Quotebook: Dolphins Players, Coaches on Facing Titans

Not long ago, there was a lot of talk about the likelihood that Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores could be fired. After all, his team had lost seven straight following a Week 1 victory.

Now, Flores is mentioned as a Coach of the Year candidate because he has guided that same team to seven straight victories and the Dolphins have allowed 17 points or fewer in six of those contests.

As of now, Sunday’s game between the Tennessee Titans (10-5) and the Dolphins (8-7) at Nissan Stadium is a matchup of teams currently among the top seven the playoff positions) in the AFC.

Here is a roundup of some of what Miami’s players and coaches had to say about the matchup in recent days:

ON RYAN TANNEHILL

• Coach Brian Flores: “Ryan has done a great job for those guys from a leadership standpoint, from a communication standpoint. He’s throwing the ball well, he runs it well, he’s a good runner. He’s got great command of the offense and he’s doing a really nice job for them.”

• Tight end Mike Gesicki: “I like Ryan a lot. I’m happy for his success. He’s a good guy, a good player … and I’m looking forward to us competing against his team this week.”

• Defensive coordinator Josh Boyer: “I would say when you start with Ryan Tannehill, you start with the intangibles. I think he is definitely a tough-minded quarterback. He has the arm to make all the throws and does make all the throws. He can beat you with his feet whether it’s a designed run or whether he makes a play to extend with his legs in the pass game. He makes good decisions. He makes good reads. … They’re tough-minded and I think Ryan Tannehill embodies all that.”

• Cornerback Xavien Howard: “Got to put a little pressure on him. I feel like the front’s got to put pressure on him. Just dealing with him as a teammate, just being here, just knowing some of the weak things for him, so I feel like that’s one of them that we’ve got to do.”

ON THE TITANS’ DEFENSE

• Offensive lineman Jesse Davis: “They have a good defensive front. I think every week it’s always the same song and dance when it comes to defensive fronts. I think they are really talented and we’ve got our hands full there.”

• Running back Duke Johnson: “It’s another strong defense. It plays well together, trusts each other, trusts each other’s technique, trusts each other. It’s another great defense we are going to play. Just do what we can. We just have to fight for every yard, take what’s there and just do our job.”

• Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa: “(Kevin Byard) gets guys aligned in the back end. He communicates out where everyone needs to be, who’s pressuring, who needs to replace him, all of that. So he’s the captain for them in the back end and I think he’s done a really good job so we’ve definitely got to be aware of where he’s at and who he’s covering at all times and look pretty much elsewhere for our matchups.”

• Offensive lineman Michael Dieter: “They have a really good, sound defense, especially their front. They’re big, they’re fast, they’re powerful, they play smart and they play with a lot of effort. They present a lot of good challenges for us, which is exciting. It gives us a chance to go against the best and expect a lot of good stuff.”

• Flores: “They’ve got a lot of good players on their front really across the board – (Bud) Dupree, Rashaan Evans, Zach Cunningham they claimed from the Texans. They’ve got a lot of good players in the back end as well, offensively as well. It’s a good team, a well-coached team. But (Jeffery) Simmons is definitely at the forefront.”

ON A.J. BROWN

• Howard: “I feel like (Brown is) very physical. I feel like he attacks the ball and also I feel like that’s Ryan’s favorite target. He’s definitely a top receiver I’d say in my book, and I’ve got to give him much respect as watching him on film and knowing what he’s good at.

• Flores: “(Brown is) one of the top receivers in the league. I think (Ryan) Tannehill is doing a great job of getting him the football. They’re scheming things up to get it to him, which as they should. His talent level, he is someone we’ve got to pay attention to.”

• Safety Jevon Holland: “(Brown is) a large, athletic, consistent receiver. He’s one of the best in the league and you see that week in and week out. We just go to game plan for it and go out there and execute. He’s a hell of a player. He’s been a hell of a player in the league, has a great career, so I’m excited to play him.

ON SUNDAY’S GAME

• Flores: “I’d like to think it’s as normal a week as possible. Preparation is always at a high level – our effort, our communication, always trying to be at the top of our game from that standpoint. I think this week we’ve got a great challenge in the Titans – a well-coached team, a tough, a physical team really on all three sides of the ball. So our preparation has got to be at a high level. They’ve got a lot of good players really on both sides of the ball and in the kicking game, so it’ll be a big test for us.”

• Linebacker Elandon Roberts: “We just as a whole team continue to take it one week at a time. That’s really all you can do, just take it one week at a time. … Hone in what we have in front of us, and what we have in front of us is the Tennessee Titans. We’re just all zoned in on that.”

• Holland: “Everybody is excited to play the Titans. It’s a big game. They’re a really tough opponent. They’ve got great offense, defense, special teams. They’re really well-coached. This is what we do. We play football and enjoy the time that we have. Just having a good time while doing it.”