Read the full transcript from Mike McDaniel's press conference on November 1, 2024.
Q: Could you please give us just a little clarity on DT Zach Sieler? Obviously we haven't seen him this week in practice. Have doctors advised that he not play this week and give it some rest? And if that's not the case, could he play with a visor this weekend?
"No, I think he's been very diligent in trying to find really all the opinions available, him and our medical staff. I have a feeling today – I would anticipate that we would rule him out later today. If we don't, I never said that, but I think it doesn't look likely based upon where the recovery was at. Like I told you, it's pretty close. He will wear a visor upon return, but I'm pessimistic for sure about it and have planned accordingly."
Q: Is it a question of being able to perform at his level or more a question of endangering further damage to the eye?
"For (Zach) Sieler, I think it would be a lot easier if it was just a question of performance because of his will, but what you're worried about is further injuring and hurting – you need to be able to see and you don't want to do anything to your eyes if you can prevent it. If it was just performance-based, I think he would probably be out there regardless, but you have to prevent him from further injury and that's where the motive is."
Q: Did FB Alec Ingold get injured in practice and where does his status for Sunday stand?
"Alec (Ingold) had – it was something that kind of just came on our radar that he hadn't really needed treatment for. It's kind of a soft tissue thing that I think he'll be available for the game, but we've had to be pretty cautious and so we're going to need the 48 hours to validate. But it was something that he did start to feel on Wednesday's practice and as a result we've had to kind of adjust a little bit just in case we don't have him."
Q: Now with WR Tyreek Hill I guess he resurfaced on the injury report with a foot yesterday. Like last week, do you expect he'll be able to play through it again like he did against Arizona?
"We're trying to manage that. I feel good about the game and him playing in it, but want him full-tilt. He's executing at a high level and so that was what generated that."
Q: And how about S Jevón Holland?
"I feel a little pessimistic about that, too. Him and (Zach) Sieler, I'm preparing myself to be ruled out with just a couple hours before that could change that, but it's pessimistic."
Q: Do you expect to see WR River Cracraft Sunday or do you think he'll give that 21-day clock more time into next week?
"I'm leaning more to be cautious with the timeline and the advice of the medical team. I'm leaning more towards next week, but we'll be communicative about that and make the decision here soon."
Q: And with TE Julian Hill obviously not practicing the last two days, usually guys who don't, don't end up playing. Where does he stand?
"He'll be out for the game."
Q: I'm talking to players, and one thing that they've told me with WR Tyreek Hill and WR Jaylen Waddle is that teams have been more aggressive at the line of scrimmage with them throwing off the timing of the pass game. How do you combat that?
"Through technique and fundamentals. I think it's been something that hasn't been just this week. It's something that you're trying to patternize how the things that come up for players in executing their jobs and one thing is that teams have really tried to challenge us, so we've in turn challenged them to take their game to another level at the line of scrimmage. And that's not something that you just show up on Sunday and just do, it's something that they've been working starting with their first drill every day incessantly and I think the dividends have started to pay off both in games and in practice. So that's something that when you go against a division opponent, you know things that will come up, one of which is that they will challenge us at the line of scrimmage and so the guys starting with the coaching staff but then facilitating different times to emphasize that, making sure that we get the appropriate looks from the scout team. All of those things and then obviously the individuals really honing in on focusing on that portion of the game, and I'm excited about the way they've developed in that area. I think that's very critical for the team in terms of, specifically the pass game, being able to execute against these guys is how you're able to work the defender at the line of scrimmage and it doesn't have to be a negative when someone has to defend the goal line and their back is to it. If you're aggressive enough, you can kind of dictate the terms and that's where our tonality has been."
Q: With CB Kader Kohou, hasn't practiced. Is he out and also was there thought for you and General Manger Chris Grier to put him on injured reserve since this would be two of four games or when do you expect Kohou back, in the next week?
"We haven't felt it was a situation where it merited some IR; it's not a long-term thing. It has lingered a little bit and we're just trying to let it cool off so that he can play to his full potential. It's not a week-to-week thing. It's more daily and we're trying to get him out there as fast as possible."
Q: Out Sunday?
"Yeah, I'm thinking that. That's the way it looks, but that was a close call which is why he wasn't IR."
Q: When you have a team that's familiar as Buffalo, but also some of the past results, how do you want your team to approach this week with that particular opponent?
"I think it's important to learn lessons, not have scars, just in general. The starting point to me is flip it on its head. All right, so we're facing an opponent where we have the inverse relationship with, where we play a ton against them and we won every time, what does that leave you vulnerable to? Well if you're relying on the past for your expectation and performance for this, you're setting yourself up to fail. I think it's important to acknowledge that we're trying to be the team that is, at the end of the season, the team that wins the AFC East. To do that, you have to go through Buffalo based upon history. I think it's also important to express that – I've been here for six games against them, I think. Four out of six were one-score games, two of them got out of hand. So what does that mean to us? You have to be prepared for a one-score game and how do you win it? Well, we can learn from things that have occurred in previous experiences, but that doesn't define us because who cares, what if we won all of those games? It doesn't matter for this game. You have to acknowledge the obvious when you've lost to a team a bunch, you definitely want to beat them, but those games previously – our objective is to make those erroneous and to learn from the past mistakes and execute in a manner that gives you a chance to win. Because regardless to beat the Buffalo Bills, you're going to have to execute down to the wire because experience has told us it will come down to that if we're trying to win the game. So I think it's just important to be not delusional as to your past but that you really focus on learning lessons from the past and using it for your future, or your present, and that's what we've been focusing on all week."
Q: What have you seen in WR Amari Cooper and what has he added to that offense over the last couple of weeks?
"Coaching offense and specifically coaching receivers for a while since he came out of Alabama, he's always been one of the better players on the scrimmage and continues to be that. I think guys that can separate for really good quarterbacks are a gigantic resource and he is a guy that's made his living separating. So I see a lot of – I can tell by how he comes off of the line of scrimmage in his unique, specific way. I could tell it was him before I saw the jersey number, and I think it's a good addition for that team based upon they have a good quarterback that does best when guys are open because he can throw it to him. I think he fits that bill and is somebody that we definitely have to account for."
