The Miami Dolphins’ Struggles Are Reaching a Breaking Point — And Mike McDaniel Isn’t Holding Back! The Dolphins started strong on Sunday, with Mike McDaniel’s offense firing on all cylinders early in the game. Miami surged to a commanding 17-0 lead in the first half, highlighted by tight end Darren Waller, who caught every one of the five passes thrown his way, racking up 78 yards and scoring a touchdown. But here’s where it gets controversial — after that promising start, Waller was mysteriously left out of the passing game entirely in the second half. The Dolphins’ offense stalled, punting on six of their last seven drives, ultimately falling 27-24 in a heartbreaking defeat against Carolina, dropping their record to 1-4. So, what caused this sudden shift away from Waller and the offensive momentum? McDaniel explained, "Whenever you find some success in this league, defenses adjust quickly." He pointed out that Miami found themselves in numerous third-and-long situations because their running game failed to gain any traction. "We tried to maintain balance," McDaniel said, "but if the defense knows you’re passing every down, it’s tough to be effective." Carolina’s defensive front focused on shutting down the run, and they succeeded. McDaniel admitted that the Dolphins could have executed better, even suggesting he might have called different plays in hindsight. "You can’t get anywhere if you don’t control the line of scrimmage," he emphasized. The coach didn’t shy away from acknowledging critical errors — penalties, missed assignments, and poor execution at key moments — all of which contributed to squandering a 17-0 lead. "This is unacceptable for a team of our caliber," McDaniel said firmly. "We’re better than this, and we’ll fix these issues immediately." Beyond just play-calling, McDaniel cited preparation and execution as factors in the loss. "We thought we were ready, but clearly, we weren’t," he admitted. The Dolphins’ offensive line struggled mightily, allowing three sacks and failing to open running lanes, resulting in a dismal 1.4 yards per carry on 14 attempts. Meanwhile, Miami’s run defense was equally troubling. Carolina’s backup running back, Rico Dowdle, bulldozed through with 23 carries for an astonishing 206 yards, averaging 9 yards per rush. McDaniel expressed frustration, saying, "If you can’t stop the run during the game, opponents will keep taking the safest route — running the ball right at you. That’s not how you win in this league. We have to fix this immediately. I’ll start working on it on the plane home." Reflecting on the defense’s poor performance, McDaniel recalled that similar issues cropped up early in the Jets game but were tightened up later — a turnaround that didn’t happen against Carolina. "We need everyone on the same page," he stressed. "You don’t give up that many yards at the line of scrimmage unless there’s a lack of coordination. If we need to change play calls to fix this, we will. This can’t keep happening — it’s gone on too long." Importantly, McDaniel was quick to defend his players’ effort, saying, "If I saw less tenacity on tape, I’d have a huge problem." He also noted a silver lining: "There was no splintering among the players. Losses are tough, but honestly, no one cares about our feelings — we deserve to feel terrible." The game also saw injuries that could impact the Dolphins moving forward. Linebacker Tyrel Dodson left with a head injury, later confirmed as a concussion by CBS, while cornerback Cornell Armstrong exited due to a hamstring issue. On the personnel front, running back Jaylen Wright was inactive because the team needed extra depth on defense and special teams. McDaniel mentioned having a positive conversation with Wright, who had practiced well the previous week. For those interested in a deeper dive into Miami’s ongoing personnel challenges, my column highlights more missteps that surfaced during Sunday’s game. This story was first published on October 5, 2025, at 4:48 PM. Barry Jackson has been a Miami Herald writer since 1986 and has authored the Florida Sports Buzz column since 2002.
So, what do you think? Is McDaniel’s critique fair, or is the team’s struggle more about talent than coaching? Could the Dolphins turn this around by fixing their run game and defense, or are deeper changes needed? Share your thoughts below — this is a debate worth having!
