Dolphins Rise And Fall On Their Versatility
Syndication: Palm Beach Post
The NFL is a matchup league, and when a unit has been as notable as the Miami Dolphins offense has been this year, opposing coaches and coordinators will focus on concocting schemes to stymie them. Eventually some of those counteractive strategies will be effective, and other opponents will copy what worked.
That’s why it’s imperative for a Super Bowl contender to be versatile and multiple. If someone is able to shut down one facet of a high-performing unit, the team has to be able to look for answers elsewhere along the roster. The Dolphins are at this crossroads. During the successful moments of this season they have been balanced and diverse and nearly impossible to stop. During their losses came they have looked one dimensional.
The two games against the New England Patriots are a great example of successful versatility.
Week 2’s success was mostly predicated on a sharp rushing gameplan and performance. No Dolphins player tallied more than 90 receiving yards. On the other hand, running back Raheem Mostert ran 18 times for 121 yards (6.7 yards per carry) and two touchdowns. The result was a 24-17 win in Foxborough. Last Sunday, Bill Belichick built his gameplan with that first matchup in mind. His priority was to stop the run, and the Patriots did a good job at that. Mostert led the Dolphins with 13 carries for 46 yards (3.5 yards per carry) and a touchdown.
But that approach exposed the secondary, and the Dolphins took advantage. Wide receivers Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill combined for 15 receptions, 233 yards, and two touchdowns. That decided the game.
Previously this season, the New England Patriots hadn’t allowed a single 100-yard receiver. The Dolphins got two in the same game, something that a Belichick-led defense hadn’t allowed since 2018. Ironically, Tyreek Hill was one of them then, too, alongside Kareem Hunt with the Kansas City Chiefs.
“It was one of the better defensive game plans that I’ve really ever gone against,” Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said after the game. “The Patriots had an unbelievable plan to really kind of try to bottle us in and guys were able to make plays in key situations, which was always fun to be around.”
Tua at a high level
Executing a game plan like that demands a high-level performance from your quarterback. Tua Tagovailoa delivered, as he has done for most of this season. Outside of one interception, it was a prolific outing for the Dolphins’ quarterback.
Obviously, having Hill and Waddle helps. But tight end Durham Smythe had three catches for 28 yards, recently acquired Chase Claypool got a 15-yard reception, and Cedrick Wilson caught a one-yard touchdown. It was Tua’s fourth 300-yard game this season.
The most impressive stat is how effective Tagovailoa is against the Patriots. With Tua as the starter, the Dolphins have won all six games against Belichick; no other quarterback has more than five wins against Belichick’s Patriots, and Tua has surpassed Peyton Manning and Josh Allen.
“If you look at a lot of the games, none of them were just runaway games,” Tua said. “They were almost all to the end. To me, those are always tough games. You know if you turn the ball over the way I have, it makes it a tough game, and you keep those guys in that game and you can’t keep a team like that in a game like that. It’s tough, but we were able to overcome a lot of obstacles and challenges.”
On multiple levels, next week’s game is a much bigger challenge, even for the offense. While the Patriots are 12th in defensive DVOA, the Kansas City Chiefs are fifth. Veteran defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has built the best defense Patrick Mahomes has ever played with.
Going deeper into the scenarios for the next week, the Chiefs are third in EPA/dropback, but 30th in rush/EPA. Therefore, it might be another game when the run offense shines. De’Von Achane will still be on injured reserve, but Mostert has been more than good enough to be a force in some matchups.
“We’ll watch the film, learn from what we can get better at, and then we’ll focus on our next opponent,” Tua added.
The Dolphins have shown they can be good against any defensive game plan. Beating the Kansas City Chiefs will never be easy while Mahomes is their quarterback, but the Dolphins offense has what it takes to create a competitive game.
Up Next