MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Mike McDaniel and Tua Tagovailoa spoke to reports following the Dolphins’ 28-6 loss on Thursday night to the Baltimore Ravens.
Miami fell to 2-7 on Thursday night as quarterback Lamar Jackson threw four touchdowns after returning from a three-game absence due to a hamstring injury.
Tagovailoa struggled to get into the end zone and threw an interception to safety Malaki Starks with just over six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, extending his league-high total to 11 interceptions on the season.
After the loss, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel acknowledged the difficulty of the defeat but emphasized moving forward.
“It’s very tough to sit on a loss over a 10-day period, but it also gives you opportunity to dictate the terms of how your next game is going to go,” McDaniel said. He added that the team would lean on its leaders to refocus. “Everybody has to tighten up their game and press forward to go get that next win.”
McDaniel said fans’ loud booing and frustration was understandable.
“Fans enjoy winning … our expectation is that we have to do the work and do the right things for fans to enjoy the experience, and unfortunately we didn’t do that tonight.”
The Dolphins’ problems started early, McDaniel said, pointing to missed scoring opportunities and turnovers.
“You have a red zone turnover, a red zone turnover on downs, a backed-up turnover and a missed field goal … you have to cross your T’s and dot your I’s in the NFL or you get made to pay,” he said.
Tagovailoa echoed the sentiment, citing small execution errors that snowballed.
“Offensively, it just started with the little things. We’re off a little bit here on this play, a little off there on that play. I’ve got to continue to get our guys better in that aspect,” he said. “This isn’t a game where we’re discouraged. It’s one where you wish you could’ve done more to help the guys execute offensively.”
Tagovailoa also took responsibility for a fourth-quarter play intended for running back De’Von Achane. “I’ve just got to give him a better ball,” Tagovailoa said, adding that other miscues, including penalties, hurt the team.
He also addressed a controversial fourth-and-1 play late in the second quarter where right tackle Larry Borom was flagged for a false start.
“With the Ravens fans, it maybe got a little muffled with my cadence and the crowd noise, so we kind of talked about that on the sideline after and got that corrected,” Tagovailoa said.
McDaniel confirmed that running back Jaylen Wright was inactive due to a combination of offensive and special teams considerations, and linebacker Chop Robinson entered concussion protocol. Their timetables to return to the field is unclear at this time.
Despite the loss, both McDaniel and Tagovailoa emphasized preparation for the Dolphins’ next matchup. Tagovailoa said the team had a “heartfelt conversation” after the game and would return ready to work on Monday.
“Focus on what you can control and go back to work,” McDaniel said. “Sometimes you have to press forward even when you get punched in the stomach. I think we’ll have a highly motivated team to play football the right way and get back to the momentum we thought we were building.”
Up next:
The Dolphins (2-7) host the Buffalo Bills (5-3) on Nov. 9, while the Ravens (3-5) travel to face the Minnesota Vikings (3-4) at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Copyright 2025 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.
