Coaching Contributes To Miami Dolphins Loss

When fans of the NFL look at the final box score they will say the Miami Dolphins put up a great fight against one of the NFL’s better teams. When fans of the Dolphins look at the box score they will be reminded of what could have been, should have been, and typically what is. Another loss that should have been a victory if not for bad coaching.

Yes there is no question that the team played a poor game in the first half and came alive in the 2nd. It was proof that the team had the capability but once again despite the lack of play the team managed to stay only seven points down at half-time before roaring back to take a lead they would squander. So no, it wasn’t all on coaching or play calling or one single incident, but…

Ryan Tannehill looked like the same Tannehill in the Kansas City game in the first half but he looked like the Tannehill who beat Oakland in the second. Good teams win close games and Green Bay did exactly that when the final second ticked off the clock. A rewind of the final two minutes however will paint the picture that defines these Miami Dolphins and more importantly their head coach. In fact, while it’s rare that a game can be lost or won on a single play it can be lost on a single decision and for the Dolphins that decision came late in the game with the Dolphins winning by four on the drive following a Green Bay Packer field goal.

With just over four minutes left in the game, the Dolphins took the ball for the final offensive drive. The Dolphins took possession on their own 20 yard line and then went with the conservative play not lose game plan. The Dolphins offense was very productive in the 2nd half of the game yet they opted to get away from what was working. They opened with a short pass to Mike Wallace that was incomplete then gained a 1st down with a pass to Jarvis Landry. Attacking the Packers was working and the Packer defense was worn out.

On first down from their own 31 Lamar Miller ran a simple draw for a loss of one yard but on the next play Ryan Tannehill was sacked but a penalty gave the Dolphins a first down. and moved the ball to the Dolphins 35.  Three minutes remained in the game when the Dolphins ran Miller up the middle again for a gain of one yard and then they called a short pass to Charles Clay that was incomplete. Facing a 3rd down and nine Miami opted for a delayed hand off to Lamar Miller that managed one yard forcing the Dolphins to punt and turning the game over to a worn down defense.

The decision to play it safe put the Dolphins in a position to defend one of the best quarterbacks in the league with over two minutes remaining in the game. The Packers didn’t have any timeouts remaining but they didn’t need them. The Dolphins put pressure on Rodgers but the team couldn’t stop him.

The Dolphins played an aggressive 2nd half but when they needed to put the game away they failed to be aggressive and instead opted for a more ball control style of game play that netted them exactly 15 yards. Of course the design was to run time off the clock and those eight plays took less than two minutes off the clock. It was poor management, poor execution, and poor play calling and it cost the Dolphins a victory.

The Dolphins should have won this game today but for first half execution issues and a failed 4th and goal attempt that proved not only costly but foretelling as a field goal instead of the attempt would have taken the game to overtime. At the time of the 4th and goal attempt, from the 3.5 yard line the Dolphins were down by seven. Poor coaching yet again. Of course the other half of that half-empty glass means a Miami win regardless of what Green Bay did on that final drive. Of course there is no way to know how the game would have progressed from there.

The reality of the Dolphins situation right now is that they are good enough to overcome their own mistakes on the field but they can’t overcome their own mistakes and coaching mistakes as well. Something has to change and if the Dolphins have dreams of post-season sugar plums dancing in their heads, that something needs to change now.