The noise had become deafening, through only two games. After last night, it should stop.
For now.
The Dolphins have not quit on coach Mike McDaniel. They played hard. They gave the Bills their best shot. And if there’s ever a victory lurking in the dark cloud of a double-digit defeat, the silver lining from Thursday night is that there’s no reason for Dolphins owner Stephen Ross to make any significant moves with his team.
That hardly means McDaniel (or G.M. Chris Grier) is safe for the rest of the season. The schedule softens in the coming weeks. Jets. At Panthers. Chargers. At Browns. At Falcons.
The Dolphins could (and maybe should) go 3-2 over the next five games. If they go 2-3 or 1-4 (or 0-5), the same vibe that hovered over last night’s game will return when the Dolphins host the Ravens on another Thursday night, to start Week 9.
Let’s say the Dolphins are 2-6 or 1-7 (or 0-8) when Baltimore comes to town. An ugly loss against a Ravens team that tends to show up in prime time (except when, for instance, they faced a 2-7 Dolphins team on a Thursday night in Miami four years ago) could be the catalyst for change.
For now, last night’s outcome reinforces one critical fact regarding the McDaniel era. Via ESPN, the Dolphins under McDaniel are 25-12 against teams that enter a game at .500 or worse. Against teams that enter a game with a winning record, Miami is 3-14.
