Jarvis Landry – September 24, 2017 (Postgame)
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Sunday, September 24, 2017
Postgame – New York Jets
Dolphins WR Jarvis Landry (transcribed by the New York Jets)
On his teammates kneeling…
We’re a team, we’re a family. We stick together, we stand by our teammates and we stand by our family, and that’s exactly what we did today.
On the offense…
We didn’t move the ball like we wanted to today. There are things that we did well and there are a lot of things we need to work on. We have to figure out a way to get back in there tomorrow and figure out what it is and attack next Sunday in London.
On Mr. Ross being on the sideline during the national anthem…
It means everything, all of the owners stepping up and finding a way to create a sense of unity. For him to be here today and lock arms with us, it’s amazing.
Ndamukong Suh – September 24, 2017 (Postgame)
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Sunday, September 24, 2017
Postgame – New York Jets
Dolphins DT Ndamukong Suh (transcribed by the New York Jets)
On how they Dolphins will get passed this loss…
Just got to go back and watch the film. I’ll probably watch it on the plane. Get prepared. Like you said, we’ve got a short week, then we’ll be on the road, got to go to London. At the end of the day, we just didn’t execute and they capitalized on mistakes. We can’t allow that to happen.
On what surprised him the most about today’s game…
Our lack of execution, especially with understanding exactly what they were going to do on the offensive side of the ball. And really what they did was capitalized on the mistakes that we made. So, that’s probably the biggest disappointment, especially last game where we were in a situation where we couldn’t make mistakes, and whoever made a mistake obviously lost a game. We were kind of in that same situation and we were the ones who made the mistake.
On whether there were any hints leading in this game that the team had an issue…
In my opinion, no. I think what we’ve got to understand is, regardless of what time of year it is, or wherever it is, guys just have to lock in each and every week. Practice is never going to be perfect. We obviously plan to (be) perfect and strive for that but there’s going to be mistakes, just like there are mistakes in games. Understand that we just have to go out there and understand going back to practice and being on a short week, we [have to be] that much more in tune in what we have to get done.
Michael Thomas – September 24, 2017 (Postgame)
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Sunday, September 24, 2017
Postgame – New York Jets
Dolphins S Michael Thomas (transcribed by the New York Jets)
On when he learned Adam Gase and Stephen Ross would join them in locking arms during the national anthem….
I knew immediately after the comments by the president. We didn’t want to have a team meeting about it but we knew it had to be addressed. It was completely different than the meeting we had last year in Seattle. Last year, nobody in the NFL was saying anything publicly supporting us. To see it now and where we are today, you can’t tell me we haven’t made a difference.
On his last communication with Colin Kaepernick…
Probably last year when I took a knee. It’s been a while. We don’t talk often. We “like” each other’s posts on social media and show support that way but we don’t talk every day.
On why he locked arms during the anthem instead of kneeling…
Once we decided as a team to do something, this includes black players and white players saying, “what can we do?” some said they didn’t want to take a knee but wanted to support. Nobody was opposed to locking arms. Some players wanted to take a knee. For me, it was big to have everybody who didn’t support us last year or who might have been against us last year to be with us now. That includes the coaching staff and ownership.
On if locking arms instead of kneeling will lessen criticism…
People are going to criticize regardless. But it does take a little of the heat away because it’s not just one or two players, it’s an entire organization.
On if locking arms during the anthem will last the entire season…
This wasn’t the original plan. This year we were going to focus on what we do in the community. Things change quickly. On Wednesday, we did a piece with Tony Dungy that might air on Sunday Night Football where we said we weren’t going to take a knee this year but work in the community. But Friday night comes, the president makes those comments, and things change. To see the progress and see how many people have joined this conversation is huge.
On his first thoughts after learning about the president’s comments…
It just amazed me that with everything going on in the world, especially in the United States, and this is what you’re concerned about? As a man, a father, an African-American man, as someone in the NFL who you called a “SOB”, I took it personally. But its’ bigger than me. I have a daughter, she must live in this world. I want to make sure she can look at her dad and say he tried to make a change.
Jay Cutler – September 24, 2017 (Postgame)
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Sunday, September 24, 2017
Postgame – New York Jets
Dolphins QB Jay Cutler (transcribed by the New York Jets)
On their offensive difficulties…
I think early on we were in a lot of third-and-longs, which is tough against this defense with the multiple fronts and coverages they were showing us. After that, we got one dimensional and got into a throwing situation. We didn’t help our defense at all and didn’t help ourselves.
On if they were having communication problems early on when they had to call time out…
I’ll take responsibility for that. I’ve got to get everybody set and make sure everybody is on the same page. It can’t happen again. It’s an unfortunate situation there. It put ourselves in third and impossible.
On if communication issues continued throughout the game…
We were passing every play. We’re trying to get everyone lined up. We’re getting a little bit tired because I don’t know how many times we threw the ball there at the end of the game. We just have to do a better job there (in the) first quarter, second quarter of getting first downs and trying to sustain drives.
On his teammates saying the team had a bad week of practice…
I think anytime you go out there and play like that, you’re going to go back and look at what you did at practice and refine some things and change some things and try to get better. That was a good defense we saw, but I believe we’re a good offense. We have a lot of talent. We’ll go and look at this game tomorrow and figure things out and go back to practice. That’s all we can do.
On if the team is road weary…
I don’t know. On one side, you’d say that’s fair and on the other, that’s the NFL. You just have to deal with it. Like you said, we’re not going to make excuses. We felt prepared going into this game. We just laid an egg. We’ve got to figure out why that happened this week and practice better and get ready for this next one.
On what disappoints him most about today…
We didn’t help the defense. The way we played on offense, we didn’t give them a chance. They held them to 20 (points), which is unbelievable the way we played on offense. We couldn’t get a first down those first three or four series. It was first down, second down, third down, punt. You’re not going to win any games doing that.
On if the protests before the game were a distraction…
We just stood and locked arms. I think we were just supporting each other. I don’t think that’s too out of line or something that can be misconstrued as us not being focused on the game because we were. You can look at our practices. There are good days and bad days. There are good plays and bad plays, but everyone was focused and everyone felt like they were prepared.
On the president’s comments on player advocacy…
I don’t think my comments are going to help the situation. I want to support my teammates the best that I can. I’d do anything for those guys in there even though I’ve only been here a month or so. They give us everything they can out there. Off the field, I want to help and support them anyway they need it.
On how they will get ready to play in London next week…
I think that game was a wakeup call for us. We can’t just roll out there and expect it to happen. We have to prepare. We’ve got to be ready each and every game because it doesn’t matter who your opponent is and if they’ve won one game, zero games or 10 games. You can lose each and every week in this league. It’s done. You look at the scores each week and there’s an underdog winning and there’s somebody getting blown out. That happened to us today. It should be a wakeup call for our entire team that we’ve got to get it together.
Cameron Wake – September 24, 2017 (Postgame)
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Sunday, September 24, 2017
Postgame – New York Jets
Dolphins DE Cameron Wake (transcribed by the New York Jets)
On the positive takeaways from today’s game…
It’s hard right now. I am actually really itching to look at the tapes. It kind of baffles me on what just happened. I am drawing a blank right now, but I will be sure to figure it out soon.
On the team’s practices leading up to the game…
I am scratching my head looking for any avenue to figure out what caused the issue. Practice may have been the cause, but I don’t know. It’s frustrating knowing the opportunity we have in front of us. Knowing the players and personnel that we have in the locker room. To come out and play the way we did, it is unacceptable.
On whether the team overlooked the New York Jets…
I don’t think so. I think it’s hard to win in this league. Any given Sunday as they say. The Jets came out today and played better than we did. It’s not a situation on whether we overlooked or not. This is the NFL. These are the best players in the world no matter what team or scenario. If you don’t give your very best, you’re going to end up with the short end of the stick.
On the feeling in the locker room after the loss…
Shock, anger, disappointment, frustration. To be very honest, I don’t think it was a game we should have lost. And I definitely think we shouldn’t had came out and let them beat us the way they did. I feel like whatever needs to be done, it has to be fast so we can get back on track. No one is going to wait for you to figure it out.
On the team responding to this wake up call…
I am pretty confident in the guys we have. They are prideful guys. Guys who take their jobs seriously and want to win. Most of the guys were around last year when things got a little sticky. We had to fight our way out. I know we don’t want to put ourselves in a situation like that again. We rather hit first than hit back. This is the league you’re playing in, every week is going to be a battle till the end.
Adam Gase – September 22, 2017
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Friday, September 22, 2017
Head Coach Adam Gase
(We saw RB Jay Ajayi, WR Jarvis Landry and WR DeVante Parker all practice, but DT Jordan Phillips was in a boot from what we saw. Your optimism on all four, I guess?) – “The guys that practiced, I feel a lot better about. Jordan at this time, we’re trying to see where he’s at. It has been a little rougher week than what we anticipated.”
(What needs to be done in the red zone? You were 0-for-3 last week.) – “We probably have a couple of better selections. We wasted a couple plays on some bad calls versus some of what they did on defense. We had a couple opportunities to hit some things, whether it be hit Jarvis (Landry) on the 1(-yard line). I know we ran an end-around pass, (and we could have) possibly hit that. Who knows? Just clean up a few things. We’ve worked a lot on it. Our guys have been pretty successful at it. Usually when we get down there, we find a way to get in the end zone. The biggest thing for us, we just keep talking about getting points, getting down there as much as possible. That’s really where we struggled last year was we didn’t have a lot of opportunities. I think I was just more excited that we got in the red zone that much. We’re just going to keep working at it. We’ll get better. We’ve just got to kind of find our rhythm.”
(Are we likely to see both C/G Anthony Steen and G/T Jesse Davis at left guard again?) – “We’ll talk about it more this afternoon. Nobody has really separated themselves. I think both those guys did a good job last week and play hard. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with us playing two guys.”
(Would you be alright with three defensive tackles going into the game or would you rotate somebody else in there?) – “I mean we’re going to have to … What are our options? We’ll figure it out. We’ve got some contingency plans; we always do. We’ve got multiple guys playing multiple positions. You’ve got different fronts you can run, so there are ways around it.”
(What do you want to see from LB Chase Allen in his second NFL game?) – “Just keep getting better. He seems more comfortable than what he was when we first started back in the spring. I know this, the guy can run and hit and tackle. It’s not real hard sometimes. Sometimes it’s just see ball, get ball.
(Is DE Terrence Fede a guy who can play inside?) – “Yes, he has done that. We’ve got him and (William) Hayes and those guys. Basically everybody has played inside at some point.”
(RB Jay Ajayi got 28 of the 29 carries for running backs last week. That’s a little bit different than last year where RB Kenyan Drake and RB Damien Williams got more in the mix. How do you determine that? Is it just the flow of the game?) – “A lot of times you try to do it by series; but we had three series over 10 plays. We only had eight (possessions) for the game. It felt shorter than what it was probably. You also don’t want to take (Ajayi) out of his rhythm. We’ve just got to see how the game goes. I think we have a pretty good plan – kind of feel – of how we want to do this, this week. We like having those other two guys on the field, too. It’s just it’s hard to take out the guy that’s really, really good.”
(To piggyback off that, how did you see the time of possession advantage paid off for you guys?) – “I think it’s something that we enjoy on the offensive side being able to do, because it gives us our defense a rest, which we really didn’t do that for them last year. This year, having three drives over 10-plays was nice for them to be able to go back over to the sideline, get things squared away and then get fresh and get ready to go. If we can avoid the three-and-outs and getting crushed on time of possession, that’s ideal. Sometimes in preseason, I think we had a couple drives where we’re scoring in four plays or something and we have the ball for a minute; but when the defense sees us score touchdowns, they don’t really care at that point.”
(Do you have a feel right now for how you’ll use LB Stephone Anthony on Sunday, if you’re using Anthony?) – “Not really. We’re going to talk about it this afternoon.”
(How much does it help to have familiarity like you do with Jets QB Josh McCown?) – “It’s been a while. It’s been 10 years since we were together. He’s developed a little bit over the years. I saw him in July, so I don’t know if that really counts for anything. When you get game experience in this league and you’ve been on multiple teams and different systems, you grow. He’s a different player than when I had him. You can tell the game has slowed down for him a lot. He can see things. When you pressure him, he can see it and he can react and make a throw and turn it loose. That’s a thing you always have to be a little cautious with a veteran quarterback because they know how to get out of it.”
(How do you view WR Jarvis Landry’s 13 receptions for 78 yards. You would think he would have more yards, but understand the routes that he was being hit on. How do you view it overall?) – “My thing with Jarvis is he does so much of the dirty work. A lot of those catches are not easy plays because he’s got a lot of guys running at him. He did a great job getting us first downs. There were a lot of situations where he caught balls that were 7 or 8 yards that were huge plays because we got another first down. That’s really what we’ve been talking about all spring and all of training camp is we have to find ways to accumulate these first down conversations instead of waiting until third down and then someone’s trying to make a great play. It gets tough on third down. It becomes multiple and everybody knows what you’re doing, especially once you get past third-and-5. The fact that he was able to move the chains consistently, he did a great job of catching the ball and getting north and really being aware of where the sticks were. If we can keep that up, that’s ideal for us. I think it’s going to be hard to get him that many catches every game. I didn’t even realize it. It just kind of happened. We want to keep spreading the ball out because we have a lot of different guys. We never want them to be able to just target one guy.”
(I’m curious on your philosophy on 50/50 balls. The guy’s covered obviously, it could be an interception it could be a big play. It’s been working for you at least in the preseason and last week. But what’s your philosophy on that?) – “I think I’m good with it when it’s a completion. I think with DeVante (Parker), you feel like the percentages go up. It’s just not everybody’s forte. When you got guys that will fight for the ball, at worst you’re hoping for an incompletion. I think Jay (Cutler) has done a good job of understanding what everybody does well, when he can do that and when he might think twice about doing it. With ‘11’ (Parker), it’s tough not to do, because he is a big guy that can go up and get it. I think there’s a time and a place for it, and there will be some times where we won’t do it.”
(Your overall feelings about that Jets defense so far and the challenges for this week?) – “They had two hard matchups those first two games. Anytime you’ve got to go against ‘Shady’ (RB LeSean McCoy) and then you get Marshawn (Lynch), all of a sudden Derek Carr and those guys, it becomes very tough. Historically their run defense has been top five, and statistically right now, it’s not what they want it, obviously; but they’ve been playing two good teams. We know it’s going to be a challenge to run the ball because we’ve gone down this road with them before. We have to be very good in everything we do. They have youth in that secondary and they have linebackers that can run. Upfront is still tough and we have to do a good job and make sure we get guys covered up, and then we have to hit the holes when they’re there. That’s the problem with these guys. There’s not a lot of holes. You have to try to create them and see if you can find them and poke through there and then try to break a tackle, which is not easy to do against these guys.”
(Is there any danger of your players – I don’t want to say taking the Jets lightly but kind of – the talk about the Jets tanking and I’m sure they’ve seen it on social media?) – “I think our guys are excited to play a football game. To them its … We get to the point where it’s the second game of the season and we’re in the third week of the season. I think our guys are just excited that we’re going to get an opportunity to play on Sunday. I think they’re focused on themselves and doing their job and making sure they execute the right way. I haven’t heard our guys really talk about what anything is going on outside of here. They’re focused on what they’re doing.”
Cameron Wake – September 22, 2017
Friday, September 122, 2017
DE Cameron Wake
(Regardless of the situation – how good one team’s doing or how bad one team’s doing – talk about being a veteran taking on the Jets and how, no matter what, it just always seems like that game sometimes might be the toughest one on the schedule because of the rivalry?) – “Any given Sunday. It doesn’t really matter. This is the NFL. You look around sometimes in college football and you see such-and-such blowing out this other team. It doesn’t happen like that (in the NFL). Every game, you’re going to be in the thick of it. You’re playing against the best players in the world. It doesn’t matter how their season’s going. We were 0-2 last year and we know how bad they want to turn their season in the proper direction, so I know they’re going to come out there and give us their best shot, and we’ve got to be ready for it.”
(What is it about the Jets, more than teams like even the Patriots or other teams, that you dislike so much? Anywhere you go, to the barber shop, everywhere, ‘Jets suck.’ What is it about that?) – “From the moment I got here, obviously, a division rival, New York, Miami, whatever it may be, it’s always been a big game, a game circled on your calendar. Again, they’ve had great teams, I think we’ve had great teams. We’ve had great games together, both ways. You just want to make sure that when you come out of that game, that you put a win in your column, because down the line, whether it’s for playoff standings, whatever it may be, you want to make sure that you can grab a win now when it’s early on in the season.”
(Do you still consider the Jets and the Dolphins a rivalry?) – “As far as I’m concerned, it is.”
(Do things feel a little bit more back to normal now that you’re back in South Florida, back into the routine a little bit more?) – “LA’s not normal? (Laughter) It’s back to our routine, things that we know, the familiarity. (We’re) obviously getting back on our normal schedule. It definitely feels good. I’m getting ready and I’m excited to go out and play.”
(When DE Andre Branch re-signed here, what was your level of excitement to have him back long term, because you guys obviously worked together pretty well last year?) – “We had a lot of fun last year, and obviously I enjoy playing with him. I think I was probably one of the guys pounding the table to make sure that we did whatever we could to make sure that he stayed. I think if you speak to him, this organization, the coaching staff, the city as a whole fits and he’s enjoyed being here. I’m pretty sure he had opportunities to look other places; but Miami is his home. I know going forward he’s going to give us everything he has, play hard, and be the player that got him into the situation he’s in. So I’m looking forward to bigger and better things, and I’m happy that I’m playing on his side.”
(Whose table did you pound to keep DE Andre Branch?) – “Pounding all tables that are presented.”
(How much did you know about DE William Hayes before he signed with the Dolphins and has anything about him stood out to you?) – “Oh boy, Hayes. (Laughter) He’s a tough football player, obviously. To be very honest, I didn’t know a whole lot about him. I knew of him. I had never met him personally; but going over his play style and the way he does his business, we complement each other so well, so it seemed to be a perfect fit and I’m glad that when he’s on the field, there’s no let down, there’s no falloff. He’s a firecracker and he’s going to give it to you every play. Again, they did a great job of making sure that room is going to be a pretty solid room to deal with, so I’m happy about that.”
(I noticed you started smiling when I mentioned DE William Hayes’ name. Funny guy?) – “Funny’s a good word to use, I’ll use that one, funny. (laughter) He’s a funny guy. A great guy. He’s funny.”
(Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke said Chargers QB Philip Rivers averaged 2.1 seconds per release in the last game. Obviously that’s a respect to the defensive line trying to get rid of the ball quickly. How hard is it, or how frustrating is it, to play against when teams are scheming against the defensive line that way to get rid of the ball so quickly?) – “Well, it’d be frustrating if you didn’t prepare mentally to know that that’s the situation. The NFL, again, is made up of the greatest football players, but also the greatest coaching staffs all over the league, of course. I don’t know if you … If you put yourself as an (offensive) coordinator, would you sit back and pat the ball with the (Andre) Branchs and the (William) Hayeses and the (Ndamukong) Suhs and the (Charles) Harrises of the world coming after you? But again, you know that going into the game that that might be a possible game plan, and you have to adjust accordingly. If you allow it to frustrate you, then you’re letting them win. You have to go out there and play every play like this is the play, that it may be 3.2 or 4 (seconds), or whatever it may be, because the moment when you concede and say, ‘Alright, well the ball’s going to be gone,’ that’s the moment when he’s going to hold the ball and that’s when the big play goes. I’ve said it many times, every single play I’m getting a sack. I don’t care (if I’m) double-teamed, 2.1 (seconds), a run play. I’m going to go out there and have that mentality and that’s the only way you can play, because when that play does come, again, you never know when it’s going to be. You have to be ready.”
(How is DE Charles Harris progressing, and how is he to work with?) – “Actually, very pleasant. Every so often, you hear stories around the league about first-rounders coming in with their chests out and their blank doesn’t stink and all that. It was none of that (with Harris). He’s a guy (that’s) humble, a hard worker. He’s eager to take on more, do more and perfect his craft. He has a lot of veteran guys in the group that he can go to and figure out different aspects of football. He’s definitely been a guy who’s taken on his role and approaches it with fire and fury, and I’m actually getting excited and looking forward to him going out and producing things on the football field.”
(I’ve had a few fans say that they enjoy using the phrase, ‘First-place Miami Dolphins.’ Does that phrase have significance to you, and if so what is it?) – “It would have significance for me in December, but there’s a long way to go. We’ve had one game. We (had one but) everybody else (had two). It’s a long season. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. If you’re in first place at 10 yards and you’ve got a 100 yard dash, what difference does that make? See me at the finish line.”
Jay Ajayi – September 22, 2017
Friday, September 22, 2017
RB Jay Ajayi
(How’s the body feeling this week after the heavy load last week?) – “I’m feeling good today. I’ve been talking with the coaches and I think we have a good plan leading up to this game.”
(What do you remember about the Jets game from December?) – “Yes, the second one? It was cold. I remember that. I remember their defense did a good job stopping us on the ground that game – better than they had done the previous time, and so our passing game really was able to be explosive that game. For the running backs, it was a tough one; but for the team, it was great to get that win.”
(What did they do defensively? Why were they effective against the run?) – “I think just during that game they made it their mission to kind of try and make us one-dimensional a little bit, and that year they were doing really well with their run defense. I think they just played us a good game that day on the ground.”
(Regardless of what the situation is going with one team doing well and one team doing bad, or whatever the case may be; this rivalry’s always fierce. Everybody’s got you guys going there and blowing them out but football doesn’t really work like that, especially at this level. Just talk about that.) – “Yes, I mean I think that this game … I mean every one of our divisional games, I think we kind of have a little bit of a rivalry with each one, where all of those games are intense and we don’t really like any of those guys. I think that whenever we play the Jets, it’s always been kind of intense out there. They always like to talk smack. That’s just what it’s been with my experiences playing against them and it’s been fun going against those guys, and I think it will be nice to go up there in New York and get a win.”
(You talked in the offseason about your goal of being a three-down back and always being on the field, so how satisfying was it that you were pretty much on the field the entire game against the Chargers?) – “Yes, I mean I looked at the play count and everything. It was like ‘Wow, I was almost out there like all of the plays,’ and I felt good. It felt good to be out there in all the plays and be dependable and be counted upon, and that’s just how the game plan went against the Chargers. We’ll see how it goes this week.”
(You’ve been dealing with a knee injury I guess for a minute. I think you were on the injury report last week with it too, is that right?) – “Yes, I mean (Head) Coach (Adam Gase) put it on there; but it’s just a little bit of rest and just keeping me feeling fresh for the game.”
(How much does staying on the field help your rhythm and how many carries do you feel is a good amount for you to be in rhythm?) – “I think anywhere from that 20-25 range is a good (number of) carries for a running back in a game. However the game goes, game flow, all of that stuff, can affect how many carries you get. It’s all about just taking what you get with the opportunities that you get, and that’s always my mentality is how many times we run ball, how many times (Head) Coach (Adam) Gase calls my number, whether it’s running the ball or catching it. Just take advantage of every opportunity and with every touch, just make it count and try to put points on the board.”
(Can you talk a little bit about your offensive line and how they effective they are in conjunction with you?) – “Just from the start of that game, they were pushing guys off the ball. It was really exciting for me just because we’ve been trying to see what’s going to happen with our o-Line and who’s going to be those five. To be able to start our year off with a 100-yard rushing game and then realizing that the (Los Angeles) Chargers team hadn’t given up 100-yard rushing (game) for like 17 weeks, I think that was definitely gratifying for us to know that we started our season on the right foot with a physical mentality, running the ball, we got a victory and just kind of setting that tone for the season.”
(When you look at the Jets defense, what stands out to you?) – “It’s kind of the same guys. There are a little bit of some new faces out there, so they’re a little bit young; but there’s still some of those same guys up there on the front. They’ve got my boy ‘Leo’ (DL Leonard Williams) – ‘Big 92’ – he’s going to always make it tough inside, and they’ve got some other great players on there. So it’s going to be a fun one for us on Sunday.”
