NFL Rule Changes Will Force Dolphins to Abandon 'Cheat Code' Offense in 2024

The Miami Dolphins' offense last season put up video game-like numbers most of the time. But that could potentially change for the upcoming season, thanks to updates in the NFL rulebook for 2024.

Third-year head coach Mike McDaniel is one of the more innovative offensive-minded coaches in the game today. On his way to helping produce one of the best offenses in the NFL last season, McDaniel often used a pre-snap motion that allowed some of his speedsters, like Tyreek Hill, to really show out.

Putting a receiver in motion, angling at the line of scrimmage just before the snap, gives the offense a clear advantage, allowing someone like Hill, who is already lightning fast, a running head start.

McDaniel and the Dolphins won't be able to use this kind of attack in 2024.

The new version of the NFL rulebook now states, "If an eligible receiver who is on the line of scrimmage moves backward or changes his stance (two point to three point or conversely) and does not come to a complete stop before the snap, it is a false start. Any eligible backfield player who changes his stance does not have to come to a complete stop prior to the snap, as long as his actions are not abrupt (false start) or forward (illegal motion)."

What was often referred to as "speed motion," others, like San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, called it "cheat motion, because it's cheating." Though Shanahan had no issue using the pre-snap technique himself to help his team.

"The [Dolphins] did that in Week 1 with a little cheat motion," Shanahan said, according to CBS Sports. "We did it in Week 2 after we saw it. The Rams did it about three times versus us in Week 2. ... It looks hard to stop people like Tyreek and Deebo [Samuel] and stuff with a running start."

In 2023, the Dolphins fell just 17 points and 114 total yards shy of setting a new franchise record in those categories. They did, however, finish with the No. 1 ranked total offense, leading the league in offensive yards per game (401.3), sixth in rushing yards (135.8), first in yards per carry (5.1), second in red zone efficiency (65.5%), and second in scoring offense (29.2 ppg).

The Dolphins scored 30 or more points in eight games last season, putting up as much as 70 points in their Week 3 matchup against the Denver Broncos, which was the second-most points scored by a team in a regular season game in NFL history.

“It [pre-snap motion] definitely allows us to catch the defense off guard in many ways,” Hill told reporters last September. “It definitely gives us an advantage.”

The Dolphins are one of the fastest teams in the NFL, with 13 players who can run under 4.5 in the 40-yard dash, according to The Palm Beach Post.

With the new rule changes, it looks like McDaniel and the Dolphins will now have to find new ways to utilize their speedy offense to overtake opposing defenses.