Miami Dolphins Head Coach Tony Sparano Press Conference

Typically, I try to take the weekly media availability of Miami Dolphins Head Coach Tony Sparano and build a story out of it.  However, this week, I figured I would just post the entire video and transcript, since it hit on so many different topics.  This video and transcript comes via MiamiDolphins.com.  

If you don't want to watch the video, make the jump for the transcript.

(On Tony McDaniel back out on the practice field today)- "It's great. Good to have him back out there, did a nice job today. Should be a little bit rusty but got some good work in." 

(On if the bye week was good for health purposes)- "Yeah, it looked that way today. We'll see how some of those guys respond tomorrow from doing some work but most of the guys out there today. Wasn't really anybody that didn't work today, some a little bit more than others. But thought it was good." 

(On emphasizing getting a jump on the New York Jets with an extra day of practice)- "Yeah, I didn't have to hammer it home. I think they knew that. Obviously they knew when the Jets played and that we had practice today. Every rep that you take out there today is one more rep that you get up on those guys a little bit. We had some rest. They are going to have a little bit of rest with the day off here and the long week." 

(On what separated Sage Rosenfels apart from the rest of the quarterbacks that they worked out)- "He just threw it better...he threw it better. I thought mentally he was good but threw it better." 

(On Sean Smith getting his hands on more footballs like he did last year and how he is playing overall)- "Well, I'd like to see him get his hands on more footballs, yeah. Sometimes the balls got to come your way to have those opportunities and really prior to last game, I think the San Diego game, is when the most balls went Sean's way. I think overall right now he's played three really good games. I think the San Diego game Sean would tell you there is a play or two there he wishes he had back. I don't think he played a bad game in that game I just think there was a couple plays there he wishes he had back." 

(On how Sage Rosenfels looked today in a practice environment)- "He looked good. He hasn't really, in a competitive situation like that, he hasn't been involved in that in quite awhile so I mean he looked good. He was able to function out there from in and out of the huddle, terminology, some of those kind of things which was encouraging because really he's had limited time. It was good." 

(On if it's encouraging that his running game is averaging 12 yards more than last season)- "Yeah, it's been encouraging. We've left a lot of yards on the field too. I think there's been some plays that have been called back that were big plays and I think there's been some runs that I thought coulda, shoulda, woulda...I mean a block here or a block there. But that's all part of the battle at the end of this thing when you're trying to rush the football. A lot of things have to go right for you to have a good day rushing the football. Not necessarily the case if you're throwing the ball. So I think I've been pleased with the way that's coming along. I've been pleased with the way the guys have been practicing, starting to feel a little bit better. I think Reggie (Bush) is starting to get a better feel for what we're trying to do running the football. I think Steve (Slaton) is getting a better feel for what we're trying to do running the football. Daniel (Thomas) has been fine doing that it's just getting him out there." 

(On the biggest point of emphasis last week leading into the bye)- "Just really work on the things that we really had trouble with in the first several weeks of the season as best as we could hit those things. Put them in a lot of those situations, make the players compete against each other again. Get back to that thing. That was a point of emphasis. Special teams was a large point of emphasis. When you're not in pads, that's an area that your team can grow a little bit in I think. So we made a big point of emphasis there as well and we'll need it this week. The team that we play is one of the top teams in the league in most categories special teams wise. We certainly don't want that to hurt us in this game. But mostly looking at the things that we have not done well as a football team and addressing those issues...now bringing them to the forefront as well. In other words, making the guys identify with the fact that, okay let's take a breather here. We're not getting ready to play a game...let's look at this closely and identify these are the things we didn't do well." 

(On the free safety competition when Chris Clemons gets fully healthy)- "I hope there is competition at all places for as long as we can have it. But that being said, I've been pleased with what Reshad (Jones) has done. Reshad missed a few tackles in the ball game the other day; that's not a secret, Reshad would tell you that. But this guy has made a lot of tackles right now, too many. Both our safeties have made too many tackles right now, point blank. So I think with that being said I've liked some of the things that Reshad has done, liked most of the things Reshad has done back there. I just would love to see him get his hands on more footballs but I think the ball has got to come to you back there. He's a young player that I think has done some nice things in the first quarter of the season right now. All that being said, Chris (Clemons) comes back and he gets himself healthy and he can compete, that would be good." 

(On the safeties making a lot of tackles)- "I think sometimes the reason the safeties are making tackles is it's twofold. The ball is getting thrown into that middle range. In other words, that 8-14 yard area where the safeties kind of hang out. That's been done. We've had some runs that ended up down there in that area and those guys have had to come up or perimeter runs that they have to force support on. And then of course when they're in and around the box. I mean, when they're playing down in the box that's their job, they need to make tackles down in the box. The job description tells you that it shouldn't. They should have a good of number of tackles. Tackles that you don't want them to have is the ones where the runs are coming out into the area. In San Diego we had three or four runs pop out into that area where one of them safeties...those things are hitting the safeties now."