Ndamukong Suh – October 4, 2016
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Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Defensive Tackle Ndamukong Suh
(On having C Mike Pouncey back at practice) – “We haven’t practiced yet. He’s still got about an hour before we get out there. Nah, it’s always good to see him, obviously in pads, and it’ll be good for me to get some work against a Pro Bowl center.”
(On the difference one man can make) – “If you’re referring to (Mike) Pouncey. I think he has a great impression on our offense. Obviously he’s one of our leaders, and a guy that can obviously get the job done and play at a very high level and bring other guys (up) around him. (I’m) excited to have him back and look forward to practicing against him.”
(On his family not being too fond of his surprise visit) – “My family, no. (Laughter) My grandparents aren’t too fond of surprises and neither am I, so I know where I get it from.”
(On the challenges the Tennessee Titans offense presents) – “(They have a) great run game, obviously (they) have two strong backs – big backs that want to run and get downhill. They’ve been great in their average, especially on first downs. So we have a big task ahead of us to shut down the run and obviously making them a one-dimensional team and put it on their quarterback and see if he can beat us.”
(On keeping up with the hurricane) – “Yes, I’m aware of it. I think you would be remiss if you weren’t. At the end of the day, it’s weather. Mother Nature has her choice and we’ll deal with it once she comes.”
Ryan Tannehill – October 4, 2016
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Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill
(On what it means to have C Mike Pouncey back) – “It’s huge. He’s a heck of a football player and a leader on this team. It’s really nice to have him back on the field with us.”
(On getting the run game going) – “We’ve done some good things in the run game so I don’t think we have to reach. I just think we have to be consistent. We’ve had some great runs and then (we’ve) had some tough ones at times as well. So I think, just like everything else we’re doing right now, we have to be more consistent in what we’re doing and execute the plays that are called.”
(On the offense being last in the league in third down conversions and if the key to that is the first two downs) – “That’s definitely a big part of it. You want to keep yourself at third-and-manageable. We’ve had third-and-manageable opportunities and we watched the tape this morning and it’s just simple things. Nothing crazy. We make eight to 10 more plays on third down and we’re in the top of the league. We watched 15 easily made third downs this morning. It’s not major fixes. It’s just a throw here, a catch here, a block here, and they add up. We just have to, as a group, play cleaner football and the conversions will come.”
(On if Head Coach Adam Gase saying that it took at least a quarter of the season for his offense to click in previous stops and if Gase has talked to him about that) – “Yes, he mentioned speaking with someone from Chicago and it reminded him of that situation. I sure hope so. We’re a quarter of the way in and things haven’t gone exactly the way we wanted them to. I feel like we have all the pieces to get it going. Now it’s just a matter of doing it.”
(On how much pressure he personally feels) – “It’s not necessarily the pressure. I feel urgency to just play the football that we can play. I believe in the guys around me. I believe in myself and I know that we’re not too far off. We just have to make the plays that are there.”
(On using depth on both sides of the ball and how those guys are filling in) — “We had some guys step up and play good football for us. (Anthony) Steen played good football. (Kraig) Urbik last week, when (Anthony) Steen went down, stepped in and did a nice job for us. Dion (Sims) did a nice job while Jordan’s (Cameron) been out. We’ve had guys that have stepped in and done a good job. But that’s the NFL. Guys are going to go down and – knock on wood, I hope no one else goes down – but someone will probably go down as the season goes on and the good teams have guys step up and fill in.”
(On if he has kept an eye on the hurricane forecast) – “No. I know that’s coming. I don’t know exactly when it’s hitting or what the forecast looks like for the weekend. I’m feeling for Haiti and the islands right now – the Bahamas – just seeing that massive storm come. I’m praying for those people.”
(On if he’s taken any preparations at home) – “If it ends up heading this way and it’s going to hit us, yes I have to button up the house and make sure we’re all prepared at home. That’s kind of tough to do when you’re here all day but we’ll get it done if it needs to be.”
(On the challenges he faces on the road with a silent count) – “Well, there are always challenges being on the road. That’s part of the reason home teams have some advantage. Cadence (is) a big part of it, communication – being able to communicate cleanly, clearly. That’s why we’re looking forward to this four-game home stretch we have.”
(On how much of a difference that C Mike Pouncey can make) – “He can be a huge difference. I think just the belief that this team has in him and his work ethic – his example that he sets day in and day out at practice – as well as the player that he is. He’s one of the best centers, if not the best, in the league. It will be great to have him back.”
Tony Lippett – September 30, 2016
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Friday, September 30, 2016
Cornerback Tony Lippett
(On his performance against Cincinnati) – “I left a couple plays out there. I’m going to watch the film – continue to watch the film – get better and continue to make plays. That’s my goal right there.”
(On his emotions before the game) – “I was pretty excited. It was a great opportunity (on) Thursday Night Football to play against one of the greatest wide receivers. I was trying to embrace the opportunity as best as I can.”
(On when he knew he was going to start) – “They told me like two days ago, before Thursday. I knew leading up to that point, so I was trying to get my mind and my body right.”
(On what makes it difficult to cover Bengals WR A.J. Green) – “He’s a big wide receiver. At the end of the day, when he sees the ball in the air, he’s going to go and get it, no matter if somebody is right on him or far away from him. That’s what separates him – his catch radius. That’s really what it is right there.”
(On his mindset when he knew he would be facing Bengals WR A.J. Green) – “Just play him – play him like he’s anybody else (and) compete with him. Go out there and compete at the end of the day and get my hands on him.”
(On whether it was a surprise when he was told he would start) – “No, it was out of the blue for me. I didn’t really know. He just told me, and at that point from there, I had to watch a little bit more film and get my mind right for Thursday night.”
(On whether he talked to Bengals WR A.J. Green during or after the game) – “After. Probably a little bit before (and) during. I know him, so we talked a little bit before the game, a little bit after the game. (It was) nothing much, nothing crazy just ‘What’s up? Let’s go out here and compete today and make the best of it.’”
(On what he can improve upon from last night’s game) – “Not letting receivers get free releases. That’s one of the things I have to utilize my arms and my length (for) a little bit more and try to make the best of the opportunity.”
(On what he would do differently on the missed tackle on Bengals WR A.J. Green) – “Just make it. I’d seen it and things like that; I just have to make the tackle. That’s basically what I have to do.”
(On his mindset heading into the next game and whether he is preparing to start the rest of the season) – “That’s up to the coaches and things like that. I’m going to prepare like I’ve prepared this week every week, and basically try to go out there and make plays. That’s basically what it is for me.”
(On whether the coaches’ trust instills more confidence in players) – “Yes, it does. Every time you see a coach that trusts you – trusts you out there – you feel a little bit better about yourself and things like that. I felt good out there. I have to work on the things that I messed up on in the game in practice next week and prepare for the Titans.”
Laremy Tunsil – September 30, 2016
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Friday, September 30, 2016
Guard/Tackle Laremy Tunsil
(On what the comfort level was at left tackle last night for him) – “I played left tackle in college. It was good, for the most part. I haven’t been out there in a while; I’ve been playing guard. But for the most part it was pretty good.”
(On what are some of the things he thinks he needs to improve on from last night?) – “Hands, sets. There are a lot of things you need to work on. Just looking at the film today, we need to work on a lot of things as a whole. Just get better. That’s what we watch film for, just to improve every day and get better.”
(On how tough it was to go up against the Bengals defensive line) – “They all are good players. We could have come out kind of better. We looked at the film so there’s so much room for improvement. It’s there. We can get it.”
(On if he had to remind himself that he wasn’t playing guard) – “No. I didn’t have to.”
(On how frustrating it was to not be able to extend drives) – “We just have to find a way. We are looking at film. (We have to) find a way to improve. (We have to) find a way to get better and stuff. That’s the only thing we need to do is improve and get better.”
(On when he found out he was going to play left tackle) – “Game day.”
(On if he was excited that he was going to play at left tackle) – “Yes. I was excited playing left tackle.”
(On what the most helpful thing was that T Branden Albert said to him during last week) – “He said “Do your thing. Do your thing youngster.” (laughter). It’s all he had to tell me, to do my thing.”
(On how difficult it is when playing away and waiting for the snap count?) – “It’s pretty difficult but you just have to have that snap count in your head. Like when he puts his head down, a thousand-one, you’ve got to get out of there. It’s something you can work on. There’s studying and just get it down pat.”
(On the defensive linemen pushing them back) – “We’ll get ours. There’s always room for improvement. We’ve got to shoot our hands a little bit earlier. We’ve got to move our feet a little bit more – just the little things. We’re going to get it right.”
(On what part of the mental game can he improve on) – “Just know my assignments – always know my assignment. I (need to) know what to do (and) get better at that. Like I said, it’s just the little things, and when we get that corrected it’s going to be good.”
(On if there’s mixed feelings because he’s at his normal position but would like T Branden Albert in the game) – “No. No mixed feelings at all. No mixed feelings at all.”
(On if he would rather have T Branden Albert in the game) – “Yes. To have a Pro Bowler right there next to you, then you have (Mike) Pouncey right there, it’s always good. It’s always good to have the vet in there to just listen to and work with.”
(On how encouraging is it to have C Mike Pouncey be on the verge of coming back) – “Is he coming back?”
(On Head Coach Adam Gase saying that C Mike Pouncey would begin practicing this week) – “That’s what’s up.”
(On if playing games at guard helped him the other night and how it will help him for his career when he makes the move back to tackle) – “Playing guard, it helps a lot. When you’re in there dealing with big boys more often, but going back to that left tackle spot, you’re dealing with defensive ends. It’s kind of easier…”
Adam Gase – September 30, 2016
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Friday, September 30, 2016
Head Coach Adam Gase
(On has it been hard to make the offense above average) – “No, I think you always put your expectations really, really high and sometimes, like right now, we haven’t met what we were expecting to happen. Obviously we got a lot of time to fix some things, make some adjustments, make sure we are using guys right, putting guys in a good position to make plays. The one good thing about playing a Thursday night game is you get an opportunity to go back and see where you’re making some missteps and see where we can improve in a lot of areas.
(On if there is really as many mistakes on offense as it may seem) – “No. The same thing happened last year; the same thing happened in 2012. The way this offense goes is, the longer you’re in it, the easier it gets, the faster you can play, the easier the checks are. We are struggling where, we’re trying to get in the right deal, somebody makes a mistake, we get the wrong read, we mess up the protection. That’s part of the process, that’s part of the learning experience. It’s no fun going through this part of it. We’ll have 3 good plays and then 2 bad plays. We just got to keep eliminating these mistakes, make the corrections on film (and) stay at it. That’s the biggest thing, everybody wants to just (say), the sky is falling and fall apart. I mean, you got to keep working. Good teams keep working.”
(On there being a few lineup changes yesterday and if there will be more changes coming) – “Well, I think right now it would be hard for me to say yes or no. I don’t really foresee anything, but obviously things could change over the next three days.”
(On how far off course he thinks this team is) – “I don’t think we are off course. There are a lot of things we’d like to clean up. You go through this first part of the season and you just want to make sure that every game you’re trying to get better; you’re making improvements from the mistakes from the week before. Obviously you want to win every game – you’re hoping you can win every game – and give yourself a chance in the fourth quarter to compete, because that’s what it comes down to in this league. Last night, we didn’t do that. We didn’t give our defense a chance. We didn’t help our defense at all on offense. Which was unfortunate because they did about as good of a job you can ask them to do with the amount of time they were on the field. The Seattle game, we were right there at the end. In New England, we found a way to get back in it, we were throwing in the end zone to tie the game. We found a way to win Cleveland, and this last game was really the one game we really didn’t do well and it was really just on one side of the ball.”
(On why hasn’t the no huddle or the illusion of the no huddle worked as consistently as he expected) – “Like I just said, I’ve gone through this before twice. In 2012, we did the same thing, we sputtered around and went 2-3 and we looked terrible. And then it clicked for us and we rattled off 11 straight. Last year in Chicago, it was the same thing. We struggled early and the more comfortable I got with the quarterback and he got with me, it made things easier. Guys started to learn what to do, we made less mistakes, we gave ourselves a chance.”
(On if he is encouraged by the running game, particularly in two tight end sets) – “Yes, I think the running game, we did a better job. We saw the middle of the field open the whole game. (Bengals Defensive Coordinator) Paul (Guenther) knew what he was doing against me. He knew that … he could probably tell that I was a little frustrated on third down and knew that the chances of me trying to run it two times in a row, taking a chance to be third-and-8 or -9. He knew that was very unlikely. He was smart. He played the middle of the field open. He was daring me to run it. We did it a couple of times and then there were enough times where I was trying to get first down, second down, first down.”
(On what improved in the rush defense last night and if it was just execution) – “I think so. Guys were flying to the ball. Guys were doing a better job of doing what they were asked to do. (Defensive Coordinator) Vance (Joseph) called a really good game. Just watching that and watching what they were running and what we were calling and the position that was able to put our guys in, he was on it yesterday. If you sit down and you watch exact scheme and what they were doing and the position that our players were able to be in, it was a really well-called game on the defensive side.”
(On CB Tony Lippett’s play against Cincinnati) – “I felt like he looked comfortable to me. Obviously, he’d like that missed tackle back. He was in good position, too. If he finishes that, he’s probably feeling a lot better than what he does right now. Anytime you got to go against A.J. Green that much, it’s not easy. He’s an elite guy. It’s going to be tough. You try to do the best you can to hold the explosive plays. We let a couple up. He’s going to get yards. It’s (about) can we get it to where he doesn’t completely take over the game. That’s what you’re trying to do.”
(On whether CB Tony Lippett is a starter right now) – “He is right now. That’s the way we went going into the last game. We’ll keep evaluating. We’ll keep practicing. We’ll see what happens. I know this about (Byron) Maxwell: he’s going to compete. He’s going to come out and practice. He’s going to try to get better. You just never know in this league. One day, you’re in a spot where you hate your life for the most part, because you’re not starting or not playing. All of a sudden you flip it around and next thing you know, you’re the guy. You’ve got to keep working. Good, bad – keep going.”
(On CB Byron Maxwell not playing any snaps against Cincinnati) – “A lot of times you keep those guys out there and you let them roll. We didn’t have any packages that we were going to get to, because they were so much (in) base offense compared to a nickel offense. It called for us to be in base defense a lot.”
(On G/T Laremy Tunsil starting at left tackle against Cincinnati) – “He did a good job. We had a couple mistakes that, obviously, when you’re playing one position and you get thrown out to another position – (and) you got two days of walkthrough – it’s going to happen, especially the first time being back out there. But for the most part, he did a good job. We had those couple mental errors that I’m sure he wishes he could have back. I know there were a couple that hurt us.”
(On injury updates) – “I haven’t even asked about it. We’re so far away. I’ll worry about it next week. Those guys are going to have all weekend to get better. I’ll ask (Head Athletic Trainer) Ryan (Grove) on Monday where we’re at. Right now, I’m not even going to worry about it.”
(On C Mike Pouncey) – “I thought he was going to choke me out on the plane on the way home last night. (He was like,) ‘I’m playing.’ (laughter) We’ve got to see how it goes this week. That’s why he didn’t play this week: we didn’t have any real practices. I wasn’t going to throw him out there. And if something would’ve happened to him, because we haven’t had a real practice with him yet, then that would’ve been one of those ones we would’ve all been second guessing. The process was: Let’s make sure we get through a week of practice. Where do we stand after that? And then we’ll evaluate whether or not he goes in the game. If he has a good week of practice, then we have a chance. We don’t want to put him in a bad situation where he feels something in practice. At least we have a chance to say, ‘Okay, maybe we’re not as far ahead as we thought.’”
(On whether pocket presence can be taught) – “Yes. Absolutely. (We) did it last year (in Chicago).”
(On whether pocket presence is an area QB Ryan Tannehill needs to improve on) – “Yes, I do. I think we need to do a better job of actually blocking guys, too. Everybody wants him to step up. Where?”
(On the importance of playing the next four games at home) – “I think anytime you play a home game, it’s to your advantage. We got to take advantage of the fact that we have four in a row, (and) we got a bye week after three of them. That’s a lot of days, what 44 days that we’re here? Take advantage of that, (and) see where we’re at when we hit that west coast swing.”
(On the Bengals defensive line winning at the point of attack) – “That happens when you play on the road. They’re going to get a little bit of a head start there when you’re on silent count. When you cannot hear anything, and you’re going off the movement of the center, you’re looking here out of your peripheral, you see him move, they’re already moving. That’s what makes playing on the road hard on offense. (It is) hard to communicate. It’s hard to get your calls out. It’s hard for everybody to hear you. They get a little bit of a jump. That’s why the good pass rushing teams – when they’re at home – cause you problems.”
(On using four running backs going forward) – “I think that’s something I’m going to evaluate this weekend (and) see if I can maybe narrow it down a little bit, so we can get one of these guys in rhythm. I feel like I have a pretty good idea as far as what some of these guys showed me the last two games. I want to discuss it with (Offensive Coordinator) Clyde (Christensen) and (Running Backs Coach) Danny (Barrett) and see where we’re at with Arian (Foster) going into the next game and come up with a plan to see if we can get a little bit (of) consistency going on here. I know it’s hard on the offensive line. It’s hard on the backs. It’s hard on me as a play caller as far as who’s in the game, what runs are best to run in those situations. We’ll try to narrow it down here. It would make it easier if we had more than (46) players (active on game day) or whatever it is, but we’ve got some time this weekend to evaluate.”
(On whether C Mike Pouncey will practice next week) – “I think so, unless something comes up. I think we were ready to go last week if we would have been playing a Sunday game.”
Cameron Wake – September 29, 2016 (Postgame)
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Thursday, September 29, 2016
Postgame – at Cincinnati
Miami Dolphins Defensive End Cameron Wake (transcribed by the Cincinnati Bengals)
How do you get this thing stopped and start heading in the right direction? – “Honestly, I don’t know any other solution than hard work. We keep doing the same thing and getting the same results, so something has to change.”
What is the temperature in your locker room right now? – “I hope everybody’s uncomfortable at this point. You don’t want to be in this situation. I don’t know who would be.”
Ryan Tannehill – September 29, 2016 (Postgame)
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Thursday, September 29, 2016
Postgame – at Cincinnati
Miami Dolphins Quarterback Ryan Tannehill (transcribed by the Cincinnati Bengals)
What was your assessment of the offense tonight? – “Not a lot worked. We really didn’t do anything well. It was one of our worst performances from our offense in a long time. We did some decent things in the run game, we just couldn’t get anything going in the passing game. No consistency. No execution. Too many mistakes. It was bad. We have to get it fixed soon, and I mean Monday. It’s gone on too long. It’s important to everyone who steps on that field. We have to get it fixed right now.”
Adam Gase said it seems to be someone different, whether it’s a mental mistake, a dropped ball or a missed assignment. Is that what you see? – “Yeah. It’s not one person or one group, its everyone. Including me. We have to get better, we have to execute. Can’t have mental mistakes. We have to give ourselves a chance by being in the right spot, and once you do that, you can make the right play. We do have step up and work consistently. We have to give ourselves opportunities to make those plays.”
It seems like it’s just pulling teeth to get a first down out there… – “Yeah, we need to get those first downs. We have to move the ball to the end-zone. We didn’t do that tonight, and we really haven’t done that yet. Like I said, we have to this fixed and fixed quickly. We got to see what guys bring to the table. We are kind of in a dark spot right now. The defense is playing really well and has been the key in games. They’ve done some really good things out there. And the offense has to really get it going. It’s squarely on our shoulders to find ways to move the ball. We have to make the plays, like I said. We’ve got to start executing to start.”
How did you feel about your performance this evening? – “There were some good things, and some things I wish I had back. Obviously, there are some opportunities that I wish to have back. That’s what we are going to do when get back tomorrow.”
You’re 1-3 this season. How do keep your team from panicking right now? – “Just going back to work. It’s a long season. We are a quarter of the way into this thing. We have a big stretch at home to get ourselves back in it. We need to get a run here, and when you get on a run in the NFL, who knows what can happen? We have to do it one game at a time. It starts with how we practice, how we prepare and the mindset when we come in next week. We need to clear our heads. We need to watch the tape and take a good look at ourselves to see what we are doing right and wrong, and come back on Monday. And we have to get it going, and need to do it right now.”
How is the first quarter of the season offensively compared to your expectations coming into this season? – “Nowhere close. Still have high expectations for this offense. I think we can get there. I don’t think it’s unachievable at this point. We need to execute. Give ourselves a chance. We have the playmakers. We need to get first downs and we need to get the plays.”
Ndamukong Suh – September 29, 2016 (Postgame)
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Thursday, September 29, 2016
Postgame – at Cincinnati
Miami Dolphins Defensive Tackle Ndamukong Suh (transcribed by the Cincinnati Bengals)
Did you feel good about the way you played against the run today? – “We gave up some yardage, but for the most part, (we played) pretty decently.”
Talk about your frustration with an offense that punted six or seven times and had some turnovers? – “At the end of the day, it’s our job to get the ball back to them on defense.”
With the season now at 1-3, are you optimistic still? – “We’re 1-3 and we’ve dug ourselves a hole. We’ve got four home games coming up. We get back to work on Monday and we’ll go from there.”
Did the Bengals offense surprise by what they did, or was it pretty much what you expected? – “For the most part there were no surprises.”
