Mike McDaniel’s threat of change after the Browns loss became a promise delivered in Week 8 — and now comes the real test
Promise made. Promise delivered.
If you felt the Miami Dolphins‘ offense looked a little different on Sunday afternoon against the Atlanta Falcons, you’re right. It wasn’t just the sixth offensive lineman or wide receiver Jaylen Waddle screaming into the end zone on a play that looked straight out of 2022. It wasn’t just the season-high 34 points on the scoreboard either. Head coach Mike McDaniel, on the heels of Miami’s prior loss to the Cleveland Browns, made what felt at the time to simply be the musing of a coach seeking answers.
“We will watch the tape and change our style of play if we have to — everything’s on the table,” McDaniel said.
As it turns out, it wasn’t a threat or a one-liner. It was a promise. And the Dolphins delivered by playing a style of football we had never seen from a McDaniel coached Dolphins team before.
Dolphins turn their running game on its head, enjoy big results against the Falcons
Pro Football Focus charted the Dolphins as logging 21 ‘gap’ scheme runs against the Falcons out of a total of 37 rush attempts. Every single back had more gap designed runs than zone designed runs according to the charting:
– De’Von Achane: 10 gap runs versus 8 zone runs
– Ollie Gordon II: 6 gap runs versus 4 zone runs
– Jaylen Wright: 5 gap runs versus 4 zone runs
It’s a major departure from the standard in Miami under McDaniel, which has seen zone runs dominate nearly every offensive game plan the Dolphins have implemented under McDaniel. It also marks a record for McDaniel. His offense had never run 20 gap-scheme runs in a single game before.
2025 NFL rookie rushing leaders through Week 8
- Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns: 486 yards
- Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders: 445 yards
- Cam Skattebo, New York Giants: 410 yards
- Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Wasington Commanders: 402 yards
Dolphins rookie Ollie Gordon II ranks 12th with 116 yards
Is it a coincidence that Miami won and ran the ball effectively after they embraced the diversity of their backfield, muscled up with an extra offensive lineman out of necessity and did, indeed, change the style of play? The big question, and frankly the test for McDaniel, is to explore whether this performance was a one-off on account of injuries at tight end or if this is a new identity the Dolphins are going to embrace.
If it’s a dramatic shift in who the Dolphins are trying to be, it would mark an important milestone for yet another member of the Shanahan coaching tree — as names like Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay have both endured a diversification of their run games that took them away from such a heavy outside zone reliance.
We won’t need to wait long to find out, as Miami hosts the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night. But for now, Miami’s run game evolution is a promise delivered by Mike McDaniel in a season that needs a whole lot more of them in order to successfully yank the Dolphins out of their early-season rut.
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