Mike McDaniel had a decision to make Saturday. He knows by now you can’t talk a team’s desired identity or reformed culture into existence. It has to be created with work, not words.

That’s why he practiced two days and played Saturday’s exhibition against the Detroit Lions . How better to move your identity from finesse to physical than working against one of the toughest teams led by a coach who professes to eat kneecaps?

Only on Saturday, in a workout of mostly backups , McDaniel dropped the demands toward a newer, tougher identity in the first half.

The Dolphins ran just five times for 6 yards.

Quarterback Zach Wilson, meanwhile, passed for 23 times that half , completing 15 or 151 yards and a touchdown.

McDaniel’s intentions were as clear as his play calls. He wanted the ros

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