Ryan Tannehill – November 16, 2016 (Conference Call)
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Wednesday, November 16, 2016
QB Ryan Tannehill Conference Call with Los Angeles Media
(What do you think of the challenge of going against a defensive line like the one the Rams have?) – “They have a great defense. It’s definitely a challenge for us. They have a really good front. They do a lot of things to put pressure on the offensive line, get a lot of five-on-five matchups and let their guys work. They have a lot of faith in the guys and for good reason. They’re really talented upfront, and they do a good job of getting pressure on the quarterback, whether it’s pushing the pocket, affecting throws, making the quarterback move – all those types of things to just disrupt the passing game. I have a ton of respect for this defense and how they want to affect the game.”
(The Rams have a rookie quarterback starting for the first time. Do you have much recollections of your first start?) – “Yes, I obviously remember my first start. It was a rough first half and then we got things going in the second half. But that was a long time ago.”
(What kinds of things helped you get through it after that first half, and what kind of things happened that enabled you to run a little bit more smoothly?) – “You just have to keep playing. I think no matter whether you’re in your first game or your 101st game that’s football. You just got to keep playing.”
(What you do think has been the difference for you guys as a team and for you as a quarterback with Head Coach Adam Gase as head coach?) – “I think he’s done a great job of establishing a mindset, building a culture around our building, a belief in each other. We’ve done a good job of pushing each other in practice, practicing really hard. We’re practicing efficiently and trying to get the most out of our time. I think establishing the culture has been the biggest thing (and) his mindset, competiveness in practice and pushing each other to be better. And we see that payoff on Sundays.”
(You made some pretty big leaps in your career from Year 1 to Year 2. What kind of things were you able to draw from that first year as an NFL starting quarterback, and how big was that for you to have that season where you were under center, and how much did it help you moving forward?) – “Obviously, the more reps you get, the more experience you get, the more comfortable you get and you learn. You learn from the good reps; you learn from the bad reps. You learn from game reps and practice reps alike. The more reps you get under your belt, the better you should be.”
(From your vantage point, can you talk about what DT Ndamukong Suh has done for the defense as well as your team and field position and things like that?) – “He has done a great job. He’s very disruptive, whether it be in the pass game or the run game. He’s a talented player who’s playing really well right now. He’s making a lot of big plays for our defense.”
(What think has been the key in RB Jay Ajayi’s sort of jump and his leap in maybe his development?) – “I think he has done a really nice job. I think he learned a lot from Arian (Foster) in the run game whenever Arian was here. I think the biggest deal over the last month has been the offensive line doing a great job up front and giving him those creases. Jay runs hard. He runs hard every down. He’s going to break tackles. He’s going to run through arm tackles and make it tough and then get to that second level consistently. That’s trouble for a defense. I don’t care, really, what defense it is. You get a 240 pound back – or however much he weighs – running full steam ahead, you don’t want to have that matchup several times over the course of the game. That’s really our goal – to get him to the second level, get him to the secondary clean and let him work from there.”
(Do you think part of the reason for the run that you guys have been on is maybe you all just getting more used to each other from a coaching staff perspective and then also from the player perspective, building that chemistry there.) – “There’s definitely a learning curve with the new system, new head coach. There’s definitely a growing process, and we’re still on it. We’re still on that path. We keep growing as a team – growing as an offense – and building that chemistry together. That’s definitely a big part of it, and I hope to continue on that path.”
(You’re going up against the Rams, obviously, this week and you’re going up against Rams QB Jared Goff, but being part of the quarterback fraternity, if you had any advice for Jared coming out and playing his first game – getting his first snaps – what kind of advice would you give him?) – “I’m not really big on giving him advice before we play him. I’m just focused on doing everything I can to help this team win.”
Adam Gase – November 16, 2016 (Conference Call)
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Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Head Coach Adam Gase Conference Call with Los Angeles Media
(It looks like your winning streak here has coincided with QB Ryan Tannehill’s ability to avoid the interception. What have you seen over the last four games that has led him to clean those turnovers up?) – “I think most of it has to do with the fact that we’ve gotten our starting five offensive linemen back – getting that group back together – and then the running game coming around. He didn’t have to … We had some games at the end of the game where we had to lean on him quite a bit. He had to take some chances as far as trying to get us back in the game and that had a lot to do with some of the interceptions that we had earlier in the season. The last four games, we’ve played a lot more balanced football, and he hasn’t had to really force anything. He has made a lot of really good decisions the time it has been crunch time on third downs and things like that. The development of the offense as far as us being together for a little longer period of time has really helped us out as well.”
(When you’re going to face a quarterback that has never played in a regular season game, how does that affect your preparation?) – “Obviously, our information is limited as far as what he has put on tape at this level. So, our ability to at least tell our players strengths and weakness is very limited. We have to be very sharp within the game of trying to figure out what they could possibly lean on or go to that he does really well and maybe try to figure out what possibly could give him problems. It makes it tough when you have this limited information. You can always try to go back (and) look at college tapes or go back to our college scouts evaluations of him, but it makes it tough, because you’re so used to having so much information on almost every player that you go against no matter what position they play. And right now, obviously, our information is very limited.”
(You mentioned college film, but his preseason, does that provide any value to you guys in scouting him as well?) – “Once again, it’s just so limited. A lot of times in the preseason, you’re not really getting too exotic, and you’re trying to run basic things to try to … Not only him being a young player and him trying to get his feet wet in the preseason, but the guys that he’s playing with – a lot of those guys are probably not even on the roster or younger guys themselves – that are trying to get a feel for what they were doing offensively. So, it is tough to just look at that and be like, ‘This is exactly who he is,’ because once again, you don’t have a lot of information.”
(I would imagine putting pressure on a young quarterback would be a plus for your squad. Can you talk about that and how well your defense has played in the last several games?) – “I think any time that you can apply any kind of pressure to quarterbacks in this league, it obviously makes a big difference throughout the game. Some of the guys that we’ve … Last week playing a guy of the caliber of Philip Rivers, you try to apply as much pressure as possible, whether it be by pressuring him or with a four-man rush and then collapsing the pocket. Some of these experienced guys do such a good job as far as being able to stand in there, and it doesn’t really phase them, because they’ve been through this so many times. The way that our defense is playing right now, I feel like the guys are really playing good assignment football. They’re doing so much right as far as everybody being on the same page. I think the games that we’ve struggled in, we’ve had some miscues with guys on different pages. I don’t want to say freelancing, but more … It’s almost like busts. We’ve had too many busts early in the season which cost us.”
(How much did you look at Rams QB Jared Goff coming out of the draft, and what do you remember about your impressions of him?) – “It was very brief. I looked at enough just to be familiar. A lot of times when you’re not in position to take a guy – and obviously this year being my first year as a head coach – I had a lot of other things that I was looking. Being somebody that admires that position and always wants to make sure that you’re up to date on all the guys coming into the league, I tried to look at it a little bit. But I didn’t look at enough to really have a great opinion one way or another as far as an evaluation standpoint.”
(Because Rams QB Jared Goff is so young and it’s his first game, how much or how tempted are you to mix things up defensively to try to confuse him?) – “A lot of the times the way that we go into these games is we’re always trying to affect the quarterback, really, no matter who it is back there. (Defensive Coordinator) Vance (Joseph) does a great job as far as giving different looks and different types of pressures. Once again, we don’t know how he’s going to handle certain things, and just because he’s a young player doesn’t mean that he hasn’t grown since he has left college. I know the defense that he gets to practice against every day is not a defense that just lines up and plays one or two coverages. You’re talking about being able to develop quickly, he’s probably going against the best defense to go against because Coach (Gregg) Williams has so many different looks and does such a great job as far as with his pressures. If you can handle what he’s doing, and if you can show that you’re practicing well against his defense, then you’re probably ready for the NFL-caliber type game.”
(Do you get any sense from the locker room that they’re maybe chomping at the bit to get after a rookie quarterback?) – “I think our guys are focused about doing their job and making sure that they’re on their assignments. We focus more on kind of what we need to do and less on the opponent. Our weeks are about what we need to do and not necessarily about what our opponents are doing.”
(Did you guys stay in Southern California for this week?) – “Yes. We’re still up in San Diego.”
(How does RB Jay Ajayi’s breakout through these last four weeks allowed you do the things differently on offense?) – “Anytime your running game really explodes like ours had the three weeks before this last one, you start getting a lot of single coverage on the outside, and it opens up some opportunities for some play-action throws down the field. He has made a big difference as far as our mentality, and a lot of it has to do with him. A lot of it has to do with those five offensive linemen. Those guys basically put this offense on their back. They dictated to me, basically, what they wanted to do. They didn’t say it; they did it by action. When you’re a play caller and you see you’re ripping of 8 to 12 yards a clip on the run game, that’s enough for you as a play caller to realize that they’re making a statement to you. They want you to run the ball, and that’s basically what our guys did. As a coaching staff, we’ve stuck with what our guys really think they’re good at.”
(Was there anything you saw from RB Jay Ajayi this past offseason that maybe gave you a hint that this kind of performance was coming?) – “I think the only thing I can really say about this offseason that he did a really good job of (is) he was the fastest to learn our system. He probably adjusted quicker than anybody else with the schemes that we were trying to do. I know he didn’t have exactly the preseason games as he probably wanted to. I know when we signed Arian (Foster) we had a plan as far as what we wanted to do with a one-two punch with those two guys. It didn’t quite work out the way that we had pictured it when we got going in training camp, but at the end of the day, it has worked out. We’ve gone through some bumps in the road, and Jay has fought through some adversity. A lot of the things that have happened to us have been for the better. I think it has made us a better team and a stronger team, especially on offense.”
(Can you put into words what this first year of head coaching has been like for you so far, challenges and maybe some surprises along the way?) – “That’s a tough one to answer. I think there has been very few things where I can say I’ve been surprised, but I think the amount of time that you have to spend on some of the non-football related issues. You never realize how much actual minutes you lose per day when you’re dealing with things that really have nothing to do with game planning for your next opponent.”
(How do you expect T Branden Albert’s absence on Sunday to affect the continuity that the offensive line has formed?) – “I think anytime you lose the player that has been as good of a leader as he has been, it’s always tough to replace a guy like that. I think we are strong enough though though with (Mike) Pouncey and Ja’Wuan (James) and Jermon (Bushrod) as far as veteran guys that have been working together here for a little bit. Obviously, (Laremy) Tunsil, even though he’s a rookie, you would never know it. He has got a little bit of that veteran presence. Obviously, he’s very confident in his ability. I feel good as far as how those guys will work together. Obviously, they probably have their toughest test that what we’ve had so far. We played four really tough fronts the last four weeks, and they’ve done well, but at the end of the day, this is probably going to be our biggest challenge. These guys bring a totally different element, because they do have an entire front that’s playing at a very high level, and then you start mixing in Coach (Gregg) Williams’ scheme with that. It makes it very difficult for those front guys.”
(Will G/T Laremy Tunsil move over to left tackle then?) – “Yes.”
(Can you comment on DT Ndamukong Suh’s play this year, and has anybody given him any static about his acting roles?) – “I don’t know if I can answer the acting roles question. I may be too much in a bunker to really realize what’s going on. I feel like my research department hasn’t really kept me up to date on this one. (laughter) But as far as his play goes, I don’t know if I’ve even seen a defensive tackle play as consistent, as hard, been available as much as he has been for us this season. You can see it in his preparation – the way that he works on his off day or the Mondays, the way he prepares himself. And then when he goes out on Sunday, he really sells out. He gives everything that he has. I don’t know if I’ve ever been around a guy that size that moves as well as he does and pursues the ball with a purpose. He’s a special player. I never thought I’d be around a guy that athletic, that big, that plays interior defensive line the way that he has been playing.”
Ryan Tannehill – November 16, 2016
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Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill
(What has the week been like and moving on here? Is it more normal now? Has it slowed down a little bit?) – “It’s a different week for us just being away from home and being out of our normal facility. (We are) trying to keep the routine as consistent as we can with the meeting times, the lifting, and everything in practice. It’s definitely a challenge for us, but I think we have the focus to get it done the right way.”
(Has there been opportunities to bond, get to know one another, build camaraderie?) – “I think that’s one of the benefits of being out here together is we have time to spend together, to go to dinner, to hang out and build that team unity.”
(What area of your game would you say you’re most happy with in terms of the improvement that you’ve made?) – “Probably not turning the ball over. I think that’s the biggest thing for us right is taking care of the football (and) not giving the other team opportunities with good field position and keeping ourselves in the right spot. If we can continue doing that, I think we’ll continue to win games.”
(Is that decision making or there’s more to it than?) – “There’s definitely more to it than that. It takes everyone. It’s not just me. It’s the o-line giving me time to make good throws and receivers being in the right spot and making plays on the football. It takes everyone.”
(What’s an idea that Head Coach Adam Gase came in with as far as mechanics with you that you feel like you’ve adopted?) – “We’re constantly trying to improve. There’s always something, whether it’s feet, moving in the pocket – whatever it is. We’re constantly trying to improve and get better.”
(Anything specific though that you can think that you can mention that he has kind of urged you to tweak, and you’ve made that tweak?) – “There has been a lot of things, feet being one of them (and) doing it a little different way and trying to be more proactive.”
(Head Coach Adam Gase said that T Branden Albert is not playing on Sunday. So, can you talk about your confidence in G/T Laremy Tunsil and maybe C/G Kraig Urbik on the left side?) – “I have confidence in those guys. I think Tunsil has already played a game for us at left tackle. It’s a position he has got a lot of experience at in college and high school as well. Practice will be good for him this week to get back into that groove a little bit, and (Kraig) Urbik is stepping in. He stepped in a couple of times throughout the year for us, and we have a lot of confidence in him as well.”
(What changes though the most with having “B.A.” [T Branden Albert] out?) – “I’m not sure. I’m not sure exactly what changes. I think we have to have the next-man-up mentality of whoever steps in there – whether it be (Kraig) Urbik or if a receiver goes down, or whatever it may be – we have to have that next-man-up mentality that it really doesn’t matter who’s in there, we have to get the job done.”
(What are G/T Laremy Tunsil’s strengths?) – “First of all, I think his athleticism – the way he can move, his feet, strength. You see the guy move and you can tell he’s a really good athlete. Being a left tackle and having his type of athleticism is huge.”
(What is WR DeVante Parker as receiver when he is at his best?) – “He’s really, really good. I think we’re just scratching the surface of what he can do. We just have to get him playing at that high level consistently. I think keeping him healthy is the biggest thing. He has been banged up and nicked up throughout most of the year, and when you’re fighting those injuries, it’s just tough. If we can just keep him progressing – keep him on the right track – then we’ll be in good shape.”
(How tough is it to just gauge WR DeVante Parker’s speed or gauge timing with routes with him when he’s not going all the way 100 percent in practice?) – “It’s difficult, whether it’s practice or a game and a guy is nicked up. It makes it tough, especially when you’re facing a guy who’s 100 percent on the other side. Getting him healthy and running full speed is opening up a lot of things for us. We look to continue getting him the football.”
(You got hit a lot on Sunday, and obviously, you were a little banged up. What’s the training like here? Because obviously, when you’re at home you have all your tools. Did you have to fill up your own tub with ice? Is that how it worked?) – “They have ice tubs here for us. They did a really good job of trying to adapt normalcy to Carlsbad as much as they could. Obviously, it’s a little different – it’s a different set up – but all the amenities that we have back at the facility, they tried to bring here and have at our disposal to get ourselves both mentally and physically ready to play.”
(You spend some time in that tub?) – “I did.”
(How much time?) – “I spent a good 30 minutes after the game.”
(What were some of your thoughts when you re-watched your performance from the San Diego game?) – “There are definitely some things I’d like to clean up, especially in the first half. It was little mistakes that don’t need to be made, and there was also some good things there. It’s like every other game – there’s always some good and some bad. You want to fix the things that you didn’t do well.”
(What was your favorite play in there? Which one of yours did you really like seeing again?) – “The touchdown to Kenny (Stills) was probably my favorite. It’s a play we’ve been working on for several weeks now and haven’t had the opportunity to get it called. We finally get it called and get the touchdown out of it. It’s great to see those reps pay off in a big way in the game.”
(Are you looking for some payback with DT Aaron Donald for the Xbox [charity tournament]? I want to ask you about that and also what makes him such a good defensive player.) – “Honestly, I don’t care about the Xbox thing. I don’t play video games. I don’t claim to be good. But he is a really good football player. You see him on tape, (and) he shows up week in and week out. He’s quick. He gets pressure whether it’s around guys, through guys. He finds a way. He has a high motor. He doesn’t stop playing. We have a lot of respect for him.”
(What do you remember about your first start as a rookie quarterback?) – “I remember it was in Houston, and the first half didn’t go well. It was a long time ago.”
(Why was it so tough to come in as a rookie quarterback and start?) – “There are challenges there. It was the first time. Also, we were playing a really good defense. J.J. ‘Swat’ (Watt), I think, had a bunch of batted passes against me, so it makes it tough.”
(Was your head kind of swimming out there? Is it a lot to process at once for your first start?) – “I don’t remember swimming. I remember getting blasted and thinking, ‘Welcome to the NFL.’ I don’t remember swimming.”
(What general advice would you give any rookie quarterback who … I don’t know, maybe you’ll even see Rams QB Jared Goff before the game at midfield. Do guys talk before [the game at] midfield or no? You don’t do that?) – “I don’t unless I know the guy.”
(But general advice?) – “I have no real advice for him (Jared Goff). Good luck. I’m trying to win the game. I’m focused on myself and what we can do.”
(Considering where you guys are at this point in the season, is it more gratifying after this start you guys had? Does it mean more? Did you learn more after you had a scuffle in there coming out?) – “I’m proud of the way that guys have battled and the way we faced adversity throughout our season, the way we stuck together and kept battling, kept staying on track, working to get better week in and week out. That hunger to succeed – that hunger to win – has been huge for us on our team. I’m excited about where we’re at right now. We just have to keep on that path of striving for greatness every day in practice.”
(How much different has your task been the last four weeks when you’ve had the offensive line? It appears as though you have more time.) – “It’s huge. You get the run game going – you get the Jay-Train going – it opens up a lot of things for us, and obviously, the time. Keep ourselves in third-and-manageable, you’re going to convert more of those third downs and have more opportunities in the pass game.”
(Do you realize you’ve only been sacked three times in the last four games?) – “I didn’t know the stat, but that’s good. We just have to get the ball out quickly and keep protecting well.”
(RB Damien Williams seems like an interesting guy. Where would you rank him in terms of entertaining personalities in your locker room?) – “He’s up there. He’s definitely entertaining, never short on words or laughing. He’s a great guy to have around, high energy guy and a football player. I think as soon as (Head Coach Adam) Gase got the job, I said, ‘No. 26 is a football player.’ Describe him one way, it’s a football player. [Those are] the type of guys you want to have on your team – guys that love the game, that want to be physical, want to do whatever they can to help the team, and he is that.”
(Does RB Damien Williams ever make you laugh in the huddle or on the field at all?) – “Practice field. In games, we’re usually pretty focused. But he is always good for a laugh.”
Ndamukong Suh – November 16, 2016
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Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Defensive Tackle Ndamukong Suh
(Can it get dangerous if you think, “Alright it’s a rookie quarterback,” or do you just say, “It’s just another quarterback?”) – “It’s just another quarterback. Hopefully, I’m assuming they’re going to run the same offense, but you never know. We’ll be ready for all things thrown at us.”
(Did you ever watch Rams QB Jared Goff when he played at California?) – “No, I didn’t. I’m a Big Ten guy. I follow Nebraska, and that’s about it.”
(You’ve been out here a week now. How different has it been than if you were back home with a normal routine?) – “For me, personally, not much other than being on the West Coast. (It is) a little less humid. Other than that, it’s pretty much the same.”
(Any challenges about your routine maybe physical therapist or masseuse?) – “No. For me, I’m solid. I got people all over the world – all over the country – so I’m good.”
(In terms of the bonding, how much of this is an opportunity for you guys to sort of come together as a team?) – “I think we’ve already become a team and really have had … This is just an opportunity for us to spend more time together, and obviously, away from our families. At the end of the day, I think we’re a close-knit team. I know I can speak for our particular group – the defensive line – we’re all close. We all enjoy hanging out with each other, whether it’s our day off or not.”
(What has been the biggest difference?) – “The biggest difference? In regards to what?”
(Anything within the team. Obviously, we’ve seen a little bit what’s going on behind the scenes that have really spurred this run.) – “I just think at the end of the day we’re executing. I only really speak for the defensive side of the ball. Executing. Obviously, given opportunities to make plays, and we’ve made the most of them, in my opinion. As long as we continue to do that – execute and understand the tasks we have at hand – we’ll be successful.”
(When you were at 1-4, was there any doubt you’d be back here – back competing – in late November?)– “I think at the end of the day, we understood what we did, what we did do. For us to get the tables turned, we had the opportunity to go through a good home stretch and be successful – which we did – and obviously come on the road and be successful as well.”
(How much does getting DT Earl Mitchell back help you guys from a defensive tackle standpoint, d-line?) – “Earl is a great football player. (He) has a lot of energy. Very explosive guy. Anytime you can have a guy like that come off I believe it’s IR – temporary IR – it’s going to be great for us.”
(What do you think of Rams DT Aaron Donald, the Rams defensive interior lineman?)– “Elite defensive tackle. Plays hard. I’ve seen him a little bit. I met him this past summer. Good dude. But I don’t go against him, so at the end of the day, I’ll be watching while I’m on the bench rather than going against him or worrying about anything he’s doing.”
(The quality of the performance of your defense and buying in with the system, is that just how it goes – hand-in-hand – and that’s why we’re seeing guys trusting more?)– “I think guys are just executing and understanding what their tasks are. We’ve had a lot changes. Every week there’s a change. We have different offenses. Teams are going to do different things even though they’ve shown stuff on film. At the end of the day, you just got to go out there and execute and play your technique and understand … That’s why offenses have (the) first 15 (scripted plays). They’re going to give you some of their game plan on the first 15 – (what) they plan on doing against you – and it may not be what you saw on film. Some of it may, but it may not be. So, you got to go out there and execute, understand what your rules are and then go from there.”
(How much is the “do your job mentality” or the emphasis of it helping this defense?) – “I think it’s huge in anything that you do. It’s pertinent for you to be on top of your job and understand what you have to get done. I think across all pieces of life, especially in football – and assignment football that we like to play on the defensive side of the ball – it’ll be key to do your job and be able to go out there and make plays after that.”
(Any background when you met Rams DT Aaron Donald? Was it a professional setting? Where did you meet him?) – “We were in Vegas together for a shoot for Nike.”
(How much time did you get to spend with him?)– “We were at dinner, so put two and two together. Two, three hours, maybe.”
(Were you disappointed you had the chance to play him in the Xbox challenge?) – “No, I wasn’t. I was not. It’s fun to have video games to play, but obviously more important things that we have to take care of during the week.”
(I know it’s the other side of the ball, but QB Ryan Tannehill and the way he has played these four games, what’s that look like through your eyes to see him grow like that?) – “It’s executing. Obviously, taking care of business for us and just going from there. I think at the end of the day, we know he’s very capable to play at a very high level, and he’s executing and running our offense like he should be.”
Tony Lippett – November 14, 2016
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Monday, November 14, 2016
Cornerback Tony Lippett
(How satisfying was it not only getting your first career interception, but following it up with another one to seal the win?)– “It was pretty good, (my) first career interception. It is also good, us coming together and helping each other out, coming out that game with a victory. (They) have a great quarterback. They have a great offense. They score a lot of points. So, for us to finish the drill at the end of the day, that was always the goal.”
(What was it like to go through that game where it was so many penalties, and it looks like things are going against you guys and then four fourth quarter interceptions?) – “Sometimes it can get frustrating with the penalties and stuff like that, but you just have to just brush it off and move on to the next play. And that’s what we just try to do, we try to preach every time after a penalty in the huddle, ‘Move on to the next play, because you don’t want that to linger on to the next one.’”
(Do you think the penalties are a technique issue? What are the coaches saying as far as diagnosing those?) – “We have to play better technique and compete. At the end of the day, I’m just out there trying to compete. The refs are going to call what they call and anything like that. I’m just out there trying to compete and play hard and try to make plays when they come my way.”
(What has this year been like for you guys in the secondary? There are so many young players out there getting their first crack of NFL action. How tough has it been to stay positive and keeping things steady?) – “It’s pretty tough, but we all talk a lot. We watch film together a lot, and we always try to make sure we’re on the same page and make sure we’re seeing the same things. So, that helps us a lot – watching film together and talking more every play, communicating more and basically trying to make sure we’re on the same page at all times.”
(With this secondary, you guys got off to a slow start from an interception standpoint. What’s it like to see it come in bunches now?)– “It’s pretty good. It’s pretty good for us to get our hands on a couple football, especially from a Hall of Fame quarterback, which is Philip Rivers. It’s pretty good. We just basically are going to keep continuing it rolling and try to make plays when they come our way.”
(Where do you feel you’ve made the most progress from last year to this year?) – “I’d probably say being more patient and really understanding what the offense is trying to do, really understanding how our defense works and how every phase of our defense is basically helping each other. I’m understanding that a little bit more, and I still have a lot of understanding to do, so that’s what I try to do in practice, and hopefully it transfers over to the game.”
(When you talk about trying to learn and understand the concepts, what started that learning process? What helped you guys finally get it?)– “We always watch film, but knowing where our other defenders are going to be on defense can help you. You knowing where your help is at helps you. That’s what we just try to preach – knowing where your help is at, knowing where everybody is going to be at and knowing what you can give up and what you can’t give up in certain coverages.”
(I’ve seen you run receiver routes in pregame. I think I’ve seen you do it earlier too, not exactly sure, but I’ve never asked you about it. Just curious to why you do that in pregame?) – “I’m just warming up. One week I just started doing it. Me and ‘Max’ (Byron Maxwell) just started doing it and whatever. I was basically warming up. That was my way of warming up.”
(Do you remember which game it was?) – “I actually think it was the Cincinnati game. I saw them out there throwing the ball, and I jumped in for a couple of routes. and I said, ‘Alright, I’m just going to just keep doing it.’”
(Does that make you long for your wide receiver days at Michigan State?)– “A little bit. It’s basically just me loosening up. I don’t really think about when I’m running routes and how I’m running them. (I am) trying to get my legs right, get my hands right.”
(Do you feel like it has helped with your ball skills at all? You got your hands on the ball yesterday, obviously, and finished plays.) – “It definitely helps with my ball skills. Catching the ball as much as you can is always going to help you no matter if it’s from the quarterback, or it’s from the jugs or it’s you playing catch with a coach or somebody like that. Catching the ball and actually seeing it, it always helps you.”
(Can you describe how far you think you’ve come as far as your progression to being a starting cornerback in the NFL?) – “I have a lot of room to go, and that’s what I’m focused on. I’m not focused on where I’ve been or how far I’ve come. It’s not about that. It’s about grinding every day and persevering through everything, and that’s what I try to do. I don’t try to focus on that.”
(Do you see a light at the end of the road there?)– “No, it’s not a light, because if it’s a light, it means it’s ending. I don’t really want to see a light. I just want to go, so that’s what I’m trying to do.”
Earl Mitchell – November 14, 2016
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Monday, November 14, 2016
Defensive Tackle Earl Mitchell
(Did you surprise yourself at all with your conditioning and ability to play as many snaps as you did?) – “No. Not really. I was just so excited to be back out there. I’ve been preparing this entire time and just knowing that I had an opportunity to be back out there with my teammates eventually, coming off of IR; so yes, I just pretty much stayed in shape. I made sure I stayed in-tune with all the readings and everything I could do to be ready to come back.”
(By all accounts you played well. Was there any rustiness as far as you could tell?) – “I mean I’m definitely sore today. I knew the scheme. I sat in the meetings. I got a lot of mental reps. I feel like a seven-year veteran now, but it is what it is.”
(Is there anything that was not up to your standards or anything that you’re still hoping kind of comes back this week?) – “Yes, I mean I definitely could have played with a little better technique. We just got through watching the film and there was some … I’ve just got to really get back into things and just being more sound. My technique was … I’ve got to be (better).”
(What exactly did you do to stay in game shape while you were out for so long?) – “I mean just a lot of core work. I figured out I was having maybe some back issues here and there. I started having chiro problems because of that, so I decided to just kind of take off some weight and just really get in the weight room a little bit more and just conditioning whenever I could. I think that helped me out a bunch.”
(How frustrating was it to continue to try to come back from that calf and before you just decided rest it?) – “Yes, it was. It was frustrating, especially not being able to obviously play and be out there with my teammates; but just having it happen last year and then it happened again. So you know it was just one of those things. I just didn’t want it to happen again.”
(Was the anticipation for your pregame more intense maybe than previous games that you hadn’t played in so long?) – “Maybe. It’s been a long eight weeks. I got an opportunity to talk to my teammates before the game and tell them I pretty much went through every emotion possible throughout the entire time and it all hit me kind of at once, a couple of days ago. I was so excited to be back out there. I’m just glad that I took advantage of that opportunity to be out there.”
(It didn’t look like you were too tentative. Early on you knocked a guy all the way back into the backfield. You weren’t tentative at all.) – “I just kind of went for it right there. I mean we were on the goal line. You know you’ve got to get grimy down there.”
(The technique was good on that play.) – “I just went. I just went for it.”
(Were you a little tentative, knowing that a calf you really don’t know until you get out there and you test it for real?) – “You’re right. Calves are funny like that. You never know. But you never know until you actually go after it. Plus, you’re at the goal line. You don’t want to start taking steps backward right there trying to protect yourself.”
(What was it like watching your defensive line – you guys are still 30th against the run – struggle without you?) – “It was tough sitting at home watching that. Then a lot of plays, it would be crazy, because we’d be so consistent up front and then it would be one play here, one play there that would get out of the gate. I know we have the ability to be much better, but it’s (about) remaining consistent at all times.”
(How do you tighten the screws on this defense?) – “Everybody staying focused and really just doing your job. Sometimes, players can try to take games in their own hands, but I think when we remain consistent and knowing our own job, we do well.”
(What was the message from Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph when he got the whole defense together on the sideline there for a minute?) – “That was it. It’s exactly what I said. He was like, ‘Don’t do you. Do us, and we’re going to be just fine.’ He does a good job of keeping us level-headed and not panicking. He does a good job of keeping us calm and calling the plays.”
(What’s it like to have a coach like that, that can do that to a team and put everybody together on the same page like that?) – “It’s great. You feed off that, and you want to respond well to that when they’re keeping their cool. It shows that they’re calm, and everybody can communicate on the sideline and talk amongst each other.”
(What’s this extended field trip like? I know it’s a business trip, but you guys got, I guess, 36 hours off?) – “It’s good. Me personally, I’m going to be professional about it, but you just won a big game and a lot of guys want to go out and have fun. There are some things that you can do; you just have to be smart. But it’s nice to be out here. It’s an exciting time.”
Adam Gase – November 14, 2016
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Monday, November 14, 2016
Head Coach Adam Gase
(How did DT Earl Mitchell grade out this first game?) – “I think for the most part he did a good job. I know the one thing we could count on was just the energy level. I think a lot of us were just surprised at the fact that his conditioning was really, really, really good. Sometimes when you get in those games, the anxiety shoots up and you can lock up because you’re so excited to get out there and you fatigue yourself; but it didn’t happen with him. When you have a veteran guy like that, he’s going to know his assignment. He’s kind of been in this situation before. He came out there and did exactly what we needed him to do.”
(Do you think fresh legs played this factor in helping him kind of have that boost? He hadn’t played since Week 1.) – “Yes, I’m sure that was … I mean this late in the season, he’s at a different level than everybody else as far as that goes. Guys are out there playing with banged up bodies, heavy legs and it’s like getting a brand new player out there flying around, completely healthy.”
(What do you think was the difference in terms of the run defense that you guys have had? You’ve struggled most of the season. This was one of the hottest backs in the NFL and you contained him to 70 yards.) – “I think the guys did a good job as far as the fits were really good. I thought the fact that we were swarming as well as we were, and guys were doing a good job, even in the times that he shook free, guys got him down. That’s the key. It could have been worse than what it was, and guys did a good job as far as when there was some one-on-one matchups, we got him to the ground.”
(The team is now 5-4, a four-game winning streak, what do you tell the players to keep them focused on the one game at a time angle?) – “We’ve been really focused on ignoring any kind of success and resetting on that Wednesday. That’s really been our biggest thing. We have our process. We know how we want to go about our business. We make a big focus on no one’s going to care if we lose the next one. Our biggest thing is focusing on that week and we know we’ve got a big challenge ahead of us this coming week, staying on the West Coast the entire week and making sure everybody does everything right.”
(What are the challenges of being out here, being away from your normal routine and your normal place?) – “I think once we get to Wednesday, we’re fine. Today’s our normal Monday. Tuesday, they have tomorrow off. They have tomorrow off and then just tonight, guys (need to be) making right decisions. We’re trying to treat this as though we were in Miami. We just need guys to just make sure they’re doing things right.”
(And as far as getting treatment and…?) – “Everything’s the same. Everything is set up the same. It’s really easier for them right now being their room’s right there and they come over here. We see a lot more guys than what we normally see because once they leave the building in Miami, you don’t see them. Here, guys just keep popping back and forth because there’s really nothing else for them to do except hang out and do football things.”
(QB Ryan Tannehill has now gone four games without a turnover. What, if anything in particular, is he doing particularly well lately?) – “I think it’s just been a combination of the entire group. I think he’s done a good job of decision making. We really feel like we’re in a decent group as far as what we’re doing from week to week. Receivers and him are on the same page, along with the tight ends. I think the protection, you know the line has done a really good job as far as keeping him fairly protected. I know he takes some shots but there are a couple of times where he knows he’s going to get hit because he’s holding onto it. He’s trying to take a shot down the field. But for the most part, I think they’ve gotten into a pretty good groove. They’re playing well together right now.”
(How refreshing was it to see WR DeVante Parker have sort of a breakout game and play up to his talent level?) – “That was big for us because we needed it bad, because the other two guys were banged up and they gave us everything they had. Jarvis (Landry) played well and Kenny (Stills) made some big plays and just having ‘11’ (DeVante Parker) out there, being able to go. You could feel that during the week that he was different than what he had been. Getting him out there and knowing that he was going to make some plays this game, it makes life a lot easier when all three of those guys play together because it’s hard to take just one of them away. You’ve got to account for all three.”
(What do you guys know about T Branden Albert?) – “We’re still going through a little bit of a medical process to figure out what exactly is going to happen as far as the exact diagnosis, what can we do as far as moving forward, are we going to be able to get him back this week? We have to go through some stuff still.”
(Have you ruled out some worse case scenarios? T Branden Albert said yesterday there’s nothing broken.) – “I have not. Everything’s out there right now for us. Obviously he’s very swollen right now so we have to just kind of see how this week progresses.”
(Were you comfortable with T Branden Albert playing with a brace?) – “Yes, I mean, when I saw him come back, I was … Once he said he can go … When you’re a guy that has his kind of experience, if he couldn’t go then he wouldn’t go. If he said, ‘I can’t function,’ he wouldn’t go out there. When he said that he was ready to go, I felt good about it.”
(Last night, you said the DBs just have to play the next play. But now you’ve had a day to look at the issues – the pass interference and holding calls – is it a technique thing that needs to be worked out or what’s your diagnosis on that?) – “I think we’ve just got to do a better job as far as when we’re in coverage, we just have to do the best job we can to not be as ‘hands-y’ as what we’ve been, and we have to trust our technique a lot of the times. I think if we do that, that’s going to help us. I think it’s tough sometimes when you’re playing a couple of the guys that we went against yesterday who were very savvy with their route-running and a quarterback that throws the ball very early a lot of the time to where you turn around and all of a sudden the ball’s on the receiver. You guys saw a couple of times where he throws a stop route, the ball’s in the air, the receivers are not even close to turning around. So it makes it tough sometimes when you go against a good quarterback that has really good timing. So we’ll make some strides there. I have a lot of faith in (Defensive Backs Coach) Lou (Anarumo), ‘V.J.’ (Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph) and (Assistant Defensive Backs Coach) Daronte Jones to get some things cleaned up. That’s part of our deal. They did a good job. They turned the ball over. There are a lot of positives.”
(What did you see from Laremy Tunsil in terms of how he handled the challenge of going for left guard to left tackle?) – “He seemed good. He seemed good. I said something to him last night and he just gave me a look of … when he has to bounce back and forth, I think he likes being in one spot and not have to keep moving around, but he did a good job. It’s tough. It’s tough for him. When you’re a rookie and you kind of get in one spot and you feel comfortable and have to bounce back out, it’s not as easy as you’d think.”
(If T Branden Albert could come back and play yesterday, why wouldn’t he be able to play [moving forward]?) – “Well it’s just … Right now we’re going through the stages of having the hand specialist look at it just to make sure there’s no further damage can be done. If it’s anything that … there’s all these little steps you have to go through just to make sure we’re not hurting him for future or affecting his long-term career or anything like that. We have to go through all those little steps just to make sure that we handle everything the right way. So if he can go, it’s for the entire … the rest of the season.”
(The word ‘playoffs,’ is that sort of taboo around this resort right now?) – “I mean, I’ve never really been one to talk about it in my career. I’ve always just worried about the week that we’re involved in. I think if you do things right enough times then you get opportunities to keep playing. That’s how I look at it. Usually, more times than not, when you talk about it, that’s when it doesn’t happen.”
(You guys have been dealt a series of misfortunes, that a lot of them … most of them out of your control. What do you point to as the reason why you guys are able to go from 1-4 to now 5-4?) – “I think there are a lot of guys that just stuck with what we’ve been talking about since the beginning –really in the spring, just kind of the next man up mentality. Our older guys need to step up and lead. I think that’s been a big difference. I’ve seen a lot of veteran players take control of our team. I’ve seen some guys that maybe we did not think they were going to be huge contributors, just take leadership-type roles and all of a sudden now they’re involved and in positions to where they’re making plays and starting. It’s been great to see guys step forward and make plays and lead.”
(Specifically as it applies to your secondary as well, I don’t know if you’ve had one guy who has made it through the season without any injuries or playing-type issues, like CB Byron Maxwell had. How is that unit coming together?) – “I think they’re pretty tight. Obviously, when you lose the leader of that room, that’s tough. The fact that Reshad (Jones) has been around all the time and constantly talking to those guys; they’re very tight. They’ve been through a lot of adversity as a group, so I think they play off each other and they know, ‘What’s our next situation? What’s something that we can do to improve?’ They’re constantly working to try to get better.”
(What’s it like from a morale standpoint that they’ve had so many droughts? CB Bobby McCain last week gets his first interception, now CB Tony Lippett gets his first interception. They say it comes in waves, but is that much of a confidence builder?) – “It’s funny, we had actually talked about this about three or four weeks ago. We were talking about protecting the ball – and we had done a good job in that area – and the defense kept talking about turnovers. I heard a lot of players actually say that they were going to come in bunches. They worked on it in practice. We kept getting hands on balls in practice (with) scout team. You might not think it’s a big deal, but it’s one of those things where confidence starts going up and you get a couple one game and then all of a sudden it keeps coming.”
(Aside from the fact that he seems to be getting more opportunities, can you enlighten us as to why DE Cameron Wake seems to be playing better?) – “I don’t know if he’s playing better. The opportunity is obviously – when you’re trying to be smart earlier in the year … Obviously, he looks like he’s full-go, for sure, now. He has really made it tough on every (offensive) tackle he has gone against. The way he’s coming off the ball and how physical he’s playing, he is really … He has been impressive to watch. For a guy that has been playing as long as he has, he’s playing with great energy. You can see the passion for the game and the passion he has for this team (by) the way he plays.”
(Is DE Cameron Wake healthier now than he was earlier?) – “I think it’s just the whole coming off of injury last year, and then we were trying to progress (with) him. I feel like he is closer to whatever 100 percent can be in the NFL than what he was probably earlier in the year.”
(I know in preseason and training camp, you talked about it’ll take a while to get to know the team. Are you at a point now where you feel like you know everybody and know what they can do and know what you want them to do and they know you?) – “I think we’re pretty close to knowing each other as well as you can – coaches and players and front office and all those things, the whole building – knowing everybody’s tendencies. You kind of know what guys are psychopathic and crazy. (laughter) It’s probably with the coaching staff as well. (laughter) Everybody does know each other better. It’s easier to go to work, because you know what to expect, you know how to play off each other. With our players, it has really gotten to a point where we know what guys do really well and what maybe we stay away from certain guys.”
(This has nothing to do with today, but you’ve been a head coach for nine games. Play calling – a lot of guys that become head coaches abandon play calling. Are you comfortable … Are you happy with how it’s all working out?) – “That’s going to be a hard one for me to ever give up. I enjoy it.”
(Can you point to a specific moment, practice or game where you felt things really started to click, or has it been totally gradual?) – “I think that Pittsburgh week, we felt something different. I felt like the defense was really playing well. Offensively, we were struggling, obviously. But that week felt different. Especially at the end of the week, you felt there was some confidence there that we were going to play well.”
(How do you describe QB Ryan Tannehill’s toughness, and how much of an asset is it to have at that particular position?) – “I think what he does is rare. You don’t see too many guys taking some of the shots he takes and bounce back up. He’s as tough as they come. To be able to regroup and stand in there again, it has been really amazing to watch. The throw he made to Kenny (Stills) yesterday, I have no idea how he completed that, because I don’t know how he saw him, for one. And then he put it … Kenny never breaks stride. The pass he threw to DeVante (Parker) there with three minutes left, he never even saw him.”
(What was San Diego able to do against the run that other teams…) – “It’s a tough front. The movement that they have up front makes it very difficult. It’s one thing when you’re playing the Jets – they’re stout. It’s tough to move those guys off the ball. This group, they move around and start stunting, and they’re getting into different gaps. You have to be really … You’ve got to be on it. There were a few times where we had some things we had to clean up. It was a tough front. They played with great energy level. I think (Melvin) Ingram is playing about as well as I’ve ever seen him play. He was so disruptive yesterday. Going against him as many times as at least I have being in this division (with Denver), I don’t know if I ever remember him playing this well against the run and pass.”
(Have teams adjusted to you guys running the ball – defenses? There were some times it looked like on one of QB Ryan Tannehill’s deep passes there were 10 guys in the box it seemed like.) – “That’s how it feels like every time I’ve gone against (Chargers Defensive Coordinator John) Pagano, no matter if I was in Denver or here. I always feel like you never know where anything is coming from, because he does a good job of disguising things. There were a couple times where they had some things where I think the safeties were trying to figure out where they needed to be, and they held some looks late to make it tough.”
(DE Mario Williams. What is his [status]? ) – “We’re day-to-day right now, so we need to figure out what it’s going to be the rest of the week.”
Branden Albert – November 13, 2016 (Postgame)
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Sunday, November 13, 2016
Postgame – at San Diego
Miami Dolphins Tackle Branden Albert (transcribed by the San Diego Chargers)
On what happened to him during the game:
“Fifty-four got me pretty good today. He got me on the bull rush and I caught myself and when I looked at my wrist, I knew something wasn’t right. I went to the sideline and cut my tape off and it was out of place. They were messing with it and trying to pop it back into place. I got some x-rays and it was back in place. I had to go back out there.”
On how important it was for him to finish the game:
“I had to. It was early in the game so I had to finish the game.”
On how tough it was to play through the pain from his wrist:
“It was pretty tough but like I said, I had to help my team and pride wouldn’t let me go out like that.”
On what winning four in a row says about the team:
“I think we are starting to show success in all three phases of the game. Everyone is feeding off of each other. The defense really stepped up today and we got the win.”
