Mike McDaniel and Saleh could reignite Dolphins and Jets rivalry
By Brian Miller
There is an entire generation of Miami Dolphins fans and New York Jets fans that have no clue what it used to be like between the two teams. That could change soon as the rivalry is on the cusp of being reborn.
If you are in that generation, you probably hate the Jets because your smart parents brought you up the right way. You may have even heard stories of long walks to school in three feet of snow. The stories are mythical in nature, but they are true.
There was a time when the Jets and Dolphins were one of the biggest rivalries in the NFL. On par with the Bears and Packers and Cowboys and Redskins. Yes, it was that big and it was sometimes glorious and sometimes heartbreaking.
Over the last decade or more this rivalry has dried up quite a bit. It’s still there and you know it’s there, bubbling under the surface waiting to explode. Miami has dominated this series lately winning 10 of the last 12 meetings but let’s not pretend that Miami has been the superior team, o.k. they have been but Miami doesn’t have a bunch of playoff appearances to wave in front of Jets fans.
That could all be changing and Mike McDaniel and Robert Saleh could be a big part of it. First, they need to find success. It won’t do anything if Saleh is fired because he can’t turn the Jets around. The same can be said with McDaniel if he doesn’t stick.
So what is fueling this potential cauldron that could boil over into a bitter, nasty, hate-fueled rivalry? A strong and continually developing…friendship.
It was pointed out to me by Paul Esden, Jr. during a segment we did on his podcast. I knew they worked together, quite extensively, but I never really put the two of them together as competing coaches on these two teams.
McDaniel and Saleh have known each other for the better part of seven years. They have game-planned opposing signs of the ball. They have discussed game plans and personnel sets, and they have a lot of respect for each other as friends do, make no mistake, these two consider each other friends.
If the Jets and Dolphins find improvements within the division, this rivalry could reignite as neither coach want’s to lose to the other and if this rivalry does grow into even a fraction of what it used to be, that generation will understand why we still talk about it all these year’s later.