Adam Gase – September 5, 2018
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Wednesday, September 5, 2018
Head Coach Adam Gase
(Can you talk about the challenges of preparing for Week 1 and the challenge of facing a team who has a new coach and coordinator?) – “Well, I think the opening week is always tough because there’s probably going to be a few things that you have no clue are coming and you have to adjust quickly. Everybody is trying to use their personnel the way they think they should use it, which every team is going to be a little different. What we did last year will be different this year. It’s the same, basically, with Tennessee, because they have a new staff. It’s one thing when you have history against coordinators and things like that. We’ve played (Defensive Coordinator) Coach (Dean) Pees multiple times, twice here and then in the past where I’ve been. And they’ve got a new offensive coordinator. We’ve got four (preseason) games we’re going off of. It can be tough. We know we’re going to have to make some adjustments during the game.”
(So QB Luke Falk was on the Titans for six months or whatever. Can he help you in regards to information?) – “I think it’s hard because when you’re a rookie, you’re trying to make sure that you get to the building on time. You’re so focused on just trying to do the things that they’re asking you to do. It’s just hard. When you’re a rookie … If we were talking about a fifth year or sixth year guy, then probably yes. But I think when you’re a rookie, it’s just so hard. You’re just trying to keep your head above water.”
(What do you like about QB Luke Falk as a quarterback prospect?) – “He was a guy that we brought in here. He was one of the three quarterbacks that we brought in (for a 30-visit). We really liked his football mind. I thought he was – from the system he came from, the knowledge he had of that and how he knew the ins and outs of that and kind of the way they call plays – it kind of fit with what we do a little bit, to where he could make some adjustments at the line of scrimmage. I really liked his anticipation. He throws on time. He’s accurate. It’s one of those things where he kind of reminds me of a lot of the guys that I’ve been around in the past. We were fired up to get him here.”
(In terms of preparing for the opener, do you guys get an advantage because they don’t have your video just like they don’t have yours?) – “I think we’re almost all on the same playing field. They have a little more film on at least what we’ve done in the past. There’s always going to be something different from both sides.”
(What appealed to you on WR Tanner McEvoy and on RB Brandon Bolden?) – “That was interesting with Tanner. (He’s been) a special teams guy in the past and we’re always looking to see what else we can get out of guys that have special teams background to see how much they can contribute on offense. He’s had explosive plays in the past. It hasn’t been a numerous amount of catches but his average per catch is somewhere in the 20s. He’s made some explosive plays. He’s done a really good job on special teams and that was one of the main reasons we liked him. The fact that Bolden was available, we did everything we could to get him here. Obviously with Danny (Amendola) being here and his knowledge and his background and kind of what he’s all about, we felt like adding him was going to be a big deal for us.”
(Do you expect to see a lot of RB Derrick Henry? And what’s unique about him?) – “I’m assuming, yes. I can’t say for sure but what’s unique is he’s fast and as big as you can get them. He’s a powerful man and it takes multiple guys to bring him down to the ground.”
(What does it mean to you to kick off a regular-season game week prep with QB Ryan Tannehill as your guy?) – “It’s so different than the last time because that was two years ago. We were still in the learning stage trying to figure out how it was going to go and who we were leaning on. There were so many little things that we were just trying to learn. Now he grabs hold of the reigns and takes over practice and he’s all riled up. Today, I figured out a way to upset him a couple of times, which is always great. (laughter) He was wired in today. It was fun going through today as a whole – the meetings, the practice, all of that stuff.”
(Why are you convinced that you know QB Ryan Tannehill’s going to be better than he was the last time he played in a regular season game?) – “Just the reps and the experience. I know he said he missed last year but we went through the whole spring. We had a good amount of training camp practices. He’s stayed so engaged throughout that whole year, which is hard to do when you know you’re not going to play. I know everybody will say quarterbacks … Yes, it’s not as easy as you think. He really took last year and used it to his advantage and taking a step back and being able to watch everything, listen to everything and kind of see how guys react to certain things. And then also just listening constantly about when we’re talking about plays, concepts, progressions and why we’re doing things, he was able to really take it all in. Now it’s processing faster for him.”
(You came here as a quarterback expert of sorts. Are you comfortable putting your name behind QB Ryan Tannehill?) – “Oh, yes. I love working with him. I love how he does everything from the time he gets in the building until the time he leaves. He really has shown me a lot, especially on the practice field, with how intense he is (and) how he treats every day like a game. He’s taken a hold of this offense and he’s made it his own. There are certain things that we’ve never done before that we do now because of what he likes to do. I really like the way that he’s working with the group of skill guys. I think they have good chemistry. I think it’s a good start for the season for us.”
(You know QB Ryan Tannehill on a personal level but he’s been on social media trying to get fans and trying to endear himself to fans with certain videos and things like that. Have you seen that? What do you think about him trying to get other people to get to know him?) – “I haven’t seen any … I don’t pay attention much. I think who he is when we’re at practice and in the building and things like that … I think a lot of people get a three-hour snippet of who he is and that’s just during a game. I know it’s a game but at the same time, it’s a business. Guys put a lot of time and effort into this thing and when they get locked in on Sunday, it becomes a different deal. It’s very competitive and they’re professionals.”
(With QB Luke Falk, you said if he was a fifth or sixth year guy, you might try to get some information. Can you think of a time where that’s paid off at any point in your NFL career, where you’ve gotten information from a player who was with a former team?) – “No.”
(Have you ever tried? Have you been around where you’ve tried and it just hasn’t worked?) – “Not that I remember.”
(Obviously a lot of this will depend on snap counts in a game, but is it realistic to ever go more than two deep in terms of carries to running back? Obviously RB Kenyan Drake and RB Frank Gore will have a lot. Is it really challenging to weave in RB Kalen Ballage or RB Senorise Perry?) – “It’s all about how many plays you have per game. We’ve had times where you have 75-plus and now, yes, you get multiple guys in there – two, three or four (of them). It just depends on how many you have up. When you have 50, now you’re struggling to split with two guys. It’s all about the amount of plays, how many drives you can get and how long your series are. The longer the drive and the more drives you have, the more chances you have to spread the ball out.”
(Do you have an update on WR DeVante Parker?) – “We’re still kind of waiting to see how he feels as far as catching balls and stuff like that. He’s doing a lot of cardio stuff. He’s doing a lot of individual drill type things with our training staff. Once we get the green light, we’ll go at it.”
(But he can’t catch anything yet?) – “Not yet. I mean we haven’t tried yet.”
(How different is this September 5th from a year ago, from all standpoints? It’s your third year, not your second year. There’s no hurricane baring down on you. You’ve got QB Ryan Tannehill here.) – “It’s still early. (laughter)”
(It’s got to be like a world of difference, huh?) – “It’s nice to be able to really … It looks like we’re going to open up at home, so that’s exciting. We’re not traveling to Seattle. We’re not in L.A. (Los Angeles). I really think … the coaching staff is excited. The players are excited. We want to get in there and we want to get everything really going in the right direction. It’s the first game of … moving the ball and get some three-and-outs. That’s really what we want to do. Get the crowd involved in it early to where now when we get to third downs on defense, the volume is getting up there. There’s been times where the game starts going our way and we’re getting to those third downs, it makes it really hard on the opposing quarterback.”
(How quickly would you expect DE William Hayes to get back to … I don’t want to say midseason form but…) – “He’ll be alright. He’s been playing so long. We held him out more because we just wanted to make sure we were as close to 100 percent as we could get. He’s ready to go.”
(It’s clear what guys obviously are going to play for the most part on Sunday. But at tight end, you have some interesting options. Is TE A.J. Derby in your mind beyond what you anticipate your use of TE Mike Gesicki and TE MarQueis Gray…) – “I mean we’ll just see how it goes. It’s hard to say. I don’t want to give the game plan away but at the same time, it’s the flow of the game. You have an idea but things change quickly.”
Mike Gesicki – September 5, 2018
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Wednesday, September 5, 2018
TE Mike Gesicki
(The chemistry with you and QB Ryan Tannehill, how do you feel it’s coming along?) – “Really well. Ryan obviously is a phenomenal quarterback. He does a great job leading our offense and leading our team. He’s extremely prepared for this opportunity. I think that seeing that and seeing how prepared he is, seeing how comfortable he is back there, it’s kind of contagious for the other guys.”
(When did your head stop swimming with all these things being thrown at you?) – “Sometimes it still is, honestly. (laughter) There’s a lot of new stuff going in still each and every week, new game plan stuff and all of that kind of stuff. You just have to take it, learn from it and continue to move forward and get better.”
(We saw you have some battles with S Minkah Fitzpatrick during camp. Did you go against S Reshad Jones a lot?) – “I’ve gone up against Reshad a couple of times, yes.”
(What is that experience like, because he’s obviously a four-time Pro Bowler?) – “Awesome. It’s unbelievable competition to go against him. If you’re going against him and guys like Cam Wake and the guys on our defense that we have that have played at an extremely high level, it’s only going to bring the best out of you.”
(Is there anything that S Reshad Jones has not directly taught you, but kind of made you figure out when you go against him?) – “You just kind of see some things in your game that aren’t going to work at this level. He’s pretty physical for his position, so being able to use your hands at the line and all of that kind of stuff. So, I’m definitely being able to take some things away from when I go against him.”
(How different was the vibe this week compared to the preseason game to getting ready for the regular season and live action?) – “We had a pretty good preparation week for this type of stuff against Baltimore. Obviously, that third preseason game, you kind of treat that more like a game week. That was kind of a dress rehearsal for this, so having that experience and being able to learn from that has been good.”
(Do you feel the excitement from when people see you out? They’re looking for a playmaker.) – “I think our entire offense … There’s a lot of guys on the offensive side of the football that are extremely talented and guys can play a bunch of different positions and make plays from all over the field. So, it’s not only myself, it’s not even only myself in the tight end room. We have a lot of talented guys in the tight end room that can make a lot of plays. It’s going to be really exciting to kind of watch how this offense grows and develops.”
(When people see you on the street, what do they tell you?) – “I’m not out much. (laughter) I go from here, back to my place, back to here, back to my place and do a lot of Uber Eats. (laughter) I don’t really go out to eat or anything like that.”
(What’s your go-to Uber Eats?) – “Honestly, anything Italian. I go in there and just type in ‘Italian food’ and get some pasta or whatever.”
(You said you’re still learning some things, you’re still picking up some things. That’s normal for a rookie. How do you deal with trying to pick up those things but also they’re snapping the ball and you’re playing full speed?) – “It’s not so much where I’m supposed to be lining up or who I’m working to and that kind of stuff. It’s just the new plays and the new assignments that are going in. It’s not so much that I’m lining up and I don’t know what I’m doing. It’s being able to take the new stuff from the meeting room and then on to the practice field.”
Adam Gase – September 5, 2018 (Conference Call)
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Wednesday, September 5, 2018
Head Coach Adam Gase Conference Call with Tennessee Media
(As you look at this team, the Titans, they didn’t have QB Marcus Mariota last year. How different are they with Mariota and how difficult is it to figure out what he might be doing with this new offense?) – “It’s a lot different and it is difficult because there are a lot of options that can take place to where it could be just normal drop-back pass., it could be zone read, it could be play-action where if we’re not really doing a good job with our rush lanes and something opens up, he takes off. That becomes an issue. He’s got a lot of weapons to go to. And then you throw in the run game, with Derrick (Henry) and him kind of working it back there, there’s a lot of problems for us.”
(What kind of added dimension does RB Dion Lewis give the Titans this year?) – “I think the underrated part of him is him as a true running back. When he runs the ball, he does a great job. He was a guy that we actually looked at in free agency, so I was able to watch a lot of the … It’s one thing when you play a team, it’s another thing when you go into free agency and you study a guy. I don’t think I ever realized how good of a runner he was between the tackles. He’s tough. He runs the ball like a bigger guy. That’s probably the first thing that surprised me. And then he’s really a tough matchup in any kind of pass concepts. When he gets out in open space, he really makes it difficult for guys to cover him.”
(How is QB Luke Falk getting acclimated to South Florida?) – “Well I’ve only seen him … Today was my first day being around him. We were flying through our meetings today, so I haven’t had too much of a chance to really talk to him because we’re off and running right now.”
(One of the backs you did end up signing was RB Frank Gore. How is adding a veteran to that locker room helped incorporate the culture that you want to establish?) – “Frank has been great for us, I think not only in the running back (group but) just other guys who really have looked up to him in the past. Frank has been around for a long time. We were together 10 years ago (in San Francisco). It’s crazy how he hasn’t changed much. He looks as good as he did when we were together 10 years ago. There’s a big difference though when you’re his age now and where he was when I was with him before. He does a great job as far as knowing the right time to say things to guys about how to work and how to prepare in meetings and how to handle the volume of an NFL playbook. I think he’s done a great job in our locker room and in the running back room. I think him and Kenyan (Drake) do a great job playing off each other, talking about stuff. Some of our younger guys, they’re smart enough to lean on him a little bit.”
(Is it hard to expect or get an idea what to expect from a brand new offensive coordinator and a brand new scheme? How do you go about doing that?) – “It is tough. You try to go off of what you see on tape. You try to go back to where the heritage of his offense (is). It’s not an easy task. You’re going to have to have a lot of in-game adjustments and make sure if they start doing something that we weren’t prepared for, we’ve got to make sure that we adjust on the sidelines and our players have to handle that.”
(Have you ever crossed paths with Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel and how tough does it also make the fact that you’re dealing with a new, first-time head coach, so there’s not much of a track record there as well?) – “I haven’t had much interaction. I think we’ve met each other a couple times, but that’s the extent of that. Really, it’s tough. When you’ve got an offensive coordinator that doesn’t have a lot of tape out there of what he’s doing and the way that Mike handles in-game adjustments in situations and stuff, there’s not a huge booklet out of that on him right now. It’s going to be the same thing for us as a team. We’re just going to have to make sure that if something comes up and they do something that’s different for us, that we have to adjust quickly and really just get everybody on the same page.”
(Does it help you some that they have players that you’re familiar with that you know their skillset and what they’ve been able to do over the years, especially guys they’ve brought in like RB Dion Lewis and CB Malcolm Butler?) – “Yes, it probably helps a little bit just because we at least know who those guys are and we’ve played against those guys. But really, we’re not going to have an exact knowledge of what they’re going to be doing schematically. They didn’t really show a ton in the preseason. On both sides of the ball, we’re just going to have to do a good job of rolling in the game and do what we’re going to do and adjust to what they do.”
(You’ve got some new weapons on offense, I guess a big wide receiver and tight end and of course having QB Ryan Tannehill back also. Should we expect a much different look to the Dolphins offense this year than last?) – “I think every year this offense kind of changes. Adding the pieces that we have, we’ve got a lot of different guys that we can get the ball to. I think that kind of was our first step. We like our skill guys and we like our guys up front. Hopefully, that’s going to help make a big difference in our season this year and really the production that we have on offense, because we haven’t really done anything the last two years.”
(We asked you about RB Dion Lewis. What about RB Derrick Henry and how he complements what Dion does and vice versa and the challenge that comes with trying to stop two different backs?) – “Obviously, they’ve got different body types. But when you’re dealing with Derrick, you better have a lot of guys coming to meet him wherever he is on the field, because it’s rare to see one guy take him down. He’s big, fast and physical. That makes him very hard for a defense to prepare for, because you can’t really simulate it in practice and we don’t have anybody that’s that size. I don’t think many teams do. We have to do everything we can to make sure that we got everybody running to the ball and try to swarm him as fast as possible.”
(How much harder does the acquisition of DE Robert Quinn make it to prepare for you defensively off the edge with both him and DE Cameron Wake now on either side?) – “It’s been a good thing for us. We’ve had some great work in training camp practices and really dealing with those guys all spring. Those guys do a good job of playing off each other. Defensive fronts – the good ones – they all work together. They all kind of set each other up. I think this group, they do a great job. (Defensive Line Coach) Kris Kocurek does a great job making sure that these guys are all working together.”
(How has RB Kenyan Drake adjusted to becoming the lead back in your offense? I know last year you parted ways with RB Jay Ajayi and he took on a lead role. How is he accepting that role?) – “He just kind of moved in there and really we just … We didn’t really miss a beat. He creates plays when we really don’t have anything. He’s a different style of back. He’s a bigger guy with really good speed. It seems like when we call a play that’s not really ideal in a situation, he finds a way to make it a positive play or an explosive play. He’s done a great job as far as his evolution of learning the offense and what he knows know compared to what he knew two years ago. He’s really made huge strides.”
(Did you guys look a lot at QB Luke Falk going into the draft?) – “Yes. We brought him in (as a 30-visit). He was one of the three guys we brought in. Baker (Mayfield), Josh Allen and Luke – those were the three guys we brought in. We spent time with him and he was one of the guys that I was interested in.”
(How much can you learn or glean from a guy that had spent time with the Titans for a while in the preseason?) – “I think if you’re dealing with a guy that’s five or six years in the league, it’s one thing. But when a guy is a rookie somewhere, you’re trying to find your way to the building, you’re trying to make sure that you’re on time for everything, you’re trying to fight to just make a roster spot. To me, it becomes difficult. If you start asking a young guy questions like that, you’re not going to get very far.”
(Do you guys figure you’ll keep four quarterbacks for a while or is it hard to say at this point?) “We’ll see how everything goes. One of the things that we talked about this spring was developing quarterbacks, especially some young guys. We kind of got caught in a situation last year where we lost our starting quarterback, we had an older backup, brought in another older guy and we want to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
(As you try to replace the production that WR Jarvis Landry brought to you last year, do you expect a lot of guys to step up and make it a cooperative effort to replace that production?) – “The way that we’re kind of spreading the ball out, I see it as we’re going to have a lot of different guys touching the ball. That’s why we brought all these guys here. I like the way this group is working. I like the way the quarterback is spreading it out. That’s really what this offense has always been. Really everybody has had about the same numbers in the past. There’s never been one guy that’s just exceeded the other guys.”
(You had a lot of success with QB Ryan Tannehill in 2016. Things kind of came off the track last year. Does having him back in your scheme, does that allow you to unlock things a little more with him in that offense?) – “We had a whole spring and half a training camp where we were going in a certain direction. Then when he got hurt, we had to switch gears and it was almost like starting over, which is bad timing when you’re going into a season. Him being here the whole spring, all training camp, playing four preseason games – or three preseason games – and now heading into the season, that allows us to continue doing what we’ve been working on since the spring.”
Daniel Kilgore – September 5, 2018
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Wednesday, September 5, 2018
Center Daniel Kilgore
(What do you think is the potential for this offensive line? QB Ryan Tannehill just said he has the most confidence in this offensive line than he’s ever had.) – “Well, when your starting quarterback says that. That’s probably the highest compliment you can get as an offensive line. We haven’t even played one game yet but this line has the potential of being a great offensive line. We’ve got some young guys and we’ve got some veteran guys – not just in the starting five but the guys behind us well. We have too good of a group of men not to be good, if that makes sense. We work well together. It’s an open-door policy. When you have something to say, you say it. That’s one thing that any group that works together, I think that’s the number one priority. This group does that. It’s working well together.”
(What you just said, have you guys talked about that among yourselves, ‘We’re too good to not be good?’) – “We’re too good of people not to be good. Sure. I’ve been saying that since day one after meeting these guys. I think good things happen to good people, and I think we have a room full. Starting with the coaching staff, bringing in (Josh) Sitton, the guys who have been here, the guys who have been through things, guys who have played in Super Bowls, guys who had one-win seasons. Good things happen to good people and we have a room full of good people. We’ve not played our first game yet, so the verdict is still out; but again, I think you have a group that’s going to come to work every day. That’s all you can ask for.”
(T Laremy Tunsil was saying how much G Josh Sitton has meant to him. What have you seen in Sitton as far as being a teacher to guys like him?) – “Some good hair. He has some really good hair. (laughter) Just the knowledge of the game. He’s been around forever. He’s a guy that I could see when he hangs it up, he’ll be a coach one day. He communicates with Laremy. Laremy is still a young guy, so just anything he sees he can communicate with me or Laremy or the other side of the ball. Just his knowledge of the game, for sure.”
(Was there something specific that you saw or heard that sold you on your teammates on the offensive line?) – “Yes. The past coaches that I kept in touch with (were) talking about the guys and how good they were. Just knowing the background of (Head Coach Adam) Gase and the offenses that he’s been a part of. Talking to the front office guys, who they were wanting to bring in and kind of just where they were. The guys that are here, coming in for me, I knew first-hand that they were going to be what they wanted. Just knowing that those guys are good guys made it an easy transition for me.”
Reshad Jones – September 5, 2018
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Wednesday, September 5, 2018
S Reshad Jones
(Speaking of feeling pretty good here, just the feeling of getting going.) – “It’s been a long grind in the NFL. You go from spring to camp and it’s been a long grind. I think we’re ready to face another opponent, something that really matters. We’ve put the hard work and dedication in. I think we’re ready to play now.”
(How much are you looking to the three of you guys being on the field that do so many good things at the safety position with S Minkah Fitzpatrick getting in there?) – “I’m excited. I think he’ll make us better. Minkah is coming from a winning program, being a first-round draft pick, he loves the game. I think him being on the field, he can definitely help us.”
(What’s this team capable of?) – “I think the sky is the limit for us. We have all of the potential and talent here. It’s just going to take us all playing together and believing in each other. Keep all of the outside noise outside and focus on the common goal.”
(Is proving people wrong part of the motivation?) – “I don’t think we have nothing to prove. We just want to prove it to ourselves. I know what we’re capable of doing. We’ve got a lot of pieces in this locker room. Like I said, the sky is the limit for us.”
(When you mention the outside noise, are you talking about the people that are maybe doubting the defense a little bit? Is that what you mean by that?) – “No. It’s just people talking in general. I don’t really listen to it. It’s my ninth year in the league and I just try to do what I do.”
(Can you believe it’s your ninth year in the league?) – “No. It went by fast, for sure.”
(What’s the one thing you’ve learned throughout your nine years?) – “It’s a show-me league. You have to be consistent. You have to come out and prove yourself each and every year. Nothing is given in this league. You think you are a starter this week and the next week, you’re the second or third-string guy. You just have to be consistent and keep proving yourself.”
(Did coming back from that injury as well as you did prove something to yourself?) – “No. I put the hard work and dedication in year in and year out. It wasn’t surprising to me. I put the work in and it shows.”
(Have you talked to WR Rishard Matthews at all?) – “I haven’t talked to him in a while.”
(Are you excited to see him on Sunday?) – “Yes. (He’s an) old teammate. I’m definitely excited to see him.”
(What is the biggest question you feel you answered this preseason about this defense and what you’ve learned about it so far?) – “I think during the spring and during the preseason, it’s a learning process. We try to cut down on our mistakes and learn as much as we can, learn new plays and different things like that, and get prepared for this moment – Week 1 and the long NFL season. We had a couple of wrinkles and a couple of things that we had to iron out throughout preseason. I think we’ll be ready for Week 1.”
(How much do you think the rotation up front helps this defense from what you saw?) – “They make it easy on us. We’ve got a monster front line. Our front seven is very good making the quarterback get the ball out of his hands quick. That helps us out as DBs. I’m excited to play with those guys and have those guys in front of me.”
Minkah Fitzpatrick – September 5, 2018
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Wednesday, September 5, 2018
S Minkah Fitzpatrick
(You’ve played in some big-time games before, but this is your first NFL game. Have you thought about what’s it going to be like going into an NFL stadium with the crowd and atmosphere?) – “I’m just thinking about doing my assignment right now. When you start thinking about all of the other things, you lose focus on what you have to focus on. I just want to make sure I’m focused on the right things, doing my assignment, make sure I’m communicating, playing fast, playing physical and just playing my game.”
(How have you been able to just step in? How have you been able to do it without looking flustered or anything out there?) – “Obviously there are days where I’ve made my mistakes. I’m not going to be perfect stepping in right away. I’m just trying to learn from the older guys and kind of do what they do and just learn from my mistakes and keep pushing. Like I was saying to him, just keep going day by day. Learn from the bad days and keep pushing through the good days.”
(How comfortable are you doing everything that they’ve thrown at you?) – “Right now I’m not really moving around too much. A little bit of nickel, a little bit of free safety, strong safety. They are coaching me through it. I’m watching the older guys do what they do and making sure I’m paying attention all the time, don’t lose focus and that’s it.”
(There’s a lot more prep to do this week, but does this week thus far have a different feel to it now that the bell has rung during the real season?) – “Like you said, it’s the real deal. Live bullets, so it’s a little bit different; but I’ve still got to approach it as another game day.”
(What’s the body type of a slot receiver that will be the biggest interesting challenge for you initially?) – “I don’t know. I haven’t seen it yet.”
(You’re just comfortable with smaller guys?) – “I see them every single day. I go against Danny Amendola, Albert Wilson, Jakeem Grant. All of those guys are smaller guys. Then I go against guys like Mike Gesicki, and Kenny Stills every single day, so I don’t think I have too much of a problem”
(When you were being recruited, Tennessee Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel was an assistant at Ohio State. Did he recruit you?) – “No, sir.”
(Have you talked to LB Rashaan Evans this week?) – “No, I haven’t. I haven’t talked to him. He’s one of my good friends (and a) good player out there. I loved playing with him. It’s going to be nice to see him out there.”
(What’s the biggest difference you’ve noticed in preparation of an NFL game week as opposed to college?) – “There’s a little bit less reps on the field but more reps in the film room. I’d say that’s the biggest difference. At practice at Bama, we were taking a whole lot of snaps. But per practice here, we take a whole lot less. I think that’s the biggest difference.”
(Do you think it helps you getting more mental than physical. Does it save your energy?) – “I’d say physically it helps you more. Mentally it kind of … It’s a little bit different for me, I would say; but I’ve just got to adjust to it.”
Ryan Tannehill – September 5, 2018
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Wednesday, September 5, 2018
QB Ryan Tannehill
(There’s always a lot of excitement this time of year. Does this feel like always or is this year different for you?) – “There’s always excitement every year, right? So you come in with a certain level of excitement. For me, I feel more ready for this year than I’ve ever felt before. It’s tough to say the excitement feels different. I feel more confident, I would say, in the guys that we have and the path that we’re on. Are we there yet? No. But the standards that we have established in training camp, throughout the offseason, how guys come to work each and every day pushing to get better, that’s what excites me more, I think more than I’ve ever been.”
(Was there a moment over the last two years you thought, hmm, maybe this day won’t come? Or did you always know you would be back opening day 2018?) – “That was always the goal. I just stayed strong in believing that obviously. You never know what’s going to happen, but (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase was great along the way, just keeping me in the loop and informed on what he was thinking and where the team was headed. Yes, I always felt confident that this would be where we ended up. It’s finally here and I’m ready to go.”
(Were you a little charged up at practice today?) – “I was excited. It’s a big opportunity for us. I knew coming off of a big break that guys were going to need pushing a little bit. It was a warm day out there, a little tropical. We had to do everything we can to get better. It’s one of the few days of practice we get this week, so I really wanted to push the guys and make sure we were getting as much as we could out of each and every rep.”
(I’m assuming that you believe you’re going to show your best starting on Sunday, your best that you’ve ever shown. If that’s true, why do you believe that?) – “Because you’re constantly trying to get better. That’s the reason we’re here, right, is to build off of what we’ve done constantly and improve off of what you’ve done in the past. I feel more confident in fully playing the position than I ever have and everything it entails. It might not be each and every play you see it, but I know when certain situations come up, I’m going to be quicker to react and make the right decision and not have to think about it.”
(Because you’re more familiar with the offense? Because why?) – “Yes, more familiar with the offense; (I’m) more confident in all the things that we’re doing. It’s my third year, really, in the offense being around it and going through the mental side of things. When things break down, (I) know exactly where my outs are (and) how to save the play. It might be a throw-away and not taking the sack; it might be just getting the ball out. Little things like that, that aren’t going to really show up on the stat sheet, but can have a huge effect on the course of a game.”
(What will Sunday be like for you, 16 months in the making?) – “Sunday is going to be huge. I’m really looking forward to it. Obviously, I haven’t got to play a full game in a long, long time. To be able to do it at home in front of our fans and go out and do what I love, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
(This new-found confidence that you have with the playbook and things, has that kind of extended to you trying to maybe endear yourself with fans on social media like we’ve seen on videos recently?) – “I don’t know if that has anything to do with it. I haven’t spent a lot of time on social media in the past — I still don’t spend a lot of time on there — but I’m just trying to engage a little bit more with fans and give fans a little window into my life.”
(Why?) – “I just haven’t done it in the past. People are constantly asking me about it. I got a lot of positive attitude as I’ve kind of slowly got into it. (I) try to have some fun with it and just let that aspect of what my life out there a little bit.”
(You kind of left your son, Steel, hung out to dry a little bit with that throw.) – “(Laughs) It was actually a good throw. (My wife) Lauren is like, ‘He actually made a good throw, why did you have to trash him like that?’ I’m like, I guess for the price of comedy, right?”
(What do you like most about this group of receivers?) – “I think their work ethic. Every day those guys are coming to work. Obviously you have DeVante (Parker) out, so then Jakeem (Grant) and Albert (Wilson) are stepping up a little bit. Then Jakeem gets banged up a little bit and misses a little time. But (I’m) excited with how they’ve worked, how they’ve progressed. They come to work each and every day. They all bring something a little bit different to the table. We have a ton of fast guys, a ton of guys that can stretch the field, a lot of versatile guys. We’ve moved Albert around a lot, moved Jakeem around a lot, Kenny (Stills) can play both inside and outside. We have guys that can move all over the place and we can create the matchups we want.”
(With WR Albert Wilson and WR Kenny Stills on the field at the same time, the challenge that presents for defenses with the speed that those guys possess?) – “Yes, you have Albert, Kenny (Stills), Jakeem (Grant), you add in (Kenyan) Drake and (Mike) Gesicki, you have really five guys that can really go and create matchup problems for defenses, so you kind of have to pick your poison on defense on what you want to take away.”
(Is this the best offensive line you’ve played behind?) – “I’m more confident in this offensive line than I’ve ever been. They do a great job and have done a great job over the course of camp of jelling together and coming together as a unit. Starting all five individual guys and then really coming together as a unit and working as a unit, and once you start seeing that happen and they’re passing off twists in games up front, it gives you a lot of confidence as a passer to be able to stand in the pocket and make the throw.”
(What is the greatest challenge that the Titans defense poses?) – “They’re good. I think their back end is probably some of the strength of the defense. They have some good players back there. They do get good pressure up front. (Jurrell Casey) ‘99’ is a heck of a football player. He comes off the ball fast. He’s disruptive and can get after the passer. They have a lot of talented guys and we have to do our jobs and keep those guys accounted for.”
(When you’re facing a team that’s gone through a lot of changes, do you just focus on what you have to do? You’re going to see things that they haven’t shown on film yet.) – “Obviously, (Defensive Coordinator) Dean Pees coming over from Baltimore, facing him the past couple of years, they’ve done a lot of things with that defense. They haven’t really shown it so much with Tennessee, but it’s all on the table. So that’s kind of the wild card when you’re facing a team that changes, right? The coordinators. They’re showing a little bit more stuff than maybe they did with Houston in the past, but we’re preparing for all of it just in case they roll it out.”
(How much have you guys held back this preseason and not shown?) – “Yes, there’s always stuff you hold back. There were a few plays going into Week 3 that Gase wanted to run. I said, ‘Hey, those are great plays. Let’s save those.’ (laughter) We have some things that we haven’t shown, that we’re excited about and I think can help us, not only in this game but as we move forward.”
(Did you guys save those plays?) – “Yes, yes. (laughter) Thankfully we saved them.”
(Has QB Luke Falk been able to help you with anything as far as Tennessee is concerned?) – “I haven’t picked his brain too much yet so far. We’ll have him in the room and have those conversations.”
Frank Gore – September 2, 2018
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Sunday, September 2, 2018
RB Frank Gore
(What is your excitement level going to be like playing in front of your home crowd? I know you’ve been waiting for this one for a long time.) – “It’ll be good. I haven’t (played a home game in Miami) since the University of Miami. I’m in front of all the people from my neighborhood, high school and college. I’m going to try to go out there and try to be me. Whenever I’m in the game, (I’m going to) try to give my teammates (and) my coaches 110 percent (and) try to play some winning football.”
(How promising do you think the tandem of you and RB Kenyan Drake can be this season?) – “I think we’ll be good. We’ve got different styles. Drake can do a lot of things out of the backfield. He’s very fast. Me, the more I touch the ball, the better I am. We’re both competitive. I think as long as we go in and get the mindset, whenever he does something good, I’ve got to come in and try to do something good. I think if we do that … It kind of reminds me of when I was in Miami playing with (Clinton) Portis and (Willis) McGahee. We all competed. Portis used to challenge me every night before the game. ‘Hey, I’m going to go get 100-something yards and be out the second half. I’m going to let you go in and you’ve got to go get your 100.’ That’s my same mindset. I still want to play and I’m going to push Drake every time. I want him to go do good. I want to do good. I think if we just keep that mindset and just work together, it’ll be good for this team.”
(Speaking of Miami, they’ve got a big game today.) – “Oh, we’re going be fine. We’re going to be fine. We’ve got the Miami boys. You know how Dade County boys, we don’t really care about the anybody. I think we’ve got a bunch of those guys in Coral Gables now that have that mindset. They just have to go out there and play ball.”
(Has anything surprised you about RB Kenyan Drake, in terms of how good he is or a certain skill he has that maybe you hadn’t been fully aware of when you got here?) – “When I first saw him when they played Denver, I was like, ‘Man, he can play.’ And when I got here every day … What I love about him is he’s very humble and he respects the game. I love guys like that. He works every day. He wants to be great. I’m going to push him to be great. I think if we both push each other, I think we’re going to have a good team.”
(Did you get many ticket requests?) – “Not yet.”
(Has DT Davon Godchaux talked a little trash to you about the LSU-Miami game?) – “I’m not … It’s all good. I’ll see him tomorrow. (laughter)”
