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Adam Gase – December 26, 2018 (Conference Call) Download PDF version

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Head Coach Adam Gase Conference Call with Buffalo Media

(Watching the Bills the last few weeks, what do you see in their passing game and how it has maybe changed the second half of the season?) – “I feel like Josh (Allen) is getting way … He’s so much more comfortable ever since he’s come back from injury. Now that he’s kind of realized that he is a big man for a quarterback, he does have speed to be able to beat people, him being able to run really can tighten a lot of teams up because the last thing you want to do is keep giving first downs up to him as a runner. Now what that does is those passing lanes become a little cleaner. It’s tough to always look, especially when you play New England at their place to say, ‘Why wasn’t this the same as it was in the previous games?’ They’re always tough to play up there. (Patriots Head) Coach (Bill) Belichick always does a great job of taking away your strength and making you beat them a different way.”

(The Bills have dealt with this a little bit in terms of third down and red zone. I know every coach wants to run away from excuses, but your third down and red zone, the precision and the timing that’s required … Obviously, on third down it’s been tough for you guys. Your receiving cast has been a revolving door. It makes it seem like it’s going to make it very hard to be precise on third down. Would you agree with that? How much of a struggle is that?) – “I would say this: I think a lot of our struggles have come … When we struggle in third down, it’s because we’ve struggled on first and second down. We put ourselves in a really poorly manageable position to where it’s third-and-7-plus. When you get third-and-7-plus in the NFL nowadays, the defensive coordinators are so creative. They’re causing so much chaos and havoc. Pass rushers know that you’re not running the ball. Those guys are coming off the ball with one intent and that’s to get to the quarterback. When you at least stay third-and-5-and-manegeable, and I’m not saying everybody does this, but at least there’s the threat of, ‘What if they do run an inside zone? What if they do run outside zone? What if they run zone-read?’ There’s at least that possible hesitation to where now that rush isn’t as dynamic as what it is third-and-7-plus. Plus, your quicker-game-type routes come into effect when you’re in third-and-shorter and some of your rub routes and type of things like pick plays to where you can spring guys open and have a short throw and get a conversion.”

(The flip side of that on defense, having only seen three or four of your games including the Bills game, you’ve got quality corners and an ability to take away quick, easy throws. Not take away, but defend them reasonably well. Would you say that’s been a challenge there on defense not getting into enough third-and-longs?) – “Right. When we’ve had success … The previous two years, we’ve had … In 2016, we did a really good job of teams were in third-and-7-plus so much. I think we were ranked seventh or something like that in third down. Where last year we moved way back, but the year started out right to where the first six games, everybody was in third-and-long, we were getting off the field and we weren’t taking advantage on offense. This year it’s been we haven’t done a good job on first and second down. The opponent’s run game has been able to do way too much against us. We’ve been trying to get that fixed for basically the entire season because we’ve allowed way too many explosive runs, which has allowed teams to basically go first down, second down, first down so much. And then when we’re getting to third down, it’s third-and-short. And when it’s third-and-short, that puts the advantage to the offense.”

(Today’s practice, CB Xavien Howard and S T.J. McDonald practiced today? Were they limited or what was their status today?) – “Howard was limited and T.J. didn’t participate.”

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