There’s not a lot of people buying stock in the Miami Dolphins this season.
That includes FS1’s Colin Cowherd. On Thursday’s episode of The Herd, the outspoken sportscaster said the Dolphins are directionless — and that it starts at the top with head coach Mike McDaniel, who he calls “the snarky hipster.”
“With Mike McDaniel and Miami — what are they?” Cowherd asked. “I don’t know what they are. I understand it takes a while to break up the culture, but I would argue that Miami doesn’t even have any culture. And it all starts with lack of accountability.”
Culture and accountability have been constant themes in Miami’s offseason. The conversation began when Tua Tagovailoa publicly called out Tyreek Hill for his offseason comments about the team.
However, the quarterback also said there’s been a noticeable culture change within the Dolphins since OTAs.
“I think there is a culture shift,” Tagovailoa said. “I feel it just as much as everyone that’s been here since I’ve gotten into the league. We always hear about, ‘Man, culture shift. You guys have a change of this. You guys are doing this, always optimistic.’ But I really do feel in my heart that this is a change of scenery for our guys in the locker room, and then it also transitions to our coaches as well, because we get opportunities to lead and it’s not as much the coaches as it is the players I would say this year.”
Tagovailoa might be the second-most scrutinized figure in Miami behind McDaniel. He’s coming off another season where injuries forced him to miss significant time, and for the Dolphins to succeed — and for both Tagovailoa and McDaniel to keep their jobs — he’ll need to play closer to his 2023 Pro Bowl form.
Was Brian Flores better than Mike McDaniel?
But it’s not just Cowherd questioning Miami’s trajectory. After a joint practice with the Detroit Lions on Wednesday, the Dolphins were widely viewed as being outclassed.
“That was the most lopsided joint practice I’ve ever seen. Lions dominated both sides,” The Athletic’s Colton Pouncy reported.
Cowherd also revisited Miami’s decision to fire Brian Flores, calling it a mistake.
“You can’t be a bowl of Jell-O, that’s what Miami is. Lot of movement, no meat in the sandwich,” Cowherd said. “Brian Flores was rough, he didn’t treat everybody well… he has grown since then, and I think remains the best defensive coordinator in the league, top two.”
Cowherd pointed out that in Flores’ first season, he made drastic improvements even after a slow start. Then he made Miami quickly one of the most disciplined teams in the NFL, finishing top five in fewest penalties. Under McDaniel, they’ve ranked among the five most penalized teams twice in his two full seasons.
According to StatMuse, Miami is bottom seven in penalties during McDaniel’s tenure, finishing bottom five twice. Flores’ teams ranked top three in the league twice and 13th in his final year. He finished 24-25 overall in Miami.
That’s another strike against McDaniel in his first head-coaching stint. The Dolphins clearly have plenty to clean up.
Meanwhile, Flores’ stock is rising. He’s established himself as one of the league’s top assistant coaches and could be in the running for another head-coaching job next year. Just don’t expect that opportunity to come in Miami — not after their messy split.
