Six NFL teams are currently on a four-plus game winning streak. The first five are relatively easy to fix. They are all in the playoffs: Denver (10), New England (10), Houston (5), Jacksonville (4), Green Bay (4).
The sixth? Miami Dolphins.
Coach 50 days ago, Mike McDaniel’s club has turned the season around after a disastrous 1-6 start, winning four in a row and five of the last six. It may be too late to make a playoff run, as Next Gen Stats’ probability rating gives Miami a less than 1% chance of advancing to the postseason, but the turnaround has saved the coach from the fire.
McDaniel looked defeated in October. Sad, annoying press conferences. Frustrating extras. The coach looked pissed off. He seemed to know.
The win brought the sunshine back to South Beach.
Amid their longest winning streak since 2022, Dolphins center Aaron Brewer was asked about McDaniel’s change in demeanor over the course of the season, from jokey to grumpy and back to cheerful.
“I wouldn’t say he took (a break), it’s just his character,” Brewer said of McDaniel’s rant. “He’s still been cracking jokes, with his little jokes that he throws in here and there, but it’s just been more focused on what’s really, really important and what we had to do. We started in a bad place, so we had to completely turn it around, do a complete 180. He’s still himself but it was just more focused on the details and the details.”