The Miami Dolphins are certainly one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL this season. Yes, they just upset the Buffalo Bills in dominant fashion, but for the most part, this season has been a strong sign that head coach Mike McDaniel isn't the right guy to lead this team to the promised land.
Following that logic, Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports had McDaniel as the head coach whose seat is the warmest entering Week 11. While a majority of the blurb on McDaniel talks about how Stephen Ross still believes in McDaniel and why the Dolphins could end up retaining him, the fourth-year head coach is number one on the list for a reason.
"[T]hey're among the NFL's biggest disappointments this season (at 3-7) and, until Sunday, it sure seemed like McDaniel was on the verge of losing control of his team. Ross' leaked intentions may set McDaniel up for a second-half test, though. A few more wins, and he can make a case for staying. But it's probably a good bet that he will need those wins."
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is on the hot seat for a reason
Sure, the Dolphins have, at times, looked like the team we expected them to be over the past few weeks. But what about the other seven games where they've lost and looked like they've given up on the season? Those games are even more telling than the wins are.
It's great to finally see the Dolphins beat the Bills, but why couldn't they do that in any of the previous years when doing so would have given them a better chance of winning the division? McDaniel's squad hasn't just disappointed this year, but even when the team was competitive in past years, they mostly beat up on bad teams and could never seem to get that big win.
The Dolphins do have a pretty manageable schedule down the stretch with four of their final seven games coming against teams with losing records. Perhaps McDaniel can save his job by sweeping those teams, but even then, missing the playoffs two years in a row with the offensive talent this team has would be considered a failed season.
While it's not fun losing games, Dolphins fans will likely be rooting for the team to continue to underwhelm for the rest of the season, just to ensure that the Mike McDaniel era officially comes to an end.