As the Miami Dolphins' latest disaster came in the form of a 31-6 loss to the Cleveland Browns, one would have to wonder if changes are coming to the franchise. While the rumors around the Dolphins will amplify after the loss, head coach Mike McDaniel spoke about changes from within the team.
Sunday's defeat to the Browns was a microcosm of the season as a whole, with a bunch of self-inflicted wounds in all three phases of the game. McDaniel would say after the game that when he speaks to Miami, he doesn't hold anything back, saying that the “tape never lies” as there were likely 20 times where the team hurt themselves, according to The Miami Herald.
“You are very clear in front of the team. The tape never lies,” McDaniel said. “There are probably 20 plays that are self-inflicted wounds. You can’t … beat the opponent if you beat yourself. We have a long work week ahead of us that we have to make very impactful.”
Though there have been speculations about McDaniel's job security, the head coach would discuss making personnel changes in regards to players.
“If you are negatively impacting the team routinely, I have no choice but to assess a different player,” McDaniel said. “I have to coach a lot better as well. We will find out who and what we’re made of… We will change our style of play if we have to. Everything is on the table.”
Dolphins' Mike McDaniel on the current frustrations
One player who continued his inconsistent season against the Browns was Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovaila, who threw for 100 yards and three picks. When talking about the player changes, he said it will be “tape-driven,” though he doesn't want to “overconclude” on anything.
“Guys have been frustrated with the season and believe in each other a lot more than our record would indicate,” McDaniel said on the frustrations. “There were four drives sustained by penalties defensively, and I can feel that [frustration] building up. You come out of the gates second half, you have a fumble on special teams and a one-play pick six. The guys were frustrated throughout the game, and it didn’t help us. It made us worse. We had two late hits, two personal fouls, and we hadn’t majored in that.”
Miami looks to bounce back and snap a three-game skid against the Atlanta Falcons next Sunday.
