Mike McDaniel – December 27, 2024
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Friday, December 27, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Encouraging to see WR Jaylen Waddle practice at least some yesterday. Is there optimism with him for Sunday?) – “I’m optimistic just because of the way he goes at it and I know he will play if he’s able to. So as of right now, I would say there’d be some ‘questionability’ to it, but we’ll see how it progresses. He’s done a great job doing everything he can.”
(And with S Jordan Poyer, if you’re able to say, if not, we understand. Is it more knee or finger and are you pessimistic with him since he hasn’t practiced this week?) – “I’m optimistic that he will practice today which gives me optimism towards the game, but we’ll see how that plays out with the old game of head, shoulders, knees and toes.”
(CB Kendall Fuller out?) – “Yes.”
(I don’t know if this is something you’ll want to share, but I’ll throw it out there. Was the OL Isaiah Wynn, OL Liam Eichenberg platoon so successful that you plan to continue with that?) – “It was a cool formula that it proved to provide dividends for this past game, and should we see it to provide the same dividends this game, we will be open-minded to doing the same thing, but maybe we won’t.”
(LB Jordyn Brooks, LB Anthony Walker, can you share with us the level of optimism on those two?) – “Very optimistic about Jordyn Brooks and I can rule ‘Walk’ (Anthony Walker Jr.) out. That was something that popped up this week.”
(A backup quarterback question. Who has been your best backup quarterback here and why? And what will you look for in the future from a backup quarterback?) – “I think you’re looking for – being a backup quarterback is one of the more difficult tasks that exist in football. So the baseline to me is that you have to have guys that are self-motivated to stay prepared without losing the edge of, you can have one, two, three, four games in a row, every single game you have to be ready. And that means you have to have additional reps on top of any reps you get in practice. That you have to be a self-starter in that regard or get guys together so to me, I think it’s supremely important that the backup quarterback is a leader that his teammates believe in. I think it’s one of the reasons why ‘Snoop’ (Tyler Huntley) won the job during the season, and I think he exemplified the characteristics that were reminiscent of what we had the last couple years. Specifically, it reminded me of Teddy (Bridgewater) and how guys, the second you go in, they believe that you won’t miss a beat. And you’ve got to earn that trust, and you’ve got to earn that conviction and that’s something that you can’t fake. So in terms of rating all the backup quarterbacks, I’m not sure if I’m going to do that. I feel like that’s a recipe for disaster somewhere, but I think that the biggest thing is that you want to see growth within the season, which is very difficult to do from your backup quarterback because like everybody else, they need to be improving and gaining advantages at their game a lot of times without reps.”
(Does this team I guess have patience or room for a developmental backup as opposed to a veteran because this team wants to win, now, and I think that’s the case even next season. So can you develop a backup, or do you need a veteran who can come in and get the job done immediately?) – “It sounds like you’re trying to stay within my vision which is this season and obviously this game. I think overall, you need development from that position regardless of what stage of their career they are in. They need to evolve with your team and where your team goes and the type of things that your eligibles are finding successful and just all the things that you ask a quarterback to do which is operate the offense that’s ever evolving. I think even if a quarterback is developing, that they can still lead a team to victory and players have to believe that that player, they can get all the assignments from them, that they’re on their stuff and they can depend on him and that they’ll put him in positions to succeed, regardless of it’s run or pass. So I stay away from absolutes, not for any other reason but that I just think there’s a lot of ways to skin a cat. I think overall, it’s imperative that your team believes in whoever is calling the plays for you and I don’t think that will ever change.”
(Why did the organization choose to allow Shaq Barrett to pursue work elsewhere here at the end of the season?) – “I think it was Chris (Grier) and I talking, and I think overall, it didn’t present a competitive disadvantage for us, so it made sense in the timing of it.”
(How would you evaluate WR Tyreek Hill’s week of practice after his comments on Sunday about needing more reps with QB Tua Tagovailoa?) – “I thought he had a phenomenal week of practice. Not only from an execution of assignment perspective, but the way he attacked the ball. What I don’t like – drops happen in the game of football; pretty much 100 percent of the time people are trying to catch it, but there’s technique to catching the football that a lot of times you get weary of people getting passive when the ball’s in the air because of past experiences. And not only was he catching a ton of footballs this week, but he was doing so aggressively. There was on the move, coming back to the quarterback and down the field. He had a very aggressive week of practice which was very encouraging to see because he didn’t blink and that’s the only way to handle short comings in your game. If you’re mad about something, you have to aggressively attack it and that’s what I saw him do this week.”
(You guys have won five of your last seven, you could finish the season winning seven of your last nine. Does it feel that you’re on that type of a roll? Does it feel that way?) – “Well, I think it feels like the team that I had hoped we were when we were looking at the mirror at 2-6. I think the team is very hungry to go after this game against the Cleveland Browns to make us 6-2 from that juncture. I think it’s more, to me, watching people, how they handle adversity and how do they, what do they do with all the noise. Do you sit there and justify who, what, where and why and point fingers? Or do you get into the lab, get with your coaches and then get out on the field and technically address the issues that lead you to losses? And I think starting the season off unfavorably makes for a long season and I’ve seen it go different ways, so I think the team has an opportunity to really exemplify their internal fortitude and their belief in each other because it’s not easy to flip the script that way and I think there’s a lot of guys in the locker room that are very eager to have that. I think – I don’t know, it’s almost representative of just how we felt. You’re 2-6, flipping it to 6-2 would be something meaningful that we’re going after for sure.”
(Optimistic about T Terron Armstead?) – “Yeah, I’m optimistic because it’s (Terron) Armstead and we’re going to see him out there today and he’s coming off a very good game, so I know he’s going to do anything and everything. But I’m optimistic for today and for the game.”
(Do you already know that you would love to have him back next year?) – “Yeah, there are conversations that he has to have with his family and whatever, but what a huge piece of our team he is. Just in terms of where we started off and where our mindset is in tough times or in good times. He’s one of the guys that everyone looks to. You’re always hopeful for that. I’m not taking him for granted for any moment either. Just because there are some decisions he has to make that I know he’s not thinking of right now either.”
(DT Calais Campbell – a lot of people have showered him with praise for what he’s contributed to this team and just the career that he’s had, but what have you learned from him in particular?) – “You feel very fortunate to be around guys – I’d put him in the category in terms of not just longevity but high output, high production. You put him in the category of quarterbacks like Tom (Brady), Aaron (Rodgers) and those guys because he’s in just a rarified air. How does one do that? The formula seems to be the same. He is absolutely, positively someone that goes about the process of the week very diligently. What I’ve learned is that to be capable or to have players that are capable of doing that it takes a unique spirit that really loves football. He loves the process not just in successful times… he loves being the galvanizer for when things are tough. He loves the Mondays after a tough loss. He doesn’t blink. It’s hard not to take some of the residuals of his internal fortitude as a coach and really go after your job. But more than anything, to be exceptional I think he’s just another example for all players and coaches alike that there is no shortcut to those results. If you want to standout and produce – what is he 47 years old now – you could argue he’s putting better tape out there than when he was 36 and that isn’t by just sheer luck. That is taking care of his body so that he can be the same athlete, but as well as utilizing the wisdom that you gain each and every game every season. I think he’s a tremendous example of what it takes to have success – not just fleeting success but career success. He’s been doing it at the NFL level for three different decades, I think, right? That’s rarified air, but you learn and you double down that you don’t just luck into that. It’s equal part talent and equal part just mental fortitude and how he really is aggressive with his daily process like he was in Year 3. It’s pretty amazing. It’s really, really hard for teammates that align next to him and say, ‘hey, I’m tired’ or ‘hey, this season is hard.’ Like what? Try being 38, so very, very fortunate to have him.”
(The Chargers play at 1pm tomorrow, the Bengals play at 4:30 p.m. Will you given the opportunity watch any or either of those games?) – “No, I will prepare for the Cleveland Browns and do my normal Saturday routine for situational play calling, etc. I’m sure there will be several people that will inform me. I’m not too fixated at all. I know we have a game on Sunday that will be played. And my focus is that the team does the best in that opportunity and that’s where my focus has been, with the team and I think that is where their focus is.”
(Do you have score alerts for any teams on your phone? Yale football, Colorado Avalanche?) – “This was several iPhone models ago. I used to have – I don’t know, I think I was in San Fran at the time – but I had Nuggets and Avalanche as alerts. Those days have passed me. I’m more either doing my job or my other fulltime very important job which is dad. Right now that means a lot of Barbie playing. Barbies have no time for score alerts.”
(You guys have done a phenomenal job containing Raiders DE Max Crosby and obviously 49ers DE Nick Bosa last week. What have you learned from those experiences that will help you with Browns DE Myles Garret on Sunday?) – “I think the team has learned that it’s not just one person’s job. I think to affectively execute against some of the premier players in this league specifically at the edge position, it takes receivers’ contributions, tight ends. It takes technique and fundamentals in the pass game from the wide outs to be where they are going to be when they need to be there. It takes conviction from the quarterback to get the ball out to the voided zones. And you have to force all of those players that are really, really good at rushing the passer to defend the run. And I think it’s group effort that there has to be a group focus, a group conviction. You have to take pride in it. Overall it takes 60 minutes of attention and tonality. It only takes one rep for guys like that to wreck the game. I think more than anything I think our offense from all the skill to the offensive line have really, really learned live speed how important it is for everybody to contribute. You don’t just have a Maxx Crosby stopper or a Nick Bosa stopper or a Myles Garrett stopper. It takes a lot of people collectively working together.”
