Mike McDaniel's days with the Miami Dolphins may be numbered. However, after Sunday's loss to the Carolina Panthers, it might be Anthony Weaver who could see himself out the door first.
Weaver was the de facto replacement for McDaniel, should Stephen Ross fire him before the season is over, but it might be McDaniel who ensures his replacement won't be on the team to replace him. Following the game, McDaniel teed off on his defensive coordinator in the most direct way without actually saying his name.
"There's no if, ands, or buts about it. You don't give up that many line-of-scrimmage yards, unless you're uncoordinated in certain ways. I need to make sure that guys don't fray or try to handle it themselves," said McDaniel. "We collectively need to build a wall, and if that means play calls need to change for that to occur, then play calls need to change."
Mike McDaniel just threw Anthony Weaver under the bus after Dolphins' latest embarrassment
McDaniel then added: "This can't continue to go on like this, and it has already gone on too long."
A subdued Dolphins head coach managed to meander through his press conference following an ugly second-half loss to Carolina. While he didn't completely avoid responsibility, the question about the defense was the tee-up McDaniel was waiting for.
It's hard to imagine McDaniel talking about NFL players being uncoordinated, as it sounded more like they are not being coached.
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It is becoming increasingly clear that McDaniel is losing faith in Weaver, if he hasn't already. Usually, a mild-mannered coach who rarely speaks about others, McDaniel is seemingly starting to care less and less. He made several comments about no one caring about how the team feels; maybe he doesn't care how his coaches feel.
It's unlikely that McDaniel will make a change after five weeks, but at this point, nothing would be surprising, and nothing would be unwelcome by a fan base that is stunned by how this season has begun.