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Troy Aikman Blasted Dolphins for ‘Bizarre’ Decisions in Fourth Quarter vs. Steelers

Andy Nesbitt

Mike McDaniel and the Dolphins are now 6-8 after losing to the Steelers.
Mike McDaniel and the Dolphins are now 6-8 after losing to the Steelers. / @ESPN
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The Dolphins went into chilly Pittsburgh on Monday and didn't put up much of a fight, losing 28-15 to the Steelers. That final score doesn't tell the whole story, though, as Miami trailed by 25 points heading into the fourth quarter and never were a threat to Aaron Rodgers and Co., who remain on top of the AFC North with the win.

The Dolphins, who have dropped 14 straight games when the temperature is below 40 degrees, had Troy Aikman baffled by their strategy in the final quarter. The offense took its time on a nine-play, 86-yard drive that ended with a touchdown with 2:32 left in the game. They then got the ball back again in the last minute and finally tried to hurry things up even though the game was out of reach at that point.

"I'm flabbergasted by what we've witnessed here in this fourth quarter with the Dolphins," Aikman said after Miami called timeout in 2:14 left in the game. "And now they want to call timeouts. It just is about as ridiculous a fourth quarter as I've seen in a long time."

Then in the final minute of the game, Aikman went in even harder on the Dolphins after they were called for a delay of game penalty.

"This is just a bizarre last few series. They don't go hurry-up. Now they're going hurry-up and calling timeouts. It's just, it's hard to understand exactly what the philosophy or what they're trying to do."

Here are those moments from the ESPN broadcast:

Dolphins fans agreed with Aikman's frustrations with the decision making, with many calling for McDaniel to lose his job.

It's been another rough season for McDaniel and the Dolphins. They started out the year 1-6 and many thought the head coach would be fired. But he was able to hold onto his job and led Miami to four straight wins before Monday night's loss to the Steelers.

It's clear Miami has some big issues to fix if it wants to be a playoff team next season. Will McDaniel be around to see those through? We'll have to wait and see.

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Andy Nesbitt
ANDY NESBITT

Andy Nesbitt is the assistant managing editor of audience engagement at Sports Illustrated. He works closely with the Breaking and Trending News team to shape SI’s daily coverage across all sports. A 20-year veteran of the sports media business, he has worked for Fox Sports, For the Win, The Boston Globe and NBC Sports, having joined SI in February 2023. Nesbitt is a golf fanatic who desperately wants to see the Super Bowl played on a Saturday night.

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