Can a Late Winning Streak Save Mike McDaniel's Job?

Can this late run save McDaniels' job?

A closer look at Miami's current streak shows that they've only beat one team with a winning record over that stretch, thought that lone victory was a shocking 30-13 win over reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. The dropped 34-10 wins on both the Atlanta Falcons (5-9) and New York Jets (3-11), and needed overtime to escape with a 16-13 win over the Washington Commanders.

Outside of that anomaly against the Bills, the pattern for Miami this season has been that they can beat the bad teams, but not the good ones. Even mediocre opponents like the Baltimore Ravens and Carolina Panthers have handed the Dolphins a loss.

That hard truth probably won't do McDaniels any favors when it comes time for the team's brass to decide whether or not to retain him in 2026, but he'll have an opportunity to buck that trend down the stretch.

If they can beat a Steelers team that currently leads the AFC North and holds the No. 4 seed in the AFC side of the playoff bracket, especially on the road, it'll say something. If they can beat another bad team (Cincinnati Bengals, 4-10), and another mediocre team (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7-7), it would continue the impressive winning streak and get them to 10 wins.

If they can finish the year with a road upset over the New England Patriots (11-3), it would prove that McDaniel and the Dolphins have made meaningful progress after such a lackluster start.

Even that might not be enough to earn a playoff berth thanks to a crowded race in the AFC, where the final seed currently belongs to a 9-5 Houston Texans team that has won six straight of their own.

But even if they don't return to the postseason, getting to double-digit wins and knocking off quality opponents down the strength would prove that McDaniel has this team moving back in the right direction, with reasons to hope he can build on that success and get them back to the playoffs in 2026.