The Miami Dolphins season is not going according to plan. They find themselves 1-4 and lost a winnable game against the Carolina Panthers. The reason? Their rushing defense is very, very weak. After the game, head coach Mike McDaniel addressed the situation.
David Furones of Sun Sentinel reported that McDaniel was not happy with how the team’s rushing defense is playing. “It can’t continue to go on like this, and it’s already gone on too long,” McDaniel said.
The Dolphins were winning 17-0 at one point and ended up losing 27-24. Even with a game script that almost forced the Panthers‘ to throw, Carolina stuck to running and that way it found success versus Miami.
Dolphins were decimated by a backup running back
If a team allows 239 rushing yards in a game is very bad. If the opposing team does that with a backup running back it’s flat out embarrassing. Out of the 239 rushing yards, Panthers’ Rico Dowdle was responsible for 206 of them. Bear in mind, Dowdle is the backup of Chuba Hubbard, who missed today’s game due to a calf strain.
Rico Dowdle #5 of the Carolina Panthers
Dowdle averaged nine yards per carry and also scored a touchdown. It was an absolute masterclass from Dowdle who prior to this game had only 83 yards all season. This just shows how bad the Dolphins’ rushing defense is.
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Mike McDaniel’s future is very cloudy
Before the season started, much was said about how McDaniel managed the locker room. His relaxed persona and how his players behaved shed some doubts about his authority. That, and the fact that the team has underdelivered sparked conversations about his job as the team’s head coach.
Now, the team is 1-4, just lost to one of the worst teams in the NFL and were embarrassed by a backup. His second-half playcalling was also incredibly shaky. Hence, they lost a 17-point lead. Whether he finishes the season or not remains to be seen, but he needs to righten the ship fast if he wants to keep his job.
