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Miami Dolphins have looked awful in their first two matches of the 2025 season, and their start has put head coach Mike McDaniel on the hot seat.
The dolphins lost against Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots and enter their third match of the season against Buffalo Bills with the second worst point difference in the NFL on -31.
Former NFL star Linebacker Shawne Merriman predicted that change would soon come to the dolphins.
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Miami Dolphins Linebacker Kj Britt (3), offensive tackle Patrick Paul (52), the wide receiver Tire Hill (10) and the offensive tackle Kion Smith (71) take the course against New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium on September 14, 2025. (SAM NAVARRO/IMAGN -PICTURES)
“This team will be dismantled here soon, and I think it will start with head coach Mike McDaniel,” he told Pakinomist Digital. “I think they will start (looking for) trade or let go of some of their most frustrated players. You have a frustrated Tirek Hill. Tirek Hill is a very, very key figure in your dressing room.
“So when you see him frustrated, and similar things that happen … He who is frustrated alone can seep down to many guys, and it can be a bad situation for him and it can be a bad situation for the organization.”
Merriman also said he was far from impressed by McDaniel’s press conference after the loss to the patriots.
McDaniel offered a confusing quote when asked about the team’s lack of conversion on the third and fourth down on their last possession of the game.
“That’s how frustration lies to me is that it didn’t decide that it cost us, or a late game call, as it sometimes happens,” McDaniel said. “But this was not one of these times. I got the game in, but I have to do a better job of monitoring the orchestration within our multiple staff groups.
“To win games, you have to win the game and not lose the game, honestly. And that’s how you lose the game. You move the ball down the field, you’re first-and-10 and then you’re on the second-and-20. It was critical.”
Merriman said it didn’t really inspire confidence.
Miami Dolphin’s main coach Mike McDaniel enters the field before the game against Jacksonville Jaguars at Hard Rock Stadium on August 23, 2025. (SAM NAVARRO/IMAGN -PICTURES)
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“I don’t know if Mike McDaniel is doing it throughout the season,” he told Pakinomist Digital. “I would hate to see someone be fired. But just seeing what I’ve looked at his press conferences and I’ve seen it before, and this happened with (former Chargers -trainer Brandon Staley) – that’s when you know if certain coaches are not ready to be in this position as a head coach knows how they handle the worst adversity at some point. to be in the worst. ‘ Not because he can’t coach, but he’s a really good coordinator who doesn’t know how to run a team yet and he has to learn to be in that position before he is another head coach.
Dolphins legend Dan Marino offered a Sunner view of Pakinomist Digital earlier this week.
“I think it’s obviously a group effort. Mike is a brilliant offensive mind. He has proven it,” Marino said. “Yesterday (Sunday) it’s just at the end, like all the games in the NFL, come down to the fourth quarter. Almost all of them are like that and you have to play all four quarters. We did and we had a chance to win.
“The dolphins, if (de’von) Achane did not step out of the borders, I really feel like we would have won that game. It happened, there are a few mistakes and the next thing you know you are losing the game. That’s why it is so critical at the end, especially playing flawless football. But Mike is a very good football coach.”
Winning solves a lot of things in sports and the dolphins could turn the ship with a troubled victory over the bills.
San Diego Chargers Linebacker (56) Shawne Merriman against Baltimore Ravens at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego on September 20, 2009. (Mark J. Revilas/USA Today Sports)
However, the dolphins are on a six-match’s losing series against the bills and have not beaten them since September 25, 2022. That’s their one win against them since December 2, 2018. In addition, Miami has not beaten the bills in Buffalo since Christmas Eve 2016.
