Miami Dolphins Still Conservative Late

While nowhere near as bad as in Detroit, the Miami Dolphins still opted for more or less a conservative approach on Thursday night late in the game. The decision to play it cautiously paid off but it should be noted that they were at least a little more attacking than the passive approach taken against the Lions and Packers.

The Dolphins began their first 2nd possession of the 4th quarter at the 9:42 and drove to the Buffalo Bills 37 yard line with an aggressive mix of run and pass. They ate just over five minutes off the clock giving the ball back to the Bills with 4:37 left. The Bills failed to move the ball and attempted a rather surprising 4th down attempt from their own 8 yard line. Miami stopped the Bills and maintained their 10 point lead heading into a very short field.

The Dolphins had the Bills on the ropes and time on their side as it clicked down from 3:19. And that is when the Dolphins got a little conservative again.

Miami opted to run twice with Lamar Miller who gained a total of minus two yards before attempting a 3rd down pass into the end zone. They settled on a field goal that all but shut the door officially on the Bills. The decision to play it safe made sense given the time, field position, and the increased lead from 10 points to 13 but a touchdown there would have made it a three score game.

Had the Dolphins simply been content to run the clock down and take the field goal then it made no sense at all to attempt a 3rd down pass into the end zone. Forget about an interception but the pass was incomplete and the clock stopped. Why run on the first two downs only to throw it on the 3rd? It was a head scratcher to me. Seemed they should have tried to get the ball into the end zone through the air or more well designed runs. This is where the Dolphins lack the most as a team.

The Dolphins are not a very good red zone football team. They can produce field goals but have had more than enough opportunities to get seven points instead of three. Aggressive play gets touchdowns and while the decision to get the FG late makes sense it doesn’t given the short field they were working with or the play selection.

For once however it’s not a knock on the decisions of Joe Philbin but instead just a questionable series for the team given the fact they started the drive on the Buffalo 12.