The Miami Dolphins got to sit home and watch the Super Bowl with the rest of the NFL millions who didn't play or coach in the game. So did Mike McDaniel, who should use it as a learning experience.
There is a lot to digest from the Eagles Super Bowl victory. While Dolphins fans are shaking their heads at the loss of Vic Fangio who couldn't get a pulse on the Dolphins defensive players, the real lessons for the Dolphins should be on the offense.
It starts with play calling, but it doesn't end there. McDaniel's ego still keeps the Dolphins under his control. He won't give up playcalling despite problems with consistency in his game plans. He has repeatedly said he would give up the duty if he felt another coach on the roster was better equipped to do the job. I would throw Darrell Bevell's name into that mix, considering he did so in Seattle.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has to be a better judge of the game situations and force defenses to change
Fans have been discussing this since the start of last season after the Dolphins were exposed late in the 2023 season. McDaniel can look to Nick Siriani who turned over his call sheet to Kellen Moore as an example of what works.
Another problem for McDaniel is his inability to game manage. That ties into his play-calling. He is so wrapped up in what he is doing on offense that he fails to realize there is an entire team from three phases playing in the game. It's great to let your coordinators do their job, but McDaniel is not experienced enough to handle multiple aspects of the game.
This also ties into his ability to make in-game changes. Again, we can point to the Eagles and Moore. The Chiefs knew Philadelphia was going to feed Saquon Barkley the football, and they designed their defense to stop him. They did a great job of it, but once Moore realized what their plan was, he started targeting the receivers and tight ends.
What he didn't do, and what McDaniel does do, is abandon the run. Despite the fact it didn't work all night, Moore made the Chiefs respect Barkley by continually giving him the ball and taking short yardage to keep Kansas City on the line. This opened up the rest of the game plan.
McDaniel has a tendency to quit running the ball when it is working, and when it isn't, he almost neglects it entirely. There is a symbiotic balance in the NFL. Keep defenses from stacking the box with downfield throws and keep them from dropping coverage by consistently challenging them at the line and running the football. it's a balance the Eagles figured out during the Super Bowl and forced the Chiefs to make the first move to adjust.
The Super Bowl was a showcase for the Dolphins not because the two teams were better than Miami but because they were well coached, especially on the NFC side of things.