There was no answer forWilson in the 4th
MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins hung in for as long as they could.
Their top-10 scoring defense kept Sunday’s game close enough to be within striking distance of RussellWilson and the Seattle Seahawks.
Their offense even strung together some lengthy drives, dominating time of possession and keepingWilson (and their defense) off the field for much of the second half.
That was until Wilson got back on the field to seal the game in the fourth quarter.
And all he needed was a matter of minutes.
Wilson led Seattle to two touchdown drives within a two-minute span in the final six minutes of Sunday’s game, handing Miami a 31-23 loss on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium in front of the 12,369 fans allowed in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Dolphins (1-3) now enter a tough, two-game stretch on the road following their third loss of the season. And the noise for Miami to play rookie quarterbackTua Tagovailoa will only crescendo if the team is unable to beat playoffcaliber opponents.
“We need to play better. We need to,” said Dolphins coach Brian Flores, who fell to 6-14 during his tenure. “We’ve been in every game. It’s been close in the fourth quarter. We have to finish better.”
It was close until it wasn’t, as Miami has lost its games by 10, 3 and 8 points this season.
Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders kicked his fifth field goal of the
the NFL’s hottest quarterbacks coming into Sunday’s 31-23 loss to the undefeated Seattle Seahawks (4-0).
Igbinoghene must not have knowWilson set an NFL record by throwing 14 touchdown passes in the first three games of the season before Sunday’s contest because that’s the onlyway to explain why the former Auburn standout kept peaking into Seattle’s backfield and letting Seahawks receivers get behind him on passing plays.
Wilson has spent the past nine seasons scrambling out of pressure, buying time in the pocket to throwdeep and clutch passes to hisweaponry, and during Sunday’s game he exploited Igbinoghene by doing just that.
Igbinoghene, a 20-year-old who has been pressed into action because of Byron Jones’ injuries, peaked into Seattle’s backfield three times, and those mistakes cost the Dolphins 14 points in a close game he helped unravel.
Seahawks receiverDavid Moorewas wide open on a 57-yard bomb that featured him getting behind Igbinoghene on a play whereWilsonwas scrambling to his left.
Theworst part about that play was the fact it came in the final seconds of the second quarter with Miami only trailing, 10-9.
All the Dolphins had to dowas make it to halftime, yet there Igbinoghenewas peaking into Seattle’s backfield.
That’s what cornerbacks trying to deliver turnovers do, but it’s a violation of every possible football rule to take that approach at the end of a half, while you’re supposed to be playing prevent defense.
Moore’s 57-yard reception put Seattle on Miami’s 7-yard line, and formerHurricanes tailback TravisHomer scored on a 3-yard reception, giving Seattle a 17-9 lead at the half.
But that pre-halftime gaff wasn’t Igbinoghene’s only poor play of Sunday’s loss.
He got caught peaking in the backfield again onMoore’s 17-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter, which followed a 30-yard reception Tyler Lockett caught with Igbinoghene in coverage earlier in that possession.
Those two plays provided Seattle a 24-15 lead, whichwould eventually continue to grow courtesy ofD.K. Metcalf catching a hitch and producing 37-yards running after the catch, setting his offense up at the 1-yard line. The Seahawkswould eventually score a touchdown on
Chris Carson’s 1-yard run, but neither of those plays can be blamed on Igbinoghene, who happens to be the youngest player in the NFL.
“He’s a rookie. He’s going to have his ups and downs. Last week [against Jacksonville] he playedwell. Thisweek he didn’t playwell. Twoweeks ago [against Buffalo] he didn’t play [well],” Dolphins coach Brian Flores said addressing Igbinoghene’s rough start to his NFL career. “He’s going to have some ups and downs. He’s a resilient kid. He’s a talented kid. He’s got to learn from this. We’ll help him. We’ll coach him, and I think he’ll get better.”
The Dolphins have been enduring Igbinoghene’s inconsistent play during the first month of the season, hoping that the growing painswould speed up his development and help him become the cornerback his skillset and athletic pedigree as the son of two former Olympians indicates he could be.
But his production has been uneven, and if Jones doesn’t come back from his his Achilles and groin injuries in time to play in next Sunday’s road game against the San Francisco 49ers the Dolphins need to consider replacing Igbinoghene withNik Needham because the rookie’s continued struggles might rattle his confidence.
We’ve seen early struggles rattle Dolphins players before, altering the player’s style and mentality. Jason Allen, another former Dolphins’ first-round pick, is a perfect example of this.
Flores hopes these lessons harden Igbinoghene, who is respected for the toughness and worth ethic he showed during his collegiate career as a receiver and cornerback with the Tigers.
Problem is, he’s not in college anymore, and the foolishness college teams once glossed over, the stuff elite athletes got away with, can be exploited by NFL quarterbacks likeWilson.
Nowthat Igbinoghene’s putting bad film on tape, and is developing a reputation as a cornerback who sneaks looks at the quarterback instead of keeping his eyes locked in on the defender so don’t be surprised if opposing offensive coordinators design plays to exploit that tendency.
These types of trials and tribulations will either make or break an NFL player, so it will be interesting to see what comes from Igbinoghene’s tough day on Sunday.
“I’m making a lot of mistakes in football, and life aswell,” Igbinoghene said. “Mistakes happen to everybody. I just have to keepworking. I’ll fix it.”