Adam Gase – September 7, 2018
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Friday, September 7, 2018
Head Coach Adam Gase
(Do you have a status update on DeVante Parker?) – “He’s limited. He’s doubtful for the game.”
(We’ve talked about how difficult it is to contain mobile quarterbacks, but what is that challenge that it presents to somebody who has to spy them? And how do you determine who spies them?) – “I think it’s hard to replicate the speed and kind of the ability to change directions. He’s a better athlete really than almost every guy that you have on defense. That’s why we talk about being able to kind of box him in, being able to (use) multiple guys – if (Marcus Mariota) does take off – which is hard because he usually runs by guys when he gets loose. It’s a problem you have to be aware of the entire game. You can’t relax on any given play.”
(When you have to have a player spy a quarterback, what kind of stress does it put on the rest of the defense?) – “It just singles everybody else up. That makes it difficult and makes it tough when you want to pressure. You have to be smart when you do that. There’s a lot of little things that you have to make sure that you do correctly. If you one guy make the slightest of error, it can cause you a big play.”
(Except for WR DeVante Parker, do you expect everyone for Sunday?) – “YeahYes unless something happens between now and then.”
(Have you selected a backup quarterback for Sunday’s game, and if you can’t tell us, can you tell us what will go into the decision?) – “It’ll probably just be a gut feel. We’ll see when we get there. I haven’t really spoken to those guys yet.”
(Have you guys picked captains?) – “Not yet.”
(Last night’s game was delayed, I don’t know, 30 minutes because of weather, whatever. Do you go through contingencies because of warmups?) – “I want to say that might have happened to us in 2013 when we played in that Thursday night game opener against Baltimore. We waited for a while. You just try to keep guys loose and you try to organize. When you get a start time, then you start working backwards and just really get your warmup set.”
(Is that a real distraction?) – “I mean, you’re just ready to go. You’re just delaying something that you’ve been waiting for since last season.”
(Offensive Coordinator Dowell Loggains complimented T Laremy Tunsil as making improvement from the start of the spring to now. Can you give us a little insight on some of the things you feel he’s better at?) – “Well, he’s been challenged every day. When you’re going against Robert Quinn every snap, especially when you throw the ball, there’s no relaxing, which has been great for him because it’s hard. When he has his times that he wins, he’s doing a really good job. He really understands the game and our system to the point where he can try new things. He works well with Josh (Sitton). It’s been impressive to watch those two kind of work together and that chemistry on that side.”
(How is T Laremy Tunsil in terms of footwork and pre-snap…?) – “I mean, the guy is an unusual athlete for a guy that size. He could probably play a skill position if we wanted him to. He really does have unbelievable ability.”
(A few days ago, you mentioned how WR Jakeem Grant has become a legit fifth wide receiver and outside guy. What’s been the biggest step or steps that he’s taken in that evolution?) – “I think it was just once he moved him to outside. He just really took to that. He’s really hard to press. The majority of the time he’ll see off-coverage. We got some press in that New England game and he made the most of it. It’s really been growth ever since then. He’s had some really good practices where we got an opportunity to get him the ball and he’s gotten open. The longer he’s been in the system, the more knowledge that he has and the quicker he is to adjust to things. That’s the whole point of the drill is to keep learning and figure out how far you can push yourself.”
(Why did you think WR Jakeem Grant could make that move?) – “That was something the coaching staff – offensive staff – last year … (Director of Football and Player Development) Clyde (Christensen) brought it up with, I think it was Pierre Garçon might have been inside when they first got him and then they moved him outside and he really flourished. I think that’s maybe where the conversation started. We felt like we had nothing to lose and he wanted to play and he didn’t care where. We gave him that opportunity and he made the most of it.”
(What are your impressions of their number 99 – DT Jurrell Casey?) – “He’s a very, very good player and he has caused us a lot of problems over the last two years. He’s been consistent, both in the run and the pass game. You have to account for him. You have to make sure … when you single him up, it’s tough.”
(There’s a new Dolphins shirt that has a slogan “Who You With?” I’m assuming all slogans kind of run through you?) – “I had nothing to do with that. I don’t know.”
(The locker room, that’s the players’ domain. How do you decide when to go in there and how much time you spend in there?) – “I don’t go in there a lot. That’s their area. If I go in there, I’m usually cutting across to the cafeteria or if I’m looking for somebody, I just need to tell somebody something real quick. But I don’t hang out in there.”
(How strong is that feeling that that’s their area?) – “I hope they feel that way. Not many coaches go in there. We try to stay out of there because that’s their area.”
(Sometimes you mention gut feeling. At this very moment, what’s your gut feeling about what you have to work with, what this team will do?) – “I’ve said it since the spring, I like this group. I like the way they work, the way they prepare. That’s what you have to do to get ready for Sunday and then when we get there, just lean on what you’ve basically gotten yourself ready to do. Don’t think and just react to the game and play fast.”
(How excited are you that the regular season is finally here?) – “Anytime you get to this point … you’ve been working since the spring to get here, going through training camp and you cut down the roster. It’s been a good week. It’s been fun watching these guys embrace kind of some of the changes that we’ve made and our schedule and kind of how we did things this week. Wednesday was a great test for us because it was hot. It rained and then it stopped and really kicked in the sauna, so that was good. That was good for us to go through.”
(Is that a pad or a glove that WR DeVante Parker) is wearing right now?) – “I think it’s a pad. I don’t know, I didn’t check it out really.”
(Have you guys had WR DeVante Parker try to catch yet?) – “Not yet.”
