Dolphins Lose at Denver: Quick Thoughts
When we discuss this 20-13 Miami Dolphins loss against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High, let's start with everybody who watched the game could see.
The game wasn't as close as the final score indicated.
The Dolphins just flat-out were outplayed, and that should come first before we address the QB change, Tua's performance or Ryan Fitzpatrick's ill-advised final pass.
We mentioned as the biggest concern heading into this game the Dolphins run defense and what might happen against a team with two good backs like the Broncos.
Well, what happened was that Denver rushed for 189 yards, which usually will get you a victory — or a loss if you happen to be the opponent.
That the Dolphins even had a chance at the end came because of two big defensive plays — a second fourth-down stop in three weeks and Andrew Van Ginkel's strip of Melvin Gordon as he was about to make it 27-13.
Van Ginkel also came close to having a second punt block in two weeks, as he continues to find a whole bunch of different ways to contribute.
More specific quick thoughts:
-- Denver doesn't have Von Miller this year, but it does two pretty good pass-rushing outside linebackers in Bradley Chubb and Malik Reed, and those two gave the Dolphins fits. One thing that particularly appeared to bother the Dolphins front was the twisting game up front, with the Dolphins often allowing a free rusher.
-- At first glance, it appeared that pretty much everybody up front had issues at one time or another.
-- Tua clearly was off in this game, in several different ways. His decision-making wasn't as quick as it had been in previous games and he also couldn't connect on anything downfield, as evidenced by the fact the longest completion was only 13 yards.
-- Fitzpatrick was typical Fitzpatrick. He absolutely gave the Dolphins offense the spark that Brian Flores wanted to see, but his late interception looked like a classic case of impatience of trying to force something.
-- Make no mistake, though, the Dolphins wouldn't have been in position to win the game had Tua remained at quarterback. The philosophical wisdom of the change is another discussion for another day, but that last fact should not be disputable.
-- Antonio Callaway made his first catch for the Dolphins, but one has to wonder why he wasn't used more.
-- And we ask that because the receivers again didn't appear to create a whole lot of separation, something that obviously would have helped Tua.
-- Defensively, Xavien Howard again was outstanding and the way he came up with his interception showed why he's able to get so many picks. The way he reached out for that ball and made the grab was something that very simply very few other cornerbacks would have been able to do.
-- It didn't end up meaning anything in the end because Denver kicker Brandon McManus hit the field goal, but very strange for the Dolphins to let the clock run out and make McManus' 47-yard attempt the last play of the first half on fourth down instead of calling a timeout to give themselves some time in the event of a miss.
-- No, it came down to the final drive and a painful ending for the Dolphins. The key now will be how they rebound from this game with two games coming up that they should win: against the Jets and at home against the Bengals minus Joe Burrow.
