Dolphins get embarrassed by Seahawks on the road.
Sometimes reality is hard to take. The saying goes that a spoonful of sugar can help the medicine go down, but there wasn’t anything sweet available to the Dolphins — or their fanbase — on Sunday in Seattle.
So, prepare yourself, because this dose isn’t going to taste good.
The Miami Dolphins are a bad football team.
Sure, they squared off with the Seahawks without their starting quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, but the problems with this South Florida squad run much deeper than that.
The team was dominated in all facets of the game while being embarrassed by a score of 24-3 — with the only points put on the board essentially handed to the offense courtesy of an interception which set the Dolphins up on the Seahawks’ six yard line. The team gained one measly yard before settling for three points.
But, hey, we can’t place the blame solely on the players on the field, as Miami’s coaching staff — especially head coach Mike McDaniel — must shoulder their fair share of the guilt as well. Let’s get into all of that and more as we dissect the good, bad and ugly from the Dolphins defeat at the hands of the Seahawks on Sunday.
GOOD
Miami’s defense toughens up in second-half
The Miami Dolphins defense didn’t play well in the first half against the Seahawks — giving up 17 points in the first two quarters of play. On a day when the gameplan should have been clear — play stout defense, control the clock, and play turnover free football — Miami found themselves down early.
Thankfully, despite his shortcomings regarding defensive gameplans heading into the games, defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver seems to make solid halftime adjustments on his side of the ball.
The Dolphins didn’t allow second half points to both the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Buffalo Bills in weeks one and two — and allowed just seven second half points to the Seahawks in week three.
On a day when the positives were hard to come by, Miami’s second half defense offers a glimmer of hope for those who still have some expectations for the 2024 season.
BAD
Miami penalized incessantly
The Dolphins were called for 11 accepted penalties against the Seahawks in week three. Every time I removed my head from my hands and wiped the tears from my eyes, all I could see was yellow painted across my television screen.
That is an issue that needs to be corrected and all involved — both players and coaches — should be embarrassed at the fact that the team is one of the most undisciplined squads in the entire National Football League.
Is Mike McDaniel, with his proclivity for fostering a “friendly” relationship with his fellow coaches and players, able to put his proverbial foot in someone’s behind in an effort to make an example of a player who is falling far short of expectations? I’m not so sure. To correct this issue, he may need to be.
Again, on a day where the Dolphins needed pretty much everything to go right if they had hopes of stealing a victory away from Seattle, committing 11 penalties wasn’t what the team envisioned when they drew up what they believed to be a winning gameplan.
UGLY
Skylar Thompson is not an NFL caliber quarterback
Skylar Thompson is in year three of his career — with all three of those years being under the tutelage of Mike McDaniel in Miami.
All week, we consistently heard from the Dolphins’ head coach that Thompson was ready for the moment and that he had earned the respect of his teammates by being a leader and making plays in training camp and preseason.
I would really like some specific examples from coach — release the footage, please — because all we saw on Sunday was a quarterback who looked terrified every time he touched the football.
Thompson finished with just 107 yards passing after leaving the game due to injury in the second half.
Tim Boyle — who has only been with the Dolphins for a matter of weeks — seemed to move the ball better than Thompson, who again, has been with Miami for THREE YEARS. At the very least, Boyle looked like someone who has played quarterback before, which is something that I can’t say for Thompson after watching Sunday’s game.
The decision to keep Thompson as Miami’s backup to Tua Tagovailoa is proving to be a comical one — and once again, Mike McDaniel has some questions to answer. However, I’m sure he’ll serve up a big, unappetizing plate of word-salad once again as he “umms and uhhs” his way through another press conference.
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The Dolphins are 1-2 on the season. Yes, it is still early and the team could turn things around, but with two disgusting performances in a row from the squad, many who follow the organization couldn’t have lower hopes. Do you think they’ll start Tyler Huntley next week against the Tennessee Titans? Do you think his presence would make a difference? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter at @MBrave13. Fins up!
