Coach McDaniel meets with the media | Miami Dolphins

Coach McDaniel meets with the media | Miami Dolphins

s start just going to check in on updates on Austin Jackson and if he with Austin Jackson does it look longterm or do you think he might be back around the time he’s eligible in four games and and is a longterm thing? Um I think uh I think we have a we’ll have a shot to get him back close close to return or he’ll he’ll uh uh that’s kind of what we’re earmarking for Austin. And then um uh if he wasn’t it was good news bad news. The good news it wasn’t um anything uh like overly severe that we were oh shoot the images showed this. However is soft tissue on a short week. So, um I’m trying to feel out, uh what the positive, um vibes from the um medical outlook from, uh this morning, um what that actually means as far as uh this game. Uh that will become clear as the week goes. Mike, with if um I noticed on the kickoff return touchdown he was limping. That was it. Boom. Yep. Um, with Han, did when he steps out of bounds, I mean, is that I I guess for lack of a better term, his fault. Was that did he need should he have had better field awareness or is in the moment you just can’t help that it’s a game of inches? And uh he was, you know, what had happened was he he uh too quickly went through his progression um got to him uh and there was a flat defender. he made the guy miss. And then um Alec Ingold being a captain, he transitioned from his route um to be a lead blocker on the half safety and um you know uh Devon was bringing the ball to the block as as we coach it. Um and uh you know just uh was a little you know I think a quarter of an inch or half inch or whatever it was. He you have to pay attention to the sideline. He was um but uh I think he thought he was a couple inches inside. So um it it is a game of inches. You know, I I he was trying to turn the play into a touchdown and pressed it just a hair too much. Um but uh he he uh he made an outstanding play to get to that position um from in the first place. What’s been your impression from conversations with players on uh where their head is at on the short week here? Well, I think um I tried to make it uh very very clear uh last night and um you know, my expectation talking to the guys um that I’ve talked to today is that uh our focus is super clear and it’s pretty obvious. Um Thursday night games are um you know, after a loss that they can be a blessing because you have no time to think about anything else. And quite literally um you know I kind of paint a picture that I think they uh the team is um you know understanding is that every moment that you’re spend not preparing that you spend thinking about um anything but the opponent is going to serve you in the worst. So, I think it’s extremely important that the guys are solely focused as I am on uh on the Bills and nothing else because that’s all that does matter. And uh truth be told, that’s um that’s the formula for week three every year regardless of your record. Like, have you felt at all or are you worried in any bit that your message and your voice isn’t being received by the entire locker room just at the level it needs to? Yeah, I mean I think uh I think I I develop confidence um through uh my watching and seeing how players respond. And that’s something that’s always a part of my coaching process. And you know, I think uh if there was anything that would lend me to believe um that uh messages weren’t being received um then then you uh you you address those things that to me I think um you know I’ve seen it seen a team that is uh trying to um do everything they can to win and that and coming up short and pressing forward. in trying to uh change that that result. So, um yeah, ju just based upon witnessing actions. Um yeah, that hasn’t come across my plate until you asked. Mike, this a it’s a pretty open-ended question, but how would you define the culture inside of this building? Um how would I define the culture inside the building? Um, I I think uh there’s uh uh a locker room full of connected people that are uh that um they say we do is kind of our mantra, but we we do work to produce results and we fearlessly attack things that um we fail at. So um as far as defining the culture, I think people um are uh so are mostly responsible who you who you are working with and the direction they’re going in. And um yeah, I feel like we have a unified um a unified locker room and a unified um really really team. uh that you know it’s one of the things that um failure provides an opportunity to uh uh see that with transparency. You can’t you you don’t you’re not it’s not as gray as everyone going in the same direction. Um uh you know a lot of times when people are uh uh when you experience collective uh failure or you lose a game or or two games um you get to see exactly uh uh what type of culture you have based upon how people respond. So uh it’s one of the reasons I focus on response so much because to me that’s all uh really life is and teams are and cultures are. Mike, you guys have clearly struggled against Buffalo even before you got here. Can a team or a location have an advantage on on an opponent, do you think? If you make it I mean I I think it’s a disservice to all the all the people on both teams every year when uh people put uh history on top of uh you know what it’s two teams playing each other. Um and you know I think you can have a you generally if you have um success in in one place against an opponent over time you do have have a confidence uh whether it’s uh real or not real it doesn’t matter you do and then um consequently um people can have a chip on their shoulder on the losing end of it. The bottom line is is all of its semantics. It’s two football teams playing um at a uh uh one on the road, one at home, but the individuals are always different. Um and the the more you can recognize that and take each game for it unto its itself and alone um by itself, it’s uh you’re you’re shortch changing um the the process and you’ll ultimately fall victim to it. I think over time you you have to um take each game, each opponent, each opportunity in the National Football League, solely focus on it, and everything else um makes you worse uh in focus, preparation, and execution. Mike, I don’t have anything in mind when I ask you this. Nice. Given all right, sounds well. Now given some of the issues with penalties and things like that, is there anything in the game day playtoplay operations that you feel there’s a need to change for this game? Well, I think, you know, I think the another thing that you take, um, you know, sometimes winning mass stuff when you lose, um, it’s it’s almost impossible not to, uh, you know, really really iron out every detail of anything that can contribute to that. I think that’s part, you know, my job is not to is nothing other than um, you know, finding solutions and things. So um you know when when something comes up that you know it I think that we can correct you know to me it’s all like I’m I’m accountable for everything you know ultimately that’s kind of that’s the that’s the exact role of the head coach. So when something fails um the solution is my job. um and uh right, wrong or indifferent, it doesn’t matter who’s um who we deem um accountable, it’s it’s on me and we we try to correct things. So um you know I think specifically with regard to our mechanism of uh our uh particular um substitution and you know the the the thing that came up at the end of the game we u met on as a as a staff and came up with a solution like we do um everything. Um, and you know, I think it’s it’s frustrating um when you’re when you’re I’m always frustrated when uh we practice stuff and it doesn’t work out in the way that we’ve practiced it. So, um we’ve practiced all those things and when it’s still uh something still fails, then you know it’s my job to step in, create a solution and uh um get everyone on the same page. So, that that’s what we do. um with literally everything. Um and uh certainly without we’re not keeping the exception, the one that um you know, in my opinion, kept us from uh having an opportunity to um you know, win the game on a potential extra point if we could. What conversations have you had with Stephen Ross, and how would you describe the tone of those conversations since uh yesterday’s game? Um, since yesterday’s game, we talked um about the game after the game and then um talked about uh uh the preparation week for Buffalo. So, um kind of in step with uh what uh you know what I talked to the team about as well. Um so, his uh like everyone else um you know, we thought we could have won the game and we didn’t. And then we talked about the short week in Buffalo. like how do you pick up the young guys in this moment? Obviously Owens who nobody wants to start this way. Um how do you prevent them from losing confidence? Well, I think it’s something that uh you start when you first get them on campus and something that I talk uh without relent uh about situations just like this. Um no different than a game. Um you’re you’re the objective of football is not to forecast a linear trajectory preeason and then follow that. Um you have to uh work hard and if you don’t execute things um across the board uh at a at a high detail, you can still work hard and lose. And then what are you going to do about that? You can’t be um you can’t be shortsighted to um to over cook either way um what uh two games mean uh as it relates to um the next opponent. The the whole um you know that it is you are not avoiding any um any setback. you’re not avoiding any um any like uh unforcasted failure or loss or that’s not the NFL. The NFL is um doing your best and um finding humility and understanding when you do have success that that success doesn’t carry over to the next um opportunity. You know, it’s all it’s all very similar. um in that you have to uh yeah, it’s it it sucks to prepare an off season and then you lose your first game. That always sucks and then it sucks to prepare another week and lose again. Um so then you the NFL is about doing stuff doing something about it. So you um I I think it’s something that’s core to h how I try to talk to players specifically young ones that you know I think that we’re going to um need to count on that that’s been the only conversation that they’ve had thus far is how to operate when you in the immediate deem the present is negative. you you’d operate in the the present to move forward and how do you get better from everything and um find a way to uh find a W especially against a division opponent. Mike Ollie Gordon seemed to have a couple of nice snaps as a lead blocker, as a ball carrier. What does he need to do to get more action? I think he only has seven seven plays from scrimmage, I think. Yeah, you know, I think um there’s a lot of things uh that are involved in that. we had planned on playing him a little bit more. Um, and you know, you adjust to the game. Um, you know, I think, uh, whatever the snaps were in the first half, then, um, you you kind of get in the rhythm in the second half and it’s kind of a different ball game at that point. So, um, his key is he, you know, the I’ve been talking about the offball stuff a ton. It was awesome to see him make a play on uh um Malik’s carry that, you know, was instinctive and really added to the the overall gain on the play just by his uh effort and his understanding of what we’re trying to get done. And that’s that being continued. Um, you know, I think if if the plan was the same um as it was last week, you know, there’s a there’s um there’s a chance he would play about double that um this week. We’ll see what that looks like. Uh but but it’s all about him um understanding all of his roles and responsibilities. You need all 11. Um, but we’ll continue to uh build upon, you know, those positive snaps because that’s, you know, he’s also developing a confidence out there that you uh you when you see that and you see his assignment um execution, then you build on that. Coach, we know that you put your heart and soul into everything every week and then to see that there’s so many people calling for your job and things like that. What are you doing to stay sane through all of this because most people probably lose their mind right now. Buffalo, which which as I see it is it’s plain simple as my job. Like so if um yeah, there’s there’s again there’s all sorts of things said negative, there’s stuff said positive. Um, I’m very understanding that it’s uh in this business it’s uh resultbased and yeah, my job is to um the the more that other people talk about anything, the less I even hear it. So, it’s uh um Buffalo, that’s what it is, and the Miami Dolphins. Mike, the two pass to Tyreek, the 47 yard looked like it was underthrown. Should that have been a touchdown? And if not, um, why wasn’t it or So, uh, that’s a great question because, um, yeah, it does look look like, uh, Tyreek had to wait on it. Um, in actuality, there was, uh, you know, there’s a lot of stuff we coach in pocket movements, particularly on on longer down plays. So, um, he was in that movement. um it made him late on the throw which is what so he did what we coach which is don’t worry about if if the uh pocket movement has taken taken you out of the rhythm of the play um particularly with Tyreek he’s um been very adept in his career of stop uh stopping and tracking a football and you have a high percentage DPI or completion so um that that’s a that’s a throw that Um, I think it was the the same it was the same route as the Patriots touchdown and 23 at home. Um, going into our tunnel and the the the that throw wasn’t under thrown because of the timing of it, which was the same timing um different different ball handling or different action in the back field. There was no action. it was third down, but um the timing uh should have been that and he extended the play to make the throw. So, it was from our our standpoint um a highly effective throw. What’s the teaching point for Jason Marshall Jr. after he commits the illegal contact? Yeah. On second and 25. So, you have a guy that uh is is trying to do right. His intentions are right. However, it’s the second game in a row where we’ve had this learning lesson. So it’s you you have to uh understand that thing if you leave yourself vulnerable um as a defender to any sort of subjective call uh you with you you can’t with absolute certainty do it when the offense is already the opposing offense is behind the sticks. So it’s taking the gray out of it. Um, you have to be very cognizant of of your reroute depth and um, if you’re choosing to reroute and if it’s spot drop, if you’re um, buzzing to to the flat, you can’t clip uh, clip a receiver because of the, you know, that that five yard penalty. It’s it’s about the downs. So, um, you know, that’s a, you know, for a young player, um, it always it always sucks to be penalized. Uh, but, you know, with that gravity, it’s it’s rough, but it’s a lesson that that I know he’ll hold on to and, um, we need everyone to, uh, uh, fully learn from that lesson because it’s happened too many times. How did you assess the right side of the offensive line? Um, some replacements going in and also Jonah on the left side. So there was um there was uh good and bad like most games with the with the right side in particular. I was happy um with how they started out the game. Um they they allowed our offense to function um just as it had before their both starting and uh they they were able to execute some things particularly on the backside that I thought were um pretty solid. Uh, you know, Jonah had his um we have high expectations uh as he as does he for his play. Um I think he’s he had a lot of uh a lot of pluses and there was some minuses that um really stood out to him. Uh and you know there’s one in particular that was kind of at the point of attack. But, you know, the thing about Jonah is he um uh more more he stands out of veterans or rookies um as an intentional um you know, deliberate uh deliberate practicer that actually um th those mistakes or those situations. I wouldn’t call them necessarily mistakes, but the situations where he has a man reach um versus a a lateral stance. um uh mover or stunter or you know the these little nuances of the game. He’s learning live speed fortunately. Um and one of the reasons why we put him in the position is because he he learns from things um and and is extremely critical of himself. So I was I was happy with his overall play, but there’s some stuff that um we’re asking him to clean up that that he’s uh focused on in in preparation for Buffalo. Okay.

Coach McDaniel meets with the media

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