Branden Albert – December 12, 2016
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Monday, December 12, 2016
Tackle Branden Albert
(Any injury to anybody is obviously going to hurt any team. But to lose your star, starting quarterback, what are the emotions right now for you guys?) – “Yes, it’s tough, especially him being the quarterback. I personally know what he’s going to have to go through to come back. It’s tough, but playing football things happen sometimes. You’ve just got to make sure that you support him as a teammate, and make sure that you’re there the best you can.”
(It seems like even now you guys are emotional. Just talking to us right now, it’s hitting you guys pretty hard.) – “Yes, because you know that Ryan (Tannehill), I don’t think he’s missed any games. He’s always there for us, and he’s always available and he always put it on the line. I feel bad for him.”
(Do you all appreciate what a leader he is for the offense? Is he underappreciated by a lot of people outside of the locker room?) – “Yes, because of his toughness, and all of the stuff that he’s been through in his career, outside of football. He’s still out here fighting with us every Sunday. You just got to give him his credit.”
(Did you say anything specifically to QB Ryan Tannehill after the hit?) – “No, I just was like … I just felt bad for him. I just know I’ve been there before, especially when something that unexpected happens. Then when you get the news that it is what it is, especially the competitor that he is. I know how it feels.”
(Have you lost a starting quarterback in your NFL career?) – “No, I don’t think I have. I don’t think I have.”
(Is QB Ryan Tannehill as resilient as anybody you’ve seen? He takes a hit.) – “Yes, I think so. He just keeps on ticking. For that to happen, you realize that there was something really wrong with him. Like I said, you just feel bad for him.”
(When it happened to you, you said that you would be back right away. Is there any doubt that QB Ryan Tannehill…) – “Yes, yes, yes, there is no question that he will be back and will be back in form, because he’s that type of guy, he’s that type of competitor, and he has that type of drive.”
(How big was the pass to WR Kenny Stills and getting the win yesterday with QB Matt Moore once he took over?) – “It was big. I think it was a confidence boost for Matt that he could get the job done and I think for our team. Kenny came up with a big play yesterday, and allowed us to win the game.”
(From training camp or the preseason action you’ve had with QB Matt Moore, with him going with the ones on the o-line, what makes him different? He’s certainly not as mobile as QB Ryan Tannehill, but what other changes may be tough for you guys?) – “There’s not a lot of difference, but it’s just two styles of quarterbacks. That’s all. There’s not a big … Ryan is probably more athletic, but Matt can get the job done too.”
(Are you going to advise QB Ryan Tannehill on ‘This is what you’re going to go through? I’ve been there, done that.’) – “Of course, because I think it’s only right, especially being there, and just letting him know that there’s going to be trying times. There are going to be days where it seems like things aren’t going right for him, but he’ll come out of that.”
(Is the rehab that he’s going to face as tough mentally as it is physically?) – “I think it’s more mentally tough than physically, because of the little things that you go through on an everyday basis you take granted, they are taken away from you. But he’ll be fine.”
(You came out for a couple plays, was it just because of the footing or what?) – “No, no, no. I just had a little knock on my hand a little, but I was fine.”
(Because, you weren’t going to stay out?) – “No, I’m never going to stay out.”
(How would you describe QB Matt Moore’s personality?) – “Real professional. He’s a guy that he’s going to be somebody that’s ready to step up. A guy that has … You can tell that he’s a quarterback. He’s real comfortable doing what he’s doing, even though he’s a backup.”
(I haven’t watched QB Matt Moore play a lot. Is it true that his arm strength and downfield throwing is part of what he does well?) – “You have to understand that I don’t … Honestly, I really don’t pay attention to stuff like that. I really don’t, I don’t. Because, all the guys that are skill players, to me, are fast. A lot of people say that Jarvis (Landry) isn’t fast. I feel like Jarvis is fast. So, I honestly don’t know. I just block. I try to do my best. I can’t criticize somebody on how they pass the ball or how far they throw the ball.”
(What would it say about this team with all of the body blows you’ve taken to get to those 10 wins, 11 wins to make the playoffs?) – “It will be big for us. I think it will be big for us because we do have a lot of key injuries, but I think this team is pretty resilient. We’ve got a real good coaching staff. I think we’re just going to show what type of guys, the next-man-up mentality we have.”
(How much does the team have to re-orient itself without QB Ryan Tannehill?) – “We’re going to have to re-gather, re-focus and probably regain the fact that our starting quarterback is gone. Things happen in football. You’ve just got to have that next-man-up mentality.”
(But it is a different team though?) – “I don’t know. We only can see. I can’t say. We only can see on Sundays, or Saturday when we play.”
(It’s going to be a short week this week.) – “It is a short week. It is a short week.”
(Time to start running the ball again?) – “I don’t know, it’s not my call. I always want to run the ball. I don’t want to pass block all the time.”
(When was the last time you practiced with QB Matt Moore in a practice?) – “To be honest with you, it’s been a long time. Like I said, Matt is a pro. He can get the job done.”
(When you say a long time, meaning training camp, preseason?) – “Probably training camp, probably. Like I said, I believe he can get the job done.”
