Abysmal effort on the final exam

Ever watch a phenomenal movie with a bad ending, or read a good book that fizzled at its conclusion?

Well, that empty feeling — a desire for better a ending — fits how the Miami Dolphins and their fan base feel after Sunday’s embarrassing 56-26 loss to the Buffalo Bills. As a result of the loss, the Dolphins failed to make the playoffs.

The Dolphins didn’t give the reigning AFC East champions much of a fight, both before and after the Bills pulled their starters, which is quite disappointing. It’s and a indicator of how much work still needs to be done to improve Miami’s roster.

Here is the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s report card, evaluating how the Dolphins performed during Sunday’s loss:

Passing game: D

Tua Tagovailoa threw for a career-high 361 yards against the Bills, but that is because of the 83 offensive snaps produced from Buffalo’s massive lead, and how quickly they scored. But Tagovailoa also threw three interceptions, which brought his season total to five. DeVante Parker delivered his third 100-yard performance of the season in his return from the hamstring injury that sidelined him for two weeks. But the Dolphins got very little from all the other receivers on the field, which clarifies that finding better talent at receiver is a priority this offseason.

Running game: D

The deficit Miami had most of the game turned Sunday’s contest in to a passing fest, which means the run game was sparingly used. The Dolphins gained 70 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns on 20 carries. That adds up to 3.5 yards per carry, which falls short of the team’s 3.9 yards per carry average — which ranks the Dolphins 29th in the NFL when it comes to yards gained per attempt. Myles Gaskin averaged 2.9 yards per attempt against the Bills, which indicates that expecting Gaskin to serve as this team’s workhorse moving forward is risky. The Dolphins need to be able to run with power when needed, and they couldn’t most of the season.

Defending the pass: D

Josh Allen and Matt Barkley took turns carving up the Dolphins defense. The pair of Bills quarterbacks had all day to throw the football because Miami’s pass rush was absent. They collectively finished the game with 388 passing yards and four touchdowns thrown. Nik Needham, the Dolphins’ starting nickel cornerback, allowed three of those touchdown receptions against Buffalo. Xavien Howard and Byron Jones each pulled down an interception, which serves as proof they are one of the NFL’s best cornerback duos.

Defending the run: D

Antonio Williams got called up from the practice squad last week and rushed for 63 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries against the Dolphins in his mop-up role. None of Buffalo’s other tailbacks handled more than three carries, and the bulk of the Bills’ 25 attempts came when they were trying to kill the game clock, which explains why Buffalo finished the contest with a 3.1 yards per carry average. Although Sunday’s game was the sixth time Miami held an opponent to fewer than 100 rushing yards, the Dolphins’ defensive front fell short of impressing.

Special teams: F

Miami’s special teams had been one of the Dolphins’ most reliable units all season, but the third phase of the game struggled for the third game of the season. Miami allowed Isaiah McKenzie, a former American Heritage Plantation High standout, to score an 84-yard touchdown on a punt return, which he ran right up the alley after slipping past the Dolphins’ first gunner. Malcolm Perry, who replaced the injured Jakeem Grant as Miami’s return specialist, also fumbled a punt that he luckily corralled before gaining 12 yards on his one return.

Coaching: D

The defensive game plan was sound early, but Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll’s adjustments attacked the chinks in Miami’s armor. The Bills have too many weapons, which meant the Dolphins’ defense was spread too thin. Miami’s struggling running game kept the offense off balance yet again, and that added to the pressure that Tagovailoa was unable to handle. Some of Chan Gailey’s play-calling was sound, but the team’s shortage of playmakers on offense continues to be an issue. Miami’s struggles on third downs — 3-of-14 — continues to be the anchor holding the offense back, and execution was the main issue.

Stock Up

Parker returned from his hamstring injury and caught seven of the 14 passes thrown his way. He turned those receptions into 116 yards, showing he can be a force when healthy, and if he develops better chemistry with Tagovailoa. It will be interesting to see what the Dolphins do with the receiver unit this offseason. Do they see Parker, whose $8,350,000 salary becomes guaranteed on March 18 if he’s still on the roster, as a building block? Or will they try to upgrade the entire receiver unit? Parker has proven he’s an NFL starter talent wise, but he is banged up far too often, and that problem will only get worse as the 27-year-old ages.

Stock down

Nik Needham had a impressive second season, contributing 58 tackles, two interceptions, one sack and one forced fumble. He made a successful transition to nickel cornerback after serving as a boundary cornerback his entire rookie season. But Needham got carved up by Buffalo’s backups on Sunday. He allowed three touchdowns, and showed that he is speed deficient, and can be exploited on the inside if he’s asked to slot receiver with 4.3 speed.