Coach McDaniel meets with the media | Miami Dolphins

Coach McDaniel meets with the media | Miami Dolphins

What can you tell us about Tyreek and the aftermath of the surgery and just anything you you know and can share? Oh, well, he’s currently in surgery right now. Um, uh, it’s a major, uh, uh, knee procedure, uh, multiple ligaments. Um and uh yeah, obviously his season’s done. Um and our focus is, you know, as a team to support him. Um you know, I I think the uh there was some competitive greatness from our our doctors. um you know for uh critical uh execution in a in a very timely fashion. Um that uh did very well um for uh for the the the injury for him. Um you know uh I can’t say enough about that. Um and you know our as a team we’re we’re supporting our teammate and uh um you know and he’s he’s um very steadfast and on us uh uh as a team getting ready for the uh Carolina Panthers. Um so uh that’s that’s kind of where that’s at. Considering how gruesome the injury looked and what we’ve seen with and as you mentioned multiple ligaments, is this a multi-surgery thing? What does the uh recovery timetable look like for you? you know, um I I I can’t forecast. Um it’s not uh it hasn’t been um deemed to be um anything beyond this uh this surgery. Um and and we’re uh very hopeful for uh it to it to turn out well. Um but that no, it hasn’t been um explained to be a absolute necessity. So uh you know just uh um executing uh this procedure and seeing seeing what happens from there. It’s it was uh according to all the internet doctors um who do sports now, they said the fact that he didn’t have to have it that night and could wait till the morning was a good sign. is is is were you informed that that well that that’s kind of why I’m um I’m overemphasiz like the the medical care was um top flight when when we absolutely needed it in its uh most uh absolute necessity. Um, so yes, that that is I I would say from all the um uh medical knowledge that I have or been sped up on um that that you’re exactly right that um the the avoid or the the major things that you want to avoid in something that um that serious uh was avoided. I know the easy answer is next man up, but the fact is Tyreek has skills that nobody else on this team does. Um, how do you go about moving forward in your offense without him? How much of a rework uh offense can we expect? No, I think um th this is something that uh you know I think it was alluded to um last night uh but you know the the the nature of this off season in particular um kind of forced our hand um with uh you know uh working forward um without him uh not just his energy but you know you’re you’re trying to um you know facilitate offense uh and utilize a lot other players. There’s a lot of a lot of um guys that contribute on the team. Yeah, you’re you’re exactly right. You don’t just copy paste or say, “Hey, um it’s one human being.” Um it’s not that. However, um it’s a you know a combination of various individuals um not just in the receiver room that um you know I think you know need to um continue to develop uh and now have a heightened sense of urgency um so that we can uh you know spread the ball around and uh make up for his production. Mike, if I could piggy back off of that, after Tyreek’s injury, you guys score a couple touchdowns on the next two drives and a lot of big personnel, right? 22 21. I even saw triple wise on one play. Um I was curious to get your perspective in two parts. First, how you and your staff were able to adjust to that situation, but also the players execution and that Well, I think um both are um critical. I think uh you uh you over the course of you know the this being my fourth year um uh here with you know particularly both uh Tyreek and and Waddle um you and then the various other contributors that we have on the team. you find ways to create a game plan for you uh to have uh bullets in the chamber for you know the play after um dudes way downfield or you’re in a series um and you’re trying to keep the defense off balance. So that’s always been something um built within our game planning process. Um but for you know the the guys to uh you know heed to uh Reek’s advice going off the field and then to jump in and um have some point of attack blocking execution um things that were very very good and then the way uh Vaughn was running um you know it was it was uh I thought very um it it it it’s what you need to see from your team. um not only uh execution um but uh drive and and and passion when you have you know one one of your players go down particularly Tyreek. So, um I I thought it was an outstanding response. Um and yeah, I think we we did two runs in a pass to get in the end zone. Um and it was uh uh I think the first time that we we created a two-score lead um which we’re able to uh continue to do um for the rest of the game that I thought was an an important factor in winning it. Mike, looking ahead, uh, do you think defense has changed how they defend your offense? Will you see more eightman fronts and less two high safeties? You know, I think, um, the, uh, the, uh, quick answer is, yeah, it’ll change. Um um and but at the same time, you know, I think uh teams want to prevent um explosives and we’ll do that um as as long as we uh uh you know don’t if we don’t earn um stuff on the ground or on the line of scrimmage, uh they will they’ll play they’ll give us space. um no one’s gonna uh make themselves make themselves vulnerable in the pass um for no run threat. So, you know, I I think it it has a um a bigger effect on how defenses play us um if we uh you know, if we’re if we’re not getting um big gains and or running the ball well versus two shell defenses, they’ll continue to play two shell. Um but obviously uh the the the formula changes which um you know is is something that your your formula is changing every week for how you you deem teams or you anticipate teams will defend you. So um it’ll be much of the same um in that way um and uh will you know which is the nature of the National Football League. Jason Sanders and Andrew Meer are either one of them approaching preparedness to return. Well, yes, they’re approaching, but not quite um uh the uh topic for this week for sure. Want to ask you about um NWI and Taj Washington and also Theo Whis when you didn’t have Tyreek and a lot of those guys had the opportunity to play and and develop and came chemistry with Tulle. What did you learn about them in their game that I guess will hopefully pay dividends? Um, you know, I I really got a ton of opportunities to have uh, you know, competitive situations. Um, you know, like you said with Tua and you you learned, uh, you know, the reason why they’re here is because we see their ability to help our team. Um, and you know, I think the biggest thing is is so so have the players. So what what will be coming from uh you know internal pressure um from within from the locker room is those guys being able to um operate uh play in play out um at the uh at our standard which is you know 11 11 players playing together and being unified in their assignments. And um you know that’s the that’s the the tough part, but the fun part is watching young guys um grow uh particularly when um you know they they there’s an added opportunity. So they’ll have to be, you know, there’s a to be a effective offense to contribute to a winning team. Um you have to have uh you have to minimize your self-inflicted issues. And so young players have to um be really on, you know, the game plan and week in week out um that that changes. So that that challenge they’ve been um uh diligently working at that and we’ll we’ll need them to continue and uh really take a step in the um in a productive direction for us to make up for that um uh you know what what we’ve lost with Tyreek we can gain through um you know the accumulation of the sum of the parts um and it’s not just one individual. Do you feel like will the team make any moves like I guess in in free agency to bring another receiver in over this next week or do you think you guys have the answers here in house? Uh you know we’re we’re always um deep diving on that. We’ve had um some we have discussions on uh you know what what’s out there anytime a player gets injured. Um, and then we assess, you know, you know, short-term, long-term, um, relative to our our own assets. So, we’ll we’ll be looking at that. Um, I know I know Chris and his staff are, uh, as as we’re as we speak. Um, and there could potentially be be something. There could potentially not. Um, it it all depends on, you know, our the availability of whomever we deem and and what we have in house. So, I feel very uh confident in the guys that we have. Um, does someone make us better for uh the short term? That’s a different conversation. And then uh and you know, so we’ll see how that plays out. How significant the nerve damage may have been around the injury? And just to confirm, it’s like dislocated knee in addition to the ACL and ligament damage. Um, I think uh the the I I wouldn’t um uh jump absolutely on on the on the nerve stuff. I’ve I’ve heard good things that I haven’t heard anything negative about that. Um several ligaments including the ACL um are are part of the dislocation. Mike, you guys have unfortunately had experience losing top players from Tua to Chub to Phillips, etc. What can you tell us about the shock value on the field of seeing that and then the kind of the shock value off the field of having to adjust in the locker room and as a coaching staff? So, I think it’s one of the things that you don’t um that aren’t talked about, but it’s a it’s a rep that you have to master unfortunately in in a um contact sport with a 100% injury rate. you know, you you it it it’s something that um is part of the success of all successful teams in the National Football League is that you you’re you’re adjusting and somebody’s stepping up and you’re uh um someone’s stepping into a new role and a collection of people have to um you know really take uh positive steps forward in their game um for you to be able to win in this league. So, it’s something that um isn’t just unique to us. Um it’s a challenge that you uh it it doesn’t matter how uh uh difficult it is. Um you no one really really cares. You have to you have to uh find a way to get get yourself um to continue to get better like all teams need to um for you to uh stay in the win column or uh stack wins um as we like to say. So, uh the the the key is is that you um understand that uh football is a team sport that um you know sometimes uh you know it’s a it’s something that happens to a lot of teams and you you have to be uh emotionally focused and um you know uh find a way. And a lot of times um with guys like that, you know, particularly this this off season where um Tyreek has invested so much in his teammates, uh you know, that you’re inspired to um you know, to pick up the slack and make sure that they they don’t have the the double somber moment of the the injury, which you can’t control, and then have to um you know, have it happen in a loss. you you just try to um do your best with what you can control, support your teammate um and uh um try to get in the win column. I wanted to ask what Cole Strange showed you to earn that start yesterday and what he showed you in the game. Well, I think he uh was very very impressive in how he uh took to took to uh adapting to our system. A lot of times what we ask players to do there’s there’s uh some distinct differences in how you play play in play out. And you can see you can learn a lot about a player simply how um much they just dive in um almost trust fall with the with the uh schematic um or really the technique and fundamental focus. And you you can see um you know how what was really impressed about him is how bold he was and from the first uh individual that he had um he he jumped off the screen and um his teammates could feel okay this this is why this guy’s here. So um can’t say enough about his preparation. Um it’s difficult um to uh to start in a new offense regardless of um how many accredited seasons you have. But um you know there’s the for him to be on point with all the cadences for him to be in um you know there was uh there wasn’t any plays that he was going the wrong direction or going you know these things are not these things are difficult that are very common when you when you’re jumping in. Um but we we kind of had a uh a feeling of confidence based upon um everything that he had done from the first day he got here. So, uh, very very impressive and ex, um, I know I know even though each NFL game is very difficult, um, you’re always matched up against, um, very good players, um, it probably doesn’t get more it probably gets easier for him. It It doesn’t get more difficult than, um, prime time, uh, you know, a week and a half or two weeks here and, um, uh, and getting the start. So is very happy with his performance with uh with Cole. Obviously reminds us of of right guard with with James at Daniels. Does that remain you think a long-term thing? Obviously he’s got at least one more week. Um yeah, I I wouldn’t I Yeah, we we’re still a week away from the window and um there’s a little bit of time. You know, I’m not sure how much you define long term. Um but it’s not in the next week. I know that. Um and uh he’s progressing and and we’ll see how that plays out. This this will be um we I’ll have more information after this week. Um which is will be a important one like they all are for for guys in those situations.

Coach McDaniel meets with the media

Presented by Baptist Health

Subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/channel/MiamiDolphins

#MiamiDolphins #NFL

For more Dolphins content: http://www.MiamiDolphins.com
Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MiamiDolphins
Follow us on TikTok: http://tiktok.com/MiamiDolphins
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/MiamiDolphins
Follow us on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/MiamiDolphins
Follow us on Reddit: http://reddit.com/u/yourmiamidolphins
Get the app: http://apps.apple.com/us/app/miami-dolphins/id563617073