Do numbers indicate Mike McDaniel isn't the problem with the Dolphins?

With a big win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Mike McDaniel is back over .500 as the Miami Dolphins' head coach. He's gone 31-30 since he took the reins of the team in 2022.

And while that doesn't sound great given the expectations and the offensive talent in Miami, his starting quarterback has missed 10 games during that span.

McDaniel seemed to be on the hot seat since the end of last season. However, he may not be the guy to blame in South Beach.

Mike McDaniel isn't to blame for the Dolphins' struggles

As shown by Dolphins writer Joe Schad, the team's offensive rankings in the McDaniel era have actually been excellent:

• Yards per game: 8th
• Points per game: 10th
• Passing yards per game: 8th
• Completion percentage: 4th
• Red zone passer rating: 2nd
• Scoring efficiency: 9th

The Dolphins' offense has been just fine, even without Tua Tagovailoa. 

They scored 397, 496 and 345 points in the past three seasons, and they're up to 210 points this year.

The problem is that they've had a negative point differential in three of the four years he's been in charge. But that's not entirely on him.

Granted, the head coach is ultimately responsible for the state of the team and for getting them ready, but it's not like the Dolphins have always had a plethora of defensive talent.

Other than individual pieces like Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, Jalen Ramsey and Minkah Fitzpatrick, this has always been a below-average unit.

The Dolphins shouldn't have to score nearly 500 points per season to make the playoffs.

And after finishing 24th, 22nd, 10th and currently being 24th in scoring defense, perhaps McDaniel isn't the guy to blame in Miami. 

Now, with a new GM calling the shots, the Dolphins might finally put together a defense that can give McDaniel and the offense a chance.