Mike McDaniel has one of the more unique coaching personalities in the NFL, whether he’s dealing with players, fans or the media.
On Tuesday, McDaniel was addressing that latter group when he joked that he told players to tell reporters to “f–k off, with all due respect” if they ask about any of the Miami Dolphins’ potential playoff scenarios.
“I instructed the players that anything other than concerning yourself with the next opponent, which for us is the Dallas Cowboys, any other narrative that has to do with good teams, or playoff seeds, or the next three games, all that stuff, I gave them the clearance to tell all members of the media, to, with all due respect, F off. With all due respect,” McDaniel said, via Pro Football Talk. “Because all we’re focused on is the Dallas Cowboys, and they definitely deserve our attention. So as we clean up our game from the previous, we’ll be thinking about that and the narratives will be what they be. We’re not really concerned. We know that will exist but it’s really inconsequential to what we’re trying to do.”
Mike McDaniel on media narratives this week of Dolphins’ record against contenders or final three-game stretch: “I gave them the clearance to tell all members of the media, with all due respect, F off — with all due respect. Because all we’re focused on is the Dallas Cowboys.” https://t.co/jBLyBK38hV pic.twitter.com/nK0kibqc0u
— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) December 18, 2023
McDaniel is correct that Sunday’s game against Dallas is an important one for the Fish. At 10-4, the Dolphins are two games ahead of the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East, but the Bills already beat Miami once this year and will get a second crack at their rivals in Week 18.
If the Dolphins beat the Cowboys, they will have a shot to take over the AFC’s No. 1 overall seed in Week 17 when they face the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens are 11-3 heading into this week’s matchup with the 11-3 San Francisco 49ers.
That leads into the regular season finale against the Bills. The Dolphins have not won the AFC East since 2008 and haven’t made consecutive playoff appearances since a stretch of five straight postseason trips from 1997-2001.