Adam Gase – December 5, 2018 (Conference Call)
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Wednesday, December 5, 2018
Head Coach Adam Gase Conference Call with New England Media
(Watching the Patriots defense, what, since you last played them in Week 4 about eight weeks ago, what improvements have you noticed?) – “I think it really started in our game. They did a great job shutting down the run and basically eliminating any kind of threat we had in the passing game. I think they just kept climbing from there. They make it difficult. They give you so many multiple looks. Every week is a different week for them to where what they did last week is most likely not the same thing we’re going to see this week.”
(The Patriots running backs combined for 45 touches last week against the Vikings. Has that become a foundation of your offense and what are your thoughts on the personnel they have back there?) – “I think they’re doing what they need to do to move the ball and doing what’s best against what the defense is doing. The way that they went about it last week was the right way and put them in the best position on third downs and to get conversions and keep drives alive. They find multiple different ways to get a whole bunch of different guys the ball.”
(What sort of challenge is it when you’re talking about defending a quarterback with a quick release like QB Tom Brady?) – “It’s not an easy task. Guys have to do a great job of understanding how they’re being attacked and figure out a way to take the number one read away to where he has to hold onto it longer. That’s probably the hardest part because as soon as you start … The tighter you start playing, then they’re going to go to something else and take advantage of a different matchup. That’s what (Offensive Coordinator) Josh (McDaniels) has always done well. He adjusts really well during a game. I watched it for two years working for him and since I’ve been back here, I’ve gotten to see it multiple times.”
(We saw them on third down use RB Rex Burkhead and RB James White together quite often. What are the challenges to defending the two running backs that they threw at the Vikings last week?) – “It’s just trying to figure out who you want matching up with who and how you see it, especially when you get in third-and-shorter distances. Then all of a sudden they start running the ball and you don’t have enough guys in the box or you’ve got smaller players out there and they can take advantage of it. They just have so much available to them in their playbook that you do one thing and you think you’re able to stop them doing that thing and then all of a sudden they expose that. By the time you catch up to them, they move onto something else.”
(If I remember correctly, you spoke after the game up here about being surprised at being out-physicaled is I think the way you put it. Is that physicality on your part an extra emphasis this week?) – “I think it was an emphasis that week. It just kind of surprised me that … We didn’t fight back the way that I thought that we would. I think we’ve had some weeks where we’ve done a lot of things right to where we showed what we needed to show as far as playing like that. We just need to be more consistent with it. This is always a tough game, a tough team. The scheme they play and the way that they’re coached, it makes it very difficult and our guys have got to be on what we’re doing and then they’ve got to understand that it’s going to come down to the will on each play and can they win their matchup individually.”
(If the Patriots win Sunday, they win the AFC East. Obviously, you want to beat a division opponent, but is there any extra motivation you don’t want to let them celebrate an AFC East title on your home field?) – “Nobody here is even going to worry about that. We’re worried about winning this week. That’s the last thing on our mind.”
(I believe the Patriots are 1-4 in their last five trips to Miami. Are there any common factors that you can pinpoint to why the Dolphins have had so much success at home versus this Patriots team?) – “Every year is different. Every game, the time of year, all of those type of things. It’s been different every year. This year is different than last year. This year is different than when we played up there. Every week is a one-week season almost. You can’t even … What happened last year is irrelevant.”
(Is there anything that’s relevant to this year in terms of your record, home versus road?) – “I think if you look across the league, that’s the majority of teams. Most teams that play at home, the percentages go up. You’re not traveling. There’s a lot of little tiny things that can cause disruption. Crowd noise, communication becomes an issue on offense. It’s real difficult to go on the road, especially in a hostile environment, and be able to play as smooth as you want to play. I think sometimes when (it is) home versus away, when you’re home, you don’t have the extra challenges to face.”
(Getting back to the physical element for a second, how do you rate the Patriots offensive line?) – “They’re well-coached. They’re disciplined. You don’t see them making many errors where guys are turning free. You see those guys fight until the very end. It hasn’t changed. Obviously, there’s a good reason why. (Offensive Line) Coach (Dante) Scarnecchia does a great job. He prepares those guys. When they show up on Sunday, you know you’re in for a dog fight for 60 minutes.”
(Do you expect WR Danny Amendola to be able to play this weekend?) – “Getting him out at practice today was good, being able to do some of the things he did. We’ll see how the week goes. I’m pretty sure you know what he’s already saying. I’m just trying to make sure that we go through the week the right way to where he doesn’t put himself in a worse position. This is the first time that I would say that he’s not being very compliant with me. (laughter) He wants to play in this game as bad as anybody. I’m trying to give him a little bit of the ability to show that he can go, but at the same time trying to make sure that get through the week the right way and we don’t lose him for any longer than what we already have.”
(Thirteen weeks in now, what has WR Danny Amendola added to the team, to your offense overall?) – “I think the fact that he’s a veteran player, the way he practices, the way that he prepares for a game whether it be meetings, how he is in the locker room, how he operates day in and day out and then when we get to game day, the intensity he brings. It seems like he always makes the play when it’s a tight game and we need somebody to step up and do something, he always seems to be that guy. I think the guys respect him around here. I know the receiver room is really close and he’s a big part of that. He has just been one of those guys I think everybody just leans on. When it gets tough, he’s the first guy up and he wants to be a part of the solution.”
(Back in Week 4, you got really the first glimpse of what WR Josh Gordon looked like as a Patriot. What difference have you seen from the guy you saw on the field in Week 4 as opposed to the guy who is going to be on the field this upcoming week?) – “He’s more comfortable. He knows the offense better than what he knew at that week. He seems like he’s healthy. I don’t know … I’m sure everybody in the NFL is banged up a little bit, but I know he was coming off an injury at that time. He’s a tough guy to defend. He can catch the ball at all levels. He can stretch the field. He can work underneath. He can win in the quick game. He makes some incredible catches. He’s a tough guy to deal with.”
(Along the lines of CB Xavien Howard, what happened to him and how significant would that be if he’s not there for you Sunday?) – “His second interception, he just got hit awkwardly around his knee. We’re going to go through the week and kind of see what it brings. It’s tough to say, ‘Is he going? Is he not?’ I’m not going to know until we get closer to the end. If he’s not our best player, he’s one of our best players. We just have to make sure that we have contingency plans for whatever the scenario calls for.”
(I was curious your thoughts on one Patriots player. Does anything stand out to you when you look at their defense and see LB Kyle Van Noy the linebacker? What stands out to you when you’re watching him?) – “He’s been a nightmare for us, I know that. He does a great job. He disrupts. He does a great job setting the edge. He always does a great job any time we … If we ever try to run the ball to the edge, it’s getting to the point where it’s kind of pointless. He shuts down the run to his side. That whole defensive line does a great job as far as when they’re working their stunts and you got the TEs and the ETs, they set each other up so well. There’s a lot of unselfish football going on along the defensive front. He plays a big part of it. He causes all kinds of problems.”
(What’s your assessment been of TE Rob Gronkowski from what you’ve seen of him over the last couple weeks here?) – “Every year, he seems to take the brunt of the blows when it comes to anytime he gets a ball thrown to him. No one wants to tackle him high. Everybody goes for his legs. He’s getting pulled in every which direction. Just because he’s bigger than everybody else, it’s hard to tell who’s really getting pushed around or not. He’s got to fight a lot of factors. He’s getting double-teamed all the time. I’m sure that takes a toll on his body, but he shows up every Sunday and he competes extremely hard. He’s a good run blocker. He’s a good pass protector. He does a great job any time the ball is thrown to him. He’s a hard guy for any defense to defend, because it’s like a grown man playing with a bunch of kids. He’s such a big target. He’s one of those guys that when you go to face him, you try to do everything you can to contain him. You know he’s going to get his catches. When he gets in the red zone, you just have to try to keep him out of there.”
(TE Rob Gronkowski has been beat up. He’s been on and off the injury report a little bit. Is he still someone who requires extra attention in your opinion?) – “Oh, yeah. If you want to look strictly at numbers, then you can get caught up into something else. When you watch the tape, you see there might be times where he’s open and for whatever reason the ball goes somewhere else or there’s some kind of pressure and something didn’t work out the right way. But a lot of times, you know when he’s either supposed to get the ball or some kind of penalty occurs. He’s still a major force in their offense. I know this, we have to make sure we do a good job with him with however we do it, because he’s one of those guys when all of a sudden you think he’s being quiet and the next thing you know he has two or three touchdowns and 100-plus yards and just absolutely cuts your heart out on the defensive side.”
