5 days Ago By Ryan VanHoover
The Miami Dolphins have been going through an identity change this year, mostly because of how defenses are playing them. They went from a big-play offense that scored many points to a team that takes the ball for long, sustained drives like they did today in their 34-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. CBS commentator Jay Feely feels this is going to be sustainable if you don’t make big plays, as he said in the broadcast.
I disagree with that. Why can’t this be sustainable? I can understand when you fall behind early in the game by two scores, and the offense struggles to find any rhythm. The Dolphins have been doing this all season, especially after the 4th game against the Tennessee Titans.
Most of that has been by design because the Dolphins played four games without quarterback Tua Tagovailoa . However, since Tagovailoa returned, the Dolphins have taken the ball down the field more efficiently. The difference between the last two games and the other games is that the Dolphins aren’t making the key mistakes with turnovers in key situations.
Think about the last five games: the Dolphins have had leads at halftime, but in the last two games, they haven’t had key turnovers like they did in the losses to the Indianapolis Colts, Arizona Cardinals, and, of course, the Buffalo Bills. As long as the offense avoids key mistakes and can keep these long drives going without big plays, it should be fine and be able to win some games the rest of the way. The other thing is if the team has a lead in the 4th quarter and they have been making plays underneath, eventually it’s going to open up a big play late in the game, like the 57-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jonnu Smith , who was as open as the ocean in the game-sealing play to put the Raiders away.
Feely and Ross Tucker , who both called the game today, feel that the plays are there to be made, but Tagovailoa gets rid of the ball too quickly and doesn’t give it a chance. That could be true, especially coming from two guys who played the game and studied the film of the teams they cover. The big plays should come.
But why not take what the defense gives you, and you can take time off the clock? It might not be the prettiest style of play on offense, but it can be effective. The running game is suffering a little bit because fullback Alec Ingold has been out the last two games with an injury, so when he comes back, I think it will help the running game more. I don’t think we should be nit-picky about how the Dolphins are having long, sustained drives without big plays because those will come if the offense is patient throughout the game.
We saw it with Smith, and running back DeVon Achane had a big 30-yard run to set up a touchdown on the first drive of the second half. Take the good with the bad: more long drives with fewer big plays. Tua Needs To Take Care Of The Ball & Himself When Extending Plays.
