Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel Praises Bill Belichick In Most Mike McDaniel Way

Mike McDaniel took a joke out of his well-documented comedy routine as he shared admiration of New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who the Miami Dolphins head coach will go up against Sunday night at Gillette Stadium.

“It is amazing to me, and I hope one day I can even sniff this, it’s amazing that the orchestration of the defense is so consistent, so fundamentally consistent and sound. The strain very, very detailed. And the leader of the ship was at the same job when we were all like, ‘What’s an iPod?'” McDaniel told reporters Wednesday, per the team.

The original iPod was introduced in October 2001, which marked Belichick’s second season in New England.

“The coolest part about what they do is it’s not because they’re entitled. Because they are,” McDaniel said. “It’s because they work at stuff, you can really see it. And they have very strong and consistent technique and fundamentals.

“You can tell that from the top down, and all the coaches on the defensive side, that it’s non-negotiable and then they work together. I think they are unique in what they do and that’s a testament, from an X’s and O’s standpoint, to one of the founding fathers of this generation of football.”

The 40-year-old McDaniel is in his second season with the Dolphins. Miami split its season series against New England during his first season, which included a win over Belichick in McDaniel’s NFL debut.

Belichick was equally as complementary about McDaniel and the Dolphins’ explosive group of skill players when speaking Wednesday. The group helped quarterback Tua Tagovailoa earned AFC Player of the Week in Week 1.

The Dolphins earned a 36-34 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, as Tagovailoa threw for 466 yards with three touchdowns, two of which went to wideout Tyree Hill. Hill finished with an eye-popping 215 yards receiving against the Chargers.

“It’s pretty cool to watch, great challenge,” McDaniel said of the Patriots. “And that’s what you want. You want to be challenged week in and week out with different things. Because, again, you’re preparing to try to be the best version of yourself, against the best teams, when it matters most.”

The Dolphins are a 2.5-point road favorite entering the contest against the Patriots.