Another disappointing loss amid a frustrating season leads to changes for Dolphins. More could come

Audio By Carbonatix

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Miami fans — the ones that stuck around until the bitter end of another disappointing loss — showered their team with boos as the Dolphins left the field on Thursday night, an all-too-familiar sound in a season defined by disappointment.

Some wore paper bags over their heads, silent symbols of embarrassment. Others had no trouble verbalizing their frustration as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, coach Mike McDaniel and the slumping Dolphins lumbered off the field.

By Friday morning, change began with Chris Grier, Miami's general manager for the past decade, dismissed after Thursday's 28-6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, which dropped the Dolphins to 2-7. The move marked what many see as the first step in a necessary reset for a roster with glaring deficiencies that has failed to meet expectations.

“I want to thank the fans for their continued support and passion for this team,” Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said in a statement Friday morning, noting that the decision to part ways was mutual between Grier and the team. “You deserve a championship-caliber team you can be proud of. There’s much work ahead to return the Dolphins to sustained success, and that work begins now, finishing the season strong, evaluating all areas of our football operation, and moving forward with a clear vision for the future.”

McDaniel, who has been on the hot seat all season, is expected to keep his job at least through the end of the regular season, per ESPN.

McDaniel was visibly upset on the sideline Thursday at some of the Dolphins' sloppy mistakes and spoke Friday about the team's overall frustration with the way the season has gone. The Dolphins were blown out by Indianapolis in their season opener amid a three-game losing streak to start the 2025 campaign, then embarrassed again at Cleveland amid another three-game skid.

Just when it appeared some of their mistakes were being corrected in their Week 8 win over Atlanta, the Dolphins put forth another dud against the Ravens.

"I think you guys saw how I felt about some of those things on the field," McDaniel said, “and that just comes from controlling the controllables and going into a game knowing we can’t beat ourselves, and then beating ourselves is frustrating to the nth degree.”

With the NFL trade deadline coming up on Tuesday, many will wait to see if the Dolphins move on from some of their stars to acquire pieces for the future, though McDaniel has declined to engage in trade talks and a few weeks ago called trade rumors “baseless.”

McDaniel added Friday he felt his message was still getting through to players. And players have expressed confidence in their ability to salvage the season.

“We had a pretty heartfelt conversation in there after the game,” Tagovailoa said Thursday. “After that conversation, I feel like guys are going to go away, they’re going to do what they need to do, but when we come back on Monday, we’re ready to work.”

For all the problems Miami has had with consistency this season, the Dolphins have one of the better red-zone and goal-to-go offenses in the NFL. Miami entered Week 9 as one of only four teams in the league with a 100% goal-to-go efficiency rate, finding the end zone in all 12 of its goal-to-go situations. Before going 0-for-3 in the red zone on Thursday, Tagovailoa was second in the NFL in passer rating (117.1) and fifth in completion percentage (69.4%) in that area.

Sloppy offense and undisciplined mistakes on defense have characterized the Dolphins — whether it has been trouble getting plays in on time, players unsure where to line up out of the huddle, pre-snap confusion or frustrating penalties at inopportune times.

RB De'Von Achane. The third-year running back has been the Dolphins' best player, with four games recording 100-plus scrimmage yards. Achane has 880 scrimmage yards this season, fourth most in the NFL.

Tagovailoa and the defensive front share the blame here. Tagovailoa has had a couple of bright moments, including his four-touchdown outing to lead Miami to a win over the Falcons, but his play overall just hasn't been good enough. Ahead of Sunday's Week 9 matchups, Tagovailoa led the NFL with 11 interceptions.

Just as surprising as Tagovailoa's apparent regression has been the lackluster performance of Miami's defensive front, which was expected to be the team's strength. Instead, the Dolphins have not gotten consistent pressure and have one of the worst run defenses in the NFL.

OL James Daniels (pec) and K Jason Sanders (hip) are expected to play this season, per McDaniel. Daniels hasn't played since Week 1. Sanders has been on IR since the preseason. On OL Austin Jackson (toe), who is also eligible to return from IR, McDaniel said he is “confident” he will return. ... OL Liam Eichenberg has been out with an undisclosed injury and is unlikely to play this season. ... LB Chop Robinson is in the concussion protocol.

The Dolphins have a minus-8 turnover differential. An inability to protect the ball is what McDaniel has pointed to as a main reason for the Dolphins' losing record.

Senior personnel executive Champ Kelly will be Miami’s interim general manager the rest of the season, starting with next Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills. He figures to oversee any trade moves at Tuesday's NFL trade deadline.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL