Coach Mike McDaniel meets with the media | Miami Dolphins

Coach Mike McDaniel meets with the media | Miami Dolphins

Hello. Hello. So, not to get into specific positions for competitive reasons, but as far as potential lineup changes, when you watch the offensive line on tape, did you see anything that made you think at a particular position on the line, I want to open up the competition and make a change potentially at one of the five spots, or are you sticking with that group? I I’m uh the best players always play. Um, I uh I I saw a lot of things that had room for improvement, not just uh um you know, necessarily in the offensive line, but uh um I will I I’m definitely not opposed to um someone raising their game. Um but we will play the best players and we have uh um when players have bad plays, we coach them. Um, and hopefully, uh, you know, the the point is that, um, you take you check off that box where you won’t get beat by this thing again. Um, if it’s the same thing over and over, that’s when you consider those things or if somebody um, uh, brings it to your attention that they offer a better solution. Mike, regarding the backup quarterback position, um will the backup this week, the number two this week be opponent specific, like who gives you the best chance to beat Atlanta or best overall number two quarterback? I I’m I’m looking to uh um uh uh avoid hopefully um uh a back and forth um and uh would like to uh solidify that um and and uh but I think competition um raises everyone and uh it was at at that point where it got to that point. So, um, they will compete and hopefully, um, it will remain, but I’m not opposed to doing anything that will help us beat an opponent. So, I, um, I’m not going to, uh, stamp that or, uh, cosign that it will never happen. Um, but the ideal, uh, would be, um, for one to stay and remain, but we’ll we’ll work through that as the week goes. How does a number two guy get with the offense, the regular offense, not looks team? The um it’s uh the actual starters um are are minimal because of all the stuff that you have to do game plan specific. Um but there is a lot of work um in walkthroughs and um extra work that uh these guys do to make sure that they don’t u miss out on the execution of the reps. We have coaches um a full staff of coaches for that specific reason. A lot of the stuff that we do um we we do uh both quarterbacks um walk through all of the game plan plays throughout the week and on Monday after the game um to stay tight on all that stuff. Um and and you you get some competitive periods within the week. So, um I would say uh probably last week um guys had uh live action um in a handful plus, but um it’s never uh ideal like um exactly like training camp. Um but when you have uh you have a lot to evaluate because of how you’re um running uh the opposing team’s offense and particularly when there’s overlap in schemes such as there is uh this week in terms of uh the the offensive systems bare bare bones and how you can actually steal reps um from your offense when you’re you’re doing the opposing team’s offense. So, it it uh it’s the most difficult when you’re uh playing a vastly different offense, like if you’re playing a zone read offense and stuff, you don’t really get get um reps on time on task and stuff that you’re actually working on for your own offense as much. Um but uh this this week there’s there’s plenty of reps that either are with the starters or that are very applicable to how we’re um asking quarterbacks to execute the offense. After the game, you said we’ll watch the tape and change our style of play if we have to. Um is that about run pass ratio? I want Can you tell us more about what you were driving out there? Well, I think you uh you try to lean into um what players are good at and and then you’re trying to assess um where the failures are coming and why. And if you’re asking your players to do something that they’re incapable of, uh you make sure to specifically when when you have a a a team that’s really really focused on uh getting right and ending a streak of losses, you make sure that players are empowered. So you you take a critical look at um quite literally everything. Um, and in and if you uh if you need to be under center in pistol, in gun, if you need to motion more to get guys open to motion less to um uh if you need to play um more zone defense, if you need to play more man defense, um it is uh when you’re when you’re flipping the table over and and getting things um uh getting things done and and trying to fix things as your your team needs you to. You you really take a hard look at not just that game, but kind of the breadth of the season and patternize stuff so that you can you can produce your best brand of football. So, realistically for me, um run pass ratio is is a thing. Um, and how how do you uh get more runs? Well, you you don’t turn the ball over. Um, well, did you could you have avoided turning the ball over with your style of play or or your play calling and and um or or who you’re throwing to or what you’re doing um you know, all things without revealing a competitive advantage, all things are assessed for sure. Like going back to the backup quarterback situation, how do you assess what each guy does best? How do they compare with one another? Um, how do I assess uh what uh I analyze um how they receive coaching points? Uh what they’re able to do in response to like, all right, um I need you to throw uh with more conviction here. Okay. I need you to see um the uh uh I need you to be more in tune with what we call sound bites, which is kind of our patternized phrasing of the read. Um so uh we we need you to be more in concert with with uh um the timing and and your footwork. There is a hundred different things that you coach quarterbacks on because they touch the ball every play. So um whether it’s you’re you’re talking about uh a handoff. Well, a handoff has a track and um if you’re running an outside zone, the quarterback better be at four or eight o’clock. Um or we’re going to get the ball. The mesh is going to be off. So, that’s off. You coach them on it. Um you say, “Hey, this is it needs to be 8:00.” And then you see their next rep. And then if you have to remind them, um there it goes on and on, but you you know the quarterback is the captain of the ship. So they have to take in coaching as well as um you know command the huddle uh communicate responsibilities and then allow uh as the point guard of the of the offense to allow other players to make plays. So there um you have I think uh with with our quarterbacks um they both have supreme arm talent um uh and they they make plays in different ways um and you you’re trying to see both how they uh how consistent they can be with in rhythm, but then um on top of that, can they make plays when there’s not a play there? Uh that that is um something that they they both have the ability to do um and both are trying to like every quarterback make that as consistent as possible, which is an ongoing um ever evolving process. things on the uh on the thing about uh potential personnel changes. Did you make clear to the team that there will be open competition at several spots? Was that part of your message this week or is that just assumed by players in your mind where you don’t have to articulate? That’s um I think if you follow through with action over time um your your uh body of of players um assumes that. I don’t think it um you know I think that’s um in the nature of the business you establish whether or not you’re willing to play um the best players or or not. um early. I think um you know the first time uh I I did it on the Miami Dolphins was probably um uh in 22 and you have to be consistent with um how how you follow through with that and then you don’t have uh then it’s kind of understood and um second nature. But I think uh that that’s something that’s always um important to me um for the uh for everyone involved um including the individual players because you you uh deserve if you give the team the best shot you deserve the opportunity and so we’re um always mindful of that and that that is something that um I’ve I’ve always tried to stay true to. How are things right now between you and Tua? Um well the I would say um we had a uh a great hour and a half meeting yesterday. We had a great hour meeting the day before. Um as uh as two and I have always operated. I think there’s zero um uncertainty with Tua on my conviction in him and my belief in him. So, uh, I think we’re we’re both very very eager to, um, do better at our jobs. Um, and we’re we’re both very committed and trusting of each other to, um, to, uh, respond to what is necessary for the team to do better. You tell him as he goes through these struggles of backto-back three interception games. Um what what I tell him is I I uh I coach him on the individual plays specifically um uh how he can avoid that in the future. I don’t I don’t my coaching point is don’t do that. Um that’s not my coaching point is don’t do that. You know, it’s very um uh very you’re trying to instruct for future. Um but I think it’s also important uh that you know I kind of uh uh you know remind him of uh how he’s responded um in the past to give him um conviction in the future. So, uh I think he’s uh he’s been one that you know the he’s never strayed um 100% from being questioned as a player. He’s at a high-profile position. Um and that is the expectation is to uh have standards that he has for himself. and he knows that um as a franchise quarterback um when you when you don’t live up to um your own standard, you’re you’re probably going to get um a lot of uh unintended consequences by uh sheer result. Um and you’re going to hear about it and and um I have confidence based on um my history with him that he’ll respond in the appropriate manner. um which I made sure to uh communicate with him and and he’s uh received it um and press forward to the Atlanta Falcons, which is what our entire team is very much focused on. Um anything else other than the Atlanta Falcons is a waste of our time and we’re not doing a service to um what we need to be doing to try to win a game. He said it felt like she was multitasking. Do you know what how do you want him to handle that the multitasking that he’s referring to? Um I I think that that’s multitasking is the quarterback’s position. And I think what he’s referring to um is the layers of that when you uh have in-game injuries for for a quarterback that changes substitution. It changes the tempo. you’re you’re figuring out um you know when people are coming in and out uh who’s at what position and that um it’s a challenge for everyone involved on on game day when you have uh um in-game adjustments like that. So that’s that’s part of uh the position. I think it was um there was a a couple fast moving ones in that game. So that’s probably what he’s referring to. I’ve heard coaching truly starts when things go wrong. you know, when you’re winning, it’s not easy, but it’s easier. I’m curious what you’ve learned about yourself as a coach throughout this one and six start. No, I think um I think that’s very much uh a huge part of the the business. I don’t think you need um you’re not called upon as a necessity, as a leader um as much when there’s high fives. Um I think uh my job uh is very much uh the realist when you’re going through adverse situations um because you’re you’re you know that’s what um the position allows you to affect each and every person um and as the leader you’re you’re trying to um you know show show people how to um operate on the heels of failure. I think uh I think that’s um you know I’m very motivated um in in times such as these because I I do think that this is uh when when leaders are need needed the most. So um you’re you’re you’re coaching to win football games. Um but your true test as a coach does does come in adverse situations. Um which is you know always been the case. Uh this isn’t uh in in my career in my uh 20 year NFL career. It’s not uh my first um nor uh nor will it be my last losing streak. That’s the nature of the NFL. You and it’s a big boy league that um it it does get tough. Um but uh I think I I signed up for the tough parts, not the easy parts. Devon has I think it’s like 91 more touches than next most active player in this offense. I asked you something similar about this at the beginning of last season and I think you more or less said like good things happen when he touches the ball so he’s going to keep getting the ball. Is that kind of the same case in 25 or are you guys actively looking to diversify? Yeah, I think um I think there there comes a a level of confidence um from the distributor um uh when when you you do have successful touches. I think um you know I I would say that you know uh Devon’s done a very good job being where he’s supposed to be in the timing of the play. Um and there’s been um uh lot of situations where he wasn’t the primary um uh eligible that he’s he’s gotten um a lot of touches there as well. I I do think there’s um very talented players in our backfield that um I I think it it does best for the team if we um can spread the ball out. I think uh it’s a lot easier um when you have uh when you have games where you’re not if you don’t turn the ball over. I think every time that you have a multi-turn game, you end up saying we should have ran the ball more. Um, and every single time that you have a multi-turnover game, you uh it’s really hard to get um uh the distribution of carries that you’d like. I think uh uh one game in particular that strikes a chord with me is a um the Buffalo game that uh because the turnover that the um that was produced happened on the last drive uh and prior to there was no turnovers um to that point, it was a little easier uh to diversify those touches um which I think uh is the best um for the offense when you have capable players like that. So, I am um looking looking to do that. Um but there’s a lot of factors that play into that uh for it to be executed. Uh which is what we’re looking to um execute better on this week. You you you said you were confident that the team hadn’t checked out on you based on the way they performed. What makes you confident that the way they performed after Cleveland that they haven’t checked out? Well, that you know that’s um I I can totally understand that question and uh you know based upon the the the play of of the team it’s very fair uh to worry about. Um which is why I I think uh it was important for me to um you know really take measure of of the players in and out of the building to kind of get a better beat on that. kind of spent um a little more time or kind of changed my routine to uh you know know for myself um by um being being around them more and and knowing exactly where they’re at. And my confidence comes from um direct communication from them um not in a meeting form but um quite literally in on the ground floor of of the uh facility and um whether it’s uh 5:45 um this morning um or uh you know it was 5 p.m. yesterday. Um the the players uh on the player day off when they’re in and out of the building or for this day of business, um they’ve been very focused on uh the Atlanta Falcons, which is the only thing that I care about because I know in the NFL, if you don’t have 100% focus on the opponent, the opponent will uh make you regret that.

Coach Mike McDaniel meets with the media

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