Scooter & Hum: Day 943, Quasi-Quarantine: Dolphins-Jets Game 5 Review

In the Dolphins' fifth game of the season, the scenario all coaches dread came to fruition on the road against the hated New York Jets -- the team had to hand the reins to a third-string rookie quarterback.

Perhaps the biggest play of the game came on Miami's first offensive play, when backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was hit as he threw, injuring his elbow and also being ruled out of the rest of the game with a vague "head" (not a concussion). To make matters worse, the play was inexplicably ruled a safety as Bridgewater was mind-numblingly called for intentional grounding, despite a) being hit as he threw, b) throwing it toward a clear receiver on a designed screen, and c) that type of play literally never being called a safety (this was written about after the Buffalo game).

Seventh-round rookie Skylar Thompson was ushered into the game, and while he did enough to keep the Dolphins in the game, the defense eventually imploded and a series of injuries seemingly made it nearly impossible for Miami to compete. The visitors compounded their own issues with a staggering 11 penalties (for 102 yards) and by turning the ball over twice without forcing a Jets turnover.

In the past two games -- Miami's first two losses of the season -- the team has predictably struggled on offense, committing four turnovers, going 6 for 21 on third downs, and misfiring on all three fourth-down attempts. When the defense has been needed most -- while admittedly also struggling with injuries -- that unit has contributed zero turnovers and allowed seven touchdowns on nine trips to the end zone. Toss in 17 penalties over those two contests and you have a recipe for failure.

On to the it's-all-adding-up recap ...

Offense

Forced to manufacture yards somehow with a compromised passing attack, Miami found its best success on the ground, rushing for 137 yards and averaging 5.3 yards per carry. Pass-blocking, however, was a disaster. The Dolphins converted two of three trips to the red zone into touchdowns, but went just 4 for 11 on third downs and didn't convert either of its two fourth-down attempts.
Thompson played 66 snaps after Bridgewater left after a singe play, connecting on 19 of 33 passes for 166 yards. He was under constant pressure, being sacked twice, fumbling once, and throwing an interception. Under the conditions, it would be difficult to ask for more from a late-round rookie signal-caller.
Raheem Mostert was a revelation, carrying 18 times for 113 yards and a touchdown and adding one catch for nine yards in 46 snaps. With Chase Edmonds slumping (one carry, one yard, two targets and two drops in 10 snaps, resulting in a dismal 30.1 grade from Pro Football Focus), Myles Gaskin saw his first action, rushing four times for nine yards and grabbing three passes for 24 yards on five targets in his 13 snaps, good for a 66.1 PFF grade. Fullback Alec Ingold touched the ball once in his 22 snaps -- contributing to a failed fourth-down attempt -- earning a 53.1 PFF grade, one of the worst on the team.
At receiver, Tyreek Hill (seven catches for 47 yards plus an illegal formation flag and a foot injury, grade of 75.3 from PFF) and Jaylen Waddle (three grabs for 23 yards, 64.6 PFF grade) were reduced to short routes by the quarterback change and pass-blocking struggles, despite the pair combining to draw three pass-interference penalties. Cedrick Wilson had two receptions for 20 yards in his 16 snaps (75.3 PFF grade) despite an egregious drop on what would have been a big gain, while Trent Sherfield added one catch for five yards in 44 snaps. River Cracraft saw 14 snaps, but his only target resulted in an interception. The Jets did a tremendous job of limiting run-after-the-catch opportunities by the Miami wideouts.
Mike Gesicki was targeted just twice in 36 snaps, though he hauled in a 30-yarder. Durham Smythe had a catch for eight yards in his 33 snaps, but he also carried once for a yard and a touchdown on a slick short-yardage play near the goal line. Undrafted Tanner Conner saw his first action, contributing a massive, deflating drop among his seven snaps on the afternoon.
Along the offensive front, the tackles were the dominant story, as the 'Fins were abused all game long. At right tackle, Greg Little allowed five pressures with a false start, earning a 27.9 pass-blocking grade and a 46.1 grade from Pro Football Focus. On the other side, Terron Armstead lasted just eight snaps before leaving with a toe injury, getting whistled for holding along the way. He yielded to someone named Brandon Shell (a former Jet, apparently), who received a 45.3 overall grade and a stunning 15.0 pass-blocking grade from PFF after allowing seven pressures. Center Connor Williams got called for a shaky unnecessary roughness, while guards Liam Eichenberg (48.7 PFF grade) and Robert Hunt (81.8 PFF grade despite issues in pass protection) both struggled at times with New York's interior players. While injuries have certainly played a role, according to PFF, Miami now ranks DFL in pass blocking and 19th in the league in run blocking this season.

Defense

In the fifth week of the campaign, it apparently took a rookie running back named Breece Hall to break the Dolphins defense. Hall racked up 197 yards on just 20 touches, and Miami just could not seem to tackle him all game long. The 'Fins limited the Jets to 5 of 11 on third downs and stopped the home team's lone fourth-down attempt, but surrendered a staggering five touchdowns on six red-zone trips. While the "D" has been forced to be less aggressive due to secondary injuries, there is no excuse for Miami ranking 23rd in the NFL in sacks per game, 30th in quarterback-pressure percentage, and 29th in quarterback knockdowns, as the 'Fins appear incapable of generating any sort of rush with its linemen.
At end, Christian Wilkins continues to lead the way in effort, recording six tackles, a stop for loss, and a pass breakup in 50 snaps, earning a 70.5 grade from PFF. Zach Sieler had three tackles and a quarterback hit in his 40 snaps for a 75.9 PFF grade (the best defensive score), but Emmanuel Ogbah had his second straight invisible performance, notching a single solo tackle in 38 snaps. Not to put too fine a point on it, but in the current state of the defense, Miami is going to struggle to win with that level of contribution from Ogbah.
Miami literally got nothing from the nose tackle spot, as Raekwon Davis (38 snaps) and John Jenkins (nine snaps) were not credited with a statistic in a combined 47 snaps. Somehow, the only thing Davis contributed was a facemask penalty on his way to a 44.6 PFF grade.
On the edge, Melvin Ingram was also nullified by New York, with one solo tackle and a facemask penalty in his 36 snaps (still earning a 65.4 PFF grade), while Jaelan Phillips recorded five tackles in his 33 snaps at the other outside linebacker spot. Andrew Van Ginkel had two solo stops in 19 snaps, though Trey Flowers was inactive.
Playing all 59 snaps, Jerome Baker notched four tackles, a sack, a stop for loss, a pass breakup, and a quarterback hit at inside linebacker, earning a 66.8 grade from PFF. Elandon Roberts added seven tackles and a stop for loss in 39 snaps. In reserve, Duke Riley had a solo stop in his 10 snaps (47.5 PFF grade), Sam Eguavoen played five snaps, and rookie Channing Tindall had a tackle in his two snaps.
With Xavien Howard and Byron Jones both inactive, Miami leaned hard on Nik Needham and undrafted rookie Kader Kohou to play all 59 snaps. Needham had five tackles and was called for illegal use of hands to earn a 63.4 PFF grade, while Kohou had four solo stops and one tackle for loss while being whistled for pass interference to earn a 41.7 grade from PFF. Former first-rounder (I'm obligated to type that on every reference) Noah Ighbinoghene contributed a single solo tackle in 31 snaps, his most extensive action of the season, but was assigned a 42.9 grade from PFF.
Playing 57 snaps at strong safety, Brandon Jones recorded nine tackles, a sack, one stop for loss, and a quarterback hit. Oddly, Eric Rowe played just six snaps despite the critical injury situation in the defensive backfield.
Jevon Holland played all 59 snaps at free safety, but was uncustomarily quiet, registering just three tackles and earning a facemask flag. He received a 43.7 grade from PFF, easily his worst score of the season.

Special teams

Placekicker Jason Sanders continued his up-and-down performance, pushing a 54-yarder wide right but connecting from 46 yards and on both extra points. His kickoffs also did not have the usual depth, with New York having two kick returns.
Thomas Morstead averaged 43.7 yards on three punts, dropping one inside the 20-yard line and adding a tackle on special teams after a monster free kick was returned 42 yards.
With the Dolphins suffering so many key injuries on both sides of the ball, the team is in desperate need of impact plays in the third phase. However, Miami did not return a kickoff and Hill lost two yards on his only punt return.
A week after seeing 34 snaps from scrimmage, Keion Crossen did not see any snaps on defense, though he had 18 snaps on special teams. Justin Bethel and Riley led the way with 25 snaps on special teams, with Van Ginkel and Clayton Fejedelmen contributing 23 snaps in the third phase. Among offensive players, Sherfield (16 snaps) and Conner (14 snaps) led the way on special teams.

Momentum plays

After an initial New York first down to start the game, Wilkins knocked down a third-down pass to force the first of a number of great Jets punts, which was downed at Miami's 7-yard line.
Disaster struck quickly for the Dolphins, as a horrific officiating call was compounded by the loss of its starting -- and backup -- quarterback in Bridgewater. With a screen set up, the signal-caller was hit on the arm and fell to the turf, which later sparked a controversial ruling by the spotter that disqualified Bridgewater from the game. After much deliberation, the play was inexplicably ruled grounding on the quarterback, giving the Jets a gift safety.
After a long free kick by Morstead, New York's Braxton Berrios raced 42 yards with it to give the home team excellent field position at its own 49-yard line.
The 'Fins responded with a three-and-out defensively, punctuated by a Baker sack. However, another stellar punt pinned Miami at its own 3-yard line.
The Dolphins didn't use kid gloves with Thompson, letting him fire deep for Hill on 3rd & 1, resulting in the receiver drawing a pass interference flag. The young QB then escaped pressure to run for a first down on 3rd & 10, but a holding penalty on Armstead forced a 3rd & 20 toss that was nearly intercepted, forcing another punt.
On a 3rd & 7 play, a weak blitz by Kohou was easily picked up, allowing the Jets to victimize Ighbinoghene for an easy first down. Back-to-back plays that saw Ingram make a tackle for loss and Davis contribute a sack were both nullified by facemask penalties on the Dolphins, highlighting the self-inflicted wounds that would stymie Miami all day. Despite rushing only three, the 'Fins forced a Jets field goal with some Ogbah pressure, putting New York up 5-0.
A quick three-and-out by the 'Fins was countered with a 79-yard wheel route to Hall, who carried Miami defensive backs for more than 15 yards, allowing Michael Carter to punch it in from a yard out on the first play of the second quarter to push the Jets ahead, 12-0.
Consecutive short passes to Hill gave the Dolphins a much-needed first down, then Hill drew another pass interference flag. A Thompson ad-lib that saw him hit Waddle off-balance on a 3rd & 2 play set up a reverse to Hill for 10. On the next play, Mostert got to the edge and stiff-armed C.J. Mosley to punch it in for Miami and cut the deficit to 12-7.
A down-the-field pass breakup by Baker punctuated a three-and-out by the 'Fins defense, but on the second play of the ensuing possession, Little whiffed on a block, allowing Thompson to be hit as he threw, resulting in a flutterball that rookie Sauce Gardner outfought Cracraft for for an interception.
Missed tackles highlighted the next drive, as New York ballcarriers took advantage of tired and inexperienced Miami defensive backs on both runs and short passes. On 3rd & goal, Jets quarterback Zach Wilson broke the pocket and dove into the end zone. Despite a nice hit by Rowe that initially looked like it caused a fumble, the New York touchdown pushed the lead to 19-7.
The 'Fins featured Mostert on the next drive, allowing him to rack up 42 yards on four touches, with Hill also contributing a 13-yard sideline grab that was nearly intercepted. On 2nd & goal from the 1-yard line, Smythe went in motion, then stopped under center, took the snap, and plunged in to trim the lead to 19-14 with just four seconds remaining in the half.
The initial second-half possession featured another heavy dose of Mostert, with a 20-yard run setting the tone. After a 3rd & 5 out to Gesicki did not connect, Sanders was good from 46 yards to make the score 19-17.
Penalties on Kohou (interference) and Needham (illegal use of hands) got New York moving, but the defense rose up to force a turnover on downs when Needham had solid coverage on a 4th & 2 deep shot.
Taking over on its own 45-yard line, the Dolphins wasted a golden opportunity due to horrific blocking, with Thompson being sacked by two players on 3rd & 5. Morstead pinned the Jets on their own 7-lard line with a nice 48-yard punt.
After a coverage miscommunication allowed an easy conversion on 3rd & 4, a Brandon Jones blitz resulted in a 17-yard loss. However, in a big field position play, Miami allowed a 17-yard Hall run on 3rd & 25. When Hill fielded a bouncing 51-yard punt and lost yardage, the Jets had successfully flipped the field in a crucial moment.
Headed into the fourth quarter, the 'Fins benefited from a pass interference drawn by Waddle to convert a 3rd & 6. On a second-down play, Thompson made a beautiful seam pass, but undrafted rookie Tanner Conner dropped the ball. When Waddle got just five yards on a screen on 3rd & 10, Sanders missed by a lot on a 54-yard attempt to cap a frustrating drive.
On the first play of the Jets' possession, Wilson was pressured by Ingram but found Corey Davis for 21 yards along the sideline. New York converted a 3rd & 1 with a pass in front of Kohou, then got a break when Baker tripped over Ighbinoghene, allowing a short pass to Hall to turn into a 21-yard gain due to poor tackling. Carter punched it in on the next play, avoiding Roberts and then doing the "Waddle" to rub salt in the wound of a 26-17 advantage.
Following a delay-of-game penalty, Thompson was ragdolled in the pocket, coughing up the ball. Quinnen Williams grabbed the ball, stiff-armed Hill into oblivion, and rumbled 12 yards before taking a respectable hit from Hunt.
Taking over at Miami's 5-yard line, Hall overcame a facemask penalty on Holland to push the lead to 33-17 and effectively end the contest.
Still standing tall in the pocket despite taking a bit hit, Thompson was let down again when he lofted a medium-length pass that was dropped by Wilson. After a 3rd & 1 run by Gaskin didn't gain a yard, the Dolphins went with a trick play, having Ingold pitch to Mostert on a disastrous option play that lost four yards on 4th & 1.
Starting once again deep in Miami territory at the 30-yard line, the Jets kept giving the ball to Hall, who somehow converted a 3rd & 11 by easily breaking a Brandon Jones tackle. Two plays later, Berrios scored on an end around despite absorbing a big hit from Holland and initially appearing to fumble. He stayed down on the field, but apparently was not evaluated for a concussion in another suspicious turn of events. The end result? An insurmountable 40-17 lead for the home team.
Two plays later, Thompson hit G-Sick for a nice 30-yarder, then converted a 2nd & 10 with a pass to Wilson. A laughable unnecessary roughness whistle on Williams effectively halted the drive despite a 16-yard catch and run by Gaskin.
After an unsuccessful 4th & 7 play was punctuated by a declined illegal formation call, the Jets kneeled on it twice to end the contest.