At the start of a new NFL season, the Miami Dolphins were projected to be one of the AFC’s teams to watch. However, Mike McDaniel’s squad delivered a highly underwhelming performance in their opener against the Indianapolis Colts, suffering a heavy road loss to kick off the year.
This is where many have started to question the head coach’s performance, as he has increasingly come under scrutiny — not just for the results, but also for the way his team has been playing.
Still, in his postgame remarks to the media, McDaniel addressed his situation, acknowledging that he’ll need to step up starting in Week 2 in order to hold onto his job in the league.
“I don’t see this job void of pressure. I don’t see this job as one of entitlement,” the head coach said.
He also added: “You’re either crowned or shunned in Week 1… The way we lost probably is an overall better way to learn an absolute lesson.” The Dolphins suffered a heavy 33–8 loss to the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium, with Tua Tagovailoa falling well short of his expected level of play.
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Fallout from the tough loss
There’s no doubt it was a tough blow — even more so considering all the preparation that went into this game. Mike McDaniel is well aware of that, which is why he’s confident in his ability to turn things around quickly and help the Dolphins find the level of play they’re capable of.
“That formula (today) is for failure, and nothing else. There was a lot of preparation for Week 1 and I don’t think it looked it… I did my best and not good enough… We’re a much better team than we displayed today,” the HC said.
Bouncing back quickly
With the main goal of turning the page quickly, these are the upcoming games the Dolphins will face as they look to get their season back on track:
- vs New England Patriots, September 14
- @ Buffalo Bills, September 18
- vs New York Jets, September 29
- @ Carolina Panthers, October 5
- vs Los Angeles Chargers, October 12
