Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa mentioned after Sunday’s 34-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders that he was “excited to kill narratives,” however all of the Dolphins did was reinforce them.
Whether or not it was missed tackles, lack of ability to cease the run or run the ball, not producing stress, undisciplined penalties, or giving up fast sacks, we will mark all of them down beneath “narrative unchanged.”
There have been a number of vibrant spots on this sport, totally on offense, nevertheless it wasn’t sufficient to beat the well-coached Inexperienced Bay Packers, shedding 30-17 yesterday on Thanksgiving. Followers have a lot to be glad about, however the Dolphins beating good groups on the highway within the chilly isn’t considered one of them.
Talking of these vibrant spots, Tagovailoa did play at a reasonably excessive stage outdoors of some throws. He went 37-46, 365 yards, and two touchdowns, although he was taking part in from behind all sport. Some would argue that it must be filed beneath rubbish time stats, however when the protection is aware of you must throw to get again within the sport, it doesn’t make it simpler to take action.
Outdoors of the choose few balls that Tagovailoa sailed, essentially the most vital being the fourth down earlier than the half to De’Von Achane, he was dialed in that complete sport. In my view, he did break his “can’t pay within the chilly” narrative and wanted the remainder of the group, most notably the protection, to come back together with him.
Tackling Gasoline
In the event you’ve ever seen “The Waterboy,” the primary character, Bobby Boucher, turns ‘Waterboy’ to center linebacker for the SCLSU Mud Canines and leads them to the Nationwide Championship. The key to his insanity was visualizing somebody he hated when making an attempt to make a deal with, and it’s one thing that must be taught to the Dolphins protection as a result of they couldn’t deal with a tackling dummy if it had a Packers jersey on.
The protection appeared chilly and didn’t need to hit. The Dolphins missed 20 whole tackles, and 10 of them have been in opposition to Packers operating again Josh Jacobs. Jacobs was bouncing off individuals and operating by means of arm tackles all evening. He could not have proven it on the stat sheet with dashing yards, however he fell ahead on each rush try and couldn’t be stopped on the 4 catches he had.
Altogether, Jacobs had 117 scrimmage yards and made the Dolphins protection look gentle at any time when he had the ball. After the sport, Jacobs added, “them guys (Miami) appeared like they was chilly, so we was able to get to it.”
Though missed tackles have been the plague of the protection, the trenches acquired pushed round all sport, producing lower than a handful of QB pressures, and completed with no sacks. Jordan Love’s jersey stayed clear all evening, and so they don’t even want to scrub it for his or her subsequent residence sport.
When you possibly can’t get any stress on the quarterback, somebody will at all times find yourself open, and when the Dolphins weren’t lacking tackles they have been getting picked aside on the again finish.
The stark distinction between Jordan Love having all day to throw, and Tua Tagovailoa maneuvering within the pocket and operating for his life all evening reveals you all you have to know relating to the trenches. Nothing else must be mentioned.
Coaches Don’t Win Video games, However They Can Lose Them
I received’t go too arduous into the choice Mike McDaniel made to go for it proper earlier than the half as an alternative of kicking the sector purpose as a result of I agreed with it, however in hindsight, it could’ve lower the sport right into a two-score deficit.
The teaching that I need to get into was the play calling and personnel groupings. Outdoors of the patented angle path to Achane, the pink zone play calling was too cute and ineffective.
Once you get to the 1-yard line with three performs left, you must punch it in. There are not any excuses, and never having an influence again contact the sector was inexcusable.
Jeff Wilson Jr. is the kind of participant you deliver out for video games like this, and he was nowhere to be discovered.
As dangerous because the protection performed, if the Dolphins rating a landing and two-point conversion through the purpose line sequence, the momentum fully shifts and makes it a one-score sport.
Not solely have been the Dolphins stifled on the purpose line, however on fourth down, the Dolphins had neither Tyreek Hill nor Jonnu Smith on the sector. How are they not on the sector for an important play of the sport?
Line Them Up
The narratives tied to the Miami Dolphins in chilly climate video games are nonetheless there and shall be there for the foreseeable future. The silver lining was that Tagovailoa wasn’t affected by the climate and wasn’t a legal responsibility when the temperature dropped.
He sliced and diced all evening outdoors of some throws. The Packers protection performed tons of cover-2 like everybody else and gave the Dolphins the whole lot beneath, and Tagovailoa took all of it evening as he ought to.
The narratives that stay are the protection being gentle, McDaniel not with the ability to name his approach out of a paper bag on short-distance conditions, not getting stress in opposition to good offensive strains, and that the Dolphins can’t appear to get out of their very own approach with dangerous particular groups play, and undisciplined penalties on each side of the ball.
Not solely are the Dolphins a nasty group within the chilly, nevertheless it’s been some time since they beat a deep playoff group in any climate.
The Dolphins will get a number of extra cracks within the chilly earlier than the season ends, and they’ll have one other shot at a playoff group in a number of weeks in opposition to C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans, but when they play like how they did on Thursday, the end result would be the identical. Narratives stay.
Tell us within the feedback who you suppose ought to shoulder the blame for the loss to the Inexperienced Bay Packers.
