When the Miami Dolphins hired Mike McDaniel to be their head coach after firing Brian Flores, the only team that interviewed him for a job was Miami. Now, three seasons later, we are seeing what other teams saw and avoided.
For two years Dolphins fans sat in awe of the inspiring Dolphins offense. How could you not? Miami went from an average offensive team to a powerhouse. Tua Tagovailoa was suddenly a top quarterback and a league leader in passing yards in 2023. Miami made the playoffs the first two seasons under McDaniel.
Some will point to the injuries as one of the problems the Dolphins are dealing with in 2024, while others will say it is how the roster is built. The question that should be asked is, what hasn't changed since McDaniel became the coach? The reality is that coaches should grow over the course of their careers, and those who can't or don't are not around long enough to figure it out.
Three years into his job, McDaniel is making far too many of the same mistakes.
5 things that haven't changed since Mike McDaniel joined the Miami Dolphins
1. The Dolphins are still as undisciplined as they were in 2022
Pre-snap penalties are drive-killers. A third and short can turn into a third and long quite easily and if you add a holding penalty on the next play, back them up 10 more yards. Miami is still making the same mistakes.
They are not getting lined up properly; they are committing false starts and lining up offside. There is no excuse for not knowing where you are supposed to be on any given play. For the Dolphins, it's a week-to-week issue that has gone on since day one.
2. McDaniel still takes far too long to get the plays into the huddle
Every game is the same thing: fans spend a lot more time watching the play clock tick down with the hopes of getting the play off in time.
When the Dolphins drive the field late in a game with a chance to tie or take the lead, we are holding our breaths as the team is still in the huddle with only 10 seconds left. There is a rush to the line of scrimmage and a rush to get the play off.
This has not changed in three seasons. No one is to blame but McDaniel. It has been said that his plays have quite long names. He needs to figure out how to shorten them and get them in.
This is why many believe he should give up play calling to someone else so they can start getting the play in the moment the previous play ends. McDaniel is taking too much time examining the previous play before making the next.
3. An insane inability to prepare for the upcoming opponent
The Dolphins look as though they took the practice week off. The game plan looks like a preseason plan. Miami sticks with quick passes or a run game, but there is no real creativity anymore.
It's fun to watch Tagovailoa play like Patrick Mahomes, flipping the ball with his opposite hand and disguising the ball, but that isn't winning football games. It's all show and nothing more.
McDaniel's lack of creativity is a problem. Against good football teams, he has no clue how to adjust his game plan. That is a day one problem that is still a problem on day 500. Defenses don't need to make many adjustments to beat the Dolphins because they don't adjust to beat the defense.
4. McDaniel still lacks game management consistency
Not to be confused with time management, McDaniel still views the field as his playground. There are too many bad calls on 3rd and short that lead him to 4th and short situations.
McDaniel is an aggressive coach, but what worked in the past isn't working now. He continues to take risks far too often. Sometimes, you are better off punting the ball than giving up yardage to an opposing offense. There are situations where going for it on 4th and short makes sense, but this year, they are not working out as well as they should.
In 2024, the Dolphins are converting only 38.5 percent of their third downs. 37 of 96 attempts. On 4th down, that number drops to only 13.3 percent. Miami has converted only 2 of 15 4th down attempts.
5. Still nothing special about the Dolphins special teams
The Dolphins special teams were not very good when Flores was the head coach. When Flores was fired, it was assumed that most of his coaching staff would also leave. McDaniel kept some, but many of those coaches had left by the end of his first season.
That isn't the case for Danny Crossman, who not only survived the transition from Flores to McDaniel but has survived two seasons and a half of a third while coaching a unit that consistently ranks in the lower part of the league.