Sadly I doubt they'd be that stupid. Ravens are one of the few franchises that have made really good decisions at HC. They've only had 2 HC's since 1999, Billick and Harbaugh, both consistent winners and both won the SB. Only Pittsburgh has done better than that: 3 HCs since 1969 (Noll, Cowher, Tomlin) all SB winners. Of course, getting it right this time will be real tough given the candidates out there. I'll be real impressed if they continue that tradition.
After having time to digest McDaniel’s firing, I hated to see him get fired. It NEEDED to happen but I did like him and his optimism but consider… During his tenure, the Dolphins were 4-23 when trailing at the half. When trailing at halftime, that’s when you have to make adjustments to get your team back on track, and McDaniel just didn’t have it in him.
Well we slayed the three headed dragon. I know a lot of us thought that was a necessary thing to do. Ross has to do this right though. It better be John Harbaugh walking into the building. I want to say that I'm 100% confident that it will be Harbaugh, but prior to the 2020 draft I was 100% confident it was going to be Justin Herberts name being called on draft night, and it wasn't. For two years we heard about how enamoured Ross was with Herbert. We've heard constantly about his ties to the Harbaugh family. I sincerely hope he gets this done. My God this team needs it. New GM, new coach, new mystery QB? LFG 2026!
I'm personally torn because I'm not a big picture type of person, I want to get into the details. I didn't see a failure at HC and if we don't land Harbaugh, then our next HC will probably not be as proficient as McDaniel. That frustrates the heck out of me but who knows, maybe that next HC brings in the right coordinators and we don't need a guru head coach. Part of why I'm so frustrated is the run game- we haven't seen that level of blocking for 20 years. But guess what, new system next year and maybe the gains we desperately needed just vanish in a new scheme. That's the gamble. The fact that McD could win without Tua though, or despite Tua, gave me a lot of encouragement. A new GM and a new HC definitely means blowing everything up UNLESS they can find a way to win with one of our QBs now. Or maybe they get crazy and manage a trade for Burrow, who's rumored to want out. I personally hate the rebuilds because it's two years of "Eh" before we realize if we actually have something or not. It's a mess and so much depends on Tua...whether he plays or not.
The 2025 Miami Dolphins averaged 5.9 penalties per game and the Ravens 5.8. Both were in the top 10 least in the league. The discipline narrative is a talking head driven one, and IMO based on Mike's press conferences. Penalties are the best indicator of how disciplined a team plays. You cannot run McDaniel's offense without discipline. Yelling does not equal discipline. The Dolphins quit halfway through last season if they aren't disciplined. Given how little you think of Tua, can you imagine what Mike could do with Jackson? If he can make Tua the top rated passer, what could he do with an O line and a MVP QB? (For the record. I think Tua was good to great and fell apart this year, but I know you don't)
Mike McDaniel’s dance card is filling up this week. Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that McDaniel is set to interview with the Falcons and Ravens this week about their head coaching vacancies. This comes after word on Sunday that he will interview with the Browns and last week’s word that he’ll meet with the Titans. McDaniel spent the last four seasons as the Dolphins’ head coach and was on Kyle Shanahan’s staff with the 49ers before going to Miami. He moved to the 49ers with Shanahan after working on the Falcons’ staff in 2015 and 2016, which was the same time that new Falcons president of football Matt Ryan was the team’s quarterback. McDaniel is also drawing interest from the Lions for their offensive coordinator vacancy and other teams looking for a change at that spot could also throw their hat in the ring for McDaniel’s services. L
Baltimore or Atlanta would be ideal for him...but I'd love to see him earn a few Super Bowl rings as the OC in Detroit with Motor City Dan Campbell! I think they're the next NFL dynasty.
If McD is hired as HC in Baltimore, I will be wholly unsurprised if the Ravens are far better than they were this year and Harbaugh's team (wherever he goes) is worse.
Adam Schefter While the Falcons announced an official interview with former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, he already has been conducting preliminary and extensive phone calls with the Giants, Titans, Browns, Raiders and Cardinals, per sources. He is trying to determine who to meet with later this week and into next week before making a decision. He is fully expected to coach in 2026, per sources.
It's arguably just pre-snap penalties that are significantly discipline-driven, as some post-snap penalties come more from aggressiveness and style of play. The Dolphins had 36 pre-snap penalties in 2025; the Ravens had 39. In 2024, the Ravens had 45 and the Dolphins had 44.
Former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel will have a job somewhere in 2026. The only question is: Will he be an assistant coach or will he get a second chance as a head coach? McDaniel will interview with the Buccaneers for their open offensive coordinator job, Jordan Schultz of The Schultz Report reports. He has also interviewed for head coaching jobs with the Falcons, Ravens, Titans and Browns and an offensive coordinator job with the Lions. The Eagles are expected to have interest in McDaniel for their open offensive coordinator job, per Schultz.
There are now two more known candidates to replace Mike Tomlin as head coach of the Steelers, including one individual who is plenty familiar with the club. According to multiple reports, Pittsburgh has put in a request to interview Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Multiple reports also indicate that the Steelers have requested Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. Flores, 44, spent the 2022 season with Pittsburgh as the club’s senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach before Minnesota hired him to be its defensive coordinator in 2023. By most accounts, Flores made a positive impact and was well-liked in his one season with the Steelers, making it unsurprising that the club would want to interview him after Tomlin’s departure. Flores has also interviewed with the Ravens after the fellow AFC North club fired John Harbaugh last week. Weaver, 45, has served as the Dolphins’ defensive coordinator for the last two seasons. He is also familiar with the division, as Weaver coached for the Ravens from 2021-2023 as defensive line coach and was the Browns’ defensive line coach from 2014-2015. Weaver also played for the Ravens from 2002-2005 before finishing his career as a defensive end with the Texans from 2006-2008.
There's so many names in this coaching carousel. I hope Flores gets another chance and actually a fair chance. He is an excellent defensive coach. I've been thinking about this and I think the next head coach I want is neither an offensive or a defensive guru. A head coach should be able to bring talent together to work in harmony; the rest is secondary. I'd rather have a coach with less NFL talent that knows how to lead a room and select the right guys under him to execute on a common goal. We hired Gase and McDaniel because they were offensive visionaries. We hired Flores for defense. And they all succeeded somewhat in what they were brought in for. That doesn't win football games though, actual leadership does.
