The 24-hour rule. Every team subscribes to the idea that each game provides a one-day window to enjoy the fruits of the victory or critique and correct the mistakes that led to defeat. On a short week, that timeline is expedited.
Still, for an operation that's all about daily improvement, it's important to make the corrections and continue to stack good days together. The process. The grind. Football is all about attrition and managing the peaks and valleys that come with any season, for any team.
Tuesday, Brian Flores discussed opportunities and how it's up to the team to seize the chances presented in order to reverse course on a slow start to the new campaign.
"I think there's been some opportunities for us to make plays and we haven't made them – a couple of dropped interceptions, lost edges, a couple of missed tackles," Flores said.
"There's never just one thing. We need to take advantage of the opportunities," he explained. "We try to stress how important every play is because you never know which one is going to be the one that changes momentum or makes a shift in the game."
Defensively, Flores says the conversation about assembling the best plan and package of players for each game is a weekly thing. Those conversations take anything and everything under the sun into consideration, especially a player's versatility.
The top three snap-takers among Miami's safeties have experience playing cornerback. Flores talked about molding the plan specific to each opponent, including the possibility of utilizing the versatility of his last line of defense in the safety group.
"We look at all options. (Bobby McCain has) experience at a lot of positions – corner, slot, safety. Brandon (Jones) played a few different positions in college. We'll look at every option," Flores said. "Something that we've talked about as a staff, from just a personnel standpoint, is what's the best group of guys we can put out there and gives us the most competitive group? A lot of conversations like that are had. Bobby's obviously a part of a lot of those conversations because he's so versatile."
On the other side of the ball, it's all about matchups. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick detailed the beauty of Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey's system and how it emphasizes attacking the most attractive matchups.
"It's supposed to be an offense that changes every week but an offense that tailors to our strengths," Fitzpatrick said. "I just think as we're going here, (Gailey is) going to continue to figure out what's going to make us a good offense, a dynamic offense, and we'll keep feeding those parts. I think part of the charm in his offense is how multiple it is and the ability for it to look different from week to week."
Attacking Jacksonville could look different than going after the defenses of Buffalo and New England. The latter two both rank in the top 10 of the NFL in blitz rate, per Pro Football Reference. The Jaguars send an extra rusher at the seventh-lowest rate in the NFL.
Fitzpatrick said, even with the tendencies, the offense has to prepare for everything.
"Well, for me as a quarterback, you look at some of that stuff and you look at tendencies, but if they do blitz then we need to have an answer for it," Fitzpatrick said. "I can't sit here and rely on those things. We've got to have answers for everything. But a part of it is when you go into a game, are these guys generating pressures and hurries and how do they do it? Do they rush four? Do they bring exotics? There are a lot of different ways to do it."
Fitzpatrick and Flores both evaluated the quarterback on the other side of the ball, including the facial hair of the man responsible for Minshew Mania (Gardner Minshew) in Duval County.
"The mustache versus the beard, I think the beard is a cooler look," Fitzpatrick said with a laugh. "I think guys that grow mustaches a lot of times have patchy sides for their beards, so they just stick with the mustache."
Fitzpatrick also went into what he likes about Minshew's film.
"I like watching him. I enjoy his playing style," Fitzpatrick said. "It looks like he's out there having fun. It's not easy to play quarterback in this league. It's not easy to play as a young quarterback. He's already had a lot of success. He's had a great start to the season."
Flores also broke down the elements of Minshew's game that make him difficult to defend.
"He's smart, tough, competitive, has good accuracy," Flores said. "(He was) a guy we liked. I'm not surprised. He's got all of the characteristics you're looking for in that position. He's a smart player and obviously that's coming to fruition up there in Jacksonville."
Flores continued the scouting report with Jacksonville edge rushers Josh Allen and K'Lavon Chaisson.
"(They are) young, talented, physical, developing, fast. I think you see a difference from Chaisson from Week 1 to Week 2," Flores said. "But great effort. They play hard. They'll be good players in this league if they just continue on their trajectory that they're on."
Dolphins right tackle Jesse Davis will get a look at Allen and Chaisson – the former recorded 10.5 sacks in his rookie season. Davis discussed the elements of Allen's game that makes him a tough assignment off that edge.
"He's a good player," Davis said. "He's quick with good lateral movement. It'll be a good matchup for us with how fast he is. But they have a good line anyways. So, it's like every week (in that) we prepare the same way. Our goal is to get a win, protect Fitz and get the run game going."
Dolphins running back Matt Breida is averaging 4.9 yards per carry on 12 rushes. With six carries per game, Breida is focused on helping the team win in whatever role the coaches ask of him.
"It's understood since Day 1 that whatever they ask me to do – I've told them since Day 1 – I'm going to do," Breida said. "I'm not the type of guy who's going to complain about how many carries I get, how many yards I get, if I make it to the Pro Bowl. At the end of the day, we want to win and we want to win. That's what we're paid to do. If was paid to worry about how many number yards I would get, then that'd be a different story. But I'm paid to win and that's our end goal."
Tuesday Injury Report
The Dolphins listed 10 players on the Tuesday injury report.
Cornerback Byron Jones (groin/Achilles) did not practice.
Wide receiver DeVante Parker (hamstring), cornerback Xavien Howard (knee), safety Clayton Fejedelem (pectoral) and defensive end Shaq Lawson (hip) were limited participants.
Linebackers Kyle Van Noy (hand), Elandon Roberts (concussion), running back Matt Breida (ankle), wide receiver Jakeem Grant (shoulder), and defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah (ankle) were full participants.
Jacksonville listed five players on their Tuesday injury report. Center Brandon Linder (knee) and safety Benjamin Watson (illness) did not practice.
Wide receiver D.J. Chark Jr. (chest), kicker Josh Lambo (hip) and tight end Tyler Davis (knee) were limited.
Tomorrow, we'll preview the Dolphins-Jaguars tilt both on MiamiDolphins.com and on the Drive Time Podcast with Travis Wingfield.
