Is McDaniel Able to Adapt?

I recently came across an article from Pro Football Network that lists the greatest coaching innovations of all time.

The article begins with the following thoughts:

“To become a successful NFL coach, you have to be willing to adapt. Staying fixed isn’t an option for play-callers and designers as they scheme up game plans each and every week.

Competition and high stakes have resulted in ingenuity throughout league history. Visionary coaches have solved problems with indelible solutions, creating groundbreaking ideas that changed how football is played.”

This PFN article was not written in August of 2025, but in June of 2024.

When I first read the article, I immediately considered the feedback the Miami Dolphins coaches and general manager received after the 2024 season.

Coach Mike McDaniel must learn to adapt, be creative, and utilize the players he has been dealt.

So here we are in August of 2025, repeating sage advice for any coach in the NFL: adapting and changing when circumstances warrant, or continuing to suffer through unsuccessful seasons.

If taking a straw poll among the NFL fans and experts, the majority would label Coach McDaniel as innovative.

We can point out the extraordinary types and frequency of pre-snap motions, the accuracy and timing of the precision passes, and the utilization of team speed.

In 2023, the Miami Dolphins under Coach Mike McDaniel began the season 9-3, only to fail miserably late in the year, losing three of the remaining five games and limping into Arrowhead Stadium for the modern version of the “Ice Bowl.”

In 2024, we experienced another frustrating year after Coach Mike McDaniel and General Manager Chris Grier failed to staff the backup quarterback room adequately, and McDaniel struggled to adapt to his new quarterbacks following Tua Tagovailoa‘s injury.

Reports from the 2025 Miami Dolphins training camp have been positive, giving fans some semblance of hope that 2025 will be different.

We will see how things unfold very soon.