Mike McDaniel might be running out of time in Miami. The Dolphins have started 1-5, and while they've been competitive in most games, the way they've lost has fans — and ownership — running out of patience.
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McDaniel's offense still looks creative, but the team's repeated fourth-quarter collapses have defined the season so far.
In four of their five losses, the Dolphins either led or were tied in the fourth quarter, noted Steve DelVecchio of Larry Brown Sports. They blew late advantages against the Patriots, Panthers, and Chargers, and even managed to tie the Bills in the final frame before falling apart again.
Last week's loss to Los Angeles was the most painful yet — Miami scored with 46 seconds left to take a 27-26 lead, only to allow the Chargers to march into field goal range and win 29-27.
It's become a pattern. The Dolphins can move the ball and build leads, but they can't finish games. That's the kind of trend that gets coaches fired, no matter how innovative the offense looks.
Adding to the drama, Tua Tagovailoa stirred up headlines with postgame comments that McDaniel later publicly addressed, feeding into the growing talk of "culture issues" that have hovered over the team since last season.
McDaniel's upbeat personality and offensive mind made him a fan favorite early on, but the results have gone in the wrong direction. If Miami can't flip the script soon, ownership may decide it's time for someone else to finish what he started.
For the record, there have also been questions about the future of Browns coach Kevin Stefanski — making this week's matchup undoubtedly The Hot Seat Bowl.
