Mike McDaniel wished a day earlier than the narrative shifted from the Miami Dolphins’ Sunday win over the Houston Texans to the week forward and going through his former group, the San Francisco 49ers.
OK, a day has handed.
Looking forward, McDaniel will face his longtime mentor, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, and the group in San Francisco, the place McDaniel spent the previous 5 seasons with as an offensive assistant, rising to the offensive coordinator function in 2021 earlier than touchdown Miami’s head teaching gig.
“I promise you that next week will not be about me,” McDaniel mentioned after the 30-15 win Sunday. “I refuse for that to happen. This is about the Miami Dolphins and trying to string another win together.”
Rest assured, the media will make it about McDaniel.
Sure, the Dolphins (8-3) searching for a sixth straight win and going through one other division chief within the 49ers (7-4), who sit atop the NFC West, brings sufficient juice by itself benefit. However, the main storyline for the week forward will nonetheless encompass McDaniel. In his first yr as a head coach, he appears to defeat his former group — together with Niners-turned-Dolphins operating backs Jeff Wilson Jr. and Raheem Mostert. That is, if Mostert can play, contemplating he sat out Sunday’s win over the Texans with a knee damage.
McDaniel’s teaching inventory rose shortly lately in San Francisco. He solely wanted one yr as offensive coordinator to grow to be a head coach. From 2018-20, he was run-game coordinator for the 49ers, and in 2017, Shanahan’s first main the 49ers, McDaniel held the title of run recreation specialist. McDaniel’s run video games ranked No. 2 within the NFL in 2019, when the 49ers reached the Super Bowl and misplaced to the Kansas City Chiefs, and seventh in 2021, as San Francisco reached an NFC Championship Game.
McDaniel and Shanahan have been on the identical teaching workers for 14 seasons whole.
Before Shanahan introduced McDaniel with him to San Francisco, Shanahan employed him on varied staffs when Shanahan was offensive coordinator. In 2015 and 2016 with the Atlanta Falcons, McDaniel was an offensive assistant. On the 2014 Cleveland Browns, McDaniel was vast receivers coach. In Washington, McDaniel was vast receivers coach in 2013 and offensive assistant the 2 years prior whereas Kyle’s father, Mike Shanahan, was head coach. McDaniel was additionally an offensive assistant early in his profession in Houston, from 2006-08, as Shanahan initially rose to his first offensive coordinator title in 2008 after a season every as vast receivers coach after which quarterbacks coach.
Whose familiarity with the opposite will win out on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium?
But past the McDaniel-Shanahan storyline, the sport on the 49ers might be about McDaniel for an additional cause.
It’s about what he can devise offensively, in opposition to a stout San Francisco protection coming off a shutout of the New Orleans Saints, with Dolphins star left deal with Terron Armstead set to overlook time.
The Dolphins’ offense, dominant within the first half in opposition to Houston and for almost all the earlier three wins over the Browns, Bears and Lions, was shut out within the second half in opposition to the Texans with Armstead out of the lineup attributable to a pectoral pressure.
Of course, Miami had established a 30-point halftime lead and will afford to take its foot off the fuel pedal, however as soon as it was Brandon Shell on the left aspect for Armstead with Austin Jackson, in his first begin since Week 1, sticking at proper deal with, Houston scrapped collectively 5 sacks and 4 on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa within the restricted motion he noticed whereas Armstead was out.
The safety, which had been sturdy all through the profitable streak, might be cruicial in opposition to the fierce 49ers go rush led by former St. Thomas Aquinas star Nick Bosa’s 11 ½ sacks.
The pressure, as reported by NFL Network Sunday evening, just isn’t as unhealthy as a tear, nevertheless it needs to be sufficient to maintain Armstead out a minimum of in opposition to the 49ers and certain a bit longer.
The Dolphins may also be monitoring the standing of Jackson, who left late in Sunday’s recreation with an ankle damage after a two-month lengthy restoration from a high-ankle sprain.
It begins getting powerful once more for Miami because the calendar shifts from November to December, starting a six-game dwelling stretch in opposition to groups which have a mixed file of 38-29 (.567) with 4 on the highway. Over the profitable streak, the Dolphins confronted 5 groups that now have a mixed file of 15-39-1 (.344), with three of these at dwelling.
This story might be up to date.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com