Before Sunday’s Jets-Dolphins game in London, reports emerged that both coach Joe Philbin and defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle are in danger of losing their jobs. It’s possible that the team leaked that information to see how the team would respond to the news.
If so, they didn’t respond well.
The score doesn’t scream “embarrassment,” but closer inspection revealed the kind of ugliness the Dolphins were surely hoping to avoid against the Jets, especially with the players knowing that the failure to show up could get Philbin shown the door.
It was 20-7 at halftime, and 27-7 early in the second half. After that, it felt like both teams were going through the motions.
The best argument to keep Philbin is that there’s really no one else who is suited to take over. Coyle is under siege, and offensive coordinator Bill Lazor isn’t far behind. Bringing in a guy like Mike Shanahan or bringing back a guy like Mike Sherman is intriguing, but not practical.
Either way, something needs to happen to get the Dolphins back on track. With one win in four games and four of the final five games of the season at home, the Dolphins could be playing only against friends and family members in December. If their friends and family members will even be willing to show their faces at the games by then.