There are elite head coaches. There are elite play-callers. The Miami Dolphins‘ Mike McDaniel is trying to be one of the few that are both.
Andy Reid, Kyle Shanahan, and Sean McVay might be the only members of that austere club.
McDaniel is trying to join them. But is that asking too much?
PFN Miami Dolphins Podcast: Mike McDaniel’s Many Responsibilities
In Episode 2 of the PFN Miami Dolphins Podcast, we give voice to a question that’s been bubbling just below the surface since late last year:
Was the Dolphins’ sloppiness in 2022 a function, at least in part, of their head coach having his attention pulled in so many directions?
The Dolphins ranked tied for 29th in enforced penalties against last year (111) and were even worse in pre-snap infractions.
“Nobody wants to jump offsides,” McDaniel said last week. “We couldn’t have emphasized it more this offseason in terms of, ‘This is what it is, the facts are the facts. You’re the worst. I’m the worst.’ That’s what it is. So every time we false start, everyone is like — it’s not something that people are very comfortable with or pumped about.”
For the Dolphins to get to where they want to go — the Super Bowl — it cannot happen again in 2023.
But McDaniel plays a big role in that. If he’s getting the call in late, it’s not entirely on his players if there’s a delay of game. That’s not a concern for head coaches who aren’t also offensive coordinators.
We discuss that, the slow start to the Dolphins’ offense, and what’s in store this week as the Dolphins and Texans meet for joint practices and a preseason game.