Two games into the 2025 campaign, the sharks are circling Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel after a limp start.
Ahead of Sunday's 33-27 loss to New England, a plane banner flew above the stadium calling for the firing of McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier. Boos were heard around Hard Rock Stadium as his club repeatedly stubbed its foot.
After the loss, McDaniel dismissed the calls for his job.
"I think if I worry about my job security, I won't be doing my job," McDaniel said, via the Associated Press. "And I think that inherently is against all things that I believe in. I've never felt entitled to this position, and it's very important for me to spend all of my waking hours worrying about exactly how to do my job, and all the residual effects of that are there's a lot of people affected."
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McDaniel said that he believes his message is still getting through.
"I think if there was anything that would lend me to believe that messages weren't being received, then you address those things," he said. "To me, I think I've seen a team that is trying to do everything they can to win and coming up short and pressing forward and trying to change that result."
Players defended the coach, noting that he's not the one on the gridiron who needs to make the plays.
"At the end of the day, it's not him out there on the field," linebacker Chop Robinson said. "It's us out there playing the game, making the mistakes on the field and stuff like that. So at the end of the day, it may look bad for him, but it's really on us. We've got to get it better."
The Miami defense has been brutal to start the season. It was predictable that the secondary would struggle, however, the front being equally impotent has been a disappointment.
Dolphins allowed points on 12 consecutive opponent drives dating back to Week 18, 2024, the longest such streak by any team since at least 1993, per NFL Research. Miami allowed points on 10 straight opponent drives to start 2025 (longest since 1993).
The offense showed a bit more promise Sunday after a woeful Week 1. Tua Tagovailoa was 26-of-32 passing for 315 yards, two touchdowns and one interception (115.5 rating) in Week 2, his fourth game since 2022 with an 80-plus completion percentage and 300-plus passing yards (most in the NFL in that span).
Left tackle Patrick Paul backed up his coach when asked about the noise surrounding McDaniel.
"He's a players' coach who believes in his players," he said. "He inspires us and speaks confidence into us and makes us go out there with a sense of urgency and confidence through the technique that all these coaches that he's brought in for us. We love him."
McDaniels not yet losing the entire locker room could give him a bit of leash for the 0-2 Dolphins. However, if the wins don't start stacking, nothing will save his job.
Week 3's primetime bout against the juggernaut Buffalo Bills could show whether McDaniel truly still has the locker room on his side or whether it's simply performance theater.