What would you call
that offensive strategy employed by the Dolphins in their 20-6 loss to the Jets this weekend? Coach Adam Gase says it was “garbage.”
DAVIE — There was nothing to sugarcoat in the aftermath of one of the Miami Dolphins’ most thorough and puzzling losses in recent memory. There will be repercussions. Coach Adam Gase said Monday that he is contemplating a shakeup, including the possibility of personnel changes, after watching tape of the 20-6 shellacking administered by the New York Jets.
“I’m upset about the way our offense played,” Gase said.
“I’m just tired of watching it for two years. Just garbage, so … we’re going to figure something out.
“We’ll probably make some changes. So, figure out what we’ve got to do, get that thing rolling.
“I’ve been watching it for two years. It hasn’t worked.”
Gase gave no indication of which players might be affected.
The offensive line will certainly receive scrutiny after the running game averaged 2 yards on 15 carries. The line factored
into quarterback Jay Cutler getting hit seven times, including three sacks.
But there were plenty of places to point a finger after Sunday’s debacle in the Meadowlands.
“A lot of bad football. More mental errors than we’ve had the last two years,” Gase said.
“I’ll find the guys that want to do it right, and those are the guys that will play.”
As for the play of Cutler, who had a quarterback rating of 70.3, Gase said, “Not as well as I’d like him to. He took a couple vicious shots early. At 34, it’s a little different than when you’re 25.”
Meanwhile, the mood in the locker room was subdued and contemplative.
There were no excuses nor much in the way of explanation.
Were the Dolphins a weary team due to the Hurricane Irma experience that led to their opener being postponed and having to open with two games on the road?
“You can’t really put too much onto that,” guard Jermon Bushrod said. “We have to fight and we have to find a way to get W’s. We can play 16 games on the road and nobody cares. You win or lose, that’s all everybody cares about.”
The highlight of the Dolphins’ day was the opening possession when Cameron Wake sacked Josh McCown and they forced a three-and-out.
Unlike the offense, which was inept from start to finish, the Miami defense held its own until yielding a 69-yard touchdown pass in the final two minutes of the half.
The lopsided time of possession (the Jets controlled the ball for 36 minutes to 24 for Miami) wore down the unit in the second half.
“I heard this week, death by 1,000 papercuts,” said linebacker Mike Hull, whose fumble recovery was the only turnover achieved by the Dolphins. “Like just a bunch of little things here and there that we could have been a little bit better at, but ultimately we didn’t get the job done so we’ve got to just keep finding solutions and moving forward.”
Reshad Jones tied Kiko Alonso for the Dolphins’ lead in tackles with eight, seven of them solo, and had a team-high two tackles for loss.
He also had some misses and hasn’t been the same stop-’em-dead tackler since returning from a shoulder injury that ended his 2016 season early.
“I think I’m playing solid, but I’ve got to do more,” Jones said. “It’s about winning around here, and I’ve just got to do more.”
There’s little time for analyzing Sunday’s shortcomings with the Dolphins traveling to London to face the New Orleans Saints this Sunday.
Asked if this was a game best forgotten about quickly, Bushrod said, “No, you’ve got to learn from that. Those ones sting.”
With Jordan Phillips inactive Sunday after missing the week of practice due to a left ankle injury, rookie Davon Godchaux made his first start at defensive tackle.
Godchaux, the fifthround draft pick out of LSU, had impressed during training camp and pressed Phillips for the starting job. He had a hand in one tackle while playing 35 snaps against the Jets.
“It’s always a great feeling when you get a chance to start,” said Godchaux, who didn’t find out he was starting until Phillips was declared inactive before the game.
“I played OK; didn’t play good enough. We lost the game.”