you’ll know if I have a concern with the running game.”
(On what needs to improve with the run defense this week) – “We got to get back to doing some of the little things that we did that first game. Leading into the regular season, we did a lot of good things in training camp. I know we were very detailed going into the regular season. They did a really good job against Seattle, which I think that was pretty obvious. Last week, we put ourselves in a bad situation and we got behind. Once they kind of got going there, it becomes tough. The play count starts getting high, then you start to get worn down and all of a sudden they are running power football, and you have all these guys taking double teams, and we’re trying to set the edge. They ran some plays where they got to the perimeter. You have to go back, you have to clean that up. It’s a team thing because we have to do a better job as far as keeping them off the field on offense. And when the defense does get out there, we have to make sure that we’re all sound in our assignment. It’s hard to evaluate and correct things, as far as schematics, if we’re not doing what we’re asked to do. There were a few times where we didn’t do exactly what we were coached to do, and now we have to go back and basically go through it and (say), ‘This is the details of what we’re doing on this defense.’ And then move forward from there. But it’s hard to say, ‘Hey, this scheme is no good.’ We have to execute it first and then if we have some holes there, we have to adjust.”
(On DT Ndamukong Suh in the fourth quarter of the New England game) – “I think he came out like three plays in there. He’d go like three, take one, and then jump back in there. The thing is, when you’re getting some of the schemes they’re running at us, it makes it tough. He goes through the entire game and almost every play gets double teamed, and you never see him get moved. A lot of times, he’s penetrating. So, if you could imagine you’re 300 pounds and you got 640 (pounds) hammering down on you, and you’re holding the point, eventually that may fatigue you slightly. (Laughter) I’ll say this: if he comes out of the game, it’s never for long. It’s like one play, and he’s back in there. We have to keep figuring out what’s the right rotation, and I keep going back to playing complementary football. We got to get it to where those guys are able to play as many plays as they possibly can. If we get that play count down, that’s going to help us.”
(On whether LB Donald Butler is ready to help the team) – “I think so. When you have a guy that’s a veteran guy and you’ve been in a couple defenses, this is what these guys do. I know I’ve said it before. NFL players learn playbooks. They’re all the same. There are slight little tweaks here and there; the terminology is a little different. He’s a smart guy. He works hard. He has been so engaged. He has been spending extra time trying to make sure he’s caught up as fast as possible. He is a guy that can jump in there right now and help us out if we need him to. He has been really doing a good job as far as (being) engaged in special teams to really say, ‘If I get the opportunity – and I’m up – I can help, whether it be special teams, defense, whatever you need me to do.’”
(On DE Cam Wake playing 16 snaps against the Patriots) – “He knew we got in a weird situation there, because being down what we were down … What were we down? We were down 31-3. We know what’s coming. We know it’s going to be a pound-the-rock situation. What happens is, sometimes you play these fronts, and he’s not a pass rusher anymore. All of a sudden, now you’re playing a five-technique, and you’re stuck inside, and all of a sudden you’re getting hammered with double teams. That’s really not what we want to do with him. We want to make sure we’re in the game – whether we have a lead or in the game – to where he can rush the passer. That’s what we want him to do. We want to get him up there to where it’s 35, 40, 45 snaps, to where we’re maximizing him as far as what he does so well. The couple of times that he was in there and got one-on-ones, he’s right by the quarterback. Going into next week, what we’re trying to make sure that we’re doing is, on first and second down, we’ve got to be ready to get him in there earlier. We’ve had our discussions as far as how we can do a better job. It’s going to be about making it more of a balanced game between the two sides, so we don’t get lopsided as far as the rep count goes.”
(On if there are more busts on defense than what he expected thus far) – “What happens is, it’s the minute detail of, maybe you were supposed to go through a guy and you took an edge. (It’s) things like that to where you have to be so fine-detailed in what you’re doing, because – like you said – when you play this type of defense, it’s about penetration. It’s about attacking; it’s about speed. When you do take the wrong angle sometimes, it can be a chain effect to everybody else. I know (Defensive Coordinator) Vance (Joseph) is very hard as far as what everybody is supposed to do, the exact detail of it, and he goes through it so thoroughly in his meetings you would think, ‘Why are we screwing that up?’ But that’s what happens; that’s what this game is. You’re trying to get perfection, but it’s an imperfect game. People are going to make mistakes, and it’s about how can you make less than the other team.”
(On whether mistakes made on defense are mental or physical) – “I think a lot of the times, it’s more physical than mental. I want to say for the most part, mentally we’ve been pretty sound. It’s just a couple things in coverage every once in a while. Sometimes it’s formation predicated. When you get thrown something different – guys are in different spots – you start getting that conversation, that’s when you get in trouble. You’ve seen a couple times where guys are pointing at each other – who has who – and now all of a sudden they’re snapping the ball, and you’re slightly late. In this league if you’re late, you’re probably in trouble.”
(On RB Jay Ajayi) – “I think as far as what we’ve been doing with him in practice has been really good. I feel like, personally, I have a better feel of what he likes to do. He has been very engaged. He has done a great job as far as a special teams role. I think that’s a little different for him, because he was a starter for so long – (during) OTAs, preseason – and sometimes when you’re in that role, you lose track a little bit as far as understanding that it might flip flop one time. All of a sudden, now you’re needed on special teams. I think what he did was he reevaluated what was going on. He really did focus on making sure that he could be helpful to (Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Darren) Rizzi. That’s why he was able to do what he did last week as far as coming up, playing, doing a good job, whether it be the running game or pass protection. He had a couple times where he really saved the day on pass protection, where he stoned a guy inside, and with his size, helped us because those linebackers are big guys. When (Jamie) Collins was coming through, he got in there and shielded it off to where we could get a throw off. In the running game, he did everything right. He had the one bad play, which was unfortunate. It was bad timing. I think if we keep growing with him from where we’re at right now, he should improve through the year.”
(On if he did any pre-draft work on Browns QB Cody Kessler) – “I didn’t personally do anything with him. We had a very small target group that we targeted as far as guys that we may take late. I think he kind of fell into the group that we thought was going to go earlier than what we were looking to possibly take at quarterback if somebody fell to us in that late round. I didn’t do a whole bunch of stuff on him. Obviously your scouting staff has plenty of information because these guys … there are 100 reports on every guy that is involved in the draft. When you go through those, you’re kind of like, ‘How many guys wrote this guy?’ The good thing is, you get the information. The tough thing for us right now is when we see him, there’s not really a ton of tape at this level and now it’s going to be adjust on the fly. We’re going to have to see what he does well at this level against our group, how he is going to react, what are they going to do (and) what are they going to emphasize. So we are going to have to do some adjusting during the game.”
(On how you limit the explosiveness and speed of WR Corey Coleman) – “You better do a good job of tackling and staying on top of him because when you have an explosive guy, when you have a guy that I think is averaging almost 25 yards per catch right now, that makes it tough. You have to do a good job. You cannot let him get by you because if he does, there’s a good chance it’s over. Defensively, we have to be smart. We have to make sure that we try to do the best we can to eliminate explosive plays. That’s the tough part about playing a guy like that because all it takes is one little slip up and now all of a sudden you’ve got a guy going 60 yards.”
(On if he could describe his perfect running back) – “For me, it’s a guy that’s flexible. I like a guy that can do multiple things. If you can contribute pass protection, run the ball and in the pass game, that’s ideal for me. I always like to figure out what their strength is and just really attack that. That’s why our running back room is interesting to me because every guy is so different. When (Running Backs Coach) Danny (Barrett) tells me somebody is going in, I have to be like, ‘Okay, he likes this, this and this.’ A lot of times I’ll go to the sideline, ‘Who is the next guy? Okay, you want outside gap scheme and you want to release from the backfield.’ So (I’m) going through, checking the boxes for myself to understand who is in the game and how to use them.”
(On how much of a challenge that presents for the offensive line) – “I don’t know if it is so much of a challenge for them because the play call kind of dictates to them what their course is, what their scheme is and things like that. So I don’t know if it’s so much of a challenge for them as more of a challenge for us (coaches) making sure we’re calling the right plays. That’s probably the hardest part because now you’re switching gears if you only get one series and then somebody else goes in. That makes it a little tough. I think the o-line listens to the call, they know where everybody is supposed to be and they stay on their track.”
(On if he has to have a package for each running back going into the game) – “Sometimes I have, if I have multiple guys. There were a few times in Denver where I had to do that just to make sure I didn’t call the wrong play. Knowshon (Moreno) was different than C.J. (Anderson). Ronnie Hillman was different than both of those guys. So you had to box everything off and be like, ‘These are the runs that I can call with this guy.’ Here, so far, I’m still feeling some things out. I know some strengths for the most part, but every once in a while I’ll be like, ‘You good with this?” They’ll say, ‘yes,’ then you watch them run it and you’re like, ‘I don’t think I’m going to call that one again.’ That’s the fun part, kind of the beginning of the season, because you’re still trying to feel some guys out and experimenting a little bit.”
(On if he has ever had a running back that tells him they’re not good at something) – “Yes, definitely. There have been some guys that I’ve had in the past that are very honest because they know the amount of touches they get. Rarely … how many running backs get 30 touches a game? They know they usually get between 12 and 15 so they want to make sure that you’re calling the stuff they like as much as possible. C.J. Anderson was always like, ‘Give me inside zone; give me inside zone,’ I’d call one outside zone and he’d be like, ‘Thanks,’ (and the play would go for) minus one. (Laughter) It’s the same thing with these guys. They want positive plays. They want a chance to be able to make some kind of play. So that’s why you have to be on it. They know those touches are limited.”
(On clarifying if LB Donald Butler is ready to play defense and not just special teams) – “Right. I’m saying (he’s ready to play) both.”
(On if RB Kenyan Drake can do everything) – “He has the ability. When you are a rookie, a lot of things are happening. Last week there were a couple of times where he was misaligned and I’m pretty sure I blacked out a couple of times yelling at him, trying to get to him but he couldn’t hear me. (Laughter) Those are the little details that you have to get. When you’re a rookie, you make some mistakes, that’s where you kind of lose a little bit where you want a guy to be able to play fast and when you see him walking around not sure what to do, that kind of puts you in a bad spot. He does have some ability. He did some really good stuff. Pass protection, him picking up a corner blitz, that’s something that you really don’t see young (running) backs do but he was aware of what was going on and did a good job.”
(On QB Ryan Tannehill’s durability having never missed a game) – “Some of the hits I’ve seen on tape and a couple of the ones I’ve seen so far, he’s done a good job as far as getting his body ready. It’s a tough position to play. You’re getting hit. I saw a couple of hits the last few days, especially watching the Philly/Chicago game the other night, where (Eagles QB Carson) Wentz took a couple of shots and popped right back up. Sometimes it’s age, sometimes it’s the way your body is structured. Some guys take those hits better than others. The thing is, you just hope that nothing happens and that quarterbacks are able to play the entire game. Some of these guys are big men running fast, and if you’re not right on your protection, it could be a bad injury.”
Ndamukong Suh – September 21, 2016
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Defensive Tackle Ndamukong Suh
(On the challenges of playing against a quarterback you don’t know much about or have yet to see play) – “I don’t really look at it any differently than any other quarterback. If he is holding the ball, you take him down and if he hands it off, you go get the running back. It’s as simple as that to me.”
(On to not let the season snowball) – “I thinks we just have to focus on the game that is at hand. We can’t do anything about the other two weeks. They are in the books; they are in the past. We have to come out and be focused and be ready to make a statement at home. Obviously we want to make sure we have a home-field advantage all the time and be successful at home and protect our house.”
(On having a sense of urgency to get a win this week) – “There is no question. There’s a sense of urgency with every single game, no what time of the year it is or no matter what your record is. Whether you’re at the end of the season and already in the playoffs or whatever it may be, every single game is important.”
(On after watching the film why New England was able to run the ball effectively in the fourth quarter) – “They had a great scheme and executed. We didn’t execute the way we needed to and I think it’s as simple as that.”
(On the few snaps that he was not on the field later in the game) – “I feel like I’m in there most every opportunity that I can. If I’m not in there, there are obviously guys that are capable of being in the game and playing – whether it’s (Julius) Warmsley, Chris Jones, Jordan Phillips, ‘J.J.’ (Jason Jones) that comes down inside – so I don’t really understand the question.”
(On doing anything differently when DE Cameron Wake is in the game with him) – “No. We all understand what our scheme is and when guys are coming in. I think you would be oblivious to not understand who is playing next to you and who is not playing next to you. That is just a part of the game of having a rotation and having eight guys, nine guys that can go in there and play and are interchangeable. Of course you understand who is in the game and who is not in the game.”
(On what the Cleveland Browns do well on offense) – “They have a great (group) of running backs. Both of them run very hard and are downhill runners. (It is) something that we are definitely going to have to focus on and stop in the run game, as we want to do each and every game. The offensive line is having a little trouble with injuries right now, but obviously they have Hall of Famers on that roster right now, as well as some guys that have gotten the job done for them in years past. At the end of the day, we have to go out there and shut down the run and put it in the quarterback’s hands to beat us.”
(On what it is like to finally play at home and not have to get on a plane to play) – “It’s always nice – especially being able to stay at home – to hear your fans cheer for you and (to) just go out there and hopefully put on a good performance for them.”
Ryan Tannehill – September 21, 2016
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Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill
(On what stands out to him about his first career start) – “It was a long time ago. Honestly, I’m not really worried about that right now. (I’m) just getting ready to play Cleveland.”
(On how big a deal it is for the Browns that they will have a third-team quarterback starting) – “It definitely presents some challenges, obviously. Whether it’s a quarterback or another position, guys have to step up and play, and play well. I’m sure they’re going to get him ready to play and he’ll go out and execute to the best of his ability.”
(On the importance of starting fast) – “It’s huge. Obviously, you want to get going and want to get some momentum going and it (carries over) throughout the game. We want to be on the field and give our defense a break off the field. That will pay dividends in the fourth quarter. The last two weeks, as an offense, we’ve hurt our defense by not getting them off the field early in games and it’s come back to bite us at the end of the games. So we need to move the ball early, get points on the board and give our defense a break.”
(On if he can carry over some of the momentum that he had in the second half of the offense against the Patriots) – “Yes, we were rolling. I don’t know if momentum carries over but that feeling we had, just the confidence that we gained throughout that second half of this is how it’s supposed to be, this is how we can play when things are clicking. So it’s just a matter of practicing at that level and consistently playing at that level.”
(On the excitement of playing at Hard Rock Stadium) – “I’m excited about playing in the stadium. (It’s the) first time, like you said, since last year. I haven’t got to play in it (since the renovations). We were there for the preseason game – preseason (game number) four – but I wasn’t able to play. So I’m really excited to step on that field and play in front of the home crowd.”
(On if someone has addressed the team that enough is enough and this has to stop) – “No. I don’t think it’s necessary. We understand the situation we’re in and the opportunities that we’ve missed and so, to a man, I think everyone understands that and we’re working to get it fixed. We’re not missing it by a long shot. No drastic changes need to be made; but details need to be fixed and fixed quickly.”
(On what the emotion is right now) – “I still think it’s a positive locker room. Obviously (we are) frustrated that we didn’t make the plays we needed to the last two weeks; but (we are) excited about how we’re growing, how we’re building as a team and the potential we still do have. We have 14 games in front of us and (are) excited about the opportunities that are out there.”
(On what Head Coach Adam Gase’s message was to the team this week) – “Just cap off what we finished last week on and just get ready to play this week. We have one goal right now – it’s to beat Cleveland and get one win. So practice that way and prepare that way throughout this week.”
(On what kind of skills does RB Isaiah Pead and RB Kenyan Drake bring to the running back position if they get a chance for more carries this week) – “Yes, our running backs are talented, whether you look at Arian (Foster), Jay (Ajayi), (Isaiah) Pead, Damien (Williams). They all have different talents. They’re all good runners, obviously, playing the running back position; but, I think as a group, they’re really good catching the football coming out of the backfield, as well as pass protection. I’ve said it several times, I think our running backs are kind of plug and play, and it doesn’t really matter who is in there, we feel confident that they’re going to make plays for us and get the job done.”
(On if he saw the point spread for the game on Sunday) – “(Laughter) No. I don’t keep up with that.”
(On if can describe his comfort level in the short passing game and what has to happen to make the long passes work as well as he would like) – “I think it’s just a matter of execution – guys getting open, protection being firm, getting hands down upfront and throwing the ball in the right spot. I think you want to be efficient when you’re throwing the ball short. Obviously you’re not going to gain a whole lot of yardage, so you have to complete those passes and make them count. Down the field I feel like we’re doing a good job. We hit some long balls in the game the other day. We had an opportunity in Seattle. I don’t feel like anything drastic needs to happen. It’s just a matter of guys executing, being in the right spot, protection holding up and then, as a quarterback, delivering the football in the right spot.”
Adam Gase – September 21, 2016 (Conference Call)
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Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Head Coach Adam Gase Conference Call with Cleveland Media
(On the challenges of facing a rookie quarterback that he knows little about and has little tape on) – “I think the hardest thing for our guys is going to be just kind of the unknown. You can always try to do as much research as you possibly can as far as what looks like could be his strengths and weaknesses in the NFL from the limited exposure you have on him. You try to lean on possibly some of the scouting evaluation that went on coming out (of college), as much as you can; but obviously it’s such a different game at this level that it’s hard to really get great detail from college film. But you take everything you can and then the thing that you have to do more than anything is be able to adjust during the game.”
(On if he can empathize with the Browns’ quarterback situation right now) – “The hardest thing about this league is dealing with injuries no matter what position it is. The thing that they have going on there right now is the fact that (Head) Coach (Hue) Jackson is a very good coach and he’s made a living off of figuring out how to deal with adversity and putting his guys in great position and taking advantage of certain matchups. I think I look at it as he’s going to look at this as a great opportunity of putting his guys in position to win the game. Whatever he has to do – whether it’s lean on the quarterback, whether it’s lean on the running game, whether it’s get turnovers on defense and special teams, not turn it over on offense – he’s going to find a way to make sure that his guys are ready to go and that this is going to be a tough game for us.”
(On if he was more ready for this head coaching job now than when he turned down the opportunity to interview with the Browns in 2013) – “It was my first year as a coordinator and I had a lot to learn still. My focus at the time was that I wanted to make sure that I gave 100 percent focus to the Denver Broncos. I felt really good about our chances of competing in the Super Bowl. There were a lot of little things that went into my decision. It was more for myself than for the teams that wanted to talk to me. (I was a) first-year coordinator and trying to deal with all of those things, it’s a quick jump. I feel like the fact that I did not take that step that year was probably good for myself because it gave me two more years of experience in that position and allowed me to go through a lot of different situations.”
(On the biggest challenge of going from an offensive coordinator to a head coach) – “Dealing with non-football things – building issues, travel issues, itinerary-type things. Just things that you lose 15-20 minutes here and there and it just extends your day and you just have to be very good with your time management.”
(On why he thinks his team is struggling in the run game right now) – “I guess I don’t really see that we’re struggling in the run game. We played probably one of the best run defenses in football. You go back and look at the Rams – after we played Seattle – the next week the Rams averaged less yards per carry than we did. We know what we’re doing as far as what we need to emphasize. It’s like I told our media here, if I feel like there are problems with the run game, I won’t be afraid to say it.”
(On his expectations for RB Jay Ajayi this weekend) – “We’re going to see how everything plays out and kind of see how our inactives go. Hopefully we can get our rotation down this week and see who our guys are going to be and who is going to be up. I don’t know if I’m really ready to say, ‘This guy is going to get this many carries,’ or ‘So and so is going to play so many plays.’ We’re going to go through our work week and then once we hit Saturday night, we’ll have a better idea of who is up.”
(On what he has seen from WR DeVante Parker) – “I think the biggest thing with him is we’re just trying to figure out a way to keep him on the field. It seems like he starts making some strides and then some injury comes up and we have a slight setback. But as far as (being) a football player goes, he’s way ahead of what I thought he was going to be when he was drafted. I like his football intelligence. I like the way he works. I feel like he does a good job within the game of talking through some things and talking to us about things that are happening during the game – at least he was the last week. The thing that we love about him is the fact that he’s a playmaker. Within the game, you don’t see any kind of nervousness or hesitation with him. He’s very smooth within the game – very calm – and that’s a great way to be able to go about it as a wide receiver.”
(On Cleveland Browns WR Corey Coleman) – “I think he has been very impressive. He has done a good job of taking advantage of opportunities. When you’re averaging what he’s averaging per catch, that’s an impressive number to have right now. I’m sure for him he’s constantly going to be trying to figure out a way to keep getting better and put himself in position to be an explosive player. I’m sure they’re going to try to find as many ways to get the ball to him and give him an opportunity to change the game.”
(On what stands out about the Browns offense on film, outside of the quarterback situation) – “Obviously, the running game has really been impressive. There’s explosiveness there at the wide receiver position that you have to contend with. Obviously, they have a tight end that has been hard to deal with – especially in past years – and absolutely a viability. I think, for us, it’s about making sure that we don’t … If we let these guys get behind us and have explosive plays, it’s tough to compete with. When you can shorten up drives and push the ball down the field and chunk play it and figure out a way to get over the top and get into the end zone, it’s frustrating for the defense. Now all of a sudden you feel like you’re a little bit … The opposite offense is always trying to compete to keep up with a team that can explode at any time. We have to make sure that we do a good job as far as not letting these guys … We have to take away what they do well, and that’s going to be the challenge for us this week.”
(On if QB Ryan Tannehill has to step up his play to take the team anywhere this year) – “He has really been, probably, one of our most consistent guys that we have. I don’t know how much more he can really step up considering that he’s doing everything right now that we need him to do. It’s just that we need every guy to pull their weight.”
(On what makes the defensive line special) – “The fact that they’re relentless. They chase the ball down the field. They penetrate. They cause havoc. They’re a very frustrating group to go against. From my experience being down here going through OTAs, going through training camp, it’s just so disruptive and can be very frustrating at times in practice, because you feel like you can’t really get a great feel for what you’re trying to do. But when they’re on your side on Sunday, you really enjoy watching them go after it. To watch them play (and they) see something happen where a ball is thrown down the field and all of a sudden you see four d-linemen running down the field after the ball and trying to make a play down the field. It’s a very good thing to see, because you know that if the skill guys – the DBs, the linebackers – see the d-line running to the ball like that, they’re going to follow suit.”
(On how difficult it is for offensive lines to matchup against the Dolphins defensive line) – “I think it’s tough in the fact that if you do get behind and you got a group of those guys coming at you in waves and the speed that they bring, then if you become one dimensional, it really becomes a challenge. Obviously, we haven’t been able to do that really, yet. That’s what one of our things coming into the season was, ‘How do we put our defense in position to where they can pass rush?’ Hopefully, we can eventually get this going, as far as we’re more balanced overall as a team. I think that group though, when they get an opportunity to go close out a game, 2-minute drills, or if we’re up by a number of points where they can pass rush and can really make a change in the game in the early fourth quarter, third quarter – that’s what we are looking for.”
(On if the defensive strategy or mindset changes this week given the Browns’ injuries on the offensive line and that they’re playing a rookie quarterback) – “Every week we’ll go into a game and we’ll have a certain approach that we want to do. It’s more of getting through the week and going through practice and we make adjustments through the week. It’s hard to say, ‘This is exactly what we’re going to do when we hit Wednesday.’ We have an outline sketched out in pencil and then as the week goes on, we make adjustments. By the time we hit Sunday, that’s when we feel like, ‘Alright, this is exactly how we’re going to play them.’ So to be able to say right now how we’re going to handle certain things, I still think we’re still a little ways away from finalizing anything.”
Adam Gase – September 19, 2016
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Monday, September 19, 2016
Head Coach Adam Gase
(On if it is a strain or a tear on RB Arian Foster’s groin injury) – “He’s going to be day-to-day right now. At least that looks good for us. We’ll see how he does this week. We haven’t really made any decisions on whether or not we’re going to try to get him out at practice on Wednesday. I think we’re just going to get through today, see where he is at tomorrow and then when we get to Wednesday, just kind of evaluate what’s best for us to do with him right now.”
(On who he will look at to replace RB Arian Foster if he doesn’t have him) – “I think all options are going to be open. The good thing is all of those guys have really stuck with it. They’ve practiced hard. They’ve been engaged as far as in meetings, at least the guys that have been inactive. That’s why Jay (Ajayi) was able to step in there and do that the other night because he stayed engaged in the meetings, he didn’t get a ton of reps (and) he was really involved in special teams as far as the meetings went. If he doesn’t do that, then we probably would have been in a little trouble yesterday. But he was able to at least do a great job, as far as knowing who he had to get, and some of the protections were a little bit different with what we dealt with yesterday. For a guy that didn’t get many reps in the walkthroughs and the protections, he did a really good job.”
(On his assessment of WR DeVante Parker’s performance yesterday) – “He did good. We have a couple things we have to clean up as far as route technique and some of his assignments. Every once in a while we’d have a thing here and there. As far as him being a playmaker, I think that’s pretty obvious. He’s a guy that we need to keep on the field. I think those three receivers together and then add our tight end group and our (running) backs’ abilities to catch the football, that should be a good group out there. But if we’re not healthy, it doesn’t really help us.”
(On if he is concerned about losing the time of possession the past two weeks and how he changes that) – “Yes. When you’re going three-and-out, three-and-out, four-and-out, three-and-out, that’s going to happen. We have to figure something out. We have to stay on the field. We did something different this last game; we were huddling the whole first half. Obviously time of possession was worse than it was the first game. We have to figure out something there as far as just making sure we get that first, first down, and then trying to get something going.”
(On if the lack of time possession is primarily an offensive problem at this point) – “Absolutely. It’s not the defense. Offensively, we cannot go three-and-out. We’ve done it so many times already that it’s ridiculous. The defense has no chance in the fourth quarter of having any opportunity to be somewhat fresh if we’re three-and-out the entire first half. And then we get back into the game and we’re like, ‘C’mon defense, stop them now.’ Well, on play 75, you’re a little fatigued.”
(On RB Kenyan Drake and if he is still getting acclimated to the playbook) – “Yes. Any time you get a rookie out there, especially at running back, and New England is throwing all kinds of odd fronts at you and they’re jamming some guys and putting them in different spots and it makes it tough. It’s the first time you’re really seeing it live. When he played in that fourth preseason game, (the Titans) were very vanilla. That was probably an unrealistic look of how an NFL game goes. When you walk out there versus New England, it’s a different front every time; it’s a different coverage, it’s a different pressure, so I mean, you have to be on it.”
(On how he would assess RB Kenyan Drake’s performance) – “He did a good job. Obviously he can be very productive for us in the passing game and he gives us an element of speed on the edge. He’s still a physical guy. We want to see how far we can take him and how much we can grow this season. Obviously we’d like him to really start understanding the why of what we’re doing on some things but that’s going to come with time.”
(On C Mike Pouncey’s status) – “We’ll go to go week-to-week. That’s what it’s going to be. Until they tell me something different and we get to the end of the week or during practice and they say, ‘Alright, we can get him out there. Here’s the next step of what we need to do.’ Until then, I can’t really say he’s going to go or he’s not going to go. Tuesday I get told one thing, Wednesday I get told one thing so I just take it day-to-day and usually I know by the end of the week what’s going to happen.”
(On WR Jarvis Landry’s comment that ‘we can’t be an almost team’) – “I agree. It doesn’t matter who you play, you either win or lose. Nobody is going to feel good as far as when you lose a game. When we went up to Seattle, we went up there to win. We had a chance as far as at the end of the game. Offensively, I can look at three plays and say if we would have done what we were supposed to do for three plays, we’re not in that position. And our defense isn’t in that position as far as 80 plays. This last game, (it’s) the same thing. We put ourselves in that position, whether it be offense, defense or special teams. So we have to clean some things up. If we get on the details of things, that’s going to give us our best opportunity to win a game.”
(On what worked so well in the last two quarters that didn’t in the first two quarters) – “We just got into a good rhythm. Guys made plays. The play calls were the same, just we executed a little bit better, made some good throws (and) made some plays. There were a couple of throws that were tough catches to make. DeVante (Parker) got us going. He made that one catch and that got us rolling. For whatever reason, it takes that first, first down for us, and then everyone feels good and we get rolling. We just have to figure out a way to get that first one. We had that first series where Ryan (Tannehill) throws a ball just a little bit behind Jordan (Cameron). If we get that ball in front, what happens on that series? I make a bad call as far as the quarterback sneak trying to hurry up to the line of scrimmage, they just kind of put us in a hole there and all of a sudden you look up and it’s 14-0. We just need to do a little bit better job of figuring out a way to get that first, first down and then see what happens after that.”
(On if the linebackers had rough matchups with the wide receivers and if you just have to line up and play and not worry about sub packages) – “Sometimes when you’re going man and you’re going zone, and you have different combinations going on as (far as) who is taking who, and they start giving you some of the formations that they give you, you have to be on your execution. When you go watch the tape and you sit down and you know what the call is and you know it’s supposed to be done, then you look at it a little differently because you’re going, ‘Oh, that’s what’s supposed to happen.’ We just had some times where we did not execute what was called. We had too much conversation going on. We need to line up, we need to get the call, execute the call and then reevaluate it after that. Until we execute the call correctly, it’s hard to say we should do this or we should do this. Let’s execute what’s called first.”
(On having big, physical corners and if the rules of the game make it hard to get your hands on guys) – “Sometimes. You have to be careful against that team (the Patriots). It’s easy to say, ‘Hey, get up there and press him every time,’ until all of a sudden they come down and pick you, and then you’re wondering why (Patriots WR Danny) Amendola is running down the sideline with nobody around him and then you have a corner on the ground. You have to be careful. You’ve got to be careful what levels you’re on when you’re playing those guys. You saw Jarvis (Landry) sprung free because everybody was pressed across the board, they tried to get their hands on him, didn’t do it and all of a sudden we get a 40-yard gain. It’s tough. You’d love to get up there and press every time but sometimes when you get into these different type of formations, which New England is going to do because (Offensive Coordinator/QBs Coach) Josh (McDaniels) understands that, and he puts you in a tough spot.”
(On the upcoming challenge of preparing a team for two games just four days apart) – “I think the biggest challenge really starts this week. If you do not take care of yourself going forward, it’s going to affect you running into the next game. What you have to do is you have to understand that you have a 10-day stretch where you’ve got to be great. You’ve got to take care of your body and you have to make sure that you do all of the little things that you need to do starting today, to make sure that when we hit Sunday, you’re good to go. And then when you hit that Thursday game, it’s going to come quick and you’re not going to have as much time to recover. So if you don’t take it serious starting and leading into Wednesday, and don’t take care of your body throughout the entire week, it’s going to affect you for the next one.”
(On the team’s mindset coming off two losses and if he looks at this as a must-win game against the Browns) – “No. It’s the third game of the year. I think we’re looking at it as we better get back to work on Wednesday.”
(On if it is harder for him to absorb losses as a head coach rather than a coordinator) – “Nope.”
(On if absorbing losses as a head coach is the same as a coordinator) – “Yes. Exactly.”
(On if it looked like everybody played hard after watching the tape) – “It looked like it. That was the one thing after watching the film that I know our coaching staff felt good about was that we didn’t see anybody quit on the field. There were a couple of times on the sideline where we had some poor looks and that look of a little bit of discouragement, but you never saw it on the field. They kept playing. That’s all you can ask for at that point. When you’re down like that, you can tell right away because it becomes an annihilation. There is no little bit of a comeback. It becomes … 31-3 becomes 50, or more than that, especially against that team. So the fact that guys hung in there, guys kept fighting, guys kept trying to make plays, the defense kept trying to do everything they could to slow them down and get us the ball back as fast as they could, that was something that you want to see from your team – the fact that you didn’t hear any separation on the sideline –because I’ve been a part of that before – to where all of a sudden you get divided and it just becomes worse than what it was. What our guys did was encouragement from the defense, offense encouraging the defense, defense encouraging the offense, special teams trying to figure out a way to make a play. It was just that constant chatter on the sideline, which is good, and that’s what you want.”
(On if he liked some of the things he saw from the linebackers in coverage because they seemed to be in position to make plays at times) – “Once again, we kind of had a couple of minor mistakes that cost us. As far as guys reacting a little quicker, (that) would have put us in better position. I think as far as what the plan was and what we executed in practice, I would have loved to have seen what would have happened if we would have executed some of those things in a game. For whatever reason, we just didn’t execute them like we were showing in practice. Going into (the Patriots) game, I think our guys felt really confident as far as, ‘We understand what we’re doing. It’s not overly complex. If we just react correctly, we’re going to put ourselves in good position.’ We just did not do exactly what we talked about.”
Adam Gase – September 18, 2016 (Postgame)
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Sunday, September 18, 2016
Postgame – at New England
Miami Dolphins Head Coach Adam Gase (transcribed by the New England Patriots)
Q: It was two different halves, they jumped on you in the first and you fought back in the second. What was the difference between those two?
AG: Well, we made more plays in the second half. I mean that is the obvious answer. After they came down on that first drive, looking for us to respond on offense and we didn’t. You know and then we don’t respond on defense. And then, on the next drive, we got a third and short and make a bad decision as far as quarterback sneaking it. You know, we don’t get it. These three, four and outs, just put so much pressure on our defense to figure out a way to slow everything down and then the plays start piling up. And by the time, on offense, that we start fighting back, getting some points, now we have drained our defense of anything that they would have left.
Q: You have a view of the offense needing to help the defense. But the defense, I mean, there were guys running open. Couldn’t stop the sweep?
AG: Yeah I mean, that’s football and they get paid too. We got to do a better job as far as, you know, making adjustments on the sidelines. Guys need to respond when they are being coached. I feel like Vance [Joseph] and his crew, I feel like they were constantly coaching drive after drive. Trying to clean things up and trying to calm guys down and just trying to figure, alright, what are we doing wrong and what are we doing right. And trying to emphasize, you know, the little details of the things we weren’t doing right.
Q: The defense seemed to be making all the plays in the first half defensively, trying to stop them was almost impossible. How do you get this team off to a good start, so you don’t find yourself in a hole trying to dig out?
AG: Have to do a better job of executing. There are some things that we have to do a better job of as far as coaching. You know, I feel like I need to figure out a way to get our guys in rhythm earlier. Obviously all of these three and outs, I mean, I’m putting the blame on me. I’m not doing a good job on figuring out what we can do. And once we do, that’s what it should be like. The second half of us being able to get up on the ball and go, get completions and run the ball, those types of things… that’s what we need to do in the first half.
Q: [Jimmy] Garoppolo goes out with the injury and all of sudden your offense gets going, but you couldn’t stop LeGarrette Blount. He seemed to be able to do whatever he wanted to do, he was just able to make the plays to continue to move the chains on you.
AG: Yeah, he’s a big man and once he gets going, you have to do a good job at setting the edge. Got to make sure we are tackling on the edge and it’s a tough matchup between our corners and him. And we have to figure out a way to get him down.
Q: What was your conversation with this football team, when you went into that locker room at halftime?
AG: Basically, with the entire group, we talked about, ‘We got to start the game over. It’s 0-0, let’s execute one play at a time and find a way to get back in this thing.’ That was really our message. We have to execute. And if guys start making plays and we figure out a way to just get in the end zone one time and make a stop and all of a sudden, maybe we are back in the game.
Q: With everything that happened, you still had a chance, with six minutes left and then they ran out the clock. Basically, they steamrolled the defense. How disappointing was it for you to watch them really take over the line?
AG: I feel like part of the blame goes to myself. Because I mean, what did we have, six plays, seven plays in the first quarter on offense. So, I mean, I feel like the defense the last two weeks has been out there forever. So if you are playing a team that’s going to run the ball, we have to do a better job of letting them have less plays during the game. They say every game is 80 plays, 75 plays, and we wonder why we can stop a 250-pound back running through there. So, we have to do a better job on offense, because that’s going to help our defense.
Q: After [Jimmy] Garoppolo went out, you score 24-7 against them. What was the difference? Were you doing something different offensively?
AG: I was calling the same plays. We were making plays. That’s what it is. At the end of the day, whatever is on that card is irrelevant. Sometimes the guys, their role is, go make a play and we’ve just got to make more of those plays earlier.
Q: You bring in [Jay] Ajayi and [Kenyan] Drake after Arian [Foster] goes out. How did you feel about the way they performed out there?
AG: Obviously, I’d rather not put the ball on the ground. Arian had one, but they called him down and Jay, that was a critical turnover there. I mean, we just can’t have that. We have to do a better job on the ball security, but for the most part, protection was good. Drake came in there, he didn’t have a lot of reps this week, and we kind of got surprised with Arian going out and he was playing a little more than what we thought. But that’s what happens, you got to figure out, when your back is against the wall, are you going to stay out there? Are you going to fight? And Drake did a good job of going out there and giving everything he had. I thought Drake bounced back good after he put the ball on the ground, he kept fighting. So, I mean, that’s what you want to see.
Q: What about DeVante Parker? I mean really, once he got going, he was making every play that was coming his way.
AG: For a guy that was playing on one leg, I mean, I will love it when he’s really healthy. We’ll see what we can do. I just think, those three guys… we had a little speed bump there early, we just got to get them going earlier. You know, make those plays in the first two quarters. We can’t be in this position every week where we are trying to fight back and actually trying to get something going in the first half.
Q: You couldn’t bring [Arian] Foster back in the second half, is it bad? Serious?
AG: Yeah, I am going to have to get with the trainers. Right when he did it, they said he is out for the game. That’s the extent that I know about it. I don’t have time to get a medical briefing, I have some other things going on. So, you know, we will probably find out here in the next 10 minutes and I will know more on Monday.
Q: What do you take from this game. You are down 33-3, you come back, but how do you leave feeling?
AG: It happens. I was on the other side, when I was here in 2013. We were up 24, nothing and lost. The tape don’t lie, we will find out who played hard. And some of the guys that didn’t, will move on.
Q: Adam, where do you think this leaves you? I know you are 0-2.
AG: We have 14 left. I mean, go back to work Wednesday. Go thru the tape Monday, go back to work Wednesday. I mean, we played two good football teams, so come back, figure out a way to get better, clean some things up. We got to start faster, but this is the NFL, man. You know, this is what it is about, it’s hard.
Ryan Tannehill – September 18, 2016 (Postgame)
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Sunday, September 18, 2016
Postgame – at New England
Miami Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill (transcribed by the New England Patriots)
Q: You guys came back to get within striking distance. What was going right for you guys at the time?
RT: Playing well. It all starts up front. The guys were giving me time to get through my reads. The receivers were getting open and we were making a few plays. That’s what we needed. We were in a tough situation and at that point you can go one of two ways. You can pack it up for the day or battle and those guys battled, and that’s what you want to see. You obviously don’t want to be in that position, but I saw a lot of toughness, a lot of resilience from our guys [they] were hanging in there and just chipping away one play at a time and we got ourselves back in it for a shot at the end.
Q: How do you account for starting a game like that? Offensively, you really couldn’t get anything going. Offensively, what was going on? What was the problem? What did you see were the issues there?
RT: There were several issues. A couple times we started to get going. We had a turn over and third and inches that we didn’t get on the sneak. I’d have to go back and think about what happened on all of those drives, but we just couldn’t get anything going. [We] couldn’t move the football. We’re putting our defense back on the field after long drives and that’s tough. You stay on the field for a 10-play drive and then [we] got three-and-out that’s tough on the defense and as an offense we have to do a better job of getting a better start – a fast start – putting points on the board early and giving our defense a break.
Q: What was different in the second half when you put up points and things started to open up in the passing game? DeVante Parker came up with some big plays, Jarvis Landry made big plays and you were able to get things moving. What was the difference between that and that start?
RT: We just got the first down. That’s the biggest key [when] we can get the first first down we can get rolling and we didn’t really do that in the first half. We kept getting close and didn’t get it or [got] going and had a turnover or got going and had an interception before half. So, it’s a matter of taking care of the football and getting that first, first down. Once we get going, we are pretty good at staying on the move and keeping the chains moving.
Q: How do you get going from the opening kickoff instead of falling behind and finding the time to get going? It happened last week and here we are this week. How do you come out of the gate and move the ball?
RT: Just make the plays that are there. We had some opportunities. We were close – had a couple mistakes early on and [we’re] punting. So, we just have to make those plays early in the game and I have confidence in those guys that we will get it done.
Q: Did the hurry up offense help you get your rhythm and work in your favor in the second half?
RT: We get a lot of practice at a no-huddle offense. It’s kind of what we are. We have the ability to go huddle or no huddle and we kind of got the pressure on them. We kind of got them on their heels a little bit and we were moving the football, tiring out the pass rush and that’s when we saw us moving the ball.
Q: The effect of Arian foster going out, how did that effect things? Did it make you throw more? What did it do?
RT: I don’t think it affected things really at all. I think that’s the beauty of our system or our [running backs]. They’re different and they have different skill sets, but we feel comfortable and confident with whoever is in there going on and executing the offense.
Q: You certainly feel comfortable throwing DeVante Parker the football. You have a big advantage when he’s on the field playing football for you…
RT: Yeah, DeVante’s a great football player. You see some of the plays he made – the one handed catch on the takeoff, so we’re just scratching the surface with him. He’s going to be a big time player for us – we just have to keep him healthy and on the field.
Q: This being a relatively new system how much does that play into you guys getting into somewhat of a rhythm on offense?
RT: I don’t think it plays a factor. We’re comfortable in this system. We’re excited about where we’re at and we’re confident in what we can do. We just have to come out and execute early and like I said, get the first first down and move the chains and we’ll be in good shape.
Q: Last week Adam Gase was saying he should have listened to you a little bit more. Did you guys consult more this week? Did you have a little bit more input on what you’re going to do out there on the field?
RT: We were talking the whole game. We had good stuff up. Whether it was getting pressure or missing a play – we had good plays up. It wasn’t like we needed to get something else. We had good things up we just missed on a couple plays and we punted. You have one shot on a third down and if you don’t get it you’re punting. Those are the plays we have to make. [We] have to execute those third downs and keep the chains moving.
Q: What happened on the errant snap?
RT: Just miscommunication and the ball got snapped.
Q: It’s way too early to talk must win. At next week’s home opener, you obviously don’t want to go 0-3. Is there an added emphasis? How would you describe that?
RT: We want to get off to a good start. Establish our home field advantage and get a win. Get a win in the win column. We’ve had to fly across the country and play a tough team on the road and now at New England. We’ve had a tough go. We’ve had our opportunities and we’re right there. There’s no panic. Obviously, we’re disappointed [and] upset about how we let this one get away, but we’re right there. There’s no panic. We’ve just got to keep working, keep our heads on, keep grinding and we’ll be in good shape next week.
Q: Defensively, did the Patriots give you any reads that were different than you may have expected?
RT: They played a good clean game. I wouldn’t say they did anything that was outlandish or crazy. They kind of played how we expected them to play. They just did a good job early in the game putting pressure on us and getting pressure on the quarterback.
Cameron Wake – September 18, 2016 (Postgame)
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Sunday, September 18, 2016
Postgame – at New England
Miami Dolphins DE Cameron Wake (transcribed by the New England Patriots)
(On how he feels leaving the building after fighting hard to get back in the game) – “I’m disappointed. This leagues not a league where you can spot points. You can’t go out there and start slow and then kick it on later on. We played well at times, but again, that’s not going to get it done in this league, especially as tough a game that those guys played on the other side. You can’t go out there and play catch up. It would’ve been nice to play the way we played in the second half in the first half. Obviously things would’ve been differently, but that didn’t happen.”
(On what the Patriots were able to do that allowed them to build such a big lead early) – “Well, I think when things like that happen it’s something that you have to look at yourself and say ‘What is it that I’m doing that’s allowing that.’ Again, in this league the margin is very slim so I think there’s a lot of things that, again, I’ll have to watch tape but things that we probably did to ourselves whether its miscommunications or people being out of leverage, whatever it may be, but again you can’t come out there and start off that way and then turn it on. The guys, again, came in at halftime and we fought out of a hole but again that’s the bed that we made. Again, that’s the part that’s disappointing because you show that you can play with the team. Everybody went out there and did their job in every facet but to start off slow, that’s the part that’s kind of disappointing.”
(On if Jimmy Garoppolo’s quick release made it difficult to put pressure on him) – “Well, I’d like to think that that would be smart of anybody standing back there with the kind of guys that we have, but that’s something that we have to know going in. We have very talented front guys that get after the quarterback and if I was a quarterback I wouldn’t hold on to the ball either. That’s something that, again, you have to know going into the game we have to play accordingly. Again, trying to force their hand into our situation instead of the other way around is something that we have to do going forward.”
(On if you were surprised by how much confidence Jimmy Garoppolo played with) – “No, it’s the NFL. I don’t know anybody in this league who’s not confident or you wouldn’t be in this league. Everybody in this league should have pride or else you probably wouldn’t be taking snaps. So, whether it’s him or our fourth-string quarterback, anybody that puts on a jersey on Sunday, I would expect that you would have a certain level of pride about yourself and a certain level of pride in going out and doing your job, so that’s not going to be surprising to anybody.”
(On if it was frustrating watching Jimmy Garoppolo escape from some would-be sacks) – “No, he’s a football player like any other. I think people – generally – people fail to realize how small the difference is between a number one, and a two, and a three, and a four. This is the NFL; everybody here is the best in the world. So, I don’t know if people think that the number two guy is going to be a bum. That would be silly. I don’t think our number two guy at any positon is a bum and it’s probably the same thing across the board of any team that’s in this league. To expect that he would’ve come out and laid an egg, I don’t understand that.”
