FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED:
Beat writer Omar Kelly’s and Steve Svekis’ five takeaways from Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs.
DOLPHINS’ DEFENSE DOESN’T DELIVER AGAINST CHIEFS’ PLAYMAKERS
Defensive coordinator Matt Burke stressed last week that the Miami’s top players needed to play well to contain an efficient offense that possessed a playmaker at tailback, receiver and tight end. That wasn’t the case on Sunday considering tight end Travis Kelce (four receptions, 47 yards, TD) seemed unstoppable. Tailback Kareem Hunt was effective (105 total yards), and receiver Tyreek Hill chewed up Miami’s secondary for 109 yards on six receptions.
SHOULD MIAMI DRAFT A QB EARLY?
Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith might not have been named to the AFC Pro Bowl team, but he’s having the best season of his NFL career following Kansas City drafting Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes in the first round this year. The move lit a fire under the 13-year veteran, helping Smith extract the most out of his ability. The Dolphins should consider taking the same approach with Ryan Tannehill.
PHILLIPS PLAYING HIS BEST FOOTBALL
Talent has never been Jordan Phillips’ problem. It’s been consistency, heart and desire. Phillips has been relatively inconsistent most of his NFL career, but this month he’s showing flashes of the ability that enticed Miami to select him in the second round of the 2015 draft. Phillips, who has been nursing an ankle injury all season, made a handful of impact plays against the Chiefs.
TIGHT ENDS NEED TO BE CONTAINED
When the season autopsy is done, obviously the loss of Ryan Tannehill in preseason will by atop the mountain of despair. Right beneath that, though, has to be the destruction done by opposing tight ends. In 10 of the 15 games so far, the opposing tight ends have either piled up at least 100 yards receiving or scored a touchdown (two 100-plus-yard games, nine TDs allowed).
2 POTENTIAL BIG PLAYS THAT WEREN’T
In the second half, the Chiefs were near midfield when Kansas City quarterback Alex Smith let a pass fly to the left side. Young Dolphins cornerback Torry McTyer broke on the ball, only to see it sail between his arms. Then, in the opening minute of the fourth quarter with Miami down, 23-13, Chiefs running back Charcandrick West got one of the few long runs of the day, sprinting down the sideline toward paydirt. West extended the ball to try getting the touchdown but fumbled it before breaking the plane of the goal. The ball then bounded through the end zone and out of bounds for an apparent Dolphins touchback. However, in his preparation to extend the ball, West incredibly — but clearly — stepped out of bounds at the 3.