Tyreek Hill injury puts damper on Dolphins’ first win says Joe Schad
Tyreek Hill injury puts damper on Dolphins’ first win says Joe Schad
- The Miami Dolphins defeated the New York Jets 27-21, but the victory was overshadowed by a season-ending knee injury to Tyreek Hill.
- Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa showed improved confidence and mechanics in the win against the Jets.
- New additions like tight end Darren Waller and cornerbacks Rasul Douglas and Jack Jones made key plays for Miami.
MIAMI GARDENS ― The Miami Dolphins are 1-3 after a 27-21 defeat of the New York Jets on “Monday Night Football.”
A devastating knee injury to Tyreek Hill overshadowed the whole night.
Tua Tagovailoa, De’Von Achane, Darren Waller, Jack Jones and Jake Bailey all made key plays in the Dolphins’ victory.
Many coaches believe “The Tape Don’t Lie,” and that list includes Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel.
“The game tape survives time,” McDaniel says.
It’s a short week and we’re on to Carolina soon, so let’s highlight just a few things:
Misdirection and Trickeration
It was nice to see the Dolphins and McDaniel dive into their bag a bit.
When Miami had things rolling offensively in years past, they would use slight-of-hand and special ball-handling from Tua Tagovailoa.
Tua’s no-look, behind-the-back flip to Malik Washington in the second quarter was pretty sweet.
It’s not just fun and interesting. It creates some real problems for a defense and can put them on their heels.
Another thing we saw more of was designed play-action, roll-out from Tagovailoa. He’s so comfortable with a moving pocket, especially to his left.
In this game, Tua played like a confident point guard. And, yes, that’s the best version of Tua Tagovailoa.
Darren Waller may not be quite a physical as Jonnu Smith was at tight end last season, but his size and movement skills should be a game-changer for Tua.
The lights came on and all of the sudden Waller looked smooth and dangerous. A tight end adds an important dimension. After all, Tua wants to use the middle of the field, whenever possible.
Waller’s touchdown catch on fourth down near a goal post was a beauty, as was Tua’s throw.
OL made progress, but
On paper, no sacks allowed and 99 rushing yards for De’Von Achane is a big win for the Dolphins’ offensive line.
And make no mistake, it was a satisfactory evening.
One positive is the continued excellent play of young left tackle Patrick Paul.
On an easy-to-overlook play, De’Von Achane fumbled with 5:35 left and Paul alertly recovers.
But rookie left guard Jonah Savaiianaea continues to be beaten too often. He will need to continue to work on his feet, his balance, his first step, etc., etc., etc.
We want to hope that by, say, Week 8, he’s showing real progress.
To be fair, veteran right tackle Larry Borom also had a few really tough reps.
Power and speed. Speed and power. Some troubles.
Miami is just holding on until Austin Jackson and James Daniels return from injury.
Defeat more blocks, DL
The Dolphins’ defensive line is simply not defeating enough blocks.
They need to shed blocks and make plays.
They need to be far more effective against the run or this team has no chance.
Dolphins linebackers Jordyn Brooks and Tyrel Dodson are shockingly #1 and #2 in the entire NFL in tackles.
Umm… what does that say about Miami’s defensive front?
Rasul Douglas and Jack Jones making progress
Rasul Douglas and Jack Jones were added so close to the start of season that it only made sense they would need some time to adjust to Miami’s defense.
One thing Douglas and Jones do are play without fear.
They may make a mistake but it’s likely to be an aggressive mistake.
On this day, Jones forced a key fumble near Miami’s goal line.
And Douglas even had a sack.
You might say their progress made it a little easier for Miami to waive cornerback Cam Smith, which they did a day after the game.
Facing the most intense criticism of his NFL career, Tua Tagovailoa responded with a strong effort on “Monday Night Football.”
Does the Jets defense stink? Well, yes, but what we saw from Tua was improved mechanics, confidence and accuracy.
It’s going to be a tough to adjust to live without Tyreek Hill. But Week 4 was a very good block as Tua tries to rebuild back to what he was in 2023.
De’Von Achane’s talent
With Tyreek Hill out for the season, De’Von Achane is now Miami’s most talented player.
I said what I said.
He’s not just a scat back. Watch Achane’s third-quarter touchdown.
He’s Warrick Dunn + Jacquizz Rodgers + Brian Westbrook + Chris Johnson.
Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Instagram and on X @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe’s free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today.
