Dolphins’ McDaniel reveals motivational method as reminder of team’s lengthy playoff win drought

MIAMI GARDENS — Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel knows a big part of the team’s success in 2024 is about finishing the season.

Finishing is something the Dolphins haven’t done in recent history.

See: Last winning a playoff game in 2000, the NFL’s longest drought; and the Dolphins’ past two Decembers under McDaniel, among several other examples of late-season failures.

The Dolphins coach has found a way to pound it into the minds of players and coaches in the offseason before the narrative ultimately weighs on the team come the end of the year.

“For half the offseason, you’re trying to have staff meetings at different times during the day, and every staff meeting, I’d put like 7:24 or 3:24 or 5:24. The number 24,” McDaniel revealed Thursday at his team’s final day of minicamp.

“That’s how many years it’s been since the organization has won a playoff game. We are going to hear about that come playoff time. You think?”

The Dolphins are getting constant reminders in May or June of something that should eat at them before their next chance to change it, come January.

“You do that to empower guys to know what’s coming, to understand it, to not run from it,” McDaniel said. “Because, if you’re going to achieve success when people are predicting failure, you’re going to have to go above and beyond.”

McDaniel wants his players and coaches to embrace the hardships of ending the past two seasons on a down note and bowing out in the wild-card round of the playoffs.

“Those failures led to this success,” is what he wants the mindset to be.

“We need to finish the season better. You get what you emphasize. Well, why not find ways to emphasize finishing in everything you do? Obsess about it.”

The Dolphins coach knows there’s always pressure in the NFL.

“If you don’t feel the pressure, you are oblivious to reality,” he said. “It’s achieve now or watch out. … I try to create a working atmosphere where you always have the pressure to do your absolute best.”

McDaniel was asked if the Dolphins feel any pressure next season coming off the postseason hockey success of the Florida Panthers, who begin Stanley Cup Final play against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night at Amerant Bank Arena.

“We don’t need that to happen to feel pressure for that. I don’t feel this job as void of pressure ever,” he said.

“You can control a lot of preparation. You can control a lot of decisions that set you up for success. That’s where your mind needs to be at, and I think, to me, the internal pressure that we put on ourselves far exceeds any Cup or trophy or what any team’s doing.”

McDaniel said he hasn’t met Panthers coach Paul Maurice, but he’s a fan of what he has accomplished.

Ramsey flourishing

Dolphins star cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who had to return midseason last year from a training camp knee injury, is even further along now nearly a full year since that injury.

“I think, from a physical standpoint, it is a big jump the following year, just generally,” McDaniel said. “Now, Jalen Ramsey is exceptional as an athlete.”

McDaniel tempered that notion by saying it’s not a big jump for Ramsey, who already looked incredible when he jumped back into the lineup in late October. But the coach added there’s only more reason for optimism after watching perform in team drills over Miami’s two minicamp practices.

“He has come back this year really, really strong,” McDaniel said. “The first 7-on rep, he made it known that he was there, and he’s done it in multiple ways.

Ramsey has been moving around in new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver’s scheme during minicamp. It’s something he’s used to doing outside of last year under ex-defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, and something McDaniel wanted to emphasize in a second year with Ramsey on the defense.

McDaniel said he wants Weaver to marry the past two styles of Dolphins defense, between Fangio in 2023 and the uber-aggressive scheme of Josh Boyer and Brian Flores before that.

Where to add depth?

The Dolphins added $18.5 million toward the salary cap this week with the money from the February release of cornerback Xavien Howard with a post-June 1 designation. Some of those funds have been used to sign five of their seven draft picks, but they still have room to work with if they want to add depth and competition at certain positions.

How about an interior offensive lineman or a defensive lineman? Those were areas where they lost their biggest free agents, defensive tackle Christian Wilkins and right guard Robert Hunt.

“I’m very happy with our current orchestration at both those units,” McDaniel said. “I’m very happy with the team, open to competition. I think competition breeds benefit for the Miami Dolphins, just because it brings the best out of people.”

McDaniel added the decision ultimately comes down to general manager Chris Grier.

“We’ll never shut the door on that, but I’m happy with the groups,” McDaniel said.