Another week, another loss for the Miami Dolphins. Tua Tagovailoa's season return didn't give the team the hope everyone thought it would, and now, the season seems to be pretty much over.
Miami held a lead for the majority of the game, but they blew it late. With a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter, the Dolphins did Dolphins things and as a result they left the field with more questions than answers. What isn't hard to answer is who stepped up and played well, and who didn't on Sunday. Here are our winners and losers from the action.
Winner: Jaylen Ramsey
For the first time this year, Jalen Ramsey was all over the field and not just covering on the boundary. He consistently disrupted the Cardinals in the backfield. He was making tackles, making players redirect, and as a result, the Cardinals couldn't move the ball consistently.
At some point, Ramsey moved outside and when he did, the Cardinals were able to target other locations and Kyler Murray was able to make plays with his legs. Ramsey needs to be used as versatile as he was today because it works. Not so much when he is put in one position.
Winner: De'Von Achane
As a team, the Dolphins ran for 150 yards, with De'Von Achane accounting for 97 of those on just 10 touches. Raheem Mostert may have been the TD machine for Miami, but Achane was the power the Dolphins needed offensively.
Achane continues to get better each week, and on Sunday, he was fantastic. His longest run of 47 yards wasn't a huge breakaway; he powered through defenders and continued to churn into Cardinals territory. Achane is someone the Dolphins will continue to build around, but Jaylen Wright, who ran for 18 yards on two carries, is nipping at his heels.
Winner: Tua Tagovailoa
Tua Tagovailoa threw 38 passes on Sunday and completed 28 of them. His 234 yards came with a 6.1 yards per throw average, and he tossed one touchdown. Tua was deliberate with his throws and didn't make any mental errors aside from some early ball-handling issues that didn't cost the team. A bad snap later in the game did cost the team, potentially a victory.
The Hard Rock Stadium crowd erupted when Tua broke away and ran out of the pocket scrambling for a first down. It would lead to a Dolphins score, but it wasn't enough. Miami's QB lifted the team early, but that luck ran out later in the game. Tua didn't lead the team to a loss and in his first game back he played well enough to win.
Loser: Dolphins fans as a whole
Hard Rock Stadium was far from full and that should send a message to owner Stephen Ross, but that is not why the fans are losers, it's because they got their hopes up again for this season and it was ripped out of their souls on the final play.
This was supposed to be the year Miami advanced in the playoffs, but now, fans aren't sure if this team can win next year or the year after under the current system. Despite catching six balls, Tyreek Hill failed to get 100 yards receiving and Jaylen Waddle didn't make it to 50. Opposing teams have figured out how to take them away.
Loser: Mike McDaniel
This was a tough loss and if we are being honest, Miami didn't play badly, but they played poor enough to lose. When the game was on the line late, Mike McDaniel's play-calling didn't put the team in a position to move the ball. The lack of discipline was showcased again with bad snaps and a safety that eventually was the difference in the game.
Despite jumping out to an early 10-0 lead, the Dolphins couldn't build on that and part of that reason is coaching. There simply isn't any other way to say it. McDaniel is not doing a better job coaching and his mistakes are masked by Tua's play.