Week 3 Will Put Mike McDaniel’s Genius Reputation Under The Spotlight
Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Dolphins are heading on a long trip across the country, from sunny South Florida to the rainy, crowded Pacific Northwest. They face a Seattle Seahawks team with a surprise 2-0 record and an earthquake-causing home crowd that is always difficult to deal with. If the longest domestic flight wasn’t already enough of a challenge for Miami, they will be doing so led by backup quarterback Skylar Thompson piloting their offense.
Thompson has the unenviable task of weathering the storm of Tua Tagovailoa’s absence for at least the next four games. The third-year seventh-round signal-caller has limited NFL mileage so far, with just two professional regular season starts. He may not have the ability to lead a potentially high-flying offense the way Tagovailoa did, but he could manage a unit that can be more than just a big-play passing offense.
While Miami still has Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, this offense doesn’t fly when quarterbacks other than Tagovailoa are under center. For the Dolphins to succeed in a hostile road environment, they must turn to the rushing attack. A rushing attack with one of the game’s most dynamic young players.
Running back De’Von Achane isn’t just the belle cow through two games, he’s also the Dolphins leading pass catcher with 14. He has a 100% catch rate, hauling in all of his targets. Additionally, he’s the fifth player in the last 20 years to rush for at least 120 yards while also gaining 145 receiving yards in the first two games of a season. The last was Christian McCaffrey in 2021.
Achane is coming off of a 22-carry performance against the Buffalo Bills, a career-high for the second-year talent. While Achane should be featured, he should not be overworked. The Dolphins must get a rebound performance from rookie running back Jaylen Wright. The fourth-round draft pick rushed for just four yards Thursday night against the Bills.
Veteran runner Raheem Mostert is back at practice, and him being available would be huge, which he wasn’t in Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills. Whoever is good to go, however, they’d better be prepared to work. The Dolphins will need to limit the chances of potential mistakes from Thompson. The best way to do that is run the ball and utilize short passes, then rely on creating yards after the catch.
Clearly, Achane fits that mold, but other Dolphins that can help by stepping up are Alec Ingold and tight end Jonnu Smith. Both players are designated as an “F” on the Dolphins depth chart. Ingold has been almost exclusively in short-yardage situations so far this season, but could help Thompson as a receiver.
Smith, who is a top-tier tight end in terms of yards after catch production, was utilized much more in Week 2 than in Week 1. He was targeted seven times, which led to six receptions against the Bills (Smith was limited to one catch on two targets against the Jacksonville Jaguars). Both Ingold and Smith should be utilized, as the “F” really stands for “formation adjuster.” McDaniel needs to lean on these two players, in timely spots, to force Seattle to, well, adjust.
The Seahawks have a very solid secondary, and their defense as a whole has forced the most three-and-outs in the NFL so far this season. This could be a tough combination for Miami to overcome.
For them to leave Seattle with a win, it may have to be on the strength of a Mike McDaniel masterclass of play-calling. While most call him an offensive genius in play design, he’ll need to also be savvy in picking his spots based on the time of game, area of the field, and the personnel at his disposal.
This does not mean that McDaniel and his staff have to come up with a brand new offense, like the 2008 Dolphins team did with the Wildcat following an 0-2 start. That’s not what the Dolphins and Thompson need. No one expects him to line up at wide receiver like Chad Pennington, while power runners like Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown run behind Jake Long.
But if there was ever a time for McDaniel’s genius to shine through, it will be on Sunday in rainy Seattle. He has the weapons at his disposal to not have to resort to a gimmick like the Wildcat, but it will still be impressive if the coach finds a way to make a Thompson-led Dolphins offense purr.
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