Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Dolphins’ playoff hopes dashed
Miami offense is dreary in 17-7 home loss to Jacksonville.
MIAMI GARDENS — Miami Dolphins coach Adam Gase was infuriated.
Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill was dejected and upset.
The Miami Dolphins suffered a demoralizing home loss that eliminated them from playoff contention, and may have altered the direction of their franchise moving forward after a 17-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
“It was brutal to watch, to be a part of,” said Gase, who fell to 23-24 in his three seasons as Dolphins head coach with one final game remaining this year.
Here’s what you mercifully missed, or may have unfortunately witnessed, during the Dolphins’ final home game of the season:
Two of the NFL’s most inept offenses scoring on their first drives of the game. Then, nothing else — especially from the Dolphins — until the fourth quarter.
Dolphins mascot, TD, in the holiday spirit wearing a Santa Claus outfit, looking depressed in the back of the end zone after a missed Miami field goal.
The Jaguars, after forcing a turnover and starting an offensive drive in the red zone, going backwards and ending said drive at their own 46-yard line.
Several serenades of boos from Dolphins fans, among an announced crowd of 65,798 people in Hard Rock Stadium.
A go-ahead scoring drive in the fourth quarter, orchestrated by former Jaguars starting quarterback Blake Bortles, who was benched midway during the sea-
son.
And a pick-six thrown by Tannehill after the Jaguars scored that could alter the franchise.
The Dolphins (7-8) will finish their season in Buffalo against the Bills (5-10) next week. But the future of the franchise likely hangs in the balance once the season comes to an end.
Gase and defensive coordinator Matt Burke may have coached their final home game Sunday.
Tannehill and defensive end Cameron Wake may have played their final home game.
Vice president of football operations Mike Tannebaum and general manager Chris Grier could be out or have different roles with the Dolphins next year.
Tannehill, with Jaguars defensive end Calais Campbell wrapped around his ankles, threw an interception to linebacker Telvin Smith, who scored a 33-yard touchdown with 9:34 remaining to seal Miami’s fate.
That was the result of the Dolphins drive that tried to answer after Bortles led Jacksonville (5-10) down the field, where Kai Forbath kicked a 26-yard field goal to take a 10-7 lead with 10:56 remaining.
“My feet got grabbed. I should have just thrown the ball away
over the back’s head,” said Tannehill, who completed 15-of-22 passes for 146 yards, a touchdown, and the interception for an 82.8 passer rating.
Both teams scored on their first drives of the game in the first quarter. It was the fourth time the Dolphins scored on their first drive in the past five games. It was
the second offensive touchdown in four games for the Jaguars.
But incompetent offenses and 10 penalties for each team was the story of this game between the opening drives and the end.
The Dolphins ran plays for running backs Kenyan Drake, Kalen Ballage and Brandon Bolden, ending with a 4-yard touchdown pass
from Tannehill to Bolden to begin the game. The Jaguars answered with running back Leonard Fournette scoring on a 1-yard run.
“Of course nobody wants to lose a game like this,” Dolphins left tackle Laremy Tunsil said. “It was a tough game. On the opposite [side of the] ball, the defense is playing like that and the offense is playing like the way we did on offense. It’s kinda disappointing.”
Both teams had a chance to take a 10-7 lead into halftime, but to no avail.
Jason Sanders missed a 47-yard field goal, his second miss of the season, after Jaguars quarterback Cody Kessler tried to throw a pass that ultimately slipped out of his hands and was recovered by Dolphins defensive end Andre Branch.
The Dolphins punted after their worst offensive drive of the game in the final seconds before halftime, and Jaguars receiver Dede Westbrook returned it into field goal range. But Forbath missed a 56-yard kick with four seconds remaining.
The Dolphins had a chance to extend their season with a win and losses by the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts (they both won).
They could have extended the life of their current regime under Gase, Tannebaum and Grier, and finished 7-1 at Hard Rock Stadium for the first time since 2002 with a win over the Jaguars.
Instead, Dolphins owner Steve Ross has an early start on trying to figure out the franchise’s future before the season finale against the Bills next week.
“We play this game for each other. We play this game for the city. And it’s disappointing we fell short,” Drake said.