Tough Love: Mike McDaniel Reminds Vets of…
Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert scored 21 touchdowns last season and he was the team’s starter in the first week of this season, but his playing time has dropped sharply over the last few weeks.
Mostert played 30 offensive snaps in Week Eight, but has played just 32 over the last three weeks as De’Von Achane has taken on the clear lead role in the backfield. Mostert is not the only Dolphins veteran to see their role diminish — linebacker David Long was released after starting six of the first eight games of the season for example — which led to a question for head coach Mike McDaniel on Wednesday about whether he’s trying to send a message to players.
“No, I think it’s been the same pattern each and every season in terms of one thing that I’m very upfront with with players, the second they get in the building, the second that we start talking about projected lineups or positions within a position group, I think it’s important that people understand you’re entitled to nothing in this world,” McDaniel said, via a transcript from the team. “Playing time is solved by players on the field, and the best players have to play, and that’s my job to follow through with that.”
Major lineup changes would raise more of an eyebrow if the Dolphins were running near the top of the table, but they were 2-6 before winning their last two games and it makes sense that starting out that way would result in different personnel getting opportunities to show what they can do. That’s working for the Dolphins right now and no one should be surprised by further tweaks if the team should stumble again in the future.
