The Miami Dolphins fan base will not like what Mike McDaniel said at a press conference this week. They can expect a continued lack of self-reflection from the head coach.
The Dolphins offense has been a mess so far in 2024, and it's more than just the loss of Tua Tagovailoa creating the problem. McDaniel appears to have reached the same stubbornness level as some of his failed predecessors.
What Dolphins fans have seen on the field for three years has not been good all the time, and one area that needs to be improved is the play-calling. McDaniel knew this could be a problem as he addressed it during the offseason. Then, McDaniel said he had considered it, but now, he is flat-out saying he won't give those duties up.
Mike McDaniel, in a long answer about giving up possibly play-calling: "I wouldn't hesitate to change that procedure, because it is my call. I would change it in a heartbeat if I thought someone else gave the team a better chance to win."
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) September 24, 2024
Fans are not taking the news with anything more than a sense of humor. The Dolphins may not have someone better, but that, too, is a direct reflection on the head coach and his ability to build a quality offensive staff. Frank Smith apparently isn't qualified based on what McDaniel is saying to the media.
What this means is simple. The Dolphins will continue to abandon the run to throw the ball with a quarterback who isn't capable of consistency, and McDaniel will continue to put the Dolphins in bad shape by not getting the play into the huddle in time.
It's important to note that when Stephen Ross hired Adam Gase, Gase also called the plays. It didn't go over well, and you would think that Ross would have been far less likely to repeat the same mistake. That isn't the case, and here we are again.
It might be superficial to look at the first three games and wonder why he won't give up the duties, but this problem dates back to last year and the year before. McDaniel got a pass in his rookie season, and many overlooked the issues last year while the Dolphins were winning. McDaniel's play-calls were exposed against better football teams, and the Dolphins were getting beat.
This year, there is nothing exciting about what McDaniel is calling, and now we know that isn't going to change this year, if at all.