Mike McDaniel Details the 'Odd' Bill Belichick Game Plan That Kept Him Up At Night

The Patriots confused the Dolphins with this one.

McDaniel shakes Belichick's hand at Gillette Stadium. | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel is considered one of the NFL's top offensive minds. His innovative play calling—laced with exotic run plays, "cheat" motions, and a need for speed—can give opposing teams headaches if they're ill-prepared.

On the flip side, one defensive coach that gives (or in this case gave) McDaniel fits is Bill Belichick. He explained why on the latest episode of ESPN's This is Football with Kevin Clark:

"Bill Belichick was a beast," McDaniel said when asked which defensive coach keeps him up at night. "He gets a lot of credit, I'm not sure if he gets the appropriate credit for the defensive mind. And application, uniformity, unpredictability, outside-the-box problem solving."

He went on to describe an "odd" Belichick game plan his Dolphins saw from the New England Patriots back in 2023:

"He just had this odd idea of a defensive game plan of guys, in positionless football, just standing in the areas that we usually like to throw," McDaniel explained. "And it was like, 'What? This is unique.' So things like that, he was a force football-wise."

I asked Mike McDaniel what defensive coach keeps him awake at night.

He talks about Belichick's positionless football then shouts out JONATHAN GANNON's use of BUDDA BAKER.

"He's kamikaze. 'How are you this fearless?' He's playing like he's the biggest player on the field." pic.twitter.com/uLGUxug0ws

— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) April 4, 2025

Lucky for him, Miami and the rest of the NFL won't have to face off against Belichick this season. The 72-year-old—at least for now—is sitting pretty as the coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels.

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