With a starry roster that includes talents such as Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Jalen Ramsey and many more, there’s no guessing on what the onus is. Getting back to the playoffs isn’t enough, it’s time to make a run.
McDaniel isn’t shying away from that reality.
As the 2024 season beckons, he is going to remind his squad just what time it is: time to snap another streak of futility. And he knows his players will be reminded of it by the media and fans, anyway, so might as well get out of the blocks first.
“Narratives are based upon past and hedging opinions moving forward,” McDaniel said. “So, to me, I think it’s important to get in front of that and know what’s coming for players that are going to experience it directly and then leaning into that. I think it’s hilarious to say, ‘Now that you have pressure on you,’ in this business for the reason of, are you blindfolded with earplugs in? Like dude, it’s achieve now or watch out. Well, it’s the same thing in regards to, ‘Hey, things have happened.’ Those two things — the last two seasons – the seasons have ended a certain way, and about 30 to 40 percent of the team were part of it. The other portion of the team wasn’t. But what can we learn from all of this and how do we adjust what we do now to hedge our bet then and little things? You take — whether it’s a game or we need to finish the season better.”
Saddled with the narrative that they come up small in big games, the Dolphins went 11-6 in 2023 — their most wins since 2008 — prior to losing to the Chiefs, 26-7. They were eliminated in a 34-31 nail-biter against the rival Buffalo Bills a season prior in similar cold conditions on the road.
McDaniel isn’t going to wait until another cold December to broach the topic. He’s hitting it this spring.
“Let’s go attack it and let’s go achieve something together,” McDaniel said. “That’s the reason why I bring it up, just because I know no matter how much I tell people to not listen, it’s impossible not to hear the noise coming. There’s always going to be noise. Whatever, just address it and let’s do our jobs deliberately and with a mindfulness today that can be applied in the future.”
Of course, the Fins’ playoff woes extend far before McDaniel arrived in South Beach.
Dave Wannstedt was the Dolphins head coach when they last won a playoff game and the coach on the sidelines when the futile postseason run began.
Wannstedt’s 2001 Dolphins were one and done. So too were Tony Sparano’s 2008 Dolphins. Then Adam Gase’s 2016 squad. And now, McDaniel’s first two teams.
As much as it’s an issue long troubling the franchise, McDaniel isn’t skirting an individual emphasis entering Year 3.
“When I got hired, I said it in like my first team meeting — it was 22 years at the time,” McDaniel said. “Just because yeah, you don’t hire someone for moderate success or failure or anything. You hire them to win and I know we have to do that. Nothing has really changed. I don’t feel pressure that way, because I feel way enough pressure having the job in general.
“I don’t need any — there’s not any more to. You’re hired for a reason and you understand that, and you’re trying to help be a part, facilitate and be a part of a team that can succeed in the failures of the previous 22 or 24 seasons. I knew what I was signing up for with this job.”