The Good, Bad, & Ugly
Miami answered the call of what many, including myself, considered a must-win game. Head Coach Mike McDaniel and Tua Tagovailoa stepped up and silenced the naysayers…for now. Tua Tagovailoa put up 466 yards and 3 Touchdowns, with his star-studded Wide Receiver, Tyreek Hill, who had a game of 11 receptions, 215 yards, and 2 touchdowns. The LA Chargers and Miami Dolphins offenses were firing from all cylinders in this West Coast shootout. The game came down to a pivotal stop from Miami’s defense after the Chargers had their way in the run throughout the entire game. This game will go down in history in the Tua Tagovailoa vs. Justin Herbert showdown, with Tua outdueling Herbert in this game and going 2-1 in their head-to-head series. This is surely a win Dolfans will enjoy for the time being, especially with all the Tua slander and Twitter wars, but there were some good, bad, and ugly in this game. Here are some things that stood out to me:
The Good
Tua played with insane confidence
Tua played with a confidence that I had never seen from him. We saw a glimpse last season during Miami’s five-game winning streak. He was a “gunslinger” today. He didn’t just make safe throws; he attempted throws that you wouldn’t have seen him attempt before this game. Now there’s a thin line between confident and reckless, but I like what I saw from Tua trusting his arm and also trusting his receivers. His one interception in the game came from a missed Defensive pass interference call. We also saw Tua command the offense in a way we’ve never seen before. My pet peeve with Tua is that he seems to overthink and second-guess himself. I didn’t see that today. Of course, there were throws I’m sure he’d like to have back and improvement in certain areas. He tried throwing in tight windows that could have ended in more turnovers on a few occasions. But if this is the Tua we’re getting for the next 16 games, we could have the #1 offense in the league and put the term “MVP” in front of Tua’s name.
We got production from offensive players not named Tyreek Hill
Seeing other players get involved on offense alongside Tyreek Hill’s monster game was a treat. We saw production from River Cracraft, who had three receptions, 40 yards, and catching Tua’s 1st pass touchdown of the season. Braxton Berrios also made some clutch catches and was a reliable receiver throughout the game. The day’s biggest surprise was Tight End Durham Smythe’s 3 receptions and 44 yards. Smythe isn’t known for his pass-catching. Many Miami fans were pulling for bringing in a play-making Tight End during the off-season, but it seems Miami had a plan for Smythe and his usage. We also tasted Erik Ezukanma with the ball in his hands during the regular season. He took snaps at the RunningBack position, playing a Deebo Samuels-like role. Hopefully, we see more of “Eze-E” as the season progresses. I really enjoyed seeing McDaniel utilize the receivers in different ways with what seems to be a crowded Wide Receiver room. Jaylen Waddle had a quiet yet very productive game with four receptions and 78 yards. He could’ve been involved in the game more, but with the production from the other receivers, it was barely noticeable.
Tua’s jersey stayed clean
The biggest gossip of the Miami Dolphins fanbase before this game…or even in the off-season, was the Offensive Line. Many voiced their concerns and their disappointment with the Offensive Line personnel moves or lack thereof. With news breaking that star Left Tackle Terron Armstead missing today’s game, many fans were ready to write Miami’s obituary. Kendall Lamm stepped up in Armstead’s role alongside former New England Patriot Isaiah Wynn, who played Left Guard. While Center Connor Williams and Tua Tagovailoa couldn’t seem to stay on the same page with a few snaps, the offensive line didn’t allow any sacks and only had two QB hits. An underrated story is Right Tackle Austin Jackson, who was responsible for protecting Tua’s blindside. Holding up Khalil Mack is no small feat. The Offensive Lineman’s performance is impressive, considering they lined up against Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack in all 4 Quarters. Let’s hope today’s play reflects what we can expect for the rest of the season, minus Connor William’s mishaps.
The Bad
Unfortunately, most of the bad came from Miami’s defense today. They did come through in the end to seal the game (thank you, Justin Bethel & Jaelen Phillips), but it can’t be ignored that the LA Chargers offense carved them up for all but the last two minutes of the 4th Quarter. Surprisingly it wasn’t Justin Herbert’s rocket launcher arm that was Miami’s Achilles heel today; it was the 232-yard and 3 Touchdowns on the ground. Miami just didn’t seem to have an answer for the Bolts run game. The front seven was underwhelming, with the Inside Linebackers having quiet games. Not as far as stats but as far as impact. Everyone was expecting more from Miami’s defense, with Defensive genius Vic Fangio now at the helm, so today’s performance was nothing short of disappointing.
I want to note that it may take time for Fangio to really ingrain his philosophy into this defense, and it shouldn’t be judged solely on today’s performance. I’m sure they’ll look at the tape and make corrections. But I wouldn’t be surprised if this defense looks different by Week 9, AKA the first game after the Trade deadline. Sometimes the problem with a defense isn’t with the game plan; it’s whether the personnel fits it. Mike McDaniel is in his 2nd year with his offense and has had a chance to hand-pick players who fit his vision. Vic Fangio has not necessarily had that opportunity. I would view the current personnel on this defense as a try-out or experiment, if you will. Just so you can see what I’m referring to, David Long Jr. signed a 2-year contract and barely saw the field after a missed assignment. Expect changes over the next two months, much like the mid-season trade for Bradley Chubb last season.
Did McDaniel lie to us?
Apart from the offensive line, Tua’s health, and the additions of Jalen Ramsey & Vic Fangio, the biggest story was Mike McDaniel’s acknowledging that he abandoned the run throughout the season, which hurt the team in the long run. Not having a balanced Pass-Run attack put much pressure on Tua Tagovailoa and the receivers. I could understand why it was so tempting to get pass-happy when you have Tyreek Hill & Jaylen Waddle. McDaniel vowed to his RunningBacks it wouldn’t happen again. Today’s start of the game seemed to manifest that vow, with the first touchdown from Miami being a Rushing touchdown. But somewhere in the 2nd Quarter, the run game did a Houdini act and disappeared. I’m sure many Miami fans are happy with Tua’s monster game through the air, but it’s not ideal to rely that heavily on the pass, as we’ve already seen from last season. Maybe McDaniel couldn’t fight the temptation with Tua having the hot hand. This offense needs a balanced attack to take down the top teams in the AFC when it really counts. We’ll see how the plays are called next week against the New England Patriots in Week 2.
The Ugly
As underwhelming as the defense was today, the ugly has to be Kicker, Jason Sanders, and the special teams. Jason Sanders was perfect…until it REALLY mattered. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen Sanders cost us or almost cost us a game. I was very surprised that Miami didn’t bring in any competition at the kicker position. They chose to back him and continue to show confidence in him which is great for a player’s psyche. But if this isn’t addressed, Jason Sanders could cost us a playoff spot or game with his botched extra points. Hopefully, that’s not the case and we’ll look back on this miss as an insignificant memory.
