Scooter & Hum: Day 282, Quasi-Quarantine: Dolphins-Patriots Game 14 Review

Brian Flores delivered perhaps the defining moment of his young coaching career. Missing his top three offensive weapons against his former team, "Flo" and his staff constructed a masterful game plan intended to wear down the Cheatriots defense while forcing Scam Newton to, like, complete passes.

The result was a methodical, vise-like performance that saw Miami dominate New England on the ground and in time of possession (37:26-22:34). Unfailingly, the Cheatriots were whistled for just two penalties (to the 'Fins' seven), but Miami never blinked, inexorably stealing the Patsies soul (if they had one) with fourth-quarter drives of 14 plays, 90 yards, and 11 plays, 75 yards.

Most importantly, the Dolphins kept playoff hopes very much alive, but it was certainly sweet to see Miami overpower a team that had dictated so much so often to the 'Fins over the years.

Offense

Look, Miami ran for 250 f-ing yards on 42 carries, averaging six yards a clip and scoring thrice on the ground. Everyone knew that throwing the ball was gonna be a chore, with the 'Fins missing Mike Gesicki, DeVante Parker, Jakeem Grant, and Myles Gaskin. Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey pulled off an amazing job in continuously keeping the Cheatriots off balance despite the depth chart concerns.
Tua Tagovailoa was efficient, hitting 20 of 26 passes. With the lack of viable targets, he totaled just 145 passing yards at a meager 5.6 yards per attempt, and he was sacked twice and threw a devastating red zone interception. However, he bought time on occasion, picked up nine yards on the ground, and scored a pair of rushing touchdowns.
The Dolphins were flat-out dominant on the ground, and yes, it feels rather weird to type that. Salvon Ahmed was the standout, carrying 23 times for 122 yards and a score, breaking off substantial runs left and right, including a 31-yarder. He added five yards on a single reception and three targets.
'Fins fans have been waiting for Matt Breida to have his 2020 moment, and he needed to be a factor in this one -- and he certainly was, picking up 86 yards on the 12 rushes, with a 24-yard burst as his long run. Surprisingly, he was once again not targeted in the passing game.
Patrick Laird got into the act with 20 yards on two carries, including a massive 12-yard run on third and long at a key moment in the game. He also picked up 12 yards on a pair of grabs, converting a big fourth down at the end of the first half.
The receiving corps was down, well, just about everybody. Lynn Bowden, Jr., stepped up once again, reeling in six catches for 37 yards, and Mack Hollins tried to offset a crucial drop with two catches for 18 yards. Boomerang wideout Isaiah Ford had three catches for 18 yards and a nice lateral on a two-point conversion despite getting whistled for holding at a pivotal point in the contest. You're not going to win many games when your wideouts combine for 73 receiving yards, but this was a testament to the offensive plan.
Things looked bleak with Mike Gesicki out, but the tight ends came through thanks to Durham Smythe, whose five catches for 40 yards were marked by multiple occasions when he trucked New England tacklers instead of ducking out of bounds. Adam Shaheen added a 15-yard reception that featured a nifty run after the catch, and he and Smythe contributed big-time to the running game with strong blocking.
The offensive line frankly took over the game despite missing Ereck Flowers and losing Solomon Kindley at one point. Austin Jackson and Kindley were roadgraders on the left side of the line, and while things slowed down a bit when Michael Dieter came in for Kindley at left guard, the difference wasn't dramatic. Three rookies on the offensive line usually spells disaster, but Jackson, Kindley, and Robert Hunt give the 'Fins a ton of hope for the future up front. Just a dominant performance on the ground, and you don't see New England manhandled in this way in the trenches very often.

Defense

This unit posted its third game of the year in which they did not allow a touchdown. Sony Michel was hard to handle (74 rushing yards on just 10 carries), and former Pack standout Jakobi Myers hurt Miami in the middle of the field, reeling in seven passes for 111 yards. But Newton is just not much of a threat in the passing game anymore, and Miami played him accordingly.
At defensive end, Emmanuel Ogbah recorded three tackles, a sack, 1.5 tackles for losses, and a quarterback hit, while Shaq Lawson contributed two solo tackles and a QB hit despite leaving the game dinged up at one point. Andrew Van Ginkel had a single solo tackle, reflecting a quiet game for the defensive ends, but the New England offense requires discipline on the edges from this spot, and Miami delivered.
On the interior, Zach Sieler led the way yet again, delivering five stops, a sack, and a quarterback hit. Christian Wilkins mostly stayed away from his bizarre bickering with Newton, instead notching three tackles and a stop for loss, while Raekwon Davis was quiet with a single tackle.
The linebacker room was much healthier in this one, and Elandon Roberts was back in a big way, recording nine tackles, half a stop for a loss, and a key fumble recovery against his former team. Fellow ex-Pat Kyle Van Noy also returned with three tackles, a stop for a loss, and a pass breakup/dropped interception. Jerome Baker was active again, coming through with eight tackles, a sack, and a quarterback hit, to go with a couple of very physical tackles and a holding penalty.
At corner, Xavien Howard had five tackles and forced a fumble, though he did have a fumble recovery return for a touchdown called back and was also whistled for a hold. Byron Jones had a single stop, while Nik Needham had four tackles and was flagged for illegal contact.
Nickel Eric Rowe bounced back with steady play, posting three tackles and assisting on a stop for a loss.
Rookie safety Brandon Jones was strong in run support, contributing six tackles. Bobby McCain didn't contribute a single statistic, though his steadying influence was felt in the defensive backfield.

Special Teams

Noah Igbinoghene had two kickoff returns as Miami continues to try to find ways to get the speedy first-round rookie on the field. He tallied 32 yards, but made a poor decision in returning a well-placed kickoff only to the 10-yard line, and he also missed a tackle as the flyer on the punt return unit. Roberts handled a pooch kickoff well with a physical 13-yard return when he ran directly at would-be Patriots tacklers.
Miami had zero punt returns as Antonio Callaway (later cut) continued his streak of non-contributions.
For the second game in a row, Jason Sanders missed a field goal, this one from 52 yards. He did convert both extra point attempts and hammered his kickoffs.
Matt Haack averaged 46.7 yards on three punts, placing one inside the 20-yard line in an important field-position game. Unfortunately, he has now had a touchdown and a great pass on a fake punt called back by penalties this year.
In coverage, Clayton Fejedelem and Sam Eguavoen contributed tackles.

Momentum Plays

After forcing a three-and-out that included a pair of tackles for losses, Miami was unable to convert with good field position, allowing a 56-yard net punt. The 'Fins got a third-down conversion on a Laird catch, but a terrible spot left them short, and the Dolphins' challenge inexplicably failed, leading to a Haack punt.
New England got a couple of first downs, but after an uncalled grounding on Newton, the Patsies punted again, and this one was niftily downed at Miami's 2-yard line.
The Dolphins responded with a massive 92-yard drive that featured a clever balance of run and pass. Miami moved the ball all the way to New England's 4-yard line, but Tua panicked under pressure and threw a brutal interception to J.C. Jackson, who was fortunately tackled by Bowden immediately.
Sony Michel ripped off an 18-yard run to flip field position a bit for the Patsies, and it was the Cheatriots' turn to deliver a lengthy drive, marked by dump-off passes. Van Noy's dropped interception allowed New England to keep possession long enough for a 45-yard field goal by Nick Folk, giving the visitors a 3-0 lead.
On the next drive, Ahmed missed a blitz pickup and Tua held it too long, forcing a Miami three-and-out. On defense, the 'Fins continued to rush three but give up plays over the middle, but Brandon Jones stopped Newton short on a third-down run, forcing a fumble that Howard picked up and raced 86 yards for a score with. Unfortunately, the loose ball hit Wilkins as he was out of bounds, nullifying the touchdown on replay and allowing Folk to hit a 34-yarder to push the lead to 6-0.
Tua hit Bowden over the middle on a key third-down play on the next drive, then Malcolm Perry went in motion, stopped, took the snap, and plunged ahead for a sneak that converted a 3rd & 1 play on a clever design. After Hollins had a crucial drop 16 yards down the field and Tua took a third-down sack, Miami was faced with a 4th & 8 with 11 seconds left. The 'Fins elected to go for it, and Tua avoided a sack and hit Laird, who scrambled out of bounds for a first down. However, Sanders pulled the long field goal just left with four seconds left, keeping the score at 6-0 headed into halftime.
The Dolphins came out hot to start the second half, getting Bowden, Breida, and Ahmed out in the open field with a trick play and cut-back runs. After Tua converted a 3rd & 1 with a nice red-zone run, Ahmed bounced off his own blocker and plunged in for a touchdown that put Miami ahead, 7-6.
On the next drive, Meyers got free again over the middle, but "X" came in with a well-executed "Peanut Punch" (hat tip to former Bear great Charles Tillman) to knock the ball loose for Roberts to pounce on.
Taking over in New England territory, the 'Fins had a great opportunity, but a holding call on Ford sank the drive. A stellar fake punt saw Haack unleash a long cross-field throw to Kamu Grugier-Hill for a massive conversion -- but Grugier-Hill was whistled for ineligible downfield and illegal touching for allegedly not reporting (Miami disagreed with this rather strenuously). Forced to punt again, Haack at least pinned the Cheatriots inside the 10-yard line.
A holding call on Baker gave New England some field position, and Newton runs and a 36-yard strike to Meyers continued the drive. Another uncalled grounding on Newton was followed by a third-down pass to Meyers that "X" stopped two yards short, but Folk hit his third field goal to reclaim the lead for the Patsies, 9-7.
Ahmed's 31-yard run jumpstarted the ensuing Miami drive, which saw Kindley go out with an injury. Laird's patient run allowed him to convert a 3rd & 8 with a 12-yard burst, and a mix of short passes and runs set the stage for Tua's third-and-goal run for a touchdown that featured an ankle-breaking cut-back move. The Dolphins went for two, and a modified hook-and-lateral saw Ford catch a quick pass and lateral to Ahmed for the conversion and a 15-9 advantage.
Back on defense, a missed sack by Lawson on 3rd & 15 gave Newton time to find an open man for a first down. A third-down deep ball to the end zone couldn't be reeled in one-handed, and Folk hit from 42 yards to cut the margin to 15-12.
The 'Fins exerted their physical dominance on the following drive, which featured a punishing catch and run by Smythe and open-field bursts by Ahmed and Brieda (a 24-yarder). Ahmed converted a 3rd & 1 and then plunged in for a short score, but it was overturned on replay. Tua did the honors for a touchdown on the next play, helped in by Wilkins at the fullback position. The drive clearly staggered a dazed Cheatriots team, with Miami forging ahead 22-12.
New England was in hurry-up mode on the next drive, but after a couple of first downs, the Dolphins' pass rush took over. A first-down sack by Baker was bookended by a fourth-down sack by Ogbah and Roberts, giving the ball back to Miami. A demoralized Bill Belicheat didn't even use his final two timeouts, allowing the 'Fins to run out the clock.