Ndamukong Suh – November 1, 2017
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Wednesday, November 1, 2017
DT Ndamukong Suh
(What was your reaction to the CBS report that you are not in the Dolphins’ plans beyond this season?) – “Honestly, I don’t really have much of a reaction to it. I didn’t really know about it until somebody made me aware of it. I’m not really concerned about it. I came to play here for (Owner) Mr. (Stephen) Ross and help this organization win games, and make this defense an elite defense. That’s my goal.”
(Did you have a chance to speak to Owner Mr. Stephen Ross since the report came up?) – “Obviously we’ve been back in the facility, so obviously there’s been conversations about it and it’s kind of gone from there.”
(So you said you have spoken with Owner Mr. Stephen Ross?) – “With Mr. Ross specifically? I’ll leave that in house.”
(Do you believe that you will be a part of the organization for years to come?) – “I hope so. I plan on it. I obviously signed a long-term deal here and I look forward to ending my career here.”
(The RB Jay Ajayi trade, what effect does that have on the locker room as far as sending a message or setting a tone of how Head Coach Adam Gase wants things done?) – “I’m not really sure about that in regards to setting a tone or anything of that nature. I think what (Head Coach Adam) Gase expects is for guys to be on time and take care of their business at the same time. To answer the other part of your question in regards to affecting other guys, (Ajayi’s) very close to a lot of people. I feel like I had a good relationship with Jay. Obviously a great player, person that I liked and enjoyed being around; but we all understand that this is a business and things happen.”
(Did you talk to RB Jay Ajayi after the trade and can you share any of the conversation?) – “I haven’t had a chance to speak (to him). Obviously I came in on Tuesday and was straight with my head down, focusing on Oakland; but I’ll eventually probably have a chance to speak with him.”
(Is the team shaken up or jarred by this trade?) – “Based on practice today, I would say guys are focused on Oakland and looking forward to getting a win, especially being back home. I believe this is our (third) time at home now?”
(Talk about RB Marshawn Lynch and how difficult of a player he is to take down and matchup against?) – “I enjoy playing against Marshawn. I think this will probably be my sixth or seventh time going against him. (He’s an) elite running back, a guy that I respect and (I’ve) spent some time off the field with him at Nike shoots and different stuff. (He’s a) great person, obviously a quiet introvert, like I am; but he enjoys having fun. (He’s) an elite running back like I said before. He’s going to be tough. We have to gang tackle him and really make sure we shut down that run game so we can get after the quarterback.”
(I know Head Coach Adam Gase said that he wanted to treat this weekend kind of like your bye because it’s as close as you’re going to get. Does this feel like a week after a bye? Do you feel at all refreshed?) – “Honestly, I think Coach (Gase) did a great job with it. If you truly understand what our byes are and what they consist of, we usually only get about four days off. Like I said, Coach (Gase) did a great job with that. I applaud him for that and appreciate it. I think each and every guy – especially coming back the last two days and seeing how guys reacted and understanding what we needed to get done – took advantage of that the most, and came back fresh and ready to go.”
Mike Pouncey – November 1, 2017
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Wednesday, November 1, 2017
C Mike Pouncey
(On whether the message is clear now.) – “Yes, I think so. The way guys came out and practiced today, the attention to detail was awesome. If we want to win football games, that’s the way we’ve got to practice the rest of the year. We’ll get better each and every week. Obviously, we have a lot to prove on Sunday, so we can’t wait until this game gets here.”
(Head Coach Adam Gase also said that everything’s going to change: the way you guys meet, the way you guys go through walkthroughs, the way you guys go through practice. Is that something that’s needed at this point?) – “Yes, I think so, especially during walkthroughs. It’s time where you can talk through plays because it’s not live. So whenever we’ll go out there and we’ll walk through them and then we’ll go back and talk through each play and figure out why guys did what on each play. From the game last week, we just went out there and walked through all of the bad plays and made corrections on all of them.”
(Were you upset that RB Jay Ajayi got traded?) – “Yes, I mean Jay’s a good football player. He was a good friend of ours and we wish him nothing but the best. We don’t make the personnel decisions. That’s all upstairs and the coaching staff, but we wish him nothing but the best in the future.”
(What did the extended break do for you, physically? I know you had the hip and the knee. How are you feeling today compared to a normal week?) – “I get a lot of rest anyway, so I got to spend a lot of time with family. I just enjoyed those four days off and took advantage of them, stayed off my feet the whole time and just got as healthy as possible to take advantage of those four days.”
(You have two backs, obviously, here who have played some. What does RB Kenyan Drake give you and what does RB Damien Williams give you?) – “Both of them are really good football players. Kenyan’s really, really fast. He runs the ball hard. Damien, you know he’s going to bring it. He’s going to show up every game, he’s not going to go down easily, he’s going to know what he’s doing on each and every play and that’s all you can pretty much ask for from those guys. I think they’re going to do a really good job; but at the end of the day, it’s our job up front, the five guys up front, and our tight ends, to make this run game go. We’ll work on that this Sunday and we’ll get it going.”
(Head Coach Adam Gase on Friday was talking to us about players that needed to prepare more. He wasn’t talking about you, obviously; but as a group, was that something that he discussed with you guys over the last couple of days?) – “Honestly, it’s just something you shouldn’t even have to talk about at this level of football. We’re all professional athletes. We’re here for one reason and that’s to play football. Whenever we show up on Sunday or whatever day the game is on, you need to be fully prepared. It’s your job. It’s not just (going) out there just having fun anymore. You’re getting paid to play this sport and we want guys that know what they’re doing on each and every play so all of us are successful.”
(Have you made that comment to teammates as a leader here?) – “We don’t have to. (Head) Coach (Adam Gase) made it clear enough. He told everybody, ‘This is where we’re at and this is where we’re going to go. If you’re not on board, then you’re going to be the hell out of here.’”
(Have you seen that stuff too? You’ve been around long enough to know what’s going on in here.) – “Honestly, I watch my guys in our room. I don’t really know what’s going on, on the outside or in skill positions; but for the most part, I feel like our guys know what we’re doing. We don’t really make that many mistakes. All we’ve got to do is just finish blocks better and get the run game going and we’ll be okay.”
(We know it’s a business, but when you hear the news of RB Jay Ajayi getting traded like that, what goes through your mind?) – “It sucks. It could be any one of us, at the end of the day. Jay was really good to us. He did a lot of great things for this football team. We hope he does that with the Eagles and we wish him nothing but success from here on out.”
Ted Larsen – November 1, 2017
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Wednesday, November 1, 2017
C/G Ted Larsen
(What do you think? How’s your physical condition? Are you ready to play or is it still too close to call?) – “It’s good. I just went out there and tried to get the first day in. It’s awkward. You try to feel your way through it and try to go hard and try to do what you do.”
(How would you describe the feeling of finally being able to get back at practice?) – “It was good. I would’ve liked to do a little bit more but (I) went out there and did a little bit and felt pretty good.”
(Are you in any discomfort physically?) – “No.”
(You feel great?) – “Yes, I feel good. I’m just trying to get better and get all my strength back.”
(How tough is it to come back midseason and try to get back in football shape very quickly?) – “It’s tough. Everybody has been practicing, so you’re kind of thrown in the deep end and you’ve got to (freaking) go, but that’s just what it is.”
(What is a realistic timetable for you, you think? Do you think realistically Carolina?) – “I’m just worried about trying to get better and see what the coaches think. It’s not really my call. (I am) just trying to be prepared when the opportunity arises to play.”
(Are you fully healed? We saw the thing on your arm today.) – “Yes, there’s a brace. It’s healed, obviously. I’m cleared to practice, so it has healed up pretty good. I think the brace is more preventative. It’s doctor’s orders.”
(What was the hardest part of the healing process for you?) – “It’s immobilized for like six weeks. I had a cast on. Trying to be on the bike and lift lower body and stuff, it got kind of stinky. It was my right arm, so I kind of had to learn to do everything left handed.”
(Is it more conditioning at this point than actually healing – because you said you were healed – so is it mostly conditioning?) – “No, it’s not conditioning. I feel in really good shape. It’s more just the playing football, the speed of the game and the explosiveness of the game and getting midseason form after a week or two.”
(What have you seen from just watching? What have you noticed? Do you see anything…) – “Throughout the NFL or the Dolphins?”
(Your team.) – “A lot of guys try hard. The young guys are playing, I guess, playing through bumps and bruises. I think the guys are working hard. I’m just trying to go and contribute.”
Jarvis Landry – November 1, 2017
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Wednesday, November 1, 2017
WR Jarvis Landry
(How do you guys become a better offense?) – “Find ways to execute; stay in first, second and third-and-manageable. I think we’ve done an excellent job, to my knowledge, in the red zone; but we just haven’t got there often. That’s probably the biggest thing for us – get to the red zone and we find ways to score points. Hopefully staying ahead of the chains, staying ahead of the sticks will allow us to do that.”
(How much change do you expect when you lose a guy like RB Jay Ajayi, when you trade a guy like that?) – “Again, like I said, It’s part of this business, and I have no true answer for him not being here or whatever it is; but I do know for us as a team, we have to find a way to move forward and guys are going to have to continue to step up like we have all year, and find a way to win a game – win one game. That’s our motto right now.”
(I’m talking about on the field, strategy-wise. Instead of his style, going another style, how hard is it? How hard is it to do that in the middle of a season?) – “It’s not hard. We’ve got two great backs as well that can do things, that can catch the ball out of the backfield, that are a little more shiftier. Again, it’s not like every time a back touches the ball, he’s out there by himself. They’ve got 10 other guys that he’s counting on to get their jobs done. It’s going to come down to all of us, regardless of who’s touching the ball, and that’s the biggest thing.”
(Were you shocked at all when you found out about the trade?) – “Yes. I guess I was in shock as everybody else was. Again, I don’t have a good answer. I don’t have a good answer. My emotions about it are not only was he a teammate, but he was a friend. You hate to see him go and you hate to say it is part of the business; but unfortunately it is and we’ve got to find a way to worry about the Miami Dolphins now.”
(Head Coach Adam Gase said today that he told you that you were not going to be traded even though there were rumors out there from national reporters yesterday. Did that please you that you’re here, that you didn’t have to worry about that?) – “Yes, of course. I have no true doubt in my mind that I will be here and that has been the plan all along.”
(Still hope long-term it is?) – “Of course.”
(The message that Head Coach Adam Gase gave us on Friday – he was very angry. You might’ve seen some of the comments that he made about players needing to prepare more, take work home with them. Is that something that the receiver group discussed? Not that he was referring necessarily to you guys, but is it something that you guys talked about?) – “I think it’s something that we all can do. I think we all can do as a team – offense, defense, special teams – and I think that it helps us. I wouldn’t say it’s going to ideally win the game for us, but I think it helps it be prepared for a lot of different opportunities and a lot of different situations. The more that we know, the faster we can play. I think to his point, that is a good point and that’s something that I know myself, personally, can do more of.”
(I know you’re not totally or even in the slightest bit trying to think about your contract right now, but one thing that Head Coach Adam Gase mentioned to us just a short time ago when he was discussing the trade of RB Jay Ajayi was pretty much that it adds flexibility salary cap-wise, and he mentioned specifically your case coming up next year. How do you feel about that? Do you think it enhances your chances of returning here next year?) – “I don’t know. I want to be here. As far as my talks with Adam and with everybody upstairs, it’s the same. For me, honestly since – you guys know – since OTAs, since training camp, I’ve really just been focused on football. I’ve always believed the rest will take care of itself. It’s no time to change now. I still have the same thought, the same feeling about it. God will take care of it when it’s time.”
(What changed today as far as practice? Head Coach Adam Gase said there would be some changes in how you guys do things. Anything different to you?) – “We had a lot of energy. Guys were flying around out there. We had a little mini bye, so guys were a little fresher. I think we got a couple guys back today as well. It was good to be out there finally after this long weekend and have a little fun.”
(What did you do to recharge?) – “Recharge? I didn’t recharge. (laughter) I was moving; I was moving around. For the most part (I) relaxed, spent time with my family, went to see Odell (Beckham). That’s about it.”
(Talk about the importance of this being the week that the offense puts together a complete game.) – “We have to, as a team, find a way to put a complete game together. We have to find a way to complement each other. That counts on every phase doing their job – defense holding their own, special teams holding their own, offense holding their own. Our biggest thing now is starting fast and get ahead of the sticks. The more we can stay ahead of the sticks, the better opportunities are to score, to move the ball, to control the game. It increases our chances of winning.”
(Sunday Night Football is what Monday Night Football used to be in terms of the league’s marquee package. It’s the first time you guys have been on it in seven years. Is there something a little special about it you think for you guys being on a Sunday night game?) – “Every Sunday is special. I know for me, I speak on it, every Sunday is special. Again, I grew up watching Randy Moss and ‘T.O.’ (Terrell Owens) and guys thrive on nights like this – on Sunday Night Football – with the world watching being the last primetime game. That’s always fun, knowing that there are millions of people watching, not just kind of the local base and everybody else will catch the highlights. That’s kind of fun; that’s kind of cool. I’m sure it’ll be a good crowd, so the momentum will definitely be there. The energy will definitely be there.”
Kenyan Drake – November 1, 2017
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Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Running Back Kenyan Drake
(Your reaction when you heard about the trade?) – “I was surprised. I don’t think anybody really had an idea that it was going to go like that; but it’s a business, at the end of the day. You’ve just got to move on to the next week and prepare for Oakland.”
(How big of an opportunity do you see this as for you?) – “I’m just trying to go out there and help the team win any way possible. I’m not going to look at it as any big opportunity other than trying to go out there and help this team win.”
(Has Head Coach Adam Gase talked to you specifically about what your role is going to be?) – “No. He just wants me to go out there and play my best football, and that’s what I plan on doing.”
(Your first reaction after hearing the news of RB Jay Ajayi’s trade was what?) – “Obviously shock. I don’t think anybody that wasn’t initially involved with it knew it was coming. I wish him the best of luck in Philadelphia because he was one of my good friends.”
(I know you’re wording is not to look at it as an opportunity but it’s sort of like that. It’s a nine-game period to show them that you can be a bell cow NFL back. Is that exciting?) – “My most important thing is helping this team get to the playoffs and trying to win a Super Bowl. That’s my first and foremost opportunity.”
(What were the goodbyes like with RB Jay Ajayi?) – “Just wishing him the best of luck in Philadelphia. We know it’s a business. He’s going to go up there and give it his best shot. We’re going to do the same here and hopefully we can meet up one day in February (at the Super Bowl).”
(When it comes to running some of the outside zone stuff, what are some of the things that RB Jay Ajayi has taught you over time?) – “Just his patience. When he gets in the hole, he bursts through with a lot of power and acceleration. I feel like that’s what made him a special back because not only could he get to the hole with power, he could get to the hole with speed.”
(Is it just coincidence that both you and RB Damien Williams got a haircut during the mini-bye?) – “(laughter) We actually had talked about it. It wasn’t like we planned to do it at the same time but I’ve been thinking about it for the last couple of weeks, so I just decided to cut it. He cut it at the same time so here we are. (laughter)”
(Are you looking to bring more of a multi-faceted approach to this, like being a pass catcher and being a versatile threat out of the backfield?) – “I feel like that’s what (Head Coach Adam) Gase expects anyway out of all of his backs. Like I said, I just want to go out there and show my best ability and help this team win games.”
(People look at your current yards per carry average and say ‘Oh, it’s only 2.-whatever right now.’ What are some of the differences between being featured and getting a rhythm versus spot duty?) – “You just go in there and you give your best when you’re out there. With the opportunities I had, I tried to make the most of them. Now obviously I’ll probably get more opportunities in one game than I’ve had the whole season, so I’ve got to make the most of it.”
Adam Gase – November 1, 2017
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Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Head Coach Adam Gase
(Not looking long term but right now are the Dolphins better off? Why are they better off without RB Jay Ajayi?) – “I think it was just time for us to move on. We’ve had conversations about kind of what we were going to do down the road. (We) felt like this was a good opportunity. We were kind of putting some feelers out to see where other teams were at and we’ve got some younger players there that that we feel like we were going to move forward with, and that was kind of the decision we came to.”
(Do you feel this team is better than what it was a couple of hours ago?) – “I like where we’re at right now.”
(As far as RB Kenyan Drake, would you envision him becoming your lead back or do you expect to split with RB Damien Williams?) – “We’ll see how it works out. We’re going to go through practice this week and see what fits. I like the three guys that we’ve got – their skill sets – and we’re going to be able to maximize what they do well.”
(What has QB Jay Cutler been able to do? What’s he capable of right now?) – “Really, we’re going to kind of see how it goes in practice today. That’s the biggest thing for us – see how he feels during practice, after practice, moving into the next day. I know Matt (Moore) took a lot of shots last week and he’s trying to recover from that as well. I mean he’s still a little sore. He took probably way too many shots. We’ve just got to kind of see how this week goes. I know Matt’s always ready to go and we’ll see how Jay feels.”
(You were talking about it as a pain tolerance issue a week ago. You may know more about it now.) – “Yes, I mean that’s the thing.”
(Is it medically safe for QB Jay Cutler? Is there some concern with him playing as far as doing further damage?) – “No. From what basically I’ve been told is, it’s going to come down to how painful is it going to be when we start throwing and moving around the pocket, getting hit and that’s really what’s it going to come down to is how much pain is it? We won’t know. When he runs on Monday and throws a little bit, and says he feels pretty good, he was trying convince me that he could go. I feel like he’s feeling okay, but I thought it was the right decision to start Matt (Moore) last week and really give (Cutler) more time get healed up.”
(So if QB Jay Cutler takes another hit in the chest, ribs, does that expose him to bigger, further damage?) – “It sounds like we’re going to be okay in that area. It’s just really … I’m sure it’s not going to feel good; but as time goes on … We’d like to avoid those shots. I mean that was a pretty violent shot. The guy came down with all his weight on his body. I mean that was a big hit. We need to do a good job of making sure that he’s protected. Hopefully we have a good sense of urgency.”
(Was there an effort made to acquire a veteran back yesterday after dealing RB Jay Ajayi or are you looking seriously to signing one now or are the three guys you have enough?) – “No, we didn’t inquire about anyone else and we’ll just kind of see how it goes from here on out; but as for right now, I like the group I’ve got.”
(What are you looking for from your running backs that you’re not getting in that position so far?) – “I think really what we’re looking for is really – not just that position but all positions on offense – is the consistency and making sure that you’re doing your job down in and down out. We’ve been way too inconsistent and I think that’s obvious. The three loses we had, we’ve basically been shut out three times. When you go through those tapes, it’s very glaring for us – not only as coaches but players. When we watch it together everybody … I mean it’s no secret when somebody makes a mistake because we’re watching it together and we’re going through it as a group and coaches are correcting their guys. Everybody is aware of who’s either screwing up or not making the right play or not making the right read. Everything’s pretty much an open book in the offensive room because we’re doing everything as a group.”
(Did you talk to RB Jay Ajayi, and if so, can you share anything with us?) – “Anything that we do is always going to stay in house. It’s never a fun situation. It’s never fun for a guy – even though it’s a great opportunity for him, going to a team that’s probably one of the best teams in the NFL right now – anytime that you’ve been in a place for a minute, you really always envision that you’re always going to be there forever. We just all know how it is. Coaches change, players change, that’s the nature of the business.”
(What disappoints you most about the RB Jay Ajayi tenure, your relationship with him and how the whole thing played out over the course of a year and a half?) – “We’ve had ups and downs, but that (happens with) a lot of players. It’s just (about) getting on the same page and sharing the same philosophy of how we want to do things. I think he tried to do what we were asking him to do a majority of the time. He had a lot of really positive games. He had some really, really good ones. It was just time for probably us to go separate ways.”
(Was there a message sent to the other players on the team with this trade?) – “I don’t know. That’s something you’d have to ask those guys.”
(Was there a message you were hoping to convey to them?) – “I don’t think I was thinking of it that way. I was just trying to find some ways to make sure that we could move in the direction that we were looking to move into, not only for this year but the future. We needed to figure out what we want to do going forward, see what we have and give guys opportunities. Really, at the end of the day, we need the offense to play a greater role in these games, and right now we’ve really been holding this team back. I think there’s really a great sense of urgency right now. We watched this last game, really, as an entire team. There’s nothing that nobody doesn’t know right now. Offense, defense, special teams, when you watch all three phases together, the defense sees where we’re making our mistakes, the offense sees where the defense is making mistakes, and then really special teams is together a lot, so there’s nothing hidden there. It’s probably a good thing that we did that. There’s a great sense of urgency right now.”
(Do you have a sense of whether RB Kenyan Drake could be a guy who could carry 15 to 20 times a game and be productive? Obviously you have to see it, but what’s your sense of that? What skills would lead to that?) – “You’re speculating. We’ll see how it goes between that crew and how the game plays out. The way you envision a game to go from week to week and how it plays out, usually it’s hard to be dead-on. Every game has a different story to it and a different feel. We’ve been seeing some different defenses then what we’ve been anticipating. Defensive coordinators have been doing a good job and when we’ve had to adjust, we haven’t done a very good job with it. We’ve got to be on it.”
(What’s your level of optimism that C/G Ted Larsen will be able to play Sunday?) – “We’ll see. We’ve got to go through this week. It’s hard for me to comment on it without going through practice.”
(When did you first start thinking about dealing RB Jay Ajayi?) – “I don’t really know the exact moment.”
(Within this season? After the season started?) – “Conversations come up all the time where you start talking about, even in the spring, you’re always planning years in advance, because it’s no secret that we’ve got some guys coming up contract-wise. We’ve got some guys coming up contract-wise and it’s going to be a lot of money. You’re trying to figure out how do you put the puzzle together, and that’s what you’re trying to figure out. What’s the best thing to do for the organization? Conversations come and go throughout spring, summer, training camp. It’s moving pieces so much. When opportunities come up, you act on them, you do what you think is best for the organization and move on.”
(Obviously, WR Jarvis Landry was not traded. How do you feel about – at this moment – about whether you hope he is in the long term eyes of the organization?) – “We told him a while ago … I can’t remember when everybody was saying that we were trading him but we told him a long time ago he wasn’t going anywhere. We have a vision for what we want that wide receiver room to look like, and we expect him to be a huge part of that. However it works out down the road, that’s hard for me to say, because I don’t negotiate the contracts. I’ll blame (Executive Vice President of Football Operations) Mike (Tannenbaum) on that one. I like that group. I like that group a lot. I think we have not only a lot of talent, we have a lot of guys that are trying to do it right, and they fight through the entire game. I think that’s why we see some moments where things look really good. We’ve just got to find ways to improve. We’ve just got to keep being on the details and make sure we’re accountable to each other.”
(You’re obviously aware of everything going on but with Executive Vice President of Football Operations Mike Tannenbaum and General Manager Chris Grier working the phones, when do you like to be brought in to decide whether or not to pull the trigger on a trade? At what point in that process?) – “There’s constant dialogue. When we play a Thursday game and you’ve got that time to really kind of think about a lot of things, there’s probably a lot more conversations going on there than say if we would’ve played on Sunday. Then things move a little quicker. We had some time to think about what we wanted to do going forward and what was our best steps. Thursday to Monday, it’s an eternity when you get waxed like that. You go through a lot of things. You watch a lot of film. You try to figure out what is going on.”
(Did talks with the Eagles commence after the Thursday game or before?) – “I don’t know exactly when they started. It wasn’t like Thursday, Friday morning or anything like that. I can’t really say what the exact timeframe was.”
(When a back is constantly looking to hit the home run, does that have an effect on the flow of the offense and is yardage kind of left on the field at that point?) – “It can. It’s great when it happens because it’s not an easy thing to be patient. Just watching a lot of football this weekend, watching other teams play, you can see when guys get tired of waiting for that explosive play. Then you see some guys call games that are very patient and can hammer out the 2, 3 (yards) and convert on third down. Our biggest issue has been we haven’t put ourselves in great position on third down. We’ve been in a ridiculous amount of third-and-10, third-and-11-plus. The percentages of converting those are so low just league average-wise. We have to … Right now, every yard we can get to get us in third-and-6 or less are really the steps we need to take.”
(What specifically on RB Damien Williams and on RB Kenyan Drake give you confidence that you have enough for now at running back – each of those two guys, what skills?) – “When you’re around guys over a two-year period, my confidence level is obviously going to be higher than probably your guys’, because you’re not around them every day, you’re not in meetings with them, you’re not in practice every day with them watching them work. Damien has impressed me from the get go. I was told when I got here that when the lights come on Sunday, he’s one of those guys you want with you. He has done nothing but make plays for us. Kenyan, we really feel fits the mold we’re looking for in that backfield. I like those two guys working together. And then Senorise (Perry) has knowledge of this offense. He has been with me enough to … When you know what a guy can do – what he does well – there’s a comfort level there. With those two guys, I like the fact that they’re able to catch the ball, they’re able to run good routes, they’re able to run the ball both inside and outside, they’re physical. It’s just something that we like their skillsets.”
(Do you anticipate play calling changing in the running game because of the change in personnel?) – “Well, it’s hard to do that because really, it’s more than one guy. Surprisingly, some of the things, it’s flipped so much over the two years that we’ve been here where Jay (Ajayi) wasn’t a big fan of the outside zone and then he had a lot of success there and really started to like it; and the other guys have been a little back and forth as well. Really, the good thing is they have the ability to run all phases of the run game – whether it’s outside, inside, gap scheme, dive plays, things like that. It’s just really how that game is going and what you’ve really planned. That style of running game can change throughout the game.”
(You had a lot of things you were upset about with particularly the offense last week. When the guys came back, did you sense a different approach or a different mentality towards some of the things you addressed?) – “Yes, we’re just not going to stay the same. We’re not going to keep doing the same thing and bang our head against the wall. We made some changes with how we’re meeting, how we’re going to walk through, how we’re going to schedule things, how we’re going to practice. We’re going to make changes. I’m not talking about personnel, I’m just talking about the way we’re going about things and the way that we’re teaching, the way that we game plan. That’s what we should be doing. If we sit here and do the same thing over and over again and just keep saying it’s execution or I’ve got to call different plays and things like that, then we’re really kidding ourselves. At the end of the day, we’ve got to find the right way to teach, we’ve got to find the right way to learn and then we have to find what allows us to execute best on Sunday.”
(Have you sensed a different approach from the players though since they’ve been back?) – “I do sense a sense of urgency, from the offense especially. Just kind of with what we’ve been doing with our walkthroughs and the way that I see guys in meetings, they know that the mistakes we’re making, they’re unacceptable; and we need to get this fixed. I sense a sense of urgency from the coaching staff as well.”
(What do you need T Laremy Tunsil to do differently or better?) – “I think those few days off helped. This is a physical game and when you’re playing that position, you always want to have all of your quickness and athletic ability and as the season wears on, it just kind of slows down for you a little bit. He really had a tough matchup last week. There’s been a lot of good. For us, it’s really just about that constant consistency week in and week out, play in and play out, of just knowing that side is good. That’s really why you draft him. When you’ve got a guy with that kind of athletic ability, you anticipate that and you expect it. There are spurts in a game where it looks really, really good, and then there will be a few plays where you wish he would have done better. The good thing is he’s very prideful. He wants to do it right. It bothers him a lot when he doesn’t do something right or when he gets beat. When you see that from guys, then you know you’ve got a chance to get them better.”
(The overhaul that you just described and the way you go about doing things, would you describe that as a bigger overhaul than you’ve ever experienced midseason with any of the teams you’ve been with?) – “Not necessarily. Every year has been different. I don’t think I’ve ever really done anything the same for an entire season, whether it be coordinating or these two years. I think there’s always going to be some kind of an adjustment, and that’s kind of the NFL season. It’s such a long year. When things kind of start going off track, your job is to go find solutions, whether that means you’re making some changes in how you’re going to do meetings or do extended walkthroughs, you spend more time up here at the building, guys start working together when we’re not here. Things have to change for us to be able to have some success on offense.”
