The Miami Dolphins under Mike McDaniel began to personify their head coach in the most unfortunate of ways. Even though McDaniel's slow-talking, laid-back, authentic personality contrasted deeply with his fervent work ethic, some Dolphins players appeared to take advantage of a head coach who seemed like someone living his life on island time. By adopting this perceived nonchalance, Miami's locker room began to tear apart at the seams.
It's incredibly difficult to win consistently in the NFL. It's that much harder when your most talented (highest-paid) players show up late, take themselves out of games, or play undisciplined football. When you see the most successful franchises, it's not a coincidence that their best players are also their hardest workers.
Alas, the wildfire spread too fast, and the damage was done. Despite briefly appearing to survive the chaos, McDaniel was ultimately handed his walking papers by Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, a decision that left a fanbase divided. His replacement, Jeff Hafley, is now tasked with building a foundation that can withstand the adversity that faces each NFL team.
Jeff Hafley may not succeed — but he won't fall for the same trap that doomed Mike McDaniel
In an appearance on The Richard Sherman Podcast, Hafley made it abundantly clear that there is change in the air down in Davie. He attributed his philosophy to something he gleaned from his last boss, Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur:
“Matt [LaFleur] had a standard," Hafley said. "He set the standard and didn’t deviate from it. I think in this league a lot of times people kind of walk by some stuff, but Matt wouldn’t do that. At times, you’d be like ‘Hey Matt, that’s just a little thing,’ but it wasn’t to him … The standard you walk by is the standard you set, and you can’t walk by anything. Especially now as we’re trying to build this the right way and build the culture the way we want it.”
Talk about providing exactly what the doctor ordered. On the heels of an era where Miami was plagued with headlines of players missing practice, showing up late to meetings, airing out dirty laundry in the media, and being one of the league's most undisciplined teams on the field, this new regime is intent on changing the culture from the ground up.
Minute occurrences that may appear insignificant on the surface, such as a player ignoring a coach, being five minutes late to a meeting, or skipping out on a treatment session, blossom into bigger issues down the line if they're not treated appropriately.
The old adage — give an inch, they take a mile — applies in all walks of life. On one hand, the Dolphins are intent on adding players who have the character to not take liberties even when the opportunity presents itself. Those are the kinds of guys who build winning teams and a sustained culture. On the other hand, people make mistakes. There are reasonable ways to address a misstep to ensure it doesn't become a recurring problem.
That very lesson is the one that took Mike McDaniel too long to learn. Once the toothpaste was out of the tube, it became impossible to force it back in. While it's easy to say the right things before the real bullets start flying, the messaging from Hafley is step one in setting boundaries and expectations for every player on the Dolphins roster. As Mike Tomlin once said: "The standard is the standard."
Going forward in Miami, the players will be held to a much higher standard than what has been customary. Fans can only hope that it leads to meaningful change on the field in the form of a lot more wins.
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