If Mike McDaniel is going to coach the Miami Dolphins beyond this season, his team needs to get better quickly. By the sounds of it, the head coach has his hands full to make that happen.
McDaniel entered the season as one of the handful of coaches who could be looking at losing their jobs after the season. If the Dolphins turn in more games like Sunday, it might come a lot earlier. At his postgame press conference, McDaniel was quick to dish out the blame, including on himself.
The Dolphins coach has become a long-winded talker who goes in circles, but one thing is clear: he wasn't expecting the effort he saw against the Colts. That, unfortunately, is on him.
Mike McDaniel doesn't blame Tua Tagovailoa for Dolphins loss to Colts
Speaking with the media, McDaniel made it clear that the team wasn't ready, but the problem with that line of thinking is that it is literally his job to get them ready.
McDaniel's game plan was flawed from the start. He spoke about missed blocking assignments and the fact that while Tua Tagovailoa may not have made the passes he typically does, he also said that he couldn't when he was relying on others to do their jobs, who were not doing so.
There was no singular reason why Miami lost on Sunday outside of the fact that McDaniel did not have his team ready to play. He said that in practice during the week leading up to the game, the players were doing it right, but then it all fell apart.
McDaniel has been easy on his team since the day he arrived as the head coach. His practices are often light, and that has left players doing what they want and, at times, disinterested in what they should be doing.
Clips from training camp this year showed rookies dancing and performing stunts before a practice. Sessions are often highlighted by orange jersey recipients and musical playlists. Is that part of a bigger issue?
It's not clear, but what is clear is the fact that this team is underperforming, even for the amount of youth McDaniel wants to point to as a possible reason.