"I was like, 'Woah, that's intense' when I was young," said McDaniel, who would've been 10 years old at the time and a young Denver Broncos fan growing up in Colorado. "'As a kid and off the rip, I was like, 'That's a different set of fanbases that are both very prideful, so stuff is going to pop off.' '"
"Thirty-two years later, it seems possible the Bills could present McDaniel, who said he has been on the receiving end of ample middle fingers from Buffalo fans in his own right, something much worse than the ugly gesture - his walking papers. McDaniel, early in Year 4 leading the Dolphins, is trying to make sure the sight of him walking off the field through that same tunnel as Cox isn't the last image of him as coach of the franchise when he leads Miami (0-2) into the immense challenge of facing the AFC East rival Bills (2-0) in their house on a short week with the "Thursday Night Football" spotlight on the two teams."
"Realistically, it would probably take a lot for McDaniel to lose his job this early in 2025. The last time a team and coach parted ways after three games of an NFL season it was the 2000 Cincinnati Bengals moving on from Bruce Coslet."
Mike McDaniel was introduced to the intensity of the rivalry between the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills by a middle finger. Former Dolphins linebacker Bryan Cox in 1993 walked through the tunnel at Rich Stadium greeting Bills fans with two outstretched arms and middle fingers. McDaniel, about 10 years old and a Denver Broncos fan at the time, recalled the moment as an early impression of the rivalry's fervor. Thirty-two years later the Bills could present a greater threat: the potential firing of McDaniel as he begins Year 4 with Miami 0-2 and facing Buffalo 2-0 on a short week. Owner Steve Ross holds the ultimate decision amid fan pressure, including a banner calling for McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier to lose their jobs after repeated failures to make deep playoff runs.
Read at Sun Sentinel
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