Transcript of Miami's Joe Philbin and Ryan Tannehill with Jets reporters on Wednesday:
DOLPHINS HEAD COACH JOE PHILBIN
On Ryan Tannehill's improved accuracy since Week 3...
Number one, I think mostly decision-making. I think that's been better and improved. I think our protection overall has been better. I think he's got a better feel for the guys on the ball club, the receivers and tight ends and backs in terms of, maybe, anticipation, where they're going to be, what adjustments they make based on a particular coverage. Hopefully, he's just getting more comfortable out there in a ballgame and the system. I think that he's just throwing the ball a little more accurately.
On Mark Sanchez's performance...
I think he's playing well. He's a productive guy. We think his awareness in the pocket is excellent. It appears that he's glad to have No. 81 [Dustin Keller] back. That certainly seems to be evident when you watch their tape. We think he's distributing the ball pretty well.
On the impact of Dustin Keller since he's been back...
He gives you problems. They do a great job with him formationally. They don't line him up in the same spot as you guys know. They move him around. He's got versatility. He's a very athletic player and I remember evaluating when he came out as a college player. The guy's, he's a threat, he's a weapon and they do a nice job with him.
On Tannehill's improvement in the passing game and if it will help the run more...
Well, you would hope so. Common sense would tell you that's the case, but as you guys know, we haven't been very effective running the ball the last couple of weeks and we've got to get our running game back on track. It's an important part of what we are and what we do. Our run defense and our ability to run the ball on offense, those are kind of corps principles of the program. Frankly, we've been struggling the last couple of weeks. We've got to get ourselves back on track in the running game. You would think that with the success we had the first three weeks that we'd be able to sustain some level of it. But we've struggled as of late.
On if he thinks there was an intent to hurt Reggie Bush in the first game and if he talked to him about his comments about Darrelle Revis...
I don't know that there's been any intent. I watched the film of the game. I was at the game. I think the guys played hard on both sides of the ball and the Jets made enough plays. They deserved to win the game. Beyond that, we're just getting ready to play this game. We expect it to be a tough game, a physical game. But beyond that, we're just focused on traveling up there and seeing we can win a division game on the road.
On how close Bush is to being 100 percent...
I think he's ready to roll. I think he's fine.
On if the players feel like they let one slip away in the last meeting and if they feel this game is an opportunity to get one back...
Not really, not yet. We haven't really talked about that. We had a bye week, we came back to work Monday morning and we practiced. [We] just finished up practice here a little bit ago. Again, we're at the stage, we've had six weeks. We're going into the seventh game of the season. It's a division game. It's a road game. We've got to show dramatic improvement if we're going to win on the road in the division. Really, we're more focused on that than we are what happened a month ago.
On if the team looks around at the AFC standings and the fact that no one is really running away with it...
No, we haven't talked about the standings. I haven't put it up one time. I haven't talked about where we rank with other guys. Again, this is our first year here. We're trying to establish a manner in which we're going to prepare for every single game and how we're going to go about our business. I don't know that October, late-October is the time to start talking about that stuff.
On if seeing Tim Tebow run a fake punt helps them be prepared for that in this game...
What a great job. Obviously, that was a big play in the ballgame and they executed the play very well. You have to be prepared. They're very creative with [Mike] Westhoff and Coach [Rex] Ryan, they do a great job in special teams and we're going to have to be more aware than we were the last time. Tim Tebow's a versatile football player. He gives you a lot of flexibility to run the ball. Obviously, they've had success faking and throwing the ball. That's a big challenge. Special teams, I think, is going to be a key element in the outcome of the game.
On how difficult it is of a decision to leave your defense out on the field for the punt return game...
As you just mentioned, it's kind of risk-reward. You've got to make the best decision that you possibly can… Again, there's a, not unlike any other situation, there's kind of a risk-reward factor out there. As I mentioned, they've done an excellent job with their punt team and they've presented a lot of challenges formationally. They do a lot of different things. They execute very well. You've got to kind of play the percentages, play the odds and field position, examine distance and then make the best decision for your team. Certainly, it adds a new dimension. There's no doubt about it.
On Cameron Wake's success rushing the passer the last few weeks...
It's been fun to watch. The big thing that we really…is impressive when you watch him on tape is the energy that he puts forth really on a consistent basis, whether it's run or pass. As you guys know, most d-linemen are going to get noticed by their sack totals. We've been impressed with the way he's played against the run. We've liked the pursuit that he displays on every single play. He plays with a level of toughness that some elite pass rushers might not always display. It's been fun watching him. When a guy works as hard as he does, you're happy to see him have success.
DOLPHINS QB RYAN TANNEHILL
On what's different about the Jets this time around...
They're playing a little bit more zone coverage now. I think that's expected, losing a great player like [Darrelle] Revis. Still have good players in the secondary, but they change things a little bit more with more zone coverage.
On if there's more opportunities to pass the ball without Darrelle Revis in the Jets secondary...
We want to be a balanced team no matter who we're playing. We want to be able to establish the run game and then use that to open up passing lanes. We still want to be a balanced team and whatever the game brings to us, that's what we'll end up doing.
On his progress...
I feel more confident. I think that myself, as our offense, we've gotten better every week. Haven't been perfect. We've learned and gotten better every week. Just small things that have gotten cleaner throughout the time that we've been together. The last six weeks have been huge for us an offense and as a team, just learning from our mistakes and moving forward.
On head coach Joe Philbin saying he wants the team to get back to running the ball more...
Like I said earlier, we want to be balanced. I think the last couple games have been tough. We haven't been able to run the ball like we want to. Last time we played the Jets, we were fortunate to get some good runs and establish a run game. Since then, we've had some tough games on the ground. That's kind of our identity. We want to be a balanced team. We want to be able to run the ball and we expect them to do things to try to stop the run. It's just a battle of who can execute better.
On how he took Rex Ryan's comments about Reggie Bush during the last meeting and if that's something being talked about in the locker room...
It got brought up last time we played them, but I didn't think a whole lot of it. It was just a guy talking. Everyone is entitled to say whatever they want. Wasn't too crazy or anything like that.
On how important this game is and if he feels fully prepared for Sunday...
Yes, I think we're off to a good start. Are we fully prepared yet? I don't think so. We have three or four more days to prepare, so [we] want to continue getting our game plan nailed down and cleaning up things that we need to fix. It's a big game for us. It's a division game on the road. If you include the preseason, we're halfway through the season. [We've] got a stretch of games coming up that we need to win and this is just the start of it.
On if he's been watching Texas A&M in the SEC this year...
Yes, every time I can. We don't always get the channels in the hotels we stay in, but every chance I can I try to watch.
On if he's jealous not being there this year and playing in the SEC...
Well, I'm happy I'm at where I'm at, but I think it would have been fun. Just going to the places in the SEC, playing against those teams, yes, it would have been fun.
On Brian Hartline's strengths and his comfort level with him...
I think we've gotten more comfortable the more reps we get. I think missing training camp, missing the offseason really hurt just our timing and chemistry together. Then once he got back, first week of the season, everything's kind of built form there. Just try to get more comfortable every rep we take and I think we've done that. He has a great knack for getting open. He knows subtle things that he can do to get open. He understands the concepts that we're trying to use. I just think his understanding of the play as a whole really helps him out.
On if the team has talked about possible weather concerns in Miami and if it will affect travel plans...
We haven't even talked about it. It's been windy here the past couple of days, but other than that, we haven't talked about it so far.
On if he liked the move for Texas A&M to go to the SEC...
I don't know. I think that everything happens for a reason. Everyone had their reasons for wanting to move to the SEC. I would have like to been able to still play Texas, just being the history of the rivalry there. That part I didn't really love, but I think it's a good move for the school and not only in football, but in the other sports. It's a great league, it's competitive and has some of the best teams in the country. If you take a step back and look at it on the whole, I think it was a good move.
On if it has helped him being a rookie and having a first-time head coach as well as a young receiving corps in terms of growing together...
I have no idea. I've never even thought about that point honestly. I just go out and try to learn from all of the mistakes that I've made. I think that Coach Philbin does the same thing. He's always talking about practicing like you want to play, using the reps in practice to put yourself in game-like situations and I think he does that as well, whether we're doing a two-minute drill, when to use timeouts, four-minute. Any situation that we do in practice, I think he puts himself in a game-like situation and tries to learn from every rep. Whether he's a first-year coach, a second-year coach, 10-year coach, I don't know if that really matters to my development.
On how much of a transition it is to grasp the playbook from college to the NFL...
Well, the foundation was the same. We have brought in a lot of new things form Green Bay and then adjusted a lot of different things since I've been here. But the foundation of it is the same. A lot of different names and subtle changes, but if you take the concepts and look back, a lot of it's the same as it is through any West Coast offense. I think that really helped ease my transition in.
On how different the Jets look since the last time the teams faced each other...
Like I said earlier, it's the same guys minus one guy. They're playing more zone coverage now, which is the biggest major change, but they still throw exotic blitzes at you. They'll play man, they still play a lot of man, just not quite as much as they did previously.
On how different the Dolphins are since the last time the teams met...
I think we've grown up a lot. I think that the tough Jets loss in overtime and then going out to Arizona and losing in overtime, we really learned that no matter what happens throughout the game, if you're in a place to win at the end, you've got to find a way to win, make that play. Somebody's got to step up and make that play to win the game. If you go back and look at the last two weeks, Cincinnati and St. Louis, we made those plays. We've found a way to make those plays at the end and come out on top.
On why his completion percentage has improved so much recently...
I think just taking what I'm given and not trying to force things down field. Being able to still take shots when guys are open and you want to give guys a chance down field, but not having to force things and being able to check the ball down and get eight-10 yards just on a check down, I think that's been the biggest growth.
On if he's thrown more check downs recently...
I think maybe a little bit. I wouldn't say that it's been a focus, but maybe instead of throwing a ball away down field, just being able to look to your check downs and I think that plays a big part in it.
On preparing for the Jets without Revis and how much that changes preparation this time around...
Like I said several times, it's just a little bit more zone coverage. They still play man. They still throw the exotic blitzes at you. But it's the same team minus one guy. Have things changed a little bit? Yes, but they still do a lot of the same things.
