The Miami Dolphins were certainly the team the NFL was talking about heading into Week 3 — for all the wrong reasons. Coach Mike McDaniel was on the hot seat as Miami lost in a blowout fashion to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 and to the New England Patriots in Week 2. Two poor losses questioned the future in Miami, sending the Dolphins into a must-win situation against the Buffalo Bills.
Miami didn’t get the win in Buffalo, but the Dolphins put up a valiant effort before falling to 0-3. The Bills improved to 3-0, having a commanding lead in the AFC East just three weeks into the season.
The Bills were tested, but they proved why they may be the team to beat in the NFL this season. The Dolphins didn’t look like a disaster, so that’s a win in Miami.
There were plenty of overreactions from the Bills’ win over the Dolphins. Which ones were indeed overreactions and which ones held true?
Mike McDaniel should remain the coach of the Dolphins
Overreaction or reality: Reality
No matter how poor the Dolphins looked the first two weeks, and no matter how hot of a seat McDaniel is on — he shouldn’t be fired after the Dolphins fell to 0-3. The Dolphins played hard on a short week, taking the Bills to the brink in Buffalo. That’s no easy task.
The Dolphins were tied with the Bills in the fourth quarter, and had a chance to tie the game for the third time with 3:06 left. Miami got all the way to the Buffalo 21-yard line before Tua Tagovailoa’s interception essentially sealed the win for the Bills, taking away a valiant performance by a Dolphins team that needed one.
The 0-3 record looks bad, so does the 1-14 record against teams that entered with a winning record after Thursday’s loss to the Bills. The Dolphins still proved they haven’t given up on McDaniel yet, so he bought himself more time as coach. But Miami can’t lose to the New York Jets at home on 10 days rest.
Tua Tagovailoa is not the franchise QB in Miami
Overreaction or reality: Overreaction
There’s a lot of criticism when it comes to Tagovailoa, especially given his concussion history. Even with all the head injuries, Tagovailoa has been a good quarterback in Miami — having an 10+ passer rating in three straight years, while leading the league in touchdown rate (6.3%) and yards per attempt (8.9) in 2022, passing yards (4,624) in 2023, and completion rate (72.9%) last year.
This year hasn’t been a great start for Tagovailoa, as his fourth-quarter interception with 3:06 left was his fourth in three games this season. Tagovailoa threw for just 146 yards and averaged just 4.3 yards per attempt in the loss, numbers that have been uncharacteristic for him. The two interceptions in the fourth quarter hasn’t helped Tagovailoa’s cause either (80.2 rating in the fourth quarter).
The Dolphins aren’t good, but they don’t have a chance without Tagovailoa. They could do better, but it could get a whole lot worse as well. Is Tagovailoa elite? No, but he is good.
Anthony Weaver will be fired before Mike McDaniel
Overreaction or reality: Reality
How bad has the Dolphins defense been through three games? The Dolphins have allowed 30+ points in all three games, which included a season-low 31 in Thursday’s loss to the Bills. Their 32.3 points per game allowed is highest in the NFL, and the 370.3 yards per game allowed are 25th in the NFL.
The pass defense continues to get picked on, has the Dolphins have allowed 8.9 yards per pass attempt (28th in NFL) and the 128.9 passer rating allowed is amongst the worst in the league (31st in NFL). They allowed the Bills to score on five of seven possessions (not counting the end of half), and one of those non-scoring possessions was a missed field goal.
Miami’s defense has significantly regressed from last year. Part of that is personnel, but Weaver hasn’t proven he can adjust to what he has. The way this seaosn is going, his seat may be hotter than McDaniel’s right now.
Bills won’t lose until November
Overreaction or reality: Reality
When will the Bills lose again, if they lose? After surviving Thursday’s win against the Dolphins on a short week, the schedule gets significantly easier. The Bills get 10 days off before hosting the Saints, then they host the Patriots in Week 5, and travel to face the Falcons in Week 6. These are all winnable games.
After the bye week, the Bills travel to Carolina to face the Panthers. There’s a realistic chance the Bills are 7-0 by the end of October, heading into that November showdown with the Chiefs, who they usually beat in the regular season. Buffalo is going to be favored in plenty of its games, especially after surviving Baltimore in Week 1.
It’s hard to see the Bills losing a game any time soon, as their only tough games aren’t until late-November are both home — against the Chiefs and Buccaneers. The Bills could very well be the last unbeaten team in the NFL.
Add Comment