The noise around Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel's job status had been loud just two weeks into the season. But after Thursday night, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk says it's time to pump the brakes — at least for now.
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The Dolphins fell to the Bills by double digits, but Florio noted Miami played hard and gave Buffalo "their best shot." The effort, he argued, was enough to quiet talk of team owner Stephen Ross making drastic moves.
That doesn't mean McDaniel or general manager Chris Grier can exhale for the rest of the year. Florio pointed out that Miami's schedule eases up in the near term. Games loom against the Jets, Panthers, Chargers, Browns, and Falcons. That stretch presents a chance for the Dolphins to rebound, and probably requires them to.
"If they go 3-2, maybe all is fine," Florio wrote. "But if it's 2-3, 1-4, or worse, the same vibe that hovered over Thursday night will return when the Ravens come to town in Week 9."
He added that a poor showing against Baltimore — a team that usually shines in prime time — could provide the trigger for change if Miami's record nosedives.
For now, the numbers tell the story. As Florio noted via ESPN, the Dolphins under McDaniel are 25-12 against teams at .500 or worse. Against opponents with a winning record? Just 3-14.
The effort is still there, but until Miami starts beating contenders, the questions will never really go away.
