The Miami Dolphins sit at a crossroads, and the questions aren’t slowing down. After Sunday’s 31-6 blowout loss to the Cleveland Browns, the heat on coach Mike McDaniel has intensified. With the team now mired in a three-game losing streak and holding a 1-6 record, the chatter is loud: if changes are coming, they should come fast. After Sunday’s performance, anyone would say the same thing.

“I believe it’s fair to say that questions about the future of Mike McDaniel and Tua…and everything that is in the Dolphins orbit, it is all fair now with that performance that they gave on Sunday,” said NFL insider Ian Rapoport on GMFB. He also captioned his X post, “No changes are expected as of now, but the hope is the results change.”

Miami’s outing in Cleveland may have been its worst yet. They both entered the game with 1-5 win-loss records. The Browns, with a rookie quarterback, Dillon Gabriel, under center, were expected to be beatable. But the Dolphins faltered in every phase. Reasons? Rapoport has them.

“There’s been several reasons why. First of all, some high-profile losses can put a coach, put a team into crosshairs. Plus, last week we had the controversy with starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa calling out some of his teammates for late arrivals to players-only film sessions… and then walking back his comments,” he said.

That moment captured everything wrong in Miami right now. Lack of leadership, lack of accountability, and an offense that has lost its rhythm. Tua Tagovailoa’s decision to publicly call out teammates after the Chargers’ loss backfired fast.

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McDaniel even admitted the post-game presser “wasn’t the forum” for that kind of talk, and Tua later apologized. Still, the damage was done. Rapoport went on to reveal how ownership is viewing the situation:

“My understanding early on in the season for the Dolphins and for Mike McDaniel is owner Stephen Ross likes him and believes in him, has extended him in the past, and wants to go forward with Mike McDaniel. The only thing that would change it is if one, fans suddenly stop showing up… or two, if the players stop playing for him.”

The timing couldn’t be worse. Tagovailoa (27) just signed a four-year, $212 million extension, making him the sixth-highest-paid QB in the NFL. But on Sunday, he hit rock bottom: a total of three interceptions, a passer rating of 24.1, and a fourth-quarter benching for rookie Quinn Ewers.

Ewers was just promoted to backup days earlier. When asked post-game, Tagovailoa admitted whose decision it was.

“Head bosses’ decision. He made that decision.”  McDaniel later explained his decision that turnovers were “the number one indicator of wins and losses” and admitted that “at least one to two of them were extremely preventable” from Tua. The message?

Everyone is accountable—including the $200 million quarterback. But what about the coach himself?

Pressure mounts on Mike McDaniel as Dolphins’ season spirals

This is where things get tricky. Reports out of Miami describe a locker room that’s growing restless. Veterans are frustrated, younger players are confused. But owner Stephen Ross doesn’t seem to be losing his faith…yet. Veteran reporter Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald backed that up, saying,

“When I’ve asked a Ross associate why no changes, he cited the owner wanting to give McDaniel/Grier a fair amount of time to turn this around. Yesterday and previous weeks did not qualify, in his view, as reasons to change from that approach. Who knows what will?”

Barry’s question echoes loud. If not now, then when?

It’s a precarious situation. The Dolphins have looked lifeless, disconnected, and disorganized through the weeks. The energy that once defined McDaniel’s system; fast, creative, and player-driven, has faded into confusion. But McDaniel, for his part, refuses to talk about job security.

“I find it very offensive to all parties involved if I’m thinking about having a job. I need to be doing my job,” he said. “For as long as I coach for the Miami Dolphins, they’ll get everything from me.” This is something fans must be wondering too: get the job done.

Right now, everything might not be enough. Miami’s offense is broken, its locker room divided, and its fan base running out of patience. Moreover, if the Dolphins don’t turn things around immediately, the organization might not just reset the quarterback position. It might start over from the top down.