Ryan Tannehill – September 23, 2018 (Postgame)
Sunday, September 23, 2018
Postgame – Oakland Raiders
Miami Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill
I guess your small guys came up big today so to speak.
RYAN TANNEHILL: They played great for us. We have known the talent they have had since the spring and saw flashes the last few games. Jakeem has had a couple big plays for us – the return in the first game – Albert made some big plays for us, but today they really came out big for us, some explosive plays. They combined on the reverse pass there, obviously saw both of them, and then Albert there on the last one. So, proud of those guys and the way they played.
What were they able to do to make it so difficult for you guys to run the football?
RYAN TANNEHILL: I think they did a good job up front. I’ll have to go back and look at the tape and really take a look at it. We felt good about it coming in, but have to give credit to them. They were doing a good job of shedding blocks it seemed like and making plays.
It had to be frustrating, started to move the ball, throwing the ball down the field and then penalties would bring them back, you lose the yards gained plus the penalty yards. Seemed like that was going to be kind of, that was going to drag you guys down in this football game before the big plays. How frustrating was it not to be able to keep those drives moving when you were having some success?
RYAN TANNEHILL: We had a couple penalties that hurt. The two pass interference calls hurt. Neither one of them were pick plays, so it was kind of surprising to see those called. But, yeah, evidently we didn’t do a good job with our technique and the official called it. Those plays hurt and one was a big third down that we converted, one was to start a drive. Whenever you’re losing big plays like that and going and losing 10 yards, not only plus the yards gained, it’s definitely a kick in the knee.
When you look at those two guys WR Albert Wilson and Jakeem Grant, how much they’ve meant to your offense these three weeks. It’s funny you think back a year ago when [Jakeem Grant] was just trying to make the team catching punts, now he’s become one of the biggest weapons you have on your offensive football team.
RYAN TANNEHILL: Jakeem has done a great job of growing as a football player. I think we saw his talent early on his first couple years on special teams, and then he really came on this spring as a receiver. It started back in March where he was working out there with me twice a week. And to see him grow as a receiver and his route running ability, his technique and the way to use his speed and his size as an advantage as far as leverage and getting the edge on guys, it’s definitely showing up big for us so far this season.
You guys are 3-0 and I think you would agree you guys haven’t played your best football yet. A lot of room for improvement and this is one of those games where you kind of struggle and struggle. You got a lot of things to look at to improve on as you get ready for next week, but you’re 3-0, so the best of both worlds, I guess. You get to see what you can improve on, but you’re in pretty good shape.
RYAN TANNEHILL: I think that’s the game of football is sometimes it’s not going to be pretty, but you have to have the grit and the togetherness to be able to stick it through and find a way to win. I’m proud of this team on the way we did that. Defense had a couple big stops for us down in the red zone, the one early on stopping them on fourth down. And on offense we just kept battling. It wasn’t pretty, but our guys hung together, we made some big plays when it mattered and we found a way to come out on top.
You had trouble obviously running the football. Was there a point in the game you’re like, ‘We’re going to win this because I’m throwing the football,’ and win it that way?
RYAN TANNEHILL: You kind of get the feeling as the game’s going on, the rhythm of the game and what it’s going to take. They were doing a good job taking away the run. I felt like when we did throw the ball, we were doing a good job of getting open down field. They were giving me a good pocket, so I knew that if the number was called then we would be in a good spot to execute.
With the way you have this quick-strike offense do you feel like you’re ever out of a game?
RYAN TANNEHILL: No. That’s the thing is you don’t want to be in that position, but with the talent that we have and the explosiveness that we have, we just have to keep doing our job and not press, not try to do too much, everyone just execute and do your job and we’ll find a way to get in the end zone.
Is there anything different go through your mind when that trick play is called?
RYAN TANNEHILL: I’m just thinking about my responsibility, making sure we line up right, the Mike point, and then everyone’s good with the motion and helping out with the tight end on the block. But there’s excitement in the huddle. The play comes in and everyone kind of gets excited. Anytime there’s a big shot call or a trick play, you can feel the offensive line kind of get excited. I think there was definitely some excitement leaving the huddle. And we were excited about that play coming into the game, it looked good during the week and I said earlier, you never know how those things are going to turn out. It could be perfect like it was, or they could defend it well, but you never really know. Proud of the way they executed. Albert did a great job of selling it and then throwing a great pass and Jakeem caught it and made a couple guys miss and got in the end zone, so it was great execution all around.
You are a quarterback so you know what it feels like to see a receiver wide open down the field and I guess you’re thinking, ‘Don’t miss.’ Do you appreciate the WR Albert Wilson pass more because of that?
RYAN TANNEHILL: Yes. Yes, I do. I know how hard that is to be running full speed laterally and make that throw. The thing is during the week, he was consistent on making a perfect throw. It wasn’t ever a question. He never stretched Jakeem out or made him adjust really. It was always a perfect throw. I was impressed during the week and he came out and executed the same way during the game.
Did he come to you for any tips?
RYAN TANNEHILL: No, after I saw him run it the first time, I thought, ‘He’s got this. He doesn’t need any tips.’”
Any tips from him?
RYAN TANNEHILL: No. (laughter) Tips on speed maybe.
Speaking of WR Albert Wilson, talk about how you guys have been able to jell with him being new to the team. Sometimes it can take a moment for that relationship to be the way it needs to be for you to be clicking on all cylinders, but you guys have seemed to have handled it well in these first few games already.
RYAN TANNEHILL: Albert came in and jumped in with both feet. He was here in the spring, in March. As soon as we signed him, we were out there throwing twice a week, had a good turn out. He’s just a grinder. He comes to work every single day and puts his heart into it and just works. When you have that kind of buy-in from a guy and a guy who is willing to sacrifice and do whatever he can for this team to win, he’s going to have success. He can’t help but have success. I’m really proud of him and the way he’s come on for us.
Are you aware that the two pitches to WR Albert Wilson and WR Jakeem Grant went for scores went down on the stat sheet as touchdown passes by you?
RYAN TANNEHILL: Is that a question? Yes, I’m well aware. (laughter) Bonus, man. No question.
And happy about it.
RYAN TANNEHILL: Yes, of course. (laughter) Why wouldn’t I be?
What about the touchdown to Kenny Stills, which probably was a little bit more up there on your degree of difficulty scale.
RYAN TANNEHILL: That was a tough one. It was third-and-long. They came down, safety came down over Kenny. I saw him kind of playing flat footed. Offensive line did a good job of giving me a little time and Kenny was beating them with speed, so I put it out there. Kenny made a great catch in the back of the end zone. That’s tough to do running full speed, you know you’re going to run into the wall, to concentrate, catch the ball and get his feet in. That was a big play.
RB Frank Gore said he believes something special is building in in that locker room.
RYAN TANNEHILL: I believe we’re on the right track. The patterns that we have established so far, the way we work in practice, the way we support each other and stick together through adversity, we’re on the right track. Are we there yet? No. But the patterns we’re establishing are going to take us there. We just have to stay the course, keep working and take it one game at a time.
It looked like the first quarter early on it was a lot of the usual underneath stuff, taking whatever you could get. It looked at some point it evolved into challenging them more vertically down the field. Did anything change defensively that you thought that would allow you to do that or was it just … I was wondering how that evolves as far as going for the short stuff and then eventually going for the long stuff?
RYAN TANNEHILL: They changed things up a little bit. Nothing too crazy. That’s just kind of the way the game fell, the way the game was being called and the way we were playing on offense. There was nothing too crazy that I can say about it, it was just kind of the way the game went.
Xavien Howard – September 23, 2018 (Postgame)
Sunday, September 23, 2018
Postgame – Oakland Raiders
Miami Dolphins CB Xavien Howard (transcribed by Lexie Balboni)
(Tell us about that interception late in the game.) – “It was a tight space. He was trying to do a double move and I ended up reading the quarterback the whole time. He just left the ball in the air and I took advantage of it.”
(You’ve had some good games at the end of last year. You’ve had some good games in your career. That interception at the end, you might not win without that. How emotional was that one?) – “That was a game changer. That meant everything. I think we took the soul out of them when I caught that interception. Our offense got on the field and attacked and scored. That’s what it was all about.”
(The secondary has had seven or eight picks in three games) – “Wow, I didn’t even keep up with the numbers; but last year we had like nine interceptions the whole season. The team, we build together in the secondary. We hang out a lot together in the off-season together. We’re building off of that and keeping the chemistry strong in the back end.”
Albert Wilson – September 23, 2018 (Postgame)
Sunday, September 23, 2018
Postgame – Oakland Raiders
Miami Dolphins WR Albert Wilson (transcribed by Daniel Chavez)
(When you scored that final touchdown, could you see in the Raiders face sort of them resign?) – “They got behind me so quick, I didn’t really see their faces.”
(How surprised were you when that play call came in for you to throw the ball?) – “It’s something we’ve been working on. I’m ready for everything he called; every play, every run play, every pass play, every throwing play. Whatever he has for me, I’m ready for it.”
(When you saw WR Jakeem Grant that wide open, did you think don’t airmail it?) – “Exactly. That’s why I was just ‘Get the ball to him’ because I knew he was going to score so that’s pretty much all I had in my head.”
Adam Gase – September 23, 2018 (Postgame)
Sunday, September 23, 2018
Postgame – Oakland Raiders
Miami Dolphins Head Coach Adam Gase
Talk about the two plays at the end there, the reverse toss that WR Albert Wilson threw to WR Jakeem Grant and then the one where Wilson took it around the corner for the touchdown. Big plays when you really needed them the most.
ADAM GASE: Albert had probably two of the biggest ones we needed and it took four quarters for us to really get in any kind of rhythm. They did a great job versus the run game and we knew we were going to have to throw it to win it and had a couple plays we really liked that have been working well all week in practice and really we have been working on them for a couple weeks, so for those guys to go out there and execute it perfect, it was good to see.
It looked like for the good majority of the game that the running game on both sides of the ball would be your downfall. You had a hard time running the football, they ran it well. What were they able to do running the ball and what were they able to do to defend your run?
ADAM GASE: I think they did a good job on offense of really holding on to it and it was like death by a thousand paper clips. They did a good job of just getting first down, first down and it just felt like every drive was really long. It’s tough. You’ve just got to stay tight and just they have enough weapons where if you get too tight, then all of a sudden they go over the top and the drive becomes shorter. On the offensive side, we just couldn’t get it going. We were trying to do a bunch of stuff that we had to run through early and we just didn’t have the ball enough to really get into that kind of rhythm.
What can you say about the way CB Xavien Howard played? He comes up on a play where everybody else quits and he stays after it and makes the interception and then makes a huge play in the end zone and comes up with a big, big interception for you.
ADAM GASE: Yes. He looks like the guy we have been seeing since training camp, so I think he’s just trying to figure out a way to get better every day. He’s done it. He’s practiced well and we’re starting to see that translate to the game.
You win this game but I think that you guys have talked about it in each and every game, there’s still a lot of room for you guys to improve. Is this the kind of game today where you win, so that’s the good news; but a lot of things you can work on to try to get you guys better by next week?
ADAM GASE: I think there’s a lot of factors involved in this one. We had a lot of injuries. It felt like a lot of guys didn’t come back from what happened to them on the field. Having the ejection, that really hurt us up front. It was a sauna out there. Really, that’s why we keep as many d-linemen up as we do so we can rotate those guys. I think a lot of guys had to step up and play situations where they haven’t done it really in anything but a walkthrough. We had a lot of guys playing special teams that haven’t had a ton of live reps because we lost some special teams guys.
Where did you draw up that play? Do you remember?
ADAM GASE: It was just straight thievery. I mean we stole it. It’s an old (Mike) Martz play. It’s just nobody watches his old stuff. They might now. (laughter)
Have you used it before?
ADAM GASE: No. No. I think that he scored on it probably in 2001 or something.
What do you call it?
ADAM GASE: I don’t know. I’m not telling you guys that. There’s plays off of plays. I don’t want to tell our terminology.
You took that when Mike Martz was visiting?
ADAM GASE: No, it’s just … We’ve got all kinds of stuff of his and we kind of talked about some stuff when he was here and what we could do because we were really trying to expand Albert (Wilson) and Jakeem (Grant)’s packages and just keep growing them. We’ve got guys that can do a lot of different things. They can throw it, they can run it, they can … We have done a couple of things already this year that really has worked to our benefit.
How many more of those are there?
ADAM GASE: A lot.
What did you see of the defense that made you think that that play could work?
ADAM GASE: I mean it’s one of those plays that we … It’s plays off plays. We have run similar plays to it and it’s just one of those things where you just don’t think that’s going to come. I’m glad it worked and it was good timing. I thought those two guys made a really good execution of the play.
Are you playing down the trick plays that won this game for you?
ADAM GASE: Maybe a little bit. (laughter)
What do you think of the team’s confidence now going 3-0 knowing that next week you have the Patriots?
ADAM GASE: I don’t think they’re really focused too hard on that right now. We’ll enjoy this one for the next 24 hours and then after that, we’ll worry about moving on to the next one.
Has that play worked in practice?
ADAM GASE: Yeah.
Every time?
ADAM GASE: Mhm.
What was it like for your defensive linemen on the sidelines? Oakland had the ball at one point for 8:37 and then coming back they had the ball for 9:44, plus you were down three of them by the end of it.
ADAM GASE: Really, for me, I was just thinking, ‘How can we give those guys a rest and kind of regroup and be ready to go for the next series?’ That’s a tough situation to be in because there’s nowhere else to go. Those are the only guys … Those were the guys left and we knew they were gassed and they were, you could tell they were fighting though. And that’s why I love this locker room as much as I do. Those guys, they just kept laying it on the line, trying to find a way to stop them.
Did you get a good look at the DT Akeem Spence play?
ADAM GASE: I couldn’t see anything, so I just know that the guy came over and told me that he was out.
CB Xavien Howard with another pair of interceptions. Obviously it comes in a massive moment but where have you seen his development?
ADAM GASE: I just think his ability to stay tight in coverage and then he does a great job of finding the ball and finishing the play. It’s tough to do. When all of a sudden you become the receiver and the receiver’s hanging on you and it’s vice versa than what he’s used to, it’s not an easy catch to make.
Talk about the importance of just getting out of the game 3-0 and how important that is to your season.
ADAM GASE: Well, any time we play at home, our guys are taking a lot of pride in making sure that we’re coming out of this place with a W. I thought the crowd was … It got really loud, especially on third downs with the defense out there. There’s great juice to where you can feel it. Our players are feeding off it and we’ve just got to make sure that we take care of business when we’re playing home games.
Adam Gase – September 21, 2018
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Friday, September 21, 2018
Head Coach Adam Gase
(Any update on S Reshad Jones? Are you more optimistic today?) – “The fact that he was just doing a little more each day gives us a good chance. I think it’s just going to be up to game time and we’ll see how he feels.”
(Is WR DeVante Parker cleared or are you still going to rest him?) – “I don’t know what (we are) going to list him on the injury report; but yes, he seems to be in good shape.”
(With a guy like WR DeVante Parker, how much do you have to balance the game plan versus keeping his confidence and getting him out there and making him feel a part of the team?) – “I think it will naturally take care of itself with how our offense is kind of run where if we’re on the ball, we’re kind of staying right and left and it just kind of works out. There’s certain things in there for him and certain things for those other guys. It’s really going to be the flow of the game, how’s it going and what situations we’re in. I think it will work out. We seem to find a way to get all of these guys going.”
(How has your offense done as far as getting the ball in the hands of playmakers in the areas you want to and the timing that you want to get the ball to them?) – “Some of it is you kind of have it scripted out specifically for certain guys. Some of it is just kind of the luck of what the coverage is. That’s why we like guys to be flexible, being able to play multiple spots and be able to do a lot of different types of routes. It helps spread the ball out instead of worrying about trying to get a couple of guys the ball. I like when all of those guys are getting touches.”
(Have you gotten them the ball where you want to generally?) – “I think so, for the most part. There’s probably some times where you wish you had … Some guys are really good at certain things and when you get the coverage you want, you’re hoping that guy gets the ball. It doesn’t always work out, but most of the time it does.”
(Are you ahead of the curve in that? I know it’s only two games.) – “I don’t know. That’s hard to speak on. I’ll let you know in 2019. (laughter)”
(How difficult is that when you have two backs who want the ball, you have tight ends who want to get involved, you have five receivers who want the ball? How difficult is that to sort of navigate?) – “It’s a good problem to have. I love that these guys compete every day. They’re trying to constantly be right as far as what they’re doing because that increases trust level with the quarterback, play calling and all of those types of things – coaches. Those guys are really working hard to make sure that they’re doing exactly what they need to do. If we have certain personnel groupings with certain guys, they want that group to get on the field, so they’re working hard to make sure that they’re executing properly in practice for us to gain confidence so that that looks good and let’s make sure we call that. It’s been very good for us because it’s that constant competition.”
(I know with defensive line snaps you mentioned Defensive Line Coach Kris Kocurek will handle that a lot on his own, obviously talking with Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke. With receivers, do you and Wide Receivers Coach Ben Johnson jointly decide now that it looks like you’re going to have five quality receivers, how to distribute snaps before the game on Friday or Saturday?) – “We kind of talk through it through the week. The starting point, it’s hard to spread it out from there; but I think they’ve done a good job as far as making sure that guys are going hard the entire game. Especially down here, the oven gets turned up pretty high and guys get tired. You just need that constant rotation going on. We’re trying to get them into a rhythm. You don’t want to go one play here and then they sit out six plays. You’d like to get them in a rhythm. We’ll talk about it through the week. We’ll kind of watch how things are going, who’s doing what well and then we’re able to kind of move from there.”
Cameron Wake – September 21, 2018
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Friday, September 21, 2018
DE Cameron Wake
(Is there anything that now you’ve gotten to know DE Robert Quinn and seen him up close, that you’ve gained an extra appreciation for about him?) – “No. It’s about the same as it’s always been. Before I knew him or met him officially, (there was) mutual respect, I think, from a distance. We’ve been together for quite a while now, so there’s no new information over the past week. I love him just as much as I did last week.”
(The way snap counts have fallen, obviously getting work for five defensive ends is challenging. Has it been ideal for you? Because sometimes it’s been only half the game for you. Is that good by you? Ideal?) – “I’m enjoying it. I think everybody is getting the chance to get out there and play. I think the rotations are good. Obviously the skillsets (are) there across the group of guys that we have. Coach always tells us there’s not really any starters. Whoever goes out there the first play, then a few plays later there will be a new set of guys and so on and so forth. We all end up playing probably around the same amount. I think that puts accountability on everybody but also, it keeps everybody engaged. It lets everybody go out there and have their chance to be at the point of attack. I think everybody is enjoying it, myself included.”
(Do you feel, because of the rotation, that you feel fresher in the fourth quarter?) – “It’s hard to say now. I think hopefully this strategy pays dividends … I think in the fourth quarter, yes; but I’d like to think I always feel fresh in the fourth quarter as much as can be expected playing this game. It’s brutal on the body. But I hope in December, that’s when you can tell that it’s a different level. Again, it’s all going to be relative. If we all feel fresh, we won’t know unless you go ask somebody else across the league who’s not doing it. Then you kind of have to make your own formula as far as who feels fresher and why.”
(Because of what you’ve accomplished in the league and the respect for you, does Defensive Line Coach Kris Kocurek when he comes in, or Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke, do they have a conversation with you and say “You only might be playing 50 to 55 percent of the downs this year. We want you to know this going in and not be surprised.” Has that conversation happened?) – “It’s happened in the past. It’s not something that’s happened recently. But I think both of us – the coaching staff and myself – we try to do what’s best for both parties, including myself and obviously the team. As you guys know, there’s been a time where I’ve not been a starter and I’ve taken less reps; but then when it was necessary, things changed and the role had to change. Again, I’ve done a lot in this league and I’ve been around and my whole goal is winning. I can pat myself on the back all I want but that team success isn’t something that’s necessarily been at the forefront of my career and I want to make sure that this year, we do everything we can and whatever has to be done (to win), and I’m on board.”
(Have you learned anything from DE Robert Quinn about the position? When you bring in a new guy like that, is there anything that you’ve…) – “Oh, yeah.”
(I know that you’ve been around for a long time but maybe you’ve picked up something new from a guy like DE Robert Quinn?) – “Yes. We always talk about our craft a lot. I think any time you get a guy has – what, 65 sacks? – I don’t know. Whatever it is, you guys can look it up. But obviously he’s a guy who knows what he’s doing. He can get to the quarterback. We always bounce ideas and tips and tricks and wisdom off of each other. It’s a treat to have a guy like that. There’s probably different ways we go about it, as far as getting there; but we both get there. Anything that I hopefully have been able to put in his game, I hope it obviously helps. And he does the same for me. Whatever you can use, you use. There may be some things I can’t (do) but he can do some pretty amazing things. You take what you can and leave what you can.”
(What’s one thing you’ve taken from DE Robert Quinn?) – “I don’t want to give away too much but he has an interesting philosophy on snap counts. I’ll say that much.”
(On that quarterback snap count?) – “Quarterbacks (yes). Or center to quarterbacks.”
(Do you see that philosophy as valid?) – “I’ve dabbled with it at practice. I don’t know if I’m ready for prime time yet doing some of the things he does; but again, the more you can learn. There’s no such thing as knowing enough or being too smart or whatever you want to call it. So any opportunity that I can get something from anybody … It doesn’t have to be a d-lineman. It could be a safety. I was talking to a corner today about some football stuff.”
(Have you asked the quarterbacks about DE Robert Quinn’s theory on snap counts? How much research have you done?) – “Actually, not the quarterbacks. But we have had conversations with the o-line coach. So I’m sure that maybe will trickle it’s way up to … It’s probably more the center than technically the quarterback. But again, when we’re … I don’t want to say help. I’m trying not to defend the quarterback or center. Obviously we have a quarterback and center and some of the things that may be going on, we want to help them from not getting exploited in the same way that you’re talking to somebody on the Raiders about their snap count philosophy on getting to (Ryan) Tannehill. Sometimes you figure out a key and you’re like ‘Hey, this might be something that can help Tannehill or the center or a guard or a corner or whoever.’ Information flows not just one side, d-end to d-end. It can go d-end to center to quarterback to hopefully the offensive coordinator and it’ll help everybody.”
(It’s interesting that you bring that up because I remember seeing in the summer that your coach, Defensive Line Coach Kris Kocurek, would go over and work with some of the offensive linemen after practice. So are the defensive and offensive lines working together more so this year than in the past? How much shared information is there between the two groups?) – “It’s funny how it always works. It generally goes like this: OTAs and half of training camp, we’re kind of butting heads. We’re against each other like ‘I know something about you. I know your weakness. I’m going to exploit it for my own benefit, for the defense’s benefit. Yay, pat on the back.’ Then somewhere around the middle of training camp it’s like now ‘We’re not necessarily foes anymore. We’re the Miami Dolphins.’ You see guys that were trying to kill each other and then it kind of turns to ‘Alright, we’re all going to get behind each other and fight someone else.’ So as training camp goes on, it’s like ‘Okay, listen. I know your tell. Or I know your whatever. I’ve been doing it to you for the past three weeks. Don’t let them do it. So I’m telling you: Look, you’re not going to show this or don’t do that or don’t do this. Now you’re on my side so I’m telling you what I found out. Don’t let the other team exploit that.’ So it does get … It starts off with ‘Haha, I got you,’ to ‘Alright, look. Let’s get this fixed so he won’t … I did it to you. Pat myself on the back. But we’re not going to let him do it to you.’”
(That’s something that’s always like that or is it different or any different this year?) – “I think as time goes on and you gain wisdom … When I was a rookie, I probably wasn’t doing that because I didn’t know. I was just out there just running around. But as you grow and you start to learn and you start to figure things out, you say ‘Alright, look. You’re doing this. This is giving away that. I know every time you do that, this is going to happen.’ He’s probably just as smart as me. There’s a Cameron Wake on every team – maybe. (laughter) But he understands … There are smarter football players out there who understand that ‘This could be a giveaway. Let’s stop doing that because that’s going to not only hurt you but when it hurts you, it hurts the offense. If it hurts the offense, it hurts all of us.’ So I … I don’t want to say sacrifice but I’m not going to probably be able to do this anymore to you because I’m telling you what it’s doing, but it’ll help the entire team because I’m telling you.”
(So you were pulling aside T Laremy Tunsil or T Ja’Wuan James and telling them…) – “I’ve done Laremy, Ja’Wuan, the offensive coordinator, the offensive line coach, the center. There are things … Like I said, we study. I’m sure they do the same thing to us. ‘Look, this is what happens. This is what he’s going to do. When he does this and he does that.’ It’s the same thing. There’s a guy on a team that you’re going to play that is smart and they study and they’re probably going to pick up on it as well, so cut it out.”
(You at one point were the rookie who had to have some offensive tackle explain something to you? What was it? Who was it and what did they eliminate for you?) – “It could be a lineman. I remember having many sessions with Vernon Carey, for some of you guys that have been around for a while and know who he is. Again, it started off with foe. I was trying to make the team and I’m trying to beat them every way any time I can. Then as we kind of got to a point where now we’re not foes, we’re teammates and I want you to win on Sunday, and he wants me to win on Sunday. He had things about my alignment, my stance. He could tell when I was dropping or when I was rushing, when I was coming inside. Again, he played for … He was a veteran in the league, so he understood. Those things that he told me now I can tell a guy like maybe a Charles Harris or one of the other young ends and say ‘Hey look, maybe don’t do this. He’s going to know. They’re smart too.’”
(Is the ultimate comfort level of when you can share that the weekend after Labor Day when all of the cuts are done?) – “To be very honest, it doesn’t really have to be that long. There are guys, and I think across the league, there are guys who you know have a tougher time making the roster; but wisdom is wisdom. I want him to be successful. Maybe he’s not on this team. Maybe he’s on another team, another league or whatever it may be. Maybe one day down the line there’s a guy who got cut that’s like, ‘Cameron Wake told me blank. And I’m using it in the CFL or I’m teaching my high school team.’ Whatever it may be. It’s just an opportunity to pass on that wisdom that was passed on to me. Whether I think you’re going to make the team or not, it should be beneficial.”
(You always seem sort of happy when we ask you about teaching. You seem to enjoy that part about when you talked about teaching DE Charles Harris when he got here and even just now, you seemed somewhat interested in what we were asking you about.) – “It’s probably the part of the game that’s not highlighted as much. You always see the highlights and all of that stuff on TV on Sundays and all of that, but those things don’t happen if there weren’t guys – the Jason Taylors of the world – who told me. And one day I tell Charles Harris, who one day is going to tell X guy who is in high school (now), and so on and so on and so on down the line. And I’ve been around guys who don’t share and don’t want Charles Harris to get sacks because that would take away from (them). I don’t look at it that way. I want Charles Harris to go out there and break the record because that, in turn, furthers the cause of everybody involved. (Am I) happy? I don’t know. I don’t consider myself a happy guy but sharing wisdom, I’m all for it because it’s mutually beneficial.”
(I’m sorry for saying that you were happy.) – “Yes. Bad choice of words. (laughter)”
(Engaged?) – “Very angry. (laughter)”
(Semi-interested?) – “Not opposed to. Let’s go with that. (laughter)”
(So how common would you say that is across the league, like pass rushers sharing your marquee move with somebody else?) – “That’d be hard. I’d have to go and be a fly on the wall in other locker rooms or other defensive line rooms.”
(But you, if you were facing like DE J.J. Watt or DE Von Miller, do you guys talk?) – “Oh, yes. I know other guys and we speak, because then it’s kind of like us versus them again. It’s like us d-linemen versus the o-linemen. We, as a group, want to get more sacks. Every time I watch football, I’m cheering for the defensive end. I don’t care who it is. I’m always out there like ‘Ah, I almost got him. Get the sack!’ Obviously I know a lot of guys personally on other teams in other areas of the country; but especially when it’s on your team, then it’s for sure. Even week to week, if I know a guy who has played or knows a guy personally on the offensive side of the ball, of course I’ll give him a call. ‘Hey, you played so and so last week or two weeks ago. What do you have on them?’ And vice versa. They do the same for me.”
(What is it like to now be an established player to a point where people are coaching what you do? People are breaking down film saying this is the DE Cameron Wake rip and under move.) – “I don’t get to see it as much as maybe some of the other guys. I’m always … It’s always happening outside of where I am, so I don’t really get much of a perspective on it. But it’s probably more rewarding when you guys have come to you face to face and say ‘Hey, listen. I’ve watched such and such or that play or whatever,’ and asking me about it. Or ‘How do you do this?’ Or ‘Help me with this.’ It could be another guy who’s gotten 60 sacks like a Quinn or it could be somebody who has never touched the NFL field – an undrafted, rookie free agent. I’ve had both. Again, I think that’s, hopefully, somewhat of a compliment to what I’ve accomplished over my career and I take that with all of the rest of the accolades and enjoy it.”
(Have you ever considered being a coach when you’re done?) – “I bounce it around every now and again; but that’s to be determined, I guess.”
(Do you think you’d want to coach this level or younger kids, like high school or something like that? Have you ever dabbled in it? Have you ever gone and helped out at anything?) – “Dabbled (but) not anything official. My high school actually came down here twice over the last four years, I think. They’ve played one of the area high schools. The best high school in the country is DeMatha Catholic High School. (laughter) One of my … Actually my old former teammate is the head coach now, so whatever I can do to further the cause. It doesn’t have to be my teammate or a defensive end from another team. (It could be) a high school kid who maybe on Friday night, wants to go out there and put on a show. He may not ever touch an NFL field. He may not even make it to college. But if I can help him go have another moment to be successful, how does it benefit me to not (do that)? That’s kind of what I always wonder. What am I doing to say I’m keeping my secret from him? I don’t understand the logic on that.”
(What defensive ends do you like watching?) – “Any of them who are not happy. (laughter)”
Dowell Loggains – September 20, 2018
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Thursday, September 20, 2018
Offensive Coordinator Dowell Loggains
(The skill that WR Albert Wilson has at that size to be able to shed tackles, have you seen that before from a guy with his stature?) – “How are you referring to his stature?”
(As far as size – 5-foor-7 – WR Albert Wilson is obviously not a guy who’s enormous weight-wise.) – “When you get up on Albert, the one thing that you notice is his lower body is thick. He has really strong in the lower body. Obviously, he creates … He’s an explosive lower-body athlete. He has some suddenness. But he’s strong in the lower body.”
(I saw one website, I don’t know if it’s true, but they said that T Laremy Tunsil has only allowed – you’re probably a better source than this website – one pressure all season. I don’t know if that sounds about right, but what are you seeing in terms of in what areas he’s just really good right now?) – “Someone asked that question last week. That was a guy I said since I’ve been here that I saw grow the most. I think a strength of Laremy’s has definitely been pass pro. He’s doing a good job of … I think playing with Josh Sitton for that limited time was a big asset to him as well. That was Sitton’s biggest strength was in pass protection and Laremy has done a really good job taking it really serious. I’ve said it in the spring, the other advantage Laremy had was going against ‘94’ (Robert Quinn) every day and I think he grew because of that.”
(So is it accurate, one pass pressure?) – “I don’t know that. I’m sorry. You guys will find out that I’m not good with stats. But it’s probably … There haven’t been very many.”
(And T Ja’Wuan James’ play the first couple of weeks, how would you assess that?) – “I’ve been pleased with it. He’s played hard, played aggressive. I thought the first game he played really well. Last week was solid. He had a good game. He’s done everything we’ve asked, played hard and he’s been an asset for us.”
(Can the run game and the efficiency you guys have had in the run game, can that be sustained?) – “Each week, it’s going to change and each individual matchup is different. We knew last week was going to be tough. That’s a really good defense. It’s very well coordinated by (Jets Defensive Coordinator) Kacy Rodgers and (Jets Head Coach) Todd Bowles. They do a tremendous job. Our guys executed the plan well. I thought there was some stuff that helped scheme-wise and the RPOs (run-pass options) and obviously using ‘15’ (Albert Wilson) in some different ways. So, we’ll find different ways to run it. You’d love to say, ‘Sure, it’s going to be great every week,’ but there is going to come a time in the NFL when you’re going to have to throw it 45 times to win a game. Obviously, we’d love to have balance every week and be able to play the game on our terms and be able to do that; but at some point, somebody’s going to load up the box and try to take it away.”
(I saw Head Coach Adam Gase was out there with, what do they call it, foam pads?) – “The big orange things with the receivers?”
(And someone said at one point that Head Coach Adam Gase hit TE Mike Gesicki in the face.) – “You guys don’t have much right now, do you? (laughter) This is where we’re going? (laughter)”
(I want to ask you about TE Mike Gesicki and what he’s shown in terms of separation and what do you call that, escaping jams?) – “Separation is the best term for it, absolutely. He’s getting better with it. The interception we threw in the red area against Tennessee, his release wasn’t great. He slipped off line; we left the ball inside a little bit. Obviously, it’s a point of emphasis for the head coach to come over and do that. Right there, when the head coach lines up in front of you with those big, orange pads, you know all of a sudden it’s real. But it’s something we’re going to continue to work on him with. He’s getting a better feel for it, but it is an area he has to improve on, because he has drawn … There were a couple times last week where he drew some double coverage and they were bumping him off the line of scrimmage and people are aware of where he’s at. Everyone knows we drafted him to be a playmaker for us and he’s actually drawing some attention that’s freeing some other guys up.”
(Did you have time this week to attend the TE Nick O’Leary workout or is that more of a General Manager Chris Grier and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Mike Tannenbaum thing?) – “I was there. I did go out. Chris and Mike do a great job of scheduling those things, so it was at 7 a.m. We don’t start meetings until 7:30, so I was able to go over there and watch it. He’s an impressive guy. I’m glad he’s here. We needed some depth there and we’re excited to get him in the practice field and see what he does. I paid attention to him a little bit today, made a play on a corner route for us. Obviously, you know the name because of Florida State and he had a good career and being in Buffalo. We’re really excited to have him here and work with him.”
(The skillset there that could intrigue you guys is mostly at receiver. Is he a receiving tight end or what would you say?) – “It’s early for us to say. He’s obviously had some success that way. He’s a guy … He’s thicker than you think he is. When he got here and we got to see him, he’s got some size. He’s not the longest guy in the world, but he’s got some thickness. I can just see what he does in the run game.”
(When you have a lot of people that can make plays at a certain position, I’m talking about wide receiver. And you are adding a guy that hasn’t played the first two games in WR DeVante Parker. Does that cause a good problem for you, as in now you’ve got to spread it out a little thinner, and how do you resolve that problem? Is it just taking care of itself? How does that get resolved?) – “I think some of that takes care of itself. We’re obviously excited to have DeVante and get him back on the field and get him going. He’s a guy that he’s been here before. Coach Gase and the rest of the staff have a good feel for him. He was able to go through OTAs before he got banged up. Any time you’re able to get a talented player on the field, we’re excited about it. There will be parts of the game where things are designed to go to him. Now maybe coverage dictates the ball goes somewhere else, but he’ll have plays just like the rest of them do. The coverage will dictate where the ball goes. Sometimes we’ll scheme plays and sometimes the ball doesn’t go where it’s supposed to go. Ryan (Tannehill) does a good job of going to number two or number three in the progression.”
(What does WR DeVante Parker bring to the table? That’s a very diverse array of wide receivers, what makes him different?) – “The length. We’re not the tallest group of receivers, but I wouldn’t say we’re small either because most of them are put together pretty well. Albert (Wilson) and Jakeem (Grant) are both thick guys. They’re strong. That’s the thing that he has. He can run, he’s big, but he has length.”
(How did the interior of the offensive line, the three guys collectively, work together and perform and execute in the last game?) – “They were solid. They really were. Ted (Larsen) came in and did a nice job filling in for the role that Josh (Sitton) was going to fill. I thought Jesse (Davis) played really well. He probably played his best game. (Daniel) Kilgore was solid and Ted stepped in and did a nice job.”
(Is TE A.J. Derby the main guy on that play, the first read on that touchdown?) – “No.”
(It seemed like…) – “Yes. Is he the first read? Yes. Did it happen in the timing of the play? Absolutely not. You talk about the interior of the offensive line, they did a great job, because it really turned into a scramble drill. Derby is one, the back is two and then Ryan (Tannehill) had so much time in the pocket that he was able to create a scramble drill right there and A.J. found a soft spot in the zone and got there. The protection was so good that Ryan saw it and threw a missile to him.”
(I wanted to ask you about those four sacks. A lot of people are saying that QB Ryan Tannehill held onto the ball too long. Some people, myself included, are saying nothing was open there, that maybe he could’ve thrown the ball away. How do you view those four sacks?) – “Number one, at the quarterback spot, we’re always going to take responsibility. Absolutely Ryan needs to get the ball out, regardless. We don’t want to take sacks on first and second-down plays. We don’t want to take sacks on naked (bootlegs). That’s a cardinal sin for us. We need to do a better job with that stuff. The offensive line protected pretty good for the most part. There’s always going to be some things … There’s an element of everything involved in it. Sometimes it’s coverage, sometimes it is us making a poor decision at quarterback, sometimes it’s getting beat inside. I’d have to go back and look at all four of them. I know there were a couple like the naked (bootlegs). That doesn’t need to happen. That should never happen. It’s our responsibility to get rid of the ball and Ryan is definitely a talented enough player, a good enough player, to do that.”
Darren Rizzi – September 20, 2018
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Thursday, September 20, 2018
Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Darren Rizzi
(It occurred to me that the first kicker drafted in 2016 – Roberto Aguayo – obviously to this point hasn’t worked out. The first kicker drafted in 2018 – Daniel Carlson – was just cut. People might look at this and say ‘why isn’t necessarily the best kicker working?’ In regard to you thinking outside the box with some of your kicker selections – Andrew Franks – obviously this year with Jason Sanders, who came out of nowhere to some, so is evaluating kickers simply more than looking at who had the best percentage and the biggest name in college kicking and thinking that would translate?) – “Yes. The answer is absolutely yes. I’ve mentioned this before, we talked about Jason and us bringing Jason in, drafting Jason, and certainly with Greg (Joseph) as well – neither of those guys had necessarily great field goal percentages in college but there’s so much more to that position. The short answer is number one, it’s a very hard transition at the position from college to the NFL, maybe more than people would give it credit for. It may be one of the hardest transitions aside from quarterback because of many reasons. The hashes are different, the football is different, the yardage that you hold the spot of the (kick) from the snap is a lot of times different – another yard. There’s many factors that factor in. Your operation changes – you have a different holder, a different snapper. There’s a lot of variables that go into it. So yes, a lot of times there might be a guy that ‘on paper’ that might seem like the best choice, but when you dive in deeper and you’re looking for guys that transition better from college to the NFL – and I think that’s what we try to do here – is kind of look for the best fits there. I think that’s why sometimes you see maybe the named guys sometimes don’t pan out, because of that transition. Those guys you mentioned are very talented. It’s not just talent alone at that position that gets it done. There are a lot of other factors that go into it – mindset, the accuracy, all of those things that I mentioned earlier. It’s a difficult task for those guys a lot of times to transition from the college to the NFL game.”
(When you have a situation like P Matt Haack, where he gives you such great field position, how unique is that to get from a punter for an entire game?) – “It really was. He was lights out. He just had a fantastic game. I think going in, obviously we felt like that was going to be – and it’s every game, don’t get me wrong – but we made actually a big deal last week about the field position and certainly the quarterback we were playing against last week and trying to make him go with some long fields and things like that, and Matt was a weapon. Sometimes, you get two or three shots inside the 20 and he had five in one game. Really, it was six. Statistically it’s not six; but he had six punts, and all six of the drives that the Jets started off the next possession, all started off inside the 20. The sixth one was a penalty and Walt (Aikens) got blocked in the back right in front of the returner there, so they actually started the drive I think inside the 15-yard line on that one as well. He was really 6-for-6 – statistically he gets credit for five – but just a really good job. There’s a lot of game plan that is involved with the punt game – the direction, the hang time, the location, the distance, all of those things. He just had a really tremendous game. The incredible thing about Matt Haack – I’ve said this before and I’ll continue to say it – I actually think that he still has room for improvement. As good as he’s been and as good as he was last Sunday, he’s a guy that’s really, in my opinion, still just scratching the surface. He’s a very talented guy. The finer points of his game, I think he really improved on in the offseason. We’re kind of seeing that and last Sunday is kind of evidence of that.”
(What’s the next step for P Matt Haack? Just consistency?) – “Yes. We talked about this a little bit. Last year, I thought he started the season really well. It’s a long haul for rookie punters. Those guys really punt for about 18 months in a row because they’re training, they’re getting ready for the Combine and they really don’t have a break. So, I thought he hit a wall a little bit last year. I don’t want to call it a dead leg, but he lost a little bit of juice, if you will. This year, the training regimen is a little bit different. His annual process was a little bit different and certainly the consistency. I think what we’ve seen so far, from training camp until now, he’s been much improved in that area.”
(I wanted to ask you about what I call the dreaded trio.) – “(laughter) Let me guess – ‘34’ (Senorise Perry), ‘35’ (Walt Aikens), ‘38’ (Brandon Bolden).”
(Yes. Very important guys in terms of the roles that they play. How much do you rely on them to sort of be the guys that make things happen on that unit?) – “Obviously Walt has certainly been a leader for us these last couple years. He kind of leads the charge of that group. Senorise is a guy that really came on a lot last year. He was a guy that really played solid football, very consistent football. He’s fast, physical. Then you add Brandon Bolden to that mix. He’s a guy that’s obviously had a lot of background. We talked about that last week, (that he’s) a consistent player and a guy with a really good background in that area. Those three guys, all in their own right, give us some different job; but they all give us productivity. All three of those guys are a very integral part of what we do.”
(How do you figure out what is the best role for each of them?) – “It’s a week-to-week thing, a lot of times with the game plan. Special teams overall is a little bit more of a matchup game than offense and defense. You’re matching up one-on-one situations. The good thing about all three of those guys is they give you a lot of flexibility. They can give you a lot of position flex. You can move those guys around, which we do in all the phases. Especially in the kick game, the kick return game and the punt block return game, those guys can be matchup nightmares for the opponent at times, if you put them in a good position. And by the same token, it can work in your favor in the blocking schemes and they can match up on different types of bodies. Having that position flex, especially in that aspect of special teams, is a huge deal. Not being a one-trick-pony, if you will.”
(So you go into a game and you kind of use CB/S Walt Aikens like a chess piece?) – “Really, every player. Every player from that aspect is like a chess piece in terms of making matchups and trying to figure out number one, how we are going to defend our opponent, and number two, how we are going to tackle our opponent; and trying to get those guys in a position where they can make the most amount of plays. A lot of times, we’re not locked into one spot. If you use the kickoff game for example, a lot of times you’ll see those guys line up in multiple positions based on maybe where our opponent is lining up, what their scheme is and things like that. It’s definitely a bit of a chess match, for sure.”
(How did CB Cornell Armstrong do and how is WR Tanner McEvoy doing?) – “I’ll start with Armstrong. That’s a unique situation we have going on right there at corner. Week-to-week, it’s kind of a competitive deal we have going on to see who’s going to be active. I thought last week he got a chance. I think I mentioned it here, I thought he was one of the most improved players throughout training camp from when we started back in the spring. He got his first shot the other day. I think he played 14 or 15 snaps and really, he graded out pretty well. I thought for a guy to jump in there for the first time and his first real NFL game, not counting the preseason games, I thought this guy graded out pretty well. He played fast. It didn’t seem like it was too big for him, so that was a really positive step. McEvoy is another guy who can play a lot of spots and has played a lot of spots for Seattle the last couple of years. You saw he had a tackle last week on the one punt that got returned. He was the guy down there making the tackle. He’s a guy that came right in and kind of quarterbacked our punt team those first couple games as the ‘P.P.’ (personal protector) – that’s the guy kind of making all the calls. He’s a guy we’ve also moved around. Again, he’s another guy that is going to wear a lot of hats and that’s kind of why we brought him here.”
(How did RB Kalen Ballage grade out on special teams in the preseason?) – “Obviously he missed a couple games in the middle, so it was Game 1 and Game 4. In Game 4, he actually played very well on special teams. We had him play multiple positions in that game on purpose because we hadn’t seen him in two games and kind of wanted to see what he could do in different situations. He does have a little bit of a special teams background. He’s one of those players that is a rare kind of bird because he’s a running back that played special teams in college. There’s not a lot of those, especially coming out of the Power 5 conferences. You don’t see a lot of running backs playing on core teams, especially in the coverage. So he did have a little bit of a background. His college special teams coach is a former NFL coach (Shawn Slocum), a guy that coached as a special teams coordinator in the NFL for the Packers, so he’s a guy that had a really good background coming in. We’re very happy with him. He’s in a position right now, obviously it’s a very competitive position. I know we mentioned some of those guys – (Brandon) Bolden, (Senorise) Perry – that are gives us special teams reps. Certainly, he’s done nothing wrong. It’s just a situation where he just has to stay on top of his stuff and eventually, just like Cornell (Armstrong), he’s going to get an opportunity here whether it’s this week or moving forward. I expect big things out of him because he really has a good foundation.”
(On the CB Cornell Armstrong-CB Cordrea Tankersley dynamic, the week of competition, does that also include how they perform in practice on special teams or is it who’s the better cornerback and then that person will play special teams on Sunday?) – “It’s definitely a combo. Obviously, you look at our cornerback position and ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) and Bobby (McCain) and Torry (McTyer) and ‘Tank’ and Cornell – certainly the guys that are three, four and five – their special teams roles are definitely a huge part in that. It’s also a constant conversation with the defensive staff with what they’re doing game plan-wise. It’s definitely a combination. We want to make sure that if they need to go in on defense or if they’re playing on defense, we’re giving them the best shot and certainly on special teams, we’re giving ourselves the best opportunity, too. The good news is it’s a competitive deal. It’s not like you have one guy who’s so deficient in one area and not the other. It’s not that kind of thing right now. It’s a close battle, it’s a week-to-week thing, and I think it’s healthy to be honest with you. The competition makes everything better, so I kind of like where we are at that position.”
