Mike McDaniel – November 12, 2024
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Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Just to start at left guard, do we know any more about severity of OL Rob Jones, if he’s going to miss any sort of time or substantial time with the knee? And is OL Isaiah Wynn ready to practice this week?) – “I’ll get more information on Rob – why don’t you ask me again tomorrow about those two questions and I’ll have a better answer that’s more factual and less long-winded.”
(CB Kendall Fuller, is there great concern on the second conclusion in terms of severity? How is he doing and did he travel home with the team?) – “He’s in the protocol, and basically, I’m just concerned with his wellbeing. Don’t really have a timeline. Since it was a Monday night game, I can pretty much rule him out for this game. Beyond that, we’ll just be supporting where he’s at and getting information.”
(Is he back here in Miami? Did he travel home?) – “Yeah.”
(With RB Raheem Mostert, the fact that he had a couple of costly fumbles, did that contribute at all to him not getting any carries last night?) – “No. We have a very talented backfield and we’re manipulating game plans week-in and week-out for a multitude of reasons. I feel very confident with entrusting Raheem (Mostert) with our possession, with the football. He’ll have plenty of plays that he’ll make the rest of the season. The particular usage this past game was unique to the game plan, and that’s kind of the case when you have one football and multiple talented running backs that all contribute in various ways. He’s still a leader in that room and we’ll be counting on him all season for us to get where we want to go.”
(I was looking at the snap counts of WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle this season, and there’s a big uptick starting with the Colts game. They were playing the same amount of snaps the first five games and it’s gone up and the same amount of snaps the rest of the games. I’m curious what sparked that change and the impact you’ve seen from that?) – “Some of the things we’ve alluded to about how those two have really taken a step forward in the evolution of how they can contribute to the football team and making plays without the ball and impacting the game when you’re not primary. They’ve taken the challenge; they understand that coverages and defensive calls are a lot of times predicated whether or not they’re on the field. Sometimes the best thing they can do is be on the field for those coverages where they’re getting double teamed and it’s not a pass to them, maybe it’s a run. The best way to affect the game is to be out there, and I think they’ve done a phenomenal job of understanding that and going at their job responsibilities from the direction of whatever it takes to win a football game. I commend them a ton for that. They play really fast so that’s difficult to do, but it’s one of the reasons we’re able to have a ton of production from other players is they’re very distracting for opponents when they’re on the field based upon their talent level and ability.”
(No team, player or coach will count themselves out of anything concerning postseason. Mathematically nobody has, and you guys certainly have not, even through the tough times. The way you played the last two weeks and winning a game on the road last night, does it at least buoy kind of the idea that there is something here at the end of the season that we certainly are still involved in and can play for?) – “I think it validates feelings that we’re collectively held by the whole team. You feel like you’re a team that has the potential of doing things in this league and winning football games, and being able to go on the road and do it on prime time, those types of things, you feel the way. I think it validates a lot of the things that were frustrating guys and forcing them to find solutions. I think it helps you appreciate the why of what you do, because there is nothing like that feeling after a game of mission accomplished for an entire team. I think it validates a lot of things that have been felt and said, a lot of motivation that guys have had that helped steer the ship the right way. I think you get to see people’s true character in times of adversity. That’s why I was proud of the effort and I’ve been proud of the week-by-week commitment to getting better as a football team even when the results weren’t necessarily showing up in the win column. I think the formula to get to that point to be able to have a collective team game the way we had, that’s been built up through a bunch of adversity. I think the locker room understands that we’ve found the formula which is a fixation of our own game and constant strain and commitment, and we have to continue to do that to get results like we did last night.”
(Has there been a conversation with QB Tua Tagovailoa? If not, will there be about him being a tackler?) – “I didn’t waste much time saying something to him. He can’t just think about his ability to stay healthy when he has the ball, it’s also when you’re trying to make a tackle – I told him not to close his eyes next time. (laughter) But yeah, I think he could also prevent that from occurring by avoiding throwing it to the other team, which he knows as well. I think there’s always things to improve upon and learn from, and he definitely had a learning moment there.”
(With OL Austin Jackson, is surgery needed? Has he had it? Will he have it? And do you still expect him to play this year?) – “We worked through that, he will have surgery and I don’t expect him to return based upon the timeline of that surgery. Got a bunch of different opinions and I don’t think he’ll be back this year.”
(Do you think he’ll be back for the start of camp next year?) – “I mean that’s a long ways away. The abstract, broad – because I don’t do timelines – I would think that would be very feasible, but we’ll see. We’ll be talking about that in the spring. What are you talking about?”
(After a win like that, late on Monday night – what’s the exhilaration like? Do you sleep after a game like that? Because I know coaches are always constantly thinking about the next game.) – “I think Monday night games are a unique exercise where you have that extra day which on the front end of the week is great, but then it gets around to game time and you’re like, ‘Can we play already?’ And then it’s old hat to have the six-day work week, or five days before the game day, so you know that whatever pleasantries you feel about the game that you’re going to leave them for that game, because the second you wake up in the morning it is on to the next opponent. The orchestration of a – I’m an early riser, early to go to sleep guy, so night games are always late. After that one I was able to sleep on the plane, soundly, and then just came back to work. It was something that I was very happy for the team, I was very happy for all people involved in the organization and all fans of it, just because it’s been a frustrating couple of weeks. I preserved all of my happiness for others and then I tried to focus on the job at hand, which is to start the process of winning the next one so that people don’t forget what that feeling is like.”
(Ian Rapoport just reported that you guys claimed LB Tyrel Dodson – just wanted to ask what attracted you to him and why claim him?) – “He was in our division, going against him and was a surprise that he was out there. (General Manager) Chris Grier is always trying to make the team better and the more the merrier in our opinion.”
(We saw QB Tua Tagovailoa make a handful of plays off-schedule last night to extend drives. I’m curious to when you go back to 2022 when you first got here, or maybe that tape you put together of him – the seven-hour tape or whatever it was – how have you seen him evolve in that aspect of his game?) – “There’s a lot of aspects in his game that he’s been able to evolve and that’s definitely one of them. I think with regard to our specific offense, there’s so much geared to where your body has to be, the timing of plays and where your eyes have to be and how aggressive you have to be to No. 1 or No. 2. And then as you evolve, the art of ‘all right, one through four isn’t there. Let me extend the play and make something happen.’ I think that is something that in the process comes last if you’re doing the initial part of the offense correctly, and I think it’s also he’s always looking for ways to get better and the way he’s attacked his body, his diet and the residuals of that help him do that. I think it’s been a focus of his, seeing how defenses defend us and sometimes the one person they don’t account for is the quarterback if you’re playing two-man, you aren’t accounting for the quarterback. If you’re doing a three-man rush loaded zone, those types of things can be big plays for quarterbacks if they recognize them and can feel the rush and do the appropriate things and take care of the ball. I think the last touchdown we had against Buffalo was the result of an extended play and then had several key third downs in this game that led to points that were as a result of him doing that. So it’s a part of his game that he’s focused on, and I think what we’re all seeing is what’s kind of old hat for Tua (Tagovailoa), which is whatever Tua you used to know, he’s getting better at something and ready to put it on display early and often. I’m happy that he’s found that and so are his teammates, especially the eligibles that are catching the ball.”
(I wanted to ask about the big plays last night on both of your touchdown drives. You had the big one to WR Jaylen Waddle and TE Jonnu Smith’s big catch and run. Just as an offensive mind, how cool is it for you guys to see those big plays happen? But then also do you hope that that’s contagious obviously for the rest of the season?) – “It was cool because there was two different types of plays. One was an extended play that it was a loaded coverage that Tua (Tagovailoa) found a lane and was able to make the defense pay, and then conversely, the one to Jonnu (Smith) was his third read in a progression but in rhythm of the pocket and got it out pretty quick and allowed Jonnu to do what he does best which is not get tackled. So both plays, gigantic plays that led to our touchdowns. Those are the types of things that you have to do, and the way they were executed, against opponents when they’re playing a more conservative style or approach to coverage. That’s getting to No. 3 or breaking the pocket and getting the ball down the field, those are ways to effectively neutralize that conservative approach that a lot of teams have been utilizing against us. I think it’s important that we do those types of things moving forward if we’re trying to score points on a regular basis like we like to do and get into the red zone and be productive, because they both were gigantic plays and a function of people progressing within this offense.”
Tua Tagovailoa – November 11, 2024 (Postgame)
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Los Angeles Rams vs. Miami Dolphins Postgame Transcripts – Monday, November 11, 2024
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa
(On what it felt like to get a win on primetime when the team needed it most)
“Felt good, brother. Felt good. I think it’s a testament to the character of this team. We’ve come a long way through however many losses in a row. The resilience of this team, with the external noise, everyone counting us out. Hopefully this is an opportunity for us to not waste. Hopefully we can go on a run with this win and find our rhythm towards the back end of the season.”
(On how this helps the team’s confidence levels and how they will take this into next week)
“I would say the confidence is always there, but to be able to see the product out there, to see what we can do and play complimentary football in that sense… When we turn the ball over, the defense is able to hold them and minimize the points that they score and vice versa. When the defense gives us opportunities, we’re able to take advantage of that. I think this is something that we can continue to build on, we can continue to grow on, and we’ll look at all the things we need to fix. I think for the most part, it’s hard to win in the league. We’re going to enjoy this one.”
(On what worked early on the first scoring drive and how he bounced back from turnovers in the second half)
“Continue to play the game, that’s it, continue to trust what I see. (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) just called the game how he [saw] it. It’s my job to go out there and execute it to the best of my ability. I think they had a pretty good game plan with their tricky twos and using those corners as the run fit guys as well. I think they had a really good game plan against us tonight.”
(On spreading the ball well to receivers and if that was by design or if it was what the defense was giving them)
“That’s just what the defense was giving us today.”
(On how he’s feeling overall considering it’s his third game back coming off injured reserve)
“I feel good. Everything’s good. I went up to that dude that intercepted me. I asked him, ‘Bro, you couldn’t have just ran out of bounds or cut back?’ I was like, ‘You saw me and I saw you, you wanted to just run me over?’ He told me after the game. He’s like, ‘There was no room there. There was nowhere else to go.’ He has to do what he has to do to help his team win games. I wasn’t planning on using my head to go hit that.”
(On sticking his shoulder down to stop Rams’ ILB Christian Rozeboom after the interception and if he felt anything when he hit his head on Rozeboom’s leg)
“No, I didn’t feel any of that. That was pretty bad tackling form though. That was pretty terrible.”
(On if that’s another indication that he’s all the way back)
“Yeah, I would say for myself, my confidence level from the time I came back against the Cardinals had never wavered from the first game I played against the Jaguars. I think when you’re playing, when you’re out there, the game is too fast for you to think of anything else. If you start thinking of anything else, it’s hard for you to focus on your job. So, go out there and play football.”
(On playing complimentary football and how much it lifts the offense when the defense gets stops)
“It gives us a huge lift. Now we got to do our job as well, turn the ball over, try to eliminate those and stay on the field and put some points on the board. You got to continue to find ways to do that. I think we did some really good things in the second half with adjusting to what they showed us in the first half but it has to happen a little quicker.”
(On playing several close games and how it felt having the defense keep the Rams out of the endzone)
“Well, the defense has a job and we have a job as well. Like I said, we have to continue to put points on board and that’s just the confidence that we all have in each other. We’re going to enjoy this win. It’s going to be a fun captains meeting, players only meeting, this Tuesday when we get back.”
(On his return to the field uplifting the team and how it feels having the love and support from his teammates and the franchise as a franchise quarterback)
“I would say for me growing up, none of this has been because of me. My faith is what holds me true to who I am. I mean, it’s been nothing but God. I’ve been very blessed since [I was] a child. I’ve been really good since I was little and it’s been by the grace of God and my faith being able to rely on prayer, rely on all of that, rely on Him when times get tough and all of that. But I would say it’s definitely cool that my teammates look at me and admire me in that sense and whatnot. All glory be to God, man. That’s the reason I’m standing in front of you guys. That’s why I’m still playing and that’s the reason I get to continue to play this game, man. That’s what I would say.”
(On Tyreek getting in the endzone and how that can get him going more)
“Tyreek’s a dog. Going from ‘Mr. 2k’ last year, everybody talking about him to, will he hit a thousand yards? Will Jaylen [Waddle] hit a thousand yards? Jaylen’s a dog too. Coming into this game they could have easily said, ‘Dude, just continue to throw the ball.’ Even if they’re in a two- high shell, but those guys are in it man. They’re just in it to win it. Anything that they [have to] do to help us, blocking… They’re going up to Mike and saying, ‘Mike, we should run this run call because I can get a chip on this guy or I can do this to that guy and it’ll open up lanes.’ So, it just tells you a lot about the guys that we’re playing with out there.”
(On if he worried whether Tyreek Hill would play in tonight)
“Anytime you get somebody like that and of that caliber out, it’s tough. It was tough. I mean, we found out literally last night whether he was going to play or not. It was kind of nerve wracking, if you will, but he was able to play and that was cool.”
(On continuing to win games after a slow start)
“I would say for us it’s sort of the… it’s not your job mentality. I don’t know if you guys have heard that story of four people. Everybody, anybody, somebody, and nobody. Well, I can’t tell it [because] I don’t have the quote but it’s a story about those guys. But sort of the mentality of it’s not your job. If everybody’s not going to do it, anybody’s not going do it. Somebody’s going to figure out that, okay, anybody didn’t do it. Everybody doesn’t care about it. I’m not going to do it and eventually nobody’s going to end up doing it, right? So, it’s sort of the mentality of, dude, this is my job. If that’s his job, that’s not my job. This is what I got to focus on. I got to put all the thinking, all my skills into that and go about that. I would say we find our rhythm in that, and it started with this game.”
Mike McDaniel – November 11, 2024 (Postgame)
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Los Angeles Rams vs. Miami Dolphins Postgame Transcripts – Monday, November 11, 2024
Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(On beating the Rams on Monday Night Football)
“It was an earned win. Very proud of the team because there was a lot of noise that could distract you from what we all had known. We knew we lost a couple games that we could have had and you can use that in one of two ways, it can make you worse or it can make you better. So, I was very happy with the way the guys have persevered, stayed together, came across the country and found a way to get a win.”
(On the defense preventing the Rams from scoring a touchdown and holding them to five field goals)
“I think our defense really galvanized the whole team and I think it’s very difficult to keep that offense out of the end zone. I think it might’ve been like the second time Matt Stafford with the Rams had not had a touchdown, or they hadn’t scored a touchdown offensively. It’s difficult to do. I think that the jump off point was third downs. I thought that the coaching staff led by ‘Weave’ (DC Anthony Weaver) did a great job with having a way to attack the guys.
And I thought collectively it was the best execution of what we were trying to get done. It was a very important game for our team. Just to be on the heels of three losses, two in the game’s final moments. I think that’s something that we can build upon moving forward.”
(On DT Zach Sieler’s tackle for loss on the first defensive play for Miami and how his early impact on the game built momentum for the defense)
“You go through the week, you’re correcting some stuff from the previous game, and I think the guys felt a lot of confidence in terms of where they were building, and then getting a couple of key guys back. I think that was a very effective reminder of, hey, we’ve been doing this without a couple of guys and Sieler’s such an important part of what we do. So, it was absolutely a momentum capturing moment where guys were fired up to have one of the most important pieces of the unit back on the field to make plays immediately.”
(On what it means to have DT Calais Campbell and CB Jalen Ramsey lead the defense through the second half of the season)
“Well, it is monumental for me to have those teammates where you can lean on those guys to understand what needs to be done and to help. The best leadership that exists is within the locker room. So, the quality of players, where the things they’ve done and continue to do in their careers, the teammates can’t help but listen and follow suit so that when you talk about the standard of how you go into a game where your record, you may feel as though it doesn’t indicate the quality of the team. It’s so important for the team to be able to execute and show that, if they feel that way. You really need veteran players to really guide you through the adversity of the NFL season, and I think that’s paramount. I think that was on display tonight for us.”
(On QB Tua Tagovailoa bouncing back from multiple first half turnovers and whether he told him to stop using his head when trying to tackle)
“No, I think the best way to do that is to not throw it to the opponent. These are the moments that I can feel the growth from the three years the most. When something doesn’t go well, he gets so mad at himself and holds himself to a high standard but he is also recognizing that he’s the franchise quarterback of this team. So, you can’t go too deep into your own self lashing. You have to lead, and you have to move on from things good or bad. I thought he did a very good job of taking those L’s, so to speak, and not having it affect his play as he progressed and moved forward through the game. I was very happy with that. I’d prefer not to have the adversity, but that’s not really the case in NFL football. You have to be ready to pick yourself back up and go at it with gusto.”
(On how pleased he was with the communication on the field tonight compared to the last couple of weeks)
“Well, it’s something that’s paramount to playing defense together the way we’d like to. It’s something that has been one of the lead things of focus since we got here. That was a huge part… we felt that had been responsible for some of the negative plays that we’ve been having. That’s all you ever want as a coach is to have your position coaches and coordinators emphasize the right stuff and then players follow through with the execution of those points of emphasis. [It is] very important, especially when you’re playing a good team. That’s something that we are skilled at doing and I look forward to guys latching onto that and moving forward by best assessing and attacking opponents by emphasizing and then executing which is what that was tonight.”
(On WR Tyreek Hill being able to play after dealing with a wrist injury during the week)
“He’s a warrior. He’s a captain of this team and as good as it gets in this league that’s full of star players. It didn’t necessarily surprise his teammates, I don’t think, based upon his relationship with them and what he means to the team. You don’t know how a person’s body is going to respond, but all things equal Tyreek Hill wills himself to do things that most competitors can’t match. That’s one of the reasons that he’s great.”
(On never having a losing record as a head coach and his confidence that the team will be able to overcome their 3-6 start to the season )
“I would say that you have a firm belief that you don’t just create out of thin air. You base it upon the teammates that you have and the type of football that you think you’re capable of playing. I think with anyone, [when] you don’t have the expectations or you don’t have the results that you’re kind of striving for. I think you maintain your confidence by taking hard looks at everything you’re doing and critically assessing everything that you do. What that does is it ends up giving you more conviction in everything you’re doing because you’ve combed it more. I think that’s something that is, across the board, has been very prevalent with this team all season. It’s nice that the team has shown it as opposed to just talking about it. Everyone’s very confident because they’ve been working hard at getting it right, so you feel that much more convicted and invested in all of it.”
(On the injuries that CB Kendall Fuller and CB Kader Kohou suffered against the Rams)
“We’ll take a look at Kendall for sure. That’s obviously not ideal in any way, shape, or form so the most important thing is that we get all the feedback from the experts and make sure that his health is okay. That timeline will be open-ended as that goes. Kader had a knee-to- knee situation that definitely spooked him. Fortunately, our training staff assessed that there was no looseness or issues with the knee, so he was able to go back in. He’s a big part of our defense and I think one of the reasons why we had an effort that we felt like was more to our standard.”
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