Embattled Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel appears out of answers after falling to 1-6 in loss to Browns
CLEVELAND (AP) — Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel spoke from the heart after a frustrating loss, yet appeared to be out of answers as questions about his job status lingered.
The Dolphins struggled mightily in a 31-6 defeat to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, throwing three interceptions, fumbling six times, committing three personal fouls, and being soundly outplayed in all phases of the game.
“A game like this, I think we didn’t see it coming,” McDaniel admitted. “We’re professionals who need to do our job better. You can’t even go on to beating your opponent if you beat yourselves.
“When it happens, you absolutely, with 100% certainty, have to evaluate everything. No person or no player or no coach has their hands clean starting with me.”
Both teams entered the matchup with identical 1-5 records, but their performances could not have been more different. The Browns played turnover-free football, while Miami gave the ball away four times and allowed its emotions to boil over at inopportune moments.
All of the Dolphins’ points came on field goals by Riley Patterson, marking the third time in McDaniel’s four years as coach that the team failed to score a touchdown.
Miami’s record now stands at 29-29 under McDaniel’s tenure, with the team well on its way to missing the playoffs for the second straight season.
“You do hard truths in this league and you are always ultimately held accountable for your performance,” McDaniel said. “But I find it very offensive to all parties involved if I’m thinking about having a job. As long as I’m the coach of the Miami Dolphins, they will get everything from me.”
The Dolphins have dropped three straight games since their lone victory of the season — a 27-21 win over the winless New York Jets in Week 4. Their struggles have coincided with inconsistent play from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
One week after criticizing his teammates following a 29-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, Tagovailoa tied his career highs by fumbling three times and being intercepted three more times by the Browns.
His most costly interception came on the opening snap of the third quarter, when Tyson Campbell returned the pick 34 yards for a touchdown, extending Cleveland’s lead to 24-6.
“At least one or two of the interceptions were extremely preventable from Tua, and he knows that just wasn’t good enough,” McDaniel said. “We’ll watch the tape and change our style of play if we need to.
“Everything is on the table when you go into a game that you fully know you have the capability to win, but get handed a very, very humbling loss.”
Tagovailoa accepted full responsibility for the defeat and his uneven performance across seven games this season. His ratio of 11 touchdowns to 10 interceptions is the worst in his six NFL seasons and a far cry from his Pro Bowl campaign two years ago.
“I’m definitely not happy, not proud of where I’m at with my plan and how I’ve gone about my things this year,” Tagovailoa said, referencing his postgame comments against the Chargers. “I’ve got to get back to what I was doing the last couple of years.”
Dolphins linebacker Bradley Chubb expressed confidence that a turnaround is still possible, starting with their next game against the Atlanta Falcons. He echoed McDaniel and Tagovailoa in emphasizing that solutions must come from within the locker room.
At the same time, all stressed that Miami no longer has any room for error.
“Every time we had the Browns dead to rights today, we bailed them out, so we’ve got to be more disciplined,” Chubb said. “It’s going to be hard to get past this, but things have got to change around quick. And they will.”
You may also like
Leave a Reply