For Tyreek Hill, the Miami Dolphins must shift their mindset if they truly want to achieve greatness in the NFL. Wins may come early in the season, but everything seems to collapse once the cold months arrive.
The Dolphins lean heavily on team speed, but when it comes to physicality, they tread dangerous ground. Since Mike McDaniel took over the franchise in 2022, the team has seen a notable resurgence. Still, things fall apart when Miami hits the road to face opponents in colder climates during autumn and winter. The team lacks the physical edge to compete on those unforgiving fields.
Strong numbers that vanish in winter
The Dolphins tend to come out firing at the start of the season. Their strongest months are September, October, and November, during which they’ve posted a 21-13 record. Unfortunately, everything changes once winter sets in. For December and January, their record drops to 7-12, including a 0-2 mark in the playoffs.
Reacting to this troubling trend, Tyreek Hill-who despite his share of controversies remains the team’s vocal leader-recently called for a shift in mentality if the Dolphins want to be serious championship contenders.
“It’s time to change who we are as a team,” Hill said of what he told the team as a leader. “It’s time to change the narrative.”
Hill made it clear that he’s grown tired of hearing the same criticisms about Miami’s struggles in the cold.
I’m tired of that narrative,”… “I’m tired of living behind not being able to go to the playoffs and win in Miami because we got a damn good team. We got a good quarterback, we got a good offensive line and we got some good coaches. And we got some good people in the community who deserve to be a part of it. I feel like this is the year that we change all of that.
he said.
Rumors swirl around Hill’s potential exit
At the end of the 2024 season, strong rumors emerged suggesting Tyreek Hill would leave the Dolphins. The repeated frustrations seemed to have created a breaking point between the star receiver, the coaching staff, and the front office. In the end, it was just noise-Hill stayed put and is now fully committed to the team and on solid ground with head coach Mike McDaniel.
He’s one of those guys that, at first, he was odd,” Hill said of McDaniel. “But I’m in year four with Mike now and our relationship is great.
A star shining by the beach
Since his trade from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Miami Dolphins prior to the 2022 season, Tyreek Hill has remained consistently elite. In at least two of his last three seasons, he has surpassed 1,700 receiving yards. His individual excellence is something he hopes will inspire his teammates to raise their level, so the team can go further than it has so far.
Hill is quick to praise the work McDaniel has done, especially his creativity in utilizing offensive weapons.
He’s probably one of the best offensive coordinators I’ve been around,” Hill said. “One of the best minds I’ve been around. The way he utilizes me in motions and jet sweeps and just whatever it takes to get me open – those two years I had seventeen-hundred yards in a row, it was just him and his creativity.
He added:
Mike really is a genius though,” he said. “He’s a nerd for a reason. He’s a nerd for football.
The Dolphins are looking to return to the playoffs in 2025 after finishing the 2024 campaign with an 8-9 record.
Read the full article here
