AFC Notes: Mike McDaniel, Bills, Dolphins, Jets

Bills

Bills DE Joey Bosa is in the 10th year of his career, but still feels like he has a lot of gas in the tank. Bosa said this year is the best he’s felt in his career. 

โ€œIt is crazy to think that Iโ€™m 30, but I have a lot of life left,โ€ Bosa said, via John Wawrow of The Associated Press. โ€œAnd when Iโ€™m feeling good, I feel nice and young. And Iโ€™m feeling as good as I have my entire career.โ€

Bosa said he still has a lot to prove in his career. 

โ€œI think I have a lot to prove to mainly myself, because thatโ€™s all that really matters, that I still have stuff to give to this game,โ€ Bosa said. โ€œItโ€™s just nice to have a fresh start with a new team and get to experience football in a different environment and a whole new situation.โ€

Bills DT DaQuan Jones signed with Buffalo in 2022 and feels coming to the organization was rejuvenating for his career. He thinks Bosa has a similar feeling since joining the team. 

โ€œYou kind of felt like your career takes a little boost just from the culture standpoint and how we go out there and play, and I think heโ€™s living in that moment now,โ€ said Jones. โ€œI think itโ€™s a match made in heaven, and I hope he just continues to grow and continues to be happy.โ€

Dolphins 

The Dolphins have dropped to 0-2 following their 33-27 loss to the Patriots. When asked about his job security, HC Mike McDaniel said he remains focused on doing his job at a high level. 

โ€œI think if I worry about my job security, I wonโ€™t be doing my job,โ€ McDaniel said, via Alanis Thames of the Associated Press. โ€œAnd I think that inherently is against all things that I believe in. Iโ€™ve never felt entitled to this position, and itโ€™s very important for me to spend all of my waking hours worrying about exactly how to do my job, and all the residual effects of that are thereโ€™s a lot of people affected.โ€

McDaniel still feels he hasn’t lost the locker room, and players are still receptive to his leadership. 

โ€œI think if there was anything that would lend me to believe that messages werenโ€™t being received, then you address those things,โ€ McDaniel said. โ€œTo me, I think Iโ€™ve seen a team that is trying to do everything they can to win and coming up short and pressing forward and trying to change that result.โ€

Dolphins LB Chop Robinson said it’s on the players to execute. 

โ€œAt the end of the day, itโ€™s not him out there on the field,โ€ Robinson said. โ€œItโ€™s us out there playing the game, making the mistakes on the field and stuff like that. So at the end of the day, it may look bad for him, but itโ€™s really on us. Weโ€™ve got to get it better.โ€

Jets 

Jets DL Micheal Clemons has grown a reputation for his intensity on the field, but has also been prone to making mistakes. New York DL coach Eric Washington praised Clemons’ aggressiveness but thinks the defensive lineman must “maintain his poise.” 

โ€œI love the intensity. I absolutely love the intensity. Iโ€™d rather that than a person who is a little bit more even-keeled โ€ฆ Clem has just got to maintain his poise, heโ€™ll be the first to tell you that,โ€ Washington said, via Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. 

Clemons has committed some costly penalties this year, including an unnecessary roughness call against the Packers in the preseason and a roughing the passer on Bills QB Josh Allen in Week 2. Jets HC Aaron Glenn said he’s stressing the importance of playing cleanly to Clemons. 

โ€œIt canโ€™t happen,โ€ Glenn said. โ€œMike has done a really good job from training camp going to the season, of understanding exactly what weโ€™re trying to do. I think he had the one (penalty) in Green Bay โ€ฆ and then the one yesterday. Itโ€™s so hard for a defensive lineman to make sure they donโ€™t go in and try to finish the tackle on the quarterback because of the rules. But thatโ€™s not an excuse at all. I have to go back and make sure I emphasize again with him, โ€˜Man, you have to understand exactly where we have to tackle the quarterback,โ€™ because he was going to try and make a play.โ€

  • Glenn continued on Clemons: “Sometimes when you don’t see a stat you feel like a player has done well but there’s things we ask players to do that people don’t understand. Everybody has ups and downs when they’re playing but the things we’re asking Mike to do, he’s doing a good job at that.” (Zack Rosenblatt)

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