The situation surrounding Mike McDaniel in Miami is quickly becoming concerning.
The Dolphins suffered a humiliating 31-6 defeat at the hands of the Cleveland Browns, a team that had previously only won one game. Backup quarterback Quinn Ewers didn’t seem to receive much support from McDaniel, either.
With just over seven minutes left in the fourth quarter and the offense struggling at 4-15, the cameras caught McDaniel seemingly ignoring Ewers as he came onto the field to take over for starter Tua Tagovailoa.
Critics took notice, with one tweet capturing the moment: “Quinn Ewers plays his first three games as a pro, jogs off the field, and gets a nasty snub from his head coach. Mike McDaniel may excel as an offensive coordinator, but it seems he lacks what it takes to be a successful head coach in the NFL.”
McDaniel’s visible frustration with Ewers followed the rookie’s first drive, during which he completed 1 of 2 passes for a total of minus-2 yards and fumbled a snap on third down, resulting in a quick three-and-out.
In this disappointing loss, which brought the Dolphins’ record to 6-1, Miami was forced to punt after another fumble while Ewers struggled in his limited play.
On his NFL debut, Ewers recorded 5 completions out of 8 attempts for 53 yards.
Meanwhile, former Jets quarterback Zach Wilson was dropped from his second-string position to an emergency role, allowing Ewers to step in during the game.
After the loss, McDaniel made some puzzling remarks that led to speculation about their connection to Tagovailoa. He stated, “If you’re having a negative impact on your football team on a daily basis, you have no choice but to evaluate new players and you have to coach better.”
Tagovailoa’s performance against the Browns wasn’t strong either, going 12-of-23 for 100 yards, failing to toss any touchdowns and throwing three interceptions amidst windy and rainy conditions.
Looking ahead, Miami will face Atlanta in the upcoming Week 8 game. However, it remains uncertain whether McDaniel will continue as the head coach, especially with tensions rising in South Beach.
