South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Hyde: Dolphins going nowhere
Dolphins have to get better in these 10 areas
There’s very little that Brian Flores’ Miami Dolphins team has done well this season.
Only three teams have been penalized less than the Dolphins (3-10) in 2019. Miami’s red-zone efficiency has been decent (ranked 16th entering this week’s game), the team has a high net and gross punting average, and it boasts a decent kickoff return average as well. But that’s it. Whether this team’s struggles are by design — and they certainly seem so based on the makeup of the roster, which is comprised of a bunch of players off the waiver wire — or not, it is clear that Flores’ first year as head coach in Miami will go down as one of the worst seasons in franchise history.
Ahead of Sunday’s game against the New York Giants (2-11), here’s a look at 10 areas the
rebuilding Dolphins have struggled this season:
Turnover differential
The Dolphins have had the NFL’s worst turnover differential all season. Miami enters Sunday’s game at minus-14 in turnover differential because the defense has only produced 10 takeaways (nine interceptions and one fumble recovery) while the offense has committed 24 (17 picks and seven lost fumbles). The Chargers (minus-10), Buccaneers (minus-10), Bengals (minus-11) and Giants (minus-13) are the only other teams with a doubledigit negative differential.
Points per game allowed
Miami has the worst points differential in the NFL because it is averaging only 17 points per game while giving up 30.7. The Dolphins have been outscored 91-37 in the first quarter this season and 77-32 in the third. So no matter the half, the Dolphins defense is typically giving up yardage (397.7 yards per game) and points.
Third-down efficiency on offense
Successful teams typically have high third-down conversion rates, and a high per game snap count is a byproduct of third-down success. The NFL’s average is 38.8% of third downs being converted. The Dolphins average 34.3%, and only six teams — Jaguars, Bears, Panthers, Broncos, the Jets and Redskins — are worse.
Yards per first down on offense
The Dolphins average the fewest yards per play (4.14) on first downs in the NFL, producing just 1,427 yards on
345 first-down plays.
For comparison sake, the Giants, this week’s opponent, are averaging 5.21 yards per play (ranked 22nd). The
49ers, Titans, Saints, Chiefs, Chargers and Raiders are all averaging more than 6 yards per first down, and the Steelers have the second-lowest yards-per-first-down average (4.39).
Opposing QB passer rating
The Dolphins are one of seven teams allowing opposing quarterbacks to produce a triple-digit passer rating (103.7). Only the Cardinals (113.9) and Raiders (105.9) have allowed a higher cumulative rating, and only the Cardinals have allowed more touchdown passes than Miami. Only four teams have allowed more passes (54) that have gone for 20-plus yards. Only the Cardinals have allowed more passes that result in first downs than the Dolphins (40.1%).
Third-down efficiency on defense
Getting off the field after third downs is critical to a defense’s success, and the Dolphins are allowing the seventh-highest thirddown conversion rate (43.9%). Only the Texans, Raiders, Redskins, Cardinals, Lions and Bengals are allowing opposing offenses to convert at a higher rate.
Defending the run
The Dolphins are on pace to allow 2,257 rushing yards this season, and it would be the fourth time in five seasons they have given up more than 2,000. The Dolphins are allowing 141.1 rushing yards per game and 4.6 yards per attempt.
Miami has been a bottom-three run defense all season, and heading into this Sunday’s game, it is tied for 30th with the Jaguars against the run. The Bengals are the only team that has given up more yards.
Rushing offense
The Dolphins, who average 67.3 rushing yards per game, are on pace to set a franchise low for fewest rushing yards in a 16-game season. Miami, which is averaging a league-low 3.3 yards per carry, will soon be led in rushing by quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who needs 15 yards to surpass team leader Mark Walton.
The fact Miami is on its fourth starting tailback (Patrick Laird) because of injury (Kalen Ballage), a trade (Kenyan Drake) and a release (Walton) hasn’t helped matters, but the offensive line’s struggles account for much of the problem.
Limited pass rushing
The Dolphins have the fewest sacks (17) in the NFL, and considering they average a sack every 25 pass attempts, defensive coordinator Patrick Graham’s unit is on pace to be the league’s worst sack-producing team this season. The Bengals, who come into this weekend’s games with 21 sacks, have the second-fewest.
The Dolphins generated 30 sacks in 2007, the season in which they finished with a 1-15 record. The fewest sacks a Miami defense has produced in football’s modern era is 21 during the 1987 season.
Poor pass protection
The Dolphins, who have used nine different starter combinations on the offensive line this season, have allowed 51 sacks, which leads the NFL. The Panthers trail the Dolphins by one sack with three games to go. Last season, Miami allowed 52, but the franchise record for sacks allowed is 58, which was set in the 2013 season.
It’s quite possible the Dolphins could surpass that total because the offense is allowing a sack every 9.4 pass attempts.