For eight months, you heard Mike McDaniel was smaller and funnier and extra optimistic and makes use of the phrase, “cool,” greater than any NFL coach.
On Sunday, you realized one thing extra defining. For at some point, on particularly one play, you noticed the mindset he’ll deliver to assist his period succeed.
You noticed the sort of offensive aggression lacking from the Dolphins lately, the sort that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa mentioned was, a “surprise,” and receiver Tyreek Hill put in additional R-rated phrases.
“Mike McDaniel’s gonna need a wheelbarrow for (a certain part of his anatomy) to carry them around,” he mentioned after the Dolphins’ 20-7 win over New England.
The Dolphins protection carried Sunday from starting to finish. So Sunday, in that type, was no totally different than the previous couple of years. As McDaniel mentioned he instructed the crew Saturday night time, “This is still the defense’s team until proven otherwise.”
Sunday wasn’t in any other case. There had been glimmers of one thing, although, that confirmed McDaniel’s fingerprints on a crew. It began on the primary drive, when he had a third-and-1 at midfield. Tagovailoa threw deep to fullback Alec Ingold. Incomplete.
That dangerous name prompt they had been going for it on fourth down, despite the fact that Tagovailoa mentioned, “I by no means thought we might go for it. But Mike instructed me,’ Stay in there; we’re going for it.’ “
You can see why somebody on the within was stunned. The Dolphins ranked twenty ninth final yr amongst groups going for it on fourth down. Conservatism was their trump card. Now right here was McDaniel pushing the accelerator down on the preliminary fourth down he confronted.
“With it being the first drive, it was a little surprise, but really nothing should surprise me with Mike,” Tagovailoa mentioned.
Patriots defensive deal with Carl Davis jumped off-sides that play. First down. They acquired a subject objective out of the drive and didn’t have to indicate their fourth-down play.
It was left to later, then, to essentially perceive the aggression McDaniel brings to a Sunday. This was with 24 seconds left within the half. Fourth-and-7. Ball at New England’s 42-yard line. The Patriots had no time-outs and hadn’t executed a lot on offense, so this was a great scenario to play it aggressive.
“You try to prepare yourself so it’s not the first time you’ve thought about that scenario,” McDaniel mentioned.
A subject objective was a chance. But a would-be 59-yarder was on the fringe of Jason Sanders’ vary. The higher name was to go for it.
It was, nevertheless, the primary time he’s needed to determine on this situation. He went for it, calling for a play that had Jaylen Waddle sprinting down a seam within the Patriots zone.
“It was all on the players at that point,” McDaniel mentioned.
Tagovailoa threw his greatest ball of the day, a strike that Waddle caught in stride after which proceeded to dash by three defenders. That was the opposite theme to Sunday on the Dolphins. The pace of Tyreek Hill coupled with Waddle gained towards the Patriots.
Waddle, on this play, ran untouched for a landing that made it 17-0. That was sufficient today.
“That was a cool moment for all of us,” McDaniel mentioned of that landing. “You know, just wish we could have continued that momentum in the second half, but beggars can’t be choosers.”
They managed three factors within the second half. Tua had good numbers, finishing 23-of-33 passes for 270 yards, however aside from that one cross his day was outlined by not making an enormous mistake.
There was a number of the clunkiness you count on in a brand new system, too. The operating recreation, McDaniel’s specialty, solely generated 65 yards. There additionally was some concern with the lack of each tackles, Terron Armstead and Austin Jackson, to unsure damage.
But the story of Sunday is McDaniel’s first recreation introduced his first win. A brand new coach within the league beat the oldest in Bill Belichick. And so his period started.
“Man, I wish all you had to do is one won game, because that would be cool,” McDaniel mentioned. “That’s not the case, so I’m kind of thinking about Week 2.”
That’s in Baltimore. McDaniel, you possibly can count on, will pack some shock. Maybe he’ll even want a wheelbarrow.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com