I would have been elated if you had told me in March that the Dolphins would be 3-1 at the start of the season. After starting the season away, away, home, and away, I would have bet we would split the first quarter of the season 2-2.  However, after this past Sunday’s performance, it feels like the same old Dolphins, lots of hope and hype, but we can’t defeat our own division opponents. We began the season with an explosive offense but we still lost to the Dolphins Kyptronite, the Buffalo Bills. This loss is on Chris Grier, his inability to create an offensive line, and our lack of defensive firepower. 

It’s the talent, not the Coach

Before I receive all the private DM’s in my X (Twitter) account, I am not blaming Vic Fangio for this loss; rather, we were warned in the offseason that this defense wasn’t up to par with the standards set by our defensive coordinator. We were warned in the Dolphins minicamp: 

“We have some really good talent at some places. In other places, we’ve got to find the talent. I think it’s a good mix right now. Our good players have got to play really good for us to be good, and we’ve got to find the other guys to fill in that play good in spite of their lack of playing time and experience.”

One of the most glaring issues for the Miami defense was their inability to generate consistent pressure on Josh Allen. For the money that Miami is paying Bradley Chubb, he is not creating the sacks to justify his salary. Contrast this with Andrew Van Ginkel, who played lights out on Sunday, logging five tackles and two quarterback sacks. 

The Miami Dolphins’ secondary was severely tested by the Buffalo Bills’ formidable wide receiver corps, in addition to their pass rush struggles. Stefon Diggs proved to be a particularly troublesome opponent, with 6 catches for 120 yards and 3 touchdowns. Miami’s cornerbacks struggled to maintain close coverage, allowing Diggs and his fellow receivers ample room to exploit openings in the secondary. Don’t forget the abhorrent tackling led to many of the points scored this week as well; I’m looking at you, Kader. 

Communication breakdowns were also a contributing factor in the Dolphins‘ defensive struggles. The Bills took advantage of mismatches and coverage lapses, resulting in big plays and sustained drives. These errors highlighted the need for improved communication and cohesion among the Dolphins’ defensive unit. This is evident in the footage of a scoring drive for the Bills, where the Dolphins’ players were bunched in the middle, leaving the Bills’ receivers one-on-one in the end zone.

A nasty offensive line

I believe that Liam Eichenberg should not play another down for the Dolphins. I am not attacking him as an individual but rather his performance on the field. His lack of situational awareness led to Terron Armstead’s injury and could potentially lead to Tua Tagovailoa getting injured in the future. While Eichenberg is to blame for his lack of skill at the center position this week, Chris Grier is to blame for not making significant changes to the offensive line personnel. Grier’s quote, “You guys are probably more worried about (offensive line and tight end) than we are,” was proven correct when the Dolphins lost Armstead to injury. The Dolphins are now down a lineman due to poor planning on Grier’s part. A backup Center could help the team, not signing injury-prone linemen could help the team, and not sticking to poor performers could help this team. 

An unsatisfying conclusion

While this game was a tough loss for the Dolphins’ defense, it’s important to remember that NFL seasons are full of ups and downs. Teams often learn from their mistakes and adjust as the season progresses. The Dolphins will need to analyze their performance against the Bills and work on fixing their defensive shortcomings if they want to have a better chance of success in future games against high-powered offenses.

 

Miami, you hurt me, but I still love you. 

 

Michael Garrity

@thats_dopamine