The Miami Dolphins lost to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. Here are Miami’s positional grades from the Week 17 game:
Quarterback: D-
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa struggled on Sunday. The second-year signal-caller failed to complete half of his passes, handicapped by the cold rain and his struggling offensive line. Tagovailoa recorded two turnovers: a fumble and an interception. Although he wrapped up with 205 passing yards, the Alabama product made questionable decisions with the football in the face of pressure.
Running Backs: C
Myles Gaskin handled the bulk of the carries on Sunday, running for 2.9 yards per carry. Tennessee’s aggressive blitzing schemes prevented Miami from picking up much steam while running the ball. Miami’s strong suit lies on the right-side of the offensive line, making the teams run-game quite one-dimensional.
Wide Receivers: C+
Despite being quiet for much of the first half, rookie Jaylen Waddle produced in the second half. The speedster hauled in three receptions for 47 yards. Waddle, however, wasn’t able to recognize a soft-spot in Tennessee’s cover two zone defense like he usually does. Tight end Mike Gesicki is certainly part of Miami’s dynamic young core, catching seven passes while moving the chains twice. The legend of Isaiah Ford in Miami continues to grow, as the practice-squad hero snagged a touchdown pass.
Offensive Line: C-
Robert Hunt continues to be Miami’s only consistent blocker. Hunt did not allow a single pressure and demonstrated his mobility in run-pull situations. Austin Jackson struggled, even registering an illegal man downfield penalty. In this contest, Miami’s offensive line performed better while pass-blocking rather than run-blocking. The Dolphins failed to reach 75 rushing yards, despite rotating through three running backs.
Defensive Line/ Linebackers: B+
Defensive lineman Jaelan Phillips has rebounded from what many considered to be a slow start to his rookie season. The versatile pass-rusher took a moment to adapt to the advanced scheme of a professional defense, but has dominated lately. Phillips sacked elusive passer Ryan Tannehill twice, and pressured him five times. Linebacker Jerome Baker blitzed on third down to register a crucial sack, and was adequate in zone coverage on Tennessee’s running backs and tight ends.
Defensive Backs: C+
The multi-million dollar man, Xavien Howard, put together some sort of defensive clinic on Sunday. Somehow Tennessee managed to score 34 points without Derrick Henry, and without catching a single pass on Xavien Howard. Howard did not allow a single catch on three targets.
(Featured image by Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports)