The Miami Dolphins had the stage set up for them. Beat a winning playoff caliber team when it mattered the most. Extend the season and hope for a playoff run. All they had to do was play football like they wanted it.
Up in the owner's box, Stephen Ross watched the same mess every Dolphins fans watched. It wasn't pretty, and while the Dolphins only lost by 8 points, it could have been a lot worse. Ross should have seen something to absolutely change his mind about the people running his team.
We can forget about the eight wasted years of Chris Grier. The Dolphins are more talented than when he arrived but the depth on the roster behind the starters is not. What is more glaring is the coaching.
Fans can like Mike McDaniel, they can root for him, and they can look beyond some of his mistakes, but in week 15, McDaniel gave Ross enough reasons to believe he isn't the right guy to run this team despite giving him an extension this offseason.
McDaniel has been the coach of the Dolphins for almost three full seasons, but what is actually changing?
- Time management issues still remain - Miami wasted two timeouts in the second half because they couldn't have the right personnel on the field and couldn't afford a delay of the game.
- Lack of discipline remains a problem - Penalties kill this team, and the Dolphins are still being called regularly for false starts, holding calls, and formation issues.
- Inability to adjust the game plan - Against bad teams, McDaniel has no problem outcoaching his opposition. In those games, he doesn't need to make adjustments. Better-coached teams force him to make those changes, and he has yet to show he can on a consistent basis.
- Lack of physicality and accountability - McDaniel doesn't throw his staff or his players under the bus, but he doesn't hold them accountable either. Miami still lacks a physical defense or physical offensive lineman.
If the Miami Dolphins don't fire Mike McDaniel, they needs to fire Chris Grier
Miami's problems can be traced to the moves Grier has made over his career. If he isn't missing on draft picks like Cam Smith and Noah Igbinoghene, he is wasting free agent signings like Odell Beckham, Jr. He has thrown large amounts of his cap space to a handful of players while not addressing more important needs.
The callous ego he displays, especially as it relates to the offensive line, is more than bothersome. It's an oversight that has kept the Dolphins from developing, progressing, and winning more consistently.
Much like McDaniel, Grier's has shown no ability to create a team that is anything but finesse and timing.
Miami should have been firing on cylinders Sunday, Ross should firing on all cylinders on Monday. They should have been prepared, but they were not. McDaniel is over his head against good teams and Grier isn't the type of GM that can identify team needs or future roster problems. For Stephen Ross, there are plenty of reasons to fire one or both of them. Will he? Probably not.
2024 is a failed season. Not because Tua got hurt or because they didn't have a suitable backup. They failed because where they needed talent they lacked it. Where they needed quality depth, they didn't have it.
Where they needed players that play physically they bought players that can't tackle. They drafted players they failed to develop and took risks on players with injury histories, then wondered why they were injured once again.