Read the full transcript from Mike McDaniel's press conference on November 11, 2024.
(On beating the Rams on Monday Night Football)
"It was an earned win. Very proud of the team because there was a lot of noise that could distract you from what we all had known. We knew we lost a couple games that we could have had and you can use that in one of two ways, it can make you worse or it can make you better. So, I was very happy with the way the guys have persevered, stayed together, came across the country and found a way to get a win."
(On the defense preventing the Rams from scoring a touchdown and holding them to five field goals)
"I think our defense really galvanized the whole team and I think it's very difficult to keep that offense out of the end zone. I think it might've been like the second time Matt Stafford with the Rams had not had a touchdown, or they hadn't scored a touchdown offensively. It's difficult to do. I think that the jump off point was third downs. I thought that the coaching staff led by 'Weave' (DC Anthony Weaver) did a great job with having a way to attack the guys.
And I thought collectively it was the best execution of what we were trying to get done. It was a very important game for our team. Just to be on the heels of three losses, two in the game's final moments. I think that's something that we can build upon moving forward."
(On DT Zach Sieler's tackle for loss on the first defensive play for Miami and how his early impact on the game built momentum for the defense)
"You go through the week, you're correcting some stuff from the previous game, and I think the guys felt a lot of confidence in terms of where they were building, and then getting a couple of key guys back. I think that was a very effective reminder of, hey, we've been doing this without a couple of guys and Sieler's such an important part of what we do. So, it was absolutely a momentum capturing moment where guys were fired up to have one of the most important pieces of the unit back on the field to make plays immediately."
(On what it means to have DT Calais Campbell and CB Jalen Ramsey lead the defense through the second half of the season)
"Well, it is monumental for me to have those teammates where you can lean on those guys to understand what needs to be done and to help. The best leadership that exists is within the locker room. So, the quality of players, where the things they've done and continue to do in their careers, the teammates can't help but listen and follow suit so that when you talk about the standard of how you go into a game where your record, you may feel as though it doesn't indicate the quality of the team. It's so important for the team to be able to execute and show that, if they feel that way. You really need veteran players to really guide you through the adversity of the NFL season, and I think that's paramount. I think that was on display tonight for us."
(On QB Tua Tagovailoa bouncing back from multiple first half turnovers and whether he told him to stop using his head when trying to tackle)
"No, I think the best way to do that is to not throw it to the opponent. These are the moments that I can feel the growth from the three years the most. When something doesn't go well, he gets so mad at himself and holds himself to a high standard but he is also recognizing that he's the franchise quarterback of this team. So, you can't go too deep into your own self lashing. You have to lead, and you have to move on from things good or bad. I thought he did a very good job of taking those L's, so to speak, and not having it affect his play as he progressed and moved forward through the game. I was very happy with that. I'd prefer not to have the adversity, but that's not really the case in NFL football. You have to be ready to pick yourself back up and go at it with gusto."
(On how pleased he was with the communication on the field tonight compared to the last couple of weeks)
"Well, it's something that's paramount to playing defense together the way we'd like to. It's something that has been one of the lead things of focus since we got here. That was a huge part… we felt that had been responsible for some of the negative plays that we've been having. That's all you ever want as a coach is to have your position coaches and coordinators emphasize the right stuff and then players follow through with the execution of those points of emphasis. [It is] very important, especially when you're playing a good team. That's something that we are skilled at doing and I look forward to guys latching onto that and moving forward by best assessing and attacking opponents by emphasizing and then executing which is what that was tonight."
(On WR Tyreek Hill being able to play after dealing with a wrist injury during the week)
"He's a warrior. He's a captain of this team and as good as it gets in this league that's full of star players. It didn't necessarily surprise his teammates, I don't think, based upon his relationship with them and what he means to the team. You don't know how a person's body is going to respond, but all things equal Tyreek Hill wills himself to do things that most competitors can't match. That's one of the reasons that he's great."
(On never having a losing record as a head coach and his confidence that the team will be able to overcome their 3-6 start to the season )
"I would say that you have a firm belief that you don't just create out of thin air. You base it upon the teammates that you have and the type of football that you think you're capable of playing. I think with anyone, [when] you don't have the expectations or you don't have the results that you're kind of striving for. I think you maintain your confidence by taking hard looks at everything you're doing and critically assessing everything that you do. What that does is it ends up giving you more conviction in everything you're doing because you've combed it more. I think that's something that is, across the board, has been very prevalent with this team all season. It's nice that the team has shown it as opposed to just talking about it. Everyone's very confident because they've been working hard at getting it right, so you feel that much more convicted and invested in all of it."
(On the injuries that CB Kendall Fuller and CB Kader Kohou suffered against the Rams)
"We'll take a look at Kendall for sure. That's obviously not ideal in any way, shape, or form so the most important thing is that we get all the feedback from the experts and make sure that his health is okay. That timeline will be open-ended as that goes. Kader had a knee-to- knee situation that definitely spooked him. Fortunately, our training staff assessed that there was no looseness or issues with the knee, so he was able to go back in. He's a big part of our defense and I think one of the reasons why we had an effort that we felt like was more to our standard."
