Scooter & Hum: Day 675, Quasi-Quarantine: Dolphins-Patsies Game 17 Review

In what would turn out to be a meaningless victory, Miami won the turnover battle, 3-0, to sweep the Patriots for the first time since 2000. New England was whistled for an uncharacteristic eight penalties and the Dolphins outphysicaled the Cheatriots for most of the game, giving Brian Flores a strong sendoff in his final game as coach of the 'Fins.

On to the bittersweet recap ...

Offense

The Dolphins pounded the rock, rushing a staggering 43 times for 195 yards, averaging a more-than-respectable 4.5 yards per carry. While Miami was outgained by 81 yards, they didn't commit a turnover, converted two of three red zone opportunities into touchdowns, and controlled the clock (33:36 to 26:24).
Tua was not asked to do much -- and that's exactly what he provided. He connected on 15 of 22 passes for just 109 yards, with a touchdown. He was sacked once, but also contributed 38 rushing yards on five carries, showing impressive mobility in key moments.
In the backfield, Duke Johnson continued his late-season surge, pounding out 117 yards and a score on 25 carries. He had a long burst of 27 yards and added one catch for five yards, giving credence to the idea that he could -- and should -- be brought back next year. Phillip Lindsay ran hard, with 40 yards on 11 carries, while Myles Gaskin lost a yard on his lone carry, though he did grab three passes for 11 yards in seven snaps.
Jaylen Waddle was quiet in this one, pulling in five passes for just 27 yards, though he did have a touchdown catch. DeVante Parker was targeted just four times, catching two for 12 yards, while Mack Hollins was targeted once without a reception in seven snaps. Albert Wilson (25 snaps) and Isaiah Ford (nine snaps) did not factor. Game conditions certainly dictated the strategy, but having only a dozen targets to wideouts feels indicative of the level of trust that the Dolphins have in Tua at this stage of his career.
At tight end, Durham Smythe led the team in receiving yards with 32 (on two grabs), while Mike Gesicki added two receptions for 22 yards. Adam Shaheen was not targeted on 33 snaps, but he and Smythe both had key blocks to help get the running game on track.
The big news up front is that the 'Fins finally benched right tackle Jesse Davis, paving the way for undrafted rookie free agent Robert Jones to start. Miami responded by allowing just 10 pressures (season average is 15 pressures allowed per game) and establishing a strong rushing attack. Left guard Austin Jackson had a false start and struggled on occasion, but overall, this was a welcome departure from the season-long issues -- when combining Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades and ESPN pass-block win rates, the Dolphins finished dead last in the league in pass protection this year.

Defense

The 'Fins allowed 379 total yards and 6.4 yards per play, with the Pats turning four red zone visits into three touchdowns. However, Miami forced three turnovers and turned two of those into defensive touchdowns to carry the day.
On the edge, Andrew Van Ginkel was dynamic, earning a 74.6 PFF grade by registering seven tackles, a sack, two stops for losses, and a quarterback hit. Emmanuel Ogbah had a solo tackle and two batted passes on the other side, while Jaelan Phillips notched two tackles and recovered a fumble 35 snaps, an uptick in action for him.
The defensive line largely shut down a powerful rushing attack, pressured the quarterback eight times, and collected two sacks, and the tackles were a huge part of that performance. Zach Sieler was borderline dominant on the interior, posting an 89.6 PFF grade after tallying three pressures, three tackles, and a stop for a loss. Finish off a strong third season, Christian Wilkins tallied seven tackles, a sack, a batted pass, and a quarterback hit. Raekwon Davis had a solo tackle in 34 snaps, while Adam Butler did not record a stat in 23 snaps.
The linebackers were targeted a lot in pass coverage, with the Patriots getting 11 receptions, 124 yards, and a touchdown against the group. Jerome Baker had six tackles and a pass breakup, Elandon Roberts added five stops, and Duke Riley had four tackles in just 18 snaps to earn an 82.5 PFF grade. Brennan Scarlett had two tackles in reserve, while Sam Eguavoen finished the game off in style with a fumble recovery touchdown.
With three solo stops, a pass breakup, and a pick-six, Xavien Howard garnered a 75.9 PFF grade. On the other side, Byron Jones had three tackles despite not being targeted all game long, though he was called for pass interference on what was just a really bad call. Nickel Nik Neeham had two solo tackles in 38 snaps, while Eric Rowe had a solo stop and was whistled for a pass interference in his 16 snaps.
Brandon Jones collected eight tackles and a quarterback hit, while Jevon Holland had five stops on his way to a 79.1 PFF grade. Miami's secondary allowed just 136 yards and four first downs on eight catches, and the two young safeties played a large role in that performance.

Special teams

Jason Sanders connected on both field goal attempts -- including a 49-yarder -- and all three of his extra points to end a rocky campaign on a high note.
Michael Palardy averaged 52.3 yards on his four punts, dropping two inside the 20-yard line, booming a 63-yarder, and even leaning into a roughness penalty on his failed fake punt run to earn a crucial first down.
In the return game, Lindsay brought back two kickoffs for 38 yards and Miami had zero yards in punt returns. Cethan Carter and Blake Ferguson had solo tackles on kick coverage.

Momentum plays

A Tua sneak to convert a long 3rd & 1 got Miami going to open the game, then he hit Gaskin to pay off a 3rd & 3 play. On third and inches, Tua kept on an RPO and fired high to Waddle, who reeled it in and made a great toe tap on the end zone sideline for a 7-0 lead.
Three plays later, Mac Jones fired a 3rd & 2 pass that was picked by "X," who put a move on Jones and launched himself into the end zone with a crotch-grabbing Marshawn Lynch tribute. The 37-yard score put the Dolphins up 14-0 less than nine minutes into the contest.
Ogbah batted down a 3rd & 6 pass on New England's next drive, and Miami got rolling again with a 17-yard RPO hit to Smythe. On 3rd & 3, Tua airmailed one to Parker, but the Patsies dropped the gift interception. On the next play, Palardy faked it, coming up well short but drawing an unnecessary roughness flag on an awkward slide as the first quarter ended. Six straight Miami runs pushed the ball deep into visiting territory, but a 3rd & 6 fade to Parker fell incomplete, leading to a 30-yard field goal and a 17-0 advantage.
After a near interception by Van Ginkel on a batted pass, a rollout toss from Jones to Hunter Henry finally gave the Patriots a little life offensively. A 3rd & 1 run by former Dolphins Brandon Bolden turned into a 15-yard touchdown when Roberts, Holland, and Byron Jones all took bad angles, cutting the margin to 17-7.
A dangerous out pattern to Parker and a sack by former 'Fin Kyle Van Noy led to a quick three-and-out by Miami, with a nifty return giving New England good field position on its own 42-yard line. However, a near-interception by Rowe and another batted pass by Ogbah led to a big momentum-saving stop for the Dolphins defense.
A perfect Tua pass on a slant found Waddle in space on what could have been a big gainer, but the rookie dropped it, leading to another three-and-out that was partially offset by a clutch 63-yard punt by Palardy to flip the field.
A Van Ginkel sack forced a 3rd & 18, but poor tackling by Phillips and others allowed a short catch and run that was spotted a yard short after a review. Jones was called for a false start on 4th & 1, leading to a punt that pinned Miami deep.
Starting from their own 7-yard line, the Dolphins used three straight touches by Johnson to get out of trouble. Another near interception on a pass behind Gesicki was nullified by a roughing-the-passer penalty on Matthew Judon. A nine-yarder to G-Sick put Miami in field goal position, but on 3rd & 1, Tua tried to run, allowing the clock to run out since the 'Fins were out of timeouts. The poor decision by the second-year signal-caller sent the teams into halftime at 17-7.
Coming out of halftime, the Patsies got a 3rd & 9 conversion when Rowe was flagged for pass interference. Some missed tackles allowed New England to head deep into Miami territory, but a Wilkins sack forced by Phillips ended the drive. Nick Folk converted the field goal to trim the 'Fins advantage to 17-10.
Johnson's hard run that saw him refuse to go out of bounds jumpstarted the ensuing Miami possession, then Lindsay carried three straight times. Another potential Tua pick was dropped and offsides was called, allowing the 'Fins to keep the drive going. Hollins drew an interference call on a deep throw to the end zone, and Johnson paid it off on the next play, kicking it outside on a run for a score and a 24-10 lead on what was a massive response by the home team.
A 39-yarder to former State wideout Jakobi Myers saw him convert a third down on Howard. An ill-timed Miami blitz allowed Bolden to get loose for a big first down, but Jones fumbled a handoff on the next play, with Phillips pouncing on the ball for a vital turnover.
The 'Fins appeared to go three-and-out on the next possession, but an illegal formation on the Patriots extended the drive to end the third quarter. A huge 23-yard scramble by Tua on 3rd & 6 set up a 49-yard field goal by Sanders to push the advantage to 27-10.
Another big gainer to Henry and a Bolden conversion on 3rd & 1 sent the Patsies storming back down the field, and Bolden scored easily on a 3rd & 15 crossing pattern that featured a blatant pick play by Henry. Multiple flags hit the turf as a result, but after a brief discussion, they were randomly picked up, gifting New England a touchdown to cut the lead to 27-17.
A three-and-out was punctuated by a poor throw by Tua, well behind Waddle. Scarlett did lay a big hit on the ensuring Palardy punt.
Meyers got loose again, this time beating Brandon Jones, then Byron Jones's iffy technique created a bad-call pass interference penalty. A Damien Harris plunge trimmed the margin to 27-24, thanks in large part to shady officiating down the stretch.
On the following possession, Smythe got a first-down catch and wisely slid down inbounds. A 3rd & 8 scramble by Tua saw him make a nifty move to secure another huge first down. After bleeding more clock on three straight Johnson runs, Palardy pinned the Cheatriots on their own 2-yard line.
With three seconds remaining, Meyers tried to jumpstart a lateral play, but Eguavoen jumped in front to pluck it and fall into the end zone for a satisfying score, making the final 33-24.