Transcripts

Leonte Carroo – August 28, 2016 Download PDF version

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Wide Receiver Leonte Carroo

(On the possibility of getting a lot of snaps on Thursday night) – “It’s a very exciting time – especially (for) young guys like us – to go out there and showcase our talents for a whole entire game (and) show the coaches how we can play in a game-like atmosphere for a whole entire 60 minutes. (It’s) just a great experience. I’m looking forward to the challenge and just going out there and playing.”

(On Dolphins fans seeing him in a game at Hard Rock Stadium for the first time) – “Yes, (it’s) very exciting. (It’s the) first opportunity for the Dolphins fans to see us young guys perform out there, so why not go out there and give it your all and play (hard). At the end of the day, you’re going out there and winning and having fun (with) your teammates.”

(On if he is chomping at the bit to play more) – “Yes, definitely. Just being able to really showcase my talent and go out there and play. I’m just excited for the opportunity.”

(On how comfortable he is with the playbook now) – “A lot more comfortable. The coaching staff and my teammates did a great job of helping us younger guys get adjusted and moving faster. Now you can just go out there and just play.”

(On if his play speed has improved) – “Yes, sir.”

(On if he has gotten reps against CB Xavien Howard and what he has thought of him) – “I think I got a couple reps with him last week. I think I got one rep with him today. He’s back. He’s a spectacular player and a guy that can help us out tremendously this year. I feel like (with) him being out, he got a chance to learn the game mentally and prepare himself in that way. Now that he’s back, he looks back to normal again.”

(On what the fans can expect to see from him on Thursday night) – “Exactly what they expect – a fast, physical guy that’s going to go out there and play hard. (I’m not) going to overthink anything and just do what I do and go out there and play my game.”

(On how much he is looking forward to getting additional action Thursday night) – “I’m looking forward to it. This is something that you want – to be showcased all preseason. (I’ve had) a couple snaps here and there (and) a couple quarters here and there but now you have a chance to go out there and make plays and get an opportunity to play the whole game. So it’s going to be a very exciting time.”

(On where he is with mastering the offense or understanding it to the point where he is playing fast) – “I would say that you’re never 100 percent there. Guys like Kenny (Stills) and Jarvis (Landry) aren’t even 100 percent there. It’s an offense that you have to stay on every single day. I’m learning and meeting with my coaches and getting extra work after practice so I can have a feel for it – better and better every single day.”

(On if any veteran has given him a piece of advice that has stuck with him) – “I wouldn’t say what they said or them talking to us; I would say us watching them practice. The way Jarvis (Landry) and Kenny (Stills) practice – the speed and the level of competitiveness that they go out there and practice with every single day – to watch that speaks for it enough. Just to see that and then as a younger guy, you look at that and try to mock your game and develop that work ethic that they play with.”

(On if leadership by example is a tangible thing) – “Yes, definitely. They’re out there, they’re competing and they’re full speed. When you watch that as a younger guy, you go, ‘Now it’s my turn. It’s time to give it my all because if they can do it, why can’t you?’”

(On how he feels he has performed this training camp and preseason) – “I feel like I’ve been fine. Just taking steps along the way; it wasn’t going to be easy. You just have to go out there and continue to get better and better every single day. I strapped on my helmet every single practice, went out there, competed and got better. I took coaching and my coaches were hard on me, my teammates were hard on me and it was just a great opportunity to go out there and continue to, whether it was special teams or offensively, just do whatever I can to help this team win.”

(On if he thought this training camp might be slower for him because of the talent at his position than if he had gotten drafted by another team) – “Yes, definitely. I knew it was going to be a learning process for me. I knew I was going to be looking up to guys like Jarvis (Landry) and Kenny (Stills) and going out there and taking advice from them – just watching the way they practice – and they were going to slowly bringing me along. That’s what’s happening now. I’m just slowly being brought along and before you know it, I’ll be out there making plays as well.”

Xavien Howard – August 28, 2016 Download PDF version

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Cornerback Xavien Howard

(On how he feels health-wise) – “I feel way better. I don’t even worry about my leg anymore. I feel like there’s no setbacks, so I’m feeling good.”

(On whether he will play against the Titans) – “It depends on the coaches (and) what they want me to do, but I’m practicing this whole week and getting ready to play if I do.

(On whether he feels ready to play a couple snaps) – “Yes, sir. I feel like I’m ready to play a couple snaps.”

(On whether it’s important to get adjusted to the speed of the game) – “That’s the main point that I’m worried about – just getting my feet wet.”

(On whether not thinking about an injury is a mental hurdle for an athlete to overcome) – “Yes, sir. It’s mental. Like I said, I don’t even worry about it anymore. I feel like it’s all mental.”

(On what he can contribute to the team) – “Be a playmaker (and) be around the ball. I’m a playmaker. I’m going to be around the ball.”

(On the crowd and environment at CenturyLink Field) – “I heard it was loud up there. I’m going to see when I get down there and see how the vibe is, but I heard it’s one of the loudest stadiums to play in.”

(On the loudest game he played in while at Baylor) – “(The) OU (University of Oklahoma) game was loud. OU and Oklahoma State. They were road games. They were loud games, but we were sticking in there.”

Adam Gase – August 28, 2016 Download PDF version

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Head Coach Adam Gase

(On where RB Kenyan Drake and CB Xavien Howard stand right now for Thursday’s game and what he would like to see from them during the next two weeks of practice) – “We’re going to play them both. Really, right now, we’re going to go through the next couple days of practice to see where they’re at as far as (a) conditioning standpoint. I think they’re in good shape, but obviously, it’s not dynamic football shape right now. Probably ‘X’  (Xavien Howard) is a little ahead of (Kenyan) Drake, but we’ll have probably a set number of plays they can go and try to stay in that range and not go over. We don’t want to overdo it, but I think right now they need to play. Those guys – if they’re active for the Seattle game – it’d be nice for them to have the experience of an NFL game.”

(On the outlook for LB Jelani Jenkins) – “Right now, it’s week to week for us. It’s going to be about how quick he can get his strength back. Every person is different. It’s really (about) the pain tolerance (and) how quick can the rehab go. I can say there’s a possibility that that first game he’s good. We have to see how his body reacts to everything.”

(On what he has seen from LB Spencer Paysinger) – “What he brings to the table is he knows all the positions. Obviously, he’s a very good special teams player for us, but his ability to be able to plug into any spot – and us not really lose anything as far as a guy knowing what to do – is valuable. When you have a player like that, especially that has some experience, that makes you feel better as a coach, and I think he’s been doing well as far as the way he’s played in preseason games and the way he’s practiced. You see a guy that’s constantly trying to get better.”

(On DT Ndamukong Suh not practicing) – “With the practice structure we had today, we just thought we’d rather him stay inside and get a little bit healthier instead of getting him out there on the turf for what did we do, like three periods with offense (vs.) defense? And then a lot of times guys were standing around as far as what we were doing (with) some instructional things and situational stuff. We just thought it was better for him to stay in and kind of rehab.”

(On the offense celebrating TE Jordan Cameron’s touchdown reception in practice) – “I think that’s something, offensively those guys are … We’ve been doing things a little different as far as, when we get in the end zone, we’re all celebrating together. It’s not a one-man show. I think those guys have been doing that during games, and it has really carried over to practice. Obviously, those guys … That’s a guy that all those guys really like and they really care about. For us in that situation, that was a big play in that 2-minute period. Him making that play, and (he) made a couple of good plays in that series and you could see Ryan’s (Tannehill) going to go to him. He know he has a great matchup sometimes, especially when it’s on a linebacker or safety. You’re going to see he’ll keep getting opportunities.”

(On CB Xavien Howard’s readiness to play) – “I think we’re good to go. We just need to get him out there in a preseason game just so he gets a feel of how it really is. If we lined up in Game 1 tomorrow, he could play.”

(On CB Xavien Howard developmentally being ready to play) — “Playing corner with what we do, it’s really what he’s been doing his whole life. We’re going to line him up and tell him to cover that guy – whoever’s across from him. We’re not going to make it hard on him. It’s no secret kind of what we do on defense. We attack and we play man-to-man coverage.”

(On an update on C Mike Pouncey’s injury) – “It’s just going to be week to week. We got to keep seeing how he feels every day, and we constantly keep monitoring everything. I don’t want to put pressure on him to be like, ‘You have to be back at this date.’ It’s something that we’re going to keep looking at.”

(On how G Anthony Steen played) – “He did a good job. I know he had the one ball on the ground, but for the most part, he did his job. There’s quite a few times where he had to do some things as far as redirecting some protections along with him and Ryan (Tannehill) communicating. (The) communication was outstanding. I love the way he plays. He’s aggressive, and he’s one of those guys that finds a way to get it done, plays physical and tough.”

(On RB Isaiah Pead’s status) – “It’s probably going to be a couple of weeks. Unfortunately for him, (it is) another hamstring. We’ll see where we’re at on the roster. Obviously, I think he has done a good job, and it’s unfortunate for him, because he was rolling pretty good. We’ll see how everything falls.”

(On LB James-Michael Johnson not practicing) – “On the turf, we’re trying to be smart on that. But he looks like he’s on track to possibly practice tomorrow and then try to get ready for this game. Anytime we go indoors, we don’t want any setbacks in there. It seems like every time we go in there – if you’re kind of a borderline guy – we’re just being smart with that. The turf seems to affect our guys quite a bit.”

(On how much harder is it to make a roster decision about a player who is injured) – “It’s tough. You got to figure out what’s the right thing to do. Has the film and what the guy has done in practice (make you) say, ‘Hey, you’ve made it, and we’re going to have to carry you.’ And then obviously, you have a few options you can do to kind of hold a spot and then be able to bring him back. We haven’t really made any of those decisions. We need to get through Thursday first and then we’ll figure out all those little moves.”

(If whether a player’s injury history affects roster decisions) – “You try not to let it, but everything comes into play. It’s almost like the draft process. You look at everything and then you have to evaluate what you want to do as far as your final roster.”

(On making roster moves ahead of the Tuesday deadline) – “It’s something that (Executive Vice President of Football Operations) Mike (Tannenbaum) … I remember very early on – before we really got going on all this stuff, and that date was set – he told me, he goes, ‘I’d rather do it early to try to give those guys a little bit of a head start as far as if other teams want to look at him.’ We knew who the guys were that we were going to release. Obviously, it’s never fun telling a guy that he’s not going to be here. I felt like the guys that we all talked to were very appreciative as far as getting an opportunity. Obviously, some of those guys could have the possibility of coming back. They were all smart guys, too. They know our system and this last game trying to get down to that number and making sure. ‘Okay, how many guys do we need for each spot?’ And you’re trying to play a game too at the same time. You need to be a little strategic as far as what you’re going to do in this game.”

(On if cutting players as a head coach was tougher than he thought it would be) – “I was usually involved in those decisions. In Denver (Broncos) and Chicago (Bears), it seemed like the relationship I had with a lot of those guys was pretty close. I know in Denver there were a couple of times with some older guys that I had to sit there and talk to. It’s not an easy thing to do; it’s probably the worst part of being involved in this profession because you do get close with a lot of these guys, especially when you’re with a guy since we’ve started in April, and you watch these guys work as hard as they did. They’ve given you everything they have and you want to make sure as a coach, you give them an opportunity to put it on tape and give them reps at practice, so at least when they leave here they say, ‘I got better and I got a fair shot,’ as far as an opportunity.”

(On if he has a position on players protesting in situations like San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick) – “Well, the only thing I’d say with that, kind of like the league said as far as, every guy has their position on certain things and they’re able to express it in certain ways. There is nothing that says they can’t do that. I know our guys in our locker room, if they have certain stances they stand behind, it’s not my right to say, ‘You can’t do that.’”

(On his overall snapshot of the wide receivers and tight ends) – “I think we have to clean up the drops. They know it. We’ve talked about it quite a bit as far as, when we do have these games where the ball’s on the ground too much, what do we need to do to get better? Today I saw a lot of guys working on doing extra in-between periods, when special teams were going on, they were catching balls. I know (Wide Receivers Coach) Shawn (Jefferson) and Ryan (Tannehill) were throwing balls to guys – (and) the other quarterbacks – and try to do some things like distraction drills to keep their focus on catching the ball. This is a very prideful group – all those guys that are skill guys – and they don’t want to be the guy to drop the ball in big situations. I know when the littlest thing happens, they want to make sure they fix it. They don’t want to be that guy. They want to be the guy that makes the big play.”

(On if he is concerned about QB Matt Moore not being back in time for the opener) – “No. Obviously we’re going through the concussion protocol. He looks like everything is on track. I know he is itching to start getting back out there and doing things. But obviously we have the procedure that we follow, which for us, it makes everything nice and clean to where we know exactly where we’re at in that procedure. I know he’s tired of sitting around. He missed some meeting time because he wasn’t here. We had him stay at home or we had him with the doctor and the training room. I know he’s kind of over sitting around.”

(On if he is concerned about the quarterback depth) – “I’m not. I’m good.”

(On where he stands on allowing veterans to play in the fourth preseason game) – “I think we are in a different situation because we are so young, we probably have more guys that need to play more than the luxury of having so many guys sitting out. I guess you can look at it as … for (Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Darren) Rizzi especially, I think we can play some guys. Any kind of game experience is great. It is football at the end of the day and things happen, but I’m not going to sit here and stay up all night worrying if somebody is going to get hurt. We are going to play and some guys will be out and some guys will be playing.”

(On RB Daniel Thomas and the other running backs having a great opportunity to play Thursday night while some guys sit out) – “Yes, I mean especially in this game. Who knows what the weather is going to be like. If it becomes one of those games where those guys are touching the ball quite a bit, there’s a chance it will really make it tough on us from an evaluation standpoint. At the same time, they’re putting tape out there for 31 other teams. It is a great opportunity for the backs; it’s a great opportunity for the offensive linemen too, if we end up having to run the ball quite a bit. The running backs, it’s a fine line when you have an older guy and you have a big group of guys that are really young. I know it’s the fourth preseason game, but you’re still a competitor, you still want to get as many touches as you can and you want to get on film as much as you can.”

 

Cameron Wake – August 25, 2016 (Postgame) Download PDF version

August 25, 2016

Miami Dolphins Defensive End Cameron Wake (transcribed by Michael Bradley)

(Opening Statement) – “It’s good to be back out there, obviously, playing with the guys and getting a win.

(Cameron, I think on your first snap you were actually able to hit the quarterback, right? What was going through your mind as the play was developing and then you actually hit him?) – “Just trying to go back to ways of old. It has been awhile since I’ve actually played in a lot of games, so I’m taking all the things we’ve done in practice, all the rehab reps, and all the other stuff I’ve been doing. Finally, I’m just playing football, just having fun. You kind of forget all the other stuff by doing what you do best.”

(Cameron, the first team defense it seemed the run defense was better tonight. It seemed the tackling was better tonight. You guys got the turnover with Reshad Jones’ interception. What areas do you think you guys made strides tonight, if any, overall as a defense?) – “I’ll be honest, I think I can speak for a lot of guys saying the way we played last week wasn’t the way we wanted to go out and show as part of the Miami Dolphins. The old mantra was just going out there and doing your job, stop thinking so hard, going out playing fast, playing aggressive, (knowing) what you do, what got you in the situation in the first place. You have to cover pass rush. You’ve got cover on cover. That’s cover. I just run downhill. I think the guys played every style tonight, and they should have.”

(Miami Dolphins Head Coach Adam Gase said the plan for you this year is to make sure you make it through 16 games, that most of that time is to use you as a pass rusher. What do you think of that plan?) – “I think for the most part, we’ve been working together from back in November as far as my recovery and maximizing my skillset for the team. Whatever the area that is best suited – especially right now working my way back into full time – that’s fine with me whatever is best for the team. You have to start thinking long term. Of course, I want to be out there for every snap, but is that going to be best come December and January? You got to be honest and smart, and all of us working together, our plan is really good, and so far it’s working.”

(Coach keeps talking to getting you to 100 percent. Do you feel like you’re still not there yet?) – “Probably not. That’s the truth. There’s so much that you can do off the field. I’ve been working out, doing rehab, a lot of things. But the reality is football is hard to replicate. You can’t in the middle of the offseason have two guys pushing on you. It just doesn’t work that way … It’s coming. Obviously, I had a good step tonight, in the right direction …”

(Most veterans don’t play in the final preseason game, and we’re assuming you might not so that 100 percent is not going to come before the regular season?) – “It’s possible, but again, the game is not the only time you get it. We have quite a few big hogs in there who I fight with every day. Those are real reps … Whether it’s Tennessee or Seattle or Ja’Wuan (James), (Mike) Pouncey or whoever it may be, that’s the situation that you put your body in and you have to get it to respond.”

Adam Gase – August 25, 2016 (Postgame) Download PDF version

August 25, 2016

Miami Dolphins Head Coach Adam Gase (transcribed by Dan Bradley)

(Opening Statement) – “I’m going to give you the injuries here real quick, so we can get clear. (Ndamukong) Suh, he had an ankle (injury). He’s okay. (Jelani) Jenkins, he had an ankle (injury). He’s okay. (Isaiah) Pead had a hamstring (injury). We’ll look at it tomorrow and see where he’s at. (Terrence) Fede had a knee (injury). We’ll look at it tomorrow. It’s nothing major though. We just have to, obviously, take a closer look at that.”

(Adam, what did you think of Arian Foster’s performance today?) – “He did what we thought he was going to do. I think us going to him in a couple big situations (like) that fourth-and-3 (and) him getting the ball there – and I’m not sure he was more than a yard deep and making sure that he got the first down – (the) situational awareness, understanding what was going on, that was good to see. (We are) trying to get him into a rhythm to see if we can get him used to the flow of the game. Practice is one thing. I think this is a little different for him.”

(Adam, Ryan Tannehill had a decent performance and a possible touchdown pass drop, perhaps a potential interception was dropped, a 22-yard run. What did you think of Ryan overall?) – “He’s doing what I’ve seen all training camp, all spring. Nothing is a surprise. It’s unfortunate we had a tipped ball pick, but that’s what happens when the defensive line gets tired and they just have to throw their hands up and hope they can do something. I thought he did a good job. His reads were good. He was very quick as far as getting the calls out and getting his guys lined up. He played at a great tempo.”

(The offensive line allowed no sacks through three quarters. What did you see from the line tonight?) – “I saw a group trying to get better. We moved a couple guys in and out, but that first group talked about keep giving guys an opportunity and see if anything will sort itself out before we get to that first game of the season. We’ll keep evaluating and see what it ends up being. We still have one more game. And then once we get to Seattle, we’ll probably be with what we go with for a while and see how that comes together.”

(Adam, do you think Jordan Cameron’s drops are more physical or mental at this point?) – “That one today in the end zone was tough. That was a high hitter. That guy had really good leverage. That was probably more on me than Jordan as far as play call. He did what he was supposed to do: try to get in front of guys. He had a weird angle in the end zone. It happens; it’s the NFL. We had a couple other guys have some drops. When that ball comes in there, and it’s got some juice on it, sometimes it happens. We’ll move on to the next play. We’ll line it up and throw it again.”

(Adam, how do you coach a player that’s throwing like that?) – “You just keep working on it. I’m not going to get down on him. He has done a lot of great things. He has progressed a lot since the spring. He knows what to do offensively as far as the scheme goes. He’ll be fine.”

(Adam, when you say the (Jordan Cameron) drop was on you, what did you mean?) – “I would have called a different route. The guy lined up hard inside and (Ryan Tannehill) had no other option. We need to get to the point where those two guys (Tannehill and Cameron) can see that and communicate that they need to go to a different route.”

(Do you feel that Jordan Cameron is working through his frustrations?) – “He’s doing a lot of things right. When you’re in a position where the ball is being thrown to you, everybody looks at one thing: whether you catch the ball or you drop the ball. Right now, he’s doing a lot right. We just need to clean up some of the things in the passing game. There were a couple other opportunities we may have had down the field with him. Ryan (Tannehill) was smart with it and felt the coverage dropping back and got (the ball) to the running back. There was a couple other times that he broke free, and if they were any tighter on the underneath coverage, it was probably over top and maybe we have a chance with an explosive (play) with him.”

(Why does it seem Cameron Wake plays mostly on passing plays?) – “That was kind of the plan. I know we didn’t give you guys everything this week as far as what we were going to do, but we wanted him to play on third down. We wanted him to get some rushes in and get back in the feel of the game. That was the plan going into this game. Every day, we’re going to do more and more and get him to the point where he feels like it’s 100 percent, we’re back and we’re ready to go a certain amount of snaps that we’ll talk about throughout the season. The goal is to make sure he plays 16-plus games, and tonight was a good first step for us.”

(At left cornerback, what did you think of Tony Lippett and Bobby McCain?) – “It’s hard to tell from where I’m standing sometimes. We’re doing a lot of stuff on offense, and I’m trying to watch the defense at the same time, so I actually haven’t been able to evaluate those guys on the field. Good thing is that we’ll be able to watch film after this game and go through it, try to watch some of it tonight. We’ll get in a little earlier (tonight, and) we’ll have a little more time tomorrow and be able to sit down as a staff and reevaluate where we are at.”

(Is Xavien Howard going to play in the next game?) – “We would love to try to get him back this week as far as getting him in the game. I think if he can play in this game, then we play him. He needs to play in another NFL game before we get to Seattle.”

(Arian Foster only had about 10 yards rushing in the first half. Do you think he did better in the second half?) – “I think it’s an improvement from where we were at last week. When we go back and watch the film, we’ll kind of see what they were doing and see what we did well. We sometimes – schematically – we match up fairly well as far as what our scheme does compared to what their scheme does. We just have to go back and make sure, ‘How many guys were right? Was everyone doing their job, and consistently, can we do that through four quarters going into the season?’ Once we get back, and we’re able to watch the film, we’ll have a better idea of what happened this game.”

(How would you describe the execution when there was an increase in tempo?) – “I thought it was good. I really had no issues. I don’t remember saying anything like, ‘So-and-so is not right,’ or, ‘What is he doing as far as where his eyes are going?’ I didn’t really see that. I felt like the tempo was really good. I felt like that on the two-minute drive, even (when) we got gassed a little at the end. I wish I would have had a different call there for that when we have 9 seconds left. It’s tough because you don’t want to show everything. You don’t want to put everything out there in the preseason, but then you start getting real competitive, and you want to figure out a way to either score a touchdown or put yourself in a better position.”

(Did you have a good feeling about how Arian Foster would fit into your plans when you signed him?) – “Yes, we had a feeling when we signed him. I had a good idea about how I wanted to use him. We’re using him the right way in practice and here we were able to get him going versus some action tackling. I just wanted him to get hit a few more times to make sure he feels like he’s back, because he won’t play next week. He’s not. His next time he’ll have any kind of contact is going to be Seattle.”

(Adam, with Reshad Jones’s interception, did he make a great play? Did he take advantage of a mistake? What did you see?) – “To tell you exactly what was going on route-wise, I’m not sure. Anytime you get a (Defensive Back) – especially a safety that makes a play on the ball and finishes it –it’s a great play just for the fact he anticipated what was coming, stepped in front of the receiver and picked it off. I wish we would have been able to turn it around. I always feel like when you get a turnover, you have to put points on the board, and we didn’t take advantage of it on offense.”

(Does Anthony Steen have good communication with Ryan Tannehill?) – “Absolutely. They did a great job together. What happened on the one fumbled snap, I’ll have to take a look at it (to see) whether or not Ryan left a little early or something was short. Sometimes it takes the video to realize what was going on in that area. We were stressing them a little bit, too. We did some things to where we were running a lot of outside zones so Ryan had to do a good job of making sure the quarterback’s interchange was good. Steen did a good job. He was good with the calls, so that was a positive for us.”

(Coach, you guys are now three preseason games in, you just won the most important preseason game. How do you feel overall where you’re at and where your team is at?) – “I feel like we have six more practices left before Seattle. We got a lot of work to do before we go up there. We got three (practices) this week, and we got another preseason game to try figure out what’s the rest of our roster going to look like. I think we have at least a decent idea of who some of our four is going to be, but I think there’s a lot of battles going on that might not be publically what everyone is really looking at. But we have to figure a few things out, and then once we get through this week, it’s going to be quick.”

(Would you say that it’s fair that pass protection is ahead of run blocking and is that typical in your experience?) – “I think when you’ve got three receivers and the tight ends that we have and the quarterback that we have, it’s a talented group, and Ryan is doing a good job in getting the ball out, so it feels that way. I feel like the run game is coming. We’re developing. We’re starting to pop some runs here and there. I probably could have run a little more in the first half to be a little more balanced, but we were trying to make sure we were cleaned up on some of the pass protection. We want to make sure we’re good with the routes. We wanted to make sure we established that tempo. We only have so many plays to get in that first half, so when we play a four quarter game, that run game is going to get better as we go throughout the game.”

Ryan Tannehill – August 25, 2016 (Postgame) Download PDF version

August 25, 2016

Miami Dolphins Quarterbacks Ryan Tannehill (transcribed by Sean Weins)

(How do you feel the first team offense played tonight?) – “We did some good things. I think obviously want to score more points and I think we had some opportunities to score more points there. A couple of singular plays took us out of rhythm, we had the penalty on one drive, the tip interception, and the snap another drive. We need to really to eliminate those small mistakes that really killed our drives and I think we will be in good shape.”

(What Way it like having 29 Pass attempts and not being sacked?)- “It’s nice, the guys did a really good job giving me a pocket, giving me room to throw and getting the ball out fast into our play makers hands and giving them the opportunity to work.”

(Where is your trust level with TE Jordan Cameron?)- “He has had a couple of mistakes but we have all had some mistakes, It’s the pre-season and we are all working through those, that’s just a visible one we have all had our mistakes were still going to give him the ball and keep going back to him.”

(When you see the batted interception, do you see that as a fluke play?)- “The guy got his hands up. We had an open receiver in the passing lane down field. I threw the ball, (and) the guy got his hands up, and it’s part of the game.”

(What did you think of C Anthony Steen?)- “Steen did a good job. He’s got an opportunity when we lose Mike Pouncey, which is tough, but someone has to step up. That’s the nature of the game we play. Injuries are a part of the game and you have to have your second and third groups step up and replace them. He did a good job and kept our guys on the same page up front, and we got to continue to get better.”

(How was the communication between you and C Anthony Steen)- “It was good. We talked pre-game and made sure we were on the same page in our meeting this morning, and he was ready to go.”

(Are you guys closer to finding a number one running back, and is it important to have an established number one?)- “I have no idea what the plan is there. Honestly, to me, those guys can just plug and play. They both have different dynamic assets we can use, and whoever is in there, we feel comfortable with (them), and they’re going to make plays for us. I don’t think we really need to name a number one guy at this point or really at any point. I think we have good, stable backs that we can just pop in there and use them to the best of their abilities.”

(What’s one thing you feel comfortable with now compared to before preseason?)- “More in command of the offense. It’s a new offense, so you are learning throughout the spring and building off what you did in the spring and what you did in fall camp. The more reps I get, the more comfortable I get – I think not only myself, but the guys around me – and once we’re on the same page, that’s when we do really well. I’m excited about the growth I’ve seen in the offensive line – upfront – and the team as a whole. The more comfortable we get as an offense, the more command I get under center.”

(What’s your relationship with Head Coach Adam Gase?)- “I’m really comfortable with coach Gase. It’s an open line of communication on what I’m seeing (and) what he is seeing and what we’re trying to accomplish. He did a good job tonight of getting us in a position to succeed, and that’s what you want. You want the coach to put you in a place where you can make a play, and he did that a lot and I’m excited (about) what he’s doing and what he continues to do.”

Reshad Jones – August 25, 2016 (Postgame) Download PDF version

August 25, 2016

Miami Dolphins Safety Reshad Jones (transcribed by Enrique Raphael)

(I saw a lot of emotion from the defensive players tonight… why was that, and can you describe how you felt after your play?) – “It was a big play in the red zone and it was a big play for me and my team so it felt great. We had a lot of tough games and this was just a good show of how far we’ve come.”

(Any added significance to your interception from the standpoint that Bobby McCain had one come off his hands last week and there was another one canceled by a penalty, was it more significant to finally get that turnover?) – “The rate of winning goes up once you start getting turnovers. Coach is always stressing the fact that we need to turn the ball over, get sacks and that’s what we do as DBs – break up the ball up and get interceptions.”

(If I remember correctly, was your pick the play when Jelani Jenkins took out the tight end? Talk about the role Jelani played? From your positon on the field, tell me what the linebackers did better tonight?) – “Yes it was. He was a core factor and he allowed me to go make the play. They did well, attacked the window, got the immediate draws and they did a great job.”

Jordan Cameron – August 25, 2016 (Postgame) Download PDF version

August 25, 2016

Miami Dolphins Tight End Jordan Cameron (transcribed by Michael Bradley)

(I know you’re probably tired of talking about the drops, but can you just go through the two plays today?) – “(For) the one (drop), I’ve got to just catch the ball. I was looking to run on the third down one. The other one I haven’t watched yet. I don’t know if I dropped the ball. I don’t know if I even touched the ball. I’ve got to watch it and see what happened.”

(Do you feel like you’re pressured a little bit?) – “No, I don’t even think about it. I think you guys think about it more than I do. I’ve just got to play football and watch the ball in my hands. It’s not something I’m concerned with.”

(Miami Dolphins Head Coach Adam Gase said you’re doing a lot right. Do you feel like you’re kind of taking whatever frustrations you might have out on the blocking game whenever you need to create holes in the running game? Because it looked like you did a good job on the trap play sealing that edge there.) – “Tight end is not just catching the ball. Obviously, I have to catch the ball. It’s what I’m here to do; it’s part of my job. But we do a lot of blocking, inside pass protecting. I feel like I have made a lot of strides in that regard, and I’m positive with those things. I think for me it’s (about) being a complete tight end. I know the main things you see are a drop here, (and) that’s unacceptable, but it’s not my whole job. I do other things too.”

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