Miami Dolphins star wide receiver Tyreek Hill was visibly dejected in the final stages of the team's Week 3 loss to the Buffalo Bills. He was spotted staring into the ether on the sideline bleachers; it was a true face of defeat.
Nevertheless, it's hard to take Hill's frustration as it seems on the surface, considering he's a notable factor in Miami's deep-rooted ongoing problems. His commitment to the organization following a sour ending to the 2024 NFL campaign, or absence of it, has been a hot-button issue. The eight-time Pro Bowler didn't help exonerate himself of this claim in Buffalo, thanks to a glaring lack of effort in a critical moment.
Tyreek Hill won't beat fed-up allegations after blatant lack of effort in key moment vs. Bills
Midway through the third quarter of a shockingly tight contest, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa glanced Hill's way on a 3rd-and-11 deep throw. The pass was tossed into double coverage, though neither Bills defender necessarily got in the way. Simply put, it just looked like a lousy high-point attempt.
You can see Hill leaping in the air while Bills safety Taylor Rapp and cornerback Christian Benford barely leave the ground. The standout wideout beat both opponents to the ball and appeared ready to haul in what would've been a field-flipping first-down conversion. Yet, the result was an incompletion and a punt back to Buffalo.
Hill stuck his arms out, but he ostensibly heard the footsteps, yielding a costly drop. Yes, it was a difficult play. However, it's one we've seen him make countless times throughout his future Hall of Fame career. Frankly, this was a grossly ill-timed business decision.
Miami made a concerted effort to get its top target the ball in a crucial situation. How did he reward their confidence in him? By avoiding taking the brunt of a hit from Benford or Rapp. Hill's failure to corral this contested catch was deflating for a Dolphins squad that surprisingly hung around for much of the evening in Buffalo.
You can argue that it could've been an impactful collision if Hill had fully extended to come down with Tagovailoa's prayer. After all, Benford got the wind knocked out of him after a friendly-fire bump into Rapp during the sequence. Be that as it may, the Phins pay the 31-year-old way too much money for him not to put his body on the line, especially in crunch time of a must-win Thursday Night Football clash.