Read the full transcript from Head Coach Mike McDaniel's press conference on September 25, 2025.
Q: Regarding QB Tua Tagovailoa, what do you know he is capable of doing better than he's done in the first few games?
"The game of a franchise quarterback is never just still, so there's a ton of things based on my experience with him, I know where he's at, I know the challenges that have been in front of him and we talk about each and every play through a vision that's highly communicated. I think that all things throwing the football he's capable of and there's opportunities that he needs to take advantage of. There's also a ton of opportunities to turn the ball over that he hasn't taken. He's really answered the bell for 99 percent of the time. As a quarterback, especially in games where turnovers are 0-0, you can get substantially better by not having one play, so there's a lot of things. It's not an easy task to be in his shoes, but I'm very happy with where his mind is at and where his focus is at because if he was a weaker-minded individual, it's tough for any quarterback during any losing streak or any whatever. He's focused on being 1-0 against the New York Jets and that's why I know he's capable and I'm excited to see his next opportunity that we work on all week because of just that, of being focused on the right things."
Q: You guys get kind of a mini bye during this week and most teams use those as an opportunity to self-scout, self-evaluate. I'm sure you did that. The running theory amongst this fanbase is that teams have figured out your offense even though your offense is something that spans probably – goes back to Bill Walsh. What is your response to that? Is it the nuances of the offense that supposedly teams are starting to adjust to?
"I think one would base that on I think the most obvious thing is explosive plays and just yardage totals. There's been a process of development within our offense to solve problems, that's not new to this offense. It's more about finding specifically how and what to focus on, how to articulate it and how to – you have to work pretty hard, you have to be good in short yardage, you have to threaten people with the run when you start to get different coverages and then things open up. I think you have to walk before you run and we've been able to kind of work through having some of explosive run plays versus two-man and shell defense and being able to get some first downs on the ground to where you should have that feel of what people are kind of alluding to, I think. That's the cool thing about football – maybe I'm just sick and twisted – but you can be better at certain things but not have near the results. In ways we're better at certain things than the old offense that you're talking about. That's the same offense, just there's different players, different state of evolution. I think people say a lot of things – correlation, causation, irrelevant – people say a lot of things when the results aren't there, and you're finding reasons why the results aren't there. It's not wrong, right or whatever; that's what it's going to be. You'll have a different opinion from the masses if your results are different which is what the masses that want the Dolphins offense to be a certain way are really just wanting winning football. That's connected to three phases and everyone getting better protecting the ball, and when we get the opportunity to have explosive plays, we need to take advantage of them and push the ball down the field and that's how we played offense from the beginning. You'll change that narrative with success and execution of assignments I'm confident in."
Q: T Patrick Paul has had a tough job on a couple of levels. He's replacing Terron Armstead. May be the best offensive lineman, definitely one of the top players and he's facing a lot of top edge rushers. How has he done overall and specifically in those two regards?
"That's my first question about him so as an offensive lineman, that's probably positive. If we're not talking about an official, he's probably doing a solid job, right? Offensive linemen kind of have the same experience. But I think Patrick (Paul) had as good of an offseason, has developed as much as any player that I've really been around. It's like in high school or college how different freshman year is from sophomore year; in the truest sense as a player, he's that way. Within that, he's found appropriate expectations so that he doesn't make himself worse when there's a play he doesn't like. That's been a big climb for him, and I really think that we've just scratched the surface. I think he feels the same way, but I've been happy that he's displayed the endless amounts of work that he's put in. On tape there's a lot of times that he's able to keep a pass rusher pretty far away from the launch point. Him and Jonah (Savaiinaea) had a major displacing double team on the first drive of the last game which is what you want to see out of your sophomore-freshman duo, is to move some people so Ollie Gordon II can score a touchdown. And then he has plays that he knows by the end of the season, those will be his worst plays and that's where he's at. Very reasonable expectation – very high expectations – but very reasonable in how you get there which it's a journey. That's a marathon, not a sprint."
Q: I was asking some of the vets the other day about how the young guys have handled the first three weeks of the season, the adversity and just dealing with even the short week. They said they thought they'd been handling it well. I'm just curious your thoughts on DT Kenneth Grant specifically, how he's handled his first month really of the NFL and how he's looked out there?
"As a person and a player, he has very high expectations and it means a lot to him to be counted on by his teammates. He's done a really good job understanding that as a rookie, he is being depended upon in a way that you can – basically with some of our young guys, guys are trying to do right so much that you can get a little robotic – and working through that and still finding ways to strain and get to the ball, he's been a hair away from several PBUs, too, while pressing the pocket. I've been very happy with how he's continued to – each game it feels a little less big for him and the bottom line is he knows that we all count on him to really press the pocket and be active in the run game and he's finding more ways to do it each and every game which is what you want to see. I'm very happy with where he's at; however, not satisfied, like he is, which is what makes football fun when you've got guys who are willing and eager to grow their game which is a necessity in the league."
Q: What did you learn about the Jets fighting back to almost snag that one in Tampa last weekend?
"I guess they are who we thought they were in terms of I have tremendous respect for 'AG' (Aaron Glenn) and the program that he's building over there, and it kind of mirrored – we go back all the way to Cleveland 2014 – and it kind of mirrored what I would expect in terms of there's a standard of effort and intent. With teams like that, the worst thing you can do is assume that they're left for whatever because they will punch you right in the mouth. I thought it kind of matched what I would expect from a program that he's running. In the National Football League, you are humbled quick if you take your foot off the gas and they made some people nervous while showing their internal fortitude really in the process."
Q: You've been on the other side of this, but how do you prepare for a quarterback that potentially could be coming out of concussion protocol if not Jets QB Tyrod Taylor?
"You better be prepared to play football against – this much I know – dude's going to have a strong arm and he's going to have the ability to make yards running the football on pass plays or he's able to make every player on the defense responsible for a run game because you have the added player of the zone read element, however you want to cook it. I think they've layered themselves with the appropriate contingency plans. Those two pair up nice and the offense doesn't necessarily have to adjust around whatever is happening with Justin's (Fields) health and stuff and that's an advantage for them for sure, as they, are going to have competitors that will utilize a multitude of ways to try to beat you."
Q: A lot has been expected of this front seven stopping the run, pressuring the quarterback, forcing turnovers. What is the first thing they need to do to meet their expectations?
"I think it's something that is on their minds and ever-present and that's playing connected football. Their best efforts have been the stuff that we've been really nailing down since Day 1 with alignments, assignments, communication and critical points of emphasis of setting the edge and knocking people back. All of the things that we kind of tried to really emphasize in the offseason that they know realistically what's important and it's a new group of guys continuing to be a ton more consistent with that group play and owning your fit of force, even if it means you might get blocked so that your pursuit can make the play. Those types of things, just the nitty gritty, down-in down-out, realistically you're just trying to play sound football and that's all that's been on their minds. I've been proud of how they have really had resolve when you need resolve. It was a very tough start, but it's all about where you go and how you respond in this league. We're trying to take a little momentum from the way that we finished the game defensively and apply it to a different opponent because – when was that, a week ago? I can't remember. But it's about the Jets and trying to utilize everything that we focus on to attack them and not be the ones being attacked."
Q: What can you emphasize to the defense to start forcing the turnovers?
"You don't just wish them into existence. The thing about takeaways, turnovers; it's a collective. Every defense, every building, every team is talking about it, but you can't just make it happen by one individual. It has to be a relentless approach. When the one player out of the 11 has the opportunity to take a shot at the ball, he's got to take that shot and that shot, or maybe that pass breakup, all these things are connected with one another. You can take a shot on the ball if force is captured and the ball is turned back to you so you have an opportunity to make a play on the ball. You have interception opportunities if the pass rush is connected to coverage and each hook player is at the right depth so the ball has to go high enough into the third zone and the post player can pick it off. All these things are interrelated so collectively, you keep getting yourself to the ball, you keep straining to bring population to the ball and then make plays on it. At that point, it is a mindset that as a coach you just continually talk about it like you're insane because it is that important and you find different ways to do things. When it doesn't work, you do different meetings. There's no right or wrong answer except not emphasizing it, and then you have enough guys focused on that. They generally come in bunches, but there's not one person that gets to take the ball away or create a turnover. There has to be a pass rush, there has to be a run fit and there has to be connected football, which is what we're working on today."
Q: Kind of going off of that, we hear from you, we've heard it from I think QB Tua Tagovailoa and some other guys, the importance of process over results. When the result isn't there, what are some things that help keep guys bought into the process and keep guys motivated? Are there little wins that you point out here and there? Are there small incentives?
"I guess I would answer the question as like no one is trying to hear, 'But hey, there is one stat that really, really matters,' particularly when you're any team but when you're trying to get your first win. There's one thing that matters so no one wants to hear, 'But hey.' That being said, as the head coach, I do have to objectively communicate the things that are done to the standard that if everything is done to, that's going to result in wins, nothing else. There are things that I'm not really just trying to expound upon anything that we've done because that's not the nature of the conversation. Realistically in times – any losing streak in the National Football League or any time you've had a couple losses or whatever, you go a little time because you put so much time during the week, any time that's the case, your team is tested because that positive reinforcement isn't there necessarily for a couple days, couple weeks. So in that, no one can really hide. If you have the right leadership and the right collection of people, you press forward, you improve. While everyone is talking about your past, you have to focus on your present. You have to continually improve on everything. Yeah, there's some things that we've done better and there's some things that we emphasize because the emphasis, we've got the return on the results, but overall, no one is even really trying to hear too much about it until you're changing your win column. It's a team sport. Individuals have to apply unified focus and collectively we have to play complementary football together and then we can talk about good things."
Q: With TE Darren Waller, he clearly had his most extensive practice two days ago. Is he on an every-other-day program or is he full go?
"We're just trying to be smart. He's going to be working football to the level of how many reps he gets in practice. That's what we adjust or just depending on really feedback, you go back and forth between moderation and full participation. After that practice and on Wednesday and kind of the situations that we're planning for him, we have a very well-planned high-low process so he will do less than he did the other day, but that level is finely, through a fine-tooth comb, trying to get him all the full-speed work at all the plays he'll be participating in."
