The Miami Dolphins fan base is not going to like what Mike McDaniel said in 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 that creates the problem. McDaniel appears to have reached the same level of stubbornness as some of his failed predecessors.
What Dolphins fans have seen on the field for three years hasn’t been good all the time, and one area that needs improvement is play calling. McDaniel knew this could be a problem because he took it during the offseason. Afterward, McDaniel said he thought about it, but now he says frankly he won’t give up those duties.
Mike McDaniel, in a long answer about giving up the possibility of playing: “I would not hesitate to change this action, because it is my choice. I would change it immediately if I thought someone else gave the team a better chance to win.”
– Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) September 24, 2024
Fans aren’t taking the news with anything more than good humor. The Dolphins may not have a better team, but that’s also a direct reflection of the head coach and his ability to build a quality offensive team. Frank Smith appears to be ineligible based on what McDaniel is telling the media.
What this means is simple. The Dolphins will continue to give up the run to throw the ball with a quarterback unable to be consistent, and McDaniel will continue to put the Dolphins in bad shape by not getting plays into the huddle at the right time.
It’s important to note that when Stephen Ross hired Adam Gase, Gase also called the plays. It didn’t go well, and you would think Ross was much less likely to repeat the same mistake. That’s not the case, and here we are again.
It may be superficial to look at the first three games and wonder why he won’t relinquish duties, but this problem goes back to last year and the year before that. McDaniel caught a pass in his rookie season, and many ignored the issues last year during the Dolphins’ win. McDaniel’s play calls were made against better football teams, and the Dolphins got beat.
This year, there’s nothing exciting about what McDaniel is calling for, and now we know that won’t change this year, if ever.
