Dolphins’ McDaniel updates injuries, addresses Tagovailoa, several others
Though Tua Tagovailoa’s uneven season continued with another interception on Sunday, Mike McDaniel made clear that the quarterback primarily will be judged by his ability to do his part to win games.
And Miami’s 21-17 win was its fourth in its past five games.
“His job is to lead us to victory,” McDaniel said when asked if coaches notice anything mechanically that has led to a drop in performance. “Tua would admit and I would admit it wasn’t his best game [Sunday]. You’re trying to find the why so he can have his best game that is required.”
When asked if there have been changes in his footwork or anything else from his exceptional play in 2022 and 2023, McDaniel said:
“There are different things we work on week in and week out. He’s trying to improve his performance. We’re trying to improve how we coach him. If 300 yards passing is necessary, that’s what we’re going to have to lean on and expect and coach him to do so. You are going to get held accountable by anyone who has a set of eyes.
“In a win, you accept whatever happens and move forward so your play can be part of the reason why you get another win.”
Tagovailoa and Las Vegas’ Geno Smith lead the league in interceptions with 14, and Tagovailoa is 26th in passer rating at 85.9, well below his 105.5 (which led the league), 101.1 and 101.4 in 2022, 2023 and 2024, respectively.
Sunday marked the fourth game this season that Tagovailoa finished with a passer rating below 55.0.
Injury update
On the injury front, McDaniel said fullback Alec Ingold -- who left Sunday’s game with a stinger - is day to day.
The Dolphins have three players on injured reserve who are now eligible to return -- guard James Daniels, center Andrew Meyer and kicker Jason Sanders. McDaniel indicated none would be designated to return this week.
McDaniel addressed other issues:
▪ On right tackle Austin Jackson’s performance in his first game back from a Week 1 toe injury: “He exceeded expectations to a degree and made us a better football team. He fits into the style of play we’ve been playing. He has high standards.”
▪ The Dolphins’ internal player-to-coach audio system failed before Minkah Fitzpatrick’s pick-two interception return on the Saints’ two-point conversion that could have tied the score late.
▪ McDaniel, before Monday’s team meeting, credited Tyrel Dodson for organizing the Dolphins’ defense on that play, setting the stage for Fitzpatrick’s interception.
“It felt like the way Fred Warner was prepared week in and week out,” McDaniel said of the 49ers standout linebacker. “He made a defensive call on the two-point conversion because he thought of all scenarios. It wasn’t only that play” where Dodson made a great call.
“The last three games we are top three in the league in points allowed. There’s a lot of people responsible for that. He’s high on the list because he’s quarterback of the defense.”
▪ McDaniel, on why he didn’t try more aggressively for a touchdown at the end of the first half:
“You try to end the half with points or the ball.”
Riley Patterson hit a 48-yard field goal to give the Dolphins a 16-0 lead.
“I thought another snap was an unnecessary risk based on Riley’s pre-game and the conviction he gave me.”
▪ McDaniel was pleased how tight end Darren Waller played in his first game back after missing four with a pectoral injury:
“He was a value-added threat the entire time. Defenses know every time he’s on the field based upon the Carolina game on.
“He gives us a huge effect whether he has the ball or not. That’s as conservative as I can be in a game plan to not overstress him, which I was proud of myself for. [He had] no setbacks.”
▪ McDaniel credited Fitzpatrick for “monumental contributions week in and week out that the stat sheet doesn’t give him his due.
“From the day he got here, he showed guys what it was like to be not just a pro, but a pro with an established name in this league who still approaches every day like a guy who’s earning [his stripes]. He was disguising some things. There was a PBU that Tyrel Dodson had that I would partially give Minkah credit because of a disguise.
“From an identification standpoint, whether he’s a safety or nickel,...he had production on blitzes, he had production on zone drop tackles. He’s an aggressive communicator. Through the whole secondary, he garners a ton of respect [from his peers].”
The Dolphins (5-7), who remain long shots to make the playoffs, play at the Jets (1 p.m., CBS-4) on Sunday.
Here’s my Monday piece with perspective on De’Von Achane’s historical feats and lots of tidbits on different players.
This story was originally published December 1, 2025 at 2:48 PM.
