Coach McDaniel meets with the media | Miami Dolphins

Coach McDaniel meets with the media | Miami Dolphins

Good morning. So, uh, doesn’t make any sense since no makes it, which doesn’t make any So, we’re all curious about Waller. Why did he not practice yesterday and is he out for Sunday’s game? Well, um that there’s a while trying to um prevent a setback. He had a setback. So, um before practice um and so what does that mean? Um it means he’s uh he’s being challenged. Uh the most eager um uh player to play um has another challenge. So, that’s that’s uh he I know he’s up for it, but we’ll um you know, I I don’t think he’s going to play this week. Um which, you know, uh wasn’t planned, but you don’t uh one of the things that you know, the way I look at it is uh uh try not to um uh with your first player that comes out of retirement, try not to um have a plan that you’ve you have no experience with. So, um, but we’re we’re uh we’ll work through it and, um, there it is. Was a setback with the hip injury. Hip strain, I’m sorry. Yeah, hip strain. Yeah, hip strain. When did that injury originally occur? It was uh that before practice Wednesday. Oh, before practice Wednesday. Gotcha. Yeah. So, we we had already we had already planned not to practice him anyway. something um that we we didn’t know if it was what it was until we knew what it was. Um but he uh it we were planning um for uh setback prevention and uh he had a setback. What about his his mindset? I’m sure he’s discouraged. Is he um angry or does you know? Well, no. I think um I think he he’s just he’s just really eager to play with his teammates, you know, but yeah, I think you have to look at a big picture. Um and you know, you uh I think you fail in life if you set up a script um proactively. Uh you’re it’s not about us um having a pre-planned expectation of X, Y, or Z. It’s how we react to it. So, um, that’s why I say it’s a challenge, but, uh, this is a this is a guy that’s been made of challenges. So, Mike James Daniels popped up on the injury report yesterday. What can you tell us about this stuff? Um, uh, it’ll be questionable. It was a just a um on separate from on the other um foot from the Achilles, a light ankle that that we’re uh he’s rehabbing as we speak. without having to practice. Yeah. Yeah. And and you know, it’s it’s one of those that like uh after a season ending injury from last year, he’s practiced every single day. So, um this is a you know, uh I I feel um confident that he’s uh he has high pain tolerance and if he’s able to play, he will. And uh with Ashton Davis, is he ready to uh to play on Sunday? Well, you know, um yeah, so far so good. All right. This uh um soft tissue stuff uh you take it a day at a time, but so far so good. Um if uh to if it continues this way, um yes, we we expect them, but um we got to go through today first. How did Tanner Connor and Julian Hill do um this you know this offseason preseason? um uh you know, two of the players that um I’m as happy with um with their development of things that you know, we came in um the off season with a focus, you know, um and uh Julian particular with his um you know, aiming points and how he’s uh really really connected with the tackles um in when he’s in combination with them and and his development of was route tree and then you know Tanner um has you know been here for a while and struggled with injuries and he had you know played every day and um had really developed his game. So I’m very pr happy with both those guys um and one of the reasons I feel good about the position. Will you probably have to um add to the roster or elevate one of the practice squad tight ends? You know, I guess you’re just going to have to just wait and see. There’s a couple um things that we’re navigating through, but um I feel good with our with our options that we have um for this current game and um should should it uh need to be longer than this current game. I feel comfortable with what we’ve discussed and and our options there. we probably have to elevate uh a running back to the roster or the uh from the practice squad for this game. Yeah, there’s um you know, I’ve gone into games uh I’ve gone into a Super Bowl to um two running backs active. Um however, you know, there’s uh it’s pick your poison really. Um but that happens every single week on a 48. uh you have to make decisions um that that aren’t uh you don’t totally know um what the results going to be. You just do the best decision and um you know the football is a game of 100% injuries. So you just take calculated risks. But um there you know there’s a uh a couple things that we’re working through. And uh regardless, I feel um I feel confident that uh that on game day, we’ll have the the best um collection of individuals that can handle um and sustain whatever comes our way. Mike, I know onslaught of injury questions here, but for housekeeping purposes, Tyreek and Devon been limited throughout the week. Uh I know you said both are expected to play barring any setbacks. Is are they still on course to play on Sunday? Yep, absolutely. And sorry to do to do this. Yet another injury question. Elijah Campbell also popped up under um Yeah, I he’s uh uh uh Elijah Campbell is a guy that’s tough tough to keep off the field anyway. Um he’s a he’s got a tough uh or he’s got a great mindset and um I’m not I’m anticipating seeing him on Sunday, but he’s he’s trying to make sure of that today. Mike, there’s um clinical game tonight in Brazil. Um what’s your take on the international schedule? You guys are obviously part of it. And um would you like to see the Dolphins play in Brazil sometime given that they’re so popular down there? I I really like uh international games. Um because I I see it as a collective win. It is um difficult on the the operations and the NFL or the football team support staff. It’s difficult on on me but I think for the team it’s phenomenal. Um and and really realistically um I don’t understand much about business but um if your business is success successful um it has to continue to grow. So um I I would um it benefits me if the National Football League is successful for sure. Um and and so I see that international um games is uh something that hey more people uh around the world want to see uh see our game live. Um that it’s awesome and uh yeah put us wherever. You’re 3 and 0 in regular season openers. Tua is 4 and0. Tyreek usually has a really big game. Just what’s the key to starting the regular season off on a great note? um that you uh actually the key is probably never thinking about that because uh the the you think about um you know the team you have and the decisions you have to make and there’s a lot of decisions um that you’re making that lead up to the first game and uh you know I I like that that fact is um you know in in in our favor um so to speak, but I also don’t think uh anything that’s happened necessarily before this year matters to this team. So um to we’re we’re going to have to go earn um uh uh and earn the hard way a win from a team that wants to win as bad as we do. And that’s that’s what’s going to um come to balance uh this Sunday. Um and uh or but hopefully they see th those records the opponent and they’re just like, “Yeah, we we stand no chance. We’re just going to take a knee every play.” Mike, I don’t know what stage you and Chris are in the machination process. So, I’ll ask you this, but obviously if you don’t know yet, that’s that’s fine. You obviously need a kicker, an extra running back, and an extra tight end. So, that’s what I was alluding to. Exactly. But I was going to ask you this. Have you all decided whether to fill one of those spots by creating a roster spot on the 53 by IRing Jaylen Wright or Ethan Bonner? Is that a decision that you have yet that that you’re There’s been no discussions about uh putting those two in IR. Mark, when you look at strength versus strength matchups in this game, is is the biggest one your front seven against their offensive line? Um, you know, I think there’s a we we have perceived strengths, but you know, we’re we’re going off of uh you know, um preseason tape and then people’s name plates. Um and you know, I I think the biggest thing in week one is that there is so much going on. You just really think about it. you the game, you know, the season ends at some point for you and then um in January or February depending on the team and then you’re thinking about this upcoming matchup for you know 6 months, 8 months, however, however long. So there’s a lot of energy. there’s a lot of work that’s put been put in on the front end and realistically it’s football. So the team that across the board um has trained um most appropriately that is that has really put themselves into game scenarios in their mind on the practice field so that the game is less of a energy jolt. you know, you’re it’s the first time all these guys have played in front of um 70,000 um that are either cheering or or um booing your success or failure, you know. Um so within that, getting the groove of playing football together um on a football field, that’s the that’s the biggest key because it’s we haven’t done it um for four quarters. No team has until uh until this opportunity. So the guys that stay true to their uh connectivity of playing football together and worry less about making plays and more probably about uh uh what those things are that you have to do to make the plays. Uh those the I think that’s the biggest matchup is what team can play football together. um in a uh unique circumstance as it relates to the past 6 months. You haven’t had this rep yet. Um with uh with this team and that’s the same for all other 31. So it that’s what it’ll come down to I think. Have you tweaked anything that we might find interesting Friday, Saturday or Sunday? Uh you know that for this season? Anything? A meal schedule, walkthrough schedule, uh travel schedule, just anything that might have changed. Um yeah, there’s there’s a there’s a lot that has changed um uh you know with regard to um you know the the people that you’re communicating to and and how you’re communicating it. Um for me is always you know uh my my job is to um uh to give a message that the listener can receive. So that that’s always an adjustment as far as the procedural stuff. Um, you know, I think that we changed the things that we thought could give us a competitive advantage. Um, this, you know, the things that fell outside those that, you know, uh, we really liked. Um, such as like the the time of the flights and the scheduling of, um, the next 48 hours. Um, you know, the the road games didn’t change at all. Um, I tweaked the schedule um um for home games. Um, but this isn’t a home game, so uh, we can talk about that next week. Kind of sticking with scheduling questions, uh, obviously days started a lot earlier than they are now during the summer. What do you think that accomplished with with your team? What kind of tone do you think that set for them as you guys look to really lock into practice this summer? Um, you know, the unintended consequence. I didn’t do it for this reason um necessarily, but guys were really pumped this week about uh how late we started install and I was like uh nice tricky guys um the same time as last year but they’re perceived they’re like man we got to sleep in this is awesome. What a great adjustment. Um, and you know, I think I think that, um, coupled with, you know, I really wanted to challenge the team. Um, you know, typically I’d always, uh, started the day off in a team meeting setting the tone. And you know after OTAAS’s um you know kind of decided that you know for the first half um you know it was time for the for the players to set the tone on the field and not um they they they need to go after it and recognize how important that day was. Um uh and and the results what they got out of it is what they put into it which they you know they had the locker room had to turn the guy turn each other up and make sure that this day of work whatever day that was um was a good day. So I I think uh that that was an important part of how our team kind of um matured together and then uh you know um to try to keep keep him off balance. Um about halfway through I went went back to the team meetings and we didn’t miss a beat. Um and it I think it was beneficial. Mike, is DSbridge still in concussion protocol with his status? Um he still is. Um but we’re uh uh hopeful for a clearance today. Um but uh as of right now, he still is. Mike, regarding officiating points of emphasis, uh sportsmanship is is one of them this year. Do you go over that with your team and especially because of what we saw last night or do you let what you said previously kind of No, absolutely. I um I think it’s a very important part um of you know what my job is is to educate um players on things that will help them be successful as well as things that will really hurt the team. Because what what ends up happening is nobody wants to get a 15 yard penalty and when you do you feel this small like in the stadium like what and so you you try to um you know you utilize the circumstances from other teams um that and the situations they’re in and you and you show them and you try to educate so that you can um make sure that it doesn’t happen to players on your team. So, yeah, um that uh with their emphasis this year, I’ve I’ve gone over that at length um with a direct tone numerous times. All right. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks.

Coach McDaniel meets with the media

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