by Coach Mike McDaniel held his traditional postgame press conference Monday in the wake of Miami Dolphins A 40-17 loss to the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium Stadium.
Here were the highlights from McDaniel’s media session:
— The first question is about Tua and whether he’s ruled out for Minnesota, and McDaniel says he’s not even thinking about a timeline. He adds that they are in a 12- to 24-hour evaluation period. He says he’s not ready to do “football stuff” yet.
— As for Teddy Bridgewater, he was asymptomatic Monday (or Sunday), but remains in the concussion protocol under the NFL’s new rules.
— Terron Armstead returns to South Florida and McDaniel says he thinks the visit went well. McDaniel says knowing Armstead, he’ll do whatever it takes to play Sunday. “If he is not able to play, it is because he is physically unable to play.”
— Austin Jackson is eligible to return from IR this week, and McDaniel says the plan and hope is for him to practice on a limited basis this week.
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— With videos released after Bridgewater’s hit, McDaniel said he didn’t see him trip, but he doesn’t dwell on it. He says he’s “not in the business of grading highlights.” McDaniel said Bridgewater was very prepared for the game and was disappointed he didn’t get a chance to show what he could do.
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— Based on protocol, McDaniel says the soonest a player can be on the field in a limited capacity (non-contact) would be Thursday. McDaniel says he doesn’t want to guess.
— McDaniel talks about “combination variables” in deciding whether to use Bridgewater if he has an abbreviated practice week. “I know he’s a professional.”
— As for Xavien Howard and Byron Jones, McDaniel says he doesn’t expect to see Jones this week. The team was pleased with Howard’s physical condition today, adding that Howard has embraced his role as a captain and was sore about not being able to play against the Jets.
— Tight end Durham Smythe is also day-to-day after injuring his hamstring against the Jets. “He’s a guy I wouldn’t count out at all, but he was a serious enough deal to be unknown about his playing status.”
— On whether he’s going forward with the assumption that Skylar Thompson will be the starting quarterback against the Vikings, McDaniel says it’s too early for that. He says he seems to have a better idea on Wednesday.
— McDaniel explained the difficulty of getting into a game as a backup quarterback based on the limited number of reps during the week, which of course was compounded for Thompson by being a rookie. McDaniel points to the more important fact that the game wasn’t too big for him.
— Not knowing which quarterback will play presents a challenge when it comes to developing a game plan, but McDaniel says he’s not going to start feeling sorry for himself. “You don’t need to shed tears for me.”
— Tyreek Hill “looked pretty good” Monday, but the Dolphins will take it day by day with him. Hill left MetLife Stadium in a walking boot after suffering a foot injury late in Sunday’s game.
— On the idea of sending video to the league for clarification on why Bridgewater was suspended, McDaniel says it’s an afterthought and he wouldn’t see any point in doing so. As for the decision to intentionally ground the project, McDaniel says he expects clarification on the decision soon, but still isn’t overly concerned about something that has already taken place.
