Mike McDaniel is never one to be shy about his thoughts, and when a reporter asked on Wednesday about the notion that Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is merely benefiting from his offensive system, the Miami head coach had a lot to say.
Tagovailoa has been one of the driving forces behind the juggernaut Dolphins offense this season and is one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
His 1,876 passing yards are tops in the NFL and his 14 touchdown passes are tied with Kirk Cousins for most in the league.
Still, some have speculated that Tagovailoa’s success is a result of the system and any QB could thrive in it.
When that came up, McDaniel was having none of it.
“I’m about to push this podium over,” McDaniel said. “My answer to that would be, who the F cares? Because it is a team, we’re working together, and I know one thing: I’ve coached stuff a long time. I haven’t seen people do what our guys do — to their credit, to their ability, and their commitment to their craft.”
The Dolphins offense has led them to a 5-1 record and sitting atop the AFC East going into Week 7.
Miami’s 498.7 yards per game and 37.2 points per game are both the best in the NFL.
However, McDaniel argued that it wasn’t just because of one player that the Dolphins had so much success this season.
And to imply that would be wrong.
“As a teammate, we’re all dependent on each other,” he continued. “I’m not in any hurry to prove myself without those guys because those are part of who we are. To say it’s this person or that person is kind of missing the point. It is a team working together, people working together.
“Myself, Tyreek Hill, Tua, cool, but what if no one’s blocking anyone? You know what I mean? We’re all connected in that way. That’s why, I think, a lot of the guys … Tua’s success in their success, Tyreek’s success, [Jaylen] Waddle’s, Raheem [Mostert]’s, etc.”
The Dolphins will visit the Eagles in primetime on Sunday night.
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