The Miami Dolphins dropped to 6-8 on the year as they were defeated 45-21 by the Cincinnati Bengals. Miami has now dropped two straight after they had previously won five out of six games. The team had already been eliminated from playoff contention heading into the Bengals game.
During the game, Miami jumped out to an early 14-10 lead as they were seemingly sticking to their winning formula. However, the Bengals reeled off 35 straight points, effectively putting the game out of reach. By the fourth quarter, the Bengals began removing their starters as the game was out of hand.
Mike McDaniel Offers Injury Update
One member of the team who will not participate in the team’s winning formula is their high-priced addition, James Daniels. Following the game, head coach Mike McDaniel said the veteran guard will be out for the year. He declined to comment on whether Daniels will be on the team next season.
McDaniel last spoke about James Daniels on November 24, when he said he didn’t know if Daniels would return this season and couldn’t definitively answer one way or the other. Daniels will finish the year having played only three snaps for the team before suffering a pectoral injury. It remains to be seen whether something went wrong during his recovery process, as McDaniel originally said following his injury,“It looks like with James, it’s not season-ending.”
Daniels’ signing represented Miami’s top offseason addition as he marked the Dolphins’ lone addition that exceeded $6 million per year and the only player whose total contract value exceeded $6.25 million. He was slated to be Miami’s starter at right guard. After the injury to Daniels, the Dolphins signed former first-round pick Cole Strange off of Cleveland’s practice squad. Strange has now started 12 games for Miami, as he became the team’s primary starter at right guard in Week 4..
Despite McDaniel refusing to comment on Daniels’ future with the team, it’s hard to envision the veteran guard being kept around by the new general manager. His contract offers no guaranteed money following this season, making him a primary candidate to be released. Daniels has started five games over the course of two seasons that both ended due to season-ending injuries.
Dolphins Closing Stretch
The Dolphins will have their final home game of the season as they take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa has lost six out of their last seven matchups, as they have lost their control of the NFC South. The Dolphins have lost three straight games against their Florida rivals. Their last meeting featured Tom Brady’s last game against Miami, in which he threw for five touchdowns and over 400 yards.
When asked about their remaining two games, veteran defensive lineman Zach Sieler said “We’re not going to lay down. We want to show our brand of football.” Sieler has been one of the team’s best contributors down the stretch as he’s registered 4.5 sacks over his last three games. With his latest sack, Sieler surpassed Dolphins Super Bowl winner Manny Fernandez on the team’s all-time sack leaderboard. He is now 11th among Dolphins players in sacks.
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