T.J. McDonald – October 22, 2018
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Monday, October 22, 2018
S T.J McDonald
(What’s the most important thing when you have an accelerated week like this for you guys?) – “Put the old stuff behind you and just focus. This is a big mental week. When you’re playing on such a short week, it’s going to be more mental because you don’t have as much time to prepare. Physically, your body is not going to be at the shape as it was from the week before. The more mentally prepared team usually comes out on top.”
(Did you guys review the tape from yesterday or do you just move forward to Thursday?) – “No, we’ve got our personal game notes and things like that from the coaches. We’ve got things like that but as a group, we haven’t reviewed the tape yet.”
(What have they said about the defense yesterday?) – “We haven’t met as a group yet. But the biggest thing was just executing the calls that were called, getting lined up quickly, making sure we see what’s going on out of the huddle and get lined up, get our feet in the ground, read our keys and just play.”
(Did it feel like yesterday that no matter what you guys did you just couldn’t turn the tide?) – “You can say that. That’s hindsight, you can say that; but in the moment, we’ve had times like that in the past throughout the season and we were able to come up with a big play and change it. We just weren’t able to make that play.”
(What did it mean to have DE Cameron Wake and CB Bobby McCain back out there yesterday?) – “It was huge just for the dynamic of this team. They are two great players, two great teammates to have. (They are) guys that bring a lot of energy. To have them back, you can kind of just feel through the week of practice having them back. I feel real comfortable with them out there and we’ve got two good leaders.”
(What’s unique about QB Desean Watson?) – “He can do a whole lot. He can run, he can pass, he brings a lot of energy to that team. He’s been fun to watch in his short time in the league so far. I’ve definitely got to watch tape on him and study as much as we can and the biggest thing for us is going to be executing the things we want to do.”
(You know that playing at home is generally better than playing on the road and traveling for a Thursday night game is even tougher I assume. Is there anything good about traveling to a Thursday night game and can you remember in your experience having success as the away team on Thursday night?) – “I’ve definitely won away games … Actually it was against Houston. I’m not sure if it was a Thursday night game or not; but I think that any time you’re away, you have to go up with a pack mentality, us against everybody. All of the outside noise is kind of quiet. You have to find your momentum and juices from within, from within the squad. We’ve just got to make sure we come up and bring our own energy, pack our own energy, make sure we mentally prepare all week and I think that we’ll be alright.”
(What are your interactions with QB Brock Osweiler and what are your thoughts on him as a teammate?) – “He’s been confident since he’s got in here. He’s been confident, he’s brought a spark. That’s all you can ask from a guy in that situation. When you have a quarterback who played like he did yesterday, we didn’t have his back like we should have. Everybody has got to improve, but he’s been confident. He’s come out there with a swagger about him and he’s been good. We can’t ask for much more with what he’s been doing since he’s been in and filling in, and not having a drop off or anything like that. Coming in and facing one of the top defenses in the league and to be able to respond the way that he did and come back yesterday and play the way that he did, he’s been good. He’s brought a spark, had a swagger about him and confidence.”
(You guys get to go against WR Leonte Carroo and WR Isaiah Ford most of the time at practice on the looks team. What have you seen from them that shows you that they are ready to contribute?) – “They compete. Every day in practice they compete. Carroo is a guy who’s been active before. He’s seen a game and caught balls. I know one thing about those guys is that they’re going to compete and that they’re going to listen and do whatever they are asked to do.”
(You guys have 11 sacks right now. I guess the pass rush has helped you get the interceptions that lead the league. What have you thought about the pass rush overall? How effective has it been and what needs to improve you think?) – “Rush and coverage works together, so we’re all working together. I can’t pinpoint one thing over the other. When we cover the guys and have them covered and make the quarterback hold the ball a little bit, they usually get to the quarterback and vice versa. I think that the turnovers that we have and the sacks we have both feed off of each other.”
(We’ve heard WR Jakeem Grant has a nickname with you guys as ‘The Bully.’ What is it that makes him so difficult for you guys to try to defend and what makes him so tough?) – “He’s just full of heart. He’s a guy that’s going to go out there and people look at his size and think one thing. When we were out there at camp, he was blocking well. Everybody sees him take the top off and he was out there full of heart, not scared to get into it. That’s what we’ve seen from him. He’s going to go out there and whatever he’s asked to do he’s going to give it 110 percent, whether that’s taking the top off the defense or blocking in the run game. He takes a lot of pride in that. I know he does.”
Minkah Fitzpatrick – October 22, 2018
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Monday, October 22, 2018
S Minkah Fitzpatrick
(Have you gotten advice on how to prepare for such a quick turnaround? Have you gotten advice from your teammates?) – “The main thing they say is to take care of your body. Like you said, it’s a quick turnaround. We played a tough game yesterday. So you just have to take care of your body, study as much film as you can because you don’t really take too much practice reps. So you just have to watch as much film as you can, break it down and that’s it.”
(Your thoughts on QB Deshaun Watson?) – “He’s a great quarterback. I played him multiple times in college. When I went against him, he made some amazing plays. He’s a tough player. He can take some hits, make some amazing throws, great throws. It’s definitely going to be a challenge for us. He’s going to be one of the better quarterbacks we play this year. Like I said, it’s going to be a challenge; but we just have to step up, do what we do and lock it down.”
(You look forward to a challenge. You smiled when we mentioned QB Deshaun Watson, why is that?) – “When you’re presented with a challenge, that means you have to be on your A-plus game. I think that’s when I perform my best when I’m going against the best. You just have to lock in, clench your jaw, do what you have to do to win the game and just perform.”
(With a guy like QB Deshaun Watson at your position, you said you have experience against him. Do you know when to come up or to sit back? Is there something that you notice about him?) – “You have to cover the whole time until he crosses the line. That’s the toughest thing about playing against him because I think the second time I played against him, there would be time where he’s just running right on the border. He’s just running back and forth and you want to jump up and bite and sometimes people do and that’s when he dunks the ball right over your head or makes a good throw. You just have to be real disciplined in coverage; but also at the same time, contain him in the pocket with the d-line and in the back end just cover your man as long as you have to.”
(Do you talk to QB Deshaun Watson before or after the game?) – “I never got a chance to.”
(Is QB Deshaun Watson the best quarterback you ever faced in college?) – “Yes, I would say so. Yes, sir.”
(You and QB Deshaun Watson got a little rivalry going I guess dating back to college?) – “You could say that. Clemson and Alabama, two great programs the last couple years, so there’s a little bit of rivalry in the air I guess you could say.”
(I guess you all won one?) – “Yes, sir.”
(What went wrong on defense yesterday?) – “Just a couple different things. I can’t really say specifics right now. I’m going to go watch the film in a little bit with the coaches and everybody. It just comes down to execution, everybody doing their job. That’s it.”
(You guys have, throughout the season, maybe given up some yards and made that big play when you needed to. Why couldn’t that big play get made yesterday I guess is the question?) – “It comes down to what I just said, just execution. Those big plays happen on our side of the ball when we just do our job. There might be some leakage yards. Somebody might make an amazing play. But when everybody is doing their job, that big play comes on defense. You get that pick, you get that tipped ball. Yesterday, it just didn’t happen for some reason.”
(We know CB Bobby McCain is a veteran. What’s the difference in having him back out there on the field?) – “Just experience. He’s real knowledgeable. All of us in the back end, we communicate a whole lot. We just talk. You can see plays … I was watching film earlier today and there was a play where it just looked like we were having a whole conversation, but we were just talking about moving, leverage, stuff like that. The play was coming and having him out there and having his mind out there and his energy out there was real good.”
(With CB Xavien Howard now shadowing guys, teams are putting their best receivers inside the slot. The Bengals did that with WR A.J. Green. How much are you looking forward to that challenge let’s say if WR DeAndre Hopkins goes inside?) – “It’s going to be a challenge. He’s a great receiver. You see him making plays all over the field, making amazing catches and stuff like that. Like I was talking about earlier, whenever a challenge is presented, that’s when I like to perform. I’ve got to do my job. I’m going to get better, he’s going to get better, and I have to step up to it no matter if I’m a rookie or a 10-year vet. He’s just another person lined up in front of me. I have to do my job.”
(What is it about WR Jakeem Grant’s determination and drive that makes him play a little bit bigger than what his size is?) – “It’s just that: he’s tough. He’s undersized, but that doesn’t matter when it comes to him. He plays with a whole lot of energy, a whole lot of passion. He’s tough. He doesn’t want to get beat. He doesn’t want anybody to cover him. I think people overrate size sometimes. I think he understands that and he doesn’t let that hold him back. He’s one of the fastest people out there, so he uses that to his advantage and he’s just explosive.”
(What has it been like playing next to CB Xavien Howard?) – “It’s been good. I feel like he’s kind of an underrated guy across the league. Last year he played really well and this year he’s been playing great. He’s been shutting everything down. I feel like he’s just doing his job out there. He’s just waiting on his moment for everybody to recognize who he is and the job that he does. It’s been awesome playing with him. I’m looking forward to the future.”
(Has CB Xavien Howard mentioned how he’s going home to Houston? Did you know that?) – “Yes. Xavien and ‘Mo’ (Maurice) Smith, they both talk about it any time, the whole time. They both haven’t been back in a long time, so (they are) excited to get back and play in front of their families.”
(You’re no stranger to playing on big stages, obviously. How do you prepare mentally at the NFL level for a Thursday Night Football game?) – “You just have to watch a whole lot of film, because we’re not practicing a whole lot. We’re just doing a lot of walkthroughs. It’s more mental than it is physical. You just have to break down as much film as you can, talk to your coaches, talk to everybody else on the defense, on the defensive secondary, and try to understand the other team you’re playing against because you don’t want to wear yourself out physically. We just played a tough game on Sunday, so just preparing mentally is going to be real important.”
(How do you adjust physically to the pace of this condensed week?) – “You just have to take care of your body as much as you can. Yesterday, the hot tub and cold tub. Today, it’s the same thing. Stretch. Loosen up. Massage. Get everything loosened up and ready twice as fast as you would for a Sunday game.”
Adam Gase – October 22, 2018 (Conference Call)
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Monday, October 22, 2018
Head Coach Adam Gase Conference Call with Houston Media
(It sounds like QB Brock Osweiler is going to start on Thursday. How would you assess his play the last couple of games?) – “He’s done a really good job. The Chicago game probably was one of the best games I’ve ever seen him play. Yesterday, he played really well. We didn’t take advantage of it. We played really poorly on defense and we missed some opportunities to where we could have gotten off the field, and we wasted a good performance by him.”
(How would you say you’ve been able to get QB Brock Osweiler up to speed and playing well so quickly after kind of not seeing regular action for the last year and a half or so?) – “He knows this offense as well as anybody. Next to myself, he probably has the most knowledge of the offense, knows all the ins and outs. This is what he grew up in, this is what he knows. He knows how to operate in it, work quickly, make the right decisions, get the ball out of his hand. It’s not something that he has to think a whole bunch about.”
(Did you give QB Brock Osweiler any extra talk about not trying to do too much this week against his old team?) – “The only thing I care about that he worries about, is trying to make sure that we’re in a good position to play well and he prepares the right way, and when we get to Thursday, he does a good job of just keeping that group together and focusing on one series at a time.”
(It seems like your receivers are pretty banged up. Will WR DeVante Parker be back in the lineup this week?) – “Yeah, I mean whoever we have on the roster is probably going to play because I think we’re down to two or three (wide receivers).”
(I’m sure you admired RB Frank Gore from afar previously. What’s it been like to work with him and see his work day in and day out?) – “I was with Frank 10 years ago (in San Francisco). It’s like going back in time. He hasn’t changed. He looks the same when he plays. He’s such a professional. The way that he takes care of his body is really one of those things that younger players should take a look at because he does it the right way. He loves playing this game. He gives everything he has. He’s one of those guys that on Sundays, he sells out. Every ounce of energy he has goes into the game.”
(You’re probably not surprised at his work ethic. Are you surprised maybe as good as he’s been in flashes this year?) – “No. That’s what we saw on tape heading into this season. For a guy his age, he’s probably one of the few running backs over 30 that his yards after contact have gone up the last three years. That tells me that he’s still running strong and running through contact. We’ve opened up a few holes for him, which has allowed him to get going and then there’s been a few times where we haven’t had anything and he makes it work. He’s really kind of brought a different element to what we’ve had here in the past and I think him and Kenyan (Drake) do a good job of playing off each other.”
(When you look at this Texans defense, what do you see from guys like DE J.J. Watt and LB Jadeveon Clowney? Does it make it difficult to match up against them?) – “Everything. They’re horrible to go against, let’s just put it that way. When you have both of those guys on the edges, they just make it very difficult to do anything, whether it be running or passing the ball. You have to account for both of those guys, which is hard to do. Usually if there is one guy, you can at least say ‘Here’s what we’re going to do this game. We’re going to make sure that he doesn’t wreck the game.’ But when you have both of those guys in the lineup at the same time, it’s all kinds of issues. People forget it makes it really difficult to run the ball on those guys because they’re fast to penetrate. It’s like a hand grenade goes off in the backfield to where your back’s always under duress. It’s never going to be nice and clean like it looks like on a piece of paper. Our guys just have to do a good job of using their help when they have it and we just have to try to make sure that those guys don’t create turnovers.”
(What have you seen from Texans QB Deshaun Watson on tape?) – “I think he’s a difficult guy to go against because not only can he throw the ball, him being able to use his legs is always an issue. When you have an elite wide receiver too, that doubles everything because now all of a sudden, he starts hooking up with him and they start getting hot, then there’s issues for us on defense. Then when he starts moving around and his eyes stay down the field, that can cause some problems because now your cover is going to be loose. They have two receivers that are very difficult to deal with. Lamar (Miller), he’s played well and did some good stuff last week. There’s a lot of issues for us that we have to take care of and make sure that we keep these guys in front of us and make sure that we’re not giving up explosive plays like we did yesterday.”
(Is there anything you’ve learned in the last couple years on dealing with your team on a short week?) – “I’m the wrong guy to ask on that considering that I think we’ve scored about seven points and given up about 60-something. We’re trying something new this year. We’re going to head out earlier and just try to really piecemeal this thing together and just kind of get our guys to get out there and be able to just play as fast as they can. We need to just put ourselves in a position where when the fourth quarter comes around, it’s a ball game.”
(You guys are coming on Tuesday, is that right?) – “Yes.”
Xavien Howard – October 22, 2018
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Monday, October 22, 2018
CB Xavien Howard
(How excited are you about going back to Houston in the NFL for the first time?) – “I can’t wait. I’ve never played in the stadium at (NRG). I went to high school out there but I never played in there. I’m ready to get back home to see my family so they can see me play.”
(What do you have planned? I know you guys have a night game. Do you see your family a lot or just a little?) – “They’ll probably come to the hotel or something like that. I’ll see them.”
(You’ve been shadowing a lot more than you did in previous seasons. What are the challenges that come with that outside of facing the best opponent?) – “I’d say it depends on what receiver I’m shadowing. Some receivers they move inside in the slot. I’ve been trying to add that to my game, playing inside in the slot. It’s a different game playing outside than in the slot. It’s really just what my coach wants me to do. Whatever they want me to do, I’m going to do that.”
(What’s the biggest challenge that WR DeAndre Hopkins presents?) – “I just watched a little film this morning and I watched the Jaguars. I see he likes to push off a lot. He likes to get physical. That’s going to be part of his game. He can make some hell-of-a-catches.”
(Can you match his physicality?) – “Oh, yeah. I’m a physical corner. It comes with it.”
(For you it’s a homecoming but what’s the challenge of traveling for a Thursday night game? Is that harder than traveling for a Sunday game?) – “We expect it’s going to be a quick turnaround. It’s part of the NFL. We’ve just got to put our pads on and we have to play.”
(Some guys have the mindset that we like playing the game without the practice and then getting the break afterwards. Where is your thought process on the Thursday night game?) – “I’m not really focused on after the game. I’m worried about trying to win the game right now. Thursday night we’re going back to my hometown and it’s the next game. It’s an important game so that’s my main focus right now. I’m trying to get a W.”
(The offense is going to be without WR Kenny Stills and WR Albert Wilson. Defensively, do you think we have to do some more stuff?) – “I feel like defensively we’ve been playing at a high level. After this game, the stuff we can get better at, we’ll see after this. We have to bring our A-game. We have to stick together and just bond.”
(You have a great deal of fondness for Houston it seems like from talking to you in the past. Can you speak on what Houston means to you as a person?) – “That’s what built me, just living in Houston and seeing everything that happened out there due to the hurricanes and a lot of stuff in that nature. I’d say it built me, my character and who I am today. It’s a great city and we’re still building. That’s enough of what I can say about Houston.”
(What do you see from DE Camerom Wake and DB Bobby McCain being out there? Were they their old selves or 80 percent of themselves? What did you see?) – “Those guys came in the game and they were playing their butts off. Watching film, I’d say they’ll get better. I wasn’t really paying attention to Cam or them like that. We were trying to work on our secondary and seeing what our deal was with the Detroit Lions and what they were dong to us. We’re going to watch film and see, but I’d say Cam is always Cam. I expect nothing less from him.”
(And CB Bobby McCain?) – “Bobby McCain, he came out there and played his butt off.”
(When you guys cut into the score, I know as a defense, you felt it was just about time, right? We you guys surprised that those turnovers you’ve been getting or those game-breaking plays that you’ve been getting on defense didn’t come this week?) – “Yeah. That’s what I was … When I went to the sideline that’s what I was trying to get the guys on the backend. If we want to consider ourselves as one of the best secondaries, we’ve got to make plays when they come. I had the opportunity to make a play, I tried to undercut a play. The receiver caught it. It wasn’t a safe one. I could’ve easily knocked the ball down but I was trying to make a play. That’s what I’ve been doing this whole season. Stuff like that happens. I’d say we’re going to get back to the table and see what we’re going to do for this week.”
(If WR DeVante Parker asked you for advice because you’ve gone against him in practice so many times. We’re all assuming he’s playing Thursday. If he asked you for advice, what would you say?) – “DeVante, I’d say he’s ready. He’s a big receiver, a fast receiver and has good hands. He’s a good deep threat for us too. I’d say he’ll bring attention to the cornerbacks and whatever they’ll try to do to him, I’d say he’s ready.”
Raekwon McMillan – October 22, 2018
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Monday, October 22, 2018
LB Raekwon McMillan
(What do you see on tape from QB Deshaun Watson and that offense?) – “We have a quick turnaround. We have a Thursday game. Me, personally, I haven’t talked to my coaches yet about it. Me, personally, I see similarities (with) Cincinnati and how they use Joe Mixon; but you have a more athletic quarterback with the Texans. So, you have a bigger chance of a RPO (run-pass option) game. They try to get the ball to ‘15’ (Will Fuller V) and DeAndre Hopkins. They have a solid running back corps, a good quarterback and they get the ball out fast.”
(After watching the film, what have you guys determined went wrong with the run defense yesterday?) – “I can’t speak on exactly what happened. It’s more of an in-house thing. We just have to tighten up all around, everybody in their gaps, making sure that we’re sound, playing our technique and not trying to do too much, not trying to make too many plays. We had a good opportunity on the forced fumble. It just happened to be me to get the forced fumble. If we get our hands on the ball there and it’s a totally different ball game. Once they got that field goal, it kind of put us in a sticky situation for us as a team; but we have to play better. That’s all there is to it.”
(How would you assess how you played last week and in general?) – “I’ve gotten better over the season. Early on, I was trying to do too much, making young mistakes. Now, I think I’m playing more sound, more in my technique. It’s only going to get better from here. I can guarantee that.”
(What’s it like to have such a short turnaround to go Sunday to Thursday?) – “At different positions we’re banged up, but it’s all about getting your body right. It was hard going in today all sore, trying to get a massage before I came to practice. I got a haircut, just made myself feel good. (laughter) It’s the little things, like I said. We took a loss yesterday and I got a haircut today to feel good; but I’m trying to get my body rubbed out so I can be ready to go Thursday.”
(What do you think you gained in terms of knowledge about the game in the last seven games?) – “I learned how to play the game in the NFL. There’s a whole bunch of speculation and talk about me being this and that, but I have a good role model in our linebacker room with Kiko Alonso. He’s teaching me how to play the game at the linebacker position. He’s having a Pro Bowl-worthy year so far. I’m just learning from him. Run to the ball, get hands on the ball, making plays, just trying to be in the right position and help other guys on defense so everybody around me will get better.”
Jesse Davis – October 22, 2018
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Monday, October 22, 2018
G/T Jesse Davis
(QB Brock Osweiler seems to be a very confident individual. How would you describe his personality and his approach?) – “I think what you see is what you get from him. He’s very positive, always keeping the morale high in the huddle too. So (he’s) pretty much what you see.”
(You probably never won’t line up against him one-on-one very often, if at all, but what is the the challenge of stopping Texans DE J.J. Watt?) – “You attack every week the same. Obviously he was the face of the NFL for a while and he’s a great player. You can’t really look into it and approach it in a different way. You look at what he’s good at and try to combat it. Nothing too crazy.”
(What is Texans DE J.J. Watt good at?) – “The arm-over. I was watching a little a film today of the arm-over stuff. Anything that you saw him get a lot of sacks in the previous years is probably what he’s going to be using.”
(How do you think the offensive line did overall in the last game?) – “It was kind of shaky for a while. I know I didn’t play anywhere (near) where I should be playing. I think we stuck with it. We were in there battling with everybody and we weren’t getting down on each other. You never know what happens in a game. We kind of wired in their three-man rushes and for the most part picked up most of the stuff, but we definitely can improve.”
(What have you learned about preparing your body for the Thursday night game?) – “Rest and recover, sleep, hydrate. It will be nice because I think we’re flying down tomorrow, so we’ll have a lot of chance to rest and acclimate. This will be my second time doing it so I don’t really have an answer too much to it. Just look what the other guys are doing.”
(What will it take to get – because you played really well, the o-line against the Bears –consistency, to have that be your standard every week?) – “That’s definitely a spot to look at is that game, how we played and set a goal to that game and how we all played as a group and a team. We just can’t lose focus in a game or in a week. We have to keep doing what we’re doing, don’t change what we’ve been doing and be more physical.”
Adam Gase – October 22, 2018
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Monday, October 22, 2018
Head Coach Adam Gase
(What can you tell us about WR Albert Wilson’s hip?) – “I think he is on a flight to go see a specialist right now. I don’t think we’ll find out until tomorrow afternoon maybe what the results are. It doesn’t look good right now.”
(Are you thinking injured reserve is a possibility?) – “Yes. I’d say it’s probably a very high possibility.”
(Is there a concern beyond this year?) – “I have not been told that, so I don’t think so.”
(What were your thoughts yesterday on WR DeVante Parker’s agent and his comments towards you?) – “Nothing. I’m working on the next game. It’s something that doesn’t really bother me or really concern me. We’re going to do what we have to do for that game and every week changes.”
(WR DeVante Parker, you said yesterday he wasn’t completely healthy?) – “When we go through practice, there’s certain things that we ask guys to do to make sure guys are alright. The week before, we put him out there, he didn’t play many plays. It just came down to how good we felt about everything (and) who we wanted up in special teams. I was kicking myself the week before because I didn’t have (Kalen) Ballage up because I’m pretty sure on that goal line situation, it would have been nice to give our 6-foot-2, 240-pound rookie halfback the ball in that situation.”
(With the WR DeVante Parker situation, will that affect his place on the roster going forward?) – “We don’t have any more receivers so I’m sure he’s going to play.”
(Do you think WR DeVante Parker can play well for you?) – “Yeah.”
(If so, why? What’s your confidence in him?) – “Because I’ve seen him do it before. Those other four guys were playing good. The last two weeks, we’ve had some good football on offense. That was unfortunate yesterday, especially with Albert (Wilson). I saw him at halftime when he was leaving. He was like ‘I was one step away from taking it to the house.’ I’m like ‘I wish you would’ve because you wouldn’t be in the position you’re in right now.’”
(It seems like WR Albert Wilson has been one step away from taking it to the house every time he’s touched the ball this year.) – “Pretty much.”
(For a final thought or statement on that, I’m curious if that one hurts you because it seemed like that had fit exactly like you intended?) – “I think any time that any of our guys get hurt, it stings. Especially when guys have a grasp of what we’re doing and they fit in to what we want and they’re executing it the right way. Those guys were really enjoying … That group was really playing well together. Those four guys, they were all playing off each other. It was just unselfish football going on. Nobody cared who was getting the ball, it was all about how we are getting in the end zone. To lose both those guys (Stills and Wilson) in the same game was hard. That one is hard because you’re trying to figure out what’s next, how do we replace that, where do we go, how are we going to move things around?”
(What can you tell us about WR Kenny Stills’ situation?) – “It’s going to be this game and we’ll figure it out after that. He has a groin (injury). We talked about it today, we just have to see how he handles everything, how his body reacts to treatment and stuff like that.”
(But WR Kenny Stills is out this week?) – “Yes, he’s out this week.”
(Did you have to sit down with WR DeVante Parker or anything this week after things happened?) – “We have a protocol that we go through as far as when we tell guys they’re inactive. It’s just what we do.”
(Did WR DeVante Parker react differently than normal?) – “Nothing that got back to me.”
(How would you describe your relationship with WR DeVante Parker at this point?) – “It’s fine. I saw him this morning. We talked a little bit and that was it.”
(Do you have any other significant concerns coming out of the game injury-wise as far as guys that got banged up and might have come back in?) – “No. I think Mike (Gesicki) was a little better than I thought he’d be. That was really the one I was worried about because if he’s out, then we’re really depleted in numbers. We can move some things around, we can get him healthy enough to really be ready, feel good and go.”
(Do you feel particularly good about how WRs Isaiah Ford, Leonte Carroo or Malcolm Lewis has done in practice?) – “Yes. I feel like those guys keep getting better. They compete every day. I have no problems with those guys. Whenever we have to make a decision on who’s doing what, who’s coming up and all of those type of things, I have no hesitation with those guys.”
(I know you haven’t practiced yet, but do you feel like you have enough receivers to make it through Thursday night’s game?) – “Yes. We’ll figure it out. We have five running backs, we’ll play all of those guys. That was what we were doing yesterday. We were saying to Kenyan (Drake), ‘run straight, turn left.’ (laughter) We’ll figure it out.”
(How did RB Kenyan Drake do with that?) – “We didn’t get him the ball but we were trying to get creative as fast as possible.”
(Of all the backs, is RB Kenyan Drake the closest one or the easiest one to transition to receiver?) – “I don’t know. He might be. Maybe (Kalen) Ballage can do a lot of stuff, because he was staying after with Luke (Falk) every day throwing and running routes. Those guys always talk about some of the routes that they actually got him to do and he does well. That whole group is talented. They all have different skillsets, so it will be interesting to see how we do it this Thursday.”
(We saw QB Brock Osweiler on the injury report. It is him starting this week, right?) – “Yes.”
(How bad of shape is QB Brock Osweiler in?) – “He’s alright. He’ll be alright. You kind of get banged up every once in a while.”
(It’s kind of a unique situation, QB Brock Osweiler returns to a place where he played and did not have a lot of success and faced a lot of criticism. What have you said to him, what will you say to him? What kind of approach do you want him to mentally take into this particular game?) – “Just focus on this game, just us. He’s not going to worry about anything that’s happened in the past. It’s over. I think he’s in a good place being here. He’s doing a good job. He’s played well the last two weeks. We won one game. He played well enough to win the last one. We didn’t come through in the other phases. The past is the past and all of us have been on different teams. Help us win this game.”
(Have you reached out to any of your mentors in regards to how snake-bitten this team has been with injuries– “No. This is not the first time that I’ve personally been through this in different places. Every coach in the league has gone through (this) where guys are going down. You have to figure out a way to make it work and move some things around and put guys in the right position. That’s the whole job. Whoever is healthy, you get those guys ready and you have to have that next-man-up mentality. Are we going to be able to replace Albert Wilson tomorrow? Probably not. You’re going to have to try to figure out a way to spread the ball out to where different guys kind of replace certain aspects of the game.”
(When somebody puts up 248 rushing yards on you, obviously you have to go to the film. What did the film show you?) – “That we didn’t play well as a group. It was bad. We have to clean up a lot of stuff. We have to get on the same page and everybody needs to make sure they play as a group. We just did not do a good job of all three levels working together. It’s unfortunate because I felt we had an opportunity to do something at home, win a game where we could put ourselves in a really good position. We didn’t take advantage of it. They gutted us on defense. There was too many big holes. We didn’t play well as a group. That’s what happens.”
(Do you have time this week to make lineup changes or is that something to consider?) – “It’s not about lineup changes, it’s about everybody being on the same page and doing the right stuff to make sure that we have a chance to stop the run.”
(What did you see from TE Mike Gesicki Sunday?) – “I thought there was some good stuff there before he went out. It was nice to see him get a big play. At least we’re not the only ones that think he might be good one-on-one, because they doubled him down there in the red zone. We’ll just keep bringing him along and hopefully as the season goes on, he just keeps getting better and better and we keep using him more.”
(You all are at toward the bottom of the league with 11 sacks. Are you and Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke puzzled at all there hasn’t been more of a consistent pass rush with accomplished pass rushers?) – “Where are we at in pass disruption? Where is our pass disruption as far as hits and pressures and sacks and stuff like that? That’s what I care about. Sacks are irrelevant. If you’re causing pressure on the quarterback and he’s getting rid of the ball faster, that’s what we care about.”
(Is that how you guys are playing?) – “It’s not good enough because we want to be up in the top five and we haven’t done that. Getting Cam (Wake) back and another game under his belt, that will kind of help us. We just have to keep figuring out a way to free a couple of guys probably early because they’re keying on those defensive ends. I think every game that (Andre) Branch plays, he’ll keep getting stronger and keep coming. We’re kind of in that middle of the season where everybody is banged up and we just have to push through it.”
(With injuries piling up and inconsistent play as you said, nearing the midpoint of the season, what gives you reason for optimism for the rest of the season?) – “Because we’re 4-3 right now and we’re going to get better. They’re not going to cancel the season.”
(Why is the arrow pointing up?) – “Because that’s how we think. I know you guys want to just fold up shop and go home, but that’s not what we’re going to do. We’re going to grind it out and we’re going to figure out a way to get wins.”
(How do you feel about QB Ryan Tannehill’s progression in his recovery right now?) – “I think he’s in a good spot. This being a short week, it would have been tough. We’re probably going to be able to start doing some things with him throwing and kind of seeing how that feels. Once we get through this game then we’ll have a better idea once we head into the weekend as far as where he is, how much further along he has or if he feels good. It’s really going to take the duration of this week and we’ll probably have a better idea by the weekend.”
(You said he’ll throw this week?) – “I think so, at some point. I don’t know if it’s going to be an NFL football. We might grab one of our kids’ nerf balls or something.”
Akeem Spence – October 21, 2018 (Postgame)
Sunday, October 21, 2018
Postgame – Detroit Lions
Miami Dolphins DT Akeem Spence (transcribed by Paige Jefferson)
(Your defensive line has obviously had a bunch of injuries. Now today the offense got banged up pretty good. At some point, do you just shake your head as what’s going to happen next here?) – “No. It’s football. Injuries happen and guess what? It’s the next-man-up mentality and we’ve been that all throughout the season. We’ve had games where we had two guys go out on the defensive line (and) guys picked it up. We just have to continue to step up, continue to make plays and guys just have to keep believing. Keep believing in each other and keep believing in this team. It’s one loss. We have a game come Thursday night and we need everybody. Everybody needs to get healthy, do whatever they need to do come Thursday night and find a way to get a W.”
(I know you guys say ‘next man up’ but what goes through your mind when you see your guys going down like that?) – “We’ve got the next man up. I’m not a trainer or anything. I pray for my guys when they go down that everything is a short, quick turnaround as far as an injury and anything like that. You have to believe in the next man up because he’s our teammate and that’s the next guy we believe in. We have to continue to believe in every guy in this locker room and continue to get it done.”
(How disheartening is a 71-yard run? You’ve had good moments a lot this year but that…) – “It’s disheartening but it happens all of the time in this league. Like I tell everybody, to play run defense it’s not just seven guys up front, eight men in the box. It takes all 11. These guys are big running backs but at the same time, they have home run speed. We have to tackle these guys in bunches. Our corners aren’t that big, so d-lineman, we have to get out to stack and help those guys. Linebackers, everybody. It takes everybody.”
