Ryan Tannehill – November 1, 2016
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Tuesday, November 1, 2016
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill
(How did Halloween go for you and your family?) – “It was pretty low key. We put the son down and then got into bed early.”
(No costumes this year?) – “No costumes, unfortunately. My wife made some (Teenage Mutant) Ninja Turtles costumes but the son went down early so we didn’t get to put them on or anything.”
(So hold on, wait a minute … no trick-or-treaters?) – “No trick-or-treaters. Nothing.”
(No trick-or-treaters? Nobody wants to come to the quarterback of the Miami Dolphins’ house?) – “No. I guess the gate kind of deters people.” (laughter)
(So you’re going to eat all the candy, right?) – “I don’t eat candy, no.”
(C’mon, you don’t have any sweets at all?) – “Not never, but rarely.”
(You’re not on the DE Cameron Wake [diet] regimen then?) – “No. I mean look at me and look at him.” (Laughter)
(Is this like your worst holiday? Are you better with the other ones?) – “Yes, I’d probably say Halloween is probably the worst. I did watch a scary movie last night.”
(What did you watch?) – “What did I watch, what was the name of it? It’s one of the newer ones.”
(Who was in it?) – “No one famous.” (Laughter)
(It sounds great… [laughter]) – “It was a good movie. I’m not doing it justice. I was entertained.” (laughter)
(Let me change the topic here … The locker room, I know two victories helps morale but is this a tangible different feel in here? Is it more subtle? Or is it a different feel?) – “We’re just excited about where we’re at right now. I feel like this whole season we’ve just been staying the course, just trying to keep getting better each and every week, each and every day. Obviously it’s great to see some fruits of the labor, so to speak, as far as having success on Sunday. That’s what you play for. I think we’re on the right track right now. I think there’s a good feel, a good energy in the building, and we just have to keep on that track and keep it going.”
(Have you guys or have you or the team talked about playoffs? If you get this victory, you’re 4-4, you’re back in the race. Has that word been talked about or that thought in your mind?) – “Well, that’s what we’re playing for. We’re focused on the Jets right now and just one game at a time, but the end game is to be in the playoffs and to compete for a championship. Obviously we all know that’s a possibility. There’s a lot of football out in front of us; but it all starts this week with the Jets, taking it one game at a time.”
(The Jets defense, what do you see?) – “I see a good defense. I see a solid front. I think their strength is their front guys. They have some stout guys – solid, strong football players. They do a good job of shedding blocks up front, pushing the pocket, trying to collapse the pocket on the quarterback and just make it tough so that it’s hard to get the ball out down the field. It’s going to be a challenge for us up front to handle those guys and establish the line of scrimmage.”
(Guys always say they want to get away from football during the bye week. Can you?) – “A little bit. (I) still talked a little football and watched some tape. But it is – I guess – away from it as much as you can be during the season.”
(Were you in [the training facility] over the weekend at all?) – “I wasn’t in the building, no.”
(You watched tape at home?) – “Yes.”
(You’ve played against N.Y. Jets CB Darrelle Revis a long time. I’m wondering if you see the same player or a different player this year.) – “I have a ton of respect for Revis (and) his career he has had, and he’s still a good player. You see him shadowing Larry Fitzgerald the whole game against Arizona. We don’t know exactly what their plan is going to be with him, but he does have the ability to shadow a team’s best receiver. (We) have to see what their game plan is going in and adjust accordingly. Like I said earlier, (I have) a ton of respect for Revis and what he can do.”
(Have you felt like you’ve sped things up at all in the last couple weeks in terms of processing going through progressions or any of the part that happens from the time you get the snap to when you make the throw?) – “I think we’ve had a little bit more time from the snap to the throw. Guys are getting open. (We are) still getting the ball out relatively quickly, I think. But it’s having that time. I think everyone is … Since we’re huddling more, everyone is more sure of exactly what to do and how to do it. There’s no indecision going to the line of scrimmage of what they have. They know what they’re doing, and we’re able to be more effective in what we’re doing.”
(The run-heavy attack you guys have had the last couple weeks has really decreased the number of hits you’ve taken. Physically, how do you feel right now compared to maybe a month ago?) – “I feel great. Obviously, the last two weeks – and then the bye – (I have had) to rest up. So, (my) body feels really good right now.”
(Having said that – because you guys were on such a roll – where you anxious to get back in here?) – “I’m always anxious to get back in after a long weekend. But (I am) just excited more than anything (about) the nine games we have in front of us and the opportunities that we have. I think we have something good going right now. It’s just a matter of pushing ourselves every day to get better.”
(In the past, the team has played really well for stretches and then you kind of slid back. How do you guard against that and, maybe, make this consistently how you play from now on?) – “It’s about how you prepare – how you go about each and every day during meetings, during walkthroughs, during practice, keeping the foot on the gas and not letting up at all.”
(Could this starting offensive line – if they stay healthy, God-willing – be the best offensive line you’ve played behind here you think?) – “I think so. I have a ton of confidence in our offensive line. I think we’ve seen what they can do the past two weeks – both in the run and pass protection. When those guys are rolling and set the tone early, it really opens up whatever we want to do. We’ve seen Jay (Ajayi) have a ton of success. We’ve seen the pass game be more efficient, not taking a sack. When those guys are playing well, it really helps us go.”
(You mentioned huddling. Is that the norm now as opposed to the no-huddle?) – “The past two weeks it has, yes. We’ve definitely been in the huddle a lot more. We still have the ability to go no-huddle, but we’ve been in the huddle a bit more the past two weeks, and we’ve had success, so we’ll probably stick with it.”
(With the success that RB Jay Ajayi has had recently, what do you expect from a defense? Do you expect a lot in the box focusing their game plan on stopping him? How do you react to that?) – “You have to adjust as the game goes on. Obviously, you anticipate more middle safety and another guy in the box just to combat. We’re playing a lot with two tight ends and those types of sets, so you can see base defense versus our nickel personnel. There are a lot of different ways that teams can combat it, but (we) have to figure out what their game plan is going to be going in and adjust.”
