The Dolphins Need to Rewrite the Toughness Narrative

Toughness and discipline often go hand in hand, as being disciplined is tough. The Miami Dolphins have been labeled a team that lacks both during the Mike McDaniel Era. The perception most likely begins with the style of offense that McDaniel brought to the team. The Dolphins won’t run it down their opponent’s throats; instead, they rely on finesse, timing, and deceit. Looks that are meant to confuse their opponents until the last possible second in order to gain an edge. 

This style of play has seen success, particularly in the early part of the season. The motions coupled with the pure speed of many of their playmakers put defenses and their coordinators on the back foot to begin the season.

As McDaniel shows off what he’s spent all offseason creating. From September until Thanksgiving, the Dolphins are one of the best teams in the league on offense, setting records and defeating their opponents with lopsided box scores such as their 70-20 victory over the Denver Broncos at the end of September in 2023. 

As the weather grows colder and coordinators begin to crack the code of McDaniel’s offense the team starts to flounder, wins become scarce and commentators deride them as soft. Since taking over as head coach in 2022 McDaniel’s teams have gone 7-12 in December and January including two playoff losses. Many of these losses also happen to occur in cold weather, another piece of evidence that people use against the team to prove they aren’t tough. 

We’ve rarely heard what the players themselves think of the lack of toughness narrative. That was until Terron Armstead appeared on the Chris Simms Unbuttoned Podcast, where he was asked about said narrative. No one can accuse Armstead of not being tough; he’s a 5x Pro Bowler who had to constantly fight through injury to see the field, especially in the later stages of his career with Miami.

Also, he has nothing to gain as he recently announced his retirement, so I’m inclined to believe that he is being honest when he said that. 

“The toughness thing is crazy. I’ve never had any association with lack of toughness. I didn’t even hear that. We’re a tough team, physical team for sure. The narrative is just the absence of winning big games.” 

So if it isn’t toughness perhaps there is more of a disciple issue. This idea has some legs, famously players missing meetings and being fined for it was alluded to during the end of season locker room clean out. The fines didn’t seem to convince certain players to change their behavior. Mike McDaniel addressed the fines during his final meeting of the season with the team. 

“one thing I did learn during the course of the season is that fining guys,” McDaniel said. “which I’d been a part of for season after season in the National Football League, fining guys didn’t particularly move the needle in the way we need to so I’ll adjust as I should as the head coach.” 

This is something that leaders such as Zach Sieler have already begun to address ahead of the 2025 season. This week he was asked about the fines and players missing meetings and he made sure to let the media know that team leaders were addressing it. 

“I know we’re going to make sure of it from Day 1 in the D-line room and the defense in general and, obviously, offense and the whole team.” He said. “The big thing is, hey, if we’re going to be here, we’re going to be here. We’re going to be on time, we’re going to be ready to work, and we’re going to set the tone. Just ready to roll every day and just not kind of halfway going through things.”

The quote is good; in fact, it is exactly what you want to hear as a fan. It’s ultimately on the players and leaders to keep their fellow players in check. Mike McDaniel can’t force the team to take their jobs seriously; he is reliant on his veterans to create that culture. So we’ll have to wait and see if the Dolphins come into the year as a changed, more disciplined, and tougher squad. 

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