Grading Dan Campbell in Miami Dolphins' Loss to New England Patriots
Heading into their Thursday Night Football matchup with the New England Patriots in 2015, the Miami Dolphins were hoping to continue their solid play with interim head coach Dan Campbell at the helm.
Campbell started his tenure with two consecutive blowout victories, against the Titans and Texans, respectively.
Against the Patriots, the Dolphins simply struggled to get anything going. Unfortunately, defensive end Cameron Wake suffered a torn Achilles in the third quarter that ultimately ended his 2015 season.
In the first half, Miami attempted to establish the run, but had absolutely no success against the Patriots defense.
Grading Dan Campbell's First Victory Coaching Miami Dolphins
Grading Dan Campbell's Second Victory Coaching Miami Dolphins
In fact, the Dolphins only had 15 total yards rushing on the evening.
Ryan Tannehill was not sharp and struggled to get anything going for the Dolphins offense, as they were shutout in the first half. They trailed the Patriots 19-0, as quarterback Tom Brady had another stellar performance against a rival in the division.
Unfortunately, Campbell's team looked lost and struggled with all three aspects of the game. There was even a memorable moment in the first half when the Patriots were credited with a safety after a snap flew by Tannehill and into the back of the end zone.
"You have to play good football in all three phases when you play the New England Patriots. They've always been that way," Campbell said.
The Dolphins struggled with execution, communication and Tannehill had a less than stellar performance, as he tossed a couple of interceptions and only led his offense to 76 total yards in the first half.
Against the Patriots and Bill Belichick, many coaches have looked outmatched.
On the national stage, Campbell did not have his team primed and ready to play at the highest level, in order to compete against the top team in the AFC East.
It was not the best performance for anyone involved with the Dolphins organization.
Grade: D-
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