Scooter & Hum: Day 937, Quasi-Quarantine: Dolphins-Bengals Game 4 Review

In a staggeringly weird game that was marked by Miami's pervasive exhaustion and punctuated by Tua Tagovailoa being stretchered off, the Dolphins dropped their first game of the season, 27-15.

Perhaps the biggest takeaways were that the 'Fins were seemingly the only team in the last two years to not be able to get any pressure on Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow and take advantage of one of the league's worst offensive lines, Miami committed two turnovers without causing one, and the Dolphins were soundly whipped on special teams.

On to the not-sure-what-to-think recap ...

Offense

Miami outgained the home team (378 to 371) and had more first downs (20 to 16), but situational football doomed the 'Fins. The visitors were just 2 of 10 on third-down plans and converted just one of three red-zone visits into a touchdown. Throw in a pair of crucial turnovers and a lot of good was undermined despite Tua's injury.
Tua was 8 of 14 for 110 yards before being stretchered off after 25 snaps. He was sacked once -- on the play he got hurt on -- and threw an ill-advised flutter ball that was picked off due to horrific mechanics. Teddy Bridgewater came in and performed admirably in his 39 snaps, connecting on 14 of 23 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown. He was not sacked, but threw a costly interception on a potential miscommunication with tight end Mike Gesicki late in the game.
Raheem Mostert ran hard for the 'Fins, racking up 69 yards on 15 carries, with a long of 25. He added two receptions for 12 yards and seems to be emerging as the top back for Miami, out-repping Chase Edmonds 46 to 18. Edmonds carried five times for six yards and contributed two receptions for 14 yards and a score, but he also dropped a touchdown. Fullback Alec Ingold didn't get a touch in his 21 snaps, as the Dolphins appear to be struggling to find his best role.
After a quiet Week 3, Tyreek Hill was back in big fashion in primetime, posting 10 receptions (on 14 targets) for 160 yards, with a long of 64 yards. He lost a yard on an end-around and was whistled for holding as well. Jaylen Waddle was targeted five times, catching a pair for 39 yards. Trent Sherfield (40 snaps) had his best game as a 'Fin, reeling in four grabs for 55 yards (though he was shut out in the final 20 minutes), while River Cracraft couldn't come down with his lone target in 10 snaps. Cedrick Wilson was inactive once again.
Gesicki drew four targets in his 28 snaps, catching two for 23 yards, including a 21-yarder. Durham Smythe played 40 snaps, but no other Miami tight end was targeted, which is likely to change as Bridgewater takes over for Tua in coming weeks.
Greg Little was exposed at right tackle in this one, right guard Robert Hunt was called for being ineligible downfield on a pass, and left tackle Terron Armstead had a false start and occasionally struggled with former teammate Trey Hendrickson. However, all five linemen played all 64 snaps, Miami showed improvement on the ground (85 rushing yards, 3.9 yards per carry), and the unit allowed a lone sack. Despite the good news, this performance was a bit of a step back for the Dolphins in a game where the 'Fins needed a dominant performance due to the defensive exhaustion.

Defense

On a night when Miami desperately needed three-and-outs and turnovers, Cincinnati went 8 of 15 on third down and did not turn the ball over. The Dolphins had just three quarterback hits and one sack against one of the NFL's worst pass-blocking fronts.
Christian Wilkins (54 snaps) stood out at defensive end, notching five tackles and a quarterback pressure and being credited with two pressures and five pass-rush wins by Pro Football Focus on his way to a 90+ pass-rushing grade. On the other side, Emmanuel Ogbah (41 snaps) disappeared in a game where Miami needed him in a big way. Zach Sieler had two solo tackles, but also appeared to be impacted by the quick turnaround after such a physically demanding game against Buffalo -- only playing 35 snaps and having a neutral zone infraction and a potential missed block on a field goal that was blocked.
Miami was happy to have Raekwon Davis back at nose tackle, and the big man had three tackles in 38 snaps. John Jenkins had a pair of solo stops in his 11 snaps in reserve.
At outside linebacker, Melvin Ingram had a solo tackle in 33 snaps, while Jaelan Phillps had two tackles, a sack, a stop for loss, and two quarterback hits. Andrew Van Ginkel (six snaps from scrimmage but 22 on special teams) had a solo stop and Trey Flowers (15 snaps) an assisted tackle in reserve. In particular, Van Ginkel's lack of usage on an evening that called for fresh legs was odd.
Jerome Baker led the way with seven tackles in 62 snaps, with Elandon Roberts adding four more in 37 snaps. Duke Riley had six tackles and a stop for loss in 21 snaps, in addition to being flagged for holding. Sam Eguavoen saw three snaps, but 16 more on special teams.
At cornerback, Xavien Howard had two tackles and was beaten a number of times by Tee Higgins (seven grabs for 124 and a touchdown) before leaving with a thigh injury after 40 snaps. Nik Needham had two tackles and Miami's lone pass breakup in his 53 snaps, while Keion Crossen (three tackles in 34 snaps, with an unnecessary roughness) and Kader Kohou (six solo stops in 49 snaps) had to play more than is optimal due to the injury situation at corner.
Brandon Jones had three tackles at strong safety in 25 snaps, with Eric Rowe contributing four more in 41 snaps.
At free safety, Jevon Holland dug deep for his five tackles after such a punishing game four days prior. After playing 92 snaps vs. the Bills, he led Miami again with 63 snaps and seven more on special teams, with Elijah Campbell seeing just one scrimmage snap in reserve. With the Dolphins' secondary depth being tested severely and little to no pressure being applied by the defensive front, the backfield gave up 300+ yards passing once again.

Special teams

Jason Sanders had a tough night, with one field blocked and an extra point missed. He did connect on three other field goals and put all his kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks, but the Dolphins needed to win the third phase to have a chance on a short week on the road, and that didn't happen.
Thomas Morstead punted 3 times for a 50-yard average and a long of 66. Despite avoiding punting it off the ass of his own player, he didn't place a punt inside the 20-yard line.
Mostert returned a pair of kickoffs for 42 yards, while Holland contributed a six-yard punt return.
It's well worth mentioning that Miami had a shot at a blocked punt at a key moment in the contest, but -- seemingly defying most laws of physics -- Campbell managed to miss the pigskin.

Momentum plays

The troubling signs of a tired team were apparent immediately, as Hayden Hurst took a short pass and broke three tackles to energize the crowd on a third-down play that gained 19 yards. Crossen's iffy unnecessary roughness call was another big play on a sloppy defensive drive that saw Joe Mixon push a pile of Dolphins defenders into the end zone for a 7-0 lead on a 3rd & 1 play.
Miami mustered a response thanks to 26- and 20-yard passes from Tua to Hill and Waddle, respectively. A nifty RPO hit to Sherfield went for 11, but Edmonds dropped an easy touchdown on a 3rd & 4 play, forcing a short Sanders field goal to make it 7-3.
After a third-down conversion by Cincy, the 'Fins got a third-down stop when Ingram made a spin move to pressure Burrow into a forced throw that was well-defended by Baker.
On the ensuing possession, a late holding call on Hill nullified a gliding 12-yard run by Mostert, but Tua feathered a 21-yarder to Gesicki between defenders. Unfortunately, his best throw was followed by his worst, as he threw an off-balance deep ball for Hill into double coverage, leading to an easy interception by Vonn Bell.
Back-to-back 3rd & 1 conversations moved Cincinnati into Miami territory, but a 4th & 1 toss sweep to Mixon was wrecked by Sieler, Rowe, Baker, and Holland, who swarmed him for a loss to give the 'Fins the ball back.
A 17-yarder to Hill jumpstarted the Miami drive, then the receiver drew a 24-yard pass interference call on 3rd & 4. A couple of drops by Waddle led to a 3rd & 10 incompletion, forcing another Sanders field goal to make it 7-6.
The Dolphins forced a three-and-out, with a 28-yard Bengals punt giving Miami great field position at its own 42-yard line.
A roughing-the-passer call got a first down for the 'Fins, but two plays later Tua was violently slammed to the ground, creating a scary scene that led to the signal-caller being taken off on a stretcher after a lengthy delay. Bridgewater came in and rifled a 16-yarder on 3rd & 17, but coach Mike McDaniel did not challenge a horrible spot that likely would have given Miami a first down. Instead, Sanders tried a 52-yarder that was blocked after Sieler appeared to be beaten up front.
Three plays later, Cincy cemented the momentum swing with a 59-yard touchdown on 3rd & 11, with Howard seemingly looking for safety help on the play as Higgins sped by him. The home team forged ahead 14-6 with 2:50 remaining in the half.
Another Bengals personal foul got Miami going, then Bridgewater hit Waddle for 19 yards and Hill for 11 more. The quarterback rolled out to find Sherfield for a first down on 3rd & 5, then executed a cleverly designed shovel pass when Edmonds broke a tackle inside the 5-yard line to score from seven yards out. However, Sanders hit the right upright to keep the score at 14-12.
After a Cincinnati kneeldown to end the half, Miami got the ball to start the second. A dismal drive ensued, with Smythe missing a block; Terron Armstead committing a false start; Sherfield not looking on a deep ball that was intercepted before being ruled out of bounds; and another miscommunication with Cracraft where the wideout didn't even try for the ball.
The Bengals didn't do much better, gaining an initial first down before a Phillips sack forced a fourth-down play. Somehow, Campbell missed what appeared to be an easy punt block, failing on an opportunity to turn the tide of the game on special teams.
Another three-and-out for Miami allowed Morstead to uncork a 66-yard punt, but a 23-yard return gave Cincy good field position at the 35-yard line.
Higgins beat "X" for 16 yards again on a tightly contested throw, but good coverage by Needham and Brandon Jones on consecutive plays forced another Bengals punt.
Bridgewater hit Sherfield for 16 yards to get Miami out of poor field position, then followed with a 64-yard strike to Hill that saw the quarterback launch the ball some 63 yards in the air, with Hill showing great concentration to reel in the batted ball. Two Mostert rushes netted just three yards, and a Bridgewater rollout on 3rd & goal led to an incompletion, forcing a 20-yard field goal from Sanders to put Miami ahead for the first time at 15-14.
On the Cincinnati drive, a trick play victimized Crossen on 3rd & 11, with receiver Tyler Boyd hitting Jamarr Chase for 23 yards as the third quarter wound to a close. Kohou and Holland were beaten two plays later, as Burrow rolled out and then threw back across the field to find Boyd for 43 yards. Three straight Mixon runs ensued, with Van Ginkel and Roberts stopping the back on 3rd & goal from the 1-yard line. The Bengals elected to kick a 19-yarder to go ahead 17-15 with 12 minutes remaining.
A bad spot on an Edmonds second-down run left Miami with a 3rd & 1, but Edmonds was easily dropped for a one-yard loss. Bypassing a potential fake, McDaniel elected to punt, with Morstead delivering just a 39-yarder.
Poor depth by Kohou on a 2nd & 10 play allowed Higgins to get loose for 22 yards, then Chase beat Brandon Jones for 14 yards on another 2nd & 10. Kohou recovered with great coverage on Boyd on a 3rd & 13 play, but Evan McPherson uncorked a devastating 57-yard field goal to push the Bengals ahead 20-15 with 6:13 left.
Mostert got the ensuing possession off in high style with a 25-yard run that he threatened to take the distance. On 3rd & 10, Bridgewater made a spin move under pressure, then escaped for an 11-yard run and a first down. Two more Mostert runs netted another first down, but on a 2nd & 10 play, Bridgewater threw behind Gesicki and the ball appeared to be intercepted and run back 46 yards by Bell. Replays seemed to show that the ball hit the turf, but inexplicably, the play was never reviewed, a massive oversight by the officiating crew with 3:05 remaining.
Two plays later, the Dolphins somehow put Crossen in one-on-one coverage with Chase without safety help, with the play predictably resulting in a 36-yard gain. On 3rd & goal, Burrow found Hurst uncovered for an easy touchdown and a 27-15 advantage.
Bridgewater found Hill for 10 and 14 yards on the following possession, but a 4th & 4 throw to Hill was incomplete, allowing the Bengals to kneel on it twice to secure the victory.