Dolphins
- Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel on WR Tyreek Hill‘s recent surge of drops: “Drops happen in the game of football … but there’s technique to catching the football that a lot of time, you get wary of people getting passive when the ball is in the air.” (Marcel Louis-Jacques)
- McDaniel said Hil had a “phenomenal week” of practice with the “way he attacked the ball. He was catching a ton of footballs and doing so aggressively.” (Barry Jackson)
- Regarding the release of OLB Shaquil Barrett, McDaniel said they allowed it because “it didn’t present a competitive disadvantage for us.” (Jackson)
- McDaniel reflected on turning the season around after a 2-6 start: “The team that I hoped we were when looking in the mirror at 2-6, we are hungry to make us 6-2 from that juncture. Watching people deal with adversity and noise. Do you point fingers or get into the lab?” (Joe Schad)
- Miami DL Calais Campbell talked on their postseason hopes: “We control what we can control. We’ve got to focus on what we’ve got to do. Hopefully the football Gods bless us.” (Schad)
- Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert revealed he had a fractured sternum earlier this season. (Schad)
Dolphins
Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill has been dealing with a wrist injury all season that has kept him on the injury report and prevented him from having a typical season for his standards. Miami WR coach Wes Welker revealed that Hill is also dealing with an ankle injury which has limited how often Hill and QB Tua Tagovailoa have been able to practice together.
“The hard part is he’s dealing with the wrist,” Welker said, via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “He’s got an ankle. There’s always stuff through the year. As you get older, you get all those reps of knowing how to play the position. How do we put the best product out there on Sunday with being able to be fresh on Sunday? It’s a fine balance of being able to get that done. It’s definitely something we can revisit this offseason and come up with a plan. When guys do have stuff and are trying to play through, just trusting your players. How are you feeling today? Roll from there.”
Patriots
Patriots DE Keion White has had a tough string of games after showing promise to begin the year. White knows he has to be better and has questioned if he’s going to be a part of the future with this team.
“I’m going to try to get through these next two games, and then figure it out after that, and see where the cards may lie for my future,” White said, via Karen Guergian of Mass Live. “Just in general. In terms of everything. I mean, anything is possible. It’s the NFL. Anything can happen year to year. It’s a production-based business. It is what it is. You just figure out where you go … something’s gotta change. That’s the way I feel at this point.”
Patriots HC Jerod Mayo appreciates White’s honesty with his own performance and believes it will help him become the player he strives to be.
“I think it’s commendable for Keion to sit there and look in the mirror himself. You have to be honest with yourself. I have to be honest with myself, and so do the rest of the coaches and players,” Mayo said. “Oftentimes, that’s very difficult. Going back to Keion, he recognizes that. He’s taking steps to get better for these last couple weeks of the season. That’s doing extra work. That’s doing extra treatment, extra in the weight room, all of those things. Hopefully, we get the Keion that we all want to see here on Saturday.”
New England OLB coach Drew Wilkins discussed how pass rushers develop in different ways because of their changing focus on pass rushing and defending the run.
“The thing about the development of an edge guy, it’s not always linear,” Wilkins said. “It’s not aways, ‘this game is going to be better than that one’ in every area. Sometimes, a point of emphasis might be on the pass rush, or on the coverage, or something, and some areas will dip week to week.”
- Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte has taken a step up with his production this season with 32 receptions, 444 yards, and two touchdowns. Mayo praised Boutee for his “tremendous growth” off of the field: “He’s shown tremendous growth off the field.” (Mark Daniels)
- As for WR Ja’Lynn Polk having just 12 receptions for 87 yards and two touchdowns, OC Alex Van Pelt said they aren’t discouraged by the rookie receiver at all: “Sometimes things don’t go your way and you have to prove yourself out of it. I’m not down on him at all.” (Daniels)
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