Dolphins’ McDaniel addresses Wilson injury, Byron Jones, Gesicki and a “frustrating film”

The status of Dolphins running back Jeff Wilson Jr., who left in the first half of the Chargers game with a hip injury, is in question for Saturday’s game at Buffalo, but test results produced some good news.

Those results “are more positive than the worst case scenario it could have been,” coach Mike McDaniel said Monday. “We have avoided the worst case scenarios for sure. Crisis is averted for sure.”

McDaniel said receiver Tyreek Hill, who was managing an ankle injury during the second half on Sunday, “did a good job toughing it out. He’ll come in for treatment tomorrow [Tuesday]. From all indications, it’s bumps and bruises he’ll be able to work through.”

Safety Eric Rowe, who left in the second half with a hamstring injury, “seems more up in the air, day to day type stuff,” McDaniel said.

And McDaniel said left tackle Terron Armstead got through Sunday’s game without a setback with his pectoral injury.

McDaniel acknowledged he’s not counting on cornerback Byron Jones returning this season. Jones hasn’t played since March leg surgery that was supposed to sideline him for only four months. There was an unspecified setback in his recovery.

“I see it as a bonus” if he returns, McDaniel said, adding that Jones has been in meetings at some points this season but there “were portions [where] it was best served for him to utilize that time to rehab and do things of that nature.”

McDaniel said he’s comfortable with the cornerbacks he has available.

McDaniel addressed other issues in his Monday press briefing:

▪ He said playing the 49ers and Chargers “has been a valuable experience, playing against playoff caliber teams. Whether that benefits us moving forward is up to the team. Do they learn from it?”

On the ongoing push to make the playoffs, McDaniel said if his team makes it to postseason, “you don’t want to go in there limping into the tournament.... My approach is to make sure each game was treated with the severity of a playoff game. This is where you find out a lot about coaches, players and everybody you’re working with.”

▪ McDaniel said “I’m always the first one to be super critical and try to find the whys of why we’re not performing. The job is not done very well if you say, ‘It’s somebody else’s fault.’ You want the players to think it’s all the players, and the coaches to think it’s all the coaches. It’s somewhere in between.”

▪ On the prospect of 30 degree temperatures and potentially snow in Buffalo: “If we want to win a divisional game, we’ll have to deal with the elements.”

▪ On reviewing the Chargers game: “Talk about a frustrating film to watch. One thing that stood out both sides of the ball was in certain situations, guys went from playing their assignment to getting into the mode of ‘hey, I’m going to make the play.’

“It wasn’t one player or one position or one side of the ball. That’s very telling that there are a lot of guys pressing.”

▪ Asked if he is inclined to do more to maximize tight end Mike Gesicki, who has no catches and three targets the past three games, McDaniel said: “Each and every game I try to do as good of a job a possible to put our players in position for success. There’s been circumstances in the last couple games where [we] thought that maybe if a different coverage hits or have a different opportunity those results are different [for Gesicki].

“Like every other player, we’re trying to utilize skills sets as best we can. Sometimes that opponent lends itself... to a certain position. Sometimes it doesn’t.”