Miami Dolphins Head Coach Joe Philbin
(Opening Statement)– "I thought Baltimore deserved to win the game. They played better in the fourth quarter. I thought they coached better, they played better. I thought it was hard to believe that we had an opportunity in the fourth quarter to take the lead in this game, so we decided to settle for a field goal. That's kind of typical…but they played better. They controlled the line of scrimmage better, they put better pressure on our quarterback than we put on theirs and they played a better game."
("Coach, you started out the game you way you wanted offensively. You had them in good situations, were able to move the ball down the field. Defensively, swarming all over, getting stops – what changed after the first quarter?") – "Well, we had some three-and-outs to start the game. This is a good offensive football team. They were averaging 27-points a game, so I don't know that – we knew that they were going to move the ball at some point in time. We made one play in the end zone there to keep them out in the first half but they made some plays. They kept us off balance, they were managing down-and-distance, and we had a hard job getting them third-and-long. Conversely, offensively we kind of bowed down a little bit and weren't real productive."
("Offensive problems – you had some penalties, you had some illegal men down the field, especially on the big play with [WR Mike] Wallace, some procedures that started you at first-and-fifteen, do you think those types of things injured you in the second half?") – "I agree, I think we started the second half – I think we only had one accepted penalty in the first half, if I'm not mistaken, and it might have been on that long play you were talking about. And then, I want to say, if I'm not mistaken, on the first possession of the second half we had three, I believe. It's, again, that's not a good way. We've got to come out of the locker room better. It certainly did not help us one bit."
("With four minutes left in the game there's a video that shows Jared Odrick [DT] yelling in your direction. He yells, 'Every week'. Can you talk about that exchange and is there any worry you might be losing some confidence from your players in these big games down the stretch?") – "Football's an emotional game. We had a discussion. I've already had another discussion with him. Football gets fiery out there. It's good."
("Coach, pass protection, six sacks, and it seemed Dallas Thomas [G] was having trouble on his side. Was there any thought in trying to get him some help or try to do something different?") – "Yeah, we did. There were different times where we kept the tight end in a couple of times to chip or dump, however you want to describe it on some occasions. We had a back over there on some occasions. Sometimes Ryan [Tannehill, QB] maybe wasn't able to step up. I think it certainly wasn't all on Dallas Thomas."
("Joe, not being able to get a touchdown there in the first possession of the third quarter. How big a deal was that, do you think?") – "Do you mean in the fourth quarter, when we were down on first-and-four or in the third quarter?"
("In the third, when you had the field goal, right?") – "Wasn't that the fourth quarter, first-and-four?"
("I'm sorry, yes.") – "Yeah, that was big. Absolutely. Like you said, I think – again, there was penetration on a run, you have a negative run, you have a penalty, you have a sack, you have three negative plays on that possession. It's tough. It's not good. We were thinking, if we moved the ball forward, we were going to treat it as four down territory. Then we started going backwards. We thought that's what it was going to be."
("Coach, on big sack that looked like a fumble that was overruled, what did you see there?") – "It was close. John [Parry, referee] said the guy's arm was going forward. There's not much you can say."
("You turn them back on third-and-one a couple of times early, and then they went for it fourth-and-one from their own 35…what was your confidence level that your defense would answer the call?") – "We'd stopped them before. We had. I was confident, but they converted the short-yardage plays."
("Can you just tell us real quick, on Dallas Thomas, is there just no better option that you have right now?") – "We always play the guys we feel give us the best chance to win."
("Joe, the importance of this game, a lot of people said that win-lose, you're probably going to be out of the playoffs because you're climbing over so many teams with tie-breaker implications. Where do you think they stand right now?") – "We've got to go on a plane and play a very good New England team that is an excellent football team. That's really all that I'm concerned about at this point. I'm sure there's a million scenarios and I really don't have time to consider. I'm probably not smart enough to figure out all of them. The best way is to win games. Certainly this one didn't turn out that way. We have one next week and we need to start getting ready for that." Miami Dolphins G Daryn Colledge
(Did you just have nothing going on the ground [in the second half]? You weren't down really until the fourth quarter.)– "No. I thought we got in a situation where we actually made too many mistakes and put ourselves in a position where we couldn't run the ball. We came out there on that one drive, obviously, had three penalties in one drive. We kill ourselves like that. You take a sack here and there and all of the sudden you're forcing yourself into second and longs and third and longs. You're not going to run the ball out of those situations. We need to stay in positive field position and allow ourselves to run the ball. That's what we did in the first half. We allowed ourselves to get a couple of drives and a couple of scores. Then, we got away from that. We started letting their defense play downhill and again you can't allow a defense like that to do that."
(In terms of the physicality, what was the challenge of the offensive line in terms of matching what they brought?)– "I thought the offensive line did a great job in the first few series. I thought we were in a situation where we kind of had them reeling backwards and we settled for a field goal on the first drive, which I thought we had a chance to score seven there. We came back on the second drive and scored the seven. [After] the first two drives, we're up 10-0 and we're where we want to be. From that point on, we kind of let it slip away. We weren't matching what they were doing. Then, we really only got the ball one more time before the half was over. They scored. They came out. We had the ball back in our hands and a chance to get the momentum back and we did. We came out on the very first drive. I had a penalty on the first play. We had a bad second play. We got a penalty on the third play. The next thing you know, I believe we're at second and 752 yards it felt like. It's one of those things where you're not going to run the ball out of those series. By the time we're late in the game we're down two scores and we're not running the ball anymore then. I think we really only had three good opportunities to do something in the second half and we didn't capitalize on that and they did. You can't play behind when the defense is as good as theirs."
(Obviously, [G] Dallas [Thomas] had a tough game.)– "I thought [G] Dallas [Thomas] played very well in the first half. He protected well. Then, we allowed them to get a sack on a stupid play on a naked [bootleg], which can't happen. That was a miscommunication. We allowed them to get momentum and you let someone like [Baltimore Ravens OLB Terrell] Suggs start getting charged up and start getting momentum and he starts playing downhill. It becomes a different defense. Then, he wants to start getting sacks. Then, you have a guy on the other side trying to get him. Then, the guys inside are getting charged up. Again, this is a defense we felt like we were in a good position with the first few drives, but again you allow them to start rolling and it becomes a real problem for offensive lines." Miami Dolphins LB Jelani Jenkins
(First off, how do you feel?)– "I'm not too happy we lost, but I'm good."
(What is the feeling in the locker room with you guys right now?)– "It was definitely disappointing especially having the lead, having the upper hand in the game early on and it falling apart. We got to see how it happened and watch the film and learn from it, but it's not a good feeling."
(The 4th-and-1 play. Take us through that. What you guys were expecting, and the quarterback certainly isn't a magic play or anything like that.)– "They did a decent job window-dressing it. They came in empty. They motioned the backend. We kind of were looking for the quarterback sneak. They just executed it better. We probably could have had better pad level. I don't know. That's one of their top plays in short yardage. They got us with that." Miami Dolphins DT Earl Mitchell
(How surprised were you that the fumble in the 4th quarter got overturned?)– "I was upset that they overturned it, but they then made a play."
(Did you hear Ravens QB Joe Flacco protest at all about the fumble?) –"We didn't, I mean they were trying to get the ball away from me, so I'm pretty sure they obviously thought it was a fumble. So usually if you aren't worried about it, you aren't trying to get the ball back."
(Was the long drive at the end of the second quarter where this game was lost?) –"I mean, they had a big play and it hurt us. That's the only thing you can take away from this, I mean, we just got to figure out what happened and fix it. We got to fix it and move on."
(Are you disappointed that you couldn't get more pressure on QB Joe Flacco?) –"I mean, he was getting rid of the ball quick, but when you're playing teams that play under center like this, the ball is definitely going to come out quickly on you, so it's definitely hard to get pressure up the middle or pressure in general when they don't have a five step drop back, it's a lot more three step, a lot more quick pass game and we weren't anticipating them throwing the ball more." Miami Dolphins DT Jared Odrick
(How do you sum up those last three quarters?)– "It's tough. It was one of those game where we were expecting to get into a second half fight like that. They definitely brought a fight, and they won today."
(Early on you were shutting down the run, what changed?)– "Things were going good for us in the first half, but we had some lapses in the second half and unfortunately the score turned out the wrong way."
(What was talked about at halftime and how do you think the team came out in the third quarter?)– "We felt like we had an opportunity to do some good things. In the second half, you always want to reset your mind and prepare for a new ball game; sort of a zero-zero mentality. I think we went out there with the right mindset, but things didn't work out for us. We didn't execute, things didn't work out the way we wanted them, and it's tough when you get put in situations like that and are unable to execute."
(How do you size up the team's chances for the playoffs?) – "The mentality of this team hasn't really changed in the second half of the season. Your goal is still the playoffs. We have to win out from here on out to have a chance, and that's what we plan on preparing for and doing."
(You looked quite frustrated on the sideline as the game wound down. What can you tell us about what was happening there?) – "It's an emotional game. Sometimes it's a player and a coach, or anyone that's involved in an organization that plays football. It's tough to find that gauge of what's too much emotion and what's not enough. You never want to border that line of not enough. I think one thing that I bring to the game of football is emotion and I try to do it in the most positive way possible. It may have looked like I was yelling negative things and that there was a disagreement, but every game there's a disagreement. Emotions are running high and I hate to say that any of that was a detriment to our team. I probably should have calmed down a little earlier than that, but it's tough when you want to win a football game. You're asked to bring emotion to this game, cause if you don't you're going to end up in a position where you don't want to be. Emotion is all a part of this game and it's tough to gauge it sometimes." Miami Dolphins CB R.J. Stanford
(Can you take us through the interception in the end zone?)– "It was coming off a long timeout. It was third down. Coach called the play. They had lined up in it the first time. They called the timeout, came back in the same formation and [I] really just played my technique. I saw the ball kind of ballooned up in the air. It was me and [Baltimore Ravens WR] Steve Smith, so I just knew I had the chance. It was floating in the air. Those balls are 50/50 and I just had a mindset [of] I'm going to come down with it and it worked out."
(At the time you guys were up 10-0 when it stops their first good scoring threat. Were you thinking at that the time 'This is going to be our day'?)– "Yes anytime you want to keep the momentum, have the momentum, continue to just dominate a team and play well, play a solid game every quarter, so definitely we just wanted to build on that momentum and off that drive."
(How much yakking did [Baltimore Ravens WR Steve] Smith do during the game?)– "Surprisingly, it wasn't a lot. He didn't really have any smack talk. We were just out there playing. [I] got a chance to say hello [to] an old friend I used to play against in Carolina, but there was no smack talking." Miami Dolphins Quarterback Ryan Tannehill
(How discouraging was this loss with so many playoff implications?)– "It was tough. We started well; we were moving the football [and] we were scoring points. Then we didn't really play well from there. As an offense we have to be more consistent throughout the game."
(Late in the game when you guys needed to pass to catch up, there were a lot of sacks coming in. What was the problem there? It appeared that [Offensive Tackle] Dallas Thomas was struggling but what was the problem with pass protection in that situation?)– "You have to give credit to their guys. They did a good job of getting around the edge. They were sinking underneath the deeper throws that would be first or second in my progression. They were doing a good job of getting to me. You have to give all of the credit to them."
(When you look at the standings and the playoff race, it seems to us that you guys missed a great big opportunity today and one that you may not get again this season. Is that something that was on your mind?)– "Yes, we understood what it was coming in. [It was an] opportunity [that] we let slip [away]. You never know what can happen. Obviously other things have to happen and it is out of our hands to some extent. We still have to keep fighting. This team is full of fighters. We'll find a way to respond and come back and do the best that we can the rest of the year. Whatever happens, happens. I don't think the door is completely shut at this point and we can still control how we play in our next game."
(What did you see in the red zone on the second down pass to [Wide Receiver] Mike Wallace [that you missed]?)– "Yes, I saw him get him off of the line. He got off and was wide open. I threw it before I got hit and overthrew him. [It] was a good route and I just missed him."
*(It seemed like every break with the officials went against you; [Defensive End] Cameron Wake's strip wasn't a strip. A couple of your passes [were flagged for] illegal man downfield. Did you have an issue with any of those calls that came on big plays for you guys?) *– "Those were tough. We were getting chunks of yards [but] we were moving backwards. That's out of my hands. I just play the game. They call it how they see it. I'm sure that they'll take a look at it on film and the referees will as well.
(When it was still a one possession game, what was the mindset going down the stretch there?)– "It was 'let's go and score.' It was an eight-point game, a one score game; I felt good about where we were at. We didn't make the plays but I felt confident. I think the guys in the huddle felt confident. We just didn't get it done." Miami Dolphins T Dallas Thomas
(How difficult of a performance is this for the team and for you personally?)– "Personally, it's bad but as a team we just have to look at the film and see what went wrong."
(Was it the physicality or the blitzing of the Ravens that gave you guys this much trouble?) –
"I don't know, we have to look at the film. It could be a number of things."
(Can you discuss the help you had on the ends from Tight Ends or Running Backs) –Yeah, we have protections set up like that."
(What got away from you guys after the first quarter?)– "I don't know if I can tell that to you. I'll look at the film; see where we went wrong." Miami Dolphins Defensive End Cameron Wake
(Cam talk about, you played so well in the first quarter, probably one of the best first quarters and then what happened) – "I mean, going into the game we obviously knew this was a big one and guys came out firing on all cylinders and we just had to carry that momentum into the second half and it didn't happen on all fronts. It was disappointing to say the least, I mean, one of the biggest games of the year, probably the biggest and to finish out the game like that is just... it's a little mind blowing."
(What happened on the play that was initially ruled a fumble then an incomplete pass) – "Well, I guess, I didn't hear what (the official) said, they said it was an incomplete pass, just sometimes that's the way the cookie crumbles. You have to go out there and play another down, make another play, however it has to happen. If they are not in the end zone then there is still an opportunity to keep them out and today we dropped the ball."
(Do you feel you hit his arm before the ball came out?) –"I would have to go back and look at it in slow motion myself. I obviously, it happened so fast, I don't know what happened. I just tried my best to get there, the refs made a call and that's the one that stood."
(What was the biggest difference with their run game? The first quarter you held them to pretty much nothing...) – "I am very anxious to look at the tape. I couldn't give you a determination right now, but I know literally in the next 30 minutes I am going to sit down and look at it and see what happened. Usually when you have that kind of run its either a missed tackle or a some type of misfit. It's more often it's self-inflicted, this is the NFL, more generally you don't have guys doing that. So we will have to see where we made a mistake and obviously fix it fast."
(How do you play against the temptation that this may have been your season today?) – "Well, the same way that I fight the temptation when we beat a team that it made our season. We don't, at least I don't, and I think I can speak for most of the people in the locker room, that you don't concern yourself with a lot of the other things going on, you have to focus on your job and what you can control. I have no idea what is going on outside of here or what the situation is, but I know we have to fix the things that we didn't do well today and we have another big game coming up in seven days from now."
(Another long day for your run defense) – "You hit it right on the head. Long day. Well you know, you come out there and I guess the most frustrating thing is that it is not inability. Obviously you watched us play for 10 weeks or the first half, whatever it is, we can get the job done and whatever inconsistency there is we have to put a stop to that really fast because that's usually going to turn into bad things when they can run the ball and then they end up throwing the ball, it just unsettles the whole system as well. That is something that we have to fix fast and we got a few days to get it done."
(On the first half pass rush and getting a lot of hits on Flacco [inaudible question]) – "Well hand wash hand, we stop the run we force them to be one dimensional and then you have a lot of guys getting after them. If they are doing both then, I mean it's hard to win that way. You have to go out there and like I said, we've got guys who have done it for years, or for 10 weeks, whatever it is and to come out and even do it in the first half and come back in the second half when we needed to close the game out, we had opportunities on all fronts to pretty much put this game in our hands, we didn't get the job done."
(Did you get a sense of the real frustration there towards the end, Jared Odrick was seen on TV yelling at someone, just the overall frustration right now) –"There is no shortage of passion in this locker room. I think all around from the top down, coaches all the way down to the last player on the team. I mean you think about all the training camp snaps, the gassers, the bench presses, the study hours, everything that we have done is really just to get to this point. To get to this point and things really don't go your way I can definitely understand the passion, so you just have got to make sure that it is directed in the proper way and hopefully it will be in the preparation for this next game."
(On [the] fourth-and-one [play], how did you take that call from them? They were deep on their own thirty yard line; did you think that they were going to run it on that play?)– "They took a gamble and they won. Again, fourth-and-one is just one play. There were a lot of other plays that you have to have as a team. You can go offense, defense, special teams or whoever it may be. Shooting yourself in the foot doesn't help in any form of the game. Whether it is fourth-and-one or third-and-10, you have to get off of the field. It doesn't matter. You have to have it as a must-win situation. I'm not talking about the game [but] I'm talking about plays and those plays are scattered all over the game. We lost more of those plays than we should have."
Miami Dolphins Wide Receiver Mike Wallace
(Is this game tougher to deal with after going up 10-0 and then everything going south?)– "Yeah, we had the momentum. We had one drive that kind of stalled and they came back and ran a two-minute drill and went all the way down the field, and they kept the momentum for the whole, entire game after that. So, from the two-minute drill, when they got the ball and went 97, 98 yards to the end of the game, they had the momentum. We never got it back from that point."
(Offensively, what changed from that point, other than maybe pass protection issues?) –"Yeah, I don't know. I'm running down the field, playing; so it's kind of hard for me to … I'm not like you all, I'm not watching so I can't analyze the game like that, I'm playing football. I don't know; we lost the game; we gave up some sacks, like you said. We still had our chances to win the football game besides that. Like I said, they had the momentum the whole time, we never got it back. We got to some things better."
(How difficult is this one to swallow tonight, considering the ramifications of a loss?) –"Like you said, we know what it was: we had it in our hands again, you know, controlling our destiny and we need to leave it up to other people and try to win out."
