Davon Godchaux – September 19, 2018
Download PDF version
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
Defensive Tackle Davon Godchaux
(Did defensive line coach Kris Kocurek say anything at the beginning when he first met you guys back in April that he didn’t want any of you guys worrying about who is starting and who is no because the snaps are comparable? That I don’t want to hear any complaints about that? Was there anything that he brought up to the group?) – “We just roll; we just play. He doesn’t really bring that up in particular. Like I said, it’s the next guy up and we expect the same thing. Whoever it is in the game, we expect you to go 100 percent each and every play. It doesn’t matter who is in. We label all nine guys in that defensive room as starters. Nobody is particularly a starter. We label all guys starters – the first group, second group, everybody is the same.”
(Is that something the players do or did coach meet with you guys and say ‘don’t worry about the starters?’) – “Players and coaches, because we’re not selfish players. We all stick together.”
(How would you describe the No. 1 most helpful thing Defensive Line Coach Kris Kocurek has done?) – “Energy. Swagger and energy he brings to each and every game. It gets us fired up, starting on that Monday when we come in to watch the game from Sunday, getting ready for our opponent this Sunday. It’s kind of just the energy and swagger he brings. He brings that energy and you have to follow up with that same energy.”
(Defensive Line Coach Kris Kocurek always yelling in a good way. Does he do that even when you’re in the film meeting after the game?) – “That’s him. Whether it’s a good game or bad game he’s going to yell. He’s never going to let you feel that you’re on top of the world. He’s always going to let you know that you’ve got to keep working and never get complacent. That’s the thing for each – 11, 9 or 13 guys whoever is in the room – that’s what we love about him.”
(When you first saw that was Defensive Line Coach Kris Kocurek’s personality, were you kind of like ‘holy, moly?’) – “No. I had head ‘Coach O’ (Ed Orgeron) in college. I was kind of used to getting yelled at. I’d have a good game and then he comes back and be like ‘Don’t be too high on yourself because you’ve got to come back and do the same thing next week.’ I had ‘Coach O,’ so it’s kind of the same thing.”
(You’ve been getting many tackles for loss. Who is the guy that gets the most tackles for losses and why does that happen?) – “It’s a group effort. If I get a tackle for loss, the other three guys on the d-line did something right to help me get that tackle for lost. It’s the same thing about Akeem Spence, Jordan Phillips and Vincent Taylor. If they get a tackle for loss, somebody helped them do their job. We all kind of stick together and go together on things like that.”
(Specifically as it relates to your development, which has come now or is coming. Tell me the area that is best improved. Is it footwork, handwork? I want to know, feet, hand what is it?) – “I’m just trying to be consistent each and every day because you don’t want to get complacent in this league. You always want to stay consistent and know that you’ve always got more work to do. Never get too high on yourself and never get too low on yourself. Just know that you always have work to improve on.”
(How tough is it to get geared up for the running game of Oakland?) – “They have a good offensive line. It’s a challenge for us, but we accept the challenge. Each and every day we come out here and try to get better, because we know that we have a tough task on Sunday.”
(You know about ‘Beast Mode’ [Marshawn Lynch] and there’s a reason his name is Beast Mode?) – “I’m not focused on that. I’m focused on getting better each and every day. Marshawn is a great running back. We don’t take that for granted. We just focus on getting better each and every day.”
(What can you take away from what they were able to do against you guys last year or not because it is a different coaching staff?) – “No. They beat us fair and square last year. We’re not focusing on last year. We’re just focusing on this Sunday.”
(Where can I get some Chauxdown stuff?) – “Go to the site. Go to DavonGodchaux56.com and you can get some Chauxdown hoodies, shirts and all of that. Get you some gear and make sure you support the gear.”
(Tell me a little bit about what Chauxdown means.) – “That’s my foundation supporting obesity – eating right, eating healthy and all of those things like that. Growing up as a child, you always want to eat right to get to this level. It makes it easy. A guy like Cam Wake eats right, takes care of his body, lasted long in the league and still looks like he’s in Year 5.”
(Has your body changed a little bit since your arrival here?) – “Yes, I would say that. I don’t eat right all the time, but I try to stay consistent on eating good things each and every day.”
(Personality wise, you seem to have come out this year a little bit more. Am I mistaken about that? Things like, the Chauxdown and you were on Channel 4 barbecuing and things.) – “(laughter) I’m just being me. I’m just having fun. Life after football … Other than football, I like to cook, bring the guys over for crawfish boils and barbecue and just things like that. It brings the d-line closer together.”
Adam Gase – September 19, 2018 (Conference Call)
Download PDF version
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
Head Coach Adam Gase Conference Call with Oakland Media
(This is a very different Raiders team than the one you saw last season. What sort of impressions of this team have you made so far these two weeks?) – “I think it’s tough to really label the team yet. I know they’re learning two different … Both sides of the ball are learning new systems. On defense, it’s completely … It’s different than what they did in the last few years. Usually after those first two weeks, when you’re in a new system, there are a lot of learning experiences that go on. Usually from Week 2 to 3, that’s when you have a really big jump. Offensively, (it’s the) same thing. Coach Gruden probably is going to be able to really start spinning that offense the way that he wants it because guys have two games in now. It moves quick as far as how quick players learn and everybody kind of gets a feel for each other. The longer the season goes, it’s going to be more things they do on both sides of the ball and then it keeps improving. We understand, because we’ve gone through it the last couple years, to where when you start a new program and new systems, it takes a few games to really dial it in to where everybody knows what’s going on.”
(What has RB Frank Gore brought to you guys and are you amazed at all the production he’s still able to put up at this age?) – “I don’t think I’m amazed by it because I was around Frank 10 years ago and just knowing him, he’s just one of those guys you just never doubt. When he says he’s going to do something, I’ve never seen him not follow through. I think it’s been fun to be around him again. I love watching him practice. I love watching him play in games. Everything he does, the way he meets, he’s a great influence in our locker room. And then when we get him on the field and we get him touches, it’s fun to watch him find the holes and make plays for us.”
(Besides RB Frank Gore, you’ve got LS John Denney and DE Cameron Wake and WR Danny Amendola and DE Will Hayes. When Gruden got here, he brought in a lot of veterans to try and get the program going. What does having those guys do for a team?) – “I think when you first start a program – and you guys see this a lot of times – where players that when you’re the head coach and you have players that have already played for you and understand you, it’s good to have in the locker room, because other guys are just learning who you are, your personality, how you operate and how you do things. It’s always nice to have guys that – recognizable faces – that understand you so when guys are like, ‘Why are we doing this?’ and other guys can step in and speak up when sometimes guys, they don’t want to ask that question. A lot of times when you have veteran players, those guys have seen so much and they’ve been around different programs or they’ve been around this league long enough to where their experience can help you in the locker room and help guys understand why you’re doing certain things and help toe the line for you to where you’re not constantly talking on every little point where you’ve got guys that are backing you up.”
(What have you seen from Raiders rookie left tackle Kolton Miller?) – “For us, we’re looking at a really good group in general. It’s a tough group that we had to face last year. Even if new guys are in there, it makes it difficult for us, because that’s where a lot of our things are generated from – our defensive line. We know the challenge that we have ahead of us. That’s really going to be a key matchup for us as far as our guys playing well against this group because this has been a very good group the last few years.”
(QB Ryan Tannehill lost his entire season last year. How engaged was he throughout the year in keeping up with the offense and helping in that regard? And has he pretty much hit the ground running after missing that year?) – “Yes, pretty much. He was here every day. He was in every meeting. He was at every practice. He was very engaged. He probably spent more time with me really just helping me out with some of the things he saw on tape. I think, unfortunately, he lost a season, but I think it was good for him to take a step back, because ever since he’s been in the NFL he’s been the starting quarterback. For him to be able to step back and see everything that was going on – and he was listening different because when you’re in the middle of first year of a program and you’re trying to take everything in, you’ve got guys asking questions, you’re trying to help direct them – he was able to take a step back and really listen to the fine points of a lot of things we talk about. I think he absorbed a lot of it and has a better feel for what we’re asking him to do a lot of the times.”
(I know you spoke a little bit earlier about Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden’s offense here. I was curious, what are your impressions of it from a sense of sophistication conceptually?) – “He’s obviously evolved over time. I think the time off that he was away from the game, he studied a ton of film. I think it was beneficial for what he was doing because he was able to ask a lot of questions, watch a lot a ton of tape and see a lot of different schemes. His offense was always tough to prepare for in the past. Even though I wasn’t a head coach, being on the offensive side and listening to defensive coaches anytime that we had to play him about how difficult things were for them, I think now he’s able to add a few wrinkles here and there. That’s really what makes it harder to defend now probably than in the past, because he has a huge library that he can always go to and find what’s best for that week.”
(Can you give an example of a wrinkle that stands out to you?) – “That’s tough for me to say. I’d rather not say anything like what we’re looking at. That’s really what I’m avoiding there.”
(It seems like there’s been a lot of attention paid to QB Derek Carr’s release time both last season and through the first two games this season. I think he’s been one of the quickest quarterbacks in the NFL as far as getting the ball out. As somebody who’s worked with quarterbacks, what is that an indication of when a quarterback has a fast release time for you?) – “I look at it as his guys are getting open quick. He just has one of those releases where it’s just so smooth. It’s like he flicks his wrist and the ball just comes out and the distance is irrelevant. He does a great job changing his arm angle. When he throws the ball, it looks as clean as it can get. It has zip on it and it just looks smooth. I think sometimes when guys get open quick and he knows where to go with the ball and the coverage is right for what is called offensively, that’s where he hurts you a lot. He’s able to get the ball out quick and out in front and let guys run after the catch.”
(Does his tendency to release the ball quick almost – defensively – not say force you, but certainly play a little more press coverage than you might otherwise?) – “It always depends what you’re playing. I think really if it affects anybody, it’s the fact that the d-line, how much impact are they going to have? What happens is guys are looking to try to affect the game somehow and now all of a sudden you run a play-action pass where he’s able to hold onto the ball and now you’ve helped the offensive line out. When you mix it up and you’re getting the ball out fast and then when you go to hold onto it and the d-line is not thinking you’re going to, now all of a sudden that causes an issue to where the d-line is kind of slow as far as getting going on the rush and the offensive line is at an advantage.”
(What have you see from Raiders RB Marshawn Lynch on film?) – “I know this, he’s extremely hard to tackle still. He almost popped out a big one last week again. He’s a dangerous guy to deal with. He’s a big man that does not like to touch the ground. I’ve seen him way too much it seems like.”
(You’ve been asked a lot locally about your backfield and carries and workload and that sort of thing. It seems like a pretty nice problem for you to have in terms of RB Frank Gore and RB Kenyan Drake. What’s that been like with those two as part of your backfield?) – “I think the people that complain about it are the ones that aren’t living it. I’ve got no problems with the group we have. I like the fact that we have a lot of different guys that we can go to. I like that we have a lot of different personnel groups we can get to. Really, that was the focus and our guys knew it, heading into the season – that we’re going to spread the ball out and it might be a different guy every game that has a bigger game than somebody else. It’s a positive thing, the way I look at it, because it makes it harder for us to defend. That’s really the direction that we knew we were going to go at the beginning of the season and I don’t know if it’s going to change anytime soon.”
(With roster spots at a premium, it’s unusual for teams to carry four quarterbacks. I’m curious as to why and your assessment of QB David Fales, a local guy from around here.) – “The one thing that I look at it as I’m a quarterback guy, so I don’t mind having as many as we can get. We had an opportunity with Luke (Falk) becoming available and we felt like it was worthy of keeping four. David has done a great job. It was good to get him back last year. That was circumstances where we had some injuries and he was able to come in and he did a great job of improving every week. He was probably playing some of his best football towards the end of the year. And then we were able to give him an opportunity in that last game and he had to go against a team that ended up playing in the playoffs and they needed to beat us to make the playoffs. He played well in that game and really showed that he can play at this level and he can be a guy that went in the game and did a lot of good things. He’s a guy that we’ve been developing since 2015 when we were in Chicago and I don’t see it stopping anytime soon.”
(What’s it been like for you and for your guys to see RB Frank Gore and what it takes to be playing at his level at this stage in his career? Not many guys at his position can play into their mid-30s. The day-to-day, what’s behind the scenes with him, what’s the value of that for you and also for your locker room?) – “It’s huge. You don’t have to say anything because you see it every day. You see it in meetings; you see it on the practice field. The way he practices is exactly how he plays in the game. You wouldn’t know when you watch him practice, you wouldn’t know his age. I think guys respect him so much and they see what he does and I think he’s been great in that running back room. I think it’s great for Drake to see that, but we’ve got a couple other young guys between Senorise (Perry) and (Kalen) Ballage in there and those guys just being around that environment and watching him practice, it really helps us because Frank, he doesn’t say a whole bunch; but guys pay attention to that and it affects other guys in a positive way.”
Adam Gase – September 19, 2018
Download PDF version
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
Head Coach Adam Gase
(What can you tell us about S Reshad Jones?) – “He didn’t practice today. We’re taking it day to day right now. I don’t think it’s … We’re going to get him back. I just don’t know what day yet.”
(You’ll get S Reshad Jones back for this week?) – “That’s what we’re working on right now. He’s better than he was Monday.”
(Do you know what body part it is for him?) – “It was opposite the bad shoulder that he had surgery on.”
(You’re out there with the pads with the guys today. Was that kind of something to get them off press?) – “Yes. We were just working on some stuff. The tight ends, a couple of times we were trying to release and we got jammed up a little bit. We’re just getting them to be quicker with their hands. They work on it a lot in their individual periods, but every once in a while (I) just jump in there and kind of try to distract them a little bit. That’s all I’m trying to do.”
(When you see the Raiders on tape, what do you see? What sticks out?) – “Playing these guys, we know a lot of their personnel from last year. They have a lot of weapons to deal with on offense. It’s a new system for them with probably some similar concepts but probably different verbiage for them. You can see that they’re coming together quick. Their completion percentage is extremely high, which that happens a lot in Coach (Jon) Gruden’s offense, where once they kind of really get a good flow of the offense they’re going to complete a lot of balls. They’ll move it and then drain the clock at the same time. They’ll take their shots when it’s available and they have guys that can stretch the field out at the receiver spot and the tight end spot. (They’re) very tough in the run game. And then on defense, this is a completely different scheme than what they’ve been running the last few years. They’ve got some new pieces to the puzzle there. They’ve got some longer corners that can get hands on you, so we’re going to have be good, making sure that we can get off the ball this week.”
(With QB Ryan Tannehill, do you go into every week thinking we need to get him four designed runs, five designed runs? How does that work?) – “It’s just kind of the flow of the game. Situationally, like when is the right time to call them? When do we know we have a good number count? Some teams, it’s harder to run against than others. Just everybody plays everything a little different.”
(Is there a trust factor that QB Ryan Tannehill doesn’t get too greedy and knows when to go down?) – “No, he’s pretty good about it. He knows when to get down. He did a good job of it last week. He stays true to what his job is as far as who he’s reading, when he’s supposed to pull it, when he’s supposed to hand it off. He doesn’t force it, which is good.”
(How do you grade your defensive line through two games?) – “I think those guys have done a good job. They’re doing well as a unit. I love the fact that they’re all contributing and all playing. I think (Defensive Line Coach) Kris (Kocurek) has done a phenomenal job with the amount of reps those guys have gotten. It’s worked out. We’ve tried in the past to rotate those guys and it hasn’t worked out as smooth. However these games have gone, it seems like you look at the play count and they’re pretty close. I think Charles (Harris) probably has a few more total snaps than those other guys because he plays special teams; but for the most part those guys are staying pretty even, which is going to be a good thing for us.”
(With the rotation and the depth, what do you see happening in the second half as the game goes along?) – “We’re sticking with how we’ve been doing it.”
(As far as those guys being fresh?) – “Those guys … that’s the thing I love about when we get to third down. We’ve got four guys going out there that are ready to rush the passer. That’s a good thing. Between Robert (Quinn) and Cam (Wake) coming off the edge and (Andre) Branch, it makes it really tough with those guys with the speed they have.”
(How would you describe DT Davon Godchaux’s personality? He seems pretty personable, outgoing and usually smiling. How would you describe him?) – “I think it changes a little bit when he gets on the field. He’s an aggressive guy. He’s a violent player. You kind of have to be when you play inside there. He’s a very coachable player, I know that. He wants to do it right and he wants to be the guy in that group that guys know he’s going to get it done when he’s in there.”
(How would you evaluate how DE Charles Harris has played through two weeks?) – “I feel like he’s had some plays. We had a couple of penalties – I think it was the first week – where he was getting some pressure there, which they don’t make the stat sheet. But I think he’s doing what we’re asking him to do. We’ve just got to keep applying that pressure. He’s one of those guys and that’s why we have so many guys up because when we move from one guy to the next, it’s a different style of player and he still has that speed that those other guys have and he can turn the corner and put the pressure on the quarterback we need.”
(Aside from the two penalties in Week 1, T Laremy Tunsil appears to have played well. Do you view it as a continuation from the second half of last year when he upped his game?) – “I think he learned a lot from last year and then heading into the spring, I think adding the guys that we did and kind of him and Josh (Sitton) having a good relationship and really building something there between those two guys, I think that helped him. There’s some continuity there. Obviously now that Josh is down, Ted (Larsen) is at least somebody that he played next to in the past. Those guys have good communication and they’re able to work well together. It just seems like he’s trending upward and that’s what we need him to do.”
(Is LB Kiko Alonso playing how he was in 2016?) – “It seems like it. I mean, he had probably one of the more productive games I’ve ever seen by a linebacker, at least that I’ve been around. I mean, he was all over the place. I thought he did a great job hustling to the football, a good job of getting the ball. He had some really good hits. He was assignment-sound. I think it’s been good with him and the two young guys in there. They’re starting to develop a really good chemistry. We just need to, week in and week out, find ways to get better and keep on working throughout the season of getting better and improving on that chemistry with that group.”
(Considering the game TE Jared Cook had against the Dolphins last season and the type of season he’s had so far, do you feel better equipped to handle him defensively this time around?) – “I think it’s tough when a guy is a really good player. It’s hard to just completely shut a guy down. You’ve got to find ways to make sure that guy doesn’t beat you. I know last year we had our struggles against them and, like you said, right now he’s playing really well. We’re going to have to just make sure … it’s just tough when it’s that position and they start spreading everybody out but the back is still back there, (because) there’s a lot of things they can still do. So if you make it too light of a box, the next thing you know you’ve got ‘24’ (Marshawn Lynch) running there and if everybody is blocked up there and he gets some open field, then it becomes a bigger problem.”
(I think QB Derek Carr is second in the league completing 80 percent of his passes in two games. What are you seeing from him that makes him so accurate?) – “He’s always been one of those guys that he’s going to put the ball where it needs to be and he’s going to be accurate throughout the game. We have to do a good job of trying to disrupt him and get hands up if they go quick game and try to find ways to just get him off rhythm. It’s harder (to do) than it is to talk about. He has a great release to where he can change his arm angle. He knows where to go with the ball. It’s kind of to that stage of his career where there’s not going to be too much that he hasn’t seen because you learn real fast in the NFL, when you’re at quarterback and you’re playing, you get thrown so much at you that you see a lot of things early, especially when you play in your first year.”
(It struck me that when you think about CB Cordrea Tankersley, WR DeVante Parker and others, whether or not they’re up and down, starting or not, it seems like there’s a thought process that goes into that relative to in this environment, you’re not going to be guaranteed a spot in the starting lineup. You’re not even going to be guaranteed a spot on the active roster week to week. Can you talk about your mentality and mindset on what I just talked about?) – “I think guys understand that we want to compete every week. When he hit the practice week, it’s a new week. You have an idea sometimes, but there’s usually a lot of spots that we’re saying, ‘Hey, it’s between you guys and whoever plays best, both special teams and whether it’s offense or defense, that guy is up.’ That’s why we just want to make sure a guy doesn’t feel like he’s out, to where he’s just going to be inactive every week. That’s the hardest thing to do. You just want guys to keep competing because when something does happen and that player needs to be up, we need him ready. We need him to improve just like anybody that’s dressing for Sunday. It’s a tough battle because mentally, for a 24-year-old kid trying to keep his mind focused on his job, it’s the first time that you’re probably being told, ‘You’re not going to play this game.’”
(From what you saw throughout the offseason and in the preseason games, do you have a pretty good idea of what you have in CB Torry McTyer as a cover corner?) – “We’ve got a pretty good idea. I think there’s a lot of trust there. He’s not afraid to put hands on anybody and try to stay as tight as possible. He’s not afraid to throw his body in there when running backs or any kind of receiver catches the ball and try to make a tackle. Since the time he’s gotten here, he’s done nothing but improve. Really, that’s the No. 1 thing we’re always for from players.”
(Do you know Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden at all?) – “I mean, yes. We’re not talking every week or anything.”
(Do you have any good Jon Gruden stories?) – “I don’t. I don’t have any.”
(You guys have more running plays than passing plays right now; is that a function of having the lead more or what the defense gives you? And does that even mean anything through two games?) – “We did what we had to do to win the game. This last game, it just kind of worked out that way to where when we got to the end of the game, I looked at the numbers and I was a little surprised that we had that many more runs than pass attempts. That happens a lot of times when you do have the lead and you get into a 4-minute situation and you’re trying to work the clock down. What, we had the ball with 5:56 left or something like that in the fourth quarter? You’re not just going to start throwing it all over the place. You get a couple of first downs and you realize if we actually stay in bounds, we’ll keep this thing moving.”
(If S Reshad Jones is unable to go, will you move S Minkah Fitzpatrick into that spot, or do you kind of like what Minkah is doing…) – “We’ve got a whole bunch of different scenarios we worked out and just kind of talked about. It’s not really something I’m really willing to put out there right now.”
(With RB Kenyan Drake and RB Frank Gore, it’s basically 2-to-1 in touches right now in favor of Drake. Is that kind of where you want to live? Or are you looking more for something like 50-50?) – “Our plan wasn’t really for that the first game. It just kind of worked out that way because of the breaks we had. We were trying to be really careful, especially after that second one. I mean, it had been a long day. We were a little concerned about some of our older guys to where we were like ‘Is this going to affect some of these guys?’ We were smart with how we put those guys in the game, that first game. And then this last game, there’s been a couple times too where we’ve called plays and they’re runs but the ball ends up going out to one of the wide receivers because of what the defense does. It just keeps happening when Frank is in for some reason. We’re always going to try to keep those guys close. That’s the plan. We like when both those guys have the ball.”
(Does the fourth-quarter heat factor go into game-planning at all considering what they’re wearing or you guys or wearing?) – “I think you really wait to see how the game is going. You can kind of try to have a plan, but it depends. Is it raining out? Are we going to have cloud cover? You don’t know. Every time I check the weather, it’s a different percentage of rain. It was like 99 (percent chance) the other day, it was like 6 the next day and then it was like 77 the next day.”
(Do you have a lightning forecast?) – “No. I’m not even going to look at that.”
Matt Haack – September 17, 2018
Download PDF version
Monday, September 17, 2018
Punter Matt Haack
(Your performance yesterday for a punter, is that about as good as it gets for you?) – “Yes, I was happy with the game yesterday. All together, (it was) a big win coming out of New York like that. The offense was moving the ball well. I felt like the whole game was just in a rhythm, in a flow. Once one punt started going, it led to the next one, the next one and the next one. We had great coverage on the field, great snaps from John (Denney), good protection and I think all the way around the special teams was solid.”
(The life of a punter is you played a key role in the Dolphins winning field position the entire day. And yet because you’re a punter, generally speaking, you’re not going to get the credit the same way as a guy who scores a touchdown. Do you just take your satisfaction?) – “The way I look at is, that’s my job. My job is to put the defense in great field position and win the field-position battle every game. When I get a chance to put them inside the 20 and we execute, that’s a huge win for us. Like I said, that’s just something that’s expected of you.”
(What’s something that changed for you between the first and second game?) – “I keep the same routine, the same practice habits, the same everything. I wouldn’t say much has changed, it’s just I felt like I was hitting the ball maybe a little cleaner. I felt like the first game I hit the ball pretty clean outside of one. Overall, I just kind of got in that rhythm and our team, special teams and all the guys around me, played their role too.”
(Where did that rhythm come from? Was that pregame or maybe throughout the week last week?) – “I think it’s … Yes, a little bit of both. Like I said, you just get into that game mindset and start hitting the ball well and trust your teammates.”
(I noticed yesterday, maybe this is something you always do, but I really noticed it watching yesterday. It looked like you were pointing the ball downward a lot of times when you were kicking. Is that something that helps?) – “Yes. We call that a going in punt, or end over end or whatever. I usually use that between the 40s. Otherwise, if you hit a spiral, you never know. It could be a 55 or 60-yard punt that hits and rolls into the end zone. That end over end punt, there’s a better chance or probability or whatever you want to call it that if the returner doesn’t catch it, that it hits the ground and stops or bounces straight up or sideways or something. It just gives yourself a better chance for a good ball.”
(Is there a point in the week … Is your routine the same every week or is there a point in the week where you’re like, ‘I’m good, my rhythm’s good, I got this,’ and then you start shutting it down?) – “My kicking schedule is that I kick Wednesday and Thursday. That’s when we do our punt team reps. I like to kick in team rather than on my own, just to get the tempo and rhythm and stuff. I would say it’s got to be there Wednesday. It’s got to be there the whole week. That’s my job, so if it’s not there, then there’s something I’ve got to fix.”
(How satisfying was it to have the kind of day you did knowing that LS John Denney was going through what he was going through and still able to suit up?) – “It’s very satisfying. I know he’s battling through whatever. He had a great game. He was solid as he always is. You know John. But it’s more satisfying playing that role and helping the team win, being the guy that puts the team in the best position I possibly could.”
Albert Wilson – September 17, 2018
Download PDF version
Monday, September 17, 2018
Wide Receiver Albert Wilson
(As well as you guys are playing, you’re not surprised. Other people might be, but you’re not surprised.) – “Right. Like I’ve been saying the past two weeks, after watching film, we left a lot of things out there on the field – a lot of yards, a lot of points. We have to clean those things up. The defense did a great job of holding things down for us in the second half, but we have to come out in the second half and put more points on the board.”
(Do you appreciate the fact that so many people doubted you guys but now, everybody is kind of jumping on the bandwagon and drinking the Kool-Aid and want to be a part of something special that you guys are doing right now?) – “We knew it was going to happen. We’ve been working really hard this offseason. Like I said, we’re not surprised where we’re at. I just hold a higher expectation for this team.”
(That attitude right there – 2-0, people would be happy and all of that. We keep hearing there’s still little things we have to fix. What does that say about this team in this locker room?) – “We can be better. We can do better. We want to be happy with 2-0, but we don’t want to be satisfied with the performance. We know that we left things out there.”
(Have you been on teams before where you’re like why is everyone talking, we’re 2-0? How does that happen? Is it a maturity thing?) – “Just looking things in the eye and just facing the fact that after watching film, we haven’t done everything right yet. I’m happy we came out 2-0. That’s a blessing and it’s a great start to get two wins, the first one at home and the second on the road. It’s hard to get those road wins, but for us to get a road win and still not executing as we should, it shows how good this football team can be.”
(How much fun do you have knowing all of the different scenarios that you can be put in? You said it takes you back to your high school and quarterbacking days.) – “It’s great. Just (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase bringing it out, just challenging me to be a better player. That’s why I came here, so I can be the best football player I can be. He’s definitely bringing it out of me.”
(You’re a pretty vocal guy. What would you say to a teammate that walked out on you at halftime and decided ‘enough is enough, I’m done?’) – “It’s a tough game. For a grown man that has so much going for himself, that’s on a team, people are looking forward to him making plays for them and then you have the money side of making some good money. For somebody to tell themselves that they’re not able to do it anymore, it’s just, they’re not able to do it anymore. You can go out there and have the mindset of ‘I’m not supposed to be out here’ and then get hurt. It could have been a totally different way for him. For him to walk away from the game healthy, that’s blessings to him.”
(His timing though. Halftime – he couldn’t wait until the end of the game?) – “It definitely was a touchy subject for kind of letting his teammates down. I just hope none of my teammates do that, but he’s a man, he makes his own choices.”
(It’s a small sample size, but has Head Coach Adam Gase told you that he was an assistant on the Broncos in 2009, they started off 6-0 and didn’t make the playoffs? Has he told you guys that?) – “No. That’s a totally different team.”
(How was your Instagram account last night after you posted that squad picture?) – “It’s pretty much done the same thing for the last couple weeks. It’s been pretty crazy.”
(Just in that moment of wanting to get everybody together, why was that something that you wanted to do for this team?) – “I’m a newcomer. I just wanted to let my teammates know that it’s not about me. I plan on having a lot of success here and I’m definitely a team-first type of guy, so I just wanted to get that out there and let them know it’s all about the team. I just hope we continue to play as a team and keep getting these wins.”
(That team-first kind of thing is permeating a little bit with this team. Is it something that you noticed?) – “That’s how we have to be. We have so many weapons on both sides of the ball. Like I said, there’s not enough snaps in one game. It can be anybody’s week, and you have to keep that mindset. You have to have faith in the coaches, have faith that you’re going to get yours when it’s time and when you’re number is called, you’re going to make plays.”
(A lot of changes have been made to this receiving corps, as you know. You’re one of them. Yet, you’re 2-0 and WR DeVante Parker hasn’t played yet. How do you see this receiving corps coming together so far?) – “Once we get him back, we’re just going to take it to another notch. He’s a great receiver. He has a lot of size, a lot of talent. He catches the ball really well, he’s able to go get those tough catches and when he gets back, we’ll be able to use him very well.”
(How would you assess the way the receiving corps has played so far in these two games?) – “I think we played really good. Like I said, we left a lot of things out there on the field. We can clean things up and become better.”
Mike Gesicki – September 17, 2018
Monday, September 17, 2018
Tight End Mike Gesicki
(Although you are a rookie and haven’t been here awhile, Dolphin fans can be sometimes brutal; but it seems like everybody is drinking the Kool-Aid now and jumped on the bandwagon. That’s always a good thing as well.) – “Regardless of what’s going on outside the locker room, we just don’t pay attention to it. Kind of a quote that I go by is ‘don’t pay attention to praise or criticism. It’s a weakness to get caught up in either one.’ When things are going good, everybody is happy. When things aren’t, you block it all out. You just focus on your role, your assignment. That’s all that you can control.”
(What did you think of that picture you guys took as a team after that WR Albert Wilson touchdown?) – “It was awesome. That’s the fun part about it. Albert made a great play and then got the whole team to come celebrate with him. It was cool, it was fun and we enjoyed it.”
(You’ve been in a lot of rowdy, hostile environments being over at Penn State. Walking into MetLife Stadium yesterday, what was that like?) – “It was another away game. It was cool, a nice atmosphere. Sometimes on third down it would pick up a little bit, but for the most part, I think that our team kind of weathered the storm and did a really good job with it.”
(What was the number one thing you noticed that … You won, but you have a lot to clean up, so what’s the number one thing you guys noticed?) – “I think it’s much better to learn from mistakes after you win. It’s a great feeling to come in here right now after another win and be able to go back to tape and just kind of pick apart your game, see what worked and what didn’t, and then just continue to get better.”
(Having said that, what was one of those things that stuck out to you?) – “For myself, just finishing plays. I think I did a really good job fighting off the ball and getting my hands inside. I’m doing a good job blocking and just have to stay on my guy and finish him. It’s just going to continue to come with more reps and I just want to continue to play more snaps.”
(How many family members and friends did you have in the stands, and how do you feel like you played in your home state?) – “I had a ton of family and friends there. It was cool to get back and see some familiar faces and play in front of them. It was a great experience and I’m happy that we were able to get out of there with a win.”
(I know you’re a first-year player, but you know better not to quit on your team. When you heard Bills CB Vontae Davis retired at halftime, how crazy is that, how weird is that?) – “I don’t really know all of the details or anything like that. That’s not my business or anything to speak on that. He did what he did.”
Adam Gase – September 17, 2018
Download PDF version
Monday, September 17, 2018
Head Coach Adam Gase
(You guys have obviously done a great job of stopping the run. As you look back at the two games, is it a combination of everyone or who has particularly excelled?) – “I think it’s been a group effort. We still have some missed tackles to clean up, where we could probably be better there; but I think guys are doing a good job of handling their responsibility and executing calls.”
(After yesterday’s game, WR DeVante Parker said he could have played. Your reaction?) – “That’s true. He could have played. I told him that he was going to be inactive. We went through the week … We weren’t really sure how it was going to go when we started the week, with once we got into actual contact periods where he had a defender hitting down on his arms and possibly his hand. So we kind of took that slow. By the end of the week … He did a good job. He did everything we asked him to do. It looked like everything was going smooth, but there’s a lot of moving parts to this thing. I explained that to him. I also wanted to … It’s a time thing with him as far as being healed and closer to 100 percent, so one more week wasn’t going to be a bad thing. I explained that to him the night before (the game).”
(Did the trainers tell you that playing WR DeVante Parker yesterday may have been a risk at all of a setback?) – “No, but he’s going to be stronger this week than he was last.”
(Can you take us through the third-and-19 play to RB Frank Gore? Was he where the pass was supposed to go?) – “No; but Ryan (Tannehill) did a good job of pushing up in the pocket. Really, his eyes had to come down because we were taking a shot. We were actually going for the touchdown. He did a good job. Frank was waiting for the defender that looked like he was going to blitz. The guy didn’t come right away, so Frank leaked out and that guy ended up coming, so Ryan pushed up and that’s why Frank was wide open. It was funny because (Defensive Coordinator) Matt Burke was saying that Frank scored like a 60-yard touchdown against him and the exact same thing happened when he was in Detroit and they were playing San Francisco. Frank has a knack of knowing when the right time to go is and when the right time is to stay in.”
(In the bigger picture of that possession, you guys run out the clock and I don’t think you had any penalties. I guess you had a negative play on third-and-19 to set that up, but what does that tell you about your team when it’s able to do that and in that fashion?) – “We’re making improvement. That was something that we’ve made a big point of emphasis is turnover margin and our pre-snap penalties, more than anything. If you have penalties within the game, whether it’s holding or pass interference or things like that – as we say, aggressive penalties – we can live with that. We’ll correct those in individual (drills) as far as technique. But the pre-snap stuff, we can fully control. That’s really been one of the things where if we can improve that, it prevents us from being in long-yardage situations or giving away plays. We get a sack (yesterday) and we have an offsides (penalty). That’s something that … it’s like football karma right there where you have a good play happen and it gets taken away. If you do it right every down, there’s a good chance that good things will happen.”
(As you watch the game again, you see on film that the effort it took just before halftime to stop Jets TE Chris Herndon from getting in the end zone with S Reshad Jones and CB Bobby McCain. Can you talk about that play?) – “It’s a phenomenal play. It was great effort. That’s really what it was. I liked what (Defensive Coordinator) Matt (Burke) called and those guys executed that thing, but it took everything both of those guys had to strain and finish that play. We were on the right side of that one.”
(After two weeks, there’s obviously stats that come out that teams that are 2-0 have this percent chance of getting into the playoffs and teams that are 0-2 are in this much trouble and all of that good stuff. Is this the kind of team that you have to caution or warn against that there has only been two games? Do you have to address that with these guys at all?) – “I mean, not really. We’ve talked about it so much leading up to this that everything that’s said outside our building is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is this week. It’s really the truth. I’ve been 6-0 and not made the playoffs. It doesn’t matter. You have to play every week. You have to reset it every week. You have to work to get better to try not to be a team that’s up and down. We’re trying to be consistent. You’re going to lose games in this league. That’s why there’s only been one undefeated team that’s ever won it all and another team didn’t win the last game, so nobody really cares about it if you won them all. If you don’t win the last one, nobody cares.”
(What year was that where you were 6-0 and didn’t make the playoffs?) – “2009.”
(I’m sure every coach everywhere emphasizes turnover margin. Was that really something that you all emphasized more this offseason than previous years?) – “Mhm.”
(It was?) – “Yes, because we were working on it every day, whether it’s ball security or tackling or a turnover drill. We’ve carved out time in our practice to say this is how important it is and we’re going to work on it every day.”
(Did you guys miss G Josh Sitton yesterday and if so, in what ways?) – “I think you’re always going to … When you have a guy that’s a really good player, it benefits when he’s out there. I thought Ted (Larsen) did a good job. He executed what we were asking him to do. He plays physical. I love the way that when he’s uncovered, he can help clean out the pocket. He brings good energy to the sideline. That group does a good job. Those guys play together. It’s a fun group to be around.”
(With the continuity on offense, it really showed when WR Albert Wilson called his teammates over to celebrate the touchdown. What did you think of that and overall, how is your offense…) – “I wasn’t paying attention to that at the time. I was excited that basically I called a really bad play versus what they called and our guys made it work. I didn’t hear about that until we got back last night. I love that because I love how our locker room is. I love how those guys are on the field, off the field, in the locker room, outside of this (building). These guys are tight. It’s fun to be around and it’s enjoyable to watch those guys go through a game and the ups and downs of a game, and they don’t waver. They just keep going out there, putting their head down, trying to help make plays, trying to do the right things and I feel like there’s accountability with each other.”
(Have you ever coached another player with a skill set like WR Albert Wilson’s?) – “No. I think I’ve had, or I’ve been around, a few guys over my time that were similar; but I don’t think as dynamic as what he is. He’s legitimately a guy that is almost built like a running back but plays like a wide receiver as far as running routes.”
(Does that challenge you I guess as a play-caller to figure out…) – “No. I love it. There’s no limit of all the things we can do. It’s like … You can go watch some really good stuff and people will be like, ‘Oh, you can’t do that;’ but (we) can do whatever, because (Albert Wilson) can do everything.”
(CB Cordrea Tankersley was inactive and CB Cornell Armstrong was out there playing special teams. Does Tankersley not offer enough on special teams?) – “I think it’s just one of those spots where there’s a chance that it could keep going back and forth. That happens sometimes. If you don’t do as well one game, the next guy gets a shot and then you just kind of evaluate that and go back and start over the next week, then challenge those guys in practice to say the best guy gets to dress. That’s just what it is. It’s competition. I think (Tankersley) is making a lot of strides at corner. We just need him to get a little better at special teams, which is something that’s fairly new to him over the last two years. The good thing is I like our depth at that position, so the fact that we have multiple guys that could be active or inactive, that’s a positive.”
(You guys are atop the AFC East. Is that something you think your team can maintain a mindset of?) – “I don’t even think … If you ask half these guys, they probably don’t even know. They don’t care. It doesn’t mean anything. The division stuff right now is irrelevant. We’re focused on getting things corrected from yesterday and then we’ll turn our attention on Wednesday to the next team, and that’s what our focus is going to be. No one cares what you’re doing right now. When it’s December and it’s really coming down to the end and you may need to … Half the time you don’t even care then. You’re just playing games and you’re trying to win them all.”
(What do you say to P Matt Haack and how important has he been to winning the field position battle and keeping the opposition inside their own 20?) – “Yes, that was one of our … That was a big point (of emphasis) for us this week of flipping the field. He’s a big part of that. He’s done an outstanding job. What did he have, six punts and five were inside the 20? That’s phenomenal. To make a rookie quarterback drive 80-plus yards every time in his second (NFL) game, that’s what you want to do. You want to try to put that kind of pressure on him and I’m sure the next time we see him, he’s going to be that much better as far as their quarterback goes. We might have to change our approach to that. I think with what we asked him to do and what we asked the offense to do and the defense to do, I thought we played good complementary football for the most part. I still think there’s some things we need to … I’d rather not let up a touchdown and fumble (at the start of the second half). That’s kind of one of those ones that was not complementary football; but then Xavien (Howard) did a great job of getting that interception, so that helped us.”
(A small sample size obviously just two games in, but after 20 months off or whatever it was, has QB Ryan Tannehill’s accuracy surprised you with how sharp he’s been?) – “No. That’s how he’s always … Maybe it’s been too long. I don’t know. It seems like it was a long time ago, but I always felt like he was that way. He does a good job. He makes sure that we complete the ones when they’re open. His accuracy down the field is probably one of the better ones in the league, which I love saying considering that I was told he can’t throw the deep ball. (laughter) I always like bringing that up. He’s doing a good job. He’s being efficient in the short passing game. There’s some things that we’ve got to clean up, and we will. I think the more he plays, the rhythm will just get better and better. I think he’s really enjoying playing with that group of wide receivers and tight ends and running backs. Those guys are all feeding off each other.”
(Guys in the locker room are talking about they’re building something special here but still have room to fulfill that finished product. How far do you feel like you guys are?) – “It’s going to take all year. I mean, really, that’s what you work for. You’re just trying to avoid peaks and valleys. You just don’t want to have extreme highs and then you’re down, and then you’re back up. You want to just keep climbing and just getting better and better every week. You want to put out the right product on the field where you feel like you’re improving. It may not always result in a win, but you see it on tape. Because when you start playing really good teams that are elite, it’s 50-50 sometimes. You have to do everything you can to put yourself in position of winning at the end, because a lot of times in this league, it comes down to the last drive.”
(How did TE Mike Gesicki do as a blocker yesterday? Were there things that you practiced that you just didn’t get to that you wanted to?) – “We had a couple of opportunities in the passing game to get him the ball. It just didn’t work out. They did a good job. They cheated to him a little bit. When he gets singled up on a linebacker, the good thing is we weren’t the only ones that actually watched him in college, so the other defensive coordinators are aware of what he can do, so they’re taking him away and the ball’s got to go somewhere else. And that’s good. I’m glad Ryan (Tannehill) is doing the right thing and not trying to force it to him. I like the fact that he’s not concerned about how many targets he’s getting. He’s playing. I know this, he’s taking a lot of pride in trying to become a better blocker. He had a really good block on (Kenyan) Drake’s touchdown. Drake made a great cut and Mike did a great job of walling the d-end off and there was a nice little lane there and Kenyan hit it, and got in the end zone. That was a big play for us because it got us a touchdown after a turnover. Mike is improving. He’s going to keep improving because the guy is very prideful. He loves doing this. He studies. He works hard. Good things will happen for him.”
(You mentioned turnover margin and penalties as points of emphasis and you’re doing pretty well in them. Are there other points of emphasis and how have you done? Third-down offense? Third-down defense?) – “I bring up the ones that we’re doing good in. (laughter) Missed tackles and yards after contact were some of the ones that we made a big emphasis on. We need to improve on our tackling. I think that’s always going to be a constant theme throughout the whole league. I know a lot of teams are talking about the same thing. I think any time you see a team not play as well as they want on defense or special teams, it comes down to that where you’re giving guys extra opportunities after you probably had them stopped.”
(Your first and second-down defense seemed excellent. I think their average third down was third-and-10 and they had like five that were more than third-and-10. What were you doing on first and second downs? It looked like you were stopping the run.) – “That’s really where it starts. Any time you can try to make a team one-dimensional, it gives you a good chance to have success that day. You kind of have to step away from the yardage sometimes. If you look at both teams’ yardage … It really comes down to turnovers. It comes down to what happens in the penalties. And then the third-down stuff is important. We were better on third down if we got the first one. The three-and-outs need to stop; but our defense did a good job of making sure first and second down were not successful and then get them in third down. With our group of pass rushers, if we get third-and-7-plus, that’s ideal for us.”
(You mentioned tackling earlier. Is that something you feel has to do with the rule changes? Or do you think that’s just early…) – “You can figure that one out pretty quick.”
(Being around this game for however many years, you’ve seen some unconventional things. When you heard the story of CB Vontae Davis retiring at halftime, your thoughts on that? How crazy is that?) – “I don’t even know … That’s for somebody else to worry about. That was a new one for me.”
Reshad Jones – September 17, 2018
Download PDF version
Monday, September 17, 2018
S Reshad Jones
(Coming into the season, WR Jakeem Grant said it best that you guys are all you’ve got. People doubted but you guys are shutting them up and everyone is starting to drink the Kool-Aid a little bit.) – “Most definitely. This team is battle-tested. We’ve been through a lot. Like last year, the first game (we had a) hurricane and couldn’t play the first game. The first game this year was the longest game in NFL history. This team is battle-tested. We’ve got resilient guys in this locker room and a great coaching staff. You just try to keep stacking these Ws.”
(You being a defensive leader, what would your approach be if one of your cornerbacks decided to retire at halftime and leave you hanging.) – “Football is brutal. Everybody’s got personal things, on and off the field that they go through. I’d have to see what’s up with the individual first and then go from there; but it would be tough for your boys to walk out on you on game day, at halftime. I don’t know how to feel about it, honestly.”
(You guys have done a great job making an emphasis on forcing turnovers. How did that emphasis on creating turnovers come about and how do you think you’re doing so far through two games?) – “We know the importance of it. The percentage of winning increases a lot when you create turnovers, when you get those turnovers and you give your offense the ball back to go score points. Coach stresses it. We know the importance of it and we’ve got to continue to get those turnovers to help this team win.”
Can you sense a momentum swing in the game when you are able to force a turnover and then when you’re able to punch it home on offense?) – “Most definitely. I don’t know the exact numbers but percentage-wise, one turnovers to two turnovers, (your chances to win) increases a lot – getting those turnovers. We definitely can feel it.”
(That play with Jets TE Chris Herndon near the end zone, Head Coach Adam Gase was talking about the effort with you and CB Bobby McCain. He loved the call by Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke but he said the effort … Speaking of momentum, how much can that carry into the second half, stopping them just before halftime?) – “I think it was a huge play. Those guys were getting the ball back coming out of the half. If they would have scored right there, that probably would have changed the whole game. I think that one play was huge.”
(Did you guys have a discussion in the huddle before that last play in the half reminding you that if you tackled those guys in bounds, the clock would run out?) – “That was sort of the defensive call that we were in. We wanted to keep everything in front of us, don’t let anybody get in the end zone and tackle the man before the end zone. We did kind of discuss it and we knew the situation.”
(You and S T.J. McDonald are pretty much the same guy. Do you have little personal, individual things you have, like I want to get a bigger hit on whoever today? Because you both like to hit.) – “Not really. We just try to set a presence. We want guys to know we’re back here or whatever. We’re both versatile safeties. We’re interchangeable. We both can do the same things; but I like going to get the ball. I can lay the boom, too, when needed; but I like getting the ball. I like creating those turnovers.”
(Things you’d point to as to why your pass defense is better and your pass rating against is so much better than last year as a team. Is it S Minkah Fitzpatrick? Is it CB Bobby McCain and CB Xavien Howard improving? What things would you point to?) – “I think it’s a total team effort. I think we’ve got one of the best front sevens in football. I think we’ve got a chance to be one of the best secondaries in all of football. I’ve got to give credit to those guys up front. They’re playing lights out – the d-tackles, d-ends. Those guys are getting to the quarterback and they’re just making our job easy. We’re just doing our job back there covering guys and let those guys get to the quarterback. It’s a total team effort.”
(From a back-end standpoint, how much has S Minkah Fitzpatrick helped?) – “Minkah is good. He comes from a winning program. He loves ball. He loves asking questions. He’s been playing solid in the slot. I think he played a lot of nickel at Alabama, so he’s been thriving at that position. He’s definitely brought a spark to the room.”
(You’ve definitely flashed over the last two games – two picks and then a big hit right before the half yesterday. What has allowed to maybe stand out a little bit more so far into this season as opposed to last year?) – “My preparation. Preparation meets opportunity. I prepare. I work my butt off. Hard work and dedication throughout the offseason, I break down film, and I’ve played a lot of ball in this league. My main focus is to be consistent, continue to do what I’m doing and do whatever it takes to help this team win football games.”
