mia4ever
Pro Bowler
http://www.miamidolphins.com/pressbox/fromthegame/fromthegame.asp?docid=18797§ion=18905
HEAD COACH NICK SABAN
OPENING COMMENTS: First of all, that was very happy for the players. I think we competed well today. We tried to create a little bit of an identity as a team. I am very proud of the effort that we put into the way we persevered and overcame adversity. There were a lot of leadership opportunities and we certainly created some adversity for ourselves to overcome out there but I was really pleased with how we responded to that time in and time out and again and again in the game. Nobody’s every happy with penalties, nobody’s ever happy with turnovers, but I think it’s most important to establish how you respond to that stuff when it happens in the game. Denver is a very good football team. I was very pleased with the way our guys competed in the game for 60 minutes. I think the fans did a tremendous job today of affecting our team, our emotion, keeping us up…a very spirited crowd. I really thank the people who supported these guys. I think it’s important for them to know that what they do is appreciated and it certainly had an effect on the outcome of the game. On the goal line stand, on a big play like a turnover, the noise was a factor in helping our players. I’m really pleased with the way how the offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage more and more as the game wore on. We certainly wanted to use that to our advantage to try to get Denver a little tired in the game. We thought it should be to our advantage, the fact that we always play in these conditions. You never get totally used to it; hot is still hot, but we should be able to persevere a little bit better than they did. Part of the reason we went no huddle in the third series is that it’s something we practiced in camp, so that when we thought the occasion would occur where it would be an advantage to us we would do it. I thought [quarterback] Gus [Frerotte] did a really good job today of managing the offense. He completed a lot of short passes, did a really good job on third down. We did a good job defensively on third down and it got us off the field a lot. I think that’s always a real key in the game. We had a couple of opportunities to make a couple of big plays in the game. I think it’s important, how you respond to good things, and how you respond to bad things. We have a 24-hour rule around here; we should enjoy this for 24-hours. This is one game in a long season. We obviously are a team that needs to continue to improve and that’s going to be our focus and what we try to do one game at a time throughout the season and that’s what we’ll definitely try to get done.
(on the lift that the goal line stand gave to the team) I think it definitely gave us a lift, but we didn’t get a first down, we didn’t change the field position. They got good field position again and they still got three points out of the deal. I think it was a tremendous lift and a confidence builder for our team. I think the big thing that this team did today was that they had a little tenacity, a little perseverance, and I think that’s something you definitely need in this league relative to the competitive balance and what you have to do to win lose games.
(on the identity they want to create for the team) I think it’s a little bit about respect in terms of how we play, how you play physically, how you compete. From an intangible standpoint, it’s things like effort, toughness, mental toughness, the ability to stay focused and execute, and be a little relentless in the way you try to go about your work. We’re gladiators out there. We’re modern day gladiators and that mental toughness, if you will, is really important to have [in] a good team. It’s got to permeate your team and there has to be a core group of guys that buy in and believe in that. I was just really pleased with the way the entire team, special teams, offense, defense, and controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides. Hopefully we’ll be able to continue to build on that balance to give us the kind of offensive team that can play with consistency though out the season.
QB GUS FREROTTE
(On if he is surprised by the teams effort) – “We just played our game. We still had mistakes in the game. We had drops, picks and fumbles, but the thing that we have been talking about is, to just play each play. Don’t worry about the last play, just look forward to the next one and that is what we did. The defense played great and our line played great and it was just a heck of a game by everyone.
(On how he felt about his performance and the play calling) – “I felt great. Guys were playing hard and making great catches. We were moving the ball and the line was playing well. We had a good game-plan against them. Coach (Scott) Linehan called a great game. Guys did what we asked them to do and that was to go out and play and if we make a mistake, forget about it and let’s move on and that is what we did. We answered the call. When they scored, we scored and we did a great job today.â€Â
(On his comfort-level with the offense and how it transformed into success against Denver) – “We played a great game. Throughout all of the offseason and throughout training camp not knowing who was going to play and who was going to be there, I was just letting it come to me and having some fun going out on each play and enjoying the process of the game. You are not looking up to see what until the end of the game what was left, its wanting that clock to go down and read zero.
(On if he sees the offense being a 35-pass attempt team regularly) – “No, but if teams’ are going to play you eight or nine guys in the box, you have to throw the ball. You can’t run the ball against that. People are too good on defense. We have to have plans that if they are going to come up and stop our run, we have to throw the ball. That is what we did and we had a good mix today.
(On not settling on just field goals) – “We had a good time. We were progressing the ball down the field. We had long drives after long drives. I don’t think we had many three and outs. We just managed the game and took some time off the clock. The heat helped out there. They were hot. We did a little bit of no huddle offense off and on and I think that helped us a lot.
(On if he was aware of Denver’s injuries in the secondary) – “I knew Champ (Bailey) was hurt, but other than that, I didn’t know who got hurt. It didn’t matter to me. We were going to play no matter who was out there.
(On if there was a time in his career where he didn’t think he was a starter) – “I don’t know if there was a time when I said I wouldn’t get another chance, but there were diffintely times when I said that I have had enough of this moving around and I want my family to be in one spot. For me, I know that I can still throw it and still play and have fun out there. I just had to keep pushing on and luckily, faith took me to Minnesota where I met [Coach] Scott (Linehan) and when he came here, I was able to come here with him. Things have worked out very well.
(On developing a scheme in Denver’s defense and the execution of the scheme) –“I thought we just played well. I thought we went out and we executed this week and we were self-confident in our approach to the game. Everybody knew the checks with the things that we were doing all week. Nobody looked surprised at practice or had mental errors, had mistakes where we said, ‘man, how do those guys know what we are doing?’ Everybody knew what we were doing. We were on top and on point today. We played really well and guys came out and made big plays. On the reverse to Chris (Chambers), I thought we had a score on that. We had adversity, but we fought it and overcame it and kept playing.â€Â
(On if he and the media should appreciate the performance of the offense) – “I definitely can appreciate that. Like I said in the beginning, that is your job to say that we are still 4-12 from last year and we know that we are not. We are a totally different team . Until we prove everybody wrong and do what we are supposed to do, you guys are going to say that. Hopefully, we opened some eyes today.
(On Wes Welker) – “He is a great player. The guy plays at 100 miles per hour on every play. He is an exciting player and they just gave us the looks where I was able to throw it to him. It was really exciting to give him the ball and hopefully, make some plays. They gave us the defense and coverage to allow me to give Wes the ball. If they would have game me different looks, I would have gone somewhere else.
(On if they lost sight of Wes Welker on the field) – “ I just think that he runs such precise and quick routes that he loses guys, which is nice.â€Â
(On Coach Saban as apposed to other coaches’ he’s played for) – “He wants us to play each play and enjoy the process and forget about the bad, wants us to win with intensity and all of that stuff. That is how we played and practiced the entire training camp. He has never let up on us. We have to go and push ourselves and it showed today. We came out in the second half and our o-line just pushed those guys around. It was great to see that. I think that is guys buying into the program. We have signs in our locker room that says, ‘out of yourself and into the team’, and guys are doing that. When everybody can buy into that and trust each other and have confidence in each other, we are going to be a heck of a team.â€Â
(On the aggressiveness of the offense) – “There is no limit in what we can do. We are going to try anything. We are not just going to line up in a pro formation and run the ball up your throat. We are not going to do that. We are going to line up the pro formation and do something crazy and give you different looks. Denver was a team that we knew that they moved around and we moved around. If you move one guy, it shows what the defense is going to play. I think Coach (Scott) Linehan and the coaches deserve a great round of applause because they put together a heck of a game-plan.â€Â
(On what to expect from Coach Saban after the 24-hour recovery period) – “It is going to be the same ole Coach Saban. If you watched him at the end of the game with the defense, he was yelling and screaming. That is coach. He is yelling and screaming, ‘the game is not over, lets play harder, let’s go.’ He has a desire to win and to play well on every play. I think that that is going to carry over for this team.â€Â
TE RANDY McMICHAEL
Miami Dolphins Tight End Randy McMichael
(On the play of Gus Frerotte) – “Gus played a great game. His leadership in the huddle was unparallel. The interception didn’t bother or faze him at all. He came out, he stayed calm and he played good. He’s a big reason why we got the win today.â€Â
(On if the offense is fun) – “Yes, definitely. The most fun thing about it is there are no decoys. Everybody can go get the ball. You don’t know who is going to get the ball on any certain play. Everybody is in the read. Today you saw that with so many people getting the opportunity to make plays.â€Â
WR CHRIS CHAMBERS
(On the offense making big plays) – “Any time you get big touches like that it definitely helps our offense to get down the field. We actually had a really average day, to tell you the truth, because we had a couple of balls that we had a chance to get to and we dropped a couple of balls, but we definitely have something to build on.â€Â
(On if they were expecting Denver to play off the ball) – “We were well prepared. We were prepared for anything they had. When you’ve got 10 or 11 guys backing off, why not throw the ball and get the easy first down and gain some yardage so we can have a good down and distance? That was pretty much the game-plan and when we had our chance to take our shots we took them. Marty (Booker) was able to get the big one and it looked even better for us.â€Â
RB RONNIE BROWN
(On if the Dolphins are a playoff team) – “We just have to come out and play pretty good. We have to eliminate some mental mistakes like jumping offsides, false starts and stuff like that. We can be a pretty potent offense. The defense played real well. If we can just put it all together and eliminate all the mistakes, we have an opportunity to be a playoff team.â€Â
(On the speed of the game) – “A couple of times I got myself in trouble trying to cut back a couple of times. The speed of the game, the linebackers and everybody else, it is kind of fast. I got myself in trouble, but that just comes with the learning curve and the first game we came out with a win.â€Â
WR WES WELKER
On the attitude of the offense… “I think the offense preserved through a lot of situations and we just kind of came together in different situations we made big plays. It jump started us back in the groove.â€Â
On if five receiver sets early in the game surprised Denver… “I think so because it was something we never ran before. It something they didn’t have on film and something they haven’t practiced or anything like that, so I think we caught them off guard.â€Â
On his third down receptions… “Once I got my opportunity, I just went out there and try to run a good route and get open for Gus and try to make his job as easy as possible and he put it right on me and mad great plays.â€Â
WR MARTY BOOKER
On taking advantage of Denver depleted DB’s…. “That’s our main thing anyways, it doesn’t matter who got hurt or didn’t at all. It was to be aggressive. I think we came out and did some quick stuff to get ourselves going and try to get in a rhythm.â€Â
On his 60 yard reception for a TD… “It was just that I told myself after I caught the ball, I was expecting to real get tackled because I knew Lynch was there and I knew Lenny Walls was right there behind me, so I thought it was going to be a catch and hit. Once I was able to see I had a little separation, I just told myself don’t get caught from behind.â€Â
DE JASON TAYLOR
Miami Dolphins Defensive End Jason Taylor
(On his touchdown) – “It was a good feeling, but it was that type of game, I guess. It was a good play. I made a couple of mistakes, I jumped offsides when I was trying to beat the snap and I missed a couple of sacks, but we won the game. The offense played very well. They did a great job of not giving us much of a rest in the second half because they were scoring so quickly, which is a great thing. We’d take that any time. Overall we played very well.â€Â
(On the missed sacks) – “It’s tough when you miss tackles. You work so hard to get there and you miss him. Jake (Plummer) isn’t called ‘The snake’ for nothing. He’s slippery. A lot of times when I tackle I go for the strip.â€Â
(On if stopping Denver at the goal line on fourth down was a big momentum swing) – “It was huge. They wanted their offense to punch it in there. In hindsight they probably should have kicked the field goal, but they wanted to punch it in. I think we were up 6-0 at the time. Zach (Thomas) made some great plays. He did a great job. It was great having Keith Traylor and those big guys inside. With Keith, Vonnie (Holliday), K.C. (Kevin Carter) and Jeff Zgonina inside, it is tough to move those guys. It gives Zach the chance to run and me the chance to come off the edge. Those guys, they do all the dirty work. I’m the one that the people talk about, but they do all the dirty work to create the plays.â€Â
(On if he saw a bit of confusion in Denver’s offense early on) – “We did a decent job of keeping them off balance a little bit. Overall we just played pretty well upfront. The front seven we played the run game pretty well, with the exception of the one run they got for however many yards. We knew coming in this week the key was going to win first down. If we could win first down to get them to second-and-long and third-and-long we had a chance to do some things. We really didn’t show a whole bunch of stuff. We have a lot more things that I thought we would get a chance to run, but the situation didn’t allow us to do that or we were stuck in the dirt and couldn’t do some of the things we wanted to do down there. We did a pretty good job off what we had to.â€Â
(On if he wanted the ball thrown to him when he was on offense) – “I think Gus did look for me. The play worked, it worked great. Randy (McMichael) was wide open.â€Â
(On the team using a lot of new looks and plays) – “Don’t get me wrong, we haven’t proven anything yet. We won a game, big deal. We all know it is great to get off to a good start, get the first one here at home and win it pretty well, but we haven’t done anything yet.â€Â
LB ZACH THOMAS
(On whether he was surprised at how well the Dolphins played) – “I knew if we out it together we could play well. It’s only one game though. When the Broncos came in here, it was hot, that was to our advantage. But I thought coming in our defense could be really good this year and we could have been even better today.â€Â
(On the big plays he made near the goal line) – “We did a great job mixing things up. We caught them off guard a couple times, but the guys up front did a great job. We were coming un-touched from the linebacker spot and we just have to make the tackle. It’s kinda hard when it’s on that (baseball) infield too. I thought we did a great job with that in the first half and even in the second half. When you’re free you’ve got to make those plays. I just read it well. I’m just happy to get into the new year with a win and starting off on the right foot and I hope we can keep this going.â€Â
CB SAM MADISON
(On the secondary’s good play vs. the Broncos) - “The last couple of months we’ve been working extremely hard and we’ve been working a lot of different guys in there. We’re coercive. There is no ‘he say’, ‘they say’ on this football team. We all work together and we cover our assignments and we work the scheme. Everything went well today and we need to build on this and work from here for the rest of the season.â€Â
(On the Dolphins offense vs. the Broncos) - “I can’t speak for those guys over there, but in this game they played extremely well. They did all the x’s and o’s correctly. They wanted to show their aggressiveness and on a whole I think they did that.â€Â
DE KEVIN CARTER
(On stopping the Broncos running game) – “We had a good plan. They have one of the better running schemes in the league. They’ll run the ball, cut back on you and run the ball down hill. They keep you off balance and mix up the run and the pass, you know change up their looks and do a lot of things.â€Â
(On what the game plan was vs. the Broncos to stop the run) – “Basically we had to stop them from making vertical seams in our defense. We had to stop them from being able to run down hill and not just let them wash us down. It was a good plan. Our defensive coordinator Rick Smith and Will Muschamp, they did a great job mixing up the calls on defense and putting some pressure on the back end that really let us get some pressure on the quarterback. When we had to get some things done, we did.â€Â
(On whether losing Mike Anderson hampered the Broncos offense) – “You know I didn’t even notice. It doesn’t matter whose in there. You just have to execute what you are doing. No. 26 (Tatum Bell) was the one who broke the big run on us anyway, he was the one that was actually getting some yards. It didn’t matter who was back there, we had to go ahead and stop them.â€Â
HEAD COACH NICK SABAN
OPENING COMMENTS: First of all, that was very happy for the players. I think we competed well today. We tried to create a little bit of an identity as a team. I am very proud of the effort that we put into the way we persevered and overcame adversity. There were a lot of leadership opportunities and we certainly created some adversity for ourselves to overcome out there but I was really pleased with how we responded to that time in and time out and again and again in the game. Nobody’s every happy with penalties, nobody’s ever happy with turnovers, but I think it’s most important to establish how you respond to that stuff when it happens in the game. Denver is a very good football team. I was very pleased with the way our guys competed in the game for 60 minutes. I think the fans did a tremendous job today of affecting our team, our emotion, keeping us up…a very spirited crowd. I really thank the people who supported these guys. I think it’s important for them to know that what they do is appreciated and it certainly had an effect on the outcome of the game. On the goal line stand, on a big play like a turnover, the noise was a factor in helping our players. I’m really pleased with the way how the offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage more and more as the game wore on. We certainly wanted to use that to our advantage to try to get Denver a little tired in the game. We thought it should be to our advantage, the fact that we always play in these conditions. You never get totally used to it; hot is still hot, but we should be able to persevere a little bit better than they did. Part of the reason we went no huddle in the third series is that it’s something we practiced in camp, so that when we thought the occasion would occur where it would be an advantage to us we would do it. I thought [quarterback] Gus [Frerotte] did a really good job today of managing the offense. He completed a lot of short passes, did a really good job on third down. We did a good job defensively on third down and it got us off the field a lot. I think that’s always a real key in the game. We had a couple of opportunities to make a couple of big plays in the game. I think it’s important, how you respond to good things, and how you respond to bad things. We have a 24-hour rule around here; we should enjoy this for 24-hours. This is one game in a long season. We obviously are a team that needs to continue to improve and that’s going to be our focus and what we try to do one game at a time throughout the season and that’s what we’ll definitely try to get done.
(on the lift that the goal line stand gave to the team) I think it definitely gave us a lift, but we didn’t get a first down, we didn’t change the field position. They got good field position again and they still got three points out of the deal. I think it was a tremendous lift and a confidence builder for our team. I think the big thing that this team did today was that they had a little tenacity, a little perseverance, and I think that’s something you definitely need in this league relative to the competitive balance and what you have to do to win lose games.
(on plays held in reserve during the pre-season and shown today) It’s what we practice all the time. It’s not necessarily what we played in the games…to the point where we may have put ourselves at a little bit of a disadvantage in how much we did…thinking that it would be to our advantage to have a little indecision in terms of who we played in the first game, the fact that we were playing at home. These are all things that we thought about a significant amount and that’s how I think the players were able to execute.
(on Denver having no passing yards in the first quarter) I think we really tried to disguise what we were doing. They gave us a lot of formations. We really played simple because they were giving themselves formation shifts and motions. I think philosophically they really wanted to establish the run. I think the most important thing in the game was that we stopped the run early. They only broke one run on us in the first half. I was pleased with the effort of the entire group.
(on the performance of Gus Frerotte) I think it is always important to answer the bell…when a team scores, to be able to respond with a good drive. I think that was really probably the turning point of the game, that we could recapture the momentum and come right back and make a big play and score and keep them three scores behind. This means that you play a little bit differently on defense as well. I think it was a huge turning point in the game.
(on the play of the defense) I think the entire front seven plus the secondary support was what we needed it to be. I think we stopped the run with a good team defensive effort and I think the front was significant in the way we played pass defense. We didn’t pressure a lot; they stayed in regular formations a lot and didn’t spread a lot until the end of the game. We didn’t pressure as much as we would have typically tried to.
(on how gratifying the win is for him) I am much happier for the fans of South Florida to get the opportunity to have something to be happy about, to be positive about. I’m really happy for our coaching staff who has done a fantastic job and have worked their tails off. I’m really pleased for the players. These players have suffered a little bit over the last year or so in terms of things not going so well for them. I think that they all wanted to prove something and I’m just happy that we could help them to accomplish that. This is not really about me at all.
(on if there were any surprises in today’s game for him) I was anxious to see how we would respond. I was anxious to see how we would go out and try to get some of the things done that we’ve been talking about for a long time, that have shown up in spots but has been a little up and down and not the kind of consistency we would like. We’ve got a lot of things to clean up, a lot of things to improve, but I think sometimes if you create anxiety worrying about making mistakes, you’ll only make more mistakes.
(on the identity they want to create for the team) I think it’s a little bit about respect in terms of how we play, how you play physically, how you compete. From an intangible standpoint, it’s things like effort, toughness, mental toughness, the ability to stay focused and execute, and be a little relentless in the way you try to go about your work. We’re gladiators out there. We’re modern day gladiators and that mental toughness, if you will, is really important to have [in] a good team. It’s got to permeate your team and there has to be a core group of guys that buy in and believe in that. I was just really pleased with the way the entire team, special teams, offense, defense, and controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides. Hopefully we’ll be able to continue to build on that balance to give us the kind of offensive team that can play with consistency though out the season.
QB GUS FREROTTE
(On if he is surprised by the teams effort) – “We just played our game. We still had mistakes in the game. We had drops, picks and fumbles, but the thing that we have been talking about is, to just play each play. Don’t worry about the last play, just look forward to the next one and that is what we did. The defense played great and our line played great and it was just a heck of a game by everyone.
(On if they caught Denver off-guard) – “I really don’t think they knew where it was coming from and I think they were trying to gives us a lot of blitz looks and we were ready for them all. We have seen so much from our defense that any they may do to us, it is not a surprise because we go against that everyday.
(On how he felt about his performance and the play calling) – “I felt great. Guys were playing hard and making great catches. We were moving the ball and the line was playing well. We had a good game-plan against them. Coach (Scott) Linehan called a great game. Guys did what we asked them to do and that was to go out and play and if we make a mistake, forget about it and let’s move on and that is what we did. We answered the call. When they scored, we scored and we did a great job today.â€Â
(On his comfort-level with the offense and how it transformed into success against Denver) – “We played a great game. Throughout all of the offseason and throughout training camp not knowing who was going to play and who was going to be there, I was just letting it come to me and having some fun going out on each play and enjoying the process of the game. You are not looking up to see what until the end of the game what was left, its wanting that clock to go down and read zero.
(On if he sees the offense being a 35-pass attempt team regularly) – “No, but if teams’ are going to play you eight or nine guys in the box, you have to throw the ball. You can’t run the ball against that. People are too good on defense. We have to have plans that if they are going to come up and stop our run, we have to throw the ball. That is what we did and we had a good mix today.
(On not settling on just field goals) – “We had a good time. We were progressing the ball down the field. We had long drives after long drives. I don’t think we had many three and outs. We just managed the game and took some time off the clock. The heat helped out there. They were hot. We did a little bit of no huddle offense off and on and I think that helped us a lot.
(On if he was aware of Denver’s injuries in the secondary) – “I knew Champ (Bailey) was hurt, but other than that, I didn’t know who got hurt. It didn’t matter to me. We were going to play no matter who was out there.
(On if there was a time in his career where he didn’t think he was a starter) – “I don’t know if there was a time when I said I wouldn’t get another chance, but there were diffintely times when I said that I have had enough of this moving around and I want my family to be in one spot. For me, I know that I can still throw it and still play and have fun out there. I just had to keep pushing on and luckily, faith took me to Minnesota where I met [Coach] Scott (Linehan) and when he came here, I was able to come here with him. Things have worked out very well.
(On developing a scheme in Denver’s defense and the execution of the scheme) –“I thought we just played well. I thought we went out and we executed this week and we were self-confident in our approach to the game. Everybody knew the checks with the things that we were doing all week. Nobody looked surprised at practice or had mental errors, had mistakes where we said, ‘man, how do those guys know what we are doing?’ Everybody knew what we were doing. We were on top and on point today. We played really well and guys came out and made big plays. On the reverse to Chris (Chambers), I thought we had a score on that. We had adversity, but we fought it and overcame it and kept playing.â€Â
(On if he and the media should appreciate the performance of the offense) – “I definitely can appreciate that. Like I said in the beginning, that is your job to say that we are still 4-12 from last year and we know that we are not. We are a totally different team . Until we prove everybody wrong and do what we are supposed to do, you guys are going to say that. Hopefully, we opened some eyes today.
(On Wes Welker) – “He is a great player. The guy plays at 100 miles per hour on every play. He is an exciting player and they just gave us the looks where I was able to throw it to him. It was really exciting to give him the ball and hopefully, make some plays. They gave us the defense and coverage to allow me to give Wes the ball. If they would have game me different looks, I would have gone somewhere else.
(On if they lost sight of Wes Welker on the field) – “ I just think that he runs such precise and quick routes that he loses guys, which is nice.â€Â
(On Coach Saban as apposed to other coaches’ he’s played for) – “He wants us to play each play and enjoy the process and forget about the bad, wants us to win with intensity and all of that stuff. That is how we played and practiced the entire training camp. He has never let up on us. We have to go and push ourselves and it showed today. We came out in the second half and our o-line just pushed those guys around. It was great to see that. I think that is guys buying into the program. We have signs in our locker room that says, ‘out of yourself and into the team’, and guys are doing that. When everybody can buy into that and trust each other and have confidence in each other, we are going to be a heck of a team.â€Â
(On the aggressiveness of the offense) – “There is no limit in what we can do. We are going to try anything. We are not just going to line up in a pro formation and run the ball up your throat. We are not going to do that. We are going to line up the pro formation and do something crazy and give you different looks. Denver was a team that we knew that they moved around and we moved around. If you move one guy, it shows what the defense is going to play. I think Coach (Scott) Linehan and the coaches deserve a great round of applause because they put together a heck of a game-plan.â€Â
(On what to expect from Coach Saban after the 24-hour recovery period) – “It is going to be the same ole Coach Saban. If you watched him at the end of the game with the defense, he was yelling and screaming. That is coach. He is yelling and screaming, ‘the game is not over, lets play harder, let’s go.’ He has a desire to win and to play well on every play. I think that that is going to carry over for this team.â€Â
TE RANDY McMICHAEL
Miami Dolphins Tight End Randy McMichael
(On the play of Gus Frerotte) – “Gus played a great game. His leadership in the huddle was unparallel. The interception didn’t bother or faze him at all. He came out, he stayed calm and he played good. He’s a big reason why we got the win today.â€Â
(On if the offense is fun) – “Yes, definitely. The most fun thing about it is there are no decoys. Everybody can go get the ball. You don’t know who is going to get the ball on any certain play. Everybody is in the read. Today you saw that with so many people getting the opportunity to make plays.â€Â
WR CHRIS CHAMBERS
(On the offense making big plays) – “Any time you get big touches like that it definitely helps our offense to get down the field. We actually had a really average day, to tell you the truth, because we had a couple of balls that we had a chance to get to and we dropped a couple of balls, but we definitely have something to build on.â€Â
(On if they were expecting Denver to play off the ball) – “We were well prepared. We were prepared for anything they had. When you’ve got 10 or 11 guys backing off, why not throw the ball and get the easy first down and gain some yardage so we can have a good down and distance? That was pretty much the game-plan and when we had our chance to take our shots we took them. Marty (Booker) was able to get the big one and it looked even better for us.â€Â
RB RONNIE BROWN
(On if the Dolphins are a playoff team) – “We just have to come out and play pretty good. We have to eliminate some mental mistakes like jumping offsides, false starts and stuff like that. We can be a pretty potent offense. The defense played real well. If we can just put it all together and eliminate all the mistakes, we have an opportunity to be a playoff team.â€Â
(On the speed of the game) – “A couple of times I got myself in trouble trying to cut back a couple of times. The speed of the game, the linebackers and everybody else, it is kind of fast. I got myself in trouble, but that just comes with the learning curve and the first game we came out with a win.â€Â
WR WES WELKER
On the attitude of the offense… “I think the offense preserved through a lot of situations and we just kind of came together in different situations we made big plays. It jump started us back in the groove.â€Â
On if five receiver sets early in the game surprised Denver… “I think so because it was something we never ran before. It something they didn’t have on film and something they haven’t practiced or anything like that, so I think we caught them off guard.â€Â
On his third down receptions… “Once I got my opportunity, I just went out there and try to run a good route and get open for Gus and try to make his job as easy as possible and he put it right on me and mad great plays.â€Â
WR MARTY BOOKER
On taking advantage of Denver depleted DB’s…. “That’s our main thing anyways, it doesn’t matter who got hurt or didn’t at all. It was to be aggressive. I think we came out and did some quick stuff to get ourselves going and try to get in a rhythm.â€Â
On his 60 yard reception for a TD… “It was just that I told myself after I caught the ball, I was expecting to real get tackled because I knew Lynch was there and I knew Lenny Walls was right there behind me, so I thought it was going to be a catch and hit. Once I was able to see I had a little separation, I just told myself don’t get caught from behind.â€Â
DE JASON TAYLOR
Miami Dolphins Defensive End Jason Taylor
(On his touchdown) – “It was a good feeling, but it was that type of game, I guess. It was a good play. I made a couple of mistakes, I jumped offsides when I was trying to beat the snap and I missed a couple of sacks, but we won the game. The offense played very well. They did a great job of not giving us much of a rest in the second half because they were scoring so quickly, which is a great thing. We’d take that any time. Overall we played very well.â€Â
(On the missed sacks) – “It’s tough when you miss tackles. You work so hard to get there and you miss him. Jake (Plummer) isn’t called ‘The snake’ for nothing. He’s slippery. A lot of times when I tackle I go for the strip.â€Â
(On if stopping Denver at the goal line on fourth down was a big momentum swing) – “It was huge. They wanted their offense to punch it in there. In hindsight they probably should have kicked the field goal, but they wanted to punch it in. I think we were up 6-0 at the time. Zach (Thomas) made some great plays. He did a great job. It was great having Keith Traylor and those big guys inside. With Keith, Vonnie (Holliday), K.C. (Kevin Carter) and Jeff Zgonina inside, it is tough to move those guys. It gives Zach the chance to run and me the chance to come off the edge. Those guys, they do all the dirty work. I’m the one that the people talk about, but they do all the dirty work to create the plays.â€Â
(On if he saw a bit of confusion in Denver’s offense early on) – “We did a decent job of keeping them off balance a little bit. Overall we just played pretty well upfront. The front seven we played the run game pretty well, with the exception of the one run they got for however many yards. We knew coming in this week the key was going to win first down. If we could win first down to get them to second-and-long and third-and-long we had a chance to do some things. We really didn’t show a whole bunch of stuff. We have a lot more things that I thought we would get a chance to run, but the situation didn’t allow us to do that or we were stuck in the dirt and couldn’t do some of the things we wanted to do down there. We did a pretty good job off what we had to.â€Â
(On if he wanted the ball thrown to him when he was on offense) – “I think Gus did look for me. The play worked, it worked great. Randy (McMichael) was wide open.â€Â
(On the team using a lot of new looks and plays) – “Don’t get me wrong, we haven’t proven anything yet. We won a game, big deal. We all know it is great to get off to a good start, get the first one here at home and win it pretty well, but we haven’t done anything yet.â€Â
LB ZACH THOMAS
(On whether he was surprised at how well the Dolphins played) – “I knew if we out it together we could play well. It’s only one game though. When the Broncos came in here, it was hot, that was to our advantage. But I thought coming in our defense could be really good this year and we could have been even better today.â€Â
(On the big plays he made near the goal line) – “We did a great job mixing things up. We caught them off guard a couple times, but the guys up front did a great job. We were coming un-touched from the linebacker spot and we just have to make the tackle. It’s kinda hard when it’s on that (baseball) infield too. I thought we did a great job with that in the first half and even in the second half. When you’re free you’ve got to make those plays. I just read it well. I’m just happy to get into the new year with a win and starting off on the right foot and I hope we can keep this going.â€Â
CB SAM MADISON
(On the secondary’s good play vs. the Broncos) - “The last couple of months we’ve been working extremely hard and we’ve been working a lot of different guys in there. We’re coercive. There is no ‘he say’, ‘they say’ on this football team. We all work together and we cover our assignments and we work the scheme. Everything went well today and we need to build on this and work from here for the rest of the season.â€Â
(On the Dolphins offense vs. the Broncos) - “I can’t speak for those guys over there, but in this game they played extremely well. They did all the x’s and o’s correctly. They wanted to show their aggressiveness and on a whole I think they did that.â€Â
DE KEVIN CARTER
(On stopping the Broncos running game) – “We had a good plan. They have one of the better running schemes in the league. They’ll run the ball, cut back on you and run the ball down hill. They keep you off balance and mix up the run and the pass, you know change up their looks and do a lot of things.â€Â
(On what the game plan was vs. the Broncos to stop the run) – “Basically we had to stop them from making vertical seams in our defense. We had to stop them from being able to run down hill and not just let them wash us down. It was a good plan. Our defensive coordinator Rick Smith and Will Muschamp, they did a great job mixing up the calls on defense and putting some pressure on the back end that really let us get some pressure on the quarterback. When we had to get some things done, we did.â€Â
(On whether losing Mike Anderson hampered the Broncos offense) – “You know I didn’t even notice. It doesn’t matter whose in there. You just have to execute what you are doing. No. 26 (Tatum Bell) was the one who broke the big run on us anyway, he was the one that was actually getting some yards. It didn’t matter who was back there, we had to go ahead and stop them.â€Â
HEAD COACH NICK SABAN
OPENING COMMENTS: First of all, that was very happy for the players. I think we competed well today. We tried to create a little bit of an identity as a team. I am very proud of the effort that we put into the way we persevered and overcame adversity. There were a lot of leadership opportunities and we certainly created some adversity for ourselves to overcome out there but I was really pleased with how we responded to that time in and time out and again and again in the game. Nobody’s every happy with penalties, nobody’s ever happy with turnovers, but I think it’s most important to establish how you respond to that stuff when it happens in the game. Denver is a very good football team. I was very pleased with the way our guys competed in the game for 60 minutes. I think the fans did a tremendous job today of affecting our team, our emotion, keeping us up…a very spirited crowd. I really thank the people who supported these guys. I think it’s important for them to know that what they do is appreciated and it certainly had an effect on the outcome of the game. On the goal line stand, on a big play like a turnover, the noise was a factor in helping our players. I’m really pleased with the way how the offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage more and more as the game wore on. We certainly wanted to use that to our advantage to try to get Denver a little tired in the game. We thought it should be to our advantage, the fact that we always play in these conditions. You never get totally used to it; hot is still hot, but we should be able to persevere a little bit better than they did. Part of the reason we went no huddle in the third series is that it’s something we practiced in camp, so that when we thought the occasion would occur where it would be an advantage to us we would do it. I thought [quarterback] Gus [Frerotte] did a really good job today of managing the offense. He completed a lot of short passes, did a really good job on third down. We did a good job defensively on third down and it got us off the field a lot. I think that’s always a real key in the game. We had a couple of opportunities to make a couple of big plays in the game. I think it’s important, how you respond to good things, and how you respond to bad things. We have a 24-hour rule around here; we should enjoy this for 24-hours. This is one game in a long season. We obviously are a team that needs to continue to improve and that’s going to be our focus and what we try to do one game at a time throughout the season and that’s what we’ll definitely try to get done.
(on the lift that the goal line stand gave to the team) I think it definitely gave us a lift, but we didn’t get a first down, we didn’t change the field position. They got good field position again and they still got three points out of the deal. I think it was a tremendous lift and a confidence builder for our team. I think the big thing that this team did today was that they had a little tenacity, a little perseverance, and I think that’s something you definitely need in this league relative to the competitive balance and what you have to do to win lose games.
(on plays held in reserve during the pre-season and shown today) It’s what we practice all the time. It’s not necessarily what we played in the games…to the point where we may have put ourselves at a little bit of a disadvantage in how much we did…thinking that it would be to our advantage to have a little indecision in terms of who we played in the first game, the fact that we were playing at home. These are all things that we thought about a significant amount and that’s how I think the players were able to execute.
(on Denver having no passing yards in the first quarter) I think we really tried to disguise what we were doing. They gave us a lot of formations. We really played simple because they were giving themselves formation shifts and motions. I think philosophically they really wanted to establish the run. I think the most important thing in the game was that we stopped the run early. They only broke one run on us in the first half. I was pleased with the effort of the entire group.
(on the performance of Gus Frerotte) I think it is always important to answer the bell…when a team scores, to be able to respond with a good drive. I think that was really probably the turning point of the game, that we could recapture the momentum and come right back and make a big play and score and keep them three scores behind. This means that you play a little bit differently on defense as well. I think it was a huge turning point in the game.
(on the play of the defense) I think the entire front seven plus the secondary support was what we needed it to be. I think we stopped the run with a good team defensive effort and I think the front was significant in the way we played pass defense. We didn’t pressure a lot; they stayed in regular formations a lot and didn’t spread a lot until the end of the game. We didn’t pressure as much as we would have typically tried to.
(on how gratifying the win is for him) I am much happier for the fans of South Florida to get the opportunity to have something to be happy about, to be positive about. I’m really happy for our coaching staff who has done a fantastic job and have worked their tails off. I’m really pleased for the players. These players have suffered a little bit over the last year or so in terms of things not going so well for them. I think that they all wanted to prove something and I’m just happy that we could help them to accomplish that. This is not really about me at all.
(on if there were any surprises in today’s game for him) I was anxious to see how we would respond. I was anxious to see how we would go out and try to get some of the things done that we’ve been talking about for a long time, that have shown up in spots but has been a little up and down and not the kind of consistency we would like. We’ve got a lot of things to clean up, a lot of things to improve, but I think sometimes if you create anxiety worrying about making mistakes, you’ll only make more mistakes.
(on the identity they want to create for the team) I think it’s a little bit about respect in terms of how we play, how you play physically, how you compete. From an intangible standpoint, it’s things like effort, toughness, mental toughness, the ability to stay focused and execute, and be a little relentless in the way you try to go about your work. We’re gladiators out there. We’re modern day gladiators and that mental toughness, if you will, is really important to have [in] a good team. It’s got to permeate your team and there has to be a core group of guys that buy in and believe in that. I was just really pleased with the way the entire team, special teams, offense, defense, and controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides. Hopefully we’ll be able to continue to build on that balance to give us the kind of offensive team that can play with consistency though out the season.
QB GUS FREROTTE
(On if he is surprised by the teams effort) – “We just played our game. We still had mistakes in the game. We had drops, picks and fumbles, but the thing that we have been talking about is, to just play each play. Don’t worry about the last play, just look forward to the next one and that is what we did. The defense played great and our line played great and it was just a heck of a game by everyone.
(On if they caught Denver off-guard) – “I really don’t think they knew where it was coming from and I think they were trying to gives us a lot of blitz looks and we were ready for them all. We have seen so much from our defense that any they may do to us, it is not a surprise because we go against that everyday.
(On how he felt about his performance and the play calling) – “I felt great. Guys were playing hard and making great catches. We were moving the ball and the line was playing well. We had a good game-plan against them. Coach (Scott) Linehan called a great game. Guys did what we asked them to do and that was to go out and play and if we make a mistake, forget about it and let’s move on and that is what we did. We answered the call. When they scored, we scored and we did a great job today.â€Â
(On his comfort-level with the offense and how it transformed into success against Denver) – “We played a great game. Throughout all of the offseason and throughout training camp not knowing who was going to play and who was going to be there, I was just letting it come to me and having some fun going out on each play and enjoying the process of the game. You are not looking up to see what until the end of the game what was left, its wanting that clock to go down and read zero.
(On if he sees the offense being a 35-pass attempt team regularly) – “No, but if teams’ are going to play you eight or nine guys in the box, you have to throw the ball. You can’t run the ball against that. People are too good on defense. We have to have plans that if they are going to come up and stop our run, we have to throw the ball. That is what we did and we had a good mix today.
(On not settling on just field goals) – “We had a good time. We were progressing the ball down the field. We had long drives after long drives. I don’t think we had many three and outs. We just managed the game and took some time off the clock. The heat helped out there. They were hot. We did a little bit of no huddle offense off and on and I think that helped us a lot.
(On if he was aware of Denver’s injuries in the secondary) – “I knew Champ (Bailey) was hurt, but other than that, I didn’t know who got hurt. It didn’t matter to me. We were going to play no matter who was out there.
(On if there was a time in his career where he didn’t think he was a starter) – “I don’t know if there was a time when I said I wouldn’t get another chance, but there were diffintely times when I said that I have had enough of this moving around and I want my family to be in one spot. For me, I know that I can still throw it and still play and have fun out there. I just had to keep pushing on and luckily, faith took me to Minnesota where I met [Coach] Scott (Linehan) and when he came here, I was able to come here with him. Things have worked out very well.
(On developing a scheme in Denver’s defense and the execution of the scheme) –“I thought we just played well. I thought we went out and we executed this week and we were self-confident in our approach to the game. Everybody knew the checks with the things that we were doing all week. Nobody looked surprised at practice or had mental errors, had mistakes where we said, ‘man, how do those guys know what we are doing?’ Everybody knew what we were doing. We were on top and on point today. We played really well and guys came out and made big plays. On the reverse to Chris (Chambers), I thought we had a score on that. We had adversity, but we fought it and overcame it and kept playing.â€Â
(On if he and the media should appreciate the performance of the offense) – “I definitely can appreciate that. Like I said in the beginning, that is your job to say that we are still 4-12 from last year and we know that we are not. We are a totally different team . Until we prove everybody wrong and do what we are supposed to do, you guys are going to say that. Hopefully, we opened some eyes today.
(On Wes Welker) – “He is a great player. The guy plays at 100 miles per hour on every play. He is an exciting player and they just gave us the looks where I was able to throw it to him. It was really exciting to give him the ball and hopefully, make some plays. They gave us the defense and coverage to allow me to give Wes the ball. If they would have game me different looks, I would have gone somewhere else.
(On if they lost sight of Wes Welker on the field) – “ I just think that he runs such precise and quick routes that he loses guys, which is nice.â€Â
(On Coach Saban as apposed to other coaches’ he’s played for) – “He wants us to play each play and enjoy the process and forget about the bad, wants us to win with intensity and all of that stuff. That is how we played and practiced the entire training camp. He has never let up on us. We have to go and push ourselves and it showed today. We came out in the second half and our o-line just pushed those guys around. It was great to see that. I think that is guys buying into the program. We have signs in our locker room that says, ‘out of yourself and into the team’, and guys are doing that. When everybody can buy into that and trust each other and have confidence in each other, we are going to be a heck of a team.â€Â
(On the aggressiveness of the offense) – “There is no limit in what we can do. We are going to try anything. We are not just going to line up in a pro formation and run the ball up your throat. We are not going to do that. We are going to line up the pro formation and do something crazy and give you different looks. Denver was a team that we knew that they moved around and we moved around. If you move one guy, it shows what the defense is going to play. I think Coach (Scott) Linehan and the coaches deserve a great round of applause because they put together a heck of a game-plan.â€Â
(On what to expect from Coach Saban after the 24-hour recovery period) – “It is going to be the same ole Coach Saban. If you watched him at the end of the game with the defense, he was yelling and screaming. That is coach. He is yelling and screaming, ‘the game is not over, lets play harder, let’s go.’ He has a desire to win and to play well on every play. I think that that is going to carry over for this team.â€Â
TE RANDY McMICHAEL
Miami Dolphins Tight End Randy McMichael
(On the play of Gus Frerotte) – “Gus played a great game. His leadership in the huddle was unparallel. The interception didn’t bother or faze him at all. He came out, he stayed calm and he played good. He’s a big reason why we got the win today.â€Â
(On if the offense is fun) – “Yes, definitely. The most fun thing about it is there are no decoys. Everybody can go get the ball. You don’t know who is going to get the ball on any certain play. Everybody is in the read. Today you saw that with so many people getting the opportunity to make plays.â€Â
WR CHRIS CHAMBERS
(On the offense making big plays) – “Any time you get big touches like that it definitely helps our offense to get down the field. We actually had a really average day, to tell you the truth, because we had a couple of balls that we had a chance to get to and we dropped a couple of balls, but we definitely have something to build on.â€Â
(On if they were expecting Denver to play off the ball) – “We were well prepared. We were prepared for anything they had. When you’ve got 10 or 11 guys backing off, why not throw the ball and get the easy first down and gain some yardage so we can have a good down and distance? That was pretty much the game-plan and when we had our chance to take our shots we took them. Marty (Booker) was able to get the big one and it looked even better for us.â€Â
RB RONNIE BROWN
(On if the Dolphins are a playoff team) – “We just have to come out and play pretty good. We have to eliminate some mental mistakes like jumping offsides, false starts and stuff like that. We can be a pretty potent offense. The defense played real well. If we can just put it all together and eliminate all the mistakes, we have an opportunity to be a playoff team.â€Â
(On the speed of the game) – “A couple of times I got myself in trouble trying to cut back a couple of times. The speed of the game, the linebackers and everybody else, it is kind of fast. I got myself in trouble, but that just comes with the learning curve and the first game we came out with a win.â€Â
WR WES WELKER
On the attitude of the offense… “I think the offense preserved through a lot of situations and we just kind of came together in different situations we made big plays. It jump started us back in the groove.â€Â
On if five receiver sets early in the game surprised Denver… “I think so because it was something we never ran before. It something they didn’t have on film and something they haven’t practiced or anything like that, so I think we caught them off guard.â€Â
On his third down receptions… “Once I got my opportunity, I just went out there and try to run a good route and get open for Gus and try to make his job as easy as possible and he put it right on me and mad great plays.â€Â
WR MARTY BOOKER
On taking advantage of Denver depleted DB’s…. “That’s our main thing anyways, it doesn’t matter who got hurt or didn’t at all. It was to be aggressive. I think we came out and did some quick stuff to get ourselves going and try to get in a rhythm.â€Â
On his 60 yard reception for a TD… “It was just that I told myself after I caught the ball, I was expecting to real get tackled because I knew Lynch was there and I knew Lenny Walls was right there behind me, so I thought it was going to be a catch and hit. Once I was able to see I had a little separation, I just told myself don’t get caught from behind.â€Â
DE JASON TAYLOR
Miami Dolphins Defensive End Jason Taylor
(On his touchdown) – “It was a good feeling, but it was that type of game, I guess. It was a good play. I made a couple of mistakes, I jumped offsides when I was trying to beat the snap and I missed a couple of sacks, but we won the game. The offense played very well. They did a great job of not giving us much of a rest in the second half because they were scoring so quickly, which is a great thing. We’d take that any time. Overall we played very well.â€Â
(On the missed sacks) – “It’s tough when you miss tackles. You work so hard to get there and you miss him. Jake (Plummer) isn’t called ‘The snake’ for nothing. He’s slippery. A lot of times when I tackle I go for the strip.â€Â
(On if stopping Denver at the goal line on fourth down was a big momentum swing) – “It was huge.They wanted their offense to punch it in there. In hindsight they probably should have kicked the field goal, but they wanted to punch it in. I think we were up 6-0 at the time. Zach (Thomas) made some great plays. He did a great job. It was great having Keith Traylor and those big guys inside. With Keith, Vonnie (Holliday), K.C. (Kevin Carter) and Jeff Zgonina inside, it is tough to move those guys. It gives Zach the chance to run and me the chance to come off the edge. Those guys, they do all the dirty work. I’m the one that the people talk about, but they do all the dirty work to create the plays.â€Â
(On if he saw a bit of confusion in Denver’s offense early on) – “We did a decent job of keeping them off balance a little bit. Overall we just played pretty well upfront. The front seven we played the run game pretty well, with the exception of the one run they got for however many yards. We knew coming in this week the key was going to win first down. If we could win first down to get them to second-and-long and third-and-long we had a chance to do some things. We really didn’t show a whole bunch of stuff. We have a lot more things that I thought we would get a chance to run, but the situation didn’t allow us to do that or we were stuck in the dirt and couldn’t do some of the things we wanted to do down there. We did a pretty good job off what we had to.â€Â
(On if he wanted the ball thrown to him when he was on offense) – “I think Gus did look for me. The play worked, it worked great. Randy (McMichael) was wide open.â€Â
(On the team using a lot of new looks and plays) – “Don’t get me wrong, we haven’t proven anything yet. We won a game, big deal. We all know it is great to get off to a good start, get the first one here at home and win it pretty well, but we haven’t done anything yet.â€Â
LB ZACH THOMAS
(On whether he was surprised at how well the Dolphins played) – “I knew if we out it together we could play well. It’s only one game though. When the Broncos came in here, it was hot, that was to our advantage. But I thought coming in our defense could be really good this year and we could have been even better today.â€Â
(On the big plays he made near the goal line) – “We did a great job mixing things up. We caught them off guard a couple times, but the guys up front did a great job. We were coming un-touched from the linebacker spot and we just have to make the tackle. It’s kinda hard when it’s on that (baseball) infield too. I thought we did a great job with that in the first half and even in the second half. When you’re free you’ve got to make those plays. I just read it well. I’m just happy to get into the new year with a win and starting off on the right foot and I hope we can keep this going.â€Â
CB SAM MADISON
(On the secondary’s good play vs. the Broncos) - “The last couple of months we’ve been working extremely hard and we’ve been working a lot of different guys in there. We’re coercive. There is no ‘he say’, ‘they say’ on this football team. We all work together and we cover our assignments and we work the scheme. Everything went well today and we need to build on this and work from here for the rest of the season.â€Â
(On the Dolphins offense vs. the Broncos) - “I can’t speak for those guys over there, but in this game they played extremely well. They did all the x’s and o’s correctly. They wanted to show their aggressiveness and on a whole I think they did that.â€Â
DE KEVIN CARTER
(On stopping the Broncos running game) – “We had a good plan. They have one of the better running schemes in the league. They’ll run the ball, cut back on you and run the ball down hill. They keep you off balance and mix up the run and the pass, you know change up their looks and do a lot of things.â€Â
(On what the game plan was vs. the Broncos to stop the run) – “Basically we had to stop them from making vertical seams in our defense. We had to stop them from being able to run down hill and not just let them wash us down. It was a good plan. Our defensive coordinator Rick Smith and Will Muschamp, they did a great job mixing up the calls on defense and putting some pressure on the back end that really let us get some pressure on the quarterback. When we had to get some things done, we did.â€Â
(On whether losing Mike Anderson hampered the Broncos offense) – “You know I didn’t even notice. It doesn’t matter whose in there. You just have to execute what you are doing. No. 26 (Tatum Bell) was the one who broke the big run on us anyway, he was the one that was actually getting some yards. It didn’t matter who was back there, we had to go ahead and stop them.â€Â
HEAD COACH NICK SABAN
OPENING COMMENTS: First of all, that was very happy for the players. I think we competed well today. We tried to create a little bit of an identity as a team. I am very proud of the effort that we put into the way we persevered and overcame adversity. There were a lot of leadership opportunities and we certainly created some adversity for ourselves to overcome out there but I was really pleased with how we responded to that time in and time out and again and again in the game. Nobody’s every happy with penalties, nobody’s ever happy with turnovers, but I think it’s most important to establish how you respond to that stuff when it happens in the game. Denver is a very good football team. I was very pleased with the way our guys competed in the game for 60 minutes. I think the fans did a tremendous job today of affecting our team, our emotion, keeping us up…a very spirited crowd. I really thank the people who supported these guys. I think it’s important for them to know that what they do is appreciated and it certainly had an effect on the outcome of the game. On the goal line stand, on a big play like a turnover, the noise was a factor in helping our players. I’m really pleased with the way how the offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage more and more as the game wore on. We certainly wanted to use that to our advantage to try to get Denver a little tired in the game. We thought it should be to our advantage, the fact that we always play in these conditions. You never get totally used to it; hot is still hot, but we should be able to persevere a little bit better than they did. Part of the reason we went no huddle in the third series is that it’s something we practiced in camp, so that when we thought the occasion would occur where it would be an advantage to us we would do it. I thought [quarterback] Gus [Frerotte] did a really good job today of managing the offense. He completed a lot of short passes, did a really good job on third down. We did a good job defensively on third down and it got us off the field a lot. I think that’s always a real key in the game. We had a couple of opportunities to make a couple of big plays in the game. I think it’s important, how you respond to good things, and how you respond to bad things. We have a 24-hour rule around here; we should enjoy this for 24-hours. This is one game in a long season. We obviously are a team that needs to continue to improve and that’s going to be our focus and what we try to do one game at a time throughout the season and that’s what we’ll definitely try to get done.
(on the lift that the goal line stand gave to the team) I think it definitely gave us a lift, but we didn’t get a first down, we didn’t change the field position. They got good field position again and they still got three points out of the deal. I think it was a tremendous lift and a confidence builder for our team. I think the big thing that this team did today was that they had a little tenacity, a little perseverance, and I think that’s something you definitely need in this league relative to the competitive balance and what you have to do to win lose games.
(on the identity they want to create for the team) I think it’s a little bit about respect in terms of how we play, how you play physically, how you compete. From an intangible standpoint, it’s things like effort, toughness, mental toughness, the ability to stay focused and execute, and be a little relentless in the way you try to go about your work. We’re gladiators out there. We’re modern day gladiators and that mental toughness, if you will, is really important to have [in] a good team. It’s got to permeate your team and there has to be a core group of guys that buy in and believe in that. I was just really pleased with the way the entire team, special teams, offense, defense, and controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides. Hopefully we’ll be able to continue to build on that balance to give us the kind of offensive team that can play with consistency though out the season.
QB GUS FREROTTE
(On if he is surprised by the teams effort) – “We just played our game. We still had mistakes in the game. We had drops, picks and fumbles, but the thing that we have been talking about is, to just play each play. Don’t worry about the last play, just look forward to the next one and that is what we did. The defense played great and our line played great and it was just a heck of a game by everyone.
(On how he felt about his performance and the play calling) – “I felt great. Guys were playing hard and making great catches. We were moving the ball and the line was playing well. We had a good game-plan against them. Coach (Scott) Linehan called a great game. Guys did what we asked them to do and that was to go out and play and if we make a mistake, forget about it and let’s move on and that is what we did. We answered the call. When they scored, we scored and we did a great job today.â€Â
(On his comfort-level with the offense and how it transformed into success against Denver) – “We played a great game. Throughout all of the offseason and throughout training camp not knowing who was going to play and who was going to be there, I was just letting it come to me and having some fun going out on each play and enjoying the process of the game. You are not looking up to see what until the end of the game what was left, its wanting that clock to go down and read zero.
(On if he sees the offense being a 35-pass attempt team regularly) – “No, but if teams’ are going to play you eight or nine guys in the box, you have to throw the ball. You can’t run the ball against that. People are too good on defense. We have to have plans that if they are going to come up and stop our run, we have to throw the ball. That is what we did and we had a good mix today.
(On not settling on just field goals) – “We had a good time. We were progressing the ball down the field. We had long drives after long drives. I don’t think we had many three and outs. We just managed the game and took some time off the clock. The heat helped out there. They were hot. We did a little bit of no huddle offense off and on and I think that helped us a lot.
(On if he was aware of Denver’s injuries in the secondary) – “I knew Champ (Bailey) was hurt, but other than that, I didn’t know who got hurt. It didn’t matter to me. We were going to play no matter who was out there.
(On if there was a time in his career where he didn’t think he was a starter) – “I don’t know if there was a time when I said I wouldn’t get another chance, but there were diffintely times when I said that I have had enough of this moving around and I want my family to be in one spot. For me, I know that I can still throw it and still play and have fun out there. I just had to keep pushing on and luckily, faith took me to Minnesota where I met [Coach] Scott (Linehan) and when he came here, I was able to come here with him. Things have worked out very well.
(On developing a scheme in Denver’s defense and the execution of the scheme) –“I thought we just played well. I thought we went out and we executed this week and we were self-confident in our approach to the game. Everybody knew the checks with the things that we were doing all week. Nobody looked surprised at practice or had mental errors, had mistakes where we said, ‘man, how do those guys know what we are doing?’ Everybody knew what we were doing. We were on top and on point today. We played really well and guys came out and made big plays. On the reverse to Chris (Chambers), I thought we had a score on that. We had adversity, but we fought it and overcame it and kept playing.â€Â
(On if he and the media should appreciate the performance of the offense) – “I definitely can appreciate that. Like I said in the beginning, that is your job to say that we are still 4-12 from last year and we know that we are not. We are a totally different team . Until we prove everybody wrong and do what we are supposed to do, you guys are going to say that. Hopefully, we opened some eyes today.
(On Wes Welker) – “He is a great player. The guy plays at 100 miles per hour on every play. He is an exciting player and they just gave us the looks where I was able to throw it to him. It was really exciting to give him the ball and hopefully, make some plays. They gave us the defense and coverage to allow me to give Wes the ball. If they would have game me different looks, I would have gone somewhere else.
(On if they lost sight of Wes Welker on the field) – “ I just think that he runs such precise and quick routes that he loses guys, which is nice.â€Â
(On Coach Saban as apposed to other coaches’ he’s played for) – “He wants us to play each play and enjoy the process and forget about the bad, wants us to win with intensity and all of that stuff. That is how we played and practiced the entire training camp. He has never let up on us. We have to go and push ourselves and it showed today. We came out in the second half and our o-line just pushed those guys around. It was great to see that. I think that is guys buying into the program. We have signs in our locker room that says, ‘out of yourself and into the team’, and guys are doing that. When everybody can buy into that and trust each other and have confidence in each other, we are going to be a heck of a team.â€Â
(On the aggressiveness of the offense) – “There is no limit in what we can do. We are going to try anything. We are not just going to line up in a pro formation and run the ball up your throat. We are not going to do that. We are going to line up the pro formation and do something crazy and give you different looks. Denver was a team that we knew that they moved around and we moved around. If you move one guy, it shows what the defense is going to play. I think Coach (Scott) Linehan and the coaches deserve a great round of applause because they put together a heck of a game-plan.â€Â
(On what to expect from Coach Saban after the 24-hour recovery period) – “It is going to be the same ole Coach Saban. If you watched him at the end of the game with the defense, he was yelling and screaming. That is coach. He is yelling and screaming, ‘the game is not over, lets play harder, let’s go.’ He has a desire to win and to play well on every play. I think that that is going to carry over for this team.â€Â
TE RANDY McMICHAEL
Miami Dolphins Tight End Randy McMichael
(On the play of Gus Frerotte) – “Gus played a great game. His leadership in the huddle was unparallel. The interception didn’t bother or faze him at all. He came out, he stayed calm and he played good. He’s a big reason why we got the win today.â€Â
(On if the offense is fun) – “Yes, definitely. The most fun thing about it is there are no decoys. Everybody can go get the ball. You don’t know who is going to get the ball on any certain play. Everybody is in the read. Today you saw that with so many people getting the opportunity to make plays.â€Â
WR CHRIS CHAMBERS
(On the offense making big plays) – “Any time you get big touches like that it definitely helps our offense to get down the field. We actually had a really average day, to tell you the truth, because we had a couple of balls that we had a chance to get to and we dropped a couple of balls, but we definitely have something to build on.â€Â
(On if they were expecting Denver to play off the ball) – “We were well prepared. We were prepared for anything they had. When you’ve got 10 or 11 guys backing off, why not throw the ball and get the easy first down and gain some yardage so we can have a good down and distance? That was pretty much the game-plan and when we had our chance to take our shots we took them. Marty (Booker) was able to get the big one and it looked even better for us.â€Â
RB RONNIE BROWN
(On if the Dolphins are a playoff team) – “We just have to come out and play pretty good. We have to eliminate some mental mistakes like jumping offsides, false starts and stuff like that. We can be a pretty potent offense. The defense played real well. If we can just put it all together and eliminate all the mistakes, we have an opportunity to be a playoff team.â€Â
(On the speed of the game) – “A couple of times I got myself in trouble trying to cut back a couple of times. The speed of the game, the linebackers and everybody else, it is kind of fast. I got myself in trouble, but that just comes with the learning curve and the first game we came out with a win.â€Â
WR WES WELKER
On the attitude of the offense… “I think the offense preserved through a lot of situations and we just kind of came together in different situations we made big plays. It jump started us back in the groove.â€Â
On if five receiver sets early in the game surprised Denver… “I think so because it was something we never ran before. It something they didn’t have on film and something they haven’t practiced or anything like that, so I think we caught them off guard.â€Â
On his third down receptions… “Once I got my opportunity, I just went out there and try to run a good route and get open for Gus and try to make his job as easy as possible and he put it right on me and mad great plays.â€Â
WR MARTY BOOKER
On taking advantage of Denver depleted DB’s…. “That’s our main thing anyways, it doesn’t matter who got hurt or didn’t at all. It was to be aggressive. I think we came out and did some quick stuff to get ourselves going and try to get in a rhythm.â€Â
On his 60 yard reception for a TD… “It was just that I told myself after I caught the ball, I was expecting to real get tackled because I knew Lynch was there and I knew Lenny Walls was right there behind me, so I thought it was going to be a catch and hit. Once I was able to see I had a little separation, I just told myself don’t get caught from behind.â€Â
DE JASON TAYLOR
Miami Dolphins Defensive End Jason Taylor
(On his touchdown) – “It was a good feeling, but it was that type of game, I guess. It was a good play. I made a couple of mistakes, I jumped offsides when I was trying to beat the snap and I missed a couple of sacks, but we won the game. The offense played very well. They did a great job of not giving us much of a rest in the second half because they were scoring so quickly, which is a great thing. We’d take that any time. Overall we played very well.â€Â
(On the missed sacks) – “It’s tough when you miss tackles. You work so hard to get there and you miss him. Jake (Plummer) isn’t called ‘The snake’ for nothing. He’s slippery. A lot of times when I tackle I go for the strip.â€Â
(On if stopping Denver at the goal line on fourth down was a big momentum swing) – “It was huge. They wanted their offense to punch it in there. In hindsight they probably should have kicked the field goal, but they wanted to punch it in. I think we were up 6-0 at the time. Zach (Thomas) made some great plays. He did a great job. It was great having Keith Traylor and those big guys inside. With Keith, Vonnie (Holliday), K.C. (Kevin Carter) and Jeff Zgonina inside, it is tough to move those guys. It gives Zach the chance to run and me the chance to come off the edge. Those guys, they do all the dirty work. I’m the one that the people talk about, but they do all the dirty work to create the plays.â€Â
(On if he saw a bit of confusion in Denver’s offense early on) – “We did a decent job of keeping them off balance a little bit. Overall we just played pretty well upfront. The front seven we played the run game pretty well, with the exception of the one run they got for however many yards. We knew coming in this week the key was going to win first down. If we could win first down to get them to second-and-long and third-and-long we had a chance to do some things. We really didn’t show a whole bunch of stuff. We have a lot more things that I thought we would get a chance to run, but the situation didn’t allow us to do that or we were stuck in the dirt and couldn’t do some of the things we wanted to do down there. We did a pretty good job off what we had to.â€Â
(On if he wanted the ball thrown to him when he was on offense) – “I think Gus did look for me. The play worked, it worked great. Randy (McMichael) was wide open.â€Â
(On the team using a lot of new looks and plays) – “Don’t get me wrong, we haven’t proven anything yet. We won a game, big deal. We all know it is great to get off to a good start, get the first one here at home and win it pretty well, but we haven’t done anything yet.â€Â
LB ZACH THOMAS
(On whether he was surprised at how well the Dolphins played) – “I knew if we out it together we could play well. It’s only one game though. When the Broncos came in here, it was hot, that was to our advantage. But I thought coming in our defense could be really good this year and we could have been even better today.â€Â
(On the big plays he made near the goal line) – “We did a great job mixing things up. We caught them off guard a couple times, but the guys up front did a great job. We were coming un-touched from the linebacker spot and we just have to make the tackle. It’s kinda hard when it’s on that (baseball) infield too. I thought we did a great job with that in the first half and even in the second half. When you’re free you’ve got to make those plays. I just read it well. I’m just happy to get into the new year with a win and starting off on the right foot and I hope we can keep this going.â€Â
CB SAM MADISON
(On the secondary’s good play vs. the Broncos) - “The last couple of months we’ve been working extremely hard and we’ve been working a lot of different guys in there. We’re coercive. There is no ‘he say’, ‘they say’ on this football team. We all work together and we cover our assignments and we work the scheme. Everything went well today and we need to build on this and work from here for the rest of the season.â€Â
(On the Dolphins offense vs. the Broncos) - “I can’t speak for those guys over there, but in this game they played extremely well. They did all the x’s and o’s correctly. They wanted to show their aggressiveness and on a whole I think they did that.â€Â
DE KEVIN CARTER
(On stopping the Broncos running game) – “We had a good plan. They have one of the better running schemes in the league. They’ll run the ball, cut back on you and run the ball down hill. They keep you off balance and mix up the run and the pass, you know change up their looks and do a lot of things.â€Â
(On what the game plan was vs. the Broncos to stop the run) – “Basically we had to stop them from making vertical seams in our defense. We had to stop them from being able to run down hill and not just let them wash us down. It was a good plan. Our defensive coordinator Rick Smith and Will Muschamp, they did a great job mixing up the calls on defense and putting some pressure on the back end that really let us get some pressure on the quarterback. When we had to get some things done, we did.â€Â
(On whether losing Mike Anderson hampered the Broncos offense) – “You know I didn’t even notice. It doesn’t matter whose in there. You just have to execute what you are doing. No. 26 (Tatum Bell) was the one who broke the big run on us anyway, he was the one that was actually getting some yards. It didn’t matter who was back there, we had to go ahead and stop them.â€Â
HEAD COACH NICK SABAN
OPENING COMMENTS: First of all, that was very happy for the players. I think we competed well today. We tried to create a little bit of an identity as a team. I am very proud of the effort that we put into the way we persevered and overcame adversity. There were a lot of leadership opportunities and we certainly created some adversity for ourselves to overcome out there but I was really pleased with how we responded to that time in and time out and again and again in the game. Nobody’s every happy with penalties, nobody’s ever happy with turnovers, but I think it’s most important to establish how you respond to that stuff when it happens in the game. Denver is a very good football team. I was very pleased with the way our guys competed in the game for 60 minutes. I think the fans did a tremendous job today of affecting our team, our emotion, keeping us up…a very spirited crowd. I really thank the people who supported these guys. I think it’s important for them to know that what they do is appreciated and it certainly had an effect on the outcome of the game. On the goal line stand, on a big play like a turnover, the noise was a factor in helping our players. I’m really pleased with the way how the offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage more and more as the game wore on. We certainly wanted to use that to our advantage to try to get Denver a little tired in the game. We thought it should be to our advantage, the fact that we always play in these conditions. You never get totally used to it; hot is still hot, but we should be able to persevere a little bit better than they did. Part of the reason we went no huddle in the third series is that it’s something we practiced in camp, so that when we thought the occasion would occur where it would be an advantage to us we would do it. I thought [quarterback] Gus [Frerotte] did a really good job today of managing the offense. He completed a lot of short passes, did a really good job on third down. We did a good job defensively on third down and it got us off the field a lot. I think that’s always a real key in the game. We had a couple of opportunities to make a couple of big plays in the game. I think it’s important, how you respond to good things, and how you respond to bad things. We have a 24-hour rule around here; we should enjoy this for 24-hours. This is one game in a long season. We obviously are a team that needs to continue to improve and that’s going to be our focus and what we try to do one game at a time throughout the season and that’s what we’ll definitely try to get done.
(on the lift that the goal line stand gave to the team) I think it definitely gave us a lift, but we didn’t get a first down, we didn’t change the field position. They got good field position again and they still got three points out of the deal. I think it was a tremendous lift and a confidence builder for our team. I think the big thing that this team did today was that they had a little tenacity, a little perseverance, and I think that’s something you definitely need in this league relative to the competitive balance and what you have to do to win lose games.
(on plays held in reserve during the pre-season and shown today) It’s what we practice all the time. It’s not necessarily what we played in the games…to the point where we may have put ourselves at a little bit of a disadvantage in how much we did…thinking that it would be to our advantage to have a little indecision in terms of who we played in the first game, the fact that we were playing at home. These are all things that we thought about a significant amount and that’s how I think the players were able to execute.
(on Denver having no passing yards in the first quarter) I think we really tried to disguise what we were doing. They gave us a lot of formations. We really played simple because they were giving themselves formation shifts and motions. I think philosophically they really wanted to establish the run. I think the most important thing in the game was that we stopped the run early. They only broke one run on us in the first half. I was pleased with the effort of the entire group.
(on the performance of Gus Frerotte) I think it is always important to answer the bell…when a team scores, to be able to respond with a good drive. I think that was really probably the turning point of the game, that we could recapture the momentum and come right back and make a big play and score and keep them three scores behind. This means that you play a little bit differently on defense as well. I think it was a huge turning point in the game.
(on the play of the defense) I think the entire front seven plus the secondary support was what we needed it to be. I think we stopped the run with a good team defensive effort and I think the front was significant in the way we played pass defense. We didn’t pressure a lot; they stayed in regular formations a lot and didn’t spread a lot until the end of the game. We didn’t pressure as much as we would have typically tried to.
(on how gratifying the win is for him) I am much happier for the fans of South Florida to get the opportunity to have something to be happy about, to be positive about. I’m really happy for our coaching staff who has done a fantastic job and have worked their tails off. I’m really pleased for the players. These players have suffered a little bit over the last year or so in terms of things not going so well for them. I think that they all wanted to prove something and I’m just happy that we could help them to accomplish that. This is not really about me at all.
(on if there were any surprises in today’s game for him) I was anxious to see how we would respond. I was anxious to see how we would go out and try to get some of the things done that we’ve been talking about for a long time, that have shown up in spots but has been a little up and down and not the kind of consistency we would like. We’ve got a lot of things to clean up, a lot of things to improve, but I think sometimes if you create anxiety worrying about making mistakes, you’ll only make more mistakes.
(on the identity they want to create for the team) I think it’s a little bit about respect in terms of how we play, how you play physically, how you compete. From an intangible standpoint, it’s things like effort, toughness, mental toughness, the ability to stay focused and execute, and be a little relentless in the way you try to go about your work. We’re gladiators out there. We’re modern day gladiators and that mental toughness, if you will, is really important to have [in] a good team. It’s got to permeate your team and there has to be a core group of guys that buy in and believe in that. I was just really pleased with the way the entire team, special teams, offense, defense, and controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides. Hopefully we’ll be able to continue to build on that balance to give us the kind of offensive team that can play with consistency though out the season.
QB GUS FREROTTE
(On if he is surprised by the teams effort) – “We just played our game. We still had mistakes in the game. We had drops, picks and fumbles, but the thing that we have been talking about is, to just play each play. Don’t worry about the last play, just look forward to the next one and that is what we did. The defense played great and our line played great and it was just a heck of a game by everyone.
(On if they caught Denver off-guard) – “I really don’t think they knew where it was coming from and I think they were trying to gives us a lot of blitz looks and we were ready for them all. We have seen so much from our defense that any they may do to us, it is not a surprise because we go against that everyday.
(On how he felt about his performance and the play calling) – “I felt great. Guys were playing hard and making great catches. We were moving the ball and the line was playing well. We had a good game-plan against them. Coach (Scott) Linehan called a great game. Guys did what we asked them to do and that was to go out and play and if we make a mistake, forget about it and let’s move on and that is what we did. We answered the call. When they scored, we scored and we did a great job today.â€Â
(On his comfort-level with the offense and how it transformed into success against Denver) – “We played a great game. Throughout all of the offseason and throughout training camp not knowing who was going to play and who was going to be there, I was just letting it come to me and having some fun going out on each play and enjoying the process of the game. You are not looking up to see what until the end of the game what was left, its wanting that clock to go down and read zero.
(On if he sees the offense being a 35-pass attempt team regularly) – “No, but if teams’ are going to play you eight or nine guys in the box, you have to throw the ball. You can’t run the ball against that. People are too good on defense. We have to have plans that if they are going to come up and stop our run, we have to throw the ball. That is what we did and we had a good mix today.
(On not settling on just field goals) – “We had a good time. We were progressing the ball down the field. We had long drives after long drives. I don’t think we had many three and outs. We just managed the game and took some time off the clock. The heat helped out there. They were hot. We did a little bit of no huddle offense off and on and I think that helped us a lot.
(On if he was aware of Denver’s injuries in the secondary) – “I knew Champ (Bailey) was hurt, but other than that, I didn’t know who got hurt. It didn’t matter to me. We were going to play no matter who was out there.
(On if there was a time in his career where he didn’t think he was a starter) – “I don’t know if there was a time when I said I wouldn’t get another chance, but there were diffintely times when I said that I have had enough of this moving around and I want my family to be in one spot. For me, I know that I can still throw it and still play and have fun out there. I just had to keep pushing on and luckily, faith took me to Minnesota where I met [Coach] Scott (Linehan) and when he came here, I was able to come here with him. Things have worked out very well.
(On developing a scheme in Denver’s defense and the execution of the scheme) –“I thought we just played well. I thought we went out and we executed this week and we were self-confident in our approach to the game. Everybody knew the checks with the things that we were doing all week. Nobody looked surprised at practice or had mental errors, had mistakes where we said, ‘man, how do those guys know what we are doing?’ Everybody knew what we were doing. We were on top and on point today. We played really well and guys came out and made big plays. On the reverse to Chris (Chambers), I thought we had a score on that. We had adversity, but we fought it and overcame it and kept playing.â€Â
(On if he and the media should appreciate the performance of the offense) – “I definitely can appreciate that. Like I said in the beginning, that is your job to say that we are still 4-12 from last year and we know that we are not. We are a totally different team . Until we prove everybody wrong and do what we are supposed to do, you guys are going to say that. Hopefully, we opened some eyes today.
(On Wes Welker) – “He is a great player. The guy plays at 100 miles per hour on every play. He is an exciting player and they just gave us the looks where I was able to throw it to him. It was really exciting to give him the ball and hopefully, make some plays. They gave us the defense and coverage to allow me to give Wes the ball. If they would have game me different looks, I would have gone somewhere else.
(On if they lost sight of Wes Welker on the field) – “ I just think that he runs such precise and quick routes that he loses guys, which is nice.â€Â
(On Coach Saban as apposed to other coaches’ he’s played for) – “He wants us to play each play and enjoy the process and forget about the bad, wants us to win with intensity and all of that stuff. That is how we played and practiced the entire training camp. He has never let up on us. We have to go and push ourselves and it showed today. We came out in the second half and our o-line just pushed those guys around. It was great to see that. I think that is guys buying into the program. We have signs in our locker room that says, ‘out of yourself and into the team’, and guys are doing that. When everybody can buy into that and trust each other and have confidence in each other, we are going to be a heck of a team.â€Â
(On the aggressiveness of the offense) – “There is no limit in what we can do. We are going to try anything. We are not just going to line up in a pro formation and run the ball up your throat. We are not going to do that. We are going to line up the pro formation and do something crazy and give you different looks. Denver was a team that we knew that they moved around and we moved around. If you move one guy, it shows what the defense is going to play. I think Coach (Scott) Linehan and the coaches deserve a great round of applause because they put together a heck of a game-plan.â€Â
(On what to expect from Coach Saban after the 24-hour recovery period) – “It is going to be the same ole Coach Saban. If you watched him at the end of the game with the defense, he was yelling and screaming. That is coach. He is yelling and screaming, ‘the game is not over, lets play harder, let’s go.’ He has a desire to win and to play well on every play. I think that that is going to carry over for this team.â€Â
TE RANDY McMICHAEL
Miami Dolphins Tight End Randy McMichael
(On the play of Gus Frerotte) – “Gus played a great game. His leadership in the huddle was unparallel. The interception didn’t bother or faze him at all. He came out, he stayed calm and he played good. He’s a big reason why we got the win today.â€Â
(On if the offense is fun) – “Yes, definitely. The most fun thing about it is there are no decoys. Everybody can go get the ball. You don’t know who is going to get the ball on any certain play. Everybody is in the read. Today you saw that with so many people getting the opportunity to make plays.â€Â
WR CHRIS CHAMBERS
(On the offense making big plays) – “Any time you get big touches like that it definitely helps our offense to get down the field. We actually had a really average day, to tell you the truth, because we had a couple of balls that we had a chance to get to and we dropped a couple of balls, but we definitely have something to build on.â€Â
(On if they were expecting Denver to play off the ball) – “We were well prepared. We were prepared for anything they had. When you’ve got 10 or 11 guys backing off, why not throw the ball and get the easy first down and gain some yardage so we can have a good down and distance? That was pretty much the game-plan and when we had our chance to take our shots we took them. Marty (Booker) was able to get the big one and it looked even better for us.â€Â
RB RONNIE BROWN
(On if the Dolphins are a playoff team) – “We just have to come out and play pretty good. We have to eliminate some mental mistakes like jumping offsides, false starts and stuff like that. We can be a pretty potent offense. The defense played real well. If we can just put it all together and eliminate all the mistakes, we have an opportunity to be a playoff team.â€Â
(On the speed of the game) – “A couple of times I got myself in trouble trying to cut back a couple of times. The speed of the game, the linebackers and everybody else, it is kind of fast. I got myself in trouble, but that just comes with the learning curve and the first game we came out with a win.â€Â
WR WES WELKER
On the attitude of the offense… “I think the offense preserved through a lot of situations and we just kind of came together in different situations we made big plays. It jump started us back in the groove.â€Â
On if five receiver sets early in the game surprised Denver… “I think so because it was something we never ran before. It something they didn’t have on film and something they haven’t practiced or anything like that, so I think we caught them off guard.â€Â
On his third down receptions… “Once I got my opportunity, I just went out there and try to run a good route and get open for Gus and try to make his job as easy as possible and he put it right on me and mad great plays.â€Â
WR MARTY BOOKER
On taking advantage of Denver depleted DB’s…. “That’s our main thing anyways, it doesn’t matter who got hurt or didn’t at all. It was to be aggressive. I think we came out and did some quick stuff to get ourselves going and try to get in a rhythm.â€Â
On his 60 yard reception for a TD… “It was just that I told myself after I caught the ball, I was expecting to real get tackled because I knew Lynch was there and I knew Lenny Walls was right there behind me, so I thought it was going to be a catch and hit. Once I was able to see I had a little separation, I just told myself don’t get caught from behind.â€Â
DE JASON TAYLOR
Miami Dolphins Defensive End Jason Taylor
(On his touchdown) – “It was a good feeling, but it was that type of game, I guess. It was a good play. I made a couple of mistakes, I jumped offsides when I was trying to beat the snap and I missed a couple of sacks, but we won the game. The offense played very well. They did a great job of not giving us much of a rest in the second half because they were scoring so quickly, which is a great thing. We’d take that any time. Overall we played very well.â€Â
(On the missed sacks) – “It’s tough when you miss tackles. You work so hard to get there and you miss him. Jake (Plummer) isn’t called ‘The snake’ for nothing. He’s slippery. A lot of times when I tackle I go for the strip.â€Â
(On if stopping Denver at the goal line on fourth down was a big momentum swing) – “It was huge. They wanted their offense to punch it in there. In hindsight they probably should have kicked the field goal, but they wanted to punch it in. I think we were up 6-0 at the time. Zach (Thomas) made some great plays. He did a great job. It was great having Keith Traylor and those big guys inside. With Keith, Vonnie (Holliday), K.C. (Kevin Carter) and Jeff Zgonina inside, it is tough to move those guys. It gives Zach the chance to run and me the chance to come off the edge. Those guys, they do all the dirty work. I’m the one that the people talk about, but they do all the dirty work to create the plays.â€Â
(On if he saw a bit of confusion in Denver’s offense early on) – “We did a decent job of keeping them off balance a little bit. Overall we just played pretty well upfront. The front seven we played the run game pretty well, with the exception of the one run they got for however many yards. We knew coming in this week the key was going to win first down. If we could win first down to get them to second-and-long and third-and-long we had a chance to do some things. We really didn’t show a whole bunch of stuff. We have a lot more things that I thought we would get a chance to run, but the situation didn’t allow us to do that or we were stuck in the dirt and couldn’t do some of the things we wanted to do down there. We did a pretty good job off what we had to.â€Â
(On if he wanted the ball thrown to him when he was on offense) – “I think Gus did look for me. The play worked, it worked great. Randy (McMichael) was wide open.â€Â
(On the team using a lot of new looks and plays) – “Don’t get me wrong, we haven’t proven anything yet. We won a game, big deal. We all know it is great to get off to a good start, get the first one here at home and win it pretty well, but we haven’t done anything yet.â€Â
LB ZACH THOMAS
(On whether he was surprised at how well the Dolphins played) – “I knew if we out it together we could play well. It’s only one game though. When the Broncos came in here, it was hot, that was to our advantage. But I thought coming in our defense could be really good this year and we could have been even better today.â€Â
(On the big plays he made near the goal line) – “We did a great job mixing things up. We caught them off guard a couple times, but the guys up front did a great job. We were coming un-touched from the linebacker spot and we just have to make the tackle. It’s kinda hard when it’s on that (baseball) infield too. I thought we did a great job with that in the first half and even in the second half. When you’re free you’ve got to make those plays. I just read it well. I’m just happy to get into the new year with a win and starting off on the right foot and I hope we can keep this going.â€Â
CB SAM MADISON
(On the secondary’s good play vs. the Broncos) - “The last couple of months we’ve been working extremely hard and we’ve been working a lot of different guys in there. We’re coercive. There is no ‘he say’, ‘they say’ on this football team. We all work together and we cover our assignments and we work the scheme. Everything went well today and we need to build on this and work from here for the rest of the season.â€Â
(On the Dolphins offense vs. the Broncos) - “I can’t speak for those guys over there, but in this game they played extremely well. They did all the x’s and o’s correctly. They wanted to show their aggressiveness and on a whole I think they did that.â€Â
DE KEVIN CARTER
(On stopping the Broncos running game) – “We had a good plan. They have one of the better running schemes in the league. They’ll run the ball, cut back on you and run the ball down hill. They keep you off balance and mix up the run and the pass, you know change up their looks and do a lot of things.â€Â
(On what the game plan was vs. the Broncos to stop the run) – “Basically we had to stop them from making vertical seams in our defense. We had to stop them from being able to run down hill and not just let them wash us down. It was a good plan. Our defensive coordinator Rick Smith and Will Muschamp, they did a great job mixing up the calls on defense and putting some pressure on the back end that really let us get some pressure on the quarterback. When we had to get some things done, we did.â€Â
(On whether losing Mike Anderson hampered the Broncos offense) – “You know I didn’t even notice. It doesn’t matter whose in there. You just have to execute what you are doing. No. 26 (Tatum Bell) was the one who broke the big run on us anyway, he was the one that was actually getting some yards. It didn’t matter who was back there, we had to go ahead and stop them.â€Â
HEAD COACH NICK SABAN
OPENING COMMENTS: First of all, that was very happy for the players. I think we competed well today. We tried to create a little bit of an identity as a team. I am very proud of the effort that we put into the way we persevered and overcame adversity. There were a lot of leadership opportunities and we certainly created some adversity for ourselves to overcome out there but I was really pleased with how we responded to that time in and time out and again and again in the game. Nobody’s every happy with penalties, nobody’s ever happy with turnovers, but I think it’s most important to establish how you respond to that stuff when it happens in the game. Denver is a very good football team. I was very pleased with the way our guys competed in the game for 60 minutes. I think the fans did a tremendous job today of affecting our team, our emotion, keeping us up…a very spirited crowd. I really thank the people who supported these guys. I think it’s important for them to know that what they do is appreciated and it certainly had an effect on the outcome of the game. On the goal line stand, on a big play like a turnover, the noise was a factor in helping our players. I’m really pleased with the way how the offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage more and more as the game wore on. We certainly wanted to use that to our advantage to try to get Denver a little tired in the game. We thought it should be to our advantage, the fact that we always play in these conditions. You never get totally used to it; hot is still hot, but we should be able to persevere a little bit better than they did. Part of the reason we went no huddle in the third series is that it’s something we practiced in camp, so that when we thought the occasion would occur where it would be an advantage to us we would do it. I thought [quarterback] Gus [Frerotte] did a really good job today of managing the offense. He completed a lot of short passes, did a really good job on third down. We did a good job defensively on third down and it got us off the field a lot. I think that’s always a real key in the game. We had a couple of opportunities to make a couple of big plays in the game. I think it’s important, how you respond to good things, and how you respond to bad things. We have a 24-hour rule around here; we should enjoy this for 24-hours. This is one game in a long season. We obviously are a team that needs to continue to improve and that’s going to be our focus and what we try to do one game at a time throughout the season and that’s what we’ll definitely try to get done.
(on the lift that the goal line stand gave to the team) I think it definitely gave us a lift, but we didn’t get a first down, we didn’t change the field position. They got good field position again and they still got three points out of the deal. I think it was a tremendous lift and a confidence builder for our team. I think the big thing that this team did today was that they had a little tenacity, a little perseverance, and I think that’s something you definitely need in this league relative to the competitive balance and what you have to do to win lose games.
(on plays held in reserve during the pre-season and shown today) It’s what we practice all the time. It’s not necessarily what we played in the games…to the point where we may have put ourselves at a little bit of a disadvantage in how much we did…thinking that it would be to our advantage to have a little indecision in terms of who we played in the first game, the fact that we were playing at home. These are all things that we thought about a significant amount and that’s how I think the players were able to execute.
(on Denver having no passing yards in the first quarter) I think we really tried to disguise what we were doing. They gave us a lot of formations. We really played simple because they were giving themselves formation shifts and motions. I think philosophically they really wanted to establish the run. I think the most important thing in the game was that we stopped the run early. They only broke one run on us in the first half. I was pleased with the effort of the entire group.
(on the performance of Gus Frerotte) I think it is always important to answer the bell…when a team scores, to be able to respond with a good drive. I think that was really probably the turning point of the game, that we could recapture the momentum and come right back and make a big play and score and keep them three scores behind. This means that you play a little bit differently on defense as well. I think it was a huge turning point in the game.
(on the play of the defense) I think the entire front seven plus the secondary support was what we needed it to be. I think we stopped the run with a good team defensive effort and I think the front was significant in the way we played pass defense. We didn’t pressure a lot; they stayed in regular formations a lot and didn’t spread a lot until the end of the game. We didn’t pressure as much as we would have typically tried to.
(on how gratifying the win is for him) I am much happier for the fans of South Florida to get the opportunity to have something to be happy about, to be positive about. I’m really happy for our coaching staff who has done a fantastic job and have worked their tails off. I’m really pleased for the players. These players have suffered a little bit over the last year or so in terms of things not going so well for them. I think that they all wanted to prove something and I’m just happy that we could help them to accomplish that. This is not really about me at all.
(on if there were any surprises in today’s game for him) I was anxious to see how we would respond. I was anxious to see how we would go out and try to get some of the things done that we’ve been talking about for a long time, that have shown up in spots but has been a little up and down and not the kind of consistency we would like. We’ve got a lot of things to clean up, a lot of things to improve, but I think sometimes if you create anxiety worrying about making mistakes, you’ll only make more mistakes.
(on the identity they want to create for the team) I think it’s a little bit about respect in terms of how we play, how you play physically, how you compete. From an intangible standpoint, it’s things like effort, toughness, mental toughness, the ability to stay focused and execute, and be a little relentless in the way you try to go about your work. We’re gladiators out there. We’re modern day gladiators and that mental toughness, if you will, is really important to have [in] a good team. It’s got to permeate your team and there has to be a core group of guys that buy in and believe in that. I was just really pleased with the way the entire team, special teams, offense, defense, and controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides. Hopefully we’ll be able to continue to build on that balance to give us the kind of offensive team that can play with consistency though out the season.
QB GUS FREROTTE
(On if he is surprised by the teams effort) – “We just played our game. We still had mistakes in the game. We had drops, picks and fumbles, but the thing that we have been talking about is, to just play each play. Don’t worry about the last play, just look forward to the next one and that is what we did. The defense played great and our line played great and it was just a heck of a game by everyone.
(On if they caught Denver off-guard) – “I really don’t think they knew where it was coming from and I think they were trying to gives us a lot of blitz looks and we were ready for them all. We have seen so much from our defense that any they may do to us, it is not a surprise because we go against that everyday.
(On how he felt about his performance and the play calling) – “I felt great. Guys were playing hard and making great catches. We were moving the ball and the line was playing well. We had a good game-plan against them. Coach (Scott) Linehan called a great game. Guys did what we asked them to do and that was to go out and play and if we make a mistake, forget about it and let’s move on and that is what we did. We answered the call. When they scored, we scored and we did a great job today.â€Â
(On his comfort-level with the offense and how it transformed into success against Denver) – “We played a great game. Throughout all of the offseason and throughout training camp not knowing who was going to play and who was going to be there, I was just letting it come to me and having some fun going out on each play and enjoying the process of the game. You are not looking up to see what until the end of the game what was left, its wanting that clock to go down and read zero.
(On if he sees the offense being a 35-pass attempt team regularly) – “No, but if teams’ are going to play you eight or nine guys in the box, you have to throw the ball. You can’t run the ball against that. People are too good on defense. We have to have plans that if they are going to come up and stop our run, we have to throw the ball. That is what we did and we had a good mix today.
(On not settling on just field goals) – “We had a good time. We were progressing the ball down the field. We had long drives after long drives. I don’t think we had many three and outs. We just managed the game and took some time off the clock. The heat helped out there. They were hot. We did a little bit of no huddle offense off and on and I think that helped us a lot.
(On if he was aware of Denver’s injuries in the secondary) – “I knew Champ (Bailey) was hurt, but other than that, I didn’t know who got hurt. It didn’t matter to me. We were going to play no matter who was out there.
(On if there was a time in his career where he didn’t think he was a starter) – “I don’t know if there was a time when I said I wouldn’t get another chance, but there were diffintely times when I said that I have had enough of this moving around and I want my family to be in one spot. For me, I know that I can still throw it and still play and have fun out there. I just had to keep pushing on and luckily, faith took me to Minnesota where I met [Coach] Scott (Linehan) and when he came here, I was able to come here with him. Things have worked out very well.
(On developing a scheme in Denver’s defense and the execution of the scheme) –“I thought we just played well. I thought we went out and we executed this week and we were self-confident in our approach to the game. Everybody knew the checks with the things that we were doing all week. Nobody looked surprised at practice or had mental errors, had mistakes where we said, ‘man, how do those guys know what we are doing?’ Everybody knew what we were doing. We were on top and on point today. We played really well and guys came out and made big plays. On the reverse to Chris (Chambers), I thought we had a score on that. We had adversity, but we fought it and overcame it and kept playing.â€Â
(On if he and the media should appreciate the performance of the offense) – “I definitely can appreciate that. Like I said in the beginning, that is your job to say that we are still 4-12 from last year and we know that we are not. We are a totally different team . Until we prove everybody wrong and do what we are supposed to do, you guys are going to say that. Hopefully, we opened some eyes today.
(On Wes Welker) – “He is a great player. The guy plays at 100 miles per hour on every play. He is an exciting player and they just gave us the looks where I was able to throw it to him. It was really exciting to give him the ball and hopefully, make some plays. They gave us the defense and coverage to allow me to give Wes the ball. If they would have game me different looks, I would have gone somewhere else.
(On if they lost sight of Wes Welker on the field) – “ I just think that he runs such precise and quick routes that he loses guys, which is nice.â€Â
(On Coach Saban as apposed to other coaches’ he’s played for) – “He wants us to play each play and enjoy the process and forget about the bad, wants us to win with intensity and all of that stuff. That is how we played and practiced the entire training camp. He has never let up on us. We have to go and push ourselves and it showed today. We came out in the second half and our o-line just pushed those guys around. It was great to see that. I think that is guys buying into the program. We have signs in our locker room that says, ‘out of yourself and into the team’, and guys are doing that. When everybody can buy into that and trust each other and have confidence in each other, we are going to be a heck of a team.â€Â
(On the aggressiveness of the offense) – “There is no limit in what we can do. We are going to try anything. We are not just going to line up in a pro formation and run the ball up your throat. We are not going to do that. We are going to line up the pro formation and do something crazy and give you different looks. Denver was a team that we knew that they moved around and we moved around. If you move one guy, it shows what the defense is going to play. I think Coach (Scott) Linehan and the coaches deserve a great round of applause because they put together a heck of a game-plan.â€Â
(On what to expect from Coach Saban after the 24-hour recovery period) – “It is going to be the same ole Coach Saban. If you watched him at the end of the game with the defense, he was yelling and screaming. That is coach. He is yelling and screaming, ‘the game is not over, lets play harder, let’s go.’ He has a desire to win and to play well on every play. I think that that is going to carry over for this team.â€Â
TE RANDY McMICHAEL
Miami Dolphins Tight End Randy McMichael
(On the play of Gus Frerotte) – “Gus played a great game. His leadership in the huddle was unparallel. The interception didn’t bother or faze him at all. He came out, he stayed calm and he played good. He’s a big reason why we got the win today.â€Â
(On if the offense is fun) – “Yes, definitely. The most fun thing about it is there are no decoys. Everybody can go get the ball. You don’t know who is going to get the ball on any certain play. Everybody is in the read. Today you saw that with so many people getting the opportunity to make plays.â€Â
WR CHRIS CHAMBERS
(On the offense making big plays) – “Any time you get big touches like that it definitely helps our offense to get down the field. We actually had a really average day, to tell you the truth, because we had a couple of balls that we had a chance to get to and we dropped a couple of balls, but we definitely have something to build on.â€Â
(On if they were expecting Denver to play off the ball) – “We were well prepared. We were prepared for anything they had. When you’ve got 10 or 11 guys backing off, why not throw the ball and get the easy first down and gain some yardage so we can have a good down and distance? That was pretty much the game-plan and when we had our chance to take our shots we took them. Marty (Booker) was able to get the big one and it looked even better for us.â€Â
RB RONNIE BROWN
(On if the Dolphins are a playoff team) – “We just have to come out and play pretty good. We have to eliminate some mental mistakes like jumping offsides, false starts and stuff like that. We can be a pretty potent offense. The defense played real well. If we can just put it all together and eliminate all the mistakes, we have an opportunity to be a playoff team.â€Â
(On the speed of the game) – “A couple of times I got myself in trouble trying to cut back a couple of times. The speed of the game, the linebackers and everybody else, it is kind of fast. I got myself in trouble, but that just comes with the learning curve and the first game we came out with a win.â€Â
WR WES WELKER
On the attitude of the offense… “I think the offense preserved through a lot of situations and we just kind of came together in different situations we made big plays. It jump started us back in the groove.â€Â
On if five receiver sets early in the game surprised Denver… “I think so because it was something we never ran before. It something they didn’t have on film and something they haven’t practiced or anything like that, so I think we caught them off guard.â€Â
On his third down receptions… “Once I got my opportunity, I just went out there and try to run a good route and get open for Gus and try to make his job as easy as possible and he put it right on me and mad great plays.â€Â
WR MARTY BOOKER
On taking advantage of Denver depleted DB’s…. “That’s our main thing anyways, it doesn’t matter who got hurt or didn’t at all. It was to be aggressive. I think we came out and did some quick stuff to get ourselves going and try to get in a rhythm.â€Â
On his 60 yard reception for a TD… “It was just that I told myself after I caught the ball, I was expecting to real get tackled because I knew Lynch was there and I knew Lenny Walls was right there behind me, so I thought it was going to be a catch and hit. Once I was able to see I had a little separation, I just told myself don’t get caught from behind.â€Â
DE JASON TAYLOR
Miami Dolphins Defensive End Jason Taylor
(On his touchdown) – “It was a good feeling, but it was that type of game, I guess. It was a good play. I made a couple of mistakes, I jumped offsides when I was trying to beat the snap and I missed a couple of sacks, but we won the game. The offense played very well. They did a great job of not giving us much of a rest in the second half because they were scoring so quickly, which is a great thing. We’d take that any time. Overall we played very well.â€Â
(On the missed sacks) – “It’s tough when you miss tackles. You work so hard to get there and you miss him. Jake (Plummer) isn’t called ‘The snake’ for nothing. He’s slippery. A lot of times when I tackle I go for the strip.â€Â
(On if stopping Denver at the goal line on fourth down was a big momentum swing) – “It was huge.They wanted their offense to punch it in there. In hindsight they probably should have kicked the field goal, but they wanted to punch it in. I think we were up 6-0 at the time. Zach (Thomas) made some great plays. He did a great job. It was great having Keith Traylor and those big guys inside. With Keith, Vonnie (Holliday), K.C. (Kevin Carter) and Jeff Zgonina inside, it is tough to move those guys. It gives Zach the chance to run and me the chance to come off the edge. Those guys, they do all the dirty work. I’m the one that the people talk about, but they do all the dirty work to create the plays.â€Â
(On if he saw a bit of confusion in Denver’s offense early on) – “We did a decent job of keeping them off balance a little bit. Overall we just played pretty well upfront. The front seven we played the run game pretty well, with the exception of the one run they got for however many yards. We knew coming in this week the key was going to win first down. If we could win first down to get them to second-and-long and third-and-long we had a chance to do some things. We really didn’t show a whole bunch of stuff. We have a lot more things that I thought we would get a chance to run, but the situation didn’t allow us to do that or we were stuck in the dirt and couldn’t do some of the things we wanted to do down there. We did a pretty good job off what we had to.â€Â
(On if he wanted the ball thrown to him when he was on offense) – “I think Gus did look for me. The play worked, it worked great. Randy (McMichael) was wide open.â€Â
(On the team using a lot of new looks and plays) – “Don’t get me wrong, we haven’t proven anything yet. We won a game, big deal. We all know it is great to get off to a good start, get the first one here at home and win it pretty well, but we haven’t done anything yet.â€Â
LB ZACH THOMAS
(On whether he was surprised at how well the Dolphins played) – “I knew if we out it together we could play well. It’s only one game though. When the Broncos came in here, it was hot, that was to our advantage. But I thought coming in our defense could be really good this year and we could have been even better today.â€Â
(On the big plays he made near the goal line) – “We did a great job mixing things up. We caught them off guard a couple times, but the guys up front did a great job. We were coming un-touched from the linebacker spot and we just have to make the tackle. It’s kinda hard when it’s on that (baseball) infield too. I thought we did a great job with that in the first half and even in the second half. When you’re free you’ve got to make those plays. I just read it well. I’m just happy to get into the new year with a win and starting off on the right foot and I hope we can keep this going.â€Â
CB SAM MADISON
(On the secondary’s good play vs. the Broncos) - “The last couple of months we’ve been working extremely hard and we’ve been working a lot of different guys in there. We’re coercive. There is no ‘he say’, ‘they say’ on this football team. We all work together and we cover our assignments and we work the scheme. Everything went well today and we need to build on this and work from here for the rest of the season.â€Â
(On the Dolphins offense vs. the Broncos) - “I can’t speak for those guys over there, but in this game they played extremely well. They did all the x’s and o’s correctly. They wanted to show their aggressiveness and on a whole I think they did that.â€Â
DE KEVIN CARTER
(On stopping the Broncos running game) – “We had a good plan. They have one of the better running schemes in the league. They’ll run the ball, cut back on you and run the ball down hill. They keep you off balance and mix up the run and the pass, you know change up their looks and do a lot of things.â€Â
(On what the game plan was vs. the Broncos to stop the run) – “Basically we had to stop them from making vertical seams in our defense. We had to stop them from being able to run down hill and not just let them wash us down. It was a good plan. Our defensive coordinator Rick Smith and Will Muschamp, they did a great job mixing up the calls on defense and putting some pressure on the back end that really let us get some pressure on the quarterback. When we had to get some things done, we did.â€Â
(On whether losing Mike Anderson hampered the Broncos offense) – “You know I didn’t even notice. It doesn’t matter whose in there. You just have to execute what you are doing. No. 26 (Tatum Bell) was the one who broke the big run on us anyway, he was the one that was actually getting some yards. It didn’t matter who was back there, we had to go ahead and stop them.â€Â
