ORCHARD PARK, NY — One by one, almost to a man, the Dolphins, with little or no shame, admitted they can take lots of positives from Thursday’s 31-21 loss at Buffalo, a game that extended their losing streak against the Bills to seven consecutive games in the coach Mike McDaniel era.
“There were definitely some positive things to take from it,” outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips said of the loss.
This is what the McDaniel era, led by general manager Chris Grier, has been reduced to accepting. The winless Dolphins (0-3) are relieved that they didn’t get blown out by the Bills. They’re grasping for anything positive, no matter how small, to take from any game.
McDaniel falls to .500 with a career record of 28-28, including playoffs. And now a 10-point loss brings both a sigh of relief — McDaniel’s firing no longer seems imminent — and feelings of encouragement.
This is sad. It’s a poignant statement about the state of the franchise.
But it’s where the Dolphins are in the big picture. They’ll never be as good as Buffalo or Baltimore, two teams that might never be as good as Kansas City or Philadelphia. The Dolphins are lower-class NFL citizens.
The era shaped by McDaniel and Grier has been proven inadequate, disappointing, underachieving and frustrating. There’s been little or no improvement since McDaniel took over in 2022.
McDaniel began the season 4-16 against playoff teams. While Thursday’s result teased at signs of change, it mostly reinforced the bitter truth that this team simply can’t compete with the upper-chelon teams in this league.
The blame goes squarely to Grier and McDaniel.
Players said McDaniel never changed during the week despite being peppered with questions about his job security, team culture and whether his voice is being heard in the locker room.
“He was the leader he always is, commanding us to just require more for ourselves, block out the noise and just be the best version of us,” outside linebacker Bradley Chubb said.
But McDaniel still doesn’t seem as though he’ll be able to save his job for the 2026 season.
We knew entering the season that it’d take a small miracle for McDaniel to retain his job for another year. It doesn’t appear that that small miracle will come.
This team, and this quarterback, are regressing and now it seems as though it’ll take a major miracle to reverse their fortunes.
“We’ve got a lot of time to look at ourselves in the mirror as individuals and then collectively as we’re watching film,” quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said. “What do we need to do to stop the losses from going into the wrong column?”
Things are so bad that mediocrity, in the form of a 9-8 season, would be viewed as a successful season by many. Of course, the Dolphins would have to improve to be mediocre. They’re terrible.
Right now this team is reeling from costly errors in all three phases — offense, defense and special teams.
Errors by two of their best players cost them the Buffalo victory. Defensive tackle Zach Sieler ran into Buffalo punter Cameron Johnston on fourth-and-7, giving the Bills a first down that they’d turn into a touchdown and a 28-21 lead with 7:17 remaining. And then Tagovailoa (22 of 34, 146 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, 81.2 passer rating) threw a costly interception on the ensuing possession with 3:00 left.
Sieler, who is coming off back-to-back 10-sack seasons and got a contract extension in the offseason, doesn’t have a sack through three games.
Tagovailoa has thrown an interception in every game and has five turnovers for the season.
I genuinely believe that none of the Dolphins are taking a morale victory here (I say “morale” victory because it would help their morale, not their morals). But clearly there’s a huge sense of accomplishment.
“I’m never proud of a loss,” McDaniel said. “We came here to win and I refuse to take moral victories as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. It wasn’t good enough, so that’s where I’m at.”
At this point, that’s the same conclusion owner Steve Ross has to reach about the reign of Grier and McDaniel.
