Mike McDaniel – September 22, 2024 (Postgame)
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Miami Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(On positives from the game.)
MIKE MCDANIEL: I thought the positives were we took care of the ball. I did think Skylar (Thompson) did a good job operating the offense. I think there needed to be a lot better job in preparation on my part. 11 penalties is not good enough but we took care of the ball. I think (Tim) Boyle came in and I thought did a great job of leading the guys, was very good in the huddle and was very good in communicating the things that needed to be communicated from the sidelines. And I think the bottom line is I see the quarterback is an extension of the offense, and the offense is an extension of me. And three points, I’ve never won a game scoring three points. So I think collectively, starting with me, it just needs to be better, and we have to get it figured out fast.
(On the injury to Skylar Thompson.)
MIKE MCDANIEL: I haven’t talked to Skylar (Thompson) as of the end of the game. It was a rib injury that was pretty painful. And half the pain or half of the frustration for him, I think, was he was trying to find a way to not come out of the game. And ultimately it was pretty painful. He fought through it but we’ll get a chance to look at him tomorrow.
(With these past two weeks, having Tua Tagovailoa go down, having Skylar Thompson go down, what is kind of the next planning step, I guess, for you guys the coming weeks? What’s that plan?)
MIKE MCDANIEL: I think you have to look at everything. And you have to find a way to give your team a best chance to win. In 2022, this was something that happened to us as well. And ultimately the rest of the league does not care nor should they. We have to find a way to get better collectively. And it’s going to take a better effort by everyone, including myself, or starting with myself.
(What was the reasoning behind the play call right before the end of the half?)
MIKE MCDANIEL: The approach was the same that we did Week 1 of last year against the Chargers where you’re trying to take a shot and see and make a defense defend. In that situation last year, we got a defensive pass interference that led to a field goal that was ultimately a two-point game. We were trying the same thing and it did not work out the same. But that was the thought process.
(What about the breakdown on the DK Metcalf touchdown?)
MIKE MCDANIEL: Yeah, there’s a couple things from the beginning of the game that I know the good news is we found our rhythm as a defense, I thought, as the game progressed. And the good news is that we have the right people on this team, I think, and the right people on the defense in particular for them to not worry about the overall score but more worry about how we can keep self-inflicted wounds from hurting us. And as frustrating as that was, being a point of emphasis going into the game, I think collectively I was happy with the resolve to put forth better defense after that and respond.
(With the self-inflicted wounds, a lot of penalties, pre-snap on offense, also on special teams. Just really the rhyme or reason of —)
MIKE MCDANIEL: No, I think we have to handle the road better, and that starts with me. But then that continues throughout everyone. I think that the crowd was rocking and we looked as though it was the first time in a hostile environment. And so that’s a fast lesson that you have to learn from and get better or you are not going to expect any differing results moving forward. But, yeah, I think it was 11 penalties for 85 yards. And especially when you’re having issues in the red zone and coming up with no touchdowns and being down there several times, you can’t afford that to win the football game.
(On injuries.)
MIKE MCDANIEL: With Terron (Armstead), he got poked in the eye. And then the UNC cleared him during the game and postgame looked at him again. And him and (Kendall) Fuller are in the protocol now and we’ll evaluate them tomorrow.
(How do we get Tyreek Hill more involved in the offense? In the first half he only one target and second half seemed to pick up. But going forward with all these injuries, where do you see him fitting more in the offense?)
MIKE MCDANIEL: Absolutely. As a captain, leader, Tyreek (Hill) did a great job all week trying to make sure that he was doing his part, not only the pass game but the run game. And in that process give the Seahawks credit, they did some things to try to nullify him. I think ultimately some of the stuff that we expected to be cleaner in the run game leads to longer drives, more opportunities for him. But this team needs him. He was prepared. He was ready. He had the appropriate energy. So, got to do a better job getting him the ball. And we have to do a better job staying on the field so we can get our playmakers the ball. I think we only had three three-and-outs, but I think there were a lot of four-, five-play drives where we were able to get a first down and then couldn’t get out of our own way. So it has to get better for everyone to get better.
(Touching on the offense too being with kind of the roller coaster at quarterback you guys are having right now, how does the offense stay clicking like they have been with so many changes under center there? What do they have to do to ready?)
MIKE MCDANIEL: I think consistency has to be found from the nucleus in the group. The guys that truly know the offense have to really be on it. And we have to just keep chopping wood and get better fast. Again, those things happen. And every single season there’s teams that find a way to win football games when their starter or even their backup’s out. So that’s what we’re signed up for this year in the present situation. And I think it’s also important to — like I told the team — we’ve had two consecutive seasons where we were winning football games. And I think were 3-0 in both scenarios. And it’s a long season. It’s Week 3 and we have to — the idea is that you’re continuing to get better so you’re at your best at the end of the season. That was our main focus coming into this year. It hasn’t changed. It’s just magnified. But that’s the National Football League. You have to do what you have to do. And we need everyone to focus on the right things to get better.
(When you look at today’s offensive inconsistencies, how much can you attribute to uncertainty at quarterback coming in with an unfamiliar face, relatively speaking? And then how much of it is Seattle’s defense or penalties or like that?)
MIKE MCDANIEL: I think as competitors, we look at ourselves first. However, it would be silly not to acknowledge the very good plan, effort, and strain and detail by the Seattle Seahawks. I don’t think it was as much of the quarterback as it can easily be made out to be. I think it was the overall orchestration and execution of plays down in and down out. And I have to look at that hard in terms of myself to what we’re doing, what we’re good at, and how to play clean football. And then as well as I think there’s going to be a lot of guys looking at their finer details and whether or not it lives up to the standard of the way they execute their job. Bottom line is it has to be better. So that’s our jobs, and we need to do it immediately and have no time to waste.
(Question about fourth and one and going for it.)
MIKE MCDANIEL: It was a combination of the work week where Jason Sanders was at pregame. And I thought the match-up with the defense, I thought points were at a premium. Although there were 17 first-half points and they came early, I was kind of playing to where I thought our defense was at. And those are things that you’re always debating — had it been three yards further back or four yards further back, maybe I make a different decision. But basically on the first down, I’m kind of considering where the field position is, and I thought it was close enough that he would have a good strike and effort.
