The humorous half — the unusual half — is a few individuals don’t need to take heed to how the Miami Dolphins are dropping. They don’t need to hear Jaylen Waddle speak softly with a blue towel draped over his head as if to hide the ache of his fumble with three minutes left Sunday.
“Tried to make a play, the ball came out, they recovered it,” he stated after a 24-16 loss to Minnesota. “Wish I could have that one back.”
These individuals don’t need to hear coach Mike McDaniel bear in mind the Dolphins’ second possession Sunday the place 5 penalties erased 65 gained yards and two dropped passes negated one other uncounted whole.
“It became a flag-fest,” he stated.
There’s a pure motion persevering with on after Sunday’s beginning quarterback, who was Skylar Thompson this time, once more obtained harm and once more was changed by the backup, who was Teddy Bridgewater on this recreation. It’s the, “They’re losing because they lost their starting quarterback three straight games” motion.
That doesn’t assist, clearly. Nor does it assist to have your two beginning tackles out or be down three cornerbacks by the second half. But take a look at the statistics sheet. The Dolphins had successful numbers like 23 first downs to Minnesota’s 11 and with 458 yards of offense to Minnesota’s 234 yards.
Injuries don’t clarify how the Dolphins protection held Minnesota to fifteen yards of offense within the first quarter, with no first down till late within the second quarter and nonetheless had cornerback Xavien Howard saying, “We’ve got to be better.”
There’s two easy causes the Dolphins misplaced Sunday and it wasn’t accidents:
1. They had 3 turnovers to Minnesota’s 0. ” When you’re minus-3, you’ve obtained to be fairly epic in different methods to attempt to come out on prime,” McDaniel stated;
2. They had 10 penalties for 97 yards to Minnesota’s two for 20 yards. “That’s pretty good to have two penalties in that environment,” Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell stated.
This, then, is both staggeringly excellent news because the Dolphins are set to get again to Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback subsequent Sunday and the schedule turns squishy tender as a result of these are basic and correctable errors.
Or it’s staggeringly unhealthy information as a result of these are greater than basic issues. They’re who this workforce is. Like dropping the weekly special-teams battle is who this workforce is. Like having quarterbacks working for his or her life from opposing stress is who this workforce is.
Remember that Dolphins workforce that had a plus-three turnover margin after the opening New England win? It’s minus-five after six video games. That’s how a 3-0 begin turns into 3-3.
Waddle was liable for two turnovers Sunday. Besides the late fumble on the Minnesota 28-yard line that ended the Dolphins’ hopes in a 17-10 recreation, he dropped a go that was intercepted within the first half. That gave Minnesota the ball on the Miami 25-yard line that resulted in a area objective simply earlier than half.
“Kudos to the Vikings,” Waddle stated. “They made the plays when they need to make them and came up with turnovers.”
Here’s the excellent news: If informed in August the Dolphins got here via this opening stretch at 3-3, you’d take it. The schedule bends their approach now. They didn’t play a dropping workforce within the first six weeks and don’t play a successful workforce over the subsequent six weeks (5 video games and a bye).
The schedule reads Pittsburgh (2-4), at Detroit (1-4), at Chicago (2-4), Cleveland (2-4), bye and Houston (1-3).
Such perspective issues. Winning turnover battles and curbing penalties matter extra. It doesn’t matter who the quarterback is that if a possession has 5 penalties and two dropped passes, because it did for Thompson.
Poor Thompson. He got here out throwing Sunday after which hit his thumb on a Minnesota helmet. That was it. Bridgewater got here in and, after some preliminary rust, led a landing a drive and was main one other when …
“Can’t make those mistakes,” Waddle stated.
They made basic errors Sunday. The revolving quarterbacks and different accidents didn’t assist. But clear up these errors and the season will straighten out simply positive over this coming stretch.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com