Starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is on the hot seat after the Miami Dolphins were blown out by the Cleveland Browns on the road.
After the disheartening 31-6 loss to the Browns at a rain-soaked Huntington Bank Field, head coach Mike McDaniel made it clear: nothing is off the table when it comes to potential changes.
“We are extremely preventable from Tua – he knows that he just wasn’t good enough,” McDaniel said postgame. “We’ll watch the tape and change our style of play if we have to. Everything is on the table.”
A hard truth for Tua and Miami
It was a blunt assessment from a coach known for his measured tone – and a reflection of growing frustration inside a Dolphins locker room now teetering after a second straight loss. Miami’s defense opened with promise, forcing an early three-and-out, but the offense quickly sputtered behind an inconsistent Tua Tagovailoa.
The quarterback completed just 12 of 23 passes for 100 yards, failing to find any rhythm against an aggressive Browns defense that blitzed relentlessly and dominated the trenches.
Running back De’Von Achane was one of the few bright spots, breaking off a 46-yard run that set up a 33-yard field goal by Riley Patterson to tie the game 3-3 early in the second quarter. Achane finished with 82 yards on 13 carries, averaging over six yards per attempt, marking his third game this season surpassing the 80-yard mark.
The offense suffered all game long
But every offensive spark by the Dolphins was quickly extinguished by Cleveland‘s momentum swings. Rookie running back Quinshon Judkins ran wild for three touchdowns – including a 46-yard burst that broke the game open.
And when Tagovailoa‘s short pass was intercepted and returned 34 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the second half, the contest effectively ended. McDaniel‘s comments underscored a deeper concern about Miami‘s offensive identity.
After finishing among the NFL‘s top attacks in 2024, the Dolphins now look disjointed. Their trademark motion-heavy offense has struggled to protect Tagovailoa or generate chunk plays through the air.
“When you go to a game knowing you have the capability to win and get handed a very, very humbling loss, you have to look at everything,” McDaniel said. His remarks hint that schematic and personnel changes may be imminent – potentially including shifts along the offensive line or even a reevaluation of Tagovailoa‘s approach under pressure.
The Dolphins (3-4) now turn their attention to Week 8, when they’ll visit the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium next Sunday. With McDaniel signaling that “everything is on the table,” the trip to Atlanta could mark the beginning of a shake-up – one that may define the rest of Miami‘s 2025 season.
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