The Miami Dolphins first victory overshadowed by the loss of Hill for the season. TYREEK’S twisted leg was a gruesome injury. It brought me back to the early nineties when I saw Moises Alou go down rounding first base. Instantly churned my stomach seeing Hill’s contorted leg. Coach MnM will have to figure out a way to offset the loss. Waddle will get a chance to shine as Miami’s new best target. But others will need to step up; namely Malik, Eskridge, and Ikhine. A favorable stretch in Miami’s schedule will allow the team to experiment and solidify its receiving corps.
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Coaching: (B+); McDaniel did well mixing in the flashier plays. A hallmark of Miami’s offense during his first two seasons. He effectively balanced the run and pass, rushing 31 times, passing 25. He got Tyreek in open space across the middle. He dialed up Waller twice in the Red Zone and used “trick” plays to keep the Jets off balance. This is the second week in a row McDaniel called an exceptional game. Once is a fluke, two is a streak, and three is a trend. I hope his quality play calling becomes a trend.
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Running Backs: (B); The results were excellent, but the average only mediocre. Miami managed just 4 yards per carry, but finished the game with over 100 total rushing yards. They protected well in the pass game. Converted key third downs and kept the Jets’ d-line honest. Achane added another score. He has now scored in three of Miami’s first four games. Gordon was not as effective as he was in Buffalo on Thursday.
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Receivers: (B+); Tyreek Hill had a great start to the game and was playing well. There will be many ramifications from Hill’s injury, beyond the season. Miami can not trade an injured Hill. He will certainly be a post June 1 cut. His health questions will out weigh what Miami will owe him if he remains on the roster. The Dolphins contain enough talent to be effective on offense. Malik Washington possesses many of the same skill sets. Of course he is not a hall of famer. The style of his game should blend in with what McDaniel is doing. Waddle must step up and grab the reins. Show us Grier did not make a mistake with the first round pick. If I was told, “Waller will have two touchdowns after four games,” I would say “sign me up.” He made a great leaping catch in the back of the end zone. Getting both feet in as he fell to the turf showcased his athleticism. Miami will need him to be a red zone threat the rest of the way.
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Defense: (B+); The Jets were moving ball well. Thankfully Miami came up with takeaways. Including one in a “goal to go” situation preventing the Jets from tying the score. Miami still has not had an opponent choose to punt in the first half of any game this season. That is a mind blowing stat. They need to clamp down early on the Panthers this week. Just as in Buffalo, the defense stiffened in the second half as the Dolphins built a 14 point lead. A team can’t count on forcing 3 turnovers a game. The Ravens and Vikings lead the NFL in 2024 in takeaways averaging less than 2 per game. The Browns lead the league in turnovers averaging exactly 2 per game. It was a solid effort; but the team needs to focus on what they control. QB pressure, winning at the line of scrimmage, and hindering the pass game. They have work to do; but have shown improvement. Monday was the first time they held a team under 30!
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Special Teams: (A-); They gave up too many big returns. The Jets had two kick returns over 30 yards and a returned punt of 18. New York finished with 180 return yards. Kick returns have increased dramatically; however, nearly 200 yards on Special Teams is not acceptable. They hold on to their “A” with what they accomplished. Malik Washington had just under 100 yards returning with a long of 34. Patterson was perfect with his leg going 5/5. The big Special Teams star was Bailey. Three of his four punts were downed inside the 20. The cherry on top was pinning the Jets on the one yard line with the game on the line.
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Quarterback(s): (B-); Tua made it through a game without a turnover. He did fumble as snap, but Miami recovered. The ball he threw to Waller in the back of the end zone was precise. He put the ball where the only person capable of catching was his 6’6″ receiver. He still struggles with going through his progression. Miami relies on Tua having only one read. That will be tested with Tyreek out. He will need to get off that first route and look for his second or third options. I expect Malik to see several screens and short drags over the middle against Carolina. He is their most explosive receiving weapon with Hill out.
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Officials: (C+); The offensive pass interference call was spectacular! Thank you.
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Overall: (B); The defense must play better. Miami sits in the bottom ten of the NFL in sacks. On a defense that is most vulnerable in the pass game, the Dolphins need a pass rush. They let Fields squirt out of the back field on 4th down for a 43 yard touch down. That is unacceptable. This is a must win. The Dolphins can not lose to a struggling Carolina team and expect to have success this season. Certainly not when Miami is in a 1-3 hole. With the schedule they have; being .500 after they play Atlanta is a must. Anything less is disastrous. At 4-4 they will be looking at a 3 game stretch of Ravens, Bills, and Skins. Even entering the bye week at 4-7, they have a very winnable final stretch. First quarter of the season is over. They must go 3-1 through the second quarter.
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POLITASPORTS 