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Good teams and upper-echelon players bring their champion erstwhile the spotlight shines the brightest.
With a postseason berth connected the enactment the Miami Dolphins failed to emergence to the juncture successful Sunday’s 34-3 nonaccomplishment to the Tennessee Titans (11-5), which ended Miami’s seven-game winning streak and won Tennessee the AFC South division.
The information Tennessee pushed the Dolphins (8-8) astir connected discourtesy and defense, playing an effectual crippled of bully ball, shows there’s a dividing enactment betwixt those who are postseason worthy (the Titans), and teams that aren’t similar the Dolphins.
Here are immoderate much takeaways from Sunday’s blowout loss:
Miami’s triumph streak ends, but it shouldn’t beryllium forgotten
The Dolphins didn’t beforehand to the playoffs, but that shouldn’t h2o down the information Miami rebounded from a horrible 1-7 commencement and made this play respectable successful the last month. The Dolphins person a accidental to present back-to-back winning seasons for the archetypal clip since 2002-2003 with a triumph implicit the Patriots (10-6) adjacent Sunday. — Omar Kelly
Dolphins request much from Tua Tagovailoa successful large games
Tagovailoa played his worst crippled of the play erstwhile Miami needed him to shine. We can’t enactment this nonaccomplishment each connected Tagovailoa considering plentifulness of his passes were dropped, the rainfall and tract conditions contributed to his 3 fumbles, and the interception helium threw was tipped into the air. But the Dolphins needed amended than 205 passing yards connected 18-of-35 completions with the playoffs connected the line.
Titans pummel Dolphins connected ground
No Derrick Henry, nary occupation for the Titans, who rushed for 198 yards against the Dolphins defense. D’Onta Foreman dominated the Dolphins, putting up a season-high 132 rushing yards connected 26 carries. Foreman, who besides scored 1 rushing touchdown, became the 4th tailback to eclipse the 100-yard rushing threshold against the Dolphins.
Questionable calls didn’t assistance Dolphins
There were a bid of questionable calls made passim Sunday’s game, but the astir glaring was a walk interference that wasn’t called connected a fourth-and-11 play from Miami’s 27-yard line. Trailing, 17-3, the Dolphins opted against kicking a 44-yard tract extremity and DeVante Parker had his limb grabbed and was being pulled down by Titans cornerback Janoris Jenkins portion a walk from Tagovailoa was coming his way. Parker was truthful upset by the non-call helium yelled astatine the ref and got deed with an unsportsmanlike penalty.
Duke Johnson needs to stay Miami’s pb back
The Dolphins person utilized Johnson, the erstwhile University of Miami standout, arsenic the team’s starter and pb backmost for 3 consecutive weeks, indicating that a displacement has occurred connected the hierarchy of the team’s backfield. Myles Gaskin, who had spent the bulk of the past 2 seasons arsenic Miami’s starter and pb back, has been relegated to third-down specializer role. Johnson finished the crippled with 49 rushing yards connected 7 carries, and caught 2 passes for 16 yards.
Tua’s fumbles are a origin for concern
Maybe it was the bedewed ball, but the Dolphins person to code immoderate the origin was for Tagovailoa’s 3 fumbles against the Titans. On 1 walk effort the shot slipped retired of his manus during a dense downpour of rain. Another was connected a atrocious speech with the center. Maybe Tagovailoa should see wearing gloves due to the fact that he’s present fumbled 7 times this season.
Covering Titans’ A.J. Brown 1-on-1 seemed unwise
Even though Tennessee didn’t person receiver Julio Jones, who is connected the COVID-19 list, the Dolphins decided against treble covering Brown, oregon having Pro Bowl cornerback Xavien Howard shadiness him for the full game. Brown finished the crippled with 2 receptions for 41 yards connected 5 targets. It wasn’t ascendant performance, but Miami’s strategy against 1 of the NFL’s amended young receivers was a small head-scratching.
Miami can’t get unit connected Ryan Tannehill
Tannehill entered Sunday’s crippled arsenic the second-most sacked backmost successful the NFL, but the Dolphins, who came successful starring the league successful sacks, weren’t capable to crook up the vigor connected him. Miami finished the crippled with 1 sack (Jerome Baker) due to the fact that of however coagulated Tennessee’s violative enactment and crippled program was. In instances wherever the Dolphins would telephone their amoeba blitzes, the Titans would either determination the pouch to bargain Tannehill much clip to marque a throw, oregon propulsion a surface walk to a tailback.
Two defenders instrumentality from COVID list
Brandon Jones spent the past week connected the COVID list, but participated successful Sunday’s crippled aft helium and antiaircraft tackle Adam Butler took a chartered formation to Tennessee. It wasn’t a fixed that either would play, but they each played their mean roles and handled important snaps. Jones finished the crippled with 5 tackles, and Butler, who plays connected passing downs, recorded 1 tackle.
Durham Smythe having a vocation year
Each drawback and gait Smythe adds this play builds connected the vocation twelvemonth he’s having successful his 4th play with the Dolphins. Against the Titans the impending escaped cause caught 3 passes for 37 yards, which brings him to 32 receptions for 325 yards. However, helium hasn’t scored a touchdown this season.
The Dolphins stay atrocious successful January outdoor regular-season roadworthy games
In January of 1983, Miami, astatine the extremity of the nine-game onslaught season, traveled to Baltimore and routed the Colts 34-7. In the 39 seasons since then, the Dolphins person gone 1-6 outdoors successful January regular-season roadworthy games, allowing an mean of 34.3 points a game. — Steve Svekis
Why are 2 of the Dolphins’ astir dynamic young players returning kicks and punts?
The numbers are, frankly, uninspiring. Standout rookie wide receiver Jaylen Waddle has returned 9 kickoffs for a putrid 17.6-yard mean this play and 5 punt returns for 35 years with a muff. Meanwhile, different Dolphins interaction 2021 draftee, information Jevon Holland has returned 12 punts for a woodwork 92 yards (7.7 per return) with a muff of his own. The reward isn’t wrong a zip codification of the risk.
Tua Tagovailoa has gotten highly escaped with the shot information since the bye week
In his archetypal 9 games of the season, Tagovailoa had 10 turnover-worthy plays (any fumble, interception oregon incomplete walk that hits some hands of a defender). In the 3 games since the team’s disconnected week, helium has piled up 12 of them, a season-high 5 of them against the Titans. Five person resulted successful a alteration of possession, 1 a fourth-quarter, game-tying pick-six against the Jets.
The 4th clip wasn’t a charm for Brian Flores
Flores was turned backmost successful his 4th changeable astatine getting to .500 arsenic Dolphins coach. He is aiming to go the archetypal Miami manager to beryllium .500 oregon amended aft 3 Dolphins seasons since 42-31 Dave Wannstedt was fired aft a Nov. 7, 2004 nonaccomplishment to the Arizona Cardinals. Previously, Flores — who is present 23-25 — had been 0-1 erstwhile the Dolphins mislaid to the New England Patriots 43-0 connected Sept. 15, 2019, 15-16 erstwhile they mislaid to the Bills 56-26 to adjacent retired past play and past 16-17 erstwhile they were again drubbed by the Bills 35-0 to footwear disconnected the seven-game losing streak this year. Now, helium volition request a triumph against New England successful the play finale to person a 5th changeable astatine getting adjacent successful the 2022 play opener.
It has been 18 years since the Dolphins had winning records successful consecutive seasons
Incredibly, a triumph implicit the Patriots would springiness Miami its archetypal two-year tally of seasons finishing implicit .500 successful astir 2 decades. In 2003, Wannstedt’s squad went 10-6 to adjacent retired a seven-year streak of winning seasons. The Dolphins winning seasons since past person been 9-7 successful 2005, 11-5 successful 2008, 10-6 successful 2016 and 10-6 past year.
Ryan Tannehill maintained his crisp play erstwhile getting much than 7 days betwixt games
One portion of Tannehill’s translation into a Pro Bowl backmost with the Titans has been his show successful games that are played much than a week aft his erstwhile action. After the Dolphins game, wherever helium completed 13-of-18 passes for 120 yards, with 2 touchdowns, nary turnovers and a 127.1 passer rating. That improved him to 108 for 155 for 1,240 yards and 9 touchdown passes against lone 2 interceptions and a 107.5 passer standing successful his six Titans games with astatine slightest 8 days betwixt games.
In lawsuit a reminder is needed astir the greatness of Dan Marino
Tagovailoa has a vocation 86.2 passer standing successful his archetypal 22 NFL games (20 starts), portion the NFL median standing during his vocation has been 95.1. Dan Marino had a 103.8 passer standing successful his archetypal 22 games (also 20 starts successful 1983-84). The NFL midpoint standing during that timeframe successful a much austere passing epoch was a 78.6. So, if Marino had had Tua’s 91% of the median during this time, helium would person had, alternatively of 103.8, a 71.5. Conversely, if Tua were exceeding the existent NFL median by the 132% Marino did, helium would person a towering 125.5 passer rating. Aaron Rodgers led the NFL successful 2021 with a 110.8 rating, heading into Sunday night’s game.
Two players connected 2018 Dolphins roster person combined for 25.5 sacks elsewhere truthful acold this twelvemonth
Robert Quinn, a one-year free-agent pickup for Miami 4 seasons ago, acceptable the squad play grounds with the Chicago Bears with his 18th connected Sunday against the Giants (edging 17.5 by Richard Dent, the MVP of Super Bowl XX). Perhaps arsenic shocking, however, is the Dolphins’ 17th prime from the 2017 draft, antiaircraft extremity Charles Harris. Harris, considered a bust with the Dolphins, has enactment unneurotic a 7.5-sack play successful Detroit.
Dolphins were atrocious, but they weren’t unsocial
There is nary excuse for the overwhelmingly hometown tilt of the officiating successful Nashville. A wide violative walk interference by a Titans receiver was called arsenic DPI against Nik Needham. Then a fumble that saw Emmanuel Ogbah travel retired of the heap with the shot was ruled Titans shot without explanation. Finally, DeVante Parker was bumped arsenic helium made his crook and past mugged by a Titans antiaircraft backmost successful the 4th quarter. Parker blew his top, emblematic of an utterly forgettable day. Officials perfectly should person to look the media postgame, similar the players and coaches do.
On deck: New England Patriots, Sunday, 1 p.m., Hard Rock Stadium
The Dolphins are gunning for their archetypal three-game triumph streak against the Patriots (10-6) successful implicit 20 years, since Miami extended its triumph streak implicit New England to 5 connected Oct. 7, 2001. Meanwhile, backmost Mac Jones has been atrocious connected the roadworthy this season, completing 125-of-187 passes for lone 1,298 yards and 5 touchdown passes, but besides with 5 interceptions for an 84.5 passer rating.
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