Dolphins Announce Major Leadership Change Following Loss to Ravens on ‘TNF’
Fans of the Miami Dolphins finally got their pound of flesh Friday.
The Dolphins and general manager Chris Grier agreed to mutually part ways, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, after the team’s 28-6 loss to the
Dolphins fans sported paper-bag heads and booed the team loudly throughout their loss to the Ravens that dropped them to 2-7 this year. Yet, the announcement that much-maligned fourth-year coach Mike McDaniel would
The Dolphins will promote senior personnel exec Champ Kelly as their interim GM.
Grier had worked for the Dolphins since 2000 and had been the team’s general manager since 2016. They have made the playoffs three times in Grier’s tenure as GM, but the Dolphins still haven’t won a postseason game since Grier’s first season with the team.
Chris Grier Dismantled The Dolphins’ Roster This Off-Season
Miami had been on the cusp of taking over the AFC East with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa meticulously operating McDaniel’s offense over their first two seasons together.
But after the Dolphins’ 8-9 regression year in 2024, Grier pulled much of the talent off the roster — especially with the misguided Jalen Ramsey-to-the-Pittsburgh Steelers deal where Miami dealt the All-Pro cornerback and tight end
The result is Miami ranks 28th in the NFL in offense (291.4 yards per game) and is just 25th in the NFL in points per game (20.0). The Dolphins have scored just 40 points in their past three games, despite their 34-point outburst in their win over the
Grier convinced tight end Darren Waller to come out of retirement and play with the Dolphins. But after scoring in his first three games, he sustained a pectoral injury and was placed on injured reserve after their 31-6 loss to the
Couple that injury with the loss of All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill, and the Dolphins are playing without two marquee offensive weapons.
The Dolphins Defense Has Been Really Bad In 2025
As a result of Miami’s off-season wheeling and dealing, it has hardly played defense this season. The Fins are tied for 28th in the NFL in points-against per game (27.0) and rushing-yards against per game (145.6).
Miami has allowed at least 27 points in seven of its nine games, and perhaps it’s no surprise it is 2-0 in the games where it allowed fewer than that.
The Dolphins ranked 10th in the NFL in points-against per game (21.4), a function of having standouts like Ramsey, Jevon Holland, Calais Campbell, Emmanuel Ogbah and others manning that unit.
Yet, each of those players departed South Florida either by trade or free agency, and the Dolphins have failed to replace them. A year after posting 35 sacks, which was near the bottom of the list of NFL leaders, the Dolphins have just 17 this season — which puts them on pace for fewer since they just surpassed the season’s halfway point Thursday night.
Despite how things looked just 24 months ago — when Miami held a three-game lead over the Buffalo Bills with five games to play before coughing it up and only qualifying as a wild card — the Dolphins appear farther than ever from a Super Bowl.
Whoever replaces Grier is going to have his work cut out for him.
Dan Campbell’s brutally honest assessment of Lions should scare rest of NFL
The Detroit Lions have been one of the best teams in the NFL this season. Even after losing both of their coordinators this offseason, Detroit seemingly hasn't lost a step. They come out of their bye week with a 5-2 record, scoring key wins against some of the top contenders in the process.
If the Lions are to be believed, they still aren't playing to their full potential. Head coach Dan Campbell believes that Detroit still has another gear this season. The Lions HC said that they could stand to be better at playing complementary football over the course of the season.
“I really believe we haven't played our best ball yet collectively in all three phases,” Campbell said, per Eric Woodyard of ESPN. “And that's really what we're trying to get to here is how can we sharpen ourselves. We know it's going to take every phase. Every game's different, and one unit may have to pick up the slack, but we need to start playing complete ball across the board. And just keep improving — like with all these teams that we're in the race with right now. So, that's where we're at.”
The Lions have highlighted four key areas for improvement during their bye week. That includes their third-down efficiency on both sides of the ball. Detroit is ranked 22nd in third-down conversion rate this season with just 37.7%, far below their 47% rate last season. On the other side, they're allowing a similar third-down conversion rate on defense, which is higher than their 32.5% rate last year.
The two other areas that the Lions focused on during the bye week are their red zone defense and Jameson Williams' involvement on offense. While Detroit's defense has been generally solid this season, it's allowing a whopping 63.6% of its opponents' red zone trips to end in a touchdown. On the other hand, Williams has had an up-and-down season thanks in large part to his fluctuating target rate. Detroit's offense is at its best when the threat of Jamo downfield opens up the rest of the offense. Finding ways to get him in space is going to be crucial for this team moving forward.
The Lions open the second half of their season with a matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at home. Will Detroit apply what they've installed during the bye week in their next games?
