When the Miami Dolphins decided to fire offensive coordinator Chad O'Shea near the end of his first season, it came as a bit of a surprise.
The Dolphins finished their 2019 campaign strong with five wins of their last nine games, including a shocking upset victory over the New England Patriots in Week 17. Still, that wasn't enough for O'Shea to keep his job.
Ironically, O'Shea's tenure as Patriots' wide receivers coach played a role in his demise in Miami. According to the Miami Herald, O'Shea attempted to teach the Patriots' offense to Dolphins players, but it proved to be too difficult for their young roster to learn.
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One player described the situation on offense last season as a “[expletive] show,” noting O’Shea tried to teach an offense that was too complex for a young team and that teaching/instruction during film study was a “disaster.”
As one player noted, O’Shea tried to run plays that were used in New England, which was predictable because O’Shea had spent the previous 10 seasons there as wide receivers coach.
The Patriots offense is considered complex, but a player said O’Shea made the situation worse by trying to install especially complicated, advanced elements of the Patriots offense that Brady and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels used.
What makes the circumstances of O'Shea's firing even more interesting is that Dolphins head coach Brian Flores has his own history with the Patriots. Of course, Flores' focus primarily was on the defensive side of things in New England.
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Shortly after parting ways with the Dolphins, O'Shea landed a new gig as wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator for the Cleveland Browns.