Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel isn’t running from his team’s playoff win drought.
The head coach told reporters Thursday that he holds every meeting at times that include the number 24 because the Dolphins haven’t won a playoff game since the 2000 campaign:
“To you guys, it means nothing,” he said. “That’s how many years it’s been since the organization has won a playoff game. We are going to hear about that come playoff time. You think? So, to me, you do that to empower guys to know what’s coming, to understand it, to not run from it. Because if you’re going to achieve success when people are predicting failure, you’re going to have to go above and beyond.”
That 2000 Dolphins team defeated the Indianapolis Colts in the Wild Card Round but lost to the Oakland Raiders in the Divisional Round.
Miami hasn’t won a Super Bowl since it lifted the Lombardi Trophy in back-to-back years during the 1972 and 1973 seasons. The 1972 team was the only one to finish the regular season and playoffs with an undefeated record in NFL history.
McDaniel’s Dolphins have been good enough to make the playoffs of late but not good enough to win once they arrive.
They lost in the Wild Card Round the last two seasons to the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs.
Expectations will once again be high in Miami in 2024 with Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and others, so another postseason appearance is the expectation. And the team will surely be well aware of the drought talking point by the time the playoffs arrive.