Mike McDaniel has given the Miami Dolphins organization a jolt of energy and excitement since becoming the head coach in 2022.
The organization had no personality, was boring, played a boring brand of football, and wasn’t relevant in the NFL.
While the past two seasons didn’t end as well as everyone hoped, the Dolphins are, at worst, relevant again. They matter. They play big games late into the season and make the playoffs each year.
And for an organization that was not a franchise that was in the playoff mix each season, now the expectation is to be in the playoffs each year, and it’s expected.
That said, this is a big year for Coach McDaniel.
The last two seasons have seen his teams fall apart down the stretch and end in horrific collapses. You can make a strong case that in the last two seasons, the Dolphins have had two of the organization’s worst collapses in the 50+ years the franchise has existed.
8-3 start, no division title, no playoff win.
9-3 start, no division title, no playoff win.
In 2024, Mike McDaniel needs to get Miami a step further than it has been in recent years.
The ending of the last two seasons is frustrating because the Dolphins don’t lack talent. They have had one of the strongest rosters, 1-53, in the NFL. I know injuries happen and have been a reason Miami has come up short. Still, part of that falls at the feet of McDaniel and Grier, as they have invested in injury-prone, older players with a track record of consistently being injured.
So you can’t be shocked when said players get injured.
McDaniel’s coaching staff has lacked continuity as well as he is on his 3rd defensive coordinator in 3 years, much like we lived through when Brian Flores had a new offensive coordinator and offensive system each year. I’m not sure you can win that way in this league when one side of the football has to be rebuilt and re-tooled to fit a new system, and the players have to get accustomed to the new system in an offseason and ready to go come September.
Not to mention his lack of in-game adjustments, ability to win a challenge, and having a blind spot not to fire the special team’s coach, who has had one of the worst special teams units year after year since he has been in Miami are all red flags around the young head coach.
Don’t get me wrong, this article isn’t here to poop on McDaniel and his time in Miami. He brought a modern and explosive offense to Miami, which has worked and is fun to watch.
He has built a culture that attracts free agents and has players wanting to play for the Dolphins.
Those two things cannot be overlooked.
With that said, the NFL is a results-oriented business, and Mike McDaniel needs to lead this team this year to a division title or a playoff win; otherwise, there will be a lot of questions about whether he is in over his head and has the ability to bring a team into deep January or February for a chance to compete for a championship.
