The Detroit Lions are on the lookout for a new offensive coordinator after firing John Morton on Tuesday, and there are some good options out there. We listed seven this week. Truth be told, it should have been eight, but the guy we centered the story around wasn’t available yet. Now he is.

The Miami Dolphins have fired head coach Mike McDaniel, and the Lions should be the team that swoops right in to grab him. Frankly, McDaniel should just fly to Detroit because this is the best OC job out there. Here are six reasons why he fits better than anyone.

McDaniel is one of the best run game architects in the business

The Lions want to run the ball more than anything else. That’s not me saying that; that’s Dan Campbell saying it. So the best thing they could look for in their next offensive coordinator is a guy whose outside-zone motion-heavy system, which opens up rushing lanes, is exactly the kind of system Jahmyr Gibbs can thrive in.

Look what De’Von Achane did in it. Gibbs is for sure an upgrade over Achane. This system could get him outside and into space, where he thrives most.

Like Campbell, McDaniel loves dialing up explosive plays

In 2022 and 2023, the Dolphins led the league in explosives. That changed in the last couple of years, as the Dolphins dealt with injuries and players lost explosiveness. But in Detroit, he would have a whole new Tyreek Hill to work with in Jameson Williams. An ever faster one too.

Plus, he can really work Gibbs into space as we mentioned and come up with big plays for Amon-Ra St. Brown and Isaac TeSlaa as well.

Quarterback-friendly system

McDaniel is all about pre-snap motion, play action, and efficiency. This is exactly the kind of thing that Goff thrives in. If you want creative crossers, something this team succeeded at a lot and didn’t call enough, McDaniel is someone who drew that kind of thing up a lot in Miami. McDaniel is actually safe for Goff, just based on how his offense is all about getting the ball out fast.

No long developing plays, no worry about having to pass protect too long. The Lions would need a better offenisve line, though. Because you saw in Miami that when things break down, Tua Tagovailoa got hit a lot.

A major culture fit

The Lions are all about being obsessive about the details. There isn’t an OC out there more obsessed with the details than McDaniel. Sometimes that kind of thing doesn’t translate well to the head coach spot, but it’s the kind of meticulous thing that makes offensive coordinators like Ben Johnson so good at their jobs.

If Campbell wants a guy who can do what it is that he wants and can evolve it from there, this is the best guy for that.

He comes from the right kind of coaching tree

I know a lot of Lions fans want to keep bringing up Jon Gruden, but you see now what a coach from the Gruden tree can do in this spot. Morton did not work out. McDaniel comes from the Mike Shanahan tree. The other guys on that tree are 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, Rams head coach Sean McVay, and Packers head coach Matt LaFleur.

Yes, it didn’t work out for him as a head coach, but that offense in Miami was generally humming, and there is no doubt that he is a great offensive coach.

A seemingly good relationship with Dan Campbell

Look, I can’t speak to how well these guys know each other, but I can say I watched them pal around when the Dolphins were in town for joint practices, and it seemed like they would have a lot of fun together. They also publicly praised each other quite a bit that week.

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