3 things learned in the Miami Dolphins soul crushing loss to the Chargers

The defense of the Miami Dolphins is playing very very hard but Josh Boyer, at times, isn’t getting it done.

You can’t watch last night’s game and come away with that thinking the defense was the problem. Even with Justin Herbert having an excellent game, the defense only gave up 23 points, with only six of those coming in the second half.

The Dolphin’s defense versus a Charger’s team that was fully healthy, kept giving the Dolphin’s offense the ball and the offense did diddly poo with it. I’m not blaming the defense for last night.

But, there were some situations where I did not like the strategy that was laid out. The most ridiculous approach was the 3rd and goal the Chargers had at the Dolphins’ 19 or so. Boyer decides to put all but three guys at the goal line and the Chargers, predictably, threw a screen to Ekeler that went to the one-yard line. LA, instead of kicking a field goal that would have made the score 13-7 at the half, went for the TD and they got it making the score 17-7 and making the Dolphins look like schmucks.

Another strategy I can’t understand and please feel free to let me know how I should think of it, is why when you send pressure on short yardage situations do you have the cornerbacks playing off coverage? Wouldn’t you want to get beat by a low-percentage throw over your head instead of an easy out route? Am I missing something here?

While we’re on the 0-coverage stuff, guess what? We’re not good at it anymore. Not having Brandon Jones or Byron Jones has made the Dolphin’s defense very weak when they run the 0-Blitz. This defense is not last year’s defense. Not only that but when they rush four and play coverage, it works out a bit better. So I don’t know, maybe do that more.

I’m not calling for anyone’s job here. I’ll leave that to McDaniel, who I would bet will be doing that in a few months.