Monday night’s game against the Tennessee Titans showed that the Dolphins’ real problem isn’t that they don’t have a quarterback, but rather their poor offensive execution and in particular the plays that are called.
This points primarily to offensive coordinator Frank Smith, but also to other coordinators and all the way to coach Mike McDaniel.
Although the 31-12 loss to the Titans was just one game, it meant that the Miami team went from being able to achieve a 2-2 record and get into the fight to a 1-3 record that practically eliminated them from the playoffs.
Also Read: LeBron is happy to train with Bronny. Great anticipation to see the first father and son duo play together in the NBA
Tennessee came in with a 0-3 record and was the ideal team to bounce back, but it ended up being their executioner and there are no excuses.
The wound is very deep and the fans made it known by booing their own team and leaving in silence before the time was up, embarrassed by the scene they were witnessing.
Now, it’s no use saying that the locker room is united and that they’re going to review the video to see what happened. The Dolphins fans don’t care about that. If a coach or coordinator doesn’t know what happened, the job is too big for him.
“I have to look at the tape. There was a terrible disconnect between preparation and execution,” McDaniel said.
“The bottom line is that it doesn’t matter what we’re doing behind the scenes. On the field, the results don’t translate and we have to go back to the drawing board and evaluate very critically.”
In the first half, Miami managed just 35 yards passing and 60 yards rushing, and the score was 9-3 in favor of the Titans.
In the end, they got 78 through the air and 106 on the ground for a total of 184, a real disaster, having two of the best wide receivers in the NFL.
Both had just four receptions, with Hill having 23 yards and Waddle 36. But the Dolphins kept trying, despite not having their best running back Raheem Monster, and kept trying, but they weren’t achieving any success. Miami attempted 30 carries against just 22 passes.
The Dolphins had gone nine straight quarters without scoring a touchdown and on Monday, with the game already decided, they scored one in the 10th quarter and that’s not the way it goes.
If there wasn’t confidence in quarterback Tyler Huntley, who did nothing, they wouldn’t have put him in.
Tim Boyle would have done better or even Ryan Tannehill if they had brought him in.
However, McDaniel incredibly backed up Huntley’s work as he completed 14 of his 22 passes, with 96 yards and no touchdowns.
“I thought Huntley did some excellent things, such as a couple of surgeries and a shot for Tyreek. Overall he did a great job,” said McDaniel.
“I don’t think his teammates around him at times were doing what we needed them to do. I think he worked hard and was a competitor at all times.”
Miami hopes Skylar Thompson will be fit for Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots, who are vying for last place in their division.
For now, they’re praying that Tua Tagovailoa clears the concussion protocol as soon as possible and is cleared to play, but if the team doesn’t win the next two games, it’s best not to even try.
McDaniel did not want to sound the alarm and now the situation is serious. Everything seems to be coming late and badly and his speech is not getting through. If anything can revive him it is to start being more aggressive in the attack.
It is not worth blaming the execution by the players. If the play was not polished it should not have been called, another should have been found and not deceive the respectable.
If this was at home against the Titans, what would happen when the Dolphins face the Bills, the 49ers, and even the Jets?
