4 offensive philosophies Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel needs to embrace

Incorporating backside throws with Tua Tagovailoa

I haven't forgotten the Titans game. None of us have. When we look back at the 2023 season and we look for the game or moment that the campaign officially got away from the Dolphins, everyone will bring up the Monday night showdown at home against Tennessee. It hurts to think and write about it now.

There were many parts of that game that brought out the Hulk in many of us. The fumbled snap early in the game inside the five yard line, the injury to Tyreek Hill, the lasting injury to Connor Williams that we're still feeling today, the defense giving up back-to-back drives to Will Levis in under 3.5 minutes... the list goes on. Yeah, that game broke many of us.

However, there was one other part that was later brought to light by Chris Simms that had me acting like Joaquin Phoenix seeing that alien walk across the screen in Signs.

Watching that Simms clip is tough, but it's important that we do so. The worst part about it is that either Mike McDaniel didn't see it, nobody upstairs saw it, none of the players noticed, or that no adjustments were made. Tennessee's defense stepped up and made changes when they needed to. Miami didn't.

This isn't to say that all teams play this kind of defense against the Dolphins, but more than the Titans do. Having some schemed plays where Tua is looking to one side of the field, only for him to flip his hips, snap back and throw to a Waddle, River Cracraft, or whoever is on the backside, can result in big gains.