Head Coach John Harbaugh
Opening statement: "OK, good to see everybody – appreciate you guys being here. A couple of announcements: Chuck Jacobs and Terrence Magee have been added back to the practice squad. We've been playing a roster shuffle with different guys with all the different things that have been going on, so those guys are guys that we really feel strongly about. We love those guys. We think they have very good futures, and we're doing everything we can to hold on to some of our guys here as we shuffle the roster. As far as the schedule today, it's what we've been doing. Kevin [Byrne, senior vice president of public and community relations] said you guys might be interested in that. I don't know if you are, but it's what we've been doing on short weeks after Monday nights. We push everything back, so we have a little more time to game-plan. And then we tone the practice down, because we just played, and we're getting ready to play again quickly. We take some of the load off their legs. That's all I have."
How hot is it in here [the indoor practice facility]? Is it Miami hot in here? (Jamison Hensley)"Not yet. We're cranking [the heat] in that direction. We started cranking it last night, so it works its way up. But, you noticed?" (Reporter: "Yes!") "Everybody seems comfortable." (laughter) (Reporter: "Have the players noticed?") "Oh, yes. They mentioned it. Muggy, stuffy, hard to breathe – those are all the words that were used. I don't know if there's any science behind it, but it makes sense to me." (laughter)
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John, I don't know if you've heard this, but you officially became the winningest coach in franchise history passing Brian Billick. I know you're focused on … Is there a sense of accomplishment when you pass a milestone like that? (Jamison Hensley) "I'll think about that stuff at the end of the year. What I was happy with – with the win – was it was a win. I don't care which win it was – or what the number was on it – we needed a win. Those have been few and far between this year. But, for our guys to keep fighting the way they did, keep battling the way they did and to find a way to win a football game, which is the hardest thing to do, it seems like, in sports – to win a football game – I don't know. People may scoff at that, but when you're in this business – or you cover it the way you do – I think you realize how hard it is to win a football game. That was quite a game. We won a very exciting game, and I'm proud of it."
I want to ask you this with the caveat that a lot of fans … You guys have a chance to make it three-straight wins now, possibly four if the NFL didn't get things screwed up. There's a semblance of fans out there – that actually call themselves fans – that think it's better off that the Ravens don't win so you get a higher draft pick. Do you consider that – like many – to be a loser's mentality? (Jerry Coleman)"I wouldn't put a label on it, because you're good at that. (laughter) I like your labels, and I'll stick with whatever label you put on it. (laughter) *We're just trying to do our best. We're trying to win football games. These guys work hard, and I'm proud of them, and we're fighting like crazy. December football is when football matters, and we're relevant in December. That's what we needed to be. We came into November – we looked at where we were at – and we said, 'We have to win. We have to win them all.' The plan was to win four. And we won four, but we only got credit for three. *(laughter) That's OK. That means we have to win one more than we would've had to win in December. That's what I told the guys, and that's our plan."
*How satisfying is it to have the craziness at the end of a game go your way, which this year it hasn't? What is it like then coming back – even on a short week on a Wednesday – the mood, everybody getting ready for practice? (Pete Gilbert) *"I think you're right. It's great, but I will also say that these guys have been great all year regardless of the outcome of the game. That, to me, is to their credit – coaches and players. Our coaches have been absolutely phenomenal. Our [meetings] rooms have been positive no matter what. To me, that's the takeaway here, is that when you get knocked down or you go through adversity, it's how you come out of it. It's not what you go through; it's how you go through it. Our guys have done a great job of that, and I'm proud of them. Really, to me, that's what matters."
First career start for RB Javorius "Buck" Allen. What did you see out of him in that game? (Jamison Hensley) "I saw a really good running back. I thought he did a heck of a good job. I also thought Terrance West did a heck of a good job. Those guys acquitted themselves very well as National Football League running backs, and it was good to see. It's good for our team."
Special teams have played so well for you guys in the last recent games. What has been the key to that? Has it been practicing hard, guys buying into it? (Todd Karpovich) "We talked a little bit about it after the game. I think it starts with leadership. We have great leadership – Albert McClellan, Anthony Levine and others that do a phenomenal job, who have been here for a long time. Brynden Trawick is another name that comes right to mind, and there are others. It starts with those guys, and we have a great coach. [Special teams coordinator/associate head coach] Jerry Rosburg has been doing it a long time. He knows what he's doing. He leaves no stone unturned. He is demanding. They practice very hard, because he demands that they practice hard with attention to detail. That's the tough thing about … The crazy thing about special teams is that you're never happy. I had to remind [Jerry Rosburg] on the plane coming back that we did score two touchdowns on special teams, because he was telling me about the kickoff coverage and how that wasn't good enough, and how we missed a couple double-teams in the kick return. He was getting me all worked up about it, and I was ticked off! *(laughter) *And then I thought, 'We did score two touchdowns. It was a pretty good night.' So, [that is] the nature of special teams."
WR Jeremy Butler has gotten a few more reps and seen more action the last couple of weeks. How have you seen him take advantage of this opportunity? (Garrett Downing) "He has. He has done a good job. I really liked how hard he played. That was the thing. He's going to make more and more plays. He's a guy that can go up and get a ball. I want to see him even continue to play faster. He's capable of so much because of his ability. The thing I really liked was he was chasing down blocks. He was getting in position to block people, getting out in front of ball carriers, made a couple catches. I'd like to think he's on his way. We have high expectations for Jeremy."
The Dolphins get in that ace formation with the 12 personnel to spread you out a little bit. Last week, the Browns were able to do that with RB Duke Johnson Jr. Is that something that you're looking at this week with RB Lamar Miller and TE Jordan Cameron? (Turron Davenport) "It is a big concern. The Browns had two weeks to prepare for us, and I thought they did an excellent job of game-planning us. As you spoke of, [because of] the personnel groups that they put us in, we had our bigger people on the field. And because of some of their personnel – similar to what the Dolphins have – they were able to match us up in coverage and throw the ball early in the game. Our coaches did a great job. Dean [Pees] does a great job of game-planning and adjusting. Our secondary coach – Chris Hewitt – did a great job of adjusting our coverage and who was covering whom. We changed our personnel groups up completely at halftime. I thought we made tremendous halftime adjustments – credit to our coaches – and our players picked it up really quickly. For the most part in the second half, we pretty much shut all that down until we had a busted coverage at the end. I thought our coaches did a great job of that. To your point, yes, I would think Miami would try something similar to that."
Is it really challenging when you're coaching special teams and there's a lot of turnover on the back end? Jerry Rosburg talked about in the past building the roster from the back with the last couple spots for special teams. I think you had WR Daniel Brown on special teams recovering kickoffs and stuff. Does that make what you guys are doing even more impressive [given] the amount of shuffling there has been on the backend of the roster or how many guys you've had to use? (Jeff Zrebiec) "It has. We've always practiced really hard from OTAs through training camp on. We always try to create as many reps as we can for those young guys, because those are the guys that are going to be playing, and usually, they play first on special teams. We also believe that if you're not a good special teams player at some point in your career, it's pretty rare that you're a good football player. Almost all of our guys have come through the ranks on special teams here, now. It's expected. I would like to think that's why they play well when the opportunity comes."
What have you seen out of DT Timmy Jernigan as far as being a pass rusher and really helping out? (Jamison Hensley) "I saw pretty good pass rushes. Timmy is explosive. He's powerful. He's a good mix of power and explosion. Every week he's playing a little harder. He's really starting to get a feel for turning that motor up a notch every single week, and I think he can keep doing it. I think he has a couple more notches in him, as far as his energy level, because he's talented."
Do you like what you saw from QB Ryan Mallett in the tryout today? (Joe Platania) "No comment. It's something I don't think I'm allowed to comment on, but he was here working out. I guess that has been … I don't know if it has been confirmed or not. Now it has. We'll see where those things go as we move forward."
Coach, 11-straight games have been one score games. What kind of impact does that have on your players – especially some of the younger players – playing in so many close games? (Ryan Mink) "It's a great question. It's definitely something you consider. At what point in time as a young player do you realize – as we said before – how hard it is to win a game in this league? Maybe you come into a program like this as a young player, and you … There's certainly an expectation to win, but maybe you don't realize how much it takes to win a football game. I would definitely believe that through the course of the season, our young guys are being trained on what it takes to win a football game in the National Football League, and that's going to be a good thing going forward."
Can you talk about ILB Zach Orr as far as him developing as a linebacker this season? (Cliff Brown)"Zach is a guy who is playing more and more, as you know. He's very active. He's a very fast player. He adds a speed element to us. He puts one more fast guy on the field. That's why we like him out there. That's why he was out there in the second half in those packages. He's doing a good job."
John, do you have any update on QB Joe Flacco's situation? Is he still a little ways away from surgery? (Jeff Zrebiec) "I really don't know, to be honest with you. I just know that when the swelling is down, he's going to get the surgery." (Reporter: "There has been no…" ) "Nothing that I'm aware of."
Before the game, you talked about … You were complimenting the offensive line. It seemed like they played well, the young guys who stepped in. (Cliff Brown) "That's a great point. I think it was my dad or somebody that said across the board [with the offensive line], 'Free agent, sixth-round [draft pick], sixth round, third round [and a] Pro Bowler, sixth round,' with Rick [Wagner]. Fifth round with Rick?" (Reporter: "Yes.") "Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. For them to play like that, credit their work ethic. They're good players. Credit our scouts, and credit [offensive line coach] Juan Castillo for doing a great job of coaching those guys."
Coach, the Maryland Terrapins hired D.J. Durkin today who worked for your bother. Any words about it? Do you know him? (Jerry Coleman)"I know D.J. really well. We go way back. D.J. worked with Greg Mattison at Notre Dame when he first started as a GA [graduate assistant]. He played at Bowling Green. He might have played for Urban Meyer at Bowling Green, maybe. He worked for Jim [Harbaugh] at Stanford, and then came back [to work for Jim] at Michigan. He took a pit stop at Florida. [He is] good friends with [cornerbacks coach] Matt Weiss – one of the coaches on our staff. I think it's a great hire by Maryland. He's tough. He's hard-nosed. He believes in playing great defense. He's a heck of a recruiter. We've always been close to Maryland football here. I thought Randy Edsall did a great job. That's the tough part about this business. I don't know if it's appropriate to … Kevin [Byrne] is over there wincing probably right now (laughter), but I saw … When that went down, I was surprised. I was really shocked, because I thought Randy was doing a great job. But, D.J. Durkin is special, and he's going to do a great job. That's a heck of a program. Going to that game down there and seeing the stadium and the energy, it has a chance to be great."
RB Javorius "Buck" Allen
On his first NFL start:"It felt great – a great environment to get a win, a win with my team. It felt great, and like I said, you never know. You've got to play down to the last second. Anything can happen."
On his touchdown dance honoring a friend of his who passed away:"I grew up with this guy named Mike Williams. [We] played Pop Warner – probably started the age of eight. I knew him my whole life. He has five brothers, and it's a Florida dance. It's called a 'whoop,' and it's something he was the best at. He was the one that always did it. And, as a matter of fact, on my way to the stadium, I was talking to two of his brothers, and they were like, 'When you get a touchdown, what are you going to do?' There's a little 'dab' going around. I was like, 'No, I'm not going to do the dab. I'm going to do Mike's dance.' They were like, 'No you're not.' I was like, 'Yes, I got you.' So, God blessed me to get into the end zone, and that's what I did. And I know he's up there looking down and smiling and proud. It hurt. That's like one of my sidekicks, and for me to go out there, to see a smile on his brothers' faces, it really made my night." (Reporter: "And how long ago did he pass?") *"This probably happened like three weeks ago. He was driving a four-wheeler and hit a church sign – broke every bone in his body." *(Reporter: "Did you hear anything back from the brothers?") *"Yes, they called me after I talked to them, and they were just excited. [They were] like, 'Man, you did it. You're a man of your word.' So, it was great to see a smile on their face." *(Reporter: "Now, the big question: How many times did you practice?") *"I didn't. I did the dance growing up, and I didn't really need to practice; I just needed to get in the end zone." *(laughter) (Reporter: "You never did it with cleats on before?") *"No, I haven't." *(laughter)
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On reserve players stepping up for injured starters:"[Running backs] coach [Thomas] Hammock, he believes in us. He believes in the guys he has in the room; that's why we're in that room. So, I don't think he ever panicked or was like, 'What are we going to do?' He prepared me for this moment during OTAs and during camp, and I knew my time was going to come. When it comes, I've just got to take full advantage of it and be ready."
On being a good cut-back runner and taking advantage of that skill against the Dolphins:"Most definitely. Whatever the game plan is, the run game plan, that's what we're going to go with, and that's a great defense over there. You've got [Ndamukong] Suh, and those guys do a great job of pushing up field. And whatever the plan that coaches [have] this week, I'm going to go with it, execute to the best of my abilities and go from there. It's going to be home for me, the state of Florida. I haven't been home in a while. So, it'll be great to have a couple family members come down."
On USC hiring Clay Helton as head football coach:"Perfect. I feel like they didn't hire a big name, nobody else. Honestly, I felt like they should've have given it to him, and that was a great move they did. Coach Clay Helton is a great guy. He was there when [Lane] Kiffin got fired and Coach 'O' [Ed Orgeron] took over, and [he is] a great guy. I'm happy for him. I know he's going to do big things. He knows the guys. He has been there with the guys that have come in, so I'm excited – can't wait until they play Saturday."
OLB Elvis Dumervil
On if he can take anything away from the games they have played in Miami over the last few years:"It's got to be a record; I've never played a team three years straight at their house. But it's the hometown for me, so I like it. They've got good players, a talented quarterback. It's the NFL; it's always going to be a challenge. [They have] really big, talented offensive linemen. So, we've got to make sure we can recover, get our legs back and get ready for a good game this Sunday."
On having success in getting to QB Ryan Tannehill in the past:"Every year there is new personnel, new coaching staff, guys get better in the offseason, so you've got to try to learn what you can learn from the past. But then, you've got to move forward and try to study the past few games. They create some difficulties; they've got some skill players, explosive running backs, some talented receivers. They've got a lot of talent. We've just got to make sure up front we can disrupt the game as much as possible."
On what he's seen from WR Kamar Aiken this season:"It's crazy. I've known Kamar since middle school. Like you said, me and his brother did go to high school together, and I knew him as, 'Papi.' That's his nickname; a lot of people don't know that. If you see him, call him, 'Papi.' *(laughter) *I'm not surprised. He works extremely hard, he's a pro off the field, he takes care of his body, he knows what it takes to be a pro, and I think he's maximizing an opportunity that he has. I'm happy for him. He's going out there and being productive for the team."
On how satisfying it is for a game to end in their favor like it did on Monday, and if that helps when it's time to go back to work:"I think we're headed in the right direction. Satisfying? I don't think we're satisfied yet. But I think we are headed in the right direction. There's a lot of room to grow. We're still 4-7, so we still need to keep things in perspective and continue to try to stack wins, and that's our goal."
QB Matt Schaub
On his mindset during Baltimore's long drive following his first interception against Cleveland:"That's what you've got to do, whether it was an interception that they returned for a touchdown or we throw an 80-yard touchdown pass. You've got to move on to the next play, and that's what I did mentally, and that's what our team did. Fortunately, we were able to put together a great drive and answer that score with a score of our own. It just says a lot about the mindset of our huddle and where we're at as a football team."
On WR Jeremy Butler:"A playmaker. I see 'J.B.' – he has made a ton of plays for us, and we've seen it in practice. I've seen it all offseason through training camp. He was in my huddle a lot with the 'twos,' so [I have] a lot of confidence in him. [He has] very crisp route running and has a knack for getting open at the moment that the ball is going to be delivered. [I have] a lot of confidence in his ability to make some plays." *(Reporter: "Do you already have a little bit of a rapport with him? You've worked with him more than, I guess, Joe [Flacco] had.") *"Yes, I would say I definitely have had more throws to him over the course of the offseason, OTAs, training camp than Joe had. We kind of have a bond and a connection there a little bit."
On watching the film after his first start in two years:"There were a lot of positives to gain and draw from, like anything. Even if I had been playing this whole time, there are always things to clean up. We're going to pick a couple things out and just work on those this week and just be a little cleaner and a little crisper with some of the reads. I like where we're at, but definitely a positive start."
On how it felt to return to a starting role:"It felt good. It was good to get back out there and get in the huddle. It has been a little while, but it was nice to be out there."
On the reserve offensive linemen stepping up in the absence of multiple starters:"Yes, exactly. That's the nature of this league, and especially this time of year; you're going to have injuries. You're going to face things, and guys have to be prepared when they get in there; and we've had to face that more than most teams. Those guys up front have just stepped up and been a huge part of our successes, and – just as soon as the last game on Monday night, two days ago – they did a heck of a job. That's a good front that we faced, a good pass rush, and I didn't get touched other than when I ran the ball. So, it was a great effort by them, and it just shows a lot about their character and how they go to work every day."
On his confidence in WR Kamar Aiken and Aiken's growth from a practice squad player to a No. 1 receiver:"It definitely shows that all the hard work pays off. All these years, he has just kept coming to practice, kept coming to work and just continuing to strive to do the best that he can and be perfect on his routes and understand what the quarterback is thinking, coverages and his subtle route adjustment. Kamar does run crisp routes, and he doesn't confuse the quarterback with his breaks, and he has shown the ability to have strong hands and go attack the football and not wait on the football. You've got to love that as quarterback."
On playing in Miami and striking first against the Dolphins:"Like any game, you want to go out, and you want to start fast, no matter who you're playing. But on the road, down there in that environment, we want to go out and establish ourselves early, of course, and that goes without saying. But no matter who we're playing or what they're going through, it's about us, and we've got to focus on our football and handling our business."
On the importance of committing to the running game:"In any game, we want to try to establish the run, and it sets up so many things for us in our play-action stuff, and it keeps the defense off balance. It's when we're at our best. You don't want to be one-dimensional, and whether you're playing a team that defends the run well or doesn't, you still want and establish that. Because you never know how the game is going to flow, and you want to maintain control of the line of scrimmage."
On what he saw from his two interceptions in the Cleveland game when he watched film:"I just rushed the first one, the one that went for the [touchdown]; I tried to force that one and rushed it into the first window. I probably should have waited for Kamar [Aiken] to get behind that linebacker or just thrown it away and just punted for the next down. The other one, late in the game, probably just one I should eat there, too. [I was] trying to make a play, trying to get us down the field – just things that we can learn from."
On if he was able to enjoy the win against the Browns:"Yes, I enjoy it. Anytime you can win in this league, no matter how it goes, you're going to enjoy it, and I did. But at the same time, I strive to be perfect. I strive to play at a very high level whenever I'm out there, and I didn't play up to my standards and my expectations, so I have to be better. But that's just how I approach it, and I always have. But I sure as heck enjoyed that flight home with my teammates."
On how his team rallied around him:"You've got to have each other's back, whether you're an offensive player – and a play like that happens and they score – and the defense has to pick you up. Look, our special teams scored two touchdowns for us. That's huge for us. So, they definitely had my back and picked me up on that blocked field goal. Absolutely."
CB/RS Lardarius Webb
On how he has seen CB Shareece Wright improve over the last few weeks:"To me, Shareece has been playing good ever since he got here. His first game playing, he gave up a deep ball or something. I mean, it happens to corners, but you can't kind of describe him because he gave up one deep ball. I think all of us, at one point in time, gave up a deep ball this year. So, to me, he's playing awesome. We needed that third corner to come in that can play some coverage, a guy that can play some man-to-man, and he's been doing an awesome job at it."
On if he enjoys playing the deep safety position when they plug him in there:"Yes, it kind of brings me back to my college days. But I enjoy it. I kind of just enjoy anything that can help my defense out; move me around, make it more fun."
On what it is like to catch a P Sam Koch punt in practice:"He gets me prepared, because he kicks all types of balls – knuckleballs, end over. He gets me prepared for whenever we play the other guys, because I don't think they've got as many balls as Sam has."
On if he's ever seen those kinds of kicks from other punters: "No, actually, I don't. Just this last week, the guy gave me one – it was a high one – and I kind of let it drop. Bad decision by me. But it moved at the last minute, so I figured I'd rather them get the ball on the 1 than turn the ball over."
On if that's the best play sometimes:"Just get out of the way. It was a bad decision, but I had to get it done."
On how quickly he figured out that you have to contribute on special teams to play for the Ravens:"Oh, the day you get in. For us, you have to go out and show that you can play special teams before we put you on any [other] phase on this field. A lot of guys got their opportunity after they made big plays on special teams. Asa Jackson, this year for an example, he blocked two kicks this year and we found a way for him to play on defense. That's just how it works. If you ball on special teams – which [head coach John] Harbaugh, he loves those guys – and if you make plays for him, he'll find a way for you to play on the field."
MIAMI DOLPHINS CONFERENCE CALL TRANSCRIPTS
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Interim Head Coach Dan Campbell
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(On naming Zac Taylor the play caller and not the offensive coordinator and if there's a reason for that and if this will be offensive coordinator by committee) --"No, I mean like I said to build this game plan we all had input. The staff had input. I had input. Certainly Zac did. That's just the way that I wanted to make it at this time."
*(On if there will be more voices in the game plan) --- *"That's exactly right. Everybody's got an area."
*(And if that includes QB Ryan Tannehill) -- *"Ryan's (Tannehill) got influence as well."
(On the decision to involve QB Ryan Tannehill more) --"Well we just pulled him in and told him that I want him to come in on Monday's and whatever ideas he has, let's talk about them. We'll clean it up on Tuesday's, which we did and so he's certainly, he's got ownership in it as well."
(On what his thinking was on involving QB Ryan Tannehill on the game planning process) --"I think it's like anything else - if you have an idea and you're willing to stand up on the table for it then you're going to do everything it takes to make it work "
(On Zac Taylor saying that being able to audible was under discussion and if that has been decided) --"There's, of course, there's things that we're going to be able to do, that we are going to do. We're not going to live in that world but we have a few plays where Ryan's (Tannehill) going to have the luxury to get us to the best option available."
(On a little more latitude) --"A little more. Yep."
(On if this idea is revolutionary to have QB Ryan Tannehill and all the different voices involved in formulating the gameplan and why is he doing that) --"No, I don't think that's different. I just, I'm a big, I'm a big believer in it. I just think, I'm a big believer that your quarterback, you know, should have so influence on what he likes, doesn't like. Influence on a game plan and you know with that you just got to make sure that it doesn't go too far and then you clutter his head with a bunch of things that slows him down. That's all."
(On how much input if any that Ryan Tannehill had before) -- "Well, he had input. He had influence. Certainly Bill (Lazor) worked with him on that, but I would say it's a little bit more freedom now than what he's had.
(On finalizing lineup changes) --"I would say right now Bobby McCain is competing opposite of Brent Grimes at corner."
(On CB Brent Grimes struggling on Sunday and giving pause for having shadow the best receiver on the team) --"I mean we've looked at everything and certainly those things have come up and we have a lot of confidence in Brent (Grimes), and I think we would be willing to change things up a little bit. That doesn't mean that it would be entirely keeping him from shadowing the players, a team's best receiver, but it may not be as much. Maybe we'd mix it in more."
(On S Walt Aikens not playing from scrimmage and seeing S Shamiel Gary in there and if there's been a change) --"Well first of all Walt (Aikens) has been really good for us on special teams. I mean he's one of our best special teams players. He's a four-core guy and that is absolutely one of his strengths for this team and we just felt like we wanted to take a look at Shamiel (Gary) at the safety position. Obviously Mike Thomas is taking most of those reps now but we want to see Shamiel (Gary) looked like."
(On the effectiveness of DE Olivier Vernon's speed to bull) --"Yeah, I mean well you can see it on tape. The thing about OV (Olivier Vernon) is he's already got, he has a quick first step and he's got great leverage, which helps him do that. But he really has, he has more than just one move. He has the bull. He has speed. He has a spin. When you have all those things and you've got leverage with it, a little bit like (Dwight) Freeney it's tough. Especially you have those big old long tackles, cause that's really sometimes the way to neutralize those guys. You get under those long arms and you're able to move themm. He's playing good football for us right now."
(On if WR DeVante Parker is ready to step up and handle that heavier work load) --"He's going to have to. I think it's irrelevant whether he's ready or not. He's going to have to. I mean it's time for him to step up and take on a bigger role. He's competing right now obviously to play more. He's certainly going to play, I don't want to say he's going to play more than he did last week. I mean he got a lot of reps now. But he's going to, he'll carry a load. I mean we're going to, this will be two weeks in a row we should see a nice, I don't know what I'm looking for, a nice amount of plays out of this kid. You know."
(On how he would evaluate how WR DeVante Parker performed against the Jets) --"I thought he was shaky early in the game, middle of the game. There are some plays that you would like to see his routes be much more sharp then they were. He needs to reach out for the ball and use his size. But as the game went on he got more comfortable and he's adjusted pretty well to the speed of the game, as it went which is pretty good for adjusting in the game of the speed of the game and you know and you saw what he did there at the end. You know he made a play on the play and got it into the endzone. So I would suspect now that he's feeling pretty good and he got a full dose in a game, NFL live game, that I think we're going to see a better DeVante Parker this week as well."
(On how he would value CB Brent Grimes work as work as a punt returner against the Jets and if they should expect to see him do that again) --"Yeah, I would say it was solid. For (Brent) Grimes he hasn't, you know hadn't, shoot I don't know the last time he's taken one in the game. It wasn't here that I can think of. Maybe it was but you know so he's a guy that will only get better too. I mean he did a good job for us. But I would say we're probably, you're still going to see some of him. Certainly Jarvis Landry is always an option and we'll use him when we feel like the times right. But Jarvis is a little beat up, so we just want to be smart about it too."
(On if Bobby McCain has a good week of practice he will be the starter) – "Yes."
(On the impact of Mike Pouncey and Ja'Wuan James being out with injuries and Branden Albert missing practice today) –"B.A. (Branden Albert) this is just a rest day for him, we're just trying to be smart, we did that last week with him and then Pouncey yes, it's bit alarming however, from yesterday to today it's gotten better and better and I'm feeling a lot better, hopefully we can get out there tomorrow with and him and he'll be able to take some reps and we'll see where he's at, but Pouncey's day to day, but I don't know, I'm a lot more optimistic that we're going to have him."
(On how easy or tough it is for Ryan Tannehill to come to him and talk about his level of involvement) "I would hope it should be pretty easy. I made it very clear that if you have anything please come see me and let's talk about and then we meet, we meet twice a week anyway so, he knows that I'm very open to any suggestions he has. I mean my only thing is and he does a great job with this, listen Ryan's (Tannehill) a smart guy and this would go for any player for that matter, if you have something that you really believe in or you really like, you better have the whole thing done, don't just come in 'hey I want to run a five pump with a stop then a double move and then to the post' cause I don't know how we're going to block that, but show me how you want to protect that then we'll go from there. But he knows, he understands his protection and route concepts and how everything fits so, I'm open to that."
(On the injury situation with the defensive tackle position)– "Listen, it's not ideal, I mean we lost, first of all it's heartbreaking to do what we did with C.J. Mosley because we could've theoretically, possibly had him back in three weeks or something, but it's hard, we're light on the roster, you got to take it from somewhere and especially when you lose it all in one spot so, to have him and then Earl (Mitchell) who's been a really consistent player for us and he plays harder than anyone we've got or as hard as anyone on this team. I mean having those two guys down hurts so, we did bring (Deandre) Coleman back, he's been here before, he's been on our practice squad. He has a chance to possibly go late in the week we'll see what happens and then we signed (Robert) Thomas. He was out there today, got a full load in the nice Miami weather in December, but they both looked good today. They're going to get plenty of reps and hey, next in line."
(On if Jordan Phillips is ready for a starter's workload) – Yeah, I would say so. I mean he's another one I would say we'll find out, he's like DeVante Parker whether he's ready or not it's time, but however I will say this about Jordan Phillips, to me he's gotten better and better, I told him today that I felt like he had gotten better, then he had kind of plateaued and now he's beginning to get better again so, he's pushing through that rookie wall so, I suspect that he'll do a nice job for us. He's going to get more reps and I think he'll do a good job for us."
(On Robert Thomas) – "He's built like a big concrete slab. I went over there to say hi to him and I kind of popped him on the shoulder and he didn't move at all, anyway he's stout. He was very active today, he's a guy we feel like can get in there and battle, play a little of the one technique for us. I mean they'll have to play both three technique and one technique, but he's a guy that I think will go in there and help us plug the run a little bit."
(On the difficulty of finding mismatches to exploit on offense)– "It depends, I mean sometimes it can be depending on what you're trying to do formation wise and personnel group wise. You got to be careful, if you do a ton of that then you may have to create, I don't know if formations is the right word, if you put in a lot of new things to where guys got to go to new spots and that means somebody else has got to go to this spot and somebody else has got to go to that and you got to be careful where you may be getting the matchups, now you're cluttering everybody's head and they have to remember a lot of new things, but just talking about that, that is to me the most important, finding a way to get your guys in the best position to win however that plays out, so there is a little bit of a balance, but I'm a believer in that."
(On if playing Brice McCain in the slot makes him worry about the overall size of the cornerbacks on the field) – "No, I mean certainly size would always bother you a little bit or at least just make you think about it, but I'll say this, (Brent) Grimes has been a really good corner for us for a long time and he still is; Brice McCain and Bobby McCain are both pretty gritty guys, that's what gives me encouragement, makes me feel good is I think they'll go in there and compete. I don't care if they're big guys or not, I think they're going to work them a little bit at the line which is what we're looking for."
(On DE Quinton Coples' performance in his first game as a Dolphin) – "Did a solid job; went in there and helped us. He had some production, I think he had 19 plays and he had solid production for those 19. He had a couple of tackles, he caused a penalty and he did a nice job."
(On running the ball against the Ravens) – "It's tough, it's tough especially when you keep them in base defense and they're big long guys, similar to what we just faced in New York; they're big two gappers. They're long, they're strong and you have to have creative ways to move the ball, but you also have to have other answers that kind of help or compliment your run game that can be counted on as runs you know so, we'll find ways to attack them. We have some pretty good stuff."
(On if it awkward having Al Saunders here without Bill Lazor) – "No, it's not been awkward. Certainly whenever a move like this is made, and it's not just Al, it's hard, it's hard on the rest of the staff, it's hard on a lot of people and so, Al's no different than that. I mean of course it didn't feel good, but Al's also, I mean he told me from day one, 'hey man I'm here, I'm here to win I'm here to help you anyway that I can' and he's going to continue to serve in the role he's been which is he sees everything, he helps on everything. He has great ideas and he's got a wealth of experience, knowledge and he's a pro that's why he's done it as long as he has and been as good as he's been."
WR Jarvis Landry
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(On what he sees of Baltimore's secondary on film) –"Obviously you see a group of veteran guys. Guys that have definitely made plays, guys that have consistently made plays and guys that look like to be still having production. I have a lot of respect for those guys; just the way they competed and make plays on the ball is something that you don't expect any less of from a Ravens defense."
(On if the change in play-callers has been a wakeup call to the offense) -- "It's always tough when you lose a coach, but at the same time (Interim Head) Coach (Dan) Campbell felt it was the best decision moving forward. I think with (Quarterbacks Coach) Zac (Taylor) taking over, we still are going to have an opportunity to continue to make plays. But at the same time it's up to the players to execute. You can't put everything on the coaches."
(On what he feels is the biggest thing holding the offense back) –"It's a little bit of everything and everybody has their own piece of it for sure, absolutely. The key things are definitely turnovers and penalties, I think that has held us back thus far. But minus that, if we find ways to eliminate that then I think we can be an explosive offense."
(On what is behind their third down struggles) –"A lot of it has been penalties. Not only has it been penalties, we've been down in a lot of those games. Teams have been pinning their ears back, just dropping eight in third-and-long situations. We've got to find a way to get it to third-and-manageable, third-and-short and have the option to make the defense play to us instead of us playing to them."
(On the level of motivation among the players in the locker room) –"Guys are definitely motivated, this is what we do. But I think at the same time when you struggle, then there's definitely difficulties. But I think Coach Campbell and the staff does a great job of keeping us motivated, keeping the intensity level of practice high and always allowing us to compete against each other. One game here it will pay off."
(On if there is something from last year's game against Baltimore that they want to change) –"We've just got to finish. We've got to find a way to finish. We've got to find a way to continue to make plays, they make plays against us obviously, we had our fair share of plays that we made and fair share of plays that we didn't make. We've got to find a way to make those plays in big time situations."
(On how having an athletic quarterback can help the offense) –"It means a lot. Like you said, Zac and (QB) Ryan (Tannehill) have been together for a while, basically Ryan's whole career. I think that's definitely a confidence boost as far as the communication level between those two and from them to us as receivers and as an offense. Having a mobile quarterback, it allows the offense to be that much more expanded with him having the opportunity to be able to run, to extend plays and also be able to leave the pocket and find guys down field on scramble drills."
(On the strengths and weaknesses of Baltimore's defense) –"I think they're a great defense overall, I think their front seven does a great job for them. But I think we have our challenges and we're just trying to find the best matchups possible to have effective plays. I think Zac will put us in a position to do so."
