Examining whether Head Coach Mike McDaniel is part of the problem, part of the solution, or both
Just a few short months ago, it would have been borderline blasphemy to question the job security of the NFL’s newest wunderkind Mike McDaniel. However, after having watched the Dolphins flame out toward the end of the season for the second year in a row under his tutelage, some questions are arising.
The primary concern that’s been voiced by Dolphins fans over the past two seasons has been McDaniel’s propensity to get away from the run game. All too often, the Dolphins seem to forget their running backs exist in fourth quarters. The good news is that the Dolphins increased their run rate from 38% in 2022 to 42.6% in 2023. The bad news is that their 2023 mark still remains in the bottom half of the league.
Establishing a strong ground game not only opens up the rest of the offense, but it also helps a team control the clock. Look no further than the final regular season game against Buffalo. After eclipsing 100 yards rushing in the first half, the Dolphins went into halftime with a 14-7 lead. In the second half, the Dolphins had five drives spanning 17 plays; only three of those plays were rush attempts, and each drive averaged less than 1.5 minutes of possession. The Dolphins did not score a point in the second half. Simply put, the team did not manage the game well down the stretch, and with Buffalo able to focus on the passing game, it made moving the ball all the more difficult.
Branching off of that issue is McDaniel’s apparent hyper-focus on feeding Tyreek Hill. And while, yes, you should want to feature one of the league’s greatest weapons in your offense, when defenses double- or triple-team him, there must be a counter move. Too many times it seemed like there was no plan B if Hill was not open on a play. There are enough weapons on this team to build a balanced offensive attack that can still function without forcing the ball to one player.
Another concern that was much more apparent in 2022, but still reared its head this season, is play clock management. Fans will remember several instances of the team being forced to blow timeouts early in games when the play call is not given to the quarterback quick enough to get the team lined up. McDaniel went into last offseason admitting it was an issue and said he would work on it during the offseason. And while the issue was much improved and the team seemed to huddle much more efficiently this season, it still appeared like the Dolphins were running into late play clock situations more often than most other teams. This kind of concern may seem minor, but losing timeouts in close games can be very costly. During his end-of-season press conference, McDaniel didn’t rule out relinquishing his play calling duties to another coach.
The positive side is that these are fixable issues – whether it is by better prepping in the offseason or bringing in additional minds to contribute to the scheme. The players seem fully invested in their head coach, which0 is more than many NFL teams can say. It is important to remember that he is still a very young head coach in just his second season in the role; there will be bumps in the road. McDaniel will only become the elite coach that fans feel he could be if he can learn from his mistakes and adapt to correct the few issues in front of him.
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