Chris Perkins: I’d give these Dolphins one more year before making sweeping changes

HOUSTON — The numbers are ugly. The disappointment runs deep.

The question is how the Miami Dolphins and owner Steve Ross will choose to address the situation and move forward in 2025.

After Sunday’s 20-12 loss at Houston to the Texans, the Dolphins are 26-24 (.520), including playoffs, under coach Mike McDaniel.

You are what your record says you are, and in this case that’s a huge, somewhat predictable disappointment.

The Dolphins have never been very good under McDaniel — and they’re getting worse.

Change is obviously necessary. Otherwise the Dolphins are wasting their time, which is what appears they’ve been doing since 2022.

I’m not saying someone — general manager Chris Grier or McDaniel — must be fired. But changes definitely must be made. A new approach is essential.

If there’s not a new approach for 2025, it’ll certainly be time for someone, or some people, to lose their job.

This is ridiculous.

The Dolphins (6-8), who have done the same thing in 2024 as they’ve done in 2023 and as they’ve done in 2022, are practically out of the playoff picture this season.

The three-year record alone is almost enough reason for McDaniel and Grier to both lose their jobs.

Heck, Tampa Bay is 25-25 (.500) since McDaniel took over the Dolphins in 2022.  Jacksonville is 23-28 (.451).

Worse, the Dolphins, who feature a poorly-constructed roster, only have two playoff appearances in three seasons and no playoff wins.

At least Jacksonville and Tampa Bay have each won a playoff game since 2022.

Jacksonville is 1-1 in the playoffs since 2022, Tampa Bay is 1-2, the Dolphins are 0-2.

Who would you have rather been since 2022, the Dolphins, Jaguars or Buccaneers?

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Someone must force changes on the Dolphins.

The Dolphins can’t go on living this way. It’s crazy.

They’re regressing because they refuse to change.

This season the Dolphins are 0-5 against playoff teams and the average score is Playoff Team 27, Dolphins 14.

Last season they were 1-6 against playoff teams. Two years ago they were 2-6 against playoff teams.

The Dolphins continue moving backwards and putting up ugly numbers.

Since 2022, the Dolphins are 3-17 (.150) against playoff teams.

The Dolphins must make changes. 

There must be changes in personnel (a big running back, a big-bodied wide receiver, an upgrade at slot receiver, more help on the interior defensive line).

There must be changes in approach (McDaniel must alter his midweek routine in an effort to be a better offensive play-caller and head coach). 

The Dolphins must become tougher, more aggressive, more physical on both sides of the ball and especially at the line of scrimmage.

These are all things we’ve talked about for the past two seasons yet nothing has changed.

The Dolphins have too much talent to be so disappointing.

They must make changes.

And when the Dolphins start thinking about changes they must first realize what they have, and as I’ve told you previously, they must realize that neither McDaniel nor quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is “special”.

They’re both good, and you can win a Super Bowl with both, or either. No doubt.

But McDaniel and Tagovailoa both need much more help than they’ve been given, and possibly more help than Grier and McDaniel realize they need.

The Dolphins must be honest with themselves to move forward in 2025.

They need an offense that does more than put up empty numbers. 

For example, the Dolphins rushed for more than 100 yards six times this season. They went 1-5 in those games.

The Dolphins need an offense that wins big games.

The Dolphins are now 5-11 (.313) in December/January games since 2022.

The Dolphins need an offense that has a 1-2 punch instead of just a “1” punch (wide receiver Tyreek Hill on the deep route) or just a “2” punch (a dink-and-dunk offense that struggles to produce touchdowns).

I like Grier, I like McDaniel, I like Tua.

None of them have been good enough since 2022.

The Dolphins need to do something differently in 2025.

At this point, I’d keep the band together — Grier, McDaniel and Tua — one more year.

Force changes on them.

And if the results don’t change after the 2025 season, I’d grab a broom and sweep out the entire organization.