Redskins.com:Quotes From Miami: Wannstedt, Taylor

[TK]

http://redskins.com/story.asp?ContentID=12283

Quotes From Miami: Wannstedt, Taylor

11/20/2003

Miami Dolphins Conference Call

With Washington, D.C. Reporters

MIAMI HEAD COACH DAVE WANNSTEDT

On the importance of last Sunday’s 9-6 win over Baltimore:

“It was a very important win for us just to stay alive in the playoff race. As you look at the race, you’re going to need about 10 wins to get in. A year ago, we had nine wins and it wasn’t good enough. I think that’s the mindset we have that someway we have to finish up with 10 wins to have a chance to get in the playoffs. When you’re playing at home, those are the games that you expect to rise up and play well.”

On whether last season was his most disappointing season given how the team finished:

“Yeah. We were out of it, and then we fought our way back in, and then we had a chance to win the division. In this league, you have to be able to finish strong. It’s really critical that you play well in November and December, and if you don’t, you’re not going to be a playoff team. It’s pretty clear-cut where we stand right now.”

On why the Miami offense has struggled the last few weeks:

“We haven’t really got on track all year. I’m hoping that maybe we’re saving it all for later. We just haven’t hit on all cylinders. Early on, we were getting guys open and there’d be pressure on the quarterback. Other times we’d get protection and we wouldn’t make the throw. Or we wouldn’t be able to get our running game going. It’s just been inconsistent play for most of the year, and that’s been the biggest negative.”

On the rushing offense’s struggles given Ricky Williams’s 3.3 yards-per-carry average, which is down from last year:

“The struggles of the running game have been really shocking to all of us for a couple reasons. One, we basically have the same guys as last year. Two, I think everyone knows how I believe in running the football. Three, we’ve always been strong in running the football and that was in evidence a year ago. I think that last week, Ricky—even though he didn’t put up big numbers against a pretty good Ravens defense—probably ran the ball as well as we have all year. So hopefully there’s a little bit of a positive reinforcement there.”

On what makes Norv Turner good as an offensive coordinator:

“I think Norv has a great ability to call plays and figure out what defenses do in a hurry, then come up with plays to attack it. I think he has a great rapport with the players. I know our players love him—the quarterbacks on down to the offensive lineman and Ricky Williams. I think he has a lot of things you look for in a coach.”

On whether Norv Turner has any extra motivation to play the Redskins:

“If there is, it’s never come up. And it won’t. We’ve been struggling a little bit on offense and I know the only thing that Norv thinks about is to find more ways to score more points and to try and win the game. I think he’s been removed from that for several years and it’s behind him.”

On whether he’s disappointed that the team is 6-4:

“Yes, because we feel like we should one or two more wins, to be quite honest with you.”

JASON TAYLOR (DE, #99)

On why this team is different from previous teams that have not done well late in the season:

“I think the mentality is different than it’s been in year’s past. I’ve been here for seven years and I’ve seen the mental state of the team before. It’s been very fragile. I think it’s much stronger this year. Whether that translates into wins late in the season, I can’t tell you. We’ll have to see how it plays out. But at this point, with the adversity we’ve had, I think it’s become evident that this team is a little different mentally.”

On why the mentality is different this year:

“It’s a combination of a lot of things. We have guys who have been through this before and they’re growing up. Zach Thomas, myself, Sam Madison, Pat Surtain, Jay Fiedler, Tim Bowen—a lot of these guys have been through this before. We’ve been through the 7-2 starts and had trouble finishing up. I think this year guys have grown up a little bit more and become more mature. And then you have the addition of guys like Junior Seau and Sammy Knight who have been through it on other teams and know how to react.”

On his impressions of Patrick Ramsey’s toughness:

“He’s a tough son-of-a-gun. I watched the Dallas game and they were tattooing him. But he kept on getting up. I have a lot of respect for him. He’s a tough guy. He picks himself up and keeps coming at you.”

On whether as a defensive lineman he relishes playing against a team struggling to protect its quarterback:

“We go in every week knowing we have an opportunity to pressure the quarterback. This is another opportunity against a team we know has a lot of talent. They’re struggling a little bit trying to get things together. That’s a dangerous thing to mess with. It’s like messing with a wounded animal. When they’re desperate, upset or disappointed, you have to be careful.”

On the Dolphins’ 9-6 win over Baltimore:

“It was a win. It wasn’t by the biggest of margins, but it was a win. It was really good for us this past week, coming back after all the adversity, playing pretty well and getting a win at home. It helped our confidence level rise.”

On whether the team is trying to win to save the job of head coach Dave Wannstedt:

“There’s no talk about that. Dave’s been getting a bum rap from the media. We have so many more reasons to go out there to win games that we don’t need to win one for him. Dave is going to be just fine. We want to win ballgames to achieve our goals—and that’s to win our division and get to the playoffs.”