Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
At 6-6, Dolphins struggling to find an offensive identity
MIAMI GARDENS — The math doesn’t add up.
The Miami Dolphins beat the Buffalo Bills 21-17 on Sunday when a desperate pass to Bills tight end Charles Clay was dropped in the end zone with about a minute left in the game, preserving the win.
But it would be irresponsible to ignore the fact that Miami’s offense got out-gained 415 to 175 yards by Buffalo’s, which is statistically worse than Miami’s this season.
“I don’t care,” coach Adam Gase said after the victory that put Miami’s record at 6-6. “It’s fine.”
Josh Allen, the rookie quarterback who is maddeningly elusive — and inaccurate — gained two fewer rushing yards (135 on nine attempts) than Ryan Tannehill, the Dolphins starting quarterback, threw for (completed 16-of-24 passes for 137 yards) in his second game back since returning from a capsule injury in his throwing shoulder.
“We didn’t play very good football today, but we came out with a [win] and so on to the next one,” receiver Kenny Stills said.
The Bills rushed for 198 yards on 31 carries, and only punted the ball four times. Yet, oddly, Buffalo lost this AFC East showdown, which allows the Dolphins to remain in the NFL wild-card conversation.
The Dolphins converted 2-of-9 third downs, continuing their season-long struggles on the game’s most important down (converting only 32.9 percent this year).
And when Miami needed to preserve the lead by killing the clock in the fourth quarter, the Dolphins offense disappointed yet again, delivering a three-andout when a Wildcat run by tailback Kalen Ballage lost 3 yards.
Yet somehow, someway, the final equation of Sunday’s game produced a victory.
“We didn’t turn it over. We left too much out there on offense. We had opportunities,” Gase said of his unit’s struggles. “It’s a good defense, one of the top teams in yardage [allowed].”
And Gase is right. The Bills defense ranks second in the NFL in yards allowed (305 a game), first in passing yards allowed (193.7) per game.
But let us pretend for a minute the Dolphins didn’t get lucky on that Clay drop/Allen misfire. If the touchdown reception had been made, producing a narrow victory for the Bills, what would Dolphins fans be complaining about?
My vote goes to the offense sputtering yet again, like they have all season, which features only four games where Gase’s team has scored 24 or more points.
Say what you want about this Dolphins team (they are resilient), this .500 season (they have been unlucky), the injuries (ravished by them), but there’s one major thing that can’t be ignored.
Miami’s offense has been, and continues to be putrid, a bottomdweller in the league, even with Tannehill’s return. Excuse it however you’d like, but until that changes this team isn’t going anywhere.
The 103.6 passer rating Tannehill produced on Sunday, and the 119.4 rating he delivered last Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts are statistically impressive. But it’s fool’s gold because this offense doesn’t pass the eye test.
The offensive line got bullied by the Bills all game, and has been eroded by injuries as the Dolphins were forced to use their second-team left guard (Ted Larsen) and third-team center (Jake Brendel) Sunday.
Miami’s run game has been fairly consistent all season, but against Buffalo the Dolphins only gained 60 rushing yards on 23 attempts (2.6 per rush).
Receiver DeVante Parker, who has battled through three different injuries this season, provided a proof-of-life performance, catching four passes for 43 yards, and his first touchdown of the season. But shouldn’t Miami be getting more from the team’s 2015 first-round pick?
Miami hasn’t had an offensive identity all year. The sad reality is it’s doubtful they will find one in the final four games of the regular season.
“It’s tough to say exactly what our identity is at this point,” Tannehill said, “but I know we’ve had to change it a couple times throughout the season.”