Scooter & Hum: Day 1,368, Quasi-Quarantine: Dolphins-Titans Game 13 Review

Welp, history was made in Miami when the Dolphins allowed the Titans to pull off the second-most improbable comeback since the Next Gen Stats era began in 2016, with the 'Fins choking away a 99.6% win probability and becoming the first team in 768 games to lose a 14-point lead with under three minutes remaining. Miami won the turnover battle (3-1) and time of possession (32:24 to 27:36), but a series of injuries -- including four in the first nine plays of the contest -- and horrific coaching decisions led to one of the most inexplicable contests in franchise history.

Coach Mike McDaniel and his staff have to take a hard look in the mirror after enabling the first home loss of the season and singlehandedly rekindling nightmares of lost Decembers past. However, the brutal officiating (16 combined penalties were called) has to be mentioned as well. Tennessee is simply a dirty team, and when at least three personal fouls they committed went uncalled, they realized they could get away with almost anything. The visitors wanted to make it an ugly game, and they certainly succeeded -- because the officiating crew empowered it.

On to the dispiriting-choke-fest recap ...

Offense

The Dolphins managed just nine passing first downs and converted just four of 13 third-down attempts and misfired on the final fourth-down play of the game. Miami averaged 5.1 yards per carry and put up 158 rushing yards, but for unknown reasons, abandoned the run game in the red zone for ill-advised fade passes, leading the 'Fins to score touchdowns on just two of its five red-zone trips. On its final two possession, the 'Fins ran nine plays for 24 yards, did not target Tyreek Hill nor Jaylen Waddle, and ran just 1:54 off the clock in an unmitigated failure of imagination and execution.
In primetime, Tua Tagovailoa struggled in a big way, struggling to come off of his first read and panicking on almost every dropback. He fumbled twice and took five sacks, though he was pressured on 39% of his dropbacks. He went 23 of 33 for 240 yards and ran three times for 15 yards, but averaged just 5.5 yards per pass and made a number of poor decisions. Perhaps most damningly, when he had every opportunity to salvage the contest for the Dolphins, it was almost impossible to have any faith that he would based on demeanor and previous performance.
Raheem Mostert and DeVon Achane were a solid combination in the backfield, with Mostert leading the way (while battling injury) with 21 carries for 96 yards and two touchdowns, plus a four-yard catch in 46 snaps. In 33 snaps, Achane carred seven times for 47 yards and caught five of nine targets for 24 yards. Alec Ingold had a 13-yard catch that featured a cool hurdle in his 29 snaps, but Jeff Wilson got a single snap for the Dolphins. On a night when Miami needed to pound the ball, McDaniel too often ignored the run.
At wideout, the dominant story was an early ankle injury to Hill on an uncalled horse-collar tackle. He managed four catches on five targets for 61 yards in 34 snaps, but the offense stalled in a mighty way without him, leading to concerns about how one-dimensional the attack has become. Waddle (six catches, 79 yards, eight targets, 59 snaps) and Cedrick Wilson (two catches, 30 yards, four targets, 40 snaps, 86.7 grade from Pro Football Focus) did their best to make up for a hobbled Hill, but both struggled to get early separation. Braxton Berrios (two catches, 13 yards, 33 snaps) and River Cracraft (zero targets in 14 snaps) were quiet when Tua needed underneath help, and one has to wonder whether Chase Claypool merits a red-zone package as Miami's biggest and most physical wideout.
Durham Smythe reeled in two receptions on three targets for 16 yards in 56 snaps, while Julian Hill was not targeted in 15 snaps. The tight end group remains deficient in the passing game, and the "Cheetah" injury highlighted that even more.
Up front, the 'Fins were without four starters at various times during the game, and the results were predictably not pretty. Left tackle Terron Armstead and right guard Robert Hunt were inactives, while center Connor Williams went down with a season-ending knee injury after just six snaps. Liam Eichenberg shifted from guard to center, but was whistled for three penalties (two holds and a false start) and struggled overall. Lester Cotton (called for holding) and Robert Jones (66 snaps, allowing four pressures and two sacks) did not respond well to being thrust into action, with the team earning a 54.9 pass-blocking grade from PFF. Even right tackle and reported stalwart Austin Jackson celebrated a brand-new contract by being pantsed on national television a number of times. The starting offensive line has now missed a combined 21 games through the first 13 games, with that number certain to rise and legitimately calling into question whether Miami's attack can even function based on the current state of the offensive front. McDaniel has been slow to adjust play-calling based on this reality, and he's running out of weeks to prove that he's capable of doing so.

Defense

One of the worst offenses in the league went 75 and 64 yards against a shot Miami defense in the final moments, with Tennessee covering 141 yards in 2:20, only having to convert a single third down along the way. The 'Fins gave up 403 total yards, including 320 through the air to a rookie quarterback while holding Derrick Henry and the Titans to just 2.9 yards per carry and 83 rushing yards. The Titans scored touchdowns on three of five red-zone visits and took advantage of a number of miscommunications in the defensive backfield. You also never want to let a single player on the other team beat you, and Miami allowed that to happen with DeAndre Hopkins, who got away with a lot of veteran tricks on his way to seven catches for 124 yards and a touchdown.
Christian Wilkins collected five tackles, three solos, a sack, a stop for a loss, and two quarterback hits in 62 snaps, but Zach Sieler stole the show up front. In 61 snaps, he notched four tackles, one pass breakup, a quarterback hit, and a pick-six for a crucial defensive score on an evening when the offense was out of sync. He was whistled for a laughable delay-of-game call that was one of a number of officiating mistakes on the night.
It was a quiet day at nose tackle, with Raekwon Davis (20 snaps) and Da'Shawn Hand (eight snaps) seeing limited action and combining for one solo tackle, a pass breakup, and a quarterback hit.
At outside linebacker, Bradley Chubb caught a lot of heat for spiking his helmet a few feet shy of the sideline to get a costly unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that extended a Tennessee drive. However, Chubb was Miami's highest-graded player, earning an 87.1 PFF grade after racking up five tackles, a pass breakup, two quarterback hits, a fumble recovery, and nine pressures in 58 snaps despite numerous chips and double teams. Andrew Van Ginkel was stymied, contributing four tackles in 55 snaps, with Emmanuel Ogbah adding three tackles, a pass breakup, and a quarterback hit in 27 snaps. Jason Pierre-Paul (two snaps) and Cameron Goode (one snap) did not record a stat in late-game action, but the Dolphins recognized the lack of depth by signing veteran former Dolphin Melvin Ingram to the practice squad in the days after the contest.
Jerome Baker was missed in a big way at middle linebacker, though David Long recorded eight tackles, five solos, and two stops for losses in 63 snaps. Duke Riley played all 71 snaps in Baker's stead, posting five solos.
In a largely forgettable performance, the cornerbacks collectively struggled to take advantage of opportunities and hold down a weak Tennessee receiving corps. Jalen Ramsey (two tackles, one pass breakup, one phantom holding call) and Xavien Howard (three tackles and three pass breakups) played 70 snaps each, with Howard being in position for interceptions about four times without coming down with one. Kader Kohou played 62 snaps in the slot, collecting five solos, a pass breakup, and a quarterback hit. Nik Needham came on for eight snaps in reserve.
The situation was even more of a mess at safety. Brandon Jones had seven tackles, five solos, and a pass breakup playing all 71 snaps, while DeShon Elliott contributed eight tackles and four solos in 53 snaps. Elliott left injured at one point, however, and Elijah Campbell notched three tackles and two solos in 18 snaps, but was on the field for a number of busted coverages. While the injury situation is impacting a number of Miami's position groups, the Dolphins are not well equipped to withstand the ailments that have impacted the vital safety position.

Special teams

Jason Sanders made two of three field goals and all three extra points, but in a one-score game, the blocked field goal looms large. The early indications were that Wilkins was beaten on his block, but there may have been some blocking confusion as well.
Jake Bailey punted five times for a 47.0-yard average, putting two inside the 20-yard line.
Berrios returned four kickoffs for 99 yards, with a long of 28, but did not return a single punt.
Berrios and Ingold led offensive players with 10 special-teams snaps apiece. Bethel (24), Campbell (24), and Goode (23) paced defensive players in the third phase.
Campbell recovered a muffed punt, Bethel made three solo stops, and Claypool contributed an assisted tackle. However, Brandon Jones was called for illegal formation penalty on a kickoff and long-snapper Blake Ferguson was whistled for a dead-ball unsportsmanlike penalty after a field goal.
Overall, Tennessee may be one of the only teams with a worse special-teams unit than Miami's -- the Titans fired their coordinator a week after giving up two blocked punts in a single game -- but the Dolphins made it a dead heat in the third phase.

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