The Miami Dolphins missed out on the chance to pull off an upset to the Buffalo Bills, losing 34-31 in the Wild Card round. These three Dolphins are the most to blame for the loss.
No one gave the Miami Dolphins a chance in the Wild Card Round. They were starting rookie third-string quarterback Skylar Thompson, as Tua Tagovailoa was dealing with a concussion and Teddy Bridgewater was available as an emergency option after dislocating his finger. They had to face off against the Buffalo Bills, who can be considered the favorites to make it to the Super Bowl out of the AFC.
Credit where credit is due, the Dolphins put up a fight, even holding a 24-20 lead in the third quarter. However, the Bills overcame that deficit and were able to sneak away with the 34-31 victory.
While there were positives to take from this game, Miami cost themselves a chance to secure their first playoff win since 2000. When it comes to who is to blame for the loss, these three Dolphins stand out.
3 Dolphins to blame for Wild Card loss, No. 3: Josh Boyer, DC
Let’s start off with Miami defensive coordinator Josh Boyer.
While yes, the defense was able to pick off Bills quarterback Josh Allen twice in the game, and force him to lose a fumble later on, Boyer’s scheme caught the attention of the viewing audience. Throughout the game, Boyer called cover-zero blitz plays. As NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe points out, Miami’s defense did have a few injuries and had trouble covering top-tier wide receivers.
Stefon Diggs had a huge game, catching seven of nine targets from Allen for 114 yards. Gabe Davis had a big game as well, catching six of nine passes for 113 yards and a touchdown.
Boyer’s defense surrendered 423 yards of offense, 25 first downs (16 passing first downs), and an average of 5.9 yards per play.
The Dolphins were able to get to Allen, however, recording 13 quarterback hits and seven sacks for a loss of 36 yards. But, given how close the game was, what if Boyer called less cover-zero blitzes? Maybe fans would have seen a different end result.
3 Dolphins to blame for Wild Card loss, No. 2: Jaylen Waddle, WR
Another reason as to why the Dolphins lost this game was due in part to dropped passes from wide receivers.
Thompson had a solid performance for the Dolphins, completing 18 passes for 220 yards and a touchdown. However, those completions came on 45 attempts. But, the drops are really what ruined Miami’s chances of winning the game.
Second-year wide receiver Jaylen Waddle dropped some of the targets thrown his way, including a big drop on second-and-nine early in the first quarter. It would have been a huge gain, but Waddle couldn’t secure it.
Take a look at some of the other drops in the game, including Tyreek Hill and running back Jeff Wilson.
Waddle caught just three of his seven targets for 44 yards.
We may have seen the Dolphins advancing out of the Wild Card Round had some of these drops get caught by their intended targets.
3 Dolphins to blame for Wild Card loss, No. 1: Mike McDaniel, HC
Considering he had had to start his third-string quarterback, it was quite a showing from first-year head coach Mike McDaniel. But what truly overshadows the fact that he almost got his first playoff win is the clock management. It was a brutal day for McDaniel.
There were numerous moments where the Dolphins’ offense had to scramble to the line of scrimmage to get the play off before the clock expired. Perhaps the worst moment arrived at the end of the game.
The Dolphins faced a fourth-and-one situation down 34-31. It seemed like a simple quarterback scramble type of play. However, the team had to run to the line of scrimmage to try and snap the football. It was too late, as the on-field officials called them for a delay of game. Miami was pushed five yards backward and made their chances of extending the drive that much more difficult. Sure enough, Thompson’s pass to tight end Mike Gesicki fell incomplete. That gave Buffalo the football with over two minutes remaining while Miami had no timeouts left.
After the game, McDaniel was asked about the delay of game. McDaniel said that someone on his staff informed him that they had a first-down, so they were preparing for a first-down play.
The game will be a learning experience for the Dolphins, but it certainly stings that they had a chance to potentially tie or win the game on that final drive.
