A history graduate from Yale with no playing experience, head coach Mike McDaniel is an outlier in the NFL world. From his elite offensive play-calling to the unique aura he exudes, McDaniel stands apart from his peers. A prime example of this was seen yesterday when he pointed out a blemish in his record while Boston Connor was delivering a highlight-reel-worthy moment of praise.
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On an episode of The Pat McAfee Show, co-host Boston Connor delivered a brilliant monologue, hyping up McDaniel’s offensive genius. He also praised McDaniel’s remarkable record as the only head coach in the same division as Bill Belichick to have never lost against him.
The passion with which Boston recounted McDaniel’s achievements was too endearing to interrupt with a correction. However, McDaniel calmly clarified that he had never lost to the Belichick-led Patriots when his starting QB Tua was on the roster. On the two occasions where he didn’t have his QB1 available, the Dolphins came up short.
“I guess you’d have to specify. [I have] never lost with Tua as the starter, [but] we have lost a game or two… on the road in 2020.”
McDaniel’s memory is undeniably correct as record books show that the Patriots had indeed defeated the Dolphins in 2020 and once in 2023.
The analyst, upon hearing McDaniel’s correction, was visibly embarrassed. Pat, on the other hand, found it amusing and sarcastically asked Connor to retract everything he had said.
Despite the slip-up, a 6-2 record against the winningest coach is nothing short of remarkable. What gave McDaniel the edge over Belichick was his uncanny ability to outsmart the strategist, nearly at every turn. McDaniel’s strength lay in winning the game off the field.
McDaniel once outperformed Belichick’s defensive prowess
A prime example of McDaniel and Belichick’s strategic tussle was seen in 2023 when the Dolphins triumphed over New England 24-17. The Patriots, who were entering the matchup after losing their last three encounters against the Dolphins, decided to have an ultra-defensive approach to contain the threats of Tua, Jaylen, and Tyreek.
On top of the Patriots’ strong defensive line, Bill threw in three more safeties to make life hell for the Dolphins’ attackers. This structure also cornered McDaniel from using his biggest offensive threats, as rushing against this stacked defence was the easiest way to get sacked.
But this is where the Yale graduate showed his strategic acumen. He didn’t let Bill’s strategy dictate the terms as he enforced a dual-threat approach where he instructed his offence to stretch and confuse the Patriots’ defence with equal emphasis on passing and rushing.
This resulted in a picture-perfect 30 passes to 30 runs made, attacking New England both aerially and via ground. Arguably, the tactic worked as the Dolphins won the game quite comfortably.
With countless examples like this, there is no doubt that McDaniel is one of the most talented head coaches of this generation. However, what will elevate and perhaps cement his legacy is a Super Bowl under his belt.
