Adam Gase – September 5, 2016
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Monday, September 5, 2016
Head Coach Adam Gase
(On RB Arian Foster starting over RB Jay Ajayi) – “I think a little bit of the reason is experience; but at the same time I think Arian (Foster), from the time he’s gotten here, has really shown that, that is the correct spot for him to be in. He had a really good camp. He did everything we asked him to do as far as what we wanted to see in the preseason and he’s been very consistent in his knowledge of the offense in the short period of time that he was here – it was impressive to watch him (and) how quickly he picked it up.”
(On DT Earl Mitchell listed as a starter when they did not see a lot of him in training camp or preseason) – “Obviously when you put the depth chart in, that’s kind of where we saw it. Things change from the spring to training camp to after training camp. Obviously this is the first game where you put another depth chart out. It kind of shows you where you’re at. That by no means, means that’s how it’s going to stay for 16 weeks. We’ll kind of see how this thing plays out.”
(On what was his thought process with CB Xavien Howard being listed as a starter after one preseason game) – “I think in the time that we saw him practice in the spring, we were feeling that’s where it was headed. He really did show the skill set that we thought he had when we drafted him. The injury really set him back as far as just being able to showcase that, really on the field more than anything. I think in the limited time he’s been back, he’s really shown that he didn’t fall off from the time he missed. Mentally he knows exactly what’s going on. I don’t know if sometimes, maybe for those rookies, when they can sit back and they can’t actually practice but they’re able to watch and learn from others mistakes, or what somebody else has done well. He did a good job of making sure he stayed up with everything so when he got a chance to get out there, it wasn’t like he was starting over again.”
(On why practice ended 20 minutes early today and C Mike Pouncey’s ability to start) – “One, I think we had it scheduled … We kind of changed the times of how some of our periods were going so we left a little time for ourselves. It went a little quicker as far as the tempo was really good. We didn’t have any repeats so that always helps. I think when we practiced the first time when we went (into the plan for) Atlanta, we had multiple times where we had repeats and it slowed down practice quite a bit. So we kind of built in some time there thinking, ‘Okay, if that happens, lets have some extra time.’ We didn’t have that today. And then we shortened one period which was a three-play period basically. Obviously we’re still kind of trying to get our times down with some of this stuff. We’ll go back and adjust those so we’ll have a better sense of that. As far as Mike (Pouncey) goes, like I said, he’s week to week. We’re in the evaluation stage. He’s doing a lot of things rehab-wise. As the week goes on, then I’ll have a better idea of what we think we will be able to do going into the game.”
(On the decision to keep five running backs) – “Yes. I almost wanted to keep six. Those five guys we ended up keeping, they earned spots. They all showed something. I think the unique situation we actually have is we’ve got guys that can actually play special teams. So you look at that situation where they’re kind of taking the spots of some of those linebacker-type bodies. When you’ve got an offensive player that can do that, I think it’s rare to have this many guys that can actually contribute on special teams in that room.”
(On what went into the decision to keep three quarterbacks and to keep QB Brandon Doughty over QB Zac Dysert) – “I think it was pretty tight as far as what that evaluation process was. Really, (we) probably could’ve gone either way. We felt like, for right now, that we thought Brandon was the right decision for us. Obviously, we want him to keep competing. We want him to keep getting better. Obviously (with) that third spot, to keep that, you have to keep working. You’ve got to keep showing up every day. That’s why we like the way we do practice. It’s competitive, especially these first two days of practice. It’s the scout team quarterback’s job to try to beat the defense. It’s an opportunity for those guys to get better. They’re consistently competing, even though it’s not our offense. But we go back; we evaluate it. That’s part of the position coach’s job.”
(On the feedback he has received from Wide Receivers Coach Shawn Jefferson on WR Justin Hunter) – “I think we were just a little bit surprised that we’d have an opportunity to get (Justin Hunter). (Shawn Jefferson) had nothing but great things to say about him. I myself kind of went back and looked at my evaluation of him, because I did remember him coming out (of college), and we were doing a lot of work on wide receivers that year. That was helpful to have an idea of what his skill set was. We felt like he fit into what we were looking for. We got one big guy (DeVante Parker), but it’s always nice to have a couple guys with some good size. The more we can keep making our receiving corps – our skill positions – kind of like a basketball team (with) a whole bunch of different type of body types (and) skill sets, that’s what we’re looking for. We thought this was an opportunity to help us really improve that group.”
(On who will replace WR DeVante Parker as the third receiver if he does not play) – “We’re still working through that. I know, right now, if he doesn’t go, we’re going to have to make a decision obviously as far as how we want to do that. We’re trying to rep the rest of those guys in there and then obviously personnel groupings go into effect as well. With the two tight ends that we have right now, that gives us some flexibility as far as guys that have played more. I know having three though, that helps. That gives us some depth there. We’re going to have to go through a little bit of an evaluation stage this week and make sure our young guys are where they need to be and understand what their role will be in this game and understand the environment they’re going into.”
(On whether WR Jakeem Grant is ready to handle a slot receiver role) – “I think we’re still working through that. There are certain things that he has done well, and there are certain things he has struggled at. We’re trying to get him caught up to speed more. It’s just one of those things where sometimes with receivers, it takes a minute. When you have to focus on what he has had to focus on as far as trying to become that returner for us, that’s a lot of pressure. That’s not an easy job. Really, you’re trying to do two different jobs. Sometimes it doesn’t all happen in one training camp, and we’re going to keep bringing him along and try to make sure that we have a … We know what he knows, and those are the type of things you’d have to lean on if he’s the guy that has to go in the game.”
(On whether it has been the same hamstring affecting WR DeVante Parker) – “It has been – one time it’s right, one time it’s left. It’s two different spots. It has never been something that we can say, ‘It has always been the same thing.’ We keep working with him. I know he’s trying to make steps to do things better outside of the football field, which as you guys all know in this profession, it’s not just a nine-to-five deal. This is full time, every day, year-round. If you slip up slightly, it’s going to affect you on the field.”
(On the thinking behind the guard situation on the depth chart and what G/T Laremy Tunsil did to earn the job) – “I think Tunsil did earn it. I mean we made it hard on him. Obviously you guys … we talked about it so much. But he did; he earned it. He earned being in that spot. I think ‘Bush’ (Bushrod) came in and did a good job. He’s still learning the position obviously. It’s a completely different animal for him; but when you have a veteran player like him and he’s played in some really big games, he knows how to handle the type of situation that we’re going to be going into on Sunday.”
(On if there is an advantage to going to Seattle Week 1 instead of halfway through the season) – “I don’t know if there’s ever an advantage when you go up there. I think you have to go up there and you have to have your mind right and you better be ready to execute. I know that.”
(On if there is any benefit to Week 1 being the first time a team will really be able to see his offense because they don’t have a great film breakdown of what this offense is going to do) – “Well, there’s some history. Obviously there’s a few things that have probably stayed the same that they’ll look at and kind of recognize, and then there will probably be some things that are different. Obviously there’s always going to be things that we’re working through to see if it’s worth bringing to the game. It’s always nice to go in when you don’t have the full menu out there; but at the same time, with what they do, they’re not going to overcomplicate themselves. They’re going to play fast, they’re going to do what they do and they’re going to do it aggressively. That’s their mentality and I don’t think they’re really going to worry about what we’re doing. They’re going to worry about themselves.”
(On if he is optimistic about LB Jelani Jenkins playing this week) – “I don’t want to jinx myself. (Laughter) I think he’s on a good track right now. I know he’s been working really hard. It seems like he’s around here a lot because he doesn’t want to miss that first game. I think all of those guys that are really kind of on the sideline right now are itching to get out at practice. They do not want to miss an opportunity to go play this team because this is a really good team. This is a great organization that’s been very consistent; especially since (Head) Coach (Pete) Carroll has gotten there. I think these guys know that this is a good team and they want to showcase what their talents are.”
(On how he feels personally about going into his first regular season game as a head coach) – “Everything has been moving pretty quick. I haven’t really sat back and thought about it because we went from that Thursday game and you jump right back into it. Like me, personally, thinking about anything… I’m just moving on to the next day. We’ve got to do our thing tomorrow so I don’t have time to really think about any of that stuff.”
(On if the Seahawks always do the same thing game-after-game, year-after-year) – “I think they have a core belief of what they want to do and they have the players to do it. They have a lot of experience with that group. There are a lot of familiar faces from two or three years ago. When you’re able to keep that core together – especially on the defensive side of the ball –that’s very valuable because it allows you to play basically free. You don’t have to think; you just react. That’s what this group does. They play with physicality and speed. That’s what they’ve built there and being able to keep those guys together as long as they have is a very impressive thing to have happen now in the NFL today.”
Cameron Wake – September 1, 2016 (Postgame)
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Thursday, September 1, 2016
Postgame – vs. Tennessee
Miami Dolphins DE Cameron Wake (transcribed by Sara Perez)
(How do you think the defense performed tonight?) – “I think they responded well. Things didn’t start off the way, obviously, we probably wanted to, but they came back and guys fought and made a lot of plays in the second half. At least, that shows a fight, shows guys coming out taking coaching, taking direction and coming out in the second half making the changes that they needed to.”
(What areas are you and the defense looking to improve upon before Game 1 of the regular season?) – “We just (have) to come together and start playing consistently. We have a lot of talent – a lot of guys who can make plays, a lot of guys getting after the ball – but coming together and playing together consistently. We’ve had a couple ups and downs throughout the preseason. It’s hard to rate things – especially because some of the guys aren’t in the whole time, and you’re changing the rotations – but for the most part, (it is about) getting out there and playing a full game and everybody playing hard. I think the first one will be a lot of fun.”
(What part of getting into the regular season are you most excited about?) – “For me, personally, it’s getting back and playing with the fellas, because I’ve been out for an extended offseason, being that I got hurt last year. It’s long overdue, but I know a lot of the fellas, we’re tired of hitting guys wearing the same color. Getting out there and actually being on the same side and playing together and complementing each other – offense, defense, special teams – I think that’s what’s going to be the most fun.”
Ryan Tannehill – September 1, 2016 (Postgame)
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Thursday, September 1, 2016
Postgame – vs. Tennessee
Miami Dolphins Quarterback Ryan Tannehill (transcribed by Sara Perez)
(Ryan, what did you think of the offense’s performance tonight?) – “We did some good things. Obviously, we didn’t score the points we wanted to score, but I feel like the young guys got in there and guys who hadn’t played much. It was good to see Kenyan (Drake) get some snaps (and) see him go a little bit. Daniel Thomas ran hard and had some big-play opportunities. It was good to see those young guys go out and make a few plays. Obviously we left a few out there, but (I) saw a lot of growth from the young guys throughout this camp and it was good to see them go out and have some success tonight.”
(What kind of improvements do you think need to be made heading into Week 1 against Seattle?) – “We just have to keep plugging away. We’re on the right track. We just have to keep taking advantage of every day, every practice, pushing ourselves (and) making ourselves get better on the little things. We’re in good shape.”
(How does it feel to complete the preseason and start preparing for the regular season?) – “It’s exciting. It’s a long time coming. You get excited for the offseason, for training camp; but now is when it counts. Now is when it gets really exciting and you get to see the hard work start paying off in the next few weeks.”
Bobby McCain – September 1, 2016 (Postgame)
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Thursday, September 1, 2016
Postgame – vs. Tennessee
Miami Dolphins CB Bobby McCain (transcribed by Ted Leshinski)
(On your interception, were you able to identify where the quarterback was going?) – “Yes. We were in a zone coverage. (With) zone, ‘See the ball thrown,’ that’s what they always say. (I) was able to go out and make plays and come down with a pick.”
(Can you describe how well training camp and preseason went for you now that it’s over?) – “It went well. I feel like I had a good one. You make progress, and that’s what you do every day. Even in season, you can still get better each and every day (by) going out, competing, going out and taking it day by day and doing your thing.”
(What specific thing do you think you’re better at right now than you were a year ago?) – “Being consistent with technique. That’s the biggest thing. That’ll keep you in the league, and that’ll get you paid, honestly – being consistent with technique and doing it every down, every snap, every series. At the end of the day, the ball will come your way.”
Tony Lippett – September 1, 2016 (Postgame)
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Thursday, September 1, 2016
Postgame – vs. Tennessee
Miami Dolphins CB Tony Lippett (transcribed by Ted Leshinski)
(On making plays like the interception showing the advantage of being a long, tall corner) – “Yeah, I guess . . . I just tried to go up and make a play on the ball, that’s it.”
(On having receiver instincts after making the play) – “Yes, I knew once you catch a pick, usually that wide receiver will come back and try to strip the ball. So I tried to peak and see where he was at. I saw that he was blocked so I just tried to make something happen.”
(On feeling more comfortable this season) – “Yes, every day is a grind. Every day you try to get three percent better. You just continue to continue getting comfortable playing corner.”
(On your pick being a nice way to cap off the preseason) – “Yes, I guess it was a nice way. It’s not the end. I’m going to keep going into the season and keep striving for greatness and continue to try to make plays.”
Kenyan Drake – September 1, 2016 (Postgame)
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Thursday, September 1, 2016
Postgame – vs. Tennessee
Miami Dolphins Running Back Kenyan Drake (transcribed by Jason D. Silver)
(How did your hamstring respond tonight?) – “It felt good. Just (going) out there (and) just running around felt good. (I) got a lot – a little burst – and look forward to continue the growth through it in the weeks to come.”
(You had a short run where you made a lot of moves, kind of changed direction, made a guy miss, it might have been a 3-yard play, but how did that run feel? Tell me what you saw from your perspective?) – “Well, obviously, I guess the first thing is, it’s not college anymore so I’m not going to outrace people around the edge when I am trying to reverse field. But it was good to kind of get a feel for the outside zone scheme in this offense and just continue to rely on my patience and rely on my blocks there to keep continuing to develop.”
(Can you talk about on the kick return, when your eyes lit up like ‘Man, I see a seem there’) – “Yes, it kind of felt weird because when I was trying to run, I felt like I was trying to move a little faster than my legs were trying to go, so I kind of lost my balance then. I’m a little disappointed in that. But like I said, just being back on the field, just getting my feet wet a little bit, I was happy to be there.”
Brandon Doughty – September 1, 2016 (Postgame)
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Thursday, September 1, 2016
Postgame – vs. Tennessee
Miami Dolphins QB Brandon Doughty (transcribed by Ted Leshinski)
(What were your expectations after tonight?) – “Sit and wait and pray that I don’t get a call. I was kind of saying my goodbyes to some of these guys in case something happens. I’m really hoping that I make the 53 (-man roster). That’s a goal; it’s dream of mine. In reality, we know this is a business and numbers kind of don’t work your way sometimes.”
(Do you feel like you’ve done enough to prove that?) – “I wish I would have played a little better in the last two games. We’ll see what happens. (Head) Coach (Adam Gase) is in control, and we’ll see what happens come tomorrow and the next day.”
(What kind of relationship do you have with QB Zac Dysert?) – “We have a really good relationship. I don’t really look at it as me and Zac were battling. I know that was kind of cool on Twitter and stuff, but I don’t really look at it like that. That was just an opportunity for both of us to show what we got, and I thought Zac played pretty well. He made a couple of mistakes, but that’s part of the game. It happens. I just tried to take advantage of my reps and tried to play it one play at a time. I got away from that a little bit in the last two games.”
(You said before the game that your family had season tickets here. So what was that like to come back and play here?) – “It was a little surreal. To look – on the field – up at your season ticket (seats), it’s like ‘Holy cow. Am I really doing this?’ The stadium looks unbelievable. It doesn’t really look the same. If it was like an exact replica of (when I was younger) when we were playing (tonight), I think I would’ve threw up on the field.” (laughter)
Adam Gase – September 1, 2016 (Postgame)
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Thursday, September 1, 2016
Postgame – vs. Tennessee
Miami Dolphins Head Coach Adam Gase (transcribed by Michelle Stone)
(On Xavien Howard’s and Kenyan Drake’s performances) – “Well, obviously we’ll be able to go back tomorrow morning and look at the actual details, I look up the one time, I think X (Xavien Howard) got the ball caught on him. It was pretty tight coverage, a good throw-and-catch. Drake had a couple of good plays. I know he had a good load of work on special teams. We’re just trying to make sure, kind of see where we thought he’d be good for us. We kind of put him into a couple of different spots. I was hoping to get him some more carries. It just didn’t seem like the times that we got him that we had drives going on the series he was in.”
(On interchanging players at the offensive guard position and if he thinks anything has been settled after tonight’s game) – “I think we’ll have a good idea of what we want to do for that first game but I think I said it a couple of days ago, there might be a chance that we play multiple guys in this game. We’ll just keep working through where we’re at in that situation and if we’re playing two or three guys in the game that’s what it is. Until someone just takes a hold of that thing, we’ll just keep moving guys around.”
(On Laremy Tunsil being the only rookie not playing and what lead to that decision) – “Well, the other day, obviously, was a little bit of a scare for him, so we were just being smart. In fact he did miss a day of practice. We were just trying to make sure, his health is the most important going into this thing. He said he was ready to go, so he was kind of probably a little more lobbying than what we were thinking. We were just like, once he went down, we decided that it probably wasn’t the best thing for him to play.”
(On feeling pretty good about what you’ve seen from him (Laremy Tunsil) this preseason) –“Yes, I’ve seen a guy who’s improved since the first day he’s been here. And obviously pass-protection is his strength so he’s done a really good job in that area. We need to get some things cleaned up in the run game. A lot of times it’s just calls coming out quick, understanding the angles, how the linebackers fill, so there’s a little bit of a learning curve there.”
(On assessing the running back situation) – “I like our depth. The fact that it seems like we’ve had a lot of guys have success, whether it be in practice or in the preseason games. I know it hasn’t shown as far as our total group, but it seems like somebody’s flashed a little bit every game. The only disappointing thing is that we’re never healthy at the same time. Every time we went out to practice it was four different guys. I feel like DT (Daniel Thomas) might have been the only guy that was consistently out there. We’ll see how this shakes out here in the next two days, and see who we wind up keeping on the roster.”
(On his final impressions of Jay (Ajayi) – “I was a little disappointed that he put the ball on the ground. I feel like what he’s shown me in the spring and in training camp as far as being a guy that is reliable in the passing game. I don’t know the exact ball placement on second down – I’m not sure if it was behind him or if he dropped it – I know I have a lot of faith, even if the ball’s off target, he usually makes that play. I know it’s the fourth preseason (game). Everyone kind of looks at this game and shrugs their shoulders but any time you walk on that field it’s important. I would’ve liked to see him not – I don’t think we saw a ball on the ground the entire preseason as far with the running backs. To have that happen, I guess I expect better from him. I have higher standards for him.”
(On did he like what he saw from Brandon Doughty) – “Yes. He did a good job. He went in there with confidence, which, I don’t know if any of you guys have been around him, but he’s a very confident kid. He looked like he was loose. He was having fun and that’s what you want. You want him to be able to go out there and go through his progressions and make throws. The last thing we talked about with him was just, Hey, make plays. Find a way to get completions. He was loose and he did a really good job. The thing about him that’s been very impressive (is) he stands in there. He’s not afraid to get hit and deliver the ball. His toughness is very impressive.”
(On how he feels about the team being prepared for the season opener in Seattle) – “I think we’ve grown a lot. I know from the spring, just thinking back to where we were when we started that first voluntary mini-camp, the growth that we had through the spring and through training camp…sometimes you had ups and downs where one guy dominated the other side and I feel like we’re levelling out some. As far as the competition goes, I feel like there’s been more days of steady competition between offense and defense. Heading into this game, we feel like we’re fairly healthy. I know we’ve got a couple of guys we need to reevaluate in the next couple of days and see where we’re at going into this game. I like our guys’ mindset. I love the way they practiced all training camp. I just don’t remember a day where I walked off the field thinking, That was terrible on both sides of the ball. I know at the scrimmage I was disappointed in the offense as far as the limited amount of snaps that we had and not performing, but for a really high percentage of the time the guys came out and they worked every day.”
(On which positions he feels will be the toughest to evaluate during roster cuts) – “I think a lot of it is going to be in the back end. We got to go back – you keep looking at the roster and seeing where you can kind of keep guys. Really, sometimes, the injuries play into it to. We have some things that we have to clean up as far as getting with our medical people and figuring out where everyone is at. Once we do that we can finalize that and figure out where really the tight spots are for us.”
(On how he feels the team performed this preseason when it came to turnovers, penalties and dropped passes) – “The penalties…as far as if they’re aggressive penalties, where you’re playing hard, you’re trying to do the right thing, I can live with those. Any time you have false starts, any time you have offsides, those are the ones that are frustrating to take. Illegal procedure penalties…I feel like we haven’t had a lot of those. I know in training camp we’ve had some rough days where both sides of the ball were taking their turns. But as far as turnovers go, obviously we’ll always be happy if we keep getting the ball like that. When we protect the ball, I thought our offense did a great job. They are getting their hands on the ball, especially in practice we haven’t really been turning it over on offense. So the fact that they are doing it in preseason games, it’s very encouraging.”
