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.
