Brian Flores makes Dolphins pay for Sunday’s sloppy practice
Football team or track team?
At times during Sunday’s Dolphins practice, there was no functional difference.
There was nearly as much running after the whistle as there was before it.
And the patch of grass between the practice fields and Brian Flores’ T-N-T (Takes No Talent) wall might be a dirt trail by Labor Day.
Three times Sunday, Flores stopped practice and sent either the entire offense or defense to wall, punishment for mental mistakes the new coaching staff is determined to eliminate.
The defense did the run of shame twice. The offense once — but also had to do push-ups following a drill that didn’t go their way.
“Today was a tough one,” safety T.J. McDonald said. “Definitely a grinder. He’s big on discipline. Making sure, if you’ve got too many players on the field, that’s pre-snap/post-snap that you can’t have. You’re going to pay for it.
“We know what the expectations are,” McDonald continued, “so as soon as he says, ‘Hit the wall,’ we messed up. We have to be on our little details. It’s not just us. Coaches, everybody. It’s a group effort.”
While there’s no excusing those mistakes, there is an explanation: Sunday was the fourth straight day of practice in blazing conditions, and second straight in pads.
But the Dolphins need to use the elements to their advantage — and that includes staying mentally sharper than their opponents. Having 12 men on the field is unacceptable, regardless of the temperature.
“It’s all a mental thing,” linebacker Jerome Baker said. “Everybody knows that it’s tough, but if you keep saying it’s tough, it’s going to be harder. Just got to take it one day at a time, if you’re inside, hydrate. Just got to stay on top of it.
“It’s all about your leaders,” Baker continued. “You’ve got to set the tone. You’ve got to bring everybody together. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a leader. It can be anybody on the field. Hold each other accountable, help each other.”
This story was originally published July 28, 2019 at 2:14 PM.