Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley set an important standard by pulling running back Ollie Gordon II.
Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley means business, and he has demonstrated his no-nonsense style of coaching simply by how he has handled answers to the media and players speaking about that same fact.
Hafley is out to set an important standard, and he did just that when he pulled running back Ollie Gordon II following an unsportsmanlike conduct play that wiped away a run.
Following the penalty, Hafley was seen speaking to Gordon, presumably about causing such a penalty. The Dolphins head coach then pulled the running back from the game.
During Hafley's media availability, he explained his reasoning for pulling Gordon.
"We had an opportunity to continue a drive, it’s important to me. Post-snap penalties are not acceptable to me. It’s disrespectful to the team. It’s how you lose games. I went over it with the team today. Ollie and I had a great conversation again this morning. Hopefully he’ll learn from it and our team will learn from it," Hafley said.
Hafley had spoken plenty about committing penalties and about process being one of the most important aspects of any football team. If the Miami roster can limit penalties and mistakes, it can be competitive.
Any deviation from that simplistic plan may lead to crucial mistakes like post-snap penalties wiping away drives. Granted, this is preseason, and correcting mistakes is important. Even though the Dolphins are not in the regular season yet, Hafley is setting a very important standard by showing that players who make such mistakes will suffer consequences.
One of the biggest narratives surrounding the Dolphins in recent years has been that the team has been described as "soft," which might also mean they are undisciplined.
That is clearly not going to be the case under Hafley, who is sending a message to the entire team that they will need to be disciplined or they will lose playing time.
Even if Gordon had been having a good game, he was pulled.
Hafley echoed the same sentiment when he explained that players fighting in practice would mean they would lose playing time. There have been no fights among Dolphins players, and nothing egregious during their joint practice with the Washington Commanders.
Despite being pulled, Gordon finished the day with seven carries for 39 yards, which is coincidentally the same yardage that De'Von Achane got. Achane did score a touchdown, though.
The backup running back position is still wide open, and Gordon could very well work his way into the RB2 position if he can continue to show that he can make plays with his legs. However, he will also lose out on that position if he makes silly mistakes.
Hafley is dead set on having a fully disciplined team, and he showcased that in the Dolphins preseason opener.
