Ndamukong Suh – December 28, 2016
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Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Defensive Tackle Ndamukong Suh
(You all gave up some yards on Saturday but when you needed those stops late in the game, you got them. That seems to be the pattern for this defense. Where do you attribute that knack to? Rising to the occasion when the game is on the line.) – “You can answer it for me or you can let me answer. (laughter) How I feel is understanding the opportunities that we need to get done, particular games, certain situations and situational football, and that’s what it’s going to come down to being successful. Everybody has elite players. They’re obviously going to put them in the best position, and they did that. We didn’t stop them but when we needed to, we did.”
(When you look at the Patriots on tape, is it the same team you saw last year and the year before or are there subtle changes each year or what do you see?) – “I think they have a pretty much similar scheme as they’ve had in the last couple of years. I’ve pretty much played them every single year of my career, so they’re pretty consistent; but at the end of the day, they have their running game going pretty well, especially with LaGarrette Blount. So we have to first and foremost stop that, and then obviously when Tom (Brady) is back there and throwing the ball, we have to make sure we touch him and get after him so he’s uncomfortable.”
(Does their quarterback look any different to you this year?) – “No.”
(You guys have beaten New England the last three times you’ve played them here. Is that going to make a difference for either team on Sunday?) – “I think it’s always important to protect your home, so at the end of the day, I’m hopefully we can continue that streak. But at the end of the day, we have to understand what we have to do for this particular game and go from there.”
(Are you aware that you guys are 6-1 at home and if so, what do you think that says about you guys?) – “I’ve said this from the very beginning, you have to protect your home. You always want to be winning when you’re at home and obviously go on the road and still win when you can, because it’s very tough to do that. But when you’re at home, you should definitely be winning and protecting that.”
(Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick called you ‘unblockable’ last game, tremendously disrupt and ‘phenomenal,’ I think was another adjective. Did you feel that way?) – “That’s his opinion. I appreciate it. But at the end of the day, I’ve just got to go out there and do my particular job, which is what (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase has continued to preach. Everybody do their particular job, execute and we should be fine.”
(Knowing the significance of you coming here and getting this team to the playoffs is what? The significance for you personally to come and help lead this team to the playoffs after they’ve been out of it since 2008?) – “No matter where I was going, my goal was to go and be a part of something special. I think we have an opportunity to be something special here. Unfortunately, in the previous year, we weren’t successful; but we have an opportunity this year to make it and I’m glad to be a part of it.”
(Was this what you envisioned when you signed here? This kind of success.) – “You can’t really envision anything. You have to take what you’re given and make the most of it. I expect for this team to be successful for years to come, if that’s what you’re looking for.”
(You had 12 tackles last time you played New England, what do you remember about your game personally?) – “I had a good feel for what they were doing, especially in the run game. In the pass game, it changed a little bit after we put their quarterback out or (Jimmy) Garoppolo, and then kind of going from there. At the end of the day, I want to continue to do the same thing – understanding their run game, be a part of shutting that down, and then obviously get after the quarterback.”
Jarvis Landry – December 28, 2016
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Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Wide Receiver Jarvis Landry
(You guys are 6-1 at home, but does it feel like you guys are a dominant home team to you?) – “What do you think?”
(Well, you’re 6-1. You’ve done a damn good job. Are you dominant or does it matter to be dominant at home?) – “I think we still have things that we have to continue to improve on and build on but we definitely feel like we have the home-field advantage here.”
(And does the crowd play any part in that?) – “Absolutely. All the support. We need it.”
(How so?) – “For us, when teams come in here, they’ve always been expected to communicate. When we have the support that we’ve been having from the fans and as loud as it has been with the defense that we have, it makes it hard for opponents to communicate.”
(Does the lid make a difference?) – “The lid?”
(The new top [canopy] on the stadium?) – “No, it’s the people.”
(How important do you think it is that you guys know that you’ve won the last three at home against the Patriots?) – “It’s this year, right? I think if you think about it, I think we’ve done well here at home; but, obviously we have to finish this one. Then I would think we answer that question again … (I mean) ask that question again.”
(Is there extra motivation that if you beat the Patriots and get some help, you guys are the fifth seed in the playoffs?) – “All we’re worried about is the Patriots.”
(Whether it’s inside leverage or outside leverage that the DB might have on you, you’re able to get wherever you want to on the field. What do you attribute that to?) – “Footwork, film study, anticipation and reaction, honestly – kind of reacting of what he does and knowing where I’m going. He doesn’t know where I’m going, so using that to my advantage.”
(Does a lot have to do with the situation as well and knowing where the DB is supposed to be also?) – “Absolutely, and that’s part of film study.”
(WR Kenny Stills said yesterday that he came into the season realizing that he was kind of the old man in the room. And you are a little bit too. You’re one of the more experienced guys. He took it upon himself that he needed to be one of those guys like what WR Greg Jennings was last year. Have you seen kind of a change in Kenny as far as leadership goes?) – “He’s alwyas been a constant leader. Kenny has always been a constant leader. He’s always been the more accountable one in the room and held everybody to a high standard but also holding himself to that same standard. Especially over this season, he’s definitely grown and become a stronger leader.”
(I know every team deals with injuries but I feel like you guys are a little bit more snaked than anyone. You lost another starter this week. Do you feel a little more snake bit than anyone? I mean, you’ve lost so many starters. Your quarterback’s out for a few weeks. Do you feel more than normal number of injuries you guys have suffered?) – “It happens. We play a dangerous game and people get hurt; but at the same time, people have to step up. And this organization has done a great job of getting guys that have been able to step up when people went down and go in and do the job the right way. That’s credited to the wins that we’ve had.”
(What does it say about this team that you’ve gone 9-1 in the last 10 games despite all the injuries you’ve had?) – “(Head) Coach (Adam) Gase brought the focus in – one game at a time. We had to self-evaluate ourselves and take a step back and start approaching each game that way. When we started doing that, we started having success.”
(Why do you think you guys, the three receivers, balance each other out so well?) – “Because we all pose a different threat. Kenny (Stills) is speed. DeVante (Parker) is size. Myself, just being able to get the ball in my hands and try to make something out of nothing. For us, it allows us to throw screens. It allows us to throw a drag to DeVante and he’ll break a tackle and go 60 (yards). Or we get 0 (yards) and then Kenny runs past somebody and Matt (Moore) hits him down the field. So for us, we all pose three different threats.”
Matt Moore – December 28, 2016
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Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Quarterback Matt Moore
(Not that this team needs extra motivation but if you beat the Patriots, you [could] get the No. 5 seed. Is that something you guys look at? And I know it’s one game at a time.) – “Yes, that’s part of the answer, it’s one game at a time. I think everybody is aware of the scenarios; but again, it’s the same focus every week. We’re working to win one game and that’s kind of where our heads are at right now.”
(How much do you need these reps going into this game?) – “Obviously experience in this league is hard to come by, so any time you can get live reps, it’s only going to make you better. You’re going to learn from it. Things are going to go bad and you learn from those, and then things are going to go well and you learn from that too. These reps are extremely valuable.”
(I know you’ve obviously had a history starting in the past and then now coming into the last couple of games. A new system and all of that being with the teammates this year, how important is it for you personally, having been a backup all of this year until the past couple games to get these reps this game?) – “Again, my answer stays the same. I’ve got two games under my belt this year and so it’s all going to help. Every little bit helps. Taking the reps at practice, the game reps, the walkthroughs, everything is only going to help and make you better. They’re all important.”
(Was that the craziest game you’ve ever been a part of on Saturday?) – “That was pretty nuts. It was back and forth and we played a whole full quarter there at the end (in overtime). Those games are few and far between. It was nice to come out on the right side of it but yes, it was a crazy game.”
(It seems like there were five different ways each team could have won, and then ultimately you guys did in the end. How much of a rollercoaster was that?) – “I was just trying to stay focused and calm. I wasn’t trying to get too high or too low, knowing that we were going to have a chance and we needed to be mentally ready to go out and execute. It was tough but I think everybody stayed really focused and understood that we were going to have a chance.”
(Were you shouting to RB Damien Williams to get out of bounds?) – “(laughter) Yes. No, but yes. (laughter) Looking back, he did good, though. That was a big play in the game to get those extra yards for the kick.”
(You watch New England over the years, when you look at them on tape this year, does it look like the same team? Are there different characteristics? What stands out?) – “Well, they’re obviously well coached. There are a lot of the same things – a bunch of guys that play hard. It seems like they plug anybody in and they’re going to know the system and execute. They’re a very disciplined team. Those are the things that I think stand out and again, offensively for us, it just comes down to execution and understanding that those guys, they don’t make many mistakes. We’ve got to come out and execute.”
(What has impressed you the most about RB Jay Ajayi?) – “Oh man, a lot. He’s just getting better every day. His strength, his toughness, the way teams are loading the box and he knows there is one unblocked and he needs to make somebody miss. He’s been doing that consistently. He’s just all-around been really grinding weekly and getting better.”
(And here in Week 17 it looks like he’s handling the workload with 32 carries on Saturday…) – “Right. And I think mentally he maybe expects it, which is good. He knows going in, ‘Hey, I’m going to run the rock.’ He has a great mentality for that and has really been huge for this team.”
(You guys are 6-1 at home. Do you feel that you are a dominant home team? Do you feel that you definitely have an edge when you’re at home?) – “There’s nothing like playing at home. We’ve done well here, like you said. It’s good. Who knows what the classification is but you like playing at home. We feel good at home. It’s nice to be here this weekend.”
(Are you aware that you guys have beaten the Patriots and QB Tom Brady the last three times that you have played them in Miami?) – “Yes. It’s been like that the past couple of years, yes. Hopefully we can keep that going; but again, it’s nice to be home.”
(I know every team has injury issues but you and New England seem to have had some body blows. It wasn’t an injury but they were without their quarterback for the first part of the season, they lost TE Rob Gronkowski. We don’t have to go through the list of injuries you guys have had. What is it about these two teams that you just kind of shake it off and keep winning?) – “I think it starts at the top. I can speak for us – I can’t speak for them – but for us, (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase has preached the next-man-up (mentality). Guys understand, again, there are opportunities. It’s a shame that guys have gotten hurt. You never want to see that happen. But the guys that have stepped up and had to play have done well consistently. Every time something little happens, it seems like there is somebody else that steps right up and is ready to go. The preparation of the guys, the mindset has really been good. It’s helped us not to miss a beat when somebody goes down.”
(There have been teams that would have an injury like that and fold and they go away. Are those teams just mentally weak? Why does that happen?) – “Again, I can’t speak for those teams; but for us, I think it starts with the message from the head coach, guys being prepared, being ready when you get your opportunity, and then really trusting the guys that are in there to play. The scheme doesn’t change and guys go out there and execute and play ball.”
(That’s the NFL right? The bench is going to come into play over a long season) – “Always, always. And especially this time of year, it’s just always like that. If you’re one of those guys, it’s bound to happen and you just have to be ready for that opportunity.”
(Do you expect the Patriots to game plan you a little differently because against the N.Y. Jets you had four touchdown passes. You’re known to stay back there and fling the ball.) – “I don’t know. I’m sure they’re going to do what they do best and they’re going to do what they think is going to stop this offense. I doubt I’ll have a lot to do with it. We’re going to move forward that way.”
Adam Gase – December 28, 2016 (Conference Call)
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Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Head Coach Adam Gase Conference Call with New England Media
(Just wanted to start and ask you, you guys are 6-1 at home. Maybe talk about the importance of home field advantage for you guys. Also, this time of year it’s typically warm down there and a cold weather team like New England coming in there. I was wondering your thoughts on the weather giving you guys a little advantage given you practice in those conditions a lot more.) – “Well as far as winning games at home, I feel like we had a nice little stand there when we had multiple home games in a row and we lost one early, we won one, then we lost one and we got kind of got on a little bit of a run. We had a little home streak there to where I think our guys really got comfortable playing in our stadium. It’s a little different feel from what at least what I remember in the past when I would come down here. With the canopy, it gets pretty loud. Our players feed off that. Our crowd’s been great. Obviously, when you win a couple games, the louder it would get on third down and in big situations. So that’s been a good environment for our players. I think it really helps get them juiced up during the game. And then as far as the weather goes, I don’t know how much I really put into that. That’s kind of like when we go up north, everybody says, ‘You’re not going to play well because of the cold.’ At the end of the day, you’re talking three and a half, four hours. NFL players, they adapt. They know what it is and they just roll with the punches.”
(Matt Moore has stepped in for you guys. What are your thoughts on the job he’s done so far?) – “He’s done a good job. It hasn’t been … The first game he came into against Arizona, it was pretty much a monsoon down here, so he did a great job of making sure we had possession of the ball at the end of each series. He made some really big plays at the end of the game that helped us win that game and did a good job against the Jets and executed exactly what we needed to do. Last week, we had some good plays, we had some bad plays. I know there’s some things that he wants to fix but for a guy that hadn’t played in four and a half years coming off the bench, that was … It’s been very impressive to just see his commitment to what we’ve been doing and his professionalism. A lot of guys, after that much time not playing, can fall asleep at the wheel sometimes. It’s unusual to think that because this is really NFL players. This is their job. But it happens. I’ve seen it happen in the past with certain players and he didn’t allow that to happen. So when he had his opportunity, he came in and he was able to execute.”
(Linebackers Coach Matt Burke is Central Massachusetts native. I’m just wondering what you’ve seen from him and the contributions he’s brought to your staff this season.) – “He’s done a great job. I was really happy we were able to add him to our staff. The continuity him and Vance have are outstanding. The communication within the game, it’s really good to hear those guys communicate within the drives. He’s been very helpful to me. Very smart. He’s a smart coach. Obviously, being a Dartmouth grad doesn’t hurt us. He’s a guy that I lean on heavily when we talk before games as far as situations. He’s seen a lot of football over his career. He processes things very quickly, so he’s a good guy for us to have on the staff.”
(Just wondering about your perception of the Patriots ability of the defense when it comes to tackling. I’ve watched them for a while and they just are a team, especially in the secondary, that are very good at getting players on the ground. Sometimes, I think that might be a little bit underrated in 2016.) – “I think they do a good job of making sure that they get guys that have that ability to start with and then that’s always a good starting point – which they do – and then they develop them even further along with the coaching staff they have. The emphasis they put on it, you can see if there is a missed tackle at some point in the game, it gets corrected. It gets corrected down the road. I think it’s just that consistency of not getting complacent ever. I think as the season goes on and so many things they do in all three phases, there’s always improvement throughout the year and that’s just the sign of a really good coaching staff and it’s a sign of players that are willing to learn and willing to put forth the effort to get better during the season.”
(On a different note, I know that you’re familiar with, I don’t want to say close with Patriots Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks Coach Josh McDaniels, but I know that you guys have been together in the past. As he looks at opportunities elsewhere, and I don’t want you to spitball on any of that stuff, but what did you look for in an opportunity to take on a head coaching job? I know that Josh is certainly going to be a candidate. What would you think his suitability is and what does a candidate look for these days?) – “Well the one thing I can say for myself going through the 2014, after the 2014 season, and having the ability to interview with five teams, it was probably really good that I did not get one, and I was able to learn from those experiences through the interview process. Then coming into this last year when I went through the interview process, I had a better feel of the questions that they were going to ask me. But at the same time, I had more questions I was ready to ask. Really, at the end of the day, I was just going off of how I felt with the guys that I was talking to. That’s why this place felt right to me. I felt good when I interviewed and I felt good about the people I was talking with and interviewing with. I felt like it was a good group for me to work with. I think it’s just something that I did, learned being with Josh in those years in Denver where our discussions all the time were just kind of positive, as far as if you ever get a situation where I had this opportunity, it was about how do you fit in that organization and how do you work with other people in that organization.)
(Last week, the Patriots threw a touchdown to a guy named TE Matt Lengel who never caught a pass before in the NFL. He’s only playing about 10 snaps per game. How much, when they do something like that, how much does that add to your preparation? Is that an extra piece you now have to account for?) – “Any time that a guy’s active for a game, you have to account for him. And especially just being with (Patriots Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach) Josh (McDaniels) for those couple years, he always did a great job as far as finding the right matchups, finding weak spots on the defense, finding the matchup he needed to expose someone in the red zone. He used those players to their strengths. So if a guy is really good at one or two things, those are the two things that he would emphasize. I feel that’s something I learned from him and really has helped my career, since we’ve been apart over the last six years, is taking that formula for myself. You just see, he’s still doing the same thing. He finds the right matchups, he finds what those guys do well and he uses them in every game.”
(Along those same lines, how do you think Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach Josh McDaniels has done adapting the Patriots’ offense since TE Rob Gronkowski went down?) – “It’s not surprising. It has been consistent over his whole career. He figures out what the guys that he has available to him can do, and he really puts an emphasis on that and doesn’t try to go outside that ability that those players have. He really focuses on, ‘What can I get this guy to do to help us win the game?’”
(For you guys, obviously, first playoff berth since 2008. I imagine there’s a lot of excitement inside the building with the fans. What’s your challenge for helping guys realize that that’s not necessarily the end result, the end goal?) – “Our guys have done a good job of bunkering down and focusing on the task at hand. We haven’t really talked about it that much. Obviously, when they tell you that you are in, we at least can say, ‘We’re going to get to play another game after Week 17,’ but our focus has to be on who we’re playing this week. That has really been our mantra all year long as far as we’re taking it one game at a time. We’re a young team. We haven’t been together for 10 years to where we can focus on that next week. We have to really focus and dial in on the task at hand. We’ve been such a small-focused team since the beginning of the season that we’re not afforded that opportunity to look past this week.”
(As you’ve established the culture in your first year there, I’m curious [about] your thoughts on General Manager Chris Grier, his contribution to what you guys are building.) – “Chris did an unbelievable job in the draft. He made sure we got the right type of players that we were looking for. He basically … He runs that whole deal on draft day and made sure that everything was set up the right way. At the end of the day, he made that happen on draft day to plug the right guys into what we wanted to start building. All these guys have contributed in some form or fashion, whether it be on the active roster or within the practice squad. When you go through a draft and you still have all your draft picks and guys are still getting better and they’re the right type of people for our organization, that’s to me … I know at the end of the day we’re going to be measured probably three or four years down the road to see where everybody is at, but right now, guys have been doing exactly what we need them to do and helping our organization go in a positive direction.”
(What have you learned about General Manager Chris Grier as a football guy?) – “For me, personally, I think I’ve learned a lot as far as the scouting realm – what he’s looking at, the type of players that he’s looking at. I don’t know how many guys I’ve been around in the front office that are as inquisitive as he is with trying to get exactly what you want and adjusting, really, what they were looking for from the time before I got here and throughout the spring and before the draft to make sure that whatever guys we did go out and draft – or brought in, in college free agency or even free agency – that they were the type of guys that would fit into the culture that we were trying to build.”
(Had you known General Manager Chris Grier before) – “I did not know him before.”
(I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask you about QB Ryan Tannehill. How is he doing? Are you guys holding out hope that he’ll be back for the playoffs?) – “I’ve purposefully avoided our doctors. I haven’t asked. I told them, ‘If something changes, let me know.’ I just know that he’s working hard to try to get as healthy as he can. I have no idea what our timetable is. Right now, we’re playing it every week of saying, ‘Matt (Moore) is our quarterback until somebody tells us different.’ That’s, really, the take I’ve been coming into each week as.”
(QB Ryan Tannehill seemed to have probably the best year of his young career so far. What did you learn about him as a player and as a person this year?) – “I didn’t really realize what a competitor he was. Sometimes when you’re outside and you have very minimal views of a guy, because you’re really worrying about your next opponent and last year me being in a different conference, we didn’t have a lot of crossover tape. Just being around him every day and seeing how he works and seeing how he practices and then competes in the game, there are so many positive things that it was a shame that he got hurt, because I really felt like it was slowing down for him. He had a great grasp of the offense. I thought he was doing a great job as far as leading our team. It’s one of those things. It’s a tough pill to swallow to see him have to go through this, especially when we’re having as much success as we were. But that’s football. If it was easy, everybody would do it, and that’s what makes this a great game. Now he has got to figure out a way to try to get healthy and contribute for us down the road.”
(You worked with a lot of quarterbacks. You’ve watched a lot of quarterback tape over the years. What do you think of the tape that QB Tom Brady has been putting out there at age 39?) – “It’s probably right on course for what you would expect when he came back. You knew he was going to come back and do exactly what he is doing – cutting people up and moving the ball and being an impactful leader and finding ways to score points and win games. He has done it his whole career. I’ve seen him play so many times being in Denver and unfortunately being on the wrong side of the scoreboard a lot of times, but sometimes when you get to see a guy like that play, people take it for granted, and I was lucky enough to be around a future Hall of Famer and when you look back on it, you really appreciate what guys like Tom and Peyton (Manning) bring to the table, because they’re really league-changing-type players. They make the league better. All of those young guys look up to a guy like Tom, and they want to be like him, and they want to do the things that he has done. He has been nothing but the ultimate pro and ultimate competitor. He’s a fun guy to watch play when you’re not playing him. When you’re playing him, it’s a very frustrating thing.”
(I know you talked about it a little bit with your reporters down there – I think they may have been asking you about your approach personnel-wise in this game and you guys are going to keep playing in the playoffs next week – do you manage it? Not the whole idea of this resting starters thing, but do you manage certain guys maybe differently than you would have knowing that you got a game next week and that game could decide if your season is over?) – “I think it’s such a hard … Whoever you go into the game active (with), you’re playing. I think it’s hard to have a guy up and say, ‘You’re going to play 10 plays, and we’re going to pull you out.’ I look at it the same way when you bring a guy up, and he’s active, and all of a sudden you’re two series in and he says, ‘I can’t go anymore.’ It makes it very difficult on a lot of different phases of the game, and it puts pressure on other people to have to play more snaps. The way that we look at this is this is a regular season game that means a lot to us. Whoever is healthy and whoever is active, those guys are going to play.”
Kenny Stills – December 26, 2016
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Monday, December 26, 2016
Wide Receiver Kenny Stills
(Does it feel good to know that you guys are in the playoffs?) – “Yes. That monkey is kind of off your back, but we still have a lot of work to do.”
(As humans, all you guys are kind of saying the same thing, it’s one game at a time. But you are human. It’s got to feel good to accomplish something that was the goal coming into the season, especially starting out 1-4?) – “Yes. As a team, we knew what we were capable of and we went out there and focused on it each week, and now we’re here. So we have to keep doing what we’re doing and we know that we’ve got a lot in front of us.”
(Athletes in general are confident. If we put truth serum in you, when you were 1-4, could you have envisioned this…) – “Yes. You don’t even have to finish that question. When we were 1-4…”
(Why did you continue to believe when things weren’t going well?) – “Because we knew the talent that we had in this room. We knew that we weren’t firing on all cylinders. We knew that we weren’t doing everything that we were capable of doing. You don’t get to be at this point if you didn’t believe that at 1-4.”
(Was there a certain game or time when you felt that things were turning around?) – “We just were … The one week, one game at a time mentality that we’ve had, that’s real. We’re not just saying that to you guys. That’s what we believe. That’s what comes from our head coach and that’s all the way down to us. We believe one week at a time, you take care of that, then everything else will fall in line. That’s literally what we’ve been doing. One week at a time.”
(Don’t change this week. Do everything that got you here in the first place.) – “Exactly.”
(That said, are you more and more impressed with yourselves when you see all the different ways that you are able to pull off these wins? Do you get more and more confidence after every game? An incredible OT victory like the one…) – “I wouldn’t say that we’re impressed with ourselves. I think a lot of the guys, we hold ourselves to a higher standard and we think that we should be winning games a little bit differently. And so when we go out and execute and do our jobs, we feel like teams can’t play with us.”
(How about the fact that, sort of what he said, sometimes it’s the offense, sometimes defense holds, sometimes special teams, starters, stars, reserves. It seems this team has won games in a variety of different ways.) – “Yes. That’s that ‘next-man-up mentality.’ That’s the ‘just go out there and find a way to win one week at a time.’ That’s the stuff that we always talk about. And so, that’s all we’re focusing on. That’s what we’re going to continue to do.”
(One thing Head Coach Adam Gase was just saying about you, obviously, proud of all you’ve done. Your availability has been a big issue with you [in the past] and you haven’t missed any practices. He mentioned about you talking before the season started, back in the spring, about things you wanted to do differently. Anything you’re comfortable expanding on in terms of maybe any approach that you’ve changed personally that Coach Gase is referencing?) – “I just knew one: that I had to be healthy. And two: to do whatever they asked me to do. If that’s going in there and blocking, if that’s going across the middle, if that’s going deep, if that’s coaching the younger guys – whatever it is – I just had to do whatever I had to do to help this team win and that’s where we’re at.”
(What do you like about the way that he’s used you the first year you guys have been together?) – “What do you mean? What do I like about it?”
(Just the type of routes. Like what’s gone well? Or what’s been different or new that Head Coach Adam Gase has done with you that’s worked out well for you?) – “I don’t think I’m doing anything new or different. I think he just does a good job of putting guys in a position to make plays.”
(What he said about you kind of doing things differently yourself, it sounded kind of like a different approach dedication-wise. That you were maybe more dedicated to it now. Was there some kind of change in that regard?) – “No, I wouldn’t say that. I just knew and understood how young our room was, and in order for us to go where we’re capable of going, that somebody had to really lead by example every day, in every situation, in everything that we did. I was lucky enough to be with a group of veteran receivers in New Orleans and they showed me the way and the right way to do things. So I’ve tried to emulate that and really show that to this young group of receivers and get them to follow in suit. That way, we could kind of lead towards our potential.”
Branden Albert – December 26, 2016
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Monday, December 26, 2016
Tackle Branden Albert
(On finding out that the Dolphins clinched a playoff spot last night) – “My old team (Kansas City) gave me a gift last night. I’m happy about it, but we’ve still got a big game this week. The most important game right now is the game we are worrying about, and that’s against the Patriots.”
(I know you guys are looking to be 1-0 this week. Head Coach Adam Gase said so much. But to check that box off…) – “Well, it’s there. We know it’s there, but we’ve still got big business this weekend. We’ve got a division game coming up against the Patriots, and one game at a time. That’s what our mentality has been, and that’s what we’re going to stick to.”
(You guys have beaten the Patriots at home for the last three years. What would it be like to achieve that, continue and extend that to a fourth?) – “I think it would be good for our team, especially going into the playoffs. But, like I said, it’s more important that we just worry about this game, one game at a time and one play at a time.”
(You are committed to being an outside zone-type team. As far as the gap scheme plays that you guys have run, you’ve had some success with those. How has that really helped this offense kind of keep defenses off balance?) – “Well, you know everybody is keying on the run, so we’ve got to be more diverse in the run game. And it’s helping us, everything with the passing game, and what we do, mainly what we do. But, as long as we are diverse with the running game, it’s going to help us out.”
(What are your thoughts on maybe resting this week?) – “That’s not my call. Whatever (Head) Coach (Adam Gase) has me doing, I’m going to be out there prepared like I’m going to play this Sunday and go full out.”
(How much more solidified is this team as a whole when you can see all the different ways you guys have pulled off wins, whether it be the defense, offense, special teams. I mean, is the confidence through the roof?) – “I think, we being well-coached, I think guys are in-tune to what we need to do, and we’re making plays at the right time, and that’s good. Football is the ultimate team sport, and we’re doing a good job playing good team football.”
(Was there a time in the season between 1-4 and now, that you felt that we’ve turned the corner now? You aren’t the 1-4 team you showed the first five weeks?) – “I think the Ravens game kind of was a … We kind of realized that we’ve got to play up to par every week. There are teams out there that are more experienced than us. I think that was a wakeup call for all of us. I think since then, the adversity we’ve been playing with all season, I think we’ve been doing a good job. Everybody’s been doing a good job stepping up. You’ve got to give the coaching staff and the organization (credit), bringing in guys that can step up when guys are down. We’ve got to tip our hats to the guys that are stepping in there and playing and making plays.”
Adam Gase – December 26, 2016
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Monday, December 26, 2016
Head Coach Adam Gase
(Did you watch the Chiefs vs. Broncos game last night and your reaction to being in the postseason?) – “I had it on (as) kind of background noise. I was watching our game. I didn’t watch it the night before, so I was cleaning up our game. I was trying to get a little bit ahead.”
(I can’t believe I’m asking you this considering you were 1-4, but are you going to rest some starters in the final week of the season?) – “I think we need to do everything we can to try to make sure that we’re 1-0 at the end of this week. Our guys are going to get ready. We’re going to practice and see how many guys we got healthy.”
(Any nice calls late last night from the owner, Stephen Ross, or anyone close to you? Just with congratulations?) – “Yes. I talked to Mr. Ross last night and (Executive Vice President of Football Operations) Mike (Tannenbaum) and (General Manager) Chris (Grier). We were just kind of talking about our plan going forward this week and really that’s been our big focus. We have an opportunity to play after Week 17, but our main focus is this week, and we’re going to stick to the plan that we’ve had this entire season of not looking past the opponent that we have ahead.”
(Any updates on RB Jay Ajayi and S Isa Abdul-Quddus?) – “Isa (Abdul-Quddus), I’m still waiting for MRI results and kind of figure out where we’re going there. Jay (Ajayi) was just a little banged up for 32 carries; but, I think he’ll be okay.”
(Is QB Ryan Tannehill certainly out this week?) – “I don’t know yet. I don’t know where the doctors have him right now or how he feels. I haven’t really asked. I just tell them once you guys got something different then come talk to me.”
(We did see QB Ryan Tannehill without the cast. Is there any sense of improvement or progress?) – “I haven’t asked. I said if something changes, let me know.”
(You’re in the playoffs. You’re going to be on the road in the first round. Why is this Sunday important to you and the team?) – “Because that’s the game that we’re playing this week. That’s our focus and we know who we’re playing and we know we’re playing a very good team that’s as well-coached as you could possibly get. We know we have a team that we lost to earlier in the season that we have to make sure that we bring our A-game.”
(What does it mean to you personally to know that even though there’s still more on the table, you’ve gotten the first check mark of the season to qualify for the playoffs. What does that mean to you?) – “I think for me, it’s really more about our players – the fight that they’ve shown. A lot of people doubted those guys as far as how we would react when we were 1-4. They did a great job of ignoring the noise outside our building and focusing on the task at hand, which was that one week, and they slowly found ways to improve each week. That’s all we asked our players to do was to focus on that one week. I know it’s very basic and simple. It’s just not always easy to do, and guys did a great job of just taking care of business one week at a time.”
(With all the coaches you worked for are there one or two of them where you can draw upon them for how they prepared for the playoffs?) – “Well my only experience has been with (former Denver Broncos Head) Coach (John) Fox. I thought the way that we handled our business when I was with him was very good. We never … We had a lot of times we were in position, multiple weeks before we entered the playoffs, and we just focused on that one game. And we found a way to get better that week and our goal was to go out and win that week.”
(With all the one game at a time talk in the locker room, would you be disappointed if your players talked about the playoffs? Would you think that that’s looking ahead or breaking the mindset?) – “I think our players are focused on this week because they know exactly who we’re playing. This is absolutely a team, if you look past them, they will embarrass you. So our focus needs to be on playing New England, and if it’s not, you’ll see it on the field on Sunday.”
(As far as defending the option and playing assignment football, what were some of the things that were missing in order for you guys to have a little bit more success stopping the run there?) – “It’s a tough matchup being on the other side of that experience, watching defenses try to stop an option team in this league. It’s just something so unusual that you have to be on it. Your week of practice, you have to be sound and it’s just not going to be the same as it is in the game. They did a great job executing their game plan. They made it very difficult on us. We had … If one guy’s wrong, there are a lot of guys that are going to look really bad, especially when you get ‘25’ (LeSean McCoy) in space. There are not a lot of people in the league that are going to tackle that guy one on one.”
(How much changed in the way you and Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph call games from the time you were 1-4 to the past 10 weeks?) – “I don’t think it’s been that big of a difference. For offense, it’s been more leaning on the run game probably a little more. I mean once we went with Jay (Ajayi) and said that’s going to be our guy the rest of the way out, I think that made things a little easier because I knew for myself what he liked and what he didn’t like. That made it easier to call games as far as what we were dialing up in the run game and, on Vance’s (Joseph) side, we shifted some guys around. We put some different guys in as far as starters go and he’s had to adjust a lot with injuries and just kind of guys moving in and out. He’s done a good job of trying to put those guys in good position and give them the answers to the test. It doesn’t always work out the way you want it, but every week they’ve made plays, especially when we really need it.”
(Has the team notified the league as far as what happened with Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Darren Rizzi on the sideline in the Buffalo game? Secondly, is there any hope that CB Byron Maxwell can go this week?) – “Maxwell, we’ll see how this week progresses; but I know he felt better towards the end of the week. We just weren’t going to put him out there and possibly further … really kind of hurt our chances for him to possibly play this week. So that was really the mindset there. Then as far as it goes with what happened on the sideline, I didn’t really make a big deal about it. It’s football. Sometimes things like that happen.”
(With RB Kenyan Drake’s touchdown run, was that a coach’s ‘o, no, no,’ and then ‘yes, yes, yes,’ type of run for him?) – “Yes. It was a big ‘no, no, no.’ He did a great job as far as kicking it into another gear down the sideline. But when he spun around, there were some interesting comments by myself.”
(It’s been a great dynamic with you and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Mike Tannenbaum and General Manager Chris Grier in assembling the roster. Can you talk a little bit of the job Mike has done putting this team together with you?) – “I think the direction that we started with was a good mindset when we first got together and started talking about how we want to develop the roster. I thought Chris did a great job handling the draft, putting everything together and made sure that we stayed on course throughout the draft. The communication has been outstanding. There are very few days where we’re not together at some point in the day just making sure we’re all on the same page. That’s really been the key to constantly saying the same thing, because we’re always communicating. That’s really how we wanted it when we started and we were able to maintain that throughout the year.”
(With S Isa Abdul-Quddus potentially being sidelined, is S Michael Thomas the guy who is going to step in?) – “I haven’t even gotten there yet. I’m waiting to find out what’s going on. It seems like that seems to be the position of where we lose a guy here and there during the season. We have to take a look at what it is first and how long, or if there’s a time period on this. Once we find that out, which I’ll know shortly, then we can kind of make our adjustments from there.”
(WR Kenny Stills has been a very explosive player for you. I know you were familiar with him from his time in New Orleans, but you also studied last year’s tape quite a bit. What did you see that you liked out of last year’s tape and what were you thinking about the different ways that you might use him?) – “I didn’t really focus on last year. I remember when we evaluated him in Chicago, we had an idea that he possibly could get moved. I really loved his speed. He consistently made big plays. I know there were a couple of times where he had some opportunities and it didn’t quite go the way he wanted it to. When he came in, when we first started and the first time I met him, I could tell he wanted to do it different than what he did in years past. We had a great conversation of the steps we needed to take. He really grabbed a hold of the offense, did a great job of making sure he knew it better than anybody else, and was able to put himself in a position where he worked so hard to where when he did have little tiny nagging injuries in the spring, he never missed any practice time. He never missed any practice time in training camp. I think that’s really helped him because running routes and being in the huddle with the quarterback every time, that allows him to get a great feel for what we’re doing on offense, the timing; and he’s really created that on his own. It’s really been about availability for him.”
(When you say do it differently, you’re talking about that or something else specifically?) – “However he went about his business before this year. Sometimes young players, the focus may not always be just on this. That’s part of the growth process of young players in the NFL. I could tell the first time I met him that he wanted to try to do something special as far as being a guy that was a big time contributor for us; somebody that we could count on every week and every practice. And he’s been that for us.”
(Just to be clear, when the Denver game ended you were watching Buffalo film?) – “I was finishing up watching our game.”
(Your reaction? Was there high fives to the staff?) – “I was at home.”
(High five with the wife?) – “I don’t think there was a high five.” (Laughing)
(Did you allow yourself a smile?) – “I’m happy for our guys. Our guys worked hard to get to this point and gave themselves an opportunity to keep competing. I’m happy for our coaching staff, (Chairman of the Board/Managing General Partner) Mr. (Stephen) Ross, (Executive Vice President of Football Operations) Mike (Tannenbaum) and (General Manager) Chris (Grier) and all of these guys who have put in so much time and have been here. There are a lot of people who have been here for a long time and they’ve been waiting for an opportunity to compete and have an opportunity to keep playing after the regular season is over. That was our goal when we started this whole process of what we were doing in the spring. This is the first step but we need to focus on what we’re doing right now and that’s New England.”
(How about the fans? They’ve been high fiving and really excited the team has been winning. What are your thoughts on Dolphins nation, that are just so excited they haven’t been to the playoffs in a long time?) – “My experience in all of these home games is … The last time that I had been in the stadium (before this year) was 2011. It doesn’t even look like the same stadium anymore. When we go to play games and those things get tight, the volume that our stadium is generating right now has been outstanding. The excitement – you feel it when you walk into the stadium; you feel it through the players when they step out on the field. There’s a different juice for us when we’re on our sideline, when we’re at home. Our guys do everything they can to try to maintain that when we go on the road, but it’s not the same. You feel a big-time difference. When we’re at home, our players feed off it. You can feel the excitement in the stands; you can feel the excitement, especially when our defense is on the field. That’s probably one of the (most fun) things for me as a coach that’s able to step back – being an offense guy, watching our defense – and feel that energy coming out, especially on third down. It’s something that’s rare.”
(This record has exceeded fans’ expectations and pundits’ expectations. What part of this year, if anything has exceeded your expectations?) – “As coaches, you always have different thoughts of how a season is going to go. This is kind of what we expected. That’s how you think as a coach. You don’t think you’re going to have a sub-par year.”
(This is a big breakthrough for this franchise. It’s been a long time. Does it feel differently today being the coach of this team?) – “I feel the same as I did last time I was up here.”
(Will you mention to the guys, ‘Yes, you have a check mark to make the playoffs. But one of the things you can still get done this week is to finish as high as possible in the standings?’) – “We just talked about focusing on getting better with our film from the last game, making our corrections and then focusing on New England when we get back in on Wednesday.”
