Matt Moore – December 28, 2016
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Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Quarterback Matt Moore
(Not that this team needs extra motivation but if you beat the Patriots, you [could] get the No. 5 seed. Is that something you guys look at? And I know it’s one game at a time.) – “Yes, that’s part of the answer, it’s one game at a time. I think everybody is aware of the scenarios; but again, it’s the same focus every week. We’re working to win one game and that’s kind of where our heads are at right now.”
(How much do you need these reps going into this game?) – “Obviously experience in this league is hard to come by, so any time you can get live reps, it’s only going to make you better. You’re going to learn from it. Things are going to go bad and you learn from those, and then things are going to go well and you learn from that too. These reps are extremely valuable.”
(I know you’ve obviously had a history starting in the past and then now coming into the last couple of games. A new system and all of that being with the teammates this year, how important is it for you personally, having been a backup all of this year until the past couple games to get these reps this game?) – “Again, my answer stays the same. I’ve got two games under my belt this year and so it’s all going to help. Every little bit helps. Taking the reps at practice, the game reps, the walkthroughs, everything is only going to help and make you better. They’re all important.”
(Was that the craziest game you’ve ever been a part of on Saturday?) – “That was pretty nuts. It was back and forth and we played a whole full quarter there at the end (in overtime). Those games are few and far between. It was nice to come out on the right side of it but yes, it was a crazy game.”
(It seems like there were five different ways each team could have won, and then ultimately you guys did in the end. How much of a rollercoaster was that?) – “I was just trying to stay focused and calm. I wasn’t trying to get too high or too low, knowing that we were going to have a chance and we needed to be mentally ready to go out and execute. It was tough but I think everybody stayed really focused and understood that we were going to have a chance.”
(Were you shouting to RB Damien Williams to get out of bounds?) – “(laughter) Yes. No, but yes. (laughter) Looking back, he did good, though. That was a big play in the game to get those extra yards for the kick.”
(You watch New England over the years, when you look at them on tape this year, does it look like the same team? Are there different characteristics? What stands out?) – “Well, they’re obviously well coached. There are a lot of the same things – a bunch of guys that play hard. It seems like they plug anybody in and they’re going to know the system and execute. They’re a very disciplined team. Those are the things that I think stand out and again, offensively for us, it just comes down to execution and understanding that those guys, they don’t make many mistakes. We’ve got to come out and execute.”
(What has impressed you the most about RB Jay Ajayi?) – “Oh man, a lot. He’s just getting better every day. His strength, his toughness, the way teams are loading the box and he knows there is one unblocked and he needs to make somebody miss. He’s been doing that consistently. He’s just all-around been really grinding weekly and getting better.”
(And here in Week 17 it looks like he’s handling the workload with 32 carries on Saturday…) – “Right. And I think mentally he maybe expects it, which is good. He knows going in, ‘Hey, I’m going to run the rock.’ He has a great mentality for that and has really been huge for this team.”
(You guys are 6-1 at home. Do you feel that you are a dominant home team? Do you feel that you definitely have an edge when you’re at home?) – “There’s nothing like playing at home. We’ve done well here, like you said. It’s good. Who knows what the classification is but you like playing at home. We feel good at home. It’s nice to be here this weekend.”
(Are you aware that you guys have beaten the Patriots and QB Tom Brady the last three times that you have played them in Miami?) – “Yes. It’s been like that the past couple of years, yes. Hopefully we can keep that going; but again, it’s nice to be home.”
(I know every team has injury issues but you and New England seem to have had some body blows. It wasn’t an injury but they were without their quarterback for the first part of the season, they lost TE Rob Gronkowski. We don’t have to go through the list of injuries you guys have had. What is it about these two teams that you just kind of shake it off and keep winning?) – “I think it starts at the top. I can speak for us – I can’t speak for them – but for us, (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase has preached the next-man-up (mentality). Guys understand, again, there are opportunities. It’s a shame that guys have gotten hurt. You never want to see that happen. But the guys that have stepped up and had to play have done well consistently. Every time something little happens, it seems like there is somebody else that steps right up and is ready to go. The preparation of the guys, the mindset has really been good. It’s helped us not to miss a beat when somebody goes down.”
(There have been teams that would have an injury like that and fold and they go away. Are those teams just mentally weak? Why does that happen?) – “Again, I can’t speak for those teams; but for us, I think it starts with the message from the head coach, guys being prepared, being ready when you get your opportunity, and then really trusting the guys that are in there to play. The scheme doesn’t change and guys go out there and execute and play ball.”
(That’s the NFL right? The bench is going to come into play over a long season) – “Always, always. And especially this time of year, it’s just always like that. If you’re one of those guys, it’s bound to happen and you just have to be ready for that opportunity.”
(Do you expect the Patriots to game plan you a little differently because against the N.Y. Jets you had four touchdown passes. You’re known to stay back there and fling the ball.) – “I don’t know. I’m sure they’re going to do what they do best and they’re going to do what they think is going to stop this offense. I doubt I’ll have a lot to do with it. We’re going to move forward that way.”
