Darren Rizzi – November 30, 2017
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Thursday, November 30, 2017
Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Darren Rizzi
(What happened on the fake punt?) – “Really it was just a matter of them executing and us not executing. Not to oversimplify it, but really that’s what happened. They executed well. I know Michael Thomas spoke about it and gave you the details on it. I don’t want to go into too much detail because obviously we play those guys again here next week and all of that. You give them credit. They executed and we didn’t. Obviously, any time we get a play like that, it’s a game changer. We talk about going into every game, making game changers. Special teams is obviously an area where you can make game-changing plays. I thought we had two opportunities in the last game to do that. One, was to stop the fake punt on fourth-and-8. If we do that, that’s a game changer. Then we had, obviously, the ball on the ground on that punt, the fumbled punt. Those two plays, if they go the other way, are game changers. That’s what you’re always trying to do. Again, give them credit. They did a good job of executing, we did not.”
(What did you see on that fumbled punt, because it appeared from up high, that you had had a cup of coffee that morning after that play?) – “I’m not trying to criticize the officials here. I’m not criticizing the officials but I thought, in my personal opinion, that the ball was still alive. I thought that them ruling (Patriots) possession, I thought they did that a little bit too early. The official on the field made the call that he saw them with possession before it went into a pile. That was the way the call was. Whether I agree or disagree with him is irrelevant at this point; but that’s what happened. Walt (Aikens) made a great play, got the ball out, then the ball went into the pile. Just so you know, in terms of reviewing that, there has to be a clear recovery, so it (would have been) a wasted challenge. If a ball goes into a pile, it doesn’t matter if the person comes out of the pile with the ball, that’s not considered a clear recovery. A clear recovery is on film you clearly have the ball, possession of the ball and all of that, almost like a catch or no catch. In this situation, once the ball goes into a scrum if you will, it’s irrelevant to review that because they’re never going to give you that. There’s got to be a clear picture of you recovering the ball. If somebody had asked me why we didn’t challenge it, that’s the reason we didn’t challenge it.”
(Explain that to me again, I’m sorry.) – “In any play, if a ball goes into a pile and there’s not a clear person that you can see on video that recovered the ball … If all of the sudden a bunch of people go to the ball, if I come out of the pile with the ball, as far as challenge goes and video replay goes, they’re never going to give you that because that’s not considered a clear recovery – me coming out of the pile with the ball. Once the ball goes into a scrum like that, it’s not reviewable.”
(But live, if you come out with the ball, they give it to you then? Is that correct?) – “So if the official had not ruled that he saw their guy with possession on it, then we would have the ball, because Michael Thomas did come out of the pile with the ball. Then it would have been a different story. But a couple of our players asked me during the game, ‘Why not challenge that?’ It’s not a challengeable situation.”
(How do you feel about kickoff returns with no RB Damien Williams and no RB Senorise Perry? How big is familiarity at that position and with that unit?) – “It’s always big. I’ll start off by saying, I thought Jakeem (Grant) did a really nice job last week. The Patriots, going into that game, had been one of the better kick cover teams in the league. I thought we took a step in the right direction last week in terms of our blocking, our identification. We had the one miscommunication – which I wasn’t crazy about – on the back end; but I thought, overall, we did a pretty good job on kick return on the day. As far as the other guy goes, we’ll see what happens with Senorise in the concussion protocol and all of that stuff. We’ve got to rep some other guys back there in case he can’t get back there. If you noticed, once he went out, we used (Kenyan) Drake on one and we used (Leonte) Carroo on another. Carroo actually was in there for the last one, so we’ve got a couple of different options there. It’s one of those things where you’ve got to go back to your training camp and your OTAs. That’s why we train that many guys at that position. You’ve got to go back and rely on all of the fundamentals and techniques we’ve taught all the way through. All of those backups that haven’t gotten game reps, they’ve gotten a lot of reps here this week. We’ll see what happens and see the injury report at the end of the week and who we have up.”
(Obviously RB Kenyan Drake is going to have to be the feature back. Do you have to pull him off of kickoff returns if that’s the case?) – “It’s always a conversation. It’s no different than the Jarvis (Landry) thing with punts. It’s a very similar situation. Obviously it’s a constant communication between me and (Head Coach) Adam (Gase), during the game, as well as during the week. We know that he’s an option. If we feel like we need one in the game and it’s a big moment in the game, no different than we use Jarvis at times. So Kenyan’s always (an option), all of those guys. Again, that’s the great thing about Coach Gase. He knows and he understands the importance of what we’re doing here special teams-wise. He has no problem with us keeping those guys alive and active in the game plan, in case they need to go back there. That’s where we’re at; but obviously with the situation at running back being what it is, we’ve got to, like I said, really see at the end of the week where we are, who’s up, who’s down, how many backs we have. That will be a decision that’s made at the end of the week and during the game, as well; but (Kenyan) is always an option.”
(What’s it going to be like for you seeing Broncos Head Coach Vance Joseph on the other sideline on Sunday?) – “Vance is a great guy. I consider Vance a very good friend. I was very happy for him when he got the opportunity. (I was) not surprised. He’s a really good football coach. They had a lot of opportunities there at the end of last year. Our daughters, they became friends at St. Thomas. His daughter and my daughter are the same age and they became friends last year. His daughter played volleyball and my daughter was on the basketball team, and all of that. My other daughter had been a captain at St. Thomas in volleyball and kind of helped (Vance’s daughter) when she first got here. Our families, we’re definitely friendly, so I’m very happy for him that he’s in the position. I wish him the best of luck, except for one game a year. (laughter) Other than that, it will be great to see him. It will be great to see him face-to-face.”
Ndamukong Suh – November 29, 2017
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Wednesday, November 29, 2017
DT Ndamukong Suh
(DE Cameron Wake had a bunch of pressures in this last game. I think he’s almost 36 years old. I think his birthday is coming up in the near future. Do you view him as a guy who might be able to play another three or four years at a high level?) – “I definitely think so. I think definitely Cam can play at a high level for the next two, three years or however long he chooses to continue to play. I think he got a little bit of a late start due to some circumstances that were out of his control, and the way he takes care of his body, the way he’s mentally focused in the game, I think he definitely can play as long he wants to.”
(We’re starting to see a lot of injuries on this team and I know that normally happens at this time of the season; but has no bye week do you feel has been a detriment to this team in any way, whether it is injuries, fatigue or anything like that?) – “I think we can’t control the bye week, so we can’t really look at that as an excuse. I personally don’t take it as an excuse. At the end of the day, injuries are always going to happen in this football league, unfortunately, and we have to find ways to push past it and guys have to understand that their roles are going to be changed or expected more of them.”
(QB Jay Cutler’s is supposed to return as the starter this week according to Head Coach Adam Gase. Do you sense that there’s a boost in the team from that, kind of a lifted spirits or anything along those lines?) – “I think this team is excited about either quarterback – whether it’s Matt Moore or Jay Cutler – being at the helm of our offense. I’m excited about Jay. I’ve always been excited since he got here. I think he has a way to help us win games and I look forward to him coming back.”
(What are your memories of one year playing under Denver Broncos Head Coach Vance Joseph?) – “My memories of playing under Vance? I have a great relationship with Vance. (He’s a) great dude. I spent a lot of time with him in the offseason as well as in the season. (I had) many conversations in his office, which I enjoyed and remember, so it will be good to go against him and see what he brings to the table against us.”
(Any general, as far as conversations with Broncos Head Coach Vance Joseph, what do you all generally talk about without saying too much I guess?) – “I mean the last time I spoke to him I just wished him a Happy Birthday. Just small chat, stuff like that; but in regards to when he was here, I mean it was football most of the time. We talked about family as well; but we’ve actually have got common friends – a lot of friends in common. (He’s) just an overall good person.”
(How do you deal with that? A guy that knows you guys so well just one year removed?) – “For me, I salivate at it. I’m excited to go against his offense, his team and I think he has a good vibe of what I can do as a player, and I’m sure he’s eager to stop that and I’m eager to see what he throws at me and stop that (myself).”
(This is your third year down here. Obviously three different coordinators, but the result has not been what I’m sure one would want on defense. We understand you’re only one of 11 players on the field but what can you do better and what can this defense do better to get this thing fixed?) – “Continue to take my level of play to a higher level. At the end of the day, it is 11 players on the football field at all times, and we all have to work together to be successful; but I do find myself as being a big piece of it, no matter what, and I take the good and the bad and always take a big piece of that on my own shoulders.”
(How do you handle when you might be playing well and the defense isn’t? Do you think it’s a reflection on you? Do you think you’re doing what you can? How would you say?) – “This overall defense is always a reflection on myself and on each and every player on this particular team. At the end of the day, we all have to be successful as a unit to be successful as a team, so that’s how I look at it.”
(Is it surprising to you that what looks like a talented roster, a talented group is 30th in the NFL in scoring defense and isn’t getting better as the season goes on?) – “I think there’s a lot of things that this defense has talent-wise and things to be elite at. At the end of the day, people find ways to combat those different things and we’ve got to find ways to combat and go against that. As talented as we are, it is good on both sides, and we have to find ways to continue to go against the grain and find ways to be successful. At the end of the day, our biggest focus is to just continue to work and understand what we have to do to be successful.”
(The defense was more … it was better earlier in the year. Do you think other guys that also get paid, they figured out some of this stuff that you guys do?) – “I think some of the mistakes that we made in the past have kind of come back and haunted us in a lot of respects. I think we made big plays and found ways to cover those up, and at the end of the day, we need to get back to that and making big plays. You’re never going to be perfect on defense. We’re a reactionary defense from the standpoint of every defense is reactionary, so we have to see what the offense is giving us. Even though we have a blitz, we still have to react to certain things. Our focus has to be to continue to find ways to get off the football field and really statistics, at the end of the day if we’re winning, none of it matters; but they’re highlighted when you’re not winning, and that’s unfortunately been the case for us.”
Jay Cutler – November 29, 2017
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Wednesday, November 29, 2017
QB Jay Cutler
(How are you feeling?) – “I feel good. Thank you.”
(What do you recall about what happened on the play where you were injured?) – “I’m not going to go back and rehash some of that stuff. We’re on to Denver this week.”
(You guys are on a five-game losing streak. Would it be appropriate to say you’re excited to come back to the field or is it just your job to come back?) – “(laugher) Both. I’m excited. These guys, you always feel bad when you get hurt and you can’t go out there and help your team, so I’m excited to get back out there.”
(What’s your take about where things stand and what needs to happen from here?) – “I’m not really concerned with it. I think everyone’s just focused on this game, trying to win one game, focusing on today’s practice and then going forward just doing everything possible to make sure we’re ready for Sunday.”
(What have you noticed about how Head Coach Adam Gase is handling adversity?) – “He doesn’t change much. Whether we’re winning or losing, I think he stands pretty firm in his message, delivers what we need to know, what we need each and every week and I think he does a great job with the team.”
(I know it was a long time ago, but how do you look back on your three seasons in Denver?) – “I don’t right now.”
(You’ve been injured twice this season. Do you still have the same amount of faith in your pass protection as you did in training camp when you first got here?) – “We’ve got a little bit of different guys in there, but that’s not to say they’re not doing a good job. They’re going to fight out there. Obviously, a pretty big task this week with that front four. (Broncos OLB) Von Miller’s one of the elite guys in the NFL, so we’re going to have to be aware of where he’s at.”
(Do you get gun shy at all or happy feet, so to speak, when you’re back there?) – “I don’t think so. Sounds like a loaded question. (laughter)”
(No, I just wasn’t sure if that was your honest answer.) – “I was very honest with you.”
(What’s your take on the Denver defense? They’ve given up a lot of points, but obviously they create a lot of turnovers.) – “Yes, I think they’re talented. They’re one of the defenses you look back at in the last three, four years and they’re very stout. They show you a lot of different stuff. Obviously, Von (Miller) and their other edge rusher ‘Shaq’ (Shaquil Barrett) and Shane (Ray), they can get after the passer. They’re not afraid to play man. They’ll be down a guy with (Aqib) Talib obviously out; but those are the guys you kind of look to. They can play man, they can zone you out, show you a lot of different looks.”
(You guys don’t have a whole lot of depth at the running back position right now. Does that stress the rest of the offense and what do you do to make up for that?) – “We keep going. We’ve still go (Kenyan) Drake. I don’t know what we’re going to do, bring somebody up or bring somebody in; but they’ll just have to catch up. We’ve had injuries throughout the year – everyone has – and it it’s just next man up.”
(Obviously things haven’t fallen the way you guys were hoping this year. What would be the biggest reason? Injuries, things not in your control, just not playing well?) – “Not something worth thinking about at this point. We’re just trying to stay focused for this game.”
(Are the ribs still healing or healed?) – “I don’t know how long its been. They said four weeks, so wherever we’re at with that. Those aren’t a problem for me.”
(When a defensive coordinator, or in this case the head coach, knows Head Coach Adam Gase’s system, are there some things that you’ll have to change in terms of play call language or changing up some plays?) – “I think that’s a good question. We huddle more so now than we are on the ball. Code words have changed, I think, throughout the years. We know their head coach and their defense as well too, so it’s going to be a little bit of give and take. We know what they’re doing, they know what we’re doing, so I’m sure both sides will be mixing it up a little bit.”
(You’ve talked about WR DeVante Parker’s talent, skill, ability, speed, leaping, long arms, great hips, all of that good stuff. What would you like him to be able to do better for years to come?) – “He’s just got to take that next step as an elite receiver. Like you said, we all know what he’s capable of. He knows what he’s capable of. I think he’s still battling back from that ankle (injury) and getting all of his confidence back and trusting it, which is a big part of his game – to jump and cut and make all of the movements that he needs to. Just making that next step and knowing that these one-on-one balls are coming his way and he’s got to make the play more times than not. He’s aware of that. We’ve talked to him. He’s an awesome kid. He’s giving everything he’s got and he’s going to get there.”
(If RB Kenyan Drake is the primary ball carrier, what more does this offense need more out of him?) – “You can talk to (Head Coach) Adam (Gase) about that. I think him and ‘26’ (Damien Williams), both of those guys, are giving us everything they’ve got. We’ve got to do a good job of finding ways to get them the ball and up front giving them holes to run through.”
Jay Cutler – November 29, 2017 (Conference Call)
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Wednesday, November 29, 2017
QB Jay Cutler (Conference Call)
(What is it like for you facing the Broncos? This is the second time you’ve faced them since leaving Denver. What is it like each time for you?) – “It’s been so long that I think a lot of those memories and feelings have subsided a lot, so it’s kind of just another team.”
(When you look back on your time in Denver, what stands out for you?) – “I had a great time. I still have great friends that came out of the experience. Mike Shanahan, being able to play with him the first three years of my career, I couldn’t have asked for a better head coach. I think I was very lucky to be able to spend my first three years there.”
(How has your game changed from the time you were in Denver until now and how have you changed as a man?) – “Oh, we’re getting pretty in depth here. (laughter) Well, I’ve got three kids now, so you’re going from a single bachelor playing football to a lot more responsibilities, which makes life fun. My game, I’m a little bit older. I can’t move quite as well as I could when I was 23, so you’ve got to start refining things in the pocket.”
(How has this season been for you dealing with injuries, recent losses? How has it been for you?) – “We just take it one game at a time. In the NFL, you never know what you get from year to year, so we just concentrate on one game at a time, and right now we’re worried about trying to find ways to beat Denver.”
(How has it been like being reunited with Head Coach Adam Gase?) – “I love Adam. I think he does a great job with the team. I had him up in Chicago. I’ve known Adam for a really long time. He actually picked me up at the airport when I took a visit to Detroit when I was coming out in the draft. I’ve been around him for a long time and it’s been a fun year.”
(Would you have come out of retirement for anybody else?) – “I don’t know.”
(Are you glad you don’t have to go up against Broncos CB Aqib Talib this weekend?) – “Yes. Having him out makes life a little bit easier. That’s for sure.”
Adam Gase – November 29, 2017 (Conference Call)
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Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Head Coach Adam Gase Conference Call with Denver Media
(Can you just say where QB Jay Cutler is right now in his recovery, where he is in the concussion protocol?) – “He’s out of the protocol. He has been cleared and he’ll be the starter on Sunday.”
(You’ve had your own issues at quarterback. How do you deal with change? They’ve used three guys here and are going back to QB Trevor Siemian this week. How does that affect you or a team when you prepare?) – “It just depends how big of a deal you make it. I think in our situation, we’ve just been … We’ve had a couple games where Jay has went out of the game. Our guys are used to Matt (Moore). He has been here a long time. He filled in last year for Ryan (Tannehill). So, for us, we just kind of keep going. Not a lot changes when one is in over the other. It’s really just about how that group handles it and if they can handle the sudden change ups that certain guys like certain routes and concepts. Maybe there’s a little difference in cadence; but that’s about it.”
(You guys are obviously not the only team in the league that has dealt with some offensive line issues. When you’re looking at film studying other teams, are there any kind of common threads you see in some of the offensive line struggles around the league this year?) – “I think a lot of it has to do with just the way defensive lines are being built nowadays. The defensive ends are so much more athletic than the offensive linemen. It’s just a tough matchup. You go against guys that really a lot of these guys are linebackers as well, and now all of a sudden you start getting into their sub packages and they become defensive ends. They’re just a lot faster off the ball and they’re a lot more aggressive to go after the quarterback.”
(Does playing the Broncos have any interesting feelings for you?) – “Well, it depends if I’m going to give you a soundbite or not. (laughter)”
(So, what’s it going to be?) – “This week it’s … We’ve lost a few games in a row. We’re trying to win one game right now. Whoever we play, that’s … Our focus has just got to be about winning one game. It’s always fun to see a lot of the guys you either worked with or coached. After that, it’s pretty much nameless, faceless. You’ve got to focus on doing what you’ve got to do to win the game.”
(What are your thoughts on QB Trevor Siemian and can him actually going to the bench and then coming back, can that help a young quarterback?) – “Yes, it really can, because you get a different perspective. You get to see somebody else operate the offense. When I watch him, I love the way he throws the ball. It seems like he doesn’t really put a lot of effort in it. The ball comes out nice. When he has got time in the pocket and guys are running and finding some windows in there, he really spins it good. He can really cause some issues because when they run some of their deeper stuff – just watching them over the last couple years – he really puts the ball in some tight windows. When he has time, he can cause a lot of problems.”
(What have you learned now that you’ve been the head coach for a couple years that you wouldn’t have known? What becomes more obvious to you in terms of your coaching development that makes more sense?) – “Just looking at the last two years, I think the thing you never anticipate is how much time, really, you lose to prepare for games compared to being a coordinator, because of multiple things that you have to deal with. Really, the whole job becomes time management. You just have to be very efficient with what you’re doing. Your staff has to take a lot off your plate, whether it be game planning certain areas of the game plan in meetings. You always feel like you’re doing something. There’s never a time where you’re just sitting there, just relaxing. It’s just constant movement throughout the entire day.”
(What do you take most from your time with Broncos Head Coach Vance Joseph?) – “We’ve known each other since 2008. We had worked together before. Being together last year, seeing how far we both have come and how much we’ve learned, it was great for me to be able to sit with him. We would just talk a lot of football and lean on each other with how teams could attack us or how a defense would attack our offense and vice versa. He was always a close friend of mine. It was fun to work with him again for that one year. Him getting a head coaching job, that wasn’t very surprising. Just being around him and realizing how sharp he was and how good he was with our players. Our guys loved him and he held those guys accountable. Things didn’t always go perfect for us, but he was such a grinder and battler. He kept those guys in the right frame of mind to help us push through that end of the season last year.”
(Why did you decide to hire Broncos Head Coach Vance Joseph as your defensive coordinator in 2016?) – “I think it was just that I had a lot of trust in him. I had gone against him multiple times and always felt like he was a problem. He always knew … I felt like he always knew what we were doing. He just did a great job preparing his guys and they were always tough games, no matter who we had on offense, it just always seemed like it was a challenge. Just knowing his knowledge of football, the guys he’s worked under and how he came up in this profession, he was just a guy that I trusted and I knew last year I was going to have to hand it over to somebody that could take it and run with it, because I wasn’t going to have enough time, and he was somebody I trusted enough to do that.”
(Did you learn anything in 2010 in Denver that you take with you to deal with any struggles now?) – “I think that whole 2009-10 period was a great experience for me. I saw a lot of good. I saw some things that made me realize (I needed) to do it a little different. If things aren’t going right, it’s about kind of resetting the clock and coming back in the next week, getting a good week of practice in and then going out on Sunday and trying to find a way to win the game. Our guys are doing a good job of preparing and guys are doing a good job of practicing hard and trying to do all of the little details right to prepare for the game. We’ve had a couple of games where we’ve had opportunities to close it out and we didn’t quite get it done, and we’ve had a couple of games where we haven’t played very well. When we played a good team, they beat us and I just keep seeing a group of guys that keep trying to do it right and that’s really what you’re looking for guys to do, just so it gives you a chance on Sunday.”
(Is that resetting the clock part one of the hardest things to do?) – “It’s probably easier for coaches because once you basically are done with the players on Monday and you start working on the other opponent, you’re moving on. You don’t have time to sit there and sulk about whatever happened or feel good about whatever happened, so players get a couple more days to relive everything and they’ve got to hear it from probably a lot more people than coaches do, because we’re up here working; but when they come back here on Wednesday, it makes it really easy to just get it going and get ready for the next week.”
(You were pretty blunt about your team earlier in the season. Is that always a tough thing to go public with?) – “It’s probably something that I shouldn’t do. (laughter)”
(You’ve been blunt with me before. You never felt bad then.) – “I get a little upset sometimes and lose my head. I was just not very happy with the way we were playing after that Baltimore game and it was just one of those things where it was a controllable factor that I just felt like some guys weren’t handling their business the right way. I got asked a question and I was honest about it.”
(You’ve moved on from players in the middle of the season, even high-profile players. What’s your philosophy about when it’s time to, basically, cut bait with guys like that?) – “I think the way I look at it is, we’ve got to do whatever we need to do to make sure that we’ve got 53 guys that are on the active roster that are committed the same thing. It makes it easy for me when I know I’ve got to look at a guy like Cam Wake, (Ndamukong) Suh, Kiko (Alonso), Lawrence Timmons, Reshad Jones – all of those guys on defense – when I’ve got to look them in the eye and say, ‘Hey, this is the best move for us. I’m doing this for our team to put us in the best position.’ I just have to know that everything I do, like Cam Wake is not looking to rebuild. He wants to know, ‘What are you doing to help us win right now.’ I just feel a responsibility to guys that have been here for a long time or guys that have been playing for a long time to get it done right, and sometimes that’s moving on from somebody.”
Adam Gase – November 29, 2017
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Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Head Coach Adam Gase
(Are you expecting QB Jay Cutler to practice today?) – “Yes.”
(Is QB Jay Cutler still in the concussion protocol?) – “No.”
(Is QB Jay Cutler your starting quarterback?) – “Yes.”
(Any word on RB Damien Williams? Are you expecting him to practice today?) – “No, he won’t practice today.”
(RB Damien Williams’ outlook for the game on Sunday?) – “We’ll see. We’ll go day to day.”
(What about RB Senorise Perry? Did he practice today?) – “He’s in the concussion protocol.”
(G/T Jermon Bushrod? Anything on him? Will he practice today?) – “(He is) day to day.”
(What will you be looking for from QB Jay Cutler on Sunday with the time missed? What are your expectations?) – “I think he’ll be alright. We just need to have a good week of practice and clean up some stuff, get the timing down, get the ball out on time, get open quick. We have a tough d-line we’re going against. (They’re) well coached (and) relentless. (They have) probably one of the best pass rushers in football, so we’ve got to make sure it’s got to be 11 guys doing their job to make sure we get the ball out on time.”
(What do you make of the season that Denver has had? They’ve got some strange combinations of stats. They’re very good on defense, turnovers are obviously a huge problem. What’s your take on them?) – “It’s just similar to some of the things that we’ve gone through. (They have) a lot of talented players. Some things haven’t gone their way. They’re dangerous on defense though, I know that. They have a lot of skilled players on offense. They’re playing with a quarterback that those guys have played enough football with to where they can create some explosive plays and they can get the ball out. They have players. It’s just kind of getting things in line and guys executing and they can be a problem.”
(You said before that all coaches pick up stuff along the way – every stop. What was formative about the Denver experience for you?) – “There were a couple of different situations. Starting out, being with (Josh) McDaniels, going through that whole experience was probably good for me, becoming a head coach and kind of seeing how things changed – the good and the bad. I know offensively, I learned probably the majority of the things that I lean on, from him. I got to see that from the ground floor up with building a staff because I think I might have been the second or third guy in the building after he got hired. I actually got to see him go through that whole interview process with assistant coaches and kind of evaluating all kind of things within the building, and then just that change over with Coach (John) Fox. There were so many of us that stayed from the previous coaching staff, that I lost that little bit of experience from that; but then just kind of seeing how the roster got remodeled, changes in philosophy on the offensive side – especially because we went from drop-back option to drop back … Just seeing how you could change what you need to do to win. I think that was a great experience for me. I saw a 3-4 defense to a 4-3. I just saw a lot of pieces get moved around and was exposed to a lot of really good coaches.”
(Correct me if I’m wrong, but you’re kind of closest to those players of your whole time. QB Peyton Manning obviously, WR Wes Welker. It seems like you have a whole lot of connection with those guys.) – “Yes. Some of these guys that are veteran players were rookies when I was there. Demaryius (Thomas), he was a rookie in 2010 and I was a wide receivers coach. I’ve known him his whole career and was with him at the very beginning. And Emmanuel (Sanders) and Virgil (Green), C.J Anderson – all of those guys – I saw Von (Miller) when he was rookie, kind of what he went through. When you remove yourself from that situation and you watch those guys, it’s interesting to see them now compared to what they were when they were younger. You can see the professionalism with those guys, as far as how they’ve grown up and really, you can tell on tape, those guys, how serious they take things and want to get right.”
(How important is quarterback mobility even like within the pocket to help your pass blocking, to help your offense?) – “It’s important. When you have a guy that can kind of feel where it’s getting a little loose and you can kind of avoid that guy because a lot of times a linemen might lose, but he hasn’t just lost cleanly and he can push him past you and if you can slide a little bit and find a softer spot in the pocket, that can save you a lot of the times. I think the best one that I ever saw was Peyton (Manning). He did it better than anybody I’ve ever been around. I’m sure Tom (Brady), they’re probably very similar; but I haven’t coached him. A lot of the guys that I’ve been around, the younger guys always tend to want to take off and run and don’t always have as much confidence; but the older guys, when they lose their legs a little bit, they kind of realize the best way to get the throw off and not get hit is to figure out a way to subtly slide in the pocket and find the soft spots.”
(You’ve got older guys at quarterback, so how have they done with that this year?) – “That’s one of the things that I think Jay’s (Cutler) really been … That was like his number one thing that he was trying to work on since he’s gotten here is really improving on that. I thought he was really good at it in 2015. He did have that element though. He would take off a little bit more and this year it hasn’t been … It’s been a few times that he’s done that. He’s been trying to just move and stay in the pocket. Matt (Moore) has a pretty good feel of when to do it and how to do it. Every once in a while he’ll bail and try to get to the edge. It’s a fine line. You’ve got to know when to do it and sometimes when you don’t have the speed to … I mean guys are so fast, they close the cushion really quickly.”
(Is there any kind of effect associated with the fact that Broncos Head Coach Vance Joseph obviously knows you very well in terms of what you want to call and, obviously, you know him and his defensive mindset?) – “I don’t know. We’ll see. I don’t have a good answer. I think we’ve both evolved even from last year.”
(Have you been in touch with Broncos Head Coach Vance Joseph this year? Do you guys call or text or anything during the year?) – “A little bit. Not a ton. It’s hard with the two-hour time difference. It’s hard to have long conversations with anybody. You’re just going nonstop from the start of the week to the end.”
(Aside from this week, Broncos Head Coach Vance Joseph is a guy you root for, I assume?) – “Vance?”
(Yes.) – “Yes, absolutely.”
(Can you talk about your relationship with Broncos Head Coach Vance Joseph a little bit?) – “Yes. We’ve known each other since 2008. He’s been a good friend of mine for a long time. We always wanted to hook back up after we left San Francisco. When I left San Francisco, we talked about getting on the same staff one day and we had an opportunity last year. I thought it was good experience, at least for me. I can’t speak for him, but I learned a lot. We had a lot of conversations just about how I would prepare for something and he would tell me how he would handle things or how he would coach DBs and how he would get ready for a game. We had a lot of good conversations and I think it helped both of us grow.”
(QB Jay Cutler has been injured twice. You’ve talked about how he’s a tough guy. Have you seen any indications that he’s lost faith in the offensive line at all or pass protection?) – “No. The one time we just lost on a block late and he was holding onto the ball and took a pretty good shot to the chest, with the ribs. The concussion, he was actually … He left the pocket, kind of snuck up the middle and it was a strange hit.”
(Do you know if QB Jay Cutler had a concussion before?) – “As far as before…?”
(If QB Jay Cutler had a concussion at a different point in his career or if this was the first.) – “I think he was … He might have been in the (concussion) protocol at some point a long time ago. I don’t know the exact year.”
(It can be pretty sobering. Did you and QB Jay Cutler have any conversations about long term with him?) – “He didn’t bring that to me. It was probably more me just making sure everything was good with him just because anytime guys get concussions, with what we know nowadays, (we’re) just making sure our players are taking the right steps and they feel good coming back out on the field.”
(I believe RB Kenyan Drake was on kickoff returns to close the game. Is that an option on Sunday or do you need him?) – “We’ll see how it plays out. We’re a little bit thin. We were a little bit thin that last game.”
(I was wondering if you have other guys that can play running back in a pinch?) – “Maybe. Yes, we do. We had contingency plans going into (last) game, actually.”
(Is it something those guys ever practice or do you just think that they have the skillset?) – “No, we’ve done some things to make sure that we know if we get in a bad situation, we know what to do.”
(DT Jordan Phillips?) – “He would be an interesting guy to put back there. (laughter)”
(Will the team need to add a running back today or tomorrow?) – “Yes, we’re going to bring ‘Smitty’ (De’Veon Smith) up here this afternoon. We’ve just got to go through the proper procedures; but he’ll be on the roster.”
(What do you mean bring somebody up, like from practice squad?) – “Yes”
Adam Gase – November 27, 2017
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Monday, November 27, 2017
Head Coach Adam Gase
(Obviously losing five in a row and outscored by 115 this year, you spoke yesterday about players needing to do what they’re told. Unless you guys play really well the next five weeks, do you just basically need a bunch of new players, in your opinion?) – “No.”
(So the roster you think is pretty good as it is?) – “I like the guys that we have on the roster right now. I think there’s a lot of things that we can do better. I think these guys have done a good job of sticking together through a little bit of the adversity. Things haven’t always gone as we really planned and the good thing is these guys go back to work on Wednesday.”
(For these final five games do you talk playoffs or what is the, do you kind of turn to next season in evaluating the roster?) – “No, we’re going to focus on winning one game right now. We’re playing Denver this week. That’s all we’re worried about.”
(Is there clarity on RB Damien Williams status?) – “Right now we’ll keep evaluating. I look at it as day to day, knowing him. He’s tough and what he went through yesterday was very painful. I’m not sure many guys would bounce back as quickly as he does.”
(Can you enlighten us on the nature of the injury? Is it a separated shoulder?) – “I don’t want to get into all of the details. I just know he was in a lot pain during the game.”
(It was reported last week that DE William Hayes would be out an extended period. Do you expect him back this year playing for you guys?) – “I’m thinking that would be probably tough for him to do. We’re still kind of looking at the options, but I think we’re going to move forward soon. I’ll have probably more information for you guys later this week.”
(How did DE Charles Harris do with a little bit more work than usual? Obviously DE Terrence Fede picked up some snaps too?) – “I thought our guys did a lot of the things that we talked about doing. There’s a few things that we want to clean up. We were trying to put as much pressure as we could on him and rush him the right way. Tom (Brady) is very, very tough to get to. He does a great job of knowing when to get rid of the ball and (Patriots Offensive Coordinator) Josh McDaniels does a great job of using Tom’s talents to their advantage, as far as play calling goes, and has a great feel of when they need to get the ball out quick. He knows when they can hold onto it. It’s a tough matchup for anybody that plays those guys because they’ve been together for so long and they kind of have a great feel for each other. They execute what they’re doing extremely well.”
(QB Jay Cutler, is he still in concussion protocol?) – “We’ll have more clarity of that today – later today. So tomorrow, I’ll probably be able to have a better idea of what’s going on. I’m just not ready to say for sure yet.”
(Did you look more at the tape on the two picks that were directed at WR DeVante Parker? Do you think he could have done more in each instance, in either instance?) – “I think I just look at both of those of … I think the first one, he was just trying to give him a shot. They both feel like they could have done something a little different and then the last one, he was throwing it into the wind. It wasn’t really a great situation for Matt (Moore) to be in. He gave him a chance but DeVante I don’t think quite picked it up. The ball was a little short. I mean it was the end of the game and we were just trying to see if we could get something, a chuck play there.”
(You obviously have had a lot success early in you coaching career in Denver and Chicago. You did good things last year, leading this team to a playoff spot. Not having success this year, has it made you introspective at all in terms of, ‘Is there something I could be doing differently?’ Has it left you puzzled at all because this is adversity after success?) – “Don’t forget about my first five years in Detroit. That wasn’t really that fun. You’re always going to look at yourself first and try to figure out all of the things you can do to help. Once you go through those stages and you try to really filter it out between the coaching staff and players, really that’s what the season’s all about is finding ways to get better, trying to use your strengths to your advantage and trying to avoid putting your players in poor positions with things that they’re not great at. That’s really the whole battle of the NFL. It’s not always going to go as smooth as you want it and you just have to be ready to adjust. You need your players to stay on board, keep focused, worry about one game at a time and not worry about the end result. You’ve got to focus on the process and keep trying to find ways to get better.”
(Back to running back, with RB Damien Williams uncertain, do you anticipate getting another running back? I know RB De’Veon Smith is on the practice squad?) – “Yes, we’ll get through all of that tonight and probably have a better idea tomorrow. Obviously, we’re a little short-handed right now, so we’ll figure out what the best moves are for us going forward.”
(You are satisfied your players have stayed on board?) – “Yes, I think our guys have done a good job. They’ve been through a lot of different things this year and every day, when we come back to practice on Wednesday, you’re seeing guys that are really putting a lot of effort into practice to get better. You can tell. I’ve been through it before. I’ve watched it. I’ve seen when guys, when they quit. I’ve seen when guys don’t practice hard and basically throw their hands up and really don’t care, and you see those guys be eliminated from the NFL very quickly. I watch our guys in practice and I see the energy level, I see the way they try to execute, I see them in meetings. Guys are trying to do things right.”
(How difficult do you think this is to turn around?) – “Well, we need to focus on one game. There’s really nothing you can do more than that. It’s about going back to work. It’s about correcting the things we know we can correct. It’s about taking the non-talent things and making sure those are perfect and then when we get into a game, we have to carry that over from practice. When we play a team like we just did, that is going to do things at an extremely high level, we have to make sure that we’re on it and we do things right. This next week, we’re going to have a lot of different challenges that we’re going to end up going against in different areas and we’re going to have to figure out, ‘What’s the best way to play these guys?’ (We have to) do a good job in practice all week and then on Sunday, we have to go out there and execute.”
(What have you been seeing from CB Bobby McCain this year? He looks like he’s been developing rather well.) – “I thought last year, when Bobby became the starter, it was all about getting good at being in the right leverage and using his help to his advantage. Then when we went through that whole year, I think he was able to take the next step of, ‘How do I make the coverage tighter? How do I get hands on the ball? How do I put myself in the right position?’ I see a guy that’s trying to play the right style of football for that position. He does a good job of sticking his nose in there when he has to in the run game. He’s staying tight on coverage. There’s not a lot of balls completed on him. He’s getting his hands on balls. I think he’s playing extremely confident right now and he’s been one of our most consistent guys on defense.”
(Do you believe the whole concept of winning culture is just a BS cliché or do you think that there’s something there because last year one was established. You guys during the course of nine wins in 10 games expected to win. Is that something you have to rebuild now after this losing streak or is a winning culture just a pile of nonsense?) – “I can’t say it is nonsense because I feel like I’ve been hearing that for as many years as I’ve been in the NFL. Really what you have to focus on is getting as many guys that have experienced adverse situations and can overcome things that happen during a game and during a season. That’s why I like a lot of the guys that we have on this team. Last year was a good testing ground for us because what you just said was basically what I was told when I got here. I felt like guys basically wiped the slate clean and didn’t believe in that and found ways to win games. We’ve put ourselves in some good positions this year, pulled a couple off and we’ve had a couple of chances in these last five games to win some games and it just didn’t go our way. A lot of those were self-inflicted. That’s what gives me confidence that we can get things going in the right direction.”
(As it stands, RB Kenyan Drake is the lone tailback. What do you need to see from him going forward throughout the remainder of the season?) – “I think we need to clean some things up – the ball security, for one. I look at that fumble and it was completely avoidable and he knows it. I think he takes a lot of pride in what he does. He wants to be what we expect him to be, which is a guy that can help us move the chains in the run game, be extremely effective in the pass game and knows what to do in protection. He’s a second-year player and we need him to come along as quickly as possible. The good thing is when he does get a crease and he hits one, it can be an explosive play. He’s one of those guys. The whole reason we drafted him was he came from a program that a lot of us in our building know who he was coached by and know the kind of work ethic that he had. We liked it and we felt like it fit our culture. We’ve just got to keep pushing him to get better every week.”
(Are you anticipating G/T Jermon Bushrod being able to practice this week?) – “I haven’t gotten to that part yet with the trainers.”
(The run defense has been allowing a lot of yards recently, I guess starting with Baltimore. Does this go beyond gap integrity?) – “No. I think we’ve had … You can’t say every game has been like that because two weeks ago it wasn’t like that. This last game, it’s a tough situation because you’re going to make sure you don’t get carved up in the passing game. Sometimes what happens is you get a little loose in the run game and one guy misses his assignment or one guy misses a tackle and then all of a sudden you’ve got an explosive play. Obviously there’s a couple things we have to clean up in that area from this last game. The good thing is we’ve got another opportunity next week.”
(There were a couple of the sacks that seem like it looked like the blitzer wasn’t picked up, like guys picking up the wrong guy. Is that an issue in communication?) – “No, we just didn’t do what we were supposed to do.”
(DE Cameron Wake seemed to be very active – one sack and I think five quarterback hits. What can you say about the effort that he gave?) – “I mean that’s what you’re going to get every week from him. I don’t think anything has changed in the last however many years he’s been here. I just know it’s been a long time. He’s high energy, high effort and he’s going to do everything he can to help the team. That’s the kind of guy you like having on your team.”
(You mentioned the self-inflicted issues. I know nobody is more frustrated about that than you. Are you any closer to putting your finger on why the penalties, turnovers and things like that are occurring?) – “Well the turnovers are … There’s going to be interceptions. When you throw the ball 40 times, it’s going to happen, especially because we were throwing some balls down the field. We tried to make sure that we put our guys in the best position possible and sometimes we’re being aggressive and try to let our guy make a play and it doesn’t work out. The fumbles, I always look at as those are always avoidable. It’s just about ball security. We keep working on it and keep trying to put ourselves in that position in practice. I think we made a huge emphasis on it last week. I know it was very annoying to all of the guys that had to carry the ball; but I felt like you could tell when you’re watching most of the tape, you see guys trying to do a good job as far as when they get in traffic, really getting two hands on it and making sure they hold onto the ball. The pre-snap penalties were really nonexistent this last game. That was a huge point of emphasis for us last week. We feel like some of the penalties we had in this last game, we could easily avoid and it goes back to fundamentals. We can’t have the post-snap penalty. We can’t have a hands to the face or holding (penalty). If we’re in the right position with our fundamentals, we’ll be alright.”
(RB Senorise Perry’s concussion, did the indecision on that kickoff return contribute? It appeared as though Senorise…) – “I can’t say. I just know it was two guys running really fast that collided. I just saw the tail end of that and that was a very violent collision.”
Cameron Wake – November 26, 2017 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 26, 2017
Postgame – New England Patriots
Dolphins DE Cameron Wake (transcribed by the New England Patriots)
Q: Losing streaks, this is five straight, how painful is this one and how do you get this fixed?
CW: Hopefully I can speak for most of the guys in the locker room, I don’t look at streaks. I treat it as one game, whether you win or lose. You get 24 hours to sulk or 24 hours to pat yourself on the back and cheer and you got to move on. To be very honest, I haven’t thought past this last game. And you have to focus on the next game. The next play is always the most important and this one was the most important one. You can’t be thinking about three games ago because that really has no bearing on today. As far as today is concerned, I guess frustrating is the simplest word to use being that we feel like we had a great opportunity. Great game plan, but again as I have said in the past, there are self-inflicted wounds that rear their ugly head that cost you plays, that in turn cost you position on the field, that cost your points on the board. And obviously that sways the course of the game. The only way to fix most things in football is to sprinkle a little hard work on it and, you know, just because you work hard still doesn’t guarantee you victory. You know, you have to go out there and execute, you got to go out there and do all the things, cliques in football. Next play, one play, could change the game, so on and so forth. Today, I felt like, on both sides of the ball, there were opportunities we didn’t capitalize on. And there were things that we did to hurt ourselves, rather from the outside hurting us, so those are things, again I said before frustrating, but also probably the easiest to fix. If I had a solution, it would already be fixed by now. But I’m a strict believer in hard work fixes most things.
Q: When the Patriots ran a fake punt on the first drive of the game, is that a sign of disrespect to your team that they are willing to take that gamble?
CW: That would be a great question to ask them. I just feel like they’re like anyone else, just trying to make plays wherever they can. We did the same thing. We gambled on fourth-and-whatever it was and made a big play, but that’s football. Any play, when you’re on the field, can be play to change the game. It doesn’t matter if it’s defense, it doesn’t matter if it’s special teams, it doesn’t matter if it’s offense, you have to play complementary. So, if the defense goes out and gets a stop, it’s now the punt or punt return, whoever is out there, it’s their opportunity to do their job, make sure they punt the ball and then offense gets the ball, and so on and so on and so on. It’s that complementary football. The play you’re speaking about, obviously it wasn’t complementary.
Q: Were you near Bobby McCain on the play in which he got ejected?
CW: Actually, I don’t think I was on the field at the time, but I’d have to go back and look at the replay.
Q: Just before that, there was a face mask penalty on Xavien Howard and then McCain got ejected. Was the defense losing composure at that point?
CW: I’m actually interested to see the play. I mean, to get ejected, I would assume you’d have to do something pretty vile.
Q: They said he threw a punch.
CW: Again, he said, she said. I’d have to see it. I know Bobby and obviously we’ve been here for a long time. He’s, as far as I – I mean, he’s shown on tape he’s a pretty composed guy. It will be interesting to see what happened in the replay.
Q: What’s the toughest part in trying to dig out of this five game losing streak?
CW: It kind of goes week-by-week. Obviously, this game – and this is not just this team. It’s any team. This is the NFL. If you hurt yourself, as well as the other team trying to hurt you, it causes a compound effect. Obviously, they’re going to make plays. They’re professional athletes. But, then if you do damage to your own self on top of the things that they’re doing, you’re fighting a losing battle. So, I guess the frustration – and I told you before, I’m not into the streaks. My focus is on the current situation. This game – that was the most frustrating thing.
Q: How many times would you say that happens where the team hurts itself?
CW: Well, generally, any penalties are self-inflicted wounds – before the play, especially, during the play, as well – whether it’s pass interference, jumping offside, like I did, or players miscommunicating or whatever it may be and you’ve got somebody running wide open or a back running through our defense untouched. I mean, those are the things that it’s not physical ability that causes that. There’s nobody who’s that fast. There’s nobody who’s that strong in the NFL. It’s you made a wrong step or went the wrong way or I didn’t tell you something, you didn’t tell me something. Jumping offside is not concentrating on your play. Guys running free, hitting the quarterback – all those things aren’t physical things. If you get beat, you get beat. This is the NFL. I mean, that happens, but to say a guy’s just running free untouched – pass, run – or hitting the quarterback, all those things, that’s you did it to yourself, not they did it to you.
Q: What is it about the Patriots that frustrates you guys the most and has allowed them to have such success over the past 17 seasons?
CW: It’s just another game. To me, it’s no special sauce. Its, again, as I just mentioned, I don’t look at it the way that you look at it. You’re a bit of a cheerleader. I just look at it as football. It’s football and as I told before, if you do things to yourself as well as somebody trying to do the same thing to you, then you’re fighting a losing battle. Today we did a lot of things to cause us to lose the game, not them doing it to us.
Q: With the playoffs looking like a long shot now, how do you keep guys from checking out on the season?
CW: Well, it’s the same concept as if you’re looking at the statistics and the standings, the formulas, which I’ve been in this league a long time. To me, I really don’t care. I don’t even know them. If you asked me what they are I couldn’t tell you. The reality is you just have to focus on winning and it’s not five weeks from now, it’s not five in a row, it’s the next game, the next play. What are you going to do to make sure you, as an individual, win your matchup? You do your job on that play. People ask me all kinds of questions about this big picture thing. I’m not a big picture guy. I like to focus on the step right in front of me and figuring it out, and we have to do the same thing as a team. If you’re looking at the – I couldn’t even tell you who the third game from now is. Whoever that is, if you’re figuring that game out then you’re going to miss whoever we’re playing next week which, again, I don’t even know. But it’s all about the next play, the next snap, the next game and all of the rest of the stuff will fall into place or not. But if you’re looking past, you’re going to miss the step right in front of you.
