TITANS VS BILLS
Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020
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Q. Hey Ryan, first of all, we haven't talked to you since you guys got on the practice field on Friday and Saturday. What were you able to practice and get going in terms of prepare rotation going into this, and how much was it was cold turkey?
RYAN TANNEHILL: We were able to get a few reps on, let's see, what day did we get in there? Saturday was a walk-through, Sunday we were able to get closer to live speed. We had some coaches playing some DB spots, so it wasn't quite full action there.
But then Sunday -- I mean Monday, day before the game, walk-through again. So got a few reps on Sunday, two days before the game. Really it was a lot of walk-through reps that we were able to get.
Q. How much was you running a part of the plan? How much did things open up for you? How worried were you about your landing after the layup?
RYAN TANNEHILL: Yeah, feel like I got a little extra air than I was excepting and wasn't a smooth landing at all. Pretty embarrassing moment. Just got to roll with it and have fun with it. I'm thankful that nothing happened there. I think coming in I didn't really know if it was going to be a rushing game or not. I feel like the scrambles, they just come up and you feel them, you feel the space, and able to take advantage of it.
But we didn't really have any design run besides the QB sneak there late in game.
Q. 106 points in three weeks. That's an awfully big number. What's that feel like, and how confident are you that you can keep it going?
RYAN TANNEHILL: I think we're headed in the right direction. We're doing some good things. We were better in the red zone today, which I'm proud of. Going back to Minnesota, we didn't fight through the fringe and put the ball in the end zone there few times when we had opportunities.
So proud of our guys and the way we tightened things up down there. Just have to keep pushing, keep heading in the right direction. There are a lot of things we can clean up. On a short week, we're going to have to do it quickly.
Enjoy the moment. We're headed in the right direction, but we've got to keep the foot on the gas and keep getting better as the season goes on.
Q. Ryan, such a weird circumstance you guys were in. What did you expect coming into this game?
RYAN TANNEHILL: I felt really good coming in. It was great energy in the locker room. I think guys were excited to go out and play. It's been a long couple weeks, ups and downs. We were playing, not playing; practicing, not practicing; Zoom, okay; in the building; out of the building. Just been a roller coaster every which way.
But our guys believe in each other. We stuck together through the process and we were given the opportunity to get back in the building. Took advantage of those reps, whether they were walk-through or the few full-speed reps we were able to get. We felt prepared and came out, and like I said, believed in each other and made plays that we needed to and were able to win the game.
Q. What was your reaction to Derrick Henry's stiff arm?
RYAN TANNEHILL: Yeah, I screamed, holy crap. That was unbelievable just to see the way he tossed that guy. Derrick is a special player. We've seen the stiff arm from him. I saw it all last year. I've seen it before I got here, highlights of it.
Obviously he's strong, physically a tough runner. That was probably one of the meanest stiff arms I've ever seen, no doubt.
Q. Ryan, I know Kevin talked about taking note to what people were saying. How much did you guys as a team kind of circle the wagons with the attack that you guys seemed to be under all week?
RYAN TANNEHILL: Yeah, we were under a lot of heat. Didn't quite understand it, why we were under such heat, but we stuck together. We believed in each other and knew that guys in our building, on our team, were all we needed. We were down some guys, had some so guys step up and make some big plays for us that aren't usually in those spots.
I don't think we missed a beat. Obviously be great to get some of our guys back, but felt really confident going in that no matter who was out there, we would get it done. Yeah, we were under some heat for an couple weeks obviously, and felt really good to be able to go out play and shake it off.
Q. Can you talk about the three short fields that you got? I mean, when you get handed the ball inside the 30 three times, that's living right as an offense.
RYAN TANNEHILL: Yeah, no doubt. That was huge. Like I said, last week -- I guess two weeks ago now -- we got in those positions a couple times and weren't able to finish in the end zone. I'm proud of our guys the way we were able to capitalize on those great opportunities given to us by the defense. Malcolm made a couple huge plays. I don't know how he kept his feet on the one. I'm screaming at him, 'Get down, get down!,' and he's getting spun around. Somehow he keeps his feet and flips the whole field for you us. Pretty incredible to watch and just a lot of fun.
Q. You talked a little bit about I guess the criticisms from outside, those sorts of things. Did you guys go into this in a way having an us-against-the-world mentality coming out of this, and what kind of things were said through text messages and group chats and Zoom meetings about all that stuff?
RYAN TANNEHILL: Yeah, I mean, we said a lot of things throughout the past couple weeks. Things are being said and personal things that were said against our team, our guys, and really felt uncalled for. Yeah, we are a little ticked off about how we've been treated, looked at over the past couple weeks. We've really just stuck together through that process and believed in each other and wanted to come out and play our game and play how we believe in each other and we did that.
Q. Did you lobby Art for a few more designed runs after the way you scrambled around tonight?
RYAN TANNEHILL: I don't know. He doesn't really take too kind to me lobbying for runs. We'll see what can happen.
Q. You kind of touched on it, but seems like the team played with a little bit of a chip on its shoulder. Is that maybe the mindset of this team moving forward?
RYAN TANNEHILL: Yeah, I think this team kind of always plays with a chip on our shoulder for whatever reason. We are who we are, and people look at us a certain way. We've got a lot of confidence within our building and locker room, and belief in each other that we're going to find a way to get it done. We've gritted out some tough wins early in the season, and really things came together for us tonight.
We've won in several different ways. Like I said, we just need to continue pushing the envelope and getting better. There are a lot of things we can clean up, but excited where we are being 4-0 and big opportunity this week with a division opponent coming to town.
Q. Seemed like everything went well except for that landing on your touchdown run. What happened there?
RYAN TANNEHILL: Yeah, I'm going to catch a lot of grief for that, and deservedly so. That was an embarrassing moment. Definitely not a graceful moment. I got a little more air than I was expecting on the run and the legs were stiff by the time I hit the ground, which was a bad look, no doubt. Had a lot fun. Didn't hurt, so thankful for that. But just enjoying the moment. Guys were giving me crap for it and I'm sure I'll continue to get crap for it. It's fine, so look forward to it.
Q. Ryan, just as you mentioned with so much going against you guys coming into this game, does this wind up being more one of the satisfying or gratifying victories, especially during the regular season, that you can remember?
RYAN TANNEHILL: Yeah, no doubt, especially with past couple years here. We have had some really satisfying ones, but what this team, this organization has been through over the past couple weeks, to really fight through all of that, shake it off, really limited practice, limited reps, and go out and put this kind of win together I think makes a statement.
You know, I'm happy that we were able to do that today.
Q. On the first touchdown to A.J. Brown it looked like you checked to him, singled up with Norman. Was that the case? And also, how important was it to get him involved early to have him for this whole game?
RYAN TANNEHILL: It was huge to have A.J. back. He's obviously extremely talented and does a lot for us. No, that was Arthur's call. Great call there. You know, we weren't expecting to be obviously down in the red zone to start the game. We knew we wanted to get him involved early, but didn't know it was going to be down in the red zone with an opportunity for a touchdown.
He did a great job. I think he had one arm being held and was still able to come down with that football, so huge play for us there.
Q. Ryan, one year ago today Mike made the move to put you in the game against Denver. Since then, you guys have been 11 and 3 in the regular season, AFC Championship game, Pro Bowl, Comeback Player of the Year, and you're 4-0 now. If I had told you one year ago today that everything was going to happen that's happened since then, how would you have felt?
RYAN TANNEHILL: Honestly, I don't know. I look at things one week at a time. I try not to look into the future or think about too much into the future. For me personally it's best if I concentrate on getting one win at a time and doing everything I can one week at a time. That's the mentality that I take. Approach every game like it's your last opportunity to go out there, because you never know. I'm going to continue to take that approach, and hopefully keep stacking wins together.
Q. Obviously you and Malcolm are going to get a lot of attention, rightfully so, for what you did in sort of the big moments. But to win like this under these circumstances I know requires a lot of the little extra contributions from guys that you mentioned maybe that don't normally have to make those contributions. I wonder what are some specifically that stand out to you, some of the less heralded contributions of guys that stepped forward and did a thing here or a thing there that makes something like this possible?
RYAN TANNEHILL: Yeah, no doubt. Kalif Raymond, Cody Hollister, Nick Westbrook stepped up for us. Those are three guys that have been around and played for us a little bit, but got a lot of action tonight and made some huge plays. Nick made his first catch, which was great. Got a big first down for you us. Kalif has been big for us at other times in this year, but got a lot more reps.
Jeff Swaim, tight end, a guy who has been on the practice squad and was able to come in and really make a big impact, do some great things for us filling in for MyCole (Pruitt). So just a group effort. Ty (Sambrailo) came off the sideline when Taylor (Lewan) went again and stepped in and held the left side down for us.
Just a belief that we have in one another that no matter who comes in we're going to get it done. I think we've shown that time and time again this year.
