Sportsnaut
The Miami Dolphins are winless, their defense leaking big plays and their offense struggling to finish drives. Head coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier are feeling the heat after an 0-3 start that has Miami teetering early in the season.
The pressure surrounding their future has grown so loud that NBC Sports insider Mike Florio weighed in on WQAM with Joe Rose, warning that “the careers of Mike McDaniel and Chris Grier are, as a practical matter, riding on this game,” pointing to Monday night’s matchup with the New York Jets as a potential turning point.
This is the worst start of McDaniel’s Miami tenure. The frustration around the team is real. The Dolphins have been competitive in stretches, but turnovers, missed tackles, and defensive breakdowns have undone them every week. Miami’s defense, despite a talented edge group, has been the biggest culprit. The unit is allowing 26.3 points per game and ranks near the bottom of the league in opponent third-down conversion rate at 47 percent. Injuries in the secondary have forced patchwork lineups that cannot hold up against explosive passing games, and the unit has struggled to get off the field when it matters most.
The offense has not provided a safety net. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has flashed big-play ability with receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, but Miami’s offense sits outside the top 20 in red-zone touchdown rate at 42 percent and has turned the ball over seven times, tied for fifth most in the league. Miami’s scheme heavily features third-year running back Devon Achane, who is second in the league in running back receptions with 18. They are a lateral team that struggles to run between the tackles or generate explosive plays through the air.
McDaniel built his reputation on creative play design and pace, but those strengths are neutralized when drives die from self-inflicted mistakes. Three straight losses have turned early-season optimism into urgency.
Monday night’s game against the Jets is more than just a fourth regular-season game. It is a referendum on the two men steering the franchise. McDaniel’s hiring brought an end to years of postseason stagnation, guiding Miami to consecutive playoff berths. General manager Chris Grier, who has shaped the roster since 2016, was trusted to build a team capable of challenging in the AFC. Both received contract extensions in the last two years. None of that matters if this season keeps unraveling.
The stakes are amplified by history. Since 1990, only about 2 percent of teams starting 0-4 have recovered to make the postseason. An 0-4 start would all but eliminate Miami from playoff contention and could push ownership to evaluate the long-term direction of both the roster and the front office. Florio’s warning drives home how thin the margin for error has become. Win and the Dolphins can stabilize their year. Lose and everything—coaching staff, front office direction, even long-term roster planning—comes...
