Former Bill Jordan Poyer knocks mentality of his new team in past seasons vs Buffalo
Former Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer didn’t endear himself to Miami Dolphins fans, or head coach Mike McDaniel, with some cutting comments when he spoke to reporters from Dolphins training camp Wednesday.
When he was asked about what it was like playing against the Dolphins as a member of the Bills from 2017-23, a span where Buffalo won 13 of 15 games including the playoffs, Poyer said, “Playing against this team over the past few years, you get a sense of, ‘OK, if you get on top of this team, they might fold.’ What is that? What is it that happens in those moments where we get hit in the mouth? What happens in those moments?”
He added that the Bills were the exact opposite, a team that never felt like a game was over.
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“It’s like, ‘Hey, we’re good, let’s bounce back,’ Poyer said of the Bills’ mentality. “It’s a 60-minute game, it’s a long game. I’ve been in games I’ve been up 24 points and end up losing. I’ve been in games we were down 21 points and won, so it’s continuing to just play the game. Don’t get stuck in that play that you didn’t make or don’t get stuck in X, Y, X of the past. Keep playing. Keep staying together. That’s the biggest thing, being able to stay together as a team.”
Not surprisingly, McDaniel, who has only been Miami’s coach for the previous two seasons (his record against Buffalo is 1-4) didn’t appreciate Poyer essentially calling his former teams soft, but in a way, understood that the 33-year-old safety was probably trying to motivate his new teammates, “because of the player he is and the leader he is. I think he recognizes the leadership opportunity he has here.”
“It doesn’t surprise me,” McDaniel continued. “We’re in a business where it’s very cut and dry, you’re either finding reasons for success or even for failure. I say all that because it’s really not a big deal. What is a big deal today? Anything you have a problem with, solve it today.”
Last year, the Dolphins came to Highmark Stadium with a 3-0 record, fresh off a 70–21 evisceration of Denver, and the Bills blew them out 48-20 in Week 4. Then in Week 18 at Miami, with the division title on the line, the Bills rallied to score 14 points in the fourth quarter to pull out a 21-14 victory to claim their fourth straight AFC East crown.
After the season, Poyer, who lives in south Florida, signed a free agent contract with the Dolphins.
“I’m very open and up front and aggressive to what I see realities are,” McDaniel said. “The past doesn’t predict the future. But for Jordan Poyer to talk to his teammates … I think it’s important to understand where things come from. To understand when you don’t win football games down the stretch, when you don’t win playoff games, when you don’t win Super Bowls, those things will be said. The challenge is … actually doing something about it today.”
Buffalo Bills news from training camp
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This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Former Bill Jordan Poyer knocks mentality of Dolphins in past seasons
