The Dolphins fell to 0-2 on Sunday following a home loss to the Patriots. Miami’s performance on offense in particular was an improvement compared to Week 1, but questions continue to linger about changes being made in the organization. 
Shortly before Week 2, a report indicated head coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier are in danger of being fired before the season ends. After the loss, McDaniel was asked about his stance regarding his job security. As one would expect, he denied having concern on the subject.
“If I worry about my job security, I won’t be doing my job,” McDaniel said (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). “I’ve never felt entitled to this position. It’s important for me to spend all of my waking hours worrying about how to do my job. I won’t spend one moment thinking about [job security].”
Coaches known to be on the hot seat often provide remarks along those lines, so McDaniel’s comments are certainly understandable. Still, a slow start against the Patriots resulted in a 12-0 deficit early yesterday. The Dolphins managed to take the lead, but their final two possessions resulted in a Tua Tagovailoa interception and a turnover on downs following a Tagovailoa sack. That helped lead to the Dolphins’ first home loss against New England since 2019, a game which was preceded by a blowout loss against the Colts.
Concussions and other injuries have been a long-running area of concern for Tagovailoa during his NFL career. When healthy during the early portion of McDaniel’s tenure as head coach, he and the team managed to find a degree of success. The Dolphins reached the postseason in 2022 and again the following year, indicating a breakthrough could be coming. After an underwhelming showing last season and a poor start to the current campaign, though, calls have increased for a change on the sidelines and/or in the front office.
The Dolphins have lost 10 of their last 16 games in which Tagovailoa has started dating back to when he was on the field last season. That regression has been coupled with issues being aired out by a number of veterans, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Relations with McDaniel were acknowledged to be a factor in this offseason’s Jalen Ramsey trade. The Dolphins’ secondary is a point of concern, especially given the injuries suffered in at the cornerback spot so far. Miami’s offense has generally not met expectations since the start of last season, however.
Should the Dolphins continue to struggle through the fall, pressure will no doubt continue to increase on McDaniel and Grier. Whether of not owner Stephen Ross considers a change midway through the campaign – and how (if at all) McDaniel alters his approach in response – will make for an interesting storyline.