Pass game shows new vulnerability
Rookie starting Tua Tagovailoa was benched for veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick after his sixth sack early in the fourth quarter, and Fitzpatrick’s comeback attempt ended with an interception in the end zone as the Miami Dolphins endured a 20-13 loss to the Denver Broncos inside Empower Field at Mile High.
The Dolphins fell to 6-4 and ninth in the AFC playoff picture following the defeat.
Here are the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s grades and stock report after the Broncos loss:
Passing game: C
Tagovailoa was unable tomove the football much during the Dolphins loss in Denver, often holding onto the football too long and succumbing to pressure fromthe Broncos’ defense. Tagovailoa depended on leading receiver DeVante Parker as an outlet, but hewas unable to connect with others, such as Mike Gesicki, Jakeem Grant or Malcolm Perry, as 16-year veteran Fitzpatrick did during the Dolphins’ fourth-quarter comeback attempt. Tagovailoa, who failed to connect on a pass longer than 13 yards, needs more time behind his developing offensive line to throw, and Miami needs more fromits receivers to create separation and get open quicker, so the young quarterback can have success.
Running game: F
Oneweek after rushing for a career high 85 yards and a touchdown, Dolphins rookie running back Salvon Ahmed had just 43 yards rushing at 3.6 yards per carry. The Dolphins rushed for only 56 yards all day, failing to provide a balanced attack offensively to alleviate pressure on Tagovailoa. Sunday was another reminder of how disappointing the unit has been during coach Brian Flores’ two seasons. Offseason acquisitions Jordan Howard (now with the Eagles) and Matt Breida (who had two carries, 4 yards Sunday) have not panned out. Secondyear back Myles Gaskin, Miami’s leading rusher, could return from injured reserve in the nextweek or two. But this is another position Miami must address in the 2021 draft.
Defending the pass: D
Broncos quarterback Drew Lock drew started 0 of 6with an interception, but finished the game 18 of 30 for 270 yards against the Dolphins defense, including a huge 61-yard pass to Tim Patrick on the final play of the game to pad the stats and secure the win. Lock was initially confused by the Dolphins’ third-down defense but appeared to have nothing but time to throw during the game. Miami’s pass rush was virtually non-existent, and defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah’s streak of six games with a sack came to an end. The Dolphins did get an interception from Xavien Howard, who is again tied for the league lead with six this season.
Defending the run: D
The Dolphins’ bend but-don’t-break defense could not stop the run, and the Broncos kept pounding the football. Melvin Gordon finished with 84
yards rushing, including two runs ofmore than 20 yards, which included one of his two touchdown runs in the game. Phillip Lindsey also rushed for 82 yards, with two runs of 20 yards. Dolphins outside linebacker AndrewVan Ginkel forced a Gordon fumble at the 1-yard line late in the fourth quarter for the defensive play of the game. But the Dolphins’ run gamewas exposed again like itwas inWeeks 1-2, and teams nowhave a clear plan of attack for facing Miami the rest of the season.
Special teams: C
Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders helped keep Miami in the game with field goal kicks of 41 and 53yards in Denver. But the Dolphins were unable to
get anymore contributions fromtheir third phase, as they did in previous weeks. The Broncos punted only three times in the game, so not enough opportunity to dial up a punt block or make a big return. Dolphins punter Matt Haack had just one of his six punts fall inside the 20, failing to affect the Broncos’ starting position.
Coaching: C
Brian Flores made the move to bench Tagovailoa for Fitzpatrick early in the fourth quarter with hopes of salvaging the game, and his decision almost paid off. Every win is critical for the Dolphins’ path to the AFC East and playoff push, and Flores showed his players he isn’t afraid to bench Tagovailoa if Fitzpatrick can provide a spark. Flores would also make such amove if Fitz patrick was floundering in a game, showing he cares about wins more than feelings or starting jobs. One poor decision by Flores on Sunday was a failure to challenge a fumble forced by safety Eric Rowe that could have given the Dolphins a turnover early in the third quarter. Flores also lauded Broncos coach Vic Fangio’s team for having better adjustments during the game, an area he admitted needed work during the game.
Stockup
Fitzpatrick had several questions running through his head when hewas first demoted for Tagovailoa weeks ago. Among them: Was that my last game as an NFL player in terms of being the starter and going out there and playing? Well, Fitzpatrick may not be in line to start again in the interim. The Dolphins play the Jets and Bengals in the next twoweeks, prime games for Tagovailoa to use to develop. But at least Fitzpatrick knows he’ll be called upon if the Dolphins need a spark downthe stretch. That’s a positive.
Stock down
Tagovailoa led the Dolphins offense to just 50 yards passing, 50 yards rushing andwas sacked six times before being pulled for Fitzpatrick in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss. Tagovailoa admits he was holding onto the football longer than he should have, but itwas also a result of his receivers being blanketed while his offensive line tried to keep him upright as much as they could. Tagovailoa said after the game that he embraced the learning experience. He’ll have a few more of them, too, before his rookie season is over.