Coach Mike McDaniel meets with the media | Miami Dolphins

Coach Mike McDaniel meets with the media | Miami Dolphins

for him on the active roster. Oh, that’s good. I wasn’t even going to ask you that, but that’s good to know. Seriously, I was going to mention to you that Hal and I were having an interesting talk with Brunkill just about pre-nap motion and having to be on details and all the stuff you’ve talked about. And he mentioned a couple things. He said that guys on the team have to have the courage to tell the coaches if they’re not getting something with the complexity of it. He said that could torpedo some plays. So, I was going to ask you, do you think that’s been an issue? Have any guys come to you and said, “This is just too complex for me to handle.” And also, I wondered, have you changed your demeanor in terms of over the course of the last couple months becoming less tolerant with those types of mistakes? Have you become harder on the guys or said, “This is unacceptable. I’m not going to accept you not knowing the playbook and all the pre-stat stuff.” Yeah. I mean, I I would say the what what he’s speaking uh what Dan’s speaking of of the the communication lines to be direct um from top down or down up or however the that works out. you know, that’s something that’s right in his uh recent wheelhouse because and and it’s something that we we we rely upon our relationships and um you know, incessant communication to make sure guys are convicted and you’re convicted. When you’re um when you’re convicted, you’re confident. And when you’re confident, you play football um in a fashion that’s uh can be similar to the next guy and consistent. So with all those things, you know, I think it’s pretty easy for me to tell when um just by body disposition and mannerisms, nonverbals are plenty when someone’s not comfortable with something. It’s as simple as you can see a receiver uh if he doesn’t feel comfortable with his inside foot up. Uh you you’ll see him wobble a little bit and mess with his back foot and then the offense won’t get set. If you um see uh you know the first couple times that we ever put Alec on the line of scrimmage, you know, you could see in his stance that he wasn’t. So that that’s something I think that’s fresh on his mind. um that the the execution of an offense as a group doesn’t occur uh really with consistency if there’s one or two or if people are uh loose or gray on on their responsibility. um you basically find out by result a lot of times uh if uh you have uh the everybody blocked and there’s one guy in the whole unblocked um the guy that was responsible for that that assignment is probably pretty uncomfortable with auditory physical whatever it is. So, um, and then with with, uh, with really, uh, controllables, beating ourselves, um, that that whole umbrella, you know, it was it was probably the easiest coaching that I’ve done in my career in that games played out to if we’re prepared and on the details and um, and had had gone through uh, practice the practice week with full conviction on things. Um, literally success or failure was based on our own um really input when we were uh uh uh late to go get to the line of scrimmage, a little uncertain in communication. We were getting false starts or um you you have drop balls or you have um missed assignments. And in those games um that they would occur, you’d score six points and then you’d execute and you’d score 30. And it’s like what do we I think the tone changed as the experience changed. You you I one thing I really really struggle to tolerate is not learning from something. I can always accept something if the you you gain something out of the the failure or whatever. Um whether that’s controllable or uncontrol regardless. But when things happen to your detriment and you don’t learn from it and fix and we don’t make something good out of that, I don’t that’s where I get triggered. So um you know I don’t have any tolerance for that. That’s like my very specific but like my skin crawls even talking about it. Um but realistically like it was super easy like do you want to go to the game and score six points or 30? You do have a say in part of that. Um there’s a lot of other things that go on but it there was a you know right in the middle of the season like flat out. Um, and you know, you’d go to a game and if you, you know, it wasn’t ever expecting us to not be on our stuff. So then when you find out, um, the hard way. Yeah. The I’ve probably combusted a couple times. Um, uh, and you adjust uh to to your pe to your people. Um, you know, and you’re just relying on that uh things get fixed. And you know for for me I I don’t um have any problem uh uh I’m very blunt about about facts that are you doing something to contribute to winning or contribute to losing and what are we doing today and how what do we put our focus and um if you want your football to be better you have to work on it and be mindful of what you’re working on. Can’t be going through the motions and doing anything. And um you know, the only way that you start a season um uh with more losses than wins and then win games after that is guys learn, guys don’t quit, and guys are focused on the right stuff. Um and you know, I think that’s uh we’ve learned a lot in all of that. Um what does it mean? We have a game this week against the New Orleans Saints. who I know you’re eager to ask me questions about and uh you know I think um what lessons have we learned from all of this and how are we going to apply it to the Saints and uh that that is will be the story for the for the remainder of the season and how well we focus on each individual opponent um will have a direct correlation in uh our win and loss record. This was about the time of the season last year we saw Chop Robinson’s sack numbers start to climb. And I know sacks don’t tell the whole story with um with players on defense, but what have you seen so far from him this season, year two? And what would you like to see the back end of the year from him? Um I saw I’ve seen a very important right of passage for an NFL player in my opinion. um you’re as an NFL player, you are earning your respect and regard amongst your peers around the league and you know I think it’s it it’s made clear to players when guys respect their game and have high opinions and uh word of mouth travels fast and then when expectations of results aren’t met there’s that’s the sink or swim um for all like all players. Uh and I I’ve seen Chop uh who is uh the hardest on himself, relentless, driven, um ambitious uh ball player that, you know, wants to have a um you know, 25 uh 25 sacks every season. um how are you going to handle uh when things don’t go exactly your way? It’s the test of all people in this league and it makes or breaks you and what you uh worry confidence um you you worry about uh you know if guys are going to go outside of the responsibilities to try make try to make plays. Um it’s always well-intentioned but that can be selfish football. I’ve seen um more focus into the ground up uh each step focus hand placement um but not losing the confidence. What What does that mean? I I know we’re going to get um good football and ascending football and it’s kind of ironically proving who I thought he was. Um and the things uh he he’s uh a big part of the team. There’s a lot of stuff that he’s that he does that um other players benefit from simply by uh his his tenacity and his get off on each and every snap, you know, for his teammates both on the second level and the first. Um and I’m excited to watch him play because he’s in a good place. Um and it’s not easy. You know, everybody has high expectations for themselves and uh he’s he’s at the top of the list for that. So, um, very hungry, very eager to, um, take advantage of some opportunities that will come his way as he works through the work week to get ready for this Sunday. Mike, uh, New Orleans could have a relatively unknown running back back there. Yeah. And, uh, they’ll have a rookie quarterback. Is it tough to get your players to focus on, you know, the opponent and not the name on the back of the jersey? you know that there’s um every year is different. This particular team I I’m very focused on that very uh my eyes are wide open to see uh at the drop of hat if anybody’s taking anything lightly. Um what what I’ve witnessed uh thus far in our work week is it’s uh the we’ve benefited from being on the other side of that very recently. meaning uh that it’s probably what the last uh four teams that have had to play us have been battling. You’re talking about um a record and what does that mean? Um uh Jack S for the Sunday. You have two teams playing a football game. Um, and you know, if one team decides to give the ball to the other other team, um, two, three times, uh, the other team’s probably going to win. And that I mean, football, uh, if you haven’t noticed, the the ball is oblong. I don’t know where that’s bouncing, you know, like you have to the NFL will teach you the hardest lessons that you that will have you lose sleep at night. Um, if you make the mistake of taking anybody lightly, you know, whether people have taken our team lightly, that not really important debate to me. Um, however, I think it makes our team a little more aware of the the negative uh effects of thinking that your name plate or your team logo uh earns a win because it does not. Saints defense to Mario Davis has been doing his thing for a long time. I’m curious when you watch them in preparation for the game, like when you’re going back and forth in your clicker, what are some things that he does that makes you keep going back and forth on? Man, I got a professional scar uh playing against him, you know, probably he’s up there. I haven’t been fortunate enough to like know him, but going against him, watching him plays, you know, my generation really, uh, you know, top five of my favorite defensive players like this. This is a war daddy that um in uh 2020 really uh had us go back to the to kind of the workshop to figure out some protections that he presented issues on and he does so with um I mean just relentless physical approach. He’s a dog. Um, so the, yeah, needless to say, I I very much took the appropriate time um, preparing our players for his style of play. Very much appreciate, uh, his whole career and and what he’s doing um, this year and every year I’ve ever seen him play. Um, shoot, him and Cam Jordan are um, unicorns in this league. It’s like uh they they they make us all feel old with elite athletic production for um decades on decades. So, uh, the I think uh it’s hard for me to uh not think of those two in particular when the the Saints name comes up that they’re impactful defensive players that you have to be very prepared for or they uh physically um uh make you pay for that. You said it was a a scar. Or was it a one particular play that No, several plays of him. Um, you know, to be honest, like you as a coach, you want to be prepared for everything. And specifically, you want to be prepared for, you know, the answer to the test for your um head coach and your team. And when a individual player checks um uh just a just ends up physically creating a an issue that you can’t solve schematically. That’s a scar. It’s it’s a he he it was a you know one day at the office for um among many for him uh playing football. But, you know, I remember, you know, playing him and the after the game, the whole team knew exactly who he was. Um, and, you know, I think that speaks to he’s on every Sunday that I’ve ever seen him play. 56 is trying to hunt and tattoo somebody. And if you aren’t prepared, uh whether you’re a first or second level blocker, um he strikes, sheds, and uh has made many opponent look, um weak and dismal. So you you got to be on your stuff. Tua has had some new obstacles present themselves this season, whether it be interceptions on the field, some of the things he said um off the field. Uh how have you seen him attack all of that, the totality of all of that? Oh, you know, the uh you know, it’s kind of the measure of you know, the the in in this in the National Football League, if you’re going to be successful at um franchise quarterback, head coach, um you know, trainer, video director, like you have to um you have to be able to continually learn and the second that you stop growing um there’s somebody else that’s willing to. So when you walk like Tua has always given me so much confidence because he is so toughminded in his ability to be frustrated but then attack um but be relentless on his expectations of himself but continue to grow into the leader that this team needs him to be. And you know, one example, the the position of a quarterback is uh so multi-layered. You know, one thing that I don’t think anybody I know I I wouldn’t as a fan pick up on it, but like you’re a quarterback, his operation with uh and getting our offense to uh have the the right amount of conviction. I’m talking out of the huddle, getting the line of scrimmage fast, um making sure that uh guys are uh motioning, getting set in unison, and then attacking the uh postnap play. He’s brought our offense to a higher level of operation with uh usually you need like your you need extra veteran players who have done it before to step up their game. He he’s done it with um a lot of new faces, some young players, and it’s been absolutely necessary and monumental for for our uh our team really. So like thing there’s a litany of things that he’s always working on something. There’s always something that uh you know in your game that you’re trying to address and perfect. uh but he relentlessly attacks it um without wavering and and you need that from your quarterback because you’re going to have great days, mediocre days, days you want back. Um but the the whole machine, the whole team has to keep moving with confidence in one direction. I think uh our team’s uh growth in confidence and uh growth in style of play has a direct reflection and can be attributed uh to to the what Tua is doing. So when you do that the things that are a little more obvious to everybody in terms of how you feel him playing the position with conviction and you know his statistics and all that stuff. um comes right along with that. I think he’s uh you know, I have high expectations for him. He has high expectations for himself. Um, and I’m I’m fired up for this uh Wednesday NFL work week because I know he’s going to go uh he’s going to be the lead leader of the the entire team down and walk through in a couple minutes and uh and that will progress to uh practice and he’ll he’ll compete and get better from that. And that’s what you need uh for your team and that’s what everyone needs to do, which he’s doing a good job of leading by example. Mike, I want to ask you about um Ali Gordon. We saw the moment between you two in the post game in Spain, but he seems to have a really infectious personality, always smiling. What’s it like to coach a young player like that in the NFL who just seems to just always be I don’t know, happy is the right word or just always passionate, I guess. No, so the uh you know, and it’s Ali’s got a really dynamic, cool personality. um giant human being that uh is has a zest for life and a thirst for it really. Um he kind of he kind of embodies, you know, uh kind of what I was trying to explain back in I don’t know was it owner is it owner meeting or la last off season? Um a no it was after the draft as in the spring but the group of guys we have felt very good. the whole rookie class in particular, much like Ali and you can go through round one to round seven, you know, that the the players that you draft that embody your draft class with those guys being, you know, four to five year contracts. That’s the that’s a a a good chunk of what your roster, what your team is, your your character, your culture of your team. Um because again I’ve said before it’s 45% roster turnover every year. The guys that aren’t turned over are the guys that you’ve drafted. So what your team is from a identity standpoint from how they come to work the energy with which they go to walk through or meetings whether they are getting through the day or attacking the day. you know, I think um you know, the we had very um reasonably high expectations for the class because of how they measure manto man and as a group. Um in in that regard, there’s a there’s a spirit, a focus, uh a desire um from Ali, from um you know, uh all the way to KG up to Quinn. Um the the the whole class has delivered on what the team needed from them and that’s to be um passionate football first uh uh teammates that are willing to accept that they’re rookies and don’t know anything and will experience failure um compete and not bat nigh. you know, I’ve seen Ali uh become one of uh one of the veterans within the team in in you know, post Thanksgiving um rookie rookie year’s pretty much over. Um, we’re now in year two and and I I think you’re starting to see the elements that we were hopeful of uh from that draft class which um you know makes uh games more competitive and um practices more spirited and the football better. When Austin Jackson has been in the lineup, what makes him an effective run blocker? uh his conviction um is on the top end of any any lineman I’ve been around in terms of he’s trying to uh make a play by uh technique, force, um and uh body mechanics. He’s he’s going after the opponent. That that competitive uh you know violent play style that he he aggressively attacks people with it’s infectious. His him being in the huddle is infectious. Um you know I’ve been very very happy with you know Larry and the the whole group. Um, and you know, I I didn’t know if we’d be able to get to that tonality of how we how we play football and our physicality and uh conviction. I didn’t know um if how much Austin not being there was going to hurt. I’ve been very proud of the group, but um getting him back, uh into into football and just in the huddle is a is a big deal for our football team because he’s uh he’s not only a really good player, but he adds value to um all those around him by his consistency, commitment, talent. Um and quite literally, I’m really fired up about his aggressiveness. So, um, it should, uh, as he participates in today’s practice, it should have a a solid effect.

Coach Mike McDaniel meets with the media

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