McDaniel Takeaways Day After Dolphins-49ers Week 13 Game

Head coach Mike McDaniel conducted the traditional day-after-the-game press conference Monday in the aftermath of the Miami Dolphins' 33-17 loss against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium.

Here were the highlights from McDaniel's media session:

-- The signing of veteran Eric Fisher should not be seen as an indication that Terron Armstead could miss additional time. McDaniel said the move was made with the idea of the Dolphins season extending past the regular season and adding a quality player.

-- The team will be mindful of what Tua Tagovailoa does this week related to his injured ankle and make sure there will no setbacks. McDaniel says he fully anticipates Tagovailoa playing against the Chargers.

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-- McDaniel says his players are well aware of the significance of the game against the Chargers in terms of what it means in the AFC playoff race.

-- Asked about the NFL scheduling the Week 15 game at Buffalo for Saturday night, McDaniel says the team will be focusing on the Chargers this week, but there will be an adjustment in terms of preparation for the Bills because of the short week. Says he doesn't want anybody feeling sorry for themselves.

-- The Dolphins passing game wasn't as sharp against the 49ers as it had been, and McDaniel basically boiled it down to an issue of not "firing on all cylinders."

-- Question is about Justin Herbert, and McDaniel says he did not meet him during the 2020 draft process. Mentions his strong arm. Compares Herbert to Josh Allen in terms of what he can do on the run.

-- Stats show a big difference for the defense playing at home and on the road, but McDaniel says there are other variables at play, such as the quality of the opponent and turnovers by the offense. Says he's confident the defense will have a strong road defensive effort against the Chargers.

-- McDaniel says he feels pretty good about where Terron Armstead is and he was pretty close to playing against the 49ers. Adds he continues to defy normal timelines for this type of injury. Says the hope is that Armstead gets some practice time this week and adds Armstead is optimistic about playing against the Chargers.

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