As Dolphins owner Stephen Ross continues to decide what to do with his underachieving football team, he currently is considering undershooting the primary target when making changes.
Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports that Ross currently is believed to be more likely to fire defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle than head coach Joe Philbin. Per Salguero, Ross and Philbin are expected to meet and discuss the situation as soon as this afternoon.
Philbin said after Sunday’s 27-14 loss to the Jets that he won’t fire Coyle. If Philbin takes a stand when discussing the situation with Ross, that could be enough, in theory, for Ross to move on from both of them.
As PFT reported Sunday night, Ross is expected to make a decision on Philbin’s status on Monday. One major factor will be the owner’s desire to demonstrate to players that he is willing to make changes aimed at improving the team. Coyle could end up being the half measure implemented now, with Philbin’s departure after the end of what likely will be a fourth season with no playoff berth a mere inevitability.
Firing Philbin now, despite the absence of a clear in-house candidate to take over for the final 12 games, would give the Dolphins a head start on looking for a permanent hire. But the perception that the franchise has cried “uncle” on the season could make it very hard to sell tickets to six remaining games at Sun Life Stadium -- with four of the team’s final five games to be played there.