Dolphins HC proves he's a genius despite latest loss
The Miami Dolphins lost a Christmas day heartbreaker to the Green Bay Packers to fall to 8-7. However, it wasn’t all negative. Many have crowned Mike McDaniel as the next great head coach in this league, and he showed why on Sunday. The Dolphins trailed 23-20 with 3:10 left remaining in the game. After an […]
The Miami Dolphins lost a Christmas day heartbreaker to the Green Bay Packers to fall to 8-7.
However, it wasn’t all negative. Many have crowned Mike McDaniel as the next great head coach in this league, and he showed why on Sunday.
The Dolphins trailed 23-20 with 3:10 left remaining in the game. After an offensive holding penalty on Green Bay, the Packers faced a 1st & 20 from the Miami 38. On the next play, Aaron Jones ran for an 18-yard gain that gave the Packers a 2nd and 2 at the Miami 20. At this point, the Dolphins only had two timeouts and were in a tricky situation.
Before the Packers could get off the next snap, Dolphins nose tackle John Jenkins was called for encroachment, giving the Packers a fresh set of downs.
While it seemed like another Dolphins mistake at the time, that penalty was a well-calculated move by Mike McDaniel.
When it was 2nd & 2, the Dolphins were in a difficult spot. The probability of the Packers getting a 1st down was extremely high, and if they did, the game would have effectively been over.
So, McDaniel told Jenkins to try and time the snap count, which would do one of two things. If Jenkins timed it correctly, he would create a negative play for the Packers, giving them a 3rd and medium. If he jumped too early, it would give the Packers a first down without wasting time or any timeouts.
By giving the Packers a 1st & 10 instead of a 2nd and 2, the Dolphins could stay ahead of the chains in an obvious running situation. On the next play, Aaron Jones was stuffed for a three-yard loss, setting up a 2nd and 13 for Green Bay. After that, the Packers ran the ball twice and settled for a field goal with 2:02 remaining. This gave the Dolphins enough time to march down the field and have a chance to score the game-winning touchdown.
While the Dolphins offense was unable to capitalize on this opportunity, it is an opportunity they may not have had if it weren’t for the genius of McDaniel.
In a season of ups and downs, it is nice to know that the Dolphins have found their head coach for the foreseeable future.
Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
