Miami Dolphins' Mike McDaniel says team earned wild locker room celebration vs. Bills
MIAMI GARDENS — Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel spoke to reporters a day after the 30-13 upset of the Buffalo Bills and just before the team took off for Madrid to face the Washington Commanders .
Highlights:
Did Mike McDaniel needle Bills fans driving by the Elbo Room?
On the photo making the rounds on social media of McDaniel going by the Elbo Room to needle Bills fans. Was it legit?
"I do live in that area, but AI, right?"
McDaniel adds, "For the record, I did not answer it. That's the punchline of the humor."
Injury updates?
McDaniel says he'll have a firm answer Wednesday on players eligible to return off injured reserve such as placekicker Jason Sanders and right tackle Austin Jackson.
Linebacker Chop Robinson nearly played vs. the Bills. He's expected to come off concussion protocol on Wednesday, Nov. 12.
McDaniel is optimistic for Ashtyn Davis , Rasul Douglas , Julian Hill and Dee Eskridge.
Dolphins let off steam after upsetting the Bills
On the wild postgame celebration in the locker room:
"It was an earned celebration. I think you saw a team that was exuberant based on the execution of something they knew, they held the belief they could do. ... I think they also recognized they captured what they'd been working towards. The main thing for us, it wasn't just the opponent, it was much more about themselves. We had numerous occasions we were close but we fell short."
McDaniel adds, "We wanted to get the celebration out yesterday because we're now firmly (focused on the) Commanders."
Can Dolphins string together two outstanding performances?
McDaniel said he's counting on the team learning from what happened after beating Atlanta , followed by a loss to Baltimore .
"This week, we have the international component. Is that an added opponent for you?
"We'll make sure everything is exclusively Commanders related."
Dolphins lean on international experience
What did McDaniel learn from the Germany trip in 2023, a 21-14 loss to Kansas City?
"There's things I thought we nailed and things we can definitely learn from."
He added the key is "getting the team prepared for the unique portions of the trip."
Players will have their normal day off. McDaniel hopes it "encourages team bonding."
McDaniel reverts back to the team "finding its formula" for winning and not letting the international component interfere with it.
De'Von Achane working in space
McDaniel was asked about running back De'Von Achane, who totaled 225 yards (174 rushing, 51 receiving) from scrimmage against the Bills, plus two rushing touchdowns.
"He's a gifted athlete that has learned how to challenge himself and change his standard and exception for his game. For this game, we were trying to explain we're going into a high-strain, high-effort collective."
Coaches challenged the offensive linemen to give Achane the opportunity to work in space.
"He had a different level of focus and put a bigger burden on himself to execute and make guys miss," McDaniel said. "He's also learned to get a lot of leaky yardage, as I call it, post-contact, get extra yardage."
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins' Mike McDaniel says wild team celebration 'earned'
