Adam Gase – October 10, 2018
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Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Head Coach Adam Gase
(With DE Cameron Wake, we didn’t see him again out there today, is this something you think might be more than just a week or two?) – “I think we’re on track. I don’t think he’s far off. He wasn’t going to do anything on the field today, so that’s why he’s basically working on getting his body right inside.”
(We didn’t see DE Robert Quinn out there.) – “Yeah, it was more like a vet day for him. We’ve been meaning to do this the last couple of weeks, but we’ve had so many injuries in that room that we haven’t been able to do it.”
(T Laremy Tunsil was back practicing today.) – “Yeah, he’s still in the protocol. He’s going through the steps.”
(After this practice, is it just how T Laremy Tunsil responds?) – “I don’t know. I don’t ask all those questions. Whatever they tell me.”
(You said the other day you really can’t slow down Bears LB Khalil Mack. How difficult is it to defend him?) – “It’s hard. It’s hard because he does a really good job … he gets double-teamed a lot. And when you do that to good players, they’re going to figure out a way to work around it, whether it be somebody setting a pick for him and then now all of a sudden he ends up on the guard through a stunt (or) where they align him. They’re going to find ways to try to get him one-on-ones and then he’s going to adjust. He’s a smart player. He’s been around for a minute, so he’s seen it all. There’s not a whole bunch of new things you can throw at him. You know that when he starts moving around, you just have to have a good plan.”
(Did DE Cameron Wake play through the knee injury against New England? Was it the same issue?) – “That’s hard for me to say. I don’t know. I don’t remember.”
(How does WR DeVante Parker look?) – “He felt good today. We’re just trying to progress him to where we don’t have any setbacks. The fact that he’s saying he’s feeling as good as he does, that’s a good sign for us.”
(How can you help QB Ryan Tannehill with his decision-making when he’s under pressure?) – “I thought we were good the first three weeks. I think he had some good touchdown passes when he had pressure. I think his rating was up there pretty good before these last couple of games. We just had a couple of bad choices, this last game especially. It’s one of those things where it’s hard to explain and we go back to work and we work on collapsing the pocket and moving around and getting the ball to your check-down. (It’s) all of those little things that sometimes you might take for granted that you do during training camp and OTAs and stuff, and you’ve seen him do it in games and you start working on other things. Sometimes it’s one of those deals where you’ve just got to keep working on the same stuff.”
(How much of it is on QB Ryan Tannehill and how much can play-calling help with that?) – “You always feel like there’s a better play to call. The hardest thing is I really can’t run across the sideline and ask them what they’re going to be in. I’d love to be able to do that, but sometimes defenses get in some stuff where we think we’re going to be good, protection-wise, and then we get thinned out and it’s not ideal.”
(I’m asking about penalties. When you look at how often they’ve extended drives for the opponent and put you guys in tough spots, how big an issue has that been so far?) – “It wasn’t an issue the (first) two games, and that’s probably why we’ve had the results we’ve had. We had a decent first half on the offensive side. We had those ones on special teams the first half and then it flipped and they all came on offense. That’s going to put you at second-and-20, first-and-20, second-and-15. It’s just not an ideal down-and-distance because you’re going to end up in third-and-long, which you don’t want. We got kind of in a situation to where we were getting those penalties and then we didn’t really want to throw it. We couldn’t push the ball down the field because we weren’t holding up in protection. We really put ourselves in a bad situation by having those and we need to get back to the formula of what we had those first three games.”
(We saw WR Travis Rudolph join the practice squad, and also I think he got hurt?) – “I’m not sure yet. I saw it. It didn’t look good. I’ll find out more when I get back in.”
(How do you look back on your one year with the Chicago Bears?) – “I thought it was good. It was a good learning experience for me because Coach (John) Fox (went) there and I want to say I was maybe like the third or fourth person to get hired, so I was able to watch him go through all the steps, from hiring trainers, strength staff, basically it was a full changeover. So being able to see that, because I didn’t get to see that in Denver, there were so many of us that stayed. When he joined up, he kept seven of us on the offensive staff. Nobody else moved around in the building. There were just some coaching changes, that was about it. Going to Chicago, I was able to see him go through all the steps of hiring everybody. I thought that was good for me leading up to this. So at least I had seen both ends of the spectrum of kind of how that worked out.”
(Are there many left there from your time there?) – “The defensive staff. I don’t think anybody on offense, though.”
(In 2016, your team did better when there was less QB Ryan Tannehill and more of something else, and that year it was running the ball with RB Jay Ajayi. Can you find a similar recipe this year, or will you ride and die with Ryan?) – “I thought we were pretty balanced this last game until we missed that third-and-1 and it just went downhill from there. We lost Laremy (Tunsil). We tried to run the ball a couple of snaps just to try to get it going and they did a good job of stopping us. Now, we’re down by 10. That’s when the numbers are going to get skewed. Any time that you get down and there’s time left and you have multiple series, it’s going to get out of whack.”
(As we start the week for Chicago, are you set as far as what you’re going to do with the offensive line if T Laremy Tunsil is out?) – “We’ll see how it all plays out. We have a good idea of how we would handle things if he doesn’t play or if he does play.”
(What have you seen from T Zach Sterup?) – “He’s always done a good job in practice. I know the defensive line always talks about how long he is and how hard he is to get around. I know William Hayes has said since the first day he got here. He said, ‘When that guy punches you, you feel it.’ He’s got a strong punch. We were able to play him last year at the end of the year, which was good. So we’ve actually seen him in game action. We just keep trying to help him get better.”
(A lot of players after the game have a tradition of trading jerseys with each other. Does that ruffle your feathers? Do you mind about that, especially after a loss?) – “I don’t know. I don’t care. (laughter) It’s so irrelevant to us winning a football game. I don’t care about all of that stuff. They can do whatever they want. I don’t care.”
Albert Wilson – October 10, 2018
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Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Wide Receiver Albert Wilson
(What type of relationship did you have with Bears Head Coach Matt Nagy?) – “A great one. We kind of were in the same position. He was coming up on his (career) ladder and I was coming up on mine as a free agent and him coming in as an assistant, then assistant quarterbacks coach, then offensive coordinator and now he’s the head man. We kind of took the same path. (He’s a) great guy, great coach and great leader, and my hat is off to him. I wish him all the luck.”
(When you were playing for Bears Head Coach Matt Nagy, in your mind, did you think he would become a head coach at some point?) – “Yes, definitely. Not just because Coach (Andy) Reid does a great job of producing head coaches and great coaches; but he definitely had it. He knew football. He’s a great leader and I definitely see why Chicago went with him.”
(Since we’re walking down memory lane. Are you surprised with what Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is doing?) – “Not at all. He’s a baller, like I’ve been saying. He thinks he can make every thro. He has a great group of guys around him to do good things with the football. I’m not surprised at all.”
(Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes seems like he’s incredible when things breakdown.) – “Definitely, he’s a great quarterback. He’s even better when he gets outside the pocket. You would think people would not want the play to break down because that’s when he’s really good. When he gets out the pocket, he’s not as big as the other quarterbacks. So when he gets out, he’s able to see the field and he can throw the ball whichever way he’s running. He can twist his body all types of ways and make the same exact throw. I think he’s really good outside the pocket.”
(Is it strange the way Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes can help you guys out this week?) – ‘It doesn’t matter. We’re going to take care of things ourselves.”
Kenyan Drake – October 8, 2018
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Monday, October 8, 2018
RB Kenyan Drake
(Is the way that you and RB Frank Gore are being utilized the way you thought you’d be utilized? Just the way you guys are…) – “That’s not my job. My job is just to play football. However Coach (Gase) has the game plan schemed up, I put my utmost trust in how he plans to get everybody the ball that deserves to get the ball and whatever the case may be. That’s not my job.
(How would you describe the mood of the players when you guys got here today?) – “We’re just looking forward to Chicago this week.”
(How do you get through these dog days, because every team will hit a slump at some point in the season?) – “That’s the league. You win some, you lose some.”
(How difficult is it to swallow this pill? I know you guys were in control and then things kind of just fell apart. Does it make it more tough knowing that you guys were in control?) – “Yes, in retrospect; but at the end of the day, we’re 3-2. Regardless of if we got blown out or if it was the circumstance of a loss by one point at the end of the game, a loss is a loss. You have to learn from mistakes, try not to make the same mistakes twice and look forward to the next week.”
(Did your eyes get big when you got out of the backfield on your touchdown and you see the linebacker trying to cover you in the open field like that?) – “Yeah. In practice, we repped that a few times. I dropped I think more than I caught, just on a variety of land markers or wherever (Ryan) Tannehill was expecting me. We just weren’t on the same page on some aspects of it, so it was good to see practice make perfect and for the reality of the situation to come to fruition.”
(What’s it going to take to keep going with where you guys started with the running game this past week?) – “Just stay on schedule. That’s the most important thing. I feel like in the second half, we got off schedule. It just put us in situations to where it was third-and-unmanageable. As long as we get those 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-yard gains on first down, keep us in second- and third-and-manageable, then I feel like we’ll be successful.”
(How much will running backs have to help in pass protection, especially this week, with the Bears’ pass rush coming in with LB Khalil Mack?) – “We definitely have to keep an eye on the edge with guys like that. Just making sure you have bodies around him, making him uncomfortable so he doesn’t have a straight path to the backfield is a key to stopping somebody as disruptive as he is.”
Ja’Wuan James – October 8, 2018
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Monday, October 8, 2018
T Ja’Wuan James
(The way that the last two games unfolded, they were completely different ways that the team lost. Do some losses hurt more than others?) – “I feel like every loss in the category hurts. The last one did, for sure, because of how the game went. We were in control of the game and then a lot happened, especially on our side of the ball that caused that. So that one definitely hurt.”
(Can you feel momentum shift?) – “You can. You can in a game like that, and we did with those turnovers; but we’ve got to do a better job of owning that and coming and responding, too. I still feel like we had some time towards the end of the game to maybe make something happen.”
(A lot was invested into the offensive line, and now three possibly starting offensive linemen could be lost. How about the injuries that are plaguing your unit?) – “I know they don’t want us to talk about injuries much. They tell us to refer that to Coach (Gase). But the mentality he’s had the last three years he’s been here is the next man up, and I feel like that’s on us and the guys that are in there to pick it up even more with those guys out. We’ve got to put the onus on us as a group and whoever is going to be in there.”
(If T Laremy Tunsil can’t go on Sunday, would you be comfortable playing left tackle? Is that out of the question?) – “I’m going to do whatever they say. The injury part is up to Coach Gase and what they want to do. My job is to do what they tell me.”
(How much time, if any, have you spent practicing at left tackle?) – “None at all. None at all since my rookie year.”
(How different is it, right tackle to left tackle?) – “It’s very different. I give credit to those swing guys to be able to come in and out and go do that because it’s tough. You’re switching not only everything mentally, but your stagger and your balance and all that, so it’s pretty tough.”
(How big of a challenge is that Bears pass rush?) – “We haven’t seen the film yet because we’ve been dissecting this last film, but just watching them on TV these past couple of weeks, they’ve got great guys on their d-line and a great defense overall. We’ve got to do a good job of preparing this week.”
(What was the message today from the coaches?) – “Shoot, mostly for us, it’s the turnovers. Those were things we could have controlled. We feel like the defense did a heck of a job during the game and it’s really on us. We’ve got to get back to all three phases doing a great job for each other.”
(What’s the mood of the team right now?) – “It’s definitely not the same as when we were 3-0, but at the same time, I don’t see any guys wavering. I don’t see any guys … I’ve seen guys (on other teams) on offense, defense start being separated a little bit, but everybody (here) is together. Everybody is focused on one thing and it’s the next week. That’s why we’ve got 16 games to make up for the last (two).”
(Does getting separated mean jawing at each other?) – “Yeah, a little bit. A little bit. You hear a little here and there; but we don’t hear that this year at all. Everybody is just solid together. I feel like that’s the make-up of every guy in this room. We’ve been together for a while, the guys that have been here, so I think that helps a lot too.”
Adam Gase – October 8, 2018
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Monday, October 8, 2018
Head Coach Adam Gase
(Your offensive tackles had some inopportune misses at crucial times. Was that situations they should have been better man on man or as a play-caller, do you wish you would have done something differently protection wise?) – “We were in 8-man protection on one. I don’t know what other protection to call in that situation. The running game was starting to dry up a little bit. We’ve just got to execute some of these calls a little better.”
(How is T Laremy Tunsil?) – “He’s in the protocol. That’s all I know.”
(Is T Sam Young your left tackle now?) – “I don’t know. We’re going to evaluate everything this week, the next two days.”
(What do you put the offensive issues on the last couple of weeks?) – “We were moving the ball fine and we have a turnover that basically started a freefall. When you have a third-and-1 and you don’t execute the play, after that it’s all downhill.”
(What was the call on that third-and-1? QB Ryan Tannehill’s primary was in the flat and it was covered? Is that right?) – “Yep. We didn’t execute the first part of the play, so Albert (Wilson) got knocked off, and then Ryan should have had the opportunity to run but he couldn’t because we didn’t do what we were supposed to do on the front side, (and) on the back side to help Albert to get free.”
(You guys have put a lot of resources into the offensive line and now you’re scrambling. What’s that like?) – “It’s the NFL. That’s what it is.”
(QB Ryan Tannehill was saying a couple of weeks ago that he feels he’s a better pocket presence. How would you evaluate his pocket presence?) – “Well, he’s been pretty good. Yesterday, I don’t think he was horrible. When a guy gets beat so fast that he can’t defend himself, unless he’s Houdini, not many guys are getting away.”
(How did TE Nick O’Leary play and what skill did he bring?) – “He did well. He’s tough. He did a great job blocking. When we throw him the ball, he’s going to catch it. His effort was outstanding. He was throwing some blocks down the field. He got a 15-yard penalty called on him because he finished the play. I thought he did a good job. I thought it was a good mix with those three guys. We played all three of them and had different groupings for each guy. I thought they did a good job.”
(You had some crucial penalties. The one on S T.J. McDonald, was that a good call or a little questionable?) – “I don’t know. There’s no point for me to worry about it. It is what it is.”
(The penalty on LB Martrell Spaight, that was jawing?) – “I’m not over there to hear. It’s hard to really know what exactly was said. I just know right when I saw the play and I saw kind of some heads start bobbing, we’re all screaming the same thing: ‘Get away!’ We just can’t get caught up in that part of the game.”
(When you said basically everything on the table was being evaluated, you personally, what are you evaluating this week?) – “We’ve just got to figure out what we’re going to be able to do best (and) who’s going to be in there. We’re playing a team that’s playing well right now on defense, so we’re going to have to make sure that we do a good job of setting everything up to where, personnel-wise, who’s in there, what we’re running, what we can get to. We’ve got a lot to look at this week.”
(What are the key elements of trying to slow down LB Khalil Mack?) – “You’re not going to slow him down, so …”
(Do you think major changes are needed after the last two weeks?) – “No. It’s not that. We’ve got to kind of make a couple of decisions on who’s playing where or who’s going to available. It’s nothing drastic. There are some things that I can do different to just make sure that we’re in a good position. We’ll be fine.”
(How do you think your defensive tackles – the three of them – fared with increased snaps?) – “I thought the defense did well. The defense played exactly the way that we talked about all week. That’s why it probably irritates me more than anything that we screwed it up on offense. We scored more offense for their team on the offensive side than they let up. And that bothers me. I feel awful because our defense played really well and they did exactly what we wanted to do.”
(Do you have a sense – I know it’s early – on guys like WR DeVante Parker who didn’t play this past week?) – “I have no clue. No idea.”
(It was a good blend yesterday with RB Kenyan Drake and RB Frank Gore. Was that your vision of what you’d like to do ideally?) – “Yeah. We want to play them both. We were trying to figure out the rhythm. It felt like we found it yesterday. We had a good plan going in. That’s why Kenyan … That’s why he is here because he doesn’t have to be the first one on the field and get the carries right away. He can do it first quarter, second quarter, third quarter, fourth … it doesn’t matter. When you stick him in the game, he’s going to be full throttle and ready to go.”
(S Reshad Jones, it seems like he really picked up where he left off. Is that what you saw?) – “Yeah. It was great to get him back out there. He did a really good job of getting his hands on balls and playing tight coverage when he was asked to. He did a good job anytime he had to tackle. I mean, you couldn’t even really tell he had anything going on with him. That’s him. He’s tough. If he’s healthy enough to be out there and he has enough strength, he’s going to be out there. It’s probably good that we didn’t play him the week before. It was probably a smart decision on the trainer’s part just to make sure we could get him a little bit stronger. But I thought he did a good job. It’s nice having him back.”
(How would you evaluate CB Torry McTyer’s start at corner?) – “I thought the whole secondary did a good job. We did what we wanted to do with A.J. Green. I think his longest catch was 22 yards. There were a lot of those catches where not many people were covering him and there were scramble drills. I think Andy (Dalton) made some really good throws for them. You can’t cover the perfect throw. But as a group, I thought the whole secondary did a good job as far as what we were asking them to do.”
(Was this what the vision was as you recall sitting in draft meetings, of what you all thought LB Jerome Baker could be – fast, active and blitzing effectively?) – “Yeah. That’s why we liked him. We liked him because he can cover a lot of ground and when he blitzes, he has no regard for his body and tries to annihilate the other guy. I thought he played well. I thought Raekwon (McMillan) did a good job. Our defense did what we needed them to do. They did a lot of different stuff. Guys were trying to do exactly as the scheme asked them to do.”
(The last two weeks there were two losses in very different ways. Do some losses hurt more than others?) – “Every loss hurts. When you put 110 hours in a week and get kicked in the nuts like that, it pisses you off. This isn’t like a 9-to-5 (job). We have a lot of people putting a lot of work into this stuff. You’re going to be mad today and tomorrow. When Wednesday comes, you have to forget about it and move on to the next one.”
(I know it’s early in the week and you have days to make this sort of decision, but in general, with T Zach Sterup, from what you saw in preseason practices, is he to the point where he can be a contributing NFL player as a left tackle?) – “Yeah. If he’s on the roster, we think he can play. You make decisions based off of multiple things. Whether it’s just one position … Sam (Young) has always been the guy up because he has a lot of experience playing big tight end if we get into a situation like that. If he has to go in at left or right, he’s done that. There’s a lot of things that he has always brought to the table. We just need to evaluate what we’re doing, as far as who’s up, who’s down, who’s doing what. It’s usually that every week. It’s just that nobody makes a big deal about it. This week we’ve got to make sure we have the right guys out there.”
(Do you feel like there is an answer for that offensive line long-term?) – “Yeah. we’ll figure it out. That’s what we do. They’re not going to stop the season. We’re going to play next week no matter how many guys we have. We just have to make sure that what we decide is the right thing for us this week and then what we run is the right thing for us.”
Adam Gase – October 7, 2018 (Postgame)
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Sunday, October 7, 2018
Postgame – Cincinnati Bengals
Miami Dolphins Head Coach Adam Gase (transcribed by Cincinnati Bengals)
(It seems like a tough one to come to grips with, after leading 17-3 and then giving up 27 unanswered points, with most of the damage self-inflicted …) – “It was. We turned it over on offense and gave up touchdowns. I thought the defense did a good job, really being down a lot of guys. We had a good plan going in. We did a good job getting a turnover in the red zone and holding them to some field goals. We just didn’t do a good job on offense.”
(It seemed like the personal foul on Martrell Spaight caused the momentum to shift, and you couldn’t get it back …) – “We had two penalties on that drive that killed us. That’s going to lead to points every time.”
(QB Ryan Tannehill had under 200 yards again in this game, and for all intents and purposes had two pick-sixes. How do you evaluate what he’s been doing the past couple weeks?) – “We just have to take a look at what’s going on. We lost Laremy (Tunsil), and that kind of shook us up a little bit. We didn’t bounce back from that very well, and they started teeing off on us. We have to clean a lot of things up, and we have to figure out how to give him a chance to throw it. We have to make sure the ball is coming out on time. We have to get open. There’s a lot of things we have to get cleaned up.”
(The first half, you had a running game going between Gore and Drake. But it kind of died out in the second half and allowed them to put the pressure on Ryan and really created the small pocket for him …) – “We got behind the sticks. In the first half, we were second-and-five (a lot), and it’s a lot easier to keep running the ball. When you’re second-and-10, second-and-12, second-and-20, you’re just trying to get to third-and-manageable, because against this group, if you go third-and-forever, that’s not a good formula.”
(What did you see happen on that first pick-six that Tannehill threw?) – “We got beat real fast off the edge. He was trying to flush out, but he was walled off. He probably just has to eat the sack there. Then he’s trying to dump it down to Durham (Smythe) who was the check down, but he was kind of caught up with everybody. It’s probably a play where he just needs to eat it and take the sack.”
(How do you get this team to respond after two straight losses and in this one giving up a 17-point lead? How do you get them to rally back?) – “That’s what these guys will do. They always do. They’ll bounce back and we’ll get going on Wednesday. We’ll correct what we need to correct on Monday, get a little healthier which will help, and get some of our guys back. I thought the defense did a lot good things today and we just did not do a good job on offense.”
(You had a chance at the end of the game. What do you remember about the third down play?) – “We were just trying to see if we could get Jakeem (Grant) to shake free and it looked like he did for a second, but then Ryan (Tannehill) was under duress. I think he was just going to try to throw it as far as he could. That’s what happens when you’ve got third-and-forever. Those corners are going to be playing way off, so it takes a second to for those guys to get by them.”
(Talk about the decision on third and inches …) – “I thought we had what we wanted. We didn’t execute very well. We just want to make the right decision.”
(One thing that seemed to work was screens to Kenyan Drake. What went into the thought process to get him heavily involved in the passing game?) – “He is every week. It’s just when you have 47 plays most of the time, it’s just not going to work very well. The numbers are going to be (expletive).”
(You went with Frank Gore on first downs a lot. What went into that decision?) – “We were just trying to get into a rhythm to see if we could get something going. Frank does his best work when he’s getting consistent touches. I think Kenyan (Drake) does a really good job of being able to go in and out and just kind of pick up like he’s been in there for the whole time.”
(Does Ryan Tannehill remain the quarterback?) – “Yes. We just need to get a lot of things cleaned up. He’s getting hit too much. I’ve just got to find a way to get the ball out of his hands. Either get guys open quicker or figure something else out in the run game. We just have to look at a lot of things.”
(The offensive line survived through the first three quarters. What changed in the fourth?) – “Our left tackle wasn’t in. That kind of can do some damage. When you get behind, it causes problems.”
(Do you feel like you’re establishing an offensive identity or working to establish an offensive identity?) – “I was feeling good there in the first couple of weeks where I thought we were trending in the right direction, but now we have to look at some things. We have to look at who’s healthy, who do we have, how do we protect, what’s the right run game to really get to. So, we have to kind of reevaluate some things.”
(Do you look outside for help on the offensive line?) – “I don’t know. I haven’t even thought that far ahead.”
(Are you thinking that the game went south when you lost your left tackle?) – “It just makes it really hard to be able to do that. We hurt ourselves by not getting the first down conversion on the third-and-one. Then, we get a penalty and we’re second-and-forever and that’s just not going to be good business for us. It was like a couple of things went wrong, then when we lost him, it was an avalanche there for us to where now, I could tell that we were worried about being able to throw the ball down the field.”
(What is there to build on?) – “I thought we were alright early. It seemed like everything was working pretty smooth. That’s the kind of team that you don’t want them to get into a rhythm. That’s the hardest thing. You get those interior guys start rushing and the guys coming off the edge, and you become one-dimensional. That’s not a good formula.”
Ryan Tannehill – October 7, 2018 (Postgame)
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Sunday, October 7, 2018
Postgame – Cincinnati Bengals
Miami Dolphins Quarterback Ryan Tannehill (transcribed by Cincinnati Bengals)
(Can you take us through the pick-six?) – “We had play-action called. They got quick pressure, and I was moved to the right, with the receivers to the left. I was just trying to throw it away and not take the sack there and put us in a long-yardage situation. I had two tight ends there, I tried to just dump it down low to the back of Durham (Smythe). It ended up going off his helmet and right into somebody else’s hands.”
(What changed in the second half?) – “They did a good job. Of our two drives in the third quarter, we had the field goal, then we came back and had the third-and-one. They did a good job of covering up. We didn’t really get what we wanted there once we got outside. Past that, in the fourth quarter, they did a good job on defense getting pressure and not letting us get to what we wanted to downfield.”
(How do you feel about the quarterback sneak call that came in?) – “I like the call. It’s something we worked throughout the week. We liked the call throughout the week and it was something we felt good about. They did a good job of disrupting our slide guy coming across, Albert (Wilson). They latched onto him, latched on to the over and all we had was the one-on-one downfield, so I tried to put it up and let Kenny (Stills) make a play, get a pass interference or something like that. You just have to give credit to them. They did a good job of taking it away from us.”
(Do you feel there’s still enough to build on with this offense?) – “Yes, no question. I think we got the run game going today, so that was good. We got Frank (Gore) going downhill. We had efficient runs, which was huge. Coming off last week, we didn’t have the efficient runs on first and second down. We got positive yardage on our run game, I felt really good about what we did in the run game. We just have to be cleaner all the way around, convert third downs and stay on the field.”
(What was going through your mind on the second Bengals defensive score?) – “I didn’t know what happened. I was getting hit as I was throwing it. I was just trying to dump it and not take a 9-yard sack there. I really didn’t know what happened. I heard the crowd cheer and everyone running away from me, so I knew something bad happened.”
(Were you trying to throw it to the ground?) – “Yes, I was trying to throw it low to Durham (Smythe) there, the only player on that side of the field to throw the ball away and not get a grounding call. I was trying to avoid a grounding call. Looking back at it, I wish I would’ve just took the sack and live to fight another day. I was just trying to be smart with the football and not take a sack.”
(What happened on the third-and-17?) – “I had the double-move on the outside with Jakeem (Grant), got a middle safety, what we were looking for. I felt pressure coming from the right, stepped up and moved to the left. Jakeem was in front of his guy downfield. I was just trying to get the ball to him and got hit as I was releasing it.”
(How tough is it to play with backups out there on your line?) – “Anytime starters go down, it’s hard, but our guys came in and battled. You have to give credit to the defense – they did a good job of getting pressure and shaking things up. But it’s part of football. We have to have that next-man-up mentality and be able to be ready to go when your number is called.”
(Do you feel confident you can correct the offense with Chicago looming next week?) – “Yes. We just have to come back and to go work. I felt good about the plan coming in. We left some opportunities early on the field, then we kind of got in a groove a little bit there in the second quarter. Even in the third quarter, we felt good about what we were doing. It all started with the turnover. That’s on me. I can’t let that happen. I have to find a way to take the sack or throw it away to a different spot or something. I can’t turn the ball over in that situation. That really gave them the momentum and put us on our heels a little bit. That’s squarely on me. Regardless of what happens up front, I have to take care of the football.”
(Do you look at the big picture, still being 3-2?) – “I’m not worried about the big picture right now. I’m just worried about getting better because obviously we didn’t finish the way we want to finish, we expect to finish. That’s on me. We have to go back to work, take a look at the tape and evaluate what I can do better and be ready to go next week.”
(Why do you think the passes to RB Kenyan Drake worked today?) – “Kenyan’s great out of the backfield. That’s something that we like doing. He good, he’s fast, he has great hands. He’s a matchup problem on the outside. It’s something that’s always going to be in our game plan, and I felt like he executed well today getting out of the backfield.”
(Do you still have an offensive identity?) – “Yes. I don’t think our identity changed. Like I said, I felt good about the run game. I felt like we were executing on first and second downs for three quarters. We just have to find a way to finish when things go sideways a little bit and there’s some adversity. When Laremy Tunsil goes down, when we have a turnover, we just have to tighten up, find a way to keep playing and get points on the board.”
(What do you think about the way the defense played?) – “The defense played great today. I’m really happy how they played and I’m really proud of the way they battled. They did a great job all day and got an early turnover. Special teams made some big plays for us, the blocked field goal and the return. The defense did a great job. This is squarely on me, squarely on the offense and that’s my responsibility. It’s my fault.”
(Can you put your finger on the last two games?) – “The last two games were completely different, the way last game went and the way this game went. We felt really good this game. I felt like we finally got into a groove a little bit in the second quarter. We obviously didn’t come out to the start we wanted to, but we got into a groove there in the second quarter. Even in the third quarter, we felt good about what was going on, felt good about our game plan, how we were attacking them, and then it all unraveled starting with the turnover. Like I said, it’s on me and I have to find a way to eliminate those plays and get the ball in the end zone.”
(Do you think there’s something to these fluky turnovers?) – “The fumble, I don’t know if I can do much about that. I tried to make a play on third-and-17. I knew the guy was chasing me but didn’t know how close he was. He’s like 6’8 and has really long arms. He made a really good play on it. But the first one, it’s squarely on me. I was just trying to make a smart play by not taking a sack and it ended up kind of getting unlucky and being a dumb play. I just have to take care of the football, and live for another down.”
Jakeem Grant – October 7, 2018 (Postgame)
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Sunday, October 7, 2018
Postgame – Cincinnati Bengals
Miami Dolphins Wide Receiver Jakeem Grant (transcribed by Cincinnati Bengals)
(What happened during your touchdown return?) – “It was great blocking — great blocking from the return team. All the credit goes to them. They’re the reason I scored. I just hit the hole.”
(Where do you guys go from here?) – “Back to the drawing board. We need to continue to get better every day. This one hurt, but we need to practice and get those things corrected.”
(Is it hard to maintain a positive mindset after back-to-back losses?) – “No, not at all. This is the NFL. You can be 3-0, and then come back and lose two straight like we just did. We have to go back to the drawing board, get things corrected and attack next week.”
