The mood inside the Miami Dolphins’ facility was a mix of optimism and frustration after a stunning 27-24 collapse to the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium.
Linebacker Jaelan Phillips, who logged three tackles, a sack, and two quarterback hits on 53 snaps, tried to highlight the positives five weeks into the season. But the reality on paper tells a harsher story.
“I think there’s a lot of positive things to take, even as a defense, how we played in the first half really and the turnovers, that’s something we’ve been emphasizing,” Phillips said. “It’s not like we’re just a dumpster fire and we can’t do anything right. I think that we do a lot of good things; we just have to marry those good things together and keep playing complimentary football and take advantage of momentum swings and not fold when we’re up 17-0.”
The problem is, maybe Miami keeps folding when it matters most.
Defensive lapses define Miami’s early-season unraveling
For a team that entered the year with playoff expectations, a 1-4 start is exposing serious cracks in Mike McDaniel’s blueprint. Miami blew a 17-0 lead to a Panthers squad that has gone 26-63 since 2020.
Even without starting running back Chuba Hubbard, Carolina gashed the Dolphins on the ground. Backup Rico Dowdle erupted for 206 rushing yards and a touchdown on 23 carries, while Miami’s entire offense mustered just 19 yards on 14 attempts.
If not for cornerback Jack Jones’ forced fumble at the 1-yard line in Week 4 against the New York Jets, Miami could easily be winless. That same game saw quarterback Justin Fields slice through the defense for a 43-yard touchdown run, underscoring Miami’s inability to contain the ground game.
Head coach Mike McDaniel didn’t shy away from accountability.
“I think ultimately, you do everything as a head coach and responsibility falls on your shoulders with all failures of result for sure,” he said Monday.
The Dolphins’ defense currently ranks among the league’s worst, surrendering 386.6 yards per game -- only Cincinnati, Baltimore, and Dallas have given up more. In each of their four losses, Miami has allowed at least 27 points, with opponents scoring 33 twice.
The early-season schedule was supposed to favor McDaniel’s group, yet it’s turned into a disaster, starting with a Week 1 loss to the 4-1 Indianapolis Colts. Still, Phillips insists the locker room isn’t fracturing.
“I don’t think there’s any sort of conflict between players and coaches… players are pointing fingers at coaches and vice versa,” he said.
Next up is a critical home matchup against Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers on Oct. 12 at Hard Rock Stadium.
A loss could drop Miami to 1-5, placing its playoff hopes on life support and increasing pressure on owner Stephen Ross to reconsider the leadership at the top.
The Dolphins have the talent. What they lack now is proof that McDaniel’s plan can still hold this team together.