Where is the Fight?

Where is the Fight?

For the majority of the Mike McDaniel era, you could always be sure of one thing.

His team would compete.

Whether they were 11-4 or 2-7, McDaniel’s teams would give the same effort and play for one another.

Yet after today’s humiliating 45-21 loss at home to the lowly Cincinnati Bengals, I am not so sure anymore that this team cares.

And that is a horrible thing, not just for the players, but for McDaniel as well.

McDaniel was on the hot seat after his team started slow this year, but following a four-game win streak, it seemed like the players still wanted to compete for their head coach.

After a bad loss on Monday night that eliminated the team from the playoffs, Miami’s players on both sides of the ball did not show up in the loss against the Bengals.

Maybe it was the benching of Tua Tagovailoa that showed the writing on the wall that Stephen Ross, Champ Kelly, and McDaniel were giving up on the season.

It could have been that Minkah Fitzpatrick, one of the leaders on the defense, missed the game with an injury and was not there in the back end of the defense to provide support against one of the best passing teams that Miami has faced all season.

Or the answer might be more straightforward.

Miami has quit on McDaniel.

After four years of the same voice, where the Dolphins have been nothing but style over substance, and they have achieved no substantial results, it is possible that the players have tuned him out.

It is not that the young players, such as Kenneth Grant, Chop Robinson, or De’Von Achane, have turned on their coach.

The bigger issue seems that the leaders on the defensive side of the ball, such as Jordyn Brooks, Rasul Douglas, and Zach Sieler, might see what is happening.

They know a change is needed, and after Monday’s loss in Pittsburgh, when they could not get any help from McDaniel or the offense, they have given up.

So what is the solution here?

It is pretty simple.

McDaniel needs to go.

In football, there is a trifecta of sorts as the general manager, head coach, and quarterback are all connected.

If one fails, they all fail.

Well, for the Dolphins, they have already moved on from the general manager and have benched the quarterback, with it becoming more likely that they move on from him as well in the off-season.

Why does McDaniel get a pass in this scenario?

I would understand if his teams were competing, playing hard, and still in the playoff hunt.

But after being knocked out of the playoff race and it being clear that they are now disinterested, Miami should do the right thing.

Move on from McDaniel and start the next era of the franchise in 2026.