Pouncey on Preseason: 'You Definitely Have to Get Reps in Game 3'
Channing Crowder thinks Ryan Tannehill will be in the Pro Bowl conversation this year and definitely among the Top 6 quarterbacks in the AFC.
Does the Miami Dolphins' starting center agree?
"I do," Mike Pouncey said on Hochman, Crowder and Krantz. "I think Ryan's come in with a great attitude. Each year he's just getting better and better. We're just excited to have him as our quarterback. Throughout this whole preseason he's played exceptional. When you've got a quarterback who's on his game, it makes the offensive line look better so we're happy.
"The kid's a smart player. It's his second year in this offense. I think each year he's gonna get better and better in it but right now he's doing outstanding. When you have a dual threat at quarterback, a guy that can really throw the football and then be able to run the ball, it kind of slows teams down... He wants to be the best and I think he's gonna have a breakout year."
Some more highlights of the interview are below:
On the Dolphins' offensive line:
"Our offensive line is gonna be perfectly fine. Obviously with the addition of Branden [Albert] being back it's gonna get better and better but right now I feel good about our offensive line. Obviously when you go out there and you watch practice and you see Suh out there, he's just such a great player it's making our guards even better. When our guards are not playing guys as talented as him you're seeing how good they really are."
On the case for sitting starters in Game 3 of the preseason:
"Game 3, I think you definitely have got to go in there and get reps because we're definitely going to sit out of Game 4 so I think Game 3 is good, you go and you play through halftime and then you get the feeling of the first drive out of halftime. So I think it's good for the preparation for the upcoming season. Injuries are gonna happen, whether it's in the preseason or regular season. Injuries just happen. It's part of the game. It's something you sometimes have to expect happen and just go from there."
Shocked to know Joe Philbin had never heard of Dre before seeing Straight Outta Compton?
"I think that anybody that's met coach Philbin that wouldn't be a shock to anybody if they've ever met him before... I think it would have been more of a shock if he would have known him."
Would you agree that Joe Philbin is starting to seem a little cooler, a little hipper?
"I agree. I think he's always been a player's coach but when you're an older coach you're kind of stuck in your ways a bit because you've experienced the old NFL. Now he's kind of experiencing the new NFL. He's loosened up a lot more and kind of letting guys be who they really are and it's really great for our football team. You can tell the way guys come into work everyday. They're excited to be here. It's great to have a head coach that's a player's kind of coach."
