Head Coach Mike McDaniel – October 20, 2024 (Postgame)
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INDIANAPOLIS COLTS VS. MIAMI DOLPHINS | SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2024 | POSTGAME QUOTES
DOLPHINS HEAD COACH MIKE MCDANIEL
What would be your explanation as to the difficulties getting the ball to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in this game?
“Compounding. I think they were phenomenal all game. They’ve really looked at their role in an expansive way. They’ve been trying to do whatever we can to win the football game. When you run the ball 40 times, it does minimize your opportunities and then if you’re trying to take advantage of a defense over playing and doubling them and getting the ball to the tight end, then they have less opps (opportunities). I always look at that as part of my job, to find ways anyway. So, it was frustrating this game. Didn’t anticipate some of the game shaping out that way. I have to find a way, specifically when they are doing their jobs at a high level. They were very involved in the run game in blocking. And contrary to popular belief, they do play every play. They’re one of 11 in terms of not just passes. Sometimes they’re limited to requiring a lot of attention and emphasis from the defense, which gives other guys opportunities. But we have to take advantage of those opportunities, and I need to find ways to get them involved.”
It felt like, over the past couple weeks or past couple games that defenses have specifically tried to take away Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle and make you use your other guys. Have there been opportunities to get them involved?
“I think every team goes with that objective, because they know how good they are. I think that there have been games in the past that maybe as they reviewed the tape and where they’re at in their careers, where they’re trying to be great. They’ve acknowledged sometimes that they’ve minimized their involvement by certain things that they can do in their game. However, this game, I didn’t see that. Teams always do. So, you have to continue to problem solve. Sometimes you think that you have solved the problem, and then you find out you haven’t. That will always be the case with them. So, I can’t look at it like – I have to keep them involved. But they were very active in the game without the ball. So that was a good thing.”
The turnovers. The big one that leads to a touchdown, and then one on the 14 or 15-yard line, where it takes you out of scoring position, and derailed where you were going. It looked like both sides of the ball were playing at a pretty good level. And that kind of just flipped the script a little bit?
“Absolutely. They were tough ones. Raheem (Mostert) has had 400-plus carries since he’s been here with us. That’s what’s tough about it. He has his fourth fumble out of those 400 touches. The timing of that was, was rough. And then Alec Ingold is a captain, because he’s one of the best players, people and really a playmaker for us a lot of times without the ball and with the ball. I thought that was unfortunate in that situation, because I think there was an opportunity for him to not be strung out sideways and have the ball. If we would have executed like I anticipated, it would have gone a different spot. But it’s also a game of accountability and at the same time, they know they can’t do that. Some players from the team didn’t know where my head was at, so they came and made sure that they were given an opportunity, and that they all still believed in them, which I already knew. So that’s why they continue to get opps (opportunities). But they can’t do that. Just like the game of accountability – it doesn’t matter. If there are good calls, it doesn’t matter. Collectively as a team, we just have to play smarter football – it’s crazy. So that starts with me. It’s always rough for me when guys that are very ball secure do have fumbles. They get picked too and things happen. I’m very frustrated because you think you emphasize things correctly, and you think you have certain things fixed, and when they’re not, it’s not going to be anybody else’s fault but me. I was definitely wrong. And you have to approach it that way. We have retooled stuff to clean up our game with the penalties and it’s still killing us. I need to figure out something better, which is what I’ll be doing starting the second this press conference ends.”
Would you be able to say that Tua Tagovailoa will begin his practices this week?
“I think tonight, when we’re talking about a game that people played in, I think talking about guys on IR I don’t think is appropriate and doesn’t hit me right. So, I’ll be more than happy to address that tomorrow. But tonight, I’ll try to keep it about guys tonight.”
What were the conversations that led to De’Von Achane wearing the Guarding Cap?
“I think you on the front end, embrace player safety with your team. So, if you are very open about, this is a tool that, if you’re comfortable for your professional career and playing football and regular season games and whatever – absolutely, if you want to do that, we support it. So, I do think that’s important to support it – allowing players to have those types of decisions to make for themselves. But I support all that. That’s why if anybody wants to wear thicker elbow pads or a thicker helmet, I have no problem with that. We support that.”
Would you recommend Tua Tagovailoa wear it?
“I do the same thing that I do for every player. You don’t skirt information. I force guys to have knowledge of what they would be turning down on what they would be doing. I just support any of that for all players, with no exception to be Tua (Tagovailoa).”
What did you think of how Tyler Huntley played today? Do you have an update on his status?
“I don’t have an update. He’s a tough dude. Coming off the field, he was trying to say he was going to be good. When the paid professionals that are on our medical team talk to him about the things that he’d have to do, and put him through some strength testing stuff, I think he wasn’t. I don’t really know the extent of it, but I know it was going to take a lot to keep him out. I thought he did a good job with command. I thought he gave the offense a chance to win. I will have to look at the tape. There were a couple things that I thought were there that maybe we didn’t execute, but it’s short sighted to place blame on any one individual. But I think he had us in a position to win this, which is all you can ask for. And I thought he made a couple plays that were report, both with his throws and with his feet. So, he’s continued his progression, which was good.”
