Ask any Miami Dolphins fans what the biggest problem with Mike McDaniel is, outside of his normal play-calling, and they will tell you that his inconsistency with running the ball is the most glaring issue.
The Dolphins beat the Buffalo Bills in week 10, with 197 yards rushing. On Sunday morning in Madrid, Spain, Miami beat the Washington Commanders with 169 yards rushing. What is the difference between other games where Miami has lost? McDaniel is sticking with the run.
Miami has won three of its last four, and in every one of those victories, they have rushed for well over 100 yards. They managed just 87 in their only loss in that stretch to the Baltimore Ravens. The run game is clearly what makes this offense go.
Miami Dolphins' HC Mike McDaniel is finally getting back to doing what he knows best
De'Von Achane has made it clear to the rest of the NFL that he is a gladiator. The Dolphins' top running back, who was the center of trade talk only two weeks ago, is having a Pro Bowl season. Achane has 900 yards through 11 weeks.
It isn't just Achane, though. McDaniel continues to get rookie bruiser Ollie Gordon involved, providing his offense a burst of power that Achane lacks. He supplements them both with Jaylen Wright.
A big change to this approach has come in the form of a simple offensive adjustment. Miami has gone almost entirely to using a "jumbo-package" along the offensive line. With Larry Borom and rookie Johna Savaiinaea struggling, the addition of Daniel Brunskill as an additional lineman has made a big difference.
McDaniel is finding success because he is relying less on Tua Tagovialoa and more on the guys who can gain big chunks of yards. The physicality of the running backs is also wearing down defenses and setting up play-action, which helps keep the quarterback clean.
For two weeks, the Dolphins have found success on the ground. The team has rushed for more than 100 yards only five times this season. The only game they didn't win was against the Bills in week three.
This recipe for success is something Dolphins fans have been literally pounding their "social-media-fists" over since McDaniel arrived in Miami. Maybe the head coach is finally catching on. What made him so successful as a run-game coordinator in San Francisco, and ultimately led him to Miami, is in fact that rushing attack. Now, it may even be saving his job.