After a 24-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel pointed to himself as the problem. And then he did it again and again and again.
“I think there needed to be a lot better job in preparation on my part,” McDaniel said after the game.
It continued in just about every answer in the remainder of his postgame press conference.
- “I think collectively, starting with me, it just needs to be better.”
- “It’s going to take a better effort by everyone, including myself, or starting with myself.”
- “We have to handle the road better, and that starts with me.”
While McDaniel’s insistence that the blowout loss wasn’t the fault of certain players bordered on ridiculous, at times — like when he said that Skylar Thompson “did a good job operating the offense” — it’s also hard to disagree that the loss was primarily the head coach’s fault.
For one, the team’s offensive game plan was pretty baffling. Despite entering the day with a backup quarterback against a defense that struggled against the run a week ago, the Dolphins passed early and often against Seattle. Even when Miami found success on the ground with a pair of back-to-back rushes that picked up 21 yards, the offense immediately went with three straight pass plays that combined to lose three yards.
Another inexplicable moment came when the Dolphins had an untimed down at midfield on the final play of the first half. Rather than kick a 67-yard field goal or throw a Hail Mary, the team instead ran a play that never had a chance at turning into points.
Untimed down, trailing 17-3
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
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) September 22, 2024
According to McDaniel, the Dolphins were hunting for another penalty to move the team into field goal range. Instead, it got Thompson drilled in the back and planted into the turf.
On Friday, McDaniel told reporters that it bothers him when people say any quarterback can run the Dolphins offense.
“I think the way that Tua [Tagovailoa] plays the position is very unique and that’s always triggered me that people have said anybody can,” McDaniel said. “I would say from my vantage point, being in the offense for 20 years, that the statement that anybody can run it is false.”
That seems to have even more validity after Skylar Thompson struggled to get the offense moving Sunday. But even if not all passers can run the show like Tagovailoa, surely an offense with Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and De’Von Achane should be able to score a single touchdown, right?
