The Miami Dolphins fell painfully short of upsetting the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
After offsetting a 17-0 deficit in the second quarter, the Dolphins had the ball down 34-31 late in the fourth quarter. A 4th-and-1 near midfield represented a turning point with 2:28 remaining.
Unfortunately, the Dolphins got called for a delay of game. They failed to convert on 4th-and-6, paving the way for a Bills victory.
After the game, per ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said they didn’t have a play call ready because they thought they had a first down. He said he was informed “from upstairs” they had a new set of downs.
McDaniel’s candor has often felt refreshing from an NFL head coach. However, fans felt honesty wasn’t the best policy in this situation.
“It’s nice that he admits it, but I feel like this won’t go over well,” a fan said.
“Batman couldn’t get this out of me,” The Diamondback‘s Varun Shankar wrote.
“Lying is an option,” a fan said.
“Always have to be prepared,” Our Turf Football’s Lisa Johnson commented. “That is on you coach.”
“Improvements need to be made across the board, everyone has something to work on,” a fan opined. “Mike McDaniel needs to improve how he addresses these types of situations.”
It was a rookie mistake from a first-year head coach making his playoff debut. Not helping matters, the Dolphins were down to third-string quarterback Skylar Thompson, a seventh-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Miami defied the odds by keeping the game close. While takeaways gave them a fighting chance, the Dolphins averaged just 3.3 yards per play and committed seven penalties.
The loss could prove a valuable learning experience for McDaniel and the Dolphins.