One of the most important mysteries involving the Miami Dolphins these days (except for figuring out that stumble by quarterback Teddy Bridgewater a number of weeks in the past) is why they aren’t scoring extra touchdowns.
The Dolphins have solely 16 offensive touchdowns in 28 quarters. Take away the 4 touchdowns within the fourth quarter at Baltimore and so they have simply 12 touchdowns in 27 quarters.
That’s a priority.
The Dolphins common 2.3 touchdowns per recreation, tied for 14th within the league.
Despite being geared up with three of one of the best playmakers within the NFL at this level — quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and huge receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle — the Dolphins are merely a middle-of-the-road offense.
That’s additionally a priority.
There’s a suspected trigger for the mediocrity from a excessive authority.
Coach Mike McDaniel stated the low-touchdown output is a results of a breakdown in fundamentals.
“We won’t punt for three or four series consecutively, and then you start punting for three possessions in a row,” he stated. “It’s because the fundamentals are a little off.”
Or, maybe, seven video games into the season, the Dolphins (4-3) are simply common offensively.
Actually, the numbers point out the Dolphins offense is common to barely under common.
After all, they common 21 factors per recreation, nineteenth within the league.
Injuries have been an element. The newness concerned within the offense (new system, new coach, new offensive coordinator, new huge receiver, two new working backs, two new offensive linemen) can be an element.
We know this isn’t a crimson zone problem. The Dolphins have 20 crimson zone possessions and 13 touchdowns, which ranks fifth-best within the NFL at 65%.
This additionally isn’t a big-play problem.
The Dolphins have three landing receptions of greater than 40 yards. Hill has 48- and 60-yard landing receptions, and Waddle has a 42-yarder. Aside from that, Hill has a 64-yard reception and Waddle has receptions of 59, 49 and 45 yards. Waddle additionally has 33 and 32-yard receptions.
This is a landing problem.
And this landing problem have to be mounted quickly if the Dolphins plan on capitalizing on the so-called “soft” a part of the schedule amongst this Sunday’s recreation at Detroit (1-5), and video games at Chicago (3-4), in opposition to Cleveland (2-5) and in opposition to Houston (1-4).
News flash: Those groups can rating touchdowns as properly, higher than the Dolphins.
Detroit is fourth within the league at 4.0 touchdowns per recreation. Cleveland is ninth at 2.6 touchdowns per recreation. Chicago and Houston are tied for twenty fifth at 1.7 touchdowns per recreation, however that’s what the Dolphins have averaged for the previous three video games, 1.7 touchdowns per recreation.
Dolphins gamers aren’t too apprehensive. They say they’ve good gamers and a superb scheme, and it’s not even the midway level of the season.
“I think it’s just a matter of time before we just kind of click and it all comes together,” tight finish Mike Gesicki stated.
But they’re conscious of the state of affairs.
Kicker Jason Sanders has made 10 discipline targets (amongst 13 makes an attempt), which is tied for seventeenth within the NFL. That’s about as lukewarm because the Dolphins’ knack for scoring touchdowns.
“Three points is good,” heart Connor Williams stated, “but at the end of the day we’re disappointed not scoring touchdowns. That’s our end goal.”
The Dolphins offense has solely scored greater than two touchdowns in a recreation twice, and that was in opposition to Baltimore (5) and Buffalo (three). They’ve scored two touchdowns in a recreation twice (Jets, Vikings).
In their different three video games (Patriots, Bengals and Steelers) the offense solely scored one landing.
Punter Thomas Morstead’s 29 punts are tied for twelfth within the league. Again, it’s a middle-of-the-road quantity, nothing that might point out the Dolphins offense is sputtering or wheezing, however nothing that signifies nice offensive well being.
The Dolphins’ 9 giveaways (seven interceptions, two misplaced fumbles) are tied for thirteenth, one other middle-of-the-pack quantity.
“I think we’ve got to finish drives,” Tagovailoa stated. “At the tip of the day, we’ve bought to complete drives. We can march down the sector to the 10-yard line and kick discipline targets each time, or we will march to the 30 and kick discipline targets each time, however actually that doesn’t matter if we’re not in a position to end and put the ball ultimately zone.
“That’s something that we definitely got to hone in on, and we’ve got to get better with, as far as communicating, executing and things like that.”
The season remains to be younger. No remaining conclusions need to be made about something. The Dolphins might finish as one of many league’s highest-scoring groups, which might be what many followers anticipated once they acquired Hill and mixed him with Tagovailoa, Waddle, and left sort out Terron Armstead.
The Dolphins might common, say, 27 factors per recreation in the course of the second half of the season. And at that time nobody will bear in mind all this chatter in regards to the Dolphins struggling to attain touchdowns.
In the Dolphins locker room, few are even mentioning that subject.
“We’re not really focused on that,” working again Raheem Mostert stated. “At the tip of the day it’s all about successful.
“But that’s something that we probably will have to start dialing in.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com