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After a 2-7 start to the season, Mike McDaniel’s seat was red-hot. But the beleaguered head coach weathered the storm and the Miami Dolphins have won four straight games. The streak has kept the team alive in the playoff picture ahead of a Monday Night Football matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
De’Von Achane credits the coach with keeping the team together during a difficult time. “When everything was going on, was going bad for us, he never changed. He came in every day the same. Kept the same energy… We believed in him, he believed in us,” Achane said, per ESPN.
Miami’s season hit a low point with an ugly Thursday Night Football loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 9. The Dolphins moved on from GM Chris Grier after the prime-time embarrassment. But the team retained McDaniel.
And since then, as John Gruden predicted, the Dolphins have turned things around. While three of their wins during the streak have come against losing teams, Miami bounced back from the loss to Baltimore with a convincing victory over the Buffalo Bills in Week 10.
While Achane credited his coach for staying consistent, McDaniel believes a key change sparked the turnaround. The coach restructured the team’s meeting formats, making them more player friendly.
Despite the impressive winning streak, the Dolphins only have the slimmest of hopes to reach the playoffs. At 6-7, obviously every game is a must-win for Miami.
Fortunately, the team will have its best player available on Monday night. After suffering a rib injury in Week 14, Achane will play against the Steelers.
Pittsburgh, meanwhile, needs to win to keep pace with the Ravens. The Steelers have a half-game lead in the AFC North after Baltimore’s win over the Las Vegas Raiders Sunday. Pittsburgh must win the division in order to reach the playoffs.
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