Moeller: Despite Their Freefall, Dolphins Can Still Find the Right Channel

 If you watched the Dolphins-Ravens game Thursday night, you had a sense something was going to happen.

There were plenty of shots of the signage honoring the 1972 undefeated Dolphins team as well as booth shots of owner Steve Ross and legendary quarterback Dan Marino.

It was a way to rekindle the golden days of old when the Dolphins were recognized as one of the premier franchises in the league. The fans with the brown bags over their heads signified the current tarnished state of the team.

And, yes, something did happen, but not what was expected after the Fins had 11 yards in the third quarter and were basically hapless after halftime en route to a 28-7 defeat.

Four-year beleaguered head coach Mike McDaniel wasn't fired, but nine-year GM Chris Grier was. It was a bit shocking, but it did send a settling message that there is more to come.  

To fire McDaniel at this point with eight games to go wouldn’t make much sense unless you had a veteran coach waiting in the wings. For those thinking about it, it won’t be Marino. Ross apparently still has faith in McDaniel, but he has a puncher’s chance of returning next season especially if the team continues to slide.

McDaniel is riding the coattails from a rookie 9-8 season in 2022 and he followed that with an 11-6 campaign and a playoff berth. Last season, the Dolphins finished 8-9, but you start to see the wheels coming off. Still, every head coach -maybe expect Urban Meyer - should get four years to create his culture, and McDaniel will get his

Listening to McDaniel, he sounds worn, tired and on the brink of total defeat, longing for an instant panacea to all of his team’s woes.

This is a Dolphins team that desperately needs an overhaul.

Last week, the Fins looked like a glimpse of the ‘72 team, as they totally dominated the Falcons. The Miami brass and faithful had a few glimmers of hope that they may have turned the corner.

But bad teams on any level will always look like a Hyde for a game before they revert back to a Jekyll, likely for the rest of the season.

There will be a retool, maybe not a total rebuild, and it will be a matter of how it is done. The Dolphins have 27 players whose contracts are set to expire after this season, and another eight after the 26 season. 

Interim GM  Champ Kelly has until Tuesday to decide whether or not to peel off players such as Jaelen Phillips, Bradley Chubb, and also Jaylen Waddle, who continues to generate strong indications that he may be headed to the Giants. 

With his contract, Tua Tagovailoa likely isn’t going anywhere. He and running back De’Von Achane and linebackers Tyrel Dodson and Jordan Brooks can spearhead a young nucleus.

At 2-7 and in an apparent freefall, McDaniel and Kelly have to try and stay the course, even though it may be their last one in Miami.

Those reminders of the ‘72 team and Marino’s heyday probably won't be going away anytime soon.

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