Ryan Tannehill – October 10, 2018
Download PDF version
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
QB Ryan Tannehill
(You’ve seen your fill of LB Khalil Mack. What makes this guy so elite?) – “He’s just a good player all the way around. He’s a good football player. He’s strong. He plays to the whistle. He’s physical. He’s good with his hands. If you draw up a defensive end, he’s pretty much the epitome of what you want to have. (I have) a ton of respect for him and his game. We’re going to have to do a good job of having a plan to help our guys out with him.”
(Is that a guy that you have to be aware of where he is at all times as a quarterback?) – “No question. You face players like this a few times a year. There are a few elite pass rushers in this league and he’s one of them, so you have to be aware of where he is. If you don’t control him and don’t do a good job of having a plan of attack, then he can wreck a game. Definitely a guy we want to have in mind of where he’s at at all times.”
(What do you see as the overall challenge for you guys this week against this team? They’re number one against the run and also top 10 against the pass. How does it all seem to you?) – “They are a good defense all the way around. They’re playing good football. I think it all starts with their front. They’re doing a really good job up front of getting after the quarterback in the pass game and playing around the line of scrimmage in the run game. I think it all starts there and then I think their secondary does a good job of playing off of that, being aggressive and making plays on the football. All the way around, it’s a good football team – a good front, a good defense – and we’re going to have to do a good job of executing. That’s what it comes down to is executing. Every man is going to have to win their one-on-ones and execute. If we do that, then we’ll be in good shape.”
(How much better do you feel like you have to play than you did the last couple weeks?) – “I have to play better. I have to take care of the football. That’s what it comes down to is really just eliminating the turnovers. Those turnovers we had at the end of the game – that I had at the end of the game – last week, really hurt us. If you eliminate those, we’ll be in good shape.”
(Were you chalking it up to bad decisions you would like to have back?) – “At the end of the day, it’s a decision. Everything you do is a decision. The first one, obviously, (was a) bad decision. The second one I was probably a bit too aggressive moving up in the pocket like that. Third-and-20, I probably should’ve just ran it and moved on and punted and moved on to the next play.”
(In your mind, easily correctable?) – “Yeah, no question. No question. It’s something we talk through and continue to work in practice of putting ourselves in those situations and having the right reaction when you get in those situations again.”
(Is that anti-intuitive to give up this play, there’s a next play, and to not try to be too aggressive?) – “I think at certain times it’s hard, obviously. You want to stay on the attack. You want to be the aggressor in the situation, especially at the end of the game like we had there, kind of a 3-minute drive-type situation where you want to stay on the attack and go win the thing. So, it is kind of anti-intuitive to be able to come off the gas and have a bigger picture mentality. That’s something, obviously, I have to work on and get better at as we move forward.”
(How do you deal with a game like that, the Cincinnati game? Coming off of that, I’m sure you were very upset with how things ended for you individually. What is it about you that you’re able to move forward quickly?) – “Football is a one week at a time thing. Whether it’s a good game or a bad game, you can’t hang on to what happened last week. Every week it resets. You have to learn from what you did right, what you did wrong and move on and improve. Nothing really changes as far as that goes. Just put it behind you. Obviously, it hurts, but put it behind you and get ready for the next one.”
(How much do you and Head Coach Adam Gase talk about being aggressive versus being conservative with how you play?) – “It’s a constant dial. What the situation is, how the game is going – there are a lot of different things that factor into that. It’s not one answer that is going to be right for all situations throughout a game. You just have to be smart and know where you’re at within the game and find the right time to be aggressive, take a shot. And if it’s not the right time, then move on and move on to the next down.”
(Where would you like to lean? Would it be in the middle or closer to one way or the other?) – “I think I like to lean aggressively and that’s probably what got me in some trouble last week, obviously. I just need to take it back a step, take a deep breath and have a bigger picture mentality in that situation.”
(The offense the last two weeks have scored one touchdown in each game. What has to change to raise that number per game?) – “Just execution. That’s what it comes down to – execution. I think we have to eliminate penalties and take care of the football. Those two things will put us in the right situation. I think early on last week for two and a half, three quarters, we did a good job of executing the run game, being third-and-manageable, converting on third downs and we had some opportunities on third downs that we didn’t convert and we should have. It just comes down to execution. If we stay ahead of the chains and we don’t put ourselves in second-and-20 and third-and-17s, then we’re going to be in good shape. Like I said, take care of the football, eliminate the dumb penalties and we’ll be in good shape.”
(Does it boggle your mind? Because I looked at that game and for three quarters, you guys looked like you were playing well, but there was still only one touchdown. It looked good, but it didn’t produce good. Do you ever think about that?) – “We just have to finish drives. That’s what it comes down to. I felt like at certain points, whether it was a third down we should’ve converted or we were moving the ball well and then had a penalty, we just have to be able to sustain those drives and get the ball in the end zone.”
(When you’re facing a player like Bears LB Khalil Mack, where’s the line between being aware of him, but not letting him get in your head too much and change what you guys want to do?) – “I think it all goes into the plan as far as how we build this game plan, how we go into the game of plan of attack. Once you’re in the game, you just have to go play. It’s a matter of preparing, being aware. Then once you’re playing, you just have to go play.”
(Is it also for you to adjust your line, because there are different pieces now. Guys are getting hurt, there are different guys are in there. Is that for you to adjust also?) – “Yeah, no question. Obviously, whenever guys go down, we have to adjust a few things. I think everybody – not just me, but I think the entire offense, especially Coach Gase – have to adjust the way we do things. It’s a battle, but it’s part of playing the game. We’re going to have guys go down, whether it’s receiver our o-lineman. Adjustments are always a part of that. We have to respond better than anybody and adjust better than anybody, so that’s what we’re going to do.”
(You had some success last week with dump downs to RB Kenyan Drake in the passing game. How do you see that element of the offense evolving?) – “Drake is a weapon for us out of the backfield, whether it’s splitting out on the outside or having him release from the backfield. He’s explosive. He has good hands. He has a good feel for things. He’s definitely going to be someone who we want to get the ball to in those types of situations. If we can’t get the ball downfield – if number one is not there down the field – then we feel good about getting the ball in his hands and letting him create. I think it was a third-and-19 that he ended up getting a first down on (last week). Unbelievable. He had a huge chip block and then I don’t know how many guys he made miss on his way to the first down. That’s just a small example of what he can do in the pass game. I think the more touches he gets in those type of situations, the better we’re going to be.”
(I saw that you and your wife announced you had your daughter Stella. How has that experience been?) – “It’s been great. It’s been great. She’s home now. All (are) doing well. (We’re) settling in nicely to a family of four.”
(Allow you to sleep a little bit?) – “Yeah, no question. (laughter) Thankfully my wife is taking care of that.”
(I see a smile on your face. Parents always say this: no matter how rough the day is going at work, when you go home and you see their smiles, it changes everything, doesn’t it?) – “It does. It’s nice. Obviously, I put a lot of time and effort and energy into what I do here in this building; but whether it’s good or bad, I go home and my little guy runs up to me, ‘Daddy! Daddy!’ It definitely warms your heart and puts a smile on your face and puts things into perspective.”
(How does your son Steel feel about the new baby?) – “He’s doing good. He’s handling it better than I thought he would. I thought he would be a little more jealous and maybe a little mean to her, but he’s doing great. (laughter) He’s been really sweet to her and helping us out. It’s been a good adjustment so far.”
(Head Coach Adma Gase said to us a couple days ago he and the staff are working 110 hours a week. Do these guys work too many hours?) – “You’d have to ask him if it’s too many. I know they work crazy hours. I’m constantly trying to get him to go home and sleep some. He’s always going to do what he feels like the job requires. If he can work a little hard and put in a little more, then he’s going to do it. It’s something I respect about him that he’s going to constantly drive to find ways to get better, push himself, push this offense and push this team. You have to respect that about him and I think we’re better for it.”
