Mike McDaniel – December 25, 2023
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Monday, December 25, 2023
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(I wanted to talk about shins. So WR Jaylen Waddle’s shin injury, there was a report today that he was going to have it further examined. Did the information suggest that he might miss a game or more? And with RB Raheem Mostert, he told reporters yesterday that a shin caused him to leave the game. Obviously he came back. Did you not play him more in the second half because he reported to you some discomfort or lack of mobility or because trainers told you it might not be a good idea to use him a lot in the second half?) – “We were addressing the information given back to us by the player with (Jaylen) Waddle, and as of today it seems to be more of a high ankle that we’re going to have to get some more information on because we know those can be tricky; so that will be pending some more information, but it looks to be a high ankle. Raheem (Mostert), it wasn’t really necessarily that. That’s the relationship that he and I have – Eric Studesville and myself – because we have so many tough-minded, tough players on the team, we’ve become kind of like body language readers. Raheem wanted to go in the game. It had nothing to do with that, it was more that we could tell that it was pretty painful at the time so to the credit of the room, we have so much confidence in that room and all the different guys that you kind of are able to ride the momentum. I think it was just really the disposition Jeff Wilson had the entire game and being a Texas boy, it kind of made sense. But it wasn’t because he was unable or that he was saying that he couldn’t go. It was quite the opposite. Just kind of a relationship professional kind of read into what was going on and thought that gave us the best chance in those particular moments.”
(I wanted to ask a follow-up on WR Jaylen Waddle. He seems to have had a pretty rough go of it this year. It seems like every other week or maybe every week he’s had something. Given the fact that he’s fought through so many injuries, do you have a higher optimism that this won’t be something that will keep him out long term?) – “Yeah, I do, and he’s a really, really tough player and like you said, he’s battled through several things this year which has made him even more eager just as a playmaker to kind of make up for that with his play. So yeah, it does give me optimism because of the individual and because of what he has gone through for sure. He’s had several things that have been real that other players might take them longer, especially at that position, might take them longer to come back from, so I do have a lot of confidence in him for that type of thing.”
(With OL Austin Jackson yesterday was he just available in the event of an emergency but just wasn’t ready to start, play a full 60 minutes? Was that why you went with T Kendall Lamm at right tackle?) – “That’s exactly why. That’s exactly why. He was a warrior to even be able to dress and just we kind of knew it was going to go down to the wire, which it did, in the course of the week. We felt like that he could strain through some ball but to be able to go through the whole game, we thought that was unfair. We have so much confidence in Kendall (Lamm). It was definitely the most appropriate thing to do with regard to where he was at. That being said, I am very, very optimistic for him for this week.”
(And I also wanted to ask you about what’s coming up. A lot will be on the line in Baltimore this week. I know you treat every week the same even against the teams perceived by us to be lesser opponents, perceived by us on the outside in the media, but does it help that this win against Dallas immediately precedes the one you’re about to go into?) – “I think the whole season in its entirety helps. I think that each team has to learn lessons and a lot of times you learn lessons the hard way. I think that the bottom line is there’s a purpose with approaching each and every week with the utmost regard. And that’s because you know down the stretch of the season, you know when you get to games like this, you know in playoff games, that it’s going to feel a certain way. That you’re going to be all in, so you don’t want it to be all of a sudden, we turn up and now we’re going to try. You try to train that. You try to train how you’re going to approach end-of-the-season games early in the season. Henceforth, every game is the same to me and that way, the closer that your team can get to that, the less stressors that are imposed upon you in a week where you’re playing a team that has currently, they have 11 wins right now and I think that it’s exactly what you want. You want to be playing the best football teams in December and January. You want to go toe-to-toe with them and you want to earn victories. And so to do that, we’re very fortunate to have the opportunity to play the Baltimore Ravens this week. I think it does fit. I think that this past week does help the team just in general, because you’re finding out about yourself deep down, that you’re capable of beating any team. But it doesn’t hurt to be able to find a way to win against a team that was equally as desperate or whatever. That game meant a lot to both teams. So whenever you win games like that, it helps for ultimately what you’re trying to do.”
(Just wanted to touch on S DeShon Elliott and his touchdown-altering tackle. Can you just touch on his development from Week 1 to this point in the season and just what are your thoughts as far as just totality of this season so far?) – “It’s a really cool thing that he’s experienced starting in a new system. He had elements of this system in his career, but to find comfort and then become a guy that we really rely on to make plays, it’s been a really cool journey to watch him evolve in this defense. I thought it was really cool that play he made. It reminded me of in Jacksonville preseason, Jevon Holland had a forced fumble right at the goal line and in this defensive system, our system is built to make it really hard on offenses. And when you’re taking advantage of every single yard on the field and making them earn every inch, you never know what’s going to happen so I think it was such a cool play that he made because the next play we were able to get the ball back. None of that happens if he’s not straining. He’s in a rough position at the point of attack and goes above and beyond and it just shows why coach speak is what it is, why we emphasize every single play and you have no idea – that was a converted first down – and to a lot of people, maybe you don’t do that or fiercely go through a blocker to try to make a play on the ball because, okay, they already got the first down. First-and-goal, what does that mean? Well, they have to earn everything, so I think it speaks to that, it speaks to our philosophy in general. And then just to watch guys have high expectations going into the season, specifically on the defensive side of the ball and everything not work immediately and then to see their game progress over the course of the season; it’s everything you want, everything that’s satisfying in coaching and I think you’ve seen that immensely, especially in this last portion of the year. Both defense and special teams have found a way to really impact the game and take it over in a certain degree when the team has needed it, so it’s been really cool to watch guys develop in our systems and it’s kind of what coaching is about.”
(I wanted to ask you about WR Tyreek Hill. He wound up playing his second-most snaps in that game with WR Robbie Chosen being knocked out of the game and WR Jaylen Waddle’s issue. So I’m curious as to whether he came into the game on a pitch count and that got elevated because of the injury issues or whether there was no limits to begin with and also how did he come out of the game with the ankle?) – “That’s a great example of why we make those tough calls sometimes and have a game day workout because you can’t – there’s residual effects to when people go down and he was ready to go. We definitely didn’t plan on playing him that much, but it was also very hard to get him off the field in a competitive game like that, which speaks to him as a competitor. But that’s why we do what we do, why we make the tough decisions sometimes that on the surface – first and foremost we will always protect the players from themselves, but we also have to protect the other players and make sure that guys if they’re able to go, can handle any unforeseen situations because we didn’t go into the game thinking we were going to lose both (Robbie) Chosen and (Jaylen) Waddle. But that very well could happen any game. So the guys you have up generally have to be able to go; if they can’t, you just have to be very aware of the potential residual. So I was just happy that Tyreek (Hill) could put in so much time. That’s the one – for a captain to be able to step that up and, like you said, play the second-most snaps he has all season coming off an injury; what that means is he was all in trying to play for the last two weeks and doing everything – I mean, he’s been living in the training room and that’s what you need from captains. That’s what you need from your star players if you’re trying to do anything in December. This is an accumulation of a lot of reps for all teams, all players involved. And when everything’s on the line, for him to come through that way with the stuff you guys saw, but then all the stuff that you didn’t see, where he’s been spending multiple hours every single day, trying to get his body right, we’re all very fortunate that he did that because he was able to have an impact on the game, even when he wasn’t touching the ball.”
(I wanted to ask earlier in the first quarter of the game, yesterday’s game, when Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb got off to a hot start, a lot was made about the decision to not shadow him with either CB Xavien Howard or CB Jalen Ramsey. It didn’t seem like you guys did that for the final three quarters of the game, so I was curious from reviewing the tape, what stood out to you about kind of being able to limit him?) – “I think it’s team involvement. Now it’s really easy to say, ‘yeah, just shadow somebody with somebody.’ That also has residuals. One of the strengths of our defensive system is that at the snap, the quarterback has very minimal intel as to what’s about to happen. And that in conjunction with our pass rush is really what has made our pass defense go and when you do shadow, there is the gain, but it does adjust your entire toolbox. And it’s one of the reasons why Vic (Fangio) is so elite as a defensive coordinator, is because he has complete ownership of his system that he created and understands all the pros and cons to everything. There’s a lot of things that come into play with where on each individual play, there’s a defensive player that we like to say has a hard down. And you have help certain places and there’s certain times that your defensive game plan allows for you to have more help in the slot than outside and vice-versa, so we have a bunch of tools. We haven’t really displayed all of them up until this point, but it’s not as simple as a lot of times you have to factor in a ton of stuff when you’re trying to come up with a plan, including does the quarterback flourish when pre-snap he knows exactly what the coverage is? Those things factor into our decision-making and we’ll continue to as we progress through the season.”
(It seems like every game win or lose, you’re always looking to see what your team can learn from that game to build upon moving forward. Yesterday you gave up a score in the fourth quarter… you came back and you made it work. You scored the go-ahead points with no time left on the clock. What do you think your team learned from that experience that’s going to help you in December and January moving forward?) – “I think that’s very much how I look at things. That’s very much how I’ll approach the review of this game with the team, because I do think that’s the hard thing about the NFL is that if you’re able to accomplish, you can really develop your team over the course of a season. In this particular game, it was entertaining to me because there were three phases that were trying to win the game, that thought it was their game to win. That type of mindset is everything you want. However, you don’t want to feel like a phase feels as though they have to win the game. There are times in football where you can have the perfect defensive call and you can have the perfect technique by defensive players and guys can make plays. So your coaching towards that, and hey, if a guy makes an incredible play, we have plenty players in all three phases that can take advantage of their opportunities. To be in a game like that, that very much had the exact feel you feel in playoff football, where there is a lot on the line and guys desperately wanted to win it, you can kind of have an aura of confidence, understanding that if all we want is your maximum effort, maximum attention and maximum preparation, and if you’re not able to win the game one way, we have a team that can win the games in multitude of fashions. I think the first two wins of the season on the road, the defense was out there when we won the game. I think those types of lessons are invaluable for a team the further along you go in the season. Every week inherently you’re going to have more investment collectively, because it’s just another week into the investment into the ultimate goal. As all that accumulates, you want guys to be confident that when push comes to shove and we have a lot on the line, we’ll find a way to win the game in a multitude of fashions. To end the game that way, that’s a thing that playoff teams do that win playoff games. That’s ultimately what you’re trying to strive for and build towards, and you’re capable of doing that if you put your maximum attention and all of your attention on the only thing that matters, which is the opponent, that prep that day, and then ultimately that opponent that game.”
(Hard Knocks has given us a chance to see your good moments and your not so great moments. We saw you after Tennessee say how ‘we now might have to go on the road to do what we want to do.’ Fast forward two weeks and that’s not necessarily true anymore. If you win out, you’re the No. 1 seed and you have home field. Is that a message you take to the team this week? Since it’s so close, and so tangible is that something you talk about, or is it still all about Baltimore?) – “I think it has to be about Baltimore. The NFL does a great job of teaching this lesson if you’re willing to watch and listen. I don’t know the stats behind it, but I’m willing to bet that if you’re trying to get rich quick, just go to December football and bet against spreads, because what happens is there are a lot of distractions. A ton of distractions. And every single week, you have teams lose to people that they should beat or whatever, because you do not for a second take your attention away from the team you’re playing against. If you do that, if you start thinking – ok, if we do this, and even thinking about two weeks, it short-changes the opponent. If you short-change the opponent that has been playing together all season and has a ton of stuff to play for, and even teams that are not even in the playoff mix, they know how many games they have left, and they will teach lessons. You can either get in front of that and prepare like as if it’s a one-game season, as we will do this week. Or you can find out that lesson the hard way utilizing hindsight, and then applying it for the next game. I think we have learned a multitude of lessons this year. One of which is our formula is as simple as today is Wednesday, we are going to go over first and second down for the Baltimore Ravens. We’re going to go over punt and kickoff, and master those for the opponent and nothing else. That is something that since I’ve been in the league, it has always been pervasive, and I think for us to do what we want to do, nothing matters besides the Baltimore Ravens. It’s an awesome test for us. They are a phenomenal team. They are playing tonight. I am anticipating it’s a tremendous game and our job is to get ready for Baltimore. I could care less about any scenario at all. It literally matters nothing to me. At this point, we’re in a situation where everything is helping us and leading us to ultimately where I think our focus needs to be, which is this one opponent, which will deserve all of our attention.”
Jalen Ramsey – December 24, 2023 (Postgame)
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Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023
Postgame – Dallas Cowboys
Miami Dolphins CB Jalen Ramsey
(Last week was the defense, this week was special teams. Just talk about K Jason Sanders’ performance, five field goals, three of 50-plus. Very impressive.) – “He’s super impressive and then the game winner, obviously, that was super big. It was a good game. He had a great game – actually, the whole special teams had a good game. There were some good punts and everything, good coverage. Braxton (Berrios) had some good returns, so special teams did their thing today, for sure.”
(What does it mean to you to know you’ll be playing in playoff games for the Dolphins?) – “Yeah, it means a lot. That’s obviously step one, to get in the dance and then we’ll go from there. We have to finish the season strong and then we’ll start those playoffs and it’ll be fun.”
(Does it matter, the narrative? They said you couldn’t beat a good team. Well, here’s a good team, and you guys beat them at home and took care of business.) – “Yeah, that’s cool. The narrative doesn’t come from us, that comes from y’all. We don’t really care. Like I said, it was just a good win.”
DeShon Elliott – December 24, 2023 (Postgame)
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Sunday, December 24, 2023
Postgame – Dallas
Miami Dolphins S DeShon Elliott
(Did that feel like a playoff game?) – “For sure. I’ve played in the playoffs before, that was a tough atmosphere for sure. That’s a great team over there. Being from Dallas, I wanted to beat them so bad. I’m happy. That was my Christmas present today.”
(Was it nice to watch your offense put it away there at the end?) – “Yeah, we have faith in them no matter when they go on the field. But to see that, to see them in that victory formation, man, that was amazing. The whole time before he kicked the field goal, I just put my head down and was praying to God like please make this.”
(What does beating the Dallas Cowboys say about the Miami Dolphins?) – “We knew who we were, we know who we are. We don’t care what anybody else thinks. Regardless, next game we got Baltimore next Sunday. That’s where our mind is at now. We’re going to enjoy this Christmas night and then get back to work on Tuesday.”
Raheem Mostert – December 24, 2023 (Postgame)
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Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023
Postgame – Dallas Cowboys
Miami Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert
(What’s it like to close out a game, to finally close out a game on offense?) – “It feels great. I mean, I’m so proud of ‘Jefe’ (Jeff Wilson Jr.) – y’all don’t understand how close we are. For him to seal the deal the way he did in that fashion and then Jason (Sanders) kicked the field goal, that just tells you about the resilience of our team.”
(All the touchdowns, cracking 1,000 rushing yards, I’m sure you’ve got to be excited about that and doing it all on a win, how great was that?) – “A great feeling, I’m just blessed and excited. A lot went into it, but I’m just going to enjoy this.”
(I know you guys are always happy after a win, but I don’t see champagne being poured in here. Is that for a specific reason? You guys clinched a playoff spot.) – “Yeah, there’s still work to be done. We still have two more games left, we have the Ravens and we have the Bills – two tough opponents. We’ll see how it shakes out for them, but we’re going to celebrate this one tonight and tomorrow, whatever we’re going to do, enjoy the Christmas break and come back and get right to work.”
Andrew Van Ginkel – December 24, 2023 (Postgame)
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Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023
Postgame – Dallas Cowboys
Miami Dolphins LB Andrew Van Ginkel
(How sweet was it to close out a game like that in dramatic fashion?) – “It’s great. Obviously, it shows that we belong. It’s a stepping stone in the right direction, so we just have to keep building and come together as a team.”
(They came in as the No. 2 scoring offense and you guys held them to 20 points. You had a lot of stops in the red zone. What went right for you guys defensively?) – “When you can limit an offense like that, obviously they’ve got CeeDee Lamb, (Tony) Pollard is a great running back, Jake Ferguson. All these guys that are weapons. They got us early and once we settled in and started to play our game, stick to our fundamentals and techniques and obviously (Defensive Coordinator) Vic (Fangio) put us in the right calls to make plays. It’s a step in the right direction, but we have to continue to improve.”
(What’s it like for you when you’re going off, LB Bradley Chubb’s getting home, DT Christian Wilkins getting home? All you guys are weaving it through.) – “We thrive off each other; we love seeing each other eat. When Chubb makes a big play, it gets us all excited. It’s just a love between us d-line. We feed off each other, and we want to see each other do well.”
(I know you guys are always happy after a win, but I don’t see any champagne being poured despite the playoff clinch. Why do you think that is?) – “We’re not done yet. This isn’t our ultimate goal. We made it to the playoffs last year, but we didn’t do what we wanted to do. We got bigger, a big surprise as (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) always says. Our goal isn’t to make the playoffs, so this is a step in the right direction, but we’re not done yet.”
Jason Sanders – December 24, 2023 (Postgame)
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Sunday, December 24, 2023
Postgame – Dallas
Miami Dolphins K Jason Sanders
Q. Big smile on your face for a reason. How special was today for you and to put your team in the position you did?
JASON SANDERS: It was awesome. I felt like I’ve been waiting for that moment since the Jets game last year. To come on a big game like this against a good opponent, it feels good. I have to give a lot of credit to Jake (Bailey) and Blake (Ferguson). They don’t get a lot of credit on kicks like that. So to have a snapper like Blake and a holder like Jake, it makes my job that much easier.
Q. It felt like you kind of started it off, set the tone with a career-long field goal. I’m just curious looking back at that was there any discussion about even attempting it? What was the discussion before you went out and attempted that career-long field goal?
JASON SANDERS: We were always going to kick it, I believe, but when he called the timeout, it felt good knowing that your coach believed we were going to get these three points. When you have a coach that believes like that, it makes it that much easier, too.
Q. Was there anything that you did differently, felt differently today? Seemed like the ball was exploding off your foot?
JASON SANDERS: No, it’s just Christmas. Christmas is here. (laughter) I treat every game the same. Every preparation, every Wednesday is going to be the same for me. So coming out here against a good opponent, that’s what makes it that much better.
Q. If you spend any amount of time at one place, you’ll have ups and downs. Tua was talking about your journey, highs and lows you’ve had so far. Obviously this is probably one of the highest moments in your career.
JASON SANDERS: Not every year can be an All-Pro year. So I think I’m still hitting the kicks. I’m still right where I need to be. Couple blocks here and there. I don’t think there’s anything to worry about.
Q. Last two years it’s been your kicks that get the Dolphins into the postseason. What’s it like just to have such momentous plays lying on your foot?
JASON SANDERS: It’s like one of those things. Good things happen, but it just feels that much better that it was against a quality opponent.
Q. How old were you when you first decided to play kicker?
JASON SANDERS: My brother was the kicker in high school when I was a freshman. That was the first time I struck leather. But it didn’t get serious until junior year, senior year, when you thought you could probably do something with it.
Q. You mentioned the quality of the opponent. Of course the narrative was that this team hasn’t beaten a team like that. Were you at all paying attention to that?
JASON SANDERS: That’s all noise. It’s, like, people don’t realize how hard it is to win every Sunday. So whether it’s a less opponent, every game is going to be just as difficult.
Q. What were you feeling at the end there? Looked like you were counting off the number of field goals?
JASON SANDERS: Nah, I was in the moment. I was in the moment. It was fun.
Q. Do you remember your first ever game-winning kick? I’m not talking about NFL or New Mexico. Just first-ever?
JASON SANDERS: First-ever was my senior year in college against Tulsa. And then first-ever here was the Bears, overtime.
Q. What do you remember about that kick against Tulsa?
JASON SANDERS: Just a lot of emotions go through your head. You’re calm for so long and then it’s finally time to celebrate because it’s over. You get to enjoy what happened.
Q. It’s kind of like relief?
JASON SANDERS: Yes.
Q. On the game-winner, how much do you notice the crowd? What do you see? What do you feel?
JASON SANDERS: You’re locked in. It’s between you and the uprights. When you’ve got Jake (Bailey) and Blake (Ferguson) it’s truly between you and the uprights. You can trust what they’re going to do and worry about yourself.
Q. Tyreek said he might bring back the ping-pong table for you?
JASON SANDERS: If they want to lose. That was my thing. There was a tournament. I was the guy. If they want competition, I’ll be there.
Q. The 57-yarder, did you know the distance, and did you know that it was a career-long for you?
JASON SANDERS: No. You know when it’s a long or short one. You’re not going to know the exact yardage because you want to stay locked in. The yardage doesn’t matter. So, no, I didn’t.
Q. Was it a distraction, Jake Bailey counts 10 and you guys have that. Was that a distraction?
JASON SANDERS: That just goes back to Jake’s preparation as well. He knows if we have 10 we’re not snapping that ball at all. Points are points, and we’ve got to have the points. So you’ll never snap the ball with 10 guys on the field on field goal. If you want to take the delay, take the delay. But if you have a guy that believes in you, you take the timeout and take three.
Q. Blake told me he told the offense just give us a chance. Do you ever tell the offense that? Do you ever talk to those guys and say anything to them?
JASON SANDERS: No, they know exactly what to do. You have a special teams coach that has a mouth in people’s ears. There’s progression. Everybody knows their assignment.
Tyreek Hill – December 24, 2023 (Postgame)
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Sunday, December 24, 2023
Postgame – Dallas
Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill
Q. Same question for you. I know you were not thinking this in the moment, but looking back, how important was that drive to kind of maybe change the narrative?
TYREEK HILL: I feel like every guy on the team knew what was at stake, and plus it was a big moment for us. We can look back at the course of the game. We have Tennessee being the last game we could have won and we didn’t deliver. So this game right here was kind of like the mentality game for us. When everyone on the offensive side, during meetings, we said, look, whenever we have a chance to score or win the game, or end the game with the ball, we’re going to do that. And that’s something that’s been communicated throughout our meetings and stuff like that, because we just can’t be called the best offense, we can’t be called explosive, we have to be able to have good drives and the way Tua orchestrated the last drive, it was a thing of beauty.
Q. The third-and-2, the play where you went flat, picking up the first down there, what went through that call, the play to you on the last drive in the flat that you ended up picking up the first down, just take us through that a little bit. What was the call? What was the read?
TYREEK HILL: That was just one of them plays. Coach (McDaniel) was like, ‘look, I’m coming to you no matter what.’ And the rest of the guys were all right, ‘Reek,’ we’re going to block for you. Just make sure you get three yards right here. And it was a thing of beauty. Like those guys made my job real easy, and I did, like, a counter, came back out, called a quick screen. And it was a wide-open scene. I’ve got to give credit to the guys up front and also the receivers blocking downfield. It was a thing of beauty. Right after the play one of the DBs came up to me and said, ‘y’all really ran a screen, bro?’ I was, like, ‘yeah, anything is possible with this offense.’ We kind of caught them off guard.
Q. What did you have to go through this week just to play?
TYREEK HILL: I had to go through a lot of therapy with Kyle (Johnston). I don’t like spending time with Kyle, although he’s, like, my favorite guy in the building outside of football. So just that right there, just mentally preparing and taking a lot of vitamin Ts.
Q. Life will give you the same lessons until you pass the test. Next week you guys have a match-up with Baltimore and a lot is at stake. Given that opportunity again, are you guys thinking about not taking that for granted and approaching the week with focus?
TYREEK HILL: Each and every game is an opportunity for us to prove that we are one of the best teams in the AFC. So I believe going against the Ravens will be a good test. Looking forward to it. They’ve got a good defense, real good team at that. It’s going to be fun. We can’t take no match-up lightly. They’ve got some very good players over there, good schemes, great head coach. So it’s definitely a challenge for us on both sides of the ball. All three phases, because they really emphasis special teams, all three phases. It’s going to be a real good game, down in Baltimore. Is it a night game? All right. So it’s going to be dope. Hopefully it don’t rain.
Q. You mentioned special teams there. What about the game Jason Sanders had? You got some love for your kicker?
TYREEK HILL: Yeah, he had a phenomenal game. I told him maybe we’ll bring the ping-pong table back. (laughter)
Q. You clinched a playoff spot. It doesn’t happen often here, but it seems like you guys have the bigger goals. Why is the mindset like it is? Seems like it should be a big for celebration.
TYREEK HILL: Yeah, I feel the same way. Obviously nobody’s going to remember the Miami Dolphins making the playoffs when it’s time, when February comes around. It’s always about winning the big game. And that’s where our mind is at right now. And we know we’ve got to team to do it. A lot of people have been saying we can’t beat good teams and feel like today we kind of showed that. So we can scratch that off the box. Now we just are looking for Stephen A. and Shannon Sharpe and I wonder what Skip Bayless is going to say ‘First Take.’ So interesting.
Q. You guys put up a lot of yards and 22 points with I think half of your offense was missing, offensive line was Armstead and a bunch of backups today. Did the resilience of this offense, you’re still able to put points on the board with guys that weren’t supposed to be starters going into the season?
TYREEK HILL: Our offensive line coach, he is one of the coolest guys on our team. Like he does a great job of just coaching those guys. I sometimes, just during practice, I go over there and watch him coach because he’s one of my favorite coaches, like the way he coaches those guys and the way he challenges those guys over there. You know football is all about next man up. Whenever guys get their opportunity. It’s all about playing for one another and they do a good job of protecting Tua.
Q. How much more enjoyable will Christmas be tomorrow?
TYREEK HILL: It’s going to be fun, man. My grandma is in town. I haven’t seen my grandmother in a year. So I’m very excited about that. I’m just happy. I’ve been in the holiday spirit all week. My grandma is in town. She kind of surprised me. Sweet potato pie. You know grandma, she brought it all the way from South Georgia. So really looking forward to that now.
Q. Talk about Tua’s demeanor in the huddle on that last drive, in a drive like that, that is as important as the last one. And how has that changed from the first time you have been in a position with him like that?
TYREEK HILL: Tua was turned up towards the end of the game. Towards the end of the game he was getting guys going, he was getting guys rolling. I love to see it. I love to see that kind of intensity, especially out of Tua. Digging into guys a-holes and getting guys lined up and stuff like that, making sure we’re operating properly and getting in and out of the huddle. So it was a nice thing to see. I almost had words with him because I almost – ‘my bad bro, I’m jogging out the huddle’ so it’s a thing of beauty, man.
Mike McDaniel – December 24, 2023 (Postgame)
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Sunday, December 24, 2023
Postgame – Dallas
Miami Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel
Q. What does this mean to you and the team?
COACH MCDANIEL: It means we won our 11th game. It means that the team isn’t crazy for feeling the way they feel. I think, specifically since I’ve been in the National Football League, I think the experience for players has changed with the advent and heavy push of social media. I think it’s really hard to ignore the noise, so to speak, or not hear it. I think you’re going to hear it. And so it’s impossible for people not to know all the things that we’re not capable of doing. But I’m proud for this team because regardless of what people say, you have to get to a mode where you’re solely worried about doing your job and being responsible for that with your teammates. And anything else, you get distracted and lose focus on what actually matters. So I thought this is a big win for this team because it’s always big when you do something that internally you know that you’re capable of. And when it comes to fruition, it’s pretty satisfying. I think a lot of their training – I think a lot of the season came out tonight. I think there are really cool results when people persevere through tough times and don’t let tough times wear you down too much. Nobody on this team thought we were going to lose that game. And that’s pretty cool when everyone tells you that you can’t do X, Y or Z. So that’s what that is. It’s a win against a really good team that is tough to beat, just in general, that has playoff experience for the last several years. But then it’s like, awesome, check that box, let’s get as healthy as we can, and let’s go play the Baltimore Ravens. So we’ll be fully on that tomorrow. Tonight, I think it’s just satisfying to have an earned victory that took everybody. And I thought there was, from the beginning of the game to the end, you know, from DeShon Elliott making that stop on the goal line that gave us another down and we got the turnover, all the way down to there’s just to the plays that were made on the final drive. And I thought it was very fitting that for a game that people – our locker room is filled with “they said you can’t” – filled with guys that have been told they can’t. One of which is Jason, can’t make 50-yard field goals. So that’s what it’s about is taking things into your own hands, working to be the best version of yourself, cutting no corners. And you get results like that in a high-stakes game with a lot of pressure. This team was fully confident and knew it would take all 60 minutes. So it’s a cool one to be a part of. I think a lot of the guys are happy because their Christmas isn’t ruined.
Q. 3:27 when you take over at the 25. What’s your mindset there aside from getting in field goal range?
COACH MCDANIEL: I was excited to see which phase was going to win the game. I wasn’t going to count our defense out for a second and I wasn’t going to count our offense out either. And the second that they scored the touchdown, went up by one, I was happy for the opportunity because I know you have to figure out a way to win in those moments to have the season that you want. I was very pumped. I was confident that our guys would execute. And I think we got – it was cool that we matriculated down the field. Their pass rush was real and we were able to get into scoring position. And then to be able to convert to get to first down, to get – it epitomizes what the Dolphins are. Jeff Wilson comes and fights for the yardage that allows us to kneel down and kick a field goal. That is happening all over the place in all three phases, which is why you’re seeing a team that is playing very hard for each other each and every week. So many guys are contributing. So many guys are stepping up with injuries, and that’s the most fun football to be a part of.
Q. Tell us about the decision to go screen to Tyreek on the third-and-3?
COACH MCDANIEL: I was trying to – getting Tyreek the ball isn’t that novel. I was picking the play that I thought you guys would second-guess the strongest if it didn’t work. (laughter) No, you’re going through – it was a nice discourse. I was pumped about our offensive coaching staff. We kind of went back and forth with a couple of different calls. And then as we thought about it, where we were on the field and kind of the look that Tyreek had in his eye, he’s got to a place where he knows when a defense is fully committing all of their resources to stopping him and it’s not frustrating him. He’s just trying to find his moments to do something great. That is something that is not easy to do, especially when he’s put as much pressure on yourself as he does. But you want to talk about something confident. As long as we had someone in between the first primary defender and him, he’s going to find a way to get those yards. So I thought it was well-executed, good ball placement. Braxton Berrios did a great job and Lester Cotton did a phenomenal job as well. That’s what it takes for those type of wins.
Q. The use of technology you know that because of social media and everything that sometimes it is hard for guys to drown it out. I’m just curious, what’s your message throughout the season and maybe this week? Was it, if you hear it, internalize it, use it to push you further or drown it out?
COACH MCDANIEL: No, as I’ve been a head coach, I’ve kind of recognized that it’s impossible to be in a vacuum. So, I didn’t really explain it that well. I can’t remember what day it was. But I’m assuming I was tired in my press conference, but when I was talking about telling people, F off, it wasn’t you shouldn’t have that question. People are entitled to any question they want. It’s understand that this is going to come. People are going to say this, this, or that. And respectfully take that information and that’s the F off part, is you’re not allowing other people’s information pushed on you to occupy rent in your brain, that you know that that’s going to come. So I think for me, when there’s going to be narratives that the team is going to hear, I try to talk about them because I know that it’s going to be talked about. But you do that so hopefully they trust you enough that it doesn’t now occupy their brain because you said it, but you’re trying to really position them in the direction where, hey, this is going to happen. Don’t even bat an eye. People are going to talk about not – everyone’s going to talk about stuff we haven’t done until we do it. And you shouldn’t get mad at that. It’s like, yeah, we haven’t beaten a team with a winning record so we’re vulnerable to that. All the things that you haven’t done, should we really be entitled to blind faith before we do it? That’s kind of where they were at. I feel like the team did a good job of it not really owning their minds and souls in the process of the week because that’s what happens if you get distracted and start thinking about, ‘I’m so pissed that someone said we couldn’t beat a team.’ You’re now not thinking about your job, and that’s the challenge for all teams. And just with this massive amount of information that’s always thrown at you, with millions and millions upon millions of people having an opinion of you and how your performance was, you just have to come to grips with the fact that – I talked to them from my perspective. I know exactly what’s going to happen if a play doesn’t work or if a decision doesn’t work out, as it should. So I think that was that strength. That’s what I was proud about, is the team came together and found a way to focus on what matters. Because all the other stuff, it’s not ‘woe is me’ because that’s part of the reason why we get compensated the way we do. It’s part of the reason that people care. So being able to focus on what your job is, is monumental and in games like this if you’re not that way, you will lose them somehow, some way.
Q. You talked about the Tennessee game, about the lessons that you learned by the team and also by yourself. What did you think you learned in that game that came to play late in this one?
COACH MCDANIEL: From the team’s perspective or mine?=
Q. Yours.
COACH MCDANIEL: Mine? Really from that game, there’s some times as a coach that you can try to will things into existence and you can kind of – like one of my starting points of how I just view this whole game, is I have a job to do to put people in position to succeed. But like, I never am responsible for the results that are good. Like, I could call a terrible play and it works or I could call the perfect play and it doesn’t work. It’s the players and putting them in position for success. And sometimes I can fall into the trap of, like, I need to make the perfect call. It’s not that. It’s giving people opportunities in a smart fashion relative to what the defense is doing and what you’re successful at. So more listening to what’s going on right in front of me and less trying to take the game into a schematic place because I don’t see it that way. I think you prepare a certain way. If your players are prepared, they know exactly what to do in certain scenarios. And then in moments like those you get the ball to whom the quarterback is confident in, who will be open, and who’s really got the hot hand and live from there.
Q. There will be a lot more in Tua’s career going forward, but in this point do you think that final 3:27 was career-defining at this point with what he was able to do and with the stakes that were part of that?
COACH MCDANIEL: I think it was a big moment for other people, probably something – there’s always validation when you’re able to come through in a big moment. But really the way I look at everything and the way I try to talk to the team is we define ourselves each and every day. So, like, what does that mean for him? It’s validation, but it also means nothing because it’s not like what would have changed if we didn’t win that game. That’s the way you have to look at things. You’re constantly chopping wood to be the best version of yourself while holding on to your belief in yourself and everybody else. I’m sure deep down it gives some sort of validation, not that I would see. And to me I don’t think you’re going to like the results if you’re living in the past, off your past accomplishments. You have to be satisfied with how you go after that day and what’s set in front of you that day. For him, that’s the only way he’s going to be satisfied, is that relentless pursuit of improving his game. I think – I’m happy for him – but there’s not one player on our team that was surprised. You know what I mean? I don’t really know where that leaves us, but, man, I need a drink of water.
Q. I saw Steve Ross walking off the field and he shook his fist. This has to be a very satisfying win for him. Have you had a chance to share a moment with him and has he expressed his joy to you?
COACH MCDANIEL: Yeah, it really brings me a lot of joy because the way I look at it, and from my experience, he was the one owner that decided that I was worthwhile to interview and took a shot on me where a lot of people in the first hiring cycle don’t. And in the process of getting to know him, there’s a ton of things that I could find from a relatable standpoint from both myself and just – he has earned everything to his name on his own and been extremely successful to do that. And I know that he hadn’t felt that same success with the Dolphins, by his own admission. But you want to talk about a guy that positions an NFL franchise to succeed where he doesn’t use his power of being the owner, like, literally, he could tell me to stand on one leg for the rest of the week. (laughter) But he doesn’t. He hires people and lets them do their jobs and supports us; reaches out to me after a tough loss, is worried about me. So for me, it’s hard for me not to look like I – part of the million reasons that I have to do my job to the best of my ability is to bring to him what I think he deserves because he’s, I mean, I can’t imagine an owner I’d rather work for and he deserves that satisfaction. And I know a lot of guys are happy that they can do that because he deserves it. He gives us everything that we could possibly want to try to have a winner.
