The Miami Dolphins are heading into a much-needed bye week, during which they can try to regroup and regain their focus, if they have had any at all this year.
The Dolphins are 2-3 and frankly, if they had played anyone but the Patriots in Week 5, they would have likely lost. Fans are not optimistic about this season and they haven't been given a single reason to have hope.
As the Dolphins enter their bye week, they need to get guys healthy but they also have work to do. While the players may take some time away from the facility, the staff will still be working hard. Mike McDaniel has work to do and a tough decision needs to come in for one of his assistants:
3. Firing Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman needs to happen
For whatever reason, Danny Crossman survived a coaching change when McDaniel arrived in South Florida. Whatever McDaniel sees in Crossman, no one else does. The Dolphins ST units have been average at best the last four seasons. Against the Patriots, things hit an all-time low.
The coaching staff will blame execution, but that is an excuse. The special teams are poorly coached, so when you see one breakdown, you give it a pass, but the Dolphins STs don't execute all the time. If it isn't giving up big punt returns or not generating yards on their own punt returns, it's a meltdown like we saw against the Patriots.
A blocked punt, a botched snap on a field goal, a missed field goal, a false start on a field goal, and poor tackling on punt coverage. That would be enough to get any ST coordinator fired if that was over the course of a full season. That, instead, was one game. Crossman needs to go.
2. Mike McDaniel has to do some internal soul searching
In Week 5, McDaniel finally realized that running the ball wins football games. Against New England, what he should have learned after three weeks of some of the worst play in Dolphins history is that he needs to give up play-calling altogether.
McDaniel told the media two weeks ago that if he thought another coach would give the Dolphins a better chance to win if they were calling the plays, he would give up the responsibility. That's a pretty big slap in the face to your coaching staff.
McDaniel has an ego that he no longer backs up. His quirky and flippant carefree attitude has worn on fans without the success. Miami gave him a pass against good football teams last year, but now he is losing to bad football teams as well. If the Dolphins are going to start beating teams better than the Patriots, McDaniel has to start making changes of his own and the bye week is the perfect time to do it.
1. Chris Grier has to pour over free agents and practice squad players
The Dolphins are a bad football team because Chris Grier has built the roster on the shoulders of one-year contracts. That doesn't work in the NFL. When players are playing on one-year deals, they are typically not very good, or they would have better contracts.
The Dolphins depth is a problem and they need to get better at guard, linebacker, safety, and wide receiver. Grier has to find suitable help to fill gaping holes left vacant by poor offseason decisions and injuries that continue to plague the team.
Miami can believe in Liam Eichenberg all they want or see a great season of potential in Malik Washington, but they have to be better prepared for the future, especially for injuries. Grier has an entire week to get McDaniel personnel who can help the franchise in the coming months, but honestly, no one is going to be convinced he can accomplish it.
