Mike McDaniel – November 15, 2024
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Friday, November 15, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(So how did CB Jalen Ramsey sustain the knee injury that surfaced on the injury report yesterday and do you expect him to play Sunday?) – “Something that came up during practice so we’ll see how it plays out today. Either way, I don’t rule out warriors like he is and an integral part of our team, so I know he’ll do what he is able to do today and we’ll be optimistic for the game knowing that if he doesn’t play it’s because he can’t.”
(What about OL Robert Jones? How’s the knee?) – “He had a good day yesterday. Feel optimistic about that for the game.”
(You have three plays that could come back this week with LS Blake Ferguson, S Patrick McMorris, OL Isaiah Wynn – any in play for Sunday or all more likely down the line?) – “I think it’s a more likely week-by-week, but I think that’s more likely a possibility in the next coming weeks than this week.”
(And how about the calf for FB Alec Ingold? I’m sure he wanted to play on Monday. Is he better this week where you think you will have him?) – “He’s better this week. Again, just making sure that we don’t have a setback. He didn’t have a setback yesterday, so we’re hoping for no setbacks today or tomorrow.”
(And with the David Long Jr. thing – just to clarify, the Long decision, did David or his agent David Mulugheta ask you or General Manager Chris Grier for his release or was that purely a team decision?) – “It was a team decision. Didn’t anticipate the scenario that came across with (Tyrel) Dodson being available. Didn’t anticipate that. Absolutely love David Long as a person and player but had to make the decision that was best for the Miami Dolphins.”
(And TE Julian Hill? How’s the shoulder? What’s the outlook for him?) – “He had a good day. I’m very optimistic for his participation and if he has a setback, I will be yelling at some defensive players during practice. So if you hear my voice, it’s because they set Julian (Hill) back.”
(I was thinking about doing something on the power of recall for coaches and I’m wondering how many plays can you recall? How far back? Can you recall since 2022 as a head coach every play…?) – “Every play. (laughter) No. In terms of, are you talking about like can I recall from seasons before? I think the toughest time for me to recall something is directly after the game because I’m trying to stay in the moment. So postgame press conferences are always a challenge because I’m changing from in the moment to reflection. But once I see the tape and stuff, there’s a good amount of recall specifically because you’re in the system, and as a play caller, you kind of feel the burden of the result and the whys of that result that kind of stick with you. I think that’s part of the advantage of experience and having recall on certain defenses, certain situations from concepts to how our players perform. It resurfaces itself every single game and every single game prep, but there will be a play call that I have this game that will be based upon something that I know our players can execute and perform based upon a previous example that’s happened since I’ve been here. So unfortunately to have one of these positions in the National Football League, you kind of have to be obsessed so I don’t know how to do a lot of things around the house and can’t recall what the cook time is on a Hot Pocket or something, but I can remember plays, for sure. (laughter)”
(So last week you guys had 53 plays, right? How many of those could you recall today now that you’ve seen the – I know you’re preparing for a different opponent, but could you recall 42 of them or…?) – “Yeah, I would say you can recall to the point of the order, pretty much all of them besides maybe like five or 10. I’m not to the extreme of like a Sean McVay that can rattle off the exact time and situation and hash, but for the most part, it’s important to my job that I do remember things, the succession of them, what opponents have seen, what they’ve studied. You have to do it all the time because when it’s earned first down on the 35-yard line going in, you’re making a play call decision based upon your anticipated defensive play call which has to do both with what they like to do and what we’ve done in the past. So that’s why I’m a terrible conversation on a game day. (laughter)”
(I know covering golf, golfers can recall pretty much every stroke and I wonder if you ever get to the paralysis by analysis point? When you’re recalling down and distance situations and defenses…?) – “That’s when you see us burn a timeout for no reason, that’s what it is. (laughter) That’s when the overload occurred and it took me too long to get the play in.”
(Have doctors recommended with CB Kendall Fuller because it is his second concussion in two months that he misses extended time like doctors suggested with QB Tua Tagovailoa?) – “Haven’t gotten that feedback, also don’t have a timeline. I do know he was feeling – based upon the previous situation where he was at in the timeline, he felt better than he did previously. Henceforth the medical experts did not feel as though the timeline, whatever that was, was absolutely necessitating that automatic four weeks out. It’s week-to-week based upon the advice of the medical experts as well as the feedback from Kendall (Fuller) and what he’s feeling, because that’s the most important thing.”
(FB Alec Ingold, how is he doing?) – “He’s doing well. What does that mean for the game? Soft tissues, particularly with guys that are not on the line of scrimmage, but major in blocking like Alec Ingold where you have to run before your contact point and come off the ball with absolute suddenness and stuff, you’re always wary of the feedback of the next play or the next outing or the next practice. We’ll be conservative, but prudent to see where he at. I feel good about him. That kind of makes it 50-50 for me for the game, just based on having two more days to get through and where that leads us.”
(If somebody would have told you back in August that WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle would have a per game average of 90 yards, what would you have said?) – “I don’t really go into things forecasting; however, I would have found it interesting. I would have thought either two things; first and foremost, how are defenses playing us and they must be giving them a lot of attention, and then I would have thought how are we executing against those looks if we’re not having production on offense, we’re not taking advantage of whatever scenarios that are keeping them from getting the ball. I guess nothing surprises me, I would just be looking at how’s the rest of our offense executing because if we’re not getting yards from them, yards and points better be coming from somewhere. I think that’s been one of the great things about the adversity from this season is how instead of doing what a lot of people can and have done that I’ve seen in the past where there’s dwelling on numerical values that aren’t Ws and Ls, I’ve seen guys get better. I think our line of scrimmage play from Tyreek (Hill) and (Jaylen) Waddle is the best that it’s been since I’ve been here in terms of releasing, using their footwork, and I think there’s another level of understanding of the timing of our offense based upon the challenging looks they have gotten. I think that overall, it’s forced our team to get better across the board which is an overall win. Our entire motives this offseason has been finding ways to get better during the season so that our best football is at the end when it matters most.”
(A general question, you guys had two phantom whistles at Seattle, I know that’s going way back. I’m wondering, did you turn that into the league? I know that won’t affect the outcome the game. If I turned it into the league, it would be so that I knew the league was aware and so that I knew the league would address it. Have you heard from the league and what is your why when you turn something in?) – “We’re the same guy – and by the way, I’m really interested, you’ve got some stuff cooking in the hopper with these. The angles you’re coming at me (with) means you are doing something. (laughter) There’s twofold in that whole process; one, you’re communicating with the league to make sure that you understand the rules appropriately so you can articulate it to your players, and two, you’re trying to make them aware of something if they feel like it was inappropriately called or whatever. My memory serves me appropriately at this point because I can’t remember what they said at this point and I wouldn’t want to make enemies with the National Football League and just put them on blast at the podium, like that serves nobody’s purpose. Realistically, that is part of our weekly procedure. We do it with all things called or not called, that way I can best inform players to put them in position for success, not failure, in the future because you can’t really – it’s not my operating procedure to dwell. So I think that’s part of the league’s process that’s very healthy because you need to be able to move forward and give your players clarity. We try not to leave anything in the hands of the officials but you have to understand how to stay within the rules and what we should do in the event that something like a faulty whistle or an inadvertent or a fan whistle does occur.”
