CLEVELAND — The Miami Dolphins faced a tough day on the field as they lost 31-6 to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Coach Mike McDaniel seemed at a loss for answers after his team’s poor performance, which raised questions about his job status. “A game like this, I think we didn’t see it coming,” McDaniel said. “We’re professionals who need to do our job better. You can’t even go on to beating your opponent if you beat yourselves.”
The Dolphins struggled throughout the game, throwing three interceptions, fumbling six times, and making three personal fouls. In sharp contrast, the Browns played a clean game with no turnovers. All the points for Miami came from field goals by Riley Patterson, marking the third time in McDaniel’s four years where they failed to score a touchdown. With a record of 29-29 during McDaniel’s tenure, the Dolphins are on track to miss the playoffs for the second straight season.
“You do hard truths in this league, and you are always ultimately held accountable for your performance,” McDaniel acknowledged. Miami has now lost three consecutive games since their only victory of the season against the New York Jets in Week 4. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s inconsistent play has been a huge factor, tying his career high with three fumbles and three interceptions in this game.
“At least one or two of the interceptions were extremely preventable from Tua, and he knows that just wasn’t good enough,” McDaniel said. Tagovailoa accepted the blame for the loss but indicated he plans to get back to his previous form, stating, “I’m definitely not happy, not proud of where I’m at this year.”
Linebacker Bradley Chubb remains optimistic about the potential for improvement, stressing that the team needs to change quickly, starting with their next game against the Atlanta Falcons. “Every time we had the Browns dead to rights today, we bailed them out, so we’ve got to be more disciplined,” Chubb said.
With the season still ongoing, Miami has no room for error and must find ways to turn things around to avoid a disappointing finish.
