Adam Gase – January 1, 2017 (Postgame)
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Sunday, January 1, 2017
Postgame – vs. New England
Miami Dolphins Head Coach Adam Gase (transcribed by Michelle Stone)
(Did you get the feeling that if it had not been for the RB Damien Williams fumble there that you guys were making the plays to come back to mount a comeback victory there?) – “I felt good about where we were heading on that series. We still had some work to do. I think we were going to be on the 6-(yard line) … the 6- or the 5-(yard line). We were going to go for it. So we had two downs to try to figure out a way to get in. We just can’t turn the ball over down there.”
(What was your diagnosis on the slow start?) – “I know we had some opportunities. We just didn’t quite execute a couple of things quite right. There are probably a couple of calls I’d take back. We just didn’t stay ahead of the stakes, which you can’t do against these guys. You can’t. You can’t leave yourself in third-and-longs and expect to consistently move the ball. We didn’t stop their offense fast enough. We just didn’t really play as well early as we needed to.”
(Defensively, early on, you were down 20-0 and it was tough tackling guys. It seemed like everything they were doing was working, even getting moves on the interior line of scrimmage to pick up yards. What do you have to do going forward next week to try to get that resolved?) – “We have to look at it to see what’s really going on and make corrections and make sure guys are doing their jobs the correct way. It’s hard to really see everything from the angles that we have on the sidelines. Sometimes it takes watching the tape to see where we were loose or if somebody was doing something they shouldn’t have been doing, or if they were just being more physical than us. It’s hard to tell from the sideline.”
(How frustrating is it to be there and watch QB Tom Brady meticulously work the ball down the field and seemingly at will?) – “He’s a Hall of Fame quarterback. It happens. A lot. We have to try to figure out a way to get a negative play or get our hands on a ball and possisbly get a turnover or create some kind of fumble. You’re looking for that one play. He’s a tough guy to defend and it’s a tough offense to defend and they have a lot of answers. You have to try to find that one negative play.”
(What did you do or what did you change when you got the touchdown at the end of the first half? You came out and put a drive together and scored. It seemed like things were headed in your direction at that point.) – “We felt, getting the score there in the end, them missing a field goal, and having an opportunity to start the second half, that was a big thing for us. We talk about it a lot, trying to get points at the end of the half to start the second half out and try to score again, and try to swing the game without their offense trying to touch the ball. We felt good. We felt like we had a chance, that we were right where we wanted to be. We let up the long touchdown but still there was so much time left that we felt like we had the opportunity to at least be in the game in the fourth quarter.”
(You touched on it a little bit before, being on the 6-yard line and getting ready to make it a 27-21 ball game and you get the fumble that takes it all the way back and pretty much was the end of the deal then. How tough is that?) – “Any time you have the opportunity to get back in the game and where we were and [how] guys kept fighting … It’s frustrating. I know it’s frustrating for those guys; it’s frustrating for the coaching staff – certainly on the sideline when you’re down there and you turn it over. It crushes you, especially with the turn of the field position that we had. We put the defense in a bad spot. That’s tough sledding when you’re trying to mount a comeback.”
(What was your message to your guys in the locker room after the ball game?) – “That we have to learn from this. We have to forget it quickly and understand that we are playing next week and we have to get ourselves ready.”
(I know you haven’t asked the question and you don’t know the answer, but from a protocol standpoint, what is the protocol for finding out if QB Ryan Tannehill can play next week?) – “I’ll have to ask the doctor where he’s at. I don’t even know where he’s at right now. I see him walking around, so I don’t know what that means.”
(Does that question come on Monday?) – “Probably. Like I said before, I’m going to make the call on it. If I don’t feel comfortable with it, then Matt [Moore] will stay the starting quarterback. I need to get a lot of information: I have to see him practice and I have to see him move around and I have to feel really good about it. I’m not going to jeopardize his career by throwing him out there and then extending this thing longer than what it already is. I’m going to make sure that the right decision is made.”
(How did you feel that QB Matt Moore played?) – “I thought he did well. The turnover … I know what he saw. Kenny [Stills] snapped his route off and his guy fell off and didn’t come with him, and he had already thrown the ball. He was trying to make a play. In that situation, you’re fighting for every inch and just trying to make sure that we’re possessing the ball. It was bad timing, especially at that moment of the game. I feel like he’s done a great job being in there. He’s protected the football, he’s operated the offense very well, and he’s led those guys. He’s done a good job and we just have to build on what we’ve done the last three and a half games with him and just try to find a way to put him in the right position.”
(Does your victory over Pittsburgh earlier this year give you any confidence or give you guys a better mindset for next week?) – “We’re a different team now. They’re a different team. Both of us have different players. I don’t know how much our rosters really match up. If you look at our roster at that time and our roster now and the same thing for them, that’s what makes this part of the season interesting. We have a lot of different guys playing and really what it comes down to is who’s going to win the turnover margin, who’s going to be the best team in the red zone, and who’s going to convert on third down. Whomever usually wins those sections of the game, those are the teams that win.”
(You got a nice round of cheers from the fans coming off the field, a send-off since you’re going on the road. What are your thoughts about that?) – “I think our fans have done a great job. It’s disappointing that we didn’t do a better job today. They’ve supported us all year. They’ve been great for our defense, how into the game they are and how loud they are, making it hard for the other team’s offense. For us to come out there and put out a performance like this … We didn’t execute. We just didn’t play well. They outplayed us, they outcoached us, and they did a better job than what we did. It’s unfortunate that we put that kind of product on the field today.”
(With DE Mario Williams not playing today, what went into that decision?) – “I just felt like (Terrence) Fede was playing really well. At some point I have to make a decision with some of the special teams things we have going on and some of the injuries we’ve had, we’re moving a lot of guys around. We had been going in with nine defensive linemen a lot of those times, which we feel like has been good. We feel like that’s been the strength of our defense. I don’t think anybody would disagree. But we’ve had some situations where we need to get special teams guys up in the defensive backfield.”
Cameron Wake – January 1, 2017 (Postgame)
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Sunday, January 1, 2017
Postgame – vs. New England
Miami Dolphins DE Cameron Wake (transcribed by Ted Leshinski)
(How frustrating was it to get off to that kind of start against this football team knowing that you had to come out and you had to try to beat a football team that got off to a fast start?) – “Starting slow definitely was not part of the plan. Obviously, in this league, playing catch up is not always a good way to go. That’s something that we definitely want to make sure doesn’t happen again and put this one behind us quick.”
(How tough is it for you to try to get to QB Tom Brady, try to disrupt him, try to get anything you can while he’s as efficient as he is getting the ball out to his receivers?) – “Their motto (is) they get the ball out fast. As a pass rusher, that’s something you have to contend with. You use different blocking schemes, you meet a couple different personnel, but every play you’ve got to go out there and do whatever you can and trust in the backend guys to do their job as well. Today was another day where there are some things I’m sure we’ve got to fix, but again, the regular season is over. This one is done, and we’ve got to move on.”
(DT Ndamukong Suh talked about going to the playoffs He played in three playoff games – been in the playoffs three times – and talked about how the intensity raises up. Your intensity is always pretty high. Do you have another level here for next week that you’re going to have to get to?) – “I’m a guy who always thinks 100 percent is 100 percent. If you have another level next week, then I’m disappointed that you didn’t give it to me this week. I’m going to be the same guy I’ve been from the preseason games, regular season to playoffs (and) play my butt off every play and let the chips fall where they may.”
(What makes you confident that this defense is playoff ready?) – “20 games.”
(When does playoff excitement start for you? Do you forget about this game more quickly than you would another regular season game?) – “Yes. It’s over. If we weren’t in the playoffs, I don’t know how many people would be fretting over this game. It’d be over and done with, the season is over, go home. But the reality is we are (in the playoffs). At the same token, you can’t be focusing on the past. You’ve got to look forward. Literally, as I walk out of this building, my mind sets on to the next. This game is over and done with. There’s nothing you can do about it. Until we line up and play these guys again, I won’t be thinking about them. I’m thinking about the next opponent.”
(You mentioned that to get to where you guys want to go you will have to beat New England. Your level of confidence after the two games you had against them this year is what?) – “I’m confident whoever steps on the field against us. We have a chance to win, and we’ve proven that for however many weeks we’ve done it.”
Jarvis Landry – January 1, 2017 (Postgame)
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Sunday, January 1, 2017
Postgame – vs. New England
Miami Dolphins Wide Receiver Jarvis Landry (transcribed by David Norwood II)
(How do you shake this loss off going forward into the playoffs?) – “We just have to move forward. Go out there, go back and look at the film, see what we need to correct. Obviously we need to start fast on offense. Now it’s a single elimination game from now on.”
(You make any kind of difference going into the playoffs off a loss than a win?) – “No, it doesn’t.”
(How do you feel about the way you stack up against New England now that you’ve faced them twice this year?) – “They’re a great opponent. They’re a great opponent, they’re a great team – so are we. Obviously again we didn’t start off fast enough on offense. That’s the only part of the game I can speak about. We got to go in there at the end, but we got to find a way to score more points.”
Matt Moore – January 1, 2017 (Postgame)
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Sunday, January 1, 2017
Postgame – vs. New England
Miami Dolphins Quarterback Matt Moore (transcribed by Sara Perez)
(The prospect of starting a playoff game next week, what does that mean to you personally?) – “It’s a big deal. It’s hard to get there as a player. I’ve been there one time in 2008. I went as part of a team that was there in 2008 and that’s the only time. It’s a big deal. Obviously, put this one to bed and move forward and focus on next week, wherever it is, whoever we’re playing, we just have to be ready to go.”
(What were they doing to make it so difficult offensively for you?) – “Well, they were jumping a lot in coverage. Forcing you to be patient, but at the same time, stopping the run game. So they kind of had the best of both worlds there early on. We kind of got on a little roll there at the end of the first half and got some stuff going, but it took us a little bit to figure it out and get it going. Good players, good scheme. Again, it just took us a little while to get it rolling.”
(When you got it rolling what were you able to do? What was the difference?) – “It was just understanding what they were doing. There was a lot of underneath stuff. Guys catching the ball and making plays underneath. Some short catch and runs. Obviously, just staying on the field, converting third downs. Got down in the red zone and took advantage of some things. They just forced us to be very patient and made it difficult for us.”
(You guys have been a bounce-back team all year, you have a game like this, now you have the biggest game of the year next week in Pittsburgh. How does this team get ready and forget this, and move forward, and be ready to play at the level you need to play?) – “I don’t know if you forget it, there’s a lot to learn from in this game. We’re going, some guys I’m sure will watch it tonight, but we’re going to look at it as soon as we can and correct things and move forward. It’s nice to know that we have a game next week and it is the biggest one and it’s kind of the same motto we’ve had all year ‘It’s the next one. ’ I know it’s a playoff game, but I think guys just have to learn and kind of be a pro about this situation today and move forward and bring their best game next week.”
(How do you think this week will be for this football team that hasn’t been in the playoffs in so long? How will preparations be?) – “I’m sure Had Coach (Adam) Gase will keep it pretty similar. Obviously, I think the focus has got to go up and I think that’s natural for any team in this situation. Guys are going to come to work and show up and do their job. Put ourselves in the best situation to execute and I think that’s all you have to do.”
(What happened on the pick?) – “Just didn’t throw it far enough. Scrambled out, I really had two guys. I saw Dion (Sims) wait and tried to get it to him and just didn’t get it there.”
(After a series of short passes you were able to get the short-passing game going. The middle seemed to open up and you hit Kenny Stills there for a big play there. How did all that take place?) – “I think they… well it was down in the red zone and it was empty, which we hadn’t shown a ton of that up to that point. We had two… We had good guys running on the outside. The safeties just got some width and it put Kenny in a good position against a linebacker. So, we were able to work that out formationally and everybody really executed, guys were running, pulling guys out of zones and it really opened up Kenny. So, it was good.”
Jay Ajayi – January 1, 2017 (Postgame)
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Sunday, January 1, 2017
Postgame – vs. New England
Miami Dolphins Running Back Jay Ajayi (transcribed by David Norwood II)
(This is the first time in your career … The next game is a playoff game. Does it feel different for you?) – “This is my first playoff in my career, so it’s exciting. We didn’t get the result we wanted today, but we get the opportunity to keep playing. Every game after this is elimination. We still have a chance to go get it.”
(It looked like you were going to the exam room after the game. Is everything alright?) – “I’m good.”
(Is it your shoulder?) – “I’m good.”
(How do you shake off what happened today and get ready for Pittsburgh?) – “It is what it is. The regular season is over. We know we still have a lot to play for. We know whoever our opponent is that we’re going to be ready for them. It’s a playoff game; win or go home. Go get it.”
Cameron Wake – December 30, 2016
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Friday, December 30, 2016
Defensive End Cameron Wake
(Obviously you’re still in the middle of this so it’s hard to appreciate stuff. But have you taken a moment at all this week to say ‘You know, it’s nice to be in the playoffs the first time?’) – “No.”
(So no joy at all?) – “No.”
(Do you look forward to playing against New England and QB Tom Brady knowing the challenge that they present?) – “I look forward to every game. I look forward to last week; I look forward to next week. Any time we get an opportunity to get out there and play together and improve upon some things that maybe need to improve on, I look forward to that. Obviously, week in and week out is going to be a different challenge, and this team presents another one. I think everybody in here is ready to except that challenge.”
(Has it been nice to have a lot of success at home this year and be more consistent, because it seems like it is a louder place to play in.) – “We’ve had a lot of fun, for sure, playing. This year, a home win or on the road, it is two different kinds of environments. When you’re the villain or when you’re the hero, either way, you kind of bask in that. Obviously being the home field, and the home team, they’ve been very supportive – the greatest fans in the NFL. I’m definitely looking forward to Sunday.”
(What’s been the difference this year, where you guys have played some of your better football in December? In the previous years, things kind of fell apart.) – “I’ve been saying it all year, just complementary football. And it’s come obviously late in the season, late in games, situations where we’ve needed plays and guys have made them. It’s come from guys all over the place – special teams, offense, defense, second string, third string, guys who were practice squad – I mean all of the above. I think it’s just the mentality. Listen, the next man up, whenever the play needs to be made, you be the guy. Don’t wait for somebody else. I think it’s bad for the blood pressure, but it’s good for the win column.”
(How fresh do you feel at this point, obviously you haven’t had to play 65 snaps?) – “Terrible, as everybody else should feel by week … What week is this?”
(Week 17.) – “You all don’t count camp, I count camp. What’s that?”
(Week 30?) – “There you go. Week 30, if anybody feels fresh, you are not playing football – maybe basketball, or tennis, or golf, or something like that. Week 20, nobody feels fresh. We all feel beat like you’ve been hit by a truck, and a car and a train. You’ve just got to go out on Sundays and strap it up and make sure you do the best you can. That’s just the way it is.”
Adam Gase – December 30, 2016
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Friday, December 30, 2016
Head Coach Adam Gase
(I saw on social media TE MarQueis Gray mentioned he was happy for his two year extension. I hadn’t seen anything official. Can you confirm and if so what went behind that?) – “Yes. It was something that we’ve been working on some of our current guys that had a possibility of being up and he was one of the guys that we were able to get done. We’re happy that we got him to begin with. Over and over he’s proven exactly what we thought he was and who he was and the kind of person he was and player. He’s done a great job as far as being a leader in that room and really for the offense.”
(The one other guy this week it was learned had a contract extension was T Sam Young. Can you talk about what he’s brought in those six offensive linemen packages?) – “Sam’s done a good job coming in after being here before. (It was) probably a little surprising that he was still out there when we were able to get him. I feel like any time we can keep the guys that we have currently in the building, that’s really what we’re looking to do.”
(Has anybody in the last couple of games focused on stopping the passing game as opposed to the eight man fronts stopping RB Jay Ajayi?) – “Not really.”
(Would you expect to see that on Sunday or it’s definitely RB Jay Ajayi because of what he’s done?) – “I’ve learned playing these guys don’t try to guess what they’re going to do. They’re going to do what’s best for them for this game. They’re going to try to take away what we do well. The game is going to have changes within it. They’ll adjust as they need to throughout the game. That’s why they’re a very good coaching staff – both sides of the ball and special teams. That’s what they’ve made a living on for over a decade is being the type of staff that can affect the game.”
(I know you can’t enter a game quite thinking like this but how important is leaving this game healthy going into the postseason?) – “We’re worried about winning this game. I’m not going to try to guess what could possibly happen. We’re playing football.”
(In your first year working with T Branden Albert, what’s the biggest thing that was stood out to you both on the field and off the field?) – “I think with the way that he’s really tried to help that group as a leader has been something that’s really stood out to me. The way he plays through just those little bumps and bruises. He (dislocated his wrist) and came back in that game and every week he kept telling me, ‘I’m going to be back this week I’m going to be back.’ We’re trying to be smart thinking we’ve got a lot of football left and he kept trying to come back and then when he did come back, he did everything he could going against a very good pass rusher (Terrell Suggs) and was able to keep him at bay as long as possible, and the way he’s been there for (Laremy) Tunsil. We lose Mike (Pouncey) and he really has stepped up as being a leader of that room. And just the way that he works. When you see a guy that’s been around for a minute and practices hard and goes out and plays hard and gives everything he has for these guys, it’s been very impressive.”
(You guys are near the bottom of the league in terms of yardage allowed defensively, but you’re, I think 14th in points allowed. There’s a big discrepancy there. How would you explain what your defense has done to hold down the scoring while the yardage is not what you…?) – “Yards don’t mean anything. You can get yards. We could average a ton of yards on offense if we wanted to, but when you don’t turn the ball over and you’re getting turnovers and you can stop them on third down and score in the red zone or you can prevent the scores in the red zone, that’s all that matters. Winning games is all that matters. The yards don’t mean anything.”
(You’ve sent out the message that you guys are going to try to win this week as opposed to resting players. Do you have a general philosophy on resting healthy players once you’ve clinched or is it always a case by case?) – “I’ve never been a part of resting players in my career. (We were) 13-3 two years in Denver and 12-4 (one year). I never rested anybody. Peyton (Manning) was playing the last game of the year every year.”
Adam Gase – December 29, 2016
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Thursday, December 29, 2016
Head Coach Adam Gase
(What is the value of the big plays you’ve gotten this year and is it something … Have we seen enough after 15 games that it’s clearly sustainable?) – “Every game takes a little bit of life of its own when explosive plays are available, throws down the field, you try to take them. But every game is different. Every team plays different coverages, so sometimes it’s not available to push the ball down the field. The run game is really about effort and attitude and guys doing a good job of finishing blocks and letting our runners get to that second level.”
(How is QB Ryan Tannehill helping his teammates? We saw him out there today?) – “He’s doing a good job as far as using his information that his experience in the offense, when you’re a quarterback, you’re usually ahead of the curve on most things. He’s got a lot of opportunity to watch probably more film than what he normally has. He’s doing a good job of coaching those guys on the field any time somebody makes a mistake. He can help them and just having basically another coach on the field.”
(How much has he thrown the ball?) – “He throws it a little bit but he doesn’t really … He can’t … He’s not moving, so he’s just out there keeping his arm loose.”
(Any update on timetable? Anything?) – “I haven’t asked.”
(What factors … I really want to get it right. What factors will go into the decision about if and when Tannehill plays again this season?) – “When I feel comfortable with what the doctors are telling me that we’re not going to have any kind of injury that could prevent him from hurting his career or hurting his chances to play next year. So we’re going to be very, very smart.”
(Can you help me explain your team’s defensive statistics? I asked Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph about this, yards allowed, yards rushing per play, some of those things I’m sure you’re not happy with and yet bottom line numbers: points allowed is really good and 10 wins is really good. What’s your explanation on what’s happening?) – “The things I look at on both sides of the ball, this has been are discussion is points, red area efficiency and third down efficiency, and that’s really what we’ve been focusing on. We’re not worried about … Every game is so different and there are different ways to win games and you play for that week. I’ve been on teams where we’re No. 1 in every category and we came in second. Nobody cared.”
(So do you think you’ve made up the difference in some ways in the red zone and on third down?) – “Usually that’s where it happens and the thing is, somebody is making a play when we need it most. We were having a rough week last week and guys made a play at the right time. We held them to a field goal attempt. We got a negative play at the right time, made it a little harder, missed a field goal then we had a chance to go win the game. There have been a lot of games … The L.A. game is a prime example. We were awful for 54 minutes. You guys don’t have to shake your head confirming that. (laughter) We were bad and we clicked at the right time and our defense did a great job just keeping us in the game and fighting and we score and then they just kept doing what they were doing the whole game. We stop them again; we score again. It’s whatever you need to do to win that game.”
(I know when you’ve been asked elsewhere about the influence Nick Saban has had in the seven years you spent with him. You mentioned, obviously, to stick with the process, do it right often enough and you’ll get the results you want. Can you think of any other examples where what you learned from him has specifically impacted how you do your job?) – “I think his organizational skills, as far as keeping people on track and making sure everybody’s doing their job, he was really good with that. When you’re a GA in college, sometimes you don’t think the head coach knows what you do and he knew what everybody did. He knew everybody’s role and if you got off track, he reminded you of what you needed to be doing. That’s something I always found very impressive because you don’t think a guy in that position who’s really running a major program would know every little detail (about) what everybody does but he found a way to know what everybody’s doing, what their job was and if they got out of line, he made sure you got back in line real quick.”
(That seems how you are too in terms of knowing every detail just from our impressions of you.) – “I think he was special in that area. I’ve got a ways to go on a lot of things. When you’re learning on the fly on some things, where you’ve never experienced it before, and you do everything you can and try to follow the lead of the guys that you’ve been around. I’ve been lucky enough to be around some veteran head coaches, some young head coaches to where you see mistakes or you see things where guys have to correct things and you just try to take from all those learning experiences. And then you have to go through some things and learn the hard way sometimes.”
(One last thing. Have you guys talked this year? Both of you are busy obviously.) – “No. I never bother him. If he needs something from me, he’ll call me, and it’s vice versa; but during the season it’s hard to communicate to anybody.”
(What’s the most difficult thing about being a head coach that you didn’t expect?) – “I don’t know if I didn’t expect it, but just time management – making sure you’re efficient. There are so many unexpected things that will come up when you’re just … Doing this every day for 15 minutes. The time adds up every week because it’s just 15 minutes that you’re not used to dealing with and you just have to get into the flow of what you do and try to maintain your schedule as much as possible. You’re always going to have some bump in the road every day. Something’s going to come up that you weren’t expecting. You have to adjust. It’s just that everybody is kind of waiting on you to do your part, so they can do their part and you don’t want to hold everybody up because you had to do something that kind of was off schedule.”
(Are you good at time management or are you learning how to be good?) – “Sometimes. Some days I’m better than others. It’s the consistent battle of trying to stay on track and then being able to adjust and regroup and get things done at an efficient rate.”
(If LB Spencer Paysinger cannot play, what do you do in the nickel package? I mean what are your options there considering the linebacker unit’s relatively thin?) – “If something like that happened, we would always have those contingency plans and we’ve got to mix them up as far as who goes in there. We’re consistently working on different guys in those spots because … I mean we’re always one snap away. We always have to have a plan. It’s just one of those things until that really kind of appears, I’d rather not talk about it. But we’re always … it’s the same thing with the offensive line. We rep so many guys at so many different positions that if something happened, we have a plan to at least to go to. Is it ideal? No. But you have to be ready for it.”
(With the Bills WR Sammy Watkins game last week. What do you think the secondary learned from that experience?) – “That when a guy’s really fast, get back. (laughter) That would be the biggest thing. You have to understand who you’re going against and every week’s different. You’re going to play different styles of receivers. You have to be able to adjust. Every week, it’s not going to be the same. Going against a guy like Brandon Marshall, it’s going to be different when you go against Sammy (Watkins). You have to know that. That’s why the film study is so important. That’s why when the coaches are telling you how to do certain things, you have to listen to what they’re saying. And then when you get out there on game day, you can’t be surprised when all of a sudden the guy is running sub 4.3 (second 40-yard dash), maybe under. That’s one of the things sometimes when we’re young and we do things that you all think why would you do that? That’s part of the learning process. We have to learn quick.”
(With some of those plays that you guys were in zone, he got behind the zone. How does that happen?) – “Every coverage has different rules and sometimes you get caught in a certain coverage where you kind of have multiple responsibilities. You always hear people say, ‘Well he took the cheese on that, why would he do that? That’s what happens sometimes. When you get the right call versus the right coverage, sometimes it’s tough on the players and it really becomes a schematic thing and guys are doing what they’re supposed to do and they have a good play call.”
(Was CB Xavien Howard supposed to match that pattern on the 53-yard play there?) – “Yes, I think he would have been better … It would have been better off for him if he would have just kept back a little more than what he did.”
(What is the long-term prognosis for S Isa Abdul-Quddus health?) – “We haven’t really gotten into all that quite yet. The first move was put him onto IR and then sometimes it takes a little bit for all the little details to come out of timetables and those types of things. Once a guy goes on IR, we have a little more … They have a little more time to bring me things like that because they know there’s nothing I can do about it right now. They’re going through their process down there right now in the training room and the doctors will get with me probably at the end of the week and let me know where everybody is at.”
(You’ve had QB Dan Marino in your meeting rooms and everything. What does he bring? What’s his role?) – “He’s there; he’s a good sounding board, especially for the quarterbacks. I’ve always enjoyed talking to him because he has a great perspective of anything we’ve ever discussed. I’ve always liked watching film with him and getting his two cents on things. It’s interesting how football has evolved so much since he’s played and he kind of explained to me how guys used to play compared to how they play it now. He’s seen so much football over his time and he always gives the quarterbacks a piece of advice that seems so small at the time. It’s a big deal because it’s the way he saw it, and the way he saw things was special. He’s always trying to help those guys and he doesn’t … You almost have to ask him though. You have to ask him what he would think or how he would see it because he won’t just … He’s not overbearing in that way. He’s almost reserved and he waits for you to come to him.”
(Anything specific, an example of something he said?) – “Well I know if that seam route is even close to being open, he’ll just say bang that in there. (laughter) As a coach, you’re always kind of like, ‘Ah, Dan. You could do that…’” (laughter)
(The year that DT Ndamukong Suh has had, could you talk about that please?) – “I haven’t been around any defensive tackles that have had the kind of impact he’s had. Being able to do a lot of things with controlling the front and stunts that they do and the rush games and how impactful he is. He’s really sacrificed himself to help other guys pop free and get sacks. When that fourth quarter hits, you know he’s going to make a play somewhere and the consistency every week is probably as rare as it can get. I don’t think I’ve ever really seen a player that just always is the same but at a high level. Every week we win, I feel like every week he gets a game ball. It’s really been impressive to watch a player that plays the position he does and how impactful he is and how disruptive he is. He changes the way you have to do protections. He changes the way you have to block the running game. When he gets a one-on-one block – it’s rare now – he’s going to win.”
(You’re in an unusual situation this weekend in that, you could play New England in two weeks again. Does the mean anything? Does that impact anything?) – “I think for us we need to focus on this game. We have to do everything we can to compete in this game and get to that fourth quarter and keep it tight and then try to do what we’ve been doing all year. The guys have done a good job of battling and then the fourth quarter, just try to find a way to put ourselves in position and whether it be score a touchdown at the end or kick a field goal or stop them on defense, we’re looking to find a way to win one game.”
(How does the speed of LB Neville Hewitt, how has that impacted the defense?) – “I think his improvement throughout the season, the opportunities that he’s had, he’s made the most of them. He seems to make that negative play at the right time. Most of his plays are very impactful. He’s very disruptive. He plays at one speed and it is 100 miles per hour all the time. When he makes a mistake, it’s full speed, and that’s all you ask your players to do. Go as hard and fast as you can and if you screw up, then we’ll fix it later. But he gives you everything he has from the time we step into that stadium until the time we leave.”
(How many War Daddy shirts do you give out per week?) – “It’s different every week. It’s after a win and it just depends. Each phase is able to handle them out. It’s something that (Head) Coach (John) Fox did when I was in Denver and Chicago and something that we brought down here. I always thought it was a great thing that he did for the players and players like it; but we had to do to different tiers because Cam (Wake) was getting too many of the same shirts, so we felt like there needs to be separation of when you get so many.”
(So is there a different level higher than War Daddy?) – “No, it’s the same thing. It’s just different color shirts. Now we have hoodies. Our fashion expert, Cam Wake, is in charge of that.”
(So there’s a War Daddy hoodie now?) – “Yes.”
(That’s the highest level of fashion?) – “That’s what they told me, the highest level right now.”
(Had you met former Dolphins WR Paul Warfield before?) – “I had not. I had not. That was my first time. I had heard a lot. (Senior Vice President, Special Projects and Alumni Relations) Nat (Moore) would always tell me stories…”
(Before your time right?) – “A little bit. (laughter) Nat (Moore) always, he educates me about so many things that’s happened in the past and it’s a neat thing for me when I get to meet so many of these guys. When he introduced me to Larry Csonka, I remember seeing a lot of those NFL Films things growing up, so a lot of these guys … It’s been great to meet these guys and how much passion they have for the organization. It’s pretty cool to see those guys still pay attention to what we’re doing. They want us to win.”
(Did former Dolphins WR Paul Warfield talk to the players?) – “He stopped by the individual groups. He hit a couple of groups. I remember when he was talking to the DBs, which was good. I know he was over there talking to the wide outs. So he was kind of moving around and talking to individual guys too.”
