No matter how well a team is doing, there’s always something that can be improved. For the Dolphins, there have been issues with the center-quarterback exchange, both under center and in shotgun.
Earlier this week, coach Mike McDaniel was asked to identify his level of concern as to the snap issues, which has led to multiple fumbles from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. McDaniel started with one of his bizarrely specific responses. It then became a very meaningful explanation.
“My level of concern is two-sixtieths of the game,” McDaniel told reporters. “It’s an odd thing to be concerned about because it’s executed very well on so many occasions. So it’s like everything else where you have to try to reverse-engineer. OK, how can we go this whole game with this happening? What is going on right now, and getting down to the fundamentals and technique, and really the mindset of it.
“And you’re fortunate when that stuff happens to have it happen early in the season, for us to communicate and talk about to get better from, and to have it happen in a win. Those are the best-case scenarios that you’re not always as fortunate to have those lessons be given to you in wins. But I think my assumption — that is founded based upon all the people that are in this building, on this team — my assumption is that we’re seeking out and finding every piece of our game that we can improve upon and that is the non-negotiable prerequisite.
“So anything that happens, whether it’s a weird distribution, a missed tackle, a blocked kick — all of these things you can either say — I think our mode of our whole team is to find those, look them straight in the eye and correct them because the only way to get better, to continually improve, is if you’re identifying and finding those things. That will always be the case if you’re trying to do something worthwhile.”
He’s right. The center-quarterback exchange has been an issue. It has not cost them a game. They intend to fix it before it does. And the best teams will find a way to iron out the early-season glitches before they become late-season complications.
