Coach Mike McDaniel meets with the media after #MIAvsBUF | Miami Dolphins

Coach Mike McDaniel meets with the media after #MIAvsBUF | Miami Dolphins

um feels like it feels like we lost a game. Um we uh and you know it’s not really um you know our expectation was to come in here and win the game and we knew we had to not turn the ball over. Um and we knew we had to um you know try to get at least plus or at least even with them in the in the takeaway department. Um, and we had to play good football, make some plays, and uh, you know, we had a a turnover in a crit critical situation. We had a critical penalty against, uh, on a punt. Um, and th those types of things can uh, you know, that’s how these types of games are decided. So, um it feels like a loss and uh feels like we have a lot of mo uh motivation to um get back to work um uh for uh for our next opponent. Like the game plan was to to try to run the football, pound the football. Thought you did a pretty good job of that. Did you feel that way? Yeah, there was um there was some good good uh um moments. Uh, you know, I think the uh uh guys ran hard. I think um uh Devon and and Ollie and guys were um connected against a high strain team which leads to some extra yardage. Uh there’s some you know uh uh you worry when I think it was the second quarter. Um, you know, you get a couple three and outs uh and it you you get a little frustrated not being able to get the opportunities, but um guys made the most of them and we we got to improve um uh to uh get this in the right direction. Yeah, I um I I wanted to uh protect the ball. Um, I wish I could. Um, you know, I think I think the quarterback has to be responsible for it. However, um, I wish I could just, uh, put it on him, but I think, uh, there’s, uh, it’s a tough job to do when there’s someone in your face. We need, um, everybody needs to do better. Um, and we we can’t, you know, if you’re you got to ditch the ball to the flat um uh in moments like that and that’s what we have to learn from. What’s your frustration after three games not having a win? Feel like you’re getting better every week, but it’s just not it’s just not turning out your way. Yeah, I would I would say the uh it’s uh frustration that turns to focus. I I would say that I’m very focused and motivated um to continue uh continue eliminating things that cost us um games. And you know, you have a young team, a lot of people uh that you’re counting on and you need them to um uh not be young for very much longer and continue to grow. Um but the it’s I would say focus um because, you know, I I I know I have a a locker room that is all in to to grow through the process. Um and and that’s you know there’s some tough tough lessons or tough um things you have to deal with in National Football League and um you know to be successful in it. You have to uh you have to uh not have things I say it all the time but you can’t have things just uh cause you failure and it be in vain. You have to have consistent growth. Um, and you have to be able to um go through tough times and not splinter. And so the the team has shown me shown me that. Um, and we’ll need that to uh to get the results that we want. And uh, you know, I I think that’s the the biggest thing is the a collective focus on our game uh to continue improve it so that we can um be on the right side of the win column. a guy like Zack, team captain, obviously knows he messes up. He messed up right away when it happens. What do you say to a guy like that who probably knows the extent of what you just did? Well, I think, you know, for me, I’m always um starting top down with myself. I’m very critical on, you know, uh myself and, you know, hold all of the coaches accountable for putting players in situations. And, you know, that particular one was unfortunate because the um you know, the intent of uh the the play was not to get Zack Cer to block the punt. He was um trying to speed up the process of the punter by a a bull rush on the on the um long snapper and he was uh a little too successful in that. So he was kind of scottree staring at the punter and um you know there’s I don’t need to say anything um in the moment to make him worse. It’s not like I’m worried about him doing it again. Um, but you have to, uh, you know, you’re as good as your leaders allow you to be in with with things of their own failure. So, uh, what do I mean by that? I, you know, I’m going to have to teach off of that. um when we watch film together as a team and you know that’s um the way he conducts himself uh and and the the type of player and leader he is um he will he’ll have no problem with that because he he knows ultimately um if you’re doing it right you have coaches saying that you shouldn’t put them in that situation and you have players saying well if I’m in that situation I need to um avoid uh the the non-negotiable. Um, you know, it the defense worked hard to get that stop. Um, Caler was a part of that. So, um, it’s unfortunate. We have to learn from it. Um, and that’s the nature of the NFL. You talked about young players. You played a lot of young players and you’re growing with those young players. Do you see the value of those guys that are week by week getting more stable doing what you Yeah. Where they want to be at. It’s critical that um in those types of situations that you have the right people that um you know learn from things and are the right tough-minded individuals like you know um I I’m frustrated in the moment and and mad about um you know like a a legal man downfield with Jonah. Um uh but I know that he’s a tough-minded individual that holds himself extremely accountable. So when your young guys are like that, you have a chance to improve, although it’s frustrating in the moment. Um there’s uh you know, I think the the guys we are playing um are extremely tough- minded. that’s why they’re um here and that’s why they’re getting those opportunities because and and I think the veteran players know that um they’re they’re worth the growing pains. Um but you you at some point um you you have to stop that if you’re trying to win football games. Uh uh specifically in a road environment like um Buffalo provides and you know the the uh you know division leader um and they they’ve held the division for for a while and to beat them you have to do sound good football things. Um it’s not a coincidence they have an NFL record for plus minus um uh uh consecutively. I think it’s 25 games now that um in a row that and and that’s a hard lesson but a real lesson. And if you want a different outcome um particularly uh ne the next game or the next time you play those guys, you have to learn from it. Um, and you know, I gotta uh make sure that we have very very beneficial um uh couple extra days between our Monday night. Um, and uh we’re going to have to get back in the meeting room and and start the process again in terms of uh how we how we take the uh lessons from the last game and you utilize them. uh realistically you got to do that win or loss because the only teams uh that you want to be a part of are the ones that continue to improve um as the season progresses. So not good enough um as it stands um but we have a a ton of season left and um every opportunity is uh not one to take for granted. Is there coach come out but with all the outside noise, your job security and their toughness and their is there any point of personal pride from you when you come out and you see um I’m not I’m never proud of a loss. Um, and I’m not uh we we came here to win and I I I refuse to um take moral victories uh as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. We um it wasn’t good enough. So, that’s that’s where I’m at. went in. Well, I think um there’s uh you know there was an effort to try to um distribute the ball and get get some of our guys um involved. They put a lot of attention on um and pretty much double uh Tyreek and Jaylen um all game. So, you have to have uh some people step up and um inflict their will. And you know, I thought, you know, Oie did a really good job. It’s kind of what I expected. He’s um you know, he’s he’s really uh really worked hard at being able to be out there by knowing his assignments and all of his offball stuff. So, it I think it was a effort to to um get numerous players involved and I think they uh they took advantage of that. Um and it it was why we were able to have some success on that drive. How was Jason going? Um I’ll I’ll I’ll find out more tomorrow. Um I didn’t I don’t know too too much. Um I think it’s soft tissue and that’s all I got. It it was uh you know um an ingame situation where we felt like we had um we had uh you know a guy in Dan Brunskill that um simply in this game against this opponent on this day we thought he gave us a better shot. Um and so we we made the move without hesitation. Um, and that was, you know, uh, that happens from time to time. Um, I expect, uh, Keon to rebound from that. Um, and as I know, it’s very important to him and and he knows he can play better. I want to ask the playbook. led to um it was uh third and 16 I believe and uh you know I figured if we we needed a play to get um at least 10 yards um hopefully 11 to get it uh you know in a in a third down or a fourth down situation um where you know I thought we had a a good call for um the various defenses as they play. So, um it was just a matter of uh needing the yards, knowing that they were going to be super soft and it was going to be uh difficult to get those. So, um we had to utilize all of our preparation. How do you feel about the production that you’re getting? Um you know, I think uh you know, there’s uh different roles for players. Um and you know all productivity um with all 11 uh has to do with all 11. So um you know the jobs I’ve asked them to do I think they’ve done a good job. Um I think the you know there’s been uh like situations um Julian Hill had a a major play that was called back. Um they did a good job in protection in the run game and uh you know there’s there’s a lot of mouths to feed on in terms of ball distribution. Um so I I think they’ve done a good job with what they’ve been asked but um you know I think we uh those are kind of the roles that I envision for them and they’ll continue they’ll get more production as as we go and as we develop. Um but my I’m not looking at straight numbers. I’m looking at um play for play how they’re impacting stuff. So I feel um all right uh with with I we we need to get better across the board. So um I’m not going to sit here and say that everything is or anything’s really good. We haven’t won a game yet. So we got to we got work to do to get one of those. Last question. What can you say about what it’s like to face Josh? Um he’s uh it’s uh you’re you’re very pumped when you get a when you’re able to get a stop. He is um you know, he makes you defend the entire field um almost on every play because he can throw it uh as far as anybody. Um but you have to you have to be very sound in your rush lanes otherwise he’ll uh he’ll run for it too. So um it it’s he’s a really good player and um you know he a part of a really good team and you you got to bring your best um to beat him and today we didn’t have uh quite our best. Um, so we’ll go back to the drawing board and um, hopefully our best shows out uh, next week against the Jets.

Coach Mike McDaniel meets with the media after #MIAvsBUF

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