The Miami Dolphins Are Going out Sad

The Miami Dolphins Are Going out Sad

I think it starts with the leadership. We have guys showing up to player only meetings late, guys not showing up to player only meetings. Like there’s a lot that goes into that. We’ve been very accountable to me. There was something on his mind that he was trying to get corrected with direct communication. Mike McDaniels needs to go. He’s not a leader of men. That’s what this comes down to. So the Miami Dolphins just lost to the Los Angeles Chargers 29 to 27 in heartbreaking fashion at home. Two threw three interceptions and one of them came with under a minute left that basically sealed the game. The Dolphins are now sitting at one and five. And listen, this isn’t just disappointing anymore. This is a full-blown crisis in South Florida. But here’s what I want to talk about today. Whose fault is this? Because everyone’s pointing their finger at a different direction. Some people are saying that Tu has regressed. Maybe he’s just given up now that he’s gotten max money. Others are blaming Mike McDaniel for not being tough enough on his players. The defense has been absolutely horrendous, like historically bad in some categories. Maybe it’s because they traded away Jaylen Ramsay and lost Javon Holland to the New York Giants in the offseason, which left the secondary looking like a practice squad unit. So today, we’re going to break down everything, and I mean everything, that’s gone wrong with the Miami Dolphins in 2025. We’re going to look at the tape, the stats, and the drama behind the scenes and figure out if this thing can even be salvaged. Because right now, it’s looking pretty bleak in Miami. So, let’s get to it. Real quick before we get to today’s video, this video is sponsored. I’m a little pissed off, guys. I’m not going to lie. On Thursday Night Football, Devonte Smith’s longest reception was 16 yards. Dallas Goddard got a TD. Jack Jackson Dart got a TD. 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What’s going on everybody? So, let’s set the stage here. The Dolphins came into this season with expectations, not playoff expectations. Not maybe we can sneak into the wild card expectations. I’m talking legitimate Super Bowl hopes. I mean, you might think I’m crazy, but just take a look at Mike McDaniel’s track record. His offense put up video game numbers in 2022 and 2023 and last year they were dealing with an injured Tua. So clearly Tua was the engine that ran the Dolphins offense. So he practiced jiujitsu in the off season and he did everything he could to make sure he protected himself whenever he would get sacked so he wouldn’t sustain a concussion. Remember this is a team that went 11-6 in 2023 and made the playoffs for the second straight year. But they went 8-9 last year and missed the postseason and that was with an injured Tua. So 2025 was supposed to be the bounceback year. Instead, they started 0 and3 for the first time since 2019. They got absolutely demolished by the Indianapolis Colts in week 1, losing 33 to8, and it wasn’t even close. The offense looked completely out of sync, managing only 211 yards of total offense, which was the fewest under Mike McDaniel in any game where Tua started. Then in week two, they lost at home to the New England Patriots 33 to27, marking the first time they’d lost to New England at Hard Rock Stadium since 2019. This was also Tua’s first ever career lost to the Patriots as a starter. Let that sink in for a second. The Patriots, who haven’t exactly been world beaters lately, who have been still trying to find out their identity. And believe me, recently it seems like they found that identity, but they came to Miami and beat Miami at home. Week three was maybe even worse. The Dolphins traveled to Buffalo on Thursday Night Football and lost 31 to21, extending their losing streak to the Bills to six straight games. It’s now been 10 consecutive road losses to Buffalo in this rivalry, which is just absolutely brutal if you’re a Dolphins fan. And the killer part, Miami actually hung around in this game. They were down 28 to 21 late in the fourth quarter and had a chance to tie it up. But Tua threw a costly interception to linebacker Terrell Bernard that basically ended the game. The one bright spot, if you can even call it that, came in week four when Miami finally got their first win, beating the New York Jets 27 to21 on Monday Night Football. But even that victory was tainted because Tyreek Hill suffered a seasonending knee injury in the third quarter by dislocating his knee and tearing multiple ligaments, including his ACL. And now he might not be the same player ever again. We’re talking about Tyreek Hill, the guy who led the NFL with 1,799 receiving yards in 2023. one of the most explosive weapons in football. He’s done for the year and that’s massive. Then week five rolls around and the Dolphins travel to Carolina. They jump out to a 17 to nothing lead in the first half. You’re thinking, okay, maybe they figured something out. Maybe they’re going to roll here. Nope. Bryce Young and the Panthers storm back and win 27 to 24 with Carolina’s running back Rico Dowel absolutely gashing Miami’s defense for 206 yards on the ground. The Dolphins defense allowed 239 total rush yards in that game. That’s not a typo. 239 yards. They got completely manhandled up front. Could you imagine another team that could possibly allow Rico Dow of all players to do that to them? What? And then this past Sunday, the Chargers game happens. The Dolphins battle back from a 10-point fourth quarter deficit and Tua throws a touchdown to Darren Waller with 46 seconds left to take a lead. You’re thinking, “Finally, maybe they steal one.” But then the Chargers march right down the field and Cameron Dicker, the kicker, hits a 33yd field goal to win it. So that’s where we are. One and five season basically over before Halloween. Now, let’s dig into why this is happening. Let’s start with the most obvious question. What’s going on with Tua Tonga Viola? Because if you look at the numbers, it’s not pretty. Through five games in 2025, Tua has thrown four interceptions. Compare that to last year when he threw only seven interceptions in 11 games with a passer rating of 101.4. His completion percentage is still solid, but the decision-making has been questionable at times. Now, let me be fair with Tua for a second. Some of these interceptions haven’t been entirely his fault. In the Buffalo game, he threw one interception where he was staring down Jaylen Wadd with a rusher in his face and linebacker Terrell Bernard made a great play on the ball. That’s not necessarily a horrible decision. It’s just good defense. And in that Chargers game on Sunday, his first interception was when Jaylen Wadd dropped the ball and it popped right into the hands of safety Tony Jefferson. That’s on Wadd, not Tua. But here’s the thing. When you’re a franchise quarterback making big money, you can’t keep putting the ball in harm’s way. The third interception against the Chargers was an absolute killer. The game was still within reach and Tua forced a throw that got picked off. The other issue with two is that he’s playing without his safety blanket. Tyreek Hill is gone for the year. And while Jaylen Waddle is a great receiver, he’s not the same kind of game-breaker that Hill is. Since joining Miami in 2022, Hill had 4,733 yards on 340 receptions and 27 touchdowns, including that monster 1,799yd season in 2023. Defenses had to account for Hill on every single snap. And that opened things up for everyone else. Without him, teams can focus more attention on Waddle and take away the deep ball that Miami’s offense was built on. Now, here’s where it gets interesting. There’s been some reporting that suggests Tua might be frustrated with more than just the on-field performance. After the Chargers lost, Tua made some pointed comments about leadership and players showing up late to meetings. I think it starts with the leadership. We have guys showing up to player only meetings late, guys not showing up to player only meetings. Like, there’s a lot that goes into that. So, it’s a lot of things of of that nature that we got to get cleaned up. That’s a pretty bold statement from a guy who’s usually measured in his comments. Well, not that measured. He’s top tier. You know, if it’s not with his arm, it’s with his legs. You know, that dude can do literally anything he wants. So, definitely different skill set for me. I can’t do half of what he does when it comes to running the ball and and any of that. It sounds like Tua is calling out some of his teammates publicly, which suggests that there might be some deeper issues in that locker room. And honestly, when your quarterback is saying stuff like that to the media, that’s usually not a great sign. So, as Tua regressed, I don’t know if regressed is the right word. I think he’s pressing a little bit because the team is 1 and5 and he’s trying to make plays. But if you take a look at his statistics, the stat sheet paints a different picture. He has a 70.7% completion percentage, has thrown for over a,000 yards, 10 touchdowns, and four interceptions. So, if Tua isn’t the one that’s to blame, then who is? So, Mike McDaniel tried to defend himself after Tua made these statements. We’ve been very accountable to me. It sounds like there was something on his mind with regard to the specific meetings with a couple individuals that he was trying to get corrected with direct communication. If you’ve been paying attention to the national media over the past couple of weeks, you know that McDaniel has been absolutely roasted. ESPN’s Jason Garrett said after the week one loss that McDaniel reflected the team’s lack of confidence and swagger and that in those moments as a head coach, you have to stand up and you have to be the beacon for them going forward. With all due respect, as a Dallas Cowboy fan, I wouldn’t take advice from Jason Garrett. All right, I’m just going to say that right here. I mean, we’re talking about a coach that’s known for one thing and one thing only. And look, I get it. Mike McDaniel came in with this reputation as an offensive genius from the Shanahan tree. His first two years in Miami were pretty successful. They went 9-8 in 2022 and 11-6 in 2023, making the playoffs in both years, but they’ve now gone 8-9 last year and started 1 and5 this year. and the offense that was putting up record-breaking numbers had looked completely stagnant at times. One of the biggest criticisms of McDaniel has been the lack of discipline. According to reports, five players on the 2024 roster accounted for half of the team’s internal fines for being late to meetings and other distractions. Five guys. And McDaniel was apparently hesitant to publicly call these guys out because he wanted to maintain that players coach persona. Here’s the problem with being a player’s coach. It works great when you’re winning. Guys love playing for you. the locker room is loose and everything’s just vibes. But when you start losing, the same approach can backfire because players start taking advantage of the lack of structure. And it sounds like exactly what happened in Miami. Former Dolphins tight end Tanner Connor even suggested that while McDaniel himself hasn’t changed, the emphasis around him and respecting him more as players has changed as we’ve gotten some players out who might have not been as respectful. That’s a pretty damning indictment of the culture that had developed. And we’ll talk about this more in a second because Jaylen Ramsay was apparently one of those problem players. Reports indicated that Ramsay and McDaniel’s relationship had soured and that was part of the reason Miami traded him to Pittsburgh in the offseason. When you’re trading away one of your best defensive players because of off the- field issues, that’s not great. The other big knock on McDaniel has been his in-game management and adjustments. In that Panthers game, Miami was up 17-0 and then they just stopped doing what was working. They got away from the run, started pressing on offense and let Carolina completely take over. Anthony Weaver, the defensive coordinator, even said watching the tape made him want to throw up because of how poorly they tackled and maintained gap integrity. And here’s the thing, McDaniel is an offensive coach. His specialty is supposed to be scheming guys open and creating mismatches. But the Dolphins 21 personnel package, which had been a staple of their offense, completely fell apart in 2024. Miami went from having the fourth highest EPA out of that personnel grouping in 2023 to the 18th worst mark in 2024, a drop of over 550 spots. Their rushing EPA out of 21 personnel was dead last among all qualifying teams in the last 20 years. That’s catastrophic. So, what’s the answer here? Is Mike McDaniel on the hot seat? While owner Steven Ross released a statement after last season saying he believed in McDaniel and GM Chris Greer, but he also said that I believe in the value of stability. However, continuity and leadership is not to be confused with an acceptance that status quo is good enough. That’s basically Ross saying, “I’m giving you guys one more shot, but you better figure it out.” And right now at 1 and5, it’s not looking too good. Before their week 2 home game against the Patriots, a plane flew over Hard Rock Stadium with a banner calling for McDaniel and Greer to be fired. That’s how frustrated this fan base is. Now, to McDaniel’s credit, his players have publicly backed him. After the Patriots lost, left tackle Patrick Paul said he’s a players coach who believes in his players. He inspires us and speaks confidence into us. So, it doesn’t sound like he’s lost the locker room completely. But if the losses keep piling up, that support might evaporate pretty quickly. But here’s where things get pretty messy, and this is something we need to talk about because it’s been flying under the radar for a lot of casual fans. There’s a serious culture problem in Miami and it all came to light after the Chargers loss on Sunday. 20 went off in the postgame press conference and listen to what he said. I think it starts with the leadership in helping articulate that for the guys and then what we’re expecting out of the guys, right? We’re expecting this. Are we getting that? Are we not getting that? We have guys showing up to player only meetings late, guys not showing up to player only meeting. There’s a lot that goes into that. Now, when your starting quarterback is publicly calling out teammates for not even showing up to playersonly meetings, not coachmandated stuff, but meetings that the players themselves organized, that’s a massive red flag. These aren’t optional hangouts. These are supposed to be the veterans getting together and figuring out how to fix things. And guys can’t even be bothered to show up on time or show up at all. And this isn’t new. According to a report from The Athletic earlier this off seasonason, McDaniel revealed that five players on the 2024 roster incurred half of the team’s internal fines for distractions such as being late. Five players. That means half of all the fines the team handed out went to just five guys who kept being late to meetings, missing meetings, or causing other distractions. Now, the Dolphins obviously haven’t named names, but here’s what we do know. Jaylen Ramsay and Tyreek Hill were both identified as being among those repeat offenders, and both of them were team captains in 2024. You’ve got guys wearing the C on their jerseys who are showing up late and racking up vines left and right. How are you supposed to have any kind of accountability when your captains are the ones that are setting a bad example. The report also said that one Dolphins player believed that some captains this past offseason took advantage of the role and that players were often late to practice in meetings with multiple team sources suggesting that it reflected a lack of respect for Mike McDaniel who was hesitant to publicly admonish players outside of posting fines. There it is. Players didn’t respect McDaniel enough to even show up on time. And McDaniel, because he wants to be everyone’s buddy, wouldn’t publicly call them out. He just find them and move on. But guess what? When you’re making millions of dollars, a fine doesn’t really hurt. What hurts is public accountability. And Mike McDaniel wasn’t willing to provide that. And you know what the crazy part is? One former Dolphins player who played under McDaniel said that this behavior wasn’t exclusive to the 2024 season. And that issues only arose when the team stopped winning games. So basically, this stuff was happening in 2022 and 2023 as well. But nobody cared because they were making the playoffs. But now that they’re losing, all these cracks in the foundation are showing. And this is what happens when you let things slide because you want to be the cool coach. You can get away with it when you’re 11 and six. But when you’re 1 and five and your quarterback is publicly saying guys aren’t showing up to meetings, you’ve lost control of your locker room period. I’m going to be honest. I think it’s also kind of wild that Mike McDaniel, the coach that believed in Tua to begin with, is the one being thrown under the bus by Tua. I mean, this is a player that said that he hated his ex-coach Brian Flores. If you woke up every morning and I told you you suck at what you did, you don’t belong doing what you do. This guy should be here, that you haven’t earned this, right? And then you have somebody else come in and tell you you are the best fit for this. You are the best whatever. You are this, you are that. How would it make you feel listening to one or the other? You have a terrible person that that you probably shouldn’t be hearing. you’re going to start to believe that about yourself. And all of a sudden, when his coach needs him the most, he’s throwing him under the bus. Now, let’s talk about the defense because honestly, this might be the biggest problem of all. The Dolphins defense in 2025 has been absolutely atrocious. Let me just rattle off some numbers for you. Through five games, Miami is allowing 29 points per game. That’s 27th in the NFL. 386.6 total yards per game, which is 29th. 174.2 rushing yards per game. That’s 32nd. That’s dead last. a 74.5% completion percentage, which is also 32nd, a 117.6 passer rating, which is also 32nd, and a 50% third down conversion rate, which is 31st. Those are historically bad numbers. Like, you have to try to be that bad on defense. The Dolphins have the worst rushing defense in the NFL, allowing 174.2 rushing yards per game. Teams are just running the ball down their throat every single week. Remember that Panthers game I mentioned? Rico Dow ran for 206 yards. 206. It’s not like Dow is some leap back. I mean, maybe he is. He was able to do the same thing against my Dallas Cowboys, so maybe I shouldn’t talk. But he was making his first start for Carolina and had never rushed for more than 149 yards in a game before. He broke his career high by almost 60 yards against Miami. And the crazy part is this defense was actually pretty good last year. In 2024, Miamiy’s defense finished fourth in yards allowed and 10th in points. So, what changed? Well, the short answer is they lost basically their entire secondary. Jaylen Ramsey got traded to Pittsburgh. Javon Holland, who had been a starter at safety, left in free agency and signed with the Giants. Jordan Pyer, the other starting safety, also walked in free agency. Kendall Fuller, who started 11 games at corner last year, was released. That’s your entire starting secondary from 2024 gone. And who did they replace them with? A bunch of question marks. I mean, they brought back Minka Fitzpatrick in the Ramsay trade, which is interesting because Fitzpatrick actually started his career in Miami back in 2018 before getting traded to Pittsburgh. But Fitzpatrick has been dealing with his own issues. He’s 29 now and his production dropped off significantly after his career year in 2022. They also signed Ashton Davis, who has a history of injuries and hasn’t been a consistent starter in his career. had cornered their rolling with Storm Duck and Cam Smith who are both relatively inexperienced and they added Mike Hilton late in the offseason to try to patch things up. The result, a secondary that gets absolutely torched every single week. They’re allowing a 74.5% completion rate, which is dead last in the NFL. Quarterbacks are having career days against this defense. Even Justin Herbert, who is playing behind a banged up offensive line and didn’t have Quinton Johnston in this game, threw for 264 yards and two touchdowns against Miami. But let me throw one more thing into the mix here. Injuries. Because it’s not like the Dolphins have had good health luck either. The biggest blow was losing Tyreek Hill. And I can’t stress enough how massive that is. Hill isn’t just any receiver. He’s a generational talent who changes the entire complexion of a defense. When he got hurt in that third quarter of the Jets game, he was on pace for another 1,000yard season, averaging 66 yards per game through three and a half games. The injury itself was gruesome. A dislocated knee with multiple torn ligaments, including the ACL. He underwent surgery and the goal is for him to be back at the start of 2026, but even that’s not guaranteed. And there’s already speculation that Miami might release him before the 2026 league year starts in March to avoid paying him 16 million in guaranteed money. So Hill’s entire future with the franchise is now in question. Without Hill, the offense just doesn’t have the same explosiveness. Jaylen Wadd has stepped up. He had 142 yards and a touchdown in the one game without Hill last year. But Wadd’s a different type of receiver. He’s more of a possession guy who can make plays after the catch. Whereas Hill is a legitimate deep threat who can take the top off of a defense. So to wrap all this up, what’s wrong with the Miami Dolphins? Well, pretty much everything. Tua is playing without his top wide receiver. Mike McDaniel’s players coach approach has backfired now that the team is losing. And there are legitimate questions about whether he’s tough enough to command respect when things go south. The defense has been historically bad, largely because they traded away or lost their entire starting secondary from last year. Injuries have piled up with Hill going down being the most devastating. And there seems to be culture issues bubbling under the surface. That suggests that this isn’t just an onfield problem. Is it just one person’s fault? No, this is a collective failure. From the front office making questionable personnel decisions to the entire coaching staff not adjusting or holding players accountable to the players themselves not executing or taking things seriously enough. Can it be fixed? Maybe. But not this season. The 2025 Dolphins are cooked. The question is now whether they can salvage anything from this season and use it as a foundation for 2026. Because if they finish with four or five wins, there are going to be major changes coming in Miami. My prediction is they win maybe three or four more games, finish somewhere around 4 and 13 or 5 and 12, and McDaniel will be on the hot seat heading into next year if he’s around at all. Greer might survive because Ross seems hesitant to make major front office changes, but even that’s not guaranteed. And Tua will be back as the starter because of his contract, but the questions about him will only get louder. It’s a tough situation all around. If you’re a Dolphins fan watching this, I feel for you because this was supposed to be the year and instead it’s turning into one of the most frustrating seasons in recent memory. Let me know what you guys think about all this in the comment section down below. Aside from that, I’m your boy Mike and I’m dropping our mic until our next upload.

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