On Tuesday, the Miami Dolphins \u2013 and everyone on the roster not named De\u2019Von Achane \u2013 gathered in Miami Gardens for the first organized practice under new head coach Jeff Hafley.<\/p>\n
It was the fourth time in the last decade that fans have been put through a regime change, and like many that have come before, this one feels\u00a0different.<\/p>\n
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Sure, it wasn\u2019t the first time we had a defensive-minded head coach or a guy who had promised to build around the team\u2019s strengths. We heard from every coach who has come before how important technique and fundamentals are. And building through the draft \u2013 regardless of how the last few years of the \u201ceff them picks\u201d era have gone \u2013 was also the primary goal at one point or another.<\/p>\n
And yet, somehow it still feels different.<\/p>\n
Miami Dolphins HC Jeff Hafley meets with the media<\/p>\n
During his Tuesday press conference, Hafley never batted an eye when asked an array of questions from the South Florida media. It didn\u2019t take a bunch of \u201cummms\u201d and dead air to get the point across, either. Maybe it\u2019s because he has that head coaching experience, or maybe he\u2019s just\u00a0different.<\/p>\n
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Throughout the 30-minute press conference, Hafley never once said he was queasy or suggested he may go completely mute during the last few weeks of the season \u2013 throwing the team and his entire coaching staff under the bus. Hafley spoke definitively and emphasized the importance of getting to know the players before making any changes this offseason.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can tell you right now what I want the identity of our team to be. I\u2019ll tell you when training camp is done who we really are, or else it\u2019s just a bunch of coach talk and I\u2019m full of it up here\u2026I\u2019m not just going to throw out a bunch of phrases and lingo\u2026that\u2019s just not me. I want to find out who this team is, and I want to match that with who we become so it\u2019s real and I\u2019m not saying one thing and we\u2019re playing like another thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another one of my favorite quotes from yesterday\u2019s press conference was when Hafley was asked what type of defense he\u2019d be playing. A common question fans have wondered, but one that is far more complicated than meets the eye \u2013 especially with the way today\u2019s game is played. But coach\u2019s answer was great. It was quick, precise, and to the point. Most importantly, he gave us the why. See for yourself :::<\/p>\n
And maybe that\u2019s why I\u2019m writing this article.<\/p>\n
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Things may be different with Miami Dolphins HC Jeff Hafley<\/p>\n
Because honestly, for the first time in forever, I haven\u2019t really cared about this team like I once did. Yesterday, we were told an entire civilization could be wiped off planet Earth. My kids are getting older. I\u2019m getting older. There are bigger things in life than football, and I get that. (Note: Idk that I always understood this)<\/p>\n
This new era of Dolphins football has me doing everything I can to right the wrongs of the past. Because I can admit it, there were times when I\u2019d get too hyped for a coach (or player(s)) \u2013 regardless of the situation. He was our coach. Win or lose; ride or die.<\/p>\n
Whether it was Adam Gase and his masterful performance with *checks notes* Peyton Manning, Brian Flores giving an explicit pep talk on the sideline and shutting down the Rams in the Super Bowl, or Mike McDaniel wanting us to check our pulse if we\u2019re not fired up \u2014 \u00a0I bought in way too quickly.<\/p>\n
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I know I\u2019m not the only one, and it will likely happen again. But with very few expectations this time around, it seems like Miami is finally doing things the right way.<\/p>\n
From the hirings of Jeff Hafley and Jon-Eric Sullivan, to the maneuvering of the salary cap \u2013 and yes, even the trade for Jaylen Waddle \u2013 this new era of Miami football feels much different than the past. And with expectations at an all-time low, there\u2019s only one way to go, and that is like the Artemis II \u2014 up.<\/p>\n
2026 is going to be a down year \u2013 I don\u2019t think there\u2019s any way to avoid that. But unlike some of the teams that came before, I truly feel like we\u2019re going to see this one battling each and every week. And that\u2019s not just because the team finally has a quarterback who can play off script and use his legs to extend plays. Or because the defense is going to be better than EVERYONE expects.<\/p>\n
No.<\/p>\n
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The reason I think this is different and believe that change is coming is because Miami has a coach who has led before. He\u2019s seen the highs, and he\u2019s been there for the lows. He\u2019s also learned under one of the better head coaches in the NFL, Matt LaFleur.<\/p>\n
Hafley looked and sounded like a head coach yesterday. Like a guy who always wanted to be the leader of an NFL team but had to learn through trials and tribulations at Boston College before reaching the pinnacle of his career. Someone who is prepared to dig up the garden and plant everlasting seeds.<\/p>\n
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