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Positives, negatives from first season with Mike McDaniel
Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Three positives, negatives from Dolphins' first season under head coach Mike McDaniel

By Andrew Marshall  |  Last updated 1/14/23

Miami (9-8) sneaked into the playoffs after struggling in December. The Dolphins' season will end Sunday in the wild-card round unless they pull off an improbable upset on the road against Buffalo. The Bills are a 13.5-point favorite, per OddsChecker.

Here are three positives and three negatives from rookie head coach Mike McDaniel's season: 

Positives 

1. Revitalized QB Tua Tagovailoa

Tua Tagovailoa had a telling post earlier in the season. McDaniel reportedly helped rebuild the young quarterback's confidence, after a few subpar seasons by Tagovailoa to start his career. Tagovailoa has a league-leading 8.9 yards per attempt and a 105.5 passer rating, narrowly edging out Patrick Mahomes' 105.2 rating. 

2.  Unlocked WR Jaylen Waddle

Waddle was used to keep the Dolphins offense afloat in 2021 in a broken RPO-heavy offense. He broke the rookie record for catches with 104 in 2021, but averaged only 9.8 yards per catch. This season, the addition of Tyreek Hill and schematic changes have allowed him to thrive. He had 1,356 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on a league-best 18.1 yards per catch. 

3. He's true to his beliefs 

Part of a head coach's potential is his belief in his own philosophy. McDaniel had a telling interview with NFL Network's Peter Schrager at halftime of their Week 15 matchup with the Buffalo Bills.

McDaniel said "the idea is you keep playing football, you don't press, and you make them earn everything they get" in response to unfavorable outcomes, like this crazy Josh Allen touchdown. 

Miami slumped in December, but McDaniel's didn't overreact. 

Negatives 

1. Couldn't win a game with backup QBs 

The Dolphins were 1-3 with backup quarterbacks, with their only win coming in Week 18 against immobile QB Joe Flacco and the reeling Jets. The offense hasn't performed the same without Tagovailoa. Backups Skylar Thompson and Teddy Bridgewater have combined for 1,217 yards, five touchdown passes and seven interceptions. 

2. The Dolphins are good, but lack future assets to get great

McDaniel will have to take this team from good to great with his coaching, and he will have fewer chances to add young talent. 

After netting additional first-round picks for the No. 3 pick in 2021, they immediately traded one of those first-round picks to move up in the draft for Jaylen Waddle. Miami spent considerable draft capital trading for Tyreek Hill this offseason and sent a first-round pick for pass-rusher Bradley Chubb to the Denver Broncos during the season. 

The Dolphins also had to forfeit their 2023 first- and 2024 third-round picks due to tampering violations, so they won't have as much flexibility filling holes on their roster. 

3. Tua Tagovailoa's health

Overseeing everything about the team is part of McDaniel's job description. Tagovailoa was in the concussion protocol multiple times this year. McDaniel and the Dolphins also caught heat about bringing back Tagovailoa too soon. 

Some in the media, including Miami Herald columnist Greg Cote placed blame on an independent neurologist who was fired by the NFLPA dating back to Week 3, when Tagovailoa appeared to have suffered a head injury against the Bills. But that was before his recent concussion against the Packers that was not acknowledged until after the game. 

McDaniel must figure out how to keep his quarterback upright and healthy if he wants him around for the future. 

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