Time is running out for Mike McDaniel. After the Miami Dolphins’ loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6, the head coaching seat is hotter than ever. However, a recent conversation between McDaniel and team owner Stephen Ross appears to have cooled tensions-at least for now.
The Dolphins seemed to have Sunday’s game locked up. A touchdown pass from Tua Tagovailoa to Darren Waller gave them a 27-26 lead with just 46 seconds remaining.
But just as fans began to celebrate, quarterback Justin Herbert delivered a masterclass in clock management, setting up kicker Cameron Dicker for the game-winning field goal with five seconds left.
It marked the team’s second consecutive loss, third defeat by fewer than seven points, and fourth game decided in the final five minutes. That prompted a serious conversation between Ross and McDaniel.
Did Stephen Ross reprimand Mike McDaniel?
In an interview with Alain Poupart of Sports Illustrated, McDaniel opened up about his exchange with Ross. According to the coach, it wasn’t a scolding-it was a conversation about accountability and solutions.
“After the game, the main thing is that he’s experiencing the loss like all of us,” McDaniel said. He acknowledged that once again, the team let the game slip away in the final minutes: “And we had a different outcome available to us.”
“I think it’s the fourth loss this season that we’ve had in the final minutes of the fourth quarter”
The focus of the discussion with Ross, McDaniel said, was “what we need to do as a team to try to correct this.” For now, the answer is to zero in on Week 7 against the Cleveland Browns.
What’s Next for McDaniel and the Dolphins
After the first third of the season, Miami holds a 1-5 record and sits at the bottom of the AFC East. This Sunday, they visit the struggling Browns in a showdown between two coaches on the hot seat.
The game at Huntington Bank Field could determine the futures of both McDaniel and Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski-regardless of the outcome.
Although Ross still appears to be backing McDaniel, a loss to another 1-5 team could be the final nail in the coach’s coffin. Will a new chapter begin this Sunday in Miami? We’re about to find out.
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