Head Coach Tom Coughlin
Conference Call, December 9, 2015
Q: When it comes to Odell Beckham, we’ve seen the one-handed catch and all the catches, the flare for the dramatic, how much of that is hard work and how much of it is he’s just born for that flare for the big play?
A: Well, I don’t know about any of that. He obviously has the ability to extend himself further than the normal guy to get the ball or higher. What we try to stress, obviously, is the two-handed catch and the two-handed put the ball away. He’s shown the ability to do that and I’m not going to tell you he doesn’t work at it. You can watch him in practice. Sometimes he’ll catch punts with one hand and he’ll do some things on the side playing catch with people, catching the ball one-handed. The ultimate you want is, obviously, the two-handed catch and put away. The other night he got one that was very high and he got it put away. He reached up with one hand above where he could have with two and pulled it down and put it away. It is quite a remarkable thing to watch, but the idea, of course, is to make the catch, get the ball put away and be able to run after the catch.
Q: Let me ask you about one of the Dolphins, Branden Albert. He had some serious knee injuries, recovered from that, started the year, then he had the hamstring injury. Recently we’ve seen the Bills move Jerry Hughes to the other side to get him away from Branden Albert, Greg Hardy didn’t seem to have much success. What are you seeing on film from Branden Albert recently?
A: Athletic, big, strong man that moves very well, very fluid, he uses his hands very well, gets them extended from his body. He’s athletic, he’s big, and he’s done a nice job contending with some of the premier pass rushers in the game.
Q: Obviously everyone knows how close Odell is with Jarvis Landry in Miami. Do you like that when you see one of your players who has a close friend on the opposing team?
A: We’re well aware of the friendship; they come by it naturally, obviously having played together, so I don’t know the depth or anything of that nature. I do know they’re good friends and so be it. They’ll probably be interested in competing against one another.
Q: Based on what you’ve seen on film of Jarvis Landry, where do you see the similarities in style between him and Beckham?
A: Well, there’s a definite flare. They’re outstanding athletes and when I look at Landry, I know a lot of things, one of which is the punt return ability, he can be utilized in the gadgets, he runs the jet sweep, etc., etc. He’s got the exact same number of catches Odell does, so he’s a highly-touted player that his team relies on and he comes through.
Q: What are your thoughts on the job Dan Campbell has done in the two months he’s had the job?
A: The only thing that I know is that he’s gone 4-4 and, obviously, for that reason has done an outstanding job of pulling his team together. They play hard, whether you’re looking at their special teams, or their defense or offense, so Dan has done a nice job.
Q: How much did you come across him during your time in the NFL before this year and if it’s a decent amount, did you ever see him as a potential head coach?
A: Well, really, I don’t know Dan personally. I do know that he was with the Giants at one time and some of the people here certainly remember him and are well aware of his intangibles. I don’t know any more than that.
Q: What have you seen from Ryan Tannehill this year? I know in some ways his numbers aren’t as good as they were a year ago.
A: I see the quarterback taking charge of a team. I see him make all the throws, he’s very athletic, he’s utilized in the run game, as well, whether he scrambles, whether he runs a zone read, so he’s very dangerous.
Q: We’ve seen Jason Pierre-Paul since he’s been back, I believe he’s playing exclusively on the left side, but can you talk about the progress that he’s made and what he can accomplish in these last few games as you guys make your playoff push? I mean sacks, I know you talked about the potential interception last week, what can he do to finish the season here?
A: Well, he’s not strictly playing on the left side. He’s played on the left and the right side. We think last week was his best game because he, frankly, had no preseason, had no warmup or anything of that nature, so he was determined to improve and to play better and he did. He’s a strong rallying point for our team, he’s an exceptional athlete. To see him use his right hand last week the way he did means that he’s getting comfortable and confident that he can do that and be successful. We expect him to be a high factor in terms of pressuring the quarterback and also playing the run.
Q: Larry Izzo was quite the special teams player for a few years down here in Miami. Can you talk about him a little bit as a coach and what do you see in his coaching future?
A: He brings that same intensity, Larry does, to his coaching style. He’s very much upfront with the players, he’s very direct, and I think the players respond well to it. He was an exceptional special teamer. I think he’s the all-time leading special teams tackler in the history of the league. He has a lot of fire, a lot of energy. You watch him work on the field and to see him run around, you would think he was still a player, but he’s done a nice job working with Tom Quinn and we’ve made some progress in that area.
He is starting to figure out what he can do w/the club. Expect him to stay on the Left. Makes sense now more than ever.