If Miami Loses Sunday, They Can Begin the Teardown Process

Originally posted on Dolphins Talk | By Mike Oliva | Last updated Sep 11, 2025 6:53 PM ET

If Miami Loses Sunday, They Can Begin the Teardown Process

This Sunday’s game is do-or-die for Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel.

A win, and the Dolphins’ head coach gets some relief after his seat has been set on scorching hot since last week’s embarrassing loss vs the Colts.

A loss, though, and McDaniel’s time in Miami may be coming to an end sooner rather than later.

It wouldn’t just be a 0-2 start, it would be a 0-2 start starting down a 0-3 start.

After this Sunday, Miami must travel to Buffalo on a short week and play the Bills, a team they are 1-13 against in their last 14 meetings.

Buffalo is arguably the best, most well-balanced team in the league, and there would be little expectation that Miami can win the game even if all things went right.

At 0-3, and any chance of the playoffs out the window, you will begin to see the teardown process.

Mike McDaniel will be let go; it’s a matter of “WHEN” and not “IF.”

There are three natural spots in season to relieve Mike of his duties.

One: After the Buffalo game, week 3, when Miami has a mini-bye and 11 days before its next game, which is on Monday Night Football in Week 4.

Two: After the Baltimore game on October 30th, which is also on a Thursday night, Miami has 10 days off before its next game.

Three: After the Washington game in Madrid, Spain, on November 16th, the Dolphins have their bye week.

While doing it during the bye week makes the most sense, I’m not sure the Dolphins front office can wait that long as that is pretty late in the season.

I think doing it after the Buffalo game is probably the best option, but the most realistic option is late October, just before the trade deadline on November 4th.

That is a clear sign you are officially giving up on the season and looking towards 2026.

That is around the same time when Miami can look to trade away assets like Tyreek Hill, Bradley Chubb, Matt Judon, and Jaelan Phillips to acquire draft picks in return to help with the rebuild.

A win Sunday would table this talk for a few weeks, and have the “let’s see how this season plays out” for a few weeks type of narrative be out there.

But a loss to go to 0-2, which surely will be 0-3 a few days later, and this process will start moving full speed ahead.

I know Chris Grier is the other domino here that most die-hard Dolphins fans want to see gone. Still, with a general manager who is less public-facing, that is a different animal altogether when you pull the trigger there and begin the teardown process with him.

The head coach, who is on the sideline each week and talks to the media multiple times a week, needs to be the first to go.

You can make Anthony Weaver, Robert Prince, or Darrell Bevell the interim head coach; it doesn’t matter who it is.

But you have to throw some red meat to your fan base and let them know you care. This is unacceptable, and we are looking to the future.

Doing nothing is not an option.

This article first appeared on Dolphins Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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