Mike McDaniel – November 1, 2023
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Wednesday, November 1, 2023
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Can you please update us on the three offensive linemen, T Terron Armstead, OL Connor Williams, and OL Robert Hunt, and also S Jevon Holland?) – “So who do we start with?”
(Left tackle, center, right guard.) – “Okay, left tackle. You feel the breeze? The window’s open. (laughter) He’ll be out there, it’ll be fun. We’ll see how he responds to that effort and we’ll assess that the next day and do the same the following day. You said center? Yeah, he’s excited. We have a good trusting relationship so holding him back I think in the moment wasn’t necessarily his cup of tea. But in hindsight he appreciates it. Dapped me up with a smile and is excited to go to work this week. Then Rob Hunt will be day-to-day. He’s a little fresher. But again, he’ll be working towards trying to be able to just getting to practice. I don’t foresee him getting really anything today, but we’ll just try the day after, whatever day that is and then the day after that.”
(Is S Jevon Holland out of concussion protocol?) – “Yes, he is. He is out of concussion protocol.”
(Can you detail your experiences coming over to Germany?) – “Yeah, I slept and then I woke up and then I watched film and that’s been my experience. I made it down to the first floor of the hotel twice, both for meetings. But I know really from all the feedback I’ve gotten, that it’s been a fantastic experience for a lot of our locker room. Those to credit for that experience is our Miami Dolphins support staff. They are carrying the majority of the weight. You talk about moving servers, equipment, and just jumping in a five-hour time difference and just going to work. It’s times like those that you can see why you feel so great about your organization because there’s some tired support staff people that have no regrets but are drinking a lot of caffeine.”
(The trade deadline came and went yesterday. Two things, were you guys involved in any discussions and then what was it like trying to navigate that while, like you said, five hours ahead in a different country?) – “Well, fortunately, my office is directly adjacent to Chris Grier’s here, too. No knocks. We actually have several – the best trades that exist in the works. You’re talking about getting players with no assets given from injury. So we’re in a great spot. I think Chris is always and will always enter into whatever conversations that are sought out to him. That’s a part of his job. He doesn’t labor my mind with NFL gossip like ‘hey, I talked to this guy and this guy said this.’ He brings it to my attention when we need to discuss it to a serious platform and he didn’t discuss anything. That speaks to where we’re at with our football team. We’ve been playing some good football and then we have some players that are very good players that are returning. That means there’s a lot of people executing on all three phases at every position. Feel pretty good about that.”
(One last injury question, S Brandon Jones, if he’s in the concussion protocol right now?) – “Yes, he’s back at home going through the process, which doesn’t mean he won’t be here. But from a health perspective, the best way to treat him was to leave him in Miami so he can work through that and if you guys know Brandon, he’s working diligently.”
(How does it feel to be a part of this historic game in Frankfurt, and what significance does this hold to you personally?) – “It’s pretty surreal in that the game of football has really shaped my life. Really when you look at, everything that is good in my life has come through the game of football. It’s really changed at every juncture. I even met my wife in a place coaching football and to be a part of the National Football League, being able to play in front of fans that are newer to the game that are really, really big fans of the NFL, but don’t get to see any live; I know exactly what that is like as a fan. So it’s a privilege. The game of football is so unique in that there’s parallels as long as you can think about to life. And that’s the one great thing about our game and very, very fortunate to have a different platform and an expanded platform. I’ve never been across the Atlantic. The furthest I’ve been is Pacific, Tahiti once and I’ve been in the Caribbean. And I’m a history major. I’ll be excited if I’m ever able – if Chris Grier ever lets me out of my dungeon. (laughter) But yeah, it’s a privilege and I know our guys are elated with the opportunity as well. It feels like something that you’re definitely not entitled to, that you’re honored, and that you’re going to do right by it by putting forth your best effort of work and diligence throughout the week so that whatever it is, it is our best version of ourselves on Sunday.”
(What would your message to QB Tua Tagovailoa be relative to the magnitude of the international stage, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes being on the other sideline, sort of the world watching?) – “It’s only going to get bigger if you’re doing your job the way that you want to. So you have to get used to – it’s not noise because noise has a negative connotation, but there’s things. There’s attention. There’s storylines. There’s questions. The fact of the matter is that people that are successful at a high level in professional sports, that doesn’t seem to bother them. It’s a rep that doesn’t mean every single person will be their very best at it today or tomorrow or whatever, but it’s something that you shouldn’t shy away from. You should embrace because the only people – if you don’t experience that as a starting quarterback in the National Football League, it truly stands for ‘Not For Long’. We’re all that way. It’s a very competitive business. There’s a lot of people that are qualified and would love the opportunity that we have, so you don’t take that lightly. You really embrace that. You don’t make more of it then it is. I can tell it’s one of the major growths that Tua’s had this year where you’re hard pressed to mess up his process. He has a routine with which he digests and owns the gameplan, and then has a certain standard in which he brings energy to the practice field that his teammates can count on. What does that do? As a quarterback, that makes everyone better because when someone’s standard is high, you’re not going to let them down or you’re not going to drag your feet through the day. These are things that I think he’s prepared for. It’s something that you really shouldn’t make a big deal of if you’re trying to be a starting quarterback in the National Football League, which he is. It’s kind of part of the game.”
(This is WR Tyreek Hill’s first game against the Chiefs since he was traded. He obviously has done a lot in his year and a half in Miami. From your perspective, what has he brought to this team?) – “It’s always good when you have one of the best football players in the entire National Football League on your team. That’s what he does. Remarkable stuff last year, but he’s taking everything to another level this year with regard to the details and the fundamentals to his position to the daily approach to being a captain and to leading. I think that’s manifesting itself on the field. I think he’s a Miami Dolphin. He is on the journey. Wears the logo, takes pride in the organization, and sees it, just like all of us, as part of our jobs to do right by the organization and take care of some business that hasn’t been taken care of for a while. It’s an exciting time. Nothing’s better than going out to a practice field when Tyreek’s out there. Not because – what people miss is yeah, he’s fast – I want to see somebody move faster in practice during the week then him. With Tua and Tyreek as one example of multiple, I promise you that on any game day, whatever they do is not the first time we’ve seen it. That’s what that does. You push all the other competitors on the team to better prepare so that on Sunday, they can be themselves. Really do right by all their hard work and talent and just go out and play football, which is what they’ve had an ordinate ability to do. Be their best selves, he’s a classic example. And he’s got a new haircut.”
(How close does CB Xavien Howard appear to be returning and what are you getting once he is playing opposite CB Jalen Ramsey?) – “Well, you could say he would be a factor, an X-factor. (laughter). Yeah, you see I still got it, even across the seas. We’ll see how he does today. It was hard enough to hold him out. That was another different disposition, but very similar message as Connor Williams. Very much so had to look at the big picture and what a setback or nagging issue would do to this team and what we’re trying to do. I wouldn’t say he enjoyed watching the last game, but he enjoyed doing what was right for the team. And I know he enjoys playing much more than watching.”
