The Miami Dolphins are in danger of starting the 2025 NFL Season with a disappointing 0-3 record if they cannot pull off a miraculous upset on the road against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night Football after losing to the Indianapolis Colts on the road in Week One and the New England Patriots at home in Week Two.
The situation in South Florida is sickening for all involved — the owner, the fans and especially the players.
Could that mean a dismissal of head coach Mike McDaniel is in the cards if the Dolphins do drop their Week Three match-up to the Bills?
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated recently spoke on the Dolphins’ infamous players-only meeting following their Week One defeat, and the picture that the insider painted of that meeting does not seem like good news for McDaniel.
“My understanding is that there was a message from the captains to the rest of the team [during the players only meeting] about accountability, and it was about accountability to each other and accountability to yourself,” said Breer. “More or less, it was ‘the NFL is going to judge you regardless of your circumstances, regardless of your coaching — the NFL is going to judge you in a vacuum’. And it’s on everybody to take personal responsibility, and more or less closing ranks and saying, ‘This isn’t about anybody else but the players.’ And sometimes that happens at the end for coaches, you know? So I think, you know, that message was received by…the players in that building.”
After leading the team to back-to-back playoff appearances in his first and second seasons as Dolphins head coach, many in Miami thought Mike McDaniel was the longterm solution to the ever revolving door of head coaches in South Florida. Even after an unsavory 8-9 record marred his third year with the club, owner Stephen Ross decided to stay the course with McDaniel and retain him for the 2025 season.
However, if the team lays an egg in Buffalo on Thursday night, Ross will have a difficult decision to make regarding his coach’s future — especially considering the extra time between Miami’s game on Thursday and their Week Four contest on Monday Night Football against the New York Jets. Will he turn to defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver to stop the bleeding, or will he continue to ride the McDaniel rollercoaster until it crashes and burns?
Win or lose, Thursday’s game against the Bills could be a very memorable one for Dolphins fans.
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