MIAMI GARDENS — As Tennessee Titans coach Brian Callahan became the first NFL head coach fired this season, the nature of Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel’s conversations with owner Stephen Ross do not appear to be heading that direction.
“After the game, the main thing is that he’s experiencing the loss like all of us,” McDaniel said of his recent interactions with Ross since Sunday’s 29-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
“And then, the focus on what we need to do as a team to try to correct this, and each time that you have situations like that, where you’re disappointed, the best way to do something about it is focus on (the next opponent), Cleveland. So that’s what we talked about. That was the extent of it.”
That’s consistent with how McDaniel detailed his conversation with Ross after last week’s loss to the Carolina Panthers.
“Yeah, he was really frustrated, just as I was,” McDaniel said then. “We talked about the challenge ahead to get ready for the Chargers, and that was kind of the extent of it.”
The Dolphins (1-5) visit the Browns (1-5) and are road underdogs early in the week against the team starting rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
National reports Monday morning continued to indicate McDaniel, through his woes early in his fourth season leading the Dolphins, is still safe as Ross likes him leading his team.
That said, ESPN’s Adam Schefter, on the Pat McAfee Show Monday afternoon, also put Callahan in the same category, saying he didn’t expect any head coach to be fired soon. Within an hour, Callahan and the Titans parted ways.
McDaniel and Ross are both lamenting how four of the Dolphins’ five losses could’ve had a different outcome down the final stretch.
On Sunday against the Chargers, Miami took a lead with 46 seconds remaining before allowing Los Angeles to quickly drive down for a game-winning field goal. The week prior at Carolina, the Dolphins blew a 17-point lead and came up empty on their final offensive possession. In losses to the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills, a late interception from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa cost the team its hopes of winning.
Dodson progressing
After Dolphins linebacker Tyrel Dodson missed Sunday’s game recovering from a concussion, McDaniel said Monday he’s “doing well” as he progresses through the league’s protocol.
“Hopefully, in the next couple days he’ll get cleared,” McDaniel said.
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Dodson had already returned to the point of going through a limited practice last Friday.
In Dodson’s place, K.J. Britt made his first start with the Dolphins and led the team with 13 tackles.
“K.J Britt, I thought played a phenomenal game,” McDaniel said Monday. “He was able to make some plays on some run fits early and let his energy and enthusiasm breathe, which is an important part of that position and how connected you are to pass rushing coverage.”
McDaniel said neither kicker Jason Sanders nor any of his four offensive linemen still on a reserve list — Austin Jackson, James Daniels, Liam Eichenberg and Andrew Meyer — are bound for a return to practice this week.
Snap counts
Dolphins tight end Darren Waller indeed saw another uptick in snaps in his third game with the Dolphins. He was up to 41 Sunday against the Chargers, but that only amounted to three targets for two catches.
Waller scored the go-ahead touchdown in the final minute on one of those and finished with 12 receiving yards. He also had a downfield catch brought back due to holding called on center Aaron Brewer.
Britt handled all but three of the team’s defensive snaps in place of Dodson.
With the team not having a true nickel cornerback available Sunday, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick often crept down to fill the void in nickel packages, while rookie safety Dante Trader Jr. played alongside Asthyn Davis as a deep safety in that setting Trader was in on 53 percent of defensive plays.
Miami, for the first time, deployed a rotation at one boundary cornerback, opposite Rasul Douglas. Starter Jack Jones had about a 3-to-1 split on Ethan Bonner, who played 16 defensive snaps.
Among defensive backs, cornerback JuJu Brents played three snaps on defense and safety Ifeatu Melifonwu was kept to just two.
Second-year outside linebacker Chop Robinson, a first-round pick in 2024, played between 30 and 40 percent of defensive snaps for the fifth consecutive game after he saw half the plays on defense in the opener.
As running back De’Von Achane totaled 150 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns, he played 53 of 59 offensive snaps. Rookie running back Ollie Gordon II saw 14 reps, gaining just a yard on two carries.
