Have you ever watched two paints try to out dry each other?
If you saw Sunday’s Dolphins v. Patriots game, then you sure have.
Miami’s fast start was a red herring
The Fins started the game by taking a lead for the first time all year after Jason Sanders hit a 54 yard field goal, capping off a drive that was run by what could easily be confused for an NFL offense.
Immediately thereafter, the Miami defense stifled the Patriots’ attempts, allowing -5 yards (not a typo) while forcing a three-and-out.
One could be forgiven for assuming this was a sign of things to come.
Beginning with their second offensive outing, the Dolphins of the current day arrived en masse, bringing with them practically uncountable self inflicted errors.
Let’s try to count anyway:
Gave up a 33 yard touchdown run by Rhamondre Stevenson
Missed a field goal
Had a punt blocked
Delivered a terrible snap over the quarterback’s head
Committed a penalty on a made field goal which then became:
A muffed snap on the next attempt, resulting in another missed field goal
Counting is dumb.
This was an ugly affair. A win is always better than a loss (unless you live and die by draft position), but this game didn’t leave many fans feeling especially optimistic about the remainder of the year.
Was there anything to inspire hope for the future?
Tyler Huntley looked more comfortable already
I think so. At least, a little bit.
While he didn’t light the world on fire statistically (18/31 for 194 yds 0 TD, 1 INT), Tyler Huntley’s second start for the Dolphins was an improvement in executing the offense. And isn’t process improvement what we all get the most jazzed about?
It didn’t hurt that Miami finally leaned on the run game, either. That could be due to a myriad of influences: Raheem Mostert returning, Mike McDaniel changing the game plan to suit the situation for once, or Alec Ingold’s back room deal with the announcers to give him as much air time as possible.
Whatever the root cause, it resulted in a team total 193 yards on the ground and the lone touchdown (a 3 yard rush by demi-god Ingold) of the day for the Fins.
That success took a lot of the pressure off of Huntley down the stretch, which is exactly what you need to do for a guy thrust into a tough situation. Throughout this game, fans saw a little more mobility out of their new QB, some aggressive throws downfield while on the run (and one aggressive throw that resulted in a pick, but it was as much a good defensive play as it was a mistake), and more command of an offense that appeared to fit him better than the previous week’s.
Of course, all of that still ended in 15 points and a squeaker win against a very bad team.
But you know what they say: fool me once, shame on you. Fools would be the only ones to put Skylar Thompson back in over Huntley when Thompson’s healthy again.
That old chestnut.
Injuries still underline the story
Against the backdrop of Huntley’s improvement and the team’s plodding victory is the impact of injuries.
On one hand, Mostert, David Long, and still-coasting-off-that-one-handed-catch-from-like-10-years-ago Odell Beckham Jr. all returned.
On the other broken hand is Jevon Holland, destined to miss some time and possibly a lot of it depending on the need for surgery.
De’Von Achane went down with a concussion and Kendall Fuller missed some plays, as did Tyreek Hill.
Every team battles injuries, but it always feels like the Fins are hit harder than most. It could just be because I pay attention to them, so my perception is heavily skewed toward that upon which I focus.
Or it could be that the world is out to get me specifically and the things I like.
Prove it’s not.
Miami looks like a bottom five team instead of a Pop Warner team
That probably sounds harsh, but it’s actually an improvement.
Last week’s team was so bad (how bad was it?) that I can’t even come up with a funny way to characterize it.
It ruined an entire calendar day for so many people.
This week they looked like the kind of team that, with a few breaks here and there, could compete with a lot of teams, lose a few close ones, win a few nailbiters, and still get blown out by the juggernauts.
You know, like most Dolphins teams I can remember.
But that’s better!
We can work with that. That’s the kind of team who can show marked improvement week to week, take advantage of their opportunities, get some injury luck late in the year, get hot at the right time, and make a little noise (even though they might be playing above their assumed potential).
If Mike McDaniel can take the lessons from the incremental improvement between Weeks 4 and 5, apply them during the fortuitously timed Bye week, see continued growth at the quarterback position, and build game plans that leverage his team’s strengths while exposing the opponents’ weaknesses (like a good coach would), we just might have something to cheer for the rest of the year.
If not:
Miami could still be looking at a long rest of the year
Winning is great. It famously takes care of everything. Except in the NFL, when it really only takes care of that particular week, in most cases.
I’ve said there’s some reason for hope and I believe that. There are clear pieces to work with and even some to build around for the long term.
Whether the Dolphins have the right people to take advantage of that is less clear.
MM’s proverbial hot seat shouldn’t have cooled a great deal from this outing against New England. He still needs to show that he can and will adapt to each unique week. He needs to win games against not terrible teams. He needs to win games that matter.
If he and the rest of his group can’t build some momentum from this game and the subsequent Bye week before clashing with the Colts, we fans will be right back here, melting down like a Dolphins team in a prime time game.
And I’m not sure we can take a 24th year of that.
Do you see cause for cheer? Reason for revilement? Nothing because you cover your eyes any time the Patriots are on TV? Hash it out in the comments below.
