Scooter & Hum: Day 1,012, Quasi-Quarantine: Dolphins-Bills Game 14 Review

In what was as difficult a loss as I can remember as a 'Fins fan, Miami dropped its third straight, losing on the road at the gun to Buffalo. With everything on the line, the Dolphins were undone by horrifically predictable play-calling and found themselves on the wrong end of a series of bad officiating calls. Throw in constant unpenalized snowballs being thrown on the field -- DURING actual plays -- and it was clear that the officials lost complete control of the game and were intimidated by the crowd into a number of brutal flags and no-calls.

On to the make-the-hurt-stop recap ...

Offense

The good news is that Miami found a running game in this one, racking up 188 yards on the ground against the league's No. 4 rush defense coming in. Averaging 7.5 yards per carry, a highly compelling case could be made that the 'Fins needed to be running the ball much more often. Sure, the visitors put up more than 400 offensive yards and showed more physicality than normal for a finesse team, but Miami scored a touchdown on just one of three tips to the red zone. Most damagingly, they were 5 of 14 on third down, including failing five times on six 3rd & short (three yards or less) situations. Of those six occasions, the 'Fins threw on five of them, only converting on the one time they actually ran it. If the Dolphins continue to be the NFL's worst team in such situations -- as they are now -- they have no chance to be a contender in January.
Tua Tagovailoa was better than he was in the previous two games, connecting on 17 of 30 passes for 234 yards and two scores. He was hurt by drops, but he was also sacked twice, fumbled once, and threw multiple interception-worthy balls. Tua had a seven-yard run at one point, but he tripped himself on a play that should have resulted in a much larger gain.
In the backfield Raheem Mostert was, quite frankly, a revelation, having his best game in a Miami uniform by rushing for 136 yards on just 17 carries. He added a 20-yard catch on two targets among his 45 snaps, and he was a step away from breaking four other runs. With Jeff Wilson inactive, Salvon Ahmed looked fresh in his 14 snaps, rushing six times for 43 yards and a touchdown. Alec Ingold contributed a two-yard run (for a first-down conversion) and a seven-yard catch on two targets in his 32 snaps, adding a number of crucial blocks. Mike McDaniel's reluctance to lean more on the run game in crucial moments was among the puzzlers of the contest, and his stubbornness has turned into one of the stories of Miami's late-season slide.
Jaylen Waddle came up big in the elements in his 41 snaps, catching three of seven targets for 114 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown. Tyreek Hill was hard on himself for his nine-catch, 69-yard performance in 49 snaps, which included a touchdown grab and a dropped score among his 13 targets. Hill was in good company on the drop front, as Trent Sherfield dropped a touchdown and was shut out in his 32 snaps. Cedrick Wilson made a clutch 21-yard catch on his two targets in 13 snaps, while rookie Braylon Sanders was targeted once and couldn't come up with a catchable deep ball in his 13 snaps. In difficult conditions, Tua needed more help from his supporting cast than he got.
At tight end, Durham Smythe featured with some key blocks and a recovery of a Tua fumble in his 38 snaps, though he did lose two yards on his only catch. Mike Gesicki contributed a five-yard catch in his 12 snaps, while Hunter Long didn't record a statistic in his six snaps. While it's clear that McDaniel intends not to change the trajectory of a lost season for Gesicki, a more creative coach would recognize the need to find the big man in the seam to take pressure off of Hill and Waddle.
In a gutsy effort, left tackle Terron Armstead led the way despite toe, knee, and pectoral injuries, helping the unit surrender just four pressures on 33 pass snaps. Neither he, left guard Robert Jones, nor center Connor Williams gave up a pressure, though right guard Robert Hunt had two costly false starts. Playing all 59 snaps together, the offensive front deserves a lot of credit for the success on the ground -- hopefully a harbinger of things to come as the team enters must-win territory.

Defense

One could argue that a depleted defense did its part, forcing four straight punts and a pair of Josh Allen fumbles down the stretch. However, they surrendered 29 first downs and 446 total yards and allowed conversions on 8 of 14 third downs. The unit also committed three penalties in four snaps at one point, and most costly, gave up four touchdowns on five red-zone trips by the Bills. While it's true that injuries have decimated the defense -- especially in the secondary -- the reality is that the 'Fins have become one of the worst defenses in the league at the worst possible time. In this one, the added reality became clear that they are not built to withstand bad officiating on top of everything else.
At defensive end, Zach Sieler bordered on the dominant at times, posting five tackles, a sack, two stops for losses, and a pair of quarterback hit in his 65 snaps, while Christian Wilkins tallied six tackles and a fumble recovery in his 69 snaps. Justin Zimmer saw three snaps in reserve.
Raekwon Davis (25) and John Jenkins (23) nearly split snaps at nose tackle, with Davis recording two tackles and Jenkins adding one.
In 56 snaps on the weak side, Bradley Chubb had two tackles, a quarterback hit, and a forced fumble, while a tailing-off Melvin Ingram did not record a stat in his 22 snaps.
On the strong side, Jaelan Phillips recorded three tackles, a sack, three quarterback hits, and a vital forced fumble in his 60 snaps, setting the tone up front for Miami. Andrew Van Ginkel was graded as the Dolphins' best player by Pro Football Focus, notching four tackles and a stop for loss in his 15 snaps. One has to wonder whether Van Ginkel finally starts to earn more snaps over Ingram as the 'Fins try to manufacture big plays any way they can down the stretch.
Jerome Baker led the way in the middle, collecting six tackles in 69 snaps. While Elandon Roberts and Duke Riley each played 33 snaps, Roberts was the more effective player by light years, picking up five solo tackles and a stop for a loss despite missing a couple of tackles and committing a shaky unnecessary roughness penalty. Riley continued his recent poor play, contributing a pair of solo tackles, appearing to blow a coverage assignment on an easy Buffalo touchdown, and having a number of missed tackles. Though Channing Tindall may not be ready for consistent snaps as a rookie in a playoff run, the fact that he can't earn time over Riley is a bit of a concern at this stage.
At corner, both Xavien Howard and Kader Kohou played all 78 snaps, with Kohou earning an 80.3 PFF grade on the virtue of seven solo tackles and a pass breakup, offset by flags for both holding and pass interference. Howard had four solo stops, but continued to look a step slow and appeared to make some business decisions in tackle situations. Keion Crossen was forced to play 37 snaps despite a knee injury, making six tackles. Noah Ighbinoghene was thrust into action after a number of inactives, and he recorded two tackles in 33 snaps, though he was beaten on some throws late. For a secondary held together by Band-Aids and bubble game, the unit played reasonably well against one of the league's top quarterbacks.
With Eric Rowe out, Verone McKinley saw the most action at strong safety, making four tackles in a below-average performance. Clayton Fejedelem had a solo tackle in his eight snaps in reserve.
At free safety, Jevon Holland gutted out 67 snaps despite a stinger that necessitated a neckroll, compiling four tackles and a pass breakup while making a strong play on Allen as a spy deep in Buffalo territory. Elijah Campbell was inactive, allowing Justin Bethel to see action from scrimmage for the first time in a few games. He contributed a pair of tackles, but was beaten by Bills tight ends on a couple of occasions. Fair or not, Miami simply needs more from Holland as one of its best defensive players at this stage.

Special teams

Jason Sanders continued his resurgence, connecting on all three field goals -- with a long of 47 yards -- and both extra points.
Thomas Morstead punted four times for an average of 41.8 yards per kick, placing three inside the 20-yard line and crushing a 59-yarder that was downed at the 1-yard line after some fortuitous bounces. He also drew a roughing-the-punter call at a vital moment as well.
Cedrick Wilson only contributed fair catches on punts, but that was important in the snowy conditions. Mostert had a 28-yard kickoff return to begin the game on a strong note.
Smythe led offensive players with 14 special-teams snaps, while Bethel and Fejedelem paced defensive players with 25 snaps each in the kicking game. Tindall had a solo tackle on special teams and Crossen was called for a declined offsides on the final field goal.
For a change, Miami was not overwhelmed in the third phase in this one and created advantageous field position on a number of occasions, which played a significant role in giving the 'Fins a tremendous chance to win the game.

Momentum plays

To start the game, Mostert followed a strong return with 18 yards on back-to-back runs. However, a false start on Hunt led to a 3rd & 11 play that saw Tua have to throw it out bounds to end the opening drive.
A pair of Buffalo holding calls on the punt forced the home team to start on its own 7-yard line, and the Dolphins forced a punt after giving up two first downs.
On the next possession, Ingold converted a 3rd & 1 with a tough inside run, then Tua hit Waddle for 15 yards. Mostert powered ahead to convert a 4th & 1, but Tua held the ball for too long and took a sack on a strange 3rd & 1 call. He coughed the ball up, but Smythe pounced on it, allowing Sanders to hit from 39 yards away for a 3-0 lead.
The Bills wasted no time regaining the lead, using a 45-yard pass from Allen to Dawson Knox and a 13-yard pass to Devin Singletary to set up a 14-yard scoring toss to Quintin Morris, who beat Holland on the play for a 13-7 advantage.
Mostert ended the first quarter in high style, breaking four tackles on a 67-yard jaunt down the sidelines, drawing a horsecollar at the end to set up first and goal from the 4-yard line. Back-to-back dropped touchdowns by Hill and Sherfield forced the 'Fins to settle for a costly short field goal to trim the margin to 7-6. The drive was marred by fans throwing snowballs at Dolphins players during actual game play, which was somehow ignored by the officials until a McDaniels complaint forced the refs to finally address the crowd with a warning.
Buffalo responded with a 12-play drive that featured an improbable 3rd & 17 conversion. Kohou later had Singletary stopped in the hole on a 3rd & 1 play, but eventually got run over. Two plays later, Riley lost Nyheim Hines in coverage, creating an easy dumpoff touchdown for a 14-6 Buffalo lead.
After an interference on Hill went uncalled, Waddle went up high to beat Tra'Davious White for a 32-yard catch on 3rd & 5. Hill converted the next two third downs with tough 6- and 14-yard catches, then Ahmed paid off the possession with a nifty 11-yard run for a score, using a solid Jones block along the way. The touchdown pulled the 'Fins within a point at 14-13.
Another devastating 12-play drive ensued, with Buffalo converting three third downs and getting a pair of suspect penalties on Ighbinoghene and Howard to sustain the possession. With no time remaining on the clock, Allen fired across his body while he was going out of bounds on a hit by Chubb, and his unlikely prayer was answered when James Cook pulled in the pass just past Baker's coverage. The demoralizing score sent the Dolphins into the locker room trailing 21-13.
To make matters more difficult, Buffalo received the second-half kickoff, but Miami forced a three-and-out after a Sieler turned a 2nd & 1 into a 3rd & 4 by splitting the double team to drop Singletary.
Three players later, lightning struck for the 'Fins, as Waddle executed a deep cross and then made the safety look like he was standing still to race 67 yards for a touchdown that silenced the crowd. Tua fired high for Waddle on the two-point conversion, however, making the score 21-19, Bills.
Miami was victimized by another playground play when a clear false start was uncalled and Allen lofted the ball deep under pressure for a 21-yard gain to Knox. Buffalo was called for holding and false start on subsequent plays, leading to another 3rd & 17 that they couldn't convert this time.
After the punt, the Dolphins got a first down on two tough runs by Ahmed, and on a 2nd & 9 play, Tua spun away from a sack and saw an open field in front. With Smythe maneuvering in front as lead blocker, what looked like a significant gain ended quickly when Tua inexplicably tackled himself and fell down two yards short of a first down. A predictable out to Waddle was nearly picked off, forcing a Morstead punt that was downed by Bethel at the Bills' 1-yard line.
Holland made a tremendous play as a spy by tackling Allen on a 3rd & 9 scramble, but Miami chose not to pressure the punt out of Buffalo's end zone, giving up a 46-yard net boot instead.
Taking over at midfield, the Dolphins promptly went three-and-out when Tua failed to dump the ball off to Mostert on a blitz and took a sack instead. However, Morstead took a wicked hit on the punt, earning a roughing-the-punter penalty to retain possession. An 11-yard run by Ahmed set up a 20-yard touchdown toss to Hill that saw White burned again, finally pushing Miami ahead 26-21.
An impressive kickoff return by Hines gave Buffalo strong field possession, and the Bills were then somehow not called for either grounding or illegal touching on an Allen pass that was clearly both of those things. Allen missed a deep ball to an open Stefon Diggs, leading to yet another Bills punt.
Headed into the fourth quarter, the Dolphins went three-and-out again when Tua again threw a highly predictable 3rd & 3 toss to Hill that easily could have been a pick-six. A poor 34-yard punt by Morehead gave Buffalo great field position at its own 49-yard line.
On the first play of the next drive, Allen held the ball long enough for Phillips to loop around on a pass rush and jar the ball loose. Wilkins pounced on the fumble, giving Miami the ball on its own 47-yard line with a phenomenal chance to seize control of the contest.
After an 11-yard run by Mostert, the 'Fins once again shit the bed on 3rd & 1, with a lazy throw to Smythe, who was easily dropped two yards behind the line of scrimmage on another awful play call by McDaniel. Sanders drilled a 47-yard field goal to make the score 29-21, but the missed opportunity loomed as something that would come back to haunt the visitors.
A designed Allen run resulted in another fumble when Chubb jarred the ball loose, but the ball bounced straight to an offensive lineman. Cook had a 16-yard run that saw Riley miss another tackle, then another Allen draw went for 44 yards when McKinley took a terrible angle. Yet another keeper by Allen led to the refs to call a bad roughing-the-passer penalty on Roberts, which led to more snowballs that did not draw flags. Van Ginkel nearly jarred the ball loose on another quarterback run, but on 3rd & goal, Bethel was beaten by Knox for an easy touchdown. The next horseshit call came on the two-point try, when the ball was knocked free for a fumble as Allen extended toward the goal line. Despite not having a definitive view, the refs predictably gave the home team two points to tie the score at 28 with nine minutes remaining.
With the snow creating near-whiteout conditions, Hill reeled in a sliding 13-yard grab, then Wilson went full Randy Moss to haul in a 21-yarder over a helpless defender. After a predictable throw to Hill lost three yards, Waddle was clearly held on a 3rd & 12 throw, but -- again, predictably -- no penalty was called. Hines nearly muffed the punt, but held on to give the Bills possession on their 7-yard line.
A Sieler sack led to a loss of seven, but Ighbinoghene and Howard were beaten easily on successive plays for a big Buffalo first down. Kohou gave up the next 3rd & 3, then the Bills turned to Singletary, who rushed three straight times for 19 yards. On a 3rd & 6 play, Allen threw deep off his back foot, with a bail-out, 21-yard pass interference called on Kohou. Three straight runs set up a 25-yard field goal by Todd Bass with two seconds remaining. Despite the flurries, Bass converted easily to cap a monumental 15-play, 86-yard drive and give the Bills a 32-29 victory.