Miami Dolphins post game recap the good, bad, and ugly
In this week’s recap, the Miami Dolphins got embarrassed against the Texans in a game that left little to defend. The defense got manhandled yet again and Brock Osweiler proved that he shouldn’t be suiting up on Sundays.
Following the Miami Dolphins match up with the Texans, we take a broad look at what went well, what needs work, and what should be alarming. The good games and the bad have lessons to be learned and we look at the apparent ones.
The Good:
Devante Parker showed up on Thursday and jacked up his trade value/paycheck next year. He had great catches, athletic routes, and was the lone bright spot on a Miami team that is quickly running out of light at the end of the tunnel. Parker’s agent made tons of noise this week, as he called out Coach Gase’s decision to deactivate Parker the last few weeks. It proved to seem accurate as Parker looked very healthy Thursday and will be hard to avoid if he remains in Miami for the next seven days.
Laremy Tunsil made Clowney a very quite name. Granted, he got a bit of help from running backs and tight ends but his efforts did not go unnoticed. Tunsil is starting to play up to his potential and could be the anchor left tackle that Miami has been hoping for. If he has more games like the ones against the Texans and Bears, he will be.
Kenyon Drake receives a ton of slack for not being physical and lacking vision for holes to hit hard. However, he seems to keep finding touchdowns and explosive plays. 95 total yards and 2 touchdowns filled a productive stat line yet again for the Alabama product. Gore will continue getting the starts but Drake maintains the production.
The Bad:
Brock Osweiler should probably be on the next category down. He would have been if the “worst” category wasn’t crowded and Brock played well below his potential. All of the Brocktober chanters and “sit Tannehill” supporters have gone quite as Brock reared his ugly head Thursday. Osweiler will not be starting in 10 days and he may not have an NFL team that will invest in his skill much longer.
Adam Gase has a lot of things going against him: Injuries that have now expanded far past what would seem possible including 2 WRs, 1 QB, 3 OL’s, and 1 TE. All of them starters. Even with those injuries, Miami scored enough points on Thursday to compete. Adam won’t be able to excuse himself for some horrific play calls. A terrible pass to Gore on a fourth and one. An onside kick right when Miami got within one possession. Finishing up the horrific calls was a field goal to bring the game to within two possessions late in the fourth quarter. Problem being, it was two possessions before the field goal.
The defensive line looked to prove the world wrong when Suh left for LA. That hasn’t been the case since the New England game. Houston brought a very bad offensive line unit to TNF and abused the trenches. This defensive line has allowed 600 plus yards the last 3 games and frankly, you will not win any games with that stat. If Miami can’t find more physicality from their lines, specifically their defensive line, this season has no potential.
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The Ugly:
Matt Burke had a career bad game as a defensive coordinator. It may very well be the beginning of the end for his stint in Miami. He got out schemed, outperformed, and bluntly, his defense didn’t even show up. Poor tackling, communication, and coverage littered a game that was so bad that it was borderline unwatchable for both fan bases. Unless his unit turns it around quickly, Matt may not be finishing this season calling plays for the Dolphins.
Bobby McCain got torched all game. It didn’t matter who it was. Bobby got beat vertically, horizontally, and every other which way. Gase and Burke had high praises for McCain when they awarded him his contract and tonight Bobby proved them wrong. Gase has defended McCain’s ability to defend outside and against fast receivers, unfortunately, Bobby’s 4.5 speed can’t be left without safety help. When it doesn’t come, 70 plus yard touchdowns result.
The officiating was an eyesore from the opening kickoff (literally), to the last play of the first half, to the end of the game. Miami would have lost this game any way you look at it. When you have a defense that can’t stop the run, provides no pass rush, and leaves receivers so open that OJ McDuffie has to take to his Twitter to express his unbelief, you aren’t winning games. However, this officiating unit blew every call in the book and both teams felt it. It’s not a great product to watch when a sport has officiating that is fundamentally broken.
Final Thoughts:
Not a lot to say after a game like that. If Miami doesn’t fix a semi-truck load of things, this season is already over. The good news is we don’t have to see Brock Osweiler again and the “bench Tannehill” chants should end. Parker is back and looks strong. Finally, Miami has an extended week to address the issues that have resulted in a 1-3 record over the last month. Things may not be sunny in Miami, but there is enough talent to win football games down the road.