Entering the season, the Miami Dolphins were hoping to contend for the Super Bowl. Their loyal fan base had high expectations that this could be the year the Fins re-emerge on the scene as an elite NFL power.
In fairness, the injury to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa brutally altered those hopes. However, frustration within the fan base is quickly reaching a boiling point.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel addressed fan frustration following the team’s tough start to the season, particularly after the disheartening loss to the Tennessee Titans on Monday night.
The Dolphins, now preparing for Week 5 with backup quarterback Tyler Huntley in place of Tagovailoa, are trying to turn things around.
Despite their efforts, the rough performance against the Titans left many fans visibly upset, a reaction that McDaniel said didn’t surprise him.
“I guess it didn’t hit me with surprise,” McDaniel said. “I think people invest and have to go and believe in a team that has bottom-line, the droughts that this organization has incurred, I don’t take that lightly.
“So I would be dishonest if I told you that I didn’t expect that. The worst part about all of that is you have people that I can relate where weeks are ruined with losses and the worst part about it is you don’t have any control. So that’s not a fun place to be in.
“I know sporting events where I’m rooting for a team and I’m not coaching in it, I get much more angry when there’s failure than when I’m coaching and I can actually problem solve something. It’s to be expected. This is the big leagues.”
Tagovailoa’s concussion in Week 2 has significantly impacted Miami’s offense, which has struggled under Skylar Thompson and now Huntley, who made his first start against the Titans.
Understanding the fans’ frustration, McDaniel acknowledged that the team hasn’t given them much to cheer for.
He even sought advice from Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, who has faced and overcome similar challenges in his career.
“To feel entitled to blind support; that’s not my cup to tea,” McDaniel said. “I think you have to go to work, problem solve and try to fix things as best you can.
“I don’t think we’re necessarily owed anything. I think people believe when you give them reason to believe and if people jump off the bandwagon – I’m not really villainizing the people who are jumping off the bandwagon; it’s more we gave them reason to.
“So that’s to be expected. I don’t think people pay what they pay to go to Hard Rock Stadium to watch us lose, so whatever results incurred by our game day failure, we deserve.”
As the Dolphins, sitting at 1-3, prepare for their Week 5 matchup against the New England Patriots, they hope to avoid further setbacks.
The team expects Tagovailoa to return by Week 8 against the Arizona Cardinals, aiming to revive their season with his return. However, they know they can’t dig themselves too big of a hole in the meantime.
What are your thoughts on McDaniel’s comments? … Is he all of a sudden on the hot-seat?
Another topic of conversation is disgruntled wide receiver Tyreek Hill … Should the Dolphins be open to trading him if things continue to go south???