NFL · 1 year ago

5 Things We Learned About the Miami Dolphins on Wild Card Weekend

Sportsgrid Staff

Host · Writer

Not Road Warriors
This version of the Miami Dolphins has shown its taste for home cooking. While I'm all for a delicious Cubano sandwich, sometimes you have to be able to stomach some Kansas City–style barbecue, too. Buffalo wings should go down better, as should Philly cheesesteaks and Baltimore crab cakes. Granted, Miami's losses in those cities were to playoff teams, but this weakness on the road also goes back to last season. Before a 4-5 road record, including their playoff loss to the Chiefs, this year, the Dolphins went 3-7 away from South Beach, including their first-round playoff loss in Buffalo last season. While avenging last season's road defeats to subpar teams like the Jets and Patriots may hint at improvement, Miami's inability to be consistent away from Hard Rock can't be ignored.
Miami's Offense is NOT Unstoppable
Kansas City Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo proved what many Miami fans feared: the offensive matrix could be cracked. Some of those cracks were already starting to show well before freezing temperatures in Missouri. Before scoring just seven on KC, the league's top offense averaged just over 18 points in their previous three games, all against playoff teams. Sure, the weather was a factor, but the Chiefs offense, which had been struggling mightily, was able to score 26. On Saturday, Miami only managed 265 yards of offense, and Tyreek Hill made the only game-breaker type play on a 53-yard TD catch on an underthrown ball.
Tua Needs Tyreek More Than Tyreek Needs Tua
While Tyreek Hill did not have his best game of the season, he was still clearly the engine that powers the Fins offense. Hill finished with five receptions on eight targets for 62 yards, including that long TD, where he was battling pass interference and a poorly thrown ball. Outside of passing to Hill, Tua finished 15 of 31, with 137 yards and a pick. He also led the Dolphins to just one third down conversion on 12 chances. We saw this earlier in the year when Hill was forced to leave Week 14's shocking loss to Tennessee and their porous defense because of an injury. The Dolphins offense never recovered in that game and became predictable and stagnant. Where this offense would be without Hill is a question worth asking and addressing for next year.
If You Don't Have Your Health, You Don't Have Anything in the NFL
While pitching a shutout in KC may have been too much to ask for the Miami Dolphins defense, even when healthy, a different dynamic could have changed the complexity of the game. Miami's pass rush was nearly invisible without injured Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, and Andrew Van Ginkel. The secondary was banged up too with Xavien Howard and Jevon Holland on the shelf. The replacements may have well been led by Shane Falco for the amount of pressure they were getting on Patrick Mahomes. He had all the time in the world when they rushed four and could easily pick up blitzes all game. Miami did not pick up a sack or force Mahomes into a pick that could have taken some pressure off the offense with a short field. In the end, KC won the time of possession-battle by more than eight minutes. Had even one of Miami's top pass rushers been healthy, the storyline may have changed.
Warm Water Fish, Mammal, Whatever
Much like the narrative around the Dolphins being unable to beat quality teams this year, Miami's ability to play in the cold was shrugged off heading into Wild Card weekend. Both observations have more merit than ever. The Dolphins are now winless in their past 11 games with temperatures below 40 degrees. Sure, this stretches to rosters well before this iteration, but it is something to consider if playoff success is to be had. Whether this needs to be addressed with personnel or preparation, it's a must for a team that lost last year in the first round in Buffalo after dropping a January 2016 first-round appearance in chilly Pittsburgh.
Not Road Warriors
This version of the Miami Dolphins has shown its taste for home cooking. While I'm all for a delicious Cubano sandwich, sometimes you have to be able to stomach some Kansas City–style barbecue, too. Buffalo wings should go down better, as should Philly cheesesteaks and Baltimore crab cakes. Granted, Miami's losses in those cities were to playoff teams, but this weakness on the road also goes back to last season. Before a 4-5 road record, including their playoff loss to the Chiefs, this year, the Dolphins went 3-7 away from South Beach, including their first-round playoff loss in Buffalo last season. While avenging last season's road defeats to subpar teams like the Jets and Patriots may hint at improvement, Miami's inability to be consistent away from Hard Rock can't be ignored.
Miami's Offense is NOT Unstoppable
Kansas City Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo proved what many Miami fans feared: the offensive matrix could be cracked. Some of those cracks were already starting to show well before freezing temperatures in Missouri. Before scoring just seven on KC, the league's top offense averaged just over 18 points in their previous three games, all against playoff teams. Sure, the weather was a factor, but the Chiefs offense, which had been struggling mightily, was able to score 26. On Saturday, Miami only managed 265 yards of offense, and Tyreek Hill made the only game-breaker type play on a 53-yard TD catch on an underthrown ball.

5 Things We Learned About the Miami Dolphins on Wild Card Weekend

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