1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

Howard happy

Discussion in 'Miami Dolphins Forum' started by Finatik, Apr 6, 2022.

  1. Finatik

    Finatik Season Ticket Holder Staff Member Club Member

    4,323
    4,012
    113
    May 2, 2014
    SO Cal
    He should be - he just got paid.

    Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard is liking what he’s hearing from new coach Mike McDaniel. Howard said in his interactions with McDaniel so far this offseason, he’s been impressed with the optimism McDaniel is instilling.

    “Everything’s been different. The energy, everybody’s happy. I think a lot of things are going to be special here with Mike McDaniel. He’s bringing that energy,” Howard said. “I was excited to meet him, he was excited to meet me.”

    Howard said he believes he and his teammates are going to get on board with McDaniel’s program. “If everybody buys in, we’ll get the job done,” Howard said.

    The Dolphins haven’t made the playoffs since 2016 and haven’t won a playoff game since 2000. After hiring McDaniel, they’ve gone all-in with big moves designed to win right away. There’s definitely an energy in Miami this offseason, but whether that translates to a winning regular season remains to be seen.
     
    KeyFin likes this.
  2. OwesOwn614

    OwesOwn614 Well-Known Member

    3,757
    3,787
    113
    Jul 8, 2020
     
  3. TheHighExhaulted

    TheHighExhaulted Well-Known Member

    5,819
    4,665
    113
    Jan 15, 2008
    They have a coaching staff that knows what they're doing and how to communicate.

    No one misses Flores and his wannabe Belichick routine.
     
    Tone_E likes this.
  4. resnor

    resnor Derp Sherpa

    16,327
    9,874
    113
    Nov 25, 2007
    New Hampshire
    Let's see how the season goes before crowning this staff as competent. I feel like I've heard this same story with every new coach we've had.
     
    Kud_II, Wilkimania, KeyFin and 4 others like this.
  5. Tone_E

    Tone_E Season Ticket Holder Club Member

    13,777
    7,574
    113
    Dec 8, 2007
    I believe their success on the field is irrelevant to the point being made. We have a relatable and approachable head coach, which is a stark difference from the brick wall that the players interacted with before McDaniel arriving. It should do wonders for team unity and morale. Flores polarized and separated the locker room by what side of the ball they played on.

    I don't think he's head coaching material for that reason alone. He's a great defensive coordinator but that is about as high a position as I'd give him. He can't handle full team duties.
     
  6. ExplosionsInDaSky

    ExplosionsInDaSky Well-Known Member

    3,163
    2,325
    113
    Sep 13, 2011
    I'll wait and see. The same exact things have all been said about Joe Philbin, Gase, and then Flores. If we continue losing, then I think we all know the drill. If we can win, make the playoffs and not get smoked in the wildcard, but actually win a game...I'll start to believe. I was 18 years old the last time we won a playoff game. I like Mcdaniel, I like the moves we've made, but I'm an optimistic skeptic until further notice. Like I said, playoffs would be nice. I don't expect us to go into Buffalo in early January and spank Josh Allen and the Bills, but I do hope for better all around.
     
    hitman8, resnor and mlb1399 like this.
  7. OwesOwn614

    OwesOwn614 Well-Known Member

    3,757
    3,787
    113
    Jul 8, 2020
     
  8. resnor

    resnor Derp Sherpa

    16,327
    9,874
    113
    Nov 25, 2007
    New Hampshire
    EXACTLY. Dude Adam Gase, perfect example. He was young, genius, players loved him, everything was different, great energy, blah blah blah.

    This is the same old story. I want to see results.
     
    hitman8 likes this.
  9. Finatik

    Finatik Season Ticket Holder Staff Member Club Member

    4,323
    4,012
    113
    May 2, 2014
    SO Cal
    During a press conference to discuss his contract extension on Wednesday, Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard said it is “so exciting” that the Dolphins were able to bring back the key members of their 2021 defense for the 2022 season before turning his attention to the other side of the ball.

    The Dolphins traded for wide receiver Tyreek Hill and signed players like Chase Edmonds, Cedrick Wilson, Terron Armstead, Connor Williams, and Raheem Mostert as free agents in a bid to spark more offensive production under new head coach Mike McDaniel. Howard said he told McDaniel he’s “got to get my hammies right” to practice against the unit because “we’ve got a lot of speed over there.”

    Hill is responsible for a good bit of that speed and Howard said he thinks upcoming their practice sessions are going to benefit both players.

    “I think we’ll get each other better. I played against him in college and also in the league. I just want to focus on getting each other better. That’s really it,” Howard said.

    The Dolphins are betting that McDaniel and their offensive additions will lead to the kind of production they felt was lacking in recent seasons. If that’s the case and the defense can continue on the same path, the Dolphins should at least be in the mix for the playoffs in the AFC.
     
    resnor likes this.
  10. texanphinatic

    texanphinatic Senior Member

    11,881
    4,834
    113
    Nov 26, 2007
    Detroit Metro Area MI
    People are conflating McDaniels' pre-crowned genius (a fair point to be leery of and debate, as the Gase era shows) with how the team is reacting to Flores being gone.

    I think a lot of people are underestimating how stifling those Patriot-esque regimes are, and Flores the Hardass seems no exception. He did better than most with two winning seasons, but in the end, he was still another failed Patriots guy. The total W/L record of the past two years feels like it was more of a mirage than actual reality. Especially last year, where it felt more the product of an incredible slate of weak second-half QBs to go up against. There was just SO MUCH dysfunction across the board.

    Does players expressing excitement over a change mean McDaniels will succeed? That he is, in fact, a genius? That we are playoff bound? No. But it does indicate that Flores is what he was, just another in a long line of Patriot failures.
     
    firedan, Finatik and Puka-head like this.
  11. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

    10,488
    12,821
    113
    Nov 1, 2009
    I completely disagree. In year one, Flores won 5 more games than expected. In year two, we loaded up the line with prospects, started horrible, and somehow still etched out 10 wins. Same thing last year, with the biggest comeback season ever in the history of the NFL. Very hard to say Flores was a failed coach- the 5-win season was honestly the most impressive of the three.

    But that doesn't matter since it has nothing to do with McDaniels. Same defense, which is great, and I think that sets the bar of 7 or 8 wins all by itself. We've also upgraded the offense in several critical positions, and that should be good for at least a couple more wins. So for me, the "baseline" of expectations is 10 wins. If we hit 10, then McDaniels really didn't do anything that Flores or another coach couldn't do.

    Then again, it also depends on how we win. If we're squeaking by in 19-14 games against lousy teams like last year, then that's also another red flag. We should have at least a few wins with an offensive genius that's putting up 30+ in a game. So that's something to pay attention to as well.

    My final hurdle on judging the new coach is divisional games. The Jets, yeah...we'll sweep the Jets regardless. But can we beat the Pats convincingly? Can we hang with Buffalo to make it a last-possession type of game? That's what I'm looking for. Even with the season being 17 games, losing in the division is still a massive deal. If we beat Buffalo at home last year then we were a playoff team...same for the year before. So I really need to see us at 4-2 or 5-1 in the division.
     
    Hooligan and resnor like this.
  12. Finatik

    Finatik Season Ticket Holder Staff Member Club Member

    4,323
    4,012
    113
    May 2, 2014
    SO Cal
    There are no bad teams in the NFL. Especially in your own division. There are more talented teams. Not bad teams.
     
    Phil Hutchings and KeyFin like this.
  13. tirty8

    tirty8 Well-Known Member

    1,325
    1,380
    113
    Jan 2, 2016
    As of right now, I think they obviously should be happy. A lot of their own players just got paid handsomely. They brought in some big free agents, and people did not like Flores.

    We are in the honeymoon period.

    The real test will be how will players react when setbacks occur or their roles change.
     
    Finatik likes this.
  14. cbrad

    cbrad .

    10,659
    12,657
    113
    Dec 21, 2014
    Year 1 for Flores was completely expected in terms of win totals. Vegas had us winning 4.5 games at season start. The only impressive year relative to Vegas expectations was year 2. They thought we'd win 6 and we won 10. Year 3 was exactly as expected with 9 wins.
    https://www.sportsoddshistory.com/nfl-odds/

    Flores was an average coach, so it's fine that we got rid of him. As far as McDaniel, he is inheriting a decent team so I agree with that 10 win baseline. I'd go further though: he either makes the playoffs year 1 or he's probably not the right HC.
     
    Hooligan, Pauly and KeyFin like this.
  15. texanphinatic

    texanphinatic Senior Member

    11,881
    4,834
    113
    Nov 26, 2007
    Detroit Metro Area MI
    If a five win season is your most impressive accomplishment, you haven't really accomplished anything.

    I get that we had very little in the way of talent, but five wins in a season in which expectations were absolutely nil and with an immense chip on your shoulder the way we were portrayed? It was a nice start, but that cannot be your most impressive thing.

    The problem with the "record comeback" was that we ever needed it to start with because of a horrendous start in the season in which we had real, actual and tangible expectations. And we finished in third place, and out of the playoffs.

    Brian Flores' record was abysmal, but he never reached the playoffs and eventually his "Patriot way" caught up to him in terms of player and staff dissatisfaction and strife the way it seems to catch all of them eventually. I compared him liberally to Matt Patricia here in Detroit since I'm local to the area now. And while Flores certainly had a better record and got more out of his players, MUCH of the same that was said and applied to the Patricia era also seems to be true of the Flores era here. Players unhappy, unable to retain coaches or hire top coaches, struggles in certain areas that never seemed to improve, strife with front office. The kinds of things X (and others) are saying about the Flores to McDaniels era is essentially the same stuff I am hearing about the Patricia to Dan Campbell era here. That doesn't mean that either Campbell or McDaniels will ultimately succeed, but it does mean I feel much more confident in Miami letting Flores go. The record was just window dressing to me, and as much as it was a winning season, it was one in which we were again watching from third place on the couch as playoffs rolled around. And no, based on the prior years, I had 0 faith in Flores to actually fix it.
     
  16. plc001

    plc001 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

    1,085
    1,758
    113
    Jun 22, 2008
    It's hard to expect any coach to win year 1, when you're installing a new offense. that's gonna take time. And we are playing a tough schedule. I don't see a lot of wins when I look at our opponents. Maybe all these additions, and Tua will click right away. But the Dolphins have trained me to be weary of a hope.
     
    resnor likes this.
  17. resnor

    resnor Derp Sherpa

    16,327
    9,874
    113
    Nov 25, 2007
    New Hampshire
    Success on the field IS THE ONLY RELEVANT metric. I couldn't care less how much "energy" there is. If the results aren't there on the field then it doesn't matter how relatable he is.

    He will be gone just like Flores/Gase/Philbin/Sparano/etc etc.
     
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2022
    Hooligan likes this.
  18. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

    10,488
    12,821
    113
    Nov 1, 2009
    It was a 5-win season with probably the worst roster in the history of football. No veterans, no stars (except for Howard), and we signed almost half our roster AFTER training camp ended. That squad shouldn't have won a single game.
     
    Phil Hutchings and resnor like this.
  19. resnor

    resnor Derp Sherpa

    16,327
    9,874
    113
    Nov 25, 2007
    New Hampshire
    What I didn't like about Flores was the consistent 0-4+ starts to the season. He deserved to be gone just for that.
     
    KeyFin likes this.
  20. Finatik

    Finatik Season Ticket Holder Staff Member Club Member

    4,323
    4,012
    113
    May 2, 2014
    SO Cal
    Have you ever played team sports? How the coach interacts to players has a definite impact on how they perform. To just dismiss this, if that's you're position, it really makes you look foolish IMO.
     
  21. resnor

    resnor Derp Sherpa

    16,327
    9,874
    113
    Nov 25, 2007
    New Hampshire
    Have YOU ever played team sports? I most definitely have. Regardless, I don't give a **** what the energy is, how relatable he is, etc. He can be ALL those things, and if he doesn't get wins, he's gone. You disagree with that?

    Just because someone is relatable and has great energy, doesn't mean jack in regards to whether or not they can coach. We didn't hire a motivational speaker, we hired a guy to coach the team and lead us to a Super Bowl. That's the big goal.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 11, 2022
    Phil Hutchings likes this.
  22. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

    10,488
    12,821
    113
    Nov 1, 2009
    In high school JV, I had a head coach that was a mentor and a friend. Learned a ton from him and always thought of him fondly. I even visited him a few times over the years, just to check in and say hi. Plus I coached line for him for about 5 years. Great guy that led by example. Never yelled, never cussed, just mentored and supported us.

    That same year (I was only JV for 1 season), I had a line coach that was mean as they come. Always screaming at me. Always pushing me harder than everyone else around me. And I hated him for it. But about halfway through the season, I got nose to nose with him and he sat me down to talk. He said he pushed me so hard because I had more potential than the others in that group and he wanted me to be the best I could possibly be. He ended up being my favorite coach ever because he was the coach I needed...but definitely not the coach I wanted.

    On varsity, we had a trash talking head coach...likable but was very hands-off. Looking back, I'm not sure what he actually did other than blow his whistle and tell jokes. Great guy, worthless coach in terms of player development. Funny as can be though.

    His assistant was a short, fat country guy who couldn't stop saying, "Ain't nobody gonna stop the wishbone." Yet we were 4-6 that year, everybody stopped the darn wishbone. He was an idiot but didn't know it, and nobody had any respect at all for him (including parents). He was one of those "me, me, me" types of people and could care less about us. He's the worst coach I ever had.

    Another assistant was a body builder, massive dude who actually played a bit in the NFL. Mean as can be in practice and a super good guy off the field. Always there to talk stuff out, to keep us on track in the gym and on the field.

    In college, it's completely different. Bigger team, more specialty coaches. They moved me from guard to center and I had never played center before, and our line coach jumped all over me every time I had a bad snap in practice. Like day one- I was getting cussed out. I talked to the head coach later that week and he told me to deal with it on my own, if I want to play there then I needed to learn the position. My dad had a medical emergency a few weeks later though and I dropped out, never went back. So I never started a game at center in division III.

    A year later, I played division II at guard but eventually hit every position on that line, including a little TE and FB. Again, completely different coaching styles and it wasn't about how mean/nice the coaches were, it's how they helped me develop as a player and an athlete. Just like in every job, some were there strictly for the paycheck and others were there to re-live their own football careers through the players. Those kinds of coaches were generally no help at all. Others meant well but just didn't have the knowledge or the experience, but they were still helpful if they believed in the players and gave us confidence.

    Like I said earlier, my favorite coach of all was one of the meanest people I've ever met. He looked like a lumberjack, strong and rugged, and his temperament was not at all pleasant. Almost everyone hated him because he never stopped screaming at us but darn it, he made us all better players. He was an absolute terror but at the same time, if you ever tried to actually talk to him, he probably cared about us more than anyone.

    That's what its like in football though; it's not about nice or mean, friend or mentor. The common factor in great coaches is actually giving a darn about what's best for the players, and knowing how to motivate them to become better athletes. And I'm telling you, they come in all shapes, sizes, and personalities.

    When I finally went back to my high school and coached line in my late 20's, I tried to be the nice supportive guy and the players didn't respond. But when I flipped the script and went all "hulk-mode" like my JV line coach, the kids wouldn't even look me in the eyes...I terrified them! So I had to figure out my own style, coach my way, and that varied by the person I was teaching. Some responded to kindness while others had to be pushed. Some just wanted to be motivated. It really depended on the person and where they were at in their football journey.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 11, 2022
    Phil Hutchings, Hooligan and resnor like this.
  23. Finatik

    Finatik Season Ticket Holder Staff Member Club Member

    4,323
    4,012
    113
    May 2, 2014
    SO Cal
    Its a razors edge in coaching between "mean" and tough. You don't have to be mean to be tough. Some see toughness as being mean which is different then being mean spirited. Had a high school baseball coach that was a Jack arse. Players playing not because of superior talent but because of politics. Scremaing at the team because of a lose and we all look at each other saying to ourselves "you put him out there if Joe would have been there that wouldn't have happened." His assistance were great and the team did well because of the coaching. Not because of the head coach. If it would have been just him he would have lost the team. I know that. We discussed it amongst ourselves. Which is a real concept if people just don't want to play for you. Resnor have you ever heard anyone say "Looks like he lost the team and they just aren't playing for him"? Maybe you've never been in that situation but that's where I was going with it.
     
  24. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

    10,488
    12,821
    113
    Nov 1, 2009
    I agree. The coach I referenced wasn't being mean just to be mean, he was doing it to push us. I've never been in the military but I'm assuming that he would be like a typical drill instructor...always in someone's face correcting them. But at the same time, he came with all that intensity out of love for the game and love for us. I know that sounds insane, but he was a good man....I just didn't realize it until years later.

    My main point though was that leadership can come in a lot of forms. For instance, Philbin could have been a great coach with his wholesome mentoring style. It didn't work out but at the same time, that doesn't mean we needed a hard-*** like a Sparano or a Dan Campbell either...it just didn't work out for Philbin. Personally, I thought Gase was probably a great mastermind coach, but nobody liked him and he shot himself in the foot. Sometimes it's just that simple- head coaches can't build relationships so they never actually become leaders. There's a big difference between being the boss and being the leader.
     
    Phil Hutchings likes this.
  25. Kud_II

    Kud_II Realist Division

    3,662
    1,404
    113
    Oct 15, 2011
    Seneca, SC
    Crowning new coaches is what Dolfans do best second only to crowning top 10 QB picks.
     
    resnor likes this.
  26. Finatik

    Finatik Season Ticket Holder Staff Member Club Member

    4,323
    4,012
    113
    May 2, 2014
    SO Cal
    True that.
     
    KeyFin likes this.
  27. Vertical Limit

    Vertical Limit Senior Member

    12,162
    5,057
    113
    Nov 25, 2007
    I dont think Flores ever acted like Belichick. His defense and offense was different than the one Belichick had. His demeanor on the sidelines was different.

    the one who was a wannabe belichick was matt patricia
     
  28. Serpico Jones

    Serpico Jones Well-Known Member

    4,697
    1,667
    113
    Feb 1, 2012
    They haven’t played a single game yet. Relax.
     
  29. plc001

    plc001 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

    1,085
    1,758
    113
    Jun 22, 2008
    I miss him until McDaniel proves to me that I shouldn't. I still think Flores can be a successful coach in the NFL. That said, I have guarded optimism for McDaniel.
     
  30. OwesOwn614

    OwesOwn614 Well-Known Member

    3,757
    3,787
    113
    Jul 8, 2020
     
  31. OwesOwn614

    OwesOwn614 Well-Known Member

    3,757
    3,787
    113
    Jul 8, 2020
    Well, that didn't last very long...
     
  32. OwesOwn614

    OwesOwn614 Well-Known Member

    3,757
    3,787
    113
    Jul 8, 2020
     
  33. Wilkimania

    Wilkimania Well-Known Member

    1,033
    649
    113
    Sep 11, 2016
    I mean the other major difference between the 2 deals is that Denzel Ward doesn't turn 25 for another week or so whilst X is already 28 and will be 29 by the time the season starts. Whilst both are very good players, both are in very different stages of their careers.
     

Share This Page