What is happening? The Miami Dolphins started their season off with an 8-3 record. And now… well, to say the least, things have taken a turn for the worse.
The Fins have lost their fifth straight, 23-21, to the New England Patriots. Miami is now 8-8 and has lost control of a playoff spot. The Patriots, meanwhile, snapped a four-game losing streak. New England now takes over the last spot in the AFC playoff picture.
1. Both teams were short-handed.
A few days before gameday, QB Tua Tagovailoa was declared out with a concussion. Pro-Bowlers Terron Armstead, Xavien Howard, and Bradley Chubb were also declared out before Sunday’s game.
The Patriots were also short-handed on Sunday. Three cornerbacks in Jalen Mills (groin), Jack Jones (knee) and Marcus Jones (concussion) were all ruled out. Offensive weapons Jonnu Smith and DeVante Parker were both out as well.
2. Miami’s quarterbacks are very unreliable.
With Tua out on Sunday, in comes the veteran QB Teddy Bridgewater, who attempted to keep the Fins in the AFC playoff picture.
Teddy Two-Gloves played okay for the situation he was in, completing 12-of-19 passes for 161 yards, including a nice touchdown flip to Raheem Mostert mid-way through the third.
But everything changed after…
The Patriots kicked a field goal to cut the deficit to 14-10, and then on the Dolphins next drive, Teddy Bridgewater threw a pick-six to Kyle Duggar. On that play, Bridgewater injured his right ring finger, and was taken to the locker room.
So… in comes the rookie and preseason standout, Skylar Thompson.
And it just went on a decline from there. On Skylar’s first drive, he threw an interception at the New England 35 that slipped through Tyreek Hill into the hands of Jonathan Jones.
Skylar Thompson did throw a touchdown pass to Mike Gesicki to cut the lead to two, but it was ultimately not enough with limited time left. Jason Sanders’ onside kick was unsuccessful. Speaking of Sanders, he missed a 51-yard field goal early in the game. Had me made it, the Dolphins would have won by one point.
3. Defense Makes A Difference.
As they always say, defense wins championships. New England showed their defensive talent on Sunday.
The Patriots have scored the most defensive touchdowns in the league with seven, the most since the 2017 Jaguars. They also had two aforementioned interceptions, with Jonathan Jones and Kyle Duggar, who had three pick-sixes this season.
The Dolphins, who have struggled all year on defense, allowed big plays by Mac Jones, who threw for 203 yards and two touchdowns. RB Rhamondre Stevenson had eight carries for 42 yards and Tyquan Thornton had three receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown.
4. Playoff Picture.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71813021/1453658658.5.jpg?w=1110&ssl=1)
The Patriots now jump into the No. 7 seed with an 8-8 record.
For the Dolphins to clinch a playoff spot, first they have to win against the Jets in their last game next week, and then the Bills have to beat the Patriots.
Miami will likely have Skylar Thompson at the helm next week if Tua is still in the concussion protocol.
If the Jets beat the Fins, and the Bills beat the Patriots, the Steelers will be able to take hold of the No. 7 seed with a win over the Cleveland Browns.