Mike McDaniel didn’t hesitate to label the Dolphins‘ 33-8 defeat to the Colts as “embarrassing.” But it still had a positive for him. “I don’t see how it could be worse.” Well, Pro Football Talk‘s Mike Florio doesn’t seem to agree.

“Well, it can get worse,” said Mike Florio on The Rich Eisen Show. “Joe Philbin was fired by the Dolphins four weeks into the 2015 season with a record of 1 and three. So, it can get worse if the losses continue. I suspect that Stephen Ross, the owner of the team, will consider making some sort of an inseason change.” Much of McDaniel’s fate, according to the insider, could rest on the Patriots game.

“This is one that the doctor ordered for the Dolphins. And if they can’t win this one, it’s going to be a long season for the team, and it could be a short season for the head coach,” he continued. Fortunately, one thing will be in the Dolphins’ favor when they take on the Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium. And that’s history. Per Statmuse, the Dolphins hold a 12-8 record against the Patriots in the last 10 years. After that, they have the Bills, and it’s going to be an even tougher ask considering the momentum Josh Allen and co. have after that Ravens game. And if things get to 0-3, then house cleaning is more than likely. But exactly how worried is McDaniel himself?

“I don’t see this job void of pressure. I don’t see entitlement in this job. I think the most important thing is that I worry about doing my job. So I think that’s what the team will get from me for sure,” McDaniel said after the Week 1 loss. But it’s not just this season. The pressure has been mounting since last year.

When the Dolphins ended last season with an 8-9 record and without a playoff berth, both Coach McDaniel and GM Chris Grier were under scrutiny. While neither was fired, the season ended with a clear warning from owner Stephen Ross, who is clearly running out of patience. “…continuity in leadership is not to be confused with an acceptable that status quo is good enough,” Ross had declared. Moreover, Florio also pointed out how the team repeated mistakes in Week 1, which usually occur in the later part of the season.

It is not surprising then that the team is pulling out all the stops to make changes before Week 2. While the coach stressed improvements, the players are also pulling their socks up.

The Dolphins held a rare meeting for Week 2

As per ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques, the Dolphins held a rare players-only meeting two days after the crushing defeat. This was an effort to avoid the mistakes from last season. For Linebacker Jordyn Brooks, the meeting was important to lift the spirits in the locker room.

“[The meeting was] just kind of making sure that everybody’s together. When you lose like that, it’s easy for people to get discouraged, start looking, questioning maybe yourself or others. So, making sure that we all locked back in, making sure that the belief is still there,” he said.

It was bound to happen, and after the events of Week 1, it became unavoidable. The Dolphins’ defense had no answers for the Colts, giving up points on all seven of their drives. Meanwhile, the Miami team was limited to just 211 total yards. Moreover, it was Tagovailoa’s worst performance, where he completed 14 of 23 passes for 114 yards and a single touchdown. This was the lowest under McDaniel in a game started by Tagovailoa. After the game, Coach McDaniel was quick to share a few strong words for his quarterback.

He called out the QB for his less-than-desirable performance. The team must step up in the game against the Patriots. In the coming weeks, the team will face more formidable opponents and must brace themselves for the challenges ahead.