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Mike McDaniel’s first year as an NFL head coach was pretty impressive all things considered.
McDaniel helped turn third-year QB Tua Tagovailoa into one of the league’s top quarterbacks and turned the Dolphins offense into a juggernaut.
Miami got off to an 8-3 start and looked a serious threat before injuries to Tagovailoa and backup Teddy Bridgewater derailed the season.
Ultimately, the Dolphins snuck into the playoffs on the final week of the season. Miami beat the Jets 11-6 in Week 18 to secure a 9-8 record and the final AFC Wild Card spot.
But that push the fish in a tough spot. Miami headed to AFC East rival Buffalo to begin the playoffs without Tagovailoa or Bridgewater available. That meant it was up to third-string quarterback Skylar Thompson to pull off a miracle upset.
Not many gave him, or the Dolphins, a chance. But McDaniel’s group battled. Miami had the ball late in the fourth quarter with a chance to take the lead. Facing a 4th-and-1 near midfield with just over two minutes remaining, a key delay of game proved crucial as Buffalo held on for a 34-31 win.
Now we know what went wrong.
Mike McDaniel Admits To Not Knowing Down Before Key Delay Of Game Call
The Dolphins struggled with the play call all game long. Which is expected for a third-string QB making his first playoff appearance in a tough environment.
But that’s where the coaching staff needs to help out. Instead, it was McDaniel who took fault for the pivotal final penalty.
“There was some communication that we’d gotten first down,” he said. “So then we were deploying a group of players for the first-and-10 call. Then it was articulated that, no, it was fourth down…I had gotten conflicted information that it was a first down; I don’t really know exactly who it was from. It’s probably the first time all year that that had happened. You try to do your best” – via ESPN
Who knows why McDaniel had mixed signals. But it happened at the worst possible time and is a rough end to an otherwise strong year for the rookie head coach.