The play was called “Boise.” The result was no small potatoes.
This is how a few of the Miami Dolphins, who are now locked in a fight for the second AFC Wild Card slot, saw the final play of their stunning 34-33 win over the Patriots unfold.
HEAD COACH ADAM GASE
They had TE Rob Gronkowski back there on the Hail Mary. Did you notice that? Did you see that as a vulnerability?
GASE: I think it was more … all of us noticed it right at the end because we weren’t thinking we were going that … pushing it down the field like that, so we didn’t really think that was relevant to us.
Your reaction to the play?
GASE: I think I was really mad at DeVante (Parker) at one point because I thought he had a chance to turn and run but he made a good decision. Those guys executed as well as you could with bodies around. I mean, when we practice that stuff, it’s usually on air and you don’t really know how it’s going to turn out. So those guys did a good job of slowing themselves down and doing the right things as far as pitching when they needed to pitch and then Kenyan (Drake) realized that he had a lane and took it.
New England Patriots
QUARTERBACK RYAN TANNEHILL
You knew it all along, didn’t you?
TANNEHILL: Yeah, we had them right where we wanted them (joking). Defense did a good job just like we talked about, just hold them to a field goal down there. We got exactly the look we were looking for, like, ‘Hey, this is a perfect look.’ As soon as we lined up, we knew we had it. Not really surprised with how things turned out. Guys did their job and we got in the end zone.
Were you able to run down and celebrate?
TANNEHILL: Yeah, I was kind of trailing along. (The) play kind of got messed up. Kenny (Stills) was able to … I saw Kenyan there. I’m like, ‘Pitch it! Pitch it!’ He pitches it, ‘KD’ (Kenyan Drake) came back inside – I kind of had a great view of the whole thing – came back inside, then I saw him and ‘Gronk’ (Rob Gronkowski) about 10 yards away and I was like, ‘Gronk is on the field! We got this!’ (laughter) It was pretty amazing. I was following behind and I kind of just turned around and collapsed just with the emotion of the whole thing.
How often do you work on that? Is it every week, every once in a while you guys work on that?
TANNEHILL: It’s a play we work occasionally, not every week. We have a walk through that we’ll do it in every couple of weeks or so just for a desperation situation like that. We do it on air, though, so you never really know how it’s going to turn out. I told the guys in the huddle, ‘Hey, once we complete this thing, get downfield, because it’s going to turn into a pitch thing.’ I didn’t think it was going to be one pitch and Kenyan take it the rest of the way. Usually if those things work, it’s multiple throws back across the field until someone can make it happen. Just unbelievable effort. Our guys never quit and I think that showed on that play.
RUNNING BACK KENYAN DRAKE
On the game-winning touchdown ...
DRAKE: It’s just something that we practiced every Saturday in walkthroughs. Obviously, in a situation (like that), you never know what would happen. It was just by the grace of God we were able to hold our composure and just make a play.
Before you scored, was there a time during that run where you thought “Wow! This could really work?”
DRAKE: ”Until I got in the end zone … I mean honestly, I’m sitting before you all and I still don’t believe it. I just saw it was ‘Gronk’ (Rob Gronkowski) in front of me and I was just like ‘Look, I’ve got somewhere to be.’ So I had to get in the end zone.”
How often does it actually work or look good in practice?
DRAKE: The funny thing is it’s a walkthrough. We don’t practice it a ton. They make bets (between) themselves and say “Oh somebody might go the wrong way. Somebody might not get the pitch” The fact that (Coach Gase) called it in this critical situation and put the trust in his players to go out there and make the play, I’m just glad we all took care of our business and we ended up on the right side of that victory .
At what point did you see that you had a chance?
DRAKE: When I got up to ‘ronk and I saw nobody else behind me, I knew I couldn’t get caught from behind and Gronk was the only person in front of me so I had to get in the end zone.”
What is the play called?
DRAKE: It’s called Boise.
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