Pass Protection Quotes

First thing, and it's really one of my favorite things, is the protection part. Who everybody is blocking and where the pressure is coming from. Because if we can't get the ball off, it doesn't matter what you're doing out here.

There's obviously a push to protect the quarterback, but you have to give the defensive players a chance. All of the quarterback has to do is pull the ball, and he's a runner. How's the defender going to know if the ball is pulled or not?

Even though you wouldn't want to line a D-lineman and running back up across from each other to block, when you get help initially from the guard, and then the defensive tackle gets picked up by the running back, it's not as bad as a lot of people would think versus if you're just putting that matchup on paper.

Your leader on the offensive line is your center, because the communication really takes place between him and quarterback.

Being a tight end, you have to be able to do everything. You have to be able to run routes; you have to be able to block, pass-protect, and run with the ball after a catch. So, that's how I attack my workouts - focusing on doing everything.

He could rush the passer, he could bull you, he could beat you speed inside and quickness. Those are long days when you had Michael Strahan lining up right over your head for 60 minutes, because most defensive ends are good at one or the other. Michael was really good at both.

A defensive coordinator is always going to try to throw you something different and get you out of your element, and I have to do better with the pass protection.

You can't put a running back in there and have him not know who to pick up. You can't get your quarterback hit.

I think at some point during the course of the game, I will have an impact - whether it's blocking or whether it's catching the football.

If you give Brett Favre time to throw the ball and single coverage, you're making the offense that much better.

Any time you get a new running back, whether it's a rookie or hasn't played a lot, that's the first thing you test, is their pass protection. That's big.

I want to go play behind that great offensive line they have down in Dallas.

Brent Celek is a heck of a blocker, James Casey is a heck of a blocker.

It doesn't make much sense to blitz a guy that gets rid of the ball in less than 1.5 seconds.

Whatever's asked of me, I'm just going to go out there and perform my routes and how I've been coached all week, perform in the running game, pass blocking, run blocking, whatever it is.

I'm just going out there and doing my job, so whatever it is - if it's a hard slide protection, if it's a double team, or even a triple team or a chip - whatever it is, I'm just finding ways to win, so that's about it.

There is no defense against a perfect pass. I can throw the perfect pass.

Ideally, if you ask most tight ends, they would say we want the defender on us early. The reason for that is we feel like, for one, we know where we're going. Two, we can attack leverage, it declares itself if it's truly man coverage. We can work the release.

Throwaways are OK. When a quarterback throws the ball away in our system, that's a plus. That's a plus decision. That's the way I've always graded it.

I know how important it is to have your quarterback standing upright. Matter of fact, I know how important it is not to allow someone hit on him period because I want him to think that this pocket is completely safe, no one is going to get to me and I got all the time in the world to make whatever decisions I need to make.

The league is shifting. It's becoming a smaller league, way more speed-dominant. So you're seeing more backs like me who can run between the tackles, pass-protect, catch and become matchup nightmares. You also have more receivers who are getting jet sweeps, doing different things with the ball in their hands.

Usually, you have one blocking, one catching tight end.

That's the key to defending any quarterback: to make them throw before they want to throw.

The receivers are an integral part of the passing game.

I'm a guy that can play three downs. You don't have to take me off the field. I value blocking.