There’s nowhere for the Dolphins to go but up.
That’s the message embattled head coach Mike McDaniel delivered Monday, one day after Miami was embarrassed on the road by the Daniel Jones-led Colts in a woeful 33-8 season-opening defeat.
“I would say the good news and the positive is I don’t see how it could be worse,” McDaniel said, as covered by ProFootballTalk.
“And I also believe in the coaches and players to get it fixed because it’s just a shame. You work behind the scenes for months on end, and you don’t show any of it — it’s frustrating. But that can be a good thing and that’s what I saw from the positive. Also, you could tell, as frustrating as it was, the team didn’t splinter and the effort still remained.”
The Dolphins didn’t crack the scoreboard Sunday until the fourth quarter with a Tua Tagovailoa touchdown and a two-point conversion.
It was a Sunday to forget for Tagovailoa, who tossed two interceptions and fumbled before backup quarterback Zach Wilson was inserted in garbage time.
Wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who was the subject of trade rumors this offseason, looked visibly frustrated on the sideline as the Colts and Jones — the ex-Giants quarterback who threw one touchdown and rushed for two scores — ran away with the game.
“Within the game, it’s almost good that it wasn’t reachable, that we were minus-four [in turnover margin], because as a team we have to — I was really looking forward to seeing the stuff that we’ve really worked on diligently, and I didn’t see any of it, and that’s a problem,” said McDaniel, who described the game as “embarrassing flat out” and “not anything that paying fans sign up for.”
With an AFC East clash against the Patriots on deck, McDaniel — who was publicly eviscerated by ex-Jets coach Rex Ryan following Sunday’s effort — is “motivated” to right the ship in Week 2.
“The way we lost probably is an overall better way to learn an absolute lesson that never changes,” McDaniel said, per the Dolphins’ official website. “I’m very motivated to get together with the team, watch the tape and keep it real and get ready for our next opponent — home game against the New England Patriots. They’re not going to feel sorry for us in the least, nor should they.”
The Patriots opened the Mike Vrabel era on Sunday with a 20-13 loss to the Raiders.
Kickoff gets underway in Miami this week at 1 p.m.
