The Miami Dolphins had a good run, but as it usually is for them, it was too good to be true. Now, Tua Tagovailoa, Mike McDaniel, and company will be playing for their draft position in the last three weeks of the NFL season. Officially eliminated from the Playoffs, Miami has now gone 25 straight years without a win in the postseason.
With nothing left to play for on the NFL season, many fans across social media want the Dolphins to switch up the starting quarterback position. On that note, McDaniel voiced a stern message on the prospect of benching Tagovailoa—who is signed to a four-year, $212 million contract through the 2028 campaign.
“It would be very rash and short-sighted if I even tried to tackle that option [benching Tua Tagovailoa],” Mike McDaniel stated after the 28-15 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, via @FinsXtra on X. “I have to look at the tape and I’ll move on from there.”
Tua’s stats vs Steelers in Week 15
The Dolphins couldn’t get anything going during their visit to the Steelers on Monday night. Steering away from their biggest ally on the NFL season—the rushing game—Miami shot itself in the foot. Tua was asked to throw the football 28 times in a bone-chilling environment, which was always going to be a recipe for disaster.
Tagovailoa ended the night with 22 completions for 253 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Still, his stats are greatly inflated by his production in garbage time. With the Dolphins down 28-3, the former fifth overall pick made some of his best plays of the night against a defense in prevent mode rather than one offering resistance. Moreover, Tagovailoa now leads the league with 15 INTs.
Concerning streaks
When the game was still within reach, Tagovailoa crumbled, with a handful of eye-rolling plays Dolphins fans won’t let go of anytime soon. Following yet another disasterclass in the elements, Tagovailoa is now 0-6 in his career when playing in below-40-degree weather.
However, the Hawaiian QB isn’t the only one to blame, as the Dolphins are now dragging a burden in the shape of a 14-game losing streak in such climate conditions. The spotlight is always too bright, too, as McDaniel’s Dolphins are now 4-13 in primetime games, as reported by The Palm Beach Post’s Joe Schad.
The Same Ol’ Dolphins
Another NFL season is now in the books in Miami, and the Phins have yet to record their first postseason win since the 2000 campaign. While McDaniel and Tagovailoa hold a big share of the blame for the disastrous season put together by Miami, it’s clear the problems within the organization don’t simply start and end with the head coach and quarterback duo.
The true root grows further up in the front office. General manager Chris Grier has been fired, but more changes are needed if the Dolphins are truly looking to right the ship. Fans can point to conspiracy theories about the grounds where Hard Rock Stadium stands and whatnot, but the true ghosts Miami must slay are its own. If the Dolphins don’t undergo a deep cleanse from top to bottom, then Tagovailoa and McDaniel might be gone in the future, but new scapegoats like them will undoubtedly appear.