Coach Mike McDaniel meets with the media | Miami Dolphins

Coach Mike McDaniel meets with the media | Miami Dolphins

a two for one. One, is Jason Sanders ready to return this week? And two, are you guys signing a nickel corner with both Jason Marshall and Cornell out? Well, um we will uh amongst um uh several things, we will be um adjusting our uh roster. I’ll do the last first. Uh um Cornell will be going on IR. Um we will be um adding adding a nickel. Um and uh your former question about Jason Sanders. He will not this week. Quarterback to the 53 on the practice squad or right now there’s um we’ll be adding a player and then there uh there’ll be some subsequent mood moves that we’ll do throughout the week. My my question isn’t specific to one player, but in general, if you have a rookie or a couple of rookies who may be having trouble adjusting to the NFL, at what point are you concerned about putting them out there on the field and their confidence getting damaged where it could be a long-term thing, or is it just better to let them go through it and and learn on the job? Well, I think it’s very much a case by case. I think um basis you’re you’re measuring um the human being uh the growth that he needs in his game that’s very tangible and and whether or not he is capable of that. I don’t at no point in time do we do am I doing any decision that’s based upon anything but the the uh winning a football game that week. Um and you know you we we adjust each week. Um, I think we’re we’ve made um some appropriate adjustments to um you’re you know it’s on coaches to try to get people in position to adjust position and we and we adjust reps. Um and uh but we do what what’s the best um uh available on the on the team right then and you do it with faith. Um when uh you’re correcting something that something’s going to get corrected that that’s always on the table. You don’t absolute anyone. Um but each case is different and unique to its own um based on uh the that player and the players around them and the cause effect um that the alternatives would have and um we’ll we’ll always uh look at that uh dead in the eye and adjust um if it’s uh better to win a football game that that week. Storm Duck or Cedric Wilson ready to practice? Um uh not yet for Storm. Um and we should see said um practice today um and uh uptick his his involvement as the as the week progresses. Mark, what do you see from Julian Hill both as a person and as a player? Um I see uh what um you know Julian Hill represents to me what a what uh you know w winning football has players um on on the team um on on a unit in a phase um like Julian Hill in that uh he’s constantly working at the finer details of his craft. You ask him to do a lot of um things uh on the offense that don’t show up in box scores necessarily um but are of primary importance um like uh point of attack blocking and um very critical protection and very uh critical uh you know um space outlets and and primaries and you know he does he does awesome um with whatever’s asked in terms of he’s either executing it or trying to do it the right way and the mistake is generally correctable. Um so there’s there’s always growth. So for me he uh he’s a different Julian Hill every year um in a good way. And so uh um we uh winning football games uh has players littered all over um uh the field with people doing their jobs at a high level. So, um, the ultimate result can occur. What do you think of Justin Herbert’s strengths? Um, I think his, uh, ability to extend plays, um, and, uh, while doing that make, uh, defense cover the entire field, um, because he, uh, he can put the ball, um, across the field, um, you know, 50 50 yards on the other hash. Um, so when he’s using his athletic ability, he uh stresses your your plaster and um your connectivity to uh to eligibles down the field um as the that that threat of arm and legs. I think he’s a competitor. I think he keeps getting better. Um and he’s someone that you know uh the opposing team um uh ju is in charge of minimizing his production. You don’t take him away or make him not be able to do uh you know he’s generally going to find some production and affect the game. But like uh like you have to with um you know a big guy in our division. Um it’s strength and numbers and being connected um to each other and responsibilities, rush lanes and and strain. Coach, the Chargers added a pretty good player, say Oway, the edge. I’m curious when you’re putting together a game plan over the course of the week and a big time player like that gets added to a new team. Does it kind of change the way you game plan the mode of the week in terms of how things are going? Oh, I think um you’re always aware of the different tools that the the scheme can utilize and um you know, I think with that particular player, you know, having uh we we played against him in 2022 or and faced him a couple times and and know his strengths. So, you can kind of picture how they’re going to utilize him um and uh how that fits within what they’re already doing. um you’re always accounting for um you know uh uh just like um if a guy was uh going to be anticipated being hurt but then he was able to play um you you have that adjustment and who who you’re going against and forecasting how it fits and making sure that we um appropriately account for his skill set. So, it’s just a a very um flat process of um uh solutionoriented conversation. The Chargers have their two top two running backs on IR. What are your thoughts on facing another hungry running backer to backup running back too considering uh what just did happen? Well, fortunately, um, uh, or unfortunately, um, you know, I I look at, uh, you’re you’re above the line in the National Football League and you’re on, um, an active as a as a running back. Your your trade is running the football and you must be regarded and respected, um, as such. I think, you know, that was um in case in point, uh, you know, any given week, if you take, uh, if you take any foot off the gas, um, any any guy, whether you know him or not, I’m not sure. Um, you know, uh, if you knew who number five was last week, um, regardless, you have to tackle them. Um, and so that’s, uh, that’s will be our focus. Um uh there’s always talented runners on each team and um or they wouldn’t be there and they will stress us um and we will uh see if we’re ready for them or they’ll introduce us to they’ll introduce themselves to us in the way we don’t want. I want to ask you about Dodson. Uh obviously he’s in a protocol right now. Why was it KJ Brit that went into the game um as his replacement? And if Dodson isn’t prepared, isn’t capable of playing, does the green dot go to Jordan or is somebody else in play? So, so what you do is you uh as you’re formulating your team and you’re finding the skill sets of individual players, you have um position uh guys or players that back up positions um specifically uh skilled to their skill set. So, um you know, K KJ and and Willie um KJ had uh his primary um you know, role has been backing up um T dot and competing with him. Um and uh with Willie competing and backing up JB um and so then it’s a different formula if you know like guys in the protocol um I always uh prepare for them uh to not play just because it’s you know you through the process and you you care um about that being perfected rather than playing. So when you are um uh uh creating solutions for a different math problem um now him being out then you uh prepare differently. Um you uh utilize all the reps that you know Willie does get um you know at the at the mic and you get people um you know like any other position you have people make up for it. Sometimes it’s one person, sometimes it’s two. um the facilitation of how much um you know KJ versus Willie how that will play out will be on the practice week and how we execute it. But just by and large you um always cross trainin but you have a primary position of back backing up so that you are getting the most reps. Um and in this situation, that’s how um we we managed all of their reps and um their their ability to execute will dictate uh the ratio of uh plays they get on Sunday. I want to follow up with a question about Zeke Biggers. Where is he in his development? Um considering the issue you guys have had at nose tackle, he’s a big body, not defense type, he’s a big body. Um do you feel like he’s at the stage where he can help you from a defensive standpoint? Yeah, I think um I think uh he’s been able to help us in in certain um phases and certain strengths of his game. Um however, I think you know what what uh you’re probably alluding to and what what we’re talking about um uh in terms of uh you know, his development in in run defense is is primary for him to utilize his pass skill sets, if that makes sense. He’s um um you know I think we’re we like I said uh I’ve said in previous press conferences um our run defense failure you don’t have uh failure like that um by one position um and although there’s individual clips or individual plays where you can see displacement um all the run defense is not on um the the specific players as much as It’s about a unified connectivity in all of them. Um that it’s much more than one player. It’d be a lot easier if it was just like yeah button. Um but that being said, Zeke continues to develop his overall game so that he can contribute. um and in the ways you’re you’re talking about um he’s he’s trying to go through the same um development. But the uh the more that you can be uh at least uh pretty good, you can be pretty good in one in one um phase, whether it’s pass rush or run defense to allow um you know, your your primary skill set to be unlocked because you’re on the field. You can’t just um subdefensive players on run and pass, you know. um you don’t know what it is. So, uh passing situations you can and but you can really develop more um the the more you uh clean your game up across the board. Um and uh he’s working on that to um to be able to contribute on Sundays. Um for sure. Mike, how has Tua handled expectations versus bottom line results? And I asked from a standpoint of we know Tua has had injuries been offensive line injuries. Now Tyreek is out, but you look in the AFC and you see Mahomes and Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow and that’s who Tua is compared to. So how has he handled expectations versus bottom line results? Well, I think that um it’s one of the reasons I uh focus on how he he grows as a quarterback in the in the micro um instances that I think are so difficult as a a franchise quarterback in the National Football League. Um I if you’re uncomfortable with the uh the stakes of the game, it’s not a game for you. You’re not going to change the stakes like it. and and he knows that. And I think that’s that’s why I put such a priority on um focusing on what he’s working on and being able to get better at things while that is also um uh always true. Bottom line, black and white, you’re held accountable for the results while you’re trying to get get better. That’s difficult. Um I think he he’s as experienced as anyone with um you know positive or negative noise. Um you know and I think in that uh you find the best version of yourself um when you’re able to uh allow your own thoughts and decisions to dictate your opinion of yourself and and how you’re carried towards others and how you handle all those things. So, um it not easy, but I think that that’s something that no quarterback in the National Football League is um uh not exposed to. And that’s that’s something that I I don’t think anybody that’s speak, you know, I think that’s something that um is very very challenging. And what separates people is that ability to work within um the noise. If they tell you you’re awesome or that you suck, what does that um how does that relate to? what you’re doing to influence your next performance. Um, that’s what he does. He seemed to have he seemed to have a couple of confident throws in the last game. How much of that do you think was being aware of his footwork and mechanics and how much of that do you think was related to mindset and approach? Uh, that that’s a really good question. I couldn’t give the ratio, but um if there’s two factors uh and there’s someone somewhere on 50/50 or anything, you can convince me that it was 8020, 2080. Um those are the things it it um for him as a as a thrower when he’s connected to his mechanics. Um that’s why he can put the ball wherever he wants to. Um, and then you’re you’re talking about conviction and and being able to uh um both be aggressive but prevent or not have turnovers. Um that that is a uh challenging deal. That’s why you’re a franchise quarterback. Um and it’s always tough and um you know in the short term you do have to deal with uh um resultbased opinions and again both good and bad. But the but the key for him is that he stays connected to uh his technique and fundamentals and then is able to um take a a leader of a team mindset which sometimes means you have to do um what’s best for the team. And in an aggressive mindset, you can’t throw a ball that you want to be aggressive with, but you have to live for the next down and check it down or you can’t dive for a first down that you really want. Um these are all all things that come into play, but mindset and fundamentals um are the very top of the list and probably share uh the the trajectory of uh that given game’s play. All right.

Coach Mike McDaniel meets with the media

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