Mike McDaniel Should Not Return as the Dolphins Head Coach

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There was once a time where the Miami Dolphins had the NFL’s best, most innovative offense. There was once a time where everyone wanted to play for Mike McDaniel and all those enjoyed his silly, goofy press conference answers. The outfits, the sprinting off the field into the locker room, and the joy that Miami’s head coach had.

But that time has long past and as the results don’t back up the character, Miami can’t afford to partially clean house again, it is time to clear the house completely. The stats back it up, the results back it up, and the lack of growth in four years back it up.

It was reported before Sunday’s blowout loss to the Bengals that Mike McDaniel was expected to return and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was not. And while the first half Sunday provided some hope, the Dolphins same issues persisted and the team ultimately quit on coach, the ultimate sign that change is necessary.

So, let’s look at these claims and find the evidence to back them up.

The Dolphins Can’t win in the Cold.

December and January have been where the Dolphins fall apart in the McDaniel era 7-13.

The Dolphins had lost 13 games in a row in games in sub 40 degrees dating back to 2016.

The Dolphins Can’t Beat Good Teams.

3-15 against teams above .500

Mike McDaniel Fails to make Halftime Adjustments.

4-23 when trailing at halftime

The Dolphins are always late out of the huddle.

There is no statistic I could find yet this is another fatal flaw. Miami constantly mismanages the clock and comes out of the huddle late forcing the Dolphins to take ill-advised timeouts/penalties.

Mike McDaniel Can’t win without Tua.

3-10 with QBs other than Tua

Mike McDaniel is Not Good at Challenging Plays

4-21 with replay challenges

These blatant flaws are just the surface, dig deeper and ask why was Jaelan Phillips playing so late in the blowout victory when he tore his Achillies, why couldn’t the Dolphins hold on to their late lead against the Titans, and why couldn’t the Dolphins adjust as the league began to figure out their offense.

Simply put it is coaching, the Dolphins have a talented roster and have for multiple seasons –albeit there have been flaws and injury troubles– but there was never a reason for two back-to-back losing seasons when the team believed their Super Bowl window was open.

While McDaniel could still be the coach next season, the Dolphins can’t continue the half measure wipeouts. Mike McDaniel needs to go, along with his staff, Grier can’t be the only one to blame for the failed rebuild.

While the Dolphins search for all the answers, the fans will be patiently waiting as Miami should look for the answer in the franchises 15th head coach.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Jalen Brunson’s onslaught was too much for the Heat in New York

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Surviving Jalen Brunson’s rampage is like a raft trying to stay afloat throughout a storm in the middle of open water, and the Heat were tipped over and lost in the waves. He had a season high of 47 points. 

 

New York was the hottest team in the East going into the game, and they buried 20 3-pointers, 10 coming in the corners. The Heat soiling themselves at the line also prevented any chance of a prosperous trip into Madison Square Garden. 

 

The season series is over, split at 2-2, and the Heat have gotten exposed in seven of their last eight outings. Yet the snowball effect started earlier, losing at home to the Cavaliers D-team on Nov. 12.

 

Coach Erik Spoelstra said that “you can’t leave anything to f-ing chances,” and said New York’s will to win is something the Heat are still trying to develop. 

 

Jalen Brunson filleted schemes, getting where he wanted, but the Heat’s desperation was palpable early and five of them combined for seven trifectas in the first quarter. Kel’el Ware’s movement through the lane on cuts also pushed them to a 37-30 lead. 

 

A drought had to happen to the visitors at some point, and it did in the second, yet they kept from bleeding out as Brunson pushed his output to 27 points, and Mikal Bridges made four 3-pointers. The Knicks took a four-point lead at halftime while scoring 11 points on the break and 22 in the lane. 

 

Then Ware made a pair of deep shots and scored from the dunks spot, plus Norman Powell discharged 19 third-quarter points on drive-bys and 3-pointers, keeping the crew within reaching distance. 

 

But the Heat started to fall apart in the fourth despite Ware and Powell being their biggest threats.  They didn’t get enough from Bam Adebayo, who never got in a rhythm with fewer touches, and the closest they got late was within two digits. Yet Brunson, Josh Hart and Bridges closed the curtain with free throws, a layup and a trey.  

 

They lost 132-125 after getting slaughtered in the half-court, and their transition attack was thwarted again. Jaime Jaquez Jr. was their only reserve to log a field goal in the second half. 

 

Spoelstra wasn’t interested in moral victories after the game, but there is one: Ware had 28 points on 73.3% shooting, with 19 rebounds, including six offensive. He is becoming one of the team’s top players, which should make organizing the starting lineup interesting going forward.

 

Quinn Ewers showed promise but also threw two interceptions in his first start at quarterback for the Dolphins.

Pressure Point: Ewers shows promise, but Dolphins in full retreat under McDaniel

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Quinn Ewers’ coming out party started out promising Sunday for the Miami Dolphins and their rookie quarterback.

Then the focus on a quarterback switch got broadsided by the bigger question hanging over a franchise in disarray.

Never mind, for a moment, who the future at quarterback for the Dolphins may be. We’ll get back to that, but first, what about the coach?

Does octogenarian owner Steve Ross really want to see more of what transpired in Sunday’s 45-21 stomping at home by the Bengals — an opponent that came in 4-10 and eliminated from the playoffs for the third consecutive season.

Six days after allowing touchdowns on four consecutive possessions in a brutal loss at Pittsburgh to get dealt out of the playoffs, the Dolphins gave up 35 points over five drives spanning the late second quarter to the early fourth.

NFL Insider: Ross likely to retain Dolphins coach McDaniel

Meanwhile, the rumor mill of those supposedly in the know has Ross still sold on coach Mike McDaniel and expected to retain him for a fifth season in 2026.

If that decision was yet to be set in stone, it may have crumbled as the Miami defense did in a baffling third-quarter collapse for the second week in a row.

Earlier Sunday on “NFL GameDay,” Ian Rapoport reported that “From everything we understand, McDaniel is expected to return next season. He has strong support from [Ross], and there’s a real belief within the organization that McDaniel can make this work. McDaniel also believes the best way forward is with Quinn Ewers as his starting quarterback … but it raises serious questions about Tua Tagovailoa’s future in Miami.”

Ewers’ first start showed promise, but it’s inconclusive whether will prove to be on overachieving Brock Purdy or a backup at best like Skylar Thompson, to invoke two other quarterbacks drafted in the seventh round.

Ewers showed poise. He had touch on his passes and made several clutch throws to Darren Waller and Jaylen Waddle.

“The moment wasn’t too big” for Ewers, was the consensus of McDaniel, and the CBS announcing crew.

Oddly, McDaniel said afterward that he has to look at tape to know for sure, though he has in his mind that Ewers will start again next week.

Too soon for verdict on Ewers as Dolphins QB

Huh? What is there to mine from the final two weeks of the season other than further evaluation of what they may or may not have in Ewers, who has only had a couple of practices with the first-team offense?

So what, would it make sense to switch back to Tagovailoa, who they will try to unload in the offseason, or go with Zach Wilson, who they clearly won’t re-sign?

Ewers, the former Texas Longhorn, led the Dolphins on two lengthy touchdown drives in the first half, the second one giving them a short-lived 14-10 lead. Then he threw two interceptions in the third quarter. Defensive pass interference could have been called on the first pick.

Instead, the Dolphins had one drive unravel after horrendous offensive pass interference penalty against rookie receiver Theo Wease Jr. — it appeared he was trying to avoid contact with a defender — that negated a 32-yard gain by De’Von Achane off a screen pass.

Nonetheless, success in the NFL is often reflected in how a player and team responds to adversity. As often the case, the Dolphins shrank in the moment.

The very next play, tight end Greg Dulcich fumbled after a reception. In short order, the Dolphins were buried under an avalanche of mistakes and inept — or was it disinterested? — play.

Dolphins assured of second straight losing season

No surprise, they are now 4-23 under McDaniel after trailing at halftime. But, as seen repeatedly, the Dolphins don’t just fail, they gravitate to humiliation.

Capping the Bengals’ fifth consecutive touchdown drive was Mike Gesicki, the former Dolphins tight end, making a leaping catch in the end zone and performing his trademark Griddy dance at Hard Rock Stadium.

Meanwhile, the Miami offense was being stymied by the Bengals’ 32nd ranked defense, led by Al Golden, the former University of Miami coach whose tenure on the same field was forgettable and regrettable.

Just as Tagovailoa’s performance regressed this season, the whole team has been on a downward slide since blowing a 14-point lead in the final three minutes at Tennessee on Monday Night Football in December 2023.

They came into that game 9-3 with the inside track on winning the AFC East. Since then, they are 16-20 and have clinched their second consecutive losing season.

They are approaching the end of their 25th season without a playoff victory with uncertainties about the quarterback and general manager for next season — the latter will inherit a mess of top-heavy contracts and little room to operate under the salary cap.

Still, we are led to believe that owner Steve Ross still has unyielding belief in McDaniel as coach, which is baffling.

Hall of Famer Warner critical of McDaniel’s play design

The benching of Tagovailoa and ascension of Ewers as starter evoked lots of commentary and debate over the past week. None more revealing than Kurt Warner’s Studyball analysis of Tua’s last start. Check it out on YouTube.

In a 53-minute film study, the Hall of Fame quarterback presented an in-depth examination of every Dolphins passing play in last Monday Night’s 28-15 loss to the Steelers.

Warner’s premise: “I wanted to go back and break down the game to see how much of the struggles were on Tua. Did he play bad enough to warrant a benching after winning five of the previous six games?”

He examined the blocking and the receiver’s routes, and as well as how Tagovailoa reacted as the plays unfolded.

Most interesting were Warner’s comments about the design of the patterns that receivers ran. On many of the plays they weren’t, in his opinion, set up in a way to stress the defense and provide Tua with an open receiver to throw to.

On those plays, Warner showed how the play could have been designed to achieve those objectives.

Warner’s conclusions are more of an indictment of McDaniel’s play design than Tua’s play as quarterback.

It certainly wasn’t an endorsement for changing quarterbacks while keeping the coach.
Warner ended the video by saying, “You tell me, did he make a couple of bad decisions? Of course he did. Bad interception. Almost threw another interception when the defensive lineman popped out. But for the most part, did you see a bunch of guys running wide open? Did you see a scheme that was giving him a bunch of opportunities that he didn’t take advantage of?

“Again, I understand, there are a bunch of factors on why he’s not playing, and not just based on this game. But I hate it. If I was a quarterback and I had just won five of six, and now all of a sudden we lose one game, and it’s that game with those plays out there on film, and you bench me, I wouldn’t be a very happy camper today.”

The TV cameras did show Tagovailoa smiling and celebrating on the sideline after the Dolphins’ second touchdown Sunday.

Maybe he was genuinely happy for his teammates. Or, perhaps he was envisioning the day he returns to Hard Rock Stadium in an opposing uniform and embarrasses his former team.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for more than four decades. Follow him on the site formerly known as Twitter @CraigDavisRuns.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat fall apart in the fourth quarter in Boston

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Team Green was too mean, shooting down the visitors with a cascade of 3-pointers. Derrick White (9) and Sam Houser (5) were the main culprits of the Heat’s destruction, and the Celtics’ first six baskets of the fourth quarter were all treys.

 

It’s now six losses in the last seven outings, and their run-and-stun offense was disabled again. Of all the absences, which include Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins and Davion Mitchell, the latter’s affected them the most. Mitchell’s dribble penetration and precise passing are stabilizing forces the team cannot lack.

 

Their only bright spots were that Kel’el Ware set a career-high in made triples (6) and was a powerhouse on the glass, showing he’s ready for more. Rookie Kasparas Jakučionis also made five 3-pointers with four assists against one turnover in his first career start.

 

Jaime Jaquez Jr., who doesn’t usually start, struggled early then had a stronger second half, making four deposits in the lane. But Bam Adebayo had a subdued performance, and Norman Powell possibly damaged the rim with all his missed 3-point attempts. The bench was abysmal, too, scoring 27 points on a scant 32.1% shooting.

 

The Celtics schooled the Heat, playing fast, scoring 210 points per 100 transition plays, good enough for the 100th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass. On top of that, the Green held them to 36 points in the lane, which was 18 points below their average.

 

The Heat lost 129-116 after getting outscored by 10 in the fourth. Ten of Boston’s 13 field goals in the frame were triples, which was double the Heat’s.

 

The Heat badly need to get it together as they’ve dropped to 15-13 because somehow, as dull as they’ve been, they are only two games out of the third seed. Their offense needs a tweak since they’ve shown too many holes when they can’t go 100 miles per hour and need to be in the half-court.

 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat start three-game road trip with a win in Brooklyn

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The Heat ended their five-game losing streak and held the scrappy Nets to 96 points in Brooklyn, tying their season best for contained opponent scoring. But it came at a tougher challenge than anticipated. 

 

They went big with Kel’el Ware next to Bam Adebayo in the main rotation, which was more common at the beginning of the year, and it helped them outrebound their opponents by eight. 

 

If one didn’t know any better, they might think that absences to Tyler Herro, Nikola Jović and Pelle Larsson contributed to them tying their fourth-lowest scoring game of the season. But that wasn’t the case. Adebayo, Dru Smith and Davion Mitchell blanked 10 3-pointers. Although Adebayo had 17 rebounds, and the three of them guarded like madmen.  

 

The crew rode the wave of Ware plus Jaime Jaquez Jr.’s rim attacks, and Norman Powell’s outside shooting. That was enough to offset Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Clayton carrying the Nets. 

 

The Heat started the fourth quarter ahead by four points and managed to get away despite shooting 33% in the restricted area for the period. They also benefited from Brooklyn’s poor off-ball execution and their inability to be a factor from deep. 

 

The Heat even gave rookie Kasparas Jakučionis seven minutes of action in his second stint of the season, and Ware was notably one of the closers in the game. The team pushing the lead to double digits made coach Erik Spoelstra comfortable with giving Adebayo more rest. 

 

It’s concerning that their transition attack was eradicated to 47th percentile (123.1 points per 100 plays) and their pace was 5.58 points below its average. They struggle when opponents exude equal hustle. Yet, to their credit, they won in a style that isn’t preferred, similar to a brawler having to rely on more technical skills to get a victory. 

 

The Heat’s record improved to 15-12 and to 5-8 on the road. They are tied with the Philadelphia 76ers for the sixth seed and 1.5 games out of third place in the East.

 

The next two are in Boston on Friday and New York on Sunday. 


Tua Tagovailoa failed again to deliver a season-saving win for the Dolphins in a 25-18 drubbing by the Steelers.

Pressure Point: Enough of Tua, time for Dolphins to see what Quinn Ewers can do

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The best that can be said about the Miami Dolphins’ putrid performance in Pittsburgh (try saying that ten times fast) is the fantasy that they were actually in playoff contention can be mercifully flushed.

Monday night, in their most important game of the season, the Dolphins froze up in yet another frigid failure in December.

The 25-18 drubbing administered by the Steelers confirmed the inevitable: Miami’s drought without a playoff win will hit the quarter century mark before the end of the month.

More than that, it showed that in four seasons of Mike McDaniel as coach and six years of Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback, nothing has changed.

No progress. No hope left for this season. Zilch.

Only one thing is left to accomplish in the final three games of this latest of lost seasons. Find out what they have in rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers.

Tagovailoa falls short as franchise quarterback

If he’s not a viable option, the Dolphins will need to start looking elsewhere for their quarterback of the future, asap.

Because it’s not Tagovailoa. He’s not getting better, he’s gotten significantly worse this season.

Asked about giving Ewers an audition now that the Dolphins are eliminated from playoff contention, McDaniel handled the question about as poorly as he did with the game plan against the Steelers.

“Yeah, I think it would be very irrational, shortsighted if I even tried to tackle that option,” he said. “I think I have to look at the tape. I’ll move on from there.”

What he’ll see on the tape is another failure of Tagovailoa to deliver what a franchise quarterback must with the season on the line.

It was a very Tua-like performance, producing a stat line totally misaligned with how he played.

It featured another bad interception — his league-leading 15th — to end an early drive into Steelers territory. Later, when he tried to scramble for a first down that would have kept another drive going, his slide came up short.

Tagovailoa outplayed by 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers

In the third quarter, when the game got away from the Dolphins, the Tua-led offense produced minus-20 yards. It was the least productive quarter of McDaniel’s tenure.

Then, after gray-beard Aaron Rodgers led the Steelers on four consecutive touchdown drives for a 28-3 lead, Tagovailoa padded his stats in the fourth quarter against Pittsburgh’s prevent defense.

The pair of late touchdown passes to Darren Waller served only to raise the question, why didn’t they get the big tight end involved when the game was still in question?

Asked what went wrong with the passing game, McDaniel said, “I think passing, a lot of times people squarely put focus on the quarterback. I think there’s several times tonight, one in particular stands out, where I think he was about to make the right read, and we had our [primary receiver] fall over.

“I thought Darren [Waller] made a ton of plays at the end. Should have got him involved earlier. There’s a lot of things. Ultimately it hasn’t been good enough. I think that hurt us tonight.”

Aikman ridicules Tagovailoa, Dolphins offense

While McDaniel was reluctant to heap blame on Tagovailoa, the CBS announcing crew didn’t hold back. Referring to the interception and other questionable throws, analyst and former quarterback Troy Aikman said, “It’s a little bit of a head scratcher. Those type of throws, you’re not quite sure what he’s seeing or not seeing.”

What we’ve seen all season is a quarterback with very little mobility making poor choices and unable to make a throw with the zip needed to connect downfield.

The interception came on an underthrown ball for Jaylen Waddle that floated like a wobbly duck while Asante Samuel Jr. maneuvered for the pick.

Tua’s pocket presence has also diminished. Typically, he looks once, twice, then finding nobody open and feeling the walls collapsing on him, he starts running around like someone with his hair on fire searching for a blanket to smother it.

He was sacked four times Monday. Yet, Tua’s numbers (22 of 28 for 253 yards and 113.2 passer rating) belie the reality of what transpired in another missed opportunity to break out of the narrative that has haunted this franchise for 25 years.

Dolphins flop again in prime-time chill

Here are the numbers that matter: the Dolphins have lost their past 14 games with the temperature under 40 degrees, including the past six with Tua; they are 4-13 in primetime under McDaniel.

As is often the case, it was more than a defeat, it was a prime-time embarrassment. It had Aikman repeatedly ridiculing the Dolphins’ lack of urgency and overall strategy in the fourth quarter.

It had two former Dolphins contributing to their demise. Defensive back Jalen Ramsey had a rare sack. Tight end Jonnu Smith took a handoff out of the backfield and ran 14 yards untouched for Pittsburgh’s final, in-your-face touchdown.

Realistically, the Dolphins season was sunk by the 1-6 start that was as dismal as the numbers indicated.

Give them credit, they didn’t pack it in at that point. They responded admirably, improved in several parts of their game and played themselves into respectability.

But let’s face it, that surge of five wins in six games was a mirage. The only quality win was the rare rout of the Buffalo Bills at home.

All that’s left of 2025 is to look to the future. That should start with giving Ewers a chance to show if might be a viable alternative. The seventh-round draft pick from Texas made some tantalizing throws in a mop-up opportunity against Cleveland.

Certainly, McDaniel and the offensive coaches have seen a lot more of Ewers from months of practice. But only game action can tell the full story.

Tagovailoa’s contract straps Dolphins under cap

Unfortunately, the Dolphins are bound to Tua by a contract that has already cost Chris Grier the general manager’s job. Realistically, they are probably stuck with him at least through 2026.

Improvement by the defense and offensive line as the season progressed suggests that the Dolphins don’t need a total roster blowup. There is talent to work with, and the current rookie class has shown promise.

The Dolphins are in a salary cap bind for 2026, due in large part to Tagovailoa’s contract.

But just because they are on the hook to pay him an ungodly amount doesn’t mean they have to play him if there is a better option on the payroll. The final three games can shed light on that possibility.

No doubt most Dolfans have seen enough of Tua for this sorry season.

I’m totally Tua-ed out.

Question is, will McDaniel and the front office have the good sense to pull the switch for the final three games? Will owner Steve Ross demand it?

All we are saying is give Quinn Ewers a chance.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for more than four decades. Follow him on the site formerly known as Twitter @CraigDavisRuns.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat’s losing streak spirals to five after the Raptors take over the fourth quarter

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Snapping a four-game losing streak can be a cathartic experience for a team, especially when the other side is trying to end its own skid.

 

The Heat came off five days of rest with their 11th different starting lineup because of Tyler Herro’s toe injury and fell apart in the fourth quarter for their fifth straight loss.  Their biggest tasks were surviving Brandon Ingram’s onslaught of jumpers and Scottie Barnes’ rim pressure, and they failed miserably on Pat Riley Court.

 

They logged their lowest-scoring game of the season (96), and it was the first time they had below 100, too. They’ve been figured out in part because they are getting picked up higher in the full-court and look as ordinary as a lottery team. 

 

First they poured in four first-quarter threes and it appeared as if it would be a night the Heat hit the gas, but they decelerated as they were mentally rattled watching Nikola Jović, whose playing time had waned, hurt himself after checking in. He went up for a dunk, got fouled and didn’t have his legs under him, landing on his backside and injuring his arm. 

 

Powell later erupted to start the second quarter making multiple trifectas and freebies, then Bam Adebayo took over until intermission. 

 

But when examining the autopsy, one pinpoints the eight early turnovers, which later spiralled to 18, their inability to guard the 3-point line, the weak half-court offense and the bench being outscored by a dozen, as causes for their downfall. 

 

Naturally, Ingram got where he wanted when he wanted, and Barnes plus rookie Collin Murray-Boyles made all five attempts in the lane. They subsequently went on a 9-0 run to start the fourth quarter and never gave back control.

 

The Heat made only 34.8% of their attempts in the fourth quarter. The closest they could get was within four late, but Jamal Shead maneuvered into the lane for a six-foot floater and Powell lost the ball on the next possession. They flatlined there. 

 

They lost 106-96 after getting outscored by 16 points in the second half. 

 

Does anyone remember when the Heat were the third seed on Nov. 28 and their offense was ripping up schemes? That was probably too wild to be true.

 

One thing is sure: their issues are deeper than Herro’s presence taking up teammates’ shots. They turn into a skinny jeans team when shots aren’t falling, regardless of who is present. One doesn’t need a bigger sign to know that they cannot be trusted.  

 

Jake Paul is in over his head against Anthony Joshua

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Anthony Joshua looked way past his prime when Daniel Dubois pitilessly beat him down in September 2024 when challenging for the IBF heavyweight belt. Now he is less than a week away from facing off against what he hopes is a stepping stone to another nice run at glory before it’s over. 

 

It’s an eight-round fight in Miami’s Kaseya Center on Dec. 19 with Jake Paul, who has never seen anything close to this level of competition. Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, who is also the chairman of Matchroom Sport, rated Paul as a top-60 cruiserweight in interviews ahead of what many anticipate will be an execution.

 

Props to Paul. He pivoted from the canceled Gervonta Davis exhibition fight to one of the toughest opponents he could see. He’s already taken one loss to Tommy Fury, but Joshua is in another stratosphere of athleticism and size.

 

Yet what if this goes badly for AJ like the Tyson Fury v. Francis Ngannou fight that went to a 10-round split decision win for the Englishman? At least in Tyson Fury’s case, he was undefeated at the time. If Joshua doesn’t impress or worse, loses in the biggest upset since Buster Douglas KOed Mike Tyson, then he’ll never sniff the top again and should retire.

 

But don’t get your hopes up for a fairytale ending of AJ losing. Paul is at a six-inch reach disadvantage and he is (listed) six inches shorter than Joshua. Even with Joshua not what he once was, this feels as one-sided as the giant wave against the fishing boat in the film, The Perfect Storm. It’s possible this could go like the Tyson v. Peter McNeely fight. That was Iron Mike’s first time back in action since serving prison time for a rape conviction, and he hurt McNeely so badly that the latter’s manager stepped into the ring 91 seconds in, and that was it.

 

Unless Paul suffers life-changing damage, the outcome is a win regardless of what happens after round two. He could get cruelly knocked out and history will remember him for his bollocks. His legacy will get a massive boost, too,  for the step up in competition from washed MMA fighters and boxers plus low-level opponents to a former Olympic gold medalist and heavyweight champion.

 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat’s road in Emirates Cup play finishes in Orlando loss

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They just can’t beat those guys. 

 

The Heat are only going home with $53,093 earned by losing to the Magic in Orlando in the knockout round of the Emirates Cup play. It’s the third time they’ve come up short against their pin-striped killers, and this time, the bench was dead weight, and they blanked too many open threes. 

 

The Magic set up a date with the winner of the Knicks-Raptors matchup and will at least make double the loot in the semifinals. 

 

The first quarter took 45 minutes, but the Heat held a 30-17 lead after their first seven made shots, including bursts from Tyler Herro and Norman Powell. The Magic also had seven turnovers and were held to scraps in the lane, but they were hungrier, much less going to allow themselves to get sacked.

 

Yet, of course, the Magic caught up a few minutes into the second quarter then took a brief lead in the latter stage as the Heat couldn’t stop them from getting to the body. It was like a fighter who unlocked the sweet spot and had their opponent stumbling over while getting whacked senseless. The hosts also sank five extra 3-pointers, which helped slow down the Heat by forcing them to check the ball more. 

 

Since the Heat is a collection of B-tier players, it took them until the end of the half to compose themselves. The visitors went to intermission ahead 57-56, and their bench was offset by Orlando’s.

 

Herro, Powell, and Adebayo’s long and short range baskets could only do so much because their rivals were the bigger and more athletic team. The Heat even went 19 minutes without a fastbreak basket courtesy of Orlando’s pressure. On top of that, the Magic figured out the zone, going into the fourth quarter ahead by six.

 

The Heat followed up, missing open looks while Desmond Bane’s rampage carried on. Coach Erik Spooestra was caught by the broadcast cameras, telling his crew that they weren’t giving a hard enough effort to get to Las Vegas for the next round but they weren’t able to stop the bleeding, even with the starters staying in until the last seconds.

 

They lost 117-108. Bane had 37 digits for the third time since Nov. 28, which included 15 in the fourth quarter. Additionally, the Heat’s transition attack was derailed to the 14th percentile at 88.2 points per 100 plays.

Spoelstra said after, “They had a huge second quarter… We’ve been struggling with this concept recently. If we’re not making shots, we are not getting stops.”

 

 

Jaylen Wright had his best game as a pro, rushing for 107 yards against the Jets.

Pressure Point: Run game, defense keep Dolphins in the running

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Kudos are absolutely in order for the Miami Dolphins.

From dead team walking at 1-6, have played themselves into the playoff hunt, at least mathematically, at 6-7.

With Sunday’s 34-10 whooping of the oh-so-woeful New York Jets, the resurgent Fins have won four in a row and five of their past six.

Notably, they rushed for 239 yards, averaging 6.3 yards per carry. Oh, and Tua Tagovailoa can finally say he’s quarterbacked the Dolphins to victory when the temperature is 46 degrees or below on his eighth try — the 41-degree weather at the Jersey Meadowlands was really quite conducive for football, though. But still …

Dolphins avoid bad break on Achane’s injury

The highlight of a dominant win came afterward when coach Mike McDaniel said the rib injury that sidelined star running back in the first half was not a break.

“We got it looked at. He was hurting. He was available to come back in the game in an emergency,” McDaniel said. “I chose not to put him in there.”

Whew! That is a collective sign of relief echoing through Dolphinland.

Let’s face it, however legitimate the hopes of this team to claw its way into the postseason rides with Achane. The newly crowned AFC offensive player of the month for November has fueled the Dolphins’ resurgence.

Achane came into the game with 1,034 yards rushing and was on his way to another dominant performance when he walked off gingerly after a 29-yard run. He left with 92 yards rushing on nine carries, including a touchdown, and a 13-yard reception.

Jaylen Wright has first 100-yard performance

Achane’s absence provided an opportunity for second-year back Jaylen Wright to have his best game as a pro with 107 yards on 24 carries (4.5-yard average) and his first career touchdown. Rookie Ollie Gordon II added a hard-nosed 7-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

The three-back attack was reminiscent of the Dolphins’ winning formula from the distant past.

That was noted by one of the men most responsible for that success, Hall of Fame fullback Larry Csonka, who tweeted, “Opening drive today brings back memories — ball control, down the field w/first possession. More of that please.”

More of that sort of production running the ball will be vital over the final four weeks of the season. It has been made possible by significant improvement by the offensive line. That includes much-maligned rookie left guard Jonah Savaiinaea, who had some key blocks that led to significant gains.

While they can lean on a three-back attack, Achane is the difference maker. He has shown to be a remarkable talent while putting together an All-Pro worthy season.

After scoring touchdowns with Achane on their first three possessions, they didn’t get into the end zone again until they ran it down the Jets’ throat in the fourth quarter —Wright and Gordon accounted for 61 of 69 yards on the drive.

Dolphins’ O-line shows major improvement

“Going into the season, we felt like we have a strength in the offensive line unit. Just to be able to manufacture that type of success on the ground, that’s December football, and that’s how you win,” McDaniel said.

Keep in mind, this December win on the road came against a Jets team that has now been eliminated from the playoffs for the 15th consecutive season. And of Miami’s five recent wins, the only one against a playoff-caliber opponent was the rout at home against the Bills.

The home stretch will be more challenging, and the Dolphins will probably need to win all four to have a chance at a wild card. That begins with a Monday Night date (Dec. 15) at Pittsburgh against the Steelers, who are also in the hunt at 7-6.

Then it’s home against the Bengals, who have Joe Burrow back at quarterback, followed by the 7-6 Buccaneers, and finishing at the AFC East-leading Patriots.

Dolphins’ defense fuels hope for late-season run

The Dolphins too often have gotten to this crossroads, only to lose their way. So I must abstain from labeling them legitimate contenders.

But the factors that could make the outcome different this time is the running attack and Anthony Weaver’s defense, which has become an absolute beast.

Granted, the Jets were forced to use rookie quarterback Brady Cook, who had never appeared in an NFL game, after veteran Tyrod Taylor went out early with a leg injury. They intercepted Cook three times and sacked him six times while holding the Jets to 207 net yards and 1-for-12 in third down conversions. The only New York touchdown came on a punt return.

However it plays out from here, it must be acknowledged the way these Dolphins have pulled together since the dreadful performance in Cleveland that prompted the firing of general manager Chris Grier and left McDaniel’s future dangling.

The players rallied around their coach, and McDaniel has done a better job with the offense since then.

Can they keep it rolling at Pittsburgh in prime time against a Steelers team also desperate to keep their season alive?

It’s a trap door the Dolphins have fallen through countless times, so we’ll see. Still, they have our attention.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for more than four decades. Follow him on the site formerly known as Twitter @CraigDavisRuns.