Mike McDaniel needs to be a better coach, not a better friend

Mike McDaniel should be safe after this horrible season that started out so promising but if he wants to be a great coach, he can’t be a good friend.

The Miami Dolphins players like Mike McDaniel. They believe in him and he believes in them. But McDaniel is way too nice. He needs to be a football coach because this team is far from disciplined.

There are far too many pre-snap penalties. Far too many out-of-position defenders that draw flags and offensive holding penalties.

Miami has to do better and it starts with the head coach and his staff.

Something fell apart for the Dolphins after their bye week. Miami’s five-game winning streak, against non-playoff teams, was shattered when they lost to the 49ers, then the Chargers, Bills, Packers, and now the Patriots.

McDaniel, once considered by fans to be a genius, has been unable to change his offensive playcalling after defenses have figured out how to defend it.

While it can be argued that McDaniel could have done better had Tua been healthy all year but in reality, that shouldn’t make a huge difference. McDaniel and Grier chose Teddy Bridgewater to back him up so it only compounds the problems Miami has with a lack of discipline.

Now, the Dolphins will enter the off-season, provided a miracle doesn’t give them a game after next week, looking to fix a lot of problems with money and draft picks not in their favor.

McDaniel can’t control the loss of draft picks or the salary situation but he can control how the team plays on Sundays, that’s his job. This team has a lot to clean up and there are coaches that McDaniel needs to clean up as well.

In the end, however, Miami needs to be a more disciplined team and that starts with McDaniel.