Dolphins' stubbornness along offensive line cost them a playoff shot

Guess worrying about the line was a problem.

Miami Dolphins v Houston Texans
Miami Dolphins v Houston Texans | Alex Slitz/GettyImages

Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier made sure that every fan and every member of the media knew they worried about the team's offensive line more than the Dolphins actually did.

On Sunday, the Dolphins entered the weekend without Terron Armstead, Austin Jackson, and Kendall Lamm. Each of those players has missed time due to injuries in the past, and Grier's solution was not worrying about the issue.

He probably should have done more than just draft a future left tackle, but someone who was ready to play. In Week 15, the Dolphins watched their season fall apart once again because the offensive line wasn't very good.

Jackson Carman made the first start of his NFL career in place of Lamm at right tackle. If he were the third-string tackle, some might understand, but Carman is a practice squad player who was added to the 53. On the left side, promising young rookie Patrick Paul started for Armstead.

The Texans' defensive front is one of the better ones in the NFL, and they took advantage of the Dolphins' M.A.S.H. unit in the trenches. The Texans harassed Tua Tagovailoa all day, and when they were not being penalized, they were putting their QB in bad positions.

The Dolphins finished the game with just 52 yards rushing, while the Texans made 21 pressures and three sacks, per PFF.

The lack of attention by Chris Grier to fix the Dolphins' offensive line should be reason for termination

Grier famously sat in front of the media during a pre-draft session and was asked about the team's offensive line. It was then he said, "You guys worry more about the line than we do." Hiring Butch Barry masked a lot of the problems but that only shielded the lack of talent for so long.

While Miami needs to get better in the offseason, it's hard to imagine they will with Grier in charge. He needs two guards and quality backup tackles. If Paul doesn't work out, he is going to need another starter. So far, Paul has shown the ability to play at this level.

The Dolphins will get plenty of time to evaluate the roster and the line over the final three weeks because they are not playing for anything but pride and evaluation.

More Dolphins News and Analysis

Schedule