Ryan Tannehill – November 16, 2016
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Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill
(What has the week been like and moving on here? Is it more normal now? Has it slowed down a little bit?) – “It’s a different week for us just being away from home and being out of our normal facility. (We are) trying to keep the routine as consistent as we can with the meeting times, the lifting, and everything in practice. It’s definitely a challenge for us, but I think we have the focus to get it done the right way.”
(Has there been opportunities to bond, get to know one another, build camaraderie?) – “I think that’s one of the benefits of being out here together is we have time to spend together, to go to dinner, to hang out and build that team unity.”
(What area of your game would you say you’re most happy with in terms of the improvement that you’ve made?) – “Probably not turning the ball over. I think that’s the biggest thing for us right is taking care of the football (and) not giving the other team opportunities with good field position and keeping ourselves in the right spot. If we can continue doing that, I think we’ll continue to win games.”
(Is that decision making or there’s more to it than?) – “There’s definitely more to it than that. It takes everyone. It’s not just me. It’s the o-line giving me time to make good throws and receivers being in the right spot and making plays on the football. It takes everyone.”
(What’s an idea that Head Coach Adam Gase came in with as far as mechanics with you that you feel like you’ve adopted?) – “We’re constantly trying to improve. There’s always something, whether it’s feet, moving in the pocket – whatever it is. We’re constantly trying to improve and get better.”
(Anything specific though that you can think that you can mention that he has kind of urged you to tweak, and you’ve made that tweak?) – “There has been a lot of things, feet being one of them (and) doing it a little different way and trying to be more proactive.”
(Head Coach Adam Gase said that T Branden Albert is not playing on Sunday. So, can you talk about your confidence in G/T Laremy Tunsil and maybe C/G Kraig Urbik on the left side?) – “I have confidence in those guys. I think Tunsil has already played a game for us at left tackle. It’s a position he has got a lot of experience at in college and high school as well. Practice will be good for him this week to get back into that groove a little bit, and (Kraig) Urbik is stepping in. He stepped in a couple of times throughout the year for us, and we have a lot of confidence in him as well.”
(What changes though the most with having “B.A.” [T Branden Albert] out?) – “I’m not sure. I’m not sure exactly what changes. I think we have to have the next-man-up mentality of whoever steps in there – whether it be (Kraig) Urbik or if a receiver goes down, or whatever it may be – we have to have that next-man-up mentality that it really doesn’t matter who’s in there, we have to get the job done.”
(What are G/T Laremy Tunsil’s strengths?) – “First of all, I think his athleticism – the way he can move, his feet, strength. You see the guy move and you can tell he’s a really good athlete. Being a left tackle and having his type of athleticism is huge.”
(What is WR DeVante Parker as receiver when he is at his best?) – “He’s really, really good. I think we’re just scratching the surface of what he can do. We just have to get him playing at that high level consistently. I think keeping him healthy is the biggest thing. He has been banged up and nicked up throughout most of the year, and when you’re fighting those injuries, it’s just tough. If we can just keep him progressing – keep him on the right track – then we’ll be in good shape.”
(How tough is it to just gauge WR DeVante Parker’s speed or gauge timing with routes with him when he’s not going all the way 100 percent in practice?) – “It’s difficult, whether it’s practice or a game and a guy is nicked up. It makes it tough, especially when you’re facing a guy who’s 100 percent on the other side. Getting him healthy and running full speed is opening up a lot of things for us. We look to continue getting him the football.”
(You got hit a lot on Sunday, and obviously, you were a little banged up. What’s the training like here? Because obviously, when you’re at home you have all your tools. Did you have to fill up your own tub with ice? Is that how it worked?) – “They have ice tubs here for us. They did a really good job of trying to adapt normalcy to Carlsbad as much as they could. Obviously, it’s a little different – it’s a different set up – but all the amenities that we have back at the facility, they tried to bring here and have at our disposal to get ourselves both mentally and physically ready to play.”
(You spend some time in that tub?) – “I did.”
(How much time?) – “I spent a good 30 minutes after the game.”
(What were some of your thoughts when you re-watched your performance from the San Diego game?) – “There are definitely some things I’d like to clean up, especially in the first half. It was little mistakes that don’t need to be made, and there was also some good things there. It’s like every other game – there’s always some good and some bad. You want to fix the things that you didn’t do well.”
(What was your favorite play in there? Which one of yours did you really like seeing again?) – “The touchdown to Kenny (Stills) was probably my favorite. It’s a play we’ve been working on for several weeks now and haven’t had the opportunity to get it called. We finally get it called and get the touchdown out of it. It’s great to see those reps pay off in a big way in the game.”
(Are you looking for some payback with DT Aaron Donald for the Xbox [charity tournament]? I want to ask you about that and also what makes him such a good defensive player.) – “Honestly, I don’t care about the Xbox thing. I don’t play video games. I don’t claim to be good. But he is a really good football player. You see him on tape, (and) he shows up week in and week out. He’s quick. He gets pressure whether it’s around guys, through guys. He finds a way. He has a high motor. He doesn’t stop playing. We have a lot of respect for him.”
(What do you remember about your first start as a rookie quarterback?) – “I remember it was in Houston, and the first half didn’t go well. It was a long time ago.”
(Why was it so tough to come in as a rookie quarterback and start?) – “There are challenges there. It was the first time. Also, we were playing a really good defense. J.J. ‘Swat’ (Watt), I think, had a bunch of batted passes against me, so it makes it tough.”
(Was your head kind of swimming out there? Is it a lot to process at once for your first start?) – “I don’t remember swimming. I remember getting blasted and thinking, ‘Welcome to the NFL.’ I don’t remember swimming.”
(What general advice would you give any rookie quarterback who … I don’t know, maybe you’ll even see Rams QB Jared Goff before the game at midfield. Do guys talk before [the game at] midfield or no? You don’t do that?) – “I don’t unless I know the guy.”
(But general advice?) – “I have no real advice for him (Jared Goff). Good luck. I’m trying to win the game. I’m focused on myself and what we can do.”
(Considering where you guys are at this point in the season, is it more gratifying after this start you guys had? Does it mean more? Did you learn more after you had a scuffle in there coming out?) – “I’m proud of the way that guys have battled and the way we faced adversity throughout our season, the way we stuck together and kept battling, kept staying on track, working to get better week in and week out. That hunger to succeed – that hunger to win – has been huge for us on our team. I’m excited about where we’re at right now. We just have to keep on that path of striving for greatness every day in practice.”
(How much different has your task been the last four weeks when you’ve had the offensive line? It appears as though you have more time.) – “It’s huge. You get the run game going – you get the Jay-Train going – it opens up a lot of things for us, and obviously, the time. Keep ourselves in third-and-manageable, you’re going to convert more of those third downs and have more opportunities in the pass game.”
(Do you realize you’ve only been sacked three times in the last four games?) – “I didn’t know the stat, but that’s good. We just have to get the ball out quickly and keep protecting well.”
(RB Damien Williams seems like an interesting guy. Where would you rank him in terms of entertaining personalities in your locker room?) – “He’s up there. He’s definitely entertaining, never short on words or laughing. He’s a great guy to have around, high energy guy and a football player. I think as soon as (Head Coach Adam) Gase got the job, I said, ‘No. 26 is a football player.’ Describe him one way, it’s a football player. [Those are] the type of guys you want to have on your team – guys that love the game, that want to be physical, want to do whatever they can to help the team, and he is that.”
(Does RB Damien Williams ever make you laugh in the huddle or on the field at all?) – “Practice field. In games, we’re usually pretty focused. But he is always good for a laugh.”
