Coach Mike McDaniel meets with the media | Miami Dolphins

Coach Mike McDaniel meets with the media | Miami Dolphins

Mike, so where does the backup quarterback stand? Is Zach the guy moving forward or is it still week to week? So the competition was uh was very good during the week. we um uh were able to um create a couple other scenarios where they could operate with the with the guys and in that um you know Zach’s game and Quinn’s game kind of rose but feel like uh um for now uh until competition as it continues proves otherwise for now uh the best thing for our football team is for um in uh in relief duty of a game or because of injury for for Zach to come in and be the number two. Um, that the that could uh change over time. I’m never going to uh turn my nose down to competition. Um, but uh I feel comfortable with that. I’m not looking to change that until they they show me it needs to be changed. Talked with some of the I talked with some of the players um about the running back rotation and they were a big fan of it. just what went into um that the running back rotation early in the game and is that something we could see going forward? Well, I think uh it try to give guys opportunities um and sometimes the game allows for for further opportunities. Um but as you know a a core uh position group on our football team, you know, we have a lot of a lot of talent there to utilize all of that behooves us. So you try to give them opportunities early. um you kind of have an idea how you think it’s going to go, but you keep an open mind um to how how people respond. And you know, I think uh Ali probably had the most carries he had um this season and uh you know, I I think it was easy um uh for that to occur based upon his you know, his opportunities early. So getting everybody involved um is is important. giving them the opportunity to take more of a share depending on, you know, how how guys um are playing. Um that that’s that’s important. Um there’s there’s other games. I think uh um the the most carries uh Devon has had this season was against the Jets, I believe. And going into that game, didn’t think that didn’t plan for that to be the case. Um but really liked how he was running, so gave him the ball more. Um, uh, I I think strength and numbers and utilizing all of your, uh, talent to the best of your offense’s capability is is important, um, to max out our team. Thursday night games are usually division games where opponents are pretty much familiar with one another. This one is not a division game. It is not. Um, which is quite unique. What kind of challenges does it create, especially installing a new game plan on the short peak without practicing? Well, I think you have to be um very uh you know, to to be able to adjust to things like that, it’s it’s vital that your um your core foundation of what you install starting in the off season. um that foundation you’re able to pull from throughout the season, but it’s systematically woven into their understanding. Um and so you can understand calls and principles based upon the opponent. Um it it can get um really tricky if if you’re unfamiliar with the opponent in its entirety. you know, uh we have played um against uh the Ravens a couple times in the last couple years, so you have some familiarity with their offense. And then defensively, um they uh they run a system similar to us, so that that’s helpful as well. Um there’s always there’s always challenges. The the good news is is that uh unfamiliarity is shared. So, um you just try to minimize where you can um uh where you your your execution can falter because of whatever they do and and uh if you have to go shorter on calls um so that guys can have a a more convicted understanding or whatever that may be. It’s uh that that is the solution that um collectively coaches are trying to figure out and um players are trying to nail down. So there’s uh uh there is challenges, but thank thankfully uh they’re for both teams. I was thinking about how Aaron Brewer and Jordan Brooks are in the middle of everything. They’re literally in the middle on offense and defense. What traits do you think those guys have in common? Well, they’re um both captains. They’re both um uh uh cut from the same cloth where you have very talented players that also possess um a a chip on their shoulder of uh um but appropriately utilizing it. And they’re they’re guys that um players want to be led by, you know. Um, I think there’s uh I mean there’s not a better compliment to pay a football player than um a a locker room voted captain and then um to see how uh you know they they bring it every day um without relent uh to the point that you know their teammates are expecting a certain level of focus energy towards um towards what we’re doing and towards the day um and and they uh without fail bring it. Um uh they earn their sea on their chest. Um and I think they’re uh they’re monumental for um you know your team to continue to progress. the NFL season is long and rigorous and there’s um a lot of a lot of challenges to it, but when you have guys like that with that are your captains that earn it every day and then continue to improve their game, um you’re you’re in a good spot with your locker room. I think you guys played the fastest pre- snap and postnap that I’ve seen this season. And like I think two had the fastest time of throw. Two. What do you mainly attribute like getting back to playing your speed to? Well, I think you attribute it to the work put in by the players and coaches to render results. Um you know that that quite frankly um those were areas of focus because they weren’t good enough. So you identify stuff that isn’t good enough um at you know on your team. uh whether you you know that’s that’s a very important part to to our game is our tempo with which we get in and out of the huddle and play. And um so you do one thing when when you’re trying to correct something that um you you that is failing you. You know, you focus on it um diligently. You don’t let it stray from your focus. Um and then and how do you do that? you take advantage of a practice week in a different way. Uh that maybe maybe breaking the huddle simultaneously um is a priority and uh you know for the speed with which you play. So then um if we don’t break the huddle correctly, uh you do it again and then you you go to the line of scrimmage and um you uh you have pre- snap movement that’s illegal that will in a game nullify that that actual play, then um you you you stop it and you do it again. So that that relentless focus um by the coaches and players um rendered results and um you you have to that that’s a microcosm what the NFL journey is in a season is you have to identify um and and empower things that are a strength of your game and identify and improve stuff that’s a weakness. So, um I that was more uh you know closely associated with the vision of how we want to play. Um there there’s still um yards and points left on the table from things that we can improve on. And uh if you if you want to continue that trajectory um with your style of play, you have to continue the focus. And um if you relent on the focus, uh your execution will relent. Mike, I know sometimes you’ll hear about coaches spending more time with units that are struggling. Obviously, Weave knows what he’s doing. You have total trust in him, but did you spend any time more with the defense the last few weeks than you typically would have last year? No, I think um the only adjustment I made uh relative to my my natural operating procedures, you know, I tried to um be around the building in times that I that I that I wouldn’t otherwise. Um I kind of um you know, I minimize or tried to tighten up uh the entire orchestration my day so I could make time for that. Um, but I think you know that the time spent um in the with the units uh that’s why it was so vital in the off seasonason particularly this off season to spend as much time um as as I did with the defense and special teams um just knowing the rigors of the uh NFL season. You can’t be two places at once. Uh so I uh it was there that um you know the the foundational operating procedure and how we go about business and you know through all the work that we that we do watching tape together um you know that I’m confident how the meetings are go going it’s more about being around the players and that’s all three phases um just to um make sure that guys are attacking each and every day that uh I I think um I’m fortunate to have uh three different coordinators on staff that are all very adept at doing business um when I’m when I’m not there. What are surfaced on the injury report with two new injuries? Uh he said he’ll be all right, but I’m sorry. Bradley Chub. Yeah. Yeah. Uh surfaced with two new injuries on the injury report. Uh he said he’ll be all right. What do you see as his status on the short week? Yeah. um as uh as far as I’m concerned um I I’m very confident unless there’s a setback uh that he’ll be playing. I know he’s um you know has given me zero indication that he that he wouldn’t um he’s he’s excited for the game working through all that stuff. Uh and as long as long as it continues the trajectory we should be good to go. What are some that you guys did on defense to limit John Robinson that you believe can apply to Derrick Henry? Well, I think um you sorry um one one of the commonalities is that uh they’re great players at the same position. Um it’s as easy to get them the ball is handing them the ball. And with those type of uh with great players, uh particularly running backs, um it’s not one person. It’s a collective. It’s a it’s a mindset. Um it’s play in play out. Making sure you minimize the space between um uh you and your teammate that you’re that that force is consistent, that pursuit is uh relentless. Though it’s a it’s a group effort. um that that we uh that you have to play play in play out. So, uh you know, I think in in situations like that um uh you know, last week guys knew that um if we weren’t on our details um uh before the snap and um into into the snap that that space was going to um really put our our team in a bind. I think um that that’s consistent with, you know, the the playmakers that they have um with the Ravens, just in a different way. Um way different body type as a as a ball carrier. Um uh you know, but you don’t that’s Derrick Henry is about as good as it gets. um uh one of the young young players that um are uh up and coming in this league was uh was just last week, but it’s a it’s a new week. Um it’s going to take a a renewed um focus that’s probably even greater. Um, you have you have a a guy that’s has Hall Hall of Fame numbers that um that you you collectively have to um really uh commit to to to stop. And that’s in in groups, but that it also has to do with um how how are you how many opportunities are you going to give him? Um how many times are are you going to allow a a team to stay on the field? And then conversely, um what what is uh what is our offense doing um to minimize his touches? How do you do that? Well, you uh um take you convert third downs. You have um uh you have time of possession. You’re running the ball well. Those things contribute as well. So, it takes a team um to minimize uh that guy. He you don’t stop him. Um and uh that’s what it’ll take on Thursday. Mike, what can you glean from weave his inside knowledge of the Ravens beyond what you saw in 22 and 23 and what you’ve seen on tape from them this year? Well, I think um you know I the the the valuable information that he he gives me is, you know, how the program is going to be tuned up and ready to go based upon um you know, his experience there and all all the things that he’s he’s shared. Um I you know I think you have to uh you have to be careful not to overcook um inside knowledge just because we’re all um in you know unique entities that are evolving and you know stuff that in situations um they may have called in 2023. um maybe their their nuculus isn’t as comfortable with or um they’ve they’ve had an experience where they’ve got beat in a situation so they’ll call something different. Um it it is good to get the kind of scope of um how the program works and get an idea um of you know the the tone with which they’re going to attack this game. But from a uh exact x’s and o’s standpoint, um being not being there for a year and a half kind of um minimizes your inside information. Mike, what’s the biggest thing you saw different from Tua this past week? Um, you know, I think I think uh there was probably the what I’ve seen over the course of his career is um an incredible response um mechanism uh with his play like the um to be able to find uh conviction passing the ball um after you know one not throw throw um uh interceptions more than Tua, but to be able to find um conviction and let it loose um you know speaks to his um mental fortitude uh you know something that uh franchise quarterbacks have to have um to to be able to um you know play and and facilitate and flourish um in the es and flows of an NFL season. Um, and you know, I think it it was good to see him um uh really, you know, play quarterback well, but lead very well. You know, that uh play in play out, run pass, um you know, touchdown, um drive or punt. Uh he he was adding value to his teammates and um you know and uh really pushing confidence um uh from himself onto them uh which which made us play a better brand of football. As a play caller, what’s different about not having Tyreek and Darren Waller out there? Well, I think you’re uh you’re you going into the game, it’s probably the the biggest difference just because um you know, you have to kind of extrapolate how people are going to defend you. Um and generally those guys uh add a add a layer that um pushes the defense to maybe do something new. Um, you know, I think we still get uh we still get game plan stuff. Um, but you know, I think uh there’s uh there’s opportunities that uh defenses feel like to, you know, maybe play. We’ve we’ve gotten a a different collection of defenses for sure. Um and in that is a you know different opportunity, different problems to solve. Um, if people are going to play a um, single safety, you have to block the down safety if you want a successful run. Um, and you have to um, beat a more loaded underneath zone coverage. Um, as a result, uh, I I think um, at the end of the day, football um, defenses in in this league are really good. So, um if you’re doing if you’re executing anything um fairly well, uh they adjust and try to take that away. So, um, you know, whether it’s those guys not being there or, you know, 37 rushing attempts, um, that it affects the defense, um, you know, uh, correlation causation and how much, um, you know, that’s to the eye of the beholder. But um they uh bottom line is we have to um move the ball and score points and they’re going to try to stop us um regardless of who we have. Appreciate it.

Coach Mike McDaniel meets with the media

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