Dolphins Mike McDaniel Provides Clarity on Player-Led Meetings
It’s been a rough start to the season for the Miami Dolphins. This was a critical season for Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel and GM Chris Grier, entering the year on the hot seat after falling short of expectations last year.
Miami started the season with a blowout loss to the Colts and are 1-4 on the season, blowing a 17-point lead against the Panthers last week. WR Tyreek Hill, the team’s best player, is out for the year with a multi-ligament knee injury. Things have gone from bad to worse for the Dolphins.
On Thursday, rookie first-round pick DT Kenneth Grant spoke to the media about how the defense is responding to adversity. The Dolphins rank last in the NFL in run defense.
“What we’re focused on is just the run game,” Grant said. “You know, teams are running the ball against us and we have to fix that. So until we fix that nothing in the pass [game] really matters, and that’s what we gotta do, fix the run game first.”
When asked how they were going about fixing their run defense, Grant said something really interesting. “Right, well we take more time out of the day to meet. You know, player-led meetings,” Grant said. “Some of the player-led meetings the coaches are in now, so just finding extra meeting time and getting on the same page with our teammates and things like that.”
Players-only meetings aren’t uncommon for struggling NFL teams, but they aren’t players-only meetings if coaches are involved. Grant chose his words carefully, calling them “player-led” meetings, ones that the coaches are at least sitting in on. An interesting and unusual approach, for sure.
Miami Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel Clarifies Coaches’ Involvement in Player-Led Meetings
“That’s by player request, only,” McDaniel said emphatically. In his press conference on Friday, McDaniel was asked about Grant’s comments on coaches sitting in on player-led meetings.
“I can’t say with full certainty across the board in every room,” McDaniel said on how many meetings coaches were involved with. “I know it’s occurred on the [defensive] line a couple times, but I think they’re building upon what they kinda started last year, which is traditional later in the week. Not rally meetings, more opponent-study and communication meetings. And I think some of the guys requested that some of the coaches go to it for various reasons. I told them, ‘what else would you do better than Coach, coach?’ So that’s all it was.”“I think you’re going down a good direction,” said McDaniel to a reporter who asked him if coaches were helping the players learn to prepare for opponents. “Yeah, follow your internet sleuth nature right there. I think you’re right on it.”
The Miami Dolphins Don’t Get a Schedule Break
Browns Safety Grant Delpit Sends Warning to Packers RB Josh Jacobs
Heading into Week 3 of the 2025 NFL season, the Green Bay Packers are among a few teams in the league that have shown the potential to be a legitimate Super Bowl title contender.
Even though the Packers are dealing with some injury issues on offense, with wide receiver Jayden Reed and tight end Tucker Kraft on the mend, Green Bay has a high-powered offense with star quarterback Jordan Love and veteran running back Josh Jacobs leading the way.
With two wins in the books against fellow NFC heavyweights in the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders, the Packers look as good as any team in the NFC right now, with a very favorable matchup coming up in Week 3. Love and company will take on the lowly Cleveland Browns, who have yet to win a game and appear to be headed toward another disappointing end to a season.
Jacobs’ Rushing Touchdown Streak is on the Line in Week 3
Despite the Packers being the overwhelming favorite in this matchup, Browns safety Grant Delpit is ready to put an end to Jacobs’ streak of 11 straight games with a rushing touchdown on Sunday in Cleveland, as he said in a team press conference on Thursday.
“Obviously, he’s got that streak going,” Delpit said. “We’re going to put an end to that. He’s got good vision, and he breaks a lot of tackles, honestly. That’s probably why.”
Clearly, Delpit is as confident as they come at the safety position, with his sights set on ending Jacob’s impressive touchdown streak. However, he and the rest of his teammates on the defensive side of the football will have their work cut out for them against a three-time Pro Bowler who has already racked up 154 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns.
Browns Defense Ready to Contain Packers’ Jacobs
Although the Browns’ defense might be formidable this season, they definitely didn’t look like an elite squad defensively against Lamar Jackson and the division rival Baltimore Ravens in Week 2. Cleveland gave up 41 points to arguably one of the best offenses in the league, and there’s a chance something similar happens in Week 3 when playing host to the Packers.
The one thing the Browns defense has in its favor in Week 3 is that two of Love’s favorite targets in the passing game are banged up. Reed underwent not one but two surgeries this week, ruling him out indefinitely moving forward, while Kraft’s status remains uncertain after suffering a knee injury in practice on Thursday.
That said, it might be difficult for Love to establish the run game without a consistent threat downfield. However, Green Bay didn’t miss a beat without Reed in Week 2, and there’s a chance the same thing happens in Week 3, potentially without the team’s best wideout and tight end.
Cleveland definitely has an opportunity to pull off the upset on Sunday at Huntington Bank Stadium, but in the end, the Packers will likely win a third straight game with Jacobs possibly extending his streak to 12 rushing trips to the end zone.
