3 things we learned in the Miami Dolphins soul-shattering loss to the Buffalo Bills
By Matt Serniak
Mike McDaniel folded, yet again, and it cost the Miami Dolphins the division.
The Miami Dolphins had the game. They had the momentum, they had the better game plan on both sides of the ball. They had it all last night. And then they didn't.
The Bills adjusted playing more one high safety thus loading the box and the Dolphins had nothing to counter this.
A few penalties threw off the running game flow but that is no reason to go away from the player that was doing so well in the first half and that's De'Von Achane.
Acahne had only two carries in the second half after he had eight in the first half. And in classic Mike McDaniel fashion, he fully went away from him and decided to get back to passing it.
The worst part is that this isn't the first time he's done exactly this. The same exact thing happened in the Titans game.
But the worst thing McDaniel displayed was I think the beginning of the end for Miami. In the second half, it was 1st and I think 15. Tua hit Hill for a 14-yard pass but it was debatable if Hill actually caught it. Every team in the league has something in place for this moment where you know a play is close and you need to run to the line and run a basic running play so the other team doesn't have time to get a good look to challenge.
But the Miami Dolphins have no procedure for this. So, they took their time and the Bills challenged and the play was reversed. It would have been 2nd and 1 at mid-field with momentum still on Miami's side.
Last week, you saw the Ravens run up to run a play after the Beckham catch. Why? Because they have systems in place for many and all situations.
In all these big games you see the same thing. The other team's defense puts Tua in a box and McDaniel can't figure out what to do about it. Perhaps there is nothing that can be done when Tua can't do anything. But it begs the question why not see this coming and do something else besides what you know or should know won't work?
Routinely, Mike McDaniel shows that he's never even thought of them. Sure, he can craft terrific plays and schemes but he has no Earthly idea how to run a full team and he has shown that he is incapable of learning from mistakes.
I wrote last week that McDaniel will be back next year. It's just that his seat will be warm entering the season unless the Dolphins go on a magical run here in the playoffs. You can't have all this talent and perform this badly when the lights are the brightest. This isn't the Patriot's roster and the Dolphin's brass know that.
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