GREEN BAY, Wisc. — They did it once more. The Miami Dolphins misplaced one other large street recreation towards a high quality opponent with Thursday’s ugly 30-17 spanking at Lambeau Area earlier than a nationwide TV viewers. And though it was round 29 levels at kickoff, chilly climate wasn’t an element.
Few of the Dolphins’ big-time offensive gamers had a very good night time starting from Tua Tagovailoa to broad receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle and operating backs De’Von Achane and Raheem Mostert. Solely tight finish Jonnu Smith confirmed up.
Few of the Dolphins’ big-time defensive gamers had a very good night time starting from cornerback Jalen Ramsey to defensive linemen Zach Sieler and Calais Campbell and rookie edge rusher Chop Robinson, who had 3.5 sacks in his earlier 4 video games however did valuable little on Thursday.
The offense was horrible as soon as once more in a giant recreation, and the protection allowed plenty of factors as soon as once more in a giant recreation. The Dolphins haven’t modified since 2022.
This was a scorching mess.
Listed here are some extra takeaways from Thursday night time:
Greatest wins and losses of McDaniel-Tua period
This recreation might have been the most important win of the Mike McDaniel-Tagovailoa period (since 2022). As a substitute, it became one of many greatest disappointments.
Right here, in no explicit order, are the 5 greatest wins within the McDaniel-Tagovailoa period:
* Buffalo (2022), 21-19: Beat Payments for less than time in seven makes an attempt;
* Baltimore (2022), 42-38: Scored 4 fourth-quarter touchdowns on street vs. playoff staff;
* New York Jets (2022), 11-6: Clinched playoff spot and ended five-game dropping streak;
* Los Angeles Chargers (2023), 36-34: Street opener vs. staff that made playoffs earlier season;
* Dallas (2023), 22-20: Clinched playoff spot.
Right here, in no explicit order, are the most important disappointments within the McDaniel-Tagovailoa period:
* Inexperienced Bay (2024), 30-17: Misplaced street recreation. Had probability to increase successful streak to 4 video games and solidify new offense as the true deal;
* San Francisco (2022), 33-17: Misplaced street recreation. Had probability to increase successful streak to 6 video games;
* Buffalo (2022) 32-29: Misplaced street recreation. Dolphins had dropping streak prolong to 3 video games;
* Buffalo (2023) 48-20: Misplaced street recreation. Dolphins had been on three-game successful streak and coming off 70-20 win over Denver;
* Tennessee (2023) 28-27: Misplaced dwelling recreation. Dolphins nonetheless haven’t recovered. They’re 7-10 since that loss. — Chris Perkins
Dolphins’ offense fails once more
The Dolphins offense, infamous for not exhibiting up in large video games, put up one other no-show on Thursday at Inexperienced Bay, scoring two touchdowns.
The offense was held to 16 factors per recreation final season in seven video games towards playoff groups. The Dolphins had been 1-6 in these video games.
This season the Dolphins have averaged simply 17 factors per recreation in 5 losses towards possible playoff groups — Buffalo (twice), Arizona, Seattle and Inexperienced Bay.
Tagovailoa was 37 of 46 for 365 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions and a 114.2 passer score. However he didn’t have a very good recreation.
And, no, the chilly climate wasn’t an element.
Third-down inadequacy
The Dolphins had been 1 of 6 on third downs within the first half. Then they suffered a delay of recreation on their first third down of the second half, turning a third-and-3 right into a third-and-8 and an eventual incomplete move and punt.
The Dolphins ended 4 of 13 on third downs.
The Dolphins offense was caught within the mud your complete recreation and the third-down difficulties had been one instance of the struggles.
The Dolphins, who missed quite a lot of tackles towards the run and move, entered the sport No. 9 in run protection at 106.9 yards allowed per recreation.
Run recreation stinks
The run recreation by no means received going Thursday. The longest achieve of the night time, a 26-yard achieve by operating again Raheem Mostert within the third quarter, was diminished to a 12-yard achieve after a holding name on Hill.
It was that kind of recreation.
The Dolphins ended dashing for 39 yards.
The Dolphins entered Thursday’s recreation sixteenth within the league in dashing at 116.8 yards per recreation.
They’d been held to fewer than 100 yards dashing in every recreation throughout this their three-game successful streak, dashing for 67 yards towards the Los Angeles Rams, 82 yards towards Las Vegas, and 65 yards towards New England.
Previous to that the Dolphins had rushed for greater than 100 yards in 5 consecutive video games however they went 1-4 in these video games.
Run protection stinks
Inexperienced Bay rushed for 102 yards within the first half, breaking a streak of three consecutive video games during which the Dolphins allowed their opponent fewer than 100 yards dashing.
The Packers ended with 114 yards dashing.
Previous to that streak, the Dolphins had allowed 5 consecutive opponents to hurry for no less than 100 yards.
Inexperienced Bay operating again Josh Jacobs solely had 33 yards dashing on 11 carries at halftime. However operating again Chris Brooks, the previous Dolphins participant, had two carries for 26 yards and broad receiver Jayden Reed had one carry for 23 yards.
The Dolphins missed tackles and had poor hole safety.
Depressing street document in McDaniel period
The Dolphins dropped one other large street recreation, which shouldn’t be a shock.
The Dolphins entered the Inexperienced Bay recreation with a 9-15 (.375) street document, together with playoffs, beneath McDaniel. The Dolphins have by no means had a successful street document beneath McDaniel. Their greatest mark was the 4-5 street document final season.
Jonnu having profession 12 months
Smith was near having a career-best season coming into Thursday’s recreation. He entered with 48 receptions, 535 yards and 4 touchdowns.
He now has 58 receptions for 648 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Smith had established profession bests of fifty receptions and 582 yards final season with Atlanta. His profession greatest in touchdowns is eight in 2020 with Tennessee.
Particular groups stumble
Particular groups had a misplaced fumble on a punt return by Malik Washington that led to a landing, and had a holding name that resulted in a five-yard half the gap to the objective penalty. That drive led to a punt.
By the best way, the Dolphins had six penalties for 45 yards within the first half. That’s greater than that they had in any recreation of their three-game successful streak (15 yards vs. Rams, 23 yards vs. Las Vegas and 17 yards vs. New England).
The Dolphins ended with 10 penalties for 75 yards.
CBs numbers getting low
Cornerbacks Kader Kohou (again) and Cam Smith (shoulder) left the sport with accidents, and with the Dolphins already with out Kendall Fuller (concussion) numbers had been low.
The Dolphins had starter Jalen Ramsey and rookie Storm Duck, who usually is available in for the nickel package deal because the boundary cornerback.
They utilized cornerback Siran Neal, who’s a particular groups ace, in addition to security Elijah Campbell within the nickel package deal.
The Dolphins hung robust regardless of the shortage of expertise.
Comparatively quiet Tyreek
Hill wasn’t on the sphere for probably the most important play of the sport, the Dolphins’ fourth-and-goal from the Inexperienced Bay 1-yard line within the fourth quarter whereas trailing, 27-11.
He appeared a bit irritated that he wasn’t on the sphere.
Hill had a quiet night time, ending with six receptions for 83 yards, with a giant chunk approaching a 30-yard reception within the fourth quarter when the sport was principally over.
Hill entered the sport with 277 yards receiving and 25 receptions within the 5 video games since Tagovailoa has returned.
Hill additionally entered the sport tied for the staff lead in receptions (49) with Achane, main the staff in receiving yards (571) and third in receiving touchdowns (three) behind Achane (5) and Smith (4).
Getting into Thursday, Hill solely had one 100-yard receiving recreation in his earlier 15 video games, and that was the 130-yard effort within the 20-17 season-opening win over Jacksonville.
What probably explains the cliff dive Dolphins’ run recreation has completed the previous 4 video games?
From video games 4-8, the Dolphins carved up opponents for 680 dashing yards (170.0 a recreation). So, how on earth, with out a deluge of accidents, has that staff run for a mere 253 within the ensuing 4 video games (63.3 a recreation). Exhausting to consider there have ever been such a drastic distinction in output from one four-game span to an ensuing quartet. — Steve Svekis
Inexperienced Bay performed effectively, however vaulted to an early lead with some important success
On the Packers’ second play of the sport, Dolphins defensive deal with Zach Sieler busted by and crunched Jordan Love, dislodging the ball. The Dolphins recovered deep in Inexperienced Bay, however the play was reviewed into an incomplete move. Later within the first quarter, a Love move that bounded excessive off his goal’s shoulder pads was a meaty interception alternative. Sadly it flew shut sufficient to Packers wideout Christian Watson for him to create the incompletion as he had a extreme collision with Kader Kohou. Combined between these performs was the terrible punt muff by Malik Washington that gave Inexperienced Bay a first-and-goal and arrange the sport’s first landing.
Dolphins would in all probability simply as quickly Cris Collinsworth not take their video games off
Thursday night time marked the second consecutive Dolphins recreation on NBC in 2024 the place Mike Tirico was joined within the broadcast sales space by former Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett as a substitute of his regular cohort, Cris Collinsworth. The outcomes: the loss Thursday to go along with the 26-7 wild-card spherical defeat within the Arrowhead Stadium icebox in January.
Dolphins’ protection has made actual hay within the first quarter
By means of 12 video games, the Dolphins protection has used its stellar play within the first quarter to maximise the staff’s possibilities to win. In these video games, they’ve allowed 733 within the first quarter-hour, or 61.1 yards on common. Within the different three quarters earlier than Thursday, that they had allowed 2,702 yards, or 81.9 yards per quarter. And, it isn’t just like the Dolphins have opened the primary quarter with possession of the ball a ton to govern that first-quarter quantity, with Miami getting the opening kickoff in six of the 11 video games. By comparability, final season, the Dolphins allowed 85.53 yards per first quarter, and 77.59 on common over the next three.
What number of extra Dolphins are on monitor turn into Corridor of Famers?
Zach Thomas grew to become the 18th individual to have been employed by the Miami Dolphins to have gained entry into the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame when he was inducted final 12 months. Whereas the Dolphins haven’t drafted a participant who seems to have a path to Canton, Ohio, but, they’ve added 4 gamers up to now three years who’ve a good (or a lot better than that) shot.
The newest pickup, Calais Campbell, is having an enormous 12 months at 38, and is the NFL’s lively chief with 184 tackles for loss. He additionally ranks tied for forty second all-time with 109.5 sacks. Campbell has made the Professional Bowl and/or All-Professional staff seven occasions. Tyreek Hill, whereas having probably the most meager numbers of his profession, has made the Professional Bowl and/or All-Professional staff in every of his first eight seasons. Additionally, Hill earned a Tremendous Bowl ring whereas with the 2019 Chiefs. Sort out Terrron Armstead, a five-time Professional Bowl/All-Professional choose, is on tempo for the third-most snaps in a season in his profession. Lastly, cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Ramsey, having a standout season, is on tempo for his eighth Professional Bowl/All-Professional honor within the eight seasons following his runner-up end within the 2016 prime defensive rookie voting. Ramsey, like Hill, additionally has a Tremendous Bowl ring, attained with the Rams in 2021.
Dolphins’ time of possession has gotten very wholesome in 2024
Mike McDaniel has had the Dolphins trending upward of their time-of-possession statistic this season since making his offense a extra methodical operation since Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion towards Buffalo. Getting in to Inexperienced Bay, the Dolphins had possessed the ball for half-hour, 28 seconds on common. Miami hasn’t completed a season with that strong a possession-time quantity since they held the pigskin for 30:35 per recreation on common in 2010 throughout the Tony Sparano period.
Mike McDaniel’s unimaginable pre-December coin-flip luck regressed to the imply in 2024
Within the first 11 video games of the 2022 and 2023 seasons (pre-December video games), the Dolphins gained a mind-blowing 86.4 of their coin tosses, which means they acquired the second-half kickoff in 19 of these 22 video games. This 12 months, although? With the win Thursday night time, the Dolphins went 6-6 pre-December.
That makes two former Dolphins assistant coaches with stellar begins as interim head coaches
When Darren Rizzi, the one-time Dolphins firebrand special-teams coach from 2009-18, grew to become the interim coach of the New Orleans Saints on Nov. 4 and debuted with the staff successful consecutive video games, he grew to become solely the eighth first-time NFL coach to begin 2-0 as a midseason substitute, becoming a member of the 1979 Cardinals’ Larry Wilson, the 2000 Lions’ Gary Moeller, the 2010 Cowboys’ Jason Garrett, the 2010 Vikings’ Leslie Frazier, the 2015 Dolphins’ Dan Campbell, the 2021 Raiders’ Wealthy Bisaccia and the 2023 Raiders’ Antonio Pierce.
Of that group, Campbell leads by a far measure with probably the most dominant two-game begin, outscoring the opposition by 23.0 factors per recreation (with a 38-10 pasting of the Tennessee Titans adopted by a 44-26 thrashing of the Houston Texans), with Garrett’s 14.5-point-per-game margin second (Rizzi’s was 12.0). Campbell’s simply could possibly be much more of a runaway, because the Dolphins led the Texans 41-0 halfway by the third quarter earlier than taking the foot off the gasoline.
On deck: New York Jets, Exhausting Rock Stadium, Sunday, Dec. 8. 1 p.m.
So, in actuality, the Dolphins playoffs start with this recreation, with a loss — actually to an AFC staff — possible ending any practical shot of grabbing the seventh seed within the AFC. …
With a win on Dec. 8, the Dolphins would earn their ninth consecutive dwelling victory towards the Jets, setting a franchise document for many consecutive dwelling video games towards Gang Inexperienced with out a loss (Miami went 7-0-1 versus the Jets within the Orange Bowl and Joe Robbie Stadium from 1981-87). If the Dolphins had been to brush the Jets this season, they might enter 2025 with Miami’s longest general win streak towards New York (5) in 40 years.
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