Offensive Thoughts Before Week 15 Patriots Game
Three days before the Miami Dolphins face the New England Patriots in their 2020 home finale, there's still no clear picture as to exactly which of their key offensive players they'll have available.
Wide receiver DeVante Parker and tight end Mike Gesicki are the two key players with an uncertain status, though they're not the only ones.
Facing a Bill Belichick defense with a rookie quarterback, even a first-round pick, has proven a tough task through the years and this obviously would increase the degree of difficulty for Tua Tagovailoa.
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The Dolphins also will be starting at least two rookies on the offensive line, and possibly three, again not necessarily an ideal scenario going up against the New England defense.
Forget about Tua's first NFL start; this will be his toughest test so far.
Other thoughts regarding the Dolphins offense:
-- This is a game where having a dependable running game would be very helpful, but unfortunately that's not where we are with the 2020 Dolphins. In fact, their running game is the worst in the entire league when it comes to average per rushing attempt. And, as we've mentioned before, it doesn't really matter who's in the lineup Sunday because the Dolphins don't have a difference-maker at running back on the roster.
-- And that, of course, brings us back to the 2020 NFL draft when the Dolphins decided to pass up the chance to take any of the six running backs who ended up getting selected in the first two rounds. Prefaced by saying the Dolphins deserve major kudos for how they upgraded the roster in the offseason, this was an opportunity missed for 2020 because 30th overall pick Noah Igbinogehe is not contributing on defense these days, and it will end up being a long-term mistake if Igbinoghene doesn't develop in the future as hoped.
-- The potential absence of Parker and the recent issues at the wide receiver position maybe wouldn't be so bad without Allen Hurns and Albert Wilson both having decided to opt out, but as Brian Flores has said many times, this is a different kind of season and every team has to adjust at one time or another.
-- Lynn Bowden Jr. and Malcolm Perry often are lumped together because of their similar college careers and their shared rookie status, but Bowden clearly is ahead at this point. In fact, if Parker and Gesicki both have to miss time, it's Bowden who kind of jumps out as the most dangerous skill position player on the team. What makes Bowden stand out is his athletic ability and elusiveness in the open field. He's also got a bigger frame than Perry, who's a bit on the smallish side.
-- While the return of Matt Breida isn't likely to make a huge difference in the running game, his pass-catching ability and speed could provide a much-needed boost for the passing game against the Patriots.
-- This is a truly strange stat: The Dolphins' two worst games in terms of third-down conversions have come against two of the worst teams they've faced, the Bengals (1-for-10) and the Jets (1-for-9). The first came with Tagovailoa at quarterback, the second with Ryan Fitzpatrick.
-- So much is made of the Dolphins defense's ability to force turnovers, but the offense has done a solid job of avoiding committing them. The Dolphins have committed no more than one turnover in seven of their 13 games, including the past two. They've also gone four games without turning the ball over at all. Their season high for turnovers by the offense is three, and that came all the way back in Week 1 — against the same New England Patriots that's coming to Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.
