MIAMI GARDENS — It was the worst season opener in the Mike McDaniel era, by far. The Dolphins’ 33-8 loss at Indianapolis on Sunday was a prime example of a bad plan poorly executed.

Tight end Darren Waller (hip) wasn’t ready. The run game didn’t display any power. The offensive line was shaky. The pass rushers were ineffective. The secondary was leaky. And special teams did more bad than good.

Oh, and the coaching was worse than all of the aforementioned breakdowns.

This report card picks up where the 2024 midseason and season-ending report cards left off. And McDaniel gets most of the blame.

Run game: D

Don’t be fooled by the respectable 78 yards on 12 carries stat. Running back De’Von Achane (seven carries, 55 yards) only had 14 yards on five carries in the first half, when the game was on the line. He had a 15-yard carry in the third quarter when it was 23-0, and a 26-yard carry in the fourth quarter when it was 30-0. Those are meaningless yards (no blame on Achane here). McDaniel must utilize a power run game, featuring rookie Ollie Goron II, or opponents won’t respect the run.

Pass game: F

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa ended with three turnovers (two interceptions and a fumble) that the Colts turned into 17 points. The connection between Tagovailoa and wide receiver Tyreek Hill (four receptions, 40 yards) remains out of sync, just as it was in their final two games last season against Houston and San Francisco. It’s clear the lack of offseason work hurt their cohesiveness. The Tagovailoa-Jaylen Waddle connection (four receptions, 30 yards) was equally useless. Nine players had a reception, none totaled more than Hill’s 40 yards. And pass protection was suspect with three sacks and six hits.

Run defense: F

It’s tough to pick the most alarming number among the Colts’ 40 carries — their 156 yards rushing or their time of possession advantage (38 minutes, 43 seconds compared to 21 minutes, 17 seconds). Running back Jonathan Taylor (18 carries, 71 yards, 3.9 yards per carry) was effective. Quarterback Daniel Jones (seven carries, 26 yards, two touchdowns) also made an impact. The Dolphins were No. 9 in run defense last year. After one game this year, they’re 27th.

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Pass defense: F

A coverage mixup allowed a touchdown, and there was absolutely no pass rush at all (one sack) from a front seven expected to be among the best in the league. Daniel Jones finished 22 of 29 for 272 yards, one touchdown and a 115.9 passer rating. Wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (six receptions, 80 yards, one touchdown) and tight end Tyler Warren (seven receptions, 76 yards) tore the Dolphins’ pass coverage apart. You knew the secondary was a work in progress. The (lack of) a pass rush was the bigger disappointment.

Special teams: D

The running into the punter penalty by linebacker Matthew Judon was one of the worst plays of the game. It allowed the Colts to continue what turned into a 17-play drive, 67-yard drive that consumed the final 6:46 of the first half. Interestingly, punter Jake Bailey only had one punt (42 yards). Recently-signed kicker Riley Patterson didn’t attempt a field goal or an extra point. And for some reason, the Dolphins showed future opponents an onside kick play when they trailed, 30-8, with 6:21 left in the game.  

Coaching: F

McDaniel, who failed to prepare his team for the opener, faces a near must-win game next week against New England. The offense, defense and special teams appeared unprepared against the Colts. McDaniel is 28-24 (.538) overall in the regular season, and 10-12 (.455) in the regular season since that ugly Tennessee loss in 2023. Those are job-endangering numbers.

Stock up: CB Jalen Ramsey, DT Calais Campbell, TE Jonnu Smith

The key losses from last year’s team appeared even more key Sunday, especially because Ramsey, now with Pittsburgh, caused a crucial late-game fumble in the Steeler’s 34-32 win over the New York Jets, Smith, also with Pittsburgh, had a touchdown, and Campbell, now with Arizona, had five tackles in the Cardinals’ 20-13 win over New Orleans.

Stock down: McDaniel/Tua duo

The pair struggled once again and their recent numbers tell an ugly story. You know the numbers for McDaniel (mentioned above). Tagovailoa is 6-6 in his last 12 regular-season starts, dating back to the start of last season, and 8-9 in his last 17 regular-season starts, dating back to that Tennessee loss late in 2023.

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/09/08/grading-the-dolphins-33-8-loss-to-the-colts/