Walt Aikens – December 17, 2016 (Postgame)
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Saturday, December 17, 2016
Postgame – at New York
Miami Dolphins S Walt Aikens (as transcribed by the New York Jets)
On scoring on his punt block….
I knew I got a piece of it. Then it was “See ball, get ball”. As a defensive player, getting the scoop and score is our motto.
On being unblocked on his punt block…
I was surprised. But (Darren Rizzi) always tells us, don’t come in there like you will get blocked because you never know who will come free. I was in the right place at the right time.
Dion Sims – December 17, 2016 (Postgame)
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Saturday, December 17, 2016
Postgame – at New York
Miami Dolphins TE Dion Sims (as transcribed by the New York Jets)
On what has been the key to his success in the second half of the season…
Just grinding, just putting my head down and being the workhorse that I am and producing when my number is called. That’s pretty much it.
On whether he expected to have so much success since he was considered a blocking tight end…
Anything they want me to do. I’m just doing my part, doing my job. Opportunities are there and it’s coming, so I just produce when my number is called. Whatever my role is, I embrace it and I do whatever I can to help the team.
On what it says about the team that a lot of guys are stepping up…
We’re competitors. Everybody is a competitor and we want to compete. That’s pretty much it point blank. And (Coach) Gase always talks about the next man up and he preaches it, so guys are ready for that and when their number is called, they’re just going out there and having fun and just doing what we love.
On how good it feels to come to New York and get a convincing win…
It’s big, getting a division win and coming out here in an away game in the cold, it’s good. It’s something that we prepared all week for and we knew that we were facing a tough defense. It feels good to get a win on the road.
Cameron Wake – December 17, 2016 (Postgame)
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Saturday, December 17, 2016
Postgame – at New York
Miami Dolphins DE Cameron Wake (as transcribed by the New York Jets)
On his interception and sack…
We’re having a lot of fun out there. Obviously, I’m not back in coverage very often, so that was a new one for me, but the ball was there. I had to go back to my linebacker days. I put my hands on it. Other than that, it was just a game where a lot guys were making a lot of plays literally all over the field, special teams, offense, defense. We knew what kind of game it was going to be coming in. I think the guys prepared and we got a win.
On what he was thinking on the interception when the ball was in the air…
Just catch it. Funny enough, I work on catching more than probably most defensive ends, but you never know when that opportunity’s going to be there. That was kind of one of the mantras of this week is, you don’t know which play it’s going to be, just make it when it comes. Whether it’s a blocked punt, interceptions, sacks, you never know what it’s going to be. You have to make sure you make the most of the opportunity.
On what impact Miami’s pressure on the quarterback had on the game…
Every week I feel like, with the guys we have, that can be a tremendous part of our game—getting after the quarterback. Obviously, stopping the run and getting after the quarterback, playing aggressive, that’s always going to be at the top of our list for things to do on Sundays. This week was no different. We didn’t know exactly what type of front they were going to have. They had some guys banged up just like we do. Every play you have to beat the man across from you. Week-in and week-out that’s our mentality. I know I can speak for everybody, I don’t care who you put up there, we’re going to do our best to beat you. I think [more] times than not that’s going to be a successful play for us.
Matt Moore – December 17, 2016 (Postgame)
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Saturday, December 17, 2016
Postgame – at New York
Miami Dolphins QB Matt Moore (as transcribed by the New York Jets)
On his performance tonight…
When you come out with the win, all is well. But there are some things we have to look at and clean up for sure. But overall I think communication was pretty good against a good defense. The execution was there for the most part. Again, there are some things to clean up. When you get a ‘W’ against a divisional team on the road, that’s what you want.
On his feelings before the game…
There were some nerves. I’d be lying if I said there weren’t some nerves. Maybe it showed early. We started off slowly, but then we got into a groove in the middle part of the game. But once we got going, all of that negative stuff wore off. A couple of guys made some big plays and then we got on a roll. Credit to those guys for getting us going. The blocked punt, Jarvis Landry’s touchdown, all of it. It was pretty awesome down there getting stops at the goal line and then making something happen. Guys didn’t give up. That made it easier on me.
On if the defense’s focus on stopping the running game gave him opportunities…
Yes, like I said, it’s a good front. There were opportunities. Then it turned into a pressure game midway through and we had to have some answers. We did. We wanted to run the ball and again it was tough. But it allowed us to make some plays in the passing game. Once those guys got the ball in their hands, it was pretty impressive.
On how he feels after starting a game after such a long time…
I’m fired up. It’s a great feeling. We’re definitely going to enjoy it. I’m going to enjoy it and get ready to get back to work. We have another game next week. Our focus will be to win that one, but it feels great.
On his week after having a child last Monday and getting a divisional win on the road tonight…
It’s wild, but that’s the way it goes.
On his conversations with Ryan Tannehill during the game…
He was awesome, and I expected it to be that way. We talked about a few little things like IDs on the defense, what he saw from the sidelines, how he saw the backside cornerback playing. ‘Hey if you see this again, we could probably get this look.’ Extremely helpful, and I expected that. That’s who he is.
On the significance of a career-high four TDs in his first start in five years…
It’s a team win. I didn’t run 70 yards on Landry’s touchdown. So credit the guys that made the plays. Is it a good thing? Absolutely. But there’s no way that happens without those guys.
On the Kenny Stills play and the reaction after it…
We had max protection and they brought cover zero up. The defense wins those situations a lot of times. Just to execute the way we did…Kenny’s running. We blocked as many as we could. They brought one extra. To hit it was a big play. I think it was a third down. So I was just fired up. It’s good stuff.
On if he’s been around a team like this who started slow, yet are winning despite many injuries…
No I haven’t been around a team like this. Guys understand that they are truly on a team. We’ve had the ‘Next Man Up’ motto and guys have stepped up and filled in tons of ways. I think along the way all three phases have started to help each other out. Tonight that punt block sparked everything. Then we got the scoop and the score, which is a bonus. So it’s good right now. We just need to keep the focus and keep moving forward.
On how playing the whole game tonight will help him next week and in the future…
All of the obvious reasons – the experience, the reps, seeing the looks and throwing the ball in the game – all of those things. We’re going to learn from the film. That’s going to give us some things to work on this week. Anytime you can get competitive snaps in this league, it’s only going to make you better. So it should help moving forward.
On the nerves and the speed of the game…
I didn’t notice the speed of the game. I knew what to expect from that perspective. But maybe I felt nerves a little bit. It’s nice to complete your first ball. We had the quick out to MarQuis Gray, so that was good. But speed of the game was not an issue.
On what it means to be the backup for so long and to have the chance to lead this team to the playoffs with two more wins…
It’s something. We’re focused on one at a time. That’s been our whole mindset. Obviously guys know what’s on the table and the possibilities that are out there. But we’re focused on one thing at a time. Like I said, we’re going to enjoy this one and get back on the grind next week.
On if he had a chance to absorb this week…
There will definitely be time to reflect about this week tonight and tomorrow. I’ll relax for a second and then get moving again. It’s on to the next one, but there will be time for that for sure.
On his approach on the fact that he is the QB of a team very much in the playoff chase…
I don’t’ know how to answer that other to say that we’re focused on one game at a time. I think we’ve had the results we wanted because of the guys’ mindset. That’s also my mindset. One week at a time. Do everything you can to win one game and the rest will take care of itself.
Tony Lippett – December 17, 2016 (Postgame)
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Saturday, December 17, 2016
Postgame – at New York
Miami Dolphins CB Tony Lippett (as transcribed by the New York Jets)
On his interception….
The receiver did a stutter and then took off. When I looked at him his eyes got big. Back when I played wide receiver, my eyes got big when I was about to catch the ball. I just tried to turn on (the speed) and play the ball. I came down with the ball.
On filling in for Byron Maxwell…
I just I had to play. I knew I would be over (Brandon Marshall) a lot. Sometimes you just have to go out there and play ball.
On containing Brandon Marshall…
It’s a team effort. The coaches put us in good positions and we just tried to execute the game plan.
On the win…
It feels good. It’s a division game so you throw out the records. They are a great team, this is a great place to play, and it’s primetime ball. We knew they would come out and give us their best shot, we just tried to give ours.
Jarvis Landry – December 17, 2016 (Postgame)
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Saturday, December 17, 2016
Postgame – at New York
Miami Dolphins WR Jarvis Landry (as transcribed by the New York Jets)
On the performance of Matt Moore…
Like I said last week, Matt prepares like he’s the starting quarterback. Every week he’s done that. For him to come in and play with the confidence he played with, to a lot of people it was unexpected, but for us it was something we already knew.
On reaching back to back 1,000 yards seasons…
For me, I’ve never really been the player to emphasize personal accomplishments. When you win, the accomplishments come. Honestly, 1,000 yards was a goal I set out for myself individually. It’s something I expect to reach.
On the team’s current 9-5 record…
This is an amazing feeling to be in the position that we are in. We are basically in control of our destiny. I can’t remember in past years, how many Dolphins’ teams we’re above .500 at this point in the year. So for us to be where we are, it is a testament to the hard work we put in.
On the aggressive play-calling by the offense…
It was time for it. It was time for the receivers to be trusted a little bit more. Kenny Stills made a big play to start it off, and from there we kind of took over.
Adam Gase – December 17, 2016 (Postgame)
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Saturday, December 17, 2016
Postgame – at New York
Miami Dolphins Head Coach Adam Gase (as transcribed by the New York Jets)
On how he would rate Matt Moore’s performance…
I thought he did a good job. The short week, we were just trying to put this thing together as clean as possible, get him to feel as comfortable as he possibly could. It’s no secret it’s been a while since he’s started a football game in the regular season, so you just want to make sure he felt good coming into this game.
On what impressed him about Moore’s performance…
I thought his command. We took some shots, too, and he hit them. (He) missed a couple that I know he wanted back, but (he) kept his head, kept plugging along. The run game wasn’t exactly what we thought it was going to be. We thought maybe we’d have a little more success, but they did a good job as far as getting penetration and causing some problems for us. Jay (Ajayi) was running hard for us and he was trying to find some lanes, but we were just a little off in the run game.
On Moore’s approach to the game…
He was great all week. It was interesting to see the roles kind of switch between those two guys and just how their personalities have just switched. It was pretty interesting to go through this week. Matt all of a sudden became all serious and Ryan (Tannehill) was joking around. It was an interesting process to go through.
On Cameron Wake’s performance…
The defense did a great job. Just the turnovers, just causing problems, the pressure was relentless, guys were playing hard. I know there are a couple of things (Vance Joseph) is going to want to clean up. Those guys are perfectionists and want to make sure they do everything right. I know (Bilal) Powell had a good day and we just need to get tighter on some of those check-downs and tackle a little bit quicker. But there’s a reason they’re getting into those check-downs, because the coverage was pretty good outside and guys were keeping those receivers, the coverage was really tight.
On what ensuring a winning season means…
I don’t know if we’re really worried about final records or anything right now. We’re trying to win one game at a time. I know I’ve said it before. It gets boring. But that’s what it is. Our guys are focused on just making sure whatever opponent we have next, that we come out of that week 1-0.
On Xavien Howard’s performance…
It looked like he was pretty good to me. He was competitive, got his hands on some balls. He looked like he never really left us. That was a surprise, when (Byron) Maxwell went out, that was the first thing that went through my head, “Alright, so, how many snaps is he actually going to get this game, considering we were only thinking he was going to get 15,” and I know it was way over that.
On how reassuring it is to have a backup like Moore…
Well, it’s really been our mantra all year. We’ve had quite a few guys go down and we’ve had some really good players go down and the entire team’s had that next-man-up mentality. And no matter what the position’s been, somebody’s either stepped up or the rest of the guys have stepped up around him and made sure that all the pressure wasn’t on one person and they’re trying to do it as a unit. And whether it’s been a team, special teams, defense, offense, that group has tried to pick it up.
On the television broadcast reporting Tannehill tore his MCL off the bone…
That’s hard for me to answer. I didn’t hear it. I just know whatever I told you guys is what I was told.
On Ajayi and Jarvis Landry both surpassing 1,000 yards on the season tonight…
Any time that you hit those numbers it’s a great accomplishment. I think it’s hard for either of those guys to focus on that right now. I know they’ve never spoken to me about it. I’ve never really heard them speak about it around their teammates. I think it’s just one of those things that at the end of the year when your season’s over you may look back on it and say that was a number you were either shooting for or people thought they would get, but I don’t know that either of those guys are worried about individual statistics at this point.
On why the team has a knack for big plays…
I think guys are just playing hard and on defense it seems like a lot of guys are in the right place at the right time and it just comes from effort and pursuit. And on special teams it just seems like the same guys show up over and over again, put themselves in position to when something like that happens, they end up getting a big play off of it. It just seems like (Mike Hull) seems to be the guy that’s really making a huge impact on special teams, which he has been, it’s just now it’s resulting into points. Offensively, we had a couple opportunities where they were aggressive as far as what they were calling and we finally hit a couple there in the third quarter that swung the game for us.
On Wake’s performance…
I think when you have a player of his ability that has played as long as he has, he has that knack for timing. It just seems like he knows when there are those moments in a game where if something could swing a game, he just seems to find that moment and make it happen. I know him intercepting (the ball), he’s dropping into a zone blitz. Sometimes when you’re a quarterback you just don’t see that guy, you don’t anticipate that guy being in that spot. A lot of times the defensive end just has to catch it. It was interesting; I was watching him catch balls in warm-ups thinking to myself, “Why is he catching balls in warm-ups?” And all of a sudden I look up and he picks one off. So maybe he knew something that I didn’t.
On if the deep ball after stopping the Jets on fourth down was intentionally taking a shot…
No, that was just something we called. I was getting tired of just sitting back and trying to throw quick. It was just a good opportunity to start pushing the envelope a little bit and stop being so conservative.
On the confidence boost the game gives Moore…
I don’t think there ever was a lack of confidence by Matt, ever, at least as long as I’ve known him. I think this team felt like whoever stepped into that role when Ryan went down was going to do a good job with what we asked him to do and they had a lot of confidence that the rest of the guys on offense would step up and make plays.
Adam Gase – December 14
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Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Head Coach Adam Gase
(How did QB Matt Moore look today?) – “Good. He did a good job. When you’ve got an experienced guy, you know he’s taking every week as though he could be playing. That’s what you get when you have a true pro as your backup. He knows exactly what he needs to be ready for every week and this week is no different. It’s just now he has a different role. He was on it and guys responded well to him.”
(How much rust do you really have to work off when you have not played in five years as a quarterback at that position?) – “That’s a tough one to answer. It’s rare to see really to have that much time in between starts because something usually happens and this organization has been fortunate as far as having the same guy behind center game after game, and this is an unusual situation for us. We’re on unchartered waters, but Matt’s (Moore) such a … He works so hard day-in and day-out to prepare himself just in case. I think it would have been easy for him to not be ready because nothing’s ever happened. But it was obvious that he went in that game and he knew what to do. He knew where to go with the ball. He made plays, especially in a critical situation and adverse conditions. That was not an easy situation.”
(With QB Matt Moore there on the sidelines with you, based just on his feedback, do you think you have a feel for what he likes? What he prefers?) – “I feel like I do have a pretty good feel for a lot of the things that he really does like. There are a few things I feel like I know that he does not like, which is good, because we want to do what he feels comfortable doing, and when people say, ‘Well, how much does the offense change?’ It doesn’t change from a schematic sense. It just might be a few different things that he likes a little better then what Ryan (Tannehill) did, or maybe there are a couple of things he didn’t like as much. So the communication he has with me on the sideline is very valuable, because now I can use that information moving forward.”
(Are you guys certain that you’re going with QB T.J. Yates as the backup quarterback this weekend?) – “Yes. Yes.”
(And what went into that decision as opposed to promoting QB Brandon Doughty?) – “I just felt like that was the right decision for us to make, and I wanted a guy that had kind of been in some situations where he’s had to play in a regular season game, and we’re still really … I don’t want to put Brandon (Doughty) in a bad situation to where all of a sudden now he’s thrust into this situation where we’re still kind of in the developmental stages of making sure that little tiny things that sometimes some people don’t really see, that we’re still developing. He’s got a great grasp of the offense. He’s done a good job as far as making sure he’s been ready every week. It’s more this is what I wanted to do moving forward here, at the end of the season, to make sure that Matt (Moore) has somebody with some experience behind him.”
(Also about center, are you in open competition or are you set with C/G Anthony Steen?) – “We work more than one guy every week. Right now, I don’t see anything changing. If something changes throughout the week, then it does; but you are always working guys and trying to make sure we’ve got the five guys we want out there for that game. We kind of make a determination at the end of the week.”
(With QB T.J. Yates, how quickly can he learn the offense and is there some carry over on what he’s done in the past?) – “There actually is. There are a couple systems that he’s been in that have been close formation-wise, and then there are a couple of systems he’s actually been in that have some of the same terminology. It’s more about what really sticks in his head. When we get to the game, I’m probably going to have to go through and just make sure there are certain things that will trigger really fast, and he can go play fast. There are probably a couple of things where it’s brand new to him that I would try to avoid.”
(What went into your decision on DE Dion Jordan and what do you think his future is here?) – “He just wasn’t ready.”
(Is it the knee or because of his play?) – “Because his body’s not ready to go. His whole … his game is explosion off the ball, being able to redirect, that burst that you want a guy that plays his position have, and it’s not all the way back. That’s just what it is. Some guys it comes back faster than other guys. We had a setback and had to start over, and we didn’t have enough time. We’re just going to keep doing what we’re doing as far as getting him better day-in and day-out. He’s done everything we’ve asked. He’s always here. He’s trying to figure out a way to just get his body back to where it was, and sometimes it takes a little longer than you think.”
(Did you see enough in terms of talent that you would like him back?) – “It was hard to tell. He wasn’t … He couldn’t move the way that he’s moved in the past. It’s going to take some time.”
(RB Jay Ajayi was huge for about a month there and he couldn’t be stopped. He’s come kind of back to earth a little bit now. What has to happen for him to re-gain, not 200 yards a game, but production to where everything is not on the passing game?) – “Coming off some of these injuries we’ve had upfront, some moving pieces, and we played some good defensive fronts, that’s the one thing that myself and coaches have been reminding him of. Just remember we have played some good teams, and we’ve played some really, really … And the teams that have been good on defense, it’s been the front seven that has been the strength of all of these teams that we’ve played. When we have some guys that have some limitations as far as ‘B.A.’ (Branden Albert) is playing with one hand. (Laremy) Tunsil comes back from an injury and he’s not 100 percent. There are certain things … I mean we’re a shoelace away so many different times to where all of a sudden that 5-yard gain is going to be 25. I don’t want him to change anything he’s doing, because he’s doing exactly what we need him to do and he’s doing exactly the same thing he did when we had those big-time rushing numbers. He just can’t get frustrated thinking it’s something with him, where that’s why the running game can be special sometimes, because it takes the entire unit. It takes the front, it takes the tight ends, it takes the quarterback making sure he’s doing his job and making an out. It takes the wide receivers blocking down the field, and then it takes him just being patient and doing exactly what everybody knows he’s supposed to do. And he’s done that. We’ve been close quite a few times. Last game, there were a couple of them that were just so close to being explosive runs. I know everybody wants to get caught up with the numbers, but we’re kind of looking at each play individually and saying, ‘Okay, this was good. We’re close. We’ve just got to finish this a little better.’ So I’m not getting discouraged by numbers right now. I know if we keep giving him touches and giving him opportunities, and we get back in a rhythm and we get guys healthy as we finish this thing out, I think we’re going to start having the number production be better.”
(Is it correct that today was a little lighter practice than you would normally have?) – “Well, we did the same thing. I think we’ve done this a couple of weeks in a row now of doing this type of practice. We want to try to get as many guys out there as possible. Last week would have been … We would have probably had eight guys not practice.”
(So this is something that anybody really could have participated in?) – “Yes. I mean it gives us a chance to give guys looks and so they can get out there and actually do some things. We still have a couple of guys that are banged up. If we would go full practice, we wouldn’t be able to go. Last week, like ‘B.A.’ (Branden Albert) and (Laremy) Tunsil wouldn’t have been able to participate because we were still kind of recovering from the game. It’s more important for us to have as many guys be able to see the looks, see pressures, kind of walkthrough some of the things that we’re doing. The good thing is the guys are moving faster. Some guys are moving faster than others. So it’s really more of we’ve been banged up for a while. We’re just trying to get guys out there and move them around and making sure they get as many of the looks as possible.”
(You’ve been saying it’s up to CB Xavien Howard to determine whether he’s ready to play. Has he told you anything about where he’s at?) – “I haven’t talked to him yet. But we’ll have a discussion here towards the end of the week. Things look good for him right now, as long as we don’t have any setbacks, which hopefully we don’t. He was moving around pretty good today. He was playing at a different speed than probably a lot of other guys, just because his body’s feeling better. He hasn’t played in a while, so he’s got a little less tread right now. It’s looking like we’ve got a good chance to get him up.”
(So you know QB Matt Moore likes to go down the field? He likes to look down the field. In 2011, he had 13 games and 14 fumbles because he was waiting [in the pocket]. Have you had a conversation with him about ‘Dude, get rid of the ball because a fumble is like an interception?’) – “Some of that is what you call. You understand, when you hear a call, you kind of know what you’re looking for. It’s that discussion you have leading up to the game of, ‘Here’s how we want to attack certain situations. Here are your opportunities when you are looking down the field, but then at the same time, here is where your outs have to be.’ That’s a long time you’re talking about. There is a lot of time and experience that have gone from the last time, 2011 until now. I feel like the way that he operates is different than what he did in the past. I feel like he does have a good clock. He does have the ability to feel the pressure, as far as things aren’t right getting the ball underneath. So it’s a different guy now after five years. When you’re young, you’re aggressive. You want to make the big play. You want to make the impact play. Sometimes the older you get, the more you realize sometimes checking it downs isn’t the worst thing in the world. All of a sudden, you get it ‘23’ (Jay Ajayi) and he gets you 12 yards on a check down. We got 15 the other day on a quick-game play that was a 3-yard throw. Matt – that’s experience. You get used to doing that, and he’s done it in practice, and I just feel like I’m not going to see anything different than what I’ve seen since training camp or really the offseason.”
(When RB Damien Williams finished the game, was that…) – “No, that was my fault. I did a bad job as far as, when we got that penalty, Jay (Ajayi) should’ve went back in. I should’ve got him back in there for that last, those last two plays. He should’ve been in there. That was bad on my part.”
(One of the moves you guys could have made would have been to put QB Ryan Tannehill on injured reserve. Have you gotten more information since Monday, are you more optimistic?) – “I have not. I have not gotten any information as far as a second opinion, or anything like that. Obviously being on the practice field, I haven’t had time to really talk about it. It’s just one of those things where they’ll grab me at some point tonight. We’re in no rush. We’ve got plenty of time. If we felt like there was a situation where IR is an option, then we’ll get there. But right now, we’re still gathering information, and figuring out timetables and seeing what happens. We have to play a game Saturday, then we’ll go back and talk about everything again, and see where we’re at. Right now, we’re taking things slow. I’m not going to rush him back, I know that. I’m not going to put his health at risk to try to hurry up and get him back for any game.”
(How much did C Mike Pouncey fight you, on him being on IR?) – “He was disappointed. We had been talking about him coming back for a long time, and he’s been really on me as far as, ‘I’m good, I’m good.’ It’s just … It’s one thing to be tough, and the willingness that he wants to be out there with his teammates. You appreciate that as a coach, because you know he means it. He does not … This is what he wants to do, period. If he could do this forever, he would. It’s just the information that I had, and the timetable we had, and how much time we have left in the season, I was not going to put him out there and take a chance of hurting a guy’s career. Somebody that we feel like is very valuable to this organization, to take a chance of him playing one or two games and then something happens and now we don’t have him for a longer period of time, I wasn’t going to put him in that spot. He wasn’t happy about it because he’s a competitor. He wants to be out there. When you’re missing out on stuff, you just want to be one of the guys that contributes.”
(Jets QB Bryce Petty hasn’t played a lot of games for the Jets. Does he look like a guy that’s looking to take a shot down the field when it’s there?) – “A lot of times it’s, once again, it’s what you’re calling, what are your opportunities, what’s your time. You kind of get a feel for when you’re first playing with a coordinator and you’re trying to get a feel for each other, at first you’re not really sure when that opportunity is. You kind of get a feel in practice, but it’s not the same as when you get in a game. You can kind of tell when the time is when you do what to push the ball down the field. Sometimes you’re looking at matchups as well, then what the defense gives you, what the coverage dictates you can do. So I think when he gets those certain calls where he knows he has those opportunities and he gets the right coverage, he’s going to definitely take them. But if it’s not what their game plan is, if it’s not exactly the coverage they want, then he’s going to go underneath.”
(Does 1,000 yards still mean the same?) – “I think it does. It’s not an easy thing to do because you see running backs nowadays. You have two or three guys playing now. To have guys that just carry the load all season long and stay healthy for the entire season, I think it’s kind of rare. A thousand yards is still 1,000 yards. You’re seeing more guys that are more 13, in that 12-13 (hundred) range, and we kind of lose a little bit of respect for how tough that really is. And for these guys, the wear and tear that they go through during those games, it’s a tough position to play.”
(Who takes more pride in it, an offensive lineman or the tailback?) – “That’s hard to say. I think offensive linemen do take a lot of pride when they can turn around and say, ‘I have a 1,000-yard back behind me.’ And they know they’re a part of that. That’s the lone statistic … I think that and sacks are the two things they can always lean on as far as, ‘We’re a good line because we have a 1,000-yard back and we’re fifth in sacks.’ Or whatever it is. That’s their lone statistics they have. They don’t get a lot of love for anything else.”
(With C/G Anthony Steen, we know he has what sounds like a very bad ankle injury that he’s had all year, as well as the neck. How bad of shape is he in physically to be out there playing?) – “I think a lot of our guys are … When you play the line, every game you walk out of, if you’re 100 percent healthy, that’s unheard of. These guys are all banged up. I know the ankle for him, that was real. That was a problem for him and he kept trying to go. I’m sure he played a few games that were not the most comfortable thing for him to go through. When you’re a center and your neck is not right, and you don’t have the movement you want, that’s a problem too. I know there were a couple of games where he wished he had a little more movement in his neck; but he always seemed to recover in time for the game to where he felt good enough to be able to go. We have a lot of guys playing banged up, up front. It just shows the toughness and the willingness to try to help us win.”
(QB Matt Moore had a baby. Did he miss any time? Any meetings?) – “No, because they had lifting and then the next day was off. So he was on his own a little bit as far as what he could do preparation-wise. I don’t know if he had an iPad or anything in the hospital. I don’t want to assume anything. I don’t want to get anyone in trouble.”
