Mike McDaniel’s mistake cost his team a trip to the AFC’s divisional round.
The Dolphins looked as if they were going to deliver a massive upset to the No. 2 seed Buffalo Bills on Sunday. However, a delay of game penalty derailed the team’s final drive.
Facing fourth and one and down by three, McDaniel got the play call in too late to his QB and Skylar Thompson didn’t get the snap in time. The penalty pushed them back five yards. Their ensuing play non 4th and sixth fell short and they turned the ball over on downs.
Per ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques: “McDaniel said that delay of game call happened because the Dolphins believed they had a first down, and didn’t have a fourth down call set.”
“There were compounding variables,” McDaniel said postgame, per team-provided video, via NESN. “There was some crowd noise that had to do with miss hearing the digits on the wristband. There was some issues within the huddle about communication and getting to the line of scrimmage… the last (delay of game) in particular had to do with — whether it was officials or coaching — some communication that we had gotten the first down.”
“… It was communicated to me from upstairs from the headset, I think! I was standing by an official. I had just gotten convicted information that it was a first down. So I don’t really know exactly who it was from. It’s probably the first time all year that it happened.”
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A rookie mistake by a rookie head coach.
McDaniel and the Dolphins had a dream season going until injuries derailed their year. Next season should see them do much better after this learning experience.
