Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, fullback Alec Ingold, safety Jevon Holland and defensive tackle Christian Wilkins met with the media today as the team faces off against Minnesota on Sunday, Oct. 16. Check out the top quotes from their media availabilities.
HEAD COACH MIKE McDANIEL
(On how he felt QB Skylar Thompson performed yesterday)
"I really respected the fact of how – being a backup quarterback in this league is not easy. And what people don't understand is you have a finite amount of reps during the week because you can't deplete your athletes and you can't have endless amount of reps. So typically, starters get anywhere from 80 to 100 percent of the practice reps. So a backup quarterback, especially a rookie, is a tremendous challenge because you have to own the whole gameplan, visualize it, be able to call it, be able to line people up and then execute appropriately. I think he was way on top of the gameplan in a way that I don't think typically I'm used to rookies being on top of. I think he was also frustrated with his play but confident that he – it was more of like a frustration in the moment like 'my feet are messed up, that wasn't the right timing.' Overall, it's exactly what I thought it would be where I left the game knowing that the game is not too big for him and that was probably if he has any say in it, that was probably the worst that he will feel like he'll perform as a professional. And that was good enough to (almost) win. So I was very happy with the player because it takes a lot of prep and it's a big stage that everyone isn't up for."
(On the challenge of not knowing who your starting quarterback will be this week)
"It a nice challenge, but nothing that myself and the rest of the coaching staff isn't paid to do. That's just kind of how I look at those things. No one really cares how hard it is. Do you want me to sit here and be like, 'Man, this is hard?' No. It's a different sort of challenge, but every week you're trying to solve challenges. Whether it's what the defense presents, some of the issues, maybe injuries that you have. And then there's some weeks that those are compounding. It's difficult but nothing that I don't see as part of what I expect from myself and what I expect from the coaching staff, so you don't need to shed any tears for me."
FB ALEC INGOLD
(On why the running game found some success yesterday)
"It was just a lot of guys staying on the details. The offensive line, myself, quarterback, running back, just kind of being able to put it all together. The wide receivers were blocking on the edge. We saw that jet sweep and you had Trent Sherfield and River Cracraft locking guys up over on the edge. It literally takes all 11 to make the run game work. I think that's just the epitome of our team. Guys are going to work. We're going to consistently play to our standard and I think the run game, you've just got to keep fighting and stay consistent with that work, and things will hit."
(On the offense's identity through five games)
"It's still evolving and it probably always will be. I think that's power in having so many playmakers on offense. You've got 'Cheetah' (Tyreek Hill), you've got (Jaylen) Waddle. You've got all of the guys that can make the big splash plays. But then it's the guys up front in the trenches too. I think the offense that we have and the personnel that we have, being able to step up when your number is called is huge. Whether that's a run-first game, a pass-first game, a big-play game, a grind-it-out type of game, an ugly game, good weather, bad weather, whatever – I think being able to be a Dolphin and being able to win and be in any type of game that you need to be in, I think that's where teams can get dangerous."
S JEVON HOLLAND
(On how he would evaluate where the team is at now at 3-2)
"We've done some good things, we've done some things that we wish we could take back and improve on. But overall, we'll just continue to work hard and get better every day. That's all you can do."
(On what he's seen from the younger cornerbacks who have been asked to step up due to injuries)
"They're doing their job. They're stepping up to the plate like we ask them to. That's what I expect because they're high competitors."
DT CHRISTIAN WILKINS
(On what sticks out to him about the Vikings offense)
"They definitely got a lot of good players. They have a really good athletic offensive line. They obviously got really good skill players. They can do a lot of good things. They can put up points. They can do it all. We definitely got to have a good week of preparation. We've got a tough challenge in front of us. They're a really good team and a really good offense. We're all going to just have to put our best foot forward this week."
