Once, and never that way back, it might really feel completely different. Tua Tagovailoa’s offense would really feel like a work-in-progress juggernaut and never like Skylar Thompson’s offense. Mike McDaniel’s creativity would really feel on show greater than his doubling down on a choice that appeared doubly doubtful as he defined it.
“Hooray,” the Miami Dolphins coach stated of his ideas when the protection intercepted two passes within the closing three minutes Sunday evening to seal the 16-10 win towards the scrappy Steelers.
It was an evening for hooray because the protection saved the evening, stopped the three-game dropping streak, pushed the document to 4-3 and prevented what would have been a mind-bending loss that was preserved by Noah Igbinoghene’s acrobatic interception with 18 seconds left.
Yes, that Noah Igbinoghene. Like I stated, this one felt completely different.
Mostly, there isn’t a magical thriller anymore round this offense. One recreation you’re the inevitable juggernaut. A month later, you’re a Disney film, “Hey, Honey, I Shrunk The Offense.”
Oh, it appeared magical on the primary drive Sunday, as Tagovailoa returned from a few video games in concussion protocol and adopted a scripted drive the place open receivers ran freely in finishing six of seven passes for 68 yards, together with an 8-yard landing move.
The second drive was 59 yards of nice offense, too, even when it resulted in a subject aim. Who knew it might be a punt weight loss plan within the second half?
The Dolphins had 10 first downs within the first quarter to tie for second-most in any quarter since 2000. They had seven first downs the remainder of the sport. Sizzle, you see, went fizzle as Pittsburgh’s protection adjusted.
Sixteen factors. That’s what the Dolphins offense has been exterior a fourth quarter in Baltimore that left everybody dizzy with chance. They scored 4 touchdowns in that electrical fourth quarter a month in the past.
They’ve scored 12 touchdowns within the 27 different quarters. Eleven touchdowns, should you think about the protection handed them the ball on the Buffalo 6-yard line.
So what’s the outlier, the Baltimore quarter or the opposite 27? Escaping with a win Sunday evening seven video games into the season isn’t about conclusions, however the pattern is definitely there. Thompson put up 17 factors towards the New York Jets. Teddy Bridgewater ended a subpar recreation of 16 factors towards Minnesota. The revolving quarterbacks can’t assist. Nor is it the one difficulty.
This offense ranks tenth in whole yards and 18th in factors scored. So one thing’s being misplaced in translation.
“We should be scoring more points than we are,” McDaniel stated. “I think everybody on the team would agree with that. There’s no just like some sprinkle fairy dust to fix that or it’s just not an absolute. You have to identify and address what has been the hiccup when you get in those situations.”
One hiccup was McDaniel’s determination to go for it on fourth-and-3 early within the second half relatively than a subject aim from Pittsburgh’s 14-yard line. This is straightforward. You kick the sphere aim there. You go up two scores. You perceive that will be a feat for the Thirty first-ranked Pittsburgh offense and its rookie quarterback, Kenny Pickett, with a microscopic 3.2-yard per try common Sunday.
There was some curious clock administration when the Dolphins have been at their 47-yard line with two timeouts and ninety seconds left within the half and somebody gained simply 23 yards and needed to kick a subject aim with two seconds left.
Now this head-scratcher of going for it on fourth down was compounded by operating your second-tier again, Chase Edmonds, up the center for no achieve. McDaniel hasn’t had a lot to query in his rookie season.
“I’m very conscious that it’s a type of issues that if it really works, it’s a terrific play, and if it doesn’t, you already know precisely what you need to … it could possibly be a deciding issue within the recreation,’ McDaniel stated.
Just so we’re on the identical web page. And whereas we’re shuffling pages, can there be a court docket order mandating Tagovailoa slide to the bottom relatively than taking up linebackers head-on? Isn’t {that a} given contemplating his concussion points?
Or is he simply intent on turning each fan right into a nervous Little League mother or father?
“Sorry, coach,’ he told McDaniel after running into linebacker Devin Bush. “I had to do that.”
Sorry wasn’t the phrase for Sunday. Hooray was, even a muted hooray. There’s time to repair offensive points if this season goes the place a 3-0 begin instructed. There’s additionally a rising account that, as Sunday once more confirmed, Tua’s return doesn’t repair this offense.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com