The “Mike McDaniel Way” Isn’t Producing the Necessary Results
The “Mike McDaniel Way” Isn’t Producing the Necessary Results
Let me say this upfront because I know people will read the headline or the first sentence and create a false narrative/strawman argument in their heads before reading anything else and have that fake outrage we often see on social media.
I AM NOT SAYING MIKE MCDANIEL SHOULD BE FIRED
I AM NOT SAYING MIKE MCDANIEL IS A BAD COACH
But Mike McDaniel, now a couple of games into year three, needs to adjust his philosophy of doing a few things because it isn’t working. His teams struggle and mostly lose nine times out of ten against good teams, and he can’t beat his division rival.
That’s not good.
And I know that each season after, whenever the final game is played, we hear Coach McDaniel say he examines everything and considers making changes in the things he controls as a head coach. Yet, we consistently see the same mistakes being made over and over again.
And yes, while I know we are only two games into the 2024 season, I view it as two games into year three of this Mike McDaniel era, and through two games, we see the same mistakes we have seen over and over again in recent years.
Time Management
Let’s start with time management and how McDaniel either has no regard for timeouts and blows through them each week or mismanages the time right before halftime, which prevents him from scoring a touchdown when he is driving and has the offense moving and forces him to settle for a field goal.
Last week, vs. Jacksonville, McDaniel used all three of his first-half timeouts with five-plus minutes left in the half. If this were his rookie season as a head coach, I would cut him some slack. If this were the early part of his second season as a head coach, okay, not ideal, but understandable somewhat. It’s year three, and that shouldn’t be the case anymore.
A big reason why timeouts are wasted is that, as the play-caller on offense, he cannot get the plays into the offense on time, letting the play clock run down and forcing Tua Tagoviola to use a timeout. This probably cost us a playoff game in 2022, and in 2024, it is still an issue.
After the playoff loss to Kansas City in January, Tua threw McDaniel under the bus in the nicest way possible, saying he had no time to change offensive line assignments or audible because the plays were getting to him too late.
Maybe it’s time for Frank Smith to call the plays and for McDaniel to give that aspect up. I know that for some fans, it is blasphemy even to consider it since Miami was the #1 offense last season, but you cannot hang your hat only on that when there are no results vs. the good teams or playoff wins to back it up.
McDaniel said he would consider it in the offseason back in January and February, but by May, he had said he decided to continue to call plays for this season. Maybe it’s time for Stephen Ross and Chris Grier to have a “Come to Jesus” moment with Mike and make the decision for him. That would be odd since you just extended his contract through 2028, but what is the definition of insanity again? Oh yeah, doing the same thing and expecting a different result and that is where we are at this point with the time management and playcalling.
Then, with Miami down 24-7 late in the first half vs Buffalo Thursday night, McDaniel is dinking and dunking the ball up the field, with no consideration to time and score, and playing with no sense of urgency as his team is on the verge of being blown out. He finally gets the ball near the red zone and has a good drive going, but he wasted so much time with nonsensical situational playcalling that he had to settle for a field goal.
Miami’s time management isn’t where it needs to be, and Mike McDaniel still doesn’t seem to be able to correct it.
How to Build an Offensive Line
This is a true philosophy that has blown up in his face, and he (and the front office) refuses to budge off of it. They put literally no value in the guard and center positions. Yes, Miami will pay their tackles and use high draft picks on their tackles, but for guards and center, they are shopping at the dollar store, and they think they can turn water into wine.
They can’t.
It hasn’t worked previously.
It’s not working this season.
The problem is only getting worse.
I am not saying Miami strictly lost to Buffalo on Thursday because of the offensive line, but it was a big part of the problem. Just like it was a big problem Week 1 vs Jacksonville, Miami just caught every break known to mankind to overcome it and get a win.
It was a problem last season when Miami had zero depth and no capable backup center, forcing Liam Eichenebrg to play a position he had never played before. And it’s been a problem in recent history.
This Kyle Shannahan/Sean McVay philosophy that McDaniel follows of “we will pay skill position players and tackles, but we can anybody off a street corner to play guard or center, and we will coach them up” hasn’t worked for Miami.
It may work in San Francisco and Los Angeles, but it’s not working in Miami.
But does Miami ever pivot? Nope, they double down on this. In fact, General Manager Chris Grier went to a press conference in 2023 and told reporters and fans that you guys are more worried about the offensive line than we are. Then, a few weeks back, he did the double-down and said the same thing and that he and Mike McDaniel chuckle and laugh at everyone who is worried about the offensive line.
That is arrogant and insulting to every fan who watches this team, pays money, and supports this organization.
Fans and media members don’t need to be Vince Lombardi or someone breaking down film for 40 hours a week to know Miami’s offensive line stinks, and to never change the approach or try to do anything to improve it is head scratching.
Miami let Robert Hunt and Connor Williams leave via free agency; their big plan to replace them was to sign Aaron Brewer and Jack Driscoll. While Brewer has been fine for the most part, they cut Driscoll in August and promoted Robert Jones and Liam Eichenebrg (two borderline NFL players, and neither should be starters).
Two of the players who were a big part of the problem last year and who struggled literally “FAILED UP” and got promoted.
HOW?
WHY?
Who signs off on this nonsense?
Obviously, this is a salary cap league, and you can’t have a superstar at every position, but you’re telling me the only two moves to make in free agency were to sign Brewer and Driscoll, one of which you cut?
Then, in Round 2 of the draft, with many offensive linemen on the board, you drafted the one with no position flexibility and is 3rd on the depth chart at the position you drafted him in. WITH A ROUND 2 PICK!!
This is nothing against Patrick Paul. He did nothing wrong, and he may turn out to be great, but from a roster construction and front office roster-building approach, please explain to me how this makes sense.
And I know there is this belief that Chris Grier only does what his head coach wants him to do and is listening to him. Well, for one, that makes him nothing more than a classic middle management paper pusher with no real job or authority; I’m not sure that is anything to brag about. But second, doesn’t someone in Miami’s front office have the guts to stand up and say, hey guys this approach isn’t working lets pivot and try something else?
Apparently not, but if Miami continues to go down this road with this philosophy, the result (not offensive ranking results, but truly winning big games and overall success) results will never change.
Being Unprepared for Big Important Games vs Winning Teams
Mike McDaniel’s teams are never prepared or able to beat good teams. Yeah, I know in 2022, he beat Baltimore and Buffalo in back-to-back weeks. And last year, he beat the Cowboys on Christmas Eve. The fact those are the only examples we have now, a few games into year three, proves my entire point.
The Miami Dolphins have a future hall-of-fame player in Jalen Ramsey. They have a future hall-of-fame player in Tyreek Hill. Jaylen Waddle is one of the best up-and-coming wide receivers in the NFL. You have the 2023 quarterback passing yards leader. Terron Armstead (when he plays) is outstanding, Zach Sieler is a borderline Pro Bowl player, Jevon Holland is one of the best safeties in the league, and before this year, you had Christian Wilkins, who is really good.
Yet we never beat good teams.
We never beat the Buffalo Bills.
Few NFL head coaches walk into a situation like Mike McDaniel did, with a ton of talent handed to him on a silver platter. The only other coach in Dolphins History who had teams with more talent is Don Shula.
Jimmy Johnson didn’t have teams with as much talent as the 2023 and 2024 Miami Dolphins. Neither did Dave Wannstedt or the other coaches that followed them.
And with all of this talent, the results just aren’t there.
Yeah, Miami sneaks into the playoffs as a 6 or 7 seed. That’s great. I mean, not sarcastically, it’s great you made the playoffs.
But it’s out in round 1, and that is unacceptable with the amount of talent he is coaching.
In many of these games, Miami is playing against winning teams (like last night vs. Buffalo); the Dolphins are the more talented team. Yet they consistently lose these games.
And the majority of these games (last year vs. Baltimore, Buffalo (the first meeting), and Kansas City in the playoffs) aren’t even competitive. They are over before halftime.
I don’t know if McDaniels is overworking his players in the lead-up to these games or not doing enough work.
I don’t know if the game planning is flawed.
I don’t know how or why this keeps happening but whatever the approach and philosophy is, change it. And here we are two weeks into Year 3 of the McDaniel Era, and again, we are getting blown out by a good team, at home, in your division.
And I know some of you will probably blame injuries for some of these losses, but don’t.
Do not make silly excuses to justify shortcomings and failures. Thursday night (before the Tua injury), Miami was the healthier team. Buffalo was without their best cornerback, and their best linebacker went down early in the first half, but Miami could still do nothing. Miami had more talent across the board, even with Buffalo having an edge at quarterback, but you never would have guessed it watching the game.
So What’s Next?
I honestly don’t know.
But I want to reiterate two things I said at the top of this article.
I AM NOT SAYING MIKE MCDANIEL SHOULD BE FIRED
I AM NOT SAYING MIKE MCDANIEL IS A BAD COACH
What I am saying, though, is that the status quo isn’t working, and he needs to change a lot of things right now. And if he doesn’t or refuses to, then we are just spinning our wheels in the mud at this point.
I know he just signed a contract extension, and he isn’t going anywhere (and again, nobody is saying he should), but if he refuses to change, then expect the next 2-3 years of his tenure as Miami Dolphins head coach to be what we have seen thus far.
And that’s not a prediction; that’s a SPOILER!
Miami Dolphins Week 2 Report Card
The post The “Mike McDaniel Way” Isn’t Producing the Necessary Results appeared first on Miami Dolphins.
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