After just one game day, the mood at the Miami Dolphins is already at rock bottom. Before the game against the New England Patriots, the players swore themselves in for the match without their coaches.

The Miami Dolphins are in a tight spot after a disastrous start to the season. Following their bitter 8-33 defeat to the Indianapolis Colts in week one of the NFL, the players held an internal crisis meeting on Tuesday – without the coaching staff. The goal: to get the team back on track and prevent frustration from escalating.

Led by quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who delivered one of his weakest performances in the game (14/23 passes, 114 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, and one fumble), the Dolphins offense managed a meager 211 yards – the lowest point under head coach Mike McDaniel. The defense, on the other hand, allowed the Colts to score on all seven drives.

Dolphins players call their own film study meeting

No wonder the mood is in the basement. Tagovailoa himself announced after the game that he was curious to see who would show up for film study on their day off.

On Wednesday, he expressed his satisfaction: “I got the offense together and we had a meeting about things we wanted to focus on this week. It was cool to see a lot of the guys there – win or lose.”

Linebacker Jordyn Brooks emphasized the need for the meeting: “Losing like that can be discouraging. Outside talk—family, fans, everyone talks. It was about making sure we stick together and don’t lose faith. If you lose faith, you have nothing.”

Now a decisive phase awaits with three division matchups in a row: First up are the New England Patriots, then the Buffalo Bills, and finally the New York Jets in Week 4.