The Miami Dolphins appeared to hit rock bottom last week against the Cleveland Browns. Or at least they hoped things couldn’t possibly get any worse after a 1-6 start to the 2025 NFL season.
Dolphins Pick Up Big Win In Atlanta In Week 8
But after posting their worst performance of the year against Cleveland, Miami rebounded in a big way in Week 8. And with their dominant win over the Atlanta Falcons, they may have saved the job of their head coach, at least for the time being.
LOOK AT HIM FLY! 🫨🫨🫨 pic.twitter.com/YDRqKnlOfc
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) October 26, 2025
Mike McDaniel has been on the hot seat all season long. The Dolphins were in need of a turnaround after last year’s disappointment, and things couldn’t have gone much worse in the early going in 2025. The whispers regarding the coach’s job security were getting louder with each passing week, and many considered his eventual firing a foregone conclusion.
Team owner Stephen Ross never made a move. It was thought that the ugly loss to the Browns would have been the tipping point, but there was no news of a move early last week, meaning that McDaniel would stay in his position for at least another week.
Mike McDaniel’s Job Appears Safe, For Now
One game after it appeared as though many of the players were checked out for the season, the entire Dolphins roster seemed to be locked in against the Falcons. After throwing six interceptions in the previous two games, much-maligned quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was mistake-free, completing 20 of his 26 passes for four touchdowns. With Miami nursing a big fourth quarter lead, Tagovailoa was eventually removed from the game.
The team played complimentary football all around, as the defense kept Atlanta out of the end zone until halfway through the fourth quarter. The Dolphins notched 24 first downs on the day while allowing only 11, and won by a final score of 34-10.
The victory will certainly make Ross increasingly patient with his decision. There aren’t any coaches that are going to be fired after a victory, and Miami still has three games to play before their bye week. If they go 0-3 in that span in games against Baltimore, Buffalo, and Washington, then the talks of a McDaniels firing may ramp up once again.
But a win or two would actually give the Dolphins hope, as they have games against the Saints and Jets coming out of their bye. And if Ross shows enough restraint to not end McDaniel’s tenure during a 1-6 start, then the coach is more likely to keep his job should Miami wind up somewhere around 5-8 entering mid-December.
McDaniel and company will be facing a short week, as they are set to take on the Ravens on Thursday night in Miami.
