Mike McDaniel is not making friends with the Miami Dolphins fan base, and the final play of the first half only exacerbates their frustration.
McDaniel's play-calling has been a point of contention all season long, and if it was bad against the Buffalo Bills, things got even worse against the Seattle Seahawks.
The Dolphins had one minute to try to move the ball into field-goal range before halftime. They couldn't get past the 50-yard line. With only seconds left, the Seahawks put their players on the goal line and rushed basically no-one. Skylar Thompson had all the time in the world but waited and waited before eventually taking a sack.
Gotta keep the head on a swivel 👀
— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2024
📺: #MIAvsSEA on CBS/Paramount
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/8hAfHHEGZu
The Dolphins apparently didn't have any players in the end zone for a Hail Mary attempt, leading to Thompson getting hit.
Dolphins' failed Hail Mary attempt looks terrible on Mike McDaniel
Untimed down, trailing 17-3
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) September 22, 2024
Dolphins have one (1) player within 20 yards of the endzone. Jaylen Waddle's route makes entirely no sense to me. Alec Ingold's route makes no sense to me. The formation makes no sense in this situation.
Why not just kneel to end the half? https://t.co/dVH42IGLsF pic.twitter.com/Yoda3fns5w
After a penalty gave the Dolphins a free play, McDaniel dug deep into his playbook and surprisingly called a play-fake when the Seahawks were rushing only three players. The play ended with Thompson being sacked for the fourth time in the half.
"Is Mike McDaniel okay? Running a play fake on an untimed down, Hail Mary attempt?!?!" writes The Guardian's Ollie Connolly.
While McDaniel's play-calling has been atrocious, the execution of the plays is just as bad. There have been seven penalties, with four on the offense. The Dolphins' running game started out good, but like McDaniel often does, he abandoned the rushing attack, and now the Dolphins find themselves playing from a 14-point deficit.
Play action on a Hail Mary is the most Skylar Thompson thing you’ve ever seen.
— Simon Clancy (@SiClancy) September 22, 2024
It made no sense.
Overall, nothing is working for the Dolphins on offense and a lot of that blame can be placed on Mike McDaniel. Most fans like what McDaniel brings to the team, but he isn't getting the pass he once did. In his third season, the fans are taking off the proverbial gloves.