Scooter & Hum: Day 593, Quasi-Quarantine: Dolphins-Falcons Game 7 Review

With all the hubbub surrounding Deshaun Watson and the Dolphins after Miami's sixth straight loss, you would have thought that Tua Tagovailoa shit the bed against the Falcons. On the contrary, Tua did his job, and it was the rest of the team that let him down.

Coach Brian Flores was about as angry as I've ever seen him following a game, and for good reason. Miami had twice as many penalties (six) as the opposition, was on the wrong end of some calls, turned the ball over too often, and watched the defense give away yet another game. Which, if you've been paying attention, is pretty much the entire season in a rinse-and-repeat nutshell.

Whether Miami trades for a sex offender or not, make not mistake -- that move will be made almost solely to distract from the woeful and inept job that's been done to run a functioning franchise.

On to the unhappy recap ...

Offense

Miami surpassed 400 yards (413) and eclipsed 100 rushing yards for the first time this year, upping the yards per play to 5.9. The 'Fins made 27 first downs and converted a staggering 7 of 11 third downs, punting just three times and dominating time of possession (34:38-25:22). Turnovers were huge (especially in the red zone), but there have been signs of life and creativity in recent weeks.
Tua hit 32 of 40 passes for 291 yards and four touchdowns, running for 29 key yards as well. He did throw two massive and untimely interceptions and struggled with accuracy on some shorter throws, but largely saw the field very well and spread the ball around (10 receivers had a catch). For some reason, Jacoby Brissett once again did not see action in short-yardage situations.
Miami actually got some running game going in this one, shockingly. Myles Gaskin had 15 carries for 67 yards, Salvon Ahmed added seven for 26, and Malcolm Brown had three for 10 before being injured after just five snaps. In the passing game, Ahmed added 26 yards on two catches, Gaskin caught four for 10 and a score, and Brown had a catch for -1. With Brown out for an extended period of time, the Dolphins have a chance to diversify this position, but with the team electing to sign Duke Johnson to the practice squad, Miami instead seems intent on collecting as many of the same player as possible.
Jaylen Waddle had seven grabs for 83 yards, showed more juice in the open field, and generally seems to be finding his stride. On the other hand, it has hard to describe how poorly Preston Williams performed, with one grab for five yards and at least two drops. Mack Hollins had two receptions for 13 yards and the potential game-winning score, but the fact that he's getting so much run is an indictment of the state of the receiving corps without DeVante Parker and Will Fuller. Despite the fact that Williams is almost unplayable at this point, Albert Wilson was nonexistent in this one (three snaps).
Once again, Tua leaned on the tight end spot, and Mike Gesicki came up huge, with seven catches for 85 yards and a touchdown, though he continues to get no respect from the officials on clear holds and interferences. Durham Smythe showed out again with three grabs for 37 yards, while Adam Shaheen pulled in four for 23 yards. Cethan Carter had a nice hit on special teams, but didn't dent from scrimmage, while rookie Hunter Long was back to nowhereseville. If the Dolphins are not actively trying to re-sign G-Sick, the franchise is somehow even more dysfunctional than anyone recognizes.
The offensive line largely played much better, giving up a single sack (which felt like Tua's fault) and opening up more rushing lanes, especially on RPO looks. Rookie Liam Eichenberg seems to be settling in at left tackle, despite false start and ineligible-man-downfield penalties. On the other side, Jesse Davis was flagged for a huge hold in the red zone. Former first-rounder Austin Jackson continues to flounder at left guard, called for a hold, beaten routinely with relative ease, and appearing to be at fault for the blocked field goal. While options aren't aplenty, it is a bit shocking that Solomon Kindley is not at least splitting snaps with Jackson at this stage. On the plus side, Austin Reiter got strong reviews for his work as Miami's third different center this season.

Defense

The days of this being a defense-driven team are officially over, as the Falcons managed 397 yards and averaged 6.3 yards per play. Atlanta punted just three times and went down the field easily when the game was on the line.
On the edge, Emmanuel Ogbah was credited with a single tackle, but he was a demon, registering a pass breakup, a forced fumble, and two quarterback hits. Andrew Van Ginkel notched six tackles and a quarterback hit, but Jaelen Phillips (just 15 snaps) was largely invisible for the second game in a row, posting a single quarterback hit. Consistent pressure has been a huge problem spot for Miami, and it's a little surprising that practice-squadder Jabaal Sheard has not gotten any run.
On the interior, Christian Wilkins recorded six tackles and a quarterback hit, while Zach Sieler added four stops. Raekwon Davis contributed a pair of tackles, but was called for a roughing-the-passer penalty as well. Adam Butler rounds out a solid group, but this was a game where Miami needed an impact play from this crew.
Having done their film work and seeing what everyone else does, Atlanta clearly targeted the linebackers in coverage. Jerome Baker had one tackle before departing with an injury, leaving the linebacking corps in shambles. Elandon Roberts had seven tackles and a stop for loss, but Sam Eguaovoen (one tackle), Brennan Scarlett, and Duke Riley (two stops) are not enough to give the 'Fins any hope at this level of the defense.
Despite iffy effort throughout, Xavien Howard rallied to notch two solo stops, three pass breakups, and a key interception. On the other boundary, Byron Jones was quiet with four tackles, and Nik Needham helped man the slot with two solo tackles and a fumble recovery. Eric Rowe was relentlessly attacked, however, contributing nine tackles and a pass breakup, but having no answers for Atlanta rookie Kyle Pitts and getting called for an interference penalty. One-time first-rounder Noah Igbinoghene was back on the inactive list with Howard and Jones back in action, while Justin Coleman was only used on special teams.
At safety, Jevon Holland had a bit of a breakout game, recording five solo tackles, a sack, a stop for loss, a pass breakup, and a quarterback hit, while also sparking the team with a strong punt return and appearing to cause a fumble on another play (which was somehow not reviewed). Brandon Jones had five tackles, but only one solo, and he got dragged a few times in tackling. Jason McCourty had a pass breakup, but he was a limited participant even before leaving with an injury.

Special teams

Jason Sanders had a field goal blocked, but he converted four extra points -- extending his streak to 60 straight.
Michael Palardy felt the pressure after a subpar start to the season, having maybe his best game as a Dolphin. He averaged 51.3 yards on three punts, putting one inside the 20-yard line.
Clayton Fjedelem was strong on special teams with two tackles, but Riley was whistled for a big hold on a kickoff return.
Myles Gaskin was bizarrely asked to run back kickoffs in this one, returning two for 29 yards but generally seeming tentative (unsurprising given his lack of action in this role).
Holland was a roller-coaster on punts, giving the crowd a jolt with a 16-yarder but also inexplicably fair-catching one when no one was within 15 yards and electing not to fair catch one when he should have. He's clearly raw in the role, but he brings a certain juice to the kicking game that this team is screaming for.
For the second week in a row, Miami may have been jobbed on a punt that touched an opponent. While this week's version wasn't as clear-cut as last week's, it may be further evidence that the football gods appear to be against the 'Fins this year.

Momentum plays

On Miami's first drive, Tua hit Waddle to convert a pair of third downs, and Gaskin kept the balance with some strong runs. G-Sick converted another third down with a stellar catch, then Tua drilled a slant to Ford to cap a pretty drive for the early 7-0 lead.
After the teams exchanged three-and-outs, Butler missed a tackle in the backfield on a key third-down play. Cordarelle Patterson hammered away with some physical runs, but a Holland sack forced a field goal to make it 7-3.
A nifty Tua run jumpstarted the ensuing drive for Miami, and Ahmed contributed three straight touches. However, after a drop by Williams and a fade to G-Sick featured an uncalled pass interference, a 49-yard field goal attempt by Sanders was easily swatted away thanks to some inexplicable blocking technique by the Dolphins.
Thanks to a nonexistent pass rush, Atlanta converted a 3rd & 9 on the next drive, then kept feeding tight ends all the way down the field. On 3rd & 3, Matt Ryan rolled to his right to find Calvin Ridley for a touchdown and a 10-7 advantage.
After a Waddle snare off an RPO, Williams made his biggest play of the game when he drew a facemask on a catch that was going nowhere. Smythe battled his way for a first down on another grab, but when Tua looked his way in the end zone, a miscommunication led to an easy interception. While the route was iffy by Smythe, he was bracketed by multiple players, and it was a poor decision by Tua to force it to him in the red zone.
A Pitts one-hander down the sideline despite an interference flag on Rowe got the Falcons rolling again, and short Ryan passes maneuvered Atlanta into position for a late field goal and a 13-7 halftime lead.
Pitts started the second half the same way he ended the first, burning Rowe deep, though this one was questionable in terms of whether he held on to it. When Ryan had all day to find Russell Gage for an easy deep score, Miami deflated quickly, down 20-7. While both Holland and Howard were back in coverage, Howard ran away from the play to avoid making it look like he was beaten, showing the kind of me-first attitude that will likely speed his exit from Miami.
The 'Fins had to punt quickly, and a strong return put Atlanta in business again. Pressure from Ogbah forced a three-and-out, though, and Holland's nifty return gave the Dolphins a little life.
The running game came to life a bit for the 'Fins, with Gaskin and Ahmed contributing strong runs. A fade to Gesicki overcame a hold on Davis, and the tight end's score (which saw him bowl over a couple of youngsters in the end zone) trimmed the margin to 20-14.
An easy Pitts catch converted a 3rd & 10 on the following drive, but Holland drilled Ridley to force a fumble, though it was called incomplete. Solid coverage on the next two plays forced another Atlanta punt, but Holland was drilled this time on his punt return.
A hold on Jackson erased a Gaskin third-down conversion, and when a Tua run came up short, Miami punted again. Miraculously, Palardy's kick was ruled not to have bounced off the return man, reinforcing the idea that bad calls and bad luck happen to bad teams at bad moments.
Perhaps proving that ball don't lie, X stole the ball from Ridley on a third-down pass, giving the Dolphins an interception. Also proving that nothing is perfect, Howard did not appear to be down when the whistle was blown, and he would have had a chance at a lengthy return.
Just when Miami looked to have all the momentum taking over at Atlanta's 32-yard line, Tua threw a brutal -- there is not another word -- interception on the very next play. Yes, Jackson was wrecked immediately, but it was a horrific decision by the young quarterback and the worst decision I've seen him make as a pro.
With the ball returned all the way to Miami's 14-yard line, the Falcons scored quickly, with Patterson punching it in after a Davis roughing call. Against all odds, Atlanta had jumped back up by two scores, 27-14.
Smythe got the next drive going with a crazy sideline grab that offset a Riley hold on the kick return. Big grabs by G-Sick and Waddle kept the drive going, and Tua converted a 3rd & 6 when he absorbed a big hit from the safety and dove ahead for a first down. Then, Gaskin took a short throw, broke a tackle, and scampered into the end zone to trim the margin to 27-21.
A missed tackle by Howard on 3rd & 10 gave Atlanta a key first down, but Ogbah tracked down Ryan on a scramble and jarred the ball loose, with Needham pouncing on it for a huge turnover.
A 16-yard catch and run by Ahmed helped Miami convert a 1st & 19 scenario, then Tua paid off a 3rd & 15 with a midfield dart to Gesicki. Tua then found Hollins at the back of the end zone after a long look, pushing the Dolphins ahead 28-27 with 2:27 left.
Showing a lack of adjustment, the 'Fins were quickly victimized by 51 yards worth of completions to Pitts on back-to-back plays. A second-down run by Patterson was flagged, but the official inexplicably announced no flag for holding, setting up a key 3rd & 2 play. When Patterson powered through Brandon Jones for an easy first, the Falcons were able to kneel on the ball twice before nailing a 36-yarder with three seconds left to win the game, 30-28.