Scooter & Hum: Day 1,739, Quasi-Quarantine: Dolphins-Texans Game 14 Review

With the season hanging in the balance, Miami played its worst offensive game of the year and appeared to be completely unprepared for Houston's defensive scheme. Coach Mike McDaniel's crew dramatically lost the turnover battle (4-1), were flagged 11 times, and did not use tempo to counter or throw off a stifling Texans "D."

In what was essentially a season-ending defeat, the 'Fins fell to 1-11 in the last dozen games against teams with winner records. Will this finally end up costing general manager Chris Grier his job? What can McDaniel do in the remaining games to prove that he is more than a coordinator?

On to the the-offseason-is-going-to-be-interesting recap ...

Offense

The Dolphins were completely pantsed by Houston coach DeMeco Ryan and his defense; there is simply no other way to put it. Miami's pop-gun offense hit rock bottom, averaging just 3.6 yards per play and 4.0 yards per pass, managing just 18 first downs and 224 total yards. The 'Fins converted just four of 13 third-down tries, though they got first downs on both fourth-down attempts and scored a touchdown on one of two red-zone visits. Somehow, the visitors dominated time of possession (33:24 to 26:36) despite averaging just 2.7 yards per carry on 19 rushes. On a day when the Dolphin defense showed up large, this unit completely screwed the pooch.
Tua Tagovailoa burnished his completion percentage with a 29 of 40 showing, but if the passes are all for three yards, does it really matter? He threw for just 196 yards and a touchdown, and he destroyed momentum repeatedly with three interceptions and a lost fumble. Tua took three sacks and seemed confused and rattled for most of the game, resulting in an offense-low 30.8 grade from Pro Football Focus.
At running back, De'Von Achane was arguably over-used again, racking up 19 touches. In 45 snaps, he carried 12 times for 41 yards and caught all seven targets for 35 yards, though he did fumble once and also made a solo tackle, picking up a 62.4 mark from PFF. Raheem Mostert rushed six times for just eight yards and reeled in all three targets for 13 yards in 26 snaps (67.0 grade from PFF). Rookie Jaylen Wright carried once for three yards in three snaps, and fullback Alec Ingold recorded no touches in his 16 snaps (42.1 PFF mark). The rotation at running back remains confusing and inefficient, though the state of the offensive line is certainly contributing to the inability to move the ball on the ground.
Tyreek Hill had a pretty dismal game (54.6 PFF grade), catching just two of seven targets for 36 yards in 63 snaps, while being called for a hold and making two solo tackles. He had both sloppy route-running and was out-fought for the game-deciding interception, with some accounts having him accountable for two of the three picks (every interception was on a pass targeted to Hill). With Odell Beckham mercifully cut during the week, Malik Washington got 40 snaps and reeled in five of six targets for 52 yards, earning a 67.4 mark from PFF. Jaylen Waddle was targeted twice without a catch in 26 snaps before leaving with a leg injury (50.5 mark from PFF), and River Cracraft contributed a six-yard catch and a facemask penalty in his 22 snaps (45.8 FF grade). Grant DuBose returned to the rotation for 11 plays (55.8 PFF mark), but lost a yard on his only catch before being sent to the hospital on a huge hit on a bad ball by Tua that drew a personal foul. Overall, the wideouts seemed to have little burst and bad spacing on a day that the unit overall seemed to shrink from the physicality of the Houston secondary. More alarmingly, Hill has seemed to regress significantly this season from both a physical and focus standpoint, and considering he'll turn 31 shortly after the season is over, one has to wonder what value he'll have on a team facing a potential rebuild.
Jonnu Smith led the team in targets with 11 from his tight end spot, and he pulled in nine for 48 yards and a touchdown in 45 snaps. good for an offense-leading 71.4 PFF grade. Julian Hill was not targeted in 27 snaps, and Durham Smythe contributed an eight-yard catch and a solo tackle in his 16 snaps. Smith has had a tremendous season, but disappointingly, his work underneath has not resulted in more downfield opportunities for the wide receivers.
Up front, Miami was down to its fourth and fifth tackles in Patrick Paul (right, 52.5 PFF mark) and Jackson Carman (left). The duo held up reasonably well on the edges, though Carman had holding and unnecessary roughness penalties and was forced to make a solo tackle to end up with a 42.2 grade from PFF. The 'Fins were largely dominated on the interior, with left guard Robert Jones (42.7 PFF mark), center Aaron Brewer, and right guard Liam Eichenberg all being whistled for holding penalties, with Eichenberg throwing in a false start to boot to contribute to a dismal 32.2 showing from PFF. Brewer recovered an Achane fumble at one point, but overall, the Dolphins were overwhelmed in the trenches -- a familiar story as this season has progressed.

Defense

All credit to defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver and his crew here -- they turned in a tremendous performance. Miami limited the Texans to just 12 first downs and 181 total yards, allowing just 3.5 yards per pass and 3.6 yards per play. The Dolphins did not allow Houston to establish a running game (77 yards, 3.9 yards per carry) and stopped the home team on five of 13 third downs, though Houston was successful on its lone fourth-down attempt. The 'Fins did allow touchdowns on two of three red-zone trips, but managed four sacks and even forced a turnover (it was a gift on an unexpected snap, but it counts). This side of the ball did more than enough to win, harassing quarterback C.J. Stroud and controlling the game. Weaver went with a tighter rotation of playing time, which seemed to be pay huge dividends.
On the defensive interior, Zach Sieler followed up his AFC Defensive Player of the Week effort with two tackles, a solo, 1.5 sacks, a stop for loss, and two quarterback hits in 45 snaps (78.1 PFF grade). Calais Campbell recorded four tackles, three solos, and a stop for loss in 31 snaps (78.0 mark from PFF), while Benito Jones (an encroachment in 26 snaps, part of a team-worst 29.1 PFF grade) and Da'Shawn Hand (19 snaps, 60.1 mark from PFF) were solid despite a lack of statistics. Someone named Matt Dickerson also got four snaps.
Chop Robinson led the way from the edge with two tackles, one solo, 1.5 sacks, one stop for loss, and four quarterback hits in 28 snaps, earning a 79.3 mark from PFF. Emmanuel Ogbah managed three tackles and two solos in 41 snaps (48.8 mark from PFF), while Quinton Bell added three tackles and two solos in his 19 snaps. Mo Kamara got two snaps in reserve. Miami needs more from the edge -- especially with so many injuries, the latest being Tyus Bower headed to IR -- but this was a gutsy effort from this level of the defense.
At inside linebacker, Jordyn Brooks played well (78.8 grade from PFF), racking up eight tackles, six solos, a stop for loss, and a fumble recovery. Anthony Walker also played all 50 snaps, collecting seven tackles, four solos, and a sack (51.3 PFF mark). No reserves saw action in this one.
Kyle Fuller and Jalen Ramsey both played all 50 snaps at cornerback, with Fuller notching five tackles, four solos, and a stop for loss (60.7 grade from PFF) and Ramsey adding two tackles and a solo (64.5 PFF mark). Kader Kohou registered four tackles, two solos, a stop for loss, and a pass breakup in 27 snaps to pick up a team-best 93.7 PFF grade. No other cornerback had a snap from scrimmage.
At safety, Jevon Holland and Jordan Poyer played all 50 snaps, with Holland making three tackles and two solos and Poyer having a solo tackle. Elijah Campbell got eight snaps from scrimmage in reserve.

Special teams

Jason Sanders hit two field goals, including a 55-yarder, but missed his only extra point for the second week in a row.
Jake Bailey punted three times for a 60.3-yard average, placing one inside the 20-yard line.
Washington averaged 24.3 yards on three kickoff returns and added 24 yards on a pair of punt returns. Miami did allow a 23-yard punt return by Tank Dell, but Houston did not return any kickoffs.
Duke Riley and Siran Neal played 21 snaps in the kicking game to lead defensive players, while Julian Hill paced offensive players with 15 snaps in the third phase. Channing Tindall and Patrick McMorris made solo tackles, though Tindall was whistled for holding and Elijah Campbell was called for unnecessary roughness.

Momentum plays

On its first play of the game, Miami lost three yards on a pass, setting the tone for the entire afternoon. Tua found Washington for eight yards to convert a 3rd & 7, but the quarterback took a sack on 3rd & 9 to end the possession.
A pair of 15-yard passes got Houston moving before Kohou forced a fumble that the 'Fins were unable to recover. Miami held on 3rd & 2, leading to a 44-yard field goal to put the Texans ahead by three.
The Dolphins went three-and-out despite facing a 1st & 5, but despite a 23-yard punt return by the home team, the defense forced a three-and-out of its own on the strength of a third-down sack by Sieler.
Tua hit Smith for 10 yards, then Achane ran three straight times for 15 yards. A 13-yard pass to Achane was nullified by offsetting penalties, but Mostert ran for a first down. A third-down hold on Jones was followed by another lost-yardage completion to Achane, who got seven touches on the drive. Sanders drilled a 55-yard field goal to tie the score at three after a 12-play drive.
Miami got another three-and-out to get the ball back quickly, but Tua was sacked and fumbled on 3rd & 4, and the Texans recovered on Miami's 28-yard line.
Houston hit a 15-yard pass on its first play, then paid off the turnover with a six-yard touchdown on a 3rd & 3 play that saw Poyer wandering around aimlessly in the end zone as his man caught the easy score to go up 10-3.
Washington took a short pass 20 yards to jumpstart the next Miami possession, then Achane ran for a first down on a play that saw Waddle leave after getting rolled up on. A low-block penalty on the Texans got the 'Fins another first down, but a hold on Tyreek Hill erased a nice run by Achane. On 3rd & 10, Achane caught yet another pass for minimal yardage, then fumbled for good measure, though Brewer pounced on the loose ball. Sanders connected from 36 yards away at the two-minute warning to trim the margin to 10-6.
Three plays later, Stroud wasn't looking as the ball was snapped, and after a lengthy scrum, Brooks emerged with the fumble, setting up the Dolphins at Houston's 49-yard line.
The teams traded holding penalties, then Tua threw a bad interception on a 2nd & 6 play that appeared to feature a wrong route by Hill. To compound matters, the pick was returned 68 yards, all the way to Miami's five-yard line with 13 second left in the half.
The 'Fins defense responded with a sack and a forced incompletion, so the Texans could only settle for a short field goal to extend the advantage to 13-6 at halftime.
With the first possession of the second half, the home team converted a 3rd & 3 before being forced to punt on 4th & 2. However, Houston ran a fake that covered 35 yards, though McMorris appeared to have forced a fumble that he recovered. Not only was the call reversed, but an unnecessary roughness penalty on Elijah Campbell set up the Texans from Miami's four-yard line. Two plays later, Stroud found Nico Collins for another six-yard touchdown to make it 20-6 -- a seemingly insurmountable lead.
Miami countered impressively, with Washington catching a 14-yard pass before DuBose was catastrophically injured on a poorly thrown ball by Tua that ended up in a dangerous unnecessary roughness penalty that led to DuBose being carted off after a long stoppage. Tua then found Achane for 10, but the 'Fins faced a 3rd & 16 three plays later after a hold on Carman. Tua found Hill for 21 yards, but after a facemask on Cracraft and an offsides on Houston, Miami had a 4th & 2 from the Texans's seven-yard line. Tua held onto the ball, allowing Smith to broke up in the far corner of the end zone, and the tight end held on for a touchdown on a play that also saw Houston commit an illegal contact penalty. However, Sanders pulled the extra point left, keeping the score at 20-12.
The Dolphins forced a quick three-and-out after a third-down sack by Robinson, then quickly moved into Houston territory with an initial first down and a 15-yard strike to Hill. A nine-yard pass to Smith converted a 4th & 4, setting up Miami at the Texans's 25-yard line. On a 3rd & 5 play, Tua fired for Hill inside the 10-yard line on the right sideline, but Derek Stingley picked off the pass and returned it 10 yards to kill a 13-play Miami drive.
A Stroud scramble earned a first down on 3rd & 1, then two passes helped the home team turn a 2nd & 15 into another first. The Dolphin "D" held at that point, forcing a punt.
The ensuing Miami drive went like so: false start, sack, incompletion with a declined holding penalty, six-yard pass, punt on 4th & 19.
The 'Fins defense made another heroic stop, with Sieler and Robinson combining for a third-down sack. The Houston punt gave the visitors possession with 1:56 remaining from its own 23-yard line.
On the very first play, Tua went deep down the right sideline for Hill, but the ball was slightly underthrown and the wideout allowed Stingley to rip it out of his hands for yet another interception. The Texans ended the contest after three Stroud kneeldowns.