This Dolphins offense stinks.
It proved that in Sunday’s 23-21 loss at New England, a time when the crew actually wanted a lift from what’s imagined to be its power, the offense.
The now 8-8 Dolphins are an offensive tragedy.
Stop blaming the protection. The protection, which doesn’t have almost as a lot expertise because the offense, solely allowed 23 factors Sunday (really, 17 contemplating the interception returned for a landing) and gave the Dolphins an opportunity to win.
Stop blaming kicker Jason Sanders. Yeah, he missed a 51-yard area purpose try, however the Dolphins must be racking up touchdowns, not area objectives.
Stop blaming the absence of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. This five-game slide started with the San Francisco loss, a time when Tagovailoa was enjoying one of the best soccer of his profession.
This is a criticism of the complete offense, not a singular particular person or facet, not Tagovailoa, coach Mike McDaniel, changes, the run recreation, deep passes, the offensive line or the rest. It’s every thing.
This offense doesn’t constantly rating touchdowns towards common to above-average groups — and it hasn’t all season.
If you’ll be able to’t rely on the offense once you’re dealing with a troublesome opponent in a troublesome state of affairs, what good is it?
Let’s face it, the Dolphins offense is overrated and has hardly ever come up large when wanted.
OK, it did as soon as, towards Baltimore. That’s it.
Ever since then, this hyped Dolphins offense hasn’t finished something particular. Nothing.
It’s a traditional offense. It’s nothing nice.
Yeah, it could be “good”, however not adequate to be elite.
The Dolphins offense averages 24.1 factors per recreation.
In 2020, beneath the steerage of former coach Brian Flores, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, and main rusher Myles Gaskin (584 yards dashing), the Dolphins offense averaged 25.3 factors per recreation.
In 2014, beneath the steerage of coach Joe Philbin and quarterback Ryan Tannehill, the Dolphins averaged 24.3 factors per recreation.
So, you continue to suppose it is a good offense?
This offense scored greater than 20 factors towards a crew that at the moment has a profitable report simply 3 times (Baltimore and each Buffalo video games).
Think about that. Three occasions in seven makes an attempt. And a kind of makes an attempt was aided by a 28-point fourth quarter in September (Baltimore), one other was the 21-point effort in a 21-19 September victory (towards Buffalo), and the third was a 29-point effort in a loss (at Buffalo three video games in the past).
The offense hasn’t proven itself to be something distinctive or fearsome towards high quality opponents.
Again, this isn’t supposed to level a damning finger at McDaniel, the architect of the offense. It’s additionally not supposed to say anybody deserves to lose their job.
This is meant to say the issues with the Dolphins run deep and extensive, and so they begin with the vaunted offense, the unit that was imagined to make this crew good.
But they’re probably not that good.
In reality, the Dolphins should defeat the New York Jets in subsequent week’s regular-season finale simply to climb to the nine-win stage Flores had them the earlier two seasons.
Yes, this Dolphins protection has been shaky and particular groups have been disappointing. Neither is absolved of accountability.
However, neither is the power of this crew. The offense is the power of the crew.
This offense will rack up 30 or extra factors frequently towards sub-.500 groups.
But it hasn’t finished something towards common or above-average groups.
The offense averages 22.4 factors per recreation towards groups at the moment .500 or higher. That would rank a middling thirteenth within the NFL.
The high-scoring offense scored greater than 30 factors towards a crew with a profitable report simply as soon as (Baltimore).
The offense has one of the best expertise on the crew. The offense has the mastermind coach (McDaniel), a quarterback who was a MVP candidate at midseason (Tagovailoa), a future Hall of Fame extensive receiver (Tyreek Hill), a Pro Bowl left deal with (Terron Armstead) and one other 1,000-yard extensive receiver (Jaylen Waddle).
Comparatively, the protection has nothing.
This is a Dolphins passing recreation that evoked the names of quarterback Dan Marino and extensive receivers Mark Clayton and Mark Duper. We thought this offense, and particularly this passing recreation, was in that class.
New England coach Bill Belichick noticed the fact. Belichick knew if he may restrict Hill (4 receptions, 55 yards Sunday) and Waddle (three receptions, 52 yards) there was no method the Dolphins may rating sufficient factors to win whether or not or not Tagovailoa was enjoying. Absolutely no method.
Belichick was proper.
This loss, regardless of the Dolphins’ 71 penalty yards, missed area purpose, and having to make use of second- and third-team quarterbacks, belongs on the again of the offense.
The offense is the unit that should carry the Dolphins, not a protection that produced one Pro Bowl participant (cornerback Xavien Howard) and has been lacking considered one of its prime gamers all season (cornerback Byron Jones).
The offense has yet another alternative to get the job finished, subsequent week towards the Jets. The Dolphins have to outscore the Jets. Don’t go away it to the protection, don’t go away it to a 51-yard area purpose.
The offense should rating touchdowns, win the Jets recreation, and (if the Patriots lose to Buffalo) get the Dolphins to the playoffs.
In different phrases, the offense higher not stink once more.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com