The Miami Dolphins were up by 17 points at one point in the game against the Carolina Panthers, with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa leading the offense, before everything fell into disarray. The Panthers quietly crawled back into the game and eventually won 27-24.
After a 46-yard touchdown pass from Tagovailoa to Jaylen Waddle reclaimed the lead for the Dolphins, Bryce Young’s 4-yard touchdown pass sealed the deal, with less than two minutes remaining.
THE RICO DOWDLE GAME 💪
After being down 17-0, the Carolina Panthers mount a comeback for the 27-24 win over the Dolphins 🙌 pic.twitter.com/uFjAqi8owW
— DraftKings (@DraftKings) October 5, 2025
Much of the fan fury was directed at head coach Mike McDaniel, under whom Miami’s offense stalled in the second half, so much so that they could score only seven points while conceding 17. Miami’s defense struggled to make stops, and penalties hurt in crucial moments.
“Fire Mike McDaniel NOW,” one fan reacted after the loss.
“FIRE MIKE MCDANIEL PLEASE!!!!!” another said.
“I have never said this but fire Mike McDaniel and Chris Grier,” one fan called out the GM as well.
“Mike McDaniel blow this whole game by his conservative bull-play calls instead of keeping your foot on the gas with a 17-point lead. It’s time to fire his candya**…smmfh 🤬” another fan called out the coach.
“I wish Stephen Ross would grow a pair and FIRE Mike McDaniel. Enough already,” one fan wrote.
“I don’t care if it’s 4th and long or not, letting the clock run and punting the ball back to Carolina down three in the final 2 minutes is as appalling of a coaching decision as I can ever remember,” another fan added.
Mike McDaniel in Focus After Latest Dolphins Loss
After the 27-24 loss to the Panthers, the Dolphins are now 1-4 in the 2025 season, raising questions about Mike McDaniel’s future. After leading the Dolphins to the playoffs in the first two seasons, McDaniel couldn’t get them through in the last season, and it appears the playoff absence will be extended this season.
Despite the team’s struggle, McDaniel chose to focus on the positives and improvements within the team. Earlier this month, he was happy with the team’s improvement in the ground game. He said:
“Yeah, it’ll change, but at the same time, I think teams want to prevent explosives and will do that … if we don’t earn stuff on the ground or on the line of scrimmage. No one is going to make themselves vulnerable in the pass for no run threat, so I think that has a bigger effect on how defenses play us. If we’re not getting big gains or running the ball well versus two-shell defenses, they’ll continue to play two-shell.”
The Dolphins need to improve, or this could be the last season for the head coach.
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