After earning their first win of the season on Monday, the Dolphins looked like they were on their way to back-to-back victories when they took an early 17–0 lead against the Panthers on Sunday. That hot start was short lived though, as starting in the second quarter, Carolina began marching back and eventually won the game.
Late in the second quarter, the Panthers got on the board with a touchdown pass from Bryce Young to Xavier Legette. They scored 20 unanswered points, until Tua Tagovailoa finally connected with Jaylen Waddle on a 46-yard touchdown to retake the lead. The Panthers responded though, and ultimately came out on top.
“Losses are tough, but who really cares?" Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said after the game. "We deserve for it to feel terrible. ... No one cares about our feelings. That's a hard one to deal with, but it should be."
Perhaps the most disappointing part of the loss wasn't even the blown lead, but the team's run defense. The Dolphins gave up 239 rushing yards, including 206 to Rico Dowdle, while only managing 19 yards on the ground themselves. Overall, Miami allowed the Panthers to rack up 418 yards of total offense.
"[Run defense] is not good enough," McDaniel said. "... There's no ifs, ands or buts about it. You don't give up that many scrimmage yards unless you're uncoordinated in certain ways. I need to make sure that guys don't fray and handle it themselves. We collectively need to build a wall. If play calls need to change for that to occur, then play calls need to change. It can't continue to go on like this, it's already gone on too long.”
🎥 Mike McDaniel on the run defense: “There’s no ifs, ands or buts about it. You don’t give up that many scrimmage yards unless you’re uncoordinated… it can’t continue to go on like this, it’s already gone on too long.” (@MiamiDolphins) #PhinsUp pic.twitter.com/HLb6NAIylJ
— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) October 5, 2025
The Dolphins now drop to 1-4, and will take on the Chargers next week.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mike McDaniel Had Blunt Quote After Dolphins Blow 17-Point Lead, Lose to Panthers.
