MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said he isn’t worried about his job security, despite his team’s 0-2 start to the season — even as some fans took to the sky to voice their displeasure.
The Dolphins lost their home opener Sunday 33-27 to the New England Patriots. Miami had multiple opportunities to take the lead in its final two drives of the game but turned the ball over both times.
Fans booed the Dolphins offense at times during the game and left the stadium in droves prior to the final whistle, as the Dolphins started a season 0-2 for the first time since 2020.
“I think if I worry about my job security, I won’t be doing my job — and I think that inherently is against all things that I believe in.”
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel
After the game, McDaniel said he wasn’t thinking about his job security, because it would take his focus away from doing the job itself.
“I think if I worry about my job security, I won’t be doing my job — and I think that inherently is against all things that I believe in,” he said. “I’ve never felt entitled to this position and it’s very important for me to spend all my waking hours worrying about exactly how to do my job.
“I won’t spend one moment thinking about all the things that, whatever people want me to think about. [I’m] thinking about this team and the Buffalo Bills here, after I get done with this podium.”
Before Sunday’s game, some Dolphins fans crowdsourced a banner that was flown over Hard Rock Stadium, which read, “FIRE [Dolphins’ GM Chris] GRIER. FIRE MCDANIEL.”
McDaniel said he didn’t see the banner but understood fans’ frustration and didn’t take it personally.
“Fans want their team to win … I don’t think it’s personal,” he said. “I think they want to win. And so do I.”
Both players and McDaniel expressed their frustration with Sunday’s result after the game.
After an 18-yard completion from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to running back De’Von Achane brought the Dolphins’ offense to the New England 26-yard line with just over one minute remaining in the game, the Dolphins were penalized for a false start and delay of game before taking another snap.
Facing 1st-and-20, the Dolphins gained 8 yards before Tagovailoa was sacked on fourth down to effectively end the game.
“I’m very frustrated — there’s some coaches and players that did not execute communication in a very dire period of the game,” McDaniel said. “With the game on the line, our communication and substitution was not up to par — and ultimately I hold responsibility for all things, so I will make sure that things that should already be ironed out moving forward, we will not fall victim to the same thing again … we’ll put the appropriate emphasis on that.
“It was not acceptable. We had the opportunity to win the game, and we robbed it from ourselves.”
McDaniel, who calls the Dolphins’ offensive plays, said he got the play in on time but needed to do a better job over supervising personnel changes.
Tagovailoa was also unhappy with the team’s communication in crunch time.
“I was frustrated with the communication with the guys inside the huddle and then what the personnel is, then the play,” he said. “Do we have too many guys in? Why do we have another guy running in? Just the whole operation of that was not up to standard, was not up to par. I got to do a better job with our guys in that sense.”
Miami’s schedule doesn’t get much easier moving forward; its week begins immediately with preparation for a game Thursday against the Bills — who have won 15 of the teams’ past 17 matchups.
