Mike McDaniel – September 28, 2025
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Saturday, September 28, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(Can you share your starting quarterback for Monday?) – “Well, sharing is caring, and I do care, so yeah, it wasn’t too far into the week. It was probably a handful of hours after I had met with you guys last. It became pretty – we started making moves towards Snoop (Tyler Huntley) starting, and he will which kind of came as a result. You’re waiting to see if Skylar (Thompson) is a part of the equation and what you’re trying to assess based upon his ability to do football and starting on NFL Wednesday, it was – and just how his body was responding, it became clear that he would be in consideration for possibly emergency third (quarterback), but we’re going to move forward with Snoop starting and (Tim) Boyle backing him up on Monday.”
(And why the decision for QB Tyler Huntley over QB Tim Boyle? I guess he brings you another dimension.) – “I think everybody has their values. I think one thing that was supremely obvious to the team since he got here and then even more so this practice week is Snoop has started multiple and many big games. And as a quarterback, just understanding exactly what is required to win over teammates to take the place of somebody else and be able to assert their own personality, their own skill set, their own traits within the offense and lead people. We’ve been very high on Snoop, high enough to give him a roster spot on the 53, which those are very few and far between with sight unseen. So his maturation has been expedited by him and he’s done an impressive job assimilating into the locker room and understanding our language as his own and the team is excited for him.”
(What are you expecting from QB Tyler Huntley from his legs? That’s an obvious dimension that this team really hasn’t had. What are you expecting from that standpoint?) – “I’ve always valued quarterbacks with legs. I think it’s a 100 percenter. It’s just a competitive advantage. But I think the ability to make plays, that’s a broad, overarching statement. You can do it in a multitude of ways. What I’m expecting is him to be comfortable making plays in various ways, but I think the biggest thing is I see him being able to utilize his skillsets within the framework of the offense and understanding it’s about the collection of individuals – man, you guys are typing (laughter) – it’s about the collection of individuals doing their job and what’s the best for this week to do that. I know everybody knows that he can run. I think everybody knows that he can pass. He does a good job at both and so I’m expecting him to go out and be one-eleventh of the formula to try to go and make plays, get first downs, score some points, all of that.”
(How comfortable do you think he is from your observation of making quick reads, getting the ball out of his hands quickly? Quarterbacks Coach/Pass Game Coordinator Darrell Bevell was telling us yesterday he was telling the quarterbacks “Let it go, let it go.” Is QB Tyler Huntley comfortable with that?) – “Very. No, I think it’s been – you don’t know, you think you know, but you don’t know until you’re able to have guys work within your offense and operate and I think Snoop has done a very good job with understanding what we emphasize and being able to cater his game to that. So I expect eleven people operating together and he’s like the half-back, the tight end and the X or Z receiver. I expect him to do his job as his teammates are depending on it.”
(Can you give us an update on whether T Terron Armstead or CB Kendall Fuller is ruled out?) – “Both ruled out based upon where they’re at in the concussion protocol which, as we’ve all had the opportunity to have conversations about, I take one step at a time and you have to gain clearance with the appropriate time relative to the game and when you’re unable to do that, there’s a procedure for a reason. So that unfortunately, and I’m not really willing to waver on that one.”
(Who will take their starting place in the starting lineup – T Terron Armstead and CB Kendall Fuller?) – “That’s something that the answer is incomplete. There’s certain situations where the reps are few and far between so you kind of have to hedge your bet earlier in the week and then have contingency plans. There’s other scenarios in both of those positions, I feel like there’s some very good, competitive options and we have one more day of assessment before we can make that decision. However, I do feel good about both positions being adequately resourced during the course of the game. So you know what? This day matters. Practice matters and we’ll get some more information after that.”
(Do you have a feel on RB Raheem Mostert, whether he’ll be available Monday?) – “I know he’s trying. I know he definitely enjoys playing football more than watching it. That being said, we have great discussions based upon the totality of the season and the ways that we’re not going to take steps – we’re not going to prematurely put ourselves out there if we’re going to take steps back and can’t properly protect ourselves. So I know he wants to in the worst way, but he’s an important piece to our team and our offense, so we will take that in full consideration before game time.”
(This year, you go and face a Titans team in similar fashion – a crucial week in the season. Last year, you guys lost but from those lessons learned, how do you feel like the team will galvanize the opportunity again this go around?) – “It’s an interesting, it’s a very good question. I definitely understand that there’s some similarities in that the teams are the same, the stadium is the same and the night is the same. And I’m sure it crossed the minds of everyone, myself included, when the schedule came out. But one important lesson that we’ve learned this season that I hold very true and dear because I know it to be truth, is that while about 40 percent of the players lived and had that scar from 2023, it doesn’t do justice to the 2024 team to do anything but worry about how they play football together. The connected fundamentals and technique to play well in all three phases and that focus to me prioritizes any score that needs to be settled from last year’s team, however visceral that scar is, the team has done a good job this week of making this game about this game where you have your – probably blocking somebody different than you were last year, or maybe it’s someone similar but it’s a different scheme. You might be covering someone similar, but you’re doing so within a different orchestration of defense. All of these things, if we’re really trying to get down to the nuts and bolts of performing at a level that’s much closer to our standard, we have to fully immerse ourselves into that standard and how we play. So anything else, everything’s an opportunity cost in this world. If I’m thinking about raising my right hand, I’m not thinking about how I’m maintaining eye contact with you during this answer. So you’re thinking about last year, sweet. The past is the past, the future is what you make of it. The only thing that really matters is what we’re doing collectively as individuals that relate to a group in each phase and sticking to that.”
(LB David Long Jr.?) – “You can be clear about David Long. If he’s out there it’s because he did something remarkable during the course of the week and if he’s not it’s because there is no way it could be possible. He absolutely wants to play in this game, however, I’m proud of David this week because he’s been working doing everything he can, but he does understand the team and the season is more important than who he has played for before and all of that other stuff we try not to subscribe to here. He’s doing everything he can. I think it’s fair to say I wouldn’t be optimistic; however, with a guy like that if he can pull it off he’s got the mindset to and we’ll see how the next 48 hours plays out.”
(Regarding September football and what we’re seeing now. It seems like it’s changed the last few years as training camp has evolved. The veterans got the joint practices, the youngsters play in the preseason games. This is the starters’ full immersion playing together. One, is that true and does it affect September football recently? And two, does it affect any area more than any other perhaps quarterback play?) – “I absolutely thing that’s a fair assessment just across the league. There is always cause and effect. I don’t think we are in the minority in that we have groups of people playing together for the first time and there is always going to be residuals to that. I think that affects every player. It’s not just necessarily a result-based where, hey they won, or that they had a good play or vice versa. I think football plays out in all sorts of ways. I think people prioritizing the development within the season and not over-cooking any sort of result either way is supremely important because any time you have that little lack of cohesion in any phase it goes one way or the other and there’s a lot of opportunity that this season – the same as every other – it’s going to come down to the teams that are able to handle the noise, handle success, handle failure and evolve through the months of October and November. Because the one thing I feel safe saying is there will be outliers, but the results are going to be some teams playing their best ball in November and December that may have just been coming together now. You do have your hand in that. Our hope is to be one of those teams that continue to improve as we all know we have to, to get close to the results that we want.”
(Question about the first possession near the goal line after CB Kader Kohou’s interception last week. TE Jonnu Smith wasn’t out there. Why is that? Then RB De’Von Achane had a huge hole but he slipped and you guys did have the penalty, so it was first-and-11. Why not go back to the run because that hole was big and then why wasn’t Jonnu out there?) – “There are so many decisions every single game, and there is a why and what for. And I think the biggest lesson for us as a team the way we looked at it, is we were empowered with a tremendous opportunity to get a touchdown with a I think six-yard field. And one of the more difficult things in the National Football League is scoring a touchdown when you’re first-and-goal plus 10. That’s a compressed field that has to be defended less. And so quite honestly you’re looking for a football team that across the board when something doesn’t work you assess critically. You make sure from a play-calling standpoint, make sure that every other decision when something doesn’t work is probably a better decision. But then at the same time you’re depending on the rest of your teammates, all the players say ‘nah, that was a great play, we can make it work.’ That connectivity, that lack of pointing the finger, but pointing the thumb is important in those situations. Jonnu wasn’t out there because I didn’t call the personnel group with him out there. And I know he wants to score touchdowns or help the team score touchdowns. So then you forecast one play at a time. You focus on how we can get into the endzone. To me the bottom line is you have to prepare the team to not have a formational penalty on first-and-goal at the six and the team needs to focus on doing what’s appropriate to not get that penalty as well. I think that’s where we are at. It was obviously not the best play calling if it doesn’t score a touchdown, but the same thing – I think what’s good going on in our locker room right now is I think they think the play calls are good enough to score; what can they do differently within the play to make that come to life.”
(Did you see the last play of the Canes game?) – “I did not.”
(Hail Mary into the end zone.) – “I literally once I got home, it was the first time – my daughter goes to sleep pretty early so I got home and played I think it was some sort of variable of a dog shelter doll game. And so I was currently in character. And then I went to sleep and then I woke up and thought about the Miami Dolphins and what they have to do. I don’t know much right now. But I’m sure I’ll see the highlights in the afternoon. Was it cool?”
(Yeah, it was a Hail Mary touchdown, Viriginia Tech, last play back in the end zone. Overturned on replay. Canes win. What do you tell a receiver – Hail Mary, last play, jumping up – what is your coaching point for that player?) – “So when you’re doing a Hail Mary situation, you’re trying to get your feet underneath you and high-point the ball. And then you’re having every other eligible that’s in the periphery looking for the tip rebound. So the best way to come down with those is to be supremely authoritative and we call it a rebound rip-away – basketball analogy – and so that can only be done if you can get to the spot as fast as possible to get your feet underneath you to high-point that.”
