Adam Gase – August 21, 2016
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Sunday, August 21, 2016
Head Coach Adam Gase
(On game planning for this Thursday’s game and at what point does he turn the page to Seattle) – “We are trying to give our guys a feel of how we are going to approach the season. Obviously, the practice time has changed. This is going to be more of our routine. We go through our normal game-planning procedures as we would in the regular season. You just don’t want to throw it out there on the first week when we play Seattle and everyone is kind of like, ‘What’s going on?’ This is a good dry run for us. It gives us a chance to make some adjustments if we need to, especially at this time of day, and practice out there in the heat. We have to make some adjustments to practice, also meeting times, as well.”
(On if today’s first-team offensive line was an experiment that he was working with) – “I think that’s just what we did today. We’re going to keep moving guys in and out and try to find out our best five at the end of the day. I trust (Offensive Line Coach) Chris (Foerster) to keep shuffling the lineup around until we feel like we’ve got the five we want.”
(On when he starts to worry about the chemistry of the offensive line) – “It’s always nice to be able to say, ‘Here’s our starting five and let’s roll.’ You just don’t want to put a timetable on it. You’d love for it to be this week and say, ‘This is what it’s going to be.’ But I think the way we are looking right now, it’s going to come up to that first game of the season. You never know, it could change during the season. I’ve been through a few instances of, we were eight games in I think in 2014 and we made a wholesale change – new center, new right guard and new right tackle. You’re going to do what’s best for the team that week.”
(On RB Arian Foster’s workload) – “We’re just trying to increase every day, as far as what he’s doing at practice. We’re trying to get him more and more game ready. We’re trying to get (the veterans) a little bit of a feel. That’s going back to the o-line thing, when you have that lineup set, then the (running) back and those guys learn how to work together. The quicker we can get set, great. But like I said we’re a work in progress on that. I think (Foster) got a couple of reps in (Friday’s) game. I don’t see him overdoing it this game, as far as how many reps Arian is going to get. I think we still need to be smart. With a guy with his experience and the amount of hits he has taken over his career, I don’t think in the third preseason game that we need to have too many more of those. We want to get him to the regular season.”
(On RB Arian Foster asking a lot of questions during practice and if he is trying to get mentally ready) – “I think a little bit of that. I think he’s been a guy for me, being a veteran guy, I just keep looking at the list and everybody is so young. He’s one of the older guys we got. He’s probably one of the guys with more experience with being in a few Pro Bowls and being in the playoffs before. For me, he is a great guy to have around because we constantly have that dialog about what we need to do better, what we can change and what we can do to help our team. For a guy that just got here before training camp, he has really taken a leadership role for us.”
(On how much CB Xavien Howard was able to do today and his timeline) – “We had him do individual. Conditioning and then going out there and practicing football, it’s just two different animals. It’s going to take a second for him to get back into the flow of things. When we start having him go against wide receivers, he’s going to have to get that feel back. It’s been since the spring and that’s a lot of time that has gone by. Hopefully we can get him in a game before we hit the regular season. We just don’t know yet. We have to see how his body feels, we have to see how his legs feel, we have to see how his movement skills are. There’s a lot of little check marks we have to make before we throw him into a game.”
(On the decision to rest DE Cameron Wake and if he has had any setbacks) – “He hasn’t had a setback. At first, I thought he was going to go and then we kept talking about it and seeing where he was at and we felt like it was in our best interest to not have him go that game. We’ll reevaluate this week. It really has to be 100 percent on this to where everybody feels really good. I don’t think he has anything to prove. I think we all know what caliber of player he is. I think the most important thing for us to make sure is, ‘How do we get him to play in 16-plus games?’ That’s got to be our number one goal.”
(On if the run fits are an area of concern) – “I think when we have opportunities to make plays, we have to make them. There were some plays left out on the field. It wasn’t all bad, it’s just when a run pops, there’s no doubt about it. Anybody knows – the guy sitting in the last row of the stadium knew. We have to do a better job as far as making sure we’re playing team football. Everybody has to do their responsibility correct. What happens sometimes is, especially with the front and the linebackers, sometimes somebody else’s house is burning down, so you’re trying to help him. Sometimes you just have to do your job because if you try to compensate for somebody else, then now we have two guys making mistakes. We have to make sure who is making the mistake, why did it happen (and) correct it. We’ve got to speed up our process as far as making sure we get it right.”
(On the evaluation of G/T Laremy Tunsil’s play on Friday night) – “I think he did a pretty good job. We have a few things that we have to clean up with him. When you look at him, pass pro is not going to be something that I think he’s really going to have an issue with. It’s just sometimes in the run game, when you’re in different parts of the field, there’s different angles you have to take, sometimes you have to come off quicker on some of the double teams. You’re in the red zone and a linebacker is two yards from you and he hits it because it’s a run, you’ve got to understand you can’t be as thick on a defender on the defensive line. It’s got to be hand and then move up to the second level, because it’s coming quick. Just little things like that. There are going to be errors. It just has to be a quick process of (if) you make the mistake, you have to move on (and you) can’t let it happen again.”
(On WR Kenny Stills making plays in the red zone area in a confined space) – “I think the speed makes a big difference as far as when he comes off the ball, he comes off with great stride length. He doesn’t really dance around at the line of scrimmage. He’s getting vertical right away. He seems to get DBs that they get turned a lot of times, and he’s very quick at the top of his routes, and he’s catching the ball well. When you put all of those things together – and being as detailed as he is in this offense and probably knowing it as good as anybody besides the quarterback – he’s a guy that is really putting himself in position to win a lot of the times. He’s getting open and the quarterback is seeing him.”
(On if C Mike Pouncey’s injury is a precautionary thing) – “No, it’s not. We’re going to be week-to-week right now. We’re still kind of feeling out what’s going on. We’re working with the doctors and trying to make sure when he comes back, he’s ready to go. Right now, he obviously won’t be playing in the Atlanta game. We most likely won’t see him the rest of the preseason. We need to keep evaluating as far as what’s going on with him. There’s going to be that constant communication of doctors, trainers, sports science, strength and conditioning. Like I said, we’re going to be week-to-week right now, and we’re trying to get him better as fast as possible.”
(On why G Anthony Steen at the center position as opposed to G Jamil Douglas) – “That’s why you go through training camp. That’s why you go through preseason games. Right now, that’s where we’re at, at that position. He’s worked his way in there and it was one of those things where you get in the spring, it’s hard to tell sometimes who your guys are. You’re giving everybody a shot and he’s come out there in training camp and really caught our eye a little bit, as far as doing everything right. He’s fit up on guys right. He’s been strong as far as at the point of attack. When you’re the center, there’s a lot going on for that guy. He’s done a good job.”
(On where G Anthony Steen is at with the line calls) – “He’s got them all. You don’t have a choice. The center’s really the starting point for us and then the quarterback really is the guy that can trump everything. It’s just going to be a little different for our guys right now because it’s a different voice. They’re so used to Mike (Pouncey) doing everything and he’s got that calmness about him and now (Anthony) Steen’s got to get in there and he’s got to be next man up.”
(On what it was about G Anthony Steen that caught his eye) – “I think at first, he’s got this toughness about him. He’s got that grit about him. When you get an offensive lineman like that, it’s hard not to like. You start appreciating that. The more we’ve all been around him, the more we’ve appreciated the way that he’s played, the way that he goes to work. He doesn’t say much. He gets after it every day. You never see him have a bad day because he comes out and he’s got something to prove every day.”
(On S Walt Aikens knee injury) – “That’s going to be another one that’s more of a day-to-day deal for us. We’ll see how that goes. We got to get him out of the training room first and allow him to feel a little better. I think at the end of the day, hopefully we can get him back out there sooner than later.”
(On how close RB Kenyan Drake is to returning) – “We’ll see here at the end of the week. Obviously for me, selfishly, I’d love for him to play this Thursday. I think we got to be a little smart on this. He’s had a couple issues there and it’s going to come down to getting him back in practice first before we just rush him on the field. I’d love for him to get some kind of game action before we get into the season. I think the rest of that group obviously has shown a lot of good stuff. He’s got an uphill battle right now.”
(On C Mike Pouncey’s injury and the possibility of missing the season opener) – “I don’t want to put a timetable on it, but there’s a possibility. If things change for us or if we get some kind of diagnosis where they tell us it’s a longer period time than we originally thought, it could happen. Right now, like I said, we got to be ‘next man up.’ We can’t hope for this to happen because we don’t know right now. That’s why we’re still working with the doctors as far as, ‘Where are we at? How long is this going to be?’ We’re taking our time as far as making sure we got the right evaluation and we make the right decision.”
Ryan Tannehill – August 21, 2016
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Sunday, August 21, 2016
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill
(On evaluating a team during the preseason) – “It’s tough to tell. Obviously, it matters and you want to go out and perform well, but like I said last week, it’s a process. You’re trying to build off of what you did the week before and throughout every day in practice.”
(On how the third preseason game differs from the others) – “It’s a little more realistic as far as a game. Obviously, it’s a short week, and it’s not a full game plan. We’re still working on some things that we want to work on at practice, but it’s the most realistic game as far as putting together a little bit of a game plan and having an idea, watching some tape of the team before you go into the game.
(On the significance of the third preseason game) – “I wouldn’t say it’s any more significant. Obviously, you put a little more time into the actual game, so you expect your guys to go out and be a little more prepared and execute better. It’s more of evaluating ourselves and wanting to be functioning at a high level.”
(On the quick snap he took and then ran for the first down against Dallas) – “It just kind of popped up. We were expecting to get 1 yard or 2 yards – or whatever it was – for the first down, and the way the d-line slanted (and) came across (Mike) Pouncey’s face, I had to bounce it and there was a little gap there, so I hit up the gap and slid. It was a surprising play for me as well, but it was a fun part of that drive.”
(On what he and the coaches have talked about regarding his athleticism in the run game) – “It’s part of our run game for sure just like it was last year. It’s not something where it’s going to be every snap, every run that we have. It’s a changeup for us. It allows us to give the defense a different look, give the ends a different look. If the opportunity is there, then (it is) an opportunity for me to pull it and get out on the outside. I definitely think it could be a good thing for us. We want to move the pocket in the pass game as well, change the launch angles for the defensive ends and give the tackles a chance to pass block in a different way and give (the defense) something else to think about.”
(On how much growth he has experienced under Head Coach Adam Gase) – “(I am) trying to get better every day. I think the more time that I spend in this offense – that all these guys spend in this offense – the more comfortable we’re going to get and the faster we can play. When you’re playing fast, you can let your talent really show. I think the closer we get to the season, the more and more we’re going to see it and expect to keep making progress.”
(On his growth as a quarterback so far this training camp) – “I’m getting more comfortable by the day. Every rep that I take, (I) file that away, learn from it and keep moving forward.”
(On whether the run game is knocking rust off and will continue to develop during the preseason) – “Yes, that’s definitely some of it. I think we don’t do a whole lot of live tackling in practice in run game, so the blocking is a little bit different as well as the run. We’re still knocking the rust off. (We) had some big runs. We had a couple nice runs. Isaiah (Pead) had the big run down the left side (and there was) some really good blocking on that one. We’ve seen some flashes, but we have to be more consistent.”
(On his second touchdown pass to WR Kenny Stills) – “It wasn’t exactly where I wanted to put it. I underthrew it a little bit, but I thought Kenny made a great play (in) tight coverage. (The ball) snuck over the defender’s head, and Kenny made a nice catch on it.”
(On what allows WR Kenny Stills to have success in the red zone in a confined space) – “I think he’s an all-around receiver. I think he has put a lot of time into growing his game and to becoming a complete receiver. I think he gets stereotyped a lot into, ‘He’s a pure speed guy. He’s a guy who’s going to take the top off and stretch you down the field.’ Obviously, he can do that. He’s one of the fastest guys in the league – definitely on our team – but he’s a complete receiver. He’s comfortable running the inside routes, third downs (and) obviously in the red zone (as) we saw. I’m excited about the progress he has made, the effort, the time he has put in over the course of the last year, really focusing on the details of the position and becoming a complete receiver.”
(On what RB Arian Foster brings to the team) – “Arian is a veteran guy. He has been around a long time and has a lot of experience in the zone read game, so he’s definitely going to be a help for us there, as well as coming out of the backfield. He has a good feel for coming out of the backfield, feeling the zones and has good hands to be able to make the catches.”
(On how much he knew about RB Isaiah Pead before he joined the Dolphins) – “I didn’t know a whole lot about him. I knew of him and saw a little bit of him on tape, but he has really impressed me since he has been here (with) the way he works. He’s constantly out there working. He’s a tough player, physical. I was giving him a hard time about his speed. He is a fast player, so I was giving him a hard time for not scoring on the long run; but he has done a good job for us. It’s a tight competition in that room. There’s a lot of talent in that room. That’s a good thing. A good problem to have is when you have guys battling it out day in and day out. They’re going to keep pushing each other.”
(On his message to TE Jordan Cameron after a dropped touchdown pass against Dallas) – “Just keep playing. It was one mistake in a season-long campaign. (You) can’t dwell on it. Obviously, (we) want to make those plays, but he’s going to make a lot of plays for us. He has to keep his head up, keep working, and he’ll make it next time.”
(On what TE Jordan Cameron can add to the team when he is at his best) – “He’s extremely athletic. He’s a talented guy. You like your matchups with him on safeties (and) definitely on linebackers. He’s a guy we want to get rolling here and be able to take advantage of mismatches there.”
(On whether the role of the tight end in this offense is more about blocking or pass catching) – “We definitely need both roles from our tight ends. There’s going to be a lot of situations where they’re going to be pass blocking and run blocking, and then we’re going to be putting them all the way on the outside and trying to create a mismatch out there. They have to be a full player – a complete player – and be able to run routes, not just tight end routes, not just corners and flats. They have to be able to run receiver routes as well, because we are going to put them on the outside and try to stress teams in that way.”
(On being a new father) – “It has been fun. It has definitely been fun. I don’t see him a whole lot – because of the season and the time I have to put in here – but when I do get a little time at home, it is nice to be able to hold him and even change a few dirty diapers along the way. (laughter) He’s getting big. He’s already growing. It’s crazy how much you see him change over the course of a week of not seeing him. It’s not something I really expected to be able to see that change or difference in him, but it has been fun.”
Laremy Tunsil – August 21, 2016
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Sunday, August 21, 2016
Guard/Tackle Laremy Tunsil
(On the difference between a game and practice) – “Practice and a game is basically the same thing. In practice, you have a little more competition with one of the best – (Ndamukong) Suh over there and you have Mario (Williams) over there – so you’re going against the best every day. I guess going against them, makes the games easier.”
(On how he feels he is coming along) – “It’s going to be a process, transferring from (offensive) tackle to (offensive) guard is going to be a process. That’s why I stay in the meeting room and listen to my coaches every day and try to get better.”
(On what’s different about playing tackle than playing guard) – “It’s the same thing at tackle, I’m trying to find work. That’s all we are looking for is work.”
(On looking at the Cowboys game film and how he thinks he played) – “I actually haven’t seen the game film yet. I don’t know about my performance, but like I said when I see the film I guess I’ll let you guys know.”
(On how significant it was for him to be in the starting lineup on Friday night) – “It was nice playing with those guys – playing with the ones was nice. But like I said, we never know with the positions. I don’t know if I’ll be starting or not. We are still rotating. I’ll continue to work every day.”
(On how important it is for him to develop chemistry with the starting five offensive linemen) – “It’s a lot. Building the chemistry with the ones is (important). I don’t know if I’ll be (a starter) at the end of the day.”
(On Thursday’s game being the closest thing to a regular season game and how much he is looking forward to playing in that game) – “I’m looking forward to every game. I’m looking forward to every game and I’m looking forward to getting better.”
(On how did it feel to move the ball early in the Dallas game) – “It was nice, but we still got to get better and attack every day.”
Ndmukong Suh – August 21, 2016
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Sunday, August 21, 2016
Defensive Tackle Ndamukong Suh
(On how the team will approach the third preseason game) – “I think everybody knows we look at the third preseason game in the NFL as show of run and game prep for (the) regular season. Having attention to detail and being able to have a full week’s worth of the breakdown of Atlanta is going to be the biggest focus and understanding our keys and where we got to execute is going to be the biggest thing.”
(On the defense’s chemistry) – “I think it’s coming along well. Obviously, we’re still only into Week 3 of the preseason – and we’ve got a lot of time and practice ahead of us – but I think we’re moving in the right direction, in my personal opinion. Like I said, we’ve got a lot more work to do.”
(On his No. 1 takeaway from the Cowboys game) – “Just technique. Focusing on technique is going to be my biggest takeaway from my game, personally. There’s some errors that I didn’t like that I did. At the end of the day, it’s preseason (and) that’s what it’s used for – knock some of the rust off and go from there.”
(On the defense’s focus for this week in terms of tackling) – “I think at the end of the day, it’s about going out there and executing (and) putting yourself in the right position so you can make the right tackles. We weren’t always in the right position to make the proper tackles. Obviously, fundamentals are (about) running your feet through a running back or tight end or whoever it may be who has the ball, (and) hopefully it’s the quarterback most of the time.”
(On the significance of the third preseason game for the starters) – “I think it’s always seen as an important game because it gives you an opportunity to … Obviously, you usually play the first two quarters and a little bit more. First groups usually are getting a lot of the run. At the same time, we’ve game planned. We’ve understood where we’ve got to be. (We have) had a week’s worth of work on that and going out there and executing.”
Xavien Howard – August 21, 2016
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Sunday, August 21, 2016
Cornerback Xavien Howard
(On how it felt to put the pads on during pregame even though he didn’t play on Friday night) – “It’s just exciting to be back to football again.”
(On what he gained from being on the sideline on Friday night) – “A lot of mental reps, just seeing what the older guys were doing and learning from them.”
(On how excited he is to be cleared medically and back practicing) – “It’s exciting to be back with the guys and get back to it.”
(On how much he feels his injury has been a setback to him) – “I wouldn’t call it a setback. I’d just say it’s a learning process that I went through and I’m just learning from it.”
(On when he noticed that something was wrong) – “I think the next day after it. I got undercut and I felt it and I went to the training room and we did an MRI on it.”
(On how much he was able to keep up with the defense even though he wasn’t practicing) – “I stayed on the side with the coaches so everything they were doing, I was into it.”
(On where he is at physically) – “I feel like I got better. My leg is better and it’s going to improve when I go out there.”
(On how excited he will be to play in a game) – “I’m very excited to get into a game.”
(On what it was like to be dressed but not playing on Friday night in Dallas) – “I just couldn’t explain the feeling. It was my first NFL game (and I was) excited, cheering guys on.”
(On what he thought about AT&T Stadium) – “I played there before in college so I was used to it.”
(On what his expectations are for himself these next two weeks) – “Learn from the older guys (and) get on the field and contribute any possible way I can.”
(On if he expects to play Thursday night against Atlanta) – “No, sir.”
(On if he is going to sit out the rest of the preseason) – “No. I should play the fourth preseason game.”
(On if he is going to be ready for the regular season) – “Yes, sir. (I have) no doubt.”
(On the veterans looking forward to having him on the field) – “I’m going to contribute the best way I can.”
Mario Williams – August 19, 2016
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Friday, August 19, 2016
Postgame – at Dallas
Miami Dolphins Defensive End Mario Williams (transcribed by the Dallas Cowboys)
(On the loss) – You never want to come out here and lose in this fashion. It’s preseason. There are a lot of things we need to work on and these next two games for us are going to be preparing for Seattle.
(On the team’s cohesion) – I think we’re all good right now. There are little details that we need to iron out and we’ll be ready for the first game of the season.
Jarvis Landry, August 19, 2016
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Friday, August 19, 2016
Postgame – at Dallas
Miami Dolphins Wide Receiver Jarvis Landry (transcribed by the Dallas Cowboys)
(On Ryan Tannehill) – Ryan is a trooper out there. He’ll take hits and he’s still standing there throwing the ball. To have a quarterback like that means a lot for this team.
Kenny Stills – August 19, 2016
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Friday, August 19, 2016
Postgame – at Dallas
Miami Dolphins Wide Receiver Kenny Stills (transcribed by the Dallas Cowboys)
(On the two “laser” throws from Tannehill) – The deep ball on the run was a great throw. The first touchdown was a great throw; the second one was a great throw. He was on the money, today. We’ve just got to continue to build on that and try to come out of these games with some wins.
(On Tannehill finding a rhythm with Kenny as the game progressed) – It’s the preseason. We’re all out there working, trying to get on the same page and clean up the little details. It wasn’t perfect but the series that we were in – I thought that we did alright, so we’ve just got to build on that next week.
(On if he knew how much he was going to play) – He just told us to go in expecting to play the whole game and they would take us out when they were ready.
