Each week throughout the 2006 season, Miami Dolphins Head Coach Nick Saban will share his thoughts through an exclusive column on MiamiDolphins.com as told to Andy Cohen of Dolphin Digest.
In addition, Coach Saban will occasionally answer questions from Dolphins fans in his column on Miamidolphins.com. Please click "Ask the Coach" to submit your questions.
November 3, 2006
Q. What are the challenges of preparing your offense to face a defense the caliber of the Chicago Bears?
Cecil Murray
Jacksonville, FL
A. The Bears obviously have a very good defensive team. They have great leadership in Brian Urlacher. I even said to our players after the game against Arizona, when the Bears came back to win, how impressive it was the way Urlacher took the game over and how that's great leadership and that's a great competitor. That competitive character is something that's demonstrated on their entire defensive team. It will certainly be a challenge for us playing the Bears up there, but we like those kind of challenges. No disrespect to the Chicago Bears, they are one of the best teams in the league, but what better way is there to do something outstanding than to play against an outstanding team?
Q. Coach, Everybody is motivated by different things (money, recognition, etc.). As a coaching staff do you try to work with individual players to discover their particular source of motivation to help them get to their peak performance?
Andy Larson
Tampa, FL
A. We probably do as much of that as anybody I know. I believe that emotionally and psychologically, even before we bring a guy to the team, we like to know what makes him tick, so to speak. We want to know how important football is to him, how committed he is in his performance, how much pride he takes in being great at what he does. That's a challenging thing for pro players because there is a little more clutter on this level, things that can distract you from sustaining that drive or passion to be as good as you can be.
The special ones, a guy like Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas who have played well for a long, long time, share in that passion. So do players such as Clay Matthews and Pepper Johnson who I have coached in other places. All have this special quality about them. Sure, they have great ability, but their ability to sustain a high level for a long time is special and that is something we are constantly looking for.
Q. Coach, How supportive has Wayne Huizenga been this season and how much of an obligation do you feel to him to turn the Dolphins back into a winner?
Mark Simeon
Jacksonville, FL
A. Mr. Wayne is a great owner. He has given us every opportunity to be successful here. I would like to restore the tradition of this organization for him and his family, but also for the fans who have helped make the transition of what this franchise is about with their enthusiasm and their support.
Q. I saw you mentioned that too many players are catching passes with their bodies instead of their hands. How do you get them to do it the right way or shouldn't they know the right way at this level?
Bob Warren
Coral Gables, FL
A. I think they all know the right way. You see them doing it the right way. When you're talking about consistency of performance, that's what you're talking about. A guy makes a great catch, snatches it perfectly in his hand, and then on another catch that might even be easier to make he doesn't have the hand selection you'd like. Sometimes that's what we're talking about when we talk about the importance of doing things correctly and how it will help you be successful. It all comes down to consistency.
Q. How are Fred Evans and Kevin Vickerson doing and what is their long range potential?
Cindy Redman
New Orleans, LA
A. Both guys have the kind of physical skills you like in a defensive lineman. They have size. They have initial quickness. They can both play with power. Both guys did a nice job in camp and both guys are developing nicely through the course of the season. The fact that you always have two or three defensive linemen inactive for a game is something I don't really like, but it's what the rules are. Those guys don't play on special teams a lot, so it's the linemen that you usually go short with at those positions. Even though those guys haven't had much of a chance to play, we are very pleased with their development and we're pleased with their outlook for the future.
Q. Coach, is there any chance we can see Cleo Lemon get his shot at quarterback this season?
Bob Clair
Sandusky, Ohio
A. Well, Cleo has done a very nice job each time he has had a chance to do it. The players have a lot of confidence in Cleo and he has developed nicely here in terms of his understanding of our offense and his ability to execute. We have total confidence that if he gets an opportunity he will do a nice job with it. Strategically for us, if there is some opportunity to give him valuable playing experience it would be great. It's not about our other quarterbacks. It would be the strategy that if Cleo had to play he would be more ready to play because he got some game experience this season.
Q. Do you think Wes Welker will hold up playing multiple positions?
J. Starr
Houma, La
A. We are concerned about that. Wes has done a fantastic job for us this year. He plays in the slot where his quickness is a real asset to him. We played a lot more three wide receivers this year than we have in the past. It's been a productive formation for us. We've been able to throw the ball effectively out of it, which has increased Wes' playing time on offense. At the same time, he's just a relentless return man and special teams guy and he's the kind of competitor you love to have on your team and love the way he plays with such passion. But when you're not a real big guy and you play with that reckless style, it's always a concern that the guy can persevere. But he's a tough guy. We'll manage it so he can be as productive as he's been, but stay healthy as well.
Q. Coach, do you watch Monday night football and when you watch football in general do you do it as a fan or as a coach?
Bob Martha
Jacksonville, FL
A. I watch so much football when I'm here at work and Monday night football for me usually means watching the team we're going to play the next Sunday here in the office, not sitting home in a chair. So I don't watch the same Monday Night Football that everybody else watches. But it is difficult for me sometimes to watch a game, college or pro, and not start thinking about, how would you defend that play, what would you do in this situation, why didn't they call time out? Whatever it is, your instincts are to start managing what's happening, so it's not as much fun.
Q. Coach, what's the reason you have to provide injury reports with designations each week and isn't it nobody's business but yours?
Geoff Marks
Miami, FL
A. I'm from the old school so I don't really like to tell anybody about anything. But I also understand in fairness of competition when everybody has to do the same thing, it kind of gives you an idea of who might play or who might not play so you have a better chance to prepare your team, and since we all have a limited number of players, I think it's fair that you get that information.
Q. Coach, since Ronnie Brown is such a good receiver, do you ever think about lining him up wide to cause a mismatch?
Nancy Collins
Orlando, FL
A. We certainly do. Against Green Bay, for instance, there were a couple of instances where we used Ronnie and Sammy Morris in the lineup together and than put one of them out of the backfield to try and create some mismatches. We actually put Ronnie out there at least once. He is a good receiver and it is good to move him outside some to create some mismatch problems. Typically running backs do an outstanding job of coming out of the backfield for passes because they know how the linebacker is going to cover. When you put them outside, they get a different coverage view and that's not something they get a lot of practice time on. But, yes, we like to do it from time to time.
