Mike McDaniel, Dolphins in early season freefall without Tua after MNF loss to Titans

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Mike McDaniel looked like a deer in headlights whenever the cameras found the third-year Miami Dolphins coach.

As starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa paced up and down the sideline, out for his second straight game on injured reserve due to his Week 2 concussion, the Dolphins were reserved to playing their third backup quarterback in two weeks.

It didn’t matter how much McDaniel stared at his play call sheet, he didn’t have an answer offensively. To make matters worse for him, the Titans were stacked up against similar odds.

But Tennessee’s first-year coach Brian Callahan and backup quarterback Mason Rudolph didn’t flinch when starter Will Levis suffered a right shoulder injury diving for a first down in the first quarter.

It was Titans 31, Dolphins 12 in the "Monday Night Football" game you probably didn’t watch because there was a better one to watch or live stream.

“Ultimately, there’s nothing good about this situation right now in terms of where our team needs to be,” McDaniel said after falling to 1-3. “We need to do enough to win a football game against any opponent, and right now, that’s not the case. We have to fix that fast.”

McDaniel and the Dolphins entered the season following two straight playoff losses, hoping to take the next step together. They thought they had a Super Bowl window. But the reality is that window was slammed shut when these teams met on "Monday Night Football" in Week 14 last season.

Tennessee scored two touchdowns in the final 2:40 to beat Miami last year – in a game that ruined the Dolphins’ chances to win the AFC East and left them subjected to a playoff loss in frigid Kansas City.

This year’s contest just confirmed how far away the Dolphins are from a year ago – when they scored 70 points against the Denver Broncos in Week 3 – and how far away they are from playoff aspirations for the third straight year.

The Dolphins failed to score a touchdown in 10 quarters and 30 straight possessions - their last in the first quarter of a 31-10 loss to the Bills in Week 2 – before starting quarterback Tyler Huntley scored a 1-yard touchdown run with 3:36 left.

Tagovailoa is on the shelf until Week 8, and there’s no telling how deep the Dolphins’ season might dive until his return.

“Playmakers got to be playmakers. We have to be better than good when you’re starting quarterback is out,” Dolphins receiver Jaylen Waddle said. “We have to be extra open to clear it up for the quarterback. He’s new here. We just have go out and make plays for him.”

It’s not like Huntley, who joined the team two weeks ago, didn’t try to just throw it deep to star receiver Tyreek Hill. But he didn’t throw it far enough the first time, and threw it just a bit far the second time. That was it.

Huntley was 14 of 92 with 96 yards passing, and the Dolphins’ leading rusher with 40 yards, starting ahead of injured backup Skyler Thompson and another newcomer Tim Boyle.

Hill had four catches for 23 yards receiving, and a fumble lost on the first drive of the game. Starting running back De'Von Achane had 18 total yards, and Waddle had 36 yards on four catches. Kicker Jason Sanders scored two field goals.

They Dolphins had 40 plays result in 84 net yards with 10:45 left in the game, and finished the game with 169 yards total after their fourth quarter score. “We felt like we could get those guys the ball in premium situations. We weren’t able to. That’s not up to my standard – at all,” McDaniel said. “We have to figure out how to score points, and those guys can help us do that for sure.”

There wasn’t much creativity from McDaniel either, unlike Callahan’s game-shifting call which resulted in a touchdown.

Titans backup running back Tyjae Spears lined up in shotgun formation. There was a fake handoff to starting tailback Tony Pollard. And, then a juke and 7-yard run by Spears into the end zone with six minutes left in the third quarter.

Pollard scored a 3-yard touchdown with 24 seconds left to cap the Titans’ night, which saw kicker Nick Folk connect on five field goals, including three of more than 50 yards. Callahan and the Titans improve to 2-2 after responding to adversity with a Week 5 bye to address Levis’ shoulder injury.

Meanwhile, McDaniel and the Dolphins are left looking for answers amidst a freefall just one month into the 2024 season. They visit the New England Patriots, another team with a first-year coach and backup quarterback, on Sunday.

“I know the message is everybody needs to stick together. That’s the biggest thing,” Dolphins starting safety Jevon Holland said.

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(This story was updated to add new information.)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dolphins in early season freefall after Monday night's loss to Titans