Dolphins: Mike McDaniel on how he’s dealing with increased pressure

On a day where the Miami Dolphins fanbase is sitting on the edge of their seat, it’s Mike McDaniel who is on my mind.

It’s fascinating to hear his point of view on how he’s handling this pressure – of which I can only dream of understanding.

"But for you, how do you deal with pressure and these situations when you’re running out of opportunities to get into playoffs?I feel the pressure to do right by so many different people involved every time that we have a game that people pay to go see. You’re talking about the team, the organization and the fan base and that would get overwhelming, maybe the situation, if I looked at it, like, ‘hey, it’s my job to win or lose it.’ I feel that’s furthest from the case. I feel like it’s my job to be a part of the team and put them in positions to succeed in whatever way I can.– Mike McDaniel, 1/6/23 courtesy of the Miami Dolphins"

At the end of the day, though, as Mike embarks on a Week 18 must-win gridiron matchup, he’s doing what he’s always done – thinking about his team. His players. The human beings around him, in the building and following along at home. It’s clear he cared deeply and is incredibly thoughtful in that approach.

Mike has always demonstrated that the game is much bigger than any one individual. There are many cliches I could throw out there that coaches have said through the years – like it’s 11 on 11, not 1 on 11 – but I’ll spare you those!

The only question left is – will the increased pressure inspire a winning effort from our first-year head coach and his young, but very talented, roster? For this Dolphins fan, I hope that answer is yes.