Will the Dolphins fire Mike McDaniel? Miami head coach on thin ice after latest blowout loss to Ravens

The Miami Dolphins had a huge win on Sunday vs. the Atlanta Falcons, but the good feeling came crashing down on Thursday with a blowout loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

All three phases of the game were off for Miami, as they struggled on offense, defense and special teams against a fellow two-win team. Head coach Mike McDaniel may have had the roughest night, as his job security is getting thinner and thinner with every loss.

Through the first eight weeks, the Dolphins have played every weekend, making it less likely for the team to potentially move on. However, if the Dolphins want to fire McDaniel midseason, the next month could represent the best time to do so.

Here's a breakdown of whether the Dolphins will move on from their head coach.

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Will the Dolphins fire Mike McDaniel?

With the loss on Thursday night, the Dolphins fall to 2-7 on the year and are just two losses away from matching last year's total of nine. The way things are going, this will easily be the Dolphins worst season under Mike McDaniel.

Therefore, Miami could make the decision to move on from McDaniel entering the mini-bye week. Before Thursday's game, NFL insider Ian Rapoport described McDaniel's job status as "up in the air" and dependent on how the team plays.

The blowout loss against the Ravens will not help McDaniel's chance. Rapoport added that even though Dolphins owner Stephen Ross likes McDaniel, he was looking to see how much the team fought in the coming weeks.

From The TNF Pregame Show on @NFLonPrime: How secure is #Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel's job status? pic.twitter.com/7BIqujAGYO

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When will the Dolphins fire Mike McDaniel?

Here's a look at the Dolphins upcoming schedule:

This week presents one of two logical times for the Dolphins to fire McDaniel. It is the first time this year that Miami will have more than a week off, as they have a 10-day break before they face the Buffalo Bills next Sunday.

Then, the Dolphins travel to Spain to play the Washington Commanders, which will be their final before their bye week. If McDaniel is still the head coach by that Week 12 bye, then the bye week could be when Miami makes the move. 

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Dolphins interim head coach options

If the Dolphins fire McDaniel, there are a few logical options to replace him on an interim basis.

Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver has been with the team for two years and is seen by some as a future head coach in the NFL. Last offseason alone, Weaver interviewed for head coach openings with the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints.

Additionally, there are two assistants on Miami staff that have interim head coach experience. Pass game coordinator Darrell Bevell was the interim head coach for the Detroit Lions in 2020 and Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021, while assistant head coach and running backs coach Eric Studesville was the interim head coach for the Denver Broncos in 2010.

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Dolphins head coach history

Since Stephen Ross bought the Dolphins in 2009, he has not had much success with head coaches.

• Tony Sporano: 2008-2011
• Todd Bowles (interim): 2011
• Joe Philbin: 2012-2015
• Dan Campbell (interim): 2015
• Adam Gase: 2016-2018
• Brian Flores: 2019-2021
• Mike McDaniel: 2022-present

Ross fired both Tony Sporano and Joe Philbin midseason, replacing them with Todd Bowles and Dan Campbell, respectively. However, neither Bowles and Campbell got the full-time job, instead finding success with other teams in later years.

In the Ross era, no head coach has finished a fourth season, and firing McDaniel would only continue that trend.