Report: Opposing defensive coaches believe NFL has caught up to Mike McDaniel’s offense

Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald recently played a game of “trick or truth” in honor of the Halloween season, and it led to a fascinating nugget on Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel.

Kelly addressed a “trick or truth” centered around the idea that the “NFL has caught up to Mike McDaniel and his offense,” and that the Dolphins head coach “can’t make adjustments.”

“There might be some semblance of truth to this,” Kelly wrote. “At least that’s what I’m told by opposing defensive coaches. Miami’s opponents have crowded the middle of the field with knowledge that [Tua] Tagovailoa rarely throws outside, and typically have two safeties positioned deep to prevent the big pass. The best recipe to beat that coverage is to run the ball effectively, which the Dolphins have done the past three games courtesy of a healthy offensive line.

“However, when passing plays longer than eight yards are needed to keep drives going, Miami has come up empty this season.

“The Dolphins passing game in the red zone is also stagnant, and the absence of big targets to throw high-point balls to continues to plague this team. Odell Beckham Jr.’s presence could be beneficial here in time. There’s only so many fades the Dolphins can throw to Tyreek Hill in the end zone.”

There would be no better time for McDaniel to prove that notion wrong than on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. With the Dolphins desperately needing a win to pump some life into their season, a big offensive day would go a long way.

This season, the Dolphins have had to navigate all sorts of obstacles on offense, due in large part to injuries at the quarterback position. Tagovailoa is starting just his fourth game of the season on Sunday, and his lack of availability has been a major reason why the team has struggled to score points.

The Dolphins were without Tagovailoa for four full games. In those games, they scored three points, 12 points, 15 points and 10 points. Given those totals, they were lucky to win even a single game during Tagovailoa’s absence.

In the quarterback’s first game back last weekend against the Arizona Cardinals, Miami had way more success moving the ball and putting points on the board. Unfortunately, the team’s 27 points and 377 total yards weren’t enough for a win, with the Cardinals grabbing a 28-27 victory.

McDaniel, Tagovailoa and company are certainly hoping that their offense will be a strength over the remainder of the season as the team tries to get back into the playoff mix, but if the Dolphins have too many games where they struggle to score points, there will likely be even louder questions about whether the NFL has figured out McDaniel’s offensive approach.

For now, Miami still has life in the 2024 season. It remains to be seen how long the team can keep its hopes alive.