Maddening loss eats at Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins have good reason to be irate about Sunday’s 22-21 loss to the New York Jets.
It was a tough way to lose a game: Having a booth review in the game’s final 47 seconds transform a Nik Needham pass breakup that would have produced a fourth-and-18 play at Miami’s 46-yard line into a first down, helping the Jets set up a game-winning 44-yard field goal as time expired.
But the Dolphins put themselves in that position by not scoring a touchdown in the red zone all game (0-for-6), and not being sharp on offense and defense most of the contest.
Sunday’s loss could serve as a reminder to this young football team on the importance of every snap and every possession.
Here is the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s report card, evaluating how the Dolphins performed in Sunday’s loss to the Jets:
Passing Game: D
Ryan Fitzpatrick made the most of what he had to work with once receivers DeVante Parker and Albert Wilson suffered concussions. He helped Isaiah Ford produce a career game (six receptions for 92 yards), and gained a teamhigh 65 yards scrambling out of pressure a handful of times. However, Fitzpatrick only connected with tight end Mike Gesicki once in five attempts, and his unit squandered six red-zone opportunities when the offense failed to turn those scoring chances into touchdowns. More is expected of the grizzled veteran than that.
Running Game: A While it was quite unconventional, the Dolphins gained 122 rushing yards on 27 attempts against the NFL’s stingiest run defense, which provides evidence Miami can sustain an effective ground game if they remain committed. Patrick Laird heated up late, gaining 48 yards on 15 attempts, and Fitzpatrick’s ability to evade pressure allowed him to average 8.1 yards on eight attempts. Julien Davenport had his best game as the Dolphins’ starting left tackle, and Evan Boehm and Keaton Sutherland’s presence in the starting lineup as the unit’s two guards helped provide a little stability.
Defending the Pass: C
Sam Darnold benefited from a lot of favorable calls, which helped the Jets steal a victory from the clutches of defeat in the game’s closing seconds. Darnold completed 20-of-36 passes for 270 yards and threw two touchdown passes (86.6 passer rating). He was intercepted once by reserve safety Steven Parker and sacked once by rookie edge player Andrew Van Ginkel. The Dolphins need to find a way to create more pressure on opposing quarterbacks if they intend to improve this defense. Darnold had all day to throw passes against Miami on Sunday.
Defending the Run: C
The Jets rushed for 112 yards on 32 attempt despite playing without star tailback Le’Veon Bell, who was sidelined because of an illness. Bilal Powell, who has annually produced respectable performances against Miami, gained 74 yards on 19 attempts. The Dolphins did hold the Jets to 3.5 yards per carry, which is a respectable
average for a team that is allowing 4.7 yards per carry this season. Not having Taco Charlton, who was made inactive by the coaches, might have had a negative impact on the game, considering he’s Miami’s best pass rusher and a decent edge-setter.
Special Teams: B
Jason Sanders set a franchise record with seven field goals against the Jets. The last NFL kicker to make seven field goals in a game was former Jets kicker Jason Myers. But a bad hold from Matt Haack contributed to Sanders missing one of his eight attempts, and that bad play was a factor in Sunday’s loss. It also prevented Sanders from setting an NFL record for field goals in a game. Miami’s kickoffs were also consistently short, allowing Ty Montgomery to gain 90 yards on four kickoffs. Miami’s return game was non-existent.
Coaching: C
The Dolphins had no bite on offense or defense against the Jets. Miami’s longest passing play was for 25 yards. The offense converted 4 of 13 third downs and was 0-for-6 inside the red zone, with four of those possessions ending inside the 10-yard line. If Miami had simply converted on two of those red zone opportunities, Brian Flores’ team would have won Sunday’s game. On defense, none of Miami’s blitz packages worked, and the Dolphins failed to
confuse Darnold for most of game. The Jets offense marched 49 yards down the field on seven plays in the game’s final 1:29 to kick the winning field goal.
Stock up: Ford
Isaiah Ford has been slow cooking on the Dolphins roster for the past three seasons, bouncing back and forth from the practice squad the past two years. But the former Virginia Tech standout is one of the most respected students of the game, and the amount of trust and faith Fitzpatrick showed him during his breakout performance — 92 yards on six receptions — is proof he’s been worth the investment and patience. It will be interesting to see if Ford, a 2017 seventh-round pick, can continue to make plays in the final three games the season.
Stock Down: Deiter
Michael Deiter, the Dolphins’ 2019 third-round pick, was replaced at guard by fellow rookie Keaton Sutherland and didn’t start a game for the first time in his college or professional career. Deiter did play nine snaps on offense, but the demotion had to be a wake up call for the former Wisconsin standout, who has had a decent, but unspectacular rookie season. This demotion sends a clear message to everyone on the roster that playing time, and starting spots will be earned each week in practice and during the week’s preparation. Let’s see how Deiter responds.