Kenny Stills – September 27, 2018
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Thursday, September 27, 2018
WR Kenny Stills
(We saw that S Eric Reid had signed today with Carolina. Your thoughts on that?) – “I was happy for him. I’m excited to see him get out there on the field and be the impact player that we all know that he is. Obviously, I feel like he should’ve been signed the first day of free agency. It’s a long time coming, but I’m excited for him and I can’t wait to see him ball.”
(Obviously, the sense was that because of S Eric Reid’s stance, it was hurting his job opportunities. Do you think that changes the dynamic that maybe teams are open now to the idea?) – “Honestly, I don’t … I don’t really know. I haven’t had that much time to process and think about it. I just came off the field and as I was coming off the field, I found out that he was signed. Initially, like I said, I’m happy for him. I can’t wait to see him ball and I think he should’ve been signed a long time ago.”
(Did you think this day would come this season for him S Eric Reid?) – “It’s something … I was definitely surprised, for sure.”
(As far as games in regular season, do you believe in the concept of a big game? Is this just Game 4 or is this a big game this week?) – “I think for this team, we just try to go week by week and every week is a big game for us. It’s something that the head coach really instills in us and we hammer it home every week, so that’s how we feel. Every game is a big game for us. We feel like we have a ton to prove, so we have to go out there and earn respect every week, so the next game is the biggest game.”
(This team has never been more explosive; but on the flip side, time of possession has been skewed. Is that something that you guys know to help your defense out you have to hold onto the ball a little bit more?) – “Yes, we understand that; but we also realize that if we put points on the board, then the defense can get out there and play to their advantage. The defensive line and the pass rush, I know they’ll be happy. We just have to focus on putting points on the board, playing clean football, no penalties, no turnovers and we’ll continue to do what we do.”
(How would you describe the role WR Danny Amendola has in this offense?) – “For us, his leadership here in the locker room and then his play on the field, we know that any time the ball comes his way, he’s going to make a big catch for us and make a play for us. That’s something that you can’t overlook. It takes a lot of heart and courage to go across the middle and take some of the hits he’s taken so far and throughout his career. That energizes our group. That makes our group stronger. That’s a high bar that he sets for the rest of us to go out there and make plays and be accountable to our team.”
(With the way you guys like to spread it around on offense, is there some patience involved by players knowing, “I’m not getting it now or this last drive, but I know maybe next quarter or next game it could be me?”) – “We talk all the time about just doing your job, expecting the ball to come to you every play and when it does, make it your play. For us, that’s something that coach hammers home for us every day: go out there, do your job, handle your business and when the ball comes, make your play. Sometimes it’s going to be the receivers, tight ends, running backs; but as long as we’re winning, we’re happy and that’s what we’re focused on.”
(One more question about S Eric Reid. Do you think the fact that he’s back there might be a path for QB Colin Kaepernick to come back to football?) – “I guess you can say that, but we’ll see. We’ll see.”
(Your understanding is that QB Colin Kaepernick wants to play?) – “Oh, yeah. I spoke to him earlier today just before I came in here. He just came from a workout as we were on the phone. ‘What were you doing?’ ‘I just came from a workout. I’m ready to go.’ He wants to play. He’s good enough to play. He deserves to play. I don’t see why a team won’t sign him or hasn’t signed him.”
(Have you ever played on an offense with this kind of speed at the skill positions, and what does that do for an offense in terms of opening up all sorts of possibilities?) – “We talked about it in the offseason, knowing how much speed and explosiveness we have, and what that does to a defense. For us, really, it’s just going out there and executing. We know we have the guys that are going to make plays, but how consistent can we be with that? That’s the challenge for us every week.”
(Is this the fastest group you’ve been a part of?) – “Fastest? Probably so. But I spoke earlier in the week about the talent level, being I played with Jimmy Graham, (Marques) Colston, Lance Moore, (Darren) Sproles, Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram all on the same team. I’ve played with skilled players. We had a lot of skill. That’s similar here; but as far as explosiveness and speed, it’s hard to match what we have.”
(How did you like that high-five celebration that WR Jakeem Grant and WR Albert Wilson had Sunday?) – “That was sweet. That’s something special. I feel like we’ll be able to look back at that moment forever. I think Tyreek Hill and those guys did it in Kansas City when Albert was there, so it was kind of a remake; but that’s cool to see. We’re having fun out there.”
(We were talking to WR Albert Wilson on Monday. He says he wants to change … culture isn’t the right word, but inject fun into the team. Have you sensed that with him?) – “Yeah. I mean, every time Albert touches the ball, good things happen. That sparks the offense. Similar to what I said about Danny (Amendola), I think that kind of sets the bar high as far as what we want to be as a team and leading by example. When we see Albert have the ball in his hands, make somebody miss and go make a play, that’s something like, ‘I’ve got to add that to my game.’ We think, ‘All right, how can we match that? How can we do more than that?’ It adds something to our offense.”
(You mentioned how WR Danny Amendola has added a leadership element. Can you think of an example or two of how that leadership has come through?) – “For us, like I always talk about, leadership is just leading by example. And the way he comes into work, he’s one of the first guys here in the morning and he’s got his film study. He’s got a routine of everything that he’s doing here, so all the guys, even myself, being here and seeing that every day is something that, ‘All right, well, if he’s doing that and he’s had success at the highest level, then I should probably be doing that too.’”
(A lot of people have admired QB Ryan Tannehill’s accuracy on the two touchdown passes to you – the 75-yarder, the 34-yarder. Anything stand out about the placement of those passes or Ryan’s improvement and how it showed in those passes this season?) – “I said something earlier too about that: we work on that stuff all the time, so it doesn’t surprise us. We see him every day and we get the repetitions. So when the ball is in the air, it’s up for us to go out there and make a play. We know our landmarks, we know where the ball is going to be. We practice it every day and so we go out there and just execute. Nothing really surprises me. I think the outside world is kind of like, ‘That’s a nice play, that’s a nice throw.’ For me, that’s like, ‘All right, that’s what we’re supposed to do. We’re professionals, we play at the highest level, and that’s what we expect.’ I don’t expect anything different.”
(QB Ryan Tannehill has been hitting those landmarks consistently all year?) – “Oh, yeah. Other than the one that we didn’t connect on in the end zone earlier in the game, for the most part, he’s been spot on.”
(I wanted to ask you about Foxborough and playing at Gillette Stadium. Obviously, you guys have had success beating them here – three of the last five – but up there, you haven’t won since 2008. Is there a mental aspect to that?) – “I don’t think it’s a mental thing. We had an opportunity a couple of years ago when we were down big on that last drive to go out there and potentially win the game or tie it and go to overtime. It’s football at the end of the day, regardless if it’s here or there or at a neutral site. We just have to go out there and execute and play our game. If you turn the ball over and you have penalties and you let them get out to an early lead, you’re not going to win. That’s what we’ve done when we’ve gone there. We haven’t played as well as we should, and we need to to win the game.”
(Is there a thing where you feel like you have to play a perfect game against them?) – “I think teams in the past have felt like, ‘Yeah, if you don’t play perfect against them, you’re not going to have a chance to win.’ Obviously you strive for perfection, and so do they; but it never really happens that way. But, yes, you need to be on top of your game to beat somebody at their home stadium. That’s just how it goes.”
(With the tight end position, you guys have had a bunch of injuries now. It may be the two rookies you’re relying on Sunday. What is your level of confidence in both those guys?) – “We always have that next-man-up mentality here. I wouldn’t second-guess those guys being out there doing their job, playing hard and helping us execute. They did a great job last week and they’re good players. The rookies get thrown in the fire sometimes and that’s the best way to grow up. I’m excited to see what they do. I had a feeling last week that (Mike) Gesicki was going to get in the end zone and I just keep looking for that. I’m excited for him and I want to see him celebrate and have fun.”
