The Miami Dolphins lost a close game that didn't look so close on the final scoreboard. The visiting Chiefs were held to just 17 points deep into the 4th quarter, but it was the Dolphins' own self-inflicted mistakes that ultimately cost them the game.
The fact that we are talking about the Dolphins being in a position to beat the Chiefs is an improvement over the last two weeks. Miami is building momentum, but more importantly, they are building their confidence and trust in each other as a team.
It's hard to pick out mistakes by individual players from the game, as they all had good moments; some just had more on the other side of that coin. For Week 3, we had more winners and fewer losers than in the previous two games.
Miami Dolphins got some strong performances despite loss to the Chiefs
Loser: Michael Taaffe has to get the communication issues fixed
Taaffe finished the game with seven tackles, but he also gave up a Travis Kelce touchdown as well as a few other plays that should have been stops. Taaffe continues to develop, and there are going to be bad days, good days, and days like that that fall in between. He could have been better, and by the time we re-watch the tape, we might find that his game wasn't as bad as it initially looked.
Winner: Chris Bell has a coming out party
Through two games, Bell had one catch for 25 yards. In Week 3, he had four receptions for 67 yards. Bell looked solid across the entire game. He was targeted seven times and made the most of his opportunities, including a long 44-yard catch-and-run that set the Dolphins up for a scoring opportunity. If this is what the Dolphins can expect from Bell, he and Caleb Douglas (who was out Sunday) will be hard to defend.
Loser: Malik Willis' gutsy play still left points on the board
HC Jeff Hafley reminded the media and fans that this is really only the third game of Malik Willis being a full-time starter. His play on Sunday was lukewarm, but still warm. He threw for 210 yards, but there were several passes that sailed over open receivers deep or were underthrown and would have been touchdowns; some were almost intercepted.
On the ground, Willis ran for 56 yards and kept drives alive with his legs. It wasn't a horrible game for Willis, but we listed him as a loser for the fumble in Chiefs territory, the missed deep opportunities, and a few other passes under pressure that he rushed and missed. For the day, he completed just 20 of 36 passes, but there were things to like.
Winner: Ollie Gordon II took the reins from De'Von Achane
Gordon is going to be a popular fantasy football free-agent pickup this week, especially if the cryptic message after the game from Jeff Hafley proves accurate. Gordon took over four plays into the game and rushed for 41 yards on 17 carries. Statistically, it wasn't fantastic, but when the Dolphins needed him, he delivered. His 2.4 yards-per-carry average doesn't support his play, but he was as good as Miami needed him to be. If Achane's injury is serious, the Dolphins will be relying on Gordon the rest of the year.
Winner: Jacob Rodriguez defined himself on one play
Rodriguez is going to become a fan favorite, if he hasn't already. He contributed six tackles on Sunday, four of them solo, and two of them by himself on Kenneth Walker. Three tackles were for losses, but it was his interception that opened everyone's eyes and got the media talking.
Rodriguez faked a blitz and dropped into coverage on the left side of the field. Patrick Mahomes threw to the right. The LB changed his direction on the pass, watched the ball get tipped by a K.C. receiver, bounce off the arm of Dante Trader Jr., and then leaped five yards to catch the ball after sprinting halfway across the field. It's these types of plays that will eventually become game changers.
Other notable Week 3 winners
- Malik Washington - 5 catches, 56 yards
- Greg Dulcich - 5 catches, 55 yards
- Dante Trader - 9 tackles
- Chris Johnson - 8 tackles
Add us as a preferred source on Google