MIAMI GARDENS — The locker room often tells the story, and the Dolphins’ locker room under coach Mike McDaniel has always been level-headed and upbeat. It was the same locker room situation after Monday’s 27-21 victory over the winless Jets. No one was overjoyed after the win just as few players were overly dejected after the 0-3 start.
The healthy big-picture mindset is one of the things I like about this young, talent-depleted squad. Its future is grim, but you wouldn’t have known that if you spent time in the postgame locker room Monday night.
“We gotta keep moving,” defensive tackle Zach Sieler said after the Dolphins improved to 1-3 by beating the lowly Jets. “It’s on to Carolina now.”
There was clearly a dark cloud hanging over the underachieving Dolphins that got darker after each loss — Indianapolis, then New England and then Buffalo. Players were getting more and more agitated. Most of the veteran guys that I consult with 1-on-1 — Sieler, offensive tackle Kendall Lamm, outside linebacker Bradley Chubb, center Aaron Brewer, to name a few — were still good. But other guys were starting to get moody. Some were complaining here and there about the media presence in the locker room. Answers to questions got a bit more brief. Players knew fans wanted their general manager, Chris Grier, and their coach, Mike McDaniel, fired, and they grew weary of commenting on that thought.
But overall, and for the most part, players kept their spirits high. That’s commendable. Some of these guys have been through the grind of a 1-7 start in 2021 that turned into a 9-8 finish, the five-game winning streak in 2022 that turned into a late-season five-game losing streak, the 9-3 start in 2023 that ended in an 11-6 finish. They know the importance of not getting too high or too low.
Similarly, in the postgame locker room after defeating the Jets, Dolphins players were happy, but the happiness and sense of accomplishment were kept in perspective.
After all, the Dolphins, who lost their best player, receiver Tyreek Hill, to a season-ending knee injury, understood they beat one of the worst teams in the NFL. They also know the tests keep coming in this league in an unrelenting fashion.
“We’ve got another one next week,” cornerback Jack Jones said.
The Dolphins have put together six consecutive good quarters — the final two at Buffalo in last week’s 31-21 loss to the Bills, and four on Monday night.
“I think we’ve gotten better,” McDaniel said, “and we had to.”
But just as importantly they’ve maintained the right mindset.
Truth be told, players were more relieved than ecstatic after their first win of the season. However, you also got the feeling that players think the Jets win coupled with the second half against Buffalo might be a small turning point.
“We’re not used to losing like that,” linebacker/special teams ace Cameron Goode said of the 0-3 start, “so it’s finally starting to feel like we got our groove back a little bit.”
Yes, the Dolphins’ hopes of doing anything special this season have been dashed in a couple of ways — their current 1-3 start says they’re not doing anything special, and the ugly injury to Tyreek puts an exclamation point on their crushed dreams.
But everyone kept things in perspective after the Jets game. Reality trumped unfounded dreams.
At one side of the postgame locker room quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sat and smiled and discussed the game with fellow quarterbacks Zach Wilson and Quinn Ewers, and running backs De’Von Achane and Ollie Gordon II. Nearby, long snapper Joe Cardona, kicker Riley Patterson and punter Jake Bailey shared some smiles.
Opposite them, the offensive line, led by center Aaron Brewer and left tackle Patrick Paul, talked about their success in measured tones. Right guard Cole Strange, a starter just three weeks after signing, sat nearby soaking up the conversation. Not far from them, receiver Jaylen Waddle managed a smile or two while talking about how Tyreek, with his leg in an air cast while sitting on cart, implored the guys to win. But the smiles were brief.
“It was tough, man,” Waddle said of the injury scene.
History says bad things are waiting for the Dolphins because of Tyreek’s injury. You’re well aware of the numbers I always espouse: In the 2023-24 seasons the Dolphins were 11-0 when Tyreek had 100 or more yards and 7-17 when he had 99 or fewer. In that same time span, Tua was 2-10 against playoff teams and had 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
Beyond that, Waddle hasn’t had a 100-yard receiving game against a playoff team since 2022.
The past, present and future say bad things are in store for the Dolphins. But I’m thinking, through it all, they’ll keep a good mindset.
