Frank Gore – October 18, 2018
Thursday, October 18, 2018
RB Frank Gore
(You became the first running back 35 or older to rush for more than 100 yards in 14 years. Is that type of thing meaningful to you? Did you know about that?) – “No, I didn’t. I don’t think about it and I didn’t hear about it. I’m happy I did get the 100, though. And we was also got the win, so that was big.”
(What do you attribute to being durable at your age?) – “I say the man up above. I’m blessed. Also, the way I train and how much I love the game. As you get older and want to keep playing this game, you’ve got to respect it, as well as the way you train and when you’re out there and also when you’re at practice. You can’t think about age. You’ve got to continue like you’re a young man out there.”
(In essence, your mind may tell one thing but your body tells you another?) – “Yeah. I just think the way I take care of myself. When I got to the age that I tried to do something, I felt like I still can do it and also still play and one game I didn’t have it that Sunday. When I felt that, that’s when I knew that if I still want to play this game, I’ve got to respect it. There’s no different way. That’s why I take care of my body, I train my behind off and during the season I’m all football.”
(Is there anything you think you’ve lost from your late 20s to now?) – “I don’t know. Now, I’ve got to pay attention and be very detailed, small details. I try my best to make sure I understand the small details on the field.”
(What happens in a very small amount of time, like 20 seconds, where you come out of the game in overtime and you and you and (Run Game Coordinator/Running Backs) Coach (Eric) Studesville and Kenyan (Drake) have a quick amount of time to determine who’s going in. How does that happen?) – “It depends on what coach calls. It doesn’t matter who’s in. We know we both can get the job done and our coach respects both of us. Whatever play gets called, we’re going to try our best to get it done. So it really doesn’t matter.”
(You could have stayed in at that point. Had you felt gassed or no?) – “I’ve been smart. I felt that Kenyan (Drake) was the fresher guy and I’d do it again because he can play this game at a high level too.”
(Do you ever pick the brains of other guys like DE Cameron Wake or even other sports like a Miami Heat’s Udonis Haslem or a Dwyane Wade, guys who have played a long time and still play?) – “I’ve been going with what I know so far. Also, I talk to other players at my position. When my boy Marshall Faulk gets back in town, when he texts me that I still look good, I just ask him what he thinks I should continue to be doing and things like that.”
(Was that in the last week or two?) – “Yeah, just last game. After the last game (Faulk) texted me.”
(What does that mean to you to get that kind of text from former NFL RB Marshall Faulk?) – “It’s big. A guy like that and a guy who I respect and who killed it when he was playing. He killed it. We always talk during the season, even offseason. I just tell him to be real with me and he said I still can play.”
(Are there times you convince your mind that you can do certain things that maybe your body at your age most people would say you can’t do?) – “I like it. I like the challenge. The biggest challenge was going to be training camp. I felt like I wanted to be the same Frank that’s going out there every day with my teammates. That’s what I did. Even though I didn’t get the reps like I wanted to, I was out there. That was a big thing for me.”
(Has your start to the season reaffirmed for you that you think you’ll be around for a few more years and that you’ve got a lot left?) – “I take it one game at a time, one year at a time. There’s a lot of games left in this season. I’m not even thinking about that right now. Right now, I’m trying to get ready for Sunday and try to get a win on Sunday against Detroit.”
(Do you like all the questions you get about being able to do this at your age?) – “I don’t care about it, but I kind of get tired of it because I still can play. I don’t care what age I am. If I continue to train and feel good and enjoy the locker room and this organization wants me and I feel I can do it, I’m going to do it, no matter what my age.”
(This “Forever Grinding” on your shirt, it seems like it has a lot deeper meaning because of how long you’ve been doing this.) – “My whole career. You think about when I went to Miami. I played as a freshman, I go in and compete to be a starter, I tear my ACL, come back, I start, I get off to a good couple of games and I get hurt again. You hear everybody saying, ‘Oh, he’s done.’ I get drafted in the third round. People still said I got drafted too high, saying I’ll only play three years and I’m still playing now. So it means a lot. Yeah, it does. The way I’ve been raised, the way my career has been going. So, yeah, it means a lot.”
(There aren’t a lot of athletes in this position although you certainly might be one of them, like the Heat’s Dwyane Wade, where they can decide before their last year, this is going to be my last year. Do you want to do that? Do you want to know going into a year this will be my last season?) – “I can tell probably when I’m training. If I feel like I can’t be me when I’m training and I can’t keep up with the guys who I train with, who help me have a strong head coming into training camp, then I’ll be able to tell.”
Adam Gase – October 17, 2018 (Conference Call)
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Wednesday, October 17, 2018
Head Coach Adam Gase Conference Call with Detroit Media
(I was curious, you guys have already intercepted more passes this season than you did all of last season. What’s been the biggest change for you guys in that regard?) – “I think our guys are doing a better job this year of actually really just holding onto them. We had an opportunity in the previous season to probably have more interceptions than what we did and we didn’t finish the play. I think this year, the whole defensive staff has done a great job of emphasizing running to the football. We’ve had a few deflections where because of effort guys are in the right spot and balls kind of really come to them.”
(Can you talk about the decision – the announcement you made – at quarterback, and where QB Ryan Tannehill is at right now in his comeback and what QB Brock Osweiler gave you guys last week?) – “Right now, we’re taking it a day at a time. It’s really been one of those things where we have to regroup and figure out where he’s at. Last week kind of went downhill from the start of the week until the end of the week. Saturday he didn’t throw and then we tried to throw on Sunday. It just didn’t work out as what we thought. We went back and had some more evaluations from some of the doctors and we think right now this is the best thing for us to do this week and then we’ll reevaluate it at the end of the week. I thought Brock did a good job. He ran the offense. He executed the calls the right way and when things weren’t exactly right, he did a good job of finding a way to get the ball into one of our skill guys’ hands or throw the ball away.”
(How is QB Brock Osweiler different than QB Ryan Tannehill? Is there anything he can do that Ryan couldn’t that your offense changes in any dramatic sort of fashion?) – “They’re not far apart. Ryan has probably a larger skillset when it comes to being able to run with the football; but Brock still have the ability to do a lot of that, because he is athletic. He’s a former basketball player. He has really good change of direction. He’s a big guy, too. When he gets out in the open field, he’s not afraid to really mix it up with anybody. There’s not too much of a difference, so it doesn’t really affect us as far as having to … Like it’s not like a wholesale change in the offense.”
(How much of the Patriots defense do you see when you look at the Lions on video?) – “I mean a good amount. There’s different emphasis on certain things because the personnel is different. In New England, it always felt like the inside guys were bigger guys. These guys are still physical, but they can run more sideline to sideline. It’s the early stages of them in their season and probably the development of the defense. It always takes time. I know just three years ago that we tried to really get it going early and we struggled a little bit because the offense wasn’t taking so much. It takes time. It takes games, it takes reps to get everything gelling together.”
(I saw DE Cam Wake was back on the practice field for you today. How did he look and how much does he mean to your defense?) – “He’s an important piece for the amount of disruption he causes in the passing game. Really, it’s going to be more about how he feels the next day. It’s really going to be the determining factor for us of going into Sunday to figure out how he feels. I probably won’t know much until at least tomorrow to figure out what our chances are of him being able to go. He’s been a guy here that’s been here for a long time. He’s a leader in the locker room. He did a great job of really helping a lot of guys out when he was out. It’ll be nice to get him back if we can.”
(Along those lines, how important is it to get pressure on a quarterback like QB Matthew Stafford, the different weapons he has here in Detroit?) – “If you let him stand back there, it’s going to be a long day. You have to try to find a way to disrupt him, throw off his timing, try to make sure that you collapse the pocket. You can’t let him out or let him start moving around and letting him buy time to see if he can make a throw, because he can throw a football about as well as anybody in the league. We’ve got to do a good job of making sure that he doesn’t go anywhere and at the same time, we have to stay tight in coverage and give our guys time to get back there.”
(You referred to RB Frank Gore as a warrior after last week’s game. How remarkable is it that he’s able to accomplish what he is at this stage of his career?) – “Last weekend, it was a nice, warm Miami day for sure. All of our guys were battling through that. When you’re that guy that’s getting those 3-, 4- and 5-yard carries and you’re giving everything you have, it’s exhausting. He laid it all on the field. He fought for the entire game. Every time I see him play in a game or in practice, it’s impressive to watch him do the process he goes through to get himself ready for a game. It’s impressive.”
(You’re 3-0 at home this year and pretty good over your entire tenure there in Miami. What is it about your home-field advantage that’s maybe unique or beneficial?) – “I think our guys believe that the fact that we train down here and we’re living in this, it’s to our advantage. I think it’s one of those things where it kind of reminds me of when we were in Denver. Whether the altitude thing was real or not, a lot of guys felt like it was. They knew if it’s a four-quarter game that they felt like they had an advantage. I think our guys are starting really to see that and feel that way. That’s the biggest thing for us is we try to make it a four-quarter game and try to prove that we’re in the best shape possible to finish the game out the right way.”
(What’s your fondest memory of your time in Detroit?) – “I don’t know, man. It’s been a long time. I finally sold my house, so I’ve got that going for me. (laughter) That only took 12 years. (laughter).”
(When did you sell it?) – “I don’t know. My wife did that thing. She told me like maybe a couple of years ago that we sold it or something.”
(That’s how busy a coach’s schedule is that you don’t even know.) – “No. I’ll tell you what, it was a great experience for me. I met a lot of great people. Everybody that I worked with there, I enjoyed it. I learned a lot. It was a great first step, really, just to get in the league and I got a chance to go to San Francisco after that. A lot of those people I still keep in touch with and I’m still friends with.”
(Where did you live when you were up here by the way?) – “It was in Dearborn. I wasn’t far from the office.”
(This might sound silly but did you hold onto it in part because of the economic downturn to see if you’d make money back on it?) – “I don’t remember. I just remember my wife rented it out and then that was the last thing I heard about it and then all of a sudden she was like, ‘Hey, I sold the house.’ I’m kind of not real good with the economic aspect of anything, so that’s on her.”
(I had one more on the heat down there. We saw the Bears with temporary – I don’t know what you call it – shade with some of their assistants holding up shade on the bench. Have you seen any teams do anything unique or creative or amusing when you’re looking back at the game on film or anything like that?) – “No. I’m worried about what we’re doing. I’m not really worried about what’s going on on their sideline. (Lions Head Coach) Matt (Patricia) has played down here a few times. I’m pretty sure he has an idea of what they can do to combat that, and I’m sure they’ll be ready for it.”
Brock Osweiler – October 17, 2018
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Wednesday, October 17, 2018
QB Brock Osweiler
(Are you embracing the ‘Brocktober’ hashtag?) – “(laughter) I don’t have social media so I’m not a big hashtag guy; but it is pretty cool to see. The guys in the locker room, we’ve been having fun with it, obviously my family is having fun with it, so go ahead and keep writing it. It’s fun.”
(What’s your favorite pun that your family has told you?) – “Right now it’s ‘Brocktober.’ I’m not looking much past that. (laughter)”
(How beneficial is it for you to take first team snaps?) – “It’s huge. But whether I get snaps or whether I don’t, it’s my job as a professional to be prepared and ready to play and help contribute to the football team. In general, yes. Getting reps with the first team offense and building some relationships out there in practice is huge. It’s very beneficial.”
(Head Coach Adam Gase was talking about how you told him it was 58 games or so that you heard him call before. How was it that first time and how is it now that you get a whole week of him planning for you?) – “It’s something that I’ve been wanting for a lot of years. I talked quite a bit on Sunday about how I believe in Coach Gase, and his system and who he is as a person and a coach. I saw that firsthand for a lot of years in Denver. I saw what it’s like to be able to play quarterback for a coach like that. As a quarterback, that’s the guy you want to play for. To be able to go out there on Sunday and have him in my ear the whole time and working together on the sideline, it was really cool. It was a lot of fun.”
(You did a lot of waiting I guess in Denver?) – “A lot of waiting. I heard a lot of play calls come in through that earpiece that weren’t coming in for me. To go out there and finally be the guy pulling the trigger, it was a very special day.”
(Was there one play call where you were like ‘I really like that, I dig that. I didn’t expect that at this moment.’) – “I wouldn’t say that. There was a number of play calls that I absolutely loved and that’s what makes Coach Gase so special. I think the really unique thing is I anticipated a couple of those, especially late in the game because I’ve seen him do it so many times. I know what coach wants when he calls certain plays because I’ve been in the meeting room with him for so many years, hearing where he wants that football to go. There were times where he’s sitting there looking at his sheet and in my head I’m like ‘I think he’s going to call this play.’ Sure enough, three seconds later, that play comes in. We were definitely on the same page and that made it a lot of fun.”
(Terminology-wise has things changed or have you guys been picking up where you left off?) – ‘No. Terminology is all the same for the most part. Obviously, you change some things over the years. Teams catch on to certain words and signals, so you change those up; but for the most part it’s the same system he was running in Denver.”
(You had a lot of big moments on Sunday. How about the moments you were handing off to RB Frank Gore?) – “Those are special. That’s something I’ll never forget. Watching a future Hall of Famer from the field level is pretty special. But, not just Frank but Kenyan (Drake) had a tremendous day as well. Both of those running backs were running extremely hard. The first guy wasn’t bringing them down. They were running through arm tackles, they were jumping over guys, they were stiff-arming guys. Those guys definitely played very hard and it was a lot of fun to watch.”
(I’m sure you were not one of them, but there were a lot of people out there thinking this moment may never come for you again. You don’t seem like one who’s going to show them wrong, but how does it feel to get to this point after the road you took?) – “I would say none of it surprises me. I think first and foremost as an athlete, no offense to anybody in this room, but we need to put earmuffs on, if you will, and drown out all of the outside noise. The only thing that matters is the belief in yourself and the belief your teammates and coaches have in you. Other than that, nothing really matters. Throughout my entire career, I’ve always believed in who I was as a quarterback, as a person, as a leader. So none of this takes me by surprise, but I would say its special because in this league, you never know how many opportunities you’re going to get, and every opportunity is different. To be able to come here to Miami and get this opportunity to start some games, now it’s all about making the most of this opportunity.”
(Was there a point where you kind of doubted this would happen for you again at some point?) – ‘No. There was no doubt. It’s just there are a lot of factors that are out of your control. You can control how hard you work, your effort, your attitude, how you’re training, how you’re studying; but whether you ever become No. 1 in the lineup or whether you get an opportunity to play on game day, a lot of times that’s out of your control. The key is I’ve been through some ups and downs and I’ve learned so much along the way. Now it’s all about making the most of these special opportunities because, like you just said, you don’t know when you’re going to get another one.”
(Talk about these ups and downs. The last few years for you have been busy, let’s just say. What have you learned the most through that period?) – “How to pack up a house and travel. (laughter) No, through times of adversity I believe there are great lessons that can be learned if you’re willing to learn them. That’s something I’ve done. Whether it’s been a good day or a bad day, I’ve always tried to learn something so I can be better so that when another opportunity came around, I’d be that much better of a player. I think that’s something I’ve done. I think the key is you can never lose belief in yourself. I think that this day and age we live in, too many people are too fast to place judgement. So many people want to bring you down rather than build you up. You need to have a very strong belief in yourself, your teammates, your coaching staff and like I said, you need to drown out the outside noise and focus on the things that do matter.”
(We’ve all kind of seen over the years, the GIF of you reaching for your helmet in the Raiders game and then going back out there. How often does that come back to your mind. You laughed about it just now, is it something that always come to you about how much you have to wait in Denver?) – “Yes, it does. That was a funny game, that was a funny year. (laughter) Once again that’s just a lesson to be learned. You never know when your opportunity is going to come. It’s all about preparing when no one is watching. What I mean by that is once again, focus on the things you can control. You can study as much as you want. You don’t have to be the first-string guy to be studying more than the first-string guy. How you study, how you work out, how you go about your business as far as being a professional, you never know when an opportunity is going to come and it’s all about being prepared and ready for when it does.”
(We say QB Peyton Manning at the game this past week. Did he say anything to you?) – “Yeah, we talked before the game in the locker room. I’m going to keep our conversations private, but needless to say, it was great to see him. It was great to have a conversation. We talked after the game as well and on Monday morning. Peyton and I shared four years together in Denver. As you can imagine, all of the time we spend together in this building and on the road, we really build a tremendous relationship. I think we both have a ton of respect for each other. He’s just a great person. To have him back in the locker room, it kind of took me back for a second. It was a lot of fun. It was good to have him around.”
(Did you have to make sure QB Peyton Manning didn’t have a helmet?) – “(laughter) I’m pretty comfortable those helmet day are done; but you never know with him.”
(While you waited during that time, what did you learn most from QB Peyton Manning?) – “How to prepare for a game. Not just a game, but for a season. It didn’t matter whether it was April, June, the middle of August, October. How every single minute in the day matters. How you go about your business matters and it’s going to rub off on your teammates, it’s going to rub off on your coaches. How to set a standard and hold people to it. Something that we say a lot in the offensive room is standard over feelings. I think that’s something that when you have a group of professionals, people understand that. You’re not always going to be somebody’s best friend, but if you’re all working toward the same common goal of winning, there’s a respect there. That’s something he definitely taught me.”
(You said Sunday that you first got a text, then a call that you were going to start and you became emotional. Did someone after that send you any type of message to say hang in there or wish you the best or anything?) – “After I talked to Coach Gase and knew I was starting, it was pretty much head to the stadium and get ready to roll. I didn’t talk to anybody specific. I had a few conversations internally with myself. This game is so mental. When you get to this level, there are so many talented guys, physically talented guys. We talk about in the quarterback room all the time that really one of the few places you can find maybe an advantage on your opponent is mentally. We have a couple of guys in this building that do a lot of … I guess you can call it mental performance work if you will. Those guys are tremendous and we work on that stuff all of the time. You have a little conversations with yourself and get yourself in the correct mind frame and get ready to roll and have some fun.”
(Is it part of your mind or is there one person or on one side saying you can do this and the other saying I don’t know?) – “No. It’s nothing like that. It’s just my confidence will never waver. It’s just something that is just naturally in me. It’s just something that’s been built over the years and I mean shoot your shot on Sunday. Sometimes you’re going to throw interceptions. How do you bounce back? It was nothing like that. It’s just there is a different mind frame that you need to have if you’re starting a game rather than you’re taking in some plays from the sideline and then the starter gets hurt and then you go in. Really it’s just getting ready to go from the first play and then go have some fun for it.”
(How different will this week be than last week for you?) – “It won’t be any different at all. I’m going to bed at the same time, eating the same food, doing the same routine, studying the same way. Absolutely nothing changes except I’ll get some more reps in practice and that’s really it to be honest with you.”
(Is it easier or harder to have a game thrust upon you kind of suddenly as opposed to you’re going to be there starter and you know it the entire week?) – “It makes no difference to me. It really doesn’t. I would say the only thing you get knowing you’re going to be the starter all week, is that you get a little bit of input on the game plan. ‘Hey, what do you think about this route?’ But really, for the most part in this building, Coach Gase, (Offensive Coordinator) Coach (Dowell) Loggains, Coach (Bo) Hardegree, they put together the game plan. We just go execute it as players. Even with that, nothing really changes.”
Albert Wilson – October 17, 2018
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Wednesday, October 17, 2018
Wide Receiver Albert Wilson
(Your reaction to being named AFC Offensive Player of the Week?) – “It’s awesome. Just one of those compliments you get, kind of a pat on the back. It’s a great award to get, especially from someone so big or a big platform, to get named. It’s great.”
(Does anything change now with QB Ryan Tannehill out this week and QB Brock Osweiler as your starter?) – “No, not at all. (It’s the) same offense.”
(What I mean is you haven’t had as many reps with QB Brock Osweiler as you had with QB Ryan Tannehill.) – “I’ve had a ton of reps with Brock. A ton.”
(Besides the obvious of speed, what’s the biggest factor of taking a 4-yard pass or a pass at the line of scrimmage and turning it into a long touchdown?) – “I’m guessing the way I’m built. My legs are pretty big and running through arm tackles is pretty much what you get. So, just running through those arm tackles pretty much, outside of speed.”
(Where do you see the challenges of the Lions defense?) – “They do a lot of man (coverage). They have a couple guys up front. (We) just continue doing what we’re doing. We’re not too much worried about they’re doing on the defensive side of the ball. We definitely respect what they’re doing, but we’re going to go and play our football, just try to get what we’ve got going and see how things turn out.”
(You said you got a lot of reps with QB Brock Osweiler. He said that he never doubted himself and he never doubted his ability. Did you always see a guy like that at camp where he felt, maybe you read his eyes or the way he said something, that ‘I know I can do this?’) – “He’s very confident in this offense. He really knows this offense very well. I guess when you know the offense and you can get out there and play fast, it gives you all the confidence you need.”
(The amount of throws you’re getting zero to five yards from the line of scrimmage, is it a lot more in Kansas City, those types of throws?) – “I don’t think so. That’s pretty much what I’ve done in Kansas City.”
(So what’s been added to the package this year? Obviously throwing the ball, running a little bit more than you did over the four years in Kansas City – beyond those two things, anything else that Head Coach Adam Gase is pulling that’s new for you?) – “No, I’m just trying to capitalize off of what I’m pretty good at. That’s what he’s great at, is just finding guys that are good at certain things and building off of that, and just having guys play fast.”
(What’s the reaction in the room during film sessions when they see your two touchdowns?) – “It’s fun. Like it is during the game, (I’m) bringing a lot of energy and just trying to get back out. When we see what a guy can do, it definitely makes you want to fight harder for the guy, so it brings a lot of fun.”
(The 75-yarder, at what point did you think you had a chance to go all the way?) – “After Nick (O’Leary) gave that block. When I got up the right side of the field and he gave me that block, and I saw two of their guys and two of our guys, I pretty much knew we were going to get in the end zone.”
(What’s that like as you’re going towards the end zone? You see your blocks being made, you see their guys, you hear the crowd get more vocal, you score a touchdown like that at home. What’s that like?) – “It’s a great feeling. It’s all about energy. With me, I try to bring as much energy to the game as I can. When you get the crowd into it, it’s pretty unstoppable.”
(Do you ever peak up at the video board to see if anybody is behind you?) – “Most of the time. I probably need to stop, but most of the time I do. (laughter)”
(During those film meetings, when you see the plays, do guys start hooting and hollering on Monday when you’re watching film of your two plays? How joyous does it get in the film room?) – “You kind of get the same reaction as they gave on the field. It’s great seeing it. It was a great play, so I definitely get a lot of good feedback and a lot of good energy out of the guys.”
(How do you know, when you’re in one of those plays, when to cut it across the field? Tell me how I can do it.) – “(laughter) It’s really just all about angles. Just knowing your speed, knowing angles and putting yourself in the best advantage.”
(When you’re in those situations and you’re making all those decisions on the fly in the course of a 43-yard play, a 75-yard play, how much of it have you thought out before and how much of it is just instinct?) – “It’s definitely all out of reaction. I try to read my blocks and pretty much keep my guys in position to make good blocks and just read those.”
(Have there been any other guys that have that specific ability that you enjoy watching over the years, like Devin Hester or someone along those lines?) – “Definitely. He’s a Florida guy. I definitely watched a lot of him growing up. He’s definitely one of my favorite athletes, so I definitely watched a lot of Devin Hester.”
(Is there anybody else that comes to mind for you that you identify as having that same skill?) – “I was a running back growing up. I watched a lot of Barry Sanders. I definitely respect the way he made his guy miss and turned nothing into something. Between Barry and Devin Hester, that’s pretty much who I want to be.”
(What does the threat of a big play do to the defenses going against you guys?) – “Like I’ve been saying, you have to protect the whole field. Not only when they get guys to throw the ball down low to the check down, they definitely have to make the tackle. So, from protecting the deep ball and protecting sideline to sideline, now when you’re finally protecting all of that, you get a guy to dump it down and now have to wrap and tackle him. If you don’t, big plays happen.”
(The rhythm of this offense is very good this year.) – “Yeah, when the offense can get success in the run game, we’re a totally different offense. Frank (Gore) and ‘K.D.’ (Kenyan Drake) did a great job Sunday. If we can get those guys going, I know we’ll be really good.”
Reshad Jones – October 17, 2018
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Wednesday, October 17, 2018
S Reshad Jones
(Are you surprised that the turnovers have come at such a pace?) – “Not really. We work on it in practice. We talk about it and reiterate it. We’re just hungry for the ball. We want to go out and make plays.”
(Are you hungry to face a quarterback that likes to throw this weekend?) – “Most definitely. Matthew Stafford is a great quarterback. (He’s a) college friend and teammate. It’s going to be a challenge.”
(QB Matt Stafford has been known, even if his guy is covered, to throw it up there. You’ve got to be aware of that, right?) – “Yeah, he’s confident in his arm. He can make every throw in this league. He’s got a big arm. (He’s a) good quarterback (and a) veteran guy. It’s definitely going to be a challenge for us, but I think we’ll be ready for the challenge.”
(What is it about this defense that you seem to be around the ball, whether it’s tipped, whether it’s fumbled, whatever it is?) – “We’ve got playmakers on the defensive side of the ball and we just play to our ability. We’re communicating, playing well. It’s a credit to the coaching staff. They put a good game plan together and we’re just going out and execute and everybody is playing their assignment, playing well.”
(How much is it going to help if CB Bobby McCain can come back this week?) – “Depth is always key in this league. Adding Bobby back to the mix and the rotation, it’s vital. It’s crucial. I think he’s definitely going to help us. He’s a smart player. He’s definitely going to help us.”
(How snake-bitten have you all felt with all the losses you’ve had with DE William Hayes, DE Andre Branch for a time, CB Bobby McCain for a time, DE Cameron Wake for two weeks.) – “I mean, that’s the beauty of the NFL. It’s a next-man-up mentality. If one guy goes down, the next guy behind him should be able to come in and be ready to play. I think we’ve been doing that pretty well.”
(Did you get a decent number of picks against QB Matt Stafford during practice during your days together at the University of Georgia?) – “We definitely had our battles at Georgia. We definitely did.”
Laremy Tunsil – October 17, 2018
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Wednesday, October 17, 2018
T Laremy Tunsil
(How satisfying was the performance against the Bears?) – “It’s a long season. We’ve got a lot of good players I’m going against to see; but as a group, it was pretty impressive. Zero sacks and how much did Frank (Gore) have? Does anybody know? 101? So that was pretty good. I mean, it was pretty fun.”
(Was that a game where you got even more fired up than usual because of who you were facing?) – “Yeah, you could say that. He (Khalil Mack) is a great player. Everybody knows that. And going against an elite guy like that always gets you fired up because you don’t want to lose. It’s more of a competition than anything.”
(Was there a collective conversation among you and the other four starters after the Bengals game – You obviously were coming back from a head injury – saying we need to be better, the five of us, going forward? Yes we’ve had injuries but we need to be better?) – “I think it was more of like a team aspect. We all came together and were like we’ve got to do better. We can’t blow a 17-0 lead like that. It was more a team aspect than just an individual.”
(You mentioned before the season that words in your mind this year were ‘I want to dominate.’ Do those words go through your mind very much during the course of the week, on Sundays before a game?) – “Yeah, I think they go through everybody’s mind. I want to dominate, I want to be perfect. Of course, you can’t be perfect every game, but you always want to dominate and be the best you can be.”
(Any comment from Bears LB Khalil Mack or any Bears players leaving the field? A compliment? Did you get anything like that?) – “Nah.”
Akeem Spence – October 17, 2018
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Wednesday, October 17, 2018
DT Akeem Spence
(How much are you looking forward to facing your former team?) – “I always like it, man, seeing some old friends, seeing some of the guys on defense that I played with, and obviously getting a chance to go against this offense that I went against all training camp last year and everything. It’s going to be fun going against guys like T.J. (Lang), of course Matt (Stafford), ‘G.T.’ (Golden Tate) and the guys. It’ll be fun.”
(Is there any added motivation for you given that they unloaded you this year? You planned on being there longer than that.) – “Yeah, but I mean they had some changes. Business is business. I don’t really look at it like that. They were going in a different direction. Obviously I got an opportunity to come here, play in the same style defense that I was in there. I just look at it as another opportunity to go out, compete against some former friends and actually get the chance to put Matt (Stafford) down. That’s my big goal for this week.”
(Anybody on that team you were particularly close to?) – “My d-tackle I played next to, A’Shawn Robinson. We still talk. I mean I talked to him yesterday. We’re probably going to talk after today. That was like my closest buddy. We did everything together while I was up there and it showed. We played well together side by side.”
(Was there a part of you that wanted to make it work in a new defensive system, or did you both and the team agree it was best for you to go to a place with a system where you’re more comfortable?) – “It was kind of like … I was kind of uncomfortable in it because I had never been in a 3-4 in my career and really didn’t know how I was going to adjust. They were bringing in their guys. I’ve been in the league long enough, so I kind of saw everything for what it was and I’m kind of happy everything worked out the way it did. Getting back in a 4-3, doing what I love to do, as opposed to being in a 3-4 …”
(As far as situations go when they don’t work out, you ended up in a place where you’re in a defense you’re comfortable with, a position coach (Kris Kocurek) that you already knew and liked, I assumed, and a starting job. Is that as good as you can hope for when something doesn’t work out with a team?) – “I mean, that’s the best thing. Obviously that happened, so I’m happy and just ready to go out and compete, really, against these guys. It’s just another football game, just another team. Obviously I know the guys on the other side of the ball, but that still doesn’t change from this team trying to get a W.”
(Do you remember the order of the first few people who reached out to you? I presume your agent told you about the trade? Did Defensive Line Coach Kris Kocurek and you connect shortly?) – “Yeah. After kind of the trade went through, I kind of spoke to everybody. I got a chance to get back on the phone with Kris. Me and him talked and were super excited just about the opportunity to come here, continue my career and help these guys grow inside and just win ballgames, and get me out of the 3-4. So he was kind of excited to get me out of that. I was happy as well.”
Adam Gase – October 17, 2018
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Wednesday, October 17, 2018
Head Coach Adam Gase
(Did QB Ryan Tannehill throw today?) – “No.”
(What’s the status with QB Ryan Tannehill right now?) – “He’ll be out this week. He’ll be out this week and we’re taking it really day-to-day. Like every week, hopefully we’ll see progress.”
(If he’s not playing this week, what did you want to see from QB Ryan Tannehill and what he did today?) – “We’re working on anything that has to do with pocket movements, footwork and things like that. Basically he can do everything; he just can’t throw.”
(You’re facing a stretch where you’re going to play two games in eight days. I know you’re not looking ahead but is there a chance he could return for that Thursday night game?) – “I don’t know. Legitimately, reading all of the stuff that they gave me and all of the opinions we got the other day, it’s just an unknown for us.”
(Is there any update on DE Cameron Wake? We saw him doing some individual stuff out there.) – “Yeah, I’ll be interested to see how he felt. Just seeing him back out there is a good thing for us. I’ll probably get with him either tonight or tomorrow. Probably more tomorrow just because it’s the day after (practice and) see how he felt. Hopefully we’ll know by the end of the week how he feels and whether or not he can go.”
(How about CB Bobby McCain?) – “(It’s the) same thing.”
(Not that it’s huge in the grand scheme of things but is there any reason or thought process behind moving practice an hour later today?) – “We had some extended meeting time, so we moved some things around.”
(When you reviewed the film from the last game, can you tell me some of the things that T Laremy Tunsil and T Ja’Wuan James specifically did well that made you very pleased?) – “I think they did a good job of one: executing what we asked them to do. We had some things that we did a little different protection-wise. And then Laremy was one-on-one quite a bit. It didn’t matter which guy he was going against, that’s always a tough ask of any player of basically saying ‘Hey, you’re on an island all day and we need you to win.’ He did that and I thought Ja’Wuan did a good job. He had quite a few one-on-ones. He did a good job of getting hands on the defender and just stymying him at the line to where we were getting the ball out pretty quick.”
(How much do you think it will help QB Brock Osweiler to get all of the reps this week?) – “I think any time that you can really dial into the game plan and make some adjustments as the week goes on for that guy, that always helps. He knows the offense really well. Guys are used to kind of the way that he operates. He’s extremely loud. When he calls out plays at the line of scrimmage, it’s hard to miss it.”
(Was getting DT Akeem Spence from Detroit, did that initiate or start with Defensive Line Coach Kris Kocurek when he came in? Or had you guys targeted him?) – “I think it started with Kris. I’m trying to remember the whole…”
(I’m just curious what the process was there leading up to getting DT Akeem Spence. Was that a guy that Defensive Line Coach Kris Kocurek came in and said this guy is probably going to be available and you need to get him?) – “I’m trying to remember what the exact actual steps were because we talked to them early in the offseason and then it kind of was like a dead period to where we had the draft, free agency and all of those types of things. We didn’t really have as many guys as we were looking for and then we kind of went back to those guys again. Then they were interested. They were already kind of in their offseason program. We finally got it to a point to where we figured out what we were good with, with them, and what they were good with. That’s how it ended up happening. It was a long, drawn out process it felt like.”
(Why did you want DT Akeem Spence?) – “I mean any time that you can help a d-line coach, especially get some of his guys in there that know how he operates and knows how he likes to do things, it benefits the entire team. We thought he was a really good player. We really felt like he was a great fit for us.”
(One more question on QB Ryan Tannehill. There’s been nothing in the last 48 hours to change your optimism long term for him?) – “No. What are you asking? Are you talking about…”
(QB Ryan Tannehill will be back this year and all of that?) – “Yeah, as far as I know.”
(Did QB Ryan Tannehill have a setback in the last couple of days?) – “No.”
(Back to T Laremy Tunsil, how high of a level is he playing at in general?) – “It’s pretty high. The confidence level is extremely high right now with him. I think he’s showing it on tape. I think that Cincinnati game showed everybody else how valuable he is to us and what he can do. When we lost him, that hurt us.”
(Was the interior of the line last Sunday as good as you could have expected with the two major losses at that position?) – “Yeah, I think the guys did a good job. They execute what we ask them to do and played physical, played long. They played through the whistle. It was good.”
(How is C Travis Swanson doing?) – “He’s doing good.”
(The two players that you all have designated that can return, obviously we saw them on the practice field for the first time today. Is your expectation that they’ll be ready to go in November, the first time they’re eligible? And what can they add – LB Mike Hull in particular.) – “You just focus on one week at a time and just make sure that those guys are good to go. You don’t want to do anything crazy and throw them out there too early and they’re not ready. I mean they’ve been out for a while.”
(RB Frank Gore came here with a well-established reputation. What about him has surprised you?) – “Nothing. I mean he’s the same guy I remember. He’s an old-school warrior. The other day he gave us everything he had. He laid it all on the field and he went all the way as far as he could.”
(Lions Head Coach Matt Patricia referenced this today and I think you’ve said this before about your battles with him. You guys sometime get into this thought process of what does he think I think he thinks I think he’s going to call. Do you do that more with him than anybody else that you’ve battled over the years?) – “Probably just because it feels like we’ve played each other a lot since 2013. It’s always a tough matchup just schematically. We both know each other (and) what we’ve done in the past. It’s like, is somebody going to reach back to something we did before or something new? It’s just there’s a little bit of that going on.”
(Do you enjoy it any more so than any other week? Do you like going against Matt Patricia specifically?) – “Yeah. When you go against people that you’ve known for a long time and that you’re friends with, it’s always a fun battle. The only problem is he’s had probably the bragging rights a little too much. It’s a challenge. When you’re dealing with somebody that’s extremely smart and does a really good job and prepares and you know is working extremely hard to get his group right, you know you need to do a great job and you have to make sure you work as hard as you can to make sure your guys are prepared.”
(Was there ever a time where you feel like you got too caught up and got too bogged down in trying to predict what Matt Patricia thought you thought he was going to do or something like that?) – “No. I feel like a lot of times we reign ourselves in by the end of the week. It might start out like that early but by the end of the week, you get everything kind of tied down. Players will let you know if they feel like you’re going off the reservation a little bit.”
(Could you call Matt Patricia’s defense for a game?) – “No.”
(You’re not familiar with it enough?) – “That’s the other side of the ball. It’s different. The way that I look at things and the way that defensive guys will look at things, there is a little bit of difference when you have those conversations. Even in our building, when I say this is what we’re trying to do, they kind of sometimes can see it a little different.”
(What’s the staple of Matt Patricia’s defense?) – “He’s going to do what he needs to do to win the game. It could be whatever he’s shown, it could be new stuff, it could be something that they ran in 2008 in New England. It could be a lot of different things.”
(With someone you’ve battled as often as you’ve gone back and forth with Matt Patricia – without revealing state secrets – are you more likely to try something new or pull out something from a bag of tricks or throw a curveball in there that maybe you wouldn’t with someone who is less familiar with what you do?) – “I feel like I’ve tried everything with him so I don’t know how much is … I think we’re close to maxing out on that aspect.”
(With QB Brock Osweiler, is there anything from Sunday that you saw that surprised you that you can build on?) – “That’s about what I expected. I think there’s a few things that we just need to make sure that we’re all on the same page. When I was with him before in Denver, he was ready to go by my last year there. So that would have been his third season. When I left he was going into his fourth season. It was just a matter of time before he started playing.”
(We know how you handle QB Ryan Tannehill but when you get into the backups, with QB Brock Osweiler, is it Brock’s game no matter what? Or do you evaluate it during the game as far as whether you might go to QB David Fales if it’s not going well?) – “I’m good with where we’re at right now. I know what Brock brings to the table. I know what his strengths are and what he likes to do. I’m real comfortable with where we’re at right now.”
(We saw QB Brock Osweiler throw it away a few times to avoid a sack or avoid forcing a bad throw. That’s something that he’s talked about since training camp and he actually executes that. Does that come easy for him or is that something that he’s had to learn over the years?) – “It’s probably something that he’s developed over time. It’s hard to remember exactly if he’s always been like that. There was a lot of practices and preseason games, so you’re talking about a lot of stuff that’s probably been erased from my memory. But he learned from the best guy you could possibly learn from. That guy, Peyton (Manning), never took a lot of sacks. When you get to sit behind a guy like that for as long as he did, be in meetings every day and hear him talk through games afterwards, that’s valuable.”
(You talked about waiting behind QB Peyton Manning. There were a lot of times where QB Brock Osweiler could have gotten frustrated during that time. Do you remember having conversations with him about that?) – “No. He never worried about it. He just kept working. He knew what the deal was. He knew that any year could be the year because I know there was … My last two years in Denver, both seasons when they ended, I wasn’t sure what was going to happen with what (Manning) was going to do, if he was done or if he was coming back another year. We were all in the same boat. We stayed present and we knew what it was at the time. Then something changed and we would adjust.”
(You left before QB Brock Osweiler was actually able to start being the starter. Did anything change between that time and him?) – “He’s been the same guy since I’ve known him. I think he was like 20 when we drafted him. He was young. But he’s always been the same guy. He’s always been a vocal guy. He’s been a hard worker. That was the thing that we loved about him. They always described him as a gym rat. He had almost like that basketball work ethic where he was always in the gym. That’s kind of what he was with football. He was always in the building. He was always doing something, whether it be in the weight room, throwing, studying tape. He did a lot of things on his own.”
(With TE Nick O’Leary, you were able to do a number of things very competently. Has that expanded what you’re able to do and what you’re comfortable doing in your playbook?) – “I mean we’re always going to keep trying to grow through the season. We kind of try to use the guys’ strengths to our advantage and avoid any kind of … something that they’re not as good at and stay away from it. I feel like he’s done a good job with some of the things that we’ve asked him to do. There’s a couple of things that I know he’d like to improve on. I think that group has done a good job. They all have strengths that we really like.”
(For you and QB Brock Osweiler, working together again, is this kind of a sense of unfinished business maybe? Getting to do something that you guys couldn’t do…) – “I mean it was fun calling the game for him. It’s something that we never really got to experience. There were a couple of games where he got in there and it was like mop-up duty. It wasn’t for him because it was the only opportunity. But the calls change. It’s so different when you’re up and he’s in there and we’re running the ball more than not, more times than not. This was good. I forget how many games he said … He told me it’s been 58 games I’ve heard you call and this will be the first one that’s real.”
