Miami Dolphins Head Coach Joe Philbin Press Conference

Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin met with the media yesterday. Here is the team provided transcript from the press conference:

(On the message to the team after yesterday's game given the short week) - "We're going to address it obviously. When you play like that, you need to make some corrections. We need to make improvements even though we're in a short week, even though we're in a semi-time crunch. We're going to take a quick peak at this game (and) make sure we understand the things that hurt us in that particular game (and) that they don't continue to hurt as we move forward. We'll take a quicker look at the Tennessee game maybe than we would have if we had played better."

(On if a short week means that it's harder to make changes in players' roles) - "I don't know that anything's out of the question. We're obviously putting together the plan for Buffalo as we speak. We came back last night and worked on it. We'll see as it unfolds during the course of the week."

(On why Ryan Tannehill hasn't taken as many shots down field the last two games) - "I think they did a good job yesterday obviously defensively against us. I would say we didn't throw the ball down the field. Some of it was coverage related. It wasn't like there's certain plays obviously in the offense where the progression, we have vertical guys running down the field, but if the coverage dictates that you go to someone else, you go to someone else. Once or twice, there was protection issues where we would have liked to get the ball down the field, but didn't have time."

(On if the Titans did anything different that Tannehill may not have seen before) - "I think they played well. They played fast. They played decisively. I don't know that their coverage variation was to that degree that we hadn't practiced against a lot of that stuff, but they certainly executed their plan very well. I don't know that it was one thing necessarily. Obviously, there was one protection thing where the ball got tipped. It wasn't all on him on that particular throw obviously and then they made a couple of good plays. They had a couple coverage (plays where we) tried to squeeze the ball in once or twice. To their credit, they made the plays."

(On what Reggie Bush has been like to coach this year) - "I think he's a professional. He's a pro. The guy, he shows up, works hard, practices hard, he's competitive and he's very, very professional."

(On if he treats all 53 players the same or if some receive more latitude) - "Well, I think Pat Devlin's the teacher's pet, but other than Pat, everybody else is the same (joking)."

(On his confidence in the ability to pick up short yardage with the running game) - "It's not very good. It's not very good. When you look at the film, the film's not good to watch."

(On why the team has struggled running the ball on third-and-short situations) - "A variety of reasons. Sometimes, penetration. Sometimes, (the) read of the back. Sometimes, a combination thereof. Usually, the things that affect runs are quick penetration and indecisiveness running the ball or poor course or poor read, and all those things. You throw on our tape, in third-and-one, you'll probably see a little bit of all that."

(On the team's struggles in stopping third downs in the past two games) - "Again, I would love to say it was individual player or one's coverage that wasn't good, but we've, at times... Yesterday, I will say that they were in much more manageable down-and-distance scenarios than there were a week ago in Indianapolis. That's part of the reason we weren't as successful on third down. But again, if it was just, geez, our two deep is terrible. We can't play two deep anymore because they complete every pass. Hopefully, we would be smart enough to get rid of the two deep and play one high or something. It's been a little bit of everything. It's been technique. It's been assignment. It's been pass rush."

(On if it's tough for a player like Bush to be in his "dog house") - "I don't know that he's in any dog house. He's not in any dog house that I know of."

(On what he saw in the run defense yesterday) - "Kevin (Coyle) calls in our defensive staff (meeting), we spend a lot of time (with) what we call fitting the runs, in other words, making sure the gap responsibilities are clean and distinct (and) making sure guys have their shoulders square, making sure we have a force player all the time, a cutback player. We didn't get off blocks well enough, consistently enough and tackle well enough to stop their run game yesterday on a consistent basis. It's really nothing more complicated than that. We'll look back, Kevin said on the way home, he was disgusted with some of the calls and when we look at the tape... We had a chance on most of those calls."

(On whether the decline in specials teams play yesterday is attributable to penalties) - "Sure I think that was part of it. If I'm not mistaken I think we had four special teams penalties. I felt like we should have fielded the punt that we didn't field; we lost a bunch of yards there. Yeah, uncharacteristic. I think it was an uncharacteristic game by the whole ball club, and they were certainly part of that."

(On whether he feels the game was an outlier type of performance, or whether he feels it might be a sign of others to come) - "That's a great question. Seriously, the great thing, I think, about the NFL that I love about it and makes my job exciting is you have to prove yourself every week. You can't assume that because we played our tails off, which I think we had, for eight weeks and really competed well that you are going to do it just because you have a home game at one o'clock when you haven't been home in a month. I'm confident in the men we have, I believe in the character of the guys that we have. I've said that numerous times; that hasn't changed. I'm confident we will play better. Obviously we all know, those of us that were there yesterday, we have to play better."

(On whether he feels there is a slippage in accountability for mistakes taking place) - "I told the guys after the game, that we all...I've said this before and I believe this, a coach's job is to prepare players to perform well, and their job is to perform. We've got to help them and put them in a position to be successful. And so that mesh didn't get done yesterday. So it's on us, it's on them; it's not one (person). It's on me ultimately because I'm the head coach, and that comes with the territory. I understand that and I fully accept that responsibility. But we, meaning coaches and players, we've got to do a better job. I think these guys for the most part, and again we will find out (because) the proof will be in the pudding, but I suspect that they have a high level of accountability."

(On what he saw from Ryan Tannehill after things started to snowball) - "Yeah I thought he handled it well. I think he was disappointed in himself, but not to the stage where the frustration was not going to allow him to perform. I don't think it got ‘the best of him' so to speak, (or) it took him out where he was disoriented. I've been around some players who have a couple bad things happen and they're kind of out to lunch and you can't get them back."

(On whether Tannehill seemed to understand what he was seeing on the field) - "Pretty much, yeah."

(On whether he would rather see Tannehill not make a touchdown saving tackle in order to prevent the risk of injury) - "I was delighted. No he is a football player. If you heard me on the phone, I said ‘damn good tackle.' You're playing football. You'd better stop a guy from scoring a touchdown. I thought it was an excellent play actually."

(On whether he thought the pursuit from offensive players on the Tennessee interception return for a touchdown was lackluster) - "I saw the play, (but) I'll have to double check. I know there were a couple guys; I'll have to look closer. Nothing jumped out at me when I watched it, but I will certainly take a peek."

(On whether fumbling the ball is the biggest sin a skill player can commit in his eyes) - "You know I haven't really thought about ranking sins for skill players, but yeah it's up there."

(On why he feels so strongly about not fumbling) - "You only get so many possessions in a game Mike. You only get so many possessions so you'd better make the most of them if you can."

(On Richie Incognito's personal foul and whether he has not received the message because it is not his first penalty) - "Well I think it was his first unnecessary roughness penalty I believe."

(On it not being his first personal foul) - "I'm not exactly sure about that, but I know the unnecessary roughness one, I believe (was his first). We talked about it, and hopefully he will learn from it."

(On the lack of offensive scoring recently being attributable to opposing defenses having more tape to study) - "It could be. I think it is more related to our execution, but I certainly can't attest to the other defensive coaches. The other defensive coaches might be better to ask that question to, but yeah certainly you bring up a point. We've got to get the ball in the end zone more, there's no doubt about it."