Is It Time for Panic Mode?

Is It Time for Panic Mode?

As we continue to process the 33-8 debacle that was the Miami Dolphins’ opening game, one overarching reality regarding the quarterback position remains.

Former Pro Bowl and Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard commented that once the Colts defense took away Tua Tagovailoa’s first read, Tua went into “panic mode.”

An argument could be made that the team entered the game in a state of panic.

Where was the commitment to the running game and being physical?

Can Coach Mike McDaniel finally adapt his offense to create more opportunities for their multi-million-dollar receivers, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle?

Is the 2025 Miami Dolphins a perfect example of the definition of insanity?

How much longer will Coach McDaniel continue to stick with his 2023 offensive scheme, which has met its match in the two-deep safety defense?

Is McDaniel an offensive genius or a one-trick pony?

Okay, folks, this is the reality of the 2025 Miami Dolphins.

Most may not want to hear it, but it was evident to me that the Dolphins’ current roster lacks a significant component on the offensive side of the ball.

Namely, a quarterback who can improvise when their first read is broken and the play breaks down.

How many times have we seen quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and even young players like Caleb Williams and J.J. McCarthy end up running for first downs or touchdowns once the play breaks down?

Plays do not work all the time, and it is incumbent on the quarterback to make something out of nothing when these situations occur.

The successful quarterbacks in the league are multi-threat and multi-dimensional and can make plays with their legs.

Tua, meanwhile, runs as if he is stuck in quicksand.

So, what is the solution to this dilemma?

Admit that the draft pick in 2020 when the Miami Dolphins chose Tua Tagovailoa with the fifth pick in that draft was a huge mistake in judgment by General Manager Chris Grier and Coach Mike McDaniel.

Target a new quarterback and a head coach chosen by a new general manager in the 2026 draft.

Plays breaking down, a quarterback’s first read disappears, and the need for a quarterback to improvise.

Those variables are not going away.

What needs to go away is a tunnel-vision head coach, an overly stubborn and less-than-competent general manager, and a one-dimensional quarterback.