McDaniel addresses injuries, offense changes and players discuss mind-set for rest of season
The Miami Dolphins have won back-to-back games for the first time this season.
Less than 24 hours after their 34-19 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders, a couple of players and coach Mike McDaniel spoke with the media. Here’s a quick synopsis of what was said.
▪ As far as injuries and practice windows are concerned, McDaniel wouldn’t provide any details other than that there’s “a lot of possibilities right now.”
“We do have some guys who are approaching readiness but we have some stuff that we need to be determined with the roster,” McDaniel said Monday.
The Dolphins already used four of their eight elevations (cornerback Cam Smith, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, receiver River Cracraft and rookie safety Patrick McMorris).
McMorris has to be activated by Nov. 27 or risk being injured reserve for the rest of the season. Other players nearing return include guard Isaiah Wynn, outside linebacker Cameron Goode and quarterback Tyler “Snoop” Huntley.
▪ Raheem Mostert suffered a hip injury against the Raiders yet “came out a positive,” according to McDaniel.
“We kind of adjusted our plan of action throughout the game but I think De’Von [Achane’s] play merited some of those extra snaps that we were kind of anticipating being a little more level,” McDaniel said. “But [Mostert] came out of the game good. He’s a warrior. And he fought through it to make a play on third down for us and stay involved. I’m expecting him to have a positive week this week.”
▪ Wynn practiced for the first time last week and while the Dolphins eventually ruled him out against the Raiders, McDaniel said he “looked good” and that there were “no setbacks”
“When he comes back, I want him to stay back,” McDaniel said. “We’ll be working through that as this week progresses.”
Wynn’s availability is huge considering that guard Rob Jones has dealt with a knee injury that initially made him questionable for the Raiders game.
▪ The Dolphins have had just two quarterbacks on their roster since the Jacksonville Jaguars claimed C.J. Beathard on Nov. 6. Huntley, however, is eligible to return from injured reserve this week. When he will be added to the active roster is still a bit unclear.
“Ultimately it’s important to have three guys over a long stretch of time,” McDaniel said, “but in the short-term, we’ll adjust by the needs of the team.”
▪ Big plays have been hard to come by for McDaniel’s offense in 2024. But during the past few weeks, a new formula for offensive success has emerged: long sustaining drives. It has certainly been a change for McDaniel yet the head coach has embraced the opportunity.
“When you have some sustained offensive production, specifically with last year, I think we were No. 1 in yards from Week 1 to the last of week of the season, you’re going to get offseason attention and people are going to have a different plan for you because opponents get paid too,” McDaniel said. “I’m very proud of our offensive unit when they’re able to sustain those drives. I think we had as many 14-plus play scoring drives last game as we did the entire year previous,”
McDaniel admitted that this has forced him to grow as a playcaller but ultimately for the better.
“You have to continue to evolve,” he said. “And that includes myself.”
▪ The Dolphins nearly had a three-game stretch of running for more than 150 yards. Miami, however, fell 1 yard short against the Buffalo Bills. Since then, the running game has all but disappeared as the Fins have rushed for 67 and 82 yards against the Los Angeles Rams and Raiders, respectively. McDaniel said the reasoning was twofold.
“Some guys getting healthy at positions offensively and we’ve had some injuries which plays a part,” McDaniel said. “But more so when defenses are presenting themselves a certain way, they’re also giving you easy completions maybe in the shorter, higher percentage area of the field in that first five yards. If you’re able to execute appropriately with protection and quarterback reads and receiver eligibles, you can exchange some run plays for some quick, drop back pass plays. And if you’re efficient enough with that, you can kind of deliver on what the run game gives you in pass versions.”
And while it would be easy to draw a direct line from the back-to-back, sub-100 yard performances to the absence of fullback Alec Ingold, who has missed the past two games with a calf injury, center Aaron Brewer wasn’t so sure.
“We all know Alec is an amazing, awesome fullback so it could be a factor but I wouldn’t say that because whoever is the next man up, he got to come in and do the same thing and come with the same attitude,” Brewer said. “It’s an u’ thing. We have to take pride in it and fix it.”
▪ On limiting Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, who finished Sunday with zero tackles for loss and zero quarterback hits for just the third time all season, Brewer said the offensive line was “trying to make sure someone hits him every time.”
▪ After starting the season with pretty poor performances in the red zone and against the run, the Dolphins defense now ranks 12th and 11th, respectively. Linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. attributed the turnaround to the “collective unit just playing together.”
“We’re just getting better at it,” Walker said. “Better at what he’s trying to call, why he’s calling it and then executing our plan when it comes to that.”
▪ Walker has been a full-time starter since the Bills game. As the middle linebacker, he has really tried to emphasize communication within the defense.
“You got to control the tempo, keep everybody calm,” Walker said. “I’m making sure my communication is up to par so that the guys can execute.”
▪ At 4-6, the Dolphins have to win out to have the best chance of making the playoffs. Walker had unique described the team’s mind-set as follows:
“We kind of entered the playoffs a bit early,” Walker said. “Our mindset is basically stacking wins and taking it one week at a time.”
▪ Jonnu Smith appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Monday and shared a rather serendipitous nugget about his first touchdown catch. The tight end chucked the ball into the air and you’ll never guess where the ball landed.
“That ball landed with my oldest son,” Smith said, later adding “I didn’t even know they were sitting over there. I had no idea. I think I found out later. In the second half, that’s when I saw them. They were calling my name. I realized then. And then later in the fourth quarter, one of the guys came over to me and said ‘Yo my girl is sitting over there and they said your family caught the ball.’”
