Mike McDaniel September 21 Takeaways
Head coach Mike McDaniel addressed the media before the Miami Dolphins headed out to practice at the Baptist Health Training Complex on Wednesday..
Here were the highlights from McDaniel's press conference:
-- First question deals with the tight end position, and McDaniel says "we don't have a situation now." Seems to suggest either Hunter Long and/or Cethan Carter will be ready to return this week.
-- The Dolphins worked out four tight ends this week.
-- The Dolphins have won their past seven games at Hard Rock Stadium, and McDaniel points out the fan support always helps but it also takes the team doing its part. That seven-game winning streak features wins against Houston, Baltimore, Carolina, the New York Giants, the New York Jets and the New England Patriots twice.
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-- Asked whether there's any delay in preparing a game plan because Buffalo played Monday night, McDaniel downplays that idea, in part because the Bills haven't made wholesale changes from what they did last season. "That defense, in general, you kind of know what it is."
-- Regarding QB Josh Allen, McDaniel said he saw his growth in Wyoming, remembering him at first as a giant guy with a giant arm. "We've all been witnesses to he's steadily progressed to becoming one of the best players in the National Football League, maybe the best one." Praises Allen's work ethic in addition to the obvious physical gifts.
-- With Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, McDaniel says he's never before been around two players in the same position of that caliber. McDaniel adds he never necessarily envisioned them putting together the kind of game they had at Baltimore on Sunday, while also pointing out each player had "some stuff" to clean up. We'll say here that overall they did pretty well. McDaniel also notes that ideally he wouldn't want that many targets for two players instead of distributing the ball and getting everybody involved.
-- Regarding Hill's postgame quote that it looked in the fourth quarter that McDaniel was calling plays as though he were playing the Madden video game, McDaniel said it had nothing to do with him and that it was Hill and his teammates who were doing video game stuff.
-- New Buffalo OC Ken Dorsey was a big-time college at the University of Miami, and McDaniel says he "respects really thin ballers. As a player, I loved him." Dorsey indeed was a tall, skinny QB in college who had great success at UM and has become a promising coach with a bright future in the NFL. "Watching the tape, he is not rinse-and-repeat. He's not just doing what they've done, which I respect."
-- With Tua winning AFC Offensive Player of the Week, McDaniel says, "Yeah, how about that?" Adds it's a team award, but then says that Tua really deserved it. Says if the organization allowed it, we'd hear a lot more rants about him because his teammates have seen how hard he works.
-- Last question deals with how Tua builds on the Baltimore game, McDaniel talks about using that game for confidence but focusing on just getting better every day and not worrying about stats and numbers. "It's how he approaches his position and if he feels himself pressing, how fast can he get out of it yourself?"
