Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel entered Week 18 knowing both the opposing New York Jets and AFC rival New England Patriots stood in the way of Miami qualifying for the postseason. But the first-year coach didn’t put much thought into the Patriots game with his main objective being on his own club.
Miami ultimately went on to defeat the Jets, 11-6, benefiting from a last-minute field goal and safety on New York’s final offensive play. The Patriots, who entered the slate in a win-and-in situation, lost to the Buffalo Bills, 35-23. It wasn’t until McDaniel and the Dolphins officially earned the win that he gained any clarity into Miami’s postseason fate, though.
“There was a couple people right after I shook hands with Jets coaches, that I know too well, so I didn’t know any sort of score because that was the objective,” McDaniel told reporters after the game, per the team. “We needed to win regardless, nothing mattered if we didn’t.
“And then I saw (Dolphins communications director) Anne Noland and she, I’ve never played her, but she’s probably terrible at poker. She had a grin that I was like ‘Ah, ok,'” McDaniel continued. “And then we had the game on in the locker room and guys were able to see it was a two-score lead and guys were able to see it was a kneel down.”
New England kept it a contest into the fourth quarter — despite a noteworthy opening kickoff return for touchdown — but a pair of Mac Jones interceptions ultimately helped Buffalo kill enough clock and put the game away.
The Dolphins now will travel to the second-seeded Bills in the AFC wild-card round.
