Chiefs 29, Miami 13
Dolphins’ errors put final end to playoff chances
Dolphins are out of the playoff picture.
KANSAS CITY, MO. — The Miami Dolphins began play Sunday at Kansas City with slim playoff hopes. If they beat the Chiefs, and had a few other things happen, they could have entered next week’s regular-season finale against Buffalo with a chance to earn a second consecutive wild- card berth. It never got that far.
The Dolphins lost their Christmas Eve matchup to Kansas City, 29-13, at Arrowhead Stadium. The loss meant Miami (6-9) was mathematically eliminated from the AFC wild-card picture.
“Disappointing,” cornerback Bobby McCain said, summarizing the season. “We expected much more.”
The loss also ensured a losing record for the ninth time in 14 years, and the third time in the last six years.
“It’s tough,” coach Adam Gase said of Miami’s playoff hopes being gone. “It’s what you work for.”
Kansas City (9-6), which started the season 5-0 and then lost six of its next seven, clinched the AFC West title with the victory. Quarterback Alex Smith (25 of 39, 304 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions, 96.5 passer rating) was good, but not great. The same goes for running back Kareem Hunt (29 carries, 91 yards) and tight end Travis Kelce (four receptions, 47 yards, one touchdown). Wide receiver Tyreek Hill (six receptions, 109 yards) was pretty good.
“We got beat by a couple of guys we talked about stopping,” Gase said.
But mostly the Dolphins did it to themselves in this game.
Miami was 0 of 8 on third downs while Kansas City was 8 of 16. The Dolphins had 11 penalties for 75 yards and trailed in time of possession by about 15 minutes — 37:53 to 22:07.
Wide receivers Jarvis Landry and Kenny Stills each had the ball stripped from them and recovered by the Chiefs. Quarterback Jay Cutler (19 of 38, 286 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions, 83.9 passer rating) fumbled for the fifth time in the past two games.
Miami’s pass defense continued its trend of being inconsistent. The Dolphins gave up just one passing touchdown but were flagged four times for defensive holding.
Miami also missed two possible interceptions. The first came in the end zone when Pro Bowl safety Reshad Jones had a pass sail between his hands as he dove for the ball. The Chiefs scored a touchdown on the next play to take a 10-3 lead. The other missed possible interception came when cornerback Torry McTyre had a pass go through his hands.
Such miscues and missed opportunities haunted the Dolphins all season, and they’re the things that eventually cost them a playoff berth. Correct those, players say, and the playoffs are more realistic.
“I don’t think it’s a hard recipe or solution,” Cutler said.
The Dolphins did catch a couple of breaks. Kelce dropped what would have been an amazing one-handed touchdown in the third quarter, and tight end Orson Charles dropped a certain touchdown, too.
Midway through the fourth quarter, with the Dolphins trailing, 26-13, Landry yelled at Gase on the sidelined and Gase yelled back after Cutler threw high and incomplete to wide receiver Jakeem Grant on third-and-24.
“It’s just part of the game,” Gase said. “It just happens. It’s not the first time. You guys just noticed this one.”
That episode was one play after guard Ted Larsen was called for a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty that put Miami back to its 30-yard line.
What followed was a missed 48-yard field goal by kicker Cody Parkey, who had made his previous 12 field goal attempts. There were good things for the Dolphins. Grant (four receptions, career-best 107 yards) had a sweet 65-yard touchdown reception, during which he broke tackles by defensive back Ron Parker and defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches.
But mostly this game was a bitter disappointment, which was the case for this Dolphins season.
“When you make your bed you’ve got to lay in it,” defensive end Cameron Wake said.
“We didn’t do enough. We had high hopes coming in. We had, in my mind, the talent and the situation right in front of us over and over again, this week, last week, so on and so forth. We had the opportunities. There’s nobody to blame but the guys out there making the plays, or not making the plays. … It should burn a little bit.”
“There’s nobody to blame but the guys out there making the plays, or not making the plays. … It should burn a little bit.” Cameron Wake, Dolphins’ defensive end