By losing to the Texans, the Dolphins aren’t dead, but they aren’t strong. Really not strong, even…
Because of the hole the team dug itself into early in the season with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion, every game is a question of survival.
By virtue of the 20-12 loss to the Texans, the Dolphins’ record slips to six wins against eight losses. Mathematically, they are still alive, but life is not always about mathematics.
Let’s say that, scientifically, this team has been smelling like dead wood for a long time.
Obviously Tagovailoa’s return since the end of October has shown that the Dolphins can hang on. The more the season progressed, the more the attack seemed to find an interesting level of play.
The fact remains that the Dolphins’ record is only 5-5 this season when their starting quarterback is in uniform. Against the Texans, three interceptions and a fumble from the pivot ultimately made the difference in a tight game.
The end for McDaniel?
This means that, even with Tagovailoa, this team, which seemed set for glory at one point last year, is unable to rise higher than the middle of the pack.
In December, it’s often a disaster. When it’s cold, it’s hell. And when the Dolphins play a winning team, they lose face.
Too bad for them, but football is also played in the cold and against serious teams. The palm trees, the sea, the bars, South Beach, it’s all beautiful, but it’s become clear that when you imagine robust January and playoff football, the Dolphins aren’t part of the equation. It’s that simple.
This season, they are 1-5 against winning teams. Last season it was 1-6. The season before, it was 4-7.
In short, you see the picture. Head coach Mike McDaniel brought a spark offensively when he took the helm in 2022, but it remains difficult to take his team really seriously.
The question arises now that the team is all but eliminated. Does he still have his place as head coach? The most pessimistic supporters of the team will say that it has been a while since its expiration date arrived.
Broken weapons
Last season, eight times the Dolphins scored 30 or more points. This year, in Tagovailoa’s 10 starts, it’s only happened three times. Four times the offense scored two or fewer touchdowns. So even with Tagovailoa, everything is not rosy. And it seems that the spark of yesteryear is nothing more than a damp squib.
However, the Dolphins do not lack quality weapons around their quarterback.
Receiver Jaylen Waddle was injured against the Texans and did not catch a pass. But even when healthy this season, he only had two games of over 100 yards and he only scored two touchdowns.
Tyreek Hill, too, has only crossed the 100-yard mark twice. There is clearly something wrong with this attack.
The defense is clearly not doing the job either. The Dolphins, in their current version, seem to have reached the end of their road last year.
Mike McDaniel can bounce elsewhere as offensive coordinator, there is no doubt. As head coach of the Dolphins, however, he has clearly reached his limit.
