Miami Gardens – The silence within the Miami Dolphins locker room following the loss to the Buffalo Bills was deafening. The sudden realization that the division slipped out of their arms whereas up three video games with 5 video games left took over the gamers and coaches. It occurred, once more. The identical outdated story. Dolphins are a high degree staff originally of the season and discover a technique to lose in crushing trend on the finish. Solely this time, it’s with one of the best staff the Dolphins have had in a long time. They only can’t appear to shake the choking popularity, and there’s sufficient blame to go round.
You possibly can level to accidents, and the Dolphins have had the worst damage luck this season. That’s true, however for the important thing gamers nonetheless on the sphere, they should do all the pieces they will maximize themselves when it’s inside their management, and so they got here up quick significantly on offense.
The protection did all the pieces they may to comprise arguably one of the best participant within the league proper now in Payments quarterback Josh Allen. That’s no shot at Lamar Jackson. Each are aspect by aspect for MVP, however that’s neither right here nor there.
Though the Payments dominated time of possession (38 minutes – 22 minutes), the injury-riddled Dolphins protection compelled three turnovers. They solely gave up fourteen factors, with one landing being a Trent Sherfield again of the tip zone toe faucet after the ball was batted a mile into the air. The protection stepped up on the Payments remaining possession, stuffing Josh Allen on a fourth-and-inches quarterback sneak giving the ball again to the offense for one final likelihood to tie the sport with ample time left.
Secure to say I cannot be issuing blame to Evil Vic Fangio, and the protection, though to be honest, James Cook dinner dropped an open landing, and Jalen Ramsey acquired toasted by Stefon Diggs, however was overthrown. Outdoors of that, the protection performed their hearts out.
Tyreek Hill’s Achilles Heel
Showtime, was dropped at Miami the day Tyreek Hill landed there. Virtually each sport there’s a big-time play made by him, often coming within the type of a protracted ball going excessive of the protection for a landing. That results in some fan-favorite celebrations, whether or not it’s the peace signal on the best way to the tip zone, the backflip with a selfie, or a conga line. When all the pieces goes proper for the Dolphins, Tyreek Hill turns it into a celebration.
That’s all properly and good, however when the video games get shut and the stress is at its best, Tyreek fails to make large performs. Not simply make large performs however make the performs {that a} celebrity or perhaps a star receiver routinely has to make. There’s no different means round it. He needs to be a man Tua can depend upon when the going will get powerful. Tyreek has not delivered in these spots, and reared its head once more Sunday evening.
Three drops concerned Tyreek, and the magnitude of the sport was elevated every time. The primary “drop” and I put that in quotations as a result of I didn’t view it as a drop, was on a second and fifteen play the place Tua threw the ball behind Tyreek and low. Tyreek went down for it and appeared to have secured it, however in the end was dominated down. He will get a go for that. The throw was not adequate.
The second play was an enormous third-down play with about six minutes left within the fourth quarter. The Payments simply scored to go up 21-14, and all of the stress was on the Dolphins. On that play, Tua had quick stress in his face and acquired an amazing ball out to Tyreek on a crossing route, hitting him within the abdomen. Tyreek drops it and sucks the soul out of the house crowd. Killer drop.
The final play that will get glossed over because of a go interference penalty referred to as towards Tyreek’s defender was the soul crusher. Tua throws an ideal ball on a crossing route, and though Tyreek’s defender grabs his jersey and slows him down a hair, he’s nonetheless in a position to prolong his arms, and the ball hits each his arms and drops. He had the momentum and sufficient room together with his velocity to beat each safeties for a landing.
If he catches that ball and does what everybody expects, it’s a tie sport with a minute left going towards additional time, and Tua has 200+ yards with two touchdowns to at least one interception as an alternative of the stat line he ended up with.
I can’t sit right here and act like they’d’ve stopped Josh Allen from getting a subject aim and even gained in additional time, however we’d be having a unique dialog about Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins as an entire.
Tua Petrified of the Large Second?
If you happen to go on X, you’ll see instantly after the sport all of the Tua haters got here out of the woodwork to say that Tua isn’t the man and is afraid of the massive second. Is that true? The straightforward and proper reply is not any. Under no circumstances.
The obvious proof is his walk-off bomb to DeVonta Smith to win the Nationwide Championship. There aren’t any lights brighter than that aside from the Super Bowl. That’s cake work answering that query, however then the subsequent query turns into, can he get it accomplished towards one of the best competitors within the NFL?
The straightforward reply to that’s sure, and he’s accomplished it a number of instances, together with this yr towards the Chargers when individuals had them as a playoff staff and two weeks in the past towards the Cowboys. I do know the Cowboys drive was solely a subject aim, however that’s what was wanted. They chewed out all of the remaining time and gained the sport.
Let’s convey it ahead to the sport towards the Payments. Up 14-7 popping out of the half, loads of components went into why the Dolphins didn’t rating any extra factors, and little needed to do with Tua. Right here’s how the 5 second-half drives went:
- Berrios couldn’t get 1 yard after the catch on third and three.
- McDaniel punts on 4th and half a yard as an alternative of a QB sneak to maintain the drive going.
- 2 penalties. 2nd and 30 runs for six yards. third, and 24. Not a lot you are able to do.
- 2 runs for 1 yard and Cedric Wilson can’t make a contested catch on third and 9.
- Tyreek Hill’s third down drop would’ve been a primary down.
- Claypool runs a horrible route that leads to an interception. Finish of sport.
When speaking about blame, the one criticism we can provide Tua is that he’s not bodily proficient sufficient to place the staff on his again and run for large first downs by means of contact as Josh Allen does. The passes he threw have been on the cash for probably the most half. Those that have been off did no injury apart from the interception he threw on the primary drive attempting to hit Tyreek deep, nevertheless it was just about a punt decide.
I look again on the throws he made on third downs, and so they have been there. Generally that’s all you are able to do, and hope one in every of your receivers will come alongside for the experience and make performs with you. You might say that Tua stared down a few individuals on important performs just like the Tyreek third-down drop within the fourth quarter or on the Chase Claypool interception, but when the ball was in the best place on the proper time, the ball must be caught, and the best route must run.
I don’t put a lot of this sport on Tua’s shoulders, however he’s a pacesetter and can fall on the sword for his guys.
Spin the Wheel of Blame
The Miami Dolphins misplaced the division title to the Payments, and it feels eerily just like previous years, however on the finish of the day, the Dolphins are an eleven-win staff within the playoffs, and most fanbases would want to be in the identical place.
It’s coming near time to show the web page and concentrate on the Kansas City Chiefs, however earlier than the Dolphins do this, it’s essential work out how the loss occurred and why it occurred. It could possibly be the accidents, Tyreek arising small in large moments, Tua not making one of the best choices, being bodily gifted sufficient to hold the load, or Madden McDaniel and his play calling.
Spin the wheel of blame, and tell us within the feedback whose shoulders this loss ought to fall upon.
