Dowell Loggains – October 23, 2018
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Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Offensive Coordinator Dowell Loggains
(What have you observed from scout team work with some of your practice squad guys? How comparable has the performance been the last two months with WR Leonte Carroo and WR Isaiah Ford, not including WR Malcolm Lewis because he’s only been here a couple of weeks?) – “Those guys have been doing a good job for us and we try to do a good job of making plays, putting it in our language as much as possible. It helps the quarterback and it helps the practice squad guys. And that’s why you have those guys on the roster, so you can continue to develop them and when you need them, they’ll be ready for you. We expect those guys to come in and do a good job for us.”
(What is the hardest part about scoring in the first quarter, particularly scoring on the first drive of games? Why is that so difficult for some NFL teams?) – “I think you go in with a plan. This league is a lot about adjustments, being able to adjust. Everyone says halftime adjustments, but you need to be able to adjust in the second quarter and then come out in the third quarter as well and make adjustments. It’s really trying to get a feel for how people are going to play you, how they’re going to play your no-huddle, your tempo stuff, how they’re going to play all your different personnel groupings. When it clicks early, it’s great. Sometimes when it doesn’t you have to come over to the sideline, tweak some things and make adjustments and try to figure out how they’re going to play each personnel grouping in each situation. Each game is always different. That’s always a challenge for the coaches and it’s a challenge for the quarterback and the players to be able to tweak things and add things during the game. They have to be able to have a good foundation of the offense. When new things come in, they have to execute them.”
(If you were to script a first drive and it doesn’t work out well, does that throw off a little bit of the game plan, so to speak, for the rest of that first half of the game?) – “No. I think the most important thing is you figure out why it wasn’t successful. Was it the defense did something differently that you need to start attacking it a different way? Was it a lack of execution? And then once you figure that part of it out, it’s easy to make adjustments and move forward there. We have a resilient group that handles that stuff well and we obviously need to start faster. That needs to be a point of emphasis for us and not wait until the second, third, fourth quarter to have the scoring start. It’s really just executing earlier in games and figuring out what they’re doing as fast as possible and get our guys in good situations.”
(What’s something the Texans defense appears to do best?) – “The front four. They’ve got two elite players that you have to have a plan for with ‘99’ (JJ Watt) and ‘90’ (Jadeveon Clowney). ‘59’ (Whitney Mercilus) is a guy that’s one of the more underrated football players in the NFL that people don’t talk about that has done a really good job for a long time. It all starts up front for those guys. This will be one of the better pass rush groups that we’ve face. It’s a challenge and we’re excited about it. I know that our guys up front on the offensive line are excited about it as well.”
(Did you notice anything interesting about LB Jadeveon Clowney and where he is in his development as you study the tape?) – “It’s a lot more fun to watch him when you’re not getting ready for him because he’s a guy that can do anything. He’s a little bit unpredictable in his rush patterns. He can do that because he’s long and really athletic. It’s going to be an awesome challenge for our tackles. The thing that pops out is the level of talent he has. You definitely see over the years that he’s definitely become more comfortable as a pass rusher as well.”
(Do you have a sense of where WR DeVante Parker is at the moment mentally and physically?) – “He is in Houston, Texas. (laughter) I think DeVante is in a good place. He’s excited to fill his role and contribute to the team. It’s obviously been a tough couple of weeks for him, but he’s excited to get out there with his teammates. That’s the most important thing for him is being out there in the huddle and contributing and help this team find a way to get a victory on Thursday night.”
Darren Rizzi – October 23, 2018
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Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Darren Rizzi
(We’ve been looking a lot at the three practice squad wide receivers, Isaiah Ford, Malcolm Lewis and Leonte Carroo. I’m curious what you can tell us about what any of those guys might be able to contribute on special teams if they’re activated for Thursday’s game?) – “Obviously, I have a good background on all three guys. All of them have been trained in our system. It’s nice to have practice squad guys you have at least trained and been part of the last couple of years. That part is good. They’ve been a part of our system, they know our calls. All three of those guys have been trained in just about every phase. The nice thing is none of them are rookies. They’ve all been here for a couple years. Some have more experience than others. Obviously, Malcolm really just got here recently, but he was with us last year. With Carroo and Ford, those guys have been with us now for a couple of years and they’ve played in the system and all of that. My point is those guys have all trained throughout, they’ve all been ready for this moment if they’re called up and they’re ready to go. As I’ve said many times before, one of the things I’m tasked with the most is getting all of those guys ready to play. That’s an ongoing process, that’s not just because guys get hurt or guys get injured and guys need to step up. They’re always kind of waiting for this and those guys are always in ready mode and always training and preparing as if they’re going to play. I’m comfortable with whoever we bring up and we’ll kind of see what happens here in the next couple of days, but all three of those guys are ready to go.”
(Obviously this is not your first rodeo on a Thursday night travel game. Why is that a difficult assignment – Thursdays and traveling to the Thursday night game?) – “It’s even more of it, no question. We’ve definitely been down this road before. I’ll be a master of the obvious. Number one, obviously it’s a really short week, so having to travel along, that makes it a little more difficult, no doubt. I do like the approach we’re taking this year in terms of kind of turning the page right away and getting onto the next game and getting out here and kind of putting the last one behind us. I think one of the things you can do on a short week is kind of get lost with all the stuff that’s going on. You really want to stay focused on the task at hand. Believe it or not, traveling can actually help with the process in terms of eliminating distractions. I think that’s one of the things we’re trying to do with this trip getting out here early, kind of keeping the mindset on the game. Sometimes, believe it or not, when you’re home there can be more distractions and things like that, so getting out here is a good thing. It’s obviously tough on the guys from a physical standpoint. There’s no doubt about that. They don’t get the recovery days. I can speak specifically about the kickers and punters. On a normal week for them, those guys are taking Monday and Tuesday completely off and then they usually go Wednesday, then take a day off and things like that. Everybody’s rhythm is a little bit messed up in terms of recovery. Not just specials, everybody across the board. That obviously is a difficult task. Then certainly the mental part, the game planning part. They have to do the same thing. Getting on and moving on and getting the game plan in – everything is accelerated. I personally believe the mental part to guys, who have played in the league long enough, have grown accustomed to doing these short weeks than for the newer guys. I think it’s much tougher on the body than people give it credit for. It’s really tough for these guys to play a game Sunday, have to travel today then play another game on Thursday. That’s a lot for the body to take. My hat’s off to these guys that do it. Obviously, from a physical standpoint, it’s very demanding, so that’s certainly a difficult task.”
Cameron Wake – October 23, 2018
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Defensive End Cameron Wake
(I would imagine happiness after games is based on if you win or lose; but that aside, do you feel disappointed for games where you don’t get a sack?) – “If we win, it is the only goal. I don’t count the stats. The only stat that matters is winning. We didn’t win so we didn’t do enough.”
(Do you get satisfaction just from the personal standpoint of pressures, or in your mind if you don’t bring the quarterback down, is it a failure on that particular play?) – “If my job is to get to the quarterback and I don’t do it, then it’s a failure. If we as a team doesn’t win, it’s a failure. Defense, offense – personally that’s all that matters.”
(There’s been 11 sacks on the season – obviously you haven’t been there for a couple of games, but that’s bottom five in the league. Obviously there are other components that add to sack numbers, but should this defensive line be more productive from a sack standpoint?) – “I think we should be more productive as a team. Again, I’ve never counted stats. Sacking the quarterback helps you win, so obviously we want to get to the quarterback. At the end of the day, if you win or lose, that’s all you care about.”
(Trying to disrupt Texans QB Deshaun Watson, what does that entail?) – “Just playing as a unit, playing together front to back, side to side. Making sure guys are where they’re supposed to be. Obviously, this is no different than any other week in the NFL where you have a good player, whether it’s a receiver, quarterback, running back. Guys that make plays, guys that do what they’re supposed to do, they’re going to find a way to make him pay for it.”
(After being out a couple of weeks, was there anything lacking for you in terms of rhythm, discomfort, not feeling totally right?) – “I feel good.”
(You talked after the game about thinking things that happened on Sunday were fixable. After having more time and looking at it a little more, do you still feel the same way and if so, why?) – “I do. Not only because of things we saw, but because of things I’ve seen since April, things we’ve seen in games. The regiment we have, we’ve done it. Consistency is a thing we have to make sure we fix. Making sure guys are where they’re supposed to be and making plays that are there like we’ve done in the past, that’s the only way you’re going to be successful.”
(QB Brock Osweiler mentioned he’s going into this week with an ‘us against the world’ mentality. Is that the same for you going into this week?) – “I’ve given all my games like that. Especially as a defensive player, it’s kind of the way it is, so yeah, I would agree with that.”
Kenyan Drake – October 23, 2018
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Tuesday, October 23, 2018
RB Kenyan Drake
(Do you expect to have some plays called on the side like you did on Sunday?) – “No. This week is a whole new game plan. We have people that are going to be in the position they need to be in. It’s not really that off-script right now.”
(We saw that long explosive run from you this past week. What was different for you there?) – “Everybody did their job. Great seal blocks by Kenny (Stills) and my boy (Nick) O’Leary. Everything kind of just went according to plan and that’s just how it is.”
(WR Albert Wilson’s injury seems like he’s going to be out for the season. How much of a presence and important has he been for you guys this year?) – “He’s been making a lot of plays. A real good leader on and off the field, so we’re definitely going to miss his presence. It’s always a next-man-up mentality so we’re going to have some more great players that have to step up in his absence and make plays and go out there and just do what we have to do.”
(How do you get the running game on track, because that’s been kind of a bit of a problem?) – “We just have to put ourselves in manageable situations to run the ball, even if that’s getting the short passing game going early, trying to get second-and-manageable, third-and-manageable so we can have those manageable runs instead of being in that situation. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
(The stats say that this is kind of a different team the first half and second half offensively. How do you get that switched? How do you play that high level in the first half?) – “We just have to stay on schedule. For example, the Cincinnati game. The first half, that was one of our best first halves all year. We stayed on schedule, we ran the ball first and second down, got short passes on first and second down, put us in third-and-manageable. We were able to convert those third downs. From there, just making sure we put ourselves in a good position to make plays. That’s just what it is.”
(More frequent than not, you guys are playing from behind after the first quarter and halftime. Is that harder, does that put pressure on what you guys have to do?) – “That’s just the name of the game. Great players are all around the league. Playing from behind … Every game you expect to be close. As long as it’s winnable in the fourth quarter, that’s all that matters. It doesn’t matter if we’re behind or not.”
(You’re pretty fresh, aren’t you?) – “I feel pretty good. It’s a short week so everybody is probably a little banged up from the week before, but at the end of the day you just try to do what you need to do. You have the recovery that you need to do and get ready to go out there and just play this game.”
(Do you feel like the team’s goals are still ahead of you? I know Head Coach Adam Gase said yesterday despite what’s said outside the building, you guys are still pretty confident where you’re going.) – “Last time I checked we’re 4-3 and there’s a lot of teams around this league that are 4-3. All we have to do is make the necessary adjustments we need to make to be 5-3 and take it one game at a time.”
(QB Brock Osweiler said yesterday you guys are going into this with an ‘us against the world’ mentality. Is that pretty much the message?) – “Everybody kind of has their way of getting ready for this game. Like I said, at the end of the day, whoever we have in front of us, we just kind of go out there and just play our game. It’s a one-game season essentially. It’s just Houston in our way this time. After that, we’ll just worry about then, but we’re just trying to go out there and get that win any way possible.”
(There are some playmakers up front for Houston. What do you see the challenges of that defense?) – “We just have to make sure we control their front seven, their pass rush, their aggressiveness and also use that against them. Some misdirection stuff, you just kind of get them thinking, not just really playing with their ears pinned back and try to make plays. When we go out there, we have to make sure we kind of just slow them down a little bit and play our game.”
(You’ve delivered some pretty hellacious blocks in the backfield. I think some of your highlights this year have been just some people you’ve laid out. What does it take as a running back to have that courage to stand in there?) – “I’m a football player. I value myself with playing without the ball. Going out there, making plays, making blocks, being ready to be, from a schematic standpoint in general, that brings out the one-eleventh. If everybody is doing their one job and you have 11 players on the field, that’s how you get big plays like the run that I had or the catches that Albert (Wilson) had this year, or anybody else in general. If we can mirror that up, I feel like we can have successful plays all the time.”
Adam Gase – October 23, 2018
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Monday, October 23, 2018
Head Coach Adam Gase
(How would you describe the Texans’ commitment to the running game?) – “When you have a quarterback like they do and they have an elite receiver, they’re always going to make it difficult on the defense as far as being able to run the ball – especially some exotic runs – looking to build that play-action off their run game. That’s kind of Bill (O’Brien’s) history over time to where he’s going to set things up throughout the game. I think since Deshaun (Watson)’s been there, it makes it really difficult as a defense to really know what’s coming (and) how to defend it. Their running game, it’s not super exotic but they have enough stuff to where it really can cause us some problems.”
(Do you have any update on WR Albert Wilson?) – “I haven’t … I think he’s right now, he might be at his appointment or about to go to his appointment. So I don’t have any update.”
(Do you have one of those practice squad guys in mind to elevate or are you going to wait until tomorrow?) – “I’m going to wait. I’m just trying to make sure that we’re all set as far as what we’re going to do.”
(On TE A.J. Derby, is he out? How is his foot situation?) – “I think right now it’s kind of a wait and see thing for us. I know last week he practiced. He got sore there towards the end of the week. We’re trying to buy as much time as possible. I almost put him up last game because I was feeling good on the first two days; but the third day he was a little more sore than what we anticipated.”
(Do you have any update on DE Charles Harris?) – “He’s progressing. It’s just one of those … That’s one of those injuries you have to be very careful on because you can really reset the whole process if you push too hard too fast.”
(So you don’t expect DE Charles Harris to play this week then?) – “No.”
(Some thoughts on QB Deshaun Watson coming out of college?) – “We weren’t looking at the quarterbacks too hard but through the draft meetings and the little time I spent on the guys that were coming out, the guy won a lot of games and did a great job, especially in clutch situations of finding a way to get his team into the end zone and winning games. I always thought it was interested when a guy like Nick Saban, who had faced him a couple of times, had such high praise for him and talked about how difficult he was to defend. I don’t think you hear that a lot. Our scouts really thought he was going to be one of those guys that was going to be a good quarterback in the NFL. It was all about do you have the right system or do you use him the right way to where he can use all of his skillsets to his advantage. I think in this offense, we’re pretty flexible, so a guy like that can actually do both things in the run game and passing game and move him around and things like that, I think our offense kind of fits.”
(Yesterday WR DeVante Parker told us that he didn’t feel the way that his agent may have felt and he wants to be here. Is that what he expressed to you when you guys talked on Monday?) – “He’s never changed as far as what he’s said to me with his whole goals for this year. A couple things haven’t gone his way. Some of it is out of his control. It’s just kind of been bad luck in training camp. He was having a good week of practice and then he had the quad in practice. I think he’s focused on getting ready for this game and making sure that he’s dialed into what we’re doing. He’s just looking to go out there and make as many plays as possible.”
(Not a lot of teams have guys who are as explosive as WR Albert Wilson and WR Jakeem Grant, so with Wilson being out, do you see Grant as being able to do some of the exact things that Wilson did?) – “We’ll see. I’d really rather not give away like what we’re looking to do. We’ll see how everything takes us from here on out. Albert had been working on a lot of that stuff since the spring. He had a good grasp of what we were doing, with what we were asking him to do. Some of that stuff was creating some exotic formations, which was a little different than anything that we had done before, so we’ve got to kind of figure out what’s best for us for this game and then what’s best for us moving forward.”
(Can you tell us anything, schedule-wise? I don’t know what time you guys get in today, but can you tell us anything at all about what you’ll do later and tomorrow?) – “Yeah, obviously the last two years, what we’ve done really hasn’t paid off. So we just felt like it was a good opportunity for us to change it up. Talking with some of our players, they thought it was a good idea with how we scheduled it with our workouts, meetings, leaving early, just doing something different. Tomorrow we’ll be able to do a walkthrough. We have meetings kind of all over the place between today and tonight and tomorrow. We’re just trying to get our players all of the information throughout the week and have as many walkthroughs as possible and just keep talking and covering things all the way up to the game.”
(RB Frank Gore after the Lions game said the offense kind of started late and he wished it would have started a little bit faster. You guys have been kind of split down the middle this season in the first quarter and halftime whether you’re leading or trailing in both. What are your thoughts on getting off to an early lead and getting off to a fast start with the offense in the first quarter? – “I’m all for it. That’s what you’re trying to do every game. If we make plays then we’ll score points.”
Brock Osweiler – October 22, 2018
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Monday, October 22, 2018
QB Brock Osweiler
(Returning to Houston, could this possibly just be another game? Is there any emotion that’s involved in that respect?) – “No emotion. This really is just another game but it’s the most important game right now on our schedule because it’s the next one. Coming off a home loss to a good Detroit football team, this next game against Houston is very important to us. We need to get back in the win column and we know it’s not going to be an easy task.”
(How would you describe your tenure in Houston?) – “It was short. (laughter) It was one season. Other than that, I’m very proud of a lot of things that we accomplished. At the end of the day, in that one season, we won our division, we won a playoff game and that’s what I remember.”
(In what ways have your mechanics changed or improved between the middle of the 2016 season and the middle of the 2018 season?) – “I think just overall, my footwork and my mechanics have gotten a lot better because it’s something that we’ve stressed. When I say we, it’s this coaching staff as well as myself. It really even goes back to when I went to Cleveland. I was with a coach there by the name of David Lee. He coached here in Miami for a few years but he was the quarterbacks coach in Cleveland. He’s a stickler on fundamentals and I’m very appreciative for the time I had with him because he got me going on them again. Then when I came here to Miami this year, it was one of the reasons why I wanted to come here and play for this coaching staff because I knew fundamentals were very important to not only (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase but (Offensive Coordinator) Coach (Dowell) Loggains and (Quarterbacks) Coach (Bo) Hardegree. It’s something that we stress daily. We do the same routine every single day in practice to make sure that our fundamentals do stay sharp.”
(This offense is missing two big weapons at least for this week in WR Kenny Stills and WR Albert Wilson. How do you recover from that? How do you make up for that?) – “(It’s the) next man up. Those guys will certainly be missed because they’re very talented players. They’re great teammates and they’re great leaders. We will surely miss them. However, Coach Gase has stressed it since Week 1 of this football season. Injuries are going to take place and it’s all about the next-man-up approach. Whoever that guy is who is going to step into that role, he’s expected to play as though he is that starter. He’s expected to play at that level and I don’t doubt for a second that our guys will.”
(But you do lose some big-play capability. Do you need more extended drives now from that standpoint?) – “I’m going to leave the schematics to Coach Gase and Coach Loggains. They’re brilliant when it comes to putting game plans together. My job is to try to execute the plays that they call to the best of my ability (and) work through my progression. I can’t really tell you how they’re going to adjust the game plan but whatever they do, we’ll be ready for it and we’re going to go execute it.”
(You have experience, I guess, when you left Denver to go to Houston and you played the Broncos the next year. What did you sort of learn from that that you can use to get ready for this game?) – “Boy, that was a while ago. That was quite a few football games ago. Just initially drawing back on that experience, it’s really how I treated that Denver game when I went back. You really need to treat it just like it’s a normal football game because at the end of the day, that’s what it is. Obviously I think there’s going to be a lot of outside noise trying to make a situation bigger than what it really is; but at the end of the day, like I said, my one season I had in Houston, I look at it as a successful season. We won our division and we won a playoff game. There’s a lot of other teams in the National Football League that didn’t do that. At the end of the day, business decisions are made in this business and that’s what took place. There’s no hard feelings. There’s no ill-will. At the end of the day, my mind is focused just on playing a good football game Thursday and doing whatever this football team needs me to do to help them get a win.”
(What were your feelings when the mechanics of the trade happened, particularly with what they were giving up with you?) – “I paid no attention to that. In fact, I couldn’t even tell you what they did give up. The bottom line is I got a phone call. I was told I was going to Cleveland and I think you guys know me well enough at this point now (to know) that I don’t look in the past. I’m always looking forward to the future and the things that I can control and that’s really what I did in that moment.”
(Have you spoken to Texans Head Coach Bill O’Brien since that day?) – “I have not.”
(What are your feelings for Texans Head Coach Bill O’Brien?) – “I’m not really worried about that. Like I said, at the end of the day, I have great respect for him and that organization, everything involved there. There were business decisions that had to be made. They were made and we all moved on.”
(How fair or unfair is it that every NFL player is graded not just by how they do but against their salary cap number?) – “(laughter) I think that question is above my paygrade. I would just say life is unfair. At the end of the day, it’s all about focusing on things you can control. As far as whatever your money is against the cap or isn’t against the cap and how well you’re playing, that’s all just letters on paper. At the end of the day, as players, we’re focused on being great teammates, coming together, trying to find ways to win, having some fun along the way and that’s where our focus is.”
(How much do you think you continued to evolve yesterday from the first time you started and can you talk about the touchdown pass to WR Danny Amendola?) – “Yeah, I think things got better yesterday. I really do. I think we grew as an offensive unit. Kind of like I said yesterday after the game, I didn’t get any reps with the ones in OTAs or training camp or preseason games. So my first time playing with a lot of those guys – the majority of those guys – was against the Bears. Then my second go-around was obviously yesterday. The more time I can get with those guys, the better we’re going to be. That’s just the fact. I know there were some moments yesterday where I could anticipate some throws because now I know the body language of some of our skill guys more than I did a week earlier. As far as the play to Danny goes, it was something where we had a situation we were calling (that) was kind of a man-zone play. Detroit came out in man and Danny was actually on the back side of that read. I was able to get outside the pocket and Danny just did a tremendous job. It’s something we talk about all of the time in our skill position meetings is our scramble drill. That’s really what that was. He did exactly what he was supposed to do. He got to the right spot and it was truly just an effort play. He played as Coach Gase is always telling us to do: play until the end of the play; play to the whistle. That’s what Danny did. He took off, made a heck of a catch and made a huge play for this football team when we really needed one.”
(You’ve come in as a rookie and you had that first contract. You signed a big free agent deal. I can ask players across all sports. When they sign a big free agent deal, a big cap number, a big salary, do you feel that added pressure to perform up to that number?) – “I wouldn’t say there’s pressure. There’s no pressure. But at the end of the day, you want to live up to the hopes that the organization has for you, if that makes sense. You’re obviously given that contract expecting that you can come in and help take that franchise to maybe a place that they haven’t been before. I wouldn’t call that pressure because as players, that’s the situation we want to be in. You want to be in a situation where you’re playing for a great team and you have an opportunity to win championships. At least with my case with Houston, there was no added pressure; but certainly as a competitor, as a person, as someone who cares about the people that he’s around and the people that he works with, you want to do great by that organization.”
(You mentioned you didn’t really work with the ones before the past couple weeks. How much work have you gotten with WR DeVante Parker? Have you thrown to him at all before this week? How much have you worked with him?) – “We haven’t gotten a lot of reps together, to be honest with you. Ryan (Tannehill) has primarily taken all of those reps going back to the spring and summer; but I was able to get a couple with DeVante last week in practice. Hopefully I can get a few more this week before we hit the field Thursday.”
(WR DeVante Parker is obviously going to be an important part on Thursday. How do you build that chemistry in two days?) – “That’s the challenge, but that’s the challenge we look forward to. As professional athletes, these are the moments you dream of: playing on a big stage. We’ll be the only game on TV Thursday night. I’m sure a lot of people are probably counting us out with all of these injuries and new guys who are going to be playing, but that’s what makes this fun. We’re going to go into that stadium and it’s going to kind of be an us against the world mentality, and we’re going to have fun with it.”
(You’ve probably had more experience with the guys that are being forced to play now because of all the injuries, no?) – “You’re exactly right. I’m not exactly sure what we’re going to be doing with the roster, if anything. As you can imagine, there’s a lot of scrambling today with the short week. But if any of those guys are brought up from the practice squad, you’re exactly right. I’m very familiar with all of those guys. I’m very comfortable with them and we’ll be ready to go.”
(What does WR Isaiah Ford and WR Leonte Carroo bring to the team?) – “They just bring energy. They bring a spark. They’re young guys who are hungry to make big plays in this league. They’re hungry for their opportunity. If their number gets called this week, I know they’ll be ready to play. They’re going to do a tremendous job. They’re going to execute the plays just like coach wants them. When it’s time for them to make a play, I can promise you they’ll make it.”
(From what we saw of TE Mike Gesicki yesterday, could you call it a breakthrough or just another step on the ladder?) – “I wouldn’t call it a breakthrough. Mike is a tremendous football player. He really is. At the end of the day, there’s times where great football players, especially skill position guys, they just don’t see the ball. Maybe they’re No. 2, 3 or 4 in a progression and No. 1 is getting open all day or No. 1 and No. 2 is getting open all day and they’re No. 3 in the progression. Or they are finally No. 1 in the progression and the defense plays a great coverage so you have to move on. Mike’s done a tremendous job in games and in practice. I think yesterday you just saw an opportunity for him to make a couple of plays and he really did. He definitely made the most of his opportunities.”
(Since you became the starter, can you give me a good example of something that Head Coach Adam Gase has said to you that really resonates with you positively?) – “I think the biggest thing about playing football for Coach Gase as a quarterback is you know he has your back. He’s going to support you, he’s going to be there for you and he’s going to talk through things. One of the things he’s said to me is don’t try to do too much and just play within our system. That means a lot because I think a lot of times quarterbacks in this league, there’s too much pressure put on them to make plays when maybe other bad things are going on around them. I think there are some great coaches out there that say regardless of what’s going on around you, just focus on doing your job and play within our system, and if you do your job to the best of your ability, that’s all I can ask. That’s obviously not verbatim, the conversations we’ve had, but Coach (Gase) is a tremendous quarterbacks coach and he definitely supports us very well.”
(You’re reunited with Head Coach Adam Gase and you’re taking on this role as a starter now. What do you think the expectations are that the Dolphins have for you?) – “Well I would hope the expectations are for me to play tremendous football and to lead this football team to wins. If it’s anything but that, I shouldn’t be the guy behind center. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if you’re the one, two, three or four in this business. This is professional football and we’re paid to be successful on game day and to help our football team win games.”
T.J. McDonald – October 22, 2018
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Monday, October 22, 2018
S T.J McDonald
(What’s the most important thing when you have an accelerated week like this for you guys?) – “Put the old stuff behind you and just focus. This is a big mental week. When you’re playing on such a short week, it’s going to be more mental because you don’t have as much time to prepare. Physically, your body is not going to be at the shape as it was from the week before. The more mentally prepared team usually comes out on top.”
(Did you guys review the tape from yesterday or do you just move forward to Thursday?) – “No, we’ve got our personal game notes and things like that from the coaches. We’ve got things like that but as a group, we haven’t reviewed the tape yet.”
(What have they said about the defense yesterday?) – “We haven’t met as a group yet. But the biggest thing was just executing the calls that were called, getting lined up quickly, making sure we see what’s going on out of the huddle and get lined up, get our feet in the ground, read our keys and just play.”
(Did it feel like yesterday that no matter what you guys did you just couldn’t turn the tide?) – “You can say that. That’s hindsight, you can say that; but in the moment, we’ve had times like that in the past throughout the season and we were able to come up with a big play and change it. We just weren’t able to make that play.”
(What did it mean to have DE Cameron Wake and CB Bobby McCain back out there yesterday?) – “It was huge just for the dynamic of this team. They are two great players, two great teammates to have. (They are) guys that bring a lot of energy. To have them back, you can kind of just feel through the week of practice having them back. I feel real comfortable with them out there and we’ve got two good leaders.”
(What’s unique about QB Desean Watson?) – “He can do a whole lot. He can run, he can pass, he brings a lot of energy to that team. He’s been fun to watch in his short time in the league so far. I’ve definitely got to watch tape on him and study as much as we can and the biggest thing for us is going to be executing the things we want to do.”
(You know that playing at home is generally better than playing on the road and traveling for a Thursday night game is even tougher I assume. Is there anything good about traveling to a Thursday night game and can you remember in your experience having success as the away team on Thursday night?) – “I’ve definitely won away games … Actually it was against Houston. I’m not sure if it was a Thursday night game or not; but I think that any time you’re away, you have to go up with a pack mentality, us against everybody. All of the outside noise is kind of quiet. You have to find your momentum and juices from within, from within the squad. We’ve just got to make sure we come up and bring our own energy, pack our own energy, make sure we mentally prepare all week and I think that we’ll be alright.”
(What are your interactions with QB Brock Osweiler and what are your thoughts on him as a teammate?) – “He’s been confident since he’s got in here. He’s been confident, he’s brought a spark. That’s all you can ask from a guy in that situation. When you have a quarterback who played like he did yesterday, we didn’t have his back like we should have. Everybody has got to improve, but he’s been confident. He’s come out there with a swagger about him and he’s been good. We can’t ask for much more with what he’s been doing since he’s been in and filling in, and not having a drop off or anything like that. Coming in and facing one of the top defenses in the league and to be able to respond the way that he did and come back yesterday and play the way that he did, he’s been good. He’s brought a spark, had a swagger about him and confidence.”
(You guys get to go against WR Leonte Carroo and WR Isaiah Ford most of the time at practice on the looks team. What have you seen from them that shows you that they are ready to contribute?) – “They compete. Every day in practice they compete. Carroo is a guy who’s been active before. He’s seen a game and caught balls. I know one thing about those guys is that they’re going to compete and that they’re going to listen and do whatever they are asked to do.”
(You guys have 11 sacks right now. I guess the pass rush has helped you get the interceptions that lead the league. What have you thought about the pass rush overall? How effective has it been and what needs to improve you think?) – “Rush and coverage works together, so we’re all working together. I can’t pinpoint one thing over the other. When we cover the guys and have them covered and make the quarterback hold the ball a little bit, they usually get to the quarterback and vice versa. I think that the turnovers that we have and the sacks we have both feed off of each other.”
(We’ve heard WR Jakeem Grant has a nickname with you guys as ‘The Bully.’ What is it that makes him so difficult for you guys to try to defend and what makes him so tough?) – “He’s just full of heart. He’s a guy that’s going to go out there and people look at his size and think one thing. When we were out there at camp, he was blocking well. Everybody sees him take the top off and he was out there full of heart, not scared to get into it. That’s what we’ve seen from him. He’s going to go out there and whatever he’s asked to do he’s going to give it 110 percent, whether that’s taking the top off the defense or blocking in the run game. He takes a lot of pride in that. I know he does.”
Minkah Fitzpatrick – October 22, 2018
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Monday, October 22, 2018
S Minkah Fitzpatrick
(Have you gotten advice on how to prepare for such a quick turnaround? Have you gotten advice from your teammates?) – “The main thing they say is to take care of your body. Like you said, it’s a quick turnaround. We played a tough game yesterday. So you just have to take care of your body, study as much film as you can because you don’t really take too much practice reps. So you just have to watch as much film as you can, break it down and that’s it.”
(Your thoughts on QB Deshaun Watson?) – “He’s a great quarterback. I played him multiple times in college. When I went against him, he made some amazing plays. He’s a tough player. He can take some hits, make some amazing throws, great throws. It’s definitely going to be a challenge for us. He’s going to be one of the better quarterbacks we play this year. Like I said, it’s going to be a challenge; but we just have to step up, do what we do and lock it down.”
(You look forward to a challenge. You smiled when we mentioned QB Deshaun Watson, why is that?) – “When you’re presented with a challenge, that means you have to be on your A-plus game. I think that’s when I perform my best when I’m going against the best. You just have to lock in, clench your jaw, do what you have to do to win the game and just perform.”
(With a guy like QB Deshaun Watson at your position, you said you have experience against him. Do you know when to come up or to sit back? Is there something that you notice about him?) – “You have to cover the whole time until he crosses the line. That’s the toughest thing about playing against him because I think the second time I played against him, there would be time where he’s just running right on the border. He’s just running back and forth and you want to jump up and bite and sometimes people do and that’s when he dunks the ball right over your head or makes a good throw. You just have to be real disciplined in coverage; but also at the same time, contain him in the pocket with the d-line and in the back end just cover your man as long as you have to.”
(Do you talk to QB Deshaun Watson before or after the game?) – “I never got a chance to.”
(Is QB Deshaun Watson the best quarterback you ever faced in college?) – “Yes, I would say so. Yes, sir.”
(You and QB Deshaun Watson got a little rivalry going I guess dating back to college?) – “You could say that. Clemson and Alabama, two great programs the last couple years, so there’s a little bit of rivalry in the air I guess you could say.”
(I guess you all won one?) – “Yes, sir.”
(What went wrong on defense yesterday?) – “Just a couple different things. I can’t really say specifics right now. I’m going to go watch the film in a little bit with the coaches and everybody. It just comes down to execution, everybody doing their job. That’s it.”
(You guys have, throughout the season, maybe given up some yards and made that big play when you needed to. Why couldn’t that big play get made yesterday I guess is the question?) – “It comes down to what I just said, just execution. Those big plays happen on our side of the ball when we just do our job. There might be some leakage yards. Somebody might make an amazing play. But when everybody is doing their job, that big play comes on defense. You get that pick, you get that tipped ball. Yesterday, it just didn’t happen for some reason.”
(We know CB Bobby McCain is a veteran. What’s the difference in having him back out there on the field?) – “Just experience. He’s real knowledgeable. All of us in the back end, we communicate a whole lot. We just talk. You can see plays … I was watching film earlier today and there was a play where it just looked like we were having a whole conversation, but we were just talking about moving, leverage, stuff like that. The play was coming and having him out there and having his mind out there and his energy out there was real good.”
(With CB Xavien Howard now shadowing guys, teams are putting their best receivers inside the slot. The Bengals did that with WR A.J. Green. How much are you looking forward to that challenge let’s say if WR DeAndre Hopkins goes inside?) – “It’s going to be a challenge. He’s a great receiver. You see him making plays all over the field, making amazing catches and stuff like that. Like I was talking about earlier, whenever a challenge is presented, that’s when I like to perform. I’ve got to do my job. I’m going to get better, he’s going to get better, and I have to step up to it no matter if I’m a rookie or a 10-year vet. He’s just another person lined up in front of me. I have to do my job.”
(What is it about WR Jakeem Grant’s determination and drive that makes him play a little bit bigger than what his size is?) – “It’s just that: he’s tough. He’s undersized, but that doesn’t matter when it comes to him. He plays with a whole lot of energy, a whole lot of passion. He’s tough. He doesn’t want to get beat. He doesn’t want anybody to cover him. I think people overrate size sometimes. I think he understands that and he doesn’t let that hold him back. He’s one of the fastest people out there, so he uses that to his advantage and he’s just explosive.”
(What has it been like playing next to CB Xavien Howard?) – “It’s been good. I feel like he’s kind of an underrated guy across the league. Last year he played really well and this year he’s been playing great. He’s been shutting everything down. I feel like he’s just doing his job out there. He’s just waiting on his moment for everybody to recognize who he is and the job that he does. It’s been awesome playing with him. I’m looking forward to the future.”
(Has CB Xavien Howard mentioned how he’s going home to Houston? Did you know that?) – “Yes. Xavien and ‘Mo’ (Maurice) Smith, they both talk about it any time, the whole time. They both haven’t been back in a long time, so (they are) excited to get back and play in front of their families.”
(You’re no stranger to playing on big stages, obviously. How do you prepare mentally at the NFL level for a Thursday Night Football game?) – “You just have to watch a whole lot of film, because we’re not practicing a whole lot. We’re just doing a lot of walkthroughs. It’s more mental than it is physical. You just have to break down as much film as you can, talk to your coaches, talk to everybody else on the defense, on the defensive secondary, and try to understand the other team you’re playing against because you don’t want to wear yourself out physically. We just played a tough game on Sunday, so just preparing mentally is going to be real important.”
(How do you adjust physically to the pace of this condensed week?) – “You just have to take care of your body as much as you can. Yesterday, the hot tub and cold tub. Today, it’s the same thing. Stretch. Loosen up. Massage. Get everything loosened up and ready twice as fast as you would for a Sunday game.”
