The Miami Dolphins misplaced 4 of their high stars with accidents earlier than the sport, misplaced one other quarterback within the sport, misplaced their fifth straight sport on Sunday and likewise misplaced their management of the playoff state of affairs.
That’s loads of dropping on what was an terrible 23-21 loss to New England in Foxborough.
Remember when this group was 8-3? That truly occurred, proper?
Here are 10 ideas on Sunday’s sport:
1. Stat of the day: Dolphins two turnovers, Patriots zero. Yes, basic soccer performed out this present day. Grind-it-out offense. Special groups have been necessary. But it got here all the way down to what these video games sometimes come all the way down to within the turnovers. The Dolphins threw two interceptions, one by Bridgewater returned for a landing, and Patriots quarterback Mac Jones appeared like a catastrophe at instances however threw no interceptions. Sometimes you aren’t outlined by the perfect performs you make however by the worst ones. That was the case this sport. The Dolphins entered Sunday ranked thirtieth with 14 takeaways and tied for twenty eighth at a minus-five turnover margin (now minus-seven).
2. It was quarterback revolving door once more for the Dolphins. You can’t make these things up. With Tua Tagovailoa out, Teddy Bridgewater began and appeared wonderful, finishing 12-of-18 passes for 161 yards and a landing late within the third quarter. Then he threw his nineteenth cross and all the things modified. It was intercepted and returned for a landing by Patriots cornerback Kyle Dugger and a 16-14 New England lead. Bridgewater damage his hand on the play, too, and Skylar Thompson changed him. On his first sequence, Thompson threw a cross that Tyreek Hill might have caught however tipped into the air and the Patriots’ Jonathan Jones intercepted. Bridgewater and Thompson appear a matched pair. When one begins, the opposite finally ends up ending. The Jets. The Vikings. Now the Patriots. The query developing is that if Thompson shall be beginning Sunday’s sport in opposition to the Jets that’s probably for a playoff berth.
3. The playoffs? What was assured a month in the past isn’t really easy a proposition now. With Sunday’s loss, the Dolphins additionally misplaced management of their playoff destiny. If New England wins in Buffalo subsequent week, the Patriots get the seventh and last spot within the AFC. That sport may imply one thing to the Bills for playoff seeding relying partly on their Monday evening sport in opposition to Cincinnati. If New England loses in Buffalo, the ultimate playoff spot goes to the winner of the Dolphins-Jets sport subsequent Sunday in Hard Rock Stadium.
4. The Dolphins have been with out 4 of their arguably high eight gamers to damage. Tagovailoa, left sort out Terron Armstead, cornerback Xavien Howard and edge rusher Bradley Chubb have been large investments to get to video games identical to Sunday with playoffs on the road. Each additionally got here at an enormous price regardless of earlier damage issues. Armstead, for instance, has missed a mean of 5 video games a season when the Dolphins signed him to an $18 million-a-year free-agent deal final offseason. He toughed by way of a toe, pectoral and ankle issues till this previous week when an added hip drawback evidently made it an excessive amount of. So when you might say it’s dangerous luck all are injured — Howard had appeared to shake his knee issues the final couple of years — you needed to surprise when this dangerous structure would include a worth. It did Sunday.
5. Mike McDaniel clearly thought he wanted to run extra this present day. The Dolphins had operating performs on 12 of their 13 first downs within the first half. It wasn’t productive operating as they’d 19 carries for 62 yards within the half (3.3 yard common). It nonetheless helped Bridgewater and the protection, because the Dolphins offense was on the sphere 19 minutes, 28 seconds to the protection’s 9 minutes and 32 seconds. That steered the Dolphins had good management of what may occur within the second half however … two interceptions modified all that.
6. One query was how the Dolphins offensive line would maintain up in opposition to the Patriots’ fifth-ranked protection (and third in sacks). Left sort out Kendall Lamm, signed in late November to the follow squad, began Sunday rather than Armstead, who was inactive with accidents, and Greg Little, who was energetic however suffered a foot damage in Friday’s follow performed. Lamm then left with an obvious knee damage within the second quarter and Little got here on. Throw in left guard Liam Eichenberg, who returned for his first sport in eight weeks, and you’ll see the issues in opposition to a high protection. And? Well, the offensive line wasn’t nice however wasn’t noticeably dangerous, both. Bridgewater was sacked as soon as. The speeding sport was formidable with a season-high 27 carries for 83 yards. The level is, contemplating its points and opponent, the offensive line simply wonderful.
7. Here’s the way you attempt to win a field-position sport. Thomas Morstead punted 51 yards and beginning center linebacker Elandon Roberts made the punt-coverage sort out on the Patriots 10-yard line. The protection held the Patriots to three yards. (Mac Jones appeared a catastrophe a lot of the sport). Former Dolphins punter Michael Palardy punted 38 yards, and Cedric Wilson Jr. returned 10 yards to the Patriots 41-yard line. All that’s a good distance of claiming in a field-position sport, the Dolphins particular groups had some notable performs. On that brief subject Sunday, the Dolphins offense wanted 5 performs for Bridgewater to shot-put a 2-yard landing to Raheem Mostert and go up, 14-7.
8. Bring out the wheelbarrow once more for Mike McDaniel. Fourth-and-1 from the Dolphins 36. Of course he went for it. There was an odd build-up to that play, although, because the Dolphins first have been confused about lining up and took a time-out. Then there was a false begin. The punt unit got here on — and the Patriots bumped into punter Thomas Morstead. So it was fourth-and-1 once more, the offense got here out and Jeff Wilson Jr. ran two yards for the primary down. That stored alive the drive for the Dolphins’ first landing to tied it up at 7-7. The Dolphins are 11-for-20 on changing fourth downs this season …
But … McDaniel is 0-for-four in instant-replay challenges this season after a first-quarter problem that wasn’t profitable. On second-and-8, Jones lofted a cross close to the sideline to Tyquan Thornton, who made a catch just like Tyreek Hill on the Dolphins’ opening drive however was dominated out of bounds. This one to Thornton, dominated a catch, got here to milli-seconds of him not utterly choosing up his lead foot as he caught the ball. So the Dolphins problem was unsuccessful, Thornton had a 24-yard catch and went on to catch a 7-yard landing on the finish of that drive for a 7-0 Patriots lead.
9. On the game-cementing landing, Patriots receiver Jakobi Meyers was matched out huge in opposition to linebacker Duke Riley on third-and-1. Jones went proper at that for the landing.
10. Next week: Jets at Dolphins. The precise penalties of the regular-season finale will depend upon the New England-Buffalo sport. But the Dolphins have to arrange as if it’s for the season. The Jets sport at Seattle on Sunday afternoon is meaningless within the playoff image. The Jets beat the Dolphins in October 40-17 in a sport the place Bridgewater performed one snap earlier than being eliminated by the NFL’s concussion spotter. Thompson entered the sport — simply as he may subsequent week.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com