DE Cameron Wake – October 22, 2017 (Postgame)
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Sunday, October 22, 2017
Postgame – New York Jets
Miami Dolphins DE Cameron Wake (transcribed by Ted Leshinski)
(Another nail biter. Another intense game. You had to fight to the end. Do you ever get used to this? You know, coming back from behind. This something you’ve become accustomed to this season? Do you ever get used to that?) – “Well, the minute you step on an NFL field it’s going to be a close game. No matter who you play. Not matter what week it is. So you’ve got to get used to it the first time you strap on the pads. In this league there isn’t normally going to be a 40-point blowout. It’s going to come down to one play. It’s going to come down to the end of the game. Whoever has the ball last the defense has to stop. That’s kind of how it works. So, we’re accustomed to it. That’s the way we have to be built in order to win games in this league.”
(Cam, what was difference in the second half they scored 21 in the first then you pretty much shut them down in the second half?) “Well, I guess I kind of sound like a broken record. This is the nature of the way this team is built. Obviously we’d love to come out and jump on guys fast and start and that’s some things we got to work on. If you’re back is to the wall you got to fight your way out. I don’t think this team is built to lay down and give up. We’re going to come out swinging. I’m sure there’s a lot of factors that play into it. But when it’s hard, when it’s hot, when you’re tired, when you’re sore; at the end of the game that’s when usually it requires the most of you. Now, I’d like to think that the guys that we have in this locker room are built this way. That when it gets tough we’re going to find another gear and do whatever we got to do to make a win. If there’s not a way, find a way or make one.”
(Cam, a big comeback last week … last minute. The same thing this week. You come back from 14 down in the fourth quarter. What is it about this football team that stays so resilient? It knows that as long as there’s minutes left on the clock they’ve got an opportunity.) – “It sounds like a broken record, we’ve been saying this for years. It’s a belief in one another. No matter if there’s time on the clock we still believe we have a chance. Offense believes in the defense. The defense believes in special teams. The special teams believe in offense. So on and so forth, that we’re all going to make plays and play together. Like I’ve said, here’s obviously things we still need to work on but it’s hard to win in this league. And when you have that belief then you’re never technically out of the game. And I think we’ve been showing that over and over and over. Outside of this building people want to count us out, but inside the locker room we believe in one another and that’s why I believe we can still get things done that maybe in other situations it wouldn’t work out.”
(Cam, when you’re down by 14 it seems like the pass rush kind of cranked up a little bit. Was there a sense of urgency that you guys felt at that point?) – “I like to think that our urgency shouldn’t change. The situation in the game may chance, if they hold the ball a little longer or the protection might change. But at the end of the day our goals are always going to be the same, especially up the front. It’s going to be stopping the run and getting to the quarterback. I think, for the most part, we did that. And I think when you do that week in and week out I feel like it’s going to be a pretty solid defense. We enjoy going out there and doing what we need to do to get this W, continue to improve, week in and week out, and enjoy it for a short time and move on to the next.”
(Cam, the last few years around this time of year, October and November, you’ve gone on stretches of four or five games with at least one sack. You’ve doing that again. Why is that? Do you get more comfortable? What is it about this time of year that seems to get you going?) – “(Chuckles) I don’t know. I like to think that I try to get going all times of year. I really have a tremendous cast of guys around me. Guys like (DE) Will Hayes that don’t necessarily maybe make the front page headlines. He’s a guy going in there, stopping the run, getting us into position to be in third and long. He’s doing the dirty work inside, making pressure so that quarterbacks can’t step up. I feel like a lot of the accountability or accolades go to those guys. At the end of the day I might get the sack but it wouldn’t be able to be possible without guys like him, and (Ndamukong) Suh and Jordan Phillips and a bunch of those guys. So, it all has to work together. And when it breaks down we put it on ourselves. You can’t take the glory without the criticism and we have high standards for ourselves. I think it’s us as a group, and hopefully we get better week in and week out.”
(Cam, what is it about your preparation during practice throughout the week that gives you all ready to make the plays whenever they need to be made?) – “For me, and I think I can speak for a lot of the other guys who are out there, again as I told them earlier, most games are going to be one-score games. That’s the way this league is. Everybody is really good. They always have good quarterbacks, receivers, running backs, whatever it may be. When it’s crunch time, the big plays are going to be usually made by the big players. And as you’ve seen over the past few weeks, big players step up in big games and make big plays. And you have to have that mind set yourself. You have that pride about your game and preparation and all the other things and say, ‘Hey listen, it’s third and long. We need a stop. I’m going to be the guy.’ And if each guy has the mentality of ‘I’m going to be the guy’, then I think the way our defense is built we’re going to be tough to be beat.”
(Cam, the Jets lost their right tackle and it wasn’t a coincidence that you became pretty much unstoppable after that. When you see weakness or a change in personnel like that do your eyes get a little wider?) – “I’m going to be frank; I see weakness on Sunday night. Meaning tonight for next game. I see weakness before the game starts. I don’t care who you are – first string, all pro, third tackle … it doesn’t matter. To me you are a weakness. You can’t stop me, no matter when the ball’s snapped. No matter who you are. Three people, two people – it doesn’t matter. That’s the way I feel. It’s a nameless, faceless person that’s in the way of me getting my job done. So, I don’t change my course of action by whoever’s in there. As soon as I put my helmet on the guy that’s going to lineup next to me, he’s is in trouble. That weakness is started from the first time I stepped on the field.”
(Can you take us through CB Bobby McCain’s interception from your perspective and just what the lift was like on the sideline and the field when he did it?) – “Well again, obviously I knew the situation in the game, we were doing our best to obviously get the ball back to the offense so that they could put points on the board and obviously we could close the game out. But again, as I said earlier, it was a situation where we knew we needed the play. And he’s another guy who I think had been playing tremendously well over the course of the season and probably hasn’t been on too many headlines but he’s been working day in and day out to get his job done and he’s always around the ball. Little scrappy little mighty mouse we like to call him. Again, I think he has that same mentality that ‘I’m going to be the guy to make the play.’ Obviously when he gets the ball ‘get what you can and get down and let the offense do what they do.’ So said, obviously they got the ball in position and K (Cody) Parkey put it through the uprights to seal the game.”
(What’s the mentality like once it is crunch time and you guys are tied? You guys don’t want to go to overtime. Is it urgency or is it more of a calm, cool, collective we know how to play our game. Things will work things out.) – “Quick but no hurry in a sense. I think the guys who are going to be on the field; they know their abilities. They know what needs to be done. Again most guys out there played many many snaps. They’ve been in this situation before. You have to do whatever you can and I think whenever your number’s called, like Bobby McCain’s was, it’s your opportunity. You have the whole team on your back at that moment and we’re counting on you to get your job done and he did that. So I don’t think there is, it’s not panic but urgency and that’s a general theme throughout the end of most games in this league. If you don’t have that mentality and you don’t have that ‘I’m going to be the guy’ mentality then get off the field and put somebody else out there.”
(Did you have any issues with the turf today? I know some players were slipping out there.) – “Nope.”
(Did you think Matt Moore coming on gave the team extra motivation?) – “There’s probably 3 guys we lost throughout the game who somebody had to jump in there, and in this league, again, it’s that next man up mentality. Whether it’s injury, shoe lace, somebody needs a drink of water, whatever it is. When you go in and replace somebody wherever it is, quarterback, kicker, right tackle, left tackle. It doesn’t matter. The team expects that same level of performance from the guy you’re replacing. There’s no excuses, there’s no expectations, change, it’s the same thing. So, again I’ve been around Matt for many, many years, I know the kind of player he is and I didn’t have any change of expectations for when he goes in. He did his job and put us in a position to win the game.
(I think it was mid-way through the 4th, you guys were in your rally, the place was absolutely electric, in a way I hadn’t heard before in that building, what was it like to have that moment where it was just (inaudible) in there and you guys were rolling?) – Well, I love playing here, obviously. At home I feel like we have great fans great support, beautiful stadium. And as a defensive player when you’re out on the field, and it’s 3rd down, you can’t hear anything, and neither can they, they don’t know, they can’t make the calls, they make the changes, and they cause false starts or miscommunications or whatever it may be and we benefit from that. So, today the place was electric like you said everybody was standing up screaming and hollering and as a defensive player, you come in on 3rd down, you feel that, you feed off of it and it creates positive plays for us. We love playing south Florida, south Florida fans, Dolph fans, keep bringing that support, we keep bringing the W’s.”
Cody Parkey – October 22, 2017 (Postgame)
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Sunday, October 22, 2017
Postgame – New York Jets
Miami Dolphins K Cody Parkey (transcribed by Paige Jefferson)
(Can you talk about the final kick?) – “Bottom line is my team got me in good field goal range, reasonable distance and I know that I’m going to get a great snap from (LS) John (Denney) and a great hold from (P) Matt (Haack). So for me, it’s just staying down on the ball and just swinging through my target.”
(Had you had trouble with your footing on that field earlier today at all?) – “Not today, no. It’s just very vital to just go out there and kind of survey the land a little bit and make sure that the three-yard area that you’re working with is good enough. So, yeah, (K) Matt (Haack) does a good job helping me kind of pick a spot and we go from there.”
(Cody, I’m sorry if you’ve been asked this but the condition of the field did it play a role in your range today?) – “I’d say the wind more so than that. That last one we kind of had a little wind in our face than the other way, so the Jets were smart enough to get that fourth quarter at their back. So, yeah, the field didn’t have an issue.”
(Are you hoping for a chance there late in the game? Just saying I just hope I have a chance to get in the game?) – “Absolutely! Yeah! It was kind of a quiet game for me, just a couple points here and there. But, yeah, I’m absolutely hoping that the game’s on me and on us as a special teams unit. Great blocks all year, great holds and great snaps. So I’ve just been extremely blessed with that and I just have to go out there and do my job.”
(Do you know you’re the most accurate kicker in Dolphins’ history?) – “I’m not too worried about that. I’m just worried about beating the Ravens.”
(Three game-winning field goals in six games in your time with the Dolphins. How fun is that?) – “It’s a lot of fun. That’s the bottom line. I think this year I’m just trying to have fun. There’s going to be good times, bad times, more good than bad. I just go out there and have fun and continue to just glorify God whenever I can.”
(Seventeen points down last week. Fourteen points down this week. How do you explain this?) – “I mean it’s crazy. This team finds a way to win. Last year, I was on the Browns. That was kind of where we lacked. We couldn’t find a way to win in third and fourth quarter. This team just seems to, you know, we’re down by 14 points, and no one’s batting an eye. It’s crazy, so you know, you go out there and score a score, and they get me in field goal range. Even when we had to punt with a minute left. It’s just crazy. So, I think we’re extremely blessed as a team and we just keep going out there and just keep fighting. That’s all we can do.”
Reshad Jones – October 22, 2017 (Postgame)
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Sunday, October 22, 2017
Postgame – New York Jets
Miami Dolphins S Reshad Jones (transcribed by Lexie Balboni)
(What is it about this defense that allows you guys to be resilient in the fourth quarter to pull off wins like you did today?) – “We just stick together. It’s a tough league to win in, tough division game. We just stick together. Like I said… I think last week the comradery with this team and this defense has been the best since I’ve been here.”
(How do you explain it, that you guys have so many different times that you find so many different ways to do just enough to pull it off?) – “It’s about winning, whatever it takes to win football games. We know it’s going to come down to the fourth quarter. Once we get in the fourth quarter we know we have to own the fourth quarter and that’s what we did today to pull off this victory.”
(They seemed to have a lot of success moving the ball in the first half. What problems were they posing for you?) – “They screened us a lot, backside. A lot of tight end screens, running back screens, different things like that. But I think we came in at halftime and we made a couple changes and came out and got the victory.”
(What is it about the screen game that gives you trouble? I think New Orleans had some pretty good success with that and obviously you said about the first half of this game) – “I’m not sure. We just need to look at the tape and figure out what it is. Teams have been screening us a lot like you said and they need a good job of screening us early on in the first half of the football game to have success on the offensive side of the ball. But like I said, when we came in at halftime we settled down and we got the job done.”
(You gave up the one touchdown in the second half and then they punted each time and then the interception by Bobby McCain. What adjustments did you make from the first half to the second half?) – “We switched up the calls a little bit. We saw what they were giving us and we switched up the calls. More vision coverages and different things like that where we have defenders where we can see the screens coming.”
(Were you able to give more pressure? Was that a result of better coverage or just guys upfront getting after the ball?) – “We sent a little bit more pressure in the second half. I would say that, we did send a little bit more pressure.”
(It was pretty obvious when Matt Moore came in the game it got the offense fired up but then it seemed you guys built on that too. Is that fair, accurate?) – “I wouldn’t say that, no. Matt is a veteran quarterback, it was good to have someone like him to replace Jay when he went down. Everybody on both sides of the ball feels confident in Matt so it was good to see him go out there and be successful.”
(You played with him for a little bit you’ve been in the same locker room with him. How would you describe Matt’s energy?) – “He’s a leader. He’s a veteran guy, played a lot of football in this league. Guys love him, like I said on both sides of the ball. He brings the energy to the offensive side of the ball. Everybody loves Matt.”
(Heading into Baltimore are there any improvements you think you guys need to make knowing you are playing an offense like Baltimore?) – “Yeah there are definitely some improvements we have to make. It’s a short week, short turnaround. We need to get back into film… wWtch the film tomorrow and make a couple corrections.”
(What did Bobby do well on that play?) – “He was in his right spot, that’s team defense. We had a certain call and Bobby was right where he needed to be and he went up and made the play.”
Anthony Fasano – October 22, 2017 (Postgame)
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Sunday, October 22, 2017
Postgame – New York Jets
Miami Dolphins TE Anthony Fasano (transcribed by Savanna Bell-Stevens)
(Last week, 17 down, this week 14 down. How do you explain these comebacks?) – “(It’s) just kind of our make-up of the team. Heart, never giving up, guys believing in the process, in the team and in one another. (There are) some really good signs, even though we’d like to be a bit more comfortable in our wins, a lot of positives to be taken out of it.”
(It’s 12 games in a row, 12 one score games in a row, this team has won.) – “Yes, again it goes to my point, heart, belief and playing a full 60 minutes.
(What was going through you minds when QB Jay Cutler went down and do you feel like the urgency increased with the offense at that point?) – “You never want to see your quarterback going down, but like I said, (QB) Matt (Moore) went in there and did a great job, brought the energy and let the play makers make plays. I’m just really proud of Matt and our whole team the way they stepped up when we needed it.”
Kenny Stills – October 22, 2017 (Postgame)
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Sunday, October 22, 2017
Postgame – New York Jets
Miami Dolphins WR Kenny Stills (transcribed by Savanna Bell-Stevens)
(You guys seem to make habit of these big comebacks lately. What is it about this team that you guys keep finding that will to win at the end of games?) – “The game is 60 minutes, and we like to play four quarters, so just finish. (Head Coach Adam Gase) talks about finishing all the time, and we seem to play really well in the fourth quarter.”
(Can you take us through the emotions on the sideline, seeing QB Jay Cutler go down, and then you guys were down at that point?) – “Next man up. It’s kind of what (Head Coach Adam Gase) is always preached to us. We know (QB) Matt (Moore’s) ready. We know he gets prepared each and every week, he’s ready to go, so (I) didn’t really think about it much until after the game. I went over said ‘What’s up,’ made sure he’s ok, but we have the next man up mentality and we know guys are going to be prepared to play.
(It seems like, even dating back to last year, you and QB Matt Moore seem to have really good chemistry out there on the field. Is that just happenstance or is that something you guys practice together?) – “We prepare every week like he’s going to go out there and play. He kind of has a routine on Saturday’s and Friday’s of getting extra balls and I’ve always been out there and made sure I’m there, prepared and getting ready with him. But no, Matt’s just a slinger and he’s going to throw it to the guy that’s open, so that’s credit to him.”
Jarvis Landry – October 22, 2017 (Postgame)
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Sunday, October 22, 2017
Postgame – New York Jets
Miami Dolphins WR Jarvis Landry (transcribed by Savanna Bell-Stevens)
( …with comebacks, what does it say about this team, especially right now with this offense, what’s going on with it?) – “We just keep finding ways to fight for each other, fight together we’ve been saying it all week, for the last three weeks, just unity. It’s going to come down to all four quarters, we know who we are, when there’s an opportunity, and there’s a chance, we just always try to grab it and the last two weeks we’ve been doing it.”
(Somebody who did that was Matt Moore today, stepping into that role what kind of energy did he bring to you guys, how much different was it out there?) “It’s not different, it’s not different, we all know what Matt can do. You know, and he came in he wasn’t shaken up or anything like that, he found a way to help us out, and that’s what it takes. Guys stepping up, even when they don’t even think they’re going to play today. Stepping up to make plays it’s just part of this culture, it’s part of who we are.”
(It had to be disappointing though, we already spoke about this in the past, the fans, the reaction, when Jay was coming out.) “Listen, we won today. We won today. I think it’s easy to take a lot of things for granted, it’s easy to say what you want as a fan. But we won. We won, regardless of who it’s with. They love Jay last week, and they hate him this week. I don’t pay attention to all of that, we just stick together as a team, as a family, and that’s all it’s about. We don’t care about anything outside of this building or outside of us.”
(Why do you guys keep having close games?) I hope, I hope, I wish it wouldn’t have to be this way. But, it came down to that the last couple weeks. And again, it says a lot about these guys in here, about the staff, and everything that we’ve been able to overcome along this road to get to 4-2. It’s an amazing feeling, and we have a short week ahead of us and we got to get back to work.
Jermon Bushrod – October 22, 2017 (Postgame)
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Sunday, October 22, 2017
Postgame – New York Jets
Miami Dolphins G/T Jermon Bushrod (transcribed by Lexie Balboni)
(Inaudible) – “(QB Matt Moore) came in and did a hell of a job. We all rallied around him. (It) sucks for (QB) Jay (Cutler) that he went down, but we’re praying for the best for him.”
(Is there a sense this team is never out of a game after these last two weeks?) – “We’re just going to keep fighting if we get a chance and we get opportunities. It’s a team game, you’ve got to rely on the other phases to come through big for you sometimes. We put up a couple touchdowns in the beginning but they were scoring a couple touchdowns, so it was up to one of us to do something special so we could get a little bit more momentum. Our special teams did a good job of pinning them back. I remember one time we got pinned back and we had a couple of negative plays and we punted and put them back on the 15 or the 20 and the defense was able to get a stop. We were able to flip the field and we were able to go down and get some points. That’s just what it is about. We’re just going to keep fighting and fighting and fighting. I guess you can say we like to make it interesting for everyone out there. It doesn’t really help me or my heart much but at the end of the day a win is a win and I’ll take it.
(You’ve now won 12 straight games decided by seven or fewer points, that’s crazy.) – “Stressful, but it’s cool though. Like I said, anyway you can get a win. We like to make things interesting.”
Bobby McCain – October 22, 2017 (Postgame)
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Sunday, October 22, 2017
Postgame – New York Jets
Miami Dolphins CB Bobby McCain (transcribed by Lexie Balboni)
(Has it sunk in yet just how big that interception was?) – “No, not yet. It was a great play, but we’re a team. We took a team effort today. The second half, we came in at halftime and turned it on. If we can start fast, we’ll be unstoppable. We just have to keep playing, make the corrections and go out. We have a quick turnaround with Baltimore. We’re going to celebrate, but we have to get ready to work.”
(Is the mentality for this defense that you guys are never out of it?) – “Yeah, never. You’re never out of the game regardless if you’re down two (touchdowns), three [touchdowns), three points. Just keep fighting, and that’s what we pride ourselves on here at the Miami Dolphins. You just keep fighting. Defensively, special teams, offense – we’re all going to stick together. We’re a band of brothers. Just keep fighting and good things will come.”
(Take us through what happened on the interception.) – “(It) was a single high coverage, dropped up underneath the comeback. He left the ball out there, so I went and got it.”
