It was a double, triple, a quadruple header in Miami when the Kansas City Chiefs came to town to face off against the Miami Dolphins. The Kansas City Chiefs secured a very quick 10-0 lead but at the bottom of the first quarter, there was a delay like no other. Devastating tornadoes circled the area and all of the power to the stadium was stripped clean. The game was delayed until the next day, but for the Dolphins, they should have stayed off of the field altogether. The Dolphins were able to cut the lead to 3 after Tua Tagovailoa threw a beauty to Jaylen Waddle for a touchdown. The Chiefs were able to march down the field and add on a field goal, but a very strong approach on offense helped the Dolphins get down to the goaline, but instead of taking the easy points, Coach Fallen decided to make an aggressive call and his team went for it on fourth down. On fourth and one, a tight bunch play call designed for the quick pass underneath was bagged up and Tua tried to take a step forward but was stopped short and tackled immediately. This was one of those games where all of the momentum was in Kansas City’s favour from the start. The Dolphins had just over 500 yards of offense but they turned the ball over three times too many and they were defeated 58-31. Tua Tagovailoa completed 20 of his 33 attempts. He threw for 457 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. He didn’t know it during the game, but this was ultimately his last game as a Miami Dolphin. In his short career, he threw for 7,487 yards, 60 touchdowns, and 49 interceptions. He was sacked 49 times between the Miami Dolphins makeshift offensive line. Tua was the league leader in passing yards last season, but in four games this season, Tua struggled to find his receivers when they were open and delivering the deep ball when the team needed it most. The Dolphins began their search for a new quarterback in week 3, but more about that at a later time.
The Miami Dolphins offensive line shouldn’t have bothered getting dressed for this game. Defensive end Chris Jones manhandled one on one blocks, double blocks, and impact blocks. He sacked Tua 2.5 times and was a force in the run game. The Miami Dolphins had to force their runs in the opposite direction as Jones and gave up on the inside run gun shortly after the game started. Miami has been developing their young offensive line the past couple seasons, but they need to add a playmaker on the offensive side of the ball that will give their offensive line a boost and the desire to actually hold their blocks all game long.
Offensive Statline of the Game –
Salvon Ahmed – 15 carries for 52 yards. 9 receptions for 133 yards and 1 touchdown.
Salvon Ahmed was able to bounce back from his abysmal game against the New England Patriots and carry the ball for the most rushing yards he has had all season. His ability to get open in space was an asset this week. He led the Dolphins in receptions and receiving yards. Salvon Ahmed isn’t the fastest player on the field, but he is the most relied upon player in their offense. In his second season, Ahmed is currently leading the league in catches. It isn’t ideal for Miami to check the ball down this much, but when you have a halfback that can take any pass to the house, why wouldn’t you give him every opportunity to do so.
Defensive Statline of the Game –
Noah Igbinoghene – 1 tackle and 1 sack.
The Miami Dolphins defensive performance wasn’t anything to write home about. They allowed more points this week than they have all season, but Igbinoghene was the only player to sack Patrick Mahomes. In fact, he was the only player to get close to Patrick Mahomes. The Dolphins pass rush was non-existent and when they had containments in place, Patrick Mahomes was able to patiently wait and break up the middle of the field.
Opportunities –
The Miami Dolphins are sitting at 1-3 after a month of football and there is plenty of room for growth.
Run Game – The Dolphins are the third worst when carrying the ball. They have only rushed for 215 yards this season. The offensive line in combination with putting themselves in position to stay blanched has been a challenge. They only have one rushing touchdown this season which ties them with three other times for 31st in the league.
Redzone Efficiency – The Miami Dolphins have visited the red zone 16 times. They have scored 8 touchdowns and 3 field goals while in the redzone. They are only converting half of their trips for touchdowns. The Dolphins have to draw up better plays in the redzone. Settling for field goals or not scoring any points at all has them sitting in their current predicament.
Turnovers – The Miami Dolphins are the third worst team in turnover differential this season. They are -10. They have given the ball away 18 times, 16 out of those 18 have been interceptions and they have lost two fumbles. The turnovers have plagued the Dolphins in every game this season, even in their week 1 victory, they turned the ball over and didn’t look like they wanted to win.
The Miami Dolphins host the Detroit Lions in week 5 and Detroit is coming into the game after suffering a dreadful loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. It is expected the Detroit Lions are going to come into this game with something to prove. The Lions were a playoff team last season that nearly reached the Superbowl after suffering a loss to the Green Bay Packers. It is rumored that the Dolphins have made a few calls with other teams in search of a flashy trade to bring the spark back to the team. A move at the quarterback position could be in play but the Dolphins will have to be willing to part with their draft picks or star players in order to get that spark. Coach Fallen stated that it is his job to bring a winning season to Miami every year and two consecutive 1-3 starts cannot be good for the coach’s long term future with the Dolphins.
