Clyde Christensen – December 14, 2016
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Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Offensive Coordinator Clyde Christensen
(Before we get to QB Matt Moore, I’d like to ask you a running back question. League wide, you have got guys who were picked in the fifth round, Bears RB Jordan Howard, RB Jay Ajayi, you have RB Robert Kelley in Washington, and you have what’s happening in Green Bay. It just seems like a lot of places in the league, these guys are coming out of nowhere. What do you see happening? What does it say about the position?) – “It’s just … It’s a little bit hard to judge, especially coming out of these colleges now that it’s not like the olden days where everyone was in the I-formation. You could evaluate a tailback. Now they’re coming out of spread offenses. Jay comes out of Boise. So I think it’s a little bit harder evaluation. You’re going to have more guys who just kind of hit from some of those different rounds. Maybe you don’t get as much information on them evaluating them. So I think it says there are a lot of good running backs out there who maybe play for teams that don’t run the ball as much. There’s not enough evidence to go quite as high drafting them and stuff. So that would be my guess at it. It’s inexact like every other position. But it is one of those positions (where) sometimes they mature later. Sometimes some of the ones who you think are going to be so good have carried it so many times in college that their bodies are beat up a little bit. I think all of those things play into it a little bit. I think the biggest thing is just the spread and everyone being in the (shot)gun. It’s not like it used to. When I first came in the league, you’d watch a tailback and they all ran Power O and they all had a fullback in front of them and they all got their 25 carries a game, and you compared them to each other. It’s a lot different comparing them now. It’s a lot harder.”
(Do you tailor a game plan specifically to QB Matt Moore or do you keep things the same as they were under QB Ryan Tannehill?) – “I think probably both. You’re going to tweak it, but for the most part, it’s going to be what it is. There are some things these quarterbacks like. Friday, when he sits down with (Head Coach) Adam Gase, he’ll probably talk about likes and dislikes on the game plan. But, I think the game plan was kind of done the same and we haven’t changed a whole bunch there. Just by the end of the week, we’ll kind of fall into, “Hey, here’s what he’s really comfortable with and here’s what he’s not.” But you kind of know that. We’ve had him. We went through this whole install. This whole year has been about figuring out what guys do well, what guys don’t do well, what things guys are comfortable with, what things guys aren’t comfortable with. So it really is probably a benefit that we are new, that we did evaluate the whole thing in that lens of, “Hey, what can these guys do? What are they comfortable with?” I don’t think you’ll see any massive changes.”
(What do you like most about QB Matt Moore?) – “I’ve always, since the day I walked in here, just loved how he played the game. I think he wears it on his sleeve. He loves football, he loves flinging it around, he loves the position. I think he was one of the guys who I really liked the first time I came in the building and just started watching the tape. I think, remember there was kind of talk whether we were going to re-sign him, whether we could re-sign him. I thought he was really an important guy. I just like him. I like the way he plays the game. I like that he goes out and tries to win football games. He doesn’t play scared. He doesn’t play hesitant. I like the way guys respond to him. He’s one of those guys that’s kind of a Pied Piper in the locker room that guys are attracted to and that guys enjoy being around, and he’s a live wire. He’s not unlike our head coach. He’s a cut-it-loose and let’s go try and win a football game guy. I don’t see any chance that he’s not ready to play this football game and go throw himself around a little bit and try to win a game up in New York.”
(Head Coach Adam Gase said that Matt Moore likes everything as far as sitting down with him and getting to know the types of things he likes. Has that been your experience with him?) – “That has. That’s what you kind of like. Just, ‘Hey, you dial it up and I’ll make it work.’ That’s a great characteristic to have, that you’re not scared. Some guys have demons from their junior year in high school. They threw an interception on this concept and, ‘Don’t call that.’ (laughter) I actually accuse Gase of that a little bit. He’s got a few back there in the past that he’s got to still exorcise. We’ve all got our demons, I guess. But (Matt Moore) doesn’t. This guy is just, ‘Hey, you dial it up and I’ll make it work.’ So he’s really, he’s great that way.”
(Did he show up a little bleary-eyed today? He’s had a big week.) – “You know what’s amazing? In fact, I was teasing a couple of the other guys who have pregnant wives. He was no drama. All of a sudden, I saw him at 11 and he had the baby. It’s kind of like everything … There was no drama to it. He just went in, had the baby, back in the office, had his notebook at 11 o’clock. So we were actually challenging a couple, we have a couple coaches with wives who are pregnant. I said, ’Hey, learn from him. Let’s go no drama. Do it on the right day. We don’t need to miss any meetings. Don’t do it during the red zone meeting or something like that. Everyone’s got to be on the same page on this, including the wives and doctors.’ (laughter) He actually was no drama. He really did. He showed up at 11 with his notebook. He goes, ‘We had it already. We’re done.’ And on with the game plan.”
(11 o’clock yesterday morning?) – “Yes, (we met at) 11 o’clock yesterday morning. Don’t hold me … Approximately, yes. But I remember … That’s beautiful. Off day, has his baby quick and easy (on Monday) and back in the routine. So that’s great stuff.”
(A lot of the players after the game Sunday, the receivers specifically, mentioned if QB Matt Moore was going to be the guy, the term they kept using was, ‘gunslinger.’ Does that make you nervous? He’s a guy that is known as a gunslinger. He’s not going to run. He’s just going to fling it.) – “It’s the best term you can use with (Head Coach Adam) Gase. I probably get a little bit more nervous than Coach Gase does, but no. By ‘gunslinger,’ I just think that there isn’t fear. He doesn’t play scared. I would say this too, from my standpoint, what (Ryan) Tannehill did, I would say I admire the guy. It’s amazing what he did. It’s amazing. It’s a hard position to play, especially when you come into a program that’s maybe not going to the playoffs. There is some transition and different coaches and stuff. I’d go on record saying that one of the things that was attractive to me in this job was Tannehill. His resiliency and stuff like that. I know you didn’t ask about him, but I just want to take the opportunity there because I wanted to make sure I said about what he does physically. It’s hard. It’s a hard job. It’s a hard job in all cities, but it’s a tough job. The guy’s a tough guy. I admire him. I admire how he’ll handle this injury the same way and go from there. But back to the question, the ‘gunslinger,’ no, I think that’s a compliment. I think it’s kind of a compliment that you’re not tip-toeing around scared. You don’t have to take a guy … There are some guys you have to go, right now you’d be clammed up and going, ‘Hey, we can’t do this. We can’t do that.’ And you’d have to be overly cautious, and this guy is not that. We said from the very beginning, I thought he was one of the top backups in the league – one of the backups that literally could start for a team, that he could go to a lot of places and start. He’s better than a lot starters in this league. That’s what you’re kind of looking for – the guy who has won games. He’s been on stretches where he’s won streaks of games. That’s an important guy. He’s a little bit like your insurance, right? You send that insurance premium in all the time, and you’re thinking, ‘Gosh, it’s a waste of money.’ Then all of a sudden you need it. Then it looks awful darn smart. I do think that’s why you do exactly … This is a situation where you want a quality backup who can go in and win games and lead the charge and lead the troops into New York City and try and win a football game. I think we’re really fortunate to have him and ‘gunslinger,’ I think he is. We’ve laughed. He’s not afraid to let one fly down the field. He’ll take some changes and he’ll do a great job.”
(When you played the Jets the first time, they were the No. 1 rush defense. They’ve had a precipitous drop. They’re 17th now. What do you see the difference? What are they struggling with now that they didn’t back then?) – “Yes, good question. They’ve had some injuries. They’ve played some teams that rush the ball well. The funny thing, they were 16th in the league on third down and now they’re eighth. They’ve improved third down. Sometimes it’s what people are trying to do to you. So I don’t know the answer on that. They gave us all we wanted in that first game. I think we were no turnovers and still hanging on with an onside kick at the end. So they’re formidable. They’re big guys. Sometimes it’s just circumstances. Sometimes it’s who you’re playing. Nothing jumps off the tape that, ‘Boy, they’ve changed this. Now they’re giving up runs.’ It’s kind of funny how that thing goes. We couldn’t run it at all and all of a sudden we’re rushing for 200. Nothing really changed. But, it’s just kind of this league and then all of sudden something gets going or someone gets going on you, and it just kind of snowballs. I don’t have a good clean answer for you on that.”
(What’s been your experience with quarterbacks with sprained knees? How long does it take?) – “I’ve got no idea. The one thing I do know is that there are some guys who are just great rehabbers. I think (Ryan Tannehill) will be that. Peyton (Manning) was that, (Andrew) Luck was. Reggie (Wayne) was that. They’re fast healers. I’ve seen … I always used the example that I’ve seen … You ought to be a pain in the trainer’s neck. I’ve seen quarterbacks who had to have a trainer spend a night at their house, and they’re kind of on the ding-a-ling-a-ling and you’re down treating the thing. The guys who are professional at everything, are professional rehabbers. That’s what this guy will be, and I’ve seen it. And some guys aren’t. Some guys are slow healers, and you can’t find them in the training (room). The ones that are great healers are the ones that are all over it. They spare no expense. I’ve got some great stories for you along those lines but it’s just amazing how they rehab and how they attack it. That’s what those guys who you’ll see are just consistently playing. They just kind of refuse to be hurt, if you will. I’ll be shocked if Ryan’s (Tannehill) not exactly out of that vein, and just attack the rehab, like they attack everything else.”
(How about QB T.J. Yates as opposed to QB Brandon Doughty?) – “It wasn’t as opposed to. It’s both. We did want to get an experienced guy in here. There hasn’t been a depth chart that’s come out for the ballgame yet. We’ll get them all prepared. We’ll get a look at them and we’ll see how they all pick it up. We were hoping that we could redshirt Brandon. We think he needs some … But we may or may not have that luxury. We’ll just see how this thing goes. I don’t think anything is kind of written in stone. There is still a long ways to go, as was my experience last year right. We went into Game 16 with an Uber driver and a guy from some semi-pro team in Coney Island, was selling Coney Island hot dogs. (laughter) There is a long, long ways to go, and a lot of curveballs still. After last year, a lot of things can happen. You just keep rolling. As I’ve said to you guys all the time, that’s what makes this job kind of fun. It’s never the same each week, and you still find a way to win a football game.”
(What have you seen from QB Brandon Doughty during practice, that hints that there’s development and he’s ready to play in an NFL football game?) – “(I’ve seen) him picking up the system, him progressing, him being in it for 16-18 weeks now. (There is) just a comfort level with things, him working with those players, throwing to those receivers and stuff. I think we’re not discouraged with Brandon. That would be a misinterpretation. The point was we need to get another guy in here so we … Again, that we have two healthy guys and how we end up doing it by the end of the week, we’ll have to wait and see. But again, the short week makes it a little more complicated, and Ryan’s (Tannehill) injury makes it a little more complicated. How long it is, and all of those things none of us have answers to those questions yet. Brandon’s developing, Brandon’s coming along. It’s hard to say he can do this. Until you get in a game, you don’t know what he’ll do. Some guys come in, and the lights come on and they come alive, and they’re way better. And you’re shocked. You’re like ‘Man, I didn’t see this at practice.’ And some guys are great at practice, and you stick them in a game, and they lay an egg and you’re surprised that way. We won’t know until we stick him in a game. I think that’s part of the reason you do take a little insurance and get a veteran guy who’s been in football games. That’s not a negative reflection on Brandon in any way – not in any way. If you would get that impression, you’d be incorrect.”
(What’s your level of concern starting a guy who hasn’t prepared to start in five years?) – “You know what? Very minimal, because we went and got a veteran guy, because it’s Matt Moore. Almost none. I’m more worried probably about the backup position than I am the starting position. I just feel really, really comfortable with this guy. This guy has worked hard. The pros … I’d be really worried if it was a guy who … It’s hard to concentrate when you’re not sure, you don’t think you’re going to play. You go 13 weeks and you haven’t played at all, it’s hard to keep practicing. It’s hard to keep studying. It’s hard to keep doing … And this guy’s been excellent at that stuff. You’ve seen him out there after practice, getting his throws. You see him working through the scripts every day. You see him taking receivers out there on Tuesdays and throwing some. So I’m really, really … I’m more concerned, we’re more concerned, probably with the backup than we are him. He’s going to come in and do a great job. I don’t have any doubt about that.”
(How would you assess C/G Anthony Steen’s last game and is he first-team center this week?) – “We’ll continue on the way we’re going. We felt like we have to smooth out some of the operation things. We’ve had some trouble with the operation thing. It was not an easy day to be a center in there, both because of what they do defensively, the weather, all those things. What we do at the end of this week, I don’t know. We’ll keep working (Kraig) Urbik in there some. We’ll keep giving some guys the reps. Then, like every week, by the end of the week, by Thursday or Friday, we’ll make the decision. ‘Hey, here’s the direction we’re going on this thing.’ And we’ll go with it, and again, you’re still one snap from either of them playing, so you still prepare two and have a third ready for an emergency. So I don’t think anything’s really changed that way; but we do have to get better with our operation. We have to get better with our timing. We have to get better with our calls. We have to get cleaner with that stuff. It’s a little bit of a concern. Now you have a new quarterback in there, and all of that communication, and then going on the road complicates it all, because you are going to have a little bit of noise issues.”
(WR Kenny Stills has been pretty good at making adjustments on the deep ball. What has been your experience with him and can you talk about how good he is making those adjustments?) – “I think the hard thing to find in this league is big-play guys. I think, whatever he’s in, the top five or six in yards per catch, so I think he’s been … He’s made some big, big plays. He gets behind people. He’s made his plays and so that’s a hard guy to find, and we’re much better when we get those big plays out of him and DeVante (Parker) and then Jarvis (Landry) makes his in the way only Jarvis can make them. If we can get all three of those guys – as I’ve said before – if we can get all three of those guys hitting on all cylinders every single Sunday at the same time, we have something pretty darn special. But he continues to run by people. He’s made some awful big plays. The one thing I think about him is you’re happy for him because of all the people since I’ve been here, you just saw him every single day in the offseason. The guy put everything he had into this year and worked as hard as anyone on this team. I probably saw more than anyone and then he had a mishap, had a hiccup in the opening game, and you’re sick to your stomach, because the guy had worked and worked and worked and just had such a great offseason. So it is fun to see him kind of get the dividends from that hard work, because as a coach, you’re always about, you sell, ‘Hey, you prepare, you work hard and things will go well for you.’ That’s what coaching is kind of about. That’s what we sell. So it’s really kind of fun and good to see him, because he worked his tail off. I mean, I can’t tell you how hard that guy worked this offseason to give himself a chance to have a great year.”
(In the big picture, does anything change for the offensive line now that C Mike Pouncey has been put on injured reserve and there’s no longer that specter of uncertainty? Is he coming back? Is he not coming back?) – “I don’t think so. I really don’t. I really don’t because we started off the season in the same boat. No one knows how long he’s out for. No one knew if it was a couple weeks, half the season or the whole season. So I really don’t think so. I really think this team’s been really good at just being resilient and whoever goes in there has to get the job done – whoever that is. We preach it from … I think I told you guys the first time I met with you, that it’ll probably take the 53 (players) plus another 15 or 20. That’s the case. That’s the case in the NFL. If you’re practice squad today, you may be starting Game 16 trying to get the last playoff spot. You may be starting a playoff game. That’s the nature of this league and that’s why you have to do a great job personnel-wise and have the right guys on the practice squad. And that’s why you have to have the right system as far as practicing them, that when they come up, they can just … You don’t miss a beat. That’s why it’s really, really important, which we’re learning this year. It feels like everyone in the league is kind of in the same boat. That between the injuries and all the different things, you’ve got some odd lineups and it’s just ever changing and stays fluid. The ones that can manage that, keep winning, and the ones that can’t, implode, and it falls apart. So knock on wood, so far our guys have just stepped in and gone. I don’t have any reason to think we won’t just do that again for these next three weeks.”
