Mike McDaniel explains why he didn’t go for all-time scoring record

In the final minute of Sunday's game against the Broncos, the Dolphins chose to not attempt to break the NFL record for points in a game

BY JAMES MERILATT

Sep 24, 2023, 3:30 PM Updated: Sep 25, 2023, 5:18 pm

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The Dolphins had a chance to make NFL history. Leading 70-20 with 33 seconds to play on Sunday, Miami faced a fourth-and-14 at Denver’s 27-yard line.

A field goal would move their point total to 73, which would’ve been the most ever scored by an NFL team in a single game, besting the 72 scored by Washington in 1966. Instead, Mike McDaniel chose to take a knee and turn the ball over on downs.

Why did the Dolphins head coach make that decision? Why didn’t he take a shot at going down in the history books?

McDaniel explained in his postgame press conference. And his response was classy, keeping an eye on the big picture.

Mike McDaniel explains why he didn’t go for the NFL scoring record pic.twitter.com/n1JMvEwLBK

— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) September 24, 2023

Clearly, McDaniel didn’t want to embarrass Sean Payton and the Broncos. But his decision wasn’t about sparing feelings. It was about keeping his team focused on the bigger picture.

The Dolphins had their win. They’re 3-0 on the season. They’re a legit Super Bowl contender.

That’s what McDaniel cares about. He’s not concerned with setting records along the way.

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