Let’s Give Hafley a Chance

Let’s Give Hafley a Chance

By now, all of Dolphins Nation is aware of the hiring of Jeff Hafley as Head Coach, replacing Mike McDaniel, who was recently fired. Hafley is the former defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers. Social media exploded when Hafley’s name was announced.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of comments were not favorable. He was hired by the Dolphins’ new General Manager, Jon-Eric Sullivan, who came from the very same Green Bay Packers as VP of player personnel.

The biggest complaint from Hafley seems to be the Packers’ poor defensive performance in the 4th quarter of the playoffs against the Chicago Bears. The defense fell apart and lost to the Bears 31-27. While this is not great, of course, it is still only one piece of an otherwise solid resume. Fans are getting that same deja vu feeling of the former Head Coach Joe Philbin deal.

The other reason fans are upset is that Hafley isn’t John Harbaugh, Kevin Stefanski, or Sean McDermott. Realistically, were any of these guys going to come to Miami? No, they weren’t. Move on, people.

“I believe great things are ahead for the Miami Dolphins with Jeff Hafley leading the way,” said Dolphins Chairman and Owner Stephen M. Ross. After 26 years of not winning a playoff game, fans are hoping Mr Ross has made the correct choice.

The Mike McDaniel era was not a complete failure. The Dolphins qualified for the playoffs twice.

However, the whole thing collapsed in the last two seasons, leaving Miami once again in rebuild mode. The failed rebuild of 2020 is still stinging for most fans, as they are not looking forward to another one.

So why should fans be optimistic or even hopeful about this new Head Coach? First of all, he is the choice of the new General Manager. Sullivan was hired to turn this team around, and he gains nothing by hiring the wrong person. Fans need to give Hafley a chance. The playoffs have not even finished, and they are already writing this man off.

Let’s remember the first-year coaches in Miami who went to the playoffs. Anthony Sporano took a 1-15 team and, in his first year, led them to an 11-5 record. Adam Gase took Miami to the playoffs in his first year. Mike McDaniel took the team to the playoffs in his first two years. Again, all of these teams lost in the first round. The point is that no one knows whether or not Jeff Hafley will be a good coach or not.

Jon-Eric Sullivan has promised a new direction for the team by building through the draft, limited free agency, and players who can perform in cold weather, among other things. In other words, he is taking the Miami Dolphins in a different, and hopefully successful direction.

Most people feel the nucleus of the Dolphins’ problems for many years now was former GM Chris Grier. He’s gone, and there is a new sheriff in town. Fans are expecting better drafting and more physical play on the field.

Let’s give these guys a chance.