4 offensive philosophies Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel needs to embrace

The Miami Dolphins had a terrific offense last year, putting up a ton of nice stats. However, as the seasons changed, the offense got stopped in its tracks. Changes no question need to be on the way for head coach Mike McDaniel and how he runs things.

We're one preseason game in and you can feel football in the air. The Dolphins took down the Falcons to start things off, and we got to see the boys wearing the rare aqua uniforms do some good things against the NFC South side.

Fans are getting started early with concerns about the offensive line (with good reason), especially after the loss to Kion Smith and the fact that Aaron Brewer already has an injury to his snapping hand. Don't worry folks, Chris Grier and Co. aren't that concerned about things. It was also nice to see the fanbase rally behind young guys like Patrick Paul, Malik Washington, and Jaylen Wright. Maybe, just maybe, the Dolphins found a few gems in this draft.

However, this article is about McDaniel and adding new ideologies, principles, or dogmas to the offense that is loaded with talent. These elements will make the offense less predictable and will keep guys more readily available late in the year. It's just a matter of really implementing them instead of just saying they care about making them a part of the offense.

4. The Dolphins need to run the ball on 3rd-and-short

Too many times last year we saw the Dolphins get to 3rd-and-short in a big spot when they were actually running the ball well, only for them to pass it to no avail. That can't be a thing that happens too much in 2024.

I get that the team is not equipped with a Derrick Henry-type back, but that doesn't mean that Raheem Mostert, De'Von Achane, Jaylen Wright, or Chris Brooks can't get a yard when the defense has a pretty good idea a run is coming.

Do you want to change the culture from being thought of as this soft finesse team? It's safe to say the team does, because the leaders on both sides of the ball can't stop talking about it. Well, how about keeping drives alive late in the year by being physical?

This is something McDaniel has been peppered with from reporters pretty much since he arrived in Miami and he still has leaned on the pass. We get it - he has Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Getting the ball to them is the smartest way to use this offense. However, when you're on the road in weather that isn't South Beach in high-pressure moments, showing the other team and its crowd that you can and will win the battle in the trenches is so important. It gets your guys even more into the game and it demoralizes the opponent.