A lot has gone right for the Miami Dolphins under second-year head coach Mike McDaniel.
The team is 9-3 and atop the AFC East, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and wide receiver Tyreek Hill are playing at MVP levels, and the offense ranks second in scoring this season.
But the play of the defense is not lost on McDaniel.
The coach took some time to praise cornerback Xavien Howard this week and said he’s learned a lot about Howard this season.
He also pointed out a huge defended pass from Week 13 that he felt was just as highlight-worthy as some of Hill’s receptions this past week, via Omar Kelly on Twitter.
“It has probably gone under the radar to the public and to just the narrative but it sure hasn’t gone under the radar to his teammates,” McDaniel said. “He’s taking his game to another level.”
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel talks about the fact Xavien Howard has taken his game to “the next level.” pic.twitter.com/uheCcldzCi
— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) December 7, 2023
Howard has been one of the best cornerbacks in the league for awhile.
He’s a four-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro with 29 career interceptions and 91 career pass breakups.
In 2020, Howard led the NFL with 10 interceptions and 20 pass breakups and finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Howard’s production has declined a bit since then – he has just two interceptions and 20 pass breakups in the past two seasons – but McDaniel still sees him as one of the best cornerbacks in the league.
It helps that he’s playing with six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro Jalen Ramsey.
The Dolphins defense has come on strong recently under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, and Howard has certainly been apart of the unit’s rise.
Plays like the one McDaniel described will continue to help push the Dolphins to the postseason.
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