Dolphins’ McDaniel updates injuries, Ross talk, culture, operational problems
Dolphins right tackle Austin Jackson, who missed Sunday’s game because of a toe injury, has “a shot” to return after his required four weeks on injured reserve, coach Mike McDaniel said Monday.
The Dolphins have said they are hopeful that guard James Daniels can return from a pectoral injury after his required four games on IR.
Both are eligible to return Oct. 12 at home against the Chargers.
In their absence, guard Kion Smith and tackle Larry Borom both had costly breakdowns in pass protection late in the game.
“Right side in particular, I was happy how they started the game,” McDaniel said of Smith and Borom.
The Dolphins sustained two injuries during Sunday’s 33-27 loss to the Patriots.
Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu left with a calf injury; McDaniel said it’s “good news, bad news. Good news is it isn’t anything overly severe. However, it is a soft tissue on a short week.”
Linebacker Chop Robinson left briefly with a knee injury but said Monday that he’s fine.
Tight end Darren Waller is expected to miss a third game in a row because of a hip injury, WSVN 7 reported.
Expecting cornerback Storm Duck (hamstring) and defensive tackle Benito Jones (oblique) to play on a short week might not be realistic.
McDaniel addressed other issues in advance of Thursday night’s game at Buffalo that will stream on Amazon Prime and be simulcast on CBS 4:
▪ On playing on a short week: “Your focus is super clear and pretty obvious. After a loss, it can be a blessing because you have no time to think about anything else. The team understands that every moment you think about anything but the opponent will serve you in the worst [way]. It’s important guys are solely focused on the Bills.”
▪ Is he worried that his voice isn’t being heard by the players?
“In terms of witnessing actions, that hasn’t come across my plate. I develop confidence through my watching and seeing how players respond,” he said. “That’s always part of my coaching process. If there was anything to lend me to believe my message isn’t being received, you address those things. I’ve seen a team that is trying to do everything they can to win and coming up short trying to change that result.”
▪ How would he define the culture inside the building?
“There are a locker room full of connected people. ‘They say, we do’ is kind of their mantra. We attack things we failed at. As far as defining the culture, people are mostly responsible who you are working with and what direction we’re going. We have a unified locker room and team.”
▪ Asked if the operational issues late in Sunday’s loss will result in any procedural changes this week, McDaniel reiterated “I’m accountable for everything. That’s the exact role of the head coach. With regard to our mechanism of our particular substitution, we met as a staff and came up with a solution.”
▪ What did McDaniel and owner Stephen Ross discuss after the game? “We talked about the game after the game and preparation week for Buffalo, in step with what I talked to the team about. We felt we could win the game and didn’t. Talked about the short week in Buffalo.”
▪ Why didn’t running back Ollie Gordon II play more than seven snaps? “We had planned on playing him a little bit more. You adjust to the game. His key is I’ve been talking about off-ball stuff a ton. Great to see him [make a great block on a Malik Washington 18-yard run].”
He said “there’s a chance he could play about double” against Buffalo. “It’s about him understanding his role and responsibilities.”
▪ Rookie talk: On Jason Marshall Jr.’s costly illegal use of hands penalty that gave New England a first down on a second-and-long: “It’s the second game in a row where we’ve had this learning lesson.”...
McDaniel said rookie guard Jonah Savaiinaea had a “lot of pluses and some minuses that stood out to him.” Pro Football Focus called him Miami’s worst player on offense on Sunday.
This story was originally published September 15, 2025 at 2:33 PM.
