Well here is the 12-3 transcript and I'm listening to it
LOCKER ROOM QUOTES FROM WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3
QB JAY FIEDLER
(On the challenges presented by the Patriots) – “We’re going to face a lot of challenges. This is a very good football team that we’re facing this week, one that finds a way to win, no matter how it happens. They’ve done it on special teams, they’ve done it with offense and they’ve done it with defense. We’re going to have to do the same. We’re going to have to find a way to win this game, whatever it takes.â€Â
(On if he was surprised the way the Patriots stopped the Colts on the goal-to-go situation in the fourth quarter last week) – “That’s the thing that they’ve been doing. They’ve been making the big plays when needed. They’ve made the stops on defense and they’ve made the big plays on offense when they have to make plays. We’ve got to go out there and stop them in those situations and make those plays ourselves.â€Â
(On if he watched the Patriots-Colts game last week) – “I was listening to some of it on the radio… I was definitely rooting the Colts on. Either way, we’re going to have to go up and win this game, no matter what happened last week with the Patriots. Whether they won or lost, it’s a game that we have to go up and win to grab a chance at winning this division.â€Â
(On if he still has a bitter taste in his mouth from then Dolphins’ loss at New England last year) – “I don’t know if that’s in our mind right now. There’s a more recent loss to them that’s probably more in our minds, one that we’ve been watching some film of to learn from. That’s another game that we could have gone out and won, and had chances to win that game. It was a game they took advantage of and were able to make those plays.â€Â
(On the thoughts he had when he was walking off the field after the loss at New England last year) – “To be honest, I don’t even recall my thoughts back then. Right now I’m focused on going up there and getting a win this year. This is the one that counts, not what happened last year.â€Â
(On winning the AFC Offensive Player of the Week Award and what it means to him) – “It was a nice honor to get. It’s one that I definitely share with my teammates. It was a complete game on offense and I just reaped the rewards of a great showing by 11 guys across the board.â€Â
(On if the award means even more to him considering his path to the NFL and that he was out of the league for two years, 1996-97) – “It means a lot to me just to be here, like you said. To have that chance a few years ago to get back into the league and work my way up to become a starter, it’s not something I take for granted. It’s something that I work every day to be the best quarterback I can be.â€Â
(On if he feels the Dolphins are a better team now than when they faced the Patriots the last time) – “I think it’s a more complete team, a more confident team right now. We’re going in feeling pretty good about ourselves. We’re rested from the game, physically - we’ve had ten days. We’ll be ready to go up there and play a physical battle, which it always is against New England. Like I said, we were coming off the ball, we were playing aggressive, we were making plays offensively and we were making plays defensively (against Dallas). That’s something we need to continue this week.â€Â
(On if some of the struggles of the offense have been worked out over the past five quarters) – “I think the biggest thing is we’re just making those plays that we just missed early on in the year. One of the reasons is that our offensive line has played a heck of a lot better over the last couple of weeks. They’ve given me a lot better protection to stand in the pocket, especially last week against Dallas. They’ve opened up better holes for Ricky (Williams). They’re playing as well as they’ve played all year, and it’s translating into a solid offensive effort.â€Â
(On if he said something to the offensive line about not opening holes or protecting for the quarterback) – “I didn’t say anything specifically to them about that. I’ve always encouraged them. I’ve always told them that I have confidence in them. I think they’ve just taken it upon themselves to get better, to get the continuity that they needed to get the teamwork. A lot of times you move guys in and out, guys get hurt and it makes it difficult. Guys started off the year coming off injuries and it made it difficult early on. Now they’ve gelled pretty well and are playing the best they’ve played all year.â€Â
(On the Patriots defense, and the secondary in particular) – “I think that New England has always had a lot of veteran secondary players. They’ve got some great players back there. They’ve got two corners that can get up in bump and run and play man. They play aggressive. They get their hands on you. They run very well with the receivers. They’ve got some hard-hitting safeties that cover a lot of ground as well. They make it difficult. You have to be pretty precise to be effective in the passing game against them.â€Â
(On trying to take advantage of New England’s aggressiveness, similar to what they did against Dallas) – “It’s something we’re going to try to do. We’ve got to go out there, make those plays and like you said, to take advantage of that. One thing in facing New England is you never know what you’re going to see. When we do have those opportunities in the one-on-one matchups, we have to take advantage of it.â€Â
(On if it’s hard to scout them because they do so many different things) – “I think it’s a lot easier for us, considering we play them twice a year and we know, basically, what they try and do against us. Every time we play them, there are a few different wrinkles that they bring at us. But their schemes are usually pretty similar. We’re familiar with them and familiar with their personnel, which is one of the biggest things that they do – change personnel as much as anyone in the league. Our familiarity with that definitely helps us in scouting them.â€Â
DE JASON TAYLOR
(On the Patriots offense) “I see a team that is playing very well, number one. The quarterback is playing very well. A lot of guys have been hurt for them up and they have had people step up. Dedric Ward is up there now making plays. He had a good game for them last week. They are not always a team that you look at and say they are going to come in there and blow you out or they are going to do a lot of things offensively, but they always seem to find a way to do it. That is a tribute to the players and the coaches up there of always being ready to go.â€Â
(On the Patriots win over the Colts last Sunday) “I caught most of it. New England made the plays to win the game. You’ve got to give them credit. The Colts fought back hard. I’m not one of the ones to say they got lucky. When you play hard, good things are going to happen and they are hot right now.â€Â
(On the Colts final series at the goal line) “I don’t understand the plays that they were calling, but we have been through this whole play calling thing. I am not an offensive coordinator, so you have to let Tony Dungy and his staff do their thing. It was interesting.â€Â
(On if he had some suggestions from home) “Oh yeah, just like everybody else sitting at home did. There were some things that I would do differently, but…it is unbelievable. When you have Edgerrin James from the two yard lines, you would think when you give the ball a couple of times to him that he would get in. But again, they made the plays. Willie McGinest made a great play on the fourth down to keep him out. You have got to give them credit.â€Â
(On the importance of this Sunday’s game) “This game is huge. It is by far the biggest game we have had all year. It is for the division. If we lose it than they win the division and one of our goals is gone. This is a huge game for us against a team that is probably the hottest in the league right now. They are on an eight-game winning streak and they have won some close games. They know how to win games late if it is close, and that is something we need to be weary of and understand that. There is always that big rivalry between the Patriots and the Dolphins and it won’t be any different.â€Â
(On if this is the most confident the team has felt this year) “Yeah, I think so. As a team we are playing well offensively and defensively. Guys are confident, guys are making plays and things are starting to click a little bit. Hopefully we can continue that this weekend.â€Â
(On if he can recall what he was feeling when the game ended last season at New England) “I don’t even want to. It was miserable. It was the longest five minutes of my life. I am glad they are over with and I don’t want to think about them anymore. It just adds more fuel to the fire this year.â€Â
(On if there will be a sense of revenge if the Dolphins win) “Not really. It would be one thing if it were the last game of the season and it was a situation where if we win we would knock them out, it would be different. But there are four games to go in this season and this is a huge one for us. One that we have to have, but after this game is over, win or lose, we are going to have to move on to the next one and get ready for that. You can look back at the revenge factor after the season is over and see how everything plays out.â€Â
(On having extra time to prepare for this week after a short week before last game) “We are rested up. We should be fresh. I’m ready to go and now I have to zero in mentally and get ready for New England. It was nice to get the Thanksgiving game and have a chance to relax a little bit and get your legs back and let some of the things that are bothering some players heal up. Are you going to totally heal up in three days? No. But it does make you feel a little better. Not only physically, but also mentally to get away for a little bit and get refreshed and come back ready to go.â€Â
(On if the Dolphins are a better team now than they were when they played the Patriots earlier this season) “Yeah, because we are playing better defensively. We are playing better offensively. Our confidence level is higher than it was then. Confidence is half this game. If you go out there and you believe that you can do something and believe that you can move the football or believe that you can stop somebody, than that is half the battle. At the end of the day, you still have to go out there and beat somebody one-on-one, but believing it is half of it. I think this team is believing now.â€Â
(On if some people didn’t believe back in October) “I think some of us did and some people didn’t. We were struggling with different areas. People were down on certain players and down on certain groups. It is tough to walk around optimistic all the time when everybody that walks through your locker room is negative. It is tough to deal with sometimes and the easiest way to overcome that is to go out there and play well. Then, no matter what somebody says, you can look at the tape and see that you are doing the right things and I think that is where we are at right now.â€Â
(On where the team’s confidence is at right now) “Confidence levels are high. I don’t know where they are. I can’t gauge it, but they are higher than they were at any point in this season. But you can’t be overconfident.â€Â
(On if Rodney Harrison is a dirty player) “I don’t know if he is dirty. He is very aggressive and he hits hard. But as far as the dirty…I don’t play against him. I couldn’t tell you.â€Â
DE ADEWALE OGUNLEYE
(On if he is looking for revenge against New England) – “I wouldn’t say revenge. I just think right now, we’re at the point where if we continue to keep playing well and moving forward, we have a chance to play well in the playoffs and to get in the playoffs and that’s the big picture – the Super Bowl. They are in our path right now and we just have to play well against them.â€Â
(On allowing Tom Brady to pass for the game-winning touchdown in the last time the Dolphins played the Patriots) – “It shouldn’t have even come down to that last play. We just gave up the biggest play at the end and enough credit goes out to Tom (Brady) and them. To say that their offense is one where he drops-back passes and that’s their strength, it’s not. He’s a short thrower. He throws to those slots. They do a great job breaking tackles. As a whole front we just need to tackle better and run to the ball.â€Â
(On if he watched the Indianapolis- New England game this past weekend) – “Yes, I watched it. I was the biggest Colts fan for about two minutes there. I don’t know. They find ways to win. Credit goes to the Patriots for playing well and hopefully, if we’re ever in that situation, we’ll punch it in.â€Â
(On if he was calling plays while watching the game) – “Definitely, I was saying bootleg or something. Hindsight is always 20-20 and I definitely thought, first and goal, they’d run a screen play.â€Â
(On if it helps that the offense scored so many points against Dallas) – “Yes, it does. But you know one thing, you can’t get too excited. We played well these last couple of games offensively, but to say that we can slack off a little bit, then you’re setting yourself up for some trouble. I think we need to continue to play well on defense and probably try to get better. As a front – I don’t think we’ve played our best game yet, this should be a good game to do that.â€Â
S SAMMY KNIGHT
(On what the team will do to win this week) – “Go out and play Miami Dolphins style football. I think, for one, we have to be physical. We know we have to definitely create turnovers and we have to stop the run. I think if we do those things and get after Tom Brady, we’ll be alright. But you know, this is what I came here for. This is what we wanted to be in – the situation we want to be in, playing for the division lead. It’s December. We’re here now and it’s time for us to play.â€Â
(On December being really when the season starts) – “Yes, really this is when the season starts. The last four games are very important. But we have to take it one game at a time and we have New England right now and they’re a great team. We feel that we’re a great team, so we have to go out and fight.â€Â
(On if there is any way that a team can prepare for the impending New England weather) – “You just have to go play. I don’t know if we can create any 90-mile per hour winds out there or have any snowflakes come in, or create a little snowstorm or something, but you just have to go out there and play. You can’t be worried about all the special things that you can’t control and those things that we can’t control. The thing that we control is the way we play when we’re out there. I think we’ll go out and do a good job.â€Â
TE RANDY McMICHAEL
(On if he felt that the previous games against New England were stolen from the team) – “Definitely. I think our special teams coach said it [best], we know we’d be there for three quarters and lose one. That’s exactly what it’s been the last two times and this time, we’re going to try to beat them all four quarters and come out with a victory.â€Â
(On what makes him optimistic that the Dolphins will win) – “We’re on a roll right now. They’re a hot team, but we’re a hot team also. We’re playing with a lot of confidence now and we’re going up there to win this e don’t want it to come down to a last second field goal or overtime. We want to beat them within the four quarters.â€Â
(On his recollections of walking off the field after last year’s game against the Patriots) – “It was one of the worst feelings I’ve ever had. To know that you’ve won the game and with less than three minutes to go, just to lose the way we lost to them – it was the worst feeling I’ve ever had.â€Â
(On if there is a little twinge of payback in the back of his mind) – “Definitely. Especially [because] this is a big game. This is a really, really big game and we have to go into it as if we’re in dire straits. We really need this game for our season to go on. If we go up there with that mentality, then we’ll come out with a victory.â€Â
(On if he watched the Indianapolis- New England game this past weekend) – “I caught the last drive. It doesn’t matter how you win as long you win. They’re winning ugly, but they’re still top of the division and they have something that we want.â€Â
(On if he was suggesting some Colts play calls) – “Definitely. I was hoping they’d run a little bootleg or something. Throw the ball up to Marcus Pollard or something. You can only scream so much at the TV.â€Â
(On if everyone turned into an offensive coordinator at that moment) – “Everybody thinks they know what they could’ve called, but it’s over now. We can’t do anything about it. We just have to take care of us now.â€Â
(On what’s making the Patriots secondary so effective) – “They’re so unpredictable. They get a lot of push up front with Richard Seymour, really pressuring the quarterback. They have a good secondary.â€Â
I hope this attitude is reflected on the field in a postive way.
